cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Undergraduate program focuses on international issues in water resources

For the past two summers, faculty from the University of Notre Dame, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of New Mexico have directed a U.S.National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site focusing on issues in international water resources. (See REU Site on Water Resources in Developing Countries, www.nd.edu/~reuwater/). The overarching objective of this project is to engage and educate U.S. students in the issues and problems facing the world's nations in water resource development and potable water supply. The stated goals of the REU program are to expand student participation in all areas of research, and specifically, to attract a diverse group of students into the fields of science and engineering, including graduate-level studies. In addition, international REU sites often seek to develop students who can be “globally competent;” that is, understand science and engineering in frameworks other than a North American perspective. (More information on international REU sites and site development can be found at www.nsftokyo.org/ and www.nsf.gov/sbe/int/.)
The role of an affirmed black cultural identity and heritage in the academic achievement of African‐Canadian students

This paper focuses on the educational experiences of African‐Canadian youth in Canada. Traditionally, the tendency is to emphasize the poor academic performance of black students or issues and problems related to reasons for academic failure or to stereotype them as ‘loud, lazy, muscular, criminal, athletic, dumb, deprived, dangerous, deviant, and disturbed’. In contrast, this paper looks at those who have achieved in spite of considerable adversity. The data show that factors such as pride in one's heritage and knowledge of one's culture contribute to academic success.
Changes in Support From Confidants, Children, and Friends Following Widowhood

This paper examines the extent to which widowhood affects changes in (a) the availability of a confidant, (b) emotional support from children, and (c) emotional support from friends/relatives both 6 and 18 months after spousal loss. Analyses are based on data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples, a prospective study of 1,532 married individuals aged 65 and older. Compared to married persons, widowed persons are less likely to have a confidant, yet they receive greater support from children, friends, and relatives, controlling for support prior to widowhood. The findings suggest that, although close social relationships may remain stable in the course of normal aging, stressful events such as widowhood may bring forth both losses and gains in social support.
Local Therapy for Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Hands and Feet: Is Amputation Necessary? A Report From the Children's Oncology Group

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of children with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the hand or foot treated with surgery and/or local radiotherapy (RT). Methods and Materials: Forty-eight patients with nonmetastatic RMS of the hand or foot were enrolled on Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study III, IV-Pilot, and IV. Patients received multiagent chemotherapy with surgery and/or RT. Twenty-four patients (50%) underwent surgery without local RT, of whom 4 had complete resection and 20 had an amputation. The remaining 24 patients (50%) underwent local RT, of whom 2 required RT for microscopic residual disease after prior amputation. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 9.7 years. Results: Actuarial 10-year local control was 100%; 10-year event-free survival and overall survival rates were 62% and 63%, respectively. Poor prognostic factors for recurrence included gross residual (Group III) disease and nodal involvement (p = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). More patients in the RT group had alveolar histology, Group III disease, and nodal involvement, as compared with the surgery group. There was no difference in 10-year event-free survival (57% vs. 66%) or overall survival (63% vs. 63%) between patients who underwent surgery or local RT. Among relapsing patients, there were no long-term survivors. No secondary malignancies have been observed. Conclusions:more » Despite having high-risk features, patients treated with local RT achieved excellent local control. Complete surgical resection without amputation is difficult to achieve in the hand or foot. Therefore, we recommend either definitive RT or surgical resection that maintains form and function as primary local therapy rather than amputation in patients with hand or foot RMS.« less
An ant-based algorithm for finding degree-constrained minimum spanning tree

A spanning tree of a graph such that each vertex in the tree has degree at most d is called a degree-constrained spanning tree. The problem of finding the degree-constrained spanning tree of minimum cost in an edge weighted graphis well known to be NP-hard. In this paper we give an Ant-Based algorithm for finding low cost degree-constrained spanning trees. Ants are used to identify a set of candidate edges from which a degree-constrained spanning tree can be constructed. Extensive experimental results show that the algorithm performs very well against other algorithms on a set of 572 problem instances.
Weak Nonlinear Long Waves in Channel Flow with Internal Dissipation

This article concerns the evolution of long waves (O(∈ -1/2 ) wavelength) of small [O(∈)] amplitude in channel flow with internal dissipation. We use multiple scale expansions to derive a generalized Kuramoto-Sivashinsky (GKS) equation that governs the dominant asymptotic solution in the limit of small disturbances and marginal linear instability. We compare this solution with numerical integrations of the full quasilinear system, and show that the error is consistent with an asymptotic solution to ∈ 3/2 over a time interval of order ∈ -3/2 .
Compressibility of solids and Tait's law—II. Atomic radii of the alkali metals

