cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymmetries in Online Job-Seeking: A Case Study of Muslim-American Women

As job-seeking and recruiting processes transition into digital spaces, concerns about hiring discrimination in online spaces have developed. Historically, women of color, particularly those with marginalized religious identities, have more challenges in securing employment. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with Muslim-American women of color who had used online job platforms in the past two years to understand how they perceive digital hiring tools to be used in practice, how they navigate the US job market, and how hiring discrimination as a phenomenon is thought to relate to their intersecting social identities. Our findings allowed us to identify three major categories of asymmetries (i.e., the relationship between the computing algorithms' structures and their users' experiences): (1) process asymmetries, which is the lack of transparency in data collection processes of job applications; (2) information asymmetries, which refers to the asymmetry in data availability during online job-seeking; and (3) legacy asymmetries, which explains the cultural and historical factors impacting marginalized job applicants. We discuss design implications to support job seekers in identifying and securing positive employment outcomes.
An Introduction to Structural Equation Models

The past two decades have witnessed a remarkable acceleration of interest in structural equation modeling (SEM) methods in many areas of research. In the social sciences, researchers often distinguish SEM approaches from more powerful systems of regression equation approaches by the inclusion of unobservable constructs (called latent variables in the SEM vernacular), and by the use of computationally intensive iterative searches for coefficients that fit the data. The expansion of statistical analysis to encompass unmeasurable constructs using SEM, canonical correlation, Likert scale quantification, principal components, and factor analysis has vastly extended the scope and relevance of the social sciences over the past century. Subjects that were previously the realm of abstract argumentation have been transported into the mainstream of scientific research.
The experiences of internationally educated nurses in the southeastern United States of America

Background: US healthcare facilities have addressed nursing shortages in part by recruiting internationally educated nurses (IENs), and studies suggest IENs may make up a significant percentage of the nursing workforce in urban hospitals. Despite the economic recession of 2008‐2012, international nurse migration is expected to continue. Little is known about IENs in the southeastern USA, and no studies have compared their perspectives to those of their US counterparts. Objective: The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding about the experiences of IENs compared to those of US registered nurses (RNs) practising in two urban hospitals in southeastern USA. Methods: This study involved two rounds of semi-structured interviews of 82 IENs and US RNs. Interviews focused on themes relating to education, barriers to practice, intent to stay in nursing and IENs’ migration experiences. Findings and Discussion: Most IENs interviewed migrated to the USA after 1990 to join their family and do not plan to return to their home countries to practise. Most IENs initially received their Associate Degree in Nursing; many have obtained their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. IENs and newly licensed US RNs faced similar barriers when they began practising in the USA, but IENs faced additional challenges adjusting to the attitudes of US patients, the perceived lack of respect for nurses and delivering total patient care. Conclusions: IENs would benefit from orientation regarding the cultural differences in the USA. In other ways, their challenges are similar to those of US RNs; policies regarding education, recruitment and retention could target both groups together.
Evidence for potential and inductive convection during intense geomagnetic events using normalized superposed epoch analysis

[1] The relative contribution of storm-time ring current development by convection driven by either potential or inductive electric fields has remained an unresolved question in geospace research. Studies have been published supporting each side of this debate, including views that ring current buildup is entirely one or the other. This study presents new insights into the relative roles of these storm main phase processes. We perform a superposed epoch study of 97 intense (DstMin DstMin > –100 nT) storms using OMNI solar wind and ground-based data. Instead of using a single reference time for the superpositioning of the events, we choose four reference times and expand or contract each phase of every event to the average length of this phase, creating a normalized timeline for the superposed epoch analysis. Using the bootstrap method, we statistically demonstrate that timeline normalization results in better reproduction of average storm dynamics than conventional methods. Examination of the Dst reveals an inflection point in the intense storm group consistent with two-step main phase development, which is supported by results for the southward interplanetary magnetic field and various ground-based magnetic indices. This two-step main-phase process is not seen in the moderate storm timeline and data sets. It is determined that the first step of Dst development is due to potential convective drift, during which an initial ring current is formed. The negative feedback of this hot ion population begins to limit further ring current growth. The second step of the main phase, however, is found to be a more even mix of potential and inductive convection. It is hypothesized that this is necessary to achieve intense storm Dst levels because the substorm dipolarizations are effective at breaking through the negative feedback barrier of the existing inner magnetospheric hot ion pressure peak.
A data intensive computing approach to path planning and mode management for hybrid systems

We describe an approach to the design, analysis, and control of hybrid systems which is data intensive in contrast to more traditional approaches which tend to be compute-intensive. A key idea is to use a low overhead, high performance persistent object manager to trade space for time, even when the amount of data is very large. The main advantage is that near real time solutions to problems can be obtained which would be prohibitive with other approaches. To illustrate the effectiveness of this approach, we show how millions of trajectories segments can be stored and retrieved to solve path planning problems and how hundreds of modes can be stored to aid in the study of mode switching strategies.
Accurate decoupling of capacitively coupled buses

