cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-walled tubes and encapsulated nanoparticles: comparison of structural properties of carbon nanoclusters prepared by three different methods

Abstract A comparative investigation of the preparation and structural properties of carbon nanoclusters was carried out by having the transition metals Fe, Co and Ni react with carbon using three different methods, with the focus on single-walled nanotubes and encapsulated nanoparticles. Carbon nanoclusters were synthesized first by the high temperature (∼3000°C) and high carbon-content process of the conventional arc-discharge, secondly by the high temperature but low carbon-content process of the modified arc discharge, and finally by the relatively low temperature (∼500°C) process of catalytic decomposition of carbon monoxide (CO). The samples were characterized with respect to morphology, internal structure, and related properties. The carbon nanoclusters prepared by the three different methods appear quite different on the surface, but have features in common that this report emphasizes. The same element can apparently serve different functions: (1) serving as catalyst under one set of conditions; and (2) being encapsulated into the growing cages in a different environment. The elements of the iron group (Fe, Co and Ni) were known as catalysts for growing the single-walled nanotubes and strings of spherical particles in conventional arc-discharge, but could be encapsulated into the graphitic particles in the modified arc discharge and the CO disproportion that this study demonstrates. It was found that variation of the metal to carbon ratio is required to make these elements assume the double roles of either catalyst or encapsulant.
Pamidronate-associated nephrotoxicity in a patient with Langerhans's histiocytosis.

Abstract Pamidronate is used frequently to treat malignancy-associated hypercalcemia and osteolytic lesions. This widely used bisphosphonate has been noted to cause nephrotoxicity in patients with multiple myeloma and metastatic breast cancer. We encountered a patient with Langerhans's histiocytosis who developed nephrotic syndrome and renal failure after pamidronate therapy. We describe the clinical and renal biopsy findings in this patient. © 2002 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
Engine Design Strategy for Boundary Layer Ingesting Propulsion Systems With Multiple Non-Symmetric Engine Inlet Conditions

Boundary layer ingesting inlets for hybrid wing body aircraft have been investigated at some depth in recent years due to the theoretical potential for fuel burn savings. Such savings derive from the ingestion of a portion of the low momentum wake into the propulsor to reenergize the flow, thus yielding total power savings and reducing required block fuel burn.A potential concern for BLI is that traditional concepts such as “thrust” and “drag” become less clearly defined due to the interaction between the vehicle aerodynamics and the propulsive thrust achieved. One such interaction for the HWB concept is the lateral location of the inlet on the upper surface which determines the effective Reynolds number at the point of ingestion. This is an important factor in determining the amount of power savings achieved by the system, since the boundary layer, displacement, and momentum thicknesses are functions of the local chord length and airfoil shape which are all functions of the lateral location of the engine. This poses a design challenge for engine layouts with more than two engines as at least one or more of the total engines will be operating at a different set of changing inlet conditions throughout the flight envelope.As a result, the engine operating point and propulsive performance will be different between outboard and inboard engines at flight conditions with appreciable boundary layer influence including key flight conditions for engine design: takeoff, top of climb, and cruise. The optimal engine design strategy in terms of performance to address this issue is to design separate engines with similar thrust performance. This strategy has significant challenges such as requiring the manufacturing and certification of two different engines for one vehicle. A more practical strategy is to design a single engine that performs adequately at the different inlet conditions but may not achieve the full benefits of BLI.This paper presents a technique for cycle analysis which can account for the disparity between inlet conditions. This technique was used for two principal purposes: first to determine the effect of the inlet disparity on the performance of the system; second, to analyze the various design strategies that might mitigate the impact of this effect. It is shown that a single engine can be sized when considering both inboard and outboard engines simultaneously. Additionally, it is shown that there is a benefit to ingesting larger mass flows in the inboard engine for the case with large disparity between the engine inlets.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Physiological studies on light sensitive stem growth

Supplementary radiation given at the beginning of the daily dark period exerts a marked influence on rate of stem elongation of green house-grown plants (Downs, et al., 1957). The influence of this radia tion is dependent on the ratio of red to far-red wave lengths in the radia tion. It is well known that the red/far-red ratio acts directly on the phytochrome pigment system. It may be supposed that the phyto chrome system exerts its effect through one or more stem growth factors. In the present paper it will be shown that some stem growth factor (presumably a hormone) produced in the young leaves and apex is responsible for the red/far-red sensitivity and necessary for normal internode elongation in Phaseolus seedlings.
Autosomal-dominant Inheritance of Congenital Superior Oblique Palsy

