Monte-Carlo simulation of supercooled liquids using a self-consistent local temperature

We combine Creutz energy conservation with Kawasaki spin exchange to simulate the microcanonical dynamics of a system of interacting particles. Relaxation occurs via Glauber spin-flip activation using a self-consistent temperature. Heterogeneity in the dynamics comes from finite-size constraints on the spin exchange that yield a distribution of correlated regions. The simulation produces a high-frequency response that can be identified with the boson peak, and a lower-frequency peak that contains non-Debye relaxation and non-Arrhenius activation, similar to the primary response of supercooled liquids.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Stability of the Submillimeter Brightness of the Atmosphere Above Mauna Kea, Chajnantor and the South Pole

The summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the area near Cerro Chajnantor in Chile, and the South Pole are sites of large millimeter or submillimeter wavelength telescopes. We have placed 860 GHz sky brightness monitors at all three sites and present a comparative study of the measured submillimeter brightness due to atmospheric thermal emission. We report the stability of that quantity at each site.Comment: 6 figure

Health hazards of ultrafine metal and metal oxide powders

Study reveals that suggested threshold limit values are from two to fifty times lower than current recommended threshold limit values. Proposed safe limits of exposure to the ultrafine dusts are based on known toxic potential of various materials as determined in particle size ranges

College Faculty Experiences Assigning Service-Learning and Their Inclination to Continue

The academic benefits and enhanced social responsibility that students derive from service-learning (SL), defined as experiential learning that ties community service to academic courses, have been well documented. However, for a college to fully institutionalize SL, a high proportion of faculty needs to include SL in their courses. Based in Kolb\u27s experiential learning theory, the purpose of this study was to enhance planners\u27 understanding of how college faculty\u27s past experiences assigning SL influence their inclination to assign SL in future courses. In this basic qualitative interpretive study, data were collected from 13 individual interviews with faculty who assigned SL at a Southern metropolitan university. Findings were interpreted using Chickering\u27s 7 vectors of student development from the conceptual framework and other relevant perspectives from the literature. One of the major themes from emergent coding of data was that faculty viewed some difficulties as challenges to be overcome rather than as deterrents to using SL. To reduce deterrents, institutions could compensate for extra time required for SL by providing stipends, released time, and support databases; recognizing SL in tenure and promotion; and helping faculty brainstorm how to incorporate SL into courses. To increase incentives to use SL, institutions could provide a full range of training and support for faculty. More courses with SL, besides increasing benefits of SL for all stakeholders, may mean that students form the habit of serving in the community and continue serving and contributing to positive social change, perhaps for a lifetime

The Unity of \u3ci\u3eNormanitas\u3c/i\u3e: Norman Identity in Twelfth-Century Scotland and Southern Italy

Scholars have rigorously debated the extent to which the Normans remained a definitively identifiable group as they branched out from Normandy in endeavors of conquest and expansion. In the twentieth century, historians such as Charles Homer Haskins and David Douglas maintained the unity of Norman identity throughout the British Isles, southern Italy, and the crusader states. Other scholars like R. H. C. Davis argued that the Normans were merely extraordinary cultural assimilators and decried the notion of Norman unity, or Normanitas, as a myth propagated by chroniclers and historians dating back to the tenth century. Drawing upon recent scholarship, this thesis challenges the stark dichotomy of Norman unity/disunity posited by twentieth century historians. With the Norman identity debate in mind, this thesis yields a comparative examination of Norman identity, influence, and institutions in Scotland and southern Italy during the longue durée of the twelfth century. Through analyses of Norman martial identity and influence, administrative governance and state-making, and ethnicity and kinship, this thesis demonstrates how Norman identity, influence, and institutions were simultaneously evident and evolving in the peripheral areas of Europe, which Keith Stringer has styled the ‘Norman Edge.’ Thus, this analysis underscores that, although Norman identity indeed waned over time, Normanitas remained palpable on the peripheries of Europe until the final quarter of the twelfth century

Health Screening for Individuals Diagnosed with Mental Illness Within a Housing-First Organization

Background: Individuals with serious mental illness are a high-risk population that need improved access to physical health care. Many have negative experiences with the healthcare system and need support in accessing it. A housing-first organization in Vermont offers wrap-around services to these individuals but does not have a standardized way to assess for client healthcare needs or to communicate with primary care provider offices. Purpose: The project aimed to: 1. Identify the current processes used to assess client health needs; 2. Change organizational workflow to include comprehensive and standardized health protocols. 3. Instruct staff to increase knowledge to identify and disseminate information about client health concerns. Methods: A retrospective chart review determined the percentage of clients with primary care providers. Current intake and annual-self assessment protocols were evaluated for completeness of physical health screening. Workflow was standardized based on these findings and staff were educated on how to access and disseminate client medical information. A survey assessed changes in knowledge before and after the intervention. Results: Forty two percent of clients did not have primary care providers. Medical questions were added to the Electronic Health Record forms. Health information was added to the shared client work board. The intake process was modified to include formal written collaboration between the organization and existing medical providers. Survey results showed that the interventions increased staff knowledge of medications and ability to locate medical information. Discussion: The Theory of Change links between desired outcomes and interventions. Increasing staff knowledge about client medical needs will improve health outcomes

Finite difference time domain calculation of transients in antennas with nonlinear loads

In this paper transient fields for antennas with more general geometries are calculated directly using Finite Difference Time Domain methods. In each FDTD cell which contains a nonlinear load, a nonlinear equation is solved at each time step. As a test case the transient current in a long dipole antenna with a nonlinear load excited by a pulsed plane wave is computed using this approach. The results agree well with both calculated and measured results previously published. The approach given here extends the applicability of the FDTD method to problems involving scattering from targets including nonlinear loads and materials, and to coupling between antennas containing nonlinear loads. It may also be extended to propagation through nonlinear materials