A Polynomial Spectral Calculus for Analysis of DG Spectral Element Methods

We introduce a polynomial spectral calculus that follows from the summation by parts property of the Legendre-Gauss-Lobatto quadrature. We use the calculus to simplify the analysis of two multidimensional discontinuous Galerkin spectral element approximations

African American fugitive slaves and freemen in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, 1820–1865

In the years leading up to the American Civil War, northeastern Mexico became a destination for fugitive slaves and African American freemen seeking refuge from the oppressive conditions caused by the expansion of the slave-based cotton economy in the southern United States and Texas. The geographic position of Matamoros, as well as social, economic and political changes in Mexico and the United States, made it one of the main destinations for African American emigrants leaving the Texas and other parts of the United States. This thesis examines the factors that caused different elements of African American fugitives slaves and freemen to seek refuge in Matamoros. It describes their journey to northeastern Mexico and the conditions they found there

LC-MS method development and comparison of sampling materials for the analysis of organic gunshot residues

This study aimed at comparing the efficiency of various sampling materials for the collection and subsequent analysis of organic gunshot residues (OGSR). To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that sampling devices were investigated in detail for further quantitation of OGSR by LC-MS. Seven sampling materials, namely two "swab"-type and five "stub"-type collection materials, were tested. The investigation started with the development of a simple and robust LC-MS method able to separate and quantify molecules typically found in gunpowders, such as diphenylamine or ethylcentralite. The evaluation of sampling materials was then systematically carried out by first analysing blank extracts of the materials to check for potential interferences and determining matrix effects. Based on these results, the best four materials, namely cotton buds, polyester swabs, a tape from 3M and PTFE were compared in terms of collection efficiency during shooting experiments using a set of 9 mm Luger ammunition. It was found that the tape was capable of recovering the highest amounts of OGSR. As tape-lifting is the technique currently used in routine for inorganic GSR, OGSR analysis might be implemented without modifying IGSR sampling and analysis procedure

Organic gunshot residues: observations about sampling and transfer mechanisms

This work aimed at studying the sampling, storage, transfer and persistence of organic gunshot residue (OGSR), mainly stabilizers, using liquid chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry. Collection using swabs and stubs was compared through sequential sampling in terms of amount of residues left on the hand of a shooter. While stubs collected nearly all residues, swabs left about 50% of the residues on the hands. Moreover, the study of storage conditions after sampling showed that stubs were more stable than swabs and could be held at room temperature without significant compound loss up to two weeks. Then, shooting experiments were performed to evaluate transfer of OGSR. It was not possible to differentiate different brands of ammunition based on a single compound concentration. Moreover, a memory effect was identified when different ammunition was shot using the same firearm. Finally, various exposed skin surfaces and hair as well as clothing were sampled to estimate what surfaces might be the best targets for OGSR sampling by comparing results just after discharge and two hours after discharging a pistol. The results indicated that OGSR were more rapidly lost from hands than from clothing. Moreover, it was shown that the face and hair of a suspect might be contaminated through secondary transfer. Thus, OGSR might remain longer on other skin surfaces, hair and clothing than on the hands of a suspect. As a consequence, sampling should also include clothing, hair and face

Diluted and Undiluted Mercox Severely Destroy Unfixed Endothelial Cells. A Light and Electron Microscopic Study Using Cultured Endothelial Cells and Tadpole Tail Fin Vessels

Mercox is a methylmethacrylate-based resin which is widely used for vascular corrosion casting with subsequent scanning electron microscopic analysis. In the present study the effect of undiluted and diluted Mercox (4+1; volume + volume; Mercox: monomeric methylmethacrylate (MMA); 0.02 g catalyst MA/ml Mercox) and methylmethacrylate with and without catalyst MA (0.625 g/10 ml MMA) on fixed and unfixed endothelial cells was studied. Light microscopy (LM) of cultured capillary endothelial cells (ECs), which were replicated with diluted or undiluted Mercox shows degranulation and membrane perturbation of ECs, while no morphological changes occur in glutaraldehyde-prefixed ECs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of replicas ( = resin blocks) polymerized on prefixed ECs reveals unchanged ECs and replicas show many details. Unfixed ECs are destroyed and replicas reveal aberrant features. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of prefixed and unfixed ECs (cultured endothelial cells, endothelial cells of perfusion prefixed and of unfixed tadpole tail fin vessels) substantiates LM and SEM findings. Prefixed ECs resist Mercox without fine structural changes, while unfixed cells undergo destruction. It is recommended to fix vessels prior to casting. Extravasations in microvessels are considered to be caused by focal chemical destruction of endothelial cells

