cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated silicon photonic temperature sensors based on bragg reflectors with asymmetric fano lineshapes

We investigate theoretically and experimentally temperature sensors based on asymmetric Fano resonances in integrated silicon Bragg reflectors. A temperature sensitivity of 77pm/°C can be achieved due to thermo-optic effect of silicon.
Electromagnetic transient response of a conducting cylinder driven by a solenoid

Using an idealized two-dimensional model we consider the transient response when particular currents or voltages are applied to an infinite solenoid encircling a homogeneous cylinder. The results may be used to determine the degree and type of changes in the bulk electrical characteristics of a cylindrical test object as compared to a standard.
Graph-based methods for Horn knowledge compression

Horn knowledge bases are widely used in many applications. The paper is concerned with the optimal compression of propositional Horn production rule bases/spl minus/one of the most important knowledge bases used in practice. The problem of knowledge compression is interpreted as a problem of Boolean function minimization. It was proved by P.L. Hammer and A. Kogan (1993) that the minimization of Horn functions, i.e. Boolean functions associated to Horn knowledge bases, is NP-complete. The paper deals with the minimization of quasi-acyclic Horn functions, the class of which properly includes the two practically significant classes of quadratic and of acyclic functions. A procedure is developed for recognizing in quadratic time the quasi-acyclicity of a function given by a Horn CNF, and a graph-based algorithm is proposed for the quadratic time minimization of quasi-acyclic Horn functions. >
Is Hip Arthroscopy Cost-effective for Femoroacetabular Impingement?

Background The impact of hip arthroscopy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among younger patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is unknown, but with increasing recognition of the condition there is likely to be increasing demand for arthroscopy.
Social Class and Social Desirability

(1962). Social Class and Social Desirability. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 58, No. 1, pp. 167-170.
Risk forecast using hidden Markov models

Today's fast moving technologies create innovative ideas, products, and services, but they also bring with them new security risks. The gap between new technologies and the security needed to keep them from opening up new risks in information systems (ISs) can be difficult to close completely. Changes in ISs are inevitable because computing environments, intentionally or unintentionally, are always changing. These changes bring with them vulnerabilities on new or existing ISs, which cause security states to move between mitigated, vulnerable, and compromised states. In previous work, we introduced the near real-time risk assessment using hidden Markov models (HMMs). This paper applies that theory to a prototype MatLab™ environment.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND TEAM PERFORMANCE: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

This research investigates the relationship among a team's emotional intelligence, the team leader's emotional intelligence, and team performance. Twenty‐six customer service teams and their leaders were studied using the three components of Salovey and Mayer's (1990) conception of emotional intelligence: Understanding emotion, managing emotion, and identifying emotions. Team members and two corporate directors assessed team performance using customer service, accuracy, productivity, and continuous improvement as performance indicators. Of the three components of emotional intelligence (EI) studied, only understanding emotion and managing emotion positively correlated with some measures of team performance. However, no correlations occurred between identifying emotions and any performance measure. Of the six positive correlations between team EI and team performance, three were between EI and customer service. No EI components correlated with productivity or continuous improvement performance measures. Study results also indicate that team leader EI has a neutral to negative relationship with team performance from the team members' perspectives. The data show, overall that a negative relationship exists between team leader EI and team performance as rated by individuals. The only positive correlation was between team leader understanding emotion scores and customer service, as rated by managers. This result is consistent with the findings stated previously that team EI positively correlates with customer service.
Data science and cyberinfrastructure: critical enablers for accelerated development of hierarchical materials

AbstractThe slow pace of new/improved materials development and deployment has been identified as the main bottleneck in the innovation cycles of most emerging technologies. Much of the continuing discussion in the materials development community is therefore focused on the creation of novel materials innovation ecosystems designed to dramatically accelerate materials development efforts, while lowering the overall cost involved. In this paper, it is argued that the recent advances in data science can be leveraged suitably to address this challenge by effectively mediating between the seemingly disparate, inherently uncertain, multiscale and multimodal measurements and computations involved in the current materials’ development efforts. Proper utilisation of modern data science in the materials’ development efforts can lead to a new generation of data-driven decision support tools for guiding effort investment (for both measurements and computations) at various stages of the materials development. It shou...
Advances in Deficit Irrigation Management

Scarcity of irrigation water supplies is leading to the need to consider deficit irrigation which is the intentional under-irrigation of crops resulting in evapotranspiration and yield reduction. We present analytical tools that can be used to assist irrigators and water managers in assessing the water balance and economic consequences of various alternatives. We combine a water balance model of an irrigated field with crop production functions and nonlinear optimization to identify optimal cropping choices and irrigation water allotments to crops. The methodology has been developed for planning for deficit irrigation management for conditions ranging from one field for a single year to allocation programs that focus on farms with multiple fields and multiannual water supply constraints. Example applications are presented to illustrate the methodology for some typical conditions in the Central Great Plains of the United States.
Testing Equality of Order Constrained Inverse Gaussian Means

