Symmetry reduction in group 4mm photonic crystals

The size of absolute band gaps in two-dimensional photonic crystals is often limited by band degeneracies at the lattice symmetry points. By reducing the lattice symmetry, these degeneracies can be lifted to increase the size of existing photonic band gaps, or to create new gaps where none existed for the more symmetric structure. Specifically, symmetry reduction by the addition of different diameter rods into the unit cell of two-dimensional square lattices (Laue group 4mm) is explored. This approach is especially useful in opening absolute band gaps in structures of dielectric rods in air, which are more easily microfabricated than a crystal of air columns in a dielectric background. Symmetry reduction offers a rational approach for exploring and designing new photonic crystal structures

Larger Two-Dimensional Photonic Band Gaps

Absolute photonic band gaps in two-dimensional square and honeycomb lattices of circular cross-section rods can be increased by reducing the structure symmetry. The addition of a smaller diameter rod into the center of each lattice unit cell lifts band degeneracies to create significantly larger band gaps. Symmetry breaking is most effective at filling fractions near those which produce absolute band gaps for the original lattice. Rod diameter ratios in the range 0.1–0.2 yield the greatest improvement in absolute gap size. Crystal symmetry reduction opens up new ways for engineering photonic gaps

The Bioarchaeology of Inequality during the Middle Bronze Age in Central Anatolia

This dissertation research study focused on the bioarchaeology of Kaman-Kalehöyük and the goal was to provide baseline data for investigating the effects of social inequalities on rural communities during the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) (ca. 2000-1750 years Before Current Era) in central Anatolia (present-day Turkey). In particular, this project addresses the impact of the political landscape during the MBA on population health at the village site Kaman-Kalehöyük using multiple lines of evidence. This is accomplished through the thorough documentation and analysis of human skeletal remains at Kaman-Kalehöyük. More specifically, all MBA skeletal remains from this site were examined for health indicators of biological stress, activity patterns, and trauma in order to assess whether a biological signature of health is present at this MBA rural community. The results showed a minimum of 64 individuals and include all age categories and both sexes. Some aspects of the health profile, such as the demographic profile, fertility rates and prevalence of dental caries, are consistent with an agricultural lifestyle. The demographic patterns appear to be relatively normal for an agricultural village and fertility is high, similar to other agricultural communities. Evidence for nutritional quality and general stress potentially indicate that these individuals might be more consistent with the health profile of low socio-economic individuals at the contemporaneous site of Kültepe/Kanesh. In addition to health, skeletal evidence for antemortem (healed) and perimortem (unhealed) trauma was observed. The perimortem trauma includes chop marks made by some sort of weapon on two bones. These marks strongly support the original interpretation by the site director, Dr. Sachihiro Omura, that many individuals found at the site died in an attack on the village. In addition, antemortem trauma found on five individuals appear to be violence related as well. These include two healed facial fractures, two healed skull fractures and one healing stab wound to the chest. These antemortem injuries suggest that interpersonal violence was not limited to the raid on the village as at least five individuals had experienced some sort of interpersonal conflict prior to the attack

No Disability If You Recover: How The ADA Shortchanges Short-Term Impairments

A significant gap in the ADA’s protections lingers even after the ADA Amendments Act of 2008: whether individuals are protected from disability discrimination if their impairment lasted six months or less but was nonetheless the basis for some type of adverse employment or other action. The ADA does not explicitly exclude all short-term impairments, and the EEOC’s regulations provide they can be an actual disability if they are “sufficiently severe.” Without any further definition, not surprisingly perhaps, courts invoke reasoning similar to what they employed prior to the ADAAA’s course correction in 2008, primarily focusing on duration as a measure of the impairment’s severity and dismissing significant limitations as “trivial.” This is inconsistent with several of the ADAAA’s Rules of Construction. Relatedly, plaintiffs alleging short-term impairments under the “regarded as” prong frequently see their claims dismissed because the ADAAA excludes “transitory and minor” perceived impairments. Congress defined transitory—six months or less—but left minor to be interpreted by the courts. As with the actual disability cases, courts in the “transitory and minor” cases are finding impairments that are objectively more than trivial to nonetheless be minor. There is no discernable principle for what makes one impairment minor but not another, other than vague analogies to infected fingers and seasonal flues. This Article argues that many short-term impairments are indistinguishable in any meaningful way from other protected impairments and individuals alleging such impairments are entitled to the full scope of ADA protections

Deserving Disabilities: Why the Definition under the Americans with Disabilities Act Should Be Revised to Eliminate the Substantial Limitation Requirement

A commentator on a public radio program recently spoke in favor of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) by asserting that [t]he blind, deaf, and crippled really do deserve our help. \u27 Although this commentator purported to support the ADA, his actual message was that the definition of disability in the Act is excessively vague and allows individuals not deserving of legal protection, such as persons with back impairments and mental impairments, to, in his words, [hitch] a ride on the disability bandwagon. 2 His argument that the ADA should reach only the claims of deserving individuals with disabilities has had powerful resonance since the enactment of the ADA. Recent United States Supreme Court rulings restricting the ADA\u27s protected class demonstrate the persuasiveness of this argumen

Intervention in Cases of Woman Battering: An Application of Symbolic Interactionism and Critical Theory

The purposes of this paper are to acquaint readers with a number of existing approaches to the problem of woman battering and to examine clinical interventions against the background of several relevant sociological theories. Specifically, techniques for counseling female victims and male batterers are discussed from the perspectives of symbolic interactionism and critical theory. Symbolic interactionism provides an understanding of the self concepts and definitions of the situation which perpetuate abusive relationships, and suggests how they might be changed. Critical theory calls attention to the unequal power relations underlying systematically distorted communication, which can be addressed by interventions enlightening and empowering battered women