cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of Electrically Conducting Plastics at Reduced Carbon Black Concentrations by Three-Dimensional Chaotic Mixing

Publisher Summary This chapter reports the results of a systematic study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of three-dimensional chaotic mixing as a method to produce electrically conducting polymer composites at low filler loadings. Three-dimensional chaotic mixing was used to produce conductive structures of carbon black (CB) in a polymer matrix. Because of the unique trajectories of individual CB particles contained within initially large minor phase bodies, continuous fine-scale structures among particles developed rapidly as the processing progressed. Micrographs revealed connections along striations as well as among neighboring striations. The percolation threshold was between 2.5 and 3.4 wt% in the blends produced by normal mixing with the same materials and was consistent with the value of 2.8 wt%. A percolation threshold of approximately 0.5 wt% represents a decrease of over 80%. Three-dimensional chaotic mixing leads to better results than two-dimensional chaotic mixing because the percolation threshold in the latter case has been found to be between 0.8 and 1.0 for the same materials.
Comparison of the magnetic properties of Mn3Fe2Si3O12 as a crystalline garnet and as a glass

Abstract The crystalline garnet Mn3Fe2Si3O12 and an amorphous phase of the same nominal composition are synthesized at high pressure. The magnetic properties of the two forms are reported. Both phases order antiferromagnetically. The crystalline phase exhibits a Curie-Weiss theta of −37.2 K, with a sharp ordering transition at 12 K. The glassy phase exhibits a larger antiferromagnetic Curie-Weiss theta, of −89.7 K, with a broad ordering transition observed at 2.5 K. The amorphous phase shows a much higher degree of magnetic frustration than the crystalline phase; it exhibits spin-glass behavior and is determined to have an actual composition of Mn3Fe2Si3O13.
THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: The Industrialization of Organics

First paragraph: In my previous Economic Pamphleteer column, Soul of the Local Food Movement, I argued that the modern local food movement was born out of the industrialization of organics, and that if “the local food movement is to fulfill its transformational potential, it must not betray the trust and confi­dence of its customers and supporters” (Ikerd, 2017, p. 6). This point was reinforced in early November 2017, when Francis Thicke, a long-time organic farmer and advocate of organic farming, gave what I would call a “farewell warning” upon completing his five-year term as a member of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). He wrote, “I learned, over time,…that industry has an outsized and growing influence on USDA—and on the NOSB (including through NOSB appoint­ments)—compared to the influence of organic farmers, who started this organic farming move­ment” (Thicke, 2017, para. 2). He added, “Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to find that big business is taking over the USDA organic program because the influence of money is corroding all levels of our government” (para. 7)....
Global Precipitation Monitoring

Satellite observations play a vital role in the global monitoring of precipitation because they fill in large data voids where conventional measurements such as surface rain gauges and weather radars are primarily restricted to populated land regions. Geostationary satellites, containing visible and infrared sensors, provide the most continuous observations from space; they can infer surface precipitation through relationships between cloud properties and precipitation rate. Passive microwave sensors, which operate primarily on low Earth-orbiting satellites, provide a more direct measurement of rainfall and global coverage; however, they observe the Earth less frequently than the geostationary satellites. This chapter summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the various satellite retrieval algorithms, then describes emerging blended precipitation products that merge different satellite measurements to achieve the best possible rainfall product. Examples of the utility of such data are also provided.
HIGH PRESSURE STUDIES OF ELECTRONIC PHENOMENA

It is a great pleasure and honor to be the first recipient of the Percy Williams Bridgman Award. Many people have asked me whether I was a Student of Bridgman. Formally, of course, I was not. However, in a very real sense we are all students of Bridgman. We all share his enthusiasm for high pressure research. We can all hope to reflect something of his intellectual honesty. Today we still use his techniques, or modifications and extensions of those he developed. His book The Physics of High Pressure [1] and his Collected Experimental Papers [2] are still gold mines of useful data and information. Today, sixteen years after his death, his spirit and his ideas still permeate the field. Seidom, if ever, has one man been so significant for any important area of research. At the same time, I’m sure that Professor Bridgman would be most pleased to see the extent to which high pressure has become an integral and essential technique in modern physics, chemistry, geology, engineering, and biology. Today I shall discuss briefly how we have found high pressure a very effective tool in the study of electronic phenomena in Condensed systems.
Eating Disorders: Disorders of Under- and Overnutrition

