We show how increasing returns to scale in urban scaling can artificially emerge, systematically and predictably, without any sorting or positive externalities. We employ a model where individual productivities are independent and identically distributed lognormal random variables across all cities. We use extreme value theory to demonstrate analytically the paradoxical emergence of increasing returns to scale when the variance of log-productivity is larger than twice the log-size of the population size of the smallest city in a cross-sectional regression. Our contributions are to derive an analytical prediction for the artificial scaling exponent arising from this mechanism and to develop a simple statistical test to try to tell whether a given estimate is real or an artifact. Our analytical results are validated analyzing simulations and real microdata of wages across municipalities in Colombia. We show how an artificial scaling exponent emerges in the Colombian data when the sizes of random samples of workers per municipality are 1% or less of their total size.


Objective: Intermedin (IMD), a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide family, is involved in maintaining circulatory homeostasis and is a protective factor of heart and vessel. Here, we investigated the effects of IMD on cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro and explored the mechanisms involved. Methods and results: IMD1–53 (100 ng/kg/h) was systemically administered to rats with cardiac hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) by a mini-osmotic pump the next day after surgery continuously for 4 weeks. The AAC-treated rats before IMD infusion showed increased IMD content and expression of its receptors in the hearts. In-vivo administration of IMD1–53 greatly attenuated the cardiac hypertrophy as shown by heart weight to body weight ratio (HW/BW), haemodynamics, echocardiography, histological analyses and expression of hypertrophic markers atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) induced by AAC. IMD1–53 treatment significantly reduced the myocardial protein expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) markers such as glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-12, whereas the protein level of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) was upregulated with IMD1–53 treatment, which was further confirmed in cultured cardiomyocytes. Concurrently, cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro was ameliorated by IMD1–53 treatment. The inhibitory effects of IMD1–53 on ERS and apoptosis were eliminated on pretreatment with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. Conclusion: IMD1–53 could exert its cardioprotective effect on cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting myocardial ERS and apoptosis, possibly via activation of AMPK signalling.


This work investigates the positional single photon incidence response (P-SPIR) to provide an accurate point spread function (PSF)-contained system matrix and its incorporation within the image reconstruction framework. Based on the Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography (GATE) simulation, P-SPIR theory takes both incidence angle and incidence position of the gamma photon into account during crystal subdivision, instead of only taking the former into account, as in single photon incidence response (SPIR). The response distribution obtained in this fashion was validated using Monte Carlo simulations. In addition, two-block penetration and normalization of the response probability are introduced to improve the accuracy of the PSF. With the incorporation of the PSF, the homogenization model is then analyzed to calculate the spread distribution of each line-of-response (LOR). A primate PET scanner, Eplus-260, developed by the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHEP), was employed to evaluate the proposed method. The reconstructed images indicate that the P-SPIR method can effectively mitigate the depth-of-interaction (DOI) effect, especially at the peripheral area of field-of-view (FOV). Furthermore, the method can be applied to PET scanners with any other structures and list-mode data format with high flexibility and efficiency.


Abstract The National Data Buoy Center(NDBC) operates ocean and coastal buoys and coastal land stations that report hourly through the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system. In addition, NDBC maintains drifting-buoy networks that report through the polar-orbiting TIROS-N satellites. To disseminate information on these systems that provide vital environmental reports from data-sparse marine areas, the data-acquisition systems, net-works, monitoring capabilities, data processing and distribution, data quality and availability, and future programs are discussed.


ABSTRACT In 2015, Spain passed a law expediting citizenship for the descendants of the Sephardic Jews expelled in 1492, but not to the descendants of the Moriscos expelled in 1609. In this essay, I use Spain's 2015 citizenship law as a test case for assessing three normative models for linking citizenship with collective responsibility for the past: reparations for historic injustice; the principle of coercively constituted identities; and remedial responsibility. I argue that the first two models confront intractable philosophical problems that are circumvented by the third model, remedial responsibility, which prioritizes contemporary suffering and looks to the past only to identify agents who must provide a remedy. However, remedial responsibility subordinates the obligation to expedite citizenship to descendants of the Sephardim and the Moriscos in favor of the Saharawis, citizens of the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara who still languish in refugee camps forty years after decolonization.


Authenticating Internet of Things (IoT) devices is still a defiant task, despite the remarkable technological advancement achieved in the last few years. The issue is especially challenging in scenarios involving low-cost constrained nodes, hardly supporting dynamic re-keying algorithms. To provide a viable general-purpose solution, we propose MAG-PUF: a novel and lightweight authentication scheme using unintentional magnetic emissions produced by IoT devices to implement Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs). Our extensive experimental campaign, involving 25 Arduino boards and four example reference functions, unveiled an outstanding authentication accuracy of over 99%, proving the feasibility of using code-driven magnetic emissions as a lightweight, efficient, and robust PUF for IoT deployments.


Low cost, decentralized architecture and ad hoc nature are a few desirable properties of wireless sensor networks that make them well suited for gathering sensitive information in hazardous deployment grounds. Existing security protocols exploit various cryptographic tools to strengthen their security. Not many works focus on constraints faced by an adversary. One such constraint being practical difficulties to trace a particular frequency band from a large range of unknown frequencies, specially in unharmonious geographical locations. Our research capitalizes on this weakness encountered by an adversary and preassigns nodes with multiple frequency bands from a wide range of frequencies allocated to the network. Deployed nodes can discover these bands during set network setup phase by a simple trick. Nodes are to internally switch their frequency bands depending on parametric variation that are caused by an (external) impulse. Experiments conducted using magneto optic sensors confirm that any variation of their parameter affects frequencies of emergent waves. Similar behavior is expected from application specific sensors. Frequency regulation (FR) concept is applied to combinatorial key predistribution schemes (KPS) having (regular) degree r. Depending on r and each node's capability to switch internal frequencies, nodes are preallocated with n frequency bands. This naturally partitions the (distributed) network and results in improved resilience. Combining our FR concept to a KPS where the number of shared key between a pair of nodes is at most one (γ ≤ 1) may yield best case scenario of an ideally resilient key predistribution. Our analysis of systems that combines FR idea with KPS where γ > 1 leads to an optimized key‐band distribution argument and drastic resilience improvements. Results of simulations conducted assuming real‐life scenario ascertain our analysis and establishes superior performance of our protocols as compared to prominent ones.


Understanding solid–solid polymorphic transitions within molecular crystals on the molecular scale is a challenging task. It is, however, crucial for the understanding of transitions that are thought to occur through cooperative motion, which offer an interesting perspective for future applications. In this paper, we study the energy barriers and mechanisms involved in the β → α DL-norleucine transition at the molecular scale by applying different computational techniques. We conclude that the mechanism of the transition is a cooperative movement of bilayers through an intermediate state. The results indicate that local fluctuations in the conformations of the aliphatic chains play a crucial role in keeping the cooperative mechanism sustainable at large length scales. We have characterized the intermediate state.


With high effective screen-printing process, the diode field emission display (FED) panel was fabricated. The soda-lime flat glass was used as panel anode plate, and the indium tin oxide film covered on the anode plate surface was etched, which was used to form the anode electrodes. With simple screen printing method, the phosphor paste was prepared on the exposed anode electrode surface, so the phosphor dots were fabricated. Using insulation slurry as material, the insulation layer was also fabricated on the anode plate. The fabricated FED panel with carbon nanotube field emitters possessed good field emission characteristics and image displaying performance.


ABSTRACT How can we understand the European Union's responses to the euro area financial crisis? This contribution examines this question through a historical institutionalist (HI) lens. First it reviews the design of existing institutions. With the help of HI it examines what challenges the institutional design posed on the European Union (EU) when the crisis hit. Next, the responses to the crisis by member state leaders and by EU-level actors are reviewed. An analysis is made of selected new EU institutions created to address the crisis: the European Financial Stability Facility; the European Stability Mechanism; the Six-Pack and Two-Pack; the European Semester; and the Fiscal Compact. Four ideal types – 'displacement', 'layering', 'drift' and 'conversion' – are examined and found not to fit well. In some cases institutions were 'layered' on top of existing institutions. Perhaps an amendment could be made by offering the ideal type 'copying' in those cases where new institutions that borrow from earlier institutions. Although no complex problem can be truly understood by looking at it through one single theoretical lens, this contribution argues that a large of part of the problems that emerged, and the solutions adopted, can be understood by examining it through an HI lens.


We examine the impact of information flows on financing and the relative roles of hard information, soft information, and certification of issuer quality by third parties, using novel evidence from the US securities-based crowdfunding market. While hard information about the issuer's financial condition and experience has only marginal relevance for offering outcomes, third-party certification of issuer quality as well as soft information about the issuer proxied by social media following plays a significant role in crowdfunding offerings. The relative roles of hard information and certification are greatest in offerings of more information-sensitive securities and when investors are less likely to derive nonpecuniary returns from participating in an offering. Further, there is evidence of partial substitution between different signals of issuer quality. Both third-party certification and issuer social media following are positively related to the valuation obtained by the issuer. Issuers tailor deal features, specifically, the choice of funding target flexibility and offering duration, to the level of information asymmetry about issuer quality. Finally, there is some evidence of geographic matching, with issuer characteristics and local availability of platforms affecting distance between issuers and platforms.


