cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community design, street networks, and public health

Abstract What is the influence of street network design on public health? While the literature linking the built environment to health outcomes is vast, it glosses over the role that specific street network characteristics play. The three fundamental elements of street networks are: street network density, connectivity, and configuration. Without sufficient attention being paid to these individual elements of street network design, building a community for health remains a guessing game. Our previous study found more compact and connected street networks highly correlated with increased walking, biking, and transit usage; while these trends suggest a health benefit, this study seeks to strengthen that connection. Using a multilevel, hierarchical statistical model, this research seeks to fill this gap in the literature through a more robust accounting of street network design. Specifically, we ask the following: what is the influence of the three fundamental measures of street networks on obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and asthma? We answer this question by examining 24 California cities exhibiting a range a street network typologies using health data from the California Health Interview Survey. We control for the food environment, land uses, commuting time, socioeconomic status, and street design. The results suggest that more compact and connected street networks with fewer lanes on the major roads are correlated with reduced rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease among residents. Given the cross-sectional nature of our study, proving causation is not feasible but should be examined in future research. Nevertheless, the outcome is a novel assessment of streets networks and public health that has not yet been seen but will be of benefit to planners and policy-makers.
The wavelet transform, time-frequency localization and signal analysis

Two different procedures for effecting a frequency analysis of a time-dependent signal locally in time are studied. The first procedure is the short-time or windowed Fourier transform; the second is the wavelet transform, in which high-frequency components are studied with sharper time resolution than low-frequency components. The similarities and the differences between these two methods are discussed. For both schemes a detailed study is made of the reconstruction method and its stability as a function of the chosen time-frequency density. Finally, the notion of time-frequency localization is made precise, within this framework, by two localization theorems. >
Perceptions of the Losses Experienced by Custodial Grandmothers

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence societal perceptions of grandparents who have become custodians of their grandchildren. Over 1200 adult volunteers evaluated a randomly assigned scenario describing a grandparent raising a grandchild, where scenarios varied in terms of grandchild gender, grandparent ethnicity, the presence/absence of grandchild problems, and the reason for the assumption of the grandparent caregiving role. Subjects rated scenarios according to the extent to which they thought the custodial grandparent was experiencing a variety of losses. Overall, perceptions of loss were greater for grandmothers whose grandchild was experiencing an emotional/ behavioral problem, and for those grandmothers whose grandchild had been abandoned or abused, or whose adult child had died, been incarcerated, or abused drugs. Due to an interaction between ethnicity and reason for role assumption, however, those findings are best interpreted in the context of the ethnicity of the ...
A positive zymogram method for ribonuclease

Abstract We have developed a rapid, sensitive, and specific zymogram for detecting ribonuclease (RNase). The method makes use of an agarose gel containing the small substrate UpA [uridylyl (3′ → 5′)-adenosine]. UpA is hydrolyzed by RNase to adenosine, which is deaminated by adenosine deaminase. The inosine so formed is linked by a series of enzymatic reactions (nucleoside phosphorylase, xanthine oxidase) to formation of a blue tetrazolium salt. This method is superior in that it entails a staining reaction only at sites of RNase activity (positive zymogram) rather than clearing of a background of RNA (negative zymogram), a process which is often mimicked by protein devoid of RNase activity.
Spiritual, Psychological, and Social Dimensions of Pastoral Care with Patients and Families in the Home Health Care Context

Spiritual, psychological and social dimensions of pastoral care with patients and families in the home health care context
Carrier Balloon Trajectories in the Stratosphere

Abstract The need for atmospheric sounding data between the surface and 30 mb for the Global Weather Experiment prompted the development of the Carrier Balloon System. During the development period, 23 constant-level balloon flights near 24 km were conducted. The wind trajectories from these flights are described. Series one, seven flights in the subtropics (23°S) in the summer stratospheric easterlies, displayed the dominant zonal and small meridional flow. Series two consisted of 13 carrier balloon prototype flights in the tropics (near equator), one in the quasi-biennial easterly phase and 12, a year later, in the quasi-biennial westerly phase in which no flight passed south of the equator. Series three, three flights at 27 km, was launched in the Southern Hemisphere winter at high latitude which illustrated the stratosphere's spring transition from westerly to easterly winds.
A Comparison of Individual-Level and Community-Level Predictors of Marijuana and Cocaine Use among a Sample of Newly Arrested Juvenile Offenders.

