cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the aging of nanoporous metals

Nanoporous metallic particles are of great interest for a range of applications including catalysis, gas storage, and electrical energy storage. In particular, recent work has shown that bulk powders of porous palladium can be synthesized in a scalable fashion. This material has pore sizes in the 2-5 nm range and has promise for use in hydrogen storage applications. However, because of the small pore size such materials are very susceptible to morphological evolution during aging, especially at elevated temperatures, leading to degradation of their storage properties. To better understand and predict the phenomena at work in nanoporous metal aging, we have developed a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) model for the simulation of atomic diffusion in a Pd lattice. The model is implemented in Sandia's parallelized kMC code SPPARKS. SPPARKS utilizes a spatial decomposition parallelization scheme, allowing large-scale simulations including millions of atoms. The diffusion model includes single-atom hops as well as Schwoebel barrier events that mimic concerted atom motions involving multiple lattice sites. Our simulations show that for statistically homogeneous nanoporous networks, coarsening at elevated temperature as measured by the surface area can be described by a scaling law that closely follows the L {approx} {sup 1/4} scaling predicted bymore » continuum surface diffusion theory. This scaling holds despite the presence of surface faceting due to our simulations being run at temperatures below the roughening temperature of the material. Sensitivities of the rate of coarsening, the scaling exponent, and the amount of surface faceting to model parameters including temperature and event activation rates are explored. Because of the large spatial scales attainable in our computations, we are able to simulate nanoporous particle geometries similar to those synthesized in the laboratory, and compare directly to material aging experiments including porosimetry measurements and TEM images of particles.« less
Treatment of sleep disturbance in Alzheimer's dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting an estimated 5.3 million Americans, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The direct costs of caring for institutionalized patients and indirect costs of lost productivity are high. These costs are estimated at over 148 billion U.S. dollars annually (1). Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterized by cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and functional impairments. Cognitive impairments include disturbances with memory, language, visuospatial function, perception, recognition, praxis, and the executive. Neuropsychiatric symptoms that occur in almost all dementia patients over the course of illness include disturbances in the domains of affect, perception, behavior, motivation, personality and sleep. Functional impairments include … Sleep disturbance is a common occurrence in dementia associated with Alzhiemer’s disease (AD) affecting up to 44% of patients in clinic and community-based samples(2)(3). Impairments in sleep present a background for unsupervised and potentially unsafe behaviors such as wandering and pacing, and place patients and others at risk of harm. In addition, disruption of the normal sleep process in dementia is associated with significant caregiver distress and often precipitates institutionalization into hospitals, assisted living or nursing homes contributing to the rising costs associated with dementia (4). Significant strides in the study of sleep problems with advancing age have provided greater insights and understanding into the causes and patterns of sleep disturbance in the elderly in general and in patients with dementia specifically. The evidence for effective treatments of sleep impairments in dementia is, however, less encouraging. The aim of this systematic review was to define the current evidence-based behind treatment options for sleep disturbance in dementia.
Ram scrotal circumference measurements.

Abstract A preliminary study was performed to determine the normal scrotal circumference (SC) measurements of rams, the results of which may become useful in the evaluation of rams for breeding soundness. Body weights (BW) and SC measurements were obtained from 717 rams of 9 different breeds. Analysis of the data showed that rams of the larger maturing breeds had larger SC measurements and that there was a significant correlation between SC and BW in all breeds.
Iron ore flotation: Practice, problems, and prospects

The significant applications of iron ore flotation are reviewed along with an abbreviated discussion on theory and reagent use. Problems or conditions which have militated against a widespread adoption of the flotation process by the iron ore industry, are discussed in contextual relationship to supply, economics, alternatives, and process limitations. Prospects for increased use of secondary flotation are shown to be excellent, but to be less certain for primary flotation.
Comparison of Nasalance scores obtained with the Nasometer 6200 and the Nasometer II 6400.

Abstract Objective: This study was designed to compare nasalance scores obtained with the old Nasometer 6200 and the new Nasometer II 6400, and to evaluate test-retest reliability of nasalance scores on each machine. Design: Nasalance scores were obtained for 60 subjects reading each of two stimuli. Each subject read each stimulus two times on one machine; the headgear was removed and replaced and each stimulus was read a third time. The same procedure was then repeated with the second machine. Within machines, nasalance scores were compared for repeated stimuli with and without headgear change. The first reading of each stimulus with each machine was used to compare nasalance scores across machines. Participants: The subjects were 60 adults with normal speech ranging in age from 19 to 59 years. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measures were the 12 nasalance scores obtained for each of 60 subjects. Results: For both passages, there was a significant difference in nasalance scores between the old Na...
Validation of an Automated Multiunit Composting System

