The Magnetization of Carbonaceous Meteorites

Alternating field demagnetization experiments have been conducted on representative samples of the carbonaceous meteorites (carbonaceous chondrites and ureilites). The results indicate that many, if not all, of these meteorites possess an intense and stable magnetic moment of extraterrestrial origin. Thermomagnetic analyses have been conducted on samples of all known carbonaceous meteorites. In addition to yielding quantitative magnetite estimates, these studies indicate the presence of a thermally unstable component, troilite, which reacts with gaseous oxygen to form magnetite. It is proposed that the magnetite found in some carbonaceous chondrites resulted from the oxidation of troilite during the early history of the solar system. The formation of pyrrhotite is expected as a natural consequence of magnetite formation via this reaction. Consideration is given to the implications of magnetite formation on paleointensity studies

Job Analysis and Job Evaluation Method Choice: User Qualifications and Implications for Applications and Research

Research interest in the areas of job analysis and job evaluation has been increased recently as a result of attention being given to the comparable worth issue. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of job analysis and job evaluation method choice on the outcome of the salary determination process, and to investigate how user qualifications interact with methods. Within the context of the JAMES Matrix, two job analysis methods (CIT and FJA) were systematically paired with two job evaluation methods (ranking and point). Three groups of participants, representing distinctly different levels of expertise (method experts, content experts, and university students) evaluated four jobs (clerical, trades/craft, technical, and managerial) in order to determine the appropriate salaries. Data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Results of the salary determinations demonstrated a significant main effect for expertise, along with significant interactions involving job evaluation method x expertise, job descriptions x expertise and job descriptions x job evaluation method x expertise. Further analysis indicated no effect for incumbents evaluating jobs similar to their own. A three-way analysis of variance, with time as a dependent measure, showed that CIT took significantly more time than FJA. Results were discussed in terms of their implications for applications within the personnel management and industrial/organizational psychology arenas. Particular attention was given to the implications of the present findings to the direction of the comparable worth debate. Results were further discussed in terms of future research suggestions

Investigating Nest Box Utilization by Bumble Bees and Reproductive Development of Male Bumble Bees

Bumble bees (Bombus Latrielle) are a wide-spread group of pollinating insects that are important species to conserve across many environments to ensure both ecological and economic resiliency because they pollinate important agricultural, horticultural, and wild flora. Surprisingly, fundamental questions still remain about this important charismatic group of pollinators. The investigations in this thesis are but two of many topics that require further research. The topics investigated are understanding bumble bee nest site preferences and reproductive development of both sexes of bumble bees. The first experiment (Chapter 2) investigates whether nest boxes elevated off of the ground and attached to trees attract bumble bees to initiate and start nests. This study documents which species interact with these nest boxes the most. Aspect of box placement and blue and ultraviolet (UV) painted entrances are tested for increased nesting by vernal queen bumble bees. Bumble bees interacted with 34% of nest boxes with Bombus appositus being the most abundant species observed interacting with nest boxes. Aspect and entrance color showed no significance in increasing nest-box interactions by bumble bee queens. The second experiment (Chapter 3) is the first study to document developmental patterns in the internal reproductive anatomy of adult male bumble bees as they age and investigates differences between males from queenless microcolonies to males produced from standard queenright bumble bee colonies. The species used is a bumble bee of interest for pollination of greenhouse crops, Bombus vosnesenskii. Overall, male development continues for up to 7 days in adult males and overall slows down once adult males are 8 days old. No significant differences in development are observed between males from microcolonies and males from queenright colonies but the size of the male is shown to be significant in the reproductive development of male bumble bees. The reproductive development of B. vosnesenskii males offers the first insights into development that takes place in bumble bees post-eclosion. These experiments provide knowledge on fundamental questions still unanswered about the bumble bee life cycle. These experiments are much needed to further understand how to utilize and conserve bumble bees for ecological and economic benefit

The Revenue Potential of a Financial Transaction Tax for U.S. Financial Markets

This paper estimates the revenue potential of a financial transaction tax (FTT) for U.S. financial markets. We focus on analyzing the revenue potential of the Inclusive Prosperity Act that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and the U.S. Senate in 2015. The tax rates stipulated in this Act include 0.5 percent (50 basis points) for all stock transactions; 0.1 percent (10 basis points) for all bond transactions; and 0.005 percent (0.5 basis points) on the notional value of all derivative trades. We examine three sets of evidence to generate potential revenue estimates: 1) the levels of transaction costs in U.S. financial markets over time and within the range of financial market segments; 2) the extent of trading elasticities under various trading conditions; and 3) the current level of trading activity in U.S. financial markets. Based on this evidence, we conclude that a US FTT operating at the tax rates stated above would generate about $250 billion per year, assuming that a combination of trading volume decline and tax avoidance generates the equivalent of a 50 percent fall in trading revenue. We then consider additional factors whose impact will reduce the net revenue generated by the Act. Adding up these various considerations, we conclude conservatively that the net revenue potential of this U.S. FTT is around$220 billion per year, which equals approximately 1.2 percent of current U.S. GDP. This revenue estimate as a share of GDP is consistent with experiences in other countries that have operated with FTTs with similar tax rates and other design features. It is also consistent with other projections based on tax rates that are comparable to those we are examining. In addition, we examine the 18-fold increase, between the 1970s and the present, in the ratio of stock market trading relative to productive investment spending by U.S. nonfinancial corporations. This sharp rise in stock market trading as a share of productive investments has not been associated with any growth in productive investments themselves. Working from this evidence, we conclude that a U.S. FTT, which should bring a fall in stock market trading relative to productive investment spending, should not, on balance, produce significant negative effects on productive investments