cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The World Geopolitical System in Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract In a time of profound international change, geopolitical analysis is important to an understanding of the dynamic workings the world system. This analysis should be grounded in a coherent, progressive theory. Long before the recent upheavals in Eastern Europe, global political change had rendered obsolete geopolitical theories of world dominance based upon the spatial centrality of such areas of movement as the Heartland, Rimland or Polar Arctic. An alternative theory first offered by this author more than two decades ago was based upon a hierarchical framework of geostrategic realms and geopolitical regions in dynamic equilibrium with one another. Since then, the geopolitical region has assumed greater importance with the emergence of second-order powers, including asymmetrical states. As the world system continues to evolve developmentally, it will gain greater stability with the emergence of a new international entity-the “gateway” state. This new type of state will add a vital link to a world...
An information age opportunity providing information for customers

Abstract Evolutionary growth of the use of information technology in business operations now provides a new information-age opportunity for managers, that of providing information for customers (PIC). In the PIC applications, information is a product not a resource and the product is information, not data. Pertinent examples of firms using PIC and steps to be taken by any firm that desires to implement this concept are explained in some detail. This application of computer technology usually can be implemented at minimal costs. PIC provide competitive advantages to the firm by tangibilizing various information services for customers.
Human monocytic ehrlichiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis in the United States, 2001-2002

The epidemiologic features are described of cases of human monocytic ehrlichiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis in the United States.
Microprocessor-assisted assessment in the clinical research laboratory

The application of microprocessor technology to assessment of alcoholism in a clinical research laboratory is described.
Bistability in a complementary metal oxide semiconductor inverter circuit

Radiofrequency signals can disrupt the operation of low frequency circuits. A digital inverter circuit would seem to be immune to such disruption, because its output state usually jumps abruptly between 0 and 5 V. Nevertheless, when driven with a high frequency signal, the inverter can have two coexisting stable states (which are not at 0 and 5 V). Slow switching between these states (by changing the rf signal) will produce a low frequency signal. I demonstrate the bistability in a circuit experiment and in a simple model of the circuit.
JOP-alarm: Detecting jump-oriented programming-based anomalies in applications

Code Reuse-based Attacks (popularly known as CRA) are becoming increasingly notorious because of their ability to reuse existing code, and evade the guarding mechanisms in place to prevent code injection-based attacks. Among the recent code reuse-based exploits, Jump Oriented Programming (JOP) captures short sequences of existing code ending in indirect jumps or calls (known as gadgets), and utilizes them to cause harmful, unintended program behavior. In this work, we propose a novel, easily implementable algorithm, called JOP-alarm, that computes a score value to assess the potential for JOP attack, and detects possibly harmful program behavior. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm using published JOP code, and test the false positive alarm rate using several unmodified SPEC2006 benchmarks.
Rheumatic encephalitis (Chorea insaniens)

Summary This case presents the picture of a most severe type of chorea, socalled chorea insaniens, occurring very shortly after the course of a rather mild acute rheumatic fever. The involvement of the central nervous system was widespread and severe, as evidenced by the most marked motor activity and severe emotional disturbance, as well as the hyperpyrexia and cyanosis, which were also probably of cerebral origin. During the course of this severe nervous disturbance, there was progressive cardiac involvement, indicated first by an incomplete heart-block, followed by a definite pericarditis with effusion. Most interesting were the residual nervous phenomena after the acute central nervous system involvement had subsided; these phenomena consisted of a fixation of the eyeballs in a downward gaze, with inability for ocular motor activity in any direction — an evidence of basal ganglion disease affecting ocular motor control. Because of our newer knowledge of the pathology of chorea, the clinical features of this case, and its close relationship to the rheumatic virus, the designation of this condition as rheumatic encephalitis seems justified. Cases which have been designated as chorea insaniens have an exceedingly high mortality. Death, if not due to toxemia, is usually caused by marked exhaustion, the result of the wild motor activity and lack of nourishment. In this case, after other sedatives had failed to produce any result, rest and relaxation were brought about through the use of avertin, a nonvolatile anesthetic. It was during such quiet periods that nourishment and other therapeutic aids could be administered. This procedure certainly seemed life-saving during the critical period of this case, and it is urged that it be tried in similar situations.
Three decadal inputs of total organic carbon from four major coastal river basins to the summer hypoxic zone of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Abstract This study investigated long-term (1980–2009) yields and variability of total organic carbon (TOC) from four major coastal rivers in Louisiana entering the Northern Gulf of Mexico where a large-area summer hypoxic zone has been occurring since the middle 1980s. Two of these rivers drain agriculture-intensive (>40%) watersheds, while the other two rivers drain forest-pasture dominated (>50%) watersheds. The study found that these rivers discharged a total of 13.0 × 10 4 t TOC annually, fluctuating from 5.9 × 10 4 to 22.8 × 10 4 t. Seasonally, the rivers showed high TOC yield during the winter and early spring months, corresponding to the seasonal trend of river discharge. While river hydrology controlled TOC yields, land use has played an important role in fluxes, seasonal variations, and characteristics of TOC. The findings fill in a critical information gap of quantity and quality of organic carbon transport from coastal watersheds to one of the world’s largest summer hypoxic zones.
Evaluating the effects of ecosystem management: a case study in a Missouri Ozark forest

