cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propulsion System Modeling and Takeoff Distance Calculations for a Powered-Lift Aircraft with Circulation-Control Wing Aerodynamics

The computation of takeoff distance for powered-lift aircraft is complicated because of the coupling of aerodynamic performance (lift, drag and moment coefficients) with forward speed. Cal Poly has developed an analysis procedure to capture this coupling, and the development of this procedure is continuing. In the past year, Cal Poly has completed a Phase I NRA contract from the NASA for the configuration development and modeling of CESTOL aircraft. The primary objective of this contract was to identify an aircraft configuration in enough detail to proceed into a Phase II contract to design and construct a large scale wind tunnel model followed by a wind tunnel test to measure both aerodynamic performance and noise. Four aircraft configurations have been developed, and all but one of the configurations use circulation control wing aerodynamics (CCW) to produce powered-lift aerodynamic effect for the wing. The aircraft configuration selected for the Phase II contract makes extensive use of CCW to develop high lift aerodynamics for takeoff and initial climb and again for final descent and landing. An additional goal for the Phase I project was the CFD modeling of the aerodynamics of a CESTOL aircraft, and to use the CFD results to develop a new aerodynamic meta-model. In addition, a meta-model for propulsion performance was to be developed and the two meta-models were to be integrated into an upgraded takeoff code written in MATLAB. These models all combined were to demonstrate an up-graded version of the Cal Poly takeoff performance procedure. However, at present, the aerodynamics meta-model is not yet complete and work will continue on into Phase II. Thus, no specific takeoff performance is demonstrated in this paper. However, in this paper details of the aircraft configurations are presented, the options available to proceed high pressure air to the wing slots to produce CCW aerodynamics are discussed, the propulsion meta­ model is defined, the analysis procedure for the aerodynamics meta-model is discussed and the up-graded takeoff program is discussed.
Actual imaging slice profile of 2D MRI

It has been known that the actual slice profile of 2D MRI is often far form that of a perfect rectangular shape especially when the flip angle is large. This can be the source of error and image artifact in many MRI experiments. To carefully study this imperfection in RF excitation for various numerically optimized RF pulses, we have implemented an efficient numerical algorithm for simulating the evolution of the magnetization during a MR experiment. The scheme solves the Bloch equation via a numerical procedure that involves only the successive matrix multiplications, which are initialized by the values of RF amplitude and the frequency offset due to the companioning magnetic gradient field. It permits the consideration of the magnetization relaxation processes. The actual slice profile was numerically simulated by solving the Bloch equation for a given RF pulse shape and slice selection field gradient. The simulation results shows that the slice profile is often far from perfect for many commonly used frequency selective RF pulses. As a result of this, the apparent image intensity is an integrated signal over the slice envelope for the transverse magnetization for each pixel, which is an averaged contribution over the entire slice thickness, and can be significantly different than that predicted by the ideal case. As expected, this discrepancy worsens when the flip angle exceeds the flip angle for which the RF pulse was optimized. Furthermore, in the routine diagnostic imaging, because of the non-uniform excitation angle along the slice profile, it generates non-uniform steady state profile and can even alter the resulting image contrast.
Electrochemical Detection of MS2 Phage Using a Bead-based Immunoassay and a NanoIDA

A microbead based sandwich immunoassay for MS2 bacteriophage was developed using an interdigitated array (IDA) electrode with nanoscale dimensions (220 nm electrode width, 620 nm gap). The IDA was fabricated using an electron beam lithographic lift-off technique. After an antibody-assisted capture of MS2 using paramagnetic microbeads, a β-galactosidase labeled secondary antibody was used to convert p-aminophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (PAPG) into the redox active p-aminophenol (PAP). Amperometric detection of PAP with IDA electrodes at +300 and −200 mV vs. a Ag/AgCl reference electrode was used to measure the result, detecting MS2 concentrations as low as 10 ng/mL.
A spectrophotometric method of determining sulphuric acid concentration

Abstract A spectrophotometric method of determining the per cent sulphuric acid in the concentration range 85 to 99 % sulphuric acid was developed. It provides a rapid easy way of determining the concentration of sulphuric acid to within about ± 0.3 %. Quinalizarin is used as the colourforming reagent.
Neural responses of rats in the forced swimming test: [F-18]FDG micro PET study

The forced swimming test (FST) is a widely used tool in the assessment of behavioral despair and prediction of response to antidepressants. However, the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral changes between pretest and test sessions of the FST remain unclear. In this study, we investigated changes in rat brain activity during the FST using [F-18]Fluorodeoxyglucose micro PET. In both pretest and test sessions, the activity of the cerebellum and striatum increased, whereas significant deactivation was observed in the hippocampus, inferior colliculus, orbital cortex, and insula. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) region activated markedly in the pretest session, but did not activate in the test session. There was a significant increase in immobility and a decrease in climbing during the behavioral analysis test session. These results suggest that the PAG region may play an important role in the modulation of FST coping strategies subsequent to failure of the escape response during the pretest session.
Approximate solutions of the Bloch equations for selective excitation

