cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced imaging of reflector antenna surface distortion using microwave holography

Two signal processing techniques are discussed that improve the accuracy of a microwave holographic measurement by removing unwanted signals from the aperture distribution: pattern simulation and subtraction, and time domain filtering. Pattern simulation and subtraction involves modeling unwanted scattering mechanisms and then removing them from the measured far-field data. Measurements taken on a focal point geometry and a Cassegrain geometry at 11 GHz were processed by the holographic analysis system. Pattern simulation and subtraction was applied to both geometries. Surface deformation profiles generated for the Cassegrain antenna by this system were compared to an optical measurement of the main reflector surface.
Studies of convective transport in evaporative casting of dense polymer films

Although several models have been developed to describe the evaporative casting of dense polymer films, none of them has included the convective transport terms which arise owing to the densification which occurs. In this paper we first describe a new finite element solution to the binary nonisothermal evaporative casting process which is used to confirm the predictions of the finite difference solution recently developed by Shojaie et al. (J. Mater. Process. Manu. Sci., 1 (1992) 181). This comparison then establishes that systematic deviations between experimental measurements and the model predictions of Shojaie et al. do not arise because of any inaccuracies in the numerical solution methodology. We then explore whether these deviations arise owing to omission of the convective transport terms by Shojaie et al. and all other modeling efforts. We employ a scaling analysis to demonstrate that convective transport effects can be significant in the evaporative casting process. The convective transport terms then are incorporated into the nonisothermal evaporative casting model of Shojaie et al. for the cellulose acetate/acetone system. The model predictions both with and without convective transport are compared to real-time gravimetric and surface-temperature data. This study indicates that ignoring convective transport can result in differences as large as 40% in the model predictions. The model predictions incorporating convective transport are in quantitative agreement with real-time data at short evaporation times, but progressively deviate at longer times. This deviation is thought to be due to the use of an equilibrium equation-of-state for the solution density as a function of concentration.
Jaw pain and tenderness levels during and after repeated sustained maximum voluntary protrusion.

Abstract Eight normal male volunteers performed 4 repeated sustained voluntary isometric protrusive jaw muscle contractions of 25, 50, 75 and 100% of maximum effort. Each contraction was sustained until maximum pain tolerance was reached, and all 4 contractions were completed within a single 120-min experimental period. A 30-min rest period followed each sustained contraction. The following measurements were made before and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after the experiment: 1. (1) superficial masseter and anterior temporalis muscle pain threshold; 2. (2) maximum active pain-free jaw opening and lateral excursion; and 3. (3) current overall jaw pain level. None of these measurements showed any significant post-experimental changes. Contrary to common clinical belief, these results suggest that in healthy male subjects, significant jaw pain and tenderness following repeated sustained isometric protrusion efforts are difficult to induce.
The role of bimatoprost eyelash gel in chemotherapy-induced madarosis: An analysis of efficacy and safety

Objectives: Breast cancer patients suffer from madarosis (loss of eyelashes) due to chemotherapy side effects. An effective treatment or prevention for alopecia or madarosis induced by chemotherapy is not available. Potential drug side effects of bimatoprost solution include increased eyelash length, darkness, and number. A formulation of bimatoprost which maximizes eyelash enhancement and minimizes intraocular and systemic side effects has not been reported. Materials and Methods: An Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Investigational New Drug (IND) approved, randomized, single-blinded, prospective, internally controlled trial compared bimatoprost eyelash gel in relation to eyelash enhancement of madarosis patients. Forty eyelids of 20 chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients were randomized to treatment or control (fellow eyelid). Both patient and surgeon (blindly) evaluated bimatoprost gel's effectiveness in improving eyelash appearance at baseline and at monthly intervals. Results: The median follow-up time was 3 months (range 1-4). There was a significant difference between treated and fellow eyelash length during month 2 [1.00 mm (P=0.004)] and month 3 [1.00 mm, P=0.02)], in eyelash pigment [month 1 (2.5, P=0.04); month 2 (2, P=0.0009); month 3 (3, P=0.06)] and thickness [month 2 (2, P=0.002); month 3 (3, P=0.01)]. There was an improvement in the patient satisfaction scale from baseline 16 (median, range 7-21) to 26 (median, range 17-33, P=0.002) at last follow-up. Conclusions: Bimatoprost eyelash gel appears promising for chemotherapy-induced madarosis. Patients may find the effects restorative and cosmetically enhancing.
Dissection of a QTL reveals an adaptive, interacting gene complex associated with transgressive variation for flowering time in rice

