cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UHF RFID Tags for On-/Off-Metal Applications Fabricated Using Additive Manufacturing

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag design is generally focused specifically on either off-metal or on-metal configurations. In this letter, passive 2-D and 3-D RFID tags are presented, which perform similarly in both configurations. The tags operate in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) RFID UHF bands (864–868 MHz and 902–928 MHz). A matching loop consisting of two parallel stubs to ground is used for impedance matching to a passive integrated circuit, which has −18-dBm sensitivity. A planar 2-D tag with a footprint of 13126.5 mm2 is first introduced, showing a simulated gain of approximately 3 dBi and a measured read range of 10 m (for 31-dBm transmit power from the reader) in both on-metal and off-metal conditions. The tag is miniaturized into a 3-D geometry with a footprint of 2524.25 mm2 (520% reduction) and achieves the same broadside simulated on-metal gain. The antennas are fabricated using a 3-D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The conductive layer is realized by microdispensing silver paste (Dupont CB028). A meshed ground configuration is explored in order to accomplish a 50% conductive paste reduction without disrupting the performance. The proposed tags are compared to commercially available tags as well as previously published tags in terms of read range and size. The tags in this letter present an improvement in terms of read range, gain, and area with respect to previous designs covering the ISM RFID UHF bands. Moreover, the performance of these tags is maintained in on- and off-metal conditions, achieving comparable performance and a reduction in volume of 11 482% with respect to the best tag reported.
Biomembrane Inspired Engineering

Since the invention of the optical microscope in the 17th century it has been observed that biological membranes compartmentalize the cellular machinery of life. Then, nearly 100 years ago, it was concluded, through surface science, that the cell membrane is a lipid bilayer. Since that time, many observations and theories have been put forward to try to explain how complex behavior emerges in living systems from the ubiquitous lipid bilayer structure and its integrated proteins and carbohydrates. We are now in a period of time when some of the most important paradigms posited in the last several decades for emergence of complex behavior in living cell membranes are being tested and questioned. These include the membrane (or lipid) raft hypothesis and mechanisms for generation of curvature and lipid asymmetry. An important outcome of this work may be the engineering of new micro- and nano-scale self-assembled systems and composites. This talk will focus upon our work in lipid phase behavior, crowding-induced mixing, biomembrane mechanical properties, nanoscale curvature generation, and bionanocomposites that may contribute toward the design of new biological membrane-inspired technology.
Conceptual competence injustice

AbstractThis paper identifies the phenomenon of conceptual competence injustice, a form of epistemic injustice that occurs when a marginalized epistemic agent makes a conceptual claim and is illegitimately regarded as having failed to grasp one or more of the concepts expressed in her testimony. The notion of a conceptual claim is given a deflationary account that is coextensive with the class of a priori knowable claims. This study reveals a form of oppression that severely hinders marginalized epistemic agents who seek to create or communicate conceptual knowledge. Conceptual competence injustice is compared and contrasted with three other forms of epistemic injustice: testimonial injustice, hermeneutical injustice, and contributory injustice. The final section investigates a number of damaging effects that conceptual competence injustice has on marginalized persons pursuing a career in academic philosophy.
EVALUATION OF APIXABAN IN PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS

Background: In January 2014, the Food and Drug Administration approved a labeling change for apixaban to include patients on dialysis. Per new labeling, no dose adjustment is recommended in patients with end stage renal disease maintained on intermittent hemodialysis. However, a reduced dose is
From community data to research archive: Partnering to increase and sustain capacity within a native organization

Community engagement and participation in academic research is growing in popularity and acceptance. Communities are now routinely engaged and participate in academic research design, implementation and interpretation, but the capacity of communities to conduct their own research is not always a product of these engagement initiatives. This article describes a collaboration between an organisation that supports Native American participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and university researchers to expand the organisation’s capacity to conduct research by creating a searchable database from their organisational records. We discuss how strategic design of a research collaboration can result in infrastructure development that contributes to community capacity.
Constraining Relativistic Generalizations of Modified Newtonian Dynamics with Gravitational Waves

In the weak-field limit of general relativity, gravitational waves obey linear equations and propagate at the speed of light. These properties of general relativity are supported by the observation of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays as well as by LIGO's recent detection of gravitation waves. We argue that two existing relativistic generalizations of modified Newtonian dynamics, namely, the generalized Einstein-aether theory and bimetric modified Newtonian dynamics, display fatal inconsistencies with these observations.
Darker Demons of Our Nature: The Need to (Re)Focus Attention on Blatant Forms of Dehumanization

Although dehumanization research first emerged following the overt and conscious denials of humanity present during war and genocide, modern dehumanization research largely examines more subtle and...
High-purity calcium

Calcium metal of high purity, important in the massive preparation of high purity uranium, has been made by fractional distillation process. Calcium so prepared has less than 1 ppm Mg and is better than 99.95 pct pure.
Minoxidil improves vascular compliance, restores cerebral blood flow, and alters extracellular matrix gene expression in a model of chronic vascular stiffness.

