cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of redundancy and application balance in the SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite

The recently released SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite is expected to be used by computer designers and computer architecture researchers for pre-silicon early design analysis. Partial use of benchmark suites by researchers, due to simulation time constraints, compiler difficulties, or library or system call issues is likely to happen; but a random subset can lead to misleading results. This paper analyzes the SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks using performance counter based experimentation from several state of the art systems, and uses statistical techniques such as principal component analysis and clustering to draw inferences on the similarity of the benchmarks and the redundancy in the suite and arrive at meaningful subsets.The SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite contains several programs from areas such as artificial intelligence and includes none from the electronic design automation (EDA) application area. Hence there is a concern on the application balance in the suite. An analysis from the perspective of fundamental program characteristics shows that the included programs offer characteristics broader than the EDA programs' space. A subset of 6 integer programs and 8 floating point programs can yield most of the information from the entire suite.
Estimation of the pareto shape parameter

The generalized jackknife is used to reduce the bias of an estimator, based on frequency moments, of the Pareto shape parameter. Computations of amount of bias reduction and simulations of mean-squared errors are presented.
Effects of fin and jet vortex generators on the crossflow

The effect of fin and jet vortex generators on the crossflow separation of a submersible vehicle in a sideslip was studied. The sideslip orientation simulates the dominant features of a turning maneuver. The vortex generators are located on the top and bottom centerline of the body to improve turning performance by changing the crossflow separation and the resultant hydrodynamic forces. Oil-flow visualization and force and moment measurements are used as the primary diagnostics. The fins are found to be very effective in delaying crossflow separation, while the jets were not. In addition, the oil flows revealed the importance of locating vortex generators near the bow and the critical role a forward-mounted, low-aspect-ratio appendage plays in the near-body fluid dynamics. Overall the fins were found to be viable as a concept for flow control, while the jets employed were not. The concept of using vortex generators to control flow separation and thus forces and moments applies equally well to all bodies of revolution, including aircraft fuselages and missiles
DFT Study of Structure and Vibrations in Low-Lying Spin States of Five-Coordinated Deoxyheme Model

The results of the DFT (B3LYP) calculations of the structures and force fields of the five spin states of a model deoxyheme (Cs symmetry) are presented. It is shown that axial binding of imidazole ...
String creation in cosmologies with a varying dilaton

Abstract FRW solutions of the string theory low-energy effective actions are described, yielding a dilaton which first decreases and then increases. We study string creation in these backgrounds and find an exponential divergence due to an initial space-like singularity. We conjecture that this singularity may be removed by the effects of back-reaction, leading to a solution which at early times is de Sitter space.
Cortisol response to cosyntropin administration in military veterans with or without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Summary Studies have demonstrated altered sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to its direct regulators in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but little is known about the adrenal response to hormonal stimulation in PTSD. An increased cortisol response to synthetic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was recently found to be associated with war-zone deployment and not PTSD specifically. To more accurately assess whether there is altered adrenocortical responsivity to hormonal stimulation in relation to war-zone deployment or PTSD, we performed the low-dose cosyntropin stimulation test in a sample of 45 male veterans: 13 war-zone exposed veterans with chronic PTSD (PTSD+), 22 war-zone exposed veterans without chronic PTSD (PTSD-), and 10 veterans not exposed to a war-zone and without chronic PTSD (non-exposed). Plasma cortisol and ACTH were measured at baseline and at intervals over a one hour period following intravenous administration of 1 μg of cosyntropin. A significant main effect of group (PTSD+, PTSD−, non-exposed) on the cortisol response to cosyntropin was observed. Cosyntropin-stimulated plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in the PTSD+ and PTSD− groups compared to the non-exposed group. A significant main effect of group was also observed on peak cortisol levels. These findings suggest that war-zone exposure itself has persistent effects on adrenocortical activity.
New U.S. drought web site

A new U.S. Drought Portal Web site will help provide early warnings about droughts, offer information about risk and impact of droughts to different agencies and stakeholders, and explain how to plan for and manage the impacts of droughts. The portal (http://www.drought.gov), unveiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on 1 November, was developed as part of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). The NIDIS implementation plan also calls for integrating and fostering drought mitigation strategies through research, preparedness, education, and public awareness as well as developing pilot programs for the design and implementation of early warning systems in selected locations. The portal “centralizes drought information in an unprecedented manner, and paves the way for planned early warning system development pilots in select watersheds and states across the U.S.,” said Roger Pulwarty, director of the NIDIS program office located on NOAA's campus in Boulder, Colo.
Separable representations for automorphism groups of infinite symmetric spaces

