cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks Books Clarify and Confound the Nature of Reality

The Secret History of Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier are unique pieces of media, especially for tie-in fiction. They have unreliable narration, ambiguous reports, and ongoing commentary by the character of Tamara Preston. Both novels have unique aims. The narrative fluidity of The Secret History of Twin Peaks foreshadowed, and prepared the audience for, the fractured narrative of Twin Peaks: The Return, especially its eighth episode and final few episodes. The Final Dossier adds to Twin Peaks: The Return’s world, but shows how, no matter how large the narrative grows or how abstract it can become, the rape and murder of Laura Palmer is the driving force behind Twin Peaks, an event that cannot be escaped or forgotten.
Protocol for Community-created Public MS/MS Reference Spectra Within the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Infrastructure.

Rationale A major hurdle in identifying chemicals in mass spectrometry experiments is the availability of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) reference spectra in public databases. Currently, scientists purchase databases or use public databases such as Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS). The MSMS-Chooser workflow is an open-source protocol for the creation of MS/MS reference spectra directly in the GNPS infrastructure. Methods An MSMS-Chooser Sample Template is provided and completed manually. The MSMS-Chooser Submission File and Sequence Table for data acquisition were programmatically generated. Standards from the Mass Spectrometry Metabolite Library (MSMLS) suspended in a methanol-water (1:1) solution were analyzed. Flow injection on an LC/MS/MS system was used to generate negative and positive mode data using data-dependent acquisition. The MS/MS spectra and Submission File were uploaded to MSMS-Chooser workflow in GNPS for automatic selection of MS/MS spectra. Results Data acquisition and processing required ~2 h and ~2 min, respectively, per 96-well plate using MSMS-Chooser. Analysis of the MSMLS, over 600 small molecules, using MSMS-Chooser added 889 spectra (including multiple adducts) to the public library in GNPS. Manual validation of one plate indicated accurate selection of MS/MS scans (true positive rate of 0.96 and a true negative rate of 0.99). The MSMS-Chooser output includes a table formatted for inclusion in the GNPS library as well as the ability to directly launch searches via MASST. Conclusions MSMS-Chooser enables rapid data acquisition, data analysis (selection of MS/MS spectra), and a formatted table for inspection and upload to GNPS. Open file-format data (.mzML or.mzXML) from most mass spectrometry platforms containing MS/MS spectra can be processed using MSMS-Chooser. MSMS-Chooser democratizes the creation of MS/MS reference spectra in GNPS which will improve annotation and strengthen the tools which use the annotation information.
Youth Cognitive Responses to Alcohol Promotional Messaging: A Systematic Review

Objective:This review examines the research of the effects of alcohol advertising on the cognitive mechanisms that precede underage alcohol use.Method:Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Sy...
Bidirectional association between stress and physical activity in adults with overweight and obesity.

Research has suggested that there may be a bidirectional association between stress and physical activity; however, much of this work has been conducted in athletes or adults with normal weight. The current study investigated the bidirectional association between stress and physical activity in adults with overweight and obesity. For a full year, during and after a 12-week, Internet-based weight loss program, 74 participants (BMI = 31.2 kg/m2) were asked to report stress and minutes of physical activity each week. An increase in stress was associated with less physical activity during the same week and predicted fewer minutes of physical activity the following week. Finally, each 1 h increase in physical activity on a given week was associated with a small decrease in stress ratings the following week. Results confirmed the bidirectional association between stress and physical activity in a sample of adults with overweight/obesity, and supported results highlighting stress as a barrier to physical activity. Future studies should investigate whether adding intervention components to decrease stress or to reinforce physical activity can improve physical activity engagement in this population.
The Metaphor of Civic Threat: Intellectual Disability and Education for Citizenship