Variations in drug use have been found across individual-level factors and community characteristics, and by type of drug used. Relatively little research, however, has examined this variation among juvenile offenders. Based on a sample of 924 newly arrested juvenile offenders, two multilevel logistic regression models predicting marijuana test result and cocaine test result were separately examined. The results highlighted a strong association between individual-level socio-demographic characteristics, most notably age and seriousness of arrest charge, and drug use. Residential stability was related to cocaine use, yet none of the community variables were related to marijuana use. These findings suggest that different risk factors are related to adolescent marijuana and cocaine use. The research implications of the findings are discussed.
New constraints on equatorial temperatures during a Late Neoproterozoic snowball Earth glaciation

Intense glaciation during the end of Cryogenian time (∼635 million years ago) marks the coldest climate state in Earth history – a time when glacial deposits accumulated at low, tropical paleolatitudes. The leading idea to explain these deposits, the snowball Earth hypothesis, predicts globally frozen surface conditions and subfreezing temperatures, with global climate models placing surface temperatures in the tropics between −20 °C and −60 °C. However, precise paleosurface temperatures based upon geologic constraints have remained elusive and the global severity of the glaciation undetermined. Here we make new geologic observations of tropical periglacial, aeolian and fluvial sedimentary structures formed during the end-Cryogenian, Marinoan glaciation in South Australia; these observations allow us to constrain ancient surface temperatures. We find periglacial sand wedges and associated deformation suggest that ground temperatures were sufficiently warm to allow for ductile deformation of a sandy regolith. The wide range of deformation structures likely indicate the presence of a paleoactive layer that penetrated 2–4 m below the ground surface. These observations, paired with a model of ground temperature forced by solar insolation, constrain the local mean annual surface temperature to within a few degrees of freezing. This temperature constraint matches well with our observations of fluvial deposits, which require temperatures sufficiently warm for surface runoff. Although this estimate coincides with one of the coldest near sea-level tropical temperatures in Earth history, if these structures represent peak Marinaon glacial conditions, they do not support the persistent deep freeze of the snowball Earth hypothesis. Rather, surface temperatures near 0 °C allow for regions of seasonal surface melting, atmosphere–ocean coupling and possible tropical refugia for early metazoans. If instead these structures formed during glacial onset or deglaciation, then they have implications for the timescale and character for the transition into or out of a snowball state.
Modelling of electron kinetics in low-pressure inductively coupled plasmas

Summary form only given. Results are compared of two different methods of kinetic treatment of electrons in argon low-pressure Inductively-Coupled Plasma (ICP) sustained by an RF electric field from a planar coil. One approach involves a numerical "propagator" treatment of electron motion in five-dimensional phase space (two spatial and three velocity coordinates) using the so-called Convected Scheme. Another approach assumes small anisotropy of the electron distribution function (EDF) and employs the two term approximation in the Boltzmann equation. Both calculations are performed for given distributions of RF and static fields and incorporate the principal physical effects of ICP: electron heating by the inductive electric field and the influence of the static ambipolar field on electron kinetics under "non-local" conditions when the electrons perform many bounces in the potential well or change the direction of their motion in elastic collisions many times before suffering a substantial energy loss in collisions. Collision processes include elastic and inelastic electron-neutral collisions and electron-electron interactions.
Reliability of the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ)

The stability and internal consistency of Spence and Helmreich's Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) and Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) are reported. An entire first-year class of 1,007 male and 78 female cadets at the U.S. Military Academy were given a battery of psychological tests before and after cadet basic training, a 2 1/2-month period. The AWS and PAQ proved to be highly reliable, comparable to other frequently used psychological tests. This psychometric information encourages researchers to make further use of these gender-related instruments.
Characterization of the diffusion limited current at ultra-small carbon ring electrodes

Abstract Ultra-small ring-shaped carbon electrodes of micrometer dimension are characterized. The carbon films deposited by the pyrolysis of methane inside fused silica microstructures are fibrous and appear porous. However, voltammetry at these electrodes is not affected dramatically by the porous nature of the carbon since sealing epoxy acts as a filler. Determination of the electrode dimensions and surface morphology is accomplished with scanning electron microscopy. The theoretical limiting current at shielded electrodes is better approximated by data at cleaved rather than polished electrodes. Prolonged polishing appears to cover the thin ring structure with epoxy or other non-conducting material and can lead to a total inhibition of the electron transfer process.
SU-FF-I-75: Geometric Magnification in Digital Mammography

