cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DisasterAWARE - a Global Alerting Platform for Flood Events

Abstract. The rising number of flooding events combined with increased urbanization is contributing to significant economic losses due to damages to structures and infrastructures. From a risk reduction and resilience perspective, it is not only essential to forecast flood risk and potential impacts, but also to disseminate the information to stakeholders on the ground for rapid implementation of mitigation and response measures. This paper provides (i) an introduction to DisasterAWARE®, a global alerting system, that is used to disseminate flood risk information to stakeholders across the globe, and (ii) a discussion of the models implemented using earth observation data (Synthetic Aperture Radar and optical imagery) for near real-time assessment of flood severity and potential flood impacts to infrastructures. While the models are still in their nascent stage, a case study implementation of the models for the 2020 flooding event in Africa is presented to showcase the model integration with DisasterAWARE®.
Auditory-Motor Control of Fundamental Frequency in Vocal Vibrato

Summary Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how classically trained singers use their auditory feedback to control fundamental frequency (fo) during production of vocal vibrato. Two main questions were addressed: (1) Do singers produce reflexive fo responses to sudden perturbation of the fo of their auditory feedback during production of vibrato indicative of feedback control? (2) Do singers produce adaptive fo responses to repeated perturbation of the fo of their auditory feedback during production of vibrato indicative of feedback and feedforward control? In addition, one methodological question was addressed to determine if adaptive fo responses were more precisely assessed with or without an auditory cue for fo during the repeated fo perturbation paradigm. Method Ten classically trained singers produced sustained vowels with vibrato while the fo and harmonics of their auditory feedback were suddenly perturbed by 100 cents to assess reflexive control or repeatedly perturbed by 100 cents to assess adaptive control. Half of the participants completed the repeated perturbation experiment with an auditory cue for fo, and the other half completed the experiment without an auditory cue for fo. Acoustical analyses measured changes in mean fo in response to the auditory feedback perturbations. Results On average, participants produced compensatory responses to both sudden and repeated perturbation of the fo of their auditory feedback. The magnitude of the responses to repeated perturbations was larger than the responses to sudden perturbations. Responses were also larger in the cued, repeated fo perturbation experiment than in the uncued, repeated fo perturbation experiment. Conclusions These findings indicate that classically-trained singers use both feedforward and feedback mechanisms to control their average fo during production of vibrato. When compared to prior studies of singers producing a steady voice, the reflexive fo responses were larger in the current study, which may indicate that the feedback control system is engaged more during production of vibrato.
Effect of price reduction on renewable energy technology supply chain performance and contract design

Over the past ten years, fossil fuel sources, particularly coal, dominate global electricity generation. With increasing concerns of large pollution emissions from coal-fired power plants and world...
Communication-Efficient Distributed Linear and Deep Generalized Canonical Correlation Analysis.

Classic and deep learning-based generalized canonical correlation analysis (GCCA) algorithms seek low-dimensional common representations of data entities from multiple ``views'' (e.g., audio and image) using linear transformations and neural networks, respectively. When the views are acquired and stored at different locations, organizations and edge devices, computing GCCA in a distributed, parallel and efficient manner is well-motivated. However, existing distributed GCCA algorithms may incur prohitively high communication overhead. This work puts forth a communication-efficient distributed framework for both linear and deep GCCA under the maximum variance (MAX-VAR) paradigm. The overhead issue is addressed by aggressively compressing (via quantization) the exchanging information between the distributed computing agents and a central controller. Compared to the unquantized version, the proposed algorithm consistently reduces the communication overhead by about $90\%$ with virtually no loss in accuracy and convergence speed. Rigorous convergence analyses are also presented -- which is a nontrivial effort since no existing generic result from quantized distributed optimization covers the special problem structure of GCCA. Our result shows that the proposed algorithms for both linear and deep GCCA converge to critical points in a sublinear rate, even under heavy quantization and stochastic approximations. In addition, it is shown that in the linear MAX-VAR case, the quantized algorithm approaches a {\it global optimum} in a {\it geometric} rate -- if the computing agents' updates meet a certain accuracy level. Synthetic and real data experiments are used to showcase the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Notes on the Problem of International Debt

A typical oration on the debt problem usually starts by outlining its alleged causes. Pride of place is almost certain to be given to the oil shocks of the 1970s. These produced an increased cost of imports, for many countries, and a simultaneous increase in the volume of financial assets owned by the oil exporters. Many of these assets were held as short-term deposits at Euromarket banks. The banks bid for these deposits in the open market to finance loans to many countries including the Latin American and Eastern European countries that stand high on everyone’s list of large debtors.
The Context of Conflict

