cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An fMRI study of violations of social expectations: When people are not who we expect them to be

Abstract The current study examines the effect of violations of social expectancies on the neural substrates of person perception. In an event-related fMRI experiment, participants were presented with the photographs of either Republican or Democrat politicians paired with either typical Republican or Democrat political views (e.g., “wants a smaller government” or “wants liberal supreme court judges”). Subjects were asked to form an impression of the targets using information about both their political affiliation and their political views. Of interest was the contrast between stereotypically congruent trials and stereotypically incongruent trials. The results reveal that brain regions previously involved in mentalizing (i.e., temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex) are preferentially recruited when viewing incongruent social targets.
Confidence Intervals for a Binomial Parameter after Observing No Successes

Abstract The easily computed, one-sided confidence interval for the binomial parameter provides the basis for an interesting classroom example of scientific thinking and its relationship to confidence intervals. The upper limit can be represented as the sample proportion from a number of “successes” in a future experiment of the same sample size. The upper limit reported by most people corresponds closely to that producing a 95 percent classical confidence interval and has a Bayesian interpretation.
Studies on the in vitro and in vivo expression of a dysfunctional α- globin gene

In a black family with members having alpha-thalassemia and hemoglobin H (HbH) disease, a deletion of an AG dinucleotide at the 3' end of exon 1 near the junction with intron 1 was shown previously to produce a dysfunctional alpha-thalassemia gene with a reading frame-shift and a nonsense codon (Safaya S, Rieder RF: J Biol Chem 263:4328-4332, 1988). We have found that the same mutation is responsible for alpha-thalassemia and HbH disease in a second unrelated black family (Bellevue R, Dosik H, Rieder RF: Br J Haematol 41:193-202, 1979). Despite the loss of two nucleotides from the consensus sequence at the 5' splice donor site of intron 1, studies employing an in vitro plasmid-based expression system indicated that the mutant alpha-globin mRNA was spliced normally and expressed in amounts equal to normal alpha-globin mRNA in COS-7 cells. The correct processing of the mRNA in these studies is probably due to the presence of a tandem repeat of the affected AG dinucleotide. However, in reticulocytes from subjects bearing the mutant gene, we were unable to detect any of the abnormal mRNA. These findings suggest that there is accelerated post-transcriptional loss of mRNA bearing a premature terminator codon.
Economic transition and college premium in urban China

Abstract China has recently undergone a series of reforms on higher education aimed at raising the level of human capital. However, relatively little is known about returns to higher education (i.e. college premium) and how it varies across population in China over time. In this paper, we contribute to the literature by examining college premium in urban China during the period of 1995–2002. We also explore the differences in college premium by gender and by sector. To isolate the causal effects of college education, we employ a novel instrumental variable approach based on heteroskedasticity in college decision to circumvent potential endogeneity and measurement error problems. Our results imply a much larger college premium and a greater growth in the college premium relative to their OLS counterparts, consistent with the general literature on returns to education. More interestingly and starkly contrasting to the existing studies using OLS in the Chinese context, our results imply that (1) the college premium is larger for women than for men in the early stage of economic reforms, but the difference decreases and becomes statistically insignificant over time; (2) the college premium is larger for workers in the state-owned enterprises than that in the non-state-owned enterprises during the early stage of economic reforms; this gap is, however, reversed in the later stage. We discuss potential reasons for these results.
A game-theoretic approach to decentralized optimal power allocation for cellular networks

The rapidly growing demand for wireless communication makes efficient power allocation a critical factor in the network's efficient operation. Power allocation in cellular networks with interference, where users are selfish, has been recently studied by pricing methods. However, pricing methods do not result in efficient/optimal power allocations for such systems for the following reason. Because of interference, the communication between the Base Station (BS) and a given user is affected by that between the BS and all other users. Thus, the power vector consisting of the transmission power in each BS-user link can be viewed as a public good which simultaneously affects the utilities of all the users in the network. It is well known (Mas-Colell et al., Microeconomic Theory, Oxford University Press, London, 2002, Chap. 11.C) that in public good economies, standard efficiency theorems on market equilibrium do not apply and pricing mechanisms do not result in globally optimal allocations. In this paper we study power allocation in the presence of interference for a single cell wireless Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network from a game theoretic perspective. We consider a network where each user knows only its own utility and the channel gain from the base station to itself. We formulate the uplink power allocation problem as a public good allocation problem. We present a game form the Nash Equilibria of which yield power allocations that are optimal solutions of the corresponding centralized uplink network.
Behavioral effects of clozapine: Involvement of trace amine pathways in C. elegans and M. musculus

