cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergence and Reductionism in Sociology and Neuroscience

This chapter looks at the concepts of emergence and reductionism as different pathways to causal analysis. Paramount herein is Roger Sperry’s thesis about mind as an emergent from the synaptic circuitry of the brain and as a causal force that can, in some circumstances, work down to change the material brain’s synaptic structures. This is shown to be true only with a great deal of work on the part of the patient and their helpers with OCD, strokes, and recidivism in acute depression. Views of leading figures in sociology and neuroscience are presented. Both emergence and reduction are seen as acceptable ways of conducting science. Five types of reduction are described and evaluated. An exclusive reductionism that reduces human feelings and existence to nothing but synaptic connections is seen as invalid by leading neuroscientists.
Disseminated candidiasis. Changes in incidence, underlying diseases, and pathology.

Thirty-nine patients who had disseminated candidiasis were studied at autopsy between 1963 and June 1975. The number of cases at autopsy increased from 1.1 to 6.8 cases per year during the last four and a half years, due primarily to the occurrence of candidiasis in patients with acute leukemia. The recent high incidence of disseminated candidiasis complicating acute leukemia correlated with the use of modern chemotherapy, which results in prolonged granulocytopenia during the induction of remission. All recent leukemic patients had gastrointestinal candidiasis, and many had hepatic (75%) and splenic (94%) involvement by unusually large macroscopic lesions. Candida stellatoidea (eight cases), Candida albicans (six cases), and Candida tropicalis (six cases) were the most frequently identified species. Clinical and laboratory detection of disseminated candidiasis was often impossible. A comparison of recent leukemic patients with and without candidiasis revealed that only positive blood (7/16 vs . 1/17) and urine (8/16 vs . 3/17) cultures had predictive diagnostic value, but these cultures were frequently negative. The best approach toward reducing the incidence of disseminated candidiasis in acute leukemia appears to be prevention of gastrointestinal infection.
Impact of simulation-based training on perceived provider confidence in acute multidisciplinary pediatric trauma resuscitation.

Simulation-based training has the potential to improve team-based care. We hypothesized that implementation of an in situ multidisciplinary simulation-based training program would improve provider confidence in team-based management of severely injured pediatric trauma patients. An in situ multidisciplinary pediatric trauma simulation-based training program with structured debriefing was implemented at a free-standing children’s hospital. Trauma providers were anonymously surveyed 1 month before (pre-), 1 month after (post-), and 2 years after implementation. Survey response rate was 49% (n = 93/190) pre-simulation, 22% (n = 42/190) post-simulation, and 79% (n = 150/190) at 2-year follow-up. These providers reported more anxiety (p = 0.01) and less confidence (p = 0.02) 1-month post-simulation. At 2-year follow-up, trained providers reported less anxiety (p = 0.02) and greater confidence (p = 0.01), compared to untrained providers. Implementation of an in situ multidisciplinary pediatric trauma simulation-based training program may initially lead to increased anxiety, but long-term exposure may lead to greater confidence. II, Prospective cohort.
6-GHz Development in the United States [Standards]

Over the last 20 years, Wi-Fi evolved from a nascent technology to an integral component of the telecom infrastructure. For example, Wi-Fi delivers more than 50% of the world's Internet traffic and 70-80% of mobile offload [1]. However, there is a growing demand for Wi-Fi unsupported by spectrum capacity. Today in most countries, large contiguous channels that are required to support gigabit throughput are insufficient. For example, there are only five 80-MHz and two 160-MHz channels available in Europe, and many of the frequency bands in the 5-GHz band are constrained by the operation of dynamic frequency selection.
Effect of Pre-Existing Nuclei on Crystallization during Laser Welding of Zr-Based Metallic Glass

Abstract In this study, experiments are carried out to demonstrate that in laser welding of a Zr-based (Zr52.5Ti5Al10Ni14Cu17.9) bulk metallic glass (BMG), pre-existing nuclei nucleus density has significant influence on its crystallization behavior. Based on the classical nucleation/growth theory, it is concluded that a small amount of pre-existing nuclei in a BMG can shift the time-temperature-transformation (TTT) curve from a well-known ‘C-shape’ to a ‘e-shape.’ This result provides fundamental understanding on why the shape of the TTT curve for a heating process is different from that for a cooling process for the same BMG. Two quality factors were defined as a measure of the effect of pre-existing nucleus density. By integrating the classical nucleation/growth theory with the heat transfer model, the evolution of crystalline phase during laser welding for a BMG with pre-existing nuclei was studied, and the modeling predictions compared favorably with the experimental results.
The building blocks of an educational esports league: lessons from year one in orange county high schools