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of varying geometric magnifications on the edge definition as well as conspicuity of calcifications in images obtained using a full field digital mammography system. Method and Materials:Images of the wax insert of an ACR mammography phantom, sandwiched between two clear acrylic slabs simulating scattering in breast tissue were obtained on flat panel FFDM system at five different geometric magnifications between 1.4 and 2.2 plus a contact image. The x‐ray technique was the same for all images. All images were viewed on a soft copy work station. Observers were asked to judge the quality of the images in terms of edge definition (largest speck group) and conspicuity (two smallest speck groups) and assign a score on a scale of 1 to 4 for each speck in the group. Additionally, the system MTF was measured using the edge method at each of the magnifications in order to correlate the system response with the observer scores. The MTF was measured in the anode‐cathode (AC) direction as well as perpendicular (LR) to it. Results: The trends in the scores indicated that the conspicuity of the smallest speck group increased with magnification. The edge definition of the largest speck group was found to increase and then decrease depending on the magnification, reaching a maximum at a magnification of 1.6. This correlates well with the measured MTF in the LR direction. Conclusion: Geometric magnification improves image quality in digital mammography. Conspicuity of the smallest calcifications improves with magnification. However, this is accompanied by a decrease in the edge definition of the larger calcifications after a magnification of 1.6. The optimum magnification depends on the specific task (edge definition or conspicuity).
A note on the unsteady boundary layers over a flat plate

Abstract The unsteady boundary layer over a semi-infinite flat plate was investigated in this paper. The flow involves the unsteady flow over a flat plate with leading edge accretion or ablation. The momentum boundary layer was further analyzed and it was shown that the leading edge ablation had a similar effect to the wall mass injection or upstream wall movement making the fluid blown away from the wall. The thermal boundary layer of the same flow was also studied. Results show that the leading edge accretion or ablation can greatly change the fluid motion and the heat transfer characteristics.
Serotonin-induced endothelial cell proliferation is blocked by omega-3 fatty acids.

Abstract Serotonin (5HT) released from aggregating platelets at sites of vascular injury is a known mitogen for vascular endothelial cells. Recent studies have indicated that regenerating endothelial cells at sites of vessel wall injury may play a role in the development of restenosis by synthesizing and releasing growth factors for vascular smooth muscle cells, proliferation of which may result in the development of neointima. Diets rich in fish oils (omega-3 fatty acids) are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease including atherosclerosis and restenosis. This study examined the effect of the omega-3 and other fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on 5HT induced endothelial cell proliferation. Among the fatty acids examined only EPA and DHA could reverse the mitogenic effect of 5HT on vascular endothelial cells, whereas oleic acid or palmitic acid did not have any effect. When added together, EPA and DHA potentiate each other in reversing the mitogenic effect of 5HT. EPA and DHA also inhibited the 5HT-induced increase in the 5HT 2 receptor mRNA, without a change in the receptor density or affinity. This data suggests that one of the mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids may attenuate the development of atherosclerosis or restenosis is to inhibit the mitogen induced growth of vascular endothelial cells, which attenuates the release of growth factors for vascular smooth muscle cells.
Ordering, Incommensuration, and Phase Transitions in Pyrrhotite: Part II: A High-Temperature X-Ray Powder Diffraction and Thermomagnetic Study

High-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) has been combined with thermomagnetic measurements to study synthetic and natural pyrrhotites. The temperature dependence of the properties observed in DTA, thermomagnetic and diffraction measurements indicates that transitions consistently occur upon heating and cooling so long as the sample is kept below 400{degrees}C, but if the ultimate heating temperature is higher than 550{degrees}C the transitions are altered, probably due to the loss of sulfur. The previously proposed transition sequence for Fe{sub 7}S{sub 8} was supported by HTXRD observation, especially on natural monoclinic pyrrhotite. For intermediate pyrrhotite, the principal ordering was found to be the formation of Kagome nets, and it was found that the vertical stacking sequences that are commensurate along the c axis yield antiferromagnetic characteristics. Based on the changes observed in the HTXRD patterns it is proposed that the mechanism for an observed magnetic {lambda}-transition between the temperatures 150 and 250{degrees}C is the transformation of a commensurate structure with ABCD layering of Kagome nets into a vacancy-disordered structure with the same c modulation.
Subjective, laryngoscopic, and acoustic measurements of laryngeal reflux before and after treatment with omeprazole

Summary Laryngeal manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux is felt to be prevalent in our society. In general, diagnosis has been based primarily on symptoms. Historically, additional testing included laryngoscopy, barium swallow, manometry, and more recently, single- and double-probe pH monitoring. We evaluated 68 patients who were symptomatically suggestive of having reflux laryngitis. We administered surveys grading their symptoms. All patients underwent standardized videolaryngostroboscopic evaluation and computerized acoustic analysis. Patients then underwent a uniform therapy of dietary restrictions and omeprazole, a hydrogen ion inhibitor, for 12 weeks. Patients were then retested. This regimen demonstrated an 85% success of relieving symptoms. Utilizing the new laryngoscopic grading system, improvement was found to be statistically significant in improvement of all findings except granulomas. In patients with the pretherapy complaint of hoarseness, acoustic measures of jitter, shimmer, habitual frequency, and frequency range all showed significant improvement. The authors conclude that in patients with symptomatic reflux laryngitis, standardized videolaryngoscopy and, if hoarse, acoustic analysis are useful exam techniques to aide diagnosis and monitor therapy. Anti-reflux therapy with omeprazole is effective and improvement can be objectively demonstrated with the techniques described.
Thin-layer chromatography of brain adenine nucleoside and nucleotides and determination of ATP specific activity