Eating disorder diagnoses consist of anorexia nervosa (restricting type and binge-eating/purging type); bulimia nervosa (purging and nonpurging types); and eating disorder, not otherwise specified (including binge-eating disorder, night eating syndrome, and purging disorder). Physical complications of anorexia nervosa affect most major systems in the body and are caused by starvation and the effects of purging. Most physical complications of bulimia nervosa are due to purging. Overweight and obesity are linked with binge-eating disorder and night eating syndrome. Patients typically request that weight loss be addressed with treatment. Anorexia nervosa is difficult to treat and may need initial inpatient treatment for refeeding. Subsequently, family therapy is recommended for patients still living with their families. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the first line of therapy recommended for bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and night eating syndrome. Interpersonal therapy has also been shown effective for bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder with similar efficacy as cognitive behavioral therapy at 12 months post-treatment. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been shown effective for treating bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and night eating syndrome, as has topiramate. Sibutramine is also effective for binge-eating disorder. Medication trials have not identified a drug that effectively addresses the refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, the core symptom of anorexia nervosa. Prevention studies are in their infancy, but dissonance-based programs have shown promise.
New Insights into an Old Problem: Ternary Complex (Met-tRNAf·eIF-2 ·GTP) Formation in Animal Cells

An early step in the initiation of protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells is the formation of a ternary complex between initiation Factor 2, Met-tRNA f and GTP; Met-tRNA f ·elF- 2 ·GTP. This complex is an obligate intermediate in the binding of Met-tRNA f to 40S ribosomes and thus is important for translation of all mRNAs. Several reports have indicated that formation and/or stability of the ternary complex in vitro may require a number of additional protein factors (for a review, see Gupta et al, 1987). For example, it has been reported that the bulk of reticulocyte eIF-2 is purified as eIF-2 ·GDP and a protein factor eIF-2B is required to displace GDP from eIF-2 ·GDP and subsequently to form ternary complex in the presence of Mg2+. Recently, Roy et al (1988) reported that two additional protein factor preparations, Co-eIF-2A and Co-eIF-2C are required for the formation of a stable ternary complex in the presence of natural mRNAs. Co-eIF-2A and Co-eIF-2C are two highly purified protein preparations that possess eIF-2 stimulatory activities described in a number of papers from Gupta and co-workers (see Gupta et al, 1987, Roy et al, 1988). Co-eIF-2A possesses a mass of 94 kDa and appears to be unrelated to any of the other known initiation factors. On the other hand, Co-eIF-2C resembles the previously described initiation factor eIF-3. Because of the considerable controversy surrounding the roles of these auxiliary factors in ternary complex formation, our three laboratory groups collaborated to compare the structures of the relevant initiation factors prepared independently and to re-examine their roles in ternary complex formation.
Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Mobile systems, applications and services

Welcome to MobiSys 2007! This year's conference continues the MobiSys tradition of providing a forum for the presentation of innovative research in mobile systems, applications, and services, with an emphasis on results obtained from experiments with working implementations. We received 105 paper submissions by authors from 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Each paper received three initial reviews by members of the program committee, assisted by a small number of additional topic experts. Based on the results of this first round of reviews, 73 papers went on to a second round where each received a fourth review. An email discussion among the reviewers of each paper proceeded to narrow the pool to 57 papers. The program committee then met in person for a full day in Tucson, Arizona, to discuss these remaining papers. At that meeting 22 papers were selected for acceptance. Each of these papers was later shepherded by a member of the program committee to guide the authors in addressing recommendations made by the reviewers and during the meeting. The end result of this process is the set of papers that you find printed in these proceedings. In addition to the sessions devoted to presenting these papers, the conference program includes a keynote address, a panel discussion, a demo and poster session, and three workshops.
Are subsyndromal manifestations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder morbid in children? A systematic qualitative review of the literature with meta-analysis

Abstract We conducted a qualitative review (n = 15 manuscripts) and meta-analysis (n = 9 manuscripts) of the extant literature to evaluate the prevalence and morbidity of subthreshold Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Our qualitative review showed that a sizable minority (mean: 17.7%) of clinically referred and non-referred children met a priori definitions of subthreshold ADHD. Those affected exhibited significantly higher rates of family dysfunction, cognitive impairment, executive dysfunction, interpersonal and school deficits, temperament problems, psychiatric comorbidity, and juvenile delinquency compared to children with no ADHD symptoms. These deficits were highly consistent with those observed in children with full threshold ADHD. These findings indicate that children with subthreshold ADHD symptoms are at significantly greater risk for negative outcomes in a wide range of non-overlapping functional domains worthy of further clinical and scientific consideration.
Operating Room Set Up for Robotic Assisted Inguinal Hernia Repair

