cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of diffraction efficiency via higher-order operation of a multilayer blazed grating

Imperfections in the multilayer stack deposited on a saw-tooth substrate are the main factor limiting the diffraction efficiency of extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray multilayer-coated blazed gratings (MBGs). Since the multilayer perturbations occur in the vicinity of antiblazed facets of the substrates, reduction of the groove density of MBGs is expected to enlarge the area of unperturbed multilayer and result in higher diffraction efficiency. At the same time the grating should be optimized for higher-order operation in order to keep high dispersion and spectral resolution. In this work we show the validity of this approach and demonstrate significant enhancement of diffraction efficiency of MBGs using higher-order diffraction. A new record for diffraction efficiency of 52% in the second diffraction order was achieved for an optimized MBG with groove density of 2525 lines/mm at the wavelength of 13.4 nm.
Investigation into Top-Down Cracking of Asphalt Pavements in North Carolina

Top-down cracking has become a commonly reported cracking mechanism in asphalt pavements worldwide. In top-down cracking, a crack initiates at the surface of an asphalt concrete pavement and propagates to the bottom of the asphalt pavement layer. Because the location and governing state of stress for top-down cracking are different from those for bottom-up cracking, analysis of pavement cracking performance must be robust enough to account for the complex mechanisms that are involved in top-down cracking. This study applies the viscoelastic continuum damage finite element model to the evaluation of two pavement sections in North Carolina where top-down cracking has been identified. Small specimen geometries are used to perform simplified viscoelastic continuum damage testing on individual asphalt layers obtained from field cores. This testing model and the Fourier finite element program are used together for pavement cracking performance simulations, and the joint model uses the structure and layer materi...
Next-generation lithography for 22 and 16 nm technology nodes and beyond

In this paper, next-generation lithography (NGL) for the 22 and 16 nm technology nodes and beyond is reviewed. A broad range of topics, including history, technologies, critical challenges, and the most plausible candidates are discussed. The 22 and 16 nm technology nodes rely on NGL. NGLs have been extensively studied. Because of technological issues, the semiconductor industry has stopped pursuing several NGLs, such as X-ray proximity lithography, ion projection lithography, and scattering with angular limitation projection electron lithography. Currently, the primary candidate technologies are extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), maskless lithography (ML2), and nanoimprint lithography (NIL), with EUVL being the leading candidate. Since EUVL was first proposed in 1988, many studies have been conducted. Currently, there is no "show stopper" for EUVL. Moreover, challenges are present in almost all aspects of EUVL technology. Almost all primary semiconductor manufacturing companies plan to implement commercial pre-production step-and-scan exposure tools in 2011. However, EUVL power at an intermediate focusing level has not yet met the volume manufacturing requirements. EUVL resists have been significantly improved recently, but there is still a critical need to meet requirements on resolution, line width roughness, and sensitivity. Creating a defect-free EUVL mask is another obstacle to the application of EUVL. ML2 and NIL, like EUVL, have also undergone significant progress recently, but throughput, defect control, and cost remain the critical impediments for practical application.
Comparison of Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores by patients with obstructive sleep apnea and their bed partners

Abstract Objectives : In some patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores (ESS) do not reflect the severity of disease. In many cases, bed partners (BPs) report more severe hypersomnia on the part of the patient than the patient him/herself. The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement between patients and BPs on ESS scores and to compare patients and BPs on the correlation between ESS and the severity of OSA. Methods : ESS scores were estimated by patients and their BPs and their scores were compared. The correlation between the ESS and the apnea-hypopnea index, arousal index, minimum oxygen desaturation, and body mass index of the patient was estimated and compared between the patient and BP. Results : ESS scores of the patient and BP were similar in their correlation with polysomnographic variables. BPs tended to give slightly higher ESS scores than the patient. Conclusions : ESS scores as estimated by BPs of patients with OSA did not correlate more positively with polysomnographic variables of OSA severity than scores estimated by affected patients.
New Syntheses and Chemistry of Hexafluorotropone

Two new routes to hexafluorotropone have been developed, one from hexachlorotropone and a superior synthesis from hexafluorobenzene. Hexafluorotropone was found to be a very weak base, with a conjugate acid pKa of −6.2 ± 0.5. The tropone adds in [6 + 4] fashion to cyclopentadiene and photocyclizes to hexafluorobicyclo[3.2.0]hepta-3,6-dien-2-one. Lithium hydroxide in benzene transforms the tropone into pentafluorotropolone, which functions as a bidentate ligand.
Laser performance, thermal focusing and depolarization effects in Nd:Cr:GSGG and Nd:YAG