Our work with a model of chronic vascular stiffness, the elastin (Eln)+/− mouse, shows reduced brain perfusion as measured by carotid ultrasound and MRI arterial spin labeling. Vessel caliber, func...
National Standards and State Variation in Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Forms

Abstract Background: The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) Paradigm is used across the country to document the treatment preferences of seriously ill or frail patients as medical orders. The National POLST Paradigm Task Force maintains consensus-based standards for POLST programs and uses these to determine whether a state POLST program is developing, endorsed, or mature. Objectives: To evaluate state program form adherence to national standards. Design: Document review. Measurements: Forms from endorsed/mature (n = 21) and developing (n = 23) states were compared with national standards to assess adherence to required and optional form elements. Results: Required elements were present on 84% of endorsed/mature state POLST forms and 73% of the developing state POLST forms. Compliance with required elements in endorsed states ranged from 50% to 100%. Three endorsed/mature states (14%) had forms that met all of the required elements fully and 14 (67%) had forms that met the all of the e...
Carbohydrate-Functionalized Nanobiosensor for Rapid Extraction of Pathogenic Bacteria Directly From Complex Liquids With Quick Detection Using Cyclic Voltammetry

Complex liquid matrices present a serious challenge to proposed nanobiosensing methods in literature. Biosensors that rapidly detect bacteria directly from complex liquid foods, at economical costs, will increase food supply security. Carbohydrate ligands are inexpensive antibody and oligonucleotide replacements for sensitive biosensor development with long-shelf life. In this pilot study, carbohydrate-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) affixed to a “dip-stick” (MNP-strip) could extract pathogenic bacteria from various liquid foods in only 10 min, and then detect presence with an additional 10 min, for a total 20 min from microbial extraction to detection. MNP-strips captured Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes directly from the complex matrices of homogenized egg, vitamin D milk, and apple cider, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), using a chemical mediator, significantly distinguished between MNP-strips with bacteria present and those only exposed to uncontaminated matrix ( p Salmonella Enteritidis from PBS and E. coli from beef juices showed that samples (S) with cells present showed lower NPCR than negative controls (N), with S/N less than 1.0, whereas sample NPCR in complex matrices were higher than those for the negative controls, with S/N ratios greater than 1.0. When negative controls were exposed only to the matrix, linear regression indicated that NPCR was indirectly related to sodium and fat content, but directly related to protein content ( p < 0.05).
BiZyme: a novel fusion protein-mediating selection of vaccinia virus recombinants by fluorescence and antibiotic resistance.

Recombinant vaccinia virus is a useful and powerful tool for the expression and study of foreign genes. Methods that are currently available for the selection of vaccinia virus recombinants include...
Computer Experiments on Electron-Ion Recombination in an Ambient Medium: Gases, Plasmas and Liquids

Concern over the rate at which ions recombine with other ions or with electrons in an ambient medium followed very shortly the discovery of the electron itself in 1896. The papers published on recombination in the ninety years since are legion. This is largely due to the wide range of phenomena in which charged particle recombination is found to be important. Examples include the upper atmosphere, vapor lamps, lasers, and radiation chemistry. The importance of recombination lies in its frequently being the rate limiting step in the removal of charged particles or in the formation of important neutral species in a system. Ionic recombination processes can be grouped into the following categories: 2-body ion-ion mutual neutralization, 3-body ion-ion recombination, 2-body electron-ion dissociative recombination, 2-body electron-ion dielectronic recombination, 2-body electron-ion radiative recombination, 3-body electron-ion collisional radiative recombination, and 3-body neutral assisted electron-ion recombination. Much of the progress in thoretical understanding of recombination processes is attributable to Sir David Bates, whose first publication and at least fifty five of his more than two hundred sixty succeeding papers have dealt with recombination processes.
Estimation of Earthquake Ground Motions Relevant to the Triggering of Marine Mass Movements

Estimation of earthquake-induced motions in the marine environment is currently difficult for a variety of reasons. First, almost no seafloor ground-motion data exist for earthquake magnitudes greater than 3. Second, theoretical understanding of seismic wave propagation in the marine environment is incomplete. And third, it has not yet been clearly demonstrated how to extrapolate to a seafloor environment ground motions observed or predicted on land.
Microcontroller Engineering with MSP432: Fundamentals and Applications

