cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mixture Pruning and Roughening for Scalable Acoustic Models

In an automatic speech recognition system using a tied-mixture acoustic model, the main cost in CPU time and memory lies not in the evaluation and storage of Gaussians themselves but rather in evaluating the mixture likelihoods for each state output distribution. Using a simple entropy-based technique for pruning the mixture weight distributions, we can achieve a significant speedup in recognition for a 5000-word vocabulary with a negligible increase in word error rate. This allows us to achieve real-time connected-word dictation on an ARM-based mobile device.
Requirements for automated sample handling in genome analysis

Automated sample handling is one of the critical steps that must be developed as part of an automated genome factory for sequencing the human genome. The requirements are stated for a sample handling system that is capable of processing 50,000 samples per day. This system is currently under development.
Alternative Representations of Aberrations of the Eye

In recent years there has been an explosion of activity measuring the aberrations of the eye. One of the goals of this activity is to develop methods for predicting visual performance. It is not yet clear how to do that prediction. It is likely that different aspects of visual performance will require different ways of viewing the aberrations. This paper examines and compares five graphical representations of the aberration data. The advantages and disadvantages of the different displays will be discussed.
Home-Schooled Children are Thinner, Leaner, and Report Better Diets Relative to Traditionally Schooled Children

Objective: To examine and compare the relationships among diet, physical activity, and adiposity between home-schooled children (HSC) and traditionally schooled children (TSC). Design and Methods: Subjects were HSC (n 547) and TSC (n 548) aged 7-12 years old. Dietary intakes were determined via two 24-h recalls and physical activity was assessed with 7 days of accelerometry. Fat mass (FM), trunk fat, and percent body fat (%BF) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results: Relative to HSC, TSC demonstrated significantly higher BMI percentiles, FM, trunk fat, and %BF; consumed 120 total kilocalories more per day; and reported increased intakes of trans fats, total sugar, added sugars, calcium, and lower intakes of fiber, fruits, and vegetables (P <0.05). At lunch, TSC consumed significantly more calories, sugar, sodium, potassium, and calcium compared to HSC (P <0.05). Physical activity did not differ between groups. Traditional schooling was associated with increased consumption of trans fat, sugar, calcium (P <0.05); lower intakes of fiber, and fruits and vegetables (P <0.05); and higher FM, %BF, and trunk fat (P <0.01), after adjustment for covariates. Conclusions: These data suggest HSC may consume diets that differ in energy and nutrient density relative to TSC, potentially contributing to differences in weight and adiposity.
Evaluations of Bollgard®, Bollgard II®, and WideStrike® Technologies against Beet and Fall Armyworm Larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Transgenic cottons containing the Bollgard®, Bollgard II® and WideStrike® traits were grown in 2005 and 2007 to examine the efficacy against beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) and fall armyworms S. frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Results suggest that both dual-gene traits are more efficacious against these armyworm species than Bollgard®. In these studies, WideStrike® appears to be more efficacious against fall armyworms than Bollgard II®, while Bollgard II® is more efficacious against beet armyworms than WideStrike®. Possible reasons for these differences in efficacy are discussed.
Contesting Friendship in Colonial Muslim India

AbstractThis essay examines competing understandings of ideal publics in modern South Asian Islam by analysing a polemical debate among Muslim scholars about the boundaries of friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims. The specific context of this polemic was the pan-Islamic Khilafat movement and concomitant debates on the limits of friendship between Muslims, the British and Hindus. Through a close reading of this polemic, I show ways in which Muslim normative sources are mobilised and interpreted for radically contrasting ideological and political projects. The specific focus of this essay is on intra-Muslim contestations surrounding the category of muwalat (friendship or clientage), and it shows the opposing ways in which this category was approached by Indian Muslim scholars as either friendship between different religious communities or in terms of a citizen's relationship to a modern state. These varied understandings of muwalat, I argue, corresponded to diverging imaginaries of a moral public. Thi...
Range bounding with Taylor models: some case studies

Taylor model methods represent a combination of high-order multivariate automatic differentiation and the simultaneous computation of an interval remainder bound enclosing approximation error over a given domain. This method allows a far-reaching suppression of the dependency problem common to interval methods, and can thus often be used for precise range bounding problems. We compare the performance of the method with other state of the art validated tools including centered forms and mean value forms. We also compare with the computation of remainder bounds via high-order interval automatic differentiation.
Global patterns and environmental correlates of high-priority conservation areas for vertebrates

