cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements of Thermal Neutron Response in Cherenkov Glasses Designed for MeV Photon Detection

In order to obtain a meaningful gamma ray measurement in mixed neutron and high-energy photon environments, a quantitative understanding of neutron-induced backgrounds is crucial. Neutrons that can produce Cherenkov photons indirectly through (n, γ) activation reactions are found in radiation backgrounds in both passive and active-source search environments. The objectives of this research are to establish the properties and fabrication techniques for materials suitable for the production of photon-sensitive Cherenkov detectors (including low neutron sensitivity), or, for certain samples, to understand how the response to neutrons can be electronically discriminated from the signal caused by the interaction of MeV photons. Over a hundred glass samples have been fabricated, and radiation characterization results from selected samples are reported. The thermal neutron responses of these glasses were determined using neutron activation followed by time dependent radiation measurement and gamma ray spectroscopy. The results showed that the probability of thermal neutron capture, the thermal neutron activation time, the half-life of the activation products, the abundance of the target materials, and the magnitude of the energy of gamma and beta radiations that result from activation play significant roles in understanding the observed count rate due to Cherenkov radiation. Implications for Cherenkov detectors to be used for MeV photon detection are discussed.
Towards an interactive high visual complexity animation system

A computer animation system is discussed which employs interactive techniques and presents a unified approach to the graphical display of complex three dimensional data. The system facilitates the generation, manipulation and display of highly detailed data with the aid of interactive devices and a video interface to a standard color TV monitor. The system enables the animator to create a variety of objects (including texture) and to specify the necessary transformations for animation sequences. A run length processing technique combined with a brute force Z-buffer algorithm has been newly designed and implemented that can handle the intersection of several million faces, lines and points. This makes possible a full range of visual cues to simulate fire, smoke, water and complex 3-D texture such as grass, hair and bark. Basic concepts and approaches are described. The display algorithm and the procedure model to generate texture are presented and the implications of the system for computer animation are discussed. Extensions to the system are outlined which include a unique graphics display processor currently under construction that includes a partial implementation of the display algorithm in hardware.
PATTERNS OF INBREEDING AVOIDANCE IN TEMMINCK'S RED COLOBUS

Amongst Temminck's red colobus living in the Abuko Nature Reserve, The Gambia, the mechanism for avoiding close inbreeding may depend on the form of inbreeding. Mother-son inbreeding may be avoided through learned behaviour and possibly secondary transfer by the mother. Father-daughter inbreeding may be limited due to transfer and demographic patterns but also aggression directed at the male from the mountee's mother. Maternal brother-sister inbreeding may be avoided through female transfer patterns. Presummed paternal brothersister inbreeding is infrequent but does occur and is not discouraged or avoided.
Problems after adoption: some guidelines for pediatrician involvement.

Adoptive families face several important parent-child confrontations relevant to the adopted status of the child, for which early intervention is indicated. These postplacement difficulties are often not rooted in psychologic disturbance but rather reflect the problem of information deprivation in adoptive parents. Specifically, confrontations arise out of telling the child of the adoption, the adoptee's need for information about the biologic parents, and the tendency of adoptees to place adoptive partents in competition with the biologic parents. The nature of these problems and guidelines for intervention by the pediatrician are detailed in this paper.
The electrocardiographic diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in patients with ventricular paced rhythms

The electrocardiographic diagnosis of ischemic heart disease is more difficult in the setting of ventricular-paced rhythms (VPR). ST segment/T wave configurations are changed by the altered intraventricular conduction associated with ventricular pacing. The anticipated, or expected, morphology in patients with VPR is one of QRS complex-ST segment/T wave discordance. An awareness of the anticipated ST segment morphologies of VPR is mandatory for the emergency physician. This knowledge is not dependent on additional diagnostic testing, medical records, or expertise in pacemaker function. Two cases are presented in which an analysis of the electrocardiogram in the setting of VPR assisted the treating physicians in establishing the correct diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and arranging for urgent revascularization.
Evaluating ENGnetBASE, an Engineering E-book Database

This paper examines the content, currency, and usability of CRC Press's ENGnetBASE, a collection of engineering handbooks published in electronic format. CRC Press's editorial staff's responses to a set of questions on e‐content publication practices show that the print and electronic formats are published concurrently, print titles are not dropped from the database, and some CRC titles are released to other electronic book databases. The usage statistics from ENGnetBASE for Texas A&M indicate that users accessed the database from various locations, viewed titles throughout the day, and in many instances used the library catalog to access the titles. Best practices and lessons learned from this study include suggestions on how to maximize access to ENGnetBASE, such as by adding MARC records into the library catalog to provide an additional access point and by marketing to populations identified by the usage statistics.
A critical review of antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis

The close association between infection and poor outcome in severe pancreatitis has led many investigators to hypothesize that antibiotic prophylaxis might reduce infection and thereby reduce mortality. However, despite this possible relationship, few studies of good quality have been performed in humans. Comprehensive searches using Medline and reviewing relevant published bibliographies of English-language human and experimental literature concerning acute pancreatitis or pancreatic tissue and antibiotic therapy or pharmacokinetics were conducted. Ample experimental evidence indicates that aminoglycosides penetrate pancreatic tissue poorly and that penetration of penicillins is variable, although the relevance of this is debatable, because most tissue that requires debridement in severe pancreatitis is necrotic peripancreatic retroperitoneal fat, not the pancreas itself. Although several animal studies suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis would be beneficial in severe pancreatitis, two recent randomized studies of intravenous antibiotics in humans provide conflicting data. There are insufficient data to recommend the use of selective digestive decontamination. Some justification exists for the use of intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis in severe pancreatitis, but the data are insufficient to mandate prophylaxis or to elevate it to the standard of care. If chosen, prophylaxis with the combination of a fluoroquinolone plus metronidazole, or monotherapy with a carbapenem antibiotic, would be most appropriate. Several other questions—including the minimum degree of severity that will benefit, the validity of endpoints other than mortality, and reduction of the need for surgical drainage—require additional trials.
Effects of the adsorption of caseins on the surface tension and rheological properties of polystyrene latex suspensions.

Abstract The adsorption isotherms of α s -, β- and κ-caseins and a Na-caseinate on polystyrene lattices (10% w/w aqueous suspension) were measured. Adsorption plateaus for α s - and κ-caScins and a Na-caseinate were observed at protein concentrations of about one-half of that required for the plateau of the β-casein adsorption isotherm. Surface tension and free protein measurements showed a strong adsorption of the caseins on the lattices at protein concentrations below a range of 15–20 mg/g of polystyrene lattices. At higher protein concentrations a weaker adsorption of the caseins was observed. Viscosities of polystyrene/protein suspensions gradually increased to a maximum as the protein concentration was increased to ~20 mg/g of polystyrene lattices. This is thought to be caused by flocculation resulting from protein bridging of the polystyrene particles. The viscosities of the polystyrene/κ-casein suspensions were higher than the other three polystyrene/protein suspensions probably because κ-casein is less effective as a steric stabilizer. The maximum viscosity of polystyrene/β-casein suspensions occurred at a ratio of β-casein to polystyrene of ~2%.
Care in the months before death and hospice enrollment among older women with advanced breast cancer.

Variations in hospice use are not well understood. Assess whether care before death, including the types of physicians seen, number of outpatient visits, and hospitalizations, was associated with hospice use and the timing of enrollment. Observational study of a population-based sample of advanced breast cancer patients included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results—Medicare database. There were 4,455 women aged ≥65 diagnosed with stage III/IV breast cancer during 1992–1999 who died before the end of 2001. Hospice use and, among enrollees, enrollment within 2 weeks of death. Independent variables of interest included hospitalizations, outpatient visits, and physicians seen before death. Adjusted hospice use rates were higher for hospitalized patients (45% if hospitalized for 1–7 days, 46% if 8–20 days, 35% if ≥21 days) than those not hospitalized (31%, P < 0.001). Adjusted rates were also higher among patients seeing a cancer specialist and primary care provider (PCP; 41%) and those seeing a cancer specialist and no PCP (38%) than among those seeing a PCP and no cancer specialist (30%) or neither type of physician (22%; P < 0.001). Hospice use also increased with increasing frequency of outpatient visits (P < 0.001). Hospitalizations, physicians seen, and visits were not associated with referral within 2 weeks of death (all P ≥ 0.10). Care before death is associated with hospice use among older women with advanced breast cancer. Additional research is needed to understand better how differences in patient characteristics and disease status influence cancer care before death and the role of various types of physicians in hospice referrals.
Magnetic longitude variations in the IO torus

Abstract We review the evidence for both systematic variations in the optical properties of the Io torus with magnetic longitude and for plasma corotational lag. We summarize the results of a recent paper in which we showed that observed longitudinal variations in [SII] emission and contemporaneous measurements indicating little longitudinal variation in total charge density can be explained in terms of local (i.e., longitudinally confined) plasma sources and effects of corotational lag. We present here new measurements of both [SII] and [SIII] emissions as a function of magnetic longitude that indicate local plasma production, but no significant departure of the bulk plasma from corotation. The data suggest, however, that the longitudes of plasma formation drift in the sense of subcorotation.
Was Mono Lake a 14C dump

This is a scientific story without an explanation, called a “mystery” and an “enigma” in articles by the people who discovered it. Confounded by evidence they cannot explain by natural processes, these scientists implicate human beings. One month ago in Eos, (June 7, 1988, p. 633), Wallace Broecker and Scott Stine reported abnormally high levels of radiogenic 14C in California's Mono Lake, now a National Historic Site. The only logical explanation, they proposed, is that someone secretly dumped a total of about 20 curies of 14C into the lake in two doses, sometime between 1952 and 1958 and again between 1966 and 1977. Broecker and Stine, geologists at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory in Palisades, N.Y., called on readers for information on the source of the 14C.
A new approach to processor allocation and task migration in an N-cube multiprocessor