This paper proposes a fast and accurate algorithm to decouple the lines of capacitively coupled buses. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm accurately estimates the equivalent capacitances and delay of the coupled buses with an average error of 3.0% and a maximum error of 4.5%. The commonly used Miller coupling factor (MCF) of 0, 1, and 2 results in an average error of 104% and a worst-case error of 210% The complexity of the proposed algorithm is shown to be linear in the number of bus lines. The MCF between adjacent interconnects with exponential waveforms is shown to have best and worst-case values of MCF/sub best/=-1.885 and MCF/sub worst/=3.885. The decoupling algorithm accurately estimates the equivalent capacitances in that range with accurate delay results compared to the coupled bus.
Isolation and characterization of the Escherichia coli mutH gene product.

The Escherichia coli mutH gene product has been isolated in near homogeneous form using an in vitro complementation assay for DNA mismatch correction (Lu, A.-L., Clark, S., and Modrich, P. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 4639-4643) which is dependent on mutH function. The protein has a subunit Mr of 25,000, and purified preparations contain a Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activity which cleaves 5' to the dG of d(GATC) sequences to generate 5'-phosphoryl and 3'-hydroxyl termini. Symmetrically methylated d(GATC) sites are resistant to the endonuclease, hemimethylated sequences are cleaved on the unmethylated strand, and unmethylated d(GATC) sites are usually subject to scission on only one DNA strand. Although this endonuclease activity is extremely weak (less than 1 scission/h/mutH monomer equivalent) and cleavage at a d(GATC) site does not depend on the presence of a mismatched base pair within the DNA substrate, the activity does not appear to be a contaminant of mutH preparations. d(GATC) endonuclease activity and mutH complementing activity co-purify through multiple column steps without change in relative specific activities, and both activities co-electrophorese under native conditions. These findings suggest that the mutH product functions at the strand discrimination stage of mismatch correction and that this stage of the reaction involves scission of the unmethylated DNA strand.
Domain decomposition for least-squares finite element methods for the Stokes equations

In this paper, we consider the solutions of the discrete linear system resulting from least-squares finite element discretization applied to the Stokes equations. Additive and multiplicative domain decomposition methods are used to solve the linear system and the uniform convergence results are established for both methods.
The role of DNA synthesis in the responses of fetal rat calvariae to cortisol.

To determine the extent to which the effects of cortisol on collagen synthesis in 21 day fetal rat calvariae are linked to its effects on cell replication, calvariae were cultured for 24–72 h with 0.1 and 1 μM cortisol in the presence or absence of 1 mM hydroxyurea (HU) or 30 μM aphidicolin (APC), inhibitors of DNA synthesis. The incorporation of [3H]proline into collagenase-digestible protein (CDP) and [3H]thymidine into DNA were measured during the last 2 h of culture. At 24 h HU and APC decreased thymidine incorporation by >90%, and this remained low for the duration of culture. In contrast, cortisol reduced thymidine incorporation by only 44% at 72 h. Although cortisol caused a 24 h stimulatory effect and a 48 and 72 h inhibitory effect on CDP labeling and the percentage of collagen being synthesized (PCS), HU, and APC had no effect on basal CDP labeling or PCS over the 72 h culture period. Cortisol caused parallel alterations in the steady-state levels of α-1(I) procollagen mRNA, suggesting that its effects occur at the pretranslational level. At 24 h HU and APC did not prevent the stimulatory effect of cortisol on CDP labeling and PCS. At 48 h the inhibitory effects of cortisol on CDP labeling and PCS were observed in the presence of APC but not in the presence of HU. At 72 h the inhibitory effects of cortisol on CDP labeling and PCS were still observed in the presence of HU and APC. The inhibitory effect of cortisol on CDP labeling was only partially reversed 48 h after removing cortisol from calvariae treated with hormone for 48 h. These data show that DNA synthesis inhibitors by themselves do not mimic the effects of cortisol on collagen synthesis nor do they prevent the early stimulation and the late inhibition of collagen synthesis by cortisol. Thus we conclude that the long-term inhibitory effect of cortisol on collagen synthesis in calvariae is largely independent of cell replication. The component of collagen synthesis that is reversible may represent the direct inhibitory effect of cortisol on differentiated osteoblasts. The nonreversible component of inhibition may be due to a more permanent effect of cortisol on cell populations within the calvariae. One possibility is that cortisol inhibits differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells to the osteoblast lineage leading to decreased osteoblast number and a subsequent inhibition of collagen production.
Behavioral and physiological studies of septal function and related medial cortical structures.

