Modeling the missile-launch tube problem in DYSCO

DYSCO is a versatile, general purpose dynamic analysis program which assembles equations and solves dynamics problems. The executive manages a library of technology modules which contain routines that compute the matrix coefficients of the second order ordinary differential equations of the components. The executive performs the coupling of the equations of the components and manages the solution of the coupled equations. Any new component representation may be added to the library if, given the state vector, a FORTRAN program can be written to compute M, C, K, and F. The problem described demonstrates the generality of this statement

Do Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburgers? The Legal Regulation of Religious Slaughter of Animals

There is now a significant body of literature demonstrating the close link between religious beliefs and the choices consumers make in their purchasing decisions. Studies into the relationship between religion and consumer preferences also demonstrate the formative role that religion plays in influencing the choice of food consumption. Despite recent and more sophisticated scientific studies suggesting that animals experience more pain when slaughtered by religious ritual, the practice is not likely to be prohibited. Although there is a general movement in Western societies toward increased recognition of animal interests and welfare, there is no philosophical consensus attributing sufficient weight to the interests of animals that would outweigh human rights claims recognised through freedom of religious practice

Elucidating the behavioral response of stored product insects to fungal volatiles in the wind tunnel and simulated warehouses

Post-harvest pest insects can cause significant amounts of damage to stored products in and around food facilities, reducing quantity and quality of grains. Post-harvest insects have been attributed to billions of dollars in agricultural loss via yield loss and the cost of mitigation measures. Early detection of insect pests is crucial to preventing infestations and losses since some species of stored product pests are becoming resistant to common control options. Numerous detection methods are available, but many are time consuming and ineffective, leading to a need for more effective and practical monitoring methods. Grain oils have been used to induce behavioral responses in the red flour beetle (Triboliumcastaneum) and the lesser grain borer (Rhyzoperthadominica), but fungal volatiles may be an even stronger attractant to these species

Rapid Detection of Leishmania infantum Infection in Dogs: Comparative Study Using an Immunochromatographic Dipstick Test, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, and PCR

Current zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) control programs in Brazil include the culling of Leishmania infantum-infected reservoir dogs, a strategy that has failed to prevent a rise of canine and human ZVL cases over the past decade. One of the main reasons this strategy has failed is because of a long delay between sample collection, sample analysis, and control implementation. A rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tool would be highly desirable, because it would allow control interventions to be implemented in situ. We compared an immunochromatographic dipstick test to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and PCR for detecting L. infantum infections in dogs from an area of ZVL endemicity in Brazil. The dipstick test was shown to have 61 to 75% specificity and 72 to 77% sensitivity, compared to 100% specificity for both ELISA and PCR and 71 to 88% and 51 to 64% sensitivity for ELISA and PCR, respectively. Of the field samples tested, 92 of 175 (53%), 65 of 175 (37%), and 47 of 175 (27%) were positive by dipstick, ELISA, and PCR, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for the tested dipstick were 58 to 77% and 75%, respectively. Efforts should be made to develop a more specific dipstick test for diagnosis of leishmaniasis, because they may ultimately prove more cost-effective than currently used diagnostic tests when used in mass-screening surveys

The Kenya Youth Survey Report

Kenya is a very youthful country. The median age is estimated at 19 years, and about 80 percent of Kenya’s population is below 35 years. To a very large extent, Kenya’s youth — defined as individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 — will determine the shape of the country’s future. With that in mind, the East African Institute of the Aga Khan University commissioned a survey to understand the values, attitudes, concerns and aspirations of this critical segment of the population. We interviewed 1,854 respondents ages 18-35 from across the country, including both urban and rural areas. The survey reveals a number of important and sometimes surprising insights, and offers reasons both for optimism, deep concern and the need for urgent action. The youth identify as Kenyans first, faith and tribe. They value family, faith and hard work. They give evidence of being entrepreneurial: the majority would like to start their own business, rather than pursue careers in law, teaching, medicine or engineering. Few (11%) want to become farmers, suggesting that the country’s urbanization is likely to continue apace, intensifying demand and competition for offfarm employment. Moreover, Kenyan youth are largely positive and optimistic about the future and are confident that it will be more prosperous, offering more jobs and better access to health and education. The study also reveals that youth are suffering from and concerned about unemployment. And it shows that many hold beliefs that make them vulnerable to political manipulation and that risk undermining democracy and good governance. Indeed, it is not too much to speak of a crisis of integrity among Kenya’s youth. While the findings may seem contradictory – hopeful and depressing – there is an opportunity to focus on developing and channeling the strongly held positive values of faith, family, hard work and a strong Kenyan identity to address the anomalies in honesty and integrity, while mobilizing public and private sector resources to tackle the most urgent concerns, especially unemployment

Sustainable fuel, food, fertilizer and ecosystems through a global artificial photosynthetic system: overcoming anticompetitive barriers

This article discusses challenges that artificial photosynthetic (AP) systems will face when entering and competing in a global market characterized by established fossil fuel technology. It provides a perspective on the neoliberal principles underpinning much policy entrenching such environmentally destructive technology and outlines how competition law could aid overcoming these hurdles for AP development. In particular, it critiques the potential for competition law to promote a global AP initiative with greater emphasis on atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen fixation (as well as solar-driven water splitting) to produce an equitable, globally distributed source of human food, fertilizer and biosphere sustainability, as well as hydrogen-based fuel. Some relevant strategies of competition law evaluated in this context include greater citizen-consumer involvement in shaping market values, legal requirements to factor services from the natural environment (i.e. provision of clean air, water, soil pollution degradation) into corporate costs, reform of corporate taxation and requirements to balance maximization of shareholder profit with contribution to a nominated public good, a global financial transactions tax, as well as prohibiting horizontal cartels, vertical agreements and unilateral misuse of market power.ARC DP14010056

