cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcendental Arguments in Scientific Reasoning

Although there is increasing interest in philosophy of science in transcendental reasoning, there is hardly any discussion about transcendental arguments. Since this might be related to the dominant understanding of transcendental arguments as a tool to defeat epistemological skepticism, and since the power of transcendental arguments to achieve this goal has convincingly been disputed by Barry Stroud, this contribution proposes, first, a new definition of the transcendental argument which allows its presentation in a simple modus ponens and, second, a pragmatist re-interpretation of this argument form that leaves it to the scientific community to debate, criticize, refine, or reaffirm its core claim: a premise which claims that the truth of a certain assumption is a necessary condition for something that is generally accepted. The proposed “logico-pragmatist interpretation” highlights the role of transcendental arguments as a methodological step to move science forward, just as abduction and inference to the best explanation do.
Evidence from x-ray, 3/2. omega. /sub 0/, and 2. omega. /sub 0/ emission for laser filamentation in a plasma

With long-pulse-duration (4 nsec), moderate-intensity (\ensuremath{\simeq}${10}^{13}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) Nd-laser irradiation of flat targets, time-integrated images of $\frac{3}{2}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ and $2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ emission reveal filaments along the laser axis. Combined with fine-scale structure found in x-ray images, these filaments suggest self-focusing of hot spots in the incident beam.
Obesity and Sleep

Over the past 15 years, many studies in adults suggest that obesity via inflammation, insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and central neural mechanisms (e.g., hypofunctioning hypothalamic CRH) play a role in the pathogenesis of sleep apnea, sleepiness, and the associated cardiovascular comorbidities. In contrast to adults, in children, until recently, the predominant belief was that anatomic rather than metabolic factors were primary in the development of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Adenotonsillectomy is the first line of treatment while the potential role of obesity has been overlooked. However, in the Penn State Child Cohort, obesity was the strongest risk factor for mild and moderate SDB. This chapter reviews studies that show that SDB in obese children shares many similarities with SDB in obese adults. Both SDB and obesity appear to be associated with increased excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), inflammatory markers, and leptin and a decrease in adiponectin.
Acute Interstitial Pneumonia

Acute interstitial pneumonia is an idiopathic lung disease characterized by rapidly progressive dyspnea and, most likely, respiratory failure.
The Pronunciation Judgment Test, 1939–1978

In the 1930s and earlier teachers of speech paid considerable attention to pronunciation. The popular Speech Handbook by Harry Barnes (1936, 1941) included a form on which teachers might grade students’ speeches. One of the 11 items was pronunciation. This form was representative of ones that were in popular use. The accompanying textual material devoted a chapter to each of the items of the score sheet. An inference to be drawn by a student was that speech composition and delivery were of equal importance and that each was equal to the sum of its parts. A program for a theatrical production at a midwestern university often included on the production staff a “Director of Diction.”
Evaluation of Two Femoral Arterial Cannulae With Conventional Non-Pulsatile and Alternative Pulsatile Flow in a Simulated Adult ECLS Circuit.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the hemodynamic characteristics of two femoral arterial cannulae in terms of circuit pressure, pressure drop, and hemodynamic energy transmission under non-pulsatile and pulsatile modes in a simulated adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) system. The ECLS circuit consisted of i-cor diagonal pump and console (Xenios AG, Heilbronn, Germany), an iLA membrane ventilator (Xenios AG), an 18 Fr or 16 Fr femoral arterial cannula (Xenios AG), and a 23/25 Fr Estech remote access perfusion (RAP) femoral venous cannula (San Ramon, CA, USA). The circuit was primed with lactated Ringer's solution and packed red blood cells to achieve a hematocrit of 35%. All trials were conducted at room temperature with flow rates of 1-4 L/min (1 L/min increments). The pulsatile flow settings were set at pulsatile frequency of 75 bpm and pulsatile amplitudes of 1000-4000 rpm (1000 rpm increments). Flow and pressure data were collected using a custom data acquisition system. Total hemodynamic energy (THE) is calculated by multiplying the ratio between the area under the hemodynamic power curve (∫flow × pressure dt) and the area under the pump flow curve (∫flow dt) by 1332. The pressure drop across the arterial cannula increased with increasing flow rate and decreasing cannula size. The pressure drops of 18 Fr and 16 Fr cannulae were 19.4-24.5 and 38.4-45.3 mm Hg at 1 L/min, 55.2-56.8 and 110.9-118.3 mm Hg at 2 L/min, 94.1-105.1 and 209.7-215.1 mm Hg at 3 L/min, and 169.2-172.6 and 376.4 mm Hg at 4 L/min, respectively. Pulsatile flow created more hemodynamic energy than non-pulsatile flow, especially at lower flow rates. The percentages of THE loss across 18 Fr and 16 Fr cannula were 16.0-18.7 and 27.5-30.8% at 1 L/min, 35.1-35.7 and 52.3-53.8% at 2 L/min, 48.3-50.3 and 67.3-68.4% at 3 L/min and 62.9-63.1 and 79.0% at 4 L/min. The hemodynamic performance of the arterial cannula should be evaluated before use in clinical practice. The pressure drops and percentages of THE loss across two cannulae tested using human blood were higher compared to the manufacturer's data tested using water. The cannula size should be chosen to match the expected flow rate. In addition, this novel i-cor ECLS system can provide non-pulsatile and ECG-synchronized pulsatile flow without significantly increasing the cannula pressure drop and hemodynamic energy loss.
Engaging with Rousseau: reaction and interpretation from the eighteenth century to the present, edited by Avi Lifschitz

