cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Higher-rank deconfined quantum criticality at the Lifshitz transition and the exciton Bose condensate

Deconfined quantum critical points are characterized by the presence of an emergent gauge field and exotic fractionalized particles, which exist as well-defined excitations only at the critical point. We here demonstrate the existence of quantum critical points described by an emergent tensor gauge theory featuring subdimensional excitations, in close relation to fracton theories. We begin by reexamining a previously studied Lifshitz transition between two valence bond solid (VBS) phases on a bilayer honeycomb lattice. We show that the critical theory maps onto a rank-2 tensor gauge theory featuring one-dimensional particles. In a slightly different context, the same tensor gauge theory also describes a Lifshitz quantum critical point between a two-dimensional superfluid and a finite-momentum Bose condensate, both of which are dual to rank-1 gauge theories. This represents an entirely new class of deconfined quantum criticality, in which a critical tensor gauge theory arises on top of a stable conventional gauge theory. Furthermore, we propose that this quantum critical point gives rise to a new finite-temperature phase of bosons, behaving as an exciton Bose condensate, in which excitons (boson-hole pairs) are condensed but individual bosons are not. We discuss how small modifications of this theory give rise to the stable quantum ``exciton Bose liquid'' phase studied in Paramekanti, Balents, and Fisher, Phys. Rev. B 66, 054526 (2002).
EMBEDDED INCREMENTAL FEATURE SELECTION FOR REINFORCEMENT LEARNING

Abstract : Classical reinforcement learning techniques become impractical in domains with large complex state spaces. The size of a domain's state space is dominated by the number of features used to describe the state. Fortunately, in many real-world environments learning an effective policy does not usually require all the provided features. In this paper we present a feature selection algorithm for reinforcement learning called Incremental Feature Selection Embedded in NEAT (IFSE-NEAT) that incorporates sequential forward search into neuroevolutionary algorithm NEAT. We provide an empirical analysis on a realistic simulated domain with many irrelevant and relevant features. Our results demonstrate that IFSE-NEAT selects smaller and more effective feature sets than alternative approaches, NEAT and FS-NEAT, and superior performance characteristics as the number of available features increases.
Authoritarian Political Economy and Global Integration in Puebla, 1993–1999

The 1990s witnessed the further politicization of the relationship between the state government and local business in Puebla. As this chapter shows, initial attempts by Governor Manuel Bartlett Diaz (1993–1999) to win over local business leaders through various concessions failed to avoid government-business conflict during the 1995 mid-term elections. The opposition PAN, supported by local business chambers, defeated the PRI in the race for mayor of Puebla for the first time in history. After the election, Bartlett curtailed relations with organized business leaders, undermining cooperation on economic policies. Instead, the government supported the efforts of the auto sector to transform itself into a global economic powerhouse, helping Puebla recover from the 1995 crisis but at the cost of growing economic concentration. As a result, the differences between local firms and the automotive enclave in Puebla were more pronounced than ever as NAFTA, Mexico's historic free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, took effect.
Laboratory Administration of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS): Technique, Targeting, and Considerations

Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be administered via a novel, emerging neuromodulatory technique known as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). Unlike cervically-implanted VNS, taVNS is an inexpensive and non-surgical method used to modulate the vagus system. taVNS is appealing as it allows for rapid translation of basic VNS research and serves as a safe, inexpensive, and portable neurostimulation system for the future treatment of central and peripheral disease. The background and rationale for taVNS is described, along with electrical and parametric considerations, proper ear targeting and attachment of stimulation electrodes, individual dosing via determination of perception threshold (PT), and safe administration of taVNS.
GAMES OF TIMING OF ONE ACTION FOR EACH PLAYER

This chapter discusses games of timing of one action for each player. When one of the players has the advantage of being able to hear his opponent's shot, his optimal strategy calls for firing at a later time than under the ordinary circumstances of the silent duel. The second and most interesting difference in the solution of the silent-noisy duel is to the effect that Player II, that is, the player with the noisy gun, must maintain a threat of firing until the very end. The chapter also presents integral equations with positive kernels.
Transplantation of HCV Viremic Livers into HCV Viremic Recipients Followed by Direct-acting Antiviral Therapy

Background and Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected organs are underutilized. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) therapy in HCV viremic patients who are transplanted with a liver from a HCV viremic donor. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, including patients seen from July 2015 to April 2017. HCV viremic patients transplanted with a liver from a HCV viremic donor and subsequently treated with DAAs were included. Outcomes assessed included undetectable viral load at 12 weeks after completing DAA therapy (sustained virologic response, SVR12), adverse events, and interactions with immunosuppression. Results: Twenty-four HCV viremic recipients received livers from HCV viremic donors. Median age was 63 years, and the majority (79.2%) were genotype 1a. Donors and recipients were viremic at the time of transplant. Median modified model for end-stage liver disease score was 19, and median time on the waitlist was 81 days. Median time from transplant to initiation of DAA therapy was 123 days. Several DAA regimens were used and 15 (62.5%) patients did not receive ribavirin. Treatment duration ranged from 12 to 24 weeks. Twenty-three (95.8%) patients achieved SVR12. Five (20.8%) patients developed adverse events; however, none required DAA discontinuation. Conclusions: DAA therapy was efficacious and well tolerated in HCV viremic recipients who underwent liver transplantation from a HCV viremic donor.
Attempted synthesis of casbene by intramolecular cyclopropanation

