cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear System Approximation by Differential Analyzer Simulation of Orthonormal Approximation Functions

Various analytic procedures have been proposed for minimum integral-square-error approximation of prescribed linear systems; however, they often involve computational difficulties. In the procedure developed in this paper, a group of N linear approximating systems with orthonormal impulse responses ?n(t) are realized by operational amplifier circuits. When h(-t) forces the systems (h(t) is the impulse response of the prescribed system) it is found that their outputs at t = 0 are an, the coefficients in {see the Equation in PDF File} the approximate impulse response. The following points relative to the approximation procedure are developed: constrained and weighted integral-square-error approximations, derivation and realization of orthonormal functions, physical realization of h*(t), evaluation of error h(t)-h*(t), and analysis of computer errors. Several approximation examples are given.
Electrical Stimulation in Poultry: A Review and Evaluation

Abstract Although electrical stimulation has been studied and applied to industries for tenderization of red meat, the reports and data on poultry meat are very limited and inconclusive. This review presents the history of electrical stimulation, summarizes recent research in the poultry area, and discusses various electrical stimulation systems. Reported experimental results on electrical stimulation of poultry meat were not consistent and were even contradictory. Tenderness of electrically stimulated poultry meat was affected by electrical parameters, physical, physiological, and biochemical factors, and experimental procedures. The optimal electrical parameters, electrical properties of poultry meat, and biochemical and physiological responses of poultry nerve and muscle systems to electrical stimulation are not known.
Avoiding Failures during Assembly of a Trunnion-Hub-Girder for Bascule Bridges

This paper is a study of avoiding failures during the assembly of a trunnion-hub-girder (THG) for bascule bridges. The currently used assembly procedure, AP#1, cools the trunnion for a shrink fit into the hub, followed by cooling of the trunnion-hub assembly to shrink fit it into the girder. During assembly, using AP#1, development of cracks on the hub was observed in one THG assembly. Yet, during another assembly, the trunnion got stuck in the hub before it could be fully inserted. A complete analytical, numerical, and experimental study was conducted to understand these failures, and the results were used to develop specifications and recommendations for assembly. The causes of failures include development of high stresses at low temperatures during assembly, while noting that fracture toughness of THG material decreases with temperature. Recommended specifications included following an alternative assembly procedure that doubled allowable crack length, and lower cooling temperatures to avoid trunnions sticking in the hub.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Crosstalk analysis and filter optimization of single- and double-cavity Fabry-Perot filters

Since Fabry-Perot (FP) filters are major candidates for use as demultiplexers in wavelength division multiple access (WDMA) networks, the authors have analyzed, in an exact and unified manner, the crosstalk degradation for several different variations of the basic FP filter, compared their performances, and optimized their design parameters. A description is given of the system model (a wavelength division multiple access system consisting of M connected transmitters and receivers with each transmitter consisting of an on-off modulated fixed-frequency laser, with the 'off' power level equal to zero) and the parameters used throughout, along with a brief discussion of relevant Fabry-Perot equations and terms and the four different filter structures analyzed. The crosstalk is examined for the cases of a single-cavity FP filter, a double-pass FP filter, a two-stage double-cavity FP filter, and a vernier double-cavity FP filter. The criteria for the performance comparison were the worst-case crosstalk, BER, and crosstalk power penalty. >
Optimal models of sound localization by barn owls

Sound localization by barn owls is commonly modeled as a matching procedure where localization cues derived from auditory inputs are compared to stored templates. While the matching models can explain properties of neural responses, no model explains how the owl resolves spatial ambiguity in the localization cues to produce accurate localization for sources near the center of gaze. Here, I examine two models for the barn owl's sound localization behavior. First, I consider a maximum likelihood estimator in order to further evaluate the cue matching model. Second, I consider a maximum a posteriori estimator to test whether a Bayesian model with a prior that emphasizes directions near the center of gaze can reproduce the owl's localization behavior. I show that the maximum likelihood estimator can not reproduce the owl's behavior, while the maximum a posteriori estimator is able to match the behavior. This result suggests that the standard cue matching model will not be sufficient to explain sound localization behavior in the barn owl. The Bayesian model provides a new framework for analyzing sound localization in the barn owl and leads to predictions about the owl's localization behavior.
Limited angle tomography and ridge functions

Over the years a number of tomographic applications have emerged in which only limited ranges of projection views are available, such as breast imaging PET scanners based on a pair of parallel planar or curved detectors. This paper addresses the topic of ridge functions and their possible usefulness for tomographic reconstruction from projections distributed in a limited range of views. In this work we derive the basis for speeding up the ridge functions procedure of reconstruction front equally spaced directions which constitute a part of the whole range of views. We describe the possibilities of fast reconstruction in terms of analytical inversion of a certain matrix, for which inversion was known only for the case of a complete range of views. A new inversion formula reducing the dimensionality of the reconstruction problem is derived. Two problems of reconstruction from truncated fan beam projections within the limited angle of view are considered with relevance to PET breast scanning geometries. Algebraic techniques for their solution are proposed. Numerical results of test reconstructions are presented and possible extensions to the 3D case are discussed.
ELEVATED COMPARTMENT PRESSURES FROM COPPERHEAD ENVENOMATION SUCCESSFULLY TREATED WITH ANTIVENIN