We propose a new strategy to recognize the maximum subcube in an n-cube multiprocessor. This subcube recognition algorithm can be done in both serial and parallel and analyzed. This strategy will enhance the performance drastically so that our algorithm will outperform the buddy system by a factor nCk, the gray strategy by nCk/2 and Al-Dhelaan [8] by nCk/(k(n-k)+1) in cube recognition. We present a very efficient processor allocation strategy which makes larger contiguous spaces for the new coming job than buddy, gray strategy and Al-Dhelaan [8] do. Furthermore, this new strategy is suitable for static as well as dynamic processors allocation and it results in a less fragmentation and higher fault tolerance. Also we describe an efficient procedure for task migration under the new strategy: 1) goal configuration under the new strategy 2) node-mapping between source and destination node 3) the shortest deadlock-free routing algorithm.
Absence of Intrinsic Spin Splitting in One-Dimensional Quantum Wires of Tetrahedral Semiconductors

The energy bands of three-, two-, and one-dimensional (1D) structures are generally split at certain wave-vector values into spin components, a spin splitting (SS) that occurs even without an external magnetic field and reflects the effect of spin-orbit interaction on certain symmetries. We show via atomistic theory that 1D quantum wires made of conventional zinc-blende semiconductors have unexpected zero SS for all electron and hole bands if the wire is oriented along (001) (belonging to ${D}_{2d}$ symmetry), and for some of bands if the wire is oriented along (111) (belonging to ${C}_{3v}$ symmetry). We find that the predicted absence of a Dresselhaus SS in both (001)-oriented and (111)-oriented 1D wires is immune to perturbations lowering their original ${D}_{2d}$ and ${C}_{3v}$ structural symmetries, such as alloying of the matrix around the wire or application of an external electric field. Indeed, such perturbations induce only a Rashba SS. We find that the scaling of the SS with the wave vector is dominated by a linear term plus a minor cubic term.
Line strengths of the ν1 + ν4 band of 12CH4☆

Abstract The line strengths of the ν1 + ν4 band of 12CH4 at 4223.5 cm−1 were measured using a leastsquares procedure that iterates between the observed spectrum and a synthetic spectrum calculated at correct instrumental and gas sample conditions. The methane spectrum was recorded at 0.011 cm−1 resolution with signal-to-noise ratios of 300 to 1 or better using a Fourier transform spectrometer at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Line assignments were evaluated and extended to upper state J of 13. The observed line strengths reflect significant perturbation by other states so that only portions of the band can be used to determine a band strength of 6.92 (2) cm−2 atm−1 at 296 K with a Herman-Wallis factor of (1 – 0.0035(2)m)2.
Selection for Breast Angle at Eight Weeks of Age 1. Gene Interactions and Heritabilities

Abstract THE magnitude of the response obtained from artificial selection depends on the additive genetic variance (heritability in the narrow sense) of the trait and the amount of selection pressure. A characteristic for which there has been no previous selection usually responds uniformly for several generations to individual phenotypic or mass selection. Thus, the expected genetic change in the next generation can be estimated from the product of the heritability of the character and the difference between the means of the selected parents and that of the generation from which they came. The discrepancy between the observed and expected response to mass selection is generally small enough to be explained by errors in sampling. When the discrepancy is fairly large, however, other explanations are necessary. These could be either, (1) a lack of additive gene effects, (2) a preponderance of non-additive gene effects or (3) natural selection cancelling the effectiveness of …
An investigation of L1–L2 transfer in writing among Japanese university students: Implications for contrastive rhetoric

Abstract Many studies of contrastive rhetoric have confirmed that Japanese writers prefer an inductive style which is negatively transferred to ESL writing, whereas one study found similarities in rhetorical patterns used by good Japanese and English L1 writers. This study investigated whether individual Japanese students use the same discourse pattern in L1 and ESL writing and how each individual's use of similar/dissimilar patterns affects the quality of ESL essays. University students in Japan wrote one essay in Japanese and another in English. A total of 22 students wrote on an expository topic, and 24 students wrote on a persuasive topic. Each participant was interviewed later about their writing and views on rhetorical styles. Both Japanese and ESL essays were evaluated in terms of organization and ESL essays were also rated in terms of language use. The location of the main idea and the macro-level rhetorical pattern were coded for each essay. Results showed that about half of the writers used similar patterns in L1 and L2. Results also revealed a positive correlation between Japanese and ESL organization scores, but no negative transfer of culturally unique rhetorical patterns. The data suggest that L1 writing ability, English proficiency and composing experience in English affect the quality of ESL essays.
Financial Literacy and the Success of Small Businesses: An Observation from a Small Business Development Center

