cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of Interspacecraft Coulomb Forces and Implications for Formation Flying

In the course of exploiting spacecraft formations for use in separated interferometry (or other missions), it is possible that the separation distance between vehicles will be on the order of 10 m. The effects of spacecraft charging on the dynamics of very closely spaced formations are investigated. For certain high-Earth orbits, the ambient plasma conditions will conspire to produce significant spacecraft charging in an environment with a plasma Debye length of more than 100 m. For such conditions, it is shown that the potential exists to develop disruptive interspacecraft Coulomb forces and torques, with magnitude comparable to candidate formation-keeping thrusters over distances of tens of meters. Because of the unexpectedly large interaction forces, the concept of purposely charging spacecraft to affect formation-keeping Coulomb forces is also explored. Analytic methods are developed that show the existence of static equilibrium formations in Earth orbit using only inter-vehicle coulomb forces for one-, two-, and three-dimensional formations. Such Coulomb formations would be free of the risk of plume contamination due to thrusters firing in close proximity. Figures of merit for the proposed Coulomb control system are calculated in a manner analogous to traditional propulsion systems, and it is shown that required forces can be created with milliwatts of power, can be controlled on a millisecond timescale, and imply specific impulses that can be as high as 1013 seconds.
Microreactor Modeling for Hydrogen Production from Ammonia Decomposition on Ruthenium

Ammonia decomposition for the production of hydrogen in a newly fabricated, aluminum framework post microreactor is modeled. A detailed microkinetic model describing the chemistry of ammonia decomposition on Ru is developed. A PFR model is used as a low hierarchical tool for developing a reduced rate expression using a computer-aided methodology. This reduced chemistry model is used in computational fluid dynamics simulations of microreactors, and good agreement with experimental data is observed. It is found that the overall conversion in the post microreactor better approximates that of a PFR than that of a CSTR. It is shown that the posts play an important role in enhancing the transverse mass transfer and providing a high catalyst surface area and that interesting flow patterns and back-diffusion occur at lower flow rates. Finally, parametric studies are performed, and a tradeoff between pressure drop and conversion is observed under certain conditions.
Phytohormone control of the tobacco anionic peroxidase promoter

The tobacco anionic peroxidase gene encodes the predominant peroxidase isoenzyme in the aerial portions of tobacco. Three kb of the peroxidase promoter was joined to the coding region of the Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase gene (GUS), and transiently expressed in tobacco mesophyll protoplasts in the presence or absence of plant growth regulators. Benzyladenine, ethylene, and gibberellic acid did not affect peroxidase gene expression. Abscisic acid slightly inhibited expression at high concentrations. The auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and naphthaleneacetic acid strongly suppressed peroxidase expression. We observed half maximal suppression at 30 microM IAA. An anti-auxin, p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid (PCIB), enhanced expression from the peroxidase promoter above that of untreated controls or restored activity when used in combination with IAA. Sequencing 3 kb of the peroxidase promoter revealed many potential regulatory elements based on sequence homology to previously characterized genes. This includes several consensus transcription factor binding sites found in auxin-regulated promoters. 5' deletions of the peroxidase promoter/GUS fusion revealed several positive and negative regulatory elements. An upstream enhancer element was found between -3146 and -638 from the start of transcription. A strong silencer element was observed between -638 and -220. Removal of this silencer resulted in a truncated promoter (-220) with 100% activity of the full-length promoter (-3146). Inhibition by auxin was observed with all 5' deletions.
Developing and Implementing Decision Support Systems: a Critique and a Challenge

ABSTRACT: Computer-based models together with their interactive interfaces are typically called decision support systems. DSSs are interactive computer-based information providers. The common objective of all DSSs, regardless of the frameworks, methodologies, or techniques used, is to provide timely information that supports human decision makers - at whatever level of decision making. The informational needs of the decision making process are the key considerations that motivate the development of DSSs. The growth of DSS development and use has been substantial. In spite of this impressive growth, computer-aided decision support systems can still be improved and made more useful to those they are intended to support. Researchers and practitioners, and indeed the computer industry, continue to identify ways of doing this. This paper reviews some of these needs and opportunities by focusing on the process of successful DDS development and implementation. The paper outlines an approach and some guidelines for developing DSSs. The approach emphasizes and requires considerable interaction between the DSS developers (analysts) and the DSS users (decision makers). This interaction and feedback is required throughout the entire DSS building, testing and evaluation (debugging), and implementation processes. The paper concludes by identifying some research needs and opportunities affecting DSS development and effective use.
The String Tension from SU(3) Abelian Projection

Abstract The string tension in pure SU(3) lattice gauge theory is computed using abelian projection.
Nondenaturing procedure for rapid preparation of ferredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum

Abstract A procedure is described for the rapid preparation of ferredoxin in high yield from crude extracts of C. pasteurianum . The method involves two successive chromatographic treatments on DEAE-cellulose in concentrated ammonium sulfate. Ferredoxin prepared by this method has an absorption spectrum and iron content similar to ferredoxin prepared by other methods.
Enhanced biodegradation of iopromide and trimethoprim in nitrifying activated sludge.