Abstract In this paper we consider the separable unitary representations for the automorphism groups of the classical infinite rank (Finsler) symmetric spaces defined by Schatten p -classes (often referred to as restricted groups). Following earlier work of Ol'shanskii and Voiculescu, it is shown that the spherical representations are always type I, the form of the irreducible spherical functions is determined, and their analyticity established. Using an intuitive geometric argument, it is shown that the real spherical functions extend to the Hilbert-Schmidt limit and never beyond. This yields a complete determination of the separable representations for groups corresponding to p -classes with p > 2.
Study of partition models in reversed-phase liquid chromatography based on measured mobile phase solute activity coefficients

Abstract Lack of accurate values for solute activity coefficients in aqueous organic solvent mixtures has been an impediment to the development of a detailed model of reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). In this study we have employed a recently measured set of infinite dilution activity coefficients for the alkylbenzenes (benzene to n-butylbenzene) in mixtures of water with four of the more common organic cosolvents in order to explore the mechanism of the retention process in RPLC. The work indicates that the solvophobic theory of reversed-phase chromatography is essentially correct, that is, most of the free energy of transfer arises from processes taking place in the mobile phase. Analysis of relative solute activity coefficients of two solutes in the bonded phase shows that the stationary phase environment is considerably more polar than that of a bulk long chain alkane. This support the idea that sorbed organic modifier plays a substantial role in establishing the chemistry in the bonded phase domain. The fact that measurements of the activity coefficients of non-polar solutes in methanol-saturated hexadecane are insignificantly different from those in pure hexadecane strongly suggests that the vastly different surface area to volume ratio of bonded and bulk phases is vitally important in bonded-phase RPLC.
Concept of pharmacodynamics of urinary storage and micturition

The exact neuropharmacologic sequences governing continence and micturition are not yet known. Based on current investigations and those previously conducted, a concept of the anatomic, physiologic, and neuropharmacologic factors governing continence and micturition is presented.
Regenerative Effect in Rolling Chatter

The regenerative effect has been extensively studied in the field of metal cutting and recognized as one of the major causes of self-excited vibrations commonly known as chatter. In the presence of interactions between rolling mill stands, affecting the overall system dynamics, it will be shown that a tandem rolling mill may also become unstable due to a similar regenerative mechanism even though the individual stands are stable. In this paper, tandem mill stability will be investigated, in terms of the regenerative effect, using a multistand chatter model that incorporates a homogeneous process model and a mill structural dynamics model. Finally, simulation results will be presented to demonstrate the effects of regeneration on a three-stand tandem mill.
On the existence of independently melting subunits in a copolymeric DNA and their statistical distribution.

Abstract Using a modified Ising model proposed earlier ( Montroll & Goel, 1966 ) for interpreting the data on the thermal denaturation of DNA molecules with certain reasonable approximations, it is shown that in Escherichia coli and calf thymus DNA, during thermal denaturation in SSC solution, bondings between nucleotides in the two strands break in groups of about 40 bonds, the group rich in AT melting earlier than the one rich in GC. In addition, the relative frequencies of groups of various GC percentages are calculated, thus providing some statistical information about the base sequence in natural DNA molecules.
Raman Spectroscopic Studies of Polyfluorenes

Polyfluorenes reveal a complex interplay between emissive properties and intra- and intermolecular structure. Vibrational frequencies and intensities determined by Raman spectroscopy are strongly influenced by variations in the backbone as well as side chain conformations. Changes in the structural and electronic properties of two side group substi- tuted polyfluorenes (PF): ethyl-hexyl substituted PF (PF2/6) and dioctyl substituted PF (PF8) as a function of solvent, thermal cycling, and hydrostatic pressure via Raman scattering are presented. The vibrational frequencies and intensities of fluorene oligomers with various alkyl side chain conformations are calculated using hybrid density-functional theory. A comparison of the computed vibrational spectra of single chain fluorene oligomers with our experimental data shows that the conformational isomers in PF8 are a direct consequence of the side chain conformation.
Multi-image gradient-based algorithms for motion estimation

Image registration algorithms based on gradient methods provide quantitative motion measurements from sequences of video im- ages. Although such measurements can be degraded by image noise, larger degradations typically result from systematic bias in the algorithms that is present even if the images are noise-free. To improve the accu- racy of motion measurements, we develop a new class of multi-image algorithms based on multidimensional digital filters. The new algorithms provide better estimates of spatial and temporal gradients and also com- pensate for motion blur caused by the nonzero acquisition time of the imager. We optimize filters to measure arbitrary motions, and we illus- trate the results when those filters are used to estimate constant velocity movements. We also show results for filters that are optimized for har- monic analysis of periodic motions. Using these algorithms, systematic bias in the amplitude of sinusoidal motion is less than 0.001 pixels for motions smaller than 1 pixel in amplitude. This represents a hundredfold decrease in bias compared to existing methods. © 2001 Society of Photo-
Biodegradable xylitol-based elastomers: In vivo behavior and biocompatibility