Biodegradable packaging has high potential to help solve the crisis of non-biodegradable plastic waste causing an increase in the footprint of landfills. However, more research needs to be executed to develop a larger assortment of biodegradable plastics for numerous applications and to make them more economical to manufacture. This paper discusses the design and validation of an automated composting system (AMUCS) that fits the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) 5338-11 standard. The results of the experiments show that the AMUCS was able to create and maintain the conditions for biodegradation of biodegradable polymers in compost using microcrystalline cellulose. The biodegradation caused by the composting environment was observed visually with the naked eye and on the micro scale with an environmental scanning electron microscope. The magnitude of biodegradation was measured by calculating the carbon metabolized from the samples. The carbon metabolized from the three compost replicates was consistent and linear, and there was only an 8 % difference between the non-biodegradable low density polyethylene and the compost. For the biodegradation study according to ASTM D 5338-11, the experiment was validated with the use of cellulose as a reference material. Under controlled composting conditions, the mineralization of microcrystalline cellulose yielded 72.05 %, which is slightly higher than the 70 % mineralization requirement.
On minimal-program complexity measures

Brief consideration is given to some properties of three measures of complexity based on the length of minimal descriptive programs. Although the measures explicitly deal with finite sequences, the complexity of an infinite sequence can be regarded as a function mapping each positive integer n to the complexity of the initial segment of length n. Some properties of a complexity hierarchy of infinite sequences with respect to one of the measures is considered.
EXECUTING US SOLDIERS IN ENGLAND, WORLD WAR II: Command Influence and Sexual Racism

Current capital punishment literature is overwhelmingly concerned with civilian executions. Overlooked is capital punishment by the non-civilian sector--the military. This paper researches US executions of soldiers during World War II in England. We conclude that racism exists in the process, but can only be understood through the context of its use. The Visiting Forces Act of 1942 permitted the American military to use capital punishment in England as a disciplinary tool to control a perceived danger: African-American troops socializing with British females, and the potential explosive violence between Caucasian and African-American troops
RESPONSE OF AVIAN COMMUNITIES IN LARGE-RIVER FLOODPLAINS TO ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION AT MULTIPLE SCALES

Large-river floodplains have been subjected to profound human-caused alteration, but subsequent effects on landbirds in these habitats are largely unknown. To assess the extent to which landscape measures might serve as ecological indicators in these systems, we examined patterns of habitat use by forest birds along a 380-km stretch of the Wisconsin River, USA. We surveyed forest bird communities during the breeding season in 1999 and 2000 at 48 sites divided among six reaches of the 100-year floodplain. Several tree and bird species thought to be characteristic of floodplain forests in Wisconsin, based on earlier surveys, appear to have declined in abundance or were absent altogether, even in reaches located in a 150-km undammed stretch of the river. Bird species richness was similar among reaches, but overall abundance was notably lower at the two northernmost reaches. The most widespread and abundant birds were those that are typically associated with forest edge habitats, but several species associate...
Anticholinesterase activity and structure activity relationships of a new series of hemicholinium-3 analogs.

Abstract Piperidine derivatives of hemicholinium-3 were synthesized and included the following spacing groups between the bis-cationic heads: trans,trans-bicyclohexyl, phenanthrene, naphthalene and biphenyl. Anticholinesterase activity was determined using rat striatal synaptosomal cholinesterase, bovine erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and horse serum butyrycholinesterase. Hemicholinium-3 has little anticholinesterase activity but when the choline moiety of hemicholinium-3 is replaced with selected heterocyclic amine ring systems active inhibitors can be obtained. Results in this communication identify several quaternary amines which are equipotent with physostigmine for inhibition of cholinesterase. Several tertiary amines were also found to be active. Optimal anticholinesterase activity of these piperidine derivatives appear to be related to the necessity of 14 A interatomic distance between the cationic heads as well as C=O substitution in the phenylethyl spacing moiety. Reduction of C=O to secondary alcohol or CH2 results in decreased activity. The anticholinesterase activity is not only related to internitrogen distance and C=O substitution but also structural planarity and positional isomerism of the quaternary cationic head.
Student debt and enrollment in graduate and professional school

A theoretical and empirical analysis of the impact of undergraduate debt on the propensity to enroll in graduate and professional school is presented. The theoretical model does not unambiguously predict that undergraduate debt deters additional schooling. Indeed, the reverse may be true. The econometric work uses a sample of approximately 12000 recent college graduates. A key finding is that among women, undergraduate debt deters enrollment in graduate and professional school. However, the effect is quite small. The empirical results also imply that undergraduate debt leads to a shift in enrollment towards doctoral study and away from other forms of post baccalaureate training.
Q-PREZ: QBF evaluation using partition, resolution and elimination with ZBDDs