The literature dealing with the behavioral effects produced by ablation of the septum and related medial cortical structures in a large number of species (including rodents, carnivores, and primates) is reviewed. Relevant neuroanatomical and electrophysiological data are included when they lend support to a point of view or when they clarify a point of information. It is concluded that septal function cannot be explained in terms of a unitary mechanism, but rather there appears to be a functional anatomical localization within the septum. The posteroventral septum modulates water intake via possible efferents to the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, which in turn controls neurosecretion at the neurohypophysis. Increases in water intake and deficits in passive avoidance after septal ablation are not related. The lateral septal nuclei and their afferent connections with the hippocampus and diencephalic connections with the hypothalamus exert control over the formation of conditioned emotional responses. Deficits in passive avoidance and one-way active avoidance, and facilitation in two-way active avoidance after septal ablation are most parsimoniously explained in terms of decreased “fear.” This hypothesis is supported by both behavioral and endocrinological data. The medial septal nucleus and its connections with fields CA1, CA2, and CA3 of the hippocampus regulate motor mechanisms. Overresponding on various operant schedules and deficits in alternation and reversal problems are specific to damage to the medial septal nucleus and are highly correlated with abolition of the hippocampal theta rhythm. An inability to efficiently utilize response-produced proprioceptive feedbac, rather than a response disinhibition model, appears to be the best hypothesis available for an explanation of these deficits. The role of the septum in stimulus processing is also reviewed, and a physiological mechanism for hyperreactivity to sensory stimuli often observed after septal ablation is discussed. Finally, it is hypothesized that the cingulate gyrus is probably not involved in response facilitation but rather with the organization of sequential behavior.
Quantification of the mechanical behavior of carotid arteries from wild-type, dystrophin-deficient, and sarcoglycan-δ knockout mice

As patients with muscular dystrophy live longer because of improved clinical care, they will become increasingly susceptible to many of the cardiovascular diseases that affect the general population. There is, therefore, a pressing need to better understand both the biology and the mechanics of the arterial wall in these patients. In this paper, we use nonlinear constitutive relations to model, for the first time, the biaxial mechanical behavior of carotid arteries from two common mouse models of muscular dystrophy (dystrophin-deficient and sarcoglycan-delta null) and wild-type controls. It is shown that a structurally motivated four-fiber family stress-strain relation describes the passive behavior of all three genotypes better than does a commonly used phenomenological exponential model, and that a Rachev-Hayashi model describes the mechanical contribution of smooth muscle contraction under basal tone. Because structurally motivated constitutive relations can be extended easily to model adaptations to altered hemodynamics, results from this study represent an important step toward the ultimate goal of understanding better the mechanobiology and pathophysiology of arteries in muscular dystrophy.
Bilateral chronic ureteritis associated with Serratia marcescens.

Abstract To our knowledge this is the first case of bilateral obstructive uropathy caused by nonspecific chronic ureteritis to be reported. Prior to operation the bilateral involvement was thought to be due to a tuberculous infection or retroperitoneal fibrosis. The diagnostic difficulties were similar to those previously reported in the unilateral involvement. The focus of the infective organism found was Serratia marcescens which originated in the right kidney.
The trout tail fin: A self-cambering hydrofoil

Abstract The trout's tail fin is flexible, yet it propels the trout. It can do so because the flexibility is of a special, limited kind. The tail fin is not simply a sheet of compliant material. Instead it is supported by bony rays, each of which is a flexible girder. These girders can bend in agreement with the hydrodynamic load, but when they do so their structure requires that they steer the fin as a whole in opposition to the load. The fin automatically adjusts its camber so that the shape of the distribution of hydrodynamic load upon it is the same whatever the speed of the fish and whatever the path of the tail fin through the water — unless, as may be the case, parts of the swimming cycle demand a bend sharper than the fin can accomodate. If the latter occurs, cyclic variations in load distribution will result. These may be needed if the tail is to generate the forces required to match the body mechanically at every part of the cycle.
DORSAL DERMIS OF THE SCALELESS (SC/SC) EMBRYO DIRECTS NORMAL FEATHER PATTERN FORMATION UNTIL DAY 8 OF DEVELOPMENT

We have examined the ability of the scaleless (sc/sc) backskin dermis (6 to 16 days of incubation) to regulate pattern formation using the presumptive scutate scale epidermis from 11-day normal embryos as the responding tissue. Prior to 8 days of incubation the sc/sc backskin dermis is able to induce hexagonally patterned and uniformly oriented feather germs in normal epidermis. This ability is lost during day 8 and follows a central to lateral gradient. Such gradients are characteristic of normal feather development in the spinal tract. We discuss the change in the inductive ability of the sc/sc dermis in relation to the stabilization of the feather pattern, which occurs all at once throughout the dorsal dermis at 7.5-8 days of development. After day 8 until day 10, the sc/sc backskin dermis only supports the formation of sporadic, unpatterned feather germs; thereafter it will not support feather formation.
Genome-Scale Identification of Resistance Functions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using Tn-seq