Biodegradable elastomers based on polycondensation reactions of xylitol with sebacic acid, referred to as poly(xylitol sebacate) (PXS) elastomers have recently been developed. We describe the in vivo behavior of PXS elastomers. Four PXS elastomers were synthesized, characterized, and compared with poly(L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). PXS elastomers displayed a high level of structural integrity and form stability during degradation. The in vivo half-life ranged from approximately 3 to 52 weeks. PXS elastomers exhibited increased biocompatibility compared with PLGA implants.
Experiencing self and others: contributions from studies of autism to the psychoanalytic theory of social development.

Psychoanalysts have long been interested in autism as a disorder in which the development of a sense of self and other is altered dramatically. This paper outlines how our psychoanalytic understand...
Microfabrication and Experimental Evaluation of a Rotational Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer

The microfabrication, modeling, and experimental evaluation of an unconventional acoustic sensor are described. The sensor is comprised of two vacuum-sealed capacitively transduced pistons coupled with each other by a pivoting beam. The use of a pivoting beam can, in principle, enable high rotational compliance to in-plane small-signal acoustic pressure gradients, while resisting piston collapse against large background atmospheric pressure. A design path toward vacuum-sealed surface-micromachined broadband microphones is a motivation to explore the sensor concept. Fabrication of surface-micromachined prototypes is presented, followed by finite element modeling and experimental confirmation of successful vacuum sealing. Dynamic frequency response measurements are obtained using broadband electrostatic actuation and confirm a first fundamental rocking mode near 250 kHz. Successful reception of airborne ultrasound in air at 130 kHz is also demonstrated, and followed by a discussion of design paths toward improved signal-to-noise ratio beyond that of the initial prototypes presented. [2014-0057]
Time-dependent variations in inflammation and scar formation of six different pubovaginal sling materials in the rabbit model

Abstract Objectives To provide pathologic evidence, using six different sling materials, of the findings from rabbit model studies demonstrating loss of tensile strength and stiffness in porcine and cadaveric sling materials. Methods Ten rabbits randomized into two survival groups (6 and 12 weeks of age) each had human cadaveric fascia, porcine dermis, porcine small intestine submucosa, polypropylene mesh, and autologous fascia implanted on their anterior rectus fascia. At harvest, hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining for CD3, CD20, and MIB-I were performed. A pathologist unaware of the content of the slides quantified the degree of inflammation and fibrosis of each. Results Significant differences were found for inflammation (P = 0.016), eosinophil infiltrate (P = 0.035), and inflammatory rind (P = 0.027) at 12 weeks, with polypropylene mesh having the lowest degree. At 12 weeks, differences were found in the presence of fibrosis/scar formation (P = 0.010) and degree of fibrosis/scar (P = 0.009). Although polypropylene mesh, cadaveric fascia, and porcine dermis all demonstrated a high presence of fibrosis/scar, polypropylene mesh had the greatest overall degree of scar formation at 12 weeks. Conclusions The inflammation with the cadaveric fascia and porcine materials may cause rapid clinical deterioration compared with autologous fascia and polypropylene mesh. These data provide a possible explanation for prior biomechanical studies demonstrating variations in tensile strength and stiffness of the different materials. The fibrosis and scarring noted with polypropylene mesh may also contribute to a more lasting repair.
Factors affecting the separation of photosynthetically competent chloroplasts in gradients of silica sols

Abstract Chloroplasts from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) can be resolved by isopycnic centrifugation in density gradients of the silica sol Ludox AM into two zones, one containing the intact and the other the stripped Chloroplasts. Factors affecting the separation and the photosynthetic activity of the intact chloroplasts recovered from the gradients were investigated and a standard set of conditions proposed. The anomalous influence of polyethylene glycols on the banding densities of both stripped and intact chloroplasts was studied and the observed “density shifts” discussed in terms of their possible cause and significance. The general method was scaled up by means of continuous-flow zonal centrifugation to prepare intact chloroplasts in amounts corresponding to tens of milligrams of chlorophyll.
Reading practices among adult education participants

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute for Literacy, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education (Award # RO 1 HD 43775)
Interpersonal Skills in the Reference Workplace