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in quantified Boolean formula (QBF) evaluation, since several VLSI CAD problems can be formulated efficiently as QBF instances. Since the original resolution-based methods can suffer from space explosion, existing QBF solvers perform decision tree search using the Davis-Putnam Logemann and Loveland (DPLL) procedure. In this paper, we propose a new QBF solver, Q-PREZ, that overcomes the space explosion problem faced in resolution by using efficient data structures and algorithms, which in turn can outperform DPLL-based QBF solvers. We partition the CNF and store the clauses compactly in zero-suppressed binary decision diagrams (ZBDDs). Then, we introduce new and powerful operators to perform existential and universal quantification on the partitioned ZBDD clauses as resolution and elimination procedures. Our preliminary experimental results show that Q-PREZ is able to achieve significant speedups over state-of-the-art QBF solvers.
Testosterone regulates aromatase activity in discrete brain areas of male rhesus macaques.

The nonhuman primate brain contains two divergent pathways for testosterone (T) metabolism. Estradiol is biosynthesized from T by aromatization through the first pathway, whereas dihydrotestosterone is produced by the action of Sct-reductase through the second pathway. Previously, we mapped the distribution of these enzyme activities within specific microdissected brain area and determined that aromazase activity (AA), but not 5a-reductase activity (SaRA), was reduced in certain brain areas after castration. In the present study, we measured M and SaRA in thirteen brain nuclei and subregions from five castrated and five T-treated castrated male rhesus monkeys to determine whether exogenous androgen treatment could reverse the effects of castration on brain AA. We found that T, administered in a dose that maintained serum levels at 14.2 ± 1.6 (SEM) ng/ml, suppressed circulating luteinizing hormone (Castrates = 491.9 ± 86 ng/ml vs. Ttreated castrates = 1.8 ± 0.2 ng/ml), and stimulated AA in specific nuclei including the suprachiasmatic nucleus (n.), periventricular area, ventromedial n., and lateral hypothalamus. T treatment had no sign #{231}ficant effect on AA in nine other nuclei or on SaRA in any brain areas that we studied. These data indicate that AA in diencephalic and limbic structures of the nonhuman primate brain is distributed heterogeneously into androgen-dependent and androgen-independent regions. This distribution is similar to that found in rodents. SaRA, on the other hand, is more homogeneously distributed than AA in these same brain regions and is not controlled by androgens.
Classifying genes to the correct Gene Ontology Slim term in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using neighbouring genes with classification learning

There is increasing evidence that gene location and surrounding genes influence the functionality of genes in the eukaryotic genome. Knowing the Gene Ontology Slim terms associated with a gene gives us insight into a gene's functionality by informing us how its gene product behaves in a cellular context using three different ontologies: molecular function, biological process, and cellular component. In this study, we analyzed if we could classify a gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to its correct Gene Ontology Slim term using information about its location in the genome and information from its nearest-neighbouring genes using classification learning. We performed experiments to establish that the MultiBoostAB algorithm using the J48 classifier could correctly classify Gene Ontology Slim terms of a gene given information regarding the gene's location and information from its nearest-neighbouring genes for training. Different neighbourhood sizes were examined to determine how many nearest neighbours should be included around each gene to provide better classification rules. Our results show that by just incorporating neighbour information from each gene's two-nearest neighbours, the percentage of correctly classified genes to their correct Gene Ontology Slim term for each ontology reaches over 80% with high accuracy (reflected in F-measures over 0.80) of the classification rules produced. We confirmed that in classifying genes to their correct Gene Ontology Slim term, the inclusion of neighbour information from those genes is beneficial. Knowing the location of a gene and the Gene Ontology Slim information from neighbouring genes gives us insight into that gene's functionality. This benefit is seen by just including information from a gene's two-nearest neighbouring genes.
United Nations Peacekeeping, Democratic Process, and the Durability of Peace after Civil Wars

This article examines the ways in which United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions affect democratic progress and the durability of peace in post–civil war states. After a conflict, UN peacekeeping missions provide security and create incentives for former actors to resolve their differences through peaceful and democratic means. This article contends that by providing support, peacekeeping missions help to initiate a democratic process such that former rivals can claim access to power and resources without resorting to armed conflict. To arrive at this conclusion, this article empirically examines whether UN peacekeeping missions succeeded in promoting democratic progress in postwar states and, subsequently, whether that democratic progress would contribute to the durability of peace. The indirect effect of peacekeeping on stable peace has not been explored in the literature surrounding democratic progress and the durability of peace. From the analysis of the data on post–civil war democratic progress and the durability of peace from 1946 to 2005, I find support for the alternative approach and conclude that UN missions contribute to durable peace in post–civil war states by promoting democratic political processes.
Thinking Visually: Using Visual Media in the College Classroom.

