Contextualizing Palestinian Hybridity: How Pragmatic Citizenship Influences Diasporic Identities

Palestinians are one of the largest diaspora populations in the world, with members in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. How are the individual diasporic experiences of nationalism similar and different to one another? This research examines the creation and maintenance of Palestinian identity in diasporic contexts through ethnographic analysis and a series of interviews conducted in Chile, Jordan, and The United States. The results show that despite Palestinians maintaining Palestinianness as a dominant characteristic of identity in all three settings, there are contextual influences on how people integrate that identity into their lives. Within Jordan, Palestinians experience conflicting national identities and economic disparity while sharing language, culture and geographic proximity with Palestine. In The United States and Chile, Palestinians experience cultural and spatial separation from Palestine and are influenced by local political and economic situations. Evidence also shows that the identities of most of the participants in the three countries demonstrate various levels of cultural hybridity

Logarithmic circuit with wide dynamic range

A circuit deriving an output voltage that is proportional to the logarithm of a dc input voltage susceptible to wide variations in amplitude includes a constant current source which forward biases a diode so that the diode operates in the exponential portion of its voltage versus current characteristic, above its saturation current. The constant current source includes first and second, cascaded feedback, dc operational amplifiers connected in negative feedback circuit. An input terminal of the first amplifier is responsive to the input voltage. A circuit shunting the first amplifier output terminal includes a resistor in series with the diode. The voltage across the resistor is sensed at the input of the second dc operational feedback amplifier. The current flowing through the resistor is proportional to the input voltage over the wide range of variations in amplitude of the input voltage

Mathematical Models and Biological Meaning: Taking Trees Seriously

We compare three basic kinds of discrete mathematical models used to portray phylogenetic relationships among species and higher taxa: phylogenetic trees, Hennig trees and Nelson cladograms. All three models are trees, as that term is commonly used in mathematics; the difference between them lies in the biological interpretation of their vertices and edges. Phylogenetic trees and Hennig trees carry exactly the same information, and translation between these two kinds of trees can be accomplished by a simple algorithm. On the other hand, evolutionary concepts such as monophyly are represented as different mathematical substructures are represented differently in the two models. For each phylogenetic or Hennig tree, there is a Nelson cladogram carrying the same information, but the requirement that all taxa be represented by leaves necessarily makes the representation less efficient. Moreover, we claim that it is necessary to give some interpretation to the edges and internal vertices of a Nelson cladogram in order to make it useful as a biological model. One possibility is to interpret internal vertices as sets of characters and the edges as statements of inclusion; however, this interpretation carries little more than incomplete phenetic information. We assert that from the standpoint of phylogenetics, one is forced to regard each internal vertex of a Nelson cladogram as an actual (albeit unsampled) species simply to justify the use of synapomorphies rather than symplesiomorphies.Comment: 15 pages including 6 figures [5 pdf, 1 jpg]. Converted from original MS Word manuscript to PDFLaTe

Whither Goest NTIA? The Fate of a Federal Telecommunications Agency

In the past year, Congress has sealed the fate of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Although President Clinton has pledged to veto any action that abolishes the Commerce Department, in which the NTIA is located, Congress will ultimately dismantle the NTIA. Thus, the question becomes what entity will shoulder NTIA\u27s workload, which includes among other responsibilities managing federal use of the radio frequency spectrum, developing executive branch telecommunications policy, and administering the Federal Grants Program. Although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears to many a natural successor to the NTIA\u27s varied responsibilities, the Authors suggest other agencies are more appropriate. For instance, relocation of NTIA\u27s spectrum management functions are better suited to the General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or the Treasury Department. The Authors indicate that these agencies are in a more neutral position than the FCC because they do not have a relationship with the private sector which makes balancing the needs of competing groups difficult. Moreover, the NTIA\u27s policy-making functions should remain with an executive branch agency in order to provide the president the ability to take independent positions on telecommunications issues

Whither Goest NTIA? The Fate of a Federal Telecommunications Agency

In the past year, Congress has sealed the fate of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Although President Clinton has pledged to veto any action that abolishes the Commerce Department, in which the NTIA is located, Congress will ultimately dismantle the NTIA. Thus, the question becomes what entity will shoulder NTIA\u27s workload, which includes among other responsibilities managing federal use of the radio frequency spectrum, developing executive branch telecommunications policy, and administering the Federal Grants Program. Although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears to many a natural successor to the NTIA\u27s varied responsibilities, the Authors suggest other agencies are more appropriate. For instance, relocation of NTIA\u27s spectrum management functions are better suited to the General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or the Treasury Department. The Authors indicate that these agencies are in a more neutral position than the FCC because they do not have a relationship with the private sector which makes balancing the needs of competing groups difficult. Moreover, the NTIA\u27s policy-making functions should remain with an executive branch agency in order to provide the president the ability to take independent positions on telecommunications issues

Low speed and angle of attack effects on sonic and near-sonic inlets

Tests of the Quiet, Clean Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) were conducted to determine the effects of forward velocity and angle of attack on sonic and near-sonic inlet aerodynamic performance penalties and acoustic suppression characteristics. The tests demonstrate that translating centerbody and radial vane sonic inlets, and QCSEE high throat Mach number inlets, can be designed to operate effectively at forward speed and moderate angle of attack with good performance and noise suppression capability. The test equipment and procedures used in conducting the evaluation are described. Results of the tests are presented in tabular form