cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple modes of laser-induced pattern formation in nanoscopic Co films

Dewetting instabilities in nanoscopic Co films, induced by uniform multiple ns pulse laser irradiation, leads to a system of nanoparticles with robust spatial order. On the other hand, irradiation by non-uniform laser intensity, such as with a two beam laser interference pattern generates a quasi two-dimensional pattern of nanoparticles possessing long range order (LRO) and short range order (SRO). Here we discuss the various instabilities that are responsible for the production of these dissimilar patterns and length scales on the basis of their time scales. For the case of single beam irradiation, the film progresses in a manner that can be attributed to classical spinodal dewetting. Pattern formation from interference irradiation is the result of time scale-based selection of competing processes, which can be chosen by controlling the film thickness. This approach promises a simple and cost-effective means to self-assemble various nanostructures.
Empirical multiscale networks of cellular regulation.

Grouping genes by similarity of expression across multiple cellular conditions enables the identification of cellular modules. The known functions of genes enable the characterization of the aggregate biological functions of these modules. In this paper, we use a high-throughput approach to identify the effective mutual regulatory interactions between modules composed of mouse genes from the Alliance for Cell Signaling (AfCS) murine B-lymphocyte database which tracks the response of ∼15,000 genes following chemokine perturbation. This analysis reveals principles of cellular organization that we discuss along four conceptual axes. (1) Regulatory implications: the derived collection of influences between any two modules quantifies intuitive as well as unexpected regulatory interactions. (2) Behavior across scales: trends across global networks of varying resolution (composed of various numbers of modules) reveal principles of assembly of high-level behaviors from smaller components. (3) Temporal behavior: tracking the mutual module influences over different time intervals provides features of regulation dynamics such as duration, persistence, and periodicity. (4) Gene Ontology correspondence: the association of modules to known biological roles of individual genes describes the organization of functions within coexpressed modules of various sizes. We present key specific results in each of these four areas, as well as derive general principles of cellular organization. At the coarsest scale, the entire transcriptional network contains five divisions: two divisions devoted to ATP production/biosynthesis and DNA replication that activate all other divisions, an “extracellular interaction” division that represses all other divisions, and two divisions (proliferation/differentiation and membrane infrastructure) that activate and repress other divisions in specific ways consistent with cell cycle control.
Thrift Size, Risk‐Taking and Return Performance

Return and risk performance of US thrift institutions during the period 1986–90 was inversely related to both firm size and the extent to which the thrifts engaged in non‐traditional activities. Our results contrast earlier studies which found economies of scale in the thrift industry. Most of these earlier studies were based on testing periods prior to the deregulatory activity in the early 1980's. The central question addressed in this paper is whether and how this deregulatory activity might have caused an industry which previously experienced economies of scale to experience performance inversely related to firm size. Our results suggest that at least part of this inverse relationship between size and performance is explained by self‐ serving managerial behavior.
Macro-Intervention to Support Health Behavior: Some Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Reflections

Large-scale, integrated programs--as distinct from multiple and widespread replications of small-scale programs--require for their planning, implementation and evaluation a qualitatively different set of concepts, methods, and procedures. They are not merely the sum of the parts making up numerous applications of the same health education messages and objectives in various organizations or communities. This review of theory, research and the experience of national and community-based studies in mass media and community development for health, family planning and cardiovascular risk reduction identifies some distinctions between micro- and macrointerventions, as well as between the uses of mass media in commercial marketing and those in health promotion.
The Third Kind of Logistician

Technological advances during and since World War 2 have created complications to the effective accomplishment of logistics functions. These complications are due to the added functional areas required for effective support as well as to the increased sophistication required for logisticians. This paper identifies the backgrounds of past and current logisticians and makes recommendations for the educational and technical background of future, effective logisticians.
Self-transcendent values moderate the impact of mortality salience on support for charities

Abstract Several studies suggest that mortality salience (MS) can increase prosocial behavior (i.e. Scrooge effect , [Jonas, E., Schimel, J., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (2002). The scrooge effect: evidence that mortality salience increases prosocial attitudes and behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 28 , 1342–1353]). This study examined whether self-transcendent values would moderate the Scrooge effect. Participants completed the Schwartz [Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology , 25 , 1–65] value scale, wrote about death or dental pain, and evaluated a set of four charities. In Set 1 (AIDS Research Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, World Wildlife Fund, National Arbor Day Foundation), MS increased evaluations of charities, but only among participants scoring low in self-transcendent values, in line with the recently proposed Ebenezer shift hypothesis ([Joireman, J. & Duell, B. (2005). Mother Teresa versus Ebenezer Scrooge: mortality salience leads proselfs to endorse self-transcendent values (unless proselfs are reassured). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 31 , 307–320]). In Set 2 (American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society, National Park Foundation), results revealed only a main effect of self-transcendent values, suggesting that the Ebenezer shift is limited by certain boundary conditions.
Signaled escape and signaled punishment: Additional instrumental conditioning paradigms

