cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimentally Based Estimates of Relations between X-Band Radar Signal Attenuation Characteristics and Differential Phase in Rain

Correcting observed polarimetric radar variables for attenuation and differential attenuation effects in rain is important for meteorological applications involving measurements at attenuating frequencies such as those at X band. The results of estimating the coefficients in the correction-scheme relations from dual-wavelength polarimetric radar measurements of rainfall involving attenuating and nonattenuating frequencies are described. Such coefficients found directly from measurements are essentially free from different assumptions aboutdropshapes,dropsizedistributions,and/orrelationsbetweendifferentradarvariables thataretypically used in many attenuation and differential attenuation correction schemes. Experimentally based estimates derivedusingdual-wavelengthradarmeasurementsconductedduringaprojectin northernColoradoindicate values of the coefficients in the attenuation‐differential phase quasi-linear relations at X band in the approximate range of 0.20‐0.31dBdeg 21 . The corresponding coefficients in the differential attenuation‐ differential phase relations are in the range of 0.052‐0.065dBdeg 21 .
Active power sharing in hybrid battery/capacitor power sources

The objective of this work is to determine to what extent the performance of a battery/capacitor hybrid power source can be improved by isolating the battery through a power converter. The performance of an active hybrid power source (battery/capacitor/converter) is compared to that of a passive hybrid (battery/capacitor) using both simulation and experiment. Particularly in this paper, two cells of Sony US18650 lithium-ion battery and two cells of Maxwell PC 100 supercapacitor are used as the energy storage components in the power source construction. Both the experimental data and the simulation results show that the active hybrid power source achieved greater mass and volume densities of power without drawing excessive currents from the battery. The active hybrid yielded a peak power of 130 W with terminal voltage variation (1.31 V), compared to a maximum of 42 W for the passive hybrid with voltage variation 1.7 V.
A Restless Bandit Formulation of Opportunistic Access: Indexablity and Index Policy

We focus on an opportunistic communication system consisting of multiple independent channels with time-varying states. With limited sensing, a user can only sense and access a subset of channels and accrue rewards determined by the state of the sensed channels. We formulate the problem of optimal sequential channel probing as a restless multi-armed bandit process, for which a powerful index policy-Whittle's index policy-can be implemented based on the indexability of the system. Exploiting the underlying structure of the multi-channel opportunistic access problem, we establish the indexability and obtain the Whittle's index in closed-form, which leads to a direct implementation of Whittle's index policy with little complexity. Furthermore, we show that Whittle's index policy is equivalent to the myopic policy when channels are statistically identical.
The Effect of Perceived Justice and Attributions Regarding Service Failure and Recovery on Post-Recovery Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Attitudes

This research examines the impact of attributions regarding service failure and recovery on the relationship between satisfaction and service quality by studying a service failure in the hospitalit...
The cost of problem-based vs traditional medical education.

It is generally accepted that teachers' salaries are a major factor in the cost of medical education. Little is known about the effects of curriculum on teaching time. A comparison of teaching time devoted to each of two different medical education curricula is presented. In a traditional teacher-centered, subject-oriented curriculum, 61% of the total teaching effort expended by twenty-two teachers took place in the absence of students, i.e. in preparation for student contact. Only 39% of the effort devoted by these teachers to medical education took place in the presence of students. In a problem-based, student-centered curriculum which focuses upon small-group tutorial learning and early extended primary care experience in a rural community setting, 72% of the total teaching effort devoted to medical education was spent with students and only 28% was spent in preparation for student contact. Overall, there were no differences in the total amount of teaching time required by each of the two curricular approaches to medical education. There were, however, major differences in how teachers spent their teaching time.
The therapeutic potential of misonidazole enhancement of alkylating agent cytotoxicity

Abstract The effect of prolonged exposure to low misonidazole (MISO) levels on the cytotoxicity of three alkylating agents was studied in mouse tumors. A concentration of 100 μg/ml was maintained in the plasma for 7 hr by multiple injections of MISO. Cyclophosphamide (CYC), Melphalan (L-PAM), or CCNU were given after 4 hrs of MISO exposure. In each case, prolonged low level MISO exposure enhanced tumor response as measured by regrowth delay or a cloning assay. The effect of this treatment was also studied in several normal tissues: bone marrow, white blood cell counts, and spermatogonia. In none of these was any enhancement seen after prolonged MISO exposure. These encouraging results show that clinically relevant exposures to MISO can greatly improve tumor response to alkylating agents without increased normal tissue toxicity.
Pediatric Constipation Therapy Using Guidelines and Polyethylene Glycol 3350