The antifungal diterpene casbene has been prepared in low yield by intramolecular cyclopropanation of the vinyldiazomethane reactant formed from geranylgeraniol. Careful analysis of the reaction mixture revealed relatively unselective addition catalyzed by dirhodium(II) and copper(I) catalysts.
Abstinence vs. indulgence:: How the new ethical vampire reflects our monstrous appetites

As an archetype, the vampire is alive and well in the collective psyche. A closer look can reflect back to us what we deem monstrous out there as well as inform us about the monstrous within. This is fundamental to Jung’s notion of the Shadow and fundamentally an issue of ethics. This paper explores how specific attributes of the contemporary vampire reflect our ethical agon at the beginning of the 21st century, using two popular vampire sagas, the Twilight series and True Blood as examples of the tensions between abstinence and indulgence among a predatory species. This paper explains the elements of the female Bildungsroman literary genre found in both stories, which offers psychologists a particularly fruitful view into ethics and character development, and shows how the central love relationship between a human female and a vampire male dramatizes some of the trickier aspects of relating to the Other in the most intimate manner. The paper concludes by comparing Aristotelian virtue ethics with Jung’s notion of individuation to discern who is the real monster—and who aspires to the classical notion of arete.
Enhancing reproducibility using interprofessional team best practices

The pervasive problem of irreproducibility of preclinical research represents a substantial threat to the translation of CTSA-generated health interventions. Key stakeholders in the research process have proposed solutions to this challenge to encourage research practices that improve reproducibility. However, these proposals have had minimal impact, because they either 1. take place too late in the research process, 2. focus exclusively on the products of research instead of the processes of research, and/or 3. fail to take into account the driving incentives in the research enterprise. Because so much clinical and translational science is team-based, CTSA hubs have a unique opportunity to leverage Science of Team Science research to implement and support innovative, evidence-based, team-focused, reproducibility-enhancing activities at a project's start, and across its evolution. Here, we describe the impact of irreproducibility on clinical and translational science, review its origins, and then describe stakeholders' efforts to impact reproducibility, and why those efforts may not have the desired effect. Based on team-science best practices and principles of scientific integrity, we then propose ways for Translational Teams to build reproducible behaviors. We end with suggestions for how CTSAs can leverage team-based best practices and identify observable behaviors that indicate a culture of reproducible research.
Hepatitis A Vaccine Immunogenicity 25 Years After Vaccination in Alaska

The hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all children greater than or equal to 1 year of age, however, the duration of vaccine protection is unknown and protection through adulthood is crucial to prevent symptomatic hepatitis later in life. We report on 25 years of follow-up of a cohort of Alaska Native individuals who were vaccinated in early childhood. We assessed the duration of vaccine protection by calculating the geometric mean concentration and proportion of participants with protective levels of IgG antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) (≥20 mIU/mL) every 2 to 3 years. We estimated the amount of time until the anti-HAV dropped below protective levels using survival analyses. At 25 years, 43 of the original 144 participants were available, mean anti-HAV levels were 91.5 mIU/mL, and 35 (81.4%) had protective levels of anti-HAV. Using data from all persons and all time points, a survival analysis estimated 78.7% of participants had protective levels of anti-HAV at 25 years. The high level of protective antibodies in this cohort indicate that supplemental doses of hepatitis A vaccine are not needed 25 years after completion of the vaccine series.
HIV Patient Navigation in the United States: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Navigators’ Experiences:

Patient navigation is increasingly used to link and (re)engage persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to care. A more holistic understanding of patient navigation can be achieved by exploring the experiences of navigators, the persons who comprise half of the navigation process. We conducted a meta-synthesis of navigator experiences with HIV patient navigation using a phenomenological approach. We identified nine relevant studies. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Analysis identified two overarching themes relating to (1) the breadth and depth of bidirectional relationships and functional activities that navigators undertake to connect their clients to care and (2) the inherently personal experience of delivering navigation services. From these thematic findings, we recommend that HIV patient navigators exhibit capacity and expertise in developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships with clients and health care systems/providers and develop self-care practices and emotional boundaries with clients. Our review seeks to advance public health research and practice by articulating key experiences and perspectives of HIV patient navigators, drawing findings and recommendations applicable to the development, implementation, and evaluation of HIV patient navigation.
Evaluation of dosimeter tubes for monitoring phosphine fumigations