Abstract Approximate solutions to the Bloch equations for selective excitation are derived using a perturbation method. High-order terms are analyzed, employing some special properties of corresponding multidimensional integrals. It is found that for excitation by a symmetric RF pulse applied in the presence of a field gradient the spin nutation angle as a function of the off-resonance frequency is approximately proportional to the Fourier dine transform of the RF function. This result is more accurate than the common assumption that the transverse magnetization as a function of the off resonance frequency is approximately proportional to the Fourier transform of the RF function. This analysis is useful for understanding the behaviors of both spin-inversion and phase-reversal 180° selective RF pulses as well as selective-excitation pulses, and it also offers insight to the problems of designing better selective RF pulses.
Low-Cost Multispectral Aerial Imaging using Autonomous Runway-Free Small Flying Wing Vehicles

Aerial imaging has become very important to areas like remote sensing and surveying. However, it has remained expensive and difficult to obtain with high temporal and spatial resolutions. This paper presents a method to retrieve georeferenced aerial images by using a small UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Obtaining aerial images this way is inexpensive, easy-to-use and allows for high temporal and spatial resolutions. New and difficult problems are introduced by the small image footprint and the inherent errors from an inexpensive compact inertial measurement unit (IMU). The small image footprint prevents us from using the features from the images to help negate the errors from the IMU, which is done in conventional methods. Our method includes: using the data from the IMU to georeference the images, projecting the images on the earth and using a man-in-the-loop approach to minimize the error from the IMU. Sample results from our working system are presented for illustration.
Error bounds for continued fractionsK(1/bn)

A priori truncation error bounds are obtained for continued fractions of the formK(1/b n),b n complex. The error bounds are easily applied to the case whenb n?0 asn??. A numerical example involving the complex error function is given.
Ameloblastoma and Keratinizing Ameloblastoma in Dogs

Ameloblastomas reviewed in this report were locally invasive neoplasms arising from the epithelial structures of the dental lamina, and were characterized histologically by features which are unique to dental lamina epithelium. These include the formation of epithelial sheets in which the cells nearest the stroma form a palisading row aligned perpendicularly to the basement membrane and the cells toward the center separate from each other except at desmosomal attachments. This is similar to the appearance of th stellate reticulum of the early enamel organ. Other features include epithelial cords which branch and interconnect, and the intimate association of epithelial structures and collagenous matrix. In our dogs, other important features were the deposition of inclusions similar in appearance to enamel matrix between the cells of the epithelium and various degrees of keratinization. All ameloblastomas studied were locally invasive tumors which occurred at various sites on the gingiva. The average age of the dogs was 8.7 years and the age range was three to 13 years. Radiographically, all of the tumors studied resulted in periodontal osteolysis. Six dogs were treated with radiation therapy, but details of the radiotherapy of two dogs could not be located. Of the other four dogs, one is alive 48 months after radiotherapy with no evidence of tumor regrowth. Regrowth of the oral tumor was apparent in the other three dogs six, 21, and 34 months after completion of the radiotherapy. Three dogs were treated by radical mandibulectomy; all are alive with no evidence of tumor recurrence at two, 20, and 28 months postoperatively. Two dogs had local dissection (curettage) of tumors and the tumors recurred at 12 and 15 months after surgery. One dog was euthanatized after diagnosis of the oral tumor because of a progressive neuropathy.
Neurofibrillary tangles in Niemann-Pick disease type C.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disease, belonging to a clinically heterogeneous group of lipid storage diseases, distinguished by a unique error in cellular trafficking of exogenous cholesterol, associated with lysosomal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol. Unlike Niemann-Pick disease types A and B, there is no primary genetic defect in sphingomyelinase in NPC. During the routine neuropathological study of NPC patients, we found neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in a series of cases with a slowly progressive chronic course. These were not associated with β-amyloid deposits. The NFT were most frequent in the orbital gyrus, cingulate gyrus and entorhinal region of the cerebral cortex, but were also frequently found in the basal ganglia, thalamus and hypothalamus. In one of the most severely affected case, the NFT were even found in the neurons in the inferior olivary nucleus and in the spinal cord. The NFT were immunostained with Alz 50, and cosisted of paired helical filaments. The distribution of the neurons bearing the NFT was generally similar to that of the swollen storage neurons, and storage neurons often contained NFT in their perikarya and/or in the meganeurites. However, neurons with NFT could be noted without swollen perikarya. The coexistence of neuronal storage and NFT in NPC without amyloid deposits suggests that perturbed cholesterol metabolism and/or lysosomal membrane trafficking may play a role in the formation of NFT, and that amyloid deposits are not necessarily the prerequisite for NFT formation. The results of our study also suggest that NFT formation may be a rather nonspecific cellular reaction of neurons to certain slowly progressive metabolic perturbations of an as yet undefined nature.
Scanning Thermal Wave Microscopy (STWM)