Abstract The previously undetermined constant A is evaluated unambiguously and a general method of performing such evaluations is given. The atomic radii of the alkali metals in the solid state are calculated from the compressibility parameters of the metals through an evaluation of the excluded volume, beth, Б. The values obtained are in excellent agreement with both the Slater and Bragg values. It is shown that on compression, the volume decrease is due to the disappearance of the defect volume and the internal volume in the aggregates and that up to about 100,000 kg cm 2 for lithium, sodium, potassium and rubidium and to about 23,000 kg cm 2 for cesium the radii of the alkali metals probably do not decrease.
Leadership coherence: An application of personality coherence theory to the study of leadership

Abstract The purpose of the current work was to extend recent developments in basic personality theory to the leadership domain. Accordingly, we introduce a new construct labeled leadership coherence, which refers to the notion that a leader’s behavior fluctuates in a consistent, reliable, and predictable idiographic manner across situations, thus capturing the purposeful and systematic variability in a leader’s behavior and decisions. Data were obtained from a diverse managerial sample (n = 109) employed in a variety of work settings. Stable and replicable intraindividual cross-situational profiles were found providing initial empirical support for the concept of leadership coherence. As the understanding of the ways in which leaders react and behave within and across situations is central to most leadership theories, examination of leadership behavior from an intraindividual cross-situational or coherence framework is a logical progression of leadership theory. This study provides the first step in this direction.
A New Paradigm for Policy Reform and Economic Development

Throughout much of the world, significant institutional changes are in the air, wind, and water. Evidence is accumulating that democracy has won the political battle and that markets have won the economic battle. Some serious scholars have even argued that the history of thought about first principles, including those governing political and social organizations, has come to an end (Fukuyama). For those who hold this view, Hegel was simply too early in forecasting the end of the evolution of thought about such first principles nearly two centuries ago. The entire Marxian experiment was nothing more than a 150-year detour which corroborated Hegel's view that the "end of history" coincided with the emergence of liberal-democratic states following the French and American revolutions. Regardless of whether the history of ideology is over, a new consensus on economic, political, and civil freedoms has emerged. This consensus means more than simply adjusting macroeconomic policy, achieving stability, and selling off a few government-owned enterprises in an attempt to set developing countries on a path toward broad-based economic growth. Instead, it means creating a vision of an open economy underpinned by an open polity; identifying and removing the obstacles to economic participation, obstacles that lock the ordinary citizen out of the game; enhancing the availability and utility of information resources by shaping incentives and helping to establish the basic rules of social transactions; encouraging more efficient organization of economic activity whether by market, hierarchy, or hybrid modes (Williamson) in ways that may lead to fundamental restructuring of an economy; and fostering institutional frameworks that expand the role of human choice and promote the full panoply of entrepreneurial energies.
A MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF STRESSES IN GLAZES1

Stresses in glazes are studied making use of the microscopic method. The investigation indicates that differential coefficient of expansion is partially responsible for stresses in glazes.
Chemo-rheological studies of isoprene-butadiene networks

Abstract The chemo-rheological behaviour of a systematic series of peroxide-crosslinked butadiene-isoprene block or random copolymers of different architectures (B-I, B-I-B, I-B-I) has been studied. Both intermittent and continuous stress-relaxation experiments in air at 100°C suggest a well-mixed morphology in the copolymers, as evidenced by the systematic increase in the rate of stress relaxation with increasing poly(isoprene) content and by the independence of the chemo-rheological properties of molecular architecture. In general, degradative crosslinking reactions dominate in samples rich in poly(butadiene) while oxidative chain scission controlled the behaviour of poly(isoprene). The copolymers display an interesting balance of these two effects which are primarily dependent on composition.
Calyx Particle Morphology of Bathyplectes anurus and B. curculionis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Hess, R. T., Poinar, Jr., G. O., Etzel, L., Merritt, C. C. 1980. Calyx particle morphology of Bathyplectes anurus and B. curculionis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). (Department of Entomological Sciences, University of California, Barkeley, California, U.S.A.) — Acta zool. (Stockh.) 61(2): 111–116. The calyx regions of the ichneumonid wasps Bathyplectes anurus and B. curculionis were observed with the electron microscope to contain ovoid membrane-bound particles, 300 nm long by 250 nm wide. These particles were produced in nuclei associated with fibrous strands from which they appeared to bud. Particles apparently moved into the cytoplasm and budded into the calyx lumen, thereby acquiring the host's plasma membrane. The similarities and differences of these particles to the calyx particles of other wasps is discussed.
Interaction of intrinsic localized modes with impurities in the classical anisotropic Heisenberg spin model

Abstract We study moving intrinsic localized modes on a spin chain with point impurities. It is shown that a stationary localized mode can be excited when a moving wave collides with the impurity. The frequency of this stationary mode depends on the strength of the defect perturbation. We also consider interaction of moving intrinsic localized waves with an already excited impurity mode. We find that when the frequencies of the two modes are close to each other they interact strongly forming a metastable resonance state.
Genetic differentiation, sympatric speciation, and the origin of a diploid species of stephanomeria.

