cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The issue of the terrestrial record of 146Sm

Harper and Jacobsen (1992a) have reported a 33 μ (μ = parts per million) ^(142)Nd excess in a 3.8 Ga felsic gneiss (IE 715-28) from Isua, West Greenland. This excess was interpreted as due to a preserved effect in a parent reservoir produced early (between 4.5 and 4.3 Ga) while the short-lived parent of ^(142)Nd (^(146)Sm, T = 149 Mɑ was still alive. If this result can be substantiated it would indicate an early earth differentiation and generation of parent reservoirs with large Sm/Nd ratios and it would suggest the existence of mechanisms that preserved the ^(142)Nd excess in a 3.8 Ga crustal rock. However, no independent evidence for the ^(142)Nd excesses has been found for other terrestrial samples (Goldstein and Galer, 1992, 1993; McCulloch and Bennett, 1993; Regelous and Collerson, 1995a,b). Inasmuch as the level of the reported effect ( ∼30 μ excess of ^(142)Nd) requires hitherto undocumented high precision, our efforts have been directed toward addressing the central issue of whether existing high precision mass spectrometers can resolve ∼30 μ ^(142)Nd excesses. Standards were made up with 0, 30, and 57 μ ^(142)Nd excesses to test the reliability and reproducibility of measuring such isotopic shifts. We used the same model, multicollector mass spectrometer (Finnigan MAT 262) as Harper and Jacobsen (1992a). The data were obtained with 2 × 10^(−11) A ^(142)Nd^+ ion beams, in the static mode. Our experiments show that positioning of the sample filament and ion source focusing potentials can engender large effects (up to 60 μ) and arbitrary shifts in measured '42Nd/'44Nd ratios. We have not been able to identify an a priori method for avoiding these shifts. Under restricted focusing conditions, borne out from our experimentation, it is possible to obtain reproducible results for a short term. Since there is little understanding of what constitutes “reproducible conditions,” especially when it comes to ion beam focusing, we believe it is not yet possible to obtain reliable results at the level required. Using restricted focusing conditions, we found strong hints of ^(142)Nd excesses in two rocks from Isua, including the sample analyzed by Harper and Jacobsen (1992a) thereby supporting their claim of an effect. However, we did not find it possible to achieve the level of precision reported by these workers. Moreover, it has not been possible for us to reproduce the results on standards and samples in any regular way. This difficulty has persisted throughout an extensive series of experiments in which considerable care was directed towards identifying optimal instrumental operating conditions. We conclude that further refinements in the experimental techniques are needed to obtain reliable ultra high precision measurements. This is necessary before the issue of a terrestrial record of ^(141)Sm is resolved.
Niebuhrian Realism and the Formation of US Foreign Policy

This essay offers an analysis of Reinhold Niebuhr's influence on both US foreign policy thinking in his day as well as contemporary conversations about American approaches to international relations. To this end, four questions for consideration will be engaged: (1) What are some of the implications of Niebuhr's influence on Hans J. Morgenthau for the construction of US foreign policy? (2) To what extent did Niebuhr's evolution in thinking regarding the role and implication of nuclear weapons contribute to post-war atomic bomb discourse? (3) What are the implications of Niebuhr's ultimate position with regards to US involvement in Vietnam for debates surrounding US military intervention in developing world nations? and (4) What should be the lasting legacy of Niebuhr's foreign policy discourse regarding the current formation and conduct of US foreign policy?
Extracellular matrix heparan sulfate proteoglycans modulate the mitogenic capacity of acidic fibroblast growth factor

Confluent cultures of human endothelial cells deposit into extracellular matrix (ECM) distinct heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) which modulate acidic fibroblast growth factor's (aFGF) ability to stimulate human endothelial cell mitogenic capacity. Extracellular matrix 35S-HSPG were isolated from cultures metabolically labelled with Na235SO4 by DEAE-Sepharose, Sepharose CL-4B, and aFGF-Affi-Gel 15 column chromatography and identified by resistance to chondroitinase ABC and sensitivity to nitrous acid. Fifty to sixty percent of the 35S-HSPG deposited into ECM do not bind aFGF. The bound 35S-HSGP (40-50% of the total counts applied) eluted from the aFGF-Affi-Gel column after the addition of buffer containing 2 M NaCl. aFGF-binding and aFGF-nonbinding 35S-HSPG were individually pooled and further purified by Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography. 35S-HSPG which bind aFGF, designated HSPGP, were 100-fold superior to heparin in augmenting the mitogenic efficacy of aFGF in sparse proliferating cultures. In contrast, however, 35S-HSPG, which did not bind aFGF, designated HSPG1, inhibited aFGF-stimulated proliferation in both sparse and subconfluent endothelial cell cultures. The majority of the biological activity of both aFGF-potentiating HSPGP and aFGF-inhibitory HSPG1 was contained in the glycosaminoglycan chains released by alkaline borohydride treatment of intact HSPGP or HSPG1, respectively. 3H-Core protein derived from HSPGP or HSPG1 contained only minor biological activity. The ability of heparitinase or heparinase (Flavobacterium heparinum) to abolish biological activity differed, depending upon the HSPG tested, also suggested that these are two distinct HSPGs.
Oxygen consumption, body temperature, and brown adipose tissue in the postnatal golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

