cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining electrical properties based on B1?fields measured in an MR scanner using a multi-channel transmit/receive coil: a general approach

Electrical properties tomography (EPT) is a recently developed noninvasive technology to image the electrical conductivity and permittivity of biological tissues at Larmor frequency in magnetic resonance scanners. The absolute phase of the complex radio-frequency magnetic field (B1) is necessary for electrical property calculation. However, due to the lack of practical methods to directly measure the absolute B1 phases, current EPT techniques have been achieved with B1 phase estimation based on certain assumptions on object anatomy, coil structure and/or electromagnetic wave behavior associated with the main magnetic field, limiting EPT from a larger variety of applications. In this study, using a multi-channel transmit/receive coil, the framework of a new general approach for EPT has been introduced, which is independent on the assumptions utilized in previous studies. Using a human head model with realistic geometry, a series of computer simulations at 7 T were conducted to evaluate the proposed method under different noise levels. Results showed that the proposed method can be used to reconstruct the conductivity and permittivity images with noticeable accuracy and stability. The feasibility of this approach was further evaluated in a phantom experiment at 7 T.
Dissolution Kinetics of a Three-Component Solid II: Benzoic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Salicylamide

The dissolution rates of each component in compressed spheres consisting of three components were measured under sink conditions. The observed dissolution rates of benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and salicylamide compare favorably to the predicted dissolution rates according to a previously presented kinetic model.
Recreational impacts on Colorado River beaches in Glen Canyon, Arizona

Recreational impact was measured on eight beaches in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and 15 beaches in Grand Canyon National Park using permanently located transects and plots. Recreational impact indices included densities of human trash and charcoal and a measure of sand discoloration due to charcoal. Significant increases in the indices occurred on several Glen Canyon beaches over a seven-month period. Sand discoloration became significantly higher over all Glen Canyon beaches during the same time period. All indices were significantly higher in Glen Canyon than on similar Grand Canyon beaches. These differences are probably due to differences in: (a) level of impacts tolerated by the respective management regimes and, (b) in the number of user days among the two National Park Service administrative units. Management alternatives are presented for reversing the present trends of recreational impact on Glen Canyon beaches.
Transform domain measure of enhancement — TDME — For security imaging applications

Today, many security applications rely on imaging sensors. However, the quality of the captured image is highly susceptible to environmental lighting conditions such as poor or non-uniform illumination. Security imaging systems rely on efficient real-time image enhancement. For autonomous systems, determining and producing the best visually enhanced image output as perceived by the human visual system remains a challenge. In this paper, we present a metric for autonomous evaluation that will enable security systems to automatically determine the best human visual quality image. To achieve this, we have established a “no parameter no reference” metric that can determine the best visually pleasing image. The metric is algorithm independent such that it can be utilized for a diversity of enhancement algorithms. We present our DCT transform domain measure of enhancement (TDME). Unlike spatial domain measure of enhancement methods, the proposed measure is independent of image attributes and does not require any parameter selections to operate. The proposed measure is applicable to compressed and non-compressed images and can be used as an enhancement metric in conjunction with many different image enhancement methods.
Cerebral Granular Cell Tumor: Immunohistochemical and Electron Microscopic Study

A rare intracerebral granular cell tumor (GCT) was studied by immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods. The tumor was composed of two cell types—filament-rich and granular cells. Granular cells contained PAS-positive, diastase-resistant granules that ultrastructurally corresponded to autophagic cytosegresomes. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, the intermediate filament protein specific for astrocytes, was demonstrated in the filament-rich and, to a lesser extent, in the granular cells. Unlike noncerebral GCT, neither S-100 protein nor vimentin was detected in the tumor cells. On the other hand, both cerebral and noncerebral GCT were labeled immunocytochemically with peanut lectin ( Arachis hypogaea). The results suggest that cerebral GCT share some features with noncerebral GCT, but differ in other respects. They further suggest that GCT may be derived from different cell types depending on the tissue of origin, and that cerebral GCT may be derived from astrocytes.
Responses to affirmative action: Is there a question order affect?

Abstract This paper analyzes the affect of question order on support for affirmative action. While the literature is replete with studies detailing the racial differences for support for affirmative action, there is a dearth of studies that analyze how probing, using open-ended questions, can influence individuals’ responses. Given this, we seek to analyze and explain how open-ended questions, related to affirmative action, might affect responses to close-ended questions as well as how their joint interaction help us to understand resonant attitudes. Using a split-ballot approach, we found that responses to the closedended question were significantly affected by the experimental design.
Reform and Urban Bias in China