A B S T R A C T Evidence is presented that a geographically peripheral population of the annual Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria (Compositae), a widespread and ecologically diverse species, has recently given rise by a process of sympatric speciation to a diploid species presently designated "Malheurensis." The new species comprises less than 250 individuals and is found only at a single locality in eastern Oregon where it grows interspersed with its parental population. Stephanomeria exigua ssp. coronaria is an obligate outcrosser and "Malheurensis" is highly self-pollinating. Reproductive isolation is maintained by differences in breeding system, a crossability barrier that reduces seed set following cross-pollination between them, and reduction in hybrid fertility caused by chromosomal structural differences. They are very similar morphologically. Electrophoretic analyses of seven enzyme systems demonstrate that all the alleles but one at the controlling 13 gene loci in "Malheurensis" are identical to alleles in ssp. coronaria. The new species displays certain maladapted features including loss of the specific requirements for seed germination characteristic of the progenitor population of ssp. coronaria. The origin of "Malheurensis" appears to be an exception to the theory of geographical speciation because spatial isolation is not necessary at any time for the origin or establishment of its reproductive isolating barriers. The nature of these barriers plus the genetic homogeneity of the species are compatible with the hypothesis that it derives from a single progenitor individual. Very little genetic change is involved initially in this mode of speciation.
Confinement of Pulse-Injected External Ions in Magnetostatic and Electrostatic Ion Traps

Numerical methods are used to evaluate the confinement properties of both a Penning ion trap and a purely electrostatic ion trap for pulsed ion injection from an external source. Hereby the optimum time intervals for switching on the storage fields are obtained for singly charged ions of mass 100 u and energies up to 100 eV, as an example. For the Penning trap only axial injection along the external magnetic field is feasible. In the case of the purely electrostatic trap both axial and radial-equatorial plane incidence directions are considered. It is shown that for both storage devices practically all ions in a pulse of one microsecond duration can be trapped for properly chosen time delays and injection parameters.
Quantum Theory of Localizable Dynamical Systems

A dynamical system is called localizable if its wave functions can be expressed in terms of variables, each referring to physical conditions at only one point in space-time. These variables may be at points on any three-dimensional space-like surface in space-time.A general investigation is made of how the wave function varies when the surface is varied in any way. The variation of the wave function is given by equations of the Schr\"odinger type involving certain operators ${H}^{n}(u)$ which play the role of Hamiltonians. The commutation relations for these operators are obtained (Eqs. (50), (51)). The theory works entirely with relativistic concepts and it provides the general pattern which any relativistic quantum theory must conform to, provided the dynamical system is localizable.
Blunt renal trauma 1n the pediatricpopulation: Indications for radiographic evaluation

Objectives The purpose of this study was to define more clearly the clinicalindications for radiographic evaluation of blunt renal injury in the pediatric population.
Current Understanding of Skin Biology Pertinent to Skin Penetration: Skin Biochemistry

The purpose of this review is to summarize some of the biochemical or chemical findings that have contributed most significantly to our current understanding of the permeability barrier of the skin. This literature survey covers the period from the 1970s up to the present. This seems appropriate since earlier progress was comprehensively covered in a 1978 review by Bob Scheuplein entitled ‘Permeability of the skin: a review of major concepts’ and in the earlier review by Scheuplein and Blank entitled ‘Permeability of the skin’. Both of these review articles are still being cited, and the earlier one has been cited more than 800 times. Overlap with material covered in these earlier publications will be minimized. The overall significance of findings from some of the most recent years may not yet be determined. The emphasis will be placed on the determination of the composition and structures of the epidermal lipids, especially those of the stratum corneum, key enzymes in the biosynthesis of these lipids and some of the physical chemical properties of these lipids as revealed by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and other physical methods.
POEMS syndrome: 2011 update on diagnosis, risk‐stratification, and management

