cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Computational Tool for Evaluating THz Imaging Performance in Brownout Conditions at Land Sites Throughout the World

This study quantifies terahertz (THz) or sub-millimeter imaging performance during simulated rotary-wing brownout or whiteout environments based on geographic location and recent/current atmospheric weather conditions. The atmospheric conditions are defined through the Air Force Institute of Technology Center for Directed Energy (AFIT/CDE) Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference or LEEDR model. This model enables the creation of vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor content, optical turbulence, and atmospheric particulates and hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line layer extinction coefficient magnitude at wavelengths from the UV to the RF. Optical properties and realistic particle size distributions for the brownout and whiteout particulates have been developed for and incorporated into LEEDR for this study. The expected imaging performance is assessed primarily at a wavelength of 454 μm (0.66 THz) in brownout conditions at selected geographically diverse land sites throughout the world. Seasonal and boundary layer variations (summer and winter) and time of day variations for a range of relative humidity percentile conditions are considered to determine optimum employment techniques to exploit or defeat the environmental conditions. Each atmospheric particulate/hydrometeor is evaluated based on its wavelength-dependent forward and off-axis scattering characteristics and absorption effects on the imaging environment. In addition to realistic vertical profiles of molecular and aerosol absorption and scattering, correlated optical turbulence profiles in probabilistic (percentile) format are used. Most evaluated scenarios are brownout environments over ranges up to 50 meters. At submillimeter wavelengths and the short ranges studied, preliminary results indicate the main source of image degradation in brownout conditions is water vapor content, even with visibility less than 10 m and strong optical turbulence.
Comment on Ding and Miratrix: “To Adjust or Not to Adjust?”

I commend the authors for undertaking a detailed analysis of the bias produced by indiscriminate adjustments for pretreatment covariates (Ding and Miratrix, 2015). While I agree with the analysis, I take exception to the authors’ conclusion that “for linear systems, except in some extreme cases, adjusting for all the pretreatment covariates is in fact a reasonable choice.” My reading of the analysis leads to the conclusion that indiscriminate adjustment is likely to introduce appreciable bias in causal effect estimates. Ding and Miratrix (DM) divide their analysis into two parts:
Solvate Molecule Effects and Unusual 57Fe Mössbauer Line Broadening in the Valence Detrapping of Mixed-Valence [Fe3O(O2CCH3)6(3-Et-py)3]·S

A new series of mixed-valence μ3-oxo-bridged Fe3O complexes with the composition [Fe3O(O2CCH3)6(3-Et-py)3]·S, where 3-Et-py is 3-ethylpyridine and the solvate molecule S is either 0.5C6H5CH3 (1), 0...
Analysis of Digitized Waveforms in a Prototype of the SLD Central Drift Chamber

100 MHz waveform digitizers have been used to measure drift times and charge division positions of charged particles in a prototype of the SLD central drift chamber at SLAC. Test beam results show performance to be equivalent to conventional timing and charge integration techniques.
Cholecystitis in adolescents.

The clinicopathologic features in 40 individuals between the ages of 13 and 20 undergoing cholecystectomy were analyzed and found to be a blend of the dissimilar patterns seen in earlier and later years. Only 4 had an associated hemolytic anemia. Females predominated in a ratio of 3.4:1, and a third were parous. Pain and right upper-quadrant tenderness were usually present, but often mis-interpreted. The oral cholecystogram proved to be the most useful diagnostic test. The incidence of acalculous cholecystitis was higher and that of common bile duct stone, lower than we have observed in the adult age group.
Energy stable numerical methods for hyperbolic partial differential equations using overlapping domain decomposition

Overlapping domain decomposition methods, otherwise known as overset grid or chimera methods, are useful for simplifying the discretization of partial differential equations in or around complex geometries. Though in wide use, such methods are prone to numerical instability unless numerical diffusion or some other form of regularization is used, especially for higher-order methods. To address this shortcoming, high-order, provably energy stable, overlapping domain decomposition methods are derived for hyperbolic initial boundary value problems. The overlap is treated by splitting the domain into pieces and using generalized summation-by-parts derivative operators and polynomial interpolation. New implicit and explicit operators are derived that do not require regularization for stability in the linear limit. Applications to linear and nonlinear problems in one and two dimensions are presented, where it is found the explicit operators are preferred to the implicit ones.
Protein folding: salty sea regulators of cystic fibrosis.