SUMMARY Reference librarians are expected to interact effectively with a variety of clientele and are taught skills such as approachability, showing interest, and verbal and non-verbal cues. Librarians who have a knack for interpersonal skills do very well both at the reference desk and interacting with their co-workers. An area that is rarely addressed in the literature (or in library school) is that of educating librarians about how to establish professional, collegial relationships with one another. It is assumed that if a reference librarian can interact well with patrons, in a professional manner, he or she will be able to successfully “fit into” almost any reference department. This article discusses the importance of interpersonal skills within the Reference Department and ideas for improving these skills to enhance co-worker relations.
PERTURBATION SOLUTION TO THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF ORTHOTROPIC CYLINDRICAL SHELLS USING THE GENERALIZED THEORY OF THERMOELASTIC1TY

The generalized theory of thermoelasticity with one thermal-mechanical coupling coefficient and three thermal relaxation time coefficients is used to solve a boundary value problem of a simply supported orthotopic cylindrical shell subjected to sudden temperature changes and mechanical loadings by the application of a perturbation method. Various techniques of expanding the perturbation coefficients are discussed, and difficulties are identified. The problem of singularities in long time solutions is shown, and a solution procedure is demonstrated. The approximate solution uses Galerkin's method and the Laplace transform. Numerical values of frequencies and displacements are displayed graphically and in tabular form. These results quantitatively show that, for ultrastrength materials with relatively high Young's modulus and thermal expansion coefficients, the coupling effect between strain and temperature fields is not negligible and can be demonstrated with a perturbation method solution.
SCINTIGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF UTERINE CLEARANCE IN MARES

Uterine clearance of technetium 99m-albumin colloid (99mTc-μAA) was qualitatively and quantitatively measured in 5 reproductively normal mares and 5 mares susceptible to endometritis (infertile). The percentage of 370 MBq 99mTc-μAA cleared from the uterine lumen within 2 hr of intrauterine infusion was measured in 10 mares on day 3 of estrus and 48 hr after ovulation. The procedure was repeated 3 times on day 3 of estrus in 6 mares to determine repeatability. Six mares were infused with 1110 MBq 99mTc-μAA on day 3 of estrus to evaluate the effect of increasing the dose to reduce the imaging time. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean percentage of radiocolloid cleared from the uterus during day 3 of estrus or 48 hr after ovulation or in the percent cleared when the studies were repeated in individual mares. There was no statistically significant difference in uterine clearance between the 370 and 1110 MBq dose studies in each mare from 15 to 120 min. Reproductively normal mares cleared approximately 50% of the radiocolloid from the uterus by 120 min while susceptible mares cleared less than 15%.
Turbulent plume in a laminar cross flow

Abstract A simple entrainment hypothesis, a synthesis of previous models, is presented to explain the rise and growth of a turbulent plume in a laminar cross flow. The entrainment rate is assumed proportional to the plume parameter and the tangential and normal velocity differences between the plume and the surrounding fluid. Because a linear combination of the entrainment due to each velocity difference is assumed, two constants of proportionality or entrainment parameters are introduced in the model. Sources of momentum, buoyancy or combinations of the two are accounted for by the theory. The major purpose of this research was to determine the entrainment parameters. Experiments done in neutrally stable ambient fluids show that the entrainment coefficients have, within the scatter of available data, constant values for a fully turbulent plume and small density differences. Superposition of the two entrainment effects was verified by experiments on pure jets in a cross flow.
Safety Sampling: A Case Study

Safety sampling is a method by which management studies people and processes with the aim of making a safer workplace. This is accomplished by identifying, detecting, and reducing the unsafe acts people and processes exhibit prior to accidents. The purpose of this article is to present a case study of safety sampling.
Determinants of national family planning effort

In light of recent research demonstrating a substantial impact of family planning programs on fertility, we develop and estimate a multivariate model of the determinants of national differences in family planning program effort (FPPE). The framework that guides the specification of this model identifies three broad classes of factors—those that create demand for family planning, those that facilitate the initiation and expansion of family planning programs, and finally those that encourage or inhibit program development. The results from multiple regression using 84 less developed countries indicate that demand for family planning, facilitating infrastructure, and certain demographic and geographic factors are important determinants of program effort. These results suggest that popular demand for family planning is helpful, but that policy makers must perceive the adverse consequences of high fertility and have the infrastructure necessary to develop an effective organized family planning program. Current U.S. policies relevant to reducing birth rates are discussed and found to reflect quite well research on determinants of fertility declines among LDCs. U.S. policy also balances the often competing claims of family planners and their opponents by encouraging support to both developmental projects as well as direct aid to family planning program activities.
Deadbeat sampled system direct synthesis

A direct synthesis method is presented for obtaining a discrete compensator to produce a finite-settling-time transient in response to a prescribed input with no intersample transient terms after the finite settling time. The method is applicable to a single constant-frequency sampler in a feedback system with any type of hold for any polynomial input. The method uses a fictitious sampler at the output with sample time T/m to scan the intersample times and to obtain criteria for deadbeat transients. The criteria are derived from root locus considerations but are applied to Laplace transforms containing both functions of s and functions of z so that the only operations are analytic ones.
TRANSURETHRAL BLADDER TUMOR RESECTION: INTRAOPERATIVE AND POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS IN A RESIDENCY SETTING

