cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medium access control protocols performance in satellite communications

Medium access control protocols are at the core of all forms of electronic communications systems. MAC protocols are designed to coordinate the transmission of packets, retransmission of damaged packets, and resolution of collisions among stations during a contention period. MAC protocols are foundations in low-level network architecture and play a significant role in the performance of higher-level protocols such as multiservices and multimedia application protocols. In this article five classes of MAC protocols are investigated with respect to their applications in satellite communications. These classes include fixed assignments, demand assignment, random access, hybrid random access and reservation, and adaptive protocols. Among several QoS objectives described in high-speed networking and the limitations inherent in satellite communications systems, in this article a set of important performance criteria are identified and used to evaluate different MAC protocols for satellite communications. The performance criteria include high channel throughput, low transmission delay, channel stability, protocol scalability, channel reconfigurability, broadband applicability, and low complexity of the control algorithm. For this, a simulation study is performed among selected MAC protocols from different classes, and their performances have been evaluated for NASA's Mars Regional Network.
Gender Messages in Education Foundations Textbooks

The portrait of gender that education foundation textbooks provide can have an impact on the knowledge and skills student teachers will have to analyze gender relation in their own schooling experience. The interest of this work is not simply in whether or not gender equity is covered as a topic but, equally important how it is presented. The presumption that equity and sexism are not important education foundations issues is so pervasive that no coverage is provided of the social and political control of women in society.
Regional platelet concentration in blood flow through capillary tubes.

Platelet concentration was measured in samples from the various components of a bloodflow circuit, including the reservoir, the tube (with i.d. between 50 and 210 micron), and the discharge. The tube sample was collected by halting the flow and then flushing out a length of tube; thus, this sample collected equally from all radial locations. As the discharge sample was well mixed, it reflected the velocity field in the tube. Each reservoir sample was a traditional bulk collection. To ensure that the results represented the physical effects of flow on regional platelet concentration and could be interpreted with simple mass balance relationships, strong anticoagulation (sodium citrate and heparin) and platelet inhibition (prostaglandin E1) were used. Results for all tube diameters and for reservoir hematocrits from 5.5 to 77% and wall shear rates from 80 to 8000 sec-1 show that tubular platelet concentration is greater than reservoir or discharge platelet concentrations, which are equal. For platelet-rich plasma the tubular platelet concentration is decreased compared to the reservoir or discharge values. Mass balances show that the elevated tubular platelet concentration is due to an excess of platelets in radial locations with below average speeds; coupled with the need for red cells, this suggests that excess platelets have a near-wall location. Nonparametric statistical tests show that wall shear rate is a significant variable at a 0.05 confidence level; inner diameter is not found to be a significant variable, probably because of the limited diameter range studied and the experimental errors involved in determining platelet concentrations.
A Note on the Sequential Sign Test

players with five rounds similar to the five round layout given in the discussion but with the added feature that if two are partners they will not share any other partners. For example, if one and two play together, as they do in round one, then the sets of remaining partners for one and two do not contain any of the same individuals. However, this was never successfully accomplished. In the design that is presented, the pairs in round five, such as 1-5, have the same four as partners in the other four rounds. For 1 and 5 these partners are 2, 6, 10, and 14. The pairs in other rounds share just two other partners. 1 and 2, partners in round 1, share partnership with 5 and 6.
Nonlocal (but also nonsingular) physics at the last stages of gravitational collapse

We study the end stages of gravitational collapse of the thin shell of matter in ingoing Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates. We use the functional Schrodinger formalism to capture quantum effects in the near singularity limit. We find that the equations of motion which govern the behavior of the collapsing shell near the classical singularity become strongly nonlocal. This reinforces previous arguments that quantum gravity in the strong field regime might be nonlocal. We managed to solve the nonlocal equation of motion for the dust shell case, and found an explicit form of the wave function describing the collapsing shell. This wave function and the corresponding probability density are nonsingular at the origin, thus indicating that quantization should be able to rid gravity of singularities, just as was the case with the singular Coulomb potential.
Energy Sources of the Far-Infrared Emission of M33

We present observations of the spiral galaxy M33 with Spitzer at 24, 70, and 160 μm. The excellent resolution and mapping capabilities of Spitzer combined with the proximity of M33 result in observations that enable a detailed study of the distribution of star formation (SF) and dust in the galaxy. We compare the morphology of M33 at far-infrared wavelengths with other standard SF indicators such as Hα and radio continuum using a Fourier filtering technique to separate the diffuse emission components from compact sources. We find that the infrared emission at 24 and 70 μm follows closely the structure of the ionized gas, indicating that it is heated largely by hot, ionizing stars. At 160 μm a diffuse cold dust component matches only approximately the structure of the old red stellar population or the distribution of blue light. It is, however, very similar to the structure of the diffuse nonthermal radio emission.
Amino Acid interactions in the regulation of nitrate reductase induction in cotton root tips.