New, bioactive marine sponge compounds that function as inhibitors of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase family of proteins have now been identified to promote the correction of cystic fibrosis. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors may be managers of proteostasis biology, consistent with their role (or roles) in remediation of inflammatory states.
A simplified synthesis of (+)-brefeldin A

Abstract An effective and enantioselective process for the total synthesis of (+)-brefeldin A ( 1 ) is described which starts from the dextrorotatory ketone 2 .
Estimating aquifer recharge in Mission River watershed, Texas: model development and calibration using genetic algorithms

Soil moisture balance studies provide a convenient approach to estimate aquifer recharge when only limited site-specific data are available. A monthly mass-balance approach has been utilized in this study to estimate recharge in a small watershed in the coastal bend of South Texas. The developed lumped parameter model employs four adjustable parameters to calibrate model predicted stream runoff to observations at a gaging station. A new procedure was developed to correctly capture the intermittent nature of rainfall. The total monthly rainfall was assigned to a single-equivalent storm whose duration was obtained via calibration. A total of four calibrations were carried out using an evolutionary computing technique called genetic algorithms as well as the conventional gradient descent (GD) technique. Ordinary least squares and the heteroscedastic maximum likelihood error (HMLE) based objective functions were evaluated as part of this study as well. While the genetic algorithm based calibrations were relatively better in capturing the peak runoff events, the GD based calibration did slightly better in capturing the low flow events. Treating the Box-Cox exponent in the HMLE function as a calibration parameter did not yield better estimates and the study corroborates the suggestion made in the literature of fixing this exponent at 0.3. The model outputs were compared against available information and results indicate that the developed modeling approach provides a conservative estimate of recharge.
Ectopic expression of the floral homeotic gene AGAMOUS in transgenic Arabidopsis plants alters floral organ identity

The Arabidopsis floral homeotic gene AGAMOUS (AG) is required for development of the reproductive organs (stamens and carpels). In ag mutants, the loss of AG function leads to the conversion of these organs to the perianth organs (petals and sepals). In contrast, mutations in another floral homeotic gene, APETALA2 (AP2), result in the replacement of the perianth organs by the reproductive organs. On the basis of these observations, it has been proposed that AG and AP2 act in an antagonistic fashion. To test this hypothesis, we have studied the effects of ectopically expressed AG in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The flowers of the transgenic plants exhibit a range of phenotypes mirroring those of ap2 mutants. These experiments provide direct evidence of the proposed antagonism between AG and AP2 functions, and the results strongly suggest that AG does indeed inhibit AP2 function.
Clinical approach to the diagnostic evaluation of hereditary and acquired neuromuscular diseases.

In the context of a neuromuscular disease diagnostic evaluation, the clinician still must be able to obtain a relevant patient and family history and perform focused general, musculoskeletal, neurologic and functional physical examinations to direct further diagnostic evaluations. Laboratory studies for hereditary neuromuscular diseases include relevant molecular genetic studies. The EMG and nerve conduction studies remain an extension of the physical examination and help to guide further diagnostic studies such as molecular genetic studies, and muscle and nerve biopsies. All diagnostic information needs to be interpreted not in isolation, but within the context of relevant historical information, family history, physical examination findings, and laboratory data, electrophysiologic findings, pathologic findings, and molecular genetic findings if obtained.
Santería as Informal Mental Health Support Among U.S. Latinos with Cancer

This article explores and examines Santeria's function as a culturally congruent informal mental health support that assists U.S. Latinos to cope with the psychosocial sequelae of living with cancer. Research has demonstrated that Santeria serves as a mediating institution for many Latinos. The tradition functions as both a religion and a health care system within various Latino subgroups and has functioned as an informal mental health service in occurrences of health versus illness.
Photorefractive Crystals As Adaptive Elements In Acoustooptic Filters

The use of photorefractive crystals as optically addressed time integrating spatial light modulators is discussed. Photorefractive crystals can be used to implement variable filters in acoustooptic systems, and in particular, applica-tions in signal detection and adaptive signal processing are discussed. The bias-free time integrating property of the crystals is demonstrated.
Drift of Minority Carriers in the Presence of Trapping

It is known that in most semiconductors and photoconductors excitation of excess free carrier densities Δn and Δp is accompanied by some “trapping” of either or both carriers in localised levels in the forbidden band. The population of these levels changes by Δn t and we have the general relation: (1)
Cystic adrenal neoplasms

BACKGROUND Cystic lesions of the adrenal gland are uncommon and demonstrate a spectrum of histologic changes and may vary from pseudocysts to malignant cystic neoplasms. METHODS The authors analyzed a series of primary cystic lesions of the adrenal gland to evaluate the clinicopathologic features and histologic spectrum and to determine features that are helpful in distinguishing benign from malignant cystic adrenal tumors. RESULTS A total of 41 cases of macroscopically cystic lesions among patients who underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic were identified over a 25-year period. Of these 41 cases, 32 were pseudocysts, 8 were endothelial cysts, and 1 was an epithelial cyst. Of the 32 pseudocysts, 6 were associated with adrenal neoplasms, including 2 adrenal cortical carcinomas, 2 adrenal cortical adenomas, and 2 pheochromocytomas. One pheochromocytoma case was identified in association with an endothelial cyst. Both patients with cystic adrenal cortical carcinomas died of disease. CONCLUSIONS Adrenal neoplasms, including adrenal cortical carcinomas, may be associated with benign-appearing cysts. Extensive pathologic sampling of resected tissues is important to rule out malignancy in patients with cystic adrenal lesions. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
The digital data exchange--a space-division switching system