An old quip (which I first heard from Robert Wokler, one of the last century’s great Rousseau scholars) has it that Napoleon justified his reign by taking recourse to Rousseau’s principles – he jus...
Effects of cropland encroachment on prairie pothole wetlands: numbers, density, size, shape, and structural connectivity

Agricultural expansion is the greatest source of wetland loss in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North and South Dakota, a critical waterfowl production area in North America. It is unknown how wetland losses from grassland conversion may alter structural connectivity in the prairie pothole network, however. We examined how agricultural expansion over the period 2001–2011 altered the number, size, shape, and structural connectivity of PPR wetlands. We hypothesized that the loss of wetlands or wetland area would decrease structural connectivity on the landscape. We analyzed a published raster database that quantified 2001–2011 agricultural conversion of wetlands in the Dakotas. A suite of structural connectivity metrics was computed using the igraph R package. Wetland area decreased by 25% within the study area, density decreased by 16%, and average size decreased from 2.41 to 2.16 ha with no increase in perimeter:area ratios, thus indicating changes more from the splitting of larger wetlands (accounting for 23% of area lost) and “nibbling” at patch area (38%) than from complete wetland elimination (39%). Despite loss of wetlands and wetland area to cropland, however, the network did not display constrained structural connectivity. Structural connectivity has not been significantly affected by wetland losses because of the large number of remaining wetlands, but wetlands will continue to be lost with ongoing grassland conversion and climate shifts. It is unknown where the tipping point of wetland losses lies in the PPR that will incur ecological costs.
Variability In States' Coverage Of Children With Medical Complexity Through Home And Community-Based Services Waivers.

Even though children with medical complexity represent less than 1 percent of the US pediatric population, they are among the costliest users of the health care system. Much of the care for these c...
Energy Decompositions for Moist Boussinesq and Anelastic Equations with Phase Changes

AbstractTo define a conserved energy for an atmosphere with phase changes of water (such as vapor and liquid), motivation in the past has come from generalizations of dry energies—in particular, fr...
Diverse Students’ Mental Health: Influences of Civic Learning Dimensions of Campus Climate

It is important to understand how students’ perceptions influence their mental health. We explored how perceptions of civic learning dimensions of campus climates interacted with race/ethnicity to ...
Interfacing Catholic Social Meanings, Sociology, Self, and Pedagogical Practices

Follow this and additional works at: http://journals.stmarys-ca.edu/epiche Part of the Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Community-based Learning Commons, Community-based Research Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Liberal Studies Commons, Service Learning Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, and the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons
A wearable sensor vest for social humanoid robots with GPGPU, IoT, and modular software architecture

Abstract Currently, most social robots interact with their surroundings and humans through sensors that are integral parts of the robots, which limits the usability of the sensors, human–robot interaction, and interchangeability. A wearable sensor garment that fits many robots is needed in many applications. This article presents an affordable wearable sensor vest, and an open-source software architecture with the Internet of Things (IoT) for social humanoid robots. The vest consists of touch, temperature, gesture, distance, vision sensors, and a wireless communication module. The IoT feature allows the robot to interact with humans locally and over the Internet. The designed architecture works for any social robot that has a general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU), I2C/SPI buses, Internet connection, and the Robotics Operating System (ROS). The modular design of this architecture enables developers to easily add/remove/update complex behaviors. The proposed software architecture provides IoT technology, GPGPU nodes, I2C and SPI bus mangers, audio-visual interaction nodes (speech to text, text to speech, and image understanding), and isolation between behavior nodes and other nodes. The proposed IoT solution consists of related nodes in the robot, a RESTful web service, and user interfaces. We used the HTTP protocol as a means of two-way communication with the social robot over the Internet. Developers can easily edit or add nodes in C, C++, and Python programming languages. Our architecture can be used for designing more sophisticated behaviors for social humanoid robots.
Recoup From Home? Comparison of Relative Cost Savings for ACDF, Lumbar Discectomy, and Short Segment Fusion Performed in the Inpatient Versus Outpatient Setting.