A days to heading QTL (dth1.1) located on the short arm of rice chromosome 1 was sub-divided into eight sub-introgression lines (SILs) to analyze the genetic basis of transgressive variation for flowering time. Each SIL contained one or more introgression(s) from O. rufipogon in the genetic background of the elite Oryza sativa cultivar, Jefferson. Each introgression was defined at high resolution using molecular markers and those in the dth1.1 region were associated with the presence of one or more flowering time genes (GI, SOC1, FT-L8, EMF1, and PNZIP). SILs and controls were evaluated for flowering time under both short- and long-day growing conditions. Under short-day lengths, lines with introgressions carrying combinations of linked flowering time genes (GI/SOC1, SOC1/FT-L8, GI/SOC1/FT-L8 and EMF1/PNZIP) from the late parent, O. rufipogon, flowered earlier than the recurrent parent, Jefferson, while recombinant lines carrying smaller introgressions marked by the presence of GI, SOC1, EMF1 or PNZIP alone no longer flowered early. Under long-day length, lines carrying SOC1/FT-L8, SOC1 or PNZIP flowered early, while those carrying GI or EMF1 delayed flowering. Across all experiments and in the field, only SIL_SOC1/FT-L8 was consistently early. A preliminary yield evaluation indicated that the transgressive early flowering observed in several of the SILs was also associated with a measurable and positive effect on yield. These SILs represent a new source of variation that can be used in breeding programs to manipulate flowering time in rice cultivars without the reduction in yield that is often associated with early maturing phenotypes.
Illusion and Reality in the Measurement of Poverty

This paper analyzes the argument that in-kind public assistance benefits reduce the level of poverty. I show that the poverty line in the United States is a subjective and nonscientific attempt to count the number of poor people. Then I demonstrate that the poverty line is an absolute and realistic measure of improverishment. Against this backdrop, I evaluate the poverty reduction literature and show that it (1) misunderstands the nature of public assistance; (2) counts income twice; (3) produces unrealistic and illogical results; and (4) uses two different definitions of income.
Properties of fluorescein-labeled human gamma globulin used in quantitative immunofluorescence tests.

Abstract The relative quenching of the fluorescence and the apparent dissociation constant of fluorescein-labeled human γ-globulin (FHGG) were used as criteria for the purity and stability of the conjugate. A conjugation process with Celite-adsorbed FITC gave FHGG conjugates which, after Sephadex G-25 gel filtration, satisfied the purity and stability requirements. The relative degree of conjugation of the FHGG conjugates obtained by this method varied between 2.8 and 3.6, and their fluorescence was quenched by 80% as compared to an equivalent amount of FITC. Normal rabbit serum increased the fluorescence of FHGG by a maximum of 20%, but reduced the fluorescence of FITC by a maximum of 19%. The fluorescence of FHGG in soluble antigen-antibody complexes was reduced by 8%. FHGG was similar to HGG in its immunological behavior.
Role of two-dimensional echocardiography in the evaluation of patients with ventricular septal rupture postmyocardial infarction

In 18 consecutive patients with a new murmur following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), examination by two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) correctly excluded ventricular septal defects (VSD) in eight patients and enabled direct visualization of the VSD in 10 patients. In three patients, 2DE was the first technique to establish the diagnosis. In all patients with VSD, 2DE diagnosis was confirmed by catheterization, surgery, and/or postmortem examination. In six patients with VSD, 2DE contrast studies were performed and were positive. 2DE enabled localization of the VSD in all patients (five inferior, five anterior). To evaluate left ventricular (LV) function, a 2DE wall motion index (WMI) was calculated using an 11 segment model of the LV. While there was no difference (p greater than 0.2) in AMI-VSD survivors versus nonsurvivors in age, kinase, and AVO2 difference, there was no overlap in WMI (p = 0.004) of survivors (0.80 +/- 0.36) versus nonsurvivors (1.66 +/- 0.19). Thus 2DE allows accurate detection and localization of postmyocardial infarction VSD and enables determination of prognosis of these patients.
Particle flux and radial profiles in the SOL of DIII-D during ELMing H-mode

Abstract The radial particle flux in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) during ELMing H-mode is examined in DIII-D as a function of density. The global radial particle flux in the outboard far SOL is determined by a window frame technique. Between ELMs, the outboard far SOL particle flux increases strongly with density and remains similar to the particle flux across the separatrix as estimated by the pedestal density and temperature gradients. At low density the steep density gradient of the pedestal extends up to 2 cm outside the separatrix, while at high density the density gradient flattens just outside the separatrix. During ELMs the far SOL particle flux becomes localized to the outboard midplane and the assumptions for the window frame analysis break down. Implications for scaling of outboard main chamber wall particle flux and pedestal fueling are explored.
Performance of I-vector speaker verification and the detection of synthetic speech