Disease overview POEMS syndrome is a paraneoplastic syndrome due to an underlying plasma cell neoplasm. The major criteria for the syndrome are polyradiculoneuropathy, clonal plasma cell disorder (PCD), sclerotic bone lesions, elevated vascular endothelial growth factor, and the presence of Castleman disease. Minor features include organomegaly, endocrinopathy, characteristic skin changes, papilledema, extravascular volume overload, and thrombocytosis. Diagnoses are often delayed because the syndrome is rare and can be mistaken for other neurologic disorders, most commonly chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. POEMS syndrome should be distinguished from the Castleman disease variant of POEMS syndrome, which has no clonal PCD and typically little to no peripheral neuropathy but has several of the minor diagnostic criteria for POEMS syndrome. Diagnosis: The diagnosis of POEMS syndrome is made with three of the major criteria, two of which must include polyradiculoneuropathy and clonal plasma cell disorder, and at least one of the minor criteria. Risk stratification: Because the pathogenesis of the syndrome is not well understood, risk stratification is limited to clinical phenotype rather than specific molecular markers. The number of clinical criteria is not prognostic, but the extent of the plasma cell disorder is. Those patients with an iliac crest bone marrow biopsy that does not reveal a plasma cell clone are candidates for local radiation therapy; those with a more extensive or disseminated clone will be candidates for systemic therapy. Risk-adapted therapy: For those patients with a dominant sclerotic plasmacytoma, first line therapy is irradiation. Patients with diffuse sclerotic lesions or disseminated bone marrow involvement and for those who have progression of their disease 3 to 6 months after completing radiation therapy should receive systemic therapy. Corticosteroids are temporizing, but alkylators are the mainstay of treatment, either in the form of low dose conventional therapy or high dose with stem cell transplantation. The benefit of anti-VEGF antibodies is conflicting. Lenalidomide shows promise with manageable toxicity. Thalidomide and bortezomib also have activity, but their benefit needs to be weighed against their risk of exacerbating the peripheral neuropathy. Prompt recognition and institution of both supportive care measures and therapy directed against the plasma cell result in the best outcomes. Am. J. Hematol. 86:592–601, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dopamine D2/D3 Agonists with Potent Iron Chelation, Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Properties: Potential Implication in Symptomatic and Neuroprotective Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway.[1] While dopaminergic cell loss in the substantia nigra (SN) is by no means the only cell loss associated with PD, it is primarily responsible for the cardinal motor symptoms associated with the disorder. Some of the symptoms associated with PD involve rigidity, bradykinesia, resting tremors, and postural instability along with cognitive and psychiatric complications.[1–3] Levo-DOPA (l-DOPA) has been one of the mainstay therapies for PD. However, long term use of l-DOPA gives rise to motor fluctuations with dyskinesias and a decrease in duration of response to a given l-DOPA dose.[4]
Use of pneumoencephalography to increase stereotaxic accuracy in rhesus monkeys.

Abstract A radiographic method for visualizing intracranial structures for Stereotaxic surgery is described. The procedure circumvents the problems associated with the use of radiopaque dyes, and it does not require modification of standard Stereotaxic equipment. Anatomical data derived from the use of the method are presented, as well as an example of its application for accurately placing cannulae in the midbrain.
On "the lateralization of pain".

The hypothesis out forth by Merskey and Watson [16] that pain, when lateralized, occurs more often on the left was tested in a sample of 264 patients seen at the University of Washington Pain Service. Contrary to the hypothesis, pain occurred with equal frequency on the left and the right. No differences were observed between patients with left and right lateralized pain on the MMPI, IBQ or Zung depression scales. The discrepancy between these findings and those of Merskey and Watson probably reflects differences in the populations studied, differences in the conventions used to define pain laterality, and the fact that the multiple statistical tests on a single sample used by Merskey and his colleagues lead to a large probability of obtaining spuriously significant results.
SENSING AND MANIPULATING BUILT-FOR-HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS

We report on a dynamically balancing robot with a dexterous arm designed to operate in built-for-human environments. Our initial target task was for the robot to navigate, identify doors, open them, and proceed through them.
Effect of Malnutrition on Susceptibility of Rats to Trypanosoma cruzi- II. Riboflavin Deficiency.