This book aims to develop professional and practical microcontroller applications in the ARM-MDK environment with Texas Instruments MSP432P401R LaunchPad kits. It introduces ARM Cortex-M4 MCU by highlighting the most important elements, including: registers, pipelines, memory, and I/O ports. With the updated MSP432P401R Evaluation Board (EVB), MSP-EXP432P401R, this MCU provides various control functions with multiple peripherals to enable users to develop and build various modern control projects with rich control strategies. Micro-controller programming is approached with basic and straightforward programming codes to reduce learning curves, and furthermore to enable students to build embedded applications in more efficient and interesting ways. For authentic examples, 37 Class programming projects are built into the book that use MSP432P401R MCU. Additionally, approximately 40 Lab programming projects with MSP432P401R MCU are included to be assigned as homework.
Current State of Tumor Ablation Therapies

The most common primary liver malignancy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has a high likelihood of mortality, and much effort into early detection and treatment has occurred. Multiple staging systems have surfaced of which some guide treatment. Curative intent is a goal of early-staged HCC treatment, and this can be achieved with surgical resection, liver transplantation, and minimally invasive percutaneous therapies such as tumor ablation. Many of the newer ablation techniques have evolved from shortcomings of prior methods which have resulted in an expanded number of applications for tumor ablation. Our review focuses on current mainstream image-guided percutaneous ablation modalities which are commonly performed as an alternative to surgery.
Leveraging Library Technology: Non-Library Uses of Library Technology

AbstractThe library has experienced many conversations with colleagues at the college in different departments lately related to the library tools and services it offers. Some of these conversation...
Creating a Library Orientation Card Game to Reach New Transfer Students

Librarians and staff at a public university drew upon previous experience with instructional games to develop, implement, and assess a card game as a library orientation activity for new transfer s...
What Late-Career and Retired Women Engineers Tell Us: Gender Challenges in Historical Context

Women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s, a time in U.S. history when women’s entry into engineering seemed most promising but failed to gain traction, offer important perspectives o...
MESFET MMIC Ka-band transmitter performance for high volume system applications

A monolithic transmitter consisting of a voltage controlled oscillator and power amplifier has been successfully demonstrated for Ka-band high volume system applications (smart munitions) using nominally quarter micron MESFET technology. The results show that this technology is able to deliver good performance without compromising on yield and cost in Ka-band. With improvement in 1/f noise in HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors), it will be a viable candidate for VCOs in the future. Also shown is a unified design approach for VCOs and power amplifiers using small signal analysis. >
The Dream Chaser Spacecraft: Changing the Way the World Goes to Space

As one of the most innovative U.S. companies in space, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems business area designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft and satellite solutions, space habitats and environmental systems, propulsion systems, precision space mechanisms and subsystems, and SNC’s celebrated Dream Chaser. In the first of its kind mission, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is partnering with SNC to offer United Nations Member States the opportunity to participate in an orbital space mission using SNC's Dream Chaser spacecraft. This mission would support non-space faring countries and institutions so that the Dream Chaser mission can really enable inclusive access to space.
Reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and destruction of salivary and lacrimal glands. This condition may be limited to glandular tissues or may be associated with other autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. Since the environmental factors that initiate SS are unknown, we have investigated the potential role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other viruses. We observed that epithelial cells in salivary gland biopsies of SS patients contained antigens reactive with monoclonal antibodies against EBV-associated antigens. These antigens were not found in other tissues of SS patients and were absent in salivary gland biopsies from normals and patients with other autoimmune diseases lacking SS. Also, the content of EBV DNA in the saliva of SS patients was significantly greater than in age and sex-matched controls or individuals with other autoimmune disorders. These studies provide one of the first examples where a specific viral agent may be implicated in perpetuating a chronic autoimmune disease. However, great caution must be used before an etiologic role can be attributed to an ubiquitous agent such as EBV.
Many-body theory of the optical conductivity of excitons and trions in two-dimensional materials

The optical spectra of two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit sharp absorption peaks that are commonly identified with exciton and trions (or charged excitons). In this paper, we show that excitons and trions in doped 2D materials can be described by two coupled Schr\"odinger-like equations---one two-body equation for excitons and another four-body equation for trions. In electron-doped 2D materials, a bound trion state is identified with a four-body bound state of an exciton and an excited conduction-band electron-hole pair. In doped 2D materials, the exciton and trion states are the not the eigenstates of the full Hamiltonian and their respective Schr\"odinger equations are coupled due to Coulomb interactions. The strength of this coupling increases with the doping density. Solutions of these two coupled equations can quantitatively explain all the prominent features experimentally observed in the optical absorption spectra of 2D materials, including the observation of two prominent absorption peaks and the variation of their energy splittings and spectral shapes and strengths with the electron density. The optical conductivity obtained in our paper satisfies the optical conductivity sum rule exactly. A superposition of exciton and trion states can be used to construct a solution of the two coupled Schr\"odinger equations and this solution resembles the variational exciton-polaron state, thereby establishing the relationship between our approach and Fermi polaron physics.
Political and Economic Results in July 2013