Abstract A tlc method is presented for the separation on PEI-cellulose of adenine derivatives from the acid-soluble fraction of brain tissue. The procedure permits the quantitative estimation of radioactivity distributed among adenine nucleotides and the determination of ATP specific activity following labeling with [14C] adenosine. Two rapid one-dimensional separations produce excellent resolution of AMP, ADP, ATP, adenine, and adenosine from each other and from the corresponding guanosine derivatives. A two-dimensional procedure gives excellent separation of ATP from all other deoxy- and ribonucleotides. The recovery of the separated components by elution is better than 94% and requires few technical manipulations. The technique possesses the advantages of simplicity and sensitivity and is applicable to small amounts of biological material.
Turning development standards into repositories of experiences

There has been a resurgence of interest in developing organization-wide standard development methodologies (SDMs) for software development. It is well known that creating an SDM is only the first step in the process of improving software engineering practices in an organization. SDMs must become living documents that evolve with changing software development needs. The research presented in this paper presents a tool and associated methodology that helps organizations tailor SDMs to the individual needs of projects and capture project experiences that are used to refine and modify the standard. In addition to creating a flexible software process with necessary degrees of formal procedures to ensure high-quality products, a secondary goal of this research is to turn SDMs into a resource for software managers and developers, something that truly supports the development process as it is actually practised. This approach features a methodology based on organizational learning principles, a rule-based system to tailor the SDM to meet the characteristics of individual projects, and a case-based architecture to capture and provide relevant development knowledge throughout the development lifecycle. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors influencing detection of nesting crested caracaras

Management of crested caracaras (Caracara cheriway), focuses on nests identified during surveys. If no nests are found, management can be suspended. Thus, false negatives can have substantial consequences. We surveyed 49 breeding territories to assess factors with the potential to cause false negatives in detecting nests of crested caracaras and in observing adult birds. The probability that a nest would be detected on any given visit increased by about 0.5% for each hour of observer experience up to about 70 hours (our maximum). Experience did not affect the probability of observing an adult. The probability of detecting a caracara nest or observing an adult caracara decreased by 2.0–3.5% each hour after sunrise that a visit began. If visibility during any portion of a visit was obscured by fog or rain, the probability of detecting a nest decreased by as much as 60%, and the probability of observing an adult caracara decreased by about 50%. We provide a tool managers can use to calculate the likelihood of successful surveys. We recommend that managers disregard negative results from surveys conducted under conditions that are unlikely to yield positive results, and repeat those surveys under better conditions. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
High-fidelity conical piezoelectric transducers and finite element models utilized to quantify elastic waves generated from ball collisions

Experimental studies were performed using high-fidelity broadband Glaser-NIST conical transducers to quantify stress waves produced by the elastic collision of a tiny ball and a massive plate. These sensors are sensitive to surface-normal displacements down to picometers in amplitude, in a frequency range of 20 kHz to over 1 MHz. Both the collision and the resulting transient elastic waves are modeled with the finite element program ABAQUS and described theoretically through a marriage of the Hertz theory of contact and a full elastodynamic Green's function found using generalized ray theory. The calculated displacements were compared to those measured through the Glaser-NIST sensors.
Do orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) know when they do not remember

Metacognition refers to the ability to monitor and control one's own cognitive activities such as memory. Although recent studies have raised an interesting possibility that some species of nonhuman animals might possess such skills, subjects often required a numerous number of training trials to acquire the effective use of metacognitive responses. Here, five orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) were tested whether they were able to escape spatial memory tests when they did not remember the location of preferred reward in a relatively small number of trials. The apes were presented with two identical cups, under one of which the experimenter hid a preferred reward (e.g., two grapes). The subjects were then presented with a third container, "escape response", with which they could receive a less preferred but secure reward (e.g., one grape). The orangutans as a group significantly more likely selected the escape response when the baiting of the preferred reward was invisible (as compared to when it was visible) and when the hiding locations of the preferred reward were switched (as compared to when they remained unchanged). Even when the escape response was presented before the final presentation of the memory test, one orangutan successfully avoided the test in which she would likely err. These findings indicate that some orangutans appear to tell when they do not remember correct answers in memory tests.
Optimizing moderator dimensions for neutron scattering at the spallation neutron source