Purpose: A pedigree comprised of five affected members is presented to demonstrate the genetic transmission of congenital superior oblique palsy. Methods: A 2-year-old boy referred for strabismus was found to have bilateral congenital superior oblique palsy. The authors subsequently performed a complete ophthalmologic examination on all available family members to determine the inheritance pattern. The diagnosis of congenital superior oblique palsy was based on results of prism cover testing, ductions, and the Bielschowsky head tilt test, in addition to a history of early onset of symptoms and absence of preceding head trauma. Results: The father, paternal grandfather, and a brother of the 2-year-old boy were found to have bilateral congenital superior oblique palsy. Evaluation of the paternal aunt showed right congenital superior oblique palsy. Bilateral absence of the superior oblique tendon was noted at the time of surgery in the 2-year-old boy. Conclusion: The occurrence of genetic transmission by an autosomal-dominant mode should be considered in patients with congenital superior oblique palsy.
Spawning of American eel,Anguilla rostrata, relative to thermal fronts in the Sargasso Sea

Collections of recently hatched American eel leptocehali including specimens less than 5.5 mm total length suggest the following hypotheses: 1) that thermal fronts separating the northern and southern surface water masses of the Sargasso Sea form the northern limit of American eel spawning, and 2) that some feature of the surface water mass in the southern Sargasso Sea serves as a cue for adult American eels to cease migrating and begin spawning activity.
On the derivation of Smoluchowski equations with corrections in the classical theory of Brownian motion

Differential equations governing the time evolution of distribution functions for Brownian motion in the full phase space were first derived independently by Klein and Kramers. From these so-called Fokker-Planck equations one may derive the reduced differential equations in coordinate space known as Smoluchowski equations. Many such derivations have previously been reported, but these either involved unnecessary assumptions or approximations, or were performed incompletely. We employ an iterative reduction scheme, free of assumptions, and calculate formally exact corrections to the Smoluchowski equations for many-particle systems with and without hydrodynamic interaction, and for a single particle in an external field. In the absence of hydrodynamic interaction, the lowest order corrections have been expressed explicitly in terms of the coordinate space distribution function. An additional application of the method is made to the reduction of the stress tensor used in evaluating the intrinsic viscosity of particles in solution. Most of the present work is based on classical Brownian motion theory, but brief consideration is given in an appendix to some recent developments regarding non-Markovian equations for Brownian motion.
Proportional Representation and Female Parliamentarians

This article asks, �What effect does the choice of a nation's electoral system have on the gender composition of its parliament over time?� I find that the electoral system has an important part to play, but previous work has overstated, by factors of between two and three, how much of a difference an electoral system can make. This article contributes an updated nonlinear theory of female representation, an improved dataset on women's representation across space and time, and more modern statistical techniques than previously used in research on this question.
Comparison of oil shales and kerogen concentrates by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance

Abstract Six oil shales and their kerogen concentrates have been studied using 13 C CP/MAS NMR techniques to study the distribution of organic carbon species. It is found that if the aromatic and aliphatic regions are divided at about 80 or 100 ppm, the apparent aromaticities of a raw shale and its kerogen concentrate are in good agreement. The presence of oxygen-substituted carbons in the raw shales and their depletion in the kerogen concentrates are observed and discussed.
Autophosphorylation-dependent targeting of calcium/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II by the NR2B subunit of the N-methyl- D-aspartate receptor.

Activation and Thr286 autophosphorylation of calcium/calmodulindependent kinase II (CaMKII) following Ca2+ influx via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors is essential for hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP), a widely investigated cellular model of learning and memory. Here, we show that NR2B, but not NR2A or NR1, subunits of NMDA receptors are responsible for autophosphorylation-dependent targeting of CaMKII. CaMKII and NMDA receptors colocalize in neuronal dendritic spines, and a CaMKII.NMDA receptor complex can be isolated from brain extracts. Autophosphorylation induces direct high-affinity binding of CaMKII to a 50 amino acid domain in the NR2B cytoplasmic tail; little or no binding is observed to NR2A and NR1 cytoplasmic tails. Specific colocalization of CaMKII with NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in transfected cells depends on receptor activation, Ca2+ influx, and Thr286 autophosphorylation. Translocation of CaMKII because of interaction with the NMDA receptor Ca2+ channel may potentiate kinase activity and provide exquisite spatial and temporal control of postsynaptic substrate phosphorylation.
Utilitarianism, Deontology, and the Priority of Right

L'A. etablit une distinction capitale du point de vue de la philosophie morale et politique entre les notions de deontologie et de teleologie. Pour les kantiens tels que Rawls, il est necessaire d'abandonner la moralite rationnelle de la teleologie, fondee sur un bien unique et rationnel, au profit d'une pluralite de biens dont dependent la liberte politique, l'egalite et l'autonomie individuelle
The Costs of Accepting Gender Differences: The Role of Stereotype Endorsement in Women's Experience in the Math Domain