In this paper, we present new research results on the vulnerability of speaker verification (SV) systems to synthetic speech. Using a state-of-the-art i-vector SV system and evaluating with the Wall-Street Journal (WSJ) corpus, our SV system has a 0.00% false rejection rate (FRR) and 1.74 × 10 -5 false acceptance rate (FAR). When the i-vector system is tested with state-of-the-art speaker-adaptive, hidden Markov model (HMM)-based synthetic speech generated from speaker models derived from the WSJ journal corpus, 22.9% of the matched claims are accepted highlighting the vulnerability of SV systems to synthetic speech. We propose a new synthetic speech detector (SSD) which uses previously-proposed features derived from image analysis of pitch patterns but extracted on phoneme-level segments and which leverages the available enrollment speech from the SV system. When the SSD is applied to human and synthetic speech accepted by the SV system, the overall system has a FRR of 7.35% and a FAR of 2.34 × 10 -4 which is lower than previously-reported systems and thus significantly reduces the vulnerability.
Modeling the effects of congestion on fuel economy for advanced power train vehicles

Fuel-speed curves (FSC) are used to account for the aggregate effects of congestion on fuel consumption in transportation scenario analysis. This paper presents plausible FSC for conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and for advanced vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles, fully electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) using a fuel consumption model with transient driving schedules and a set of 145 hypothetical vehicles. The FSC shapes show that advanced power train vehicles are expected to maintain fuel economy (FE) in congestion better than ICE vehicles, and FE can even improve for EV and FCV in freeway congestion. In order to implement these FSC for long-range scenario modeling, a bounded approach is presented which uses a single congestion sensitivity parameter. The results in this paper will assist analysis of the roles that vehicle technology and congestion mitigation can play in reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.
Silent or Talking in the Classroom: Implicit Self-Stereotyping Among Asian and White Students

In academic settings, Asian students are often described as less talkative than White students. We provide an account of this phenomenon based on research on cultural influences on the self, self-categorization, and implicit social cognition. We hypothesized that the classroom context activates a process of implicit self-stereotyping. Asian and White participants were asked to imagine themselves in a classroom or leisure context. Next, they completed Implicit Association Tests assessing their self-concept, ethnic stereotypes, and ethnic identification. In the classroom context only, ethnic stereotypes accounted for a more reserved self-concept among Asian participants and a more talkative self-concept among White participants.
Vacuolar proton pyrophosphatase activity and pyrophosphate (PPi) in Toxoplasma gondii as possible chemotherapeutic targets.

The addition of PP i promoted the acidification of a subcellular compartment in cell homogenates of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites, implying the presence of a proton-translocating pyrophosphatase. The proton gradient was collapsed by addition of the K+}H+ antiporter nigericin, and was also inhibited by addition of the PP i analogue aminomethylenediphosphonate (AMDP). Both proton transport and PP i hydrolysis were dependent upon K+, but Na+ caused partial inhibition of these activities. PP i hydrolysis was sensitive in a dose-dependent manner to AMDP, imidodiphosphate, NaF and to the thiol reagent N-ethylmaleimide. This activity was unaected by common inhibitors of phosphohydrolases, except that NaO $ V (sodium orthovanadate) stimulated the activity by 87%. Immunofluorescence micro
A Comment on the Interview with UNC President Molly Broad

A commentary on a previous interview with the University of North Carolina President, Molly Broad. Discusses the issue of academic freedom under the First Amendment, and the importance of adhering to tenure standards to protect this academic freedom.
Three-phase four-leg active power quality conditioner without references calculation

Due to the use of diverse electric loads, the power quality problem in the power distribution systems can be very complex, especially in three-phase three-wire or four-wire distribution systems. This paper proposes a unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) with one cycle control (OCC) that has the functions of harmonic suppression, reactive power compensation, unbalanced load correction, and source neutral/zero-sequence current limitation. The advantages of this UPQC include no need for reference calculation, vector operation, and flexible structure for three-wire or four-wire system. Experimental and simulation results from a prototype confirmed the feasibility of the proposed approach.
Simulation of Stress Generation during GaN Lateral Epitaxial Overgrowth

To facilitate an understanding of defect production in gallium nitride during lateral epitaxial overgrowth, computer models have been developed to simulate the complete mechanical stress and strain fields. The virtual process included the deposition of a GaN seed layer on a sapphire substrate followed by a silicon dioxide stencil mask through which, and over which, the GaN product layer evolved and then cooled down to room temperature. Lattice mismatch and thermal strain were continuously assessed. Shear stresses on different crystallographic planes were analyzed to predict dislocation generation.
Finite-Element-Based Discretization and Regularization Strategies for 3-D Inverse Electrocardiography

