cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical studies of the reduction of ethylene carbonate

Abstract A mechanism for the reduction of ethylene carbonate proposed by D. Aurbach, M.D. Levi, E. Levi and A. Schechter [J. Phys. Chem. B 101 (1997) 2195] is analyzed using quantum ab initio and classical transition state theory methods. The reduction reaction leads to open-chain anion products. The two-electron transfer reduction mechanism forming carbonate and ethylene di-carbonate radical anions is thermodynamically feasible. The first electron transfer is the rate-determining step. Further reaction of the carbonate ion with lithium ion or with another ethylene carbonate molecule yields Li 2 CO 3 as the most probable product, with lithium ethylene di-carbonate most likely to be present at high solvent concentrations.
Rapid Purification of His6-Tagged Bacillus subtilis Core RNA Polymerase

Abstract Bacillus subtilis core RNA polymerase, containing a His 6 -fusion to the C-terminus of the β′ subunit, was isolated by Ni–NTA, Superdex 200 gel filtration, and Mono Q anion-exchange chromatography. The purified core enzyme was shown to be free of the major sigma factor ς A and the transcription factors NusA and GreA. The purification procedure can be completed within 1 working day, is scalable, and yields highly purified and active core RNA polymerase.
Old-growth CO2 flux measurements reveal high sensitivity to climate anomalies across seasonal, annual and decadal time scales

Abstract The traditional hypothesis that old-growth forests are carbon neutral is under debate as recent studies show evidence of net carbon sequestration. Here, we present a decade (1998–2008) of carbon dioxide, water and energy fluxes from an old-growth stand in the American Pacific Northwest to identify ecosystem-level responses to climate variability, including teleconnection patterns. This study provides the longest, continuous record of old-growth eddy flux data to date. From 1998 to 2008, average annual net ecosystem exchange (FNEE) was −49 ± 40 g C m−2 yr−1 (a small net carbon sink) while interannual variability was high (∼300 g C m−2 yr−1) and indicated that the stand is able to switch from net carbon sink to source in response to climate forcing. Seasonal and annual FNEE variability was strongly linked to climate anomalies associated with major teleconnections and the subsequent responses of driving mechanisms (e.g., water use efficiency, light use efficiency, canopy conductance) to local weather (e.g., cloudiness). Biometric measurements of aboveground net primary productivity (FANPP) provided a ∼60 year record of growth, recruitment, and mortality responses to a longer range of climatic conditions, including shifts in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). A negative trend in FANPP generally matched the warm PDO phase shift starting in 1977. As climate models predict future warming in the Pacific Northwest, our results suggest that any perturbations towards a warmer, drier state, such as would occur during positive climate phases, may have significant impacts on regional terrestrial carbon budgets through increasing respiration without subsequent, offsetting increases in carbon assimilation in these old-growth forests.
ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION: A MULTI-LEVEL DECISION-THEORETIC PERSPECTIVE

This paper presents a multi-level decision making perspective of the innovation process. First, by considering the innovation process as a type of decision. Second, by viewing innovation as composed of multiple decision processes. Third, by analyzing innovation in terms of decision domains that "enable" innovation and that "execute" innovation. Fourth, by discussing how decision factors act as determinants of innovation. Implications are discussed and propositions are offered which consider several critical tasks in the successful management of innovation decision process(es).
Narrative luminous ceilings in the 21st century

Luminous ceilings were developed in the 1940’s from a comprehensive mathematical study of the integral equations for the interflection of light in rooms. It was found that criteria for optimum vision are satisfied for most visual tasks and most shapes of rooms if the entire ceiling is the source of light and room reflectances are sufficiently high. In the 1950’s criteria for lamp spacing above the luminous panels were developed and many undecorated luminous ceilings were installed. To make the optimum luminous environment more attractive and interesting, hand-painted luminous ceilings were developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s and applied to homes, offices and classrooms. This paper presents the criteria for creating computer generated narrative luminous ceilings and gives practical examples applied to classroom lighting.
Self‐coherence, emotional arousal and perceived health of adult children caring for a brain‐impaired parent

An important concern for nurses is the ability of adult children to provide effective care to a dependent parent without sacrificing their own health and well-being. The purpose of the study was to examine ‘sense of self-coherence’ as an inner resource for the attenuation of distress in a sample of 168 adult children who were involved with the care of a brain-impaired parent. Subjects were interviewed twice in their homes in order to obtain data on variables for: self-coherence, emotional arousal, perceived health, and crisis. Findings from the study indicate that adult children with crisis experience in the previous 6 months of caregiving had higher scores for emotional arousal, lower scores for self-coherence, and lower ratings of perceived health than did adult children with no crisis experience. In addition, there was a negative relationship between self-coherence and emotional arousal and a positive relationship between self-coherence and perceived health. Both of these relationships were significantly stronger in the presence of crisis experience than in the absence of crisis experience. Finally, there was a negative relationship between emotional arousal and perceived health that was equally apparent in both the presence and absence of crisis experience. The findings suggest that self-coherence is an inner resource that emerges in filial crisis to modulate the emotional impact of the situation. The implication is that measures of self-coherence could be used to assess an adult child's preparedness to appraise and cope with emotional responses to filial crisis events. This information could help nurses anticipate and target resources for vulnerable adult children so that they are less adversely affected by the demands of parent care.
Tolerance of S. cerevisiae and Z. mobilis to inhibitors produced during dilute acid hydrolysis of soybean meal