Postnatal hamsters were examined for a metabolic response to cold by measuring oxygen consumption at ambient temperatures of 25°, 30°, 33°, and 36°C. In conjunction with this, colonic temperatures were recorded, and the animals were examined for brown adipose tissue development. During the first ten days of postnatal development hamsters increased their O2 consumption linearly as ambient temperature was raised from 25° to 36°C. Thus, they are initially poikilothermic. Body temperatures were directly dependent on environmental temperature, and no mature brown fat deposits had yet developed. On days 11 and 12, O2 consumption curves began to vary from a linear relation with ambient temperature, and small inflexions developed at 30° and 33°C. By postnatal days 14 and 15 maximal values were recorded at 25°C. Simultaneously, brown fat deposits developed definitive characteristics and body temperatures came to range only slightly below adult temperatures during exposure at 25°C. During the latter stage of maturation studied in these experiments, days 17 to 21, the animals achieved homeothermic stability between 25° and 36°C. Only 25°C prompted a metabolic increase, 30° to 36°C became a zone of thermal neutrality, and body temperatures came to equal or exceed adult temperatures. The animals had gained significant weight, thereby increasing thermal insulation, and brown fat deposits had accumulated additional lipid.
Continuous Time Representation Approach to Batch and Continuous Process Scheduling. 1. MINLP Formulation

The problem of decision timing in the context of batch and continuous process scheduling is addressed in this paper. Representation of time in any scheduling model affects the number of integer variables and the convexity of the model. The usual procedure in batch and continuous process scheduling is to divide the scheduling interval into equal size intervals so as to achieve the required accuracy. This construction generates a formulation with a potentially very large number of binary variables. In this paper, the time events arising in the schedule are modeled directly, and thus the use of binary variables over periods during which no real changes in system state occur is avoided. Furthermore, such a representation of time offers the potential for direct integration of operations scheduling and control which is difficult to achieve in the usual equal size interval approach. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear program (MINLP). Issues pertaining to the efficient solution of this problem...
Interpersonal constructs and communicative ability in a police environment: A preliminary investigation

Abstract This study investigates the relation between indexes of the development of interpersonal construct systems and the qualities of messages generated in response to persuasive tasks within the context of an urban police force. Hypotheses assuming that length of service as a line officer would predict less developed construct systems, and that more developed construct systems would predict message strategies that acknowledge the unique qualities of receivers found general support. In addition, the possibility of further relations between length of service and message variables was explored, but no substantial evidence was found for such effects. These results show the importance of environmental influences on construct development, and suggest that interpersonal perception and message behavior functionally adapt to the needs of organizational participation.
The Road to Hell: the Impact of Erroneous Scientific Theories on the World Economy and Civilization Itself

This paper explores the effect that certain basic scientific theories about the nature of human beings (in particular the mind/brain hypothesis) have upon the human condition. It is argued that these theories set the gnostic background, which determines to a large extent the psychological effects of economic disasters and what can be done to prevent and ameliorate them.
Calculating apparent reliability of wood scaffold planks

Abstract Current safety requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI A10.8) for wood scaffold planks are rooted in a history of generally good performance. The requirements are prescriptive in nature, making the standard easy to use. However, in its current form the standard prescribes only maximum allowable spans and limits its scope to three plank sizes and three load conditions. It does not specify what constitutes acceptable performance in solid-sawn scaffold planks. Thus, the requirements cannot be applied with uniform reliability to different plank systems. At the request of the ANSI A10.8 Subcommittee, an ad hoc advisory group from the wood industry was formed to address this problem. This paper relates published requirements for wood scaffold planks in codes and standards to the allowable bending stresses published by lumber grading agencies based on a set of assumptions recommended by the ad hoc group. A methodology is proposed, based on requiring equivalent structural reliability, for designing alternative wood-based scaffold planks. It is anticipated that this paper will be useful to producers and users of wood scaffold plank in its illustration of the sensitivity of both performance and reliability estimates to assumed material variability and distribution type. It is hoped that this report will generate discussion, both on the ANSI requirements themselves and on the best methodology to translate those requirements into measures of safety.
Grading Policies that Work Against Standards...and How to Fix Them

An important element of a sucessful standards-based reform initiative includes grading and reporting that refers to specific learning criteria rather than normative criteria, Four grading policies ...
Experimental results of integral effects tests with 1/10th scale zion subcompartment structures in the Surtsey test facility

