cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements of Gas Entrainment in Evaporating Spray Jets

The jet-induced entrainment can be significantly different for jets with evaporating sprays, compared to those of single-phase jets. The heat and mass transfer properties of a liquid jet could be dominate factors governing the nature of the jet. These factors are mainly associated with the amount of mass of the surrounding air induced into the jet. In this study, we have experimentally investigated the air entrainment by a liquid nitrogen spray jet as well as that by a cold nitrogen gas jet near the liquid nitrogen temperature. An oxygen concentration measurement system was used to determine the local oxygen concentration that is purely due to the jet entrainment while the spray jet velocity was determined using a Laser Doppler Velocimetry system Temperature profiles were also monitored using a mini-sized thermocouple on a traverse. Entrainment velocities as well as mass entrainment rate of surrounding air into the jet were calculated by integrating the product of concentration and velocity within the spray jet boundary. Our results indicate that the jet similarity criterion still holds for two-phase evaporating liquid spray jets for circular nozzles. Experimental results of the entrainment rate and similarity of the single-phase jets were quantitatively compared against those from the classical jet theories. It is found that the mass flow rate of air entrained is significantly increased for the two-phase evaporating spray jets as compared to single-phase jets. Effect of spray evaporation on the spray jet expansion rates is also evaluated by comparing the jet expansion of the single-phase jets and those of two-phase evaporating spray jets.© 2004 ASME
Raoul Peck's Lumumba and Lumumba: La mort du prophète: On Cultural Amnesia and Historical Erasure

This article examines two films by Raoul Peck— Lumumba : La mort du prophete (1992) and Lumumba (2000) that offer vastly divergent methods for remembering, memorializing, and meditating on the life and death of Patrice Lumumba. Peck succeeds in creating films that do more than preserve or resuscitate a historical record. The earlier film in particular performs analytic historical work as it delves into the conflicted historical record in which Lumumba is remembered. Peck uses an experimental and confrontational approach to reveal the ongoing forms of cultural censorship that have attempted to erase Lumumba and his legacy. Resume: Cet essai examine deux films de Raoul Peck— Lumumba : La mort du prophete (1992) et Lumumba (2000) qui offrent deux methodes completement differentes pour rememorer, commemorer, et mediter sur, la vie de Patrice Lumumba. Peck reussit a creer des films qui font plus que preserver ou ressusciter un document historique. Le film anterieur en particulier met en scene un travail d'analyse historique tout en se plongeant dans les archives conflictuelles exposant les souvenir de Lumumba. Peck utilise une approche experimentale et de confrontation pour reveler les formes de censure culturelle ayant tente d'effacer Lumumba et son heritage.
Asian Professionals as Immigrants: The Indians in Sydney

Since the 1960s Australia's immigration policies have been changed to permit entry of significant numbers of previously restricted Asians. High proportions of these immigrants are professional people and their families, especially doctors, engineers and scientists. Models developed to explain the settlement and assimilation of earlier generations of immigrants, especially those of lower incomes and rural backgrounds, do not appear useful for studying these new immigrants. Examination of one such group, Indians in Sydney, shows them to be residentially dispersed and participating in the social life of the wider society. Such ethnic identity as is demonstrated seems to be part of a multi-faceted life which reflects their professional employment and cosmopolitan, urban backgrounds.
The administration of cortisone to female B6A mice during their immune adaptive period causes anovulation and the formation of ovarian cysts.

Problem Female mice that are injected with estradiol-17beta (E2) and testosterone during the 7-day immune adaptive period are infertile at adulthood. To determine whether the resultant infertility can be caused by steroids other than estrogens/ androgens, this study examined the effect of injecting cortisone, alone, and in combination with E2 and testosterone, on reproductive function. Method of study Neonatal (C57BL/6J x A/J)F1 B6A female mice were injected from 3 to 6 days of age with sesame oil:ethanol (9:1; v:v), alone, or containing 20 microgg cortisone acetate, 20 microg E2, or 20 microg testosterone. Two additional groups were given 20 microg cortisone acetate in combination with 20 microg E2 or 20 microg testosterone. At adulthood the animals were killed, the stage of vaginal estrus determined, the ovaries examined for the presence of corpora lutea and follicular cysts, and circulating levels of progesterone, E2, and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Results It was found that injections of cortisone seriously compromise reproductive development. For example, 11% of cortisone-injected animals had ovaries that lacked corpora lutea. In addition, 39% of cortisone-injected females had ovaries with follicular cysts. Cortisone-injected females also had low levels of circulating progesterone (18 ng/mL versus 30 ng/mL for the sesame oil-injected females). Conclusion It is concluded that the deleterious effect of steroids on reproductive function, when administered during the immune adaptive period, is not restricted to estrogens and androgens. It is proposed that injections of cortisone alter T-lymphocyte subsets, which contributes to anovulation and the production of follicular cysts.
Application of the Kalman Filter to inventory Control