The objective of this research was to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, furfural, and acetic acid on Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NRRL Y-2233) and Zymomonas mobilis subspecies mobilis (NRRL B-4286) in both detoxified hydrolyzed soybean meal and synthetic YM broth spiked with the three compounds. Soybean meal was hydrolyzed with dilute sulfuric acid (0.0, 0.5, 1.25, and 2.0% wt v−1) at three temperatures (105, 120, and 135°C) and three durations (15, 30, and 45 min) followed by detoxification with activated carbon. Of all the combinations, only the treatments obtained at 135°C, 2.0% H2SO4, and 45 min and the one at 135°C, 1.25% H2SO4, and 45 min showed inhibition in the growth of the tested microorganisms. Spiked YM broths showed inhibition for the highest levels of inhibitors, either applied individually or in combination.
Cognitive overload and communication in two healthcare settings.

The confluence of organizational social interaction and cognitive information processing constraints create ‘noisy’ conditions in institutionalized settings. Attentional and memory limitations always influence the ability of participants to comprehend each other’s communication. Two organizational settings (a medical specialty clinic and periodontal office) will be used to explore a few features of healthcare delivery that are often ignored in studies of such systems. Scheduling appointments, for example, creates stress for both patients and healthcare personnel but is often an unexamined aspect of healthcare delivery that has become both challenging and often irritating for all concerned. For example, when patients call, someone at a general scheduling center or the particular clinic or office of an individual physician or dentist or a group practice will answer the call with a menu of options, or the caller may be asked to leave message. When a patient leaves a clinic or surgery office after a visit, they may be allowed to make a new appointment. The term ‘cognitive overload’ is a ubiquitous element of all healthcare systems and refers to organizationally induced and constrained limited capacity processing inherent in the way improvised discourse practices, and annotative devices or artifacts (such as written notes or some related strategy) become an integral part of everyday healthcare delivery.
A quantitative interresponse-time analysis of DRL performance differentiates similar effects of the antidepressant desipramine and the novel anxiolytic gepirone.

We describe an interresponse-time analysis of performance on a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 72-s schedule. This analysis compares the obtained interresponse-time distribution of individual rats to a corresponding random interresponse-time distribution. The random interresponse-time distribution is a negative exponential probability function; it predicts the relative distribution of interresponse times if the rat emitted the same number of responses randomly (i.e., with a constant probability) with respect to time. The analysis provides quantitative measures of peak location and dispersion of the interresponse times toward random performance. In Experiment 1, an unexpected outcome of this analysis was that the rats would have obtained more reinforcers had they responded at the same rate but randomly. Based on the interresponse-time analysis in Experiment 1, it was shown that rats trained on the differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 72-s schedule could increase the number of reinforcers obtained in two ways: first, by a coherent shift of the interresponse-time distribution toward longer durations and, second, by dispersal of the interresponse times toward a random interresponse-time distribution. Experiment 2 applied the analysis described in Experiment 1 to the effects of desipramine and gepirone. Both drugs decreased response rate and increased reinforcement rate, but their effects on the distribution of interresponse times were different. The increase in reinforcement rate observed with desipramine was accompanied by a coherent shift of the reinforcement rate observed with gepirone was accompanied by dispersal of the interresponse-time distribution toward the random negative exponential prediction.
Cyclotron production of cesium radionuclides as analogues for francium-221 biodistribution

Abstract In our clinical investigations focussing on improved therapeutic treatment of specific tumors we have concentrated on a targeted therapy approach utilizing designed radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies as the cytotoxic reagent. The physical characteristics of the alpha particle emitting radionuclide bismuth-213 including the short half-life of 45.6 min, has shown promise for the treatment of specific cancers such as leukemias and lymphomas or micrometastatic carcinomas. In an effort to increase the cytocidal effect of the HuM195, a humanized monoclonal antibody carrier to the CD33 antigen expressed on leukemia cells, our focus is directed toward an “internal” nano-generator composed of Ac-225 radionuclide, the parent of the bismuth-213. The actinium-225 radionuclide decays through several short-lived, alpha emitting daughters including francium-221, astatine-217 and bismuth-213. In order to study the biodistribution and the pharmacokinetics of the individual daughter nuclide, francium-221, the cyclotron production and separation of cesium radionuclides, specifically cesium-132, from a natural xenon gas target was undertaken. The choice of cesium as an analogue for francium was predicated upon both elements being in Group 1A alkali metals and cesium radionuclide possesses a sufficient half-life to allow biodistribution studies to be performed. The preliminary experimental results of this investigation are presented.
Assessment of the multiple dimensions of nausea: The Nausea Profile (NP)