Surgical management of inguinal hernias has paralleled the natural evolution of surgical innovations. Minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair is associated with less post-operative pain; however, it continues to have low penetrance likely due to the steep learning curve requiring advanced laparoscopic skills. The ability to overcome the limitations in degrees of freedom and ergonomic challenges of laparoscopy makes the trans-abdominal pre-peritoneal inguinal hernia repair amenable to robotic assistance. As this technology evolves in the field of inguinal hernia repair, one of the major hurdles to overcome is the added operative time. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of standardized operating room set up, the surgical personnel, as well as, the patient and robot positioning, in order to ensure an efficient and successful robotic assisted hernia practice.
Inoculation with remnant prairie soils increased the growth of three native prairie legumes but not necessarily their associations with beneficial soil microbes

Restoring the diversity of plant species found in remnant communities is a challenge for restoration practitioners, in part because many reintroduced plant species fail to establish in restored sites. Legumes establish particularly poorly, perhaps because they depend on two guilds of soil microbial mutualists, rhizobial bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, that may be absent from restored sites. We tested the effect of soil microorganisms from remnant and restored prairies on legume growth by inoculating seedlings of Lespedeza capitata, Amorpha canescens, and Dalea purpurea with soil from 10 restored prairies and 6 remnant (untilled) prairies from southwest Michigan. We generally found support for the hypothesis that restored prairie soils lack microbes that enhance prairie plant growth, although there was variation across species and mutualist guilds. All three legumes grew larger and two legumes (Lespedeza and Amorpha) produced more nodules when inoculated with soil from remnant prairies, suggesting that low quantity and/or quality of rhizobial partners may limit the establishment of those species in restored prairies. In contrast, no legume experienced greater root colonization by AM fungi in remnant prairie soils, suggesting equivalent quantity (but not necessarily quality) of fungal partners in remnant and restored prairie soils. We detected no evidence of spontaneous recovery of the community of beneficial soil microbes in restorations. These results suggest that the absence of rhizobia, a largely overlooked component of prairie soils, could play a strong role in limiting restored prairie diversity by hindering legume establishment. Active reintroduction of appropriate rhizobial strains could enhance prairie restoration outcomes.
Biology and Management of the Bermudagrass Mite, Eriophyes cynodoniensis

The bermudagrass mite, Eriophyes cynodoniensis (Sayed) (Arthropoda: Arachnida: Eriophyidae), also known as the couch grass mite, can be a serious pest of bermudagrass in multiple high-maintenance turf systems such as sod production, athletic fields, and golf courses. Mites cause leaf and bud galls, which can lead to severe aesthetic damage and plant decline or death in high-maintenance areas with low tolerance for plant damage. In this 7-page fact sheet written by Pablo Agustin Boeri, Nicole D. Benda, J. Bryan Unruh, and Adam Dale and published by the UF/IFAs Entomology and Nematology Department, review the biology, identification, and management of the bermudagrass mite, and get specific management recommendations based on evidence from UF/IFAS research. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1217
Chapter 28 – Asymmetric Population Ageing, Open Economy, and Fiscal Policy

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the growth and welfare effects of population aging in an open economy framework by considering aging scenarios for developing countries. The results show that international capital mobility and endogenous fiscal policy may together reverse the effects of population aging on economic growth and welfare as predicted by closed economy and exogenous fiscal policy models. The numerical simulation exercises show that capital mobility and an endogenous fiscal policy together play an important role. The interaction of the two may actually reverse the effects of population aging on economic growth and welfare as predicted by closed economy and exogenous fiscal policy models. In addition, even when the demographic shocks in developed and developing countries are the same in magnitude, their reactions to these shocks depend on the timing of the shocks. An early-aging scenario yields more beneficial growth and welfare transitions for both country groups.
Stable recycling networks under the Extended Producer Responsibility

Abstract A recently emerging concept, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), is being adopted by the government in more and more countries and regions. It shifts the burden of proper disposal of end-of-life consumer products from (local) governments to the producers that bring the products to the market. To comply with governments’ EPR-type legislation, producers form coalitions to have their products recycled in a more efficient way. In this paper, we study how two important determinants of recycling costs, fixed recycling costs and material-stream heterogeneity, influence producers’ recycling network (structure of producers’ recycling coalitions). On one hand, large fixed recycling costs make the coalitions typically larger, due to the economies of scale. On the other hand, large coalitions generate typically more heterogeneous material streams, which increase the variable recycling costs due to additional separation and disassembly efforts. This paper discusses two currently existing scenarios: one exists prior to EPR-type legislation (referred to as the Disparate Problem, or DP) and the other is motivated by EPR-type legislation (referred to as the Endogenous Problem, or EP). In DP, the recycling of end-of-life products is not the responsibility of any producer but the government. Therefore, the recycling network is determined to minimize the total recycling cost, which also maximizes the social welfare, while the outputs are determined by producers without concerns about recycling. In EP, producers who compete in a horizontally differentiated primary market may also collaborate at the same time to organize proper disposal of their products. As each producer is only interested in maximizing its own payoff and there may exist conflict of interests, we use the game-theoretical methodology to analyze the endogenous process of coalition-formation. We find structural differences in these two scenarios and conclude by discussing implications for social welfare of imposing tax or subsidy.
Polarization Independent Ground State Optical Transitions in Closely Stacked InAs/GaAs Columnar Quantum Dots

