cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissecting aneurysm of the pulmonary trunk in mitral stenosis.

Abstract Aneurysms of the pulmonary trunk (PT) are rare.1,2 They occur in patients with elevated pulmonary artery (PA) pressure due to primary PA hypertension, or secondary to congenital intracardiac shunts. They also occur in patients with normal PA pressures after pulmonary valve endocarditis, septic pulmonary emboli, syphilis or tuberculosis.1,3 One-third of patients with PA aneurysms die suddenly,2 either from dissection of the PA with direct rupture into the lungs or mediastinum or from retrograde extension into the pericardial sac with development of tamponade.4,5 We report the first case of extensive dissection of the PA diagnosed during life, with intimai flaps and differential blood flow velocities in the true and false lumens seen by Doppler echocardiography.
The Hidden Politics of Identity: Racial Self‐Identification and Latino Political Engagement

Although prior research suggests that cultural identity is a strong determinant of Latino political behavior, few studies have examined the significance of racial self-identification formation for Latinos and how it influences Latino political engagement. I analyze the 2004 Pew/Kaiser National Survey of Latinos using ordered probit and logit models. The data support previous research which shows that a growing number of Latinos are shifting their reported racial category from standard categories like “black” and “white” and are instead choosing to racially identify as “Latino” or “Hispanic.” Furthermore, I find that political attitudes and behaviors are significantly related to Latino racial identity. The findings suggest that shifting racial identity in the Latino community has important implications for understanding Latino political engagement and future racial identification patterns in the United States more broadly. Aunque investigaciones previas sugieren que la identidad cultural es un fuerte determinante del comportamiento politico Latino, pocos estudios han examinado la importancia de la formacion de la auto-identificacion racial de los Latinos y como influye en el compromiso politico Latino. Analizo la Encuesta Nacional Pew/Kaiser de 2004 utilizando modelos ordenados de probit y logit. La informacion confirma investigaciones previas que senalan que un numero creciente de Latinos esta cambiando su categoria racial reportada de categorias estandares como “negro” o “blanco” a “Latino” o “Hispano.” Ademas, encuentro que las actitudes y comportamientos politicos estan significativamente relacionados a la identidad racial Latina. En terminos generales, las conclusiones demuestran que la identidad racial cambiante en la comunidad Latina tiene importantes implicaciones para comprender el compromiso y patrones futuros de identificacion racial en los Estados Unidos.
Ant colony tracking in the obligate army ant-following antbird Phaenostictus mcleannani

More than 100 species of tropical birds track army ants to feed on arthropods that flee from the ants. Some species are obligate ant-followers that obtain most of their food at ant swarms, but the mechanism used to track ant colonies remains poorly understood. Ant colonies are nomadic and do not raid every day. It has been hypothesized that (1) by keeping track of three ant colonies daily, each bird should find at least one ant swarm per day, and (2) the birds use the vocalizations of conspecifics as cues to find ant swarms. I followed radiotagged Ocellated Antbirds (Phaenostictus mcleannani) in Costa Rica, which are obligate army ant-following birds, to test both hypotheses and describe how they navigate to find army ant swarms. I found that the birds remained at a single ant swarm throughout the day if that swarm was found in the dominance area of the birds; otherwise, the birds visited several ant colonies. Birds travelled in an oriented manner among ant colonies, in cohesive groups that moved in single file. I recorded “following” events in which a focal bird travelled in a group to a nomadic ant colony that this bird did not check on the previous day; the focal bird travelled with birds that visited the colony on the previous day. Following was occasionally facilitated by vocalizations produced by birds immediately before leaving a swarm. I propose that individual Ocellated Antbirds take advantage of collective knowledge to find army ant swarms.
The isoperimetric inequality on a surface

We prove a new isoperimetric inequality which relates the area of a multiply connected curved surface, its Euler characteristic, the length of its boundary, and its Gaussian curvature.
The neuropsychology of hydrocephalus.

