The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: NGC 346-013 as a test case for massive close binary evolution

Context. NGC 346-013 is a peculiar double-lined eclipsing binary in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) discovered by the VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars.

Late industrialization and the increased merit selection hypothesis - Ireland as a test case

The Irish case provides a particularly appropriate test of the increasing merit selection hypothesis deriving from the liberal theory of industrialization. This is so not only because the lateness and speed of economic change allows us to capture such change through a set of national surveys conducted in the past three decades, but also because such change was based on a sustained policy of increased openness to international competitive forces. The functional requirements of the economy and a rapid increase in the supply of those with higher educational qualifications provided an ideal context in which to observe the movement from ascription to achievement predicted by the liberal theory. However, while changes in the class structure and a rapid expansion of educational opportunity had significant consequences in terms of absolute mobility, there was no evidence of a significant shift towards meritocratic principles. At the same time as the service class increased their advantage over other classes in the pursuit of educational qualifications, the impact of educational qualifications on class destination diminished. Controlling for education, we find that the impact of class origin effects is substantial and shows little sign of diminishing over time. In our conclusion we discuss the implications of our findings in the context of the recent debate on meritocracy.

Constraining type Ia supernova models:SN 2011fe as A test case

The nearby supernova SN 2011fe can be observed in unprecedented detail. Therefore, it is an important test case for Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) models, which may bring us closer to understanding the physical nature of these objects. Here, we explore how available and expected future observations of SN 2011fe can be used to constrain SN Ia explosion scenarios. We base our discussion on three-dimensional simulations of a delayed detonation in a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf and of a violent merger of two white dwarfs (WDs) - realizations of explosion models appropriate for two of the most widely discussed progenitor channels that may give rise to SNe Ia. Although both models have their shortcomings in reproducing details of the early and near-maximum spectra of SN 2011fe obtained by the Nearby Supernova Factory (SNfactory), the overall match with the observations is reasonable. The level of agreement is slightly better for the merger, in particular around maximum, but a clear preference for one model over the other is still not justified. Observations at late epochs, however, hold promise for discriminating the explosion scenarios in a straightforward way, as a nucleosynthesis effect leads to differences in the Co production. SN 2011fe is close enough to be followed sufficiently long to study this effect. © © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Framework for Establishing Limits of Tabular Aerodynamic Models for Flight Dynamics Analysis

This paper describes the use of the Euler equations for the generation and testing of tabular aerodynamic models for flight dynamics analysis. Maneuvers for the AGARD Standard Dynamics Model sharp leading-edge wind-tunnel geometry are considered as a test case. Wind-tunnel data is first used to validate the prediction of static and dynamic coefficients at both low and high angles, featuring complex vortical flow, with good agreement obtained at low to moderate angles of attack. Then the generation of aerodynamic tables is described based on a data fusion approach. Time-optimal maneuvers are generated based on these tables, including level flight trim, pull-ups at constant and varying incidence, and level and 90 degrees turns. The maneuver definition includes the aircraft states and also the control deflections to achieve the motion. The main point of the paper is then to assess the validity of the aerodynamic tables which were used to define the maneuvers. This is done by replaying them, including the control surface motions, through the time accurate computational fluid dynamics code. The resulting forces and moments are compared with the tabular values to assess the presence of inadequately modeled dynamic or unsteady effects. The agreement between the tables and the replay is demonstrated for slow maneuvers. Increasing rate maneuvers show discrepancies which are ascribed to vortical flow hysteresis at the higher rate motions. The framework is suitable for application to more complex viscous flow models, and is powerful for the assessment of the validity of aerodynamics models of the type currently used for studies of flight dynamics.

Larval Transport Modeling of Deep-Sea Invertebrates Can Aid the Search for Undiscovered Populations

Background: Many deep-sea benthic animals occur in patchy distributions separated by thousands of kilometres, yet because deep-sea habitats are remote, little is known about their larval dispersal. Our novel method simulates dispersal by combining data from the Argo array of autonomous oceanographic probes, deep-sea ecological surveys, and comparative invertebrate physiology. The predicted particle tracks allow quantitative, testable predictions about the dispersal of benthic invertebrate larvae in the south-west Pacific. Principal Findings: In a test case presented here, using non-feeding, non-swimming (lecithotrophic trochophore) larvae of polyplacophoran molluscs (chitons), we show that the likely dispersal pathways in a single generation are significantly shorter than the distances between the three known population centres in our study region. The large-scale density of chiton populations throughout our study region is potentially much greater than present survey data suggest, with intermediate ‘stepping stone’ populations yet to be discovered. Conclusions/Significance: We present a new method that is broadly applicable to studies of the dispersal of deep-sea organisms. This test case demonstrates the power and potential applications of our new method, in generating quantitative, testable hypotheses at multiple levels to solve the mismatch between observed and expected distributions: probabilistic predictions of locations of intermediate populations, potential alternative dispersal mechanisms, and expected population genetic structure. The global Argo data have never previously been used to address benthic biology, and our method can be applied to any non-swimming larvae of the deep-sea, giving information upon dispersal corridors and population densities in habitats that remain intrinsically difficult to assess.