The inverse Gaussian family of non negative, skewed random variables is analytically simple, and its inference theory is well known to be analogous to the normal theory in numerous ways. Hence, it is widely used for modeling non negative positively skewed data. In this note, we consider the problem of testing homogeneity of order restricted means of several inverse Gaussian populations with a common unknown scale parameter using an approach based on the classical methods, such as Fisher's, for combining independent tests. Unlike the likelihood approach which can only be readily applied to a limited number of restrictions and the settings of equal sample sizes, this approach is applicable to problems involving a broad variety of order restrictions and arbitrary sample size settings, and most importantly, no new null distributions are needed. An empirical power study shows that, in case of the simple order, the test based on Fisher's combination method compares reasonably with the corresponding likelihood r...
Efficient photoionization loading of trapped ions with ultrafast pulses

Atomic cadmium ions are loaded into radiofrequency ion traps by photoionization of atoms in a cadmium vapor with ultrafast laser pulses. The photoionization is driven through an intermediate atomic resonance with a frequency-quadrupled mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser that produces pulses of either 100-fs or 1-ps duration at a central wavelength of 229 nm. The large bandwidth of the pulses photoionizes all velocity classes of the Cd vapor, resulting in a high loading efficiency compared to previous ion trap loading techniques. Measured loading rates are compared with a simple theoretical model, and we conclude that this technique can potentially ionize every atom traversing the laser beam within the trapping volume. This may allow the operation of ion traps with lower levels of background pressures and less trap electrode surface contamination. The technique and laser system reported here should be applicable to loading most laser-cooled ion species.
The Value of Postoperative Visits for Third Molar Removal

Purpose The clinical follow-up visit after third molar extraction has been cited as time consuming and of little benefit to patients. Although telephone follow-up has the potential to add value to the surgical management of third molars, sparse information exists on the financial context of this alternative. The purpose of this study was to show the change in value of third molar extraction with telephone follow-up through 1) measurement of the postoperative complication rate and 2) costs of telephone versus clinical follow-up. Materials and Methods Bivariate comparisons were computed to assess for differences in follow-up type. Cost was calculated from a provider's perspective using micro-costing analysis that quantified cost differences between postoperative telephone and clinical follow-ups. Each visit type was divided into clinical activities and clinicians involved. Cost rates (dollars per minute) were derived for each clinician. Each clinical activity time was multiplied by clinician cost rate to derive an activity-based cost for each activity. Individual activity-based costs were summed to derive the total cost of telephone versus clinical follow-up visit. Results Patients who had a telephone follow-up had a similar postoperative complication rate (2.1%) as those who had a clinical follow-up (1.9%; P = .94). The total cost estimates were $14.26 for telephone follow-up and $63.33 for clinical follow-up. Overall, there was a cost savings of $49.07 per patient, or a 77.4% decrease in cost, when using telephone follow-up. Conclusion Telephone follow-ups added value to the operative management of patients having third molar extractions by controlling for postoperative complication rate and decreasing cost of care.
Research productivity of foreign- and US-born faculty: differences by time on task

Similar to trends in postsecondary education across the world, today’s US universities are an increasing mix of native and foreign-born scholars. US institutions are experiencing a growing number of international faculty members, but there is limited literature examining foreign-born faculty who work in US institutions and how outputs from foreign-born faculty compare to US-born natives. Using data from the 2004 National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04), this study examines difference in faculty members’ research productivity at doctoral-granting institutions by foreign/US-born status controlling for select individual and institutional characteristics. Findings show that foreign-born faculty members spend more time on research and less time on undergraduate instruction than US-born peers, and this may contribute to their higher levels of production. Implications are discussed that consider how to ensure diverse faculty communities that lead to strong research and knowledge production.
Energy measurements of the 20–60 MeV neutron beam of the Davis 76-inch isochronous cyclotron☆

Abstract Energy measurements of a 20–60 MeV neutron beam to an absolute precision of 0.1% are easily achieved using a simple time-of-flight method.
Three-dimensional EPR imaging with one spectral and two spatial dimensions

Abstract Three-dimensional EPR imaging with one spectral dimension and two spatial dimensions is demonstrated. An image can be displayed as two-dimensional spatial-spatial maps of spin density or of EPR spectral intensity at a particular value of magnetic field. The spectral dimension gives the hyperfine-split EPR spectrum at each point in the spatial-spatial plane.
Some aspects of binaural sound