The user requirements for an automated switch for computer terminals in a large establishment or laboratory environment are discussed. This is followed by an explanation of the design requirements, and finally by a description of the significant features of the digital data exchange (DDEX), a microprocessor-controlled user-transparent space-division digital data switch of modular design which is capable of connecting 512 to 2048 lines from various types of IBM terminals to different control units, thereby substantially saving interconnection resources.
Supression of basal and stress-induced prolactin release and stimulation of luteinizing hormone secretion by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone☆

Abstract α-MSH and β-endorphin, both synthesized from a common precursor, have opposite behavioral actions. In order to determine if these peptides have opposite effects on pituitary function, basal LH secretion and basal and stress-induced prolactin release were studied in adult male rats after intraventricular injection of α-MSH. Each rat also received intraventricular saline in order to serve as its own control. 18 μg α-MSH stimulated plasma LH from 16.5 ± 2.5 (SEM) ng/ml to a peak of 27.2 ± 4.0 and 26.0 ± 4.9 n g /ml at 5 and 10 min, and suppressed prolactin from 3.5 ± 0.7 ng/ml to 1.3 ± 0.1 and 1.2 ± 0.1 ng/ml at 15 and 30 min. Intraventricular α-MSH also significantly blunted the prolactin rise associated with the stress of swimming. 10 and 20 min after the onset of swimming, prolactin levels in rats pretreated with α-MSH were significantly diminished: 7.4 ± 1.5 and 6.5 ± 2.0 ng/ml vs 23.8 ± 3.6 and 15.2 ± 2.8 after normal saline. Similarly, des-acetyl α-MSH which is the predominant form of α-MSH in the hypothalamus, diminished the stress-induced prolactin rise from 18.4 ± 5.3 and 11.2 ± 3.4 ng/ml at 10 and 20 min to 10.0 ± 2.4 and 5.5 ± 1.6 ng/ml. We conclude that centrally administered α-MSH stimulates LH and suppresses basal and stress-induced prolactin release in male rats. These actions are opposite to those previously shown for β-endorphin and suggest that α-MSH may antagonize the effects of β-endorphin on pituitary function.
The yield stress of single crystals of α-phase copper-aluminium alloys

The composition dependence of the yield stress, σ , of single crystals of α-phase copper-aluminium alloys has been measured at 293 and 4.2 K under precisely defined experimental conditions to determine whether the Friedel relation with σ ∝ c 1/2 or the Mott-Labusch relation with σ ∝ c 2/3 applies. The best statistical fit gives a dependence of σ on c 1/2 for values of c between 0 and 0.15. A curve with σ ∝ c 2/3 can be fitted to the results for 0.003 ≤ c ≤ 0.15 with a small increase in the standard deviation, but a segment with σ ∝ c 1/2 must be introduced for 0 ≤ c ≤ 0.003. On the basis of these measurements it is not possible to decide between the validity of Friedel and of Mott-Labusch statistics for the concentrated alloys.
Affective Control Efficacy as a Factor in Willingness to Participate in a Public Performance Situation

Self-efficacy beliefs have been a major factor in motivation to participate in a variety of situations. While task efficacy and cognitive control efficacy are well researched, confidence in the ability to control one's affective responses to a situation—affective control efficacy—has only recently been proposed. A questionnaire presenting a simulated performance opportunity was administered to 190 graduate students in education. Analysis of the data to examine the independent effects of task efficacy, cognitive control efficacy, and affective control efficacy on willingness to participate in a public performance situation supported the importance of the new variable.
Money Laundering: It's on the SEC's Radar Screen

The author, Director of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations at the SEC, talks about how the anti‐money laundering laws apply to securities firms while also discussing a new examinations initiative that the SEC, NYSE, and NASD are undertaking to focus the industry's attention on compliance programs that detect and prevent money laundering.
Variability of resistance mechanisms in pyrethroid resistant German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