This paper presents a brief introduction to state estimation techniques, in particular Kalman filtering. A description of the Kalman filter and its properties is given. An example employing a three-state K, alman filter is given which highlights the modeling capabilities of the estimation technique. The example, concerned with estimating material loss, is contrasted with the standard CUSUM control chart statistic.
Oxidation of monomethoxylated aromatic compounds by lignin peroxidase: role of veratryl alcohol in lignin biodegradation

Lignin peroxidase (LiP), an extracellular heme enzyme from the lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, catalyzes the H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-dependent oxidation of a variety of nonphenolic lignin model compounds. The oxidation of monomethoxylated lignin model compounds, such as anisyl alcohol (AA), and the role of veratryl alcohol (VA) in LiP reactions were studied. AA oxidation reached a maximum at relatively low H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentrations, beyond which the extent of the reactions decreased. The presence of VA did not affect AA oxidation at low molar ratios of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to enzyme; however, at ratios above 100, the presence of VA abolished the decrease in AA oxidation. Addition of stoichiometric amounts of AA to LiP compound II (LiPII) resulted in its reduction to the native enzyme at rates that were significantly faster than the spontaneous rate of reduction, indicating that AA and other monomethoxylated aromatics are directly oxidized by LiP, albeit slowly. Under steady-state conditions in the presence of excess H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and VA, a visible spectrum for LiPII was obtained. In contrast, under steady-state conditions in the presence of AA a visible spectrum was obtained for LiPIII*, a noncovalent complex of LiPIII and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. These results support amore » mechanism whereby VA protects the enzyme from inactivation by H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, thus making more enzyme available for the oxidation of recalcitrant substrates, such as AA and probably polymeric lignin. The results do not support a mechanism whereby VA acts as a radical mediator in the LiP oxidation of AA and other monomethoxylated aromatics.« less
The legacy of timber harvest: Do patterns of species dominance suggest recovery of lepidopteran communities in managed hardwood stands?

Patterns of local and regional dominance within species assemblages can be used to infer the legacy of disturbance in managed systems. Specifically, highly disturbed communities are expected to share the same dominant species across environmental gradients, while recovery from disturbance should be correlated with a differentiation among the dominant suite of species among sites. We tested this hypothesis using moth communities sampled from 20 forest stands within three watersheds managed for complete timber harvest 60 years prior. Specifically, we (1) compared the species-abundance distributions for all moths sampled from the forests, (2) used ordination and indicator species analysis to assess whether the same taxa were most dominant within each forest stand, and (3) tested whether dominant taxa were disproportionately niche generalists compared to all species sampled from the larger species pools within each watershed. With only a single significant exception, moth communities within the forest stands shared the log-normal species-abundance distribution. Ordination suggested some evidence of divergence in species dominance among individual forest stands, but differences were not based on watershed identity or spatial proximity. Few dominant species appeared to display a high level of fidelity to any particular stand or watershed in the region. Finally, dominant taxa were not disproportionately niche generalists, but this result was largely driven by the absence of niche specialists from the entire forested landscape. Thus, we suggest that the moth communities from this managed forest system still bear a clear legacy of timber management more than 60 years post-harvest. Shifts in dominant moth taxa among forest stands may be largely idiosyncratic in nature.
Fluorine-Containing Polymers and the Emerging Nanotechnology

Fluorine-containing polymers, because of their unique properties, including: low permittivity, low friction, thermal stability, high resistance to chemical attack (especially oxidation), hold a cen...
Nucleation Rate of Capillary Bridges Between Multi-Asperity Surfaces

A microcantliever based crack healing experiment is described and utilized in order to study the capillary nucleation rate for typical MEMS surfaces. An advanced test chamber that allows exquisite environmental control is also described and used in this study. Crack healing experiments prove to be a viable experimental technique to investigate the dynamics of capillary nucleation. The effective capillary nucleation time for the multi-asperity surface of microcantilever samples appears to increase logarithmically with adhesion energy.
Interference alignment-like precoder design in multi-pair two-way relay cognitive radio networks

In this paper, we design relay precoder in a MIMO cognitive radio network where two-way transmission of multiple secondary user pairs occurs concurrently with primary network's transmission. We propose an interference alignment like precoder design which jointly aligns the direction of interference and the desired signal while interference to primary network is completely canceled. When the secondary transmitters and receivers are equipped with multiple antennas, sources, relay and receivers can all participate in aligning the interference and signal directions. It is shown that zero-forcing relay beamforming in which inter-pair interference is aligned to the null space of desired signal space is a special case of our algorithm. Our proposed algorithm can also work in the scenario where the number of antennas at relay node is not large enough and therefore zero-forcing is not possible. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is illustrated via simulations and compared with zero-forcing and MSE based designs.
Shock waves in gases containing thermonically emitting dusts