OBJECTIVETo review current guidelines on the treatment of functional constipation in pediatric patients, with an emphasis on the role of polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350).DATA SOURCESPrimary medical literature published in English was identified by MEDLINE search (1980—May 2003).STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONRecently published treatment guidelines relating to pediatric functional constipation and its pharmacotherapy are assessed and compared. Published trials evaluating PEG 3350 in pediatric subjects are discussed and their results applied to the clinical role and use of this new agent.DATA SYNTHESISConstipation is a common disorder among children. A number of factors may play a role. A variety of medications are commonly used for this disorder, although few treatments have undergone evaluation by controlled clinical trials. Consensus guidelines recommend either osmotic laxatives, mineral oil, or their combination for maintenance treatment in concert with patient and parental education and behavior...
On hydromagnetic precession in a cylinder

The hydrodynamic theory of the resonant cylinder (Gans 1970) is extended to include the effects of a magnetic field parallel to the rotation axis. The linear response is modified by a change in boundary-layer suction and a change in the resonant length. These effects are of equal importance. The theory is valid for small container conductivity and for amplitudes such that the cube of the amplitude is less than the dimensionless precession rate. The importance of container conductivity is assessed. The free modes of the system are given in an appendix. These modes move both east and west.Experimental apparatus capable of producing magnetic Reynolds numbers of the order of 20 for indefinite lengths of time is described. The apparatus was used to assess the linear theory, though not designed for this purpose. Experiments beyond the range of linear theory are described. The results show finite amplitude effects similar to those previously observed in precessing spheroids in the absence of magnetic effects (Malkus 1968). Additional structure attributable to magnetic effects is observed.
Development of JEDEC standard thermal measurement test boards

A combination of experimental and modeling studies has been performed to define the impact of printed circuit board (PCB) design on the measured thermal performance of integrated circuit (IC) packages. These results have been used to develop a joint electron device engineering council (JEDEC) test card standard that allows less than 10% measurement variability between the minimum and maximum limits of the design parameters. At the same time, the standard allows wide latitude in layout for various components. The modeling and measurement studies that were performed to set the limits of the standard test coupons for surface mounted components and area array packages such as ball grid arrays (BGAs) are described, along with extensions in principle to actual devices operating in systems.
Estimating female reproductive success of a threatened butterfly: influence of emergence time and hostplant phenology.

We estimated lifetime reproductive success of Euphydryas editha bayensis (Nymphalidae), a federally listed threatened butterfly, based on age-specific fecundity and both adult and offspring survival. Our results indicate that the relative timing of adult emergence and larval hosplant senescence strongly influenced reproductive success of females. For 1992, we estimated that only 8–21% of the eggs laid by females emerging on the 1st day of the 4-week flight season would produce larvae that reach diapause. This figure dropped to 1–5% for females emerging 7 days into the flight season. Within our entire sample, we estimated that 64–88% of the females produced offspring with less than a 2% probability of reaching diapause. These estimates are particularly striking given that they are based on only one source of larval mortality — prediapause starvation due to hostplant senescence. This dependence of reproductive success on the relative timing of female emergence and hostplant senescence may reduce effective population size and render E. editha bayensis especially vulnerable to local extinction events.
Friends, friendlessness, and social cognition

I applaud the methods and findings of the target article by Fink and colleagues (Brit. J. Dev. Psychol, 2015; 33, 1–17) who demonstrate an important link between theory of mind and children's social lives. In particular, enhanced theory of mind in preschool buffers children from friendlessness in the transition to school. Going further, I suggest needed steps for the field to experimentally demonstrate causal links between children's theory of mind and their social actions and interactions.
Structural Change Implications for Small Farms: Discussion

Gebremedhin and Christy focus on agriculture’s trend toward concentration and industrialization, and how small farms may be affected by the mostly unintended consequences of government policy. They identify a set of forces that may move smaller farmers out of agriculture, resulting in social costs both to individuals and families forced to change occupations and homes, and to their communities. Agricultural economists and rural sociologists have a long-running concern with this issue. The decline in farm numbers was well underway by 1950, as documented in Gebremedhin and Christy’s table 1. In a 1957 study, Bolton documented and examined the decline in farm numbers as part of Louisiana’s low farm income problem, initially devoting attention to the number of small farms and categorization for analysis. He observed that limited resources constrain farm income and that nonfarm income was an important component of family income. The 1970s and 1980s saw a surge of interest in small farms. Gebremedhin and Christy document this interest through the better known writings of that period-particularly West; Carlin and Crecink; Lewis; Marshall and Thompson; Schertz; Tweeten; and others. The rapid disappearance of small farms brought policy attention and resulted in program changes that will be documented later. Nevertheless, the total number of farms and, according to Gebremedhin and Christy, a disproportionate number of small
Gene flow versus local adaptation in the northern acorn barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides: insights from mitochondrial DNA variation.