Aim A major challenge for the emerging discipline of conservation biogeography is to identify conservation areas and understand the factors and processes that govern the spatial distribution of those areas. We aimed to identify high-priority conservation cells (HPCC) – 1° cells that efficiently represent species – for amphibians, birds and mammals at the global extent, to identify the environmental variables associated with conservation priority, and to evaluate how well the areas of highest species richness correspond to these high-priority areas. Location A global analysis. Methods Distribution maps for 21,697 vertebrates and complementarity-based approaches were used to map HPCCs for vertebrates. We used 41 potential predictor variables and varimax-rotated factor analysis (VrFA) to identify sets of relatively uncorrelated environmental factors, and then used random forest models to investigate the relationships between VrFA factors and vertebrate conservation priorities. Finally, we evaluated whether species richness and threatened-species richness were efficient surrogates to identify HPCCs for each vertebrate taxon. Results For each of the three taxa, HPCCs were concentrated in the Neotropical, Afrotropical and Indo-Malay biogeographical realms. The spatial distribution of HPCCs was strongly correlated with environmental variables, especially energy-related variables. The cells with the highest species richness did not correspond to HPCCs for either birds or mammals. Discussion We suggest that elucidating the patterns and drivers of conservation priority could become a major focus of conservation biogeography. The ability to identify high-priority conservation sites from the environmental conditions in those sites may improve how sites are prioritized for conservation, so that all or most species can be conserved in affordable areas.
Speech perception and verbal memory in children with and without histories of otitis media.

Two groups of children, with (n=7) and without (n=7) first-year histories of otitis media, were participants in a longitudinal study that included periodic audiological and medical evaluations during the first year of life. At age 9, these children were tested on a series of speech perception and verbal short-term memory tasks using stimuli of varying degrees of phonetic contrast. Although the otitis-positive group performed less accurately than the otitis-free group, the pattern of errors was the same for the two groups. The performances of the children with and without positive histories of otitis media were negatively affected by an increase in phonetic similarity of the stimulus items. The two groups, however, did not differ on identification or on temporal-order recall when the speech sounds were differentiated by multiple features. These findings provide evidence of subtle, long-term effects of early episodes of otitis media on phonological representations and on working memory.
Review: Immunological assessment of marine toxins

A brief immunological resume of each of the marine toxins is reviewed in this report. These toxins are brevetoxin (PbTx), palytoxin (PTX), okadaic acid (OA), paralytic shellfish toxins (PSP) and ciguatoxin (CTX). The immunological and biotechnical procedures developed for each of these toxins are reviewed. The cross‐reactivity of the polyether‐type toxins (PbTx, OA and CTX) are discussed. The capabilities of immunological technology for assessment of toxins in seafood products appears promising and will probably be widely used in the seafood industries.
In vitro polymerization of oxidized tau into filaments

Paired helical filaments (PHF) are abnormal neuronal polymers characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although tau appears to be a major constituent of PHF, the mechanism for the polymerization of tau or its integration into PHF remains unknown. Here, we show that the oxidation of bovine tau in vitro induces an apparent dimerization of this protein and polymerization into filaments. These observations suggest that the oxidation of tau in vivo may contribute to the development of PHF in individuals with AD.
On the optimal parameter choice for /spl nu/-support vector machines

We determine the asymptotically optimal choice of the parameter /spl nu/ for classifiers of /spl nu/-support vector machine (/spl nu/-SVM) type which has been introduced by Scholkopf et al. (2000). It turns out that /spl nu/ should be a close upper estimate of twice the optimal Bayes risk provided that the classifier uses a so-called universal kernel such as the Gaussian RBF kernel. Moreover, several experiments show that this result can be used to implement some modified cross validation procedures which improve standard cross validation for /spl nu/-SVMs.
High precision multiwavelength pH determinations in seawater using cresol red

Abstract Observations of sulfonephthalein absorbance ratios provide the basis for very precise measurements of seawater pH. Our analyses, using cresol red, indicate that meaningful pH comparisons at sea can be obtained at the level of ±0.001 pH units or better. Comparison of replicate seawater samples obtained from different Niskin bottles exhibited, in most instances, agreement within 0.0005 pH units. The procedures involved in multiwavelength pH measurements are quite simple relative to the required methodology in single wavelength observations.
On the dipole moments and chemical properties of pyrazole and imidazole

Abstract The coulomb parameters for N and NH in the simple LCAO MO theory were determined from a calculation of the dipole moments of pyridine and pyrrole in which the σ moments and the lone pair moments were explicitly considered. The parameters thus obtained were used to evaluate the dipole moments of pyrazole and imidazole by means of the same method. The argument between theoretical and experimental values is satisfactory. The resultant π electron densities were used as a basis for discussing electrophilic substitutions and basic and acidic properties.
Double cardiomyopathy: coexistent cardiac amyloidosis and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

A combination of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopahhy (HOCM) and cardiac amyloidosis in the same patient is very rare. Clinical diagnosis could be extremely difficult and may require myocardial biopsy. We are reporting a patient with this combination who was referred to our institution because of features of HOCM based on clinical, echocardiographic and Doppler criteria. Cardiac amyloidosis was only recognized after myocardial biopsy that failed to reveal evidence of HOCM. Only after the patient expired from severe, intractable heart failure did the autopsy findings confirm the association of HOCM. We believe that the combination of the two cardiomyopathic processes is very rare and makes treatment extremely difficult.
Immunoteratology of chlordane: cell-mediated and humoral immune responses in adult mice exposed in utero.