Iopromide (an X-ray contrast agent) and trimethoprim (an antibacterial drug) are frequently detected pharmaceuticals in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in surface waters due to their persistence and high usage. Laboratory-scale experiments showed that a significantly higher removal rate in nitrifying activated sludge as compared to conventional activated sludge was observed for both iopromide and trimethoprim. When the activity of the nitrifying bacteria was inhibited, the percent removal of iopromide decreased from 97 to 86% while trimethoprim removal decreased from 70 to 25%. The metabolite of iopromide identified when nitrification was not inhibited was a dehydroxylated iopromide at the two side chains. However, when the nitrifying bacteria were inhibited the metabolite identified was a carboxylate, formed during the oxidation of the primary alcohol on the side chain of iopromide. These results suggest that the nitrifying bacteria are important in the observed biodegradation of iop...
Comment on 'some computational results on real 0-1 knapsack problems'

A logical test used in some knapsack algorithms was recently described in this journal as erroneous. We show that the test is correct.
Effect of Humidity on Scintillation Performance in Na and Tl Activated CsI Crystals

Time dependent photoluminescence and radioluminescence for sodium (Na) and thallium (Tl) activated cesium iodide (CsI) single crystals exposed to 50% and 75% relative humidity (RH) has been investigated. These results indicate that Tl activated crystals are more robust than the Na activated crystals against humidity induced scintillation degradation. The development of “etching pits” and “inactive” domains are the characteristics of deteriorated Na activated CsI crystals. These “inactive” domains, bearing a resemblance to a polycrystalline appearance beneath the crystal surface, can be readily detected by a 250 nm light emitting diode. These features are commonly observed at the corners and deep scratched areas where moisture condensation is more likely to occur. Mechanisms contributing to the scintillation degradation in Na activated CsI crystals were investigated by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). ToF-SIMS depth profiles indicate that Na has been preferentially diffused out of CsI crystal, leaving the Na concentration in these “inactive” domains below its scintillation threshold.
Reconstructing genome-wide regulatory network of E. coli using transcriptome data and predicted transcription factor activities

Gene regulatory networks play essential roles in living organisms to control growth, keep internal metabolism running and respond to external environmental changes. Understanding the connections and the activity levels of regulators is important for the research of gene regulatory networks. While relevance score based algorithms that reconstruct gene regulatory networks from transcriptome data can infer genome-wide gene regulatory networks, they are unfortunately prone to false positive results. Transcription factor activities (TFAs) quantitatively reflect the ability of the transcription factor to regulate target genes. However, classic relevance score based gene regulatory network reconstruction algorithms use models do not include the TFA layer, thus missing a key regulatory element. This work integrates TFA prediction algorithms with relevance score based network reconstruction algorithms to reconstruct gene regulatory networks with improved accuracy over classic relevance score based algorithms. This method is called G ene expression and T ranscription factor activity based R elevance N etwork (GTRNetwork). Different combinations of TFA prediction algorithms and relevance score functions have been applied to find the most efficient combination. When the integrated GTRNetwork method was applied to E. coli data, the reconstructed genome-wide gene regulatory network predicted 381 new regulatory links. This reconstructed gene regulatory network including the predicted new regulatory links show promising biological significances. Many of the new links are verified by known TF binding site information, and many other links can be verified from the literature and databases such as EcoCyc. The reconstructed gene regulatory network is applied to a recent transcriptome analysis of E. coli during isobutanol stress. In addition to the 16 significantly changed TFAs detected in the original paper, another 7 significantly changed TFAs have been detected by using our reconstructed network. The GTRNetwork algorithm introduces the hidden layer TFA into classic relevance score-based gene regulatory network reconstruction processes. Integrating the TFA biological information with regulatory network reconstruction algorithms significantly improves both detection of new links and reduces that rate of false positives. The application of GTRNetwork on E. coli gene transcriptome data gives a set of potential regulatory links with promising biological significance for isobutanol stress and other conditions.
Surveying Infrasonic Noise on Oceanic Islands

An essential step in the establishment of an International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound station is the site survey. The survey seeks a location with relatively low infrasonic noise and the necessary logistical support. This paper reports results from our surveys of two of the oceanic sites in the IMS —C the Azores and Cape Verde. Each survey sampled infrasonic noise, wind velocity, air temperature and humidity for ∼weeks at 4 sites near the nominal IMS locations. The surveys were conducted on Sao Miguel (the main island in the Azores) and Maio (Cape Verde). Infrasonic noise was measured using the French MB2000 microbarometer.
Early risk factors and pathways in the development of early disruptive behavior problems

