A four channel He-3 cooled balloon-borne bolometer radiometer

A four channel He-3 cooled balloon-borne bolometer radiometer was constructed. The principal goal of the instrument is to measure the anisotropy of the 3 K cosmic background radiation on angular scales of 4 to 180 deg. The goal is to improve the sensitivity of the measurements to Delta T/T is less than .00001. A secondary goal is to survey the galactic thermal dust emission in the submillimeter range

A question of value(s): Political connectedness and executive compensation in public sector organizations

While the de-politicization of public sector management was a core objective of past reform initiatives, more recent debates urge the state to act as a strong principal when it comes to public sector unity and policy coherence - and consequently make a case for reinvigorating links between the political and managerial sphere. Using data from Austrian public sector organizations, we test and confirm the causal relationship of political connectedness of board members and executive compensation. Differentiating between value-based and interest-based in-groups, we suggest that only value-based political connectedness has the potential to restore patronage as a control instrument and governance tool. Self-interested and reward-driven patronage, on the other hand, indicated by a strong association of political connectedness and executive pay, refers to the type of politicization that previous public sector reforms promised to abolish

New Evidence on the Effects of the Shortened School Duration in the German States - An Evaluation of Post-School Education Decisions

Most German states have reformed university preparatory schooling by reducing duration from 13 to 12 years with unchanged graduation requirements. The reform was implemented in the states during the last decade in several consecutive years. In this paper, we use nationwide data on high school graduates to evaluate the reform effects on post-school education decisions. The results show that the reform has reduced (or at least delayed) university enrollment of females, but increased the probability of starting vocational education. A similar trend is found for male students, but only in the first year after school graduation. In addition, students are slightly more likely to do voluntary service or spend a year abroad after high school graduation

Are 12 Years of Schooling Sufficient for Preparation for Tertiary Education? Evidence from the Reform of Secondary School Duration in Germany

An important education reform in Germany reduced the duration of university preparatory schooling from 13 to 12 years, but left the curriculum unchanged. In the state of Saxony-Anhalt the reform was completed in 2007 with a double cohort of graduates, providing a natural experiment. We use primary panel data from this double cohort to evaluate the effects on success in tertiary education. Our findings show that the reform has heterogeneous effects on success in university education. Among others, students with only 12 years of schooling have some difficulties and skill deficits at university, but no higher drop-out probability

Investigation of induced Pt magnetic polarization in Pt/Y3Fe5O12 bilayers

Using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements, we explore the possible existence of induced magnetic moments in thin Pt films deposited onto the ferrimagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12). Such a magnetic proximity effect is well established for Pt/ferromagnetic metal heterostructures. Indeed, we observe a clear XMCD signal at the Pt L3 edge in Pt/Fe bilayers, while no such signal can be discerned in XMCD traces of Pt/Y3Fe5O12 bilayers. Integrating the XMCD signals allows to estimate an upper limit for the induced Pt magnetic polarization in Pt/Y3Fe5O12 bilayers

How Important is Secondary School Duration for Post-school Education Decisions? Evidence from a Natural Experiment

This paper investigates how post-school education decisions are affected by a one-year reduction of secondary school duration with an unchanged curriculum. Until recently, Germany had had a longstanding tradition of 13 years of schooling in preparation for university. During the last decade, however, most states abolished the 13th year. The implementation of the reform in 2003 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt provides a natural experiment for identification. Based on data from the double cohort of graduates, our estimates show significant effects of the reform. Affected female students in particular significantly delay university enrollment by one year, show a slightly lower participation in university education overall and are more likely to start a vocational education course. We can also reveal effect heterogeneity with respect to the fields of study. Due to the reform the probability of affected males studying mathematics or natural sciences is significantly reduced

Fayet-Iliopoulos Terms in AdS/CFT with Flavour

We construct the gravity dual of a field theory with flavour in which there are Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) terms present. For this purpose we turn on a constant Kalb-Ramond B field in four internal space directions of AdS_5 x S^5 together with a D7 brane probe wrapping AdS_5 x S^3. The B field induces noncommutativity on the four internal directions of the D7 brane probe perpendicular to the AdS boundary. We argue on general grounds that the moduli space of the Higgs part of mixed Coulomb-Higgs states in the dual field theory at the boundary is described by the ADHM equations for noncommutative instantons on the four internal directions of the D7 brane probe. In particular, the global symmetries match. The FI term arises as the holographic dual of an anti-selfdual B field. We discuss possible applications for this construction.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures, JHEP 3 style, v2: References added, final published versio