Combined single-pulse holography and time-resolved laser schlieren for flow visualization

A pulsed ruby laser and continuous-wave argon ion laser were used in a combined setup at the Langley Expansion Tube for single pulse holography and time resolved laser schlieren with a common optical axis. The systems can be operated simultaneously for a single run. For a single frame, the pulsed holographic setup offers the options of shadowgraph, Schlieren, and interferometry from the reconstructed hologram as well as the advantage of post-run sensitivity adjustments. For flow establishment studies the time resolved laser Schlieren provides visualization of the flow field every 12.5 microns for up to 80 frames with an exposure time per frame of 5.4 microns

Ornithological Expeditions to Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo 2007-2017

Louisiana State University, the University of Kansas, and the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak undertook collaborative research on the evolution and ecology of Bornean birds starting in 2005. This collaboration included a series of expeditions from 2007–2017 to collect and study birds at >30 sites in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Here we provide information on the studysites and summarize the main discoveries resulting from the collaboration.publishedVersio

Religiousness and fertility among muslims in Europe : does Islam influence fertility?

There seems to exist a concern over and a belief that fertility among Muslims in Europe is much higher than among non-Muslims, and that this together with Muslim immigration will create a Muslim majority Europe. Furthermore, there is an assumption that Islam is essentially pronatalist and that this causes higher fertility among Muslims. The hypotheses that are investigated in this study are: (1) Muslim fertility rates in Europe are higher than non-Muslim fertility rates, (2) Muslims in Europe are more religious than non-Muslims, (3) Muslims’ higher levels of religiousness correlates with higher fertility rates, and that (4) Islam influences fertility rates. The thesis combines qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between Islam and fertility, with an emphasis on the fertility behavior of Muslims in Europe. Core findings of this study are that (1) Fertility of Muslims is higher than that of non-Muslims, (2) Muslim women are much more religious and subscribe more to family values than do non- Muslim women, and (3) More religious women have more children than those less religious. The study finds (4) The odds of having at least two children are significantly greater for women who are religious and who hold strong family values, with the strongest associations among Muslim women. The study also finds that the textual ambiguity of the sacred scriptures, and the lack of a recognized central authority in Islam result in the possibility of simultaneously justifying opposite stands on issues regarding reproductive health. Using the Islamic Republic of Iran as an example, I demonstrate that (5) Islamic scholars can adjust their teachings to either a pronatalist or an antinatalist stance, and thereby can choose to influence fertility behavior of the faithful accordingly; given that they have access to communication institutions that enables them to enforce their teachings. This is a complex debate with need for accurate knowledge and scientific evidence for claims. This study is hopefully such a contribution.Master in International Social Welfare and Health Polic

An Overview of the Medieval Iberian Peninsula Culture: From the Pages of the Literature of Medieval Spain to its Cultural Context

The literature of Medieval Europe has been studied so extensively that there are a great number of academic contributions that can be analyzed by current and future generations. The purpose of this particular work is to examine this topic, but as it pertains to the Medieval Iberian Peninsula. The medieval age of Spain has been considered a period wrought with conflict and religious persecution throughout the confines of its borders. From the inception of the invasions of various European tribes into the Iberian Peninsula, the stage was set for a continual onset of conquest for many years to come. This conquest took place during the 800 years that the Muslims maintained control of the southern half of the Medieval Iberian Peninsula. Such an occupation was achieved by way of the Strait of Gibraltar in which a mixed force of Arabs and Moroccan Berbers overthrew the Visigothic kingdom, giving this Muslim power an unquestioned supremacy (O\u27Callaghan 1). In an effort to closely examine this period, this study analyzed Las jarchas, El cantar de mio Cid, and Las coplas por la muerte de su padre. The first two literary works written anonymously, the third by Jorge Manrique. With all three being key works from the Iberian Peninsula during the early part of the Middle Ages, the goal was to apply their principles to modern day culture. This work has interpreted in depth the code of honor and its use during the Middle Ages as a key element of its time, and has demonstrated that it is no longer followed as closely as it once was. It has supported the idea that although the Medieval Iberian Peninsula saw its conflicts, there was in fact a certain level of coexistence among the various religious groups sharing the peninsula. Along with these findings, this work presents the conclusion that although the distance in time is clear, it is important to analyze the literary works of the past in order to have a clearer image of what the life and culture may have been like for the individuals who lived and breathed when the Middle Ages was their present time

The Marriage Market: The Mail-Order Bride Industry in the United States!