The laser performance of Nd:Cr:GSGG and Nd:YAG was investigated and compared for laser efficiency, thermal focusing, and depolarization effects. Laser efficiency was studied for Nd:Cr:GSGG and Nd:YAG under similar conditions. Laser efficiency was measured as a function of electrical energy and output mirror reflectivity. Maximum laser efficiency was calculated by determining the losses in the laser cavity. Thermal focusing and birefringence loss of Nd:Cr:GSGG and Nd:YAG have been examined by varying the average pump power. The average pump power changed by adjusting both the energy per pulse and the pulse-repetition frequency. Substantial thermal focusing differences for Nd:Cr:GSGG are explained.
Design and operation of an automated, high-temperature ellipsometer

A computer-assisted, ellipsometric system performs in situ measurements on substrates and thin films in various atmospheres, at temperatures up to 1450 K. A laser is used as the light source. The light flux exiting from a rotating analyzer is measured at 512 equally spaced intervals, to yield a flux ellipse that is used for further analysis. Data acquisition and data reduction are under control of an IBM System/7 computer. Ab initio calibration of the optical components using a fixed angle of incidence is possible; the cell windows are considered as small-retardation wave plates. Effects of non-ideality of polarizer and analyzer were negligible. Refractive indices of silicon (nSi*) and thermally grown silicon dioxide (nSiO2) are reported as functions of temperature up to 1350 K.
Paul trap experiment to simulate intense nonneutral beam propagation through a periodic focusing field configuration

Abstract This paper describes the design concept for a compact Paul trap experimental configuration that fully simulates the collective processes and nonlinear transverse dynamics of an intense charged particle beam that propagates over large distances through a periodic quadrupole magnetic field. To summarize, a long nonneutral plasma column ( L ⪢ r p ) is confined axially by applied DC voltages V = const . on end cylinders at z =± L , and transverse confinement is provided by segmented cylindrical electrodes (at radius r w ) with applied oscillatory voltages ± V 0 ( t ) over 90° segments. Because the transverse focusing force is similar in waveform to that produced by a discrete set of periodic quadrupole magnets in a frame moving with the beam, the Paul trap configuration offers the possibility of simulating intense beam propagation in a compact experimental facility. The nominal operating parameters in the experimental design are: barium ions ( A =137); plasma column length 2L=2 m ; wall radius r w =10 cm ; plasma radius r p =1 cm ; maximum wall voltage V 0 =400 V ; end electrode voltage up to V =500 V ; and voltage oscillation frequency f 0 =1/T=60 kHz .
The effect of sewage sludge application to bermudagrass on forage quality production, and metal accumulation

Abstract A bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. cv. ‘Alicia’) sod was top-dressed with nutrient rates of 0-0-0, 180-78-20, 360-156-40 and 540-234-60 kg ha−1 N, P and K, respectively, from commercial fertilizer and dried anaerobically digested sewage sludge. Mean seasonal dry matter production was similar regardless of nutrient source, but higher rates generally resulted in significantly higher yields. Treatment of forage with sludge rather than commercial fertilizer gave a higher crude protein content only at the 360-156-40 rate. In vitro dry matter digestibility was significantly lower at the medium and high sludge rates. All other treatments were not significantly different. Total Zn levels in forage from all sludge treatments were relatively uniform. Cr concentration was highest in the medium sludge rate and was lowest with the highest rate of commercial fertilizer among plots treated with supplemental nutrients. Hg concentration did not vary with nutrient source. Cu concentrations were generally twice as high in sludge-treated compared to conventionally fertilized forage. In no case did the metal concentration pose a threat to grazing animals.
Predicting aggression in police officers using the MMPI-2

This study attempted to determine if any of four MMPI-2 scales formulated to measure various forms of hostility or aggression is useful in predicting aggressive behavior among police officers. In our analysis of 80 officers from two police departments, we found that some scales predicted supervisor ratings of officer performance in one of the departments but not in the second department. In one department, officers with higher ANG scores or HOS scores, or lower O-H scores, were judged by supervisors to be more assertive. Officers from the same department with higher HO scores or lower O-H scores received moire justified citizen complaints. We discuss the importance of predicting aggression in police officers, the difficulty of making this prediction using MMPI-2 scores, and differences between the two departments that might have impacted the outcome of this research.
Complex speciation of humans and chimpanzees

Genetic data from two or more species provide information about the process of speciation. In their analysis of DNA from humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and macaques (HCGOM), Patterson et al. suggest that the apparently short divergence time between humans and chimpanzees on the X chromosome is explained by a massive interspecific hybridization event in the ancestry of these two species. However, Patterson et al. do not statistically test their own null model of simple speciation before concluding that speciation was complex, and--even if the null model could be rejected--they do not consider other explanations of a short divergence time on the X chromosome. These include natural selection on the X chromosome in the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, changes in the ratio of male-to-female mutation rates over time, and less extreme versions of divergence with gene flow (see ref. 2, for example). I therefore believe that their claim of hybridization is unwarranted.
Inactivation of DNA Polymerases of Murine Leukaemia Viruses by Calcium Elenolate

