cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of gas inlets for the growth of gallium nitride by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract The problem of gas inlet design for metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of group III nitrides from metal alkyls and ammonia is addressed. The focus is on GaN growth from trimethyl-gallium and ammonia. In traditional reactors with well-mixed inlet streams, parasitic gas-phase reactions between the two precursors may lead to the formation of stable adducts that can condense on cool inlet walls, thus reducing the film growth efficiency. Such reactions may also lead to the formation of particulates through gas-phase condensation reactions (e.g. during AlN growth). A fundamentally-based model was developed to describe the MOVPE of GaN and was used to study the effect of inlet design and reactor operating conditions on film thickness uniformity in vertical stagnation-flow and rotating-disk reactors. The model includes a description of gas-phase kinetics and a simple gas-surface reaction mechanism. The kinetic model was coupled to a two-dimensional transport model describing flow, heat and mass transfer in a vertical MOVPE reactor. Predictions of growth rate compare well to experimental observations from a vertical rotating-disk reactor, without any adjustable parameters. The model was also used to study the distribution of gaseous species in the reactor and their role in film growth. Finite element simulations using a massively parallel computer code (MPSalsa) indicate that the species responsible for film growth are Ga-alkyls and not their adducts with ammonia. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to assess the relative importance of each reaction in determining the growth rate. The model was subsequently employed in the design of axisymmetric, multi-aperture gas inlets feeding precursors into the reactor in an alternating (not well-mixed) fashion. Simulations were performed to study the effect of key design parameters, such as inlet velocities, susceptor rotating speed, inlet to susceptor distance as well as the number and distribution of inlets, on GaN film growth rate and uniformity in industrial scale reactors. Optimal cases are presented that lead to uniform films over large-area substrates. An alternating precursor feed scheme based on concentric rings was found to lead to more uniform films as the number of inlets increased. The other important reactor parameters were inlet velocity, relative size of inlet “rings” and susceptor distance from the inlet.
DISCRETE ROTATING WAVE SOLUTIONS FOR SYSTEM OF GLOBALLY COUPLED JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS

For a general system of Josephsons junctions, when the number of junctions is sufficiently large, there exist discrete rotating wave solutions as long as either the resistance of the load is not zero or the capacitance of the load is not infinity. Here, we show that these discrete rotating wave solutions, together with all their derivatives, converge to a certain wave form exponentially fast when the number of junctions in the array tends to infinity. Moreover, when the number of junctions is sufficiently large the discrete rotating wave solution is unique up to a time shift and permutation.
A factorization of an integral 2×2 matrix via a rational method

While a 2×2 integral matrixA with characteristic polynomialx2-m,m=2,3 (4), and square free, cannot always be expressed as the product of two integral symmetric matrices, it can be expressed as the product of two rational matrices, simultaneously similar to two integral symmetric matrices. This can be achieved in various ways. The paper deals with numerical examples which depend on the 2-part of the ideal class-group attached tox2-m (see earlier work by the author, especially Acta Arith. 24, 151–156 (1973)).
Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy of hydrogen complex deactivation on InP:Zn(1 0 0) surfaces

Abstract Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy is used to study the kinetics of the H–Zn complex deactivation in Zn doped InP(1 0 0). Hydrogen injected into the material electronically passivates the local carrier concentration. Reverse-biased anneals of the InP under ultra-high vacuum show a dramatic change in the work function of the material with increasing temperature. Spectral features are also shown to be sensitive to sample temperature. To our knowledge, we show the first view of hydrogen retrapping at the surface using photoemission spectroscopy. A simple photoelectron threshold energy analysis shows the state of charge compensation of the material.
A highly digital 0.5-to-4Gb/s 1.9mW/Gb/s serial-link transceiver using current-recycling in 90nm CMOS

Ever-growing demand for higher communication bandwidth in high performance compute systems is driving the need for energy-efficient multi-Gb/s I/O serial links. Improved power efficiency was demonstrated using adaptive supply regulation [1, 2]. However, power losses in the DC-DC converter needed to generate the optimal supply voltage and the difficulty in operating analog circuits at low voltages limit the power savings. Instead of scaling the supply with the data rate, we seek to operate with two fixed voltages and eliminate the need for a high-efficiency DC-DC converter. To this end, this paper presents a serial link using a highly efficient current recycling-based implicit DC-DC conversion to generate 0.6V from a 1.2V supply. Highly digital clocking circuits capable of operating at 0.6V maximize power savings. A 0.5-to-4Gb/s serial-link transceiver is designed in a 1.2V LP 90nm CMOS process to operate with a short channel and ple-siochronous timing. The transceiver dissipates 1.9mW/Gb/s at 3.2Gb/s.
Volumes and characteristic classes of foliations

