cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gaseous nitrate radical: possible nighttime atmospheric sink for biogenic organic compounds.

The gaseous nitrate (NO 3 ) radical, which has recently been measured in nighttime ambient atmospheres over the United States and Europe at concentrations up to ∼ 350 parts per trillion, has now been shown to react rapidly with the biogenically emitted organic compounds dimethyl sulfide (DMS), isoprene, and several monoterpenes. Computer simulations demonstrate that these reactions can dominate the atmospheric behavior of these organic compounds at night. Thus reaction with NO 3 radicals may be the unknown, nonphotochemical removal process for DMS recently invoked by Andreae and Raemdonck to explain the absence of a diurnal profile for DMS in maritime air influenced by continental air masses. Similarly, the nighttime reaction of NO 3 radicals with monoterpenes can be a dominant removal process, leading to very low monoterpene concentrations in ambient atmospheres during the early morning.
Interpreting Pharmacoeconomic and Quality-of-Life Clinical Trial Data for Use in Therapeutics

Interpretation of quality-of-life (QOL) and pharmacoeconomic data for therapeutic decision making and therapeutic policy planning requires a basic understanding of the methods, assumptions and limitations of the data and associated methods of analysis. Measures of the effectiveness of different pharmaceutical agents can be modified by including functions which involve assessment of the treated individual’s quality of life. These quality-adjusted effectiveness measures will alter conclusions concerning clinical decisions as well as the cost-effectiveness of the comparative agents under consideration. To provide a conceptual and analytical framework for understanding the relationship between QOL assessment and pharmacoeconomic modelling, interpretations of the quality-adjusted analyses are reviewed, conceptual and analytical models are proposed, and recommendations for using QOL data in pharmacoeconomic models are outlined. Techniques for incorporating QOL measures into pharmacoeconomic models are examined using a hypothetical model involving therapeutic assessments of antiviral treatments for individuals with HIV disease. Adjustments of effectiveness measures based upon QOL-related functions are then globally addressed using stochastic compartmental models. Three specific methods for adjustment used in therapeutic trials are reviewed. Applications of these techniques to 3 studies involving the treatment of HIV disease and hypertension are critically reviewed. Issues relevant to choosing or estimating measures of quality of life for use in pharmacoeconomic models are summarised, and research guidelines are proposed.
Diagnostic evaluation of numerical air quality models with specialized ambient observations: testing the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) at selected SOS 95 ground sites

Abstract Three probes for diagnosing photochemical dynamics are presented and applied to specialized ambient surface-level observations and to a numerical photochemical model to better understand rates of production and other process information in the atmosphere and in the model. However, care must be taken to ensure that rate and process information is not confounded by inappropriate averaging over these diurnally changing photochemical dynamics. One probe, the [O3] response surface probe [O3]/[NOX], is used here as a chemical filter to select NOX-limited hours in the observations and the simulations. Other probes used here are the fraction NOZ/NOY, a measure of chemical aging, and a measure of the production efficiency of O3 per NOX converted, [O3] to [NOZ]. The key ambient measurements for all three probes are accurate [NO2] and a reliable estimate of total NOY. Good agreement is shown between models and observations in cases where local photochemical production dominates and where model emissions inputs are thought to be mostly complete. We interpret this agreement to mean that the photochemical processing in CMAQ is substantially similar to that in the atmosphere. More importantly, we see that the three probes provide consistent information about photochemical processing, especially when used together.
Biomechanics of invasive growth by Armillaria rhizomorphs.

Abstract Rhizomorphs of wood-decay basidiomycetes are root-like structures produced by the coordinated growth of thousands of hyphae. Very little is known about their development nor the way that they penetrate soils and rotting wood. In this study, we applied techniques used in previous studies on hyphae to explore the mechanics of the invasive growth process in Armillaria gallica. Growth rate measurements were made in media with different gel strengths. The osmolyte composition of rhizomorph sap was determined spectroscopically and the forces exerted by growing tips were measured using a force transducer. Cultured rhizomorphs extended at much faster rates than unbundled hyphae (3.5 mm d−1 versus 1.5 mm d−1) and their growth accelerated in response to increased medium gel strength (to 7.4 mm d−1). Measurements of rhizomorph osmolality provided a turgor pressure estimate of 760 kPa (7.5 atm.), and spectroscopic analysis showed that this pressure was generated by the accumulation of erythritol, mannitol, and KCl. Forces exerted by growing tips ranged from 1 to 6 mN, corresponding to pressures of 40–300 kPa (0.4–3.0 atm.). Pressures exerted by extending rhizomorphs are comparable to those produced by individual vegetative hyphae. This suggests that the mechanical behavior of hyphae is similar whether they grow as unbundled cells or aggregate to form macroscopic rhizomorphs.
Impact of ambient fine particulate matter carbon measurement methods on observed associations with acute cardiorespiratory morbidity

Elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) represent a substantial portion of particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), and have been associated with adverse health effects. EC and OC are commonly measured using the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method or the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) method. Measurement method differences could have an impact on observed epidemiologic associations. Daily speciated PM2.5 data were obtained from the St Louis-Midwest Supersite, and St Louis emergency department (ED) visit data were obtained from the Missouri Hospital Association for the period June 2001 to April 2003. We assessed acute associations between cardiorespiratory ED visits and EC and OC from NIOSH and IMPROVE methods using Poisson generalized linear models controlling for temporal trends and meteorology. Associations were generally similar for EC and OC from the different measurement methods. The most notable difference between methods was observed for congestive heart failure and EC (for example, warm season rate ratios (95% confidence intervals) per interquartile range change in EC concentration were: NIOSH=1.06 (0.99-1.13), IMPROVE=1.01 (0.96-1.07)). Overall, carbon measurement method had little impact on acute associations between EC, OC, and ED visits. Some specific differences were observed, however, which may be related to particle composition.
STRUCTURED GROUPS AND LINK-HOMOTOPY

We study link-homotopy classes of links in the three sphere using reduced groups endowed with peripheral structures derived from meridian-longitude pairs. Two types of peripheral structures are considered — Milnor’s original version (called “pre-peripheral structures” in Levine’s terminology) and Levine’s refinement (called simply “peripheral structures”). We show here that pre-peripheral structures are not strong enough to classify links up to link-homotopy, and that Levine’s peripheral structures, although strong enough to distinguish those classes not distinguished by pre-peripheral structures, are also in all likelihood not strong enough to distinguish all link-homotopy classes. Following Levine’s classification program, we compare structure-preserving and realizable automorphisms, using an obstruction-theoretic approach suggested by work of Habegger and Lin. We find that these automorphism groups are in general different, so that a more complex program for classification by structured groups is required.
Secondary ion emission from binary alloy systems. Part II: Ar1 bombardment with O2 absorption

The emission of positive atomic ions from Cu‐Ni, Pd‐Ni, and Ag‐Pd alloys was studied under Ar+ bombardment with saturated O2 adsoprtion. In line with other published data on Cr‐Fe, Cr‐Ni, and Fe‐Ni alloys, these studies all agree well with two general rules porposed previously for O+2 bombardment. The first rule states that for an alloy A‐B, where A forms a stronger oxide bond than B, the presence of A enhances the emission of B+, and the presence of B suppresses the emission of A+. The second rule states that the presence of A sharpens the energy distribution of B+ while the presence of B broadens the energy distribution of A+. The experimental data fit the rules with better consistency than for the case of O+2 bombardment except in cases of low oxygen sticking coefficients on the alloy surfaces. The success of the general rules is linked with the enhanced oxidation of B and the suppressed oxidation of A in the alloy. X‐ray photoemission studies of the oxidized surfces support this explanation. Further e...
Proof of concept simulations of the Multi-Isotope Process monitor: An online, nondestructive, near-real-time safeguards monitor for nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities

Abstract The International Atomic Energy Agency will require the development of advanced technologies to effectively safeguard nuclear material at increasingly large-scale nuclear recycling facilities. Ideally, the envisioned technologies would be capable of nondestructive, near-real-time, autonomous process monitoring. This paper describes recent results from model simulations designed to test the Multi-Isotope Process (MIP) monitor, a novel addition to a safeguards system for reprocessing facilities. The MIP monitor combines the detection of intrinsic gamma ray signatures emitted from process solutions with multivariate analysis to detect off-normal conditions in process streams nondestructively and in near-real-time. Three computer models including ORIGEN-ARP, AMUSE, and SYNTH were used in series to predict spent nuclear fuel composition, estimate element partitioning during separation, and simulate spectra from product and raffinate streams using a variety of gamma detectors, respectively. Simulations were generated for fuel with various irradiation histories and under a variety of plant operating conditions. Principal component analysis was applied to the simulated gamma spectra to investigate pattern variations as a function of acid concentration, burnup, and cooling time. Hierarchical cluster analysis and partial least squares (PLS) were also used in the analysis. The MIP monitor was found to be sensitive to induced variations of several operating parameters including distinguishing ±2.5% variation from normal process acid concentrations. The ability of PLS to predict burnup levels from simulated spectra was also demonstrated to be within 3.5% of measured values.
Anticipated inflation and the capital stock in a cash in-advance economy

