cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduction of Iron-Oxide-Carbon Composites: Part I. Estimation of the Rate Constants

A new ironmaking concept using iron-oxide-carbon composite pellets has been proposed, which involves the combination of a rotary hearth furnace (RHF) and an iron bath smelter. This part of the research focuses on studying the two primary chemical kinetic steps. Efforts have been made to experimentally measure the kinetics of the carbon gasification by CO2 and wustite reduction by CO by isolating them from the influence of heat- and mass-transport steps. A combined reaction model was used to interpret the experimental data and determine the rate constants. Results showed that the reduction is likely to be influenced by the chemical kinetics of both carbon oxidation and wustite reduction at the temperatures of interest. Devolatilized wood-charcoal was observed to be a far more reactive form of carbon in comparison to coal-char. Sintering of the iron-oxide at the high temperatures of interest was found to exert a considerable influence on the reactivity of wustite by virtue of altering the internal pore surface area available for the reaction. Sintering was found to be predominant for highly porous oxides and less of an influence on the denser ores. It was found using an indirect measurement technique that the rate constants for wustite reduction were higher for the porous iron-oxide than dense hematite ore at higher temperatures (>1423 K). Such an indirect mode of measurement was used to minimize the influence of sintering of the porous oxide at these temperatures.
Immunohistochemical localization of contractile proteins in limulus striated muscle.

Limulus paramyosin and myosin were localized in the A bands of glycerinated Limulus striated muscle by the indirect horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibody and direct and indirect fluorescent antibody techniques. Localization of each protein in the A band varied with sarcomere length. Antiparamyosin was bound at the lateral margins of the A bands in long (∼ 10.0 µ) and intermediate (∼ 7.0 µ) length sarcomeres, and also in a thin line in the central A bands of sarcomeres, 7.0–∼6.0 µ. Antiparamyosin stained the entire A bands of short sarcomeres (<6.0). Conversely, antimyosin stained the entire A bands of long sarcomeres, showed decreased intensity of central A band staining except for a thin medial line in intermediate length sarcomeres, and was bound only in the lateral A bands of short sarcomeres. These results are consistent with a model in which paramyosin comprises the core of the thick filament and myosin forms a cortex. Differential staining observed using antiparamyosin and antimyosin at various sarcomere lengths and changes in A band lengths reflect the extent of thick-thin filament interaction and conformational change in the thick filament during sarcomeric shortening.
Aflatoxin in freshly harvested 1979 georgia corn and formation after collection

In the crop year 1979, freshly harvested dent corn was coUected at maturity in 57 sets of 2 equivalent samples/set. One set was dried the day of collection in Georgia and the other set was shipped to Peoria in corrugated cardboard boxes before drying, The set that was not dried in Georgia was shelled and dried as soon as possible after arrival in Peoria to prevent further aflatoxin formation. Both sets of samples were analyzed randomly at the Northern Regional Research Center, Peoria. In 22 Peoria-dried samples, aflatoxin was detected in levels ranging from 2 to 449 ng/g total toxin but was not detected in the matching samples dried die same day of collection in Georgia. It took an average of 7 days to ship samples from Georgia. Of the 57 samples dried in Georgia, 63% were negative for aflatoxin; aflatoxin was below violative levels (>20 ng/g) in 82%; the average aflatoxin level in all samples was 36 ng/g. In the matching 57 samples dried in Peoria after shipment, aflatoxin was detected in all but 37%; aflatoxin was below violative levels in 70% of the samples; the average aflatoxin level in all samples that had been dried later was 78 ng/g. There was a significant increase in aflatoxin-positive samples associated with shipment prior to drying. These results indicate that aflatoxin formed during shipment of the 1979 freshly harvested corn samples from Georgia.
Incorporating continuation-of-message information, slot reuse, and fairness in DQDB networks

Abstract Several important modifications to the distributed queue dual bus (DQDB) (IEEE 802.6) protocol for metropolitan area networks (MANs) are proposed. These modifications are aimed at improving not only the throughout and delay performance of the network but also its fairness performance. The first proposal exploits the continuation-of-message (COM) information in a DQDB segment in order to minimize the mean overhead for multi-segment messages. Then, a scheme for combining the COM information along with the spatial reuse of slots is proposed, thereby achieving even higher throughput and lower delay. Simulation models are used to study the performance gains achievable by using the COM and the slot reuse approaches. Although slot reuse has been proposed before to improve the DQDB protocol's performance, DQDB's unfairness problem becomes more pronounced when slots are reused. This paper also proposes several schemes to achieve different fairness criteria in a DQDB network employing slot reuse, namely: (a) an individual station's throughput proportional to the number of stations downstream from itself, (b) equal throughput at all stations, and (c) an individual station's throughput proportional to its own offered load. Analytical results corresponding to these schemes are developed, and they are verified via simulation. The proposed schemes can be implemented with just one additional counter and one register (on top of the regular DQDB hardware) at each station.
Detecting perturbations in polyrhythms: effects of complexity and attentional strategies