Nausea, unlike emesis, is a subjective experience that is difficult to describe to others, be they clinicians or researchers. Previous research has been limited to examining the frequency, severity, and duration of nausea. The goal of this study was to design a questionnaire that would allow for the evaluation of the characteristics of nausea across individuals and situations. This study consisted of 4 stages: descriptors were generated, categorized into 3 dimensions, and reevaluated to verify their reliability; in the final stage, the developed checklist was compared to a visual-analogue-scale (VAS) report of nausea in subjects exposed to a rotating optokinetic drum to stimulate nausea. The overall nausea checklist score and the VAS score were highly correlated (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). The development and use of the nausea checklist are discussed.
Review and comparison of approaches to proton exchange membrane fuel cell modeling

A review of recent literature on proton exchange membrane fuel cell modeling is presented. Fuel cell models can be categorized as analytical, semi-empirical or mechanistic. Mechanistic models can be further subcategorized based on the solution strategy, single-domain or multi-domain. The multi-domain approach develops and solves separate equations in each region of the fuel cell. The single-domain approach consists of equations governing the entire domain of interest, with source and sink terms accounting for species consumption and generation within the cell. The merits and demerits of each method are discussed. For a one-dimensional case study, both methods were compared quantitatively and results show that both models accurately predict the polarization effects and water management requirements.
Strength in numbers? A test of Kanter's theory of tokenism

Abstract Kanter's tokenism theory argues that once tokens reach a tipping point of 15 percent representation in the work place, they begin to experience fewer work place problems. This study tested this assertion using a survey of eighty-seven officers in a midwestern municipal police agency, where female officers constituted over 17 percent of the total sworn patrol officers. The three dimensions of tokenism were examined quantitatively to ascertain differences between male and female officers. On two of the dimensions, there were no differences between male and female officers, but the third dimension showed that female officers still perceived their work place differently from male officers. Only partial support of Kanter's theory was found. It was evident that even in this department, however, females still felt like they stood out and were underestimated by their peers. The findings also suggested that tokenism is more complex than a “numbers game,” and that quantitative examinations alone might not fully explain the myriad aspects of tokenism.
Ubiquitous access: on the front lines of patient care and safety

UA initiatives help allay potentially fatal errors, improve patient safety, and boost overall quality of care.
Forbidden subgraphs and graph decomposition

Series-parallel graphs, outerplanar graphs, and graphs whose polygon matroids are transversal have been characterized by forbidden subgraphs. Tutte introduced a graph decomposition for nonseparable graphs. The results of this paper relate the existence of the forbidden subgraphs to properties of the decomposition. Algorithmic implications are considered.
Talking ‘gender superiority’ in virtual spaces: web‐based discourses of Hindu student groups in the US and UK

This study focuses on the public assertion of gendered ethno‐religious identities on the websites of Hindu student groups (HSGs) in the South Asian Diaspora in the USA and UK. HSGs are a part of a larger phenomenon of individuals and organizations engaged in creating and promoting ethnicities in virtual spaces. In this paper we focus particularly on the HSGs deployment of ‘strong woman’ imagery to assert their ‘superior cultures’. We find that while the HSGs appear to challenge the gendered/racialized construction of minorities in Western societies as traditional, and non‐modern, their construction of ‘strong Hindu women’ is replete with gendered inequalities. In addition, such constructions also implicate ‘their women’ into the process of drawing racialized boundaries against other groups. This paper explores how the processes involving the construction, representation and reproduction of Hinduism and Hindu identity on the web, from locations in the USA and the UK create contemporary gender hierarchies.
Determining the cause of pulmonary atelectasis: a comparison of plain radiography and CT

