cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of sensor systems for precision agriculture in cotton

Precision agriculture (PA) is an information-based technology, using detailed information within an agricultural field to optimize production inputs on a spatially variable basis, maximize farm profit, and minimize environmental impact. Information collection and processing plays a very important role in PA. In recent years PA technologies have been gradually adopted in cotton production. Several sensor systems for PA were developed and field-evaluated in cotton, including a plant height measurement system (PHMS), the Mississippi cotton yield monitor (MCYM), and cotton fiber quality mapping. The PHMS used an ultrasonic sensor to scan the plant canopy and determine plant height in real time in situ. A plant height map was generated with the data collected with the PHMS. Cotton plant height showed a close relationship with yield (R2=0.63) and leaf-nitrogen content (R2=0.48). The MCYM was developed for cotton yield mapping. A patented mass-flow sensor technology was employed in the MCYM. The sensor measured optical reflectance of cotton particles passing through the sensor and used the measured reflectance to determine cotton-mass flow rates. Field tests indicated that the MCYM could measure cotton yield with an average error less than 5%, and it was easy to install and maintain. The cotton fiber-quality mapping research involved a wireless cotton module-tracking system (WCMTS) and a cotton fiber quality mapping system (CFQMS). The WCMTS was based on the concept that a cotton fiber-quality map could be generated with spatial information collected by the system during harvesting coupled with fiber quality information available in cotton classing offices. The WCMTS was constructed and tested, and it operated according to design, with module-level fiber-quality maps easily made from the collected data. The CFQMS was designed and fabricated to perform real-time measurement of cotton fiber quality as the cotton is harvested in the field. Test results indicated that the sensor was capable of accurately estimating fiber micronaire in lint cotton (R2=0.99), but estimating fiber quality in seed cotton was more difficult. Cotton fiber quality maps can be used with cotton yield maps for developing field profit maps and optimizing production inputs.
SU-E-J-150: Four-Dimensional Cone-Beam CT Algorithm by Extraction of Physical and Motion Parameter of Mobile Targets Retrospective to Image Reconstruction with Motion Modeling

Purpose: To develop 4D-cone-beam CT (CBCT) algorithm by motion modeling that extracts actual length, CT numbers level and motion amplitude of a mobile target retrospective to image reconstruction by motion modeling. Methods: The algorithm used three measurable parameters: apparent length and blurred CT number distribution of a mobile target obtained from CBCT images to determine actual length, CT-number value of the stationary target, and motion amplitude. The predictions of this algorithm were tested with mobile targets that with different well-known sizes made from tissue-equivalent gel which was inserted into a thorax phantom. The phantom moved sinusoidally in one-direction to simulate respiratory motion using eight amplitudes ranging 0–20mm. Results: Using this 4D-CBCT algorithm, three unknown parameters were extracted that include: length of the target, CT number level, speed or motion amplitude for the mobile targets retrospective to image reconstruction. The motion algorithms solved for the three unknown parameters using measurable apparent length, CT number level and gradient for a well-defined mobile target obtained from CBCT images. The motion model agreed with measured apparent lengths which were dependent on the actual target length and motion amplitude. The gradient of the CT number distribution of the mobile target is dependent on the stationarymore » CT number level, actual target length and motion amplitude. Motion frequency and phase did not affect the elongation and CT number distribution of the mobile target and could not be determined. Conclusion: A 4D-CBCT motion algorithm was developed to extract three parameters that include actual length, CT number level and motion amplitude or speed of mobile targets directly from reconstructed CBCT images without prior knowledge of the stationary target parameters. This algorithm provides alternative to 4D-CBCT without requirement to motion tracking and sorting of the images into different breathing phases which has potential applications in diagnostic CT imaging and radiotherapy.« less
The stabilities of mammalian apomyoglobins vary over a 600-fold range and can be enhanced by comparative mutagenesis.

Apomyoglobins from 13 different mammals were examined for resistance to denaturation by guanidinium chloride. Unfolding was followed by circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence and analyzed globally using the two-step, three-state mechanism first described by Barrick and Baldwin (Barrick, D., and Baldwin, R. L. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 3790–3796). With one exception, the rise and fall of Trp fluorescence intensity correlates quantitatively with the native to intermediate to unfolded steps seen in the CD curves. Although the O2 binding properties of the holoproteins are nearly identical, the unfolding transitions of the apomyoglobins show 600-fold differences in resistance to guanidinium chloride denaturation. Apomyoglobins from diving mammals, particularly from sperm whales, are the most stable, whereas the apoproteins from pig, horse, and sheep are the least stable, indicating selective pressure for resistance to denaturation in the whale proteins. Sequence comparisons suggest that the key stabilizing residues in whale globins are Ala5, His12, Ile28, Thr51, Ala53, Ala74, Lys87, Lys140, and Ile142. Combinations of these residues were substituted into pig myoglobin. The resultant multiple mutants showed stabilities approaching that of recombinant sperm whale apomyoglobin. Thus, comparative mutagenesis can be used to increase heme protein stability and improve expression yields in bacteria without compromising function.
Culture, Ideology and Black Television Images