ABSTRACT We describe a deep-sequencing procedure for tracking large numbers of transposon mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The procedure employs a new Tn-seq methodology based on the generation and amplification of single-strand circles carrying transposon junction sequences (the Tn-seq circle method), a method which can be used with virtually any transposon. The procedure reliably identified more than 100,000 transposon insertions in a single experiment, providing near-saturation coverage of the genome. To test the effectiveness of the procedure for mutant identification, we screened for mutations reducing intrinsic resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin. Intrinsic tobramycin resistance had been previously analyzed at genome scale using mutant-by-mutant screening and thus provided a benchmark for evaluating the new method. The new Tn-seq procedure identified 117 tobramycin resistance genes, the majority of which were then verified with individual mutants. The group of genes with the strongest mutant phenotypes included nearly all (13 of 14) of those with strong mutant phenotypes identified in the previous screening, as well as a nearly equal number of new genes. The results thus show the effectiveness of the Tn-seq method in defining the genetic basis of a complex resistance trait of P. aeruginosa and indicate that it can be used to analyze a variety of growth-related processes. IMPORTANCE Research progress in microbiology is technology limited in the sense that the analytical methods available dictate how questions are experimentally addressed and, to some extent, what questions are asked. This report describes a new transposon tracking procedure for defining the genetic basis of growth-related processes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important bacterial pathogen. The method employs next-generation sequencing to monitor the makeup of mutant populations (Tn-seq) and has several potential advantages over other Tn-seq methodologies. The new method was validated through the analysis of a clinically relevant antibiotic resistance trait.
On the performance of diversity combining schemes on Rayleigh fading channels with noisy channel estimates

In this paper, we analyze the error probability performance of maximal ratio combining (MRC), equal gain combining (EGC), and selection combining (SC) diversity schemes with coherent BPSK signaling on Rayleigh fading channels with Gaussian channel estimation errors. We first show that, with weighting errors, the conditional probability of error is not an explicit function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the output of the diversity combiner. We then show that averaging the conditional probability of error with the density function of the SNR at the output of the combiner yields a lower bound on the exact probability of error, independent of the underlying diversity combining scheme. Later, we derive the exact probability of error for MRC, EGC, and SC diversity schemes and show that the exact probability of error with weighting errors is very similar to the case of perfect channel estimation, but with the average SNR per diversity branch, /spl gamma/_, for the case of perfect channel estimation, replaced by the effective SNR, /spl gamma/_/sub /spl rho//, due to weighting errors, which is a function of both /spl gamma/_ and /spl rho/, the magnitude of the normalized cross correlation between the actual and the estimated channel gains. Finally, we show that, as /spl rho/ /spl rarr/ 0, the average probability of error approaches 0.5, irrespective of the order of diversity and the diversity combining rule.
Random walk theory applied to noninvasive in vivo optical measurements of human tissue

Expressions for the photon intensity profile and mean transit time are derived from random walk theory. These differ from previously derived quantities, in that scattering angle anisotropy now is explicitly taken into account. Results are used to determine the scattering and absorption cross-sections of tissues.
Environmentally induced cracking

Abstract A review of current research topics in the UK on environmentally induced or assisted cracking is given with particular emphasis on how these research interests are related to current industrial applications. Although the review cannot be completely comprehensive, some particularly topical items are described in greater detail including corrosion fatigue of offshore structural materials, pipeline cracking, high-strength fasteners and deaerator cracking. Several key generic issues are highlighted such as the relevance of short term test methods to long term service experience and the increasing reliance on fracture mechanic analyses with their strengths and weaknesses for facilitating run/repair decisions.
Detection of unknown targets from aerial camera and extraction of simple object fingerprints for the purpose of target reacquisition