Abstract Background Copperhead envenomation causes local soft tissue effects; however, associated compartment syndrome is rare. We report a case of a 17-month-old with significantly elevated compartment pressures successfully treated with antivenin and supportive care. Case Report A 17-month-old girl sustained a copperhead bite to the foot and presented with circumferential edema, erythema, and ecchymosis of the foot and distal ankle. The patient had palpable pulses and was neurologically intact. Four vials of Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab was initiated and additional doses were administered in an attempt to achieve local control. Within 10 h of presentation, the patient's edema extended to the groin, although sensation was maintained and pulses were documented by Doppler. Lower-extremity compartment pressures were measured and were most notable for an anterior pressure of 85 mm Hg, despite having received 12 vials of antivenin. Fasciotomy was deferred and the patient received two additional six-vial doses of antivenin to achieve local control. Compartment pressures improved with a 2.2-cm mean decrease in limb diameter within 48 h. Maintenance dosing was initiated and the patient ultimately received a total of 26 vials of antivenin. The patient did not develop significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia. Swelling continued to improve with return of limb function. Conclusion In this case, early and aggressive treatment with antivenin may have avoided invasive fasciotomy, and its use should be considered in patients with copperhead envenomation and significantly elevated compartment pressures.
DIET AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Abstract Phylogenetic and experimental data on the inorganic content of bone have led to a postulate which delineates the functioning of bone mineral as a buffer base. Bone dissolution is considered as a possible mechanism to buffer the fixed acid load imposed by the ingestion of an "acid ash" diet in man.
Alternative Activation of Macrophages and Induction of Arginase Are Not Components of Pathogenesis Mediated by Francisella Species

Virulent Francisella tularensis ssp tularensis is an intracellular, Gram negative bacterium that causes acute lethal disease following inhalation of fewer than 15 organisms. Pathogenicity of Francisella infections is tied to its unique ability to evade and suppress inflammatory responses in host cells. It has been proposed that induction of alternative activation of infected macrophages is a mechanism by which attenuated Francisella species modulate host responses. In this report we reveal that neither attenuated F. tularensis Live Vaccine Strain (LVS) nor virulent F. tularensis strain SchuS4 induce alternative activation of macrophages in vitro or in vivo. LVS, but not SchuS4, provoked production of arginase1 independent of alternative activation in vitro and in vivo. However, absence of arginase1 did not significantly impact intracellular replication of LVS or SchuS4. Together our data establish that neither induction of alternative activation nor expression of arginase1 are critical features of disease mediated by attenuated or virulent Francisella species.
Direct estimation of motion from sea floor images for automatic station-keeping of submersible platforms

Maintaining a fixed position near the sea floor is a critical capability during the deployment of remotely operated or intelligent (autonomous) undersea vehicles in a variety of missions, including inspection and repair of undersea structures, data collection, and surveillance. We present an automatic optical station-keeping system for application to submersible vehicles in deep waters by exploiting the information in sea floor images. Readily measurable spatio-temporal image gradients are used to detect and compute the vehicle's translational and yaw motions using a direct motion vision technique. The vision system has been implemented on a Windows-NT Pentium platform, and the estimated positions and yaw angles are communicated via a serial link to the control system, running on a PC-386. Accurate station-keeping is demonstrated in experiments with a three-thruster floating vehicle in a 6-ft/spl times/12-ft/spl times/6-ft water tank.
A Concise Guide to Nuclear Medicine

A.H. Elgazzar New York, NY: Springer, 2011, 166 pages, $39.95 As the name implies, this is a concise manual to current clinical nuclear medicine procedures and techniques. The book is a paperback edition printed on acid-free paper measuring just 9.3 × 6.1 × 0.3 in (∼24 × 15 × 0.8 cm). It is
Hàn M.c T. (1912-1940): A New Moon for the Season of the New Evangelization in Vietnamese Catholicism

Since its arrival to Vietnam, Catholicism has often been known or accused as either heterodox religion or religion of superstition. Efforts to inculturate the Christian faith into Vietnamese cultures have begun from early missionaries in Vietnam in the early seventeenth century to church leadership in Vietnam today. At the early twentieth century, the poetry of Han Mặc Tử (1912 – 1940) has demonstrated a new level of inculturation where the Christian faith no longer remains at the level of “superficial adaptation” but has become a principle that animates, directs, and unifies Vietnamese cultures, transforming and remaking it so as to bring about a new creation. Therefore, Han’s works can serve as source of inspiration and example for the New Evangelization in the Vietnamese Catholic Church today.
Software qualification in safety applications

