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50,634 | The highly successful AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking (infrared homing) short-range missile was developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s. These small missiles are easily carried by lighter fighters, and provide effective ranges of approximately 10 to 35 km (~6 to 22 miles). Beginning with the AIM-9L in 1977, subsequent versions of Sidewinder have added all-aspect capability, the ability to use the lower heat of air to skin friction on the target aircraft to track from the front and sides. The latest (2003 service entry) AIM-9X also features "off-boresight" and "lock on after launch" capabilities, which allow the pilot to make a quick launch of a missile to track a target anywhere within the pilot's vision. The AIM-9X development cost was U.S. $3 billion in mid to late 1990s dollars, and 2015 per unit procurement cost is $0.6 million each. The missile weighs 85.3 kg (188 lbs), and has a maximum range of 35 km (22 miles) at higher altitudes. Like most air-to-air missiles, lower altitude range can be as limited as only about one third of maximum due to higher drag and less ability to coast downward. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=10929 | 50,614 |
1,605,049 | The preferential activation of O at the perimeter sites is an example of a support effect that promotes the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles. Besides enabling a proper dispersion of the deposited particles and hence a high surface-to-volume ratio, the metal oxide support also directly perturbs the electronic structure of the deposited gold clusters via various mechanisms, including strain-inducing and charge transfer. For gold deposited on magnesia (MgO), a charge transfer from singly charged oxygen vacancies (F-centers) at the MgO surface to the Au cluster has been observed. This charge transfer induces a local perturbation in the electronic structure of the gold clusters at the perimeter sites, enabling the formation of resonance states as the antibonding formula_6orbital of oxygen interacts with the metal d-band. As the antibonding orbital is occupied, the O-O bond is significantly weakened and stretched, i.e. activated. The activation of O at the perimeter sites is also observed for defect-free surfaces and neutral gold clusters, but to a significantly smaller extent. The activity enhancing effect of charge transfer from the substrate to gold has also been reported by Chen and Goodman in the case of a gold bilayer supported on ultrathin TiO on Mo(112). In addition to charge transfer between the substrate and the gold nanoparticles, the support material has been observed to increase the catalytic activity of gold by inducing strain as a consequence of lattice mismatch. The induced strains especially affect the Au atoms close to the substrate-cluster interface, resulting in a shift of the local d-band center towards energies closer to the Fermi level. This corroborates the periphery hypothesis and the creation of catalytically active bifunctional sites at the cluster-support interface. Furthermore, the support-cluster interaction directly influences the size and shape of the deposited gold nanoparticles. In the case of weak interaction, less active 3D clusters are formed, whereas if the interaction is stronger more active 2D few-layer structures are formed. This illustrates the ability to fine-tune the catalytic activity of gold clusters via varying the support material as well as the underlying metal upon which the substrate has been grown. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=57084837 | 1,604,147 |
283,132 | At Imola in Italy, "normal service" was resumed. McLaren settled on the front row of the grid and stayed that way for the race, with Mansell's Ferrari retiring midway with gearbox issues. Gerhard Berger, despite showing promise by setting the fastest time in the wet Friday qualifying, suffered front wing failure thanks to Berger's curb hopping style and careened off the track at Tamburello at high speed and hit the concrete retaining wall very hard and spun multiple times along the wall. This forced the race to be stopped after the fuel spilled all over Berger's car burst into flames after the car came to a standstill. Berger miraculously survived with just a broken rib, shoulder bone and burns to his back and hands, due to rescue crews removing him from the wreck in less than 60 secs. He gave a thumbs up and the race was restarted not too long after. Senna went on to win with Prost second. Patrese's engine failed and Boutsen was disqualified (but he got his 4th position back in an appeal), so the third place was taken by the Benetton Ford of Alessandro Nannini. Warwick and Tyrrell's Jonathan Palmer secured the remaining point paying positions. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1137718 | 282,979 |
752,845 | The diagnosis is typically made with magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. The findings most characteristic for PRES are symmetrical hyperintensities on "T"-weighed imaging in the parietal and occipital lobes; this pattern is present in more than half of all cases. FLAIR sequences can be better at showing these abnormalities. Some specific other rare patterns have been described: the superior frontal sulcus (SFS) watershed pattern, a watershed pattern involving the entire hemisphere (holohemispheric), and a central pattern with vasogenic oedema in the deep white matter, basal ganglia, thalami, brainstem and pons. These distinct patterns do not generally correlate with the nature of the symptoms or their severity, although severe edema may suggest a poorer prognosis. If the appearances are not typical, other causes for the symptoms and the imaging abnormalities need to considered before PRES can be diagnosed conclusively. In many cases there is evidence of constriction of the blood vessels (if angiography is performed), suggesting a possible overlap with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). Diffusion MRI may be used to identify areas of cytotoxic edema caused by poor blood flow (ischemia) but it is not clear if this prognostically relevant. Abnormal apparent diffusion coefficient is seen in about 20% of cases. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=8103196 | 752,443 |
178,239 | The first license application for the third unit was made in December 2000 and the date of the unit's entry into service was estimated to be 2010. However, since the start of construction, several delays to the schedule have been announced. In July 2012 TVO announced that the unit would not go into service before 2015, five years after the original estimate. In a statement, the operator said it was "not pleased with the situation" although solutions to various problems were being found and work was "progressing", and that it was waiting for a new launch date from Areva and Siemens. At the end of 2013, TVO said that the Areva-Siemens consortium plans to reduce workers and subcontractors on the construction site and says that it expects the contractor to provide details about the expected impact on the project's schedule. In February 2014, TVO said that it could not give an estimate of the plant's startup date because it was still waiting for the Areva-Siemens consortium to provide it with an updated overall schedule for the project." Later the same month it was reported that Areva was shutting down construction due to the dispute over compensations and unfinished automation planning. According to Kauppalehti, the estimated opening was delayed until 2018–2020. In July 2019 TVO announced that regular electricity generation is expected to start in July 2020. The delay was caused by slower than expected modification works. In August 2020 TVO announced that regular electricity generation is delayed to February 2022 due to slow progress in system testing, technical problems found in the testing, and delivery time of spare parts to replace faulty components. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1977274 | 178,146 |
1,104,091 | Periodontal files are used to crush larger, tenacious deposits to prepare them for further debridement with a scaler, curette or ultrasonic scalers. They have a series of blades on a base, therefore they are not suitable for root planing and fine scaling. Universal curettes are double-ended instruments with paired mirror working ends and a rounded toe. These instruments can be used on all surfaces of the tooth including root surfaces in a periodontal pocket. Gracey curettes have a stronger, rigid shank and angulated working blades that are area specific. They are best for subgingival scaling and root planing because the offset blade allowing for greater adaptation. After fives are similar to gracey's except they have an extended shank to allow extension into deeper pockets (>5mm). They also have a thinner blade for heavy or tenacious calculus. Mini fives are a modification of after fives as their blades are half the length to allow for easier insertion and adaptation into deep pockets, furcations, developmental grooves and line angles. They also contribute to a reduction in tissue trauma. Ultrasonic scalers move in an elliptical motion and do not have a cutting edge. They operate at a frequency of 3,000-8,000 cycles per second and use magnetostrictive or piezo-electric technology, thus helping remove plaque and calculus while reducing operator wrist fatigue. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=23511207 | 1,103,528 |
1,595,968 | Among neo-Walrasian economists, Karl Brunner focused attention on the authors of New Classical Macroeconomics (NMC). A first criticism directed towards NCM relates to the rational expectations hypothesis. Under this hypothesis, "people are assumed to know the policy rule used by the monetary (and fiscal) authorities and to have detailed knowledge about the structure of the economy including the size and timing of responses to shocks of various kinds. These assumptions make the models analytically tractable but, taken literally (as they often are), they distort the economist's view of the policy problem by ignoring uncertainty, incomplete knowledge about the structure of the economy and the costs of acquiring information and reducing uncertainty" (Brunner and Meltzer 1993, p. 42). A second criticism addressed by Brunner to NCM concerns the intertemporal concept of equilibrium: "I also have strong reservations about crucial aspects of their 'equilibrium approach' " (Klamer 1984, p. 191). To the question "So what is wrong with new classical economics?", Brunner answered: "Their interpretation of equilibrium analysis seems dubious to me. This "specific" kind of equilibrium analysis implies that "all" prices are market-clearing relative to "all" shock-realizations" (p. 192). As a result, NCM cannot explain "the lamented unresponsiveness of prices to current conditions" (Brunner 1980, p. 417), i.e. price stickiness. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=10181653 | 1,595,069 |
155,664 | The design of the Evangelion was conceived and edited by Anno and Ikuto Yamashita, the official mecha designer of the series. The director took inspiration from the demons of Japanese folklore, the "oni", and wanted to give them a modern look that differed from other mecha, such as the Gundams of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" series, giving them a more human-demonic nature than strictly robotic. He commissioned Yamashita to create "a demon", "a giant barely under the control of humankind". Yamashita thus drew inspiration for the design of the machines from "Gulliver's Travels", with the idea of representing an enormous power restrained, a giant that resembled a relief in a wall. Since the delivery of the preparatory sketches, Yamashita's drawings caused such a stir that even "Neon Genesis Evangelion"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s staff members were divided, causing problems for Gainax. Toshimichi Ōtsuki introduced "Neon Genesis Evangelion" to a well-known toy company, but a representative of the company told him that a robot with such a design could never sell, especially because of the lower limbs were considered too skinny. Anno, after the episode, decided to create a different series compared to the other mecha anime, all financed by private toy companies; moreover, to avoid any possible interference from the financial backers, he designed mecha that were difficult to reproduce in toy form to have more artistic freedom and revolutionize the genre, which he said had been stagnant for a long time and caged in a ready-made model. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=577372 | 155,593 |
786,986 | Alcohol is a depressant, the effects of which may vary according to dosage amount, frequency, and chronicity. As a member of the sedative-hypnotic class, at the lowest doses, the individual feels relaxed and less anxious. In quiet settings, the user may feel drowsy, but in settings with increased sensory stimulation, individuals may feel uninhibited and more confident. High doses of alcohol rapidly consumed may produce amnesia for the events that occur during intoxication. Other effects include reduced coordination, which leads to slurred speech, impaired fine-motor skills, and delayed reaction time. The effects of alcohol on the body's neurochemistry are more difficult to examine than some other drugs. This is because the chemical nature of the substance makes it easy to penetrate into the brain, and it also influences the phospholipid bilayer of neurons. This allows alcohol to have a widespread impact on many normal cell functions and modifies the actions of several neurotransmitter systems. Alcohol inhibits glutamate (a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system) neurotransmission by reducing the effectiveness at the NMDA receptor, which is related to memory loss associated with intoxication. It also modulates the function of GABA, a major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitter. Abuse of alcohol has also been correlated with thiamine deficiencies within the brain, leading to lasting neurological conditions that affect primarily the ability of the brain to effectively store memories. One such neurological condition is called Korsakoff's syndrome, for which very few effective treatment modalities have been found. The reinforcing qualities of alcohol leading to repeated use – and thus also the mechanisms of withdrawal from chronic alcohol use – are partially due to the substance's action on the dopamine system. This is also due to alcohol's effect on the opioid systems, or endorphins, that have opiate-like effects, such as modulating pain, mood, feeding, reinforcement, and response to stress. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=45621 | 786,563 |
962,205 | The major application of PEM fuel cells focuses on transportation primarily because of their potential impact on the environment, e.g. the control of emission of the green house gases (GHG). Other applications include distributed/stationary and portable power generation. Most major motor companies work solely on PEM fuel cells due to their high power density and excellent dynamic characteristics as compared with other types of fuel cells. Due to their light weight, PEMFCs are most suited for transportation applications. PEMFCs for buses, which use compressed hydrogen for fuel, can operate at up to 40% efficiency. Generally PEMFCs are implemented on buses over smaller cars because of the available volume to house the system and store the fuel. Technical issues for transportation involve incorporation of PEMs into current vehicle technology and updating energy systems. Full fuel cell vehicles are not advantageous if hydrogen is sourced from fossil fuels; however, they become beneficial when implemented as hybrids. There is potential for PEMFCs to be used for stationary power generation, where they provide 5 kW at 30% efficiency; however, they run into competition with other types of fuel cells, mainly SOFCs and MCFCs. Whereas PEMFCs generally require high purity hydrogen for operation, other fuel cell types can run on methane and are thus more flexible systems. Therefore, PEMFCs are best for small scale systems until economically scalable pure hydrogen is available. Furthermore, PEMFCs have the possibility of replacing batteries for portable electronics, though integration of the hydrogen supply is a technical challenge particularly without a convenient location to store it within the device. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1049596 | 961,696 |
2,108,192 | In October 1962, in a small office in Paris, a final move was made in the protracted negotiations. The project was in danger of getting stuck, and there were important matters that still needed to be resolved. The impasse needed to be overcome, and the solution required the consolidation of a special relationship as well as technical expertise. Bill Strang and Lucien Servanty closeted themselves away for a whole day, with a single draughtsman and drawing board, and with an understanding that they would not emerge until they had reached agreement (and an agreed drawing) of the general arrangement for the long-range and medium-range aircraft. They succeeded, although it would be hard to imagine two men more unlike in temperament, background and personality - Lucien Servanty, a forceful and fiery character, who did not suffer fools gladly, and Bill Strang, an equable, quiet-spoken man, who led rather than drove his team. They were, one might have thought, a fairly unlikely pair to work together as collaborators on the most difficult technological project ever tackled in Europe. Yet this partnership, like many others in the Concorde organisation, and grew and flourished on the firm basis of mutual respect for the other's intellect and integrity. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=25556136 | 2,106,978 |