Abstract Mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance were compared in German cockroach strains, Apyr-R, Bpyr-R, and Cpyr-R, collected from Opelika, Alabama, after control failures with pyrethroid insecticides. Resistance to permethrin in Bpyr-R (54-fold, compared with a susceptible strain, ACY) and Cpyr-R (46-fold) was slightly suppressed by piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and S,S,S,-tributylphosphorotrithioate (DEF). Given that DEF is not a completely specific inhibitor of hydrolases and that it can inhibit microsomal oxidases at high concentration, these data should be interpreted with caution. These results suggest that P450 monooxygenases and, perhaps, hydrolases play minor roles in permethrin resistance in both strains. However, resistance to deltamethrin in both Bpyr-R (50-fold) and Cpyr-R (47-fold) was not decreased by PBO or DEF. These results were different from that in Apyr-R where levels of resistance to permethrin and deltamethrin were dramatically decreased by PBO and DEF. It is likely that these German cockroach strains from the same geographic origin exhibit diverse mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance. Injection did not decrease levels of resistance to either permethrin or deltamethrin in Bpyr-R and Cpyr-R, which is similar as the result in Apyr-R, suggesting that a decreased rate of cuticular penetration does not play an important role in pyrethroid resistance in these strains. A 408 bp para -homologous sodium channel gene fragment where the para ( kdr ) mutation resides was generated by RT-PCR from German cockroach strains. We found that the para mutation was present in Apyr-R, but not in ACY, Bpyr-R, and Cpyr-R, suggesting that the para mutation is one of the important factors in pyrethroid resistance in Apyr-R but not an important contributing factor to pyrethroid resistance in Bpyr-R and Cpyr-R. Interestingly, a new mutation, T to C at nt 2996 resulting in a phenylalanine 999 to serine 999 amino acid change, was detected in both Bpyr-R and Cpyr-R. The importance of this mutation in resistance is discussed.
Bilingual Knowledge Maps (BiK Maps) as a Presentation Format: Delayed Recall and Training Effects

The use of bilingual graphic organizers (bilingual knowledge maps [BiK maps]) as a presentation format was investigated for the acquisition of foreign language vocabulary. Participants were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions for the task of studying 32 German-English word pairs. Participants in each condition were trained on either lists or BiK maps and studied either lists or BiK maps. BiK-map students showed greater recall than list students and reported greater use of breadth-based recall strategies. BiK-trained students expressed less intent to engage in rote-based strategies when studying vocabulary in the future and greater intent to use theme-centered and image processing during general textbook study.
FAILURE OF BACTERIAL GROWTH INHIBITION BY AMNIOTIC FLUID

The bactericidal properties of amniotic fluid normally protect fetuses from late gestational infections by bacteria of low virulence. Recently mycoplasma T-strains, an organism of low virulence was found responsible for 23 fatal infections of late gestational fetuses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This prompted analyses of amniotic fluid antimicrobial activity in that city. The antimicrobial activity of 53 fluids collected at term was measured by a semiquantitative plate-count technique. In the U.S. most term fluids are bactericidal but in Addis Ababa, only one fluid was bactericidal, 12 were bacteriostatic and 40 did not inhibit bacterial growth. Underprivileged gravida had about 60% of WHO recommended calorie intake, 75% protein, 35% calcium, 15% vitamin A, 50% riboflavin and niacin, 40% ascorbic acid and >100% of iron and thiamine. Their amniotic fluids had a mean 1.9 log increase in bacterial titer in the test system. Privileged gravida had near recommended intake levels of nutrients. Their fluids had a mean 0.8 log increase in bacterial titer. In vitro increasing amniotic fluid zinc levels >2 μg/ml restored antimicrobial activity. The amniotic fluid infection syndrome is the most common cause of preterm delivery and perinatal death wherever it has been studied, including the U.S. and various sites in Africa. Nutrition of the gravida may play a role in the genesis of the disorder.
Image encoding using chaotic maps and strange attractors

We describe an application of nonlinear dynamical systems to image transformation and encoding. Our approach is different from the classical one where affine discrete maps are used. Similarly to classical fractal image compression, nonlinear maps use the redundancy in the image for compression. Furthermore, compression speed is enhanced whenever nonlinear maps have more than one attractor. Nonlinear maps having strange chaotic attractors can also be used to encode the image. In this case, the image will take the shape of the strange attractor when mapped under the nonlinear system. The procedure needs some precautions for chaotic maps, because of the sensitivity to initial conditions. Another possibility is to use strange attractors to hide the initial image using various schemes. For example, it is possible to hide the image using position permutation, value permutation, or both position and value permutations. We develop an algorithm to show that chaotic maps can be used successfully for this purpose. We also show that the sensitivity to initial conditions of chaotic maps forms the basis of the encryption strategy.
On the mechanism of midtrimester abortions induced by the prostaglandin “impact”

Abstract Using Csapo's technique a single dose of 24.3±1.1mg PG F 2α had been delivered intraamniotically to 20 sedated 15.9±0.6 weeks pregnant patients, to provoke a “PG Impact” (PGI), a consequent progesterone (P) withdrawal and a conversion of the pharmacologically refractory normal pregnant uterus into a reactive organ. The side effects were occasional and acceptable and no further PG F 2α treatment was needed except in 4 cases (5–10mg). Only after the Oxytocin Test showed that the uterus is becoming reactive was 50mU/min oxytocin infused i.v., to facilitate the evolution of IUP to 93±3mm Hg and thus promote clinical progress. All the 20 patients aborted both the fetus and the placenta in 16.5±2.1 hours, but 8 women retained small placental residues to be removed by curettage. The Csapo Score was high, 92±2. As early as 3 hours after PGI, the plasma P levels already decreased significantly. They continued to decline throughout the IAT and reach a 72% withdrawal when the fetus was aborted. Fifteen patients, whose P-withdrawal was rapid aborted before the mean IAT, while those 5 women whose P-withdrawal was slow aborted after this time. Thus, the rate of P-withdrawal was directly, while parity and gestational age indirectly related to the IAT. Studies are in progress to elucidate further the abortifacient action of PG F 2α and through this knowledge promote predictable therapy.
An in-plane active magnetic mixer for microfluidic applications