Small business is the backbone of the U.S. economy; when the financial literacy skills of entrepreneurs fall short of those needed to operate a successful business, it is more than the individual business at risk. In 2012, 14 small businesses requesting growth-acceleration consulting services from the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida were assessed financially as part of the service provided by the Center. Financial ratios were used to analyze the business’s financial condition. While performing the financial analysis of these firms, we also surveyed the business owners to determine their level of financial understanding and their use of financial statements in making management decisions. We found a strong association between the small businesses' financial strength and the business owners’ habits of mind with regard to their financial statements: for 7/14 of the businesses, the business owner did not regularly review financial statements, and 6/7 of those businesses were experiencing financial difficulties; conversely, 7/ 14 of the businesses in the study were experiencing financial difficulties, and for 6/7 of them, the business owner did not regularly review the financial statements.
Children coping with uncontrollable stressors

Abstract Many of the negative events in children's lives cannot be controlled by them. Three strategies that children can be taught for coping adaptively with many uncontrollable events are presented: (a) reconstruing the event in more positive ways, (b) using positive imagery to dampen fear and frustration, and (c) developing reasonable proximal goals. How these strategies may be used in working with children living in poverty is discussed.
Impressive developments in mass spectrometry

The practice of mass spectrometry is one of the methods of analytical chemistry that has undergone the greatest change during the past 25 years. There are many developments that could be highlighted in a short overview such as this. However, the present article will simply concentrate on mass analysis of non-volatiles.
CRACKS IN THE PENAL HARM MOVEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM THE FIELD*

Research Summary For more than three decades, the penal harm movement, which involves “get tough” ideology and policies, has held sway over U.S. corrections. Scholars have justifiably detailed and decried this movement, but in so doing, they have also inadvertently contributed to the view that a punitive worldview is hegemonic. In contrast, we detail four major “cracks” in the penal harm movement's dominance: the persistence of rehabilitative public attitudes, the emergence of second thoughts about the wisdom of harsh sanctions, the implementation of progressive programs, and the increasing legitimacy of the principles of effective intervention for guiding correctional practices. Policy Implications Taken together, these “cracks” comprise evidence that ideological space and political will exist to fight the penal harm movement and to map out a more efficacious and progressive response to crime. Because of the persistence of social welfare sentiments and growing challenges to the legitimacy of “get tough” policies, the potential to continue, if not expand, this countermovement is present. Taking advantage of this opportunity, however, will require forfeiting the belief that there is no escape from a punitive future and undertaking systematic efforts to devise correctional strategies that are based on solid science, improve offenders' lives, and protect public safety.
Heat transfer and phase change during picosecond laser ablation of nickel

Abstract This work investigates heat transfer and phase change during picosecond laser ablation of nickel. In this study, ablation of nickel is studied using a mode-locked 25 ps (FWHM) Nd:YAG laser. The threshold fluence for mass removal (ablation) is experimentally determined. Numerical calculations of the transient temperature distribution and kinetics of the solid–liquid and liquid–vapor phase change interfaces are performed. The results show that evaporation is negligible at the free surface, resulting in superheating of liquid to near 0.9Tcr, at which temperature homogeneous nucleation will result in an explosive phase transformation, removing part of the molten layer.
Thrust of an Air-Augmented Waterjet

This investigation is concerned with the possibility of augmenting the thrust of a conventional waterjet by utilizing the energy of an expanding gas to impart additional momentum to the water stream. The device under study is one in which compressed air is injected into the high-pressure water stream leaving the water pump. A mixture of water and finely dispersed air bubbles is generated in a constant-area mixing chamber, which joins the water-pump outlet. The two-phase bubbly mixture enters the exhaust nozzle and expands under the action of a negative pressure gradient. Internal thrust is analytically determined under the restrictions of certain simplifying assumptions. The mixing process is analyzed through the use of a control volume encompassing the entire mixing chamber. The two-phase nozzle flow is analyzed through application of the conservation laws for a single air bubble and an incremental control volume over a nozzle section. Results indicate that thrust augmentation is possible and most effective for low pump-outlet pressures and/or high mass flow ratios in the range permitting bubbly flow. Thrust augmentation is found to be only weakly dependent on air-injection temperature.
A banded double ring electrodynamic balance for the suspension of submillimeter sized particles

Abstract A banded double ring electrodynamic balance (BDRB) has been developed at Purdue University and utilized to electrodynamically suspend droplets > 750 μ m in diameter. This represents a three fold increase in diameter and thirty fold increase in mass from prior electrodynamic suspension devices. The balance geometry and some construction details are presented. Numeric modelling of the equations of motion is shown to be superior to the traditional Mathieu approach for determining the onset of particle stability. The charge simulation technique (CST) was used to determine the electric field within the balance environment. Results indicate that the difference between Mathieu stability and numeric calculations result from the assumption of Stoke's drag, which is necessary for the Mathieu solution. Particle Reynold's numbers for a droplet are numerically computed to be as high as 10.
Component survivability at runtime for mission-critical distributed systems