Getting through to students in the classroom continues to be one of the great mysteries of an educator's life.What will capture their attention, and, more important, what will transform their thinking? Film industry veteran and educator Barbara Tobolowsky returned to her roots in visual media to find answers.
Characteristics of instabilities in the mesopause region over Maui, Hawaii

[1] Characteristics of convective and dynamical instabilities in the mesopause region (between 85 and 100 km) over Maui, Hawaii (20.7°N, 156.3°W) are investigated using 19 nights, ∼133 hours of high-resolution wind and temperature data obtained by the University of Illinois Na wind/temperature lidar during the Maui Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (Maui MALT) campaigns. The mean probabilities of convective and dynamical instabilities are observed to be ∼3 and 10%, respectively, but there is considerable night-to-night variation. At any given time the probability that an unstable condition is found at some altitudes in the 85–100 km range is ∼90%. The Maui MALT data exhibit a distinct trend for N2 to increase with wind shear and vice versa. This correlation has important implications in the understanding of the development of instabilities. The night of 11 April 2002 is studied in detail in order to investigate the spatial and temporal structures of N2, wind shear, and convective and dynamical instabilities. A close linkage between instability and the mesosphere inversion layers (MILs) is identified. Most of the convectively and dynamically unstable regions are located above the MILs, with a tendency for dynamical instability to develop below convective instability. It is found that the vertical variations of N2 are often correlated with those of wind shear, but with a phase shift such that the maxima and minima of N2 are located ∼0.5–1 km below those of wind shear. Because of this shift, dynamical instability tends to develop in the region above the maximum wind shear, where relatively small N2 is observed to be associated with large wind shear. We also found that the wind shear is dominated by the contribution of the meridional wind, especially when the wind shear is strong. Possible mechanisms for the observed features are discussed.
Additivity of Cues in Perception of Verticality

Visual cues affecting perception of verticality in different situations were combined within a single percept and shown to be additive. When the independent effects of the Zollner illusion cues and the rod-and-frame test cues affected the perception of verticality in the same direction, the total illusion was enhanced; when these cues counteracted each other, the illusion was attenuated by an equal magnitude.
Ethyl α‐Acetyl‐β‐(2,3‐Dimethoxyphenyl)‐Propionate

Ethyl α-acetyl-β-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-propionate intermediate: Ethyl α-acetyl-β-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)acrylate. product: Ethyl α-acetyl-β-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)propionate. catalyst: 5 g. of 5% palladium-on-carbon Keywords: condensation, carbonyl-active methylene condensations; reduction, CC HCCH; hydrogenation apparatus
Assessing the relationship between neighborhood factors and diabetes related health outcomes and self-care behaviors

Studies have shown that community and neighborhood characteristics can impact health outcomes of those with chronic illness, including T2DM. Factors, such as crime, violence, and lack of resources have been shown to be barriers to optimal health outcomes in diabetes. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess the effects of neighborhood factors on diabetes-related health outcomes and self-care behaviors. Adult patients (N = 615) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited from an academic medical center and a Veterans Affairs medical center in the southeastern United States. Validated scales and indices were used to assess neighborhood factors and diabetes-related self-care behaviors. The most recent HbA1c, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol were abstracted from each patients’ electronic medical record. In the fully adjusted model, significant associations were between neighborhood aesthetics and diabetes knowledge (β = 0.141) and general diet (β = -0.093); neighborhood comparison and diabetes knowledge (β = 0.452); neighborhood activities and general diet (β = -0.072), exercise (β = -0.104), and foot care (β = -0.114); food insecurity and medication adherence (β = -0.147), general diet (β = -0.125), and blood sugar testing (β = -0.172); and social support and medication adherence (β = 0.009), foot care (β = 0.010), and general diet (β = 0.016). Significant associations were also found between neighborhood violence and LDL Cholesterol (β = 4.04), walking environment and exercise (β = -0.040), and social cohesion and HbA1c (β = -0.086). We found that neighborhood violence, aesthetics, walking environment, activities, food insecurity, neighborhood comparison, social cohesion and social support have statistically significant associations with self-care behaviors and outcomes to varying degrees. However, the key neighborhood factors that had independent associations with multiple self-care behaviors and outcomes were food insecurity, neighborhood activities and social support. This study suggests that food insecurity, neighborhood activities, aesthetics, and social support may be important targets for interventions in individuals with T2DM.
Minimization of communication cost through caching in mobile environments