Income inequalities between urban and rural areas remain high in China, but the gap has begun to narrow. Peasant incomes have increased dramatically since the post‐Mao reforms. Rural areas have new power, but this is a consequence not a cause of the reforms. The improvement in rural conditions reflects a change in the central state's development strategy and ideology, and the local response to incentives embedded in China's reforms. The impetus for these changes is self‐preservation of the state and the Chinese Communist Party. The failure to close decisively the income disparities between the urban and rural areas similarly stems from concerns of regime stability and preservation of the party‐state.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic separation of the naturally occurring toxicants myristicin, related aromatic ethers and falcarinol☆

Abstract The naturally occurring toxicants myristicin, twelve related aromatic ethers and the toxic acetylenic alcohol, falcarinol, were separated from one another by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The technique employed a micro-particulate nitrile phase column and used heptane and tetrahydrofuran as the eluting solvents. Preparative HPLC with 5-μm silica allowed isolation of gram quantities of parsleyapiole and dillapiole from extracts of plain parsley seeds and dill seeds, respectively. Commercially available myristicin as well as other aromatic ethers were also purified in gram quantities with the preparative column.
Development of a Detailed Log Booklet for Social Ecological Physical Activity Research

To advance social ecological research, tools are required to better assess the contextual nature of physical activity outcomes. This study describes the development of a detailed log booklet to capture relevant episode-specific data, including location and purpose, about participants' free-living activity patterns. The log was developed using definitions and questions from existing physical activity questionnaires as well as measures designed to elicit more specific and detailed information relevant to social ecological studies of physical activity. Utility of the log was tested with 580 community residents over seven days. It was found to be practical and feasible for use in community-based physical activity research, and yielded a wealth of episodic information about intensity, duration, location, purpose, and co-participants, among other details.
A search for anisotropy of inertia

One of the possible consequences of the Mach principle is that the asymmetric position of the Galaxy with respect to the Earth induces an asymmetry in inertia. A test of this possibility is proposed. It consists in the microwave measurement of the Zeeman splitting of electron levels having different orientations relative to the direction Earth-Center of the Galaxy. The isotropy of inertia on the Earth can thus be checked with a precision of about 1 part in 1011.
Scaling solution for cosmological sigma models at large N.

We study the evolution of the nonlinear O(N) \ensuremath{\sigma} model in an expanding universe in the large-N approximation, where one can solve exactly for the scaling field distribution, incorporating the full nonlinear dynamics. This provides a valuable analytic approximation for theories of cosmic global monopoles (N=3), global texture (N=4), and ``nontopological texture'' (Ng4). The analytic results are compared with those from numerical simulations, with good agreement. The probability distribution for mass fluctuations in the linear regime is positively skewed, providing a distinctive test for the theory.
Visual and instrumental discrimination steps between two adjacent porcelain shades

Abstract Two different porcelain systems were compared over the B1 to B2 shade ranges visually and spectrophotometrically. Six samples of each porcelain were made by blending weighed increments of opaque and body porcelain and firing the blended compositions onto Option metal disks according to manufacturer's instructions. Compositional blends varied incrementally by 20% in steps. Selective blending of porcelain shades was shown to have an effect in improving the range of choices within the shade guide system. The human eye was capable of detecting small-step changes between two steps of the Vita shade guide. Systematic color changes occurred with compositional changes between B1 and B2. It appears from the overall results observed that a desired blending of porcelains at smaller intervals than full shade guide steps could be done more easily with Jelenko than with Vita porcelain. The visual rankings agreed more closely with the manufacturer's expectations than did the instrumental measurements.
Sugar-beet Seed

AT a recent meeting of the Sigma Xi Society of the University of Colorado Dr. W. W. Robbins, botanist to the Great Western Sugar Co., read a paper on beet-seed production. Dr. Robbins related that so early as 1909 Mr. Hans Mendelson, a German in the employ of the company, undertook to grow beet-seed in Montana. In those days all the seed was imported annually from Europe, principally from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. It was held by experts that the climate and other conditions would not permit the growing of the seed in America on a commercial scale. Mr. Mendelson thought otherwise, and stated that the time might come when it would be impossible to get European seed. So he continued his experiments on a small scale; and when the war came, and the supply of seed was actually cut off, he had developed his methods to such an extent that it was possible to save the industry. In 1916 the United States was able to produce 5,211,000 lb. of seed, and in 1917, 5,546,000 lb. Furthermore, experimental work had already determined the fact that American-grown seed gave a larger tonnage and a greater amount of sugar per acre than imported seed. From this time the policy of raising American seed will be continued.
Belated Urban Planning in Tunis: Problems and Prospects