The philosophical study of the role of schooling in preparing democratic citizens has tended to presume an able-minded learner. Dominant philosophical and theoretical models of democratic education consider neither the civic preparation of individuals with perceived intellectual disabilities in particular, nor the presumptions of able-mindedness that are built into theorizing about democracy and citizenship. As a result, democratic citizenship aims are frequently conceptualized according to an unevaluated assumption that civic preparation requires a particular level and display of intellectual ability, communicative competence, social independence, and behaviour. This unevaluated assumption parallels the presumed incompetence of individuals with perceived intellectual disabilities in other areas of education, a phenomenon that has been well documented by scholars of disability studies. This chapter builds on theory and research in Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and other areas of critical educational studies to challenge this assumption. In particular, I take up what Kliewer, Biklen, and Peterson refer to as the “metaphor” of intellectual disability, the sense in which “We do not literally see mental retardation; we infer its existence” (Kliewer et al. 2015, p. 22). I argue that this metaphor emerges within the context of citizenship education in particular and troubling ways. Intellectual ability—and disability—is actively constructed by and through gendered and racialized attachments to the notion of the ideal citizen. Individuals who are perceived to manifest undesirable differences in cognition, behaviour, communication, or performance appear to threaten notions of civic well-being, of nationhood, and of social reciprocity. In this sense, intellectual disability becomes a metaphor for civic threat. Consequently, educational theorizing around democratic citizenship education advances the metaphor of intellectual disability through a process of negation: the citizen is that which the person with intellectual disability is not or intellectual disability is that which is not citizenship. We do not see intellectual disability; we infer its existence through manifestations of non-citizenship.
The administration of vaccines

Abstract: Vaccines should only be administered following a complete risk/benefit analysis by a veterinarian in conjunction with the owner. The designation of “core” or “noncore” vaccines are not absolute and will depend upon specific circumstances. Vaccines must be administered by the correct route, at the correct time, in the correct manner. Vaccination schedules must take maternal immunity into account, and revaccination must take duration of immunity data into account. Serologic tests should be employed to determine the need for revaccination. Vaccines must be stored and administered correctly. They may be administered by diverse routes, in addition to injection. Intranasal and oral vaccination, intraocular and aerosolization are all possible routes.
Line arrangements and direct products of free groups

We show that if the fundamental groups of the complements of two line arrangements in the complex projective plane are isomorphic to the same direct product of free groups, then the complements of the arrangements are homotopy equivalent. For any such arrangement A , we also construct an arrangement A such that A is a complexified-real arrangement, the intersection lattices of the arrangements are isomorphic, and the complements of the arrangements are diffeomorphic.
Ocular motility and diplopia measurements following orbital floor fracture repair.

Abstract Purpose Diplopia and ocular motility restriction following orbital fracture repair are common complications. The reported rates in the literature differ greatly, in part due to varying definitions of diplopia and methods of measurement. The purpose of this study is to describe a practical and efficient in-office method for examining ocular motility and diplopia in orbital trauma patients and to report the outcomes in a series of patients who underwent orbital floor fracture repair. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review from 2012 to 2019 was conducted in patients who underwent isolated orbital floor fracture repair within 3 weeks of trauma. All patients had examinations to assess extraocular motility and subjective diplopia using the described techniques. Results Ninety-three patients underwent orbital floor fracture repair and had adequate follow-up. Preoperatively, 71 (76%) patients had some restriction in motility and 59 (63%) patients complained of diplopia. Postoperatively, only 1 patient (1.09%) had clinically significant diplopia. Five (5.4%) additional patients demonstrated mild restriction in supraduction upon detailed ophthalmic examination that was not discovered upon subjective history. No patients had worsening of diplopia or motility after surgery. Conclusions Diplopia and motility restriction following orbital fracture repair can be a persistent problem for some patients. It is important to perform a careful ophthalmic examination to detect motility deficits and diplopia that can be significant to the patient. The true rate of restriction and diplopia may be higher using detailed ophthalmic diagnostic techniques compared to subjective patient history.
Does Action Planning Create More Harm Than Good? Common Challenges in the Practice of Action Planning After Employee Surveys:

Despite the popularity of employee surveys in practice, there has been little research to determine how leaders and managers can effectively take action based on survey results. Without a foundatio...
Spinoza’s Ethics

Readers and lovers of George Eliot owe a large debt of gratitude to Clare Carlisle and Princeton University Press for their fine new edition of Eliot's translation of Benedict de Spinoza's Ethics (...
Treatment trends of muscle invasive bladder cancer: Evidence from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, 1988 to 2013

