Carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of shale-derived refinery products and jet fuels and of experimental referee broadened-specification jet fuels

A proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study was conducted of Ashland shale oil refinery products, experimental referee broadened-specification jet fuels, and of related isoprenoid model compounds. Supercritical fluid chromatography techniques using carbon dioxide were developed on a preparative scale, so that samples could be quantitatively separated into saturates and aromatic fractions for study by NMR. An optimized average parameter treatment was developed, and the NMR results were analyzed in terms of the resulting average parameters; formulation of model mixtures was demonstrated. Application of novel spectroscopic techniques to fuel samples was investigated

Fast C-V method to mitigate effects of deep levels in CIGS doping profiles

In this work, methods to determine more accurate doping profiles in semiconductors is explored where trap-induced artifacts such as hysteresis and doping artifacts are observed. Specifically in CIGS, it is shown that this fast capacitance-voltage (C-V) approach presented here allows for accurate doping profile measurement even at room temperature, which is typically not possible due to the large ratio of trap concentration to doping. Using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurement, the deep trap responsible for the abnormal C-V measurement above 200 K is identified. Importantly, this fast C-V can be used for fast evaluation on the production line to monitor the true doping concentration, and even estimate the trap concentration. Additionally, the influence of high conductance on the apparent doping profile at different temperature is investigated

Diffusive Atomistic Dynamics of Edge Dislocations in Two Dimensions

The fundamental dislocation processes of glide, climb, and annihilation are studied on diffusive time scales within the framework of a continuum field theory, the Phase Field Crystals (PFC) model. Glide and climb are examined for single edge dislocations subjected to shear and compressive strain, respectively, in a two dimensional hexagonal lattice. It is shown that the natural features of these processes are reproduced without any explicit consideration of elasticity theory or ad hoc construction of microscopic Peierls potentials. Particular attention is paid to the Peierls barrier for dislocation glide/climb and the ensuing dynamic behavior as functions of strain rate, temperature, and dislocation density. It is shown that the dynamics are accurately described by simple viscous motion equations for an overdamped point mass, where the dislocation mobility is the only adjustable parameter. The critical distance for the annihilation of two edge dislocations as a function of separation angle is also presented.Comment: 13 pages with 17 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Physical activity and mental health of school-aged children andadolescents: A rapid review

Mental health problems among children and young people are recognised as major threats to their well-being, and are associated with significant costs to them and to wider society. This study examined the evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical activity as a nonmedicinal treatment for mental health concerns among school-aged children and young people. Using a rapid reviewing methodology, which is a shortened form of systematic reviewing, it identified 16 suitable papers. The evidence gathered suggests that school-based physical activity has an important role to play in protecting young people from mental illness, and has the potential to save lives through helping to reduce feelings of hopelessness, suicide and self-harm. Social interactions and resilience are particularly important, and could be supported through a provision of appropriately devised physical activities, and especially team sports. Physical activity is especially valuable for girls in combatting mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Activity selection deserves serious consideration, as inappropriate provision can worsen, rather than help, psychological problems

Failure assessment of lightly reinforced floor slabs. I: Experimental investigation

This paper is concerned with the ultimate behavior of lightly reinforced concrete floor slabs under extreme loading conditions. Particular emphasis is given to examining the failure conditions of idealized composite slabs which become lightly reinforced in a fire situation as a result of the early loss of the steel deck. An experimental study is described which focuses on the response of two-way spanning floor slabs with various materials and geometric configurations. The tests enable direct assessment of the influence of a number of key parameters such as the reinforcement type, properties, and ratio on the ultimate response. The results also permit the development of simplified expressions that capture the influence of salient factors such as bond characteristics and reinforcement properties for predicting the ductility of lightly reinforced floor slabs. The companion paper complements the experimental observations with detailed numerical assessments of the ultimate response and proposes analytical models that predict failure of slab members by either reinforcement fracture or compressive crushing of concrete. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers

Per-Core DVFS with Switched-Capacitor Converters for Energy Efficiency in Manycore Processors

Integrating multiple power converters on-chip improves energy efficiency of manycore architectures. Switched-capacitor (SC) dc-dc converters are compatible with conventional CMOS processes, but traditional implementations suffer from limited conversion efficiency. We propose a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling scheme with SC converters that achieves high converter efficiency by allowing the output voltage to ripple and having the processor core frequency track the ripple. Minimum core energy is achieved by hopping between different converter modes and tuning body-bias voltages. A multicore processor model based on a 28-nm technology shows conversion efficiencies of 90% along with over 25% improvement in the overall chip energy efficiency