Jones et al. in Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception and Performance 21:293–307, 1995, showed that a temporal perturbation is easier to detect in a 3:2 polyrhythm than in a single-stream isochronous baseline condition if the two isochronous pulse streams forming the polyrhythm are perceptually integrated: integration creates shorter inter-onset interval (IOI) durations that facilitate perturbation detection. The present study examined whether this benefit of integration outweighs the potential costs imposed by the greater IOI heterogeneity and memory demands of more complex polyrhythms. In "Experiment 1", musically trained participants tried to detect perturbations in 3:5, 4:5, 6:5, and 7:5 polyrhythms having one of two different pitch separations between pulse streams, as well as in an isochronous baseline condition. "Experiment 2" included an additional 2:5 polyrhythm, additional pitch separations, and instructions to integrate or segregate the two pulse streams. In both experiments, perturbation detection scores for polyrhythms were below baseline, decreased as polyrhythm complexity increased, and tended to be lower at a smaller pitch separation, with little effect of instructions. Clearly, polyrhythm complexity was the main determinant of detection performance, which is attributed to the interval heterogeneity and/or memory demands of the pattern formed by the integrated pulse streams. In this task, perceptual integration was disadvantageous, but apparently could not be avoided.
Theory of Force Regulation by Nascent Adhesion Sites

The mechanical coupling of a cell with the extracellular matrix relies on adhesion sites, clusters of membrane-associated proteins that communicate forces generated along the F-Actin filaments of the cytoskeleton to connecting tissue. Nascent adhesion sites have been shown to regulate these forces in response to tissue rigidity. Force-regulation by substrate rigidity of adhesion sites with fixed area is not possible for stationary adhesion sites, according to elasticity theory. A simple model is presented to describe force regulation by dynamical adhesion sites.
Pulsed optoacoustic spectroscopy of NADH.

Abstract Optoacoustic spectroscopy is a potentially powerful tool for the determination of trace and ultratrace components of biochemical interest. We derive here an abbreviated theory of pulsed optoacoustic spectroscopy, describe the experimental apparatus, and report on the performance in the determination of NADH. Results are consistent with theory over the concentration range 1 × 10 −5 to 5 × 10 −7 , m . A projected lower limit for detection is 1 × 10 −8 , m . Possible applications to the study of nucleotide interactions are discussed.
Feminist Unthinking and Educational Technology

SUMMARY This paper initiates a feminist unthinking‐rethinking‐energizing‐transforming of educational technology. This necessitates our resisting the tendency to begin by analyzing into component parts, fragmenting the domain of discourse. We must deal with educational technology as a coherent whole. The AECT definition of educational technology reveals it to be mechanistic and fragmented. The users of educational technology, teachers (mostly female) and students, must be part of the process. Current procedures and practices help reproduce inequitable situations, partly because of the biases of the root disciplines. Many questions are raised with the aim of transforming educational technology.
Activity and Fitness in Spinal Cord Injury: Review and Update

The primary aims of this report are to provide a review of current literature pertaining to fitness and health-related outcomes following spinal cord injury (SCI), to identify the common and relevant fitness assessment techniques, to describe key evidence-based intervention strategies for improving health-related components of fitness among persons with SCI and to identify emerging and future trends in health-related fitness programming for rehabilitation and research. SCI results in a partial or total loss of neural signal transmission at and below the level of injury, characterized by motor and sensory loss. About 250,000–400,000 individuals have a SCI in the USA with approximately 12,000 new injuries occurring annually. The loss of somatic and autonomic control results in a reduction of physical activity and blunted cardiovascular response to exercise. The consequences of this reduction in physical activity are significant physical deconditioning, altered body composition, and development of detrimental metabolic profiles leading to poorer health outcomes in this population. Over the past decade, much attention has been devoted to understanding the relationship between exercise participation, physical activity, and physical fitness and their impact on health-related outcomes following SCI. Physical fitness interventions are of great importance to the SCI consumer and clinicians whose goals are to halt the deconditioning process, increase functional capacity, and decrease secondary health complications associated with chronic SCI. Exercise risk evaluation and individualized fitness assessments for body composition, muscular strength/endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness should precede implementation of exercise interventions. Current evidence indicates that both electrically stimulated and volitional exercise strategies have the potential to improve components of fitness, reduce the risk of secondary health complications, and positively impact overall health for those with chronic physical disability. However, given the complexity of SCI with respect to level and severity of injury, a clear consensus on the optimal frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise needed to ensure lasting effects on health-related outcomes has yet to be determined. In addition, as is the case in non-injured populations, consideration should be given to both diet and exercise, not exercise alone, when considering the optimal strategy for improving body composition and cardiovascular health for persons with SCI.
Polymeric self‐sealing distillation and extractor trays