We consider the inverse electrocardiographic problem of computing epicardial potentials from a body-surface potential map. We study how to improve numerical approximation of the inverse problem when the finite-element method is used. Being ill-posed, the inverse problem requires different discretization strategies from its corresponding forward problem. We propose refinement guidelines that specifically address the ill-posedness of the problem. The resulting guidelines necessitate the use of hybrid finite elements composed of tetrahedra and prism elements. Also, in order to maintain consistent numerical quality when the inverse problem is discretized into different scales, we propose a new family of regularizers using the variational principle underlying finite-element methods. These variational-formed regularizers serve as an alternative to the traditional Tikhonov regularizers, but preserves the L2 norm and thereby achieves consistent regularization in multiscale simulations. The variational formulation also enables a simple construction of the discrete gradient operator over irregular meshes, which is difficult to define in traditional discretization schemes. We validated our hybrid element technique and the variational regularizers by simulations on a realistic 3-D torso/heart model with empirical heart data. Results show that discretization based on our proposed strategies mitigates the ill-conditioning and improves the inverse solution, and that the variational formulation may benefit a broader range of potential-based bioelectric problems.
MARIONET: An exotendon-driven rotary series elastic actuator for exerting joint torque

A cable-driven, rotary series elastic actuator named MARIONET (moment arm adjustment for remote induction of net effective torque) is introduced as a novel means to deliver torque to a joint. Its advantages include remote actuation, independent control of compliance and equilibrium, and in future versions, the ability to span multiple joints. This cable-driven, compliant mechanism should prove very useful in a variety of human-robot interactions. Here we present a single joint device evaluated in terms of its position and torque step responses, its ability to follow a minimum jerk trajectory, and its ability to create torque fields. Results show that this device behaves as planned with several important limitations. We conclude with potential applications of this type of mechanism.
Finite Element Modeling of Mode I Failure of the Single Contoured Cantilever CFRP-Reinforced Concrete Beam

The single contour cantilever beam (SCCB) test method has been developed with the intent to capture Mode I opening failures of CFRP-reinforced concrete beams. Recent development in the method explores possible shifting damage into the concrete substrate by using the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) Surface Profile Level Three (SP3) as the desired CFRP bonded interface to concrete. To validate and explain the interface fracture behavior, finite element analysis using special cohesive elements has been performed. The cohesive element allows separation of the concrete substrate from the CFRP. This paper presents the simulation of laboratory test results, where failure in the substrates has been successfully reproduced. The simulation results indicate that finite element method using cohesive elements can successfully replicate Mode I critical strain energy release rate and the peak capacity of the laboratory tests and may have the potential to simulate actual applications.
Dependence of vascular damage on higher frequency components in the rat-tail model.

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) is caused by hand-transmitted vibration in industrial workers. Current ISO guidelines (ISO 5349) might underestimate vascular injury associ- ated with range of vibration frequencies near resonance. A rat-tail model was used to investigate the effects of higher frequencies >100 Hz on early vascular damage. 13 Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250 ± 15 gm) were used. Rat-tails were vibrated at 125 Hz and 250 Hz (49 m/s 2 ) for 1D, 5D and 10D; D=days (4 h/day). Structural damage of the ventral artery was quantified by vacuole count using Toluidine blue staining whereas biochemical changes were assessed by nitrotyrosine (NT) staining. The results were analyzed using one-way repeated measures mixed-model ANOVA at p 100 Hz.
Trimethylation of Lys36 on H3 restricts gene expression change during aging and impacts life span

Functional data indicate that specific histone modification enzymes can be key to longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans, but the molecular basis of how chromatin structure modulates longevity is not well understood. In this study, we profiled the genome-wide pattern of trimethylation of Lys36 on histone 3 (H3K36me3) in the somatic cells of young and old Caenorhabditis elegans. We revealed a new role of H3K36me3 in maintaining gene expression stability through aging with important consequences on longevity. We found that genes with dramatic expression change during aging are marked with low or even undetectable levels of H3K36me3 in their gene bodies irrespective of their corresponding mRNA abundance. Interestingly, 3' untranslated region (UTR) length strongly correlates with H3K36me3 levels and age-dependent mRNA expression stability. A similar negative correlation between H3K36me3 marking and mRNA expression change during aging was also observed in Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting a conserved mechanism for H3K36me3 in suppressing age-dependent mRNA expression change. Importantly, inactivation of the methyltransferase met-1 resulted in a decrease in global H3K36me3 marks, an increase in mRNA expression change with age, and a shortened life span, suggesting a causative role of the H3K36me3 marking in modulating age-dependent gene expression stability and longevity.
Biocatalytic synthesis of polymers. II. Preparation of [AA–BB]x polyesters by porcine pancreatic lipase catalyzed transesterification in anhydrous, low polarity organic solvents

