cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Basics of Underground Water and Sewer Pipeline Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation

Traditionally, municipalities have constantly been a “step behind” in managing the municipal, and this is especially true of sewer systems. Municipalities have addressed the design, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of sewer systems by a “crisis-based” approach. Sewers are not built and/or rehabilitated until a major failure (i.e., overflow, collapse) occurs. This reactive management practice has led to inefficient use of funds and causes more frequent sewer failures, which end in difficult and costly repairs. For municipalities to be a “step ahead” in managing sewer systems, they need to have a better understanding of the existing condition of the network, which in turn will help them plan and manage maintenance to prevent major failures. Keywords: sewer pipeline assessment; repair; rehabilitation; ground penetrating radar; Sonar; televising; dye testing; electronic leak testing
A systems analysis framework to optimize the utilization of electric vehicles at military facilities

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is the world's largest consumer of petroleum, a commodity whose price volatility makes budget planning extremely difficult. A significant amount of DOD's oil consumption is attributable to its massive fleet of non-tactical vehicles - sedans, trucks and vans used for official duties at installations around the world. Federal statutes require the U.S. military to incorporate alternative-fuel vehicles, including those powered by electricity, in this fleet. This paper uses discrete event simulation built on real-world data from a fleet of sedans at an Air Force base to explain how the U.S. military can procure optimal numbers and types of electric vehicles (EVs) that will maximize financial savings while still meeting mission requirements. Output from simulated operation of the optimized fleet is then used to analyze the sensitivity of operating expense with respect to gasoline and electricity prices. This framework illuminates the path to widespread EV adoption without the time, expense and risk of committing physical assets.
Constraining oceanic dust deposition using surface ocean dissolved Al

We use measurements of ocean surface dissolved Al, a global Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling (BEC) ocean model, and the global Dust Entrainment and Deposition (DEAD) model to constrain dust deposition to the oceans. Our Al database contains all available measurements with best coverage in the Atlantic. Vertical profiles and seasonal data exist in limited regions. Observations show that surface dissolved Al is distributed similarly to the dust deposition predicted by DEAD and other models. There is an equatorial Atlantic Al maximum that decreases toward higher latitudes. There are high Al concentrations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea and low concentrations in the Pacific and the Southern Ocean. The ocean basins maintain more distinct Al profiles than Fe profiles in the upper ocean, consistent with a weaker biological influence on Al than Fe. The BEC-predicted surface dissolved Al compares relatively well with observations. The Al distribution reflects the combined effects of Al input from dust and Al removal by particle scavenging and biological uptake by diatoms. Model-observed biases suggest a southward shift of maximum dust deposition compared to current dust model predictions. DEAD appears to overestimate deposition north of 30°N in the Pacific and to underestimate deposition south of 30°N. Observed Al concentrations and the ocean model–predicted surface Al lifetime provide a semi-independent method to estimate oceanic dust deposition. This technique indicates that DEAD may overestimate dust deposition to the north equatorial Atlantic but underestimate in other Atlantic regions, the Southern Ocean, and the Arabian Sea. However, spatial variations in aerosol Al solubility may also contribute to the model-observation mismatch. Our results have implications for all dust-borne ocean nutrients including Fe and demonstrate the potential of marine geochemical data to constrain atmospheric aerosol deposition fields.
A 2n-1 chromosomal chimera in maize

This is one of five papers McClintock published within two years of receiving her Ph.D. In this brief article, McClintock reported that one of her experiments with trisomy in maize, in which she crossed a triploid and diploid, resulted in an individual that lacked one chromosome and seemed to die prematurely.
Ventilation by mask before and after the administration of neuromuscular blockade: a pragmatic non-inferiority trial

Test ventilating prior to administration of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) in order to avoid a cannot intubate-cannot ventilate situation is a classic anesthesia teaching. The primary aim of our study was to show that facemask ventilation (FMV) after NMB was not inferior to FMV prior to NMB with respect to exhaled gas volumes before and after their administration. This study was approved by the University of Washington Human Subjects Division (Seattle, Washington, USA). Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Measurements of tidal volume (Vte) as well as other respiratory parameters during FMV were made for 60 s after induction of anesthesia and again after NMB. Difficult, impossible, inadequate, and dead-space only mask ventilation was graded using published definitions. Difficult intubation was defined as >2 attempts at intubation. The primary outcome was non-inferiority in Vte during both study periods defined as a mean difference of <50 mL. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess for interaction between operator experience, patient risk factors for difficult mask ventilation, exhaled volumes, and use of airway adjuncts. Two-hundred and ten patients were studied. Overall, FMV improved after NMBD. The mean (SD) Vte in mL/breath increased from 399 (169) to 428 (166) (mean dif. 30 mL, p = 0.001) and the minute ventilation in L/min from 5.6 (2.5) to 6.3 (2.5) (mean dif. 0.6, p < 0.001). No patient who was difficult to ventilate after induction became impossible after NMB. In patients at risk for or judged to be a difficult FMV by clinical grading scales, tidal volumes improved after administration of NMBDs. None of these patients exhibited a decline in ventilation or became impossible to ventilate after NMBDs. Several limitations are noted, including the use of hand-delivered breaths and inability to account for time-related changes in ventilation conditions independent of NMBDs. We conclude that FMV is no worse after NMB than before and is likely to improve airway conditions. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02237443 . Registered August 28, 2014
Preparing sequences of saccades under choice reaction conditions: effects of sequence length and context.