It's a Roald Dahl extravaganza! Interesting diseases, the most heroic animals, beards, disguises, quizzes and pirates - yes, it's a second fun-filled collection of facts, activities and jokes to celebrate Roald Dahl Day on 13 September! "Dahlmanac 2" is jam-packed with treats - some disgusting, some delicious - stuff that EVERY Roald Dahl fan should know! With black and white illustrations by Quentin Blake and inspired by Roald Dahl's love of odd facts and curiosities, this is the perfect book to dip into for a quick chuckle - and it contains some long-forgotten writing from Roald Dahl!


Pain is a distressing feeling caused by damage to different tissues. Consequently the person reacts, and tries to remove the painful stimulus. On the other hand, prostaglandins contribute to the emergence of pain. These compounds are formed and secreted by cyclogenase 2 or COX-2 enzymes. It is through inhibiting these enzymes that most of the analgesic medications act. Thus, this study aims to investigate and review some of the scientific findings on analgesic effects and possible active ingredients and analgesic mechanisms of these herbs. Result: Nowadays one of the methods to control pain is using non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications. Although the analgesic effects of these medications emerge relatively fast, but their side effects are considered to be a limiting factor in their usage. Therefore researchers are constantly in the search of new medications with less side effects. In recent years the tendency to use herbal medications has significantly increased in the treatment and prediction of these diseases. Since analgesic medications show a wide range of complications therefore using secondary herbal compounds may be an appropriate alternative for chemical medications. In this respect, many analgesic effects of herbal medications have been brought into attention and it is believed that many natural compounds may serve as new medical compounds. Conclusion: Regarding the importance of research about pain and the effort in increasing awareness in this respect and also regarding the problems caused by using opioid medications, it is necessary to find herbal medications. Key words: Analgesic effect, Possible mechanisms, Herbal medications, Herbal active ingredients.


This thesis presents a novel method to modify the near-infrared (NIR) reflectance of textile fabrics using colloidal self-assembly of polystyrene (PS) particles via electrostatic and convective forces. This work studies the effect of particle coating on a textile fabric where the size of the particle is of same order of magnitude as the incident wavelength of light, which has not been studied for textiles. Sulfate functionalized PS particles were deposited on cationic cotton, poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) coated nylon-cotton, and cationic cellophane film. The nylon-cotton fabric was obtained from the Army Camouflage Uniform (ACU) and contained three colors. Spherical particles of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 μm in diameter and a non-spherical, mushroom cap shaped particle, 1.2 μm in diameter, were used. The PS particles were deposited onto the substrates using aqueous suspensions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to assess particle deposition on fibers. SEM revealed that the particles were able to conformally coat both nylon and cotton fibers despite their small radius of curvature. Micrographs showed two smaller particles had longer range, single layer coverage of particles on the fibers, while the larger particles were prone to agglomerate. The NIR reflectance of the PS particle coatings textiles materials was assessed using the testing method specified in the US Army standard MILDTL-44436A. NIR reflectance data was collected with a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere to collect diffuse light scatter. The effect of the particle coating on the NIR reflectance was assessed using average reflectance spectra and principal component analysis (PCA). The spectra analysis showed that the change in reflectance on fabric substrates ranged from 0 to 6 units. The PCA effects test was used to confirm that the particle coatings significantly changed the reflectance of the substrates. The analysis also revealed that the particle size influenced the reflectance of the fabrics and that the mushroom cap particle behaved more similarly to the smaller spherical particle than the 1.0 μm particle. The PCA results also confirmed the dyes on the nylon-cotton substrate significantly altered the reflectance behavior. Potential improvements to the deposition procedure and particle selection for altering the reflectance of fabrics are also proposed.


This year (2014) we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Dr Maxwell Myer Wintrobe's pioneer works, one of the most important contributions in clinical laboratory and medicine. Red cell indices continue to provide an essential support to the diagnosis and classification of anaemia. The erythrocyte indices, such as mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, and mean cell hemoglobin, are called the Wintrobe's indices. Automation in hematology has progressed steadily since Wallace Coulter first applied electrical impedance technology to counting red cells and white cells. Technological advances being incorporated into hematology analysers since then are now allowing access to more cellular information than was ever available before through a 'simple routine complete blood count'. Current research is beginning to demonstrate that this information also has great potential to identify cellular changes that typically occur in several important medical conditions-bringing us all one step closer to using hematology analysers as more than just simple cell counters, but instead as powerful tools for the management of any medical condition that impacts the biology of blood cells. There are increasing amounts of data provided, which require specialist knowledge to interpret as well as to understand the limitations in the measurement of the parameter. Both laboratory scientists and clinicians need to keep up-to-date with new parameters and methods in hematology, implying a stronger collaboration between them to improve clinical decision-making.


We reported the synthesis of highly water-stable iron oxide nanoparticles by a simple one-pot reaction. Non-toxic polyethylene glycol MW 600 (PEG) acted as a solvent, capping agent and reducing agent in the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. As a result of the synthesis, PEGylated small-size (4.2 ± 0.39 nm average diameter and 7.2 ± 1.9 nm hydrodynamic sizes measuring by DLS) iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIO) were obtained, which show great colloidal stability in water and tolerate high salt concentration (0.75 M sodium chloride) and a wide pH range of 4 to 12. Oxidation of PEG was observed during the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles, which makes USPIO easy to functionalize with other molecules. Functionalization of the USPIO surface with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was conducted for investigating the possibility for multimodal imaging. Also the cytotoxicity test and lymph node imaging were performed by using the FITC labelled USPIO (FITC@USPIO). According to these results, the stable water dispersed USPIO and FITC@USPIO are expected to apply for multimodal in vivo imaging.


Research papers mean hours spent in the library, more hours toiling with notes and drafts, and the headache of dealing with the arcane rules of documentation. The information in this guide has been prepared to assist those who might have additional quest


A radially retractable roof structure based on the concept of the suspen-dome is proposed in this paper. The radially foldable bar structure are strengthened by the lower cable-strut system. Then the buckling capacity of a radially retractable suspen-dome was investigated. The geometrically non-linear elastic buckling and elasto-plastic buckling analyses of the hybrid structure were carried out. Then the effects of different structural parameters, such as the rise-span ratio, beam section, area and pre-stress of lower cable-strut systems, on the failure load were investigated. The influence of imperfections on the elasto-plastic buckling loads was also discussed. The results show that the critical buckling load is reduced by taking account of material non-linearity. Furthermore, increasing the rise-to-span ratio or the cross-section area of steel beams notably improves the stability performance of the structure. However, the area and pre-stress of cable-strut systems pose small effect on the structural stability. It can also be found that the suspen-dome is highly imperfection sensitive and the reduction of the failure load due to imperfections is considerable.


The main objective of this study is the validation of numerical forced response predictions through experimental blade vibration measurements for higher order modes of a blade-integrated disk (blisk). To this end, a linearized and a nonlinear frequency domain CFD methods are used, as well as a tip timing measurement system. The focus is on the blade excitation by downstream vanes, in particular, because this study shows that the correct prediction of acoustic modes is of key importance in this case. The analysis of these modes is presented, both experimentally and numerically, in Part I of this publication. The grid independence study for the aerodynamic work on the blade surface conducted in this part shows a possible prediction uncertainty of more than 100% when a coarse grid is chosen. For the validation of the numerical setup, a study was performed using different turbulence and transition models. The results are compared to the measured performance map, to a 2D field traverse conducted with a pneumatic probe, and to data gained by unsteady pressure sensors mounted in the casing of the compressor. Flow features relevant for the prediction of blade stresses are best represented using the SST turbulence model in combination with the γ–ReΘ transition model. Nonlinear simulations with this setup are able to predict the blade stresses due to downstream excitation with an average difference of 23% compared to tip timing measurements. Single row linearized CFD methods have shown to be incapable of making a correct stress prediction when acoustic modes form a major part of the exciting mechanisms. In summary, this two-part publication proves the importance of acoustic rotor–stator interactions for blade vibrational stresses excited by downstream vanes in a state-of-the-art high-pressure compressor.


A nursery outbreak of varicella is reported. Serum from 200 parturient women and 131 of their offspring were studied for antibody to varicella-zoster (V-Z) virus to analyze their immunity to varicella. Antibody titers were measured by the sensitive fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) technique. It was found that approximately 5% to 16% of women of child-bearing age in New York City are susceptible to varicella. Women from Puerto Rico or other subtropical and tropical areas are more likely to be susceptible (16%) than others (5%). Infants born to mothers with detectable V-Z FAMA titers almost always had detectable V-Z antibody at birth. In serial serum specimens obtained from 67 initially seropositive babies during the first year of life, it was found that by 6 months of age most infants were no longer passively protected against varicella. These observations may explain why varicella is not uncommonly observed in young babies.


In present study, removal of methylene blue (MB) was investigated to the best removal efficiency using fish bones, which are biogenic apatite, natural origin and waste product. Removal efficiency of the adsorbent was investigated as a function of contact time and initial dye concentration. Highest removal capacity was found to be 13.56 mgg. Langmuir and Freundlich models were also applied to experimental data to find the best adsorption isotherm. Experimental data showed that adsorption of methylene blue on the fish bones fitted well to Langmuir isotherm model, and also the value of RL was found to be 0.765. RL value of bone adsorbent between 0 and 1 (0 < RL < 1) indicate favorable removal and adsorption of the dye. Results were showed that fish bones can be effectively used as an adsorbent for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous environments.