(1985). Culture, Ideology and Black Television Images. The Black Scholar: Vol. 16, Politics and Culture, pp. 10-20.
Enhanced speech activity detection for mobile telephony

A speech activity detector (SAD) based on decision metrics generated in an adaptive differential pulse code modulation waveform coder is described. The detector functions accurately in low-SNR environments characteristic of cellular and personal communications. After nonspeech intervals are removed, the quality of the reconstructed speech is influenced by SAD decision errors and by the suppression of background noise in nonspeech intervals. The author examines subjectively the effect of the SAD on the perceived quality of the received speech. >
Linear-quadratic-Gaussian differential games with different information patterns

A discrete-time linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) differential game is considered where the players have access to separate measurement histories. The particular problem that is solved is where one adversary has access to only noisy partial information of the state while the other makes a perfect measurement of the state vector. The system dynamics are assumed linear with additive process noise. The solutions show a significant departure from previously published results. First, process noise is included in the dynamical system and a quadratic weighting in the state is included in the cost criterion. Secondly, the optimal strategies of both players are shown to be finite dimensional, not infinite dimensional as was originally thought. There is, therefore, no reason for the player with perfect measurement to have additional information to reconstruct the other players measurement. Thirdly, it is assumed that the perfect-measurement adversary's control matrix is in the range space of the other adversary's measurement matrix. Then, by a limit of the linear-exponential-Gaussian game solution to the LQG game solution, it is seen that the partial information player avoids reproducing an estimated version of his adversary's strategy.
Initiating Salary Discussions With an Extreme Request: Anchoring Effects on Initial Salary Offers†

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of implausible anchors on initial salary offers. Participants provided a salary offer to a candidate after receiving a relevant anchor and an implausible anchor. The results of Study 1 indicated that a high implausible anchor influenced salary offers, even in the presence of the relevant anchor. Study 2 examined whether a more extreme implausible anchor would also affect salary offers. The results indicated that both the high anchor and the extremely high anchor led to higher salary offers than did the control condition.
Software Engineering and CSCW: A Common Research Ground

This paper explores the common research ground which the Software Engineering and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work communities share. Both communities share a common research question: how to support the coordination of interdependent work activities. In the Software Engineering community solutions have concentrated on formalizing the coordination of work practices, while Computer-Supported Cooperative Work researchers have focused on increasing the ability of people to communicate. However, leading researchers in these communities have pointed to the weaknesses of these solutions. We suggest that research solutions which combine the two approaches may prove fruitful.
Uncertainty and the arrow-lind theorem

This chapter presents a discussion on uncertainty and the Arrow–Lind theorem. Uncertainty presents a problem for investment analysis, public or private, because people are generally risk averse and not risk neutral. They are willing to pay a premium to change an asset's uncertain stream of returns into a certain return. The difference between the expected or mean value of the asset and the risk premium is the certainty equivalent value of the asset. If society consists mainly of risk-averse consumers and the government acts on the basis of individuals' preferences, then cost–benefit analyses of government projects are expected to incorporate society's risk aversion. The expected net benefits are reduced by an appropriate risk premium so that all projects are compared on the basis of their certainty equivalent values. The chapter focuses on a remarkable theorem by Arrow and Lind. They argued that the government could ignore risk under certain fairly broad conditions—that is, the aggregate risk premium under these conditions is zero.
Control of the spindle checkpoint by lateral kinetochore attachment and limited Mad1 recruitment

We observed the dynamic recruitment of spindle checkpoint proteins Mad1 and Bub1 to detached kinetochores in budding yeast using real-time live-cell imaging and quantified recruitment in fixed cells. After induced de novo kinetochore assembly at one pair of sister centromeres, Mad1 appeared after the kinetochore protein Mtw1. Detached kinetochores were not associated with the nuclear envelope, so Mad1 does not anchor them to nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Disrupting Mad1's NPC localization increased Mad1 recruitment to detached sister kinetochores. Conversely, increasing the number of detached kinetochores reduced the amount of Mad1 per detached kinetochore. Bub1 also relocalized completely from the spindle to detached sister centromeres after kinetochore assembly. After their capture by microtubules, Mad1 and Bub1 progressively disappeared from kinetochores. Sister chromatids that arrested with a lateral attachment to one microtubule exhibited half the Mad1 of fully detached sisters. We propose that detached kinetochores compete with alternate binding sites in the nucleus to recruit Mad1 and Bub1 from available pools that are small enough to be fully depleted by just one pair of detached kinetochores and that lateral attachment licenses Mad1 removal from kinetochores after a kinetic delay.
Fetuin-A adsorption and stabilization of calcium carbonate nanoparticles in a simulated body fluid.

