cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of double electron excitation in H2 by photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract Double electron excitation leading to dissociative photoionization of H 2 has been observed at 247 A. The results are explained as a transition into the repulsive 2 Σ u + state of H 2 + with a probability of the order of 16% with respect to the production of ground state ions.
Twenty-First Century Skills for Students: Hands-On Learning after School Builds School and Life Success.

At the core of the movement for twenty-first century skills are students. The growing efforts to increase programs leveraging out-of-school time are focused on giving American youth everything they need to compete in this increasingly complex world. The author is one of many students who have been well served by initiatives imparting twenty-first century skills during after-school hours. Now a senior at Boston Latin School, the author has been helped along the way by Citizen Schools, an after-school education program focused on hands-on learning apprenticeships and homework help. While enrolled in the program as a middle school student, the author took part in projects that exemplified hands-on, inquiry-based learning that helped her develop twenty-first century skills. For example, along with dozens of other students, she advanced her data analysis skills by analyzing statistics about Boston Public high schools, which also helped her select and enroll in one of the city's premier exam schools. Also, she and her peers worked with corporate attorneys who served as writing coaches and whose expertise the author drew from in producing a published essay and greatly improving her writing skills. The author now finds that the public speaking, leadership, organizational, social, and management abilities she built through her participation in Citizen Schools are a great asset to her in high school. The confidence with which she tackles her responsibilities can also be traced back to her experiences in the program. As she looks toward college, the author reflects and realizes that being actively involved in a quality after-school program put her on track for a successful future.
Accelerated superfractionated radiotherapy with concomitant boost for locally advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas

Abstract Purpose: A growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of accelerated superfractionated radiotherapy with concomitant boost for advanced head-and-neck carcinomas. This study represents a single-institution experience, performed to identify the factors influencing tumor control, survival, and toxicity. Methods and Materials: Between 1988 and 1999, 133 patients with primary squamous cell head-and-neck carcinoma underwent accelerated superfractionated radiotherapy using a concomitant boost. The concomitant boost in this regimen was delivered using reduced fields delivered 3 times weekly in a twice-daily schedule during the final phase. The total radiation dose ranged from 64.8 Gy to 76.5 Gy (mean 71.1). Patients were evaluated in follow-up for local control and late toxicity. Multivariate analysis of treatment and patient parameters was performed to evaluate their influence on toxicity, local control, and overall survival. Results: With a mean follow-up of 37 months, the actuarial overall survival rate for the entire group at 5 years was 24% and the local control rate was 57%. The tumor volume was the most significant predictor of local control, such that each 1-cm 3 increase in volume was associated with a 1% decrease in local control. For patients with tumor volumes ≤30 cm 3 vs. >30 cm 3 , the 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 52% and 27% ( p = 0.004) and locoregional control rate was 76% and 26% ( p Conclusion: The locoregional control and survival for patients in this institutional experience compare favorably to other published reports. Tumors of the larynx had the best prognosis. Larger volume tumors were associated with significantly lower local control and survival. Significant late effects were related to dose and nodal status.
Facial displays and political leadership in France.

Abstract Although nonverbal cues of dominance and the emotional responses they elicit have been well known since antiquity, the facial displays associated with successful political leadership have a direct political impact on the electorate in the television age. The effects of these stimuli can be studied experimentally from the perspective of human ethology. Recent findings indicate that expressive displays like those of nonhuman primates have similar effects when exhibited by human leaders in France and the United States but that cultural differences in expected behavior may significantly modify their effects
Canine ABCB1 and macrocyclic lactones: Heartworm prevention and pharmacogenetics

The impact of drug transporters on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics has been increasingly recognized in recent years. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the product of the ABCB1 (formerly MDR1) gene, is among the most well-characterized drug transporters, particularly in veterinary medicine. P-gp is expressed by a variety of normal tissues, including the intestines, brain capillary endothelial cells, renal tubular cells, and biliary canalicular cells, where it functions to actively extrude substrate drugs. In this capacity, P-gp limits oral absorption and central nervous system entry of many substrate drugs and enhances their excretion from the body. Many drugs used in veterinary medicine are substrates for P-gp, including many chemotherapeutic agents and macrocyclic lactones (avermectins and milbemycin). A 4-base pair deletion mutation in the ABCB1 gene occurs in many herding breed dogs, including collies, Australian shepherds, and Shetland sheepdogs. The mutation (ABCB1-1Delta) renders affected animals extremely susceptible to toxicosis induced by substrate drugs, such as the macrocyclic lactones at doses well below those tolerated by dogs with the wild-type ABCB1 gene. However, at the manufacturer's recommended dose, all FDA-approved heartworm preventive products marketed in the United States are safe, even for dogs with the ABCB1 mutant/mutant genotype.
Application of a modified FFT approach to the subsurface scattering problem