This study examined risk factors from infancy associated with the development of preschool disruptive behavior problems across child, parent, and sociodemographic domains. Risk factors that consistently were associated with the prediction of disruptive behavior at age 5 years included disorganized attachment classification at 12 months, and maternal personality risk and child-rearing disagreements during the second year. In addition, infants with disorganized attachment status at 12 months whose mothers perceived them as difficult in the second year showed significantly higher aggressive problems at age 5 years than those with only one of the two risk factors present. When pathways leading to clinically elevated aggression at age 5 were explored, infant disorganized attachment status, maternal personality risk, and child-rearing disagreements demonstrated equivalent predictive validity as child aggression assessed at age 3 years.
The UpLib personal digital library system

The UpLib personal digital library system provides a secure long-term storage and retrieval system for a wide variety of personal documents such as papers, photographs, bills, books, and email. It is suitable for collections comprising tens of thousands of documents, and provides for ease of document entry and access as well as high levels of security and privacy. It is highly extensible through user scripting. We demonstrate the operation of UpLib
Getting beyond technical rationality in developing health behavior programs with youth.

OBJECTIVE To explore 2 major components of health behavior research, etiologic research and action research. To argue that action research is both an artistic as well as scientific process. METHODS Review of the development process of effective health behavior programs with youth. Review of literature on art as part of the scientific process, especially in the field of education. RESULTS Intervention programs that included explicitly creative components demonstrated success in reducing alcohol use and increasing healthful eating and activity patterns. CONCLUSIONS Health behavior researchers might involve art and creativity in action research to enhance program retention and outcomes.
Essentials of psychosomatic medicine

Contributors. Preface. Psychiatric assessment and consultation. Heart disease. Lung disease. Gastrointestinal disorders. Renal disease. Endocrine disorders. Oncology. Rheumatology. Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes. Infectious diseases. HIV/AIDS. Dermatology. Surgery. Organ transplantation. Neurology and neurosurgery. Obstetrics and gynecology. Pediatrics. Physical medicine and rehabilitation. Pain. Appendix. Index.
Diagnosis of fatty infiltration of the liver on contrast enhanced CT: limitations of liver-minus-spleen attenuation difference measurements

Background: We investigated whether liver-minus-spleen (L-S) attenuation differences can accurately diagnose fatty infiltration of the liver on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).
State-identification experiments in finite automata*

Work done in the past on the subject of state-identification in finite automata has been limited to devising procedures for some special-purpose identification experiments, and to estimating the lengths of more general experiments. The purpose of the present paper is to complement this work by presenting procedures for solving general state-identification problems by experiments of various specified characteristics. Classifying identification experiments into preset or adaptive and into simple or multiple, the results contain procedures for identifying the initial state of an automaton by minimal, simple, preset or adaptive experiments, whenever simple, preset experimentation is realizable, and by multiple, preset or adaptive experiments, whenever simple experimentation is not realizable. Also, procedures are described for identifying the final state of an automaton by minimal or nonminimal, preset or adaptive experiments. Bounds associated with the various procedures are determined, and the applicability of the results to machine-identification problems is discussed.
A Fast Method for Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis of Centrifugal Compressor

The capability to calculate impeller temperature distribution is important to the life estimation of a centrifugal compressor. Three dimensional conjugate heat transfer (3D CHT) analysis with a high fidelity flow solver has become an indispensable tool for this class of problem. However, the application of 3D CHT analysis in the preliminary design of centrifugal compressor, which may involve the rapid evaluation of a large number of different configurations, is limited by the computation resource and setup time requirement. This paper presents a method of conjugate heat transfer analysis for centrifugal compressor design that requires significantly less computation power and setup time. The method, which consists of a one-dimensional flow model of the gas path and an axisymmetric CHT/flow solver, has been evaluated with data from 3D CHT analysis and experiment. Good agreement in impeller temperature distribution, as well as in impeller temperature trends due to changes in operating condition are obtained. To demonstrate the application of this method, various strategies to lower the impeller temperature are evaluated and discussed.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Bacteroides gingivalis antigens and bone resorbing activity in root surface fractions of periodontally involved teeth