Two experiments were conducted in which signals were utilized to inform rats of the consequences of making an escape response from an aversive situation. In Experiment I, one signal predicted that a decrease in the level of aversive intensity would follow an instrumental escape response, while the other predicted no change in the level of aversive intensity. In Experiment II, one signal again predicted a decrease in aversive intensity, while the other predicted an increase. In both studies differential performance occurred under these signals, supporting the behavioral reality of signaled escape and signaled punishment in an escape context as instrumental conditioning paradigms.
Verifying the summit bus converter protocols with symbolic model checking

We report on our investigation of a new verification tool, the Symbolic Model Verifier (SMV), created at Carnegie Mellon University. We have successfully, employed this tool to detect deadlock in an industrial design, namely, Hewlett-Packard's Summit bus converter chips. In addition to locating a known deadlock in the original chip design and checking its solution, we successfully detected other previously unknown defects in the design. In our experiments, we were able to verify properties on finite-state models of the circuit with 150 to 200 state variables in a matter of minutes.
Variability of entrainment of cohesive sediments in freshwater

Estimates of sediment entrainment are required for models of particle transport in lakes and estuaries but are difficult to make because of the multiplicity of factors affecting cohesiveness of surficial sediments. We present results of sediment resuspension studies performed in an annular flume calibrated with laser-Doppler velocimetry. In our experiments, using sediments collected from two sites in the R. Raisin which flows into L. Erie and from one site in the western basin of L. Erie near the mouth of the R. Raisin, we applied shear stresses at the sediment-water interface in steps from 2 to 12 dyne/cm2. Percent water content at the surface of the sediments was either 77 or 74%, and trials were run with and without oxygenating the water overlying the sediments. Entrainment rates as a function of shear stress at the sediment-water interface were best described by a power-law relationship. All but 14% of the variability in the power law expression was due to shear stress and percent water content; the variability not accounted for was due to differences in particle size distributions, chemical properties, and biological activity in the sediments.
Histochemistry of normal lungs and 210Po induced pulmonary tumors in hamsters.

Summary Histochemical enzyme studies of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, succinic dehydrogenase and acid and alkaline phosphatases were carried out in normal hamster lungs and lungs containing 210 Po induced tumors. The pattern of enzyme activities among various lung cell types supports our hypothesis that these tumors originate from Clara cells.
Structural Model for 12-Helix Transporters Belonging to the Major Facilitator Superfamily

The major facilitator superfamily includes a large collection of evolutionarily related proteins that have been implicated in the transport of a variety of solutes and metabolites across the membranes of organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. We have recently reported the three-dimensional structure, at 6.5 A resolution, of the oxalate transporter, OxlT, a representative member of this superfamily. In the oxalate-bound state, 12 helices surround a central cavity to form a remarkably symmetrical structure that displays a well-defined pseudo twofold axis perpendicular to the plane of the membrane as well as two less pronounced, mutually perpendicular pseudo twofold axes in the plane of the membrane. Here, we combined this structural information with sequence information from other members of this protein family to arrive at models for the arrangement of helices in this superfamily of transport proteins. Our analysis narrows down the number of helix arrangements from about a billion starting possibilities to a single probable model for the relative spatial arrangement for the 12 helices, consistent both with our structural findings and with the majority of previous biochemical studies on members of this superfamily.
The Prompt Inventory from Very Massive Stars and Elemental Abundances in Lyα Systems

It has been proposed that very massive stars (VMSs) dominated heavy-element production until a "metallicity" threshold corresponding to [Fe/H] ≈ -3 was reached. This results in a prompt (P) inventory of elements, the abundances of which were determined from observations of Galactic halo stars with [Fe/H] ≈ -3. We calculate Ω_P(E) from the P inventory for a large number of elements in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Using the available data on Ω(E_(ion)) for C IV, O VI, and Si IV in Lyα systems, we find that the ionization fractions calculated from Ω(E_(ion))/Ω_P(E) are, within reasonable uncertainties, compatible with the values estimated from ionization models for Lyα systems. This agreement appears to hold from z ~ 0.09 to ~4.6, indicating that the bulk of the baryonic matter remains dispersed with a fixed chemical composition. We conclude that the P inventory was established in the epoch prior to z ~ 4.6. The dispersal of processed baryonic matter to the general IGM is considered to be the result of energetic VMS explosions that disrupted baryonic aggregates until the "metallicity" threshold was reached to permit normal astration. The formation of most galaxies is considered to have occurred subsequent to the achievement of this metallicity threshold in the IGM.
Design for 3D Integration and Applications