Abstract Objective Guidelines for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) recommends that patients receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy with radical cystectomy as treatment over radical cystectomy alone. Though trends and practice patterns of MIBC have been defined using the National Cancer Database, data using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program have been poorly described. Methods Using the SEER database, we collected data of MIBC according to the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC). We considered differences in patient demographics and tumor characteristics based on three treatment groups: Chemotherapy (both adjuvant and neoadjuvant) with radical cystectomy, radical cystectomy, and chemoradiotherapy. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to compare likelihood ratios. Temporal trends were included for each treatment group. Kaplan–Meier curves were performed to compare cause-specific survival. A Cox proportional-hazards model was utilized to describe predictors of survival. Results Of 16 728 patients, 10 468 patients received radical cystectomy alone, 3236 received chemotherapy with radical cystectomy, and 3024 received chemoradiotherapy. Patients who received chemoradiotherapy over radical cystectomy were older and more likely to be African American; stage III patients tended to be divorced. Patients who received chemotherapy with radical cystectomy tended to be males; stage II patients were less likely to be Asian than White. Stage III patients were less likely to receive chemoradiotherapy as a treatment option than stage II. Chemotherapy with radical cystectomy and chemoradiotherapy are both underutilized treatment options, though increasingly utilized. Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed significant differences between stage II and III tumors at each interval. A Cox proportional-hazards model showed differences in gender, tumor stage, treatment modality, age, and marital status. Conclusions Radical cystectomy alone is still the most commonly used treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer based on temporal trends. Significant disparities exist in those who receive radical cystectomy over chemoradiotherapy for treatment.
Myopic Search and Distant Goals

The need for venturing out to distant states is a well-established insight of the behavioral theory of the firm. Previous literature has paid particular attention to the need to complement local experimentation with exploratory search for solutions that involve a multitude of changes, especially when decision problems are complex. Less attention has received the notion that exploration is not a process that occurs instantaneously but rather involves a series of interim steps. An important distinction therefore is to be made between discovery of a distant opportunity and the local learning efforts of the underlying activities that are required. We argue that the discovery of a distant opportunity may serve as a goal that then may inform a firm’s local search. In a computer simulation, we explore how a decision maker’s consideration of a distant goal in local learning shapes a firm’s search path. In particular, we examine how a firm’s level of goal myopia and the goal setting scope affect firm performance. We find that goal myopia to some extent is necessary and helpful in navigating through complex decision problems. We also find that a bounded goal setting scope is preferable in complex environments as firms may in fact reach such goals and more frequently update their goals along the way. In contrast, when firms set very attractive but also very distant goals, they are more likely to get stuck along the way with mediocre strategies.
An analysis of the concept of patient flow management.

AIM To analyze the concept of patient flow management. BACKGROUND Patient flow has a significant impact on the provision of patient care. The term "patient flow" is widely used, but the related concept of "patient flow management" has been poorly defined. The ability to differentiate and clarify the term patient flow management has implications on strategies to improve patient flow. DESIGN Rodgers evolutionary method of concept analysis. DATA SOURCE Literature published between 2000 and 2021 in the PubMed, CINAHL, and Business Source databases. REVIEW METHODS Inductive analysis of the literature was performed to identify the usage and features of the concept. RESULTS Patient flow management is defined as the application of holistic perspectives, dynamic data, and complex considerations of multiple priorities to enable timely, efficient, and high-quality patient care. Patient flow management requires the identification of a patient, care processes, a flow manager, and frontline staff. It has profound consequences on patient, staff, and hospital system outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Literature should more carefully delineate between "patient flow" and "patient flow management." Effective patient flow management increases the speed and quality of patient care, improves employee satisfaction, and reduces healthcare costs. Strategies to improve patient flow management should focus on understanding the role and interventions of flow management nurses.
Space Exploration Communications and Navigation Status Panel

The contents include: 1) Introductions; 2) Top-level status; 3) Topic briefings by panel members; and 4) Open discussion.
C3: an experimental, extensible, reconfigurable platform for HTML-based applications