In reciprocal transplant experiments, Bertness and Gaines (1993) found that Semibalanus balanoides ju- veniles that had settled in an upper Narragansett Bay estuary survived better in that estuary that did juveniles from coastal localities. The observed pattern of survivorship led to the claim that local adaptation may result from a combination of limited gene flow between and strong selection within these habitats. Here we test the hypothesis that limited gene flow has led to habitat-specific population differentiation using sequence and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region of S. balanoides. Samples were analyzed from replicated coastal and estuary localities in both Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and Damariscotta River, Maine. The patterns of FST indicate that gene flow between coast and estuary is extensive ( Nm . 100) and is not lower in the estuary with lower flushing rates (Narragansett Bay). Given the high estimate of genetic exchange, adaptations for unpredictable environments seem more likely than local adaptation in this species because loci that respond to selection in one generation are essentially homogenized by the next seasons' settlement. Nevertheless, these estimates of neutral gene flow can help identify the strength of selection necessary for local adaptation to accumulate in Semibalanus.
Strategic Approach to Estuarine Environmental Management

It is reasoned that ecological systems must be examined from a spectrum of views ranging from those of high perspective-low detail to those of low perspective-high detail. Such a spectrum should provide complimentary views of real world systems the “true” nature of which is beyond our capacity to perceive. A high perspective low detail view is employed to examine the organization, function, and requirements of whole estuarine systems. A number of concerns pertinent to comprehensive environmental planning of estuaries are identified. A planning approach is presented that calls for the uneven distribution of development activities among Oregon’s estuarine systems. This approach places a high value on environmental variety, including a wide range of undeveloped ecosystems. Cluster communities with intervening open space are called for within systems selected for development. A number of methods, concerns, and problems related to the implementation of this approach are identified. Although the approach is recommended for Oregon’s estuaries, emphasis is given to general concepts that have wider applicability.
Desynchronization of stochastically synchronized chemical oscillators

Experimental and theoretical studies are presented on the design of perturbations that enhance desynchronization in populations of oscillators that are synchronized by periodic entrainment. A phase reduction approach is used to determine optimal perturbation timing based upon experimentally measured phase response curves. The effectiveness of the perturbation waveforms is tested experimentally in populations of periodically and stochastically synchronized chemical oscillators. The relevance of the approach to therapeutic methods for disrupting phase coherence in groups of stochastically synchronized neuronal oscillators is discussed.
Principals' Perceptions of Importance of Reading Readiness Factors

background as the most important. Principals frequently have direct control over the curriculum of the schools and their points of view can significantly influence the instructional program. Therefore, it seemed desirable to determine if there were differences between principals and teachers in their perceptions of the importance of Loree's eight factors in beginning reading. The principals in 400 randomly selected schools in the southeast were asked to rank from 1 to 8 Loree's eight factors in terms of importance to beginning reading, i.e., the most imporcant (1); the second most importanc (2); etc. A total of 338 principals (84.5%) responded to the survey, including 180 elementary (127 males and 53 females) and 158 non-elementary (108 males and 50 females). The Spearman rho between ranks for males and females in the elementary and nonelementary groups were respectively .93 and .91. The elemenrary principals ranked the factors as follows (most important to leut important with percentage of first place preference shown) : mental age (33 9% ), background ( 19.3% ), emotional adjustment (17.2% ), school adjustment (9.4% ), vision (8.7%), hearing (5.6% ), desire to read (3.3% ) , and health and vigor (2.7% ) . '1n comparison, the non-elementary principals perceived the imporcance of the factors as follows: mental age (34.3% ), vision (18.4%), desire to read ( 18.4% ) , background ( 18.4% ) , emotional adjustment (8.9% ) , school adjustment (0.50/0), health and vlgor (0.5%), and hearing (0.5%). The rankings by the elementary and non-elementary pr~ncipals were similar to those given respectively by experienced and non-experienced elementary teachers (Anderson, et al., 1967). The results indicated that there was good agreement between elementary principals and experienced elementary reachers in their perceptions of the importance of reading readiness factors. Thus, it appeared that there would be grounds for cooperation between groups relative ro curriculum and methods of instruction in reading readiness.
Preseismic Tilt and Triggered Reverse Faulting Due to Unloading in a Diatomite Quarry near Lompoc, California

INTRODUCTION Small, shallow earthquakes induced by quarrying operations, petroleum production, and mining have been recognized in many parts of the world (Richter, 1958, pp. 155-156; Pomeroy et al ., 1976; McGarr, 1991; Nicholson and Wesson, 1994), and they have been commonplace at a diatomite quarry in Lompoc for about 50 years (Yerkes et al ., 1983). In the cases of induced earthquakes that involve removal of rock or fluid, rather than injection of fluid or superposition of a load, the cause of the earthquakes is generally attributed to decrease of the load stress and consequent increase of the shear stress leading to slip failure on an existing fault or bedding surface. The earthquakes at the Lompoc quarry are significant to understanding earthquake mechanics because they illustrate this process of coseismic rock failure at a scale that is intermediate between laboratory bench experiments and damaging, crustal scale earthquakes. At about 11:30 PST on...
Effect-Size Magnitude Benchmarks: Implications for Scientific Progress and Statistical Inferences