ABSTRACTPurpose: We established a database on the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications associated with transurethral bladder tumor resection (TURBT) in an academic teaching setting, and we prospectively recorded all TURBTs performed by residents and fellows in our urology department.Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated all TURBTs performed between November 2003 and October 2004. All cases were performed at least in part by residents and fellows under direct attending supervision at a single academic medical center with 3 different teaching hospitals. Intraoperative complications were recorded by the resident and attending surgeon at the completion of the operative procedure. At patient discharge from the hospital the data sheet was reviewed, and length of stay, postoperative transfusions and any other complications were recorded.Results: A total of 173 consecutive TURBTs were performed by residents and fellows at 3 different teaching hospitals. There were 10 (5.8%) comp...
Cultural scripts guide recall of intensely positive life events.

In four studies, we examined the temporal distribution of positive and negative memories of momentous life events. College students and middle-aged adults reported events occurring from the ages of 8 to 18 years in which they had felt especially good or especially bad about themselves. Distributions of positive memories showed a marked peak at ages 17 and 18. In contrast, distributions of negative memories were relatively flat. These patterns were consistent for males and females and for younger and older adults. Content analyses indicated that a substantial proportion of positive memories from late adolescence described culturally prescribed landmark events surrounding the major life transition from high school to college. When the participants were asked for recollections from life periods that lack obvious age-linked milestone events, age distributions of positive and negative memories were similar. The results support and extend Berntsen and Rubin’s (2004) conclusion that cultural expectations, or life scripts, organize recall of positive, but not negative, events.
A multidimensional fuzzy least-squares regression approach for estimating hydraulic gradients in unconfined aquifer formations and its application to the Gulf Coast aquifer in Goliad County, Texas

Epistemic uncertainties arise during the estimation of hydraulic gradients in unconfined aquifers due to planar approximation of the water table as well as data gaps arising from factors such as instrument failures and site inaccessibility. A multidimensional fuzzy least-squares regression approach is proposed here to estimate hydraulic gradients in situations where epistemic uncertainty is present in the observed water table measurements. The hydraulic head at a well is treated as a normal (Gaussian) fuzzy variable characterized by a most likely value and a spread. This treatment results in hydraulic gradients being characterized as normal fuzzy numbers as well. The multidimensional fuzzy least-squares regression has an exact analytical form and as such can be implemented easily using matrix algebra methods. However, the method was noted to be sensitive to round-off and truncation errors when the epistemic uncertainties are small. A closeness index based on the cardinality of a fuzzy number is used to evaluate how well the regression model fits the fuzzy hydraulic head observations. A fuzzy Euclidian distance measure is used to compare two fuzzy numbers and to evaluate how fuzziness in the observed hydraulic heads affects the fuzziness in the estimated hydraulic gradients. The Euclidian distance measure is also used to ascertain the influence of each well on the fuzzy hydraulic gradient estimation. The fuzzy regression framework is illustrated by applying it to evaluate hydraulic gradients in the unconfined portion of the Gulf Coast aquifer in Goliad County, TX. The results from the case-study indicate that there is greater uncertainty associated with the estimation of the hydraulic gradients in the vertical (Z-axis) direction. The epistemic uncertainties in the hydraulic head data at the wells have a significant impact on the gradient estimates when they are of the same order of magnitude as the most likely values of the observed heads. The influence analysis indicated that 5 of the 13 wells in the network had a critical influence on at least one of the hydraulic gradients. Three wells along the northeastern section of the study area and bordering the Victoria County were noted to have the least influence on the regression estimates. The fuzzy regression framework along with the associated goodness-of-fit and influence measures provides a useful set of tools to characterize the uncertainties in the hydraulic heads and gradients arising from data gaps and planar water table approximation.
Energy states and Bloch states for an accelerated electron in a periodic lattice

The Hamiltonian for an accelerated electron in a periodic one-dimensional lattice is written using normalized coordinates. By this means, the exact functional form for the position and energy dependence of the energy eigenstates is obtained without resorting to the usual approximation methods, such as power-series expansions, perturbation procedures or one-band models. Bloch-type wave functions that fully satisfy Schrodinger's time-dependent equation are obtained by superimposing energy eigenstates using the Stark ladder spacing concept. Such phenomena as Bloch oscillations and Stark ladder effects are then re-examined as a consequence of this new perspective.
Multi-phase mixing of liquid cryogens in the simulation of explosion hazards

