cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the discrepancy principle

A simple proof of the convergence of the variational regularization, with the regularization parameter, chosen by the discrepancy principle, is given for linear operators under suitable assumptions. It is shown that the discrepancy principle, in general, does not yield uniform with respect to the data convergence. An a priori choice of the regularization parameter is proposed and justified for some nonlinear operator equations.
Interaction of dipolarization fronts within multiple bursty bulk flows in global MHD simulations of a substorm on 27 February 2009

[1] We performed a global MHD simulation of a well-studied substorm on 27 February 2009 (Runov et al., 2009) to understand the generation and large-scale evolution of dipolarization fronts within bursty bulk flows (BBFs). Conjugate, well-positioned Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms (THEMIS) observations from space and ground observatories provide significant constraints to the simulation model. The main substorm onset auroral brightening, at 0749 UT, was in the field of view of Fort Smith (FSMI), just poleward of a preexisting auroral arc. Two minutes later, the space probes recorded a sharp dipolarization front moving sunward, passing by THEMIS and traversing ∼10 RE along the magnetotail. Our global MHD model, OpenGGCM, driven by real-time solar wind/interplanetary magnetic field conditions, is able to reproduce the key features of these signatures. We show that the auroral breakup is caused by the strong flow shear and the flow vortices formed by the BBF flows. Rebound oscillations of the intruding BBF (consistent with recent observations by Panov et al. (2010a)) and filamentation of the front into 1 RE size undulations are superimposed on the flow pattern. Further investigation of the interaction of the BBF and the dipolarization fronts (DFs) reveals that an observed bipolar Bz signature ahead of the DF is due to the interaction between two distinct plasmas emanating from multiple X lines: antisunward-moving flux tubes from a reconnection region at ∼13 RE and sunward-moving dipolarization region within a BBF from a midtail reconnection region at ∼23 RE.
“Yoga Was My Saving Grace”: The Experience of Women Who Practice Prenatal Yoga

BACKGROUND: Approximately 20% of women in the United States practice prenatal yoga, but there is a paucity of information about the experience of these women. OBJECTIVE: This study examines women’s...
False-Positive Plasma Troponin I with the AxSYM Analyzer

The AxSYM System Analyzer (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) is frequently utilized in the measurement of cardiac enzymes, hormones, drugs, and other markers. Falsely increased troponin I (TnI) results attributable to the presence of heterophilic antibodies (1), rheumatoid factor (2), or fibrin clots (3) have been described previously. We report several cases of erroneously increased results for plasma TnI that were attributable to a temporary malfunction of the AxSYM analyzer. The impairment of the analyzer was noted during one of the daily control runs when the three plasma TnI and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) quality-control samples repeatedly exceeded their respective control ranges. The instrument did not display an error code for a mechanical or other problem. In an effort to ascertain the cause of the spurious quality-control result, we opened the instrument cover to inspect the processing center. We checked the positions of two bulk solution dispensers (located within the AxSYM processing center). The dispensers, labeled “1” and “3”, were side-by-side, adjacent to the microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) optical assembly, processing center pipette, and processing carousel. Upon more …
Mutations in the hepatitis C virus polymerase that increase RNA binding can confer resistance to cyclosporine A.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to acute and chronic liver diseases, and new classes of anti-HCV therapeutics are needed. Cyclosporine A (CsA) inhibits HCV replication and CsA derivatives that lack the immunosuppressive function are currently in clinical trials as candidate anti-HCV drugs. Here we characterize several independently derived HCV replicons with varying levels of CsA resistance due to mutations in nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B), the HCV-encoded polymerase. Mutant HCV replicons engineered with these mutations showed resistance to CsA. The mutations reside in two distinct patches in the polymerase: the template channel and one face of a concave surface behind the template channel. Mutant NS5B made by cells expressing the HCV replicon had increased ability to bind to RNA in the presence of CsA. Purified recombinant NS5B proteins containing the mutations were better at de novo initiated RNA synthesis than the wild-type control. Furthermore, the mutant proteins were able to bind RNA with ≈8-fold higher affinity. Last, mutation near the template channel alleviated the lethal phenotype of a mutation in the concave patch, P540A. This intramolecular compensation for the HCV replicase function by amino acid changes in different domains was further confirmed in an infectious cell culture-derived virus system. Conclusion: An increased level of CsA resistance is associated with distinct mutations in the NS5B gene that increase RNA binding in the presence of CsA, and the intramolecular communications between residues of the thumb and the C-terminal domains are important for HCV replicase function. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
Spectral sensitivity of single cones in the retina of Macaca fascicularis