In this paper, an effective numerical method for the solution of Helmholtz equation with radiation boundary conditions is considered. This approach is based on the combination of the Krylov subspace type of iterative technique and FFT based preconditioner. The main novel element presented in this paper is the use of the modified FFT type preconditioning that allows us to keep the discretized Sommerfeld-like boundary conditions in preconditioning matrices and still have the numerical efficiency similar to the FFT method. The results of numerical experiments are compared to the standard application of GMRES method and FFT type preconditioner obtained by the replacing radiation boundary conditions with Neumann boundary conditions on the preconditioning step. The convergence of proposed algorithm was investigated on two test problems. Numerical results for realistic ranges of parameters in soil and mine-like targets are presented.
A preliminary tidal analysis of ICESat laser altimetry: Southern Ross Ice Shelf

[1] Satellite laser altimetry could soon play a key role in mapping poorly known ocean tides underneath Antarctic ice shelves. The amount of ICESat data now collected over the southernmost part of the Ross Ice Shelf is sufficient to warrant direct tidal analysis. Tides are estimated here from ten operational ICESat periods, totaling 363 days. A response analysis helps overcome unfavorable tidal sampling, especially an S2 correlation with the annual cycle. Comparisons of tidal estimates against independent station data show RMS constituent differences around 3 cm—still somewhat large, but an encouraging result for such a challenging region.
Approaching Emptiness: Subjective, Objective and Existential Dimensions

Clinicians have lacked a coherent approach to emptiness, which is both a pervasive metaphor for loss, deficiency, or alienation and a frequently cited spiritual goal. We suggest a framework for approaching emptiness that distinguishes among its subjective, objective, and existential dimensions. Clinicians can use psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral approaches to clarify schemas that distort patients' perceptions of others and of themselves, behavioral and relational approaches to help them deal with real deficiency and loss, and spiritually oriented approaches to put these into a larger context.
Focus on the metabolic consequences of long-term treatment with olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone: are there differences?

Since the increased use of clozapine for schizophrenia, beginning in 1989, followed in temporal order, by the introduction of other atypical antipsychotic drugs (APDs), e.g. risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone and aripiprazole, there has been ever-increasing interest in the effect of these antipsychotics on: (1) body mass index (BMI) and related measures of adiposity; (2) blood glucose and related measures of insulin sensitivity, including the development of type II diabetes mellitus (DM); and (3) hyperlipidaemia. Clinicians who prescribe these drugs have become particularly concerned with increasing rates of obesity and type II DM, the most immediately evident, short-term effects of possible adverse metabolic effects of these agents. At least in the USA, these metabolic effects must be evaluated in the context of the increasing BMI of the population in general, and life-style, economic, and general medical care issues, which may be contributory in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, for whom these medications are now the mainstay of treatment, having displaced the typical neuroleptic drugs in most western countries.
Compressive sensing kernel optimization for time delay estimation

The random projections usually adopted in compressive sensing applications do not exploit a priori knowledge of the sensing task or expected signal structure (other than the fundamental assumption of sparsity). In this paper, we use a task-specific information-based approach to optimizing the compressive sensing kernels for the time delay estimation of radar targets. The measurements are modeled according to a Gaussian mixture model by approximately discretizing the a priori distribution of the time delay. The sensing kernel that maximizes the Shannon mutual information between the measurements and the time delay is then approximated via a gradient-based approach. In addition, we also derive the Bayesian Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) on the time delay estimate as a function of the compressive sensing measurement kernels. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal sensing kernel outperforms random projections and the performance is consistent with the Bayesian CRB versus signal-to-noise ratio. We conclude that compressive sensing has potential utility in providing measurements with improved resolution for radar target parameter estimation problems.
Microstructural and Mechanical Characterization of Solder Joints Fabricated by Explosively Reacting Nanolayers

The unique heat-releasing characteristics of explosively reactive nanolayers (RN) are used in this study to produce Si/solder/Si joints. The microstructure of the RN in the reacted state as well as the post-joining foil/solder interface is characterized via XRD, SEM, and TEM, which have never been done. Additionally, RN solder joints are mechanically characterized by single lap shear and nanoindentation to obtain a set of optimized processing parameters, specifically initial pressure applied (Pa ) and initial temperature of the system (Ti ). A maximum joint shear strength of ∼ 30MPa at Pa = 15MPa and Ti = 75°C. Furthermore, nanoindentation is used to clarify the mechanical behavior of individual layers and interfaces across the joints as a result of thermal aging.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Colonial History, Muslim Presence, and Gender Equity Ideology : A Cross-National Analysis

