cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A fuzzy emotional agent for decision-making in a mobile robot

We investigate the use of emotional agents in the decision-making process of a mobile robot. We propose a fuzzy logic model that captures the inherent uncertainty of emotions. The model is used to generate decisions based on both internal and external states and incorporates the use of sensory information to extract environmental conditions. In this way, the agent will react to a changing environment and can take an action according to a mixture of emotions generated by multiple states. As a first step towards addressing the complexity, the model deals with three negative emotions-fear, pain and anger-chosen because of their innate structure. In this paper, we discuss our fuzzy logic model and describe the implementation of an emotional agent on a small mobile robot in which sensory information is used to generate emotions.
Increasing Participation in Distance Learning Courses

Web-based discussion forums are key tools in online education environments. Extant studies have shown that active participation helps drive the success of these forums. The integrated participation evaluation tool (iPET) is a Web-based application combining social network analysis and visualization to enable distance learning instructors and students to improve their participation in online discourse and so improve their overall learning experience. An analysis of the results obtained in a study using iPET in a distance learning context shows that iPET increases participation and motivation in distance learning courses without increasing facilitator workload
Feedlot efficiency implications on greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability.

The term sustainable has many mean- ings, but in agriculture it generally refers to some balance between environmental, social, and economic goals. The objective of this project was to quantify in- puts and outputs to assess the sustainability implica- tions of 2 feedlot cattle management systems: Never Ever 3 (NE3) and a conventional (CON) system using metabolic modifiers. Angus-cross steers (n = 104) were stratified by BW (337 kg ± 17) and randomly assigned to 4 pens per treatment group. The NE3 cattle received no feed additives or implants, whereas CON were im- planted with 100 mg of trenbolone acetate and 14 mg of estradiol benzoate on d 1 and 70, and were additionally fed monensin (330 mg/(animal·d)) and tylosin phos- phate (90 mg/(animal·d)) in their ration throughout the course of the study, and ractopamine hydrochloride at 254 mg/(animal·d) for the last 29 d on feed. Cattle were shipped on a constant average pen weight basis (596 kg ± 32 BW). The CON cattle had greater ADG (1.81 vs. 1.35 kg, P 0.05); however, CON carcasses averaged larger ribeye area (87 vs. 80 cm 2 , P < 0.01), greater Warner- Bratzler shear force measurement (WBSF; 3.46 vs. 3.19 kg, P < 0.01), and smaller USDA marbling score (5.4 vs. 6.2, P < 0.01), and less backfat thickness (1.64 vs. 1.84 cm, P < 0.05) and yield grade (3.38 vs. 3.95, P < 0.01) than NE3 carcasses. Overall, CON cattle con- sumed 393 kg less DM in the feedlot (1,250 vs. 1,643 kg; P < 0.05). No treatment effects were observed for daily methane (CH 4; P = 0.62) or nitrous oxide (N2O; P = 0.7) emissions per steer. Assuming a constant emis- sion rate on a DMI basis throughout the course of the feedlot trial, CON feedlot management resulted in a 31% decrease in emissions per finished steer compared with NE3 management. Expressing CH4 emissions on a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2-eq) basis revealed a 1.10-kg CO2-eq difference per kilogram BW gain (5.02 kg of NE3 vs. 3.92 kg of CON) between the 2 feedlot management systems. Although the metabolic modifi- ers resulted in additional costs for the CON treatment group, the cost per kilogram of feedlot BW gain was significantly less ($1.12/kg vs. $1.35/kg; P < 0.05) than NE3. Both production systems satisfied some sustain- ability criteria, although neither concurrently fulfilled all of the environmental, social, and economic goals of agricultural sustainability.
Coverage measurement experience during function test

The authors discuss the issues of test coverage measurement in industry and justify the benefits of the measurement using a framework developed by them. Some results of experiences using test coverage measurement are outlined. The function test of large-scale system software is defined and analyzed. Based on the discussions of function test, a framework for analyzing the function test error removal process is developed. An experience-based error removal model and a cost model are proven to be useful tools for justifying test coverage measurement during function test. Data obtained from a real project are analyzed using the framework for validation. >
Radiation effects on the transmission of various optical glasses and epoxies

A recent study for the Dynamics Explorer satellite project involved the determination of the effects of gamma radiation (at 1.33 and 1.17 MeV) on the transmission of several optical glasses and epoxies to be used in the construction of interference filters. The samples studied included a control sample of pure fused silica, a cerium-stabilized radiation-resistant glass (Schott BK-7G), two pieces of quartz cemented with EPO-TEK 305 optical epoxy, two pieces of quartz cemented with APCO 5313 epoxy, a sample of Schott OG-590 glass, and a sample of Corning Corion glass. The transmission of different optical components was measured as a function of wavelength for several radiation doses.
A cross-modal warm-up solution for the cold-start problem in collaborative filtering recommender systems

