cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieving cloud information from passive measurements of solar radiation absorbed by molecular oxygen and O2-O2

[1] The ability to retrieve key information about clouds from observations of atmospheric absorption by molecular oxygen along with the O2-O2 collision complex is examined. Specifically, the fractional absorption of scattered solar radiation in the oxygen A and B bands and the 477 nm O2-O2 absorption band at moderate resolution (0.5–6.0 nm) is shown to allow estimates to be made not only of cloud optical depth but also of cloud base and top heights from a down-looking observing platform above cloud level. We first demonstrate through theoretical calculations that these cloud parameters can be accurately retrieved from measurements of fractional absorption at this moderate resolution and with no requirement of absolutely calibrated radiances. Further, it is shown that the addition of B band and O2-O2 absorption information to A band observations can decrease the uncertainty in these cloud parameter estimates by more than 50% (depending on the cloud's properties) compared to using A band information alone. The theoretical analysis is supported by sample, above-cloud measurements of the oxygen A band fractional absorption associated with hurricane Michelle over the Gulf of Mexico. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with the cloud base and top heights inferred from cloud photographs and from dropsonde relative humidity data, demonstrating the capability of this approach for improved cloud remote sensing.
Original Simplicities and Present Complexities: Reinhold Niebuhr, Ethnocentrism, and the Myth of American Exceptionalism

L'A. s'interesse a la vision de l'histoire americaine par Reinhold Niebuhr. Ce dernier a accepte des composantes essentielles du mythe de l'exception americaine ainsi que de l'ideologie de la destinee manifeste qu'elle engendrait. Ainsi, cette vision l'a conduit a accepter ou meme a ignorer le traitement des indigenes par la nation americaine. Cet aveuglement ethnocentrique s'inscrit dans la perspective nationale americaine qui se veut tournee vers l'avenir en restant le moins possible determinee par l'histoire
Non-muscular factors in upper airway patency in the rabbit.

The hypothesis tested in these experiments was that factors other than contraction of upper airway muscles influence the resistance of the upper airway to collapse. The intra-luminal pressures required to close and re-open the upper airway were measured in the isolated upper airways of anesthetised rabbits. The level of activity in upper airway muscles was manipulated by ventilation with 100% O2 or 7% CO2 and by muscle paralysis with gallamine. During ventilation with 100% CO2 closing pressure was −10.34 ± 0.53 cm H2O (mean ± 95% c.i., n = 23) and re-opening pressure was −3.15 ± 0.51 cm H2O. Ventilation with 7% CO2 changed the closing pressure to −11.63 ± 0.67 cm H2O (P < 0.05) and re-opening pressure to −3.81 ± 0.67 cm H2O (NS). In 10 animals muscle paralysis with gallamine (2 mg/kg i.v.) did not significantly alter closing or re-opening pressures during ventilation with 100% O2, and did not abolish the ability of ventilation with 7% CO2 to augment collapse resistance. In 6 animals death was followed by a fall in closing and re-opening pressures to 30–60% of the values recorded in paralysed animals. We conclude that in this preparation active muscle contraction is not the main source of resistance to airway closure or of the proclivity of the closed airway to re-open.
From grass roots to partisan politics: nuclear freeze referenda in New Jersey and South Dakota

Abstract This paper examines whether the nuclear freeze concept has become part of the American political agenda. Through a cartographic and statistical analysis, voters' support for and opposition to the nuclear freeze is examined. Using data from the nuclear freeze referenda in New Jersey (1982) and South Dakota (1984) the correlates of freeze support are used to explain the extent to which the topic has become a major policy issue. Our results clearly show that intense politicization of the nuclear freeze issue has occurred in contemporary American politics. In both states, support for the nuclear freeze strongly correlates with votes for partisan political candidates. Thus, control of the issue has passed out of the hands of grass-roots activists and individual voters to become part of the American political agenda of partisan politics.
Inferentialism and Holistic Role Abstraction in the Telling of Tales

In Tales of the Mighty Dead 1 Brandom aims to persuade us that intentionality is an essentially social and inherently historical phenomenon. If it is then, as Brandom recognizes, intentionality can be addressed only indirectly and undogmatically, by way of stories about what already has been said or can in the telling be made to have been said, stories that in no way preclude the telling of incompatible stories. Brandom’s first book Making It Explicit is an epic in the genre. Tales of the Mighty Dead follows by turning on itself to tell, along with its stories, a story about the telling of such stories that self-consciously exhibits many of the themes and structures to be found in the stories themselves. It is an extraordinary achievement. On Brandom’s telling, the history of our thinking about intentionality, about the determinate contentfulness of thought, exhibits a certain dialectical structure, one that is developed in detail for the case of properties in Chapter Six, ‘Holism and Idealism in Hegel’s Phenomenology’. We begin atomistically, with the idea that one’s grasp or understanding of a property is immediate, that is, intelligible independent of anything other than one’s sensory experience of something exhibiting that property. This conception is unstable, however; it fails to provide the resources needed to understand the determinate contentfulness of our thoughts about such properties. This first atomistic conception thus gives way to a second strongly holistic conception of properties according to which they are identified and individuated by their relations one to another, in the first instance
Rheology investigation of crumb rubber modified asphalt binders