Experiments in binaural listening show that the two ears provide almost independent effects on the brain?namely, a sound message confined entirely to one ear does not interfere appreciably with a sound message confined entirely to the other ear. A result of this independence is that harmony, in a restricted sense, between binaurally heard tones does not exist. This fact might be used to create new effects in two-part music. In the most general sense, the experiments described in this article show that any two messages? whether in music, in words, or in symbols?can be separated more easily by the brain when the messages are heard binaurally, a finding that raises certain interesting implications.
Presence of Multiple Variants of Borrelia burgdorferi in the Natural Reservoir Peromyscus leucopus Throughout a Transmission Season

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) serve as the principal reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi and have been shown to remain infected for life. Complex infections with multiple genetic variants of B. burgdorferi occur in mice through multiple exposures to infected ticks or through exposure to ticks infected with multiple variants of B. burgdorferi. Using a combination of cloning and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), B. burgdorferi ospC variation was assessed in serial samples collected from individual P. leucopus during a single transmission season. In individuals with ospC variation, at least seven ospC variants were recognized at each time point. One to four of these variants predominated at each time point; however, the predominant variants seldom remained consistent in an individual mouse throughout the entire sampling period. These results confirmed that mice in southern Maryland were persistently infected with multiple variants of B. burgdorferi throughout the transmission season. However, the presence of multiple ospC variants and the fluctuations in the frequency of these variants indicates that either new ospC variants are regularly introduced to this mouse population and predominate while the existing infections are cleared, or that the variation detected in the genetic profile at different time points reflects a complex mixture of B. burgdorferi populations whose relative frequencies may continually change. Key Words: Borrelia—Ixodes—Lyme disease.
Arterial vascular disease in women

Background Arterial disease in women will become a major issue in the near future. Methods A systemic review of existing literature was retrospectively conducted to collect information on the three most common entities of vascular disease: carotid atherosclerotic, abdominal aortic aneurismal, and lower extremity arterial occlusive disease. Results Vascular disease is either underdiagnosed or undertreated in women. Whether regarding cerebrovascular disease, aortic aneurysmal disease, or atherosclerosis affecting the lower extremities, natural history, clinical and physiologic patterns are different in women vs men. Current biomedical devices create challenges in endovascular procedures performed in women. Furthermore, indications for treatment of vascular disease are derived from large studies where women are often underrepresented; and, thus, may not be applicable in female vascular patients. Conclusions Better understanding of the gender differences in vascular disease with focused randomized trials, biomedical research, and identification of gender specific medical and social risk factors will improve the clinical outcomes in female patients.
Rítusok és szimbólumok, a családterápia és a vallás közös öröksége

Hipotezis: A vallas es terapia viszonyat a disztinkcio es nem a merev szeparacio jellemzi. A kapcsolat korrelativ. Ezt a feltevest a ritusok es szimbolumok temakoreben vizsgaljuk. A ket jelenseg főbb karakteriszti­ku­mai­nak bemutatasa utan arra keresunk valaszt, hogy milyen ritusformak alkalmazhatoak a terapias es a lelkigondozoi gyakorlatban. Ebben az osszefuggesben beszamolunk az altalunk ritusrekonstrukcionak nevezett - pszichiatriai klinikai es tanacsadoi kontextusban alkalmazott - krizisintervencios eljarasrol. Vegul bevezetjuk a csalad-ev fogalmat, es ismertetjuk az abbol adodo ritusrekonstrukcios lehetősegeket.
International Collaboration in Local Government Leadership Development: Insights Gained from a U.S. and Ireland Partnership

There is great value in international partnerships when developing leadership potential in local government. This article focuses on the lessons-learned from three innovative annual joint collaboration efforts under the auspices of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in Ireland and DePaul University (Chicago). The purpose was to provide an “outside in” perspective of how local government works in different countries. This was illustrated by a recent series of collaborative programs to develop 59 senior individuals in local authorities throughout Ireland. Approaches used included shadowing local government officials, collaborations with community partners, and benchmarking meetings with officials to learn about innovative projects.
Clay mineralogy and multi-element chemistry of surface sediments on the Siberian-Arctic shelf: implications for sediment provenance and grain size sorting