Directional performance in motion transparency

Motion transparency provides a challenging test case for our understanding of how visual motion, and other attributes, are computed and represented in the brain. However, previous studies of visual transparency have used subjective criteria which do not confirm the existence of independent representations of the superimposed motions. We have developed measures of performance in motion transparency that require observers to extract information about two motions jointly, and therefore test the information that is simultaneously represented for each motion. Observers judged whether two motions were at 90 to one another; the base direction was randomized so that neither motion taken alone was informative. The precision of performance was determined by the standard deviations (S.D.s) of probit functions fitted to the data. Observers also made judgments of orthogonal directions between a single motion stream and a line, for one of two transparent motions against a line and for two spatially segregated motions. The data show that direction judgments with transparency can be made with comparable accuracy to segregated (non-transparent) conditions, supporting the idea that transparency involves the equivalent representation of two global motions in the same region. The precision of this joint direction judgment is, however, 2–3 times poorer than that for a single motion stream. The precision in directional judgment for a single stream is reduced only by a factor of about 1.5 by superimposing a second stream. The major effect in performance, therefore, appears to be associated with the need to compute and compare two global representations of motion, rather than with interference between the dot streams per se. Experiment 2tested the transparency of motions separated by a range of angles from 5 to 180 by requiring subjects to set a line matching the perceived direction of each motion. The S.D.s of these settings demonstrated that directions of transparent motions were represented independently for separations over 20. Increasing dot speeds from 1 to 10 deg/s improved directional performance but had no effect on transparency perception. Transparency was also unaffected by variations of density between 0.1 and 19 dots/deg2

Proof of polar ejection from the close-binary core of the planetary nebula Abell 63

We present the first detailed kinematical analysis of the planetary nebula Abell 63, which is known to contain the eclipsing close-binary nucleus UU Sge. Abell 63 provides an important test case in investigating the role of close-binary central stars on the evolution of planetary nebulae. Longslit observations were obtained using the Manchester echelle spectrometer combined with the 2.1-m San Pedro Martir Telescope. The spectra reveal that the central bright rim of Abell 63 has a tube-like structure. A deep image shows collimated lobes extending from the nebula, which are shown to be high-velocity outflows. The kinematic ages of the nebular rim and the extended lobes are calculated to be 8400 +/- 500 and 12900 +/- 2800 yr, respectively, which suggests that the lobes were formed at an earlier stage than the nebular rim. This is consistent with expectations that disc-generated jets form immediately after the common envelope phase. A morphological-kinematical model of the central nebula is presented and the best-fitting model is found to have the same inclination as the orbital plane of the central binary system; this is the first proof that a close-binary system directly affects the shaping of its nebula. A Hubble-type flow is well-established in the morphological-kinematical modelling of the observed line profiles and imagery. Two possible formation models for the elongated lobes of Abell 63 are considered, (i) a low-density, pressure-driven jet excavates a cavity in the remnant asymptotic giant branch (AGB) envelope; (ii) high-density bullets form the lobes in a single ballistic ejection event.

Radiotherapy in the presence of contrast agents: a general figure of merit and its application to gold nanoparticles

