Pure Gauge SU(2) Seiberg-Witten Theory and Modular Forms

We identify the spectral curve of pure gauge SU(2) Seiberg-Witten theory with the Weierstrass curve \mathbbm{C}/L \ni z \mapsto (1,\wp(z),\wp(z)') and thereby obtain explicitely a modular form from which the moduli space parameter $u$ and lattice parameters $a$, $a_D$ can be derived in terms of modular respectively theta functions. We further discuss its relationship with the $c=-2$ triplet model conformal field theory.Comment: 11 + 2 pages, no figures, shortened, to be published in jm

Search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with NEMO 3 and SuperNEMO

Since 2003 the NEMO~3 experiment has been searching for neutrinoless double beta decay using about 10 kg of enriched isotopes. A limit of T_(1/2)(0nu) > 5.8 10**23 years at 90 % CL has been obtained for 100-Mo from the first two years of data. Several measurements of two-neutrino double beta decays have also been performed. A first NEMO 3 measurement of the half-life of 130-Te is presented, giving a value of T_(1/2)(2nu) = (7.6 +- 1.5 (stat) +- 0.8 (syst)) 10**20 years. In parallel, there is an active R&D programme for the SuperNEMO experiment which is expected to commence data taking in 2012-2013 with 100-200 kg of enriched isotopes.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of the 2007 Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, in Manchester, England, 19-25 July 200

Professional Standards and Legal Standard Setting

This Article draws attention to the nascent efforts of emergency medical personnel, convened under World Health Organization auspices, to improve humanitarian health responses following catastrophic natural disasters. The Foreign Medical Team Working Group (FMT-WG) is pursuing new professional standards related to sectoral coordination, classification and registration. As its approach has been significantly influenced by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group\u27s (INSARAG) prior advances in these areas, INSARAG\u27s contributions will first be highlighted. While more atypical contributors to international lawmaking than traditionally studied, the efforts by both groups shed significant light into the burgeoning International Disaster Response Law field. Two principle assertions here: that soft law-oriented technical guidelines can address highly time-sensitive, operational challenges related to transnational relief; and that ongoing professional self-regulation within specific response sectors may bolster state willingness to open its borders to outside international relief, even in the absence of a formal convention to do so

Producer support estimate (PSE) for South African agriculture for 1996, 1997, 1998

This paper endeavours to update the series of PSE calculations based on the 1998 OECD methodology (OECD 1998) which is a slightly revised methodology from the earlier calculations. The OECD terminology also now means that PSE stands for Producer Support Estimate and is calculated by classifying policy measures under a slightly different set of categories.Agricultural Finance,

Future Trends in Information Literacy Instruction: Lessons Learned from 13 Libraries

In response to fresh mandates for proof of our library’s impact on student success, we are reformulating the instruction program at the Clemson University Libraries. Rather than racing forward with shots in the dark, we conscientiously chose to set aside time for research and planning. This presentation reports on the process and results of this first stage. I will start by reporting findings and identifying trends from my interviews with instruction librarians at thirteen academic libraries—a mix of peer institutions from our regional consortium and “model” institutions whose achievements in information literacy education have been recognized by the ACRL. I will then discuss how contextualizing these practical trends through current theories of threshold concepts, transfer, and interdisciplinarity (drawn from both library science and writing studies research) allows us to extrapolate future directions in information literacy instruction. After all, why not build a program that anticipates the next set of best practices rather than simply “catching up” to national trends? Finally, I will share the concrete action items that we are implementing at Clemson in response to this research and offer suggestions for practical applications at other institutions. While primarily providing insight into the state of information literacy instruction and the process of change in one university library’s instruction program, this presentation will also briefly touch upon the overlapping missions of information literacy instruction and general education, as well as the place of pedagogical training within libraries

Regional distribution, life history, and morphometry of spawning stage Capelin Mallotus villosus

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019Capelin Mallotus villosus is a forage fish that is integral to many Arctic and subarctic marine food webs, but is less thoroughly studied outside the Atlantic Ocean. The goal of this research was to study spawning Capelin in data-poor areas, particularly in waters off the coast of Alaska and the western Canadian Arctic, to enrich baseline data and allude to intraspecies diversity. Chapter one examined the distribution and life history of spawning Capelin in Norton Sound, Alaska, by conducting aerial surveys, collecting sediment samples to characterize beach spawning habitats, and identifying biological attributes of spawners (e.g., body size, age, fecundity, etc.). Chapter two used a geometric morphometric approach (i.e., relative warps) and multiple statistical techniques (i.e., relative warp analysis, Procrustes analysis of variance, estimates of morphological disparity, and canonical variates analysis) to differentiate among and within putative populations of spawning Capelin in the western Canadian Arctic, Newfoundland, Canada, and Alaska. Spawning Capelin in Norton Sound portrayed similar behaviors, occupied similar beach habitats, and encompassed a similar range in biological attributes as fish observed in other regions throughout this species' geographic distribution. However, average spawner body size, age, fecundity, and morphometry differed among regions. These results suggest that Capelin exhibit some similarities in spawning behavior and habitat use across their geographic distribution, but may exhibit population-specific differences in biological attributes among and within regions.North Pacific Research Board (project number: 1707), the Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center, and the Jessie O'Bryan McIntosh ScholarshipGeneral introduction -- Chapter 1: Distribution and life history of spawning Capelin Mallotus villosus in subarctic Alaska -- Chapter 2: Capelin Mallotus villosus population differentiation among and within regions using relative warps -- General conclusion