cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The characterization of uniaxial graphite fiber/epoxy composites by mechanical testing and scanning electron microscopy

The effect of the constituent material on the mechanical properties and on the overall crack propagation behavior of uniaxial graphite/epoxy composites was studied using two different types of graphite fibers, i.e., PAN precursor and pitch precursor fibers in combination with an epoxy known for its toughness. The tensile properties and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of composites with various fiber volume fraction were studied using an Instron Universal Testing Machine. The fracture surface of composites was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surprising result from the tensile tests is that the percent elongation of AS4/epoxy composites was much higher than that of individual components, i.e., the epoxy and the fiber. The stress–strain curves of AS4 fiber/epoxy composites show yielding. The yielding is interpreted to result from shear stress concentration due to the fiber breakage. Two causes of failure mode were observed in this study: (1) ductile plastic deformation by the PAN-based AS4/epoxy composites; (ii) brittle catastrophic failure shown by the pitch-based VSB-16/epoxy composites. The tensile strengths and moduli of the composites increased as the volume fraction of fibers increased. The principal fracture features of AS4/epoxy composites under tension were fiber pullout (bundles and single fibers) and very rough fracture surface due to the pullout of fiber bundles with epoxy, whereas VSB-16/epoxy composites under tensile and bending loads showed only tensile (or compressive) failure. The composites of epoxy/PAN (polyacrylonitrile)-based fibers (AS4) showed greater ILSS than those of the pitch-based fiber (VSB-16)/epoxy. The most characteristic features of the interlaminar shear failure surface of AS4/epoxy composites are delamination and formation of hackles.
Determination of trace elements in sea water by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after preconcentration by tetrahydroborate reductive precipitation

A method is described for the preconcentration of 16 elements from coastal and deep ocean sea water based on their reductive precipitation by sodium tetrahydroborate. The enrichment factors obtained were sufficient to permit the analysis of a near-shore sea-water reference material (11 elements) and an open ocean sea-water reference material (9 elements). Recoveries from 900 ml of sea water ranged from 80 to 107% (100-ml sample for Mn) with absolute blanks between <1.0 ng (Se) and 20 ng (Cu). Estimated detection limits varied from 0.3 ng l −1 (Pb) to 19 ng l−1 (As) based on a 36-fold concentration of a 900-ml sample.
Assigning MBA Students to Field Study Project Teams: A Multicriteria Approach

As the MBA program at the University of South Carolina grew, the task of assigning students to summer field study project teams became more complex. Administrators spent an increasing amount of time struggling with the conflicting objectives of attempting to satisfy student preferences while maintaining some control over the quality and composition of the resulting teams. We developed and implemented a decision support system to automate the process of forming good feasible teams quickly. Using these preliminary assignments as a starting point, administrators can examine preference versus quality trade-offs in arriving at the final assignments with minimal amounts of time and effort.
Pancreatic Lymph Node-Derived CD4+CD25+ Treg Cells: Highly Potent Regulators of Diabetes that Require TRANCE-RANK Signals

Inflammation can activate self-reactive CD8(+) T cells and induce autoimmunity. Here we show in a CD8(+) T cell-mediated model of type 1 diabetes that CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells prevent beta cell destruction following localized inflammation in the islets of Langerhans. These Treg cells accumulate preferentially in the pancreatic lymph nodes and islets but not other lymph nodes or spleen. PLN-derived Treg cells are extremely potent; only 2 x 10(3) cells are needed to prevent diabetes development, and their capacity to regulate is dependent on TNF-related activation induced cytokine-receptor activator of NFkappaB signals. Indeed, blockade of this pathway results in decreased frequency of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in the PLN, resulting in intra-islet differentiation of CD8(+) T cells into CTLs and rapid progression to diabetes.
Recent trends in accounting education and research in the USA: Some implications for UK academics☆

1. Concern among leaders of the accounting profession over the effectiveness of the standard-setting process, including such considerations as the rate of productivity of standards and the means of securing a greater degree of compliance on the part of companies (‘Dearing to Head ASC Review Body’, 1987). 2. An action taken by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (Black, 1987) and a white paper issued by a working party of the Education and Training Directorate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (Training the Business Professional, 1988), which point towards the exercise of a greater degree of rigour in the accreditation of tertiary accounting curricula, in order that students might receive exemptions from certain parts of the respective institutes’ examinations. 3. The increased tendency to obtain a doctorate at the outset of one’s academic career, and the apparent trend, as reflected by the ‘research gradings’ given by the University Grants Committee, to impose more rigorous standards in the evaluation of academic research.
Reducing glutamate signaling pays off in fragile X

A recent theory about the basis for fragile X syndrome is now validated in a mouse model. The findings point the way to treatment options targeting group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors.
Association between late-life body mass index and dementia: The Kame Project