In the 2017-2018 school year, 38 student teams from 25 high schools across Orange County, California, competed in weekly tournament play of the multiplayer arena battle video game League of Legends, culminating in a championship playoff in one of the first region-wide high school esports leagues in the US. Our team performed a formative evaluation of this League's first year, with special attention to logistical concerns as well as any potential alignments between esports and learning. Our team engaged student League players (n=39) and teachers (n=11) who managed their school's teams in focus groups and observation at six schools; we conducted focus groups with experienced player-coaches (n=5) who supported teams, and one-on-one interviews with parents (n=10). The paper identifies organic learning opportunities during league play such as critical analysis, communication, research skills, and social emotional learning; techniques to clearing administrative hurdles; and structural socioeconomic equity issues that the leadership team may not have anticipated. The paper incorporates recommendations for these areas and critically situates them for future deployment with attention to maximizing learning potential with equity and access for all.
Building Information Modeling and Classification by Visual Learning At A City Scale

In this paper, we provide two case studies to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can empower civil engineering. In the first case, a machine learning-assisted framework, BRAILS, is proposed for city-scale building information modeling. Building information modeling (BIM) is an efficient way of describing buildings, which is essential to architecture, engineering, and construction. Our proposed framework employs deep learning technique to extract visual information of buildings from satellite/street view images. Further, a novel machine learning (ML)-based statistical tool, SURF, is proposed to discover the spatial patterns in building metadata. The second case focuses on the task of soft-story building classification. Soft-story buildings are a type of buildings prone to collapse during a moderate or severe earthquake. Hence, identifying and retrofitting such buildings is vital in the current earthquake preparedness efforts. For this task, we propose an automated deep learning-based procedure for identifying soft-story buildings from street view images at a regional scale. We also create a large-scale building image database and a semi-automated image labeling approach that effectively annotates new database entries. Through extensive computational experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Predicting Program Retention in a Flexibly-Delivered Relationship Education Program for Low-Income, Unmarried Parents.

Participation rates in couple relationship education (CRE) programs for low-income couples are typically low. We examined predictors of session attendance and early dropout (i.e., dropout after 1 s...
Impacts of female body size on cannibalism and juvenile abundance in a dominant arctic spider

Body size influences an individual's physiology and the nature of its intra- and interspecific interactions. Changes in this key functional trait can therefore have important implications for populations as well. For example, among invertebrates, there is typically a positive correlation between female body size and reproductive output. Increasing body size can consequently trigger changes in population density, population structure (e.g. adult to juvenile ratio) and the strength of intraspecific competition. Body size changes have been documented in several species in the Arctic, a region that is warming rapidly. In particular, wolf spiders, one of the most abundant arctic invertebrate predators, are becoming larger and therefore more fecund. Whether these changes are affecting their populations and role within food webs is currently unclear. We investigated the population structure and feeding ecology of the dominant wolf spider species Pardosa lapponica at two tundra sites where adult spiders naturally differ in mean body size. Additionally, we performed a mesocosm experiment to investigate how variation in wolf spider density, which is likely to change as a function of body size, influences feeding ecology and its sensitivity to warming. We found that juvenile abundance is negatively associated with female size and that wolf spiders occupied higher trophic positions where adult females were larger. Because female body size is positively related to fecundity in P. lapponica, the unexpected finding of fewer juveniles with larger females suggests an increase in density-dependent cannibalism as a result of increased intraspecific competition for resources. Higher rates of density-dependent cannibalism are further supported by the results from our mesocosm experiment, in which individuals occupied higher trophic positions in plots with higher wolf spider densities. We observed no changes in wolf spider feeding ecology in association with short-term experimental warming. Our results suggest that body size variation in wolf spiders is associated with variation in intraspecific competition, feeding ecology and population structure. Given the widespread distribution of wolf spiders in arctic ecosystems, body size shifts in these predators as a result of climate change could have implications for lower trophic levels and for ecosystem functioning.
Effect of Atrioventricular Valve Repair on Multistage Palliation Results of Single-Ventricle Defects.

Background The presence of significant atrioventricular valve (AVV) regurgitation results in unfavorable conditions that affect the success of single-ventricle (SV) multistage palliation. We report our institution’s AVV repair experience. Methods We examined incidence of AVV repair in 603 infants who underwent initial SV palliative surgery from 2002 to 2012. We explored patients’ characteristics and anatomic and operative details associated with death, transplantation, and AVV reoperation. Results AVV repair was performed in 60 patients during first-stage (n = 10), Glenn (n = 27), and Fontan (n = 23). Median age at AVV repair was 6.9 months (interquartile range, 4.2-24.1 months). Underlying SV anomaly was hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 30), heterotaxy (n = 15), and other (n = 15). The AVV was tricuspid (n = 34), mitral (n = 6), or common (n = 20). Preoperatively, all patients had AVV regurgitation moderate or higher, and 7 (12%) had ventricular dysfunction moderate or higher. After the repair, AVV regurgitation was none/trivial in 21 (35%), mild in 21 (35%), and moderate or higher in 17 (30%). Competing risks analysis showed that 10 years after AVV repair, 18% of patients had undergone AVV reoperation, 26% had died or undergone transplantation, and 56% were alive without subsequent reoperation. Transplant-free survival was 38%, 65%, and 100% for AVV repair at first-stage, Glenn, or Fontan (P = .0011), respectively, and was 74%, 83%, and 56% for tricuspid, mitral, and common AVV repair (P = .344), respectively. Factors associated with transplant-free survival were timing of AVV repair, underlying SV anomaly, and systemic ventricle function. Conclusions AVV repair at the first-stage operation and reduced systemic ventricle function are associated with poor outcomes. In those high-risk patients, different approaches that involve initial palliation mode, timing of AVV repair, or listing for transplantation might be warranted.
Pyneal: Open Source Real-Time fMRI Software