Abstract This chapter suggests that history is the story of conflict. Human conflict remains the most misunderstood human issue; if conflict is not well understood, then resolving or managing it will not be effective. This chapter provides readers with several positive outcomes of conflict as well as its dysfunctions. Causes of conflict are discussed and culturally learned conflict perceptions (referred to as JABs— Judgments, Attributes, and Blame) are explained. The author's observations about conflict, including 10 reasons for conflict and how conflict escalates are included. The author asserts that all conflict is context dependent, requiring Leader-Negotiators to be skilled at “contextual intelligence.” Understanding of the complexity of conflict is provided through the historical example of the Gordian Knot, which symbolizes the challenge of resolving organizational conflict.
Automating abstraction functions

Data abstraction has been the dominant structuring paradigm for programs for decades. The essence of a data abstraction is the abstraction function, which relates the concrete program representation to its abstract meaning. However, abstraction functions are not generally considered to be a part of the executing program. We propose that making abstraction functions an executable part of the program can enable programmers to write clearer and more concise programs with fewer errors. In particular, we show that the object equality and hashing operations (which programmers are required to write), can often be expressed more clearly and more concisely in terms of the abstract state of the object. Getting these methods right has proven to be difficult for programmers at all skill levels, from novice through expert. In a case study of the standard Java libraries we show that rewriting the code with explicit declarative abstraction functions (and generating equality and hashing methods automatically) removed object-contract compliance faults previously found by Pacheco et al. To make abstraction functions part of the executing program we develop four techniques for the dynamic evaluation of abstraction functions written in a declarative first-order logic with relations and transitive closure. We observe that the abstraction functions programmers write in practice may often be viewed as navigation queries on the heap, and two of our techniques exploit this insight to synthesize executable code from declarative abstraction functions. The performance of our research prototype is within striking distance of hand-written code. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Effective Charges, the Valence p-n Interaction, and the IBM

There are three recent themes in nuclear structure that come together in an interesting and useful way via the concept of effective charges and the framework of the IBM. These three concepts are the importance of dynamical symmetries in describing nuclear structure and the benefits that accrue from their exploitation, secondly, the critical role of the p-n interaction in the onset and development of collectivity in nuclei, and, thirdly, the importance of the valence nucleons in determining structure and its evolution.
Neurospora crassa protein kinase. Purification, properties, and kinetic mechanism.

Abstract A cyclic adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-independent protein kinase was purified 116-fold from cellfree extracts of Neurospora crassa mycelium. The molecular weight of the enzyme as determined by gel filtration was 60,000. The sedimentation coefficient by sucrose density gradient centrifugation was 3.8 S. The enzyme has a broad pH optimum (7.0 to 8.5). Activity was maximal at an ionic strength of 0.15. The Eact was 10.7 Cal. Kinetic studies have shown that the actual substrate for the reaction is the MgATP2- complex. Free ATP is inhibitory. The Km for MgATP2- at saturating casein is approximately 3 x 10-5 m. The Km for casein at saturating Mg-ATP2- is approximately 1.60 mg per ml. Phosvitin is the only other protein substrate tested that could replace casein. Co2+ and Mn2+ could partially substitute for Mg2+ in the reaction. Neither MgUTP2- nor MgGTP2- was a substrate. Both nucleotides were competitive inhibitors with respect to MgATP2-. Reciprocal plots of 1/v versus 1/[MgATP2-] at different fixed concentrations of casein and 1/v versus 1/[casein] at different fixed concentrations of MgATP2- were apparently parallel. However, product inhibition studies (MgADP-) and dead end inhibition studies (MgUTP2-, casein peptides) yielded results consistent with a random mechanism in which the binding of one substrate greatly decreases the affinity of the enzyme for the other substrate (Kma >> Kia, Kmb >> Kib, or in alternate terms, α >> 1).
A Survey for Fine Structure in E+SO Galaxies

We present the results of an imaging survey aimed at finding and cataloguing various kinds of fine structure in 74 nearby E + S0 galaxies. More than half of the objects feature at least one of the following: ripples (“shells”), strongly boxy isophotes, X-structure, and plumes, thus suggesting a multi-component origin (mergers, accretions) for these galaxies. The presence of fine structure correlates with spectral line strengths measured by Faber et al. (1990): ellipticals with ripples, plumes, etc., tend to have stronger-than-average Hβ lines and weaker-than-average CN and Mg2 indices for their luminosity, suggesting that — compared to their featureless counterparts — they may have experienced more recent star formation.
Making Sense of the Sequence

Although the impact of the versions of the sequence of the human genome published by Venter et al . in this issue of Science and by the publicly funded project in this week9s issue of Nature will be enormous, it can be difficult to evaluate what is being represented or how to use it. Galas provides a user-friendly guide to some of the fundamental aspects of the genome sequences that have been presented. He also includes a number of tools and approaches to gene finding and gene structure that can provide access to the new data for the working biologist.
A Self-Paced Introductory Programming Course.