We present a cross-modal recommendation engine that leverages multiple domains of data while performing matrix factorization. We show how our approach has the potential to alleviate the cold-start problem for new items, one of the notorious limitations of Collaborative Filtering (CF) techniques.
Effectiveness of Ion Vapor-Deposited Aluminum as a Primer for Epoxy and Urethane Topcoats

Abstract Environment-regulation-compliant replacement coatings for use in various aerospace programs were evaluated. Although coatings that employ chromate primers and conversion coatings work effectively, enacted and pending changes in government regulations make it imperative that alternative coating systems be developed and evaluated. An integral part of the present investigation involved the use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to screen candidate coating systems. Preliminary results indicated that ion vapor-deposited aluminum afforded protection to AA2219-T87 (UNS A92219) and type 4340 (UNS G43400) steel substrates at least as good as the protection afforded by more-conventional coating systems. Results from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements provided reliable predictions on the performance of the various coating systems.
3D Surface Matching and Recognition Using Conformal Geometry

3D surface matching is a fundamental issue in computer vision with many applications such as shape registration, 3D object recognition and classification. However, surface matching with noise, occlusion and clutter is a challenging problem. In this paper, we analyze a family of conformal geometric maps including harmonic maps, conformal maps and least squares conformal maps with regards to 3D surface matching. As a result, we propose a novel and computationally efficient surface matching framework that uses least squares conformal maps. According to conformal geometry theory, each 3D surface with disk topology can be mapped to a 2D domain through a global optimization and the resulting map is a diffeomorphism, i.e., one-to-one and onto. This allows us to simplify the 3D surface-matching problem to a 2D image-matching problem, by comparing the resulting 2D conformal geometric maps, which are stable, insensitive to resolution changes and robust to occlusion and noise. Therefore, highly accurate and efficient 3D surface matching algorithms can be achieved by using conformal geometric maps. Finally, the performance of conformal geometric maps is evaluated and analyzed comprehensively in 3D surface matching with occlusion, noise and resolution variation. We also provide a series of experiments on real 3D face data that achieve high recognition rates.
Prehospital fluid resuscitation of the patient with major trauma

Abstract The most appropriate prehospital approach to resuscitative fluid interventions for trauma patients involves: determining the mechanism of injury (i.e., blunt versus penetrating versus thermal injury); identifying anatomic involvement (i.e., truncal versus isolated head injury versus isolated extremity injury); and staging the condition (i.e., hemodynamic stability versus instability versus moribund state). Based on available data, the liberal use of fluid infusions for presumed uncontrolled internal hemorrhage, such as that usually occurring after penetrating abdominal and thoracic injuries, is no longer advised. Although some infusion might be appropriate in patients with extremely severe hemorrhage (i.e., no palpable blood pressure, unconscious), the priority in such patients is rapid evacuation to definitive surgical intervention, with airway control and intravenous access provided en route. The data are less clear for patients with blunt injuries, particularly those with closed head injury. Most researchers would still recommend that patients with isolated extremity and head injuries, either blunt or penetrating, are candidates for immediate support of blood pressure through fluid infusions. However, the addition of potential intra-abdominal, intrapelvic, or intrathoracic injuries with uncontrolled hemorrhage confounds the decision-making process. Although conventional wisdom has been to provide aggressive blood pressure support under these circumstances through judicious use of isotonic, or perhaps hypertonic, fluid resuscitation, recent experimental data challenge even this philosophy. Use of new blood substitutes might help to resolve some of these issues by providing oxygen delivery with limited volume in the face of uncontrolled hemorrhage. PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE 2002;6:81-91
Watching Unlabeled Video Helps Learn New Human Actions from Very Few Labeled Snapshots

We propose an approach to learn action categories from static images that leverages prior observations of generic human motion to augment its training process. Using unlabeled video containing various human activities, the system first learns how body pose tends to change locally in time. Then, given a small number of labeled static images, it uses that model to extrapolate beyond the given exemplars and generate "synthetic" training examples-poses that could link the observed images and/or immediately precede or follow them in time. In this way, we expand the training set without requiring additional manually labeled examples. We explore both example-based and manifold-based methods to implement our idea. Applying our approach to recognize actions in both images and video, we show it enhances a state-of-the-art technique when very few labeled training examples are available.
Challenge of the Hononuclear Phagocytic System with Colloidal Carbon Alters Lymphocyte Distribution and Responsiveness