Clay mineral and bulk chemical (Si, Al, K, Mg, Sr, La, Ce, Nd) analyses of terrigenous surface sediments on the Siberian-Arctic shelf indicate that there are five regions with distinct, or endmember, sedimentary compositions. The formation of these geochemical endmembers is controlled by sediment provenance and grain size sorting. (1) The shale endmember (Al, K and REE rich sediment) is eroded from fine-grained marine sedimentary rocks of the Verkhoyansk Mountains and Kolyma-Omolon superterrain, and discharged to the shelf by the Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers. (2) The basalt endmember (Mg rich) originates from NE Siberia's Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic belt and Bering Strait inflow, and is prevalent in Chukchi Sea Sediments. Concentrations of the volcanically derived clay mineral smectite are elevated in Chukchi fine-fraction sediments, corroborating the conclusion that Chukchi sediments are volcanic in origin. (3) The mature sandstone endmember (Si rich) is found proximal to Wrangel Island and sections of the Chukchi Sea's Siberian coast and is derived from the sedimentary Chukotka terrain that comprises these landmasses. (4) The immature sandstone endmember (Sr rich) is abundant in the New Siberian Island region and reflects inputs from sedimentary rocks that comprise the islands. (5) The immature sandstone endmember is also prevalent in the western Laptev Sea, where it is eroded from sedimentary deposits blanketing the Siberian platform that are compositionally similar to those on the New Siberian Islands. Western Laptev can be distinguished from New Siberian Island region sediments by their comparatively elevated smectite concentrations and the presence of the basalt endmember, which indicate Siberian platform flood basalts are also a source of western Laptev sediments. In certain locations grain size sorting noticeably affects shelf sediment chemistry. (1) Erosion of fines by currents and sediment ice rafting contributes to the formation of the coarse-grained sandstone endmembers. (2) Bathymetrically controlled grain size sorting, in which fines preferentially accumulate offshore in deeper, less energetic water, helps distribute the fine-grained shale and basalt endmembers. An important implication of these results is that the observed sedimentary geochemical endmembers provide new markers of sediment provenance, which can be used to track sediment transport, ice-rafted debris dispersal or the movement of particle-reactive contaminants.
Solution structures of rat amylin peptide: simulation, theory, and experiment

Amyloid deposits of amylin in the pancreas are an important characteristic feature found in patients with Type-2 diabetes. The aggregate has been considered important in the disease pathology and has been studied extensively. However, the secondary structures of the individual peptide have not been clearly identified. In this work, we present detailed solution structures of rat amylin using a combination of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations. A new Monte Carlo method is presented to determine the free energy of distinct biomolecular conformations. Both folded and random-coil conformations of rat amylin are observed in water and their relative stability is examined in detail. The former contains an α-helical segment comprised of residues 7–17. We find that at room temperature the folded structure is more stable, whereas at higher temperatures the random-coil structure predominates. From the configurations and weights we calculate the α-carbon NMR chemical shifts, with results that are in reasonable agreement with experiments of others. We also calculate the infrared spectrum in the amide I stretch regime, and the results are in fair agreement with the experimental line shape presented herein.
Umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms in monoamniotic twins with cord entanglement.

Background Monoamniotic twins with ultrasonographic evidence of umbilical cord entanglement present a management challenge in the antepartum period. Cases We report two pregnancies with monoamniotic twins and ultrasonographic evidence of cord entanglement in which longitudinal Doppler flow velocity waveforms of the umbilical and middle cerebral arteries were obtained. A notch in the umbilical artery velocity waveform was noted in one twin member at 33 weeks' gestation and in both twin members of the other pregnancy at 31 weeks' gestation. Worsening of the umbilical artery velocity waveform notch with advancing gestation was noted in one fetus. Conclusion The presence of a notch in the umbilical artery velocity waveform may reflect hemodynamic alterations in the fetal-placental circulation secondary to narrowing of the umbilical vessels involved in cord entanglement. This Doppler finding may be useful in the antepartum management of these pregnancies.
Calibration of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in terms of age and mass for main-sequence B and A stars

Abstract : The calibration of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in terms of age and mass for main-sequence B and A stars presented in this paper was derived from the results of the Kelsall evolutionary model sequence calculations.
Selective Inhibition of Factor Xa in the Prothrombinase Complex by the Carboxyl-terminal Domain of Antistasin

Studies of antistasin, a potent factor Xa inhibitor with anticoagulant properties, were performed wherein the properties of the full-length antistasin polypeptide (ATS-119) were compared with the properties of forms of antistasin truncated at residue 116 (ATS-116) and residue 112 (ATS-112). ATS-119 was 40-fold more potent than ATS-112 in prolonging the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), whereas ATS-119 inhibited factor Xa 2.2-fold less avidly and about 5-fold more slowly than did ATS-112. The decreased reactivity of ATS-119 suggests that the carboxyl-terminal domain of ATS-119 stabilizes an ATS conformation with a reduced reactivity toward factor Xa. The observation that calcium ion increases the reactivity of ATS-119 but not that of ATS-112 suggests that calcium ion may disrupt interactions involving the carboxyl terminus of ATS-119. Interestingly, ATS-119 inhibited factor Xa in the prothrombinase complex 2–6-fold more potently and 2–3-fold faster than ATS-112. These differences in affinity and reactivity might well account for the greater effectiveness of ATS-119 in prolonging the APTT and suggest that the carboxyl-terminal domain of ATS-119 disrupts interactions involving phospholipid, factor Va, and prothrombin in the prothrombinase complex. The peptide RPKRKLIPRLS, corresponding to the carboxyl domain of ATS-119 prolonged the APTT and inhibited prothrombinase-catalyzed processing of prothrombin, but it failed to inhibit the catalytic activity of isolated factor Xa. Thus, this novel inhibitor appears to exert its inhibitory effects at a site removed from the active site of factor Xa.
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SOME FOOD FLAVORING COMPOUNDS