Abstract Albino rats maintained for 13 weeks on a riboflavin-deficient diet did not exhibit a significant increase in susceptibility to T. cruzi infection. The slight increase in severity of infection as evidenced by cardiac damage and parasitemia was attributed to inanition rather than to deficiency of the vitamin.
An extremely stable interwoven supramolecular bundle

A tritopic receptor, in which three benzo[24]crown-8 macrorings are fused onto a triphenylene core, forms very strong supramolecular bundle-like complexes in CDCl3/CD3CN solution with trifurcated t...
On the determination of papaya seed adulteration of black pepper

Abstract Determination of the amount of benzyl glucosinolate (glucotropaeolin) in black pepper seed and products affords a sensitive method of determining the degree of adulteration with papaya seed. The glucotropaeolin may be estimated directly using gas chromatography, or indirectly by measuring the glucose which is quantitatively released following enzymic treatment. No attempt has been made to optimise the conditions of the extraction since, as described, the method allows detection of 0·1% papaya seed contamination/adulteration.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia following pancreatectomy and islet auto-transplantation

We report the case of a female with chronic pancreatitis who underwent multiple surgical procedures leading to total resection of the pancreas with successful islet auto-transplantation. Postoperatively, she developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Heparinization prior to islet infusion is currently recommended to prevent portal vein thrombosis. Antibodies against heparin are not standard pre-operative testing for islet transplantation. Timely screening for heparin-dependent anti-platelet antibody should be kept in consideration for elective surgical cases (especially following previous surgeries) including pancreatic islet allo- and auto-transplantation.
A class of exact solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract Recently, Berker established the existence of an infinite set of solutions to the flow of two infinite parallel plates rotating with the same angular velocity about an axis[4]. In this work we extend Berker's analysis by allowing the plates to be porous. We find that similar to Berker's results an infinite set of solutions is possible.
Quality, Standards and Accountability: An Uneasy Alliance

Notions of quality, standards and accountability are ever-present in many societies around the world and, arguably, we would be hard pressed to journey through life without appeals of one kind or another to these ideas. Our everyday interactions with people and things reflect the fact that standards of various kinds abound, from the relatively uncontroversial engineering properties of materials we rely on every time we drive across a bridge or use our cell phones (density, hardness, tensile strength, shear, electrical conductance etc.) to the more contentious understandings of what constitutes quality of life or quality of care. We depend, often without much thought until a crisis of some sort arises, on standards for food safety, automobiles, children’s toys, water quality, housing construction, and the like. Similarly, we make appeals to quality norms when recognising that some accomplishments or performances are better than others (exemplary behaviour, low standard of living, high ethical character), and some things are better constructed or more durable than others and thus provide greater value for money. Organisations operate with various notions of quality as core to their business whether in the widely appealing idea of quality as fitness-for-use (meeting customer expectations), conformance to specifications or requirements, or providing assurance of access to and effectiveness of services (Reeves & Bednar 1994). Accountability for finances, for fairness, and for performance (Behn 2001) are all longstanding concerns of public agencies charged with spending tax dollars wisely in contributing to the welfare of society. We think it important as citizens in democracies to hold corporations, governments and individuals accountable for human rights abuses and adherence to the rule of law. While we may not all live comfortably all the time with these notions, concerns about quality, standards and accountability are, in important ways, woven into the fabric of our lives. The fact that we typically are not indifferent to their meanings and contest their uses in various dimensions of social life is an indication of their importance. Numerous sociological, anthropological and socio-psychological studies EDU.
Effects of pre- and post-compensation on timing jitter in dispersion-managed systems

Summary form only given. It has been known for many years that Gordon-Haus timing jitter imposes a fundamental limitation on long-haul soliton transmissions. Recently, it was recognized that timing jitter occurs with any transmission format, including the non-return-to-zero (NRZ), chirped-return-to-zero (CRZ) and dispersion-managed-soliton (DMS) formats. We used the moment equations to study the timing jitter of optical pulses in dispersion-managed (DM) systems. We found that one can reduce the output timing jitter significantly by choosing the pre- and post-compensation of residual dispersion judiciously.
An Exploratory Study of Anglo-American Consumer Animosity Toward the Use of the Spanish Language

Positive effects of targeting and marketing to Hispanic-American consumers have been well researched, but the potential negative effects have not been studied. This study uses a projective technique to uncover deep-seated feelings of consumer animosity created by the inclusion of a minority culture into the majority culture. The authors specifically explore situations where Anglo-American consumers may have a heightened sense of animosity toward Hispanics. The study cautions marketers against creating ethnic marketing communications that may be seen by the majority culture as pandering too much to minorities.
Reforming internal medicine residency training : A report from the society of general internal medicine's task force for residency reform