Abstract The relationship between neuropsychological impairment and hydrocephalus is reviewed and three case studies presented. Current brain imaging technology provides a method for detailed quantification of ventricular expansion and alteration or loss of cortical tissue in hydrocephalus. However, there appears to be little systematic relationship between ventricular size in hydrocephalus and the type or degree of neuropsychological impairment. As a group, hydrocephalie patients do demonstrate a variety of cognitive and perceptual-motor deficits, but there does not appear to be a common diagnostic neuropsychological pattern in hydrocephalus although perceptual-motor/manipulo-spatial deficits appear to predominate. It appears that there is considerable neural plasticity that occurs in some patients with congenital hydrocephalus and much of this functional reorganization may take place at subcortical and subtentorial levels. Clinical guidelines for the neuropsychological assessment of hydrocephalus are given.
Levels of histaminase and L‐dopa decarboxylase activity in the transition from C‐cell hyperplasia to familial medullary thyroid carcinoma

The distribution of calcitonin, L-dopa decarboxylase, and histaminase is studied in sectioned total thyroid glands from patients with different stages of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. In 5 glands with gross carcinoma and in 3 with early microscopic carcinoma the distribution of all three parameters positively correlates (p less than .01 for each correlation). In contrast, in 6 glands with C-cell hyperplasia only the distribution of calcitonin and L-dopa decarboxylase correlates (r = 0.64, p less than .01) while those for histaminase vs. calcitonin (r = .17, p = N.S.) and histaminase vs. dopa decarboxylase (r = .03, p = N.S.) do not. In the glands with microscopic carcinoma the peak levels of histaminase occur in the areas of disease as defined by immunohistochemical staining of calcitonin; mean histaminase activity is the only one of the three parameters measured that distinguishes between C-cell hyperplasia and microscopic carcinoma (p less than .005). Immunohistochemical staining of histaminase shows positive cells in glands with gross and microscopic carcinoma, but in none of the glands with hyperplasia alone. Histaminase is thus found in high amounts in some malignant C-cells only and may be a useful marker to distinguish between hyperplasia and malignancy in thyroids with early C-cell proliferative disorders.
Dolichoectasia—an evolving arterial disease

Dolichoectasia is an arterial disease that causes dilatation and/or tortuosity of the affected vessel. The prevalence of dolichoectasia increases with age, and this disease is also associated with other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Multiple pathophysiological processes might lead to the development of dolichoectatic vessels, and activation of metalloproteinases and irregular turbulent blood flow seem to cause irreversible disruption of the internal elastic lamina. Intracranial dolichoectasia commonly presents with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and/or cranial neuropathies. The posterior circulation is more frequently affected by the dolichoectatic process than the anterior circulation. A positive diagnosis of dolichoectasia requires visual assessment of vessel shape and, if the posterior circulation is affected, application of Smoker's criteria. Reproducible criteria that aid diagnosis of dolichoectasia in the anterior circulation are lacking. No specific treatment for dolichoectasia exists, and the surgical and medical therapies that have been used to treat this condition have not been systematically evaluated. More evidence is needed to better understand the underlying dilatatory artheriopathy that causes this disease, and to determine whether patients with dolichoectasia might benefit from early diagnosis. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of current knowledge regarding dolichoectasia, and highlight gaps in our knowledge to aid future research.
Developmental changes in the cotyledons of Lupinus luteus L. during and after germination.

Cotyledons of Lupinus luteus were sampled from 1 to 21 days after sowing and processed for light microscopy and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE). Length, width, and surface area of the cotyledons increased gradually until day 10. The thickness of the cotyledons increased from day 7 to day 12 and decreased thereafter. Morphometric analyses showed that the increase in length, width, and thickness of the cotyledon was due to cell expansion, and the decrease in thickness of the cotyledon was due to the decrease in the length of abaxial cells and in the total number of cells. Mesophyll development accompanied schizogenous and lysigenous air space formation. There were two structurally distinct types of protein bodies. Protein bodies in five to six layers of cells on the abaxial side did not contain globoids, while globoids were prominent in protein bodies in the center and adaxial side. Storage protein mobilization occurred first in the abaxial side ofthe cotyledon and proceeded toward the adaxial side. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that proteins ranged from 97 to 14 kD. High molecular weight aand f3-conglutinins were more abundant in the abaxial region, whereas 'y-conglutinin occurred in both abaxial and adaxial regions. In addition, there were five minor bands between 97 and 43 kD unique to abaxial region and five minor bands between 43 and 14 kD unique to adaxial region in the nonreduced protein profiles. The aand ,B-conglutinins began to decrease after imbibition and disappeared by day 7 after sowing. At this stage the subunits of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and four new minor bands appeared.
Semiarid legume crops as protein resources

Worldwide population pressures and accompanying increased demands on water supplies and tillable land has forced a reevaluation of traditional agricultural techniques and crops. Under-used semiarid lands are becoming candidates for crop production that uses stress-tolerant plants. Desert legume trees and shrubs, e.g., species ofProsopis, Leucaena, Acacia, Geoffroea andOlneya, fix nitrogen and could be sources of seed protein forage or biomass. Seeds from desert legume perennials have a high potential as protein producers.
Early oxidation of organic matter in pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic: suboxic diagenesis

