Comparisons in Gender Wage Differentials and Discrimination between Germany and the United Kingdom

Due to the lack of consistent data, direct and robust comparisons of cross-country labour markets have been virtually impossible. This study uses a new panel data series that controls for inconsistencies, thus overcoming this problem. This study estimates gender wage differentials and gender discrimination in the German and United Kingdom labour markets. Panel estimates are used to identify general wage differences between the two countries, with cross-sectional comparisons undertaken to identify changes that have occurred between 1991 and 1993, that are consistent with known labour market policies. It is found that gender wage differentials are greater in the UK than Germany with employer discrimination against females attributed with the majority of the difference in both countries.

Sliceforms: Deployable structures from interlocking slices

A sliceform is a volumetric, honeycomb-like structure assembled from an array of cross-sectional planar slices that are interlocked via pairs of complementary slots placed along each intersection. If the slices are thin, these slotted intersections function as revolute joints, and the sliceform is foldable if the geometry of the embedded spatial linkage permits it, for example a lattice sliceform (LS) is bi-directionally flat-foldable. This thesis concerns a study of such sliceforms toward the design of novel deployable structures. A sliceform torus, composed of two sets of inclined slices arranged at regular intervals about a central axis of symmetry, has been discovered to exhibit a surprising and intriguing folding action whereby its incomplete form can be collapsed to a flat-folded stack of coplanar slices. On deployment, the assembly expands smoothly about an arc until the slices have rotated to their design inclination, then, without reaching any apparent physical limit, abruptly ‘locks out’. With a full complement of slices, the outermost intersections can be interlocked to complete and rigidify the ring. The torus is an example of a rotational sliceform (RS), and analysis of these structures proceeds by noting that their structural geometry comprises an array of pyramidal cells that is commensurate to a spherical scissor grid. The conditions for flat-foldability are determined by examination of the intrinsic geometry of each cell; the incompatibility of the slices with apparent rigid-folding revealed by assessment of the extrinsic motion of the slices. Investigation of their compliant kinematics reveals the articulation to be a bistable transition admitted by small transverse deflections of the slices. This structural form is generalised by development of a technique for generating sliceforms along a smooth spatial curve – curve sliceforms (CS). Their synthesis is more involved than for an RS, but a range of sliceform ‘tubes’ are generated and manufactured. Each example retains the flat-foldable, deployable characteristic of an RS, despite the apparent intrinsic rigidity of each constituent skew cell. Examination of the small-scale models indicates that deployable motion is achieved via imperfect action of the slots, and a simple model of the articulation of a single cell is constructed to investigate how this proceeds, verifying that motion is kinematically admissible via local deformations

The Meaning and Function of System in Theology

Topic. Due to the nature of the discipline, the importance of our understanding of the meaning of the term system in systematic theology cannot be gainsaid. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be little discussion or critique to how this term is being used and its meaning is often taken for granted, even though it seems to mean different things to different authors. Purpose. To address this ambiguity, this study takes a close look at the etymological development of this word in its various linguistic forms as it has been used in theology through history. Then, based on this etymological analysis, an intensional definition is proposed with analysis of each element represented inthat definition (whole, parts, and articulation) to clarify the meaning of this term as it has been used in theology. Finally, from that definition and its isolated elements, an instrument of analysis (the architectonic analysis) is designed and applied to two examples of theological systems to demonstrate the function of this idea in theology. Sources. For the etymological survey, this study focused primarily on theological and philosophical works inhistory that address the meaning of the word system with its Greek (συστημα) and Latin (systema ) roots. These sources begin with the introduction of the word into theological usage with Bartholomew Keckermann\u27s Systema logicae (1600) and trickle off shortly after Hegel\u27s Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), with particular attention to John Heinrich Lambert, Immanuel Kant, and Soren Kierkegaard. In additional to my own bibliographical research, I was indebted to Otto Ritschl\u27s System und systematische Methode in der Geschichte des wissenschaftlichen Sprachgebrauchs und der philosophischen Methodologie (1906). For the application of the architectonic analysis on specific examples, I chose the iconic works of Thomas Aquinas\u27s Summa Theologica and Karl Barth\u27s Church Dogmatics. Conclusions. After applying the architectonic analysis to the works of Aquinas and Barth, the definition proposed--\u27A theological system is a cognitive whole of articulated theological doctrines\u27--was found adequate to account for the structures represented by the Summa Theologica and Church Dogmatics . That is, based on the meaning of system as it is used in theology, these two works can confidently be called systems. Also, inaddition to confirming the meaning of this word and demonstrating its function in these great works, the architectonic analysis proposed here exposed the essential element of a conditioning, transcendental principle in anything properly called a system. That is, a system will always include at least one independent, necessary part, which provides the basis for both the whole expected and the articulation of its parts. Additionally, reminiscent of Gödel\u27s incompleteness theorem, this part is axiomatic and transcendent, and can not be validated or invalidated by the system in which it is found, but separately, as a dependent part in a greater system