A suitable polymeric material offers several advantages over metals and alloys normally used for self-sealing or friction-fit trays in distillation and extraction columns, by reducing the capital cost and maintenance charges and by improving the efficiency of small diameter columns. The hydrophobic nature of polymeric materials also increases the plate efficiency of an extractor when the plate is wetted by a continuous organic phase which passes to a dispersed water phase. The plate efficiency and performance of a small column are often reduced by leakage or by passing of vapor and liquor at the periphery of the trays. This problem can be overcome by using self-sealing polymeric trays arranged in cartridges which are assembled and inserted into the column shell as a unit. The flexible nature of polymers ensures a tight fit between the trays and the shell of the column, notwithstanding normal out-of-roundness of the shell.
Partial tracking optical heterodyne receiver arrays

The average antenna gain for an array of optical heterodyne receivers operating in the turbulent atmosphere is presented for the following three configurations: (i) no active tracking of the received signal wave front, (ii) active tracking of tbe total wave front tilt across the entire array, and (iii) active tracking of the wave front tilt across each element of the array. In addition, the performance of a single element from an array in the second configuration is used to show explicitly the dependence of optical resolution and of the atmospheric modulation-transfer function on exposure time.
Varieties of Ignorance

This paper considers three types and levels of ignorance about the professions: expert, amateur, and professional. The empirical data comprise my own book about the professions, the Wikipedia article on that subject, and the 105 papers that cited my book in 2008. In these three I separate ignorance of facts, of literatures, and of skills, characterizing each type of ignorance by its mix of the three. Amateur ignorance is mostly of skills, and professional ignorance mostly ignorance of collateral literatures. Expert ignorance reflects the use of theory as a mnemonic device and so is particularly insidious.
A coupled system of rational difference equations

Abstract We investigate the global stability properties and asymptotic behavior of solutions of the recursive sequence where the parameters a, b, c, and d are arbitrary positive numbers, and the initial conditions x0 and y0 are arbitrary nonnegative numbers.
DNA markers define plastid haplotypes in Arabidopsis thaliana

To identify genetic markers in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid genome (ptDNA), we amplified and sequenced the rpl2-psbA and rbcL-accD regions in 26 ecotypes. The two regions contained eight polymorphic sites including five insertions and/or deletions (indels) involving changes in the length of A or T mononucleotide repeats and three base substitutions. The 27 alleles defined 15 plastid haplotypes, providing a practical set of ptDNA markers for the Columbia, Landsberg erecta and Wassilewskija ecotypes that are commonly used in genetic studies and also for the C24 and RLD ecotypes that are the most amenable for cell culture manipulations.
Copper, Chromium, and Arsenic in Estuarine Sediments Adjacent to Wood Treated with Chromated-Copper-Arsenate (CCA)

Abstract Sediments adjacent to and at varying distances from bulkheads made of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) were analysed for content of these three elements. Sediments immediately adjacent to the bulkheads had very low percentages of the fine-grained particle fraction (silts and clays), but very high concentrations of the three metals associated with the fine particles. Copper was always much higher than chromium or arsenic. Sediments further away from the bulkheads had higher percentages of silts and clays with lower concentrations of the three contaminants in this fraction. This indicates that Cu, Cr, and As leached from the wooden structures can be accumulated in fine-grained sediments nearby. Higher metal concentrations were retained in sediments in poorly flushed areas than in more open water environments. The highest concentrations were found adjacent to the newest bulkhead.
Temporal patterns of genetic diversity in Kirtland’s warblers ( Dendroica kirtlandii ), the rarest songbird in North America

Kirtland’s warblers are the rarest songbird species in North America, rarity due in part to a reliance on early successional Jack Pine forests. Habitat loss due to fire suppression led to population declines to fewer than 200 males during the 1970s. Subsequent conservation management has allowed the species to recover to over 1700 males by 2010. In this study, we directly examine the impact that low population sizes have had on genetic variation in Kirtland’s warblers. We compare the molecular variation of samples collected in Oscoda County, Michigan across three time periods: 1903–1912, 1929–1955 and 2008–2009. In a hierarchical rarified sample of 20 genes and one time period, allelic richness was highest in 1903–1912 sample (a r = 5.96), followed by the 1929–1955 sample (a r = 5.74), and was lowest in the 2008–2009 sample (a r = 5.54). Heterozygosity measures were not different between the 1929–1955 and 2008–2009 samples, but were lower in the 1903–1912 sample. Under some models, a genetic bottleneck signature was present in the 1929–1955 and 2008–2009 samples but not in the 1903–1912 sample. We suggest that these temporal genetic patterns are the result of the declining Kirtland’s warbler population compressing into available habitat and a consequence of existing at low numbers for several decades.
Personal history of depression and its appearance in Alzheimer's disease