Abstract Three experiments explored whether each saccade of a sequence of saccades is programmed prior to the onset of a sequence of saccades. Using a choice reaction paradigm that has been used to study the programming of sequences of manual responses, subjects were required to perform either one, two, or three saccades under blocked (experiment 1) and randomized (experiment 2) sequence length conditions. Replicating manual performance (Rosenbaum, Saltzman and Kingman 1984a) the time to initiate a sequence of saccades (T1) increased with the number of forthcoming responses in experiment 1 but not in experiment 2. Experiment 3 was analogous to Rosenbaum, Inhoff and Gordon's (1984b) manual choice reaction task in that subjects were instructed to choose between two sequences of saccades that shared either the sequence initial or sequence terminal fixation position. In contrast to manual choice performance, which shows shorter keypress responses for shared response elements, saccadic latencies were unaffected by the sharing of fixation positions. The results are discussed in the framework of exogenous and endogenous motor control systems that are interfaced with structures controlling oculomotor response execution.
External magnetic fields of antiferromagnets

Abstract Under appropriate symmetry conditions some antiferromagnets exhibit external multipole magnetic fields. The case of the well-known magneto-electric Cr2O3 is considered and the field strength is calculated.
Rapid sulfopropyl-disk chromatographic purification of bovine and human thrombin.

Abstract Thrombin, from either a crude commercial preparation (bovine) or a prothrombin activation mixture (human), was purified by sulfopropyl-disk chromatography to homogeneity in a rapid and convenient single-step procedure. The yield of both proteinases was greater than 85%. Purified bovine and human thrombin had sp act of 2500 and 3000 “NIH” units/mg, respectively. Human thrombin was more reactive than bovine thrombin with these active site-directed probes: phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, dansyl-Glu-Gly-Arg-chloromethylketone, and human heparin cofactor II. The sulfopropyl-disk chromatographic method is a useful and rapid technique to prepare milligram quantities of highly purified bovine and human thrombin.
Large N classical equations and their quantum significance

Abstract We show that the large N limits of a wide variety of vector models may be obtained by studying the classical equations of motion. In particular, we derive a constraint which allows us to choose solutions of the classical field equations which directly give the correlation functions of N → ∞ quantum system. Models studied here include quantum mechanics on a sphere, two-dimensional linear and nonlinear O(N) field theories and the CPN model.
The brand dependence scale: measuring consumers’ use of brand name to differentiate among product alternatives

The marketing literature provides substantial discussion of branding and brand equity, but reveals limited research on the use of brand name in the consumer decision‐making process. Further, most such studies have included the manipulation of product brand name as an independent variable. The primary objective in this study was to address that lack of attention to consumers’ use of brand names by developing and empirically testing a multi‐item scale called the brand dependence scale (BDS). The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed and the relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity was explored. The results of the study showed that the BDS demonstrated adequate internal reliability and that a significant positive relationship between brand dependence and brand disparity existed. Implications of the study results and managerial applications for the scale are discussed.
Design and operation of a 2-D thin-film semiconductor neutron detector array for use as a beamport monitor

Abstract Silicon-based diodes coated with a thin film of neutron reactive materials have been shown to produce excellent low-efficiency neutron detectors. This work employs the same technology, but groups 25 equally sized and spaced diodes on a single 29 mm by 29 mm substrate. A 5×5 array was fabricated and coated with a thin film of 6 LiF for use as a low-efficiency neutron beam monitor. The 5×5 neutron detector array is coupled to an array of amplifiers, allowing the response to be interpreted using a LabVIEW FPGA. The 5×5 array has been characterized in a diffracted neutron beam. This work is a part of on-going research to develop various designs of high- and low-efficiency semiconductor neutron detectors.
Second Life Battery Pack as Stationary Energy Storage for Smart Grid

This paper presents the use of a second life battery pack in a smart grid-tied photovoltaic battery energy system. The system was developed for a single family household integrating a PV array, second life battery pack, grid back feeding, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging station. The battery pack was assembled using retired vehicle traction batteries. The pack is configured with 9 cells in each parallel bank, 15 banks in series featuring 48V nominal and a 12kWh nominal capacity. Limited by the weakest bank in the pack, the second life battery pack has an accessible capacity of 10kWh, or 58% of its original condition. A battery management was developed to handle the bank-to-bank imbalance and ensure the safe operation of the battery pack. An energy management algorithm was established to optimize the energy harvest from PV while minimizing the grid dependence. An information network was constructed to acquire data from the battery, PV, major appliances, and major inverters using Zigbee and wireless qualified devices. The system presented here achieved utilization of used vehicle traction batteries for second round of application, optimization of solar energy harvest and supported electric vehicle charging.
Laboring under Uncertainty: Identity Renegotiation among Contingent Workers