Increasingly, neuroimaging researchers are exploring the use of real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) as a way to access a participant's ongoing brain function throughout a scan. This approach presents novel and exciting experimental applications ranging from monitoring data quality in real time, to delivering neurofeedback from a region of interest, to dynamically controlling experimental flow, or interfacing with remote devices. Yet, for those interested in adopting this method, the existing software options are few and limited in application. This presents a barrier for new users, as well as hinders existing users from refining techniques and methods. Here we introduce a free, open-source rt-fMRI package, the Pyneal toolkit, designed to address this limitation. The Pyneal toolkit is python-based software that offers a flexible and user friendly framework for rt-fMRI, is compatible with all three major scanner manufacturers (GE, Siemens, Phillips), and, critically, allows fully customized analysis pipelines. In this article, we provide a detailed overview of the architecture, describe how to set up and run the Pyneal toolkit during an experimental session, offer tutorials with scan data that demonstrate how data flows through the Pyneal toolkit with example analyses, and highlight the advantages that the Pyneal toolkit offers to the neuroimaging community.
Race, Ethnicity, and Insurance: the Association with Opioid Use in a Pediatric Hospital Setting

This study examined the association between race/ethnicity and health insurance payer type with pediatric opioid and non-opioid ordering in an inpatient hospital setting. Cross-sectional inpatient encounter data from June 2013 to June 2018 was retrieved from a pediatric children’s hospital in Southern California (N = 55,944), and statistical analyses were performed to determine associations with opioid ordering. There was a significant main effect of race/ethnicity on opioid and non-opioid orders. Physicians ordered significantly fewer opioid medications, but a greater number of non-opioid medications, for non-Hispanic African American children than non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, and non-Hispanic White pediatric patients. There was also a main effect of health insurance payer type on non-opioid orders. Patients with government-sponsored plans (e.g., Medi-Cal, Medicare) received fewer non-opioid prescriptions compared with patients with both HMO and PPO coverage. Additionally, there was a significant race/ethnicity by insurance interaction on opioid orders. Non-Hispanic White patients with “other” insurance coverage received the greatest number of opioid orders. In non-Hispanic African American patients, children with PPO coverage received fewer opioids than those with government-sponsored and HMO insurance. For non-Hispanic Asian patients, children with PPO were prescribed more opioids than those with government-sponsored and HMO coverage. Findings suggest that the relationship between race/ethnicity, insurance type, and physician decisions opioid prescribing is complex and multifaceted. Given that consistency in opioid prescribing should be seen regardless of patient background characteristics, future studies should continue to assess and monitor unequitable differences in care.
Constraining reionization in progress at z = 5.7 with Lyman-α emitters: voids, peaks, and cosmic variance

A number of independent observations suggest that the intergalactic medium was significantly neutral at $z=7$ and that reionization was, perhaps, still in progress at $z=5.7$. The narrowband survey, SILVERRUSH, has mapped over $2,000$ Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at these redshifts. Previous analyses have assumed that reionization was over by $z=5.7$, but this data may actually sample the final stages of reionization when the last neutral islands were relegated to the cosmic voids. Motivated by these developments, we reexamine LAE void and peak statistics and their ability to constrain reionization. We construct models of the LAE distribution in (1 Gpc$/h$)$^3$ volumes, spanning a range of neutral fractions at $z=5.7$ and 6.6. Models with a higher neutral fraction show an enhanced probability of finding holes in the LAE distribution. When comparing models at fixed mean surface density, however, LAEs obscured by neutral gas in the voids must be compensated by visible LAEs elsewhere. Hence, in these models the likelihood of finding an over-dense peak is also enhanced in the latter half of reionization. Compared to the widely used angular two-point correlation function (2PCF), we find that the void probability function (VPF) provides a more sensitive test of models during the latter half of reionization. By comparison, at neutral fractions $\sim 50\%$, the VPF and a simple peak thresholding statistic are both similar to the 2PCF in constraining power. Lastly, we find that the cosmic variance and large-scale asymmetries observed in the SILVERRUSH fields are consistent with large-scale structure in a $\Lambda$CDM universe.
Evaluation of an interprofessional education program in pediatric dentistry, medicine, and nursing

