cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast EVM Tuning of MIMO Wireless Systems Using Collaborative Parallel Testing and Implicit Reward Driven Learning

Modern 5G and projected 6G wireless systems deploy massive MIMO systems with antenna arrays and novel RF transceiver architectures that admit RF beamforming. Testing and tuning of the underlying transceiver arrays on a per-transceiver basis is expensive and can be expedited through the use of parallel testing and tuning techniques that stimulate the entire array transceiver system concurrently. State of the art parallel testing techniques require frequency separation between the tones applied to individual RF chains due to combining of RF signals before down-conversion in analog beamforming MIMO systems. Test schemes that allow some frequency overlap are limited to testing only third order distortion. In this paper, we first present a parallel testing scheme for testing large MIMO transceiver arrays that is amenable to higher order distortion (upto fifth order) in the RF chains considered. Second, we propose a tuning scheme for the entire MIMO array which implicitly tunes for EVM system specifications without explicit knowledge of the relationship between the system test response, the system tuning knobs and the corresponding EVM and SINR specification values. A cost metric is formulated that allows such a solution using reinforcement (multi-arm bandit) learning driven system tuning. Significant yield improvement using this approach is demonstrated by simulation experiments.
Distributive Justice and Need Fulfilment in an Islamic Economy

Distributive Justice and Need Fulfilment in an Islamic Economy is a collection of six papers delivered at The Second International Conference on Islamic Economics held in Islamabad in March 1983. All of the papers are accompanied by comments of as signed discussants as well as a transcription of general discussion from the floor. The whole enterprise has been introduced by Dr. Munawar Iqbal and in his Foreword, Professor Khurshid Ahmad represents it as the first serious effort by professional economists to, on the one hand, clarify the conceptual framework in which Islam deals with the problem of income distribution and, on the other, to explore concrete and policy relevant avenues for establishing a just economy in the context of the contemporary world.
Energy and Energy Balance

Man is an energy machine able to convert food or body fuel stores to mechanical work. The efficiency of energy conversion to work can be calculated from the ratio of external work to internal energy conversion rate. In fed man, a small portion of heat is lost following the intake of food, and this is called the entropy or free energy of a foodstuff, indicating that part of the energy obtained from food is thermodynamically obligated for conversion to heat. This may account for 5–10% of the initial heat lost. The conversion of food energy into high-energy biochemical bonds is inefficient, and about half of the potential energy from food is dissipated as heat. Of the remaining 45% of the free-energy pool stored as ATP or other high-energy bonds, only about half is utilized for external work, which occurs only when skeletal muscles are used. The majority of high-energy substances are utilized for internal work (respiration, circulation, cell pumps, etc.), resulting in the generation of a large quantity of heat (Fig. 1.1).
Reconsideration of the Gomphonema (Bacillariophyceae) species from Kolhapur, Northern Western Ghats, India: Taxonomy, typification and biogeography of the species reported by H.P. Gandhi

SUMMARY Unique environmental conditions in the Indian subcontinent create a diverse biogeographic region harboring with exceptional endemic biodiversity. Diatom studies in this region started in the early nineteenth century, with descriptions of many new species. H. P. Gandhi described nearly 300 new taxa beginning in 1952. The focus of this paper is to reconsider, typify and provide biogeographic notes on the Gomphonema species described by Gandhi from Kolhapur region of Northern Western Ghats. While Gandhi identified 11 taxa including two endemic taxa, we observed eight Gomphonema species from the same material, comprising six endemic and two cosmopolitan species. The morphology of these taxa is examined using both light and scanning electron microscopy and all taxa are compared with similar species. One of the eight species we observed is a new species, Gomphonema tamilensis sp. nov., and a new combination is established, Gomphonema lacusrankaloides comb. nov. Gomphonema tamilensis is similar to G. gandhii described from South India and Gomphocymbella species described from East Africa. Ultrastructural details of Gomphonema species from peninsular India shows morphologically similarities to members of this genus from Himalayan, Madagascar and African species, which could be reflective of sister taxon relationships, and merit further investigation.
A new signaling scheme for Underwater Acoustic communications

Underwater Acoustic (UWA) communications has attracted a lot of interest in recent years motivated by a wide range of applications. Different signaling solutions have been developed to date including non-coherent communications, phase coherent systems, multi-input multi-output (MIMO) solutions and multi-carrier based approaches. In this paper, we develop a novel UWA communications paradigm using biomimetic signals. In our scheme, digital information is mapped to the parameters of a class of biomimetic signal set and at the receiver an estimator to obtain the parameter values is utilized. To facilitate this, we develop analytical signal models with nonlinear instantaneous frequencies matching mammalian sound signatures in the time-frequency plane. We provide suitable receiver structures, and present decoding results using data recorded during the Kauai Acomms MURI 2011 (KAM11) UWA communications experiment.
Energy consumption model of an electric vehicle