IN THIS paper, we study the space of volume forms on a given smooth, compact, oriented manifold. In particular, it is shown that if M is of dimension 22, then the cohomology of smooth differential forms on Vol(M) invariant under the action of Diff(M) is freely generated by one form in dimension n + 1. This form is then related by a van Est-type map, as in the paper of Dupont[3], to the Godbillon-Vey invariant for flat M-bundles. The geometric nature of this identification is exploited to give a new view of an example, due to Thurston, of a family of foliations in which the Godbillon-Vey class varies continuously. This work comprises part of the author’s Ph.D. thesis written under under the direction of Raoul Bott. Special thanks are also due to Dusa McDuff, who made several helpful suggestions. When one replaces Vol(M) by R(M), the space of Riemannian metrics on M, there is again a van Est-type map from invariant forms on R(M) to the group cohomology of the discrete group Diff,(M). For results in this situation, see[6].
Experimenter Effect on Sex-Role Preference among Black and White Lower-Class Male Children:

The It Scale for Children (ITSC) was administered to 240 white and black lower-class children at 6-, 9-, and 12-yr.-old age levels. Neither the sex of E nor the age and race of S had any main effects on sex-role preference scores, but there were significant interactions between sex of E, race of S and administration method.
Effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth: Evidence from Gautreaux, Chicago ☆

We analyze the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the mortality of black male youth in families relocated through the Gautreaux program, a residential mobility program implemented in Chicago in 1976. While we find significant evidence of neighborhood self- selection by families participating in Gautreaux, we nonetheless find evidence that certain placement neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower male youth mortality rates after controlling for household and origin neighborhood characteristics. Placement neighborhood characteristics related to human capital and work were more important predictors of male youth mortality than characteristics related to race, poverty, or family composition.
Effect of Bagging on Moisture Change in Cotton Bales

The purpose of this research was to determine the moisture transfer and weight gain of universal density cotton bales packaged in different materials. Bagging materials investigated included both woven polypropylene bags with extrusion-coated strips to prevent fibrillation as well as similar bags that were fully coated on the interior to reduce contamination. Three bales each were ginned, packaged, and placed in four different types of bags—two types of woven polypropylene spiral sewn bags with alternating extrusion-coated and uncoated strips, and two types of fully coated bags. Initial moisture contents averaged 3.6%. The bales were stored for 140 days at 70% relative humidity (RH) and then at 50% RH for 88 additional days. Bales were weighed and measured for thickness twice each week. After 140 days, the strip-coated bales averaged 6.9% moisture and the fully coated bags averaged 5.3%. After an additional 88 days of storage at 50% RH, the strip-coated bales averaged 5.9% moisture and the fully coated bags still averaged 5.3%. The bales in the fully coated woven polypropylene bagging changed moisture much more slowly than those in the stripcoated materials. Bale thickness changed from as little as 0.3 cm (0.1 in.) to as much as 2.2 cm (0.8 in.) as moisture content changed for the bales in the four types of bagging. Fiber quality did not change during storage.
The 1,4,2,3-dioxadiazine ring system

Abstract the 1,4,2,3-dioxadiazine ring has been synthesized by oxidation of the corresponding 1,2-bishydroxylamine. When the nitrogen substituents are carbalkoxy groups, thermolysis gives the biscarbonate.
Race, Sex, and Perception of the Occupational Opportunity Structure among College Students

Questionnaires were administered to 70 black female, 75 black male, 1,457 white female and 1,429 white male university freshmen. In order to test three alternative theories regarding perceptions of...
Epiphyseal and physeal cartilage vascularization: a light microscopic and tritiated thymidine autoradiographic study of cartilage canals in newborn and young postnatal rabbit bone

The vascular pattern of newborn and early postnatal epiphyseal and physeal cartilage is integral to long bone development and differs from later postnatal patterns. In the present study, we supplement light microscopic histology with tritiated thymidine autoradiography to help assess the position of cartilage canals and the dynamics of cartilage vascularity in relation to growth. Tritiated thymidine labeling studies to assess cell proliferation activity were done by using 2 microc/g body weight intraperitoneal injections into newborn and 3-, 4-, and 7-day-old New Zealand white rabbits that were killed 1 hr after the injection. Proximal humeral, distal femoral, and third metatarsal epiphyses were assessed by routine histology and serial section autoradiography. Cartilage canals were seen in each epiphysis. Transphyseal vessels were seen in each epiphysis continuous from the epiphysis to the metaphysis or were present within the physis traversing the proliferating and hypertrophic cell zones. Histologic sections showed vessels from the perichondrium continuous with those of the epiphyseal cartilage canals at proximal humeral, distal femoral, and metatarsal epiphyses. Serial sections showed vascular buds and connective tissue cells lying in indentations at the periphery of and present within the epiphyseal cartilage. Autoradiographic studies showed extensive labeling of vessel wall cells and surrounding connective tissue cells of the cartilage canals (a) within the epiphyseal cartilage, (b) traversing the physis, and (c) within the epiphyseal cartilage but continuous with the perichondrial vessels. The labeling was always far more extensive than in the surrounding chondrocytes and was always present throughout the entire extent of the canals. In conclusion, the cell labeling activity strongly supports an active dynamic phenomenon underlying the vascularization of epiphyseal and physeal cartilage.
Adapting Lesbians: Maria Maggenti and the Practice of Lesbian Screenwriting

