Changes in U.S. family finances from 2004 to 2007: evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances

The Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances for 2007 provides insights into changes in family income and net worth since the 2004 survey. The survey shows that, over the 2004-07 period, the median value of real (inflation-adjusted) family income before taxes was little changed, while mean income climbed 8.5 percent. Unlike family income over this period, both median and mean net worth increased; the median rose 17.7 percent, and the mean rose 13.0 percent. This article reviews these and other changes in the financial condition of U.S. families, including developments in assets, liabilities, and debt payments.Consumer surveys ; Households - Economic aspects

On the stability of self-gravitating accreting flows

Analytic methods show stability of the stationary accretion of test fluids but they are inconclusive in the case of self-gravitating stationary flows. We investigate numerically stability of those stationary flows onto compact objects that are transonic and rich in gas. In all studied examples solutions appear stable. Numerical investigation suggests also that the analogy between sonic and event horizons holds for small perturbations of compact support but fails in the case of finite perturbations.Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication in PR

On the difference between proton and neutron spin-orbit splittings in nuclei

The latest experimental data on nuclei at $^{132}$Sn permit us for the first time to determine the spin-orbit splittings of neutrons and protons in identical orbits in this neutron-rich doubly-magic region and compare the case to that of $^{208}$Pb. Using the new results, which are now consistent for the two neutron-rich doubly magic regions, a theoretical analysis defines the isotopic dependence of the mean field spin-orbit potential and leads to a simple explicit expression for the difference between the spin-orbit splittings of neutrons and protons. The isotopic dependence is explained in the framework of different theoretical approaches.Comment: 8 pages, revte

Genito-Urinary Fistula Patients at Bugando Medical Centre

Background: Information was collected on 1500 obstetric fistula patients attending Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) in Mwanza, Tanzania. Objectives: To identify high risk populations of fistula patients treated from 1998-2006. Design: A prospective description study of 1294 patients treated for urine and faecal incontinence at BMC. Setting: Obstetrics and Gynaecological ward at Bugando Medical Centre. Interventions: A total of 1294 patients underwent surgical treatment of incontinence. Main outcome measures: Of the 1294 surgical repairs, 84% of the patients were cured, 12% had stress incontinence and 4% failed. Conclusions: The study shows that low education and poverty were the key factors in the development of fistula. Most obstetric fistulae can be cured, particularly during the first attempt by those properly trained in the skills. Prevention of genital fistula requires raising the education and social status of women including poverty reduction strategies, improving the quality of antenatal care. Increased access to Caesarean section is also needed for prevention of genitourinary fistulas.East African Medical Journal Vol. 87 No 7 July 201

Gravitomagnetism and the Clock Effect

The main theoretical aspects of gravitomagnetism are reviewed. It is shown that the gravitomagnetic precession of a gyroscope is intimately connected with the special temporal structure around a rotating mass that is revealed by the gravitomagnetic clock effect. This remarkable effect, which involves the difference in the proper periods of a standard clock in prograde and retrograde circular geodesic orbits around a rotating mass, is discussed in detail. The implications of this effect for the notion of ``inertial dragging'' in the general theory of relativity are presented. The theory of the clock effect is developed within the PPN framework and the possibility of measuring it via spaceborne clocks is examined.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX, submitted to Proc. Bad Honnef Meeting on: GYROS, CLOCKS, AND INTERFEROMETERS: TESTING GENERAL RELATIVITY IN SPACE (22 - 27 August 1999; Bad Honnef, Germany