Electric vehicles are gaining more popularity. Governments from both developed countries and of high-pollution developing countries are pushing towards more research for such vehicles. Marked by their zero carbon footprints, environmental groups strongly support these vehicles. For these reasons sales have been increasing steadily in the past few years. Due to that fact that it's still a new field, a lot of work relating to the electric vehicle technology is yet to be analyzed and developed. Electric vehicle powertrain optimization, routing, modeling, and path planning are some of these examples. In this paper, we present a model that represents the energy consumption acting on the high voltage battery of an electric vehicle. Most factors whether they are passive or active are presented and applied in the formulation. The model is then tested using a 2013 Fiat 500e electric vehicle. Finally, the generated results are compared to the captured real world data. Data analysis showed that the error between the model-generated numbers and the measured values averaged less than 1.5%. To add more validity to the results, data was captured from more than 200 driven miles with over 20 different test drives.
Directional annealing-induced texture in melt-spun (Sm12Co88)99Nb1 alloy

Developing texture in nanocrystalline permanent magnet alloys is of significant importance. Directional annealing is shown to produce texture in the permanent magnet alloy (Sm12Co88)99Nb1. Melt spinning produced isotropic grain structures of the hard magnetic metastable SmCo7 phase, with grain sizes of ~300 nm. Conventional annealing of melt-spun (Sm12Co88)99Nb1 alloy produced Sm2Co17 phase with random crystallographic orientation. Directional annealing of melt-spun (Sm12Co88)99Nb1 alloy, with appropriate combinations of annealing temperature and translational velocity, produced Sm2Co17 phase with (0 0 0 6) in-plane texture, as determined by x-ray diffraction analysis and magnetic measurements. The magnetization results show out-of-plane remanence higher than the in-plane remanence resulting in the degree of 'magnetic' texture in the order of 25–40%. Coercivity values above 2 kOe were maintained. The texture development via directional annealing while minimizing exposure to elevated temperatures provides a new route to anisotropic high-energy permanent magnets.
Percolation constraints in the use of conductor-filled polymers for interconnects

The properties of composite systems are understood in terms of percolation phenomena; when a sufficient amount of conductive filler is loaded into an insulating polymer matrix, the composite transforms from an insulator to a conductor, the result of continuous linkages of filler particles. The critical volume fraction at which this transformation occurs, V/sub c/, is the focus of the investigation reported. The concentration is on the properties of some silver-filled silicon rubber composites, and it is shown how the artificial percolation restrictions affect both the critical volume fraction and the resistivity of the composite. A computer simulation of the two-dimensional case shows that these restrictions affect V/sub c/ in a predictable manner. An empirical method of predicting V/sub c/ for non-restricted systems is presented. >
Does Payer Type Influence Pediatric Burn Outcomes? A National Study Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database

Pediatric burns are a considerable source of injury in the United States. Socioeconomic status has been demonstrated to influence other disease outcomes. The goal of this study was to analyze national pediatric burn outcomes based on payer type. A retrospective study was designed using the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), years 2000 to 2009. Patients 18 years of age and under with Major Diagnostic code number 22 for burn were included. A total of 22,965 patients were identified, estimating 37,856 discharges. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were performed. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess correlation of payer type with complications and length of stay (LOS). The majority of patients were Medicaid (52.3%). Medicaid patients were younger (4.25, P Language: en
IN VITRO EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID ON CORTICOSTEROID-CAUSED NEUTROPHIL DYSFUNCTION.

The phagocytic-bactericidal capacity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) for Staphylococcus aureus 502A was significantly depressed by a so-called pharmacologic dose of hydrocortisone sodium phosphate (0.08 mg/ml) in the medium. This effect was partially neutralized by the administration of a therapeutic dose of ascorbic acid (0.167 mg/ml) in the medium, suggesting that the propensity of some glucocorticoids to enhance infection may be favorably influenced by ascorbic acid.
Economies of scope in intermediate goods and a system of cities

Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a microfoundation model of industrial agglomeration and city formation. This is accomplished by extending Abdel-Rahman and Fujita ( Journal of Urban Economics , 1993, 33, 189–222) in two respects. First, a market for intermediate goods/services is introduced which leads to the formation of a multifirm city. Secondly, the impacts of economies of scope, resulting from lower variable costs as well as fixed costs, in intermediate goods are examined. A spatial general equilibrium model of a system of cities in a closed economy is employed. In this economy, two final traded goods are produced with the use of labor and non-traded intermediate goods. The model generates different equilibrium parameter spaces depending on the form of economies of scope, i.e. whether and to what degree economies of scope affect fixed or variable costs. Therefore, economies of scope in intermediate goods production have different effects than do economies of scope in final goods production. In addition, it is shown that under some conditions, in a stable equilibrium, the specialized city can be larger than the diversified city.
Edgeworth's conjecture with infinitely many commodities: commodity differentiation