In this work, we investigate the effect of neutron moderator dimensions on the performance of neutron scattering instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). In a recent study of the planned second target station at the SNS facility, we have found that the dimensions of a moderator play a significant role in determining its surface brightness. A smaller moderator may be significantly brighter over a smaller viewing area. One of the immediate implications of this finding is that for modern neutron scattering instrument designs, moderator dimensions and brightness have to be incorporated as an integrated optimization parameter. Here, we establish a strategy of matching neutron scattering instruments with moderators using analytical and Monte Carlo techniques. In order to simplify our treatment, we group the instruments into two broad categories: those with natural collimation and those that use neutron guide systems. For instruments using natural collimation, the optimal moderator selection depends on the size of the moderator, the sample, and the moderator brightness. The desired beam divergence only plays a role in determining the distance between sample and moderator. For instruments using neutron optical systems, the smallest moderator available that is larger than the entrance dimension of the closest optical element will perform the best (assuming, as is the case here that smaller moderators are brighter).
Novel approaches to multidimensional light-field synthesis

The control of light is a basic process that enables the realization of novel devices and systems. Traditional optics deals with information being delivered in time, as in optical fibers or in space between 'input' and 'output' planes, as in an imaging system. However, the increasing demand for novel functionalities has raised the need to deliver information in multiple dimensions in space and in space-time. Different approaches for the synthesis of three-dimensional and spatio- temporal light-fields are discussed. The mathematical tools include spatial, spectral, and modal domain synthesis.
Biosynthesis of dioscorine : Incorporation of nicotinic acid into the isoquinuclidine moiety

Abstract The administration of nicotinic-[2-14C] acid to Dioscorea hispida plants afforded radioactive dioscorine (1.9% absolute incorporation) and a systematic degradation of the alkaloid indicated that essentially all the activity was located at C-3. Dioscorine derived from nicotinic-[5,6-14C, 13C2] acid was also labelled. Its proton noise decoupled 13C NMR spectrum contained satellites at C-1 and C-7 due to spin-spin coupling of contiguous 13C atoms arising from direct incorporation of the labelled nicotinic acid. A biosynthetic scheme representing a novel utilization of nicotinic acid is proposed.
Use of time-lapse microscopy to visualize rapid movement of the replication origin region of the chromosome during the cell cycle in Bacillus subtilis

We describe the use of time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to visualize the movement of the DNA replication origin and terminus regions on the Bacillus subtilis chromosome during the course of the cell cycle. The origin and terminus regions were tagged with a cassette of tandem lac operator repeats and visualized through the use of a fusion of the green fluorescent protein to the LacI repressor. We have discovered that origin regions abruptly move apart towards the cell poles during a brief interval of the cell cycle. This movement was also seen in the absence of cell wall growth and in the absence of the product of the parB homologue spo0J. The origin regions moved apart an average distance of 1.4 microm in an 11 min period of abrupt movement, representing an average velocity of 0.17 microm min(-1), and reaching a maximum velocity of greater than 0.27 microm min(-1). The terminus region also exhibited a striking pattern of movement but not as far or a rapid as the origin region. These results provide evidence for a mitotic-like motor that is responsible for segregation of the origin regions of the chromosomes.
HEIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

We analyzed data from the National Health Examination Survey (Cycle III), a representative sample of non-institutionalized US youth (3545 males (M), 3223 females (F), 12-17 yr of age), to examine the relationship between the height (normalized for age) (H) and measures of: intellectual development (WISC), academic achievement (WRAT), evaluations by teachers, and the educational aspirations and expectations of subjects and their parents. Parental education and income were used as measures of socio-economic status (SES); sexual maturation (by Tanner score) was categorized by age into early, mid, and late-maturers. WISC and WRAT scores were both significantly correlated with H (r=0.22 & 0.20 white M; r=0.22 & 0.22 white F; p<0.0001). Parental expectations that their child would finish college were higher for adolescents above the 50th percentile of height for age. (43% vs 33%, M; 30% vs 24%, F). Adolescent expectations that they would finish college were likewise higher in the taller group (48% vs 39%, M; 38% vs 29%, F). Teachers ranked the taller adolescents in the upper third of their class more frequently then the shorter adolescents (25% vs 18%, M; 33% vs 25%, F). These findings persist in both blacks and whites, in the lower and middle SES groups and when subjects with early and late maturation are excluded. These data demonstrate a consistent and statistically significant, although modest, correlation between H and these measures of intellectual and academic performance, as well as educational expectations of both the adolescent and parent.
A very low temperature coefficient (< 1ppm/°C) BiCMOS high order voltage reference design