Since the mid-nineties, feminist film scholars have increasingly paid scholarly attention to lesbian directors of independent and commercial cinema. The same has not been true for lesbian screenwriters. Given that more women write than direct, their inclusion in feminist film scholarship is long overdue. This essay initiates a discussion about the idea and the possibilities of lesbian screenwriting through an examination of the commercial film The Love Letter (Peter Ho-sun Chan, 1999). Adapted by screenwriter Maria Maggenti from the 1995 book by novelist and literary critic Cathleen Schine, The Love Letter not only retains its lesbian characters but also accentuates their roles, making lesbianism more present in the narrative and more central to its meaning than in the book. Reading the film's use of lesbianism against the novel facilitates a discussion about how the practice of lesbian screenwriting informs not only the adaptation process but also the meaning a film generates.
Hanta Is Coming

The Hanta virus is coming again. Yes, it is coming again and again to your town to your rodents and to your homes! We can resolve to prevent it, contain it, and treat it in a scientific and humane way, or we can salivate, scratch, bite, and run like rats and mice and voles and shrews.
Electrodeposition of NiCu-matrix nanocomposites using a rotating cylinder Hull cell

The electrodeposition of NiCu composites using nanometric diameter alumina and ceria was examined using a rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) and a rotating cylinder Hull Cell (RCHC). The RCE polarization behavior was altered by the presence of particles (12.5 g L−1) in the electrolyte. The RCHC was used to survey the composition and deposit thickness, and hence partial current densities in order to determine the cause for the polarization changes. It is the first use of the RCHC to evaluate composite electrodeposition. Cu reduction was inhibited with both alumina and ceria particles, but the nickel and side reaction rates were dependent on the particle type. Alumina particles imparted an enhancement affect on Ni and the side reaction, while ceria did the opposite, resulting in an inhibiting effect. The deposits contained more alumina than ceria, and the alloy composition was altered most with alumina present in the electrolyte compared to a particle-free electrolyte.
Fluidic zoom-lens-on-a-chip with wide field-of-view tuning range

Integrated fluidic zoom-lens-on-a-chip with 5-mm lens aperture and less than 18-mm optical system physical length was demonstrated. The device was fabricated using standard microfabrication process. The zooming capability was achieved via focal length tuning instead of varying the lens distance. Zoom lens, telephoto, and reverse telephoto optical systems can be functionally integrated into one system on a chip without any additional hardware. The device shows a zoom ratio large than 2.83 and has a wide tuning range in its field-of-view from 10/spl deg/ to 80/spl deg/.
Dielectric constant and loss tangent measurement using a stripline fixture

A new approach to dielectric material characterization with a vector network analyzer is presented. As the characteristic impedance (Z/sub 0/) of a stripline transmission line can be accurately determined by measuring the two-port scattering parameters in the frequency range of interest, the dielectric constant of the insulation material that consists as part of the stripline configuration is then obtained by a relationship to the characteristic impedance. The dielectric loss (or loss tangent) can be determined by measuring the return loss and the insertion loss of the stripline. The validity of the technique is demonstrated for well-characterized dielectric materials such as Teflon-based and other composite laminates. The technique is then applied to integrated circuit (IC) molding compounds as-processed.
Trade and Foreign Policy Attitudes

Does trade influence whether individuals view other states as friendly or threatening? Liberal theory implies that it should, but the individual-level implications of the liberal argument are rarely tested. Trade should influence individual attitudes more strongly where trade is more economically important. International trade also creates both winners and losers within the trading states, and the foreign policy attitudes of these winners and losers should differ. The authors test hypotheses drawn from this line of argument using a forty-seven-country survey conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes project. They find some evidence that exports but not imports reduce hostile foreign policy attitudes. They find little support for the claim that the trade interests indicated by factor ownership influence attitudes toward trading partners in this broad cross-national sample. On the other hand, attitudes toward trade and foreign direct investment are correlated with broader foreign policy attitudes in the way lib...
Detection of buried metal structures using ground penetration radar techniques: A numerical study

This paper investigates the resonance characteristics of metal structures based on numerical analyses. The complex natural resonances (CNR) are calculated using the FDTD method. Although CNRs are intrinsic to a metal structure, it is found that many factors affect their extraction from the scattered signals. We investigate some of these factors and point out useful guidelines that may be employed in the characterization of buried metal.
The impact of component architectures on interoperability