Bone resorbing activity and the presence of antigens of Bacteroides gingivalis were assessed in plaque, calculus, cementum, and dentin obtained from roots of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis. Each fraction was obtained by scaling the root surface. The fractions were extracted by stirring and sonication, and the soluble extracts centrifuged, sterilized, dialyzed, and adjusted to equivalent protein concentrations. Cementum and dentin extracts from impacted teeth were prepared similarly and served as controls. Stimulation of bone resorption by each extract was assessed in organ cultures of fetal rat bones by measurement of release of previously-incorporated 45Ca from the bone into the medium. In some groups of teeth, calculus and cementum were treated with citric acid prior to scaling. Citric acid washes were recovered and dialyzed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess the extracts for the presence of antigens reactive with an anti-serum to B. gingivalis. Significant stimulation of bone resorption was found in all calculus and periodontally-involved cementum preparations. ELISA showed significant levels of B, gingivalis antigens in plaque, calculus, and cementum of periodontally-involved teeth, but not in involved dentin nor in cementum or dentin of impacted teeth. Treatment with citric acid removed essentially all B. gingivalis antigens from cementum but not calculus. The results suggest that substances which stimulate bone resorption and substances which react with B. gingivalis antiserum are present in surface plaque, calculus, and cementum of periodontally-involved teeth. These substances are not present in cementum and dentin of impacted teeth nor in dentin of periodontally-involved teeth. Treatment by both scaling and citric acid demineralization will remove most of these substances from cementum of teeth previously exposed to periodontitis.
Foam separation methods

(1972). Foam Separation Methods. Separation and Purification Methods: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 117-198.
cAMP Dose-dependently Prevents Palmitate-induced Apoptosis by Both Protein Kinase A- and cAMP-Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor-dependent Pathways in β-Cells

Lipid accumulation in pancreatic β-cells is thought to cause its dysfunction and/or destruction via apoptosis. Our studies show that incubation of the β-cell line RINm5F with the saturated free fatty acids (FFA) palmitate caused apoptosis based on increases in caspase 3 activity, Annexin V staining, and cell death. Furthermore, exposure of RINm5F cells to cAMP-increasing agents, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and forskolin completely abolished palmitate-mediated caspase 3 activity and significantly inhibited Annexin V staining and cell death. The cyclic AMP analogs cpt-cAMP and dibutyryl-cAMP mimicked the protective effects of IBMX and forskolin, suggesting that cAMP is the mediator of the anti-apoptotic effects. The protective action of IBMX and forskolin was rapid and did not appear to require gene transcription or new protein synthesis. However, these protective effects were clearly independent of protein kinase A (PKA) because of the lack of inhibition by the PKA inhibitors H-89 and KT5720. In attempts to identify this PKA-independent mechanism, we found that the newly developed cAMP analog 8CPT-2Me-cAMP, which selectively activates the cAMP-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor (cAMP-GEF) pathway, mimicked the protective effects of IBMX and forskolin, suggesting that the cAMP-GEF pathway is involved. In addition, both glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and its receptor agonist, Exenatide, inhibited palmitate-mediated caspase 3 activation in a dose-dependent manner. Unexpectedly, H-89 partially reversed the protective effects of GLP-1 and Exenatide, suggesting that PKA may play a role in the protective effects of these incretins. To explain these seemingly conflicting results, we demonstrated that low concentrations of cAMP produced by GLP-1 and Exenatide preferentially activate the PKA pathway, whereas higher cAMP concentrations produced by IBMX and forskolin activate the more dominant cAMP-GEF pathway. Taken together, these results indicate that intracellular concentrations of cAMP may play a key role in determining divergent signaling pathways that lead to antiapoptotic responses.
Trefoil Factor 3 as an Endocrine Neuroprotective Factor from the Liver in Experimental Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Cerebral ischemia, while causing neuronal injury, can activate innate neuroprotective mechanisms, minimizing neuronal death. In this report, we demonstrate that experimental cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in the mouse causes upregulation of the secretory protein trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) in the hepatocyte in association with an increase in serum TFF3. Partial hepatectomy (~60% liver resection) immediately following cerebral injury significantly lowered the serum level of TFF3, suggesting a contribution of the liver to the elevation of serum TFF3. Compared to wild-type mice, TFF3-/- mice exhibited a significantly higher activity of caspase 3 and level of cell death in the ischemic cerebral lesion, a larger fraction of cerebral infarcts, and a smaller fraction of the injured cerebral hemisphere, accompanied by severer forelimb motor deficits. Intravenous administration of recombinant TFF3 reversed changes in cerebral injury and forelimb motor function due to TFF3 deficiency. These observations suggest an endocrine neuroprotective mechanism involving TFF3 from the liver in experimental cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.
An exploration of editorial boards of psychology and social work journals: Implications for child welfare practice

This article explores the distinction and achievement levels of editorial board members of social work and psychology journals. The research methodology employed is citation analysis. The implications of the findings for the field of child welfare are offered. The strengths and limitations of citation analysis are presented. * A version of this paper will appear in Psychological Reports
Marital distress, co-occurring depression and marital therapy: A review.

