cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chinese companies conquering the world: A descriptive analysis of the rapid rise of Chinese acquisitions

In this article, we study the global acquisition trends of Chinese companies. We look at the countries and sectors they are investing in and the factors driving those investments. We consider the inflexion points and the changes before and after the Global Financial Crisis. The focus of the paper is the evolution of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), but we also consider greenfield investments and overall outward foreign direct investments. To that end, we use longitudinal data from three sources: the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ, and Financial Times fDi Markets. We note that M&A activity was key for the rapid growth and the fast internationalization pace of Chinese companies. While M&A is the entry mode of choice for Chinese firms to approach the developed world (Europe and the U.S.), greenfields are more common for expansion in Asia and Africa. The paper also provides comparisons with data from other emerging markets and the U.S.
Why Did the United States Medical School Admissions Quota for Jews End

At the end of World War II anti-Semitism was pervasive in the United States. Quotas to limit the number of Jewish students were put in place at most U.S. medical schools in the 1920s and were well-entrenched by 1945. By 1970 the quota was gone. Why? Multiple factors contributed to the end of the quota. First, attitudes toward Jews shifted as Americans recoiled from the horrors of the Holocaust and over half a million Jewish GIs returned home from World War II. Many entered the higher education system. Second, governmental and private investigations in New York City, New York State and Philadelphia exposed the quota. Third, New York State, led by Governor Thomas E. Dewey, established 4 publicly supported nondiscriminatory medical schools. These schools adsorbed many New York Jewish applicants. Fourth, from the 1920s through the 1960s some medical schools consistently or intermittently ignored the quota. Finally, the federal and several state governments passed nondiscrimination in higher education legislation. The quotas ended because of a combination of changing societal attitudes and government and private social action. This remarkable social change may be instructive as higher education now grapples with allegations of a quota system for Asian-Americans.
Stability, Thermal Conductivity, Viscosity, and Tribological Characterization of Zirconia Nanofluids as a Function of Nanoparticle Concentration

AbstractCommercially prepared spherical zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles with an average particle diameter of 5 nm and functionalized with a hydrocarbon ligand were dispersed in a polyalphaolefin (PAO...
Connecting Language and Vision: From Captioning towards Embodied Learning

For most humans, understanding multimedia content is easy, and in many cases images and videos are a preferred means of augmenting and enhancing human interaction and communication. Given a video, humans can discern a great deal from this rich information source and can interpret and describe the content to varying degrees of detail. For computers however, interpreting content from image and video pixels and associating them with language is very challenging. Research in the recent past has made tremendous progress in this problem of visual language grounding, i.e. interpreting visual content, from images and videos, and associating them with language. This progress has been made possible not only by advances in object recognition, activity recognition, and language generation, but also by developing versatile and elegant ways of combining them. However to realize the long-term goal of enabling fluent interaction between humans and computers/robots, it is also essential to ground language in action in addition to vision. In this respect embodied, task-oriented aspect of language grounding has emerged as a research direction that is garnering much attention. Current research focuses on developing new datasets and techniques for linking language to action in the real world, such as agents that follow instructions for navigation tasks or manipulation tasks. Following the exciting progress in this space, we expect research in connecting language and vision to continue to accelerate in the coming years towards the development of embodied agents that learn to navigate the real world through human interaction.
Functional annotation of serine hydrolases in the asexual erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium falciparum

Enzymes of the serine hydrolase superfamily are ubiquitous, highly versatile catalysts that mediate a wide variety of metabolic reactions in eukaryotic cells, while also being amenable to selective inhibition. We have employed a fluorophosphonate-based affinity capture probe and mass spectrometry to explore the expression profile and metabolic roles of the 56-member P. falciparum serine hydrolase superfamily in the asexual erythrocytic stage of P. falciparum. This approach provided a detailed census of active serine hydrolases in the asexual parasite, with identification of 21 active serine hydrolases from α/β hydrolase, patatin, and rhomboid protease families. To gain insight into their functional roles and substrates, the pan-lipase inhibitor isopropyl dodecylfluorophosphonate was employed for competitive activity-based protein profiling, leading to the identification of seven serine hydrolases with potential lipolytic activity. We demonstrated how a chemoproteomic approach can provide clues to the specificity of serine hydrolases by using a panel of neutral lipase inhibitors to identify an enzyme that reacts potently with a covalent monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor. In combination with existing phenotypic data, our studies define a set of serine hydrolases that likely mediate critical metabolic reactions in asexual parasites and enable rational prioritization of future functional characterization and inhibitor development efforts.
Satellite Imagery Data for Global Health and Epidemiology