The objective of this study was to determine whether or not a particulate challenge to the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) would modulate lymphocyte populations. For this purpose subset distributions were measured in mice subsequent to colloidal carbon challenge of the MPS. The thymus underwent acute cortical atrophy followed by cellular replenishment to levels which exceeded those of the control group. The spleen and lymph nodes underwent acute expansion of all lymphocyte subsets. In lymph nodes this nonspecific expansion was disproportionately greater for B lymphocytes and Ts lymphocytes and subsided by day 30. Splenic lymphocyte expansion was equivalent for all subsets and included an increase in nonspecific esterase positive cells. The systemic MPS clearance rate underwent enhancement. Administration of colloidal carbon during topical application of DNFB depressed the cellular response to this immunogen. The cellular response to DNFB applied 28 days after carbon administration was normal. These ob...
Unconventional secretion by autophagosome exocytosis

In this issue, Duran et al. (2010. J. Cell Biol. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200911154) and Manjithaya et al. (2010. J. Cell Biol. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200911149) use yeast genetics to reveal a role for autophagosome intermediates in the unconventional secretion of an acyl coenzyme A (CoA)–binding protein that lacks an endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence. Medium-chain acyl CoAs are also required and may be important for substrate routing to this pathway.
Tattoos: Beautification or Something Else?

The patient is a 13-year-old who presented with severe dysmenorrhea. She started menarche at age 11 and had regular periods. Over the last year the pain with her periods had increased and she underwent an ultrasound that revealed a mass and duplication of her uterus. After further workup she underwent a laparoscopy and was found to have a uterus didelphys with a one-sided high vaginal septum that was obstructed. She underwent a resection that failed after 1 month. She was re-operated 2 months later the area was re-opened but the lesion closed again and she was referred to a tertiary care gynecology service. Her past medical history revealed a prenatal diagnosis of 1 kidney. Otherwise she is healthy and has not had any other surgery. She is in 8th grade doing well although she missed a lot of school with all these procedures. She still gets mostly Bs. She lives with mom and dad and two sisters. Her physical exam revealed a height of 5’5" weight of 120. Her general physical was normal. Her external genitalia were normal. A one-finger vaginal exam palpated a small cervix and a mass on the patients left side high in the vagina. (excerpt)
Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Red Blood Cells from Göttingen Minipig® following Whole-Body Vapor Exposure to VX

I A method to detect fluoride ion generated O-ethyl methylphosphonofluoridate (VX-G) in Gi~ttingen minipig red blood cells (RBC) following whole-body exposure to VX vapor utilizing a gas chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS-MS) has been developed. Dose-response curves for VX exposure were generated after applying the fluoride ion reactivation assay to the RBC fraction of serially collected whole blood samples that were taken after whole-body exposures that varied in both duration and concentration. GC-MS-MS analysis of minipig RBC samples following 180-rain exposures at two different concentrations was a more precise indicator for severity of exposure than the analysis of acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) inhibition for the samples. AChE enzyme activity recovered faster than indicated by the apparent elimination rate of VX-G. GC-MS-MS analyses of RBC samples following VX exposure demonstrate this technique has both adequate sensitivity and specificity to indicate the severity of exposure.
Second Language Acquisition for All: Understanding the Interactional Dynamics of Classrooms in Which Spanish and AAE Are Spoken.

Understandings of the ways home and school languages shape classroom dynamics and influence development, identity, and subsequent school success are important for teachers of both bilingual and African American students. This article builds a link between these complementary bodies of research by analyzing interactions in a second grade mainstream classroom in which the language development of bilingual and African American children were simultaneously relevant. We focus on two qualitatively different kinds of classroom language use: when instruction was solely in English, and when Spanish became a tool for instruction. Our findings suggest that the latter language practice subsequently marginalized the participation of English monolingual students; this especially affected the African American students in the classroom, who were interactionally delegitimized as participants in bilingual interaction despite their desire to participate in both languages. This study suggests the need to ensure that multilingualism is brought into the classroom as a resource for all students. Recognizing this need, however, necessitates interdisciplinary research that crosses the fields of second language acquisition, bilingual education, and sociolinguistics. Such disciplinary boundary crossing can usefully inform teachers and researchers looking for new understandings of language learning in contemporary classrooms.
Consumer Concepts of Ideal Characteristics and Minimum Qualifications for Rehabilitation Counselors

Forty former rehabilitation counseling clients returned a mail questionnaire that requested them to write descriptions of "ideal" and minimally qualified rehabilitation counselors. Coders applied content analysis to classify the emergent defining criteria of these counselor prototypes. Relational values and qualities (Consumer-First Advocacy, Nurturing Traits) represented the most frequent categories for the ideal counselor descriptors; demographic characteristics (Disability Experience, Education, Maturity) were mentioned least. Predominent categories for the minimum qualifications were Credentials and Education and subcategories under Work Ethic and Approach, including Commitment to Client, Professional Behavior, and Competence. Broader use of discovery-oriented, qualitative methodologies in rehabilitation research is encouraged to capture consumers' phenomenological perspectives.
Shh-dependent formation of the ZLI is opposed by signals from the dorsal diencephalon