Abstract Three integral effects tests (IET-1, IET-3, and IET-6) were conducted to investigate the effects of high-pressure melt ejection on direct containment heating. A 1:10 linear scale model of the Zion reactor pressure vessel (RPV), cavity, instrument tunnel, and subcompartment structures were constructed in the Surtsey test facility at Sandia National Laboratories. The RPV was modeled with a melt generator that consisted of a steel pressure barrier, a cast MgO crucible, and a thin steel inner liner. The melt generator/crucible had a hemispherical bottom head containing a graphite limitor plate with a 4 cm exit hole to simulate the ablated hole in the RPV bottom head that would be formed by tube ejection in a severe nuclear power plant accident. The reactor cavity model contained 3.48 kg water with a depth of 0.9 cm that corresponded to condensate levels in the Zion plant. 43 kg iron oxide/aluminum/ chromium thermite was used to simulate molten core debris. The molten thermite in the three tests was driven into the scaled reactor cavity by slightly superheated steam at 7.1, 6.1, and 6.3 MPa for IET-1, IET-3, and IET-6 respectively. The IET-1 atmosphere was pre-inerted with nitrogen, while the IET-3 atmosphere was nitrogen with approximately 9.0 mol% O 2 . The IET-6 atmosphere was nitrogen with 9.79 mol% O 2 and 2.59 mol% pre-existing hydrogen. In IET-1, approximately 233 g mol hydrogen were produced but almost none burned because oxygen was not available. In IET-3, approximately 227 g mol hydrogen were produced and 190 g mol burned. In IET-6, approximately 319 g mol hydrogen were produced and 345 g mol burned. The peak pressure increases in the IET-1, IET-3 and IET-6 experiments were 0.098, 0.246, and 0.279 MPa respectively. In IET-3 and IET-6 hydrogen burned as it was pushed out of the subcompartments into the upper region of the Surtsey vessel. In IET-6, although a substantial amount of pre-existing hydrogen burned, it apparently did not burn on a time scale that made a significant contribution to the peak pressure increase in the vessel.
Charles W. Chesnutt and the fictions of race

The first extended exploration of the construction of racial identity in Chesnutt's writings; Charles Chesnutt (1858-1932) was the first African American writer of fiction to win the attention and approval of America's literary establishment. Looking anew at Chesnutt's public and private writings, his fiction and nonfiction, and his wellknown and recently rediscovered works, Dean McWilliams explores Chesnutt's distinctive contribution to American culture: how his stories and novels challenge our dominant cultural narratives - particularly their underlying assumptions about race. The published canon of Chesnutt's work has doubled in the last decade: three novels completed but unpublished in Chesnutt's life have appeared, as have scholarly editions of Chesnutt's journals, his letters, and his essays. This book is the first to offer chapter-length analyses of each of Chesnutt's six novels. It also devotes three chapters to his short fiction. Previous critics have read Chesnutt's nonfiction as biographical background for his fiction. McWilliams is the first to analyze these nonfiction texts as complex verbal artifacts embodying many of the same tensions and ambiguities found in Chesnutt's stories and novels. The book includes separate chapters on Chesnutt's journal and on his important essay "The Future American." Moreover, Charles W. Chesnutt and the Fictions of Race approaches Chesnutt's writings from the perspective of recent literary theory. To a greater extent than any previous study of Chesnutt, it explores the way his texts interrogate and deconstruct the language and the intellectual constructs we use to organize reality. The full effect of this new study is to show us how much more of a twentieth-century writer Chesnutt is than has been previously acknowledged. This accomplishment can only hasten his reemergence as one of our most important observers of race in American culture.
Elevated serum IgE, eosinophilia, and lung function in rubber workers.

We previously reported an outbreak of acute respiratory illness associated with eosinophilia in a group of rubber workers who performed a thermoinjection process in which synthetic rubber was heated and then injected onto metal molds. This study was conducted to determine if persistent respiratory health effects were associated with this work area and to explore the possible allergic etiology of this syndrome. A survey was performed 1 mo after a major improvement in area ventilation and consisted of baseline, cross-shift, and cross-week spirometry; diffusing capacity; serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), total eosinophil count; and skin patch testing. Baseline lung function, cross-shift, and cross-week spirometry were not significantly worse in the exposed group as compared to the control group. However, either eosinophilia (greater than 450/mm3) or elevated serum IgE (greater than 470 ng/ml) were present in 44% of exposed workers vs. 11% of the control group (p = .003). Nine months later, neither eosinophilia nor elevated IgE were associated with employment in this work area. We conclude that employment in the thermoinjection process was associated with eosinophilia and elevated IgE, which suggests sensitization to one of the components of the rubber, although no effect on pulmonary function could be demonstrated.
Effect of 18 HR fast and glutathione depletion on 1,1-dichloroethylene-induced hepatotoxicity and lethality in rats

