Implementation and Development of Vehicle Tracking and Immobilization Technologies

Since the mid-1980s, limited use has been made of vehicle tracking using satellite communications to mitigate the security and safety risks created by the highway transportation of certain types of hazardous materials. However, vehicle-tracking technology applied to safety and security is increasingly being researched and piloted, and it has been the subject of several government reports and legislative mandates. At the same time, the motor carrier industry has been investing in and implementing vehicle tracking, for a number of reasons, particularly the increase in efficiency achieved through better management of both personnel (drivers) and assets (trucks or, as they are known, tractors; cargo loads; and trailers). While vehicle tracking and immobilization technologies can play a significant role in preventing truck-borne hazardous materials from being used as weapons against key targets, they are not a & ”silver bullet.” However, the experience of DTTS and the FMCSA and TSA pilot projects indicates that when these technologies are combined with other security measures, and when the information they provide is used in conjunction with information supplied outside of the tracking system, they can provide defensive value to any effort to protect assets from attacks using hazmat as a weapon. This report is a sister publication to MTI Report 09-03, Potential Terrorist Uses of Highway-Borne Hazardous Materials. That publication was created in response to the Department of Homeland Security´s request that the Mineta Transportation Institute´s National Transportation Security Center of Excellence provide research and insights regarding the security risks created by the highway transportation of hazardous materials

A revised and updated Odonata checklist of Samoa (Insecta: Odonata)

Odonata records of the Samoan Archipelago are updated and an updated checklist provided. It is part of an ongoing assessment of the fauna, taxonomy and distributionof the Pacific island dragonflies. The checklist follows recent reviews published/prepared about the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji and Kingdom of Tonga. This study draws on recent dragonfly records following general insect surveys spanning 2008-2012 funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) via Conserva-tion International (CI) to the authors and to Secretariat Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and also by funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Other unpublished data from Samoan Archipelago and Niue are included as well. All, but one, of the newly collected Odonata species are widespread within the Pacific region. Hemicordulia cupricoloris the only species from the recent collections which is endemic to Samoa, previously reported for Savai'i and Upolu Islands. It has neverbeen confirmed since its original description in 1927. The new study shows the species as an inhabitant of high altitude zones of Savai'i. It is recommended inland areas of Savai'i and other islands within the Samoan Archipelago should be targeted in further field studies

Tuning the generalized Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm

We discuss the analytic computation of autocorrelation functions for the generalized Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm applied to free field theory and compare the results with numerical results for the $O(4)$ spin model in two dimensions. We explain how the dynamical critical exponent $z$ for some operators may be reduced from two to one by tuning the amount of randomness introduced by the updating procedure, and why critical slowing down is not a problem for other operators.Comment: 4 pages, to be published in the Proceedings of Lattice 95, uuencoded PostScript fil

The influence of matrix viscoelasticity on the rheology of polymer blends

We examine the effects of matrix phase viscoelasticity on the rheological modeling of polymer blends with a droplet morphology. Two contravariant, second-rank tensor variables are adopted along with the translational momentum density of the fluid to account for viscoelasticity of the matrix phase and the ellipsoidal droplet shapes. The first microstructural variable is a conformation tensor describing the average extension and orientation of the molecules in the matrix phase. The other microstructural variable is a configuration tensor to account for the average shape and orientation of constant-volume droplets. A Hamiltonian framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics is then adopted to derive a set of continuum equations for the system variables. This set of equations accounts for local conformational changes of the matrix molecules due to droplet deformation and vice versa. The model is intended for dilute blends of both oblate and prolate droplets, and droplet breakup and coalescence are not taken into account. Only the matrix phase is considered as viscoelastic; i.e., the droplets are assumed to be Newtonian. The model equations are solved for various types of homogeneous deformations, and microstructure/rheology relationships are discussed for transient and steady-state conditions. A comparison with other constrained-volume rheological models and experimental data is made as wel

Reflectionless Sharp Bends and Corners in Waveguides Using Epsilon-Near-Zero Effects

Following our recent theoretical and experimental results that show how zero-permittivity metamaterials may provide anomalous tunneling and energy squeezing through ultranarrow waveguide channels, here we report an experimental investigation of the bending features relative to this counterintuitive resonant effect. We generate the required effectively-zero permittivity using a waveguide operating at the cut-off of its dominant mode, and we show how sharp and narrow bends may be inserted within the propagation channel without causing any sensible reflection or loss.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