In a retrospective analysis of 50 patients with segmental or lobar atelectasis of the lung, chest radiographs and CT studies were compared for their abilities to distinguish whether a centrally obstructing tumor was the cause. This was done to help define the role of CT in evaluating patients with atelectasis. Atelectasis was caused by an obstructing tumor in 27 cases and a variety of other conditions in 23. The chest radiograph correctly identified an obstructing tumor as the cause of atelectasis in 24 of 27 patients on the basis of the presence of a central hilar mass or obvious bronchial abnormality; there was 89% sensitivity and 96% specificity with a 12% false-negative rate and a 4% false-positive rate. CT correctly identified all 27 obstructing carcinomas on the basis of the presence of either a central bronchial abnormality or a central hilar mass; there was 100% sensitivity and 87% specificity with a 0% false-negative rate and a 10% false-positive rate. Absence of air bronchograms or the presence of mucus-filled bronchi within the atelectatic lung were secondary CT findings that also favored the presence of an obstructing tumor. Although the chest radiograph was more specific than CT for tumor as the cause of atelectasis (96% vs 87%, respectively), it was less sensitive than CT for tumor (89% vs 100%, respectively) resulting in missed tumor diagnoses. CT identified all cases caused by obstructing tumor and successfully excluded obstructing tumor in most of the remaining cases, with an acceptable number of false-positive tumor diagnoses (10%). CT should be performed when the cause of segmental or lobar atelectasis cannot be established with certainty on the basis of the chest radiograph.
Carbonization of petroleum feedstocks II: Chemical constitution of feedstock asphaltenes and mesophase development

Abstract The characterization of the asphaltene fractions of a range of petroleum feedstocks by FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy indicated distinct differences in the molecular structure of the asphaltenes. Some of these differences could be related to the variations in the size of the principal optical texture of the semi-cokes produced by carbonization. The principal optical texture size was observed to increase steadily with the increasing hydrogen aromaticity of the asphaltenes over the whole range of the feedstocks used. There was no consistent correlation, however, between the carbon aromaticity of the asphaltenes and the optical texture size. The correlation between the hydrogen aromaticity and the principal optical texture size was attributed to structural differences among the asphaltenes that are critically important for the mesophase development.
Understanding the gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. I. How its structural characteristics affect diffusion and performance

Abstract The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has a significant potential in transportation, backup, and portable power applications, although there still are remaining technical and cost challenges. A key current goal is improving the performance while reducing the cost of the gas diffusion layer (GDL). Designing a commercial GDL, however, is far more complex than simply making a porous, sturdy, conductive layer, because of the trade-offs among performance, manufacturability, and cost. An improved understanding of its multifarious functions in the fuel cell can help attain this goal. Here, we identify 11 key characteristic parameters of the GDL and their significance to its performance. We begin a discussion of some of these parameters in this paper, specifically those related to the structure of the GDL substrate and the microporous layer (MPL), how these are measured experimentally ex-situ, how they influence fuel cell performance, and how they can be altered via the manufacturing process. In particular, we investigate the correlation between ex-situ measured effective diffusivity of water vapor and in-situ performance and limiting current density in a PEM fuel cell. Further, we examine the effect of adding multiple MPLs, MPL loading, and MPL particle size on cell performance under both wet and dry operating conditions.
The tightly regulated copper window in yeast

The two opposing yeast copper regulators, Ace1 and Mac1, were converted into two fluorescent probes, Ace1-FRET and Mac1-FRET, which selectively and sensitively respond to Cu(+). The Cu(+)-binding curves obtained for both regulators as well as for the copper storage proteins Cup1 and Crs5 show that free copper(i) is maintained in a narrow window inside yeast.
Punish and Forgive: Causal Attribution and Positivity Bias in Response to Cat and Dog Misbehavior

College students (N = 366) judged dog or cat misbehavior (soiling or predation) via questionnaire items. Common factor analysis yielded 3 dimensions of student response: (a) the sinner (including the variable of animals' intention); (b) the sin (including the variable of recommended punishment); and (c) mercy (including the variable of recommended forgiveness). Correlations among sinner, sin, and mercy factor scores supported predictions from causal attribution theory. Nevertheless, cross-tabulation analysis revealed that nearly 90% of all respondents endorsed mercy (generally high forgive ratings), regardless of the extent to which the animals were seen as sinners (high versus low intent ratings), or evaluations of the level of sin (high versus low punish ratings). Absolutely high average mercy scores indicated an animal positivity bias. Results thus evoked the adage that "the quality of mercy is not strained." That is, regarding errant companion animals, cognitive responses to punish and to forgive are not always mutually exclusive options.
Bromocriptine promotes recovery of self-stimulation in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats

Abstract Rats with stable self-stimulation response rate-current intensity functions were subjected to bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine injections into the substantia nigra. The effect of several drug treatments were evaluated on the 6-hydroxydopamine lesion self-stimulation deficit. d-Amphetamine (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) had little or no effect on self-stimulation, but bromocriptine (2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg) produced a nearly complete recovery of self-stimulation performance. In contrast, scopolamine increased locomotor activity; whereas, bromocriptine did not increase activity. These results point up the efficacy of bromocriptine in reversing self-stimulation deficits induced by a dopamine deficiency, and indicate that self-stimulation may be a more useful behavior than locomotor activity for evaluating drugs which might alleviate Parkinsonism.
Remarks about the current experimental status

