Income Inequality in the United States vs. Romania

The United States’ economy is the largest and most technologically advance nation in the world. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the total value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, is the largest compared to all other industrial nations. GDP per capita as a measure of economic standard of living is $46,400. At the same time, income inequality gap is growing and that creating a constraint for social mobility of the middle class in the United States. There are different view points on the reasons behind income distribution gap where rich are getting richer and poor stay poor or even move to a lower level. These factors ranging from advancement of technology, movement from manufacturing to service society, outsourcing, stagnation of real wages, higher number of unskilled immigrants moving to the United States and globalization. A major side effect of this trend is the contraction of the middle and lower class income levels creating more poverty and decreased living standards for a large portion of the countries’ populations. Society needs to address income distribution, as it relates to better economic health. A thriving middle class is an important component of economic, political, and social stability of any nation

Unserdeutsch: an (a)typical creole?

Dieser Aufsatz diskutiert die Frage, inwieweit Unserdeutsch sich aus soziohistorischer und sprachstruktureller Perspektive in die Kategorie Kreolsprache einfügt. Als tertium comparationis dienen dabei Merkmale, die in der einschlägigen Literatur prominent als charakteristisch für Kreolsprachen angenommen werden. Es zeigt sich, dass Unserdeutsch trotz einer Reihe atypischer Entstehungsumstände, die auf den ersten Blick eine große strukturelle Nähe zum deutschen Superstrat, damit ein relativ akrolektales Kreol erwarten ließen, verhältnismäßig gut mit dem Muster eines Average Creole, wie es sich etwa aufgrund der Daten des „Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures“ (Michaelis et al. 2013) abzeichnet, harmoniert. Eine mögliche Erklärung findet diese augenfällige Diskrepanz in der primären Funktion von Unserdeutsch als Identitätsmarker und der linguistischen Struktur seiner Substratsprache Tok Pisin.This paper deals with the question to what extent Unserdeutsch fits into the category of creole languages based on a sociohistorical and structural perspective. For that purpose, features which are considered as typical for creole languages in the literature serve as tertium comparationis. Despite certain atypical circumstances in the genesis of Unserdeutsch, which lead to the assumption that Unserdeutsch could be considered as a relatively acrolectal creole due to the unlimited access of the speakers to the German superstrate, it will be shown that Unserdeutsch accords quite well with the pattern of an “Average Creole” compared to the data of the “Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures” (Michaelis et al. 2013). Possible explanations of this obvious discrepancy could be found in the primary function of Unserdeutsch as identity marker as well as in the linguistic structure of its substrate Tok Pisin

An ion trap built with photonic crystal fibre technology

We demonstrate a surface-electrode ion trap fabricated using techniques transferred from the manufacture of photonic-crystal fibres. This provides a relatively straightforward route for realizing traps with an electrode structure on the 100 micron scale with high optical access. We demonstrate the basic functionality of the trap by cooling a single ion to the quantum ground state, allowing us to measure a heating rate from the ground state of 787(24) quanta/s. Variation of the fabrication procedure used here may provide access to traps in this geometry with trap scales between 100 um and 10 um.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Gesprochenes Alltagsdeutsch im Bismarck-Archipel um 1900. Das Zeugnis regional markierter Superstrateinflüsse in Unserdeutsch

Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German) entstand um 1900 an einer katholischen Missionsstation in Vunapope auf der Insel New Britain im Bismarck-Archipel. Seine dominante Substratsprache ist Tok Pisin, das melanesische Pidgin-Englisch, seine Superstratsprache Deutsch. Der Aufsatz versucht das sprachliche Superstrat von Unserdeutsch näher zu bestimmen, d. h. die Frage zu beantworten, welches Deutsch von den Missionaren in Vunapope um 1900, am Ort und zum Zeitpunkt der Entstehung von Unserdeutsch, gesprochen wurde. Zu diesem Zweck werden die als Superstrattransfer aus dem Deutschen erklärbaren, regional markierten linguistischen Strukturmerkmale in Unserdeutsch untersucht und im geschlossenen Sprachgebiet sprachgeografisch lokalisiert. Ergänzt wird diese linguistische Evidenz durch extra- und metalinguistische Evidenz aus einschlägigen, zeitgenössischen Quellen. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf ein vorwiegend nordwestdeutsch-westfälisch geprägtes, insgesamt jedoch heterogenes, standardnahes sprachliches Superstrat hin und widerlegen somit frühere diesbezügliche Aussagen in der einschlägigen Fachliteratur. Und sie zeigen zugleich auch, dass die Analyse von kolonialen und sonstigen Auswanderervarietäten, besonders von solchen, die – wie Unserdeutsch – im Laufe ihrer späteren Geschichte den Kontakt zum sprachlichen Mutterland vollständig verloren haben, zur Rekonstruktion historischer Mündlichkeit wertvolle Daten liefern kann

Определение объема вычислительных экспериментов при решении задач оптимизационного синтеза динамических систем методом ПЛП-поиска

Даются рекомендации по выбору необходимого числа машинных экспериментов при решении конкретных задач исследования и оптимального проектирования методом ПЛП-поиска, позволяющего осуществлять глобальный квазиравномерный просмотр заданной области варьируемых параметров и применить формальные оценки из математической статистики.Recommendations about the choice of necessary number of machine experiments at the solution of specific objectives of a research and optimum design are made by method of the PLP-search allowing to carry out global quasi uniform viewing of the set area of the varied parameters and to apply formal estimates from mathematical statistics

The Black Aspergillus Species of Maize and Peanuts and Their Potential for Mycotoxin Production

The black spored fungi of the subgenera Circumdata, the section Nigri (=Aspergillus niger group) is reviewed relative to their production of mycotoxins and their effects on plants as pathogens. Molecular methods have revealed more than 18 cryptic species, of which several have been characterized as potential mycotoxin producers. Others are defined as benign relative to their ability to produce mycotoxins. However, these characterizations are based on in vitro culture and toxins production. Several can produce the ochratoxins that are toxic to livestock, poultry, and humans. The black aspergilli produce rots of grapes, maize, and numerous other fruits and grain and they are generally viewed as post-harvest pathogens. Data are review to suggest that black aspergilli, as so many others, are symptomless endophytes. These fungi and their mycotoxins contaminate several major grains, foodstuffs, and products made from them such as wine, and coffee. Evidence is presented that the black aspergilli are producers of other classes of mycotoxins such as the fumonisins, which are known carcinogenic and known prior investigations as being produced by the Fusarium species. Three species are identified in U.S. maize and peanuts as symptomless endophytes, which suggests the potential for concern as pathogens and as food safety hazards

Parents' Voices Supporting Music Therapy within Pediatric Palliative Care

It has been my experience that parents are willing and open to express their voices to promote and advocate for music therapy services for their terminally ill children. By listening to parents' voices when providing care for terminally ill children, much can be done to ease the suffering of children and families at the end of life (Widger & Wilkins, 2004). My music therapy masters research at the University of Melbourne with Dr. Katrina McFerran will investigate bereaved parents' experiences of music therapy with their terminally ill child. This inquiry unfolded through my music therapy work with several children and families within hospice and palliative care. Parents have reflected that music therapy was a vital component in their child's care at the end of life. As one mom commented, "I don't care what anyone says, it has made a world of a difference." In order to further explore parents' experiences of music therapy, in-depth interviews will be conducted and transcripts will be analyzed using phenomenological strategies. It has been reported that parents find the interview process helpful in working through grief. They have also reported feeling an overall eagerness to share their child's story in order to provide input that might assist other families in the future (Widger & Wilkins, 2004). This article will describe pediatric palliative and hospice care, discuss parents as advocates for their terminally ill children, portray the use of music therapy within pediatrics, and share an example of music therapy with Jack