3D stacking and integration can provide system advantages equivalent to up to two technology nodes of scaling. This paper explores application drivers and computer aided design (CAD) for 3D ICs.
Light from the Collision of Excited N2 with NO

When a thermal beam of N2 is excited by electrons of controlled energy and collides with NO, light is observed. The excitation function shows that this light is produced by excited N2 in metastable states. The spectrum is obtained with very low resolution, and it is identified as the transition A 2π—X 2Σ of NO, the γ bands, from low vibration levels. Experiments with other gases are briefly described.
Using the heartbeat failure detector for quiescent reliable communication and consensus in partitionable networks

Abstract We consider partitionable networks with process crashes and lossy links, and focus on the problems of reliable communication and consensus for such networks. For both problems we seek algorithms that are quiescent, i.e., algorithms that eventually stop sending messages. We first tackle the problem of reliable communication for partitionable networks by extending the results of Aguilera et al. (1997). In particular, we generalize the specification of the heartbeat failure detector HB , show how to implement it, and show how to use it to achieve quiescent reliable communication. We then turn our attention to the problem of consensus for partitionable networks. We first show that, even though this problem can be solved using a natural extension of failure detector ♢ L , such solutions are not quiescent — in other words, ♢ L alone is not sufficient to achieve quiescent consensus in partitionable networks. We then solve this problem using ♢ L and the quiescent reliable communication primitives that we developed in the first part of the paper.
b → sγ and Z → bb in technicolor with scalars☆

Abstract We consider the radiative decay b → sγ, and the correction to the Zb b vertex in technicolor models with scalars. In these models, the scalar develops a vacuum expectation value when the technifermions condense, and the ordinary fermions develop masses via Yukawa couplings. Since the symmetry breaking sector involves both a fundamental scalar doublet and an isotriplet of composite scalars (the technipions), the phenomenology associated with the charged scalars is similar to that found in a type-I two-Higgs doublet model. We show that the correction to the Zb b vertex is small over the allowed parameter space of the model in the two limits that we consider, and that there can be large, potentially observable, contributions to the b → sγ branching fraction.
Disambiguating household energy-harvesting energy meter data streams

Obtaining a detailed, whole-house breakdown of energy usage would allow for homeowners to better understand their energy consumption and opportunities for energy savings. Current solutions are either too course-grained, too difficult to deploy, not networked, or offer incomplete coverage of hard to meter items, such as ceiling lights. We demonstrate a wirelessly networked, energy-harvesting power metering system that draws zero standby power and is power proportional to the load it is metering.The system is comprised of three different meters: one for plugged in loads, one for panel level circuits, and one for hard to sense loads, such as ceiling lights. Each meter harvests energy proportionally to the load its measuring and powers a sensor node intermittently. At each activation the node increments a counter and periodically the node transmits a wireless packet containing that counter. Because the activation rate is proportional to the power draw of the load, the packet receiver can determine the power of the load based on the wakeup rate.Together, these sensors create multiple data streams which are aggregated by a receiver. When combined with a calibrated meter that measures total household power, our system can iteratively determine the contributions of each load to the total power usage, allowing users to gain a broad yet detailed view of their energy consumption and costs.
An explanation for the alternating north-south asymmetry of Io's sodium cloud

The hot Jovian plasma torus discovered by Voyager 1 is responsible for the periodic intensity variations of Io's sodium cloud, which are correlated with Io's magnetic latitude. The plasma torus must be a long-lived phenomenon in spite of its apparent absence at the time of the Pioneer flybys. The hot electrons (100,000 K) must be concentrated about one Jupiter radius from the magnetic equator in order to produce the observed variations. Electron impact ionization in the hot plasma torus is strong enough to form and to maintain Io's ionosphere; the hot plasma torus may be the dominant agent forming the ionosphere. Io's bound atmosphere is dense enough that the plasma torus electrons cannot cause a noticeable variation in its Na emission intensity.
Semi-Automatic Parcellation of the Corpus Striatum