Abstract We discuss selected aspects of current experimental data with special emphasis on comparison of results from different experiments and on extracting model-independent information.
Water-Quality Effects of Incorporating Poultry Litter into Perennial Grassland Soils

Poultry litter provides a rich source of nutrients for perennial forages, but the usual practice of surface-applying litter to pastures can degrade water quality by allowing nutrients to be transported from fields in surface runoff, while much of the NH 4 -N volatilizes. Incorporating litter into the soil can minimize such problems in tilled systems, but has not been used for perennial forage systems. In this study, we minimized disturbance of the crop, thatch, and soil structure by using a knifing technique to move litter into the root zone. Our objective was to determine effects of poultry litter incorporation on quantity and quality of runoff water. Field plots were constructed on a silt loam soil with well-established bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] and mixed grass forage. Each plot had 8 to 10% slopes, borders to isolate runoff, and a downslope trough with sampling pit. Poultry litter was applied (5.6 Mg ha -1 ) by one of three methods: surface-applied, incorporated, or surface-applied on soil-aeration cuts. There were six treatment replications and three controls (no litter). Nutrient concentrations and mass losses in runoff from incorporated litter were significantly lower (generally 80-95% less) than in runoff from surface-applied litter. By the second year of treatment, litter-incorporated soils had greater rain infiltration rates, water-holding capacities, and sediment retention than soils receiving surface-applied litter. Litter incorporation also showed a strong tendency to increase forage yield.
Path Forward for Dosimetry Cross Sections

In the 1980's the dosimetry community embraced the need for a high fidelity quantification of uncertainty in nuclear data used for dosimetry applications. This led to the adoption of energy-dependent covariance matrices as the accepted manner of quantifying the uncertainty data. The trend for the dosimetry community to require high fidelity treatment of uncertainty estimates has continued to the current time where requirements on nuclear data are codified in standards such as ASTM E 1018. This paper surveys the current state of the dosimetry cross sections and investigates the quality of the current dosimetry cross section evaluations by examining calculated-to-experimental ratios in neutron benchmark fields. In recent years more nuclear-related technical areas are placing an emphasis on uncertainty quantification. With the availability of model-based cross sections and covariance matrices produced by nuclear data codes, some nuclear-related communities are considering the role these covariance matrices should play. While funding within the dosimetry community for cross section evaluations has been very meager, other areas, such as the solar-related astrophysics community and the US Nuclear Criticality Safety Program, have been supporting research in the area of neutron cross sections. The Cross Section Evaluation Working Group (CSEWG) is responsible for the creation and maintenancemore » of the ENDF/B library which has been the mainstay for the reactor dosimetry community. Given the new trends in cross section evaluations, this paper explores the path forward for the US nuclear reactor dosimetry community and its use of the ENDF/B cross-sections. The major concern is maintenance of the sufficiency and accuracy of the uncertainty estimate when used for dosimetry applications. The two major areas of deficiency in the proposed ENDF/B approach are: 1) the use of unrelated covariance matrices in ENDF/B evaluations and 2) the lack of 'due consideration' of experimental data in the evaluation. (authors)« less
Natural transition from rate to force control of a manipulator

A method for teleoperator control which offers advantages over previous techniques is demonstrated. In the new method, a fundamental variable exchanged between the master and slave is the rate of change in position and force. An inherent capability of the control scheme is demonstrated for transition between control methods based on environmental constraints in a manner natural to the operator. Specifically, rate control of a manipulator makes the transition to force-force control when a force-reflecting hand controller is used with a local force accommodation algorithm running on the remote manipulator. The transition from rate to force occurs when contact is made with the environment.
Using neural networks to forecast the S&P 100 implied volatility

The implied volatility, calculated using the Black-Scholes model, is currently the most popular method of estimating volatility and is considered by traders to be a significant factor in signalling price movements in the underlying market. Thus, the ability to develop accurate forecasts of future volatility allows a trader to establish the proper strategic position in anticipation of changes in market trends. A neural network has been developed to forecast future volatility, using past volatilities and other options market factors. The performance of this network demonstrates its value as a predictive tool.
Gauge technique and BCS theory of superconductivity

The gauge technique in unbroken (exact) relativistic quantum electrodynamics is applied to the nonrelativistic BCS theory exhibiting spontaneously brokenU(1) gauge invariance. In addition to the BCS-type solution, we find an interestingnew solution forweak coupling exhibiting ahigh T c.
Fire casualties and their relation to fire company response distance and demographic factors

Fatalities and injuries per structural fire in New york City have been compared by time of day, season, year, construction, region of the city, floor of origin, and occupancy. The relationship between response distance and fire casualties has also been studied. Language: en
Antinociceptive and lethal effects of intraventricularly administered barium and strontium: Antagonism by atropine sulfate or naloxone hydrochlorine