This paper presents a technique, scanning thermal wave microscopy (STWM), which can image the phase lag and amplitude of thermal waves with sub-micrometer resolution by scanning a temperature-sensing nanoscale tip across a sample surface. Phase lag measurements during tip-sample contact showed enhancement of tip-sample heat transfer due to the presence of a liquid film. The measurement accuracy of STWM is proved by a benchmark experiment and comparison to theoretical prediction. The application of STWM for sub-surface imaging of buried structures is demonstrated by measuring the phase lag and amplitude distributions of an interconnect via sample. The measurement showed excellent agreement with a finite element analysis offering the promising prospects of three-dimensional thermal probing of micro and nanostructures. Finally, it was shown that the resolving power of thermal waves for subsurface structures improves as the wavelengths of the thermal waves become shorter at higher modulation frequencies.
Use of characteristics for boundaries in time dependent finite difference analysis of multidimensional gas dynamics

Relations form the theory of characteristics are used to connect boundary and interior points in the numerical analysis of multidimensional, unsteady gas dynamics. Since specification of all variables on the boundaries does not occur, it is necessary to employ at least some of the differential equations for boundary points. The objective is to avoid the use of non-central finite differences and the subsequent generation of a pseudo-boundary layer. Boundaries consisting of a moving shock wave, a solid wall and a surface in a supersonic, downstream region are considered. The numerical procedure for determining variables on boundaries is described in datail for the hypersonic, blunt body problem.
Comparison of Millon Personality Profiles of Chronic Residential Substance Abusers and a General Outpatient Population

Several theories and studies have suggested that particular personality disorders or psychiatric symptoms should be associated with substance abuse. The current study was done to clarify these relationships by comparing scale profiles on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory obtained by 144 inpatient residentially treated substance-abuse clients and 1000 general clinical outpatient clients in psychotherapy. A surprisingly large number of significant differences were noted. Substance-abuse clients displayed relative elevations on scales for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Hypomania, Antisocialism, Narcissism, Schizoidism, Paranoia, Psychotic Thinking, and Psychotic Delusions. General clinical outpatients showed relative elevations on Anxiety, Somatoform, Dysthymia, Borderline, and Compulsive scales. Some possible meanings of these findings were explored and suggestions for research given.
Semi-open percutaneous tracheostomy in burn patients.

Abstract Introduction We describe a semi-open approach to percutaneous tracheostomy as an effective and potentially safer alternative to open tracheostomy or percutaneous techniques in burn patients. Methods We identified patients who underwent the modified technique from 2005 to 2007. Our method used a 2–3 cm incision and limited dissection to the pretracheal fascia. A needle was used to enter the trachea and insert a guidewire. The trachea was then dilated using a ‘Blue Rhino’ dilator. The remainder of the procedure was performed according to standard technique. Results 39 patients were identified. 30 of these cases were performed at the bedside. The average time to tracheostomy was 19 days. The average total body surface area involved was 42%. 51% of patients had burns of the neck. Five patients had burns over the stomal site. Of these five, three required autografting prior to tracheostomy. There were no deaths related to the procedure and the only complication was intraoperative hemorrhage in one patient, which was readily controlled. Conclusion The semi-open modification of the percutaneous tracheostomy combines the convenience and minimally invasive advantages of the percutaneous technique with the better surgical control of the airway afforded by the traditional open technique.
Static-progressive Splinting in under 25 Minutes and 25 Dollars

Wrist stiffness can occur after injury to the wrist and surrounding structures. Frequently hand therapists treat this stiffness with static-progressive splinting techniques in an attempt to lengthen shortened tissues through tissue growth and collagen reorganization. The hand therapist’s goal is to fabricate a splint that effectively increases range of motion in a timely and cost-effective manner. Through creative images, these authors illustrate their fabrication of a static-progressive wrist extension and/or flexion splint that is cost effective and can be fabricated in 22 minutes.—V ictoria P riganc , PhD, OTR, CHT, CLT, Practice Forum Editor
A Novel Overlay-Based Failure Detection Architecture for MANET Applications

Abstract-Node failures and message losses are frequent in MANETs. This paper proposes a novel overlay-based architecture for MANET applications to ensure that if a node fails, all the other nodes will be notified. Nodes form a self-organizing overlay network that is overlayed on the physical network. In an overlay network, a set of nodes, called detectors, periodically sense each other's heartbeat messages. Every detector also senses the heartbeat messages of a set of nodes. If a detector does not hear from a node after a timeout (possibly due to node failure or message loss), it identifies the failure of the node according to a set of failure detection rules and then reports the failure to all the other nodes. A simulation is done to demonstrate scalability and to compute the number of non-failed nodes declared as failed. Finally, we describe a use case for recovery in a conferencing situation in MANETs.
EFFECTS OF pH AND TEMPERATURE ON VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF CARDAMOM