The striatum is the input component of the basal ganglia from the cerebral cortex. It includes the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. Thus, the striatum is an important component in limbic frontal-subcortical circuitry and is believed to be relevant both for reward-guided behaviors and for the expression of psychosis. The dorsal striatum is composed of the caudate and putamen, both of which are further subdivided into pre- and post-commissural components. The ventral striatum (VS) is primarily composed of the nucleus accumbens. The striatum can be functionally divided into three broad regions: 1) a limbic; 2) a cognitive and 3) a sensor-motor region. The approximate corresponding anatomic subregions for these 3 functional regions are: 1) the VS; 2) the pre/post-commissural caudate and the pre-commissural putamen and 3) the post-commissural putamen. We believe assessing these subregions, separately, in disorders with limbic and cognitive impairment such as schizophrenia may yield more informative group differences in comparison with normal controls than prior parcellation strategies of the striatum such as assessing the caudate and putamen. The manual parcellation of the striatum into these subregions is currently defined using certain landmark points and geometric rules. Since identification of these areas is important to clinical research, a reliable and fast parcellation technique is required. Currently, only full manual parcellation using editing software is available; however, this technique is extremely time intensive. Previous work has shown successful application of heuristic rules into a semi-automatic platform1. We present here a semi-automatic algorithm which implements the rules currently used for manual parcellation of the striatum, but requires minimal user input and significantly reduces the time required for parcellation.
Behavioral measurement of the post-stimulation excitability of neurons mediating self-stimulation by varying the voltage of paired pulses.

Three different behavioral methods are compared for estimating the refractory periods of the directly stimulated neurons mediating self-stimulation in freely behaving rats. The simplest method, observing the bar-pressing rate as the interval between paired pulses is varied, yields systematically shifting refractory period estimates which depend on the voltage chosen. Voltage threshold methods are more useful but depend on two tenuous scaling assumptions. A frequency threshold measure proposed by J. S. Yeomans. Physiol. Behav . in press, is better able to meet these scaling criticisms. This method establishes a more sound theoretical basis for quantitative measurement of excitability changes in the directly stimulated neurons mediating stimulation-elicited behaviors.
The demographic transition revisited: lessons for foreign aid and U.S. immigration policy.

Abstract The completed demographic transitions in industrialized countries inspired a model which underlies many well-meant policies affecting the Third World. However, the model's postulate — modernization and prosperity will lower fertility rates — has exacerbated rather than helped control worldwide population growth and the associated environmental degradation. Here we show that perceived economic opportunity leads to raising family size targets and to discarding elements of traditional cultures which formerly held fertility rates in check. Conversely, fertility rates fall when limits are recognized. These observations imply that a liberal immigration policy and large-scale foreign aid are counterproductive for restoring balance between population size and carrying capacity.
SCR Voltage Regulators for Mobile Power Generation

Some SCR voltage regulator circuits for 28-volt dc mobile power generating systems are described. With special generator-regulator combinations the problems of self-buildup and radio-frequency interference are solved. To avoid radio noise, synchronous switching is used. Self-buildup is achieved with extra generator windings, generating the excitation power at a higher voltage, and with a SCR cascade, reducing the power level for the firing circuit. For higher residual voltage a circuit without extra windings is given.
Recent immigration and studies of ethnic assimilation.

Studies of ethnic assimilation are frequently based upon status comparisons between the foreign born and their “children,” the second generation. The assumption that recent immigration has been negligible and that the foreign born represent a closed population is implicit in that procedure. However, analysis of official statistics indicates that immigrants who arrived since World War II now comprise a substantial share of the foreign-born population, while the foreign born who arrived before quota restrictions are rapidly being depleted by mortality. Recent immigrants, as intended by quota legislation, are of much higher socioeconomic status than immigrants who arrived before World War 1. Hence, characteristics of both recent immigrants and earlier arrivals are confounded in data for the foreign-born population. Existing data do not permit rigorous assessment of this confusion or adequate control for it. This paper suggests that tabulations of the foreign born by “year of arrival” would improve the sociological utility of data for ethnic groups.
Perceptions of abusive police practices in a U.S.-Mexico border community

Abstract Although research has examined relations between minorities and the police, there is a paucity or recent or systematic evidence concerning abusive police practices. This investigation contributes to our knowledge of the issue by comparing perceptions of abusive police practices held by Anglos and Hispanics in a U.S.-Mexico border community. The study was based on a telephone/personal interview survey designed to yield a representative sample of the adult population of El Paso, Texas, a city which ranks among the poorest in the U.S. A four-item abusive police practices index was analyzed using OLS multiple regression. The findings show that the young, males, Hispanics and those residing in the barrio locale were more likely to report having seen abusive police practives, after controlling for general beliefs about police brutality and for various types of contact with the police.
A study of teacher training in gifted education

In light of the fact that teaching is a very complex process and that gifted/talented students are known for offering teachers a challenge, this study was designed to determine if teachers with specialized training in the area of gifted education perceived and provided for such students differently than teachers without specialized training. The data were collected by having educators with varying degrees of training respond to scenarios developed from actual case histories of students in gifted programs. The findings using an “expert‐novice approach,” indicate that there are definite differences which are observable and can easily be integrated into a teacher training program.
Obituary: Ernest Beutler (1928-2008).