Gender equity ideology has broad implications, not just for women's status and opportunities, but for the political and social stability of nations as well. The causes of individual differences in gender equity ideology have received significant attention, although many studies have been limited to affluent and industrialized established democracies, rather than developing and nondemocratic nations, where gender ideology is often the least egalitarian. This article uses hierarchical linear modeling to examine indicators of support for gender equality in the public sphere across thirty-six nations, diverse in terms of sociopolitical environment, culture, and historical experiences. The findings show that individuals living in nations with recent colonial history hold less egalitarian gender ideology than those who do not, controlling for level of development, level of democracy, and Muslim presence. Living in a society with a Muslim presence also has a negative effect on individual gender ideology, but thi...
Modeling RP-1 fuel advanced distillation data using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry and partial least squares analysis.

Recent efforts in predicting rocket propulsion (RP-1) fuel performance through modeling put greater emphasis on obtaining detailed and accurate fuel properties, as well as elucidating the relationships between fuel compositions and their properties. Herein, we study multidimensional chromatographic data obtained by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC–TOFMS) to analyze RP-1 fuels. For GC × GC separations, RTX-Wax (polar stationary phase) and RTX-1 (non-polar stationary phase) columns were implemented for the primary and secondary dimensions, respectively, to separate the chemical compound classes (alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, etc.), providing a significant level of chemical compositional information. The GC × GC–TOFMS data were analyzed using partial least squares regression (PLS) chemometric analysis to model and predict advanced distillation curve (ADC) data for ten RP-1 fuels that were previously analyzed using the ADC method. The PLS modeling provides insight into the chemical species that impact the ADC data. The PLS modeling correlates compositional information found in the GC × GC–TOFMS chromatograms of each RP-1 fuel, and their respective ADC, and allows prediction of the ADC for each RP-1 fuel with good precision and accuracy. The root-mean-square error of calibration (RMSEC) ranged from 0.1 to 0.5 °C, and was typically below ∼0.2 °C, for the PLS calibration of the ADC modeling with GC × GC–TOFMS data, indicating a good fit of the model to the calibration data. Likewise, the predictive power of the overall method via PLS modeling was assessed using leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) yielding root-mean-square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) ranging from 1.4 to 2.6 °C, and was typically below ∼2.0 °C, at each % distilled measurement point during the ADC analysis.
Handwriting Recognition: Tablet PC Text Input

To support a wide range of writing styles and poorly formed cursive script, the Tablet PC input panel uses a time-delay neural network working with a lexicon. High-end versions of Microsoft's Vista now include tablet PC software, with an improved recognizer that supports both personalization and error reporting.
Inverse limits on (0, 1) using sequences of piecewise linear unimodal bonding maps

Abstract In this paper we examine the inverse limits generated by inverse sequences on [0,1] with unimodal bonding maps chosen from a two-parameter family of piecewise linear continuous functions. We demonstrate techniques for analyzing the continua generated by these sequences and use these techniques to generate sufficient conditions for these sequences to give rise to indecomposable inverse limits. Interest in these inverse limit spaces arises from the fact that subcontinua of inverse limits using a single tent map as the bonding map are homeomorphic to such inverse limits.
Binding, uptake and expression of foreign DNA by cyanobacteria and isolated etioplasts.

Discoveries of the uptake and expression of various Escherichia coli plasmids by the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans and isolated cumber etioplasts are reviewed. In particular, the binding and uptake of nick-translated 32P-labeled plasmids and the expression of genes in the native plasmids are considered.
The influence of the pituitary-adrenal mechanism on the action of Lithospermum ruderale.

SINCE the original report by Cranston (1945) numerous investigators have confirmed her observations that aqueous extracts of Lithospermum ruderale inhibit the estrous cycle in the female and androgen production in the male rodent. Associated with gross inhibition of reproductive function, decreases were also noted in the weights of the gonads, sex accessories, and thymus in rats (Cranston, 1945; Drasher, 1949) and interference with growth and development of immature mice (Cranston, 1945). Plunkett and Noble (1951) and Skelton and Grant (1951) further reported an increase in adrenal weight in adult male rats injected with aqueous extracts of lithospermum. To date, no reports have been made on possible biochemical changes in the gonads, sex accessories, or adrenals associated with altered mass and function of these organs after the injection of extracts of Lithospcrmum ruderale. Numerous investigators, since the report by Sayers et al. (1944), have correlated adrenal cortical activity with ascorbic acid and...
Physician preference for antiepileptic drug concentration testing