Abstract It is shown that when gas suspensions of metallic oxide dusts undergo shock transition, a substantial electric field is generated which will modify the relaxation zone behind the shock front.
Effects of dideoxyforskolin on proteoglycan synthesis and structure in embryonic chick chondrocyte cultures

1,9-Dideoxyforskolin inhibits proteoglycan synthesis and xyloside-initiated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis in chick embryo chondrocytes. Dideoxyforskolin does not affect the length of xyloside-initiated GAG chains secreted into the medium but chains from the dense proteoglycan secreted into the medium appear slightly longer. Incorporation of labeled serine into the dense proteoglycan and subsequent digestion with Pronase revealed a dramatic decrease in percent of total radioactivity associated with GAG chains in the proteoglyean from cultures treated with forskolin or dideoxyforskolin. These observations suggest that these diterpenes have a specific inhibitory effect on chain initiation reactions and thus may be useful tools in the study of proteoglycan synthesis and processing.
Why are Latin America's savings rates so low? An international comparative analysis

Abstract This paper presents a theoretical and empirical assessment of the determinants of savings rates, with special emphasis on Latin American savings rates. The study is based on international comparisons, using data from 36 countries for 1970–1992. A distinction is made between private and public savings. The later are endogenously determined by economic and political variables. Per capita income growth is the most important determinant of private and public savings; public savings are lower in countries with higher political instability; public savings crowd out private savings, but less than proportionately. Low Latin American savings are due to the magnitudes of their determinants, rather than structural differences.
Improving quality of care in substance abuse treatment using five key process improvement principles

Process and quality improvement techniques have been successfully applied in health care arenas, but efforts to institute these strategies in alcohol and drug treatment are underdeveloped. The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) teaches participating substance abuse treatment agencies to use process improvement strategies to increase client access to, and retention in, treatment. NIATx recommends five principles to promote organizational change: 1) Understand and involve the customer; 2) Fix key problems; 3) Pick a powerful change leader; 4) Get ideas from outside the organization; and 5) Use rapid-cycle testing. Using case studies, supplemented with cross-agency analyses of interview data, this paper profiles participating NIATx treatment agencies that illustrate application of each principle. Results suggest that the most successful organizations integrate and apply most, if not all, of the five principles as they develop and test change strategies.
Selected Functionality Changes of β-Lactoglobulin upon Esterification of Side-Chain Carboxyl Groups

Free carboxyl groups of bovine beta-lactoglobulin were esterified with methanol, ethanol, and n-butanol. The modified proteins showed increased positive charge as the number of ionizable carboxyl groups was reduced. The methyl, ethyl, and butyl esters of beta-lactoglobulin showed enhanced surface activity, determined with surface and interfacial tension measurements at an air/water and oil/water interface, respectively. The methyl ester showed the largest enhancement in surface activity relative to the native protein. The ethyl and butyl esters were less effective in lowering the surface and interfacial tension but were more surface active than the native protein. The hydrophobic probe, 1,8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate, showed enhanced fluorescence in the presence of native and modified beta-lactoglobulin. The largest enhancement in fluorescence of the hydrophobic probe was noted in the presence of the methyl ester of beta-lactoglobulin. The ethyl ester also effectively enhanced the fluorescence of the probe. The slopes of the curves of the fluorescent response for the native and modified proteins were graphically related to the interfacial tension at an oil/water interface for the corresponding protein. A large positive correlation was noted between the effectiveness of the proteins in reducing the interfacial tension and the enhancement in fluorescence of ANS with hydrophobic binding by the proteins. A general method to quantify carboxyl groups of proteins, employing the formation of a colored hydroxamate-ferric ion chelate, was also developed. Modification of the reaction for proteins in general, and carboxyl-modified proteins in particular, appears to have potential. Use of the hydroxamic acid reaction made it possible to estimate the apparent extent of carboxyl modification of beta-lactoglobulin through esterification with methanol, ethanol, and n-butanol.
Demand elasticities for symphony orchestras

Firms in the performing arts industries like firms in nonprofit industries in general provide an interesting and fruitful area of study by economists. Research in this area by economists has been directed toward explaining the behavior of nonprofits as maximizers of some utility function, determining the elements of that utility function, and deriving the welfare implications of the observed behavior. In general, theories advanced to explain the behavior of nonprofit performing arts firms postulate that they are output maximizers, quality maximizers, or that they maximize some combination of the two goals. The firm, therefore, makes decisions on price, quality, and presumably other variables, such as promotional expenses, and attempts to choose the combination of variables under its control that maximize its objective function subject, of course, to some budget constraint. Symphony orchestras, like firms in the performing arts in general, fall into the category of nonprofit firms. These orchestras rely on public subsidies, patron contributions, and ticket revenues as major sources of funding. The willingness of the patrons of the arts to donate constitutes a major source of revenue for symphony orchestras. These contributions are presumed to be at least partially a function of the quality of the program, the season subscription price, and promotional activities. Patrons may be motivated to donate to the arts for other reasons. Contributions allow ticket prices to be held at levels which allow individuals not otherwise able to
Effect of Temperature on the Photobiology and Photochemistry of Bacterial Spores