The incorporation of crumb rubber into asphalt pavement mixes is designed to enhance binder properties through reducing the binder’s inherent temperature susceptibility. During the interaction process, crumb rubber particles swell after absorbing a portion of the oils in the binder, resulting in the increase of binder viscosity. In this study, the Crumb Rubber Modified (CRM) asphalt binders were produced using virgin binder of Performance Grade (PG) 64-22 and ambient rubber with various concentrations (10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of virgin binder) in the laboratory. Rheological analyses (flow behavior, elasticity, loading dependence, and temperature dependence) of the control virgin binder and the CRM binders were conducted using a Bohlin Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) II. The results indicated that (1) the use of crumb rubber as a modifier seemed to improve the penetration resistance of the asphalt binder because of the increased viscosity at 60oC, (2) its advantage was more apparent at lower frequencies of loading, and (3) the asphalt binder with higher crumb rubber contents was observed to have better resistance to permanent deformation at higher temperatures and elasticity at lower temperatures.
Mapping the Miocene Farallon Ridge jump on the Pacific plate: a seismic line of weakness

Abstract Bathymetric and magnetic data are used to obtain estimates, on the Pacific and Nazca plates, of the boundaries separating lithosphere generated at the old Farallon Ridge from the more recent one created at the present-day East Pacific Rise. An excellent correlation is found with the sites of known teleseismically recorded intraplate seismicity, suggesting that these boundaries, which are lines of age discontinuity in the plate, must be zones of weakness of the lithospheric plate. In particular, the so-called Region C, identified by Okal et al. as a major site of seismic release, sits on a small piece of Farallon plate, in the immediate vicinity of the northern extension of the fossil Roggeveen Rise, cut across by the East Pacific Rise during the ridge jump.
Anthropogenic aerosols increasing over India

Aerosol particles in the Earth's atmosphere scatter and absorb light differently at different wavelengths, thereby affecting the amount of incoming sunlight that reaches the planet's surface and the amount of heat that escapes, potentially altering the planet's climate. Most recent regional studies of aerosol trends have used satellite data to examine aerosol levels over ocean regions; fewer regional studies have measured aerosol over land.
The Lessons of QUANTEC: Recommendations for Reporting and Gathering Data on Dose-Volume Dependencies of Treatment Outcome

The 16 clinical articles in this issue review the dose-volume dependence of toxicities of external beam radiotherapy. They are limited by the difficulty of synthesizing results from different publications. The major problems stem from incomplete reporting of results and use of incompatible or ambiguous endpoints. Here we specify these problems; give recommendations to authors, editors, and reviewers on standards of reporting; and provide methods of defining endpoints suitable for the dose-volume analysis of toxicity. Adopting these recommendations will facilitate meta-analysis and increase the utility of individual studies of the dependence of complications on dose distributions.
A new graphical method for feedback control system compensation design

A new graphical method for feedback control system compensation design yields the parameters of simple compensators which will place a closed-loop pole at a designated location in the 5-plane with arbitrary open-loop gain. The gain limits for compensators with single or multiple identical sections are easily determined by this method, which is simple, easy to apply, fast, and accurate. Examples are given to illustrate its utility.
Sensorineural hearing loss in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome.

Background: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is a systemic condition characterized by ocular inflammatory disease as well as skin, ear, and meningeal manifestations. Patients with VKH often report tinnitus and hearing loss, but these symptoms tend to be given secondary consideration because most undergo treatment with steroids to prevent blindness resulting from granulomatous uveitis, exudative retinal detachment, and optic nerve inflammation. Methods/Study Design: In the current retrospective review, 24 patients with this syndrome were screened for auditory system abnormalities. All patients denied history of noise exposure or ototoxic agent exposure. The age range of the patients was 13 to 42 years. Results: Three patients reported tinnitus and two patients reported sudden hearing loss. One patient experienced vertigo and aural fullness. Eight of 24 patients had pure-tone thresholds greater than 25 dB hearing loss at two or more frequencies. Five of 24 of these patients experienced hearing loss outside of the 95% confidence interval for published age-matched control populations. There was sloping sensorineural hearing loss at 4 kHz and above in five of 24 patients. All eight patients with hearing loss experienced some degree of hearing loss at 4 kHz or above. Three patients had mild to moderate low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. There were no tympanometric abnormalities suggestive of conductive involvement. Abnormal acoustic reflex decay was observed in one patient. Conclusions: We conclude that a significant number of patients with VKH experience sensorineural hearing loss and that every patient with VKH should undergo a review of systems for auditory abnormalities and referral for audiologic testing if symptomatic. It is possible that untreated patients may experience worse symptoms.
The MBA Core Curricula of Top-Ranked U.S. Business Schools: A Study in Failure?