In this paper, a required introductory programming course being taught to MIS undergraduates using the C++ programming language is described. Two factors make the objectives of the course—which are to provide students with an exposure to the logical organization of the computer in addition to teaching them basic programming logic—particularly challenging to achieve. First, students enter the course with widely varying backgrounds, with roughly equal numbers having no prior exposure to programming courses, having taken one previous course and having taken two or more previous courses. They also have different work aspirations, with about half believing it is unlikely that they will be employed as programmers within 10 years. This makes choosing an appropriate amount of material to cover problematic. Second, many of the students chose MIS as a major (as opposed to computer science) specifically to avoid the necessity of learning programming. This leads to motivational barriers. To address these challenges, the course utilizes a self-paced format. Making the self-paced format work required three systems: 1) Content delivery: extensive multimedia aids and web content to support textual materials and to substitute for classroom lectures, 2) Peer support: peer-tutoring and assignment validation, drawing from approaches used in nuclear submarine training that provide flexibility and enhance rigor, 3) Progress monitoring: an administrative information system, used to track student progress and provide students with weekly reports. Collectively, the three course systems have led to very positive learning outcomes. No pattern of significant differences on grades, course evaluations, satisfaction, self-assessments of learning, or career attractiveness was detected based on gender, ethnicity, employment status or prior programming coursework, among other factors tested, indicating the course effectively accommodates substantial student diversity. The failure rate dropped from 19% to 13% between the first and fifth semesters assessed for the evolving course (with no change in academic standards), and the withdrawal rate dropped from 31% to 19% in the same time frame, an important criterion in a time of dwindling enrollment. Students give high marks to the course’s peer assistance, group activities, and its emphasis on non-exam elements, indicating the course design is working as intended. The course also outperforms all other required programming courses in the department on student evaluations.
Care of infants with near-miss sudden infant death syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of home management of life-threatening apnea in infants with near-miss sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A total of 84 infants were monitored with apnea monitors for an average of seven months (range, 1 to 27). A group of 27 infants had episodes of apnea requiring resuscitation during home monitoring, all of whom were successfully resuscitated by their parents on at least one occasion using bag and mask resuscitation, and 17 infants required more than one resuscitation. Subsequent resuscitation was unsuccessful with four infants. Infants who experienced more than ten episodes of prolonged sleep apnea (apnea longer than 20 seconds) during home monitoring had a significantly increased risk of requiring resuscitation than other infants being studied. With the use of home monitoring of these infants and parents trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the survival rate was 93.4%.
ESTIMATING INTERVENTION EFFECTS IN VARYING RISK SETTINGS: DO POLICE RAIDS REDUCE ILLEGAL DRUG DEALING AT NUISANCE BARS?

This paper investigates the effectiveness of police raids in reducing drug dealing in and around nuisance bars. We examine effects of both dosage (number of raids) and duration (months) of the intervention, as well as the conditioning effects of land use and population characteristics in shaping the underlying risk levels of drug dealing in the target and surrounding areas. Results indicate that the police intervention suppresses levels of drug dealing during periods of active enforcement, but the effects largely disappear when the intervention is withdrawn. Also, the effects of the intervention are mediated by risk characteristics in target and surrounding areas. Target areas characterized by higher levels of risk are more resistant to intervention effects than those with lower levels of risk. Risk factors in nearby areas are also significant. Bars with high levels of risk arising from land uses in surrounding areas are easier to treat, while bars with high levels of population-based risk in surrounding areas are harder to treat.
Human L1 element target-primed reverse transcription in vitro

L1 elements are ubiquitous human transposons that replicate via an RNA intermediate. We have reconstituted the initial stages of L1 element transposition in vitro. The reaction requires only the L1 ORF2 protein, L1 3' RNA, a target DNA and appropriate buffer components. We detect branched molecules consisting of junctions between transposon 3' end cDNA and the target DNA, resulting from priming at a nick in the target DNA. 5' junctions of transposon cDNA and target DNA are also observed. The nicking and reverse transcription steps in the reaction can be uncoupled, as priming at pre-existing nicks and even double-strand breaks can occur. We find evidence for specific positioning of the L1 RNA with the ORF2 protein, probably mediated in part by the polyadenosine portion of L1 RNA. Polyguanosine, similar to a conserved region of the L1 3' UTR, potently inhibits L1 endonuclease (L1 EN) activity. L1 EN activity is also repressed in the context of the full-length ORF2 protein, but it and a second cryptic nuclease activity are released by ORF2p proteolysis. Additionally, heterologous RNA species such as Alu element RNA and L1 transcripts with 3' extensions are substrates for the reaction.
Ferromagnetic-resonance studies of granular giant-magnetoresistive materials