IN 1910, Becquerel1 observed a fifteen-fold increase in the resistance of Bacillus anthracis spores to ultraviolet light when the irradiations were performed at liquid air temperature instead of at room temperature. More recently, Ashwood-Smith and others2,3 found that Bacillus subtilis spores were 2.5 times more sensitive to ultraviolet light at −79° C than at 25° C. We show here that the very pronounced dependence of ultraviolet sensitivity on temperature of Bacillus megaterium spores is largely interpretable in terms of the temperature dependence of the production of the thymine-containing spore photoproducts called b and c4–8. These products are not the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers formed in vegetative cells. The experimental techniques have been described previously6,8.
Safety First . . . Best Practices in Pediatric Home Care

As the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) strives to become the safest children’s hospital by 2015, CHOP Home Care has worked to set the standard for pediatric home care by introducing inno...
Cross-modal matching in monkeys: altered visual cues and delay.

Abstract Two monkeys were capable of matching novel black/white and silhouette photographs to equivalent novel objects which could only be touched. They could not match outline drawings to objects either across or within sense modalities. On a delayed matching task, accuracy was high when the stimuli were familiar. The cross-modal matching abilities of monkeys appear to be comparable to those of chimpanzees.
A New Analytic Method for Finding Policy-Relevant Scenarios:

Abstract Scenarios play a prominent role in policy debates over climate change, but questions continue about how best to use them. We describe a new analytic method, based on robust decision making, for suggesting narrative scenarios that emerge naturally from a decision analytic framework. We identify key scenarios as those most important to the choices facing decision makers and find such cases with statistical analysis of datasets created by multiple runs of computer simulation models. The resulting scenarios can communicate quantitative judgments about uncertainty as well as support a well-defined decision process without many drawbacks of current approaches. We describe an application to long-term water planning in California.
To Rotate or Not to Rotate: That is the Question:

A study set out to establish the perceived needs of final year occupational therapy students when seeking their first appointments as basic grade occupational therapists (December 1986 to March 1987). The results of this study were then used to review the existing basic grade rotational scheme in Central Nottinghamshire Health Authority.
Localization of TLR2 and MyD88 to Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions. Evidence for signaling by intracellular TLR2 during infection with an obligate intracellular pathogen

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative pathogen and the etiologic agent of significant ocular and genital tract diseases. Chlamydiae primarily infect epithelial cells, and the inflammatory response of these cells to the infection directs both the innate and adaptive immune response. This study focused on determining the cellular immune receptors involved in the early events following infection with the L2 serovar of C. trachomatis.We found that dominant negative MyD88 inhibited interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion during a productive infection with chlamydia. Furthermore, expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 was required for IL-8 secretion from infected cells, whereas the effect of TLR4/MD-2 expression was minimal. Cell activation was dependent on infection with live, replicating bacteria, because infection with UV-irradiated bacteria and treatment of infected cells with chloramphenicol, but not ampicillin, abrogated the induction of IL-8 secretion. Finally, we show that both TLR2 and MyD88 co-localize with the intracellular chlamydial inclusion, suggesting that TLR2 is actively engaged in signaling from this intracellular location. These data support the role of TLR2 in the host response to infection with C. trachomatis. Our data further demonstrate that TLR2 and the adaptor MyD88 are specifically recruited to the bacterial or inclusion membrane during a productive infection with chlamydia and provide the first evidence that intracellular TLR2 is responsible for signal transduction during infection with an intracellular bacterium.
Craze initiation, crack growth, and lifetime trends in fatigue of poly(vinylchloride)

The fatigue behavior of pure poly (vinylchloride) (PVC) and a PVC pipe compound has been investigated. Unnotched S-N lifetime, fatigue-crack growth, and craze/crack-initiation data are presented. The data trends, coupled with direct-microscopic observation, suggest that the unnotched-specimen lifetime in fatigue is dominated by the craze/crack-initiation process. This differs from the observed consistency of crack propagation and specimen-lifetime trends in several other polymers, whose failure can be traced to the initiation and growth to instability of a single dominant craze/crack.
1481 THE EFFECT OF TRANSITION FROM CHRONIC Na DEFICIT TO Na EXCESS IN THE DEVELOPING RAT