A four-item questionnaire asked active U.S. members of the Child Neurology Society to value painless antiepileptic drug concentration monitoring, whether members had ordered a saliva level (the best established painless method) in the last year, and whether such levels were available. Value was quantified by time per patient that the physician would willingly expend to arrange for the test. Of 945 questionnaires sent, 544 (58%) were returned. When asked the value of a painless method for children, 286/522 (55%) reported willingness to expend 10 to 30 minutes to arrange the test; 498/522 (95%) would use a painless method if available. When asked the value of an immediate sample at home during a seizure or adverse event, a substantial majority, 370/526 (70%), would make an important donation of their own time to arrange for the sample. Only 5% would not use it. Just 2/544 respondents had obtained a painless (saliva) concentration, and merely 33/544 (6%) perceived such tests as being available. We conclude that child neurologists put a high value on painless antiepileptic monitoring. These data suggest that a painless method of measuring antiepileptic drug concentrations--especially if it could be performed at home--would fulfill an unmet need in the care of children with epilepsy.
FPGA versus DSP for Wavelet transform based Voltage Sags detection

The detection of disturbances in electrical power systems must be as fast as possible to avoid serious consequences. The occurrence of sags, particularly in Wind Electrical Synchronous Generators, may cause failures or even the destruction of the generator. This paper presents a comparison between a FPGA and a DSP system for Voltage Sags detection. The use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to monitor the quality of Electrical Power Systems allows the fast detection of sags and other related electric power disturbances. The developed system used a version of the Wavelet transform, the Redundant Discrete Wavelet Transform (RDWT), for the detection of the sags. For a fast Sag detection, the current and voltage wavelet coefficient energies were used. The results obtained show that both implementations, with FPGA and with DSP are efficient alternatives for the fast SAGs detection and can also be used to other power quality related disturbances monitoring.
Normal cerebrospinal fluid levels of hypocretin-1 (orexin A) in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

Abstract Background The hypothalamic neuropeptide hypocretin (orexin) modulates sleep–wake, feeding and endocrine functions. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 (Hcrt-1) concentrations are low in patients with narcolepsy–cataplexy, a sleep disorder characterized by hypersomnolence and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep abnormalities. Methods We determined CSF Hcrt-1 concentrations of patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), a condition characterized by fatigue, insomnia and in some cases daytime hypersomnolence. Results Basal CSF levels of Hcrt-1 in FMS did not differ from those in healthy normal controls. Conclusions These findings suggest that abnormally low Hcrt-1 is not a likely cause of fatigue in FMS.
Spreading activation in episodic memory: Further evidence for age independence

Seventy-two young (mean age = 25 years) and 72 old adults (mean age = 71 years) participated in an experiment that addressed the influence of episodic and semantic prime activation on speeded episodic recognition judgements. On each test block, subjects studied two paragraphs at their own pace to achieve a designated level of episodic recognition performance. Following the study period, subjects were presented a series of prime–target trials for speeded episodic recognition. The primes were either (a) episodically related to the target, (b) semantically related to the target, (c) episodically and semantically related to the target, or (d) episodically and semantically unrelated to the target. The stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between the primes and targets was either 200 msec, 600 msec, or 1000 msec to address age-related changes in the rate at which these different prime types influenced performance. The results indicated that, compared to young adults, the old adults (a) studied the paragraphs for a l...
Scale dependence in the species‐discharge relationship for fishes of the southeastern U.S.A.

Summary 1. Species-discharge relationships (SDR) are aquatic analogues of species-area relationships, and are increasingly used in both basic research and conservation planning. SDR studies are often limited, however, by two shortcomings. First, they do not determine whether reported SDRs, which normally use complete drainage basins as sampling units, are scale dependent. Second, they do not account for the effects of habitat diversity within or among samples. 2. We addressed both problems by using discrete fish zones as sampling units in a SDR analysis. To do so, we first tested for longitudinal zonation in three rivers in the southeastern U.S.A. In each river, we detected successive ‘lower’, ‘middle’, and ‘upper’ fish zones, which were characterized by distinct fish assemblages with predictable habitat requirements. Because our analyses combined fish data from multiple sources, we also used rarefaction and Monte Carlo simulation to ensure that our zonation results were robust to spurious sampling effects. 3. Next, we estimated the average discharge within each zone, and plotted these estimates against the respective species richness within each zone (log10 data). This revealed a significant, linear SDR (r2 = 0.83; P < 0.01). Notably, this zonal SDR fit the empirical data better than a comparable SDR that did not discriminate among longitudinal zones. We therefore conclude that the southeastern fish SDR is scale dependent, and that accounting for within-basin habitat diversity is an important step in explaining the high diversity of southeastern fishes. 4. We then discuss how our zonal SDR can be used to improve conservation planning. Specifically, we show how the slope of the SDR can be used to forecast potential extinction rates, and how the zonal data can be used to identify species of greatest concern.
Harvey Cushing's Surgical Treatment of a Pediatric Patient with an Intraventricular Glioma