An aerial multiple camera tracking paradigm needs to not only spot unknown targets and track them, but also needs to know how to handle target reacquisition as well as target handoff to other cameras in the operating theater. Here we discuss such a system which is designed to spot unknown targets, track them, segment the useful features and then create a signature fingerprint for the object so that it can be reacquired or handed off to another camera. The tracking system spots unknown objects by subtracting background motion from observed motion allowing it to find targets in motion, even if the camera platform itself is moving. The area of motion is then matched to segmented regions returned by the EDISON mean shift segmentation tool. Whole segments which have common motion and which are contiguous to each other are grouped into a master object. Once master objects are formed, we have a tight bound on which to extract features for the purpose of forming a fingerprint. This is done using color and simple entropy features. These can be placed into a myriad of different fingerprints. To keep data transmission and storage size low for camera handoff of targets, we try several different simple techniques. These include Histogram, Spatiogram and Single Gaussian Model. These are tested by simulating a very large number of target losses in six videos over an interval of 1000 frames each from the DARPA VIVID video set. Since the fingerprints are very simple, they are not expected to be valid for long periods of time. As such, we test the shelf life of fingerprints. This is how long a fingerprint is good for when stored away between target appearances. Shelf life gives us a second metric of goodness and tells us if a fingerprint method has better accuracy over longer periods. In videos which contain multiple vehicle occlusions and vehicles of highly similar appearance we obtain a reacquisition rate for automobiles of over 80% using the simple single Gaussian model compared with the null hypothesis of <20%. Additionally, the performance for fingerprints stays well above the null hypothesis for as much as 800 frames. Thus, a simple and highly compact single Gaussian model is useful for target reacquisition. Since the model is agnostic to view point and object size, it is expected to perform as well on a test of target handoff. Since some of the performance degradation is due to problems with the initial target acquisition and tracking, the simple Gaussian model may perform even better with an improved initial acquisition technique. Also, since the model makes no assumption about the object to be tracked, it should be possible to use it to fingerprint a multitude of objects, not just cars. Further accuracy may be obtained by creating manifolds of objects from multiple samples.
Compression ignition of hydrogen in a direct injection diesel engine modified to operate as a low-heat-rejection engine

Abstract The feasibility of using hydrogen as the sole fuel in a direct injection diesel engine was investigated. An air cooled single cylinder Lister ST1 diesel engine was modified to operate as a low-heat-rejection engine for this study. Partially stabilized zirconia ceramic parts were used to shield the combustion space of the engine. Using a compression ratio of 17.9:1 and motoring the test engine at 2100 rpm, a maximum compression temperature of approximately 900 K was achieved. Under these operating conditions, all lubricants tested were found to burn. Lowering the speed to 1450 rpm and the compression ratio to 17.1, lubricant combustion and hot spots were successfully eliminated. The maximum compression temperature, when compression ignition of hydrogen was tried, was in the 800 K range. The corresponding ceramic surface temperature was estimated to reach 600–700 K. Only sporadic compression ignition of hydrogen was achievable.
Avoidance of Self-Disclosure: An Experiment under Conditions of Self-Awareness

It was predicted that the assignment of intimate topics for self-disclosure in the presence of self-awareness producing stimuli would lead to negative affect and attempts to avoid actual disclosure. To test this prediction, an experiment was conducted in which male and female subjects described themselves while alone in a cubicle. Self-awareness was manipulated by the presence or absence of a mirror within the cubicle and subjects were assigned either intimate or non-intimate topics. As expected, subjects in the mirror-high intimacy condition enjoyed the task the least, evinced the highest average latencies in responding to the topics, and were seen as having provided the least complete descriptions.
Collisional growth of planetesimals

Safronov's (1972) demonstration that relative velocities of planetesimals would be comparable to the dominant size bodies' escape velocities, combined with a plausible size distribution that has most mass in the largest bodies, yielded his evolution model with limited growth of the largest planetesimal with respect to its next largest neighbors. A numerical simulation of planetesimal accretion (Greenberget al., 1978) suggests that at least over one stage of collisional accretion, velocities were much lower than the escape velocity of the largest bodies, because the bulk of the mass still resided in km-scale bodies. The low velocities at this early stage may conceivably have permitted early runaway growth, which, in turn, would have kept the velocities low and permitted continued runaway growth of the largest bodies.
On stability across a Gaussian product channel

We present sufficient conditions for stabilizing a scalar discrete-time LTI plant in the mean squared sense when a sensor transmits the plant state information to a remotely placed controller across a Gaussian product channel. The Gaussian product channel models a continuous-time waveform Gaussian channel, where the encoder transmits information to the receiver across multiple noisy paths. It is known that linear coding schemes may lead to overly restrictive stabilizability conditions in such scenarios. We present a non-linear coding scheme and present the resulting stablizability conditions. When these conditions are satisfied with equality, the proposed coding scheme transmits data across the product channel at a rate equal to the capacity of the channel; thus, the conditions are conjectured to be necessary as well.
Postprocessing of compressed 3D graphic data by using subdivision

In this work, we present a postprocessing technique applied to a 3D graphic model of a lower resolution to obtain a visually more pleasant representation. Our method is an improved version of the Butterfly subdivision scheme developed by Zorin et al. Our main contribution is to exploit the flatness information of local areas of a 3D graphic model for adaptive refinement. Consequently, we can avoid unnecessary subdivision in regions which are relatively flat. The proposed new algorithm not only reduces the computational complexity but also saves the storage space. With the hierarchical mesh compression method developed by Li and Kuo as the baseline coding method, we show that the postprocessing technique can greatly improve the visual quality of the decoded 3D graphic model.
Control of hooded crows by modified Australian traps