Littermate male S-D rats were maintained on either low Na (LS) or normal Na (NS) intake between ages 3-7 weeks and then switched to high Na intake between ages 7-9 weeks. The LS group showed retarded growth between 3-7 weeks of age, and a massive weight gain within a week after the switch to the high Na intake. The ECF compartment, determined by the distribution (4 hour phase) of injected 22Na, and the exchangeable 23Na (Exc. Na) were measured before the transition to the high Na diet, as well as at 8 and 9 weeks of age. The ECF (table; ml/kg BW; x ± SEM) at age 7 weeks was reduced in the LS group. Both the NS and LS groups manifested expansion of their ECF a week after the switch to the high Na intake. This compartment was, however, greater in the LS group. At age 9 weeks, despite a continuous high Na intake, the ECF of the NS rats returned to its original volume, whereas that of the LS group was still increased. Similar changes were noted in Exc. Na. These alterations were not shown in adult rats. It is concluded that in the developing rat chronic Na deficit alters the adaptation to Na excess in later life. Since the kidney is a major regulator of the ECF and body Na, this phenomenon may relate to modification of the renal handling of Na.
Pressure ulcer incidence and progression in critically ill subjects: influence of low air loss mattress versus a powered air pressure redistribution mattress.

Purpose The primary objective of this study was to compare facility-acquired pressure ulcer incidence and progression of pressure ulcers present on admission in critically ill patients, using 2 different support surfaces. Design We completed a comparison cohort study in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU). Subjects and setting The study setting was a 12-bed cardiovascular ICU in a university-based hospital in the Midwestern United States. The sample comprised 52 critically ill patients; 31 were placed on low air loss weight-based pressure redistribution-microclimate management system beds and 21 were placed on integrated powered air pressure redistribution beds. Methods Prior to the start of the study, 5 low airloss beds were placed in open rooms in the cardiovascular surgical ICU. Inclusion criteria were anticipated ICU stay of 3 days, and patients did not receive a speciality bed for pulmonary or wound issues. Initial assessment of the patients included risk assessment and prior events that would increase risk for pressure ulcer development such as extended time in operating room, along with skin assessment for existing pressure ulcers. Subjects in both groups had ongoing skin assessment every 3 to 4 days and a subjective evaluation of heel elevation and turning or repositioning by the researcher. Data were collected until the subjects were dismissed from the ICU. Patients admitted to the unit were assigned to open rooms following the usual protocols. Results The mean length of stay was 7.0 days, with an 8.1-day length of stay for subjects on "low air loss with microclimate management" beds (LAL-MCM) and 6.6 days on the integrated power pressure air redistribution (IP-AR) beds (P = NS). The incidence of pressure ulcers on the buttocks, sacrum, or coccyx was 0% (0/31) on the low air loss bed and 18% (4/21) on the IP-AR bed (P = .046). Five subjects had 6 pressure ulcers on admission. Two pressure ulcers on 2 patients worsened on the integrated power air redistribution beds, which required specialty bed rental costing the facility $4116. No subjects on the low air loss beds experienced worsening of existing pressure ulcer. One patient with a deep tissue injury present on admission improved on the LAL-MCM bed. The IP-AR beds were approximately 7 years old, and the LAL-MCM beds were new. Conclusions Critically ill subjects placed on low air loss beds with microclimate management in surgical ICUs had a lower pressure ulcer incidence than those placed on integrated powered air pressure redistribution beds. The clinical performance of the IP-AR surfaces may have been influenced by their age.
Ischemia, resuscitation, and reperfusion: mechanisms of tissue injury and prospects for protection.

Abstract Since its introduction in 1960, CPR has evolved into a complex program involving not only the medical community but also the lay public. Currently, program activities include instruction of the lay public in basic life support techniques, development and deployment of emergency medical systems, recommendations for drug protocols for advanced cardiac life support and, most recently, introduction of new methods for tissue protection following resuscitation. After 25 years of experience, we are beginning to understand the pathophysiology of tissue ischemia during cardiac arrest and the interventions required to improve chances of survival and quality of life of the cardiac arrest victim. Recent data in the literature suggest that modification of certain interventions in the resuscitation program may be needed. The poor neurologic outcomes with prolonged standard CPR show that it is not protective after 4 to 6 minutes of cardiac arrest. Modifications to this technique, including SVC-CPR or IAC-CPR, have not been shown to increase resuscitability or hospital discharge rates. Human studies of open-chest cardiac massage are needed to evaluate this option. Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation. Greater emphasis should be placed on the earliest possible delivery of this treatment modality. Computerized defibrillators may provide greater and earlier access to defibrillation in the homes of patients at high risk of ventricular fibrillation. They may also be applicable by untrained public service personnel (police and firemen), individuals in geographically inaccessible areas (aircraft), or emergency medical technicians in rural areas where skill retention is a significant problem. Calcium has no proved benefit in cardiac resuscitation. There is biochemical evidence that it may be harmful in brain resuscitation. Its use in resuscitation should be discontinued. The dose of epinephrine currently advocated in the ACLS protocols may be inadequate to increase aortic diastolic pressure and coronary and cerebral perfusion pressures and thus aid resuscitation. Animal studies indicate that substantial increases in the current dosage are needed to achieve these effects. Human studies are needed to verify these results. A role for calcium antagonists in the treatment of postarrest encephalopathy has been demonstrated in animals and is currently undergoing clinical trials. Iron-dependent lipid peroxidative cell membrane injury may be important in the pathogenesis of postarrest encephalopathy. Animal studies suggest that the iron chelator deferoxamine may have a significant therapeutic role in the treatment of postarrest encephalopathy.
Environmental Sovereignty Discourse of the Brazilian Amazon: National Politics and the Globalization of Indigenous Resistance:

This analysis explores the connection between globalization and national identity in cultural expressions of environmental sovereignty. Competing claims to resources in the Brazilian Amazon reflect changing notions of state authority and the role of indigenous citizens in protection of biodiversity. The debate between Brazilian state governments and the Yanomami Indians and seringueiros (Brazilian Rubber Tapper communities) illustrates the complex interaction of national identity and expressions of local culture in a global ecological context.
History-Dependent Bridge Deck Maintenance and Replacement Optimization with Markov Decision Processes

Bridge maintenance and replacement optimization methods use deterioration models to predict the future condition of bridge components. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for bridge maintenance optimization using a deterioration model that takes into account aspects of the history of the bridge condition and maintenance, while allowing the use of efficient optimization techniques. Markovian models are widely used to represent bridge component deterioration. In existing Markovian models, the state is the bridge component condition, and the history of the condition is not taken into account, which is seen as a limitation. This paper describes a method to formulate a realistic history-dependent model of bridge deck deterioration as a Markov chain, while retaining aspects of the history of deterioration and maintenance as part of the model. This model is then used to formulate and solve a reliability-based bridge maintenance optimization problem as a Markov decision process. A parametric study is conducted to compare the policies obtained in this research with policies derived using a simpler Markovian model.
Radiation produced by femtosecond laser–plasma interaction during dielectric breakdown

Optical breakdown by femtosecond and nanosecond laser pulses in transparent dielectrics produces an ionized region of dense plasma confined within the bulk of the material. This ionized region is responsible for broadband radiation that accompanies the breakdown process. Spectroscopic measurements of the accompanying light have been used to show that, depending on the laser parameters, the spectra may originate from plasma-induced second-harmonic generation, supercontinuum generation, or thermal emission by the plasma. By monitoring the emission from the ionized region, one can ascertain the predominant breakdown mechanism and the morphology of the damage region.
Electronic voting with Scantegrity: analysis and exposing a vulnerability

This paper describes Scantegrity, an electronic voting system developed by Chaum et al. (2008b), and it analyses Scantegrity's ability to satisfy the goals of privacy and verifiability. The paper describes a programmatic attack on Scantegrity and presents findings in the form of program output for a corrupted hypothetical election. The attack takes advantage of the inherent vulnerability of electronic voting systems due to the tension between the goals of privacy and verifiability. It exposes a security weakness in electronic voting systems, and it establishes the need to control code compilation and provide physical security for that compiled code throughout the election process.
Back pain and pregnancy : Active management strategies

For about half of all pregnant brief women, low-back pain is inevitable. Physicians who can specify what type of back pain the patient has—lumbar, sacroiliac, or nocturnal—can institute targeted treatment that addresses the relevant pathophysiology. Acetaminophen and certain modalities such as icing the area are the basis of acute treatment in conjunction with ergonomic adaptation and a good low-back exercise program. This will help decrease stress on the low back, making back pain less likely. Before a woman becomes pregnant, encouraging her to become fit and resolving existing back problems is the key to back pain prevention.
A Decision Theory Approach to the Approximation of Discrete Probability Densities

The problem of approximating a probability density function by a simpler one is considered from a decision theory viewpoint. Among the family of candidate approximating densities, we seek the one that is most difficult to discriminate from the original. This formulation leads naturaliy to the density at the smallest Bhattacharyya distance. The resulting optimization problem is analyzed in detail.
Culture and memory.

