cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inventory model with variable levels of quality attributes via geometric programming

In the paper an inventory model is proposed for a single product of a profit-maximizing producer where the level of a critical quality attribute of the product is a decision variable (e.g. the processing speed in megahertz for semiconductor chips). Two additional decision variables are the order quantity and the demand rate. The corresponding price as well as variable and fixed costs are assumed to be power functions of one or more of these decision variables. This assumption makes it possible to utilize geometric programming techniques effectively, and the global optimal solution is derived for the inventory model. In addition, extensive sensitivity analyses on primal and dual geometric programming problems for the inventory model are presented.
To Slideware or Not to Slideware: Students' Experiences with Powerpoint Vs. Lecture:

This study analyzes the performance and attitudes of technical writing students in PowerPoint-enhanced and in non-PowerPoint lectures. Four classes of upper-level undergraduates (n = 84) at a mid-sized, Southern university taking a one-semester technical writing course were surveyed at the beginning and end of the course about their perceptions of PowerPoint. Of the four sections, two classes were instructed using traditional lecture materials (teacher at podium, chalkboard, handouts); the other two sections were instructed with PowerPoint presentations. All four classes were given the same pre- and post-test to measure performance over the course of the semester. Traditional lecture or PowerPoint presentations consisted of at least 50% of the course, with the remaining time spent on exercises and small group work. Results reveal that while most students say they preferred PowerPoint, performance scores were higher in the sections with the traditional lecture format.
Optimization Experiments With A Double Gauss Lens

This paper describes how a lens can be generated by starting from plane surfaces. Three different experiments, using the Los Alamos National Laboratory optimization procedure, all converged on the same stable prescriptions in the optimum minimum region. The starts were made first from an already optimized lens appearing in the literature, then from a powerless plane-surfaces configuration, and finally from a crude Super Angulon configuration. In each case the result was a double Gauss lens, which suggests that this type of lens may be the best compact six-glass solution for one imaging problem: an f/2 aperture and a moderate field of view. The procedures and results are discussed in detail.
512-S Facility, Actinide Removal Process Radiological Design Summary Report

This report contains top-level requirements for the various areas of radiological protection for workers. Detailed quotations of the requirements for applicable regulatory documents can be found in the Radiological Design Summary Report Implementation Guide. For the purposes of demonstrating compliance with these requirements, per Engineering Standard 01064, ''shall consider / shall evaluate'' indicates that the designer must examine the requirement for the design and either incorporate or provide a technical justification as to why the requirement is not incorporated. This report describes how the Building 512-S, Actinide Removal Process meets the required radiological design criteria and requirements based on 10CFR835, DOE Order 420.1A, WSRC Manual 5Q and various other DOE guides and handbooks. The analyses supporting this Radiological Design Summary Report initially used a source term of 10.6 Ci/gallon of Cs-137 as the basis for bulk shielding calculations. As the project evolved, the source term was reduced to 1.1 Ci/gallon of Cs-137. This latter source term forms the basis for later dose rate evaluations.
The exchange rate mechanism's role in the european monetary system

The European Community was established with the intent of reaching full economic, monetary, and political union among its member countries. The three elements of the European Monetary System—the Exchange Rate Mechanism, the European Currency Unit, and the European Monetary Fund—were designed to work together to achieve monetary integration among the member states. German reunification, as a result of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, played an important role in the failure of the Exchange Rate Mechanism. Many steps will need to be taken in order for the European community to obtain full economic and monetary union.
Hypertension, Living Kidney Donors, and Transplantation: Where Are We Today?

Hypertension is a prevalent problem in kidney transplant recipients that is known to be a "traditional" risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease leading to premature allograft failure and death. Donor, peritransplant, and recipient factors affect hypertension risk. Blood pressure control after transplantation is inversely associated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Calcineurin inhibitors, the most commonly used class of immunosuppressives, cause endothelial dysfunction, increase vascular tone, and sodium retention via the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system resulting in systemic hypertension. Steroid withdrawal seems to have little impact on blood pressure control. Newer agents like belatacept appear to be associated with less hypertension. Transplant renal artery stenosis is an important, potentially treatable cause of hypertension. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers mitigate calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity and may be associated with improved estimated GFR. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are not recommended in the first 3 to 6 months given their effects on reduced estimated GFR, anemia, and hyperkalemia. The use of s-blockers may be associated with improved patient survival, even for patients without cardiovascular disease. Living donation may increase blood pressure by 5 mm Hg or more. Some transplant centers accept Caucasian living donors with well-controlled hypertension on a single agent if they agree to close follow-up.
Robust feedback control of sound radiation into a closed cavity