Glycine, asparagine, and glutamine inhibited the induction by nitrate of nitrate reductase activity in root tips of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). This inhibition was partially or entirely prevented when the inhibitor was applied in combination with any of several other amino acids. Studies of 14C-labeled amino acid uptake showed that, in most cases, the apparent antagonism resulted simply from competition for uptake. However, certain antagonists did not curtail uptake. The most effective of these were leucine (against all three inhibitors), and isoleucine and valine (against asparagine or glutamine, but not glycine). These results show that interactions among amino acids in the regulation of nitrate reductase induction result from at least two mechanisms, one acting on uptake of inhibitory amino acids, and the other involving true antagonism.
Short-Term Temporal Variability in Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Populations

Airborne microorganisms have been studied for centuries, but the majority of this research has relied on cultivation-dependent surveys that may not capture all of the microbial diversity in the atmosphere. As a result, our understanding of airborne microbial ecology is limited despite the relevance of airborne microbes to human health, various ecosystem functions, and environmental quality. Cultivation-independent surveys of small-subunit rRNA genes were conducted in order to identify the types of airborne bacteria and fungi found at a single site (Boulder, CO) and the temporal variability in the microbial assemblages over an 8-day period. We found that the air samples were dominated by ascomycete fungi of the Hypocreales order and a diverse array of bacteria, including members of the proteobacterial and Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides groups that are commonly found in comparable culture-independent surveys of airborne bacteria. Bacterium/fungus ratios varied by 2 orders of magnitude over the sampling period, and we observed large shifts in the phylogenetic diversity of bacteria present in the air samples collected on different dates, shifts that were not likely to be related to local meteorological conditions. We observed more phylogenetic similarity between bacteria collected from geographically distant sites than between bacteria collected from the same site on different days. These results suggest that outdoor air may harbor similar types of bacteria regardless of location and that the short-term temporal variability in airborne bacterial assemblages can be very large.
Data analysis for X-ray fluorescence imaging

X-ray-microprobe-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning microscopy is a powerful technique to map and quantify element distributions in biological specimens, such as cells and bacteria. Principal component analysis (PCA) provides a method to correlate an XRF data set with full spectra at each scan point and to weigh each component of the spectrum, and its corresponding eigenimage, according to its respective significance in the data seL In particular, photon noise is not correlated among pixels and therefore does not contribute to the principal components. We show that, by fitting the eigenspectra of the principal components, one can then generate maps of fitted elemental components with high accuracy, without the need to fit the spectra of single pixels. Additionally, the correlation of elemental distributions can be used to reveal information about the number and composition of the different major constituents of a cell. We also demonstrate that cluster analysis can be used to classify the sample into spatially separate regions of characteristic elemental compositions, for example nucleus, cytoplasm, and vesicles.
Effect of repeated exposure to MDMA on the function of the 5-HT transporter as assessed by synaptosomal 5-HT uptake

Recent studies have demonstrated that a preconditioning regimen (i.e., repeated low doses) of MDMA provides protection against the reductions in tissue concentrations of 5-HT and 5-HT transporter (SERT) density and/or expression produced by a subsequent binge regimen of MDMA. In the present study, the effects of preconditioning and binge treatment regimens of MDMA on SERT function were assessed by synaptosomal 5-HT uptake. Synaptosomal 5-HT uptake was reduced by 72% 7 days following the binge regimen (10 mg/kg, i.p. every 2 h for a total of 4 injections). In rats exposed to the preconditioning regimen of MDMA (daily treatment with 10 mg/kg for 4 days), the reduction in synaptosomal 5-HT uptake induced by a subsequent binge regimen was significantly less. Treatment with the preconditioning regimen alone resulted in a transient 46% reduction in 5-HT uptake that was evident 1 day, but not 7 days, following the last injection of MDMA. Furthermore, the preconditioning regimen of MDMA did not alter tissue concentrations of 5-HT, whereas the binge regimen of MDMA resulted in a long-term reduction of 40% of tissue 5-HT concentrations. The distribution of SERT immunoreactivity (ir) in membrane and endosomal fractions of the hippocampus also was evaluated following the preconditioning regimen of MDMA. There was no significant difference in the relative distribution of SERTir between these two compartments in control and preconditioned rats. The results demonstrate that SERT function is transiently reduced in response to a preconditioning regimen of MDMA, while long-term reductions in SERT function occur in response to a binge regimen of MDMA. Moreover, a preconditioning regimen of MDMA provides protection against the long-term reductions in SERT function evoked by a subsequent binge regimen of the drug. It is tempting to speculate that the neuroprotective effect of MDMA preconditioning results from a transient down-regulation in SERT function.
Capisterones A and B from the tropical green alga Penicillus capitatus: unexpected anti-fungal defenses targeting the marine pathogen Lindra thallasiae