Tunis exemplifies the crisis of many Third World capitals. Rapid growth and a lack of planning have made the capital a problem area that can no longer be ignored. Tunis has become a primary city at the expense of a traditional urban network.This study is an analysis of the city on the basis of the most recent documentation. Tunis, like many cities with a similar history, lends itself to definition by subsystems: the historical core, the colonial city, the improvised settlements of recent immigrants, and the residential areas of the colonial and postcolonial elites. All these factors are considered—economic, political, sociological, cultural, and esthetic—that clarify the functional interaction of quarter on quarter and, thus, the interdependence of the parts of an apparently loose urban agglomeration.In a city that may reach two million by the end of the century, confirming its nascent role as the only urban fact in the nation, those analyses that are a necessary prelude to rigorous planning must take acc...
Space-time image reconstruction algorithm for diverse ultrasound transducer element distributions

The standard architecture of a medical ultrasound transducer is a linear phased array of piezoelectric elements in a compact, hand-held form. Acoustic energy not directly reflected back towards the transducer elements during a transmit-receive cycle amounts to lost information. An ultrasound imaging system currently in development seeks to maximize the collection of reflected signals with a large, flexible transducer array which conforms to contours of the subject's body, resulting in more directional look angles and an increase in received image data. However in this design, element distributions are irregular and an organized arrangement may no longer be maintained. This paper presents a versatile space-time image reconstruction algorithm designed for this system, operating in a step FMCW modality. Simulated images are included which demonstrate the algorithm's flexibility in application, and the effects of transducer aperture size and operating bandwidth on resolving capability.
The Audit Report — Selling the Product to Management

Conducting an audit is an input. Gaining effective action on the findings is an output. Auditors need therefore to involve their clients more in the total process.
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION FOR THE GROWTH CURVE MODEL WITH UNEQUAL DISPERSION MATRICES

Different methods of obtaining maximum llkaiihood estimations of the MANOCOVA model with unequal dispersion matrices have been discussed. Also the asymptotic properties of n.l.e.s have been studied.
Retrograde Amnesia for Facts and Events: Findings from Four New Cases

Two patients with presumed hippocampal formation lesions and two patients with more extensive temporal lobe damage, all of whom became amnesic in a known year, were given tests of anterograde and retrograde memory function. The two patients with hippocampal formation lesions had moderately severe anterograde amnesia and limited retrograde amnesia for facts and events that affected, at most, the decade preceding the onset of amnesia. Content analysis could not distinguish the autobiographical recollections of the patients from the recollections of control subjects. The two patients with more extensive temporal lobe damage had severe anterograde amnesia and extensive retrograde memory loss for both facts and events. The results suggest that whether retrograde amnesia is temporally limited or very extensive depends on whether the damage is restricted to the hippocampal formation or also involves additional temporal cortex.
A bioelectric inverse imaging technique based on surface Laplacians

A new approach is proposed to solve bioelectric inverse problems by employing the surface Laplacian of the bioelectrical potential. A theoretical investigation was conducted to test the feasibility of epicardial inverse imaging of cardiac electrical activity. A two-sphere homogeneous volume conductor model, where the inner sphere represents the epicardium and the outer sphere the body surface, was used. Radial and tangential current dipoles were used to approximate localized wavefronts propagating from the endocardium to the epicardium, and ectopic myocardial activities. The epicardial potential distribution was reconstructed from the body surface Laplacians with the aid of the Tikhonov zero-order regularization technique, which then was compared with the results obtained from the body surface potentials using the same regularization scheme. The two inverse solutions were compared qualitatively via visual inspection of the reconstructed epicardial potential maps, and quantitatively by examining relative errors and correlation coefficients between the "true" and the reconstructed epicardial potentials. Both qualitative and quantitative results indicate that the surface Laplacians play a positive role in improving the ill-posed nature of the bioelectric inverse problem, which would enhance one's capability of reconstructing important epicardial events such as extrema in the epicardial potential distribution. The present theoretical study suggests that the Laplacian-based inverse imaging technique may have important applications to epicardial inverse imaging and other bioelectric inverse imaging.
Some Effects Of Intertrial Interval Duration On Discrete-trial Choice.

Pigeons were trained in Experiment 1 on a discrete-trial concurrent variable-interval (VI) 1-min VI 3-min schedule, and in Experiment 2 on a discrete-trial concurrent VI 1.5-min VI 1.5-min schedule. In each experiment, the intertrial-interval durations (ITIs) were 0 s, 6 s, 22 s, and 120 s, and the schedules were both independent and interdependent. The purpose of the research was to determine whether lengthening the ITI would disrupt any local control that existed, measured with respect to relative response rate and changeover probability. In Experiment 1, with the independent schedules, both preference and obtained relative reinforcement rate approximated .75 at short ITIs, but then decreased toward .50 with longer ITIs. With interdependent schedules, both preference and obtained relative reinforcement rate approximated .75 at all ITIs. In both experiments, with both independent and interdependent schedules, changeover probabilities for each response in a sequence of up to five successive responses to a given schedule were variable for individual birds. The average changeover probabilities for all birds suggested perseveration rather than a systematic increase within a given ITI or a systematic trend toward chance responding as ITI duration increased. Finally, the changeover functions did not differ when a sequence of responses was calculated to begin anew after reinforcement rather than with the first response on a schedule. Taken together, the data were inconsistent with a theory holding that only local processes underlie choice in discrete-trial procedures.
Megawatt, pulsed ultraviolet photon sources for microbial inactivation