The zona limitans intrathalamica (ZLI) is located at the border between the prospective ventral thalamus and dorsal thalamus, and functions as a diencephalic signaling center. Little is known about the mechanism controlling ZLI formation. Using a combination of fate-mapping studies and in vitro assays, I show that the differentiation of the ZLI from progenitor cells in the alar plate is initiated by a Shh-dependent signal from the basal plate. The subsequent dorsal progression of ZLI differentiation requires ongoing Shh signaling, and is constrained by inhibitory factors derived from the dorsal diencephalon. These studies demonstrate that self-organizing signals from the basal plate regulate the formation of a potential patterning center in the ZLI in an orthogonal orientation in the alar plate, and thus create the potential for coordinated thalamic patterning in two dimensions.
Degradation of L-glutamate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli: allosteric regulation of enzyme stability.

L-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is stable in exponentially growing Escherichia coli cells but is degraded at a rate of 20-30% per hour in cells starved for either nitrogen or carbon. GDH degradation is energy-dependent, and mutations in ATP-dependent proteases, ClpAP or Lon lead to partial stabilization. Degradation is inhibited by chloramphenicol and is completely blocked in relA mutant cells, suggesting that ribosome-mediated signaling may facilitate GDH degradation. Purified GDH has a single tight site for NADPH binding. Binding of NADPH in the absence of other ligands leads to destabilization of the enzyme. NADPH-induced instability and sensitivity to proteolysis is reversed by tri- and dicarboxylic acids or nucleoside di- and triphosphates. GTP and ppGpp bind to GDH at an allosteric site and reverse the destabilizing effects of NADPH. Native GDH is resistant to degradation by several purified ATP-dependent proteases: ClpAP, ClpXP, Lon, and ClpYQ, but denatured GDH is degraded by ClpAP. Our results suggest that, in vivo, GDH is sensitized to proteases by loss of a stabilizing ligand or interaction with an destabilizing metabolite that accumulates in starving cells, and that any of several ATP-dependent proteases degrade the sensitized protein.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CLASSIC MAYA SOCIAL ORGANIZATION FROM CARACOL, BELIZE

Inferring ancient social and political organization from the archaeological record is a difficult task. Generally, the models used to interpret the Classic-period Maya (a.d. 250‐900) have been borrowed from other societies and other times and thus also reflect etic conceptions of the past. Maya social and political organization has been interpreted as varying in complexity. Those who would model a less complex Classic Maya social structure have tended to employ lineage models and segmentation. Models of a more complex Classic Maya civilization focus on different social levels and on a breakdown of some kinship systems. Other models, such as that of the “noble house,” represent attempts to find a middle ground. Yet archaeological and epigraphic data that have been gathered for the Classic Maya place parameters on any interpretation that is generated. Data collected from Caracol, Belize, over the past 19 years can be used to illustrate the problems that arise in the strict application of “ideal” social models to the Classic Maya situation. These same data also provide parameters for the reconstruction of ancient sociopolitical organization. Inferring ancient social and political systems from the archaeological record is generally a difficult task. This is clearly the case with the ancient Maya. In spite of substantial investigation and hypothesizing, no agreement exists on the nature of Classic period (a.d. 250‐900) Maya social or political organization. Perhaps this is as it should be. Scholars have viewed ancient Maya kinship and descent alternatively as patrilineal, matrilineal, and cognatic (Chase et al. 2002). They have described Maya political organization as both segmentary and centralized (Fox et al. 1996). Generally, the models used to help interpret the archaeological data are borrowed from other societies and other times. Yet archaeological data and epigraphic data gathered for the Classic Maya place constraints and boundaries on any representation. Perhaps some of the differences among interpretations are due to differences in the archaeological database. Differences in the size of sites investigated and in the research designs of projects all potentially affect interpretations of social and political complexity. But it is also likely that variation existed among ancient Maya sites and polities and, thus, that no uniform social or political reconstruction should be expected.
Disappearance of a dominant bosque species: screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens)

Historic surveys record screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) as widespread and dominant within upland riparian communities of the U.S. Southwest. I compared herbarium records and published surveys with surveys I conducted throughout the former range of P. pubescens. I found that this species has disappeared from 53% of its former range and has declined in density at eight of nine sites compared. Of 112 sites surveyed, only Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge has dense groves of P. pubescens over a large area. Prosopis pubescens remains in protected areas but not in urbanized areas. Declines of southwestern riparian species such as cottonwood and willow are well documented, but this is the first example of a declining species that is typically considered drought tolerant and is often found farther away from the stream course. Human alteration of rivers is therefore likely to be influencing plant communities as far away as a kilometer from the river itself.
On Impact-Contact Algorithms for Parallel Distributed-Memory Computers