![Figure][1] In the 80 years and five days of his life, my father, Ernest Beutler, was many things to many people. A celebrated academic hematologist to some; a personal physician to many; a distinguished scientist to others; a teacher to still others. A writer of software. A father and
Melting of alkali metals under extreme high pressures

Abstract Recent experiments show that most alkali metals melt under extreme high pressures. This raises a question whether the ground-state of an alkali is a liquid or a crystal. An argument favoring liquid over solid is reported.
MODELLING OF THE NOISE SPECTRA OF AXIAL FLOW FANS IN A FREE FIELD

This paper presents a semi-empirical formula for predicting the noise spectra of axial flow fans in a free field. The basic assumption made in deriving this formula is that sound radiation from an axial flow fan in a free field is primarily due to the fluctuating pressure exerted on the fan blade surface. This fluctuating pressure is correlated to the lift force per unit length acting on the fan blade, and is subsequently approximated by pressure pulses that decay both in space and time. Accordingly, the radiated acoustic pressure is expressed in terms of superposition of contributions from these pressure pulses, and the line spectrum is obtained by taking a Fourier series expansion. To simulate the narrow and broad band sound spectra, a normal distribution-like shape function is designed which divides the frequency into consecutive bands centered at the blade passage frequency and its harmonics. The amplitude of this shape function at the center frequency of each band is unity but decays exponentially. The decay rate decreases with an increase in the number of bands. Thus, at high frequencies the narrow bands merge to form broad band-like spectra. The noise spectra thus obtained are compared with the measured ones from four different types of axial flow fans running under various conditions, and a favorable agreement in each case is obtained.
The energy levels of habitual long and short sleepers

Bihourly self-reports of alertness or energy level were obtained from groups of habitual long and short sleepers over a period of several weeks. The data support the seeming paradox that habitually less sleep results in higher levels of wakeful energy.
Linear program approach to linear differential problems

Abstract The numerical solution of a linear differential problem is formulated as an overdetennined linear model with the objective of minimizing approximation errors. The dual of this model is a linear program.
Diagnostic mycobacteriology laboratory practices.

The resurgence of tuberculosis has forced clinical laboratories to improve the methods used for detection of M. tuberculosis. Current recommendations for diagnostic laboratory performance [7] include (1) daily processing of specimens (i.e., handling these specimens in the same way that all other specimens sent to the laboratory are handled); (2) inoculation of liquid media (e.g., BACTEC) for the primary culture; (3) use of nucleic acid probes or the NAP test for identifying isolates as M. tuberculosis as soon as possible; (4) determining drug susceptibility with use of liquid media; and (5) reporting results of each step to physicians in a timely manner. The immediate goals are to report identification of M. tuberculosis within 10-14 days of receipt of the specimen and to report drug susceptibilities within 15-30 days. This can be done if current technologies are fully utilized. The amplification-based systems for the identification of M. tuberculosis and the luciferase-based systems for rapid determination of drug susceptibilities should help further shorten turn-around times. The results to date demonstrate that these systems are feasible, although they must be reduced to formats that can be used routinely in clinical laboratories. The gene-amplification systems may be the most promising, and they are nearing commercial availability. If the assays function as well during routine use as they have during clinical trials, a clinical laboratory may soon be able to report confirmed M. tuberculosis infection to the physician within hours of receiving a specimen, instead of within the typical period of 2-4 weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Growth And Characterization Of Gallium Arsenide On Sapphire By Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Gallium Arsenide thin films have been successfully grown onto (1102) sapphire substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy methods using a graded growth procedure. The initial layers of GaAs were grown at lower growth rates and at lower substrate temperatures, followed by a thicker GaAs layer grown at usual growth rate of 1 pm/h. The films grown at temperature of 585 °C show good surface morphology. Silicon doped GaAs films exhibit n type conductivity and show low temperature photoluminescence band with peak energy at 1.502 eV and line width of about 42 meV.
Temperature-dependent resistivity of ferromagnetic Ga 1 − x Mn x As : Interplay between impurity scattering and many-body effects

The static conductivity of the diluted magnetic semiconductor ${\text{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Mn}}_{x}\text{As}$ is calculated using an equation of motion approach for the current response combined with time-dependent density-functional theory to account for Hartree and exchange interactions within the hole gas. We find that the Coulomb scattering off the charged impurities alone is not sufficient to explain the experimentally observed drop in resistivity below the ferromagnetic transition temperature: the often overlooked scattering off the fluctuations of localized spins is shown to play a significant role.
Modeling, Simulation and Control of Microelectromechanical Flying Insect

