cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Analysis of a New Class of WDM Optical Interconnect Architectures

In this paper, we develop a new class of three-stage Clos-like wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical interconnects with reduced hardware cost and control complexity. A novel WDM crossbar switch is developed and is used as a building block for designing the proposed class of WDM interconnects. We parameterize the design space and give a complete characterization of the proposed class. Our analysis of the hardware design complexity shows that the proposed design compares favorably to most existing WDM interconnects. We also show that the proposed crossbar switch and the new class of WDM interconnects admit most existing routing algorithms with simple extensions.
Surface Studies of Chromate Binding to Fused Quartz/Water Interfaces

While it is well known that chromium contamination in groundwater represents a considerable threat to the environment, little is known about the heterogeneous processes that govern chromium interaction with solid materials in soil. Using the nonlinear optical laser spectroscopy surface second harmonic generation (SHG), we have studied chromate adsorption and desorption at the fused quartz/liquid water interface in real time, at room temperature and at chromate concentrations between 1 × 10-6 and 2 × 10-4 M. Adsorbed chromate is spectroscopically identified via a two-photon resonance of one of its ligand-to-metal charge-transfer bands with the fundamental probe light. Adsorption isotherm measurements at 300 K result in a free chromate adsorption energy ΔGads of 38 ± 1 kJ/mol at pH 7. Real-time kinetic measurements of chromate adsorption and desorption show reversible chromate binding to the fused quartz/water interface, consistent with the high mobility of Cr(VI) in soils and the ΔGads determined from our ...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Implications for the 1990s and effective control measures

Data from around the world verify the escalating incidence of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Since MRSA are spread primarily on the hands of health care workers, rates of infection are a function of infection control activities within institutions. Moreover, infections with MRSA are serious and often life-threatening. Thus, there are compelling medical and ethical reasons to invest in control measures. Currently available data suggest the efficacy of three measures: (a) identification of the entire patient reservoir (cases and carriers) for purposes of isolation; (b) strict handwashing between patients to prevent transmission; and (c) treatment of the carrier state in health care workers and patients during periods of high infection rates with safe and effective topical agents such as mupirocin.
Cellulases from Neocallimastix frontalis EB188 synthesized in the presence of glycosylation inhibitors: measurement of pH and temperature optima, protease and ion sensitivities

The effects of protein glycosylation inhibitors were studied in Neocallimastix frontalis EB188. Low concentrations of tunicamycin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose inhibited zoospore germination, rhizoidal elongation, carbon source utilization and the production and secretion of cellulases and proteins. The carbohydrate-trimming inhibitors, deoxynojirimycin and glucono-δ-lactone, had no measurable effect on rhizoidal growth and carbon source utilization. Cellulases (intracellular or extracellular) synthesized in the presence of glycosylation inhibitors were sensitive to β-endoglycosidase H digestion, periodate modification, certain salts, changes in incubation temperature and pH, and protease. Anthrone staining of extracellular proteins confirmed the presence of glycoproteins. In N. frontalis EB188, glycosylation of protein and cellulase occurred and was important for cellular development and the production, secretion and activity of cellulases.
The Life Cycle of Florida Keys' Waterspouts. I

Abstract Detailed, multi-faceted analyses show that waterspouts have a characteristic life cycle consisting of five discrete but overlapping stages: 1) the dark spot, a prominent light-colored disc on the sea surface surrounded by a dark patch, diffuse on its outer edges, which represents a complete vortex column from cloud base to sea surface; 2) the spiral pattern, the primary growth phase of the waterspout, characterized by alternating dark- and light-colored surface bands around the dark spot; 3) the spray ring (incipient spray vortex), concentrated around the dark spot, with a lengthening funnel above; 4) the mature waterspout (spray vortex), the stage of maximum overall organization and intensity; and 5) the decay stage, when waterspout dissipation (often abrupt) is initiated by cool downdrafts from a nearby developing rain shower.
Early Phase Diagenesis and Lithification of Deep-Sea Chalks and Chert: ABSTRACT

Deep-sea drilling has recovered rare, but areally persistent, consolidated and semiconsolidated calcareous nannofossil oozes from Tertiary strata of present ocean basins. They are ideal for studies of early phase diagenesis and lithification of carbonate and siliceous rock. Scanning electron microscope observations of hard laminae within unconsolidated Oligocene ooze sequences in the South Atlantic have revealed evidence of submarine lithification effected at bathyal depths through the chemical precipitation of calcite cement as overgrowths on organic skeletal particles and as free-growing euhedral crystals. Calcite cementation may be followed by the deposition of authigenic zeolite (clinoptilolite) and the mobilization of silica initially deposited as volcanic glass and ests of siliceous organisms. In some chalks from the Caribbean Sea and the South Atlantic, silica has been redeposited in the form of spherical aggregates about 2½-3 µ in diameter which partly fill pore spaces and may form an accessory cement. Chert stringers and lenses are also present in these chalks and the spherical aggregates may represent an early stage in the formation of deep-sea chert. Environmental and geologic factors responsible for the lithification of Tertiary deep-sea calcareous oozes are probably not everywhere the same. Studies of Pacific chalks and oozes (Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 18) indicate that movement of interstitial fluids in response to compaction may be important in determining the solution and lithification histories of some calcareous sediments. End_of_Article - Last_Page 663------------
Evaluation of the child with deafness or delayed speech.