Relying on interviews with contingent workers in diverse jobs, this article explores the motivations underlying worker consent, in particular, workers' commitment to employers who did little to encourage it. Driven by the need to address the “spoiled identity” problem brought on by contingent employment, workers engaged in identity-management strategies that included the following: defining a willingness to work hard rather than the job per se as determinative of personal value, asserting an alternative vocation as one's appropriate identity-conferring occupation, and aligning with managers as a reference group. These strategies had the ideological effect of reaffirming a managerial ideology that hampered the ability to formulate a critique of existing employment relations. A much smaller group, made up of disillusioned day laborers with few illusions about middle-class respectability, rejected identity-management strategies and regarded their relationship with employers in the purely instrumental terms that the business press assumes would apply to all workers. The article concludes that cultural lag and the raw appeal of the notion of a caring employer may underlie the persistence of the accommodationist orientations displayed by most of these workers.
Pulse radiolysis of cyclohexane: The identity of the high-mobility positive ion

Abstract Previous experimental observations and new pulse radiolysis results concerning the high-mobility positive ion in cyclohexane are examined. Apparent disagreement among these observations concerning the existence of a high-mobility positive ion can be explained if there are two positive ions of major importance in cyclohexane radiolysis. The possibility is examined that the c -C 6 H 12 + ion has a “normal” mobility and that hydride transfer or proton transfer, involving c -C 6 H 11 + or c -C 6 H 13 + respectively, is responsible for the observed high mobility.
Geographic and temporal variations in fire history in boreal ecosystems of Alaska

Charcoal and pollen analyses were used to determine geographic and temporal patterns of fire importance in boreal forests of the Kenai Peninsula and interior Alaska. Sieved, large charcoal particles were measured in continuously sampled cores of Rock, Portage, and Arrow Lakes (Kenai Peninsula) and Dune and Deuce Lakes (interior Alaska) to estimate regional fire importance and fire occurrence. Charcoal accumulation rates have been low for the past 1000 years in both regions with slightly higher values in interior Alaska than on the Kenai Peninsula. An exception to this general pattern was the period of post-European settlement on the Kenai Peninsula, where charcoal accumulation rates increased by 10-fold. This increase most likely reflected increased fire occurrence due to human ignition. The Holocene charcoal and pollen records from Dune Lake indicate low fire occurrence during the early (9000 to 5500 calibrated year before present (yr BP)) birch-white spruce-alder (Betula-Picea glauca-Alnus) communities and high fire occurrence as black spruce (Picea mariana) became established after 5500 yr BP. Increased fires probably resulted from a change to fire-prone black spruce forests. For the past 5500 yr BP, two distinct fire regimes occurred. Frequent fires, with an average fire return interval of 98 years, characterized the period from 5500-2400 yr BP. Fewer fires, with an average fire interval of 198 years, characterized the period after 2400 yr BP. Fuel accumulation, stand structure, and vegetation species contributed to the natural variability in fire regimes during past changes in climate.
Commentary: School reform, teaching and learning

This commentary on the papers starts with the view that reform policies are additive, layered and unpredictable. Given this nature of reforms, the author suggests certain lessons for policymakers and policy researchers to learn. First, that a theory of learning should underlie policymakers’ implementation decisions. Second, that the multiplicity of reforms may block genuine learning. Third, that understanding the relationship between policy and practice requires an ‘inside‐out’ perspective which takes the changing of educational practice as the central concern rather than the policy environment.
Classical Mechanical Analogies in Wide Dirty SFS Junctions

The Usadel equation in a bulk superconductor and a ferromagnet is noticed to be mathematically similar to the equation of motion of a pendulum. A solution technique developed to solve the classic pendulum is applied to analytically determine the order parameter of the singlet state in a superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor (SFS) trilayer with a constant, uniform exchange field.
The emerging conception of the policy sciences

The policy sciences may be conceived as knowledge of the policy process and of the relevance of knowledge in the process. Professional careers in the theoretical branches of policy analysis have been typically academic and include professors of political science, jurisprudence, political economy, and public administration. One novelty of recent decades has been the prodigious multiplication of policy careers having little direct contact with traditional policy theory, though grounded in some specialized knowledge of the physical, biological, or cultural sciences. New specialties have arisen that affect the procedures of the policy making process itself, such as the handling of computerized information. Whatever their origin policy scientists appear to be converging toward a distinctive outlook. Contextuality calls for a cognitive map of the whole social process in reference to which each specific activity is considered. Problem orientation includes five intellectual tasks : goal clarification; trend description; analysis of conditions; projection of future developments; invention, evaluation and selection of alternatives. There is also a distinctive synthesis of technique, guided by principles of content and procedure. A distinctive identity image is evolving in which the role of the mediator-integrator among men of knowledge and between knowledge and action is becoming more explicit.
Stitching subaperture data for testing aspheric surfaces