Abstract Four-hour inhalation exposure to 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE, vinylidene chloride) was more injurious to 18-hr (overnight) fasted rats than to rats fed ad libitum. The estimated 24 hr LC50 for fed rats was 15,000 ppm while the same value for fasted rats was 600 ppm. The minimum lethal concentration was 200 ppm for fasted rats and 10,000 ppm for fed rats. Serum alanine α-ketoglutarate transaminase (AKT) elevation occurred at 150 ppm in fasted rats, but in the fed rats, a significant elevation was only seen at 2000 ppm and higher. Elevated serum AKT preceded hepatic necrosis and death. This fed-fasted difference in serum AKT elevation was also demonstrable in an isolated perfused rat liver system. The AKT elevation in perfusate from livers of fasted rats was consistent with the time course of injury seen in vivo. Increased susceptibility to hepatic injury appeared to be related to decreased hepatic glutathione concentration associated with fasting (18 hour). Diethylmaleate, a material which results in a decreased hepatic glutathione concentration was administered in vivo and in vitro. This treatment potentiated the hepatic injury in fed rats and in livers taken from fed rats and subsequently perfused.
Convex computation of the reachable set for controlled polynomial hybrid systems

This paper presents an approach to computing the time-limited backwards reachable set (BRS) of a semialgebraic target set for controlled polynomial hybrid systems with semialgebraic state and input constraints. By relying on the notion of occupation measures, the computation of the BRS of a target set that may be distributed across distinct subsystems of the hybrid system, is posed as an infinite dimensional linear program (LP). Computationally tractable approximations to this LP are constructed via a sequence of semidefinite programs each of which is proven to construct an outer approximation of the true BRS with asymptotically vanishing conservatism. In contrast to traditional Lyapunov based approaches, the presented approach is convex and does not require any form of initialization. The performance of the presented algorithm is illustrated on 2 nonlinear controlled hybrid systems.
Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds. II. Effects of contrast gain control, background variations, and white noise

Studies of visual detection of a signal superimposed on one of two identical backgrounds show performance degradation when the background has high contrast and is similar in spatial frequency and/or orientation to the signal. To account for this finding, models include a contrast gain control mechanism that pools activity across spatial frequency, orientation and space to inhibit (divisively) the response of the receptor sensitive to the signal. In tasks in which the observer has to detect a known signal added to one of M different backgrounds grounds due to added visual noise, the main sources of degradation are the stochastic noise in the image and the suboptimal visual processing. We investigate how these two sources of degradation (contrast gain control and variations in the background) interact in a task in which the signal is embedded in one of M locations in a complex spatially varying background (structured background). We use backgrounds extracted from patient digital medical images. To isolate effects of the fixed deterministic background (the contrast gain control) from the effects of the background variations, we conduct detection experiments with three different background conditions: (1) uniform background, (2) a repeated sample of structured background, and (3) different samples of structured background. Results show that human visual detection degrades from the uniform background condition to the repeated background condition and degrades even further in the different backgrounds condition. These results suggest that both the contrast gain control mechanism and the background random variations degrade human performance in detection of a signal in a complex, spatially varying background. A filter model and added white noise are used to generate estimates of sampling efficiencies, an equivalent internal noise, an equivalent contrast-gain-control-induced noise, and an equivalent noise due to the variations in the structured background.
Changes in Soil Test Phosphorus from Broiler Litter Additions

Abstract Nutrient surpluses on the Delmarva Peninsula have led to a continual accumulation of soil test phosphorus (STP), a potential source for transport of phosphorus (P) to surface waters. This article examines the effects of initial soil test P concentrations and broiler litter additions on STP accumulation. Broiler litter (BL) was applied at rates of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 g kg−1 (dry weight) to three soils: an Evesboro sandy loam (Mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), a Pocomoke sandy loam (coarse‐loamy, siliceous, thermic typic Umbraquults), and a Matapeake silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults). Soils and BL were incubated for 16 weeks with subsamples analyzed after 4 and 16 weeks. There was a linear increase in STP (Mehlich‐3), water‐soluble P (WS‐P), iron‐oxide strip‐extractable P (FeO‐P), and Mehlich‐3 phosphorus saturation ratio (M3‐PSR) with broiler litter additions. Regression analysis indicated few significant differences in STP response to added BL between soils...
The sequence of learning cycle activities in high school chemistry

The sequence of the three phases of two high school learning cycles in chemistry was altered in order to: (I ) give insights into the factors which account for the success of the learning cycle, (2) serve as an indirect test of the association between Piaget's theory and the learning cycle, and (3) to compare the learning cycle with traditional instruction. Each of the six sequences (one n o d and five altered) was studied with content and atritudc measures. The outcomes of the study supported the contention that the normal learning cycle sequence is the optimum sequence for achievement of content knowledge.
Grand Slams are short-changing women's tennis

