Seasonality, precautionary savings and health uncertainty: Evidence from farm households in central Kenya

The high prevalence of risks in low income economies makes managing uncertainty critical for productivity and survival. This paper analyzes seasonal changes in farm households’ per capita consumption and saving in response to weather and health shocks. Using a sample of 196 households in central Kenya, it tests the notion that people save most of their transitory income, and examines their precautionary saving motives. The results show that the propensity to save out of transitory income is about a fifth of what the permanent income hypothesis postulates. The propensity to save differs by wealth, with the poor exhibiting stronger precautionary motives towards rainfall variability. But the wealth effect is weak, suggesting that the asset base is vulnerable even for the better-off. However, precautionary savings tend to increase with wealth among HIV/AIDS affected households. Since illness is associated with higher consumption, and therefore less investment, we find more volatile consumption for HIV/AIDS affected households

Rigorous Simulations of 3D Patterns on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Masks

Simulations of light scattering off an extreme ultraviolet lithography mask with a 2D-periodic absorber pattern are presented. In a detailed convergence study it is shown that accurate results can be attained for relatively large 3D computational domains and in the presence of sidewall-angles and corner-roundings.Comment: SPIE Europe Optical Metrology, Conference Proceeding

A Rigorous Finite-Element Domain Decomposition Method for Electromagnetic Near Field Simulations

Rigorous computer simulations of propagating electromagnetic fields have become an important tool for optical metrology and design of nanostructured optical components. A vectorial finite element method (FEM) is a good choice for an accurate modeling of complicated geometrical features. However, from a numerical point of view solving the arising system of linear equations is very demanding even for medium sized 3D domains. In numerics, a domain decomposition method is a commonly used strategy to overcome this problem. Within this approach the overall computational domain is split up into smaller domains and interface conditions are used to assure continuity of the electromagnetic field. Unfortunately, standard implementations of the domain decomposition method as developed for electrostatic problems are not appropriate for wave propagation problems. In an earlier paper we therefore proposed a domain decomposition method adapted to electromagnetic field wave propagation problems. In this paper we apply this method to 3D mask simulation.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, SPIE conference Advanced Lithography / Optical Microlithography XXI (2008

Advanced Finite Element Method for Nano-Resonators

Miniaturized optical resonators with spatial dimensions of the order of the wavelength of the trapped light offer prospects for a variety of new applications like quantum processing or construction of meta-materials. Light propagation in these structures is modelled by Maxwell's equations. For a deeper numerical analysis one may compute the scattered field when the structure is illuminated or one may compute the resonances of the structure. We therefore address in this paper the electromagnetic scattering problem as well as the computation of resonances in an open system. For the simulation efficient and reliable numerical methods are required which cope with the infinite domain. We use transparent boundary conditions based on the Perfectly Matched Layer Method (PML) combined with a novel adaptive strategy to determine optimal discretization parameters like the thickness of the sponge layer or the mesh width. Further a novel iterative solver for time-harmonic Maxwell's equations is presented.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures (see original publication for images with a better resolution

Finite-Element Simulations of Light Propagation through Circular Subwavelength Apertures

Light transmission through circular subwavelength apertures in metallic films with surrounding nanostructures is investigated numerically. Numerical results are obtained with a frequency-domain finite-element method. Convergence of the obtained observables to very low levels of numerical error is demonstrated. Very good agreement to experimental results from the literature is reached, and the utility of the method is demonstrated in the investigation of the influence of geometrical parameters on enhanced transmission through the apertures

A New Record of Scaphytopius Magdalensis: Another Plant Disease Vector in Michigan (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Excerpt: Several specimens of Scaphytopius magdalensis (Provancher) were collected by Burger (1966), and brought to the attention of the senior author for verification. This leafhopper, a vector of Blueberry Stunt, is widely distributed in the eastern United States, and southern Ontario and Quebec. This, the first record of a leafhopper virus vector for blueberries in Michigan, increases the list of leafhopper vectors of plant diseases in the state , given in Taboada and Hoffman (1965). to 14

Alginate micro-bead fabrication on a centrifugal microfluidics platform

We present a novel method for the direct, centrifugally induced fabrication of small alginate beads displaying adjustable diameters between 180 mum and 800 mum by polymer-tube micronozzles. The size distribution features a CV of 7 - 16 % for the main peak. Up to 600 beads per second and channel are issued from the micronozzle through an air gap towards a standard lab tube ("Eppi") attached to the rotor spinning and containing a curing agent. At spinning frequencies between 5 Hz and 28 Hz, the tubes align horizontally under rotation and return to a vertical position as soon as the rotor is at rest. The hardened beads are collected within the tube for further processing or characterization. This method is considered as a low cost technology for micro encapsulation technologies

Biological effects of cigarette smoke in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

The goal of the present study was to determine whether treatment with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induces cell loss, cellular senescence, and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in primary human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Primary cultured human RPE cells were exposed to 2, 4, 8, and 12% of CSE concentration for 24 hours. Cell loss was detected by cell viability assay. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by loss of cis-parinaric acid (PNA) fluorescence. Senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-Gal) activity was detected by histochemical staining. Expression of apolipoprotein J (Apo J), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), fibronectin, and laminin were examined by real-time PCR, western blot, or ELISA experiments. The results showed that exposure of cells to 12% of CSE concentration induced cell death, while treatment of cells with 2, 4, and 8% CSE increased lipid peroxidation. Exposure to 8% of CSE markedly increased the number of SA-ß-Gal positive cells to up to 82%, and the mRNA expression of Apo J, CTGF, and fibronectin by approximately 3-4 fold. Treatment with 8% of CSE also increased the protein expression of Apo J and CTGF and the secretion of fibronectin and laminin. Thus, treatment with CSE can induce cell loss, senescent changes, and ECM synthesis in primary human RPE cells. It may be speculated that cigarette smoke could be involved in cellular events in RPE cells as seen in age-related macular degeneration

hp-finite element method for simulating light scattering from complex 3D structures

Methods for solving Maxwell's equations are integral part of optical metrology and computational lithography setups. Applications require accurate geometrical resolution, high numerical accuracy and/or low computation times. We present a finite-element based electromagnetic field solver relying on unstructured 3D meshes and adaptive hp-refinement. We apply the method for simulating light scattering off arrays of high aspect-ratio nano-posts and FinFETs