Abstract Pore water profiles of total-CO 2 , pH, PO 3− 4 , NO − 3 plus NO − 2 , SO 2− 4 , S 2− , Fe 2+ and Mn 2+ have been obtained in cores from pelagic sediments of the eastern equatorial Atlantic under waters of moderate to high productivity. These profiles reveal that oxidants are consumed in order of decreasing energy production per mole of organic carbon oxidized ( O 2 > manganese oxides ~ nitrate > iron oxides > sulfate). Total CO 2 concentrations reflect organic regeneration and calcite dissolution. Phosphate profiles are consistent with organic regeneration and with the effects of release and uptake during inorganic reactions. Nitrate profiles reflect organic regeneration and nitrate reduction, while dissolved iron and manganese profiles suggest reduction of the solid oxide phases, upward fluxes of dissolved metals and subsequent entrapment in the sediment column. Sulfate values are constant and sulfide is absent, reflecting the absence of strongly anoxic conditions.
Moral Extensionism or Racist Exploitation? The Use of Holocaust and Slavery Analogies in the Animal Liberation Movement

This article explores the controversies provoked by two recent exhibits in which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) draws analogies between animal exploitation and the Holocaust and slavery. PETA's comparisons between the plight of animals and that of Jews and blacks are transgressive insofar as they disrupt settled notions of species difference by challenging the sacrosanct moral divide between humans and animals, and insofar as they do this by re-connecting race and species difference in a historically charged way. In the end, the controversies over PETA's exhibits raise difficult questions about the intersection of race and species as hierarchical categories ordering social life, what comparisons are “inadmissible” and why, and the responsibilities or obligations one social justice struggle might be said to have toward other struggles.
Ict in education reform in cambodia: Problems, politics, and policies impacting implementation

This article serves as a critique of an ICT in education reform in the nation of Cambodia. Although an ICT in education policy was adopted by the Cambodian Ministry of Education, tangible, quantifiable, and measured progress of this reform has, to date, been limited in nature. Hence, to understand the limitations of this reform, the author uses Kingdon's multiple streams model to investigate streams of policy, problems, and politics. This model allowed the author to explore existing data, events, and experiences in a robust manner. The current research is an analysis of policy papers, government documents, IGO briefs, personal experiences, and other nations' experiences with similar ICT in education reform movements. It was determined that failure to fully address the political stream has caused stress on the adoption process of this reform and has, in effect, slowed its progress.
Signaling Pathways Responsible for Cancer Cell Invasion as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Migration of cancer cells is one of the key factors responsible for cancer metastasis. The elucidation of mechanisms responsible for the highly invasive potential of cancer cells can help to identify specific targets for the treatment of cancer patients. Highly invasive cancers are usually characterized by aberrant activity of specific intra- or extracellular molecules such as protein kinases, phosphatases, transcriptional factors, proteolytic enzymes, and others. Protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) are responsible for the constitutive activity of transcriptional factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 in some of the highly invasive cancers. Furthermore, NF-kappaB and AP-1 control the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR), and expression of both uPA and uPAR correlates with invasive cancer cell phenotype and poor prognosis. The inhibition of PKC and PI3K signaling (through NF-kappaB and AP-1) suppressed the secretion of uPA, resulting in the inhibition of motility of highly invasive breast cancer cells. Therefore, inhibition of specific target molecules in common signaling pathway(s) responsible for metastatic spread can have potential clinical relevance. This review will summarize different approaches to targeting distinct signaling molecules involved in cancer invasion and metastasis.
Automatic target cueing utilizing a SNAKE-fusion track algorithm

Typical automatic target recognition (ATR) systems rely on measurements from images; however, acquiring the image is dependent on knowing the target location. A dynamic sensor manager points a sensor in the general target direction. Once the general target area is identified (coarse resolution), it is imperative that an ATR system increase pixels on target (fine resolution) to maintain accurate target identification. For this paper, we are concerned about maintaining target position by user-tracker reciprocal cueing. From a general wide-area search image, an operator can refine the target location by monitoring or selecting boundary points around a target. The SNAKE tracking algorithm maintains a track on a target from image sequences by developing a contour between points. For measurement drop-out, we predict target covariance from the previous image-target contour through a Kalman filter. The SNAKE-prediction region for a maneuvering target produces a precise target location from which features can be extracted for target recognition. While the SNAKE algorithm is mature, its usefulness for robust tracking is limited in that that sensor must be locked on the target for the entire process. In this development, we utilize track prediction information to follow targets through occlusions, maintain target tracks through sensor dropouts, and fuse operator inputs to refine the target location.
Breaking Silence: Tactical Choices Women Managers Make in Speaking Up About Gender-Equity Issues

This study examines female managers’ assessments of how to speak up about the treatment of women in their organizations. Qualitative data from 172 women provide an in-depth look at their theories about the right way to sell this issue. In addition, inductive exploration of the tactics chosen by 985 other women to address gender-equity concerns yields four clusters of issue-selling tactics for this issue. We draw from these two complementary analyses to suggest implications for the future study and practice of issue selling, and for shaping organizational cultures to support gender equity.
AN ADAPTIVE GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR REAL-TIME ROBOTIC TRAJECTORY TRACKING

Abstract The paper presents a genetic algorithm approach to real-time trajectory tracking of redundant and non-redundant manipulators. The joint angle trajectories are found by applying genetic operators to a set of suitably generated configurations so that the end-effector follows a desired workspace trajectory accurately. The probability of applying a particular genetic operator is adapted on-line to achieve fast convergence to the solution. The adaptation is based on two measures, namely, diversity and fitness of the generated configurations. In order to achieve fast tracking, special provisions are made so that only an appropriate small region in the joint space is searched. The tracking problem is solved at the position rather the then velocity level. As such the proposed method does not use the manipulator Jacobian inverse or pseudo-inverse matrix and is shown to be free from problems such as excessive joint velocities due to singularities. Simulation results are presented for the 6-DOF Puma and the 7-DOF Robotic that show good tracking accuracy and reasonable joint velocities.
Glove Effect on Strength: An Investigation of Glove Attributes:

A number of human performance capabilities are compromised with gloves. Explanations for the strength decrements with gloves have ranged from lack of tactile feedback when wearing gloves, to improper fit, to individual and task differences. An attempt has been made in this investigation to develop a predictive relationship between strength decrements and glove characteristics. Fifteen subjects participated in an experiment involving a grip and a grasp task with three gloves and a bare handed condition. Tenacity, snugness, suppleness and the material thickness were objectively measured as glove attributes. Significant Task and Glove effects were found. Results suggest that the glove size may not matter much in performance whereas resistance to sliding is an important performance determinant when using gloves. The results suggest that the strength decrements are complex functions of a number of glove attributes.
Bayesian diagnostic theory using a programmable pocket calculator

A programmable pocket calculator program has been written to serve as an aid in diagnosis. The program uses a Bayesian statistical algorithm to calculate the relative probability of two diagnostic alternatives. The ability to carry out Bayesian statistical calculations at the bedside should make the use of such techniques more attractive to clinical practitioners.
Poor social integration and suicide: fact or artifact? A case-control study.

Background. Sociological studies have shown that poor social integration confers suicide risk. It is not known whether poor integration amplifies risk after adjusting statistically for the effects of mental disorders and employment status.Method. A case-control design was used to compare 86 suicides and 86 living controls 50 years of age and older, matched on age, gender, race, and county of residence. Structured interviews were conducted with proxy respondents for suicides and controls. Social integration was defined in reference to two broad levels of analysis: family (e.g. sibship status, childrearing status) and social/community (e.g. social interaction, religious participation, community involvement).Results. Bivariate analyses showed that suicides were less likely to be married, have children, or live with family. They were less likely to engage in religious practice or community activities and they had lower levels of social interaction. A trimmed logistic regression model showed that marital status, social interaction and religious involvement were all associated with suicide even after statistical adjusting for the effects of affective disorder and employment status. Adding substance abuse to the model eliminated the effects of religious involvement.Conclusions. The association between family and social/community indicators of poor social integration and suicide is robust and largely independent of the presence of mental disorders. Findings could be used to enhance screening instruments and identify problem behaviors, such as low levels of social interaction, which could be targeted for intervention.
Comparison of Models of Odor Interaction

Subjects rated the overall perceived intensity of concentrations of the odorants cineole, geraniol, hexyl salicylate, and linalyl acetate smelled alone and in binary mixtures. The subjects also rated intensity of specified constituents (e.g. amount of cineole in cineole, and in mixtures of cineole and linalyl acetate). The intensity of the stronger component alone offered a close description of perceived intensity. In addition to the Stronger Component model, two other psychological models (Vector and U model) and two psychophysical models (UPL2 and Equiratio Mixture model) offered descriptions ranging from fair to very good. Psychological models gave better fits, but lack explanatory power. Some results indicated that weaker odors add more potently than stronger odors, an outcome incompatible with these models. The psychophysical models, based on the additivity of single components, generally overestimated perceived intensity. Judgments of individual qualities gave only slight encouragement to any expectation of differences in masking or maskability among odorants. The results highlight the need to test particular critical hypotheses regarding how people perceive mixtures.
On Borromean links

n-Borromean links are nontrivial links in whichn rings,n ≥ 3, are combined in such a way that any two component rings form a trivial link. The symmetry of links withn = 3 is discussed, and it is shown that such links form a variety of series whose members are different isotopy types. Examples are adduced of 3-Borromean links that are topologically chiral: Novel constructions are described ofn-Borromean links with and without at least one nontrivial sublink.
Worker inhalation dose coefficients for radionuclides not previously identified in ICRP publication 68

While inhalation dose coefficients are provided for about 800 radionuclides in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 68, many radionuclides of practical dosimetric interest for facilities such as high-energy proton accelerators are not specifically addressed, nor are organ-specific dose coefficients tabulated. The ICRP Publication 68 dosimetry concepts are used, along with updated radiological decay data and metabolic data, to calculate committed equivalent dose coefficients [h(T)(50)] and committed effective dose coefficients [e(50)] for radionuclides produced at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source.
Prospective randomized trial of ACUSEAL versus Vascu-Guard patching in carotid endarterectomy.

Background Multiple studies have been conducted that demonstrate the superiority of patch angioplasty over primary closure for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Patch angioplasty with polytetrafluorethylene patches (ACUSEAL) have shown results comparable to patch angioplasty with saphenous vein and polyester patches. This is a prospective randomized study to compare the clinical outcomes of CEA using ACUSEAL versus bovine pericardium patching (Vascu-Guard). Methods Two hundred patients were randomized (1:1) to either ACUSEAL or Vascu-Guard patching. Demographic data/clinical characteristics were collected. Intraoperative hemostasis times and the frequency of reexploration for neck hematoma were recorded. All patients received immediate and 1-month postoperative duplex ultrasound studies, which were repeated at 6-month intervals. A Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to estimate the risk of restenosis and the stroke-free survival rates. Results The demographics were similar in both groups, except for a higher incidence of current smokers in the ACUSEAL group and more patients with congestive heart failure in the Vascu-Guard group ( P = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). The mean operative internal carotid artery diameter and the mean arteriotomy length were similar in both groups. The mean hemostasis time was 4.90 min for ACUSEAL patching vs. 3.09 min for Vascu-Guard ( P = 0.027); however, the mean operative times were similar for both groups (ACUSEAL 2.09 hr vs. Vascu-Guard 2.16 hr, P = 0.669). The incidence of reexploration for neck hematoma was higher in the Vascu-Guard group; 6.12% vs. 1.03% ( P = 0.1183). The incidence of perioperative ipsilateral neurologic events was 3.09% for ACUSEAL patching vs. 1.02% for Vascu-Guard patching ( P = 0.368). The mean follow-up period was 15 months. The respective freedom from ≥70% carotid restenosis at 1, 2, and 3 years were 100%, 100%, and 100% for ACUSEAL patching vs. 100%, 98%, and 98% for Vascu-Guard patching ( P = 0.2478). The ipsilateral stroke-free rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 96% for ACUSEAL and 99% for Vascu-Guard patching. Conclusions Although CEA patching with ACUSEAL versus Vascu-Guard differed in hemostasis time, the frequency of reexploration for neck hematomas was more frequent in the pericardial patch group; however, only 1 patient had documented suture line bleeding and the surgical reexploration rate is not likely to be patch related. There were not any significant differences in perioperative/late neurologic events and late restenosis in the 2 groups.
A Versatile Aquatics Facility Inventory System with Real-Time Barcode Scan Entry

Research involving model organisms necessitates recording and archiving many types of animal maintenance and use data. We developed a comprehensive inventory system using FileMaker Pro® to incorporate, record, and archive data on zebrafish stocks, tank organization, husbandry, and fish usage. Our relational database is constructed of tables containing detailed information on fish identity, parents of origin, tank location, mutant phenotypes, caretakers, natural mating and in vitro fertilization experiments, and fish mortality. In addition to its basic annotation and reporting capabilities, the database allows barcode scan entry of several actions, for example, moving a tank of fish, mating or performing in vitro fertilization with specific fish, and recording dead fish. All data are input in real time using either barcode scanning or manual entry. The database provides several types of preformatted reports, as well as printed labels for tank location and stock identification. In summary, we have created a versatile, multipurpose inventory system that can be personalized and enhanced for any zebrafish facility and can be further adapted to organize data and archival information for other model systems or applications.
Living with mental illness: Effects of professional support and personal control on caregiver burden

Families of mentally ill persons often report feeling burdened, helpless, and ignored by mental health professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among professional support, caregivers' personal sense of control, and burden. Ninety-four caregivers rated support received in 11 areas, perceptions of control, and objective and subjective burdens. General well-being measures included a depression scale (CES–D) and self-reported physical health. Controlling for the relative's disruptive behaviors and selected caregiver characteristics, hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that professional support selectively reduced burden. Practical advice on managing disruptive behaviors reduced objective burden (adjusted R2 = .16, p < .001; R2 increment = .04, p < .05), in part by enhancing personal control.
Biology of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in the Laboratory

SUMMARY The life cycle of the brown marmorated stink bug, H. halys, was studied at the Gainesville, Florida quarantine facility at 25° C constant temperature, 16:8 h L:D and 50–55% RH. Nymphs, which emerged from 32 egg masses, were reared on bean pods and carrots in Petri dishes and checked daily to determine the number and duration of each nymphal stadium and percent survival. Twenty-five recently emerged couples were set-up in clear plastic containers, fed daily with bean pods and carrots, and provided with moisture. The pre-oviposition period, number of egg masses, and longevities of males and females were determined. The general life cycle of this potential crop pest of Florida is discussed.
Realization of Ultra-Wideband, High-Resolution TDR for Chip-Carrier Packages

In this paper, a state of the art TDR with a rise time of 9ps was employed in the characterization of multi-layer ball-grid array (BGA) or land-grid array (LGA) packages. The hardware used for 9ps rising time was the Picosecond Pulse Lab’s 4022 Source Enhancement Module that reduces a standard TDR rise time of 35–40ps to 9ps. The high-resolution TDR can clearly indicates a root cause of a multi-layer package signal integrity problem (impedance mismatching) in vertical transitions consisting of vias and planes which cannot be observed with a conventional TDR. In addition, due to its high-resolution, it was observed that the size of characteristic impedance testing transmission lines can be significantly scaled down. For example, a minimum length of 15–20 mm long transmission lines with a standard TDR can be reduced down to 3–4mm long for 9ps TDR. Using the TDR waveforms, reflection loss S11 (dB) was computed using direct convolution method and short-open-load (SOL) calibration method. The resulting (TDR generated) S11 agrees excellently with direct vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements up to 50 GHz which is the highest frequency available with Agilent 8364A.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS ON JOB‐RELATED OUTCOMES: A META‐ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES

We report the findings of a meta-analytic review of experimental studies concerned with the biasing effect of physical attractiveness on a variety of job-related outcomes. In support of implicit personality theory, attractive individuals were found to fare better than unattractive individuals in terms of a number of such outcomes. The weighted mean effect size, d, was .37 for all studies. In addition, tests for moderating effects showed that (a) the attractiveness bias did not differ between studies that provided low versus high amounts of job-relevant information about the targets, (b) the same bias was greater for within-subjects research designs than for between-subjects designs, (c) professionals were as susceptible to the bias as were college students, (d) attractiveness was as important for men as for women, and (e) the biasing effect of attractiveness has decreased in recent years. Implications of these findings are considered.
Simulation of flow and mixing of particles in a rotating and rocking cylinder

Granular material in a cylindrical vessel undergoing rotational and rocking motions is modeled using a discrete element method. Rotational motion supplemented by rocking is compared to purely rotational motion via linear density profiles, velocity fields, and axial concentration profiles. The rocking motion, which imparts a time-dependent flow perturbation to purely rotational motion, dramatically enhanced mixing in laboratory studies. Simulation results appear to agree well with experimental results and observations.
A semi-automatic approach for estimating bedrock and surface layers from multichannel coherent radar depth sounder imagery

The dynamic responses of the polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica can have substantial impacts on sea level rise. Understanding the mass balance requires accurate assessments of the bedrock and surface layers, but identifying each layer in ground-penetrating radar imagery must typically be performed by time-consuming hand selection. We have developed an approach for semi-automatically estimating bedrock and surface layers from radar depth sounder imagery acquired from Antarctica. Our solution utilizes an active contours method (level sets"), which identifies surface and bedrock boundaries by evolving initial estimates of a layer's position and depth until a gradient-based cost function is minimized. We evaluated the semi-automatic proposed method on 20 images with respect to hand labeled ground-truth. Compared to an existing automatic technique, our approach reduced labeling error by factors of 5 and 3.5 for tracing bedrock and surface layers, respectively.
Progress Monitoring in Middle School Mathematics: Options and Issues

This study investigated the technical features of six potential progress-monitoring measures in mathematics appropriate for use at the middle school level, including two commercially available measures for sixth-grade mathematics, two measures used in previous middle school studies, and two new measures of numeracy concepts. Five hundred sixty-three students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 completed multiple forms of the measures on four occasions during the school year. Criterion variables included teacher ratings, mathematics grades, and standardized test scores. Results are reported for alternate form and test–retest reliability, concurrent and predictive criterion validity, and changes in student performance over time. Two of the measures demonstrated acceptable technical characteristics across grade levels. Recommendations for future research and implications for practitioners are discussed.
Comparison of emergency department HIV testing data with visit or patient as the unit of analysis

ObjectivesOutcomes in an episodic care setting like an emergency department (ED) are traditionally evaluated in comparison with the number of visits as opposed to the number of unique patients, although patients commonly present to the ED multiple times. We examined the differences in HIV screening programme outcomes that would occur if the analysis were conducted at the patient-level, rather than the traditional visit-level. We hypothesized that while our ED-based HIV screening programme does test some patients repeatedly, the primary programme outcome of percent positive is not substantially altered by the unit of analysis.MethodsWe reviewed the clinical database of an ED HIV screening programme at a large, urban, teaching hospital in the United States from 2003–2007. Data were analyzed descriptively. The main outcome measure was the rate of positive test results computed with either the visit or the patient as the unit of analysis.ResultsHIV testing was provided at 9629 visits, representing 8450 unique...
Scattering from buried bodies of revolution using dyadic Green's functions in cylindrical harmonics

The scattered electromagnetic field given plane wave illumination of a conducting body of revolution buried in a lossy soil is considered. The specific applications of interest are the detection of buried metallic mines or unexploded ordnance. A complete "full-wave analysis" is employed in which no simplifying assumptions are made with regard to the interaction of the buried object with the surrounding medium. A method of moments solution to the mixed potential electric field integral equation (MPIE) is found using a cylindrical harmonic eigenfunction expansion for the magnetic vector potential dyadic Green's function of the two-layer medium. The geometry of the two-layer problem is shown.
Ultrafast charge transfer from CdSe nanoparticles to methylviologen and single-walled carbon nanotubes and its effect on hybrid bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices

CdSe nanoparticles combined with electron accepting materials, specifically methyl viologen (MV2+) and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), have been investigated. By using transient absorption spectroscopic measurements, ultrafast electron transfer has been shown to occur between the nanoparticles and the accepting materials. These composites were then mixed with poly(3-hexylthopene) to create hybrid bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic devices. It has been found that for matched concentrations (by weight), the composite materials show increased photocurrent when compared with CdSe nanoparticles.
Imaging Regions of Transport Across Human Stratum Corneum during High-Voltage and Low-Voltage Exposures

Scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to image localized regions of calcein transport across human stratum corneum during constant low-voltage (iontophoresis) and pulsed high-voltage exposures. Following an electrical protocol, imaging revealed regions of fluorescence which were interpreted as sites where transport of a fluorescent probe (calcein) into the stratum corneum had taken place. Electrically-assisted transport of calcein, whether enhanced by ionto-phoresis or high-voltage pulsing, appears to occur through intercellular and, to some extent, transcellular pathways into localized regions of stratum corneum that are not associated with appendages. Uniquely associated with the highest voltage pulses used (300 V across the skin) was the appearance of small, brightly fluorescent areas containing nonfluorescent interiors, i.e., fluorescent “rings”. We present evidence which suggests that the dark interiors represent sites through which transport occurred during pulsing, but where calcein was no longer present at the time of imaging. Transport of charged microspheres into the stratum corneum was also observed.
Fitness-distance-ratio based particle swarm optimization

This paper presents a modification of the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) intended to combat the problem of premature convergence observed in many applications of PSO. The proposed new algorithm moves particles towards nearby particles of higher fitness, instead of attracting each particle towards just the best position discovered so far by any particle. This is accomplished by using the ratio of the relative fitness and the distance of other particles to determine the direction in which each component of the particle position needs to be changed. The resulting algorithm (FDR-PSO) is shown to perform significantly better than the original PSO algorithm and some of its variants, on many different benchmark optimization problems. Empirical examination of the evolution of the particles demonstrates that the convergence of the algorithm does not occur at an early phase of particle evolution, unlike PSO. Avoiding premature convergence allows FDR-PSO to continue search for global optima in difficult multimodal optimization problems.
Impacts of impervious cover, water withdrawals, and climate change on river flows in the conterminous US