1,624,798 | Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure was born into a wealthy, aristocratic, Genevan family, many of whose members were accomplished in the natural sciences, including botany. He was the second child of Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (1740–1799), who was an eminent geologist, meteorologist, physicist and Alpine explorer, and Albertine-Amélie Boissier (1745–1817). His great uncle, Charles Bonnet, was a famous naturalist whose research included experiments on plant leaves. His grandfather Nicolas de Saussure was a noted agriculturist, for whom Nicolas-Théodore was named. Nicolas-Théodore was called "Théodore" to distinguish him from his grandfather, and he published his professional papers under the name Théodore de Saussure after his father died. (While his father was alive, Théodore's papers were published under the name "de Saussure fils", as was the custom of the day for the sons of scientists having the same surname. Nicolas-Théodore, his sister, Albertine, and brother, Alphonse, were educated at home because their father thought the educational system of the day was inferior. From 1782 to 1786, he attended the University of Geneva, where he studied math, science, and history. During the early years of the French Revolution he traveled abroad, meeting with eminent scientists in London. He traveled abroad again in the late 1790s, and in 1800 became acquainted with Parisian scientists and other luminaries. While there, he took courses in chemistry and presented a paper. Upon returning to Geneva in 1802, he accepted an honorary professorship of mineralogy and geology at the University of Geneva. Although he taught very little, he remained on the faculty until 1835. He lived quietly and somewhat reclusively, doing research in his own private laboratory (as was the custom for scientists of his day), but, like others in his family, he was active in public affairs in Geneva, and he served on the Genevan representative council. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1524053 | 1,623,882 |
1,493,149 | Firms who are engaged in a "prima facie" uncompetitive concentration may be able to show that their action nevertheless results in "technical and economic progress" mentioned in Art. 2(1) of the ECMR as the focus of the analysis is on whether the concentration results in an overall impediment to effective competition, described as an "effects based equilibrium approach". "Technical and economic progress", being a desirable effect on the market, will thus be accounted for in an assessment on whether the competitive equilibrium of the market will be positively or adversely affected by the proposed merger. The economic progress exceptions, as the name suggests, could potentially be used to eliminate the anti-competitive effects, however, it is not binding at law. The burden of proof rests on the undertakings pleading the defense but the discretion ultimately rests on the European Commission. The Commission has published, as per Recital 29 of the ECMR, guidelines outlining the circumstances when economic efficiency might be factored into the assessment of whether a significant impediment to effective competition is present, such circumstances include whether a benefit has been produced to consumers, whether the benefit is a specific direct result of the merger and whether the benefit is verifiable and likely to materialise. Economic efficiency benefits were considered at great length by the Commission in "UPS/TNT Express" but ultimately it was concluded that a significant impediment to effective competition was still present even with the claimed efficiencies taken into account. The defense presented by the commission, as the "efficiency analysis" will be taken into account in assessing whether the concentration is of pro-competitive nature[1]. However, the notion that such a defense may argue otherwise is not accurate. In other words, the European Union Merger Law is more considered about the competitive structure of the market than its economic welfare. Therefore, applying the "efficiency analysis" will evidently weaken the undertakings concerned application. A research data collection conducted by Alto University substantiates those assertions by stating that only 24 applicants have pleaded the efficiency argument since the legislation was put into effect. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=12070642 | 1,492,309 |
354,679 | Webber and Red Bull negotiated a contract extension to the championship to reward his performance in 2009. His RB6 car was designed to channel engine exhaust gases through a bodywork slot to the diffuser's central area for more downforce and cornering speed. A knee training injury forced Webber to delay his preparation because a surgeon conducted a full knee incision. Inactivity during surgery increased Webber's weight to ; a strict diet kept his weight at . Upon his return to racing, he led the Drivers' Championship at various points during the season, achieving four Grand Prix victories and three pole positions. An accident with Rosberg at the and a second-place finish at the following put Webber eight points behind Alonso and seven ahead of Vettel entering the season-ending . Webber need to win the race and for Alonso to place third or lower to secure the championship. He was eighth in the race, which Vettel won and Alonso came seventh. Webber was third overall with 242 points. After the season, Webber was angry with Red Bull's management, thinking they devalued his achievements that year. He collided with Vettel in a duel for the lead at the , which cooled his relationship with Marko who blamed Webber for the accident and favoured Vettel, something Webber felt again after Vettel received a new front wing intended for Webber at the . | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=564161 | 354,496 |
426,813 | The original US Navy Polaris had not been designed to penetrate ABM defences, but the Royal Navy had to ensure that its small Polaris force operating alone, and often with only one submarine on deterrent patrol, could penetrate the ABM screen around Moscow. The Americans upgraded to Poseidon, which had MIRV warheads. Although it suffered from reliability problems that were not completely resolved until 1974, it represented a clear improvement over Polaris, and became the preferred option of the AWRE and the Admiralty. While it could not be carried by the ten "George Washington"- and boats, it could be accommodated on the British "Resolution" class. Zuckerman attended a meeting with Rear Admiral Levering Smith, the director of SPO, and John S. Foster, Jr., the director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, at which the provision of Poseidon to the UK was discussed. While the cost was a factor, the main obstacle was political, and the Wilson government publicly ruled out the purchase of Poseidon in June 1967. Without an agreement on improvement, the Special Relationship began to decay. The Americans were unwilling to share information about warhead vulnerability unless the British were going to proceed to applying it. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=35942972 | 426,604 |
1,741,917 | Even before the first selective COX-2 inhibitor was marketed, specialists began to suspect that there might be a cardiovascular risk associated with this class of medicines. In the VIGOR study (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research), rofecoxib (Vioxx) was compared to naproxen. After a short time, it became evident that there was a fivefold higher risk of myocardial infarction in the rofecoxib group compared to the group that received naproxen. The authors suggested that the difference was due to the cardioprotective effects of naproxen. The APPROVe (Adenomatous Poly Prevention on Vioxx) study was a multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind trial aimed to assess the effect of three-year treatment with rofecoxib on recurrence of neoplastic polyps in individuals with a history of colorectal adenomas. In 2000 and 2001, 2587 patients with a history of colorectal adenomas were recruited and followed. The trial was stopped early (2 months before expected completion) on recommendations of its data safety and monitoring board because of concerns about cardiovascular toxicity. When looking at the results of the study, it showed a statistically significant increase in cardiovascular risk when taking rofecoxib compared to placebo beginning after 18 months of treatment. Then on 30 September Merck gave out a news release announcing their voluntary worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=20187427 | 1,740,933 |
2,169,284 | Laurence David Barron (born 12 February 1944 in Southampton, England) has been Gardiner Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow since 1998 (now Emeritus). He is a chemist who has conducted pioneering research into the properties of chiral (right- or left-handed) molecules — defined by Lord Kelvin as those that cannot be superimposed onto their mirror image. By extending this definition of chirality to include moving particles and processes that vary with time, he has made a fundamental theoretical contribution to the field. Chiral molecules such as amino acids, sugars, proteins, and nucleic acids play a central role in the chemistry of life, and many drug molecules are chiral. Laurence’s work on Raman optical activity — a spectroscopic technique capable of determining the three-dimensional structures of chiral molecules, which he predicted, observed, and applied to problems at the forefront of chemistry and structural biology — has led to its development as a powerful analytical tool used in academic and industrial laboratories worldwide. His much-cited book, "Molecular Light Scattering and Optical Activity", has contributed to the growing impact of chirality on many areas of modern science. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=22947259 | 2,168,046 |
1,741,118 | Seascape genomics is a tool that utilizes genetic markers in tandem with current patterns to better understand dispersal. Another key difference when studying marine systems is that many animals have extremely large population sizes. Substantial population sizes in the marine setting allows for greater adaptive potential with larger effective population size, meaning the portion of the population that is reproducing and passing along genes increases. A large population will have greater influence from selection than drift, thus marine organisms are more likely to have greater levels of local adaptation. In seascape analyses, genetic data allows for greater species understanding and tracking when the full life history is unknown or unable to be studied with ecology. Population genetics incorporates many theories and techniques, all of which need to be taken into consideration for seascape and landscape analyses. There are several ways to collect genetic information. Popular methods in seascape genetics have been single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mitochondrial DNA, random amplified polymorphic DNAs, microsatellites, allozymes, and full genomes. Collecting and processing sufficient samples has been a time-consuming process in the past. Next generation sequencing has helped to expand the field of landscape genomics because it allows for rapid sequencing of extremely large genomes. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=59627298 | 1,740,136 |
240,301 | However, in April 2022, a new analysis of data that was obtained by the Fermilab Tevatron collider before its closure in 2011 determined the mass of the W boson to be 80,433 ± 9 MeV, which is seven standard deviations above that predicted by the Standard Model, meaning that if the model is correct there should only be a one-trillionth chance that such a large mass would arise by non-systematic observational error. According to Ashutosh Kotwal of Duke University and the leader of the Collider Detector at Fermilab collaboration, the lower beam luminosity used reduced the chance that events of interest would be obscured by other collisions and that the use of proton-antiproton collisions simplifies the process of quark-antiquark annihilation, which then decayed to give a lepton and a neutrino. The team deliberately encrypted its data and withheld any preliminary results from themselves until the analysis was complete, to prevent "confirmation bias" bending their interpretation of the data. Kotwal described it as the 'largest crack in this beautiful theory', speculating that it might be the 'first clear evidence' of other forces or particles not accounted for by the Standard Model, and which might be accounted for by theories such as supersymmetry. The Nobel-winning theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek described the result as a 'monumental piece of work'. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=405532 | 240,181 |
650,255 | The difference in methylation of specific DNA sequences between mother and fetus can be used to identify fetal-specific DNA in the blood circulation of the mother. In a study published in the March 6, 2011, online issue of "Nature", using this non-invasive technique a group of investigators from Greece and UK achieved correct diagnosis of 14 trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and 26 normal cases. Using massive parallel sequencing, a study testing for trisomy 21 only, successfully detected 209 of 212 cases (98.6%) with 3 false-positives in 1,471 pregnancies (0.2%). With commercially available non-invasive (blood) testing for Down syndrome having become available to patients in the United States and already available in China, in October 2011, the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis created some guidance. Based on its sensitivity and specificity, it constitutes an advanced screening test and that positive results require confirmation by an invasive test, and that while effective in the diagnosis of Down syndrome, it cannot assess half the abnormalities detected by invasive testing. The test is not recommended for general use until results from broader studies have been reported, but may be useful in high-risk patients in conjunction with genetic counseling. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=647286 | 649,914 |
1,049,303 | Leeward Capital Corp, a small Canadian mining firm, controlled the deposit from the mid-1990s to c. 2000, though the history of exploitation during the 2000s is obscure. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an armed rebel group seeking to secede Kachin province from Myanmar, controlled the area during the early to mid 2010's. During the early 2010s, production rapidly increased. The working conditions at the mines have been described as extremely unsafe, down deep pits barely wide enough to crawl through, with no accident compensation. The KIA controlled amber export via numerous licenses, taxes, restrictions on movement of labor, and enforced auctions. The main amber market in Myanmar is Myitkyina. Most amber is smuggled into China, primarily for jewelry, with estimates of around 100 tonnes passing through to the main market of Tengchong, Yunnan in 2015, with an estimated value between five and seven billion yuan. Burmese amber was estimated to make up 30% of Tenchong's gemstone market (the rest being Myanmar Jade), and was declared one of the cities eight main industries by the local government. The presence of calcite veins are a major factor in determining the gem quality of pieces, with pieces with a large number of veins having significantly lower value. In June 2017 the Tatmadaw seized control of the mines from the KIA. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=48679019 | 1,048,757 |
1,020,782 | In 1973, to address the issues with analog clocks, Bruce Cheney, a Cornell University Electrical Engineering student and chess player, created the first digital chess clock as a project for an undergraduate EE course. Typical of most inventions, it was crude compared to the products on the market many years later and was limited by the technology that existed at the time. For example, the display was done with red LEDs. LEDs require significant power, and as a result, the clock had to be plugged into a wall outlet. The high cost of LEDs at the time meant that only one set of digits could be displayed, that of the player whose turn it was to move. This meant that each player's time had to be multiplexed to the display when their time was running. In 1973, LSI chips were not readily or cheaply available, so all the multiplexing and logic were done using chips that consisted of four two-input TTL NAND gates, which resulted in excessive power consumption. Being plugged into the wall is obviously a major drawback, but had one advantage: the timebase for the clock was driven off a rectified version of 60 cycle AC current. Each player had a separate counter, and, in a parallel to the original mechanical architecture, one player's counter was disabled while the other's was running. The clock only had one mode: time ran forward. It could be reset, but not set. It did not count the number of moves. But it successfully addressed the original goals of the project (accurate and matched timing). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=47653 | 1,020,253 |
1,809,636 | The National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) was formed in 2013 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to promote the application of validated, science-based findings to wide-scale, effective implementation of prevention practices and policies. In doing so, they address several areas of concern, such as mental and behavioral health, education, and environmental influences. Additionally, they address adverse social conditions that contribute to both behavioral problems (e.g., poor self-regulation, substance use and excessive alcohol use, violence) and major chronic illnesses (e.g., asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease) that originate in childhood and become compounded in adulthood. Given that behavioral, mental and physical health problems are highly concentrated in high poverty neighborhoods, the NPSC has prioritized the reduction of poverty and its ill effects. Criminal and juvenile justice issues are also a matter of concern to them. Effective prevention of these multiple problems requires fostering environments from the prenatal period onward that nurture child and adolescent successful development. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=35523635 | 1,808,615 |
465,577 | Since 2005 the notion of bridging brain science and the visual arts has blossomed into a field of increasing international interest. In his 2008 book, "Neuroarthistory: from Aristotle and Pliny to Baxandall and Zeki", Professor John Onians of the University of East Anglia considers himself to be at the forefront of the field of neural scientific biased art historical research, although such a 'history' is much shorter than Onians would have us believe. Many historical figures he deals with as precursors for neuroarthistory (Karl Marx, for example) have very little to do with modern neuroscience as it is understood today. Contemporary artists like Mark Stephen Smith (William Campbell Gallery, USA), Guillaume Bottazzi and others have developed extensive bodies of work mapping the convergence of brain science and painting. Smith's work explores fundamental visual analogies between neural function and self-expression in abstract art. The past decade has also seen a corresponding growth in the aesthetics of music studied from neuroscientific approaches. Psychological and social approaches to art help provide other theories of experience. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1038052 | 465,347 |