Fetuin-A is a serum glycoprotein identified as a calcification inhibitor, and a key player in bone formation and human metabolic processes. A study on binding mechanisms of Fetuin-A with calcium carbonate nanoparticles in a simulated body fluid (DMEM) environment is presented. Observed interactions between Fetuin-A and the CaCO3 nanoparticles reveal an initial adsorption process, followed by a stabilization stage, and then a solubilization period for the Fetuin-A/CaCO3 complex. FTIR and XPS are used to monitor functional group and elemental composition changes during the initial adsorption process between Fetuin-A and the CaCO3 nanoparticles. Distinctive Fetuin-A/CaCO3 complex structures—also known as mineralo-protein particles—are imaged with TEM and SEM. DLS and UV-Vis methods are used to further characterize the in situ binding mechanisms. Results of this study can guide the design of complex organic–inorganic hybrid materials, improve current drug delivery methods, and provide insight in monitoring and controlling interactions between Fetuin-A and external calcium ions.
The effect of hydrogen content on the properties of reactively sputtered amorphous SiH

Abstract Hydrogenated a-Si films containing exclusively monohydride bonding have been produced over a range of hydrogen densities between 0 and 20 at. % by reactive sputtering. Deposition, conductivity, activation energy, and optical gap data are presented for these films. These data indicate that 5 at. % of hydrogen bonds to sites which would otherwise be dangling or spin paired bonds while additional hydrogen replaced SiSi bonds. It is proposed that hydrogen added above 5 at. % reduces the recombination rate by relaxing the a-Si network.
A multifaceted intervention for patients with anaphylaxis increases epinephrine use in adult emergency department.

Background Studies have documented inconsistent emergency anaphylaxis care and low compliance with published guidelines. Objective To evaluate anaphylaxis management before and after implementation of an emergency department (ED) anaphylaxis order set and introduction of epinephrine autoinjectors, and to measure the effect on anaphylaxis guideline adherence. Methods A cohort study was conducted from April 29, 2008, to August 9, 2012. Adult patients in the ED who were diagnosed with anaphylaxis were included. ED management, disposition, self-injectable epinephrine prescriptions, allergy follow-up, and incidence of biphasic reactions were evaluated. Results The study included 202 patients. The median age of the patients was 45.3 years (interquartile range, 31.3-56.4 years); 139 (69%) were women. Patients who presented after order set implementation were more likely to be treated with epinephrine (51% vs 33%; odds ratio [OR] 2.05 [95% CI, 1.04-4.04]) and admitted to the ED observation unit (65% vs 44%; OR 2.38 [95% CI, 1.23-4.60]), and less likely to be dismissed home directly from ED (16% vs 29%, OR 0.47 [95% CI, 0.22-1.00]). Eleven patients (5%) had a biphasic reaction. Of these, 5 (46%) had the biphasic reaction in the ED observation unit; 1 patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. Six patients (55%) had reactions within 6 hours of initial symptom resolution, of whom 2 were admitted to the intensive care unit. Conclusions Significantly higher proportions of patients with anaphylaxis received epinephrine and were admitted to the ED observation unit after introduction of epinephrine autoinjectors and order set implementation. Slightly more than half of the biphasic reactions occurred within the recommended observation time of 4 to 6 hours. Analysis of these data suggests that the multifaceted approach to changing anaphylaxis management described here improved guideline adherence.
Agglomeration Economies among High Technology Firms in Advanced Production Areas: The Case of Denver/Boulder

LYONS D. (1995) Agglomeration economies among high technology firms in advanced production areas: the case of Denver/Boulder, Reg. Studies 29, 265–278. Research on the agglomeration economies generated by high technology industry has tended to focus on either core high technology areas or fabrication clusters. This paper directs attention to intermediate or advanced production areas through an investigation of the agglomeration advantages generated by high technology firms in the Denver/Boulder region. The results suggest that advanced production areas are characterized by relatively robust and innovative high technology sectors with significant agglomeration advantages derived from the division of labour, new firm formation and, to a lesser extent, local forward and backward linkages. Although small firms account for the majority of firms in the Denver/Boulder area, a small number of large firms are crucial to the future economic health of the area. LYONS D. (1995) Les economies d'agglomeration des entre...
Renal ultrasound studies after endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer for vesicoureteral reflux