Objective: To examine the association between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and risk of dementia and its subtypes in late life. Methods: Participants were members of the Kame Project, a population-based prospective cohort study of 1,836 Japanese Americans living in King County, WA, who had a mean age of 71.8 years and were dementia-free at baseline (1992–1994), and were followed for incident dementia through 2001. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD) controlling for demographic and lifestyle characteristics and vascular comorbidities as a function of baseline BMI, WC, and WHR and change in BMI over time. Results: Higher baseline BMI was significantly associated with a reduced risk of AD (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33–0.97) in the fully adjusted model. Slower rate of decline in BMI was associated with a reduced risk of dementia (HR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.14–0.98), with the association stronger for those who were overweight or obese (HR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.05–0.58) compared to normal or underweight (HR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.18–5.66) at baseline. Conclusion: Higher baseline body mass index (BMI) and slower declining BMI in late life are associated with a reduced risk of dementia, suggesting that low BMI or a faster decline in BMI in late life may be preclinical indicators of an underlying dementing illness, especially for those who were initially overweight or obese.
Application of Advanced Neuroimaging Modalities in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuroimaging is commonly used for the assessment of children with traumatic brain injury and has greatly advanced how children are acutely evaluated. More recently, emphasis has focused on how advanced magnetic resonance imaging methods can detect subtler injuries that could relate to the structural underpinnings of the neuropsychological and behavioral alterations that frequently occur. We examine several methods used for the assessment of pediatric brain injury. Susceptibility-weighted imaging is a sensitive 3-dimensional high-resolution technique in detecting hemorrhagic lesions associated with diffuse axonal injury. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy acquires metabolite information, which serves as a proxy for neuronal (and glial, lipid, etc) structural integrity and provides sensitive assessment of neurochemical alterations. Diffusion-weighted imaging is useful for the early detection of ischemic and shearing injury. Diffusion tensor imaging allows better structural evaluation of white matter tracts. These methods are more sensitive than conventional imaging in demonstrating subtle injury that underlies a child's clinical symptoms. There also is an increasing desire to develop computational methods to fuse imaging data to provide a more integrated analysis of the extent to which components of the neurovascular unit are affected. The future of traumatic brain injury neuroimaging research is promising and will lead to novel approaches to predict and improve outcomes.
Permeability barriers by controlled morphology of polymer blends

Melt fabricated plastic articles with improved solvent and vapor barrier properties are of great need in the packaging industry. Various techniques, such as coextrusion, surface treatments, and coatings, are being employed currently towards this objective. Present work has identified a unique polymer blend approach to impart solvent and gas barrier properties to a polyolefin material. This involves incorporation of small amounts of a modified nylon barrier material, and processing under controlled conditions, in single step blowmolding or other extrusion processes. The unusual barrier effects obtained at small concentrations of the barrier material are obtained by the controlled morphology of the dispersed phase and optimum formulation of the ingredients.
An Empirical Analysis Of The Home Economics Research Journal

This research was undertaken to determine the nature and scope of the Home Economics Research Journal through an analysis of information provided in articles about the authors, funding sources, topics, and citations. A census was taken of all the university affiliations of authors and article topics, 1972–1980. For the citation and funding source analysis, the years 1974, 1977, and 1980 were selected for examination. The sample consisted of 1,793 citations, 210 authors, and 106 articles. Results indicated that most articles had one or two authors and that authors were predominantly female. During the years 1972–1980, the most common article topic area was clothing and textiles followed by food, nutrition and dietetics, and home economics education. The universities with twenty or more HERJ authors between 1972 and 1980 were Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, and University of Missouri–Columbia. In the three sampled years, thirty percent of the articles had stated funding sources, with the most usual sources being colleges and universities or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The mean number of citations was 16.9 over the three years studied, with a general trend towards lengthier citation listings. In regard to citations, books were used the most with journals cited next often with a trend in successive years towards more use of journals. A rank ordering of most used journals reveals the lack of compactness in home economics and the wide variety of reading and research interests of home economists.
Ultrastructure of an immune and a susceptible reaction of cowpea leaves to rust infection

Abstract An ultrastructural comparison of the susceptible and immune reactions of Vigna sinensis leaves infected with Uromyces phaseoli var. vignae showed that signs of incompatibility were detectable in the immune variety during the early stages of haustorial formation when a deposit of callose-containing material was formed on the host cell wall around the point of entry of the haustorium. No such reaction was observed in the susceptible variety. Haustorial formation in the immune variety examined resulted in either the simultaneous necrosis of both host cell and haustorium or the enclosure of the living haustorium in a callose-containing sheath possibly derived from the activity of dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum. Before either of these reactions were detectable, however, the host plasmalemma around the haustorial body appeared much convoluted and was associated with aggregations of phospholipid-like material. It is suggested that, in the absence of the hypersensitive reaction, changes in the host plasmalemma, rather than sheath formation, are of primary importance in restricting further fungal growth.
Radical changes in cognitive process due to technology: A jaundiced view