Enzyme-catalyzed preparation of polymers offers several potentially valuable advantages over the usual polymerization procedures. (1) Such polymerizations may allow the polymer to retain functionality that would be destroyed under normal polymerization conditions. (2) The selectivity provided by enzyme catalysts may permit polymers, including optically active polymers, to be prepared that are either not accessible or accessible only with difficulty by other methods. (3) The characteristics of the enzyme and the mild polymerization conditions may permit formation of polymers having highly regular sizes and backbone structures. This report describes the first successful use of an enzyme-catalyzed polycondensation to prepare a chiral (AA–BB)x polyesters of more than a few repeat units. Polymerization of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) alkanedioates (BB) with diols (AA) using the enzyme porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) as a catalyst is detailed. The polycondensations were carried out at ambient temperature in anhydrous, low polarity organic solvents such as ether, THF, and methylene chloride. End group analysis by NMR provided Mn values of 1300–8200 daltons while GPC provided Mw values of 2800–14900 daltons for the polymers. Based on proton NMR spectra obtained during the polymerization, relatively rapid formation of an AA–BB “dimer” and an AA–BB–AA “trimer,” slower formation of a BB–AA–BB “trimer,” and subsequent condensation of these to give higher polymers are suggested to be components of the polymerization mechanism.
Locally-Conformal FDTD for Anisotropic Conductive Interfaces

Locally-conformal discretizations have been developed for the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to mitigate staircasing errors that arise in the modeling of arbitrary (e.g., curved, slanted) interfaces by regular orthogonal grids. In particular, locally-conformal algorithms based on the computation of effective material parameters in partially-filled FDTD cells are attractive because they are simple to implement and maintain the basic conditional stability of FDTD, with only minor changes on the Courant limit. In this paper, we propose a new locally-conformal implementation for FDTD tailored for anisotropic conductive interfaces. Instead of employing arithmetic or geometrical averages, we invoke the quasi-static relationship between the current density and the electric field to derive the effective conductivities of partially-filled FDTD cells.
Trustworthy remote compiling services for grid-based scientific applications

Grid computing, which is characterized by large-scale sharing and collaboration of dynamic resources, is becoming an emerging computing platform on a global scale for data-intensive and computation-intensive scientific application. However, the complications of large-scale scientific computations and simulations harnessing massive computing resources are compounded by extensive heterogeneity in environments arising from "the Grid." Scientists and engineers lack an intuitive grid-based compilation tool, which has contributed to the difficulty of exploiting these diverse resources and developing their applications on the grid. While manual configuration of various toolkits simplifying the end-to-end completion of a job is adequate for a computational grid with a limited number of nodes, the compilation procedure becomes inefficient for a computational grid with an increasing number of heterogeneous computational service providers. On the other hand, a global-scale computational grid is a potentially untrustworthy computing environment. How to take advantage of the potentially untrustworthy grid resources to provide trustworthy computational services for large-scale scientific applications is another critical issue. In this article, a remote compiling service for a heterogeneous computational grid is developed. In addition to running compilation tasks, the remote compiling service provides security enforcement and validation facilities, including intermediate value checking, secure source program submission, restricted compilation, and binary inspection, to support trustworthy compilation and execution of grid-based scientific applications. Overall, it is expected that our remote compiling services on the grid can tackle the heterogeneity problem of the grid and provide a secure, trustworthy, reliable, and state-of-the-art mechanism to develop grid-aware scientific applications.
Ozone-Induced Alterations in the Accumulation of Newly Synthesized Proteins in Leaves of Maize.

We examined the response of leaves of 3-week-old maize (Zea mays 1.) to short-term (5 h) fumigation with O,-enriched air (O, 0.12, 0.24, or 0.36 pl/L). Older leaves and leaf tissue developed more severe visible damage at higher externa1 O, concentrations. To investigate the immediate effect of O, exposure on the accumulation of newly synthesized leaf proteins, leaves were labeled with [35S]methionine after 2 h and fumigated for an additional 3 h. O,-induced alterations of leaf proteins were observed in a concentration-dependent manner. There was a significant decrease in [35S]methionine incorporation into protein at the highest O, concentration. Developmental differences in accumulation of de novosynthesized leaf proteins were observed when the leaf tip, middle, and basal sections were labeled under O pL/L O,, and additional changes were apparent upon exposure to increasing O, concentrations. Changes in leaf protein synthesis were observed in the absence of visible leaf injury. Subcellular fractionation revealed 0,induced alterations in soluble and membrane-associated proteins. A number of thylakoid membrane-associated proteins showed specific increases in response to O, fumigation. In contrast, the synthesis of a 32-kD polypeptide associated with thylakoid membranes was reduced in response to O, fumigation in parallel with reduced incorporation of [35S]methionine into protein. lmmunoprecipitation identified this polypeptide as the D1 protein of photosystem II. A reduction in the accumulation of newly synthesized D1 could have consequences for the efficiency of photosynthesis and other cellular processes.
High speed fiber optic links for short-haul microwave applications

Interest in the use of fiber-optic (FO) links to interconnect distributed microwave components and subsystems in phased-array antennas and similar applications resulted in an experimental and analytical comparison between fiber-optic and conventional coaxial interconnects. Experiments were conducted for two different fiber-optic links, namely, reactively matched and resistively matched. An approach based on the use of reactively matched optical transmit/receive modules in conjunction with an advanced fiber-optic link architecture was found to lead to a substantial improvement in the system performance of high-speed links. >
Antimatter-driven fusion propulsion scheme for solar system exploration