This paper presents modeling, simulation, and control of a flapping wing Micromechanical Flying Insect (MFI) called Entomopter. The overall geometry of this MFI is based on hummingbirds and large insects. This paper presents methods for investigation of MFI aerodynamics, flight dynamics, and control. The simulation results reveal important information regarding the behavior of the system, that could be used in future designs
When do genetic researchers have a duty to recontact study participants

Accepting the proposal by Ravitsky and Wilfond (2006) to adopt a “result-evaluation approach” would likely increase the number of studies that returned genetic test results to participants. Further...
The metabolic syndrome.

May be a guidepost or detour to preventing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease Type 2 diabetes mellitus is becoming extremely common; its prevalence worldwide is expected to reach 5-7.6% by 2025.1 Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the principal cause of death, disability, and excess healthcare costs in diabetes. Cardiovascular disease may already be present at the time when diabetes is diagnosed,w1 and patients with diabetes are more likely than their non-diabetic counterparts to die from a first event of cardiovascular disease.w2 These realities point to prevention of type 2 diabetes as the route to prevention of its costliest complications. The close association of type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular disease led to the hypothesis that the two arise from a common antecedent;w3 this concept has been codified by the World Health Organization and others as “the metabolic syndrome.”2 The diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome in patients might hold promise for enhanced prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, substantial uncertainties remain about the clinical definition of the syndrome and whether risk factor clusters collectively indicate a discrete, unifying disorder. Most importantly, it is unclear whether diagnosing …
Many-Particle Cooperative Scattering of X-Rays in the Two-Crystal Spectrometer

It has been emphasized by Guinier and Fournet [1] that low-angle x-ray scattering patterns should theoretically exhibit a relatively high, extremely narrow central maximum because the entire irradiated sample will scatter coherently in the same phase at scattering angles very close to zero. This effect is very small outside of a central region where h=(4π/λ)sin(Φ/2) is less than 2π/d, where d is the average dimension of the sample perpendicular to the incoming beam of x-rays [2]. The magnitude of d is almost always so large that the above effec t occurs at angles too small to be observed. Parratt et al. [3] have called this and similar effects "many-atom cooperative scattering," or "ultra-small-angle" scattering. In this letter, I shall adopt the term "many-particle cooperative scattering" and abbreviate it as "m.p.c. scattering."
Occurrence and Origin of Chert in the Monterey Formation: ABSTRACT

Chert is less common than the other siliceous rocks in the Monterey but is locally prominent, especially in lower parts of the formation. Evidence is presented indicating that most of the siliceous rocks were formed through an alteration of originally diatomaceous rocks, the chert forming from beds and areas of relatively pure diatomaceous deposits. Most of this alteration by solution and recementation was after burial of the deposits. Surface rocks commonly show recementation of the fractured cherts. More open fractures might persist, however, if accumulation of oil were nearly coincident with some of the structural deformation and fracturing. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2239------------
Rate dependent finite strain constitutive modeling of polyurethane and polyurethane–clay nanocomposites

Abstract A finite strain nonlinear viscoplastic constitutive model for polyurethane (PU)–Montmorillonite clay (MTM) nanocomposites is developed with the goal of characterizing the mechanical response under different strain rates and strain amplitudes. In this model, both the elastic and viscous responses are considered to be nonlinear. It is shown that a simple mathematical extension of the model used to characterize the PU determines the nonlinear material constants for the PU–MTM. A finite deformation nonlinear viscoelastic model is used to represent the mechanical behavior of PU. The rate dependent viscous behavior and multiple relaxation times present in the PU response are determined using the frequency dependent tan δ measurements from Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). The model is capable of accurately capturing both the rate dependent behavior and frequency dependent damping of PU. The entire rate dependent hysteresis behavior (loading–unloading) is predicted accurately through the constitutive model for strains up to 10%. For the PU–MTM nanocomposite, the constitutive stress update is implemented in a finite element (ABAQUS/Explicit) framework and validated using a range of experimental results. The model predictions show excellent agreement with experimental results in capturing rate dependent loading/unloading responses for both PU and PU–MTM nanocomposites. The proposed model can easily be extended to characterize other polyurethane based nanocomposites.
Identification of isolated structural damage from incomplete spectrum information using l1-norm minimization