Summary The intracerebroventricular injection of Ba ++ and Sr ++ produced naloxone and atropine reversible antinociception as measured by the mouse tail-flick test. Naloxone antagonized the antino-ciception produced by Ba ++ more effectively than atropine (pA 2 5.9 vs. 7.0, respectively). Naloxone was less efficient than atropine in blocking lethality. Together these results suggest different mechanisms involved in the production of anti nociception and lethality by these ions.
TH‐D‐224C‐10: Commissioning and QA of Cone Beam CT for Image Guided Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To report the results of commissioning tests and the development of a quality assurance program for the commercial version (i.e., non‐research model) Elekta Synergy Cone Beam CT(CBCT) system. Methods and Materials: Our institution was one of the first sites in the US to install a commercial version of the Elekta Synergy Cone Beam CT system. A commissioning procedure was developed consisting of six parts: (1) System safety, (2) Geometric accuracy (i.e., agreement of MV and kV beam isocenters), (3) Image quality, (4) Algorithm accuracy, (5) Dose to patient, and (6) Quality assurance procedures. Results: The system passed all safety tests and agreement of MV/kV isocenters was found to be within 1 mm. Using a precisely moved skull phantom, reconstruction and alignment algorithm was found to be accurate within 1mm and 1 degree in each dimension. For 12 measurement points spanning a 9×9×15cm3 volume in a RANDO phantom, average agreement in x, y, and z coordinates was 0.010cm, −0.012cm, 0.022cm (SD: 0.021cm, 0.055cm, 0.021cm; Largest deviations: 0.06cm, 0.10cm, 0.05cm, respectively). Larger deviation for the y‐component can be partially attributed to CT slice thickness of 1 mm along that direction. Dose to patient depends on machine settings and was found not to exceed 6.3cGy in the highest setting used in our clinic (120kVp, 40mA, 40ms per frame, 360 degree scan, S20 field of view). A more typical dose for a full 360 degree scan is 4cGy. Conclusions: The procedures discussed in this presentation were applied to the Elekta Synergy CBCT system. They have been useful in identifying difficulties with the CBCT operation operation, including data transfer issues. System safety, geometric accuracy, and image quality checks are recommended to be performed on a monthly basis; algorithm accuracy and dose to patient checks are recommended to be performed annually.
Meteorologically influenced wildfire impacts on urban particulate matter and visibility in Tucson, Arizona, USA

Fire managers must consider air-quality impacts when planning prescribed burns or devising wildfire containment strategies. Particulate matter (PM) is the primary pollutant of concern: it is the major component of smoke and has known detrimental influences on human health and the environment. The present study examines wildfire–weather–PM interactions and the resulting impacts on urban air quality and visibility in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Few violations of air-quality standards were recorded during large wildfire events in the study area. When examined at a higher-resolution time scale, the impacts of the fires on urban air quality are apparent. The present study also found that extreme PM values were linked to humid and windy conditions, wildfires appear to have a greater impact on PM10 concentrations than PM2.5 concentrations, and PM10 is more closely tied to visibility degradation during fire events than PM2.5. Comparison of actual PM concentrations to those predicted by a regulatory model indicates that the model overestimates standard exceedances, with resulting implications for prescribed burn planning.
Determination of selenium in animal tissue samples using radioisotope induced X-ray fluorescence

A simplified preconcentration procedure for the trace element profile studies of selenium using radioisotope induced X-ray fluorescence, RIXRF, is described. The method is based upon sample digestion followed by separation of selenium from the bulk by solvent extraction. The signal to noise ratios in the X-ray spectra are improved and interference from Br and As is significantly reduced. Levels of detection in the submicrogram range are achievable. Submicrogram quantities of selenium in animal tissues can be analyzed by the method.
On the spread of epidemics in a closed heterogeneous population

Heterogeneity is an important property of any population experiencing a disease. Here we apply general methods of the theory of heterogeneous populations to the simplest mathematical models in epidemiology. In particular, an SIR (susceptible-infective-removed) model is formulated and analyzed when susceptibility to or infectivity of a particular disease is distributed. It is shown that a heterogeneous model can be reduced to a homogeneous model with a nonlinear transmission function, which is given in explicit form. The widely used power transmission function is deduced from the model with distributed susceptibility and infectivity with the initial gamma-distribution of the disease parameters. Therefore, a mechanistic derivation of the phenomenological model, which is believed to mimic reality with high accuracy, is provided. The equation for the final size of an epidemic for an arbitrary initial distribution of susceptibility is found. The implications of population heterogeneity are discussed, in particular, it is pointed out that usual moment-closure methods can lead to erroneous conclusions if applied for the study of the long-term behavior of the models.
Consensus-based distributed energy management with real-time pricing