The field of active noise control is currently very popular due to the fact that it has many practical applications. Some of these applications include decreasing cabin noise in aircraft and automobiles, reducing noise in rocket payload bays, and minimizing machinery noise in factories. Many researchers have developed active control algorithms for vibrating plates radiating sound into free space or enclosures. Most of the controllers employed have been adaptive like the Filtered-x LMS techniques. Very little previous work has been focused on feedback control techniques. In an earlier paper we have described techniques for controlling sound transmission through rectangular plates radiating into a closed cavity. Robust controllers, based on Linear Quadratic Gaussian with Loop Transfer Recovery (LQG/LTR) methods were designed and implemented on simple test articles. In comparison with LMS algorithm, this robust controller did not perform well. The time delay present in the structural system was not considered in the LQG/LTR design method. Hence, a poor performance was the result. In this paper, we have designed and implemented a modified LQG/LTR controller with time delay on an acoustic chamber test article. This controller estimates the previous states from the present output and predicts states for feedback purposes. The time delay of the structure is compensated in the configuration of the estimator of the controller. We have obtained the simulation and experimental results with the modified controller. The performance of the modified LQG/LTR controller is much better than the LMS controller. The performance of the LMS and LQG/LTR controllers is investigated with respect to change in noise frequency and plant parameter variations. The experimental results are included in this paper.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Institutional Profile: The Emory Biomarker Service Center

The Emory Biomarker Service Center (EBSC) provides state-of-the-art analytical technologies to impact biomarker discovery, development and clinical translation of biomarker research in a spectrum of disease and therapeutic areas. EBSC technologies are primarily concentrated in medical genomics, microarray expression profiling and data analysis. The EBSC provides state-of-the-art services in nucleic acid extraction, genomic sequencing, custom and whole-genome genotyping, cytosine–phosphate–guanine dinucleotide (CpG) methylation, mRNA and miRNA expression analyses. The EBSC typically processes tens of thousands of samples per year, utilizing instrumentation and automation from Tecan, Qiagen, Applied Biosystems, Eppendorf and Beckman Coulter, which are supported by the Thermofisher Nautilus Laboratory Information Management System data-management architecture. The EBSC provides services and platforms for biomarker profiling of fresh, frozen or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues using both Affymetrix, I...
More Hot Stuff

While leading computing corporations have instituted "green data center" and "eco-responsible computing" initiatives, the computer architecture community as a whole has drifted away from power-aware architecture and on to the next topic. Arguably, power remains the computer architecture topic with the most potential for societal impact. Albonesi exhorts Micro readers to re-emphasize power-related research and outlines a few of the most pressing issues.
Anion—cation separations on a mixed bed alumina—silica column

Mixed bed ion-exchange (MBIE) columns containing alumina and silica were evaluated for the simultaneous separation of anion and cation analytes. At the mobile phase pH used alumina provides anion exchange sites while silica provides cation exchange sites. Since alumina and silica exhibit weak acid and base properties, their anion and/or cation exchange properties are pH dependent. Ion exchange capacities, rates of exchange and analyte ion exchange selectivities are also pH dependent. The major mobile phase parameters affecting analyte anion and cation resolution and elution order are pH and type and concentration of counter anion and counter cation, respectively. The weight ratio of the two exchangers and/or the exchange capacities of the two in the column can also be used to alter resolution and elution order. Several examples of the simultaneous separation of inorganic mono- and divalent anions and cations using a single sample injection, a single column and a single detector (conductivity) illustrate the parameters and scope of the alumina-silica MBIE column.
Product Assortment and Consumer Choice: An Interdisciplinary Review

1. Introduction. 2. Perceptions of Assortment Variety. 3. Choosing from an Assortment. 4. Purchase Likelihood. 5. Purchase Quantity. 6. Option Choice. 7. Choosing Among Assortments. 8. Developing an Agenda for Further Research. 9. Product Assortment and Consumer Choice: A Managerial Perspective. 10. Strategies for Optimizing the Assortment. 11. Strategies for Optimizing the Consumer Decision-Making Process. 12. Conclusion. References.
Immunoblot detection of pyridoxal phosphate binding proteins in liver and hepatoma cytosolic extracts

A monoclonal antibody, highly selective for the 5'-phosphopyridoxyl group, can be used to detect cytosolic pyridoxal-5'-phosphate binding proteins by an immunoblot procedure. This technique, when applied to sodium borohydride-treated cytosolic extracts obtained from normal rat liver at various stages of development as well as several liver-derived Morris hepatomas, reveals patterns of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate binding proteins that are characteristic of the various sources of cytosol. These findings suggest that there are developmental and tumor-specific requirements for pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, the coenzymatically active form of vitamin B-6.
Analysis of crystallization kinetics

A realistic computer model for polymorphic crystallization (i.e., initial and final phases with identical compositions), which includes time-dependent nucleation and cluster-size-dependent growth rates, is developed and tested by fits to experimental data. Model calculations are used to assess the validity of two of the more common approaches for the analysis of crystallization data. The effects of particle size on transformation kinetics, important for the crystallization of many systems of limited dimension including thin films, fine powders, and nanoparticles, are examined.
A monoclonal antibody recognizes structural variation in cystic fibrosis alpha 2-macroglobulin.