Sports reporters are often quick to dismiss women's tennis as “unpredictable” when compared to the men's game. But Stephanie Kovalchik finds match format is to blame for “inconsistencies” between genders
A combination fingerprint classifier

Fingerprint classification is an important indexing method for any large scale fingerprint recognition system or database as a method for reducing the number of fingerprints that need to be searched when looking for a matching print. Fingerprints are generally classified into broad categories based on global characteristics. This paper describes novel methods of classification using hidden Markov models and decision trees to recognize the ridge structure of the print, without needing to detect singular points. The methods are compared and combined with a standard fingerprint classification algorithm and results for the combination are presented using a standard database of fingerprint images. The paper also describes a method for achieving any level of accuracy required of the system by sacrificing the efficiency of the classifier. The accuracy of the combination classifier is shown to be higher than that of the two state-of-the-art systems tested under the same conditions.
On the use of statistical models to predict crop yield responses to climate change

Predicting the potential effects of climate change on crop yields requires a model of how crops respond to weather. As predictions from different models often disagree, understanding the sources of this divergence is central to building a more robust picture of climate change's likely impacts. A common approach is to use statistical models trained on historical yields and some simplified measurements of weather, such as growing season average temperature and precipitation. Although the general strengths and weaknesses of statistical models are widely understood, there has been little systematic evaluation of their performance relative to other methods. Here we use a perfect model approach to examine the ability of statistical models to predict yield responses to changes in mean temperature and precipitation, as simulated by a process-based crop model. The CERES-Maize model was first used to simulate historical maize yield variability at nearly 200 sites in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the impacts of hypothetical future scenarios of 2°C warming and 20% precipitation reduction. Statistical models of three types (time series, panel, and cross-sectional models) were then trained on the simulated historical variability and used to predict the responses to the future climate changes. The agreement between the process-based and statistical models' predictions was then assessed as a measure of how well statistical models can capture crop responses to warming or precipitation changes. The performance of statistical models differed by climate variable and spatial scale, with time-series statistical models ably reproducing site-specific yield response to precipitation change, but performing less well for temperature responses. In contrast, statistical models that relied on information from multiple sites, namely panel and cross-sectional models, were better at predicting responses to temperature change than precipitation change. The models based on multiple sites were also much less sensitive to the length of historical period used for training. For all three statistical approaches, the performance improved when individual sites were first aggregated to country-level averages. Results suggest that statistical models, as compared to CERES-Maize, represent a useful if imperfect tool for projecting future yield responses, with their usefulness higher at broader spatial scales. It is also at these broader scales that climate projections are most available and reliable, and therefore statistical models are likely to continue to play an important role in anticipating future impacts of climate change.
Gumshoe quality toolkit: administering programmable search

Enterprise search is challenging due to various reasons, notably the dynamic terminology and domain structure that are specific to the enterprise, combined with the fact that search deployments are typically managed by domain experts who are not necessarily search experts. To address that, it has been proposed to design search architectures that feature two principles: comprehensibility of the ranking mechanism and customizability of the search engine by means of intuitive runtime rules. The proposed demonstration operates on top of an engine implementation based on this search philosophy, and provides an administrator toolkit to realize the two principles. In particular, the toolkit provides a complete visualization of the provenance (hence ranking) of search results, embeds an editor for programming runtime rules, facilitates the investigation of (the cause of) missing or low-ranked desired results, and provides suggestions of rewrite rules to handle such results.
A model in which the base-matrix tree cannot have cofinal branches

A model of ZFC is constructed in which the distributivity cardinal h is , and in which there are no ω 2-towers in [ω]ω. As an immediate corollary, it follows that any base-matrix tree in this model has no cofinal branches. The model is constructed via a form of iterated Mathias forcing, in which a mixture of finite and countable supports is used.
An integrated approach to risk assessment for concurrent design

This paper describes an approach to risk assessment and analysis suited to the early phase, concurrent design of a space mission. The approach integrates an agile, multi-user risk collection tool, a more in-depth risk analysis tool, and repositories of risk information. A JPL developed tool, named RAP, is used for collecting expert opinions about risk from designers involved in the concurrent design of a space mission. Another in-house developed risk assessment tool, named DDP, is used for the analysis. The risk model in DDP is generated by integrating the information collected in RAP, other design information available from the design sessions, and possibly risk and failure information available from other libraries and databases. The underlying software infrastructure for this transfer of information is based on translating the RAP data to XML, which in turn is interpreted by DDP and translated to DDP data. The advantage of the integration is its combination of the strengths of the components, while avoiding the need to construct a single monolithic all-encompassing tool and process. We briefly describe each of the RAP and DDP tools and demonstrate the integrated approach with an example generated from a study conducted at the Project Design Center (TeamX) at JPL.
Lessons Learned from Instructional Design Theory: An Application in Management Education.