This review of medical charts explored the prevalence of personal history of depression in two groups of geriatric inpatients with current major depression. One group had concurrent Alzheimer's disease (AD) along with major depression, while the other had major depression without dementia. Patients with major depression and no dementia were nearly three times as likely to have had a depressive syndrome in the past compared to patients with major depression and AD. Most depressed AD patients were experiencing their first episode of depression. This suggests that AD may be a risk factor for the first lifetime occurrence of depression. While the pattern of specific depressive symptoms was similar between groups, patients without AD more often reported symptoms with a substantial cognitive element (eg thoughts of death, worthlessness) and patients with AD demonstrated more non-verbal manifestations of depression (eg tearfulness, sad face). A diathesis-stress model that takes into account the neuropathological and psychological concomitants of both depression and AD may be a useful framework for understanding how these two disorders influence one another.
An evaluation of a communications training program within a self-help group for sexually abusive families

Remediating the dysfunctional communications patterns of sexually abusive families is an important step in treating them. No communications training program for such families has been evaluated, however. This paper describes an evaluation of a communications training program carried out within the context of a self-help group for sexually abusive families. Group members were randomly assigned to receive an eight-week communications training program or to continue participating at self-help meetings. No group differences were apparent on a preintervention communications questionnaire, but the posttraining scores of experimental subjects were higher than controls. Experimental subjects maintained these scores upon follow-up and the scores of controls increased when the program was administered to them by a student therapist. It is suggested that the procedures and findings of this study contribute to the community mental health field by a) underscoring communications concepts that are helpful to abusive families; b) modeling a novel design for evaluating interventions that includes self-help participation as a nonspecific treatment; and c) illustrating the value of collaborative efforts between self-help groups and human services providers when they serve their mutual interests.
Deterministic Global Optimization for Dynamic Systems Using Interval Analysis

A new approach is described for the deterministic global optimization of dynamic systems, including problems in pa- rameter estimation and optimal control. The method is based on interval analysis and Taylor models, and employs a sequential approach using a type of branch-and-reduce strategy. A key feature of the method is the use of a new vali- dated solver for parametric ODEs, which is used to produce guaranteed bounds on the solutions of dynamic systems with interval-valued parameters. This is combined with a new technique for domain reduction based on using Taylor models in an efficient constraint propagation scheme. The result is that problems can be solved to global optimality with both mathematical and computational certainty. Ex- amples are presented to demonstrate the computational ef- ficiency of the method.
Invention and discovery among the sciences: a P-technique factor analysis

Abstract This paper explores how discoveries and inventions in nine scientific disciplines cluster over time in Western culture. The transhistorical sample consisted of 12,761 major scientific contributions tabulated into 44 time-units (full, half, and quarter centuries) extending from 800 B.C. to 1900 A.D. A factor analysis was executed on the correlations among the nine measures after partialing out third-order polynomial time trends. Three orthogonal factors appeared: concrete (chemistry, physics, and biology), abstract (astronomy and mathematics), and applied (technology, geography, and geology) clusters. Medicine loaded moderately on the concrete and abstract clusters. Three types of explanations were discussed-personological, interpersonal, and sociocultural-with suggestions for how they might be tested.
DETERMINATION OF THE PROTON AFFINITY AND ABSOLUTE HEAT OF FORMATION OF CYCLOPROPENYLIDENE

Abstract The proton affinity and absolute heat of formation of cyclopropenylidene (c-C 3 H 2 ) have been derived from the translational energy threshold for endothermic proton transfer from c-C 3 H 3 + to ammonia in a flowing afterglow triple quadrupole instrument: c-C 3 H 3 + + NH 3 → c-C 3 H 2 + NH 4 + . The cyclopropenium cation C 3 H 3 + was prepared in a helium flow reactor at room temperature by the reaction of ionized ethylene with acetylene, and from dissociative electron ionization of bromocyclopropane. The kinetic energy dependence of the cross-sections for proton transfer from this ion to ammonia and other neutral amines was characterized in a triple quadrupole mass analyzer. The endothermicity for the reaction with ammonia was determined to be 23.3 ± 1.8 kcal mol −1 . Combining this with the known proton affinity (PA) of ammonia (204.0 ± 1.0 kcal mol −1 ) gives a value for PA(c-C 3 H 2 ) of 227.3 ± 2.1 kcal mol −1 . From the measured proton affinity and the known heats of formation of c-C 3 H 3 + and the proton, the 298 K heat of formation of cyclopropenylidene is determined to be 119.5 ± 2.2 kcal mol −1 . This value is slightly higher than a previous experimental estimate, but is in good agreement with the 298 K heat of formation predicted by high level molecular orbital calculations.
In vivo depletion of mannose receptor bearing cells from rat liver by ricin A chain: effects on clearance of β-glucuronidase

