PREFERENTIAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

The first half of this decade has witnessed an explosion in the creation and rejuvenation of preferential trading arrangements. Indeed, since 1990, 33 regional agreements have been notified to the GATT. An understanding of the basic structure of these agreements within the Western Hemisphere is critical to the ex ante assessment of the potential impacts of a Western Hemisphere Free Trade Agreement (WHFTA) on individual countries and groups, as well as specific sectors such as agriculture and food processing.International Relations/Trade,

Decreased Specific Star Formation Rates in AGN Host Galaxies

We investigate the location of an ultra-hard X-ray selected sample of AGN from the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) catalog with respect to the main sequence (MS) of star-forming galaxies using Herschel-based measurements of the star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass (\mstar) from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry where the AGN contribution has been carefully removed. We construct the MS with galaxies from the Herschel Reference Survey and Herschel Stripe 82 Survey using the exact same methods to measure the SFR and \mstar{} as the Swift/BAT AGN. We find a large fraction of the Swift/BAT AGN lie below the MS indicating decreased specific SFR (sSFR) compared to non-AGN galaxies. The Swift/BAT AGN are then compared to a high-mass galaxy sample (COLD GASS), where we find a similarity between the AGN in COLD GASS and the Swift/BAT AGN. Both samples of AGN lie firmly between star-forming galaxies on the MS and quiescent galaxies far below the MS. However, we find no relationship between the X-ray luminosity and distance from the MS. While the morphological distribution of the BAT AGN is more similar to star-forming galaxies, the sSFR of each morphology is more similar to the COLD GASS AGN. The merger fraction in the BAT AGN is much higher than the COLD GASS AGN and star-forming galaxies and is related to distance from the MS. These results support a model in which bright AGN tend to be in high mass star-forming galaxies in the process of quenching which eventually starves the supermassive black hole itself.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS 2015 June 23. In original form 2015 January 2

Susceptibilidad de híbridos de Populus spp. al ataque de áfidos y roya en tres localidades de Chile

Ramirez, CC (reprint author), Univ Talca, Inst Biol Vegetal & Biotecnol, Talca, Chile.In the last few years an increasing interest on species and hybrids of the genus Populus has occurred in Chile. However, such plantations are strongly affected by pest and diseases. With the aim to identify potentially resistant (or less susceptible) hybrids of the genus Populus, the susceptibility of some poplar hybrids growing in experimental nurseries in Southern-Center Chile to the aphid Chaitophorus leucomelas Koch and to the rust Melampsora spp. was assessed. Results showed that aphid abundance was higher in the month of March, particularly in Coinco (O'Higgins Region) and lower in Pillanlelbun (Los Rios Regions) and Yumbel (Biobio Region). In Pillanlelbun the most susceptible hybrid to aphids was TDxTD [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x (P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides)], and the less susceptible ones were TDxD [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x P. deltoides], TxN (P. trichocarpa x P. nigra), TMxTM [(P. trichocarpa x P. maximowitzii) x (P. trichocarpa x P. maximowitzii)] and TDxT [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x P. trichocarpa]. Hybrid TxN (P. trichocarpa x P. nigra) was the most susceptible to rust in all testing sites, while the less susceptible hybrids were TDxT [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x P. trichocarpa], TDxD [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x P. trichocarpa] and TDxT [(P. trichocarpa x P. deltoides) x P. trichocarpa]. These susceptibilities varied among localities, particularly on aphids. Genetic and environmental factors accounting for by these results are discussed

Cleanroom Contamination Identification Method Development

During fabrication, assembly, and testing of spacecraft and flight hardware it is vital to avoid contaminants that can cause degradation and could result in significant failure. Yet, there is no existing contamination monitoring method that provides the identity of airborne particles in a cleanroom facility. Knowing the particle identities, would allow scientists and engineers to determine the source of the contaminants and prevent setbacks before they occur or cause damage. Current cleanliness monitoring methods include airborne particle counters (APCs), fallout filters, and visual inspections. Particle counts from APCs are the primary metric used to define a cleanroom class and hence its level of cleanliness, but do not provide identification nor can they differentiate between large and small sizes of particles. In addition, using fallout filters is not a proactive, timely, or representative approach to cleanroom contamination monitoring because these samples are only retrieved after 30 days and are placed away from spacecraft processing to avoid interference with operations. In contrast, the forced air sampling method can collect a sample within an hour at any location required and provide results in less than a day. This system uses a cassette and filter sample medium to capture airborne particles which are then taken to a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to identify and size the captured particles. Development of forced air sampling into an established laboratory capability will allow for fast sampling and routine identification of unknown contamination sources within the cleanroom. The test method development required market research for an air sampling cassette that increases sample collection efficiency and a filter with low enough background contamination to allow differentiation between a blank (control) and the collected sample. It was determined that a conductive black cassette and a polycarbonate filter were the best options. Conductive black cassettes, in comparison to the standard styrene, are manufactured using polypropylene filled with carbon. This makes the cassette conductive and minimizes the tendency of particles to stick to the wall of the cassette due to electrostatic force. In previous trials a mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter was used to capture the contaminants, however the rougher surface of the filter contributed to entrapment of the particles within the filter structure and made it harder to identify the particles. In comparison, track etched polycarbonate filters have random cylindrical pores and a smooth surface which contributes to uniform sample distribution on the surface of the filter. Future work includes: testing the system using control samples to determine the efficiency and suitability of the medium, performing sample collection in various environments to establish ideal operating parameters and analyzing contaminant particles using SEM/EDS and assistant characterization techniques. Once fully developed, employing the forced air sampling method will help to prevent damage to spacecraft, avoid schedule delays, and allow for mission success