THE monoterpene elenolic acid can be isolated, after mild acid hydrolysis, from aqueous extracts of the olive plant (Olea europa)1,2. The hydrolysate yields crystalline calcium elenolate [(C11H13O6)2Ca] which is virucidal in vitro for a number of both DNA and RNA viruses3. It also reduces virus yields from hamsters infected with parainfluenza 3 virus4 and has minimal toxicity when administered to animals5. I report the inhibition of RNA-dependent DNA polymerases of murine leukaemia viruses by calcium elenolate.
Dimensions of early experience and neural development: deprivation and threat

Over the past decade, a growing area of research has focused on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impacts on neural and developmental outcomes. Work in the field to-date has generally conceptualized ACEs in terms of exposure to stress while overlooking the underlying dimensions of environmental experience that may distinctly impact neural development. Here, we propose a novel framework that differentiates between deprivation (absence of expected cognitive and social input) and threat (presence of a threat to one's physical integrity). We draw support for the neural basis of this distinction from studies on fear learning and sensory deprivation in animals to highlight potential mechanisms through which experiences of threat and deprivation could affect neural structure and function in humans.
The Preparation of 3-Substituted-2(1H)-quinoxalinones by the Condensation of 3-Methyl-2-quinoxalinol Dianion with Certain Electrophilic Reagents

Abstract 3-Methyl-2-quinoxalinol dianion was prepared in an excess of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), condensed with select aliphatic or aromatic esters, a carbamyl chloride, or aliphatic carboxylic acid anhydrides, and the resulting intermediates were quenched to afford new and known 3-substituted-2(1H)-quinoxalinones.
Impacts of Idealized Air–Sea Coupling on Madden–Julian Oscillation Structure in the Superparameterized CAM

AbstractAir–sea interactions and their impact on intraseasonal convective organization are investigated by comparing two 5-yr simulations from the superparameterized Community Atmosphere Model version 3.0 (SP-CAM). The first is forced using prescribed sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The second is identical except that a simplified oceanic mixed-layer model is used to predict tropical SST anomalies that are coupled to the atmosphere. This partially coupled simulation allows SSTs to respond to anomalous surface fluxes.Implementation of the idealized slab ocean model in the SP-CAM results in significant changes to intraseasonal convective variability and organization. The more realistic treatment of air–sea interactions in the coupled simulation improves many aspects of tropical convection on intraseasonal scales, from the relationships between precipitation and SSTs to the space–time structure and propagation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). This improvement is associated with a more realistic conve...
Class dispersion between the Library of Congress Classification and the Dewey Decimal Classification

Two measures are examined that characterize the dispersion of a classification system when mapped to a second classification. One, a distance measure, captures the physical spread of a class when represented in the second system; the second, from rank-frequency analysis, characterizes the scatter of tokens over a set of types. The measures are tested by applying them to the library science portions of the Library of Congress Classification and the Dewey Decimal Classification using a database drawn from MARC records. Class mappings are presented that exemplify four extreme points of the two measures considered together: mappings where both measures score high, mappings where both score low, and mappings where one measure is high and the other is low. The conclusion is that the measures characterize two different properties of dispersion. © 1987 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Curvature and separation discrimination at texture boundaries.

Visual discrimination of contour curvature was investigated by using contours defined by the locus of points at which the phase of a square-wave grating was shifted by 180° (a texture boundary). Curvature-increment thresholds were measured for contour curvatures from 0.31 to 10.65 deg−1, for grating spatial frequencies of 4.0 and 16.0 cycles per degree (cpd), and for gratings in either sine or cosine phase at the point of maximum curvature. Thresholds for these conditions were compared with curvature discrimination at black-white edges. Grating phase had no effect on performance at any curvature or grating frequency, but 16.0-cpd gratings produced a threshold elevation at all curvatures by an average factor of 2.4. Two-line separation discrimination was also measured for lines defined by texture boundaries. These data can be predicted by a model incorporating end-stopped complex cells of a type reported physiologically in primate area V2.
Closed-form solutions for the production of ions in the collisionless ionization of gases by intense lasers.

We derive in closed form the solutions to the rate equations for sequential field ionization of gases by a focused laser beam. We obtain the low-intensity and the high-intensity limits of the ion yield for each charge state produced by the laser pulse. Furthermore we derive the scaling laws for the appearance intensity and the saturation intensity of the ion yield. We find that the appearance intensity depends not only on the binding energy of the ionized electron but also on the quantum numbers of the shell from which the electron ionizes. We interpret this dependence on the quantum number to be the species dependence in the appearance intensities discussed by Meyerhofer and co-workers [Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 2212 (1989)]. Formulas for five ionization models are presented.
Electronic factors and the metastable constitution of quenched alloys based on titanium and zirconium