Convergence of the cores of finite economies to the set of Walrasian allocations as the number of agents grows has long been taken as one of the basic tests of perfect competition. The present paper examines this test in the most natural model of commodity differentiation: the commodity space is the space of nonnegative measures, endowed with the topology of weak convergence. In Anderson and Zame [12], we gave counterexamples to core convergence in L 1, a space in which core convergence holds for replica economies and core equivalence holds for continuum economies; in addition, we gave a core convergence theorem under the assumption that traders' utility functions exhibit uniformly vanishing marginal utility at infinity. In this paper, we provide two core convergence results for the commodity differentiation model. A key technical virtue of this space is that relatively large sets (in particular, closed norm-bounded sets) are compact. This permits us to invoke a version of the Shapley-Folkman Theorem for compact subsets of an infinite-dimensional space. We show that, for sufficiently large economies in which endowments come from a norm bounded set, preferences satisfy an equidesirability condition, and either (i) preferences exhibit uniformly bounded marginal rates of substitution or (ii) endowments come from an order-bounded set, core allocations can be approximately decentralized by prices.
Transient Measurements of Ultrafast Charge Collection in Semicouductor Diodes

Funneling-current transients produced in semiconductor devices are predicted to occur on a picosecond time scale. We have measured these transients using a high bandwidth sampling system. Measurements were made on 1, 3, and 10 ?-cm silicon low capacitance diodes and 1016 cm-3 Te-doped GaAs diodes. The data is compared to the Hsieh, Murley and O'Brien, the McLean and Oldham, and the Messenger models. Risetime versus doping density, peak current, total charge, and amplitude versus bias were measured. Also, current transients and prompt charge versus energy are presented.
Factors that Affect Student Motivation in a Dairy Products Elective Course

: Student motivation is influenced by instructional approach. Motivation is a function of initiating and sustaining goal-directed behavior. The objective of this study was to identify factors (positive and negative) that affect motivation in a junior-level dairy products elective course. Student attitudes were surveyed each year half-way through the semester over the past 4 y using an open-ended instrument. Data obtained showed that environmental factors such as instructor enthusiasm, use of humor, and positive attitude all significantly (P= 0.068) and positively influenced goal-directed behavior. Significant negative influential factors mainly included course topic choices. Overall, these findings were consistent with motivational theory and highlighted the significance of environmental influences in the classroom and potential connection to self-efficacy and ultimately motivation.
Screening for acute HIV infections and estimating HIV incidence among female sex workers from low-grade venues in Guangxi, China.

BACKGROUND: Guangxi has become one of the provinces with the most severe HIV-1 epidemic in China where heterosexual contact is the dominant transmission route. However data of acute HIV infections and HIV incidence among female sex workers (FSWs) from low-grade venues are scant. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi. HIV antibody screening was performed by rapid testing (RT). HIV antibody-negative specimens were screened by pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for acute HIV infections. HIV antibody-positive specimens were further analyzed by Western blot (WB) followed by an HIV-1 BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) to identify the recent infections. HIV-1 incidence was estimated by the data of pooled NAAT and BED-CEIA respectively. RESULTS: A total of 7936 FSWs were recruited and answered the questionnaires. We successfully collected the blood samples from 6469 (81.5%) participants of which 139 (2.1%) were HIV antibody-positive and 6330 (97.9%) were HIV antibody-negative by RT. With pooled NAAT 7 cases were found to be HIV RNA positive representing an additional 5.0% of HIV-infected persons and an estimated HIV incidence of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.17-1.76) per 100 person years. There were 137 positive and 2 indeterminate by WB of which 124 (90.5%) positive specimens were subjected to BED-CEIA testing identifying 28 recent infections. The HIV incidence determined by BED-CEIA testing was 1.04 (95% CI: 0.65-1.43) per 100 person years. The overall prevalence of HIV among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi was 2.2% (95% CI: 1.9-2.6). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the addition of HIV RNA screening to routine HIV antibody testing significantly improved the detection of HIV infection among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi. Our findings also provided the useful baseline data of HIV incidence among this population for targeting local HIV prevention intervention monitoring and treatment.
Increasing task behavior in a language arts program by providing reinforcement

Abstract The work of retarded readers using a programmed language arts curriculum was observed under various conditions of reinforcement in a controlled classroom. Task behavior was followed by conditions of no consequence, teacher praise, a work-break consequence, a monetary consequence and feedback on amount of work (relative to previous work). Extinction of task behavior tended to occur under conditions of no consequence and of teacher praise. Conditions of monetary consequence and of feedback on progress resulted in high, sustained rates of work behavior.
Behavioral and environmental correlates of infant abuse in group- living pigtail macaques