The structure, process, and outcomes of internal medicine residency training have concerned the profession for over 20 years.1–9 Over the last decade the initiative to move to outcomes-based education redefined the competencies physicians should obtain during training.10,11 The core principle of outcomes-based education is the objective demonstration that a graduating trainee, whether from medical school or a residency, possesses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to progress to the next stage of his or her professional career.12,13 The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have defined core competencies for physicians shown in Table 1.10,14 While both the ACGME and IOM provide a framework for the desired outcomes, medical educators bear the burden of designing the structures and processes to achieve them.15 Table 1 Comparison of the IOM and ACGME Competencies Educators face several key challenges in redesigning residency programs. First, residency programs must prepare trainees for a variety of general internal medicine and subspecialty careers. Second, the settings and resources for residency training are highly heterogeneous. Third, an aging and increasingly diverse population, combined with rapidly expanding medical information and procedural technology, challenges all internists to acquire and maintain the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance necessary to provide high-quality care within their chosen discipline.16,17 Finally, growing public dissatisfaction, substantial health care disparities, increased acuity but shorter lengths of stay for hospitalized patients, new work hour requirements, increasing medical student debt, and changing student demographics and lifestyle concerns further complicate residency reform.18–25 To provide recommendations for residency reform. The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) convened a task force consisting of physicians representing a broad range of views within general medicine, expertise and experience in clinical education, and who represented internal medicine organizations outside of SGIM (Appendix 1). The task force focused on reform in 5 specific areas: ambulatory education, inpatient education, residency curriculum, health disparities, and life-long learning skills. To prepare this report, 4 subcommittees performed literature reviews that guided a prospective, systematic process to develop the final recommendations. The guiding principles, task force timeline, and the specific findings of the 4 subcommittees can be viewed at http://www.sgim.org. We acknowledge this report cannot cover all important aspects of residency training. The task force enthusiastically welcomes comments from other educators and internal medicine specialty organizations. Only through active collaboration and serious dialogue can we improve residency training.
A scalable architecture for high-speed digital companding

Companding is a well-known signal processing technique exploited by a broad range of applications. It primarily offers reduction of the signal dynamic range while retaining its important attributes. Digital companders have been utilized by a variety of applications, such as voice and video coding, in which the non-linear compression/expansion is typically implemented in software. This paper proposes an efficient parallel architecture for implementing digital compander functionality at very high-speeds. A piecewise linear partitioning of the compression function is applied, driven by prescribed maximal error constraints. The scalability of the scheme in terms of speed and area is discussed. Moreover, it is shown that the architecture can be easily pipelined, yielding further speed enhancement. It is shown that using Xilinx Virtex-II Pro (XC2VP20) FPGA devices, a 20-bit to 8-bit compander is implemented using less than 1000 gates, while operating at over 200 MHz
Spongistatin synthetic studies. An efficient, second-generation construction of an advanced ABCD intermediate.

A short, efficient, and stereocontrolled synthesis of (−)-4, an advanced ABCD subunit of the spongistatins, has been achieved. Central to the synthetic strategy is the multicomponent linchpin union of silyl dithianes with epoxides to access both the AB and CD fragments. Fragment coupling was then achieved via an efficient stereoselective aldol reaction. The linear sequence required 22 steps and proceeded in 4.0% overall yield.
A fuzzy relational rule network modeling of electromyographical activity of trunk muscles in manual lifting based on trunk angels, moments, pelvic tilt and rotation angles

Abstract The main objective of the study was to model the electromyographic (EMG) responses for 10 trunk muscles in manual-lifting tasks using the fuzzy relational rule network (FRRN). The FRRN utilized trunk-related variables, including sagittal and lateral trunk moments, pelvic tilt and pelvic rotation angles, and sagittal, lateral, and twist trunk angles as model inputs. The EMG data for model training and testing were randomly selected from a set collected for 20 college students. The data represented a total of 24 combinations of weight lifted (15, 30, 50 lbs), asymmetry (0°, 60°), and the origin and destination of lift (floor-waist, floor-102 cm, knee-waist, knee-102 cm), with two replications of each condition. The primary data-driven fuzzy model with relational input partition was trained using the laboratory EMG data for 10 subjects, and was then tested based on the EMG data for another 10 subjects. The model allowed for estimating EMG responses for the 10 trunk muscles with the average value of mean absolute error (MAE) of 9.9% (SD=1.44%). This study demonstrates that application of fuzzy modeling techniques allows for estimating time domain EMG responses of trunk muscles due to manual lifting under limited task conditions. Relevance to industry Estimation of EMG responses using the proposed fuzzy-based system opens new opportunities for biomechanical modeling of manual-lifting tasks aimed at prevention of low back disorders at the workplace.
Terahertz absorption spectra of highly energetic chemicals