Component interoperability has become an important concern as companies migrate legacy systems, integrate COTS products, and assemble modules from disparate sources into a single application. While middleware is available for this purpose, it often does not form a complete bridge between components and may be inflexible as the application evolves. What is needed is the explicit design information that will forecast a more accurate, evolvable, and less costly integration solution implementation.Emerging research has shown that interoperability problems can be traced to the software architecture of the components and integrated application. Furthermore, the solutions generated for these problems are guided by an implicit understanding of software architecture. Current technology does not fully identify what must be made explicit about software architecture to aid in comparison of the architectures and expectations of participating entities within the integrated application. Thus, there can be no relief in the expense or the duration of implementing long-term reliance on middleware. The overall goal of our research is to extract and make explicit the information needed to define and build this technology. This paper focuses on identifying, classifying, and organizing characteristics that help to define an architectural style by using abstraction and semantic nets. We illustrate the relationships between the characteristics and their relevance to interoperability via examples of integrated applications.
An empirical comparison of test suite reduction techniques for user-session-based testing of Web applications

Automated cost-effective test strategies are needed to provide reliable, secure, and usable Web applications. As a software maintainer updates an application, test cases must accurately reflect usage to expose faults that users are most likely to encounter. User-session-based testing is an automated approach to enhancing an initial test suite with real user data, enabling additional testing during maintenance as well as adding test data that represents usage as operational profiles evolve. Test suite reduction techniques are critical to the cost effectiveness of user-session-based testing because a key issue is the cost of collecting, analyzing, and replaying the large number of test cases generated from user-session data. We performed an empirical study comparing the test suite size, program coverage, fault detection capability, and costs of three requirements-based reduction techniques and three variations of concept analysis reduction applied to two Web applications. The statistical analysis of our results indicates that concept analysis-based reduction is a cost-effective alternative to requirements-based approaches.
Dynamic Elastic Axis Shifting: An Important Enhancement of Postbuckled Precompressed (PBP) Actuators

A new actuator arrangement which is designed to protect postbuckled precompressed (PBP) elements is presented. This actuator arrangement uses through-thickness dynamic elastic axis shifting (DEAS)to protect the convex face of PBP bending actuators at high curvatures. This innovation allows this new generation of high performance piezoelectric actuators to be more robust and less sensitive to tensile failure of the convex face. At a particular amount of curvature the elastic axis of the element is shifted dynamically from the center of the laminate through the thickness towards or beyond the convex face, thereby relieving the convex face from tensile loads and stifiening the entire laminate. This dynamic elastic axis shifting (DEAS) is achieved by adding a facing sheet to the laminate which only carries tensile loads at high curvatures. A silicone spacer between the facing sheet and the actuator element increases the moment of inertia of the facing sheet and increases the efiectiveness of the facing sheets. This paper presents an investigation into the efiects of the facing sheet/spacer arrangement on the PBP performance. Analytical models are presented that predict the end rotation at which facing sheet engagement occurs. Experimental tests were done on a variety of spacer and facing sheet geometries demonstrating the DEAS principle for each of the conflgurations. De∞ection testing of DEAS-modifled PBP beams was carried out through end rotations in excess of 10 ‐ with good correlation between theory and experiment. It is shown that with a weight penalty of only 12% with respect to the baseline actuator element the robustness of the PBP actuator elements can be signiflcantly increased.
Induction of Guanylate Binding Protein 5 by Gamma Interferon Increases Susceptibility to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium-Induced Pyroptosis in RAW 264.7 Cells

The regulation of caspase-1 activation in macrophages plays a central role in host defense against bacterial pathogens. The activation of caspase-1 by the detection of bacterial products through Nod-like receptors leads to the secretion of mature interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 and the induction of rapid host cell death (pyroptosis). Here, we report that pyroptosis induced by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can be positively regulated by prior gamma interferon (IFN-γ) stimulation of RAW 264.7 cells. This increase in cell death is dependent on both caspase-1 activation and, in part, Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) expression by Salmonella. Furthermore, the exogenous expression of the IFN-γ-induced protein guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP-5) is sufficient to induce a heightened susceptibility of RAW 264.7 cells to Salmonella-induced pyroptosis, and the endogenous expression of GBP-5 is important for this phenomenon. RAW 264.7 cells with decreased expression of GBP-5 mRNA (inhibited by short hairpin RNA against GBP-5) release twofold less lactate dehydrogenase (a marker of membrane permeability) upon infection by invasive S. enterica serovar Typhimurium than do infected control cells. Importantly, 3× FLAG-tagged GBP-5 is localized to membrane ruffles, which contact invasive Salmonella, and is found on the membranes of spacious phagosomes containing Salmonella (although it is also found in the cytoplasm and on other cellular membranes), placing 3× FLAG GBP-5 at the interface of secreted SPI-1 effectors and host protein machinery. The regulation of pyroptosis by the IFN-γ-induced protein GBP-5 may play an important role in the host defense against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and perhaps other invasive bacterial pathogens.
Designing Learning Experiences within Learners' Zones of Proximal Development (ZPDs): Enabling Collaborative Learning On‐Site and Online

