cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The perception of primary and secondary stress in English.

Most models of word recognition concerned with prosody are based on a distinction between strong syllables (containing a full vowel) and weak syllables (containing a schwa). In these models, the possibility that listeners take advantage of finer grained prosodie distinctions, such as primary versus secondary stress, is usually rejected on the grounds that these two categories are not discriminable from each other without lexical information or normalization of the speaker’s voice. In the present experiment, subjects were presented with word fragments that differed only by their degree of stress— namely, primary or secondary stress (e.g., /prasi/ vs. /prasi/). The task was to guess the origin of the fragment (e.g., “prosecutor” vs. “prosecution”). The results showed that guessing performance significantly exceeds the chance level, which indicates that making fine stress distinctions is possible without lexical information and with minimal speech normalization. This finding is discussed in the framework of prosody-based word recognition theories.
Global Regularity of Wave Maps from R 2+1 to H 2 . Small Energy

We demonstrate that Wave Maps with smooth initial data and small energy from R2+1 to the Lobatchevsky plane stay smooth globally in time. Our method is similar to the one employed in [18]. However, the multilinear estimates required are considerably more involved and present novel technical challenges. In particular, we shall have to work with a modification of the functional analytic framework used in [30], [33], [18].
Adherence to a strict specimen‐labeling policy decreases the incidence of erroneous blood grouping of blood bank specimens

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness of a system of preventing incompatible blood transfusions resulting from the misidentification of patient specimens, a prospective analysis of all blood samples submitted to a laboratory was performed. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Incorrectly labeled specimens (rejected samples) were tested for ABO and Rh type, and routine antibody screens were performed. Test results were compared to historic patient data or patient data obtained from subsequently submitted (correctly) labeled specimens. For comparison, all discrepant serologic results from appropriately labeled samples were also recorded. RESULTS: Specimens that failed to meet the criteria for specimen acceptance were 40 times more likely to have a blood grouping discrepancy. CONCLUSION: Strict adherence to the labeling requirements results in a significant decrease in erroneous blood grouping. This would accordingly diminish the likelihood of transfusing out-of-group blood components.
Photometer calibration error using extended standard sources

As part of a project to compare measurements of the night airglow made by the visible airglow experiment on the Atmospheric Explorer-C satellite, the standard light sources of several airglow observatories were compared with the standard source used in the absolute calibration of the satellite photometer. In the course of the comparison, it has been found that serious calibration errors (up to a factor of two) can arise when a calibration source with a reflecting surface is placed close to an interference filter. For reliable absolute calibration, the source should be located at a distance of at least five filter radii from the interference filter.
Single-channel properties of N- and L-subtypes of acetylcholine receptor in Ascaris suum.

Abstract We are interested in the properties of the target site of cholinergic anti-nematodal drugs for therapeutic reasons. The target receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that have different subtypes, and each subtype may have a different pharmacology. In a contraction assay using the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum , our laboratory has identified several subtypes, including an N-subtype, preferentially activated by nicotine, and an L-subtype, preferentially activated by levamisole. Here we use patch-clamp recordings to test the hypothesis that the single-channel selectivities of nicotine and levamisole are different. Unitary currents evoked by nicotine in this preparation were characterised for the first time. In some patches, both nicotine and levamisole activated small- and large-conductance channels. In other patches, the agonists activated just one channel amplitude. Discriminant analysis allowed classification of the one-conductance patch channels into the small or large categories, based on sets defined by the two-conductance patch data. The small channels had a conductance of 26.1±1.5 pS, n =18 (mean±SEM); the large conductance channels had a conductance of 38.8±1.2 pS, n =23 (mean±SEM). Analysis of amplitude histograms of the two-conductance patches showed that nicotine preferentially activated the small-conductance channels and levamisole preferentially activated the large-conductance channels. Our observations suggest that the N-subtype receptor channel has a conductance of 26 pS channel and the L-subtype receptor channel has a conductance of 39 pS.
The potential of estrogen-based conditioned aversion in controlling depredation: A step closer toward the “magic bullet”