Colour vision depends on the wavelength-dependent absorptions of three different photolabile pigments each located in a particular type of retinal cone. The spectral absorption of primate cones has been examined by microspectrophotometry1–7, but this method gives information only at wavelengths where the absorption is relatively strong. Here we have analysed the absorption of two of the cones over a wider range of wavelengths by recording their electrical responses to monochromatic light. The observations were made on the retina of the monkey Macaca fascicularis, an animal thought to have cone pigments like those of man8. The measured spectral sensitivities of the red-sensitive (‘red’) and green-sensitive (‘green’) cones agreed well with estimates9 of the cone pigment absorptions derived from colour-matching experiments in humans. At long wavelengths the sensitivity of the red cones was found to decline more rapidly than that of the green. This behaviour, attributable to the cone pigment molecules themselves, explains the paradoxical hue shift10, in which a light of very long wavelength is perceived to be identical to a light of shorter wavelength.
Predicting stimulus-locked single unit spiking from cortical local field potentials

The rapidly increasing use of the local field potential (LFP) has motivated research to better understand its relation to the gold standard of neural activity, single unit (SU) spiking. We addressed this in an in vivo, awake, restrained mouse auditory cortical electrophysiology preparation by asking whether the LFP could actually be used to predict stimulus-evoked SU spiking. Implementing a Bayesian algorithm to predict the likelihood of spiking on a trial by trial basis from different representations of the despiked LFP signal, we were able to predict, with high quality and fine temporal resolution (2 ms), the time course of a SU's excitatory or inhibitory firing rate response to natural species-specific vocalizations. Our best predictions were achieved by representing the LFP by its wide-band Hilbert phase signal, and approximating the statistical structure of this signal at different time points as independent. Our results show that each SU's action potential has a unique relationship with the LFP that can be reliably used to predict the occurrence of spikes. This "signature" interaction can reflect both pre- and post-spike neural activity that is intrinsic to the local circuit rather than just dictated by the stimulus. Finally, the time course of this "signature" may be most faithful when the full bandwidth of the LFP, rather than specific narrow-band components, is used for representation.
Design and construction of a solar-electric vehicle

Recent concerns relating to global warming caused by greenhouse gases, coupled with a growing awareness of the limited available resources of fossil fuels, have spurred an interest in alternative energy powered vehicles. This paper describes the analysis, development, and testing of an aerodynamic vehicle powered by photovoltaic cells. The primary components of the vehicle are the composite material body, the aluminum space frame, the wheel hubs and front suspension assembly, the drive train, and the electrical system. The frame was designed using finite element analysis with the components of the frame modeled as beam elements. The body, designed to have a very high strength-to-weight ratio, was of graphite/Kevlar/Nomex sandwich construction. Testing was carried out using the three-point bend test to determine the optimal sandwich cross-sectional configuration. The design of the front suspension, the wheel hubs, and the power transmission are also discussed. The electrical system, based on a monocrystalline photovoltaic cell assembly, and silver-zinc storage cells, is also described. Finally, results of the optimization routine developed are also described.
America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink

It was a year packed with unsettling events. The Panic of 1857 closed every bank in New York City, ruined thousands of businesses, and caused widespread unemployment among industrial workers. The Mormons in Utah Territory threatened rebellion when federal troops approached with a non-Mormon governor to replace Brigham Young. The Supreme Court outraged northern Republicans and abolitionists with the Dred Scott decision ("a breathtaking example of judicial activism"). And when a pro-slavery minority in Kansas Territory tried to foist a pro-slavery constitution on a large anti-slavery majority, President Buchanan reneged on a crucial commitment and supported the minority, a disastrous miscalculation which ultimately split the Democratic party in two. In America in 1857, eminent American historian Kenneth Stampp offers a sweeping narrative of this eventful year, covering all the major crises while providing readers with a vivid portrait of America at mid-century. Stampp gives us a fascinating account of the attempt by William Walker and his band of filibusters to conquer Nicaragua and make it a slave state, of crime and corruption, and of street riots by urban gangs such as New York's Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys and Baltimore's Plug Uglies and Blood Tubs. But the focus continually returns to Kansas. He examines the outrageous political frauds perpetrated by proslavery Kansans, Buchanan's calamitous response and Stephen Douglas's break with the President (a rare event in American politics, a major party leader repudiating the president he helped elect), and the whirl of congressional votes and dramatic debates that led to a settlement humiliating to Buchanan, and devastating to the Democrats. 1857 marked a turning point, at which sectional conflict spun out of control and the country moved rapidly toward the final violent resolution in the Civil War. Stampp's intensely focused look at this pivotal year illuminates the forces at work and the mood of the nation as it plummeted toward disaster.
Seasonal Mercury Dynamics in a New England Vernal Pool