Of 21 food flavoring compounds tested against 39–40 organisms, 10 were ineffective at 1,000 ppm or 10 mM either at pH 6 or 8 and by either surface plating or in broth. The 11 effective compounds were d- and l-carvone, diacetyl, ethyl vanillin, eugenol, maltol, menthol, phenylacetic acid, phenylacetal-dehyde, 2,3-pentanedione and vanillin; with diacetyl and eugenol being the most effective. All were more effective at pH 6 than at pH 8. With the exception of maltol and phenylacetic acid, each was generally more effective against fungi than bacteria with the lactic acid bacteria being the most resistant. At pH 5.5 and 5°C, diacetyl was inhibitory to Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. geniculata at < 10 ppm. The findings suggest that compounds used in acid foods, ostensibly as flavoring agents, may exert antimicrobial effects when considered in context with all parameters of growth.
Implementation of the quantum-defect theory for arbitrary long-range potentials

Quantum-defect theory relies first and foremost on its characterization of long-range field solutions in terms of smoothly varying phase and amplitude parameters. We consider in detail some examples of long-range potentials for which this characterization is not known analytically, and we show that Milne's phase-amplitude procedure determines these parameters simply and efficiently. Provided the boundary condition on the Milne amplitude function alpha(r) is chosen in an optimal fashion, all of the long-range field parameters vary smoothly with energy and radius.
DNA content measurements and an improved idiogram for the Indian muntjac.

The Indian muntjac, an asiatic deer, has the lowest diploid chromosome number among mammals (female 2N = 6; male 2N = 7). Using flow cytometric quantification of propidium iodide-stained cells, we determined the DNA content of muntjac cells to be 94% that of human. This suggests that the muntjac may serve as a model for investigation of karyotypic evolution and rearrangement. In order to facilitate future comparative gene mapping studies, computer-aided analysis of digitized metaphase chromosomes allowed development of a detailed Indian muntjac G-banded idiogram incorporating both ISCN-type nomenclature and quantitative estimates of the size of each band and position. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Function and problems of brand name pharmaceuticals

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the problems faced by US consumers as insurance companies use brand names as a heuristic tool to identify medical profligacy, penalizing consumers with higher co‐payments or even refusing funding support for new and necessary medications.Design/method/approach – Anecdotes and descriptive reviews of the literature describe the basis for the problem. The paper looks at the use of brand names in the pharmaceutical industry in comparison with generic versions. It gives a brief history of brand name development.Findings – The paper finds that, for the pharmaceutical companies, or any company, a brand name allows them to escape from the confines of generic demand with the price and distribution power from brand demand. Furthermore the easier name can speed adoption of a new product. However, the price spread between new brand name drugs and older ones with non‐branded competition gives rise to unfounded presumptions on all brand names.Practical implications – Brand names can...
Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Hepatitis Is Inherited Codominantly in Helicobacter hepaticus-Infected AB6F1 and B6AF1 Hybrid Male Mice, and Progression to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Is Linked to Hepatic Expression of Lipogenic Genes and Immune Function-Associated Networks

Helicobacter hepaticus causes hepatitis in susceptible strains of mice. Previous studies indicated that A/JCr mice are susceptible and C57BL/6NCr mice are resistant to H. hepaticus-induced hepatitis. We used F1 hybrid mice derived from A/J and C57BL/6 matings to investigate their phenotype and determine their hepatic gene expression profile in response to H. hepaticus infection. F1 hybrid mice, as well as parental A/J and C57BL/6 mice, were divided equally into control and H. hepaticus-infected groups and euthanized at 18 months postinoculation. Hepatic lesions were evaluated histologically and the differential hepatic gene expression in F1 mice was determined by microarray-based global gene expression profiling analysis. H. hepaticus-infected parental strains including A/J and C57BL/6 mice, as well as F1 mice, developed significant hepatitis. Overall, hepatocellular carcinomas or dysplastic liver lesions were observed in 69% of H. hepaticus-infected F1 male mice and H. hepaticus was isolated from hepatic tissues of all F1 mice with liver tumors. Liver tumors, characterized by hepatic steatosis, developed in livers with high hepatitis scores. To identify gene expression specific to H. hepaticus-induced hepatitis and progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in F1 mice, a method using comparative group transcriptome analysis was utilized. The canonical pathway most significantly enriched was immunological disease. Fatty acid synthase and steaoryl-coenzyme A desaturase, the two rate-limiting enzymes in lipogenesis, were upregulated in neoplastic relative to dysplastic livers. This study suggests a synergistic interaction between hepatic steatosis and infectious hepatitis leading to hepatocellular carcinoma. The use of AB6F1 and B6AF1 mice, as well as genetically engineered mice, on a C57BL/6 background will allow studies investigating the role of chronic microbial hepatitis and steatohepatitis in the pathogenesis of liver cancer.
Design methodology for a range-extended PHEV