Many federal and state management agencies have shifted from commodity- based management systems to multiple resource-based management systems that emphasize sustainable ecosystem management. Long-term sustainability of ecosystem functions and processes is at the core of ecosystem management, but a blueprint for assessing sustainability under different management strategies does not exist. Using the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) as a case study, we present one approach to evaluating the landscape-scale, short-term (one and two years posttreatment) consequences of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management treatments on community-level biological diversity. We chose changes in density of ecological species groups, representing groups of species with similar resource requirements, as our response variable. Changes in density are de- tectable before species completely disappear from an area, and these changes may be an early indicator of significant alterations to community structure and ecosystem function. Meta-analysis was used to statistically combine changes in densities across multiple species groups and assess the overall impacts of management treatments on the animal community. We also separately examined changes in density for each ecological species group. Our findings demonstrated that, in the short-term, even-aged and uneven-aged forest manage- ment treatments caused changes in animal community density in Missouri Ozark forests. Even-aged management sites showed greater changes than uneven-aged management sites after harvesting, and changes in species' densities were larger two years posttreatment (1998) than one year posttreatment (1997). Evaluation of treatment effects on individual ecological groups revealed that toads, forest interior birds, and edge/early successional birds were significantly affected by management treatments. We did not expect most species groups to exhibit treatment effects because relatively little forest biomass was removed per experimental site (only 10%), forest cover at the regional landscape level did not change and was generally high during the study, and the time scale was relatively short. The challenges facing ecosystem management evaluation parallel the challenges of ecological science in general: identifying appropriate variables, spatial and temporal scales, and ex- perimental/management treatments. The integrative approach demonstrated in this paper is a first step toward the analysis of the effects of management treatments on multiple or- ganisms within an ecosystem.
Clonal heterogeneity at allelic methylation sites diagnostic for Prader–Willi and Angelman syndromes

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS) are developmental disorders resulting from the absence of the paternal or maternal contribution to the 15q11–13 region, respectively. Allele-specific methylation at D15S63 (PW71) has routinely been used as a diagnostic indicator of PWS and AS in DNA samples derived from peripheral blood. Extensive variation in allele-specific methylation patterns, however, has been observed at this site in different tissues, but the frequency or mechanism of this variation has remained uncharacterized. Herein, we have investigated the cellular basis of variation in methylation patterns at four sites of allelic methylation near SNRPN by using DNA samples derived from a panel of primary T lymphocyte clones. Interclonal variability was observed at three of these sites, including the diagnostic PW71 site. Changes in allele-specific methylation patterns occurred at a frequency of about one change in 50% of the cells every 22–25 doublings. In contrast, stable allele-specific methylation was observed in these clonal populations at exon 1 of SNRPN and the androgen receptor locus on the inactive X chromosome, suggesting that methylation at some CpG sites is more faithfully maintained than others. Clonal heterogeneity at PW71 was not an artifact of cell culture because the absence of allelic methylation was also observed in about 20% of the alleles in unstimulated peripheral blood. These results demonstrate that variation in allele-specific methylation at PW71 and other sites in the PWS/AS region appear to depend on the clonal complexity of the particular tissue and on the lack of strict maintenance of methylation within clones.
Embryonic stem cells: potential for more impact

Human embryonic stem cells have generated significant excitement and energy in many areas of biomedical research, including tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. A recent paper by the Langer group provides a glimpse into potential future therapeutics and clinical applications of stem cells in tissue engineering, as well as giving new insights into how stem cells interact with biomaterials.
Saving room for CUSTARD

The Canadian‐US Task Force on Archival Description (CUSTARD) has undertaken the process of reconciling the two principal North American standards for archival description – the Canadian Rules for Archival Description (RAD) and the US’ Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts (APPM) – with each other and with the broader international standard of ISAD(G) (General International Standard Archival Description). The anticipated final product of the CUSTARD project will be a new standard for rules governing description of archival holdings. The first tangible product is a “statement of principles” concerning archival description, which will guide the final development of descriptive rules. A complete draft of the CUSTARD rules should be available for review by June 2003, with publication expected in 2004. The new standard being developed will guide the future of archival description.
Isolation of Raman optical activity invariants