Two studies were designed to examine the costs of stereotype endorsement for women's self-perceptions, career intentions, and susceptibility to stereotype threat in the math domain. Study 1, a survey of women majoring in math-related fields, revealed that women who believe that status differences between the sexes are legitimate were more likely to endorse gender stereotypes about women's math abilities, which in turn predicted more negative self-perceptions of math competence and less interest in continuing study in one's field. In Study 2, women who tended to endorse gender stereotypes were found to be more susceptible to the negative effects of stereotype threat on their math test performance. The implications of these results for research on stereotype endorsement and women's math achievement are discussed.
Dynamic Transparency, Prudential Justice, and Corporate Transformation: Becoming Socially Responsible in the Internet Age

This article brings together two concepts of ethical practice into a single construct that describes how modern corporations can responsibly meet the information needs of their stakeholder networks in a way that promotes both corporate self-interest and widespread distributive justice. Internet technology is providing corporations with transformative tools that permit and encourage the exercise of social responsibility through “dynamic transparency.” “Prudential justice” is a concept representing a set of values that can provide an ethical justification for corporate implementation of dynamic transparency. This article argues that by using dynamic transparency in accordance with the provisions of prudential justice, firms can avoid many crises and manipulative or deceptive information transfers, can fulfill their responsibilities regarding stakeholders’ informational rights, and can undergo an organizational culture transformation that allows them to move from pure corporate egoism to a beneficial mix of self-interest and corporate social responsibility.
Partial song matching in an eastern population of song sparrows, Melospiza melodia

One hypothesis for the function of vocal repertoires in songbirds is that singing multiple song types facilitates song matching, a behaviour in which one male replies to a rival's song with a song of the same type. In eastern populations of song sparrows, low levels of whole song sharing restrict opportunities for matching of entire song types. A male in this population might still match a neighbour by replying with a partially shared song (i.e. a song that contains one or more phrases in common with the neighbour's song). We tested for partial matching in a Pennsylvania population using playback of three categories of song: self song (allowing a full match), stranger song (a control allowing no match) and hybrid self/stranger song (allowing a partial match). We also tested the hypothesis that matching is a directed signal of aggressive intentions by comparing subjects' approach distances between trials in which they did and did not match. Males in our study matched in response to both self song (21 of 39 trials) and hybrid song (23 of 40 trials) at levels significantly greater than expected based on control trials (5 of 40 trials). Males that performed a partial match to a hybrid song approached the speaker more closely than males that did not match, consistent with the hypothesis that partial matching is a directed signal of aggression. Self song matching did not predict approach as successfully.
Ultrasound-modulated laser tomography

An ultrasonic beam was focused into a biological tissue sample to modulate the laser light passing through the ultrasonic beam inside the tissue. The speckle field formed by the transmitted laser light was detected by a CCD camera with the source-synchronous-illumination lock-in technique. The ultrasound-modulated laser light reflects the local optical and mechanical properties within the ultrasonic beam and can be used for tomographic imaging of the tissue. Spatial resolution along the ultrasonic axis was achieved by sweeping the ultrasonic frequency. Two-dimensional images of biological tissue were successfully obtained with both single frequency modulation and frequency-swept modulation. Three-dimensional images could be acquired as well in principle.
Optimally private access control

Access control based on anonymous credentials allows users to prove to a service provider in a privacy-friendly manner that they possess the credentials required to access a resource. To achieve optimal privacy, the information that service providers can learn from the access control protocol should in principle be just a single event, namely that a user is granted access. However, existing anonymous credential schemes reveal additional information to the service provider such as the identity of the credential issuer, the credential type, and constraints on the attributes of the credential that reveal more than the access decision itself. In addition, the efficiency of selective attribute disclosure is not optimal.Our contribution is both cryptographic and conceptual. First, we extend existing vector commitment schemes with efficient zero-knowledge protocols to prove correct generation of a new commitment, to prove that a secret value is committed at a secret position, and to prove that a secret position was updated to a new secret value. Second, we employ these protocols along with structure preserving signatures and conceptual techniques from logic-based access control to design a private access control protocol with efficient selective attribute disclosure that achieves our optimality criteria.
Inequity in American Schools: A New Perspective on the Distributional Effects of School Expenditures on Economic Well‐Being

This article explores how inequities in public K-12 school spending impact the distribution of economic well-being across American households with public school students in 1989 and 2000. Adapting concepts from the public finance literature, I explore the impact of school spending on the vertical and horizontal equity and its impact relative to other types of public spending on social programs and taxation. Conventionally, vertical equity refers to the size of the income gaps between households. Horizontal equity refers to the ranking of households along the income distribution with any change in ranks producing horizontal inequity. My main findings show that school spending, when converted into a component of income, served to reduce extended-income inequality through improvements in vertical equity without the discriminatory implications of exacerbating horizontal inequity across households. Additionally, this impact was at least as large as that of spending on other social programs. This finding bolsters standard arguments for equity and progressivity of school finance across students.
Structure of an RNA dodecamer containing a fragment from SRP domain IV of Escherichia coli.