The present study investigated the context of occurrence of infant abuse and the behavior of abusive mothers and their infants in pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina). Subjects were 8 abusive mothers with their infants and 8 control mother-infant pairs living in 3 captive social groups. The most common forms of abuse were infant crushing and dragging and the most common context of occurrence was social stress. Severe and mild abuse differed in the frequency but not in the type of abuse patterns. Abusive mothers had controlling parenting styles relative to nonabusive mothers, and abused infants played at a later age and less frequently than controls. This study replicates previous findings on the parenting styles of abusive macaque mothers and provides new evidence on the context of occurrence of abuse and its consequences for infant health and social development.
Photo-synthetic pyridine nucleotide reductase. III. Effect of phosphate acceptor system on triphosphopyridine nucleotide reduction.

Abstract In the presence of a high concentration of the enzyme, photosynthetic pyridine nucleotide reductase, the rate of reduction of TPN is stimulated greatly by the presence of adenosine diphosphate, magnesium, and inorganic phosphate. All three co-factors are required for maximal stimulation; however, arsenate can replace phosphate in the complete system. Under this same condition of high enzyme concentration, the rate of reduction of TPN is stimulated to approximately the same extent by ammonium ion. This anion exerts its effect by uncoupling the reduction and phosphorylation processes thereby resulting in a stimulation of the rate of reduction of TPN. These observations are explained in terms of a proposed mechanism in which phosphate esterification is coupled to the formation of reduced TPN. At low enzyme concentration, the rate of formation of reduced TPN is proportional to the enzyme concentration; at high enzyme concentration, the rate of reduction of TPN is limited by the rate of phosphorylation.
Estimation of pollutant loads with fuzzy sets

Abstract An approach is presented to estimate pollutant loads and concentrations in runoff using fuzzy sets. In introducing uncertainty in water quality simulation models, fuzzy sets seem as appropriate as other techniques to represent the variability of the model's parameters and to predict pollutant loads with a measure of their uncertainty. In addition, the numerical implementation is efficient compared to other schemes. A modified version of the Storm Water Management Model that includes fuzzy sets is presented with the associated calibration method. Application of the procedure is illustrated for two watersheds and several pollutants.
DESTROYING A COUNTRY IN ORDER TO SAVE IT: THE FOLLY OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST MYANMAR

The government of the United States has imposed economic sanctions on the Union of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, due to the ruling junta’s lack of respect for democracy and human rights. This paper proposes that those sanctions, while well intended, are ineffective, unethical and harmful to the people to whom they are intended to help.
Pionic transitions as tests of the connection between current and constituent quarks

Abstract A proposed connection between current and constituent quarks is discussed and tested through comparison with the magnitudes and signs of amplitudes for pionic transitions between hadrons.
Predicting outcome following reoperation for medically intractable epilepsy

The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of probable outcome following reoperation for medically intractable partial epilepsy. We reviewed outcome at least 1 year after reoperation in 21 patients with intractable seizures, for whom an earlier operation had failed. We examined age of onset of epilepsy, duration of seizures, gender, details of the history and clinical examination, pre-operative magnetic resonance (MRI) findings, electroencephalographic (EEG) studies obtained before and after the failed surgery, presence or absence of lateralizing neuro-psychological deficits, sites of operation and pathology of resected tissue to identify the factors associated with outcome. We found two factors that were significantly related to outcome: (1) no individual with a history of central nervous system (CNS) infection which predated the onset of epilepsy had a seizure-free outcome after reoperation (P = 0.04). (2) Reoperations that extended previous resections, based on new ictal EEG recordings that were concordant with both EEG ictal onsets and MRI findings obtained before the first, failed surgery resulted in a seizure-free outcome or >95% reduction in seizures for 100% (7/7) of such patients. This compares to 29% (4/14) of the remaining individuals without such concordance who had a similar outcome (P = 0.009). Site of operation (temporal or extratemporal) did not, in and of itself, predict outcome. A portion of patients who fail surgery for intractable partial seizures will achieve significant improvement following reoperation. Furthermore, we may be able to identify those individuals most likely to have an excellent result from a second operation.
Psychedelics as medicines for substance abuse rehabilitation: evaluating treatments with LSD, Peyote, Ibogaine and Ayahuasca