Summary: α2-Macroglobulin (α2M) is a major plasma protease inhibitor that has been studied because of its suggested role in the pathology of cystic fibrosis (CF). A panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for human α2M were produced and screened for their ability to bind to a number of human α2M samples. We have used these antibodies to characterize individual antigenic sites in this protein. α2M was purified from plasma by polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by zinc chelate chromatography. A total of 23 α2M samples in the native configuration, as well as the nucleophile-treated configuration, were screened by the panel of 18 monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure. Five of the samples tested were from individuals with cystic fibrosis. α2M from family members of two of these patients was subsequently tested for reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies. One antibody, SAM94, exhibited a significant difference in binding to α2M obtained from CF patients as compared with control individuals. This difference was particularly apparent in the binding of SAM94 to the nucleophile-treated CF α2M; SAM94 showed significantly reduced binding to four of five unrelated CF individuals (p < 0.005) and three of four cystic fibrosis obligate heterozygotes (p < 0.005).
A unified four-terminal JFET static model for circuit simulation

Abstract Junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) are useful for signal mixing purposes because of the isolated top- and bottom-gate terminals in such devices. Difficulties often arise, however, when one simulates the operation of a four-terminal JFET because the conventional JFET model treats the top and bottom gates as a single terminal. In this paper, we develop a unified four-terminal JFET static model covering both linear and saturation regions and including important device physics such as subthreshold behavior and asymmetrical top- and bottom-gate depletion layer thicknesses. Experimental data measured from JFETs fabricated at Harris Semiconductor is included in support of the model.
Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Reveals SLP-76 Dependent Regulation of PAG and Src Family Kinases in T Cells

The SH2-domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa (SLP-76) plays a critical scaffolding role in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. As an adaptor protein that contains multiple protein-binding domains, SLP-76 interacts with many signaling molecules and links proximal receptor stimulation to downstream effectors. The function of SLP-76 in TCR signaling has been widely studied using the Jurkat human leukaemic T cell line through protein disruption or site-directed mutagenesis. However, a wide-scale characterization of SLP-76-dependant phosphorylation events is still lacking. Quantitative profiling of over a hundred tyrosine phosphorylation sites revealed new modes of regulation of phosphorylation of PAG, PI3K, and WASP while reconfirming previously established regulation of Itk, PLCγ, and Erk phosphorylation by SLP-76. The absence of SLP-76 also perturbed the phosphorylation of Src family kinases (SFKs) Lck and Fyn, and subsequently a large number of SFK-regulated signaling molecules. Altogether our data suggests unique modes of regulation of positive and negative feedback pathways in T cells by SLP-76, reconfirming its central role in the pathway.
Naturalized salmonid populations occur in the presence of elevated trace element concentrations and temperatures in the firehole river, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

We investigated the effects of geothermally influenced waters on the distribution of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and brown trout, Salmo trutta, in the Firehole River and its tributaries in Yellowstone National Park (WY, USA) from June 1997 to June 1998. Geothermal features in the Firehole River basin elevate mineral content and temperature in portions of the river and its tributaries. We found concentrations of boron and arsenic to be elevated in geothermally influenced areas compared with upstream sites. Boron concentrations occasionally exceeded 1,000 μg/L, a proposed limit for the protection of aquatic organisms. Arsenic concentrations occasionally exceeded 190 μg/L, the chronic ambient water quality criterion. Temperatures in geothermally influenced sites ranged up to 30°C and were consistently 5 to 10°C higher than upstream sites unaffected by geothermal inputs. Rainbow trout occurred at sites with elevated concentrations of boron, arsenic, and other trace elements and elevated water temperatures. Rainbow trout inhabited and spawned at sites with the most elevated trace element concentrations and temperatures; however, brown trout were absent from these sites. Water temperature may be the major factor determining brown trout distributions, but we cannot exclude the possibility that brown trout are more sensitive than rainbow trout to boron, arsenic, or other trace elements. Further investigations are needed to determine species-specific tolerances of boron, arsenic, and other trace elements among salmonids.
A serotonergic, midbrain-raphe model of tonic immobility

Abstract Research involving the effects of serotonergic and other pharmacological manipulations on tonic immobility is reviewed. An attempt is made to show how these findings parallel independent research involving precursor availability and drug-induced changes in the electrical activity of raphe neurons. Central serotonergic neuronal mechanisms appear to play a crucial role in modulating tonic immobility.
A Further Evaluation of Response Cards: Teaching Direct Care Staff Basic Behavioral Principles

Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of response cards for teaching students in educational settings; however, the effectiveness of response cards has yet to be examined in organizational settings where such strategies may be very useful (i.e., in staff training). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of response cards during in-service training to teach basic behavioral principles to direct care staff working in a human service setting. Results indicated that individuals who received the response card training participated more during training and were able to retain more information over time relative to those who received a standard in-service training.
Sensor network distributed computation for Direct Position Determination

Classical localization systems based on TDOA/FDOA use a two-stage estimation approach. In the first stage, pairs of sensors share data to estimate TDOA/FDOA. Then, the extracted TDOA/FDOA measurements are used to estimate the emitter location. In some recently published methods, an optimal single-stage approach named Direct Position Determination (DPD) has been proposed to improve the position estimation accuracy. However, unlike the classical two-stage method where the TDOA/FDOA estimation can be distributed across all sensors, DPD processes all the received signals together at a single sensor node. However, when sensors have limited computational capabilities it is desirable to distribute the computation across all sensors. Furthermore, concentrating all the processing into a single node makes the location system less robust to the loss of sensors. In this paper, we develop a distributed localization method with the goal of reducing the computational load on each sensor and increasing the reliability of the system.
Approximating probabilities of first passage in a particular gaussian process

Shepp (1971) derives the distribution of waiting times of first passage for a particular Gaussian process. However, Shepp notes that for moderate to large waiting tines the expressions for the probability cannot be evaluated either numerically or by asymptotic estimation. Me present a useful approximation for the distribution and expected waiting time for the conditional and unconditional versions of this first passage problem. The probabilities play a role in bounds by Adler (1984) for the probability distribution of the supremum of a particular two-parameter Gaussian field, a detection problem (Lai, 197 3) and the study of signal shape problems in radars (Zakai Ziv, 1969).
An empirical technique for multilevel analysis in organizational research

Studies of business and social organizations tend to focus on a single organizational level such as the individual or the department. However, the interdependence of the various levels in organizations must be reflected in both theory and methodology if a more complete understanding of these structures is to be achieved. This paper describes a statistical procedure that can be used to conduct cross-level and multilevel research in organizations. This procedure is a derivation of the General Linear Model, and allows the researcher to align the focal unit and the level of analysis. Two applications of this technique are provided. The first shows how the technique can be used to help formulate theory. The second uses this procedure to test a hypothesis derived from existing theory.
Biosynthesis of linoleic acid in a termite, cockroach and cricket

Abstract The de novo biosynthesis of linoleic acid was demonstrated in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, the termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis and the cricket, Acheta domesticus. [1-14C]-acetate was incorporated into a component that co-chromatographed with a linoleate standard on silver nitrate thin layer chromatography and radio-gas-liquid chromatography. Ozonolysis of the methyl ester of the dienoic acid labelled from [1-14C]-acetate demonstrated that radioactivity was incorporated into the fragments containing carbons 1–9 and 13–18, suggesting that the entire molecule was labelled. The housefly, Musca domestica, the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum and the German cockroach, Blatella germanica, did not incorporate radioactivity from [1-14C]-acetate into linoleate.
Ethanol Oxidation by Rat Brain in Vivo

Can brain metabolize ethanol? We present data demonstrating that brain catalase in conjunction with endogenous H2O2 will oxidize ethanol in vivo. The method is based on an H2O2-dependent inhibition of brain catalase in vivo by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole and its prevention by ethanol. The irreversible inhibition of catalase by aminotriazole is known to proceed via the reaction of (catalase-H2O2) compound I with aminotriazole. Inhibition can be prevented by compounds that are oxidized by compound I. Ethanol is one such compound. Prevention of the inhibition of brain catalase in vivo by prior administration of ethanol constitutes indirect evidence for the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde in rat brain. The catalase content of the tissues represented catalase in the brain parenchyma, from which erythrocytes and capillaries had been excluded. Ethanol did not alter the levels of aminotriazole in brain. These results constitute the first demonstration of ethanol oxidation by living brain.
The effects of the fungicide propiconazole (Tilt®) on the groundnut shell mycobiota

At two locations, propiconazole (Tilt)® was applied to Florunner groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) in volumes of water ranging from 187 to 561 l ha−1 in ground sprays and from 2·3 to 6·4 mm in chemigation applications. A total of 4296 fungal isolates were cultured from groundnut shells obtained from the two sites located near Tifton, Georgia, U.S.A. Nearly two-thirds of the isolates were members of the Fungi Imperfecti. The most frequently observed species were from the form-genera Alternaria, Botryodiplodia, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Phoma, Rhizoctonia and Trichoderma. The pesticide applications showed few effects on isolation frequency at either test site. Malt extract, potato dextrose and tannic acid-benomyl agar were used for initial isolations. Isolation frequencies of the nine most common genera were significantly different on these cultural media for only Botryodiplodia and Nigrospora.
Preventive ethics and end-of-life decisions.