Mercury fluxes into and transformations within a small vernal pool in Massachusetts were investigated over a wet-dry-wet cycle. We measured the deposition of total mercury (HgT) and methyl mercury (MeHg) via litterfall between October 6 and December 2, 2010. Litterfall fluxes were 10 μg m−2 and 80 ng m−2, respectively, over that time period. Average HgT concentration in litterfall was 33 ± 2 ng gdw−1; 0.9 % was present as MeHg. The HgT content of the litter layer increased slightly throughout the year, reaching 55 ± 20 ng gdw−1 inside and 42 ± 7 ng gdw−1 outside the pool. Litter %MeHg increased only to 1.5 % on the forest floor, while it increased dramatically in the vernal pool after inundation in late November, reaching 9 % by early spring. Measurements in pool benthic invertebrates show that two types of shredders bioaccumulated MeHg 4–9-fold relative to the leaf litter substrate. Overall, our results indicate significant production and bioaccumulation of MeHg in this vernal pool. This de novo MeHg could impact resident amphibians or be exported to the surrounding forest.
Kinetics of cytokine production by thymocytes during murine AIDS caused by LP-BM5 retrovirus infection

C57BL 6 mice inoculated with the murine leukemia retrovirus mixture, LP-BM5, rapidly produce murine AIDS with many functional similarities to human AIDS. Human HIV infection has recently been shown to inhibit thymocyte maturation. Therefore, the kinetics of the proliferation of thymocytes induced by Con-canavalin A (ConA) and levels of cytokines produced by in vitro ConA-stimulated thymocytes were examined during the progression of murine AIDS. The proliferation of thymocytes induced by ConA was significantly enhanced by retrovirus infection at 4 weeks post-infection compared to control, but significantly inhibited during 8-12 weeks post-infection. Release of IL-2 by ConA-stimulated thymocytes was significantly increased by retrovirus infection during 2-5 weeks post-infection and 11-18 weeks post-infection compared to control, but significantly decreased during 7-9 weeks post-infection. Secretion of IL-4 by ConA-stimulated thymocytes was significantly enhanced by retrovirus infection from 5 to 18 weeks post-infection compared to control. The level of IL-6 produced by ConA-stimulated thymocytes was significantly inhibited by retrovirus infection at the beginning of retrovirus infection (2-9 weeks), but significantly elevated after 11 weeks post-infection compared to control. Release of IFNgamma by ConA-stimulated thymocytes, however, was significantly enhanced during the whole period of retrovirus infection compared to control, while it surged at 13 weeks post-infection. We conclude that retrovirus infection affects the thymus, producing altered T-cell differentiation via the dysregulation of thymocyte cytokine secretion.
City and County Supervisors’ Perceptions of Local Government Merit Systems

Investigates the attitudes of local public administrators in the metropolitan area of a southwestern state toward merit-related issues. Findings show the effects of demographic, partisan, ethnic, and educational characteristics on the perceptions of city and county supervisors. Assesses the implications of differential perceptions for program implementation and proposes research hypotheses as a guide for further inquiry.
A Christian Business and Christian Self-Identity in Third/Fourth Century Phrygia

Dans une monographie concernant les premiers monuments funeraires chretiens de Phrygie, Elsa Gibson a identifie un groupe de 13 monuments qui apparaissent dans leur execution tres proches les uns des autres. Selon elle, il se pourrait que les tailleurs de pierre fussent chretiens tout en appartenant au meme atelier. L'A. affirme que plusieurs facteurs circonstantiels tendraient a confirmer ce point de vue ce qui porterait a croire que ces monuments constituent une des manifestations du travail chretien les plus anciennes. Grâce a cette production artistique, l'A. tente de comprendre les limites de l'identite chretienne en Phrygie
Prosthetic aortic valve abscess producing total right coronary artery occlusion: Diagnosis by transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiography

We present a patient with total right coronary artery occlusion produced by a prosthetic aortic valve abscess. The diagnosis was made by transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiography.
Dynamic Models of Behavior for Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions

Improvements in health behavior theory will be central to creating successful interventions that encourage and support behavior change and maintenance. The authors discuss dynamic, multimethod, conceptually driven, and data-rich approaches for the development of testable computational models of health-related behaviors in real time.
Characterization of an antioxidant polylactic acid (PLA) film prepared with α-tocopherol, BHT and polyethylene glycol using film cast extruder.

Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA) films were prepared with α-tocopherol, buthylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) using a cast film extruder in an effort to create an antioxidant film. Film properties were characterized by radical scavenging activity and thermal, physical, and gas barrier properties. Final resin compounding and pelletization was achieved by a twin screw extruder and a pelletizator to permit the homogenization of all resin components prior to film casting. Three different PLA films were fabricated for this study: pure PLA film, PLA film with BHT and PEG 400 (BP-PLA film), PLA film with α-tocopherol, BHT, and PEG 400 (ABP-PLA film). The addition of PEG 400 into the pure PLA film decreased the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the film. The BP-PLA and ABP-PLA film had around 51 °C of T g while pure PLA film had 66 °C. Due to the decreased T g of both the BP-PLA and ABP-PLA film, both films had an increased elongation at break (%E). The addition of plasticizer into the pure PLA film also caused increased water vapor permeability (WVP) and decreased oxygen permeability (OP). The ABP-PLA film had highest DPPH radical scavenging activity, 90%, while pure PLA and BP-PLA film had only 0 and 14%, respectively.
Circuitry for color coding in the primate retina

Human color vision starts with the signals from three cone photoreceptor types, maximally sensitive to long (L-cone), middle (M-cone), and short (S-cone) wavelengths. Within the retina these signals combine in an antagonistic way to form red-green and blue-yellow spectral opponent pathways. In the classical model this antagonism is thought to arise from the convergence of cone type-specific excitatory and inhibitory inputs to retinal ganglion cells. The circuitry for spectral opponency is now being investigated using an in vitro preparation of the macaque monkey retina. Intracellular recording and staining has shown that blue-ON/yellow-OFF opponent responses arise from a distinctive bistratified ganglion cell type. Surprisingly, this cone opponency appears to arise by dual excitatory cone bipolar cell inputs: an ON bipolar cell that contacts only S-cones and an OFF bipolar cell that contacts L- and M-cones. Red-green spectral opponency has long been linked to the midget ganglion cells, but an underlying mechanism remains unclear. For example, receptive field mapping argues for segregation of L-and M-cone signals to the midget cell center and surround, but horizontal cell interneurons, believed to generate the inhibitory surround, lack opponency and cannot contribute selective L- or M-cone input to the midget cell surround. The solution to this color puzzle no doubt lies in the great diversity of cell types in the primate retina that still await discovery and analysis.
"The Devil We Know": Gold Coast Consumers, Local Employees, and the United Africa Company, 1940–1960

On January 31, 1957, about five weeks before the Gold Coast gained political independence from Britain, the country's first Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah inaugurated the opening of Kingsway, Accra, the country's largest department store. Owned and operated by the United Africa Company (UAC), a subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, Kingsway Stores were well known throughout British West Africa as a chain of urban retail outlets. Although Kingsway Stores originally targeted the needs of European colonials and their families, they increasingly attracted elite and emerging middle-class African shoppers. Equipped with an elevator, a modern car park, and three floors of retail space, the new state-of-the-art Kingsway building would be the first of its kind in all of West Africa. Invited to give the inaugural speech at the store's grand opening, Nkrumah stated: “It is idle to pretend that the people of the Gold Coast . . . [have] always been on the friendliest terms with such a mighty financial power as Unilever. But . . . my government like myself and the people of the Gold Coast, does prefer the devil it knows to the devil it does not know.”
ENHANCED DUALITY SYMMETRIES FOR A PAIR OF DIRAC–BORN–INFELD ACTIONS

We consider a total action composed of two Dirac–Born–Infeld (DBI) actions: one for a vector field Aμ and another for an axial vector field Bμ. We impose a duality condition , where is the Hodge dual of Gμν, and g is a DBI interaction constant. Interestingly, there are two different global duality rotation symmetries in the presence of DBI interactions: (i) , , and (ii) δζAμ = - ζBμ, δζBμ = + ζAμ. Both of these symmetry are on-shell symmetries, including nonlinear higher-order terms. The remarkable aspect is that these symmetries are valid even in the presence of DBI interactions. The coupling of this system to N = 1 supergravity is also discussed.
Turbulence Structure of Heat Transfer Through a Three-Dimensional Turbulent Boundary Layer

The structure of turbulent heat transfer in the well-documented pressure-driven, three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer generated by a wing ‐ body junction was studied experimentally using a constant-current resistance thermometer and a fast-response, thin-layered surface heat e ux gauge. Simultaneous time-resolved surface heat e ux and temperature proe le measurements were taken in the spatially developing three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer upstream of the wing. Mean heat transfer was decreased by three dimensionality. Mean temperature proe les showed logarithmic behavior but did not collapse on a law-of-the-wall proe le. Statistical and spectral analyses of the temperature e uctuations provide information on changes to the near-wall turbulent structures. The strength of ejections from the near-wall region was decreased by three dimensionality. Time-delayed correlations of the surface heat e ux and e ow temperature revealed an initially linear turbulent wave front whose inclination angle increases with three dimensionality. Coherency between wall heat e ux and temperature e uctuations in the outer boundary layer was decreased by three dimensionality.
Influence of coagulases and route of injection on staphylococcal virulence in mice.