Given that many doctoral programs do not provide extensive training on how to present course information in the classroom, the current paper looks to educational psychology theory and research for guidance. Richard Mayer and others' copious empirical work on effective and ineffective instructional design, along with relevant research findings in cognitive science, are summarized and adapted to the management education context. The goal of this article is to enhance instructors' ability to effectively relay course material and to offer specific advice for how instructors can implement prior research findings.
The effect of low-dose irradiation on unstimulated and PHA-stimulated human lymphocyte subsets.

SummaryA culture system was used to evaluate the radiosensitivity of CD 4+ and CD 8+ T cells, Leu 19+ cells, and B cells obtained from normal adult males. Unstimulated CD 8+ lymphocytes (D0 = 55 cGy) were twice as radiosensitive as CD 4+ cells (D0 = 115 cGy). B cells had an intermediate radiosensitivity (D0 = 100 cGy). Leu 19+ cells were much more radioresistant and expressed a D0 of 550 cGy. When lymphoid cells were irradiated 1 or 4 days before phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation, they were more radiosensitive than if they were first stimulated with PHA and then irradiated. When lymphoid cells were irradiated 1 h after PHA stimulation each lymphocyte subset was characterized by an increase in the D0 to 150 cGy for B cells to 290 cGy for CD4+ cells, and to 240 cGy for CD8+ cells. In contrast, Leu 19+ cells exhibited a decrease in their D0 to 290 cGy after they were stimulated by PHA.
Evolving General Regression Neural Networks for Tsunami Detection and Response

In this paper we propose a system that uses a sensor network to detect and respond to tsunamis. Sensor nodes sense underwater pressure data and send it to commander nodes where it is analyzed. Commander nodes use a general regression neural network (GRNN) to predict which barriers need to be fired in order to lessen the impact of the tsunami. We have implemented two versions of a GRNN to perform prediction and a genetic algorithm to optimize the parameters of the neural network. Finally, we analyze the performance differences for each version with respect to both accuracy and earliness of predictions.
Primary cell-mediated lympholysis response to a maternally transmitted antigen

Mta-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) can be generated in primary cultures of (NZB X B10.D2)F1 spleen cells with H-2-compatible BALB/c stimulator cells. The CTL lyse reciprocal Mta+ (B10.D2 X NZB)F1 as well as H-2-disparate targets, such as B10, B6, and B6-Tlaa; they do not lyse targets from NZB or any F1 hybrid of an NZB mother. The lysis of 51Cr-labeled B10 targets is completely inhibited by unlabeled targets from Mta+ (B10.D2 X NZB)F1, but not from the reciprocal Mta- F1, thus demonstrating H-2-unrestricted lysis of Mta.
Ongoing threats to endemic species.

Carolyn Gramling's article “Hawaii's coral trees feel the sting of foreign wasps” (News Focus, 16 Dec. 2005, p. [1759][1]) highlights the risk posed by a nonnative wasp. This is only the most recent example of the vulnerability of endemic Hawaiian species to foreign invaders ([1][2]). For example, the continued existence of the Hawaiian dark rumped petrel ( Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis ) depends on control of nonnative predators at its breeding colonies. Such threats can at best be managed rather than eliminated. Continuing conservation management thus is necessary to maintain such species. ![Figure][3] A Hawaiian dark rumped petrel CREDIT: R. SHALLENBERGER/VIREO The need for ongoing management to maintain species is one characteristic of what has recently been defined as “conservation-reliant species” ([2][4]). Such species face threats that are pervasive, recurring, and cannot be eliminated (e.g., nest parasites, predators, and dependence on disturbance habitat regimes). Without species-specific management, conservation-reliant species are at risk of extinction. The need for ongoing management runs counter to traditional assumptions. In the Endangered Species Act, for example, Congress assumed that, after a species is listed, the threats to its existence will be identified and eliminated so that the species can be taken off the list as recovered. This assumption is proving to be false ([2][4]). Given projections of increased globalization with its resulting homogenization and the concomitant fragmentation of native habitats, the threats of nonnative species can only be expected to increase. Thus, the threat posed to the survival of the coral tree by nonnative wasps, rather than being an interesting observation from an isolated island ecosystem, offers a window to the future challenges facing conservation biology in its efforts to conserve imperiled species worldwide. 1. 1.[↵][5] 1. L. Loope 2. et al. , Stud. Avian. Bio. 22, 291 (2002). [OpenUrl][6] 2. 2.[↵][7] 1. J. M. Scott 2. et al. , Front. Ecol. 7, 383 (2005). [OpenUrl][8] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.310.5755.1759 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: pending:yes [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [6]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DStud.%2BAvian.%2BBio.%26rft.volume%253D22%26rft.spage%253D291%26rft.atitle%253DSTUD%2BAVIAN%2BBIO%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text" [8]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DFront.%2BEcol.%26rft.volume%253D7%26rft.spage%253D383%26rft.atitle%253DFRONT%2BECOL%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
The conservative revolution: a roundtable discussion

