cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron microscopy of severed motor fibers in the crayfish.

Cut and crushed crayfish claw nerves were examined with the electron microscope at intervals up to 6 months after lesion. In sections 1 centimeter distal to the lesion there were no signs of degeneration among the giant motor axons even after many months. Swelling of glial wrappings was observed within 48 hours of nerve severance and was particularly notable in the innermost glial layer, the adaxonal layer. Golgi elements, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria accumulated in the glia. These changes were perhaps indicative of a greater supportive role required by the severed axons. Regeneration from the proximal stumps of the giant axons began within one week and had proceeded across the lesion gap by 4 weeks. Axon sprouts appeared to travel toward the terminals within the glial sheaths of the distal giant axon segments. Before regeneration was complete, as determined by a simple behaviour test, the regenerating axons occupied increasing proportions of the sheath space. After regeneration was complete occasional degenerations were seen among the sprouts. These degenerations may have occurred in regenerating axons which had grown to the incorrect muscles. The original distal giant axons probably degenerated, as well, after regeneration was complete. There was no evidence of rehealing of proximal and distal segments of the axons.
λPMV: A Bacteriophage Vector Allowing Single-Step Retrieval of cDNAs Following Expression in Mammalian Cells

ABSTRACT A general strategy has been developed for expression and rescue of cDNAs in mammalian cells. cDNA libraries are constructed in a new phage vector, λPMV, which contains simian virus 40 (SV40) early region promoter sequences for transcription of cDNA inserts, as well as a dominant-acting selectable marker neo. Efficient transfer of the cDNA library to mammalian cells can be achieved by phage particle-mediated transfection. Following selection in the antibiotic G418, cells expressing the phenotype of interest are identified and isolated. Rapid recovery of the transfected cDNA is achieved through cell fusion of the transduced cells with COS cells. Replication at the SV40 origin promotes excision of the integrated cDNA as small circular DNA, which after isolation in this form is used to transform bacteria to ampicillin resistance. To test this strategy, a cDNA encoding the human lymphocyte differentiation antigen CD8 was inserted into λPMV. CD8 expression on the surface of mouse L cells and the effici...
A Pulse Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of Hydrogen on a Carbon-Supported Platinum Catalyst

La methode de resonance magnetique est utilisee pour mesurer le temps de relaxation spin-reseau et le temps de relaxation spin-spin de l'hydrogene adsorbe sur un catalyseur de platine supporte par du carbone entre 181 K et 256 K
Internal Friction and Sodium Transport in Beta Alumina

Internal friction peaks near 100 K were observed for melt-grown single-crystal sodium β-alumina with a stress at 12 and 16 kHz. These data, combined with those of Barmatz and Farrow, produced limiting values for the activation energy and preexponential factor for the relaxation time, viz. 20 kJ/mol and 5.6×10−16 s and 23 kJ/mol and 7.4×10−18 s. Split-interstitial Na+ions on mid-oxygen sites could produce these peaks, but not simple interstitials on anti-Beevers-Ross sites. A relaxation mode calculation is given for the relaxation frequency in the internal friction experiment and for the electrical conductivity in the conducting plane for the split interstitial model.
Effect of curvature, contact angle, and interfacial subcooling on contact line spreading in a microdrop in dropwise condensation

The slow growth characteristics of a condensing ethanol sessile drop on a quartz substrate were studied experimentally. Using interference microscopy measurements of the transient liquid film profile (curvature) to obtain the pressure field and a Kelvin−Clapeyron model of interfacial mass flux to obtain the interfacial temperature difference, changes in the apparent contact angle were related to interfacial subcooling and, therefore, adsorption. We found that while the radius of curvature of the growing drop increased linearly with time, the apparent contact angle remained the same during slow growth at a constant condensation heat flux. The radii of curvature and the apparent contact angles at different axial locations were measured and compared. The results demonstrated that the curvature, the contact angle, the interfacial subcooling, the interfacial mass flux, the spreading velocity, and adsorption are coupled at the moving contact line. Motion and the apparent contact angle are governed by the conden...
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome in traumatic brain injury: Two cases

One of the many causes of enteral feeding (EF) intolerance after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS). Although it is reported in pediatric brain injury, few cases are noted in adults. To increase awareness of this medically treatable condition, we present two patients who developed SMAS after sustaining severe brain injury. SMAS results from compression of the duodenum by the SMA against the aorta and risk factors include acute weight loss, prolonged recumbency, and spasticity--all frequently encountered in severe TBI. After gastric decompression, symptoms often resolve with weight gain achieved by conservative treatment; including feeding in the left lateral or prone position, hyperalimentation, or extension of a feeding tube beyond the obstruction. SMAS should be considered in the presence of EF intolerance in severe adult TBI because multiple risk factors may be present.
The Theme of the Precocious Child in Early Chinese Literature