Background/Aims: The combination of inadequate technology and incomplete nomenclature systems created challenges for early neurosurgeons, and contributed to the dismal prognosis for brain tumors, particularly within the pediatric population. Methods: Following IRB approval, and by the courtesy of the Alan Mason Chesney Archives, we reviewed the Johns Hopkins Hospital surgical files from 1896 to 1912. A single case of a pediatric patient with an intraventricular glioma was selected for further review. Results: Here we report the case of a 10-year-old girl who presented to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1907, with a 7-year history of subtle symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, secondary to a tumor. Dr. Harvey Cushing operated upon her, and during surgical intervention resected a large parenchymal and intraventricular glioma. Conclusions: High-grade gliomas are rare occurrences in pediatric patients, with intraventricular gliomas described in only a handful of cases. Although advances in neuroimaging, hemostasis and understanding of the cerebrospinal fluid system have allowed neurosurgeons to resect intraventricular gliomas more safely, the surgical approaches in use today are still fraught with challenges. Here we describe a case of attempted resection of an intraventricular glioma in a pediatric patient, which predates the earliest published report of intraventricular gliomas by 30 years.
A derivation of BLUP—Best linear unbiased predictor

Abstract We show the best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) can be derived as the best predictor (under normality) based on all error contrasts (i.e., transformation of data with mean 0). The result reveals an interesting connection between BLUP and REML—restricted or residual maximum likelihood—estimates.
Combined feedforward and feedback control of a redundant, nonlinear, dynamic musculoskeletal system

A functional electrical stimulation controller is presented that uses a combination of feedforward and feedback for arm control in high-level injury. The feedforward controller generates the muscle activations nominally required for desired movements, and the feedback controller corrects for errors caused by muscle fatigue and external disturbances. The feedforward controller is an artificial neural network (ANN) which approximates the inverse dynamics of the arm. The feedback loop includes a PID controller in series with a second ANN representing the nonlinear properties and biomechanical interactions of muscles and joints. The controller was designed and tested using a two-joint musculoskeletal model of the arm that includes four mono-articular and two bi-articular muscles. Its performance during goal-oriented movements of varying amplitudes and durations showed a tracking error of less than 4° in ideal conditions, and less than 10° even in the case of considerable fatigue and external disturbances.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of repeat fine-needle aspiration for thyroid biopsies read as atypia of undetermined significance

Background The 2007 National Cancer Institute (NCI) conference on Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) introduced the category atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) or follicular lesion of undetermined significance (FLUS). Repeat FNA in 3 to 6 months was recommended for low-risk patients. Compliance with these recommendations has been suboptimal. We hypothesized that repeat FNA would be more effective than diagnostic lobectomy, with decreased costs and improved rates of cancer detection. Methods Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed in which we compared diagnostic lobectomy with repeat FNA. A Markov model was developed. Outcomes and probabilities were identified from literature review. Third-party payer costs were estimated in 2010 US dollars. Outcomes were weighted by use of the quality-of-life utility factors, yielding quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis were used to examine the uncertainty of probability, cost, and utility estimates. Results The diagnostic lobectomy strategy cost $8,057 and produced 23.99 QALYs. Repeat FNA cost $2,462 and produced 24.05 QALYs. Repeat FNA was dominant until the cost of FNA increased to $6,091. Dominance of the repeat FNA strategy was not sensitive to the cost of operation or the complication rate. Conclusion The NCI recommendations for repeat FNA regarding follow-up of AUS/FLUS results are cost-effective. Improving compliance with these guidelines should lead to less overall costs, greater quality of life, and fewer unnecessary operations.
Gender differences in children's use of discourse markers: Separate worlds or different contexts?

Abstract This study examines the role of activity context in gender differences in children's use of discourse markers. Thirty-six children, ages 3–5 years of age, were observed in naturalistic peer conversation during lunch. Discourse markers were coded for discourse function and conversational activity context. There was a significant relationship between gender and activity context, and between activity context and the discourse functions it demands. This study suggests that the conversational activity in which a child engages selects for certain discourse marker functions and not others. This selection can account for the gender differences observed in discourse marker use. There are no significant gender differences when discourse marker use is examined within a given activity context. Role-play context is the exception to this general finding.
A highly-efficient single-feed planar Fabry-Pérot cavity antenna for 60 GHz technology

A low-loss planar Fabry-Perot cavity antenna fed by a planar feed, a CPW-fed slot dipole, is designed and fabricated for 60 GHz wireless systems. The antenna is fabricated on a planar substrate using standard lithography process. The measurement results of the fabricated antenna are in good agreement with simulation data and show a gain of 16.5 dB.
Finite-dimensional model of thermal instability