Ricin A chain has previously been shown to intoxicate macrophages in vitro following binding and endocytosis by the macrophage mannose receptor. In this report it is demonstrated that the intravenous injection of ricin A chain in nephrectomized rats leads to a prolonged plasma half-life for [125I]β-glucuronidase, a ligand for the mannose receptor. Clearance of [125I]asialofetuin, a ligand for the galactose receptor of hepatocytes, was unaffected by injection of A chain. Microscopic examination of the livers of A chain-treated animals revealed a loss of phagocytic cells from the liver sinusoids. These results suggest that ricin A chain may be useful as a toxin specific for mannose receptor bearing cells of the reticuloendothelial system.
The Est3 protein associates with yeast telomerase through an OB-fold domain

The Ever shorter telomeres 3 (Est3) protein is a small regulatory subunit of yeast telomerase which is dispensable for enzyme catalysis but essential for telomere replication in vivo. Using structure prediction combined with in vivo characterization, we show here that Est3 consists of a predicted OB (oligosaccharide/oligonucleotide binding)-fold. We used mutagenesis of predicted surface residues to generate a functional map of one surface of Est3, identifying a site that mediates association with the telomerase complex. Unexpectedly, the predicted OB-fold of Est3 is structurally similar to the OB-fold of the human TPP1 protein, despite the fact that Est3 and TPP1, as components of telomerase and a telomere-capping complex, respectively, perform functionally distinct tasks at chromosome ends. Our analysis of Est3 may be instructive in generating comparable missense mutations on the surface of the OB-fold domain of TPP1.
Urokinase: the identity crisis continues.

Although urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was first identified due to its role in fibrinolysis, new studies increasingly uncover novel mechanisms by which uPA may regulate cell physiology. In this issue of Blood, Stepanova and colleagues demonstrate that binding of single-chain uPA to nucleolin facilitates nuclear translocation of uPA and promotes expression of smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA).
171 Fluid Volume Measurments: The Gold Standard?

Introduction: Accurate wound size measurement is vital to assessment of progressive healing. Lack of an accepted “gold standard” is a major obstacle to assessment of any effective wound management regimen. Methodology: Sixteen pelvic region pressure ulcers were monitored weekly for 3 weeks. All wounds were stage III or IV, equally divided between sacral and ischial locations. Linear wound size was measured using the Decubitus Disposable Measuring Guide (DDMG). Wound size index was defined as the sum of the linear dimensions. Wound volume was determined by filling the covered wound cavity with fluid; the volume of saline required to fill the wound was a direct measure of wound volume. Results and Discussion: Correlation between the two measurement methods was determined utilizing Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Wound size index decreased significantly (p < 0.01) over the study period. Wound volume changes were nonsignificant. Closer evaluation of assessment methodology found missing wound volume data, due primarily to patient positioning difficulties. All missing data points were for ischial wounds. Wound absorption of measurement fluid and residual fluid in the wound prior to measurement could not be determined. Wound size index may be influenced by subjective evaluation of wound boundaries. Conclusion: Wound size index significantly discriminated longitudinal changes in wound size, while volume measurements did not. Wound volume measurements have greater measurement errors than wound size index. Acknowledgments: Support for this study was provided by the Veterans Administration Rehabilitation Research and Development Service.
Room temperature perovskite production from bimetallic alkoxides by ketone assisted oxo supplementation (KAOS)

Barium titanate has been prepared at room temperature from a well-characterized crystalline barium titanium oxo alkoxide by reaction with acetone. An aldol condensation apparently supplies oxygen to condensing oxo alkoxide clusters. Transmission electron microscopy confirms that the crystallites so formed are dense and perfect with an average size of approximately 85 A. Characterization of reactants and products provides a tentative understanding of structural evolution and the intermediates of the transformation. Crystalline SrTiO{sub 3} and BaZrO{sub 3} were also formed at room temperature by this same method. {copyright} {ital 1996 Materials Research Society.}
A Prospective Evaluation of Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia as Adjuvant Therapy in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Background Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy is integral to current therapy for ventricular tachycardia. Patients with an ICD frequently require concomitant antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Despite this, some patients still receive frequent ICD therapies for ventricular tachycardia. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective study was to determine the utility of ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients with an ICD who experience frequent ICD therapies. Methods and Results Twenty-one consecutive patients with frequent ICD therapies despite antiarrhythmic drug therapy were the subjects of this study. The mean age was 69±6 years, and 17 were men. The mean ejection fraction was 0.22±0.08, and all patients had coronary artery disease. During the 36±51 days (range, 4 days to 7 months) preceding the ablation procedures, the patients received 34±55 ICD therapies for the clinical ventricular tachycardia, or a mean of 25±88 ICD therapies per month. The patients underwent radiofrequency ablatio...
Integrated sensor array optimization with statistical evaluation