This article reviews several factors that contribute to marital distress and co-occurring depression and also reviews empirically supported therapies. Gender contributes to marital distress and depression but does not appear to be the cause of either. Marital distress and depression appear to have bidirectional influence on each other. The depressed spouse's depression has a marked impact on the marital adjustment of the nondepressed spouse. Both marital distress and depression appear to be chronic. It is recommended that treatment be designed to help couples be supportive of each another, to adapt, and to cope with the depressive symptoms within the framework of their ongoing marital relations.
Determination of fluorophor-labeled compounds based on peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence

Abstract Fluorophor-labeled compounds are determined by adding an aromatic oxalate ester and hydrogen peroxide and measuring the resulting chemiluminescence (CL). Rhodamine B is excited more efficiently than 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein and dimethylaminonapthalenesulfonic acid. Hydrogen peroxide concentration is the most important variable influencing intensity-time characteristics of the reaction. Measurements are possible in a predominantly aqueous reaction medium but precision is poor, presumably due to oxalate ester insolubility on a microscale. Increasing the percentage of organic solvent leads to improved precision and a larger signal. The detection limit for rhodamine B is around 10 −9 m for a medium containing 50% organic solvent. It is limited by variability in background CL which is associated with impurities in the solvents used for the measurement. The CL excitation efficiency decreases when rhodamine is bound to protein but increases when rhodamine is coupled to folic acid. The addition of albumin to rhodamine-labeled antialbumin causes a 30% decrease in CL intensity.
A fast method for regularized adaptive filtering

Regression models are used in many areas of signal processing, e.g., spectral analysis and speech LPC, where block processing methods have typically been used to estimate the unknown coefficients. Iterative methods for adaptive estimation fall into two categories: the least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm and the recursive-least-squares (RLS) algorithm. The LMS algorithm offers low complexity and stable operation at the expense of convergence speed. The RLS algorithm offers improved convergence performance at the expense of possible stability problems. Note that low complexity is used here to denote that the computational burden is proportional to the number of adaptive coefficients. The LMS algorithm is the standard algorithm for applications in which low complexity is tantamount. The LMS algorithm produces an approximation to the minimum mean square error estimate; that is, the expected value of the output error approaches zero. The major drawback of the LMS algorithm is that its rate of convergence is dependent upon the eigenvalue spread of the input data correlation matrix, usually excluding its use in high-speed, real-time signal processing applications [ 11. However, it is widely used where the convergence speed is not a problem [ 2,3]. The convergence rate of the LMS algorithm can be increased by introducing methods that attempt to orthogonalize the input data and reduce the eigenvalue spread of the correlation matrix [ 4,5]. The convergence rate of any adaptive algorithm can be specified by either the coefficient error or the estimation error, or both. It is well known that, for the LMS algorithm, the mean square error in the output converges faster than the mean square error in the coefficients [ 6,7]. Thus, the LMS algorithm is useful for situations in which the primary function of the adaptive system is
Mammary gland as a morphological end point in carcinogenesis studies.

The murine mammary tumor system is characterized by the presence of intermediate preneoplastic mammary cell populations. The intermediate mammary cell populations are characterized as either alveolar hyperplasias or ductal hyperplasias. The most frequently encountered preneoplastic cell population is the hyperplastic alveolar nodule, which has been extensively characterized with respect to its biological and hormonal properties. While the alveolar hyperplasias are seen predominantly in mice infected with the mammary tumor virus, ductal hyperplasias are seen primarily in mice treated with chemical carcinogens. Both types of lesions can serve as morphological end points for carcinogenesls studies in the mammary gland.
Molecular-dynamics studies of the growth modes and structure of amorphous silicon films via atom deposition

The growth modes of amorphous silicon (a-Si) films via vapor-phase and low-energy molecular-beam epitaxy are investigated with use of molecular-dynamics simulations. In these simulations, realistic interatomic interaction potentials, which include two- and three-body interactions, are employed. The dependencies of the growth mechanism and structure of the grown amorphous film on the method of deposition are investigated. For deposition normal to a (111) crystalline Si substrate, a uniform a-Si film is generated. Deposition using a beam directed at 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} from the normal to the substrate results in preferential orientation of density inhomogeneities corresponding to a columnar microstructure in the film, while deposition where the impinging particles arrive at random directions to the substrate yields an a-Si film containing microvoids. The structural characteristics of the amorphous material and of the interface between the crystal and the amorphous film are analyzed.
Forum: globalisation and us

Ultimately, it is hoped that, through globalisation, the world would experience more peace, quality of life would be improved, and people would become more like a part of a big family or at least as a friendly neighbour. This forum outlines answers to the question of how a person in the profession of environmental science and engineering contributes to this concept and effort.
Cities, Sports, and Economic Change: A Retrospective Assessment