Delivering sufficient dose to tumours while sparing surrounding tissue is one of the primary challenges of radiotherapy, and in common practice this is typically achieved by using highly penetrating MV photon beams and spatially shaping dose. However, there has been a recent increase in interest in the possibility of using contrast agents with high atomic number to enhance the dose deposited in tumours when used in conjunction with kV x-rays, which see a significant increase in absorption due to the heavy element's high-photoelectric cross-section at such energies. Unfortunately, the introduction of such contrast agents significantly complicates the comparison of different source types for treatment efficacy, as the dose deposited now depends very strongly on the exact composition of the spectrum, making traditional metrics such as beam quality less valuable. To address this, a 'figure of merit' is proposed, which yields a value which enables the direct comparison of different source types for tumours at different depths inside a patient. This figure of merit is evaluated for a 15 MV LINAC source and two 150 kVp sources (both of which make use of a tungsten target, one with conventional aluminium filtration, while the other uses a more aggressive thorium filter) through analytical methods as well as numerical models, considering tissue treated with a realistic concentration and uptake ratio of gold nanoparticle contrast agents (10 mg ml(-1) concentration in 'tumour' volume, 10: 1 uptake ratio). Finally, a test case of human neck phantom is considered with a similar contrast agent to compare the abstract figure to a more realistic treatment situation. Good agreement was found both between the different approaches to calculate the figure of merit, and between the figure of merit and the effectiveness in a more realistic patient scenario. Together, these observations suggest that there is the potential for contrast-enhanced kilovoltage radiation to be a useful therapeutic tool for a number of classes of tumour on dosimetric considerations alone, and they point to the need for further research in this area.

Abell 41: shaping of a planetary nebula by a binary central star

ABSTRACT We present the first detailed spatiokinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell 41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of the evolution of planetary nebulae with binary central stars as current evolutionary theories predict that the binary plane should be aligned perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula. Deep narrow-band imaging in the light of [NII]6584Å, [OIII]5007 Å and [SII]6717+6731Å, obtained using ACAM on the William Herschel Telescope, has been used to investigate the ionization structure of Abell 41. Long-slit observations of the Ha and [NII]6584Å emission were obtained using the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer on the 2.1-m San Pedro Mártir Telescope. These spectra, combined with the narrow-band imagery, were used to develop a spatiokinematical model of [NII]6584Å emission from Abell 41. The best-fitting model reveals Abell 41 to have a waisted, bipolar structure with an expansion velocity of ~40 km s-1 at the waist. The symmetry axis of the model nebula is within 5° of perpendicular to the orbital plane of the central binary system. This provides strong evidence that the close-binary system, MT Ser, has directly affected the shaping of its nebula, Abell 41. Although the theoretical link between bipolar planetary nebulae and binary central stars is long established, this nebula is only the second to have this link, between nebular symmetry axis and binary plane, proved observationally.

3D die shape optimisation for net-shape forging of aerofoil blades

This paper reports on work in developing a finite element (FE) based die shape optimisation for net-shape forging of 3D aerofoil blades for aeroengine applications. Quantitative representations of aerofoil forging tolerances were established to provide a correlation between conventional dimensional and shape specifications in forging production and those quantified in FE simulation. A new direct compensation method was proposed, employing variable weighting factors to minimise the total forging tolerances in forging optimisation computations. A surface approximation using a B-spline surface was also developed to ensure improved die surface quality for die shape representation and design. For a Ni-alloy blade test case, substantial reduction in dimensional and shape tolerances was achieved using the developed die shape optimisation system.

Economic Vulnerability and the Severity of Debt Problems::An Analysis of the Irish EU-SILC 2008

In this article, using Ireland where debt issues are of particular salience, as a test case, we seek to locate over-indebtedness and the severity of debt problems in the context of the broader economic circumstances of households. In doing so, we first identify an economically vulnerable segment of households and then explore the debt experience of vulnerable and non-vulnerable households. Our analysis reveals a striking contrast between the debt experiences of less than one in five households defined as economically vulnerable and all others. Financial exclusion, relating to access to a bank account and a credit card, was found to increase debt levels. However, such effects were modest. The impact of economic vulnerability seems to be largely a consequence of its relationship to a wide
range of socio-economic attributes and circumstances. The manner in which a potential debt crisis
unfolds will be shaped by the broader socio-economic structuring of life-chances. Any attempt to
respond to such problems by concentrating on financial exclusion or household behaviour or, indeed,
triggering factors without taking the wider social structuring of economic vulnerability is likely to be
both seriously misguided and largely ineffective.

Climate change response in Europe: What's the reality? Analysis of adaptation and mitigation plans from 200 urban areas in 11 countries