The common conception of a (client-side) web application is some collection of HTML, CSS and JavaScript (JS) that is hosted within a web browser and that interacts with the user in some non-trivial ways. The common conception of a web browser is a monolithic program that can render HTML, execute JS, and gives the user a portal to navigate the web. Both of these are misconceptions: nothing inherently confines webapps to a browser's page-navigation idiom, and browsers can do far more than merely render content. Indeed, browsers and web apps are converging in functionality, but their underlying technologies are so far largely distinct. We present C3, an implementation of the HTML/CSS/JS platform designed for web-client research and experimentation. C3's typesafe, modular architecture lowers the barrier to webapp and browser research. Additionally, C3 explores the role of extensibility throughout the web platform for customization and research efforts, by introducing novel extension points and generalizing existing ones. We discuss and evaluate C3's design choices for flexibility, and provide examples of various extensions that we and others have built.
The story behind "stored light": trapping and manipulating photonic states in atoms

Summary form only given. Modern optical techniques allow one to accurately control light using atoms and to manipulate atoms using light. In this talk we review several ideas indicating how such techniques can be used for accurate manipulation of quantum states of atomic ensembles and photons. In particular, we will describe methods that allows for an ideal transfer of quantum states between light fields and metastable states of matter. The technique is based on trapping quantum states of photons in coherently driven atomic media, in which the group velocity is adiabatically reduced to zero. Experimental progress toward implementation of these ideas will be discussed as well the methods for manipulating stored states.
The Night Vision Aid for Legally Blind People with Night Blindness: An Evaluation.

The Night Vision Aid (NVA) was evaluated to determine its effectiveness as an orientation and mobility (O&M) aid for legally blind people with night blindness. Twenty-four subjects walked a prescri...
Preparing Students with 21st Century Skills: Integrating Scientific Knowledge, Skills, and Epistemic Beliefs in Middle School Science Curricula

In the 21st century, every citizen needs to acquire adequate scientific knowledge and skills to be competitive in the job market, and be scientific literate in everyday contexts. The recent push for STEAM education calls for integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematic components together to prepare students for 21th century challenges. To address these concerns, in this chapter we discuss how to prepare students with critical skills to succeed in the 21st century. Our discussion of reconceptualizing science curriculum in middle school level is based on three major perspectives. To prepare students to face the challenges in the 21st century, educators need to help students (1) acquire sufficient core scientific knowledge, (2) gain skills needed to engage in scientific practice, and (3) develop sophisticated epistemic beliefs to understand the nature of scientific knowledge and the methods of making it. We discuss the importance of each perspective in science education in light of the current literature, and address some remaining issues for future directions.
Influencing choice of branded or generic statins by older adults in the USA

Objective This study examines whether information gained from face-to-face contact with health professionals has an influence on switching between branded and generic statins, a class of drugs primarily used by older adults. Methods Data from five panels of the Medical Expenditure Panel Study covering 2006–2011 are used to estimate multivariate logistic regression models examining whether statin switching is influenced by the patient-centred medical home and type of pharmaceutical drug vendor. Key findings Provider consultation is important in consumer choice. Older adults who report their physician's office is ‘patient-centred’ are more than twice as likely to make a generic to branded switch. Switching from branded to generic statins is 50% more likely when prescriptions are filled at a drugstore, 80% more likely when filling at another type of retail outlet and more than twice as likely when filling at a hospital-based clinic (all places where it is possible to speak with a pharmacist in person) rather than filling through mail order or online. Free samples, dosage and type of insurance coverage also influence switching behaviour. Conclusions Communication between health providers and patients is an important part of the decision to switch between different statin formulations.
Insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia in patients with hypertension.

Plasma glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose challenge and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake were measured in 47 age-, weight-, and sex-matched lean white men (16 with normal blood pressure, 14 with untreated hypertension, nine treated with a thiazide diuretic only, and eight treated with combined diuretic and beta-adrenergic antagonist drugs). Following a 75-g glucose dose, plasma glucose and insulin were measured for a three-hour period. In separate studies, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was estimated by measuring the steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) and insulin (SSPI) concentrations achieved during the last 30 minutes of a 180-minute continuous infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose (insulin suppression test). Under these conditions endogenous insulin secretion was suppressed, and differences in SSPG concentration allowed comparisons of the ability of exogenous insulin to stimulate disposal of an identical glucose load in different individuals. The results indicated that men with untreated hypertension had significantly elevated plasma glucose (P less than .001) and insulin concentrations (P less than .001) after an oral challenge compared to normal volunteers. Mean SSPG concentrations were also higher (P less than .05) than normal in patients with untreated hypertension.2+ Furthermore, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations after the oral glucose challenge and SSPG concentration during the insulin suppression test were higher in treated than in treated patients than in untreated patients with hypertension. These results confirm earlier observations that untreated patients with hypertension are insulin resistant, hyperglycemic, and hyperinsulinemic compared to a well-matched normotensive control group, and suggest that conventional treatment programs for lowering blood pressure many exaggerated these metabolic defects.
Thrombus entrapped in patent foramen ovale: a rare form of thrombus in transit