The crystal structure of an RNA dodecamer, r(GCGUCAGGUC(Br)CG)/r(CGGAAGCAG(Br)CGC), containing a fragment from the signal recognition particle (SRP) RNA (domain IV) of Escherichia coli, has been determined at 1.7 A resolution with 21 666 independent reflections and an R(work) and R(free) of 20.1 and 22.5%, respectively. The structure exhibits a novel crystal packing pattern for RNA oligomer duplexes: one end of the duplex adopts the stacking interaction, while the other end adopts the abutting interaction in the minor groove. The symmetric loop of the SRP, r(CAGG)/r(AGCA), in the center of the dodecamer forms two different conformations of the A.C mismatch, a sheared G.G and a symmetrical G.A mismatch. These four mismatches present a unique surface for the abutting interaction. The involvement of the two A.C mismatches in the abutting interaction implies that these mismatches are the important sites for interaction with proteins. The conformation of the symmetric loop is greatly stabilized by hydrated metal ions, which display flexibility in adjusting their geometry and coordination in interaction with nucleic acids. Comparison with other crystal structures of fragments of 4.5S RNA indicates that the conformation of the symmetric loop is independent of the asymmetrical loop in domain IV.
Comparison of predictive equations and measured resting energy expenditure among obese youth attending a pediatric healthy weight clinic: one size does not fit all.

Background: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends the use of indirect calorimetry for calculating caloric targets for weight loss in obese youth. Practitioners typically use predictive equations since indirect calorimetry is often not available. The objective of this study was to compare measured resting energy expenditure (MREE) with that estimated using published predictive equations in obese pediatric patients. Material and Methods: Youth aged 7 to 18 years (n = 80) who were referred to a university-based healthy weight clinic and who were greater than the 95th percentile BMI for age and gender participated. MREE was measured via a portable indirect calorimeter. Predicted energy expenditure (pEE) was estimated using published equations including those commonly used in children. pEE was compared to the MREE for each subject. Absolute mean difference between MREE and pEE, mean percentage accuracy, and mean error were determined. Results: Mean percentage accuracy of pEE compared with MREE vari...
Velocity Unfolding in Networked Radar System

This paper presents an algorithm that derives the vector velocity estimate in a radar network environment considering the velocities that exceed the maximum unambiguous velocity of its observing sensor nodes. At first, an analytical derivation with underlying assumptions is presented and then simulation results are shown and discussed. This unfolding vector velocity algorithm is based on maximum likelihood theory operating on the first three weather radar spectral moments and can potentially provide a real time velocity detection of broader range of velocities than given by the nodal maximum unambiguous velocity.
Examining the Association Between Bullying and Adolescent Concerns About Teen Dating Violence

BACKGROUND: The school environment is an important context for understanding risk factors for teen dating violence. This study seeks to add to the growing literature base linking adolescent experiences with bullying and involvement with teen dating violence. METHODS: Data were collected from 27,074 adolescents at 58 high schools via a Web-based survey. RESULTS: Three-level hierarchical linear models indicated that adolescents who had been bullied were more concerned about both physical and emotional dating violence among students at their school. Schools that were perceived by students as safer were rated as having lower levels of teen dating violence. Older students and male students consistently reported greater concerns about dating violence. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that adolescents who experience bullying may also have concerns about violence in teen dating relationships. FINDINGS also indicate that schools perceived as being unsafe may be an important context for targeting dating violence prevention efforts. Language: en
An undergraduate course - Internet-based instrumentation and control

In this paper, the objective, strategy and implementation details of a new undergraduate course, Internet-based instrumentation and control, are presented. The course has a companion laboratory that is supported by the National Science Foundation. It is offered to senior-level undergraduate engineering students who are interested in sensing, instrumentation, control and Web programming and want to learn more about the integration of these technologies for solving real-world engineering problems. It will also be offered to gifted high school seniors as a vehicle to attract them to engineering disciplines. Preliminary assessment of the first offering of the course is encouraging and has shown that the course has achieved success in helping students to understand concepts and master basic technologies for developing Internet-based automatic systems.
Polymeric Composites for Use in Electronic and Microwave Devices