Through the 1970s and 1990s virtually all central cities and many larger suburban and edge communities focused downtown economic development efforts on some aspect of the hospitality sector. Associated with this trend, the building of facilities for professional sports teams has been a cornerstone of redevelopment programs for almost 30 years. Smaller cities that watched the efforts of Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, and Phoenix have now focused their attention on minor league teams and “second tier sports.” Cities rely on sports facilities for redevelopment strategies even though numerous independent analyses indicate that these structures and teams are not correlated with regional economic development. If sports facilities shift economic activity to an area that needs redevelopment, then the issue is not whether overall economic activity increased or decreased, but whether the vitality or centrality of the downtown area was enhanced or sustained. Through an examination of outcomes fo...
Introduction to part B

Polarimetric remote sensing dates back to the early 1900s, when French astronomers Lyot and Dollfus used it in astronomical observations of the planets. They realized that with its unique properties, polarization could accomplish what photometry alone could not, as well as supplementing photometric observations of the planets.
Independent vector analysis for real world speech processing

We introduce independent vector analysis (IVA) which is an extension of independent component analysis (ICA) to multivariate components. In a set of ICA mixtures, IVA groups dependent source components across different ICA mixtures and regard them as a multivariate source. This new formulation is an efficient framework for solving the permutation problem in frequency-domain blind source separation (BSS) and its application to n×n speech separation problem has been very successful. In this paper, we present a short tutorial on IVA and summarize the various models that have been proposed to model the frequency components of speech.
Optimal fishery policy for size-specific, density-dependent population models

Optimal harvest policy is derived for a size-specific population model based on the continuity equation. In this model both growth and recruitment rates can depend on either the number of individuals of specific sizes in the population or the level of food available. Necessary conditions for values of fishing pressure and size limit that maximize the present value of the resource are obtained and are interpreted in economic terms. The general solution obtained here reduces to solutions obtained previously for some special cases: the single age-class model, and the linear age-dependent model. Solutions involving constant fishery policy are sought for several different, specific versions of the general model. In each of these versions a constant policy solution is not optimal. This implies that for a general, realistic model the policy that maximizes present value is a time-varying or “pulse fishing” policy. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed in the light of existing results.
Information and evolution

Les auteurs discutent la formulation quantitative de l'evolution comme un proces qui augmente le contenu de l'entite thermodynamique d'information dans la biosphere.
Microfluidic Western blotting

Rapid, quantitative Western blotting is a long-sought bioanalytical goal in the life sciences. To this end, we describe a Western blotting assay conducted in a single glass microchannel under purely electronic control. The μWestern blot is comprised of multiple steps: sample enrichment, protein sizing, protein immobilization (blotting), and in situ antibody probing. To validate the microfluidic assay, we apply the μWestern blot to analyses of human sera (HIV immunoreactivity) and cell lysate (NFκB). Analytical performance advances are achieved, including: short durations of 10–60 min, multiplexed analyte detection, mass sensitivity at the femtogram level, high-sensitivity 50-pM detection limits, and quantitation capability over a 3.6-log dynamic range. Performance gains are attributed to favorable transport and reaction conditions on the microscale. The multistep assay design relies on a photopatternable (blue light) and photoreactive (UV light) polyacrylamide gel. This hydrophilic polymer constitutes both a separation matrix for protein sizing and, after brief UV exposure, a protein immobilization scaffold for subsequent antibody probing of immobilized protein bands. We observe protein capture efficiencies exceeding 75% under sizing conditions. This compact microfluidic design supports demonstration of a 48-plex μWestern blot in a standard microscope slide form factor. Taken together, the μWestern blot establishes a foundation for rapid, targeted proteomics by merging exceptional specificity with the throughput advantages of multiplexing, as is relevant to a broad range of biological inquiry.
The role of economic incentives in teenage nonmarital childbearing choices

Abstract In this paper, we explore whether behaviors of youths that are likely to result in a teen nonmarital birth event are influenced by their expectations of the net economic benefits or costs associated with the occurrence of such a birth. We posit and find that an increase in the perceived costs associated with the occurrence of a nonmarital birth would lead to a reduction in these risky behaviors, and to a lower probability of a nonmarital birth event. We represent these economic incentives by the income expectations of young women conditional on either giving birth as an unmarried teen or forgoing childbearing while unmarried and an adolescent. We also measure the effects of an extensive list of other factors, including the characteristics of the girl’s family and its choices, the social and economic environment in which she lives (including policy-related factors, such as expenditures by states on family-planning programs and the generosity of Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and her own prior choices.
Reduction of charge transfer region using graphene nano-ribbon geometry for improved complementary FET performance at sub-micron channel length

