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MagNetUS: A Magnetized Plasma Research Ecosystem
No full textMagNetUS is a network of scientists and research groups that coordinates and advocates for fundamental magnetized plasma research in the USA. Its primary goal is to bring together a broad community of researchers and the experimental and numerical tools they use in order to facilitate the sharing of ideas, resources and common tasks. Discussed here are the motivation and goals for this network and details of its formation, history and structure. An overview of associated experimental facilities and numerical projects is provided, along with examples of scientific topics investigated therein. Finally, a vision for the future of the organization is given
How Insider-Led Processes Lead To Localization: The Case Of Digital Technology And Humanitarian Protection
No full textThe humanitarian sector has been increasingly concerned with localizing its activities—devolving capacity, power, and decision-making authority to the local communities and organizations that are the frequent recipients of its assistance. However, the mere “outsider-led” provision of assistance to local actors is not itself sufficient to empower them. Instead, we argue that “insider-led,” locally initiated processes can be an effective approach to localization. We identify how such shifts can occur and distinguish three different configurations of “insider-led” processes: Autonomous Adopters, Balanced Partners, and Exporting Entrepreneurs. We examine “insider-led” localization in the context of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for civilian protection in humanitarian settings. The adoption of these technologies can generate localization if the structural power dynamics between global and local actors also shift to elevate locals. To illustrate these localization processes, we draw on original interviews and examples involving technology in the domain of civilian protection from the White Helmets in Syria and the Indigenous Guards in Colombia and Ecuador. The cases indicate that three conditions are important for the success of technology\u27s ability to generate “insider-led” localization: a degree of pre-existing capacity, social capital among local actors innovating ICTs for protection, and ties to outsiders. Our accounting of the mechanisms of “insider-led” processes shows how future localization efforts can sustainably rebalance relationships between global humanitarians and local actors
How Much Time To Figure Out How To Get Where? Route Planning And Subjective Stress Under Time Pressure
No full textFrom a daily commute to military operations in hostile territory and natural disaster responses, people frequently move from place to place. Cognition (e.g., wayfinding) occurs in conjunction with behavior (e.g., locomotion) to facilitate spatial navigation–intentional movement through space. People often use maps to plan routes, which is part of wayfinding. Time pressure is common during navigation, even during route planning, for example from time constraints (e.g., a deadline), waiting periods (e.g., technological problems), or imposed urgency (e.g., someone tells you to hurry up). Route planning requires knowing where to go, determining how to get there, and managing transient stressors that can influence performance. Across cognitive and behavioral domains, time pressure is often conceptualized as a stressor and examined with a single operationalization. As a result, we do not know to what extent time constraints, waiting periods, and imposed urgency independently or interactively a) contribute to the sense of subjective stress, and b) impact spatial performance. Our work addressed these knowledge gaps using a computerized spatial task that centrally involved planning and tracing routes on maps. We describe this new methodology for studying route planning and demonstrate experimental effects of urgency messaging on increased subjective stress and decreased time between map presentation and first click (planning time). When participants took longer to plan or drew longer routes, they reported greater subjective stress. Results carry implications for the design and implementation of time pressure manipulations, route planning in stressful conditions, and mitigating or optimizing stress effects on performance
Conformation And Membrane Topology Of The N-Terminal Ectodomain Of Influenza A M2 Protein
No full textThe N-terminal ectodomain of the influenza A M2 protein is a target for universal influenza vaccine development and novel antiviral strategies. Despite the significance of this domain, it is poorly understood and most structural studies of the M2 protein have disregarded the N-terminal ectodomain in their analyses. Here, we report conformational properties and describe insights into the membrane topology of sites along the N-terminal ectodomain. Full-length M2 protein is embedded in lipid bilayer nanodiscs and studied using site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results are consistent with a turn in the middle of the ectodomain that changes in proximity to the membrane surface upon the addition of cholesterol or the antiviral drug rimantadine. Similarly to other domains of M2 protein, lineshape analysis suggests that the N-terminal ectodomain can adopt multiple conformations
Review Of Body Impossible: Desmond Richardson And The Politics Of Virtuosity By A. Osterweis