As information systems develop into larger and more complex implementations, the need for survivability in mission-critical systems is pressing. Furthermore, the requirement for protecting information systems becomes increasingly vital, while new threats are identified each day. It becomes more challenging to build systems that will detect such threats and recover from the damage. This is particularly critical for distributed mission-critical systems, which cannot afford a letdown in functionality even though there are internal component failures or compromises with malicious codes, especially in a downloaded component from an external source. Therefore, when using such a component, we should check to see if the source of the component is trusted and that the code has not been modified in an unauthorized manner since it was created. Furthermore, once we find failures or malicious codes in the component, we should fix those problems and continue the original functionality of the component at runtime so that we can support survivability in the mission-critical system. In this paper, we define our definition of survivability, discuss the survivability challenges in component-sharing in a large distributed system, identify the static and dynamic survivability models, and discuss their trade-offs. Consequently, we propose novel approaches for component survivability. Finally, we prove the feasibility of our ideas by implementing component recovery against internal failures and malicious codes based on the dynamic model.
Online scheduling on two uniform machines subject to eligibility constraints

We consider the online scheduling of a set of jobs on two uniform machines with the makespan as objective. The jobs are presented in a list. We consider two different eligibility constraint set assumptions, namely (i) arbitrary eligibility constraints and (ii) Grade of Service (GoS) eligibility constraints. In the first case, we prove that the High Speed Machine First (HSF) algorithm, which assigns jobs to the eligible machine that has the highest speed, is optimal. With regard to the second case, we point out an error in [M. Liu et al., Online scheduling on two uniform machines to minimize the makespan, Theoretical Computer Science 410 (21-23) (2009) 2099-2109]; we then provide tighter lower bounds and present algorithms with worst-case analysis for various ranges of machine speeds.
A subpopulation of human peripheral blood NK cells that lacks inhibitory receptors for self-MHC is developmentally immature

How receptor acquisition correlates with the functional maturation of natural killer (NK) cells is poorly understood. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to compare NKG2 and killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene expression in NK cells from allogeneic transplant recipients and their donors. Marked differences were observed in the NK subsets of recipients who had 8-fold more CD56bright cells, diminished KIR expression (except 2DL4), and increased NKG2A. In normal blood not all CD56dim cells express KIR, and a novel subpopulation of cells committed to the NK-cell lineage was defined. These cells, which comprise 19.4% ± 2.8% of the CD56dim NK population in healthy donors, express the activating NKG2D and NKG2E receptors but no KIR or NKG2A. Although the CD56dim NKG2A− KIR− NK cells lack “at least one” inhibitory receptor for autologous MHC class I, they are not fully responsive, but rather functionally immature cells with poor cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production. Upon culture with IL-15 and a stromal cell line, CD56dim and CD56bright KIR− NK cells proliferate, express KIR, and develop cytotoxicity and cytokine-producing potential. These findings have implications for the function of NK cells reconstituting after transplantation and support a model for in vivo development in which CD56bright cells precede CD56dim cells.
Circumpolar distribution of Holocene marine fossils in Antarctic beaches

Abstract The composite frequency of radiocarbon ages for Holocene marine fossils from beaches around Antarctica is significantly different than random. Variations in the frequency of fossil ages coincide with the timing of Holocene climate changes inferred from Antarctic ice cores, sub-Antarctic lakes, polar and alpine moraines, and sea level. Extant Antarctic marine species that occur as fossils in beaches may reflect coastal meltwater impacts associated with ice sheet marginal fluctuations that were circumpolar during the Holocene.
Programmatic and research priorities for improving influenza immunization of pregnant women

Despite evidence regarding the benefits of influenza immunization during pregnancy for both the pregnant woman and her infant, as well as reassuring safety data, influenza vaccination rates in pregnancy have lagged. The 2009 influenza pandemic was accompanied by increased maternal vaccination rates. In this article, we review programmatic and research priorities with regard to overcoming barriers to influenza immunization of pregnant women.
Real-Time Monitoring of Whole Blood Coagulation Using a Microfabricated Contour-Mode Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator

We report a microelectromechanical systems contour-mode film bulk acoustic resonator (C-FBAR) to monitor in-vitro whole blood coagulation in real time. The C-FBAR has a suspended ring made of piezoelectric aluminum nitride excited in the radial-extensional mode. It operates at its resonant frequency of 150 MHz and possesses a quality factor of 77 in citrated human blood. The C-FBAR is characterized using aqueous glycerine solutions showing that it accurately measures the viscosity in the range of 1 to 10 centipoise. The C-FBAR, then, is used to monitor in-vitro blood coagulation processes in real time. Results show that its resonant frequency decreases as viscosity of the blood increases, during the fibrin generation process after the coagulation cascade. The coagulation time and the start/end of the fibrin generation are quantitatively determined. The C-FBAR has the potential to become a low-cost, portable, yet reliable tool for hemostasis diagnostics.
The impact of sexual abuse on female development: lessons from a multigenerational, longitudinal research study.

