Wage Inequality and Offshoring: Are They Related?

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of offs ho ring on wage inequality and labor productivity in the U.S. Short-run and long-run data tests are undertaken to analyze the relationship among off shoring, wage inequality, and labor productivity in the U.S. Cointegration tests indicate that these three variables are related in the long-run. The main contribution of this paper lies in its focus on the short-run investigation of the relationship among these three variables. This investigation is conducted using the vector error correction (VEC) testing framework. VEC tests indicate that offshoring has had a statistically significant impact on both labor productivity and wage inequality in the U.S

Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS): a high throughput 1.2-m visible telescope with a small inner working angle

The Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS) is a proposed space mission to image in the visible (0.4-0.9 micron) planetary systems of nearby stars simultaneously in 16 spectral bands (resolution R~20). For the ~10 most favorable stars, it will have the sensitivity to discover 2 R_E rocky planets within habitable zones and characterize their surfaces or atmospheres through spectrophotometry. Many more massive planets and debris discs will be imaged and characterized for the first time. With a 1.2m visible telescope, the proposed mission achieves its power by exploiting the most efficient and robust coronagraphic and wavefront control techniques. The Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph used by TOPS allows planet detection at 2 lambda/d with nearly 100% throughput and preserves the telescope angular resolution. An efficient focal plane wavefront sensing scheme accurately measures wavefront aberrations which are fed back to the telescope active primary mirror. Fine wavefront control is also performed independently in each of 4 spectral channels, resulting in a system that is robust to wavefront chromaticity.Comment: 12 pages, SPIE conference proceeding, May 2006, Orlando, Florid

TOPS: a small space telescope using phase induced-amplitude apodization (PIAA) to image rocky and giant exo-planets

The Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS) is a proposed space mission to image planetary systems of nearby stars simultaneously in a few wide spectral bands covering the visible light (0.4-0.9 μm). It achieves its power by combining a high accuracy wavefront control system with a highly efficient Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph which provides strong suppression very close to the star (within 2 λ/D). The PIAA coronagraphic technique opens the possibility of imaging Earthlike planets in visible light with a smaller telescope than previously supposed. If sized at 1.2-m, TOPS would image and characterize many Jupiter-sized planets, and discover 2 RE rocky planets within habitable zones of the ≈10 most favorable stars. With a larger 2-m aperture, TOPS would have the sensitivity to reveal Earth-like planets in the habitable zone around ≈20 stars, and to characterize any found with low resolution spectroscopy. Unless the occurrence of Earth-like planets is very low (η⊕ <~ 0.2), a useful fraction of the TPF-C scientific program would be possible with aperture much smaller than the baselined 8 by 3.5m for TPF, with its more conventional coronagraph. An ongoing laboratory experiment has successfully demonstrated high contrast coronagraphic imaging within 2 λ/d with the PIAA coronagraph / focal plane wavefront sensing scheme envisioned for TOPS

Evaluating the spatial uncertainty of future land abandonment in a mountain valley (Vicdessos, Pyrenees-France) : insights form model parameterization and experiments

International audienceEuropean mountains are particularly sensitive to climatic disruptions and land use changes. The latter leads to high rates of natural reforestation over the last 50 years. Faced with the challenge of predicting possible impacts on ecosystem services, LUCC models offer new opportunities for land managers to adapt or mitigate their strategies. Assessing the spatial uncertainty of future LUCC is crucial for the defintion of sustainable land use strategies. However, the sources of uncertainty may differ, including the input parameters, the model itself, and the wide range of possible futures. The aim of this paper is to propose a method to assess the probability of occurrence of future LUCC that combines the inherent uncertainty of model parameterization and the ensemble uncertainty of the future based scenarios. For this purpose, we used the Land Change Modeler tool to simulate future LUCC on a study site located in the Pyrenees Mountains (France) and 2 scenarios illustratins 2 land use strategies. The model was parameterized with the same driving factors used for its calibration. The defintion of static vs. dynamic and quantitative vs. qualitative (discretized) driving factors, and their combination resulted in 4 parameterizations. The combination of model outcomes produced maps of spatial uncertainty of future LUCC. This work involves literature to future-based LUCC studies. It goes beyond the uncertainty of simulation models by integrating the unceertainty of the future to provide maps to help decision makers and land managers