The mechanism by which marine algae show resistance to pathogenic microorganisms remains poorly understood. To examine the possible role that algal secondary metabolites play in the prevention of infection, we examined the abundant green alga Penicillus capitatus, one of the major shallow water algae found in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean. Both aqueous and EtOAc extracts of this alga were found to be potent inhibitors of the well-known marine algal pathogen Lindra thallasiae. Using L. thallasiae in bioassay-guided fractionation, we isolated two new triterpene sulfate esters, capisterones A (1) and B (2). The capisterones are potent inhibitors of L. thallasiae at natural and below natural concentrations. The structures of the capisterones, with relative stereochemistry only, were assigned by comprehensive spectral analyses that relied heavily on 2D NMR methods.
A theoretical and numerical study of radiative ignition and deradiative extinction in solid propellants

Abstract Time-dependent processes of solid propellant deflagration are modeled and a numerical simulation of ignition and extinction is undertaken. Since the analytic theory of ignition is well developed we rely on it to verify the ability of the numerical algorithm to track stiff, time-dependent features of an ignition event. The verification of our numerical method provides a degree of confidence for the subsequent study of deradiation, which is less well understood. An activation energy asymptotic theory for deradiation is developed, which predicts that an influx of radiation on the order of the steady heat release of the exothermic reaction will, at near term, extinguish the propellant. Beyond this, conduction processes inherited from the thermal profile at the instant of deradiation may, or may not, cause resumption of pyrolysis, and, presumably, the deflagration as a whole. The analytic theory ignores the subsequent impact of a possible gas-phase flame that is detached many conductive-diffusive lengths away from the gas solid surface. The assumption is based on the observation that for most physical systems the gas density—and hence its thermal capacitance—is many times smaller than that of the solid and thus lacks the potential to alter the surface temperature after deradiation. The simulation is used to verify more complicated and more physical situations than those accessible via the theory, including deradiation with a detached flame and in the presence of an instability.
The Hispanic-White Achievement Gap in Math and Reading in the Elementary Grades:

This article describes the developmental patterns of Hispanic-White math and reading achievement gaps in elementary school, paying attention to variation in these patterns among Hispanic subgroups. Compared to non-Hispanic White students, Hispanic students enter kindergarten with much lower average math and reading skills. The gaps narrow by roughly a third in the first 2 years of schooling but remain relatively stable for the next 4 years. The development of achievement gaps varies considerably among Hispanic subgroups. Students with Mexican and Central American origins—particularly first- and second-generation immigrants—and those from homes where English is not spoken have the lowest math and reading skill levels at kindergarten entry but show the greatest achievement gains in the early years of schooling.
Electrochemistry of monomeric and oxo-bridged dimeric iron(III) complexes with the Schiff base ligand, N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylidineimine)

Abstract The electrochemical reduction of Fe2(salen)2O in dimethylsulfoxide has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and coulometry. At short times the complex is reduced by sequential one-electron transfers to a stable Fe(III)−Fe(II) dimer and to an unstable Fe(II) dimer. At long times the Fe(III)−Fe(II) product dimerizes, and the resultant tetramer undergoes successive one-electron transfers loading to consumption of 1.5 and 2 electrons per Fe2 unit. The electrochemical behavior of Fe2(salen)2O is compared to that of other μ-oxo Fe(III) dimers and Fe(III) monomers and to a molecular orbital description of oxobridged metal dimers. The electrochemical results reflect a strong interaction between metal centers in the Fe−O−Fe unit which is not apparent from spectroscopic and magnetic studies.
Tailoring clinical services to address the unique needs of adolescents from the pregnancy test to parenthood.