E nd-of-life decision making by patients about the management of their disease and dying process should be just like any other clinical decision making by patients. Such decision making should be encouraged and fostered through the informed consent pr0cess.l When it is a meaningful dialogue between the physician and the patient-rather than the bureaucratized ritual that it too often becomes2-the informed consent process aids physician and patient alike by helping the patient to develop an adequate understanding of her condition and the alternatives available for managing it well, by eliciting the patient’s values about medical care, as well as the patient’s concerns, hopes, and fears, and by eliciting the patient’s preferences about how she wants her care managed.3 The informed consent process for patients at the end of their lives concerns how to manage their disease processes well and how to manage their process of dying well. Because the patient’s disease has become life-taking, the goal of medical care should be to prevent morbidity that can reduce quality of life, especially iatrogenic morbidity. The goal of care for the dying patient should be to protect the patient’s quality of life while dying, especially with adequate pain management and attention to the patient’s concerns for how she wishes to be remembered by her loved ones. The obstetrician/gynecologist caring for gravely ill patients or patients at risk for becoming gravely ill should view advance directives as instruments that can shape the informed consent process while the patient retains her decision making capacity, so that decisions taken later, when the patient might lose her decision making capacity, reflect her values and preferences to the greatest extent possible. This matter has become more urgent in light of the recent report about the frequent failure of physicians to implement patients’ advance directives.4,5 The Committee on Ethics ACOG Committee Opinion, End-of-Life Decision
Selection and Validation of Endogenous Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Analysis in Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is the most important tool in measuring levels of gene expression due to its accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. However, the accuracy of qRT-PCR analysis strongly depends on transcript normalization using stably expressed reference genes. The aim of this study was to find internal reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis in various experimental conditions for seed, adventitious underground bud, and other organs of leafy spurge. Eleven candidate reference genes (BAM4, PU1, TRP-like, FRO1, ORE9, BAM1, SEU, ARF2, KAPP, ZTL, and MPK4) were selected from among 171 genes based on expression stabilities during seed germination and bud growth. The other ten candidate reference genes were selected from three different sources: (1) 3 stably expressed leafy spurge genes (60S, bZIP21, and MD-100) identified from the analyses of leafy spurge microarray data; (2) 3 orthologs of Arabidopsis “general purpose” traditional reference genes (GAPDH_1, GAPDH_2, and UBC); and (3) 4 orthologs of Arabidopsis stably expressed genes (UBC9, SAND, PTB, and F-box) identified from Affymetrix ATH1 whole-genome GeneChip studies. The expression stabilities of these 21 genes were ranked based on the CT values of 72 samples using four different computation programs including geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, and the comparative ΔCT method. Our analyses revealed SAND, PTB, ORE9, and ARF2 to be the most appropriate reference genes for accurate normalization of gene expression data. Since SAND and PTB were obtained from 4 orthologs of Arabidopsis, while ORE9 and ARF2 were selected from 171 leafy spurge genes, it was more efficient to identify good reference genes from the orthologs of other plant species that were known to be stably expressed than that of randomly testing endogenous genes. Nevertheless, the two newly identified leafy spurge genes, ORE9 and ARF2, can serve as orthologous candidates in the search for reference genes from other plant species.
Super Hybrid Rice Breeding in China: Achievements and Prospects

Hybrid rice has contributed greatly to the self-sufficiency of food supply in China. To meet the future demand for rice production, a national program on super rice breeding was established in China in 1996. The corresponding targets, breeding strategies and most significant advances are reviewed in this paper. New plant type models have been modified to adjust to various rice growing regions. In recognition of the importance of applying parents with intermediate subspecies differentiation in increasing F1 yield, medium type parental lines were selected from populations derived from inter-subspecies crosses with the assistance of DNA markers for subspecies differentiation. Results also indicate that a substantial increase of biomass is the basis for further enhancement of the grain yield potential, and amelioration of leaf characteristics is helpful in increasing the photosynthetic rate. Thirty-four super hybrid rice varieties have been released commercially, growing in a total area of 13.5 million hm2 and producing 6.7 thousand million kg more rice in 1998-2005. Although remarkable progress has been made in super hybrid rice breeding in China, selections on the root system and integration of more biotechnological tools remain a great challenge.
Modelling abnormal pressure development in sandstone/shale basins