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in the Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) program at the UCLA School of Dentistry positively affected interprofessional experiences and practice patterns of pediatric and general dentistry residents, pediatric medical residents, and pediatric nurse practitioner students (PNPs). METHODS Data collection included a year-end online survey given to participants in the interprofessional program upon graduation from their UCLA dental/medical/nursing programs. Of the 318 participants who were recruited into SPICE-PD, 208 (65%; 208/318) completed the survey. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in key outcome variables by dental/medical specialty. RESULTS Most dental, medical, and nursing participants thought SPICE-PD helped them learn to work more effectively with interprofessional colleagues and reported knowing more about the abilities and contributions of other health professionals as a result of the program. While most pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought SPICE-PD improved their skills to screen for early childhood caries (N = 91% and N = 100%), PNPs were more likely than pediatric medical residents to report SPICE-PD improved their skills to apply fluoride varnish (98% versus 72%; p < 0.001). Almost all pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought primary care providers should incorporate oral health into routine patient care and provide referrals to dental professionals when necessary. CONCLUSION Increased interprofessional education and coordination of care through programs such as SPICE-PD can help bridge the gap between dental and medical care and lead to improved oral health outcomes and more comprehensive and preventive patient care.
Variation in climatic tolerance, but not stomatal traits, partially explains Pooideae grass species distributions.

Background and aims Grasses in subfamily Pooideae live in some of the world's harshest terrestrial environments, from frigid boreal zones to the arid wind-swept steppe. It is hypothesized that the climate distribution of species within this group is driven by differences in climatic tolerance, and that tolerance can be partially explained by variation in stomatal traits. Methods We determined aridity index (AI) and minimum temperature of the coldest month (MTCM) for 22 diverse Pooideae accessions and one outgroup, and used comparative methods to assess predicted relationships for climate traits versus fitness traits, stomatal diffusive conductance to water (gw), and speed of stomatal closure following drought and/or cold. Key results Results demonstrate that AI and MTCM predict variation in survival/regreening following drought/cold, and gw under drought/cold is positively correlated with ẟ 13C-measured water use efficiency (WUE). However, the relationship between climate traits and fitness under drought/cold was not explained by gw or speed of stomatal closure. Conclusions These findings suggest that Pooideae distributions are at least partly determined by tolerance to aridity and above freezing cold, but that variation in tolerance is not uniformly explained by variation in stomatal traits.
Predicting measures of soil health using the microbiome and supervised machine learning

Abstract Soil health encompasses a range of biological, chemical, and physical soil properties that sustain the commercial and ecological value of agroecosystems. Monitoring soil health requires a comprehensive set of diagnostics that can be cost-prohibitive for routine analyses. The soil microbiome provides a rich source of information about soil properties, which can be assayed in a high-throughput, cost-effective way. We evaluated the accuracy of random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) regression and classification models in predicting 12 measures of soil health, tillage status, and soil texture from 16S rRNA gene amplicon data with an operationally relevant sample set. We validated the efficacy of the best performing models against independent datasets and also tested best practices for processing microbiome data for use in machine learning. Soil health metrics could be predicted from microbiome data with the best models achieving a Kappa value of ∼0.65, for categorical assessments, and a R2 value of ∼0.8, for numerical scores. Biological health ratings were better predicted than chemical or physical ratings. Validation with independent datasets revealed that models had general predictive value for soil properties, including yield. The ecological profiles of several taxa important for model accuracy matched the observed relationships with soil health, including Pyrinomonadaceae, Nitrososphaeraceae, and Candidatus Udeaobacter. Models trained at the highest taxonomic resolution proved most accurate, with losses in accuracy resulting from rarefying, sparsity filtering, and aggregating at higher taxonomic ranks. Our study provides the groundwork for developing scalable technology to use microbiome-based diagnostics for the assessment of soil health.
Molecular Chemistry for Dark Matter III: DarkKROME

Dark matter that is dissipative may cool sufficiently to form compact objects, including black holes. Determining the abundance and mass spectrum of those objects requires an accurate model of the chemistry relevant for the cooling of the dark matter gas. Here we introduce a chemistry tool for dark matter, DarkKROME, an extension of the KROME software package. DarkKROME is designed to include all atomic and molecular processes relevant for dark matter with two unequal-mass fundamental fermions, interacting via a massless-photon mediated $U(1)$ force. We use DarkKROME to perform one-zone collapse simulations and study the evolution of temperature-density phase diagrams for various dark-sector parameters.
Five Contributions to Natural Philosophy