Key diagnostic features of deafness and partial hearing loss are reviewed, with respect to etiology, detection of hearing loss, language development, and management.
Characterization of currently marketed heparin products: composition analysis by 2D-NMR

Each type of heparin has a unique pattern of signals in their NMR spectra because of the effects of the process specific chemical reactions used to manufacture them. Thus, for heparin sodium, 1D-1H-NMR identification tests are part of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and European Pharmacopeia (EP) monographs. Previous work has shown that two-dimensional (2D) NMR data can be used to identify heparin types and be used to calculate heparin composition. Therefore, in this study, we applied a 2D 1H–13C-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectroscopy experiment to characterize the normal variation of intact heparin sodium or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) molecular composition in USP grade sample lots which were available on the US market in the summer of 2009. We tested 7 heparin sodium active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) samples by the 2D method representing lots from 6 manufacturers and the USP heparin sodium identification standard. In addition, we tested 10 LMWH API samples from 3 manufactures of different types of LMWH and the USP enoxaparin identification standard. Using the integrated volumes of HSQC cross-peaks assigned to specific heparin species the monosaccharide or disaccharide percent compositions were calculated. These data establish the composition and normal range of variability for each of the heparin types in the 2D assay across manufacturers supplying the US market. The values obtained from the NMR test were similar to those obtained from mass spectrometric analysis of heparin digests on the same sample set. The robustness of the assay was tested by varying the acquisition time from ∼3 to ∼68 h by changing the number of transients co-added or the relaxation delay; across these changes the percent composition values obtained did not vary significantly. We conclude that the manner in which the calculations are performed minimizes experimental errors that arise from differences in spectral signal-to-noise, heparin 1JCH through bond coupling constants or relaxation times.
Environmental Distinctions between Cellular and Slabular Convective Lines

Abstract The organizational mode of quasi-linear convective systems often falls within a spectrum of modes described by a line of discrete cells on one end (“cellular”) and an unbroken two-dimensional swath of ascent on the other (“slabular”). Convective events exhibiting distinctly cellular or slabular characteristics over the continental United States were compiled, and composite soundings of the respective inflow environments were constructed. The most notable difference between the environments of slabs and cells occurred in the wind profiles; lines organized as slabs existed in much stronger low-level line-relative inflow and stronger low-level shear. A compressible model with high resolution (Δx = 500 m) was used to investigate the effects of varying environmental conditions on the nature of the convective overturning. The numerical results show that highly cellular convective lines are favored when the environmental conditions and initiation procedure allow the convectively generated cold pools to ...
Schätzung des unfallbedingten Integritätsschadens am Sehorgan bei unfallfremdem Vorschaden

According to the insurance law, compensation for damage of integrity has to be realized only in cases of accident caused damage of integrity. In cases of preexisting damage on the affected eye the evaluation is simple: Total damage minus non accidental cause integrity damage is equal to accident caused damage of integrity. More difficult is the evaluation in cases of preexisting damage on the partner eye. According to the visual function of the non affected eye (first eye) the basic value of the accident eye (second eye) amounts in case of total loss between 30 and 70%. Values in between in cases of partial damages are explained by means of a three-dimensional graphic.
Evaluation of photochemically modified poly (arylsulfone) ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract We have successfully adapted an irradiation method for modifying poly (ether sulfone) (PES) membranes to reduce protein adsorption and mitigate membrane fouling. The method using ultraviolet (UV) radiation without a photoinitiator was previously developed with poly (arylsulfone) membranes. By choosing appropriate radiation and solution conditions, we have attached hydrophilic monomers (and resulting polymers) to the top portion of PES ultrafiltration membranes (top 15 μm of total membrane thickness for 10 min irradiation). The resultant membranes were compared to the unmodified membranes using a standardized permeation test to obtain permeation flux and retention in the presence of a 0.1 wt% bovine serum albumin solution. Increased fluxes of about 20–27% with comparable retentions for the protein solution were obtained. The effects of solvent type (water or methanol), reaction period, and type of functional group were also measured. At 0.1 mg/l of BSA in solution, 43% less BSA was adsorbed onto the HEMA modified membrane than onto the original poly (ether sulfone) membrane.
A hybrid algorithm for robust acoustic source localization in noisy and reverberant environments