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can reveal important information on the size and shape of the ferromagnetic particles which are dispersed in granular giant magnetoresistive (GMR) materials. We have investigated the FMR spectra of three different types of granular GMR material, each with different properties: (1) melt-spun ribbons of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}$${\mathrm{Co}}_{15}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{80}$ and ${\mathrm{Co}}_{20}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{80}$, (2) thin films of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{20}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{80}$ produced by pulsed laser deposition, and (3) a granular multilayer film of [Cu(50 \AA{})/Fe(10 \AA{})]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}50. We interpret the linewidth of these materials in as simple a manner as possible, as a ``powder pattern'' of noninteracting ferromagnetic particles. The linewidth of the melt-spun ribbons is caused by a completely random distribution of crystalline anisotropy axes. The linewidth of these samples is strongly dependent upon the annealing temperature: the linewidth of the as-spun sample is 2.5 kOe (appropriate for single-domain particles) while the linewidth of a melt-spun sample annealed at 900 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C for 15 min is 4.5 kOe (appropriate for larger, multidomain particles). The linewidth of the granular multilayer is attributed to a restricted distribution of shape anisotropies, as expected from a discontinuous multilayer, and is only 0.98 kOe when the applied magnetic field is in the plane of the film.
Nesting Behaviour of Abert Squirrels (Sciurus aberti)

Nesting behaviour of Abert squirrels (Sciurus aberti), including site selection and use, was studied in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder County, Colorado. Only females were observed building nests, although both males and females maintained nests once they were built. Communal nesting by Abert squirrels was rare, but the majority of observed nest sharings involved unrelated male and female pairs. A total of 14 variables were used to evaluate the nests (n = 49) inhabited by Abert squirrels from May 1988 to Jun. 1991. All nests were located in Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees. The majority of nests were constructed of twigs and located in the upper one-third of the canopy, near the trunk, on the south-east side of the tree. Trees with nests were predominantly located in closed stands. Nest trees, when compared with unused control trees that were equally accessible to squirrels, were significantly different from control trees in five of nine variables. Nest tree crowns intertwined with a larger number of adjacent tree crowns than did control tree crowns. Nest trees were also significantly taller than control trees, but subdominant to adjacent trees within a stand. Seasonal and diurnal patterns of nest use indicate that Abert squirrels do not choose nest locations on the south-east sides of trees to facilitate behavioural thermoregulation. Rather, Abert squirrels select nest site locations to (1) maximize accessibility and (2) maximize structural stability which may provide protection from wind and rain.
Desert dune dynamics and development: insights from luminescence dating

The application of luminescence dating to aeolian sands in desert regions has revolutionized our understanding of the dynamics of these systems on centennial to millennial time scales. The availability of increasingly precise numerical ages for periods of aeolian deposition has provided information on rates of dune migration and accumulation of sand and supported new models of dune development. When combined with information on dune stratigraphy and morphology, clustering of luminescence ages shows that most dunefields and many large dunes are composite features that have developed as a result of multiple periods of aeolian construction separated by periods of non-deposition or erosion. Numerical ages have enabled identification of the timing and duration of these periods of aeolian activity and facilitated understanding of the conditions in which they occurred via correlation with other sources of palaeoenvironmental proxy data. The result is a much-enhanced conceptual and empirical understanding of how desert dunes and sand seas have responded to Quaternary changes in climate and sea level, manifested by changes in sediment supply, availability and mobility.
Cross-Tropopause Mass Exchange and Potential Vorticity Budget in a Simulated Tropopause Folding

Abstract To study stratosphere–troposphere exchange, an approach based on the nonconservation of potential vorticity (PV) is developed; this approach arises naturally if one defines the tropopause in terms of PV. The evolution of a tropopause fold simulated by a mesoscale model is studied, as well as the evolution of PV at the tropopause level. The PV framework also permits the identification of the physical processes responsible for the cross-tropopause exchange as either diffusive or diabatic. In this model simulation, the diabatic processes are found to be the most important in the exchange. In particular, it is found that the negative heating gradient in the region of the warm sector of the surface cyclone is responsible for most of the diabatic exchange across the tropopause. The mass exchange during the tropopause folding event is estimated to be around 4.9 × 1014 kg in four days over the domain considered (1600 × 2000 km). This number is shown to correspond to the net difference between exchange fr...
Kant's Theory of Freedom

In his new book the eminent Kant scholar Henry Allison provides an innovative and comprehensive interpretation of Kant's concept of freedom. The author analyzes the concept and discusses the role it plays in Kant's moral philosophy and psychology. He also considers in full detail the critical literature on the subject from Kant's own time to the present day. In the first part Professor Allison argues that at the centre of the Critique of Pure Reason there is the foundation for a coherent general theory of rational agency. The second part employs this account of rational agency as a key to understanding Kant's concept of moral agency and associated moral psychology. The third part focuses on Kant's attempt to ground both moral law and freedom in the Groundwork and the Critique of Practical Reason. This is a major contribution to the interpretation of Kant which will be of special interest to scholars and graduate students of Kant's moral theory.
Proton density fat-fraction: A standardized mr-based biomarker of tissue fat concentration