Abstract The developers of safety-critical instrumentation and control systems must qualify the design of the components used, including the software in the embedded computer systems, in order to ensure that the component can be trusted to perform its safety function under the full range of operating conditions. There are well known ways to qualify analog systems using the facts that: (1) they are built from standard modules with known properties; (2) design documents are available and described in a well understood language; (3) the performance of the component is constrained by physics; and (4) physics models exist to predict the performance. These properties are not generally available for qualifying software, and one must fall back on extensive testing and qualification of the design process. Neither of these is completely satisfactory. The research reported here is exploring an alternative approach that is intended to permit qualification for an important subset of instrumentation software. The research goal is to determine if a combination of static analysis and limited testing can be used to qualify a class of simple, but practical, computer-based instrumentation components for safety application. These components are of roughly the complexity of a motion detector alarm controller. This goal is accomplished by identifying design constraints that enable meaningful analysis and testing. Once such design constraints are identified, digital systems can be designed to allow for analysis and testing, or existing systems may be tested for conformance to the design constraints as a first step in a qualification process. This will considerably reduce the cost and monetary risk involved in qualifying commercial components for safety-critical service.
Designing and testing a high-bandwidth 2-D wavefront sensor for Aero-optics

A novel two-dimensional high-bandwidth Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor was designed, addressing the high temporal bandwidth of optical aberrations caused by compressible flows. The principle of operation and modifications from an earlier version of the wavefront sensor are presented and compared to a commercially available wavefront sensor. A wavefront reconstruction algorithm is derived. The high-temporal resolution and spatial resolution of the sensor is demonstrated. A two-dimensional, acoustically forced heated jet was used to test the sensor.
Effect of the neuroprotective peptide davunetide (AL-108) on cognition and functional capacity in schizophrenia

Abstract Background Cognitive dysfunction is a key predictor of functional disability in schizophrenia. Davunetide (AL-108, NAP) is an intranasally administered peptide currently being developed for treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. This study investigates effects of davunetide on cognition in schizophrenia. Method Sixty-three subjects with schizophrenia received davunetide at one of two different doses (5, 30 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks in a multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group randomized clinical trial. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) assessed cognitive effects. The UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment (UPSA) and the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS) assessed functional capacity. Subjects continued their current antipsychotic treatment during the trial. Results There were no significant differences in MCCB change between davunetide and placebo over the three treatment arms (p = .45). Estimated effect-size (d) values were .34 and .21 favoring the 5 and 30 mg doses vs. placebo, respectively. For UPSA, there was a significant main effect of treatment across study arms (p = .048). Between-group effect size (d) values were.74 and .48, favoring the 5 and 30 mg doses, respectively. No significant effects were observed on the SCoRS or on symptom ratings. No significant side effects or adverse events were observed. Conclusion Davunetide was well tolerated. Effects of davunetide on MCCB-rated cognition were not significant relative to placebo. In contrast, a significant beneficial effect was detected for the UPSA. Based upon effect-size considerations, sample sizes of at least 45–50 subjects/group would be required to obtain significant effects on both MCCB and UPSA, providing guidance for continued clinical development in schizophrenia.
Rat-SCID chimeras: Functional characteristics of the immune system of SCID mice after transplantation of rat fetal hematopoietic cells

: It has been demonstrated that allogeneic and xenogeneic lymphocytes can survive and expand in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, but the T-cell function of the chimeras has not always been tested. The aim of this study was to develop a rat-SCID xenogeneic chimera and to examine the T cell response against RT1-incompatible rat cells. Fetal liver cells (FLC) from Lewis (LEW) rats were injected i.v. into irradiated C.B-17-scid (SCID) mice at a dose of 4×107 cells/mouse. After 4 weeks, FACS analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with monoclonal antibodies specific for rat lymphocyte subpopulations showed full reconstitution. The mice carried 6.2(±1.6)×106 PBL/ml and 92.5 (±39.5)×106 cells in the spleen. PBL, spleen, and lymph nodes showed distribution of CD4, CD8, and RT1 rat cellular markers similar to that observed in normal rats. Spleen cells from rat-SCID chimeras demonstrated normal proliferative T cell responses to Concanavalin A. Chimeras were primed i.p. with 107 Brown Norway (BN) and ACI rat spleen cells, and the responder spleen cells of these primed chimeras showed specific proliferative responses in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) against BN and ACI stimulator lymphoid cells, respectively. Specific proliferative responses of rat-SCID chimeras were higher against ACI than BN stimulators. These MLCs also expanded cytolytic T lymphocytes that lysed 51Cr labeled BN and ACI targets at levels up to 50–90%, respectively. In conclusion, rat FLC injected into SCID mice differentiate and repopulate the immune system as well as function in generating alloantigen-specific cytolytic and helper T cells.
Effect of Surface Structure on The Adsorption of CO(II) on ∝-Al 2 O 3 : A Glancing Angle Xafs Study