In July 2013, Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was sentenced to five years in prison. It appears, however, that he would be allowed – on procedural grounds, since no appeal hearing has been held yet – to run for mayor in mayoral elections in Moscow on September 8, 2013. A combination of Kremlin’s decision to allow Navalny to run for mayor in the election and emonstration of the likelihood of his real imprisonment has made the upcoming Moscow mayoral elections highly politicized, boosted social activity, and may well result in problems for S. Sobyanin. With regard to the Navalny case itself, putting aside ethic ambiguity of the story about a timber trading company controlled by a friendly governor, it is technically another notorious confirmation of the fact that any business in Russia might just as well be criminalized through subjective evaluation of the ‘fair value’ by law enforcement authorities and courts. RAS (Russian Academy of Science) reform has been delayed as expected: the academic society has managed to come to President Putin’s attention and gain certain concessions from him.
Cost of transport at preferred walking speeds are minimized while walking on moderately steep incline surfaces.

Abstract Research has shown that preferred walking speed results in a minimization of the cost of transport on flat surfaces. However, it has also been shown that over non-smooth surfaces other variables, such as stability, are necessary for task completion increasing the cost of transport. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of incline walking on the cost of transport, assessing the effect of raising the center of mass as a potential variable affecting preferred walking speed, such that the cost of transport is no longer minimized. 12 healthy, college-aged male participants completed walking trials on a treadmill at inclines of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% at three different continuous speeds (1mph, 2mph and 3mph) and a preferred walking speed for 4–5 min. Cost of transport was calculated using the oxygen consumption collected during the last minute of each stage. Up to 20% incline, the cost of transport was lowest on each incline for the preferred walking speed trials. On inclines greater than 20%, many participants were unable to complete the task with respiratory exchange ratios less than 1.0. We conclude that inclines up to 20% do not induce an alternative challenge affecting the established relationship that humans prefer to walk at speeds that minimize the cost of transport despite the increased need to raise the center of mass.
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Revisited: Laws to Improve Global Marketing Practice

The post Watergate environment called for prohibition of bribes and gifts as a method of influencing business and government decisions in the U.S. and abroad. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (1977), was passed to better define appropriate ethical and legal behavior, limiting sales fees or bribes to low ranking government officials and mandated financial reporting of such fees. Non-compliance could result in $1 million corporate fines and $10,000 plus five years in jail for the individual. Despite fears of U.S. company non-competitiveness, U.S. exports to "bribe prone" countries increased more rapidly than "non-bribe prone" countries. A General Accounting Office Survey (1981) found little evidence of lost business. The issue of moral imperialism, forcing U.S. standards on others, remains unresolved, with only Sweden passing similar legislation. The Omnibus Trade Act (1988) was passed to clarify several issues and allowed transaction (facilitating) bribes. Case law has also strengthened the legislation, allowing competitors to sue for lost business, if bribery swayed the contract. Enforcement responsibility has been extended to all companies.
TGFβRII: TGF-β type II receptor (vertebrates)

The transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) type II receptor is a transmembrane serine/threonine kinase that binds TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 with greater affinity than TGFβ2. It is thought to mediate the multiple effects of TGFβ, such as increased extracellular matrix production and inhibition of cell growth. The signal transduction pathway and the substrate specificities of this receptor kinase are not known. The kinase domain has four inserts when compared to mouse PKAα. It is unclear what the function of these inserts is, but they are in regions where they may serve to position loops that interact with substrate. It is not known whether dimerization is necessary for kinase function. There are several in vitro autophosphorylation sites. TGFβ type II receptors have been shown to autophosphorylate on serines and threonines. No other substrate has been identified.
Towards Military Rule?: A Critique of Executive Discretion to Use the Military in Domestic Emergencies