Abstract Oral estrogen (17 α-ethinyl estradiol) was evaluated as a substance capable of producing conditioned taste aversions useful in reducing depredation upon such foods as grain and the eggs of endangered species. After consuming a referent food flavor, groups of male and female rats, Rattus norvegicus, received oral doses of estrogen ranging from 0.00004 to 40.0 mg kg−1 body weight. Long after having recovered from the illness effects, deprived rats avoided the referent flavor in a dose-dependent manner. The lowest clearly effective dose that produced conditioned taste aversion for females was 0.0004 mg kg−1 and that for males was slightly higher. Because estrogen was undetectable at illness-causing doses and because illness was delayed, rats voluntarily consumed a full meal of wheat containing estrogen and so received up to 9.3 mg of estrogen kg−1 body weight. Although rats had previously become familiar with wheat and preferred it over the alternative corn during a lengthy pre-test, they consistently consumed much less untreated wheat than did control animals in repeated post-tests spanning 30 days. When estrogen was placed into egg in a suitable carrier, it was physically isolated, retained its potency, and so produced conditioned aversions. Since estrogen produced unambiguous conditioned aversions without the problems of detectability and toxicity that attend other substances, it may be a superior substitute for controlling depredation on foods like grain and the eggs of endangered species.
Some more examples of monotonically Lindelöf and not monotonically Lindelöf spaces

Abstract A space is monotonically Lindelof (mL) if one can assign to every open cover U a countable open refinement r ( U ) (still covering the space) so that r ( U ) refines r ( V ) whenever U refines V . Some examples of mL and non-mL spaces are considered. In particular, it is shown that the product of a mL space and the convergent sequence need not be mL, that some L-spaces are mL, and that C p ( X ) is mL only for countable X.
Modeling of Aqueous 3–1 Rare Earth Electrolytes and Their Mixtures to Very High Concentrations

A simple modification to the Pitzer ion–interaction model has been presented for osmotic and activity coefficients of aqueous solutions of highly soluble and highly unsymmetrical electrolytes and their mixtures. The equations extending to the C(3) parameter enable the literature osmotic and activity coefficients of aqueous rare earth nitrates, perchlorates and chlorides at 298.15 K to be represented accurately from infinite dilution to maximum saturation or supersaturation concentrations available. The ionic interactions have also been investigated from the isopiestic measurements on aqueous mixtures Y(NO3)3–La(NO3)3, Y(NO3)3–Pr(NO3)3, Y(NO3)3–Nd(NO3)3, La(NO3)3–Pr(NO3)3, La(NO3)3–Nd(NO3)3 and Pr(NO3)3–Nd(NO3)3 at 298.15 K to near saturation, and the simple modification can represent the new measurements within experimental uncertainty over the full concentration range. In addition, the Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson model or partial ideal solution model is obeyed by all the mixtures within isopiestic accuracy, which is consistent with the nature of rare earth elements.
The Tamm-Dancoff Formalism and the Symmetric Pseudoscalar Theory of Nuclear Forces

The general method of deducing the Tamm-Dancoff equaltimes formalism, as generalized by L\'evy, from the relativistic two-body equation of Bethe-Salpeter and Schwinger is given. Only processes which are finite ab initio are considered. The essence of the procedure is the relation between a set of conventional matrix elements of the Tamm-Dancoff formalism and the Feynman diagram which summarizes them; this relationship provides a convenient guide for enumerating all matrix elements of a specified type and precludes the possibility of omission of any members of the set. Rules are also given for writing down any matrix element. The method is then applied to the derivation of the fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-order adiabatic potentials on the symmetrical pseudoscalar-pseudoscalar theory. Some discrepancies with the results of L\'evy are noted: In connection with the fourth-order potential these are first, that a more careful treatment of the energy denominators of the leading two-pair terms brings to light contributions that cancel with all other two-pair matrix elements that are of relative order $\frac{\ensuremath{\mu}}{M}$ compared to the leading ones; second, that the one-pair terms do not vanish but yield a repulsive interaction which substantially alters the qualitative picture of the fourth-order potential; third, that for the no-pair terms the result should agree with the previously calculated fourth-order potential for the pseudoscalar-pseudovector theory. The sixth- and eighth-order results are also in disagreement with L\'evy. Finally, an analysis of the problem of many-particle forces is given and explicit results obtained for the leading terms of the three- and four-particle forces as well as for certain smaller contributions to the three-particle interaction.
The course of vocational functioning in patients with schizophrenia: Re-examining social drift

Vocational functioning is markedly impaired in people with schizophrenia. In addition to low rates of employment, people with schizophrenia have been reported to be underachieved compared to other family members. Among the causes of this vocational impairment may be cognitive deficits and other skills deficits, as well as social factors impacting on opportunities for employment. In this study, we examined two separate samples of people with schizophrenia who differed in their educational and social backgrounds. We compared personal and maternal education in people with schizophrenia attending an outpatient rehabilitation facility (n = 57) or receiving outpatient services at a VA medical center (n = 39). The sample as a whole showed evidence of decline in vocational status from their best job to their most recent job. Patients attending a rehabilitation facility had completed less education than their mothers, while the VA patients completed more. Differences between personal and maternal education predicted the difference in status between best and latest jobs in the sample as a whole. VA patients were more likely to be living independently and performed better on a measure of functional capacity than the rehabilitation sample. These data implicate vocational decline in schizophrenia and also suggest that this decline may originate prior to the formal onset of the illness. At the same time, vocational outcomes appear to be related to social opportunities.
An application of generalized predictive control to rotorcraft terrain-following flight