A very low temperature coefficient (<; 1 ppm/°C) BiCMOS curvature corrected bandgap voltage reference circuit design is presented in this paper. This voltage reference circuit shows promising thermal performances. The simulated design has a temperature coefficient of only 0.661 ppm/°C in the temperature range between -40°C and 125°C with 5 V power supply and <;1 ma current without a buffer. The proposed bandgap voltage reference circuit is designed using 180 nm process models for the CMOS devices and generic models for the BJT devices.
Measurement of the secondary emission yield of electrons from thin carbon foils after passage of low energy ions

Abstract Measurements were made of the forward scattered secondary electron yield from thin carbon foils bombarded by heavy ions in the energy range from 2 to 100 keV/amu. The ratio, Λf, of the forward scattered yield to the stopping power is constant from 2 to 10 keV/amu at 3.6 electrons cm2/(eV μg) but as the ion energy is increased above 10 KeV/amu, Λf decreases to near 2.2 electrons cm2/(eV μg).
Emplacement Mechanism of the Miraleste Tuff Bed, Palos Verdes Hills, California

The Miraleste Tuff Bed is a lapilli tuff unit in a tongue of diatomaceous shale in the Monterey Shale. Restudy suggests that the Miraleste is a complex of tabular bodies ∼1 mm to 3 m thick. The bodies occur at almost the same stratigraphic horizon through ∼10 km of exposure; but in detail they are gently to sharply discordant. The tuff consists of pumice lapilli typically 1 to 2 cm across in a matrix of tuffaceous and diatomaceous debris. The cross-cutting relations, as well as brecciation of the diatomite and incorporation of diatomite xenoliths, indicate that the tuff is intrusive. The intimacy of intrusion and the mixed components of the matrix suggest gas transport of the intrusive debris. Characteristic, regular laminae in the diatomite are progressively disrupted toward the highest stratigraphic levels of intrusion, but they resume with typical regularity above the intrusions. The suggestion is that the host diatomite lay just beneath the sea floor at the time of intrusion. Consequently, low effective stresses in the diatomite encouraged the development of horizontal conduits. Fluidization studies show that gas velocities sufficient to transport poorly sorted debris through vertical conduits may be insufficient for transport through horizontal conduits. The preferential emplacement of grossly concordant sills in the diatomite may thus be explained.
Analysis of the components of CHD risk in the Framingham study: New multivariate procedures for the analysis of chronic disease development

Abstract The standard approach for determining the contribution of risk variables to CHD incidence is the efficient estimation of the multivariate logistic function. This strategy suffers from the difficulty that the multiple logistic function views the disease mechanism as a “shock” process and, as a consequence, confounds the dynamic development or change of the risk variable with the risk or hazard of the disease. To alleviate this problem a continuous time-continuous state model of chronic disease was proposed by the authors and estimated as a discrete time process for longitudinal data on CHD risk in the Framingham study. In the present study the methodology is extended through the use of multivariate strategies to investigate the basic components of risk variable dynamics and of the association of risk variables with CHD incidence. These components, which do not necessarily constitute isomorphic sets for dynamics and risk prediction, are derived from the covariance structure of the risk variables and their temporal behavior. A multivariate analysis of both the dynamics and risk of CHD over 8 years of the Framingham study is presented.
Imaging and Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Swarming and Rhamnolipid Production

Many bacteria spread over surfaces by "swarming" in groups. A problem for scientists who study swarming is the acquisition of statistically significant data that distinguish two observations or detail the temporal patterns and two-dimensional heterogeneities that occur. It is currently difficult to quantify differences between observed swarm phenotypes. Here, we present a method for acquisition of temporal surface motility data using time-lapse fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging. We specifically demonstrate three applications of our technique with the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. First, we quantify the temporal distribution of P. aeruginosa cells tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the surfactant rhamnolipid stained with the lipid dye Nile red. Second, we distinguish swarming of P. aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in a coswarming experiment. Lastly, we quantify differences in swarming and rhamnolipid production of several P. aeruginosa strains. While the best swarming strains produced the most rhamnolipid on surfaces, planktonic culture rhamnolipid production did not correlate with surface growth rhamnolipid production.
The Intensive Treatment Unit: A brief inpatient detoxification facility demonstrating good postdetoxification treatment entry

Inpatient detoxification is frequently used to treat substance use disorders, despite consistent findings that drug use soon after detoxification is the norm. A number of lines of evidence suggest the most rational means of improving outcomes after detoxification is to improve postdetoxification treatment entry. This report presents outcomes from the Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU), a brief inpatient detoxification unit in Baltimore, MD, found to have good postdischarge treatment entry outcomes. The patients followed were predominantly male African Americans in early middle age who were sequentially admitted to the unit (N = 134) and demonstrated severe social disruption and psychiatric comorbidity. More than 80% of the patients discharged from the ITU were admitted to treatment postdetoxification, with most going to long-term residential settings or recovery houses. Success was associated with seeking residential treatment, and failure was concentrated among the minority discharged with no plan for aftercare and those seeking outpatient treatments. The report explores patient and process factors associated with these outcomes and discusses the possibility that the ITU may be a model system for improving outcomes postdetoxification.
Sum rules and the landau theory of fermi liquids