SUMMARY Decorticated cardamom seeds were subjected to conditions typical of consumer utilization practices. These involved timed exposures to temperatures as high as 205°Cand to solution pH's from 2–8. Changes in the volatile constituents were followed by gas-liquid chromatographic analyses of the cardamom seed extracts. Temperatures above 149°C and increasing hydrogen ion concentration caused marked changes in composition of the volatile oils of this spice. The effects of pH and temperature environments typical of products in which cardamom is used are discussed.
Mathematical Modeling of LiAl / LiCl , KCl / FeS Cells

The thermodynamic equilibrium behavior and the nonequilibrium behavior of high temperature LiAl/LiCl,KCl/FeS cells are examined. A consistent set of thermodynamic data for the open-circuit cell potential, and its dependence on temperature, initial electrolyte composition, and FeS utilization are presented. The possible reaction sequences of the FeS electrode are examined. A nonequilibrium computer model of the cell is discussed, and results are focused on the case with LiK/sub 6/Fe/sub 24/S/sub 26/Cl as the intermediate discharge product of the FeS electrode. The model is used to predict cell potential and electrolyte composition changes throughout the cell as a function of state of discharge. The model predicts that the clogging of pores by KCl precipitation can limit the utilization of the FeS electrode during discharge. Such clogging appears to occur, however to a lesser extent, in experimental cells. If expansion of the FeS electrode during discharge is taken into consideration, the predicted utilization approaches that of experimental cells.
Software TDMA for VoIP Applications Over IEEE802.11 Wireless LAN

An emerging killer application for enterprise wireless LANs (WLANs) is voice over IP (VoIP) telephony, which promises to greatly improve the reachability and mobility of enterprise telephony service at low cost. Most commercial IEEE802.11 WLAN-based VoIP products cannot support more than ten voice conversations over a single IEEE 802.11b channel, even though its peak transmission rate is more than two orders of magnitude higher than an individual VoIP connection's bandwidth requirement. There are two main reasons why these VoIP systems' effective capacity is lower than expected: stringent latency requirement and substantial per-WLAN-packet overhead. Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a well-known technique that provides per-connection QoS guarantee as well as maximizes the radio channel utilization efficiency. This paper presents a software-based TDMA (STDMA) protocol that is designed to support VoIP applications and successfully works on commodity IEEE802.11 WLAN interfaces. The resulting STDMA prototype can support more than 50 two-way G.729 voice conversations over a single IEEE 802.11b channel.
Heterojunction Tunneling Transistors Using Gate-Controlled Tunneling Across Silicon–Germanium/Silicon Epitaxial Thin Films

Tunneling transistors that incorporate in the gated source an elevated p+ Si0.6Ge0.4/n- Si heterojunction and a HfO2/WN gate stack are constructed. XTEM images show in tact epitaxial SiGe with sub-10-nm thickness. The current/voltage characteristics within 77 K-300 K show behavior consistent with gate-controlled tunneling over several decades of current. Simulations using a nonlocal tunneling model support a tunneling process that occurs across the heterojunction. There is sufficient gate modulation of the surface potential at the p+ SiGe/gate-insulator interface to provide the band overlap and band bending for band-to-band tunneling (BTBT). The transfer and output characteristics are considerably improved over previous devices that used buried SiGe films, ion-implanted junctions, and SiO2 di-electrics, resulting in a reduced minimum subthreshold slope and an increased current drive with identical biasing. Also, due to the asymmetry in this structure and suppression of drain BTBT, Ion/Ioff >; 105 is achieved with Vdd = 2.5 V.
Real-time monitoring of epitaxial growth

Optical probes not only provide information about microscopic mechanisms of epitaxy but have also been used for fully automatic sample-driven closed-loop feedback control of the growth of compositionally graded materials and structures.
The Battle for Innate: A Perspective on Fundamentalism in Chiropractic

ABSTRACT Various chiropractic organizations and individuals contribute to make chiropractic a "construct of confusion" in the minds of those who have the power to grant access to resources and legally sanctioned privileges. However, what is the source of this seemingly dichotomous dilemma? The perception of a spectrum that spans the profession and its beliefs from far left to far right, dispels a distinct separation between belief model A and belief model B and allows for the spreading of thought across a broad range. "Straights" and "mixers" are tags of the past and may not be appropriate to apply in the dispersion of beliefs and practice patterns today. As this internal conflict continues to thrive in the profession, its source must be sought as a step toward resolution.
Time domain model of a gain medium fitted to pump-probe experiments

We present an ADE-FDTD model of gain media fitted to pump-probe experiments with dye(Rh800)-epoxy composite deposited on ITO-silica substrate. The experiment-fitted parameters of the 4-level ADE system are instrumental to modeling active nanoplasmonic devices.
CMAC - A multi-channel energy efficient MAC for wireless sensor networks