Abstract Using the collocation method, we derive a finite-dimensional (3-D) dynamical system whose dynamics mimic behavior of a free boundary problem for the heat equation that describes solid combustion and some phase transitions and has been shown to develop complex dynamical patterns. Numerical simulations on the 3-D system demonstrate a variety of dynamical scenarios depending on boundary kinetic functions inherited from the original problem. The multitude of nontrivial dynamical features as well as a clear physical origin of the system make it interesting in its own right.
Ileal J-Pouch Construction

Several configurations and techniques have been described to fashion an ileal pouch during the performance of a restorative proctectomy or proctocolectomy with ileo-anal anastomosis. In this article, we describe a simplified J-pouch construction technique which is designed to avoid unnecessary enterotomies, facilitate the subsequent ileo-anal anastomosis and reduce potential contamination to the pelvis.
Changes in swimbladder retial morphology in Anguilla rostrata during premigration metamorphosis

During metamorphosis from the yellow to the silver phase in Anguilla rostrata, the length of the swimbladder retial capillaries increases by a factor of 2.5, the mean retial capillary lumen diameter and total retial cros-sectional area increase by 1.5 and the calculated counter current exchange efficiency increases by 3.4. Metamorphosis of the retia begins before changes in integument pigmentation become apparent. These changes in retial morphology are part of a complex of transformations that permit. The maintenance to swimbladder function at greater depths during the spawning migration.
Retinoic acid suppresses growth of lesions, inhibits peritoneal cytokine secretion, and promotes macrophage differentiation in an immunocompetent mouse model of endometriosis

Objective To determine the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) on establishment and growth of endometrial lesions, peritoneal interleukin-6 (IL-6) and macrophage chemotactic factor-1 (MCP-1) concentrations, and CD38, CD11b, and F4/80 expression on peritoneal macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model of endometriosis. Design Experimental transplantation study using mice. Setting Academic medical center. Animal(s) C57BL/6 recipient mice and syngeneic green fluorescent protein transgenic (GFP+) mice. Intervention(s) Recipient mice were inoculated with GFP+ minced uterine tissue to induce endometriosis and treated with RA (400 nmol/day) or vehicle for 17 days (3 days before to 14 days after tissue injection). Main Outcome Measure(s) Total number of GFP+ implants in recipient mice, number of implants showing visible blood vessels, total volume of established lesions per mouse, concentrations of IL-6 and MCP-1 in peritoneal fluid, and expression of CD11b, F4/80, and CD38 on peritoneal macrophages. Result(s) Retinoic acid treatment for 17 days reduced the number of implants versus controls and decreased the frequency of lesions with vessels. Peritoneal washings in RA-treated animals had lower concentrations of IL-6 and MCP-1 than controls 3 days after endometrial inoculation and lower levels of IL-6 on day 14 after inoculation. Concomitant with these effects on day 14, CD38, CD11b, and F4/80 were higher on macrophages from RA-treated mice versus controls. Conclusion(s) The development of endometriotic implants is inhibited by RA. This effect may be caused, at least in part, by reduced IL-6 and MCP-1 production and enhanced differentiation of peritoneal macrophages.
A precision hydrogenator

Abstract A high-speed hydrogenation apparatus has been designed and built to give highly reproducible results. The 12-cc reaction chamber has an enclosed top to prevent sample or catalyst from leaving the stirred region. The stirring paddle, which comes within 0.010 inch of the fluted walls of the reaction chamber, is driven by a motor whose speed is controlled by a tachometer from 100 to 5000 rpm. The pressure of the system is sensed by an electronic micromanometer and controlled by a stainless steel piston. An average deviation of 1.4% was found for the rate of hydrogenation of methyl oleate.
An empirical study of confusion modeling in keyword search for low resource languages

Keyword search, in the context of low resource languages, has emerged as a key area of research. The dominant approach in keyword search is to use Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) as a front end to produce a representation of audio that can be indexed. The biggest drawback of this approach lies in its the inability to deal with out-of-vocabulary words and query terms that are not in the ASR system output. In this paper we present an empirical study evaluating various approaches based on using confusion models as query expansion techniques to address this problem. We present results across four languages using a range of confusion models which lead to significant improvements in keyword search performance as measured by the Maximum Term Weighted Value (MTWV) metric.
A motorist aid system with passive cooperation

The need and utility of a Motorist Aid System is presented. The present state of the art systems are reviewed including Citizens Band Radio. Evaluation factors for comparing different systems are developed and applied to the state of the art. A novel system concept using passing vehicles to store and forward aid requests on a passive basis is presented. The advantages of the new approach are compared to the existing systems. Implementation schedules for the new system are estimated based upon new automobile sales.
Another Look at Sex Differences in Preferred Mate Characteristics: The Effects of Endorsing the Traditional Female Gender Role

