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Impulse
Kinds of Impulse Terms modified by Impulse Selected AbstractsTHE IMPULSE OF PHILANTHROPYCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009ERICA BORNSTEIN ABSTRACT In practices of philanthropy and charity, the impulse to give to immediate others in distress is often tempered by its regulation. Although much of what is written on charity and philanthropy focuses on the effects of the gift, I suggest more attention be paid to the impulse of philanthropy. To coerce the impulse to give into rational accountability is to obliterate its freedom; to render giving into pure impulse is to reinforce social inequality. The only solution is to allow both to exist, and to create structures to encourage them. This essay examines the power of the spontaneous and fleeting impulse to give and its regulation through an analysis of contemporary practices of philanthropy and their relation to sacred conceptions of d,n (donation) in New Delhi. When scriptural ideas of disinterested giving intersect with contemporary notions of social responsibility, new philanthropic practices are formed. On the basis of ethnographic research with philanthropists who built temples, started NGOs, and managed social welfare programs, as well as families who gave d,n daily out of their homes, this essay documents how both NGO and government efforts to regulate one of the most meritorious forms of d,n, gupt d,n (or, anonymous d,n) expresses critical issues in philanthropy between the urge to give in response to immediate suffering and the social obligation to find a worthy recipient for the gift. [source] "[U]NITED AND ACTUATED BY SOME COMMON IMPULSE OF PASSION"1: CHALLENGING THE DISPERSAL CONSENSUS IN AMERICAN HOUSING POLICY RESEARCHJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2008DAVID IMBROSCIO ABSTRACT: A large and influential group of American scholars studying urban and low-income housing policy have coalesced around the central idea that the best way to ameliorate the plague of urban poverty in the United States is to disperse (or deconcentrate) the urban poor into wealthier (usually outlying suburban) neighborhoods. This article refers to this group of scholars as the Dispersal Consensus (or DC for short). It finds that the DC's zeal to promote dispersal policies leads many of its members to engage in suspect and problematic practices, both in their research and policy prescription efforts. Such findings suggest that the DC's near hegemonic influence over the academic discourse of American urban and low-income housing policy should be challenged. This challenge will help stimulate a more open and productive debate regarding how best to ameliorate urban poverty (and related social problems) in the United States. [source] FINDING AND FOSTERING THE PHILOSOPHICAL IMPULSE IN YOUNG PEOPLE: A TRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF GARETH B. MATTHEWSMETAPHILOSOPHY, Issue 1 2008SARA GOERING Abstract: This article highlights Gareth Matthews's contributions to the field of philosophy for young children, noting especially the inventiveness of his style of engagement with children and his confidence in children's ability to analyze perplexing issues, from cosmology to death and dying. I relate here my experiences in introducing philosophical topics to adolescents, to show how Matthews's work can be successfully extended to older students, and I recommend taking philosophy outside the university as a way to foster critical thinking in young students and to improve the public status of the profession. [source] Impulse-based dynamic simulation in linear timeCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 4-5 2007Jan Bender Abstract This paper describes an impulse-based dynamic simulation method for articulated bodies which has a linear time complexity. Existing linear-time methods are either based on a reduced-coordinate formulation or on Lagrange multipliers. The impulse-based simulation has advantages over these well-known methods. Unlike reduced-coordinate methods, it handles nonholonomic constraints like velocity-dependent ones and is very easy to implement. In contrast to Lagrange multiplier methods the impulse-based approach has no drift problem and an additional stabilisation is not necessary. The presented method computes a simulation step in O(n) time for acyclic multi-body systems containing equality constraints. Closed kinematic chains can be handled by dividing the model into different acyclic parts. Each of these parts is solved independently from each other. The dependencies between the single parts are solved by an iterative method. In the same way inequality constraints can be integrated in the simulation process in order to handle collisions and permanent contacts with dynamic and static friction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Palpable Cardiac Impulse Predicts Adequate Acoustic WindowsECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2000F.A.C.C., JAMES P. EICHELBERGER M.D. In this study, we sought to determine the usefulness of palpating an apical cardiac impulse on physical examination in predicting adequate echocardiographic images for stress echocardiography. A variety of stress tests using either echocardiographic imaging or nuclear imaging are available to referring physicians. Deciding which test is best for a given patient is often dificult. In the case of stress echocardiography, the most significant limitation is poor image quality i n a small portion of patients. We enrolled 136 consecutive outpatients referred for echocardiography. The presence or absence of a palpable cardiac apex on physical examination was recorded by two independent and blinded examiners. Data, including age, sex, weight, prior chest surgery, and smoking, were also collected. Echocardiographic imaging of the left ventricle was scored according to the number of adequately visualized wall segments in a standard 16-segment model. One hundred eleven patients (82%) had adequate visualization of at least 14 of 16 wall segments. Ninety-eight patients (72%) had a palpable cardiac impulse, of whom 90 (92%) also had adequate acoustic image quality versus only 21 (55%) of the 38patients in whom an apex was not palpable (P < 0.0001). Other variables that were measured were not significantly related to image quality, with the exception of weight; patients with adequate images weighed a mean of 75 kg versus 91 kg i n those with inadequate images (P < 0.0006). However, multivariate analysis showed a palpable apex to be the only independent predictor after controlling for other variables. A physical examination assessment for a palpable apical impulse is useful to predict adequate echocardiographic image quality for stress echocardiography. When used in conjunction with other parameters, this may lead to more appropriate referral to augmented stress testing. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPm, Volume 17, January 2000) [source] ,Real Charity Makes Distinctions': Schooling the Charitable Impulse in Early British Children's LiteratureJOURNAL FOR EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY STUDIES, Issue 2 2002M. O. GRENBY First page of article [source] Theoretical and experimental analysis of plastic response of isotropic circular plates subjected to underwater explosion loadingMATERIALWISSENSCHAFT UND WERKSTOFFTECHNIK, Issue 2 2008J. Z. Ashani Abstract Dynamic response analysis of structures subjected to underwater explosion (UndEx) loading has been always an interesting field of study for ship designers and metal forming specialists. Understanding the deformation and rupture mechanism of simple structures plays an important role in successful designing of a reliable structure under this kind of loading. In this paper, first the major parameters of the UndEx phenomenon (peak overpressure, impulse per unit area, dimensionless damage parameter ,, etc.) are discussed and determined by means of available experimental relations mostly offered by R. Cole. After that, the maximum deflection of a fully clamped circular plate has been calculated using a theoretical procedure assuming two different conditions: (1) neglecting the effect of strain rate, (2) considering the strain rate sensitivity of the material. Some experiments have been conducted on 5010 aluminum circular plates, using C4 as explosive. In order to simulate reality, a fixture was designed so that the plates are loaded in air-backed condition. Plates were fixed on top of the fixture, so the fully clamped condition which was assumed as the boundary condition was achieved. The test specimens were measured, not only their maximum deflection but also their thickness at different radii were determined. The results are compared to experimental-based predictions offered by Nurick and Rajendran who has conducted similar experiments. The results show reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions, especially when strain rate effects are considered. In addition, two new material constants (D, q) for this special aluminum alloy are introduced. Theoretische und experimentelle Analyse der plastischen Umformung isotroper kreisförmiger Platten bei Unterwasser-Explosionsbelastung Die Analyse der dynamischen Reaktion einer Struktur bei einer Explosionsbelastung unter dem Wasser ist für die Konstrukteure von Schiffen und Umformspezialisten eine interessante Forschungsaufgabe. Das Verständnis der Umformung und der Bruchmechanismen einfacher Strukturen spielt eine wichtige Rolle im erfolgreichen Konstruieren einer festen Struktur gegen diese Belastungsart. In diesem Beitrag werden erstens die Hauptparameter der Explosionserscheinung unter Wasser (maximaler Druck, Impulse per Flächeneinheit, dimensionsloser zerstörender Parameter usw.) dargestellt und zweitens durch die vorhandenen Methoden, die überwiegend von R. Cole vorliegen, berechnet. Danach ist die maximale Durchbiegung einer ganz gespannten kreisförmigen Platte durch eine analytische Methode in zwei Formen bestimmt worden: (1) Vernachlässigung der Dehnungsgeschwindigkeit, (2) Berücksichtigung der Dehnungsgeschwindigkeitsempfindlichkeit des Werkstoffes. Einige Untersuchungen wurden an kreisförmigen Platten aus Aluminium 5010 mittels Sprengstoff C4 durchgeführt. Zur Praxissimulation wurde die Spannvorrichtung so konstruiert, so dass die Platten Luft-gepuffert belastet wurden. Die Platten wurden oben auf der Spannvorrichtung vollständig eingespannt, um Grenzbedingungen zu erhalten. Bei den Proben wurde nicht nur die maximale Durchbiegung sondern auch die Dicke in verschiedenen Radien ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit den experimentellen Abschätzungen von Nurick und Rajendran, die ähnliche Versuche durchgeführt haben, verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine gute Übereinstimmung mit den theoretischen Abschätzungen, insbesondere bei Betrachtung der Dehngeschwindigkeit. Zusätzlich wurden für diese spezielle Aluminiumlegierung zwei neue Materialkonstanten (D, q) eingeführt. [source] Filmmaker to Filmmaker: Robert Gardner and the Cinematic ProcessAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 3 2007RODERICK COOVER Choices made in the reissue of many of Robert Gardner's groundbreaking films,including Dead Birds (1964), Rivers of Sand (1973), and Forest of Bliss (1986),on DVD demonstrate how new media tools can reinvigorate questions generated by the original works and how they can provide new insight into a filmmaker's praxis. The juxtaposition of differing media and the integration of commentary track conversations in many of these works with media makers and scholars such as Stan Brakhage, Robert Fenz, Ross McElwee, Akos Ostor, and Lucien Taylor provide unique vantage points from which to view the original documentaries and reconsider the lessons they yield. Gardner's concurrent publication of his diary and production notes in the book Impulse to Preserve (2006) contextualizes and personalizes these works, showing how they fit together in a career of innovative ethnographic production that has spanned over 50 years. [source] The New