A web-based survey of the MBA core curricula of top-ranked U.S. business schools lends some support to the continued existence of a traditional but frequently criticized “functional silo,” “dominan...
Transuranic transmutation efficiency of a small fusion–fission facility for spent uranium-oxide and inert matrix fuels

Abstract The transmutation efficiency of a Fusion facility to Burn Fission Waste (FBFW) based on a Spherical Tokamak (ST) neutron source is investigated. The perfomances are analyzed based on two different fuel cycles. The first fuel cycle assumes separation of all Transuranics elements (TRU) from Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and then burning in FBFW; the second fuel cycle considers a first burning of fissile TRUs in Light Water Reactors (LWR) using an Inert Matrix Fuel (IMF). It is found that the FBFW (1 GWe) can support 5.8 LWR plants (1 GWe) or 19 LWR plants (1 GWe) for IMF fuel cycle. The neutron-dependent characteristics of the system, such as keff and Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR), are investigated. The TBR is found to be strongly dependent on keff and a three-batch strategy is proven to be sufficient to maintain a moderate fusion power (
Tumors of the ear canal.

This discussion will focus on the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, expected biologic behavior, and therapeutic options for tumors of the ear canal in the dog and cat. Particular emphasis will be placed on neoplasia of the ceruminous glands, squamous cell carcinoma, and nonneoplastic mass lesions.
On irreversible thermodynamics for wear prediction

In June of 2000, the authors of this paper reported an experimental study in which degradation in the form of wear of model machinery component-pairs was made on an accelerated testing basis. Concomitant measurement of entropy flow was made by means of a simple calorimeter. Results showed a strong correlation between the referenced wear and the production of entropy flow. We designate this previous work as Category I, in which the normal load is sufficiently high that the heat generated by wear, in a boundary lubrication regime, is much larger than the heat generated by shearing of the lubricant. The present paper treats what we shall call Category II, in which the heat generated by shearing of the lubricant is larger than the heat generated by wear. This includes the limiting case wherein there is neither wear nor production of entropy flow. Again we invoke the laws of thermodynamics, which led us to the conclusion that normalized wear is strongly correlated to normalized entropy flow.
TH-C-220-01: Pilot Study for the Development of Clinical Microbeam Radiation Therapy Using a Carbon Nanotube Field Emission Micro-CT Scanner

Purpose: The possibilities of microbeam radiation therapy(MRT) up until now have mainly been studied using synchrotron sources due to their high flux (100s Gy/sec) and approximately parallel X‐ray paths. We wish to show that both of these advantages are also attainable with the use of carbon nanotube(CNT)field emission based X‐ray source arrays, and that by using this type of source a compact MRT system may be possible. Methods: The study was performed with our CNT micro‐CT scanner (100μm focal spot). A microbeam collimator alignment assembly with the capability to collimate and superimpose beams coming from different gantry positions was fabricated and attached to the scanner. Two orthogonal dosimetric films (Gafchromic EBT2) were embedded inside a cylindrical phantom to record the MRTdose distribution. Microbeams were fired at this target from 44 different entry angles to simulate an array of sources. In a separate experiment, phantom translation was used to simulate multiple parallel beams. Results: Forty‐four beams were superimposed in the phantom to produce a single microbeam dose profile with a FWHM of 310m (expected value was 280μm) indicating proper collimator alignment. A new MRT‐ specific tube was proposed and commissioned based on the preliminary experimental results and the corresponding Monte Carlo simulations. The estimated dose rate for this proposed tube was calculated to be over 100 Gy/sec from these initial measurements. Also, during the multiple beam simulation, a reasonable peak to valley dose ratio (∼12) was found when the translation distance was roughly 4x the beam width. Conclusions: We have shown that it will not only be possible to create microbeams with our CNT sources, but that the flexibility of these field emission sources will open the field of MRT study to the larger research community and possibly bring effective and compact MRTdevices to the clinical environment.
The impact of obesity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease

Abstract Over the past three decades childhood obesity has increased dramatically, and has been deemed a national epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control. Approximately 31% of children in the United States are overweight or obese. While obesity is a known risk factor for future cardiovascular disease in the general pediatric population, significantly less is known about the impact of obesity in children with congenital and acquired heart disease (HD). Recent data suggests that the prevalence of obesity in children with HD is similar to that of the general pediatric population. Further study is necessary to evaluate unique risk factors for obesity in the HD population such as restriction from physical activity. Investigation of the cardiovascular sequelae of obesity in children with HD is also warranted. Anatomic and/or functional abnormalities related to past cardiac surgery are often fixed; thus obesity may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for future cardiovascular disease in this patient population.
Decisional Conflict and User Acceptance of Multicriteria Decision‐Making Aids*