Stitching methods can boost aperture and aspheric-departure capabilities as well as resolution and accuracy in interferometric testing. However, non-trivial subaperture configurations are required for figure metrology on aspheres. We discuss strategies and recent results. Full-text article is not available.
Effect of cytokine modulation by thalidomide on the granulomatous response in murine tuberculosis

Abstract Setting: Experimental murine tuberculosis. Objective: To evaluate the effect of cytokine modulation by thalidomide on the progression of the lung granulomatous response following aerosol tuberculosis infection in mice. Design: Mice infected by the respiratory route with 200–500 viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis Erdman were treated with daily subcutaneous injections of thalidomide (30 mg/kg) or saline for 4 weeks. The bacillary load, granulomatous response and cytokine production in the lungs were evaluated. Results: Aerosol M. tuberculosis infection resulted in a progressive granulomatous response in the lungs. At 28 days after infection, large granulomata with central necrosis and no apoptosis were observed. The infection induced high serum and lung cytokine mRNA levels. Thalidomide treatment resulted in a significant reduction in tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 protein levels (blood) and mRNA expression (lungs). IL-12 and interferon-γ were unaffected. The lungs of thalidomide-treated mice had smaller granulomata with apoptotic cells and no necrosis. Thalidomide treatment did not change the bacillary load. Conclusion: Thalidomide immunomodulation reduces inflammatory cytokines and concomitant lung pathology following acute aerosol M. tuberculosis infection, without increasing the bacillary load.
Radiation from a Dielectric Coated Cylindrical Core Loop Antenna Surrounded by a Lossy Plasma Sheath

ABSTRACT The radiation of electromagnetic waves from a loop antenna in a cylindrically stratified media, one of which is a plasma, is considered. Amplitude and phase of the radiation pattern are calculated asymptotically. Numerical results showing the effects of plasma frequency and collision frequency on the radiation pattern (both the phase and amplitude) are presented. Numerical results for the case when there is no plasma are also included. It is shown in both the cases (in the presence and in the absence of the plasma) that the radiation pattern is more sensitive to the change in thickness of the dielectric coating or the plasma sheath than the same amount of numerical change of the dielectric constant of the medium (plasma or ordinary dielectric). At a very high frequency whether ωp/ω is less or greater than unity the radiation pattern is very directive. The angle of maximum radiation increases with the ratio ωp/ω for certain parameters. It is also shown that in some cases collision frequency helps ...
Ionization cross-section ratios at low energies near Z=79

The ratio of the L) to L) ionization cross sections for low-energy $alpha$ particles has been remeasured, with better experimental precision, to lower energies than our previous data. Two additional elements near gold, namely tungsten and lead, have been included. While all the elements studied deviate from PWBA calculations, the anomalous behavior of the gold and platinum ratios reported earlier is still observed.
Context sensitivity and invariance in perception of octave-ambiguous tones

Three experiments investigated the influence of unambiguous (UA) context tones on the perception of octave-ambiguous (OA) tones. In Experiment 1, pairs of OA tones spanning a tritone interval were preceded by pairs of UA tones instantiating a rising or falling interval between the same pitch classes. Despite the inherent ambiguity of OA tritone pairs, most participants showed little or no priming when judging the OA tritone as rising or falling. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants compared the pitch heights of single OA and UA tones representing either the same pitch class or being a tritone apart. These judgments were strongly influenced by the pitch range of the UA tones, but only slightly by the spectral center of the OA tones. Thus, the perceived pitch height of single OA tones is context sensitive, but the perceived relative pitch height of two OA tones, as described in previous research on the “tritone paradox,” is largely invariant in UA tone contexts.
Thermodynamics of proton dissociations from aqueous l -tartaric acid at temperatures 278.15⩽⩽⩽ (T / K)⩽⩽⩽ 393.15 and at the pressurep = 0.35 MPa: apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities ofl -tartaric acid and its sodium salts