A strong case can be made that the cognitive system is designed for guiding action, not, for example, symbol manipulation. I review empirical work demonstrating the link between action and cognition with special attention to the processes of language comprehension. Next, I sketch an embodied cognition framework for integrating work on language understanding with a more general approach to cognition and action. This general approach considers contributions to action of bodily states, emotions, social and cultural processes, and learning within a framework that generates a dynamic system. This framework is used to consider the notion of distributed cognition and the prospects that technology might induce substantial changes in cognition. My assessment is that such changes are unlikely.
Influence of sweet sorghum spacing on stalk pith yield

Abstract Sweet sorghum was planted at two locations in 1987 and three locations in 1988 to test the hypothesis that higher populations producing smaller stalks are less desirable than lower populations of larger stalks, because the higher pith-to-rind ratio of the larger stalks should favor sugar recovery through juice expression. Total biomass yield, total sugar yield, and calculated pith (stalk core) volume were compared among achieved populations ranging from 50 000 to 170 000 plants ha−1 in each year and between conventional and strip-till planting in three 1988 trials. Measured parameters were largely unaffected by planting method, strip-till versus conventional. Theexpected tendency for higher populations to yield smaller stalks was not found for all location/years. In general, however, each cm increase in mean spacing in the range 13–21 cm increased per-stalk pith volume by 1·5–3·5% and decreased biomass yield by 0·5–4%. The sorghum was able to take only partial advantage of the additional growing space to increase in size; consequently, the total pith volume per hectare decreased 2–5·5% cm−1 increase in mean stalk spacing, or slightly more than the decrease in biomass yield. Results suggest planting a target population of 80 000 plants ha−1, recognizing that the achieved population will range from 68 000 to 56 000 plants ha−1, or lower. This intermediate target population represents a compromise to optimize per-stalk yield of the sugar-rich pith with a modest reduction in total biomass yield.
Oxygen sufficiency in working rabbit papillary muscle at 25°C

The mechanical and metabolic responses of isometrically contracting rabbit papillary muscle were studied as a function of cross-sectional area to determine whether a hypoxic core developed with increasing frequency of stimulation ( v ). Papillary muscles ( n =21) were divided by cross-sectional area ( A ) into three sets: I A 2 ; II 0.4 A 2 and III A >0.8 mm 2 . The stimulation frequency was varied from 0.025 Hz to 0.8 Hz. The mechanical response was measured by the maximum twitch tension, maximum time derivative of the tension and the time to peak tension. Although there were differences in the ratios of the mechanical response between the three sets of muscles, the differences were not frequency dependent. The metabolic response was measured by monitoring the maximum change in intramitochondrial NADH fluorescence resulting from contractile activity. The differences in metabolic response between the three sets of muscles were similar to those evident with the mechanical parameters and were also frequency independent. Since differences in mechanical and metabolic response between the three sets of muscles were frequency independent, it is unlikely that a hypoxic core develops in rabbit papillary muscle with A 2 , v T =25°C.
An instrumented approach to improving software quality through formal technical review

Formal technical review (FTR) is an essential component of all software quality assessment, assurance and improvement techniques. However, current FTR practice leads to significant expense, clerical overhead, group process obstacles, and research methodology problems. CSRS is an instrumented, computer-supported cooperative work environment for formal technical review. CSRS addresses problems in the practice of FTR by providing computer support for both the process and products of FTR. CSRS also addresses problems in research on FTR through instrumentation supporting fine-grained, high quality data collection and analysis. This paper describes CSRS, a computer-mediated review method called FTArm, and selected findings from their use to explore issues in formal technical review. >
Language training for the autistic child using operant conditioning procedures

Abstract This paper describes the nature of behaviors encountered in autistic children. Characteristics of their speech and language behavior are delineated and some principles related to modifying deviant language are discussed. The paper cites the need to observe and record responses to teaching procedures. The role of consequent and antecedent events is discussed based upon the findings in several clinical experimental studies. Emphasis is on the relationship of developmental psycholinguistics and behavioral psychology as they apply to the complex problems of improving the linguistic performance of non-verbal autistic children.
Segmental splenectomy using the ultrasonic surgical aspirator