Clozapine is an antipsychotic medication with superior efficacy in treatment refractory schizophrenia. The molecular basis of clozapine's therapeutic profile is not well understood. We studied behavioral effects of clozapine in Caenorhabditis elegans to identify novel pathways that modulate clozapine's biological effects. Clozapine stimulated egg laying in C. elegans in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was clozapine-specific, as it was not observed with exposure to a typical antipsychotic, haloperidol or an atypical antipsychotic, olanzapine. A candidate gene screen of biogenic amine neurotransmitter systems identified signaling pathways that mediate this clozapine-specific effect on egg laying. Specifically, we found that clozapine-induced increase in egg laying requires tyramine biosynthesis. To test the implications of this finding across species, we explored whether trace amine systems modulate clozapine's behavioral effects in mammals by studying trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) knockout mice. Clozapine increased prepulse inhibition (PPI) in wild-type mice. This increase in PPI was abrogated in TAAR1 knockout mice, implicating TAAR1 in clozapine-induced PPI enhancement. In transfected mammalian cell lines, we found no TAAR activation by antipsychotics, suggesting that modulation of trace amine signaling in mice does not occur directly at the receptor itself. In summary, we report a heretofore-unknown role for trace amine systems in clozapine-mediated effects across two species: C. elegans and mice.
Efficient switching window computation for cross-talk noise

In this paper, we present an efficient method for computing switching windows in the presence of delay noise. In static timing analysis, delay noise has traditionally been modeled using a simple switch-factor based noise model and the computation of switching windows is performed using an iterative algorithm where timing window propagation and switch factor updates are computed repeatedly until convergence. It was shown that the worst-case number of iterations required for convergence is O(n), where n is the number of gates in the circuit, resulting in an overall run time of O(n2). It was also shown that the iterations converge to different solutions, depending on the initial assumptions, making it unclear which solution is correct. In this paper, we show that the iterative nature of the problem is due to the switching-factor noise model and the order in which events are evaluated. Based on superposition model, we propose a time-sort based algorithm to compute the impact of delay noise on timing windows. We prove that the proposed algorithm has a run time that is linear with the circuit size. Since the algorithm is non-iterative and does not require initial assumptions, it eliminates the multiple solution problem. We tested the algorithm on a number of designs and show that it achieves significant speedup over the iterative approach.
Real-time digital gauging for process control

Abstract The lack of means to timely measure section dimension and weight per foot of structural and other complex shapes on-line is costly to the steel industry in terms of quality, yield, and productivity. The ability to measure these product characteristics is the first step towards developing an automated dimension control system, as well as providing the operators with critical measurements for process control. The combination of high-speed (20 MHz) detectors, fast electronics, array processors and computers permits real-time digital dimensional gauging. These system attributes are critical for process control during the fabrication of hot structural, circular and sheet products. Systems are described for providing real-time measurements to an accuracy of ± 0.005 cm in dimension and 0.1% in weight per meter. The advantages in isotope real-time gauging are expected to provide a large benefit-to-cost ratio in the metals industry.
Volatile organic compounds in northern New England marine and continental environments during the ICARTT 2004 campaign

[1] Volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements were made during the summer 2004 International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) at Thompson Farm (TF), a continental site 25 km from the New Hampshire coast, and Appledore Island (AI), a marine site 10 km off the Maine coast. The 24 h mean total hydroxyl radical (OH) reactivity (±1σ) for the suite of VOCs was 4.15 (±2.64) s−1 at TF and 2.57 (±1.10) s−1 at AI. The larger range of reactivity at TF was dominated by isoprene and the monoterpenes (mean combined reactivity = 2.01 (±2.57) s−1). The impact of local anthropogenic hydrocarbon sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leakage and fossil fuel evaporation was evident at both sites. During the campaign, a propane flux of 9 (±2) × 109 molecules cm−2 s−1 was calculated from the linear regression of the mean 0100–0400 local time mixing ratios at TF. This is consistent with fluxes observed in 2003 at sites spread throughout the coastal area of New Hampshire indicating that LPG tank leakage is a major hydrocarbon source throughout the region. Net monoterpene fluxes during ICARTT at TF were 6 (±2), 1.8 (±0.4), 1.2 (±0.6), and 0.4 (±0.5) × 109 molecules cm−2 s−1 for α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, and limonene, respectively. Comparison to estimated NO3 and O3 loss rates indicate that gross monoterpene emission rates were approximately double the observed net fluxes at TF and comparable to current monoterpene nighttime emission inventory estimates for the northeast.
11B NQR and NMR studies of lead borates