The University of Missouri-Columbia (UM-C) has developed pulsed ultraviolet (UV) photon sources commensurate with enhanced ultraviolet inactivation of hazardous microbials on surfaces or in a water matrix. Pulsed xenon flashlamps have been optimized to produce a high ultraviolet photon yield in the 180 320 nm range that is lethal to microbials; and has a high cross-section interaction with photosensitizer chemicals to synergistically enhance microbial inactivation. Electrical models have been derived to predict the time dependent plasma discharge impedance profiles of the flashlamp UV source. These models are discussed in the following paper.
Homogeneous Gaussian Random Fields

Let ξ(t), t G Zd, be a random field of real-valued random variables. L is a fixed finite set in Zd not containing 0. The set of points s ∈ Zd such that s — t ∈ L is called the L-boundary of the point t. The L-boundary of a set T ⊂ Z d is the set of points s not in T but in the L-boundary of some point t ∈ T.
Fully distributed EM for very large datasets

In EM and related algorithms, E-step computations distribute easily, because data items are independent given parameters. For very large data sets, however, even storing all of the parameters in a single node for the M-step can be impractical. We present a framework that fully distributes the entire EM procedure. Each node interacts only with parameters relevant to its data, sending messages to other nodes along a junction-tree topology. We demonstrate improvements over a MapReduce topology, on two tasks: word alignment and topic modeling.
Excess Dietary Salt Alters Angiotensinergic Regulation of Neurons in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla

Excess dietary salt intake contributes to or exacerbates some forms of hypertension by increasing sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) through angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor activation in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Despite this interaction among dietary salt, Ang II, and the RVLM, no studies have directly examined whether dietary salt by itself alters Ang II-dependent responses and regulation of RVLM neurons, SNA, and ABP. Therefore, the present study directly tested this hypothesis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal chow and given access to water or 0.9% NaCl solution for 14 days. Unilateral injection of Ang II (0.6, 6, and 60 pmol) into the RVLM produced a significantly greater increase in renal SNA and mean ABP of rats drinking 0.9% NaCl versus water. However, dietary salt did not alter mRNA levels of RVLM Ang II type 1a receptors or the SNA and ABP responses to stimulation of the dorsolateral funinculus. Additional experiments demonstrate that blockade of RVLM Ang II type 1 receptors significantly reduced renal SNA, splanchnic SNA, and mean ABP of rats drinking 0.9% NaCl but not water. Blockade of iontotropic glutamate receptors had no effect. Altogether, these findings suggest that elevated dietary salt enhances the sympathoexcitatory actions of Ang II in the RVLM via changes in the intrinsic properties of RVLM neurons. Moreover, elevated dietary salt intake differentially affects the tonic activity of the peripheral versus brain RVLM Ang II type 1 receptors to regulate baseline SNA and ABP.
Towards higher throughput and energy efficiency in dense wireless ad hoc and sensor networks

Traditional single-channel MAC protocols for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks favor energy-efficiency over throughput. More recent multi-channel MAC protocols display higher throughput but less energy efficiency. In this paper we propose NAMAC, a negotiator-based multi-channel MAC protocol in which specially designated nodes maintain the sleeping and communication schedules of nodes. Negotiators facilitate the assignation of channels and coordination of communications windows, thus allowing individual nodes to sleep and save energy. Simulation results show that NA-MAC, at high network loads, consumes 36% less energy while providing 25% more throughput than comparable state-of-art multi-channel MAC protocols for ad hoc networks. Additionally, we propose a lightweight version of NAMAC and show that it outperforms (55% higher throughput with 36% less energy) state of art MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks.
Diagnosis of optical errors with a precision BPM system at CESR

In the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) multibunch beams of electrons and positrons share a common vacuum chamber and guide field. A new precision beam position monitor system, with bunch-by-bunch measurement capability, is now in operation in one sector of the CESR ring including the interaction region (IR). Two of our position monitors are located 67 cm on either side of the interaction point (IP) within the IT experimental solenoid. By measuring the relative positions of electron and positron bunches at these detectors we can obtain information about the displacement of the beams at the collision point with an anticipated resolution on the order of the vertical beam size. The measurement of the dependence of beam trajectories at these IR beam position monitors (IRBPMs) on changes in the ring steering elements provides a powerful diagnostic of guide field errors in the interaction region.
Association of polymorphisms in platelet and hemostasis system genes with acute myocardial infarction