This work presents an analysis of the electronic and optical properties of InAs/GaAs columnar quantum dots (QDs) by performing multi-million-atom tight-binding simulations. The plots of the polarisation-dependent ground state optical transition strengths predict that a nearly zero degree of polarisation can be achieved at 1550 nm emission/absorption wavelength by engineering the number of QD layers in a columnar QD. These results are promising for the design of optical devices requiring polarisation insensitive optical response such as semiconductor optical amplifiers.
Perceived neighbourhood food environment and overweight and obesity among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) participants in the Midwest US.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between neighbourhood food environment perceptions and obesity among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) or Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) participants. Design: A cross-sectional study conducted during SNAP-Ed or EFNEP programme participation in six states in the Midwest US between May 2016 and November 2017. Setting: Community centres, food pantries and other SNAP-Ed or EFNEP recruitment locations. Participants: Convenience sample of 1743 low-income, adult nutrition education programme participants. Results: Controlling for participant location and other demographic variables, those who perceived that a large selection of fruits and vegetables were available to them were 22 % less likely to be obese (adjusted odds ratio 0·78, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·97). In addition, participants who perceived the distance to the grocery store where they purchased most of their groceries to be greater than 5 miles were 1·36 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who travelled shorter distances for their groceries. Conclusions: SNAP-Ed or EFNEP participants’ weight status may be associated with their perceptions of their neighbourhood food environments. Programmes incorporating nutrition education and food access initiatives should attempt to better understand participant perceptions in order to address barriers in their efforts and to ensure that healthy food is accessible to low-income residents.
Spatiotemporal effects of interacting water quality constituents on mercury in a common prey fish in a large, perturbed, subtropical wetland.

Abstract We present results of a multiyear study of the Everglades (Florida, USA) detailing how differences in environmental variables can alter mercury concentrations in the food web. About 1000 random locations throughout the freshwater Everglades marsh have been sampled for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Everglades Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (“REMAP”) since 1995. REMAP sampling is synoptic and multimedia, including an abundant prey fish (eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki) as an indicator of mercury bioaccumulation. Amplifying an approach we reported to Everglades National Park, we used Generalized Boosted Models on the REMAP data to estimate how much of the mercury concentration in mosquitofish could be explained by water quality constituents or indicators of ecological health (covariates). The resulting model accounts for 60% of the environmental influence on variation in mosquitofish mercury, a robust outcome for a large, disturbed ecosystem such as the Everglades, given its seasonal, annual, and spatial differences. Of the eight most influential covariates, two were methyl mercury in periphyton and water, two can be indicators of trophic state (alkaline phosphatase and chlorophyll-a), one can be a marker of stormwater transport (conductivity), and two can be enablers of mercury methylation (sulfate in soil and water). While these covariates had an average individual influence ranging from 4.0% to 10.1%, together they accounted for 52.2% of the total relative influence. Water with low phosphorus, but with sulfur and carbon above background, moved into the less disturbed parts of the Everglades via modifications to the existing water management system, could increase mercury bioaccumulation in those parts of the marsh.
Communal Attributions Drive Perceptions of Price Fairness When Recouping Green Manufacturing Costs

This research investigates the perceived fairness of price increases that are due to green manufacturing practices. We show that consumers view price increases due to green manufacturing costs as fairer than price increases due to manufacturing costs of equivalent magnitude that are not related to sustainable manufacturing, both in the case of alignable/direct costs and nonalignable/indirect costs (studies 1A-1B). Green costs boost price fairness perceptions because willful investment in green manufacturing signals that a company is concerned with the welfare of others, a marker of a communal orientation (study 2). The boost in fairness perceptions is eliminated when communal attributions are undermined: if a firm reveals self-interest (study 3), or is exogenously forced to adopt greener practices (study 4), then sustainable manufacturing is no longer viewed as a fair reason to increase prices. The boost in fairness perceptions has positive consequences on behavior (study 5). These findings have implications for firms considering investing in green manufacturing, and for policy-makers assessing how to incentivize companies to curb the environmental impact of production facilities.
Aeropropulsive Coupling Effects on a General-Aviation Aircraft with Distributed Electric Propulsion

As distributed electric propulsion has continued to gain popularity as an enabling aircraft technology, further research is required to understand the complete implications of aeropropulsive coupli...
Shape Analysis of Flight Trajectories Using Neural Networks

The recent widespread implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcasting (ADS-B) systems on aircraft allows for improved monitoring and air traffic control management. As part of this ...
Economic Politics in the United States: The Costs and Risks of Democracy