It has been a half-century since Cohen (1962) provided rough benchmarks for classifying effect size magnitude. However, such general benchmarks are not necessarily applicable to management research...
Nanophase Molecular Antiferromagnets

Nanometer-sized molecular complexes of superexchange-coupled iron ions with iron nuclearity n > 10 exhibit short-range intramolecular magnetic ordering and “particlelike” superparamagnetism in their low temperature Mossbauer spectra. A comparative study of the magnetic properties of ca 10 A diameter iron-oxo phases obtained through controlled hydrolytic polymerization of iron in non-aqueous solvents is presented. The magnetic anisotropy energy constant, K, which is proportional to the observed blocking temperature, TB, and the sharpness of the superparamagnetic transition depend critically on the iron oxidation state and degree of 3d-electron delocalization. Representative examples of mixed-valent iron complexes containing oxo-bridged, octahedrally coordinated iron with primarily either Fe(III) or Fe(II) character are discussed.
Variations in the Larvae of Culex Stigmatosoma Dyar with Notes on Similar Species (Diptera: Culicidae)

Culex stigmatosoma was described by Dyar (1907) from a large number of specimens that had been collected mostly from California. A rather general description was given for the larva, but Dyar stated that the larva would fall into the table of Dyar and Knab (1906) with pipiens and cubensis.
A Comparison of Environmental and Display System Factors in Media Presentation Rooms

A set of media presentation rooms were designed, built, and equipped according to well established and accepted environmental design and display system engineering principles. These new facilities and three other existing media presentation rooms were evaluated by 503 University students. Results indicated a significant preference for the environmentally coordinated media presentation rooms.
Research of the Pricing Strategy in Mobile Telecommunications' Unilateral Charging

Many people paid attention to the charging mode and pricing strategy of mobile telecommunications with its fast development.This paper focusing on the unilateral pricing strategy of Chinese mobile telecommunications concluded that network externality would improve the social welfare.It also suggested that we should adopt caller pay principle to prompt mobile telecommunications at the beginning and adopt receiver pay principle to increase social welfare in the end.
Determination of chlorobenzenes in water using gas chromatography-electron capture detection with Large-diameter capillary column

Objective:To establish a method for the determination of 11 chlorobenzenes in water by gas chromatography.Methods: 11 kinds of chlorobenzenes in water were detected by capillary gas chromatography.The chromatographic conditions,limits of detection,reagent blank and interference factors were studied and optimized.Results: The recoveries were 95%~107%.The RSD were 0.99%~4.1%.The limit of detection was 0.04 μg/L~20 μg/L.Conclusion: The method is simple,sensitive and suitable for the analysis of pesticide residues.
Simultaneous Detection of Monascine and Ankaflavine in Monascus Pigments by HPLC

Objective:To establish an efficient method for simultaneously detecting both of monascine and ankaflavine in monascus pigments by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Methods:With the self-made pigments as reference substances,monascine and ankaflavine were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed adopting SHIM-PACK HRC-ODS C18 column and methanol-water(80:20,V/V) mixture as mobile phase under the condition of flow rate 1.0 ml/min and detection wavelength 394 nm.Results:The method has a good linear relationship in the range of 10 to 500 mg/L.The regression equation of monascine is Y = 0.00015x + 0.82365 with the determination coefficient of 0.99988,and the regression equation of ankaflavine is Y = 0.00031x-0.45 with the determination coefficient of 0.99987.Their relative standard deviations are both less than 4%.The detection results of monascine and ankaflavine contents in monascus pigment products collected from some companies in China by this method are satisfying.Conclusion:This method has a good reproducibility and stability,and can be used for detection of monascine and ankaflavine and analysis of compositions and quality of monascus pigment products.
Visualization of vocal tract shape using interleaved real-time MRI of multiple scan planes

Conventional real-time magnetic resonance imaging (RTMRI) of the upper airway typically acquires information about the vocal tract from a single midsagittal scan plane. This provides insights into the dynamics of all articulators, but does not allow for visualization of several important features in vocal tract shaping, such as grooving/doming of the tongue, asymmetries in tongue shape, and lateral shaping of the pharyngeal airway. In this paper, we present an approach to RT-MRI of multiple scan planes of interest using timeinterleaved acquisition, in which temporal resolution is compromised for greater spatial coverage. We demonstrate simultaneous visualization of vocal tract dynamics from midsagittal, coronal, and axial scan planes in the articulation of English fricatives.
Waveguiding and bending modes in a plasma photonic crystal bandgap device