This paper will describe roles and market actors enabling new forms of co-operation and competition using Ambient Networks technology and concepts. According to the Ambient Networks vision "any" user will be able to connect to "any" network, which will challenge traditional "one operator – one subscriber" solutions. Ambient Networks will stimulate an unbundled value network but will also facilitate the dynamic and flexible way of doing business in an environment with many access and service providers. The roles described in more detail in this paper are the Local Access Provider, Access Aggregator, Access Broker, Trusted Third Party, ClearingHouse, Compensation Service Provider and Service Aggregator.


The régime de santé, already by the end of the medieval era a well-developed genre that offered advice on diet and other health practices, found new life in the sixteenth century as the Galenic works on food and hygiene that informed it were translated into Latin and even into vernacular languages. The precepts of this genre entered into the literary culture of early modern France primarily through the avenue of satire, in which characters were defined by the food they ate and by other aspects of the Galenic regimen. Because of its association with treatises on the education of princes, the régime de santé took a political turn, something that is also echoed in satirical literature. One clear example of the politics of the régime de santé is the banquet scene of L'Isle des hermaphrodites (The Island of Hermaphrodites), published in 1605 and circulated widely in Paris. This novel seems at first glance to be a fairly straightforward satire of the excesses of the court of Henri III of France (r. 1574–1589). Yet the banquet scene evokes the flexibility of diet and of other aspects of the Galenic regimen in the profusion and variety of food presented. In linking the practices of the hermaphrodites to contemporary works on the régime de santé, this novel suggests another possibility: a world where the needs of an individual living in a particular environment are met with a diet and way of life appropriate to those needs. In presenting this alternative view, the novel raises the question whether such individualized care is merely self-indulgent or whether it is very much needed in the aftermath of the massive trauma of the Wars of Religion.


The main subject of this Thesis is the environmental sustainability management tools used to improve environmental performance of European ports. In the first part the problem of environmental impacts from port operations is introduced with a focus on air pollution caused by emissions from the cruise vessels visiting ports. Here the main pollutants are described, and their impact on human health is addressed. Then, the comparison of main environmental management system tools is drawn. Finally, an overview over environmental policy aspects and sustainability reporting principles are provided. In the second part of the Thesis thirteen biggest European cruise harbours, including the Port of Bergen, have been analysed within a developed system of environmental management performance indicators. The analysis includes determining the most popular environmental management tool and other environmental sustainability instruments and green practices in ports. Importance of communicating environmental ambitions both to port employees and to external stakeholders as well as the advantages of sharing knowledge through the network with other ports and collaboration with local businesses have been emphasized. Additionally, the researched ports' environmental priorities have been addressed with the main focus on air quality and onshore power supply technology as a possible mitigation of emissions from cruise vessels docked at ports. The findings of the research might urge the Bergen Port Authorities to adopt some sustainability practices used in other cruise ports and consider environmental management system certification alternative to ISO 14001 international standard that the port is aiming to implement.


Development in Information Communication and Technology has brought new dimensions to information management in every sphere of life, including the academic environment. Training institutions for teachers and Faculties of Education require innovations in their curricular for competency based teacher education programmes. As a facilitator of learning, the teacher, who is the pivot of all forms of instructional activities needs to harmonize pedagogical competency with ICT competency in order to add value to the quality of instruction in the school system. This paper presents an analysis of a survey conducted on perceived curriculum innovation needs for pedagogical and ICT competencies among undergraduate students of Education in Ghana. Four hypotheses were formulated to direct the study. The data for the study was gathered with the aid of a 34-item questionnaire designed by the researchers to elicit information on the relevant variables of the study. The instrument was administered on 300 Education students of University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Data gathered were analyzed using frequency counts, simple percentages, Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Analysis of Variance. Findings revealed that all the eight identified pedagogical aspects were perceived as highly required by the respondents. Based on the findings it was recommended that for the trainee teachers to be true facilitators of learning, they must be trained in the identified required competencies that can enhance their job performance.


Characterized by geometric shapes, stylized natural forms and the use of luxuriuos materials Art Deco originated in France and spread quickly all over the globe during the 1930s. Interest in the style was revived in the 1960s, partly as a result of the work of Bevis Hillier who recalls his triumphs and mistakes in writing the first book on the subject and co-organizing the Minneapolis exhibition in 1971. Stephen Escritt's text deals with recent scholarship and changing attitudes towards Art Deco, by charting its various worldwide manifestations he demonstrates that the stle (although retrospectively labelled a movement) had a coherance that lead to its international spread. The text is illustrated with examples from all over the world, ranging from liners to letterboxes and from radios to lampposts.


Solar car race competitions offer realistic conditions to test and demonstrate the state-of-the-art technologies in multidisciplinary fields. In such races the solar panels mounted on the car produce the energy required to power the vehicle. A simulator runs during the race determines the optimal race speed based on the predicted availability of solar energy and other parameters as well as road conditions. The accuracy of the forecasts, especially the solar irradiance forecasts, has a significant impact on the race strategy. Here we report on the experience of providing irradiance forecasts for two races run by the University of Michigan Solar Car Team at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2015 in Australia and at the American Solar Challenge 2016 from Ohio to South Dakota. The probabilistic forecasts of hourly solar irradiance generated from machine learning algorithms were deployed to optimally decide on the race strategy. This work showcases an example of real time decision making based on insights derived from machine learning utilizing big geospatial data — weather models and measurement data from weather station networks.


Many companies in the automotive supply chain have increasingly adopted the concept of modularity. Modularity can be defined as a way of building complex products or processes from smaller subsystems that can be designed independently and yet function together as a whole. There are many dimensions of modularity and the most common ones are: modularity-in-design and modularity-in-production. In addition, there are potential tradeoffs between these dimensions, but this issue has not yet been extensively explored in the literature. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate to what extent the adoption of modularity varies according to such tradeoffs. Case-based research is employed as the methodological approach. The unit of analysis is a business unit of an international leading manufacturer of trucks and buses, being the latter within the scope of the present investigation. The findings describe various challenges and managerial implications that characterize various views on modularity with respect to design and production faced by the investigated organization. There is a clear distinction between the application of the concept of modularity in design and in production. Potential gaps in the literature are also proposed for further research.


Geochemical investigations of a widely dispersed Late Proterozoic impact ejecta horizon and its host shales (Bunyeroo Formation, Australia) have provided strong evidence for low-temperature mobilization of the platinum group elements (PGE), including Ir. PGE anomalies are associated with both the ejecta horizon (Ir up to 2.0 ppb, Pt up to 270 ppb) and the green shales that envelop it. Several PGE anomalies (0.073-0.45 ppb Ir, 3.11-314 ppb Pt) also occur in thin green shale beds at other stratigraphic levels within a predominantly red shale sequence (average red shale background of 0.019 ppb Ir and 0.89 ppb Pt). All green shale horizons analyzed, regardless of their stratigraphic position, have relatively high levels of Ir and other PGE. The nonextraterrestrial, postdepositional origin of the PGE at other stratigraphic levels away from the impact ejecta horizon is indicated by their occurrence in thin, permeable, green beds in a predominantly red shale sequence, their association with enrichments in Cu-V-Zn-Ni, and their nonchondritic PGE interelement ratios. The impact ejecta horizon has a more chondritic PGE geochemistry consistent with a meteoritic origin. A redox precipitation model similar to that invoked for redbed Cu-U-V deposits is proposed to explain the PGE anomalies in the green shales.


The presence of livestock in or near fresh-market vegetable fields has raised concerns about the potential for contaminating produce with pathogenic bacteria. To develop buffer zones for grazing near production of leafy greens, we assessed the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella species in sheep that were grazed on alfalfa fields during the winter in California's Imperial Valley. We found E. coli O157:H7 in 1.8% of fecal samples and 0.4% of soil samples, and Salmonella in 0.8% of fecal samples and 0.4% of soil samples. Our results indicate that sheep grazing on alfalfa in the Imperial Valley have a low prevalence of these pathogens in their feces and that these bacteria are rarely found in soil from fields with grazing sheep. The California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement guideline of 30 feet between grazing lands or domestic animals and the crop edge is adequate to minimize potential contamination of nearby crops.