Clinicians across disciplines and practice settings are likely to encounter adolescents who are at risk for a pregnancy. In 2010, 34.2/1000 15–19-year-old teens had a live birth in the United States, many more will seek care for a pregnancy scare or options counseling. Teen mothers are also at risk for a second or higher-order pregnancy during adolescence. This paper provides clinicians with adolescent-friendly clinical and counseling strategies for pregnancy prevention, pre- and post-pregnancy test counseling, pregnancy-related care, and a review of the developmental challenges encountered by teens in the transition to parenthood. Clinicians are in a better position to approach the developmental, health and mental health needs of adolescents related to pregnancy if they understand and appreciate the obstacles adolescents may face negotiating the healthcare system. In addition, when clinical services are specially tailored to the needs of the adolescent, fewer opportunities will be lost to prevent unintended pregnancies, assist teens into timely prenatal services, and improve outcomes for their pregnancies and the transition to parenthood.
Doing it the institutional way

Cellular and Molecular Immunology. By Abul K. Abbas, Andrew H. Lichtman and Jordan S. Pober. W.B. Saunders: 1991. Pp. 417, $26.95, £19 (pbk).Immunology: A Short Course, Second Edition. By Eli Benjamini and Sidney Lefkowitz. Wiley-Liss: 1991. Pp. 486. £17.50, $29.95. Essential Immunology, Seventh Edition. By Ivan Roitt. Blackwell: 1991. Pp. 368. £14.95, $29.95. Immunology: A Synthesis, Second Edition. By Edward S. Golub and Douglas R. Green. Sinauer/W. H. Freeman: 1991. Pp.744. $39.95, £29.95.
Greenways as vehicles for expression

Abstract Traditionally, the commonly recognized functions of greenways focus on natural conservation and recreation. Lewis has described greenways as environmental corridors, which he dubbed ‘E-ways’, for the four main purposes which he listed as environment, ecology, education, and exercise. In this paper a fifth ‘e’ purpose of ‘expression’ will be suggested. Five different ways of promoting expression will be illustrated with examples. These means include personal, patriotic, commemorative, cultural, and social-political forms of expression. Examples to illustrate this range will include the following: (1) Anne Lusk's initiative with the Stowe Greenway in Vermont. This can be regarded as an example of personal social expression. (2) The US emergency war gardens from World War I and the subsequent Victory Gardens of World War II, as examples of symbolic patriotism. (3) 'Meanwhile Gardens', begun by Jamie McCollough as a reclamation adventure in the creative expression of neighborhood participants in a greenway area along the Grand Union Canal in London. (4) The Santa Cruz River Park, which features the public art tile project by Susan Gamble in Tuscon, Arizona. (5) The former ‘no-man's-land’ in Berlin, where avant-garde artists have created a radical new greenway of social-political commentary in their outdoor environmental sculptures snaking through this long, linear strip. This important, yet perhaps overlooked role as a source of expression to its makers and users helps broaden the meanings of greenways, thereby contributing to the growing strength of the greenway idea in peoples' minds. In conclusion, the range of possible expressions which greenways afford their makers and users will be developed.
Application of the Schwinger Variational Principle for Scattering

The usual difficulty of having to evaluate double integrals with $G(x, {x}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ is avoided by considering as the trial function $U(x)=V(x)\ensuremath{\psi}(x)$ and its Fourier transform. Numerical calculations of $s$-wave scattering by a Yukawa potential have been carried out both by means of this form of Schwinger's method and also by using Kohn's variational principle. For comparable trial functions, the latter method appears to converge faster.
A Journal Matures

In the mid-1970s the Construction Journal had fallen on hard times but the dedication of a group of professors at the University of Michigan soon had things organized again. The profession owes a debt of gratitude to the Michigan team for establishing the procedures that allow the processing of papers to run smoothly.
Modeling Diverse Communities of Marine Microbes

Biogeochemical cycles in the ocean are mediated by complex and diverse microbial communities. Over the past decade, marine ecosystem and biogeochemistry models have begun to address some of this diversity by resolving several groups of (mostly autotrophic) plankton, differentiated by biogeochemical function. Here, we review recent model approaches that are rooted in the notion that an even richer diversity is fundamental to the organization of marine microbial communities. These models begin to resolve, and address the significance of, diversity within functional groups. Seeded with diverse populations spanning prescribed regions of trait space, these simulations self-select community structure according to relative fitness in the virtual environment. Such models are suited to considering ecological questions, such as the regulation of patterns of biodiversity, and to simulating the response to changing environments. A key issue for all such models is the constraint of viable trait space and trade-offs. Size-structuring and mechanistic descriptions of energy and resource allocation at the individual level can rationalize these constraints.
Accuracy of Prospective Predictions of 30-Day Hospital Readmission