Employing macroeconomic performance as a lens to evaluate democratic institutions, the author uses models of political behavior that allow for opportunism on the part of public officials and shortsightedness on the part of voters to see if democratic institutions lead to inferior macroeconomic performance. We have learned more about how and why democracy can work well or badly in the years since the first edition was published. It was not previously apparent how much the good performance of democracy in the United States was contingent on informal rules and institutions of restraint that are not part of the definition of democracy. Since that first edition, the United States has experienced soaring indebtedness, unintended adverse consequences of housing policy, and massive problems in the financial system. Each of these was permitted or encouraged by the incentives of electoral politics and by limitations on government, the two essential features of democratic institutions.
The Nature and Localization of Central Receptor Systems

The purpose of this paper is to consider the nature and the localization of central receptor systems involved in the control of fluid intake. Inherent in a discussion of these topics is a consideration of how such information describing receptor systems is obtained. Two commonly used techniques which are well suited to such analyses are the experimental brain lesion and its variants, and the intracranial chemical injection. Although other techniques can and often are applied to the questions of localization and nature of central systems, it is truly only in experiments that employ the measurement of specific ingestive behavior that such central mechanisms may be directly understood. Other techniques, which may be described as ancillary, do indeed provide relevant information regarding the organization for central behavioral mechanisms; however, it is only by the use of behavior as the dependent measure that a definitive understanding of those brain systems relevant to behavior can be achieved.
An algorithm of Identifying Semantic Arguments of a Verb From Structured Data

We discuss a method for identifying semantic arguments of a verb from a sentence. It differs from existing methods by an unique feature that represents all semantic arguments of a verb in a syntactic parse tree. The feature is a path in which at least one of the children of a node is a root of a subtree that associates with a semantic argument. Experiments on WSJ data from Penn TreeBank and PropBank show that our method achieves an average of precision 92.3% and an average of recall 94.2% on identifying semantic arguments of over six hundred verbs.
When Men Divulge: Portrayals of Men's Self-Disclosure in Prime Time Situation Comedies

The media have been widely criticized for promoting unhealthy images of masculinity. To better understand how men are portrayed on television, we analyzed male characters' self-disclosures on television. From the 11 most highly rated situation comedies, 1,320 min of programming were examined, in which 328 incidents of self-disclosure were identified. Results indicated that male characters disclosed an average of once every 4.08 min (5.96 times per 24-min episode), disclosed more often to male than to female characters, and expressed negative emotions more frequently to male than to female characters. Male characters self-disclosed freely and comfortably, and they were moderately emotionally expressive and personally revealing. They typically received somewhat favorable responses from others to their disclosures. However, the demographic characteristics of the characters failed to represent the diversity of U.S. society. Potential implications for television and society are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Freedom of Expression and Professional Status

The institutional media are the traditional beneficiaries of free speech protections. However, members of other “expressive” professions have sought refuge under the umbrella of constitutional protections by virtue of their professional status or occupations. The practice of conferring speech rights on specific individuals or members of certain occupations on the basis of their professional status reflects the politico-cultural specificities of each nation. In the United States, professional groups seek protection under the First Amendment, while in Europe the focal point of freedom of expression is the citizen, not the professional journalist. In European court cases involving newspapers, the “press” is not often singled out as the beneficiary of constitutional protection as is the case in the United States. This entry describes and explains the law and policy of attribution of freedom of expression rights by virtue of professional or occupational status in the United States and selected jurisdictions. Keywords: censorship; comparative global media; free speech; freedom of expression; journalism studies; media law and policy; media production
Peyronie's disease: Etiology, medical, and surgical therapy

Peyronie's disease remains an enigma. With the recent introduction of an animal model for Peyronie's disease, the entry of a number of double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials, and the application of new molecular diagnostic methods, the investigation of this wound-healing disorder of the penile tunica albuginea should illuminate many of the unknowns. Investigators need to be open to innovations in other fields of medicine involving idiopathic fibrosing conditions in other organ systems, eg, Dupuytren's contracture, keloids, hypertrophic scarring, etc. Applications from these other disciplines will undoubtedly widen our scope about Peyronie's disease. While a minority of patients respond with observation alone, most authorities recommend at least a trial of medical therapy with a safe, inexpensive, and well-tolerated agent, as early-stage disease is reputedly more likely to respond better than patients with established, longstanding Peyronie's plaques. The reintroduction of intralesional therapies (verapamil and interferon alpha-2b) provides the clinician with an alternative minimally invasive intervention that has promising possibilities. In severe fibrotic or calcified plaques or with major structural abnormalities, the judicious use of surgery with or without grafting materials and a penile prosthesis can restore many men back to their previous level of high esteem and provide both partners an excellent quality of life.
Nicole: Suicide and Terminal Illness