On February 19–22, the 2012 ISMRM Workshop on Fat–Water Separation was held in Long Beach, California. Over 130 attendees from 13 countries convened to discuss historical aspects of water–fat imaging, as well as technical and clinical developments, and remaining challenges. Among these attendees were new and established investigators. A comprehensive overview of the meeting and presentations from the 25 invited speakers at the workshop was recently published in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (1).
Heterolysis of H−X Bonds by Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl−Aminoborole Complexes of Zirconium and Hafnium

The pentamethylcyclopentadienyl−aminoborole chloro complexes Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}MCl·LiCl (Cp* = (η5-C5Me5); M = Zr, Hf) heterolytically cleave H−X bonds to form Cp*{η5-C4H4BNH(CHMe2)2}MCl(X) (X = OR, SR, C⋮CR). Control experiments using deuterium-labeled substrates show heterolysis occurs with no incorporation of deuterium into the 2,5 positions of the borole heterocycle. Cp*{η5-C4H4BNH(CHMe2)2}Hf(C⋮CSiMe3)2 is prepared from Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}Hf(η3-C3H5) and 2 equiv of (trimethylsilyl)acetylene. Treatment of Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}MCl·LiCl (M = Zr, Hf) with donor ligands L yields the LiCl-free complexes Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}MCl(L) (M = Zr, L = NMe2H; M = Hf, L = PMe3). Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}HfCl(PMe3) reacts with (trimethylsilyl)acetylene with loss of HN(CHMe2)2 to form Cp*{η5-C4H4B(C⋮CSiMe3)}HfCl(PMe3), resulting from formal migration of acetylide from hafnium to boron. X-ray structure determinations of Cp*{η5-C4H4BNH(CHMe2)2}HfCl(C⋮CSiMe3), Cp*{η5-C4H4BN(CHMe2)2}HfCl(PMe3), and Cp*{η5-C4H4B(C⋮CSi...
Early Computational Statistics

I consider the beginnings of computational and empirical statistics, particularly emphasizing the contributions to these by the scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory during and after World War II. The timeline considered herein begins with preparations for the 1890 U.S. Census and concludes with Tukey’s introduction of the jackknife.
Inverse variational inequalities with projection-based solution methods

Abstract An inverse variational inequality is defined as to find a vector u ∗ ∈ R n , such that F ( u ∗ ) ∈ Ω , ( v - F ( u ∗ ) ) T u ∗ ⩾ 0 , ∀ v ∈ Ω . If an inverse function u = F −1 ( x ) exists, the above inverse variational inequality could be transformed as a regular variational inequality. However, in reality, it is not uncommon that the inverse function of F −1 ( x ) does not have explicit form, although its functional values can be observed. Existing line search algorithms cannot be applied directly to solve such inverse variational inequalities. In this paper, we propose two projection-based methods using the co-coercivity of mapping F . A self-adaptive strategy is developed to determine the step sizes efficiently when the co-coercivity modulus is unknown. The convergence of the proposed methods is proved rigorously.
Is The God of Judaism Incarnate

The issue of incarnation in the formative centuries of the Judaism of the dual Torah concerns not the invention of an essentially new conception of God but the recovery of what was among other Judaisms an entirely conventional one. What concerns us is not so much why in light of the prior Judaic systems and their statements, the Judaism of the dual Torah represented God inincarnate form. It is how the incarnation of God attained realization. For in the earlier stages of the unfolding of the canon of the Judaism of the dual Torah, e.g. in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and related exegetical writings, we have no hint of an incarnation of God, and it is only in the final and complete statement of that Judaism that we confront, in full and whole realization, the notion of God with an individuality, a personality, a corporeal character. The answer to that question requires us to pursue two distinct lines of inquiry. The first concerns incarnation – treating as human and fleshly and corporeal what is to begin with either an object or an abstraction – as a mode of thought, not with special reference to God. Here we want to know the point at which, in the unfolding of the canon of the Judaism of the dual Torah, the conception of incarnation serves as a mode of presenting as a human person or personality some thing or some idea. Within this inquiry, further, we want to know precisely how the conception of incarnation comes to expression. The second addresses the issue why is it that in the pages of the Bavli in particular the process of incarnation reaches the person of God?
C3 component of complement secreted by established cell lines

Abstract The hamster cell line NIL8 secretes the C3 component of complement as well as collagenous molecules and fibronectin (LETS protein). The C3 is found in the culture medium as a disulfide-bonded complex of two polypeptides of 130,000 daltons (α) and 65,000 daltons (β). The secreted C3 can be quantitatively cleaved to C3b and further cleaved by C3 inactivators. The activation of C3 to C3b is promoted by zymosan or by antibody-coated erythrocytes, demonstrating participation in both the classical and alternative complement pathways. The availability of this culture system has enabled us to show that C3 is synthesized as a 185,000 dalton precursor (proC3) which is biologically Inactive and becomes cleaved to active C3. Some other established cell lines (NIL1 and BALB/c 3T3) also secrete C3, but some others do not.
An Effect Size Measure for Raju’s Differential Functioning for Items and Tests