Waveguiding and bending modes are investigated in a fully tunable plasma photonic crystal. The plasma device actively controls the propagation of free space electromagnetic waves in the S to X band of the microwave spectrum. An array of discharge plasma tubes form a square crystal lattice exhibiting a well-defined bandgap, with individual active switching of the plasma elements to allow for waveguiding and bending modes to be generated dynamically. We show, through simulations and experiments, the existence of transverse electric (TE) mode waveguiding and bending modes.
Some Aspects of Microsporidian Physiology

Biochemical and physiological studies of microsporidians that have been accomplished in the past few years are due, in large part, to their recent availability and to methods for cultivation and maintenance of these organisms in the laboratory. New experimental techniques have facilitated obtaining basic insight of some of the general features of this group of parasites.
The Emperor Has No Clothes: Improving the Quality and Compliance of ITPs:

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) requires that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students with disabilities, age 16 years and older, include age appropriat...
A Multi-Algorithmic Class Structure for Finite Element Modeling

This paper describes a computational class structure for finite element modeling that is designed to permit the use of distributed, switchable algorithms. The algorithmic framework is composed of a set of classes supporting element-by-element and assembled algorithms for solving linear and non-linear problems in static and dynamic contexts. The framework has been designed so that algorithms can be selected and changed dynamically, and distinct algorithms can be used in different parts of the model. This development has been motivated by efforts to construct direct manipulation finite element modeling environments intended to allow engineers to take an exploratory, hands-on approach to structural analysis and design.
Base Rate Theory and School Psychology.

This article focuses on one type of judgmental issue in cognitive psychology that depicts mixed results — subjects' use of and failures to use base rates in category predictions. It examines condit...
Regression Models for Count Data

In Chapters 2 and 3 we explored the use of least squares regression to analyze and understand the relationship between a target variable and at least one predicting variable. While it was possible to model the number of deaths monthly from the number of killer tornadoes, there were clear problems in that model fitting, including negative estimated tornado-related deaths, an apparent nonlinear relationship between the target and the predictor, and heteroscedasticity in the residuals from the model. As was noted on page 25, the problem is that least squares is based on a “signal-plusnoise” model using an underlying Gaussian distribution, when the correct analysis uses distributions appropriate for categorical data, such as those discussed in Chapter 4. Before discussing specific models, we present results for a very general regression model, the generalized linear model. In later sections and chapters we will see how these general results apply to specific models for distributions such as the Poisson and binomial.
Environmentally Sustainable Business and the Rashomon Effect

The Academy Award winning 1950 Japanese movie Rashomon depicts an incident involving an outlaw, the rape or seduction of a woman, and the murder or suicide of her husband. A passer-by, who is also the narrator, explains how the story is told to officials from four different perspectives: that of the outlaw, the woman, the husband, and himself. The four narratives agree that the outlaw, wandering through the forest, came upon the woman on a horse being led by her husband, the outlaw tied up the husband, sex took place between the woman and the outlaw in front of the bound husband, and the husband was found dead. The narratives do not agree on how these events occurred or who killed the husband. The outlaw contends that consensual sex occurred between him and the wife, and he claims to have killed the husband. The wife depicts the sex as rape and claims that because of her disgrace, she killed her husband. The husband, through a medium, says that the sexual act began as rape and ended as consent, and that, after being untied by the outlaw, he killed himself in shame. The passer-by’s story agrees with the husband’s account of the sex but claims that the bandit was initially afraid to kill the husband. The passer-by depicts both men as cowards, preferring to save their own lives than protect the wife. Eventually, however, the husband was killed by the bandit. Interestingly, because the passer-by is also the narrator of the film, recounting to friends the strange contradictory reportings of this event, we tend to believe his version. But what actually took place is never resolved.
Vlogging Cancer: Predictors of Social Support in YouTube Cancer Vlogs.

Abstract Social support research has demonstrated the physical and psychological benefits of social support for patients, but has done little to identify successful strategies for eliciting social ...
Obligate, but not facultative, satellite males prefer the same male sexual signal characteristics as females

Signalling is energetically expensive and increases the risk of predation and parasite infection. To balance the costs and benefits of mate attraction, individuals may adopt an alternative mating strategy such as satellite behaviour, in which nonsignalling males will settle near signalling males and attempt to intercept approaching females. While many suggest that alternative strategies are ‘making the best of a bad job’, little research has examined whether satellites, particularly obligate satellites, have the potential to increase their mating success by preferentially targeting more attractive signallers. Using the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, we tested the hypothesis that males are more likely to act as satellites to signalling males with particularly attractive songs, as these callers are likely to attract the most females. In this species, a novel male wing mutation, ‘flatwing’, renders some males unable to call. Flatwings are obligate satellites, while nonmutated, normal-wing males switch between calling and satellite strategies. We presented males with calling song models varying in the percentage of long-to-short chirps, a characteristic important in female choice. As was shown for females in previous work, flatwings exhibited a strong preference for calling songs composed of 60% long chirp. Normal wing males did not prefer any particular calling song model. Our results lead to the paradoxical conclusion that males with highly attractive songs may not have the highest mating success. Such male preference for male sexual signals may oppose selection by females and increase competition between signalling and satellite males. This could potentially slow the rate of male trait evolution and influence the evolution of male competition.
Sons-in-law and their fathers-in-law: Gaining a preliminary understanding of an understudied family relationship