patients who presented with stable exertional angina. Results An SNP in CD36 (rs3211956) was significantly (P = .04) more common among patients who presented with acute MI (minor allele frequency 10.5%) than patients with stable exertional angina (minor allele frequency 8.0%). This association became marginally significant, however, after adjustment for conventional cardiac risk factors in an additive genetic model (odds ratio 1.34, CI 1.00-1.88, P = .053). An SNP in ITGB3 (Leu59Pro, rs5918) was slightly, but not significantly (P = .083), more common among patients with acute MI (minor allele frequency 14.5%) than among patients with stable exertional angina (minor allele frequency 12.0%). Two linked SNPs in THBD (Ala473Val, rs1042579; and rs3176123) were slightly, but not significantly (P = .079 and 0.052, respectively), less common among patients with acute MI (minor allele frequency 16.1%) than among patients with stable exertional angina (18.7% and 19.0%, respectively). Conclusions Four SNPs in platelet glycoprotein and hemostatic genes were nominally associated with acute MI rather than stable exertional angina as the initial clinical presentation of coronary artery disease. These findings are suggestive but require independent confirmation in larger studies. (Am Heart J 2007;154:1052-8.) Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is typically precipitated by thrombosis superimposed upon a ruptured coronary plaque and can be effectively treated by timely fibrinolytic therapy. These observations highlight the central role of the coagulation and fibrinolytic
Hodgkin's lymphoma masquerading as vertebral osteomyelitis in a man with diabetes: a case report

Introduction: Infection and malignancy often have common characteristics which render the differential diagnosis for a prolonged fever difficult. Imaging and tissue biopsy are crucial in making a correct diagnosis, though differentiating between chronic osteomyelitis and malignancy is not always straightforward as they possess many overlapping features. Case Presentation: A 52-year-old Caucasian man was treated with antibiotics for his diabetic foot infection after a superficial culture showed Staphylococcus aureus. He had persistent fevers for several weeks and later developed acute onset of back pain which was treated with several courses of antibiotics. Radiographic and pathological findings were atypical, and a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma was made 12 weeks later. Conclusion: Clinicians should maintain a suspicion for Hodgkin’s lymphoma or other occult malignancy when features of presumed osteomyelitis are atypical. Chronic vertebral osteomyelitis in particular often lacks features common to acute infectious disease processes, and the chronic lymphocytic infiltrates seen on histopathology have very similar features to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, highlighting a similar inflammatory microenvironment sustained by both processes.
Hybrid fullband cellular automaton/Monte Carlo approach for fast simulation of charge transport in semiconductors

We present a fullband cellular automaton (CA) code for simulation of electron and hole transport in Si and GaAs. In this implementation, the entire Brillouin zone is discretized using a nonuniform mesh in k-space, and a transition table is generated between all initial and final states on the mesh, greatly simplifying the final state selection of the conventional Monte Carlo algorithm. This method allows for fully anisotropic scattering rates within the fullband scheme, at the cost of increased memory requirements for the transition table itself. Good agreement is obtained between the CA model and previously reported results for the velocity-field characteristics and high field distribution function, which illustrate the potential accuracy of the technique. A hybrid CA/Monte Carlo algorithm is introduced which helps alleviate the memory problems of the CA method while preserving the speed up and accuracy.
Transparent silica gel–PMMA composites

Transparent silica gel–polymer composites have been prepared by the impregnation of porous gels with organic monomer and polymerization in situ. The relative amount of each phase was adjusted by varying the porosity of the silica gel prior to impregnation. These materials constitute a new class of transparent composites. Properties, such as density, refractive index, modulus of rupture, compressive strength, abrasion rate, and Vickers hardness, have been measured over the compositional range of 100% silica to 100% polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
On information transmission in human-machine systems: channel capacity and optimal filtering

The mathematical relationships developed in a companion paper (ibid., vol.20, no.6, p.1125-35, Sept./Oct. 1990) are put to use to determine the channel capacity of the human-machine system. The channel capacity is an important determinant of the human-machine system performance, and has significance in the field of manual control. Results are presented on information transmission rates in human pursuit tracking using position control systems. The results include: an optimum input tracking signal that enables subjects to achieve maximum information transmission rate; an optimum filter that transforms a signal into an optimum tracking signal; a digital version of the optimum filter; information transmission rates for tracking the optimum signal; and channel capacity for pursuit tracking tasks involving one degree of freedom. >
Refining shape correspondence for similar objects using strain

Several applications - for example, study of biological tissue movement and organ growth - require shape correspondence with a physical basis, especially for shapes or regions lacking distinctive features. For this purpose, we propose the adaptation of mechanical strain, a well-established physical measure for deformation, to the problem of constructing shape correspondence and measuring similarity between non-rigid shapes. In this paper, we demonstrate how to calculate strain for a 2D surface embedded in 3D. We then adjust the correspondence between two surfaces so that the strain varies smoothly across the deformed surface (by minimizing the change in strain). The final strain on the deformed surface can be used as a measure of shape similarity.
Evolving Better Cars: Teaching Evolution by Natural Selection with a Digital Inquiry Activity