The dielectric and conductive properties of thermoplastic (ABS) composites filled with ceramic powder (barium titanate), conductive powders (carbon black, copper) and conductive fibers (carbon, steel) were investigated for use in electromagnetic crystals and microwave devices. Barium titanate/ABS composites were produced that had dielectric constants over 8 and loss tangents of 0.01, which are the requirements for electromagnetic crystals. Carbon black/ABS and steel fiber/ABS composites were obtained with conductivities suitable for electromagnetic shielding (over 10−3 S/cm). Fused decomposition modeling was tested as a method for building electromagnetic crystals and showed promising results. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:588–597, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Self-oscillation in a photorefractive phase-conjugate mirror with linear absorption. II. Anisotropic four-wave mixing

The effects of linear absorption on the degenerate and nondegenerate self-oscillation of a photorefractive phase-conjugate mirror under condition of anisotropic four-wave mixing are considered. The phase conjugation results from nonlinear mixing of two strong undepleted orthogonally polarized counterpropagating pump waves with a probe wave. We consider two types of situation for orthogonally polarized pump beams corresponding to two crystal families: one such as the Bi12SiO20 crystal family (sillenite family) and the other such as the BaTiO3 and strontium barium niobate crystal family. In both of these crystal families the degenerate and nondegenerate self-oscillations are shown to occur in the presence of linear absorption, which tends to increase the value of the coupling coefficient required for self-oscillation. Numerical results are presented that exhibit various features of degenerate and nondegenerate self-oscillation in both crystal families for different values of the phase ϕb of the backward grating.
An alternative to R(2) for assessing linear models of effect size.

Reviewers often use regression models in meta-analysis (‘meta-regressions’) to examine the relationships between effect sizes and study characteristics. In this paper, we propose and illustrate the use of an index (R) that expresses the amount of variance in the outcome that is explained by the meta-regression model. The values of R2 obtained from the standard computer output for linear models of effect size in the meta-analysis context are typically too small, because the typical R2 considers sampling variance to be unexplained whereas in meta-analysis it can be quantified. Although the idea of removing the unexplainable variance from the estimator of variance accounted for in meta-analysis is not new (Cook et al., 1992; Raudenbush, 1994) we explicitly define four estimators of variance explained, and illustrate via two examples that the typical R2 obtained in a linear model of effect size is always lower than our indices. Thus, the typical R2 underestimates the explanatory power of linear models of effect sizes. Our four estimators improve upon typical weighted R2 values. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Position stabilization of EELS spectra

The position of the zero-loss peak in electron energy-loss spectra was sensed with a double photo diode. A signal, proportional to the disturbances from a central position, was amplified and fed back into a deflection coil in order to compensate for the origin of the disturbances. Thus, slow variations of the position of characteristic edges in the EEL spectrum could be reduced by a factor 100, and 60 Hz oscillations could be reduced by a factor 5.
Krylov-based model reduction of second-order systems with proportional damping

In this note, we examine Krylov-based model reduction of second order systems where proportional damping is used to model energy dissipation. We give a detailed analysis of the distribution of system poles, and then, through a connection with potential theory, we are able to exploit the structure of these poles to obtain an optimal single shift strategy used in rational Krylov model reduction. We show that unlike the general case that requires usage of a second-order Krylov subspace structure, one can build up approximating subspaces satisfying all required conditions much more cheaply as direct sums of standard rational Krylov subspaces within the smaller component subspaces. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate and support the analysis.
A control study to evaluate a computer-based microarray experiment design recommendation system for gene-regulation pathways discovery

The main topic of this paper is evaluating a system that uses the expected value of experimentation for discovering causal pathways in gene expression data. By experimentation we mean both interventions (e.g., a gene knock-out experiment) and observations (e.g., passively observing the expression level of a "wild-type" gene). We introduce a system called GEEVE (causal discovery in Gene Expression data using Expected Value of Experimentation), which implements expected value of experimentation in discovering causal pathways using gene expression data. GEEVE provides the following assistance, which is intended to help biologists in their quest to discover gene-regulation pathways: • Recommending which experiments to perform (with a focus on "knock-out" experiments) using an expected value of experimentation (EVE) method. • Recommending the number of measurements (observational and experimental) to include in the experimental design, again using an EVE method. • Providing a Bayesian analysis that combines prior knowledge with the results of recent microarray experimental results to derive posterior probabilities of gene regulation relationships.In recommending which experiments to perform (and how many times to repeat them) the EVE approach considers the biologist's preferences for which genes to focus the discovery process. Also, since exact EVE calculations are exponential in time, GEEVE incorporates approximation methods. GEEVE is able to combine data from knock-out experiments with data from wild-type experiments to suggest additional experiments to perform and then to analyze the results of those microarray experimental results. It models the possibility that unmeasured (latent) variables may be responsible for some of the statistical associations among the expression levels of the genes under study.To evaluate the GEEVE system, we used a gene expression simulator to generate data from specified models of gene regulation. Using the simulator, we evaluated the GEEVE system using a randomized control study that involved 10 biologists, some of whom used GEEVE and some of whom did not. The results show that biologists who used GEEVE reached correct causal assessments about gene regulation more often than did those biologists who did not use GEEVE. The GEEVE users also reached their assessments in a more cost-effective manner.
Hidden Taxes and Representative Government: The Political Economy of the Ramsey Rule