Study Design:Broad narrative review.Objective:To review and summarize the current literature on the cost efficacy of performing ACDF, lumbar discectomy and short segment fusions of the lumbar spine...
Activity Worksheets for Teaching and Learning Data Visualization

In this work, the Data Visualization Activity (DVA) Worksheet Method for teaching and learning data visualization is presented. The DVA Worksheet Method consists of a series of activity worksheets developed to guide novice instructors and students through the data visualization process. The activity worksheets help new faculty and visualization instructors, lacking formal training in pedagogy and data visualization, learn the data visualization process, design course work and develop curriculum. The worksheets can be used for individual activities, or as a collection of activities to support data visualization capacity building. Each worksheet focuses on an individual step in the process, allowing the worksheets to be tailored to discipline-specific data visualization needs. We share the motivation and evolution of the worksheets from paper-based to the semi-automated process utilized in fall 2020. We conclude this work with a discussion and areas for improvement.
Recovery from Disability: Manual of Psychiatric Rehabilitation

ForewordPreface AcknowledgmentsIntroduction Terminology Chapter 1. Rehabilitation as the road to recovery Chapter 2. Principles and Practice of Psychiatric rehabilitation Chapter 3. Illness Management Chapter 4. Functional assessment Chapter 5. Social skills training Chapter 6. Involving families in treatment and rehabilitationChapter 7. Vocational rehabilitationChapter 8. Vehicles for Delivering rehabilitation servicesChapter 9. Special services for special PeopleChapter 10. New Developments for rehabilitation and recovery
Adaptive visual tracking algorithm and real-time implementation

A real-time correspondence based tracking algorithm is detailed. The system uses a pipeline processor, a general purpose processor, a camera and a display. The minimum noise and correlation energy (MINACE) filter is used in the tracking algorithm as it provides a good combination of speed, accuracy and flexibility for the targeted hardware system. The system designed is fast and tracking is accomplished at a rate of 15 Hz. The system is adaptive and does not rely on a previous model of the object; the training image for filter synthesis is acquired from previous image frames and the filter is synthesized online to accommodate 3D variations of the target being tracked. The system tracks an object consistently as is demonstrated by the low deviation of the results in the evaluation.
14 Microreactors for measuring catalyst activity and determining reaction kinetics

Abstract A silicon packed-bed microreactor that utilizes a novel cross-flow geometry has been fabricated for the testing of supported catalyst particles. The cross-flow design reduces pressure drop and evenly distributes flow across the catalyst bed yielding isobaric reaction conditions. Further, the small length scale reduces transport limitations giving near gradientless conditions desirable for determining reaction kinetics. The performance of the microreactor has been characterized through a combination of modeling and experiments including the extraction of kinetics for the oxidation of carbon monoxide. Reaction experiments have been extended to acetylene hydrogenation, a more complicated chemistry, demonstrating the cross-flow microreactor as a robust laboratory tool for quantitative heterogeneous gas phase catalyst testing.
Remedial Problems at the Intersection of the Political Question Doctrine, Standing, and Equitable Discretion

In the absence of clear guidance from the Court defining the specific contours of the political question doctrine or providing a framework for its application in relation to other doctrines with overlapping concerns, lower courts may be more likely to apply the political question doctrine in cases where dismissal on other grounds would be more appropriate. This article contends that reliance on the political question doctrine to dismiss cases because of remedial concerns that overlap with the same concerns in the doctrines of standing or equitable discretion represents an unwarranted expansion of the political question doctrine.
Ovarian function in uteroovarian homotransplantation.

Abstract This study has defined the role of various laboratory methods in monitoring the viability of this endocrine organ including gonadotropins, arteriograms, routine microscopy, and histochemical studies. Six animals survived the autotransplant procedure and 2 animals became pregnant. Fifty homotransplant studies were performed with varying lengths of graft survival. Base-line urinary FSH bioassay and serum LH immunoassay studies for the dog have been developed and were utilized in determining graft survival or rejection. Histochemical studies for alkaline phosphatase activity in the capillary endothelium of the ovarian graft provide a sensitive method of evaluating the normal and abnormal microcirculation of the ovarian homograft and add a new dimension to the early identification of graft rejection.
Existence and uniqueness for a semilinear elliptic problem on Lipschitz domains in Riemannian manifolds II