Triggering quakes in a geothermal space Enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) provide a potentially clean and abundant energy source. However, two magnitude-5 earthquakes recently occurred in South Korea during EGS site development. Grigoli et al. and Kim et al. present seismic and geophysical evidence that may implicate the second of these earthquakes, which occurred in Pohang, as an induced event. The combination of data from a local seismometer network, well logs, satellite observations, teleseismic waveform analysis, and stress modeling leads to the assessment that the earthquake was probably or almost certainly anthropogenically induced. The possibility remains that the earthquake occurred coincidentally at the EGS site location, but the aftershock distribution and other lines of evidence are concerning for future development of this geothermal resource. Science, this issue p. 1003, p. 1007 Last year's Pohang, South Korea, earthquake was potentially an induced earthquake from an enhanced geothermal system. The moment magnitude (Mw) 5.5 earthquake that struck South Korea in November 2017 was one of the largest and most damaging events in that country over the past century. Its proximity to an enhanced geothermal system site, where high-pressure hydraulic injection had been performed during the previous 2 years, raises the possibility that this earthquake was anthropogenic. We have combined seismological and geodetic analyses to characterize the mainshock and its largest aftershocks, constrain the geometry of this seismic sequence, and shed light on its causal factors. According to our analysis, it seems plausible that the occurrence of this earthquake was influenced by the aforementioned industrial activities. Finally, we found that the earthquake transferred static stress to larger nearby faults, potentially increasing the seismic hazard in the area.


The current conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh began in the second half of the 1980s, but its roots are deeper, reaching back at least to the first quarter of the 20th century. The aim of this article is to place these problematic aspects of mutual Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in their historical context and to link them with the current conflict. This article also identifies the factors that underlay the initial stages of the conflict and its subsequent escalation. The ethno-political mobilization of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, but subsequently also of Armenians in the Armenian SSR and Azerbaijanis in the Azerbaijan SSR, was driven by specific conditions that emerged during the collapse of the Soviet state. The gradual ethno-political mobilization in both union republics, as well as in Nagorno-Karabakh itself, was a by-product of Soviet nationality policy, and was enabled by the policy of glasnost. This article identifies the following key factors that created suitable conditions for the escalation of the conflict: Armenians' dissatisfaction with the autonomous status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan (fueled by the perception of numerous historic injustices), the legal and social chaos brought by the disintegration of the USSR, and the political and economic weakness of the newly emerging states.


In this work, a visible-light-induced copper(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction via an electron transfer reaction employing fullerene (C60) containing linear polystyrene and network polymer as homogeneous and heterogeneous activators, PS-C60 and Gel-C60, respectively, is described. Various low molar mass organic and polymeric azide and alkyne compounds are used to conduct the click reaction, and almost quantitative yields are attained. Compared to the bare C60, the polymers with C60 units exhibited a much higher promoting effect to catalyze CuAAC reactions.


This paper presents a new approach that allows automated recognition of three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) objects from 3D site laser scans. This approach provides a robust and efficient means to recognize objects in a scene by integrating planning technologies, such as multidimensional CAD modeling, and field technologies, such as 3D laser scanning. Using such an approach, it would be possible to visualize the 3D status of a project and automate some tasks related to project control. These tasks include 3D progress tracking, productivity tracking, and construction dimensional quality assessment and quality control. This paper provides an overview of the developed approach and demonstrates its performance in object recognition and project 3D status visualization, with data collected from a construction job site.


We explore the Hα emission in the massive quiescent galaxies observed by the KMOS3D survey at 0.7 < z < 2.7. The Hα line is robustly detected in 20 out of 120 UVJ-selected quiescent galaxies, and we classify the emission mechanism using the Hα line width and the [N ii]/Hα line ratio. We find that AGNs are likely to be responsible for the line emission in more than half of the cases. We also find robust evidence for star formation activity in nine quiescent galaxies, which we explore in detail. The Hα kinematics reveal rotating disks in five of the nine galaxies. The dust-corrected Hα star formation rates are low (0.2–7 M⊙ yr−1), and place these systems significantly below the main sequence. The 24 μm-based, infrared luminosities, instead, overestimate the star formation rates. These galaxies present a lower gas-phase metallicity compared to star-forming objects with similar stellar mass, and many of them have close companions. We therefore conclude that the low-level star formation activity in these nine quiescent galaxies is likely to be fueled by inflowing gas or minor mergers, and could be a sign of rejuvenation events.


It is shown that there are infinitely many compact orientable smooth 4-manifolds which do not admit Einstein metrics, but nevertheless satisfy the strict Hitchin-Thorpe inequality 2 chi > 3 |tau|. The examples in question arise as non-minimal complex algebraic surfaces of general type, and the method of proof stems from Seiberg-Witten theory.


Abstract The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting research on using administrative records to reduce the cost while maintaining the quality of the 2020 Census Nonresponse Followup (NRFU). Previous census tests have implemented approaches that use predictive models and optimization procedures to identify vacant and occupied housing units using administrative records. This article details a modification to previous approaches, introducing a simple distance metric to define a quality ranking of housing units to enumerate using administrative records. The distance approach is illustrated, assessed, and compared to a previous approach via a retrospective study of the 2010 U.S. Census.


Is it time for a revolution in snow gauge design? A new study by NCAR scientists suggests so. During a field experiment in February, Julie Thériault and her colleagues found that the accuracy of snow gauge measurements changes with the size and shape of snow crystals, the speed at which they fall, and the wind. For example, during high winds, snow tends to blow over the gauge instead of falling inside. Installing a shield around the gauge to prevent this only confuses the matter because both the gauge and the shield present an obstacle to natural airflow patterns. Smaller and lighter snowflakes may interact with the gauge and the shield differently than larger ones. The scientists collected snowflakes inside and outside a gauge, both with and without a shield, and photographed them every 20 minutes to analyze crystal type and size. They also used a computer model to simulate wind flow and reveal the trajectories of different crystals falling through the atmosphere.


Of all the agricultural pests farmers in the Union of South Africa had to endure, few evoked such strong, visceral, and often highly personal debates within the Afrikaner farming community as locust plagues. As a contribution to the dialogue between historians who have explored science, farmers and state intervention in agriculture within the broader theme of agricultural pests, this article seeks to add to the socio-environmental history of Afrikaners within the context of the southern African environment. It discusses the explicitly scientific, entomological issues, including the knowledge exchange process, and then turns towards the political themes on macro as well as micro level. Finally, it examines the more ephemeral themes of religious and racial identity as highlighted by the locust infestations.


In current meeting research we see modest attempts to visualize the information that has been obtained by either capturing and, probably more importantly, by interpreting the activities that take place during a meeting. The meetings being considered take place in smart meeting rooms. Cameras, microphones and other sensors capture meeting activities. Captured information can be stored and retrieved. Captured information can also be manipulated and in turn displayed on different media. We survey our research in this area, look at issues that deal with turn-taking and gaze behavior of meeting participants, influence and talkativeness, and virtual embodied representations of meeting participants. We stress that this information is interesting not only for real-time meeting support, but also for remote participants and off-line consultation of meeting information.


Abstract The soaring number of privacy breaches has prompted affected firms to learn how to effectively recover damaged customer relationships. In this study we develop and test a model that explains how online customer behavior is influenced by a firm's recovery endeavors when privacy breaches occur. Drawing on a service recovery perspective, we integrate the notions of justice perceptions and psychological responses into a theoretical framework. The proposed model was tested against data collected from 1,007 online customers based on a hypothetical scenario. Results show that three types of justice perceptions, distributive, procedural, and interactional justice, jointly affect psychological responses—that is, perceived breach and feelings of violation. In addition, psychological responses were shown to be important in shaping postincident outcomes such as post-word of mouth and post-likelihood of switching. The study gives researchers and practitioners a useful conceptual tool for analyzing the effectiveness of organizational practices in recovering customer relationship after privacy breaches.


By using Verma Method peoples can stop forgetting daily routine things (Items). When a person goes from home to office, company, College, market or tour, He need wallet, handkerchief, mobile, pen, vehicle key, locker key, medicine, bag, any document etc. He takes manynbsp items but leaving/missingnbsp some items like mobile, wallet, key or other things. But by using Verma Method he will carry all items which he is requiring without any stress and memorizing to mind and brain at all.


Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions provide a unique environment to study the properties of strongly interacting matter. Dileptons, which are not affected by the strong interactions, are an ideal penetrating probe. We present the dielectron results for p+p and Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV, as measured by the STAR experiment. We discuss the prospects of dilepton measurements with the near-future detector upgrades, and the recent lower beam energy Au+Au measurements.


Cleft lip/palate (CL/P) are among the most common birth defects around the world with a prevalence of 1.43:1000 live births. Other studies have shown that the frequency is approximately 1 in 600/700 live births and correction involves prolonged treatment over many years. A variety of surgical techniques and modifications have been described regarding cleft lip and palate (CLP) treatment 2. However, patients still seem to have concerns about their facial appearance, especially related to the cleft deformity. The self-perceived improvement in facial appearance following treatment had a strong positive influence on quality of life and patient satisfaction compared to other functional or treatment-related factors. Depending on the cleft type and severity, as well as treatment outcome, important functions like eating, speech, appearance, and maxillary growth may be impaired. This can affect patients social-emotional functioning and self-esteem resulting in a lower health-related quality of life.


: The effect of different land uses on soil respiration was investigated in winter 2009 in black locust, grassland, apple orchard (apple trees and grass) and walnut areas in Seyitler Village, Artvin, Turkey. Soil respiration was measured in December by the soda-lime (NaOH, KOH) technique. Mean daily soil respiration ranged from 0.29 to 1.26 g C m -2 d -1 . Mean daily soil respiration in black locust was greater than the other areas. Soil respiration was different in the investigated four vegetation types. Established difference was non significant and correlations were negative among soil respiration, soil moisture and soil temperature. These results show that black locust has higher soil biological activity compared to the other areas in this season.