Abstract Apparent molar volumes Vφand apparent molar heat capacitiesCp, φ of aqueous solutions of l -tartaric acid, mono-sodium l -tartrate, and di-sodium l -tartrate have been measured at molalities 0.006 ⩽m / (mol · kg − 1)⩽ 1.0, at temperatures 278.15⩽T / K⩽ 393.15, and at the pressure p = 0.35 MPa. Apparent molar volumes were obtained from density measurement using a vibrating-tube densimeter (DMA 512, Anton Paar, Austria). Apparent molar heat capacities were obtained from heat capacity measurements using a twin fixed-cell, differential-output, power-compensation, temperature-scanning calorimeter (NanoDSC model 6100, Calorimetric Sciences Corporation, Spanish Fork, UT, U.S.A.). These results were fit by regression to semi-empirical equations to describe the (m, T, Vφ) and (m, T,Cp, φ ) surfaces. These results were also used to estimate the change in volume (m, T, ΔrVm) and the change in heat capacity (m, T, ΔrCp, m) for the two stepwise proton dissociation reactions of aqueous l -tartaric acid. The (m, T,ΔrCp, m ) surfaces for each proton dissociation reaction were integrated numerically to obtain estimates of the change in enthalpy (m, T,ΔrHm ) and proton dissociation molality quotients (m, T, pQa). These integrated results greatly extend the ranges ofm and T over which precise thermodynamic information is available for the two dissociation reactions of aqueous l -tartaric acid.
Chemical and Histological Studies of Wild and Hatchery Salmon in Fresh Water

Abstract In a study of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), the gross chemical and histological changes occurring over a 14-month period spent in fresh water were determined. The determinations were made at 3-month intervals on: 1) hatchery-reared fish, 2) fish hatchery-reared for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and then planted in a controlled stream for the remainder of the period; and 3) an indigenous group of wild fish in this stream. Wild fish showed high incidence of tissue damage from spinose hairs of the moth larva, Halisidota argentata. Hatchery fish were similarly affected with the severity and incidence of lesions varying directly with the time of exposure of the larvae in the wild environment. Both groups of fish were heavily parasitized by sporozoan organisms in the kidney and spinal cord. Kidney disease appeared in both wild and planted hatchery fish. The gross chemical composition of hatchery fish transformed rapidly after planting to that of the wild fish. Although the initial rate of fat loss is es...
Muscle Fatigue Increases the Probability of Developing Hyperalgesia in Mice

Abstract Chronic muscle pain is a major clinical problem that is often associated with fatigue. Conversely, chronic fatigue conditions are commonly associated with muscle pain. We tested the hypothesis that muscle fatigue enhances hyperalgesia associated with injection of acidic saline into muscle. We evaluated mechanical sensitivity of the paw (von Frey) in mice after 2 intramuscular injections of saline (20 μL; pH 4, pH 5, pH 6, pH 7.2) in a fatigue and a control group. To induce fatigue, mice were run for 2 h/day for 2 days prior to the first injection and 2 h/day for 2 days prior to the second injection. Muscle lactate, pCO 2 , pO 2 , creatinine kinase, phosphate, and histology were examined after the fatigue task and compared to a control group. Grip force was significantly decreased after 2 h of running indicating fatigue. The fatigue task did not induce muscle damage as there was no difference in muscle lactate, pCO 2 , pO 2 , creatinine kinase, phosphate, or histology. The fatigue task altered the dose-response relationship to intramuscular acidic saline injections. Mechanical hyperalgesia was observed in both fatigue and control groups after intramuscular injection of pH 4.0, but only the fatigue group after injection of pH 5. Neither the fatigue nor the control group developed hyperalgesia in response to intramuscular injection of pH 6 or pH 7.2. In conclusion, fatigue modified the susceptibility of mice to acid injection of pH 5.0 to result in mechanical hyperalgesia after 2 injections of pH 5.0. The fatigue task did not produce measurable changes in the muscle tissue suggesting a central mechanism mediating the enhancement of hyperalgesia. Perspective These data therefore show that muscle fatigue can enhance the likelihood that one develops pain to a mild insult. Clinically, this could relate to the development of pain from such conditions as repetitive strain injury, and may relate to the interrelationship between chronic pain and fatigue.
The photospheric network

Spectroheliograms, obtained in certain Fraunhofer lines with the 82-cm solar image at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, show a bright photospheric network having the following properties: (1) It resembles, but does not coincide with, the chromospheric network, the structure of the photospheric network being finer and more delicate than the relatively coarse structure of the chromospheric network. (2) It is exactly cospatial with the network of non-sunspot photospheric magnetic fields. (3) Its visibility in a given photospheric Fraunhofer line is primarily dependent on the states of ionization and excitation from which the line is formed and secondarily dependent on the Zeemansensitivity of the line-being most visible in low-excitation lines of neutral atoms and least visible in high-excitation lines of singly ionized atoms.
FM jammer excision by using time-varying AR filter in spread spectrum communication systems

The time varying jammer signal degrades the performance of spreading spectrum communication systems. In this paper, time-varying autoregressive (TV-AR) modelling is used to represent nonstationary jammer signals. The modelling approach leads to an effective technique for jammer excision. In this work, jammer components parameterized by their instantaneous frequencies (IF) are effectively removed using the TV-AR filtering. The approach results in a minimum distortion to the desired DS/SS signals in communications. In order to reduce the computation complexity, orthogonal polynomials are used for the basis function of TV-AR model.
Evidence of the Existence of the Cost Disease in the Performing Arts

