Experiments on the burning of single drops of fuel

Experiments have been performed in order to measure the mass rate of consumption of single drops of liquid fuel suspended on a quartz filament and burning under various ambient conditions. The influence of increased oxidizer concentration, increased pressure, and elevated temperature in the surrounding atmosphere on mass burning rate has been studied. Comparison is made with theoretical calculations based on the concept of a heterogeneous diffusion flame, with burning rate controlled by heat and mass transfer. The influence of forced convection on burning rate and extinction of burning has also been investigated

On not knowing one’s place

Ethnographers have described many cultural worlds of the Pacific with subtlety and energy, but those worlds were and are always more complex than most standard forms of ethnography have recognized. The ASAO model for the presentation of expertise, while an impressive vehicle for demonstrating ethnographic skills and thoroughness, has yet to reform the accepted boundaries of the discipline or the tradition of Pacific societies seen as "social wholes." It has depended on a division of labor that allocates theory and field-work to different roles, it has recognized ethnographic authority as accruing to those with a concretely territorial claim to represent others, and it has encour-aged a static, monocultural sense of its audiences. I hasten to add that ASAO is not unique in this regard; these strictures apply to academic anthropology in general. Moreover, change is always possible as ethnographers strive to reinvent their discipline beyond the boundaries of the possible. But the historically closed and compartmentalized nature of academic knowledge means that challenges to its perceptual boundaries tend to result from the serendipitous recognition of moments where one does not "know one's place.

Translated identities: 'Pakeha' as subjects of the Treaty of Waitangi

The politics of translation is clearly a perennial focus of debate in New Zealand, as shown by thematic links between the New Zealand social anthropology conferences at Waikato in 1990 and Auckland in 2004. Of the many issues of translation swirling around ongoing attempts to interpret the Treaty of Waitangi, a surprisingly neglected one concerns the identities of the people on behalf of whom the Crown signed the Treaty. The term 'Pakeha' appears only once in the Treaty, the question of whom it refers to is by no means straightforward, and it would be unwise to presume that it had the same range of meanings in 1840 as it does in present-day biculturalism. This point is demonstrated by a re-reading of historical material concerning the parties present at or implicated in the signing of the Treaty, including the so-called Pakeha Maori

The evolution of Marshall Sahlins

MARSHALL SAHLINS (born 1930), the Charles Grey Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago, is the highest-profile American anthropologist currently working in the field of Oceania. There is no denying his influence in theoretical areas of concern to the discipline as a whole but his final reputation is likely to rest on a number of writings on Pacific topics. Because he is an accomplished archival researcher as well as a fieldworker, his scholarship transcends anthropology and spills over into history, greatly increasing the impact his ideas have had in contemporary intellectual life

Siting nuclear power plants in California: the near-term alternatives

There are many issues presently being debated concerning the generation and utilization of electric power in California. Some are peculiar to a specific area, such as the level of air quality and how it is influenced by fossil-fuel power plants. Others are of general applicability, such as high-level waste disposal from nuclear reactors, which is of global concern. It is the purpose of this study to investigate one particular aspect of the power problem. This is the question of the relative desirability of locating nuclear power plants at sites along the California coastline or at inland locations. In this introductory section, the basic problem will be outlined, including expected growth in electrical usage, and the nature of the controversy, which lies in the allocation of limited resources. In subsequent sections, the environmental impacts of coastal and inland plant siting will be discussed in general, without reference to specific locations. Conflicting demands for limited resources (namely, the coastline area and cooling water supply) will also be explored and evaluated. Finally, with the aid of this generalized information, a comparison will be made of the siting alternatives

Who owns native nature? Discourses of rights to land, culture, and knowledge in New Zealand

Michael Brown famously asked ‘Who owns native culture?’ This paper revisits that question by analyzing what happens to culture when the culturally defined boundary between it and nature becomes salient in the context of disputes between indigenous and settler populations. My case study is the dispute between the New Zealand government and Maori tribal groupings concerning ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Having been granted the right to test their claims in court in 2003, Maori groups were enraged when the government legislated the right out of existence in 2004. Though the reasons for doing so were clearly political, contrasting cultural assumptions appeared to set Maori and Pakeha (New Zealanders of European origin) at odds. While couching ownership of part of nature as an IPR issue may seem counter-intuitive, I argue that as soon as a property claim destabilizes the nature/culture boundary, IPR discourse becomes pertinent

