Computer Programs for Calculating and Plotting the Stability Characteristics of a Balloon Tethered in a Wind

Computer programs for calculating the stability characteristics of a balloon tethered in a steady wind are presented. Equilibrium conditions, characteristic roots, and modal ratios are calculated for a range of discrete values of velocity for a fixed tether-line length. Separate programs are used: (1) to calculate longitudinal stability characteristics, (2) to calculate lateral stability characteristics, (3) to plot the characteristic roots versus velocity, (4) to plot the characteristic roots in root-locus form, (5) to plot the longitudinal modes of motion, and (6) to plot the lateral modes for motion. The basic equations, program listings, and the input and output data for sample cases are presented, with a brief discussion of the overall operation and limitations. The programs are based on a linearized, stability-derivative type of analysis, including balloon aerodynamics, apparent mass, buoyancy effects, and static forces which result from the tether line

Results of Universal Prenatal Screening for Hepatitis C Infection in a Remote American Indian Primary Care Population

BACKGROUND: Although chronic liver disease remains a major area of health disparity for American Indian (AI) people, the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among AI people is poorly documented. Because of suspected high local prevalence, two remote AI clinics in the Northern Plains implemented universal prenatal HCV screening in 2005. When this screening program reported an unexpectedly high prenatal anti-HCV (anti-HCV antibody) positivity rate, we conducted a case-control study to determine risks for infection and opportunities for community intervention. MAIN FINDINGS: The clinics screened a total of 205 pregnant women (median age, 22 years). Of these 205 women, a total of 13 (6.3%; 95% confidence interval, 3.4–10.6) had anti-HCV confirmed. Of the anti-HCV-positive women, 10 (76.9%) were aged 15–24 years. We included 10 cases and 40 anti-HCV-negative prenatal controls in a case-control study. On multivariate analysis, only injection-drug use (IDU) remained associated with HCV seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: Universal prenatal screening revealed a high prevalence of anti-HCV at these remote AI clinics. This population has not been previously described at being at elevated risk for HCV infection. In order to reduce health disparities, young, rural AI populations seeking prenatal care need to be included in interventions to reduce HCV transmission

Integrating Viral Hepatitis Screening and Prevention Services into an Urban Chemical Dependency Treatment Facility for American Indians and Alaska Natives

American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) patients at an urban residential chemical dependency treatment center participated in a viral hepatitis prevention project. Project activities integrated into patients’ treatment programs included viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk factor screening, education and counseling, laboratory testing, and hepatitis A and B vaccination. Of 928 AI/AN admissions, 585 (63%) completed risk factor screening assessment. Of these, 436 (75%) received at least one vaccination, viral hepatitis testing, or both. Of 322 patients tested, 91 (28%) were hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody positive. Lack of pre-existing immunity to vaccine-preventable viral hepatitis infection was common: 132 (45%) were susceptible to hepatitis A and 224 (70%) were susceptible to hepatitis B infection. Chemical dependency treatment centers serving urban AI/AN provide important opportunities for implementing viral hepatitis prevention programs for high-risk populations and for improving ongoing efforts to reduce the disparate impact of chronic liver disease in AI/ AN people

Elastic Angular Differential Cross Sections for Quasi-One-Electron Collision Systems at Intermediate Energies: (Na⁺, Li⁺)+H and (Mg⁺, Be⁺)+He

Measurements of elastic angular differential cross sections have been carried out for four quasi-one-electron collision systems at intermediate energies. Data are presented for Na++H collisions at laboratory energies of 35.94, 51.75, 63.89, and 143.75 keV, for Li++H collisions at energies of 19.44 and 43.75 keV, for Mg++He collisions at energies of 30, 66.7, and 150 keV, and for Be++He collisions at an energy of 56.25 keV. The highest energy in each case corresponds to a projectile velocity of (1/2 a.u. Born and Eikonal calculations, in which we model the projectile ion as a heavy structureless ion of charge +1e, are also presented. Our model calculations are in fair agreement with the experimental data over the range of measured scattering angles

Angular-Differential Studies of Excitation in Quasi-One-Electron Collisions at High Energy

Qualitative differences have been observed between two types of quasi-one-electron collision systems. We have studied valence-electron excitation at high energy (relative collision velocities up to 0.5 a.u.) in the Mg++He and Na++H collision systems, and find that while Mg++He collisions are dominated by direct excitation, the Na++H collisions exhibit significant molecular excitation, even at the highest velocities. This behavior can be understood in terms of the molecular structure of the respective collision complexes, and the energy separation between the ground and first excited states of the valence electron

Electron Capture at Very Small Scattering Angles from Atomic Hydrogen by 25-125-keV Protons

Differential cross sections for electron capture in collisions between protons and hydrogen atoms have been experimentally determined for incident proton energies of 25, 60, and 125 keV in the center-of-mass scattering-angle range of 0-3 mrad. The experimental results compare more favorably with the results of both a multistate and a two-state calculation than with the results of a continuum distorted-wave-approximation calculation. There is no evidence of a Jackson-Schiff-type minimum

Momentum-Transfer Scaling in Hydrogen-Isotope Collision Systems

The differential cross sections for excitation of atomic hydrogen isotopes to their n=2 states by proton or deutron impact are found to follow a simple scaling relationship. The momentum-transfer-scaled differential excitation cross sections, for a projectile velocity of 1.26 a.u., produce one differential cross-section curve for all four possible hydrogen-isotope collision systems. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with our Glauber-approximation calculations

Elastic angular differential cross sections for quasi-oneelectron collision systems at intermediate energies: (Na\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e, Li\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e)+H and (Mg\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e, Be\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e)+He

Measurements of elastic angular differential cross sections have been carried out for four quasi-one-electron collision systems at intermediate energies. Data are presented for Na++H collisions at laboratory energies of 35.94, 51.75, 63.89, and 143.75 keV, for Li++H collisions at energies of 19.44 and 43.75 keV, for Mg++He collisions at energies of 30, 66.7, and 150 keV, and for Be++He collisions at an energy of 56.25 keV. The highest energy in each case corresponds to a projectile velocity of (1/2 a.u. Born and Eikonal calculations, in which we model the projectile ion as a heavy structureless ion of charge +1e, are also presented. Our model calculations are in fair agreement with the experimental data over the range of measured scattering angles

Isotope Effect and Momentum-Transfer Scaling in the Elastic-Scattering Differential Cross Sections for Hydrogen-Isotope Collision Systems

A projectile-dependent isotope effect was found for the elastic-scattering differential cross sections in the hydrogen-isotope collision systems. All four differential cross sections lie on a common curve if they are divided by the square of the reduced mass and plotted against momentum transfer. The experimental results are in satisfactory agreement with a simple Glauber-approximation calculation

Isotope Effect in Electron-Capture Differential Cross Sections at Intermediate Energies

The isotope dependence in the angular distribution of electron-capture cross sections for protons and deuterons with equal velocity (E=40 keV/u) colliding with atomic hydrogen or deuterium targets is predicted theoretically and observed experimentally. A projectile-dependent effect is observed at small scattering angles. No target dependence was detected in the differential cross sections. A scaling relationship is determined which permits the prediction of differential cross sections for hydrogen-isotope projectiles