Following 9/11 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Bush Administration called for an increased role for the Department of Defense and the federal armed forces in responding to domestic emergencies. Through a variety of statutory measures, Congress answered the President's request for enhanced authority, increasing the Executive Branch's already enormous discretionary power to deploy the federal armed forces domestically. But some members of Congress have begun to question the propriety of such authority housed almost exclusively in the Executive Branch. By increasing the military's presence in the domestic sphere the federal government is obscuring the traditional lines between military and civilian roles. Even when sanctioned by civil leaders, the increased role of the armed forces in the domestic life endangers civil liberties and the democratic process.The central purpose of this Article is to expose the erosion of the structural checks on the Executive's power to deploy the military domestically to execute the laws and quash public disorder. It begins by briefly describing the historical bases for the founding generation's mistrust of an executive with unbridled access to a military force. Next, it identifies the structural protections that were placed in the Constitution in response to these concerns, placing special emphasis on congressional control. In Part III, it describes the erosion of the structural checks, focusing first on the division of power between Congress and the Executive and then turning to the federalism issues. It offers a startling picture of how, over the last two plus centuries, excessive discretionary power has been delegated to the Executive Branch. Finally, Part IV offers a modest proposal that recognizes the dangers inherent in the introduction of military force into civilian society and attempts to restore the checks originally envisioned by the Founders while still providing adequate flexibility to respond to modern day exigencies.
Approaching Korean Business and Management Ideals through the Lens of Yongo: A Scholar–Practitioner Perspective

By adopting the insider perspective based on participant observations, this article explores a new dimension of management ideals in South Korea. In particular, it proposes an important cultural context extension to the conventional collectivism paradigm that is often used to explain Korean management. By introducing the term yongo, which denotes exclusive and informal social networks based on (pseudo-) family, university alumni, and regional connections, challenges for management practices can be reported, including, for example, the difficulties that foreign managers face in accessing these networks to establish high-trust ties and influence business decisions.
Theories of Optimal Capital Structure: A Managerial Discretion Perspective

In the thirty or so years since the Modigliani-Miller theorem, scholars have worked to relax the theorem’s assumptions in order to obtain a better understanding of the capital structure of firms.2 This work has produced some important insights but has not yet delivered a fully coherent theory of optimal capital structure. For example, at present we do not understand very well the distinguishing features of debt and equity or why these claims, as opposed to the many instruments that could be chosen, are most frequently issued by firms. Given this state of affairs, existing explanations of the debt-equity ratio must be seen as still preliminary, as must efforts to use these explanations to understand global trends such as the large increases in leverage in the United States and United Kingdom during the 1980s.
Radio Leakage and Eavesdropping

In addition to searches for purposeful signals, those attempting interstellar communication should also consider the possibility of eavesdropping on radio emissions inadvertently “leaking” from other technical civilizations. To understand better the information which might be derivable from radio leakage, the case of planet Earth is considered. The most detectable and useful escaping signals arise in a few ultra-powerful military radar systems and in normal television broad-casting. A model including over 2,000 television transmitters is used to demonstrate the wealth of astronomical and cultural information available from a distant observer’s careful monitoring of frequency and intensity variations in individual video carriers (program material is not taken to be detectable). Observations of the Earth’s leakage radiation, observed at Arecibo as reflected from the Moon, are also presented. It is concluded that, given our present modest understanding of the cultural and technical evolution of civilizations, any initial interstellar radio contact has a priori even chances of placing us in the role of eavesdropper or of intended recipient.
Opinião pública nos Estados Unidos: idealismo ingênuo em processo

Este artigo sustenta que a opiniao publica nos EUA e frequentemente um derivado do idealismo ingenuo. A crenca de que as coisas devem – epodem ser – perfeitas serve como incentivo paraa mudanca social. A midia funciona como um palco onde as elites politicas articulam posicoes enquanto outras forcas crescem e se desenvolvem fora da percepcao do publico, emergindo as vezes com mais impacto sobre as mudancas sociais do que qualquer um dos lados oficiais de uma questao.
Organized for sex - steroid hormones and the developing hypothalamus

Steroid hormones of gonadal origin act on the neonatal brain, particularly the hypothalamus, to produce sex differences that underlie copulatory behavior. Neuroanatomical sex differences include regional volume, cell number, connectivity, morphology, physiology, neurotransmitter phenotype and molecular signaling, all of which are determined by the action of steroid hormones, particularly by estradiol in males, and are established by diverse downstream effects. Sex differences in distinct hypothalamic regions can be organized by the same steroid hormone, but the direction of a sex difference is often specific to one region or cell type, illustrating the wide range of effects that steroid hormones have on the developing brain. Substantial progress has been made in elucidating the downstream mechanisms through which gonadal hormones sexually differentiate the brain, but gaps remain in establishing the precise relationship between changes in neuronal morphology and behavior. A complete understanding of sexual differentiation will require integrating the diverse mechanisms across multiple brain regions into a functional network that regulates behavioral output.
The Exchange of Envoys between Korea and Japan during the Tokugawa Period