Pregnancy is generally a time of joyous anticipation and positive outcomes for expectant couples. However, the expected birth of a healthy baby can come to a tragic end with a sudden, unanticipated pregnancy loss. This event can be devastating for women, their partners, and their families. Although there is a large body of literature on parental responses to perinatal loss and some of the factors influencing grief intensity, very few studies have examined a woman's lived experience with perinatal loss. This phenomenological study used van Manen's method to explore the question: What is the meaning of perinatal loss for women who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth? From the data collected in unstructured interviews, seven themes were identified: shattering of hopes and dreams; centrality of the loss; shared grieving: identifying and accepting differing coping styles; dealing with others; dealing with the loss; living with emotional uncertainty: gentle reminders; and letting go and moving on. The essence of this experience was searching for meaningful integration. The findings indicate that women who have early and late perinatal losses cope with feelings of loss and grief in an individualized manner. In searching for meaning in her experience, each woman was influenced by the responses of partners, family, others in the social world, and health care providers.


For the first time on ISS, BASS-II utilized MSG working volume dilution with gaseous nitrogen (N2). We developed a perfectly stirred reactor model to determine the N2 flow time and flow rate to obtain the desired reduced oxygen concentration in the working volume for each test. We calibrated the model with CSA-CP oxygen readings offset using the Mass Constituents Analyzer reading of the ISS ambient atmosphere data for that day. This worked out extremely well for operations, and added a new vital variable, ambient oxygen level, to our test matrices. The main variables tested in BASS-II were ambient oxygen concentration, ventilation flow velocity, and fuel type, thickness, and geometry. BASS-II also utilized the on-board CSA-CP for oxygen and carbon monoxide readings, and the CDM for carbon dioxide readings before and after each test. Readings from these sensors allow us to evaluate the completeness of the combustion. The oxygen and carbon dioxide readings before and after each test were analyzed and compared very well to stoichiometric ratios for a one step gas-phase reaction. The CO versus CO2 followed a linear trend for some datasets, but not for all the different geometries of fuel and flow tested. Lastly, we calculated the heat release rates during each test from the oxygen consumption and burn times, using the constant 13.1 kJ of heat released per gram of oxygen consumed. The results showed that the majority of the tests had heat release rates well below 100 Watts.


As nuclear power plants age and their lifetimes are being extended, the possibility and need to perform repairs of safety critical and hard to replace components is ever increasing. For example, defects in the reactor pressure vessel caused by exposure to high temperature, pressure, and corrosive environment together with neutron irradiation are often repaired by different repair welding techniques. Moreover, the need for such repairs may come at short notice requiring that qualified and optimized techniques and solutions are readily available.
 Developments of repair welding techniques using robotized gas metal arc welding cold metal transfer to repair a linear crack like defect beneath the cladding, which extended into the reactor pressure vessel steel have been presented in previous works [8–9]). In the latest piece of research [10], the repair welding of a thermally embrittled and cladded low-alloy steel plate with two groove excavations filled using Alloy 52 was presented. In the paper, the two welds were characterized with micrographs and microhardness measurements. This work further evaluates in more detail the differences and similarities of the repair welds welded using two different welding directions, 0-degree and 45-degree, and corresponding bead patterns.
 Residual stresses were measured from the two repair-weld cases using the contour method. Despite significant differences in the weld bead order and consequent welding procedure, the resulting residual stresses were very similar. It was expected that the crisscross weld bead pattern would cause the subsequent weld layers to induce stresses counteracting the previous layer and thus reduce the overall residual stress field. However, this does not appear to be the case. Both weld areas showed tensile stresses around 300 MPa, which is close to the yield stress of the weld material. Balancing compressive stress is induced to the base material with somewhat lower magnitude, peaking around 200 MPa. This indicates that the main determinant of the residual stress field is the weld material yield behavior.
 The microstructural characterization of the two weld orientations included microhardness and nanohardness measurements across the low-alloy steel and Alloy 52 weld fusion boundary, where the hardness peak was at the coarsegrained heat-affected zone adjacent to the fusion boundary. The 0-degree weld gives a higher microhardness peak than the 45-degree weld, indicating a slightly higher mismatch in properties, but the nanohardness measurements could not confirm this. Also, in the microstructural analysis, no great differences are seen other than few weld defects, especially voids. The elemental analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry across the fusion boundary shows expected minor dilution of alloy elements, e.g. chromium, which affects the materials corrosion properties.
 Electron backscatter diffraction mapping and nanoindentation measurements were performed across the weld interface for both welding directions. In addition, elevated temperature measurements were carried out on the weld to understand the evolution in mechanical properties in service conditions.
 Finite element modeling was used to simulate the welding using the actual welding conditions and approximate material constants for both bead patterns as input parameters. The resulting deformation, strains and stresses were predicted. The computed weld residual stress state was rather similar for both cases, although the 45-degree welding simulation produced a stronger tempering effect on the subsurface bead layers.
 The general conclusion of these studies is that no significant differences caused by the welding direction and bead pattern can be observed. The more complex bead pattern may render the weld more susceptible to more welding defects, such as lack-of-fusion and porosity, of which some evidence was found.


This paper reports on asymmetrical spatial accuracy of human subjects in tracking of an object which moves randomly with 6 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) in a 3D environment. It was found that, for translational errors, RMS deviations in the depth (Z) direction were 40% higher than those in the horizontal (X) direction, for an experimental display which provided binocular disparity (stereopsis), perspective and partial occlusion cues. In general, translational tracking errors in the vertical (Y) direction were greater than those in the X direction and smaller than those in the Z direction. In early stages of practice, vertical errors were similar to those in the Z direction, but as learning progressed, errors in the X and Y dimensions converged. These finding were consistent across two types of controllers and different tracking paths in the 3D environment. It would appear that horizontal movement requires higher attentional resource priority over vertical movement in such a tracking task.


Autoclaving is a process that ensures the highest quality of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite structures used in aviation. During the autoclave process, consolidation of prepreg laminas through simultaneous elevated pressure and temperature results in a uniform high-end material system. This work focuses on analyzing in a fundamental way the applications of pressure and temperature separately during prepreg consolidation. A controlled pressure vessel (press-clave) has been designed that applies pressure during the curing process while the temperature is being applied locally by heat blankets. This vessel gives the ability to design manufacturing processes with different pressures while applying temperature at desired regions of the composite. The pressure role on the curing extent and its effect on the interlayer region are also tested in order to evaluate the consolidation of prepregs to a completely uniform material. Such studies may also be used to provide insight into the morphology of interlayer reinforcement concepts, which are widely used in the featherweight composites. Specimens manufactured by press-clave, which separates pressure from heat, are analytically tested and compared to autoclaved specimens in order to demonstrate the suitability of the press-clave to manufacture high-quality composites with excessively reduced cost.


The Coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the world and Latin America has not been able to escape from its health, economic and social impacts. The economic shutdown as a result of a combination of stringent measures (selfquarantines, mandatory quarantines, limited capacity of people in commercial stores, factories and offices, border closures, etc.), is generating profound economic and social impacts. In the labor market this means shocks to both supply and demand. Within households, this means an increase in the unpaid workload that falls disproportionately on women, further limiting their availability of time to carry out productive activities. The impacts and deepness of the crisis are different for women and men, so generalized formulas must be avoided as they can widen gender gaps. In this paper we explore the impacts of the crisis on employment in sixteen countries of the region. Additionally, we analyze gender impacts with four lenses: young people, people living in poverty, rural people and heads of household. We present a set of policy options aimed at integrating the gender approach in all the cycle of the socio-economic response to the pandemic and in the post-pandemic. Emphasizing that solutions must be cross-cutting, we propose policies in three main areas: homes, work and the spaces between work and home. Thus, socio-economic recovery policies will not only help to ease the impact in the short term, but also to make progress in equal opportunities for women and men in the medium and long term.


Preface by M. Andrew Holowchak, Muhlenberg College Acknowledgments Foreword by J.S. Russell, Langara College Part I: What Is Strength' "Does Powerlifting Really Test for Power?" - Samer Saab, The Lebanese American University "What It Really Takes to be the World's Strongest Man" - M. Andrew Holowchak, Muhlenberg College "Reflections, Philosophical and Otherwise, on 'Strength" - Zydrunas Savickas, Strongman Legend Part II: Strength & Being "Heidegger and Schwarzenegger: Being and Training - Jerry Sandau "The Ki to Strength in the Martial Arts" - Allan Back, Kutzlown University Part III: Strength, Beauty, & Knowing "Philosophical and Practical Considerations for a Strongman Contest" - Terry Todd, University of Texas/Powerlifting and Weightlifting Champion "Aesthetic and Epistemic Aspects of 'Iron Games" - John Bender, Ohio University Part IV: Strength & Ethics "Charles Atlas and the Meaning of Life" - Ray Belliotti, State University of New York, Fredonia "Hercules' Dilemma: Is Strength Really a Virtue?" - Heather Reid, Morningside College Part V: Strength & Gender "Extreme Beauty: Size and Sexism in Women's Strength Sports" - Jill Mills, Two-Time ESPN's World's Strongest Woman "Is Women's Bodybuilding 'Unfeminine'?" - Melina C. Bell, Washington and Lee University Part VI: Strength & Technology "Gene Doping and Strength" - Angela Schneider, University of Western Ontario "Strong Medicine: Drugs and Sports Redux" - Michal Lavin.