ABSTRACT For a general class of semilinear equations in a Lipschitz domain , where M is a smooth compact Riemannian manifold, we establish the existence and uniqueness of solutions to Dirichlet and Neumann boundary problems. The main contribution of this paper is that we consider ‘rough’ boundary data that are typically just functions. Results of this type for the linear equation are typically obtained using singular integral techniques.
Predicting Service Life of Concrete Bridge Decks Subject to Reinforcement Corrosion

The deterioration of the American highway infrastructure is proceeding at an alarming rate. A major element of the problem involves chloride-induced corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete bridge components. In order to rationally implement bridge management strategies, it is generally recognized that life-cycle cost analyses of viable alternatives are required. This necessitates the development of reliable means for predicting the service lives of alternative procedures. The major components of a rational model for predicting service life in this scenario center on the time for the chloride ion concentration to reach the corrosion threshold level at reinforcement locations and the corrosion reaction time necessary to produce loss of serviceability. Obviously, the definition of the terminal serviceability in terms of deterioration level also constitutes an important element of the model. This paper examines a semi-empirical deterioration model for predicting service life based on fundamental concepts, augmented with historical data. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 857776.
Factors affecting maternal serum magnesium levels during long-term magnesium sulfate tocolysis in singleton and twin pregnancy

Aim Our aim was to determine factors that affect maternal serum magnesium (Mg) levels, to help ensure the safety and efficacy of long-term magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) therapy for threatened preterm labor in singleton and twin pregnancies. Material and Methods We retrospectively and arbitrarily studied 100 patients (singleton pregnancy, n = 65; twin pregnancy, n = 35) who received i.v. MgSO4 for >48 h for tocolysis of threatened preterm labor. We used multiple regression analysis to investigate the functional relations between the candidate factors and maternal serum Mg levels. Results MgSO4 was administered as a loading dose of 3 g for 1 h followed by a maintenance dose of 1.0–2.0 g/h. There were no maternal severe adverse events related to the elevated Mg levels in any of the subjects. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that total dose of MgSO4 for 24 h before blood collection (g/day), total serum protein level (g/dL), serum total calcium level (mg/dL), serum creatinine level (mg/dL) and maternal bodyweight (kg) significantly affected maternal serum Mg levels in both singleton and twin pregnancies (all P-values were < 0.001). Gestational age (weeks) and period of MgSO4 administration (days) at blood collection had no significant effect in singleton or twin pregnancies. Conclusion Our study statistically shows that dose of MgSO4, total serum protein level, serum total calcium level, serum creatinine level and maternal bodyweight are key factors to achieving safe and effective long-term tocolysis with MgSO4 in not only singleton but also twin pregnancies.
Optimal group size in a highly social mammal

Group size is an important trait of social animals, affecting how individuals allocate time and use space, and influencing both an individual’s fitness and the collective, cooperative behaviors of the group as a whole. Here we tested predictions motivated by the ecological constraints model of group size, examining the effects of group size on ranging patterns and adult female glucocorticoid (stress hormone) concentrations in five social groups of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus) over an 11-y period. Strikingly, we found evidence that intermediate-sized groups have energetically optimal space-use strategies; both large and small groups experience ranging disadvantages, in contrast to the commonly reported positive linear relationship between group size and home range area and daily travel distance, which depict a disadvantage only in large groups. Specifically, we observed a U-shaped relationship between group size and home range area, average daily distance traveled, evenness of space use within the home range, and glucocorticoid concentrations. We propose that a likely explanation for these U-shaped patterns is that large, socially dominant groups are constrained by within-group competition, whereas small, socially subordinate groups are constrained by between-group competition and predation pressures. Overall, our results provide testable hypotheses for evaluating group-size constraints in other group-living species, in which the costs of intra- and intergroup competition vary as a function of group size.
China Bashing: Does Trade Drive the 'Bad' News About China in the U.S.?

A monthly index of “bad” news about China as reported in the USA from January 1990 to December 2008 is developed in this paper. “Bad” is defined as news touching on the following issues: human rights, Tibet, child labor, democracy, and repression. Using this bad news index, this paper documents a peculiar finding: 3–4 months after a trade deficit shock to the US–China bilateral trade balance, the frequency of bad news published about China by US media outlets rises sharply, then dies off slowly. Statistical analysis reveals that the likelihood that this finding is just a coincidence is relatively small - about 1%. In addition, this paper finds a robust association between the annual number of Congressional hearings on China and the US–China bilateral trade deficit. These results suggest that “China bashing” may be endogenous to fluctuations in the US–China bilateral trade balance.
Créolisation, Créolité, Martinique, and the Dangerous Intellectual Deception of “Tous Créoles!”:

Glissant’s approach to creolisation does pose pivotal questions especially when considered from the perspective of the Martiniquan experience. Privileging a pragmatic posture, it evidently does not account for the climactic symbolic discrepancy and unavoidable moral pressure that powerfully define the conscious and unconscious outlook on the respective African and European identity constituents as they are related to culture and race, which in turn determine the ethics of the said creolisation. The latter is unbendingly advocated as a process in which all parts are proportionally and “categorially” analogous. Glissant proposed a project aiming at reshaping the way one does Relation in the world. He did so from the model elaborated by the epistemological work of the African, a party that is constantly disparaged. However, he does not do this party justice by making first and unembiguously explicit the particularizing nature of its work. The African critical philosophical contribution is not earnestly rende...
Perceptions and outcomes of a managerial coaching certificate program: Educational leaders vs. business leaders

Educational leaders face unprecedented changes in developing new strategies and processes that improve teacher effectiveness, student performance, and administrators' professional development. Coaching is a way to improve and increase performance. Educators are in a position to take advantage of coaching as used by business leaders all over the world. This study examined the effectiveness of a coaching model designed for managers in a college of business. The study included both educational (n = 5) and business leaders (n = 30). It examined their perceptions and outcomes of their participation. The results strongly support the efficacy of this coaching model.
Genetics of Angelman syndrome.

We apologize to the many authors whose primary data could not be cited because of limitations of space. We thank Grace Watson for great assistance in preparation of the manuscript. This work is supported by NIH grant HD 37283.
Management of ‘pan-negative’ melanoma: current and emerging strategies

Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2220 Pierce Avenue, 777 Preston Research Building, Nashville, TN 37232, USA Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 201 Light Hall, Nashville, TN 37232, USA *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 615 936 6398; Fax: +1 615 343 7602; igor.puzanov@vanderbilt.edu The incidence of melanoma in the USA has been increasing over the past decade, with an estimated 9480 deaths expected in 2013 [1]. Metastatic melanoma has historically carried an especially poor prognosis, with a median survival of 6–9 months. In recent years, however, advancements in both immune-based therapies and molecularly targeted agents have greatly expanded the treatment options for patients with this disease. The identification of molecularly defined cohorts in melanoma has facilitated many of these advances and enabled more effective treatment stratification. Oncogenic driver mutations in BRAF are present in 40–50% of advanced melanomas and confer sensitivity to selective BRAF inhibitors (vemurafenib and dabrafenib) and MEK inhibitors (trametinib). These molecularly targeted agents result in improved response rates and clinical outcomes compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy [2,3]. Although less common, CKIT mutations (largely identified in melanomas arising in the acral or mucosal surfaces) may predict benefit from imatinib [4]. Even melanomas with NRAS mutations (present in 15%), long considered to be an ‘undruggable’ target, may respond to recently developed MEK inhibitors [5]. Despite these advances, the remaining 30–40% of melanomas do not harbor identifiable driver mutations by conventional clinical assays and are considered to be ‘pan-negative’ [6]. The lack of clearly actionable mutations or available targeted therapies makes this a challenging cohort in the clinic.
Effect of heavy rain on aviation engines

High bypass ratio gas turbine engines may ingest water and hail during flight in an environment of thunderstorms, and the performance and the operation-handling characteristics of the engine and its control become affected often substantially and critically. It is therefore of interest to establish predictive schemes for determining changes in performance of components and the total system. The current status of development of such predictive schemes is discussed along with illustrative examples. The needs for additional research are discussed, that are essential for improving (a) the predictive schemes and (b) the methods of simulating in-rain flight conditions on ground.
Reasons for African American Student Attrition from School Psychology Programs.

This phenomenological study used a series of three in-depth interviews with seven African American participants, for a total of 21 interviews, to explore their experiences in the specialist and doctoral level school psychology programs they left prior to obtaining a professional entry-level degree. The study's purpose was to investigate what factors contributed to participants' attrition. Findings indicate that misalignment between participants' career aims and the practice of school psychology (as presented in the programs they left) contributed to attrition. Poor relationships with school psychology faculty and program cohort peers also played a role in participants' decisions to leave school psychology programs. Results offer a unique lens into racial issues in school psychology. Recommendations for faculty and others interested in preventing African Americans' attrition from school psychology graduate education are discussed.
The effect of dramatic play on children's generation of cohesive text∗

The intent of the study was twofold: to examine the extent to which children's cohesive oral text varied as a function of listener status and to determine the extent that children could be trained to generate decontextualized oral text. One hundred and eight children, in same age groups of four, ranging in age from 5 years 11 months to 8 years 1 months, were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: dramatic play, discussion, or drawing. An adult read each group children's books on three separate occasions. Children were then exposed to their respective treatments and subsequently asked to retell the story to a naive or informed listener. Results indicated that children, independent of age or condition, generated more exophora to an informed listener than to a naive listener and more endophora to a naive than to an informed listener. First‐and second‐grade children in the play condition generated more endophora than both of the other groups. The kindergarten discussion group generated more exophoric e...
Numerical Simulation of Steady State Heat Transfer in a Microchannel With Obstruction