This paper examines the experience of 25 large U.S. orchestras over a 21-year period for the presence or absence of the cost disease. Appropriate measures of input and output are discussed. Measures of productivity, compensation per worker, and unit labor costs are calculated and compared to similar measures for the manufacturing sector. The history of ticket prices and attendance is reviewed, and price and income elasticities of demand are estimated. The relationship between all these variables is explored, and some policy recommendations are offered.
Modeling demographic-economic interactions: Micro, macro and linked micro/macro strategies

Abstract The inherent limitations of group-based macro modeling preclude a realistis behavioral representation of regional demographic-economic interactions. Such a harsh assessment is unwelcome news to regional modelers, who for the most part have been relying on group-based macro strategies. This paper addresses the issue of choosing the most appropriate approach to regional demographic-economic modeling by emphasizing once again the severe limitations of group-based macro models for representing population behavior, advocating instead the use of sample-based micro models for representing population behavior and suggesting that a linked macro/micro strategy for modeling demographic-economic interactions might combine the advantages of both modeling methodologies.
Retinal rivalry and Troxler's effect: A correlation

Retinal rivalry and Troxler disappearances were measured in 30 Ss. Correlations suggesting a significant relationship between the two phenomena are reported. Tentative interpretation of the data are presented.
Diffusion-Mediated Production of Protein Gradients by Way of Variable Depth Hydrogel Microstamps

The precise application of proteins and other biomolecules to create patterned surfaces is an important step in many processes, including the creation of biosensors and directed cell growth for tissue engineering [1, 2]. While traditional poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric stamps have been used to successfully transfer proteins with sub-micron resolution, the resulting patterns are limited to a single, uniform protein concentration. The technique presented here utilizes varied-topography hydrophilic stamps as a diffusion medium, allowing protein gradients to be easily applied and accurately reproduced. Specifically, stamps of a 2% agarose hydrogel are used to demonstrate variable-concentration patterning of a fluorescently-labeled protein.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
ESD Detection Circuit and Associated Metal Fuse Investigations in CMOS Processes

A circuit to detect and record the occurrence of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event on a powered or unpowered integrated-circuit (IC) chip is presented. The ESD detection circuit uses metal fuses for memory and has been experimentally verified in a commercial CMOS process to operate with 500 V or higher human body model (HBM) discharges. Experimental studies of metal fuses are also presented and provide information on short-duration metal interconnect failure limits in addition to the ESD event-detection goal. It is found that thin aluminum traces in an IC (e.g., 0.25-1-μm-width metal-1) may withstand from 50 to > 100 mA for periods exceeding several seconds or minutes, values in excess of 100 times the typically used long-term reliability electromigration limit of 1 mA/μm. For fuses used in the detection circuit, reliable fuse blowing is achieved at HBM ESD currents as low as 0.3 A using either transmission-line-pulse or full-voltage discharges (100-pF capacitance at 500 V discharged through 1500-Ω series resistance).
Treatment of primary breast cancer with L-PAM/5-FU and tamoxifen: an interim report.

This trial studied the possibility that tamoxifen, added to L-phenylalanine mustard and 5-fluorouracil, enhances the established benefit of the latter two drugs in treatment of women with breast cancer and positive axillary nodes. The addition of tamoxifen resulted in a 25% decrease in treatment failure at 24 months and a 23% decrease at 36 months. In patients ≥50 years old, there was a 48% reduction at 24 months and a 39% reduction at 36 months. This advantage was statistically significant at both two and three years' follow-up (p < 0.001). Higher receptor levels were associated with a greater probability of disease-free survival. Patients ≤49 years old were less responsive. There was some evidence at 24 months that patients in this age group with four or more positive nodes who also had high ER levels might benefit from tamoxifen. At 36 months, however, this benefit was no longer evident. This form of adjuvant therapy is not recommended in patients ≤49 years of age whose tumor estrogen and progesterone levels are below 10 fmol; there is an appearance of benefit in patients ≥50 with low estrogen and progesterone levels, and stronger evidence of benefit when these levels are high among the older group of patients.
Analysis of a Cortisol Clinical Standard By Fourier Transform, Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract Cortisol intended for use as a clinical Standard Reference Material has been subjected to liquid chromatography and the resulting fractions analyzed by thin layer chromatography and Fourier transform, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 90 MHz. Four steroid impurities and one artifact have been characterized by means of computer measured chemical shifts.
Emissions from Sellafield and activities in soil

The discharges of radioactivity from the Windscale piles and other installations at Sellafield remain a matter of concern, though 30 or 40 years have elapsed since most of the emissions occurred. New data on emissions and activities in soil have become available in the past few years. They are reviewed, together with the older data, with particular reference to the emissions of irradiated uranium oxide from the Windscale piles, the releases in the 1957 accident, and the aerial emissions from the re-processing plant.
TU-C-204B-10: Beam's-Eye-View MV Fluoroscopy during SBRT for Tumor Tracking and Treatment Verification