Abstract We report the first isolation of individual Raman optical activity (ROA) invariants. In the far-from-resonance approximation, where ROA intensity is comprised of three invariants, a specific procedure for isolating all three invariants is proposed. For depolarized right-angle incident or scattered circular polarization (ICP or SCP) and backscattering in-phase dual circular polarization (DCP I ) ROA only two invariants contribute, the anisotropic magnetic-dipole and the electric-quadrupole optical-activity tensor invariants. These two invariants are isolated experimentally for (+)-trans-pinane and (−)-α-pinene.
Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic shock propagation in the corona

Recent developments in the field of numerical simulation models for the study of shock wave propagation in the corona are presented. These models are based on gasdynamic (GD) and ideal (that is, dissipationless, except at shocks) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theories. The characteristics and physical interpretations of the results derived from these models are discussed in some detail. The most significant physical results obtained to date are provided by the two-dimensional non-planar, time-dependent, MHD numerical simulation model. In this model, the non-linear interaction among the three essential MHD waves, i.e., fast-, slow-, and Alfven waves are demonstrated. Finally, the physical relevance of these numerical simulation models in relation to observed solar activity is presented.
Bayesian Methods for Accelerated Destructive Degradation Test Planning

Accelerated Destructive Degradation Tests (ADDTs) provide timely product reliability information in practical applications. This paper describes Bayesian methods for ADDT planning under a class of nonlinear degradation models with one accelerating variable. We use a Bayesian criterion based on the estimation precision of a specified failure-time distribution quantile at use conditions to find optimum test plans. A large-sample approximation for the posterior distribution provides a useful simplification to the planning criterion. The general equivalence theorem (GET) is used to verify the global optimality of the numerically optimized test plans. Optimum plans usually provide insight for constructing compromise plans which tend to be more robust, and practically useful. We present a numerical example with a log-location-scale distribution to illustrate the Bayesian test planning methods, and to investigate the effects of the prior distribution and sample size on test planning results.
Dictyostelid Cellular Slime Molds in Canopy Soils of Tropical Forests1

The occurrence and distribution of dictyostelid cellular slime molds (CSM) in the mantle of dead organic matter (literally a “canopy soil”) at the bases of large epiphytes were studied in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of north-eastern Puerto Rico. CSM were isolated from 18 of 50 samples collected from this microhabitat, and four different species were recovered. Dictyostelium purpureum was the single most abundant species and represented almost half (48%) of all clones isolated during the study. Total densities (clones/g) averaged only 38 in the five forest types examined, but densities > 75 were recorded for two forest types. Relative abundance of CSM in canopy soils of the five forest types followed the same general pattern displayed by these organisms in forest floor litter, but a particular species was not necessarily common to both microhabitats in a given forest type.
Uptake of exogenous DNA by pea seedlings and tobacco cells

Abstract 1. (1) The uptake of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DNA by pea seedlings, and uptake of tobacco DNA or P. aeruginosa DNA by tobacco cells in shake cultures has been investigated. The fate of the DNA has been followed by CsCl density gradient equilibrium centrifugation, using radiolabeled donor DNA of high density. 2. (2) Pea seedlings can take up P. aeruginosa DNA through their roots, but the P. aeruginosa DNA recovered by direct extraction of whole plants is partially degraded. When nuclear and nonnuclear fractions were prepared prior to DNA extraction, no P. aeruginosa DNA was found in either fraction, although both fractions contained nuclear DNA of pea. This is taken as evidence that P. aeruginosa DNA had not become sequestered in nucleoprotein of the pea nucleus, and was therefore exposed to nuclease action during preparation. 3. (3) Tobacco cells in shake cultures can take up tobacco DNA or P. aeruginosa DNA, provided that the cells are first washed and treated with pronase to eliminate DNAase secreted into the medium by the cells. Approx. 0.5% of exogenous DNA initially available was recovered in a partially degraded but nevertheless high molecular weight state from the nuclear fraction of tobacco cells. The remainder appeared to be very extensively degraded, and the breakdown products were largely found within the cells. 4. (4) In the course of this work a heavy satellite DNA of tobacco was encountered which was more rapidly labeled than general nuclear DNA.
Effect of vasovasostomy on contralateral testicular damage associated with unilateral vasectomy in mature and immature Lewis rats