Abstract Overpressure development in a sedimentary basin is directly related to the rate of fluid escape from the sediments. The model used here for fluid pressure evolution is a two-dimensional model (GEOPETII, developed at the University of South Carolina), which includes a dynamic indicator inversion method so that present day indicators of dynamic evolution with depth, such as porosity, permeability, formation thickness and fluid pressure, can be used to evaluate the parameters controlling the temporal behaviour of geological processes as well as those in intrinsic equations of state. In general, the dominant factors influencing fluid pressure evolution are the lithology, faulting/fracturing of rocks and sedimentation rate; other factors, such as fluid thermal expansion, dewatering of clays, as well as hydrocarbon generation, also contribute to the abnormal fluid pressure, but are relatively less important. A shale-dominated section can lead to overpressure as high as 300 atm at about 2000±500 m sub-mudline depth with a sedimentation rate of 50 m/Ma, whereas in a section dominated by sand and sandy shale, low to zero overpressure obtains. Hydraulically open faults modify the fluid pressure significantly in shale sections. The high permeability zone created by the faults provides a pathway for fluid escape and therefore bleeds off pressure within or close to the fault zone, which consequently lowers the rock porosity. In contrast, a hydraulically closed fault has little impact on fluid pressure. Thus the hydraulic nature (open or closed) of a fault is an important factor in basin evaluation processes. Salt sheets in basins also play an important part in pressure development because of both the low permeability and high mobility of salt in the subsurface. Significant overpressure build-up beneath a salt sheet, and an area of normal or smaller overpressure above a salt sheet, were obtained in the modelling procedure, as observed. An example of an abnormally pressured basin from the Navarin Basin, Alaska is also presented here. Prediction of present day formation pressure with depth is made with four controlling wells. The main overpressure, deeper than about 1500±200 m, reaches a maximum of about 800 atm in the central graben with a sedimentation rate of about 160 m/Ma, which is probably the primary factor driving fluid movement in the basin towards the shallower and margin-ward directions. The rapid deposition of low permeability shale appears to be the main cause of the extensive overpressure in the Navarin Basin. In addition, the sensitivity of parameter values is shown, as is the association of predicted and observed quantities at the four wells, indicating the resolution obtainable.
What RHIC experiments and theory tell us about properties of quark–gluon plasma?

Abstract This brief review summarizes the main experimental discoveries made at RHIC and then discusses their implications. The robust collective flow phenomena are well described by ideal hydrodynamics, with the equation of state (EoS) predicted by lattice simulations. However the transport properties turned out to be unexpected, with rescattering cross section one-to-two orders of magnitude larger than expected from perturbative QCD. These and other theoretical developments indicate that quark–gluon plasma (QGP) produced at RHIC, and probably in a wider temperature region T c T 4 T c , is not at all a weakly coupled quasiparticle gas, but is rather in a strongly coupled regime, sQGP for short. After reviewing two other “strongly coupled systems”, (i) the strongly coupled supersymmetric theories studied via Maldacena duality; (ii) trapped ultra-cold atoms with very large scattering length, we return to sQGP and show that there should exist literally hundreds of bound states in it in the RHIC domain, most them colored. We then discuss recent ideas of their effect on the EoS, viscosity and jet quenching.
Drug courts - just the beginning: getting other areas of public policy in sync.

Although an offender can complete a drug court program in the United States, have his/her charges dismissed or reduced (or some other amelioration of the criminal justice system penalty that would otherwise have been applied), become drug free, obtain a job, regain custody of his/her children, become a tax-paying, law-abiding citizen, etc., he/she will still be deprived of basic rights afforded to other U.S. citizens because other sectors of public policy still approach addiction with a punitive orientation. Thus, despite the fact that an offender may have made a substantial beginning in recovery, other parts of the system make no accommodation for his/her recovery efforts in, for example, their denial of (a) welfare benefits to persons charged/convicted of drug offenses; (b) educational loans or other benefits to persons charged/convicted of drug offenses; (c) public housing to persons charged/convicted of drug offenses; and (d) voting rights to persons with felony convictions. In addition, deportation p...
Ion/molecule reaction between sulphur hexafluoride negative ion and water under atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometric conditions

Abstract Reaction between SF6− and water to form SF4O−1 has been observed in the ion source of an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer.
A novel masking method for high aspect ratio penetrating microelectrode arrays

Neural interfaces connect signal processing electronics to the nervous system via implanted microelectrode arrays such as the Utah electrode array (UEA). The penetrating electrodes of the UEA are encapsulated with parylene-C. In order to form active electrode sites, parylene-C must be removed from the electrode tips. Masking the electrodes to selectively de-insulate the tips has been accomplished by poking the electrode through aluminum foil. This mechanical poking process lacks precise control over the length of exposed tips. The non-uniformity in tip exposure can change the electrode impedance across the array, which causes variability in recording and stimulating characteristics. This paper focuses on the development of a fabrication technology to produce uniformly exposed tip lengths, over a range of 30–350 µm. A novel batch-oriented and wafer-scale method to de-insulate the electrode tips of the UEA is presented which uses a photoresist to mask the samples and an oxygen plasma to etch parylene-C. The tip exposure is controlled by varying the spin speed during photoresist coating of the electrode array. At 100 rpm, the non-uniformity of the batch-processed arrays was 14.74 ± 7.49% while in the case of a wafer-scale process it was 3.0 ± 0.2% for 10 × 10 electrodes; this indicates that the wafer-scale process leads to better uniformity in tip exposure. A set of photoresist-based process parameters were also tested to ensure that the electrical and mechanical properties of parylene-C were not compromised by the process.
Distilled water and tap water as factors in taste preference experimentation.

Albino rats were permitted to drink either distilled water or tap water from two bottles. Animals with prior experience with distilled water in the home cage showed a consistent preference for dist...
Likelihood of developing an alcohol and cannabis use disorder during youth: Association with recent use and age

Abstract Aim We extend the literature on the association of early onset of drug use and estimated risk for developing a substance use disorder (SUD) by investigating the risk that recent onset of alcohol and cannabis use confers for developing a substance use disorder at each chronological age of adolescence and young adulthood (12–21-years-old). Design Using 2003 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), 2004. Overview of Findings from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-24, DHHS Publication No. SMA-04-3963, Rockville, MD], we computed separate risk indices for developing an alcohol and cannabis use disorder for recent (prior 2 years) alcohol and cannabis users, respectively, at each age from 12 to 21 years of age, and compared estimated risk to recent onsets users among respondents aged 22–26. Findings The results indicated that the teenage years were strongly linked to an elevated risk status. The odds ratio (OR) of having a prior year alcohol use disorder (AUD) among recent onset alcohol users was significantly elevated for youth at ages 14, 16, 17 and 18 (range of ORs = 2.0–2.1) compared to the estimated risk for AUD among recent onset users aged 22–26. For cannabis, we obtained significantly elevated ORs for a cannabis use disorder (CUD) at each of teenage years (ages 12–18; range of ORs = 3.9–7.2), when compared to older recent onset users (aged 22–26). Conclusions These data provide further epidemiological support that adolescence is a particularly vulnerable period for developing a SUD.
Sea-Level Acceleration Based on U.S. Tide Gauges and Extensions of Previous Global-Gauge Analyses

HOUSTON, J.R. and DEAN, R.G., 2011. Sea-level acceleration based on U.S. tide gauges and extensions of previous global-gauge analyses. Journal of Coastal Research, 27(3), 409–417. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Without sea-level acceleration, the 20th-century sea-level trend of 1.7 mm/y would produce a rise of only approximately 0.15 m from 2010 to 2100; therefore, sea-level acceleration is a critical component of projected sea-level rise. To determine this acceleration, we analyze monthly-averaged records for 57 U.S. tide gauges in the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) data base that have lengths of 60–156 years. Least-squares quadratic analysis of each of the 57 records are performed to quantify accelerations, and 25 gauge records having data spanning from 1930 to 2010 are analyzed. In both cases we obtain small average sea-level decelerations. To compare these results with worldwide data, we extend the analysis of Douglas (1992) by an additional 25 years and analyze revised data of Church and White (2006) from 1930 to 2007 and also obtain small sea-level decelerations similar to those we obtain from U.S. gauge records.
Integrating Critical Race Theory and Postmodernism Implications of Race, Class, and Gender

This paper begins with an overview of criticalrace theory tenets, which in turn will befollowed by an overview of postmodernism. These bodies of knowledge consist of an arrayof ideologies; but for the purpose of thisarticle only the fundamentals of each will bediscussed. Thereafter, an integration ofthese two contemporary areas of thought willdemonstrate the constructive linkage ofcritical race theory and postmodern theory. Theintegration’s that follow will emphasize how acollaboration of critical race theory tenetsand postmodern thought can contribute to asuccessful, and more importantly improved,analysis of the social constructions of race,class, and gender. In addition, theintersectional analysis presented willdemonstrate a more informative and betterunderstanding of the subtleties of blatant andmore hidden forms of race, class, and gender.
School-Wide Healthy Weight Behaviors: Promoting Universal Longevity via School-Family Ecologies (PULSE).