Abstract Objectives To examine the outcomes of renal ultrasound studies after subureteral injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer and provide recommendations for postoperative management of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Methods Pediatric patients aged 15 years or younger with uncomplicated primary VUR were recruited for endoscopic treatment with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid gel. After undergoing the procedure, patients were instructed to continue prophylactic antibiotic treatment until a follow-up voiding cystourethrogram was obtained 2 weeks or more after treatment. VUR resolution was defined as grade 0. Repeat endoscopic injection was offered to patients with persistent VUR. Postoperative renal ultrasound scans were obtained on the same day as the voiding cystourethrogram. Results Of 120 patients treated, 6 were lost to follow-up and 14 had not yet undergone the posttreatment evaluation. The 100 remaining patients (efficacy population) had a mean age of 4.2 years (range 0.5 to 15), and the median reflux grade was 2 (range 1 to 5). The overall VUR resolution rate for the patients was 87% after endoscopic injection. Of 100 patients, 88 achieved complete resolution after a single injection and 19 required a repeat injection. Of the 100 patients who underwent postoperative ultrasound examination, none demonstrated renal ultrasound changes consistent with significant ureteral obstruction or renal parenchymal changes. Conclusions Renal ultrasound studies after endoscopic treatment with dextranomer/hyaluronic acid gel are unnecessary after determination of reflux resolution by voiding cystourethrography.
Iron-nickel sulfides in the Murchison meteorite and their relationship to phase Q1

Pentlandite from the Murchison meteorite survives HF-HCl attack and dissolves in HNO3 at room temperature, thus satisfying the operational definition of phase Q1, the proposed major carrier of carbonaceous chondrite fission xenon. However, identification of pentlandite with that phase is problematical in view of apparently differing thermal stabilities.
Elderly women who want to live alone: lessons learned.

Housing programs should be designed to meet the personal and interpersonal needs of the growing number of older people in the population. Our understanding of these needs is based on our understanding of "normal aging," or more appropriately, what makes for successful aging. Attention to what is required for that success and for quality of life is essential. It is offered that respect for individuality, autonomy, and control is central to the maintenance of identity and integrity. Attention paid to the positive poles of Erickson's view of identity in the life cycle would serve to reinforce and maintain both identity and the quality of life. Our most difficult patients, elderly women who want to live alone, have much to teach us about the struggle of the elderly to maintain a sense of self. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1988;1:171-174)
Low-temperature behavior of a one-dimensional random Ising model

The random Ising chain is a very simple model with a large number of metastable states. Simple analytical calculation of the relaxation of energy and magnetization is presented. The effect of a nonzero magnetic field is discussed qualitatively. The slow relaxation in this simple model resembles that observed in spin glasses. A weak magnetic field can produce rather strong effects. The magnetization is shown to be a nonanalytic function of the field. The field also greatly alters the metastability characteristics.
Cotranslocational Degradation: Utilitarianism in the ER Stress Response

Recently, a new layer of the unfolded protein response was discovered that supports the cotranslocational degradation of nascent chains stalled in endoplasmic reticulum translocons (Oyadomari et al., 2006).
Response of Laboratory-Reared Male Cabbage Looper to Synthetic Sex Pheromone in the Field

When a series of field tests was made nightly from 8:00 PM to 12 midnight, the synthetic sex pheromone emanating from a polyethylene dispenser stimulated caged male Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) as much as 320 ft downwind when wind velocity was 2.5-5 mph and the temperature was 60-63°F. Response of caged and released moths at 160 feet indicated pheromone dispersed 40 and 60% respectively. When marked moths were released at 350, 500, and 1000 feet downwind from the source of the pheromone, 30, 19, and 6%, respectively, were recovered within 15 min. When 4 traps were aligned 650 feet apart, 32, 15, 5, and 2% of the moths, respectively, were recovered when they were released 160, 650, 1325, and 2020 feet from the closest trap. Also, 94% of the recovered moths were trapped at the closest trap when the releases were made 160 feet from that trap; when the moths were released from 650 feet or more from the nearest trap only 44-59% of the recovered moths were caught in the closest trap.
A computer model for hydrodynamic shearing of DNA — Further investigation on distribution of break lengths: Part III

The distribution of breaks along the DNA strand in hydrodynamic shearing is unknown, and there is no real-world experiment which could directly determine this distribution. This paper presents an extension of the simulation model for hydrodynamic shearing of DNA reported in [1,2]. An empirical model is presented showing a good linear relationship between LAMBDA and the number of fragments from each original strand. The average strand length is directly proportional to the number of fragments per strand. The traditional assumption of uniform random breaks along the DNA strand is supported by this model.
Electrophoretically applied dielectrics for amorphous metal foils used in pulsed power saturable reactors