In this chapter, we describe commonly accessible sources of satellite imagery data free of charge for research. Exemplary data include lightening for development level, PM2.5 for pollution, temperature, recitation deforestation. We cover the sources of such data, methods to access, and utilization of them as a measure of the macro-environment in research, overall and zoom in down to specific country, district and community/neighborhood levels. Examples are used to illustrate the process, including R codes, screen shots, and tables.
Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Extra-articular Augmentation: A Systematic Review.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the current study is to systematically review the current evidence in the literature to ascertain rates of return to play following ACLR with extra-articular augmentation (EA). Methods A literature search was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they evaluated and reported on return to play following ACLR + EA, case studies and review articles were excluded. The outcomes measured focused on 1) return to play, 2) return to play at the same or higher level, and 3) timing of return to play. Qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis were performed using SPSS. Results Overall, 19 studies met our inclusion criteria. Among those undergoing primary ACLR, 82.8%-100% were able to return to play, with 64%-100% able to return at the same/higher level of play. All professional athletes were able to return to play and 85.7%-100% able to return to the same level of pre-operative play. The mean time to return was 5-11 months in those undergoing primary ACLR + EA. Among those undergoing revision ACLR, 50-88.4% were able to return to play, with 41.5%-77.8% able to return at the same/higher level of play. None of the included 5 studies comparing rate of return to play between ACLR + EA or ACLR found a significant difference between them. However, among the 6 studies comparing rate of return to play at the same level ACLR + EA or ACLR, 2 studies found a significant difference in rate of return to play at the same/higher level in those undergoing ACLR + EA. Conclusion ACLR + EA resulted in high levels of return to play in those undergoing either primary or revision ACLR. Additionally, comparative studies of patients undergoing primary ACLR with or without EA reported similar high rates of return to play.
AN ALGORITHM FOR MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (IMPLEMENTED IN AARDVARK)

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the development of AARDVARK and its algorithms. The chapter presents in detail a new algorithm for the multivariate analysis of variance and covariance for balanced-complete structures. The primary principle underlying the development of AARDVARK has been to permit machine computations to be dictated by an algebraic specification of the statistical problem, in particular the statistical model. The chapter discusses some examples of AARDVARK problem statements. The original AARDVARK system was completed in 1963 at Iowa State University. The original AARDVARK system utilized an algorithm for balanced-complete structures that imposed certain restrictions in writing the model. Numerically, this algorithm was an extension of Hartley's algorithm for a complete factorial decomposition. A binary mapping algebra was developed to relate computed results to model specifications. The original system handled only fixed-effects models, had limited covariance capabilities, and processed certain non-orthogonal cases, with approximations for others. It had very good data-handling capabilities.
Hermann Weyl, the Gauge Principle, and Symbolic Construction from the “Purely Infinitesimal”

The modern gauge principle stipulates that every global symmetry of a quantum field theory be replaced by a local one. It has an unusual “context of discovery”: imposed in 1918 on philosophical grounds by Hermann Weyl, it led to a purely formal unification of Einstein’s gravitational theory and electromagnetism. This achievement prompted Weyl’s purely mathematical turn in 1925–6 to Lie theory and of course Lie groups and Lie algebras play prominent roles in the subsequent development of the gauge principle leading up to the Standard Model. I show that the gauge principle as well as Weyl’s predominant interest in Lie theory stem from two complementary philosophical interests: (i) phenomenological evidential requirements imposed on differential geometric construction, and (ii) the epistemological command of “Nahewirkungphysik”: to comprehend the world from its behavior in the infinitely small. (i) and (ii) productively meet in Weyl’s notion of “symbolic construction”. The gauge principle’s “radical locality” is the basis of Weyl’s constitution of objectivity as an intersubjectivity requiring local degrees of freedom. This leads to a necessary redundancy of physical description, a philosophical puzzle that might be elucidated by revisiting the philosophical underpinnings of the gauge principle.
Recent advances in the synthesis and reactivity of azetidines: strain-driven character of the four-membered heterocycle

Azetidines represent one of the most important four-membered heterocycles used in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. The reactivity of azetidines is driven by a considerable ring strain, while at the same the ring is significantly more stable than that of related aziridines, which translates into both facile handling and unique reactivity that can be triggered under appropriate reaction conditions. Recently, remarkable advances in the chemistry and reactivity of azetidines have been reported. In this review, we provide an overview of the synthesis, reactivity and application of azetidines that have been published in the last years with a focus on the most recent advances, trends and future directions. The review is organized by the methods of synthesis of azetidines and the reaction type used for functionalization of azetidines. Finally, recent examples of using azetidines as motifs in drug discovery, polymerization and chiral templates are discussed.
Optimal Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Women: A Pragmatic Approach to Unanswered Questions