11 B NQR and NMR studies of crystalline lead diborate (PbO·2B 2 O 3 ) and lead borate glasses have been performed at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). Two NQR lines were detected at 406.7 and 482.5 kHz PbO·2B 2 O 3 , indicating two distinct types of BO 4 units. Quadrupole parameters for both sites were obtained. It is suggested that the NQR spectra of the glasses do not show components due to asymmetric BO 3 units (with one or two non-bridging oxygens) throughout the glass-forming region. However, there exist at least two types of symmetric BO 3 units with slightly different quadrupole parameters.
An experimental investigation on fatigue crack growth of AL6XN stainless steel

Abstract The crack growth behavior of AL6XN stainless steel was experimentally investigated using round compact tension (CT) specimens. The influences of the R -ratio (the ratio of the minimum load over the maximum applied load in a cycle), the tensile and compressive overloads, and the loading sequence on crack growth were studied in detail. The results from the constant-amplitude experiments show a sensitivity of the crack growth rate to the R -ratio. The application of a tensile overload has a profound effect on crack growth, resulting in a significant retardation in the crack propagation rate. A compressive overload (underload) leads to a short-lived acceleration in crack growth. Results from the two-step high–low loading reveal a period of crack growth retardation at the beginning of the lower amplitude step, an effect similar to that of a single overload. A crack driving force parameter together with a modified Wheeler model is found to correlate the crack growth experiments well.
Philipp Otto Runge and the Mythology of Landscape

Philipp Otto Runge, with C. D. Friedrich the greatest German painter of the Romantic period, has not yet met with an evaluation equal to his importance in the history of ideas.1 It is true that upon his “rediscovery,” almost a century after his death, he was hailed, because of his treatment of light and color, as a forerunner of the great Impressionists; and his relation to Nature was interpreted as foreshadowing the most significant artistic conception of the nineteenth century: the landscape. Today these statements, originally made through the perspective of late Impressionism, will appear to many as an oversimplification. Runge's cautious, essentially linear style, unlike that of his great English contemporaries, seems to point as little forward to Renoir and Monet as backward to the painterly tradition of the preceding centuries. And while from his earliest youth he had spoken with astounding conviction of his mission to create a new art of landscape (Landschaftskunst), he had, strangely enough, calle...
Course Strategies for Clinical Nurse Leader Development

The scope of the clinical nurse leader (CNL) is evolving in practice across the country. The preparation of this pivotal role in a complex healthcare environment has prompted the collaboration of nurse academics, nurse administrators, and clinicians to design unique educational experiences to maximize best practice. Knowledge attained regarding healthcare improvement and patient safety must not only be theoretical, but personal and application focused. Utilizing the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's CNL white paper and published resources faculty developed a clinical leadership course focused on active learning and reflection. Students explore concepts of improvement and quality related to business models of high functioning organizations including healthcare. Three key components of the course are described in detail; "quality is personal", executive interviews and the "5P" clinical microsystems assessment. Evaluation outcomes are discussed. Course content and innovative teaching/learning strategies for CNL are shared which may support the growth of CNL program development nationally.
Boundary element solution of heat convection-diffusion problems

Abstract A boundary element method is described in detail for the solution of two-dimensional steady-state convective heat diffusion problems in homogeneous and isotropic media with both linear and nonlinear boundary conditions. Through an exponential variable transformation, the introduction of fundamental solutions and the use of Green's theorem, the problem is reduced to one involving values of temperature and/or heat flux in the form of an integral only along the boundary. The integral is solved numerically for three examples. Two of them have linear boundary conditions and their numerical results are compared with the corresponding analytical solutions. The other has a nonlinear boundary condition due to heat radiation and an iterative procedure is applied to obtain the numerical solution. The fictitious source formulation leading to the boundary element solution of the same problems is discussed as an alternative. The extension of the method to formulate transient and/or three-dimensional convective heat diffusion problems is also described, and the relevant fundamental solutions are given. Finally, the exponential variable transformation is applied to construct a functional of variational principle which leads to developing a finite element formulation of the problems with a banded, symmetric stiffness matrix.
Objective based assessment in a first programming course

This paper is the follow up to a work-in-progress paper presented at FIE 2001 that proposed an objective-based pedagogy in a first programming course. The goal of the project was to develop specific objectives for the students to achieve in a first course in programming and to assess the students directly against those objectives. Each student's grade in the course depends solely upon how many objectives he or she has achieved. This paper presents the refinements of the objectives and the pedagogy along with a detailed assessment of the final method The refinements are a direct result of comments received at FIE 2001 and from the second author's experience in teaching the course during the fall semester of 2001. The changes made to the previously published method are designed to more closely match the objectives with the overall goals of the first course in programming at Loras College and to make the course more manageable for the instructor. It was found that some objectives are important enough to be required and that the number of attempts at an objective should be limited.
Integration of New Males into Four Social Groups of Tufted Capuchins (Cebus apella)

