Comparison of Ellipso-polarimetry and dark-field methods for determination of thickness variations in thin films

A comparison of methods has been conducted of the optical techniques of ellipso-polarimetry, and dark field microscopy to determine the resolution of the spatial variations in thickness within thin films in real time. The ellipso-polarimeter is an adaptation of normal point ellipsometric methods to accommodate assessment of spatial distribution, but unlike the traditional methods, will utilize the image as qualitative information rather than quantitative. This is achieved through the use of a coherent light source, beam expander, and collimating/focusing optics for the throughput of the system, and the use of a CCD camera to collect the two-dimensional signal for display on a video monitor. The use of the CCD camera allows the collection of data at video rates, thus observation of thickness distribution can be done in real time , and can be stored as a digital file for archive purposes or output to a hard copy device. It is also possible to utilize image processing techniques to extract or enhance information present in the images. The dark field method is also an adaptation from traditional microscopy techniques, and utilizes oblique illumination from a coherent source with on axis optics to collect scattered light and display it as an image on a monitor. It is possible that either of these techniques could be implemented for a quality control application where a deviation in material type or from a desired thickness needs to be recognized either by a human operator or in an automated fashion under computer control, though the type of variation which is to be detected will dictate which method to utilize

Subverting Congress\u27 Intent: The Recent Misapplication of Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act and Its Consequent Impacts on Sensitive Wildlife and Habitat

Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act, or the ESA, strictly prohibits any person or other entity from “taking” any endangered or threatened species, whether purposefully or incidentally. In section 10 of the ESA, Congress created two distinct permit mechanisms to allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or FWS, to authorize take in certain limited circumstances—namely recovery permits for purely scientific research and incidental take permits, or ITPs, for non-scientific endeavors where such taking is incidental to, and not the purpose of, an otherwise lawful activity. Because scientific research benefitting the species at issue is not a primary objective of the second type of permit, Congress created a carefully calibrated permitting regime for ITPs. These permits provide certain safeguards that ensure extensive public comment opportunities and environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act—safeguards that, naturally, are less extensive for scientific permits. In recent years, however, the FWS has, in various instances, conflated the distinct purposes of these two statutory permitting schemes. The agency has issued recovery permits to entities seeking authorization for incidental takes rather than scientific research, which has resulted in the issuance of permits to developers with far less public scrutiny and review than Congress intended. This Article analyzes the applicable legislative history and statutory text, assesses recent examples of the conflation of these two distinct permitting schemes, and examines the public policy rationales against the agency’s continued short-circuiting of congressional safeguards through the issuance of recovery permits for incidental takes that are not tantamount to pure scientific research

Understanding the social in a digital age

Datafication, algorithms, social media and their various assemblages enable massive connective processes, enriching personal interaction and amplifying the scope and scale of public networks. At the same time, surveillance capitalists and the social quantification sector are committed to monetizing every aspect of human communication, all of which threaten ideal social qualities, such as togetherness and connection. This Special Issue brings together a range of voices and provocations around ‘the social’, all of which aim to critically interrogate mediated human connection and their contingent socialities. Conventional methods may no longer be adequate, and we must rethink not only the fabric of the social but the very tools we use to make sense of our changing social formations. This Special Issue raises shared concerns with what the social means today, unpicking and rethinking the seams between digitization and social life that characterize today’s digital age

Low Energy Branes, Effective Theory and Cosmology

The low energy regime of cosmological BPS-brane configurations with a bulk scalar field is studied. We construct a systematic method to obtain five-dimensional solutions to the full system of equations governing the geometry and dynamics of the bulk. This is done for an arbitrary bulk scalar field potential and taking into account the presence of matter on the branes. The method, valid in the low energy regime, is a linear expansion of the system about the static vacuum solution. Additionally, we develop a four-dimensional effective theory describing the evolution of the system. At the lowest order in the expansion, the effective theory is a bi-scalar tensor theory of gravity. One of the main features of this theory is that the scalar fields can be stabilized naturally without the introduction of additional mechanisms, allowing satisfactory agreement between the model and current observational constraints. The special case of the Randall-Sundrum model is discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Photosynthesis: An Integrated, Hands-On Approach Supporting the NGSS and CCSS ELA

We will combine hands-on science investigations with supporting literacy activities to help students build conceptual models of photosynthesis

Drops for stuff: An analysis of reshipping mule scams

Credit card fraud has seen rampant increase in the past years, as customers use credit cards and similar financial instruments frequently. Both online and brick-and-mortar outfits repeatedly fall victim to cybercriminals who siphon off credit card information in bulk. Despite the many and creative ways that attackers use to steal and trade credit card information, the stolen information can rarely be used to withdraw money directly, due to protection mechanisms such as PINs and cash advance limits. As such, cybercriminals have had to devise more advanced monetization schemes towork around the current restrictions. One monetization scheme that has been steadily gaining traction are reshipping scams. In such scams, cybercriminals purchase high-value or highly-demanded products from online merchants using stolen payment instruments, and then ship the items to a credulous citizen. This person, who has been recruited by the scammer under the guise of "work-from-home" opportunities, then forwards the received products to the cybercriminals, most of whom are located overseas. Once the goods reach the cybercriminals, they are then resold on the black market for an illicit profit. Due to the intricacies of this kind of scam, it is exceedingly difficult to trace, stop, and return shipments, which is why reshipping scams have become a common means for miscreants to turn stolen credit cards into cash. In this paper, we report on the first large-scale analysis of reshipping scams, based on information that we obtained from multiple reshipping scam websites. We provide insights into the underground economy behind reshipping scams, such as the relationships among the various actors involved, the market size of this kind of scam, and the associated operational churn. We find that there exist prolific reshipping scam operations, with one having shipped nearly 6,000 packages in just 9 months of operation, exceeding 7.3 million US dollars in yearly revenue, contributing to an overall reshipping scam revenue of an estimated 1.8 billion US dollars per year. Finally, we propose possible approaches to intervene and disrupt reshipping scam services

Vacuum Polarization in the Spacetime of a Scalar-Tensor Cosmic String

We study the vacuum polarization effect in the spacetime generated by a magnetic flux cosmic string in the framework of a scalar-tensor gravity. The vacuum expectation values of the energy-momentum tensor of a conformally coupled scalar field are calculated. The dilaton's contribution to the vacuum polarization effect is shown explicitly.Comment: 11 pages, LATEX file, 2 eps figure

Future Challenges in Psychotherapy Research for Personality Disorders.

Individuals with personality disorders are frequently seen in mental health settings. Their symptoms typically reflect a high level of suffering and burden of disease, with potentially harmful societal consequences, including costs related to absenteeism at work, high use of health services, ineffective or harmful parenting, substance use, suicidal and non-suicidal self-harming behavior, and aggressiveness with legal consequences. Psychotherapy is currently the first-line treatment for patients with personality disorders, but the study of psychotherapy in the domain of personality disorders faces specific challenges. Challenges include knowing what works for whom, identifying which putative mechanisms of change explain therapeutic effects, and including the social interaction context of patients with a personality disorder. By following a dimensional approach, psychotherapy research on personality disorders may serve as a model for the development and study of innovative psychotherapeutic interventions. We recommend developing the following: (a) an evidence base to make treatment decisions based on individual features; (b) a data-driven approach to predictors, moderators, and mechanisms of change in psychotherapy; (c) methods for studying the interaction between social context and psychotherapy