The functional status of the immune system of adult mice prenatally exposed to the chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide chlordane was evaluated by assessing cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. Gravid BALBc mice fed 0, 0.16, or 8.0 mg/kg chlordane daily throughout gestation produced viable, overtly normal offspring. At 101 days of age cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses were measured by the contact hypersensitivity response to oxazolone. Offspring were sensitized by application of oxazolone to the denuded flank and 5 days later challenged by percutaneous application of oxazolone to the ear. Degree of induration was determined by daily micrometer measurement of ear thickness for 3 days after challenge. Offspring in the higher dose group had a significantly (p < 0.01) depressed CMI response when compared to offspring of the control or lower dose groups. The primary humoral response to sheep red blood cell (sRBC) innoculation was determined at 101 days of age using the hemolytic plaque assay. Subjects were immunized with washed sRBC. IgM antibody released from the spleen cells was detected by addition of complement which caused lysis of the sRBC's. No significant differences existed between the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) produced by spleen cells from either chlordane-treated group or the vehicle-control group. Results of this study revealed two significant findings: (1) severe depression of the functional CMI response in apparently normal treated offspring, but (2) no effect on the T-cell-dependent humoral immune response. The effect of chlordane on CMI and PFC responses might be explained by a reduction in the activity or number of T effector cells.
Rheological and calorimetric investigations of starch-fish protein systems during thermal processing

During the thermal processing of starch-surimi systems, significant rheological changes due to the sol-gel transformation of fish proteins and the gelatinization of starch were observed by rigidity scanning. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), produced results which corresponded well with rheological changes. Starch gelatinization in cooked fish-starch gels was studied by DSC. The effects of starches on the textural properties of cooked gels were dependent on their gelatinization characteristics, such as gelatinization temperature, degree of swelling and water uptake of the granules. Gels producing higher failure stress values were obtained after starch gelatinized; however, no significant effect on failure strain was observed by the addition of starch. Pregelatinized starch had detrimental effects on the gelation of fish protein, and more water was absorbed by this starch compared to non-pregelatinized starches. Resulting gels were weaker and less deformable.
Social support and the reactivity hypothesis: Conceptual issues in examining the efficacy of received support during acute psychological stress

Social support has been reliably related to better physical health outcomes. One influential model suggests that social support is related to lower cardiovascular disease mortality because it reduces the potentially deleterious consequences of cardiovascular reactivity during acute stress. However, received support and perceived support are separable constructs and epidemiological research suggests variability in links between received support and health. This is important because most social support and acute laboratory stress studies are essentially based on the receipt of support. In this paper, we focus on the conceptualization of received support and its implications for understanding links to support laboratory reactivity paradigms. This analysis highlights the role of theoretically important task, recipient, and provider categories of factors that moderate the effectiveness of received support, as well as the need to examine links between naturalistic perceptions of support and cardiovascular reactivity during stress.
PROPER: an optical propagation library for IDL

PROPER is a library of IDL (Interactive Data Language) routines for simulating optical propagation in the near and far fields using Fourier-based Fresnel and angular spectrum methods. The goal of PROPER is to provide a free, easy-to-use, and versatile means for simulating systems that require diffraction-based rather than geometrical analyses, such as spatial filtering systems with intermediate optics (e.g. a stellar coronagraph for extrasolar planet imaging). It has routines for creating complex apertures and obscurations, wavefront errors (defined by Zernikes, power spectra, or user-supplied maps), amplitude modulators (e.g. coronagraphic occulters), simple lenses, and deformable mirrors. The routines automatically select which propagator (near or far-field) is best at each surface based on analytically propagating a Gaussian pilot beam. The library includes a comprehensive manual and is distributed as IDL source code.
Redistributive Promises and the Adoption of Economic Reform

This paper analyzes the relationship between economic reform and the democratic process to ask the following question: Does the likelihood of adoption of an economic reform increase with an increase in the efficiency benefits from that reform? A priori we might expect that this likelihood should increase monotonically, for two reasons. First, economic reform results in an increase in the size of the national "pie." If the government has the ability to make compensatory tax-transfers, an increase in each citizen's income is possible. Second, a larger economic reform results in a greater number of "winners." This might also be expected to reinforce the political support for economic reform. So we should expect a reform with greater efficiency benefits to a larger population to have a greater chance of adoption by the government. However, in this paper we show that this intuition is mistaken. In particular, we demonstrate that there exists a certain non-monotonicity between the distribution of winners from economic reform and the probability of its adoption. An increase in the number of winners may lower, rather than increase, the likelihood of adoption of economic reform. In particular, even though reforms that benefit a minority or an overwhelming majority are adopted, reforms that benefit a smaller majority are not adopted.
Evolutionary connections of biological kingdoms based on protein and nucleic acid sequence evidence