My interpretation of conservative economic policy-especially in the US where I am entitled to an opinion, but also in Europe, where I am not is rather different from that implicit in the papers. The difference has to do with goals in the first instance; but that has implications for policies. Olivier Blanchard says: 'Freeing the forces of the supply side was the ultimate goal of the Reagan program.' It was certainly the stated ultimate goal of the program as it was in Britain but to accept it as the real goal is to make the Reagan people and other conservatives appear to be foolish when they are not. Charlie Schultze said that there was nothing wrong with supply-side economics that dividing by ten would not cure. It is hardly credible that serious people believed those things, and I don't think that they did. I think they said and say things like that in the same spirit that manufacturers make wildly vague claims for their products. It was PR from the word Go and remains PR. To tell you the truth, I'm inclined to think that the Reagan and Thatcher people do not really care much about macroeconomic performance. There was never much intensive talk by the Reagan Administration about its macroeconomic intentions. In the case of the UK and the
Laboratory monitoring of warfarin therapy in Utah.

Accurate laboratory monitoring of oral anticoagulation has been emphasized as an important factor in providing safe and effective therapy for patients with thromboembolism. However, recent reports indicate that coagulation laboratories may not be providing optimal clinical information to clinicians who treat these patients. We surveyed all hospltal coagulation laboratories in Utah to determine their format for reporting prothrombin time results in patients receiving oral anticoagulants. We found that less than 50% of laboratories used the reliable reporting format, i.e., the interational Normalized Ratio (INR), and that many of the laboratories using the INR format may be reporting incorrect values. Our survey also found a significant lack of interest by physicians in requesting that their laboratories adopt reliable reporting methods. These results indicate a substantial lack of understanding by laboratories and clinicians of the importance of using reliable methods to monitor oral anticoagulation. Significant educational efforts will be required to correct this problem. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of lossy ferrite devices

Abstract An analysis is presented that permits accurate prediction of both loss and phase characteristics of reciprocal and non-reciprocal waveguide latching phase shifters, dielectric-loaded analogue phase shifters and resonance isolators. Excellent agreement is demonstrated between measured and calculated values of loss and phase for a variety of devices.
Neuroevolution of mobile ad hoc networks

This paper describes a study of the evolution of distributed behavior, specifically the control of agents in a mobile ad hoc network, using neuroevolution. In neuroevolution, a population of artificial neural networks (ANNs) are subject to mutation and natural selection. For this study, we compare three different neuroevolutionary systems: a direct encoding, an indirect encoding, and an indirect encoding that supports heterogeneity. Multiple variations of each of these systems were tested on a problem where agents were able to coordinate their collective behavior. Specifically, movement of agents in a simulated physics environment affected which agents were able to communicate with each other. The results of experiments indicate that this is a challenging problem domain for neuroevolution, and although direct and indirect encodings tended to perform similarly in our tests, the strategies employed by indirect encodings tended to favor stable, cohesive groups, while the direct encoding versions appeared more stochastic in nature.
Optimal Jitter Rejection In Laser Beam Steering with Variable-Order Adaptive Control

This paper demonstrates optimal rejection of laser beam jitter by a variable-order adaptive control scheme based on a recursive least-squares lattice filter. The performance of the adaptive controller in a beam-steering experiment is compared to that of the theoretically optimal linear time-invariant controller. The benefits of adaptive control over theoretically optimal LTI control is demonstrated by experimental results for both stationary and non-stationary jitter. The variable-order adaptive controller is based on an adaptive lattice filter that implicitly identifies the disturbance statistics from real-time sensor data. In steady-state, high-order adaptive controller exerts control authority over a broad spectrum of frequencies. Moreover, compared to a fixed-order adaptive controller, the variable-order adaptive controller exhibits significantly improved transient.
Culture: National, Organizational And Occupational: The Case Of Honda Of America Manufacturing, Inc.