Despite the development of increasingly sophisticated and refined multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, an examination of the experimental evidence indicates that users most often prefer relatively unsophisticated methods. In this paper, we synthesize theories and empirical findings from the psychology of judgment and choice to provide a new theoretical explanation for such user preferences. Our argument centers on the assertion that the MCDM method preferred by decision makers is a function of the degree to which the method tends to introduce decisional conflict. The model we develop relates response mode, decision strategy, and the salience of decisional conflict to user preferences among decision aids. We then show that the model is consistent with empirical results in MCDM studies. Next, the role of decisional conflict in problem formulation aids is briefly discussed. Finally, we outline future research needed to thoroughly test the theoretical mechanisms we have proposed.
DiOlistic Labeling of Neurons in Tissue Slices: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Methodological Variations

Fine neuronal morphology, such as dendritic spines, classically has been studied using the Golgi technique; however, Golgi staining is difficult to combine with other histological techniques. With the increasing popularity of fluorescent imaging, a number of fluorescent dyes have been developed that enable the coupling of multiple fluorescent labels in a single preparation. These fluorescent dyes include the lipophilic dialkylcarbocyanine, DiI; traditionally used for anterograde and retrograde neuronal tracing. More recently, DiI labeling has been used in combination with the Gene Gun for "DiOlistic" labeling of neurons in slice preparations. DiI sequesters itself within and diffuses laterally along the neuronal membrane, however once the cell is permeabilized, the DiI begins to leak from the cell membrane. A DiI derivative, Cell Tracker™ CM-DiI, increases dye stability and labeling half-life in permeabilized tissue, however at much greater expense. Here, the DiI and CM-DiI DiOlistic labeling techniques were tested in side-by-side experiments evaluating dye stability within dendritic architecture in medium spiny neurons of the dorsal stratum in both non-permeabilized and permeabilized tissue sections. In tissue sections that were not permeabilized, spine density in DiI labeled sections was higher than in CM-DiI labeling. In contrast, tissue sections that were permeabilized had higher spine densities in CM-DiI labeled neurons. These results suggest that for experiments involving non-permeabilized tissue, traditional DiI will suffice, however for experiments involving permeabilized tissue CM-DiI provides more consistent data. These experiments provide the first quantitative analyses of the impact of methodological permutations on neuronal labeling with DiI.
Corrigendum to “Interactions between engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and plants: Phytotoxicity, uptake and accumulation” [Sci. Total Environ. 408 (2010) 3053-3061]

The rapid development and potential release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have raised considerable concerns due to the unique properties of nanomaterials. An important aspect of the risk assessment of ENPs is to understand the interactions of ENPs with plants, an essential base component of all ecosystems. The impact of ENPs on plant varies, depending on the composition, concentration, size and other important physical and chemical properties of ENPs and plant species. Both enhancive and inhibitive effects of ENPs on plant growth at different developmental stages have been documented. ENPs could be potentially taken up by plant roots and transported to shoots through vascular systems depending upon the composition, shape, size of ENPs and plant anatomy. Despite the insights gained through many previous studies, many questions remain concerning the fate and behavior of ENPs in plant systems such as the role of surface area or surface activity of ENPs on phytotoxicity, the potential route of entrance to plant vascular tissues and the role of plant cell walls in internalization of ENPs. This article reviewed the current knowledge on the phytotoxicity and interactions of ENPs with plants at seedling and cellular levels and discussed the information gap and some immediate research needs to further our knowledge on this topic.
Evolution of Ag nanocrystal films grown by pulsed laser deposition

We have conducted the first experiments under identical thermal, background, and surface preparation conditions to compare metal-on-insulator growth morphology in Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). Such films deposited from a thermal vapor are known to exhibit a characteristic morphological progression beginning with isolated three-dimensional islands and ending with a percolating, continuous film that conducts electrically. We have studied this progression for Pulsed Laser Deposition, a technique that differs from PVD in that depositing species arrive in short bursts (<10 microseconds) with kinetic energy typically of 10–100 eV. Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations that take into account only the pulsed nature of the flux predict that PLD films should advance to percolation with relatively less deposition compared with PVD under otherwise identical conditions. Our experiments, with PLD and PVD performed in the same chamber, reveal that PLD films actually require more deposition to reach percolation. We conclude that energetic effects are important in determining morphology evolution.
Clinical management of osteoporosis in women with a history of breast carcinoma