SummaryIntraperitoneal and intravenous LD50 values of 12 strains of staphylococci, grouped according to free coagulase and the so-called clumping factor or bound coagulase, indicate that mouse virulence of S. aureus is influenced less by route of injection than by nature of the organisms injected. Mucin markedly enhanced mouse virulence for intraperitoneally injected coagulase positive, clumping factor negative staphylococci but not that of other strains. Neither free nor bound coagulase per se appeared to be a critical factor of virulence for mice.
Relationship between rice yield and soil phosphorus evaluated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Abstract Yield response to P fertilizer application in field experiments conducted in various parts of Louisiana was statistically correlated with parameters of soil P determined under oxidized (aerobic) and reduced (anaerobic) treatments. Soil P parameters included 0.01 m CaCl2 extractable P, P sorbed at 0.2 ppm P in solution and Bray No.2 extractable P. The first two P variables were determined under oxidized as well as reduced soil treatments. The soil samples were also characterized for clay content, total C, pH, and oxalate extractable Fe. Linear correlation coefficient ‘r’ values showed that rice yield at zero P and % yield increase with phosphate P were significantly correlated with the amount of added P required to give 0.2 ppm P in solution (p sorbed) determined under reduced conditions in Crowley silt loam soil only (r= -0.72**, and 0.66**, respectively). A significant positive correlation between P sorbed (reduced-oxidized) and % yield increase with 25 kg Pjha over zero P was also observed in C...
Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of imported and domestic sliced black ripe olives.

: Table olives are healthy and nutritious products with high contents of monounsaturated fatty acids, phenolics, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Understanding sensory cues affecting consumer preferences would enable the increase of olive consumption. The objectives of this study were to characterize the sensory properties of commercial sliced black ripe olives from different regions, including California, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, and to examine the preferences of California consumers for sliced black ripe olives. Sensory profiles and preferences for 20 sliced olive samples were determined using descriptive analysis with a trained panel and a consumer test with 104 users and likers of table olives. Aroma and flavor characteristics separated the olives according to country of origin, and were the main determinants of consumer preferences for sliced olives, even though the biggest differences among the samples were in appearance and texture. Total of 2 consumer segments were identified with 51 and 53 consumers, respectively, that both liked Californian products, but differed in the olives they disliked. Negative drivers of liking for both segments included alcohol, oak barrel, and artificial fruity/floral characteristics; however, consumers from Cluster 1 were further negatively influenced by rancid, gassy, and bitter characteristics. This study stresses the need for sound and appealing flavor quality for table olives to gain wider acceptance among U.S. consumers. Practical Application: The characterization of the sensory properties of domestic and imported sliced black ripe olives and the identification of the preference patterns of California consumers for the products in this research will assist producers, importers, and legislators in their efforts to improve the sensory quality of sliced black ripe olives in the United States and to better market these products to U.S. consumers.
Synthetic aperture radar processing using a nonuniform pulse repetition interval

Due to recent development of the theory related to non- uniform Pulse Repetition Intervals (PRI) for pulse doppler radars, it has become feasible to combine the multiple pulse integration of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with the temporal agility of non-uniform PRI's. This combination can bring to the traditional SAR system the benefits of both strong resistance to countermeasures and interception, and high sensitivity. A significant problem which must be addressed in synthetic aperture radars is the possible smearing of the azimuth dimension of the image due to doppler sidelobes which are too high. This issue is even more serious with a non-uniform PRI waveform. In a traditional SAR the sidelobes are controlled with signal processing techniques such as amplitude weighting. However, these simpler techniques are not adequate for non-uniform PRI waveforms. One method for increasing the sidelobe rejection capability of these waveforms requires the use of a processor which consists of time varying linear digital filters. One way to design such a filter is through the use of interpolation based techniques.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Multicultural Societies: Kálmán Mikszáth, Pál Závada and Péter Huncik

Three Hungarian works, one from the 19th century and two contemporary novels, reflect changing attitudes to ethnicity and nationality questions within Hungary, including the area that became part of Czechoslovakia after World War I. Kalman Mikszath’s Tot Atyafiak shows a society in which the various nationalities of Upper Hungary live in harmony. Ethnic problems seem not to be present. Pal Zavada’s Jadviga Parnaja presents a more complex picture: while the protagonists seem free of nationalistic sentiments, they are conscious of their Slovak roots, their customs and language. A majority in the city and community which forms the backdrop to the story, they are a minority in the larger region of the Hungarian Plain. However, different customs and language are not perceived as setting themselves off from other Hungarians. Outside forces and prejudices do intrude since key sections of the story occur during World War I and its aftermath. The third novel, Peter Huncik’s Hatareset examines the fate of the population of Ipolysag, a town in what is now southern Slovakia. This is an area which still has a large Hungarian population; many families nevertheless have a background that includes Slovak and other nationalities. With the border changes of 1920, 1938 and 1945 lives are disrupted. Communism further complicates the tensions and absurdities fueled by outside forces. The works are testimonies to tolerance because the protagonists most affected are open to other ethnicities, other nationalities.
Towards practical intrusion tolerant systems: a blueprint

