Special opportunities for conserving cultural and biological diversity: The co-occurrence of Indigenous languages and UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites

Recent research indicates that speakers of Indigenous languages often live in or near United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Natural World Heritage Sites (WHSs). Because language is a key index of cultural diversity, examining global patterns of co-occurrence between languages and these sites provides a means of identifying opportunities to conserve both culture and nature, especially where languages, WHSs, or both are recognized as endangered. This paper summarizes instances when Indigenous languages share at least part of their geographic extent with Natural WHSs. We consider how this co-occurrence introduces the potential to co­ordinate conservation of nature and sociocultural systems at these localities, particularly with respect to the recently issued UNESCO policy on engaging Indigenous people and the forthcoming International Year of Indigenous Languages. The paper concludes by discussing how the presence of Indigenous people at UNESCO Natural WHSs introduces important opportunities for co-management that enable resident Indigenous people to help conserve their language and culture along with the natural settings where they occur. We discuss briefly the example of Australia as a nation exploring opportunities for employing and strengthening such coordinated conservation efforts

Internal vs. External Factors in Socio-Historical Explanations of Change: A Fruitless Dichotomy?

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995

CubeX: A Compact X-ray Telescope Enables Both X-ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation

This paper describes the miniaturized X-ray telescope payload, CubeX, in the context of a lunar mission. The first part describes the payload in detail, the second part summarizes a small satellite mission concept that utilizes its compact form factor and performance. This instrument can be used for both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy and X-ray pulsar timing-based navigation (XNAV). It combines high angular resolution (\u3c 1 \u3earcminutes) Miniature Wolter-I X-ray optics (MiXO) with a common focal plane consisting of high spectral resolution (keV) CMOS X-ray sensors and a high timing resolution (\u3c 1 μsec) SDD X-ray sensor. This novel combination of the instruments enables both XRF measurements and XNAV operations without moving parts, in a small form factor (~1×1×6U

SmallSat Solar Axion and Activity X-ray Imager (SSAXI)

Axions are a promising dark matter candidate as well as a solution to the strong charge-parity (CP) problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). We describe a new mission concept for SmallSat Solar Axion and Activity X-ray Imager (SSAXI) to search for solar axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) and to monitor solar activity of the entire solar disc over a wide dynamic range. SSAXI aims to unambiguously identify X-rays converted from axions in the solar magnetic field along the line of sight to the solar core, effectively imaging the solar core. SSAXI also plans to establish a statistical database of X-ray activities from Active Regions, microflares, and Quiet Sun regions to understand the origin of the solar corona heating processes. SSAXI employs Miniature lightweight Wolter-I focusing X-ray optics (MiXO) and monolithic CMOS X-ray sensors in a compact package. The wide energy range (0.5 - 6 keV) of SSAXI can easily distinguish spectra of axion-converted X-rays from typical X-ray spectra of solar activities, while encompassing the prime energy band (3 - 4.5 keV) of axion-converted X-rays. The high angular resolution (30 arcsec HPD) and large field of view (40 arcmin) in SSAXI will easily resolve the enhanced X-ray flux over the 3 arcmin wide solar core while fully covering the X-ray activity over the entire solar disc. The fast readout in the inherently radiation tolerant CMOS X-ray sensors enables high resolution spectroscopy with a wide dynamic range in a broad range of operational temperatures. SSAXI will operate in a Sun-synchronous orbit for 1 yr preferably near a solar minimum to accumulate sufficient X-ray photon statistics.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, Presented at the SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference, August 2019, San Diego, C

Cubex: A Compact X-Ray Telescope Enables Both X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation

This paper describes the miniaturized X-ray telescope payload, CubeX, in the context of a lunar mission. The first part describes the payload in detail, the second part summarizes a small satellite mission concept that utilizes its compact form factor and performance. This instrument can be used for both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy and X-ray pulsar timing-based navigation (XNAV). It combines high angular resolution (<1 arcminutes) Miniature Wolter-I X-ray optics (MiXO) with a common focal plane consisting of high spectral resolution (<150 eV at 1 keV) CMOS X-ray sensors and a high timing resolution (< 1 Amp-microsecond) SDD X-ray sensor. This novel combination of the instruments enables both XRF measurements and XNAV operations without moving parts, in a small form factor (volume approximately 1 by 1 by 6 Units, and mass, < 6 kg). In this paper we illustrate one potential application for a lunar mission concept: The elemental composition of the Moon holds keys to understanding the origin and evolution of both the Moon and the Earth. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), induced either by solar X-ray flux or energetic ions, carries decisive signatures of surface elemental composition. In between XRF observations, CubeX also leverages the technology of high resolution X-ray imaging and time series measurements to conduct XNAV operations and evaluate their performance

Thin-shell plastic lenses for space and laboratory applications

We have identified an inexpensive, readily available, mechanically stable, extremely smooth, elastic, and mechanically uniform plastic suitable for thin film X-ray optics. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is easily deformed without losing its elastic properties or surface smoothness. Most important, PET can be coated with mono- or multilayers that reflect X-rays at grazing incidence. We have used these properties to produce X-ray optics made either as a concentric nest of cylinders or as a spiral. We have produced accurately formed shells in precisely machined vacuum mandresl or used a pin and wheel structure to form a continuously wound spiral. The wide range of medical, industrial and scientific applications for our technology includes: a monochromatic X-ray collimater for medical diagnostics, a relay optic to transport an X-ray beam from the target in a scanning electron microscop0e to a lithium-drifted silicon and microcalorimeter detectors and a satellite mounted telescope to collect celestial X-rays. A wide variety of mono- and multilayer coatings allow X-rays up to ~100 keV to be reflected. Our paper presents data from a variety of diagnostic measurements on the properties of the PET foil and imaging results form single- and multi-shell lenses