Abstract In this paper the relationship between the metastable constitution of quenched alloys based on titanium and zirconium and the corresponding electron-atom ratio is investigated from the viewpoint of the electron theory of metals. The first and second Brillouin zones for the alpha, beta and omega phases of titanium and zirconium have been calculated and are compared from the standpoint of their respective abilities to accommodate the electrons involved in alloy solid solutions. The calculations of the Brillouin zones for the omega phase conducted in this study have not been reported previously and are based on X-ray results for Zr-V and Zr-Ni alloys. The relative stabilities of the alpha, beta and omega phases have been compared on the contention that if electronic factors assume a predominant role in determining the total free energy of these phases, then the principal factor determining stability (or metastability) will be a minimization of the Fermi energy.
Rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites: An experimental study on cutting temperature

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites are used in many applications due to their superior properties. Drilling is the most frequently used machining process due to the need for assembly of carbon fiber reinforced plastic parts in mechanical structures. Rotary ultrasonic machining has been successfully used in drilling carbon fiber reinforced plastic composites. Reported investigations on rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic cover several output variables (including cutting force, torque, surface roughness, material removal rate, fiber delamination, tool wear, and power consumption). However, there are no reported studies on cutting temperature in rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. This paper presents an experimental study on cutting temperature in rotary ultrasonic machining of carbon fiber reinforced plastic using two measurement methods (thermocouple and fiber optic sensor). Comparisons between these two methods are made and relations between i...
Organic and Inorganic Aerosol Below-Cloud Scavenging by Suburban New Jersey Precipitation

Ambient aerosol size distributions and chemical composition in Princeton, NJ, were measured during a 10-day period in August 2003. Ten precipitation events during the sampling period maintained low aerosol concentrations, with an average gravimetric PM1.0 of 8.2 +/- 1.6 microg m(-3) and an average Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy-measured PM1.0 of 8.6 +/- 0.8 microg m(-3). A constrained factor analysis shows that the measured aerosol composition data are consistent with coal combustion and motor vehicle emissions. FTIR spectroscopy shows that the alkene fraction of organic mass (OM) was larger in the aerosol samples dominated by motor vehicle emissions than in the samples dominated by coal combustion, but the solvent-rinsing behavior was unaffected by source type. The aerosol OM was hydrophilic throughout the sampling period, with an average of 52% +/- 10% of the identified OM removed in the water-rinsing stage of the FTIR analysis. Measurements before and after rain events showed changes in particle composition and number distribution that were used to characterize the rate and chemical selectivity of particle removal processes associated with precipitation (or, in general terms, scavenging). The changes in ambient particle distributions showed an average PM1.0 below-cloud scavenging coefficient of 7 x 10(-5) +/- 3 x 10(-5) s(-1), with variability associated with chemical composition. The fraction of the aerosol OM removed in water rinses decreased during rain events, typically 55% at the start and 30% at the end of the observed rain events. These measured chemically dependent removal rates are consistent with other field measurements and can be used to improve the description of aerosol lifetimes in global models.
An experimentally measured relationship between flux tilt and excess reactivity

Abstract The axial flux tilt in the tightly coupled core of the Georgia Tech Research Reator (GTRR) is caused by the partial insertion of controls at one end of the core. It is demonstrated that an index which describes the extent of the flux tilt is directly proportional to the excess reactivity of the core, with the constant of proportionality being the eigenvalue separation of the reactor. Two experiments were devised to test this proportionality, one to measure flux tilt as a function of control insertion, and one to measure excess reactivity as a function of control insertion. Results indicate the excess reactivity can be measured using only the static flux perturbation caused by the controls.
Human aspects of industrial machine actuators: review and reappraisal

This paper deals with those areas of human factors research which relate to industrial machine actuator devices. Power press actuators are emphasized for example purposes, but the material could be generalizable to other industrial machines. The actuator control is shown to be a critical part of the industrial man-machine system. If the designed actuator device does not adequately match human performance capabilities with machine performance capabilities for the system in use, then safety problems can ensue including injury, liability for injury, or damage to equipment. The introduction of new technology to the design of actuator devices is delineated and recommendations for future research are discussed. Language: en
Energy enzymes of the flight muscle of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus—iii. comparative physical properties of heart and flight muscle lactate dehydrogenase

Abstract 1. 1. Purification of heart (LDH-4) and flight muscle (LDH-2 and LDH-3) lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes from the house sparrow. Passer domesticus, has been accomplished. 2. 2. Although these isoenzymes electrophoretically migrate reversed to most other vertebrate LDH isoenzymes, comparison of the amino acid compositions of LDH-4 and LDH-2-LDH-3 fails to reveal the basis for their reversed electrophoretic migration. 3. 3. Amino acid compositions did reveal mol. wts between 141,000–142,000 as well as v p of 0.744ml/g (LDH-4) and 0.745 ml/g (LDH-2-LDH-3). 4. 4. SDS-gel electrophoresis yielded single bands for each preparation with mol. wts of 35,000 suggesting that LDH in this species exists as a tetramer. 5. 5. LDH-4 has a lower Km for both pyruvate (0.005 mM) and NADH (0.002 mM) than does LDH-2-LDH-3 (0.062 mM for pyruvate, 0.013 mM for NADH).
Thermodynamic properties of chain liquid mixtures with strong, local interactions