Abstract An economy is constructed in which the steady-state capital stock is inversely related to the rate of inflation, as a result that is directly opposite the usual conclusion.
Spatial coexistence of American beech and sugar maple regeneration in post-harvest northern hardwood forests

Fine scale regeneration patterns of coexistent species are influenced by regeneration mechanisms and microsite requirements. Spatial patterns may be either disjunct or overlapping, which will determine competitive effects and microsite dominance, and future forest composition. Using American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) as an example, three hypotheses were tested: (1) random beech spatial patterns, (2) clumped spatial patterns of small sugar maple seedlings, and (3) disjunct beech and sugar maple patterns. Individual stems were sampled in a contiguous grid of 1-m2 quadrats across a 576-m2 area at three sites. Densities were separated into three height classes (≤30 cm, 30–90 cm, and > 90 cm, ≤4 cm diameter at breast height). Spatial statistics and regression were used to analyze spatial patterns and correlations. Beech and seedling sugar maple patterns were patchy, rejecting the first and not rejecting the second hypotheses. Hypothesis three was rejected because patches of the two species overlapped with advance regeneration beech overtopping sugar maple. Patchy patterns of advance regeneration beech and post-harvest sugar maple establishment suggest spatiotemporal niche partitioning. Beech had a competitive height advantage following harvest, but sugar maple still occurred in beech-free patches and beneath overtopping beech at a fine scale. Self-replacing beech patterns will ensure the species will continue dominance unless a selective chemical or manual treatment is applied that removes beech and releases sugar maple.
Geometric properties of Heisenberg-type groups

On montre qu'il y a une certaine metrique riemannienne contravariante qui induit une longueur d'arc
Digital Image Processing: Effects Of Metz Filters And Matched Filters On Detection Of Simple Radiographic Objects

We studied the effect of image processing with Metz filters and matched filters on the detection of simulated low-contrast square objects superimposed on radiographic mottle. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of original and processed images were calculated based on the perceived statistical decision theory model by taking into account the internal noise of a human observer's eye-brain system. Threshold contrasts for objects of various sizes were predicted by assuming a threshold SNR of 3.8 which was determined previously for a 50% correct detection in 18 alternative forced-choice experiments. The relative performance of various image processing techniques was also evaluated experimentally with a contrast-detail diagram method. The simulated images were generated by a high-quality digital image processing and simulation system. The digitized images were Fourier-trans-formed, filtered, inversely Fourier-transformed, and/or contrast-enhanced to produce the processed images. The contrast-detail curves of the original or processed images were obtained by averaging the results of four image samples and twelve observers. Both the theoretical prediction and the C-D experiment demonstrated an improvement in detectabilities of the simple test objects over those of the original images. However, the observers seemed to under-read the filtered images in the sense that the improvement in obser-ver performance was slightly less than the prediction. This is probably caused by the changes in appearance of the object and the noise texture in the filtered images. The usefulness and limitations of the Metz filters and matched filters in comparison with other image processing techniques are discussed.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Generalization of Student’s Ratio

The accuracy of an estimate of a normally distributed quantity is judged by reference to its variance, or rather, to an estimate of the variance based on the available sample. In 1908 “Student” examined the ratio of the mean to the standard deviation of a sample.1 The distribution at which he arrived was obtained in a more rigorous manner in 1925 by R.A. Fisher,2 who at the same time showed how to extend the application of the distribution beyond the problem of the significance of means, which had been its original object, and applied it to examine regression coefficients and other quantities obtained by least squares, testing not only the deviation of a statistic from a hypothetical value but also the difference between two statistics.
Low affinity binding sites for 1,4-dihydropyridines in mitochondria and in guinea pig ventricular membrane

Abstract In this paper, we describe the occurrence of both high and low affinity sites for dihydropyridines in crude membrane preparations from guinea pig ventricular tissue. The physiological significance of the low affinity site (apparent dissociation constant = 76 ± 9 nM) is not currently known; it has, however, a binding capacity which was 300–1000 times that of the high affinity site and was resistant to heat denaturation. The magnitude of the binding to the low affinity site was affected by both the ionic strength of the medium and by the presence of divalent ions. Both unlabeled nitrendipine and nimodipine inhibited [ 3 H]nitrendipine binding at both sites, but verapamil and diltiazem only affected binding at the high affinity site. We also characterized, both kinetically and by equilibrium binding, a low affinity, heat-stable nitrendipine binding site in purified mitochondria. The B max for this site was also dependent on ionic strength. This suggests the possibility that the low affinity site in crude membranes is due to mitochondrial contaminants and hence not directly related to voltage-dependent calcium channels.
Strategy to minimize dust foregrounds in B -mode searches