A social planner finances a public good by taxing the consumption of two private goods. If leisure cannot be taxed, the tax burden is minimized by setting the tax rates on the two goods inversely proportional to their price elasticities of demand (Ramsey rule). The authors replace the social planner with an elected policy maker who cares not only about minimizing the tax burden but also about getting reelected. Electoral competition creates incentives for the incumbent to deviate from the Ramsey rule: He or she decreases the tax rate that is relatively visible and increases the tax rate that is relatively hidden.
Safety management of complex technology

One of the key success factors behind the human species is the ability to think, plan and pursue goals. Apart from wisdom and tacit knowledge, experience and awareness of the physical laws governing the universe are themselves the ingredients of success in a particular undertaking. However, unfamiliar circumstances pose a challenge to the extrapolation of the past experience to the future expectations. This is particularly true within the context of new discoveries or novel application of emerging and complex/adaptive technologies. Amongst many facets of performance pertaining to a product, process or undertaking, safety is generally a more demanding aspect to forecast, manage and deliver. The statutory framework poses further constraints on performance where the potential for harm to people or the environment arises from a product or system. The modernisation programme for the West Coast Main Line (WCML) railways in the UK involves adoption and implementation of a few advanced technologies to assist with better train protection and network utilisation. The extent, scope and inter-related nature of these advanced technologies within WCML modernisation programme necessitate a systematic framework commensurate with the scale of the problem and undertakings. To this end, an advanced risk forecasting model was devised at Railtrack to support the safety assessment and assurance of the programme within its three key evolutionary phases.
Root Biomass and Distribution Patterns in a Semi-Arid Mesquite Savanna: Responses to Long-Term Rainfall Manipulation

Abstract Expansion of woody plants in North American grasslands and savannas is facilitated in part by root system adaptation to climatic extremes. Climatic extremes are predicted to become more common with global climate change and, as such, may accelerate woody expansion and/or infilling rates. We quantified root biomass and distribution patterns of the invasive woody legume, honey mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa ), and associated grasses following a long-term rainfall manipulation experiment in a mixed grass savanna in the southern Great Plains (United States). Root systems of mature trees were containerized with vertical barriers installed to a depth of 270 cm, and soil moisture was manipulated with irrigation (Irrigated) or rainout shelters (Rainout). Other treatments included containerized, precipitation-only (Control) and noncontainerized, precipitation-only (Natural) trees. After 4 yr of treatment, soil cores to 270 cm depth were obtained, and mesquite root length density (RLD) and root mass, and grass root mass were quantified. Mesquite in the Rainout treatment increased coarse-root ( s 2 mm diameter) RLD and root mass at soil depths between 90 cm and 270 cm. In contrast, mesquite in the Irrigated treatment increased fine-root ( s 2 mm diameter) RLD and root mass between 30 cm and 270 cm depths, but did not increase total root mass (fine + coarse) compared to the Control. Mesquite root-to-shoot mass ratio was 2.8 to 4.6 times greater in Rainout than the other treatments. Leaf water stress was greatest in the Rainout treatment in the first year, but not in subsequent years, possibly the result of increased root growth. Leaf water use efficiency was lowest in the Irrigated treatment. The increase in coarse root growth during extended drought substantially increased mesquite belowground biomass and suggests an important mechanism by which woody plant encroachment into grasslands may alter below ground carbon stocks under climate change scenarios predicted for this region.
Leader selection for optimal network coherence

We consider the problem of leader-based distributed coordination in networks where agents are subject to stochastic disturbances, but where certain designated leaders are immune to those disturbances. Specifically, we address the effect of leader selection on the coherence of the network, defined in terms of an H 2 norm of the system. This quantity captures the level of agreement of the nodes in the face of the external disturbances. We show that network coherence depends on the eigenvalues of a principal submatrix of the Laplacian matrix, and we formulate an optimization problem to select the set of leaders that results in the highest coherence. As this optimization problem is combinatorial in nature, we also present several greedy algorithms for leader selection that rely on more easily computable bounds of the H 2 norm and the eigenvalues of the system. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of these algorithms using several network examples.
Gradient energy parameters for polymer–polymer–solvent systems and their application to spinodal decomposition in true ternary systems