This paper addresses the effect in chain liquids on thermodynamic behavior of a large charge in the strength of local interactions on mixing. We classified real systems according to the ability of the Flory equation of state (FES) theory to prodict the excess volume. The FES theory enables reliable estimates provided the mixture is nearly athermal and the pure components obey the Flory equation of state. These requirements arise from Flory's approximations for the lattice part of the configuration integral, ZL, and the cell part, ZC, respectively. We revised ZL without adding adjustable parameters by the quasichemical perturbation method to account for local ordering in the mixture because of a large change in the strength of binary interactions on mixing. The modification improves the predictions of the thermodynamic functions for systems where Flory's ZL is inadequate.
Select Bibliography of Genealogical Research Aids Published by the National Archives and Records Administration

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has published several books that can be used by the genealogist to locate additional research material. This bibliography does not include the pamphlets or brochures that NARA produces and gives to beginning genealogists. It does include all the major NARA publications. It is divided into three sections: a review of the general guide (the basic source guide to NARA holdings, published in 1983); a discussion of catalogs of microfilmed records, which contain descriptions and roll lists of microfilmed publications by subject, and a review of NARA's two ethnic subject guides (a comprehensive guide to records relating to Native Americans and a guide to civilian records relating to Afro‐Americans).
Real-time stereo on GPGPU using progressive multi-resolution adaptive windows

We introduce a new GPGPU-based real-time dense stereo matching algorithm. The algorithm is based on a progressive multi-resolution pipeline which includes background modeling and dense matching with adaptive windows. For applications in which only moving objects are of interest, this approach effectively reduces the overall computation cost quite significantly, and preserves the high definition details. Running on an off-the-shelf commodity graphics card, our implementation achieves a 36 fps stereo matching on 1024x768 stereo video with a fine 256 pixel disparity range. This is effectively same as 7200M disparity evaluations per second. For scenes where the static background assumption holds, our approach outperforms all published alternative algorithms in terms of the speed performance, by a large margin. We envision a number of potential applications such as real-time motion capture, as well as tracking, recognition and identification of moving objects in multi-camera networks.
Sorption Kinetics of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Networks: Diffusion of Polydisperse PDMS Blends

Using the pulsed-gradient spin-echo NMR method, we have studied the diffusivity D of two highly polydisperse OH-terminated dimethylsiloxane blends (M n = 15 900 and 26 400) in the melts and sorbed into networks made by linking the same material with tetraethoxysilane; the sol was carefully extracted before diffusant was added. Sorption took either 3 days for a 5% weight gain or 60 days for material weighing 5% of the network to be completely absorbed; samples were then equilibrated. Fitting an echo attenuation model based on M distribution to the data shows that for both systems the diffusion in the 3-day sample is several times faster and more broadly distributed than in either its melt or the 60-day sample, reflecting the tendency for smaller molecules to be sorbed more rapidly. This finding complements our earlier similar finding for sol extraction. The D distributions in the 60-day samples are identical in shape, but slightly lower in mean rate, to those in the neat melts, and both in excellent correspondence with the original M distributions, showing that the observed permselectivity is satisfactorily explained on the basis of sorption kinetics alone.
Functional characterization of homo- and heteromeric channel kinases TRPM6 and TRPM7.

TRPM6 and TRPM7 are two known channel kinases that play important roles in various physiological processes, including Mg2+ homeostasis. Mutations in TRPM6 cause hereditary hypomagnesemia and secondary hypocalcemia (HSH). However, whether TRPM6 encodes functional channels is controversial. Here we demonstrate several signature features of TRPM6 that distinguish TRPM6 from TRPM7 and TRPM6/7 channels. We show that heterologous expression of TRPM6 but not the mutant TRPM6S141L produces functional channels with divalent cation permeability profile and pH sensitivity distinctive from those of TRPM7 channels and TRPM6/7 complexes. TRPM6 exhibits unique unitary conductance that is 2- and 1.5-fold bigger than that of TRPM7 and TRPM6/7. Moreover, micromolar levels of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) maximally increase TRPM6 but significantly inhibit TRPM7 channel activities; whereas millimolar concentrations of 2-APB potentiate TRPM6/7 and TRPM7 channel activities. Furthermore, Mg2+ and Ca2+ entry through TRPM6 is enhanced three- to fourfold by 2-APB. Collectively, these results indicate that TRPM6 forms functional homomeric channels as well as heteromeric TRPM6/7 complexes. The unique characteristics of these three channel types, TRPM6, TRPM7, and TRPM6/7, suggest that they may play different roles in vivo.
Clinicians and patients with hypertension: unsettled issues about compliance.