The Landau theory predicts spectral weight functions for density and spin-density fluctuations which in the long-wavelength, low-frequency limit should be equal to the true spectral weight functions of a system of interacting fermions. This correspondence plus well-known frequency sum rules provides a means to examine the Landau quasiparticle interaction parameters. Two inequalities are derived:F1 ≥G1 and another relating the first three spin-symmetric Landau coefficients to the radial distribution function and the two-particle potential. We find that the third-moment sum rule is not entirely exhausted by Landau-accountable excitations, and therefore it is the highest order sum rule which can still probe the theory. A third-moment sum rule for the spin-spin correlation function is derived and is found to have an unexpected dependence onk, i.e., one that disagrees with the corresponding Landau prediction. We do not examine this result in detail, but merely conjecture that it may indicate a basic weakness in the Landau theory of spin-density fluctuations.
Crossover from Anisotropic-to-Isotropic Diffusion-Mediated Island Growth on Surfaces

We consider processes involving irreversible nucleation and growth of two-dimensional islands during submonolayer deposition, mediated by anisotropic diffusion. If h|| and h⊥ are hop rates in orthogonal directions, we set e = h⊥/h|| 1 and examine the decrease of the island density with increasing h||. We find a crossover from scaling characteristic of anisotropic diffusion to that characteristic of isotropic diffusion at h|| ~ r2te-2, where r is the deposition rate and t is time. For Si-on-Si(001) deposition with r = 1/600 MLs-1, this crossover should occur around 450 K.
Efficient and good Delaunay meshes from random points

We present a Conforming Delaunay Triangulation (CDT) algorithm based on maximal Poisson disk sampling. Points are unbiased, meaning the probability of introducing a vertex in a disk-free subregion is proportional to its area, except in a neighborhood of the domain boundary. In contrast, Delaunay refinement CDT algorithms place points dependent on the geometry of empty circles in intermediate triangulations, usually near the circle centers. Unconstrained angles in our mesh are between 30? and 120?, matching some biased CDT methods. Points are placed on the boundary using a one-dimensional maximal Poisson disk sampling. Any triangulation method producing angles bounded away from 0? and 180? must have some bias near the domain boundary to avoid placing vertices infinitesimally close to the boundary.Random meshes are preferred for some simulations, such as fracture simulations where cracks must follow mesh edges, because deterministic meshes may introduce non-physical phenomena. An ensemble of random meshes aids simulation validation. Poisson-disk triangulations also avoid some graphics rendering artifacts, and have the blue-noise property.We mesh two-dimensional domains that may be non-convex with holes, required points, and multiple regions in contact. Our algorithm is also fast and uses little memory. We have recently developed a method for generating a maximal Poisson distribution of n output points, where n = ? ( Area / r 2 ) and r is the sampling radius. It takes O ( n ) memory and O ( n log n ) expected time; in practice the time is nearly linear. This, or a similar subroutine, generates our random points. Except for this subroutine, we provably use O ( n ) time and space. The subroutine gives the location of points in a square background mesh. Given this, the neighborhood of each point can be meshed independently in constant time. These features facilitate parallel and GPU implementations. Our implementation works well in practice as illustrated by several examples and comparison to Triangle. Highlights? Conforming Delaunay triangulation algorithm based on maximal Poisson-disk sampling. ? Angles between 30? and 120?. ? Two-dimensional non-convex domains with holes, planar straight-line graphs. ? O ( n ) space, E ( n log n ) time; efficient in practice. Background squares ensure all computations are local.
Implementation Of A Projection Onto Convex Sets Iteration Based Image Coder

Projection onto convex sets iteration based image coding, where efficiently encodable sets are used to describe an image, is a recent approach to image compression. The technique allows the use of a variety of sets to encode an image. The focus of this paper, however, will be on two particular sets: the set of images whose cosine transform is known for certain frequencies and the set of images which are nonzero over a specified region. These sets can be used to encode interframe difference pictures of video teleconferencing images. A drawback of this new type of codec is its computational complexity. In this paper, an architecture to overcome this drawback as well as other implementation related issues such as the quantization effects will be discussed.
Security and Privacy in Social Networks