Abstract Objective: We sought to determine if laser-assisted vasovasostomy could reverse the contralateral histologic testicular changes associated with unilateral vasectomy. Design: A prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled study. Setting: Animal microsurgical laboratory, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri. Patient(s): Twenty mature and 20 immature male Lewis rats. Intervention(s): Ten mature and 10 immature male Lewis rats underwent unilateral vasectomy. At 5 months, testicular biopsy and laser-assisted vasovasostomies were performed followed 2 months later by evaluation of vas patency and repeat testicular biopsy. Control animals consisted of 10 rats in each group, 5 that underwent sham operations and 5 that had halothane anesthesia alone. Result(s): In the immature and mature groups unilateral vasectomy resulted in marked contralateral testicular damage in 30% (3 of 10) and 50% (5 of 10), respectively. Vas patency determined 2 months after vasovasostomy was 80% (8 of 10) in the mature group and 89% (8 of 9) in the immature group. No animal that had contralateral testicular changes after vasectomy and a patent vas after vasovasostomy showed improvement in testicular histology. Conclusion(s): It appears that contralateral testicular damage associated with unilateral vasectomy is not improved 2 months after successful vasovasostomy in mature or immature Lewis rats.
Teaching oral communication at MIT: The concept module

In this paper, we introduce a teaching module used in an oral communications course at MIT to teach students how to (1) present technical material to a non-technical audience and (2) recover from things that may go wrong during a presentation. This module consists of various classroom activities that are all centered around an assignment in which students prepare a talk in order to explain a technical topic of their choosing to a non-technical audience. The entire experience culminates in a one-day conference attended by local high school students who serve as a live non-technical target audience for these talks. Here, we describe and discuss the various components of the module, with the hope that fellow practitioners will adopt and adapt the module for use in their home institution, and suggest modifications and improvements.
Some parameters of conditioned immunosuppression: species difference and CS-US delay.

Abstract Three experiments were conducted in which an illness-inducing immunosuppressant, cyclophosphamide (an unconditioned stimulus, US) was associated with a previously presented saccharine solution conditioned stimulus (CS). In each experiment, reexposure to the CS produced a conditioned suppression of the plaque-forming-cell response in the experimental groups. Experiment I demonstrated this result with Fisher 344 rats. Experiment II replicated the effect with Balb/c mice. In Experiment III conditioned immunosuppression was demonstrated when mice received CS-US delays as long as 6 hours. No evidence of a delay gradient was present in either the behavioral or the immunologic data. These parallel findings offer no support for the idea of a dissociation between the taste aversion and conditioned immunosuppression processes.
Kalman filter outputs for inclusion in video-stream metadata: accounting for the temporal correlation of errors for optimal target extraction

A video-stream associated with an Unmanned System or Full Motion Video can support the extraction of ground coordinates of a target of interest. The sensor metadata associated with the video-stream includes a time series of estimates of sensor position and attitude, required for down-stream single frame or multi-frame ground point extraction, such as stereo extraction using two frames in the video-stream that are separated in both time and imaging geometry. The sensor metadata may also include a corresponding time history of sensor position and attitude estimate accuracy (error covariance). This is required for optimal down-stream target extraction as well as corresponding reliable predictions of extraction accuracy. However, for multi-frame extraction, this is only a necessary condition. The temporal correlation of estimate errors (error cross-covariance) between an arbitrary pair of video frames is also required. When the estimates of sensor position and attitude are from a Kalman filter, as typically the case, the corresponding error covariances are automatically computed and available. However, the cross-covariances are not. This paper presents an efficient method for their exact representation in the metadata using additional, easily computed, data from the Kalman filter. The paper also presents an optimal weighted least squares extraction algorithm that correctly accounts for the temporal correlation, given the additional metadata. Simulation-based examples are presented that show the importance of correctly accounting for temporal correlation in multi-frame extraction algorithms.
Effects of hot light holes in n-channel silicon-on-sapphire MOSFETs

Silicon on sapphire (SOS) MOSFETs are light hole devices. Hot carrier induced degradation of SOS FETs are found to correlate with both substrate and gate currents. DC stressing experiments show that the effects of hot light holes are mainly charge trapping, and cause very little interface state generation. At gate biases that give rise to mixed carrier stressing, interface states are created in significant quantities. Mechanisms of hot carrier degradation in light hole devices are found to be consistent with those proposed for bulk silicon devices.
Continuous 12-lead ST-segment recovery analysis in the TAMI 7 study. Performance of a noninvasive method for real-time detection of failed myocardial reperfusion.