In recent years, learning has been reconceptualized from an additive process characterized by an individual's acquisition of knowledge to a socially enabled developmental process in which learners continually reorganize knowledge structures and create new representations. In the new view, learning is defined as the development that results from social interaction that affords learners increased access to roles in expert performances. Accepting the dual cognitive‐social nature of learning creates a new problem for instructors: designing learning experiences that meld the cognitive and social aspects without subordinating either to the other. This article addresses the problem by presenting, justifying, and exemplifying an approach to designing learning experiences that support learners' development of capabilities so that they learn to do without assistance things that they could initially do only with assistance. The goal of this design approach is for learners to develop capabilities that they first expe...
160-GHz pulse generator using a 40-GHz phase modulator and PM fiber

We demonstrate chirp-free CS-RZ pulse generation with a repetition rate of 160 GHz using a phase modulator driven by a 40 GHz clock and two low-cost polarization-maintaining fibers. The unwanted low frequency tones are suppressed by more than 15 dB.
Improving cognitive development of low-birth-weight premature infants with the COPE program: A pilot study of the benefit of early NICU intervention with mothers

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention program (COPE) on infant cognitive development and maternal coping. A randomized clinical trial was conducted with 42 mothers of low-birth-weight (LBW) premature infants hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with follow-up at 3 months' and 6 months' corrected ages. COPE mothers received the four-phase educational-behavioral program that began 2-4 days postbirth and continued through 1 week following discharge from the NICU. Comparison mothers received audiotaped information during the same four time frames. Results indicated that COPE infants had significantly higher mental development scores at a 3 months' corrected age (M = 100.3) than did the comparison infants (M = 93.9), and this difference widened at 6 months' corrected age, with COPE infants scoring 14 points higher. COPE mothers were significantly less stressed by the NICU sights and sounds and had significantly stronger beliefs about what behaviors and characteristics to expect from their premature infants. Findings from this study support the need for further testing of early NICU interventions with parents to determine their effectiveness on parental coping and infant developmental outcomes.
Energetics of the Rusty Lizard Sceloporus Olivaceus

Rates and energy equivalents of consumption (C), egestion + excretion (FU), assimilation (A), respiration (R) and production (P) were measured in two groups of Sceloporus olivaceus: (1) a laboratory group acclimated at five seasonally encountered temperatures (150, 200, 250, 30? and 350C); and (2) four acclimatization groups collected at different seasons when ambient temperatures corresponded to 150, 20?, 250 and 30'C. Weight-specific rates and energy equivalents of C, FU, A, R and P were significantly influenced by temperature, and in general, showed inverse exponential relationships with body weight. Although there were no significant differences in R between d d and nongravid 9 9, gravid 9 9 had rates that were 17.4% higher. Weight-specific rates of C, FU, A, R, and P were adjusted for patterns of metabolic compensation to seasonally encountered ambient temperatures, body temperatures, weather conditions, and number of hours lizards were active during the year, and were used to calculate the annual energy budget of a typical 16.49-g, 1-yr-old lizard: C = 262.3 kcal (1,098 kJ), FU = 43.3 kcal (181.2 kJ), A = 218.0 kcal (912.5 kJ), R = 98.5 kcal (412.3 kJ), and P = 119.5 kcal (500.2 kJ). The annual appor- tionment of A between R and P was also calculated by assuming that rates of active lizards are 2, 2.5 and 3X their laboratory metabolic rates.
tert‐Butyl(phenyl)phosphinothioic acid

Racemate [6002-45-5] InChI = 1S/C10H15OPS/c1-10(2,3)12(11,13)9-7-5-4-6-8-9/h4-8H,1-3H3,(H,11,13) InChIKey = ACQNBIJCKLUKMY-UHFFFAOYSA-N (S)-Enantiomer [55705-77-6] InChI = 1S/C10H15OPS/c1-10(2,3)12(11,13)9-7-5-4-6-8-9/h4-8H,1-3H3,(H,11,13)/t12-/m1/s1 InChIKey = ACQNBIJCKLUKMY-GFCCVEGCSA-N (R)-Enantiomer [54100-47-9] C10H15OPS (MW 214.26) InChI = 1S/C10H15OPS/c1-10(2,3)12(11,13)9-7-5-4-6-8-9/h4-8H,1-3H3,(H,11,13)/t12-/m0/s1 InChIKey = ACQNBIJCKLUKMY-LBPRGKRZSA-N (precursor to various optically pure phosphines, resolving agent, and chiral solvating agent) Physical Data: mp 95–96 °C. Solubility: soluble in dichloromethane, ethanol, and most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: crystalline solid. Preparative Method: racemic tert-butyl(phenyl)phosphinothioic acid is synthesized by reacting dichlorophenylphosphine with tert-butylmagnesium chloride followed by refluxing with molecular sulfur in toluene. Resolution involves treatment with (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine in ether followed by collection of the crystalline, ether-insoluble (R)-(+)-acid-(S)-(−)-amine salt. If the NMR spectrum shows contamination from the diastereomeric salt, the salt is dissolved in chloroform and induced to recrystallize by addition of ether. The crude (−)-acid was recovered from the ether-soluble (S)-(−)-acid-(S)-(−)-amine salt (eq 1).1 (1) Handling, Storage, and Precautions: storage in a cool, dry place is recommended.
Scalable image embeddings from arbitrary wavelet-based perceptual models