Substances known as psychedelics, hallucinogens and entheogens have been employed in ethnomedical traditions for thousands of years, but after promising uses in the 1950's and 1960's they were largely prohibited in medical treatment and human research starting in the 1970's as part of the fallout from the war on drugs. Nonetheless, there are a number of studies which suggest that these substances have potential applications in the treatment of addictions. While these substances are generally classified as Schedule I, alleging no established medical uses and a high drug abuse potential, there is nonetheless evidence indicating they might be safe and effective tools for short term interventions in addictions treatment. Evidence suggests that the psychedelics have a much greater safety profile than the major addictive drugs, having extremely low levels of mortality, and producing little if any physical dependence. This paper reviews studies evaluating the use of LSD, peyote, ibogaine and ayahuasca in the treatment of dependencies and the possible mechanisms underlying the indications of effectiveness. Evidence suggests that these substances help assist recovery from drug dependency through a variety of therapeutic mechanisms, including a notable "after-glow" effect that in part reflects their action on the serotonin neurotransmitter system. Serotonin has been long recognized as central to the psychedelics' well-known phenomenological, physical, emotional and cognitive dynamics. These serotonin-based dynamics are directly relevant to treatment of addiction because of depressed serotonin levels found in addict populations, as well as the role of serotonin as a neuromodulators affecting many other neurotransmitter systems.
A MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CHOICE ON CONCURRENT‐CHAINS SCHEDULES

Six pigeons responded on concurrent-chains schedules with either independent or interdependent equal variable-interval schedules in the initial links and unequal variable-interval schedules, always in a 2:1 ratio, in the terminal links. Relative response rates in the initial links increased across conditions as initial-link duration was shortened and decreased across conditions as terminal-link duration was shortened, replicating previous findings. Responses in the initial links were recorded in 5-s bins, and local or molecular relative response rates were calculated in order to ascertain how relative response rate varied as a function of time since the onset of the initial links. Two distinct molecular patterns were found. With interdependent initial links, relative response rates for the preferred key were elevated for the first 10 or 20 s of the initial links and then declined to an asymptotic value. With independent initial links, a negative recency effect was found similar to that reported by Killeen (1970). These two molecular patterns were related to the different momentary reinforcement probabilities resulting from independent and interdependent scheduling.
Experimental Evaluation of Laser-Assisted Micromilling in a Slotting Configuration

Micromilling can be difficult to apply to many engineering materials due to a variety of scaling induced factors including low cutting speeds, high relative tool deflections and runout, and increased material strength at smaller size scales. To alleviate these problems, laser-assisted micromilling (LAMM) was evaluated on Ti6Al4V, AISI 422, and AISI 316 using 100 μm diameter endmills in slotting operations. A three-dimensional transient finite-volume based thermal model was used to analytically predict appropriate process parameters on the basis of material removal temperatures. A two-dimensional finite element model was created and used to show the effects of cutting edge radius, uncut chip thickness, and material removal temperature on the cutting force. A thorough experimental investigation of acoustic emissions (AEs) during LAMM was performed. In particular, the effects of depth of cut, tool wear, and material removal temperature on the root-mean-square of AEs were studied. The effects of LAMM on the machined surface finish and edge burrs were also evaluated.
A Sleep Satisfaction Interview for Couples: Recommendations for Improving Your Nights Together

Different types of insomnia and sleep-related breathing disorders are introduced as well as methods for detecting and treating the disorders. Emphasis is on the presentation of activities that can be utilized in treating insomnia and sleep-related breathing disorders within the couple relationship.
Detection of chlorinated hydrocarbons in combustion using in situ FTIR spectroscopy

We have designed and built an in situ multipass optical cell coupled to a combustion flow reactor for the thermal destruction of chlorinated hydrocarbons. In situ FTIR spectroscopy provides a means for measuring byproducts and reactive intermediates in combustion flows without introducing sampling artifacts and with minimal flow disturbance. Gas phase chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds (CHCs) are injected downstream of a methane/air flame, entering the product flow 0.1 to 0.2 seconds before the optical cell at temperatures from 750 to 1200 K. A nitrogen purge near the mirrors provides physical and thermal isolation of the optics from the combustion products. Temperature in the cell varied from 500 to 900 K in the center to 350 to 450 K near the optics. SF6 was used for internal calibration because of its thermal stability and strong absorption near 948 cm−1. Ethyl chloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane were injected at temperatures in which thermal destruction ranges from better than 99% to less than 1%. Byproducts were identified and quantified using a number of methods. Comparisons with our previous studies confirm that significant amounts of vinyl chloride and phosgene are produced via high temperature reactions and are not solely artifacts of extractive sampling methods.
Efficient blue luminescence from colloidal CdSe quantum-dot quantum-well nanocrystals