Radiation And Annealing Characteristics Of Neutron Bombarded Silicon Transistors

Operating a silicon planar epitaxial transistor in the inverse configuration allows one to demonstrate clearly the importance of the neutron-induced base current component and its degradation of the emitter efficiency, and, because of the much larger depletion layer, to compute a volume dependent damage constant applicable to all silicon p-n junctions. The importance of minimizing the absolute change versus relative change in radiation hardening studies is clearly illustrated. Surface effects were found to be significant for transistors mounted in gas-filled cans. The diffusion potential was predicted, on theoretical grounds, to vary with neutron fluence, and the theory was experimentally confirmed. Isochronal and isothermal annealing data were obtained for the inverse configuration and from these data, it is concluded that the neutron-induced defect centers are field dependent. Copyright © 1968 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc

A study of transfer and prevalence of organic gunshot residues

The main goal of the present study was to determine the amounts and distribution of organic gunshot residues (OGSR) on the shooter’s upper body and clothing after discharging a pistol. A preliminary study was also performed to evaluate the prevalence of OGSR in the general population as well as in a police laboratory environment. In the transfer study, results indicated that OGSR are not only transferred to the hand of the shooter, but also to other parts of the upper body. Thus, wrists and forearms also represent interesting targets as they are washed less frequently than hands. Samples from the face and hair of the shooters resulted in no OGSR detection just after firing. It was also observed that the concentrations recovered from clothing are generally higher compared to the same skin area. Prevalence in both general (n = 27) and police populations (n = 25) was very low. No OGSR was detected in the samples from the general population and only two samples from the police population were found positive

High energy Coulomb-scattered electrons for relativistic particle beam diagnostics

A new system used for monitoring energetic Coulomb-scattered electrons as the main diagnostic for accurately aligning the electron and ion beams in the new Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) electron lenses is described in detail. The theory of electron scattering from relativistic ions is developed and applied to the design and implementation of the system used to achieve and maintain the alignment. Commissioning with gold and 3He beams is then described as well as the successful utilization of the new system during the 2015 RHIC polarized proton run. Systematic errors of the new method are then estimated. Finally, some possible future applications of Coulomb-scattered electrons for beam diagnostics are briefly discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 23 figure

On a Tree and a Path with no Geometric Simultaneous Embedding

Two graphs $G_1=(V,E_1)$ and $G_2=(V,E_2)$ admit a geometric simultaneous embedding if there exists a set of points P and a bijection M: P -> V that induce planar straight-line embeddings both for $G_1$ and for $G_2$. While it is known that two caterpillars always admit a geometric simultaneous embedding and that two trees not always admit one, the question about a tree and a path is still open and is often regarded as the most prominent open problem in this area. We answer this question in the negative by providing a counterexample. Additionally, since the counterexample uses disjoint edge sets for the two graphs, we also negatively answer another open question, that is, whether it is possible to simultaneously embed two edge-disjoint trees. As a final result, we study the same problem when some constraints on the tree are imposed. Namely, we show that a tree of depth 2 and a path always admit a geometric simultaneous embedding. In fact, such a strong constraint is not so far from closing the gap with the instances not admitting any solution, as the tree used in our counterexample has depth 4.Comment: 42 pages, 33 figure

Combined Collection and Analysis of Inorganic and Organic Gunshot Residues.

Gunshot residue (GSR) analysis and their interpretation provide crucial information on a criminal investigation involving the use of firearms. To date, several approaches have been proposed for the implementation of a combined sampling and analysis of inorganic (IGSR) and organic GSR (OGSR). However, it is not clear at this stage if concurrent analyses of both types of residue might be detrimental to the analysis of IGSR currently applied in forensic laboratories. Thus, this work aims to compare and evaluate three different protocols for the combined collection and analysis of IGSR and OGSR. These methods, respectively, involve the use of a modified stub (with two halves, one for the detection of IGSR and the other for the analysis of OGSR); the sequential recovery of GSR with two stubs mounted with different adhesives (double-sided carbon tape and Tesa® TACK) and the sequential analysis of IGSR and OGSR from a single carbon stub following carbon deposition. The detection of IGSR was carried out using SEM-EDX, while OGSR analysis was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Obtained results for experiments performed using Geco Sinoxid <sup>®</sup> ammunition indicated that sequential analysis was the most suitable protocol for the combined collection and analysis of both IGSR and OGSR. A higher number of inorganic (characteristic and consistent) particles and higher concentrations of ethylcentralite, N-nitrosodiphenylamine, diphenylamine, and nitroglycerin were recovered with this method