L'A. s'interesse a la place des enfants precoces dans la litterature chinoise. Au 9°Siecle avant J.C le livre des odes et plus particulierement l'ode Sheng min traite de la precocite liee a des origines mythiques. A l'epoque des Royaumes combattants un livre a ete redige Intrigues des Royaumes Combattants, traitant de ce sujet. L'article s'acheve par la presentation de ce phenomene sous la dynastie Han
The Undergraduate Optics Course at Millersville University

For many years, there was no stand alone course in optics at Millersville University (MU). In the fall of 2007, the Physics Department offered for the first time PHYS 331: Fundamentals in Optics, a discovery based lab course in geometrical, physical and modern optics. This 300-level, 2 credits course consists of four contact hours per week including one-hour lecture and three hours laboratory. This course is required for BS in physics majors, but is open also to other science majors, who have the appropriate background and have met the prerequisites. This course deals with fundamental optics and optical techniques in greater depth so that the student is abreast of the activities in the forefront of the field. The goal of the course is to provide hands-on experience and in-depth preparation of our students for graduate programs in optics or as a workforce for new emerging high-tech local industries. Students learn applied optics through sequence of discovery based laboratory experiments chosen from a broad range of topics in optics and lasers, as the emphasis is on geometrical optics, geometrical aberrations in optical systems, wave optics, microscopy, spectroscopy, polarization, birefringence, laser generation, laser properties and applications, and optical standards. The peer-guided but open-ended approach provides excellent practice for the academic model of science research. Solving problems is embedded in the laboratory part as an introduction to or a conclusion of the experiment performed during the lab period. The homework problems are carefully chosen to reflect the most important relations from the covered material. Important part of the student learning strategy is the individual work on a final mini project which is presented in the class and is included in the final grading. This new course also impacted the department’s undergraduate research and training programs. Some of the individual projects were extended to senior research projects in optics as part of the senior research and seminar courses, PHYS 492 and PHYS 498, which are required for graduation for all physics majors. The optics course also provides basic resources for both research and training in the classical and modern optics of high-school students and K-12 teachers. The successful implementation of the optics course was secured by a budget of about $60,000.
Efficient narrow bandwidth conversion from a chirped-pulse amplification system

Summary form only given. We have demonstrated a technique that creates narrow bandwidth probes to be used in a variety of chirped-pulse Ti:sapphire laser amplification systems. This probe is highly efficient and can be absolutely synchronized with any pump beams for use in a variety of experiments.
A parallel implementation of Viterbi training for acoustic models using graphics processing units

Robust and accurate speech recognition systems can only be realized with adequately trained acoustic models. For common languages, state-of-the-art systems are trained on many thousands of hours of speech data and even with large clusters of machines the entire training process can take many weeks. To overcome this development bottleneck, we propose a parallel implementation of Viterbi training optimized for training Hidden-Markov-Model (HMM)-based acoustic models using highly parallel graphics processing units (GPUs). In this paper, we introduce Viterbi training, illustrate its application concurrency characteristics, data working set sizes, and describe the optimizations required for effective throughput on GPU processors. We demonstrate that the acoustic model training process is well-suited for GPUs. Using a single NVIDIA GTX580 GPU our proposed approach is shown to be 94.8× faster than a sequential CPU implementation, enabling a moderately sized acoustic model to be trained on 1000 hours of speech data in under 7 hours. Moreover, we show that our implementation on a two-GPU system can perform 3.3× faster than a standard parallel reference implementation on a high-end 32-core Xeon server at 1/15th the cost. Our GPU-based training platform empowers research groups to rapidly evaluate new ideas and build accurate and robust acoustic models on very large training corpora at nominal cost.
Interior ballistics of a two-stage light gas gun using velocity interferometry

An extensive interior ballistics study of a two-stage light gas gun was performed which resulted in a detailed measurement of the projectile velocity as a continuous function of time. The two-stage gun consisted of a 88.9-mm i.d. pump stage and a 28.6-mm i.d. launch stage. Five main parameters of gun operation, propellant mass, piston mass, pump gas, pump gas pressure, and projectile mass were varied in this study. Projectile velocities were measured using a very precise velocity interferometer for any reflecting surface (VISAR) technique. The measurements showed that the initial acceleration of the projectile is discontinuous due to the shock nature of the applied pressure on the projectile upon rupture of the burst diaphragm. These shock accelerations are understood easily via simple shock-tube theory. 9 figures, 3 tables.
Risk assessment by analysis of extrapolation error: A demonstration for effects of pollutants on fish

