Metamorphic rocks in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, USA: a window into the Precambrian basement of southwest Laurentia

The western North American craton consists of a mosaic of Precambrian basement terranes that developed through episodes of microcontinent collision and magmatic arc accretion. Defining the extent and boundaries of these terranes is critical to deciphering the Precambrian development of Laurentia. The poorly exposed Selway terrane occurs between the Archean Wyoming province and the Neoproterozoic rifted margin of Laurentia. A rare exposure of Precambrian metamorphic rocks, the Sawtooth Metamorphic Complex (SMC), crops out over 33 km2 in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, USA, and potentially provides a window into the deep crust of the region. Field mapping, petrographic analyses, and mineral chemical data characterize the nature of the SMC rocks. Nine rock types occur in the SMC: quartzite, quartzofeldspathic gneiss, calc-silicate gneiss, marble mylonite, titanite-hornblende-biotite gneiss, metagabbro, biotite-amphibolite, peraluminous gneiss, and amphibole-pyroxene gneiss. Cross-cutting relationships and mineral-replacement textures in the Iron Creek peraluminous gneiss indicate the rocks passed through muscovite stability in the sillimanite field during prograde metamorphism, resulting in the reaction: muscovite + quartz sillimanite + K-feldspar + H2O. Fine-grained biotite and sillimanite are included in cordierite suggesting the reaction: phlogopite + sillimanite Mg-cordierite + garnet + H2O. These two dehydration reactions contribute to partial melting of the rocks and migmitization at peak metamorphic conditions interpreted at T = 800°C and P = 7 kbar. Tabular muscovite and euhedral andalusite cross-cut the main foliation in Iron Creek peraluminous gneisses, indicating a clock-wise decrease in pressure and temperature during retrograde metamorphism. Thompson Peak rocks share similar prograde, peak, and post-peak conditions, but different retrograde paths. Thompson Peak rocks contain pseudomorphs of kyanite-overprints indicating the rocks remained at relatively high-temperature during retrograde metamorphism. Calculated metamorphic conditions, T = 680 – 750 ±40 °C and P = 5 – 7 ± 0.5 kbar, indicate the rocks are transitional granulites to amphibolites from the mid-lower crust. Clock-wise P-T paths suggest the SMC was metamorphosed in a collisional tectonic setting. However, different retrograde conditions in the Thompson Peak and Iron Creek regions suggest the SMC is composed of multiple tectonic slices from the mid-lower crust

What\u27s Happened to France? Sundays, Socialism, and Neoliberal Modernity

The Macron Law, liberalizing French Sunday shopping hours, created great controversy in the French media in the winter of 2014-15, with particular opposition coming from the political left and the religious right. The controversy seemed to symbolize deeper issues for French society, appearing to some as a watershed, to others a threat. Some citizens expressed concern that the “European way of life was disappearing, being replaced by a more materialist, consumerist, extreme capitalist economic model that posed an overt threat to the traditional social protection system. Were these fears real or only imagined? To an observer, shops open on Sundays might only be a convenience, not an encroachment of “jungle capitalism,” and the French welfare state, even with changes in recent years, still appeared quite generous. Was the Macron Law a simple adjustment of business hours, or was it an existential moment for the nation? Focusing on French socialism, the social welfare system, and the pivotal presidential years of François Mitterrand, this thesis argues that the evolution of the meaning of Sunday in France can be seen as a metaphor for the nation’s political and economic development in the late twentieth century. The thesis contends that following the turbulent 1970s, as the neoliberal paradigm became dominant globally, France forged a unique approach, an acceptable path between that model and the nation’s traditions, just as an accommodation was found in the Sunday shopping controversy, when aspects of religious and socialist traditions were compromised to meet the demands of modern life

Comparing instructional techniques on memory retention, retrieval, application and self-efficacy of grading criteria used for student self-assessment.