758,641 | Booker T. Washington was the dominant black political and educational leader in the United States from the 1890s until his death in 1915. Washington not only led his own college, Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, but his advice, political support, and financial connections proved important to many other black colleges and high schools, which were primarily located in the South. This was the center of the black population until after the Great Migration of the first half of the 20th century. Washington was a respected advisor to major philanthropies, such as the Rockefeller, Rosenwald and Jeanes foundations, which provided funding for leading black schools and colleges. The Rosenwald Foundation provided matching funds for the construction of schools for rural black students in the South. Washington explained, "We need not only the industrial school, but the college and professional school as well, for a people so largely segregated, as we are. ... Our teachers, ministers, lawyers and doctors will prosper just in proportion as they have about them an intelligent and skillful producing class." Washington was a strong advocate of progressive reforms as advocated by Dewey, emphasizing scientific, industrial and agricultural education that produced a base for lifelong learning, and enabled careers for many black teachers, professionals, and upwardly mobile workers. He tried to adapt to the system and did not support political protests against the segregated Jim Crow system. At the same time, Washington used his network to provide important funding to support numerous legal challenges by the NAACP against the systems of disenfranchisement which southern legislatures had passed at the turn of the century, effectively excluding blacks from politics for decades into the 1960s. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=9083795 | 758,235 |
752,063 | Following its tour, the team identified MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa as its first choice, based on the fact the Air Force was planning to close down its Strategic Air Command operations there. The Houston Rice University site was second, and the Benicia Ordnance Depot in San Francisco was third. Before a decision could be made, however, the Air Force decided not to close MacDill, omitting it from consideration and moving the Rice University site to first place. Webb informed President Kennedy on September 14 of the decision made by him and deputy administrator Hugh Dryden in two separate memoranda, one reviewing the criteria and procedures, and the other stating: "Our decision is that this laboratory should be located in Houston, Texas, in close association with Rice University and the other educational institutions there and in that region." The Executive Office and NASA made advance notifications of the award, and the public announcement of the location followed on September 19, 1961. According to Texas A&M University historian Henry C. Dethloff, "Although the Houston site neatly fit the criteria required for the new center, Texas undoubtedly exerted an enormous political influence on such a decision. Lyndon B. Johnson was Vice President and head of the Space Council, Albert Thomas headed the House Appropriations Committee, Bob Casey and Olin E. Teague were members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, and Teague headed the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Finally, Sam Rayburn was Speaker of the House of Representatives." | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=177571 | 751,661 |
2,059,763 | Reactor power winding current is regulated according to proportional control mode, when control angle of rectified current source thyristors is changed according to proportional mode depending on mismatching between the prescribed voltage setting and the voltage at the point of reactor connection. In case of necessity to implement the rapid transfer of the reactor from one quasi-steady-state mode to another one, the scheme of overexcitation/underexcitation is realized. In such case, time to gain full power starting from no-load condition is reduced up to 0,3 s. Constructively, it is possible to ensure every speed of the reactor power variation. However, based on practical experience of MCSR application, the optimal balance between the reactor operating speed and capacity of biasing system has been determined: speed of power increase/relief within 0,3 – 1,0 s, capacity of biasing system – 1 – 2% of the reactor rated capacity. Depending upon desired requirements, MCSR is adjusted in such a way that would be possible to realize either voltage level stabilization, or consumed reactive power value, or consumed current magnitude. Controlled reactors, same as their non-controlled analogues, are subdivided into bus reactors and line reactors. Based on this principle, MCSR design would be completed with additional element which ensures pre-biasing of electromagnetic part and subsequent inertialess energizing of the reactor (with power increase time less than one cycle of power frequency). Similar to all transformer equipment, MCSR is able to withstand long-term overload up to 120 – 130% as well as should-term overload up to 200%. Moreover, considering the additional measures and the control algorithms, MCSR realizes all functions of uncontrolled shunt reactor including ability to operate within the interval of single-phase automatic reclosing. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=43780534 | 2,058,577 |
671,510 | The Husqvarna Model 40 or m/40 was manufactured 1940 to 1946 and was a Swedish copy of the Finnish Lahti pistol. The Swedish army realized there would be a shortage of pistols in the event of large scale military mobilization in Europe. Originally adopting the Walther P38 in 1939, Germany's entry into World War II stopped the export of P38s to Sweden. To compensate, Sweden adopted the Lahti pistol but was unable to import L-35-type guns because of the conflicts between Finland and the USSR. Production was licensed to Svenska Automatvapen AB but the immediate collapse of the company passed the contract to Husqvarna Vapenfabriks. The first m/40s were delivered to the Swedish military by 1942 with slight differences from the Finnish L-35 Lahtis. The grips of the m/40 have the Husqvarna "crown H" motif engraved and the front sight was slightly larger. The barrel is also slightly longer on the m/40 than the Finnish Lahti with the m/40's trigger guard being heavier, and the pistol does not have the loaded chamber indicator and lock-retaining spring of the Finnish Lahti. Other modifications included a change in the gun steel quality specifications that were not successful in the m/40s and led to cracks in the frame. Cracking in the frame became more aggravated as the m/39B-ammunition developed for use in the Carl Gustav m/45 submachine gun were used in the pistols. The m/40 would eventually be taken out of service in the 1980s because of the frame cracks, being completely replaced by the Glock 17 by the early 1990s. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=5117885 | 671,158 |
264,343 | Under the "pots, not people" theory, the Beaker culture is seen as a 'package' of knowledge (including religious beliefs, as well as methods of copper, bronze, and gold working) and artefacts (including copper daggers, v-perforated buttons, and stone wrist-guards) adopted and adapted by the indigenous peoples of Europe to varying degrees. This new knowledge may have come about by any combination of population movements and cultural contact. An example might be as part of a prestige cult related to the production and consumption of beer, or trading links such as those demonstrated by finds made along the seaways of Atlantic Europe. Palynological studies including analysis of pollen, associated with the spread of beakers, certainly suggests increased growing of barley, which may be associated with beer brewing. Noting the distribution of Beakers was highest in areas of transport routes, including fording sites, river valleys and mountain passes, Beaker 'folk' were suggested to be originally bronze traders, who subsequently settled within local Neolithic or early Chalcolithic cultures, creating local styles. Close analysis of the bronze tools associated with beaker use suggests an early Iberian source for the copper, followed subsequently by Central European and Bohemian ores. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=263746 | 264,200 |
586,485 | Further examples of athletes being treated like royalty at their universities can be seen through the University of Oregon. The John E. Jaqua Academic Center for the varsity athletes at the University of Oregon is a 40,000 square foot facility to assist athletes with their education. The extravagant space contains an auditorium with 114 leather seats, dozens of tutoring rooms and academic and life-skill advising offices, a computer and graphics lab, library with study spaces, lounge with large flat-screen televisions and deluxe sofas, as well as a kitchen and café filled with food and new equipment. The staff, technology, and rooms inside the academic center are all reserved for the varsity athletes, who make up 2.5% of the student population at the school. In addition, the 1,700 private tutoring sessions per week are conveniently displayed on a massive screen similar to the screens that display flight information at an airport. Adding to the exclusive treatment the student-athletes receive, the academic center is surrounded by a moat. The athletic facility adds to the royal treatment of the student-athletes. The University of Oregon's football practice facility is 145,000 square feet and contains three indoor practice fields, a two-story weight room, countless whirlpools and medical tables, enormous lockers, and luxurious lounges containing gaming stations and flat-screen televisions. Other amenities at the practice facility include a cafeteria (players receive high quality, tailored, nutritious diets), multiple conference rooms and classrooms, a pool table and barbershop. The student-athletes have luxurious facilities at their disposal, and they are already getting paid in the form of their scholarships. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=2181526 | 586,185 |
411,274 | The first time an individual uses a biometric system is called "enrollment". During enrollment, biometric information from an individual is captured and stored. In subsequent uses, biometric information is detected and compared with the information stored at the time of enrollment. Note that it is crucial that storage and retrieval of such systems themselves be secure if the biometric system is to be robust. The first block (sensor) is the interface between the real world and the system; it has to acquire all the necessary data. Most of the times it is an image acquisition system, but it can change according to the characteristics desired. The second block performs all the necessary pre-processing: it has to remove artifacts from the sensor, to enhance the input (e.g. removing background noise), to use some kind of normalization, etc. In the third block, necessary features are extracted. This step is an important step as the correct features need to be extracted in an optimal way. A vector of numbers or an image with particular properties is used to create a "template". A template is a synthesis of the relevant characteristics extracted from the source. Elements of the biometric measurement that are not used in the comparison algorithm are discarded in the template to reduce the file size and to protect the identity of the enrollee. However, depending on the scope of the biometric system, original biometric image sources may be retained, such as the PIV-cards used in the Federal Information Processing Standard Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors (FIPS 201). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=290622 | 411,072 |
868,491 | Hydrostatic tests are conducted under the constraints of either the industry's or the customer's specifications, or may be required by law. The vessel is filled with a nearly incompressible liquid – usually water or oil – pressurised to test pressure, and examined for leaks or permanent changes in shape. Red or fluorescent dyes may be added to the water to make leaks easier to see. The test pressure is always considerably higher than the operating pressure to give a factor of safety. This factor of safety is typically 166.66%, 143% or 150% of the designed working pressure, depending on the regulations that apply. For example, if a cylinder was rated to DOT-2015 PSI (approximately 139 bar), it would be tested at around 3360 PSI (approximately 232 bar). Water is commonly used because it is cheap and easily available, and is usually harmless to the system to be tested. Hydraulic fluids and oils may be specified where contamination with water could cause problems. These fluids are nearly incompressible, therefore requiring relatively little work to develop a high pressure, and is therefore also only able to release a small amount of energy in case of a failure - only a small volume will escape under high pressure if the container fails. If high pressure gas were used, then the gas would expand to V=(nRT)/p with its compressed volume resulting in an explosion, with the attendant risk of damage or injury. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=404854 | 868,031 |
2,018,286 | Johnson believed that Hamer's work made clear the difficulties involved in studying sexuality. He considered its title misleading, as no "gay gene" has been "proven or identified", and criticized Hamer for confusing "sexuality and sex" and for implying that "AIDS (rather than HIV) is sexually transmitted". He also questioned why Hamer needed a co-author, and why a scientist as busy as Hamer claimed to be would find writing a book "describing the background to a single, as yet unconfirmed, unextended and far from concluded, study" a high priority. However, the book convinced him that "the more cynical answers to this question" were mistaken. He found the book well-written, writing that it "conveys something of the serendipity of scientific advance", gave insightful descriptions of scientists, and outlined "the problems of determining whether there are genetic bases for complex behaviours" and suggested a way of overcoming them that made clear that this methodology relies on "redefining a complex characteristic in very limited terms". He concluded that it was "probably the best attempt at a genetic analysis of human sexuality that we have so far, which indicates just how far we have to go" and predicted that it would "fuel the moral debate about what any genetic component to sexuality might mean for ethics and the law." He wrote that Hamer should be "congratulated and encouraged" for contributing to the debate. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=55800745 | 2,017,123 |
1,731,612 | To use in expected global heating scenario, in a catastrophic “hothouse Earth,” possible well beyond the control of humans, where "wet bulb temperatures," taken by a thermometer wrapped in a wet cloth, show temperatures of 35C or higher, and considered the limit to human survival and heighten humidity makes it harder for people to cool down via sweating, coursed by the pollution of the troposphere, that tight holds 99% of human made solid particle pollution, and keeps CO in it for more than 100 years, for citizens who cant afford an air-condition unit, to cool down and prevent heatstroke with an elevated core body temperature above 40℃ with neurologic dysfunctions, that can lead to a syndrome of multiple organ defect, and cell stress, as it is found, that the CB1 receptor activation, here by a phytocannabinoid Δ9-THC administration, induces profound hypothermia, that is rapid in onset, persistent for 3–4 hours, dose-dependent and is accompanied by a reduction in oxygen (O) consumption, which indicate reduced heat production, as opposed to increased heat loss. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=20853174 | 1,730,636 |
2,029,119 | The National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) is part of the Media School at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1989, it is often regarded as one of the best UK institutions available for study in the field of computer graphics, offering both undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. Its first director was Peter Comninos. The interdisciplinary centre, operating under the motto 'Science in the service of the Arts', enjoys strong links with industry, with much of it consisting of NCCA graduates. In the 2001 national Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the NCCA was awarded the maximum possible mark of 5 and performed similarly well in the 2008 RAE. NESTA's 'Livingstone-Hope Skills Review of Video Games and Visual Effects', launched in 2010, published its result in the "Next Gen." report, which singles out the NCCA for 'excellence in visual effects education', placing it 'at the forefront of education for the visual effects and animation industries'. In 2011 the work of the NCCA at Bournemouth University was further recognised through the award of the Queen's Anniversary Prize for 'world-class computer animation teaching with wide scientific and creative applications'. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=2935520 | 2,027,951 |
260,709 | Version 1.0 was the first full release of "Kerbal Space Program". It was nicknamed "We Have Liftoff!" and released on 27 April 2015. Version 1.0 completely overhauled the flight and drag model for a more realistic simulation, now ignoring drag on rocket parts which were occluded from the air flow. It also allowed for body lift, so that parts that were not specifically designed as wings (such as structural panels) could still generate lift. 1.0 added shock heating and heat shields, making atmospheric entry much more dangerous, as well as air brakes and procedurally generated fairings. All parts received internal modeling. Resource mining was added to refine into fuel or monopropellant. 1.0 also brought several improvements to Kerbals, who could now have various specializations. For example, "Engineer" Kerbals can repair wheels and landing legs. Female Kerbals were also added to the game. Version 1.1, nicknamed "Turbo Charged", was released on 19 April 2016, almost one year after the last major update. The game engine was upgraded from Unity 4 to Unity 5, resulting in an increase in performance, as well as a stable 64-bit client, removing memory constraints caused by too many mods being installed. Much of the game was rewritten to accomplish this. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=33134040 | 260,574 |