Quasar Feedback in the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy F11119+3257: Connecting the Accretion Disk Wind with the Large-Scale Molecular Outflow

In Tombesi et al. (2015), we reported the first direct evidence for a quasar accretion disk wind driving a massive molecular outflow. The target was F11119+3257, an ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) with unambiguous type-1 quasar optical broad emission lines. The energetics of the accretion disk wind and molecular outflow were found to be consistent with the predictions of quasar feedback models where the molecular outflow is driven by a hot energy-conserving bubble inflated by the inner quasar accretion disk wind. However, this conclusion was uncertain because the energetics were estimated from the optically thick OH 119 um transition profile observed with Herschel. Here, we independently confirm the presence of the molecular outflow in F11119+3257, based on the detection of broad wings in the CO(1-0) profile derived from ALMA observations. The broad CO(1-0) line emission appears to be spatially extended on a scale of at least ~7 kpc from the center. Mass outflow rate, momentum flux, and mechanical power of (80-200) R_7^{-1} M_sun/yr, (1.5-3.0) R_7^{-1} L_AGN/c, and (0.15-0.40)% R_7^{-1} L_AGN are inferred from these data, assuming a CO-to-H_2 conversion factor appropriate for a ULIRG (R_7 is the radius of the outflow normalized to 7 kpc and L_AGN is the AGN luminosity). These rates are time-averaged over a flow time scale of 7x10^6 yrs. They are similar to the OH-based rates time-averaged over a flow time scale of 4x10^5 yrs, but about a factor 4 smaller than the local ("instantaneous"; <10^5 yrs) OH-based estimates cited in Tombesi et al. The implications of these new results are discussed in the context of time-variable quasar-mode feedback and galaxy evolution. The need for an energy-conserving bubble to explain the molecular outflow is also re-examined.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

HIV, sexual risk and ethnicity among gay and bisexual men in England: survey evidence for persisting health inequalities.

To examine ethnic group differences in HIV testing and sexual behaviours among a large sample of gay and bisexual men (GBM), 13 years after similar observations were made, assess national HIV prevention responses and inform planning priorities. Cross-sectional convenience self-completion online survey in summer 2014, designed and recruited in collaboration with community-based health promoters and gay internet services; comparison with earlier findings reporting on similarly designed survey in 2001. We recruited 15 388 GBM living in England who self-reported as follows: 18.5% from ethnic minorities; 9.0% tested HIV positive (cf. 17.0% and 5.4% in 2001). Compared with the white British, Asian men were no longer less likely to report diagnosed HIV but had an equal probability of doing so (2001 OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.79; 2014 OR=1.04, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.54); black men remained significantly more likely to report diagnosed HIV (2001 OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.29; 2014 OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.36) as did men in the other white group (2001 OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.93; 2014 OR=1.31, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.55). Overall annual incidence of reported HIV diagnoses in 2014 was 1.1%. Black men were significantly more likely to report diagnosis with HIV in the last 12 months than the white British (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) 2.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 5.39). No minority ethnic group was more or less likely to report condom unprotected anal intercourse (CUAI) in the last year but men in the Asian, black and all others groups were more likely than the white British to report CUAI with more than one non-steady partners. Among GBM in England, HIV prevalence continues to be higher among black men and other white men compared with the white British. The protective effect of being from an Asian background appears no longer to pertain. Sexual risk behaviours may account for some of these differences

The dissimilar chemical composition of the planet-hosting stars of the XO-2 binary system

Using high-quality spectra of the twin stars in the XO-2 binary system, we have detected significant differences in the chemical composition of their photospheres. The differences correlate strongly with the elements' dust condensation temperature. In XO-2N, volatiles are enhanced by about 0.015 dex and refractories are overabundant by up to 0.090 dex. On average, our error bar in relative abundance is 0.012 dex. We present an early metal-depletion scenario in which the formation of the gas giant planets known to exist around these stars is responsible for a 0.015 dex offset in the abundances of all elements while 20 M_Earth of non-detected rocky objects that formed around XO-2S explain the additional refractory-element difference. An alternative explanation involves the late accretion of at least 20 M_Earth of planet-like material by XO-2N, allegedly as a result of the migration of the hot Jupiter detected around that star. Dust cleansing by a nearby hot star as well as age or Galactic birthplace effects can be ruled out as valid explanations for this phenomenon.Comment: ApJ, in press. Complete linelist (Table 3) available in the "Other formats -> Source" downloa