Rates of childhood obesity have more than tripled in the last 40 years, resulting in a challenge from the public sector and various governmental institutions for the development of effective prevention/early intervention programming. Based on an extensive review of the literature, an evidence-based, school-wide curriculum is proposed. Promoting Universal Longevity via School–family Ecologies (PULSE) is intended to change weight imbalance behaviors via proactive and long-term interventions directed toward all children and their families (universal prevention model) via the school setting. The authors provide a review of the literature and outline the conceptual model of PULSE. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Storm layer deposition on the Mississippi–Atchafalaya subaqueous delta generated by Hurricane Lili in 2002

The Atchafalaya inner continental shelf, located along the north-central Gulf of Mexico offshore of Louisiana, is an area of rapid mud accumulation associated with the progradation of a subaqueous delta originating from this Mississippi River distributary. In September–October 2002, this region was impacted by two tropical cyclones (Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili) separated by only 7 days. Water-column and hydrodynamic records from coastal observation platforms (WAVCIS network) are combined with seabed sampling 4–7 days after passage of Lili, to examine the impact of these events on the Atchafalaya inner shelf. Wind speeds at the CSI-3 platform on the delta (located in 4.5 m of water) peaked at 20 m/s during Isidore, and more than 30 m/s during the closer, and stronger, Lili event. Significant wave heights during Lili peaked at more than 2 m at the CSI-3 platform, coincident with a storm surge of about 2 m. Water-column flow structure during both storms was closely tied to the storm surge (coastal setup–setdown) cycle despite variations in wind direction with storm passage. Flow was onshore throughout the water column during the waxing phase (1.5 days in Lili, 4 days in Isidore), with a rapid (1–2 h) reversal to offshore flow after storm passage (� 12 h waning phase). Flow velocities remained above 1 m/s throughout the ADCP-measured water column (465 cm above the bottom) for more than 2 days during the Lili event. Sediment cores reveal the presence of a basal erosional surface, hypothesized to represent seabed deflation from the combined resuspension attributable to both storms, overlain by a silty clay storm deposit 2–19 cm thick. Comparison with 7 Be seabed profiles and X-radiographs taken at two delta stations (5 m water depth) prior to and following the storm suggests erosional deflation of 3–13 and 7–17 cm occurred at these stations. The overlying, physically stratified storm deposit contains radioisotopic inventories ( 7 Be, 234 Th, 137 Cs, 210 Pb) that are consistent with an origin primarily from redeposition of particles resuspended in the waxing phase of the storm. X-radiography and granulometry suggest two-phase re-deposition: an initial, normally graded basal deposit 1–2 cm thick containing sand that likely was deposited from normal settling, and a slightly normally graded, sand-poor unit hypothesized to be deposited from consolidation of a fluid mud (410 g/l), hindered settling suspension later in the waning phase. Macrofaunal burrows in the storm deposit suggest rapid (days) settlement of surviving fauna, likely due to high abundance in the sediments at this time of year when burial rates (from Atchafalaya River sediment supply) and energies sufficient for bottom resuspension are normally low. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A secure and reliable bootstrap architecture

In a computer system, the integrity of lower layers is typically treated as axiomatic by higher layers. Under the presumption that the hardware comprising the machine (the lowest layer) is valid, the integrity of a layer can be guaranteed if and only if: (1) the integrity of the lower layers is checked and (2) transitions to higher layers occur only after integrity checks on them are complete. The resulting integrity "chain" inductively guarantees system integrity. When these conditions are not met, as they typically are not in the bootstrapping (initialization) of a computer system, no integrity guarantees can be made, yet these guarantees are increasingly important to diverse applications such as Internet commerce, security systems and "active networks". In this paper, we describe the AEGIS architecture for initializing a computer system. It validates integrity at each layer transition in the bootstrap process. AEGIS also includes a recovery process for integrity check failures, and we show how this results in robust systems.
The Least Dangerous Branch Revisited: New Evidence on Supreme Court Responsiveness to Public Preferences

With competing assumptions and alternative empirical models, scholars have come to rather different conclusions about the impact of public preferences on the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. Some have found the justices to be attentive to mass opinion, while others have judged it to be irrelevant. Across this divide, however, one assumption is widely shared; that is, political scientists generally agree upon how best to measure the Court's outputs. In this analysis, we employ an alternative estimate of the justices’ liberalism, one which we think better reflects the underlying ideological tenor of their policies. With data from 1953 to 1996, we compare time-series models using different indicators of the Supreme Court's aggregate liberalism. Our results suggest that, in addition to being motivated by their own preferences, the justices are highly responsive to public mood, as well.
A digital FM demodulator for FM, TV, and wireless

An FM demodulator is implemented digitally in software using a quadri-correlator algorithm so that the FM function can be made compatible with future digital wireless and FM receiver systems. The proposed digital FM demodulator uses a sinc/sup 3/ decimation filter with its first zero either on the alternate channels or on the adjacent channels for high channel selectivity, a digital differentiator using a three-point approximation for frequency discrimination, and a digital division for AM rejection. A bitstream FM signal from a fourth-order bandpass delta-sigma modulator is FM-demodulated to exhibit a SNDR of 71 dB, a THD of 0.010%, and an AM rejection of 77 dB in simulations using a signal bandlimited to /sup 1///sub 200/ of the sampling frequency and amplitude-modulated with a modulation index of 0.9 (90% AM).