Urban areas are pivotal to global adaptation and mitigation efforts. But how do cities actually perform in terms of climate change response? This study sheds light on the state of urban climate change adaptation and mitigation planning across Europe. Europe is an excellent test case given its advanced environmental policies and high urbanization. We performed a detailed analysis of 200 large and medium-sized cities across 11 European countries and analysed the cities' climate change adaptation and mitigation plans. We investigate the regional distribution of plans, adaptation and mitigation foci and the extent to which planned greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions contribute to national and international climate objectives. To our knowledge, it is the first study of its kind as it does not rely on self-assessment (questionnaires or social surveys). Our results show that 35 % of European cities studied have no dedicated mitigation plan and 72 % have no adaptation plan. No city has an adaptation plan without a mitigation plan. One quarter of the cities have both an adaptation and a mitigation plan and set quantitative GHG reduction targets, but those vary extensively in scope and ambition. Furthermore, we show that if the planned actions within cities are nationally representative the 11 countries investigated would achieve a 37 % reduction in GHG emissions by 2050, translating into a 27 % reduction in GHG emissions for the EU as a whole. However, the actions would often be insufficient to reach national targets and fall short of the 80 % reduction in GHG emissions recommended to avoid global mean temperature rising by 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Investigation of Limit Cycle Oscillations Using Aeroelastic-Harmonic Balance Method

This work investigates limit cycle oscillations in the transonic regime. A novel approach to predict Limit Cycle Oscillations using high fidelity analysis is exploited to accelerate calculations. The method used is an Aeroeasltic Harmonic Balance approach, which has been proven to be efficient and able to predict periodic phenomena. The behaviour of limit cycle oscillations is analysed using uncertainty quantification tools based on polynomial chaos expansions. To improve the efficiency of the sampling process for the polynomial-chaos expansions an adaptive sampling procedure is used. These methods are exercised using two problems: a pitch/plunge aerofoil and a delta-wing. Results indicate that Mach n. variability is determinant to the amplitude of the LCO for the 2D test case, whereas for the wing case analysed here, variability in the Mach n. has an almost negligible influence in amplitude variation and the LCO frequency variability has an almost linear relation with Mach number. Further test cases are required to understand the generality of these results.

Cases, Materials and Text on National, Supranational and International Non-Discrimination Law

This casebook, the result of the collaborative efforts of a panel of experts from various EU Member States, is the latest in the Ius Commune Casebook series developed at the Universities of Maastricht and Leuven. The book provides a comprehensive and skilfully designed resource for students, practitioners, researchers, public officials, NGOs, consumer organisations and the judiciary. In common with earlier books in the series, this casebook presents cases and other materials (legislative materials, international and European materials, excerpts from books or articles). As non-discrimination law is a comparatively new subject, the chapters search for and develop the concepts of discrimination law on the basis of a wide variety of young and often still emerging case law and legislation. The result is a comprehensive textbook with materials from a wide variety of EU Member States. The book is entirely in English (i.e. materials are translated where not available in English). At the end of each chapter a comparative overview ties the material together, with emphasis, where appropriate, on existing or emerging general principles in the legal systems within Europe.
The book illustrates the distinct relationship between international, European and national legislation in the field of non-discrimination law. It covers the grounds of discrimination addressed in the Racial Equality and Employment Equality Directives, as well as non-discrimination law relating to gender. In so doing, it covers the law of a large number of EU Member States, alongside some international comparisons.
The Ius Commune Casebook on Non-Discrimination Law
- provides practitioners with ready access to primary and secondary legal material needed to assist them in crafting test case strategies.
- provides the judiciary with the tools needed to respond sensitively to such cases.
- provides material for teaching non-discrimination law to law and other students.
- provides a basis for ongoing research on non-discrimination law.
- provides an up-to-date overview of the implementation of the Directives and of the state of the law.
This Casebook is the result of a project which has been supported by a grant from the European Commission's Anti-Discrimination Programme.

Stochastic Analysis of Saltwater Intrusion in Heterogeneous Aquifers using Local Average Subdivision

This study investigates the effects of ground heterogeneity, considering permeability as a random variable, on an intruding SW wedge using Monte Carlo simulations. Random permeability fields were generated, using the method of Local Average Subdivision (LAS), based on a lognormal probability density function. The LAS method allows the creation of spatially correlated random fields, generated using coefficients of variation (COV) and horizontal and vertical scales of fluctuation (SOF). The numerical modelling code SUTRA was employed to solve the coupled flow and transport problem. The well-defined 2D dispersive Henry problem was used as the test case for the method. The intruding SW wedge is defined by two key parameters, the toe penetration length (TL) and the width of mixing zone (WMZ). These parameters were compared to the results of a homogeneous case simulated using effective permeability values. The simulation results revealed: (1) an increase in COV resulted in a seaward movement of TL; (2) the WMZ extended with increasing COV; (3) a general increase in horizontal and vertical SOF produced a seaward movement of TL, with the WMZ increasing slightly; (4) as the anisotropic ratio increased the TL intruded further inland and the WMZ reduced in size. The results show that for large values of COV, effective permeability parameters are inadequate at reproducing the effects of heterogeneity on SW intrusion.