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic evolutionary trees are developed from protein and nucleic-acid sequences by the methods of numerical taxonomy. Trees are presented for bacterial ferredoxins, 5S ribosomal RNA, c-type cytochromes , cytochromes c2 and c', and 5.8S ribosomal RNA; the implications for early evolution are discussed; and a composite tree showing the branching of the anaerobes, aerobes, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes is shown. Single lines are found for all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic forms and for the salt-loving and high-temperature forms of archaebacteria. It is argued that the eukaryote mitochondria, chloroplasts, and cytoplasmic host material are descended from free-living prokaryotes that formed symbiotic associations, with more than one symbiotic event involved in the evolution of each organelle.
Estimating the demand and willingness-to-pay for cotton yield monitors

Survey data from cotton farmers in six southeastern states of the USA were used to estimate the demand and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for either retrofitting yield monitors onto cotton pickers or to purchase a yield monitor as an option with a new cotton picker. ‘Don’t know’ responses were either omitted, combined with ‘no’ responses or included as a separate category for comparing WTP and estimates of the price elasticity of demand. Our results suggest that treating the ‘don’t know’ response as a separate category provides WTP estimates that are more consistent with expectations than the other approaches. The estimated price elasticities and demand curves indicate that previous users of precision technology are more responsive to changes in price of cotton yield monitors and would be more likely to adopt them when the price decreases. These demand and WTP estimates provide important information that can be used by those who sell cotton yield monitors, as well as policy-makers who may wish to subsidize this technology. Referendum contingent valuation was useful for evaluating the demand for any new technology.
Interaction with and production of sound by vortex flows

A description is presented of an improved version of a comprehensive theory of aeroacoustics which, in its original form, had first been reported by Yates and Sandri (1976). The new theory departs in several basic aspects from the concepts provided by Lighthill (1952), Ribner (1964), and Lilley et al. (1974). A detailed derivation of the theory is given for the case of constant entropy flows, taking into account the production of sound by a 'primary' fluid flow, the processing of sound by a flow, and the effects of sound on a primary flow. An investigation is conducted regarding the processing and the production of sound by vortex flow. Questions related to the excitation of a fluid flow by sound are also considered.
Outcomes in treatment of pain in geriatric and younger age groups

Chronic pain treatment outcome studies have generated conflicting information on whether geriatric (age 65+) patients (1) benefit from pain center treatment, and (2) benefit as much as do other age groups. We asked chronic pain patients to rate themselves at pain center admission and discharge on 43 scales assessing area of pain, functional status, behavioral variables, and other areas (pain center modification goals). Patients were placed into one of three age groups: "geriatric" (n = 153); "middle aged" 45 to 64 years (n = 126); and "younger" 21 to 44 years (n = 191). First, tests of geriatric improvement were performed. Next, the three groups were compared on baseline variables and on overall admission, discharge, and change scores. Change scores of the three groups were compared using analysis of covariance, followed by pairwise post hoc tests. Overall, the geriatric group improved on 42 of the 43 scales (p < .001). Geriatric improvement was significant on 37 scales, with most scales being significant at p < .001. Geriatric patients were significantly different from the other two groups on most baseline variables. Their admission scores were better than the other two groups. Geriatric improvement was not significantly different from the other two groups on 37 of the scales. Geriatric change was significantly better on two scales and significantly worse on 4 scales. Geriatric chronic pain patients are (1) distinctly different from younger chronic pain patients, (2) show significant and meaningful improvement with pain center treatment, and (3) demonstrate as great an improvement as the other age groups in the majority of measures.
Seismic Attribute Calibration Using Neural Networks

Neural networks are used to predict sand percen t f rom se i smic a t t r ibu tes fo r severa l in t e rva l s in a Cre taceous bas in . Neura l ne tworks a re h igh ly s impl i f i ed computer models of biological neural systems and have found applications in a number o f a reas inc lud ing pa t t e rn recogni t ion , c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , a n d s i g n a l processing. These networks are not programmed but rather are trained by repea ted p resen ta t ion o f inpu t da ta ( s e i s m i c a t t r i b u t e s e x t r a c t e d a t w e l l loca t ions ) and the cor respond ing des i red output (sand percent measured in the w e l l s ) . I n t h i s c o n t e x t o f s e i s m i c a t t r i b u t e a n a l y s i s , t r a i n i n g a n e t w o r k i s e q u i v a l e n t t o a c a l i b r a t i o n .
Local interface effects on coalescence kinetics in Ni-base alloys