Objective:This study examined how accurately inpatient case managers predicted 30-day readmission and whether objective patient characteristics improved prediction accuracy.Methods:In this prospective study, inpatient case managers at a psychiatric hospital rated their concern (1, not concerned; 5, very concerned) about readmission after discharge of 282 privately insured patients. Sensitivity and specificity of the ratings were calculated. Logistic regression identified whether patient characteristics that could affect 30-day readmission improved prediction accuracy.Results:Concern levels ≥3 yielded 86% sensitivity, 37% specificity, and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 13%; levels ≥4 yielded 39% sensitivity, 78% specificity, and a PPV of 17%. Concern level independently predicted readmission; appointments within seven days postdischarge further improved model accuracy (p=.03) (area under the curve=.67, 95% confidence interval=.58–.78).Conclusions:Although not highly accurate, case manager concern ide...
Clustering-Based Denoising With Locally Learned Dictionaries

In this paper, we propose K-LLD: a patch-based, locally adaptive denoising method based on clustering the given noisy image into regions of similar geometric structure. In order to effectively perform such clustering, we employ as features the local weight functions derived from our earlier work on steering kernel regression . These weights are exceedingly informative and robust in conveying reliable local structural information about the image even in the presence of significant amounts of noise. Next, we model each region (or cluster)-which may not be spatially contiguous-by ldquolearningrdquo a best basis describing the patches within that cluster using principal components analysis. This learned basis (or ldquodictionaryrdquo) is then employed to optimally estimate the underlying pixel values using a kernel regression framework. An iterated version of the proposed algorithm is also presented which leads to further performance enhancements. We also introduce a novel mechanism for optimally choosing the local patch size for each cluster using Stein's unbiased risk estimator (SURE). We illustrate the overall algorithm's capabilities with several examples. These indicate that the proposed method appears to be competitive with some of the most recently published state of the art denoising methods.
Water Wetting and Retention of Cotton Assemblies as Affected by Alkaline and Bleaching Treatments

This paper reports quantitative measurements of improved water wettability and retention of scoured and bleached cotton fabrics. The water wetting contact angles (CAs) of raw cotton fibers and grey plain weave and satin weave cotton fabrics are 95.3° (±19.4°), 93.9° (±3.3°), and 93.2° (±4.7°), respectively. Improved water wet ting properties with alkaline scouring (3% NaOH ) depend on the forms of the cotton assemblies that are scoured and the duration of the scouring. Water wetting CAs of single fibers (CA = 0.3° ± 0.5 ° ) improve to a much greater extent when scoured (2 hour) in loose fiber form than in the yarn (40.8° ± 7.3°) or fabric (41.3° ± 5.4° ) form. Water wetting contact angles of single fibers taken from the scoured plain weave fabrics are identical to those of fabrics and yarns scoured under the same conditions. Scouring improves water wettability and water retention even when the pore volume in the fabric is reduced. Bleaching, on the other hand, improves surface wettability and water retent...
Higher-contrast requirements for recognizing low-pass–filtered letters

Kwon and Legge (2011) found that high levels of letter recognition accuracy are possible even when letters are severely low-pass filtered (0.9 cycles per letter). How is letter recognition possible with such severe reduction in the spatial resolution of stimulus letters? Clues may come from understanding the possible interaction between contrast and spatial resolution in letter recognition. Here, we asked what the effect is on the contrast threshold for detecting and recognizing letters as the spatial-frequency cutoff of letters is reduced (in cycles per letter). We measured contrast thresholds of seven normally sighted subjects for detecting and recognizing single letters of the English alphabet. The letters were low-pass filtered with several cutoff frequencies (0.9–3.5 cycles per letter, including unfiltered letters). We found that differences in contrast thresholds between detection and recognition increased substantially with decreasing cutoff frequency. We also incorporated the human contrast sensitivity function into an ideal observer model and found qualitatively good agreement between the pattern of performance for the model and our human subjects. Our findings show that the human visual system requires higher contrast for letter recognition when spatial resolution is severely limited. Good agreement between the model and human subjects shows that the greater contrast requirement for recognizing low-pass letters is due to a reduction in the information content of the letters rather than a change in human visual processing. The reduction in stimulus information may be due to increasing stimulus similarity associated with a reduction in spatial-frequency cutoff.
Confidence game: Marketing well-being in economic surveys

The recent global financial crisis has also been widely characterized as a massive crisis of confidence. This article examines how economic surveys of well-being are deployed to maintain confidence in market institutions and activities. It argues that these economic surveys, which are ostensibly designed to measure confidence, happiness and other states of subjective well-being, are in fact responsible for enacting confidence among its respondents and the general public. The article employs a framework of ‘marketization’, connecting this framework to broader cultural studies of economics and economies that focus on the ways in which markets and the context in which they are received are ‘made’. Economic surveys work to create confidence in the current economic system by positing that positive social and cultural attitudes toward market activity are not merely related to but are actually responsible for market growth. As such, these surveys accomplish a double objective: they maintain economic expertise, i...
Critical Path Analyses Via Chance Constrained and Stochastic Programming