Embedded image coding is a compression technique that yields bit streams robust to truncation. The first embedded wavelet-based compression algorithms were designed to optimize for mean-squared-error (MSE). More recent algorithms incorporate a variety of perceptually-based optimization criteria, which are implemented by selecting subband quantization step-sizes based on a target quality (and therefore rate). Since these step-sizes vary with rate, a bit stream optimized for a specific rate, if truncated, does not necessarily reflect the perceptual quality achievable at this lower rate. Constraints are given under which a wavelet-based perceptual model can generate an embedded image representation yielding perceptually derived results over a range of rates. This kind of embedding is implemented by strategically selecting the order in which subband bit planes are coded. When truncated, the resulting embedded streams provide perceptually tuned images.
Annotated Bibliography of Methodology for Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources

An annotated bibliography of methodology of assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources is presented as a useful reference for those engaged in resource assessment. The articles that are included deal only with quantitative assessment of undiscovered or inferred resources. the articles in this bibliography are classified largely according to the major assessment method that was applied in each situation. Major assessment methods include areal and volumetric yield methods, field size distributions, historical extrapolation, deposit modeling, organic geochemical mass balance methods, and direct expert assessment. Other categories include mathematical tools, reserve growth/confirmation, quantitative characterization of undiscovered resources, and general topics. For the purpose of future updates, we solicit contributions of articles that may have been missed in the preparation of this bibliography.
Staphylococcus aureus is the most common identified cause of cellulitis: a systematic review

We utilized Medline to perform a systematic review of the literature to quantify the aetiology of cellulitis with intact skin. Of 808 patients with cellulitis, 127-129 (15.7-16.0%) patients had positive needle aspiration and/or punch biopsy cultures from intact skin. Of the patients with positive cultures, 65 (50.4-51.2%) had cultures positive for Staphylococcus aureus, 35 (27.1-27.6%) for group A streptococcus, and 35-37 (27.1-29.1%) for other pathogens. The most common aetiology of cellulitis with intact skin, when it can be determined, is S. aureus, outnumbering group A streptococcus by a ratio of nearly 2:1. Given the increasing incidence of community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections, our findings may have critical therapeutic implications.
Nutrient salvaging and metabolism by the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila

The Gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila is ubiquitous in freshwater environments as a free-swimming organism, resident of biofilms, or parasite of protozoa. If the bacterium is aerosolized and inhaled by a susceptible human host, it can infect alveolar macrophages and cause a severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires' disease. A sophisticated cell differentiation program equips L. pneumophila to persist in both extracellular and intracellular niches. During its life cycle, L. pneumophila alternates between at least two distinct forms: a transmissive form equipped to infect host cells and evade lysosomal degradation, and a replicative form that multiplies within a phagosomal compartment that it has retooled to its advantage. The efficient changeover between transmissive and replicative states is fundamental to L. pneumophila's fitness as an intracellular pathogen. The transmission and replication programs of L. pneumophila are governed by a number of metabolic cues that signal whether conditions are favorable for replication or instead trigger escape from a spent host. Several lines of experimental evidence gathered over the past decade establish strong links between metabolism, cellular differentiation, and virulence of L. pneumophila. Herein, we focus on current knowledge of the metabolic components employed by intracellular L. pneumophila for cell differentiation, nutrient salvaging and utilization of host factors. Specifically, we highlight the metabolic cues that are coupled to bacterial differentiation, nutrient acquisition systems, and the strategies utilized by L. pneumophila to exploit host metabolites for intracellular replication.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition in estuarine fish and invertebrates as an indicator of organophosphorus insecticide exposure and effects