This study established an effect size measure for differential functioning for items and tests’ noncompensatory differential item functioning (NCDIF). The Mantel–Haenszel parameter served as the benchmark for developing NCDIF’s effect size measure for reporting moderate and large differential item functioning in test items. The effect size of NCDIF is influenced by the model, the discrimination parameter, and the difficulty parameter. Therefore, tables of NCDIF’s effect size were presented at given levels of a, b, and c parameters. In addition, a general effect size recommendation for moderate and large NCDIF is also established.
Molecular beam epitaxy of BeTe on vicinal Si(1 0 0) surfaces

BeTe was epitaxially grown on vicinal Si(1 0 0) substrates for the first time. Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was used to study the initial growth mode and the surface structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to study the crystal quality. The material was grown on both bare and arsenic covered vicinal Si(1 0 0) surfaces. Smooth and well-ordered surface structures readily formed during the growth. Low stacking-fault densities were obtained in the BeTe epilayers. The potential applications of the new material are discussed briefly.
A Model of Localized Mortgage Lending Behavior

Loan administration costs and the costs of search for information about risk are found to be determinants of spatial interest rate differentials. These costs are independent of dollar loan size; therefore, rational lending policies can produce higher interest rates (or lower term to maturity) in low-income communities. But the premium (lower maturity) should be related to lower loan size and risk differentials. Public policy should be directed toward compiling and verifying an information bank which would allow lenders to search efficiently for information about risk. An empirical methodology designed to test for mortgage deficiency in minority areas was developed through case studies. This indicated the utility of specifying the supply and demand for mortgages at the neighborhood level of aggregation. Trends in neighborhood property values were identified as important and overlooked measures of lending risk. Further exploration of the hypothesis that Spanish-speaking areas are mortgage deficient is suggested by the cases.
Thermal conductivity of liquid semiconductor thallium-tellurium solutions

Abstract A study has been made of the thermal conductivity K of liquid thallium-tellurium solutions in a composition range where they have semiconductor behaviour. The data are compared with conventional theories for electronic structure and transport, making use of existing information about the electrical properties of these solutions. At a composition which is n-type, but not far from intrinsic, a rapid rise in the experimental value of K with increasing T can be ascribed, at least in part, to ambipolar diffusion. At p-type compositions, the thermal conductivity is found to vary linearly with the product of the electrical conductivity and the absolute temperature over considerable ranges of temperature and concentration, in accordance with the Wiedemann-Franz law. However, the slope differs appreciably from the value for the Wiedemann-Franz ratio derived from conventional transport theory. Some of the possible reasons for the observed behaviour are discussed.
Matched solution of nonlinear forced equations and Rossby vortices

Abstract An analytical method for solving nonlinear equations with local forcing is proposed. It is shown in an example that a nonlinear forced equation may have many solutions, which generally do not turn to the solution of a linear equation in the limit of the nonlinear term becoming small. The solution of the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation with forcing is applied to the problem of topographic Rossby vortices in shear flow. Solutions of other nonlinear equations with forcing are also obtained.
Cytolytic, Complement-Dependent Antibodies to Measles Virus in Rhesus Monkeys after Administration of Live or Killed Virus

Infection of rhesus monkeys with measles virus induced specific complement-dependent cytolytic antibodies during the early phase of acute infection. The development of maximal levels of the complement-dependent cytolytic antibodies appears to be dependent on the respiratory rather than the parenteral route of infection and on the use of live rather than killed measles virus. These levels of cytolytic antibodies seem to be independent of levels of simultaneously developing neutralizing and hemagglutinating antibodies. It is proposed that complement-dependent cytolytic antibodies play an important role in the elimination of acute measles virus in vivo by lysing the foci of infected cells and by blocking the spread of virus by cell fusion.
Sperm competition theory offers additional insight into cultural variation in sexual behavior

Schmitt recognized that research is needed to identify other factors associated with sex ratio and with sociosexuality that may explain cross-cultural variation in sexual behavior. One such factor may be the risk of sperm competition. Sperm competition theory may lead us to a more complete explanation of cultural variation in sexual behavior.
Sarks as additional fermions

An extension of the standard model is proposed. The gauge group is SU(2)X ⊗ SU(3)C ⊗ SU(2)S ⊗ U(1)Q, where all gauge symmetries are unbroken. The colour and electric charge are combined with SU(2)S which becomes strongly coupled at approximately 500 GeV and binds preons to form fermionic and vector bound states. The usual quarks and leptons are singlets under SU(2)X but additional fermions, called sarks. transform under it and the electroweak group. The present model explains why no more than three light quark-lepton families can exist. Neutral sark baryons, called narks, are candidates for the cosmological dark matter having the characteristics designed for WIMPS. Further phenomenological implications of sarks are analyzed i including electron-positron annihilation. Z0 decay, flavor-changing neutral currents. baryon-number non-conservation, sarkonium and the neutron electric dipole moment.
A quantitative method for the selection of hospital information systems components.