Modified Australian crow traps effectively protected crops, mainly in pecan orchards and watermelon fields, from the hooded crow, Corvus corone sardonius Kleinschmidt (Corvidae). The effects of modifications in trap construction and operation methods on trapping efficiency were studied. It was essential to use a lure crow, whereas the importance of bait was doubtful.
A nearest neighbor approach to letter recognition

The nearest neighbor classifier (NNC) is a non-parametric classification technique that classifies a test pattern to the class of its nearest neighbor in the training data. In this research, we applied the NNC to a standard letter recognition data and obtained a superior classification rate in comparison to extant approaches. A prime drawback to the NNC technique has been the relative inefficiency of the model. A modified NNC was implemented and applied to the same recognition problem. It is found that if we choose a suitable threshold minimum difference for classification, we can reduce the CPU time by half without lowering the performance of the classifier.
Variation of drag coefficients in an interacting drop stream

Variation of the drag coefficient of closely spaced drops in a stream injected into a turbulent flow is studied experimentally. Three different regions are identified. In the first region, close to the injector, drops flow in the wake of each other. The drag coefficient in this region is much smaller (by a factor of 4 to 5) than the standard drag coefficient, and its magnitude is dependent on the drop initial spacing. Shortly downstream of the injection point, the transition region starts, where the drag coefficient increases rapidly approaching the drag coefficient of a single isolated drop. And further down-stream when drops are dispersed significantly, the drag coefficient will behave the same way as a single isolated drop.
Near infrared cryogenic tunable solid Fabry-Perot spectrometer

We have developed a high resolution near-infrared temperature tunable cryogenic spectrometer with solid Fabry-Perot etalons. It is designed and built for diffuse emission of ionized hydrogen Brγ studies, although with the appropriate pre-filter it can be configured for any near infrared lines. The etalons made from silicon and germanium operate near 77K. The high refractive index of these etalons allows for the construction of a very compact spectrometer. Germanium etalon with 20mm clear aperture is equivalent to a gas spaced Fabry-Perot interferometer of about 80 mm in diameter. A strong temperature dependence of the refractive index for these two materials makes it easy to tune etalons. Combination of these factors allowed to build a compact, high resolution (R=12000) high throughput instrument.
Temperature dependence of the lowest excited singlet‐state lifetime of all‐trans‐β‐carotene and fully deuterated all‐trans‐β‐carotene

A 4 ps, 450 nm laser pulse was used to electronically excite all‐trans‐β‐carotene and all‐trans‐β‐carotene‐d56 in 3‐methylpentane. The transient absorption spectra of these molecules were measured as a function of temperature down to 20 K. In all cases the 400–500 nm electronic absorption band of each carotene bleaches and a new absorption band near 560 nm appears immediately upon excitation. These bands recover with single exponential kinetics: τ=8.1±0.5 ps for all‐trans‐β‐carotene, and τ=10.5±0.6 ps for all‐trans‐β‐carotene‐d56 at 294 K. These recovery times increase by about a factor of 2 in glassy 3‐methylpentane, and are nearly independent of temperature from 100 to 20 K. The weak dependencies of the lowest excited single‐state lifetime of all‐trans‐β‐carotene on deuteration and temperature are discussed in terms of nonradiative decay mechanisms within carotenoids.
Bayesian SAR imaging

We introduce a maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm and a sparse learning via iterative minimization (SLIM) algorithm to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. Both MAP and SLIM are sparse signal recovery algorithms with excellent sidelobe suppression and high resolution properties. The former cyclically maximizes the a posteriori probability density function for a given sparsity promoting prior, while the latter cyclically minimizes a regularized least squares cost function. We show how MAP and SLIM can be adapted to the SAR imaging application and used to enhance the image quality. We evaluate the performance of MAP and SLIM using the simulated complex-valued backscattered data from a backhoe vehicle. The numerical results show that both MAP and SLIM satisfactorily suppress the sidelobes and yield higher resolution than the conventional matched filter or delay-and-sum (DAS) approach. MAP and SLIM outperform the widely used compressive sampling matching pursuit (CoSaMP) algorithm, which requires the delicate choice of user parameters. Compared with the recently developed iterative adaptive approach (IAA), MAP and SLIM are computationally more efficient, especially with the help of fast Fourier transform (FFT). Also, the a posteriori distribution given by the algorithms provides us with a basis for the analysis of the statistical properties of the SAR image pixels.
FAULT-TOLERANT SUPERVISORY CONTROL OF DISCRETE EVENT SYSTEMS: FORMULATION AND EXISTENCE RESULTS