This research used an individual differences approach to test Eagly and Wood's (1999) claim that sex differences in the characteristics that people prefer in mates reflect the tendency for men and women to occupy different social roles in a society. The study related the extent to which participants endorsed the traditional female gender role to their preferences for their future mate's traits and age relative to their own age. In general, the sex-differentiated preferences that are consistent with the traditional division of labor were more pronounced, especially in male participants, to the extent that they endorsed the traditional female role.
Diminishing returns: the influence of experience and environment on time-memory extinction in honey bee foragers

Classical experiments demonstrated that honey bee foragers trained to collect food at virtually any time of day will return to that food source on subsequent days with a remarkable degree of temporal accuracy. This versatile time-memory, based on an endogenous circadian clock, presumably enables foragers to schedule their reconnaissance flights to best take advantage of the daily rhythms of nectar and pollen availability in different species of flowers. It is commonly believed that the time-memory rapidly extinguishes if not reinforced daily, thus enabling foragers to switch quickly from relatively poor sources to more productive ones. On the other hand, it is also commonly thought that extinction of the time-memory is slow enough to permit foragers to ‘remember’ the food source over a day or two of bad weather. What exactly is the time-course of time-memory extinction? In a series of field experiments, we determined that the level of food-anticipatory activity (FAA) directed at a food source is not rapidly extinguished and, furthermore, the time-course of extinction is dependent upon the amount of experience accumulated by the forager at that source. We also found that FAA is prolonged in response to inclement weather, indicating that time-memory extinction is not a simple decay function but is responsive to environmental changes. These results provide insights into the adaptability of FAA under natural conditions.
Scale economies and production function estimation for object-oriented software component and source code documentation size

In this study, we investigate the factors that influence the object-oriented (OO) component size and source code documentation. For multiple inputs and multiple outputs, we use data envelopment analysis to illustrate that non-linear variable returns to scale (VRS) economies exist for OO component size and source code documentation. The existence of non-linear variable returns to scale economies indicates that non-linear regression models will perform better than linear regression models. Using empirical data, we compare the performance of non-linear artificial neural network (ANN) forecasting model and linear regression model. Our results indicate that the ANN model performs well when VRS economies exist between multiple inputs and multiple outputs.
Nonlinear switching of optical pulses in fiber Bragg gratings

We study numerically the nonlinear switching characteristics of optical pulses transmitted though fiber Bragg gratings. We consider both the uniform and phase-shifted gratings and compare their performance as a nonlinear switch. The nonlinear coupled-mode equations were solved numerically to obtain the pulse-switching characteristics. The steady-state behavior known to occur for continuous-wave optical beams is realized only for pulses wider than 10 ns with long tails. For pulsewidths in the range 0.1-1 ns, the use of phase-shifted gratings reduces the switching threshold, but the on-off contrast is generally better for uniform gratings. We also quantify the effects of rise and fall times associated with an optical pulse on nonlinear switching by considering the Gaussian pulses with smooth tails and nearly rectangular pulses with sharp leading and trailing edges.
Faceted crystal shape evolution during dissolution or growth

A model for the prediction of faceted crystal shape evolution during growth or dissolution is presented. An ab initio mechanistic model for the relative growth or dissolution rates is also described for organic molecular crystal systems. The shape evolution model proves that while growing crystals evolve toward a steady-state shape, dissolving crystals evolve away from a steady-state shape. Thus, crystals cannot achieve a steady-state during dissolution. This methodology may be used to probe crystal shapes that are obtainable by growing and/or dissolving crystals, including pharmaceutical crystals, inorganic materials and geological minerals. The technique has been successfully applied to predict the shape evolution of succinic acid growing or dissolving in water. 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 53: 1337–1348, 2007
Dynamic modeling and feedback control of a two-mode electrically variable transmission

This paper presents the dynamic models describing the variable-ratio modes of an electrically variable transmission. With the help of these models, a distinction is made between dynamic output torque and steady-state output torque. Two-input two-output transmission controllers are designed from the dynamic models to meet driver torque demands while also accommodating preferred engine operating points. Simulation results illustrate representative dynamic response characteristics.
Improving Air-Cooled Condenser Performance in Combined Cycle Power Plants