In this paper, we present the blueprint of a novel middleware infrastructure that can be used to build mission-critical systems with increased resiliency against intrusion attacks. The infrastructure is designed to be practical and it imposes a well-defined structure on the application by adhering the principle of the separation of concerns: (1) the processing of each application request is carried out at a single execution node, and if the execution node becomes faulty, another node can take over immediately; (2) the state of the server is replicated transparently across a pool of state replicas, and a novel append-only strategy is used so that not only the state is protected against hardware failures, it is resilient to attacks aimed to cause state corruption and destruction; (3) the fault monitoring, execution and state integrity checking, and system configuration management are carried out by distinct components which by themselves are replicated.
The number of analytic solutions of a singular differential system

of differential equations in the complex plane. Here 3’ is an n-dimensional vector, B(Z) is an n x n matrix of functions analytic at z = 0, and D = diag(d, ,..., d,), with (I-; = 0, 1, or 2, i = l,..., n. A classical result for this system was given in 1926 by F. Lettenmeyer [6], who proved that (1.1) has at least (12 tr D) linearly independent solutions analytic at z = 0. For Lettenmeyer’s theorem to be meaningful, of course we must have tr D < n. Some results for the case in which & = 2, i = l,..., n, have been obtained by L. J. Grimm and L. M. Hall [l]. Th is result, like Lettenmeyer’s, gives at best a lower bound for the number of analytic solutions. In this paper we develop a procedure which yields the exact number of linearly independent solutions of (1 .I) which are analytic at z = 0. This procedure will be applicable whenever D is as given above, i.e., D is an n x n diagonal matrix with some combination of zeros, ones and twos on the diagonal. Actually, no restriction need be placed on the size of the diagonal entries in D since, due to a result of H. L. Turrittin [7], the rank of a linear differential system can be reduced to rank one at the expense of increasing the dimension of the system. Rank one corresponds to di = 2, i = l,..., n. The techniques which we use are primarily based on the work of Grimm and Hall [2], the results of Hall [4], and the Cesari-Hale alternative problem technique (see Hale [3]).
Solid velocity in cross-flow moving beds

Abstract An approximate analysis was presented of solid flow in a rectangular moving bed. The type of the solid flow and the velocity profile are found to be dependent upon the pressure gradient applied for the gas flow, the internal friction coefficient and the wall friction coefficients. The results of the analysis were found to agree reasonably well with available experimental data.
Emotion Regulation and Mental Health

In this article, we argue that emotion regulation is an essential (and traditionally underemphasized) feature of mental health. To develop this idea, we first define the terms emotion, emotion regulation, and mental health. We then chart the development of emotion regulation and describe its role in various facets of normal functioning. Next, we consider what happens when emotion becomes dysregulated in a major depressive episode. We suggest that an emotion regulatory perspective integrates diverse theoretical views of depression and has implications for the assessment, treatment, and prevention of depression. We conclude by speculating about the role of emotion regulation in the broader context of public mental health.
Income Distributional Effects of the California Land Conservation Act

The distribution of program benefits of California's use-value assessment program has been a major issue in the political debate concerning the program's desirability. This study examines the income distributional effects of program benefits for a sample of participants in Sacramento County. The fraction of benefits received by lower income landowners was quite large when compared with their share of total income. Benefits received by lower income farmers were sufficient to cause a significant positive shift in farm income distribution, as measured by the Gini coefficient. For nonfarmers, the shift in the income distribution was slight.
Adsorption/aggregation of surfactants and their mixtures at solid-liquid interfaces

Adsorption of surfactants and polymers at solid-liquid interfaces is used widely to modify interfacial properties in a variety of industrial processes such as flotation, ceramic processing, flocculation/dispersion, personal care product formulation and enhanced oil recovery. The behavior of surfactants and polymers at interfaces is determined by a number of forces, including electrostatic attraction, covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic bonding, and solvation and desolvation of various species. The extent and type of the forces involved varies depending on the adsorbate and the adsorbent, and also the composition and other characteristics of the solvent and dissolved components in it. The influence of such forces on the adsorption behavior is reviewed here from a thermodynamics point of view. The experimental results from microcalorimetric and spectroscopic studies of adsorbed layers of different surfactant and polymer systems at solid-liquid interfaces are also presented. Calorimetric data from the adsorption of an anionic surfactant, sodium octylbenzenesulfonate, and a non-ionic surfactant, dodecyloxyheptaethoxyethylalcohol, and their mixtures on alumina, yielded important thermodynamic information. It was found that the adsorption of anionic surfactants alone on alumina was initially highly exothermic due to the electrostatic interaction with the substrate. Further adsorption leading to a solloid (hemimicelle) formation is proposed to be mainly an entropy-driven process. The entropy effect was found to be more pronounced for the adsorption of anionic-non-ionic surfactant mixtures than for the anionic surfactant alone. Fluorescence studies using a pyrene probe on an adsorbed surfactant and polymer layers, along with electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, reveal the role of surface aggregation and the conformation of the adsorbed molecules in controlling the dispersion and wettability of the system.
Instability of the Stochastic Galactic Magnetic Field