The Planck satellite has identified several patches of sky with low polarized dust emission, obvious targets for searches for the cosmic microwave background $B$-mode signal from inflationary gravitational waves. Still, given the Planck measurement uncertainties, the polarized dust foregrounds in these different candidate patches may differ by an order of magnitude or more. Here we show that a brief initial experiment to map these candidate patches more deeply at a single high frequency can efficiently zero in on the cleanest patch(es) and thus improve significantly the sensitivity of subsequent $B$-mode searches. A ground-based experiment with current detector technology operating at $\ensuremath{\gtrsim}220\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GHz}$ for three months can efficiently identify a low-dust-amplitude patch and thus improve by up to a factor 2 or 3 on the sensitivity to cosmic $B$ modes of the subsequent lower-frequency deep integration. A balloon experiment with current detector sensitivities covering the set of patches and operating at $\ensuremath{\sim}350\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GHz}$ can reach a similar result in less than two weeks. This strategy may prove crucial in accessing the smallest gravitational-wave signals possible in large-field inflation. The high-frequency data from this exploratory experiment should also provide valuable foreground templates to subsequent experiments that integrate on any of the candidate patches explored.
Quantum dots: Driven to perfection

In many ways, semiconductor quantum dots behave like natural atoms, but it has proved difficult to manipulate them using resonant laser light. That problem is now overcome.
Comparative Thermal Stability and Synthesis of Group IVB Polythioethers

Abstract A comparison of the synthetic and thermal characteristic of Group IVB polythioethers is made. In general, yield follows the trend interfacial systems > aqueous solution systems and Hf > Ti > Zr. [Graphic] Degradation initially begins about 150 to 200°C with as much as 80% weight retention above 1000° C. Initial degradation in air and nitrogen occur through similar routes, but above 250°C degradation occurs through oxidative routes in air.
A New Fabry-Perot Spectrometer for Observations of Diffuse Near-Infrared Line Emission

We describe a new Fabry-Perot spectrometer that is optimized for the detection of extended, low-surface-brightness line emission from 1.4 to 2.4 microns. The instrument combines high throughput and high sensitivity, yet limits the background radiation falling on the detector. The instrument has a single 20 sec - 200 sec beam and a resolving power lambda/delta(lambda) approximately 2500. The system is background shot-noise limited in the K window and limited by a combination of read noise, dark-current shot noise, and fluctuations in the OH airglow lines in the H window. We present sample data of some of the lowest-surface-brightness H2 line emission in the near infrared obtained to date.
Selective Modulation of Endothelial Cell [Ca2+]i Response to Flow by the Onset Rate of Shear Stress

The response of endothelial cells (ECs) to their hemodynamic environment strongly influences normal vascular physiology and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Unique responses to the complex flow patterns in lesion-prone regions imply that the temporal and spatial features of the mechanical stimuli modulate the cellular response to flow. We report the first systematic study of the effects of temporal gradients of shear stress on ECs. Flow was applied to cultured ECs using a novel cone-and-plate device allowing precise and independent control of the shear stress magnitude and the onset rate. Intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) increased rapidly following the onset of flow, and the characteristics of the transient were modulated by both the shear stress magnitude and onset rate. ECs were most sensitive to shear stress applied at physiological onset rates. Furthermore, the relative contribution of extracellular calcium and IP3-mediated release were dependent upon the specific flow regime.
Universal Design for Learning, Access to the General Education Curriculum and Students With Mild Mental Retardation

Promoting student access to the general education curriculum remains a focus of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This article examines educational practices that promote such access for students with mild mental retardation, overviews issues pertaining to the implementation of supplementary aids and services to achieve this outcome, introduces a planning process to assist individual educational program teams to better plan for access, and examines extant research pertaining to the degree to which students with mild mental retardation have such access.
The Navy Language School and College Foreign‐Language Departments: Personnel and Organization

Author's Summary— A second article describing aspects of the Navy Language School program. College language departments do not have such carefully selected students but in general they have better teachers. The Navy's experience with a stringently-planned program, alternation of instructors, and centralized examinations makes these features worth considering for adoption in college departments.
Introduction: Demography, Population Growth, and Population Policy in China: A Brief History from 1949 to the Present

Research on the Chinese population is at once intriguing and challenging as well as difficult and frustrating. For some three decades after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese Studies has had to live with the paradoxical situation in which the abundance of population on the Mainland, ever increasing in number predictably and inexorably, was coupled with a scarcity of data about the nature and patterns of demographic change, ever harder to come by. Concurrent with this situation of scarcity (the chronic problem of "minimal data" as China experts called it) amidst abundance, we find that inside China demography, for all intents and purposes, did not exist and that outside of China it was often reduced to intelligence gathering, an operation in which seasoned China experts chronicled policy statements and attempted to puzzle together reasonable population estimates or our best "guesstimates" based on scattered fragments gleaned from official Chinese announcements, rumors, and inferences. ...
IgE Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi Components (p18, p31, p34, p41, p45, p60) and Increased Blood CD8 + CD60 + T Cells in Children with Lyme Disease