The technique described seems to significantly decrease blood loss in segmental splenectomy. Resection of the damaged splenic segments offers the potential advantage of reducing rebleeding and secondary hemorrhage from sites of repaired lacerations. Also, the viable splenic fragment that is left behind may afford protection from postsplenectomy sepsis. The ultrasonic surgical aspirator seems well suited for the purpose of segmental splenectomy in both the trauma and staging laparotomy setting.
COULD AN INCREASE IN AIDS CASES AMONG INCARCERATED POPULATIONS MEAN MORE LEGAL LIABILITIES FOR CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been an increase in reports on the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the nation's jails and prisons. Many attribute this increase to sexual contact, drug use (needle sharing), tattooing, and the lack of access to condoms. Despite this, many correctional administrators fail to reduce these practices or properly segregate inmates who are known carriers of HIV or full blown AIDS. This show of deliberate indifference from penal administrators could open the door for inmate litigation.
Modeling a Markovian decision process by neural network

Abstract One of the difficulties in generating an optimal policy for systems planning and control by the Markov decision process is that the state transition probabilities must be known a priori. A usual approach to estimate the state transition probabilities is by using historical data. However, if the process is not completely stationary, it may be more convenient to obtain estimates of the transition probabilities by using another approach, namely, parameter adaptation by neural networks. A significant advantage of neural network modeling of the Markovian decision problem is that the temporal nonstationary state transition probabilities can be revised by a parameter learning paradigm. The objective of this paper is to present this approach and demonstrate its applicability by modeling a finite-stage decision problem.
Game-Theoretic Analyses of Bargaining

I. Characteristics of the game-theoretic approach, 559. — II. Theories of fixed-threat bargaining: Nach's theory, 563; the Zeuthen-Harsanyi theory, 566; Raiffa's theories, 569; a welfare theory, 572; further critique, 574. — III. Theories of variable-threat bargaining: an illustrative duopoly situation, 582; Nash's theory, 589; a Shapley theory, 593; Raiffa's theories, 594; Braithwaite's theory, 595; other theories, 597; Critical evaluation, 599. — IV. Conclusion, 602.
Weather resistant insulation for line wires

GREAT ADVANCES have been made in the art of producing insulation for higher voltage cables, but it is only within the last two years that any unified and organized attempt has been made to improve the weathering and insulation qualities of the covering of weatherproof line wire. The relatively high cost and poor operating performance of weatherproof coverings on overhead lines of 4,000 volts and less, indicated the necessity for taking steps to improve the weatherproof covering or to discontinue its use entirely.
Calculating solution-value bounds for a geostationary-satellite location problem

Abstract Bounds are developed on the solution value to the satellite location problem (SLP). In SLP, orbital locations in the geostationary orbit are alloted to satellites so as to minimize the sum of the absolute deviations between the locations prescribed for the satellites and their specified desired locations, subject to service arc and electromagnetic interference constraints. SLP is formulated as a mixed-integer program. We show that SLP is NP-complete and that the bound from the linear-programming (LP) relaxation of SLP is zero in many cases. We establish three a priori bounds that dominate the bound from the LP relaxation under a mild condition and illustrate the usefulness of decomposition in calculating bounds for SLP. Three procedures for decomposing SLP are described, and numerical results for SLP examples are presented. Finally, we suggest that the bounds and decomposition schemes be used to construct valid inequalities for SLP.
TESTS OF DYNAMICS THROUGH POLARIZATION EXPERIMENTS : THE CASE OF THE DIBARYON

The Optimal Formalism for relating amplitudes and observables in two-body scattering is reviewed. It is applied to : the problem of determining complete unambiguous sets of amplitudes ; the redundancy of vector polarization for determining deuteron amplitudes ; the plausibility of singlet and triplet dibaryon states in p-p elastic scattering.
64 METHYLPHENIDATE EFFECTS ON ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER; CHILDREN'S ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING

Stimulant treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) remains controversial, in part, because adverse medication responses to cognitive testing in the laboratory suggests that medication may impair learning. Some investigators recommend that pharmacologic treatment be based upon response to learning tests in the laboratory. However, the reliability of learning tests within and across dose levels has not been established. Therefore, treatment recommendations based upon such testing remain controversial. 23 males, age 6-12, with ADD were assessed on .3, .5 and .75 mg/kg of methylphenidate and placebo on a paired associate learning task in the laboratory, in an acute, double-blind, drug-placebo paradigm. Data consists of the total errors made while learning a list of picture-number associations to criterion. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 10/23 subjects. A total of 84 medication response learning curves were classified as favorable (fav) adverse (adv) or non-response compared to placebo. In 12/23 subjects, both fav and adv curves were seen; 6 revealed responses that were adv at low dose and fav at higher doses; 3 were adv and fav on the same dose on repeated testing. The percentage of fav response curves at the 3 doses were: 32% at .3 mg/kg; 30% at .5 mg/kg and 70% at .75 mg/kg. Across the group, data suggests that fav and adv stimulant medication responses on a laboratory learning task is dose related with higher doses resulting in more fav response. At the individual level, interpretation is complicated by considerable variability across tests.
Selective Incentives Versus Ideological Commitment: The Motivation for Membership in Wisconsin Farm Organizations