We examined how aggressive, affiliative, and sexual behavior function to integrate male capuchins (Cebus apella) into a new social group. Nine males were exchanged among four social groups. We performed instantaneous scans and all-occurrence sampling during baseline, introduction, and follow-up periods. The study included three different introduction situations: 1) males familiar to one another were introduced to a group with no other adult male, 2) males unfamiliar to one another were introduced to a group with no other adult male, and 3) males familiar to one another were introduced to a group with an existing elderly, resident male. Severe aggression occurred in situations 2 and 3, but the introductions were peaceful in situation 1. In all cases proceptive females were among the first individuals to affiliate with the males, and males did not appear to compete for access to proceptive females. Following their period of proceptivity, the females that had cycled remained preferred social partners for the males. Immature animals also quickly affiliated with the new males, and the males tolerated the attention from immatures. Affiliative relationships between the males and nonproceptive females developed slowly, and while male-female aggression was mild, aggression among adult males ( familiar and unfamiliar) had the potential to be severe.
Intrinsic optical-fiber sensor for nerve agent sensing

A novel chemical-sensing technique to detect the nerve agent sarin stimulant dimethylmethylphosphonate (DMMP) is presented. This technique uses a combination of doped polypyrrole as an active chemical material coated on an optical fiber to form an intrinsic fiber-optic sensor. Sensitivity of up to 26 ppm of DMMP with response time of a few seconds is demonstrated. Influence of three different dopants, i.e., 1,5 naphthalene disulphonic acid, anthraquinone 2 sulphonic acid, and hydrochloric acid is investigated for sensor response and sensitivity. Two polymer processing techniques, i.e., in situ deposition and monomer vapor phase deposition is investigated for optimal polypyrrole morphology for DMMP sensitivity. The influence of substrate nature, i.e., hydrophilic and hydrophobic, on sensor sensitivity is studied. Organophosphate specific binding sites have been created in polypyrrole structure using Cu/sup 2+/ ions to enhance DMMP response. The selectivity issue is addressed by testing the sensor in the presence of other gases like ammonia, water vapor, and acetone which influence the electronic properties of polypyrrole.
Leadership for Transformative Change: Lessons From Technology-Mediated Reform in Broad-Access Colleges

ABSTRACTCommunity colleges and broad-access 4-year institutions can serve the vital function of increasing educational equity in the United States, but only if they engage in organizational change to address low completion rates. Drawing on qualitative case studies of 6 colleges, this study explored the influence of different types of leadership approaches on the implementation of a technology-mediated advising reform and assessed which types of leadership were associated with transformative organizational change. In-person interviews were conducted with 101 college administrators, faculty, and staff, and follow-up interviews were conducted with 88 participants. Using Heifetz’s theory of adaptive change, we found that transformative change requires multitiered leadership with a unified commitment to a shared vision for the reform and its goals. In addition, although we found that upper-level institutional leaders and midlevel project leaders both had important roles to play, the role of midlevel project l...
The challenges of managed care.

Inpatient general hospital psychiatry, facing increasingly complex cases and severely ill patients, must cope with pressures from managed care that make it difficult to develop a responsive care model.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF OXYTOCIN AND VASOPRESSIN(ANTIDIURETIC HORMONE) IN THE NEUROHYPOPHYSIS OF THE CAMEL1

THE first serious effort to estimate the total quantity of oxytocin and vasopressin in the important hypothalamic divisions of the neurohypophysis in comparison with the posterior lobe was made some years ago by Hild and Zetler (1951-52). Although most of the subsequent observations of these authors were made in dog tissues, the distribution of the hormones in the hypothalamus and posterior lobe was also investigated in the hog and ox and in man. Similar studies, undertaken later in the dog by improved methods (van Dyke, Adamsons and Engel, 1955) have required modification of some of the conclusions reached by Hild and Zetler. These improved methods have been used for investigating the distribution of the hormones in the hypothalamus and posterior lobe of camels (Camelus dromedarius) from the Algerian Sahara which were used for water balance studies by two of the authors (Schmidt-Nielsen et al., 1955). The unique ability of this large mammal to withstand water-deprivation suggested that the estimation of ...
The effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health