Abstract Ambulatory treatment of hypertension depends largely on long-term oral medications to lower blood pressure and delay or prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Failure to achieve the therapeutic goal may reflect biologic, pharmacologic, or behavioral factors. Ignoring behavioral factors may result in unnecessary or even dangerous regimen escalation. More than half of patients with insufficient reductions in blood pressure display suboptimal medication compliance as assessed by pill count or bioassay. 16, 19 Once-daily dosing may be an important part of enhancing compliance, patient convenience, and regimen simplification; however, drug concentrations may be subtherapeutic when dosing delays or omissions occur. Electronic monitoring data in hypertension, glaucoma, seizure disorders, and other diseases indicate that 50% to 60% of patients adhere well to prescribed regimens, that 5% to 10% adhere poorly, and that the 30% to 45% adhere to an intermediate but markedly variable degree. 35–40 A growing body of literature offers empirical support for focused and personalized interventions.
An empirical study of maintenance activities in two object-oriented systems

Decades of research on maintenance activities in the procedural paradigm has produced several conclusions. Among these conclusions are recommendations that a reduction in maintenance cost could be achieved by a more controlled design process, by more rigorous testing of potential problem areas earlier in the life cycle. With the increasing emphasis on the object oriented paradigm, the authors performed an empirical study of the maintenance patterns in two commercial object oriented systems. Although this is a preliminary study, intuition is presented as insight into the object oriented maintenance activities.
To LDT or not to LDT: Assessment of principal impacts of light-duty trucks

Light-duty truck classification allows manufacturers and owners to avoid a host of passenger-car regulations, including gas-guzzler taxes, safety standards, and more stringent emissions and fuel-economy standards. The distinct policies that govern light-duty trucks and passenger cars are described; the emissions, safety, and fuel economy differences that have resulted are evaluated; and the household use differences across such vehicles are investigated. The result is that when the average new pickup truck or sport-utility vehicle is compared with a passenger car, there appears to be an implicit subsidy of roughly $4,400 favoring the light-duty truck. When minivans are compared with passenger cars, this subsidy is estimated to be around $2,800. With more equitable vehicle regulations, it is likely that prices would more accurately reflect the true cost differences resulting from the use of these vehicles, causing light-duty trucks to lose some of their popularity or clean up their act.
Detection of insect damage in almonds

Pinhole insect damage in natural almonds is very difficult to detect on-line. Further, evidence exists relating insect damage to aflatoxin contamination. Hence, for quality and health reasons, methods to detect and remove such damaged nuts are of great importance in this study, we explored the possibility of using x-ray imaging to detect pinhole damage in almonds by insects. X-ray film images of about 2000 almonds and x-ray linescan images of only 522 pinhole damaged almonds were obtained. The pinhole damaged region appeared slightly darker than non-damaged region in x-ray negative images. A machine recognition algorithm was developed to detect these darker regions. The algorithm used the first order and the second order information to identify the damaged region. To reduce the possibility of false positive results due to germ region in high resolution images, germ detection and removal routines were also included. With film images, the algorithm showed approximately an 81 percent correct recognition ratio with only 1 percent false positives whereas line scan images correctly recognized 65 percent of pinholes with about 9 percent false positives. The algorithms was very fast and efficient requiring only minimal computation time. If implemented on line, theoretical throughput of this recognition system would be 66 nuts/second.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reconceptualizing the Competition-Cooperation Relationship: A Transparadox Perspective

Although competition and cooperation individually have received much consideration in the strategy field, researchers have given little attention to the fundamental issue of interplay between the t...
Fast positive definite linear system solvers

The authors show that the M-band wavelet transforms of a wide class of covariance matrices consist of subblocks that are essentially banded. Furthermore, they prove that the Cholesky factors of the transformed covariance matrices also consist of subblocks that are essentially banded. They combine these two observations to construct a fast O(N/sup 2/) algorithm for solving the N/spl times/N linear positive definite systems of equations that arise in statistical signal processing. Finally, they provide an error analysis of the proposed linear positive definite system solver. >
The Role of Thermal Instabilities in Star Formation

Thermal instabilities role in star formation, discussing intercloud medium, magnetic pressure and gravitational collapse
Evaluation of Self-Collected Vaginal Swab, First Void Urine, and Endocervical Swab Specimens for the Detection of Chlamydia Trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoeae in Adolescent Females