The international bride market has generated more than 2 billion dollars in 2010 in the United States alone. The concept of a “mail-order bride” is one that dates back to the founding of the United States. Many people believe this practice to be antiquated, but with the addition of technology, this industry has become very prevalent in modern society. I will examine the effects the mail order bride industry has had on views regarding women in the United States, Asia and Europe and show how this industry still has relevance today. I will track the way this industry has shaped the economy as well as attitudes towards women. In Europe and Asia, poverty and war play large roles in recruiting women for the international bride trade. The United States has a large market of men seeking brides from other countries to fill more traditional gender roles. In both cases, women are valued as commodities. These findings have interesting implications for the structure of the American family and the way in which women are viewed around the world

The social and political effects of the Spanish Colonial system

The Spanish colonies in America were occupied by three races, whose mixture and action upon each other produced a new race and a new society. Of the three race elements, the negro is of no importance, except in the islands and a few districts on the continent. Of the other two elements, the Indian was the most numerous, and the Spaniard the most forceful and energetic. The phenomenon of a blending of concuerors and conquered is common, but the mingling of two races so different as the Indian and the Spaniard, on so large a scale, is unique. In physical structure, in mental endowments, in political, social and religious institutions, there was an immense difference between the most cultured of the Indian tribes and the men of Castile. The fact and manner of the conquest left a permanent inpression of the superiority of the white man. Spanish blood, pure or diluted in greater of less degree with that of the Indian, conveyed through successive generations in the new world something that was characteristically Spanish. It is therefore a matter of importance to know what kind of a man the Conqueror was

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF FOLDED PLATE GIRDERS AND SLAB JOINTS USED IN MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

The folded plate girder, a newly proposed bridge girder, is investigated through this thesis. The folded plate girder is cold bent out of a single sheet of steel. The cold bending eliminates the costly and inconsistent shop welds found in traditional girders. The folded plate girder is meant for application in short span bridges. The girder was subjected to an equivalent 75 year lifetime loading to investigate the fatigue performance. The rebar detail used in the closure region between adjacent slabs has been investigated in the past by the NCHRP 12-68 project. This thesis will proposes a hooked rebar detail as a cost effective alternative to the previously recommended headed rebar detail. The proposed hooked rebar detail looks to improve upon the headed bar detail by increasing the clear cover, and reducing the cost of fabrication and shipment of the rebar. Six specimens containing closure regions are subjected to both positive and negative moment loading in order to investigate their behavior and failure modes under ultimate load

Penalties for Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act Violations Involving Obstetrical Emergencies

Introduction: The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) was intended to prevent inadequate, delayed, or denied treatment of emergent conditions by emergency departments (ED). While controversies exist regarding the scope of the law, there is no question that EMTALA applies to active labor, a key tenet of the statute and the only medical condition – labor – specifically included in the title of the law. In light of rising maternal mortality rates in the United States, further exploration into the state of emergency obstetrical (OB) care is warranted. Understanding civil monetary penalty settlements levied by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) related to EMTALA violations involving labor and other OB emergencies will help to inform the current state of access to and quality of OB emergency care.Methods: We reviewed descriptions of all EMTALA-related OIG civil monetary penalty settlements from 2002-2018. OB-related cases were identified using keywords in settlement descriptions. We described characteristics of settlements including the nature of the allegation and compared them with non-OB settlements.Results: Of 232 EMTALA-related OIG settlements during the study period, 39 (17%) involved active labor and other OB emergencies. Between 2002 and 2018 the proportion of settlements involving OB emergencies increased from 17% to 40%. Seven (18%) of these settlements involved a pregnant minor. Most OB cases involved failure to provide screening exam (82%) and/or stabilizing treatment (51%). Failure to arrange appropriate transfer was more common for OB  (36%) compared with non-OB settlements (21%) (p = 0.041). Fifteen (38%) involved a provider specifically directing a pregnant woman to proceed to another hospital, typically by private vehicle.Conclusion: Despite inclusion of the term “labor” in the law’s title, one in six settlements related to EMTALA violations involved OB emergencies. One in five settlements involved a pregnant minor, indicating that providers may benefit from education regarding obligations to evaluate and stabilize minors absent parental consent. Failure to arrange appropriate transfer was more common among OB settlements. Findings suggesting need for providers to understand EMTALA-specific requirements for appropriate transfer and for EDs at hospitals without dedicated OB services to implement policies for evaluation of active labor and protocols for transfer when indicated

Recent flow visualization studies in the 0.3-m TCT

Light beams are altered by refractive index changes; flow induced refractive index changes provide the impetus for conventional visualization techniques such as schlieren and shadowgraph. Unfortunately effects related to the flow can be masked by refractive index inhomogeneities external to the test section. A simple shadowgraph scheme was used to assess the flow quality of the Langley 0.3 meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. When the penetration tubes were evacuated the quality of the shadowgraph improved dramatically

Video camera system for locating bullet holes in targets at a ballistics tunnel

A system consisting of a single charge coupled device (CCD) video camera, computer controlled video digitizer, and software to automate the measurement was developed to measure the location of bullet holes in targets at the International Shooters Development Fund (ISDF)/NASA Ballistics Tunnel. The camera/digitizer system is a crucial component of a highly instrumented indoor 50 meter rifle range which is being constructed to support development of wind resistant, ultra match ammunition. The system was designed to take data rapidly (10 sec between shoots) and automatically with little operator intervention. The system description, measurement concept, and procedure are presented along with laboratory tests of repeatability and bias error. The long term (1 hour) repeatability of the system was found to be 4 microns (one standard deviation) at the target and the bias error was found to be less than 50 microns. An analysis of potential errors and a technique for calibration of the system are presented