Effects of obstructions on the heat transfer in a microtube and a two-dimensional microchannel were investigated. The obstructions normally arise during the fabrication process on the inner surface of the microtube or microchannel. Various shapes and sizes of the obstruction were considered. The shapes that were modeled were rectangular, triangular, and semicircular obstructions. Calculations were done for incompressible flow of a Newtonian fluid with developing momentum and thermal boundary layers. Equations governing the conservation of mass, momentum and energy were solved for an isothermal condition at the wall. Comparison with no obstruction case was made. It was found that for microtubes, the local Nusselt number increases significantly at the obstruction whereas the average Nusselt number for the whole tube comes out somewhat lower. For two-dimensional microchannels, both local Nusselt number at the obstruction as well as average Nusselt number for the entire tube came out to be higher. The working fluids that were investigated were water and refrigerant R-134a. The results presented in the paper demonstrates that in microchannels and microtubes that are widely used in micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), small defects in the fabrication process may lead to large changes in local as well as global performance of the device.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Salt‐Water Intrusion in the Costa de Hermosillo, Mexico: A Numerical Analysis of Water Management Proposals

As a result of anthropogenic discharges of ground water far exceeding natural recharge, the Costa de Hermosillo aquifer is being actively intruded by salt water. Because this aquifer is utilized as the sole source of irrigation water for one of Mexico's principal agricultural districts, the application of any future management scheme to control this intrusion must be closely evaluated prior to implementation. A hydrologic and water quality simulation model is applied to the Costa de Hermosillo aquifer to assess the areal and temporal variations in head, velocity, and concentration as a result of changes in the present discharge distribution. The known hydrologic conditions are reproduced as a means of calibrating the model. Only qualitative statements on the future behavior of the aquifer are possible due to the uncertainty of the magnitude of various aquifer parameters and initial conditions. The model employed in this study is found to be a useful technique for the analysis of the effects of the proposed pumping stresses.
A new approach to dendrochronological data management

The procedures undertaken during the construction of chronologies often result in large quantities of data, typically in many associated files. The management of these data files, especially maintaining the relationships between processed and raw data, becomes increasingly difficult as a collection grows. To maintain a high level of accountability it is necessary to ensure that any derived or processed data can be replicated by independent researchers. Due primarily to practical limitations, some authors publish only subsets of the processed and/or raw data that constitute a chronology, making the process of independent scientific scrutiny difficult and on occasions impossible. There are associated problems when master chronologies are utilised for the purpose of dating specimens. Maintaining the relationships between chronologies and specimens is extremely important for accountability purposes, especially when errors are detected or revisions required. In these circumstances it is highly desirable to locate all specimens that have been dated with the original chronology to ascertain the implications of changes. This paper describes a new relational database design that addresses these problems and which has been implemented in the Corina dendrochronology application and web service. The new Corina system enables the data and analyses for all chronology building and cross-dating processes to be stored and documented, enabling scrutiny at every stage.
QUANTITATIVE CHANGES IN NUCLEAR DNA ACCOMPANYING POSTGERMINATION EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT IN VANDA (ORCHIDACEAE)

relationships of the nuclei within the embryo. An equal amount of DNA was found in all meristematic nuclei regardless of the developmental stage of the embryo and was taken as the 2C value. Most of the nuclei in the parenchymatous region fell into the discrete DNA classes, 2C, 4C, and 8C. A significant number, however, had DNA contents above 8C but could not be grouped into classes based on a whole-number multiple of 2C. Nuclear size was found to vary in direct proportion to DNA content through 8C. Above 8C, correlation between nuclear size and DNA content was poor. The amount of DNA in the nuclei of the parenchymatous region was shown to increase in direct proportion to the distance of the nucleus from the meristem. The average amount of DNA in parenchymal nuclei above 8C was found to increase with the developmental stage of the embryo. Mechanisms which might account for the observed changes in DNA per nucleus are discussed.
Individual differences in the accuracy of detecting social covariations: Ecological sensitivity