The potential use of the proton-antiproton annihilation reaction as a driver for an inertially confined, magnetically insulated fusion plasma with application to advanced space propulsion is examined. The fusion scheme utilized is the magnetically insulated inertial confinement fusion (MICF) concept which combines the favorable aspects of both inertial and magnetic fusions into one. Using an appropriate set of governing equations for the fusion plasma, along with those that detail the annihilation reactions and the energy deposition by the annihilation products including contributions from muon catalysis, we calculate the energy gain for the system as well as the amount of antihydrogen needed to ignite the plasma. We find about 13 ng of antihydrogen are needed to supply a megajoule of energy to the plasma, and about 10 g will be needed for a 220-mT space vehicle to make a one-way trip to Mars in about 2 months. I. Introduction I N several previous publications1-3 we examined the potential use of the magnetically insulated inertial confinement fusion (MICF) concept as a propulsion device that could be utilized in solar explorations and/or interplanetary travel. The concept in question combines the favorable aspects of both magnetic and inertial fusions in that physical containment of the hot plasma is provided by a metallic shell while its thermal energy is insulated from the material wall by a strong, self-generated magnetic field as illustrated in Fig. 1. Unlike the conventional implosion-type inertial fusion schemes, energy production in this approach does not require compression of the fusion fuel to many times solid-state densities and simultaneous delivery of energy to the core to initiate the burn. Instead the fusion plasma is created through wall ablation by an incident laser beam that enters the target through a hole. The same laser gives rise to the strong magnetic field through a process known as the "thermoelectric" effect, whereby it can be shown that such a field can be generated in a hot plasma when its density gradient is perpendicular to its temperature gradient. We have seen that MICF is capable of producing specific impulses of several thousand seconds and thrusts of tens of kilonewtons that would allow round trips to Mars, for example, to be made in relatively short periods (a few months) even when the massive power supply system for the laser driver is carried on board. It is clear that such travel times can be substantially reduced if the power supply component is eliminated from the dry weight of the vehicle. Several recent studies4 have proposed beaming the needed energy from an Earth-orbiting space station, but it is evident that a more reliable performance can be assured if a compact energy source is taken along. Clearly no source can match that of matter-antima tter annihilation reactions since such a fuel (e.g., anti-hydrogen) possesses the largest specific energy, i.e., energy per unit mass, provided, of course, that the technology for producing, storing, and manipulating such
“Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital”

After briefly explaining why social capital (civil society) is important to democracy, Putnam devotes the bulk of this chapter to demonstrating social capital’s decline in the United States across the last quarter century. (See Putnam 1995 for a similar but more detailed argument.) While he acknowledges that the significance of a few countertrends is difficult to assess without further study, Putnam concludes that crucial factors such as social trust are eroding rapidly in the United States. He offers some possible explanations for this erosion and concludes by outlining the work needed to consider these possibilities more fully.
Goal Setting and Student Achievement: A Longitudinal Study

The connection between goals and student motivation has been widely investigated in the research literature, but the relationship of goal setting and student achievement at the classroom level has remained largely unexplored. This article reports the findings of a 5-year quasi-experimental study examining goal setting and student achievement in the high school Spanish language classroom. The implementation of LinguaFolio, a portfolio that focuses on student self-assessment, goal setting, and collection of evidence of language achievement, was introduced into 23 high schools with a total of 1,273 students. By using a hierarchical linear model, researchers were able to analyze the relationship between goal setting and student achievement across time at both the individual student and teacher levels. A correlational analysis of the goal-setting process and language proficiency scores reveals a statistically significant relationship between the goal-setting process and language achievement ( p < .01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Herpesvirus Entry Mediator HVEM Mediates Cell-Cell Spread in BHK(TK−) Cell Clones

95-19 and US11cl19.3 are BHK(TK−)-derived cell lines that are highly resistant to postattachment entry of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 but not to later steps in single-step replication. The resistance properties of these two cell types are not identical. US11cl19.3 cells are fully susceptible to pseudorabies virus (PRV), as shown by single-step growth experiments, whereas 95-19 cells are resistant to entry of free PRV but not to entry by cell-cell spread. We have tested the ability of HVEM to overcome the block to infection in both cell lines following transient and stable transfection. HVEM was able to mediate entry of free HSV-1 into both cell lines, as shown by an increase in the number of β-galactosidase-expressing cells in cultures transiently transfected with an HVEM expression plasmid and infected with lacZ-expressing HSV-1. In stably transfected 95-19 cells, HVEM enhanced infection by free HSV-1, as shown by an increase in the number of infectious centers obtained following infection. In both cell types, HVEM strongly enhanced entry of HSV-1 and HSV-2 by cell-cell spread, suggesting that HVEM can function as an entry mediator both in entry of free virus and in entry by cell-cell spread.
Recent progress in computer-aided diagnosis of lung nodules on thin-section CT