Structural vulnerability applications are highly compute intensive. In studies of crashworthiness, impact and penetration, it is not unusual for an analysis to require 100 h of CPU time on current generation production supercomputers, despite the relative simplicity of the models being studied. The difficulty in obtaining blocks of time this large in a production environment severely impairs the number of design options that can be investigated. The lack of software capable of simultaneously, accurately capturing the physics of a crash event and exploiting the power of high-performance computer architectures necessitates costly experimental testing for design verification and certification. For example, in the design of automobiles for crashworthiness, hundreds of sled tests and dozens of full-vehicle crash tests are conducted for each new vehicle program. A sled test may cost $5000 and full-scale prototypes may cost as much as $750,000 each. The cost can be much greater (of the order of $10M) if a redesign results in retooling for a structural component late in the program. Attention has focused on high-performance computer architectures as an effective avenue to bridge the gap between computational needs and the power of computational hardware. New high-performance computer architectures promise order-of-magnitude increases in computational performance, thereby allowing the numerical laboratory to replace physical experiments to a much greater degree.
Modeling, Calibration, and Verification of a Fission Chamber for ACRR Experimenters

When performing research at a reactor facility, experimenters often need to determine the neutron fluence achieved during an operation. Facilities typically provide guidance in the form of neutron fluence per megajoule (MJ) or through passive dosimetry results. After experiment completion, there is sometimes a delay of several days (or weeks) before the passive dosimetry results are available. In the interim, an experimenter does not have confirmation that the desired irradiation levels were reached. Active dosimetry may provide an estimate of neutron fluxes, but few active detectors are available that have been calibrated to measure neutron fluxes obtained inside the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) central cavity environment. For past experiments at the ACRR, the neutron fluence was calculated by integrating the response of a fission chamber rate detection signal and then normalizing this integral to fluence determined from passive dosimetry. An alternative method of directly measuring neutron flux is desired; the new methodology described provides a complete neutron flux profile after a reactor pulse, utilizing fission chamber physics in combination with a compensating ion chamber to extract and convert a current signal to neutron flux as a function of time.
Evaluating UV Stabilizers for the Conservation of Museum Textiles

The effectiveness of selected antioxidants and UV absorbers in reducing color change and fiber degradation in treated fabrics was studied to lead to the determination of whether beneficial synergistic interactions exist between antioxidants and UV absorbers. The usefulness of the products as additives to drycleaning solutions for museum textiles and as additives to soil repellent finishes was also considered. The protective effects of the UV stabilizer treatments were modest. Some products increased yellowing in undyed specimens during exposure to light. Generally, the UV absorber/antioxidant combinations exhibited no beneficial synergism.
Effects of aging on the response of single neurons to amplitude modulated noise in primary auditory cortex of Rhesus macaque

Temporal envelope processing is critical for speech comprehension, which is known to be affected by normal aging. Whereas the macaque is an excellent animal model for human cerebral cortical function, few studies have investigated neural processing in the auditory cortex of aged, nonhuman primates. Therefore, we investigated age-related changes in the spiking activity of neurons in primary auditory cortex (A1) of two aged macaque monkeys using amplitude-modulated (AM) noise and compared these responses with data from a similar study in young monkeys (Yin P, Johnson JS, O'Connor KN, Sutter ML. J Neurophysiol 105: 582-600, 2011). For each neuron, we calculated firing rate (rate code) and phase-locking using phase-projected vector strength (temporal code). We made several key findings where neurons in old monkeys differed from those in young monkeys. Old monkeys had higher spontaneous and driven firing rates, fewer neurons that synchronized with the AM stimulus, and fewer neurons that had differential responses to AM stimuli with both a rate and temporal code. Finally, whereas rate and temporal tuning functions were positively correlated in young monkeys, this relationship was lost in older monkeys at both the population and single neuron levels. These results are consistent with considerable evidence from rodents and primates of an age-related decrease in inhibition throughout the auditory pathway. Furthermore, this dual coding in A1 is thought to underlie the capacity to encode multiple features of an acoustic stimulus. The apparent loss of ability to encode AM with both rate and temporal codes may have consequences for stream segregation and effective speech comprehension in complex listening environments.
Theories, concepts, and frameworks: An historical overview

The field of language policy is not lacking in theoretical robustness - conceptual frameworks abound - but the geneses of, and connections between, all of the various theories and frameworks are not always clear. Ricento (2006b: 17) argues that this theoretical fragmentation means that there is not, as yet, “some grand theory which explains patterns of language behavior…or can predict the effects of specific language policies on language behavior,” and Tollefson (2013b: 25–26) argues that the wide range of conceptual frameworks “does not constitute a theory of language policy.” This chapter is intended to provide a conceptual aerial map, covering the important theoretical developments that have defined the evolution of the field. I incorporate Ricento's (2000a) review of the historical developments in the field and our reprise (Johnson and Ricento 2013) of that original article, which considers newer developments since 2000. While there is perhaps no grand theory of language planning and policy, there are traditions of research within the field which proffer important concepts, frameworks, methods, and theoretical developments, and this chapter attempts to cover some of the major contributions.
A Semi-Analytical Interpretation of Transient Electron Transport in Gallium Nitride, Indium Nitride, and Aluminum Nitride