Glancing-angle x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has been used to characterize the structure of Co(II) complexes adsorbed from aqueous solution on single crystal α-Al2O3 surfaces. The spectra reveal considerable differences in the local structure, as a function of both the crystallographic face and the orientation of the sample with respect to the beam polarization. Data analysis indicates that the predominant mode of Co chemisorption is as a tridentate CoO6 octahedral complex edge-shared with surface Al octahedra. For systems where this method is feasible, it is the technique of choice for characterizing metal ion adsorption complexes.
Linking Together Preference Falsification and Election Fraud: A Cross-National Analysis

This study sheds new light on whether public opinion polls, namely, preference falsification, can affect the level of election fraud by employing Kuran's model of preference falsification, which is empirically tested on the data collected from the most recent presidential campaign in Russia (2012) as well as a cross-national dataset. My research findings reveal the presence of a statistically significant effect of preference falsification on election frauds, thus enabling me to conclude that preference falsification is, indeed, conducive to election fraud. My findings can be generalized to a broad set of authoritarian regimes, enabling scholars to get a better understanding of the mechanism by which survey polls can incentivize officials to commit election fraud, and this, I hope, will invite more interdisciplinary research in the field of election forensics and survey methodology.
The Limits of a National Renewable Portfolio Standard

In this Commentary Article, Professor Rossi highlights some of the distributional and operational problems presented by a national renewable portfolio standard (“RPS”) in electric power. He also offers several solutions to these problems as a way of advancing a cautionary defense of a national RPS. Ultimately, Professor Rossi concludes that addressing climate change will need to involve more systemic and larger scale modifications to regulation of the electric power industry, including addressing infrastructure issues such as transmission and carbon pricing.
Cooperative Design Over High Speed Networks

The availability of high speed networks will enable geographically separated research groups to interact on the design and implementation of complex systems. System concepts, schematic diagrams and component descriptions will need to be communicated along with plans for integration of the components or the interaction with other components. A discussion of the possibilities in this area will be given. The MOSIS system for VLSI design will be reviewed and a brief discussion of the differences between VLSI design and mechanical design will be discussed.
Performance and Stability of an Agile Tail-less MAV with Flexible Articulated Wings

This paper considers the problems of (a) modelling the ight mechanics of a tail-less MAV equipped with exible articulated wings, and (b) the analysis of its turning performance. The wings are assumed to have two degrees of freedom - heave and twist. They are assumed to be actuated from the root, which is the abstraction of an experimental control mechanism being developed by the authors. The dihedral and twist angles at the wing root are controlled. A novel actuator concept of axial tension to control wing stiffness has been explored in this paper. It is shown that axial tension in the wing has a significant effect on the turning performance of the aircraft, although the effect is not uniformly beneficial in nature. The effect of exibility on the steady state turning performance of the aircraft has been demonstrated by comparing it with that of a rigid aircraft, and with that of a similar aircraft possessing a wing with different elastic properties.
Mobility and Ambulation for Patients with Pulmonary Artery Catheters: A Retrospective Descriptive Study.

Purpose The purposes of this retrospective study are to: 1) describe the amount and type of documented mobility activity for patients with an indwelling Pulmonary Artery Catheter (PAC) and 2) document the frequency and type of complications that occur with an indwelling PAC during patient participation in these activities.
Residues of dichlorvos, diazinon, and dimetilan in milk of cows fed PVC-insecticide feed additives.

Insecticides in polyvinyl chloride pellets were included in a commercial dairy protein supplement and fed to dairy cows at 1.4, 2.0, and 2.5 mg of diazinon/kg; 1.3, 1.8, and 2.6 mg of dichlorvos/kg; and 1.3, 2.2, and 2.6 mg of dimetilan/kg body weight for 2 weeks. No insecticidal residues were found in milk samples collected at 1, 3, 7, 10, or 14 days. A 2.5 mg/kg dosage would provide a 5 × margin of safety for PVC-dichlorvos or PVC-diazinon fed to cattle to control face fly, Musca autumnalis De Geer, larvae in manure.
Low incidence of anti-drug antibodies in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist dulaglutide.