The terminally ill person who plans suicide poses a clinical dilemma in suicidology. Issues of rational suicide are complicated. Although experts (Battin, 1991; Hoff, 1989; Motto, 1972; Pretzel, 1984; Saunders & Valente, 1988) recognize rational suicide, the prevailing paradigm of suicide prevention rests on an assumption that suicide is an irrational response to a temporary crisis. This bias may interfere with serious responses to terminally ill patients who plan suicide. The purpose of this case is to invite dialogue and thoughtful debate about responses to people who contemplate suicide because of terminal illness.
Digispired : digital inspiration for interactive game design and programming

An Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) project, Digispired, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) at Longwood University and Virginia State University is discussed in this paper which addresses a unique pedagogy and teaching method in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines for middle school students in southern Virginia. This paper reports the overall project, student activities and ways in which the project relates to the natural interests of young people in interactive games and thus motivates them to learn programming and explore technology and software engineering careers.
Efficient Global Back-Projection on an FPGA

The Global Back-Projection (GBP) Algorithm has been known for use in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image formation for many years. But, despite many advantages compared to other algorithms, GBP usage is limited. It requires significant computational complexity and consumes more power. This paper presents a high-performance architecture which allows efficient and scalable implementation of the GBP algorithm on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Such an architecture is based on a systolic array that performs back-projection in a pipelined way, using parallelism over image pixels and radar pulses. A GBP systolic array is built using specially designed back-projection streaming cores. The cores utilize a floating-point calculation on the FPGA to achieve accurate and high-dynamic range in GBP integration. Results presented herein, show the achieved performance of GBP-based image formation using an FPGA and details the power consumption of the described implementation. Comparison is made to other computational platforms in order to determine advantage for real-time and power constrained SAR applications and platforms.
The relationship between red blood cell deformability metrics and perfusion of an artificial microvascular network

The ability of red blood cells (RBC) to undergo a wide range of deformations while traversing the microvasculature is crucial for adequate perfusion. Interpretation of RBC deformability measurements performed in vitro in the context of microvascular perfusion has been notoriously difficult. This study compares the measurements of RBC deformability performed using micropore filtration and ektacytometry with the RBC ability to perfuse an artificial microvascular network (AMVN). Human RBCs were collected from healthy consenting volunteers, leukoreduced, washed and exposed to graded concentrations (0-0.08%) of glutaraldehyde (a non-specific protein cross-linker) and diamide (a spectrin-specific protein cross-linker) to impair the deformability of RBCs. Samples comprising cells with two different levels of deformability were created by adding non-deformable RBCs (hardened by exposure to 0.08% glutaraldehyde) to the sample of normal healthy RBCs. Ektacytometry indicated a nearly linear decline in RBC deformability with increasing glutaraldehyde concentration. Micropore filtration showed a significant reduction only for concentrations of glutaraldehyde higher than 0.04%. Neither micropore filtration nor ektacytometry measurements could accurately predict the AMVN perfusion. Treatment with diamide reduced RBC deformability as indicated by ektacytometry, but had no significant effect on either micropore filtration or the AMVN perfusion. Both micropore filtration and ektacytometry showed a linear decline in effective RBC deformability with increasing fraction of non-deformable RBCs in the sample. The corresponding decline in the AMVN perfusion plateaued above 50%, reflecting the innate ability of blood flow in the microvasculature to bypass occluded capillaries. Our results suggest that in vitro measurements of RBC deformability performed using either micropore filtration or ektacytometry may not represent the ability of same RBCs to perfuse microvascular networks. Further development of biomimetic tools for measuring RBC deformability (e.g. the AMVN) could enable a more functionally relevant testing of RBC mechanical properties.
Mortality and Readmission After Cervical Fracture from a Fall in Older Adults: Comparison with Hip Fracture Using National Medicare Data

OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of cervical spine fractures after falls in older Americans, to show changes in recent years, and to compare 12-month outcomes between individuals with cervical and hip fracture after falls. DESIGN: Retrospective study of Medicare data from 2007 to 2011. SETTING: Acute care hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 and older with cervical or hip fracture after a fall. MEASUREMENTS: Cervical fracture rate, 12-month mortality, and readmission rate after injury. RESULTS: Rates of cervical fracture increased from 4.6 per 10,000 in 2007 to 5.3 per 10,000 in 2011; rates of hip fracture decreased from 77.3 per 10,000 in 2007 to 63.5 per 10,000 in 2011. Participants with cervical fracture with and without spinal cord injury (SCI) were more likely than those with hip fracture to receive treatment at large hospitals (59.4% and 54.1% vs 28.1%, P CONCLUSION: Cervical spinal fractures occur in one of every 2,000 Medicare beneficiaries annually and appear to be increasing over time. Participants with cervical fracture had greater mortality than those with hip fracture. Given the increasing prevalence and the poor outcomes in this population, hospitals need to develop processes to improve care for these vulnerable individuals. Language: en
Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT): A new inner tracking device at STAR