Chance-constrained programming methods are applied to examine some statistical properties of PERT networks. Using duality, the PERT method is shown to be equivalent to use of the crudest linear decision rule and the confidence or lack thereof in meeting constraints is explicitly presented. The distribution of completion times = Tintner's stochastic programming follows easily and may often be multimodal, contrasting with erroneous central limit theorem usages in the literature. Possible extensions and developments of PERT using more adequate chance-constrained models and techniques are suggested and will be presented elsewhere.
What if the Pious Don’t Want to Deliberate?:

What should political theorists do when they travel beyond the West and find that ordinary people do not want to reflect upon their political commitments? One option is to do rehabilitative political theory and argue that China and Egypt, say, already possess deliberative cultures. A second option is to maintain that China and Egypt favor different, and better, ideals than democratic deliberation. A third option, and the one that I endorse, is to promote Socratic ideals in universities around the world. As Plato recognized in the Republic, it is easier to teach students to love political debate than to change the habits of pious people such as Cephalus.
An efficient identity-based protocol for private matching

An important application of the Internet is that people can find partners satisfying their requirements from the huge number of users. In this paper, we present a cryptographic protocol for private matching, in which a user finds her desired partners without revealing her requirements, and the potential partners do not need to reveal their profiles. An additional advantage of our protocol is that it is identity-based, which means the involved parties do not need to have a priori knowledge of each other's public keys; as long as they know each other's identities, the protocol can be executed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A scheme for joint watermarking and compression of video

We present a scheme for jointly watermarking and compressing digital video. The amount of watermark added is adapted to the expected degradation of the watermark due to compression. This results in a more robust watermark. This is achieved without any appreciable decrease in the quality of the decoded video compared to the case when the watermark is not adaptive. Results are presented for the flower garden sequence.
Characterization of thin-film low-dielectric constant materials in the microwave range using on-wafer parallel-plate transmission lines

A method is presented to measure the dielectric properties of a thin film over a broad microwave frequency range. The parallel-plate transmission line geometry offers both the advantages of pronounced sensitivity to thin-film properties and exact computation of the value of the dielectric constant and the loss tangent. With multiline thru-reflect-line calibration techniques, the dielectric constant and loss tangent are determined to an accuracy better than 4% at 10 GHz.
Forgiveness, Forgetting, and Resentment

INTRODUCTION Dean Martha Minow’s lecture is so careful and eloquent that I aim here to supplement rather than challenge her discussion of forgiveness. Dean Minow’s proposals for law’s role in cultivating forgiveness are powerfully suggestive but intentionally ambivalent. As she recognizes, urging that victims forgive can mean forgoing the protections of justice for the weak, ultimately rendering the vulnerable yet more vulnerable. Dean Minow’s ambivalence about forgiveness’s possibilities is correct: although she does not say so directly, the idea that law can foster forgiveness is deeply puzzling, not because forgiveness cannot be fostered but because we usually think that when law intervenes in conflict, it leaves a residue of bitterness and pain in its wake. Criminal law, when it convicts, adds the pain of punishment to the victim’s original pain even as it brings satisfaction to victims and the public. Tort law, when it holds liable, shifts pain to a recalcitrant defendant without necessarily making the plaintiff whole. Bankruptcy law may give some creditors more than they expect, but all get less than they like or deserve. Thus, the very idea that law in action could aid a project of forgiveness, when it creates new liabilities, should seem strange to us. It is one of the great merits of Dean Minow’s essay that this proposition seems a little less strange by its end.
Clinical social work education, mental health, and the DSM-5

ABSTRACTSince the inception of social work in the late nineteenth century, there has been an ongoing debate as to what constitutes the essence of social work practice. Does the social worker maintain a macro or micro focus, serving as an agent of social change or social control, respectively? This article explores the perennial debate in the context of social work education about mental health in the United States, particularly as related to the classification and treatment of mental disorders for the diverse range of underserved clients.
Potential Information Integration of a Surface Management System Concept with Other Air Traffic Systems

NASA and FAA have identified the need for future air traffic control (ATC) automation tools to integrate with other existing or planned automation tools. Issues such as complementary decision support features (i.e. combining departure and arrival planning tools), limited display space in the FAA facilities, and the potential for performance benefits of integrating systems have driven the need to examine integration. NASA is currently leading the research and development of the Surface Management System (SMS). SMS is an information and decision support tool designed to aid ATC controllers and traffic managers in managing surface operations. This document provides an initial examination of the potential integration of the SMS concept to integrate with the Airport Surface Detection Equipment X-band (ASDE-X) and the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA).
Russia’s Leadership of Regional Integration in Eurasia