Amorphous metal foil-wound inductors have been tested as ferromagnetic saturable inductive elements for pulsed-power (multi-terawatt) switching modules in the inertial confinement fusion program at Sandia National Laboratories. Saturation switching may provide large 100 ns current bursts necessary to accelerate ion beams for the fusion fuel pellet implosion required, for example, in PBFA (particle beam fusion accelerator) operation. In simulated capacitor testing premature dielectric breakdown of thin polyethylene terephthalate film insulation in the inductor windings occurs at considerably below 2500 V. This appears to be due to inadvertant dielectric damage from micro-spikes on the amorphous foil surface. Electron micrographs and dielectric breakdown data illustrate that electrophoretically-applied dielectric coatings, deposited from organic aqueous colloid dispersions, can be used to provide insulating coatings on the foil which provide a 240% improvement (6000 V) in the breakdown strength of wound amorphous foil inductors. The theory and operation of a dedicated electrophoretic continuous coating system is described. The machine was constructed and successfully applied for dielectric coating of amorphous metal foil. Additional possible applications exist for practical dielectric coating of metallic films or foils used in various commercial wound-type capacitor structures.
Classifying web queries by topic and user intent

In this research, we investigate a methodology to classify automatically Web queries by topic and user intent. Taking a 20,000 plus Web query data set sectioned by topic, we manually classified each query using a three-level hierarchy of user intent. We note that significant differences in user intent across topics. Results show that user intent (informational, navigational, and transactional) varies by topic (15 to 24 percent depending on the category). We then use this manually classified data set to classify searches in a Web search engine query stream automatically, using an exact match followed by n-gram approach. These approaches have the advantage of being implementable in real time for query classification of Web searches. The implications are that a search engine can improve retrieval performance by more effectively identifying the intent underlying user queries.
Estimating uncertainties and uncertainty contributors of CMB PM2.5 source apportionment results

The chemical mass balance (CMB) model was applied for source apportionment of PM2.5 in Atlanta in order to explore levels and causes of uncertainties in source contributions. Monte Carlo analysis with Latin hypercube sampling (MC-LHS) was performed to evaluate the source impact uncertainties and quantify how uncertainties in ambient measurement and source profile data affect results. In general, uncertainties in the source profile data contribute more to the final uncertainties in source apportionment results than do those in ambient measurement data. Uncertainty contribution estimates suggest that non-linear interactions among source profiles also affect the final uncertainties although their influence is typically less than uncertainties in source profile data.
The fluorescence spectrum of naphthalene vapor in the 3100A region

Abstract The fluorescence spectra of naphthalene-h8 and naphthalene-d8 have been photographed in the 3100A region using a spectrograph with a resolution of about 0.5 cm−1. Three mercury lines in the region of 3125A were used for excitation and spectra were obtained at a pressure of ∼0.1 mm Hg (when emission occurs before many collisions between molecules have taken place) and with helium added to a pressure of 5 mm Hg (when vibrational deactivation takes place before emission). The low-pressure spectra are extensive and were used in making vibrational assignments. The high-pressure spectra are less extensive but contain further useful information: rotational contours in these spectra were used to support vibrational assignments. An understanding of the mechanism of the fluorescence has enabled an assignment of the 72cm−1 sequence interval to be made in both naphthalene-h8 and -d8. The contours of the 72cm−1 sequence members show evidence for Coriolis interaction in support of their assignments. The vibrations involved in some other sequences have been ascertained from the low-pressure spectra. Combination bands have been assigned which confirm the existence of the ag vibrations with frequencies of about 516 and 493 cm−1, respectively, in naphthalene-h8 and -d8.
Long-Term Computer-Assisted Outpatient Electroencephalogram Monitoring in Children and Adolescents

The aims of this study were (1) to define the role of long-term computer-assisted outpatient electroencephalographic monitoring (COEEG) in children and adolescents with known or suspected epilepsy, and (2) to compare COEEG data with routine interictal electroencephalograms (EEG). We performed 18-channel COEEG in 84 children and adolescents with diagnosed (group 1, n = 49) or suspected (group 2, n = 35) epilepsy. Mean recording time was 1.4 days. Overall, COEEG was useful in 87% of patients. In group 1, events were recorded in 73% of patients and were electrographic seizures in 45%. In group 2, events were detected in 86% of patients and were electrographic seizures in 17%. Nocturnal and partial seizures predominated. Seizure diagnosis and classification by COEEG was concordant with interictal EEG findings in 19% and discordant in 63% of patients. COEEG is a useful technique for the diagnosis of epileptic and nonepileptic events among selected children and adolescents. When compared to routine interictal E...
Production of a high density hydrogen gas jet

Abstract We have produced pulsed supersonic jets of H2 and He with densities of the order of 10−7 g/cm3, for durations of 25–200 ms. The densities were measured with a constant temperature anemometer that was constantly self-calibrated in a static pressure mode by the determination of accommodation coefficients of the gases used. Such supersonic jets are to be used as internal targets in high energy experiments.
Building sustainability change management and leadership skills in students: lessons learned from “Sustainability and the Campus” at the University of Michigan