Evolutionary experiments are usually difficult to perform in the classroom because of the large sizes and long timescales of experiments testing evolutionary hypotheses. Computer applications give students a window to observe evolution in action, allowing them to gain comfort with the process of natural selection and facilitating inquiry experimentation. The lesson described here uses a free online program, BoxCar2D, to demonstrate evolution by natural selection in a virtual population of cars. Students will be introduced to the principles of evolution and conduct independent inquiry projects on key predictions from evolution – including convergence, local adaptation, and the role of mutation in adaptation.
Discrimination among Carbonate Minerals by Raman Spectroscopy Using the Laser Microprobe

Raman spectroscopy has been used to distinguish the individual carbonate minerals belonging to the calcite, dolomite, and aragonite structural groups. With the use of the in situ laser microprobe technique, it is demonstrated that particle-size effects do not hinder the mineral identification and that high precision in line position is achieved. Spectra can be obtained from samples in any form and provide rapid, nondestructive analyses on a microscopic scale of the hard-to-discriminate carbonate minerals.
A study of chain addition polymerizations with temperature variations: II. Thermal runaway and instability—a computer study

A computer study was made to determine the thermal ignition criteria and ignition boundaries for chain-addition polymerization in a well-mixed batch system using a simple kinetic model. The occurrence of thermal runaway was shown to be a function of initiator type, feed conditions, and heat transport parameters. It was found that thermal runaway does not occur early with respect to monomer and initiator conversions and that for strongly dead-ending systems, the sensitivity characteristic of ignition disappears. The role of various dimensionless parameters in characterizing reaction behavior is also discussed.
PSPICE computer modeling of hysteresis effects

Recent versions of PSPICE, a personal computer implementation of the SPICE circuit simulation computer software program, have the capability of simulating the hysteresis loops of magnetic materials. In order to model the hysteresis loop of a particular manufacturer's magnetic core material, the values of five parameters that affect the shape of the hysteresis loop must be established. A method for illustrating the effect that each parameter has on the shape of the hysteresis loop is presented. The method speeds the process of establishing the parameter values for modeling a particular hysteresis loop. >
Peer experience: Common and unique features of number of friendships, social network centrality, and sociometric status

Three conceptually distinct dimensions of classroom social position (number of mutual friendships, social network centrality, and sociometric status) were examined in relation to each other and to peer-nominated behavioral reputation among 205 7- and 8-year old children. There were moderate correlations in children’s standing across the three dimensions, but categorical analyses underscored the limits to these associations (e.g., 39% of Rejected children had at least one mutual friendship; 31% of Popular children did not). Each dimension was associated with a distinct profile of peer-nominated social behavior and, in multiple regression analyses, accounted for unique variance in peer-nominated behaviors. Number of friendships was uniquely associated with prosocial skills; network centrality was uniquely associated with both prosocial and antisocial behavioral styles; and being disliked was uniquely associated with the full range of social behaviors. Results provide empirical validation for the conceptual distinctions among number of reciprocated friendships, social network centrality and being liked or disliked.
Flight in William Faulkner's BARN BURNING

William Faulkner's short story “Barn Burning” continues to be admired, studied, and analyzed in various ways.1For a very useful summary of interpretation and criticism, relationship to other Faulkn...
Time to Switch the Packets: VoIP and the Regulatory Disconnect

Several commentators have remarked the high reliance placed by the campaign managers of Barack Obama on the internet. John Perry Barlow author of the Internet Manifesto has himself described the 2008 election as the first internet election. Thus it comes as no surprise that Barack Obama had a dossier on various issues which confronted the internet and proposed solutions to them. These changes were perceptible even before Barack Obama officially took oath as the next president, by announcing the appointment of his, transformation team. Members of this transformative team include Kevin Wireback. Kevin, a former FCC staffer, organizer of the annual tech conference Supernova, and a Wharton professor will review the working of the Federal Communications Commission. What makes his appointment interesting is that he has been one of the most vocal proponents of the layered model of regulation due to the increased adoption of Voice over Internet Protocol Services. The model which is explained in detail later marks a fundamental change in the regulation of telecommunications law and policy of the United States which has been in places since 1934. The present article evaluates the layered model as well as other solutions which have been proposed to the problems which emerge in a legal structure not designed to regulate the intersection of traditional telecommunications and internet protocol enabled activities. In the course of the evaluation of the competing models of regulation, the present actions by the FCC in forbearing to classify VoIP and making piecemeal regulations is seen as self defeating and the change in the regulatory framework is asked for. Part I lays out the background to the problem of classification of VoIP services. It discusses the underlying technology as well as its substantial resemblance to telecommunications services and poses the problem of classification. Part II provides an overview of the present policy framework on the regulation of VoIP services. Through a review of the FCC's orders on VoIP services its duo policy of forbearance to classify as well as piecemeal rulings is discerned. Part III contains an appraisal of the present policies and how they work against the objectives sought to be achieved. The appraisal sets the backdrop to developing a theoretical alternative. Part IV reviews the alternative of a layered model of regulation and shows the problems and the critisms which are leveled at it. Due to these concerns it is unlikely that the model will be adopted anytime soon. Then a traditional model of regulation is evaluated through a legislative amendment of the Telecommunications Act, 1996. In such an evaluation a nuanced proposal is made premised on the need to protect innovation through classification as well as balancing competing interests and addressing the issues which arise from this technology.
International Assistance, Sustainable Development and the War on Terrorism