We report the properties of a magnetically actuated mixing and blending device that is fabricated using microfluidic tectonics methods. A small metal blade is confined within a microfluidic channel. A post is polymerized through a hole in the blade to hold it in place and allow it to spin freely when a common magnetic stirrer is activated. The moving blade allows fluid streams to mix. The blade can also be used to break up biological materials inside a microchannel.
The Gifted Label, Gifted Children and the Aftermath:

Gifted children are receiving more and more attention and special educational services in the school system of America today. While there is much on labeling people as “mentally retarded” little ha...
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the sinonasal tract: Analysis of survival in 852 cases

Abstract Purpose Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are rare tumors of the head and neck that often have non-specific presentations and significant morbidity and mortality. In this analysis we use a large cohort to compare the demographic and disease-specific parameters affecting survival and incidence of DLBCLs. Methods The United States National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry was utilized to extract data regarding sinonasal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma between 1973 and 2009. A total of 852 cases of sinonasal DLBCLs were found. Presenting symptoms, demographics, disease specific survival, relative survival and survival by treatment modality were described for this rare tumor. Results Overall disease specific survival (DSS) at 1-year was 84.7% and at 5 years was 68.0%. DSS was significantly lower for those not treated with radiation therapy, with 1- and 5-year survival rates of 77.3% and 62.5%, versus those treated with radiation therapy, with 1- and 5-year rates of 89.2% and 71.5% (p Conclusions DLBCLs of the sinonasal tract are rare tumors of the head and neck. Survival is significantly improved for those treated with radiation therapy while the involvement of multiple sinuses is a negative prognostic indicator.
Superresolution image in weak turbulence

The condition for superresolution in weak turbulence is formulated. Relationships between various parameters, such as wavelength, strength of turbulence, lens size, etc., for the occurrence of superresolution are investigated. Physical implications of superresolution are also discussed.
Mode-scalable fiber-based chirped pulse amplification systems

A new generation of compact and robust ultrashort pulse lasers is currently emerging based on rare-earth doped fiber gain media. This paper reviews the development of high-power fiber technology, which recently has led to millijoule energies and /spl sim/10 W average powers from various femtosecond fiber systems. These results indicate that fiber technology has a significant potential to replace conventional solid-state lasers and promises important advantages both for practical use and for achieving high powers and energies. Chirped pulse amplification and different mode-size scaling techniques compose the foundation of this ultrashort-pulse fiber technology. Mode-size scaling can be achieved either by using multimode core fibers, which can produce a diffraction-limited beam at the fiber amplifier output, or by "mode-cleaning" of multimode core fiber output through saturated optical parametric amplification.
Anxiety sensitivity and headache: diagnostic differences, impact, and relations with perceived headache triggers.

BackgroundAnxiety sensitivity (AS), the fear of arousal-related bodily sensations due to beliefs about presumed harmful consequences, predicts fear and avoidance among musculoskeletal pain patients...
Nursing concerns for patients undergoing mastectomy.

The author describes an outline for a plan of care nurses could use in caring for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Needs of patients are categorized from the time of discovery of the lump until after mastectomy. Personal perceptions are documented; methods are explored for nurses to expand their knowledge.
An investigation of distance education in North American research literature using co-word analysis

The field of distance education is composed of a multiplicity of topics leading to a vast array of research literature. However, the research does not provide a chronological picture of the topics it addresses, making it difficult to develop an overview of the evolution and trends in the literature. To address this issue, a co-word analysis was performed on the abstracts of research articles found in two prominent North American research journals (N = 517), the American Journal of Distance Education and the Journal of Distance Education, between 1987 and 2005. The analysis yielded underlying trends and themes for three different periods (pre-Web, emerging Web, and maturing Web). Additionally, similarity index analyses were conducted across time periods. The pre-Web era was characterized by the need for quality and development. The emerging Web era was characterized by the development of theory. The maturing Web era was characterized by interaction and the use of tools for communication. The results demonstrate that the North American distance education research literature is characterized by having few consistent and focused lines of inquiry. Conclusions are provided.
Scientific Journals are "faith based": is there science behind peer review?

