Tool forms right angles in component leads

Hand tool forms right angles in electronic component leads so they fit the spaced holes of a printed circuit board. This tool firmly holds the leads at points near the component ends to prevent damage and provide accuracy

Manual actuator

An actuator for an exercising machine employable by a crewman aboard a manned spacecraft is presented. The actuator is characterized by a force delivery arm projected from a rotary imput shaft of an exercising machine and having a force input handle extended orthogonally from its distal end. The handle includes a hand-grip configured to be received within the palm of the crewman's hand and a grid pivotally supported for angular displacement between a first position, wherein the grid is disposed in an overlying juxtaposition with the hand-grip, and a second position, angularly displaced from the first position, for affording access to the hand-grip, and a latching mechanism fixed to the sole of a shoe worn by the crewman for latching the shoe to the grid when the grid is in the first position

Conductive elastomeric extensometer

Bridge circuit, in which conductive elastomeric material is the variable leg, precisely measures surface area changes in the human body. Circuits are used singularly, or in quantity by adding elements and amplifier circuits. Elastomeric strips can be located in a form-fitting garment

UV detector monitors organic contamination of optical surfaces

Silicon carbide, insensitive to visible light, is used in photodetectors. System contamination can be monitored during the normal operation without interference to the operator, and without shielding from ambient light

Affirmative Action and Its Mythology

For more than three decades, critics and supporters of affirmative action have fought for the moral high ground ­ through ballot initiatives and lawsuits, in state legislatures, and in varied courts of public opinion. The goal of this paper is to show the clarifying power of economic reasoning to dispel some myths and misconceptions in the racial affirmative action debates. We enumerate seven commonly held (but mistaken) views one often encounters in the folklore about affirmative action (affirmative action may involve goals and timelines, but definitely not quotas, e.g.). Simple economic arguments reveal these seven views to be more myth than fact.

Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Korban Kejahatan Perdagangan Perempuan

Perdagangan orang merupakan suatu bentuk pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia dan sangat bertentangan dengan nilai -nilai kemanusiaan serta nilai keadilan tetapi saat ini perdagangan terhadap orang di Indonesia dari tahun ke tahun jumlahnya semakin meningkat dan sudah mencapai taraf memprihatinkan dan perempuan serta anak adalah kelompok yang rentan menjadi korban perdagangan orang. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan yuridis normatif yaitu dengan menginventarisasi dan mengkaji atau menganalisis data sekunder yang berupa bahan-bahan hukum primer dan bahan hukum sekunder dengan memahami hukum sebagai perangkat peraturan atau norma-norma positif di dalam sistem Perundang-undangan yang mengatur mengenai kehidupan manusia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengaturan perlindungan hukum terhadap korban perdagangan (trafficking) perempuan saat ini.Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 1984 tentang Ratifikasi KonvensiPenghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi terhadap Perempuan.Dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 1984 tentang Ratifikasi Konvensi Penghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi terhadap Perempuan, pengaturan mengenai perdagangan perempuan terdapat dalam Pasal 6.Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2007 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang.Dalam Konsideran huruf b Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2007 tentang Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang, perdagangan orang lebih dikhususkan kepada perempuan dan anak. Undang-Undang Nomor 26 tahun 2000 tentang Pengadilan Hak AsasiManusiadilihat dari Pasal 9.Kelemahan dan Kelebihan Pengaturan Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Korban Perdagangan (Trafficking) Perempuandi Indonesia, ada 2 aturan yang saling tumpang tindih, yaitu antara Undang-Undang Nomor 26 Tahun 2000 tentang Pengadilan HAM dan Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2007 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang. Dari hasil penelitian dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa Pengaturan Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Korban perdagangan orangkhususnya perdagangan perempuan secara nasional terdapat dalam Pasal 6 Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 1984 Tentang Ratifikasi Konvensi Penghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi terhadap Perempuan, Pasal 9 Undang-Undang Nomor 26 Tahun 2000 Tentang Pengadilan HAM, Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2007 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang. Dibuatnya undang-undang ini merupakan suatu bentuk kemajuan yang berarti karena sebelumnya belum ada undang-undang yang mengatur secara lengkap dan spesifik sebagai upaya pemberantasan tindak pidana perdagangan orang termasuk didalamnya diatur mengenai perdagangan perempuan. Mensinkronkan peraturan yang ada supaya tidak terjadi tumpang tindih aturan, sehingga diharapkan pembuat peraturan Perundang-undangan tidak hanya fokus pada satu permasalahan saja pada saat membuat peraturan Perundang-undangan, tetapi juga memperhatikan peraturan Perundang-undangan lain yang sudah ada sebelumnya dan permasalahan-permasalahan lain yang terkait yang dapat dijadikan referensi. Selain itu diharapkan adanya tindak lanjut dalam menyikapi segala aturan dan rencana atau kegiatan yang telah diprogramkan, sehingga tidakhanya menjadi sebuah kata-kata atau aturan saj