This article discusses the relationship between international assistance and in particular official development assistance (ODA) and sustainable development. The article then reviews why the United States ought to provide international assistance for sustainable development. Then it examines the level of U.S. ODA, prior to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janiero and post-Rio, and compares U.S. actions with those of other nations. The article concludes with the recommendations for the United States and for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
Efficient Batched Predecessor Search in Shared Memory on GPUs

Many-core Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are being used for general-purpose computing. However, due to architectural features, for many problems it is challenging to design parallel algorithms that exploit the full compute power of GPUs. Among these features is the memory design. Although the issue of coalesced global memory access has been documented and studied extensively, another important architectural feature is the organization of shared memory into banks. The study of how bank conflicts impact algorithm performance has only recently begun to receive attention. In this work we study the predecessor search algorithm and the effects of bank conflicts on its execution time. Via complexity analysis we show that bank conflicts cause significant loss in parallelism for a naive algorithm. We then propose two improved algorithms: one that eliminates bank conflicts altogether but that uses a work inefficient linear search, and one that is work-optimal but that experiences a limited number of bank conflicts. We develop GPU implementations of these algorithms and present experimental results obtained on real-world hardware. These results validate our theoretical analysis of the naive algorithm and allow us to assess the performance of our algorithms in practice. Although both our improved algorithms outperform the naive algorithm, our main experimental finding is that our conflict-limited algorithm provides a larger performance gain.
Stochastic Agent-Based Analysis of UAV Mission Effectiveness

The investigation of stochastic agent based simulations adds new difficulties to exploring design spaces and analyzing the results. These simulations no longer fulfill the requirements of deterministic computer simulations, and yet require fewer assumptions than traditional design of experiments; however in either exploration enormous amounts of data must be understood. This paper starts by developing a family-of-systems UAV simulation to investigate varying techniques of understanding the data from these simulations.
Margination propensity of vascular-targeted spheres from blood flow in a microfluidic model of human microvessels

Many variants of vascular-targeted carriers (VTCs) have been investigated for therapeutic intervention in several human diseases. However, in order to optimize the functionality of VTC in vivo, carriers’ physical properties, such as size and shape, are important considerations for a VTC design that evades the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and successfully interacts with the targeted vessel wall. Nonetheless, little evidence has been presented on the role of size in VTC’s interactions with the vascular wall, particularly in the microcirculation. Thus, in this work, we explore how particle size, along with hemodynamics (blood shear rate and vessel size) and hemorheology (blood hematocrit) affect the capacity for spheres to marginate (localize and adhere) to inflamed endothelium in a microfluidic model of human microvessels. Microspheres, particularly the 2 μm spheres, were found to show disproportionately higher margination than nanospheres in all hemodynamic conditions evaluated due to the poor ability ...
Driver Locus of Control: Age and Sex Differences in Predicting Driving Performance:

Increasing age is associated with an increase in the rate (per mile driven) at which drivers have driving accidents, particularly fatal accidents. In the oldest age groups, men in particular are at...
High Lithium Transference Number Electrolytes via Creation of 3-Dimensional, Charged, Nanoporous Networks from Dense Functionalized Nanoparticle Composites

High lithium transference number, tLi+, electrolytes are desired for use in both lithium-ion and lithium metal rechargeable battery technologies. Historically, low tLi+ electrolytes have hindered device performance by allowing ion concentration gradients within the cell, leading to high internal resistances that ultimately limit cell lifetime, charging rates, and energy density. Herein, we report on the synthesis and electrochemical features of electrolytes based on nanoparticle salts designed to provide high tLi+. The salts are created by cofunctionalization of metal oxide nanoparticles with neutral organic ligands and tethered lithium salts. When dispersed in a conducting fluid such as tetraglyme, they spontaneously form a charged, nanoporous network of particles at moderate nanoparticle loadings. Modification of the tethered anion chemistry from −SO3– to −SO3BF3– is shown to enhance ionic conductivity of the electrolytes by facilitating ion pair dissociation. At a particle volume fraction of 0.15, the ...
Nonprofit Organizations and the Corporate Community