Acoustic source localization using microphone arrays is widely used in videoconferencing and surveillance systems. However, it still remains a challenging task to develop efficient algorithms for accurate estimation of source location using distributed data processing. In this work, we propose a new algorithm for efficient localization of a speaker in noisy and reverberant environments such as videoconferencing. We propose a hybrid algorithm that combines generalized cross correlation based phase transform method (GCC-PHAT) and Tabu search to obtain a robust and accurate estimate of the speaker location. The Tabu Search algorithm iteratively improves the time difference of arrival (TDOA) estimate of GCC-PHAT by examining the neighboring solutions until a convergence in the TDOA value is obtained. Experiments were performed based on real world data recorded from a meeting room in the presence of noise such as computer and fans. Our results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid algorithm outperforms GCC-PHAT especially when the noise level is high. This shows the robustness of the proposed algorithm in noisy and realistic videoconferencing systems.
Accuracy of Neural Network and Regression Leaf Area Estimators for the Amazon Basin

The ability to map and monitor leaf area index throughout the Amazon Basin is important to assess and predict environmental degradation. This study measured leaf area index (LAI) values at 64 locations characteristic of many different cover types including mature forest, secondary succession, pasture, cropped land, barren land, and urban area throughout the Santarem, Brazil area. The field data were used in conjunction with ASTER visible and infrared data to compare the accuracy of multiple regression and artificial neural network models for LAI prediction. Assessments of model accuracy were determined by calculating RMSE. Results indicate that artificial neural networks are more accurate than traditional statistical techniques to estimate LAI in this part of the Amazon Basin. In addition, it was found that lower LAI values modeled the poorest because of a mix of spectral signatures.
Laser-controlled local magnetic field with semiconductor quantum rings

We analyze theoretically the dynamics of $N$ electrons localized in a narrow semiconductor quantum ring under a train of phase-locked infrared laser pulses. The pulse sequence is designed to control the total angular momentum of the electrons. The quantum ring can be put in states characterized by strong currents. The local magnetic field created by these currents can be used for a selective quantum control of single spins in semiconductor systems. The current generation in quantum rings with finite width is also studied.
Customer‐centric six sigma quality and reliability management

This paper presents a customer‐centric six sigma quality management as an extension of the traditional six sigma way. It views product quality and process reliability as key to achieving six sigma and adopts a holistic view of quality. The aim is to offer practical guidelines to business leaders, practicing mangers and those interested in quality, the new directions in quality management. It views reliability management as an integral part of any six sigma strategy since the focus in reliability management is on process reliability and dependability. Thus, by bringing both product and process quality together, a customer‐centric six sigma can be achieved.
Patient adherence and adjustment in renal dialysis: A person x treatment interactive approach

We classified 52 in-center hemodialysis patients and 34 self-treated, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients on two latent variable indices reflecting patient coping style (i.e., “Information Vigilance” and “Active Coping”). The concurrent and prospective interactive effects of Dialysis Type and Coping Style were examined on patient dietary and medication adherence and on patient depression. In cross-sectional analyses, higher Information Vigilance was associated with better dietary adherence for CAPD patients but poorer adherence for In-Center Hemodialysis patients. No significant effects were found on a measure of medication adherence. Information Vigilance exerted a concurrent main effect on depression, such that higher scores were associated with less depression irrespective of dialysis type. Higher Active Coping scores were associated with lower residualized change in depression for both types of dialysis.
Regulation of renal phosphate transport by acute and chronic metabolic acidosis in the rat