Recent epidemiologic data show an increasing incidence of breast cancer among premenopausal women in many higher-income countries. Among premenopausal women, those diagnosed under age 40 years experience inferior long-term outcomes, particularly in the setting of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative disease. In addition to more advanced disease presentation and/or less favorable disease biology, suboptimal adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) has emerged as an important driver of this age-related disparity. Historically, young women have been excluded from treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AIs), attained low rates of chemotherapy-related amenorrhea, and exhibited low adherence to ET. Recently, several studies have demonstrated treatment with ovarian function suppression (OFS) during the first 5 years postdiagnosis to be associated with improvements in breast cancer recurrence and mortality, with additional benefits achieved from pairing OFS with an AI. As the first 5 years of ET for premenopausal women has been transformed, extended ET, administered in years 5-10 postdiagnosis, has also become more common. However, the only studies of extending ET in premenopausal women have tested an additional 5 years of tamoxifen following an initial 5 years of tamoxifen and studies of AIs in the second 5 years have been limited to postmenopausal women. Herein, we review available data concerning potential benefits and risks to be considered when counseling premenopausal women on extended ET, including the continuation of OFS. We offer a pragmatic framework to support decision making given the current body of knowledge and call out the need for additional research into this issue.
Crop Yield Limitation by Soil Organic Matter Decline: A Case Study from the US Pacific Northwest

Soil degradation has become a significant challenge for agricultural and environmental sustainability. Continuous depletion in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) in the past century has considerably affected agricultural productivity and sustainability in semiarid drylands of the inland Pacific Northwest (IPNW) of the USA. This chapter discusses linkages between soil organic matter depletion and yield decline in a winter wheat-summer fallow (WW-SF) system in the IPNW based on data obtained from a long-term study (>80 y). Studies conducted in dryland winter wheat-summer fallow (WW-SF) systems revealed a decrease in SOC and N storage in the profile. Specifically, SOC content decreased by 280 kg ha−1 yr−1 in the top 30 cm soil depth with fall burning of crop residue (FB), while it was decreased by 226 kg ha−1 yr−1 in no burning of crop residue (NB). The decline in yield was observed with a decrease in SOC and N stocks over the years, mainly due to long fallow periods between wheat crops, crop residue burning, insufficient residue returns, and intensive tillage practices. The only treatment that maintained SOC in the top 30 cm depth was manure (MN) treatment, indicating that SOC and N, added in larger amounts under this treatment, play a crucial role in SOC maintenance, crop production, and sustainability of WW-SF systems. Results of the long-term studies show a continued declining trend in SOC and nutrients under the WW-SF system, thus negatively impacting soil health, further reducing crop yield in dryland cropping in the IPNW. A decrease in SOC and N in the soil profile leads to soil degradation, affecting the sustainability of dryland WW-SF systems in the IPNW and similar agroecosystems worldwide. Cropping system intensification, residue addition, or organic amendment additions can maintain SOC and support sustainable crop production.
Structural studies of human immunoglobulins. Differences in the primary structure of heavy chains of normal and pathologic G, A, M immunoglobulins.

Abstract Peptide maps of α, μ, and γ chains from normal and pathologic immunoglobulins were compared with each other. There were significant differences not only between the different classes of heavy chains, but also some differences between individual paraproteins within each class. It was not possible to correlate these differences with either antigenic or genetic subgroups in those instances where assays were available to test for these. These findings support the concept that the heavy chains of the three classes of immunoglobulins differ in primary structure and support the concept that each paraprotein has certain unique structural features.
Chronic pulmonary disease in neonates after artificial ventilation: distribution of ventilation and pulmonary interstitial emphysema.