Abstract Objective To assess the concordance of self-obtained vaginal swabs (SVS), first void urine samples (FVU) and provider-collected endocervical swabs (PES) for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhea (NG) in adolescents. Methods A total of 342 adolescent women and 1080 baseline and semi-annual visits were analyzed. FVU, SVS and PES were collected at each biannual visit. All specimens were tested by BDProbeTec ET™ Amplified DNA Assay. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) negative predictive value (NPV) and kappa coefficient were calculated to evaluate the ability to identify possible infected cases using samples from three anatomic sites and the test agreement between any two of these three specimen types. Positive results from at least two of the three specimens collected from same subject at the same study visit was considered true positive. Results The positivity rates for CT and NG were 26.6 and 11.7 per 100 women respectively. The sensitivities of SVS, FVU and PES for detecting CT were 97.3%, 89.2% and 90.1% respectively. For the detection of NG, the sensitivities of the three sampling methods were 100%, 88.6% and 95.5% respectively. The specificities were between 94.7% and 99.7% for both CT and NG. Kappa coefficients of CT test results were 0.89, 0.88 and 0.83 for specimen pairs SVS vs PES, SVS vs FVU and PES vs FVU respectively. For the detection of NG, kappa coefficients were 0.91, 0.87 and 0.91 for these three pairs (all P 0.75 is considered excellent agreement between specimens. Conclusion There were strong agreements among SVS, PES and FVU specimens on the detection of CT and NG infections in adolescent females using nucleic acid amplification test. SVS represented as high as or more sensitive an approach for detecting both CT and NG compared to PES. Although FVU was the least sensitive sampling method, it is also the least invasive method. Thus SVS and FVU may provide a reliable alternative to endocervical specimens for CT and NG screening.
Magnetism and Magnetic Interactions at Transition Metal Surfaces and Interfaces

In the exciting field of low dimensional magnetic systems including surfaces, interfaces and thin-films, local spin density (LSD) functional ab initio electronic structure calculations have played a key role by not only providing a clearer understanding of the experimental observations but also predicting new systems with desired properties. Our extensive calculated results demonstrate that: (i) Magnetic clean surfaces or interfaces with inert substrates undergo strong magnetic moment enhancements; (ii) the strong interaction with nonmagnetic transition metals diminishes (completely in some cases) the ferromagnetism and usually stabilizes the antiferromag-netic configuration. By including spin-orbit coupling as a perturbation, (i) reliable results for the Magneto-crystalline anisotropy of ultra-thin films can be obtained using the state-tracking procedure, although the anisotropy energy is a few tenths of a MeV; (ii) spectra of the Magneto-optical Kerr effects and magnetic circular dichroism in the soft x-ray region can be determined.
The pulmonary vascular responses to short-term hypoxia in human subjects.

Using the catheter technic, the acute circulatory reactions to a brief period of hypoxia have been studied. It was found that when a normal person breathed a gas mixture containing only 10 per cent oxygen, the pulmonary arterial pressure rose but the pulmonary capillary pressure remained unchanged. This indicated pulmonary vasoconstriction, thought to be due to a direct effect on the pulmonary vascular tree. No demonstrable change in so-called pulmonary blood volume could be detected. In an additional group of patients with cardiopulmonary disease the reactions were more erratic but not significantly different in type.
Observing Directional Properties of Ocean Swell with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

Abstract Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) are widely used for routine measurements of ocean currents and waves in coastal environments. These instruments have the basic capability to measure surface wave frequency–directional spectra, but the quality of the estimates is not well understood because of the relatively high noise levels in the velocity measurements. In this study, wave data are evaluated from two 600-kHz ADCP instruments deployed at 20- and 45-m depths on the Southern California continental shelf. A simple parametric estimation technique is presented that provides robust estimates of the gross directional wave properties, even when the data quality is marginal, as was often the case in this benign wave environment. Good agreement of mean direction and (to a lesser degree) directional spreading estimates with measurements from a nearby surface-following buoy confirms that reliable wave information can generally be extracted from ADCP measurements on the continental shelf, supporting ...
Molecular characterization of boscalid- and penthiopyrad-resistant isolates of Didymella bryoniae and assessment of their sensitivity to fluopyram.

Background Didymella bryoniae has a history of developing resistance to single-site fungicides. A recent example is with the succinate-dehydrogenase-inhibiting fungicide (SDHI) boscalid. In laboratory assays, out of 103 isolates of this fungus, 82 and seven were found to be very highly resistant (B(VHR) ) and highly resistant (B(HR) ) to boscalid respectively. Cross-resistance studies with the new SDHI penthiopyrad showed that the B(VHR) isolates were only highly resistant to penthiopyrad (B(VHR) -P(HR) ), while the B(HR) isolates appeared sensitive to penthiopyrad (B(HR) -P(S) ). In this study, the molecular mechanism of resistance in these two phenotypes (B(VHR) -P(HR) and B(HR) -P(S) ) was elucidated, and their sensitivity to the new SDHI fluopyram was assessed. Results A 456 bp cDNA amplified fragment of the succinate dehydrogenase iron sulfur gene (DbSDHB) was initially cloned and sequenced from two sensitive (B(S) -P(S) ), two B(VHR) -P(HR) and one B(HR) -P(S) isolate of D. bryoniae. Comparative analysis of the DbSDHB protein revealed that a highly conserved histidine residue involved in the binding of SDHIs and present in wild-type isolates was replaced by tyrosine (H277Y) or arginine (H277R) in the B(VHR) -P(HR) and B(HR) -P(S) variants respectively. Further examination of the role and extent of these alterations showed that the H/Y and H/R substitutions were present in the remaining B(VHR) -P(HR) and B(HR) -P(S) variants respectively. Analysis of the sensitivity to fluopyram of representative isolates showed that both SDHB mutants were sensitive to this fungicide as the wild-type isolates. Conclusion The genotype-specific cross-resistance relationships between the SDHIs boscalid and penthiopyrad and the lack of cross-resistance between these fungicides and fluopyram should be taken into account when selecting SDHIs for gummy stem blight management.
Using satellite data to develop environmental indicators

