From Gondwanaland, with love : the tale of how Boston got its rocks

Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 26-27).The rocks on which the city of Boston was built did not form as part of North America. They formed about 600 million years ago, at the South Pole, as the northern coast of a supercontinent called Gondwanaland. Boston's journey from the South Pole to its current location traces the world's geologic history over that period of time, including the emergence of animal life as we know it, the formation and destruction of Pangaea, and the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. More than that, though: the history of our understanding of Boston's journey illustrates how geologists think about their world, and how their ideas have changed over the last 150 years in one of science's great revolutions.by Selby Cull.S.M.in Science Writin

Proposed Long Range Plan for the Federal Courts: Ambition or Abdication?

Symposium: The Indiana Law Journal Forum on the Long Range Plan for the Federal Court

Role of chloride in hot salt stress-corrosion cracking of titanium-aluminum alloys

Role of chloride in hot salt stress corrosion cracking of titanium-aluminum alloy

Stress corrosion cracking of titanium alloys progress report, apr. 1 - jun. 30, 1964

Hot salt stress corrosion cracking in titanium alloys - chloride corrosion role determination using chlorine isotopes and relation between crack morphology and alloy structur

Databook for human factors engineers. Volume 2 - Common formulas, metrics, definitions

Human factors engineering manual including mathematical formulas, nomographs, conversion tables, units of measurement, and nomenclature

Ground Waves Generated by Pile Driving, and Structural Interaction

Pre-formed steel or concrete pile elements are installed by high energy impact or vibro-driver, which causes outgoing ground waves. In severe cases, adjacent buildings are at risk of damage. Assessment of risk is conventionally by reference to threshold limits of vibration. The global approach considers neither the interactive effects between ground and structure, nor frequency and duration. Here, firstly, the dynamics of a pile head impact and of the transmission of a portion of the energy into the ground were modelled by a combination of finite elements (FE), springs and dashpots. The boundary disturbances were then applied to a second model of the soil as an elastic half space. This outer model was constructed of axisymmetric finite and infinite elements for calibration against on-site measurements. The infinite elements (IE) represented a wider zone, and avoided spurious wave reflections at boundaries. Next, the verified ground disturbances adjacent to the pile were used as input to a three-dimensional FE/IE wedge-shaped model of a ‘slice’ of the axisymmetric system. Various structural forms, of steel frame structures and of brick walls, were added, giving a dynamic soil-structure analysis. Results show the responses of flexible and stiff structures to outgoing waves caused by impact pile driving and vibro-driving

A multi-year study of engineering self-efficacy in the US: exploring gender differences in a small engineering program. International Journal of Gender

This study presents the baseline results of an ongoing study at a small liberal arts university in the US and explores the gender differences in engineering selfefficacy, preparedness, and engagement in undergraduate engineering students. Data from the first timepoint of the survey was used to identify factors such as high school grade point average (GPA), math preparedness, high school mentoring, and college extracurricular involvement, and their correlations with engineering selfefficacy, as measured by the Longitudinal Assessment of Engineering Self-Efficacy (LAESE) scale. Investigation of LAESE subscales revealed that students (regardless of gender) who entered college having previously studied calculus reported greater engineering self-efficacy. Results indicate that women enter college with greater math preparation and high school GPA, however, self-efficacy is not any stronger than that of their male peers. However, women had greater coping self-efficacy and math outcome expectations compared to their male peers. These findings suggest a pipeline issue, where only the women with strong preparation self-identify as being capable of earning an engineering degree. The study also provides information about the differential experiences of women in engineering and suggests future factors to explore more deeply, such as mentoring and club involvement

How do Swiss general practitioners agree with and report adhering to a top-five list of unnecessary tests and treatments? Results of a cross-sectional survey.

In 2014, the 'Smarter Medicine' campaign released a top five list of unnecessary tests and treatments in Swiss primary care, such as imaging for acute low-back pain and long-term prescribing of proton pump inhibitors. Measure general practitioners' (GPs) agreement with the recommendations and self-reported adherence. Cross-sectional, online survey of GPs in the 'Swiss primary care active monitoring' (SPAM) network, which assessed awareness of 'Smarter Medicine' and views on each recommendation. Questions included whether the clinical situation is common, whether the recommendation is followed, whether GPs agree with the recommendation and reasons why the recommendation would not be followed. One-hundred-and-sixty-seven of 277 GPs from the SPAM network participated (60%), of which 104 (62%) knew of 'Smarter Medicine', including 79% in German areas, 49% in French areas and 38% in Italian areas (P < 0.001). Agreement with the five recommendations was high, with scores around nine out of 10. The proportion saying they typically follow each recommendation was 68 to 74%, except not continuing long-term PPI prescriptions without attempting dose reduction, with only 34%. Common reasons for not following the recommendations were patient or other provider requests and situations that might suggest the need for more aggressive care. Two years after the launch of the campaign, awareness and acceptance of 'Smarter Medicine' appear to be high among Swiss GPs. By self-report, the recommendations are adhered to by most of the respondents but there may be room for improvement, especially for long-term PPI prescriptions