To determine pulmonary function abnormalities in patients with neonatal bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), we measured distribution of ventilation by nitrogen washout, minute and tidal volume, and arterial and alveolar gases in three groups of ten preterm infants with similar birth weights (mean = 1,340 g) and gestational ages (mean = 30.3 weeks). Infants in group A were never artificially ventilated, those in group B were ventilated but had no subsequent BPD, and those in group C were ventilated and developed BPD. Infants with BPD had severe maldistribution of ventilation (pulmonary clearance delay 223% versus 47% and 60% for groups A and B). They had decreased tidal volumes (5.3 ml versus 7.0 and 6.2 ml) and higher respiratory rates (60/min versus 47 and 48) but similar minute volumes. They also had increased PaCO2 (53.6 torr versus 41.9 and 43.4 torr) and increased arterial-alveolar carbon dioxide gradients (6.8 torr versus 3.1 and 1.8 torr). There was no statistically significant difference between groups B and C for the time spent in fractional inspired oxygen greater than 0.40 and greater than 0.60, or the time ventilated for intubated, or the incidence of patent ductus arteriosus. Early pulmonary interstitial emphysema was much more common in the infants who subsequently developed BPD (eight of ten versus two of ten, P less than .01).
Studies on a Sézary lymphocyte popoulation with T-suppressor activity. Suppression of Ig synthesis of normal peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Abstract Patient N.R. with mycosis fungoides and Sezary Syndrome is described. Surface marker analysis of the N.R. Sezary cells revealed T-cell characteristics. As expected for thymic-derived lymphocytes, the N.R. Sezary cells failed to produce Ig in pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated in vitro cultures. However, when N.R. Sezary cells were cocultured with normal peripheral blood lymphocytes, potent suppression of normal lymphocyte Ig synthesis occurred. The degree of suppression of Ig synthesis was proven proportional to the number of N.R. Sezary cells placed in coculture. The Sezary suppressor effects were restricted to the Ig synthesis in PWM-stimulated cocultures. No significant suppression of Ig synthesis occurred in cocultures lacking PWM. Serum immunoelectrophoresis and quantitative measurements of serum Ig levels of patient N.R. did not reflect any evidence for in vivo suppression of Ig synthesis. These in vitro results clearly demonstrate the suppressor activity of N.R. Sezary cells on the Ig synthesis of PWM-activated normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. In contrast to previous functional studies of Sezary lymphocytes that have reported T helper activity, the N.R. lymphoid cells appear to reflect a malignant proliferation of T suppressor cells bearing typical Sezary morphology.
Follow-up study of patients treated by X-ray epilation for tinea capitis. II. Results of clinical and laboratory examinations.

Physical and laboratory examinations were done on 319 persons who had been treated by x-ray epilation for tinea capitis a decade earlier, as well as 127 patients with nonirradiated tinea capitis and 158 nontinea, nonirradiated controls. The examinations were done as part of a program to characterize the nature and magnitude of chronic radiation damage with respect to the radiation exposures to the various structures of the head resulting from the Adamson-Kienbock x-ray epilation procedure. Scalp doses of 500 to 800 rads were found to have caused a 20% incidence of generalized diminution of the hair population of the scalp, which was due to a combined reduction in the number and diameter of the hair. No definite evidence of auditory radiation damage was found to be associated with doses of 70 rads to the ear. A slight but definite increase in the incidence of posterior subcapsular opacities of minimal severity was found to be associated with a dose to the eye of 50 rads.
Effects of the Balanced Budget Act on Medicare Home Health Utilization

This article examines the effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 on Medicare home healthcare utilization by older adults in different income groups. Data are drawn from a sample of functionally limited Medicare-eligible elderly respondents (N=2,749) from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. Results from multivariate analyses revealed that, although policies succeeded in curbing home health expenditures for all income groups, the reduction was heavily concentrated among the poorest respondents. Between 1997 and 1998, Medicare home health expenditures decreased by 1,404 dollars in lower income respondents, four times as much as the reduction in expenditures in middle-income respondents (352 dollars) and more than twice the reduction in high-income respondents (567 dollars). These findings raise important questions about whether the decrease in expenditures will result in increased incidence of adverse effects or less satisfaction with care of vulnerable individuals.
On the quantum electrodynamics of mutually interacting charge-fields. A new approach to photon quantization in electron-positron processes

The « charge-field » approach to electrodynamics, in the microcosm, is based on the paradigm that « charges » and their associated electromagnetic « fields » are permanently connected in « chargefield » functional structures, with physical processes being described by the interactions between various « charge-field » entities. It has been shown that, at the classical and semi-classical level, this approach is completely finite and self-consistent and requires no « infinite » subtraction programs for the evaluation of observable physical quantities.In a holetheoretic «secondquantized »formulation of this theory, presented here, quantizing the «charges » (associated with Dirac anticommutation relations for electronpositron operators) automatically quantizes the electromagnetic «chargefield » operators. This generates « photon » states as a secondary dynamical manifestation of electronpositron quantization. In this paper, we discuss a possible approach to the second quantization of « chargefields », in the Heisenberg picture, which might lead to a better formulation of quantum electrodynamics.
Conceptual Diagrams: Representing Ideas in Design

Studies in cognition [1],[2] have investigated the role of external visual representations in different domains in supporting reasoning, problem solving, and communication. These studies often are confined to domains that pose relatively well-defined problems [3], such as geometry [4] and physics [2], with fewer studies in domains where the problems are ill-defined [3], such as meteorology [5] and architecture [6].
The effect of water and isotonic saline preloads on the reduction of complex thirst