Therapeutic administration of peptides may result in anti-drug antibody (ADA) formation, hypersensitivity adverse events (AEs) and reduced efficacy. As a large peptide, the immunogenicity of once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist dulaglutide is of considerable interest. The present study assessed the incidence of treatment-emergent dulaglutide ADAs, hypersensitivity AEs, injection site reactions (ISRs), and glycaemic control in ADA-positive patients in nine phase II and phase III trials (dulaglutide, N = 4006; exenatide, N = 276; non-GLP-1 comparators, N = 1141). Treatment-emergent dulaglutide ADAs were detected using a solid-phase extraction acid dissociation binding assay. Neutralizing ADAs were detected using a cell-based assay derived from human endothelial kidney cells (HEK293). A total of 64 dulaglutide-treated patients (1.6% of the population) tested ADA-positive versus eight (0.7%) from the non-GLP-1 comparator group. Of these 64 patients, 34 (0.9%) had dulaglutide-neutralizing ADAs, 36 (0.9%) had native-sequence GLP-1 (nsGLP-1) cross-reactive ADAs and four (0.1%) had nsGLP-1 neutralization ADAs. The incidence of hypersensitivity AEs and ISRs was similar in the dulaglutide versus placebo groups. No dulaglutide ADA-positive patient reported hypersensitivity AEs. Because of the low incidence of ADAs, it was not possible to establish their effect on glycaemic control.
Online control strategy of busbar automatic transfer switch for regional power grids(1):online dynamic selection of switching combination

As one failure may cause the action of several BATSs(Busbar Automatic Transfer Switches) in a power grid,their combination and the coordination between levels should be fully considered in the control strategy of BATS.Two matrix models are proposed:the BATS real-time rating matrix model,established by analyzing the position of every BATS in the power grid to distinguish their rating relationship,and the BATS real-time incidence matrix model,established by analyzing the position of failure and the operating characteristics of BATS to describe the preliminary relationship between the preconceive fault and the BATS to be operated.By the multiplication of these two matrixes,a real-time algorithm for analyzing the online BATS combination is designed.Case study shows that,it gives accurately the BATS combination to be operated for a particular failure,as well as the multiple failures.
The Undeserving Rich: Why Do Americans Care about Income Inequality?

Americans are not satisfied with existing levels of income inequality, and their concerns have intensified since the 1980s. In trying to account for why Americans have these concerns and why they have grown, the previous chapter examined a number of explanations that social scientists think should be important. Political economists might expect, for example, that views about income inequality will be divided along income lines, with those at the bottom becoming increasingly angry about the growing concentration of income among the richest Americans. Political economists might also expect growing political polarization between Democrats and Republicans to fuel this anger, so that the rise and fall of concerns about inequality will mimic the rise and fall of Democratic politicians (especially presidents), who are the more likely advocates of reducing inequality. Finally, some may think that what Americans fundamentally care about is economic growth, so that when Americans express concerns about income inequality, they are really expressing concerns about the state of the national economy. Although I found some support for each of these compelling explanations, the evidence was relatively weak, and the trend in concerns about income inequality among the population as a whole remained strong. This chapter explores an alternative explanation for why Americans care about income inequality: they view it as an indicator of unfairly restricted opportunities. On the one hand, this explanation appears obvious. It follows naturally from the theory that Americans (and their counterparts in many advanced industrial nations) accept inequality as long as opportunity is widely available. If Americans are dissatisfied with existing levels of inequality, it must be because they perceive cracks in the facade of equal opportunity.
The use of query auto-completion over the course of search sessions with multifaceted information needs

Abstract Query auto-completion (QAC) is the ubiquitous information search function that displays a list of suggested queries, where the list changes as the searcher types. This article reports on an exploratory study of QAC usage during complete search sessions in a lab study of 29 participants, where a session comprised searching on an assigned multi-faceted task. While prior research has reported average usage rates independent of the structure of search sessions, our findings are the first to describe when QAC was used within whole sessions and associations between usage and search task subtopics. Results show the value of QAC in shorter sessions and higher retrieval performance. Importantly, results also show that when QAC was used, it was most likely for the first query of a session, that use was less likely for subsequent queries, and that when the first query of a session did not use QAC, subsequent use was far less likely. The findings have implications for the value of QAC models that use knowledge from prior queries within a session to converge on optimal suggestions over successive queries. The findings are important for development of useful query assistance mechanisms for searchers. The study leads to new research questions on the effect of reformulation patterns on QAC usefulness and searchers’ attention to QAC throughout search sessions.
Molecular Epidemiology of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae Causing Bacterial Leaf Spot of Watermelon and Squash in Florida.