Immunoglobulin (Ig) E may provide immunity against Borrelia burgdorferi infection (Lyme disease) in children which lasts throughout adulthood. We investigated the presence and persistence of IgE anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies (Abs) in paediatric patients infected with Lyme disease over time. Serum immunoglobulin levels, presence of IgG and IgE anti-B. burgdorferi components, and distributions of blood T, B and natural killer lymphocyte subsets were studied in B. burgdorferi-infected and -uninfected children (nephelometry, UniCAP Total IgE Fluoroenzymeimmunoassay, Western blot, flow cytometry). Total serum IgM, IgG, IgE and IgA levels, and distributions of blood lymphocytes (CD4(+), CD8(+), CD19(+)) of both groups, excluding CD8(+)CD60(+) T cells, were within normal ranges. However, infected, but not uninfected children made IgG anti-B. burgdorferi proteins p18, p31, p34, p41, p45, but not IgG anti-p60, and IgE anti-B. burgdorferi proteins p31, p34, p41, p45, p60, but not IgE anti-p18. These proteins were also detected in an infected child 1 year post-infection. Interestingly, CD8(+)CD60(+) T-cell numbers were significantly increased (fourfold) in infected, compared with uninfected, patients (P=0.001). These results demonstrate that specific IgE anti-B. burgdorferi Abs are generated and persist in children with Lyme disease and that CD8(+)CD60(+) T cells may play an important role in these responses.
The need for a third party in u.s. politics

Abstract This article is based on a presentation to the “Future Directions for American Politics and Public Policy” seminar at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, on May 6, 1993. The theme of the article is that a national third party is necessary in order to advance a social welfare agenda that would improve measurably the quality of urban life, and resolve the problem of race and racism in the United States. The author proposes that despite important changes in race relations, including the elimination of a multi‐generational system of legally‐sanctioned political apartheid, society still reflects continuing and intensifying race and class divisions and tensions. Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have the political will or base to offer policies that would effectively eliminate racial hierarchy in this country. It is argued that the development of a national and organzationally viable third party is essential in order to challenge the philosophical and political tendencies of th...
The principle of responsive adjustment in corporate moral responsibility: The crash on mount erebus

The tragic crash of Air New Zealand's flight TE-901 into Mt. Erebus in Antarctica provides a fascinating case for the exploration of the notion of corporate moral responsibility. A principle of accountability that has Aristotelian roots and is significantly different from the usual strict intentional action principles is examined and defined. That principle maintains that a person can be held morally accountable for previous non-intentional behavior that has harmful effects if the person does not take corrective measures to adjust his ways of behavior so as not to produce repetitions. This principle is then applied to the Mt. Erebus disaster.
Equivalence classes for cubic rotation symmetric functions

Rotation symmetric Boolean functions, that is, Boolean functions which are invariant under any cyclic permutation of the variables, have been extensively studied in the last dozen years or so due to their importance in cryptography and coding theory. Little was known about the basic question of when two such functions are affine equivalent until very recently. The case of affine equivalence of quadratic rotation symmetric functions was solved in 2009 by Kim, Park and Hahn. In 2010, Cusick introduced the concept of patterns to study the more complicated case of cubic functions under permutations. This method made possible a detailed analysis of some special classes of cubic rotation symmetric functions in n variables where n has a special form, for example, n equal to a prime power. Here the affine equivalence classes under permutations in n variables for any n are examined. In particular, all possible sizes of these classes are identified and an exact count of the functions in the largest classes is given. It is conjectured that the classes of the largest size contain a positive proportion of all of the distinct functions in n variables.
Experimental evolution of dispersal in spatiotemporally variable microcosms

The world is an uncertain place. Individuals’ fates vary from place to place and from time to time. Natural selection in unpredictable environments should favour individuals that hedge their bets by dispersing offspring. I confirm this basic prediction using Caenorhabditis elegans in experimental microcosms. My results agree with evolutionary models and correlations found previously between habitat stability and individual dispersal propensity in nature. However, I also find that environmental variation that triggers conditional dispersal behaviour may not impose selection on baseline dispersal rates. These findings imply that an increased rate of disturbance in natural systems has the potential to cause an evolutionary response in the life history of impacted organisms.
The implementation of a new method of student assessment in a pathogenic bacteriology laboratory course.