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder that is characterized by low bone mass and compromised bone strength. Fractures are the clinically important consequence of osteoporosis and result not only in disability but also in excess mortality. Women who have a history of breast carcinoma may represent a unique population for whom screening and treatment for osteoporosis should be modified. A review of the English literature was performed that included original, review, consensus, and statement articles that were identified through Medline or National Institutes of Health-related links. According to the literature, osteoporosis constitutes a major public health problem. Approximately 55% of the U.S. population ≥ 50 years of age has low bone mass (osteopenia or osteoporosis). Annually, > 200,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast carcinoma. Due to the high prevalence rates of both low bone mass and breast carcinoma in women, these two diseases commonly coexist in the same individuals. Women with a history of breast carcinoma may be at increased risk of developing bone loss and fragility fractures as a consequence of antineoplastic therapies. The majority of women treated for early-stage breast carcinoma do not develop recurrences, as a result of recent advances in therapy. Ensuring the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of long-term toxicities and comorbid conditions like osteoporosis in breast carcinoma survivors is a serious concern and is of increasing importance. In this article, the authors address the evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis in women who have a history of early-stage breast carcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Physiologic activities of the Contact Activation System

Abstract The plasma contact activation (CAS) and kallikrein/kinin (KKS) systems consist of 4 proteins: factor XII, prekallikrein, high molecular weight kininogen, and the bradykinin B2 receptor. Murine genetic deletion of factor XII ( F12 -/- ), prekallikrein ( Klkb1 -/- ), high molecular weight kininogen ( Kgn1 -/- ) and the bradykinin B2 receptor ( Bdkrb2 -/- ) yield animals protected from thrombosis. With possible exception of F12 -/- and Kgn1 -/- mice, the mechanism(s) for thrombosis protection is not reduced contact activation. Bdkrb2 -/- mice are best characterized and they are protected from thrombosis through over expression of components of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) leading to elevated prostacyclin with vascular and platelet inhibition. Alternatively, prolylcarboxypeptidase, a PK activator and degrader of angiotensin II, when deficient in the mouse leads to a prothrombotic state. Its mechanism for increased thrombosis also is mediated in part by components of the RAS. These observations suggest that thrombosis in mice of the CAS and KKS are mediated in part through the RAS and independent of reduced contact activation.
Intransitivity on Paired-Comparisons Instruments: The Relationship of the Total Circular Triad Score to Stimulus Circular Triads

Intransitivity associated with the method of paired comparisons for scaling stimulus objects has been hypothesized in previous research to relate to the psychological and/or physical distance between stimulus objects. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether paired-comparisons in transitivity is a function of intransitivity associated with specific stimulus objects rather than a function of the entire set of stimulus objects. Three 190- item, paired-comparisons instruments with diverse content (i.e., vocational needs, mate preferences, and food preferences) were designed to examine the relationship between Stimulus Circular Triads and the Total Circular Triad score and were adminis tered to 276 high school and 358 college students. Results of univariate correlational analyses and multiple-regression techniques suggested that paired-comparisons intransitivity relates to individual differences variables associated with the respondent, although there were differences in the absolute level of...
Production of solavetivone by immobilized cells of Hyoscyamus muticus

The secretion of solavetivone, a phytoalexin, by the cells of Hyoscyamus muticus in response to fungal elicitation has been enhanced by gel entrapment in calcium alginate. The immobilized cells produced 53% higher product and exhibited sustained biosynthetic activity in repeated batch cycles when compared with suspended cells. Providing a non-elicited media exchange and a sufficient interval of time between repeated infection (elicitation) gave greater productivity. Apparently the cells need a period to recover from the infection.
Less means more: nutrient stress leads to higher δ15N ratios in fish

Summary Isotopic ratios of nitrogen are often used in food-web studies to determine trophic position (including food chain length) and food sources, with greater ratios of 15N/14N (δ15N) usually considered indicative of higher trophic position. However, fasting and starving animals may also show a progressive increase in δ15N over time as they catabolise their own tissues. To determine the importance of starvation, we conducted a 4-month laboratory experiment testing effects of starvation on body condition and isotope ratios in the muscle tissue of freshwater guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We also compared laboratory results and conclusions with analyses of body condition and isotope ratios in various small species of fish collected in four seasons from the Kansas River in north-eastern Kansas, U.S.A. Fish starved in our laboratory experiment had significantly higher 15N values and poorer body condition than those fed more regularly. The diverse group of fish species collected in summer (July) from the Kansas River had higher weight-to-length ratios and lower 15N values than those retrieved in other seasons. Overall body condition resulting from reduced food consumption explained 44 and 53% of the variability in 15N for field and laboratory fish, respectively. These results are applicable to a wide variety of food-web research but are especially pertinent to studies of organisms that undergo large changes in life history, dormancy, extended fasts or periods of significant nutritional allocation to young.
Improving climatic signal representation in tropical ice cores: A case study from the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru

[1] The published ice core records for Quelccaya, Peru are shown to contain numerous errors in annual layer determination, introduced by the subjective methodology of the original analysis. A new methodology is presented that aligns and then merges d18O sample measurement profiles from the two Quelccaya cores. Absolute dating of the stratigraphy is established by comparison of prominent dust anomalies with documented earthquake reference-marker events. The results demonstrate that the original sample measurements can register a comprehensive millennial climate history at sub-annual resolution, thus also offering great potential for clearer interpretations of ENSO signals in tropical Andean ice cores.
Factors Related To Spectral Subtraction For Speech In Noise Enhancement

In this paper results are presented concerning the use of spectral subtraction for enhancing speech corrupted by additive noise. In this study several variations of the spectral subtraction process have been implemented and tested. The overall results provide insight into the use of spectral subtraction for speech enhancement. As a result of this study, several conclusions are presented regarding spectral subtraction, its effects on noise corrupted speech, and its ability to enhance speech intelligibility and listenability. Finally, the use of spectral subtraction as a preprocessor for speech feature extraction is considered.
JOTS-a mathematical model of microscopic fluid flow in porous media.

The model described in this paper is an approach to simulating flow through porous media on a microscopic scale. It is based on a variation of diffusion limited aggregation. The model is shown to match coreflood average saturation profiles and production histories as predicted by Darcy's equations while generating saturation distributions resembling viscous fingering. The model also is shown to simulate the limiting cases of infinite mobility ratio and zero flow rates as previously modeled by diffusion limited aggregation and percolation theory. With some simplifying assumptions, differential equations very similar to Darcy's equations are derived from the microscopic interpretation of fluid behavior in porous media used in this model.
Observations on acacia as an immunizing, sensitizing, anaphylactogenic, and desensitizing antigen.

Abstract Four different lots of gum acacia were found to be equally effective as immunizing, sensitizing, anaphylactogenic, and desensitizing antigens, as shown by cross-precipitin tests and cross-anaphylaxis experiments. The antigenicity of acacia is considered to be a property of the native substance, and not due to a contaminant or impurity. Rabbits were readily immunized with, and guinea pigs actively sensitized to, acacia. Antiacacia rabbit serum in small doses passively sensitized guinea pigs. They reacted to intravenous and aerosol challenges with acacia. This sensitization lasted about thirteen days. Homologous antiacacia serum also passively sensitized guinea pigs, but none of these pigs has reacted, so far, to an aerosol challenge with acacia. The duration of passive sensitization with homologous serum was not studied. Precipitins persisted in rabbits for six to seven weeks after intravenous immunization, and for three months after a single subcutaneous injection of acacia with Freund's adjuvant. Precipitin behavior was bizarre in that precipitates could not be collected by centrifugation, although specific ring tests were obtained with ease. Passively sensitized guinea pigs were effectively desensitized by intraabdominal injections of acacia. Exposure to acacia acrosol produced dyspnea in a high percentage of actively, passively, and congenitally sensitized animals. Continued or repeated aerosol exposure produced local desensitization readily in passively sensitized guinea pigs. Desensitization of actively sensitized pigs took much longer. Arthus type reactions to intracutaneous injections of acacia in immunized rabbits were obtained in varying degree. Desensitization against this type of reaction followed intravenous injections of several large doses of acacia. Formamide-treated acacia had a lower nitrogen content than the native gum, but was still antigenic, although its anaphylactogenic and precipitating powers seemed to be reduced. Formamide-treated acacia precipitated globulin (chiefly gamma, by crude tests) from normal and immune guinea pig and rabbit serum. Heating the acacia did not appreciably affect its specificity or immunizing properties. Treatment of acacia by several methods, using acid or alkali with and without heat, failed to yield a haptenic polysaccharide, although nonhaptenic polysaccharides which had lost their immunologic specificity were obtained readily.
A prospective randomized trial comparing the silver-impregnated collagen cuff with the bedside tunneled subclavian catheter

A prospective study was undertaken to compare the silver-impregnated collagen cuff (Vitacuff) with the bedside tunneled catheter. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to three groups: group I received triple-lumen catheters with Vitacuff application and a semiocclusive dressing material; group II received triple-lumen tunneled catheters with a semiocclusive dressing; and group III received triple-lumen tunneled catheters with collodion as a dressing material. In patients suspected of having central venous catheter sepsis, blood cultures were obtained through the catheter, the catheter was removed, and the tip was cultured semiquantitatively. Central venous catheter sepsis was defined as a positive catheter-tip culture and blood culture for the same organism. No catheter-related sepsis was seen in either the Vitacuff or the tunneled catheters with collodion dressing. In the tunneled catheters with semiocclusive dressing, there was one case of catheter-related sepsis and one case of insertion-site infection. There was also one insertion-site infection in the Vitacuff group, but there was no statistical difference in infection rates between the three groups.
Diploma Options and Perceived Consequences for Students with Disabilities