[0] Introduction [1] On the Illusion of Physical Space [2] On Material Frame Indifference [3] Updating The Non-Linear Field Theories of Mechanics [4] The Theory of Simple Semi-Liquids, a Conceptual Framework for Rheology [5] Nematic Semi-Liquids
The Tantalizing Four-Color Theorem

In 1852 Francis W. Guthrie, a graduate of University College London, posed the following question to his brother Frederick: Imagine a geographic map of the earth (i.e., a sphere) consisting of countries only—no oceans, lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water. The only rule is that a country must be a single contiguous mass—in one piece, and with no holes [see Figure 6.1]. As cartographers, we wish to color the map so that no two adjacent countries will be of the same color [Figure 6.2—note that R, G, B, Y stand for red, green, blue, and yellow].
Role Of Aggressive Chemotherapeutic Regimens In Double Hit Lymphoma- Can Alternate Aggressive Induction Regimens Overcome The Poor Prognosis Of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma?

Background Double-hit (DH) diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL), characterized by concurrent translocations involving MYC and BCL2 , or BCL6 , portend to have an aggressive clinical course. Recent studies have highlighted the fact that DH lymphomas are resistant to standard R-CHOP or experience a short disease free interval. There is however limited data evaluating patient outcomes with alternative therapy that include aggressive regimens often used to treat high grade lymphoma. Methods Five hundred sixty patients (pts) diagnosed with DLBCL at a single institution between January 2004 and December 2012 were included in our analysis after obtaining IRB approval. Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed rank sum test and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed using SPSS.19 software. Results Of the 560 pts, 34 were confirmed as DH based on FISH analysis. The median age at diagnosis was 63 yrs (range 36-87). Twenty pts (59%) were male. Thirty-one pts (91%) were Caucasian. Fourteen pts (53%) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2-3. Thirty pts (89%) had advanced stage disease (stages III and IV). Thirteen pts (38%) had bone marrow involvement, and twenty-six pts (76%) had more than one extranodal site. The majority of pts (70%) had high intermediate or high risk based on the International Prognostic Index (IPI). Of the 34 pts, 15 (46%) received R-CHOP, 6 (18%) received R-Hyper CVAD/Ara-C/MTX, 8 (24%) received DA-R-EPOCH and 2 (6%) received other aggressive forms of chemotherapy. Two pts died before any therapy was initiated. Ten pts (29%) received central nervous system prophylaxis. Five pts (15%) underwent stem cell transplant, 2 of which in CR1. Twenty-eight pts (82%) were alive at the time of analysis. At a median follow up of one year, the median overall survival (OS) of all pts was 12.2 months. The median OS was 16.8 months for pts who received R-CHOP and 12.2 months for pts receiving other aggressive chemotherapy ( P=0.07) ([figure 1][1]) . The progression free survival for pts who received R-CHOP was 32.6 months as compared with 7.6 months in pts treated with R-hyper CVAD/Ara-C/MTX or DA-R-EPOCH. This was not statistically significant (P=0.44) ([figure 2][2]). In addition, there was no significant difference in disease free interval between the two groups of patients. ![Figure][3] ![Figure][3] Conclusion Our data suggests that prognosis of patients with DH-DLBCL remains poor independently of the chemotherapy administered, whether conventional R-CHOP or more aggressive regimens such as R-HyperCVAD or DA-R-EPOCH. Durable long term remission with R-CHOP is still possible in a minority of patients. There is a need to modify and incorporate novel agents in the initial treatment strategy for DH-DLBCL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. [1]: #F1 [2]: #F2 [3]: pending:yes
Density-associated recruitment in octocoral communities in St. John, US Virgin Islands

Abstract To evaluate the possibility that density-associated effects modulate octocoral abundance on a Caribbean coral reef, we tested the hypothesis that the density of octocoral recruits (colonies ≤ 4 cm tall) and adult colonies are positively associated on shallow reefs (≤ 14 m depth) in St. John, US Virgin Islands. Both life stages were censused for density at 8–10 sites along 7 km of shore in 2013 and 2014, and a correlative approach was used to evaluate the extent to which the densities were associated using sites as replicates. For 8 sites censused in both years, mean densities of adults (pooled among taxa) varied from 2.95 ± 1.16 colonies m− 2 to 20.60 ± 2.62 colonies m− 2 in 2013, and from 3.20 ± 0.75 colonies m− 2 to 13.00 ± 1.04 colonies m− 2 in 2014; for recruits, mean densities varied from 1.05 ± 0.34 colonies m− 2 to 4.25 ± 0.81 colonies m− 2 in 2013, and from 0.60 ± 0.31 colonies m− 2 to 1.44 ± 0.40 colonies m− 2 in 2014 (all ± SE). The most common taxa in both years among all sites were Antillogorgia spp., Gorgonia spp., and plexaurids. Density of recruits was significantly and positively correlated with population density of adult octocorals (pooled among taxa) and plexaurids in both years, and for Gorgonia spp. in 2013 (with a similar trend in 2014). Densities of recruits and adults of Antillogorgia spp. were not associated in either year. Together, these data suggest that densities of adult octocorals positively influence the density of co-occurring octocoral recruits, thereby potentially promoting population growth.
Accounting for Tomographic Resolution in Estimating Hydrologic Properties from Geophysical Data