‘The strongest arguments prove nothing so long as the conclusions are not verified by experience. Experimental science is the queen of sciences and the goal of all speculation.’(R Bacon)
Olfactory receptor neuron responses coding for rapid odour sampling

Non-technical summary Odorants are transported into the nasal cavity upon air inhalation where they are detected by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), which transduce the odorant molecules into action potentials. The rate of stimulation thus depends on the chosen breathing frequency, which in mice ranges from 2 to 10 Hz. This poses the question how ORNs respond to rapidly changing stimulation rates. Individual mouse ORNs respond reliably to repetitive 2 Hz stimulations resembling normal breathing, but actually perform much poorer when the stimulation rate is increased to 5 Hz, which is more akin to sniffing. In this case, rarely more than 50% of the stimulations elicit any response, with an increase in odorant concentration further reducing the response rate, becoming zero at high concentrations. This counterintuitive observation can be understood in the framework of an adaptive filter, which allows the animal to selectively alter its ORN output depending on the chosen breathing rate. Abstract Vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) are stimulated in a rhythmic manner in vivo, driven by delivery of odorants to the nasal cavity carried by the inhaled air, making olfaction a sense where animals can control the frequency of stimulus delivery. How ORNs encode repeated stimulation at resting, low breathing frequencies and at increased sniffing frequencies is not known, nor is it known if the olfactory transduction cascade is accurate and fast enough to follow high frequency stimulation. We investigated mouse olfactory responses to stimulus frequencies mimicking odorant exposure during low (2 Hz) and high (5 Hz) frequency sniffing. ORNs reliably follow low frequency stimulations with high fidelity by generating bursts of action potentials at each stimulation at intermediate odorant concentrations, but fail to do so at high odorant concentrations. Higher stimulus frequencies across all odorant concentrations reduced the likelihood of action potential generation, increased the latency of response, and decreased the reliability of encoding the onset of stimulation. Thus an increase in stimulus frequency degrades and at high odorant concentrations entirely prevents action potential generation in individual ORNs, causing reduced signalling to the olfactory bulb. These results demonstrate that ORNs do not simply relay timing and concentration of an odorous stimulus, but also process and modulate the stimulus in a frequency-dependent manner which is controlled by the chosen sniffing rate.
A Multidisciplinary QA Program for Enteral Nutrition in High‐risk Patients

An increase in elderly patients and severity of illness rates means greater use of nasogastric feeding tubes for both high-risk acutely ill and chronically ill patients. When the QA screening process at Booth Memorial Medical Center revealed a certain percentage of complications with small bore, weight-tipped feeding tubes inserted through the nares, a multidisciplinary peer review committee (MPRC) was formed to review the enteral nutrition program. After a literature review to determine possible complications, the MPRC identified lung perforations due to tube misplacement, tube feeding aspiration into the lungs leading to possible aspiration pneumonia, and an internal tip separation from the tube product failure. Unconscious incubated patients on ventilators were shown as at high risk for feeding tube misplacement in an initial MPRC patient study. A second study evaluated several different feeding tube products in the medical, respiratory and surgical ICU. The MPRC established a credentialing process for physician assistants, interns and residents in feeding tube placement. The MPRC proceedings were presented to the hospital-wide QA committee for review, endorsement and recommendations on all policy and procedure changes. The conclusions were that a more concerted effort must be made to improve medical management and encourage ongoing education in the administration of enteral feedings to high-risk patients.
A two-phase cooling system for superconducting A-C generator rotors

An analytical study of a two-phase cooling system for rotors of superconducting A-C generators is presented. The system employs a two-phase, irreversible flow process to deliver the helium to the superconducting winding such that the liquid is separated from the vapor by the rotation and forms a pool. The free surface of the pool is maintained at subatmospheric pressure and the winding, which is partially immersed in the liquid, is cooled by pool boiling at temperatures below 4.2 K. The essential feature of the process is the ability to externally control the level of liquid in the rotor, and to regulate the mass flow rate through the rotor to meet its steady state and transient requirements, irrespective of the rotationalspeed.
Host speciWcity of diVerent populations of the leaf beetle Diorhabda elongata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a biological control agent of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.)

The leaf beetle, Diorhabda elongata (Brulle) sensu lato, was released in 2001 for the classical biological control of exotic saltcedars, a complex of invasive Tamarix species and hybrids. It did not establish at sites south of 37°N latitude where summer daylengths are below the critical photoperiod of the northern-adapted populations of the beetle that were released. Therefore, we assessed the host speciWcity of four D. elongata populations collected from more southern latitudes in the Old World (Tunisia, Crete, Uzbekistan, and Turpan, China). All populations were similar to each other and the previously released populations of D. elongata in their host speciWcity. Larval/pupal survival for all populations was 34–100% on Tamarix test plants, 0–76% on native Frankenia plants (both in the order Tamaricales), and 0% on the remaining 28 species of plants on which all the larvae died as 1st instars. D. elongata laid high numbers of eggs on saltcedar, generally fewer eggs on athel (a moderately valued evergreen species of Tamarix) except for Uzbekistan beetles, and few to no eggs on three species of Frankenia. Few to no adults were found on Frankenia plants which also were poor maintenance hosts. The release of any of the four D. elongata populations in the southern US and northern Mexico should pose no risk to plants outside the order Tamaricales and a low risk to native, non-target Frankenia plants. Athel may be less damaged than saltcedar. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Current status and emerging trends in RF power FET technologies