Hypertension (HTN) is the most common disease found in patients in primary care [JNC-7 Guidelines. The seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Hyper 2003;42:1206.]. It eventually requires medication if lifestyle modifications are not initiated or do not control the blood pressure well enough. The majority of patients would prefer not to have to be medicated to manage their disease, and HTN can be found to be a comorbidity along with diabetes, CAD, and many other cardiovascular diseases. Adverse effects, forgetfulness and patient ignorance are multiple reasons for the hesitancy to begin drug management. Pomegranate juice is rich in tannins, possesses anti-atherosclerotic properties, has anti-aging effects, and potent anti-oxidative characteristics. As some antioxidants have been shown to reduce blood pressure, the purpose of this review was to discover the effect of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Pomegranate juice consumption may reduce systolic blood pressure, inhibits serum ACE activity, and is convincingly a heart-healthy fruit [Aviram M, Dornfeld L. Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Athero 2001;158:195-8.]. More clinical research is needed as a number of the studies discussed include small sample sizes and few studies seem to have been undertaken in the recent 5-10 years.
Total lymphoid irradiation, high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation for chemotherapy-resistant Hodgkin's disease☆

Abstract Seventeen patients with advanced stage Hodgkin's disease who relapsed or failed to respond to multiple regimens of combination chemotherapy (mostly Mechlorethamine, Vincristine, Procarbarzine, Prednisone and Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) were treated with accelerated hyperfractionated total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (AuBMT). Candidates for the protocol did not have prior radiation therapy and had no evidence of bone marrow involvement. Their bone marrow was initially harvested and cryopreserved. The treatment protocol consisted of reinduction with conventional doses of combination chemotherapy followed by boost local field irradiation to areas of residual disease (1500 cGy within 5 days) and total lymphoid irradiation (2004 cGy given in 12 fractions of 167 cGy each t.i.d. delivered within 4 days). The patients were treated with Etoposide (250 mg/m 2 /day I.V. × 3 days) and high-dose Cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/day LV. × 2 days). Cryopreserved (unpurged) autologous bone marrow was infused 48 hr after completion of chemotherapy. Of the 17 patients treated, four were in relapse and 13 refractory to multiple regimens of combination chemotherapy. Four patients died during the immediate peritransplant period (2-septicemia, 2-pulmonary complications). Of the 13 surviving patients, 12 entered a complete remission and one had a partial remission and died of disease 6 months later. One patient relapsed 5 months after treatment and is currently alive with disease. Eleven patients (65%) are alive with no evidence of disease 4–35 months (median 20 months) following completion of therapy. Treatment with this protocol results in a high rate of complete remission and a potential for long-term disease-free survival in previously unirradiated patients with advanced stage refractory or relapsed Hodgkin's disease who have exhausted conventional modes of chemotherapy.
Insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins in femoral and vertebral bone marrow stromal cells: Expression and regulation by thyroid hormone and dexamethasone

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is an important regulator of bone metabolism. Clinical observations suggest that different anatomic sites within the adult skeleton respond differently to hormonal and therapeutic treatment, and recent studies on bone marrow stromal cells in culture show that there are skeletal site-dependent differences in the gene expression of IGF-I. The actions of IGF-I and -II on bone cells are known to be modulated by the IGF binding proteins (IGFBP)-1 through -6 and the Type I and Type II IGF receptors. Therefore, we compared the expression of IGFBP-1 through -6 in adult female rat bone marrow stromal cell cultures derived from two separate skeletal sites: vertebrae and femurs. The cultures were maintained simultaneously under conditions that support osteoblast differentiation from osteoprogenitors present in the femoral and vertebral marrow cell populations. We also addressed whether IGFBP messenger RNA levels are regulated by thyroid hormone (T(3)) and dexamethasone (dex) treatment in femoral vs. vertebral marrow stromal cells in vitro, since steroid hormones play an important role in skeletal function. Northern blot analyses revealed that there are distinct skeletal site differences in the gene expression of IGFBPs. The vertebral marrow cultures express IGFBP-2 through -6 mRNAs, with IGFBP-2, IGFBP-4, and IGFBP-6 mRNAs predominating. The femoral marrow stromal cell cultures express only IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-6. Importantly, vertebral marrow cultures have much higher IGFBP mRNA steady-state levels than femoral cultures for all the detected IGFBP transcripts. IGFBP-1 is not detected in either femoral or vertebral cultures. In addition to a skeletal site difference, we show that T(3) and dex regulate the expression of specific IGFBP mRNAs. T(3) treatment also upregulates IGF-I protein secretion by vertebral marrow stromal cell cultures. Interestingly, the type I receptor for IGF-I was expressed equivalently in cultures from the two skeletal sites. These findings have important implications for the anatomical site specificities of hormonal responses that are noted in the skeleton.
Correlation Between the Microstructure and Forces Generated During Friction Stir Processing of AA5052

The microstructure of friction stir processed AA5052 sheets is investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Orientation Imaging Microscopy. The correlation between the generated forces during processing and the microstructure is evaluated. Observations indicate that the finest microstructure are achieved when the plunging forces are at minimum.
Embedded real-time video decompression algorithm and architecture for HDTV applications

