SALINAS - An implicit finite element structural dynamics code developed for massively parallel platforms

As computational needs for structural finite element analysis increase, a robust implicit structural dynamics code is needed which can handle millions of degrees of freedom in the model and produce results with quick turn around time. A parallel code is needed to avoid limitations of serial platforms. Salinas is an implicit structural dynamics code specifically designed for massively parallel platforms. It computes the structural response of very large complex structures and provides solutions faster than any existing serial machine. This paper gives a current status of Salinas and uses demonstration problems to show Salinas' performance

Race and Gender Differences of Body Physique and Self-Esteem in High School Students

This study investigated race and gender differences of body physique and self-esteem in high school students (N = 754, mean age = 16.5 + 1.2 yr) attending public schools. Participants completed a five part body physique questionnaire where responses were based on a set of nine figure silhouette drawings and a five part self esteem questionniare. African American females reported significantly larger body physique preferences when compared to their Caucasian counterparts (p0.05). African American’s (males and females) scored significantly higher on the self-esteem assessment than their Caucasian counterparts. These findings suggest that there might be important race and gender differences on various aspects of body physique and self-esteem in high school students

Why dictators veto: legislation, legitimation and control in Kazakhstan and Russia

Why do authoritarian presidents still use their legislative power? Although recent studies have argued that authoritarian legislatures are more than “rubberstamps” and can serve as arenas for elite bargaining over policy, there is no evidence that legislators would pass bills that go against presidential preferences. This article investigates this apparent paradox and proposes a theoretical framework to explain presidential activism in authoritarian regimes. It argues that any bills that contravene constraints on policy-making set by the president should generally be stopped or amended by other actors loyal to the regime. Thus, presidents will rather use their veto (1) to protect the regime’s output legitimacy and stability, and/or (2) to reinforce their power vis-à-vis other actors. The argument is tested using two case studies of veto use in Kazakhstan and Russia over the last 10 years. The analysis supports the propositions of the theoretical framework and furthermore highlights the potential use of vetoes as a means of distraction, particularly in relation to international audiences. The article extends research on presidential veto power to authoritarian regimes and its findings contribute to the growing literature on the activities of authoritarian legislatures

Pagamento por serviços ambientais hídricos no Brasil: experiências iniciais e os desafios do monitoramento.

Ao avaliar os projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais (PSA) no Brasil, observam-se dificuldades recorrentes relacionadas à falta de consolidação das metodologias para a seleção de áreas prioritárias e, sobretudo, para o monitoramento das áreas de prestação dos serviços. A estratégia de pagamentos por serviços ambientais é cada vez mais presente nas políticas ambientais, devido ao reconhecimento da necessidade de novos mecanismos de estímulo à conservação e à manutenção de serviços essenciais à vida, como a provisão de água. A partir da análise das experiências vivenciadas em projetos de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais (PSA) relacionados à água de alguns estados brasileiros, o trabalho apresenta um panorama destas experiências, de maneira a identificar as tendências, os obstáculos enfrentados e, sobretudo, os aspectos relevantes das metodologias de monitoramento aplicadas

Additional J/ΨJ/\Psi Suppression from High Density Effects

At high energies the saturation effects associated to the high parton density should modify the behavior of the observables in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus scattering. In this paper we investigate the saturation effects in the nuclear $J/\Psi$ production and estimate the modifications in the energy dependence of the cross section as well as in the length of the nuclear medium. In particular, we calculate the ratio of $J/\Psi$ to Drell-Yan cross sections and show that it is strongly modified if the high density effects are included. Moreover, our results are compared with the data from the NA50 Collaboration and predictions for the RHIC and LHC kinematic regions are presented. We predict an additional $J/\Psi$ suppression associated to the high density effects.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, version to be published in Eur. Phys. J.

Pagamento por serviços ambientais hídricos no Brasil: experiências iniciais e os desafios do monitoramento.

Ao avaliar os projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais (PSA) no Brasil, observase dificuldades recorrentes relacionadas à falta de consolidação das metodologias para a seleção de áreas prioritárias e, sobretudo, para o monitoramento das áreas de prestação de serviços. A estratégia de pagamentos por serviços ambientais é cada vez mais presente nas políticas ambientais, a partir de um reconhecimento da necessidade de novos mecanismos de estímulo à conservação e à manutenção de serviços essenciais à vida, como a provisão de água. A partir da análise das experiências vivenciadas em projetos de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais (PSA) relacionado à água de alguns estados brasileiros, pretende-se proporcionar um panorama destas experiências, de maneira a identificar as tendências, os gargalos e, sobretudo, questões relacionadas às metodologias de monitoramento aplicadas