The energy dependent momentum and energy relaxation times, and the effective single valley energy dependent effective mass, are extracted from Monte Carlo simulations of gallium nitride, indium nitride, and aluminum nitride. A simple semi-analytical energy model, which uses these dependencies, is in good agreement with the results of transient Monte Carlo simulations. Both the Monte Carlo and the semi-analytical simulations show that the overshoot effects are most pronounced when the electric field abruptly changes from a value below a critical field to one above. This is attributed to the relatively large difference between the effective energy and momentum relaxation times for such a variation of electric field. Our calculations indicate that gallium nitride and indium nitride should have the most pronounced transient effects. A calculation of the transit times as a function of the gate length shows that an upper bound for the maximum expected cut-off frequencies are 260 GHz and 440 GHz for 0.2 μm gallium nitride and indium nitride field effect transistors, respectively.
Work-Up Optimization en Route to an Improved Process To Prepare a Progesterone Receptor Antagonist

When the process to prepare nonsteroidal progesterone receptor antagonist 5 was scaled up, significant problems were encountered, and as a result lower than expected yields were obtained. In particular, the alkylation of pyrazole 2 with chloromethyl methyl sulfide failed to reach completion, and partial degradation of the product occurred during the work-up, resulting in a modest yield of alkylated pyrazole 3a. Further investigation has revealed the root cause of this problem, and an improved, robust process to 5 has been developed.
Structural Characterization of Composition-Modulated ZnSel-xTex Epitaxial Films

We examine the microstructure of short-period (14–31 A) composition modulations in epitaxial ZnSe1−xTex (x≈0.5) films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on vicinal (001) GaAs. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of cross-sections reveal highly-periodic contrast along the growth direction throughout the full thicknesses of the films (over 2 µm) that corresponds to a nearly sinusoidal variation between Se- and Te-rich compositions. Growth of ZnSe1−xTex at 285°C on substrates tilted 4° toward [111] maximizes the strength and regularity of the modulation. Using dynamical electron-diffraction simulations, we estimate a modulation amplitude of r=0.184(7) in a sample showing strong modulation. We assume a small amplitude of strain modulation to fit the experimental data.
Effects of Tensile Stresses on the Moisture Diffusion Characteristics of Epoxy Glass Composites

A model is proposed which relates externally applied tensile stresses to changes in absorption capacity, as well as, diffusion rate. The model postulates that changes seen in the diffusion process are the result of stress-dependent changes in the free volume of the epoxy resin. The free volume changes of the resin are calculated through laminate plate theory, which itself becomes a function of fiber angle and the elastic properties of the constituents. Consequently, according to the proposed model, changes in diffusion parameters are dependent upon the magnitude of applied stress, the loading angle, as well as elastic properties of the constituents. Additionally, a finite element model is presented. The proposed finite element model establishes an analogy between thermal and mass diffusion for use in solving the moisture diffusion problems, both in free and stressed states. Input parameters for the FE model are found through use of the previously established mathematical diffusion model. In order to experimentally verify the proposed models, a series of unidirectional epoxy glass laminate samples were manufactured at varying fiber angles and immersed in a moist environment while subjected to different levels of constant tensile loading. Weight gain measurements were recorded throughout the diffusion process until full saturation was achieved. The experimental values exhibited excellent agreement with both the suggested theoretical model and the finite element model.
Evaluation of No-Clean Fluxes for High Reliability Applications

A series of rosin mildly activated, halide free, low residue fluxes have been evaluated for use with hot bar reflow of Tape Carrier Packages (TCP) to printed circuit boards (PCB). Materials were studied with respect to their wettability, SIR performance, water reflux extractable ionics and residue levels. Ionic levels were measured by FTIR and Ion chromatography. A flux was selected which has demonstrated acceptable performance in 156C/85%RH 10V biased stress testing.
Factors influencing selected lengths of ICU stay for coronary artery bypass patients.