The East Africa Youth Survey Report

East Africa is a very youthful region. About 80% of the estimated 146 million East Africans (excluding South Sudan), are below the age of 35 years. The median age ranges between 16 and 19 years, with the lowest median ages of 16 years and 17years in Uganda and Tanzania respectively. East Africa’s youth, defined as individuals between the ages of 14 and 35, are a socially and economically significant majority and will determine and shape the region’s future. With this in mind, the East African Institute of the Aga Khan University commissioned a survey to understand the values, attitudes, concerns and aspirations of this critical segment of the population in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Between 2014 and 2015 we interviewed 7,010 individuals aged 18–35 years, male and female drawn from rural and urban areas in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition 56 focus group discussions, comprising 6-8 participants were also held to provide nuance and context to the responses obtained through the questionnaires. The survey reveals important and surprising insights, and hence, offers reasons for optimism, deep concern and a fierce urgency for action. The survey revealed a strong sense of esprit de corps and nationalism among East African youth. Rwandan and Kenyan youth were the most nationalistic, with 44% and 40% identifying first as Rwandese and Kenyans respectively. A strong esprit de corps was exhibited among Tanzanian youth, with 58% identifying as youth first. Rwandan youth at 25% exhibited the weakest esprit de corps. East African youth held strong values around faith, work and family. The youth are entrepreneurial, with the majority (50-65%) aspiring to start their own business, rather than pursue traditional careers in law, teaching, medicine or engineering. Although agriculture is one of the leading sectors in the economies of East Africa – accounting for 23-32% of GDP and providing livelihood for over 70% of the population – only 5-20% of the youth were interested in farming as an occupation or a full-time job. Rwandan youth, at 5%, were the least interested in farming or agriculture as a full-time job. The study revealed that while youth were concerned about unemployment, they were willing to be part of the solution through strong orientation to entrepreneurship; the desire and willingness to create and run their own business. The study also showed that the youth held positive values, and believed political participation was a critical civic duty. However, 40% of East African youth would only vote a candidate for political office if they received a bribe. With the exception of Rwanda, there is a veritable crisis of integrity among East African youth. For example, over 50-58% of the youth in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda believed it did not matter how one made money as long as one did not end up in jail. In contrast, only 21% of Rwandan youth held the same view. Similarly, only 10% of Rwandan youth said they would take or give a bribe, compared to 35-44 % in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Overall, East African youth are positive and optimistic and, are confident that the future will bring more prosperity, with more more jobs, better access to health and education. However, with the exception of Rwanda, youth in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda believed their societies will be more corrupt and poorer in values and ethics, and that youth would engage in substance abuse. While the findings may seem contradictory – hopeful and depressing – there is an opportunity to focus on developing and channeling the strongly held positive values of faith, family, hard work and entrepreneurship to inculcate an ethical orientation. The strongly held values and the spirit of enterprise, along with impressive GDP growth must be leveraged to address the challenge of unemployment, especially among university-educated youth

The Rwanda Youth Survey Report

Rwanda is youthful country. The median age is estimated as 19 years, and about 78 % of the population is below the age of 35 years. Rwanda’s youth, defined as individuals between the ages of 14 and 35, are a critical majority and will determine and shape the country’s future. With that in mind, the East African Institute of the Aga Khan University commissioned a survey to understand the values, attitudes, concerns and aspirations of this critical segment of the population. We interviewed 1,1336 respondents aged 18–35 years from across the country, including both urban and rural areas. The survey reveals a number of important and sometimes surprising insights, and offers reasons both for optimism, deep concern and the need for urgent action. There is a strong sense of patriotism among Rwandan youth, with 44% identifying themselves as Rwandans first. They value faith, family and hard work. The youth are entrepreneurial, with the majority aspiring to start their own business, rather than pursue careers in law, teaching, medicine or engineering. Although agriculture is one of the leading sectors in Rwanda – accounting for 35% of the GDP, only 5% of the youth were interested in farming as an occupation. The study reveals that while youth are suffering from and concerned about unemployment, they are willing to be part of the solution by creating jobs through entrepreneurship. The study also reveals that while the youth hold positive values, and believe political participation is critical civic duty, 60% of the youth are vulnerable to electoral fraud, which could undermine governance and accountability. While the findings may seem contradictory – hopeful and depressing – there is an opportunity to focus on developing and channeling the strongly held positive values of faith, family, hard work. The strongly held values of hard work and entrepreneurship, as well as impressive GDP growth must be leveraged to address the challenge of unemployment, especially among university-educated youth. Overall, Rwandan youth are positive and optimistic about the future and are confident that it will be more prosperous, offering more jobs and better access to health and education. But what will it take to deliver opportunity and shared prosperity for the youth

Let\u27s Encrypt!

Let\u27s Encrypt is a secure certificate authority that makes it possible to automatically obtain browser-trusted SSL certificates completely free. This session will help you learn whether Let\u27s Encrypt is usable in your web environment and how it could help improve patron privacy and your bottom line