Leading institutions of higher education are increasingly utilizing the campus as a laboratory not only for implementing “green projects” but also for developing the skill set of students to lead the deep organizational change necessary for sustainability. This case study of “Sustainability and the Campus” at the University of Michigan, one of the most established and largest interdisciplinary campus sustainability courses, assesses this skill building through surveys, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The sample includes 64 current and former students and 11 staff who served as project sponsors. The results reveal that while student learning and project “success” are not directly correlated, students gain a deep understanding of change management complexity and build leadership skills as well as confidence while bolstering their resumes. From a staff perspective, benefits flow as much from the interaction with students, in terms of building mutual respect and shared understanding, as from the direct outcomes. While student labor is not “free” in terms of time and energy, there is no substitute for the enthusiasm, creativity, and perspective that students bring to campus sustainability projects when coupled with the appropriate scope, expectations, and communication. Key factors for project and course success include: active instructor engagement in group dynamics and project management, carefully managing student and staff expectations, and designing projects while simultaneously planning follow-up. Using systems thinking for organizational change as the linking concept between class sessions and group projects provides intellectual continuity and an opportunity for expansive thinking about leadership and change management.
Memory search and the neural representation of context

A challenge for theories of episodic memory is to determine how we focus memory search on a set of recently learned items. Cognitive theories suggest that the recall of an item representation is driven by an internally maintained context representation that integrates incoming information with a long time-scale. Neural investigations have shown that recalling an item revives the pattern of brain activity present during its study. To link these neural and cognitive approaches, we propose a framework in which context is maintained and updated in prefrontal cortex, and is associated with item information through hippocampal projections. The proposed framework is broadly consistent with neurobiological studies of temporal integration and with studies of memory deficits in individuals with prefrontal damage.
Gap-, stand-, and landscape-scale factors contribute to poor sugar maple regeneration after timber harvest

Abstract Natural regeneration in canopy gaps is a key process affecting long-term dynamics of many forests, including northern hardwood forests. The density and composition of regenerating trees are often highly variable, reflecting sensitivity to a suite of driving factors operating at different scales (e.g., harvest gap to regional landscape), including production of seeds, physical characteristics of gaps and stands, competition with non-tree vegetation, and browsing by animals. Multivariate analyses over broad geographic areas provide insights into the relative effects of these factors and permit exploration of spatial patterns in regeneration. We examined the effects of gap-, stand-, and landscape-scale factors on densities of tree seedlings ( 2 region of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We used Bayesian multilevel modeling to account for the hierarchical structure of the data and assess uncertainty in parameter estimates. Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum ) saplings were absent from 61% of 154 m 2 plots centered in harvest gaps ( n = 347) despite its high shade tolerance and overstory dominance, but densities were high in other gaps. Densities of sugar maple seedlings and/or saplings were negatively associated with a combination of greater stand-scale densities of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), greater gap-scale cover of non-tree vegetation, and lower gap-scale light availability, with deer density having the greatest effect. Densities of unpalatable and commercially less valuable ironwood ( Ostrya virginiana ), the second most common regeneration species, were positively related to gap-scale seed-production potential but were unrelated to factors affecting sugar maple. Ironwood tended to replace sugar maple saplings in areas with high deer density. At the landscape scale, densities of sugar maple seedlings and saplings decreased with decreasing latitude and snow depth and increasing winter deer densities. These inverse spatial patterns suggest that deer herbivory can lead to landscape-scale variation in regeneration success. However, the spatial distribution of habitat types (a proxy for soil moisture and nutrient conditions) confound this observation, with higher densities of sugar maple generally located on stands with less nutrient-rich habitat types. Results demonstrate that combinations of factors operating at different scales, and with different relative magnitudes of impact, contribute to high variation in regeneration composition and density following timber harvest. Selection silvicultural practices, as currently applied, do not ensure regeneration of desirable species; practices might require modifications in general (e.g., increasing gap size) and to match them to regionally varying factors like deer density.
Rightward orienting bias, wheelchair maneuvering, and fall risk

Abstract Objective: To investigate whether rightward orienting bias, without neglect of left hemispace, increased accident risk. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation unit of department of government medical center. Patients: Successive right-cerebrovascular accident (CVA) admissions were reviewed over a 2-year period. Only patients with left hemisphere damage, recent abusive drinking, dementia, or inpatient stays of less than 3 weeks were excluded. Fifty-five right-CVA subjects were divided into three groups, based on starting point and omissions in left hemispace on the ReyOsterreith Complex Figure Drawing and Random Letter Cancellation test. Thirty-two patients were placed in the L-OMIT group (omitted stimuli in left hemispace), 11 patients were placed in the R-BIAS group (began tasks to the right without omissions), and 12 patients were placed in the Non-Neglect Stroke group (no evidence of unilateral neglect). Twenty male inpatients with no history of brain damage served as controls (Normal Control). Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of hospital falls and wheelchair obstacle course contacts. Results: Both the L-OMIT and the R-BIAS groups had more inpatient falls than the other groups F (3,71) = 6.11, p F (3,55) = 5.72, p Conclusions: Results suggest that rightward orienting bias has clinical significance, even without more serious symptoms of unilateral neglect.
The sugar production factory—A dynamic decision task