With more than 2 million couples marrying each year in the U.S. (CDC, 2015), the need for understanding in-law relationships that are newly formed with the marriage and continue for decades, is imp...
Analytical Methods for Performance Evaluations of Adaptive Modulation and Coding in Cognitive Radio Systems That Employ Distance Statistics

Distance statistics have been employed in previous investigations of packet transmission and reception in cognitive radio systems. Such statistics are a good source of control information for packet-to-packet adaptation of modulation and coding to mitigate the effects of time-varying fading or interference. Previous research on distance statistics has relied on simulation for protocol design and performance evaluation. We devise new analytical methods for use in the design and evaluation of protocols for adaptive modulation and coding that obtain control information from a distance statistic. The primary advantage of our approach is the avoidance of simulations of the time-varying channel, generation of the adaptive control information, and adaptation process.
Authenticity and community process

How does community process constitute an opening to an authentic existence? Martin Heidegger suggests that authentic Being-in-the-world is rooted in self-reflection and isolation from others—far fr...
Effects of dietary menhaden oil on growth and reproduction in gilts farrowed by sows that consumed diets containing menhaden oil during gestation and lactation.

In sows, n-3 fatty acids increase litter sizes, however, effects on gilt reproductive development have not been adequately studied. Moreover, not determined are effects of feeding n-3 fatty acids to sows on reproduction in offspring. The objective here was to determine effects of 4% dietary menhaden oil on growth and puberty in gilts farrowed by sows fed menhaden oil. Sows (n = 44) were assigned to: (1) control gestation and lactation diets, or (2) diets including menhaden oil. For primiparous sows only, total litter size and born alive were greater (P 0.20) other sow and litter characteristics. At weaning, 84 gilts from control- or menhaden oil sows were placed three gilts per pen and provided control diets or diets containing menhaden oil. Nursery and grow-finish feed intake and feed efficiency were similar (P > 0.21) for gilts from the different sows and weight gain was similar (P > 0.24) for gilts fed control or menhaden diets. Gilts fed menhaden oil tended to eat less in the nursery (1.18±0.08 kg v. 0.98±0.08 kg; P = 0.09) and overall (1.83±0.04 kg v. 1.72±0.04 kg; P = 0.06). Thus, overall feed to gain was greater (2.52±0.03 v. 2.33±0.03; P 0.23). Feeding gilts menhaden oil enhanced feed efficiency and hastened puberty onset. Gilts from sows consuming menhaden oil exhibited delayed puberty and retaining females from sows fed this feedstuff may be ill advised.
Application of birefringent coating to the study of strains around circular inclusions in mortar prisms

With the use of a birefringent material, a method of determining the maximum shear strains around circular inclusions is discussed. The mounting of a small-field instrument is shown so that consistent and reproducible results can be obtained. The experimental and theoretical maximum shear strains are compared on a prism with a single inclusion.
Genetic Defects of the Complement Pathways: Relationship to HLA and Disease

There are known and theoretical defects in the immune response system which might make an individual susceptible to the development of nephritis. Certainly the various deficiencies of immunoglobulins, B and T lymphocytes are well known, and are clinically characterized by recurrent infections. They are not known to be associated with renal diseases, other than perhaps urinary tract infections. Increasing interest has focused lately on inherited, isolated deficiencies of components of the complement system. While first recognized in otherwise normal individuals (reviewed in Jersild et al., 1976; Carpenter et al., 1977; Schur, 1977, 1978; Agnello, 1978), there have recently been numerous reports of their association with disease.
Adolescents with an entity theory of personality are more vigilant to social status and use relational aggression to maintain social status

The present research proposed that one social-cognitive root of adolescents' willingness to use relational aggression to maintain social status in high school is an entity theory of personality, which is the belief that people's social status-relevant traits are fixed and cannot change. Aggregated data from three studies (N=882) showed that first-year high school adolescents in the U.S. who endorsed more of an entity theory were more likely to show cognitive and motivational vigilance to social status, in terms of judgments on a novel social categorization task and reports of goals related to demonstrating social status to peers. Those with an entity theory then showed a greater willingness to use relational aggression, as measured by retrospective self-reports, responses to a hypothetical scenario, and a behavioral choice task. Discussion centers on theoretical and translational implications of the proposed model and of the novel measures.
Introduction: Writing Resistance and the Question of Gender—Charlotte Delbo, Noor Inayat Khan, and Germaine Tillion