Environmental indicators are increasingly being used in policy and management contexts, yet serious data deficiencies exist for many parameters of interest to environmental decision making. With its global synoptic coverage and the wide range of instruments available, satellite remote sensing has the potential to fill a number of these gaps, yet their potential contribution to indicator development has largely remained untested. In this paper we present results of a pilot effort to develop satellite-derived indicators in three major issue areas: ambient air pollution, coastal eutrophication, and biomass burning. A primary focus is on the vetting of indicators by an advisory group composed of remote sensing scientists and policy makers. S Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/ERL/9/084013/mmedia
Social Skills Interventions for Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders.

While the number of children diagnosed with high-functioning autistism spectrum disorders (HFASD) continues to rise, the number of research-based methods to meet the needs of this population lags behind. Social dysfunction is perhaps the most pervasive and debilitating deficit for those diagnosed with HFASD. This article presents a narrative review of representative research conducted since the year 2000 concerning social skills interventions for school-aged children and adolescents with HFASD and presents conclusions based on the studies reviewed.
Method selection and adaptation for distributed monitoring of infectious diseases for syndromic surveillance

Background: Automated surveillance systems require statistical methods to recognize increases in visit counts that might indicate an outbreak. In prior work we presented methods to enhance the sensitivity of C2, a commonly used time series method. In this study, we compared the enhanced C2 method with five regression models. Methods: We used emergency department chief complaint data from US CDC BioSense surveillance system, aggregated by city (total of 206 hospitals, 16 cities) during 5/2008-4/2009. Data for six syndromes (asthma, gastrointestinal, nausea and vomiting, rash, respiratory, and influenza-like illness) was used and was stratified by mean count (1-19, 20-49, >=50 per day) into 14 syndrome-count categories. We compared the sensitivity for detecting single-day artificially-added increases in syndrome counts. Four modifications of the C2 time series method, and five regression models (two linear and three Poisson), were tested. A constant alert rate of 1% was used for all methods. Results: Among the regression models tested, we found that a Poisson model controlling for the logarithm of total visits (i.e., visits both meeting and not meeting a syndrome definition), day of week, and 14-day time period was best. Among 14 syndrome-count categories, time series and regression methods produced approximately the same sensitivity (<5% difference) in 6; in six categories, the regression method had higher sensitivity (range 6-14% improvement), and in two categories the time series method had higher sensitivity. Discussion: When automated data are aggregated to the city level, a Poisson regression model that controls for total visits produces the best overall sensitivity for detecting artificially added visit counts. This improvement was achieved without increasing the alert rate, which was held constant at 1% for all methods. These findings will improve our ability to detect outbreaks in automated surveillance system data.
A realization theoretic solution of H ∞ matrix equations

Based on the results developed in Emre and Seo [1,2] on H2 solutions of Bezout and Skew type analytic matrix equations, we show how one can also characterize H∞ solutions for Bezout type equations. Under certain conditions, the same is also applicable for Skew matrix equations [2].
Beneath rational choice: Elements of ‘irrational choice theory’:

This article re-examines the prevalent view that classical/neoclassical economics contains only bases or ingredients of rational choice theory, i.e., the economic model of human action and society. Instead, it proposes that elements or implications of alternative ‘irrational choice theory’ also coexist with those of ‘rational choice’ and are relatively important in much of classical and neoclassical economics. The article identifies and considers certain elements and implications of irrational choice theory in classical and neoclassical economics. These consist of the reality, possibility, and realm –i.e., conception and observation – of irrational choices in the economy. The article contributes to understanding better how traditional economics relates to contemporary economic-sociological rational choice theory and its alternative.
A high-current, large-area, carbon nanotube cathode

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great attention as electron emitters. These field emission cathodes operate at room temperature without a heater, in contrast to thermionic emitters that often require considerable heater power for proper operation. Furthermore, CNTs have the advantage of large aspect ratios, allowing large local electric field enhancements at the nanotube tips, further increasing their attractiveness as field emitters. However, due primarily to materials issues such as limited emission site density, screening effects, and weak interfacial bonding, no large area cathodes have been operated at high current to date. In this paper, we report on the design, fabrication, and testing of a large-area CNT cathode operating at high-voltage (>200 kV) and high-current density (30 A/cm/sup 2/). The cathode lifetime exceeded four thousand pulses. The current density and voltage achieved represent a significant achievement and indicate that such a cathode design can prove valuable as a high-current, large-area emitter.