A common explanation for farmers' problems is the claim of poor organization (Morrison). In a 1965 survey of Wisconsin farm operators, Johnson and Warner determined that only 38% of farm operators were then members of major farm organizations. Twenty-two percent had been members previously, and 40% had never joined. The research reported here indicates that the overall percentages remain virtually unchanged a decade later. It appears, however, that the National Farmers Organization (NFO) has lost membership, while the Farm Bureau (FB) and Farmers Union (FU) have gained members relative to the total number of farmers in Wisconsin. Why do some farmers join, others quit, and still many others never join any of these organizations ? A debate has developed recently regarding the motivation for membership in farm organizations. This debate stems from the work of Olson. Although Olson is concerned with broad issues of how various sizes and types of groups function, the focus here is on his analysis of how large-scale or "latent" groups, without coercive abilities, function and gain commitment from their members. This is the focus because the farm organizations considered here all fit within this category. Olson argues that large-scale organizations working toward the acquisition of resources that will benefit the entire constituency (i.e., all farmers) will not sustain membership. The incentive to belong is weak because all potential constituents including nonmembers will benefit if the organization is successful. However, if they offer "selective incentives," such as low-cost insurance plans and
Subnormal, permutable, and embedded subgroups in finite groups

The purpose of this paper is to study the subgroup embedding properties of S-semipermutability, semipermutability, and seminormality. Here we say H is S-semipermutable (resp. semipermutable) in a group Gif H permutes which each Sylow subgroup (resp. subgroup) of G whose order is relatively prime to that of H. We say H is seminormal in a group G if H is normalized by subgroups of G whose order is relatively prime to that of H. In particular, we establish that a seminormal p-subgroup is subnormal. We also establish that the solvable groups in which S-permutability is a transitive relation are precisely the groups in which the subnormal subgroups are all S-semipermutable. Local characterizations of this result are also established.
Generation of continuous ligand–macromolecule binding isotherms. Use of exponential concentration gradients

Continuous exponential concentration gradients, accurate, precise, and reproducible to better than 1% over at least a 103–104 concentration range, can be easily produced. In fact, it appears that these gradients may be substantially better than this. Such gradients have been used to generate a continuous ligand binding isotherm for the system Mg++ + Eriochrome Black T over a 106 ligand concentration range. This continuous isotherm is shown to be sufficiently precise to provide a first derivative function Γ(y), which is precise to 0.4%. The moments of Γ(y) were calculated and found to be extremely accurate. For example, the second moment about the mean was calculated to be 3.32 and 3.30 for two different experiments compared to a theoretical value of 3.29. The general application of these techniques to generate continuous ligand binding isotherms is discussed.
Abstract No. 129: Percutaneous irreversible electroporation (IRE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) to the liver

Purpose: Pancreatic carcinoma is surgically unresectable and without distant metastatic disease in 30% of newly diagnosed cases. We present our initial safety experience with percutaneous IRE in unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Four consecutive patients (3 male,1 female), age 49-78, with surgically unresectable pancreatic carcinoma (stage III) were treated under general anesthesia. Average Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade was 1.5 (range 0-3). American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class was 3 in all patients. Seven percutaneous ablations were performed of five primary pancreatic tumors. Clinical evaluation, laboratory and imaging was performed at baseline, 24 hours, 1 month and 3 months. Results: Seven technically successful ablations were performed in the four patients. No mortalities occurred at 30 days. No episodes of intraoperative arrhythmia occurred. Intraoperative transient hypertension occurred with all treatments (7/7). No patients had prolonged hypertension after completion of electroporation. There were no incidents of hemorrhage, infection, pancreatic fistula, or bowel injury. One treatment (1/7) was complicated by partial splenic infarction, which required no treatment. Average length of stay was 1.3 days. No patients required analgesics on discharge. Conclusion: Percutaneous pancreatic IRE appears to be a safe method for pancreatic tumor ablation. Further studies will be needed to evaluate efficacy.
Transformer-less unified power flow controller using the cascade multilevel inverter

The conventional unified power flow controller (UPFC) that consists of two back-to-back inverters requires bulky and often complicated zigzag transformers for isolation and reaching high voltage. This paper proposes a completely transformer-less UPFC based on an innovative configuration of two cascade multilevel inverters (CMIs). The unique configuration and control of the two CMIs as a power flow controller make it possible to independently control active and reactive power flows over a line. The new UPFC offers several advantages over the traditional technology, such as transformer-less, light weight, high efficiency, high reliability, low cost, and fast dynamic response. The transformer-less UPFC is thereby very suited for fast and distributed power flow control, such as wind and solar power transmission. A simulation model is built to demonstrate the operating principle of the proposed transformer-less UPFC.
Formulation and nutritive value of weaning food from germinated food grains