This article describes a new method for risk assessment and applies it to assessing the risk of chronic toxicity of mercury to largemouth bass. The method consists of extrapolation between taxa and between toxicity test types by regression analysis. The variance terms in the regression analyses are combined with the point estimate of the geometric mean of the maximum allowable toxic concentration (GMATC) to derive a probability distribution of the GMATC. This distribution is then compared to the ambient contaminant concentration to derive the probability or risk of chronic toxicity. This general approach to risk analysis is applicable to any organism or toxicant.
Estimability of Sensor Alignment Biases Using the Static Cramer Rao Lower Bound

The estimation of sensor alignment biases is essential in order to perform successful multisensor measurement fusion in a target tracking scenario. If the alignment biases are not estimated, they cause large errors at long target ranges which degrade tracking performance. The biases can be estimated relatively or absolutely. In the relative case the biases are estimated relative to a master sensor, while in the absolute case the biases are estimated in reference to a coordinate system independent of the sensors. As emphasized in this paper, absolute bias estimation is essential if it is desirable to perform sensor fusion in such a coordinate system. For this purpose the sensor locations are assumed to be known. The observability and estimability of the alignment biases are studied using the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) and the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for static targets, and it is concluded that absolute estimability is acheivable when using three sensors or more. The results of the analysis are verified in simulations, where the bias estimator is shown to be efficient as it converges close to the CRLB for moving targets.
A radiographic, morphologic, biochemical and molecular analysis of a case of achondrogenesis type II resulting from substitution for a glycine residue (Gly691→Arg) in the type II collagen trimer

The type II colIagenopathies form a continuous spectrum of clinical severity, ranging from lethal achondrogenesis type II and hypochondrogenesis, through spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia and Kniest dysplasia to the Stickier syndrome and familial precocious osteoarthropathy at the mildest end of the spectrum. We have carried out a radiographic, morphologic, biochemical and molecular study in a case of achondrogenesis type II. Electron micrographs showed inclusion bodies of dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum in the chondrocytes and the presence of sparse collagen fibers in the cartilage matrix. Protein analysis of collagen from cartilage indicated posttranslational overmodification of the major cyanogen bromide peptides, and suggested a mutation near the carboxyl terminus of the type II collagen molecule. Analysis at the DNA level demonstrated that the phenotype was produced by a single base change (G-->C) that resulted in the substitution of glycine(691) by arginine in the type II collagen triple helical domain. We confirm previous observations in three cases of hypochondrogenesis that glycine substitutions in the alpha 1(II) chain can result in a phenotype at the most severe end of the type II collagenopathy spectrum.
RelSamp: Preserving application structure in sampled flow measurements

The Internet has significantly evolved in the number and variety of applications. Network operators need mechanisms to constantly monitor and study these applications. Given modern applications routinely consist of several flows, potentially to many different destinations, existing measurement approaches such as Sampled NetFlow sample only a few flows per application session. To address this issue, in this paper, we introduce RelSamp architecture that implements the notion of related sampling where flows that are part of the same application session are given higher probability. In our evaluation using real traces, we show that RelSamp achieves 5–10x more flows per application session compared to Sampled NetFlow for the same effective number of sampled packets. We also show that behavioral and statistical classification approaches such as BLINC, SVM and C4.5 achieve up to 50% better classification accuracy compared to Sampled NetFlow, while not breaking existing management tasks such as volume estimation.
Comparison of the Mitochondrial 12S and 16S Ribosomal Dna Genes in Resolving Phylogenetic Relationships among Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

Domain III of the mitochondrial 12S rDNA was examined in 51 tick species to test discrepancies between a previously published 16S mitochondrial rDNA phylogeny and phylogenies based on morphology and the 18S nuclear rDNA gene. There were 4 possible hypotheses. First, the 12S and the 16S genes support identical trees. Second, the 12S produces a unique phylogeny. If either hypothesis is valid, then additional genes would need to be examined to test morphological or 18S rDNA phylogenies. Third, the 12S tree, like the 16S tree, provides a weakly resolved phylogeny suggesting that neither gene is useful in resolving higher order relationships. Fourth, the 12S tree supports the morphological and 18S phylogenies, suggesting that the 16S is not useful for resolving higher order relationships. The results of the study support the 3rd hypothesis; both mitochondrial rDNA genes provided weak phylogenetic support among all but the most recently evolved groups of species. Although the 12S and 16S genes resolved intrageneric and intraspecific relationships, the lack of resolution among higher taxonomic groups appears to be caused by homoplasy arising from the high A/T content and a high overall mutation rate in the tick mitochondrial genome.
Deletion of Stat3 Blocks Mammary Gland Involution and Extends Functional Competence of the Secretory Epithelium in the Absence of Lactogenic Stimuli