We examine the effects of the stochastic galactic magnetic field on the dynamical instability of the interstellar gas and magnetic field. The large-scale random walk, or meandering, of the magnetic field exerts stresses across the average magnetic field direction, which suppress the growth of perturbations having a small wavelength normal to the field. The result is that, compared with a nonstochastic initial magnetic field, those perturbations, which grow, are significantly broadened in the direction normal to the field. Hence, the instability in a stochastic magnetic field, such as that observed in our Galaxy, should evolve into clouds that are more similar to those that are observed than are those found in the absence of the stochastic field.
The effects of sanctions and stigmas on cyberloafing

Cyberloafing has become a pervasive problem for many organizations and some researchers have suggested that a deterrence approach utilizing acceptable use policies for Internet-based applications coupled with mechanisms designed to monitor employee Internet usage and detect unauthorized usage can be an effective way to reduce it. However, the results of studies that have examined the effects of acceptable use policies and detection mechanisms on reducing cyberloafing are mixed. This study attempts to reconcile those inconsistencies by using an experiment to show that the deterrence model affects various types of cyberloafing differently. The results reveal that individually, threats termination and detection mechanisms are effective deterrents against activities like viewing pornography, managing personal finances, and personal shopping, but must be coupled together and actively enforced to dissuade activities like personal emailing and social networking.
Effects of subthalamic stimulation on sensory-evoked potentials in the reticular formation and cortex.

Abstract Stimulation of the subthalamic region of the diencephalon was used to study the dynamic nature of descending influences, previously shown to be important in determining the responsiveness of the brain-stem reticular formation to various sensory inputs. All results were obtained in acute experiments using bipolar stimulating and recording electrodes. Experiments involved interaction of subthalamic stimulation with sciatic, click or flash stimulation. Though there were some cases of increases in sensory-evoked potentials, in general, subthalamic stimulation led to blocking of the evoked potentials. Tetanization, bursts and single subthalamic stimuli were effective, in that order. Sciatic-evoked potentials were reduced or abolished, and click- and flash-evoked potentials were also decreased significantly though the blocking interactions were not as great as for sciatic-evoked potentials. Subthalamic interaction effects were widespread in the brain-stem reticular formation and cortex. Sciaticevoked potentials in the midbrain were affected more than in the medullary reticular formation, and those in association cortex were more severely reduced than in the sensorimotor cortex. Progressive, vertical penetrations indicated that the blocking interaction effects were not restricted to any well-defined fiber tract or small region of the subthalamus or midbrain reticular formation. In general, significant blocking interaction was obtained at intervals from 50 to 400 msec, though it was best at the shorter intervals.
Ammonia volatilization from poultry manure-amended soil

Poultry manure (PM) is commonly applied to cropland as a fertilizer, usually at rates determined by the nitrogen content of the manure. Limited information is available, however, on the volatilization of ammonia from poultry manure-amended soils, despite the effect these losses may have on the fertilizer value of the manure. This study was initiated to determine the influence of incorporation and residue cover on NH3 losses from PM-amended soils. In the first experiment, a dynamic flow technique was used to measure NH3 losses from 18 manures applied to a bare soil surface at a rate of 12 Mg ha-1. In the second experiment, 3 of the 18 manures were incorporated either immediately, 24 h or 72 h after application. The third experiment compared the same three manures applied to a bare soil surface or to corn or soybean residues. Surface application of the manures resulted in the loss of from 4 to 31% of the total N applied in the manures. Incorporation of the PM with soil significantly reduced NH3 loss with the greatest decrease following immediate incorporation. Crop residues either had no effect or slightly reduced NH3 volatilization losses relative to PM application to a bare soil surface. Ammonia volatilization was not well correlated with individual manure properties, but a multiple regression approach using manure pH and total N content offered some promise as a means to segregate manures of the basis of volatilization potential.
Morris Janowitz and the Origins of Sociological Research on Armed Forces and Society

Despite early recognition of the importance of military institutions for understanding social organization and social change, sociology established no strong research tradition to study the militar...
Impact of 22q11.2 Deletion on the Postoperative Course of Children After Cardiac Surgery