This study examines factors influencing the length of intensive care unit stay for patients after coronary artery bypass surgery. Profiles of patients with selected lengths of ICU stay were identified for Group 1 ( or =2 days). Medical records of 175 patients who had undergone this procedure at an urban teaching hospital were reviewed. Patients who had a 1-day ICU length of stay were younger (mean=62.39, SD=10.88) and had comorbidities such as hypertension. Those patients with an ICU length of stay 2 days or longer were older (mean=68.18, SD=11.84) and had preoperative comorbidities such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ejection fraction <50%, and need for an intra-aortic balloon pump. Atrial dysrhythmias, low cardiac output syndrome, renal insufficiency, and respiratory insufficiency were the postoperative complications associated with a prolonged ICU length of stay. Knowledge of the factors influencing selected lengths of ICU stay will enable nurses to choose patients for critical pathways and to anticipate postoperative problems in high-risk patients.
Fiscal impact of a total nutrient admixture program at a pediatric hospital

The financial impact of a total nutrient admixture (TNA) program at a 201-bed pediatric hospital was evaluated, and operational and clinical benefits of the program were identified. Data were collected over 60 days to determine the average number of patients receiving TNAs per day. Daily acquisition costs for equipment and solutions for the TNA system were subtracted from the costs that would have resulted from the delivery of TPN and fat emulsion by separate infusions. The average number of TNAs dispensed daily was multiplied by the time involved in preparing and administering the two delivery systems to determine the impact on daily personnel costs. Based on an average of 20 patients receiving TNA therapy daily, the daily costs for equipment and solutions for preparation of TNAs, as well as the daily equipment costs for TNA administration, were less than those for the administration of separate solutions. Nursing time for the administration of TNAs versus separate solutions was reduced, while pharmacy time associated with the preparation and delivery of solutions increased slightly with the TNA program. This increase was attributed to more time spent by pharmacists on compatibility screening with the TNA program. The estimated total daily cost savings with the TNA program was calculated as $515 for 20 patients. Clinical advantages of the TNA system included improving tolerance and use of fat by administration of emulsion over 24 hours; providing the patient's daily parenteral nutrient needs in a more concentrated source; and reducing the risk of touch contamination and sepsis, based on decreased manipulation of i.v. administration equipment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Analysis on the development of foreign countries' “Family Farms”

"Family Farm" was first put forward in the No.1 Document of the Centre this year, which releasing the policy information of that family farm will be encouraged to be developed on the base of household operation of China. Family farm has a long history in the foreign countries. Taking the USA, Canada, Holland, Japan, etc. as the representatives, this paper analyzed the operation experience and lessons of foreign family farms. By other's faults, wise men correct their own. Through studying how the foreign countries operate their family farms, the enlightenment of operating family farms in China could be draw, which is in term of the identification criterion of family farm, farming land transfer, agricultural subsidies and the operation of technology and mechanization.
Age-related changes in the ability of hypothermia and cardioplegia to protect ischemic rabbit myocardium

Hypothermia combined with pharmacologic cardioplegia protects the globally ischemic adult heart, but this benefit may not extend to children; poor postischemic recovery of function and increased mortality may result when this method of myocardial protection is used in children. The relative susceptibilities to ischemia-induced injury modified by hypothermia alone and by hypothermia plus cardioplegia were assessed in isolated perfused immature (7- to 10-day-old) and mature (6- to 24-month-old) rabbit hearts. Hearts were perfused aerobically with Krebs-Henseleit buffer in the working mode for 30 minutes, and aortic flow was recorded. This was followed by 3 minutes of hypothermic (14 degrees C) coronary perfusion with either Krebs or St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2, followed by hypothermic (14 degrees C) global ischemia (mature hearts 2 and 4 hours; immature hearts 2, 4, and 6 hours). Hearts were reperfused for 15 minutes in the Langendorff mode and 30 minutes in the working mode, and recovery of postischemic function was measured. Hypothermia alone provided excellent protection of the ischemic immature rabbit heart, with recovery of aortic flow after 2 and 4 hours of ischemia at 97% +/- 3% and 93% +/- 4% (mean +/- standard deviation) of the preischemic value. Mature hearts protected with hypothermia alone recovered only minimally, with 22% +/- 16% recovery of preischemic aortic flow after 2 hours; none were able to generate flow at 4 hours. St. Thomas' Hospital solution No. 2 improved postischemic recovery of aortic flow after 2 hours of ischemia in mature hearts from 22% +/- 16% to 65% +/- 6% (p less than 0.05), but actually decreased postischemic aortic flow in immature hearts from 97% +/- 3% to 86% +/- 10% (p less than 0.05). To investigate any dose-dependency of this effect, we subjected hearts from both age groups to reperfusion with either Krebs solution or St. Thomas' Hospital solution No. 2 for 3 minutes every 30 minutes throughout a 2-hour period of ischemia. Reexposure to Krebs solution during ischemia did not affect postischemic function in either age group. Reexposure of immature hearts to St. Thomas' Hospital solution No. 2 caused a decremental loss of postischemic function in contrast to incremental protection with multidose cardioplegia in the mature heart. We conclude that immature rabbit hearts are significantly more tolerant of ischemic injury than mature rabbit hearts and that, unexpectedly, St. Thomas' Hospital solution No. 2 damages immature rabbit hearts.
Convergent Synthesis of Novel Muramyl Dipeptide Analogues: Inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis-Induced Pro-inflammatory Effects by High Doses of Muramyl Dipeptide.