409,951 | The spinning-rotor gauge works by measuring how a rotating ball is slowed by the viscosity of the gas being measured. The ball is made of steel and is magnetically levitated inside a steel tube closed at one end and exposed to the gas to be measured at the other. The ball is brought up to speed (about 2500 or 3800 rad/s), and the deceleration rate is measured after switching off the drive, by electromagnetic transducers. The range of the instrument is 5 to 10 Pa (10 Pa with less accuracy). It is accurate and stable enough to be used as a secondary standard. During the last years this type of gauge became much more user friendly and easier to operate. In the past the instrument was famous to requires some skill and knowledge to use correctly. For high accuracy measurements various corrections must be applied and the ball must be spun at a pressure well below the intended measurement pressure for five hours before using. It is most useful in calibration and research laboratories where high accuracy is required and qualified technicians are available. Insulation vacuum monitoring of cryogenic liquids is a perfect suited application for this system too. With the inexpensive and long term stable, weldable sensor, that can be separated from the more costly electronics/read it is a perfect fit to all static vacuums. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=19951 | 409,749 |
1,299,546 | The female does not lay its eggs in a specific location but scatters ("broadcasts") them while in flight, sometimes in huge numbers (29,000 were recorded from a single female "Trictena", which is presumably a world record for the Lepidoptera). The maggot-like larvae feed in a variety of ways. Probably all Exoporia have concealed larvae, making silken tunnels in all manner of substrates. Some species feed on leaf litter, fungi, mosses, decaying vegetation, ferns, gymnosperms and a wide span of monocot and dicot plants. There is very little evidence of hostplant specialisation; whilst the South African species "Leto venus" is restricted to the tree "Virgilia capensis" this may be a case of "ecological monophagy". A few feed on foliage (the austral 'oxyacanine' genera which may drag foliage into their feeding tunnel: Nielsen et al., 2000: 825). Most feed underground on fine roots, at least in early instars and some then feed internally in tunnels in the stem or trunk of their hostplants. Root-feeding larvae travelling through soil make silk-lined tunnels. Before pupating they make a vertical tunnel, which can be up to 10 cm deep, with an exit close to the ground surface. The pupae can then climb up and down to adjust to changes in temperature and flooding. Before the adult moth emerges, the pupa protrudes half way out at the ground surface. The pupa has rows of dorsal spines on the abdominal segments as in other lower members of the Heteroneura. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1404748 | 1,298,832 |
1,674,488 | A new software upload in September 2008 necessitated a brief shutdown of the NICMOS cooling system. Several attempts to restart the cooling system were unsuccessful due to issues with the cryogenic circulator. After waiting more than six weeks for parts of the instrument to warm up, and theorized ice particles to sublimate from the neon circulating loop, the cooler once again failed to restart. An Anomaly Review Board (ARB) was then convened by NASA. The ARB concluded that ice or other solid particle migrated from the dewar to the circulator during the September 2008 restart attempt and that the circulator may be damaged, and determined an alternative set of startup parameters. A successful restart at 13:30 EST on 16 December 2008 led to four days of cooler operations followed by another shutdown. On 1 August 2009, the cooler was restarted again; NICMOS was expected to resume operations in mid-February 2010 and operated through October 22, 2009, at which point a lock-up of Hubble's data handling system caused the telescope to shut down. The circulation flow rate to NICMOS was greatly reduced during this operating period confirming blockage in the circulation loop. Continued operation at reduced flow rates would limit NICMOS science so plans for purging and refilling the circulation system with clean neon gas were developed by NASA. The circulation loop is equipped with an extra neon tank and remotely operated solenoid valves for on-orbit purge-fill operations. As of 2013, these purge-fill operations have not yet been performed. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=884094 | 1,673,546 |
962,184 | The general requirements of a good electrolyte for PEMFCs are: high proton conductivity (>10 S/cm for practical applications) to enable proton transport between electrodes, good chemical and thermal stability under fuel cell operating conditions (environmental humidity, variable temperatures, resistance to poisonous species, etc.), low cost, ability to be processed into thin-films, and overall compatibility with other cell components. While polymeric materials are currently the preferred choice of proton-conducting membrane, they require humidification for adequate performance and can sometimes physically degrade due to hydrations effects, thereby causing losses of efficiency. As mentioned, Nafion is also limited by a dehydration temperature of < 100 °C, which can lead to slower reaction kinetics, poor cost efficiency, and CO poisoning of Pt electrode catalysts. Conversely, MOFs have shown encouraging proton conductivities in both low and high temperature regimes as well as over a wide range of humidity conditions. Below 100 °C and under hydration, the presence of hydrogen bonding and solvent water molecules aid in proton transport, whereas anhydrous conditions are suitable for temperatures above 100 °C. MOFs also have the distinct advantage of exhibiting proton conductivity by the framework itself in addition to the inclusion of charge carries (i.e., water, acids, etc.) into their pores. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1049596 | 961,675 |
84,790 | Haber worked in a variety of areas while at Karlsruhe, making significant contributions in several areas. In the area of dye and textiles, he and Friedrich Bran were able to theoretically explain steps in textile printing processes developed by Adolf Holz. Discussions with Carl Engler prompted Haber to explain autoxidation in electrochemical terms, differentiating between dry and wet autoxidation. Haber's examinations of the thermodynamics of the reaction of solids confirmed that Faraday's laws hold for the electrolysis of crystalline salts. This work led to a theoretical basis for the glass electrode and the measurement of electrolytic potentials. Haber's work on irreversible and reversible forms of electrochemical reduction are considered classics in the field of electrochemistry. He also studied the passivity of non-rare metals and the effects of electric current on corrosion of metals. In addition, Haber published his second book, (1905) trans. "Thermodynamics of technical gas-reactions: seven lectures" (1908), later regarded as "a model of accuracy and critical insight" in the field of chemical thermodynamics. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=174645 | 84,756 |
1,342,999 | Other new technologies from Ingber's lab include development of a fully biodegradable plastic alternative inspired by natural cuticle material found in shrimp shells and insect exoskeletons, known as “Shrilk”; a mechanically activated nanotherapeutic that selectively directs clot-busting drugs to sites of vascular occlusion while minimizing unintended bleeding; an siRNA nanoparticle therapy that prevents breast cancer progression; a dialysis-like sepsis device that cleanses blood of all infectious pathogens, fungi and toxins without requiring prior identification; a surface coating for medical materials and devices that prevents clot formation and bacteria accumulation that reduces the need for use of conventional anticoagulant drugs that frequently result in life-threatening side effects, and a computational approach to diagnostics and therapeutics that incorporates both animation and molecular modeling software to virtually develop and test potential drugs designed to fit precisely into their targets’ molecular structures. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=29057341 | 1,342,263 |
894,472 | Fieldwork in ethnomusicology has changed greatly over time. Alan P. Merriam cites the evolution of fieldwork as a constant interplay between the musicological and ethnological roots of the discipline. Before the 1950s, before ethnomusicology resembled what it is today, fieldwork and research were considered separate tasks. Scholars focused on analyzing music outside of its context through a scientific lens, drawing from the field of musicology. Notable scholars include Carl Stumf and Eric von Hornbostel, who started as Stumpf’s assistant. They are known for making countless recordings and establishing a library of music to be analyzed by other scholars. Methodologies began to shift in the early 20th century. George Herzog, an anthropologist and ethnomusicologist, published a seminal paper titled "Plains Ghost Dance and Great Basin Music", reflecting the increased importance of fieldwork through his extended residency in the Great Basin and his attention to cultural contexts. Herzog also raised the question of how the formal qualities of the music he was studying demonstrated the social function of the music itself. Ethnomusicology today relies heavily on the relationship between the researcher and their teachers and consultants. Many ethnomusicologists have assumed the role of student in order to fully learn an instrument and its role in society. Research in the discipline has grown to consider music as a cultural product, and thus cannot be understood without consideration of context. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=5669923 | 894,002 |
1,414,526 | The QF 25-pounder Short received a mixed reception from gunners, and was particularly unpopular among members of AIF artillery units which had used the standard 25-pounder during the fighting in the Middle East. The lack of a gun shield and the shortened barrel exposed gun crews to a severe backblast each time the gun was fired. As a result, gunners often suffered mild concussions and nosebleeds by the end of fire missions. Guns were sometimes put out of action by damage caused by the absorption of violent recoil. The gun also had a tendency to tilt at low elevation; this was remedied by its crew standing on the trails, an expedient that had previously been used with the QF 4.5 inch Howitzer. Other limitations included a low rate of fire (three or four rounds per minute) and difficulties towing the weapon. Concerns were also raised over the quality of workmanship, and the commander of the 2/4th Field Regiment rejected a batch of Short 25-pounders sent to his unit before the Nadzab operation in the belief that they had been poorly manufactured. Inspectors subsequently concluded that most of his criticisms were unfounded, however. The most important deficiency compared to the regular 25-pounder was the shorter range. As a result of its experience with the gun, the 9th Division recommended that they be pooled and reserved for their special role rather than be employed in a day-to-day role alongside the regular 25 pounder. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=23021326 | 1,413,729 |
5,823 | Friedrich Nietzsche resented Socrates's contributions to Western culture. In his first book, "The Birth of Tragedy" (1872), Nietzsche held Socrates responsible for what he saw as the deterioration of ancient Greek civilization during the 4th century BC and after. For Nietzsche, Socrates turned the scope of philosophy from pre-Socratic naturalism to rationalism and intellectualism. He writes: "I conceive of [the Presocratics] as precursors to a reformation of the Greeks: but not of Socrates"; "with Empedocles and Democritus the Greeks were well on their way towards taking the correct measure of human existence, its unreason, its suffering; they never reached this goal, thanks to Socrates". The effect, Nietzsche proposed, was a perverse situation that had continued down to his day: our culture is a Socratic culture, he believed. In a later publication, "The Twilight of the Idols" (1887), Nietzsche continued his offensive against Socrates, focusing on the arbitrary linking of reason to virtue and happiness in Socratic thinking. He writes: "I try to understand from what partial and idiosyncratic states the Socratic problem is to be derived: his equation of reason = virtue = happiness. It was with this absurdity of a doctrine of identity that he fascinated: ancient philosophy never again freed itself [from this fascination]". From the late 19th century until the early 20th, the most common explanation of Nietzsche's hostility towards Socrates was his anti-rationalism; he considered Socrates the father of European rationalism. In the mid-20th century, philosopher Walter Kaufmann published an article arguing that Nietzsche admired Socrates. Current mainstream opinion is that Nietzsche was ambivalent towards Socrates. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=25664190 | 5,820 |
701,354 | For nanowires with diameters less than 10 nm, existing welding techniques, which require precise control of the heating mechanism and which may introduce the possibility of damage, will not be practical. Recently scientists discovered that single-crystalline ultrathin gold nanowires with diameters ~3–10 nm can be "cold-welded" together within seconds by mechanical contact alone, and under remarkably low applied pressures (unlike macro- and micro-scale cold welding process). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and in situ measurements reveal that the welds are nearly perfect, with the same crystal orientation, strength and electrical conductivity as the rest of the nanowire. The high quality of the welds is attributed to the nanoscale sample dimensions, oriented-attachment mechanisms and mechanically assisted fast surface diffusion. Nanowire welds were also demonstrated between gold and silver, and silver nanowires (with diameters ~5–15 nm) at near room temperature, indicating that this technique may be generally applicable for ultrathin metallic nanowires. Combined with other nano- and microfabrication technologies, cold welding is anticipated to have potential applications in the future bottom-up assembly of metallic one-dimensional nanostructures. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=52206 | 700,989 |
37,909 | On 31 July 2008, U.S. Navy acquisition officials told Congress that the service needed to purchase more s and no longer needed the next-generation DDG-1000 class; only the two approved destroyers would be built. The Navy said the world threat picture had changed in such a way that it made more sense to build at least eight more "Burke"s rather than DDG-1000s. The Navy concluded from fifteen classified intelligence reports that the DDG-1000s would be vulnerable to forms of missile attacks. Many Congressional subcommittee members questioned that the Navy completed such a sweeping re-evaluation of the world threat picture in just a few weeks, after spending some 13 years and $10 billion on the development of the surface ship program known as DD-21, then DD(X), and finally DDG-1000. Subsequently, Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead cited the need to provide area air defense and specific new threats such as ballistic missiles and the possession of anti-ship missiles by groups such as Hezbollah. The mooted structural problems have not been discussed in public. Navy Secretary Donald Winter said on 4 September, "Making certain that we have—I'll just say, a destroyer—in the '09 budget is more important than whether that's a DDG 1000 or a DDG 51". | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=864558 | 37,896 |
1,245,721 | In 1974, during a geological expedition at the Nanxiong Basin led by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology several fossilized remains of dinosaurs were discovered by the team. Near the village of Dapingcun at the Nanxiong Formation, Guangdong Province, a relatively large and partial skeleton was found in articulation dating back to the Late Cretaceous. The specimen was labelled under the number IVPP V4731 and consisted of 12 cervical (lacking the atlas), 10 dorsal, 5 (actually 6) sacral and the first caudal vertebrae with a nearly complete, bulky pelvis only lacking the right ilium and ischium. Later on, in 1979 the specimen was formally described by the Chinese paleontologist Dong Zhiming and used as the basis for the new genus and species "Nanshiungosaurus brevispinus". The generic name, "Nanshiungosaurus", refers to the site of provenance Nanxiong city and is derived from the Greek (, meaning lizard). Lastly, the specific name, "brevispinus", is derived from the Latin brevis and spina (meaning short and spine, respectively) in reference to the relatively short vertebral spines. When first described, Dong mistakenly thought the specimen to have been a dwarf, strange titanosaurine sauropod characterized by a shorter but thicker neck than other sauropods based on the pelvis structure. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=5283576 | 1,245,046 |
700,109 | In the mid-1960s, due to the need for even more space, several faculties of the university began to move to the Ciudad Universitaria site, where 17 of the 20 faculties of the university are currently located. This new campus is located in an area that housed archaeological complexes of the Maranga Culture, these were restored and protected —as in the case of Huaca San Marcos—, after having been partially destroyed during the construction of Av. Venezuela in the 1940s. In 1969, the system of organization by academic departments —today academic schools— was also introduced. On September 22, 1984, the current statute of the university was promulgated. With nearly 40,000 students and more than 4,000 faculty, the university offers undergraduate studies in 65 areas, master's degrees in 77, and doctorates in 27, making it the largest academic offer in the country today. It currently has 20 faculties grouped into 6 main blocks, its academic departments publish several specialized journals and it operates 3 important museums in Lima as well as research institutes. According to UNESCO criteria and indicators, the University of San Marcos is the only university in Peru that covers the various areas of knowledge such as pure sciences, human sciences, historical-social sciences, health sciences, economic-business sciences and techniques and engineering. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1070670 | 699,744 |