It has been recognized in recent times that air-cooled condensers (ACCs) are environmentally preferable to the traditional water-cooled condensers for rejecting heat in combined-cycle power plants (CCPPs). However, a drawback of ACCs is that their performance can decline with increasing ambient air temperature. A new approach is proposed in this paper that has the potential to alleviate this drawback of ACCs. In this approach, a chilled-water thermal energy storage system (TES) is used to precool the inflow air to the ACC whenever the ambient air temperature increases above the design air inlet temperature. The temperature of the TES system is maintained by an absorption refrigeration system (ARS) driven by low-quality waste heat from the CCPP. A process model integrating the CCPP with the ARS and the TES has been developed to optimize the volume of the TES. A 500 MW CCPP with steam turbine net output of 170.9 MW was chosen to evaluate the application of this approach for a power plant to be located in so...
Recruiting and retaining rural community college faculty

Much is being written about a potential shortage of qualified community college faculty. Rural community colleges may be at the greatest disadvantage in attracting and retaining new faculty because they cannot offer the financial, cultural, and social advantages that more urban institutions can. This chapter describes the factors rural community college leaders must consider when recruiting and hiring new professors.
VIRUS: an ultracheap 1000-object IFU spectrograph

The VI sible R eplicable U ltra-cheap S pectrograph ( VIRUS ) is a multi-spectrograph made up of 64 individually small and simple “spectrographlets”. It represents a new approach to the design of a highly multiplexed spectrograph, offering the science multiplex advantage of ~10 3 objects per exposure, coupled with the engineering multiplex advantage of ~10 2 spectrographs making up a whole. We argue that this is a cost-effective approach when compared to traditional spectrograph design, where each instrument is essentially a one-off prototype with heavy expenditure on engineering effort. In this paper we describe the conceptual design of VIRUS and compare its cost to conventional spectrographs.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THERMOCAPILLARY BUBBLE MIGRATION UNDER MICROGRAVITY FOR LARGE REYNOLDS AND MARANGONI NUMBERS

A numerical procedure in which the Navier-Stokes equations are discretized using tightly coupled discretizations of pressure derivatives and continuity equations is used here to extend the range of known terminal velocities of gaseous bubbles in liquids well beyond that in previous investigations. Computations performed for Reynolds numbers up to 2000 and Marangoni numbers up to 1000 show only a modest variation of the scaled bubble velocity between 0.16 and 0.5. The bubble velocity is influenced more by the Marangoni number than by the Reynolds number.
Matching preclusion and conditional matching preclusion for pancake and burnt pancake graphs

The matching preclusion number of a graph with an even number of vertices is the minimum number of edges whose deletion destroys all perfect matchings in the graph. The optimal matching preclusion sets are often precisely those which are induced by a single vertex of minimum degree. To look for obstruction sets beyond these, the conditional matching preclusion number was introduced, which is defined similarly with the additional restriction that the resulting graph has no isolated vertices. In this paper we find the matching preclusion and conditional matching preclusion numbers and classify all optimal sets for the pancake graphs and burnt pancake graphs.
A bright single-cell resolution live imaging reporter of Notch signaling in the mouse

Background Live imaging provides an essential methodology for understanding complex and dynamic cell behaviors and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Genetically-encoded reporter expressing mouse strains are an important tool for use in live imaging experiments. Such reporter strains can be engineered by placing cis-regulatory elements of interest to direct the expression of desired reporter genes. If these cis-regulatory elements are downstream targets, and thus activated as a consequence of signaling pathway activation, such reporters can provide read-outs of the signaling status of a cell. The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved pathway operating in multiple developmental processes as well as being the basis for several congenital diseases. The transcription factor CBF1 is a central evolutionarily conserved component of the Notch signaling pathway. It binds the active form of the Notch receptor (NICD) and subsequently binds to cis-regulatory regions (CBF1 binding sites) in the promoters of Notch responsive genes. In this way, CBF1 binding sites represent a good target for the design of a Notch signaling reporter.
SEARCH FOR NEW PHYSICS IN eμX DATA AT THE TEVATRON USING SLEUTH: A QUASI-MODEL-INDEPENDENT SEARCH STRATEGY FOR NEW PHYSICS

We present a quasi-model-independent search for physics beyond the standard model. We define final states to be studied, and construct a rule that identifies a set of variables appropriate for any particular final state. A new algorithm ("Sleuth") searches for regions of excess in the space of those variables and quantifies the significance of any detected excess. After demonstrating the sensititvity of the method, we apply it to the semi-inclusive channel eμX collected in ≈108 pb-1 of collisions at at the DO experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. We find no evidence of new high pT physics in this sample.
A hierarchy of deterministic languages

Abstract An infinite hierarchy of deterministic context free languages is introduced. The hierarchy is defined by the number of accepting configurations required by deterministic pushdown automata recognizing the languages. The hierarchy is related to some well-known language families. As a consequence we get “relative closure” results for certain subfamilies of the deterministic languages.