This chapter looks at regional integration projects in the postcommunist Eurasia, defined as the former Soviet space plus China, from the point of view of Russia’s leadership of this process. It argues that new regionalism is as much about identity and status projections as about political economy. The newly emerging leaders, such as the BRICS, have little choice but to accept increasing responsibility for the affairs of their neighborhoods. Russia’s critics perceive its efforts at creation of the Eurasian Economic Union as neo-hegemonic and perhaps, neoimperialist in nature. The chapter contests this position, while addressing Eurasian regionalist projects as a subset of the new regionalism (NR) developments that had emerged in response to neoliberal globalization and represent adaptive and corrective reactions to it. Russia’s leadership in Eurasia is being challenged by China, since Beijing’s strategic interest in the region has grown. Institutionalization of this competition within the boundaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) helps to channel it into constructive action and mitigates potential conflicts. Even though acceptance of Russia’s leadership of the region became more difficult following recent developments in Ukraine, the Central Asian states are keen on using regional integration as a balancing tool between Russia and China.
Analysis of the Surveillance Data of Influenza by Time Series in Guangzhou

Objective To analyze the epidemiologic characteristics of influenza in time series in Guangzhou. Methods Autoregressive integrated moving average model(ARIMA), seasonal decomposition, cross-correlation, and spectral analysis were adopted for the study. Results From 2004 to 2008, ILI%(influenza-like illness,ILI) is the highest in summer, the seasonal index is 1.637; the ARIMA model of ILI% is xt=0.785xt-1+0.201xt-2. The correlation analysis with these three groups of data were conducted. When lag=-1,-2,-3, the cross correlation coefficient of virus isolation rate and outbreaks, ILI% and outbreaks were statistical significance. In view of the initial series periodogram of ILI%, virus isolation rate and epidemic outbreaks, a strong periodicity can be found at "twelve months". Conclusion The time series analysis skills may be applied to analyze the data of influenza surveillance in Guangzhou,to reflect the epidemiologic characteristics of influenza.
Sharing Core Facilities and Research Resources--An Investment in Accelerating Scientific Discoveries.

Each year, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests substantial resources in core facilities that provide access to advanced cutting-edge technologies, expert consultation, and other services to scientific investigators. The facilities offer a number of services, ranging from systematic analysis and data processing, using specialized instrumentation, to access and expert advice on experimental design and evaluation needs, such as biostatistics, patient outreach, and clinical regulatory issues. The largest fraction of support for cores comes from the institutes and centers of the NIH, for example, through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Significant NIH investment is spent on Center Core grants, particularly the NCI Cancer Centers, and the Clinical Translational Sciences Award Program supported by NCATS. The Office of the NIH Director’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) also has a substantial investment in animal and biologic resource centers that provide models of human biology and disease for basic to clinical studies to researchers around the world. Many of these centers function like cores, as they provide the following: 1) high-quality, disease-free animals; 2) access to sophisticated technologies and facilities, as well as specialized animals; and 3) expert training by professional staff and consultation services. As an example, the NIH-supported National Primate Research Centers provide facilities, animals, and expertise for investigators who use nonhuman primates for biomedical research, facilitating >1000 individual research projects annually. The DPCPSI investment in core facilities also includes support through its Shared Instrument Grant program to purchase or upgrade expensive, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated systems. This program promotes cost effectiveness; encourages optimal sharing among investigators, research groups, and departments; and fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. In many settings, the instrument is integrated in a centralized core facility. Through these investments and many other programs not listed, NIH’s annual support for research cores is estimated conservatively at $900 million. Given this large investment, it is critical that both NIH and the research institutions receiving support for these resources identify and implement approaches that enhance core resource efficiencies.
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors: Spectrum of Efficacy in Major Depressive Disorder

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials remain the gold standard by which the efficacy of a particular pharmacologic intervention for the treatment of a medical disorder or condition is proven or ruled out. This is particularly true for major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders, where the magnitude and variability (from one trial to another) of the placebo response remains considerable despite efforts to minimize its effects in antidepressant efficacy trials. This article will summarize evidence establishing the efficacy of four serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors—venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine succinate, duloxetine, and milnacipran—for the treatment of MDD.
Classical Thermodynamics of Elastic Solids as Open Systems