180,084 | The American Psychological Association's report "" (1996) states that there is no doubt that normal child development requires a certain minimum level of responsible care. Severely deprived, neglectful, or abusive environments must have negative effects on a great many aspects of development, including intellectual aspects. Beyond that minimum, however, the role of family experience is in serious dispute. There is no doubt that such variables as resources of the home and parents' use of language are correlated with children's IQ scores, but such correlations may be mediated by genetic as well as (or instead of) environmental factors. But how much of that variance in IQ results from differences between families, as contrasted with the varying experiences of different children in the same family? Recent twin and adoption studies suggest that while the effect of the shared family environment is substantial in early childhood, it becomes quite small by late adolescence. These findings suggest that differences in the life styles of families whatever their importance may be for many aspects of children's lives make little long-term difference for the skills measured by intelligence tests. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=4868935 | 179,990 |
831,304 | Off the coast of Tasmania, kelp forests have been significantly affected by several factors, including warming waters, shifting of the East Australian current (EAC), and invasion of long-spine sea urchins. Locals have noticed significant effects on the population of abalone, a food source for the Aboriginal Tasmanians for thousands of years. These changes have also affected the oyster farming industry. By saving oysters that have survived disease outbreaks, they have been able to continue their way of life. It was estimated that by 2019, 95 per cent of the giant kelp forests along Tasmania's east coast had been lost within just a few decades. Some of this loss was attributed by locals to the harvesting of the forests by Alginates Australia, which opened its factory near Triabunna in 1963, shutting down operations 10 years later as uneconomical. However, expert in marine ecosystems Craig Johnson says that the loss of the forests "is almost certainly the result of climate change". Water temperatures along the east coast of Tasmania have been rising at nearly four times the average rate globally. The EAC brings warmer waters, which are also nutrient-poor compared to the previously usual cold water around the coast. Common kelp ("Ecklonia radiata") is better at nitrogen storage than giant kelp, so has been taking over the areas formerly occupied by giant kelp. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=23166289 | 830,855 |
1,295,908 | Accuracy and reliability of measurement is important in this application for two basic reasons. Firstly, if the oxygen content is too low, the diver will lose consciousness due to hypoxia and probably die, or if the oxygen content is too high, the risk of central nervous system oxygen toxicity causing convulsions and loss of consciousness, with a high risk of drowning becomes unacceptable. Secondly, decompression obligations cannot be accurately or reliably calculated if the breathing gas composition is not known. Pre-dive calibration of the cells can only check response to partial pressures up to 100% at atmospheric pressure, or 1 bar. As the set points are commonly in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 bar, special hyperbaric calibration equipment would be required to reliably test the response at the set-points. This equipment is available, but is expensive and not in common use, and requires the cells to be removed from the rebreather and installed in the test unit. To compensate for the possibility of a cell failure during a dive, three cells are generally fitted, on the principle that failure of one cell at a time is most likely, and that if two cells indicate the same P, they are more likely to be correct than the single cell with a different reading. Voting logic allows the control system to control the circuit for the rest of the dive according to the two cells assumed to be correct. This is not entirely reliable, as it is possible for two cells to fail on the same dive. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=995994 | 1,295,197 |
1,526,266 | Mayer left behind him a considerable quantity of manuscript material, part of which was collected by G. C. Lichtenberg and published in one volume ("Opera inedita", Göttingen, 1775). It contains an easy and accurate method for calculating eclipses, an essay on colour, in which three primary colours are recognized, a catalogue of 998 zodiacal stars, and a memoir, the earliest of any real value, on the proper motion of eighty stars, originally communicated to the Göttingen Royal Society in 1760. The remaining manuscripts included papers on atmospheric refraction from 1755, on the motion of Mars as affected by the perturbations of Jupiter and the Earth (1756), and on terrestrial magnetism (1760 and 1762). In these last Mayer sought to explain the magnetic action of the Earth by a modification of Euler's hypothesis, and made the first really definite attempt to establish a mathematical theory of magnetic action (C. Hansteen, "Magnetismus der Erde", I, 283). In 1881 Ernst Klinkerfues published photo-lithographic reproductions of Mayer's local charts and general map of the Moon. His star catalogue was re-edited by Francis Baily in 1830 ("Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society" IV, 391) and by Arthur Auwers in 1894. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1329314 | 1,525,403 |
277,323 | A 2004 MIT study and an earlier paper published by the Society of Automotive Engineers identified a method to exploit the characteristics of fuel ethanol substantially more efficiently than mixing it with gasoline. The method presents the possibility of leveraging the use of alcohol to achieve definite improvement over the cost-effectiveness of hybrid electric. The improvement consists of using dual-fuel direct-injection of pure alcohol (or the azeotrope or E85) and gasoline, in any ratio up to 100% of either, in a turbocharged, high compression-ratio, small-displacement engine having performance similar to an engine having twice the displacement. Each fuel is carried separately, with a much smaller tank for alcohol. The high-compression (for higher efficiency) engine runs on ordinary gasoline under low-power cruise conditions. Alcohol is directly injected into the cylinders (and the gasoline injection simultaneously reduced) only when necessary to suppress 'knock' such as when significantly accelerating. Direct cylinder injection raises the already high octane rating of ethanol up to an effective 130. The calculated over-all reduction of gasoline use and CO emission is 30%. The consumer cost payback time shows a 4:1 improvement over turbo-diesel and a 5:1 improvement over hybrid. The problems of water absorption into pre-mixed gasoline (causing phase separation), supply issues of multiple mix ratios and cold-weather starting are also avoided. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=608623 | 277,173 |
1,597,122 | As the focus on COVID-19 in New Zealand shifted from just a daily count of numbers of cases and more into consideration of whether or not Omicron had peaked, Jackson said that as of 14 March 2022, it was too early to call if this was the case in the whole country. He noted that the virus ran in ongoing waves, pointing out the increases of infections overseas, and suggested that the New Zealand Government "may have taken too many restrictions off too early" and recommended that basic restriction that were not too disruptive, such as wearing of masks in public places and sensible social distancing, should be kept in place with a continued focus on people fully vaccinated. Prior to the announcement by the New Zealand Government of proposed relaxation of some of the measures in place to manage Omicron, Jackson said on 21 March 2022 that he felt it was too soon to relax and that the push for change seemed to be 'politicking'. He noted that more than one million New Zealanders still needed to get their booster shot, "the unvaccinated are twice as likely to catch Covid-19, three times as likely to transmit it as fully boosted people and five times more likely to be in hospital...[concluding that]...it just doesn't make any sense to be relaxing public health measures that have proven to be incredibly effective at the peak of an outbreak." | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=69753744 | 1,596,223 |
557,245 | Marcus "Mark" Laurence Elwin Oliphant was born on 8 October 1901 in Kent Town, a suburb of Adelaide. His father was Harold George "Baron" Olifent, a civil servant with the South Australian Engineering and Water Supply Department and part-time lecturer in economics with the Workers' Educational Association. His mother was Beatrice Edith Fanny Oliphant, née Tucker, an artist. He was named after Marcus Clarke, the Australian author, and Laurence Oliphant, the British traveller and mystic. Most people called him Mark; this became official when he was knighted in 1959. He had four younger brothers: Roland, Keith, Nigel and Donald; all were registered at birth with the surname Olifent. His grandfather, Harry Smith Olifent (7 November 1848 – 30 January 1916) was a clerk at the Adelaide GPO, and his great-grandfather James Smith Olifent (c. 1818 – 21 January 1890) and his wife Eliza (c. 1821 – 18 October 1881) left their native Kent for South Australia aboard the barque "Ruby", arriving in March 1854. He would later be appointed Superintendent of the Adelaide Destitute Asylum, and Eliza Olifent was appointed Matron of the establishment in 1865. Mark's parents were Theosophists, and as such may have refrained from eating meat. Marcus became a lifelong vegetarian while a boy, after witnessing the slaughter of pigs on a farm. He was found to be completely deaf in one ear and he needed glasses for severe astigmatism and short-sightedness. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=315710 | 556,956 |
1,923,605 | The 19th century marked the dawn of modern scientific medicine, a development that was also very present in Freiburg. At the time, German universities were leading in the sciences, attracting talent from across the globe. This held true for Freiburg as well, as the university and, in particular, its medical faculty, were home to famous scientists and physicians. At the start of the 20th century, the Faculty of Medicine possessed a number of clinics spread out over Freiburg. Plans to merge these clinics into a main building complex were delayed by the onset of World War I. After the war, the clinics were merged at one location to form the University Medical Center, a set of buildings that still form the main campus today. During the Weimar Republic, Freiburg was able to maintain its reputation despite the turbulent times, mending ties with the international academic community. During the Third Reich, the university and its faculties participated in the expulsion of Jewish faculty members and students and most department chairs offered their services to the regime. The pathologist Franz Büchner formed a notable exception when publicly speaking out against the Nazi euthanasia program, the only known protest of a prominent physician against the program. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=15863155 | 1,922,502 |
395,647 | Trace amounts of some heavy metals, mostly in period 4, are required for certain biological processes. These are iron and copper (oxygen and electron transport); cobalt (complex syntheses and cell metabolism); zinc (hydroxylation); vanadium and manganese (enzyme regulation or functioning); chromium (glucose utilisation); nickel (cell growth); arsenic (metabolic growth in some animals and possibly in humans) and selenium (antioxidant functioning and hormone production). Periods 5 and 6 contain fewer essential heavy metals, consistent with the general pattern that heavier elements tend to be less abundant and that scarcer elements are less likely to be nutritionally essential. In period 5, molybdenum is required for the catalysis of redox reactions; cadmium is used by some marine diatoms for the same purpose; and tin may be required for growth in a few species. In period 6, tungsten is required by some archaea and bacteria for metabolic processes. A deficiency of any of these period 4–6 essential heavy metals may increase susceptibility to heavy metal poisoning (conversely, an excess may also have adverse biological effects). An average 70 kg human body is about 0.01% heavy metals (~7 g, equivalent to the weight of two dried peas, with iron at 4 g, zinc at 2.5 g, and lead at 0.12 g comprising the three main constituents), 2% light metals (~1.4 kg, the weight of a bottle of wine) and nearly 98% nonmetals (mostly water). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=46659847 | 395,452 |
1,877,442 | Following a position paper 'manifesto' pointing out the research challenges needed to make self-repairing systems, Burgess undertook to study computer systems as a number of empirical phenomena, taking an approach based on physics to learn first about the scales and patterns. The idea of self-healing, or self-maintaining systems was originally referred to as Computer Immunology, as it was inspired by research into the Danger model of human immune systems. The empirical studies were published in various formats between 1999 and 2003, culminating in a journal summary review, and a more practical method for automated machine learning of system behavioural characters. This incorporated the idea of so-called exponential smoothing (which was called a geometric average) for fast learning, along with a two-dimensional, cylindrical time model which was based on the result that network client-server traffic would be expected to behave like a quasi-periodic stochastic function (a characteristic of a system driven close to equilibrium). | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=6372337 | 1,876,364 |
1,810,468 | In 1997, the university decided to make Pepsi Cola Canada Beverages the exclusive supplier of cold drinks on campus, which was a common trend among North American universities. This infuriated some students who regarded the move as undermining institutional independence to a multinational corporation. The rock became a figurative soapbox for "pop soda libertarians", adopting red and white slogans "Always Coca-Cola". An underground "anti-Pepsi movement" emerged on campus, advocating for the protection of soft drink alternatives to the Pepsi brand. The "movement" did very little to hurt the university's business relations with the soda giant. However, on certain department floors of Social Science (history and political science particularly), vintage Pepsi machines have been known to offer selections of Coca-Cola products with labels saying "Always Coca-Cola" attached to the machine's dispensary hole. The existence of such soda machines is quite curious, but it points to the possibly that some arts students and Faculty members are still continuing the cause for campus-wide soda freedom. In September 2017, the Board of Governor's announced their decision to switch from Pepsi Cola to Coca-Cola, as the former's contract had expired. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=51387853 | 1,809,445 |
163,301 | The studies were motivated by John Bowlby's World Health Organization-sponsored study and report "Maternal Care and Mental Health" in 1950, in which Bowlby reviewed previous studies on the effects of institutionalization on child development, and the distress experienced by children when separated from their mothers, such as René Spitz's and his own surveys on children raised in a variety of settings. In 1953, his colleague James Robertson produced a short and controversial documentary film, titled "A Two-Year-Old Goes to Hospital," demonstrating the almost-immediate effects of maternal separation. Bowlby's report, coupled with Robertson's film, demonstrated the importance of the primary caregiver in human and non-human primate development. Bowlby de-emphasized the mother's role in feeding as a basis for the development of a strong mother–child relationship, but his conclusions generated much debate. It was the debate concerning the reasons behind the demonstrated need for maternal care that Harlow addressed in his studies with surrogates. Physical contact with infants was considered harmful to their development, and this view led to sterile, contact-less nurseries across the country. Bowlby disagreed, claiming that the mother provides much more than food to the infant, including a unique bond that positively influences the child's development and mental health. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=839100 | 163,216 |
495,156 | Little is known about the behavior of "Balaur". Because of the lack of skull material, it is impossible to determine by the shape of the teeth whether "Balaur" was a carnivore or a herbivore. The original description assumed it was carnivorous because it had been found that it was closely related to "Velociraptor". Csiki speculated in 2010 that it may have been one of the apex predators in its limited island ecosystem, as neither the skeletons nor teeth of larger theropods have been discovered in Romania. He also believed that it likely used its double sickle claws for slashing prey, and that the atrophied state of its hands indicates that it probably did not use them to hunt. One of the original discoverers indicated that it "was probably more of a kickboxer than a sprinter" compared to "Velociraptor", and was probably able to hunt larger animals than itself. However, more recent studies by Denver Fowler and others have shown that the foot anatomy of paravians like "Balaur" indicate that they used their large claws to grip and pin prey to the ground while flapping with their proto-wings to stay on top of their victim. Once it was worn out, they might have proceeded to feast while it was still alive as some modern birds of prey still do. Due to the shape of the claws, they would not have been effective in slashing attacks. The very short, fused metatarsus of "Balaur" and enlarged first claw, strange even by true dromaeosaur standards, are thought to be consistent with these newer studies, lending further support to the idea that "Balaur" was a predator. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=28642445 | 494,900 |