Regulation of renal phosphate transport by acute and chronic meta- bolic acidosis in the rat. Metabolic acidosis results in impaired renal tubular phosphate reabsorption and proximal tubular apical brush border membrane (BBM) sodium gradient-dependent phosphate transport (Na/Pi cotransport) activity. In the present study we investigated the cellular mechanisms responsible for decreased Na/Pi cotransport activity following six hours to 10 days of metabolic acidosis induced by ingestion of NH4Cl. Urinary Pi excretion was significantly increased and BBM Na/Pi cotransport activity was progressively and significantly decreased by 18% at six hours, 24% at 12 hours, 32% at 24 hours, and 61% after 10 days of metabolic acidosis. The progressive and time-dependent decreases in BBM cotransport activity were associated with progressive decreases in BBM NaPi-2 protein (43% at 12 hr, 54% at 24 hr and 66% at 10 days) and cortical NaPi-2 mRNA (22% at 12 hr, 54% at 24 hr and 56% at 10 days) abundance. Interestingly, following six hours of metabolic acidosis, there was a significant 29% decrease in BBM NaPi-2 protein abundance that was not associated with decreases in either cortical homogenate NaPi-2 protein or cortical NaPi-2 mRNA abundance. In additional studies we found that the effects of chronic metabolic acidosis on Na/Pi cotransport activity were independent of endogenous parathyroid hormone activity, but were somewhat dependent on dietary Pi intake. In rats fed a high or a normal Pi diet metabolic acidosis caused significant decreases in Na/Pi cotransport activity, NaPi-2 protein and NaPi-2 mRNA abundance, how- ever, in rats fed a low Pi diet the inhibitory effect of metabolic acidosis on Na/Pi cotransport were minimal and not significant. These results indicate that in chronic ($ 12 hr) metabolic acidosis the progressive decrease in BBM Na/Pi cotransport activity is most likely mediated by decreases in BBM NaPi-2 protein and cortical mRNA abundance. In contrast, in acute (# 6 hr) metabolic acidosis the decrease in BBM Na/Pi cotransport activity is likely mediated by changes in the trafficking of the NaPi-2 protein that is, enhanced internalization from and/or impaired delivery of the NaPi-2 protein to the apical BBM.
Amyloid β Proteins, Modified by a Lipid Oxidation Product, Are Nucleation Sites for Fibril Formation on Lipid Membranes

Oxidatively damaged lipid membranes are known to promote the aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) proteins and fibril formation. When lipid membranes contain ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is produced during oxidative stress. We previously demonstrated that HNE modifies the three His residues in Aβ proteins by Michael addition, which increases the hydrophobicity and affinity of Aβ proteins for the membrane surface, and promotes the aggregation of unmodified Aβ proteins into fibrils. There are two different mechanisms by which the promotion of fibril formation may occur. HNE-modified Aβ proteins may act as catalytic templates that stabilize monomers in a fibrillar conformation, but do not ultimately become a part of the fibril (template mechanism). Alternatively, they may act as seeds that reduce a kinetic barrier to adopt a fibrillar conformation by becoming a part of the fibril (seed mechanism). In this report, the concentrations of HNE-modified Aβ proteins in fibrils, in solution, and in lipid vesicle membranes were monitored in order to distinguish between these two mechanisms.Results indicate that HNE-modified Aβ proteins associate primarily with lipid membranes, suggesting that HNE promotes fibril formation by the template mechanism, and that relatively little HNE-modified Aβ is incorporated into fibrils. This result is pathophysiologically significant because such templates are not consumed by the process of fibril formation and may be long-lived. The formation of isolated templates may also account for the patchy distribution of amyloid fibril plaques in brain tissue afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.
The use of subjective scales for measuring interpersonal reactions

Abstract A procedure is described for using subjective scales similar to the subjective unit of disturbance scale to measure changes in interpersonal relationships. An example of the use of such a scale to measure changes in levels of interpersonal irritation is given. Several other examples of possible subjective scales in similar ways are suggested.
A critical look at space technology and the developing world

Abstract Technology is neutral, its use is not. Its introduction and use take place in social, cultural, political and economic contexts which can be at considerable variance with those of the introducing countries, and which are not homogeneous within countries having wide variations in knowldege, background skills, and interpretations of meaning and opportunity. This paper tries to take a dispassionate look at the social and cultural factors that are involved in the introduction, use, and maintenance of space technology in the developing world.
Loss, social change, and the prospect of mourning

Abstract We would like to discuss the effects of social change on the experience and function of mourning. The question we pose is: What are the implications for the individual as well as for society when the grief expressed by a significant survivor is transitory and the mourning process is not experienced?
Strings in the harmonic gauge

Abstract The bosonic string is quantized in a path-integral formulation in harmonic gauge. The BRST transformations are identified and the stress tensor is constructed. The conformal anomaly is computed, and has the standard ( D −26) form. The ghost number current is shown to have no anomalies, even on a curved world sheet.
Analysing Japanese Financial Statements: Practical adjustment procedures for intercorporate share ownership

Prior studies have indicated the problem of ignoring the impact of environmental considerations when undertaking ratio analysis. This paper shows how the intercorporate ownership structure of Japan can influence financial ratios. It also presents two adjustment procedures to increase the comparability between U.S. and Japanese financial statements. The treasury stock method has its roots in Western consolidation principles, but is difficult to calculate for the typical Japanese Keiretsu. The preference share method is based on the stable shareholding structure of Japanese corporate ownership and is relatively easier to implement.
Calculation and measurement of the electronic part of the thermal conductivity of a strong-coupling superconductor in which elastic scattering of the electrons dominates