Generalized predictive control (GPC) describes an algorithm for the control of dynamic systems in which a control input is generated which minimizes a quadratic cost function consisting of a weighted sum of errors between desired and predicted future system output and future predicted control increments. The output predictions are obtained from an internal model of the plant dynamics. The GPC algorithm is first applied to a simplified rotorcraft terrain-following problem, and GPC performance is compared to that of a conventional compensatory automatic system in terms of flight-path following, control activity and control law implementation. Next, more realistic vehicle dynamics are utilized and the GPC algorithm is applied to simultaneous terrain following and velocity control in the presence of atmospheric disturbances and errors in the internal model of the vehicle. The online computational and sensing requirements for implementing the GPC algorithm are minimal. Its use for manual control models appears promising. >
PPARγ Agonists Promote Oligodendrocyte Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells by Modulating Stemness and Differentiation Genes

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a small population of resident cells that can grow, migrate and differentiate into neuro-glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor transcription factor that regulates cell growth and differentiation. In this study we analyzed the influence of PPARγ agonists on neural stem cell growth and differentiation in culture. We found that in vitro culture of mouse NSCs in neurobasal medium with B27 in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induced their growth and expansion as neurospheres. Addition of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and PPARγ agonist ciglitazone or 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell viability and proliferation of NSCs in culture. Interestingly, NSCs cultured with PPARγ agonists, but not ATRA, showed significant increase in oligodendrocyte precursor-specific O4 and NG2 reactivity with a reduction in NSC marker nestin, in 3–7 days. In vitro treatment with PPARγ agonists and ATRA also induced modest increase in the expression of neuronal β-III tubulin and astrocyte-specific GFAP in NSCs in 3–7 days. Further analyses showed that PPARγ agonists and ATRA induced significant alterations in the expression of many stemness and differentiation genes associated with neuro-glial differentiation in NSCs. These findings highlight the influence of PPARγ agonists in promoting neuro-glial differentiation of NSCs and its significance in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
OPTICAL STUDIES OF RADIOACTIVE MERCURY

A technique has been developed for studying the hyperfine structure of the resonance radiation of mercury. A single Zeeman component of the 2536 A line of ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{198}$ is used as a variable-frequency monochromatic light source, and the field strength applied to the arc lamp to produce resonance absorption in a resonance lamp is a measure of the resonance frequency. Natural mercury, and radioactive mercury produced by bombarding gold with 15-Mev deuterons were investigated in this way and also (by means of an echelle spectrograph) in the emission spectrum of an electrodeless discharge. Several observed lines have not been conclusively identified.The magnetic moment of ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{197}$ is 4 percent greater than that of ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{199}$. The isotope shift of isotopes with even mass number decreases with decreasing mass number. This effect may be due in part to the increasing quadrupole moment with neutron deficiency in these isotopes.
Design of an Endoscopic Full-Thickness Lesion Removal Device

Gastroenterologists would like to remove, through endoscopy, full-thickness lesions in the stomach, but currently there are no surgical devices capable of sealing the wound left after the lesion is removed. This paper describes the design, analysis, and prototyping of a device meant to address this problem. The device is intended to be used in conjunction with currently available endoscopes and comprises five key components including spikes, a beam, a hinge, a latch, and a positioning mechanism. Trials of positioning and placing a clamp on an in vitro pig stomach tissue were successfully completed.
A contention aware hybrid evaluator for schedulers of big data applications in computer clusters

Large enterprises use clusters of computers to process Big Data workloads that are heterogeneous in terms of the type of jobs and the nature of their arrival processes. The scheduling of jobs from such workloads has a significant impact on their execution times. This paper presents a Trace Driven Analytic Model (TDAM) methodology to assess the impact of different scheduling schemes on job execution times. The analytic models used by this method consist of closed queuing network methods that estimate congestion at the various nodes of the cluster. The paper demonstrates the usefulness of this approach by showing how four different types of common schedulers affect the execution times of jobs derived from well-known benchmarks. This method is then implemented inside of a popular Hadoop job-trace simulator called Mumak, making Mumak contention-aware. The original Mumak tool completely ignores contention for processors and I/O at each node of the cluster. Our contentiion-aware Mumak predicts job completion times at a significantly higher level of accuracy.
Nasal embryonic LHRH factor (NELF) expression within the CNS and PNS of the rodent