Abstract The HFT, a new inner tracking detector for STAR, aims to measure the charmed hadron nuclear modification factor as well as their elliptic flow to the low p T region ( ∼ 0.5 GeV/c ) by measuring the displaced vertices of charmed particles.
Advances in Parallel Discrete Event Simulation for Electronic System-Level Design

Editors' notes: The authors target the speeding up of parallel discrete event simulations in transaction-level models.
Resonant raman scattering from the S2− ion in NaI

Abstract The S 2 − molecule ion in NaI crystals exhibits multiple-order resonance Raman scattering at 80 K with little background luminescence. Relative scattering efficiencies measured for up to nine Raman overtones are compared with the theory of Hizhnyakov and Tehver.
Tuning domain size of block copolymers for directed self assembly using polymer blending: molecular dynamics simulation studies

A 10% batch-to-batch variation in molecular weight for a low polydispersity block copolymer (BCP) used for DSA lithography could result in more than a 6% change in critical dimension (CD). Therefore, there is a strong motivation and need to develop and understand methods for fine-tuning the domain size of DSA BCPs to meet the CD and pitch specifications that will be required for practical implementation of DSA processes. This study investigates two methods of fine-tuning the domain size of a specific batch of BCP through blending of the BCP with another polymer, either 1. a set of similar homopolymers (HPs) or 2. a similar BCP of different molecular weight. Each method was investigated and compared using a coarse grained molecular dynamics simulation. For BCP-HP blends, the domain size increases as the amount of HP increases because the HPs tend to slightly swell the BCP domains. A design heuristic was developed for guiding the determination of how much HP to add to obtain a desired pitch. For blends of different molecular weight BCPs, two different scaling regimes were identified; one regime is majority large chains and the other regime is majority small chains. Based on the simulation results, the domain scaling can be mapped across the full range of blends by simply measuring three points: the pure small chain domain size, the pure large chain domain size, and a 50/50 blend of the small and large chains. Comparing the two different blending methodologies, BCP blending with other BCPs is a more versatile approach because it can be used to either increase or decrease the domain size of a base BCP while HP blending can only increase the domain size. HP blending is also potentially problematic because the HPs tends to aggregate in the middle of each block’s half domain which can have a significant effect on CD uniformity due to the strong effect of local variations in the concentration of the HP and local variations in HP conformation. The use of BCP blends with other BCPs should be more favorable from a CD uniformity perspective because this approach is much less susceptible to initial local fluctuations than HP blends because all BCPs go to the A-B interface. The coarse grained molecular dynamics simulation is well suited for comparisons such as this and can produce design rules that are needed for experimental implementation of polymer blending with BCPs to tune domain size.
Assessment of cerebral perfusion using quantitative EEG cordance

Brain electricaI activity is related to cerebral perfusion. The nature of this relationship is unclear, however, and surface-recorded activity has not been a reliable indicator of brain perfusion. We studied 27 subjects, all of whom were examined with single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), to assess associations between QEEG cordance and relative brain perfusion" Cordance has two indicator states: concordance, which may indicate high perfusion; and discordance, which may indicate low perfusion. We used multiple linear regression to assess the association between cordance and SPECT values, and found that cordance values were strongly associ- ated with tissue perfusion. Concordance in the a band was associated both with mean tissue perfusion and the volume of normally perfused tissue, and it had a stronger association with perfusion than any other QEEG variable. Discordance in the fi, band was associated with mean perfusion, and it had a stronger association than did relative but not absolute power. These data suggest that cordance may be useful for the noninvasive assessment of brain perfusion.
Michigan's Renaissance Zones: Eliminating Taxes to Attract Investment and Jobs in Distressed Communities:

The Michigan Renaissance Zone initiative provides a virtual total exemption from state and local property and income taxes both for businesses and for residents of limited areas of distressed communities. During its first three years, the program has been successful in attracting investment of US$367 million and claims responsibility for some 3750 jobs. Whereas some of the designated areas have experienced significant gains, for others the radical reductions in tax liability have provided insufficient incentives to attract new activity.
Couplers in arterial and venous repairs.