We have generalized the theoretical expression for the electronic contribution ${K}_{\mathrm{es}}$ to the thermal conductivity in strong-coupling superconductors to include elastic scattering of the electrons. In the limit where the elastic scattering dominates, the resulting expression for ${K}_{\mathrm{es}}$ is equivalent to that of Bardeen, Rickayzen, and Tewordt except for a change in the energy-gap width; the renormalization function ${Z}_{s}$ does not explicitly appear. We have made measurements of the thermal conductivity of quench-condensed lead films which are in very good agreement with the theory, with no adjustable parameters.
And That's How I Connect to MY Library: How a 42-second Promotional Video Helped to Launch the UTSA Libraries' New Summon Mobile Application

The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries developed a short, engaging video to introduce students to new mobile search capabilities that came bundled with Serials Solutions' Summon unified search product. However, prior to introducing the tool to students, groundwork was laid to better understand how Summon performs on mobile phones and to educate library staff—especially those who did not own Web-enabled phones themselves. Internally, we debated the extent to which we should promote a search tool that is not available to all our users. Ultimately, we felt the benefits of allowing students to access the library using the technology they clearly prefer has more benefits than drawbacks.
Co-regulation of long-term potentiation and experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in visual cortex by age and experience

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a lasting enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission that follows specific patterns of electrical stimulation. Although the mechanism of LTP has been intensively studied, particularly in the hippocampus, its significance for normal brain function remains unproven. It has been proposed that LTP-like mechanisms may contribute to naturally occurring, experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the visual cortex. The formation of normal binocular connections within the visual cortex requires simultaneous input from both eyes during a postnatal critical period that can be delayed by rearing animals in complete darkness. To explore the role of LTP in this experience-dependent maturation process, we induced LTP in visual cortical slices taken at different ages from light-reared and dark-reared rats. Susceptibility to LTP coincides with the critical period and, like the critical period, can be prolonged by rearing animals in darkness. These findings support the hypothesis that LTP reflects a normal mechanism of experience-dependent synaptic modification in the developing mammalian brain.
The structure and properties of binary zinc phosphate glasses studied by molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract In recent years, the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to understand and predict the properties of materials has become an increasingly popular and powerful tool. In this study, MD simulations were used to investigate the structural and physical properties of a binary zinc phosphate glass series, x ZnO · (100− x )P 2 O 5 , (40⩽ x ⩽70) where x is the mole percent modifier. A newly developed forcefield model incorporating Coulombic, plus two- and three-body interactions was employed, with the model parameters being empirically derived from known zinc–phosphate crystal structures. This zinc–phosphate forcefield model was used to perform MD calculations of densities, glass transition temperatures, T g , average coordination numbers (CN) radial distribution functions, G ( r ), and pair distribution function, g ( r ), as a function of Zn concentration. In addition, the effects of computational quenching rates on the simulated densities were also investigated. Overall, the MD simulation results revealed the presence of long-range order in the form of rings and chains near the metaphosphate composition. These extended range structures disappeared beyond the metaphosphate composition, becoming isolated non-bridging phosphate tetrahedron as the Zn concentration approached the pyrophosphate composition. The MD simulations also revealed that the average Zn CN was invariant across the entire Zn concentration range investigated. These results demonstrate that the observed T g behavior does not require an increase in the Zn CN.
Cytokine therapy of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: interferons, interleukin-12, and interleukin-2

It is well accepted that cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), including mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome, represent lymphomas that are highly responsive to immune modifying agents. Furthermore, the recent emphasis on the use of cytokine-related therapeutics is based upon the exceedingly important role of the host immune response in effecting progression of disease. In this article we discuss the data that support the importance of the host immune response in the control of progression of CTCL and the role that cytokine therapy has in supporting the host immune response and the effects of this approach to induce regression of skin and systemic disease.
ILLNESS AMBIGUITY AND THE SEARCH FOR MEANING A Case Study of a Self-Help Group for Affective Disorders

This article reports on a group of people who met weekly to discuss problems associated with suffering from depression or manic depression. Group discussion constituted a collective search for meaning about an inherently ambiguous chronic illness. The analysis in the article centers on how the members of this self-help group collectively produced a perspective for making sense of their trouble. Although group discussion covered a range of topics, questions about the meaning of diagnosis, the extent of personal responsibility for the illness, the nature of members' reliance on medical experts, and the efficacy of psychotropic medications were dominant themes. Data illustrate how group discussion generated a rhetoric that provided plausible explanations for members' shared difficulty while protecting their identities. Group talk also implied an antipsychiatry ideology that questioned medical dominance in the treatment of affective disorders.
On some small sample properties of generalized estimating equationEstimates for multivariate dichotomous outcomes

(1992). On some small sample properties of generalized estimating equationEstimates for multivariate dichotomous outcomes. Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation: Vol. 41, No. 1-2, pp. 19-29.
In Vivo Occlusal Forces and Moments: II. Mathematical Analysis and Recommendations for Instrumentation Specifications