Abstract Within integrated pest management options, fumigation of stored products is one method to help control post-harvest insect infestations in our food and agricultural products. Fumigant gas concentration monitoring is important to confirm that the treatment was adequate to achieve the desired insect control, but monitoring can be relatively expensive and labor intensive. This study evaluated how accurately dosimeter tubes could monitor phosphine fumigation treatments. The dosimeter tube is designed to continuously react with phosphine gas during the fumigation period and yields a measurement in terms of concentration ∗ time product or CT, which can be interpreted as cumulative exposure. Two models of dosimeter tubes were evaluated (high range and low range). The reference method for these trials were wireless phosphine monitoring sensors, which recorded gas concentrations at hourly intervals during an exposure, and from this a CT product was also calculated. Model LPG-1, high-range dosimeter tube, measured within ± 25% of the phosphine monitoring sensors for CT dosages less the 70,000 ppm∗hr. Model LPG-2, low-range tube, tended to significantly over-estimate phosphine CT dosage by 50%–100% of the phosphine monitoring sensor references. Secondly, bioassays of fumigant efficacy were performed using susceptible and resistant adult Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), lesser grain borers, and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), red flour beetle, for estimating insect control at the varied fumigation CT treatments. For the susceptible strains, CT dosages ∼5000 ppm∗hr controlled both species. However, the insect control varied from 60% to 100% for resistant adults at CT dosages of ∼20,000 ppm∗hr. The dosimeter tubes function in these ranges of dosages where each insect species are controlled and the dosimeter tube model LPG-1 provides reasonable estimates of the fumigation dosage for a given treatment level.
The Scope of Congress’s Thirteenth Amendment Enforcement Power after City of Boerne v. Flores

Section Two of the Thirteenth Amendment grants Congress power “to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” In Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., the Supreme Court held that Section Two permits Congress to define the “badges and incidents of slavery” and pass “all laws necessary and proper” for their abolition. Congress has passed a number of civil rights laws under this understanding of its Section Two power. Several commentators have urged Congress to expansively define the “badges and incidents of slavery” and use Section Two to address everything from racial profiling to discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation. Jones, however, is in serious tension with City of Boerne v. Flores, which held that the Fourteenth Amendment’s virtually identical enforcement language permits only prophylactic legislation that is congruent and proportional to violations of judicially-determined rights. Even more critically, Jones’s grant to Congress of substantive interpretive power runs afoul of the principles of separation of powers, judicial supremacy, and federalism that drove the Court in City of Boerne. Thus, the time is ripe to reconsider Jones and the proper scope of Congress’s Thirteenth Amendment enforcement power. This Article does precisely that, delving into the text, history, and structural implications of Section Two. Ultimately, this Article considers three ways to approach Section Two: as a limited power to prevent and remedy coerced labor; as a broad power to define the badges and incidents of slavery and protect a wide array of civil rights; and as a prophylactic power to prevent the de facto reemergence of slavery by addressing the historical incidents and badges of the slave system. This article concludes that the prophylactic reading of Section Two best comports with both the original meaning of the provision and the structural principles of separation of powers, judicial supremacy, and federalism.
Differential diagnosis of T2 hypointense masses in musculoskeletal MRI

Many soft tissue masses have an indeterminate appearance on MRI, often displaying varying degrees and extent of T2 hyperintensity. However, a subset of neoplasms and tumor-like lesions may exhibit prominent areas of T2 hypointensity relative to skeletal muscle. The hypointensity observed on T2-weighted MRI can be caused by a variety of substances, including evolving blood products, calcifications or other inorganic crystals, or fibrous tissue. Carefully evaluating the presence and pattern of T2 hypointensity in soft tissue masses and considering potential causes in their associated clinical contexts can help to narrow the differential diagnosis among neoplastic and non-neoplastic possibilities. These include endometriosis, aneurysmal bone cysts, tenosynovial giant cell tumor, arteriovenous malformation and pseudoaneurysm, calcium pyrophosphate and hydroxyapatite deposition diseases, tumoral calcinosis, gout, amyloidosis, hemangiomas with phleboliths, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, ossifying fibromyxoid tumor, collagenous fibroma, desmoid-type fibromatosis, myxofibrosarcoma, peripheral nerve sheath tumors, dedifferentiated liposarcoma, and treated sarcoma.
Analysis of Youth Physical Activity Promotion in a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Synagogues.