Abstract The objective of this paper is to provide a new theoretical basis to identify localized damage in structures using incomplete modal information, such as a subset of the spectrum. The paper expands upon well-established ideas from sensitivity-based model updating and offers a new perspective on the problem by using l 1 norm minimization to solve the inverse problem. It is shown that in contrast with the more traditional l 2 (Euclidean) norm minimization, the proposed l 1 norm minimization approach enables accurate examination of a set of potentially damaged locations significantly larger than the subset of the spectrum used in the formulation of the sensitivity matrix. The main prerequisite is that the damage must be sparse, i.e. occur in a small portion of the domain, no other information regarding the damage is required. The computational effort necessary to solve the l 1 optimization is larger than in traditional Euclidean norm minimization and requires the use of convex optimization methods. However, given the results that can be obtained, the computational effort is justified.
An Analysis of State Alternate Assessment Participation Guidelines

The purpose of this study was to examine all states’ participation guidelines for alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) and to analyze these guidelines for common and contrasting themes. State alternate assessment participation guidelines were found for all 50 states. Participation guidelines were coded, and 12 categories emerged. These categories fell into four major patterns: not included in almost all states’ participation guidelines, evenly distributed between being included and not included, included in the majority of states’ participation guidelines, and included in almost all states’ participation guidelines. This research can help state-level personnel revise and improve their own participation guidelines by providing information about current language used in participation guidelines and can inform the field of the level of consistency in the language used to describe the population who participate in AA-AAS.
Defining social support systems for women with breast cancer.

Abstract Background Providers often assume that a patient relies on the same person for primary support (PS), as emergency contact, and as health care proxy. We questioned how often this is not the case in women with breast cancer. Methods We questioned women who were in treatment or follow-up evaluation after a cancer diagnosis who they would name as primary support, emergency contact, and health care proxy. Results One hundred thirty-five women with breast cancer participated and 75% were married or partnered. More than 40% of women did not name the same person to these distinct roles. Even for women in relationships, almost 50% did not name their partner to all 3 support roles. Conclusions A large proportion of breast cancer patients named different persons to these distinct support roles. By further defining the roles that social support networks play, we can identify strategies for including these support providers in the care models for women living with cancer.
Syncope: Causes, Clinical Evaluation, and Current Therapy

ic studies, fainting, tilt-table testing ABSTRACT Syncope is a common clinical problem comprising the sudden loss of both consciousness and postural tone, with a subsequent spontaneous and relatively prompt recovery. Often it is difficult to differentiate a true syncopal spell from other conditions, such as seizure disorders, or from some simple accidents. Even more difficult is the identification of the cause of syncopal episodes. Nonetheless, establishing a definitive diagnosis is an important task given the high risk of recurrent symptoms. Careful use of ,.noninvasive and invasive cardiovascular studies
Associations between psychological trauma and physical illness in primary care

Psychological trauma is associated with poor physical health. We examined whether specific trauma types (assaultive, sexual, any) are associated with specific medical illnesses and whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mediated these relationships in 680 primary care patients. For men, trauma history was associated with arthritis and diabetes; PTSD mediated the association between trauma and arthritis but not diabetes. Among women, trauma was associated with digestive diseases and cancer; PTSD did not mediate these relationships. Awareness of the presence of the physical illnesses examined here may help with the identification and treatment of primary care patients with trauma histories.
Fluorescence Lifetime of Actin in the Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Transgenic Heart

Clinical studies have revealed that the D166V mutation in the ventricular myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) can cause a malignant phenotype of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). It has been proposed that RLC induced FHC in the heart originates at the level of the myosin cross-bridge due to alterations in the rates of cross-bridge cycling. In this report, we examine whether the environment of an active cross-bridge in cardiac myofibrils from transgenic (Tg) mice is altered by the D166V mutation in RLC. The cross-bridge environment was monitored by tracking the fluorescence lifetime (tau) of Alexa488-phalloidin-labeled actin. The fluorescence lifetime is the average rate of decay of a fluorescent species from the excited state, which strongly depends on various environmental factors. We observed that the lifetime was high when cross-bridges were bound to actin and low when they were dissociated from it. The lifetime was measured every 50 ms from the center half of the I-band during 60 s of rigor, relaxation and contraction of muscle. We found no differences between lifetimes of Tg-WT and Tg-D166V muscle during rigor, relaxation and contraction. The duty ratio expressed as a fraction of time that cross-bridges spend attached to the thin filaments during isometric contraction was similar in Tg-WT and Tg-D166V muscles. Since independent measurements showed a large decrease in the cross-bridge turnover rate in Tg-D166V muscle compared to Tg-WT, the fact that the duty cycle remains constant suggests that the D166V mutation of RLC causes a decrease in the rate of cross-bridge attachment to actin.
Stimulation of Particle-Induced Chemiluminescence in Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes by Staphylococcal α Toxin