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) provides a computer output as a "second opinion" in order to assist radiologists in the diagnosis of various diseases on medical images. Currently, a significant research effort is being devoted to the detection and characterization of lung nodules in thin-section computed tomography (CT) images, which represents one of the newest directions of CAD development in thoracic imaging. We describe in this article the current status of the development and evaluation of CAD schemes for the detection and characterization of lung nodules in thin-section CT. We also review a number of observer performance studies in which it was attempted to assess the potential clinical usefulness of CAD schemes for nodule detection and characterization in thin-section CT. Whereas current CAD schemes for nodule characterization have achieved high performance levels and would be able to improve radiologists' performance in the characterization of nodules in thin-section CT, current schemes for nodule detection appear to report many false positives, and, therefore, significant efforts are needed in order further to improve the performance levels of current CAD schemes for nodule detection in thin-section CT.
Power penalty from amplified spontaneous emission in spatial diversity links

We investigate the power penalty caused by excess amplified spontaneous emission in an optically preamplified receiver for use with a multi-wavelength spatial diversity transmitter to mitigate atmospheric fading.
Soft learning vector quantization and clustering algorithms based on ordered weighted aggregation operators

This paper presents the development and investigates the properties of ordered weighted learning vector quantization (LVQ) and clustering algorithms. These algorithms are developed by using gradient descent to minimize reformulation functions based on aggregation operators. An axiomatic approach provides conditions for selecting aggregation operators that lead to admissible reformulation functions. Minimization of admissible reformulation functions based on ordered weighted aggregation operators produces a family of soft LVQ and clustering algorithms, which includes fuzzy LVQ and clustering algorithms as special cases. The proposed LVQ and clustering algorithms are used to perform segmentation of magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain. The diagnostic value of the segmented MR images provides the basis for evaluating a variety of ordered weighted LVQ and clustering algorithms.
The “Devil’s” Medicine Bag

The following “drugs” especially in the “wrong hands” are likely to cause more harm than to be of any benefit: Nitroprusside
Layout design of a bi-stable cardiovascular stent using topology optimization

Abstract We present a novel design concept for a bi-stable cardiovascular stent in which the device has two fully stable, unloaded configurations: a contracted configuration used for insertion and positioning of the device, and an expanded configuration intended to facilitate blood flow. Once the device is in place, a small trigger force applied in the radial direction induces snap-through, causing the device to snap into its expanded configuration. We model the mechanics of the stent structure using a neo-Hookean hyperelastic formulation, which is discretized using a uniform mesh of solid isoparametric finite elements. Topology optimization is used to obtain the material layout and to tailor the nonlinear response of the baseline structure to achieve bi-stable snap-through behavior. The design domain is defined as a two-dimensional unit cell within the larger mesh pattern that comprises the cylindrical stent structure. We further introduce a novel transverse bracing system, which exerts a containing force that allows snap-through to occur, and that also ensures that the length of the stent does not change due to radial expansion. Optimization results are presented for several two dimensional examples including a benchmark problem based on a bi-stable beam, and a two-dimensional stent patch. Results confirm that topology optimization has been used successfully to achieve bi-stability in both the beam and the stent structures.
The Road Less Traveled: A Review of Anfara and Mertz's Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research

Editors Anfara and Mertz travel a new road with their tidy little book, Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research. This tightly edited book begins by providing an up-close look at the process of taking a book from the germination of an idea to the delivery of the final product. As noted in the introduction, “To understand a theory is to travel into someone else’s mind.” Most of the book clears the path toward that journey by presenting a sampler of chapters focusing on the use of theoretical frameworks in actual qualitative research studies. Finally, the editors bring the book full circle by summarizing the various roles theoretical frameworks played in the preceding chapters. This book provides a common basis for quantitative and qualitative researchers to continue the discussion about I teach a doctoral class entitled Methods of Inquiry. All doctoral students take “Methods of Inquiry” during their second term. This course provides students with an overview of both quantitative and qualitative research designs. However, only one page of the required textbook, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (Creswell, 2008), addresses the role of theory in research. And, the description of this use is highlighted by the following quote: In quantitative research, researchers often test theories, broad explanations that predict the results from relating variables. In qualitative research, theories are typically not tested. Instead, the inquirer asks participants in a study to share ideas and build general themes based on those ideas. (p. 139)
Multimodal imaging in a case of deferoxamine-induced maculopathy.