This paper examines the merging of cultures at Honda of America Manufacturing at Marysville, Ohio in light of academic studies of international business and organizational behavior. At the heart of this review are studies of organizational behavior and personnel management revolving around national culture, organizational culture and occupational culture. Competing theories are explained. Application to the case of Honda of America Manufacturing provides a means of reviewing the academic discussion in a business environment where national cultures are merged.
Alternatives to Randomized Control Trials: A Review of Three Quasi-experimental Designs for Causal Inference

Abstract. The Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design is typically seen as the gold standard in psychological research. As it is not always possible to conform to RCT specifications, many studies are conducted in the quasi-experimental framework. Although quasi-experimental designs are considered less preferable to RCTs, with guidance they can produce inferences which are just as valid. In this paper, the authors present 3 quasi-experimental designs which are viable alternatives to RCT designs. These designs are Regression Point Displacement (RPD), Regression Discontinuity (RD), and Propensity Score Matching (PSM). Additionally, the authors outline several notable methodological improvements to use with these designs.
The relationship between consciousness, understanding, and rationality

AbstractThe purpose of the present article is to explore the relationship between consciousness and understanding. To do so, I first briefly review recent work on the nature of both understanding and consciousness within philosophy and psychology. Building off of this work, I then defend the thesis that if one is conscious of a given content then one also understands that content. I argue that this conclusion can be drawn from (1) the fact that understanding is associated with rational intention formation and (2) the fact that conscious access appears to involve the selective routing/broadcasting of representational content to neural systems that integrate information in order to select cognitive/behavioral intentions in conjunction with goals. Based on these premises I illustrate how a disruption to the rationality of a representation’s influence on intention formation (when it becomes consciously accessible) would also remove any evidence that a person was conscious of the content of that representation...
Choice of Anesthesia and Intraoperative Monitoring for Lower Extremity Revascularization

The prevalence of significant coronary artery disease re-enforces the importance of careful preoperative and intraoperative management in patients undergoing lower extremity revascularization. This article presents a practical approach toward the evaluation of anesthetic risk and the proper use of anesthetic agents and monitoring devices to minimize morbidity. The role of general and regional anesthetic agents is discussed, and complications of both techniques are presented.
Performance budgeting-the next budgetary answer. but what is the question?

In the world of public budgeting, ideas and concepts often come, go, and then resurface years later in a slightly modified version. Performance budgeting was first abandoned in the 1960s; this paper examines its rebirth in an attempt to determine if it will make a significant contribution to American budgeting in the 21st century. Does it make for better budgetary decisions? What are the questions that performance budgeting is supposed to answer? Is it just another procedure that helps avoid focusing on problems of our “capacity to govern” (Schick, 1990)? The paper concludes that while there are positive things to say about the drive to performance budgeting, the Office of Management and Budget should not recommend blanket adoption.
The politics of deracialisation: South Asian American candidates, nicknames, and campaign strategies

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the deracialisation strategies of South Asian American candidates for elected office. We argue that there is a distinct pattern among these candidates in terms of the type of representation they embody, as well as their personal choices including using non-ethnic nicknames in their campaign materials. These nicknames assist voters, especially in low-information elections, by signalling the ethnicity of candidates – or the lack thereof. Using data collected by the authors from 1956 to the present – the first such attempt to create a national database of South Asian American candidates – we employ a logistic regression to examine the effect of using a non-ethnic nickname on the likelihood of attaining electoral success. Our findings suggest that candidates who used a non-ethnic nickname were at least 25% more likely to win an election. This effect increased as we moved from local to federal contests.
Size reduction/mineral liberation simulation for a magnetic taconite concentrator

Several mineral process modeling and simulation packages are currently available for use in evaluating the performance of alternative process flow schemes. A critical link that has been missing from these packages is the ability to quantitatively model the effect of size reduction on the liberation of the valuable and waste minerals in the ore being processed. Although there have been several approaches taken to this problem over the past 25 years, none of them has led to a satisfactory conclusion. A technique was developed for measuring the effective liberation characteristics of magnetic taconite ores, and a program was constructed that makes use of these liberation characteristics in simultaneously simulating both size reduction and mineral liberation as it occurs in tumbling mills. This is an especially important step in the modeling of magnetic taconite processes, where magnetic rejection of low-grade wastes between grinding stages mandates that a predictive capability be available. The current application is specific to magnetic taconite, but it is possible that a similar approach could be used for other types of mineral systems.
Integration of communication standards in Electrical Vehicle Ad-Hoc Networks for smartgrid support

With the motivation toward cutting carbon emissions and achieving oil independency, many countries are embracing Electric Vehicles (EVs). Fitted with wireless sensors and communication devices, EVs have the ability to establish links with their surroundings. This interaction is not only limited to EVs, that is, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), but can also be Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I). This offers a new paradigm in networking and communication in the realm of Internet of Things (IoT). Unlike traditional grids, smartgrids include communication and EVs will have to interact with them as well. Given the wide range of EV and wireless communication technologies, there is a need for standard communication to achieve seamless IoT integration. This paper focuses on the need for standardization of modeling and communication in Electric Vehicle Ad-Hoc Networks (EVANETs) and their interactions with the surrounding such as the grid, smart meter or a smart controller. IEC 61850 substation communication standard, and IEEE 1609 WAVE (Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments) standard are investigated and their integration over IEEE 802.11 is performed. Finally, some privacy issues pertaining to IEEE 1609 are discussed and potential remedies are proposed to mitigate the identified weaknesses while maintaining privacy.