DCT/IDCT bared source coding and decoding techniques are widely accepted in HDTV systems and other MPEG based applications. In this paper, we propose a new direct 2-D IDCT algorithm bared on the parallel divide-and-conquer approach. The algorithm distributes computation by considering one transformed coefficient at a time and doing partial computation and updating as every coefficient arrives. A novel parallel and fully pipelined architecture with an effective processing time of one cycle per pixel for an N/spl times/N size block is designed to implement the algorithm. An unique feature of this architecture is that it integrates inverse-shuffling, inverse-quantization, inverse-source-coding, and motion-compensation into a single compact data-path. We avoid the insertion of a FIFO between the bit-stream decoder and decompression engine. The entire block of pixel values are sampled in a single cycle for post-processing after de-compression. Also, we use only (N/2(N/2+1))/2 multipliers and N/sup 2/ adders. >
A capstone design course [electrical engineering]

A capstone electrical engineering design course has been developed at the University of San Diego with the goal of providing students with the opportunity to: study design alternatives and select a design responsive to a request for proposal; sell the design concept to a panel of independent evaluators with a written proposal and oral presentations; obtain experience in design within a cooperating group; and completely fabricate and document a working electronic system. While innovation is not overtly discouraged, emphasis is placed upon satisfactory completion of a working product with the time constraints of a two semester course which spans one summer. The course is intended not only to provide a meaningful design experience but also to accomplish a confidence-building transition to the role of practicing engineer.
Simplified models of superconducting-normal-superconducting junctions and their numerical approximations

When a thin layer of normal (non-superconducting) material is placed between layers of superconducting material, a superconducting-normal-superconducting junction is formed. This paper considers a model for the junction based on the Ginzburg{Landau equations as the thickness of the normal layer tends to zero. The model is rst derived formally by averaging the unknown variables in the normal layer. Rigorous convergence is then established, as well as an estimate for the order of convergence. Numerical results are shown for one-dimensional junctions.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe and refractory lupus: Analysis after five years and fifteen patients

Objective To determine the safety and long-term efficacy of immune ablation and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Fifteen patients with persistently active SLE after intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CYC) therapy underwent HSCT. Stem cells were mobilized with CYC (2.0 gm/m2) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (5 μg/kg/day). Lymphocytes were depleted from the graft by selection of CD34-positive cells. The conditioning regimen used was CYC (200 mg/kg), antithymocyte globulin (90 mg/kg), and methylprednisolone (3 mg/kg). Outcome was evaluated by the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), serum complement levels, serologic features, function of diseased organs, and immunosuppressive medication requirements. Results Fifteen patients with persistent, severe SLE, 7 of whom were critically ill, were treated. No deaths occurred following treatment. The median followup after HSCT has been 36 months (range 12–66 months). All patients demonstrated a gradual, but marked, improvement. The SLEDAI score has declined to ≤5 in 12 patients. Complement and anti–double-stranded DNA levels have normalized and marked improvements in end organ function have occurred in all subjects. Of the 12 patients followed up for >1 year after HSCT, 10 have discontinued immunosuppressive medications, and the prednisone dosage has been tapered to 15 mg/day in 1. Only 2 patients have demonstrated clinical evidence of recurrence of active lupus. One of these patients currently requires no immunosuppressive medication and has a normal performance status. The other patient is currently receiving IV CYC. Conclusion In patients experiencing the persistence of organ-threatening lupus following standard, aggressive therapy, HSCT may be performed safely, with marked improvement and sustained withdrawal of all immunosuppressive medication for most patients. A phase III randomized trial is warranted to determine the relative efficacy and durability of remission of HSCT compared with standard therapies.
On the Importance of Cognitive Evaluation as a Determinant of Interpersonal Attraction.

Three studies examined a model of attraction in which the cognitive evaluation of the target individual was the primary determinant of interpersonal attraction. In Study 1, the cognitive evaluation of the target individual mediated the influence of attitude similarity on interpersonal attraction. In Study 2, a path analysis revealed significant indirect effects of (a) similarity on cognitive evaluation via the valence of information implied by attitudes and (b) the valence of information implied by attitudes on attraction via cognitive evaluation of the target. Study 3 provided empirical and theoretical support for the uniqueness of interpersonal attraction from cognitive evaluation. The implications of these data for existing attraction theory are discussed, and a new model of interpersonal attraction is described.
Majorants of functions with vanishing integrals over balls

We prove the existence of nontrivial functions in ℝn, n ≥ 2, with vanishing integrals over balls of fixed radius and given majorant of growth.
A multi-channel atmospheric correction algorithm for remote sensing of coastal waters

