Analyzing shell structure from Babylonian and modern times

We investigate ``shell structure'' from Babylonian times: periodicities and beats in computer-simulated lunar data corresponding to those observed by Babylonian scribes some 2500 years ago. We discuss the mathematical similarity between the Babylonians' recently reconstructed method of determining one of the periods of the moon with modern Fourier analysis and the interpretation of shell structure in finite fermion systems (nuclei, metal clusters, quantum dots) in terms of classical closed or periodic orbits.Comment: LaTeX2e, 13pp, 8 figs; contribution to 10th Nuclear Physics Workshop "Marie and Pierre Curie", 24 - 28 Sept. 2003, Kazimierz Dolny (Poland); final version accepted for J. Mod. Phys.

Electrical apparatus for detection of thermal decomposition of insulation Patent

Electrical failure detector in solid rocket propellant motor insulation against thermal degradation by fuel grai

What is wrong with virtual water trading?

So-called virtual water, the water embedded in internationally traded goods, has come under discussion. The amount of quantitative studies which attempt to estimate volumes and flows of virtual water in relation to agricultural trade is rising rapidly, while the concept has been recognized by large firms and international institutions. From the viewpoint of economic trade theory, the endowment with abundant water resources gives countries a comparative advantage in the export of waterintensive goods, while water scarce countries gain the option to alleviate stress on domestic water resources by substituting the production of water-intensive goods by imports. However, fairness implications are seen to arise in the reallocation of water resources through the means of mostly agricultural trade. In this perspective, moral problems can be attached to both imports and exports, and even to a country's own consumption of virtual water. Global institutional arrangements are therefore suggested, to regulate virtual water flows in a "fair" and "efficient" manner. This paper will give a short overview of the concept's history and findings, and subsequently analyse it from the perspective of economic trade and resource theory. The contribution of this paper will be to examine the concept of virtual water in terms of the problems it evokes, its informative value and the policy suggestions which are made in this context. It must be concluded that the concept is unspecific and inconsistent, implying governance schemes which will neither improve efficiency nor sustainability in today's trade patterns. --virtual water,water footprint,international trade,global water governance

A RELIABILITY-BASED ROUTING PROTOCOL FOR VEHICULAR AD-HOC NETWORKS

Vehicular Ad hoc NETworks (VANETs), an emerging technology, would allow vehicles to form a self-organized network without the aid of a permanent infrastructure. As a prerequisite to communication in VANETs, an efficient route between communicating nodes in the network must be established, and the routing protocol must adapt to the rapidly changing topology of vehicles in motion. This is one of the goals of VANET routing protocols. In this thesis, we present an efficient routing protocol for VANETs, called the Reliable Inter-VEhicular Routing (RIVER) protocol. RIVER utilizes an undirected graph that represents the surrounding street layout where the vertices of the graph are points at which streets curve or intersect, and the graph edges represent the street segments between those vertices. Unlike existing protocols, RIVER performs real-time, active traffic monitoring and uses this data and other data gathered through passive mechanisms to assign a reliability rating to each street edge. The protocol then uses these reliability ratings to select the most reliable route. Control messages are used to identify a node’s neighbors, determine the reliability of street edges, and to share street edge reliability information with other nodes

The Next Generation of Labor in Rural, Resource-Rich Places: Forestry Needs and Youth Aspirations

A combination of youth out-migration and lack of in-migration have led to an aging workforce and population decline in resource-dependent communities, while simultaneously declines in pulp and paper demand and biomass utilization have had negative impacts on the perceived future of the once-dominant forest products industry. These changes may increase uncertainty as to the availability and training of the next generation of workers and rural community residents. While many studies have explored the effects that these changes have on adult populations, little attention has been paid to how local labor markets and perceptions of future opportunities influence the next generation of workers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. This research illuminates the relationships between employer educational needs, community characteristics, current student skills, and young people’s aspirations in traditionally forest-dependent communities through the delivery of surveys to middle and high school students, college students, and forestry employers in northern Maine and coastal Oregon. Possible education gaps between employers and current students were assessed in soft skills, knowledge skills, technical skills, and work culture domains. To further our understanding of rural youth educational and residential aspirations, the potential impact of the educational system, local economy, and community were investigated