The range-extended PHEV is typically designed to operate in an all-electric mode where the batteries are initially charged from the electric power grid. Unlike the pure EV, the vehicle's range is not limited by the battery capacity as an engine and generator are incorporated to sustain the battery once the state of charge has dropped to a minimal level. The effectiveness of the concept in terms of fuel economy and reduced emissions is dependent upon the optimal selection of components and a control algorithm that is appropriate for a specific drive cycle. A design methodology is presented that first provides guidelines for the development of the VTS and the various trade-offs that must be considered. A rigorous procedure is then presented for the design and later validation of the configuration and control algorithm using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL).
Performance of a Square Law Pseudonoise Ranging Time-of-Arrival Estimator

The performance of a square law time-of-arrival (TOA) estimator that has been proposed for use in ASTRO-DABS, part of a possible satellite-based fourth generation air traffic control system is considered. The transmitted message consists of a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) ranging sequence that, due to transmitter characteristics, is corrupted by an unknown frequency offset. The optimum TOA estimator, for the case of no frequency uncertainty, is first presented, together with a lower bound on the variance of the estimate generated. This is followed by the consideration of a suboptimum TOA estimator for which a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance analysis is carried out; here, the effects of frequency uncertainty are included. Next, the zero-crossing properties of the derivative of the (suboptimum) estimation statistic are presented and the results used to derive an upper bound to the TOA estimate variance that is valid for all SNR values. This latter result is significant because it displays the system threshold effect and complements performance lower bounds that may be derived via other methods. In addition, the method presented here may be applied to other optimum and suboptimum systems where a discrete set of parameters is to be estimated.
7-ENOB resolution photonic analog-to-digital conversion of narrowband microwave signals at 40 GHz

An optical sub-sampling downconversion receiver for analog-to-digital conversion of narrowband high-frequency microwave signals is demonstrated. The measured SNDR in 2-MHz bandwidth at 40-GHz carrier frequency is 44 dB corresponding to 7-ENOB resolution.
Biopotential electrodes based on hydrogel

Skin surface electrodes are utilized to obtain the biopotential signals (such as ECG and EEG) from the human body. Traditionally, before applying electrodes, it is required to prepare the skin, including of abrasion the outmost layer and application of conductive gel between the electrode and skin. However, these procedures are time-consuming and the conductive gel tends to dry out over time. In this paper, we present a novel biopotential electrode using hydrogel. This electrode is small, flexible, and easy to apply without skin treatment. By incorporation of cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC) into the hydrogel, the skin impedance can be effectively reduced.
Effects of the Federal Risk Reduction Grants on State Health Education Units

Beginning in 1979, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) awarded risk reduction grants to health education units in state health departments. One of CDC's main policy objectives was to use the risk reduction grants to strengthen those state-level health education units. The present study had two purposes: 1) investigate the impact of the risk reduction grants on the organization, structure, and function of state health education units; and 2) identify factors associated with program success and failure. Twelve state health education units were selected and interviews were conducted with the risk reduction program coordinators in each. Results indicated that in some states the risk reduction grants helped health education units adopt a health promotion philosophy and provided a framework for a more distinct health education program identity and purpose. The most important factor associated with risk reduction program success was support of the philosophy of health promotion by high-level health department ...
Mutational analysis of Trypanosoma brucei editosome proteins KREPB4 and KREPB5 reveals domains critical for function

The transcriptome of kinetoplastid mitochondria undergoes extensive RNA editing that inserts and deletes uridine residues (U’s) to produce mature mRNAs. The editosome is a multiprotein complex that provides endonuclease, TUTase, exonuclease, and ligase activities required for RNA editing. The editosome’s KREPB4 and KREPB5 proteins are essential for editosome integrity and parasite viability and contain semi-conserved motifs corresponding to zinc finger, RNase III, and PUF domains, but to date no functional analysis of these domains has been reported. We show here that various point mutations to KREPB4 and KREPB5 identify essential domains, and suggest that these proteins do not themselves perform RNase III catalysis. The zinc finger of KREPB4 but not KREPB5 is essential for editosome integrity and parasite viability, and mutation of the RNase III signature motif in KREPB5 prevents integration into editosomes, which is lethal. Isolated TAP-tagged KREPB4 and KREPB5 complexes preferentially associate with components of the deletion subcomplex, providing additional insights into editosome architecture. A new alignment of editosome RNase III sequences from several kinetoplastid species implies that KREPB4 and KREPB5 lack catalytic activity and reveals that the PUF motif is present in the editing endonucleases KREN1, KREN2, and KREN3. The data presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that KREPB4 and KREPB5 form intermolecular heterodimers with the catalytically active editing endonucleases, which is unprecedented among known RNase III proteins.
Analysis of Isomeric Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Matrix Isolation Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract Matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectra of isomeric methylnaphthalenes and methylbiphenyls, in N2 matrices at 15 K, are compared with each other and with those of the respective parent hydrocarbons. The applicability of matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to both identification and quantitative analysis of individual alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon isomers in mixtures is demonstrated.
Modeling of Needle Steering via Duty-Cycled Spinning

