Regional empowerment, secessionism and European integration: the cases of Catalonia and Scotland

One of the main challenges facing multicultural states in today's globalised world is accommodating the various diverse groups living within them. Especially complex are the claims of minority sub-state nations, which demand greater autonomy and in extreme cases want to separate. Recently several regionalist or nationalist movements have become more assertive, and there has emerged a new dimension to the matter – the movements envision independence within the European Union (EU). If a constituent region of an EU member state were to become independent, it would set a precedent. Thus, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the relationship between European integration and secessionism in multicultural states. Building on theoretical insights from multilevel governance, new regionalism and rational choice institutionalism, the thesis analyses the international environment created by European integration, the political and economic empowerment of regions in the EU since the Single European Act, as well as the mobilisation of subnational actors, which pursue their regional interests and demand more powers (including independence). The study is conducted using two cases, Catalonia and Scotland, and finds that they have rationally responded to their changed opportunity structures. Thus, the main result of the analysis is that European integration has strengthened secessionism in multinational states with sizeable geographically concentrated indigenous minority groups, by creating a favourable international environment for small states, and strengthening regions and subnational actors economically and politically.http://www.ester.ee/record=b5147543*es

Computer Graphics Learning Materials

Selles lõputöös on antud ülevaade Tartu Ülikooli aine Arvutigraafika (MTAT.03.015) jaoks koostatud õppematerjalist ja õppekeskkonnast. Kirjeldatud on aine modulaarset ülesehitust, mis rakendab kombineeritud ülevalt-alla (ing. k. top-down) ja alt-üles (ing. k. bottom-up) lähenemisi. Loodud õppematerjal sisaldab endas interaktiivseid näiteid, mis vastavad hõivatuse taksonoomia 4ndale tasemele. Õppekeskkonna CGLearn spetsifikatsioon ja implementatsiooni detailid on kirjeldatud. Töö lõpus on kursusel osalenud õpilaste hulgas läbi viidud tagasiside küsitluse tulemuste analüüsiga. Lisa fail on lingina kätesaadav serveri probleemide tõttu aadresil : http://comserv.cs.ut.ee/forms/ati_report/files/ComputerGraphicsLearningMaterialsAppendix.zipThis thesis provides an overview of the learning material and a custom learning environment created for the Computer Graphics (MTAT.03.015) course in the University of Tartu. It describes a modular layout, that mixes a top-down and bottom-up approaches, in which the course was organized. The created material also includes interactive examples that satisfy engagement level 4 requirements. The specification and implementation details of the custom learning environment called CGLearn are given. Thesis concludes with the analysis of the feedback questionnaire answered by the students participating in the course and using the material. Due to server problems extras file is in here : http://comserv.cs.ut.ee/forms/ati_report/files/ComputerGraphicsLearningMaterialsAppendix.zi

Tunnel magnetoresistance in alumina, magnesia and composite tunnel barrier magnetic tunnel junctions

Using magnetron sputtering, we have prepared Co-Fe-B/tunnel barrier/Co-Fe-B magnetic tunnel junctions with tunnel barriers consisting of alumina, magnesia, and magnesia-alumina bilayer systems. The highest tunnel magnetoresistance ratios we found were 73% for alumina and 323% for magnesia-based tunnel junctions. Additionally, tunnel junctions with a unified layer stack were prepared for the three different barriers. In these systems, the tunnel magnetoresistance ratios at optimum annealing temperatures were found to be 65% for alumina, 173% for magnesia, and 78% for the composite tunnel barriers. The similar tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of the tunnel junctions containing alumina provide evidence that coherent tunneling is suppressed by the alumina layer in the composite tunnel barrier.Comment: 3 pages,4 figures, 1 tabl

Photoassisted tunneling from free-standing GaAs thin films into metallic surfaces

The tunnel photocurrent between a gold surface and a free-standing semiconducting thin film excited from the rear by above bandgap light has been measured as a function of applied bias, tunnel distance and excitation light power. The results are compared with the predictions of a model which includes the bias dependence of the tunnel barrier height and the bias-induced decrease of surface recombination velocity. It is found that i) the tunnel photocurrent from the conduction band dominates that from surface states. ii) At large tunnel distance the exponential bias dependence of the current is explained by that of the tunnel barrier height, while at small distance the change of surface recombination velocity is dominant