This chapter offers an in-depth analysis of the prewar and wartime lives of Charlotte Delbo, Noor Inayat Khan, and Germaine Tillion to show how their experiences conditioned their political engagements and how, in terms of both style and substance, their works grew from their commitments to resistance activities. Each author’s unique modes of “writing resistance” take shape according to her particular activities and preoccupations. These find expression through a variety of genres, including autobiography; chronicles of wartime atrocities; the eyewitness accounts of victims; journalistic evaluations of major political events; and the art of fiction—literary characters, narrative settings, idioms, and imagery.
An effective and accessible cell configuration for testing rechargeable zinc-based alkaline batteries

Abstract Rechargeable aqueous zinc-air batteries have received much attention due to their intrinsic safety, high theoretical volumetric energy density (6134 Wh/L), and low cost. However, zinc anodes suffer from severe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes, which are kinetically favorable for air cathodes. Through an electrochemical cell–gas chromatography setup, we quantitatively identified that 99% of the capacity loss on the zinc anode was caused by HER. Most previous research has focused on material design to suppress HER, while less attention has been paid to the device. Here we demonstrate that the testing device has an apparent effect on the HER in alkaline electrolytes. Stainless-steel coin cells, as common devices used in research laboratories, accelerate HER due to synergistic effects of galvanic corrosion and a high HER activity. We designed an effective and accessible cell configuration for testing zinc-based alkaline batteries, which minimizes HER and demonstrates a higher Coulombic efficiency and longer cycling life than stainless-steel coin cells. Minimized HER and self-discharge of Zn were visualized through the operando optical microscopy. Specifically, the Ni–Zn battery with our cell configuration achieved stable long-term cycling for 816 cycles compared with ~100 cycles for the stainless-steel cell. The cell configuration shown here can be directly used or modified for future research on zinc-based aqueous batteries.
Tax Planning and Managers’ Preference for Smooth Earnings

Recent survey evidence suggests that a majority of financial executives have a preference for smooth earnings streams and are willing to sacrifice long-term value to smooth earnings. While prior research provides mixed evidence of the benefits of smooth earnings, there has been little attention on the tradeoff between managers’ preference for smooth earnings and value-enhancing activities that induce earnings volatility. We address this void in the literature by investigating the link between managers’ preference for smooth earnings and tax planning, an activity that both enhances firm value and increases earnings volatility. Consistent with managers that have a preference for smooth earnings engaging in less tax planning, we find an economically significant relation between both the effective tax rate and cash effective tax rate and the preference for smooth earnings. Additional evidence suggests that managers that have a stronger preference for smooth earnings are less likely to engage in aggressive tax strategies. These results are consistent with the preference for smooth earnings impacting not only the level but also the nature of foregone value-enhancing activities.
Quantitative electron microscopic description of heart muscle cells. Application to normal, hypertrophied and thyroxin-stimulated hearts.

Abstract Mathematical techniques can be used to extract quantitative information from tissue electron micrographs of heart muscle. With these methods it has been possible to measure the fractions of myocardial cell volume made up of myofibrils, mitochondria, sarcotubules, T system and sarcoplasm, as well as the membrane areas per unit of cell volume of plasma membrane, sarcotubular membrane and mitochondrial cristae. The techniques have been used to quantitate the changes in the ultrastructure of myocardial cells in experimental left ventricular hypertrophy and in experimentally induced hypothyroidism before and after treatment with thyroxin. These measurements have demonstrated striking and physiologically significant changes in the ultrastructural composition of the cells. The pattern of ultrastructural change in ventricular hypertrophy differs in characteristic ways from the pattern during thyroxin-stimulated cardiac cellular growth. These observations have suggested certain generalizations about the constraints to which growing myocardial cells are subject. New and simple microchemical methods have been developed to determine the cardiac contents of myofibrils and mitochondrial cristae. The methods are applicable to samples of heart muscle obtained at autopsy, surgery or biopsy, as well as to experimental material. Application of these techniques to the study of experimental left ventricular hypertrophy and thyroxin-stimulated growth of myocardial cells has confirmed and extended the results of quantitative measurements on electron micrographs. It is suggested that the approaches described can form the basis of a quantitative electron microscopic and microchemical pathology of heart muscle.
The Lithium/Sulfur Rechargeable Cell Effects of Electrode Composition and Solvent on Cell Performance

The cycling behavior and electrochemical characteristics of the sulfur electrode in the lithium/sulfur rechargeable cell were investigated using galvanostatic cycling and cyclic voltammetry. The cycling performance of the sulfur electrode was characterized in different solvents (triglyme, PEGDME 250 and 500). The variations of capacity and capacity fade rate were also measured as a function of the content of sulfur, carbon and binder. The capacity fade rate of the sulfur electrode was lower with a higher molecular weight solvent such as PEGDME 250 or 500. The content of carbon in the sulfur electrode plays an important role in capacity improvement. The best cell cycled for 600 deep cycles above 100 mAh/g of electrode, and 400 cycles above 160 mAh/g of electrode (80% of original capacity) at room temperature. © 2002 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Essentials of Functional Neuroimaging