Mathematical models are derived to describe in vivo maximum occlusal force and moment data generated during mandibular terminal hinge closure for the molars and premolars and for the mandibular central incisors in the straight protrusive position. Recommendations for biting force instrumentation specifications are presented.
Physical Factors Influencing the Formation and Fat Content of Gravit Cream

The rate of creaming of milk, the depth of the cream layer, and the fat content of the cream and skim milk in gravity creaming have been the subjects for a large number of investigations. It has been shown that various treatments markedly affect the creaming of milk and since many of these treatments also produced other accompanying changes in the milk the conclusion, frequently, has been drawn that a causal relation existed between the creaming of milk and some of the accompanying phenomenon, when actually this was not the case. Arnold (1) believed that as the milk cooled rapidly the fat did not cool as fast as the plasma, and that therefore cooling produced a great difference in density and caused the cream to rise. Babcock (2) was the first to call attention to the clumped condition of the fat globules in normal raw milk but he then concluded that clumping tended to prevent cream from rising, Woll, Babcock and Russell (40) and Hammer (15) however associated the clumping of fat globules with creaming. The clumping of fat globules as it influences creaming was specifically studied by Rahn (28) van Dam and Sirks (33) Hekma and Sirks (19) Sirks (31) Brouwer (6) and Hekma (18) who came to the conclusion that normal gravity cream was obtained only when the fat globules were clumped. On the other hand Palmer and Anderson (26) and Palmer, Hening and Anderson (27) have presented the results of experiments which they interpret as
The Inverse Relationship Between Party Strength and Executive Strength: A Theory of Politicians' Constitutional Choices

Constitutions devised by rank-and-file legislative politicians in the ‘Third Wave’ of democratization tend to exhibit an inverse relationship between party strength and executive strength. Party strength refers to the extent to which legislators campaign on the basis of their parties' reputations as providers of public policy as opposed to personal reputations as providers of more narrowly targeted services. Executive strength refers to the constitutional authority of the executive to influence policy independent of partisan support in the legislature. Politicians' interest in one configuration of power or another can be deduced logically from the situation in which they find themselves at the time they are designing a new democratic regime.
Effect of carbon dioxide on the inactivation of florida spiny lobster polyphenol oxidase

Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) polyphenol oxidase (PPO) exposed to CO2 (1 atm) at 33, 38, and 43°C showed a decrease in enzyme activity with increased heating time. Enzyme inactivation by CO2 was faster for PPO heated at 43 than at 33 or 38°C. Inactivation kinetics revealed PPO was more labile to CO2 and heat in the range 33–43°C than to heat alone. Kinetic data also revealed that CO2, in addition to pH changes, was involved in the loss of PPO activity. Studies using get electrophoresis showed no differences in protein patterns and isoelectric point between CO2-treated and non-treated control. The pH of CO2-treated PPO stock solution was brought back from 5.4 to 8.0 after 6 weeks of frozen-storage and no enzyme reactivation was observed.
Ammunition for Fighting a Demand-Side War on Drugs: A Review of Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment

In March, 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush completed a five-nation tour of Latin America. Many of these nations are on the front lines of the decades-old U.S. war on drugs. As many readers are aware, a major component of the strategy employed by the U.S. in fighting this war has been what economists call supply-side efforts. The strategy is simple: If one can reduce the supply of drugs on U.S. streets, this will drive prices up and, as any economist will tell you, as price goes up, consumption declines. Thus, the U.S. spends over a billion dollars annually eradicating coca fields in Columbia, breaking up drug cartels in Mexico, and arresting and imprisoning drug dealers in the U.S. This supply-side strategy has strained relations between the U.S. and its allies. Afghanistan's President Hammed Karzi, for example, recently refused U.S. pressure to allow herbicidal spraying of its poppy fields under fear of popular uprisings against the Kabul government. Similarly, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon recently complained to President Bush that Mexican officials are putting their lives on the line in the drug war while the U.S. makes little more than “symbolic gestures” to curb its insatiable appetite for drugs.
Deterministic sampling-based switching kalman filtering for vehicle tracking

Accurate tracking is a difficult task in most computer vision applications. Errors in target localization and tracking result not only from the general uncontrolled nature of the environment but also from inaccurate modeling of the target motion. This work presents a novel solution for the robust estimation of target trajectories obtained from real-world scenes such as traffic intersections. The main contribution of this work is a deterministic sampling approach applied to the filtering step of the switching Kalman filter/smoother. The unscented transform is used to obtain a fixed set of samples of the state distribution in the filtering step. Results demonstrating the improved accuracy and robustness of the proposed method, namely, deterministic sampling or unscented transform-based switching Kalman filter (DS-SKS or UKS) and the standard switching Kalman filter/smoother (SKS) are presented
Categorizing and modeling variation in families of systems: a position paper