Purpose/Objectives: Study examined the effects of active engagement (ENG) and spaced retrieval practice (SRP) on the self-assessment (SA) competencies among D1 dental students. Methods: D1 dental students (N = 120) were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions (n=30) in this experimental 2X2 research study: no ENG/ no SRP (control); no ENG/ SRP; ENG/no SRP; ENG/ SRP. Outcomes included content mastery (30 item multiple-choice exam) and application knowledge (simulated dentoform assessment) of the course grading rubric for SA. Results: Results indicated a statistically significant main effect for ENG and SRP on both outcome variables. Specifically, ENG had a larger effect than SRP on both outcomes. A significant interaction effect was identified for ENG and SRP on content mastery. Students with ENG scored significantly higher (2.63 points) in content mastery with SRP than without SRP with a moderate effect size (d = 0.48). Students with no ENG scored significantly higher (5.57 points) in content mastery with SRP than without SRP with a large effect size (d = 1.39). Students with SRP scored significantly higher (3.93 points) in content mastery with ENG than without ENG with a moderate effect size (d = 0.63). Students with no SRP scored significantly higher (6.87 points) in content mastery with ENG than without ENG with a large effect size (d = 2.10). Conclusions: Findings shed light on the potential of active ENG and SRP on D1 dental students’ learning outcomes. Subsequent research is suggested on a wider range of dental students and learner topics

First Amendment: Awarding Exclusive Cable Franchises through Auction Process Violates the First Amendment Rights of Private Cable Companies

Preferred Communications, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles, 754 F.2d 1396 (9th Cir.), cert. granted, 106 S. Ct. 380 (1985)

Emergent issues in African philosophy : a dialogue with Kwasi Wiredu

Abstract: These are major excerpts from an interview that was conducted with Professor Wiredu at Rhodes University during the 13th Annual Conference of The International Society for African Philosophy and Studies. He speaks on a wide range of issues such as political and personal identity, racism and tribalism, moral foundations, ity, the golden rule, the liberal‐communitarian debate, African communalism, human rights, personhood, consensus, meta‐philosophy, amongst other critical themes

Robust Entanglement through Macroscopic Quantum Jumps

We propose an entanglement generation scheme that requires neither the coherent evolution of a quantum system nor the detection of single photons. Instead, the desired state is heralded by a {\em macroscopic} quantum jump. Macroscopic quantum jumps manifest themselves as a random telegraph signal with long intervals of intense fluorescence (light periods) interrupted by the complete absence of photons (dark periods). Here we show that a system of two atoms trapped inside an optical cavity can be designed such that a dark period prepares the atoms in a maximally entangled ground state. Achieving fidelities above 0.9 is possible even when the single-atom cooperativity parameter C is as low as 10 and when using a photon detector with an efficiency as low as eta = 0.2.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, more detailed discussion of underlying physical effect, references update