The transcription factor Stat3 is activated through tyrosine phosphorylation by many cytokines and is a fundamental mediator of their signals. In the mammary gland, Stat3 activity increases sharply shortly after weaning, and involution is delayed in mice, that contain a mutant Stat3 lacking 33 amino acids including the key tyrosine residue. We have now generated a more extensive mutation of Stat3 through the deletion of exons 15-21 in mammary epithelium. This resulted in the loss of 245 amino acids including the DNA binding and SH2 domains, and Stat3 protein was undetectable. Pregnancy-mediated mammary development and lactation were normal in these mice. Involution was delayed and, remarkably, Stat3-null mammary epithelium maintained its functional integrity and competence even 6 d after weaning, whereas control mammary tissue was rendered nonfunctional within 2 d. The lack of remodeling and functional stasis of the epithelium correlated with the disruption of proteinase activity. Our data demonstrate that mammary tissue can retain its functional competence in the absence of external lactogenic stimuli and demonstrate a delay in the initiation of the irreversible stage of involution.
Aneurysmectomy for recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias

Abstract The usual indications for aneurysmectomy have been congestive heart failure or thromboembolism. A review of the literature reveals only five previously reported cases of aneurysmectomy performed primarily because of recurrent, intractable, ventricular tachycardia and in the absence of congestive heart failure. An additional case is here presented.
The Nato Alliance And the INF Treaty

The INF Treaty of December 1987 has focused renewed attention on the central military and political issues that lie at the heart of NATO. Defenders of the treaty claim that the first ever theater nuclear force agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union is clearly in the Alliance's interest. On the other hand, critics of the treaty perceive fundamental weaknesses arising from the arms elimination pact-weaknesses that may interfere with NATO's objectives. Common points of disagreement include the effects on the Alliance deterrence posture, the state of political cohesion within NATO, the possibility of further nuclear weapons reductions, the strength of the European conventional force balance, and the role of the United States as ultimate guarantor of European NATO's security. An examination of these arguments suggests that, on balance, the assertions made by the proponents of the treaty are marginally more persuasive. Furthermore, the treaty process offers the collective political leadership ...
Asymmetric spread spectrum data-hiding for Laplacian host data

Spread spectrum (SS) or known-host-statistics technique has shown the best performance in terms of both rate of reliable communications and bit error probability at the low watermark-to-noise ratio (WNR) regime. These results were obtained assuming that the host data follows an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Gaussian distribution. However, in some widely used in practical data-hiding transform domains (like wavelet or discrete cosine transform domains) the host statistics have strong non-Gaussian character. Motivated by this stochastic modeling mismatch between the used assumption and the real case, a new set-up of the SS-based data-hiding with Laplacian host is presented for performance enhancement in terms of both bit error probability and achievable rates in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels based on the parallel splitting of Laplacian source.
Comparison of numerical calculations with phantom experiments and clinical measurements.

Three-dimensional models, while fundamentally desirable in hyperthermia treatment simulation, are only beginning to emerge and may take a number of years to perfect for routine clinical use. Two dimensional calculations, on the other hand, can be efficiently performed on today's inexpensive computer workstations; however, the accuracy of two-dimensional models in the pretreatment planning context is questionable. This paper investigates the ability of a general two-dimensional finite element model to predict power deposition patterns in phantoms and temperature distributions during actual clinical treatments. The experiments and simulations have been performed for an annular phased array (APA) operating at 70 MHz. Comparisons between model predictions and measurements show that quantitative agreement occurs in phantoms containing moderate complexities in heterogeneity, but that only qualitative agreement appears possible in clinical treatments. However, the results suggest that the lack of blood flow info...
Asymmetric Response of Ferroelastic Domain-Wall Motion under Applied Bias

The switching of domains in ferroelectric and multiferroic materials plays a central role in their application to next-generation computer systems, sensing applications, and memory storage. A detailed understanding of the response to electric fields and the switching behavior in the presence of complex domain structures and extrinsic effects (e.g., defects and dislocations) is crucial for the design of improved ferroelectrics. In this work, in situ transmission electron microscopy is coupled with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to explore the response of 71° ferroelastic domain walls in BiFeO3 with various orientations under applied electric-field excitation. We observe that 71° domain walls can have intrinsically asymmetric responses to opposing biases. In particular, when the electric field has a component normal to the domain wall, forward and backward domain-wall velocities can be dramatically different for equal and opposite fields. Additionally, the presence of defects and dislocations can strongly affect the local switching behaviors through pinning or nucleation of the domain walls. These results offer insight for controlled ferroelastic domain manipulation via electric-field engineering.
Computational modeling of the effect of external electron injection into a direct-current microdischarge