A new case study method of assessment was developed to challenge advanced undergraduate biology majors interested in medical careers and allied health professions. This method is an alternative to traditional “unknown” identifications used in many microbiology laboratories. Students used various biochemical tests and selective media throughout the course to identify organisms cultured from their own bodies. In preparing a final assessment for the course, an assignment was developed to challenge the students to apply what they had learned in a medically relevant setting. Also of importance was the elimination of further biochemical testing by these students and prevention of contact with strict pathogens in this lab, due to budget and safety constraints, respectively. Each student was provided with a clinical specimen data record sheet and additional information about their “diseased patient”. Students used analytical skills and critical thinking, as well as knowledge gained throughout the semester, to logically deduce the causative agent of disease in the mock patients. Students were required to: (i) describe the steps in this logical deduction, (ii) provide a brief overview of the characteristics and virulence factors of the organism(s), (iii) investigate all disease(s) caused by the organism, (iv) describe symptomology of the patient in detail, and (v) investigate disease treatment and prevention methods. The final assignment involved library and Internet research and culminated in a written report, which further developed writing and communication skills. Detailed descriptions of and materials for this assignment are provided along with an overall evaluation of this method after implementation.
Integrated Design-Stage Failure Analysis of Software-Driven Hardware Systems

Software-driven hardware configurations account for the majority of modern safety-critical complex systems. The often costly failures of such systems can be attributed to software specific, hardware specific, or software/hardware interaction failures. The understanding of how failures propagate in such complex systems might provide critical information to designers, because, while a software component may not fail in terms of loss of function, a software operational state can cause an associated hardware failure. The least expensive phase of the product life cycle to address failures is during the design stage. This research presents a means to evaluate how a combined software/hardware system behaves and how such failures propagate to result in potential failures downstream, during the conceptual design stage. In particular, this paper proposes the use of high-level system modeling and model-based reasoning approaches to model failure propagation in combined software-hardware systems, introducing the Function-Failure Identification and Propagation (FFIP) analysis framework to help formalize the design of safety-critical systems. The fact that the hardware and software designers do not share the same background, knowledge, methods, or language contributes significantly to software/hardware interaction failures. A high-level systems analysis method, such as FFIP, is geared toward the unification of language and modeling concepts and may help to more seamlessly bridge such a gap. The technique is applied to the design of the Reaction Control System Jet Selection of the NASA space shuttle to evaluate failure propagation within the Reaction Control System Jet selection, specifically for the redundancy management system. The paper concludes with the extensions and mappings to the software domain that are required for a truly integrated methodology.
Where Capacity and Incentives Meet: Presidential Decree Authority and Property Rights in Latin America

Scholars have long suggested a relationship between democracy, capitalistic economies, and the protection of property rights. Yet this link has been contested by a variety of scholars. We test whether a relationship between property rights, measured as risk of expropriation of property, and measures of presidential authority, exists. Where institutional design presents presidents with the capacity and incentives to act on predatory desires, we expect an impact on property rights protections. The empirical results from 17 Latin American countries over a 15-year time period suggest that executive authority helps explain changes in the risk of property expropriation in ways that regime type do not. Related Articles Beal, Amanda L., and Leah Graham. 2014. “Foundations for Change: Rule of Law, Development, and Democratization.” Politics & Policy 42 (3): 311-345. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12077/abstract Herrington, J. Bryce. 2009. “NGOs as Alternatives to Nationalization, Leasing, and Other Forms of Utilization of Public Assets in Developing Countries: A Case and Commentary.” Politics & Policy 37 (5): 1083-1091. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2009.00214.x/abstract Alejandro, San Francisco R., and Soto G. Angel. 2004. “Political and Economic Liberty in Latin America: Can They Coexist? Politics & Policy 32 (1): 139-156. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2004.tb00179.x/abstract Related Media Fensch, Joel. 2013. “Latin America Lags in Property Rights Index: Canada and United States Lead Comfortably on the Continent.” September 30. http://panampost.com/joelfensch/2013/09/30/latin-america-lags-in-property-rights-index/ Ellis, Edward. 2010. “Venezuela's Chavez Hands Out Property Rights.” September 17. Venezuelanalysis.com. http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5643 Dominguez, Jorge. 2002. “Democracy in Latin America.” ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America. http://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/book/democracy-latin-america-0 Durante mucho tiempo se ha sugerido en la literatura academica la existencia de una relacion entre la democracia, las economias de mercado, y la proteccion de los derechos de propiedad. Sin embargo, esta relacion se encuentra en disputa. En este articulo se investiga si existe una relacion entre la proteccion a los derechos de propiedad, medida como el riesgo de expropiacion de una propiedad, y medidas de autoridad presidencial. Debido a que el diseno institucional otorga al presidente la capacidad e incentivos para usar conductas predatorias a discrecion, nuestro estudio anticipa un impacto en la proteccion de los derechos de propiedad. Los resultados de este analisis se obtienen a partir de diecisiete paises latinoamericanos a lo largo de un periodo de quince anos y estos sugieren que la autoridad ejecutiva contribuye a explicar cambios en el riesgo de expropiacion de una propiedad de una manera en la que el tipo de regimen no puede hacerlo.
Deterioration of the capacity for sexual arousal in aged male mice.

