Toward an efficient solution for dynamic ad hoc network interoperability

An ad hoc network is formed by an impromptu grouping of network capable nodes. The nodes forming the network have unconstrained mobility, and so provide a dynamic network topology. Current work in this research area has focused on designing routing protocols capable of efficiently forwarding packets in these dynamic network environments. This has led to several designs for ad hoc routing protocols based on various routing algorithms, each suited to specific usage characteristics. This paper will discuss issues relating to routing in ad hoc networks. We will describe an active networking based solution that provides dynamic routing protocol interoperability and enables migration of nodes between ad hoc groups. Our design is motivated by a squad and base scenario which consists of two groups wishing to communicate. These groups have contrasting deployment characteristics and so use different routing protocols

For the Voice

https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdmuseum_channel/1037/thumbnail.jp

Unequal Access: Neglecting the National Voter Registration Act, 1995-2007

Recognizing that burdensome and discriminatory voter registration laws have a damaging impact on American democracy, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) in 1993 to make voter registration more accessible, with the hope of reducing disparities in voting among various populations. The NVRA remains one of the nation's most important voting rights laws.Although millions of citizens have taken advantage of voter registration opportunities created by the NVRA, key provisions of the law meant to reach populations with low voter registration rates have been poorly and inconsistently administered in many states.Specifically, states have failed to adequately implement--and the Department of Justice has in recent years failed in their duty to enforce--NVRA provisions that require states to offer voter registration in government agencies providing public assistance benefits.Unequal Access: Neglecting the National Voter Registration Act, 1995-2007details the following:The number of voter registration applications from public assistance agencies in 2005-2006 is a small fraction of what it was in 1995-1996, when the NVRA was first implemented (see Figure 1 and Tables 1a and 1b). Indeed, registrations from public assistance agencies declined by 79 percent during this time.The decline in registrations from public assistance agencies occurred despite the fact that millions of citizens from low-income households remain unregistered. In 2006, 13 million, or 40 percent of, voting-aged citizens from households earning under $25,000 were unregistered .Many states frequently fail to report data on their public assistance agency registrations to the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC), as required for the EAC's biennial report to Congress.Recent surveys of clients at public assistance agency sites in more than half a dozen states have found numerous instances where voter registration was not being offered as required by the NVRA; voter registration applications were completely absent at some agency sites.States that have adopted improved NVRA procedures have seen dramatic increases in voter registrations at public assistance agencies, indicating the potential for substantial improvement in other states.The Department of Justice has taken little action in recent years to enforce the public assistance agency registration requirements of the NVRA, despite being repeatedly presented with strong evidence of states' noncompliance.Based on the outcomes in states where recent compliance efforts have been undertaken, states can improve their compliance with the NVRA and increase the number of low-income citizens registering to vote by implementing recommended procedures, outlined in this report, to improve training, monitoring and reporting by agencies.The NVRA is the only federal law requiring the government to affirmatively offer voter registration to broad segments of the population. Because of noncompliance with the NVRA, however, the rights of thousands of low-income citizens are violated daily across the nation. Project Vote and Demos call on state election and public assistance officials to take immediate action to properly implement this important civil rights law. We also call on the Department of Justice to fulfill its role by actively enforcing the NVRA's requirement for voter registration at public assistance agencies

Policy by the People, for the People:Designing ResponsiveRegulation and BuildingDemocratic Power

Policymaking in American democracy is often a process that happens to people rather than by them. This is especially the case with respect to policy that affects people with less power in low-income communities and communities of color. Urban policy, in particular, has historically been driven by business elites and white homeowners’ interests, which have shaped exclusionary policies, such as redlining and single-family zoning— etching racial and economic segregation into the fabric of city space. Even when outsider interest groups and social movement organizations gain enough power to shape the policy agenda, give input into the content of policy, and lobby for policy changes that advance their interests, the standard conception of regulatory design is elite-driven: people whose lived reality will be impacted by policy decisions tend to be consulted, if at all, after policy ideas are already articulated and have gained traction in the halls of power. This Essay seeks to elevate an alternative model of policymaking “by the people” that views the policy process as a means of designing more responsive regulation that emanates from the experiences of marginalized constituencies, while creating an opportunity to build democratic power. Policy by the people involves: identifying problems from the perspective of those suffering harm, developing solutions based on lived experiences of what works, conducting policy design through an iterative process in which solutions are translated into law, elevating leadership of the people in advocating for policy change, and ensuring that successful policy is not an end goal but rather a starting point in promoting democratic inclusion and community power. This approach therefore seeks to enable policy design by people that responds to their material interests—what we call responsive regulation—as it simultaneously promotes power-building over time. This Essay aims to fill critical gaps in the literature on lawyering for social change and policy design, while offering a set of principles to guide the role of lawyers in bottom-up policymaking

Correlating Infall with Deuterium Fractionation in Dense Cores

We present a survey of HCO+ (3-2) observations pointed towards dense cores with previous measurements of N(N2D+)/N(N2H+). Of the 26 cores in this survey, five show the spectroscopic signature of outward motion, nine exhibit neither inward nor outward motion, eleven appear to be infalling, and one is not detected. We compare the degree of deuterium fractionation with infall velocities calculated from the HCO+ spectra and find that those cores with [D]/[H] > 0.1 are more likely to have the signature of inward motions than cores with smaller [D]/[H] ratios. Infall motions are also much more common in cores with masses exceeding their thermal Jeans masses. The fastest infall velocity measured belongs to one of the two protostellar cores in our survey, L1521F, and the observed motions are typically on the order of the sound speed.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Nothing good happens after dark: the influence of temporal factors on motor carrier crash severity

Motor carrier safety is a topic of great importance for both industry and makers of public policy. Regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), regularly publish data detailing the circumstances surrounding roadway accidents. FMCSA’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts (LTBCF) data demonstrate an increase in accidents during daylight hours and on weekdays. Roadway risks are ever-present but differ by time of day and day of the week. These differences may potentially engender crashes of different severities at different times. This study analyzes FMCSA LTBCF data to determine when crashes of different severities are more likely to occur. Findings indicate that crashes resulting in property damage are more likely to occur during the day and on weekdays. However, fatal and injury crashes are significantly more likely during nights and weekends. Recommendations to improve safety outcomes are provided along with suggestions for future research