This study investigated the effects of preloads of drinking following the induction of hypercomplex thirst in 28 female Wistar rats. Food and water were removed for 24 h. PG (5 ml) and hypotonic saline (3 ml) were injected 6 and 1 h, respectively, before water was presented for 1 h. One-half hour before drinking, four preload treatments were administered: (a) 5 ml tap water, (b) 5 ml isotonic saline, (c) 5 ml water and 5 ml isotonic saline, or (d) sham intraperitoneal injection. Through successive trials, each rat received each treatment. Water preloads and isotonic saline preloads significantly reduced drinking. Water and water plus isotonic saline reduced drinking significantly more than isotonic saline. Under the present conditions, cellular dehydration was a much more dominant stimulus than hypovolemia. Contrary to expectation, water plus isotonic saline preloads did not reduce drinking more than water preloads alone. Apparently the additivity of complex thirst stimuli previously shown during induction does not extend to preload reduction.
Analysis of failure following curative irradiation of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma.

Abstract Twenty patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder (GB-4 patients) or extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBD-16 patients) received radiation therapy with curative intent between January, 1980 and December, 1982. All 20 received 4500–5000 rad in 180–200 rad fractions to the tumor and regional lymph nodes. A 1000 to 1500 rad external beam boost was delivered in 180–200 rad fractions in 10 patients who received external beam alone or concomitant 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Three of the four GB and 5 of the 16 EHBD patients received a transcatheter boost with 192-Iridium ( 192 Ir) to a dose of 2000–2500 rad calculated at a 0.5-0.1 cm radius. An additional 2 patients with EHBD lesions received an intraoperative electron (IORT) boost of 1500–2000 rad in one fraction calculated to the 90% isodose. Survival and patterns of failure were analyzed by site and treatment method. All four patients with GB carcinoma are dead of disease at 512, 6, 9 and 10 months from the date of diagnosis respectively. Three of the four developed diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis. Five of the 16 patients with EHBD carcinoma are alive with a median follow-up of 18 months (range 6–23 months). Four of the 5 patients received a transcatheter 192 Ir or IORT boost and all are without evidence of disease. Four of 9 patients who had a subtotal resection with transection of tumor, dilatation of the bile ducts with probes or curettement of the bile ducts developed either diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis (3 patients) or a recurrence in the surgical scar (2 patients). Local failure was documented in 3 of the nine patients treated with external beam alone ±5-FU, and has been documented in one of the seven patients who received an IORT or transcatheter 192 Ir boost. Further experience is necessary to determine whether this aggressive treatment will result in long-term disease-free survival in these patients.
Effects of ergocornine and CI-628 on food intake and taste preferences.

Abstract A prolactin inhibitor, ergocornine, and estrogen antagonist, CI-628, yielded significant food intake suppression and strong taste aversions. The taste aversions obtained may not reflect behaviorally significant toxic effects. The estrogen antagonist yielded food intake effects opposite those observed following ovariectomy.
Incoherent Scatter Radar Observations of Ionospheric Signatures of Cusp-Like Electron Precipitation

We present a case study of spatially and temporally coincident DMSP-F7 electron and ion precipitation measurements and Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar observations of ionospheric plasma parameters. The particle flux data allow us to determine the boundaries between the magnetospheric regions central plasma sheet (CPS), plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL), cusp proper, and plasma mantle (PM), mapped down to the DMSP orbit (835km altitude). The PSBL, cusp, and the equatorward section of the PM are characterized by intense low energy (<400eV) electron precipitation. The radar measured enhanced plasma density and elevated electron temperature at 350km altitude at the same invariant latitude interval where DMSP-F7 detected the intense low-energy electron flux. The ion temperature was unaffected, as were plasma density and electron and ion temperatures at 200km altitude. The plasma convection pattern inferred from radar Doppler shift measurements suggests that the heated electron cloud observed in the F region was locally produced by the soft electron precipitation in and near the cusp proper rather than convected into the radar field of view. This study demonstrates that soft electron precipitation, which is typical for magnetosheath-like plasma entry observed in particular in the cusp, can under certain conditions be identified by its thermal ionospheric plasma signatures.
Ventricle morphology in pelagic elasmobranch fishes

Ventricle weights of the warm-bodied great white shark, Atlantic shortfin mako, and the common thresher shark (the latter presumed to be warm-bodied) are similar to those of ectothermic blue sharks, sandbar sharks, dusky sharks, tiger sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks. Ventricle muscularity, as estimated by the ratio of cortical to spongy layer thickness, is almost twice as great in the former three species than in the latter elasmobranchs. Measurements of ventricular volumes suggest that the ventricles of the great white, Atlantic shortfin mako and common thresher sharks are better adapted to respond to demands for increases in cardiac output via increased heartbeat frequency in comparison with ectothermic species of shark.
Seat Biases in Proportional Representation Systems with Thresholds