Abstract Ecological sensitivity refers to the ability to detect covariations in the social environment. The goal of this research was to investigate one operational definition of ecological sensitivity, the ability to observe covariations occurring between group membership and particular behaviors exhibited by group members. A 15-excerpt videotape was devised in which such covariations were scripted into the behavior of the people who were interacting. After watching each excerpt, participants were asked to describe up to three behavioral differences they observed between two groups identified on the answer sheet. Higher ecological sensitivity consisted of recalling a larger number of valid covariations. In three studies, with a total of 279 participants, higher ecological sensitivity was associated with (1) being female, (2) another ecological sensitivity task (accuracy of one’s beliefs about the nature of psychological gender differences), (3) more self-reported attunement to social interaction, (4) greater tolerance for ambiguity and openness to experience, (5) more extraversion, and (6) better psychological adjustment. There was no overall association with several measures of general cognitive ability, cognitive style, and ability to decode nonverbal cues.
Activity matters: Understanding student interest in school science

A genuine interest in science is an important part of scientific literacy, and thus a critical goal for science education. Recent studies, however, have found that school science has not been effective in meeting this goal, an important reason for which is the lack of knowledge about what makes science interesting (or not) to the students. Using instructional episodes as the unit of analysis, this study investigated the effects of learning environment elements (content topic, activity, and learning goal) on student interest in science. The findings indicated that when judging the interestingness of an instructional episode, students focused primarily on the form of activity rather than content topic and learning goal. Activities that were “hands-on” in nature and allowed for engagement with technology elicited higher interest. This study highlights the need to place more emphasis on the role of activity in constructing interesting learning environments, and in the mean time, suggests that student science interest could be improved by making changes to relatively easy-to-manipulate aspects of learning environments, such as those examined in the study. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 515–537, 2012
Estuarine fish populations among red mangrove prop roots of small overwash Islands

Previous estimates of fish density among the prop roots of the red mangrove,Rhizophora mangle, have varied widely, and assessment techniques used are often detrimental to the habitat. This study outlines a method for assessing estuarine fish densities among prop roots of overwash forests that greatly reduces the detrimental environmental effects of sampling in this habitat. Minnow seines were used to surround small overwash forests at high tide, such that fish were trapped in the nets as water receded. More fish species were present in the open water areas adjacent to mangrove stands than among the prop roots. Densities and distribution patterns of roots and hydrophysical characteristics measured at the overwash forests were not correlated with the density of fish inhabiting those sites. Fish density was correlated positively with species richness among small mangrove overwash forests. Similarity in species composition of fish assemblages was higher between prop root and open-water habitats sampled in this study than similar estuarine habitats examined previously. Estimates of fish density varied greatly between samples, however, suggesting high variability in habitat use among fish species inhabiting red mangrove overwash forests.
Tubulin Delivery: Polymerization Chaperones for Microtubule Assembly?

A new paper by Slep and Vale in a recent issue of Molecular Cell provides structural clues as to how three different +TIP proteins interact with tubulin and suggests that +TIPs deliver oligomers of tubulin dimers to growing microtubule ends.
Effects of tidal fluctuations of salinity on hemolymph composition of the southern oyster drill Thais haemastoma

Effects of varying the amplitude and duration of tidal fluctuations of salinity upon the hemolymph osmotic and ionic composition of the southern oyster drill Thais haemastoma were studied. The composition of diluent was varied during one experiment to approximate Mississippi River water. Snails were also subjected to a diurnal 20-10-20%. S fluctuation pattern for two weeks and hemolymph was collected twice daily. Amplitude of hemolymph osmolality and ion fluctuation during tidal fluctuations of salinity was directly related to the amplitude of ambient salinity fluctuation and inversely related to the rate of fluctuation. The rate of hemolymph osmolality and ion change was directly related to the rate of ambient salinity change. Dilution of seawater with simulated river water instead of deionized water resulted in a reduced amplitude of fluctuation of hemolymph osmolality and ion concentration. Most of the hemolymph osmolality fluctuation was due to solute movement and not to shifts in body water. Hemolymph, sodium and chloride level changed in a similar manner throughout all of the experiments except the 10-5-10% S-simulated river-water experiment in which chloride changed much less than sodium. Hemolymph ninhydrinpositive substance (NPS) levels cycled inversely with ambient salinity during the 30-10-30%. and 20-10-20%. S diurnal and the 30-10-30%. S semidiurnal experiments, but did not change during the 10-5-10%. S deionized water or simulated river-water experiment. Snails fed for most of the 2-week 20-10-2%. S diurnal cycle fluctuation experiment and no mortality occurred. Drills were hyperosmotic to the ambient water at all but two sampling periods, when they were isosmotic. Hemolymph NPS levels tended to be higher during low-salinity slack water than during high-salinity slack water. Even small fluctuations of ambient salinity result in fluctuations of hemolymph osmolality and ionic composition which may affect rate functions within the zone of capacity adaptation of the southern oyster drill.
A state space thermal model for HEV/EV battery using vector fitting