Herein we study the classical thermodynamics of multicomponent elastic solids as open systems. By writing down explicit expressions for the heat form and the work form, a simple derivation of the fundamental thermodynamic equations for elastic solids as open systems is presented. In particular a formula is obtained for the heats of mass transfer of the chemical components. This paper ends with a rebuttal to the contention that heat can not be unambiguously defined for open, classical reversible systems.
First thrust from a microfabricated atmospheric ion engine

The bulk of current research in the realm of pico air vehicles has focused on biologically inspired propulsion mechanisms. In this work we investigate the use of electrohydrodynamic thrust produced by a microfabricated corona discharge device as a mechanism to create flying microrobots with no moving parts. Electrodes of various geometries are fabricated from a silicon-on-insulator wafer with a two mask process. Electrical characterization is performed to analyze the effect of inter-electrode gap and emitter electrode width on corona discharge and compare findings to simulation. Outlet air velocity and thrust are directly measured to analyze the effects of collector electrode geometry on performance. A roughly 100 cubic millimeter, 2.5mg thruster is assembled with a thrust to weight ratio exceeding 20.
Percutaneous Pericardial ResectionCLINICAL PERSPECTIVE

Background— People with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction develop increases in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressures during exercise that contribute to dyspnea. In normal open-chest animal preparations, the pericardium restrains LV filling when central blood volume increases. We hypothesized that resection of the pericardium using a minimally invasive epicardial approach would mitigate the increase in LV end-diastolic pressure that develops during volume loading in normal and diseased hearts with the chest intact. Methods and Results— Invasive hemodynamic assessment was performed at baseline and after saline load before and after pericardial resection in normal canines with open (n=3) and closed chest (n=5) and in a pig model with features of human heart failure and preserved ejection fraction with sternum intact (n=4). In closed-chest animals, pericardiotomy was performed using a novel subxiphoid procedure. In both experimental preparations of normal dogs, pericardiotomy blunted the increase in LV end-diastolic pressure with saline infusion, while enhancing the saline-mediated increase in LV end-diastolic volume. With chest intact in the pig model, percutaneous pericardial resection again blunted the increase in LV end-diastolic pressure secondary to volume expansion (+4±3 versus +13±5 mm Hg; P =0.014), while enhancing the saline-mediated increase in LV end-diastolic volume (+17±1 versus +10±2 mL; P =0.016). Conclusions— This proof of concept study demonstrates that pericardial resection through a minimally invasive percutaneous approach mitigates the elevation in LV filling pressures with volume loading in both normal animals and a pig model with diastolic dysfunction. Further study is warranted to determine whether this method is safe and produces similar acute and chronic hemodynamic benefits in people with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction.
Cognitive radio networks

In recent years, the development of intelligent, adaptive wireless devices called cognitive radios, together with the introduction of secondary spectrum licensing, has led to a new paradigm in communications: cognitive networks. Cognitive networks are wireless networks that consist of several types of users: often a primary user (the primary license-holder of a spectrum band) and secondary users (cognitive radios). These cognitive users employ their cognitive abilities to communicate without harming the primary users. The study of cognitive networks is relatively new and many questions are yet to be answered. In this article we highlight some of the recent information theoretic limits, models, and design of these promising networks.
Effect of Sandpaper and Grain Size on Non-Shock Initiated Reactions in HMX

Three grades of HMX samples, coarse (A), coarse with a small amount of fines (B), and ultra-fine (F), were tested for impact sensitivity by ERL drop hammer. The Type 12A test used sandpapers of three different compositions, 120-, 180-grit Si/C and 180-grit garnet. Reaction was accounted for by operator observation and microphone. The results showed different sensitivity for each of the HMX types. The F-HMX was the smallest in average particle size and was the least sensitive to impact. The A-HMX was the next most stable and the B-HMX was the most sensitive to impact. The spent samples from the drop hammer testing of B-HMX and F-HMX were further evaluated with optical imaging. Conditions were selected that were near the DH50 values of the specific HMX. Previous literature has cited localized hot spot formation to be the probable cause of non-shock initiated reactions leading to impact sensitivity. This study yielded a plethora of samples exhibiting hot spots for HMX materials, both without and with proximity to grit particles. Hot spots in the proximity of grit particles gave the most dramatic hot spots, but both types of hot spots were exhibited in samples considered reacted and non-reacted. The F-HMX, even though the most stable to impact sensitivity, exhibited the most and best resolved hot spots of all the samples and conditions. Foreign objects were also observed in some of the samples. Previous work has shown metal particles coming from wear of the anvils used in the drop hammer experiment can also form hot spots. However, none of the samples here with metal particles exhibited, in proximity, hot spot formation.