This article describes the Sugar Production Factor and its structural equivalent, the Personal Interaction task. These are two simple, individual dynamic decision-making tasks in which subjects make interdependent decisions to reach a goal, and receive feedback on the outcome of their efforts along the way. An important result from human learning experiments using these two tasks and their variants is that subjects reliably improve their ability to reach the goal over a moderate number of training trials (40–90) but do not show consistent improvement in other measures of task knowledge. These other measures focus on subjects' ability to accurately predict the task environment's response to their actions and subjects' ability to produce useful heuristics. This pattern of results runs counter to the idea that decision makers' performance in dynamic decision tasks depends critically on the predictive accuracy their internal models of the task environment. Variants of both tasks have been used to manipulate this pattern of results and explore more deeply the nature of the internal models that subjects form of the task environment. These variants are discussed in the context of other relevant findings in the dynamic decision making literature.
A mechanism of high friction in dry sliding bearings

The conventional definition of friction coefficient as the ratio of the frictional force to the initial normal load is misleading when complete mechanical interlocking between two surfaces occurs. In that case, even after the initial normal load is released, the frictional resistance of surfaces to relative motion remains high and the magnitude of friction coefficient, by the conventional definition, is infinity. It is shown in this paper that the entrapment of wear particles at the sliding interface of a geometrically constrained bearing operating under dry conditions leads to increased normal load. The higher normal load in turn results in a rapid increase in the frictional torque of the bearing and can cause seizure. A model is developed to predict the normal load increase. The model is based on the assumption that the entrapped wear particles are compacted at the initial contact point of the bearing. The model predicts that the large increase in the frictional torque of bearings experiencing seizure is mainly due to the increased localized normal load and not necessarily due to higher friction coefficient.
Effects of pulsed external augmentation of diastolic pressure on coronary and systemic hemodynamics in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract The purpose of this study was to define the effects of pulsed external diastolic pressure augmentation on coronary and systemic hemodynamics in 14 men with coronary artery disease and normal left ventricular function. Coronary sinus and great vein blood flow (thermodilution) and systemic hemodynamics were measured before, during, and after timed lower extremity compression, augmenting peak diastolic pressure to within 5 mm Hg of systolic pressure. Systolic and diastolic pressure-time indices were calculated from the high-fidelity micromanometer left ventricular-aortic recordings. External counterpulsation increased mean arterial pressure (108 ± 11 [1 SD] to 114 ± 12 mm Hg, p p
Explaining Gender Differences in the Perception of Support Availability: The Mediating Effects of Construct Availability and Accessibility

Perceived support availability (PSA), a general belief about the likelihood that social support will be available when needed, is associated with numerous processes and outcomes of supportive communication. Currently, however, there is little understanding of the factors that contribute to this belief. Numerous studies have reported gender differences in PSA, with women generally indicating that they see support as more available than do men; in turn, gender differences in PSA have been cited to explain gender differences in the production and interpretation of supportive messages. In an effort to explain gender differences in PSA and, more broadly, understand the social-cognitive factors that contribute to individual differences in PSA, this article proposes and reports a test of a theoretical model that treats PSA as the outcome of the availability and accessibility of cognitive schemata for construing social situations. Participants (150 men and 271 women) completed instruments providing assessments of...
Complex sample design effects and inference for mental health survey data

Mental health researchers world-wide are using large-scale sample survey methods to study mental health epidemiology and services utilization in general, non-clinical populations (Alegria et al. in press). This article reviews important statistical methods and software that apply to descriptive and multivariate analysis of data collected in sample surveys. A comparative analysis of mental health surveys in international locations is used to illustrate analysis procedures and ‘design effects’ for survey estimates of population statistics, model parameters and test statistics. This article addresses the following questions. How should a research analyst approach the analysis of sample survey data? Are there software tools available to perform this analysis? Is the use of ‘correct’ survey analysis methods important to interpretation of survey data? It addresses the question of approaches to the analysis of complex sample survey data. The latest developments in software tools for the analysis of complex sample survey data are covered, and empirical examples are presented that illustrate the impact of survey sample design features on the interpretation of confidence intervals and test statistics for univariate and multivariate analyses. Copyright © 1998 Whurr Publishers Ltd.
24-Hour Access: Responding to Students’ Need for Late Library Hours at the University of Denver