This is a report on the research design and findings of a 23-year longitudinal study of the impact of intrafamilial sexual abuse on female development. The conceptual framework integrated concepts of psychological adjustment with theory regarding how psychobiological factors might impact development. Participants included 6- to 16-year-old females with substantiated sexual abuse and a demographically similar comparison group. A cross-sequential design wasused andsix assessments have takenplace,with participantsat medianage 11 at thefirst assessment andmedianage25 at thesixthassessment. Mothers of participants took part in the early assessments and offspring took part at the sixth assessment. Results of many analyses, both within circumscribed developmental stages and across development, indicated that sexually abused females (on average) showed deleterious sequelae across a host of biopsychosocial domains including: earlier onsets of puberty, cognitive deficits, depression, dissociative symptoms, maladaptive sexual development, hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal attenuation, asymmetrical stress responses,high rates of obesity, more major illnesses and healthcare utilization, dropping out of high school, persistent posttraumatic stress disorder, self-mutilation, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnoses, physical and sexual revictimization, premature deliveries, teen motherhood, drug and alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. Offspring born to abused mothers were at increased risk for child maltreatment and overall maldevelopment. There was also a pattern of considerable within group variability. Based on this complex network of findings, implications for optimal treatments are elucidated. Translational aspects of extending observational research into clinical practice are discussed in terms that will likely have a sustained impact on several major public health initiatives.
Computing a profit-maximizing sequence of offers to agents in a social network

Firms have ever-increasing amounts of information about possible customers available to them; furthermore, they are increasingly able to push offers to them rather than having to passively wait for a consumer to initiate contact. This opens up enormous new opportunities for intelligent marketing. In this paper, we consider the limit case in which the firm can predict consumers' preferences and relationships to each other perfectly, and has perfect control over when it makes offers to consumers. We focus on how to optimally introduce a new product into a social network of agents, when that product has significant externalities. We propose a general model to capture this problem, and prove that there is no polynomial-time approximation unless P=NP. However, in the special case where agents' relationships are symmetric and externalities are positive, we show that the problem can be solved in polynomial time.
Surveyor white paint degradation.

Lunar environment effects on Surveyor I components, particularly white paint degradation as function of time
Niche Conservatism: Integrating Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation Biology

▪ Abstract Niche conservatism is the tendency of species to retain ancestral ecological characteristics. In the recent literature, a debate has emerged as to whether niches are conserved. We suggest that simply testing whether niches are conserved is not by itself particularly helpful or interesting and that a more useful focus is on the patterns that niche conservatism may (or may not) create. We focus specifically on how niche conservatism in climatic tolerances may limit geographic range expansion and how this one type of niche conservatism may be important in (a) allopatric speciation, (b) historical biogeography, (c) patterns of species richness, (d) community structure, (e) the spread of invasive, human-introduced species, (f) responses of species to global climate change, and (g) human history, from 13,000 years ago to the present. We describe how these effects of niche conservatism can be examined with new tools for ecological niche modeling.
Regulation of Complement Activity by Vaccinia Virus Complement-Control Protein

A major protein secreted by vaccinia virus-infected cells has structural similarity to the super-family of complement-control proteins. This vaccinia complement-control protein (VCP) was studied to determine how it regulates complement activation. VCP was bound by C4b and C3b and served as a cofactor with factor I in cleaving these two molecules. VCP inhibited the formation and accelerated the decay of the classical C3 convertase. It also accelerated decay of the alternative pathway convertase, although higher concentrations were apparently needed. In vitro, therefore, VCP interfered with the classical and alternative complement pathways at several steps. In vivo, this interference may increase the virulence of vaccinia virus by enabling it to escape attack by the host's complement system.
Spatial Heterogeneity of the Incidence of Powdery Mildew on Hop Cones.