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.)-induced TNF-α can be affected by muramyl dipeptide (MDP) in a biphasic concentration-dependent manner. We found that in P.g.-exposed macrophages, treatment with 10 μg/mL of MDP (MDP-low) up-regulated TNF-α by 29%, while 100 μg/mL or higher (MDP-high) significantly decreased it (16% to 38%). MDP-high was found to affect the ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 and activator protein 1 (AP1). An AP1 binding site was found in the promoter region of A20. A20 promoter activity was up-regulated after transfection of AP1 cDNA in cells. Four analogues of MDP (3–6) were prepared through a convergent strategy involving the synthesis of two unique carbohydrate fragments, 7a and 7b, using the peptide coupling reagents, EDCI and HOAt. Analogue 4 improved MDP function and P.g.-induced activities. We propose a new signaling pathway for TNF-α induction activated after exposing macrophages to both P.g. and MDP-high or analogue 4.
Agitation, Delirium, and Cognitive Outcomes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background Delirium predicts higher long-term cognitive morbidity. We previously identified a cohort of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and delirium and found worse outcomes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the domain of cognitive function. Objective We tested the hypothesis that agitation would have additional prognostic significance on later cognitive function HRQoL. Methods Prospective identification of 174 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage, measuring stroke severity, agitation, and delirium, with a standardized protocol and measures. HRQoL was assessed using the Neuro-QOL at 28 days, 3 months, and 1 year. Functional outcomes were measured with the modified Rankin Scale. Results Among the 81 patients with HRQoL follow-up data available, patients who had agitation and delirium had worse cognitive function HRQoL scores at 28 days ( T scores for delirium with agitation 20.9 ± 7.3, delirium without agitation 30.4 ± 16.5, agitation without delirium 36.6 ± 17.5, and neither agitated nor delirious 40.3 ± 15.9; p = 0.03) and at 1 year ( p = 0.006). The effect persisted in mixed models after correction for severity of neurologic injury, age, and time of assessment ( p = 0.0006) and was not associated with medication use, seizures, or infection. Conclusions The presence of agitation with delirium in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage may predict higher risk of unfavorable cognitive outcomes up to 1 year later.
The Punisher's Brain: Detecting and Blaming

Draw the curtain, the fraud is over. Francois Rabelais Detecting Cheaters At the end of the movie Casablanca , Rick (Humphrey Bogart) shoots a German major who is trying to prevent Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and her husband from fleeing. The local police arrive, led by Rick's friend Louie (Claude Rains). Louie knows Rick was the shooter, but rather than arrest him Louie famously tells his officers to “round up the usual suspects.” It seems obvious that we cannot effectively punish cheating without knowing who to punish. If deterrence had mattered less to the social stability of our emergent groups, we probably could have gotten away with a symbolic kind of halfhearted punishment, with “rounding up the usual suspects.” On the other hand, if deterrence had mattered more we might have gotten away with punishing everybody or a subset of everybody, without caringmuch about individual guilt. Roman legions suffered a practice called decimation, under which every tenth soldier in a disobedient or cowardly legion was killed regardless of the extent of his individual participation in the disobedience or cowardice.
Protecting human rights in the era of uncertainty: How not to lose the war against ISIS

ABSTRACTAs the brutal and violent attacks on civilian populations multiply throughout the world perpetrated by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL, or the Islamic State, also known as Daesh), the need for an effective response to terrorism has grown in intensity. The ISIS attacks in Paris have in particular introduced a wave of nationalist, securitized alarm, reinforcing a general concern about the influx of immigrants and asylum seekers while underscoring the shift from a regional to international nature of both threat and risk. These issues of security and terrorism have also illustrated the willingness of great powers to support military actions against ISIS in order to stem the atrocities perpetrated by this group, while placing the overthrow of the Assad regime on the backburner for the time being at least. We argue that the defeat of ISIS need not be accomplished by stigmatizing refugees and subjecting them to religious litmus tests. Closing Europe's porous borders and politicizing the...
Objectification Theory, Self-Objectification, and Body Image

Objectification theory explains the extreme and pervasive tendency to equate women with their bodies in contemporary Westernized societies and why this can have such negative consequences for women’s body image and beyond. In particular, self-objectification and the concomitant body monitoring set the psychological stage for disrupted self–body relations. Self-objectification has been linked to a host of negative subjective experiences and mental health risks among girls and women. Despite the large body of evidence to support objectification theory, the research samples lack diversity, thereby limiting the current applicability of the theory to specific social identifications and demographic groups.