The growth in ISM and wireless communications markets, and the transition to 3G and embedded transceivers, are motivating an intense study of RFIC technologies. The power amplifier (PA) plays a critical role in the size, efficiency, and thermal requirements of wireless handsets. This paper reviews state-of-the-art and emerging power semiconductor devices for RF PAs. Comparisons are presented in terms of key specifications such as PAE, power gain, VSWR, package thermal resistance, and integrability.
THE BANANA: Empires, Trade Wars, and Globalization. By James Wiley.

(2010). The Banana: Empires, Trade Wars, and Globalization. By James Wiley. Geographical Review: Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 125-127.
FOUNDING LIBERALISM, PROGRESSIVE LIBERALISM, AND THE RIGHTS OF PROPERTY

This article contends that liberalism in America underwent a fundamental transformation during the Progressive Era. This transformation took place, partly, through the Progressives' reinterpretation of the doctrine of property rights that had served as a foundation for founding-era liberalism. Progressives rejected the eighteenth-century, natural-rights principles which had privileged individual rights to life, liberty, and property as the fundamental aims of any just government, and argued instead that America at the turn of the twentieth century was beset by a tyranny of the minority which was employing property rights to inhibit genuine freedom for the bulk of the population. This article examines the character of founding-era liberalism and points to the connection between the political theory of the Declaration of Independence and John Locke's Second Treatise of Government. It then provides an account of the Progressive critique of this original version of American liberalism. The Progressive critique is shown to take two forms: a rejection of property rights in principle, followed by a rejection of them in practice.
Unbiased Variance Estimates for System Reliability Estimate Using Block Decompositions

An unbiased estimator is proposed to calculate the variance of a system reliability estimate based on the estimated variance of component reliability estimates. The method does not require any parametric assumptions for component reliability or time-to-failure, and it allows Type-I and Type-II censored data. The approach can be applied to many situations as long as the system can be appropriately decomposed into series or parallel configurations. The new model is compared with existing methods using different reliability data and system structures. The empirical results show that the new model is generally superior in terms of computational efficiency, and estimation accuracy.
Moderators of Candidate Name‐Order Effects in Elections: An Experiment

Past studies of elections have shown that candidates whose names were listed at the beginning of a list on a ballot often received more votes by virtue of their position. This article tests speculations about the cognitive mechanisms that might be responsible for producing the effect. In an experiment embedded in a large national Internet survey, participants read about the issue positions of two hypothetical candidates and voted for one of them in a simulated election in which candidate name order was varied. The expected effect of position appeared and was strongest (1) when participants had less information about the candidates on which to base their choices, (2) when participants felt more ambivalent about their choices, (3) among participants with more limited cognitive skills, and (4) among participants who devoted less effort to the candidate evaluation process. The name-order effect was greater among left-handed people when the candidate names were arrayed horizontally, but there was no difference between left- and right-handed people when the names were arrayed vertically. These results reinforce some broad theoretical accounts of the cognitive process that yield name-order effects in elections.
TagSense: a smartphone-based approach to automatic image tagging

Mobile phones are becoming the convergent platform for personal sensing, computing, and communication. This paper attempts to exploit this convergence towards the problem of automatic image tagging. We envision TagSense, a mobile phone based collaborative system that senses the people, activity, and context in a picture, and merges them carefully to create tags on-the-fly. The main challenge pertains to discriminating phone users that are in the picture from those that are not. We deploy a prototype of TagSense on 8 Android phones, and demonstrate its effectiveness through 200 pictures, taken in various social settings. While research in face recognition continues to improve image tagging, TagSense is an attempt to embrace additional dimensions of sensing towards this end goal. Performance comparison with Apple iPhoto and Google Picasa shows that such an out-of-band approach is valuable, especially with increasing device density and greater sophistication in sensing/learning algorithms.
GPX: interactive mining of gene expression data

Discovering co-expressed genes and coherent expression patterns in gene expression data is an important data analysis task in bioinformatics research and biomedical applications. Although various clustering methods have been proposed, two tough challenges still remain on how to integrate the users' domain knowledge and how to handle the high connectivity in the data. Recently, we have systematically studied the problem and proposed an effective approach [3]. In this paper, we describe a demonstration of GPX (for Gene Pattern eXplorer), an integrated environment for interactive exploration of coherent expression patterns and co-expressed genes in gene expression data. GPX integrates several novel techniques, including the coherent pattern index graph, a gene annotation panel, and a graphical interface, to adopt users' domain knowledge and support explorative operations in the clustering procedure. The GPX system as well as its techniques will be showcased, and the progress of GPX will be exemplified using several real-world gene expression data sets.
Effects of Solvents on Fluorescence Emission Spectra

