cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Tauberian theorem related to Weyl's criterion

Let {xn} be a sequence of real numbers and let a(n) be a sequence of positive real numbers, with A(N) = Σn=1Na(n). Tsuji has defined a notion of a(n)-uniform distribution mod 1 which is related to the problem of determining those real numbers t0 for which A(N)−1 Σn=1N a(n)e−it0xn → 0 as N → ∞. In case f(s) = Σn=1∞ a(n)e−sxn, s = σ + it, is analytic in the right half-plane 0 < σ, and satisfies a certain smoothness condition as σ → 0 +, we show that f(σ)−1f(σ + it0) → 0 as σ → 0 + if and only if A(N)−1 Σn=1N a(n)e−it0xn → 0 as N → ∞.
Acoustic startle reflex in patients with chronic stroke at different stages of motor recovery: a pilot study.

AbstractBackground: Acoustic startle reflex (ASR) can be used as a tool to examine reticulospinal excitability. The potential role of reticulospinal mechanisms in the development of spasticity has been suggested but not tested. Objective: To examine reticulospinal excitability at different stages of motor recovery in patients with chronic stroke using the ASR. Methods: Sixteen subjects with hemiplegic stroke participated in the study. We examined ASR responses at rest and contralateral motor overflow during voluntary elbow flexion. Results: ASR responses in impaired biceps muscles showed different patterns at different stages. In subjects without spasticity, ASR responses were less frequent (10% on impaired side) and had normal duration (<200 ms). In subjects with spasticity, the responses were more frequent (58.3% on impaired side) and longer lasting (up to 1 minute). However, no correlation between exaggerated reflex responses and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) scores was observed. During voluntary elbow...
Direct determination of chromium (III) and chromium (VI) with ion chromatography using direct current plasma emission as element-selective detector

A method is described that utilizes direct current plasma atomic emission spectrometry as an element-selective method of detection for ion chromatographic determination of chromium(III) and chromium(VI) species. The eluting chromium-containing species are detected on the basis of the atomic emission of chromium without any species conversion. Both anion and cation separator columns give similar results when used with varying sample matrices. By employing an on-column preconcentration procedure, the detectable concentrations of the chromium species are reduced to less than 1.0 ppb. This method is applied to the determination of chromium species in human serum, natural water, and industrial process stream samples.
Severe small size for gestational age and cognitive function: catch-up phenomenon possible.

Objective We sought to compare cognitive functioning in children born with birthweight Study Design Nonanomalous singletons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort were included. Associations between weight for GA and cognitive functioning were examined using a series of confounder-adjusted general linear models. Results Of 3633 cohorts, 585 (16%) were P P = .668). Academic performance at preschool age (around 3.5 years) was not different for reading ( P = .245) or math ( P = .880), nor different at kindergarten age. Conclusion Newborns
Overview of the sixth text REtrieval conference (TREC-6)

The Text REtrieval Conference is a workshop series designed to encourage research on text retrieval for realistic applications by providing large test collections, uniform scoring procedures and a forum for organizations interested in comparing results. TREC contains two main retrieval tasks plus optional subtasks that allow participants to focus on particular common subproblems in retrieval. The emphasis on individual experiments evaluated in a common setting has proven to be very successful. In the six years since the beginning of TREC, the state of the art in retrieval effectiveness has approximately doubled, and technology transfer among research labs and between research systems and commercial products has accelerated. In addition, TREC has sponsored the first large-scale evaluations of Chinese language retrieval, retrieval of speech and retrieval across different languages.
An electrochemical model for the stimulation of biosynthesis by external electric fields

Abstract Recent electrochemical approaches to the mechanism of voltage gating in membrane channels have been successful in accounting for ion flows during nerve excitation. Since similar mechanisms operate during the electromagnetic stimulation of biosynthesis in cells, we have adapted the electrochemical model to the interaction of two polyanionic surfaces with adsorbed counterions in an alternating electric field. The two charged surfaces could represent paired DNA molecules, mRNA interactions with ribosomes, or the enzymes involved in the biosynthetic processes. We have analyzed published data related to protein synthesis and RNA transcription in cells exposed to electromagnetic fields, and the distributions of molecular weights have the predicted dependence on the frequency of the applied field. Additional support for the electrochemical model comes from a comparison of electrical stimulation with heat shock, and also from the minimum in the threshold intensity-frequency curve. The electrochemical model predicts other properties that can be tested, and provides a rationale for biological effects such as endogenous electrical stimulation during nerve excitation.
Reliability‐based preform shape design in forging

A reliability-based optimization method is developed for preform shape design in forging. Forging is a plastic deformation process that transforms a simple shape of workpiece into a predetermined complex shape through a number of intermediate shapes by the application of compressive forces. Traditionally, these intermediate shapes are designed in a deterministic manufacturing domain. In reality, there exist various uncertainties in the forging environment, such as variations in process conditions, billet/die temperatures, and material properties. Randomness in these parameters could lead to variations in product quality and often induce heavy manufacturing losses. In this research, a robust preform design methodology is developed in which various randomnesses in parameters are quantified and incorporated through reliability analysis and uncertainty quantification techniques. The stochastic response surface approach is used to reduce computation time by establishing a relationship between the process performance and shape and random parameters. Finally, reliability-based optimization is utilized for preform shape design of an engine component to improve the product quality and robustness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
No evidence for an endosymbiotic bacterial origin of tetrodotoxin in the newt Taricha granulosa

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin which is known to occur in numerous taxa, including newts. The origin of TTX is unknown, but production by symbiotic bacteria is suspected for some groups. Using PCR primers that specifically amplify 16S rRNA genes of bacteria, we examined tissues from rough-skin newts, Taricha granulosa, for the presence of bacteria which may produce TTX. No amplification of bacterial DNA was seen in samples taken from skin, liver, gonads or oviposited eggs-tissues known to contain TTX. Amplification of bacterial DNA was seen only in samples taken from newt intestines, a tissue with low concentrations of TTX. These results indicate that symbiotic bacteria are unlikely to be the source of TTX in newts.
Switched reluctance generators and their control

This paper discusses how the switched reluctance generator (SRG) converts energy as directed by a controller. Beginning with a review of the electromechanics of generation, the paper identifies the implications of the energy conversion process on how the SRG is controlled. The structure of the SRG controller for speed-control and power-control applications is discussed. Practical implementation details for commutation of the SRG are reviewed. Concepts are illustrated with a 6-kW SRG designed to serve as a starter/alternator in automotive applications.
Stress Waves in Layered Thermoelastic Media Generated by Impulsive Energy Deposition

When high-intensity electromagnetic energy impinges on an elastic media, energy is deposited internally by photoelectric absorption and scattering. A spatially nonuniform heating is produced with deformation waves being generated in the media. The transient stresses resulting from such an energy deposition in an initially undisturbed layered media is investigated. The internal energy deposition is considered to be equivalent to an internal heat generation varying exponentially with the distance from the exposed surface. Energy is deposited internally according to a different law in each layer. The energy deposition is assumed to occur in a time negligible in comparison to a characteristic mechanical response time. Only spatial variations normal to the plane of the layers are considered. The equations of linear, uncoupled thermoelasticity, assuming constant material properties, are applied to a two-layer media. A boundary value problem is formulated and solved exactly neglecting heat conduction. Numerical examples are presented for several cases showing the effect of specific energy deposition functions, material thickness ratio, and material parameters. A complete description of interior stress reflection is presented. The influence of energy deposition and other material parameters on the interfacial bond stress is shown. Relatively small changes in layer parameters may have a marked effect on the maximum stress, depending on the manner in which the generated stress waves combine.
Relationship between the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II and Coolidge Axis II Inventory in chronically mentally ill older adults: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between two self-report measures of personality disorders in older chronically mentally ill inpatients. A random sample of 30 chronically mentally ill (DSM-III-R schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, recurrent major depression) inpatients aged 55 and older completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II) and the Coolidge Axis II Inventory (CATI). The personality inventories were concurrently administered in counterbalanced fashion to assess concurrent validity of the CATI and MCMI in this older adult group. Data were submitted for correlational analysis. Median concurrent validity (raw score sums) between the CATI and MCMI-II for the 13 personality disorder scales was moderate (r = .55). Individual scale correlations ranged from -.13 for schizoid disorder to .88 for borderline disorder. Individual scale correlations were somewhat lower than previously reported values, but were above .54 for 7 of 13 disorders. Findings provide preliminary support for use of the CATI and MCMI with chronically mentally ill elders. Suggestions for future research are offered.
A Randomized Add-on Trial of an N-methyl-d-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression

Context Existing therapies for bipolar depression have a considerable lag of onset of action. Pharmacological strategies that produce rapid antidepressant effects—for instance, within a few hours or days—would have an enormous impact on patient care and public health. Objective To determine whether anN-methyl-D-aspartate–receptor antagonist produces rapid antidepressant effects in subjects with bipolar depression. Design A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover, add-on study conducted from October 2006 to June 2009. Setting Mood Disorders Research Unit at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Patients Eighteen subjects withDSM-IVbipolar depression (treatment-resistant). Interventions Subjects maintained at therapeutic levels of lithium or valproate received an intravenous infusion of either ketamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo on 2 test days 2 weeks apart. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale was used to rate subjects at baseline and at 40, 80, 110, and 230 minutes and on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, and 14 postinfusion. Main Outcome Measures Change in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale primary efficacy measure scores. Results Within 40 minutes, depressive symptoms significantly improved in subjects receiving ketamine compared with placebo (d = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.76); this improvement remained significant through day 3. The drug difference effect size was largest at day 2 (d = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.55-1.04). Seventy-one percent of subjects responded to ketamine and 6% responded to placebo at some point during the trial. One subject receiving ketamine and 1 receiving placebo developed manic symptoms. Ketamine was generally well tolerated; the most common adverse effect was dissociative symptoms, only at the 40-minute point. Conclusion In patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression, robust and rapid antidepressant effects resulted from a single intravenous dose of anN-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00088699
Endocardial Fibroelastosis With Coronary Artery Thromboembolus and Myocardial Infarction

We report a case of an 18-month-old male, born to a woman with third trimester febrile illness, who had a history of congestive heart failure and respiratory distress, cardiomegaly, and electrocardiographic (ECG) findings suggestive of cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. After gradual improvement in heart size and function with pharmacologic therapy, he developed a terminal episode of respiratory distress and cardiogenic shock, with ECG findings of an anterolateral infarct. At autopsy it was found that endocardial fibroelastosis with mural thrombi in the left ventricle had been complicated by thromboembolism to the left anterior descending coronary artery, resulting in transmural infarction of the anteroseptal region of the left ventricle. Myocardial infarction is a potential but unusual thromboembolic complication of endocardial fibroelastosis. A high index of suspicion for coronary artery thromboemboli should be maintained in pediatric patients with cardiomyopathy and suspected myocardial infarction.
BrAIST: planning and current status of Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial

The randomized controlled trial has emerged as the gold standard for all clinical research. The combination of randomized assignment to groups, use of strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, standardized protocols and ad hoc power analysis serve to rule out many threats to the internal validity of research results. Thus, it is the most powerful methodology available to researchers investigating the relative effectiveness of treatments. To date, there have been only 2 randomized studies examining the effectiveness of bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the planning and the current status of the Bracing in Adolescent Scoliosis Trial (BrAIST). This five-year, > $5 million project includes 27 healthcare centers, and is funded by the United States National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, and the Shriners Hospitals. Additionally, 3 institutions, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are participating using internal funding. The protocol randomizes children with AIS who are at high risk for curve progression to treatment with a thoracolumbosacral orthosis or to clinical monitoring. The study is currently in its second year of recruitment. BrAIST incorporates several innovations never used in a single study to date: 1) randomization, 2) objective brace dose monitoring, 3) standardized, objective radiographic measurement, 4) comprehensive radiographic, clinical, and psychosocial testing, 5) diversity of participating sites and 6) ad hoc determination of effect size, based on the risk/benefit considerations of potential patients. Issues to be discussed include • Ethics - rationale for the ethics of an observation arm • Protocol development and implementation - endpoints, measures, quality assurance • Recruitment and randomization - expectations and actuality • Bracing quality control - independent review of in-brace films • Patient/family decision-making - impact of information and being offered a choice • Brace compliance monitoring - reliability/validity of temperature as proxy for dose
Echinocandin Resistance in Candida Species: Mechanisms of Reduced Susceptibility and Therapeutic Approaches

OBJECTIVE:To summarize published data regarding mechanisms of reduced echinocandin susceptibility in Candida spp., the impact of echinocandin resistance on the fitness and virulence of Candida isolates, and current and future treatment approaches.DATA SOURCES:A search of MEDLINE databases (1966-September 2011) was conducted.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Databases were searched using the terms echinocandin, resistance, and Candida. Citations from publications were reviewed for additional references.DATA SYNTHESIS:Echinocandins have in vitro activity against most Candida spp. and are first-line agents in the treatment of candidemia. However, case reports describing echinocandin treatment failure due to resistant isolates have been published. Reduced echinocandin susceptibility has been shown to occur via 3 main mechanisms: (1) adaptive stress responses, which result in elevated cell wall chitin content and paradoxical growth in vitro at supra minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs); (2) acquired FKS ...
Mechanism of action of vitamin K: synthesis of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid.

(1980). Mechanism Of Action Of Vitamin K: Synthesis Of Y-Carboxyglutamic Aci. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 191-223.
Corporate Disclosure: A Symposium

A s an organization of over 8,000 members, the American Accounting Association (AAA) has been dedicated to thought leadership for almost a century. Its members create, critically evaluate and debate, and disseminate new ideas where they may be selectively absorbed into public policy and professional practice over time. As thought leaders, AAA members do not confine themselves to a role as reactive agents to policy proposals and actions. Instead, their ideas and analyses serve society through imagination, innovation, criticism, and reflection. They ask inconvenient questions, such as: What do we know? What do we not know? What do we think we know, but do not? And, what we should know? Diversity of perspectives, analyses, and conclusions is valued, not frowned on, at the AAA. Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘‘dog that did not bark’’ is a popular metaphor used in research literature for highlighting how framing our thoughts affects the results of our investigations. Financial reporting is no exception. Measurement and disclosure are two major elements of corporate financial reports. While interconnectivity of the broad range of measurement issues receives comprehensive attention, research and regulatory approaches to disclosure tend to be incremental (each disclosure issue considered individually and independently) and monotonic—more disclosure is better. This way of posing policy questions about disclosure may be easier, but is not necessarily accurate or effective. Analysis suggests that disclosure issues are interconnected in ways that raise serious questions about the incremental approach. Further, more disclosure may or may not be
Effects of Topic Order in Introductory Psychology on Student Achievement, Interest, and Perceived Course Difficulty.

My study compared differences in examination scores, students' statements of interest, and perceptions of course difficulty as 61 function of course topic order. Two sections of introductory psychology were taught by the same instructor in the same room using the same textbook at adjacent class hours. The two classes studied the course topics in an order radically different from each other. Analyses revealed no difference between the groups' mean. final examination scores, and failed to detect any relationship between the two topic orders and either student interest or perception of course difficulty. It was concluded that topic order had no effect on either achievement or students' interest and perception of difficulty.
Effect of Deposition and Annealing on The Thermomechanical Properties of Parylene Films

Parylene polymers are vapor deposited and form semicrystalline films. The properties of these films vary with chemical structure, molecular weight, and morphology. The properties of parylene films deposited by changing the standard deposition process are evaluated and compared to control films. The thermomechanical properties of films produced by three modified processes, A, P, and PC, indicate the modified processes reduce the molecular weight. The films were also annealed to determine the stability of the film's properties during thermal cycling. These results also suggest that the modified films are lower molecular weight materials.
Organ replacement by man-made devices

EPLACING R a defective component of the body or substituting for a deteriorated organ function by a natural or man-made counterpart is one of the major contributions of modern science to clinical medicine. My objective in this essay is to draw some lessons from the experience with organ replacement in the last 40 years, and to project where substitutive and reparative medicine may lead us in the decades ahead. If the generalized practice of organ replacement is a recent phenomenon, the idea of substituting in some manner for body parts lost by accident or worn out by disease is apparently as old as mankind. Witness for man-made implants the use of gold plates to cover traumatic skull defects in several ancient civilizations. Witness for external support systems the technology for grinding rock crystal into the vision-correcting lenses allegedly used by the emperor Nero, and quite widespread in the western world since the 13th century. Witness, in the case of transplantation, the geographic transfer of knowledge regarding pediculated skin flaps to reconstruct the nose from ancient origins in India seven centuries before Christ, to Alexandria in the Ptolemaic period, and then through Arabic conquest of the Mediterranean coast, to a lineage of barber-surgeons in Southern Italy in the late Middle Ages, and finally to Tagliacozzi who, in the 16th century, codified in Bologna an operation that is still practiced today. What is new to our times is not so much the impact of modern science and technology on organ replacement procedures. as the epic scale on which substitutive and reparative medicine are now, rather suddenly, being practiced.
Image representation using 2D Gabor wavelets

This paper extends to two dimensions the frame criterion developed by Daubechies for one-dimensional wavelets, and it computes the frame bounds for the particular case of 2D Gabor wavelets. Completeness criteria for 2D Gabor image representations are important because of their increasing role in many computer vision applications and also in modeling biological vision, since recent neurophysiological evidence from the visual cortex of mammalian brains suggests that the filter response profiles of the main class of linearly-responding cortical neurons (called simple cells) are best modeled as a family of self-similar 2D Gabor wavelets. We therefore derive the conditions under which a set of continuous 2D Gabor wavelets will provide a complete representation of any image, and we also find self-similar wavelet parametrization which allow stable reconstruction by summation as though the wavelets formed an orthonormal basis. Approximating a "tight frame" generates redundancy which allows low-resolution neural responses to represent high-resolution images.
Linear estimator for road departure warning systems

Most single vehicle road departure accidents in America occur due to either loss of control or road/lane departure caused by speeding or driver inattentiveness. Many active safety systems currently in use or under development are aimed at preventing accidents either by countering vehicle instability or by trying to prevent road departure. In either case these active safety systems need clean and reliable real-time vehicle dynamics variables to accurately assess the threat levels. Since it is not always feasible to measure the required information, estimation techniques are commonly used to fill in the gap. In this paper, we developed a Kalman filter to estimate two vehicle-handling variables that are costly to measure lateral velocity and relative heading angle. It is shown that it is critical to first obtain an accurate estimation of road super-elevation (bank angle) before those two states can be accurately estimated. By properly assigning the Kalman filter observer gains, we achieved robust estimation performance across a wide array of uncertain conditions. The work reported here would be used to support the data analysis for the road departure crash warning (RDCW) field operational test, to be carried out at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
Higher susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Muc1-deficient mice is associated with increased Th1/Th17 responses.

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system in which dendritic cells (DC) play an important role in the development of inflammatory responses. Recently it has been shown that Muc1, a membrane tethered glycoprotein, has an ability to suppress inflammatory responses in cultured DC. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of Muc1 in the development of MS using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice, a widely used animal model of MS. Our results showed that: (1) Muc1 −/− mice developed greater EAE severity compared with wild type (wt) mice, which correlated with increased numbers of Th1 and Th17 cells infiltrating into the CNS; (2) upon stimulation, splenic DC from Muc1 −/− mice produced greater amounts of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12 but less amounts of IL-10 compared with those from wt mice; and (3) the ability of splenic DC to differentiate antigen-specific CD4+ T cells into Th1 and Th17 cells was greater in Muc1 −/− mice compared with wt mice. We conclude that Muc1 plays an anti-inflammatory role in EAE. This is the first report demonstrating the possible involvement of Muc1 in the development of MS and might provide a potential target for immunotherapy.
The Political Economy of Rural Development: Theoretical Perspectives

The rural and urban sectors of the economy are strongly interlinked. Growth in one sector impacts on the other. The growth process does not appear to be an equilibrium one in which marginal adjustments to opportunity costs eliminate disparities. The two sectors grow in an unbalanced way. So far, the economic advantages appear to have favored the urban sector. The income gap between the rural and urban sectors continues to widen; rural income per capita is around three-fourths of urban income. The incidence of rural poverty is twice as high as urban poverty. Rural people have relatively limited access to health facilities, they are more likely than urban dwellers to live in substandard housing, and they attain lower levels of education. Some conditions in the rural sector have
Stable isotope composition of microfauna supports the occurrence of biologically fixed nitrogen from cyanobacteria in desert soil food webs

Abstract Biological soil crusts of the arid Southwest US are habitat for a greater diversity of microfauna than soils with absent or physically disturbed crusts. The cyanobacteria of desert soil crusts fix nitrogen biologically, but it is not known whether these cyanobacteria are consumed by microfauna and are a significant component of the soil food web. We suspect that stylet-bearing nematodes and tardigrades are the most likely microfauna to graze on cyanobacteria, so we used natural abundance stable isotopes to test whether cyanobacteria are indeed a significant component of their diet in the field. We found that stable isotope composition of microinvertebrate biomass supports the hypothesis that cyanobacteria are a potential prey item in the food chain leading up to tardigrades and dorylaim-type nematodes in desert soils, but does not support the same hypothesis for Tylenchidae in these communities. Continued development of stable isotope methods may help to refine our understanding of feeding behaviors in belowground desert soil food webs.
Public Sector Unions Under Siege: Solidarity in the Fight Back

The 2011-2013 assault on public sector collective bargaining rights is unprecedented in its breadth and depth. Legislative proposals that would roll back bargaining, limit unions’ ability to negotiate security arrangements, stop payroll deduction of union dues, and constrain labor’s political activity have been introduced in a majority of states. This coordinated attack from the Republican right has spurred an aggressive, unified response from a broad cross section of unions. Through labor unity tables at the national and state levels, unions are demonstrating a rare level of solidarity in the fight back. This ongoing experiment in movement building is encouraging, but challenges remain.
A mixture model-based discriminate analysis for identifying ordered transcription factor binding site pairs in gene promoters directly regulated by estrogen receptor-α

Motivation: To detect and select patterns of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) which distinguish genes directly regulated by estrogen receptor-α (ERα), we developed an innovative mixture model-based discriminate analysis for identifying ordered TFBS pairs. Results: Biologically, our proposed new algorithm clearly suggests that TFBSs are not randomly distributed within ERα target promoters (P-value < 0.001). The up-regulated targets significantly (P-value < 0.01) possess TFBS pairs, (DBP, MYC), (DBP, MYC/MAX heterodimer), (DBP, USF2) and (DBP, MYOGENIN); and down-regulated ERα target genes significantly (P-value < 0.01) possess TFBS pairs, such as (DBP, c-ETS1-68), (DBP, USF2) and (DBP, MYOGENIN). Statistically, our proposed mixture model-based discriminate analysis can simultaneously perform TFBS pattern recognition, TFBS pattern selection, and target class prediction; such integrative power cannot be achieved by current methods. Availability: The software is available on request from the authors. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Preparing for the next century: the state of mechatronics education

The paper is based on a series of special events focusing on mechatronics education at the 1999 DEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics. The series consisted of two invited-paper sessions on "Teaching of Mechatronics" and a conference-wide roundtable discussion concerned with "Infrastructure for Mechatronics Education." In the paper, a framework is presented for comparing various aspects of mechatronics courses based on these events.
Applications to Optical Communication

A propagating light wave can be used to transfer information from a “transmitter” plane to a “receiver” plane. This can be accomplished by utilizing variations of its intensity, phase, frequency, or polarization. These variations could be functions of time or space or both. The best example is that of light emitted from or scattered by the surface of an object. As the light propagates, it carries information about the object to the viewer in the form of a spatial intensity distribution — an image. Along with the image, the viewer always receives unwanted light coming from other sources — the background. Because of the uncertain nature of the photodetection process, the viewer ends with a noisy replica of the image and the background. Techniques of statistical estimation and detection theory can be used very effectively to reduce the background and combat the uncertainties.
Tolterodine causes measurable restoration of urethral sensation in women with urge urinary incontinence.

Introduction & Hypothesis Determine if treatment of urge incontinence with tolterodine results in changes in bladder and/or urethral sensation using Current Perception Threshold (CPT) testing. Methods Women with ≥1 incontinence episode on 7-day diary were treated with 4 mg of long-acting tolterodine for 2-months. At baseline and 2-months, participants had CPT testing of the urethral and bladder at 3 frequencies 2000, 250, and 5 Hz. Baseline and post-treatment measures were compared using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Results Seventeen women underwent baseline CPT testing. Four discontinued medication due to side effects and did not have repeated testing. Urethral CPT at 250 Hz was lower after treatment (median 1.3 [Interquartile range .69--2.1] and .75 [.45--1.2], p = .003) and at 5 Hz trended toward a significant decrease (1.1 [1--1.9] and .84 [.32--1.1], p = .06). Conclusions Urethral sensitivity improves after 2-months of tolterodine, suggesting it may restore urethral sensory nerves in addition to known motor effects. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:555–557, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polarimetric Signatures from Ice Crystals Observed at 95 GHz in Winter Clouds. Part II: Frequencies of Occurrence

Abstract Data are presented, from a large collection of observations in wintertime clouds in Wyoming, which show that the fraction of cloud volumes from which significant radar polarimetric information can be obtained is small. For example, when averaged over all available samples, signals exceeding the chosen limits of 3 dB for ZDR and −18 dB for linear depolarization ratio were found in just a few percent of the observations for radar beam incidence angles of less than 45°. In general, the polarimetric signatures are interpreted as indicators of the prevalence of pristine and lightly rimed crystals, as opposed to more densely rimed crystals, graupel, or aggregates. However, specific cases are presented to illustrate exceptions to this interpretation. The polarimetric signatures provide information regarding ice crystal types from larger cloud volumes than can be observed with in situ probes, and thus may aid in understanding the evolution and possible origin of hydrometeors in the clouds. They may also ...
An Unusual Beaver (Castor canadensis) Lodge in a Louisiana Coastal Marsh

Abstract In Louisiana, Castor canadensis (North American Beaver) rarely occur in coastal marshes and are far more common in forested wetlands. We recently observed a North American Beaver lodge in a coastal marsh that was constructed partly of commercial lumber, possibly made available by recent hurricanes. The animals may have used lumber for lodge construction due to the dearth of trees or other woody vegetation in coastal marshes. This observation points to the adaptability of North American Beaver when choosing materials for lodge construction.
Cyber-infrastructure support for the integration and analysis of student success data

Increasing enrollment and retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, particularly for students from underrepresented groups, has become a national priority. Institutions often have multiple funded and unfunded efforts that address student success and broadening participation. One challenge is that they are typically discipline specific with little interaction with complimentary efforts outside of the sponsoring department or college. Such isolation can hinder wider adoption of effective practices and the development of innovative programs based on lessons learned. This project, funded by the NSF Innovation through Institutional Integration program, focuses on defining the cyberinfrastructure and communities needed to support the discovery and integration of student-success projects. The paper is organized as follows: discussion of the motivation; presentation of the infrastructure and models created to connect data collected by various projects, units, and programs; and description of MetaShare, a metadata management system that captures metadata about artifacts in support of integration across projects.
The relationship between tumor size and stage in early versus advanced ovarian cancer: A retrospective chart review

5580 Background: Ovarian cancer has a different prognosis between early (I and II) and advanced stage (III and IV). The mechanism of disease progression is unknown, but patients with advanced disea...
Parallel-serial production systems

This paper describes several extensions to standard Production System (PS) languages that appear to make them more conveniently usable for a wider variety of perceptual and cognitive systems. The extensions are described (giving parallel productions, multiple memories, and productions that are implied by productions), and a programming language ((PS)"M") is presented (in Uhr, 1978) that incorporates them. Sketches are given indicating how several different kinds of cognitive and perceptual systems might be coded in this extended language, and suggestions are made as to additional extensions that might further arugment the power and convenience of such a language.
The Ideographic Individual

The ideographic individual encapsulates the decentering tendency of recent philosophy and does so in a way that is consistent with both postmodern and evolutionary approaches to culture. This decenter ing of the individual elicits a confrontation with concerns about de terminism and free will. This article attempts to problematize the determinism versus free will debate while proposing an alternative conceptualization of the individual grounded in ideography. Ideo graphs?the socially constructed elements of a culture's symboliza tion system?are determinative of a culture's sense of appropriate conduct, but indeterminate with respect to predictive causality. The individual conceptualized ideographically contrasts sharply with the autonomous liberal-humanist individual of Western culture. Ad hominem treatments of the individual imply blame-worthiness or heroism, whereas meaning in the ideography framework is located in culture's symbolism and in the multiple and diffuse arenas of com munication and social interaction. Both the ideographic individual in particular and ideography in general suggest alternative frames of understanding for public administration.
Gaming-contingent self-worth, gaming motivation, and Internet Gaming Disorder

The relationship between problematic gaming behavior and self-esteem is well-documented (King & Delfabbro, 2014). Moreover, the basic needs component of Self-Determination Theory has also been proposed as an organizing framework to understand gaming motivation (Lafreniere, Verner-Filion, & Vallerand, 2012; Ryan, Rigby, & Przybylski, 2006). Building on these ideas, the current study describes the development of a measure of contingent self-worth (Crocker, Luhtanen, Cooper, & Bouvrette, 2003; Crocker & Wolfe, 2001) specific to gaming experiences within Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), and explores the association between Gaming-Contingent Self-Worth (GCSW) and symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). A sample of MMORPG players was recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (nź=ź600) to evaluate the reliability and validity of a GCSW scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify a 29-item measure comprised of four components, including validation seeking, reward orientation, competition focus, and detachment. Additional analyses supported the hypothesis that GCSW is a strong predictor of IGD symptoms, beyond the contribution of motivation based on behavioral activities within the game. A measure of Gaming-Contingent Self-Worth (GCSW) is developed.Factors of GCSW include validation seeking, reward orientation, competition focus, and detachment.Associations between GCSW and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) are explored.GCSW predicts IGD beyond behavioral motives, weekly hours, and global self-esteem.
Are North American Populations of Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Bimodal?

Previous studies indicate that North American gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), populations are driven by a numerically bimodal replacement rate model: Nt+1/Nt = f (N), where f (N) is bimodal, resulting in two equilibrium densities. Under this theory, populations are regulated about a low density equilibrium for many years until some perturbation (usually mass immigration) elevates populations to high densities, where they are regulated about a high-density equilibrium until crashing. In this paper, the evidence for and against numerical bimodality in gypsy moth populations is reviewed. The Melrose Highlands data (egg mass densities at 83 plots in New England from 1910 to 1931) were reexamined. These analyses indicated bimodality in f (N) when data were expressed as yearly means of several plots in a zone ≍30 km in diameter, but there was no clear evidence of bimodality in the dynamics at individual plots. Density fluctuations in these relatively small plots (0.07 ha) were instead dominated by apparently random effects. It is hypothesized that short-range dispersal dominates the dynamics of populations at these spatial scales. These results illustrate the importance of spatial scale in the characterization of ecological processes.
Enantiospecific Adsorption of Amino Acids on Naturally Chiral Cu{3,1,17}R&S Surfaces.

Gas-phase equilibrium adsorption of d- and l-serine (Ser) mixtures and d- and l-phenylalanine (Phe) mixtures has been studied on the naturally chiral Cu{3,1,17}R&S surfaces. 13C labeling of the l enantiomers (*l-Ser and *l-Phe) has enabled mass spectrometric enantiodiscrimination of the species desorbing from the surface following equilibrium adsorption. On the Cu{3,1,17}R&S surfaces, both equilibrium adsorption and the thermal decomposition kinetics of the d and *l enantiomers exhibit diastereomerism. Following exposure of the surfaces to d/*l mixtures, the relative equilibrium coverages of the two enantiomers are equal to their relative partial pressures in the gas phase, θd/θ*l = Pd/P*l. This implies that adsorption is not measurably enantiospecific. The decomposition kinetics of Ser are enantiospecific whereas those of Phe are not. Comparison of these results with those for aspartic acid, alanine, and lysine suggests that enantiospecific adsorption on the naturally chiral Cu surfaces occurs for those ...
Speaking in Tongues, Speaking without Tongues: Transplanted Voices in Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland

This essay examines an underexplored aspect of Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland – namely its German–Indian context – and reads it through the story's main plot device: ventriloquism. Using some of Brown's manuscripts as well as journalistic pieces, the essay brings together the more puzzling aspects of this central US American gothic tale into a study of colonial violence and transplanted voices. Following Sarah Rivett's recent claim of a “spectral presence of American Indians” in the story, this essay argues for a rereading of the character of the “bioloquist” that brings to the surface a deep history of the dispossession of Native peoples (especially the Lenape) carefully interwoven into the novel's subtext.
Analysis and Countermeasure of Lightening Disturbance of Transmission Line in Guangxi Power Grid

The statistics of lightening disturbance of 110～500 kV transmission line in Guangxi Power Grid are made,and reasons of lightening strike trip-out of transmission line are analyzed,and problems existing in lightening protection work are examined. It is suggested that the lightening protection of transmission line should be begun at the planning and design stage,except suggestions that the integration modification of lightening protection technology of transmission line should be continued and the management of protection and recloser should be enhanced,It is also suggested that the raise of lightening protection design standard of transmission line should be attempted from several aspects such as grounding type of tower,protection angle of lightning shield wire,number of insulator,and dry arcing distance of composite insulator and so on so that lightening protection level can be promoted from the very beginning.
Smart Electricity Consumption Data Processing Technology Based on Protocol of Encoding and Cache

According to the characteristics of smart electricity consumption data acquisition system: centralized data acquisition,large quantity of data items and customers,a new batch data loader technology is proposed which is based on coding algorithm and cache technology.The acquisition data items are precoded and then mapped into the cache data area using P/T data mapping technology,and batch submitted to the database at scheduled time to reduce the operation frequency of the database.The algorithm greatly enhances the system's data storage efficiency and stability.Finally,the main function modules and the realization of key technologies are introduced.
RF thermoelectric generation for passive RFID

Despite recent gains in turn-on sensitivity, passive RFID tags are approaching fundamental limits imposed by diode conversion of RF-to-DC power. However, an RF-to-thermal-to-DC energy conversion process can be shown to outperform existing diode conversion techniques at very low power levels, in terms of both conversion efficiency and output voltage. We explore the original design of an RF-driven thermoelectric generator and demonstrate a possible pathway to a purely passive tag with greater than 100m range.
Book Review: Independent Stardom: Freelance Women in the Hollywood Studio System

A reveiw of Independent Stardom: Freelance Women in the Hollywood Studio System by Emily Carman, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2016.
Chaos in Nonlinear Optics

There has recently been great interest in the field of deterministic chaos. By deterministic chaos, one refers to the situation in which the output of a physical system fluctuates erratically in time, even though the system is governed by deterministic equations. It is known theoretically that chaotic behavior can occur only in nonlinear systems. We have been particularly interested in studying chaos in nonlinear optical systems.1 Our motivation for studying chaos in nonlinear optical systems has been two-fold: One is that studies of deterministic chaos can provide some insights into the origin of uncertainty in physics, and optical systems provide good systems in which to perform exacting studies of such effects. The other reason is that chaos can lead to limitations in the performance of practical optical devices. To illustrate this latter point, we consider some hypothetical optical device which was intended to provide a steady output but which instead produces the highly erratic output illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to stabilize the output of such a device, it is necessary to know whether the fluctuations which appear in the output are the result of random noise or of deterministic chaos, because the proper procedure for stabilizing the output would be different in the two cases. If the fluctuations are due to random noise, one might stabilize the output by shielding the system from its environment, whereas if these fluctuations are due to deterministic chaos one would need to decrease the magnitude of the nonlinearity in order to reduce the fluctuations.