No full textThis first book of Osterweis (California Institute of the Arts) focuses on the career of Desmond Richardson. Emphasizing the roles race and gender identity have played in his development, it investigates Richardson’s virtuosity in concert dance and popular performance forms. Osterweis considers Richardson’s rigorous training in ballet and modern dance and his dedication to street and jazz dance styles. Early performances with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) are examined. The author catalogs ways subsequent work with choreographer William Forsythe at Ballet Frankfurt encouraged Richardson to expand his technical and artistic skills. At AAADT, Osterweis suggests he presented as a hypo-hetero-masculine Black man in narratives derived from African American history and culture. Forsythe’s choreography immersed him in a process that privileged improvisation and a more abstract expression that wasn’t racially or sexually specific. Political complexities of how Richardson’s virtuosity was deployed with American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and in the co-founding of his company (Complexions Contemporary Ballet) with his partner Dwight Rhoden, are interrogated. His forays into the entertainment worlds of Broadway, film, and video with Michael Jackson and Prince are also probed. Each of these analyses is anchored in the context of Richardson’s Black, queer virtuosity. Numerous photos illustrate key textual points. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students through faculty; professionals
Seminal Omissions: Giving \u3cem\u3eTumtum v’Androginos\u3c/em\u3e Their Due
No full textThis article sets forth a novel reading of the rabbinic category of tumtum v’androginos. It offers an alternative to the dominant interpretive framework by positing and historicizing a process through which a single category, tumtum v’androginos, becomes tumtum and androginos. Central to this historicization is a (re)contextualization of what is increasingly cited as the defining, seminal, text about tumtum and androginos in rabbinic sources: Tosefta Bikkurim 2:3-7. Placing this tradition in its larger rabbinic textual context and situating it among other rabbinic mentions of tumtum v’androginos invites us to revisit and reconsider the meanings and functions of tumtum v’androginos as a rabbinic categorization as it develops over time. Ultimately, contextualizing t. Bik. 2:3-7 also offers alternative ways of seeing the place of nonbinary gendered bodies in rabbinic sources and provides a fuller understanding of rabbinic construction s of gender within halakhic sources
Sustainable Residential Buildings in the Anthropocene: A Case Study Investigating Resilience Strategies for Tiny Houses
No full textThere is a growing need for affordable, sustainable housing solutions that minimize environmental impact while maintaining livability and safety. This project uses thermal and structural analysis techniques to develop and evaluate a resilient tiny house prototype for a case study in Banning, California. Background research included interviews with experts, such as San Tan Adobe, General Tiny Home, and Francisco Gil, which informed three preliminary designs incorporating a variety of building resilience strategies. These designs were synthesized into a conceptual prototype featuring a gable, wooden roof truss with a one-foot overhang, adobe walls, solar panels, and a raised foundation. This prototype was modeled using AutoCAD and Revit.
A thermal diffusion simulation model was developed using MATLAB and Wolfram Mathematica to analyze the benefits of the adobe wall’s thermal properties as compared to typical fiberglass batt insulation. The simulated inside face of a 16-inch adobe wall achieved design requirements, maintaining temperatures under 80℉ (~27℃) throughout a summer day. This indicates that adobe’s thermal diffusivity
coefficient (α) of 0.3 mm2/sec makes it well-suited for extreme temperatures, as it minimizes heat transfer to or from the environment to the house system compared to conventional fiberglass batt insulation (α = 3 mm2/sec). The wooden gable roof truss was structurally analyzed following ASCE 7-22 loading requirements and combinations, using SAP2000 to simulate the truss and identify controlling members. The American Wood Council National Design Specification (AWC NDS) was then used to determine the capacity of the prototype’s 24F glulam wood material. The demand for the truss was well within the capacity for every analyzed maximum load and moment. Finally, the validity of the adobe wall design was tested using ASCE 7-22 standards. Ultimately, the unreinforced adobe was not up to code, as it did not meet the requirements for Banning’s seismic loading.
Future work includes designing and analyzing reinforcement for the walls and testing various additive combinations in the adobe to see if it improves the material’s performance under seismic conditions. Additionally, the truss materials could be further optimized to minimize material usage, and a cost and life-cycle analysis could be done to ensure the prototype is feasible and effective
Robotic Arm: A Helping Hand
No full textThis report proposes the development of a robotic arm that mimics human arm movements using a simple controller to provide aid and assistance to those with mobility issues. The robotic arm would serve as a practical solution to assist with daily tasks such as reaching, grasping, and moving objects, ultimately enhancing autonomy and independence for individuals with limited mobility. Key considerations include power sources, degrees of freedom, camera resolution, processing power, and safety mechanisms, with stepper motors prioritized for their precision. The project is divided into three phases: designing the arm and joints, developing code to control the arm, and machining needed parts, all within a budget of $400. Building on the author’s experience in mobile robotics, mechanics, and machine learning, and in collaboration with computer science background, this project aims to create a functional and accessible robotic arm capable of improving the quality of life for individuals with mobility challenges