Abstract Experiments simulating mixing of liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) have been performed. The non-reactive mixtures were obtained by injecting jets of the oxidizer or simulant into a pool of the fuel or simulant. Three fluid combinations were tested: LO2 into liquid helium (LHe), liquid nitrogen (LN2) into LHe and LN2into LH2. Experimental observations included flash X-ray and high speed video imaging, hot film anemometry, and thermocouple and diode thermometry. Results showed that the jet fluid stays coherent throughout the mixing process and that peak boiling of the pool fluid occurs shortly after jet impingement. Estimates of bulk density indicate a smaller range of variation than is currently being used for explosive yield calculations.
The Polarization of PVF and PVF2 Pyroelectrics

Abstract Through detailed investigations of the modulation frequency response of pyroelectric detectors, nonuniform polarizations have been shown to exist in polyvinylfluoride and polyvinylidene fluoride plastics. The nonuniform polarization is also confirmed by measurements using multilayer structures. The direction and magnitude of the gradients in polarization are dependent on the magnitude and polarity of the poling voltage. The gradients in the polarization for PVF and PVF2 are opposite in direction. Using structures that allow for poling to 2 × 106 V/cm uniform polarizations, the highest responsivities and improved frequency responses were obtained.
Film instabilities in two-phase flows

The major types of instabilities which can alter a given two-phase flow pattern or lead to the breakup of a liquid film are delineated, and their physical mechanisms are discussed. Existing stability criteria are correlated to these basic types, and their application and limitations with respect to actual problems are indicated. Basic areas requiring further study are outlined. A criterion for determining the breakup length of a liquid film is developed which gives an indication of whether a given instability will lead to low frequency and high amplitude pressure and inventory pulsations. Such phenomena may be undesirable. Two new aspects of importance to the problem of film instability are introduced which have not been previously studied. These are rotation of the fluids and large disturbances in the flow. Their possible influence on the problem is discussed.
Journal‐ranking lists and the academic librarian

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of journal‐ranking lists for academic librarian promotion and tenure (P&T) decision.Design/methodology/approach – Using a case study, the researchers analyzed a proposed journal‐ranking list created for P&T decisions. A quantitative analysis of peer‐reviewed journal articles was performed to support this analysis.Findings – The paper shows that the use of journal‐ranking lists for P&T decisions inadequately conflates academic librarians with teaching faculty members.Research limitations/implications – The study relied primarily on a single case study, so it may not be scientifically generalized.Social implications – This study identifies journal‐ranking lists as an inadequate tool for the evaluation of academic librarians and encourages action to divorce the valuation of intellectual achievement from quantitative structures.Originality/value – The analysis of the quantitative/metric underpinnings of intellectual labor in higher education is necessar...
Risks of rigid dilation for a radiated vaginal cuff: two related rectovaginal fistulas.

Abstract background Dyspareunia secondary to significant radiation fibrosis of the vagina is a difficult clinical problem. The benefit of vaginal dilator therapy in such patients is unclear. Cases We report two patients who had attempted dilation and elongation of a small, fibrotic, heavily radiated vagina and subsequently developed a rectovaginal fistula. Conclusion Use of a rigid dilator in an attempt to lengthen a heavily radiated vaginal cuff may be hazardous.
Some results on the asymptotic behavior of functions on subsets of the natural numbers

When analyzing the computational complexity of divide and conquer algorithms, the complexity function is usually specified by means of a recurrence relation where the argument is restricted to a subset S of the natural numbers, N. This system is then used to characterize the asymptotic behavior of the algorithm for a corresponding restricted set of inputs. A careful and sometimes complicated argument is then carried out to make assertions about the asymptotic behavior of the algorithm for all inputs (Aho, Hopcroft and Ullman [1974]). In certain cases, the argument can be greatly simplified if the complexity function and the set S have special properties. In this paper, we develop these properties for some important classes of asymptotic behavior.
Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States

Water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the US. We analyzed historical records from 40 sites and found that 20 major streams and rivers have shown statistically significant, long-term warming. Annual mean water temperatures increased by 0.009–0.077°C yr−1, and rates of warming were most rapid in, but not confined to, urbanizing areas. Long-term increases in stream water temperatures were typically correlated with increases in air temperatures. If stream temperatures were to continue to increase at current rates, due to global warming and urbanization, this could have important effects on eutrophication, ecosystem processes such as biological productivity and stream metabolism, contaminant toxicity, and loss of aquatic biodiversity.
Stimuli associated with the cancellation of food and its cues enhance eating but display negative incentive value