This experiment queried the frequency with which sexual inactivity in aged male mice is caused by a specific failure to arouse. Level of arousal was assessed in 30-month-old CB6F4 males by measuring each individual’s willingness to walk on a treadmill in order to stay close to a receptive female and, in a separate test, by determining the amount of corticosterone secreted in response to a female. Sexual capacity was examined in a third test by challenging each male with a series of receptive females. Absolute time spent near a female on a treadmill, a measure of both endurance and arousal, correlated strongly (0.82) with the frequency with which an old male achieved ejaculation in its test of sexual capacity. Another treadmill measure, the proportion of a male’s time spent near a female, correlated less well with ejaculation frequency (0.45) but this measure probably underestimated the importance of arousal. The magnitude of the corticosterone response to a test female also correlated significantly with ejaculation frequency (0.44). When viewed in toto, these results suggest that specific variation in the capacity of aged male mice to experinece arousal accounts for 20% to 67% of the variation in their total sexual performance. BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 26, 869-874 (1982)
Power Penalty From Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Spatial Diversity Links for Fade Mitigation

We investigate the power penalty caused by excess amplified spontaneous emission in an optically preamplified receiver for a communications link where a multiwavelength spatial diversity transmitter is used to mitigate atmospheric fading. We compare measured receiver sensitivity for a four-wavelength 10.7-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero on-off-keyed system to theory using both the Gaussian noise approximation and chi square statistics.
Enhanced Directivity From Subwavelength Infrared/Optical Nano-Antennas Loaded With Plasmonic Materials or Metamaterials

Here, we explore theoretically the concept of enhanced directivity from electrically small subwavelength radiators containing negative-parameter materials, such as plasmonic materials with negative permittivity at THz, infrared and optical frequencies. In particular, we study higher order plasmonic resonances of a subwavelength core-shell spherical nano-antenna, and we analyze the near-zone field distributions and far-field radiation patterns of such a structure when it is excited by a small dipole source, demonstrating analytically and numerically the possibility of having highly directive patterns from a nano-structure with electrically small dimensions. Radiation characteristics and intrinsic limitations on performance are analyzed in detail, and a potential application of this novel technique for super-resolution detection of the displacement of a nano-object is also pointed out.
Fuzzy sets to describe driver behavior in the dilemma zone of high-speed signalized intersections

The Type II dilemma zone describes a segment of road on the approach to a signalized intersection where, if occupied by a motorist presented with the circular yellow indication, is likely to result in a motorist having difficulty deciding to stop at the stop line or proceed through the intersection. This phenomenon results in increased frequency of three failure conditions: rear-end collision at the stop line (excessive deceleration rates), the more severe right-angle crashes in the intersections, and left-turn head-on collisions (both resulting from incorrect estimates of clearance time). A more effective boundary definition for Type II dilemma zones could contribute to the safe design of signalized intersections. The prevailing approaches to dilemma zone delineation include the consideration of the vehicle's travel time to the stop line or the driver's likelihood of stopping at a particular distance from the stop line. The imprecision of the driver's perception of speed and distance suggest that fuzzy logic may contribute to the identification of the Type II dilemma zone boundaries. A fuzzy logic (FL) model was constructed and validated from driver's empirically observed behavior at high-speed signalized intersections. The research resulted in an increased understanding of the phenomenon which, when applied to the timing of signals and the placement of vehicle detection, can improve the overall safety of signalized intersections.
Ezrin self-association involves binding of an N-terminal domain to a normally masked C-terminal domain that includes the F-actin binding site.