Abstract An analytical approach for Hospital Information Systems Components selection is developed. The methodology is described in detail and an application example is presented. The approach combines individual utility functions for a group of decision makers to form a group utility function. The resultant group utility function is used to evaluate different systems components and select the best available alternative.
Effects of FKBP-12 ligands following tibial nerve injury in rats.

The neuroregenerative properties of FK506, an FKBP-12 ligand that inhibits calcineurin, and V10,367, an FKBP-12 ligand that does not inhibit calcineurin, were evaluated in crush and transection models. Rats were randomly assigned to one of seven groups, including untreated controls and FK506- or V-10,367-treated experimental groups. Following crush or transection nerve injury, animals were assessed with walking tracks, and histomorphometry. FK506-treated animals demonstrated significant functional recovery 11 days following crush and 18 days following transection injury. In untreated and V10,367 treated animals, nerves recovered 13 days following crush injury, but did not improve significantly prior to sacrifice at 28 days in animals sustaining a transection injury. No statistically significant differences in histomorphometric parameters were identified between any of the groups. The study confirms that FK506 accelerates recovery from tibial nerve injury.
Nightmare Distress and Stress-Related Health Problems:

Responses of 289 university students to Belicki's Nightmare Distress Questionnaire and the Stress-related Health Problems Scale were used to test the hypothesis that persons who score high on nightmare distress are more likely to report psychological problems. Since relative to the Low Nightmare Distress group, the High Nightmare Distress group scored significantly higher on all seven of the sets of symptoms that are measured by the Stress-related Health Problems Scale, this hypothesis was supported.
A Method for the Statistical Evaluation of Small Subsystem Performance

This paper proposes a method for the statistical evaluation of small subsystems performance. The method requires that performance data from a small subsystem be analyzed using a multiple linear regression method; this has been programmed for a digital computer making use of a step-wise solution. The result along with predetermined component variation is then used in a computer programmed Monte Carlo simulation to develop both the output distribution and descriptive statistics. Experimental results from a small, one-core impulse-switched memory system are presented. Other applications include the analysis of high speed computer circuits; one application integrated circuitry, offers great promise.
Biomechanical comparison of a circular external skeletal fixator construct to pin and tension band wire fixation for the stabilization of olecranon osteotomies in dogs: a cadaveric study.

Objective— To compare anatomic reduction and the biomechanical properties of a circular external skeletal fixator (CESF) construct to pin and tension band wire (PTBW) fixation for the stabilization of olecranon osteotomies in dogs. Study Design— Cadaveric study. Animals— Forelimbs from 12 skeletally mature mixed-breed dogs, weighing 23 to 28 kg. Methods— An olecranon osteotomy was stabilized with either a CESF construct or PTBW fixation. A single distractive load to failure was applied to each specimen through the triceps tendon. Osteotomy reduction and biomechanical properties were compared between fixation groups. Results— Reduction was not significantly different (gap: P= .171; malalignment: P= .558) between fixation groups. Osteotomies stabilized with the CESF had greater stiffness (P < .0001) and maximum load sustained (P < .0001) compared to PTBW fixation. There was no significant difference for yield load (P= .318) or for load at 1 mm of axial displacement (P= .997) between fixation groups. Failure of fixation occurred by bending of the intramedullary Steinmann pin and the fixation wires in the CESF specimens and by untwisting of the tension band wire knot with pullout and bending of the Kirschner wires in the PTBW specimens. Conclusions— Specimens stabilized with the CESF construct had similar reduction and yield load, greater stiffness and maximum load sustained, and less elastic deformation than specimens stabilized with PTBW fixation. Clinical Relevance— The CESF construct may provide a biomechanically favorable alternative to PTBW fixation for stabilization of olecranon osteotomies in dogs, and its application warrants clinical investigation.
Analysis and design of an integrated material handling system

Abstract An integrated manufacturing system with a finite capacity consisting of a set of work stations, a loading station and unloading stations linked by a material handling system is considered. Each work station has a local storage, a set of flexible machines capable of processing workpieces belonging to the same family of parts and an unloading station. Each workpiece requires only one stage of operation which may receive it from either one of the work stations. The integrated material handling system consists of a set of line conveyors, each with a specified length, velocity and capacity. In this paper, an open queueing network model is developed to analyse the effects of the loading, the material handling, the storage and the processing operations on the asymptotic performance of the system. Furthermore, a methodology for controlling the congestion along the material handling system is suggested. Numerical results are also provided and the approximations results are compared against those from a si...
Optimal sensor placement for time difference of arrival localization