The majority of insecticides currently in use are organophosphorus, carbamate, and synthetic pyrethroid compounds. Organophosphorus insecticides (OPs) produce toxicity by inhibiting the cholinesterase enzymes in the nervous system. Monitoring of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition has been widely used in terrestrial and freshwater aquatic systems as an indicator of OP exposure and effects. This review describes the use of AChE inhibition as a biomarker in the estuarine environment, discusses the relationship between AChE inhibition and other manifestations of OP toxicity, and highlights areas where additional research is needed. A variety of studies with estuarine fish have suggested that brain AChE inhibition levels of > 70% are associated with mortality in most species. Selected species, however, appear capable of tolerating much higher levels (> 90%) of brain inhibition. Sublethal effects on stamina have been reported for some estuarine fish in association with brain AChE inhibition levels as low as 50%. Most studies suggest, however, that these effects are observed only when brain AChE inhibition is at near-lethal levels. A number of field studies have successfully used AChE inhibition in fish as a biomarker in the estuarine environment. The use of AChE inhibition as a biomarker in estuarine invertebrates has been less well studied. Although AChE inhibition has been measured in the tissues of a variety of invertebrate species following OP exposure, the relationship between AChE inhibition and lethality is less distinct. Additional work is needed in both fish and invertebrates to better explain species-specific differences in the relationship between AChE inhibition and mortality and to investigate other physiological perturbations associated with AChE inhibition.
estrogen Signaling Modulates Allergic inflammation and Contributes to Sex Differences in Asthma

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that affects ~300 million people worldwide. It is characterized by airway constriction that leads to wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. The most common treatments are corticosteroids and β2-adrenergic receptor antagonists, which target inflammation and airway smooth muscle constriction, respectively. The incidence and severity of asthma is greater in women than in men, and women are more prone to develop corticosteroid-resistant or "hard-to-treat" asthma. Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and oral contraceptives are known to contribute to disease outcome in women, suggesting a role for estrogen and other hormones impacting allergic inflammation. Currently, the mechanisms underlying these sex differences are poorly understood, although the effect of sex hormones, such as estrogen, on allergic inflammation is gaining interest. Asthma presents as a heterogeneous disease. In typical Th2-type allergic asthma, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 predominate, driving IgE production and recruitment of eosinophils into the lungs. Chronic Th2-inflammation in the lung results in structural changes and activation of multiple immune cell types, leading to a deterioration of lung function over time. Most immune cells express estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ, or the membrane-bound G-protein-coupled ER) to varying degrees and can respond to the hormone. Together these receptors have demonstrated the capacity to regulate a spectrum of immune functions, including adhesion, migration, survival, wound healing, and antibody and cytokine production. This review will cover the current understanding of estrogen signaling in allergic inflammation and discuss how this signaling may contribute to sex differences in asthma and allergy.
Proposing an Effective Action Learning Process Model: Introducing the PAIR Model

Action learning differentiates itself from other inquiry-based learning approaches in that it requires learners to take actions based on project outcomes. While implementing their plans and reflecting on consequences of their actions, learners are given more and varied learning opportunities. Despite the apparent benefits of action learning, it entails a more complex process and a higher level of involvement from top management than do ordinary training programs. This article seeks to identify benefits and limitations of action learning and proposes a process model that enhances its benefits and helps to overcome its limitations. Thirty-one research studies from academic journals were reviewed to identify espoused benefits and limitations of action learning. Those findings were used as the foundation for development of the PAIR model.
The Heat Sources and Sinks of the 1986–87 El Niño

Abstract The heat balance of the coupled tropical ocean–atmosphere system during the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) period (1985–89) is analyzed in an attempt to better understand the heat sources and sinks of the 1986–87 El Nino. The analysis involves the use of radiation data from ERBE, circulation statistics from National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis, and the assimilated data for the Pacific ocean. Accumulation of heat in the equatorial upper ocean is found prior to the onset of the 1986–87 El Nino. The accumulated heat in the equatorial upper ocean comes from the surface heating, which exceeds the poleward transport of heat in the upper ocean. The accumulated heat in the upper ocean resurfaces in the eastern Pacific and the 1986–87 El Nino warming develops. The warming results in a substantial increase in the equator-to-pole heat transport in the equatorial ocean. The ocean warming is also accompanied by a significant increase in th...
Methodological Structural Realism

Scientists believe in the existence of electrons, bosons, fermions, fields, forces, space-time, etc.; they, unlike their philosophical realist counterparts, do not believe, however, in the existence of phenomena or noumena, observables or unobservables, detection or auxiliary properties, etc. The aim of this paper is to carve out a naturalistic, or methodological, structuralist account that serves to underpin scientists’ belief in, for example, bosons and fermions via those structural properties or relations that are known by considering the shared structure between those models (both theoretical and data models) that are taken to present the content and structure of what we say about them as kinds of objects. With realism, the claim that such models represent the content and structure of what we say about this object as such a kind, resulting from the belief that it would be a miracle if the structure of the these kinds did not match some structure of the world. I will consider each aspect of this account in its turn.
A Review of “Featured Review: The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy”

The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy, by Suzanne Mettler, is an important and provocative book that works at the intersection of American political de...
Are the official world golf rankings biased?a