As flexible bevel tip needles are inserted into tissue, a deflection force causes the needle to bend with a curvature dependent on relative stiffness and bevel angle. By constantly spinning the needle during insertion, the bevel angle is essentially negated and a straight trajectory can be achieved. Incorporating duty-cycled spinning during needle insertion provides proportional control of the curvature of the needle trajectory through tissue. This paper proposes a kinematic model for needle steering via duty-cycled spinning. Validation using experimental results is also presented.
Homogeneous redundancy: a technique to ensure integrity of molecular simulation results using public computing

Distributed computing using PCs volunteered by the public can provide high computing capacity at low cost. However, computational results from volunteered PCs have a non-negligible error rate, so result validation is needed to ensure overall correctness. A generally applicable technique is "redundant computing", in which each computation is done on several separate computers, and results are accepted only if there is a consensus. Variations in numerical processing between computers (due to a variety of hardware and software factors) can lead to different results for the same task. In some cases, this can be addressed by doing a "fuzzy comparison" of results, so that two results are considered equivalent if they agree within given tolerances. However, this approach is not applicable to applications that are "divergent", that is, for which small numerical differences can produce large differences in the results. In this paper we examine the problem of validating results of divergent applications. We present a novel approach called homogeneous redundancy (HR), in which the redundant instances of a computation are dispatched to numerically identical computers, allowing strict equality comparison of the results. HR has been deployed in Predictor@home, a world-wide community effort to predict protein structure from sequence.
Consequentialism, War, and National Defense

What, if anything, grounds the right of national defense? This essay explicates and defends a consequentialist answer to that question. After explaining the relevance and importance of this project, I clarify the meaning of consequentialism and explain how consequentialists understand and justify rights, including the right of national defense. International law enshrines that right. After explaining why it is correct to do so and why that right should be upheld, I examine some issues that this right leaves unsettled and probe its moral limits. I then reply to several objections to a consequentialist approach to national defense, pursuing in particular the criticism that consequentialists cannot justify the Allies’ having taken up defensive arms against the Axis powers in World War II.
High-speed imaging of freezing drops: Still no preference for the contact line

Recent experiments by Suzuki et al. (Chem. Phys. Lett.2007, 445, 37–41) and Gurganus et al. (J. Phys. Chem. Lett.2011, 2, 1449–1454) on liquid–solid nucleation arrived at conflicting results regard...
Global drug prohibition: its uses and crises

In the 20th century, political leaders and governments throughout the world supported drug prohibition and constructed a global drug prohibition system. They did so because of the influence of the USA and its allies and the UN. This article suggests they also did so because drug prohibition, drug demonisation and anti-drug campaigns were very useful */especially to politicians, the police, the military, and the media. Now in the 21st century, global drug prohibition is facing several overlapping crises. The growth of the harm reduction movement has increasingly pushed drug policies in many countries from the more criminalized end of the drug prohibition continuum to the more regulated and tolerant end. Further, a serious, reputable and ever growing opposition to punitive drug policies has begun to challenge global drug prohibition itself. Finally, drug prohibition appears to be unable to prevent the increasing cultivation, use, and normalization of cannabis throughout the world. Because of these currently unstoppable developments, global drug prohibition is losing some of its invisibility and political invulnerability. # 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Bryophyte response to eastern hemlock decline caused by hemlock woolly adelgid infestation1

Abstract The understory conditions of eastern hemlock stands in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area have been altered by canopy decline caused by an exotic insect pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid. We consider the response of bryophytes to these changes, particularly increased availability of understory light and coarse woody debris (CWD). Pre-adelgid surveys and environmental measurements were taken at a network of 72 permanent plots in 1994 and 1995. Re-measurement of understory variables was conducted in 2003 and 2006. Bryophytes have responded to adelgid impacts through a sustained increase in plot-level richness, mainly achieved through a greater frequency of species occurring on CWD and to a lesser extent on bare soil in the plots. Greater gains in species richness took place in plots closer to the streams. Bryophyte responses to understory light availability and shrub density suggest that light availability may be more important for species maintenance than for species colonization. Orth...
“There's nothing here”: Deindustrialization as risk environment for overdose