Keynesian Model and the Euro Area Business Cycle,OXFORD BULLETIN OF ECONOMICS & STATISTICS, Issue 2 2007Miguel Casares Abstract This paper describes a New Keynesian model incorporating transactions-facilitating money and a time-to-build constraint into endogenous capital accumulation. The calibrated New Keynesian model performs almost as well as the estimated vector autoregressive model in replicating Euro area cyclical correlations between key variables such as output and inflation, although it fares less well in predicting the procyclical dynamics of nominal interest rates. The presence of a time-to-build requirement in the model helps to improve its fit to Euro area data, whereas the role of transactions-facilitating money is much less important. Impulse,response functions and a decomposition of variance complete the analysis. [source] Improved Differentiation of the Ventricular Evoked Response from Polarization by Modification of the Pacemaker ImpulsePACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 12 2000FRANK PROVENIER The Autocapture feature, implemented in the Microny and Regency pacemakers of St. Jude Medical, continuously controls the effectiveness of ventricular stimulation by detection of the evoked response. Proper sensing of this signal depends on the magnitude of the polarization, which should be minimal. Therefore, the conjunctive use of low polarization electrodes is recommended. Further, the pacing impulse of these pacemakers has a biphasic waveform consisting of a stimulus followed by a fast discharge pulse. This study compares polarization of a modified pacing impulse with the default pacing impulse, and its effect on the ability to activate the Autocapture function when used with different types of electrodes. In 45 patients, acute measurements of the polarization and the evoked response were performed at random on the modified pacing impulses of a custom designed Regency and on the default stimuli of a standard Regency. The following bipolar leads were used: 20 Medtronic 4024 CapSure, 12 Pacesetter 1450T. and 13 Pacesetter 14701. Using the default pacing impulse, polarization and evoked response were significantly larger with the Medtronic 4024 CapSure compared to the low polarization leads. The polarization to evoked response ratio was more frequently acceptable for activation of the Autocapture with the Pacesetter leads. In all leads the modified pacing impulse was characterized bv significantly smaller polarization with the most prominent reduction in the Medtronic 4024 CapSure. The differences in the pacing impulse did not affect the evoked response. With the programmability of the fast discharge pulse, the requirements to activate the Autocapture function were fulfilled in 29 (94%) of 31 patients with the modified pacing impulse, compared to 22 (71%) of 31 patients with the standard pacing impulse. The modified pacing impulse decreased the "polarization to evoked response" ratio, and by that improved the conditions for activation of the Autocapture function. [source] Cathode Current Density Distributions in High Power Impulse and Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering ModesPLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS, Issue S1 2009Gregory Clarke Abstract During the operation of high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges, peak currents in excess of 1,000 A may be observed, leading to large instantaneous power levels. To investigate this method of operation, a series of planar probes have been constructed that allow for the spatial and temporal variations of current across the surface of a cathode to be assessed. These measurements provide information on the flux of charged particles to and from the cathode whilst it is being sputtered. Under operating conditions that led to a peak current of 140 A, measured current densities varied spatially from ,0.1 to 1.5 A,·,cm,2. By the use of a simple model, the measured current densities were used to predict the sputtering rate of the cathode, which allowed for the erosion profile and target lifetime to be estimated. The results suggest that, with regard to sputtering, operating in HiPIMS mode may be less energy efficient than operating in DC mode, but may achieve a higher target utilisation fraction. [source] Hunting the Devil: Democracy's Rhetorical Impulse to WarPRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2007ROBERT L. IVIE The rhetoric of evil, so prominently evident in contemporary presidential public address, articulates a primal motive for the war on terrorism by projecting democracy's shadow onto the external enemy. In this regard, the president's discourse is a manifestation rather than aberration of U.S. political culture, a reflection of the nation's troubled democratic identity. Upon close inspection, it reveals the presence of the mythos of a democratic demon contained within the republic, various ways in which the unconscious projection of this devil figure is rhetorically triggered, and the cultural significance of its lethal entailments. The diabolism of presidential war rhetoric, we suggest, functions as an inducement to evacuate the political content of democracy, leaving a largely empty but virulent signifier in its place, which weakens the nation by reproducing a culture of war. [source] How does one speak of social psychology in a nation in transition?THE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Mamphela Ramphele Abstract:, Although South Africa's transition into nationhood has been remarkable by all measures, persistent inequalities remain. These are directly traceable to the impact of the social engineering of apartheid which has left a legacy of poverty and a lack of education. In this talk, I focus on three key dilemmas for South Africans: identity as a nation of citizens with multiple identities, capacity for self-knowledge and self-acceptance and openness to new impulses. Acceptance of multiple identities is widespread but how deep is the acceptance of difference, especially when conflicts of opinion emerge? Finding a language