In a sensor array system, sensor selection is to select optimum sensor elements which as a whole can maximize the separability of sensor array responses to different analytes. The purpose is to improve the quality of input to a classifier, thereby, improve correct classification rate. This paper introduces an integrated approach of cluster analysis (CA) and genetic algorithms (GA) to find the optimal subset of sensors in the array which can provide maximum diversity in response to certain analytes, on the premise that larger diversity of sensors leads to better classification performance. The cluster analysis is used to identify the number of sensors to form an array. The results obtained from the cluster analysis are then used by the genetic algorithm to obtain the best sensor subset. A statistical criterion, general resolution factor (GRF), is proposed in this study to evaluate the optimization results in the feature spaces. That statistical measure can quantitively evaluate the quality of input space. Moreover, the quality for input spaces of different dimensions can be compared based on GRF with the aid of principal component analysis. The results indicate that the proposed optimization procedure can successfully identify a sensor subset providing improved input for classification.
View angle effects on canopy reflectance and spectral mixture analysis of coniferous forests using AVIRIS

The dependence of vegetation reflectance on sun and sensor geometry can potentially provide information on canopy properties, but also may be a source of unmodelled systematic error in single-angle remote sensing measurements. In this study, we investigated the angular variability of reflectance measurements from the NASA Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), and the resulting impact on spectral mixture analysis (SMA) using both full-range (400-2500 nm) and shortwave-infrared wavelengths (2080-2280 nm; AutoSWIR ). The study was conducted in coniferous forests in Central Oregon using five AVIRIS overpasses to generate multiple view angle measurements. Canopy reflectance was highly anisotropic, with the strength of the angular signal controlled by species type, canopy cover and soil reflectance. Canopy cover estimates from full-range SMA averaged only slight decreases (∼6% relative) toward the retro-solar direction for 16 field plots in the study region. AutoSWIR was even less influenced ...
Numerical experiments with free convection in a vertical slot

Numerical solutions of the equations of steady free convection in a vertical slot have been obtained by a procedure which relies solely on an iterative solution of Poisson's equation. With a mesh spacing of the solutions are stable up to a Rayleigh number of order 105. The numerical experiments are comparable to the author's laboratory experiments (Elder 1965) and to the experiments of Eckert & Carlson (1961). The growth of the boundary layers and the uniform vertical temperature gradient are well described. It is tentatively suggested that certain unstable motions found prior to the divergence of the numerical solution are comparable to the secondary flows found by the author.
Beyond Simple Demographic Effects: The Importance of Relational Demography in Superior-Subordinate Dyads

Previous research on individual demographic characteristics has typically examined only direct effects on outcomes such as work attitudes and behavior. This investigation examined the multivariate ...
The Impact of Irrigation on the Demographic Structure of the Peshawar Basin of Northwest Pakistan

The neo-Malthusian perspective common in ecology suggests that populations possess the potential to increase geometrically until they reach some environmental limit. This limit constrains population growth beyond what is referred to as the carrying capacity. In human populations, it has been common to associate carrying capacity with food resources (Zubrow, 1976; Hassan, 1979), and to view increases in population as consequences of technological changes that increase food production (Watson and Watson, 1969). This perspective competes with the nearly opposite notion that population increases are the cause of agricultural intensification (Boserup, 1965; Cohen, 1977) as well as with the idea that the relationship between population sizes and resources is structured by social, political, and economic conditions (Zubrow, 1975; Hassan, 1979; Orlove, 1980).
A differential dosage hypothesis for parental effects in seed development.

Parent-of-origin effects generate phenotypes that depend on the direction of a cross. This phenomenon occurs frequently during angiosperm seed development, where maternal influence is most common ([Alleman and Doctor, 2000][1]). Various genetic mechanisms can contribute to parent-of-origin effects
Identification of candidate material systems for quantum dot solar cells including the effect of strain

Heterostructures that include self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) have been suggested as model systems for the realization of novel high efficiency solar cells such as those based on intermediate bands (IBs). The lattice mismatch in the epitaxial growth of these structures, necessary for the formation of SAQDs, introduces strain throughout the structure making the selection of materials systems with appropriate physical parameters problematic. The model solid theory is usec to calculate the energy band edge alignment at Γ point of such quantum dot (QD) heterostructures including the effects of strain. With the modified band gaps due to strain, a materials search was performed for high efficiency QD solar cells among III-V binaries and ternaries with negligible valence band offsets. This requirement of the valence band offset along with the limited band gap ranges for optimum efficiency results in only a few feasible materials systems being identified The optimum barrier/dot material system found was Al 0.57 In 0.43 As/InP 0.87 Sb 0.13 grown on lattice matched metamorphic buffer layer, but due to miscibility gap concerns it is suggested that the Al 0.50 In 0.50 As/InAs 0.41 P 0.59 fully strained system may be preferred.
Modeling insurgency, counter-insurgency, and coalition strategies and operations