Electron emission from the electrode surface plays an important role in determining the structure of a direct-current microdischarge. Here we have developed a computational model of a direct-current microdischarge to study the effect of external electron injection from the cathode surface into the discharge to manipulate its properties. The model provides a self-consistent, multi-species, multi-temperature fluid representation of the plasma. A microdischarge with a metal-insulator-metal configuration is chosen for this study. The effect of external electron injection on the structure and properties of the microdischarge is described. The transient behavior of the microdischarge during the electron injection is examined. The nonlinearities in the dynamics of the plasma result in a large increase of conduction current after active electron injection. For the conditions simulated a switching time of ∼100 ns from a low-current to high-current discharge state is realized.
Maintaining two decades of power amplifier bandwidth

Although several companies are selling MMIC distributed amplifiers with indications of two or more decades of usable bandwidth, the data has been difficult to implement in a practical amplifier design. Suppliers generally make coupling C's and bias tee's an external part of the MMIC measurement system and their losses are often removed (de-embedded) from the published data. Application engineers for even the largest vendors often seem to be unaware of how to practically achieve the bandwidth properties inherent to their devices, which requires simultaneous optimisation of both the high- and the low-frequency response. In this reported work using the axiomatic design approach allows systematically eliminating bandwidth bottlenecks and obtaining greater than two decades of bandwidth in a high-power module. The provided example uses an internally matched GaN distributed MMIC, but the same techniques are useful in many other configurations.
Outer Sphere Adsorption of Pb(II)EDTA on Goethite

FTIR and EXAFS spectroscopic measurements were performed on Pb(II)EDTA adsorbed on goethite as functions of pH (4-6), Pb(II)EDTA concentration (0.11 {micro}M - 72 {micro}M), and ionic strength (16 {micro}M - 0.5M). FTIR measurements show no evidence for carboxylate-Fe(III) bonding or protonation of EDTA at Pb:EDTA = 1:1. Both FTIR and EXAFS measurements suggest that EDTA acts as a hexadentate ligand, with all four of its carboxylate and both amine groups bonded to Pb(II). No evidence was observed for inner-sphere Pb(II)-goethite bonding at Pb:EDTA = 1:1. Hence, the adsorbed complexes should have composition Pb(II)EDTA{sup 2{minus}}. Since substantial uptake of PbEDTA(II){sup 2{minus}} occurred in the samples, we infer that Pb(II)EDTA{sup 2{minus}} adsorbed as outer-sphere complexes and/or as complexes that lose part of their solvation shells and hydrogen bond directly to goethite surface sites. We propose the term ''hydration-sphere'' for the latter type of complexes because they should occupy space in the primary hydration spheres of goethite surface functional groups, and to distinguish this mode of sorption from common structural definitions of inner- and outer-sphere complexes. The similarity of Pb(II) uptake isotherms to those of other divalent metal ions complexed by EDTA suggests that they too adsorb by these mechanisms. The lack of evidence for inner-sphere EDTA-Fe(III) bonding suggests that previously proposed metal-ligand - promoted dissolution mechanisms should be modified, specifically to account for the presence of outer-sphere precursor species.
Benchmark Calculations of the Saxton Plutonium Program Critical Experiments

The Saxton critical experiments, which used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel of 6.6 wt% PuO 2 in natural UO 2 and UO 2 fuel of 5.74 wt% 235 U, are analyzed with MCNP-4B and continuous-energy cross-section libraries ENDF/ B-V and ENDF/B-VI. An excellent agreement of calculated and experimental effective multiplication factors for the entire set of 1.3208-cm MOX lattices and 1.4224-cm MOX and UO 2 lattices was obtained. The analysis of criticality calculations for the five different lattice pitches show a bias with lattice pitch, which led to an increase of ∼0.8% when doubling the lattice pitch. Good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for some of the relative power distribution experiments for MOX single-region cores and MOX/UO 2 multiregion cores; however, for others the agreement was less satisfactory. No significant difference in the results for relative power with the two libraries was observed.
TEACHING METHOD: English for Craft Students — 7

IN MY PREVIOUS articles, I have referred to the inestimable value of allowing the student the opportunity and time to think for himself. He is willing and able to do this, provided the atmosphere is sympathetic — a very necessary condition for establishing mutual confidence. It is the lack of this atmosphere that effectively hinders any real communication between teacher and class.
Discovering Dissonance in Undergraduates: Must They Reconcile Their Religious Conservatism and Social-Economic Liberalism?