A novel protein (NELF) was identified screening embryonic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons at different migrational states. Experiments in vitro revealed that NELF functions in olfactory axon outgrowth and subsequently alters LHRH neuronal migration. NELF was not restricted to LHRH neurons in the developing rodent. Multiple CNS and PNS tissues expressed this gene. To characterize the specific regions that express NELF in situ hybridization histochemistry was performed. Within the CNS, cells in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and olfactory regions express NELF pre- and postnatally.
High spots of governors' messages

Thirty-nine side legislatures meet this year. Brief experts from the many pages of advice and exhortation measured out by the chief executives to the legislative bodies.
Interactions between primed and unprimed cells in the regulation of in vitro antibody responses. I. Role of “plasma cells” as inducers of suppression

Specific immune suppression has been shown to be activated in culture by the interaction of primed and unprimed T cell subsets. The primed cell involved is found 8 days after immunization in spleen but not in lymph node or thymus cell populations. When the primed spleen cells were fractionated by nylon wool passage or anti-Thy-1 plus complement (C) treatment, prior to culture with unseparated unprimed cells, suppression was detectable only with primed B cells present in the co-cultures. Treatment of the primed spleen cells with anti-PC. 1 (an antiserum specific for plasma cells) plus C eliminated their ability to cooperate with either unseparated or T cell-enriched populations of unprimed cells in suppressing the antibody response of the co-cultures. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that antibody-secreting plasma cells activate suppressor T cell precursors in cell populations not previously exposed to antigen.
Organizational Factors and Individual Performance: A Longitudinal Study

Correlations between organizational factors and individual engineer performance, analyzing stability of relationships and time lags in measurement
TIME IN THERAPEUTIC RANGE ≥55% VERSUS <55% ON WARFARIN THERAPY OUTCOMES IN NON-VALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS

Increased time in therapeutic range (TTR) on warfarin is often used as a balance between preventing stroke without excess bleeding. This study evaluated stroke or systemic embolism (SE) and bleeding risks of antithrombotic therapies in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients within an
Decision to Leave Scale: Perceived Reasons to Stay in or Leave Violent Relationships.

The 30-item Decision to Leave Scale (DLS) was developed with 631 college women and 420 college women and women in shelters. Seven DLS subscales emerged for concerns in deciding to stay or leave: Fear of Loneliness, Child Care Needs, Financial Problems, Social Embarrassment, Poor Social Support, Fear of Harm, Hopes Things Change. Mean internal reliability was .73, mean test-retest reliability was .70. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by expected associations between DLS concerns and self-esteem, children, and violence. Criterion validity was demonstrated by greater DLS concerns for women in shelters than for college women. Women in violent relationships who decided to stay reported more Fear of Loneliness than women who decided to leave.
Laboratory prototype camera for the Whipple Mission: a mission to detect and categorize small objects in our solar system

The proposedWhipple mission is intended to detect Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) via the "blind" occultation technique. The size, number and spatial distribution of these objects provides critical input to evolutionary models of our solar system. The Whipple project was proposed as a NASA Discovery class mission in 2010 and though not selected, it was funded to continue technology development. As part of the proposal preparation, a functional segment of the focal plane was instrumented in the laboratory. The purpose of this test segment was to verify basic detector parameters such as read noise and to detect simulated occultation events. We describe the operation of the detector and a simulator to test and verify the candidate focal plane for the proposed Whipple mission. This paper describes the design, construction and operation of the Whipple event simulator and operation of the laboratory detector.
The Association between Airborne PM2.5 Chemical Constituents and Birth Weight–Implication of Buffer Exposure Assignment

Several papers reported associations between airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and birth weight, though findings are inconsistent across studies. Conflicting results might be due to (1) different PM2.5 chemical structure across locations, and (2) various exposure assignment methods across studies even among the studies that use ambient monitors to assess exposure. We investigated associations between birth weight and PM2.5 chemical constituents, considering issues arising from choice of buffer size (i.e. distance between residence and pollution monitor). We estimated the association between each pollutant and term birth weight applying buffers of 5 to 30 km in Connecticut (2000–2006), in the New England region of the USA. We also investigated the implication of the choice of buffer size in relation to population characteristics, such as socioeconomic status. Results indicate that some PM2.5 chemical constituents, such as nitrate, are associated with lower birth weight and appear more harmful than other constituents. However, associations vary with buffer size and the implications of different buffer sizes may differ by pollutant. A homogeneous pollutant level within a certain distance is a common assumption in many environmental epidemiology studies, but the validity of this assumption may vary by pollutant. Furthermore, we found that areas close to monitors reflect more minority and lower socio-economic populations, which implies that different exposure approaches may result in different types of study populations. Our findings demonstrate that choosing an exposure method involves key tradeoffs of the impacts of exposure misclassification, sample size, and population characteristics.
Inflammatory pseudotumor of the choroid plexus in Sjögren's disease.