In this work, we investigate the effect of nano-ribbon geometries on graphene device performance and explain its effect on reducing the negative impact of Dirac point shift due to charge transfer into the graphene channel from the metal-graphene contact thereby leading to improved device performance and balanced n, p FET performance at submicron channel lengths.
Current and Future Forecasts of Service Use and Expenditures of Medicaid-Eligible Schizophrenia Patients in the State of Georgia

This study linked all claims data for reimbursable medical services and drugs of a cohort of 16,227 Medicaid-eligible recipients diagnosed with schizophrenia residing in the State of Georgia, with the treatment history file and Hospital Medical Information System file of each of the ten Georgia State psychiatric hospitals (Georgia Department of Human Resources [DHR]), which do not routinely bill Medicaid for services rendered. This provided a comprehensive picture of the medical resources consumed for each schizophrenia patient, allowing determination of expenditure use patterns, as well as forecast of future medical costs. Patient-level data were aggregated by category of service and reported as costs per member per month (PMPM). Autoregressive integrated moving average time series models described the temporal pattern of expenditures for 8 years of total cost data and were used to forecast expenditures 5 years into the future. From 1990 to 1997, total cumulative expenditures were over 1.09 billion dollars, expressed in 1995 constant dollars. DHR institutional care dominated the cost of care, but expenditures significantly decreased over time. Apparently offsetting this decrease was an increase in prescription drug cost between 1990 and 1995, from 5.7 percent of total expenditures to 10.5 percent. Total Medicaid and Medicare expenditures in 1995 dollars were relatively constant at approximately 700 dollars PMPM. Prescription expenditures increased from 50 dollars in 1990 to 100 dollars PMPM in 1997 and were projected to increase to 150 dollars in 2002. Expenditures were lower for persons continuously eligible for Medicaid than for the total cohort. Trends include a significant increase in prescription expenditures over time concurrent with decreases in inpatient expenditures and relatively stable changes in community mental health center expenditures.
Gene-environment interaction in human disease

MY OBJECTIVES in this paper are to illustrate the great complexity and variability of geneenvironment interactions in human disease, and to mention some of the investigative methods that have contributed to our understanding of these relationships in diseases other than schizophrenia. A second part of my assignment was to suggest how these matters might have relevance to research in schizophrenia. It will become apparent, I am afraid, that I have been unable to make more than token gestures towards this portion of my task.
The Interpretation and Use of S-Parameters in Lossy Lines

Although a fundamental parameter of transmission lines, the charac. teristic impedance is difficult to measure accurately. We suggest a method by which it may be easily determined from a measurement of the propagation constant. The method is based on a rigorous analysis from first principles using explicit and realistic approximations which include the effects of imperfect conductors. Results of numerical studies of lossy coaxial lines and of experiments with coplanar waveguides indicate that high accuracy is possible.
Improving the Utilization of Nuclear Resources

Currently, less than one percent of the latent nuclear energy in uranium mined from the earth is eventually utilized. Nearly 90% of the uranium is discarded as “tails” from the enrichment process, and less than 7% of the nuclear energy in the fuel assemblies is actually “burned” before the assemblies are discarded for disposal in a permanent repository (i.e. Yucca Mountain). Unfortunately, there is no economic incentive in the commercial nuclear industry to remedy this wasteful utilization because the cost of the fuel assemblies consumed by the current reactor LWR fleet is only about 25% of the overall operating cost. Nuclear fuel cost represents less than 10% of the nominal average wholesale price of electricity. But, current uranium utilization and nuclear fuel economics ignore government expenditures on spent nuclear fuel disposal practices, the costs of storing both the weapons grade plutonium and the depleted uranium from the uranium enrichment operations, and time that would be required to deploy the types of reactors and facilities to effectively close the fuel cycle. This paper analyzes these issues and concludes that there must be no delay in completing needed R&D and beginning deployment of the essential new fast breeder and actinide burning reactors.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Neonatal intubation performance: Room for improvement in tertiary neonatal intensive care units