Staphylococcal alpha toxin is known to be involved in the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus, although the mode of action is not clearly understood. In the present investigation the interaction of alpha toxin with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) has been followed in vitro by measuring the ability of these cells to trigger a chemiluminescence response in the presence and absence of active phagocytosis. The alpha toxin does not stimulate chemiluminescence when added to nonphagocytizing PMNLs. At low concentrations alpha toxin stimulates chemiluminescence of PMNLs actively phagocytizing opsonized staphylococci. The increased chemiluminescence has two phases, one being immediate and short lived and the other delayed and longer lasting. These responses are dose-related and suggest an action of alpha toxin on the plasma membrane of PMNLs.
A method for classification of wind field patterns and its application to southern California

A method for classification of wind field patterns is described. The method forms groups of days having similar wind field patterns, including their diurnal variations. The expansion coefficients of the first eigenvector of an empirical orthogonal function analysis of the vector wind were used to determine if pairs of days are similar. A grouping procedure was then applied to form groups of similar days. Diurnally varying best-fit wind fields were generated for each group of similar days, or types. The method was applied to southern California each season for a 2-year period. Averaged mesoscale pressure and specific humidity fields were computed for each wind field pattern. Cause and effect relationships between the pressure, wind, and humidity fields in the complex topographic and meteorological setting are demonstrated.
Cardiac Overexpression of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 Protects the Heart From Ischemia-Induced Pathophysiology

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been linked to cardiac dysfunction and hypertension-induced cardiac pathophysiology. In this study, we used a gene overexpression approach to investigate the role of ACE2 in cardiac function and remodeling after myocardial infarction. Rats received an intracardiac injection of 4.5x10(8) lentivirus containing ACE2 cDNA, followed by permanent coronary artery ligation (CAL) of the left anterior descending artery. At 24 hours and 6 weeks after surgery, cardiac functions, viability, and pathophysiology were assessed by MRI) and by histological analysis. At 24 hours post-CAL, left ventricular (LV) anterior wall motion was stunted to the same extent in control CAL and lenti-ACE2-treated CAL rats. However lenti-ACE2-treated CAL rats showed a 60% reduction in delayed contrast-enhanced LV volume after gadodiamide injection, indicating early ischemic protection of myocardium by ACE2. At 6 weeks after CAL, lenti-ACE2 rats demonstrated a complete rescue of cardiac output, a 41% rescue of ejection fraction, a 44% rescue in contractility, a 37% rescue in motion, and a 53% rescue in LV anterior (infracted) wall thinning compared with control CAL rats. No changes were observed in the LV posterior (noninfarcted) wall other than an 81% rescue in motion produced by ACE2 in CAL rats. Finally, infarct size measured by 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride staining was not significantly different between the ligated groups. These observations demonstrate that cardiac overexpression of ACE2 exerts protective influence on the heart during myocardial infarction by preserving cardiac functions, LV wall motion and contractility, and by attenuating LV wall thinning.
Preference-Based EQ-5D Index Scores for Chronic Conditions in the United States:

Background. The Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine has called for an “off-the-shelf” catalogue of nationally representative, community-based preference scores for health states, ill...
The CMUnited-98 champion small-robot team

In this chapter, we present the main research contributions of our champion CMUnited-98 small robot team. The team is a multiagent robotic system with global perception, and distributed cognition and action. We describe the main features of the hardware design of the physical robots, including differential drive, robust mechanical structure, and a kicking device. We briefly review the CMUnited-98 global vision processing algorithm, which is the same as the one used by the previous champion CMUnited-97 team. We introduce our new robot motion algorithm which reactively generates motion control to account for the target point, the desired robot orientation, and obstacle avoidance. Our robots exhibit successful collision-free motion in the highly dynamic robotic soccer environment. At the strategic and decision-making level, we present the role-based behaviors of the CMUnited-98 robotic agents. Team collaboration is remarkably achieved through a new algorithm that allows for team agents to anticipate possible collaboration opportunities. Robots position themselves strategically in open positions that increase passing opportunities. The chapter terminates with a summary of the results of the RoboCup-98 games in which the CMUnited-98 small robot team scored a total of 25 goals and suffered 6 goals in the 5 games that it played.
Measurement of power delivery system impedance, current and switching activity on functioning die

Power delivery system (PDS) noise, current and impedance are major indicators of chip performance. The paper considers an approach in which on-chip impedance measurement is conducted for controlled periodic step-wise computer process. The main difficulty of the approach is current reconstruction. Current can be obtained from measured equivalent conductance of the chip, which can serve as a quantification of chip activity.