This paper presents an approach that considers variation in systems and system architectures according to the kind of relation among the variants in the software family. The approach highlights why it is beneficial to consider such different variation relations separately and gives examples of what these relations may be.Two main categories of variation relations are presented, based on whether the system architecture remains constant (architecture-based variation), or whether the architecture itself is variable, i.e. the variants do not share a common architecture. The paper introduces several different kinds of variation families that seem to belong to these two categories, as well as yet other families comprising variants that do not neatly fit in either category, with only a subset of the variants sharing a common architecture. Each kind of variation relation is illustrated with an example software family from different domains, including operating systems (OS).
Observed impact of subtropical-midlatitude South Atlantic SST anomalies on the atmospheric circulation

[1] A maximum covariance analysis (MCA) of monthly anomaly data from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis during 1981–2007 suggests that the atmosphere over subtropical-midlatitude South Atlantic during the austral late winter and spring is significantly correlated to the underlying sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (SSTA) up to at least 4 months earlier. Such SST impact on the atmosphere is independent from the tropical Pacific and tropical South Atlantic influence, and is confirmed by the regression analysis based on the SSTA centers of action. The MCA pattern of SST resembles the dominant mode of SST variability and the monopole atmospheric signal is barotropic through the troposphere and hemispheric in extent. This implies predictability of the late winter and spring atmospheric circulation in the subtropical-midlatitude South Atlantic with a lead time of up to 4 months.
Development of a 3 MW High Speed Generator and Turbine Drive for a Hybrid Vehicle Propulsion System

The need for increased design flexibility and reduced weight and volume for electric power generation infrastructure has driven an increased interest in the use of high speed generators directly driven by gas turbine prime movers for both military and commercial power generation applications. This transition has been facilitated by the use of dc distribution and recent advances in the performance of solid state power conversion equipment, enabling designers to decouple the power generation frequency from typical 60 Hz ac loads. Operation of the generator at the turbine output speed eliminates the need for a speed reduction gearbox and can significantly increase the volumetric and gravimetric power density of the power generation system. This is particularly true for turbines in the 3 to 10 MW power range which typically operate with power turbine speeds of 7,000 to 16,000 rpm
Survival analysis and mortgage termination at AgChoice ACA.

Purpose – This paper aims to identify factors that affect agricultural mortgage default and prepayment.Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of farm credit system loans, prepayment and default are modeled as competing risks with potentially non‐stationary covariates using a statistical/econometric technique called survival snalysis (SA).Findings – The analysis suggests that the primary drivers of prepayment and default are the rate of interest charged by the lender at origination and the borrower's current ratio at origination. Tests of the existence of a geographic effect indicate that despite bank management belief to the contrary, branches may not be homogeneous.Research limitations/implications – This analysis would be improved if more data were available in an easily obtainable manner to control for unobserved heterogeneity. Unobserved heterogeneity or incomplete specification within a model can be problematic. Inferences among regression coefficients can be problematic in that the estimates h...
Spectral spreading from surface bubble motion

At low frequencies, surface bubbles contribute to acoustic backscattering in aggregate, and the motion of these bubble masses causes spectral spreading of the acoustic signals. This motion of the bubbles entrained in the surface waves is used to obtain the power spectrum of a low-frequency surface-scattered signal at a low grazing angle. A spectral distribution of the deterministic surface drift, augmented by breaking wave crests, is developed for the wave frequency components that are actively breaking. This motion is combined with the random motion in a wave cycle to predict the spectral widths of low-angle backscattered sound. To permit comparisons with measured data, convolutions of these spectra with simple square pulses of various durations are performed. >
Altered Intravascular Contrast Material Flow Dynamics: Clues for Refining Thoracic CT Diagnosis

The ability of helical thoracic CT to acquire data rapidly has enabled radiologists to use the dynamics of contrast medium flow more effectively to diagnose subtle abnormalities. In general, these abnormal flow dynamics manifest in two ways: diverted hyperdense venous opacification and an altered temporal relationship of vascular opacification. When observed, these findings serve as clues for the detection of elusive anatomic and physiologic abnormalities.
3-D surface description from binocular stereo

A stereo vision system that attempts to achieve robustness with respect to scene characteristics, from textured outdoor scenes to environments composed of highly regular man-made objects is presented. It integrates area-based and feature-based primitives. The area-based processing provides a dense disparity map, and the feature-based processing provides an accurate location of discontinuities. An area-based cross correlation, an ordering constraint, and a weak surface smoothness assumption are used to produce an initial disparity map. This disparity map is only a blurred version of the true one because of the smoothing introduced by the cross correlation. The problem can be reduced by introducing edge information. The disparity map is smoothed and the unsupported points removed. This method gives an active role to edgels parallel to the epipolar lines, whereas they are discarded in most feature-based systems. Very good results have been obtained on complex scenes in different domains. >
How context influences predominance during binocular rivalry.