Purpose:To report a case of deferoxamine-induced maculopathy and present the use of multimodal retinal imaging to study this disease entity.Methods:This is an observational case report of one patient. Multimodal imaging with fundus autofluorescence, infrared imaging, and spectral domain optical cohe
Identity of the core proteins of the large chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans synthesized by skeletal muscle and prechondrogenic mesenchyme

Large, chondroitin sulphate-containing proteoglycans are synthesized by three prominent tissue in the embryonic chick limb. One of these proteoglycans is aggrecan, the phenotype-specific proteoglycan of cartilage. Another, PG-M, is produced by prechondrogenic mesenchymal cells. The third, M-CSPG, is made by developing skeletal muscle cells. While the carbohydrate components of PG-M and M-CSPG share some similarities, both of these proteoglycans clearly have different carbohydrate moieties from those of aggrecan. To compare these three proteoglycans at another level, their core protein structures were analysed in three ways: by the presence or absence of monoclonal antibody epitopes, by one-dimensional peptide display of the cyanogen bromide-cleaved core proteins and by electron microscopic imaging of the molecules. Monoclonal antibodies whose epitopes are present in aggrecan core protein were tested with core protein preparations from M-CSPG and PG-M. One of these, 7D1, recognizes both PG-M and M-CSPG, while another, 1C6, shows no reactivity for the non-cartilage proteoglycans. The absence of 1C6 reactivity is of interest, as its epitope is in a region of the aggrecan core protein known to have a functional homologue in the core proteins of PG-M and M-CSPG. The cyanogen bromide-fragmented peptide pattern of M-CSPG is the same as that of PG-M, and both are different from that of aggrecan. The aggrecan pattern has one prominent large band (molecular mass 130 kDa), some less prominent large bands (molecular mass 70-100 kDa) and several smaller bands. In contrast, the PG-M and M-CSPG patterns show no bands with molecular masses > 73 kDa, and the smaller bands (molecular mass < 40 kDa) have a different pattern to that of the smaller bands from aggrecan. The electron microscopic images of aggrecan show a core protein with one end having two globular regions separated by a short linear segment; adjacent to this is a long linear segment, which sometimes contains a third globular region at the end of the core protein opposite the end with the double-globe structure. M-CSPG and PG-M core proteins never show images with the double-globe structure. Instead, one end of the molecule has a single globular domain, and a second globular region is variably present at the opposite end of the core protein. Thus, by all three methods, the core proteins of PG-M and M-CSPG appear to be the same and both differ from the core protein of aggrecan.
Application of the immunofluorescent technic to the study of pathogenesis and rapid diagnosis of viral infections.

A few examples of the use of the immunofluorescent (FA) technic for study of pathogenesis and rapid diagnosis of viral infections are cited. When ferrets were experimentally infected with influenza virus, direct FA staining has demonstrated that the ciliated columnar respiratory epithelial cells lining the nasal turbinates were the primary sites of virus multiplication. Examination of desquamated epithelial cells in nasal smears from influenza-infected ferrets as well as from human patients during several epidemics enabled various investigators to make a rapid diagnosis of influenza infection. In measles infection, FA staining of urinary sediment smears showed the presence of fluorescent cells containing specific measles antigen. These fluorescent cells were detectable during a period of 2 days before to 5 days after the appearance of the morbilliform rash, allowing a rapid diagnosis of measles in 36 of 38 confirmed cases. Among seven cases of human encephalitis caused by Herpesvirus hominis , examination of brain specimens (three from biopsy and four from autopsy) by FA staining showed the presence of herpesviral antigen in the neurons. Rapid diagnosis of herpesviral encephalitis could be established in 2 hr. by examining FA-stained frozen sections. Two patients who had herpesviral encephalitis diagnosed by FA staining of brain biopsy sections were given treatment with an antiviral drug—idoxuridine.
Electrocardiogram of the beagle dog.

Summary1. The taking of the electrocardiogram of the untrained, unanesthetized dog is a practical procedure. 2. In the supine position, the variations in serial tracings are small enough to render the results useful. 3. The electrocardiogram of the normal, young beagle dog is described and a table of normal values is presented.
The Difference of Information Service in Rural Areas of Shandong Province,Hubei Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Based on the development of information service in rural areas of Shandong province,Hubei province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,the difference of economic and social development,infrastructure construction,service system and mode innovation was analyzed using the rural informatization data.It turned out that Shandong and Hubei is relatively superior to Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the infrastructure construction and popularity.It was found that informatization environment was the key to solve the information service in rural areas.Government should fully play a leading role in construction of rural information service system,and optimizing development environment of information service,meanwhile inspiring the enterprises to participate in,and constantly strengthening network infrastructure.Peasantry's consciousness and consumption level of information also needed to be improved for establishing service mode with local characteristics.
Open Water Data in Space and Time

An Open Water Data Initiative has been established by the federal government to enhance water information sharing across the United States (U.S.) using standardized web services for geospatial and temporal data. In a parallel effort, the National Weather Service has established a new National Water Center on the Tuscaloosa campus of the University of Alabama, at which a new National Water Model starts operations in June 2016, to continually simulate and forecast streamflow discharge throughout the continental U.S. These two developments support the interoperability of streamflow and hydrologic information in time and space from modeled and observed sources through the use of open standards to share water information.