Geophysical measurements increasingly are being used in hydrologic field stud-­­ ies because of their ability to provide high-­­resolution images of the subsurface. In particular, tomographic imaging methods can produce maps of physical property distributions that have significant potential to improve subsurface characteriza-­­ tion and enhance monitoring of hydrologic processes. In the tomographic imag-­­ ing approach, geophysical images of the subsurface are converted to hydrologic property maps using petrophysical relations. In field studies, this transformation is complicated because measurement sensitivity and averaging during data inver-­­ sion result in tomographic images that have spatially variable resolution (i.e., the estimated property values in the geophysical image represent averages of the true subsurface properties). Standard approaches to petrophysics do not account for vari-­­ able geophysical resolution, and thus it is difficult to obtain quantitative estimates of hydrologic properties. We compare two new approaches that account for variable geophysical resolution: a Random Field Averaging (RFA) method and Full Inverse Statistical Calibration (FISt). The RFA approach uses a semi-­­analytical method whereas FISt calibration is based on a numerical solution to the problem.
PTC behavior in yttria doped BaTiO/sub 3/ as related to grain boundary structure

Lattice structure and phase distribution along the grain boundaries in Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/-doped BaTiO/sub 3/, with Zr/sup 4+/ as a counterdopant were investigated with respect to their impact on PTC (positive-temperature-coefficient) behavior. This doping, related to A and B-site occupancy, creates ionic defect states which segregate during annealing to different morphological regions along the grain boundaries, identified as nondomain and domain regions. TEM (transmission electron microscope) high-resolution imaging, and HOLZ pattern and EDS (electron diffraction spectroscopy) analysis of these regions showed differences in composition, lattice parameters, and lattice plane coherency across the grain boundaries. Optimum doping in light of these structural changes resulted in lower resistivity and enhanced PTC effects, the stress release being the driving force for sharp PCT transitions. >
The objective evaluation of dysmenorrhea therapy

Past attempts to obtain objective evaluation of dysmenorrhea therapy have been severly limited by the lack of accurate, reliable intrauterine pressure data. The development of the catheter-tip microtransducer has made accurate, error- and artifact-free intrauterine pressure recording a reality. This information has made assessment of uterine effects of drug therapy feasible. The combination of this type of information with the use of mathematical processing of data has finally made truly objective assessment attainable. A description of the current technique and the findings made possible by its use are presented.
The foraging system of Pheidole militicida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

1 -Foragers of the harvester antPheidole militicida travel along well defined trunk trails to their foraging grounds. These trails can be subdivided into three major sections: trunk, branches and twigs (fig. 2). 2 -Trunk and branches can last several days or even weeks, whereas the design of the outermost twig section changes daily. 3 -The persistence of a trunk route depends on the amount of seeds available in the foraging area to which it leads. When an area has been greatly depleted of its suitable seed supplies, the trunk route is abandoned and a new one, leading to a different area, is established. 4 -Trail pheromones, originating from the poison gland of workers, play a major role in regulating the activity along the foraging routes. They contain not only a recruitment signal but also an orientation cue, which is responsible at least in part for the remarkable precision of orientation by workers during their foraging excursions. 5 -The trail pheromones are highly species-specific in those sympatricPheidole species that employ a trunk trail foraging system (P. militicida, P. tucsonica, P. rugulosa). 6 -Although the so-called soldier caste ofP. militicida follows natural as well as artificial trails drawn with worker poison gland secretions, their own poison gland substance does not contain a trail pheromone. 7 -It was demonstrated that the foraging pathways ofP. militicida are marked by very enduring chemical cues, which might be distinct from the poison gland trail pheromone. 8 -Not only chemical cues but also visual guidelines seem to play a role in the directional maintenance of the trunk route. The remarkable route fidelity of foragers ofP. militicida seems to depend in part on specific landmarks. 9 -The well defined, chemically marked trunk trails enableP. militicida to conduct extensive foraging excursions during the night, when almost no visual orientation seems possible. 10 -The trunk route foraging system ofP. militicida is compared with that ofPogonomyrmex rugosus andP. barbatus and with the column foraging ofveromessor.
Technology advances and standardization toward accessible business graphics