BACKGROUNDIf a practical, reliable, noninvasive marker of failed reperfusion was available in real time, the benefits of further therapy in this patient subgroup could be tested. We developed a method of 12-lead ST-segment recovery analysis using continuously updated reference points to provide such a marker.METHODS AND RESULTSIn this study, our method was prospectively tested in 144 patients given thrombolytic therapy early in myocardial infarction. All patients had 12-lead continuous ST-segment monitoring and acute angiography, each analyzed in an independent, blinded core laboratory. ST-segment recovery and re-elevation were analyzed up to the moment of angiography, at which time patency was predicted. Predictions were correlated to angiographic infarct artery flow, with TIMI flow 0 to 1 as occluded and TIMI flow 2 to 3 as patent. Infarct artery occlusion was seen on first injection in 27% of patients. The positive predictive value of incomplete ST recovery or ST re-elevation by our method was 71%, neg...
Electricity generation by a baffle-chamber membraneless microbial fuel cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for organic waste and wastewater treatment represent innovative technologies for pollution control and energy generation. The research reported here considers the influence of reactor configurations designed to mitigate the impact of oxygen transport on electricity generation by a baffle-chamber membraneless MFC. The reactor was constructed to reduce mixing in the vicinity of the cathode and facilitate thick (>1 mm) biofilm formation on the cathode by adding anaerobic biomass/sludge (4330 ± 410 mg COD L−1), resulting in an overall coulombic efficiency of more than 30% at glucose concentrations ranging from 96 to 960 mg COD L−1, compared to previously reported efficiencies <10% in a completely mixed membraneless MFC. Efficiencies in the absence of anaerobic sludge dropped to 21.2 ± 3.7%, suggesting that the importance of pH buffering provided by the biomass in improving electron transport to the anode. However, the anaerobic sludge itself provided very limited power (approximately 0.3 mW m−2) and power generation was primarily associated with glucose degradation (e.g., 129 ± 15 mW m−2).
Effect of Core Polarizability on Photoionization Cross-Section Calculations

Demonstration of the importance of core polarizability in a case where cancellation is only moderate, with suggestion of an improvement to the scaled Thomas-Fermi (STF) wave functions of Stewart and Rotenberg (1965). The inclusion of dipole polarizability of the core for argon is shown to substantially improve the agreement between the theoretical and experimental photoionization cross sections for the ground-state configuration.
Test-data volume optimization for diagnosis

Test data collection for a failing integrated circuit (IC) can be very expensive and time consuming. Many companies now collect a fix amount of test data regardless of the failure characteristics. As a result, limited data collection could lead to inaccurate diagnosis, while an excessive amount increases the cost not only in terms of unnecessary test data collection but also increased cost for test execution and data-storage. In this work, the objective is to develop a method for predicting the precise amount of test data necessary to produce an accurate diagnosis. By analyzing the failing outputs of an IC during its actual test, the developed method dynamically determines which failing test pattern to terminate testing, producing an amount of test data that is sufficient for an accurate diagnosis analysis. The method leverages several statistical learning techniques, and is evaluated using actual data from a population of failing chips and five standard benchmarks. Experiments demonstrate that test-data collection can be reduced by > 30% (as compared to collecting the full-failure response) while at the same time ensuring >90% diagnosis accuracy. Prematurely terminating test-data collection at fixed levels (e.g., 100 failing bits) is also shown to negatively impact diagnosis accuracy.
Complications, revision fusions, readmissions, and utilization over a 1-year period after bone morphogenetic protein use during primary cervical spine fusions.

Abstract Background context Nationwide estimates examining bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) use with cervical spine fusions have been limited to perioperative outcomes. Purpose To determine the 1-year risk of complications, cervical revision fusions, hospital readmissions, and health care services utilization. Study design A retrospective cohort study from 2002 to 2009 using a nationwide claims database. Patient sample There were 61,937 primary cervical spine fusions of which 1,677 received BMP. Outcome measures Complications, revision fusions, 30-day hospital readmission, and health care utilization. Methods Data for these analyses come from the Thomson Reuters MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database 2010. Patients were aged 18 to 64 years, receiving and not receiving BMP with a primary (C2–C7) cervical spine fusion. All outcomes were defined by International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition Clinical Modification and Current Procedural and Terminology, 4th edition codes. Complications were analyzed as any complication and stratified by nervous system, wound, and dysphagia or hoarseness. Cervical revision fusions were determined in the 1-year follow-up. Hospital readmission discharge records defined 30-day hospital readmission and reason for the readmission. The utilization of at least one health care service of cervical spine imaging, epidural usage or rehabilitation service was examined. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence interval (CI). Linear regression was used to determine the time to hospital readmission. Results were stratified by anterior or posterior and circumferential approaches. Results Patients receiving BMP were 29% more likely to have a complication (adjusted relative risk [aRR]=1.29 [95% CI, 1.14–1.46]) and a nervous system complication (aRR=1.42 [95% CI, 1.10–1.83]). Cervical revision fusions were more likely among patients receiving BMP (aRR=1.69 [95% CI, 1.35–2.13]). The risk of 30-day readmission was greater with BMP use (aRR=1.37 [95% CI, 1.07–1.73]) and readmission occurred 27.4% sooner on an average. Patients receiving BMP were more likely to receive computed tomography scans (aRR=1.34 [95% CI, 1.06–1.70]) and epidurals with anterior surgical approaches (aRR=1.29 [95% CI, 1.00–1.65]). Conclusions These findings question both the safety and effectiveness of off-label BMP use in primary cervical spine fusions.
Direct thrombin injection into aneurysmal sac in a patient with a type II endoleak