Edited by Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud, RN, PhD, FAANUniversity of California—Los Angeles, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, California, USAIn last month's column (Memory and Memories), I noted that we see...
Inter and intra kernel reuse analysis driven pipelining on Chip-Multiprocessors

As the demand for low power multimedia systems continues to grow, so will the need for low cost and efficient solutions. Driven by such need, as well as improvements IC design technology, Chip-Multiprocessors (CMPs) have emerged as a potential solution. CMPs offer flexibility, low cost, low power and the ability to handle highly parallel workloads. As CMPs scale, it is up to the designer to take full advantage of their computational resources and manage their constrained memory resources efficiently. In this paper we propose a methodology that enables designers to fully exploit the target platform's computational resources without sacrificing power consumption by maximizing the application's reuse. Our approach uses code transformations to split the application's tasks into smaller units of computations or subtasks called kernels. Each kernel is analyzed for inter and intra reuse opportunities in order to minimize unnecessary data transfers between kernels. Our approach also couples both scheduling/pipelining of tasks with their memory allocations. This allows us to obtain memory aware pipelined schedules that increases throughput and reduces power consumption. Our methodology has shown up to 15% performance improvements as well as 33% power reduction when compared to state of the art techniques.
Expansions for the roots of polynomials which contain parameters

Abstract Methods are presented for calculating the perturbation series for the roots of polynomials which contain parameters in addition to the perturbation parameter. In particular the complicating effects of multiplicities of the unperturbed roots are examined.
Reflections of desire: the poetics of gender in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Woven into the structure of the Dream of the Red Chamber is an exploration of the self-expressive values associated with the late imperial cult of qing and an explicit warning about the self-destructive potential of desire. Rather than being rooted in biological sex, Cao Xueqin's polysemous use of gender reflects the competing visions of Confucian orthodoxy and the cult of qing. This paper analyzes the structural and ideological values associated with masculine and feminine in Dream to argue that manipulation of gendered identities was an explicit aspect of the poetics of eighteenth-century xiaoshuo fiction.
Identification of small molecule inhibitors of ricin and shiga toxin using a cell-based high-throughput screen

The Category B agents, ricin and shiga toxin (Stx), are RNA N-glycosidases that target a highly conserved adenine residue within the sarcin-ricin loop of eukaryotic 28S ribosomal RNA. In an effort to identify small-molecule inhibitors of these toxins that could serve as lead compounds for potential therapeutics, we have developed a simple Vero cell-based high-throughput cytotoxicity assay and have used it to screen approximately 81,300 compounds in 17 commercially available chemical libraries. This initial screen identified approximately 300 compounds with weak (>or=30 to or=50 to or=80%) ricin inhibitory activity. Secondary analysis of 244 of these original "hits" was performed, and 20 compounds that were capable of reducing ricin cytotoxicity by >50% were chosen for further study. Four compounds demonstrated significant dose-dependent ricin inhibitory activity in the Vero cell-based assay, with 50% effective inhibitory concentration (EC(50)) values ranging from 25 to 60microM. The same 20 compounds were tested in parallel for the ability to inhibit ricin's and Stx1's enzymatic activities in an in vitro translation reaction. Three of the 20 compounds, including the most effective compound in the cell-based assay, had discernible anti-toxin activity. One compound in particular, 4-fluorophenyl methyl 2-(furan-2-yl)quinoline-4-carboxylate ("compound 8"), had 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 30microM, a value indicating >10-fold higher potency than is the case for previously described ricin-Stx1 inhibitors. Computer modeling predicted that compound 8 is capable of docking within the ricin active site. In conclusion, we have used a simple high-throughput cell-based method to identify several new small-molecule inhibitors of ricin and Stx.
Reliability of a short and long version of the block food frequency form for assessing changes in calcium intake.

Abstract We tested the reliability of a modified version of the Block 98-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a short 40-item FFQ derived from the Block form to estimate usual calcium intake. Ninety-eight female volunteers completed both forms three times during a 6-month period; forms were initially completed by participants at a group meeting (T1) and, subsequently, 2 months (T2) and 4 months (T3) later, by mail. Both mean total energy intake in kilocalories and mean calcium intake derived from the long FFQ dropped significantly between T1 and T2. The nutrient density variable, calcium per 1,000 kcal, did not vary significantly between administrations. Pearson correlation coefficients were most uniform for pairwise comparisons of calcium per 1,000 kcal at the three times. Mean calcium intake derived from the short FFQ did not vary significantly between administrations, and Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from .70 to .77 for paired comparisons. When using the long FFQ, the nutrient density variable, calcium per 1,000 kcal, was a more reliable measure of usual calcium intake than was calcium in milligrams. The short FFQ provided reliable estimates of usual calcium intake in milligrams and captured more than 75% of the calcium intake measured by the long FFQ.
A Canine Cutaneous Lymphoproliferative Disease Resembling Mycosis Fungoides in Man