In proportional representation systems, apportionment methods are used to convert the number of votes of a party into the number of seats allocated to this party. An interesting characteristic of any such method are the seat biases, that is, the expected differences between the actual seat allocation and the ideal share of seats, separately for each party, when parties are ordered from largest to smallest. For electoral systems with a threshold, that is, with a minimum percentage of votes that parties must reach in order to be eligible to participate in the apportionment process, we show that seat biases decrease from their maximum to zero, as the threshold increases from zero to its maximum, and that all seat biases decrease linearly.
A perspective on teaching elementary statistics

ABSTRACT Colleges and universities across the nation offer instruction in elementary statistics. Most of these courses are taught in departments of mathematics by mathematicians. The perspective from which a course is taught governs the direction the course will take. The authors share their perspective on teaching a course in elementary statistics.
The observation of surface resonance effects in RHEED patterns

Abstract The surface resonance condition produces intensity anomalies in the Bragg reflections of RHEED patterns and also continuous parabolae and circles in the Kikuchi line patterns. An apparent doubling of the parabolae and circles results from the separation of the continuous curves from the envelopes of the straight Kikuchi lines. This separation is consistent with the idea that electrons channeled along lines or planes of atoms see an average potential different from that of the bulk crystal. Examples are given of diffraction from Pt, GaAs and InP surfaces.
Pair effects in substitutional alloys

Abstract A single band model is used to study the electronic structure of disordered binary alloys. Functional derivative techniques are used to generate an expansion for the electron self-energy that is free of all “multiple occupancy” corrections. This analysis reveals that the relevant small parameter for the coherent potential approximation (CPA) is Z −1 , where Z is the number of nearest neighbors. In addition to being exact to first order in the concentration x and third order in the impurity potential δ, the CPA retains just those contributions of higher order in x and δ that are independent of Z −1 . The theory is then extended to take account of two atom clusters. Equations that are exact to order x 2 and Z −3 are derived and shown to imply the existence of satellite levels on either side of the impurity sub-band. Finally, to order x 2 , the single band Hamiltonian is found to imply the existence of short range order in the alloy. The influence of this short range order on the density of states is discussed and is shown to modify the clustering effects previously evaluated.
An integrated command control and communications center for first responders

First responders to a major incident include many different agencies. These may include law enforcement officers, multiple fire departments, paramedics, HAZMAT response teams, and possibly even federal personnel such as FBI and FEMA. Often times multiple jurisdictions respond to the incident which causes interoperability issues with respect to communication and dissemination of time critical information. Accurate information from all responding sources needs to be rapidly collected and made available to the current on site responders as well as the follow-on responders who may just be arriving on scene. The creation of a common central database with a simple easy to use interface that is dynamically updated in real time would allow prompt and efficient information distribution between different jurisdictions. Such a system is paramount to the success of any response to a major incident. First responders typically arrive in mobile vehicles that are equipped with communications equipment. Although the first responders may make reports back to their specific home based command centers, the details of those reports are not typically available to other first responders who are not a part of that agencies infrastructure. Furthermore, the collection of information often occurs outside of the first responder vehicle and the details of the scene are normally either radioed from the field or written down and then disseminated after significant delay. Since first responders are not usually on the same communications channels, and the fact that there is normally a considerable amount of confusion during the first few hours on scene, it would be beneficial if there were a centralized location for the repository of time critical information which could be accessed by all the first responders in a common fashion without having to redesign or add significantly to each first responders hardware/software systems. Each first responder would then be able to provide information regarding their particular situation and such information could be accessed by all responding personnel. This will require the transmission of information provided by the first responder to a common central database system. In order to fully investigate the use of technology, it is advantageous to build a test bed in order to evaluate the proper hardware/software necessary, and explore the envisioned scenarios of operation before deployment of an actual system. This paper describes an ongoing effort at the University of New Hampshire to address these emergency responder needs.
Noise Pollution Filters Bird Communities Based on Vocal Frequency