In response to more than two decades of criticism that American students exit high school lacking the skills and knowledge necessary for a productive citizenry, states have implemented graduation policies intended to raise academic standards for all students. Such policies have included state and local district testing, development of exit examinations linked to a student's eligibility for a diploma, and a focus on improving student graduation rates. For states and local districts, the challenge of such policies has been how to best include students with disabilities within current and future accountability systems rather than establishing separate or alternative assessment practices. Although the political context surrounding graduation policies changes quickly, it is important to document policies and practices at points in time. In the study reported here, we replicated a 2002 survey about the status of state graduation policies and diploma options for youth with and without disabilities in 2006. State...
A case of congenital agenesis of the common carotid artery associated with an ectopic parathyroid adenoma mimicking a carotid body tumor

Ectopic parathyroid adenomas can be encountered during four gland explorations, but nearly 80% of adenomas are localized with ultrasound and sestamibi imaging. Ectopic adenomas are thought to arise from abnormal migration during development. As a cervical congenital anomaly, common carotid artery agenesis is an extremely rare anomaly characterized by separate origins of the internal and external carotid arteries directly from the aortic arch. Here we present a case of a 75 year old man with primary hyperparathyroidism who was found to have congenital agenesis of the common carotid artery associated with an ectopic parathyroid adenoma within the parapharyngeal space, which mimicked a carotid body tumor based on location and imaging. The successful identification and resection of the ectopic parathyroid adenoma presented here demonstrate the importance of preoperative imaging studies to allow appropriate operative planning as well as the utility of intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay in predicting cure during surgery.
Formation of β‐Silicon Nitride Crystals from (Si,Al,Mg,Y)(O,N) Liquid: I, Phase, Composition, and Shape Evolutions

Precipitation, growth, and coarsening of Si3N4 crystals in (Si,Al,Mg,Y)(O,N) liquids at 1680°C has been studied. The initial nucleation of β-Si3N4 occurs mostly on α-Si3N4 because of the very high supersaturation of the liquid. After a brief period of growth, the crystals then undergo accelerated coarsening, decreasing the crystal concentration by almost 100 times with little change in the total crystal volume. Meanwhile, the crystals gradually transform from β-Si3N4, by substituting Si-N with Al-O, to β′-SiAlON of various compositions. The evolution of aspect ratio strongly depends on the Si/(Al,Mg,Y) ratio, which is rationalized by cation segregation to the interface driven by the acidity-basicity differential between the liquid and the crystal.
A dynamical system that computes eigenvalues and diagonalizes matrices with a real spectrum

The present paper deals with the problem of diagonalizing matrices using a control system of the form A = [U, A], where [U, A] = UA - AU and A, U are real matrices. It is shown that the feedback U = [N, A + AT] + p[AT, A], N diagonal, rho > 0 allows to solve the diagonalization problem under the assumption that the to be diagonalized matrix has real spectrum. Moreover, in the case of a complex spectrum, the feedback allows to check if a matrix is stable or to compute all eigenvalues of a matrix or roots of a polynomial.
Automatic generation of a knowledge-base for a dermatology expert system

A connectionist expert system (ES) in the domain of dermatology which will ultimately be used for instruction of medical students in the diagnosis of papulosquamous skin diseases is presented. The ES performs as an apparatus for diagnosis and elucidates the effects of diagnostic parameters in the derivation of viable conclusions. The ES uses the back-propagation algorithm to automatically generate a knowledge base from patient cases, each consisting of a list of symptoms as input and the expert's diagnosis as the desired output. The knowledge base has the form of a multilayered network, and knowledge is distributed over the network so that a implicit specification of decision criteria. The ES uses this knowledge base for diagnosing a patient's disease given a list of symptoms. >
Organizational Enactments and Conformity to Environmental Prescriptions

This paper argues that current conceptions of organizational activity as ritual conformity (or isomorphism) to institutional demands which exist in the environment must also incorporate an understanding of organizational enactment. Enactment entails a conception of the environment in terms of processes of reality construction; organizations are active in creating and defining institutional demands. Data is drawn from a study of the response of mental health organizations to outpatient commitment which is a legal policy designed to fulfill the societal demands for deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. Organizational responses were highly variable, despite the existence of outpatient commitment as a legal policy with active encouragement of its use by the State Division of Mental Health. This variability can be understood in terms of organizational enactments; each organization construed the workings of the policy according to its own definitions and stocks of knowledge, and then conformed with its ow...
The Origin of Electron Mobility Enhancement in Strained MOSFETs

Straining Si MOS structures has been known to enhance electron mobilities. However, the origin of the effect has remained elusive as conventional modeling can only account for it by large ad hoc reduction of macroscopic interface roughness. Here, we report first-principle fully quantum-mechanical mobility calculations based on an atomic-scale interface model. Wave-function penetration into an oxide is automatically included. The results demonstrate that atomic-scale departures from abruptness (Si-Si bond on the oxide side, and Si-O-Si on the Si side) naturally lead to enhanced mobilities in strained structures in quantitative agreement with available data. The results have important ramifications for mobility models in nanoscale devices.
MPEx: A tool for exploring membrane proteins