1 What Neuroimaging Techniques Measure 2 From Data to Psychological Inference 3 Experimental Design for Neuroimaging Experiments 4 Data Analysis: Implementation 5 Summary Keywords: FMRI; analysis; neuroimaging; PET; experimental design; signal processing; neurochemistry; brain; BOLD signal; timeseries modeling; neuroanatomy; SPM; statistics
Wavelet Transform Signal Processing Applied to Ultrasonics.

The wavelet transform (WT) provides a new tool for processing transient signals and it can be considered as an alternative to the classical Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) for describing the time-frequency evolution of such signals. The purpose of the present paper is to provide an overview of the applicability of the wavelet transform to ultrasonic signal analysis. The WT will be briefly introduced with emphasis on the aspects which make it suitable for our applications. In particular the WT has been utilized to enhance the ultrasonic signal detection in presence of background noise, and the application of this technique for flaw detection will be presented. Improvements in detection were quantified using steel samples of different thickness and with simulated flaws. Furthermore, the self-adjusting window structure of the WT results in a time-scale representation of signals which can display the temporal variation of the spectral components with varying resolution. This property is extremely useful in the study of dispersive wave propagation, in particular for extracting the dispersion relation of the Pseudo-Lamb wave velocity in thin coatings. Numerical simulations and experimental results will be presented.
Residential racial segregation and mortality among black, white, and Hispanic urban breast cancer patients in Texas, 1995 to 2009.

BACKGROUND The authors investigated whether residential segregation (the degree to which racial/ethnic groups live separately from one another in a geographic area) 1) was associated with mortality among urban women with breast cancer, 2) explained racial/ethnic disparities in mortality, and 3) whether its association with mortality varied by race/ethnicity. METHODS Using Texas Cancer Registry data, all-cause mortality and breast-cancer mortality were examined among 109,749 urban black, Hispanic, and white women aged ≥50 years who were diagnosed with breast cancer from 1995 to 2009. Racial (black) segregation and ethnic (Hispanic) segregation of patient's neighborhoods were measured and were compared with the larger metropolitan statistical area using the location quotient measure. Shared frailty Cox proportional hazard models were used to nest patients within residential neighborhoods (census tract) and were controlled for race/ethnicity, age, diagnosis year, tumor stage, grade, histology, neighborhood poverty, and county-level mammography availability. RESULTS Greater black segregation and Hispanic segregation were adversely associated with cause-specific mortality and all-cause mortality. For example, in adjusted models, Hispanic segregation was associated with cause-specific mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.46). Compared with whites, blacks had higher mortality for both outcomes, whereas Hispanics demonstrated equivalent (cause-specific) or lower (all-cause) mortality. Segregation did not explain racial/ethnic disparities in mortality. Within each race/ethnicity strata, segregation was either adversely associated with mortality or was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Among urban women with breast cancer in Texas, segregation has an independent, adverse association with mortality, and the effect of segregation varies by patient race/ethnicity. The novel application of a small-area measure of relative racial segregation should be examined in other cancer types with documented racial/ethnic disparities across varied geographic areas. Cancer 2015;121:1845–1855. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Design integrated learning systems for engineering design

The acquisition of design knowledge is a complex task. This paper prescribes a methodology that assists in the identification of machine learning techniques that partially automate design knowledge acquisition. The use of this method is illustrated in the design of two learning systems: BRIDGER and Boss. The conclusions elaborate on the general issues involved in the use of learning in engineering design triggered by these two programs.
Adhesion properties of soy protein with fiber cardboard

Adhesion properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) on fiber cardboard and effects of press conditions, pre-pressing drying time, and protein concentrations on gluing strength were investigated. Shear strength increased as press time, press pressure, and/or press temperature increased. The effect of temperature on shear strength became more significant at high press pressure. The shear strength of the SPI adhesive on fiber cardboard decreased by 12–25% after water soaking. Shear strength increased as pre-pressing drying time increased and reached its maximal value at about 10 min. An SPI/water ratio of 12∶100 (w/w) gave the highest gluing strength. The specimens showed complete cohesive failure (fiber cardboard failure) except for soaked specimens pressed at low press temperature, low pressure, and short press time. Specimens pressed at 25°C and 2 MPa for 5 min with pre-pressing drying time of 10 min and an SPI/water ratio of 12∶100 (w/w) had T-peel strength and tensile bonding strength of 1.15 N/mm and 0.62 MPa, respectively, without water soaking, and 1.11 N/mm and 0.24 MPa, respectively, with water soaking.