Background Human-generated noise pollution now permeates natural habitats worldwide, presenting evolutionarily novel acoustic conditions unprecedented to most landscapes. These acoustics not only harm humans, but threaten wildlife, and especially birds, via changes to species densities, foraging behavior, reproductive success, and predator-prey interactions. Explanations for negative effects of noise on birds include disruption of acoustic communication through energetic masking, potentially forcing species that rely upon acoustic communication to abandon otherwise suitable areas. However, this hypothesis has not been adequately tested because confounding stimuli often co-vary with noise and are difficult to separate from noise exposure. Methodology/Principal Findings Using a natural experiment that controls for confounding stimuli, we evaluate whether species vocal features or urban-tolerance classifications explain their responses to noise measured through habitat use. Two data sets representing nesting and abundance responses reveal that noise filters bird communities nonrandomly. Signal duration and urban tolerance failed to explain species-specific responses, but birds with low-frequency signals that are more susceptible to masking from noise avoided noisy areas and birds with higher frequency vocalizations remained. Signal frequency was also negatively correlated with body mass, suggesting that larger birds may be more sensitive to noise due to the link between body size and vocal frequency. Conclusions/Significance Our findings suggest that acoustic masking by noise may be a strong selective force shaping the ecology of birds worldwide. Larger birds with lower frequency signals may be excluded from noisy areas, whereas smaller species persist via transmission of higher frequency signals. We discuss our findings as they relate to interspecific relationships among body size, vocal amplitude and frequency and suggest that they are immediately relevant to the global problem of increases in noise by providing critical insight as to which species traits influence tolerance of these novel acoustics.
Luminosity Functions of Young Clusters: Modeling the Substellar Mass Regime

We predict near-infrared luminosity functions of young (5 Myr to 1 Gyr) star clusters by combining evolutionary models of very low mass (1 MJ to 0.15 M☉) dwarfs with empirical bolometric corrections. We identify several characteristic features in our results. These can be attributed to three causes: (1) deuterium burning in the most massive substellar objects; (2) methane absorption in bodies with Teff less than 1300 K, the temperature of the L/T transition; and (3) the formation of dust clouds and the rainout of dust at roughly the same effective temperature as methane formation. Accurate reconstruction of the substellar mass function from luminosity function observations requires that these phenomena are taken into account. At present, few observational studies extend to sufficient sensitivities to allow detection of these effects. However, the luminosity function of the young open cluster IC 2391 shows a clear peak at MI ~ 14, which we attribute to the result of deuterium burning in substellar objects. The location of this feature is a strong function of age, and we estimate an age of 35 Myr for IC 2391. This is significantly younger than the 53 Myr derived from the location of the lithium depletion boundary but agrees with the main-sequence turnoff age. We consider the implications of this result and our multiband luminosity functions for future observational studies. All predicted luminosity function features are, or will be, accessible to observations using new wide-field IR imagers and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility.
Teach foundational language principles

Industry is ready and waiting for more graduates educated in the principles of programming languages.
Reconstitution of In Vitro Humoral Immune Function in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients

Abstract The process by which humoral immune function is re-established following bone marrow transplantation was investigated in 50 transplant recipientsThe recovery of in vitro -specific antibody production directed at sheep red blood cells was found to proceed through three phasesB cell function and helper T cell function were undetectable in the first phase (encompassing the first 5 months after transplantation), in which only suppressor cells reached functional maturitySuppressor cells controlled responsiveness in the second phase (encompassing the period 5 to 15 months postgrafting)During this period, B cells and helper T cells became fully responsive; their activity became measurable, however, only after removal of Sephadex G-10-adherent suppressor cellsNormal responsiveness (associated with the loss of excessive suppressor cell activity) was characteristic of the third phase (over 15 months posttransplantation)Particular attention was paid to the role of suppressor cells in the recovery of humoral immune functionTheir activity was positively correlated with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), particularly of the chronic typeSuppressor cell activity in the early posttransplant period was predominantly mediated by OKT8-positive T lymphocytes, whereas suppressor cell activity in chronic GVHD patients was predominantly mediated by peripheral blood mononuclear cells that were retained on Sephadex G-10 columns, but did not express OKT8 antigen.
Experiential Learning in Economics

Real-life economic situations are simulated, and students are asked to perform decision-making roles. Economics is learned through “experience.”
Morphology and fracture of drawn crystalline polymers

Abstract Drawn crystalline polymers, fibers and films, exhibit a characteristic fibrous structure with the long and narrow microfibril as the basic element. The highly oriented microfibrils originating from the same stack of parallel lamellae of the starting material form the fibril which, as a rule, differs a little in drawing ratio from adjacent fibrils. As a consequence of this variation and the location of the ends of microfibrils on the outer boundary of the fibril, this is the area of reduced strength where the fracture phenomena start. The free ends of microfibrils are point vacancy defects of the microfibrillar superlattice which, under applied stress, open and form microcracks long before the sample fails. The radial crack propagation first breaks the microfibrils adjacent to the microcrack at the point vacancy and produces a great many radicals as a consequence of the rupture of tie molecules in at least one amorphous layer of each broken microfibril. Longitudinal crack propagation proceeds alon...
Diffusion of Clean Indoor Air Ordinances in the Southwestern United States