Objective To retrospectively evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of three-tube insertion for the treatment of postoperative gastroesophageal anastomotic leakage (GEAL). Materials and Methods From January 2007 to January 2011, 28 cases of postoperative GEAL after an esophagectomy with intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomotic procedures for esophageal and cardiac carcinoma were treated by the insertion of three tubes under fluoroscopic guidance. The three tubes consisted of a drainage tube through the leak, a nasogastric decompression tube, and a nasojejunum feeding tube. The study population consisted of 28 patients (18 males, 10 females) ranging in their ages from 36 to 72 years (mean: 59 years). We evaluated the feasibility of three-tube insertion to facilitate leakage site closure, and the patients' nutritional benefit by checking their serum albumin levels between pre- and post-enteral feeding via the feeding tube. Results The three tubes were successfully placed under fluoroscopic guidance in all twenty-eight patients (100%). The procedure times for the three tube insertion ranged from 30 to 70 minutes (mean time: 45 minutes). In 27 of 28 patients (96%), leakage site closure after three-tube insertion was achieved, while it was not attained in one patient who received stent implantation as a substitute. All patients showed good tolerance of the three-tube insertion in the nasal cavity. The mean time needed for leakage treatment was 21 ± 3.5 days. The serum albumin level change was significant, increasing from pre-enteral feeding (2.5 ± 0.40 g/dL) to post-enteral feeding (3.7 ± 0.51 g/dL) via the feeding tube (p < 0.001). The duration of follow-up ranged from 7 to 60 months (mean: 28 months). Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the insertion of three tubes under fluoroscopic guidance is safe, and also provides effective relief from postesophagectomy GEAL. Moreover, our findings suggest that three-tube insertion may be used as the primary procedure to treat postoperative GEAL.


We introduce a new approach towards a more accessible Web by means of more accessible knowledge acquisition mechanisms. Our strategy is to detect the Web designer's needs for knowledge that can be collected from minorities of Web users, and subsequently to design mechanisms that allow the proper elicitation of such knowledge from Web users. We discuss how this scenario places marginal Web users in a privileged position that appeals for their inclusion. Additionally, we illustrate how this approach might help build a more accessible Web, to the benefit of visually-impaired knowledge contributors.


Three-stage model of normal penetration of rigid projectile into aluminum plate is developed base on cavity expansion theory (plate thickness is smaller than projectile nose length). Correction method of the models is proposed and predicted results have good agreement with experimental data. The influence of target's yield stress, target material parameter, sliding friction coefficient and projectile nose shape to penetration process is analyzed through numerical solution. It provides an effective mechanical analysis model for research of projectile impact resistance method to aluminum protective structure.


BACKGROUND
Physician well-being has an impact on productivity and quality of care. Residency training is a particularly stressful period.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the well-being of general internal medicine (GIM) residents and its association with personal and work-related factors.

METHODS
We conducted an anonymous electronic survey among GIM residents from 13 Swiss teaching hospitals. We explored the association between a reduced well-being (≥5 points based on the Physician Well-Being Index [PWBI]) and personal and work-related factors using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression.

RESULTS
The response rate was 54% (472/880). Overall, 19% of residents had a reduced well-being, 60% felt burned out (emotional exhaustion), 47% were worried that their work was hardening them emotionally (depersonalisation), and 21% had career choice regret. Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.34), working hours per week (OR 1.04 per hour, 95% CI 1.01–1.07) and <2.5 rewarding work hours per day (OR 3.73, 95% CI 2.01–6.92) were associated with reduced well-being. Administrative workload and satisfaction with the electronic medical record were not. We found significant correlations between PWBI score and job satisfaction (rs = -0.54, p<0.001), medical errors (rs = 0.18, p<0.001), suicidal ideation (rs = 0.12, p = 0.009) and the intention to leave clinical practice (rs = 0.38, p <0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 20% of Swiss GIM residents appear to have a reduced well-being and many show signs of distress or have career choice regret. Having few hours of rewarding work and a high number of working hours were the most important modifiable predictors of reduced well-being. Healthcare organisations have an ethical responsibility to implement interventions to improve physician well-being.


Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), such as gefitinib, have been demonstrated to effectively treat the patients of extracranial non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, these patients often develop brain metastasis (BM) during their disease course. The major obstacle to treat BM is the limited penetration of anticancer drugs across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). In the present study, we utilized gefitinib-loaded liposomes with different modifications to improve gefitinib delivery across the in vitro BBB model of bEnd.3 cells. Gefitinib was encapsulated in small unilamellar liposomes modified with glutathione (GSH) and Tween 80 (SUV-G+T; one ligand plus one surfactant) or RF (SUV-RF; one α-helical cell-penetrating peptide). GSH, Tween 80, and RF were tested by the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay to find their non-cytotoxic concentrations on bEnd.3 cells. The enhancement on gefitinib across the BBB was evaluated by cytotoxicity assay on human lung adenocarcinoma PC9 cells under the bEnd.3 cells grown on the transwell inserts. Our findings showed that gefitinib incorporated in SUV-G+T or SUV-RF across the bEnd.3 cells significantly reduced the viability of PC9 cells more than that of free gefitinib. Furthermore, SUV-RF showed no cytotoxicity on bEnd.3 cells and did not affect the transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and transendothelial permeability of sodium fluorescein across the BBB model. Moreover, flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy were employed to evaluate the endocytosis pathways of SUV-RF. The results indicated that the uptake into bEnd.3 cells was mainly through adsorptive-mediated mechanism via electrostatic interaction and partially through clathrin-mediated endocytosis. In conclusion, cell penetrating peptide-conjugated SUV-RF shed light on improving drug transport across the BBB via modulating the transcytosis pathway(s).


The extent to which school students continue to receive special education services over time is largely unknown because longitudinal studies are rare in this area. The present study examined a large Australian longitudinal database to track the status of children who received special education support in 2006 and whether they continued to access such support over a 4-year period. Nearly two thirds of the children receiving additional assistance in 2006 did not receive such assistance 4 years later. There were substantial variations in the principal reason for providing special education services to students over this period, and the relative academic performance of the students who received special education support across the 4 years substantially declined. The findings have ramifications for the way we consider changes in the needs of young children as they progress through the primary school system.


In many real-world scenarios, the time it takes for a mobile agent, e.g., a robot, to move from one location to another may vary due to exogenous events and be difficult to predict accurately. Planning in such scenarios is challenging, especially in the context of Multi-Agent Pathfinding (MAPF), where the goal is to find paths to multiple agents and temporal coordination is necessary to avoid collisions. In this work, we consider a MAPF problem with this form of time uncertainty, where we are only given upper and lower bounds on the time it takes each agent to move. The objective is to find a safe solution, which is a solution that can be executed by all agents and is guaranteed to avoid collisions. We propose two complete and optimal algorithms for finding safe solutions based on well-known MAPF algorithms, namely, A* with Operator Decomposition (A* + OD) and Conflict-Based Search (CBS). Experimentally, we observe that on several standard MAPF grids the CBS-based algorithm performs better. We also explore the option of online replanning in this context, i.e., modifying the agents' plans during execution, to reduce the overall execution cost. We consider two online settings: (a) when an agent can sense the current time and its current location, and (b) when the agents can also communicate seamlessly during execution. For each setting, we propose a replanning algorithm and analyze its behavior theoretically and empirically. Our experimental evaluation confirms that indeed online replanning in both settings can significantly reduce solution cost.


Between 1918-1921, Ireland was swept along by a phenonomen, the entire island
became embroiled in a transition, from being ruled by another power, namely Britain in entirety, to
becoming independent yet divided. This period has being well documented, analysed and written
about, on a national scale. The active areas have received the attentions of many historians and
commentators. But the 'other' areas rarely receive a mention; the mistake is too often made of
superimposing a blueprint that was concocted for one county, upon all the rest. True, Westmeath
follows the general pattern that occurred in the rest of the country, that of young men joining the
Volunteers and becoming increasingly militant against Crown Forces, marginalised to a large extent
from their local communities, and working more often than not on their own initiative. Also the pattern
of the war was dictated largely, by changes in the British government's policies in Ireland and GHQ's
reaction to them. Therefore the country at many stages did move as one, changing tactics to receive the
various threats and challenges thrown at them. But the counties also followed separate paths, slight
differences occur in the methods adopted, when these methods were adopted and to a certain degree
who adopted them. The movement was developed along regional lines, along parish boundaries;
therefore it was always going to form differently, depending on the attitude, politics and policies of the
activists and the local communities reaction to them. Thousands joined the ranks of the Volunteers
during the latter half of the 1910s, but many did not foresee the violent role that they would be asked
to play. After the 1916 Rising, the Volunteers who had being interned had strong reasons to become
more militant, and from here on Volunteers were being arrested and re-arrested and in turn this
increased their radicalism. Activists set up small nuclei by enrolling their brothers, close friends or
work-mates. The movement spread as these small groups began to drill openly, its ranks swelled with
the conscription crisis of 1918, when everybody realised that the Volunteers were the most capable
body to oppose conscription into the British Army. Effectively then, the majority of recruits were
joining for the wrong reasons and therefore the possibility of activity was still very much in the hands
Introduction.
of a small cluster of men. The most important thing that I have attempted to convey is the fact that
there did exist a militant section of men in the county of Westmeath and that they did affect British
rule in the county. The fact that activity in the less 'active' counties is seldom mentioned could have
the effect of people presuming that nothing whatsoever occurred.
In the course of this work, I will attempt to document the course of events in
Westmeath during the War of Independence. I have divided the thesis into three chapters. Chapter 1 is
a chronology of events that occurred within the county in this period; beginning with the minor acts of
defiance in 1918, accentuating along a radical path, finally ending with total lawlessness in 1921.
Chapter 2 assesses these events, attempting to explain the path that the county took in relation to the
rest of the country and why different areas of the county developed conflicting attitudes and methods
to the war. Finally Chapter 3 provides a social composition of the Westmeath Volunteers, providing
some indication as to who joined the IRA as regards age, occupation, social class and marital status.