Energy management is becoming a crucial issue in the future power grid system as more controllable energy resources and responsive loads with communications abilities are being introduced into the smart grid. This paper proposes a novel distributed approach to deal with energy management in the smart grid under dispatchable distributed generators and responsive loads using real-time pricing (RTP) and consensus networks to maximize the social welfare. In our algorithm, each distributed generation/consumer unit, in response to the local price of energy, decides on its optimal power generation/ consumption level to maximize its benefit at the device level. However, the consensus-based coordination of price among local retailers drives the behavior of the overall system toward the global optimum, despite the greedy behavior of the generation and consumer units. The main features of our algorithm are computational and communicational scalability, as well as privacy of information.
Amplification of three-dimensional perturbations during parallel vortex–cylinder interaction

A computational study has been performed to examine the amplification of three-dimensional flow features as a vortex with small-amplitude helical perturbations impinges on a circular cylinder whose axis is parallel to the nominal vortex axis. For sufficiently weak vortices with sufficiently small core radius in an inviscid flow, three-dimensional perturbations on the vortex core are indefinitely amplified as the vortex wraps around the cylinder front surface. The paper focuses on the effect of viscosity in regulating amplification of three-dimensional disturbances and on assessing the ability of two-dimensional computations to accurately model parallel vortex-cylinder interaction problems. The computations are performed using a multi-block structured finite-volume method for an incompressible flow, with periodic boundary conditions along the cylinder axis. Growth of three-dimensional flow features is examined using a proper-orthogonal decomposition of the Fourier-transformed vorticity field in the azimuthal and axial directions. The interaction is examined for different axial wavelengths and amplitudes of the initial helical vortex waves and for three different Reynolds numbers.
Electron microscopical aspects of hemadsorption in tissue cultures infected with influenza virus.

Abstract Adsorption of guinea pig erythrocytes to monkey kidney cells in tissue culture infected with influenza virus was found by electron microscopy to occur by two processes. In one, the red cells were attached to virus filaments protruding from the host cell cytoplasmic membrane, and the red cell and host cell were separated by a distance of up to 1μ. This type of attachment is similar to that seen in hemagglutination. In the other, there was direct and close binding of the erythrocytes to the infected monkey kidney cell in the absence of detectable virus filaments or particles. The significance of the finding of an apparent change in the immunologically specific structure of the surface of the host cell following infection by influenza virus is discussed.
Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to Achieve Superior Performance

The article presents a review of the book “Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to Achieve Superior Performance,” by Lynn Sharp Paine.
Comments on qualitative results for investment proportions

Abstract Some mean/variance efficient portfolios will have positive investments in all individual assets when covariances satisfy the conditions given here. These conditions are more useful empirically than qualitative results that depend on the inverse covariance matrix. The prospect appears dim for general and useful qualitative results.
Increased Hypodense Eosinophils After Activation with PAF-Acether and Calcium Ionophore in Asthmatic Subjects

Eosinophils play a major role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. In this study, we examined the density characteristics of blood eosinophils from 9 normal healthy individuals and 9 allergic asthmatic patients. Furthermore, the effect of platelet-activating factor, a potent mediator of inflammation, and calcium ionophore, A23187, on the density of normodense eosinophils (density >1.085 g/ml) has also been examined. Initially, asthmatic patients had 27.0 ± 1.1% eosinophils of lighter density (density ≤1.081 g/ml), significantly greater than that in the normal individuals (7.5 ± 0.5%). After exposure to platelet-activating factor (1 μM) or calcium ionophore (A23187, 1 μg/ml), the normodense eosinophils switched to hypodense in both groups: 16.7 ± 2.1% and 54.2 ± 3.7%, respectively, in normal individuals, and 30.6 ± 5.7% and 77.4 ± 2.3%, respectively, in asthmatic patients. These data demonstrated that a certain percentage of normodense eosinophils from asthmatics and normal subjects switched to hypoden...
Distributional and Host Records of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) Associated with Cupressaceae in New England, New York, and New Jersey

Eight native and two exotic species of Cerambycidae emerged from dead trunks or occupied pupal cells in live cupressaceous shrubs and trees sampled in New England, New York, and New Jersey between 1998 and 2007. Atimia confusa confusa (Say) developed in three hosts collected in one or more of seven states; Callidiellum rufipenne (Motschulsky) in nine hosts in five states; Callidium frigidum Casey in five hosts in eight states; Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus (Fabricius) in four hosts in five states; and Semanotus ligneus ligneus (Fabricius) in two hosts in Connecticut. Other species that developed exclusively in Juniperus virginiana Linnaeus were Callidium violaceum Linnaeus collected in Maine and New Jersey; Curius dentatus Newman in New Jersey; Oeme rigida rigida (Say) in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey; Tilloclytus geminatus (Haldeman) in New Jersey; and Urgleptes querci (Fitch) in Connecticut. Overall 5,806 cerambycids developed to adults in four native and six introduced species of Cupressaceae. New distributional and host records are discussed.
Microwave performance of a quarter-micrometer gate low-noise pseudomorphic InGaAs/AlGaAs modulation-doped field effect transistor