Faith-based organizations are entities recommended to promote and provide health-related physical activity to youth. Meanwhile, religious institutions—including synagogues—typically use diverse media, including websites, bulletins/newsletters, and calendars to inform current and potential members about both general (e.g., theological) and specific practical messages (e.g., about the occurrence of services, meetings, and programs). Given the historical role synagogue centers played in the early- to mid-twentieth century in providing members recreational and sport programming, we were interested to know what physical activities synagogues currently advertise through the aforementioned media. From January through May 2019, we completed a line-by-line analysis of the public websites of a large nationally representative sample of synagogues (n = 1383 sites from 337 U.S. cities in 39 states) to assess content (including links to bulletins/newsletters and calendars) related to child and adolescent physical activity. Only 35.4% of the sampled websites used these media to mention that their synagogue provided even a single physical activity program/event. Thus, most synagogues either (a) did not provide physical activity programs for children and adolescents, or (b) neglected to use online platforms to promote engagement in them. We found 938 distinct programs/events and 1667 specific activities across synagogue websites that mentioned at least one physical activity. Programs by type and proportion (i.e., percentage of programs overall) included youth group (39.1%), preschool (26.9%), youth worship (18.0%), and youth education (16.0%). We situate our findings by explicating past and current functions of synagogues related to the provision of youth programming. Future research should examine the beliefs that synagogue rabbis and media gatekeepers hold toward physical activity in general and youth physical activity specifically. Youths should also be queried as to what role synagogue programming can/should play in promoting/providing and accommodating their physical activity needs and preferences.
Algebraic nonuniformity correction for infrared imagery using a hexagonal coordinate scheme

Infrared imagery, like almost any other two-dimensional (2D) imagery, have been traditionally sampled and acquired using a traditional rectangular grid. Therefore, nonuniformity correction (NUC) algorithms for infrared imaging systems which mitigate the most dominant, bias/offset portion of the nonuniformity were developed on the rectangular grid. However, it is well-known that hexagonal sampling grid captures more information in sampled data/imagery when compared to traditional rectangular sampling, and a hexagonal addressing scheme (HAS) for hexagonally-sampled imagery to convert imagery between the two different coordinate systems was developed. In this work, we build on prior work by Sakoglu et al. who developed bilinear interpolation equations between two image frames under the 2-D global motion of the scene or the camera, and apply this 2D algebraic NUC algorithm to hexagonally-sampled imagery directly in the HAS domain by utilizing simulated hexagonal sampling of real IR images.
Optimization of closed-loop electrical stimulation enables robust cerebellar-directed seizure control

Additional treatment options for temporal lobe epilepsy are needed, and potential interventions targeting the cerebellum are of interest. Previous animal work has shown strong inhibition of hippocampal seizures through on-demand optogenetic manipulation of the cerebellum. However, decades of work examining electrical stimulation - a more immediately translatable approach - targeting the cerebellum has produced very mixed results. We were therefore interested in exploring the impact that stimulation parameters may have on seizure outcomes. Using a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy, we conducted on-demand electrical stimulation of the cerebellar cortex, and varied stimulation charge, frequency, and pulse width, resulting in over a thousand different potential combinations of settings. To explore this parameter space in an efficient, data-driven, manner, we utilized Bayesian optimization with Gaussian process regression, implemented in Matlab with an Expected Improvement Plus acquisition function. We examined two different fitting conditions and two different electrode orientations. Following the optimization process, we conducted additional on-demand experiments to test the effectiveness of selected settings. Across all animals, we found that Bayesian optimization allowed identification of effective intervention settings. Additionally, generally similar optimal settings were identified across animals, suggesting that personalized optimization may not always be necessary. While optimal settings were consistently effective, stimulation with settings predicted from the Gaussian process regression to be ineffective failed to provide seizure control. Taken together, our results provide a blueprint for exploration of a large parameter space for seizure control, and illustrate that robust inhibition of seizures can be achieved with electrical stimulation of the cerebellum, but only if the correct stimulation parameters are used.
College students' mental illness disclosure and self-esteem: a moderating role of self-image goals.

Objective: A link between the disclosure of a concealable stigma such as mental illness and enhanced psychological well-being tends to be weak and sometimes non-significant, pointing to the importance of examining potential moderators. This study aims to examine how self-image goals moderate the effect of mental illness disclosure on self-esteem. Participants and Methods: College students who self-identified as having been diagnosed with mental illness (N = 174) completed an online survey regarding their mental illness disclosure, self-image goals, and self-esteem. Results: Self-image goals and mental illness disclosure interacted to predict self-esteem such that the positive association between disclosure and self-esteem was significant only among those who had low self-image goals (i.e., not overly focused on protecting idealized self-image). Conclusions: The relationship between mental illness disclosure and self-esteem is dependent on students' self-image goals. Goal-setting may be a promising target for future intervention programs for students living with mental illness.
C++ and the Object-Oriented Paradigm: An IS Perspective