We report an unusual case of inflammatory pseudotumor of the choroid plexus of the right lateral ventricle, manifesting as an intraventricular mass and causing unilateral hydrocephalus in a 48-year-old man who suffered from Sjogren's disease and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The lesion obliterated the normal choroidal architecture by a mixed chronic inflammatory process that was associated with reactive connective tissue changes. Immunohistochemical studies showed no light-chain restriction in the cells, and residual islands of transthyretin-positive epithelial cells were identified, implicating the choroid plexus origin of the mass.
The development and validation of a two-dimensional model of the commitment to career choices process

Abstract This monograph describes the development and validation of a two-dimensional model of the commitment to career choices process, which was operationally defined by the Commitment to Career Choices Scale. Drawing on an integrative literature review, two independent constructs pertaining to the commitment process were defined: a Vocational Exploration and Commitment (VEC) dimension reflecting variations in one's level of commitment to career choices, and a Tendency to Foreclose (TTF) dimension assessing individual differences in how one commits to career choices. Using a combination of methodological procedures (e.g., confirmatory factor analysis, expert raters), these two dimensions were first defined and then investigated via two construct validation studies. When considered collectively, the findings indicated that the first dimension (represented by the VEC scale) assesses progress in the commitment process from an uncommitted, exploratory phase to a highly committed phase. The second dimension (represented by the TTF scale) assesses a continuum that ranges from an openness to the experiences of the commitment process to a closed, dualistic approach. The results were discussed in relation to research, theory, and practice.
Controlled Release of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid from Molecularly Imprinted Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Purpose Current dry eye treatment includes delivering comfort agents to the eye via drops, but low bioavailability and multiple administration continues to be a barrier to effective treatment. There exists a significant unmet need for devices to treat dry eye and for more comfortable contact lenses.
Neural Network Control of Space Vehicle Intercept and Rendezvous Maneuvers

Neural networks are examined for use as optimal controllers. The effect of the addition of noise to the neural network input measurements is investigated to determine the performance robustness of the neural network controllers. These techniques are applied to the autonomous control of interceptor-to-target rendezvous missions. For this example, the target lies in a circular orbit and remains passive throughout the maneuver. The linearized Clohessy–Wiltshire equations with thrust are used to describe the relative motion of the two vehicles. Parameter optimization is used to generate the training data for the neural network designs. A combination of open-loop and closed-loop control is shown to work effectively for this problem.
Autonomy, Liberalism, and Anti-Perfectionism

John Christman has recently objected to substantive conceptions of autonomy on the grounds that they introduce unwanted perfectionism into political thinking. I defend substantive conceptions of autonomy against Christman’s critique on two fronts. First, I defend substantive conceptions of autonomy against the charge that their utilisation in political theory would result in the inappropriate exclusion from democratic respect of individuals in oppressive relations. Second, I defend substantive conceptions of autonomy from the charge that they fail the ‘endorsement constraint’, i.e. that incorporating a substantive conception of autonomy into the concept of the person at the heart of a political theory would be alienating for citizens.
Scavenging Effect of Aged Garlic Extract and its Constituents on Active Oxygen Species

The effect of aged garlic extract (AGE) and its major organosulphur constituents, S-allylcysteine (SAC), S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) and alliin on active oxygen species were examined in an in vitro system. AGE and three compounds have demonstrated a scavenging effect on hydrogen peroxide, and also inhibited the chain oxidation induced by a hydrophilic radical initiator.
The P50 evoked potential component and mismatch detection in normal volunteers : implications for the study of sensory gating

Sensory gating is a complex, multistage, multifaceted physiological function believed to be protecting higher cortical centers from being flooded with incoming irrelevant sensory stimuli. Failure of such mechanisms is hypothesized as one of the mechanisms underlying the development of psychotic states. Attenuation of the amplitude of the P50 evoked potential component with stimulus repetition is widely used to study sensory gating. In the current study, we investigated the responsiveness of the P50 component to changes in the physical characteristics of ongoing trains of auditory stimuli. Forty normal volunteers were studied in a modified oddball paradigm. At all cerebral locations studied, P50 amplitudes were higher in response to infrequent stimuli. We postulate that the increase in P50 amplitude reflects the system's recognition of novel stimuli or "gating in" of sensory input. The ratio of the amplitude of the responses to the infrequent stimuli to those of the frequent stimuli was significantly higher for the posterior temporal regions. This finding provides further evidence that the temporal lobes may be significantly involved in sensory gating processes. Although this study only included normal subjects, the data generated contribute to the understanding of sensory gating mechanisms that may be relevant to psychotic states.
Developing inventory and monitoring programs based on multiple objectives