Abstract The feasibility of using germinated seeds to formulate a nutritious weaning food for Asian developing countries was investigated. The final formulation (WF) contained germinated wheat, millet, garbanzo bean, mung bean and sesame in the proportion of 8:4:4:3:1. The product was acceptable when served with banana and brown sugar. On a freeze dried weight basis, 100g WF contained 390 kcal, 18 g protein, 11 g fiber and 3.1, 5.5, 133, 29 mg of Zn, Fe, Ca and vitamin C respectively. Compared to the ungerminated mixture (UWF) WF had 60% less phytate. Decorticating the legumes of the formulation (DWF) decreased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) by 3%. Chemical scores based on amino acid analysis were 86, 93 and 110 respectively for WF, UWF and DWF. Relative nutritive value for WF and UWF were 0.95 and 1.01 as measured by rat assays using lactalbumin as reference protein at 3, 5 and 7% level and WF and UWF at 6, 8 and 10% level. Modified Protein Efficiency Ratios (rat assay) were 3.3., 3.1 and 3.2. for UWF, WF and DWF respectively and true digestibility of each was more than 97%. Substitution of 20% WF protein by lactalbumin did not improve PER further. However the substituted group and DWF had highest blood hemoglobin amongst all groups. It was concluded an acceptable and nutritive weaning food can be developed using germinated cereals and legumes. Germination did not seem to further improve, protein quality but might affect mineral bioavailability.
Individual and simultaneous swelling of amphiphilic conetworks in water and n‐heptane

A series of amphiphilic conetworks of different compositions comprising poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) nanodomains were made, and their cocontinuity was characterized via separate swelling in water and n-heptane and simultaneous swelling in water/n-heptane mixtures. The extent and rate of swelling were determined and analyzed. The swelling of the cocontinuous hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) and hydrophobic poly(dimethylsiloxane) domains progressed independently of each other, and morphological changes, which occurred during swelling, influenced the rate of swelling. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1474–1481, 2006
Efficiency and Accuracy of Semi-Discretization Schemes for Time Delayed Feedback Control Systems

Semi-discretization is an effective method for analysis and control design of time-invariant as well as periodic linear systems with time delay. This paper briefly describes various approximation schemes in conjunction to the semi-discretization method. Comparison measures making use of the stability bounds of control gains and the controlled response of the system are presented. The accuracy and efficiency of the method with the zeroth order, improved zeroth order and first order approximations are compared through numerical simulations. Another first order approximation of the system with multiple time delays under a non-delayed feedback leads to integro-differential equations where a simple approximation is utilized to generate discrete maps. It is found that the first order approximation provides substantial improvements in accuracy and efficiency for feedback control design of LTI and periodic systems.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Influence of Sprinkler Irrigation on Dispersal of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus from Host Cadavers on Soybean

The influence of sprinkler irrigation on dispersal of nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) in remains of NPV-killed lepidopterous larvae on soybean was examined. Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner and Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) larvae in late stages of infection with their respective NPV isolates were placed on separate rows in the upper canopy of caged soybean plants. After death of the infected larvae, the cages were removed, and the plants were immediately irrigated by sprinkler. Leaflets were collected and bioassayed for NPV with second instars of the respective host. Dispersal of NPVs from cadaver remnants on the plants occurred without irrigation but was significantly increased by 0.25 cm water from sprinkler irrigation. The majority of each NPV was moved into the lower canopy ( P < 0.05). Additional irrigation totaling 1.25 or 6.25 cm did not significantly increase dispersal of the P. includens NPV but did increase A. gemmatalis NPV in the lower canopy. Virus dispersal was less affected when irrigation was delayed until 7 d after larval death. However, the highest volume (6.25 cm) resulted in significantly higher larval mortality in the irrigated plots ( P < 0.05).
Multivariate Technique for Baseflow Separation Using Water Quality Data

A procedure for baseflow separation was developed. The uniqueness of the procedure is that it uses water quantity (flow rate) as well as the quality (NO3, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and total suspended solids) data for baseflow separation. Cluster analysis (CA), a multivariate statistical procedure, was used to group the water quality samples on the storm hydrograph to identify the end point of the baseflow separation line. The proposed procedure was applied to 30 storms in two watersheds, located in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions of Virginia, with different hydrologic characteristics. In addition to being a more physically based approach, the CA method also provided consistently better baseflow estimates, compared to two traditional approaches. One of the unique features of the CA method was that it conformed to the premise that baseflow increases after a storm event. For improving the performance of the CA method, regular time interval sampling and inclusion of additional water quality variables (e...
Proposed strategies for microelectronic packaging education for next generation engineers