Tins paper presents CMAC, a fully desynchronized MAC protocol that is designed to exploit the existing multi-channel support in sensor nodes. The hardware requirements of our protocol are minimal, requiring a single half-duplex transceiver and a low-power wake-up radio. CMAC takes into account the fundamental energy constraint in sensor nodes by placing them in a default sleep mode and waking them up only when necessary. As a contrast to other dual radio wake-up schemes, our protocol focuses on how communication and its preceding control message exchange mechanism can be undertaken in a multi-channel scenario without assuming a separate control channel. CMAC enables spatial channel re-use, nearly collision free communication, and addresses the deafness problem without incurring a tradeoff in fairness or latency. When compared with a recent MAC protocol SMAC, results show that CMAC obtains nearly 200% reduction in energy consumption, significantly improved throughput, and end-to-end delay values that are 50-150% better than SMAC for our simulated topologies
A Further Contribution to the Petrology of Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii

Sixteen new chemical analyses of the later rocks of Haleakala Volcano, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, add to the differentiation picture for that volcano. The early rocks of the volcano are tholeiitic. These are followed by dominant hawaiites with less abundant alkalic olivine basalts, picrite-basalts of ankaramite type, and a few mugearites. Still later rocks, separated from earlier ones by a profound erosional unconformity, include some hawaiites and ankaramites, but are dominantly alkalic olivine basalts (basanitoids) containing as much as 16.5 percent normative nepheline, some of them transitional to ankaramite. The progression toward ultramafic, strongly undersaturated rocks (nephelinites), characteristic of the post-erosional lavas of other Hawaiian volcanoes, appears to have just begun at Haleakala.
Barriers in Access to Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs for Families Involved With Child Protective Services

Child maltreatment prevention programs are an important resource for all families, including those who have been in contact with child protective services (CPS). Using qualitative secondary data analysis from interviews with 13 CPS workers and supervisors in four Wisconsin counties, this study investigates the extent to which CPS workers make referrals to maltreatment prevention programs and explore barriers to making such referrals. The CPS workers who were interviewed had expressed concern about the stigma attached to their clients when seeking out prevention resources. Understanding the barriers in receiving services from such programs is essential for understanding the full context for families in divorce and child custody disputes, as parents’ success in completing prevention services may be hindered, in part, by the barriers to service accessibility.
A progressively reliable transport protocol for interactive wireless multimedia

We propose a progressively reliable transport protocol for delivery of delay-sensitive multimedia over Internet connections with wireless access links. The protocol, termed "Leaky" ARQ, initially permits corrupt packets to be leaked to the receiving application and then uses retransmissions to progressively refine the quality of subsequent packet versions. A Web server would employ Leaky ARQ to quickly deliver a possibly corrupt first version of an image over a noisy bandlimited wireless link for immediate display by a Web browser. Later, Leaky ARQ's retransmissions would enable the browser to eventually display a cleaner image. Forwarding and displaying corrupt error-tolerant image data: (1) lowers the perceptual delay compared to fully reliable packet delivery, and (2) can be shown to produce images with lower distortion than aggressively compressed images when the delay budget only permits weak forward error correction. Leaky ARQ supports delaying of re-transmissions, so that initial packet transmissions can be expedited, and cancelling of retransmissions associated with "out-of-date" data. Leaky ARQ can be parametrized to partially retransmit audio and video. We propose to implement Leaky ARQ by modifying Type-II Hybrid/"code combining" ARQ.
VENTURE ANALYSES FOR INTENSIVE WASTE HEAT AQUACULTURE

Potential economic viability of diseasonal aquaculture of the shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii and rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri during the warmer and colder months, respectively in heated effluents, is examined for a proposed commercial aquaculture facility located at an electric generating station near Trenton, New Jersey, where land cost and availability are at a premium. These conditions are representative of many power plant sites in the United States. Analyses assume a fixed acquisition cost for the aquaculture facility and different possible production levels per raceway for rainbow trout. In addition, impact of a waste heat aquaculture industry on the [J.S. fish market is examined assuming 10% of all fossil-fired electric generating stations within the U.S. developed this industry. Economic analyses indicate that a concrete raceway 30.5 m long, 3.1 m wide, and 2.4 m deep is the most economical production unit. This unit will be evaluated during the next 2.5 years at a demonstration aquaculture facility located at the Mercer Generating Station owned by Public Service Electric and Gas Company. Other participants in this research project are Trenton State College, Rutgers University, and Long Island Oyster Farms. The project is jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation (Research Applied to National Needs Program) and Public Service Electric and Gas Company.
A signal-to-noise index to quantify the potential for peak detection in sediment–charcoal records

article i nfo Charcoal peaks in lake-sediment records are commonly used to reconstruct fire histories spanning thousands of years, but quantitative methods for evaluating the suitability of records for peak detection are largely lacking. We present a signal-to-noise index (SNI) that quantifies the separation of charcoal peaks (signal) from other variability in a record (noise). We validate the SNI with simulated and empirical charcoal records and show that an SNI N3 consistently identifies records appropriate for peak detection. The SNI thus offers a means to evaluate the suitability of sediment-charcoal records for reconstructing local fires. MATLAB and R functions for calculating SNI are provided.
Signal processing and image reconstruction in microscopic acoustical holography