Summary Endovascular grafting of abdominal aortic aneurysms provides a good alternative to open surgery, especially in high-risk patients. Endoleaks are a well-recognized complication and are typically diagnosed on CT. We descibe a case in which a patient's endoleak was evaluated by MRI and successfully treated by direct thrombin injection into the site of the leak.
Lamb wave basis for impact-echo method analysis

The impact-echo method has been developed over the past 20 years and is now widely used in the nondestructive evaluation of concrete. However, some practical issues remain unresolved, such as the physical basis for the empirical correction factor sbd used to obtain thickness mode frequency. A new approach based on guided wave theory is proposed in this paper: that the impact-echo resonance in plates corresponds to the zero-group-velocity frequency of the S1 Lamb mode. A numerical model is developed, verified by experiment, and then shown to adequately simulate the dynamic response of a concrete plate. Using this model the thickness resonance mode is identified and found to accurately match that particular Lamb mode in terms of shape and frequency. New values forb based on the Lamb mode model are computed and dependence on material Poisson's ratio is demonstrated.
LibQUAL+™ as a confirming resource

This paper discusses library strategic visioning processes at Clemson University. Major themes for library advancement are identified. LibQUAL+™ emerged as a means of measuring or confirming progress toward the Clemson strategic vision. The paper outlines the use of LibQUAL+™ data to confirm previously identified areas that needed attention as well as areas of strength within the library.
Conceptions of Primary Forest in a Tzeltal Maya Community: Implications for Conservation

Tzeltal Maya of Chiapas, Mexico, recognize and name different stages of forest succession. Ethnobotanical interviews and analyses of free lists indicated that the Tzeltal Maya of Matsab are knowledgeable about what plants and birds are limited to the primary forest, but they do not appear to rely exclusively on this knowledge to distinguish between habitats. Other features such as tree size, humidity, and soil characteristics appear to take precedence over species composition. Consensus analysis indicated that knowledge of primary-forest plant names and potential uses was no different than for plants from the managed landscape, and knowledge was not correlated with frequency of visits to the forest. Conservation professionals should not assume that knowledge is synonymous with behavior or cultural importance, that indigenous classification is based on the same features as modern, scientific classification, or that indigenous perceptions of habitats are homogeneous.
Psychosocial Development and Subjective Well-Being in an Age Cross-Section of Adults:

Though often cited, Erikson's theory has been relatively neglected in empirical studies of adult development, partly because few measures operationalize his psychosocial constructs. The present research examined the internal consistency and construct validity of an expanded version of the Inventory of Psychosocial Development (E-IPD) which included the generativity and ego integrity scales created by Boylin et al. [1]. Participants were seventy-nine adults with a mean age of forty-two and mean educational level of fifteen years. Total E-IPD scores were found to have high internal consistency but many individual stage scales did not. Men's E-IPD scores showed discriminant validity with respect to social desirability and women's E-IPD scores showed convergent validity with a measure of subjective well-being. Psychosocial development scores were largely unrelated to age, indicating that the E-IPD may have little validity as a measure of adult development.
Fast (4,3)D GFT-TS NMR for NOESY of small to medium-sized proteins

Abstract NOESY NMR spectra provide interproton distance information for a molecule in solution and the complete, unambiguous determination of NOESY spectral assignments is the basis for protein structure determination. High resolution NOESY can be obtained from 13 C and 15 N isotope edited four-dimensional (4D) data, but these experiments would normally require weeks to complete. We have applied a G-matrix Fourier transform and time-sharing (GFT-TS) NMR method for simultaneously acquiring two sets of 4D NOESY data. The implementation of the GFT-TS allows 2.5- to 5-fold reduction in experimental time without sacrificing spectral resolution as compared with that of 3D data. The 13 C, 15 N-edited GFT-TS (4,3)D H – N – CN –H NOESY (GFT dimensions are underlined and TS dimensions are in italics) provides convenient and unambiguous NOE assignments for HN/HN and HN/HC for a sample of 1.4 mM ubiquitin (76 amino acids, 8.5 kDa). We also provide a set of utility scripts for data processing and spectral assignment to facilitate the use of GFT NMR. This method shows great promise for routine high quality NMR NOESY data collection for small to medium sized proteins.
Structural aspects of recognition motifs contributing to autoimmune responses.