Abstract Background Applying the "risk environment" approach proposed by Rhodes (2002, 2009), this study considers the diverse contextual factors contributing to drug overdose in a deindustrialized region of the United States. The Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania, once a global center of steel production, has suffered a mass exodus of jobs, residents, and businesses since a national manufacturing crisis erupted in the early 1980s; more recently, it has seen a dramatic uptick in accidental drug poisoning deaths. Where recent local and national media attention to overdose has focused on suburban areas and middle class victims, this study concentrates instead on the deteriorating mill city of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Methods Eighteen clients of the city's sole drug treatment facility participated in in-depth interviews concerning their direct experience with accidental overdose. Specifically, participants were asked to describe their own most recent overdose event and/or the last overdose they had personally witnessed. They were also asked to speculate upon the roots of the local overdose epidemic, while venturing possible remedies. Results In relating their overdose experiences, participants characterized a micro-level risk environment that was hidden behind closed doors, and populated by unprepared, ambivalent overdose "assistants." Tasked with explaining a geographic concentration of overdose in and around McKeesport, interviewees referenced the hopelessness of the area and its lack of opportunity as driving the use of heroin, with many explicitly suggesting the need for jobs and community reinvestment to reduce fatalities. Conclusion While state and county efforts to ameliorate overdose mortality have focused upon creating an open market in naloxone, this study suggests the need for interventions that address the poverty and social isolation of opiate users in the post-industrial periphery.
Near-field imaging of interior cavities

A novel method is developed for solving the inverse problem of reconstructing the shape of an interior cavity. The boundary of the cavity is assumed to be a small and smooth perturbation of a circle. The incident field is generated by a point source inside the cavity. The scattering data is taken on a circle centered at the source. The method requires only a single incident wave at one frequency. Using a transformed field expansion, the original boundary value problem is reduced to a successive sequence of two-point boundary value problems and is solved in a closed form. By dropping higher order terms in the power series expansion, the inverse problem is linearized and an explicit relation is established between the Fourier coefficients of the cavity surface function and the total field. A nonlinear correction algorithm is devised to improve the accuracy of the reconstruction. Numerical results are presented to show the effectiveness of the method and its ability to obtain subwavelength resolution.
Making Great Cheeses, Part 2: During affinage, microorganisms gradually ripen cheese to its fully mature state—a process that can take weeks or years

The first day of cheese making establishes its chemical composition. During affinage, or finishing, the unaged cheese is transformed or “ripened” to its fully mature state. Finishing depends on the cheese maker, or affineur, subjecting the cheese to specific environmental conditions and physical manipulations over weeks, months, or even years depending on variety. However, no cheese can mature to greatness unless it begins with the right chemical composition. Here we explore the microbiological, chemical, and environmental conditions during cheese ripening, with well-known cheese varieties as examples.
Synthesis of NiFe_2O_4 Nanopowder by Low-Temperature Solid-State Reaction and Its Mechanism

The precursors ground by planetary ball milling at room temperature were calcined to obtain NiFe2O4 nanopowder. The effect of calcination temperature on the particle phase and morphology and the mechanisms of solid-state reaction were studied in detail. The results showthat the activation energy of grain growth during calcination process is 12. 08 k J·mol-1,indicating that the predominant mass transport mechanism is interfacial diffusion. The particles calcined at700 ℃ showed strong agglomeration and lowcrystallinity with flaky amorphous compounds. The NiFe2O4 nanopowder calcined at 750 ℃ for 1h is of single phase with a particle size range of 35-85 nm. The grains grewobviously when the calcination temperature increased to over 800 ℃. The main compositions of the precursor are Fe2O3,NiO and NiFe2O4. The lowcrystallinity of reaction products indicates the solid state reaction is not complete. The existence of salt particles can suppress grain growth,and thus decrease the particle size.
The Chronic Care Model and the Transformation of Primary Care

To address inadequacies in the management of chronic illness, the chronic care model (CCM) was developed to transform primary care practices so that they could initiate and sustain improvement in chronic care. The CCM consists of six components—community resources, health system policies, decision support, delivery system design, clinical information systems, and self-management support. This chapter describes these components and summarizes evidence supporting their efficacy. The chapter then proposes a broader model—the 10 Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care—that helps primary care practices make the changes necessary to implement the CCM components.
An Aseptic Technique for Rearing Larvae of the Leafcutting Bee Megachile Rotundata (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)

SummaryDevelopment of an aseptic rearing technique for larvae of the leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (Fabricius), was necessitated by ongoing studies on the etiology of chalkbrood in this bee. The procedure involves rinsing the surface of the viable egg to remove or kill spores of the presumed causative agent, Ascosphaera aggregata Skou. Hatching and growth to the pupal stage occur in a sterile, provisioned well of a microtitration plate enclosed in a sterile sealable petri dish.