p r w In B ri ef FOLLOWING ALEXIS CARREL’S 1902 description of the first successful arterial anastomosis, continued refinement of the technique has led to reproducible results and expanding applications beyond his initial goal of organ transplantation. Atraumatic couling of vessels of varying size is the cornerstone of icrovascular surgery. Carrel emphasized principles of essel handling, use of sharp round needles, vessel riangulation, and irrigation with crystalloid. These enets laid the foundation for cardiovascular surgery, imb revascularization, free tissue transfer, and replanation of amputated parts. Traditional sutured microvascular anastomosis inolves vessel stump preparation through sharp transecion and adventitia removal, stump positioning for adquate visualization and atraumatic manipulation, and assage of monofilament microsuture (usually 8-0 to 1-0) on round-bodied needles without cross-stitching he lumen or tearing the intima. Following a steep earning curve to master the technique, even a skilled icrosurgeon finds this process time consuming and is ntermittently humbled by thrombosis and anastomosis ailure. Reported suture anastomosis failure rates rangng from 2% to 10% persist from reputable microvasular centers. Proposed sources of failure include ntraluminal exposure of foreign material (suture), indequate vessel wall eversion with exposed intralumial adventitia, uneven suture placement or cross-stitchng (back-walling) of lumen, luminal stenosis from mprecise bites, and tension. In 1962, Nakayama et al described the first microascular ring coupling device, which consisted of 2 metal ings with 12 interlocking metal pins and reciprocating oles. The vessel ends are passed through the ring and verted at a 90° angle, thereby impaling the vessel all on the protruding pins before pressing the rings
Utilization of an Iterative Curve Fitting Technique for Determination of Switch Circuit Parameters

This paper presents a nonlinear curve fitting technique to be used in pulsed power applications. Specifically, experimental results from the University of Missouri Terawatt Test Stand are analyzed. The concept is presented as a way to determine resistance and inductance of a gas switch and experimental data is discussed. Several examples are given along with a brief discussion of results for a multichannel 3 MV gas switch.
Robotic reconstruction of the upper urinary tract.

Purpose: Reconstructive surgery of the upper urinary tract can be complicated. During the last 2 decades minimally invasive techniques have emerged as viable options for these complex procedures. We reviewed our experience with robotic surgery for upper urinary tract reconstruction.Materials and Methods: Between May 2002 and December 2006, a single surgeon performed certain robotic reconstructions on the upper urinary tract in 26 males and 37 females (65 renal units), including dismembered pyeloplasty, dismembered pyeloplasty with stone extraction, ureteroureterostomy, ureterolysis with omental wrap, ureterocalicostomy, ureteral reimplantation and upper pole nephroureterectomy. We compared demographic, preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data on patients undergoing these various procedures.Results: Across all cases mean blood loss was 125 cc, mean operative time was 244.8 minutes and mean length of stay was 2.8 days. The rate of radiographic and symptomatic improvement was 97.3% and 100%, respe...
Central and Eastern European National Library Websites: Accessibility, Content, and Organization and Navigation

ABSTRACT As the World Wide Web becomes a global tool of information, Central and Eastern European national libraries are already contributing much valuable information through their websites. A well-designed website may attract a large number of virtual users who may be interested in a particular library. The article examines fifteen Central and Eastern European national library websites using the following criteria: accessibility (e.g., the availability of the English language version, connection time, etc.), content (e.g., description of services, description of collections, etc.), and organization and navigation (e.g., links to OPACs and national bibliographies). The reviewed websites show varying degrees of complexity from the simple National Serbian Library to the more advanced Czech National Library. The article also discusses the changing roles of national libraries to meet the needs of remote users.
Sample preparation for STM imaging of silicon at atmospheric pressure

Abstract In this research, scanning tunneling microscopy at atmospheric pressure under a flowing nitrogen ambient has been used to investigate the microscopic texture of the silicon wafer surface as a function of the cleaning procedure used. The nitrogen ambient is used to prevent contamination of the surface during observation. Most of the surfaces observed show a “pebbly” structure, indicating that the surface is rough on an atomic scale; however, the measured RMS roughness is seen to vary with the final HF etch used.
The Effects of Accelerated Revenue Recognition on Earnings Management and Earnings Informativeness: Evidence from SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101

The SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 101 to address its concern that firms were masking true performance by managing earnings using accelerated revenue recognition. Critics of this Accounting Bulletin stated that it would eliminate industry‐accepted revenue recognition practices and reduce the quality of reported earnings. The FASB's revenue recognition discussions echo these concerns stating that revenues recorded prior to the completion of the earnings process contain value‐relevant information about future performance. This paper investigates these two hypotheses using a sample of firms that accelerated revenue recognition prior to SAB No. 101 adoption (SAB 101 firms) and a matched set of firms that were unaffected by this regulation (unaffected firms). Our earnings distribution tests indicate that SAB 101 firms are more likely to meet earnings benchmarks. Specifically, we find that, in the pre‐adoption period, SAB 101 firms report fewer small negative and more small positive earnings tha...