Coalescence of precipitates is a common kinetic phenomenon. The phase-field method can simulate coalescence of precipitates without any ad hoc assumptions. However, independent of long range effects (e.g. lattice misfit) the method predicts a high coalescence rate when applied to systems with a high volume fraction of precipitates. We show that this is a result of ignoring the local phenomenon in the interface regions, which is an approximation adopted by many other simulation techniques. An improved coalescence rate is achieved by properly addressing this local phenomenon through introducing composition and phase dependence of diffusion mobility.
Microcomputer for the dynamics laboratory

Abstract A microcomputer developed for use in a dynamics laboratory of a mechanical engineering department is discussed. The microcomputer is based on the Motorola 6802 microprocessor and includes an EPROM burning circuit for flexibility. Special mathematical routines have been developed for the computer. These routines are designed for use with 4-digit floating-point numbers to gain speed with minimal sacrifice of accuracy. The special routines include a data approximation and smoothing routine for signal processing, and routines to compute frequently used mathematical functions. The routines are written in 6802 assembly language and are stored in 2 kbyte of external EPROM. An application of the microcomputer used as a component in a speed controller is also discussed.
Racing and Queering the Interface Producing Global/Local Cyberselves

This essay is concerned with social and cultural problems of producing, consuming, and using technology. Based on epistemologies of doing, we race and queer the interface while doing technologies as they are located in specific contexts and moments. Our multi-vocal cyberethnographic engagement explores the production of selves at the intersection of online/offline activities. Our narratives shed light on how power works in multiply mediated contexts and reveals how ideology, discourse, and material practice interweave in the production of global/local cyberselves. Situated in her own specific socio-cultural personal context, each one of us attempts to understand the processes of identity production at the computer interface and to capture the (in)visible code that serves as the framework for the interaction.
Insecticide, sugar, and diet effects on feeding and mortality in Rhagoletis indifferens (Dipt., Tephritidae)

The effects of spinosad bait and various insecticides, the presence of sugar in insecticides, and diet on feeding responses and mortality in western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Dipt., Tephritidae), were determined. Numbers of feeding events on insecticides with sugar were greater than on insecticides alone, but there was only a small effect of diet on feeding responses to insecticides with sugar. Feeding durations on imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and acetamiprid with sugar were shorter than on sugar water and spinosad bait, as the neonicotinoids paralysed flies quickly. Flies that fed on sugar only (nitrogen-starved) suffered higher mortalities when exposed to spinosad, thiamethoxam and azinphos-methyl than to imidacloprid, acetamiprid and indoxacarb, and mortality in between these two groups of treatments when exposed to spinosad bait. Mortalities were greater when sugar was added to insecticides, and were higher in nitrogen-starved than fully-fed (yeast extract + sugar fed) flies. Flies that fed once on thiamethoxam were killed more quickly than those that fed once on spinosad bait and spinosad. Results suggest that thiamethoxam is comparable to spinosad in its effects on mortality, and that using it with sugar in bait may also have similar results as using spinosad bait or spinosad. One benefit of using thiamethoxam with sugar may be that it kills flies more quickly, before they can oviposit, than spinosad bait, although whether a fly will feed on it may depend on how much sugar or nitrogenous food it has eaten.
Total synthesis of (+)-SCH 351448.

A convergent synthesis of (+)-SCH 351448 (1), a monosodium salt of a C2-symmetric macrodiolide, is described. Our approach is based on a [4 + 2] annulation with a chiral allyl silane (anti-5c) to assemble the pyran subunits. Homodimerization was carried out in a stepwise fashion; initial esterification at C29′ followed by macrocyclization at C29 afforded the desired macrodiolide.
Self-reported treatment practices by healthcare providers could lead to death from Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Among 2012 Docstyle survey respondents, 80% identified doxycycline as the appropriate treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in patients ≥8 years old, but only 35% correctly chose doxycycline in patients
Borehole observations of fluid flow from South Chamorro Seamount, an active serpentinite mud volcano in the Mariana forearc