Acoustical imaging employs acoustical energy to produce information. It can provide different information from that obtained with other types of imaging. The techniques of digital signal processing and image reconstruction greatly enhance the potential of modern acoustical imaging. Digital acoustical holography represents one of the important examples. In this paper, we describe the application of digital acoustical holography in microscopic imaging. The image signal is acquired from a scanning laser acoustic microscope (SLAM). We show how to model the imaging process as a two-dimensional linear system. The signal processing for extracting the desired acoustic wavefield information and the process of image reconstruction are discussed. The design of two-dimensional digital filters to accomplish the task is briefly addressed. Finally, we present the first high-quality high-resolution microscopic subsurface images reconstructed with digital acoustical holography.
Interracial Roommate Relationships An Experimental Field Test of the Contact Hypothesis

This study investigated how automatically activated racial attitudes are affected by relatively long-term interracial relationships. A natural field experiment was conducted in a college dormitory system. Participants were White freshmen who had been randomly assigned to either a White or an African American roommate. Students participated in two sessions during the first 2 and last 2 weeks of their first quarter on campus. During these sessions, they answered questions about their satisfaction and involvement with their roommates and completed an inventory of intergroup anxiety and an implicit measure of racial attitudes. Participants in interracial rooms reported less satisfaction and less involvement with their roommates than did participants in same-race rooms. However, automatically activated racial attitudes and intergroup anxiety improved over time among students in interracial rooms, but not among students in same-race rooms. Thus, the results suggest that interracial roommate relationships, although generally less satisfying and involving than same-race roommate relationships, do produce benefits.
Ray theory of gas dynamic discontinuities

A geometric theory of the motion of surfaces of discontinuity is based on the quasilinear algebraic system of generalized Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions for an ideal gas. Vanishing of a characteristic determinant is necessary for the existence of a nontrivial jump. Geometrical, dynamical, and persistence conditions are applied to the discontinuity of an arbitrary strength, resulting in a set of Hamiltonian equations for the position coordinates and for the space-time normal to the surface. The rays are defined as the integral curves of the Hamiltonian system and generate the singular surface that satisfies the imposed jump conditions.
Gut Bacterial Symbiont Diversity within Beneficial Insects Linked to Reductions in Local Biodiversity

Understanding the factors that constrain or promote symbiotic microbial communities gives a clearer picture of the niches that can be occupied by a host organism. Many insects harbor symbiotic microbes that can alter various aspects of insect behavior and biology including digestion, sex determination, and pathogen defense. Habitat diversity has a major influence on insect and microbial diversity within an environment. In the current study, we assessed how habitat biodiversity affects the bacterial species richness within the gastrointestinal tract of insects. We measured species abundance of plants and insects present in three replicated habitats (prairie, pasture, and maize fields) that inherently represent a continuum of biological diversities. Gut bacterial symbiont diversity of the crickets Gryllus pennsylvanicus Burmeister and Allonemobius sp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) were described using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of rRNA genes. The resulting data show that gut bacterial diversity of both cricket species is positively correlated with biodiversity according to habitat type. This demonstrates that microbial diversity within insect gastrointestinal tracts, and possibly their functions within these insects, is tied to the biodiversity within the habitats where insects live. These results have important implications as to how reductions in habitat biodiversity may affect the ecological functions and services that the remaining species can perform.
The Renin-Angiotensin System in Patients Receiving Chronic Hemodialysis

The renin-angiotensin system has received comparatively little attention in chronic renal disease until this past year. Tu (1,2) reported in 1965 that renin activity usually is low in renal failure except in cases of acute tubular necrosis in which marked elevations of peripheral renin activity may occur. Increased levels of renin substrate have been noted in chronic renal disease (3) presumably reflecting decreased renin activity and consequent reduced substrate utilization. The occurrence of other abnormalities of the renin-angiotensin system in renal disease also have been reported including both increased and decreased inhibition of angiotensin generation by the plasma of uremic patients (4,5). During the past year investigations into this problem have been reported which are slightly at variance but all of which agree that the severely diseased “end stage” kidney maintains its ability to secrete renin (6,7,8,9,10,11) and that excessive levels of renin activity may be associated occasionally with refractory hypertension in patients receiving chronic hemodialytic treatment. The present study was performed to further evaluate renin activity, renin substrate and renin inhibitory activity in the peripheral plasma of chronic dialysis patients including four with “refractory hypertension.”
A Web-based Annotation Framework For Large-Scale Text Correction