ABSTRACT Sequence analysis of autoimmune-associated antibodies has suggested a structural relatedness between genes used to encode autoantibodies and those encoding unrelated antibodies without autoreactive specificities. Subsequently, the basis for cross-reactive idiotypes across germ-line lineages, as well as conserved interspecies cross-reactivities of autoantigens among serologically similar antibodies, may result from evolutionary duplication of particular types of recognition motifs. As a first step toward elucidating structural recognition principles underlying possible cross-reactive epitopes involved in autoimmune pathologies, structural features of selected motifs associated with native ligand binding are examined for their inherent occurrence in antibody and T-cell receptor repertoires. This analysis considers the putative recognition features representative of common motif subsets shared with loop structures in CDR2 and FR3 regions of antibodies such as charge-2x-charge-x-charge or hydrogen bo...
On Flexible Input Shaft and Flywheel Interaction in High-Speed Machines

Abstract While some elasticity in the coupling shaft between the driving motor and the machine input is desirable for attenuating the effects of misalignment, impact, etc. it is important to understand the resulting kineto-elastodynamic response of the machine for better design of the input shaft. One reason a flywheel is frequently used is to minimize the perturbations in the desired input motion. The elasticity in the coupling shaft interacts with the inertia of the flywheel to cause fluctuations in the desired machine motion. An improper selection of system parameters could result in adverse vibrations. In the approach described herein, an analytical indeterminacy arises owing to the fact that the input shaft motion dictates the requisite driving torque, which in turn controls the torsional vibration of the shaft. An iterative approach is used to arrive at the steady-state response of a machine with an elastic driving shaft. Once the vibratory response is known, a parametric study is conducted that would aid in a better understanding and an optimal design of the input shaft and the flywheel. Parameters such as the angular twist per unit length and the frequency and damping ratios has been considered.
Some mathematical problems concerning the ecological principle of competitive exclusion

The ecological principle of competitive exclusion asserts that two species cannot indefinitely occupy the same niche [Sj. Attempts have been made to state this principle as a mathematical theorem. A standard example is due to Volterra [14]. (See Example 2.1 below.) He constructed a model of two species competing for a single resource and showed that one of the species must go extinct. Although the concept of niche is rather vague, it is generally agreed that Volterra’s model is an example of two species competing for the same niche and is therefore an illustration of the principle of competitive exclusion. The generalizations of Volterra’s model have dealt largely with the introduction of more realistic assumptions about the interactions between species. These assumptions have led to some interesting mathematical problems, many of them unsolved. The purpose of this paper is to state these problems precisely, to give proofs of the known results, and to indicate the unanswered questions. The basic object of study is an idealized ecological community consisting of a certain number of species living together in an isolated geographical area. We shall assume that the community interactions are independent of both space and time and that each species is distributed uniformly over the region. The basic variables are the population densities of each of the species. The
Polarization transfer between oriented metastable helium atoms and neon atoms

Abstract Spin exchange accompanying energy transfer collisions between optically pumped metastable helium atoms and neon atoms has been observed. The magnetic resonance of the helium metastable atoms is observed by monitoring changes in the polarization of the radiation emitted by the neon at a variety of neon wavelengths.
In vivo high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the mouse brain

Abstract Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the laboratory mouse brain provides important macroscopic information for anatomical characterization of mouse models in basic research. Currently, in vivo DTI of the mouse brain is often limited by the available resolution. In this study, we demonstrate in vivo high-resolution DTI of the mouse brain using a cryogenic probe and a modified diffusion-weighted gradient and spin echo (GRASE) imaging sequence at 11.7 T. Three-dimensional (3D) DTI of the entire mouse brain at 0.125 mm isotropic resolution could be obtained in approximately 2 h. The high spatial resolution, which was previously only available with ex vivo imaging, enabled non-invasive examination of small structures in the adult and neonatal mouse brains. Based on data acquired from eight adult mice, a group-averaged DTI atlas of the in vivo adult mouse brain with 60 structure segmentations was developed. Comparisons between in vivo and ex vivo mouse brain DTI data showed significant differences in brain morphology and tissue contrasts, which indicate the importance of the in vivo DTI-based mouse brain atlas.
Aquinas, the Plotiniana Arabica, and the Metaphysics of Being and Actuality

L'A. recherche certaines sources philosophiques de l'ontologie de Saint Thomas d'Aquin dans le Liber de causis marque par le plotinisme. Il etudie les origines de ce texte dans les Plotinia Arabica consistant en traductions et paraphrases de plusieurs Enneades de Plotin groupees en trois recueils utilisees par les penseurs musulmans.
The Effects of Trunk Stability Exercise Using PNF on the Functional Reach Test and Muscle Activities of Stroke Patients