Abstract A sealed borehole observatory (CORK) was deployed on South Chamorro Seamount, an active serpentinite mud volcano in the Mariana forearc to explore subduction-related processes on a non-accretionary, convergent plate margin. Formation fluid was overpressured relative to ambient hydrostatic conditions. Fluid flowed from the borehole at ~ 0.2 L/s when the observatory was opened to recover instruments 2 yr after it was installed. The chemical composition of the formation fluid is similar to that extrapolated from trends in pore water data collected during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 195 when the observatory was established. Reduced sulfur is present in this highly-alkaline (pH 12.4) formation fluid, indicative of microbial activity at or below the depth of the screened casing, 149–202 m below the seafloor. Discharge from the open borehole continued for 37 days, until the observatory was resealed. This discharge requires significant permeability at depth (> 6 × 10− 14 m2). Zones of high permeability may be associated with the formation of headwall scarps, consistent with numerous slumps on the southeastern flank of the seamount, and likely shape a geochemical environment suitable for an active microbial community.
Partition-sorption model for describing non-specific selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Abstract A combined partition-sorption mechanism is used to model the dependence of the non-specific selectivity on mobile phase composition. This dependence is described by an equation, which in addition to additivity terms, contains a term that takes into account the difference in the compositions of solvents in both mobile and stationary phases. It is shown that this term is proportional to the excess sorption isotherm which characterizes interactions of solvents with a chemically bonded phase. An illustrative example is presented using selectivity data for binary hydro-organic eluents on octadecyl bonded phases.
Utilizing X-Ray Computed Tomography in Spray Nozzle Analysis

Characterizing the near-nozzle region of liquid sprays is a challenge for spray system designers due to the lack of optical accessibility in this dense region of the spray using traditional imaging techniques. A novel diagnostic technique, utilizing standard medical X-ray computed tomography equipment, is developed to investigate the time-averaged mass distribution of the liquid phase of the spray within 50 diameters downstream of the nozzle exit. Reconstructed images provide the three-dimensional concentration of the liquid phase of the spray. Analysis of several iodine-based liquids was conducted based on physical properties and non-dimensional parameters. To compare a general procedural approach for obtaining the three-dimensional concentration field from an X-ray CT system, a traditional optical analysis was conducted using Mie Scattering and Shadowgraphy. Results for a full-cone pressure swirl atomizer with an orifice of 0.79 mm are presented for both water and Povidone Iodide. Qualitative and quantitative results gave insight into the spray cone angle, atomization of the spray, and the droplet size and velocity distribution 50 diameters downstream. The water (Re ≈ 20,000) atomizes further upstream than the Povidone Iodide (Re ≈ 6,100) with a larger spray cone angle. The images obtained from the traditional optical techniques were qualitatively compared to the new diagnostic technique. The three dimensional mass distribution of Hypaque from a 0.79 mm nozzle has a number of similarities with the water spray, measured with an isotropic spatial resolution of 200 μm and noise per voxel less than 0.02 g/cm3.© 2013 ASME
Reflections on the International Legality of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

This article addresses legal problems posed by Security Council Resolution 1757 of 30 May 2007, establishing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (‘STL'). After describing the historical background of the resolution (section 1) and the plan to establish the STL as a treaty-based institution (section 2), the paper turns to an analysis of Resolution 1757 (section 3). The author questions whether the Council intended to bring the Lebanon-UN agreement into force as an international treaty, and holds that the UN Charter does not give the Council a power to unilaterally impose on a member state an obligation in the form of a treaty. The author argues that in Resolution 1757 the Council did not substitute a Chapter VII decision for the missing ratification of the agreement by Lebanon, but instead established the STL by making the provisions of the agreement negotiated with Lebanon an integral part of a Chapter VII resolution. Section 4 then questions whether the Council was entitled to procure Lebanon's consent to be bound by a treaty by threatening unilaterally to put those provisions into effect through a Chapter VII resolution. After discussing certain rules of the law of treaties concerning the coercion of a state, the author concludes that it is not that law but the UN Charter itself that prohibits the Council from exerting pressure on a member state in order to make that state ratify a treaty.
Alien dominance of the parasitoid wasp community along an elevation gradient on Hawai’i Island

Through intentional and accidental introduction, more than 100 species of alien Ichneumonidae and Braconidae (Hymenoptera) have become established in the Hawaiian Islands. The extent to which these parasitoid wasps have penetrated native wet forests was investigated over a 1,765 m elevation gradient on windward Hawai’i Island. For >1 year, malaise traps were used to continuously monitor parasitoid abundance and species richness in nine sites over three elevations. A total of 18,996 individuals from 16 subfamilies were collected. Overall, the fauna was dominated by aliens, with 44 of 58 species foreign to the Hawaiian Islands. Ichneumonidae was dominant over Braconidae in terms of both diversity and abundance, comprising 67.5% of individuals and 69.0% of species collected. Parasitoid abundance and species richness varied significantly with elevation: abundance was greater at mid and high elevations compared to low elevation while species richness increased with increasing elevation, with all three elevations differing significantly from each other. Nine species purposely introduced to control pest insects were found, but one braconid, Meteorus laphygmae, comprised 98.0% of this assemblage, or 28.3% of the entire fauna. Endemic species, primarily within the genera Spolas and Enicospilus, were collected almost exclusively at mid- and high-elevation sites, where they made up 22.1% and 36.0% of the total catch, respectively. Overall, 75.9% of species and 96.0% of individuals are inferred to parasitize Lepidoptera larvae and pupae. Our results support previous data indicating that alien parasitoids have deeply penetrated native forest habitats and may have substantial impacts on Hawaiian ecosystems.
Estrogens: Trophic and protective factors in the adult brain