Battery thermal management for high power applications such as electrical/hybrid vehicles is crucial. Modeling is an indispensable tool to help engineers design better battery cooling systems. A fast and accurate battery thermal model using state space representation can be used to predict volume-averaged cell temperature or temperature at user specified locations under transient heat dissipation. The matrices of the state space model are calculated by curve-fitting the step response of the state space model to that of the battery thermal system computed from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. In this paper, the vector-fitting (VF) method in the frequency domain is proposed for the curve-fitting. The frequency domain VF method is shown to provide advantages over the time domain Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method. For batteries using prismatic cells, the VF method is shown to be more accurate. For multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) battery thermal systems, the VF method generates much smaller state space models compared with those using the LM method. Therefore, for MIMO battery thermal systems, models from the VF method run much faster than those from the LM method.
The frequency of wide binaries among the southern barium stars

All of the barium and marginal barium stars in the 1972 MacConnell, Frey, and Upgren (1972: MFU) list of such objects which are located south of the celestial equator were examined for visual duplicity. Over 200 objects were observed, and a total of six possible candidates for wide pair visual binaries were found. Of these, four are most likely optical in nature. These data suggest that the incidence of wide binaries among barium stars is of the order of 1%.
Does caregiver well-being predict stroke survivor depressive symptoms? A mediation analysis.

AbstractBackground and Purpose: Studies suggest that family caregiver well-being (ie, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) may affect stroke survivor depressive symptoms. We used mediation analysis to assess whether caregiver well-being might be a factor explaining stroke survivor depressive symptoms, after controlling for demographic factors and stroke survivor impairments and problems. Methods: Caregiver/stroke participant dyads (N = 146) completed measures of stroke survivor impairments and problems and depressive symptoms and caregiver depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Mediation analysis was used to examine whether caregiver well-being mediated the relationship between stroke survivor impairments and problems and stroke survivor depressive symptoms. Results: As expected, more stroke survivor problems and impairments were associated with higher levels of stroke survivor depressive symptoms (P < .0001). After controlling for demographic factors, we found that this relationship was partial...
Use of the Reciprocity Theorem and Mapping Theorems in Locating Anomalous Air Pollution Sources

A method of using one or more ground-level air pollution transducers to detect anomalous emission from a fixed point source of air pollution is described. It is assumed a source can be identified by two position variables and three operating parameters. It is possible to spot the source position within a region A ? E2 if the operating parameters are partially known. The method is based on the principle of source-receptor reciprocity and certain mapping theorems. Mathematical questions arise when finding the set A. One question involves a technique for finding the set A from points on its boundary. Another question deals with the variations in the area of A with the amount of uncertainty in the operating parameters. The questions are resolved by recourse to general characteristics of diffusion patterns. An example is given to illustrate one application of the theory.
Photometric observations in South America and their relation to trapped radiation.

Tilting filter photometers to measure night airglow in South America, establishing charged particles energy flux upper limits
Budget Cuts Affecting Natural History

Donald Kennedy's Editorial “Academic health II” (27 Aug., p. [1213][1]) draws attention to the negative economic and budget environment in which higher education must compete for public support. Indeed, most university administrators must consider how research programs and facilities support the
On effective testing of health care simulation software

Health care professionals rely on software to simulate anatomical and physiological elements of the human body for purposes of training, prototyping, and decision making. Software can also be used to simulate medical processes and protocols to measure cost effectiveness and resource utilization. Whereas much of the software engineering research into simulation software focuses on validation (determining that the simulation accurately models real-world activity), to date there has been little investigation into the testing of simulation software itself, that is, the ability to effectively search for errors in the implementation. This is particularly challenging because often there is no test oracle to indicate whether the results of the simulation are correct. In this paper, we present an approach to systematically testing simulation software in the absence of test oracles, and evaluate the effectiveness of the technique.
Information theoretic approach to the authentication of multimedia

In many multimedia applications, there is a need to authenticate a source that has been subjected to benign degradations in addition to potential tampering attacks. We develop one information-theoretic formulation of this problem, and identify and interpret the associated fundamental performance limits. A consequence of our results is that there is a tradeoff between embedding distortion and robustness to channel noise, but no such tradeoff between these parameters and security to forgery. To develop some intuition, we outline a sphere packing analogy and show that the results from sphere packing and information theory have the same form. One important benefit of our framework is a coherent way to analyze and design authentication schemes for general source models, distortion metrics, and noisy channel models. We illustrate this by an example construction of a realizable authentication scheme. An important ingredient of our construction is the use of forward error correcting codes. We show that the application of fairly simple codes decreases the embedding distortion required by more than 5 dB without decreasing security or robustness. Our approach is general enough to be used in a wide variety of applications.