Resource inventory and monitoring (I&M) programs in national parks combine multiple objectives in order to create a plan of action over a finite time horizon. Because all program activities are constrained by time and money, it is critical to plan I&M activities that make the best use of available agency resources. However, multiple objectives complicate a relatively straightforward allocation process. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) offers a structure for multiobjective decision making so that decision-makers’ preferences can be formally incorporated in seeking potential solutions. Within the AHP, inventory and monitoring program objectives and decision criteria are organized into a hierarchy. Pairwise comparisons among decision elements at any level of the hierarchy provide a ratio scale ranking of those elements. The resulting priority values for all projects are used as each project’s contribution to the value of an overall I&M program. These priorities, along with budget and personnel constraints, are formulated as a zero/one integer programming problem that can be solved to select those projects that produce the best program. An extensive example illustrates how this approach is being applied to I&M projects in national parks in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The proposed planning process provides an analytical framework for multicriteria decisionmaking that is rational, consistent, explicit, and defensible.
Mantle plume influence on the Neogene uplift and extension of the U.S. western Cordillera

espite its highly extended and thinned crust, much of the western Cordillera in the United States is elevated more than 1 km above sea level. Therefore, this region cannot be thought of as thick crust floating isostatically in a uniform mantle; rather, the lithospheric mantle and/or the upper asthenosphere must vary in thickness or density across the region. Utilizing crustal thickness and density constraints, we modeled the residual mass deficit that must occur in the mantle lithosphere and asthenosphere beneath the western Cordillera. A major hot spot broke out during a complex series of Cenozoic tectonic events that included lithospheric thickening, backarc extension, and transition from a subduction to a transform plate boundary. We suggest that many of the characteristics that make the western Cordillera unique among extensional provinces can be ttributed to the mantle plume that created the Yellowstone hot spot.
Efficient Objective Functions for Coordinated Learning in Large-Scale Distributed OSA Systems

In this paper, we derive and evaluate private objective functions for large-scale, distributed opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) systems. By means of any learning algorithms, these derived objective functions enable OSA users to assess, locate, and exploit unused spectrum opportunities effectively by maximizing the users' average received rewards. We consider the elastic traffic model, suitable for elastic applications such as file transfer and web browsing, and in which an SU's received reward increases proportionally to the amount of received service when the amount is higher than a certain threshold. But when this amount is below the threshold, the reward decreases exponentially with the amount of received service. In this model, SUs are assumed to be treated fairly in that the SUs using the same band will roughly receive an equal share of the total amount of service offered by the band. We show that the proposed objective functions are: near-optimal, as they achieve high performances in terms of average received rewards; highly scalable, as they perform well for small- as well as large-scale systems; highly learnable, as they reach up near-optimal values very quickly; and distributive, as they require information sharing only among OSA users belonging to the same band.
Site-Addressable Polymer Dynamics Probed with 2D-IR

A polymer consisting of transition metal carbonyl sites enables dynamical readout of ultrafast structural fluctuations in dilute, concentrated, and thin film conditions. 2D-IR spectroscopy and coarse grained simulations reveal distinct dynamics of the ends.
Hierarchical video motion estimation using a neural network

In our previous papers, we have presented a neural network-based motion estimation technique that is applicable to purely translational as well as affine movements. In this paper we present a further advance, namely a hierarchical version which, while capitalizing on the merits of the previous technique, achieves some additional advantages. These are: (a) the ability to deal with very large motion action sequences; and (b) a reduction in the number of candidate macroblocks for the neural network stage and correspondingly, the number of computations needed. In this hierarchical technique, the first stage consists of one of the familiar block matching techniques, such as the LBM or FS, over very coarse pixels, to define a suitable candidate neighborhood. In the second, and final, stage a few of the neighbors of the candidate found in first stage are used in the computation of affinities via the neural network to synthesize the source macroblock. It produces 4 to 11 dB improvement in peak signal-to-noise ratio over the single-candidate methods, thus creating the potential for improved compression.
ESD currents and fields on the VCP and the HCP modeled using quasi-static approximations

The horizontal coupling plane (HCP) and the vertical coupling plane (VCP) are essential elements of the standardized electrostatic discharge (ESD) test. They are used for testing the robustness of equipment against indirect (nearby) discharges. This article analyzed the current and the fields on the HCP and the VCP using plane wave, transmission line, quasi-static theory. The objective is to illustrate the dominating physical processes on these planes. The work is based on measurements of the transient currents and fields using broadband sensors.
Periodic water, interwater interval, and adjunctive behavior in a 24-hour multiresponse environment