Variations in the predominance of an object engaged in binocular rivalry may arise from variations in the durations of dominance phases, suppression phases, or both. Earlier work has shown that the predominance of a binocular rival target is enhanced if that target fits well—via common color, orientation, or motion—with its surrounding objects. In the present experiments, the global context outside of the region of rivalry was changed during rivalry, to learn whether contextual information alters the ability to detect changes in a suppressed target itself. Results indicate that context will maintain the dominance of a rival target, but will not encourage a suppressed target to escape from suppression. Evidently, the fate of the suppressed stimulus is determined by neural events distinct from those responsible for global organization during dominance. To reconcile diverse findings concerning rivalry, it may be important to distinguish between processes responsible for selection of one eye’s input for dominance from processes responsible for the implementation and maintenance of suppression.
Energy Saving Potentials and Air Quality Benefits of Urban Heat IslandMitigation

Energy Saving Potentials and Air Quality Benefits of Urban Heat Island Mitigation 1 Hashem Akbari Heat Island Group Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory H_Akbari@lbl.gov http://HeatIsland.LBL.gov/ ABSTRACT Urban areas tend to have higher air temperatures than their rural surroundings as a result of gradual surface modifications that include replacing the natural vegetation with buildings and roads. The term “Urban Heat Island” describes this phenomenon. The surfaces of buildings and pavements absorb solar radiation and become extremely hot, which in turn warm the surrounding air. Cities that have been “paved over” do not receive the benefit of the natural cooling effect of vegetation. As the air temperature rises, so does the demand for air-conditioning (a/c). This leads to higher emissions from power plants, as well as increased smog formation as a result of warmer temperatures. In the United States, we have found that this increase in air temperature is responsible for 5– 10% of urban peak electric demand for a/c use, and as much as 20% of population- weighted smog concentrations in urban areas. Simple ways to cool the cities are the use of reflective surfaces (rooftops and pavements) and planting of urban vegetation. On a large scale, the evapotranspiration from vegetation and increased reflection of incoming solar radiation by reflective surfaces will cool a community a few degrees in the summer. As an example, computer simulations for Los Angeles, CA show that resurfacing about two-third of the pavements and rooftops with reflective surfaces and planting three trees per house can cool down LA by an average of 2–3K. This reduction in air temperature will reduce urban smog exposure in the LA basin by roughly the same amount as removing the basin entire on- road vehicle exhaust. Heat island mitigation is an effective air pollution control strategy, more than paying for itself in cooling energy cost savings. We estimate that the cooling energy savings in U.S. from cool surfaces and shade trees, when fully implemented, is about $5 billion per year (about $100 per air-conditioned house). 1. Introduction Across the world, urban temperatures have increased faster than temperatures in rural areas. For example, from 1930 to 1990, downtown Los Angeles recorded a growth This paper is an abridged and updated version of an earlier paper published in Solar Energy (Akbari et al 2001).
Response to Letter by Inoue et al

Response: Thank you for your interesting comment and for sharing your experiences regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) effects on protein C and S levels in women with stroke. Although case reports from your …
Review of the NURE Assessment of the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province

Historic exploration and development were used to evaluate the reliability of domestic uranium reserves and potential resources estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy national uranium resource evaluation (NURE) program in the U.S. Gulf Coast Uranium Province. NURE estimated 87 million pounds of reserves in the $30/lb U3O8 cost category in the Coast Plain uranium resource region, most in the Gulf Coast Uranium Province. Since NURE, 40 million pounds of reserves have been mined, and 38 million pounds are estimated to remain in place as of 2012, accounting for all but 9 million pounds of U3O8 in the reserve or production categories in the NURE estimate. Considering the complexities and uncertainties of the analysis, this study indicates that the NURE reserve estimates for the province were accurate. An unconditional potential resource of 1.4 billion pounds of U3O8, 600 million pounds of U3O8 in the forward cost category of $30/lb U3O8 (1980 prices), was estimated in 106 favorable areas by the NURE program in the province. Removing potential resources from the non-productive Houston embayment, and those reserves estimated below historic and current mining depths reduces the unconditional potential resource 33% to about 930 million pounds of U3O8, and that in the $30/lb cost category 34% to 399 million pounds of U3O8. Based on production records and reserve estimates tabulated for the region, most of the production since 1980 is likely from the reserves identified by NURE. The potential resource predicted by NURE has not been developed, likely due to a variety of factors related to the low uranium prices that have prevailed since 1980.