In order to make reliable estimates of chlorophyll concentrations and suspended matter in the ocean, accurate retrievals of water leaving reflectances are required. The present operational atmospheric correction algorithms work reasonably well over clear ocean areas but gives incorrect results over brighter coastal waters. This is mainly due to the fact that the turbid waters are not dark for the two atmospheric correction channels centered near 0.75 and 0.86 mum. Operational ocean products have not yet been derived over turbid waters and shallow waters with bottom reflection from remotely sensed data, such as the SeaWiFS and MODIS data. We have developed a multi-channel atmospheric correction algorithm for remote sensing of coastal waters. In this algorithm, aerosol models and optical depths are determined by a spectrum-matching technique utilizing channels located at wavelengths longer than 0.86 mum where the ocean surface is dark. Here we describe briefly the algorithm and present sample results.
Avoiding the crowds: the evolution of plastic responses to seasonal cues in a density-dependent world

Summary Across a range of organisms, life-history transitions can be triggered by specific levels of seasonal cues, such as day length or temperature. This acts to regulate the life cycle relative to seasonal fluctuations, so that, for example, reproduction occurs when resources are most abundant. At an environmentally optimal cue level, individuals might be selected to respond in a similar way, and consequently abruptly increase population density through, for example, the production of offspring. However, if density dependence is operating, crowding will reduce individual fitness, and selection will then favour life-history transitions at different cue levels. We explore the eco-evolutionary dynamics that result from the interaction between density dependence and phenology using a life-history model of an annual plant and focus on the timing of seed germination within the year. We characterize the adaptive dynamics of the mean and variance across the year of germination timing. Our results indicate that, even in predictably varying environments, mean timing of germination is not evolutionarily stable, but may experience evolutionary branching if variance in germination timing is sufficiently constrained. Unpredictably varying environments extend contexts where this is the case. Synthesis. Even if there is a restricted time period in the year during which environmental conditions are most appropriate for germination, observed timing of germination might be very diverse. Density dependence selects for persistence of traits conferring variance in timing across the year and additionally can lead to evolutionary branching of mean germination timing, resulting in multiple coexisting genotypes corresponding to different mean germination timings.
Small Mammal Survival and Downed Wood at Multiple Scales in Managed Forests

Conservation of small mammals requires knowledge of ecologically meaningful spatial scales (e.g., individuals or populations) at which species respond to habitat heterogeneity. Between July and October of 1998, we sampled small mammals, understory vegetation, and downed wood (DW) at multiple scales (trap sites, 1-hectare forest patches, and stands) in 2 Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in western Oregon. Our objectives were to determineifDWorunderstoryvegetationvariedamongorwithinforestpatchesoramongforeststandsandwhether variation in survival of small mammals coincided with the scale in which these varied. Understory vegetation explained most of the variation within patches, but did not vary among patches or stands. Survival of the 2 most abundant species, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and creeping vole (Microtus oregoni), also varied within patches by differing among individual home ranges, and was most related to DW volume (cubic meters per 0.01hectare)andherbandgasscover(%).Survivalofdeermicewasexplainedbya2nd-degreepolynomialfunction of DW within individual home ranges, and peaked at 2.0 m 3 per 0.01 ha. Survival of creeping voles was dependent on a negative loge function of DW within home ranges, and was highest in home ranges lacking DW. Our results demonstrate that these species may not be generalists, as previously suspected, but rather specialists tied to specific amounts of particular habitat components within home ranges. We recommend that future studies of relationships betweensmallmammalsandhabitatsconsidermultiplespatialscalesthatareecologicallymeaningfulforthespecies of interest (e.g., home ranges), and examine demographic parameters including survival.
Degenerate four-wave mixing spectroscopy based on two dimensional pulse shaping

Degenerate, noncollinear, optically heterodyned, spectrally resolved, multidimensional femtosecond χ(3) measurements are executed with waveforms, delays, and spectral phases and amplitudes of all fields controlled by a single active device in a fully phase matched beam geometry.
Mind and Guise

CastaŇeda has developed an intricate ontology of mind and its place in the world order. Consciousness is nothing but intentionality, CastaŇeda holds, and the ontological structure of intentionality is simply that of a dyadic relation, a relation between a person and a proposition or state of affairs. To make good on this straightforward, traditional analysis of mental acts, CastaŇeda appeals to a less straightforward ontology of individuals and properties, his ontology of guises. His guise ontology is in some ways Meinongian, and his analysis of intentionality is even more Meinongian. His resulting ontology of mind and world is a form of (onto-)logical atomism and also a brand of neutral monism.
Michigan Local Governments Continue Seeking, and Receiving, Union Concessions

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments on a range of issues regarding public employee unions in their jurisdictions. The findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2011-2013 waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
Catholics' Use of Abortion