We model insurgency and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations with a large-scale system of differential equations and a dynamically changing coalition network. We use these structures to analyze the components of leadership, promotion, recruitment, financial resources, operational techniques, network communications, coalition cooperation, logistics, security, intelligence, infrastructure development, humanitarian aid, and psychological warfare, with the goal of informing today's decision makers of the options available in COIN tactics, operations, and strategy. In modern conflicts, techniques of asymmetric warfare wreak havoc on the inflexible, regardless of technological or numerical advantage. In order to be more effective, the US military must improve its COIN capabilities and flexibility to match the adaptability and rapid time-scales of insurgent networks and terror cells. Our simulation model combines elements of traditional differential equation force-on-force modeling with modern social science modeling of networks, PSYOPs, and coalition cooperation to build a framework that can inform various levels of military decision makers in order to understand and improve COIN strategy. We show a test scenario of eight stages of COIN operation to demonstrate how the model behaves and how it could be used to decide on effective COIN resources and strategies. Language: en
Standardized measures of reading achievement for placement of students in chapter 1 and learning disability programs: A nationwide survey of assessment practices

Abstract The authors present results of a nationwide survey to determine measures being used to diagnose reading difficulties and place students in learning disability or Chapter 1 classes. State directors of special education and coordinators of Chapter 1 services were surveyed to determine their state's testing and placement procedures. Percentage of return of the survey was high (85%). Findings reveal important information (a) that states generally require standardized tests to be used, though they usually do not mandate which specific tests must be used, (b) that there are five standardized reading tests used most often for placement in Chapter 1 and learning disability programs based on reading difficulties, and (c) wide discrepancies exist in criteria for placement in programs from state to state and across tests. Findings suggest that calls for change in assessment and placement practices have largely been ignored and implications suggest a need for reform.
A centrifugal method for the evaluation of polymer membranes for reverse osmosis

A rapid and simple method employing the laboratory centrifuge shows promise for evaluation of membrane performance during reverse osmosis. Results are presented for cellulose acetate membranes for rejection of salt and urea dissolved solids. Implications of the study are to rapid screening of membrane performance, use in laboratories with limited facilities, and possible space waste water purification.
Vendor neutral hands-on labs using open-source products for wireless networks courses

In this paper, an undergraduate computer information technology special topic course in mobile and wireless networks is presented which is developed based on many hands-on lab activities. In learning the concepts of wireless networks via hands-on labs, students get ample opportunities to understand the underlying principles and concepts of wireless networks. These hands-on labs are chosen to provide sufficient challenges to the students that prepare the engineers and technologists for the next generation solutions. The level of difficulty for this course requires the prerequisites of networking course. The course requires the students to collaborate among them and participate in active learning based modules. This paper elaborates innovative projects that are suitable for laboratory work in computer information technology curriculum. It explores both hardware and software components that are now being used for practical exercises in wireless networks courses. This paper discusses the hands-on labs for wireless networks such as Medium Access Control layer settings, upgrading the firmware of wireless devices, etc. In addition, this paper also illustrates the wireless security labs which discuss how to set up Wi-Fi Protected Access on Cisco and Linksys wireless access points (AP).
State transformations of colliding optical solitons and possible application to computation in bulk media

Using explicit, bright-soliton solutions for the coupled Manakov system recently described by Radhakrishnan, Lakshmanan, and Hietarinta, we show that collisions of these solitons can be completely described by explicit linear fractional transformations of a complex-valued polarization state. We design sequences of solitons operating on other sequences of solitons that effect logic operations, including controlled NOT gates. Both data and logic operators have the self-restoring and reusability features of digital logic circuits. This suggests a method for implementing computation in a bulk nonlinear medium without interconnecting discrete components.
Probing Majorana-like states in quantum dots and quantum rings

Engineering chiral $p$-wave superconductivity in semiconductor structures offers fascinating ways to obtain and study Majorana modes in a condensed-matter context. Here, we theoretically investigate chiral $p$-wave superconductivity in quantum dots and quantum rings. Using both analytical as well as numerical methods, we calculate the quasiparticle excitation spectra in these structures and the corresponding excitation amplitudes and charge densities. In the topological regime, we can observe the chiral edge modes localized at the boundaries and possessing finite energy in quantum dots and quantum rings. By applying a magnetic field which is expelled from the quantum ring, but which creates a flux that is an odd integer multiple of ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{0}/2=\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\hbar}/e$, Majorana modes, that is (approximately), degenerate edge modes with zero energy and zero charge density, become possible in the topological regime. Furthermore, we investigate finite-size effects that split these degenerate edge modes as well as the effect of a magnetic field penetrating into the superconducting region that can under certain circumstances still support edge modes with approximately zero energy and charge.
Protecting Youth Against Exposure to Violence Intersections of Race/Ethnicity, Neighborhood, Family, and Friends

