The factorization method for inverse scattering from periodic inhomogeneous media

This book addresses the identification of the shape of penetrable periodic media by means of scattered time-harmonic waves. Mathematically, this is about the determination of the support of a function which occurs in the governing equations. Our theoretical analysis shows that this problem can be strictly solved for acoustic as well as for electromagnetic radiation by the so-called Factorization Method. We apply this method to reconstruct a couple of media from numerically simulated field data

How About Air Conditioning For Farm Homes?

With the approach of summer, we\u27ve ased Prof. John F. Sandfort, of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State College, to answer some of the questions most frequently asked about home air conditioning

Investigation of the growth of garnet films by liquid phase epitaxy

Liquid phase expitaxy was investigated to determine its applicability to fabricating magnetic rare earth garnet films for spacecraft data recording systems. Two mixed garnet systems were investigated in detail: (1) Gd-Y and (2) Eu-Yb-Y. All films were deposited on Gd3Ga5012 substrates. The uniaxial anisotropy of the Gd-Y garnets is primarily stress-induced. These garnets are characterized by high-domain wall mobility, low coercivity and modest anisotropy. Characteristic length was found to be relatively sensitive to temperature. The Eu-Yb-Y garnets exhibit acceptable mobilities, good temperature stability and reasonable quality factors. The uniaxial anisotropy of these garnets is primarily growth-induced. The system is well suited for compositional "tailoring" to optimize specific desirable properties. Liquid phase epitaxy can be used to deposit Gd3Ga5012 spacing layers on magnetic garnet films and this arrangement possesses certain advantages over more conventional magnetic filmspacing layer combinations. However, it cannot be used if the magnetic film is to be ion implanted

A case study of open source and public participation in catalyzing social innovations

Our study investigates the use of a new open source platform in catalyzing social innovations and participation of its members over time. We empirically examined how the nature of project designs and social pressure affect contribution to the open source platform. In the twenty-one projects (3,998 contributions) from 2004 to 2009, we find that the average number of contributions is higher when the projects are highly visible, when the project is designed to require specific skills from participants, and when it requires outcome measurement from participants' proposals. Also, we verified that actors join collective action when they believe their contribution is meaningful and they would stop when they believe their contribution could be marginal. These results provide implications for open source platform design in the philanthropic sector. © 2010 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Gender nonconformity, sexual orientation, and Dutch adolescents' relationship with peers

Same-sex attraction and gender nonconformity have both been shown to negatively affect the relationships of adolescents with their peers. It is not clear, though, whether same-sex attracted adolescents are more likely to have negative peer relationships because they are same-sex attracted or because they are more likely to be gender nonconforming. It is also possible that both stressors affect peer relationships independently or amplify each other in their impact. We explored these questions in a sample of 486 Dutch adolescents (M age = 14.02 years). We found that same-sex attraction and gender nonconformity both had an independent effect and that gender nonconformity moderated, but not mediated, the associations between same-sex attraction and peer relationships at school. Same-sex attraction was more strongly associated with poorer relationships with peers in adolescents who were more gender nonconforming. These findings indicate the importance of including gender nonconformity in the understanding of same-sex attracted adolescents’ relationships and suggest that in order to improve same-sex attracted adolescents’ social position at school, acceptance of gender diversity should be promoted as well

Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Assessment Training

An occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) is required for all Federal agencies by Executive Order 12196 – Occupational safety and health programs for Federal employees. Development of the Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Assessment Training Manual was supported jointly by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The manual was designed to be used in the training of government personnel on how to assess the OHSMS of Federal establishments and agencies. The manual is organized sequentially through each step in the process of conducting an OHSMS assessment. Trainees start by learning about how to prepare for an assessment and the training concludes with a discussion on how to incorporate multiple establishments’ OHSMS assessment scores into an agency-wide assessment. Each module includes exercises designed to aid Federal personnel in learning the skills necessary to complete an OHSMS assessment