CdS/CdSe/ZnS quantum dot quantum well (QDQW) nanocrystals were synthesized using the successive ion layer adsorption and reaction technique. CdSe QWs with a well width of 1.05 nm emitted blue light at 467 nm with a spectral full-width-at-half-maximum of ∼30 nm. It was found that a 3-monolayer ZnS outer cladding layer can effectively passivate the QDQW structures, leading to a ∼35% quantum yield (QY) of the QW photoluminescence. QDQW light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with blue QW electroluminescence (EL) were fabricated. The devices with an emitting layer comprising QDQWs embedded in a poly(N-vinylcarbazole) host were five times brighter than LEDs based on closely-packed QDQWs. However, the overall EL of the devices was dominated by interface state emission due to poor charge injection into the QDQWs.
Adult Learners in a Research University: Negotiating Undergraduate Student Identity

Adult undergraduate student identities at research extensive universities were uniquely coconstructed, shaped by this selective and competitive youth-oriented cultural context. Drawing upon social constructivist theory, this study explored this coconstruction through positional and relational adult student identities. Positional identities were coconstructed through negotiating academic acceptance in meeting demanding academic challenges and through facing otherness as a mature adult. These adults also viewed their positional identity based in an evolving sense of agency to academically succeed through goal oriented efforts, as well as through their adult maturity and life experiences. These adults articulated relational identities predominantly based in faculty’s tacit or explicit academic acceptance of them in one of four types of relationships. This study suggests that the adult undergraduate student identity is multi-layered, multi-sourced, evolving, and at times, paradoxical in beliefs of self, posit...
System stability principles

Principles of system instability in the literature fall into seven categories, distinguished by the nature of the system's strategic response to potential sources of instability. Each of the principles is illustrated using various cases, including the Industrial Revolution. The principles suggest an optimal design of quick-response teams for coping with major social surprises, and seven early-warning indicators of impending socio-economic-environmental surprises.
UNSTRUCTURED 3D PIC SIMULATION OF PLASMA FLOW IN A SEGMENTED MICROCHANNEL

A three-dimensional particle in cell/direct simulation Monte Carlo (PIC/DSMC) code is developed on unstructured tetrahedral grids with adaptation. Zero and linear particle weighting and force interpolation schemes are incorporated. Collisions include neutral-neutral and neutral-ion via the non-time-counter method. A parametric investigation of the numerical heating on unstructured 3-D PIC simulations is performed. The PIC methodology is applied to the simulation of the flow inside the segmented microchannel of a directional-Retarding Potential Analyzer. Simulations show the flow characteristics of the ions and electrons and provide estimates of the collected current by the microplate.
Wigner crystal versus Hall insulator.

In a very-low-disorder two-dimensional hole system we observe a ul direct transition from a well developed ul high-order fractional quantum Hall state at \ensuremath{\nu}=2/5 to an insulating state at 1/32/5. As T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{x}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} for the insulating phase, while ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{\mathit{x}\mathit{x}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 for the fractional quantum Hall states at \ensuremath{\nu}=2/5 and 1/3, yielding quasiparticle excitation gaps of 0.60 and 3.6 K, respectively. The topology of the theoretical disorder versus magnetic field global phase diagram for this system expressly forbids the direct quantum liquid-to-insulator transition we observe, ruling out the disorder-induced ``Hall insulator'' as the explanation.
A novel strategy for the treatment of cocaine addiction

Cocaine's addictive liability has been linked to its pharmacologic actions on mesotelencephalic dopamine (DA) reinforcement/reward pathways in the central nervous system (CNS). Dopaminergic transmission within these pathways is modulated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). With this knowledge, we examined the utility of gamma vinylGABA (GVG), a selective and irreversible inhibitor of GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) known to potentiate GABAergic inhibition, to alter cocaine's biochemical effects as well as its effects on behaviors associated with these biochemical changes. GVG significantly attenuated cocaine-induced increases in neostriatal synaptic DA in the non-human primate (baboon) brain as assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) and abolished both the expression and acquisition of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). It had no effect on CPP for a food reward, the delivery of cocaine to the brain or locomotor activity. These findings suggest the possible therapeutic utility in cocaine addiction of a pharmacologic strategy targeted at the GABAergic neurotransmitter system, a system distinct from but functionally linked to the DA mesotelencephalic reward/reinforcement system. However, rather than targeting the GABA receptor complex with a direct GABA agonist, this novel approach with GVG takes advantage of the prolonged effects of an irreversible enzyme inhibitor that raises endogenous GABA levels without the addictive liability associated with GABA agonists acting directly at the receptor itself. Human trials with GVG are currently being developed to directly examine the utility of this novel strategy for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
Effect of test environment on ductility and fracture behavior of boron-doped Ni3Al at 600° C

The work reported here was a preliminary effort to identify the factors responsible for the marked difference between ductility reported by Liu and Taub in the temperature range above 400 degrees C. The authors found that tensile ductility of boron-doped Ni3Al alloys is a strong function of test environment at 600 degrees C, with much lower ductilities observed in air than in vacuum.
Introduction: Objectives and purposes of the study