Golf is a global sport with professional golfers playing on many organized tours throughout the world. The largest and most important tours for male professionals include the PGA Tour, European Tour, Japanese Tour and Asian Tour. The Official World Golf Ranking, or OWGR, is a system for ranking male professional golfers on a single scale. We say a ranking system is unbiased if otherwise identical golfers who happen to play on different tours have the same (or very similar) ranks. In this paper, we investigate whether the OWGR system is biased for or against any of the tours, and if so, by how much. To investigate any potential bias, we compare the OWGR system with two unbiased methods for estimating golfer skill and performance. The first is a score-based skill estimation (SBSE) method, which uses scoring data to estimate golfer skill, taking into account the relative difficulty of the course in each tournament round. The second is the Sagarin method, which uses win-lose-tie and scoring differential results for golfers playing in the same tournaments, to rank golfers. Neither the score-based skill method nor the Sagarin method use tour information in calculating player ranks, and therefore neither method is biased for or against any tour. Using data from 2002 to 2010 and comparing the results ranks from the OWGR and score-based methods, we find that PGA Tour golfers are penalized by an average of 26–37 OWGR ranking positions compared to non-PGA Tour golfers. Qualitatively similar results are found when comparing OWGR and Sagarin ranks. In all cases, the bias is large and statistically significant. We find a persistent bias through time and also find that the bias tends to be the largest for golfers with SBSE ranks between 40 and 120.
Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis and Collective Action

This updated draft paper explores the significant role Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis (RCBA) plays in facilitating or impeding collective action. Through case studies, the paper shows that well-constructed RCBAs have (1) facilitated collective action (including in cases where explicit consideration of costs is legally prohibited) by muting political opposition; and (2) helped to obstruct welfare-reducing rules from being promulgated. RCBAs can of course be manipulated to obstruct social welfare-improving collective action or to promote inefficient policies. However, the fact that RCBAs require transparency makes those efforts liable to discovery and disclosure, as in the case of the Bush Administration's failed "Clear Skies" initiative. The paper concludes with an assessment of implications of the case studies for our understanding of the role of RCBA in the regulatory process, and with a call for more qualitative and quantitative empirical research on the use and abuse of RCBA as a political tool in legislative and regulatory processes.
Fiduciary Status as an Employer's Shield: The Perversity of ERISA Fiduciary Law

This article argues that current jurisprudence enables employers to rely on four spheres of fiduciary obligation to protect themselves from liability for benefit plan actions. It discusses those four spheres and shows how they intersect. The article also draws a distinction, not explicitly drawn before by courts or commentators, between asset administration and benefits administration. The distinction has currency in understanding the unexpected operation of ERISA's fiduciary regime in benefits administration and the way it contrasts with the generally effective nature of the fiduciary regime in asset administration. The article also analyzes how and why the existing jurisprudence provides no significant incentive for appropriate decision-making by those responsible for benefits administration. It then offers a new, statutory-based argument that would increase the liability of benefit plan actors who engage in opportunistic decision-making. A thorough and careful review of the legislative history supports my interpretation of ambiguous statutory language. And, the article demonstrates that adoption of its suggested interpretation would discourage opportunistic decision-making and increase the quality of ex ante benefit determinations.
EFFECTIVE ORIFICE AREA REFERENCE VALUES WITH THE DIFFERENT SIZES OF THE SAPIEN 3 BALLOON-EXPANDING TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE

The size of the transcatheter heart valve (THV) is determined not only by implant size but also by baseline annular area. We sought to correlate the final effective orifice area (EOA) of the THV to THV size and annular area for the SAPIEN 3 THV. 156 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR with a
Dynamics of charge transfer and energy coupling in surface discharges on µsec to msec time scales

The paper presents experiments characterizing discharge development and energy coupling in surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD), atmospheric air plasmas over dielectric and weakly conducting surfaces, over a wide range of time scales and electrical conductivities. The experiments are done using nanosecond pulse (NS, both single polarity and alternating polarity) and AC voltage waveforms. Discharge development and mechanisms of coupling with quiescent air are analyzed using nanosecond gate camera imaging, schlieren imaging, and Laser Differential Interferometry. It is shown that NS SDBD plasmas generate stochastic, localized, near-surface perturbations on a long time scale (>100 μs) after the discharge pulse. These perturbations, entirely different from compression waves generated on a short time scale (~1-10 μs), are caused by discharge contraction and originate from the ends of the filaments. Discharge contraction significantly increases energy stored on the dielectric surface, which in this case exceeds energy dissipated as Joule heat. The stored energy is dissipated if the discharge pulse is followed by an opposite polarity pulse. In a single polarity discharge, on the other hand, surface charge accumulation limits energy coupled to the plasma by subsequent pulses. The results demonstrate that surface plasma actuator control authority may be significantly increased by using an alternating polarity pulse waveform.
Predicting quit attempts among homeless smokers seeking cessation treatment: an ecological momentary assessment study.

Introduction: Homeless adults are more likely to smoke tobacco and are less likely to successfully quit smoking than smokers in the general population, despite comparable numbers of cessation attempts and desire to quit. To date, studies that have examined smoking cessation in homeless samples have used traditional lab/clinic-based assessment methodologies. Real-time assessment of key variables may provide new insights into the process of quitting among homeless smokers.