870,876 | The Benjamin Cole orrery was a gift to the College from a Group of Gentleman Commoners of the College, recorded in two entries in the Benefactors’ Book in April, 1694, as well as on an inscription in the lunar calendar scale. The instrument is made of brass, steel, and wood, contained within a wooden case and resting on a mahogany stand with a glazed cover. Johnathan Betts, in an "Excerpt from A report following the servicing and inspection of The Queen’s College Grand Orrery" in 2016, describes the instrument as standingon a fine mahogany table with six finely carved cabriole legs, the whole covered with a multi-panelled protective glass shade which can be locked securely onto the table, preventing access to the orrery.In the same article, Betts illustrates the orrery,fitted in a mahogany twelve-sided case, with lacquered brass mounts and surmounted, on a brass pillared gallery, with a large lacquered brass hemispherical armillary structure. The mechanical orrery itself incorporates within its compass the solar system out to Mars, including the Earth and Moon, with additional mountings fixed on the outside of the case for attaching static models of Jupiter and Saturn.The turning of the orrery is a traditional event at Queen's, done by hand only once every few years or on special occasions. Only two people are permitted to turn the orrery: the Patroness of the College, a position most recently occupied by The Queen Mother, and the Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy, a Fellow of Queen’s. This event most recently took place on the 4th of February, 2020, during the Hilary term, with Professor Jonathan Keating as the honorary orrery-turner. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=128372 | 870,416 |
390,595 | As orbital debris is a global problem affecting both spacefaring and non-spacefaring nations, it is necessary to be handled in a worldwide context. Because of the complexity and dynamics of object movements like spacecrafts, debris, meteorites, etc., many countries and regions including the United States, Europe, Russia and China have developed their space situational awareness (SSA) to avoid potential threats in space or plan actions in advance. To a certain extent, SSA plays a role in tracking space debris. In order to build a powerful SSA system, there are two prerequisites: international cooperation and exchange of information and data. However, limitations still exist in spite of the substantially improving data quality over the past decades. Some space powers are not willing to share the information that they have collected, and those, such as the U.S., that have shared the data keep parts of it secret. Instead of joining in a coordinated way, a great deal of SSA programs and national databases run parallel to each other with some overlaps, hindering the formation of a collaborative monitoring system. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=266344 | 390,400 |
1,449,310 | Wetlands are a specific type of standing water habitats that include marshes, swamps, and bogs. Due to the waterlogged and submerged nature of the land, the anaerobic conditions of wetlands are unique and support the highest species diversity of all ecosystems. Wetlands slow the decomposition of organic matter, creating layers of rich organic material that provides important nutrients for species in the system. The fauna that reside in wetlands are called hydrophytes, meaning they are adapted to very moist and humid conditions. Wetlands are the home to a large number of bird, amphibian, insect, reptile, grass, and tree species that cannot inhabit any other system, making them at risk to endangerment, as wetlands are being destroyed for urban development and agriculture. Wetlands help combat pollution and climate change, as they filter pollutants and store a large amount of carbon from the biosphere in their moist soil and still water, despite the small amount of land they occupy. Additionally, wetlands provide flood and storm protection, as the system can absorb large amounts of excess water. Wetland's ability to absorb water also assists groundwater recharge, which is very important for human water use, as usable freshwater sources are dwindling. Wetlands are not only freshwater habitats and systems, as there are salt marshes and bogs that support different species. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=19628443 | 1,448,494 |
714,783 | In warm, damp climates, "H. aspersa" may lay eggs as often as five times from February through October, depending on the weather and region. Mating and egg-laying begin when there are at least 10 hours of daylight and continue until days begin to get shorter. In the United States, longer hours of sunlight that occur when temperatures are still too cold will affect this schedule, but increasing hours of daylight still stimulate egg laying. If warm enough, the eggs hatch in about 2 weeks, or in 4 weeks if cooler. It takes the baby snails several more days to break out of the sealed nest and climb to the surface. In a climate similar to southern California's, "H. aspersa" matures in about 2 years. In central Italy, "H. aspersa" hatches and emerges from the soil almost exclusively in the autumn. If well fed and not overcrowded, those snails that hatch at the start of the season will reach adult size and form a lip at the edge of their shell by the following June. If the environment is manipulated to get more early hatchlings, the size and number of snails that mature the following year will increase. In South Africa, some "H. aspersa" mature in 10 months, and under ideal conditions in a laboratory, some have matured in 6 to 8 months. Most of "H. aspersa's" reproductive activity takes place in the second year of its life. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=3377107 | 714,410 |
346,159 | The Crusader was not an easy aircraft to fly, and was often unforgiving in carrier landings, where it suffered from poor recovery from high sink rates, and the poorly designed, castering nose undercarriage made it hard to steer on the deck. Safe landings required the carriers to steam at full speed to lower the relative landing speed for Crusader pilots. The stacks of the oil-burning carriers on which the Crusader served belched thick black smoke, sometimes obscuring the flight deck, forcing the Crusader's pilot to rely on the landing signal officer's radioed instructions. It earned a reputation as an "ensign eliminator" during its early service introduction. The nozzle and air intake were so low when the aircraft was on the ground or the flight deck that the crews called the aircraft "the Gator". Not surprisingly, the Crusader mishap rate was relatively high compared to its contemporaries, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and the F-4 Phantom II. However, the aircraft did possess a desirable capability, as proved when several Crusader pilots took off with the wings folded and were able to land the aircraft. One of these episodes took place on 23 August 1960; a Crusader with the wings folded took off from Napoli Capodichino in full afterburner, climbed to and then returned to land successfully. The pilot reported that the control forces were higher than normal. The Crusader was capable of flying in this configuration, though the pilot would be required to reduce aircraft weight by jettisoning stores and dumping fuel before landing. 1,261 Crusaders were built. By the time it was withdrawn from the fleet, 1,106 had been involved in mishaps. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=378400 | 345,978 |
1,656,929 | While in Africa, Ridley led important research into onchocerciasis when he was stationed in the Gold Coast, now Ghana, for part of his war service. In 1941 while he acted as part-time sanitation officer at the capital city of Accra, he met Brigadier G. M. Findlay, AMS, who stimulated Ridley's interest to study River Blindness, an endemic disease in parts of the country. To find onchocerciasis patients, Ridley left the coastal city and travelled overland with Captain John Holden to north west Ghana. He worked in Funsi in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region for two weeks, examining patients with a slit-lamp which ran off a 12-volt battery. Most (90%) had onchocerciasis; ten percent of them were blind. Conditions were primitive and Ridley recorded his observations of the retinal fundus by water-colour painting and photography. His painting of the fundus (sometimes termed the "Ridley fundus" of onchocerciasis) was completed in Accra upon his return from Funsi. "The attention he called to this disease constitutes one of Mr. Ridley's major contributions. His monograph "Ocular Onchocerciasis", published in 1945 in a supplement of the British Journal of Ophthalmology, was a landmark." | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1222880 | 1,655,996 |
998,606 | Early ICBMs had an unfavorable circular error probable (CEP); the strategic missiles and, in some conditions, bomber had low targeting accuracy. Additionally, much early Cold War strategic asset construction was above-ground soft targets or minimally-hardened such as airfields, pre-nuclear command and control installations, defensive infrastructure, and even ICBM bases. When every missile carried only one poorly-guided warhead designing systems with massive warhead yields to cause a huge damage footprint, with the possibility of potentially destroying several nearby soft targets of opportunity and increasing the likelihood that the primary target was within the overlap of CEP and destruction circle the highest possible yield warhead for the missile was considered an advantage. The enemy being targeted a continent away was a low ratio of side effects to friendly areas, which contrasted the potential damage to enemy assets. As navigation technology improved the accuracy and many missiles and nearly all bombers were equipped with multiple nuclear warheads the trend was to reduce warhead yield both for weight and to give more flexibility in targeting with respect to collateral damage, target hardening also created a situation in which even a very large warhead with excellent targeting would still destroy only one target, gaining no advantage to its large weight and expense, as opposed to several smaller MIRVs. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=9054913 | 998,088 |
815,918 | While the third generation of tubes were fundamentally the same as the second generation, they possessed two significant differences. Firstly, they used a GaAs—CsO—AlGaAs photocathode, which is more sensitive in the 800 nm-900 nm range than second-generation photocathodes. Secondly, the photocathode exhibits negative electron affinity (NEA), which provides photoelectrons that are excited to the conduction band a free ride to the vacuum band as the Cesium Oxide layer at the edge of the photocathode causes sufficient band-bending. This makes the photocathode very efficient at creating photoelectrons from photons. The Achilles heel of third generation photocathodes, however, is that they are seriously degraded by positive ion poisoning. Due to the high electrostatic field stresses in the tube, and the operation of the MicroChannel Plate, this led to the failure of the photocathode within a short period - as little as 100 hours before photocathode sensitivity dropped below Gen2 levels. To protect the photocathode from positive ions and gases produced by the MCP, they introduced a thin film of sintered aluminium oxide attached to the MCP. The high sensitivity of this photocathode, greater than 900 μA/lm, allows more effective low light response, though this was offset by the thin film, which typically blocked up to 50% of electrons. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=584240 | 815,484 |
95,665 | Indian Jaguars were quite different from the RAF ones. The Adour Mk 811 engines were soon adopted in the HAL production line (the previous Jaguars made in UK had the earlier Mk 804), giving 8,400 lbf each. There were R-550 Magic 1 or 2 in rails over the wings. But more importantly, the NAWASS, even if very modern in conception, was replaced because it was found quite unreliable. The RAF was already upgrading the system with the modern Ferranti Type 1024 INS, but India was offered the 1024E export, less powerful version. So IAF instead pursued the development of new nav-attack system, called DARIN, that combined several technologies from France, UK and other sources. This system was more reliable and more precise than the older NAWASS and all the IAF Jaguars had it as standard. The Jaguar was found to be a long-range, fast, stable and effective strike aircraft in IAF service. Another important upgrade was the Maritime Strike version, fitted with a radar (the French Agave) and powerful British anti-ship missiles, produced in a very limited number (12). The only real issue with Jaguar is the lack of power at altitude, especially with heavy ordnance on board. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=176232 | 95,624 |
1,731,782 | In order to minimise the risk of concussion and repetitive head trauma, the method of the 6 R's is used. Firstly Recognising and Removing a suspected player of concussion, to stop the injury from getting worse. Secondly Refer, whether the player is either recognised or suspected with concussion they must see a medical doctor as soon as possible. 90.8% of players knew they should not continue playing when concussed. 75% of players would continue an important game even if concussed. Of those concussed, 39.1% have tried to influence medical assessment with 78.2% stating it is possible or quite easy to do so. If the player is diagnosed with concussion, they then must Rest, until all signs of concussion are gone. The player must then Recover by just returning to general activities in life, then progressing back to playing. Returning to play, must follow the Graduated Return to Play (GRTP) protocol, by having clearance from a medical professional, and no symptoms of concussion. Despite good knowledge of concussion complications, management players engage in unsafe behaviour with little difference between gender and competition grades. Information regarding symptoms and management should be available to all players, coaches, and parents. On-going education is needed to assist coaches in identifying concussion signs and symptoms. Provision of medical care should be mandatory at every level of competition. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=47677251 | 1,730,806 |
681,180 | Brown (1973) gives the following values for mice: 1.5 mg/kg IV, 1.6–6.2 mg/kg IP, 6.0 mg/kg SC. He also notes a venom yield of 200–411 mg. The bushmaster's venom has proteolytic activity, which destroys and causes lesions in the tissue, anti-coagulant, which causes incoagulable blood, hemorrhagic and neurotoxic, that acts mainly on vagal stimulation. The symptoms are quite similar to those caused by "Bothrops", at the site of the bite there is pain, edema, ecchymosis, skin necrosis, abscesses, vesicles and blisters. The main complications at the bite site include necrosis, compartment syndrome, secondary infections and functional deficit. The systemic effects are characterized by hypotension, dizziness, visual disturbances, bradycardia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other manifestations are also similar to "Bothrops", including systemic hemorrhage and kidney failure. In ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil, a 7-year-old boy was bitten when he left the house and stepped on one of these specimens, which then readily bit him; death was reported to have occurred approximately 15 minutes later. In 2005, in northwest Mato Grosso, a 5-year-old child also died, going into shock approximately 30 minutes after being bitten by a "Lachesis muta" and succumbing within 90 minutes. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1992443 | 680,825 |
232,921 | In March 1904, the Supreme Court ruled for the government in the case of "Northern Securities Co. v. United States". According to historian Michael McGerr, the case represented the federal government's first victorious prosecution of a "single, tightly integrated interstate corporation." The following year, the administration won another major victory in Swift and Company v. United States, which broke up the Beef Trust. The evidence at trial demonstrated that, prior to 1902, the "Big Six" leading meatpackers had engaged in a conspiracy to fix prices and divide the market for livestock and meat in their quest for higher prices and higher profits. They blacklisted competitors who failed to go along, used false bids, and accepted rebates from the railroads. After they were hit with federal injunctions in 1902, the Big Six had merged into one company, allowing them to continue to control the trade internally. Speaking for the unanimous court, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. held that interstate commerce included actions that were part of the chain where the chain was clearly interstate in character. In this case, the chain ran from farm to retail store and crossed many state lines. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=3520221 | 232,802 |
2,172,543 | The autumn's fighting involved a huge amount of bridgebuilding and road improvement in rough terrain. Along Highway 67 from Florence to Forlì, a section from Dicomano 'twisted and turned for six miles through a narrow cleft in the mountains, rising gently to San Godingo, whence it climbed nearly 3,000 feet in five miles to the Muraglione Pass'. The estimated time for re-opening this section was a month, but the sappers and gunners of 6th Armoured Division got it open in 13 days, after which XIII CTRE followed up and converted it into a two-way Class 40 road in 19 days. The most difficult sections were two demolitions of and respectively, which were widened, blasting away the rock face on one side and building up the other side on cribbing. The Corps engineers were assisted by 10th Mechanical Equipment Platoon, RE, a detachment of 1st Drilling Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, an anti-tank battery of the Royal Artillery, three-and-a-half companies of the Pioneer Corps, three general transport (GT) companies and two tipper platoons of the Royal Army Service Corps, and 70 Italian wood-cutters. Wood cut by the gunners and the Italians was turned into 'cribs' and 'dogs' by 576 Corps Field Park Co, which were then filled with rock quarried at Dicomano and rubble from ruined buildings. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=44543251 | 2,171,302 |