Purpose The radiotherapy treatment beam captured in megavoltage fluoroscopy (MVF) mode contains a record of tumor motion during treatment. This study's objectives were to use MVF to: 1) verify whether a tumor remains fully within the treatment beam; and 2) assess the reduction of tumor motion during the beam‐on period by respiratory gating. Method and Materials Electronic portal imaging was used to capture beam's‐eye ‐view fluoroscopic movies of target movement within the treatment beam during SBRT.Dose rate was 300 MU/min; no imagingdose beyond the treatment dose was required. Images were captured at 7–13 frames/sec. Three lungcancer and 2 livercancer patients were studied over 5 fractions each; 2 were respiratory gated. For livertumors, implanted gold fiducial markers and surgical clips provided surrogates of tumor motion. Custom image analysis and tracking software was written using MeVisLab/VTK/ITK. Deformable registration between image frames was used to warp tumor contours and compute the tumor center of mass and tumor borders relative to the ITV/PTV as a function of time. Results MVF tumor tracking yielded tumor range‐of‐motion measurements of 4–10 mm in the lungcancer patients, and liver fiducial tracking yielded motion measurements of 14mm and 11mm in the livercancer patients. Large tumor motions due to infrequent large inspirations were reduced by respiratory gating with 75% inspiration threshold. Ungated motion was measured from pre‐treatment cone‐beam projection data. Gating reduced the tumor range of motion from 14mm to 9mm for the lung patient and from 17mm to 14mm for liver patient. Conclusions Motion measured via MV fluoroscopy during SBRT can be used to verify whether planned margins are adequate and evaluate the effectiveness of respiratory gating. Future work towards real ‐time processing could provide control signals for gating or dynamic multi ‐leaf collimators. Research sponsored by Siemens Corporation.
The Planetary Entry Systems Synthesis Tool: A conceptual design and analysis tool for EDL systems

Conceptual design of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems requires models over several disciplines as well as knowledge regarding the interactions between these disciplines. To ease the conceptual development of an EDL mission segment and to explore the mission design space, the Planetary Entry Systems Synthesis Tool (PESST) was created. The PESST framework estimates the performance and mass of an entry system using user-defined geometry, aerodynamics, flight mechanics, terminal descent guidance, thermal response and mass estimation models. Trade studies can be performed by parameter sweeps to gain an understanding of the design space for conceptual studies.
A Latina space: Ethnicity as an intersubjective third

Abstract This paper discusses the intersubjective use of ethnicity in a case. The author reviews the role of ethnicity in the psychoanalytic tradition and explores the creative potential of intersub‐jectivity. Applying Ogden's concept of the analytic third based on Winnicott's ideas, the author elaborates on the psychodynamic potential space co‐created by the similarities and differences of ethnic identities.
The Relationship of Differentiation, Family Coping Skills, and Family Functioning with Optimism in College-Age Students

The marriage and family therapy (MFT) field would benefit from new research about positive subjective experiences, such as optimism, in order to construct and nurture strengths for developing more positive emotions. Through a better understanding of optimism, marriage and family therapists (MFTs) can explore which strategies might help families and individuals better cope with distressing emotions by building buffering strengths. In this study we address the relationship of differentiation, family coping, and family functioning to optimism. We found that differentiation, family coping, and family functioning each have a significant effect on attributional style. The results of this study also indicated that encouraging clients to take an I-position and to reframe problems, in particular, may lead to greater optimism. This study contributes to the lack of research regarding strength-based theories in the MFT field.
A genetic algorithm for tuning variable orderings in Bayesian network structure learning

In the last two decades or so, Bayesian networks (BNs) [Pe88] have become a prevalent method for uncertain knowledge representation and reasoning. BNs are directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) where nodes represent random variables, and edges represent conditional dependence between random variables. Each node has a conditional probabilistic table (CPT) that contains probabilities of that node being a specific value given the values of its parents. The problem of learning a BN from data is important but hard. Finding the optimal structure of a BN from data has been shown to be NP-hard [HGC95], even without considering unobserved or irrelevant variables. In recent years, many Bayesian network learning algorithms have been developed. Generally these algorithms fall into two groups, score-based search and dependency analysis (conditional independence tests and constraint solving). Many previous approaches require that a node ordering is available before learning. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case in many real-world applications. To make greedy search usable when node orderings are unknown, we have developed a permutation genetic algorithm (GA) wrapper to tune the variable ordering given as input to K2 [CH92], a score-based BN learning algorithm. In our continuing project, we have used a probabilistic inference criterion as the GA’s fitness function and we are also trying some other criterion to evaluate the learning result such as the learning fixed-point property.
Inducible nitric-oxide synthase generates superoxide from the reductase domain

