Experimental Investigation of Photogrammetric Surface Analysis of Heat Shield Materials during Plasma Wind Tunnel Testing

The paper presents first results of an experimental analysis of surface recession using advanced photogrammetric tools. Based on image pairs acquired with two DSLR cameras, classical photogrammetry has been tried, but pixelwise image analysis with corresponding matching algorithms show much better results ans higher stability to image noise and ra- diation and re ection issues. A combination of open source tools for the analysis of camera positions and focal points, pixel matching analysis, and pixel cloud comparing, allows the recession to be measured with very high local resolution of 20 �m of a 2D surface. The ap- proach is analysed within this study with respect to window disturbance and experimental setup constraints. A first plasma wind tunnel experiment shows the applicability and an analysis of a central spot is comparable to laser recession measurements

Predicting the poverty impacts of trade reform

An important area of research in recent years involves assessing the microeconomic implications of macro-level policies-particularly those related to international trade. While a wide range of research methodologies are available for assessing the microeconomic incidence of micro-policies, as well as for assessing the effect of macro-level policies on markets and broad groups of households, there is a gap when it comes to eliciting the disaggregated household and firm level effects of trade policies. Recent research addresses this knowledge gap and the present survey offers an overview of this literature. The preponderance of the evidence from the studies encompassed by this survey points to the dominance of earnings-side effects over consumption-side effects of trade reform. This is problematic, since household surveys are notable for their underreporting of income. From the perspective of the poor, it is the market for unskilled labor that is most important. The poverty effects of trade policy often hinge crucially on how well the increased demand for labor in one part of the economy is transmitted to the rest of the economy by way of increased wages, increased employment, or both. Further econometric research aimed at discriminating between competing factor mobility hypotheses is urgently needed.Health Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Labor Policies,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Poverty Assessment,Achieving Shared Growth,Health Economics&Finance

Computing the eigenvalues of symmetric H2-matrices by slicing the spectrum

The computation of eigenvalues of large-scale matrices arising from finite element discretizations has gained significant interest in the last decade. Here we present a new algorithm based on slicing the spectrum that takes advantage of the rank structure of resolvent matrices in order to compute m eigenvalues of the generalized symmetric eigenvalue problem in $\mathcal{O}(n m \log^\alpha n)$ operations, where $\alpha>0$ is a small constant

INCORPORATING COMMODITY STOCKHOLDING BEHAVIOR INTO A SHORT-RUN GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

This paper incorporates commodity stockholding into a short run, stochastic global general equilibrium model. A mix of econometric and calibration techniques are used to reconcile model outcomes with historical stockholding and price behavior. The resulting framework is useful for analyzing policies in the short run or presence of production variability.Agribusiness,

TRADE POLICY, FOOD PRICE VARIABILITY, AND THE VULNERABILITY OF LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS

We utilize a global trade model to generate distributions of commodity and factor prices based on observed uncertainty in rice production. This is done for three trade policy regimes. We then assess their impact on domestic price variability and the likelihood of marginal households falling into poverty in four countries.Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade,

Discussion: Reporting and calibration of post-bomb 14C data

The definitive paper by Stuiver and Polach (1977) established the conventions for reporting of radiocarbon data for chronological and geophysical studies based on the radiocactive decay of 14C in the sample since the year of sample death or formation. Several ways of reporting 14C activity levels relative to a standard were also established, but no specific instructions were given for reporting nuclear weapons-testing (post-bomb) 14C levels in samples. Because the use of post-bomb 14C is becoming more prevalent in forensice, biology, and geosciences, a convention needs to be adopted. We advocate the use of fraction modern with a new symbol F14C to prevent confusion with the previously used Fm, which may or may not have been fractionation-corrected. We also discuss the calibration of post-bomb 14c samples and the available data sets and compilations, but do not give a recommendation for a particular data set

Precise Control of Molecular Self-Diffusion in Isoreticular and Multivariate Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Understanding the factors that affect self-diffusion in isoreticular and multivariate (MTV) MOFs is key to their application in drug delivery, separations, and heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we measure the apparent self-diffusion of solvents saturated within the pores of large single crystals of MOF-5, IRMOF-3 (amino-functionalized MOF-5), and 17 MTV-MOF-5/IRMOF-3 materials at various mole fractions. We find that the apparent self-diffusion coefficient of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) may be tuned linearly between the diffusion coefficients of MOF-5 and IRMOF-3 as a function of the linker mole fraction. We compare a series of solvents at saturation in MOF-5 and IRMOF-3 to elucidate the mechanism by which the linker amino groups tune molecular diffusion. The ratio of the self-diffusion coefficients for solvents in MOF-5 to those in IRMOF-3 is similar across all solvents tested, regardless of solvent polarity. We conclude that average pore aperture, not solvent-linker chemical interactions, is the primary factor responsible for the different diffusion dynamics upon introduction of an amino group to the linker

Comparison of laboratory calibrations of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) at the beginning and end of the first flight season

Spectral and radiometric calibrations of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) were performed in the laboratory in June and November, 1987, at the beginning and end of the first flight season. Those calibrations are described along with changes in instrument characteristics that occurred during the flight season as a result of factors such as detachment of the optical fibers to two of the four AVIRIS spectrometers, degradation in the optical alignment of the spectrometers due to thermally-induced and mechanical warpage, and breakage of a thermal blocking filter in one of the spectrometers. These factors caused loss of signal in three spectrometers, loss of spectral resolution in two spectrometers, and added uncertainty in the radiometry of AVIRIS. Results from in-flight assessment of the laboratory calibrations are presented. A discussion is presented of improvements made to the instrument since the end of the first flight season and plans for the future. Improvements include: (1) a new thermal control system for stabilizing spectrometer temperatures, (2) kinematic mounting of the spectrometers to the instrument rack, and (3) new epoxy for attaching the optical fibers inside their mounting tubes