In the Korean records, the relations between Korea and Japan are termed kyorin, meaning neighborly relations with a neighboring country. That term contrasts sharply with the term used for the relations between China and Korea usually called sadae, serving the great. Korea always demonstrated an attitude of great deference to the Chinese Empire, her communications being often almost servile in tone; whereas, in regard to the Japanese, the position was almost reversed. The Japanese were treated peremptorily; envoys were frequently scorned and their requests considered as coming from a suppliant.
Carbuncles, Columns, and Pyramids: Lay and Expert Evaluations of Contextual Design Strategies

The concept of contextual compatibility has in recent years been the focus of highly contentious debates on the merits of various architectural and urban design projects, particularly those of symbolic importance to the public realm. Consider, for example, two projects that were subjected to intense scrutiny and debate within the last decade: the addition to the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square in London and the addition to the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Measuring the realized niches of animals using stable isotopes: From rats to bears

© 2015 The Authors. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful method for estimating the impacts animals have on their environment (resource use), revealing their ecological niches. We demonstrated the use of a stable isotope mixing model for measuring the ecological niches of consumers. In particular, we used the model IsotopeR to estimate the resource use of two species with complex, omnivorous diets: invasive Norway rats from the Aleutian Islands, AK, and American black bears from Yosemite National Park, CA. Marginal posterior distributions for major food sources (for populations, groups and individuals) described the resource axes that partly define the realized niches of these omnivores. We used measures of these resource axes to inform resource management in the Aleutians and Yosemite. Results from our analyses confirm that coastal rats did not rely on marine birds on rat-infested islands in the Aleutians. Instead, rats foraged primarily on terrestrial plants and preferred amphipods when they were available. We also use stable isotopes to confirm that plants and acorns are the largest contributors to black bear nutrition in Yosemite and learned that female bears foraged for acorns and pine nuts more heavily than males. Although it is unclear if Norway rats can maintain viable populations in the Aleutians without access to marine-derived animal protein, results from our analyses suggest their dependence on such nutrients. In addition, sex-specific differences in foraging for high-fat acorns and pine nuts in Yosemite suggest black bear populations in the Sierra Nevada may be limited by the productivity and health of hard mast species. As demonstrated here, stable isotope analysis has wide applicability for investigating the resource use and ecological niches of animals. We anticipate and encourage its rapid development in this fundamental field of ecology.
Topology-aware tile mapping for clusters of SMPs

We propose a technique to optimize the performance of applications using distributed dense arrays and characterized by a nearest-neighbor communication profile by exploiting the topology of SMP clusters. The topological information is used to map array tiles to processors to reduce network communication and improve utilization of shared memory for inter-process communication. The potential benefits of using the SMP-aware mapping are demonstrated through a simulation, as well as a real application solving a wind-driven ocean circulation model on an IBM SP. On 256 processors, the execution time was reduced by almost 30 percent without any changes to the original application source code. The proposed mapping approach is applicable to multiple programming models and distributed array management systems.
Current Issues in the Analysis of Commercial Real Estate

This paper identifies and discusses a number of current issues regarding our understanding of commercial real estate markets. These issues include: 1) accurate estimation of the quantity and location of our nation's commercial space; 2) an understanding of the linkage between the space and capital markets for commercial real estate; 3) identification of the macroeconomic factors that affect the rate of return on commercial property and whether local market factors also affect the rate of return; 4) problems associated with measuring the return characteristics of equity investments in commercial property (including measures of the diversification benefits and inflation-hedging abilities of this asset class); 5) a better understanding of rental markets, including good measures of changes in effective rents over time; and 6) examination of the rationale for ownership of commercial space by corporate users. This paper reviews recent research related to these questions and suggests future research that should prove to be fruitful.
Evaluation of five carbohydrate sources for Penaeus vannamei

Abstract Utilizing chromic oxide as an inert marker, apparent digestibility coefficients of five carbohydrate sources were evaluated in 8.8 g Penaeus vannamei . Test diets for each ingredient, wheat starch, whole wheat, Nutribinder ® , sorghum and steam cracked corn, were prepared containing 70% semi-purified reference diet and 30% of the test ingredient. Apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) of steam cracked corn was 23.27% and was significantly lower than all other ingredients tested. The ADMD of Nutribinder ® , whole wheat, wheat starch and sorghum were 56.87, 52.46, 50.62 and 38.39%, respectively. ADMD of Nutribinder ® was significantly higher than that of sorghum but not significantly different from whole wheat and wheat starch. Apparent digestible energy (ADE) values for the test diets ranged from 90.82% for the reference diet to 78.09% for the test diet containing corn. ADE values for wheat starch (71.30%), whole wheat (67.73%), Nutribinder ® (69.54%) and sorghum (57.93%) were significantly higher than the ADE of steam cracked corn (40.17%). ADE values for wheat starch, whole wheat, Nutribinder ® , sorghum and steam cracked corn were estimated to be 2966, 2915, 3209, 2604 and 1610 kcal/kg. Consumption of the test diets appeared to be inversely related to the digestibility coefficients, indicating that consumption may be energy regulated. Based on the observed results, digestibility of the tested carbohydrate sources appears to vary with source and gelatinization. Additionally, a significant depression in the protein digestibility of the reference diet as compared to the test diet containing the same carbohydrate source (wheat starch) may indicate associative effects.
Deformation of thermoplastic vulcanizates