The entropic gradient contributions to the free energy of nonuniform polymer–solvent systems and polymer–polymer–solvent systems have been obtained using a mean field approach. The results for a polymer–polymer–solvent system reduce to those of de Gennes for a polymer–polymer system at the appropriate limit. The binary results for a polymer–solvent system predict interfacial tensions that are systematically high but closer to experiment than those predicted by the earlier model of Balsara and Nauman. The ternary results have been applied to spinodal decomposition in polymer–polymer–solvent systems. The linear theory predicts a decrease in the domain size with increasing quench depth. Also, it predicts an increasing domain size with an increase in compatibility between the two polymers for any given quench depth.
Full Inclusion of Students with Learning Disabilities and its Implications for Teacher Education

In this paper, I describe my reactions to the case studies Zigmond and Baker report in this issue. I admire the vision and energy of these pioneering efforts and find much commendable about both the work and the research. To my eye, the case studies illustrate wonderfully some of the problems inherent in inclusive education (e.g., coteaching, logistics) as well as some of the challenges it presents to teacher educators (e.g., preparing teachers to work collaboratively). I suggest that fundamental school reform offers an alternative to the model of implementation we see in these five schools and that instructional practice in these 10 classrooms may have fallen short of what general educators now recognize as best practice. I also take issue with Zigmond and Baker's concerns about the potential loss of identity for learning disability specialists and argue instead that their skills are needed now more than ever.
Family Psychotherapy for Concussions and the Postconcussive Syndrome

This chapter describes the effects of concussions, including those sustained as a result of sports-related accidents. It will also explain the postconcussion syndrome, including its similarities and differences to recovery from uncomplicated concussion. Symptoms, medical interventions, and treatment options will be overviewed for these diagnoses, with an emphasis on how the family can assist the loved one in the gradual reintegration into his or her daily routine. The roles of a neuropsychologist/sport neuropsychologist, psychotherapy, and adjunct services are portrayed, also including assessment and interventions for possible cognitive and emotional sequelae. Return-to-play considerations for athletes as well as preventative measures for multiple concussions are provided. Finally, a case study of a woman who sustained a concussion is provided so as to illustrate salient principles and therapy techniques.
Regions of Validity for the 10-Moment, Two Fluid Plasma Model

Two plasma models under consideration are the 5-moment, two-fluid and the 10-moment, two-fluid models. The 10-moment, two-fluid plasma model offers the ability to capture nonisotropic effects. The model is derived by taking the first three moments of the Boltzmann equation, taking care to account for the collisions. This yields the scalar continuity equation, the momentum vector equation, and the anisotropic pressure tensor for the ion and electron fluids. The 5-moment model assumes isotropy, and therefore only employs a scalar pressure. Accordingly, with the use of an equation of state, the 5-moment, two-fluid system has a scalar energy equation instead of the pressure tensor. Dispersion diagrams illustrate that including the collision term is necessary for the 10-moment model to recover the isotropic case. Two-fluid effects are captured by the momentum equations, while the anisotropic pressure tensor captures the neutral shear and finite Larmor radius effects. The objective of the research is to compare the two-plasma fluid models using the WARPX code developed at the University of Washington. The 10-moment, two-fluid plasma model is numerically implemented via an approximate Reimann solver employing the finite volume method. Investigations of self-consistent, non-linear simulations starting from equilibria in different regimes are then conducted. The 5-moment, two-fluid and the 10-moment, two-fluid models are computationally investigated. Including the collision term in the anisotropic pressure tensor equation is necessary to capture the lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) phenomenon.
Comparison of stress field forming methods for vibro-acoustography

Vibro-acoustography is a method that produces images of the acoustic response of a material to a localized harmonic motion generated by ultrasound radiation force. The low-frequency, oscillatory radiation force (e.g., 10 kHz) is produced by amplitude modulating a single ultrasound beam, or by interfering two beams of slightly different frequencies. Proper beam forming for the stress field of the probing ultrasound is very important because it determines the resolution of the imaging system. Three beam-forming geometries are studied: amplitude modulation, confocal, and x-focal. The amplitude of radiation force on a unit point target is calculated from the ultrasound energy density averaged over a short period of time. The profiles of radiation stress amplitude oil the focal plane and on the beam axis are derived. The theory is validated by experiments using a small sphere as a point target. A laser vibrometer is used to measure the velocity of the sphere, which is proportional to the radiation stress exerted on the target as the transducer is scanned over the focal plane or along the beam axis. The measured velocity profiles match the theory. The theory and experimental technique may be useful in future transducer design for vibro-acoustography.
An Analysis of Meteor Burst Communications for Military Applications