The University of Denver's Penrose Library saw a substantial increase in use as a result of several new and enhanced services over a six-year period. In turn, longer operating hours and increased staffing for a 24-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week (24 × 5) operating schedule was funded. This case study analyzes student need for longer library hours and the key factors used to justify additional staffing and enhanced hours of operation.
Digital Microfluidics: Connecting Biochemistry to Electronic System Design

Microfluidics-based biochips are revolutionizing high-throughput sequencing, parallel immunoassays, blood chemistry for clinical diagnostics, DNA sequencing, and environmental sensing. The complexity of microfluidic devices, also referred to as lab-on-a-chip, is expected to become significant in the near future due to the need for multiple and concurrent biochemical assays on multifunctional and reconfigurable platforms. This paper provides an overview of droplet-based “digital” microfluidic biochips. It presents early work on top-down system-level computer-aided design (CAD) tools for the synthesis, testing and reconfiguration of microfluidic biochips. These CAD techniques allow the biochip to concentrate on the development of the nano- and micro-scale bioassays, leaving assay optimization and implementation details to design automation tools.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Analysis of gene profile, steady state proliferation and apoptosis of double-negative T cells in the periphery and gut epithelium provides new insights into the biological functions of the Fas pathway.

Considerable progress has been made in understanding the Fas pathway at the molecular and cellular levels, but fundamental questions about the overall biological role of the Fas pathway remain unresolved. A major question is why lymphoproliferation caused by the lpr mutation of Fas and gld mutation of FasL ligand (FasL) is dominated by CD4− and CD8− double-negative αβ T cells (DN T cells) that are otherwise rare components of the peripheral T cell repertoire. A second unresolved question is why inactivation of the Fas pathway prevents organ-specific autoimmunity (including as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis) while causing systemic lymphoproliferation? Understanding the mechanisms of these processes could uncover important aspects of the biological role of the Fas pathway and could have significant therapeutic implications. For example, revealing the basis of how inactivation of the Fas pathway prevents organ-specific autoimmunity could lead to new immunotherapeutic strategies to promote self tolerance without causing immunosuppression, as the Fas pathway is not essential for T cell activation. Here we discuss recent and new findings from my laboratory that address these questions. On the basis of these findings, we propose a new role for the Fas pathway in sequestration of DN T cells within the gut epithelium.
2-1-1 Information services: Outcomes assessment, benefit–cost analysis, and policy issues

Abstract This study investigates policy issues surrounding the implementation and assessment of 2-1-1 information and referral services. More specifically, the study explores the benefits that users receive from 2-1-1 referral services that are distinct from the actual social assistance provided by various service agencies; what policymakers should consider when funding and implementing 2-1-1 services; and the operational structure and interagency relationships that can maximize the benefit of the referral service to both individuals and existing social service agencies. Researchers conducted an extensive literature review and case study to examine dimensions of service performance, benefit–cost, and user outcomes of 2-1-1 services. This study further identifies potential measures and protocols for developing a holistic assessment program that goes beyond the reporting of quantitative inputs and outputs associated with a 2-1-1 agency. The centerpiece of this study is the creation of a logic model that identifies benefits and costs at three different levels: the individual, organizational, and societal. In addition, the model incorporates the dimension of time in order to distinguish between short-, medium-, and long-term benefits. Thus, the model provides a basis for incremental and flexible assessment of service performance that can lead to the creation of a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing evaluation for 2-1-1 services.
The effects of temporal and event uncertainty in determining the waveforms of the auditory event related potential (ERP).

In each of two experimental conditions, subjects were presented with a series of tones; one of two tones (1500 Hz or 1000 Hz) was presented on each trial with a probability respectively of .10 or .90. The subjects counted the rare (p=.10) tones; such counted rare tones are normally associated with a large P300 component. The two conditions differed in that in one the tunes were triggered by the subject's button press; in the other the tones were triggered by computer. Schafer and Marcus (1973) reported that all the components of event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by self-triggered tones were substantially smaller than those elicited by machine-triggered stimuli. Our paradigm allowed a detailed assessment of the effects of self-stimulation on specific ERP components as well as the interaction of temporal with event uncertainty. Data were analyzed using a Principal Components technique. Both temporal and event uncertainty appeared to augment a negative component of the ERP with approximately 140 msec latency. Such effects, however, were confounded by the presence of slow negative potentials preceding the button press in the self-stimulation conditions. As expected, the P300 component was largest for the ERPs elicited by the rare tones. Temporal uncertainty diminished the amplitude of P300 at central electrode sites. A large slow wave was present following P300; its anterior-posterior distribution was altered by mode of stimulus presentation. It appears that temporal and event uncertainty have distinct effects upon the morphology and distribution of KRP components.