of self-knowledge and acceptance requires a language that enables us to gain greater mastery of the complexities of living in a diverse society. How can psychology help with this task? In African cultures illness is described as a visitation from the ancestors: affected persons become wounded healers whose healing powers come from their acknowledged weakness. To what extent might you, as analytical psychologists, help find the ritual processes and language to be effective healers of your own nation? Translations of Abstract Bien que la transition de l'Afrique du Sud au statut de nation ait été remarquable à tous points de vue, des inégalités persistantes demeurent. Celles-ci sont directement repérables à leur impact sur le système social de l'apartheid, qui a laissé en héritage la pauvreté et un système éducatif inexistant. Dans cette discussion, je me concentrerai sur trois dilemmes cruciaux pour les Sud Africains : la question de l'identité dans une nation de citoyens aux identités multiples, l'aptitude à la connaissance et à l'acceptation de soi et l'ouverture à de nouveaux horizons. L'acceptation des identités multiples est largement répandue, mais quelle est la profondeur de cette acceptation de la différence, notamment lorsque surgissent des conflits d'opinions? Parler la langue de la connaissance de soi et de l'acceptation requiert un langage qui nous permette d'atteindre une meilleure maîtrise des complexités de la vie dans une société diversifiée. Comment la psychologie peut-elle contribuer à cette tâche? Dans les cultures africaines, la maladie est décrite comme une visitation par les ancêtres; les personnes affectées deviennent des guérisseurs blessés dont les pouvoirs de guérison résultent de la reconnaissance de leur mal. Dans quelle mesure êtes-vous, en tant qu'analystes, à même d'aider à trouver les processus rituels et le langage qui fassent de vous les guérisseurs de votre propre nation? Obwohl Südafrikas Übergang in eine gemeinsame Nation nach allen Maßstäben beachtenswert ist, bleiben anhaltende Ungleichheiten bestehen. Diese kann man direkt zurückverfolgen bis zum Einfluss der sozialen Konstruktion der Apartheid, die eine Erbschaft von Armut und Mangel an Bildung hinterlassen hat. In diesem Vortrag werde ich auf drei Schlüssel-Dilemmata fokussieren: Identität einer Nation von Bürgern mit zahlreichen unterschiedlichen Identitäten, Kapazität zur Selbsterkenntnis und Selbstakzeptanz und Offenheit für neue Impulse. Es gibt eine weit reichende Akzeptanz der vielen Identitäten, aber wie tief geht die Akzeptanz des Unterschiedes, insbesondere wenn Meinungsverschiedenheiten auftauchen? Um eine Sprache der Selbsterkenntnis und ,akzeptanz zu finden, wird eine Sprache gebraucht, die uns befähigt, eine größere Beherrschung der Komplexitäten des Lebens in einer facettenreichen Gesellschaft zu gewinnen. Wie kann die Psychologie bei dieser Aufgabe helfen? In afrikanischen Kulturen wird Krankheit als Heimsuchung durch die Ahnen beschrieben. Betroffene Personen werden verwundete Heiler, deren Heilkräfte aus ihrer anerkannten Schwäche hervorgehen. In welchem Ausmaß können Sie als Analytische Psychologen helfen, die rituellen Prozesse und die Sprache zu finden, um effektive Heiler Ihrer eigenen Nation zu werden? Sebbene il passaggio del Sud Africa a una nazione unita sia stato notevole in tutti i sensi, tuttavia restano persistenti ineguaglianze. Queste possono essere fatte risalire direttamente all'impatto della manovra sociale dell'apartheid che ha lasciato un'eredità di povertà e di mancanza di educazione. In questa relazione metto a fuoco tre problemi dei Sud Africani: l'identità di una nazione di cittadini dalle molteplici identità, la capacità di un riconoscimento di sé e di una accettazione di sé, e l'apertura a nuovi stimoli. L'accettazione di séè ampiamente distribuita, ma quanto è profonda l'accettazione delle differenze, soprattutto quando emergono conflitti di opinione? Trovare un linguaggio in cui ci si riconosca e ci si accetti richiede un linguaggio che sia in grado di farci guadagnare una maggior padronanza delle complessità del vivere in una società diversa. In che modo la psicologia può aiutarci in questo compito? Nelle culture africane la malattia viene descritta come una visita degli antenati: le persone colpite diventano guaritori feriti il cui potere di guarire viene dalla loro conoscenza della debolezza. Fino a che punto voi, in quanto psicologi analisti, potreste aiutare a trovare i processi rituali e il linguaggio per essere efficaci guaritori della vostra stessa nazione? Aun cuando al transición de Sur África a una nacionalidad ha sido notable en todo sentido, perduran persitentes desigualdaes. Ellas pueden directamente descubiertas en el impacto de la ingienería social de la discriminación (apartheid) que ha dejado una herencia de pobreza y falta de educación. En esta presentación, me focalizaré en tres dilemas fundamentales para los Sur Africanos: Identidad nacional de ciudadanos con múltiples identidades, Capacidad para el auto-conocimiento y auto-aceptación, y apertura a nuevos impulsos. La aceptación de la multiplicidad de la identidad está ampliamente difundida pero, ¿qué tan profunda es la aceptación de las diferencias, en especial cuando emergen los conflictos de opinión? Encontrar un lenguaje de auto-conocimiento y aceptación requiere de un lenguaje que nos permita ganar mayor dominio de la complejidad del vivir en una sociedad diversa. ¿Cómo puede ayudar al psicología en la obtención de esta meta? En las culturas Africanas la enfermedad se describe como la visita de los ancestros: las personas afectadas se convierten en curadores heridos cuyos poderes sanadores viene de su conocimientos de debilidades. ¿Hasta que punto pueden ustedes, como Psicólogos Analíticos, puene ayudar a encontrar los procesos rituales y el lenguaje que los convierta en curadores eficientes en su nación? [source] Aufbruchstimmung in der Bauwirtschaft verleiht der bautec 2008 kräftige ImpulseBETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 8 2007Article first published