Initially neutral conditioned stimuli paired with food often acquire motivating properties, including serving as secondary reinforcers, enhancing instrumental responding in Pavlovian-instrumental transfer procedures, and potentiating food consumption under conditions of food satiation. Interestingly, cues associated with the cancellation of food and food cues may also potentiate food consumption (e.g., Galarce and Holland, 2009), despite their apparent negative correlations with food delivery. In three experiments with rats, we investigated conditions under which potentiation of feeding by such “interruption stimuIi” (ISs) develops, and some aspects of the content of that learning. Although in all three experiments ISs enhanced food consumption beyond control levels, they were found to act as conditioned inhibitors for anticipatory food cup entry (Experiment 1), to serve as conditioned punishers of instrumental responding (Experiment 2), and to suppress instrumental lever press responding in a Pavlovian instrumental transfer procedure (Experiment 3). Furthermore, when given concurrent choice between different foods, an IS enhanced consumption of the food whose interruption it had previously signaled, but when given a choice between performing two instrumental responses, the IS shifted rats’ choice away from the response that had previously yielded the food whose interruption had been signaled by IS (Experiment 3). Thus, the effects of an IS on appetitive responses were opposite to its effects on consummatory responding. Implications for our understanding of learned incentive motivation and the control of overeating are discussed.
Dimensional behaviour of entropy and information

Abstract We develop an information-theoretic perspective on some questions in convex geometry, providing for instance a new equipartition property for log-concave probability measures, some Gaussian comparison results for log-concave measures, an entropic formulation of the hyperplane conjecture, and a new reverse entropy power inequality for log-concave measures analogous to V. Milman's reverse Brunn–Minkowski inequality.
Cultivation of pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amebas.

Free-living amebas are widely distributed in soil and water, particularly members of the genera Acanthamoeba and Naegleria. Since the early 1960s, they have been recognized as opportunistic human pathogens, capable of causing infections of the central nervous system (CNS) in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. Naegleria is the causal agent of a fulminant CNS condition, primary amebic meningoencephalitis; Acanthamoeba is responsible for a more chronic and insidious infection of the CNS termed granulomatous amebic encephalitis, as well as amebic keratitis. Balamuthia sp. has been recognized in the past decade as another ameba implicated in CNS infections. Cultivation of these organisms in vitro provides the basis for a better understanding of the biology of these amebas, as well as an important means of isolating and identifying them from clinical samples. Naegleria and Acanthamoeba can be cultured axenically in cell-free media or on tissue culture cells as feeder layers and in cultures with bacteria as a food source. Balamuthia, which has yet to be isolated from the environment, will not grow on bacteria. Instead, it requires tissue culture cells as feeder layers or an enriched cell-free medium. The recent identification of another ameba, Sappinia diploidea, suggests that other free-living forms may also be involved as causal agents of human infections.
Relational Outcomes of Childhood Sexual Trauma in Female Survivors A Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal study examines the effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on the intimate and marital relationships of adult survivors from a sample composed primarily of African American women. In addition, the authors explore the protective role of maternal support. Interview data are collected on 136 women with documented histories of CSA who indicate the quality and nature of their current marital relationships and other interpersonal connections. Results suggest that CSA survivors with poor maternal attachment are more likely to enter into marital or cohabiting relationships. However, more severe sexual trauma in childhood correlates with greater marital dissatisfaction. Good maternal attachment during childhood has a negative main effect on adult interpersonal problems and a buffering effect on the relationship between abuse and marital dissatisfaction. These data can help guide future research on the adult relational outcomes of female CSA survivors, especially among minority populations.
A Model for the Origin of Large Carbonate- and Evaporite-Hosted Celestine (SrSO4) Deposits

ABSTRACT Celestine (SrSO4) is a common minor diagenetic mineral phase in marine carbonate sediments, where it is thought to form during the transformation of Sr-bearing aragonite or biogenic calcite to low-Sr calcite or dolomite. The largest known sedimentary celestine occurrences, however, contain several million metric tons of SrSO4 and cannot be as readily explained. These large deposits occur as epigenetic replacements and cavity-fill in coastal marine carbonate and evaporite sequences. Host rocks range in age from Silurian to Pliocene. There is variable evidence of associated hydrothermal activity, and the Sr typically has a radiogenic signature. One of the keys to explaining the origin of these massive celestine deposits is determining why celestine and not barite (BaSO4), which is orders of magnitude less soluble, is the replacement phase. Although precipitation of massive celestine beds during the early stages of evaporation of sea water has been invoked by some, this hypothesis is not supported by either experimental or field observations, which indicate most sea-water Sr is removed as dispersed sulfate phases during the halite stage of evaporation. The association of large celestine deposits with coastal marine carbonate-evaporite sequences more likely reflects in part the significant difference in the geochemical behavior of Sr and Ba during burial diagenesis. The concentration of Sr in subsurface sedimentary fluids is buffered by silicate-carbonate mineral assemblages, and the concentration of Sr increases significantly with increasing salinity. The concentration of Ba, in contrast, is controlled by equilibrium with barite and is inversely related to the concentration of dissolved sulfate. Basinal fluids having the highest Sr/Ba ratios, and thus those most likely to form celestine rather than barite, have high salinities and moderately high levels of sulfate. The precursors to such waters can be produced in coastal marine settings by the evaporation of sea water. As these brines reflux into underlying or laterally adjacent sediments, they can leach substantial amounts of Sr as they attempt to achieve chemical equilibrium with their host sediments. Barium concentrations are kept low by the presence of dissolved sulfate. If these diagenetically altered fluids are then discharged into beds containing calcium sulfate minerals and/or sulfate-rich waters, the precipitation of celestine would result. Porosity produced by uplift and karstification of associated carbonates would help focus fluid flow.
Theory of Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for deuteron-induced nuclear reactions in micro/nano-scale metal grains and particles