Discusses several proposed strategies to integrate microelectronic packaging education in the electrical engineering curriculum at Tufts University. The strategies include some of the traditional initiatives and a novel approach for undergraduates, graduates and professionals in industry.
A 3-D Stability Analysis of Lee Harvey Oswald in the Backyard Photo

Fifty years have passed since the assassination of U.S. President Kennedy. Despite the long passage of time, it is still argued that the famous backyard photo of Oswald, holding the same type of ri e used to assassinate the President, is a fake. These claims include, among others, that Oswald's pose in the photo is physically implausible. We describe a detailed 3-D stability analysis to determine if this claim is warranted.
Dexterity measures for design and control of manipulators

The authors investigate dexterity measures of a manipulator based on its Jacobian matrix. The goal is to derive dexterity measures which can be used for both design and control of a manipulator. Generally, a dexterity measure must be independent of the scale of a manipulator for design, and must be expressed analytically so that it can be used for real-time control. Every dexterity measure must bear a physical meaning. The measure of manipulability has an analytical expression, but it depends on the scale of a manipulator. On the other hand, the condition number is independent of the scale, but cannot be expressed analytically. These two main problems (scale dependency and analytical expression) of previous dexterity measures derived from the Jacobian matrix are solved and applied in design and control of manipulators. In addition, a dexterity measure called the measure of isotropy is introduced. >
Fusion of Multiple Camera Views for Kernel-Based 3D Tracking

We present a computer vision system to robustly track an object in 3D by combining evidence from multiple calibrated cameras. Its novelty lies in the proposed unified approach to 3D kernel based tracking, that amounts to fusing the appearance features from all available camera sensors, as opposed to tracking the object appearance in the individual 2D views and fusing the results. The elegance of the method resides in its inherent ability to handle problems encountered by various 2D trackers, including scale selection, occlusion, view-dependence, and correspondence across different views. We apply the method on the CHIL project database for tracking the presenter?s head during lectures inside smart rooms equipped with four calibrated cameras. As compared to traditional 2D based mean shift tracking approaches, the proposed algorithm results in 35% relative reduction in overall 3D tracking error and a 70% reduction in the number of tracker re-initializations.
Degenerative Cardiomyopathy in Experimental Beagles Following Parvovirus Exposure

Three apparently healthy beagle dogs (6-8 months old) from a commercial supplier were found to have electrocardiographic abnormalities on routine screening. At postmortem, areas of ventricular myocardial thinning and/or fine gray streaks were present in both ~enFric~e~. ~istologjc~Jl~, areas of multifocal fibrosis, degenerating myocytes, and sparse mononuclear cell infiltrates were present. Serum titers from these dogs were indicative of natural infection with parvovirus. These findings are significant in drug safety studies where underlying disease must be differentiated from compound-induced lesions.
The appropriateness imperative.

Health care costs in the United States now exceed a stunning $2 trillion, representing 16% of the country’s gross domestic product. These costs are expected to increase to 20% of gross domestic product by 2016, and, in the words of Alan Greenspan, are on ban unsustainable trajectory.Q Increased use of expensive technology, it is widely agreed, is a major cause of rising health care costs. But wait, one might say. Costs are going up, sure, but the technologies driving those costs are providing us with outstanding health care, helping us live longer, better than ever. Sadly, the facts refute any such notion. Indeed, your children may be likely, for the first time in history, to die younger than you. This alarming trend, along with the skyrocketing cost of health care, has led to a renewed interest in analyzing how our health care dollars are spent. Cardiology and cardiac procedures present a valuable case study. Annual medical costs for cardiovascular disease alone is now $403.1 billion and growing. The volume of cardiovascular services increased 5.5% per capita between 2004 and 2005, driven largely by the growth of cardiac imaging services. (Indeed, echocardiography is the single most frequently used test in the Medicare population, except for lab tests.) It is logical (and imperative) to ask, therefore, whether these procedures are being used bappropriatelyQ—that is, whether the benefits outweigh the risks in the patients undergoing them. Appropriateness criteria should be an essential part of the quality metric. If implemented properly, appropriateness criteria will improve health care delivery by ensuring that new technologies are reviewed for their benefit to patients. Moreover, there is increasing interest in using appropriateness criteria to guide insurance coverage decisions. The appropriateness approach evaluates beneficial uses as well as risks and includes within its scope a middle ground where uncertainty of risks and benefits results in uncertainty on appropriate usage.
Investigating new symmetry classes in magnetorheological elastomers: cantilever bending behavior