Restructuring the U.S. Postal Service

This article, which is an extension of Carbaugh (2007), discusses the economic problems of the USPS and possible changes in its structure that would help keep it solvent. It concludes that, given the state of technology, privatization probably is the only long-term solution for the USPS

Resistance, Adaptation, and Transformation: How Global Forces Shaped Religion in South Asia

When different religious cultures come into contact with one another, adaptation is often the result. This adaptation can be viewed as a response to a perceived threat from an alternative religion trying to compete for patrons. That is, this adaptation can be viewed as a competitive response to an encroaching religion. Throughout history, trade among countries often provided a context for religious adaptation, and that adaptation helped facilitate trading relationships. This paper provides a theory of such adaptation. The United States can learn from this basic model of adaptation to integrate itself better with an increasingly globalized world

Ocean and Sea Ice Retrievals from an End‐to‐End Simulation of the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) 1.4 to 36.5 GHz Measurements

The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) is currently being implemented by the European Space Agency (ESA) as a Copernicus Expansion Mission primarily designed to observe the Polar Regions in support of the Integrated European Policy for the Arctic. It is a conically scanning microwave radiometer with polarized channels centered at 1.414, 6.925, 10.65, 18.7, and 36.5 GHz and channel NEΔT between 0.2-0.7 K. A large rotating deployable mesh reflector will provide real-aperture resolutions ranging from 60 (1.4 GHz) to 5 km (36.5 GHz). To evaluate CIMR retrieval performance, a simplified end-to-end simulation of the mission has been carried out. The simulation includes important processes and input parameters, such as test geophysical datasets, forward models, an instrument simulator, and retrieval algorithms to derive the key mission geophysical products. The forward modeling is tested by producing Brightness Temperatures (TBs) from 4 global scenes. A comparison with current observations of the open ocean and sea ice at similar frequencies confirmed the realism of the simulations. The produced top-of-atmosphere TBs are converted to Antenna brightness Temperatures (TAs), taking into account the instrument design, and are then inverted to retrieve Sea Ice Concentration (SIC), Sea Surface Temperature (SST), and Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). Evaluating the retrieval performance showed that the simulated CIMR instrument can provide SST, SSS, and SIC measurements with precisions and spatial resolutions conforming with the mission requirements. The evaluation also highlighted the challenges of observing the Arctic environment, and put in perspective CIMR capabilities compared with current instruments. Plain Language Summary The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) satellite instrument is currently being implemented to observe the Polar Regions. It will measure different variables, including the temperature and salinity of the ocean surface, and the sea ice extension in the polar ice caps. To help designing the instrument, a first instrument concept has been computer simulated. Together with simulations of the radiation emitted by the oceans, it allows to reproduce what the instrument antennas will measure. This is followed by further computations that apply mathematical algorithms to the simulated measurements to estimate the values of the ocean and ice parameters of interest. Studying these simulated measurements is then used to see whether the CIMR instrument concept is suitable to achieve the mission goals, and how much better CIMR will measure compared with existing instruments already observing similar variables. Although more work is required to keep refining the instrument and its computer simulations, this study shows that CIMR can achieve its mission goals, measuring more accurately and with better spatial resolution than previous instruments, and greatly contributing to monitor the rapid changes expected to take place in the Polar regions in the years to come

Political awareness, microtargeting of voters, and negative electoral campaigning

Abstract We study the informational effectiveness of electoral campaigns. Voters may not think about all political issues and have incomplete information with regard to political positions of candidates. Nevertheless, we show that if candidates are allowed to microtarget voters with messages then election outcomes are as if voters have full awareness of political issues and complete information about candidate&apos;s political positions. Political competition is paramount for overcoming the voter&apos;s limited awareness of political issues but unnecessary for overcoming just uncertainty about candidates&apos; political positions. Our positive results break down if microtargeting is not allowed or voters lack political reasoning abilities. Yet, in such cases, negative campaigning comes to rescue