We demonstrate a web-based, languageindependent annotation framework used for manual correction of a large Arabic corpus. Our framework provides intuitive interfaces for annotating text and managing the annotation process. We describe the details of both the annotation and the administration interfaces as well as the back-end engine. We also show how this framework is able to speed up the annotation process by employing automated annotators to fix basic Arabic spelling errors.
Quantitative mapping of stress heterogeneity in polycrystalline alumina using hyperspectral fluorescence microscopy

Abstract The microstructurally-induced heterogeneous stress fields arising in a series of Cr-doped polycrystalline alumina materials are mapped with sub-micrometer sub-grain size resolution using fluorescence microscopy. Analysis of the hyperspectral data sets generated during imaging enabled both the amplitude and position of the characteristic Cr R1 fluorescence peak to be determined at every pixel in an image. The peak amplitude information was used to segment the images into individual grains and grain boundary regions. The peak position information, in conjunction with measurements on single-crystal controls, was used to quantify overall stress distributions in the materials and provide stress scales for maps. The combined information enabled spatial variations in the stress fields in crystallographic axes to be mapped and compared directly with microstructural features such as grains and grain boundaries. The mean c-axis stresses in these materials were approximately 200 MPa with stress distribution widths of about 70 MPa, both increasing with average grain size. Greatest variations in stress were observed at grain junctions; no trend in the stress for individual grains with grain size was observed.
Benchmarking the Inelastic Neutron Scattering Soil Carbon Method

The herein described inelastic neutron scattering (INS) method of measuring soil carbon was based on a new procedure for extracting the net carbon signal (NCS) from the measured γ spectra and determination of the average carbon weight percent in the upper ∼8-cm soil layer (AvgCw%8). The NCS extraction utilized the net-INS spectrum, which was the difference between the INS and thermal neutron capture (TNC) spectra and the net-INS system background spectrum. The proportionality between NCS and AvgCw%8 for any shape of soil carbon depth distribution was demonstrated theoretically. The theoretical model for NCS calculations accounted for carbon depth distribution and neutron and γ ray propagation laws in our analysis; previous model results were verified by comparison with a Monte Carlo simulation using Geant4. The experimental results confirmed the identified proportionality. The mobile INS system was calibrated using pits filled with synthetic soil; this calibration was used for AvgCw%8 determinations in INS field measurements. The AvgCw%8 was also determined by the dry combustion method. Benchmarking the soil carbon determination by INS demonstrated results that coincided with dry combustion technique (DCT) results (within experimental error limits). Given the agreement between these methods, the described INS measurement system can be recommended as a reliable alternative means for measuring soil carbon.
Inhibition of Cold-Promoted Activation of the Prothrombin Time Studies of New Siliconized Borosilicate Collection Tubes in Normals and Patients Receiving Warfarin

Studies of the prothrombin time in normals and patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy revealed a partial inhibition of the in vitro cold-promoted activation of Factor VII and shortening of the prothromobin time when blood was collected in a new commercial siliconized borosilicate tube (Becton–Dickinson, Rutherford, NJ, 6418 and 6419). The data collected with normal blood indicated that the cold-promoted activation was almost totally inhibited, while the patients had only a mean reduction of 50% of the cold-promoted activation. In pregnant patients there was no inhibition of the cold-promoted activation of the prothrombin time or Factor VII using the new siliconized tubes.
Non-Specific Endothelial Cell Interactions With the Substrate Result in Cell Activation and Angiogenesis In Vitro

Vascularization is critical for success of tissue engineering applications. Previous studies by us and others have shown that self-assembling peptide nanoscaffold RAD16-II promotes de novo capillary formation (angiogenesis) in vitro and neovascularization in vivo, and is a promising material for tissue engineering applications [1, 2]. However, the molecular mechanisms for cell interactions with this material are not known. Angiogenesis is mediated via interactions between integrins, which are expressed on the surface of activated endothelial cells (ECs), and extracellular matrix proteins. Among several integrins, αvβ3 is the most abundant and influential receptor regulating angiogenesis [3]. The αvβ3 integrin binds to its ligands via Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) biding motif. However, there are no RGD motifs on RAD 16-II peptide. Instead, it contains three RAD motifs. Studies have shown that non-specific binding of αvβ3 with RAD can be retained through R and D sides [4]. The objective of this study, therefore, is to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of RAD16-II nanoscaffold interactions with microvascular endothelial cells. We hypothesize that non-specific interactions between RAD16-II peptide nanoscaffold and αvβ3 integrin result in phosphorylations of β3 cytoplasmic domain, which then activate downstream angiogenic signaling pathways and promote angiogenesis.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Geochemical and paleoenvironmental analysis of lacustrine arthropod-bearing concretions of the Barstow Formation, Southern California