Effectiveness of Agency and Non-Government Organizational Efforts in Rhode Island Environmental Conservation

The effectiveness of woodland conservation in Rhode Island is increasingly important as economic development pressures sacrifice critical forestland for commercial, residential and infrastructure purposes. This study looks to determine components of forest conservation practices that could be better suited to best protect this important land. Through the content analysis of interviews and citizen surveys, the most critical areas in need of improved efforts were revealed. It was discovered that the various lenses used by entities prevented the most beneficial cooperative efforts and further sharing of limited resources would increase efficiency. Additionally, educational efforts are limited and too often performed by government agencies as opposed to NGOs, something the citizens of Rhode Island stated they were less apt to believe. To unify the perspectives of woodland conservation entities, a natural capital model should be adopted. Greater emphasis should be placed on the need for NGOs to increase their educational efforts, with a resulting ratio of two parts NGO and one part agency education. Meetings and website forums should be used for the entities to better share resources needed to properly and effectively conserve woodlands. By making changes in the areas described woodland conservation entities can expect increased success in their overall field of work that is so important for the future of the state and the world as a whole

Geothermal development and the Salton Sea

One of the limiting factors on energy development in the arid American West is the availability of water. Even geothermal development must take into account the hydrologic cycle of the surrounding area. In the Imperial Valley, the bloodstream of the economic body is water, and owing to the nature of the region and its water source, the mineralized Colorado River, the disposal of waste water is of major importance. The Salton Sea is presently the sump for agricultural drainage in that area. Quite incidentally, the Sea has become popular for recreational use. It is universally recognized that geothermal development in the Valley will involve the flow to the surface of large quantities of highly mineralized water. After extraction of heat, the water must be safely disposed of. Moreover. many geothermal power generation methods would require cooling water supplies. and other methods may require water for reservoir injection. The point is that geothermal development may well impact the hydrologic cycle. Conversely the requirements of the local hydrologic cycle may well impact the nature of geothermal development. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of the Salton Sea. a key element of the Imperial Valley water system. to potential geothermal development. The author would like to acknowledge the contributions of his late colleague, Alexander Martin Rodriguez, to this work. He had formulated a method of computing the behavior of the Salton Sea under a variety of future conditions, using a pocket-sized programmable computer. His work was left unfinished at his death, and was completed by Ms. Betsy Krieg

Our Place in New Zealand Culture: How the Museum of New Zealand Constructs Biculturalism

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa opened in 1998 amidst controversy but has been a huge popular success and has become an icon of national identity. The controversy was confined to elite circles and stemmed from criticisms of the contrasting ways in which Maori and Pakeha (European) cultural items were displayed — the former in a reverential manner and the latter as a kind of 'amusement arcade' of supposedly incoherent, temporary and mocking exhibits. Through an analysis of these displays and of the representations surrounding them, this paper argues that the sacred/profane dichotomy promulgated by the Museum may be open to argument but is probably an inescapable feature of the official policy of biculturalism in a postcolonial setting

Integrated Delivery Networks: In Search of Benefits and Market Effects

Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs) have very different stated purposes than mere collections of hospitals: to coordinate care across the continuum of health services and to manage population health. IDN advocates claim that these complex enterprises yield both societal benefits and performance advantages over less integrated competitors. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the evidence to support these claims.For the study, researchers performed a review of the academic literature on IDN performance, as well as an analysis of publicly available quality and financial data from 15 of the biggest not-for-profit IDNs in the U.S., including Sutter Health in Northern California. The authors compared the publicly available performance information on the IDNs' flagship hospital in its principal regional market with that flagship's most significant in-market competitor. The study found that it is possible for integrated delivery networks to offer meaningful benefits, but there is little evidence they have reduced costs or improved the quality of care. Findings include:Hospital-physician integration has raised physician costs, hospital prices and per capita medical care spending;Hospital integration into health plan operations and capitated contracting was not associated either with clinical efficiency or financial efficiencyProviders are likely to see a decrease in operating margins and return on capital as they invest in IDN developmen