Abstract We introduce a framework for fault-tolerant supervisory control of discrete-event systems. Given a plant, possessing both faulty and nonfaulty behavior, and a submodel for just the nonfaulty part, the goal of fault-tolerant supervisory control is to enforce a certain specification for the nonfaulty plant and another (perhaps more liberal) specification for the overall plant, and further to ensure that the plant recovers from any fault within a bounded delay so that following the recovery the system state is equivalent to a nonfaulty state (as if no fault ever happened). We formulate this notion of fault-tolerant supervisory control and provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of such a supervisor, which involves the notion of stability (besides controllability and observability). An example of a power system is provided to illustrate the framework.
Against Hanna on Phenomenal Conservatism

Supporters of PC claim that it not only provides an internalist account of justification, but it offers a way to respond to external world skepticism, it can make plausible an account of ethical intuitionism, and it solves puzzles about noninferential justification, including the problem of the speckled hen. Despite all of these purported benefits, Nathan Hanna (Forthcoming) has recently argued that PC faces a serious problem; it is false. He supports his claim by way of a reductio ad absurdum of PC. Very roughly, Hanna argues that in some instances a belief that p can behave like an appearance that p, which would make PC equivalent to a version of epistemic conservatism in those instances. Since Hanna takes epistemic conservatism to be absurd, he concludes that PC must be false. In what follows I begin by explaining Hanna’s argument and his support for it. Next, I argue that given any of the four plausible ways of understanding what it is for a belief that p to behave like an appearance that p Hanna’s argument is unsound or has insufficiently supported premises. Acta Anal (2012) 27:45–54 DOI 10.1007/s12136-012-0148-2
Scanning tunneling microscopy study of the coverage-dependent structures of pentacene on Au(111)

Pentacene thin films on Au(111) have been investigated at various coverages using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Two distinct binding environments, surface bound and bulk-like, were evident from TPD. The surface monolayer and multilayer pentacene molecules had binding energies of 110 and 106 kJ/mol, respectively. STM investigations of surfaces with pentacene coverages of around 0.25 monolayer equivalents (MLE) yielded four different ordered structures with end-to-end nearest neighbor interactions. Increasing the pentacene coverage from 0.25 to 1 MLE leads to ordered single monolayer films with rows of molecules aligned side-by-side. STM images of an annealed pentacene film revealed that these side-by-side rows are the dominant structure for complete monolayer films. A periodic row structure with a large spacing of 61 A was observed to form in films with coverages greater than a monolayer (1.1−1.5 MLE). Upon deposition of 2 MLE, the widely spaced periodic r...
SPECIAL POINTS FOR BRILLOUIN-ZONE INTEGRATIONS

A method is given for generating sets of special points in the Brillouin zone which provides an efficient means of integrating periodic functions of the wave vector. The integration can be over the entire Brillouin zone or over specified portions thereof. This method also has applications in spectral and density-of-state calculations. The relationships to the Chadi-Cohen and Gilat-Raubenheimer methods are indicated.
Variation in the laboratory susceptibility of turf-infesting white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to biological, biorational and chemical control products.

BACKGROUND: White grubs are the most widespread and damaging pests in turfgrass habitats of the northeast USA, and their management is highly dependent on chemical pesticides. Because this complex includes at least eight species, opportunities for pest management would be enhanced by understanding how susceptibility to control products varies across taxa. The objective of this laboratory study was to measure variation in the susceptibility of four species to 18 biological, biorational and chemical insecticides used as curative controls. RESULTS: Across species, the most efficacious biological and chemical insecticide alternatives were Steinernema scarabaei and chlorpyrifos respectively. For biorational and chemical insecticides, the European chafer [Amphimallon majale (Razoumowsky)] was the least susceptible species. For biologicals, the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) was the least susceptible. Considering all control products, the oriental beetle [Anomala orientalis (Waterhouse)] was the most susceptible. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of variation in susceptibility supports the idea that a single product will not reliably suppress populations of all taxa, and highlights the need for pest management practitioners to identify white grub species before intervention. This differential susceptibility could have broader consequences for grub management if a numerically dominant target species is more completely suppressed than a co-occurring species. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Health-risk behaviors and protective factors among adolescents with mobility impairments and learning and emotional disabilities

Abstract Purpose: To identify the risk involvement of three groups of young people with disabilities relative to a comparison group: mobility impairments, learning disabilities, and emotional disabilities. Protective factors are explored to identify which individual, family, and school factors are associated with diminished risk. Methods: Analyses are based on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of 20,780 seventh- through 12 th -grade youth in the United States. Five negative health outcomes were studied: suicide attempts, sexual abuse, regular cigarette smoker, alcohol use, and marijuana use. For bivariate analyses Student's t -test and Chi-square were used, and logistic regressions were performed on all dichotomized dependent variables. Results: For most risk behaviors studied, youth with disabilities were more involved than peers. Factors that predisposed to risk varied little between those with and without disabilities. Likewise, there was substantial consistency between groups as to protective factors. What distinguished each group of young people with disabilities from peers is that they reported significantly more exposure to risk factors and significantly fewer protective factors.
Acclimation of Photosynthetic and Respiratory Carbon Dioxide Exchange to Growth Temperature in Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) Wats.