This paper presents a methodology for the design and analysis of meteor burst communication systems, with special emphasis on system characteristics of importance to military applications (intercept resistance, jam resistance, nuclear survivability, and encryption considerations). Using stochastic models for the meteor burst process, expressions for the average throughput and average message waiting time are derived. These equations are used to estimate the anticipated performance of several kinds of meteor burst communications systems m a number of military applications ranging from data collection from unattended sensors to facsimile transmission.
Evaluation of Augmented Reality for Rapid Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Building Damage

This paper discusses the feasibility of using augmented reality (AR) to evaluate earthquake-induced building damage. In the proposed approach, previously stored building information is superimposed onto a real structure in AR. Structural damage can then be quantified by measuring and interpreting key differences between the real and augmented views of the facility. Proof-of-concept experiments were performed in conjunction with large-scale cyclic shear wall tests. In these, CAD images of the walls were superimposed onto the wall specimens. Then, as the wall specimens were deformed under applied loading, the horizontal drifts between the walls and the augmented images were computed using two different techniques and compared with actual wall drifts. The obtained results highlight the potential of using AR for rapid damage detection and indicate that the accuracy of structural displacements measured using AR is a direct function of the accuracy with which augmented images can be registered with the real world. The limitations of the technology, considerations for field implementation, and the potential for other related applications of AR are also discussed.
Are Assessment Data Really Driving Middle School Reading Instruction? What We Can Learn from One Student's Experience.

More and more, data from standardized assessments are being used to make instructional decisions for struggling middle school readers. Administrators must stop spending money on “silver-bullet” curriculum programs and start spending money on training opportunities that will lead to autonomy and creativity in the classroom. In this article, the author demonstrates how one such program in a school district was inappropriate for one struggling reader and possibly many more.
Impact of wide bandgap microwave devices on DoD systems

Radiofrequency (RF) semiconductor electronics enable military systems that operate in the microwave and millimeter wave frequency bands of 1-100 GHz. The performance of numerous electromagnetic systems could be enhanced by the inclusion of wide bandgap (WBG) microwave and millimeter wave devices, either as power amplifier or receiver elements. The demonstrated power performance has generally been six to ten times that of equivalent gallium arsenide or indium phosphide devices up through 20 GHz, with enhanced dynamic range and improved impedance matching. These characteristics provide an opportunity to significantly reduce the number of modules required for many active aperture antenna systems, hence, cost, while enabling new capabilities for shared apertures. Prior to realization of any WBG system deployment, however considerable development and maturation of WBG materials, devices, and circuits must yet ensue.
Self-biased indicator lamp driver circuits for high reliability applications

In some systems, it is necessary to turn on a low side driver when the load is properly connected to a power supply, even if the normal gate drive power supply is off or disconnected. This necessitates deriving the gate supply voltage for the output device from its own drain voltage. A current mirror method of this drain powered gate drive is explained including theory and simulation. Several additional features possible with the gate drive are also explained. Finally, results are compared for two recent BiCMOS/DMOS (BCD) processes.
Bounding trust in reputation systems with incomplete information

Reputation mechanisms represent a major class of techniques for managing trust in decentralized systems. Quite a few reputation-based trust functions have been proposed in the literature for use in many different application domains. However, in many situations, one cannot always obtain all of the information required by the trust evaluation process. For example, access control restrictions or high collection costs might limit one's ability to gather every possible feedback that could be aggregated. Thus, one key question is how to analytically quantify the quality of reputation scores computed using incomplete information.In this paper, we start a first effort towards answering the above question by studying the following problem: given the existence of certain missing information, what are the worst and best trust scores (i.e., the bounds of trust) a target entity can be assigned by a given reputation function? We formulate this problem based on a general model of reputation systems, and then examine the ability to bound a collection representative trust functions in the literature. We show that most existing trust functions are monotonic in terms of direct missing information about the target of a trust evaluation, which greatly simplifies this process. The problem of trust bounding with the presence of indirect missing information is much more complicated. We show that many well-known trust functions are not monotonic regarding indirect missing information, which means that a case-by-case analysis needs to be conducted for each trust function in order to bound an entity's trust.
A device for the measurement of infiltration in intermittently flooded wetlands1

An infiltrometer has been designed to measure infiltration and exfiltration in intermittently or continuously inundated soils, such as occur in tidal salt marshes. The device isolates a column of water while actively maintaining natural head conditions, and yields infiltration/exfiltration rates from mass balance considerations. It incorporates a Stevens recorder, a reversible positive-displacement metering pump, and solid-state circuitry. It can detect <5 mm of infiltration or exfiltration per tidal cycle.