Abstract The stress–strain behavior of thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) materials is studied experimentally; a constitutive model for the behavior is proposed and found to successfully predict the important features of the observed stress–strain behavior. TPVs are a relatively new class of elastomer-like material consisting of a rather high-volume fraction of elastomeric particles (0.40
The imagery effect and phenomenal background frequency in verbal discrimination learning

A series of four experiments was conducted to assess the role of phenomenal background frequency in verbal discrimination learning and its possible involvement in the imagery effect. The initial two experiments produced a reliable imagery effect for mixed and unmixed lists with respect to concreteness of pair members, regardless of phenomenal frequency manipula­ tions, with words high in objective background frequency. No effects were found for phenomenal background frequency. Experiment 3 involved phenomenal frequency ratings for 200 abstract and 200 concrete words. Experiment 4 evaluated the role of phenomenal background frequency for a mixed list using words low in objective frequency. A reliable imagery effect was again found with no effects for phenomenal frequency. An alternative hypothesis involving differen­ tial accrual of situational frequency to abstract and concrete items during verbal discrimination learning to explain the imagery effect was also tested by Experiment 4 but was not supported by the data. A rather consistent finding reported in the verbal discrimination learning (VOL) literature in recent years is the easier learning of concrete (or high-imagery) word pairs relative to abstract (or low-imagery) pairs in mixed or unmixed lists (Paivio & Rowe, 1970, 1971; Rowe & Paivio, 1971, 1972; Ullrich & Balogh, 1972). This finding has proven somewhat distressing for frequency theory (Ekstrand, Wallace, & Underwood, 1966; Wallace, 1972), which has thus far served well as the major theory of VOL, since the effect is neither predicted nor readily interpretable, in any obvious way, by the theory as it currently stands. The reliability of the effect would seem to demand a search for an interpretation that could be accommodated by frequency theory or a considerable revision of the theory if it is to survive without substantial limitations. A recent report by Ghatala and Levin (1976) has suggested that the imagery effect may be due to an apparent confound of phenomenal background frequency with concrete and abstract items in such a way that the effect may be interpretable by appeal to the Weber's law postulate found in frequency theory. Should such be the case, the search for a viable frequency theory explanation would be ended and the theory would escape serious revision. Thus, a major purpose of the present investigation was a systematic assessment of this possibility.
The IRA and the Withdrawal Penalty

Because the IRA is meant to be a vehicle for building a retirement fund, premature withdrawal is discouraged by a 10 percent penalty. The penalty makes the IRA illiquid. The purpose of this manuscript is to reinforce Collins' argument that the IRA can, depending on the yield of the investment and the marginal tax rate of the taxpayer, outperform a taxable investment, earning the same interest rate within a relatively short period of time. For example, if a taxpayer in the 30 percent tax bracket earns 10 percent on the IRA and on a taxable investment, the cross-over point occurs in approximately five years, assuming a one time investment is made.
Evolution of elastic thin films with curvature regularization via minimizing movements

The evolution equation with curvature regularization that models the motion of a two-dimensional thin film by evaporation-condensation on a rigid substrate is considered. The film is strained due to the mismatch between the crystalline lattices of the two materials. Here, short time existence, uniqueness and regularity of the solution are established using De Giorgi’s minimizing movements to exploit the $$L^{2}$$ -gradient flow structure of the equation. This seems to be the first analytical result for the evaporation-condensation case in the presence of elasticity.
Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator: Component Failure

Sudden death occurred in a patient with congestive cardiomyopathy, sustained ventricular tachycardia refractory to amiodarone, and an automatic internal cardioverter defibrillator. Interrogation of the AICD at the time of death was indicative of malfunction. Postmortem analysis documented component failure involving a voltage regulating transistor resulting in prolonged charge times.
Self-concept of ability as a predictor of academic success among urban technical college students

Academic self-concept, rather than the traditional cognitive skills was a significant predictor of academic performance among minority and low-income students in an urban technical college.
Enhanced tissue adhesion by increased porosity and surface roughness of carbon based biomaterials