A dog with a lymphoproliferative disease resembling mycosis fungoides in man, the second reported canine case, had slowly progressive, multicentric cutaneous nodules and plaques. Nearly half the body surface was involved. The lesions consisted of multiple, flat, infiltrative, cutaneous tumors composed of heterogeneous, pleomorphic cells, some of which resembled histiocytes or activated lymphocytes. Intracutaneous foci of tumor cells and numerous tumor cells with bizarre convoluted nuclei were distinctive features that permitted the lesions to be distinguished from other non-epithelial cutaneous neoplasms.
Lupus Flare: An Uncommon Presentation of Disseminated Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the US with 700,000 annual cases. Although most cases of gonorrhea are localized, approximately 0.5–3% become disseminated. Here we discuss a rare case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who developed septic shock from disseminated gonorrhea infection (DGI). Our patient is a 24-year-old woman with SLE, mixed connective tissue disease with cutaneous vasculitis, and lupus nephritis who presented with several weeks of malaise and generalized body aches associated with a diffuse rash along her fingers, palms, and trunk. Infectious workup was unrevealing with the exception of a positive gonorrhea test obtained from a cervical swab. Given her symptoms of tenosynovitis, the appearance of her skin lesions, and her positive gonorrhea test, she was diagnosed with septic shock secondary to DGI. With antibiotic treatment, the patient reported a dramatic improvement of the pain in her swollen joints and her rash receded. Patients diagnosed with SLE carry an increased risk of gonorrhea regardless of whether or not they are being treated for their SLE. Although it is well-documented that SLE is associated with severe DGI, few describe it resulting in overt septic shock.
The use of active materials for machining processes : A review

This paper provides a review of active materials in the context of applications to manufacturing machining processes. The important concepts and background of active materials are briefly introduced. After which, the applications of these materials are discussed as applied to relevant themes in machining processes. A brief overview of research work on experimental and theoretical studies on various process monitoring and control is considered, and several research papers on these topics are cited. This paper concludes with a discussion of future research areas and a suggests path forward.
Obesity and deranged sleep are independently associated with increased cancer mortality in 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Introduction Proper sleep is associated with reduced cancer risk. For example, multiple studies have found that habitual sleeping pill usage is related to death from cancer, suggesting that sleep derangement may increase cancer mortality. However, other studies have not found a definite connection between sleep and cancer deaths. For this reason, we analyzed US cancer mortality data and sleep quality data to see if there was relationship.
A new sparse matrix vector multiplication graphics processing unit algorithm designed for finite element problems

Summary Recently, graphics processing units (GPUs) have been increasingly leveraged in a variety of scientific computing applications. However, architectural differences between CPUs and GPUs necessitate the development of algorithms that take advantage of GPU hardware. As sparse matrix vector (SPMV) multiplication operations are commonly used in finite element analysis, a new SPMV algorithm and several variations are developed for unstructured finite element meshes on GPUs. The effective bandwidth of current GPU algorithms and the newly proposed algorithms are measured and analyzed for 15 sparse matrices of varying sizes and varying sparsity structures. The effects of optimization and differences between the new GPU algorithm and its variants are then subsequently studied. Lastly, both new and current SPMV GPU algorithms are utilized in the GPU CG solver in GPU finite element simulations of the heart. These results are then compared against parallel PETSc finite element implementation results. The effective bandwidth tests indicate that the new algorithms compare very favorably with current algorithms for a wide variety of sparse matrices and can yield very notable benefits. GPU finite element simulation results demonstrate the benefit of using GPUs for finite element analysis and also show that the proposed algorithms can yield speedup factors up to 12-fold for real finite element applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The clinical study protocol and medical writing: A good fit?

The characteristics of the clinical study protocol (CSP) are discussed with regard to (i) its structure and (ii) its development process. The benefits of medical-writing involvement into both aspects are highlighted. In particular, medical writers are encouraged to participate in the development of the CSP template of their organisation.
Conveying three-dimensional shape with texture

Studies have shown that although shading is an important shape cue, visual perception of surface shape from shading only is severely limited when the surface is viewed locally without other visual cues such as occluding contours [Mamassian and Kersten 1996; Erens et al. 1993]. Research has shown that when the "right" texture is added to the surface, observers can reliably infer the 3D structure of the underlying shape. In our previous work we have found that the performance of subjects' shape judgment is significantly better when the shaded surface is textured with a principal direction oriented pattern than other directional texture following either a uniformly constant direction or varying non-geodesic paths unrelated to the surface geometry. In this paper we report our findings of a new study further investigating the effect of anisotropic textures on shape perception when the surface texture is represented in the form of a pattern of luminance variations as well as of surface relief variations. We hypothesized that 1) observers' performance would be better with relief textures than luminance textures, and that 2) it would be poorer with the anisotropic textures that do not follow the principal directions. The results confirmed both of our hypotheses.
Phonological Awareness and Rapid Naming Predict Word Attack and Word Identification in Adults With Mild Mental Retardation

Abstract In this study we asked whether measures of phonological awareness and rapid naming were correlated with single-word reading skills of 30 adults with mild mental retardation. We presented f...