In the absence of L-arginine, the heme center of the oxygenase domain of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase reduces molecular oxygen to superoxide (O-2). Our recent work has provided evidence that inducible NOS (iNOS) may also catalyze O-2 formation in macrophages. However, there has been a lack of direct evidence of superoxide generation from the purified iNOS, and it was previously hypothesized that significant O-2 production does not occur. Moreover, the mechanism and enzyme site responsible for O-2 generation is unknown. To determine whether iNOS produces O-2 and to identify the mechanism of this process, we performed electron paramagnetic resonance measurements on purified iNOS using the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide. In the presence of NADPH, prominent O-2 adduct signals were detected from iNOS. These signals were totally abolished by superoxide dismutase but not affected by catalase. High concentrations of L-arginine decreased this O-2 formation, whereas its enantiomer D-arginine did not. Pre-incubation of iNOS with the flavoprotein inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium totally blocked these O-2 signals. Conversely, pretreatment of the enzyme with the heme blocker cyanide had no effect on O-2 generation. Furthermore, strong O-2 generation was directly detected from the isolated iNOS reductase domain. Together, these data demonstrate that iNOS does generate O-2, and this mainly occurs at the flavin-binding sites of the reductase domain.
Atomic structural transformations on clean metal surfaces

Two types of structural transformations which occur on clean, single-crystal surfaces have been investigated in atomic detail at Sandia National Laboratories. The restructuring of surfaces from ''bulk-terminated'' to ''reconstructed'' structures and the configuring of cluster nuclei between two-dimensional islands and one-dimensional chains have been examined by field ion microscopy, a technique which provides direct images of individual surface atoms. Observations of the bulk-terminated (unreconstructed) Pt (110) surface with the field ion microscope surface indicate that atoms in the topmost layer are aligned in rows adjacent to each other. The unreconstructed surface is produced by a process known as field evaporation (i.e. the removal of atoms by a high electric field at temperatures of 77K), which typically leaves a surface with the bulk-terminated structure. This metastable surface is found to transform to the equilibrium, reconstructed surface at temperatures above 300K.
Ciprofloxacin-warfarin coagulopathy: a case series.

Ciprofloxacin, when given to patients previously anticoagulated with warfarin, can occasionally cause an exaggerated hypoprothombinemic response and bleeding diatheses. Two such cases encountered at our institution are presented and data is combined with 64 cases reported to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Spontaneous Reporting System (SRS) database, which included all cases reported from 1987 through 1997. Of 66 total cases the median age was 72 (range 36-94). The mean time to detection of the coagulopathy following the ciprofloxacin challenge was 5.5 days (n = 50). Hospitalization was reported in 15 cases, bleeding in 25 cases, and death in one case. The median prothrombin time (PT) and International Normalized Ratio (INR) was 38.0 (n = 13) and 10.0 (n = 23), respectively. The mean number of medications taken was 6.5 (n = 45). The mean time to correction was significantly shorter between the treated (2.5 days) and the untreated (4.0 days) groups (P < 0. 008). The ciprofloxacin-warfarin coagulopathy occurred most commonly in patients in their seventh decade and in those who require polypharmacy. Active treatment of the coagulopathy results in more rapid resolution than observation alone. Clinicians should be aware of the potential bleeding complications that can occur with the ciprofloxacin-warfarin drug-drug interaction.
Effects of task and domain on searcher attention

Previous studies of online user attention during information seeking tasks have mainly focused on analyzing searcher behavior in the web search settings. While these studies enabled better understanding of search result examination, their findings might not generalize for the tasks and search interfaces in other domains such as Shopping or Social Media. In this paper we present, to best of our knowledge, the first cross-domain comparison of search examination behavior and patterns of aggregated attention across Web Search, News, Shopping and Social Network domains. We investigate how domain of the search and the scope of the information need affect search examination, and find significant differences beyond those arising from natural disparities between individuals. For example, we find that the mean fixation duration, a common indicator of cognitive load, varies significantly across domains (e.g., mean fixation duration in the Social Network domain exceeds that of general Web Search by over 30%). We also find large differences in the aggregate patterns of user attention on the screen, especially in the Shopping and Social Network domains compared to the Web Search domain, emphasizing the need for domain specific user models and evaluation metrics.
Teachers as therapeutic agents: perceptions of a school-based mental health initiative

Teacher–child relationship building (TCRB) is a play-based professional development programme adapted from kinder training and filial therapy. Intended for early education teachers and students, TCRB is designed to strengthen the teacher–child relationship, improve student behaviour, enhance academic involvement and develop teachers' classroom management skills. In the current study, we utilised a phenomenological approach to examine teachers' perceptions of the initial implementation of TCRB through identifying individual and collective perspectives in the summation of themes. Findings indicated that the teachers perceived the TCRB model to be informative, well organised, appropriately structured and effective in enhancing teacher–child relationships, improving classroom management skills and reducing behavioural problems among child participants. Limitations of the study, implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.