Research into absorption spectra is useful for detecting chemicals in the field. Each molecule absorbs a set of specific frequencies, which are dependent on the molecule's structure. While theoretical models are available for predicting the absorption frequencies of a particular molecule, experimental measurements are a more reliable method of determining a molecule's actual absorption behavior. The goal of this research is to explore chemical markers (absorption frequencies) that can be used to identify highly energetic molecules of interest to the remote sensing community. Particular attention was paid to the frequency ranges located within the terahertz transmission windows of the atmosphere. In addition, theoretical derivations, with the purpose of calculating the detection limits of such chemicals, will also be presented.
Multitechnique metrology methods for evaluating pitch walking in 14 nm and beyond FinFETs

Integrated circuits from 22-nm node and beyond utilize many innovative techniques to achieve features that are well beyond the resolution limit of 193-nm immersion lithography. The introduction of complex three-dimensional structures in device design presents additional challenges that require more sophisticated metrology with high accuracy and precision. One such example is pitch walking induced by multiple-patterning techniques. Quantification of pitch walking has traditionally been a challenge. We present two ways of detecting pitch walking using optical and x-ray techniques. In scatterometry, this work investigates the feasibility of nonorthogonal azimuth angle spectroscopic reflectometry setups for fin pitch walking measurements, which is useful for in-line monitoring in 14-nm node microelectronics manufacturing. Simulations show a significant improvement in pitch walking sensitivity using 45-deg azimuth scan. Other relevant considerations for pitch walking modeling in scatterometry, such as parameter correlations, are also discussed. Another approach is using high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) to measure the diffraction peaks from crystalline fins. The onset of pitch walking is determined by the appearance of a shifted subset of peaks in the diffraction spectrum. Information about the fin profiles, e.g., sidewall angle, critical dimension, height, and pitch walking, can be obtained from the resultant diffraction pattern. Note that in HRXRD measurements, each critical parameter is a unique element in the Reciprocal Space Map (RSM) and no correlations between parameters exist. We will discuss the results from measurements using the two techniques and how the combination of the two techniques can give complete information about the fins needed for in-line monitoring.
Vegetation Change from the Euro-American Settlement Era to the Present in Relation to Environment and Disturbance in Southwest Oregon

Faced with landscapes degraded by fire suppression, logging, and grazing, land managers in the interior western US are attempting to restore habitat structure and function. In southwest Oregon, landscape-scale fuels treatments are being implemented with goals including recreating historic vegetation structure, despite poor understanding of the nature of the landscape prior to widespread Euro-American influence, or the patterns and processes of vegetation change over time. We compared a General Land Office-based reconstruction of Euro-American settlement era (1850s) vegetation in southwest Oregon’s interior valleys and foothills with modern vegetation interpreted from aerial orthoimages to determine patterns of vegetation distribution in both eras, trajectories of vegetation change, and environmental and disturbance factors related to these themes. We found that this landscape was primarily occupied by closed plant community types in both eras, with a comparatively minor proportion in open types; vegetation was distributed along a dominant environmental gradient that ran from prairies in xeric lowlands to conifer forests in steeper, cooler uplands. Temporal shifts from open to closed vegetation were consistent with expected effects of fire suppression in many cases, but in other cases, the long-term persistence of open vegetation in the absence of recorded fire indicated that other mechanisms were also in operation. Human encroachment into wildlands, particularly in valleys, has also been a major driver of landscape-level change in the past 150 yr. Our results suggest that conservation should focus on lowlands, particularly where uncommon vegetation types such as savanna, shrubland, and prairie still exist.
Status and reputation: Synonyms or separate concepts?:

Status and reputation have often been treated as synonyms. These concepts, however, arise from disconnected literatures in which they had quite distinct connotations. This article explores the similarities and differences between these theoretical constructs, discusses the extent to which research in the management literature has captured one versus the other, and proposes a path for moving forward our understanding of these concepts.
Responses of soil microarthropods to changes in soil water availability in tallgrass prairie

Changes in precipitation and soil water availability predicted to accompany global climate change would impact grasslands, where many ecosystem processes are influenced by water availability. Soil biota, including microarthropods, also are affected by soil water content, although little is known about how climate change might affect their abundance and distribution. The goal of this study was to examine soil microarthropod responses to altered soil water availability in tallgrass prairie ecosystems. Two separate experiments were done. The first utilized control and irrigated plots along a topographic gradient to examine the effects of soil water content on microarthropod densities. Microarthropods, mainly Acari, were significantly less abundant in irrigated plots and were generally less abundant at the wetter lowland sites. The second study utilized reciprocal core transplants across an east-west regional precipitation gradient. Large, intact cores were transplanted between a more mesic tallgrass site (Konza Prairie) and a more arid mixed-grass site (Hays) to determine the effects of different soil water regimes on microarthropod abundance and vertical distribution. Data from non-transplanted cores indicated greater total microarthropod densities at the drier Hays site, relative to the wetter Konza Prairie site. Data from the transplanted cores indicated significant effects of location on Acari densities in cores originating from Hays, with higher densities in cores remaining at Hays, relative to those transplanted to Konza. Acari densities in cores originating from Konza were not affected by location; however, oribatid mite densities generally were greater in cores remaining at Konza Prairie. These results confirm the importance of soil water content in affecting microarthropod densities and distributions in grasslands, and suggest complex, non-linear responses to changes in water availability.
Implications of laparoscopy on surgery residency training.