Users of mobile computers will soon have online access to a large number of databases via wireless networks. Because of limited bandwidth, wireless communication is more expensive than wire communication. In this paper, we present and analyze various static and dynamic data allocation methods. The objective is to optimize the communication cost between a mobile computer and the stationary computer that stores the online database. Analysis is performed in two cost models. One is connection (or time) based, as in cellular telephones, where the user is charged per minute of connection. The other is message based, as in packet radio networks, where the user is charged per message. Our analysis addresses both the average case and the worst case for determining the best allocation method.
Colonization of Euprymna scolopes squid by Vibrio fischeri

Specific bacteria are found in association with animal tissue. Such host-bacterial associations (symbioses) can be detrimental (pathogenic), have no fitness consequence (commensal), or be beneficial (mutualistic). While much attention has been given to pathogenic interactions, little is known about the processes that dictate the reproducible acquisition of beneficial/commensal bacteria from the environment. The light-organ mutualism between the marine Gram-negative bacterium V. fischeri and the Hawaiian bobtail squid, E. scolopes, represents a highly specific interaction in which one host (E. scolopes) establishes a symbiotic relationship with only one bacterial species (V. fischeri) throughout the course of its lifetime. Bioluminescence produced by V. fischeri during this interaction provides an anti-predatory benefit to E. scolopes during nocturnal activities, while the nutrient-rich host tissue provides V. fischeri with a protected niche. During each host generation, this relationship is recapitulated, thus representing a predictable process that can be assessed in detail at various stages of symbiotic development. In the laboratory, the juvenile squid hatch aposymbiotically (uncolonized), and, if collected within the first 30-60 minutes and transferred to symbiont-free water, cannot be colonized except by the experimental inoculum. This interaction thus provides a useful model system in which to assess the individual steps that lead to specific acquisition of a symbiotic microbe from the environment. Here we describe a method to assess the degree of colonization that occurs when newly hatched aposymbiotic E. scolopes are exposed to (artificial) seawater containing V. fischeri. This simple assay describes inoculation, natural infection, and recovery of the bacterial symbiont from the nascent light organ of E. scolopes. Care is taken to provide a consistent environment for the animals during symbiotic development, especially with regard to water quality and light cues. Methods to characterize the symbiotic population described include (1) measurement of bacterially-derived bioluminescence, and (2) direct colony counting of recovered symbionts.
Review Study of Computer Input Devices and Older Users

The fast aging of many societies and their increasing reliance on computers create a compelling need to reconsider older users' interactions with computers. Changes in perceptual and motor skill capabilities that accompany the aging process bring important implications for the design of human–computer interfaces. This study reviews the recent research literature on computer input devices and their adequacy to the elderly user. Significant findings from evaluative studies are summarized, and strengths and weaknesses of the different input devices are outlined. Recommendations for the design and selection of input devices are provided.
Spectroscopic evidence for hydrous iron sulfate in the Martian soil

[1] Despite in situ analyses by several landers, the composition of the Martian soil remains unclear. Recently, constituent minerals in the soil have been proposed from thermal emissivity and Mossbauer spectroscopic data from Mars. These data were interpreted to show spectral evidence for carbonate and an unspecified mineral containing bound water, as well as olivine. Here we present an alternative interpretation, suggesting that these spectral features can be satisfied by a single type of mineral, namely hydrous iron sulfates. Acidic waters necessary for production of hydrous iron sulfates would preclude carbonate formation and indicate a dramatically different chemical environment on Mars, in which olivine would be highly unstable and unlikely to survive soil formation, regardless of its presence in the rocks. Hydrous iron sulfates are efflorescent salts and may be crusting agents in the Martian soils.
How to choose among the riches: Selecting a diagnostic instrument

A variety of standardized interviews are now available that allow making specific psychiatric diagnoses according to one or more of the official diagnostic nomenclatures. The number of interviews to choose among is likely to continue to grow. It is not always obvious which instrument would be best for a particular study. This paper offers criteria that should be considered, both in judging the appropriateness of an instrument for the special needs of a particular study and, when more than one would serve, making a choice based on more general criteria.
Capacity of wireless ad-hoc networks under ultra wide band with power constraint

In this paper, we study how the achievable throughput scales in a wireless network with randomly located nodes as the number of nodes increases, under a communication model where (i) each node has a maximum transmission power W/sub O/ and is capable of utilizing B Hz of bandwidth and (ii) each link can obtain a channel throughput according to the Shannon capacity. Under the limit case that B tends to infinity, we show that each node can obtain a throughput of /spl theta/(n/sup (/spl alpha/-1)/2/) where n is the density of the nodes and /spl alpha/ > 1 is the path loss exponent. Both the upper bound and lower bound are derived through percolation theory. In order to derive the capacity bounds, we have also derived an important result on random geometric graphs: if the distance between two points in a Poisson point process with density n is non-diminishing, the minimum power route requires a power rate at least /spl Omega/(n/sup (1-/spl alpha/)/2/). Our results show that the most promising approach to improving the capacity bounds in wireless ad hoc networks is to employ unlimited bandwidth resources, such as the ultra wide band (UWB).
Dietary NaCl regulates renal aminopeptidase N: relevance to hypertension in the Dahl rat.