This article introduces a series of research projects (carried out by the International Network on Social Inequalities and Health) focused on the impact of politics on policy and the consequences f...
Traumatic Obliterative Urethral Strictures in Pediatric Patients: Failure of the Cut to Light Technique at Long-Term Followup

Purpose: The cut to light procedure or antegrade and retrograde urethroscopy with endoscopic incision of obliterative urethral strictures is an accepted method of treating posterior urethral distraction injuries. We report long-term followup on 22 pediatric patients treated with this technique.Materials and Methods: The records of all pediatric patients with a posterior urethral distraction injury treated from 1986 through 2006 were reviewed. The cut to light procedure was performed for obliterative strictures less than 1 cm via a cold knife or laser in 11 patients each. A urethral catheter was left in situ for 3 weeks. Patients were then followed a minimum of 2 years.Results: A total of 22 patients at a median age of 11 years (range 3 to 16) were treated. Followup revealed stricture recurrence in all patients. Median time to recurrence was 3 months after catheter removal (range 5 days to 1 year). Although intermittent catheterization to maintain patency was attempted in all patients, the development of i...
Attitudes, Knowledge, and Sexual Behavior of High‐Risk Adolescents: Implications for Counseling and Sexuality Education

A survey was conducted to examine high-risk sexual behavior in a large group of adolescents who were involved with the juvenile justice system. The findings showed that these youth are at high risk for unintended pregnancy and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Compared to national norms, the sample reported a very early mean age at first intercourse and a high rate of pregnancy. Those who had been involved in a pregnancy reported having begun sexual activity the earliest of those surveyed. Most participants reported an extremely unreliable use of birth control, with this unreliable use of birth control being strongly associated with espousal of high-risk attitudes but generally unassociated with factual knowledge regarding pregnancy and contraception. These findings support the argument for expanding the scope of traditional sex education and beginning sexuality education programs earlier than they usually are in this country.
Management and visual acuity results of monocular congenital cataracts and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous

Sixty-two patients, 48 with a diagnosis of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV) and 14 with monocular congenital cataract (MCC) are reported. Nineteen patients with a diagnosis of PHPV and all patients with MCC received surgery with attempted visual rehabilitation. Early age of surgery, prompt optical correction with contact lens and aggressive patching therapy are required for successful visual rehabilitation. Glaucoma, retinal or optic nerve pathology, surgery later than three months of age or combinations of these factors were associated with poor prognosis. Isolated microphthalmos was not correlated with poor prognosis. Binocular fixation pattern was used to monitor patching therapy. Optokinetic nystagmus, visual evoked potentials or forced preferential looking were not employed. Of the 33 patients who underwent surgery, 10 (30%) achieved good (greater than or equal to 20/50) visual acuity, 8 (24%) achieved fair (20/60 to 20/100) and 15 (46%) achieved poor vision. In selected patients with the diagnosis of PHPV or MCC, visual rehabilitation can be achieved.
An alternative field work model for prospective teachers

General socialization theory is applied to the preparation of teachers in an effort to assess present structural defects in teacher education arrangements and to develop a scientifically supportable model of such field work during a period of massive social change. The model proposed postulates several novel practices for consideration and testing.
Near-Infrared Gold Nanocages as a New Class of Tracers for Photoacoustic Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping on a Rat Model

This work demonstrated the use of Au nanocages as a new class of lymph node tracers for noninvasive photoacoustic (PA) imaging of a sentinel lymph node (SLN). Current SLN mapping methods based on blue dye and/or nanometer-sized radioactive colloid injection are intraoperative due to the need for visual detection of the blue dye and low spatial resolution of Geiger counters in detecting radioactive colloids. Compared to the current methods, PA mapping based on Au nanocages shows a number of attractive features: noninvasiveness, strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region (for deep penetration), and the accumulation of Au nanocages with a higher concentration than the initial solution for the injection. In an animal model, these features allowed us to identify SLNs containing Au nanocages as deep as 33 mm below the skin surface with good contrast. Most importantly, compared to methylene blue Au nanocages can be easily bioconjugated with antibodies for targeting specific receptors, potentially eliminating the need for invasive axillary staging procedures in addition to providing noninvasive SLN mapping.
Mean Reversion in Equilibrium Real Exchange Rates

This paper reports evidence that an equilibrium model of real exchange rate determination with time non-separable preferences can generate mean reversion in six real exchange rates. Using the generalized method of moments. I obtain plausible parameter estimates and cannot reject the model by the over-identifying restrictions test. Monte-Carlo experiments cannot reject the null hypothesis that the variance rations estimated with the data are drawn from the empirical distribution generated by the model.[F31]
Errors of isotope ratios acquired by double interpolation

Abstract Measurement of isotope ratios via double interpolation of cyclic peak jumping produces error correlations between time-adjacent ratios which, if ignored, result in underestimated errors of their means. Equations that incorporate the error correlations are derived, and an example given for a typical U–Pb/zircon analysis via ion microprobe showing that isotope-ratio uncertainties for a single spot are usually underestimated by factors of 1.2–1.3.
Determination of the principal g-values of Type I or highly-anisotropic low spin (HALS) ferriheme centers in frozen solutions.