Various types of graphics are exchanged in our daily business and education processes. In spite of the importance of business graphics, they are not accessible for visually impaired people, especially for the blind, and this impacts their productivity at work. Current serialization-based screen reading techniques do not provide sufficient functionality for accessing graphics. In this paper, we report the results of our survey to identify next generation accessibility features in future graphics standards, especially for the OpenDocument Format (ODF). We will first compare accessibility functions in various types of existing standards. Then we will report our survey results for three related areas, a survey of existing business graphics in presentation documents to unveil the complexity of practical graphics, a survey of research on various types of graphical taxonomies, and a survey of interface technologies for representing graphics non-visually, such as screen reading and pictorial Braille. Finally, we will propose three practical enhancements for standard graphic formats based on the survey results.
Microhabitat associations of three species of Dryopoidea (Coleoptera) in an Ozark stream: a comparison of substrate, and simple and complex hydraulic characters

Microhabitat associations of adults and larvae of Stenelmis lateralis Sanderson, Optioservus sandersoni Collier (Coleoptera: Elmidae) and larvae of Psephenus herricki (DeKay) (Coleoptera: Psephenidae) were examined within riffles of an Ozark stream in Missouri. The invertebrate fauna was sampled from 150 quadrats, and each quadrat was characterized by a suite of substrate, simple hydraulic, and complex hydraulic variables. Larvae were assigned to size classes for analyses. MANOVAs were performed to determine if differences existed between sites of presence and absence for each of the three species separately. Subsequently, ANOVAs and Bonferroni sequential adjustments were performed to determine differences in each habitat variable that are related to presence or absence of each group. Multiple regression was performed to determine which habitat variables were important determinants of density for each taxon. Finally, discriminant function analyses were performed to determine the degree of overlap in microhabitat associations of each group. A clear distinction was seen between sites of occurrence and absence for P. herricki, and for larvae of each elmid species (MANOVAs). For P. herricki, current velocity and the complex hydraulic characteristics of Reynolds number and boundary Reynolds number were important in determining beetle presence. In contrast, substrate characteristics were major determinants of presence for larvae of O. sandersoni and S. lateralis. In general, the density of each of the three species was related to a different subset of abiotic variables. For each species, the most definitive microhabitat associations were seen in the early instars. Microhabitat associations for larvae of each elmid species were size class-specific. Inclusion of complex hydraulic characteristics along with substrate and simple hydraulic characteristics provided greater resolution of microhabitat associations.
Effective biosonar echo-to-clutter rejection ratio in a complex dynamic scene

Biosonar guidance in a rapidly changing complex scene was examined by flying big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) through a Y-shaped maze composed of rows of strongly reflective vertical plastic chains that presented the bat with left and right corridors for passage. Corridors were 80–100 cm wide and 2–4 m long. Using the two-choice Y-shaped paradigm to compensate for left–right bias and spatial memory, a moveable, weakly reflective thin-net barrier randomly blocked the left or right corridor, interspersed with no-barrier trials. Flight path and beam aim were tracked using an array of 24 microphones surrounding the flight room. Each bat flew on a path centered in the entry corridor (base of Y) and then turned into the left or right passage, to land on the far wall or to turn abruptly, reacting to avoid a collision. Broadcasts were broadly beamed in the direction of flight, smoothly leading into an upcoming turn. Duration of broadcasts decreased slowly from 3 to 2 ms during flights to track the chains' progressively closer ranges. Broadcast features and flight velocity changed abruptly about 1 m from the barrier, indicating that echoes from the net were perceived even though they were 18–35 dB weaker than overlapping echoes from surrounding chains.
Turbulence in planetary occultations: III. Effects on atmospheric profiles derived from intensity measurements

Abstract The intensities of radio and optical signals observed during spacecraft and stellar occultations by planets scintillate due to atmospheric turbulence. The combined effect of turbulent fluctuations in refractivity and the average atmospheric gradient are found to produce slightly smaller signal intensity scintillations than the homogeneous case when there is no gradient, in contrast to a prediction that the scintillations would be markedly increased. Profiles of atmospheric temperature and pressure derived from intensity measurements are found to have much larger errors due to turbulence than do the corresponding profiles derived from radio Doppler frequency measurements. However, such errors are still small in the limit of weak scattering, which is assumed here. Radio and optical occultation experiments tend to be complementary since the generally shorter distances involved in the former mean that the radio experiments can probe relatively deeply into the atmosphere, while the optical experiments are limited to tenuous atmospheric regions. Because the radio experiments generally have a much greater dynamic measurement range, they are more likely to encounter conditions where strong scattering occurs than will the optical occultation experiments, provided the rms turbulent refractivity increases with depth approximately as the refractivity of the quiescent atmosphere.
Event specification and processing for advanced applications: generalization and formalization

Event processing is being used extensively in diverse application domains. Simple and composite events play a critical role in event processing systems and were identified based on application domains. They were formally defined using detection-based (point-based) and occurrence-based (interval-based) semantics over various consumption modes. Even though both the semantics are required they are insufficient for handling emerging applications such as information security, stream and sensor data processing systems. Generalizing the event specification and detection is inevitable for supporting these new applications that were not foreseen by extant systems. First, we motivate the need for generalization using applications from diverse domains. Second, we generalize and formalize primitive and composite events. Finally, we briefly discuss how generalized events can be detected using event registrar graphs.
Study of the anti-angiogenic effects of cardiolipin by the aortic ring assay.