Calcareous concretions containing well-preserved aquatic and terrestrial arthropods are found within lacustrine sediments of the middle Miocene Barstow Formation of the Mojave Desert. The concretions occur in situ within three distinct zones (each <1 m thick) of microlaminated, non-bioturbated muds, interlaminated with thin, clay-rich carbonates. Several lithologies were recognized in the three concretion-bearing zones on the basis of color, grain size, lamination thickness and composition. Minerals identified in the laminae include: zeolites, clays, sulfates, borates, carbonates, and Fe-rich sulfides and oxides. Mineral composition varies between individual lamina. Carbon and oxygen isotopes measured within individual concretions and their surrounding sediments show an enrichment of 6180 for the uppermost (third) zone with respect to the other two zones, demonstrating an evaporative trend through time. Similarly, a depletion of 613C over the same interval, indicates progressively increased precipitation of carbonate, increase in HCO3production, and probable oxidation of organic matter during the deposition of the lake sediments. Thus, the concretions formed during early diagenesis in the distal, dysaerobic, low depositional energy, low bioturbated portions of a stratified, saline-alkaline lake. Concretion formation process was initiated after a release of CO2 and NH3, most likely from decomposition of organic matter. This release would have increased the local alkalinity in the pore waters, promoting an increase in carbonate ion concentration, and thereby facilitating carbonate precipitation. INTRODUCTION
Uncertainty Analysis for Functional Computer Output: A Simulation Study in Inverse Problems

Computer models with functional output are omnipresent throughout science and engineering. Most often the computer model is treated as a black-box and information about the underlying mathematical model is not exploited in statistical analyses. Consequently, general-purpose bases such as wavelets are typically used to describe the main characteristics of the functional output. In this article we advocate for using information about the underlying mathematical model in order to choose a better basis for the functional output. To validate this choice, a simulation study is presented in the context of uncertainty analysis for a computer model from inverse Sturm-Liouville problems.
Induction of Voting Assemblies

A popular way of dealing with difficult problems is to organize a brainstorming session in which specialists from different fields share their knowledge, offering diverse points of view that complement each other to the point where they may inspire innovative solutions. Something similar can be done in machine learning, too. A group of classifiers is created in a way that makes each of them somewhat different. When they vote about the recommended class, their “collective wisdom” often compensates for each individual’s imperfections.
Seismicity of the Central Cascadia Continental Margin near 44.5° N: A Decadal View

Online Material: Table of hypoDD analysis; figure showing waveform fits. The Cascadia subduction zone offshore Oregon and Washington has been anomalously quiet since the advent of modern seismic networks in the Pacific Northwest. Nonetheless, during the 26 year period from 1989 through 2014, 19 earthquakes with M ≥2.8 were detected by seismic networks and located on the continental margin of central Oregon (44.3°–44.7° N) in the region where the Juan de Fuca and North American plates are thought to be locked (e.g., McCaffrey et al. , 2007; Burgette et al. , 2009; Schmalzle et al. , 2014). With increasing evidence that plate boundary earthquakes may undergo a preparatory stage prior to major earthquakes (e.g., Bouchon et al. , 2013; Brodsky and Lay, 2014), this seismicity may have broader implications. In this article, we provide an updated analysis of the seismicity that includes 11 new events (through 20 March 2012) added to the database of high‐precision relative relocations presented by Williams et al. (2011), 5 single‐event locations that include data from ocean‐bottom seismometers (OBSs) deployed as part of the Cascadia Initiative (Toomey et al. , 2014), and 1 new moment tensor inversion. We show that several events in March 2012 were located within a cluster of events spatially related to a 2004 M w 4.9 low‐angle thrust earthquake on or near the plate boundary; moment tensor inversion of waveforms from the largest of these earthquakes ( M w 3.8) indicates a thrust mechanism with similar strike but steeper dip than the 2004 earthquake. In contrast, four earthquakes with magnitude ∼3 on 25 January 2013 represent a new locus of activity on the plate boundary. Comparing depths …
Brief Report: Rapid Determination of Vitamin Bl2-Binding α and β 3 Globulin in Serum

A procedure has been described for the rapid and separate measurement of B 12 -binding α- and β-globulins using the batch technic. The method involves saturating B 12 -binders with Co 57 B 12 , removing excess radioactive B 12 with a hemoglobin-coated charcoal pellet, and then separating the B 12 binders using a pellet of DEAE cellulose, from which only the β-globulins are eluted in 0.06 M phosphate buffer at pH 6.35.
NIAON After LASIK

Although this complication is extremely rare, optic neuropathy after LASIK surgery is a significant vision-threatening complication. During LASIK, an uncontrolled and unpredictable rise in intraocular pressure occurs. The rise may lead to the development of optic neuropathy, which can cause irreversible and untreatable visual loss, even legal blindness. Although controversial, the use of systemic corticosteroids may help improve visual function in some patients and should be given during the very early stages of the disease. In cases where the physician is not aware of this complication, delaying treatment is of no benefit. Finally, a proper diagnosis can allow the surgeon to take preventative measures to avoid optic nerve damage.