Our appreciation that estrogens are important neurotrophic and neuroprotective factors has grown rapidly. Although a thorough understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie this effect requires further investigation, significant progress has been made due to the availability of animal models in which we can test potential candidates. It appears that estradiol can act via mechanisms that require classical intracellular receptors (estrogen receptor α or β) that affect transcription, via mechanisms that include cross-talk between estrogen receptors and second messenger pathways, and/or via mechanisms that may involve membrane receptors or channels. This area of research demands attention since estradiol may be an important therapeutic agent in the maintenance of normal neural function during aging and after injury.
Optimizing charge-coupled-device detector operation for optical astronomy

We have operated two types of CCD detectors over the past several years: the three-phase thinned Texas Instruments 800 x 800 and the thinned RCA 320 x 512. Both detectors are operated in a slow-scan, cooled camera behind a variety of optical instruments at ground-based observatories, often involving low light levels. Emphasis is placed on optimizing the camera's operation with respect to quantum efficiency, readout noise, charge-transfer efficiency, dark current, full-well satura-tion, bias image flatness, residual image, and on-chip binning. Techniques for optimizing these properties are discussed. Our camera system is described, and information about the performance of our five operational CCDs is given.
The development of generic concepts in qualitative research through cumulative application

Because of their close contact with the actual flow of human group life, qualitative research projects frequently have as a bonus the development of insightful concepts of generic quality that catch some essence of social interaction and/or structural conditions. Yet little attention has been paid to the way these concepts are modified and strengthenedover a series of projects. The lack of regard for this methodological issue may lead to the false impression that qualitative research is not cumulative. In this paper, I urge qualitative sociologists to be aware of cumulative concept development as a major methodological tool, and to demonstrate how concepts derived from one research project are extended and modified in subsequent projects. Additionally, I show how this approach aids in both illuminating aspects of a given research context, while at the same time drawing attention to hitherto unnoted relationships among concepts. In this way, more systematic strategies for developing generic concepts and cumulative understanding of human group life through qualitative research is possible.
Single photon ionization, laser optical probe technique for semiconductor growth

Single Photon Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy (SPI-TOFMS) is used as an in situ optical characterization technique to monitor chemical reactions occurring at semiconductor surfaces during molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth be detecting gaseous species. In this approach, 118 nm (10.5 eV) laser photons are generated and passed on front of a semiconductor substrate in the ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber. Here, the photons ionize the gaseous scattered and desorbed growth species which are detected by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. The photons are produced by frequency tripling the fundamental Nd:YAG output to 355 nm and tripling again in a static cell of Xe/Ar to 118 nm. The 10.5 eV photons have sufficient energy to ionize III-V species of interest, but not fragment them, allowing simple interpretation of mass spectra. Gated boxcars allow for rapid data acquisition of growth species in real time. SPI-TOFMS has been used to study Asn/Si(100) desorption kinetics and, more recently, MBE growth of GaAs. Results are presented on the real-time monitoring of Gan and Asn growth species. Simultaneous monitoring of growth with Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) is also discussed. Future work includes SPI_TOFMS studies of Si delta-doping in GaAs and surfactant-enhanced epitaxy of Ge on Si. SPI-TOFMS is an in situ UHV optical probe used to study the growth chemistry of semiconductor surfaces. This noninstrusive, species-specific real-time monitor of growth can be applied to increase the quality of device manufacturing.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Representation is Democracy

During the Cold War, arguments about representation were a significant part of international debates about democracy. Proponents of minimal democracy dominated these arguments, and their thin notions of representation became political common sense. I propose a view of representation that differs from the main views advocated during the Cold War. Representation has a central positive role in democratic politics: I gain political representation when my authorized representative tries to achieve my political aims, subject to dialogue about those aims and to the use of mutually acceptable procedures for gaining them. Thus the opposite of representation is not participation. The opposite of representation is exclusion – and the opposite of participation is abstention. Rather than opposing participation to representation, we should try to improve representative practices and forms to make them more open, effective, and fair.
Absence of coronary vascular reserve in myocardium distal to a fixed coronary stenosis

