Transform fault earthquakes in the North Atlantic: Source mechanisms and depth of faulting

The centroid depths and source mechanisms of 12 large earthquakes on transform faults of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge were determined from an inversion of long-period body waveforms. The earthquakes occurred on the Gibbs, Oceanographer, Hayes, Kane, 15 deg 20 min, and Vema transforms. The depth extent of faulting during each earthquake was estimated from the centroid depth and the fault width. The source mechanisms for all events in this study display the strike slip motion expected for transform fault earthquakes; slip vector azimuths agree to 2 to 3 deg of the local strike of the zone of active faulting. The only anomalies in mechanism were for two earthquakes near the western end of the Vema transform which occurred on significantly nonvertical fault planes. Secondary faulting, occurring either precursory to or near the end of the main episode of strike-slip rupture, was observed for 5 of the 12 earthquakes. For three events the secondary faulting was characterized by reverse motion on fault planes striking oblique to the trend of the transform. In all three cases, the site of secondary reverse faulting is near a compression jog in the current trace of the active transform fault zone. No evidence was found to support the conclusions of Engeln, Wiens, and Stein that oceanic transform faults in general are either hotter than expected from current thermal models or weaker than normal oceanic lithosphere

Snap-off production of monodisperse droplets

We introduce a novel technique to produce monodisperse droplets through the snap-off mechanism. The methodology is simple, versatile, and requires no specialized or expensive components. The droplets produced have polydispersity <1% and can be as small as 2.5 $\mu$m radius. A convenient feature is that the droplet size is constant over a 100-fold change in flow rate, while at higher flows the droplet size can be continuously adjusted.Comment: to be published in Eur. Phys. J. E as a "Tips and Tricks" articl

Shattering Colored Glass: The Trauma of Magical Realism n Toni Morrison\u27s Beloved and José Saramago\u27s Blindness

The purpose of this thesis is to draw a literary connection between two distinct fields of study, magical realism and trauma studies, through the use of two specific works of fiction, Toni Morrison\u27s Beloved and Jose Saramago\u27s Blindness. In order to understand how the two fields of literary thought are connected. the thesis first attempts to distill the terms. With no definitive texts, magical realism and trauma studies are complex and seemingly indefinable ideas. However, through the process of definition, the thesis illustrates how the two are connected through the desire for both trauma, a fleeting concept, and magic, an unreal and supernatural idea, to be represented artistically. As illustrations of how the concepts relate, Toni Morrison\u27s Beloved and Jose Saramago\u27s Blindness represent very real traumas, the trauma of slavery and the trauma of divine faith, respectively, through an artistic magic. Morrison\u27s Beloved uses a ghost to help African Americans look at the specter of slavery and heal slavery\u27s traumatic scars. Saramago\u27s Blindness explores the trauma of divine faith. a trauma resulting from the horrors done in God\u27s name, through the use of an epic. magical plague of white blindness unleashed upon humanity

How Do Hurricanes Impact Achievement in School? A Caribbean Perspective

This study examines whether hurricanes have any impact on performance in standardized examinations. The analysis uses a panel of thirteen Caribbean countries and over 800 schools for the period 1993 through 2010. In particular, the effect on subjects in the humanities and sciences are examined. A generalized difference-in-difference technique is utilized to study the relationship at the school, parish, year and country level. The results show a negative and significant effect on performance in the sciences if hurricanes strike when school is in session and a positive or no effect when school is not in session. In addition, subjects in the humanities remain unaffected

Reducing Material Wastes in Building Construction Sites: An Action for Sustainable Development

Construction material waste has both environmental and cost performance consequences. In this period of global economic recession and environmental awareness, it has become necessary to adopt effective waste reduction strategies in order to reduce the cost of construction projects as well as produce environmental friendly projects. The aim of the study is to identify the effective waste reduction methods in building construction sites so that developers and construction professionals can key into the different methods in order to bring about qualitative project delivery and enhanced sustainable development. Reviewing some literatures related to the topic, the study identified the sources of construction wastes, the implications of wastes and ways of controlling them. The review equally revealed that consciousness of the implication of waste is very little appreciated considering the fact that the level of environmental awareness and willingness to pursue the goal of sustainability in the country is low. In view of this, the study concludes that efforts at adopting green practices may not advance so much, as such it recommends that the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) should intensify efforts at coming up with better green practices and selling same for government approval, adoption and implementation across the country. Secondly, every construction projects must include a waste management plan as part of the prerequisites for their approval. Keywords: Environmental Awareness, Green Practices, Sustainable Development, Waste Reductio

The effects of social spending on entrepreneurship in developed nations

Understanding how national policy can spur entrepreneurial activity is central to entrepreneurship research. Over the past decade, there has been a limited set of research findings to suggest that social spending may increase entrepreneurship in addition to serving more direct social purposes. We examine the topic through the lens of market failure theory and Austrian economics. In accordance with the Austrian perspective, we theorize that social spending increases the opportunity cost of entrepreneurship, thereby decreasing the attractiveness of entrepreneurship in comparison to salaried employment. Drawing from a sample of 31 developed countries spanning 2004–2011, we investigate the effects of social spending on entrepreneurial attitudes and activity. Our results indicate that country level social spending negatively affects entrepreneurial activity, business ownership, and the public’s view of entrepreneurship as a career choice. The findings suggest that social spending may be better suited for addressing social issues compared to spurring entrepreneurial attitudes or activity. Our findings have implications for both the entrepreneurship and national policy literature