A Feminist Perspective in Williams’ Novels

Looks at women in the novels of Charles Williams from the perspective of feminism, especially feminist theology. Finds a wide range of female characters at various stages of spiritual development, androgyny and inclusiveness in regard to God

Massachusetts Adult Tobacco Survey: Tobacco Use and Attitudes After Seven Years of The Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, Technical Report & Tables 1993 — 2000

The Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program was launched in October of 1993. At that time, the Center for Survey Research conducted the Massachusetts Tobacco Survey (MTS), a comprehensive survey of adults and teens living in Massachusetts. The purpose of the survey was to collect baseline data on the prevalence of tobacco use among adults and teens in the Commonwealth and on issues related to the likelihood of smoking cessation or initiation. The survey also assessed the prevalence of restrictive smoking policies, and attitudes about tobacco control measures. The baseline data serve as a standard against which the impact of various programs sponsored by the Department of Public Health can be assessed. Technical details about the MTS and reports of the results are available from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In January, 1995 the Department of Public Health contracted with the Center for Survey Research to carry out a second survey monitoring tobacco use and related attitudes and behaviors among adults in the Commonwealth. This second survey, known as the Massachusetts Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS), has been carried out monthly since March of 1995. Data are aggregated at the end of each calendar year. MATS is similar to the MTS in that initial screening interviews are carried out with a household member who provides demographic and smoking status information about other adults in the household. One member of the household is then randomly selected for extended interview. The annual sample for this survey is smaller than that used for the MTS and does not include teens. It also differs from the MTS in that smokers were not over-sampled, nor were members of minority groups. The sample was geographically stratified as was the MTS. (More details on the sampling design are presented in Chapter I.) Technical Reports are available for the 1993 MTS survey, and for the 1995 through 1999 MATS surveys. Please refer to those reports for descriptions of the respective surveys and a more general discussion of the use of the telephone survey for data collection. This report presents methodological details of the 2000 MATS. It contains an appendix of tables of major results for data collected each year. Nontechnical reports describing the major results are available from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Raloxifene improves skeletal properties in an animal model of cystic chronic kidney disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of fracture. Raloxifene is a mild antiresorptive agent that reduces fracture risk in the general population. Here we assessed the impact of raloxifene on the skeletal properties of animals with progressive CKD. Male Cy/+ rats that develop autosomal dominant cystic kidney disease were treated with either vehicle or raloxifene for five weeks. They were assessed for changes in mineral metabolism and skeletal parameters (microCT, histology, whole-bone mechanics, and material properties). Their normal littermates served as controls. Animals with CKD had significantly higher parathyroid hormone levels compared with normal controls, as well as inferior structural and mechanical skeletal properties. Raloxifene treatment resulted in lower bone remodeling rates and higher cancellous bone volume in the rats with CKD. Although it had little effect on cortical bone geometry, it resulted in higher energy to fracture and modulus of toughness values than vehicle-treated rats with CKD, achieving levels equivalent to normal controls. Animals treated with raloxifene had superior tissue-level mechanical properties as assessed by nanoindentation, and higher collagen D-periodic spacing as assessed by atomic force microscopy. Thus, raloxifene can positively impact whole-bone mechanical properties in CKD through its impact on skeletal material properties

Rethinking energy, climate and security: a critical analysis of energy security in the US

Understanding the complicated relationship between energy, climate and security is vital both to the study of international relations and to ensure the continued survival of a world increasingly threatened by environmental change. Climate change is largely caused by burning fossil fuels for energy, but while discussions on the climate consider the role of energy, energy security debates largely overlook climate concerns. This article traces the separation between energy and climate through an analysis of US energy security discourse and policy. It shows that energy security is continually constructed as national security, which enables very particular policy choices and prioritises it above climate concerns. Thus, in many cases, policies undertaken in the name of energy security contribute directly to climate insecurity. The article argues that the failure to consider securing the climate as inherently linked to energy security is not just problematic, but, given global warming, potentially harmful. Consequently, any approach to dealing with climate change has to begin by rethinking energy security and security more broadly, as national (energy) security politics no longer provides security in any meaningful sense

The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0281.1The inner shelf, the transition zone between the surfzone and the midshelf, is a dynamically complex region with the evolution of circulation and stratification driven by multiple physical processes. Cross-shelf exchange through the inner shelf has important implications for coastal water quality, ecological connectivity, and lateral movement of sediment and heat. The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE) was an intensive, coordinated, multi-institution field experiment from September–October 2017, conducted from the midshelf, through the inner shelf, and into the surfzone near Point Sal, California. Satellite, airborne, shore- and ship-based remote sensing, in-water moorings and ship-based sampling, and numerical ocean circulation models forced by winds, waves, and tides were used to investigate the dynamics governing the circulation and transport in the inner shelf and the role of coastline variability on regional circulation dynamics. Here, the following physical processes are highlighted: internal wave dynamics from the midshelf to the inner shelf; flow separation and eddy shedding off Point Sal; offshore ejection of surfzone waters from rip currents; and wind-driven subtidal circulation dynamics. The extensive dataset from ISDE allows for unprecedented investigations into the role of physical processes in creating spatial heterogeneity, and nonlinear interactions between various inner-shelf physical processes. Overall, the highly spatially and temporally resolved oceanographic measurements and numerical simulations of ISDE provide a central framework for studies exploring this complex and fascinating region of the ocean.U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)ONR Departmental Research Initiative (DRI)Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE

Modelling the molecular mechanisms of ageing

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in Bioscience reports. To access the final edited and published work see http://www.bioscirep.org/content/37/1/BSR20160177.The ageing process is driven at the cellular level by random molecular damage which slowly accumulates with age. Although cells possess mechanisms to repair or remove damage, they are not 100% efficient and their efficiency declines with age. There are many molecular mechanisms involved and exogenous factors such as stress also contribute to the ageing process. The complexity of the ageing process has stimulated the use of computational modelling in order to increase our understanding of the system, test hypotheses and make testable predictions. As many different mechanisms are involved, a wide range of models have been developed. This paper gives an overview of the types of models that have been developed, the range of tools used, modelling standards, and discusses many specific examples of models which have been grouped according to the main mechanisms that they address. We conclude by discussing the opportunities and challenges for future modelling in this field

Energieffektivt el-hydrauliskt powerpack

Along with increased oil prices and rising environmental issues, a demand for alternatives to combustion engine driven hydraulic applications has risen. In the field of mobile hydraulics, the hydraulic applications have traditionally been driven by the combustion engine of the vehicle on which they are mounted. By instead using a battery driven power pack the hydraulic application is able to operate without the engine running, saving fuel costs and reducing sound levels. In this thesis, the concept of using an electric-hydraulic power pack with a variable-speed electric motor and a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump to provide power to a truck-mounted loader crane is investigated. This concept is compared to an electric-hydraulic system imitating the conventional combustion engine system by using a fixed-speed electric motor connected to a variable-displacement pump. The use of a variable speed motor where the speed can be controlled electrically by a control unit creates possibilities of using different control strategies to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the application. The efficiencies of the two electric-hydraulic systems are compared by constructing a physical test rig and performing measurements in a test lab. The tests have shown an increased efficiency of about 20 \% when using the variable speed configuration. Three different control strategies are also investigated and tested on a simulated model. The simulations show that very good responsiveness and robustness can be achieved by using a hydraulic flow feed forward controller with a complementary pressure feedback controller. Furthermore, by controlling the hydraulic flow to the heaviest of the crane loads entirely with the flow from the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pressure can be reduced and energy efficiency increased

Energieffektivt el-hydrauliskt powerpack

Along with increased oil prices and rising environmental issues, a demand for alternatives to combustion engine driven hydraulic applications has risen. In the field of mobile hydraulics, the hydraulic applications have traditionally been driven by the combustion engine of the vehicle on which they are mounted. By instead using a battery driven power pack the hydraulic application is able to operate without the engine running, saving fuel costs and reducing sound levels. In this thesis, the concept of using an electric-hydraulic power pack with a variable-speed electric motor and a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump to provide power to a truck-mounted loader crane is investigated. This concept is compared to an electric-hydraulic system imitating the conventional combustion engine system by using a fixed-speed electric motor connected to a variable-displacement pump. The use of a variable speed motor where the speed can be controlled electrically by a control unit creates possibilities of using different control strategies to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the application. The efficiencies of the two electric-hydraulic systems are compared by constructing a physical test rig and performing measurements in a test lab. The tests have shown an increased efficiency of about 20 \% when using the variable speed configuration. Three different control strategies are also investigated and tested on a simulated model. The simulations show that very good responsiveness and robustness can be achieved by using a hydraulic flow feed forward controller with a complementary pressure feedback controller. Furthermore, by controlling the hydraulic flow to the heaviest of the crane loads entirely with the flow from the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pressure can be reduced and energy efficiency increased

Little cigars and cigarillos: Affect and perceived relative harm among U.S. adults, 2015.

Similar to cigarette smoking, consumption of cigars delivers nicotine and byproducts of tobacco combustion and elevates the risk of addiction, illness, and premature death. This study examined the relationship of affect, perceived relative harm, and LCC smoking behavior among U.S. adults. Data were from Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions Survey conducted in 2015. The study included a probability based sample of 6,051 adults (18+) drawn from an online research panel. A current LCC smoker was defined as having ever smoked LCCs and was currently smoking LCCs every day, somedays, or rarely. Participants were asked whether smoking LCCs was less harmful, had about the same level of harm, or was more harmful than smoking regular cigarettes. Feelings about LCCs were collected using word association technique. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted. About 7% of the study participants were current LCC smokers. Adults with positive feelings had four-fold the adjusted odds to be current LCC smokers. Perceiving LCCs to be less harmful had 2.7 higher adjusted odds of being current LCC smokers. Compared to cigarettes, LCCs evoked more positive feelings among adults and these positive feelings were strongly associated with both perceiving LCCs as less harmful than cigarettes and with current LCC smoking. Cessation and prevention interventions would benefit from applying the principles of social marketing in which information is provided not only to inform consumers but also to evoke negative feelings and associations with LCC smoking.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse and Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products