Hydropathy plot methods form a cornerstone of membrane protein research, especially in the early stages of biochemical and structural characterization. Membrane Protein Explorer (MPEx), described in this article, is a refined and versatile hydropathy-plot software tool for analyzing membrane protein sequences. MPEx is highly interactive and facilitates the characterization and identification of favorable protein transmembrane regions using experiment-based physical and biological hydrophobicity scales. Besides allowing the consequences of sequence mutations to be examined, it provides tools for aiding the design of membrane-active peptides. MPEx is freely available as a Java Web Start application from our web site at http://blanco.biomol.uci.edu/mpex.
Genistein and Daidzein Downregulate Prostate Androgen-Regulated Transcript-1 (PART-1) Gene Expression Induced by Dihydrotestosterone in Human Prostate LNCaP Cancer Cells

Epidemiologic investigations and laboratory studies suggest that bioactive soy phytochemical components may be used as an effective dietary regimen for prevention of prostate cancer. Studies designed to identify new genes that are responsive to androgens and are sensitive to the prevention of prostate cancer using soy bioactive components have become a research priority. In this study, we determined the effect of soy isoflavones on the expression of prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART-1), a newly discovered androgen-induced gene that may represent a novel androgen-dependent prostate cancer tumor marker. In an androgen-depleted cell culture system, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induced expression of PART-1 transcript in androgen-sensitive LNCaP, but not in androgen-independent DU 145 or PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. The soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein dose-dependently inhibited DHT-induced expression of the PART-1 transcript. Genistein at 50 micro mol/L completely inhibited expression of the PART-1 transcript in LNCaP cells induced by DHT at 0.1 and 1.0 nmol/L. Daidzein was less potent than genistein, whereas glycitein at the same levels as genistein or daidzein did not inhibit DHT-induced PART-1 transcript expression. Our studies suggest that use of the PART-1 gene as a biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of soy isoflavones on androgen-dependent prostate cancer warrants further investigation.
Toward an Approach for Measuring Indicators of Facility Carrying Capacity in Outdoor Recreation Areas

This article uses data from 1,399 individuals at six sites in Hawaii to examine congruence among their encounters, norms, and satisfaction with six types of facilities (e.g., trash cans, bathrooms, signs) and the actual number of these facili- ties. The majority of users recalled encountering fewer of each facility than the number they believed should be at each site (i.e., their norm) and these users were least satisfied with these facilities. When user norms were compared to the actual number of facilities, however, there were enough of most facilities to meet these norms. Combining the number of facilities with the observation—norm—evalu- ation approach used in many social carrying capacity studies (e.g., encounters, norms, crowding) may be useful for measuring indictors of facility capacity.
Efficient, high performance, subspace tracking for time-domain data

This paper describes two new algorithms for tracking the subspace spanned by the principal eigenvectors of the correlation matrix associated with time-domain (i.e., time series) data. The algorithms track the d principal N-dimensional eigenvectors of the data covariance matrix with a complexity of O(Nd/sup 2/), yet they have performance comparable with algorithms having O(N/sup 2/d) complexity. The computation reduction is achieved by exploiting the shift-invariance property of temporal data covariance matrices. Experiments are used to compare our algorithms with other well-known approaches of similar and/or lower complexity. Our new algorithms are shown to outperform the subset of the general approaches having the same complexity. The new algorithms are useful for applications such as subspace-based speech enhancement and low-rank adaptive filtering.
On Strength Functions for Orthotropic Brittle Materials

TEASED upon the strength-tensor theory proposed by -DGoPdenblat, et al., Huang' determined the second, fourth, and sixth rank strength-tensors in the threedimensional case for each of the crystal classes, from consideration of invariant transformations of the strength function. The invariants for a strength function having orthotropic symmetry are then used to determine, explicitly, the cubic form of the strength function for orthotropic media. The main purpose of the present paper is to formulate a strength function for orthotropic brittle materials which takes both the Bauschinger effect and the influence of stress interaction into account. Also, for simplicity, only the components of the second and fourth strength tensors for orthotropic brittle media are considered. The components of the strength tensors are expressed in terms of engineering strengths, which are determined directly from tests of the or, thotropic brittle materials. To demonstrate the method of application, the strength functions for Graph-I-Tite-Grade G and Grade ATI are presented as examples. For the class of orthotropic symmetry, the numbers of linearly independent stress invariants of the first and second are three and nine, respectively. The strength function is then expressed as a quadratic form' By introducing the following symbols defined by Hill F=-F13 , G=-F23 , H=—F12 2L=F44 , 2M=F55 , and 2N=F66 and by imposing the assumption of incompressibility, i.e.,