This study considers the methodological difficulties involved in studying abortion behavior and religious preference and uses the conception cohort as a way of handling problems of sampling and comparison. It was hypothesized that Catholic women would havefewer abortions than non-Catholic women according to (1) their proportion in the overall population and (2) their proportion in the pregnant population. Using demographic and medical data collected from hospital records on all abortion patients in the state of Hawaii and all maternity patients during the designated two-month period, a conception cohort was constructed. When the hypothesis was tested using the conception cohort, Catholics werefound to have chosen abortion less often than non-Catholic women. Catholic women had a higher rate of pregnancies, but terminated a smaller proportion of these pregnancies by abortion. No difference was found between Catholics and non-Catholics with respect to gestation time and length of time from discovery of pregnancy to abortion. The relationship between religion and marital fertility has been well studied (Lenski, 1961; Spaeth, 1968; Whelpton, Campbell and Patterson, 1966; Westoff, Potter and Sagi, 1963; Hawthorn, 1970; Westoff and Ryder, 1971; and Westoff and Westoff, 1971). Much of the literature has centered on the relationship between religion, desired family size, and methods of fertility control. Early studies demonstrated a clear relationship between religiousness of Catholics and higher desired family size (Westoff, Potter, Sagi, Mishler, 1961; Campbell, Freedman, Whelpton, 1956), which in turn was found to be related to greater reliance of Catholics on the rhythm method of birth control, or a general avoidance of fertility control measures (Westoff, Potter, Sagi, and Mishler, 1961). The latest study (Westoffet al., 1973) suggests a new convergence between Protestant and Catholic family size preferences. Also, a recent opinion poll (Gallup, 1971) reported only 28% of the Catholics and 22% of the Protestants saying four or more is the ideal number of children. These findings suggest that the Catholic Church's teachings regarding fertility control have had some impact upon both attitudes and behavior, although the latest evidence suggests the possibility that this impact is diminishing. In recent years the Church has expressed firm opposition to abortion, and Catholic clergy have been active in political efforts to forestall the legalization or
Deploying power grid-integrated electric vehicles as a multi-agent system

Grid-Integrated Vehicles (GIVs) are plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles (EDVs) with power-management and other controls that allow them to respond to external commands sent by power-grid operators, or their affiliates, when parked and plugged-in to the grid. At a bare minimum, such GIVs should respond to demand-management commands or pricing signals to delay, reduce or switch-off the rate of charging when the demand for electricity is high. In more advanced cases, these GIVs might sell both power and storage capacity back to the grid in any of the several electric power markets --- a concept known as Vehicle-to-Grid power or V2G power.Although individual EDVs control too little power to sell in the market at an individual level, a large group of EDVs may form an aggregate or coalition that controls enough power to meaningfully sell, at a profit, in these markets. The profits made by such a coalition can then be used by the coalition members to offset the costs of the electric vehicles and batteries themselves. In this paper we describe an implemented and deployed multi-agent system that is used to integrate EDVs into the electricity grid managed by PJM, the largest transmission service operator in the world. We provide a brief introduction to GIVs and the various power markets and discuss why multi-agent systems are a good match for this application.
Parallelization of gradient-based iterative image reconstruction scheme

To increase the speed of gradient based iterative image reconstruction schemes we have implemented parallel execution algorithms on a heterogeneous cluster of workstations. A dynamic and a static process allocation scheme are introduced and discussed.
Applying language translation at a global enterprise level

In 2007 we presented a paper that described the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Translation (MT) for the automated translation of process build instructions from English to other languages to support Ford's assembly plants in non-English speaking countries. This project has continued to evolve with the addition of new languages and improvements to the translation process. However, we discovered that there was a large demand for automated language translation across all of Ford Motor Company and we decided to expand the scope of our project to address these requirements. This paper will describe our efforts to meet all of Ford's internal translation requirements with AI and MT technology and focus on the challenges and lessons that we learned from applying advanced technology across an entire corporation.
All-Optical Hadamard Gate: Direct Implementation of a Quantum Information Primitive

The ultrafast optical spin control techniques described in Chap. 3 were derived under the assumption of the pulses being short compared to the Larmor precession frequency. In practice, however, picosecond-timescale pulses are used, combined with Larmor precession periods of several tens of picoseconds [1, 2]. While lowering the magnetic field and increasing the Larmor precession period would render the picosecond pulses (relatively) ‘shorter’, this would come at the expense of the speed of elementary quantum gates (the Larmor precession acts as one of the fundamental 1-qubit gates). In addition, decreasing the magnetic field lowers the spin readout fidelity, as the filtering of the optical pumping laser becomes more troublesome – we refer to Sect. 3.2.1 and Appendix A.1.1.