Over the past several years, social networking sites have arisen to facilitate social interactions on the Internet while revolutionizing how online users interact with others. Most social networking sites offer the basic features of online interaction, communication, and interest sharing, letting individuals create online profiles that other users can view. Unfortunately, current trends in social networks indirectly require users to become system and policy administrators to protect their online contents. Social networks' security and privacy requirements still aren't well understood or fully defined. Nevertheless, it's clear that they'll be quite different from classic security and privacy requirements because social networks involve user-centric concerns and allow multiple users to specify security policies on shared data. So, we must bring a depth of security experience from multiple security domains and technologies to this field, as well as a breadth of knowledge about social networks.
Temperature modifies potentiation but not depotentiation in bidirectional hippocampal plasticity of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Previous studies have shown that one form of neuroplasticity, population spike (PS) potentiation, can be established in the hamster hippocampus at temperatures above 20 °C. Here, we tested three related hypotheses; namely, that in Syrian hamsters: (1) PS potentiation can be elicited below 20 °C and that at any constant temperature, potentiation can be described by a pair of sigmoidal functions matched to input/output curves; (2) potentiation can be partially reversed by depotentiation (a second and distinctive form of neuroplasticity); and (3) tetanus evokes long-term potentiation in slices from animals housed under conditions corresponding to various stages of the annual hibernation cycle. To test these hypotheses, we measured PS amplitudes and fEPSP slopes in CA1 pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices. We found that sigmoidal functions before and after tetanus showed PS enhancement at 18 °C and a larger enhancement at 28 °C, thereby supporting hypothesis 1. We also found that low-frequency stimulation reduced the amplitude of the potentiated PS by ∼29% at both 18 °C and 28 °C, consistent with hypothesis 2; and that slices from nonhibernating hamsters on long and short photoperiods and from hamsters in hibernation all showed at least 40% increases in fEPSP slope following tetanus at a slice temperature of 23 °C, supporting hypothesis 3. Thus, bidirectional plasticity is present in hamsters. That is, both potentiation and depotentiation were readily evoked at 28 °C; potentiation was muted, while depotentiation (the reversal of the potentiation) remained robust at 18 °C. Moreover, potentiated responses could be elicited in slices from animals housed under diverse conditions.
Determination of Pruned Pareto Sets for the Multi-Objective System Redundancy Allocation Problem

In this paper, a new methodology is presented to solve multi-objective system redundancy allocation problems. A tabu search meta-heuristic approach is used to initially find the entire Pareto set, and then a Monte-Carlo simulation provides a decision maker with a pruned set of Pareto solutions based on decision maker's predefined objective function preferences. We are aiming to create a bridge between Pareto optimality and single solution approaches
Students: Design a T‐Shirt or Submit a Video to Win 2013 Fall Meeting Registration

For the second consecutive year, AGU is holding its annual Student T-Shirt Design and Student Video competitions. The two contests, running simultaneously, offer AGU student members a chance to express their creative side. The winners will receive free registration for the 2013 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Capturing Nonlinear Vibratory Roller Compactor Behavior through Lumped Parameter Modeling

Continuous monitoring of soil properties using an instrumented roller compactor requires models that can capture the essential features observed during drum/soil vibration. This paper presents the results of lumped parameter modeling of the drum/soil system together with data from complex nonlinear behavior observed experimentally during operation on sandy soil. Model parameters and response were developed using experimental data collected over a wide range of operating frequencies. Three and four-degree-of-freedom (DOF) models with linear and nonlinear soil elements were investigated. The results showed that a 3DOF model incorporating the soil, drum, and frame of the roller was successful in capturing behavior during coupled drum/soil vibration and during decoupling (i.e., loss of contact between drum and soil). Modeling the drum/soil decoupling accounted for most of the experimentally observed nonlinearity. The addition of nonlinear soil stiffness due to the curved drum effect and due to strain hardening soil behavior accounted for additional nonlinearity observed experimentally. Experimentally observed drum rocking during coupled drum/soil vibration was successfully modeled with a 4DOF drum-frame model. The analysis also revealed that commonly observed heterogeneous soil conditions give rise to a transient response that can have a significant influence on vibration behavior.
Support vector machine via nonlinear rescaling method

In this paper we construct the linear support vector machine (SVM) based on the nonlinear rescaling (NR) methodology (see [Polyak in Math Program 54:177–222, 1992; Polyak in Math Program Ser A 92:197–235, 2002; Polyak and Teboulle in Math Program 76:265–284, 1997] and references therein). The formulation of the linear SVM based on the NR method leads to an algorithm which reduces the number of support vectors without compromising the classification performance compared to the linear soft-margin SVM formulation. The NR algorithm computes both the primal and the dual approximation at each step. The dual variables associated with the given data-set provide important information about each data point and play the key role in selecting the set of support vectors. Experimental results on ten benchmark classification problems show that the NR formulation is feasible. The quality of discrimination, in most instances, is comparable to the linear soft-margin SVM while the number of support vectors in several instances were substantially reduced.