Abstract Objective To describe neonatal tracheal intubation (TI) performance across five neonatal intensive care units. Methods This prospective descriptive study was conducted at five level III neonatal intensive care units (NICU) between July 2010 and July 2011. TI performance data were collected using a standardized data collection instrument (provider, procedure, and patient characteristics) and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The primary outcome of interest was procedural success rate defined as a tube placed in the airway between the vocal cords that could be used to provide ventilation. Results Forty-four percent of 455 TI attempts (203 patients) were successful. Attending physicians and 3rd year neonatal fellows had the highest success rates; 72.2% and 70%, respectively. Pediatric residents had the lowest success rate (20.3%). The median duration of attempts was 30 s for residents, 25 s for fellows, and 20 s for neonatal attending physicians. The most common reasons cited for failure were inability to visualize the vocal cords (25%), patient decompensation (desaturation/bradycardia, 41%) and esophageal TI (19%). The duration of all TI attempts ranged from 5 s to 180 s and there was no difference between successful and failed attempts. Impending respiratory failure (46.5%) was the most common indication for TI. Patient factors (weight, gestational age, or number of previous TI attempts) were not associated with TI success. Conclusions Overall TI procedure success rates were poor. Providers with advanced training were more likely to be successful. Patient factors were not associated with TI success.
Pricing spectrum access in cellular CDMA networks with heterogeneous demand

We consider pricing secondary access to wireless spectrum in cellular CDMA networks. We study the case for a primary license holder interested in leasing the right of providing service in a given geographical region of its coverage network. The goal is to price access to the cells in that region under heterogeneous call traffic demand with the objective of profit maximization. While a revenue is gained from the leased region due to the exercised price, the primary license holder incurs a loss due to reduced spatial coverage of the network and also due to interference effect from the leased into the retained region. We exploit the spatial effect of interference due to geographical locations of the cells and set a price per cell rather than pricing the whole region by a scalar quantity. We employ reduced load approximations which have proved useful in classical telephony and characterize optimal prices for different pricing philosophies, e.g., flat pricing and demand-based pricing. The obtained formula of prices suggests charging per admitted call in proportion with the interference that the call generates. The charged amount balances the corresponding loss of revenue due to the influence of an admitted call. We present an iterative price computing technique and provide a numerical study in support of our analytical results.
Adsorption of Zirconyl Salts and Their Acids on Hydroxyapatite: Use of the Salts as Coupling Agents to Dental Polymer Composites

Zirconyl methacrylate (I) and zirconyl-2-ethylhexanoate (II) were synthesized, and their adsorption isotherms from solutions onto synthetic hydroxyapatite were studied. The isotherms of methacrylic and 2-ethylhexanoic acids were also determined from the same solvents. The adsorption of I was irreversible from methylene chloride, and that of II was irreversible from cyclohexane. The adsorption in both cases was constant from solutions above a certain concentration, and exhaustive below this threshold concentration. Both compounds rendered the dried apatite powder extremely hydrophobic; however, the adsorbate was slowly washed off by excess water. The configuration of the adsorbate molecules, deduced from the maximum adsorption and other adsorption characteristics of the two compounds, indicated that: (i) in both cases the adsorbate may be held to the surface by concerted hydrogen bonding of the carboxylate and zirconyl oxygen atoms; and (ii) the hydrocarbon moieties in both adsorbates expose themselves toward the solution, thereby making the dried surface hydrophobic. The adsorptive behavior of the respective acids was similar to that of the salts. Polymer, filled with synthetic hydroxyapatite covered with irreversibly adsorbed I, had a diametral tensile strength about 50% greater than that of the polymer filled with untreated apatite. The strength of the composite was not affected by treatment of the apatite with II or with the acids.
My military: A navy nurse practitioner's perspective on military culture and joining forces for veteran health

Purpose This article responds to the need for improved integration of veteran health considerations across the broader community. A focus of the Joining Forces initiative is to foster partnerships between veterans and their communities through enhanced education, knowledge, and commitment of resources and support. Data resources Data and resources on known threats to veteran health are widely available in the literature. Personal perspectives on military culture and experience expand the body of knowledge and lead to improved outcomes in both established and evolving care delivery models and best practices for veteran health. Conclusions The need for veteran health care outside of military and Veterans Affairs facilities is vast and expanding. Enhancing resources for health care of veterans is of critical importance. An understanding of military culture offers a basic reference for nonmilitary care providers to consider when providing and facilitating care across the continuum of veterans’ health. Implications for practice Nurse practitioners (NPs) are ideal providers of care for veteran and military family healthcare needs. NP practice incorporates cultural sensitivity, prevention strategies, and wellness-focused care while delivering and facilitating optimal patient, family, and community outcomes. The NP will be of critical community value in joining forces for veteran health.
Integration of expression data in genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions

With the advent of high-throughput technologies, the field of systems biology has amassed an abundance of “omics” data, quantifying thousands of cellular components across a variety of scales, ranging from mRNA transcript levels to metabolite quantities. Methods are needed to not only integrate this omics data but to also use this data to heighten the predictive capabilities of computational models. Several recent studies have successfully demonstrated how flux balance analysis (FBA), a constraint-based modeling approach, can be used to integrate transcriptomic data into genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions to generate predictive computational models. In this review, we summarize such FBA-based methods for integrating expression data into genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions, highlighting their advantages as well as their limitations.