Real Snail Mail

RDFID tagged snails were used as part of a messaging system in order introduce an element of uncertainty in the the delivery mechanism. One inspiration for the project was the Slow Art movement which aims to make people slow down and think about what they are doing. This project was a collaboration between Boredom Research within the Media School and The Creative technologies Research Group within DEC at Bournemouth University

The Schofield/Gunner Decisions and Episcopal Church Property-Splitting Litigation: Considering Proposed Improvements to the Litigation Process and the Neutral Principles of Law Doctrine, Ten Years on

In recent years, the Episcopal Church in the United States has seen a spate of parishes leaving the Church. Many of these departing parishes have attempted to take property with them as they leave and continue to operate independently or realign themselves with a different denomination. The Episcopal Church maintains that this property is held by the parishes on behalf of the national Church, and has generally been successful in obtaining a return of the property through legal action. In deciding these suits, state courts have skirted carefully around the contours of ecclesiastical questions; many state courts, following the Supreme Court, have adopted a Jones v. Wolf neutral principles of law approach for determining church property questions. Some commentators, after examining the application of the neutral principles approach in the Episcopal Church property-splitting context, have argued that the results reached by the courts are unjust, and have made their own suggestions for how to improve the adjudication process to obtain different results. This Note examines some of these suggestions in the context of the lawsuits surrounding the Diocese of San Joaquin, California, which span over a decade. The suggestions considered here find no place in the San Joaquin litigation, and are simply not applicable in many situations. Even if they were applicable, the suggestions would not improve the neutral principles approach, would create incongruities with other areas of law, would muddle court analysis, and would not create more just results in church property-splitting litigation

Extrinsic germanium Blocked Impurity Bank (BIB) detectors

Ge:Ga blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detectors with long wavelength thresholds greater than 190 microns and peak quantum efficiencies of 4 percent, at an operating temperature of 1.8 K, have been fabricated. These proof of concept devices consist of a high purity germanium blocking layer epitaxially grown on a Ga-doped Ge substrate. This demonstration of BIB behavior in germanium enables the development of far infrared detector arrays similar to the current silicon-based devices. Present efforts are focussed on improving the chemical vapor deposition process used to create the blocking layer and on the lithographic processing required to produce monolithic detector arrays in germanium. Approaches to test the impurity levels in both the blocking and active layers are considered

Hysteresis and fiscal stimulus in a recession

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a deep global recession, and with interest rates at very low levels, warrants consideration of the efficacy of different forms of fiscal stimulus in response. History reveals that deep recessions may cause output and total factor productivity (TFP) hysteresis, a permanent or highly persistent fall in the levels of output and TFP relative to pre-recession trends. This article analyses the output and welfare multipliers of fiscal stimulus during a recession using a macro model with TFP and output hysteresis. We find that transfer payments, public consumption and investment all have high output and welfare multipliers due to their positive effects on TFP in a recessionary environment. However, public investment has the highest output and welfare multipliers, because it has a more positive impact on labour productivity due to the increase in the public capital stock.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe