cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“I am, personally, the Fall of the West”: Postmodernism and the Critical Reception (and Legacy) of Barry Hannah’s Fiction

While relatively few of the remembrances of Barry Hannah in the popular press mention the adjective ‘postmodern’ to describe Hannah’s work, and while Hannah himself was skeptical of the concept, it has largely shaped the trajectory of critical discourse on Hannah’s aesthetic among his academic readers. Indeed, as his reputation among literary scholars has grown, so has the strength of his association with postmodernism. Fred Hobson wrote nearly two decades ago of Hannah’s celebrated novel, Ray (1980), that “for once, the southern writer inhabiting the postmodern world is close to being a postmodern writer himself” (37). Hobson cannot bring himself to make a more definitive declaration (Hannah is only ‘close to being’ a postmodernist), because he wants to like Hannah’s work, but ultimately values more a southern writer who “essentially accepts, rather than invents, his world, is not given to fantasy, does not in his fiction question the whole assumed relationship between narrator and narrative, does not question the nature of fiction itself”– in other words, one who “plays by the old rules of the game” (9). Subsequent critics, however, have worked steadily toward an understanding of Hannah’s work as prototypically postmodern. This essay discusses those works that have contributed most significantly to that understanding and considers briefly the future criticism on Hannah’s work.
C++ in safety critical systems

The safety and reliability of software is influenced by the choice of implementation language and the choice of programming idioms. Cpp is gaining popularity as the implementation language of choice for large software projects because of its promise to reduce the complexity and cost of their construction. But is Cpp an appropriate choice for such projectsq An assessment of how well Cpp fits into recent software guidelines for safety critical systems is presented along with a collection of techniques and idioms for the construction of safer Cpp code.
Epilepsy and Verbosity

Summary: Stories were elicited from 29 epileptic patients with generalized, simple partial, and complex partial seizures with bilateral, right, or left foci, and from 32 persons in two control groups. Four older epileptic patients with long histories of left complex partial seizures were verbose. Their stories involved trivial and subjective details, consistent with circumstantiality and suggesting the substrate for a hallucinatory syndrome. RESUME Nous avons 0interroge 30 patients epileptiques presentant des crises generalisees, partielles simples ou partielles complexes avec foyers bilateraux, droits ou gauches, et 32 sujets temoins repartis en deux groupes. 4 patients epileptiques anciens, avec un long passe de crises partielles complexes gauches, se sonl montres verbeux. Leurs discours contenaient des details triviaux et subjectifs, temoignant ď;une adhesion non critique aux circonstances et suggerant ľexistence ď;un terrain de syndrome hallucinatoire. RESUMEN Se han extraido los relatos de 30 epilepticos con ataques gen-eralizados, simples parciales y ataques parciales complejos con focos bilaterales derechos o izquierdos y tambien los relatos de 32 personas en 2 grupos control. Cuatro epilepticos ancianos con historias prolongadas de ataques parciales complejos resultaron poseer importante verbosidad. Los relatos siempre contenian detalles triviales y subjetivos de caracter circunstancial que par-ecian ser el sustrato de un sindrome alucinatorio. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Berichte von 30 Anfallskranken mit generalisierten, einfa-chen Partial- und komplexen Partialanfallen mit bilateralen, rechts- und linksseitigen Foci und von 32 Kontrollpersonen wurden analysiert. 4 altere Patienten mit langer Anamnese von linksseitigen, komplexen Partialanfallen waren weitschweifig. Ihre Berichte enthielten triviale und subjektive Details, die mit Umstandlichkeit vereinbar waren und auf ein halluzinatorisches Syndrom schliesen liesen.
New garnet compounds with trivalent rare-earth ions on both dodecahedral and octahedral sites

Abstract This study deals with preparation of garnets of the type {Nd 3− y R y }[R x Ga 2− x ](Ga 3 )O 12 , in which R is Lu, Yb, Tm, Er, Ho, or Dy. It has been found that the placement of large rare-earth ions such as Nd 3+ on the dodecahedral sites opens up the lattice so that small rare-earth ions may enter the octahedral sites. For the case of R = Lu single-phase {Nd 3 }[Lu 2 ]Ga 3 O 12 (i.e., y = 0, x = 2) has been prepared. Calculations indicate that similar compounds of Yb and perhaps Tm have also been prepared, though impure. To prepare single-phase Yb and Tm compounds with x = 2, it is necessary simultaneously to place determined minimum amounts of R in the dodecahedral positions. This minimum required value of y increases with increasing radius of R. Many single-phase garnet solid solutions have also been prepared; the region in which pure garnets occur is indicated in a ternary diagram.
A Comprehensive Comparison and Critique of Discounting Indices Proposed For Capital Investment Evaluation

Abstract In the traditional literature of engineering and managerial economics, a variety of different and not generally consistent indices have been proposed for deciding whether a given capital investment project should be undertaken. Using mathematical programming, it is shown herein that in an unconstrained situation under certainty, with complete freedom to borrow or lend at one rate of interest, the present worth index and its equivalents are correct while indices inconsistent with present worth are wrong. However, in the presence of further constraints, e.g., on allowed borrowing or on available scarce material, even the present worth index is unsatisfactory, and, in general, a complete mathematical programming solution is required.
Structural Studies of the 1:1 Complex of o-3,4-Dimethyltetrathiafulvalene (o-Me2TTF) and 1,2,4,5-Tetracyanobenzene (TCNB)

The synthesis and crystal structure of the 1:1 complex o-Me2TTF-TCNB is reported. The complex crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1 with a = 6.920(1) A, b = 7.928(2) A, c = 17.453(4) A, α = 100.53(3)°, β = 99.66(3)°, and γ = 97.32(3)°. The bond length of the central C=C bond in o-Me2TTF is 1.342(2) A, indicating a neutral state for the o-Me2TTF donor. The X-ray crystallographic structure of the complex o-Me2TTF-TCNB has been determined. Corresponding interatomic interactions, bond distances and its synthetic preparation are discussed.
Comparison of P6 acupoint injection with 50% glucose in water and intravenous droperidol for prevention of vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy.

Postoperative vomiting causes patients distress and delays discharge after outpatient surgery. Although P6 electroacupuncture is recognized as having an antiemetic effect, its inconvenient instrumentation may limit its clinical applicability. The purpose of this study was to explore a simple and effective alternative method for control of postoperative vomiting in outpatient surgery. We prospectively compared the effect of P6 acupoint injection with 0.2 ml 50% glucose in water (G/W) and intravenous injection of 20 micrograms/kg droperidol for prevention of vomiting in 120 consecutive outpatients undergoing gynecological laparoscopy with general anesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated to receive P6 acupoint injection, i.v. droperidol, or nothing as control group. Both P6 acupoint injection and i.v. droperidol 20 micrograms/kg were found to have a significant antiemetic effect when compared with the control group. We conclude that P6 acupoint injection with 50% G/W is a simple and effective method for reducing the incidence of postoperative emesis in outpatient surgery.
Bimetallic ruthenium(II)ruthenium(III) complexes. A molecular orbital view

Abstract The strustures of bimetallic ruthenium(II)ruthenium(III) ions with a variety of bridging ligands are considered using molecular orbital methods. These ions may by symmetrical with equivalent metal centers or may be distorted with nonequivalent sites, which in the extreme can be identified as Ru(II) and Ru(III). Certain ions with ligands such as 4,4′-bipyridine or nonconjugated dicyano species would have degenerate ground state if they were symmetrical and are thus distorted. In other ions the odd electron will be located in a coupled orbital and there will be less of a tendency toward distortion. The original Creutz and Taube pyrazine bridged complex is of this type.
Multiple reflections between the earth and the ionosphere in V.L.F. propagation

Treating the ionosphere as a sharply bounded ionized medium, sky wave field intensities are calculated by geometrical-optical methods for very low radio frequencies. The reflection coefficients are discussed in some detail and the numerical data are compared with experiment.
Samuel Butler's Erewhon as Social Psychology

Samuel Butler's (1872/1983) utopian novel, Erewhon, was used in a social psychology class to demonstrate the universality of social psychological insights and to provide a literary dimension to the course. Erewhon provides numerous examples of five social psychological principles: (a) the relation of physical attractiveness to interpersonal attraction and judgments, (b) the human drive for interpersonal agreement, (c) the drive for congruence in values and behavior, (d) the importance of values in understanding actions, and (e) attribution theory. Student evaluations indicate that Erewhon can be successfully used as a supplementary reading to increase the liberal arts value of a social psychology course.
Nanophotonic devices in single crystal diamond

Spatial and k-space properties of subwavelength cross-section GaP waveguides supported by a diamond substrate are analyzed theoretically. These waveguides are suitable for optically coupling to nitrogen vacancy centers located near the surface of a single crystal diamond sample.
Synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of novel 2-diarylethyl substituted (2-carboxycycloprop-1-yl)glycines as high-affinity group II metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands.

The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, (S)-glutamic acid , activates both ionotropic and metabotropic excitatory amino acid receptors. Its importance in connection to neurological and psychiatric disorders has directed great attention to the development of compounds that modulate the effects of this endogenous ligand. Whereas L-carboxycyclopropylglycine (L-CCG-1) is a potent agonist at, primarily, group II metabotropic glutamate receptors, alkylation of at the alpha-carbon notoriously result in group II mGluR antagonists, of which the most potent compound described so far, LY341495, displays IC(50) values of 23 and 10 nM at the group II receptor subtypes mGlu2 and mGlu3, respectively. In this study we synthesized a series of structural analogues of in which the xanthyl moiety is replaced by two substituted-phenyl groups. The pharmacological characterization shows that these novel compounds have very high affinity for group II mGluRs when tested as their racemates. The most potent analogues demonstrate K(i) values in the range of 5-12 nM, being thus comparable to LY341495.
Correlated Evolution and Independent Contrasts

The use of the independent contrast method in comparative tests is studied. It is assumed that: (i) the traits under investigation are subject to natural selection; (ii) closely related species are similar because they share many characteristics of their niche, inherited from a common ancestor; and (iii) the current adaptive significance of the traits is the focus of investigation. The main objection to the use of species values in this case is that third variables which are shared by closely related species confound the relationship between the focal traits. In this paper, I argue that third variables are largely not controlled by the contrast methods, which are designed to estimate correlated evolution. To the extent that third variables also show correlated evolution, the true relationship among the traits of interest will remain obscured. Although the independent contrast method does not resolve the influence of third traits it does, in principle, provide a greater resolution than the use of the species mean values. However, its validity depends on the applicability of an evolutionary model which has a substantial stochastic component. To illustrate the consequences of relaxing this assumption I consider an alternative model of an adaptive radiation, where species come to fill a fixed niche space. Under this model, the expected value for the contrast correlation differs from that for the species correlation. The two correlations differ because contrasts reflect the historical pattern of diversification among species, whereas the species values describe the present-day relationships among the species. If the latter is of interest, I suggest that assessing significance based on the species correlations can be justified, providing that attention is paid to the role of potentially confounding third traits. Often, differences between contrast and species correlations may be biologically informative, reflecting changes in correlations between traits as an adaptive radiation proceeds; contrasts may be particularly useful as a means of investigating past history, rather than current utility of traits.
Wire-assisted minor papilla precut papillotomy.

Background: Deep cannulation of the dorsal duct in patients with pancreas divisum may not be possible, even for the experienced endoscopist. This is a description of a technique to facilitate access to the dorsal duct. Methods: Patients undergoing dorsal ductography in whom endoscopic therapy was indicated and in whom a 4.5F tapered-tip catheter could not be passed into the dorsal duct over a guidewire were prospectively identified. After ductal opacification, either a 0.035- or 0.021-inch guidewire was passed into the dorsal duct; a needle-knife was then passed to the minor papilla alongside the guidewire, and with appropriate orientation, a precut papillotomy was made. Results: Eleven patients undergoing dorsal ductography for recurrent pancreatitis (10 patients) or ductal leak (1 patient) were prospectively treated with the above technique. Secretin was used in 1 patient. In all patients, after precut papillotomy the diagnostic catheter was passed without difficulty into the dorsal duct allowing for guidewire exchange and/or stent placement. Extension of the papillotomy could then be performed with the needle-knife over a pancreatic stent. Complications included pancreatitis in 1 patient. Conclusions: This technique, which uses widely available accessories, facilitates access to the dorsal pancreatic duct for endoscopic therapy.
A Reading of Ehud and Jael through the Lens of Affect Theory

This paper uses affect theory as a tool to interpret the violent images of two stories found in Judges 3–5, those of Ehud and Eglon and that of Jael and Sisera. Affect theory affords biblical exegetes a means to examine the role of the reader’s embodiment as a tool for textual interpretation. I use the work of affect theorists to discuss the way violent images work on readers and create the emotional, physical, and sensory context in which later violent images will be received and interpreted. The sensation created by exposure to violence is embodied in readers before the readers judge the images according to their moral, ideological, and ethical value. In fact, the embodied affect of exposure to violence is the context in which that judgment occurs. In Judges, the violated body anchors an experience of vulnerability and fear in the reader. The visceral affect of anxiety and the intensity of bodily violence position the reader to feel the need for security and relief in the figure of the king. This paper focuses on Ehud and Jael as two of the significant early exposures to the violated body in the book of Judges and explores their different contributions to the theme of physical violence. The physical experiences of modern readers may give us valuable insight into how the physical experiences of readers contribute to the persuasiveness of textual arguments. Affect theory brings into focus the body in the text and the body of the reader as part of meaning-making.
Tackling vehicular fraud in Ethiopia: from technology to business

Several forms of vehicular fraud cause significant losses to the transportation and freight industry in Ethiopia. For a land-locked country that mostly relies on ground shipping and public transportation for connectivity, vehicular fraud is an important problem in the Ethiopian context. In order to start tackling this problem, this paper presents the design and implementation of a commercial grade GPS tracking system for nationwide deployment in Ethiopia, and the process of building a business around the technology. The paper makes three contributions. First, we present vehicular fraud, an important problem in developing regions, with a case study from Ethiopia. Second, we discuss the process of building an ICT system in developing regions for a practical and wide-scale deployment beyond experimental pilots. Compared to conducting research projects, this process often involves stringent requirements and considerations such as scalability, sustainability and security. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of building technology based businesses in Africa. We discuss entrepreneurship as a model for delivering ICT services in developing regions, and present some of the hurdles we faced and lessons learned in building a tech business in Ethiopia. We have deployed the system on the ground, and currently support an initial set of clients who are trying the system.
Case Report Increased serum iodide concentration from iodine absorption through wounds treated topically with povidone-iodine

Increased serum iodide concentrations secondary to iodine absorption through wounds treated with povidone-iodine dressings is described. Hyperchloremic acidosis and a disparity between serum chloride concentrations determined by two different methods suggested the presence of an unidentified halide. Cardiovascular instability and renal failure occurred concurrent with systemic iodide accumulation. Measurement of serum iodide concentration should be performed when povidone-iodine is used topically in patients with impaired renal function.
Probabilistic decision model of wind power investment and influence of green power market

This paper presents results from a model of a representative wind power investor's decision making process using a Monte Carlo simulation of a project financial analysis. Data, in the form of probability distribution functions (PDFs) for key input variables were collected from interviews with investors and other professionals active in the U.S. wind power industry using a formal expert elicitation protocol. This study presents the first quantitative estimates of the effect of the U.S. voluntary Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) market on renewable energy generation. The results indicate that the investment decisions of wind power project developers in the United States are unlikely to have been altered by the voluntary REC market. The problem with the current voluntary REC market is that it does not offer developers a reliable risk-adjusted revenue stream. Consequently, the claims by U.S. green power retailers and promoters that voluntary market RECs result in additional wind power projects lack credibility. Even dramatic increases in voluntary market REC prices, in the absence of long-term contracts, were found to have only a small effect on investor behavior.
The Self-Institution of Society and Representative Government: Can the Circle be Squared?

This article discusses the work of Cornelius Castoriadis, an important political thinker and theorist of democracy. Castoriadis developed not one but two theories of democracy based on two distinct understandings of autonomy. The first is compatible with the key features of representative government; the second is not. Unfortunately, Castoriadis models his interpretation of the idea of popular sovereignty on the second view, thereby concluding, like Rousseau before him, that it is incompatible with representative government. This article discusses both approaches and presents a reinterpretation of political representation and of the idea of popular sovereignty in order to show how they can be made compatible. I argue that the discourse of popular sovereignty and the modern principles of representative government entail one another.
High-speed optical diagnostic that uses interference filters to measure Doppler shifts

A high-speed, noninvasive velocity diagnostic has been developed for measuring plasma rotation. The Doppler shift is determined by employing two detectors that view line emission from the identical volume of plasma. Each detector views through an interference filter having a passband that varies linearly with wavelength. One detector views the plasma through a filter whose passband has a negative slope and the second detector views through one with a positive slope. Because each channel views the same volume of plasma, the ratio of the amplitudes is not sensitive to variations in plasma emission. With suitable knowledge of the filter characteristics and the relative gain, the Doppler shift is readily obtained in real time from the ratio of two channels without needing a low throughput spectrometer. The systematic errors—arising from temperature drifts, stability, and frequency response of the detectors and amplifiers, interference filter linearity, and ability to thoroughly homogenize the light from the f...
Effectiveness and Empowerment in Women’s Shelter: A Study of Working Women’s Hostels in Bangalore, India

Policy debates on shelter for women have focused on family structure, gender roles and the importance of shelter in women’s economic development. They emphasize the need for shelter that is generally effective and empowering for women. Although valuable, these general policy proposals are often unable to account for the particular situations in specific cultural contexts in which family structure, roles and economic development are reshaped by women’s migration, and where cultural mandates for, and family-based control of, women’s shelter are re-articulated. Through a study of 12 working women’s hostels in Bangalore, India, which includes a survey of 126 residents and 4 focus groups, this article analyses the functions that hostels serve for women and explores the aspects of hostels that are effective and empowering. While only partially effective and empowering in ways that are specified within the current debates, hostels offer a significant policy opportunity to help women both expand their personal, social, economic and political universe without losing contact with the familiar and nurturing networks of family, and gain autonomy over their shelter and lives. The article discusses how hostels can provide a stepping stone for policy and programmatic interventions toward decent, secure and empowering shelter for women. Les debats politiques sur l’hebergement des femmes se sont concentres sur la structure familiale, les roles des sexes et l’importance de l’habitat dans le developpement economique des femmes. Ils ont souligne le besoin d’un hebergement qui procure generalement a celles-ci satisfaction et possibilites. Bien qu’appreciables, ces propositions generales sont souvent incapables de tenir compte de situations particulieres, dans des contextes culturels specifiques ou la migration des femmes remodele la structure familiale, les roles et l’evolution economique, parallelement au reajustement entre les directives culturelles et le controle familial a l’egard de l’hebergement feminin. A travers une etude sur 12 foyers de travailleuses de Bangalore (Inde), comprenant une enqu?te aupres de 126 pensionnaires et 4 groupes-temoins, cet article analyse les fonctions que les foyers apportent aux femmes et explore les aspects de ces lieux porteurs de satisfaction et de possibilites. M?me si cet apport n’est que partiel, selon les modalites enoncees dans les debats actuels, les foyers donnent a la politique une veritable occasion d’aider les femmes aetendre leur univers personnel, social, economique et politique sans perdre contact avec les reseaux familiers et formateurs de la famille, tout en acquerant une autonomie sur leur residence et leur existence. L’article explique comment les foyers peuvent constituer un premier pas vers des programmes organises visant a un hebergement decent et securise pour les femmes qui les rendent autonome.
Hatching, Dispersal, and Bathymetric Distribution of Age-0 Wild Lake Trout at the Gull Island Shoal Complex, Lake Superior

We studied age-0 lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) associated with spawning and nursery areas of the Gull Island Shoal complex in western Lake Superior. Post-emergent age-0 lake trout were captured on rocky spawning substrate with a 3-m beam trawl and at the nursery area with a bottom trawl from June to September 1990 and June to August 1991. Catch data suggested that age-0 lake trout move distances of 7–11 km to the nursery area over a 3-month period. Water currents, measured at Gull Island Shoal, may be a part of the transport mechanism. Examination of daily-growth increments on the sagittae and back-calculation from the date of capture revealed that most fish hatched between 6 June and 19 July in 1990 and between 30 April and 30 May in 1991. The duration of the hatch was 100 days in 1990 and 120 days in 1991, and the estimated incubation period is about 7 months for lake trout eggs at this site. Similar hatch-date distributions of age-0 captured on different sampling dates suggested that natural mortality was low.
Three-dimensional patterns of garnet nucleation and growth

Three-dimensional compositional zoning patterns in garnet-zone garnets from Harpswell Neck, Maine, United States, suggest complex patterns of nucleation and growth. Compositional zoning is often asymmetric, and core compositions do not always coincide with the geometric center of the garnet. In detail, garnet zoning patterns show multiple, isolated, high-MnO areas that we interpret as sites of garnet nucleation. If it is assumed that garnet growth is close to equilibrium and the Mn zoning is not significantly modified by diffusion, then the MnO contours or isosurfaces can serve as a proxy for patterns of garnet nucleation and growth. Computer-generated, three-dimensional animations of these patchwork MnO zoning patterns reveal that many garnets contain multiple nuclei that grew and coalesced to form a single crystal. New nuclei often appeared next to preexisting porphyroblasts and became incorporated into the growing crystal. Contrary to the widely held idea that garnets grow radially outward from a single nucleus, we propose that many of the garnets examined in this study grew by the coalescence of multiple nuclei.
Are women as likely to take risks and compete? Behavioural findings from Central Vietnam.

Using controlled experiments to compare the risk attitude and willingness to compete of husbands and wives in 500 couples in rural Vietnam, we find that women are more risk averse than men and that, compared to men, women are less likely to choose to compete, irrespective of how likely they are to succeed. Relevant to development programmes concerned with lifting women out of poverty, our findings suggest that women may be more reluctant to adopt new technologies, take out loans, or engage in economic activities that offer higher expected returns, in order to avoid setups that require them to be more competitive or that have less predictable outcomes.
Addition of tin(II) chloride to Pd2(Ph2PCH2PPh2)2CI2. The crystal and molecular structure of Pd2(Ph2PCH2PPh2)2(SnCl3)Cl

Abstract Addition of tin(II) chloride to Pd2(dpm)2Cl2 (dpm is Ph2PCH2PPh2) produces Pd2(dpm)2(SnCl3)Cl. The crystal structure of the latter complex reveals that the tin(II) chloride has inserted into the PdCI bond and that a nearly linear PdPdSn unit it present infrared and electronic spectral evidence indicates that carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide insert into the Pd-Pd bond of Pd2(dpm)2(SnCl3)Cl. Spectroscopic evidence for the formation of Pd2(dpm)2(SnCl3)2 is described.
Corrosion monitoring of metals: Magnetic sensing

ABSTRACT Corrosion in civil infrastructure causes structural failures and financial losses. Prompt and effective monitoring of corrosion can lead to failure prevention and cost savings. This paper describes the basis of a practical magnetic sensing scheme to detect corrosion in metals. The magnetic field measurements are carried out with economical and practical GMR sensors. Active and passive magnetic field sensing configurations are presented, and the ability to detect corrosion processes in steel and aluminium samples in aqueous environments is demonstrated.
Blue shot noise

Finite pulse width effects in level crossing detectors and similar systems, such as neurons, cause an output noise which is a monotonically increasing function of frequency in the low frequency limit. The effect is also relevant for shot noise phenomena with reduced strength.
Collection and processing of acoustic and seismic array data for source localization

Distributed sensor networks have been proposed for a wide range of applications. In this paper, our goal is to locate a wideband source, generating both acoustic and seismic signals, using both seismic and acoustic sensors. For a far-field acoustic source, only the direction-of-arrival (DOA) in the coordinate system of the sensors is observable. We use the approximate Maximum-Likelihood (AML) method for DOA estimations from severalacoustic arrays. For a seismic source, we use data collected at a single tri-axial accelerometer to perform DOA estimation. Two seismic DOA estimation methods, the eigen-decomposition of the sample covariance matrix method and the surface wave method are used. Field measurements of acoustic and seismic signals generated by vertically striking a heavy metal plate placed on the ground in an open field are collected. Each acoustic array uses four low-cost microphones placed in a square configuration and separated by one meter. The microphone outputs of each array are collected by a synchronized A/D recording system and processed locally based on the AML algorithm for DOA estimation. An array of six tri-axial accelerometers arranged in two rows whose outputs are fed into an ultra low power and high resolution network-aware seismic recording system. Field measured data from the acoustic and seismic arrays show the estimated DOAs and consequent localizations of the source are quite accurate and useful.
Functional resting-state networks are differentially affected in schizophrenia

Neurobiological theories posit that schizophrenia relates to disturbances in connectivity between brain regions. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful tool for examining functional connectivity and has revealed several canonical brain networks, including the default mode, dorsal attention, executive control, and salience networks. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in these networks in schizophrenia. 42 patients with schizophrenia and 61 healthy subjects completed a RS-fMRI scanning session. Seed-based region-of-interest correlation analysis was used to identify the default mode, dorsal attention, executive control, and salience networks. Compared to healthy subjects, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated greater connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex, a key hub of the default mode, and the left inferior gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left middle temporal gyrus. Interestingly, these regions were more strongly connected to the executive control network in healthy control subjects. In contrast to the default mode, patients demonstrated less connectivity in the executive control and dorsal attention networks. No differences were observed in the salience network. The results indicate that resting-state networks are differentially affected in schizophrenia. The alterations are characterized by reduced segregation between the default mode and executive control networks in the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe, and reduced connectivity in the dorsal attention and executive control networks. The changes suggest that the process of functional specialization is altered in schizophrenia. Further work is needed to determine if the alterations are related to disturbances in white matter connectivity, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and genetic risk for schizophrenia.
Women's health: an ethical perspective.

...I began by saying that an ethical perspective on women's health begins and ends with principles of justice. I conclude by noting that refocusing efforts on women's health can begin to rectify some of the past injustices. Only by striving for the broader goals of justice that grant women status and respect equal to that enjoyed by men, and to poor women and women of color equal access to the health care system, can we hope to make overall gains in improving women's health.
Ultrafast spectroscopy of conducting polymers

Abstract We have used various experimental techniques in the femtosecond and picosecond time domains to study the ultrafast time response, the optical nonlinearities and the character of the fundamental photoexcitations in conducting polymers with (polyacetylene) and without (polythiophene, polydiacetylene) degenerate ground states. Using the technique of photoinduced absorption (PA) we found that photoexcitations in conducting polymers become self trapped in about 300 fs. They form charged and neutral solitons in polyacetylene and polarons and singlet or triplet excitons in other polymers. Due to the existence of disorder and inhomogeneity in conducting polymers thin films, the dynamics of the PA signal, which is due to recombination, is in the form of a power law t −α (α t/τ ) β ] (β We have also measured the magnitude and dynamical response of the third order nonlinear optical coefficient χ( 3 ) in conducting polymers thin films,using the femtosecond degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) technique. χ( 3 ) was in the range of 10 −11 to 10 −8 esu depending on the resonance excitation conditions. Also the dynamical response of χ( 3 ) for resonant and non-resonant conditions is categorically different. We found, however, that the dephasing time of the photoexcitations (
Generalized one-way phase-conjugation systems

A hybrid method for image formation through inhomogeneous media is presented. This method embodies principles of superresolution by incoherent-to-coherent conversion and one-way phase conjugation. A general equation is derived for an arbitrary configuration embodying a synthesis of the two methods. A variety of specific configurations are evaluated. The effect of a double-pass aberration-correction method is achieved even though the object wave has made only a single pass through the inhomogeneity.
Simultaneous Determination of Zalcitabine and Stavudine in Maternal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Placental, and Fetal Tissues using Reversed Phase on Silica Liquid Chromatography

Abstract In order to study the placental transfer of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, a quick and simple reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed and validated using an underivatized silica column for the separation and analysis of DDC and D4T from rat plasma, amniotic fluid, placental, and fetal homogenate. Extraction of DDC, D4T, and their internal standard lamivudine (3TC) from the matrices was processed by liquid‐liquid extraction enhanced by salting out the sample using a saturated solution of ammonium sulfate. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters Spherisorb S3W silica column (4.6 mm×100 mm) equipped with a Phenomenex guard column. The mobile phase consisted of 3% methanol in 22 mM formic acid. The flow rate was 0.5 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was optimized at 265 nm. The calibration curves for each day of validation showed good linear response over the range from 0.1 µg/mL to 50 µg/mL. The absolute recoveries for all t...
Development of a robust observer for constrained nonlinear systems

The equations of motion for a constrained multi-body system are usually governed by a set of highly nonlinear differential-algebraic (D-A) equations. For nonlinear complex systems, the substitution method cannot be implemented to eliminate the superfluous coordinates. Thus, the differential-algebraic form of the equations of motion has to be retained. For control purposes, the state variables of the system should be available for the computation of the control signals. The current study presents a general procedure for developing a robust nonlinear observer capable of yielding accurate estimates of the state variables for a complex system whose dynamics are governed by a set of D-A equations. To assess the viability of the proposed approach, the multi-body dynamics of a piston/connecting-rod/crankshaft mechanism for a single cylinder internal combustion engine is considered in this study. The equations of motion account for both the rigid and flexible motions of the crank-slider mechanism. The simulation results demonstrate the capability of the proposed observer in accurately estimating all the state variables of the system including the superfluous ones. They illustrate the robustness of the observer to both structured and unstructured uncertainties. Moreover, they demonstrate that the nominal constraint equations are satisfied by the estimated state variables.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
On the physical interpretation of proper orthogonal modes in vibrations

Abstract The authors relate the proper orthogonal modes, as applied in discrete vibration systems, to normal modes of vibration in systems with a known mass matrix. In the case of undamped free vibration, the proper orthogonal modes converge to the linear normal modes as the amount of data increases. This interpretation is also practical for lightly modally damped systems. Forced resonances lead to proper orthogonal modes which approximate vibration modes. A particular case of non-linear normal modes are looked at in which the motion of a single mode follows a curve in the co-ordinate space. In this case, the proper orthogonal modes represent the principal axes of inertia formed by the distribution of data on the modal co-ordinate curve. More generally, the proper orthogonal modes represent the principal axes of inertia of the data.
Selective activation of the 20 S proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase complex) by histone h3.

Two distinct activities cleaving bonds after hydrophobic amino acids have been identified in the bovine pituitary 20 S proteasome. One, expressed by the X subunit, that cleaves bonds after aromatic and branched chain amino acids was designated as chymotrypsin-like (ChT-L).1 The second, expressed by the Y subunit, that cleaves bonds after acidic amino acids was designated as peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing (PGPH) but also cleaves bonds after branched chain amino acids. Low micromolar concentrations of the arginine-rich histone H3 (H3) are shown to induce changes in the specificity of the proteasome by selectively activating cleavages after branched chain and acidic amino acids while inhibiting cleavage of peptidyl−arylamide bonds in synthetic substrates. H3 activates 15-fold cleavage after leucine but not phenylalanine residues in model synthetic substrates. The activation is associated with a decrease in Km and an increase in Vmax, suggesting positive allosteric activation. H3 activates more than 60-...
Development and Evaluation of Algorithm for Resolution of Conflicting Transit Signal Priority Requests

The goal of this study was the development and evaluation of an algorithm for resolving conflicting requests for transit signal priority (TSP). This algorithm was designed to work with actual traffic controllers without the need for new hardware or software installations. The algorithm was tested in VISSIM microsimulation and ASC/3 software-in-the-loop controllers on an intersection that will be upgraded to serve two conflicting bus rapid transit (BRT) lines. The ASC/3 logic processor was used to control built-in TSPs in the case of conflicting requests and to develop custom-TSP strategies that would not rely on built-in TSP. Custom TSP provides a much higher level of TSP for transit vehicles than built-in TSP, and it creates opportunities for more adaptable TSP control. The results showed that the widely used first-come, first-served policy for resolution of conflicting TSP requests was not the best solution. Such a policy could perform worse than a policy that provided no priority. For the analyzed inte...
Regional distribution of catecholamine histofluorescence in the heart of the 13-lined ground squirrel: Hibernation vs activity

1. In a total of fifty ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineauts) hearts studied, there was a significant increase in adrenergic catecholamine histofluorescnece in the winter hibernating state compared to the winter non-hibernating state. 2. There was a ssignificant increase in total cardiac noreppinephrine content in winter hibernation 0.44 ± 0.08 μg/g compared to winter non-hibernating 0.27 ±0.06 μg/g, P = <0.001. 3. The cardiac adrenergic to histofuorescence intensity was similar for natural hibernation and summer induced hibernation. 4. The variations in specific distribution and intensity of adrenergic histofluorescence throughout all areas of the heart is described for natural winter hibernation and non-hibernation, as well as summer induced hibernation and activity.
Virtual theatre: a collaborative curriculum for artists and technologists

Computer graphics research and applications have involved collaborations between professionals in both technical and artistic areas from the beginning. Theatre is a field where collaboration between technicians and artists has been an inherent component for centuries. Virtual Theatre merges these two collaborative arenas with the goal of providing a springboard for learning through interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork. The project is geared toward those looking to enter the electronic entertainment industries where successful collaboration between artists and technologists is crucial to the success of a project. In the spring of 2004, students in three courses worked together to create a virtual theatre production at the Rochester Institute of Technology. In this paper we describe the collaborative learning approach taken in these courses and discuss our impressions of the results and issues that emerged.
A cautionary tale of two matrices: the duality of multivariate abstraction.

The metaphorical Tale of Two Matrices reveals how combining the worlds of multivariate abstraction and empiricism can both illuminate and obfuscate biological questions. To be sure, there are many potential benefits to limiting the dimensionality in multivariate problems—greater statistical power and the ability to explore relationships among more than two traits simultaneously are chief among them. Conversely, the rotation of trait space into new orthogonal axes may lead us ever further from the biological realities and intuitions that underlie the questions we pursue. The seduction of generating increasingly complex ways to view selection and multivariate inheritance brings with it the cost of greater and greater abstraction as disparate biological forces are lumped into common summary statistics. The success of matrix diagonalization for examining selection and quantitative genetics will be determined by practitioners’ ability to keep their eyes on the prize and use the techniques to inform experimental tests of the hypotheses they generate. The power of any methodology is determined by its ability to help us answer the questions we want to ask. Evolutionary quantitative genetics (EQG) and related approaches became popular because they are quantitative and simple to apply, and because they offer a direct insight into fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. As is often the case with a new set of tools, the heyday of EQG was accompanied by a sometimes blind application to any and every system, without sufficient regard to the importance of conceptual context and the limitations of the techniques. Diagonalization of the important matrices in EQG gives us a new set of variables to examine, but we are still inherently bound by the same questions, constraints and pitfalls. Below, we offer our opinions on the key problems in selection and EQG and the ways in which matrix diagonalization may or may not move us forward on these fronts. What is the form of natural selection?
Security-capacity trade-off in large wireless networks using keyless secrecy

We investigate the scalability of a class of algorithms that exploit the dynamics of wireless fading channels to achieve secret communication in a large wireless network of n randomly located nodes. We describe a construction in which nodes transmit artificial noise to suppress eavesdroppers whose locations are unknown and ensure secrecy of messages transported across the network. Under a model in which eavesdroppers operate independently and under appropriate conditions on the achievable per-node throughput Ψ(n), we show that the network can tolerate Ω((1⁄√n(n))2c) eavesdroppers while ensuring that the aggregate rate at which eavesdroppers intercept packets goes to 0, where c is a constant such that 0 0. We also establish sufficient conditions on the number of eavesdroppers to achieve a non-zero throughput in our construction.
Amino Acid Losses During Hemodialysis: Effects of High-Solute Flux and Parenteral Nutrition in Acute Renal Failure

Background: During standard hemodialysis, amino acid losses are substantial, amounting to 6 to 9 g per treatment. When these nutritional supplements are infused during dialysis, losses are increased, but a net positive balance can be achieved if the infusion rate is high enough. High-flux dialyzers, used with increasing frequency in modem dialysis centers because of their more permeable synthetic membranes, should cause further amino acid losses; however, the increase has not been measured, and the effect on plasma levels has not been examined. Assessment of net balance requires measurement of blood concentrations as well as of clearance. Methods: To quantitate the effect of high-flux dialysis on amino acid balance, we measured clearances, plasma levels, and losses of individual amino acids during hemodialysis in patients with acute renal failure who required daily parenteral nutrition. Results: Nearly all predialysis amino acid levels in plasma were within the normal range, probably because of control of...
A desert wetland created by wastewater flows: current trends and problems

Las Vegas Wash is an artificial wetland supported mostly by discharges of wastewaters from sewage treatment plants. Conflicting interests among municipal, recreational, and down-river users make the Las Vegas Wash a focal point in current management disputes regarding the need for advanced wastewater treatment, desert wetland habitat for wildlife, and salinity control measures. Water quality investigations were performed from July 1979 to December 1980 to characterize nutrient loads and flow regimes within the lower 18 kilometers of the Las Vegas Wash which discharges into the receiving waters of Lake Mead (Colorado River). Although wastewaters were retained for less than 20 hours, this ecosystem behaved as a nitrogen and phosphorus sink. Total nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates averaged 723 kg N day−1 and 124 kg P day−1, respectively. This represented a 20% removal of nutrient loads discharged from the sewage treatment plants. Nutrient removal rates have declined in recent years. Stormwater runoff and higher wastewater discharges have caused extensive channel erosion in downstream reaches. This has decreased the wetlands area by about 90% over the last 5 years. Stabilization of erosion would improve nutrient removal, but uncertainty exists concerning future management of this unique ecosystem.