This work defines and examines four classes of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) based upon permutations of particle alignment‐magnetization pairs. Particle alignments may either be unaligned (e.g. random) or aligned. Particle magnetizations may either be soft-magnetic or hard-magnetic. Together, these designations yield four material types: A‐S, U‐S, A‐H, and U‐H. Traditional MREs comprise only the A‐S and U‐S classes. Samples made from 325-mesh iron and 40 μm barium hexaferrite powders cured with or without the presence of a magnetic field served as proxies for the four classes. Cantilever bending actuating tests measuring the magnetically-induced restoring force at the cantilever tip on 50 mm × 20 mm × 5 mm samples yielded ∼350 mN at μ0 H = 0.09 T for classes A‐H, A‐S, and U‐S while class U‐H showed only ∼40 mN. Furthermore, while classes U‐S and A‐S exerted forces proportional to tip deflection, they exerted no force in the undeformed state whereas class A‐H exerted a relatively constant tip force over its entire range of deformation. Beam theory calculations and models with elastic strain energy density coupled with demagnetizing effects in the magnetic energy density were used to ascertain the magnitude of the internal bending moment in the cantilever and to predict material response with good results. This work highlights the ability of the newly developed A‐H MRE materials, and only that material class, to operate as remotely powered bidirectional actuators. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
COORDINATE STRUCTURES AND LANGUAGE UNIVERSALS IN INTERLANGUAGE 1

The purpose of this study is to investigate the deletion of redundant elements in coordinate structures using and in ESL learners' interlanguages (ILs). In natural language, there are certain universal constraints on the surface orders which may result from the deletion of one or more identical elements in such coordinate structures. Since it has been hypothesized that ILs are natural languages, this study sets out to determine if ILs obey universal constraints on surface orders of coordinate structures and therefore behave as natural languages with respect to these structures. It will be shown that they do. In addition, where ILs differ from English with respect to surface orders, it is proposed that such ESL learners' errors are not best accounted for in terms of surface order transfer or overgeneralization of a target language rule, but rather that ESL learners may transfer the discourse constraints on deletion from their native language and create a new IL form in English. Methodological considerations for doing such a study are also discussed. It is argued that a data base drawn from a single test can have serious implications for the accuracy of a description of an IL grammar.
Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium-reactive cervicovaginal antibodies among infected women

Mycoplasma genitalium-reactive cervicovaginal IgA and IgG antibodies were detected in 51.9% and 70.4% of 27 infected women and 22.2% and 18.5% of 27 uninfected controls, respectively. The predominance of MgpB- and MgpC-reactive antibodies at the site of infection is consistent with their hypothesized role in selecting antigenic variants during persistent infection.
Age and Gender Differences in Adults' Descriptions of Emotional Reactions to Interpersonal Problems

This study examines age and gender differences in descriptions of emotional reactions and reports of the intensity and duration of those emotional responses to interpersonal tensions. As part of a larger study, 185 (85 male and 100 female) participants aged 13 to 99 described the last time they were upset with members of their social networks. Participants then described how they felt and rated the intensity and duration of their distress. Participants' reported emotions were grouped by use of theoretically derived categories and empirically derived post hoc categories. Three emotion categories were examined: anger, sadness, and nonspecific negative emotions. Adolescents and young adults were more likely than older adults to describe anger. Adolescents and young adults also reported more intense aversive responses than older adults. Women rated their distress as more intense than men. With the exception of middle-aged and oldest-old adults, women reported that they experienced distress for a longer duration than men. Findings are interpreted in terms of theories regarding age and gender differences in emotion regulation and interpersonal tensions.
Domestic Support and Border Measures for Processed Horticultural Products

In horticultural markets, trade barriers often apply to the processed products whereas domestic support applies to farm-produced raw commodities. Here we assess the effects of such trade barriers and domestic support by simulating the effects of policy reform on global processing tomato markets, which are faced with modest processed product tariffs and high domestic support in the European Union (EU). Both protection and EU subsidy drive down world welfare, but we find that reducing import tariffs for tomato products would yield greater effects on markets and larger welfare impacts outside Europe than would reductions in EU domestic support. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass

Biofuels derived from low-input high-diversity (LIHD) mixtures of native grassland perennials can provide more usable energy, greater greenhouse gas reductions, and less agrichemical pollution per hectare than can corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel. High-diversity grasslands had increasingly higher bioenergy yields that were 238% greater than monoculture yields after a decade. LIHD biofuels are carbon negative because net ecosystem carbon dioxide sequestration (4.4 megagram hectare(-1) year(-1) of carbon dioxide in soil and roots) exceeds fossil carbon dioxide release during biofuel production (0.32 megagram hectare(-1) year(-1)). Moreover, LIHD biofuels can be produced on agriculturally degraded lands and thus need to neither displace food production nor cause loss of biodiversity via habitat destruction.