Introducing the Object--Oriented Paradigm. Designing Object--Oriented Applications. Classes. Stream I/O. Structured Elements of C++. Arrays. Strings. Introducing Pointers. Using Pointers. Overloading. Inheritance and Polymorphism. Appendices. Glossary. Index.
Reinforcement of Bone Cement Around Prostheses by Pre-Coated Wire Coil: A Finite Element Model Study

The longevity of cemented total joint replacements, namely total hip arthroplasty (THA), depends on the integrity of the cement per se and interfaces of the metallic stem-cement and bone-cement, and stress/stress transmission and its distribution. A simple coil made of stainless steel wire was placed around a tapered stem in a simulated cement mantle to counteract the radial- and hoop-stresses created by the stem loading. Two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element analysis was performed to elucidate the level of the stress and its distribution with and without the wire coil. The results suggest that the peak stresses distributed throughout the cement may be reduced by more than one half, via the incorporation of a wire coil, confirming the mechanical test results, which showed an average fracture load of 3.70 +/- 1.13 kN for pure bone cement control and 9.02 +/- 1.54 kN for the wire coil reinforced specimens. These results indicate that the reinforcement of the cement mantle with a wire coil in the distal end of the hip stem prosthesis could reduce the hoop-stresses, which may results in reduced stresses in the bone and cement interface. Consequently, loosening of the interfaces of the bone-cement and cement-stem could be reduced due to the enhanced fatigue life of the bone cement mantle with favorable stress distribution at the distal tip of the stem.
Tumors of the Skull Base

The skull base is affected by a wide range of tumor pathologies. They are often slow-growing, benign, extra-axial tumors that cause symptoms by involvement of the cranial nerves or a mass effect on the brain stem and cerebellum. They are often located in critical areas within the cranium that are especially hard to reach with routine surgical techniques. Involvement of cranial nerves and vessels makes these lesions particularly challenging to treat surgically. Due to the benign nature of most of these lesions, complete surgical removal often affords a cure, although some skull-base tumors require a combination of surgical and radiation therapies.
Alterations in Immune Function in Rats Caused by Dietary Lipotrope Deficiency: Effect of Culture Medium, 2-Mercaptoethanol and Mitogen Dose on the In Vitro Lymphocyte Transformation Response

The effect of variations in culture media, mitogen dose, harvest time, 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) addition and length of [3H]thymidine pulse on the concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated splenic lymphocyte transformation response of male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on a control (C), folacin-deficient (F) or marginal methionine-choline (M/C) diet was examined. Splenocytes cultured in minimal essential medium reached an optimal response on day 4. The response of F rats was significantly lower than C rats on day 3 and day 4. The response of M/C rats were lower on day 3. The addition of 2-ME to the culture medium shifted the cell cycle kinetics toward and earlier peak response time (day 2), and significant differences among groups were seen only under suboptimal conditions. Cells cultured in Medium 199 had a low transformation response, which reached peak stimulation on day 5. The response of F and M/C rats was significantly lower than C animals on days 3 and 4. In contrast, splenocytes cultured in medium 199 + 2-ME reached optimal stimulation on day 2, with no significantly differences between groups. No effect on cell viability was seen from 2-ME, but it did accelerate cell cycle kinetics and reversed the normal age-induced immunosuppression seen in C animals.
A survey of the effect of metals on the immune response

Evidence has been presented that the effect of metals on the immune response is highly variable: either enhancement or suppression may occur, depending on metal dose, route of inoculation, nature of antigenic stimulus, time of metal administration in relation to antigen, or the specific class of immunoglobulins produced. Very little is known of the mechanisms of metal-induced suppression or enhancement; mitogenicity of some metals may be involved in their stimulatory effects on immunity. An evaluation of available data shown no significant difference in the effect of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic metals on immunity; the general effect of carcinogenic metals appears to be that of immunosuppression, but enhancement of immunity may also occur. Additional studies are needed to define immunological effects of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic metals. Few experiments have analyzed the effects of these metals on cellular aspects of immunity, and, especially on those immunological reactions that play a role in tumor suppression or enhancement.
Air Infiltration and Building Tightness Measurements in Passive Solar Residences

The airtightness of about fifty passive solar homes located throughout the United States was studied using low-cost measurement techniques. These homes are part of the DOE-sponsored Class B monitoring program conducted at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) to evaluate the thermal performance of passive solar residential buildings. These tests provide the first set of building tightness measurements on a large group of passive solar buildings. The measurements include pressurization tests to measure airtightness and tracer gas measurements to determine air infiltration rates. The pressure tests show a variation in the airtightness of these homes from 3 to 30 exchanges/hr at 50 Pascal, with a median of 9.5 exchanges/hr. The air infiltration measurements cover a wider range from 0.05 to 3.0 exchanges/hr, with a median of 0.5 exchanges/hr. In comparing the tightness of these homes to other U.S. homes, one finds that these passive solar homes are not significantly tighter than homes built with less of an emphasis on energy use.
Robust Feedback Control of a Single Server Queueing System