This paper addresses the problem of localizing a source from noisy time-of-arrival measurements. In particular, we are interested in the optimal placement of M planar sensors so as to yield the best expected source location estimate. The main result, on maximizing the expected determinant of the Fisher information matrix for truncated, radially-symmetric source distributions, shows two features not previously observed. First, the sensors should be placed as far from the expected source position as possible. Second, the sensors should be arranged in a splay configuration in which neighboring sensors are separated by equal angle increments. Specific examples are given for point, uniform, and truncated-Gaussian source density functions.
3D micron-scale MRI of single biological cells

We report MRI microscopy images of single biological cells with micron-scale resolution in all three dimensions. Sub-cellular organelles are observed, including a spiral-shaped array of chloroplasts on the inner surface of the cell wall of a Spirogyra alga.
Animated instructional media for stress transformations in a Mechanics of Materials course

Two unique instructional modules—the Plane Stress Transformations Module and the Mohr's Circle for Plane Stress Module—developed for the Mechanics of Materials course are presented. Formative assessment data gathered from Mechanics of Materials students pertaining to these courseware modules are presented and discussed. General conclusions and recommendations are presented. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 11: 40–52, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10037
The computer revolution and the arts

Loveless brings together essays by sociopolitical theorists, artists, and a science historian with a collection of colour plates of computer-generated art by Sonia Sheridan.
Exploring the conformational space of membrane protein folds matching distance constraints

Herein we present a computational technique for generating helix-membrane protein folds matching a predefined set of distance constraints, such as those obtained from NMR NOE, chemical cross-linking, dipolar EPR, and FRET experiments. The purpose of the technique is to provide initial structures for local conformational searches based on either energetic considerations or ad-hoc scoring criteria. In order to properly screen the conformational space, the technique generates an exhaustive list of conformations within a specified root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) where the helices are positioned in order to match the provided distances. Our results indicate that the number of structures decreases exponentially as the number of distances increases, and increases exponentially as the errors associated with the distances increases. We also found the number of solutions to be smaller when all the distances share one helix in common, compared to the case where the distances connect helices in a daisy-chain manner. We found that for 7 helices, at least 15 distances with errors up to 8 A are needed to produce a number of solutions that is not too large to be processed by local search refinement procedures. Finally, without energetic considerations, our enumeration technique retrieved the transmembrane domains of Bacteriorhodopsin (PDB entry1c3w), Halorhodopsin (1e12), Rhodopsin (1f88), Aquaporin-1 (1fqy), Glycerol uptake facilitator protein (1fx8), Sensory Rhodopsin (1jgj), and a subunit of Fumarate reductase flavoprotein (1qlaC) with Calpha level RMSDs of 3.0 A, 2.3 A, 3.2 A, 4.6 A, 6.0 A, 3.7 A, and 4.4 A, respectively.
Accelerated Evolution of Hydrogen from Metals During Plastic Deformation

Plastic deformation accelerates the release of hydrogen from iron, Type 304L stainless steel, nickel, Inconel 718, and 5086 aluminum. The release rate is strain dependent: it increases rapidly when plastic deformation begins, reaches a maximum, and then decreases with additional strain with a final large release at fracture. The release rate is constant during Luder’s extension for iron, and fluctuates coincidentally with the serrated flow of 5086 aluminum. The release rate during deformation also depends on temperature and strain rate. The accelerated release rate during deformation is discussed in terms of hydrogen-dislocation interactions and is interpreted as being caused by the egress of of dislocations and their associated hydrogen atmospheres during plastic deformation.
Isomers of Si2C2: an MBPT study

Abstract The structure of the low-lying electronic states of the unknown Si 2 C 2 system is studied using full fourth-order MBPT. It is concluded that the lowest-lying structure is a rhombus, 1 A g state, which is ca. 12 kcal mol −1 lower than the linear 3 Σ g − state. This is similar to the C 4 system. The rhombus structure accommodates reluctance of silicon to form stable multiple bonds. Vibrational frequencies are reported.
Backbone dynamics of apocytochrome b5 in its native, partially folded state.

The backbone dynamics in the native state of apocytochrome b5 were studied using 15N nuclear magnetic spin relaxation measurements. The field (11.7 and 14.1 T) and temperature (10-25 degrees C) dependence of the relaxation parameters (R1, R2, and R1rho) and the 1H-15N NOE established that the protein undergoes multiple time scale internal motions related to the secondary structure. The relaxation data were analyzed with the reduced spectral density mapping approach and within the extended model-free framework. The apoprotein was confirmed to contain a disordered heme-binding loop of approximately 30 residues with dynamics on the sub-nanosecond time scale (0.6 0.75, taue 300 micros) than for the folded polypeptide chain (tauex < 150 micros). The distribution of the reduced spectral densities at the 1H and 15N frequencies followed the dynamic trend and predicted the slowing of the internal motions at 10 degrees C. Comparison of the dynamics with those of the holoprotein [Dangi, B., Sarma, S., Yan, C., Banville, D. L., and Guiles, R. D. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 8289-8302] demonstrated that binding of the heme alters the time scale of motions both in the heme-binding loop and in the structured hydrophobic core.