The authors investigate the process through which clean indoor air ordinances were considered in 10 communities in the southwestern United States and key factors that influenced diffusion and adoption. Clean indoor air ordinances, which ban smoking in public places, were adopted in approximately 1,409 U.S. communities from 1986 to April 2004. The authors gathered data from 10 communities in New Mexico and Texas by means of face-to-face interview, e-mail, and telephone interviews and by analyzing archival materials. Important influences on the adoption or rejection of clean indoor air ordinances were (a) personal experiences of policy champions, (b) local framing of the ordinance as a public health issue versus as an economic/ business or an individual rights issue, and (c) interpersonal networks connecting a community to previously adopting communities. The policies that were adopted ranged in comprehensiveness, with each community of study reinventing model policies obtained from other communities.
Comparative study of artificial neural network and statistical models for predicting student grade point averages

Abstract This paper compares linear regression; stepwise polynomial regression; and fully-connected, single middle layer artificial neural network models with an index used by an admissions committee for predicting student GPAs in professional school. It also provides methods for implementing, interpreting, and evaluating artificial neural networks, including an optimization of model structure for simple neural networks. While the neural network identifies additional model structure over the regression models, none of the empirical methods was statistically significantly better than the practitioners' index.
Near field wireless power transfer (WPT) between helical antennas under different conditions of orientation and ground plane construction

Summary form only given. Our early measurements of WPT between identical helical receivers and transmitters in the 10 to 15 MHz range show that for identical ground planes, optimized pitch angle, and optimized height above ground, we are able to achieve a 66% power transfer at a distance of 15 cm for collinearly placed antennas. This investigation takes a closer look at WPT in conditions that not so ideal; where orientation of antennas with respect to each other varies and where ground plane construction of the platforms are of different size and shape. Our first study involved looking WPT when the elements are collinear and the receiving antenna is rotated in steps through 360 degrees about its axis. While measured data shows slight variation in S21, simulations run by 3-D solver does not. We attribute this to either a small measurement error or an impact of the feeding structure. In conclusion both measured and simulated data seemed to indicate that as long as both antennas are collinear, we do not need to worry rotational orientation. It is also important to note how WPT can be impacted when the receiving antenna hovers around in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the receiver (XY-plane). Simulations indicate, moving around in the X or Y direction by a couple of centimeters does not make that much of a difference in transferred power; however, moving more than a few centimeters will make a difference as expected. This indicates that a hovering platform will need to be properly aligned during the charging phase. In in our experimental setup, both receiver and transmitter ground planes are rectangular and have different sizes; we investigated through simulation whether some WPT improvement could be made by using the same shape and size for both ground planes. The two shapes investigated were square and circular. Based on simulation results, the best coupling occurred for a ground that was circular in shape since fewer higher order modes would be generated in this case as a result of symmetrical boundaries. As a result of the study we are going to be using circular ground planes in our WPT experimental setups for the future. Our work in past has helped in optimizing WPT systems that employ helical antennas; previously insights were gained in the optimal design of pitch angle and height above ground plane. The current investigations take this further by providing a better understanding of ground plane design and additional insights that relate to orientation.
Too costly to matter: Economics of nuclear power for Saudi Arabia

Abstract Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans for nuclear power. Given this context, this paper examines the economics of nuclear power and compares it to two other sources of electricity, natural gas and solar energy. It calculates the costs of electricity generation, water desalination and the opportunity cost associated with forgone oil and gas revenues. A sensitivity analysis is included to account for variations in important parameters within the comparative cost analysis. Our results suggest that for a large range of parameters, the economics of nuclear power are not favorable in comparison with natural gas, even if the currently low domestic natural gas prices in Saudi Arabia were to rise substantially. Further, electricity from solar plants has the potential to be cheaper than nuclear power within the next decade if the rapid decline in solar energy costs in the last decade continue, i.e., before the first planned nuclear power plant would be completed. However, unless the price of oil drops substantially below current values, it would be more economically optimal to export the oil than using it for generating electricity.
Balance in the cat: role of the tail and effects of sacrocaudal transection

To determine whether the tail of the domestic cat plays a role in balance during locomotion, four cats were trained to traverse a narrow beam. To challenge balancing ability, a sudden lateral displacement was imparted to the beam as the subject was crossing. Freeze-frame videotape analysis revealed that cats responded to beam movement by rapidly moving the tail in the opposite direction. Adjustment of the tail contributed to realignment of the hips over the beam and enabled the animal to remain aboard the beam. Following complete sacrocaudal spinal transection, that eliminated supraspinal control to only the tail, cats fell significantly more often in response to movements of the beam. The importance of the cat's tail for balance, and the utility of this system for modeling functional consequences of spinal cord injury and therapeutic interventions, are discussed.