Flexible Energieversorgung

Durch den langfristig angelegten Umbau des Energiesystems nimmt der Anteil fluktuierender Einspeisung in das Stromversorgungsnetz zu. Um den Zielkonflikt zwischen steigender Nachhaltigkeit auf der einen und gleichbleibender Versorgungssicherheit auf der anderen Seite zu lösen, werden Flexibilitätsoptionen benötigt. Im Umfeld dezentraler Versorgungsgebiete lassen sich darunter sowohl verbrauchernahe Erzeuger und Speicher als auch flexible Lasten zusammenfassen. Durch die Heterogenität der Anlagenstruktur und die dynamischen Anforderungen der Versorgungsaufgabe ist es schwierig, allgemeine Aussagen zur Flexibilität des Gesamtsystems zu machen. In dieser Arbeit wird daher eine Methode entwickelt, um die Systemflexibilität räumlich und technisch abgegrenzter Versorgungssysteme zu bewerten. Da die Flexibilitätsoptionen zunächst eine Versorgungsaufgabe erfüllen, besteht die Hauptanforderung der Untersuchung in der Entwicklung eines ganzheitlichen Modells, mit dem Versorgungsgebiete vollständig beschrieben werden können. Als Komponenten des Systems werden Standort, Topologie, Anlage, Gebäude, Haushalt und Endgerät abgegrenzt. Indem für jede dieser Komponenten spezifische Modellbausteine definiert werden, wird ein generischer Baukasten für die Szenariendefinition erstellt. Durch geeignete Methoden wird die zeitlich aufgelöste Last- und Erzeugungssituation für die Endenergieträger Gas, Strom und Wärme abgebildet. Mit dem „aktivitätsbasierten Lastmodell“ wurde dabei ein innovativer Ansatz verfolgt, um fluktuierende elektrische und thermische Lasten in der Größenordnung von 1...200 Gebäuden realitätsnah zu simulieren. Dabei werden die spezifischen Merkmale des Haushaltes und der Endgeräte berücksichtigt. Der Anlagenbetrieb wird durch ein gemischt-ganzzahliges lineares Optimierungsmodell dargestellt, das auf alle Szenarien anwendbar ist. Durch ein Testverfahren wird schließlich das Potenzial eines Systems bewertet, im Bedarfsfall neben der Versorgungsaufgabe als virtuelle Batterie Strom aufzunehmen oder abzugeben. Mittels linearer Optimierung werden dabei spontane Leistungsabrufe getestet, die hinsichtlich Zeitpunkt, Leistung und Abrufdauer variiert werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Testsequenzen lassen sich zu den Kenngrößen Kapazität und Leistung verdichten. Komplexe, heterogene Versorgungssysteme können mittels einer virtuellen Leistung und Kapazität bewertet und verglichen werden, ohne exogene Parameter einzubeziehen. Dennoch ist diese Bewertung mit Einschränkungen verbunden, denn im Gegensatz zu physikalischen Speichern können die Kenngrößen der virtuellen Batterie nicht deterministisch ermittelt oder fortgeschrieben werden.Due to the long-term transformation of the energy system, the share of fluctuating feed-in to the electricity supply grid increases. Thus flexibility options are needed to solve the conflict between an increasing sustainability and a continuing security of supply. In decentralized energy supply systems, flexibility options cover generation and storage plants as well as flexible loads. Due to the mixed technology structure and the dynamic requirements of the supply task it is difficult to assess the flexibility of the overall system in general.In this thesis a method for the evaluation of the system flexibility of a spatially and technically defined decentralized energy supply system is developed. Since flexibility options have to assure the supply security, a main challenge is finding a modelling approach for the holistic description of supply areas. The components of the system are location, topology, plant, building, household and appliance. At first a toolbox for the generic description of scenarios is developed. Each component is represented by specified model bricks. With appropriate methods the dynamic load and generation situation for the end energy sources gas, electricity and heat is depicted. The “activity based load model“ was developed in order to simulate fluctuating electric and thermal loads in the magnitude of 1...200 buildings. Therefore specific characteristics of the household and the appliances are considered. The plant operation is scheduled using a mixed-integer linear optimization model which can be applied to all scenarios. Finally the potential of the system is evaluated, serving as a virtual battery and absorb or provide electric energy if needed besides the primary supply task. Using linear optimization techniques, the spontaneous dispatch of electricity is tested and varied regarding the parameters starting time, power and duration. Subsequently the results of these test sequences are condensed to the parameters capacity and power. Thereby complex and heterogeneous supply systems can be evaluated and compared by those parameters without considering exogeneous constraints. Yet this evaluation method is limited, because in contrast to physical energy storages the parameters of the virtual battery cannot be calculated deterministically

Joint Warfare System (JWARS) Verification and Validation Lessons Learned

ABSTRACT JWARS V&V (a joint venture of Innovative Management Concepts in Sterling VA and BMH Associates in Norfolk VA) has been responsible for conducting the verification and validation (V&V) of the JWARS simulation since September of 1997. This paper describes the lessons learned during the conduct of the effort including: the JWARS V&V process, the JWARS V&V Plan, reports delivered, and results to date. Special emphasis is on the use of the DoD VV&A Recommended Practices Guide as a basis of JWARS V&V planning and procedures and the evolution of the JWARS V&V Integrated Product Team