This paper extends previous work of Ball et al. [BDKY] to control of a model of a simple queueing server. There are n queues of customers to be served by a single server who can service only one queue at a time. Each queue is subject to an unknown arrival rate, called a “disturbance” in accord with standard usage from H ∞ theory. An H ∞-type performance criterion is formulated. The resulting control problem has several novel features distinguishing it from the standard smooth case already studied in the control literature: the presence of constraining dynamics on the boundary of the state space to ensure the physical property that queue lengths remain nonnegative, and jump discontinuities in any nonconstant state-feedback law caused by the finiteness of the admissible control set (choice of queue to be served). We arrive at the solution to the appropriate Hamilton–Jacobi equation via an analogue of the stable invariant manifold for the associated Hamiltonian flow (as was done by van der Schaft for the smooth case) and relate this solution to the (lower) value of a restricted differential game, similar to that formulated by Soravia for problems without constraining dynamics. An additional example is included which shows that the projection dynamics used to maintain nonnegativity of the state variables must be handled carefully in more general models involving interactions among the different queues. Primary motivation comes from the application to traffic signal control. Other application areas, such as manufacturing systems and computer networks, are mentioned.
An analysis of the THz frequency signatures in the cellular components of biological agents

The development of an effective biological (bio) agent detection capability based upon terahertz (THz) frequency absorption spectra will require insight into how the constituent cellular components contribute to the overall THz signature. In this work, the specific contribution of ribonucleic acid (RNA) to THz spectra is analyzed in detail. Previously, it has only been possible to simulate partial fragments of the RNA (or DNA) structures due to the excessive computational demands. For the first time, the molecular structure of the entire transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule of E. coli was simulated and the associated THz signature was derived theoretically. The tRNA that binds amino acid tyrosine (tRNAtyr) was studied. Here, the molecular structure was optimized using the potential energy minimization and molecular dynamical (MD) simulations. Solvation effects (water molecules) were also included explicitly in the MD simulations. To verify that realistic molecular signatures were simulated, a parallel experimental study of tRNAs of E. coli was also conducted. Two very similar molecules, valine and tyrosine tRNA were investigated experimentally. Samples were prepared in the form of water solutions with the concentrations in the range 0.01-1 mg/ml. A strong correlation of the measured THz signatures associated with valine tRNA and tyrosine tRNA was observed. These findings are consistent with the structural similarity of the two tRNAs. The calculated THz signature of the tyrosine tRNA of E. coli reproduces many features of our measured spectra, and, therefore, provides valuable new insights into bio-agent detection.
Suicide Terrorism, Occupation, and the Globalization of Martyrdom: A Critique of Dying to Win

This article offers a three-pronged critique of Robert A. Pape's book Dying to Win. The first section of the article highlights problems related to the book's definition of key concepts, its assessment of existing research on suicide terrorism, and its presentation of data. The next section challenges the book's argument that suicide attacks have a high success rate of 54 percent. The alternative analysis offered here arrives at a significantly lower success rate of 24 percent. The last section argues that Pape exaggerates the link between occupation and suicide terrorism, especially with regard to the case of Al Qaeda. In this context, a distinction between traditional (localized) and contemporary (globalized) patterns of suicide attacks is introduced. It is argued that the occupation thesis may help explain the traditional (localized) pattern of suicide attacks, but falls short of illuminating the causes of the contemporary “globalization of martyrdom.”
Optical correlators: optical computing that really works

In the past 15 years, a dozen or so designs have been proposed for optical computers. Of these, maybe one-third of them have actually been built and only a few of those tested. This paper will give an overview of some of the systems that have been built as well as mention some promising early and current designs that have not been built. Emphasis will be given to application oriented designs that have been built and tested. This means, of course, that the bulk of the paper is devoted to optical correlators.
Outbreak of Black Root Rot in Catharanthus roseus Caused by Thielaviopsis basicola.

A bedding plant grower in southwest Florida reported severe losses in potted Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) transplanted on various dates in December 1997. Symptoms included yellowing ...
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Influence of Cluster Geometry on Formation of C60 Fullerene Clusters in Aqueous Solution

We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of linear (1-dimensional), planar (2-dimensional), and icosahedral (3-dimensional) clusters of C60 fullerenes in aqueous solution in order to investigate the influence of cluster geometry on their free energy of formation. As was found in our previous study of the potential of mean force (PMF) as a function of separation for a single pair of fullerenes in aqueous solution, the interaction between fullerenes for all cluster geometries was dominated by direct fullerene−fullerene interactions and not by water-induced hydrophobic interactions. A coarse-grained implicit solvent (CGIS) potential, given by the PMF for the fullerene pair in water obtained from atomistic simulations, was found to describe well the free energy of formation of the linear cluster, indicating that many-body effects, i.e., the influence of neighboring fullerenes on the water-induced interaction between a fullerene pair, are negligible for the 1-dimensional geometry. For the 2-d...
The Taxing of the Clergy in Eighteenth-Century France