online: 26 JUL 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Violent Adolescents Understanding the Destructive ImpulseCHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2006Tony Kaplan No abstract is available for this article. [source] To be or not to be a cog: the Bremen Cog in perspectiveINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Ole Crumlin-Pedersen Following on from Thijs Maarleveld's paper in 1995 on type-names for archaeological finds of ships, the use of the term cog has been questioned by Timm Weski, who suggested the archaeological term Ijsselmeer-type instead. The present paper surveys a total of 18 ship-finds of this type with respect to date, origin and year of investigation, without finding support for the proposed change in terminology. Instead, the archaeological term cog should be restricted to seagoing vessels of the 12th,15th centuries which share the structural features of the lower part of hull with the Bremen Cog. Recent results of dendroanalysis point to the root of the Jutland peninsula as a more likely area than the former Zuiderzee for the transformation of a hypothetical older,proto-cog'-type for navigation on rivers and in the Waddensee into the proper seagoing medieval cog-type. Impulses for this transformation were found, most likely, in the need to circumnavigate Cape Skagen already in the 12th century, and technical features were probably taken over from large Scandinavian cargo ships of that period. © 2000 The Nautical Archaeology Society [source] Slowed Progression or Elimination of Atherosclerosis by Low-Frequency Electrical ImpulsesJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 1 2003Ph.D., Valeri Chekanov M.D. In this investigation we demonstrated the slow progression or elimination of atherosclerosis by low-frequency EI in case of moderate atherosclerosis (after eight weeks of HCD). Methods: Series I rabbits (control group) were fed HCD for eight weeks. Series II rabbits were fed HCD for eight weeks and were then switched to normal diet for eight weeks (no EI). Series III rabbits were fed HCD for eight weeks and then switched to a normal diet with simultaneous EI (applied near the abdominal aorta) for eight weeks (3 V, 30 single impulses per minute, 24 hours/day). After euthanization, the level of atherosclerosis, percentage of surface area involved in the atherosclerosis process, and an atherosclerosis score were calculated in the aortic arch, thoracic and abdominal aorta. Results: Statistically significant differences were seen in the level of atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta between series III animals (0.4 ± 0.2) and the other two groups: 1.5 ± 0.4 in series I (HCD only), 1.2 ± 0.3 in series II (HCD then normal diet). Gross examination of the surface also revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the percentage of atherosclerosis between the control series I (30.1 ± 4.1%) and series II (21.3 ± 3.6%), compared with series III (5.5 ± 5.4%). In addition, the atherosclerosis score was also significantly different: 45.8 ± 3.9 in series I, 25.2 ± 6.9 in series II, and 2.2 ± 2.0 in series III (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed that, when applied near the abdominal aorta, low-frequency electrical impulses decrease atherosclerotic deposition in the abdominal aorta. (J Card Surg 2003; 18:47-58) [source] Monetary Policy Impulses and Retail Interest Rate Pass-Through in Asian Banking MarketsASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 3 2010Kuan-Min Wang C23; E43; E52; E58; F36 This paper considers the integration of financial markets and mutual influences of monetary policies in the USA and Asia based on monthly data from 1994 to 2007. We used panel-type and time-series and quantile panel-type error correction models to test the influences of expected and unexpected monetary policy impulses on the interest rate pass-through mechanism in the financial markets of 9 Asian countries and the USA. The empirics show that if interest rate integration exists in the financial markets, the following effects are observed: (i) positive impulses of unexpected monetary policy will lead to an increase in the long-run multiplier of the retail interest rate; (ii) the adjustment of retail interest rates with short-run disequilibrium will lead to an increase in the long-run markup; and (iii) the empirical results of quantile regression prove that when the interest variation is greater than the 0.5th quantile and unexpected monetary policy impulses are greater than the expected monetary policy impulses, the short-run interest rate pass-through mechanism becomes more unstable. [source] Impulse-based dynamic simulation in linear timeCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 4-5 2007Jan Bender Abstract This paper describes an impulse-based dynamic simulation method for articulated bodies which has a linear time complexity. Existing linear-time methods are either based on a reduced-coordinate formulation or on Lagrange multipliers. The impulse-based simulation has advantages over these well-known methods. Unlike reduced-coordinate methods, it handles nonholonomic constraints like velocity-dependent ones and is very easy to implement. In contrast to Lagrange multiplier methods the impulse-based approach has no drift problem and an additional stabilisation is not necessary. The presented method computes a simulation step in O(n) time for acyclic multi-body systems containing equality constraints. Closed kinematic chains can be handled by dividing the model into different acyclic parts. Each of these parts is solved independently from each other. The dependencies between the single parts are solved by an iterative method. In the same way inequality constraints can be integrated in the simulation process in order to handle collisions and permanent contacts with dynamic and static friction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Simulation of Direct-Current Microdischarges for Application in Electro-Thermal Class of Small Satellite Propulsion DevicesCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1-2 2007P. S. Kothnur Abstract Microdischarges are miniature non-equilibrium plasma discharges with characteristic dimensions of ,10's,100's ,m and relatively high operating pressures of ,10's,100's Torr. Microdischarges possess several unique properties that have been exploited in a number of new applications. We have recently proposed amicrodischargebased electro-thermal class of microthrusters for small satellite propulsion. These devices utilize intense gas heating in microdischarges to preheat a propellant gas stream before it is expanded in a micronozzle to produce thrust; thereby improving specific impulse of the device over a conventional cold gas microthruster. This paper addresses direct-current microdischarge phenomena in a flowing gas stream. A two-dimensional, selfconsistent, fluid model of a helium microdischarge in a bulk gas flow is developed. For relatively high current/power levels considered in this study, the microdischarge operates in an abnormal glow mode with positive differential resistivity. Increasing discharge pressures for fixed power and bulk flow rates results in a decrease in charged species densities and the electron and gas temperatures. Also the discharge becomes increasingly constricted with increasing pressures, resulting in a more normal glow mode-like operation. Increasing bulk flow rates results in exactly the same trends as increasing pressures. For given input power and pressure, there exists an optimum flow rate for which the average outlet gas temperature from the discharge is a maximum. An increase in input electrical power results in an almost linear increase in the gas temperatures; this property of microdischarges is the key feature that is exploited in our microdischarge-based thruster concept. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] THE IMPULSE OF PHILANTHROPYCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009ERICA BORNSTEIN ABSTRACT In practices of philanthropy and charity, the impulse to give to immediate others in distress is often tempered by its regulation. Although much of what is written on charity and philanthropy focuses on the effects of the gift, I suggest more attention be paid to the impulse of philanthropy. To coerce the impulse to give into rational accountability is to obliterate its freedom; to render giving into pure impulse is to reinforce social inequality. The only solution is to allow both to exist, and to create structures to encourage them. This essay examines the power of the spontaneous and fleeting impulse to give and its regulation through an analysis of contemporary practices of philanthropy and their relation to sacred conceptions of d,n (donation) in New Delhi. When scriptural ideas of disinterested giving intersect with contemporary notions of social responsibility, new philanthropic practices are formed. On the basis of ethnographic research with philanthropists who built temples, started NGOs, and managed social welfare programs, as well as families who gave d,n daily out of their homes, this essay documents how both NGO and government efforts to regulate one of the most meritorious forms of d,n, gupt d,n (or, anonymous d,n) expresses critical issues in philanthropy between the urge to give in response to immediate suffering and the social obligation to find a worthy recipient for the gift. [source] Nicotinic synapses formed between chick ciliary ganglion neurons in culture resemble those present on the neurons in vivoDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Min Chen Abstract We studied nicotinic synapses between chick ciliary ganglion neurons in culture to learn more about factors influencing their formation and receptor subtype dependence. After 4,8 days in culture, nearly all neurons displayed spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs), which occurred at about 1 Hz. Neurons treated with tetrodotoxin displayed miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs), but these occurred at low frequency (0.1 Hz), indicating that most sEPSCs are actually impulse driven. The sEPSCs could be classified by decay kinetics as fast, slow, or biexponential and, reminiscent of the situation in vivo, were mediated by two major nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subtypes. Fast sEPSCs were blocked by ,-bungarotoxin (,Bgt), indicating dependence on ,Bgt-AChRs, most of which are ,7 subunit homopentamers. Slow sEPSCs were unaffected by ,Bgt, and were blocked instead by the ,3/,2-selective ,-conotoxin-MII (,CTx-MII), indicating dependence on ,3*-AChRs, which lack ,7 and contain ,3 subunits. Biexponential sEPSCs were mediated by both ,Bgt- and ,3*-AChRs because they had fast and slow components qualitatively similar to those comprising simple events, and these were reduced by ,Bgt and blocked by ,CTx-MII, respectively. Fluorescence labeling experiments revealed both ,Bgt- and ,3*-AChR clusters on neuron somata and neurites. Colabeling with antisynaptic vesicle protein antibody suggested that some ,3*-AChR clusters, and a few ,Bgt-AChR clusters are associated with synaptic sites, as is the case in vivo. These findings demonstrate the utility of ciliary ganglion neuron cultures for studying the regulation of nicotinic synapses, and suggest that mixed AChR subtype synapses characteristic of the neurons in vivo can form in the absence of normal inputs or targets. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 47: 265,279, 2001 [source] Palpable Cardiac Impulse Predicts Adequate Acoustic WindowsECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2000F.A.C.C., JAMES P. EICHELBERGER M.D. In this study, we sought to determine the usefulness of palpating an apical cardiac impulse on physical examination in predicting adequate echocardiographic images for stress echocardiography. A variety of stress tests using either echocardiographic imaging or nuclear imaging are available to referring physicians. Deciding which test is best for a given patient is often dificult. In the case of stress echocardiography, the most significant limitation is poor image quality i n a small portion of patients. We enrolled 136 consecutive outpatients referred for echocardiography. The presence or absence of a palpable cardiac apex on physical examination was recorded by two independent and blinded examiners. Data, including age, sex, weight, prior chest surgery, and smoking, were also collected. Echocardiographic imaging of the left ventricle was scored according to the number of adequately visualized wall segments in a standard 16-segment model. One hundred eleven patients (82%) had adequate visualization of at least 14 of 16 wall segments. Ninety-eight patients (72%) had a palpable cardiac impulse, of whom 90 (92%) also had adequate acoustic image quality versus only 21 (55%) of the 38patients in whom an apex was not palpable (P < 0.0001). Other variables that were measured were not significantly related to image quality, with the exception of weight; patients with adequate images weighed a mean of 75 kg versus 91 kg i n those with inadequate images (P < 0.0006). However, multivariate analysis showed a palpable apex to be the only independent predictor after controlling for other variables. A physical examination assessment for a palpable apical impulse is useful to predict adequate echocardiographic image quality for stress echocardiography. When used in conjunction with other parameters, this may lead to more appropriate referral to augmented stress testing. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPm, Volume 17, January 2000) [source] The Choice Among Interbank Settlement Systems: The European ExperienceECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 1 2003Angelo Baglioni This paper addresses the choice of banks between alternative channels for interbank payments. The conventional view assumes a tradeoff between the safety of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and the liquidity savings of multilateral netting. Moreover, correspondent banking is believed to be inefficient, both in terms of liquidity and of administrative costs. In the last decade, however, the impulse of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems, technological changes and the management of RTGS systems by central banks have reduced the difference between the various systems. This is especially true for risk, whereas liquidity cost crucially depends on the refinancing policy adopted by the central bank and the co-ordination among the participants. On the basis of the recent evolution of payment systems in Europe, we verify the importance of liquidity, as well as other variables like transaction costs, for the choice of banks among different settlement systems. Cost factors imply that the nature of payments flows (value, commercial versus financial) and some structural features of the banking systems (dimension of the intermediaries, concentration of the banking sector) become important. The analysis is carried out both through a theoretical model and a cross-country comparison based on three data sources: ECB (European Central Bank, EBA (Euro Banking Association) and SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication). [source] Detection of metastable excited molecules N2(A3,u+) in an atmospheric pressure nitrogen discharge by Raman scatteringELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATIONS IN JAPAN, Issue 6 2010Tetsuo Fukuchi Abstract Raman scattering from metastable excited nitrogen molecules N2(A3,u+) created by an impulse discharge in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure was detected. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 266 nm was used as the light source, and Raman scattering from N2(A3,u+) at a wavelength of 277 nm was detected using an interference filter and photomultiplier tube. The filter had sufficient rejection of Rayleigh scattering of laser light at a wavelength of 266 nm and of Raman scattering from ground-state nitrogen molecules N2(X1,g+) at a wavelength of 284 nm. The temporal variation of the signal intensity of Raman scattering from N2(A3,u+) was measured by transmitting the laser light at different time delays relative to sparkover. The results showed that the signal intensity decayed with a time constant of about 200µs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 93(6): 34,40, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10205 [source] Novel technique to improve the fault detection sensitivity in transformer maintenance testEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 4 2010E. A. Al-Ammar Abstract Early detection of incipient faults in transformer windings is important, so that required corrective measures can be taken to help prevent interruption during operation. Low voltage impulse (LVI) and sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA) tests have been widely adopted within the industry to determine a transformer winding's deformation. However, these tests have drawbacks, including limited frequency ranges for the LVI test and time-consuming measurements for the SFRA test. To obtain better signature analysis in the transformer maintenance test, especially detection of minor faults, this paper suggests a new input signal using a pulse sequence (PS) in the transfer function (TF) analysis. The results of the PS test are compared against the LVI and SFRA tests to complete the assessments, which are derived from experimental works on the 25,kVA distribution transformer. It is concluded that the PS method improves fault detection sensitivity significantly. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Review of the basic insulation level for 400 kV oil-filled cable systems: Switching and temporary overvoltages (TOV)EUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 5 2003S. A. Probert This paper investigates the switching impulse and temporary overvoltage (TOV) duty for 400 kV underground power cables using ATP. This work together with the work reported in [1], investigates the full range of transient overvoltages due to lightning, switching and other temporary overvoltages (TOVs) using ATP. [1] re-assesses the basic insulation level (BIL) for 400 kV oil-filled cables. The objective of this work was to check the impact of switching surges on the choice of BIL and to re-assess the switching impulse insulation level (SIL) and TOV withstand level for 400 kV cables. A comprehensive study of the transient overvoltages experienced by cables within National Grid's transmission system has been performed. This paper provides an argument, for reducing the BIL and SIL for 400 kV cables. [source] Strain- and region-specific gene expression profiles in mouse brain in response to chronic nicotine treatmentGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2008J. Wang A pathway-focused complementary DNA microarray and gene ontology analysis were used to investigate gene expression profiles in the amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ventral tegmental area of C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice receiving nicotine in drinking water (100 ,g/ml in 2% saccharin for 2 weeks). A balanced experimental design and rigorous statistical analysis have led to the identification of 3.5,22.1% and 4.1,14.3% of the 638 sequence-verified genes as significantly modulated in the aforementioned brain regions of the C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J strains, respectively. Comparisons of differential expression among brain tissues showed that only a small number of genes were altered in multiple brain regions, suggesting presence of a brain region-specific transcriptional response to nicotine. Subsequent principal component analysis and Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer analysis showed significant enrichment of biological processes both in C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice, i.e. cell cycle/proliferation, organogenesis and transmission of nerve impulse. Finally, we verified the observed changes in expression using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for six representative genes in the PFC region, providing an independent replication of our microarray results. Together, this report represents the first comprehensive gene expression profiling investigation of the changes caused by nicotine in brain tissues of the two mouse strains known to exhibit differential behavioral and physiological responses to nicotine. [source] Using an airgun array in a land reservoir as the seismic source for seismotectonic studies in northern China: experiments and preliminary resultsGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 4 2008Yong Chen ABSTRACT This paper reports the field setup and preliminary results of experiments utilizing an airgun array in a reservoir in north China for a seismotectonic study. Commonly used in offshore petroleum resource exploration, the airgun source was found to be more useful than a traditional explosive source for large-scale and long offset land seismic surveys. The airgun array, formed by four 1,500 in3 airguns (a total of 6,000 in3 in volume) was placed at a depth of 6,9 m into the reservoir to generate the pressure impulse. No direct evidence was found that the airgun source adversely affected the fish in the reservoir. The peak ground acceleration recorded on the top of the reservoir dam 100 m away was 17.8 gal in the horizontal direction; this is much less than the designed earthquake-resistance threshold of 125 gal for this dam. The energy for one shot of this airgun array is about 6.68 MJ, equivalent to firing a 1.7 kg explosive. The seismic waves generated by the airgun source were recorded by receivers of the regional seismic networks and a temporary wide-angle reflection and refraction profile formed by 100 short-period seismometers with the maximum source-receiver offset of 206 km. The seismic wave signature at these long-offset stations is equivalent to that generated by a traditional blast source in a borehole with a 1,000,2,000 kg explosive. Preliminary results showed clear seismic phases from refractions from the multi-layer crustal structures in the north China region. Forward modelling using numerical simulation confirms that the seismic arrivals are indeed from lower crustal interfaces. The airgun source is efficient, economical, environmentally friendly and suitable for being used in urbanized areas. It has many advantages over an explosive source for seismotectonic studies such as the high repeatability that is supreme for stacking to improve signal qualities. The disadvantage is that the source is limited to existing lakes or reservoirs, which may restrict experimental geometry. [source] Performing ,Ostalgie': Leander Haussmann's SonnenalleeGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 2 2003Paul Cooke The following article examines Leander Haußmann's hit youth comedy Sonnenallee (1999). In particular it attempts to challenge many reviewers who saw the film as nothing more than a self-indulgent piece of ,Ostalgie' which trivialises the oppressive reality of life in the GDR. Instead, it argues that the film deliberately highlights the competing tensions at work within contemporary nostalgia for the East German state. On the one hand, Sonnenallee constructs ,Ostalgie' as a response to fears among many East Germans that the true nature of their everyday experience is being elided from the historical record. Through the use of an intricate network of Eastern and Western cultural references, the film attempts to counter this impulse by highlighting the importance of both these cultural traditions to youth in the GDR. In so doing the film translates the experience of East Germans into a cultural language that West Germans will understand, thereby ,normalising' this experience. On the other hand, and seeming to contradict this project, the film also challenges simplistically rose-tinted views of the East. Consequently, the film forces the East German spectator to reflect upon, and ultimately reject, any manifestations of Ostalgie which would ostensibly call for a return to the GDR. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||