The fluorescence emission spectra of many fluorophores are sensitive to the polarity of their surrounding environment. For example, if the emission spectrum of a probe such as ANS (l-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonic acid) is examined in solvents of varying polarity, one finds that the emission spectrum shifts to shorter wavelengths (blue shifts) as the solvent polarity is decreased. Conversely, increasing solvent polarity generally results in shifts of the emission spectrum to longer wavelengths (red shifts). Typical spectra for solvent sensitive fluorophores are shown in Figures 7.2 and 7.5. Red shifts are often, but not always, accompanied by decrease in the quantum yield of the fluorophore.
XPath, XPointer, and XInclude

In this chapter, we focus on XPath, a domain-specific language that we can use from within R (amongst others) to query sets of nodes in an XML tree by patterns within nodes. XPath is quite simple but very powerful. Similar to a file hierarchy, it allows us to identify nodes of interest by specifying paths through the tree, based on node names, node content, and a node’s relationship to other nodes in the hierarchy. We typically use XPath to locate nodes in a tree and then use R functions to extract data from those nodes and bring the data into R. The combination of R and XPath gives us very powerful and flexible facilities for working with XML, and anyone working with XML on a regular basis should learn the details of XPath. XPath is the primary tool for working with XML content, either from scraping data from Web pages, services, or processing local XML documents.
Administrative Law for a New Century

This article analyzes changes in administrative law through the lens of globalization. In so doing, it addresses a basic question: what role can the state effectively play as a regulator, given the collapses of the distinction between domestic and global, as well as between public and private? This article argues that the impact of globalization processes on United States administrative law is transforming it in new ways. The effect of this transformation shifts the role of administrative law from legitimating new extensions of public power to legitimating new mixes of public and private power, new uses of private power and increased reliance on markets to further public interest goals.
Hyperthyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment

Hyperthyroidism is an excessive concentration of thyroid hormones in tissues caused by increased synthesis of thyroid hormones, excessive release of preformed thyroid hormones, or an endogenous or exogenous extrathyroidal source. The most common causes of an excessive production of thyroid hormones are Graves disease, toxic multinodular goiter, and toxic adenoma. The most common cause of an excessive passive release of thyroid hormones is painless (silent) thyroiditis, although its clinical presentation is the same as with other causes. Hyperthyroidism caused by overproduction of thyroid hormones can be treated with antithyroid medications (methimazole and propylthiouracil), radioactive iodine ablation of the thyroid gland, or surgical thyroidectomy. Radioactive iodine ablation is the most widely used treatment in the United States. The choice of treatment depends on the underlying diagnosis, the presence of contraindications to a particular treatment modality, the severity of hyperthyroidism, and the patient's preference.
Hearing the Other Side: Benefits of Hearing the Other Side

Theorists extol the virtues of political talk, foundations spend millions of dollars to encourage people of opposing views to talk to one another, and civic journalism advocates plan special meetings to foster more political conversations across lines of difference. Yet what do we really know about beneficial outcomes of political talk as it occurs in day to day life? More to the point, do we have convincing evidence that hearing the other side improves individuals or societies in some tangible way? For the most part, arguments for the centrality of political discussion among ordinary Americans have been highly theoretical in nature. This is true in two senses. Not only are these expectations derived from various brands of political theory as outlined in Chapter 1, but with few exceptions they remain entirely hypothetical expectations. The same is true with respect to the benefits of hearing the other side, a subset of the many claims about the benefits of political talk. As deliberation and deliberative democracy have become buzzwords for what democracy needs, scholars have become increasingly interested in documenting and harnessing this supposedly beneficial force. A spate of recent studies has attempted to manipulate deliberation by bringing people together to talk in small groups. These studies have provided many new insights on what happens when people are compelled to talk to one another about controversial issues, but the broad and variable nature of their interactions has made it difficult to determine which aspects of the experience are producing the observed effects.
Primary Care Providers’ Attitudes and Beliefs About Patients’ Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for Asthma Self-Management An Exploratory Study

Background: Asthma is a major cause of health resource utilization, poor quality of life and disability. However, adherence to asthma treatments remains relatively poor, partially because patients often prefer to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) instead of conventional therapies. Moreover, individuals with asthma are reluctant to disclose CAM use with their providers. It was suggested that providers’ negative attitude towards CAM is one barrier to creating an open dialogue. Purpose: The aim of this exploratory study was to identify primary care providers’ attitudes and beliefs about their asthma patients’ CAM use. Methods: Providers who referred patients into a research study about asthma self-management, including CAM, completed three surveys: the revised Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (r-IMAQ) ; the 10-item CAM Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ); and the 30-item Morehouse College Survey of CAM Practices (MCSCAMP). Results: Of the 21 referring providers, 14 physicians and 2 n...