We report excellent dc and millimeter-wave performance in In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As/Al 0.15 Ga 0.85 As pseudomorphic modulation-doped field effect transistors (MODFET's) with 0.25-µm-length gates. Extrinsic transconductances as high as 495 mS/mm at 300 K and unprecedented power performance in the 60-GHz range were observed. Although not yet optimized, excellent low noise characteristics, 0.9 dB, with an associated gain of 10.4 dB at 18 GHz, and a noise figure of 2.4 dB with an associated gain of 4.4 dB at 62 GHz were obtained. This is the best noise performance ever reported for a MODFET in this frequency range. These results clearly demonstrate the superiority of pseudomorphic MODFET structures in high-frequency applications.
owl:sameAs and Linked Data: An Empirical Study

Linked Data is a steadily growing presence on the Web. In Linked Data, the description of resources can be obtained incrementally by dereferencing the URIs of resources via the HTTP protocol. The use of owl:sameAs further enriches the Linked Data space by declaratively supporting distributed semantic data integration at the instance level. When consuming Linked Data, users should be careful when handling owl:sameAs: in that URIs linked by owl:sameAs may not be appropriate for simple aggregation, and that recursively exploring owl:sameAs may lead to considerable network overhead. In this work, we discuss and conduct an empirical pilot study on the usage of owl:sameAs in the Linked Data community. The results include initial quantitative measures of the usage of owl:sameAs. Based on observations of these results, we further discuss several strategies for dealing with owl:sameAs in Linked Data applications.
Transient instability risk assessment

This paper presents an approach to calculate the risk of transient instability of an operating point for a power system. Risk is defined as the product of the probability of transient instability and the cost consequences of this instability in the event that it occurs. This measure combines the security aspects with the economics and gives an objective idea of the 'danger' associated with any operating point. The approach also accounts for the presence of special protection systems (SPS) and demonstrates the approach for the most common type of SPS-generation rejection scheme (GRS).
Hfq Is Necessary for Regulation by the Untranslated RNA DsrA

DsrA is an 85-nucleotide, untranslated RNA that has multiple regulatory activities at 30°C. These activities include the translational regulation of RpoS and H-NS, global transcriptional regulators in Escherichia coli. Hfq is an E. coli protein necessary for the in vitro and in vivo replication of the RNA phage Qβ. Hfq also plays a role in the degradation of numerous RNA transcripts. Here we show that an hfq mutant strain is defective for DsrA-mediated regulation of both rpoS and hns. The defect in rpoS expression can be partially overcome by overexpression of DsrA. Hfq does not regulate the transcription of DsrA, and DsrA does not alter the accumulation of Hfq. However, in an hfq mutant, chromosome-expressed DsrA was unstable (half-life of 1 min) and truncated at the 3′ end. When expressed from a multicopy plasmid, DsrA was stable in both wild-type and hfq mutant strains, but it had only partial activity in the hfq mutant strain. Purified Hfq binds DsrA in vitro. These results suggest that Hfq acts as a protein cofactor for the regulatory activities of DsrA by either altering the structure of DsrA or forming an active RNA-protein complex.
Vector Computers in Astronomical Data Analysis

Three different astronomical observatories have installed vector computers during 1985–86. These machines have been purchased with astronomy money for use principally in astronomy data analysis applications, not principally for theoretical modelling.The three installations are: This paper outlines the performance reasons why such vector machines are being chosen for astronomical data analysis applications—reasons which imply that more such vector machines will be installed in the future. The author makes several predictions for the period mid-1986 through 1988: Several more vendors will enter the vector computer market, Vector floating point workstations will be offered, Existing scalar computers will be given vector extensions, and More astronomical institutes will procure vector machines.
Evaluating the Vulnerability of Network Traffic Using Joint Security and Routing Analysis

Joint analysis of security and routing protocols in wireless networks reveals vulnerabilities of secure network traffic that remain undetected when security and routing protocols are analyzed independently. We formulate a class of continuous metrics to evaluate the vulnerability of network traffic as a function of security and routing protocols used in wireless networks. We develop two complementary vulnerability definitions using set theoretic and circuit theoretic interpretations of the security of network traffic, allowing a network analyst or an adversary to determine weaknesses in the secure network. We formalize node capture attacks using the vulnerability metric as a nonlinear integer programming minimization problem and propose the GNAVE algorithm, a Greedy Node capture Approximation using Vulnerability Evaluation. We discuss the availability of security parameters to the adversary and show that unknown parameters can be estimated using probabilistic analysis. We demonstrate vulnerability evaluation using the proposed metrics and node capture attacks using the GNAVE algorithm through detailed examples and simulation.