Aminopeptidase N (APN) is an abundant metallohydrolase in the brush border of kidney proximal tubule cells that degrades angiotensin III (Ang III) to angiotensin IV (Ang IV) and, along with dipepti...
It's Good to Share: Why Environmental Scientists’ Ethics Are Out of Date

Although there have been many recent calls for increased data sharing, the majority of environmental scientists do not make their individual data sets publicly available in online repositories. Current data-sharing conversations are focused on overcoming the technological challenges associated with data sharing and the lack of rewards and incentives for individuals to share data. We argue that the most important conversation has yet to take place: There has not been a strong ethical impetus for sharing data within the current culture, behaviors, and practices of environmental scientists. In this article, we describe a critical shift that is happening in both society and the environmental science community that makes data sharing not just good but ethically obligatory. This is a shift toward the ethical value of promoting inclusivity within and beyond science. An essential element of a truly inclusionary and democratic approach to science is to share data through publicly accessible data sets.
Synthesis of robust task schedules for minimum disruption repair

An off-line scheduling algorithm considers resource, precedence, and synchronization requirements of a task graph, and generates a schedule guaranteeing its timing requirements. This schedule must, however, be executed in a dynamic and unpredictable operating environment where resources may fail and tasks may execute longer than expected. To accommodate such execution uncertainties, this paper addresses the synthesis of robust task schedules using a slack-based approach and proposes a solution using integer linear programming (ILP). An ILP model, whose solution maximizes the temporal flexibility of the overall task schedule, is formulated. Two different ILP solvers are used to solve this model and their performance compared. For large task graphs, an efficient approximate method is presented and its performance evaluated.
CO oxidation trends on Pt-group metals from ultrahigh vacuum to near atmospheric pressures: A combined in situ PM-IRAS and reaction kinetics study

Abstract The CO oxidation reaction on Pt-group metals (Pt, Rh, and Pd) has been investigated at low (⩽10−3 Torr) and near atmospheric (1–102 Torr) pressures in a batch reactor under steady-state conditions and at various gaseous reactant compositions using PM-IRAS and kinetic measurements. The results indicate that Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics adequately provides a general description of the kinetic trends over a wide range of pressures provided that mass transfer effects are considered. At high pressures, the reaction kinetics fall into three regimes: a CO-inhibited low temperature regime where the reaction rate is determined by CO desorption; a mass transfer limited regime at high temperatures; and a transient, high-rate regime which lies in between the other two regimes. The data show that the most reactive surface phase, at both low and high pressures, is a CO-uninhibited phase. This surface phase is not an oxide phase, but a surface phase that contains primarily chemisorbed atomic oxygen and a low coverage of CO.
Managerial Collective Cognitions: An Examination of Similarities and Differences of Cultural Orientations

Using the context of market orientation, we examine how an exemplary business's market orientation culture is reflected in managers' mental models, evaluate how mental models and perceived behaviours differ across hierarchical levels and functions, and compare the cognitive values and beliefs or the cognitive aspects of market orientation culture with behavioural aspects. Results from a rich, multi-method, case study suggest that while managers in the business share core beliefs regarding the customer dimension of market orientation, their beliefs regarding competitors, technology and inter-functional coordination dimensions vary widely across the levels and functions of the business. We found differences in terms of both the integration between the four dimensions of market orientation and the depth of knowledge within the dimensions. Our findings reveal that customer rather than competitor beliefs are the most important commonly shared beliefs in successful companies, leading us to encourage cognitive researchers to move beyond competitor analysis when examining managerial cognition. Another implication for future research is that a strong market orientation implies common core beliefs regarding customer dimensions but does not imply that all beliefs will be or should be shared. From the methodological standpoint, we find that cognitive mapping techniques provide rich insights into a business's market orientation culture that are not gained from behavioural methods alone.
Toy-oriented changes during early arm movements: Hand kinematics