To examine the generality of the interreward response effects shown by rats under periodic food delivery, we presented .10 ml of water at minimum interwater intervals that ranged from 8 to 512 sec. Use of a 24-h multiresponse environment allowed evaluation of interdrink responses with respect to their excessiveness, patterning, and functional relationship to the interwater interval. In contrast to the extensive activity-inducing effects of periodic food, the only major excitatory effect of periodic water was increased attention to the water source. Although there were a few bitonic and direct relationships between interwater interval and changes in responding, the great majority of functions were inverse or inconsistent. Further, unlike the increase in drinking under periodic food, total eating decreased under periodic water. The major similarity with food reward was the apparent separation of interreward behavior into three general classes of reward-appropriate foraging responses: area-restricted search after reward, more general search (and waiting), and focal search preceding the next reward delivery.
Rapid detection of agricultural food crop contamination via hyperspectral remote sensing

In this study, the authors investigate the use of hyperspectral imaging for food crop monitoring and contamination detection and characterization. The authors investigate the use of a newly developed automated target recognition (ATR) system, that uses a combination of discrete wavelet transforms, multiclassifiers, and decision fusion, to effectively exploit the hyperspectral data to achieve high detection rates while maintaining low false alarm rates. The performance of the proposed hyperspectral ATR system is compared to ATR methods currently used in the remote sensing community, including those based on principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis feature extraction (DAFE), and maximum-likelihood classifiers. The efficacy of both the proposed and conventional hyperspectral analysis methods are evaluated via an extensive 2-year field campaign, consisting of field-level experiments of corn and wheat exposed to highly controlled, varying levels of chemical contaminations. Both handheld and airborne hyperspectral data were collected at multiple times throughout the two growing seasons. The proposed ATR system provided very promising results, indicating the potential of hyperspectral remote sensing as an effective tool for detection and characterization of chemical contaminants in agricultural food crops.
Developing Service Area Indices for Community Colleges: California's Method and Experience

The economic, educational and social environments of the students served by a community college are important factors in college performance accountability, policy analysis, program evaluation, and strategic planning. For example, previous research shows that income per county is a significant predictor of transfer rates for community colleges. However, conditions for the actual geographic area of the students served by a community college may differ, for various reasons, from the economic conditions for the county in which the college is located. This article describes the development of institutional or college-level indices as an enhancement to county-level data, their use as adjustment variables for California's Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges (ARCC), and their applicability to other research and planning studies. The service area indices are created by combining the enrollment patterns of students by ZIP Code of residence with ZCTA (ZIP Code Tabulation Area) level economic and edu...
Joint blind channel estimation and interference suppression for single carrier systems

Block transmission with zero padding (ZP) and cyclic prefix (CP) are becoming attractive procedures for their ability to eliminate both inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-block interference (IBI). In this paper, we present joint blind channel estimation and interference suppression for single carrier block transmission using both ZP and CP. The proposed estimators take the same form, which gives flexibility for application to either one with minor changes. Our approach uses a generalized multichannel minimum variance principle to design an equalizing filterbank. Channel estimate is then obtained by deriving an asymptotically tight lower bound of the filterbank output power. Numerical examples show that the proposed schemes exhibit low sensitivity to unknown narrowband interference and compare favorably with sub-space blind channel estimators
Climate change and moral judgement

Converging evidence from the behavioural and brain sciences suggests that climate change fails to generate strong moral intuitions and therefore it does not stimulate an urgent need for action. However, adequate communication strategies could enhance moral intuitions about climate change and therefore motivate greater support for ameliorative actions and policies. Converging evidence from the behavioural and brain sciences suggests that the human moral judgement system is not well equipped to identify climate change — a complex, large-scale and unintentionally caused phenomenon — as an important moral imperative. As climate change fails to generate strong moral intuitions, it does not motivate an urgent need for action in the way that other moral imperatives do. We review six reasons why climate change poses significant challenges to our moral judgement system and describe six strategies that communicators might use to confront these challenges. Enhancing moral intuitions about climate change may motivate greater support for ameliorative actions and policies.
Position-based motion perception for color and texture stimuli: effects of contrast and speed.