When a system is cooled from the high temperature liquid state below its liquidus temperature, the dynamics of the system start to deviate from the ones in the equilibrium high temperature liquid. There are a number of kinetic decoupling phenomena observed, such as the separation of the primary alpha and the secondary beta relaxation and the decoupling of the viscosity from the diffusion. A possible explanation for this behavior is a first order liquid-liquid phase transition which overlaps with a fragility transition. From an experimental point of view the supercooled liquid of metallic glass formers is difficult to access because of their high tendency to crystallize. In this dissertation, the liquid-liquid phase transition of metallic glasses was investigated using an ultrafast heating technique via a capacitor discharge. For this purpose, the capacitor discharge technique was constructed in order to achieve heating rates in the order of 10^6 and 10^7 K/s. Additionally, a novel chopper technique was developed which is capable of enhancing the temporal resolution of any two-dimensional X-ray detector by a factor of thirteen. Thus the chopper method allows structural studies with a high temporal resolution. Using these techniques it could be shown that there is pronounced liquid-liquid phase transition in the metallic glass former Zr65Cu27.5Al7.5 when system transforms from the supercooled liquid into the high temperature liquid. Additionally, by varying the heating rate by eight orders of magnitude in the range from 10^-1 K/s until 10^6 K/s, it could be shown that the shift of the glass transition temperature with heating rate reveals a strong to fragile transition.


The synchrocyclotron at the The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala is now reconstructed and can presently operate with fixed frequency and proton energies up to 100 MeV. A first treatment room with a narrow proton beam unit for therapy of eye tumours is now in operation. Therapy of eye melanomas started in April, 1989 and during 1989 and 1990, 19 patients were treated with 72 MeV protons. The narrow beam unit provides a fixed horizontal beam and the patient is treated in a seated position. The present paper describes mainly the technical aspects of the unit which so far has been used only for eye melanomas. In the future, modifications of the unit will allow therapy of intracranial targets when higher proton energies are available. In its final form, the proton therapy facility at TSL will harbour a second treatment unit. Here a rotating gantry for 200 MeV protons will provide a broad beam, which will enable treatment of tumours located anywhere in the body.


In this dissertation, the discrete sparse Fourier Hermite approximation of a function in a specified Hilbert space of arbitrary dimension is defined, and theoretical error bounds of the numerically computed approximation are proven. Computing the Fourier Hermite approximation in high dimensions suffers from the well-known curse of dimensionality. In short, as the ambient dimension increases, the complexity of the problem grows until it is impossible to numerically compute a solution. To circumvent this difficulty, a sparse, hyperbolic cross shaped set, that takes advantage of the natural decaying nature of the Fourier Hermite coefficients, is used to serve as an index set for the approximation. The Fourier Hermite coefficients must be numerically estimated since the Fourier Hermite coefficients are nearly impossible to compute exactly, except in trivial cases. However, care must be taken to compute them numerically, since the integrals involve oscillatory terms. To closely approximate the integrals that appear in the approximated Fourier Hermite coefficients, a multiscale quadrature method is used. This quadrature method is implemented through an algorithm that takes advantage of the natural properties of the Hermite polynomials for fast results. The definitions of the sparse index set and of the quadrature method used will each introduce many interdependent parameters. These parameters give a user many degrees of freedom to tailor the numerical procedure to meet his or her desired speed and accuracy goals. Default guidelines of how to choose these parameters for a general function f that will significantly reduce the computational cost over any naive computational methods without sacrificing accuracy are presented. Additionally, many numerical examples are included to support the complexity and accuracy claims of the proposed algorithm. Discrete Sparse Fourier Hermite Approximations in High Dimensions


IN PAST years various attempts have been made to power locomotives by 25-cycle single-phase rectified voltage applied to d-c series motors. Early efforts were unsuccessful, mainly because of the faulty operation of the mercury-arc rectifier. Continued research and development, however, have now made the operation of d-c traction motors on mercury-arc rectifiers in locomotive service entirely feasible from a technical standpoint. In recent years, a new feature has been added. The development of the Diesel-electric locomotive has resulted in a standardized, low-cost d-c traction motor suitable for general-purpose road-locomotive applications. Hence, any present-day electric locomotive design employing d-c traction motors can benefit by the use of such standarized motors. An example of this is found in the rectifier locomotives recently built by the General Electric Company for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad wherein the standard d-c traction motor shown in Fig. 1 was applied. The problem of operating these motors on rectified single-phase 25-cycle power resolved itself into the problem of smoothing the undulating current to a sufficient degree so that this motor would not be harmfully affected from either a stress or performance standpoint.


Technology of pyrolysis rotary furnace for oil sludge was conducted in this paper, which feature with natural gas as fuel, multi-combuster for heating controlling and novel dynamic-static sealing structure at both ends of the rotary furnace. A complete set of technical process was designed and operated with processing scale of 10 tons/day of oil sludge (The sludge moisture content is 80%). The result indicates that the system meets the standard of safe running. Recovery rate of the oil in sludge is more than 80%, while the oil content of pyrolytic residues is less than 0.3%. The main components of non-condensable gas include methane and hydrogen, occupying 35% and 40% respectively. There are high content of lightweight fractions in pyrolysis oil, such as gasoline, kerosene and diesel oil, in which the C10-C15 is near to 50%-60% and aromatics can be up to 60%. Finally, due to the high contents of carbon and aluminum salt in residue, it is much worth for the carbon and aluminum salt recovery.


An intersex person is one whose biological sex cannot be classified clearly as either male or female. This ambiguity may be anatomical, hormonal, gonadal or chromosomal. Intersex births are estimated at between 1.7% (Nthumba, 2008) and 3% (Haas, 2006) or between 748,000 and 1,320,000 of Kenya's population which is estimated at around 44 million people. The figures are mind-boggling, yet nothing much is known or written about intersex persons in Kenya. Having served in the Kenyan Judiciary for more than 20 years, the author has risen to the rank of Chief Magistrate and has served in the Childrens' Court. It is here in 2009 that she had her first contact with an intersex child who was brought before her as a child in need of care and protection during the arraignment of the child's mother for child neglect. A victim impact statement revealed that the child was suffering because of the stigma directed at the child's intersex status and the community's traditional attitude against intersex babies, who could be killed at birth. The child was not in school because of the child's parents' fear that the child would be ridiculed by others. A few years later, in the case of RM v The Attorney General and others [2010] eKLR, the Constitutional Court made the finding that issues of intersex persons are not the concern of society and do not deserve government regulation or protection. Based on her experiences, the author was of the view that this finding was far removed from the lived realities of intersex persons. Using the Grounded Women's Law Approach, the author sought 'to describe, understand and improve the position of intersex persons in the law and in the society'. She did this by making intersex persons the focus of her study. The study found that, since society is organized and based on the sex/gender binary of female and male, intersex persons are a marginalised sex minority group who face discrimination from the moment of their birth, as some people regard them as abnormal and a curse. Statutory birth registration law does not even recognise their existence. Their right to self-determination is violated through the assignment of a sex/gender at birth, sometimes through corrective surgery and without their consent, yet their bodies may develop into the sex opposite to the one imposed. As a result, they are forced to live secret lives, with no understanding of their condition. The study concludes there is an urgent need for intersex consciousness raising and organizing so that they can speak in their own voices and explain their needs. The Constitution has empowered Kenyan Courts to interpret its values and provisions in such a way as to develop the law to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all its citizens as contained in the Bill of Rights. This constitutional power imposes on the Courts the duty to provide a platform for intersex persons to re-engage meaningfully with Kenyan society in order to seek and earn, at least to start, the fundamental and existential legal recognition they deserve.,NORAD