Halo gas cross sections and covering fractions of MgII absorption selected galaxies

We examine halo gas cross sections and covering fractions, fc, of intermediate-redshift Mg II absorption selected galaxies. We computed statistical absorber halo radii, Rx, using current values of dN/dz and Schechter luminosity function parameters, and have compared these values to the distribution of impact parameters and luminosities from a sample of 37 galaxies. For equivalent widths Wr(2796) ≥ 0.3 Å, we find 43 ≤ Rx ≤ 88 kpc, depending on the lower luminosity cutoff and the slope, β, of the Holmberg-like luminosity scaling, R ∝ α L^β . The observed distribution of impact parameters, D, are such that several absorbing galaxies lie at D > Rx and several non-absorbing galaxies lie at D ~ 0.5 for our sample. Moreover, the data suggest that halo radii of Mg II absorbing galaxies do not follow a luminosity scaling with β in the range of 0.2–0.28, if fc = 1 as previously reported. However, provided fc ~ 0.5, we find that halo radii can remain consistent with a Holmberg-like luminosity relation with β ≃ 0.2 and R∗ = Rx/√(fc) ~ 110 kpc. No luminosity scaling (β = 0) is also consistent with the observed distribution of impact parameters if fc ≤ 0.37. The data support a scenario in which gaseous halos are patchy and likely have non-symmetric geometric distributions about the galaxies. We suggest that halo gas distributions may not be governed primarily by galaxy mass/luminosity but also by stochastic processes local to the galaxy

A phylogeny of birds based on over 1,500 loci collected by target enrichment and high-throughput sequencing

Evolutionary relationships among birds in Neoaves, the clade comprising the vast majority of avian diversity, have vexed systematists due to the ancient, rapid radiation of numerous lineages. We applied a new phylogenomic approach to resolve relationships in Neoaves using target enrichment (sequence capture) and high-throughput sequencing of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) in avian genomes. We collected sequence data from UCE loci for 32 members of Neoaves and one outgroup (chicken) and analyzed data sets that differed in their amount of missing data. An alignment of 1,541 loci that allowed missing data was 87% complete and resulted in a highly resolved phylogeny with broad agreement between the Bayesian and maximum-likelihood (ML) trees. Although results from the 100% complete matrix of 416 UCE loci were similar, the Bayesian and ML trees differed to a greater extent in this analysis, suggesting that increasing from 416 to 1,541 loci led to increased stability and resolution of the tree. Novel results of our study include surprisingly close relationships between phenotypically divergent bird families, such as tropicbirds (Phaethontidae) and the sunbittern (Eurypygidae) as well as between bustards (Otididae) and turacos (Musophagidae). This phylogeny bolsters support for monophyletic waterbird and landbird clades and also strongly supports controversial results from previous studies, including the sister relationship between passerines and parrots and the non-monophyly of raptorial birds in the hawk and falcon families. Although significant challenges remain to fully resolving some of the deep relationships in Neoaves, especially among lineages outside the waterbirds and landbirds, this study suggests that increased data will yield an increasingly resolved avian phylogeny.Comment: 30 pages, 1 table, 4 figures, 1 supplementary table, 3 supplementary figure

VLBA Polarization Observations of Markarian 421 After a Gamma-Ray High State

We present four high dynamic range, dual-circular polarization, Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 22 GHz of Markarian 421, taken throughout the year following the source's unprecedented gamma-ray high state in early 2001. These four new VLBA observations are combined with data from our earlier 1999 paper and archival VLBA data-sets that have become available since 1999 to produce a combined 28 epoch VLBA data-set on Mrk 421 spanning the years 1994 to 2002. No new component associated with the 2001 flares was seen on the total intensity images, but the combined data-set allowed precise measurements of the apparent speeds of the existing components. The peak measured apparent speed was for component C5, which has an apparent speed of 0.1 +/- 0.02 c (H_0=71 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, Omega_m=0.27, and Omega_Lambda=0.73). No counterjet is seen with a limit on the jet to counterjet brightness ratio J >~ 100. These observed VLBI properties of Markarian 421 are consistent with a jet with a bulk Lorentz factor of about 2 and an angle to the line-of-sight of about 1 degree, suggesting a jet that decelerates between the gamma-ray producing region and the parsec scale. The VLBI core and inner jet (component C7) have fractional polarizations of about 5%, and an electric vector position angle (EVPA) aligned with the jet axis. Component C5 (at 1.5 mas from the core) has a higher fractional polarization of about 15%, and an EVPA nearly orthogonal to the jet axis. Significant variability is detected in the EVPA of component C6, which at two of the four epochs shows an EVPA aligned with the jet axis, possibly a sign of propagating disturbances that are only visible on the polarization images. If these propagating disturbances are linked to the 2001 gamma-ray high state, then their inferred apparent speed is between 1 and 3 c.Comment: 11 pages, accepted to Ap