From 2013 to 2014, bacterial leaf spot epidemics incited by P. syringae pv. syringae affected an estimated 3,000 hectares of watermelon and squash in Florida, and caused foliar blighting and transplant losses in severely affected fields. To investigate the diversity of the causal agent, we isolated 28 P. syringae strains from diseased plants grown in ten Florida and Georgia counties over the course of 2 years. Strains were confirmed as P. syringae through sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA and LOPAT profiling, however 20 displayed an atypical phenotype by exhibiting non-fluorescent activity on KB and being negative for ice-nucleating activity. Multilocus sequence analysis and BOX-PCR revealed the presence of two haplotypes among the collected strains, that grouped into two distinct clades within P. syringae phylogroup 2. Pathogenicity testing showed that watermelon, cantaloupe, and squash seedlings were susceptible to a majority of these strains. While both haplotypes were equally virulent on cantaloupe, t...
ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE ISOLATED RABBIT HEART BY SHORT DURATION TRANSIENTS

ABSTRACT The effects of short duration, large amplitude electrical waveforms were studied. Stimulation thresholds were determined by applying transients directly to an isolated rabbit heart through electrodes of 1 cm2 and 1 mm2 surface area. Several oscillatory waveforms and pulse configurations were studied. Results indicate that for transients less than 100 μsec in length stimulation thresholds approach a constant current transfer density of 3.4 μC/cm2 and that for waveforms which contain both anodal and cathodal components net charge contained within the waveform must be considered.
Basic Concepts in Multisensor Data Fusion

This paper treats some conceptual aspects of the methodology of fusion of multisensor data in the static (or single-time) case. The paper is divided into two parts: one establishing the general methodology and the other presenting an illustrative application of it. In the general part, we treat several basic questions including (1) requirements on the state vector of the observed system that will allow the formulation of independent observation models for separate sensor systems, (2) extensions of decision theory to handle fusion, and (3) the fusionability of various kinds of reduced signals derived from the different sets of raw data associated with separate sensor systems. We also derive some general results pertaining to the desirability of augmenting the set of measurements. In the applied part, the general methodology established above is employed in the determination of the geometry (i.e., the elevation function) of an object resting upon a flat surface. In the models, two types of measurements are assumed: (1) a single acoustical pulse-echo scattering measurement in which the incident wave propagates downward; and (2) a set of optical measurements involving a downward-looking TV camera imaging the object under sequentially pulsed light sources. In the second type, the raw image data are assumed to be preprocessed according to the principles of photometric stereo. The two types of measured data are combined in accordance with the conceptual methodology discussed in the general part. A computational example using synthetic data is presented and discussed.
t-->cWW and WW-->t̄c+tc̄ in extended models

Abstract Jenkins has pointed out that the process t → cW+W− is GIM suppressed in the standard model. In this note, we calculate the branching ratio for a wide range of models, in which the decay occurs at tree level through exchange of a scalar, fermion or vector. In the case of scalar exchange, a scalar mass between 2mW and 200 GeV leads to a resonant enhancement, giving a branching ratio as high as a few tenths of a percent. We then note that all of these models will also allow W + W − → t c + t c , and we calculate the single-top/single-charm production rate at the LHC. The rates are such that the background from single-top/single-bottom production will probably swamp the signal.
A K-Band Search for Induced Bars in Interacting Systems

Both active and starburst galactic nuclei are best understood if they are fuelled by gas inflow to the nucleus (e.g. Simkin, Su & Schwarz 1980; Hutchings & Campbell 1983). There is observational evidence that the occurrence of Seyfert and QSO activity is enhanced in the presence of nearby companions (Dahari 1984; Keel et al 1985; Hummel et al. 1987). At least some samples of Seyfert host galaxies show more close companions than would be expected for a random sample of similar galaxies, though the situation for tidal disturbances themselves is more complex. The selection effects modelled by Byrd et al. (1987) suggest that virtually all the Seyfert galaxies in Dahari’s sample have a companion which is (in principle) physically sufficient to provoke gas inflow in the disk.
Perspectives on Online Teaching and Learning: A Report of Two Novice OnlineEducators

Population growth (Broad, 1997), institutional competition (Daniel & Cox, 2002), and changing learner needs (Willis, Tucker, & Gunn, 2003) are among the issues influencing the increase in online teaching and learning. Related to this, emergent and expanding distance learning technologies have subsequently pitted "brick and mortar" against "on- line" paradigms. This has resulted in a need for research to clarify the relevance, effectiveness, restrictive and facilitative dimensions of online courses. For example, faculty are increasingly expected and encouraged to develop and teach online courses often with misperceptions about required pedagogical skills and without adequate support and preparation (Choi & Park, 2006). This qualitative study is therefore, aimed at sharing the experiences and perspectives of two novice online instructors' operating within two colleges in the eastern US. These instructors initially shared that a key motivation for the teaching of their online courses was fear of becoming professionally out of date and of 'giving in' to technophobia. This paper reports on the background to--and different approaches adopted towards--developing two online courses as well as providing student perceptions of their on-line learn ing experience. Findings and recommendations from this research are aimed at providing an insight into some of the fundamental issues that other novice 'online' instructors will need to consider in developing their own technology mediated courses.
Chaotic transport and mixing by ocean gyre circulation