Cardiolipin (CL), a phospholipid found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in all cell types, is critical for the function of the electron transport chain. The role of CL is not fully understood, but it is assumed that the molecule maintains membrane potential and architecture and compensates for alterations in homeostasis that could affect the energy metabolism. The objective of this project was to determine the effects of increasing CL concentrations on angiogenic sprouting by using the aortic ring assay model. For this, 5-day-old C57Bl/6 pups were euthanized by cervical dislocation prior to removal of the aortas. The vessels were cleaned, cut in 0.5 mm wide rings, and placed in a collagen growth matrix supplemented with CL. The results revealed a highly significant reduction of sprout growth (both length and quantity) at low, physiological concentrations. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that CL significantly reduces microvessel formation and that it could poten- tially provide an interesting novel therapeutic target for angiogenesis.
Miracle Life, Inc.

Miracle Life is a firm with a unique setup and organizational structure. Specifically, it is a network marketing firm (also known as multi-level marketing (MLM) firm), which utilizes a large distributor base, and depends on this individual distributor base to sell its products, giving explicit incentives for these individual distributors to both sell its products and sign up other distributors. The case gives students the opportunity to take the basic framework of Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis, and apply it to two unique perspectives of an identical problem. The students will then use this DCF approach to rationalize observed stock prices, connecting the two, and further reconciling how a company's future plan for growth, and the plausibility of this plan, has implications jointly for DCF and stock prices.
Recent developments in nucleation theory

In this paper a brief review of the classical theory of gas phase nucleation, in its most modern form, is presented, and criticized. Subsequently, a brief resume of a recent, more logical theory, based on statistical mechanics, is given. The new theory is not subject to the criticism directed at the old one.
An empirical evaluation of stages of strategic information systems planning: patterns of process design and effectiveness

While much has been written about strategic information systems planning (SISP), two important aspects have been under-emphasized. The first is the planning process or how planning is accomplished. The second is planning evolution or how planning evolves as a learning system. Both perspectives can provide practical guidance on how organizations will change their planning process over time in an attempt to improve their effectiveness as well as leverage their investment in SISP. This paper draws on prior literature to identify key dimensions of SISP and its effectiveness. The evolution of these dimensions is studied as a three-stage model. The results provide an interesting insight into how planning evolves as organizations reconcile seemingly contradictory ''rational'' and ''adaptive'' dimensions of planning. This balanced approach to planning is shown to be more effective, providing strong implications for both research and practice.
Characterization of thermally reworkable thermosets: materials for environmentally friendly processing and reuse

In recent years, several research groups have created reworkable thermoset systems. A prominent use of such materials is in microelectronics packaging areas to enable the repair or reprocessing of electronic components. A wider implication of such an application is that it may facilitate the future recycling or reuse of older computer systems. Recent studies indicate millions of computers are discarded each year due to obsolescence or other factors. The research presented here involves studies of thermosets incorporating a cycloaliphatic epoxy monomer that contains a tertiary ester linkage. When part of a fully crosslinked network, the reworkable epoxy unit will disconnect the network under predetermined thermal conditions. We studied the chemical and thermo-mechanical breakdown mechanisms of the monomer and resulting polymer networks as a function of their rework conditions. Via analytical chemistry techniques, the materials were found to degrade in a controlled fashion consistent with prior polyester degradation studies. Monitoring the change in glass transition temperature of the materials under rework conditions yielded both kinetic and mechanistic data of the degradation process, as well as providing insight into the materials' mechanical strength.
On the Agonistic Display of the Siamese Fighting Fish

The agonistic behavior of the Siamese fighting fish has long been a popular subject for ethologists. While this behavior is well documented, its physiological basis is still poorly understood. One of
Diffuse Thickness as a Measure of Light Scattering

The concept of diffuse thickness was developed as an alternative method of measuring the light scattering in diffusely reflecting samples. It is defined as the minimum thickness of a diffusely reflecting and transmitting material required to produce complete diffusion. A series of liquid samples with varying concentrations of a green dye differed in light scattering by as much as 7:1 and in reflectance by 8:1. Results showed the diffuse thickness to be independent of absorption. In addition, the diffuse thickness was used with reflectance data to compute an absorption coefficient that correlated linearly with dye concentration despite the differences in light scattering (r = 0.99896). Additional data obtained with samples in which the scattering was varied by changing the proportion of two types of particles showed that a different mathematical procedure was required to obtain an equivalent correlation.