Assessment of static and dynamic stresses horse-shoe tunnel with connecting gallery using finite element method: (as a case study)

This paper illustrates the use of MIDAS GTS NX to investigate the tunnel’s simulation in order to highlight the effect of static and dynamic load on the behaviour of tunnel to compare this response expressed in terms of displacement and stresses acting on the tunnel and ground. Main tunnel is located in the ground having uniform property throughout its extent, connecting gallery is located perpendicular to the main tunnel, the shotcrete and rock bolts for each tunnel will be installed

Wind tunnel supplementary Mach number minimum section insert

A device is described which changes the Mach number capability of a wind tunnel without permanently altering the existing nozzle of the tunnel. An insert is removably attached to the wall of the existing nozzle expansion area thereby creating a second minimum section upstream of the model test section. The added insert may be removed without complicated and expensive changes to the basic wind tunnel. In one embodiment, a removable insert is disposed within wind tunnel nozzle walls with a portion of the flow boundary layer being bled off from the tunnel via passageway and tunnel exit to reduce the extent of separated flow normally occuring upstream of the insert contraction section

Aeroelastic instability stoppers for wind tunnel models

A mechanism for diverting the flow in a wind tunnel from the wing of a tested model is described. The wing is mounted on the wall of a tunnel. A diverter plate is pivotally mounted on the tunnel wall ahead of the model. An actuator fixed to the tunnel is pivotably connected to the diverter plate, by plunger. When the model is about to become unstable during the test the actuator moves the diverter plate from the tunnel wall to divert maintaining stable model conditions. The diverter plate is then retracted to enable normal flow

Stability of Granular Tunnel

We demonstrated the stability of tunnels made of granular matters is strongly dependent on the grain size, tunnel diameter, and water content in the granules. Larger tunnel radius, larger grain size, and too much water content tend to destabilize the tunnel. We also develop a model to describe such findings. We identified a phase diagram of stability which greatly controlled by granular bond order. For granular bond order of larger than unity, we can always made a stable tunnel. However, for granular bond order of less than unity, we obtain a general expression for maximum tunnel thickness that can be made. To best of our knowledge, this is the first exploration regarding the granular tunnel stability.Comment: 13 pages, 6 Figures, and 1 Tabl

The prevalence of cubital tunnel syndrome: A cross-sectional study in a U.S. metropolitan cohort

BACKGROUND: Although cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common peripheral mononeuropathy (after carpal tunnel syndrome) encountered in clinical practice, its prevalence in the population is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of cubital tunnel syndrome in the general population. METHODS: We surveyed a cohort of adult residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area to assess for the severity and localization of hand symptoms using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS) and the Katz hand diagram. We identified subjects who met our case definitions for cubital tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome: self-reported hand symptoms associated with a BCTQ-SSS score of >2 and localization of symptoms to the ulnar nerve or median nerve distributions. RESULTS: Of 1,001 individuals who participated in the cross-sectional survey, 75% were women and 79% of the cohort was white; the mean age (and standard deviation) was 46 ± 15.7 years. Using a more sensitive case definition (lax criteria), we identified 59 subjects (5.9%) with cubital tunnel syndrome and 68 subjects (6.8%) with carpal tunnel syndrome. Using a more specific case definition (strict criteria), we identified 18 subjects (1.8%) with cubital tunnel syndrome and 27 subjects (2.7%) with carpal tunnel syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of cubital tunnel syndrome in the general population may be higher than that reported previously. When compared with previous estimates of disease burden, the active surveillance technique used in this study may account for the higher reported prevalence. This finding suggests that a proportion of symptomatic subjects may not self-identify and may not seek medical treatment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This baseline estimate of prevalence for cubital tunnel syndrome provides a valuable reference for future diagnostic and prognostic study research and for the development of clinical practice guidelines