Using three survey instruments, this research identifies the dissonance between the religious and political conservatism and social-economic liberalism in a sample of one hundred undergraduates. These findings are the product of a collaborative team composed of myself and four undergraduate political science majors in a semester-long special course. Together, we selected the topic and completed the research and analysis. Benedictine College has a history of what it calls Discovery Learning, a student-centered, inquiry-based, collaborative model that the institution supports with internal grants. Using a scale of our design, the Benedictine College Catholic Values Index, we charted a normal distribution of orthodoxy despite our hypothesis that most respondents would be rigorously religiously conservative. Using two standard instruments, we identified that even those who held conservative views in political and religious terms, were quite economically liberal and generally mismatched with contemporary American political conservatism.
Thermodynamics Mechanism and Affecting Factors Analysis of Aluminum Alloy Microarc Oxidation

Microarc oxidation is a new technique in surface treatment,which can form a ceramic coating on the surface of non-ferrous metals.According to the thermodynamic mechanism of microarc oxidation and through the energy equilibrium between dynamics and thermodynamics,the conversion of α-Al_2O_3 and γ-Al_2O_3 as well as the relation between the phase transformation in microarc oxidation and current density oxidation time are analyzed.
Investigations of Neuronal Migration in the Central Nervous System

The migration of neuronal precursor cells is essential for the formation of the embryonic nervous system and for the maintenance of the adult nervous system. Modern approaches have greatly facilitated molecular and cellular studies of mechanisms underlying neuronal migration. Here we use the cells migrating from the anterior subventricular zone to the olfactory bulb as a model to discuss in some detail how neuronal migration can be studied. These methods can be adapted to other models of neuronal (or somatic cell) migration.
The moral perspective and the psychoanalytic quest.

This paper argues that the very terms of the analytic project are situated squarely and uncompromisingly within the ethical perspective. In particular, the project of self-knowledge and character transformation conducted within in a privileged relationship has important antecedents in major ethical traditions.
Structure and thermodynamics of uranium-containing iron garnets

Abstract Use of crystalline garnet as a waste form phase appears to be advantageous for accommodating actinides from nuclear waste. Previous studies show that large amounts of uranium (U) and its analogues such as cerium (Ce) and thorium (Th) can be incorporated into the garnet structure. In this study, we synthesized U loaded garnet phases, Ca3UxZr2−xFe3O12 (x = 0.5–0.7), along with the endmember phase, Ca3(Zr2)SiFe3+2O12, for comparison. The oxidation states of U were determined by X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies, revealing the presence of mixed pentavalent and hexavalent uranium in the phases with x = 0.6 and 0.7. The oxidation states and coordination environments of Fe were measured using transmission 57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy, which shows that all iron is tetrahedrally coordinated Fe3+. U substitution had a significant effect on local environments, the extent of U substitution within this range had a minimal effect on the structure, and unlike in the x = 0 sample, Fe exists in two different environments in the substituted garnets. The enthalpies of formation of garnet phases from constituent oxides and elements were first time determined by high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry. The results indicate that these substituted garnets are thermodynamically stable under reducing conditions. Our structural and thermodynamic analysis further provides explanation for the formation of natural uranium garnet, elbrusite-(Zr), and supports the potential use of Ca3UxZr2−xFe3O12 as viable waste form phases for U and other actinides.
Direct Access Storage Devices

The direct access storage device, or DASD, as it will be referred to, is a generic name for peripheral computer storages that have the approximate data access characteristic shown in Fig. 7. This characteristic is also compared in the figure with those corresponding to magnetic tape and core. No time scale is implied by this diagram but, as drawn, would be roughly logarithmic. The access time of core memories is independent of the addressing distance between accessions, and is on the order of 1 to 10 microseconds. The access time of magnetic tape is very nearly linear over a single reel of tape, which spans an addressing distance corresponding to approximately 15 million bytes, or 3 to 4 million words. The typical slope of this line is around 10-5 sec per byte for a 90 KB/S tape drive. The DASD, in contrast has linear portions of its characteristic, which are separated by vertical jumps, where the number and height of these jumps are determined by the mechanical construction of the device. In fact, the DASDs can be further classified according to the number and height of such breaks in their characteristic, as shown in Table 3. It is also necessary, in the case of the DASD, to redefine the notion of distance between addresses, as will be shown after the discussion of mechanical construction.
Laboratory plasma jet disruption above a critical axial magnetic field

In the present research, plasma jets form from Joule heating and ablation of a radial foil (∼15 μm thin disk) using a pulsed power generator (COBRA) with 1 MA peak current and 100 ns rise time. We study the effects on jet dynamics resulting from varying an applied uniform axial magnetic field (Bz) from 0 to 1.8 T. We empirically observe a disruption of the plasma jet collimation. The critical Bz for the disruption depends upon the foil material (Al, Ti, Ni, Cu). We discuss physical reasons for the material dependence of the disruption.
Applying a Conceptual Framework to Maximize the Participation of Diverse Populations in Cancer Clinical Trials