Youths’ exposure to violence (ETV) can have damaging effects especially in relation to the development of problem behaviors and psychological functioning. The devastating effects of exposure have a...
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilization Tactics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the methods and collection techniques currently used in stem cell mobilization for patients undergoing autologous transplantation.DATA SOURCESLiterature search was performed through PubMed (1948-August 2009) and MEDLINE (1977-August 2009). Reference citations from publications identified were also reviewed.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONAll literature identified was reviewed for inclusion. Original research and retrospective cohorts, along with previously published systematic reviews of stem cell mobilization and growth factors, were evaluated. Abstract data on plerixafor were also reviewed.DATA SYNTHESISSuccessful mobilization of an adequate number of progenitor cells can help ensure and improve time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment. A variety of methods have been studied to find the safest and most predictable mobilization of CD34+ progenitor cells, including use of single agents or the combinations of hematopoietic growth factors, chemotherapy, and a novel chemokine recep...
Involvement of c-Jun N-terminal kinases activation in diabetic embryopathy.

Abstract The mechanisms for diabetic embryopathy are not well understood. JNK1/2 activation is increased in diabetic embryopathy, and antioxidants abolish JNK activation, and thus, ameliorate diabetic embryopathy. Phosphorylated SEK1 were significantly elevated in malformed embryos from diabetic mouse. In a dose-dependent manner, JNK inhibitor (SP600125) significantly reduced hyperglycemia-induced embryopathy. Malformation rates in embryos from the diabetic WT group were 15.6-fold higher than that in the non-diabetic WT control group. Jnk2 null mutant (JNKKO mice) was associated with a 71% reduction in the malformation rate of embryos under maternal diabetic conditions. Embryos cultured in 0.5 mM sorbitol (JNK activator) had a malformation rate that was significantly higher than that of the control group. Pharmacological and genetic evidence from the present studies strongly support JNK activation being an indispensable mediator of diabetic embryopathy. JNK activation itself is sufficient to induce embryonic anomalies, and thus mimics the teratogenic effect of hyperglycemia.
An Excited State Photoelectrochemical Cell for the Production of O2 Based on Oxidative Quenching of Ru(bpy)2+3

A description is given of an excited state photoelectrochemical cell in which the excited state, Ru(bpy)2+*3 (bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine) is quenched via irreversible electron transfer to Co(NH35Cl+2 which gives Ru(bpy)3+3. The oxidizing equivalents in Ru(bpy)3+3 are transferred via an external circuit to a second half-cell in which OH− is oxidized to O2. The variation of photogenerated charge and limiting currents with changes in [Co(NH3)5Cl+2], time, and other variables are presented in the context of a kinetic model for the cell. Conditions are also described for the operation of the cell as an actinometer which is useful for the wavelength range 360 nm ≦ λ ≦ 580 nm and exhibits reproducibility comparable to that observed with conventional chemical actinometers.
Accessing marketing channels in emerging markets: the case of small-scale cooperatives in central Mexico

Small-scale producers in emerging markets have a particularly difficult time accessing the same marketing channels which are available to their larger counterparts. Cooperatives are an oft-recommended solution, allowing members to collectively mimic the advantages of larger producers. In this study, we explore whether or not cooperatives in Mexico demonstrate these expectations. Using depth interviews of seven farm and non-farm rural cooperatives, we find that participation in export channels is extremely limited and that the patterns of market access can be explained in part by differences in vision, quality of leadership, and cultural influences. Leaders are also generally underprepared for the business environment which they attempt to access, suggesting that educational initiatives which build business capacity be developed. Foreign buyers attempting to work with cooperatives (and possibly other small businesses) in emerging markets ought to account for the different foundations and expectations of their transaction partners.
Residual strain changes with left ventricular pressure in the developing heart

Residual stress and strain can result from mechanically induced growth and may help to optimize a tissue's load-bearing ability. We hypothesized that left ventricular (LV) residual strain changes after chronic pressure overload or underload in the stage 29 (6-d) embryonic chick. Stage 21 (3.5-d) chicks were treated with either conotruncal banding or extraembryonic verapamil drip until stage 29. LV pressure was measured in ovo. A transverse basal section through both ventricles was removed and a radial cut made in the LV wall to give zero-stress configuration. Opening angle, a measure of circumferential residual strain, was measured at interior, mid-wall, and exterior positions. Peak systolic pressures in control, banded, and verapamil-treated hearts were 4.73/spl plusmn/0.58, 7.32/spl plusmn/0.88 (p<0.001 vs control), and 3.70/spl plusmn/0.30 mmHg (p<0.001). Maximum and minimum dP/dt also changed significantly after both interventions. End diastolic pressures were similar in all. Heart rates were similar in control and banded but lowered after verapamil treatment. Opening angles were 42.0/spl deg//spl plusmn/9.7/spl deg/, 69.3/spl deg//spl plusmn/12.2/spl deg/ (p<0.001), and 31.3/spl deg//spl plusmn/8.1/spl deg/ (p<0.01). These increases and decreases in residual strain with increases and decreases in LV pressure may help normalize myocardial stress and strain.