Background: Identifying mechanisms that govern the shedding of ctDNA in blood could inform the use of liquid biopsy in individual patients. Previous studies in the I-SPY2 neoadjuvant trial involving high-risk breast cancer showed that the detection of ctDNA before treatment was associated with aggressive clinical characteristics and residual ctDNA after treatment was associated with poor outcomes. Moreover, ctDNA positivity rates significantly varied across breast cancer subtypes suggesting that ctDNA shedding may in part be driven by subtype-specific etiology. We performed genome-wide transcriptomic analysis to identify genes and biological processes associated with increased ctDNA shedding within and across receptor subtypes. Methods: Our study involved 227 patients in I-SPY2 with tumor gene expression and ctDNA data at pretreatment. All patients were at high risk for recurrence (MammaPrint high). Each subtype: HR+HER2- (n=109), HER2+ (n=19), and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC, n=99) was evaluated independently. We performed differential expression (DE) analysis on the global transcriptome (m=19,134 genes) and curated gene signature (cGS, m=31 signatures developed in I-SPY2) data between ctDNA+ and ctDNA- patients at baseline. Gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was also performed across hallmark (H, m=50), canonical pathway (CP, m=5,501), gene ontology (GO, m=9,996) and immunologic (IM, m=4,872) gene sets. Features were associated with ctDNA shedding if Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p < 0.05. For subtypes with smaller sample size and unbalanced groups, we also report features with nominally significant p < 0.05. Results: ctDNA positivity rate was significantly higher in TNBC (91%) than in HR+HER2- and HER2+ (65% and 74% respectively, Fisher p <0.001). The HR+HER2- subtype had the most significant hits for DE analysis between ctDNA+ and ctDNA- patients, with 0.2% of genes and 3.2% of cGS. No genes or cGS were differentially expressed in TNBC and HER2+, likely due to imbalance or small size of these groups. For GSEA, we observed the most significant number of enrichments in HR+HER2- subtype, with 58%, 21.8%, 4.4% and 40.3% of H, CP, GO, and IM gene sets enriched, respectively. In the HER2+ subtype, 40% H, 15.7% CP and 36.4% IM gene sets were significantly enriched, while no gene sets were enriched in TNBC. To identify common mechanistic themes across subtypes, we also considered nominally significant features in DE and GSEA. Processes associated with infection and innate immune responses were enriched in ctDNA+ patients, while adaptive immune response and antigen presentation—e.g., T-cell, TCR and MHC II protein complex, and downregulation of MYC targets were enriched in ctDNA- patients. HR+HER2- and HER2+ subtypes shared the most common modulated features with 134 genes and 2,165 gene sets, including up-regulation of cell cycle and proliferation in ctDNA+ patients, as well as up- or down-regulation of specific immunologic and metabolic processes. In contrast, TNBC gene set enrichment was associated with more distinct biologic processes, sharing common enrichment of 113 and 27 gene sets with HR+HER2- and HER2+ subtype, respectively. Conclusions: Findings from our exploratory analysis suggest a key role of immune response pathways in the control of ctDNA release. Additionally, tumor cell proliferation was associated with increased shedding in HR+HER2- and HER2+ subtypes, while down regulation of MYC targets was associated with ctDNA- patients across all subtypes. These suggest an important role of cell cycle in ctDNA shedding. Overall, our analysis revealed common and unique mechanisms potentially associated with ctDNA shedding across and within subtypes. However, due to the unbalanced groups and limited sample sizes, validation in a larger cohort is warranted.
 Citation Format: Rosalyn W. Sayaman, Denise M. Wolf, Christina Yau, Lamorna Brown Swigart, Gillian L. Hirst, Laura Sit, Nicholas O'Grady, Amy L. Delson, I-SPY2 Investigators, Laura Esserman, Laura J. van 't Veer, Mark Jesus M. Magbanua. Elucidating the biology of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) shedding across receptor subtypes in high-risk early-stage breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-03.


The problem of electromagnetic scattering from and transmission through an arbitrarily shaped aperture is considered. The aperture is in a thick infinite perfectly conducting ground plane. The conducting walls of the cavity inside the ground plane are of arbitrary shape. The apertures at both ends of the cavity are also of arbitrary shape. The structure is illuminated by an incident plane electromagnetic wave. The Green's function for this complicated problem is almost impossible to determine. Therefore the surface equivalence principle is used to reduce this complex problem into three simpler ones. Each such problem consists of equivalent surface currents radiating in unbounded media. Therefore the free space Green's function is used for each problem. An equivalent surface magnetic current placed on the top aperture produces the scattered field in the region where the impressed sources are. The total field inside the cavity is produced by two surface equivalent magnetic currents on the apertures and an equivalent surface electric current residing on the walls of the cavity as well as on both apertures. The transmitted field on the opposite side of the impressed sources is computed by an equivalent surface magnetic current residing on the bottom aperture. Enforcing the boundary conditions on the tangential components of electric and magnetic fields on both apertures and on the tangential components of electric field on the cavity walls results in a set of three coupled integral equations for the equivalent surface currents. Whenever possible, image theory is used to simplify the equations. These equations are numerically solved using the method of moments. The surfaces are approximated by planar triangular patches. RWG functions are used for expansion functions. An approximate Galerkin method is used for testing. The method is applicable for the general case where all three regions have different material parameters. Results are computed for the case where all these parameters are the same. The method is applicable for arbitrary sized apertures and cavities. However due to limited computing resources, only problems in the resonance region, where dimensions are comparable to wavelength, are considered here. Computed results are given for the case of two square apertures connected by a square prism, two cross apertures connected by a square prism cavity, two circular apertures connected by a cylindrical cavity, and finally two circular apertures connected by a conical cavity. Our computed results are compared with results in the literature obtained by using other methods. Very good agreement is observed. METHOD OF MOMENTS ANALYSIS OF AN APERTURE IN A THICK GROUND PLANE By Ahmet Burak Olcen B.S. Istanbul Technical University, 1999 M.S. Syracuse University, 2002


Objective:To evaluate the effect of an online training course containing video clips of central venous catheter insertions on compliance with sterile practice. Design:Prospective randomized controlled study. Setting:Admitting area of a university-based high-volume trauma center. Subjects:Surgical and emergency medicine residents rotating through the trauma services. Interventions:An online training course on recommended sterile practices during central venous catheter insertion was developed. The course contained short video clips from actual patient care demonstrating common noncompliant behaviors and breaks regarding recommended sterile practices. A 4-month study with a counterbalanced design compared residents trained by the video-based online training course (video group) with those trained with a paper version of the course (paper group). Residents who inserted central venous catheters but received neither the paper nor video training were used as a control group. Consecutive central venous catheter insertions from 12 noon to 12 midnight except Sundays were video recorded. Measurements and Main Results:Sterile-practice compliance was judged through video review by two surgeons blinded to the training status of the residents. Fifty residents inserted 73 elective central venous catheters (19, 31, and 23 by the video, paper, and control group operators, respectively) into 68 patients. Overall compliance with proper operator preparation, skin preparation, and draping was 49% (36 of 73 procedures). The training had no effect on selection of site and skin preparation agent. The video group was significantly more likely than the other two groups to fully comply with sterile practices (74% vs. 33%; odds ratio, 6.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.0–22.0). Even after we controlled for the number of years in residency training, specialty, number of central venous catheters inserted, and central venous catheter site chosen, the video group was more likely to comply with recommended sterile practices (p = .003). Conclusions:An online training course, with short video clips of actual patient care demonstrating noncompliant behaviors, improved sterile-practice compliance for central venous catheter insertion. Paper handouts with equivalent content did not improve compliance.


Optical rectennas are antenna-coupled diode rectifiers that receive and convert optical-frequency electromagnetic radiation into DC output. Because classical rectennas working at microwave frequencies can achieve very high rectification efficiencies, rectennas working as solar cells were expected to have efficiencies significantly higher than conventional solar cells. By applying the theory of photon-assisted tunneling (PAT) to optical rectennas at solar intensities, I show that the power conversion efficiency of rectenna solar cells is fundamentally limited to the Trivich-Flinn efficiency limit of 44%. This unexpected result is the same as the Shockley-Queisser ultimate efficiency limit of conventional solar cells. Is it possible to exceed this efficiency limit? I answer this question by showing that there is a correspondence between the quantum and classical operation of a rectenna. Such correspondence allows high frequency rectennas to operate in the same way as classical rectennas, and to potentially exceed the Trivich-Flinn efficiency limit. I propose two ways to achieve classical operation in optical rectennas. Diode design is crucial for achieving high rectification efficiency. High-speed diodes, such as metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes, have insufficient asymmetry for harvesting low intensity radiation. I suggest steps to improve the characteristics of double insulator MIM diodes and calculate their power conversion efficiency using PAT theory. A simple figure of merit is provided to quickly assess the usefulness of MIM diodes in optical rectennas. Although ineffective at visible frequencies, MIM diodes have RC time constants sufficient for operation at low terahertz frequencies, useful in applications including detection and high-speed electronics. I develop the steps to design MIM diodes at 1 THz, propose materials that will give the required current-voltage characteristics and RC time constant, perform electrical and optical measurements on fabricated devices, and suggest steps to improve their performance. In contrast to MIM diodes, novel planar devices called geometric diodes have very low RC time constants and are capable of rectifying radiation up to 100 THz. I measure the infrared optical response of graphene-based geometric diodes, and demonstrate one of the best room-temperature detectors working at 28 THz.


When David is working in the museum, he breaks a valuable vase. Then he learns that the vase holds clues to the location of the last Golden Monkey, which men from China plan to collect the next day. David and his friends then look for the missing Golden Monkey. Will they find it in time?