Abstract In a recent cross-sectional study, we found that young infants changed their spontaneous arm movements in the presence of a toy, termed ‘toy-oriented changes’, in systematic ways beginning many weeks before their first consistent reaches [Bhat, A. N., Heathcock, J. H., & Galloway, J. C. (2005). Toy-oriented changes in hand and joint kinematics during the emergence of purposeful reaching. Infant Behavior and Development, 28(4), 445–465]. The purpose of the present study was to test specific hypotheses regarding toy-oriented changes in a longitudinal design. Methods Thirteen infants were observed every other week from 8 weeks of age up to the onset of reaching. At each session, hand and joint motions were observed with and without a toy present using a high-speed motion capture system. This paper focuses on the toy-oriented changes in hand variables. Results As predicted, infants displayed a meaningful pattern of toy-oriented changes, which systematically changed as infants approached the first week of reaching. During the Early phase (8–10 weeks before reaching), infants scaled down their movement length and speed in the presence of a toy. During the Mid phase (4–6 weeks before reaching), infants scaled up movement number and speed, increased movement smoothness, and decreased their hand–toy distance in the presence of a toy. During the Late phase (within 2 weeks of reaching), infants continued to change their hand's position to get closer to the toy and began contacting it. Interestingly, movement number and smoothness displayed similar developmental patterns, where movement length and speed displayed similar patterns. Conclusion Toy-oriented adaptation of arm movements emerges in the first months of life and forms a complex, yet tractable continuum with purposeful reaching. These results provide a foundation to test more specific hypotheses of hand and joint coordination in both typically developing infants and those infants born at risk for coordination impairments.
Low-frequency electrical response to microbial induced sulfide precipitation

[1] We investigated the sensitivity of low-frequency electrical measurements to microbe-induced metal sulfide precipitation. Three identical sand-packed monitoring columns were used; a geochemical column, an electrical column and a control column. In the first experiment, continuous upward flow of nutrients and metals in solution was established in each column. Cells of Desulfovibrio vulgaris (D. vulgaris) were injected into the center of the geochemical and electrical columns. Geochemical sampling and post-experiment destructive analysis showed that microbial induced sulfate reduction led to metal precipitation on bacteria cells, forming motile biominerals. Precipitation initially occurred in the injection zone, followed by chemotactic migration of D. vulgaris and ultimate accumulation around the nutrient source at the column base. Results from this experiment conducted with metals show (1) polarization anomalies, up to 14 mrad, develop at the bacteria injection and final accumulation areas, (2) the onset of polarization increase occurs concurrently with the onset of lactate consumption, (3) polarization profiles are similar to calculated profiles of the rate of lactate consumption, and (4) temporal changes in polarization and conduction correlate with a geometrical rearrangement of metal-coated bacterial cells. In a second experiment, the same biogeochemical conditions were established except that no metals were added to the flow solution. Polarization anomalies were absent when the experiment was replicated without metals in solution. We therefore attribute the polarization increase observed in the first experiment to a metal-fluid interfacial mechanism that develops as metal sulfides precipitate onto microbial cells and form biominerals. Temporal changes in polarization and conductivity reflect changes in (1) the amount of metal-fluid interfacial area, and (2) the amount of electronic conduction resulting from microbial growth, chemotactic movement and final coagulation. This polarization is correlated with the rate of microbial activity inferred from the lactate concentration gradient, probably via a common total metal surface area effect.
Computational screening of renewably sourced polyalkylene glycol plasticizers for nylon polyamides

A high-throughput computational method is used to screen new plasticizers for nylon polyamides. Condensed-phase molecular dynamic simulations are used to describe the interaction of the plasticizer and the polymer. A radial distribution function is utilized to quantify the degree of hydrogen bonding between plasticizer and polymer and to correlate it to the reduction in flexular (flex) modulus of the plasticized polymer. Hildebrand and Hansen solubility parameters are obtained from simulations on pure single-component systems to quantify the compatibility of plasticizer and polymer. We have screened 27 candidates within nine classes of polyalkylene glycol polyamide plasticizers (including monobenzoate and dibenzoate esters) and compared them with n-butylbenzenesulfonamide. The validity of the theoretical predictions is verified experimentally. The water soluble, low-molecular weight poly(1,3-propanediol) is shown to be an effective plasticizer, which reduces flex modulus of both nylon-6 and nylon-12, while maintaining polymer compatibility. Poly(1,3-propanediol) is a renewably sourced, biodegradable plasticizer that offers a sustainable solution to both fossil fuel and renewably sourced polyamides. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kerr effect measurements with non-uniform electric field distributions whose direction changes along the light path

Electric field distributions measured using the Kerr effect cause a phase shift between light components polarized parallel and perpendicular to the applied electric field, proportional to the magnitude squared of the applied electric field components in the plane perpendicular to light propagation integrated over the light path length. One wishes to recover the applied electric field distribution from measurements of light phase shifts. If the applied electric field direction changes along the light path, it becomes necessary to account for the change in direction of the light components parallel and perpendicular to the applied electric field and the light polarization equations are generalized. >
Considerations for estimating electrode performance in Li-Ion cells

