Comment on `Magic strains in face-centered and body-centered cubic lattices'

The six symmetry-related so-called magic strain tensors that transform a f.c.c. lattice (or a b.c.c. lattice) into itself, which have been reported recently by Boyer [Acta Cryst. (1989), A45, FC29-FC32] are not unique: an infinite number of displacement tensors can be constructed that transform one lattice into another, or into itself. There is no connection with fivefold symmetry, other than that in any f.c.c. crystal

On the origin of second-peak splitting in the static structure factor of metallic glasses

It is proposed that the splitting of the second peak of the total static structure factor, S(k), of many metallic glasses is essentially the same feature as the indentation at kσ = (9/2)π in the function (sin k σ + α−1 sin kασ), caused by the coincidence of the fourth minimum of the second term with the third maximum of the first term when α ≈ 5/3. Together with the strong-weak relation of the split peak components of S(k), this feature indicates the splitting to be direct evidence for face-sharing of regular tetrahedra (α = 2√2/3) dominating the topological short range order; increasing the number of face-sharing tetrahedra in local structural units indeed increases the amount of peak splitting in S(k); a dense random packing of well defined identical structural units (DRPSU), with neighbouring units linked together by a shared icosahedron, is described in detail. The packing fraction in a homogeneous, isotropic 1078-atom model is 0.67, after static relaxation under a two-body Lennard-Jones potential.\ud \u

The Extended IRTF Spectral Library: Expanded coverage in metallicity, temperature, and surface gravity

We present a $0.7-2.5\mu m$ spectral library of 284 stars observed with the medium-resolution infrared spectrograph, SpeX, at the 3.0 meter NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Maunakea, Hawaii. This library extends the metallicity range of the IRTF Cool Star library beyond solar metallicity to $-1.7 <$ [Fe/H] $< 0.6$. All of the observed stars are also in the MILES optical stellar library, providing continuous spectral coverage for each star from $0.35-2.5\mu m$. The spectra are absolute flux calibrated using Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry and the continuum shape of the spectra is preserved during the data reduction process. Synthesized $JHK_S$ colors agree with observed colors at the $1-2\%$ level, on average. We also present a spectral interpolator that uses the library to create a data-driven model of spectra as a function of $teff$, $logg$, and [Fe/H]. We use the library and interpolator to compare empirical trends with theoretical predictions of spectral feature behavior as a function of stellar parameters. These comparisons extend to the previously difficult to access low-metallicity and cool dwarf regimes, as well as the previously poorly sampled super-solar metallicity regime. The library and interpolator are publicly available.Comment: Accepted to ApJS. The website making the data publicly available will be available soon. For those interested in the meantime, contact the first autho

Bostonia. Volume 13

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Sorry Is Never Enough: How State Apology Laws Fail to Reduce Medical Malpractice Liability Risk

Based on case studies indicating that apologies from physicians to patients can promote healing, understanding, and dispute resolution, thirty-nine states (and the District of Columbia) have sought to reduce litigation and medical malpractice liability by enacting apology laws. Apology laws facilitate apologies by making them inadmissible as evidence in subsequent malpractice trials. The underlying assumption of these laws is that after receiving an apology, patients will be less likely to pursue malpractice claims and will be more likely to settle claims that are filed. However, once a patient has been made aware that the physician has committed a medical error, the patient\u27s incentive to pursue a claim may increase even though the apology itself cannot be introduced as evidence. Thus, apology laws could lead to either increases or decreases in overall medical malpractice liability risk. Despite apology laws\u27 status as one of the most widespread tort reforms in the country, there is little evidence that they achieve their goal of reducing litigation. This Article provides critical new evidence on the role of apology laws by examining a dataset of malpractice claims obtained directly from a large national malpractice insurer. This dataset includes substantially more information than is publicly available, and thus presents a unique opportunity to understand the effect of apology laws on the entire litigation landscape in ways that are not possible using only publicly available data. Decomposing medical malpractice liability risk into the frequency of claims and the magnitude of those claims, we examine the malpractice claims against 90% of physicians in the country who practice within a particular specialty over an eight-year period. The analysis demonstrates that for physicians who regularly perform surgery-a context in which patients are more likely to be aware of potential risks-apology laws do not have a substantial effect on the probability that a physician will face a claim or the average payment made to resolve a claim. For nonsurgeons, we find that apology laws increase the probability of facing a lawsuit and increase the average payment made to resolve a claim, a finding which is consistent with the presence of asymmetric information. Overall, our findings indicate that on balance, apology laws increase rather than limit medical malpractice liability risk

A revised infrageneric classification and molecular phylogeny of New World Croton (Euphorbiaceae)

Croton (Euphorbiaceae) is a large and diverse group of plants that is most species‐rich in the tropics. We update the infrageneric classification of the New World species of Croton with new evidence from phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from all three genomes. The relationships of species that were previously placed in conflicting positions by nuclear and chloroplast data, such as C. cupreatus, C. poecilanthus, and C. setiger, are further resolved by adding the nuclear EMB2765 and mitochondrial rps3 genes to the molecular sampling. Analyses of rps3 reveal an accelerated rate of evolution within Croton subg. Geiseleria, the only one of the four subgenera that contains numerous herbaceous, annual species. We provide morphological descriptions, species lists, and a key to the 31 sections and 10 subsections recognized in the New World. New taxa that we describe include C. sects. Alabamenses, Argyranthemi, Cordiifolii, Corinthii, Cupreati, Luetzelburgiorum, Nubigeni, Olivacei, Pachypodi, Prisci, and C. subsects. Cubenses, Jamaicenses, and Sellowiorum. Additional transfers are made to the ranks of subgenus, section, and subsection. A total of 712 species of Croton are currently recognized for the New World, with 702 of them assigned here to section.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146834/1/tax603013.pd

Associations of depression status and hopelessness with breast cancer.

This study extended the literature by examining whether three profiles of depression predicted breast cancer status. In 1076 women of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, depression status and hopelessness were measured at baseline and breast cancer status was ascertained 24 years later. Double depression, but not major depression or dysthymia, was associated with breast cancer. Hopelessness predicted fewer new cases of breast cancer. When double depression and hopelessness were simultaneously entered as predictors, the regression weights of both predictors increased. The role of severe and extended duration depression as well as possible explanations for unexpected findings are discussed