Numerous network studies demonstrate that interlocking directors unite corporations in the United States into a tight-knit corporate community (e.g., Sonquist and Koenig, 1975; Mariolis, 1975; Mizruchi, 1982). In addition, nonnetwork studies of foundations, universities, and other nonprofit organizations suggest that corporate officers and directors play a large role in the governance of such institutions (e.g., Hartnett, 1969; Dye, 1976; Useem et al., 1976; Salzman and Domhoff, 1980; Useem, 1981). However, there are no studies that cast light on the structural position of nonprofit institutions in relation to the well-established corporate network.
Correlation between atherosclerosis and cognitive function in maintenance haemodialysis patients

Objective To investigate the correlation between atherosclerosis and cognitive function in maintenance haemodialysis(MHD) patients.Methods Carotid artery intimamedia thickness(IMT),mini-mental state examination(MMSE) scores,the latency and amplitude of P300 were measured in 157 MHD patients(experimental group) and 50 healthy subjects(control group).Results IMT,the latency of P300,BUN,Scr in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05),while MMSE scores and the amplitude of P300 in experimental group were significantly lower than those in control group(P0.05).With the increase of IMT,the latency of P300,BUN,Scr were increased gradually(P0.05),and MMSE scores and the amplitude of P300 were reduced gradually(P0.05).IMT was positively correlated with the latency of P300(r=0.536,P0.01),Scr(r=0.378,P=0.017),but negatively correlated with the amplitude of P300(r=-0.521,P0.01) and MMSE scores(r=-0.482,P0.01).Conclusion Atherosclerosis may play roles in the development of cognitive dysfunction in MHD patients.
Effects of liquid medium on the isolation and preservation of Leishmania spp

Objective To observe the effects of liquid medium(LM)on the isolation and culturing of Leishmania spp.Methods LM was used to isolate and culture Leishmania spp.Grey hamsters(Cricetulus migratorius)were also infected with Leishmania spp.and the rate of Leishmania isolation was compared. Results Leishmania specimens were cultured on LM for 4days.Leishmania responsible for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis was isolated at a rate of 35.7%(10/28)and Leishmania responsible for anthroponotic visceral leishmaniasis was isolated at a rate of 50%(15/30).In contrast,infection of grey hamsters resulted in isolation of Leishmania responsible for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis at a rate of 10%and isolation of Leishmania responsible for anthroponotic visceral leishmaniasis at a rate of 30%.Leishmania spp.cultured on LM were effectively cryopreserved at-20℃for two years. Conclusion LM significantly improved the isolation of Leishmania spp.In comparison to conventional 3N medium,LM allowed a longer duration of preservation(two years instead of one month)and it yielded results sooner(15days instead of four days).LM can be used for the laboratory diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis and for study of its drug resistance.
Approaches to the Diagnosis of Hemolytic Anemias

How does one differentiate between hemolytic anemias caused by intracorpuscular defects and those caused by extracorpuscular disease, and how does this differentiation affect therapeutic decisions? This is but one of the questions answered in this article, which stresses the need for coordinated and systematic approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of various hemolytic conditions.
Hadron spectra from Au+Au collisions at RHIC

The STAR detector at RHIC allows the study of transverse momentum and rapidity distribution of charged particles produced in high energy heavy ion collisions. Results on charged hadrons and identified pions in Au+Au collisions will be presented. These observables help to map the global characteristics of heavy ion collisions.
Vibrations of Structural Systems by Component Mode Synthesis

Natural modes and frequencies of structural systems are determined by energy method using mode functions applicable to complete system, or to subsystem thereof, that are synthesized from admissible mode functions selected for component members of system; synthesis is accomplished by using equations of constraint that follow from conditions of force equilibrium and deflection compatibility at junctions.
Beyond Just Androgen Deprivation Therapy: Novel Therapies Combined With Radiation

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) combined with androgen deprivation are standard of care for selected patients with prostate cancer. In recent years, multiple therapies have been experimentally combined with EBRT either concomitantly or adjuvantly. These therapies include chemotherapies, immunotherapies, and novel hormones. In addition to EBRT, clinical trials with radiopharmaceuticals are planned or have been performed with concomitant chemotherapy, immunotherapies, novel hormones, and inhibitors of DNA damage repair. Herein we cover the therapeutic landscape of radiation, both EBRT and radiopharmaceuticals, and various novel therapies. Today, these therapies have yet to change the standard of care, but in the future, these combinations may improve upon currently available therapies. Clinical trials with radiation and novel forms of therapy are the key to progress, and newer adaptive clinical trial designs may allow such progress to occur faster.