1,112,642 | P, a beta-emitter (1.71 MeV) with a half-life of 14.3 days, is used routinely in life-science laboratories, primarily to produce radiolabeled DNA and RNA probes, "e.g." for use in Northern blots or Southern blots. Because the high-energy beta particles produced penetrate skin and corneas, and because any P ingested, inhaled, or absorbed is readily incorporated into bone and nucleic acids, OSHA requires that a lab coat, disposable gloves, and safety glasses or goggles be worn when working with P, and that working directly over an open container be avoided in order to protect the eyes. Monitoring personal, clothing, and surface contamination is also required. In addition, due to the high energy of the beta particles, shielding this radiation with the normally used dense materials ("e.g." lead), gives rise to secondary emission of X-rays via a process known as bremsstrahlung, meaning braking radiation. Therefore, shielding must be accomplished with low-density materials, "e.g." Plexiglas, Lucite, plastic, wood, or water. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=2527072 | 1,112,076 |
302,592 | While the Matilda possessed a degree of protection that was unmatched in the North African theatre, the sheer weight of the armour on the vehicle contributed to a very low average speed of about on desert terrain and on roads. At the time, this was not thought to be a problem, since British infantry tank doctrine valued heavy armour and trench-crossing ability over speed and cross-country mobility (which was considered to be characteristic of cruiser tanks such as the Crusader). The slow speed of the Matilda was further exacerbated by a troublesome suspension and a comparatively weak power unit, which was created from two AEC 6-cylinder bus engines linked to a single shaft. This arrangement was complicated and time-consuming to maintain, as it required mechanics to work on each engine separately and subjected automotive components to uneven wear-and-tear. It did provide some mechanical redundancy, since failure in one engine would not prevent the Matilda from using the other. The combined power of the engines went through a six-speed Wilson epicyclic gearbox, operated by compressed air. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=206191 | 302,431 |
2,021,090 | There are thousands of deaths a year of infants, either during or shortly after birth, and the leading cause of these deaths are congenital birth defects (CBDs), which are defined as abnormalities of the chromosomes. In the year 2004, CBDs had been the cause of over 139,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. and had cost the community $2.6 billion in healthcare and medical supplies. While some CBDs can be easily fixed by simple surgery or medication, such as cleft lip, there are still life threatening diseases that are caused by mutations to the "Grhl" family members or genetic pathways that they are associated with. In developing countries, where there is a large percentage of the population in poverty, families struggle to receive the necessary treatment to combat CBDs and the extent at which the quality of life is affected is continually worsening. Members of the "Grhl3" family are closely related to endodermal tissues and the issues that can arise from a mutation in one of the "Grhl" family members can include respiratory problems, loss of hearing, spina bifida and much more. "Grhl3" has been shown to be a downstream target of genes such as "Fgf8" and "Irf6", of which the associated pathways are involved in the aetiology of Van der Woude syndrome. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=63194019 | 2,019,927 |
1,632,451 | ASTMH began as The Society of Tropical Medicine of Philadelphia, founded by a group of 28 physicians on March 9, 1903. The group changed its name just 12 days later to The American Society of Tropical Medicine (ASTM). The impetus for the creation of the ASTM was a need for greater understanding of tropical diseases, spurred by growing American interests in the tropics, and new medical discoveries in the late 19th century. The Society's first president was Dr. Thomas Fenton, an ophthalmologist educated at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Soon after its founding, ASTM began to expand beyond Philadelphia, holding annual meetings in Baltimore, New York City and Washington, D.C., in its first five years of existence. In 1908, Clara Southmayd Ludlow was elected the Society's first female active member and first non-physician scientist member. Among other early members and leaders, ASTM's fourth president, William Crawford Gorgas, played a role in battling yellow fever in Panama. The Society grew slowly but steadily over the ensuing decades, reaching 516 members by 1941, and subsequently 1,213 members by the end of American involvement in World War II, at which point almost half of ASTM members were in the Armed Forces. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=23641394 | 1,631,529 |
1,167,907 | An early application of these new theoretical tools was in phonographic sound reproduction. A recurring problem with early phonograph designs was that mechanical resonances in the pickup and sound transmission mechanism caused excessively large peaks and troughs in the frequency response, resulting in poor sound quality. In 1923, Harrison of the Western Electric Company filed a patent for a phonograph in which the mechanical design was entirely represented as an electrical circuit. The horn of the phonograph is represented as a transmission line, and is a resistive load for the rest of the circuit, while all the mechanical and acoustic parts—from the pickup needle through to the horn—are translated into lumped components according to the impedance analogy. The circuit arrived at is a ladder topology of series resonant circuits coupled by shunt capacitors. This can be viewed as a bandpass filter circuit. Harrison designed the component values of this filter to have a specific passband corresponding to the desired audio passband (in this case 100 Hz to 6 kHz) and a flat response. Translating these electrical element values back into mechanical quantities provided specifications for the mechanical components in terms of mass and stiffness, which in turn could be translated into physical dimensions for their manufacture. The resulting phonograph has a flat frequency response in its passband and is free of the resonances previously experienced. Shortly after this, Harrison filed another patent using the same methodology on telephone transmit and receive transducers. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=25154546 | 1,167,289 |
1,605,812 | In 1978, Stuart Kornfeld and colleagues at the Washington University School of Medicine presented a system for symbolic representation of vertebrate glycans. This system gained popularity when it was implemented as a core method for glycan representation in the NCBI text book Essentials of Glycobiology edited by Ajit Varki (University of California, San Diego) and colleagues. While the first edition of this text published in 1999 used black-and-white symbols similar to the Kornfeld system, color was introduced in the second edition of the text (2009). The advantage of color is that different monosaccharide stereoisomers could now be depicted using the same shape, only with different colors. The system of carbohydrate representation was adopted and widely disseminated by many including the NIGMS-funded Consortium for Functional Glycomics, and thus was often referred to as "CFG Nomenclature". This color representation was vastly expanded in the third edition of the text to include 49 new monosaccharides that appear mostly in non-vertebrates, microbes and plants. Inputs and recommendations from a number of scientists beyond the editors of the Essentials textbook was included in this implementation, and the release of the expanded glycan symbol system was coordinated with the IUPAC Carbohydrate Nomenclature committee. For long-term development of this symbol nomenclature and standardization of glycan representation in the Glycosciences, in 2015, the Essentials editors suggested that the representation be formally called SNFG ('Symbol Nomenclature For Glycans'), and future development be entrusted to a global community of scientists. To aid this development, each of the SNFG monosaccharide symbols was linked to PubChem entries at NCBI/NLM and a dedicated website at NCBI was established for future SNFG updates. Thus, the development of the SNFG is currently undertaken by an international community of scientist that are called the SNFG Discussion Group. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=60745023 | 1,604,908 |
666,610 | The development of the field of archaeology has it roots with history and with those who were interested in the past, such as kings and queens who wanted to show past glories of their respective nations. In the 6th century BC, Nabonidus of the Neo-Babylonian Empire excavated, surveyed and restored sites built more than a millennium earlier under Naram-sin of Akkad. The 5th-century-BCE Greek historian Herodotus was the first scholar to systematically study the past and also an early examiner of artifacts. In Medieval India, the study of past was recorded. In the Song Empire (960–1279) of Imperial China, Chinese scholar-officials unearthed, studied, and cataloged ancient artifacts, a native practice that continued into the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) before adoption of Western methods. The 15th and 16th centuries saw the rise of antiquarians in Renaissance Europe such as Flavio Biondo who were interested in the collection of artifacts. The antiquarian movement shifted into nationalism as personal collections turned into national museums. It evolved into a much more systematic discipline in the late 19th century and became a widely used tool for historical and anthropological research in the 20th century. During this time there were also significant advances in the technology used in the field. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=951940 | 666,262 |
1,911,008 | Several distinct strands of design thinking, in parallel development, lead towards Intelligence-Based Design. Christopher Alexander contributed early on to the scientific approach to design, by proposing a theory of design in his book Notes on the synthesis of form. Those were the years when Artificial Intelligence was being developed by Herbert A. Simon, and Alexander was part of that movement. His later work A Pattern Language, although written for architects and urbanists, was picked up by the software community and used as a combinatorial and organizational rubric for software complexity, especially Design patterns (computer science). Alexander's most recent work The Nature of Order continues by building up a framework for design that relies upon natural and biological structures. Entirely separate from this, E. O. Wilson introduced the Biophilia hypothesis to describe the affinity of humans to other living structures, and to conjecture our innate need for such a connection. This topic was later investigated by Stephen R. Kellert and others, and applied to the design of the artificial environment. The third and independent component of the theory is the recent developments in mobile robotics by Rodney Brooks, where a breakthrough occurred by largely dispensing with internal memory. The practical concept of "Intelligence without representation" otherwise known as the Subsumption architecture and Behavior-based robotics introduced by Brooks suggests a parallel with the way human beings interact with, and design their own environment. These notions are brought together in Intelligence-Based Design, which is a topic currently under investigation for design applications in both architecture and urbanism. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=23080305 | 1,909,909 |
1,831,178 | In its early years of teaching, research and administration, Monash had the advantage of no entrenched traditional practices. This enabled it to adopt modern approaches without resistance from those who preferred the status quo. Matheson had also deliberately selected young, talented staff to fuel the rapid rise of the University. A modern administrative structure was set up, Australia's first research centres and scholarships devoted to Indigenous Australians were established, and, thanks to Monash's entirely new facilities, students in wheelchairs were able to enroll. By contrast, Melbourne University struggled to enter the modern educational era, to the point that there was talk of a Royal Commission to overcome its antiquated style. In other respects, however, the youth of Monash was a burden. While Louis Matheson had good relations with government, Monash in the 1960s existed in a city where almost all professionals had attended Melbourne University. This meant that many officials and heads of professional bodies were "unsympathetic" to Monash's requests. For example, it was many years before the Faculty of Medicine received funding for Monash Medical Centres to complement its teaching and research. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=17886423 | 1,830,131 |
983,969 | Pentti considers classical rule-based computing inadequate for achieving AC: "the brain is definitely not a computer. Thinking is not an execution of programmed strings of commands. The brain is not a numerical calculator either. We do not think by numbers." Rather than trying to achieve mind and consciousness by identifying and implementing their underlying computational rules, Haikonen proposes "a special cognitive architecture to reproduce the processes of perception, inner imagery, inner speech, pain, pleasure, emotions and the cognitive functions behind these. This bottom-up architecture would produce higher-level functions by the power of the elementary processing units, the artificial neurons, without algorithms or programs". Haikonen believes that, when implemented with sufficient complexity, this architecture will develop consciousness, which he considers to be "a style and way of operation, characterized by distributed signal representation, perception process, cross-modality reporting and availability for retrospection." Haikonen is not alone in this process view of consciousness, or the view that AC will spontaneously emerge in autonomous agents that have a suitable neuro-inspired architecture of complexity; these are shared by many, e.g. and . A low-complexity implementation of the architecture proposed by was reportedly not capable of AC, but did exhibit emotions as expected. See for a comprehensive introduction to Haikonen's cognitive architecture. An updated account of Haikonen's architecture, along with a summary of his philosophical views, is given in , . | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=195552 | 983,455 |
1,749,063 | Following the second world war, there was again concern that Britain was falling behind in science – this time to the United States. The Percy Report of 1945 noted that "there have been indications lately of a readiness of the English to move in the direction of American institutions, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology". The report of the Barlow Committee in 1946 advised doubling the number of graduates in science and technology and establishing a new technological university. The idea of a "British MIT" was backed by influential scientists as politicians of the time, including Lord Cherwell, Sir Lawrence Bragg and Sir Edward Appleton, but there was also strong opposition: the University Grants Committee (UGC) argued that "an institution confined to a narrow range of subjects is unfavorable to the highest attainment", while the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals stated that "a single-faculty institution cannot be a university". In 1952, the government stated their intention of "building up at least one institution of university rank devoted predominantly to the teaching and study of the various forms of technology". However, the continued opposition of the UGC led to a compromise being announced in 1953: Imperial College would be expanded, almost doubling in size (from 1,650 to 3,000 students) over the next ten years, as the "institution of university rank" promised in the government's policy, but would remain part of the University of London rather than becoming an independent technological university. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=60452923 | 1,748,077 |
134,137 | Among the problems and miscalculations encountered in the first mission were unanticipated condensation making the "desert" too wet, population explosions of greenhouse ants and cockroaches, morning glories overgrowing the rainforest area, blocking out other plants and less sunlight (40–50% of outside light) entering the facility than originally anticipated. Biospherians intervened to control invasive plants when needed to preserve biodiversity, functioning as "keystone predators". In addition, construction itself was a challenge; for example, it was difficult to manipulate the bodies of water to have waves and tidal changes. Engineers came up with innovative solutions to supplement natural functions the Earth's biosphere normally performs, e.g. vacuum pumps to create gentle waves in the ocean without endangering marine biota, sophisticated heating and cooling systems. All the technology was selected to minimize outgassing and discharge of harmful substances which might damage Biosphere 2's life. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=216362 | 134,082 |
10,910 | A study of significant changes to Marine M16A4 rifles released in February 2015 outlined several new features that could be added from inexpensive and available components. Those features included: a muzzle compensator in place of the flash suppressor to manage recoil and allow for faster follow-on shots, though at the cost of noise and flash signature and potential overpressure in close quarters; a heavier and/or free-floating barrel to increase accuracy from 4.5 MOA (Minute(s) Of Angle) to potentially 2 MOA; changing the reticle on the Rifle Combat Optic from chevron-shaped to a semi-circlar reticle with a dot at the center used in the M27 IAR's Squad Day Optic so as not to obscure the target at long distance; using a trigger group with a more consistent pull force, even a reconsideration of the burst capability; and the addition of ambidextrous charging handles and bolt catch releases for easier use with left-handed shooters. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=19901 | 10,905 |