Atriplex lentiformis plants collected from coastal and desert habitats exhibit marked differences in capacity to adjust photosynthetic response to changes in growth temperature. Plants from desert habitats grown at 43 C day/30 C night temperatures had higher CO 2 uptake rates at high temperatures but reduced rates at low temperatures as compared to plants grown at 23 C day/18 C night temperatures. In contrast, growth of the coastal plants at high temperatures resulted in markedly reduced photosynthetic rates at all measurement temperatures. Leaf conductances to CO 2 were not important in controlling either the differences in the temperature dependence of net CO 2 uptake or the differences in photosynthetic capacities at any measurement temperature. At low measurement temperatures, differences in photosynthetic capacities among plants acclimated to the contrasting growth regimes were correlated with differences in leaf ribulose diphophate carboxylase activities. At high measurement temperatures, the improved net photosynthetic performance of the high temperature acclimated desert plants appeared to be due to a combination of decreased respiration rates, decreased temperature dependence of respiration, and an apparent increased thermal stability of photosynthetic CO 2 exchange.
Novel Methods for Obtaining High Modulus Aliphatic Polyamide Fibers

Super high modulus polyethylene fibers can be created by converting high molecular weight flexible PE chains into highly oriented and extended chain conformations. However, unlike polyethylene, aliphatic polyamides have very high cohesive energy and therefore cannot be easily drawn and highly oriented. This review addresses this fundamental problem by analyzing various novel approaches that can be used to suppress hydrogen bonding in these types of polyamides. Plasticization of such polymers with ammonia, iodine, salts, and Lewis acids, as well as dry spinning, wet spinning, and gel spinning, are discussed. Specialized techniques that involve vibrational zone drawing and annealing as well as laser heating zone drawing and annealing are also reviewed. Some of these methods definitely lead to remarkable improvements in initial modulus and other mechanical properties. The development of recombinant spider silk proteins as well progress in spinning these materials is also reported. The advantages and disadvan...
The US Army Uses Decision Analysis in Designing Its US Installation Regions

Senior leaders responsible for managing US Army installations asked the United States Military Academy to analyze the regional organization of the US Army's Installation Management Agency (IMA) and recommend alternatives. They wanted an analysis of IMA's use of four geographical regions to manage installations in the continental United States. We interviewed stakeholders to identify the functions of the IMA regional organization. We used decision analysis to define the potential value added of various regional alternatives by measuring how well each alternative would perform the functions. The measures captured the effectiveness and efficiency of the regional organization for each function. We then developed and evaluated several regional alternatives (one region, two regions, three regions, four regions, five regions, and eight regions). Using decision analysis, we showed that four was a reasonable number of regions to manage installations effectively. We demonstrated that decreasing the number of regions below four would significantly reduce the value regions added to installation management and increasing the number would provide little additional benefit.
Stability analysis of an explicit finite element scheme for plane wave motions in elastic solids

Expressions for critical timesteps are provided for an explicit finite element method for plane elastodynamic problems in isotropic, linear elastic solids. Both 4-node and 8-node quadrilateral elements are considered. The method involves solving for the eigenvalues directly from the eigenvalue problem at the element level. The characteristic polynomial is of order 8 for 4-node elements and 16 for 8-node elements. Due to the complexity of these equations, direct solution of these polynomials had not been attempted previously. The commonly used critical time-step estimates in the literature were obtained by reducing the characteristic equation for 4-node elements to a second-order equation involving only the normal strain modes of deformation. Furthermore, the results appear to be valid only for lumped-mass 4-node elements. In this paper, the characteristic equations are solved directly for the eigenvalues using Mathematica and critical time-step estimates are provided for both lumped and consistent mass matrix formulations. For lumped-mass method, both full and reduced integration are considered. In each case, the natural modes of deformation are obtained and it is shown that when Poisson's ratio is below a certain transition value, either shear-mode or hourglass mode of deformation dominates depending on the formulation. And when Poisson's ratio is above the transition value, in all the cases, the uniform normal strain mode dominates. Consequently, depending on Poisson's ratio the critical time-step also assumes two different expressions. The approach used in this work also has a definite pedagogical merit as the same approach is used in obtaining time-step estimates for simpler problems such as rod and beam elements.