In a study to test the hypothesis that vascular reserve is exhausted in the setting of a resting blood flow deficit, the left anterior descending or circumflex artery was cannulated and perfused from the left carotid artery. After reactive hyperaemia had been assessed a stenosis was produced with a screw clamp. In the first experiment a moderate stenosis (diastolic perfusion pressure 40 mmHg) was produced in the left anterior descending artery (three dogs) or left circumflex artery (three dogs). Blood pressure was held constant with aortic constriction during intracoronary adenosine infusion (6 μmol·min−1). The stenosis was then adjusted to the preadenosine perfusion pressure. In the second experiment the anterior interventricular coronary vein was also isolated and segment length crystals were placed in the ischaemic and non-ischaemic zones. Severe stenosis (flow reduction of at least 50% and evidence of decreased segmental shortening) was produced in the cannulated left anterior descending artery (eight dogs). Intracoronary adenosine was given with aortic pressure held constant by transfusion and coronary venous drainage. In the first experiment resting coronary flow (ml·min−1) decreased from 41(3) to 29(6) (p<0.05) with stenosis. Coronary flow increased from 29(6) to 34(7) (p<0.05) with adenosine and to 50(10) (p<0.05) with stenosis adjustment. Subendocardial flow (ml·g−1·min−1) decreased from 0.89(0.26) to 0.78(0.23) (p<0.05) with adenosine and then increased from 0.94(0.49) with perfusion pressure adjustment. Subepicardial flow tended to increase with adenosine, and increased further with stenosis adjustment. In the second experiment subendocardial, subepicardial, and coronary flow did not change with adenosine. Thus there was no demonstrable vascular reserve in any layer of myocardium with a resting flow deficit.
Microwave Properties of MAPTMS Sol-Gel Films for High-Speed Electrooptic Devices

This paper measures the dielectric constant and loss tangent of methacryloyloxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (MAPTMS) sol-gel films over a wide range of microwave frequencies. Samples were prepared by spin-coating sol-gel films onto metallized borosilicate glass substrates. The dielectric properties of the sol-gel were probed up to 50 GHz with several different sets of coplanar waveguide transmission lines electroplated onto sol-gel films. The dielectric constant and loss tangent are determined to be approximately 3.1 and 3×10 -3 at 35 GHz, respectively. This demonstration shows that MAPTMS sol-gel is a viable material for integration with high-speed electrical and electrooptic devices.
Cure of disseminated zygomycosis with cerebral involvement using high dose liposomal amphotericin B and surgery

We present a case of cerebral zygomycosis that did not respond to standard treatment with amphotericin B or amphotericin B lipid complex. The patient was eventually cured through a combination of surgery and the use of high dose liposomal amphotericin B. Since penetration of the central nervous system by amphotericin B is poor the application of high dose therapy may be useful in cases of cerebral zygomycosis.
Novel roles for immune molecules in neural development: implications for neurodevelopmental disorders

Although the brain has classically been considered “immune-privileged”, current research suggests an extensive communication between the immune and nervous systems in both health and disease. Recent studies demonstrate that immune molecules are present at the right place and time to modulate the development and function of the healthy and diseased central nervous system (CNS). Indeed, immune molecules play integral roles in the CNS throughout neural development, including affecting neurogenesis, neuronal migration, axon guidance, synapse formation, activity-dependent refinement of circuits, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the roles of individual immune molecules in the nervous system may change over development. This review focuses on the effects of immune molecules on neuronal connections in the mammalian central nervous system – specifically the roles for MHCI and its receptors, complement, and cytokines on the function, refinement, and plasticity of geniculate, cortical and hippocampal synapses, and their relationship to neurodevelopmental disorders. These functions for immune molecules during neural development suggest that they could also mediate pathological responses to chronic elevations of cytokines in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia.
New Hope for Shogenji's Coherence Measure

I show that the two most devastating objections to Shogenji's formal account of coherence necessarily involve information sets of cardinality n>2. Given this, I surmise that the problem with Shogenji's measure has more to do with his means of generalizing the measure than with the measure itself. I defend this claim by offering an alternative generalization of Shogenji’s measure. This alternative retains the intuitive merits of the original measure while avoiding both of the relevant problems that befall it. In the light of all of this, I suggest that there is new hope for Shogenji’s analysis; Shogenji’s early and influential attempt at measuring coherence, when generalized in a subset-sensitive way, is able to clear its most troubling objections.
Protein film electrochemistry of microsomes genetically enriched in human cytochrome p450 monooxygenases.

This communication demonstrates direct electron delivery from electrodes to cyt P450 reductases in stable films (∼100 nm thick) of genetically enriched CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 microsomes made by layer-by-layer assembly with polyions. Reversible voltammetry of films containing genetically enriched cyt P450 monooxygenase microsomes was shown to involve cyt P450 reductase by comparison with the pure rabbit reductase and by lack of characteristic reactions of iron heme enzymes, such as reaction of the FeII form with CO and catalytic electrochemical reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The microsome films were activated electrochemically to catalyze styrene epoxidation, consistent with the pathway utilized in the human liver, although further work is required to establish this definitively.