The Public Face: Working the Front Desk of the UWC

A student’s first impression of the writing center is typically made at a reception desk. In the Undergraduate Writing Center (UWC) at the University of Texas at Austin, the front desk generally employs two staffers to welcome students, collect intake information, pair students with consultants, and do their best to ensure that consultations run smoothly. As a service that strives to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for students, the front desk's role is clearly important.University Writing Cente

Analysis of the configurational temperature of polymeric liquids under shear and elongational flows using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations

We present a detailed analysis of the configurational temperature (T(conf)) for its application to polymeric materials using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) and nonequilibrium Monte Carlo (NEMC) methods. Simulations were performed of linear polyethylene liquid C(78)H(158) undergoing shear and elongational flows. At equilibrium, T(conf) is equal to the set point temperature of the simulation. An aphysically large decrease in T(conf) is observed in the NEMD simulations for both flows, especially at strong flow fields. By analyzing separately the individual contributions of the different potential interaction modes to the configurational temperature, it is found that the bonded modes (which constitutes almost 99.5% of the total) dominate the total T(conf) over the nonbonded ones; i.e., bond-stretching (approximate to 86.5%), bond-bending (approximate to 11.8%), bond-torsional (approximate to 1.2%), nonbonded intermolecular (approximate to 0.4%), and intramolecular (approximate to 0.1%) Lennard-Jones. The configurational temperature of the individual modes generally exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior with the flow strength and a dramatic change beyond a critical value of flow strength; this is mainly attributed to the dynamical effect of strong molecular collisions occurring at strong flow fields. In contrast, no such behavior is observed in the NEMC simulations where such dynamical effects are absent. Based on the principal physical concept of the configurational temperature, which represents the large-scale structural characteristics of the system, we propose to exclude the dynamical effects exhibited by the individual interaction modes, in obtaining a physically meaningful T(conf) as the configurational entropy of the system should not be affected by such factors. Since (a) the main difference between equilibrium and nonequilibrium states lies in the change in the overall (global) structure (represented by the bond torsional and nonbonded modes), and (b) the local, very short structure (represented by the bond-stretching and bond-bending modes) is barely changing between equilibrium and nonequilibrium states and its contribution to the total system configurational entropy is negligible compared to the large-scale structural changes, in order to accurately describe the structural changes occurring at nonequilibrium states by use of the configurational temperature, we further propose that only the contributions from the bond-torsional and nonbonded modes to Delta T(conf) between equilibrium and nonequilibrium states should be taken into account to generate a physically meaningful Delta T(conf). Applying the above hypothesis to the analysis of the simulation data, good agreement between the NEMD and NEMC simulations (and between NEMD simulations for different flows) is observed. Furthermore, the configurational temperature obtained in such way is found to match remarkably well with the heat capacity of amorphous polyethylene liquids and the flow-enhanced melting-point elevation reported in experiment.open2

Psychologists Collaborating With Clergy

If a patient adheres to religious values and practices, should the treating psychologist get input from a clergyperson? How frequent is clergy-psychologist collaboration? What obstacles impede such collaboration? An exploratory survey questionnaire was sent to 200 clergy, 200 psychologists interested in religious issues, and 200 psychologists selected without regard to religious interests or values. Four themes were assessed: types of collaborative activities, frequency of collaboration, obstacles to collaboration, and ways to enhance collaboration. Strategies for promoting clergy-psychologist collaboration include challenging unidirectional referral assumptions, building trust through proximity and familiarity, and considering the importance of shared values and beliefs

Nonlinear Control of Tunneling Through an Epsilon-Near-Zero Channel

The epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) tunneling phenomenon allows full transmission of waves through a narrow channel even in the presence of a strong geometric mismatch. Here we experimentally demonstrate nonlinear control of the ENZ tunneling by an external field, as well as self-modulation of the transmission resonance due to the incident wave. Using a waveguide section near cut-off frequency as the ENZ system, we introduce a diode with tunable and nonlinear capacitance to demonstrate both of these effects. Our results confirm earlier theoretical ideas on using an ENZ channel for dielectric sensing, and their potential applications for tunable slow-light structures