This paper reviews some recent development of the Lagrangian modeling of chaotic transport and mixing by the gyre-scale (basin-scale) ocean circulation, by use of some contemporary ideas and tools. Lagrangian trajectories in a simple oceanic flow can exhibit complex behaviors, called the chaotic advection. This chaotic advection can induce the chaotic transport and mixing in the fluid particles and finer structures in the tracer fields. The chaotic transport and mixing by gyre-scale circulation motion was proposed as one of fundamental mechanisms for the chaotic or fractal behaviors of the quasi-Lagrangian drifter trajectories observed in oceans, and water mass and water property exchanges on the gyre-scale or basin scale. It is this chaotic (or stochastic) nature of the Lagrangian trajectories that provides a possible linkage between the large-scale motion and the finer structure in the tracer fields. The results showed the fundamental importance of transients of the large scale oceanic motion in the Lagrangian transport and mixing processes. Some basic ideas and methodology were introduced in relation to the Lagrangian modeling of the water mass and water property exchanges. The discussion was focused on the chaotic transport and mixing by the gyre-scale (basin-scale) motion with some references to that by the meso-scale motions. The chief purpose of the paper is to introduce main ideas and methodology behind this Lagrangian modeling, rather than to give a complete literature review on the chaotic transport and mixing in physical oceanography or on the gyre-scale transport and mixing. A simple gyre scale ocean circulation model, mimicking the upper North Atlantic, was used to highlight the ideas and the results were found to be favorably comparable to observations.
A Cross-sectional Surveillance Study of the Frequency and Etiology of Acute Respiratory Illness Among Pregnant Women.

Background Other than influenza, little is known about the consequences of viral acute respiratory illness (ARI) on pregnant women and fetuses. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of ARI due to respiratory viruses and the associated clinical outcomes during pregnancy. Methods Pregnant women in their second or third trimester were enrolled if they reported having symptoms of ARI or were healthy within the preceding 2 weeks. Nasopharyngeal secretions were evaluated for respiratory viruses by molecular diagnostic assays. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at enrollment and via a follow-up telephone-based questionnaire 2 weeks later. Results There were 155 pregnant participants, with 81 ARI cases and 91 healthy controls. Acute lower respiratory tract illness (ALRTI) was identified in 29 cases (36%). Human rhinovirus (HRV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus accounted for 75% of virus-positive cases of ALRTI. Cases with ALRTI often reported a longer duration of illness, history of allergies, symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, and use of prescription medication. Two cases with ALRTI reported decreased fetal movement; a third case with ALRTI was hospitalized. Conclusions In over one third of ARI cases, participants had symptoms consistent with ALRTI. Infection with HRV, RSV, or influenza virus was commonly detected in patients with ALRTI. Viral ALRTI during pregnancy appears to be common and is associated with significant morbidity.
Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk, 10th Edition

By Gerald G. Briggs, B.Pharm., FCCP, and Roger K. Freeman, M.D. Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Square, 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 2015. 1579 p. Price $139.99 (hard cover) Description: This is a very nice desktop reference for common and uncommon
Proteobacteria explain significant functional variability in the human gut microbiome

While human gut microbiomes vary significantly in taxonomic composition, biological pathway abundance is surprisingly invariable across hosts. We hypothesized that healthy microbiomes appear functionally redundant due to factors that obscure differences in gene abundance between individuals. To account for these biases, we developed a powerful test of gene variability called CCoDA, which is applicable to shotgun metagenomes from any environment and can integrate data from multiple studies. Our analysis of healthy human fecal metagenomes from three separate cohorts revealed thousands of genes whose abundance differs significantly and consistently between people, including glycolytic enzymes, lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic genes, and secretion systems. Even housekeeping pathways contain a mix of variable and invariable genes, though most highly conserved genes are significantly invariable. Variable genes tend to be associated with Proteobacteria, as opposed to taxa used to define enterotypes or the dominant phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. These results establish limits on functional redundancy and predict specific genes and taxa that may explain physiological differences between gut microbiomes.
The Effects of Body Gestures and Gender on Viewer’s Perception of Animated Pedagogical Agent’s Emotions