Motion can be perceived either through low-level, motion-energy detection or through tracking the change in position of features. Previously we have shown that, while luminance-based motion likely is detected with velocity-sensitive motion-energy units, patterns defined by texture or binocular disparity (‘second-order’ stimuli) were tracked by a position-sensitive mechanism (Seiffert & Cavanagh (1998) Vision Research, 38, 3569‐3582). Here, we use the same technique, measuring motion amplitude thresholds of oscillating gratings over a range of temporal frequencies and find that the motion of low-contrast equiluminant red:green gratings is also detected with position tracking. In addition, we find that as contrast or speed increases these results change: high-contrast or high-speed equiluminant color or texture-based motion is detected by velocity-sensitive mechanisms. These results help resolve the dispute over the processes which detect the motion of non-luminance based stimuli. Both systems are available, but their relative efficiency changes as a function of contrast and speed. A position-tracking process is more sensitive at low contrasts and low speeds whereas a motion-energy system is more sensitive at high contrasts and high speeds. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Impaired Physician

In 1973, the American Medical Association’s Council on Mental Health defined impairment in physicians as “the inability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reasons of physical or mental illness, including alcoholism or drug dependence.”
The role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of asthma

Two recent papers have addressed the ever-intriguing question of the role of eosinophils in asthma. Both groups used experimental models of airway inflammation in mice that were gene targeted to selectively ablate the eosinophil lineage. One group found that eosinophils were required for both airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus accumulation. The other demonstrated a 'critical role' for the cell in airway remodelling. The results, although largely confirmatory of previous studies both in mice and humans, put the eosinophil firmly back on the asthma stage and strengthen the case for developing effective eosinophil-depleting agents for clinical use.
Human Biology and Ecology: Variation in Nature and the Nature of Variation

Human biology seeks to understand human variation and the biological, environmental, social, and historical influences on that variation. Views of the nature of both variation and environment have changed during the past 100 years. Typological ap- proaches to nature and human diversity shifted to an evolutionary perspective during the first half of the 20th century. In the second half, widespread human biological variation was documented and interpreted in terms of adaptation to the environment. Environ- mental physiology and reproductive ecology continue to document environmental influences on human biological functioning, but with (1) an expanded concept of environment that acknowledges more fully the interactions among its physical, biotic, and social as- pects and (2) an expanded theoretical basis, drawing on evolutionary ecology and life history theory, acknowledging tradeoffs and changing constraints and opportunities over the lifetime. Human biology gains from greater interaction with other fields, such as po- litical ecology, but also contributes to them. (Keywords: biological anthropology, human ecology, adaptation, environmental physiol- ogy, reproductive ecology)
Audience Matters: Teaching issues of race and racism for a predominantly minority student body

Some of the literature about teaching issues of race and racism in classrooms has addressed matters of audience. Zeus Leonardo, for example, has argued that teachers should use the language of white domination, rather than white privilege, when teaching about race and racism because the former language presupposes a minority audience, while the latter addresses an imaginary or presupposed white one. However, there seems to be little discussion in the literature about teaching these issues to an audience that is in fact predominantly minority. Leonardo assumes that minority students need little convincing about the reality of white domination, but students of color are not a monolithic group. The paper addresses some specific challenges the author has faced teaching theories of white domination to a predominantly minority student audience in New York City. Leonardo is right that audience matters, but audience turns out to matter in ways that defy common assumptions.
Synthesis and characterization of non-leaching biocidal polyurethanes

The biocidal activities of a series of quaternized polyurethanes were examined against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The percentage of dead cells on a surface was found to depend on the alkyl halide used for quaternization, the concentration of quaternized moieties in the polyurethane, the gram-type of the microorganism, and the contact time of the organism with the surface. N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)isonicotinamide (BIN) was incorporated as the chain extender in a series of poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based polyurethane block copolymers. Three families of materials were synthesized that contained increasing hard segment fractions and therefore increasing concentrations of BIN. The pyridine ring in BIN was quaternized with a variety of alkyl halides to form cationic polyurethanes that possessed biocidal activity. The effect of quaternization on material properties was examined with tensile testing, water absorption analysis, and contact angle measurements. The antibacterial action of the polymers was investigated with zone of inhibition experiments and fluorescence microscopy, which was established as a reliable technique to determine the viability of organisms attached to a polymer surface.
A model for disorder in fluorine-intercalated graphite

The structural and electronic properties of fluorine- and bromine-intercalated graphite fibers and HOPG are summarized. In contrast to the bromine intercalate, which is purely ionic for any experimentally attainable intercalate concentration, fluorine has a dual ionic and covalent behavior in graphite. Furthermore, whereas bromine-intercalated graphite is ordered, fluorine-intercalated graphite is disordered. The stiff graphene planes are buckled and islands of various fluorine concentrations are formed. A thermodynamic model is proposed that accounts for the differences between fluorine- and bromine-intercalated graphite materials. The model describes the competition between ionically bonded and covalently bonded intercalate phases of fluorine in graphite. Covalent bonding is more favorable energetically, but an important nucleation barrier exists due to strain and to the destruction of the conjugation of the double bonds.