Advanced electrode materials with increased specific capacity and voltage performance are critical to the development of Li-ion batteries with increased specific energy and energy density. Although performance metrics for individual electrodes are critically important, a fundamental understanding of the interactions of electrodes in a full cell is essential to achieving the desired performance, and for establishing meaningful goals for electrode performance. This paper presents practical design considerations for matching positive and negative electrodes in a viable design. Methods for predicting cell-level discharge voltage, based on laboratory data for individual electrodes, are presented and discussed.
USE OF ACEPHATE, BENOMYL AND ALGINATE ENCAPSULATION FOR ELIMINATING CULTURE MITES AND FUNGAL CONTAMINATION FROM IN VITRO CULTURES OF HARDY HIBISCUS (HIBISCUS MOSCHEUTOS L)

Shoot cultures of three Hibiscus moscheutos (L.) cultivars were infested with micro-arthropods (mites). Nodal segments (1 cm long) were excised from these cultures and encapsulated in a sodium alginate gelled Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut DKW medium containing 10, 50, or 100 mg l−1 acephate (insecticide) or 10 mg l−1 acephate plus 0, 50, or 100 mg l−1 benomyl (fungicide), then placed in refrigerated (5°C) darkness for 4 wk. Acephate was tested alone if visible fungus was not touching the shoot masses and benomyl was tested if fungus was in contact with the proliferating shoots. Cold-stored encapsulated nodes were then placed on DKW medium with 0.1 μM thidiazuron for 6 wk for subsequent shoot development. The presence of acephate in the encapsulation medium completely eradicated or killed the mites, with 38–69% of cultures fungus-free; 12% of the fungal-contaminated nodes encapsulated with 100 mg l−1 benomyl were fungus-free.
Studies on the Applicability of NSF/PRA Sponsored Research to the Management of Specific Risk Situations

The applicability of the results of several NSF/PRA sponsored grants are examined in terms of specific risk situations which, among them, introduce most of the attributes frequently used in characterizing risks or stakeholder concerns and values. The risk situations used for case studies are the following: asbestos in schools hazardous chemical waste sites indoor air pollution transportation of common hazardous materials by rail or truck contaminants in drinking water the proposed construction of a plant which stores or employs large quantities of a chemical like dioxin
Plunging Wave Pressures on Semicylindrical Tube

Laboratory measurements of wave pressures due to plunging breakers were made on a 6-in. diam semicylindrical tube simulating a prototype concrete structure designed to be placed parallel to the coastline in the surf zone to intercept offshore transport of bean materials and thus preserve the beach. It was found during the wave uprush, that an impact pressure of short duration was recorded at the front of the tube, followed by smoother pressure variations in time. During the wave downrush, the volume of water transported across the tube flowed back under gravity. The pressure distribution on the beach side of the tube was relatively steady in the flow reversing process. The impulse-momentum theory was applied to investigate the behavior of impact pressures. The pressure distribution on the tube surface during the wave downrush was treated as a quasisteady case in which the Bernoulli principle for steady state condition applies.
Enjoying food without caloric cost: The impact of brief mindfulness on laboratory eating outcomes

Abstract Objective Mindfulness-based interventions have been increasingly applied to treat eating-related problems ranging from obesity to eating disorders. Yet few studies have empirically examined the mechanisms of a mindful approach to eating. The current studies examine the potential of brief mindfulness instructions to enhance the psychological and behavioral dimensions of eating. Methods In three experiments (total N = 319 undergraduates), we examined whether brief mindfulness instructions would enhance the positive sensory experience involved in tasting food as well as healthy eating behaviors. Results Relative to distraction control instructions, the first two studies demonstrated that brief mindfulness instructions increased the enjoyment of a commonly pleasurable food (chocolate; Study 1), and a food with generally more mixed associations (raisins; Study 2). The third study replicated and extended these findings to show that brief mindfulness instructions also led to lower calorie consumption of unhealthy food relative to distracted or no-instruction control conditions, an effect mediated by greater eating enjoyment. Conclusions Findings demonstrated the power of brief mindfulness instructions to positively impact both health-relevant behavior and sensory experience associated with eating food. Implications for both theory and clinical applications of mindfulness are discussed.
Negative urgency accounts for the association between borderline personality features and intimate partner violence in young men

Many studies have demonstrated that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with aggression and, in particular, intimate partner violence; however, the mechanisms underlying this association have been less clearly identified. The present study examines the hypothesis that negative urgency (impulsive behavior in response to intense, negative emotions) may explain the specific association between BPD and intimate partner violence. Cross-sectional self-report measures of BPD, violent behavior, and multiple dimensions of impulsivity were administered to 193 undergraduate men. BPD profile scores were associated with both general violence behaviors and intimate partner violence; however, an indirect path via negative urgency existed only with intimate partner violence. No indirect paths from BPD scores were demonstrated via any other factors of impulsivity, although sensation seeking was an independent predictor of general violence. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.