Abstract We present recent results using ions of C, O, Si, Fe, Zn and Au at energies between 100 keV and 10 MeV to increase the roughness and porosity of the partially and fully cured precursor phenolic resins. The fully cured phenolic resin is called glassy polymeric carbon (GPC). GPC is chemically inert, biocompatible and useful for medical applications, such as heart valves and other prosthetic devices. Ion implantation enhances biological cell/tissue growth on, and tissue adhesion to, prosthetic devices made from GPC. We have previously shown that increased porosity of GPC is also useful for drug delivery devices. The porosity of the ion implanted partially and fully cured precursor phenolic resins was measured by introducing lithium from a molten LiCl salt into each sample. By using Li(p,2α) nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) we measured the concentration of Li retention in the pre- and post-implanted samples. The surface roughness was measured using optical microscopy. The curing process was monitored using micro-Raman microscopy. We have correlated the NRA measurements of increased pore availability with the observations of increased surface roughness.
Clinical characteristics and pathophysiology of pelvic pain in women

Chronic pelvic pain is a common and debilitating problem that can significantly impair the quality of life of a woman. Patients with chronic pelvic pain are usually evaluated and treated by gynecologists, gastroenterologists, urologists, and internists. Although these patients seek medical care because they are looking for help to alleviate their pelvic discomfort and pain, in many cases the only focus is on finding and possibly treating the underlying pelvic disease.However, often the examination and work-up remain unrevealing and no specific cause of the pain can be identified. At this point patients are frequently told, that no etiology for their chronic pain syndrome can be found and that nothing can be done. In these cases it is important to recognize that pain is not only a symptom of pelvic disease, but that the patient is suffering from a chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Knowledge of the clinical characteristics of visceral pain will guide the health care provider in making a diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain and in sorting it out from the lump diagnosis of idiopathic pain. Once the diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain is made, treatment should be directed towards symptomatic pain management.This conceptualization of chronic pelvic pain is very important, because chronic pelvic pain is a treatable condition! Effective treatment modalities are available to lessen the impact of pain and offer reasonable expectations of an improved functional status.
Circadian effects on strategic reasoning

The ability to strategically reason is important in many competitive environments. In this paper, we examine how relatively mild temporal variations in cognition affect reasoning in the Beauty Contest. The source of temporal cognition variation that we explore is the time-of-day that decisions are made. Our first result is that circadian mismatched subjects (i.e., those making decisions at off-peak time of day) display lower levels of strategic reasoning in the p 1 game. This suggests that a cognitively more challenging environment is required for circadian mismatch to harm strategic reasoning. A second result is that choice adaptation or mimicry (i.e., a more automatic type of responding than what is typically considered to be “learning”) during repeated play is not significantly affected by circadian mismatch. This is consistent with the hypothesis that automatic thought is more resilient to cognitive resource depletion than controlled-thought decision making.
Approximation of action theories and its application to conformant planning

This paper describes our methodology for building conformant planners, which is based on recent advances in the theory of action and change and answer set programming. The development of a planner for a given dynamic domain starts with encoding the knowledge about fluents and actions of the domain as an action theory D of some action language. Our choice in this paper is AL - an action language with dynamic and static causal laws and executability conditions. An action theory D of AL defines a transition diagram T(D) containing all the possible trajectories of the domain. A transition belongs to T(D) iff the execution of the action a in the state s may move the domain to the state s^'. The second step in the planner development consists in finding a deterministic transition diagram T^l^p(D) such that nodes of T^l^p(D) are partial states of D, its arcs are labeled by actions, and a path in T^l^p(D) from an initial partial state @d^0 to a partial state satisfying the goal @d^f corresponds to a conformant plan for @d^0 and @d^f in T(D). The transition diagram T^l^p(D) is called an 'approximation' of T(D). We claim that a concise description of an approximation of T(D) can often be given by a logic program @p(D) under the answer sets semantics. Moreover, complex initial situations and constraints on plans can be also expressed by logic programming rules and included in @p(D). If this is possible then the problem of finding a parallel or sequential conformant plan can be reduced to computing answer sets of @p(D). This can be done by general purpose answer set solvers. If plans are sequential and long then this method can be too time consuming. In this case, @p(D) is used as a specification for a procedural graph searching conformant planning algorithm. The paper illustrates this methodology by building several conformant planners which work for domains with complex relationship between the fluents. The efficiency of the planners is experimentally evaluated on a number of new and old benchmarks. In addition we show that for a subclass of action theories of AL our planners are complete, i.e., if in T^l^p(D) we cannot get from @d^0 to a state satisfying the goal @d^f then there is no conformant plan for @d^0 and @d^f in T(D).