1,596,007 | He is a leader in Nanotechnology. He has been the Raytheon Chair Professor of Physical Science since 2006. He serves on the editorial board of the Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology TM (American Scientific publishers). He currently also serves as the Director of Marco Focus Center on Functional Engineered Nano Architectonics (FENA), an interdisciplinary Research Center, funded by Semiconductor Industry Association and Department of Defense to address the need of information processing technology beyond scaled CMOS. The Center involves 12 universities across the nation with 35 participating faculty members. He is also the Director of the Western Institute of Nanoelectronics (WIN) - a coordinated multi-project Research Institute. WIN is funded by NRI, Intel and the State of California. The current on-going projects are aimed at spintronics for low power applications. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (TNANO). He was also the founding director of Nanoelectronics Research Facility at UCLA (established in 1989) with the infrastructure to further research in nanotechnology. In addition to these technical leadership contributions, he has provided academic leadership in engineering education. He was also the Dean of Engineering from 2000 to 2002 at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=31184632 | 1,595,108 |
744,599 | Assays have become a routine part of modern medical, environmental, pharmaceutical, and forensic technology. Other businesses may also employ them at the industrial, curbside, or field levels. Assays in high commercial demand have been well investigated in research and development sectors of professional industries. They have also undergone generations of development and sophistication. In some cases, they are protected by intellectual property regulations such as patents granted for inventions. Such industrial-scale assays are often performed in well-equipped laboratories and with automated organization of the procedure, from ordering an assay to pre-analytic sample processing (sample collection, necessary manipulations e.g. spinning for separation, aliquoting if necessary, storage, retrieval, pipetting, aspiration, etc.). Analytes are generally tested in high-throughput autoanalyzers, and the results are verified and automatically returned to ordering service providers and end-users. These are made possible through the use of an advanced laboratory informatics system that interfaces with multiple computer terminals with end-users, central servers, the physical autoanalyzer instruments, and other automata. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=496309 | 744,205 |
1,165,684 | The disappointing 2008–09 season led many to speculate about the future of the program. On April 29, 2009, UNO hired former University of Nebraska linebacker Trev Alberts as Athletic Director. Alberts immediately began overhauling the hockey program. Kemp had one year remaining on his contract as coach and had little chance for an extension following the team's failure to build on the success of the 2006 NCAA Tournament team. Not willing to let go of the only coach the program had ever had, Alberts promoted Kemp to Associate Athletic Director and placed him in charge of the hockey program. Shortly thereafter, Alberts made a huge splash by hiring former North Dakota coaching great Dean Blais as head coach. With Blais on board, observers quickly began speculating that UNO would join the WCHA. With the men's side of College Hockey America breaking up following the 2009–10 season, Bemidji State submitted an application to be the WCHA's 11th member. The WCHA made it clear that they would only consider expansion in even numbers; rumors circulated that the conference coveted UNO. Within ten days of Blais's hiring, speculation was put to rest as the WCHA announced on June 23 that UNO (along with Bemidji State) would join the league for the 2010–11 season. The Mavericks once again finished in the middle of the conference in their final season in the CCHA, although they did finish with 20 wins for only the third time in school history, with a 20–16–6 record. The team struggled early in the season before finishing strong in Blais's first season with the team, finishing the regular season 10–3–1 over their last fourteen games before being stopped by Ferris State in the CCHA playoffs. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=22283832 | 1,165,067 |
1,742,048 | In the team's first-ever meeting, the Eagles and Aggies had a surprisingly closer game than anticipated. New Mexico State, one of the worst-ranked teams in all of the FBS and holding the dead-last rushing defense in the league, was going up against a revived and energized Eagles team coming off an upset victory against Virginia Tech and having the nation's second-leading rusher in Andre Williams. The game was supposed to be a pushover for the Eagles, but NMSU proved otherwise. Aggies Head coach Doug Martin was the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2012, and used his knowledge of BC's personnel effectively. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both defenses struggling to keep their opposing offense from making big plays and scoring. However, as the game wore on and the depth of the teams became prominent, BC pulled away in the 4th off of two huge Andre Williams rushes for touchdowns, one 80-yard run, his season high, and another 47-yard to pull two scores away. Despite the closeness of the game, both teams put up huge numbers offensively. Andre Williams set a new single-game school record with 295 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, after nearly breaking the record earlier in the year against Army. Chase Rettig threw for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. Alex Amidon, who also set a new school record for career yards received, caught 88 yards and 1 touchdown. True freshman Myles Willis returned a 98-yard kickoff for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. On the Aggies side, quarterback Andrew McDonald threw 384 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, while wide receiver Austin Franklin caught 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. The win ended a 9-game losing streak on the road for the Eagles, their first road win since 2010, while handing the Aggies their 9th loss of their season. BC looks to win their third straight next week against struggling North Carolina State at home, and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=39228283 | 1,741,064 |
747,582 | In 2007, Piròg-Garcia's group generated another mouse model carrying a mutation previously found in a human patient. With this new model, they were able to demonstrate that reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis are significant pathological mechanisms involved in MED and PSACH. In 2010, this mouse model allowed a new insight into myopathy and tendinopathy, which are often associated with PSACH and MED. These patients show increased skeletal muscle stress, as indicated by the increase in myofibers with central nuclei. Myopathy in the mutant mouse results from underlying tendinopathy, because the transmission of forces is altered from the normal state. There is a higher proportion of larger diameter fibrils of collagen, but the cross-sectional area of whole mutant tendons was also significantly less than that of the wild-type tendons causing joint laxity and stiffness, easy tiring and weakness. This study is important because those diseases are often mistaken for neurological problems, since the doctor can detect a muscle weakness. This includes many painful and useless clinical neurological examination before the correct diagnosis. In this work, the researchers suggest to the pediatric doctor to perform x-rays before starting the neurological assessment, to exclude the dysplasia. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=7062805 | 747,186 |
884,153 | Introduction of organic matter into water systems occurs not only from living organisms and from decaying matter in source water, but also from purification and distribution system materials. A relationship may exist between endotoxins, microbial growth, and the development of biofilms on pipeline walls and biofilm growth within pharmaceutical distribution systems. A correlation is believed to exist between TOC concentrations and the levels of endotoxins and microbes. Sustaining low TOC levels helps to control levels of endotoxins and microbes and thereby the development of biofilm growth. The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), European Pharmacopoeia (EP) and Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) recognize TOC as a required test for purified water and water for injection (WFI). For this reason, TOC has found acceptance as a process control attribute in the biotechnology industry to monitor the performance of unit operations comprising purification and distribution systems. As many of these biotechnology operations include the preparation of medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enacts numerous regulations to protect the health of the public and ensure the product quality is maintained. To make sure there is no cross-contamination between product runs of different drugs, various cleaning procedures are performed. TOC concentration levels are used to track the success of these cleaning validation procedures. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=1940140 | 883,689 |
1,359,694 | Advancements in recombinant DNA technology have revolutionized the idea of treating diseases through the reconstruction or replacement of faulty genes. Gene therapy is a technique that transplants normal genes into cells that contain missing or defective genes to correct genetic disorders. Nevertheless, several concerns have been raised about the efficacy of gene therapy due to its limited success rate in clinical trials. Over the years, immense efforts have been placed to fully understand vectors, viruses, and their communication with their host's immune system. However, not every defense system reacts the same. Some patients have experienced an “autoimmune-like” response where their body rejects this treatment. The heterologous genes are recognized as foreign to the host and can induce cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses that are ultimately destroyed by their cytotoxic T-cells. This has called into question the relationship between vector dosage and cellular toxicity as scientists recognize that inappropriate activation of these responses can cause severe side effects not only to the disease-infected cells but other healthy parts of the body. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=29071957 | 1,358,943 |
320,427 | "V. cholerae" can cause syndromes ranging from asymptomatic to cholera gravis. In endemic areas, 75% of cases are asymptomatic, 20% are mild to moderate, and 2-5% are severe forms such as cholera gravis. Symptoms include abrupt onset of watery diarrhea (a grey and cloudy liquid), occasional vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Dehydration ensues, with symptoms and signs such as thirst, dry mucous membranes, decreased skin turgor, sunken eyes, hypotension, weak or absent radial pulse, tachycardia, tachypnea, hoarse voice, oliguria, cramps, kidney failure, seizures, somnolence, coma, and death. Death due to dehydration can occur in a few hours to days in untreated children. The disease is also particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their fetuses during late pregnancy, as it may cause premature labor and fetal death. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Haiti found that in pregnant women who contracted the disease, 16% of 900 women had fetal death. Risk factors for these deaths include: third trimester, younger maternal age, severe dehydration, and vomiting Dehydration poses the biggest health risk to pregnant women in countries that there are high rates of cholera. In cases of cholera gravis involving severe dehydration, up to 60% of patients can die; however, less than 1% of cases treated with rehydration therapy are fatal. The disease typically lasts 4–6 days. Worldwide, diarrhoeal disease, caused by cholera and many other pathogens, is the second-leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 and at least 120,000 deaths are estimated to be caused by cholera each year. In 2002, the WHO deemed that the case fatality ratio for cholera was about 3.95%. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=52080 | 320,255 |
958,253 | While very little is known about GJ 1214 b, there has been speculation as to its specific nature and composition. On the basis of planetary models it has been suggested that GJ 1214 b has a relatively thick gaseous envelope, totaling about 5% of planetary mass. It is possible to propose structures by assuming different compositions, guided by scenarios for the formation and evolution of the planet. GJ 1214 b could be a rocky planet with an outgassed hydrogen-rich atmosphere, a mini-Neptune, or an ocean planet. If it is a waterworld, it could possibly be thought of as a bigger and hotter version of Jupiter's Galilean moon Europa. While no scientist has stated to believe GJ 1214 b is an ocean planet, if GJ 1214 b is assumed to be an ocean planet, i.e. the interior is assumed to be composed primarily of a water core surrounded by more water, proportions of the total mass consistent with the mass and radius are about 25% rock and 75% water, covered by a thick envelope of gases such as hydrogen and helium (c. 0.05%). Water planets could result from inward planetary migration and originate as protoplanets that formed from volatile ice-rich material beyond the snow-line but that never attained masses sufficient to accrete large amounts of H/He nebular gas. Because of the varying pressure at depth, models of a water world include "steam, liquid, superfluid, high-pressure ices, and plasma phases" of water. Some of the solid-phase water could be in the form of ice VII. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=25458246 | 957,747 |
413,868 | The Pacific oyster ("Crassostrea gigas") is cultivated by similar methods but in larger volumes and in many more regions of the world. This oyster originated in Japan where it has been cultivated for many centuries. It is an estuarine species and prefers salinities of 20 to 25 parts per thousand. Breeding programmes have produced improved stock that is available from hatcheries. A single female oyster can produce 50–80 million eggs in a batch so the selection of broodstock is of great importance. The larvae are grown on in tanks of static or moving water. They are fed high quality microalgae and diatoms and grow fast. At metamorphosis the juveniles may be allowed to settle on PVC sheets or pipes, or crushed shell. In some cases, they continue their development in "upwelling culture" in large tanks of moving water rather than being allowed to settle on the bottom. They then may be transferred to transitional, nursery beds before being moved to their final rearing quarters. Culture there takes place on the bottom, in plastic trays, in mesh bags, on rafts or on long lines, either in shallow water or in the intertidal zone. The oysters are ready for harvesting in 18 to 30 months depending on the size required. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=202240 | 413,665 |
210,886 | AORFBs used methyl viologen as an anolyte and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl as a catholyte at pH neutral conditions, plus NaCL and a low-cost anion exchange membrane. This MV/TEMPO system has the highest cell voltage, 1.25V, and, possibly, lowest capital cost ($180/kWh) reported for AORFBs. The aqueous liquid electrolytes were designed as a drop-in replacement for current systems without replacing existing infrastructure. A 600-milliwatt test battery was stable for 100 cycles with nearly 100 percent efficiency at current densities ranging from 20 to 100 mA/cm, with optimal performance rated at 40–50mA, at which about 70% of the battery's original voltage was retained. Neutral AORFBs can be more environmentally friendly than acid or alkaline AORFBs while showing electrochemical performance comparable to corrosive RFBs. The MV/TEMPO AORFB has an energy density of 8.4Wh/L with the limitation on the TEMPO side. Viologen-based flow batteries have been mainly developed by Liu’s group at Utah State University. In 2019, the group reported an ultralight sulfonate-viologen/ferrocyanide AORFB stable for 1000 cycles at an energy density of 10 Wh/L, so far the most stable, energy dense AORFB. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=3133405 | 210,779 |
189,944 | At the same time, Atari has been acquired by Warner Communications, and internal policies led to the departure of four key programmers David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Alan Miller, and Bob Whitehead, who went and formed Activision. Activision proceeded to develop their own Atari 2600 games as well as games for other systems. Atari attempted legal action to stop this practice but ended up settling out of court, with Activision agreeing to pay royalties but otherwise able to continue game development, making Activision the first third-party game developer. Activision quickly found success and were able to generate in revenue from about in startup funds within 18 months. Numerous other companies saw Activision's success and jumped into game development to try to make fast money on the rapidly expanding North America video game market. This led to a loss of publishing control and dilution of the game market by the early 1980s. Additionally, in following on the success of "Space Invaders", Atari and other companies had remained eager for licensed video game possibilities. Atari had banked heavily on commercial sales of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" in 1982, but it was rushed to market and poorly-received, and failed to make Atari's sales estimates. Along with competition from inexpensive home computers, the North American home console market crashed in 1983. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=982571 | 189,847 |
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