If after many years of scholarship and controversy, the French Revolution is to be seen, with Georges Lefebvre, as preeminently the revolution of equality, and its most important achievement the substitution of a bourgeois and individualistic social order for the former aristocratic and corporatist one, the nature of eighteenth-century corporate or “constituted bodies” becomes a major area for research. There are many questions which the historian would like to ask about these aristocratic institutions, but generally these questions fall into two groups: the relationship of these bodies to society as a whole, and their inner cohesiveness. By examining the taxation of the clergy in eighteenth-century France, we investigate the chief temporal characteristic of the ecclesiastical estate and are in a position to evaluate both its relationship to French society as a whole and its internal strengths and weaknesses.
Shot overlap model-based fracturing for edge-based OPC layouts

In this paper, we develop a novel fracturing algorithm with shot overlap that is tailored towards rectilinear masks, such as those generated via edge based OPC software. Our proposed fracturing algorithm generates both the location and dosage of shots given the mask layout and mask making parameters. In the first step we heuristically cover the mask polygon with overlapping shots. Next, we incorporate the forward scattering and resist model in a least squares problem to compute the best dosage for all shots. Finally, we update the locations of the shot edges by computing the edge placement error between our simulated contour and the desired contour. One unique feature of our algorithm is that it can readily trade off between edge placement error and shot count by adjusting two input parameters. Compared to a commercially available non-overlapping shot software package, for a 400μm×400μm micron SRAM unit with about 1 million polygons, our algorithm results in a 23% reduction in shot count, while increasing the weighted average EPE from 0.7 to 1 nanometers.
Velocity profiles in the exit region of a submerged laminar jet

Abstract Velocity profiles in the exit region (both up- and downstream) have been measured for a submerged liquid jet. Velocity profiles have been determined with a laser Doppler velocimeter and are presented in both the up and downstream portions of the exit region for Reynolds numbers between 5 and 40. Axial velocity traces have also been measured along the jet center-line for Reynolds numbers between 0.25 and 320. It is observed that for Reynolds numbers much above 40 the fluid is not aware of the exit until the exit is actually reached. For Reynolds numbers less than 40 the exit disturbance propagates upstream somewhat, but this effect is not particularly strong for Reynolds numbers greater than 10. For a Reynolds number less than 5, a clearly noticeable blunting and a broadening of the velocity profile occurs at the exit position.
Collisional relaxation Of HF(v = 3,4) By HF, CH4 and CD4

Abstract Direct excitation of overtone vibrations in combination with near-infrared fluorescence detection provides collisional relaxation rate constants for HF( v = 3,4) by HF, CH 4 and CD 4 . Observing fluorescence from a few rotational levels shows that the rotational manifold in HF( v = 4) equilibrates in about half the gas kinetic collision time.
Comparison of EPISTAR and T2*-weighted gadolinium-enhanced perfusion imaging in patients with acute cerebral ischemia

Article abstract-Purpose: To compare echo-planar imaging with signal targeting and alternating radiofrequency (EPISTAR), an arterial spin-labeling technique, to a T 2 *-weighted gadolinium-enhanced (T 2 *-WGE) MR perfusion technique for the evaluation of acute cerebrovascular disease. Method: Twenty-one EPISTAR and T sub 2 *-WGE perfusion studies were performed on 18 patients with the clinical diagnosis of acute stroke (12 men, 6 women, age range 34 to 89 years, mean age 68 years). For qualitative analysis, perfusion studies of both techniques were grouped into categories (hyperperfusion, normal perfusion, delayed perfusion, or absent perfusion) and compared with a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Quantitative analysis was performed using signal intensity measurements in a region of interest that was defined by diffusion-weighted imaging abnormalities. These signal intensity measurements were compared with a mirror region in the contralateral unaffected hemisphere. Signal intensity ratios (infarcted region versus the unaffected contralateral region) were calculated and compared using a paired t test. Results: Qualitative analysis demonstrated agreement between the two techniques in 17 of 21 studies (hyperfusion, n = 3 patients; normal perfusion, n = 3; delayed perfusion, n = 4; and absent perfusion, n = 7). In four studies, the two techniques disagreed when EPISTAR demonstrated absent and T 2 *-WGE perfusion demonstrated delayed perfusion (p > 0.05). Quantitative analysis revealed a mean signal intensity ratio of 0.73 +/- 0.79 for the T 2 *-WGE perfusion technique and 0.69 +/- 0.68 for the EPISTAR technique (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The noninvasive EPISTAR technique can assess perfusion abnormalities similarly to the T 2 *-WGE perfusion technique and may provide a valuable alternative in the diagnosis of acute stroke patients. Differences between the two techniques can be explained by the applied inflow times in the EPISTAR technique. NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 673-679
Heat and mass transfer in a single screw extruder for non-Newtonian materials