Recently, there have been many reports of experimental results which indicate occurrences of anomalous deuteron-induced nuclear reactions in metals at low energies. A consistent conventional theoretical description is presented for anomalous low-energy deuteron-induced nuclear reactions in metal. The theory is based on the Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) state occupied by deuterons trapped in a micro/nano-scale metal grain or particle. The theory is capable of explaining most of the experimentally observed results and also provides theoretical predictions, which can be tested experimentally. Scalabilities of the observed effects are discussed based on theoretical predictions.
Tipología lingüística y la reconstrucción del acusativo plural indoeuropeo

In light of the fact that the traditional reconstruction of the Indo-European non-thematic accusative plural suffix * -ns , as the combination of the accusative desinence * -m and the plural ending * -s , violates a linguistic universal which stipulates: «If morphemes of both number and case are present and both follow or both precede the noun base, then the exponent of number almost always comes between the noun base and the exponent of case» ( The Universals Archive of the Association for Linguistic Typology), this article explores a possible etymology of the suffix which is consonant with that universal. Specifically, a proposal based on what Adrados 1992 calls «the new image of Indo-European» is developed in which both elements of the suffix are construed as original deictic particles.1
Method of Bottom-Up Directed Assembly of Cell-Laden Microgels

The paper describes a protocol to fabricate cell-laden microgel assemblies with pre-defined micro-architecture and complexity by a bottom-up approach, which can be used for tissue engineering applications. The assembly process was driven by the hydrophobic effect in the water/oil interface. By agitating hydrophilic microgels in hydrophobic medium, the shape-controlled microgel units assemble in an organized manner to locally minimize the interaction free energy (the surface area exposed to the oil). The assembly process was shown to be controlled by several parameters, such as external energy input, surface tension, and microgel dimensions. This assembly approach was used to build multi-component cell-laden constructs by assembling microgel building blocks and performing a secondary cross-linking reaction. This bottom-up approach for the directed assembly of cell-laden microgels offers a scalable method to fabricate 3D tissue constructs with biomimetic structure.
Could Hormones Make a Difference in the Treatment of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Adrenal androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA; prasterone) and its sulphated form (DHEA-S) are among the most abundant hormonal steroids in men and nonpregnant women. Deficiencies of these adrenal androgens are associated with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent studies from our laboratory have also identified low levels of adrenal androgens in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). These findings support and complement those already published for RA and other autoimmune diseases. Because of the paucity of data on the hormonal status of patients with JRA, studies on the relationship between hypoandrogenicity and predisposition to develop JRA, and/or disease progression have not been conducted. In addition, despite the rapid expansion of research in the clinical use of these adrenal androgens in hyperlipidaemia, atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance and hypertension, their potential beneficial effects in JRA/RA have not been fully investigated. In fact, clinical trials of adrenal androgens in RA have only been conducted for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Further studies using prospective approaches are necessary to provide a unified consensus on the hormonal status of patients with JRA (as well as those with RA). This overview of our knowledge of the putative role(s) of hormones in arthritis will hopefully stimulate researchers in basic science and rheumatologists to synergistically collaborate in the effective translation of such knowledge to new clinical approaches.
To shock or not to shock? Parasystole of the left atrial appendage mimicking sinus rhythm at TEE-guided cardioversion

A 60-year-old man presented with recurrent flutter after ablation. On pre-cardioversion transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE), the left atrial appendage (LAA) had regular contractions before ventricular systole ( Panel A and see Supplementary data online, Movie S1 ), with associated late diastolic mitral inflow ( Panel B ), mimicking sinus rhythm. Pulsed-wave Doppler demonstrated high velocity emptying ( Panel C , arrow) with superimposed low-velocity …