The primary objective of this study was to describe the impact of 22q11.2 deletion (del22q11) on the clinical characteristics, postoperative course, and short-term outcomes of children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. The charts of all children ages 1 day–18 years who received cardiac surgery for interrupted aortic arch (IAA), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), or truncus arteriosus (TA) repair from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: the 22q11 group including children with del22q11 undergoing surgery for TOF, IAA, or TA and the non-22q11 or control group including children with no chromosomal or genetic abnormality undergoing surgery for TOF, IAA, or TA. Demographic information, cardiac diagnoses, noncardiac abnormalities, preoperative factors, intraoperative details, surgical procedures performed, postoperative complications, and in-hospital deaths were collected. The outcome data collected included days of inotrope use, need for dialysis, length of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, and mortality. The study enrolled 173 patients: 65 patients in the 22q11 group and 108 patients in the control group. Of the 65 patients in the 22q11 group, 36 (55 %) underwent repair for TOF, 13 (20 %) for IAA, and 16 (25 %) for TA. The two groups did not differ in terms of age or weight. The preexisting conditions were similar in the two groups. Unplanned noncardiac operations were more common in the children with del22q11, but delayed chest closure was similar in the two groups. The incidence of postoperative noncardiac complications such as reintubation, vocal cord paralysis, and diaphragmatic paralysis was similar in the two groups. However, increasing numbers of patients in del22q11 group needed dialysis in one form or the other during the immediate postoperative stay. The incidence of fungal infection and wound infection was higher in the del22q11 group than in the control group. Duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS were similar in the two groups, except in certain subgroups. Mortality did not differ significantly between the two groups. In conclusion, children with del22q11 have a higher risk of postoperative complications after cardiac surgery, with no difference in length of mechanical ventilation, ICU LOS, hospital LOS, or mortality. However, short-term outcomes may differ in certain subgroups.
A novel lidar-driven two-level approach for real-time unmanned ground vehicle navigation and map building

In this paper, a two-level LIDAR-driven hybrid approach is proposed for real-time unmanned ground vehicle navigation and map building. Top level is newly designed enhanced Voronoi Diagram (EVD) method to plan a global trajectory for an unmanned vehicle. Bottom level employs Vector Field Histogram (VFH) algorithm based on the LIDAR sensor information to locally guide the vehicle under complicated workspace, in which it autonomously traverses from one node to another within the planned EDV with obstacle avoidance. To find the least-cost path within the EDV, novel distance and angle based search heuristic algorithms are developed, in which the cost of an edge is the risk of traversing the edge. An EVD is first constructed based on the environment, which is utilized to generate the initial global trajectory with obstacle avoidance. The VFH algorithm is employed to guide the vehicle to follow the path locally. Its effectiveness and efficiency of real-time navigation and map building for unmanned vehicles have been successfully validated by simulation studies and experiments. The proposed approach is successfully experimented on an actual unmanned vehicle to demonstrate the real-time navigation and map building performance of the proposed method. The vehicle appears to follow a very stable path while navigating through various obstacles.
Psychoeducational groups: A model for choosing topics and exercises appropriate to group stage

Abstract Conceptualizing and planning psychoeducational groups are important tasks for group counselors One difficulty in this process is determining the appropriate order or sequence of group session topics and structured exercises. Although the literature contains substantial information on group topics and exercises for a wide variety of themes of psychoeducational groups, little information is found in the literature to help group counselors conceptualize and design an entire psychoeducational group, particularly in choosing stage-appropriate group activities. The purpose of this article is to provide group counselors a specific model to follow for conceptualizing and developing all types of psychoeducational groups.
Heterogeneity, plot shape effect and optimum plot size

By introducing heterogeneity indices, an empirical equation is proposed for characterizing the heterogeneity of non-isotropic fields. The formula is an extension of Fairfield Smith's (1938) empirical law describing heterogeneity in isotropic fields. Based on these indices, criteria are provided for choosing optimum plot shapes in terms of minimizing the sample variance and cost. Sample plots having their largest dimension in the direction with the largest index will give more accurate results (less variable) than plots with other shapes. Relations between the optimum plot size and relative cost versus variogram parameters are given for several variogram models. These relations indicate that variograms with small effective ranges have a very profound effect on the optimum plot sizes.
Iatrogenic nasal tip bossae. Etiology, prevention, and treatment.

• Bossa formation is a common late complication seen following modification of the nasal tip during rhinoplasty. Prevention is our primary goal, and the incidence of this iatrogenic problem will decrease as the surgeon's understanding of the dynamics of healing in the altered nasal tip increases. We herein review the pertinent nasal anatomy, predisposing patient characteristics, and causative surgical maneuvers, concluding with our recommendations for prevention and treatment. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1987;113:737-739)