The goal of this research is to develop Animated Pedagogical Agents (APA) that can convey clearly perceivable emotions through speech, facial expressions and body gestures. In particular, the two studies reported in the paper investigated the extent to which modifications to the range of movement of 3 beat gestures, e.g., both arms synchronous outward gesture, both arms synchronous forward gesture, and upper body lean, and the agent‘s gender have significant effects on viewer’s perception of the agent’s emotion in terms of valence and arousal. For each gesture the range of movement was varied at 2 discrete levels. The stimuli of the studies were two sets of 12-s animation clips generated using fractional factorial designs; in each clip an animated agent who speaks and gestures, gives a lecture segment on binomial probability. 50% of the clips featured a female agent and 50% of the clips featured a male agent. In the first study, which used a within-subject design and metric conjoint analysis, 120 subjects were asked to watch 8 stimuli clips and rank them according to perceived valence and arousal (from highest to lowest). In the second study, which used a between-subject design, 300 participants were assigned to two groups of 150 subjects each. One group watched 8 clips featuring the male agent and one group watched 8 clips featuring the female agent. Each participant was asked to rate perceived valence and arousal for each clip using a 7-point Likert scale. Results from the two studies suggest that the more open and forward the gestures the agent makes, the higher the perceived valence and arousal. Surprisingly, agents who lean their body forward more are not perceived as having higher arousal and valence. Findings also show that female agents’ emotions are perceived as having higher arousal and more positive valence that male agents’ emotions.
(Dis)agreement over what? The challenge of quantifying environmental worldviews

Ever since environmentalism emerged as a social movement, researchers have been trying to quantify the attitudes underlying environmental concern. From the 1970s through the early 2000s, the practice of measuring environmental attitudes was dominated by the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale, which assesses only a narrow dimension of environmental thought. While the NEP remains in use, especially internationally, other scales have since been introduced in part to make up for its methodological and theoretical issues. Survey research has also evolved since the time the NEP was debuted, employing increasingly sophisticated technologies and mixed methodologies. Of what use are NEP-type attitude surveys in the context of contemporary environmental thought and politics? This paper chronicles the history of the quantification of environmentalism, focusing on the NEP and discussing its merits and drawbacks. It proceeds to evaluate alternative metrics, paying special attention to the social context in which they emerged. It concludes by offering ways in which researchers can embrace the fluidity of environmental concern, and think creatively more about what methodologies they might employ to capture it in the future.
Analysis of Benzodiazepine Prescription Practices in Elderly Appalachians with Dementia via the Appalachian Informatics Platform: Longitudinal Study.

Background: Caring for the growing dementia population with complex health care needs in West Virginia has been challenging due to its large, sizably rural-dwelling geriatric population and limited resource availability. Objective: This paper aims to illustrate the application of an informatics platform to drive dementia research and quality care through a preliminary study of benzodiazepine (BZD) prescription patterns and its effects on health care use by geriatric patients. Methods: The Maier Institute Data Mart, which contains clinical and billing data on patients aged 65 years and older (N=98,970) seen within our clinics and hospital, was created. Relevant variables were analyzed to identify BZD prescription patterns and calculate related charges and emergency department (ED) use. Results: Nearly one-third (4346/13,910, 31.24%) of patients with dementia received at least one BZD prescription, 20% more than those without dementia. More women than men received at least one BZD prescription. On average, patients with dementia and at least one BZD prescription sustained higher charges and visited the ED more often than those without one. Conclusions: The Appalachian Informatics Platform has the potential to enhance dementia care and research through a deeper understanding of dementia, data enrichment, risk identification, and care gap analysis.
A Logical Encoding of the pi-Calculus: Model Checking Mobile Processes Using Tabled Resolution

We present MMC, a model checker for mobile systems specified in the style of the ?-calculus. MMC's development builds on our experience gained in developing XMC, a model checker for an extension of Milner's value-passing calculus implemented using the XSB tabled logic-programming system. MMC, however, is not simply an extension of XMC; rather it is virtually a complete re-implementation that addresses the salient issues that arise in the ?-calculus, including scope extrusion and intrusion, and dynamic generation of new names to avoid name capture. We show that tabled logic programming is especially suitable as an efficient implementation platform for model checking ?-calculus specifications, and can be used to obtain an exact encoding of the ?-calculus's transitional semantics. Moreover, MMC is easily extended to handle process expressions in the spi-calculus. Our experimental data shows that MMC outperforms other known tools for model checking the ?-calculus.
Large-scale functional coactivation patterns reflect the structural connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex

The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is among the most consistently implicated brain regions in social and affective neuroscience. Yet, this region is also highly functionally heterogeneous across many domains and has diverse patterns of connectivity. The extent to which the communication of functional networks in this area is facilitated by its underlying structural connectivity fingerprint is critical for understanding how psychological phenomena are represented within this region. In the current study, we combined diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography with large-scale meta-analysis to investigate the degree to which the functional coactivation patterns of the MPFC are reflected in its underlying structural connectivity. Using unsupervised machine learning techniques, we compared parcellations between the two modalities and found congruence between parcellations at multiple spatial scales. Additionally, using connectivity and coactivation similarity analyses, we found high correspondence in voxel-to-voxel similarity between each modality across most, but not all, subregions of the MPFC. These results provide evidence that meta-analytic functional coactivation patterns are meaningfully constrained by underlying neuroanatomical connectivity and provide convergent evidence of distinct subregions within the MPFC involved in affective processing and social cognition.