Ezrin is a membrane-cytoskeletal linking protein that is concentrated in actin-rich surface structures. It is closely related to the microvillar proteins radixin and moesin and to the tumor suppres...
The morphologically prone nasal tip

Anatomic characteristics of the nose that predispose to poor and unpredictable outcomes in nasal tip surgery may be defined. These anatomic characteristics include skin thickness, weak lower lateral cartilage, malposition of the lateral crus, and deviation of the dorsal and caudal septum. The presence of these morphological features predisposes to unpredictable outcomes. Their recognition requires adjustments in standard rhinoplasty maneuvers in order to obtain predictability.
Classification of Imagined Motor Tasks for BCI

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a well developed technique used in many clinical and research applications. Continuous improvements on quality of scalp electrodes and front-end amplifiers, and data processing and storage have elevated EEG to a standard non-invasive method for monitoring many brain functions. EEG can also provide a new means for sending messages to the external world which is commonly known as a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). This paper describes different feature extraction techniques for classification of recorded EEG signals. Time and frequency processing of multichannel EEG recordings during four a priori known mental tasks is presented. The four tasks include imagining the movement of an arm or a leg without the execution of the actual motion. During the recording sessions, the imagined movements are separated with intervals of subject relaxation. Different methods were used for feature extraction and classification of the EEG signals as a base for BCI. The results demonstrate that signals from an untrained subject can be classified successfully. The algorithms can be used to establish a real-time direct connection between mental task activity and external communication. In this regard we view the possibility for extending the neuroplasticity of the brain toward direct control of specifically designed external devices.
What psychotherapists should know about pharmacotherapies for bipolar disorder.

This article provides a practice-friendly overview of current psychotropic agents used for the treatment of bipolar disorder. The author reviews definitions and concepts about mood stabilization according to the evidence base, in turn profiling a “clinical niche” for lithium, anticonvulsant drugs, atypical antipsychotics, and antidepressants. Results from randomized clinical trials are summarized to help clinicians individualize treatment decisions and tailor them to real-world patients. Recognition and management of common adverse effects are discussed alongside risk–benefit strategies to guide optimal treatment that balances clinical efficacy with drug safety and tolerability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 63: 475–490, 2007.
Fact, Fiction, or No Data: What Does Surveillance for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Prevent in the Intensive Care Unit?

The polarizing debate about how to control antimicrobialresistant organisms in hospitals continues to focus on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the use of active surveillance cultures. In the United States, MRSA infection causes an estimated 18,650 deaths annually among hospitalized patients [1] and likely cost billions of dollars [2]. The National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, by 2003, >60% of the S. aureus isolates causing nosocomial infections in US hospitals were methicillin resistant [3]. Compared with infections due to methicillin-susceptible strains of 5. aureusy infections due to MRSA are associated with poorer clinical outcomes [4] and increased health care costs [5]. Because the prevalence of MRSA is increasing in hospitals, efforts to control MRSA are gaining more public attention. The control of MRSA in the intensive care
Optimization of applications with non-blocking neighborhood collectives via multisends on the Blue Gene/P supercomputer

We explore the multisend interface as a data mover interface to optimize applications with neighborhood collective communication operations. One of the limitations of the current MPI 2.1 standard is that the vector collective calls require counts and displacements (zero and non-zero bytes) to be specified for all the processors in the communicator. Further, all the collective calls in MPI 2.1 are blocking and do not permit overlap of communication with computation in the same thread of execution. However, multisends are non-blocking calls that permit overlap of computation and communication. We present the record replay persistent optimization to the multisend interface th at minimizes the processor overhead of initiating the collective. We present four different case studies with the multisend API on Blue Gene/P (i) 3D-FFT, (ii) 4D nearest neighbor exchange as used in Quantum Chromodynamics, (iii) NAMD and (iv) neural network simulator NEURON. Performance results show 1.9x speedup with 323 3D-FFTs, 1.9x speedup for 4D nearest neighbor exchange with the 24 problem, 1.6x speedup in NAMD and almost 3x speedup in NEURON with 256K cells and 1k connections/cell.
Limiting behavior of receive antennae selection

In this paper we investigate the limiting behavior of receive antenna selection in single-input multiple-output (SIMO) wireless systems when the number of receive antennas gets very large. Using results on the convergence of the trimmed mean, we show that mutual information converges in distribution to the logarithm of a folded Gaussian distribution in the limit of a large number of receive antennas. The convergent distribution also shows there is channel hardening in this scenario like SIMO maximum ratio combining. For finite number of receive antennas, N, we derive the exact outage probability for SIMO with selecting the best S receive antennas. This outage probability analysis is used to study the rate of convergence of the mutual information, which reveals that the rate of convergence increases with the number of selected receive antennas in medium and high SNR regimes and decreases in the low SNR regime. We also show that the multiuser scheduling gain at low SNR is proportional to the square root of number of selected receive antennas, √S, in the limit of large number of users. These results could be useful in designing next-generation wireless systems, such as 4G, where the requirements are to increase the transmission rate by increasing the number of antennas and at the same time decreasing the complexity of the system.
Comparative Studies of Policy Dynamics

Major new understandings of policy change are emerging from a program to measure attention to policies across nations using the same instrument. Participants in this special issue have created new ...