Abstract Continuous wave (CW) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of highly-anisotropic low spin (HALS) ferric heme centers in frozen solutions is not a very informative approach because usually only one feature is reliably observed in the spectra, that at the maximal principal g-value of, typically, 3.3–3.79. The other two EPR turning points are severely broadened by g-strain and are not easily observed in the first-derivative CW EPR spectra. In this work, we have explored the potential of alternative EPR techniques, the electron spin echo (ESE) field sweep and electron spin transient nutation (TN), for obtaining information about the g-tensors of such systems, using as an example a typical HALS ferric heme center, [FeIII(15N-coproporphyrin)(CN)2]. The analysis of the experimental g-tensor of [FeIII(15N-coproporphyrin)(CN)2]− has shown that the widths of the underlying energy distributions for this HALS center are comparable to those found for the rhombic bis-imidazole complex. The greater effect on the g-value distributions for HALS centers is determined by near degeneracy of two of the three lower-energy d-orbitals, dyz and dxz, which contain the unpaired electron.
On antipodes in pointed Hopf algebras

Abstract If S is the antipode of a Hopf algebra H , the order of S is defined to be the smallest positive integer n such that S n = I (in case such integers exist) or ∞ (if no such integers exist). Although in most familiar examples of Hopf algebras the antipode has order 1 or 2, examples are known of infinite dimensional Hopf algebras in which the antipode has infinite order or arbitrary even order [1, 4, 6] and also of finite dimensional Hopf algebras in which the antipode has arbitrary even order [3, 5]. Some sufficient conditions for the antipode to have order ⩽4 are known [2, 4], but the following questions remain open: Does the antipode of a finite dimensional Hopf algebra necessarily have finite order? If the antipode S of a Hopf algebra H has finite order is that order bounded by some function of dim H ? In this paper, by constructing a certain basis for an arbitrary pointed coalgebra and studying the action of the antipode on the elements of such a basis for a pointed Hopf algebra, we obtain affirmative answers to the second question in case H is pointed and to the first question in case H is pointed over a field of prime characteristic. We use freely the definitions, notation, and results of [4].
Core requirements for glmS ribozyme self-cleavage reveal a putative pseudoknot structure

The glmS ribozyme is a self-cleaving RNA catalyst that resides in the 5′-untranslated region of glmS mRNA in certain bacteria. The ribozyme is specifically activated by glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P), the metabolic product of the GlmS protein, and is thus proposed to provide a feedback mechanism of riboswitch regulation. Both phylogenetic and biochemical analyses of the glmS ribozyme have established a highly conserved core sequence and secondary structure required for GlcN6P-dependent self-cleavage. However, the high degree of nucleotide conservation offers few clues regarding the higher-order structural organization of the catalytic core. To further investigate core ribozyme structure, minimal ‘consensus-type’ glmS ribozymes that retain GlcN6P-dependent activity were produced. Mutational analyses of consensus-type glmS ribozymes support a model for core ribozyme folding through a pseudoknot structure formed by the interaction of two highly conserved sequence segments. Moreover, GlcN6P-dependent function is demonstrated for bimolecular constructs in which substrate interaction with the ribozyme is minimally comprised of sequence representing that involved in putative pseudoknot formation. These studies suggest that the glmS ribozyme adopts an intricate multi-strand catalytic core through the formation of a pseudoknot structure, and provide a refined model for further considering GlcN6P interaction and GlcN6P-dependent ribozyme function.
Tau polarization measurements at LEP using τ → ϱν and τ → a1ν

Measurements of the tau polarization by the LEP collaborations using the decay modes τ → ϱν and τ → a 1 ν are reviewed. The kinematics of these final states involving vector hadrons is discussed as is the use of different polarization-sensitive variables. These tau decay modes involve reconstruction of photons and π 0 's which presents special challenges at LEP energies. The τ → ϱν decay mode is the most powerful of the five used at LEP ( eυυ¯ , πνν¯, πν, ρν , and a 1 ν and carries about 40% of the weight in the LEP average. The a 1 ν mode carries the least weight, about 6%. The results from the four experiments are presented with discussion of the systematic errors. Estimates are given for the final uncertainty on the tau polarization achievable using these two channels when LEP running near the Z resonance is finished.