[Review of] Wyatt MacGaffey. Religion and Society in Central Africa: The BaKongo of Lower Zaire

MacGaffey, professor of anthropology at Haverford College, has based this carefully crafted book on twenty years of fieldwork and archival research. This is the first systematic study of BaKongo religion. But the study is far more than an analysis of the religion, as MacGaffey demonstrates how BaKongo social structure and power relationships are embedded in its very fabric. Dividing the study into three parts, MacGaffey first focuses on a discussion of BaKongo cosmology, then describes BaKongo ritual and power, and finally deals with issues of change in the BaKongo religion and society. Taking the perspective of the BaKongo themselves, MacGaffey explains the significance of BaKongo cosmology and how it is reflected in their myths and rituals, and in the life cycle of the BaKongo people themselves. The cosmology serves as the model upon which marriage alliances are based and the religion is the basis for the sacred and secular power held by priests and chiefs

Recursive formulation of Madelung continuity equation leads to propagation equation

We apply a recursive approach to the continuity equation of the Madelung fluid resulting in a propagation equation for particle probability densities. This propagation equation can be used to propagate particle distributions in the presence of a Madelung pressure field. We show that the derived propagation equation goes over into the guidance equation of the de Broglie-Bohm theory in the limit of well located single particles. As an example, we propagate particles that enter the lower slit of a double-slit experiment, while the Madelung fluid enters both slits.Comment: Article replaced because: Reformulated from a mathematical point of vie

The motivational profiles and perceptions of schooling of Asian students in Australia

Asian-background students are performing better than other groups within the Australian educational setting. In order to investigate the reasons for this achievement advantage, this study examines the motivational profiles of Asian-background and Anglo-background students in New South Wales Australia. The research utilises personal investment theory and self-concept theory to provide a research framework. 283 Asian-background and 887 Anglo-background students were administered the Inventory of School Motivation, the General Achievement Goal Orientation Survey, the Facilitating Conditions Survey, and the Academic Self Description Questionnaire. While the motivational and self-concept profiles of the two groups were surprisingly similar, there are core significant differences that help explain the Asian students’ achievement advantage. Asian-background students are highly task oriented and significantly more effort oriented, more competitive, praise and token oriented than the Anglo-background students. They have a significantly stronger sense of purpose for schooling and are more performance oriented. Asian-background students also have a stronger intention to go on to university and further study, value school and like school more than their Anglo peers. These results are consistent with those reported in earlier studies with Asian American students

The pricing journey – The evolution of approach and execution as organisational pricing capability develops

This is an author version of an article which has been published in its definitive form as a Margin2 / Brunel Pricing Forum white paper and has been posted by permission of the Brunel Pricing Forum for personal use, not for redistribution. The article was published online by Margin2 and the original version can be accessed at the link below.An organisation’s approach to Pricing can be seen as a competency in the sense that it is a combination of skills, behaviours and the application of knowledge. As the efficiency and effectiveness of pricing decisions improve, then a range of indicators highlight a more thorough, considered and generally more successful approach. Fewer mistakes are made, results are more visibility linked to previous actions, and implementation becomes quicker and more comprehensive

Development of an atmospheric monitoring plan for space station

An environmental health monitoring plan for Space Station will ensure crew health during prolonged habitation. The Space Station, Freedom, will operate for extended periods, 90+ days, without resupply. A regenerative, closed loop life support system will be utilized in order to minimize resupply logistics and costs. Overboard disposal of wastes and venting of gases to space will be minimal. All waste material will be treated and recycled. The concentrated wastes will be stabilized and stored for ground disposal. The expected useful life of the station (decades) and the diversity of materials brought aboard for experimental or manufacturing purposes, increases the likelihood of cabin contamination. Processes by which cabin contamination can occur include: biological waste production, material off-gassing, process leakage, accidental containment breach, and accumulation due to poor removal efficiencies of the purification units. An industrial hygiene approach was taken to rationalize monitoring needs and to identify the substances likely to be present, the amount, and their hazard

Will Increased Highway Funding Help Rural Areas?

Rural areas in the United States stand to benefit from new highway funding legislation, especially the South. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) authorizes sharply increased funding for major roads and is the single largest public works bill in U.S. history. Over a 6-year period, it will provide $171 billion to build new roads, widen lanes, put in new interchanges, and construct bridges. Under TEA-21, some spending discrepancies will be addressed and resolved for States that contribute more money into the Federal Highway Trust Fund than they receive in benefits.Federal-aid highways, Federal highway investments, Highway Trust Fund, Federal transportation policies, rural transportation, rural development, highway funding formula, TEA-21, ISTEA, donor States, recipient States, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Public Economics,

A hybrid modulation for the dissemination of weather data to aircraft

Ohio University is continuing to conduct research to improve its system for weather data dissemination to aircraft. The current experimental system transmit compressed weather radar reflectivity patterns from a ground based station to aircraft. Although an effective system, the limited frequency spectrum does not provide a channel for transmission. This introduces the idea of a hybrid modulation. The hybrid technique encodes weather data using phase modulation (PM) onto an existing aeronautical channel which employs amplitude modulation (AM) for voice signal transmission. Ideally, the two modulations are independent of one another. The planned implementation and basis of the system are the reviewed

Identifying atmospheric monitoring needs for Space Station Freedom

The atmospheric monitoring needs for Space Station Freedom were identified by examining the following from an industrial hygiene perspective: the experiences of past missions; ground based tests of proposed life support systems; the unique experimental and manufacturing facilities; the contaminant load model; metabolic production; and a fire. A target list of compounds to be monitored is presented and information is provided relative to the frequency of analysis, concentration ranges, and locations for monitoring probes

Airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) images over disseminated gold deposits, Osgood Mountains, Humboldt County, Nevada

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acquired airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) images over several disseminated gold deposits in northern Nevada in 1983. The aerial surveys were flown to determine whether TIMS data could depict jasperoids (siliceous replacement bodies) associated with the gold deposits. The TIMS data were collected over the Pinson and Getchell Mines in the Osgood Mountains, the Carlin, Maggie Creek, Bootstrap, and other mines in the Tuscarora Mountains, and the Jerritt Canyon Mine in the Independence Mountains. The TIMS data seem to be a useful supplement to conventional geochemical exploration for disseminated gold deposits in the western United States. Siliceous outcrops are readily separable in the TIMS image from other types of host rocks. Different forms of silicification are not readily separable, yet, due to limitations of spatial resolution and spectral dynamic range. Features associated with the disseminated gold deposits, such as the large intrusive bodies and fault structures, are also resolvable on TIMS data. Inclusion of high-resolution thermal inertia data would be a useful supplement to the TIMS data

A hybrid voice/data modulation for the VHF aeronautical channels

A method of improving the spectral efficiency of the existing Very High Frequency (VHF) Amplitude Modulation (AM) voice communication channels is proposed. The technique is to phase modulate the existing voice amplitude modulated carrier with digital data. This allows the transmission of digital information over an existing AM voice channel with no change to the existing AM signal format. There is no modification to the existing AM receiver to demodulate the voice signal and an additional receiver module can be added for processing of the digital data. The existing VHF AM transmitter requires only a slight modification for the addition of the digital data signal. The past work in the area is summarized and presented together with an improved system design and the proposed implementation