The underrepresentation of ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical trials results in the inequitable distribution of the risks and benefits of this research. Using a case study approach, we apply a conceptual framework of factors associated with the participation of diverse population groups in cancer clinical trials developed by Dr. Jean Ford and colleagues to increase understanding of the specific strategies, and barriers and promoters addressed by these strategies, that resulted in marked success in accrual of racially and ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical research. Results indicate that the studies presented were able to successfully engage minority participants due to the creation and implementation of multilevel, multifaceted strategies that included: culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, education, and research studies that were accessible in local communities; infrastructure to support engagement of key stakeholders, clinicians, and organizations serving minority communities; testimonials by ethnically diverse cancer survivors; availability of medical interpretation services; and providing infrastructure that facilitated the engagement in clinical research of clinicians who care for minority patient populations. These strategic efforts were effective in addressing limited awareness of trials, lack of opportunities to participate, and acceptance of engagement in cancer clinical trials. Careful attention to the context and population characteristics in which cancer clinical trials are conducted will be necessary to address disparities in research participation and cancer outcomes. These studies illustrate that progress on minority accrual into clinical research requires intentional efforts to overcome barriers at all three stages of the accrual process: awareness, opportunity, and acceptance of participation.
A self-aligned approach to printed circuits(Conference Presentation)

Printed electronics has a number of significant challenges, including spatial resolution, pattern registration, and printed circuit performance. In this talk, I will describe a multi-pronged approach to address these challenges that may bring roll-to-roll printed electronics closer to reality. To begin, I will show that innovations in materials allow the fabrication of printable, low voltage thin film transistors (TFTs), the key building blocks of flexible circuits, and that these can be incorporated into simple printed circuit demonstrations involving two dozen TFTs and an equivalent number of printed resistors and capacitors. The second half of the talk will describe a novel liquid-based fabrication approach that we term SCALE, or Self-Aligned Capillarity-Assisted Lithography for Electronics. The SCALE process employs a combination of digital printing and in-substrate capillary flow to produce self-aligned devices with feature sizes that are currently as small as 1 micron. The talk will finish with a discussion of the new opportunities in flexible microelectronics afforded by liquid-based processing.
Choice and Happiness in South Africa

To study the usefulness of subjective well-being measures as a proxy for utility, Benjamin et al. (2012) ask whether people choose what makes them happy in US samples. We use their methodology in a sample from low-income South African townships. Here respondents almost always choose what makes them feel happy. In addition, they perceive little conflict between own happiness and other relevant determinants of choice such as sense of purpose and family happiness.
An Intuitive Basis of the Probability Density Evolution Method (PDEM) for Stochastic Dynamics

The recently developed Probability Density Evolution Method (PDEM) is described in intuitive terms in order to permit a better understanding and wider application of the PDEM in practical engineering problems, particularly for assessing the risk and reliability of large and complex engineering systems. In implementation, the PDEM is similar, in a limited sense, to the basic Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) in that it also requires deterministic response solutions of a system. However, in principle and in theory it is very different from the MCS. The practical effectiveness of the PDEM is emphasized and illustrated.
Selective CO2 electroreduction to C2H4 on porous Cu films synthesized by sacrificial support method

Abstract A series of copper-based electrocatalysts were prepared by the Sacrificial Support Method (SSM) with variation of synthesis parameters. Thin films of the materials were evaluated for their electrocatalytic activities towards CO2 electroreduction to short-chain (C1-C2) hydrocarbons by standard electrochemical methods. Gas-phase reaction products were quantified using an online gas chromatography system. At −0.98 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), copper oxide-derived catalysts were found to have selectivity toward C2H4 approximately one order of magnitude higher than to CH4. The highest selectivity towards C2H4 production at −0.98 V was demonstrated by the catalyst with cube morphology, synthesized with 20 wt% Cu: 80 wt% SiO2 ratio in the precursor. Possible causes for this shift in selectivity are discussed in terms of the morphology and surface/core composition as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Community and Urban Places in a Digital World

The sources of big data of most interest to urban social researchers arise from the adoption of digital information and communications technologies (ICTs)—especially Internet–connected smartphones ...
Solid-State and Vacuum Thermionic Energy Conversion

A brief overview of the research activities at the Thermionic Energy Conversion (TEC) Center is given. The goal is to achieve direct thermal to electric energy conversion with <20% efficiency and <1W/cm2 power density at a hot side temperature of 300–650C. Thermionic emission in both vacuum and solid-state devices is investigated. In the case of solid-state devices, hot electron filtering using heterostructure barriers is used to increase the thermoelectric power factor. In order to study electron transport above the barriers and lateral momentum conservation in thermionic emission process, the current-voltage characteristic of ballistic transistor structures is investigated. Embedded ErAs nanoparticles and metal/semiconductor multilayers are used to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. Cross-plane thermoelectric properties and the effective ZT of the thin film are analyzed using the transient Harman technique. Integrated circuit fabrication techniques are used to transfer the n- and p-type thin films on AlN substrates and make power generation modules with hundreds of thin film elements. For vacuum devices, nitrogen-doped diamond and carbon nanotubes are studied for emitters. Sb-doped highly oriented diamond and low electron affinity AlGaN are investigated for collectors. Work functions below 1.6eV and vacuum thermionic power generation at temperatures below 700C have been demonstrated.
Foaming behavior of silicone/fluorosilicone blends