Gent, D. H., Mahaffee, W. F., and Turechek, W. W. 2006. Spatial heterogeneity of the incidence of powdery mildew on hop cones. Plant Dis. 90:1433-1440. The spatial heterogeneity of the incidence of hop cones with powdery mildew (Podosphaera macularis) was characterized from transect surveys of 41 commercial hop yards in Oregon and Washington from 2000 to 2005. The proportion of sampled cones with powdery mildew ( pˆ ) was recorded for each of 221 transects, where N = 60 sampling units of n = 25 cones assessed in each transect according to a cluster sampling strategy. Disease incidence ranged from 0 to 0.92 among all yards and dates. The binomial and beta-binomial frequency distributions were fit to the N sampling units in a transect using maximum likelihood. The estimation procedure converged for 74% of the data sets where pˆ > 0, and a log-likelihood ratio test indicated that the beta-binomial distribution provided a better fit to the data than the binomial distribution for 46% of the data sets, indicating an aggregated pattern of disease. Similarly, the C(α) test indicated that 54% could be described by the beta-binomial distribution. The heterogeneity parameter of the beta-binomial distribution, θˆ , a measure of variation among sampling units, ranged from 0.01 to 0.20, with a mean of 0.037 and a median of 0.015. Estimates of the index of dispersion ranged from 0.79 to 7.78, with a mean of 1.81 and a median of 1.37, and were significantly greater than 1 for 54% of the data sets. The binary power law provided an excellent fit to the data, with slope and intercept parameters significantly greater than 1, which indicated that heterogeneity varied systematically with the incidence of infected cones. A covariance analysis indicated that the geographic location (region) of the yards and the type of hop cultivar had little effect on heterogeneity; however, the year of sampling significantly influenced the intercept and slope parameters of the binary power law. Significant spatial autocorrelation was detected in only 11% of the data sets, with estimates of first-order autocorrelation, 1 ˆ , ranging from –0.30 to 0.70, with a mean of 0.06 and a median of 0.04; however, correlation was detected in only 20 and 16% of the data sets by median and ordinary runs analysis, respectively. Together, these analyses suggest that the incidence of powdery mildew on cones was slightly aggregated among plants, but patterns of aggregation larger than the sampling unit were rare (20% or less of data sets). Knowledge of the heterogeneity of diseased cones was used to construct fixed sampling curves to precisely estimate the incidence of powdery mildew on cones at varying disease intensities. Use of the sampling curves developed in this research should help to improve sampling methods for disease assessment and management decisions. Additional keywords: Humulus lupulus
AN ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTATION OF SOURCE‐TO‐DETECTOR RANGES FROM THE TRAVELTIME OF MULTIPLY REFLECTED SOUND WAVES

We describe an algorithm for the computation of source‐to‐detector ranges from the traveltime of multiply reflected sound waves. Our technique is based on ray tracing the corresponding reflection multiple in an unfolded velocity‐depth function. It requires information about water depth in the vicinity of each reflection point, and the velocity‐depth function characteristic for the surveyed area. The point‐wise velocity information is transformed into a continuous function by assuming a linear gradient between sampling points. For each layer (i), horizontal offsets and traveltimes are computed from: i(P)=(AiP)-1{[1-(PVi-1)2]X1/2-[1-(PVi)2]X1/2} and Ti(P)=(Ai)-1{Cosh-1[1/(PVi-1)]-Cosh-1[1/(PVi)]}, where P=sinθi/Vi is the ray parameter (θi is the incidence angle), Ai is the velocity gradient in the ith layer, and Vi is the sound velocity at the ith point in the velocity‐depth function. The solution is found by iterating for that ray parameter (P*) which minimizes |∑i=1NTi(P)-T0|. Here, T0 is the observed tra...
A CORBA framework for managing real-time distributed multimedia applications

This paper presents a real-time distributed multimedia framework, based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), that provides resource management and quality of service (QoS) for CORBA applications. The framework consists of multimedia components and resource management components. The multimedia components produce multimedia streams and combine multimedia streams generated by individual sources into a single stream for the users. The resource management components provide QoS guarantees during multimedia transmissions based on information obtained from monitoring the usage of the system's resources. Experimental results show that the framework provides timeliness and jitter guarantees, and synchronize the streams of multimedia data efficiently.
Blast Wave Measurements of ICF Hohlraum Energy Loss at Z

Inertial confinement fusion at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a grand challenge embraced by the nation. The designs of fusion ignition targets are based primarily on the indirect drive concept in which 351 nm laser light is absorbed by the wall of a cylindrical hohlraum, typically made of Au in current experiments. The hohlraum is an energy trapping container designed to retain as much of the incident energy as possible for use inside the walls of the hohlraum. The resulting hot wall material re-radiates a large fraction of the absorbed energy in the form of an x-ray bath at a few 100 eV, which irradiates, ablates, and implodes a DT filled capsule in which fusion occurs. The efficiency with which this can be done will depend on the atomic physics of the laser-wall interaction combined with Marshak wave energy losses into the wall, laser energy reflected back out of the hohlraum due to induced laser-plasma instabilities, and x-ray energy lost out of laser entrance holes, diagnostic holes and other imperfections in the wall. Energy loss from the hohlraum may be estimated based on the area of the missing wall or simulated by 2D radiation-hydrodynamics codes such as LASNEX[1]. This experiment was an attempt to verify that the simulations done with LASNEX are accurately capturing the x-ray energy loss out of holes and other openings in the wall of a hohlraum.
Identifying and Improving Knowledge Deficits of Emergency Airway Management of Tracheotomy and Laryngectomy Patients: A Pilot Patient Safety Initiative