Calf health and performance during receiving is not changed by fence-line preconditioning on flint hills range vs. drylot preconditioning

Ranch-of-origin preconditioning can improve the welfare and performance of beef calves by decreasing the stress associated with weaning, transport, diet change, and commingling with other calves. Preconditioning methods that involve pasture weaning coupled with maternal contact (i.e., fence-line weaning) have been promoted as possible best management practices for minimizing stress. Prior studies focused on performance and behavior during preconditioning on the ranch of origin. Little information has been published relating to carryover effects of fence-line preconditioning compared with conventional drylot preconditioning on performance and behavior during feedlot receiving. Our objectives were to measure growth and health during a 28-day ranch-of-origin preconditioning phase and during a 60-day feedlot receiving phase among beef calves subjected to 1 of 3 ranch-of-origin preconditioning programs: (1) drylot preconditioning + dam separation, (2) pasture preconditioning + fence-line contact with dams, and (3) pasture preconditioning + fence-line contact with dams + supplemental feed delivered in a bunk. In addition, we recorded incidences of behavioral distress among these treatments during first 7 days of feedlot receiving

Insights into Due Process Reform: A Nationwide Survey of Special Education Attorneys

The federal law that guarantees an appropriate and inclusive education for children with disabilities relies on private enforcement; parents concerned about the inadequacy of their children’s education can take advantage of an administrative hearing to seek resolution of disputes with the child’s school district. While conceived in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a prompt and informal tool, evidence suggests that special education due process hearings have become overly complex, prohibitively expensive, and excessively lengthy, thus limiting their accessibility and usefulness as an enforcement mechanism. Despite numerous studies highlighting the flaws of special education due process, few have taken advantage of a particularly important resource for crafting reform proposals: the attorneys who practice special education law. Tapping into practitioners’ lived experiences of special education due process provides us with a clearer sense of how the due process system plays out in practice and, importantly, how differing perceptions of the system’s flaws may facilitate or impede attempts to build support for particular reforms. In addition to cataloging various features of the due process system that differ from state to state, this article reports data from a nationwide survey of practicing special education lawyers that elicited their views about the effectiveness of the due process system. The most salient observation obtained from the survey is that the attorney’s client—be it the parents or the school district—strongly shapes the attorney’s perceptions of the system’s flaws and targets for change. Yet the results also suggest a number of reforms that could improve and streamline the system while garnering support from both parents and school districts. Recommendations include (1) more rigorous training of hearing officers, both in terms of case management and substantive special education law; (2) publication at the state level of more comprehensive and uniform standards for procedure, discovery, and admission of evidence; (3) development of additional funding sources for parent attorneys and expert witnesses; and (4) state review of rules with an eye toward greater procedural simplicity

A Mesolithic settlement site at Howick, Northumberland: a preliminary report

Excavations at a coastal site at Howick during 2000 and 2002 have revealed evidence for a substantial Mesolithic settlement and a Bronze Age cist cemetery. Twenty one radiocarbon determinations of the earlier eighth millennium BP (Cal.) indicate that the Mesolithic site is one of the earliest known in northern Britain. An 8m core of sediment was recovered from stream deposits adjacent to the archaeological site which provides information on local environmental conditions. Howick offers a unique opportunity to understand aspects of hunter-gatherer colonisation and settlement during a period of rapid palaeogeographical change around the margins of the North Sea basin, at a time when it was being progressively inundated by the final stages of the postglacial marine transgression. The cist cemetery will add to the picture of Bronze Age occupation of the coastal strip and again reveals a correlation between the location of Bronze Age and Mesolithic sites which has been observed elsewhere in the region

Sources of Sex Information Used by Young British Women Who Have Sex with Women (WSW) and Women Who Have Sex Exclusively with Men (WSEM): Evidence from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

There is little consideration about the provision of information about sex to women who have sex with women (WSW). This study drew on data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle, a nationally representative survey of people in Great Britain. Logistic regression was undertaken to examine firstly the relationships between WSW and women who have sex exclusively with men (WSEM) and their main source of information about sex, and secondly between WSW/WSEM and unmet need for information about sex. Each source was included as the binary outcome indicating yes this was the main source, or no this was not the main source of information about sex. The results found that WSW had significantly lower odds of reporting lessons at schools as their main source of information, and significantly higher odds of reporting sources defined as ‘other’ (predominantly first girlfriend/boyfriend or sexual partner) as their main source of information. Reported levels of unmet need for information was also higher amongst young WSW compared with WSEM. This study provides new insights into the sex educational needs of young women and highlights the need for sex education in schools in Great Britain to include information on a full-range of sexual practices, including same-sex sexual relationships