Abstract An alternative approach, based on vinyl-PDMS/Fluorosilicone blends, has been developed to improve the CO2 foaming behavior of silicone elastomers. For this purpose, a dynamic crosslinking process has been used to compatibilize these silicone blends and to improve their strain hardening behavior under biaxial deformation. As a result, fine cells (65 μm) have been achieved using gaseous CO2 in a one-step batch foaming process. Actually, the dispersed fluorosilicone domains act as nucleating sites allowing the formation of higher nuclei densities which reduce the overall bubble size by competitive nuclei growth. This new formulation strategy has allowed us to develop silicone foams with equivalent properties (cell and foam densities) to foams prepared by supercritical CO2.
Groundwater Challenges, Governance, and Management in Nepal

Managing groundwater resources sustainably is of paramount importance to society and environment. In Nepal, groundwater plays an important role in the lives and livelihoods of the majority of the population. But in the recent decade mismanagement of water resources, urbanization and industrialization together with climate change threaten the harvesting and conservation of groundwater aquifers which are subject to increasing stress both in terms of quantity and quality. In every water sub-sector, the dependence on groundwater is increasing with each passing year. Groundwater serves as an attractive, reliable, and easily accessible source of water. Given its numerous benefits, groundwater management should be more strategic and proactive while dealing with the potential impacts of water scarcity arising due to climate change. However, water management policies in Nepal give little attention to groundwater management and governance. To tackle such problems effectively, there is a need to explore the relationship between groundwater, climate, and people through collaborative efforts, all the while keeping the question of vulnerability in mind. For this, policy reorientation is necessary so that it addresses the potential vulnerabilities of groundwater to the warming climate, the rapidly changing economy, and the diverse social contexts. This requires institutional arrangements to progress alongside engineering. Therefore, progress in groundwater management and governance calls for engaging a broad range of societal actors, through inclusive governance structures that recognize the dispersion of decision making across various levels and entities.
A Modular Approach to Sensor Integration

This chapter describes techniques for incorporating sensor data in a modular fashion without affecting the stability of the telerobot control system. The sensor integration approach is compatible with various teleoperator and control modalities, and is robust to delays in receiving sensor data. By using the inherent stability of passive systems, a plug-and-play control architecture whereby individual modules can be placed arbitrarily in the system without affecting the overall system stability, has been developed. Since the constraint modules implement boundary functions via scattering operators, the system is very robust. Additional sensor modules can be added without adversely affecting the system. As long as no objects are detected, each module lies dormant and does not affect the behavior of the system. The first module to detect an object will typically provide the overriding signal that determines the behavior of the system. If multiple sensors are active at once, the system may respond a bit faster but will not be destabilized. Furthermore, the chattering phenomena that can occur when two different sensors with opposing values are applied sequentially cannot occur with the scattering implementation. The network-based scattering operator approach described here is the basis for the Sandia's Modular Architecture for Robotics and Teleoperation (SMART) modular telerobotic control system. To date, sensor modules for Sandia's capacitive sensor system and Sandia-developed ultrasonic system have been developed. These sensor modules complement a number of modules that have been written incorporating world model information both in the Cartesian space and in configuration space and modules.
Yours, Mine and Ours: Triangulating Plagiarism, Forgery, and Identity

The story of my early literacy is a story of successful mimicry. I learned to read when I was two; I read at a sixth-grade level at age five; I subsequently skipped first grade. My mother claims this rapid progress was made possible by plopping me in front of the television each morning, where I quietly watched Sesame Street and Electric Company. I mim icked the sounds of the letters and repeated after Bert and Ernie, and Morgan Freeman's "Easy Reader," until I had perfectly matched their words. I then learned to write the same way?watch, practice, and repeat, first the "big" letters, then the little ones. And so I became literate through a careful and purposeful routine of absorption, assumption, emulation, simulation, as do most other children. As I got a bit older, I searched high and low for reading material that would engage me outside of school. In our house, however, the only available texts were magazines like Woman's Day or TV Guide; ours was not a house held up by bookshelves. Lacking any good literature to dive into, a favorite TV Guide activity of mine was to practice the "art test" found in the back of each issue; this coincided with my brief belief that I was more of an artist than a writer. Those of a certain age will remember the test: draw a perfect replica of one of two sketches provided, usually a turtle or a pirate, and then send the drawing to the "Art School" and have it be judged. The ad promised that on the basis of your determined talent, you could be eligible for highly selective admission to this "school," which I believe was a high-profit, mail-order enterprise located in California.