Objectives. To evaluate the knowledge base of hospital staff regarding emergent airway management of tracheotomy and laryngectomy patients, and the impact of the introduction of a bedside airway form. Methods. Cross-sectional surveys of physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists at a tertiary care hospital prior to and 24 months after introduction of a bedside Emergency Airway Access (EAA) form. Results. Pre- and postintervention surveys revealed several knowledge deficits. Preintervention, 37% of medical internists and 19% overall did not know that laryngectomy patients cannot be orally ventilated, and 67% of internists could not identify the purpose of stay sutures in recently created tracheotomies. Postintervention, these numbers improved for all groups. Furthermore, 80% of respiratory therapists reported encountering the EAA form in an emergent situation and found it useful. Conclusion. A knowledge deficit is identified in caregivers expected to provide emergency management of patients with airway anatomy altered by subspecialty surgeons. Safety initiatives such as the EAA form may improve knowledge among providers.
Evolutionary Genetics of the Hydroid Allodeterminant alr2

We surveyed genetic variation in alr2, an allodeterminant of the colonial hydroid Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. We generated cDNA from a sample of 239 Hydractinia colonies collected at Lighthouse Point, Connecticut, and identified 473 alr2 alleles, 198 of which were unique. Rarefaction analysis suggested that the sample was near saturation. Most alleles were rare, with 86% occurring at frequencies of 1% or less. Alleles were highly variable, diverging on average by 18% of the amino acids in a predicted extracellular domain of the molecule. Analysis of 152 full-length alleles confirmed the existence of two structural types, defined by exons 4-8 of the gene. Several residues of the predicted immunoglobulin superfamily-like domains display signatures of positive selection. We also identified 77 unique alr2 pseudogene sequences from 85 colonies. Twenty-seven of these sequences matched expressed alr2 sequences from other colonies. This observation is consistent with pseudogenes contributing to alr2 diversification through sequence donation. A more limited collection of animals was made from a distant, relict population of H. symbiolongicarpus. Sixty percent of the unique sequences identified in this sample were found to match sequences from the Lighthouse Point population. The large number of alr2 alleles, their degree of divergence, the predominance of rare alleles in the population, their persistence over broad spatial and temporal scales, and the signatures of positive selection in multiple residues of the putative recognition domain paint a consistent picture of negative-frequency-dependent selection operating in this system. The genetic diversity observed at alr2 is comparable to that of the most highly polymorphic genetic systems known to date.
Compensation For Gain Nonuniformity And Nonlinearity In Hgcdte Infrared Charge-Coupled-Device Focal Planes

Infrared CCD arrays generally require a compensation for the effect of gain and offset variation among the individual detectors of the array. Linear compensation techniques do not suffice for focal planes that exhibit a large nonlinearity of response combined with order-of-magnitude variations in threshold and saturation flux levels. This situation is common among hybrid architecture CCDs, particularly when HgCdTe is the detector material. This paper reports on a multipoint piecewise-linear correction scheme employed on a HgCdTe infrared CCD focal plane. This technique allows a compensated response to be obtained in a computationally efficient manner. An experimental relationship between the number of calibration points and the amount of residual fixed-pattern noise is presented and compared to previous analytical models.
Economic Motivations and Moral Controls Regulating Discrimination against Black and Hispanic Diners

Racial discrimination in restaurant service is often depicted as an economically rational response to servers' concerns about perceived inadequate tipping by black and/or Hispanic customers. Howeve...
The design and demonstration of a wide-band multiple-beam traveling-wave klystron

The multiple-beam design philosophy and its application to the traveling-wave klystron (TWK) are described. The TWK was conceived as a superpower device capable of producing broadband power levels many times greater than can be achieved with a single-beam tube. The principles of operation of the device are outlined, as well as the manner in which these have been incorporated in a practical demonstration at S band, in which power levels in excess of 5.0 MW with 16 per cent bandwidth and 23 dB high-level gain were obtained.
Exotic n-universal graphs

An n-universal graph is a graph that contains as an induced subgraph a copy of every graph on n vertices. It is shown that for each positive integer n > 1 there exists an n-universal graph G on 4n - 1 vertices such that G is a (v, k, λ)-graph, and both G and its complement G¯ are 1-transitive in the sense of W. T. Tutte and are of diameter 2. The automorphism group of G is a transitive rank 3 permutation group, i.e., it acts transitively on (1) the vertices of G, (2) the ordered pairs uv of adjacent vertices of G, and (3) the ordered pairs xy of nonadjacent vertices of G.
Factors associated with sex in the context of methamphetamine use in different sexual venues among HIV-positive men who have sex with men

Background Harm reduction has focused primarily on reduction of high-risk substance using behaviors rather than reductions in high-risk sexual behaviors. Furthermore, most studies focus on individual behavior change, with less attention paid to the social and environmental context. This paper promotes understanding of the interplay between the individual and the social context by examining the psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of 321 methamphetamine-using HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Diego, CA based on the locations or venues of their sexual activities when "high" on methamphetamine.