Abstract Numerical simulation of the transport processes arising in a single screw extruder for non-Newtonian fluids such as plastics and food is considered. The study is directed mainly at simulating the heat and mass transfer inside the screw channel, for a power-law fluid. Moisture is taken as the species for mass transfer, since it is of particular interest in food processing. Finite difference computations are carried out to solve the governing set of partial differential equations for the velocity, temperature and moisture fields, over a wide range of governing parameters. The variation of viscosity with temperature and moisture is taken into account. The basic physical approach for modeling the complicated heat and mass transfer processes for inelastic non-Newtonian materials is outlined. As an application of this analysis to starchbased food systems, the reactive nature of the food constituents is incorporated by including the rate of reaction (gelatinization) between moisture and food. Results are presented in terms of the velocity, temperature and moisture concentration contours. Strong viscous dissipation effects are found to arise for typical operating conditions. The moisture contours indicate that starch gelatinization typically occurs first at the screw root. The effect of the various governing parameters on pressure build-up within the extruder channel is determined and discussed in terms of the underlying physical processes. Experimental validation of some of the numerical results has been carried out, and the comparisons are quite good. Results are also presented for the residence time distribution (RTD), an important design parameter in extrusion. Though this study considers moisture transport, the basic approach presented may easily be extended to reactions and mass transfer of other species in polymers and in other non-Newtonian materials.
Can Hedonic Store Environments Help Retailers Overcome Low Store Accessibility

A norm in the retailing industry is to select locations and design physical structures that minimize the time and effort associated with patronage. However, Arnold and Reynolds (2003) note that an engaging environment might nullify shoppers’ awareness of the passage of time. Thus, positive consumer experiences triggered primarily by a hedonic retail environment can, in some instances, compensate for other shopping shortcomings, such as the issue of accessibility. This paper explores this phenomenon with an empirical investigation of the relationship between store accessibility and store commitment. Based on commodity theory, we predict and test whether the hedonic level of a store interacts with store accessibility to change the relationship between store accessibility and store commitment.
An invariant infinitesimal theory of motions superposed on a given motion

Abstract : The development is applicable to any material but special attention is given to elastic solids. Included as a special case is an infinitesimal theory of elasticity with the following properties: (1) It is properly invariant under arbitrary (not necessarily infinitesimal) superposed rigid body motions, (2) it reduces by specialization to the theory of rigid bodies undergoing finite motion, and (3) it can be brought into correspondence with the classical linear elasticity through a suitable reinterpretation of the symbols in the constitutive equation of the latter. (Author)
Introduction to the Special Issue on Inequality in the Digital Environment

The purpose of this special issue is to explore social inequalities in the digital environment. The motivation for this issue is derived from the disproportionate focus on technological and economic aspects of the Information Society to the detriment of sociological and cultural aspects. The research presented here falls along three dimensions of inequality. Two papers explore the ways that race orders interaction online. A second pair of papers explores the experiences of technology users with physical and mental disabilities. A final paper looks at gender, and the higher rates of intimate partner violence experienced by women online. Taken as a whole, these five papers highlight some of the ways that the digital environment can reproduce or mitigate inequalities that have been molded and routinized in the physical environment. [...]
Controlling the self-assembly structure of magnetic nanoparticles and amphiphilic block-copolymers: from micelles to vesicles.

We report how to control the self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles and a prototypical amphiphilic block-copolymer composed of poly(acrylic acid) and polystyrene (PAA-b-PS). Three distinct structures were obtained by controlling the solvent−nanoparticle and polymer−nanoparticle interactions: (1) polymersomes densely packed with nanoparticles (magneto-polymersomes), (2) core−shell type polymer assemblies where nanoparticles are radially arranged at the interface between the polymer core and the shell (magneto-core shell), and (3) polymer micelles where nanoparticles are homogeneously incorporated (magneto-micelles). Importantly, we show that the incorporation of nanoparticles drastically affects the self-assembly structure of block-copolymers by modifying the relative volume ratio between the hydrophobic block and the hydrophilic block. As a consequence, the self-assembly of micelle-forming block-copolymers typically produces magneto-polymersomes instead of magneto-micelles. On the other hand, vesicle-for...
Competing electron-phonon interactions and the Peierls instability

We consider a general one-dimensional tight-binding model of interacting phonons and electrons. From this model, we derive the adiabatic potential-energy functional for a system which is not commensurability 2. Terms that have been neglected in previous studies of the Peierls state are found to result in a competition between two types of electron-phonon interaction. This competition can eliminate the Peierls instability or lead to a first-order commensurate-to-commensurate structural phase transition.