Abstract. Rivers are essential to aquatic ecosystem and societal sustainability, but are increasingly impacted by water withdrawals, land-use change, and climate change. The relative and cumulative effects of these stressors on continental river flows are relatively unknown. In this study, we used an integrated water balance and flow routing model to evaluate the impacts of impervious cover and water withdrawal on river flow across the conterminous US at the 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed scale. We then estimated the impacts of projected change in withdrawals, impervious cover, and climate under the B1 "Low" and A2 "High" emission scenarios on river flows by 2060. Our results suggest that compared to no impervious cover, 2010 levels of impervious cover increased river flows by 9.9% on average with larger impacts in and downstream of major metropolitan areas. In contrast, compared to no water withdrawals, 2005 withdrawals decreased river flows by 1.4% on average with larger impacts in heavily irrigated arid regions of Western US. By 2060, impacts of climate change were predicted to overwhelm the potential gain in river flow due to future changes in impervious cover and add to the potential reduction in river flows from withdrawals, decreasing mean annual river flows from 2010 levels by 16% on average. However, increases in impervious cover by 2060 may offset the impact of climate change during the growing season in some watersheds. Large water withdrawals will aggravate the predicted impact of climate change on river flows, particularly in the Western US. Predicted ecohydrological impacts of land cover, water withdrawal, and climate change will likely include alteration of the terrestrial water balance, stream channel habitat, riparian and aquatic community structure in snow-dominated basins, and fish and mussel extirpations in heavily impacted watersheds. These changes may also require new infrastructure to support increasing anthropogenic demand for water, relocation of agricultural production, and/or water conservation measures. Given that the impacts of land use, withdrawals and climate may be either additive or offsetting in different magnitudes, integrated and spatially explicit modeling and management approaches are necessary to effectively manage water resources for aquatic life and human use in the face of global change.
Linking Thoughts to Feelings: Investigating Cognitive Appraisals and Consumption Emotions in a Mixed-Emotions Context

While emotions have been shown to have significant influence on various consumer behaviors, the cognitive appraisals linked to consumption emotions have not been fully explored. This research investigates how individuals' cognitive interpretations of situations correspond to the emotions they experience in these contexts. Using analysis of variance and multiple discriminant analysis, our results show a systematic relationship between cognitive appraisals and 10 consumption emotions. The author's findings offer theoretical insights into these consumption emotions, the appraisal/consumption emotion correspondence, basisversus subordinate-level category differences in emotions, and mixed consumption emotions. The findings provide a practical framework for academics and practitioners interested in better understanding and managing consumption emotions.
Plastics in Building

Abstract Although the portion of the total volume represented by plastics in building is small compared to the giants such as concrete, steel, and timber, the rate of increase in the use of plastics in building over the past 20 years exceeds the rate for any other material, and it is probable that the total number of different uses of plastics in building is as large as, if not larger than, that of any other material. The picture is complicated by the fact that plastics are often and increasingly being employed in combination with other materials rather than as pure plastics
Stability criteria for continuous and discrete elastic composites and the influence of geometry on the stability of a negative-stiffness phase

Recent experimental findings and theoretical analyses have confirmed the bound-exceeding performance of composite materials with one constituent of so-called negative stiffness (i.e., with non-positive-definite elastic moduli): the overall elastic properties greatly exceed those of the composite constituents, when the negative-stiffness phase's properties are appropriately tuned. However, the stability of such composite materials has remained a key open question. It has been shown, e.g., that a spherical particle of a negative-stiffness material can be stabilized when embedded in a sufficiently stiff and thick coating to impose a geometrical constraint on the negative-stiffness phase. For general composite geometries (as those arising from actual manufacturing processes), no such investigation has been reported. We review the classical stability conditions for homogeneous linear elastic solids and outline methods to determine the sufficient stability conditions for elastic composites. In addition, a numerical technique to obtain the stability restrictions on the elastic moduli of a composite with, in principle, arbitrary geometry is presented. Based on this method, we investigate the stability of simple elastic two-phase composites consisting of an inclusion (having non-positive-definite elastic moduli) embedded in a different coating material. In particular, the influence of the geometry of the encapsulated particles and the surrounding matrix is shown to considerably affect the overall stability. Our results compare the stability limits for two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) composite arrangements and provide design guidelines for optimal stability.