BACKGROUND: With the advent of laparoscopy, many traditional junior-level cases now require advanced laparoscopic skill. We sought to ascertain the implications of laparoscopy on residency training through the use of a large national database. METHODS: American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data were gathered for patients undergoing elective open and laparoscopic inguinal hemiorrhaphy, appendectomy, and partial colectomy during 2005 and 2006. Cases were stratified by resident level and compared using univariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 14,729 cases were performed during the study period. For inguinal hernia repair, 72% of open repairs were performed by postgraduate year 3 residents or below versus 41% of laparoscopic repairs (P <.0001). Similarly, 61% of open appendectomies were performed by postgraduate year 3 residents or below compared with 48% of laparoscopic appendectomies (P <.0001). Forty-six percent of open colectomies were performed by postgraduate year 3 and postgraduate year 4 residents versus 33% of laparoscopic resections (P <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These data show an upward shift in cases traditionally performed by junior-level residents. The implications of this shift are unknown but may lead to decreased surgical experience during the early years of training.
Self-Control in Action: Implicit Dispositions Toward Goals and Away From Temptations

Five studies examined whether, in self-control dilemmas, individuals develop an implicit disposition to approach goals and avoid temptations, psychologically as well as physically. Using a method developed by A. K. Solarz (1960; see also K. L. Duckworth, J. A. Bargh, M. Garcia, & S. Chaiken, 2002), the authors assessed the time for pulling and pushing a lever in response to goal- and temptation-related stimuli (e.g., studying and partying). The results show that individuals offset the influence of tempting activities by automatically avoiding these stimuli (faster pushing responses) and by approaching stimuli related to an overarching goal (faster pulling responses). These implicit self-control dispositions varied as a function of the magnitude of the self-control conflict, itself defined by how strongly individuals were attracted to temptations and held the longer term goal. These dispositions were further shown to play a role in successful self-control.
Differential Ion Mobility Separations in up to 100 % Helium Using Microchips

The performance of differential IMS (FAIMS) analyzers is much enhanced by gases comprising He, especially He/N2 mixtures. However, electrical breakdown has limited the He fraction to ~50 %–75 %, depending on the field strength. By the Paschen law, the threshold field for breakdown increases at shorter distances. This allows FAIMS using chips with microscopic channels to utilize much stronger field intensities (E) than “full-size” analyzers with wider gaps. Here we show that those chips can employ higher He fractions up to 100 %. Use of He-rich gases improves the resolution and resolution/sensitivity balance substantially, although less than for full-size analyzers. The optimum He fraction is ~80 %, in line with first-principles theory. Hence, one can now measure the dependences of ion mobility on E in pure He, where ion-molecule cross section calculations are much more tractable than in other gases that form deeper and more complex interaction potentials. This capability may facilitate quantitative modeling of high-field ion mobility behavior and, thus, FAIMS separation properties, which would enable a priori extraction of structural information about the ions.
Lipophilic organic compounds in lake sediment and American coot (Fulica americana) tissues, both affected and unaffected by avian vacuolar myelinopathy

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) is a disease of unknown etiology, which has been diagnosed in a variety of birds from surface water reservoirs in the southeastern United States. Pathology suggests a natural or anthropogenic compound may be the cause of this disease. With the goal of identifying the toxicant that causes AVM, we qualitatively analyzed sediments and American coot (Fulica americana) tissues from reservoirs that were affected and unaffected by AVM using high-resolution gas chromatographic low-resolution mass spectrometry. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and biogenic and anthropogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (such as retene) were the most abundant compounds in the sediment. Penta- and hexachlorobenzene, oxychlordane, p,p'-DDE, dieldrin, and polychlorinated biphenyls were the most abundant compounds in the avian tissues. None of these compounds were more abundant in the AVM affected sediments and tissues than in the unaffected media. Therefore, it is unlikely that any of these compounds are the cause of this avian disease.