[Purpose] This study was performed to investigate the effects of trunk stability exercise using the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) technique on stroke patients’ muscle activation and their results in the functional reach test (FRT). [Subjects] Adult hemiplegia patients (n=40) were randomly allocated to two groups: an experimental group and a control group. [Methods] The experimental group performed a trunk stability exercise using the PNF, while the control group performed only a general exercise program for 6 weeks (5 times a week). Pre- and post-experiment measurements were made of the FRT. For measuring muscle activation, the quadriceps, hamstring, tibialis anterior, and soleus muscles were recorded by electromyography (EMG) in the FRT. [Results] The results of this study show that after performing the therapeutic exercise program, the experimental group showed significant improvements in FRT, activities of quadriceps, hamstring, and soleus muscles on the affected side, and activities of the quadriceps, and soleus muscles on the non-affected side, the control group showed significant improvements only in activities of the quadriceps, and soleus muscles on the non-affected side. [Conclusion] These results indicate that trunk stabilizing exercises using PNF performed by stroke patients were effective at improving FRT and the muscle activities of the soleus and quadriceps.
Utilization of murine peripheral blood lymphocytes for H-2 typing

We adapted the NIH Standard Protocol for HLA-A, B, C typing to perform murine H-2 typing. The assay is direct, measuring the cytotoxicity of the antiserum/cell/complement reaction with a supravital dye. This method is advantageous because it: utilizes peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from the tail vein; uses μl volumes of antiserum; is practical because the formalin fixed reactions need not be read immediately; involves standard and inexpensive cytotoxicity techniques; is easily interpreted and is readily reproducible.
Magic-Angle-Turning Experiments for Measuring Chemical-Shift-Tensor Principal Values in Powdered Solids

Abstract The magic-angle-turning (MAT) technique introduced by Gan employs slow (approximately 30 Hz) rotation of a powdered sample at the magic angle, in concert with pulses synchronized to 1/3 of the rotor period, to obtain isotropic-shift information in one dimension of a 2D spectrum. The other dimension displays a slow-spinning-sideband powder pattern which, at the low rotor frequencies employed, resembles the stationary-sample powder pattern. The MAT method is very effective for measuring chemical-shift principal values in compounds where spectral overlap precludes the use of 1D methods. Previous MAT implementations are reviewed, and it is shown how a new phase-corrected MAT (PHORMAT) pulse sequence overcomes many of their limitations. This new pulse sequence produces a spinning-sideband-free isotropic-shift spectrum directly as a projection onto the evolution axis with no spectral shearing. Only two purging operations are employed, resulting in a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Pure absorption-absorption-phased 2D spectra are produced. Flat 2D baseplanes result from an echo sequence which delays acquisition until after probe ring down and receiver recovery. The technique used for synchronizing the pulses to 1/3 the rotor period without relying on absolute rotor-frequency stability is described. The PHORMAT spectrum of methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside is presented. The data are analyzed with an emphasis on the quantitative accuracy of the experiment in measuring chemical-shift-tensor principal values and determining the relative number of spins of each type present. The FID data from the spectrometer acquisition are fitted with numerical simulations that employ a banded-matrix method for calculating spinning-sideband amplitudes. The chemical-shift principal values, measured in methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside with the PHORMAT method, are compared with those from a single-crystal determination of the full chemical-shift tensors. The two measurements differ by an RMS-average distance of only 0.57 ppm.
Multi-DOF inertial MEMS: From gaming to dead reckoning

This paper presents an overview of multi degrees-of-freedom (DOF) inertial MEMS in applications ranging from gaming to dead reckoning. Approaches to the implementation of high-performance inertial measurement units (IMU) are examined, focusing on challenges related to tri-axial gyroscope implementation. Benefits and tradeoffs of homogeneous multi-axis sensors are reviewed and contrasted with advances in single-chip integrated IMUs.
Perception of food amounts by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): The role of magnitude, contiguity, and wholeness.

The authors investigated choice behavior by chimpanzees in five experiments involving choices between different amounts of food. Chimpanzees did not maximize the amount of food they obtained when choosing between a single 20-g banana piece and another option containing a 20-g piece and a 5-g piece. This was true even though they successfully discriminated between 20-g and 25-g banana pieces in other trials. When items in the mixed option were stacked, however, the chimpanzees chose the larger amount. Later experiments indicated that changing the magnitude of the two amounts did not change performance if the difference in magnitude between the two options remained the same (e.g., 40 g plus 10 g vs. 40 g). However, chimpanzees did improve when the two-item option was increased in its magnitude relative to the single slice (e.g., 20 g plus 10 g vs. 20 g). These results indicated that chimpanzees undervalued the total amount of food in sets when items differed in size and did not appear to be whole. Another experiment confirmed that it was this notion of wholeness that evoked suboptimal responding because chimpanzees were successful in the same comparisons with a different type of food that appeared less fractionated when presented as two pieces. These results provide evidence of suboptimal responding in some natural choice situations that prevents chimpanzees from maximizing food intake.