In rare cases, thrombus in transit can be entrapped in a patent foramen ovale (PFO). A patient with this condition is at high risk of embolic stroke and death. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to help prevent stroke and death in these cases. There is no universal management guideline for this rare condition. The decision between medical versus surgical treatment should be made individually for each patient. We present a case of thrombus in transit entrapped in a PFO that was treated medically by lifelong anticoagulation.
AgEcon Search : Expanding the Distribution of Current Literature in One Subdiscipline of Agriculture

As the lanscape of publishing and scholarly communication continues to evolve, librarians have new opportunities to make connections between users and information. AgEcon Search (http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/) is an example of the type of new collaboration librarians can forge with academic departments, professional organizations, government agencies and NGOs.
Depth-viewing-volume increase by collimation of stereo 3-D displays

The results from an investigation into whether or not a dramatic increase in depth-viewing volume for stereo 3-D displays would be provided by the application of collimated optics to a stereo display source are presented. As background, some previously used 3-D stereo displays are described. The graphics-generation hardware and software are discussed. The stereo visual system is described. The collimation system consists of a beam-splitter and reflective mirror combination. The curvature of the mirror and display source placement provided a collimated output to the viewer. A conventional stereo 3-D monitor, although it had a nonoptimal size and curvature profile, was mounted on the collimation system. The results show that even though the actual screen distance was set by design at 27 in, the light collimation produced a virtual screen distance, subjectively estimated at between 50 and 100 ft. >
Multiculturalism or Euroculturalism? “Nomadism,” “Passing,” and “the West and the Rest” in German–Italian Solino

This essay analyzes Fatih Akin's1 German–Italian drama Solino (2002) as it depicts the phenomena of transnational European identity (with special emphasis on gender), homeplace, and multiculturalism in the era of globalization and ongoing migration. Specifically, this work illustrates how Akin's cinematographic narrative confirms German and Italian Eurocentricity and its well-established system of values as pivotal criteria for currently particularly relevant European multiculturalism. Using the Eurocentric lens of interpretation of globalization, migration, and negotiation of “self,” “other,” “home,” “passing,” and “be-longing,” this essay critically analyzes the drama Solino as a cultural and political text.
XBRL, Excel or PDF? The Effects of Technology Choice on the Analysis of Financial Information

Proponents argue that financial statements created using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) will provide more transparent data for users performing financial statement analysis. The more transparent data will simplify the analysis task and allow users to focus quicker on the financial information they perceive as important. However, U.S. adoption of XBRL-enabled technology has been slow and several standard setters and academics question whether investors will choose to use the XBRL-formatted information the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now requiring companies to provide. Further, the extant choice literature documents several instances where technology created for a specific purpose was not chosen by the intended users. Therefore, our study examines (1) whether users of financial information (investors) will choose XBRL-enabled technology for financial statement analysis rather than more familiar technologies (i.e., portable document files (PDF) and spreadsheets (Excel)) and (2) why they choose the specific technology.We train participants using all three technologies and then ask them to choose one to complete an investment decision task. We found 58 percent of participants chose to use XBRLenabled technology, while 42 percent chose Excel. Our analysis suggests that nonprofessional investors’ chose XBRL-enabled technology because they perceive that it reduces the time required to complete the task (increases task efficiency). Conversely, nonprofessional investors who chose Excel made their choice based on greater experience with Excel relative to XBRLenabled technology and PDF. Finally, two factors that we hypothesized may explain technology choice, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, were not statistically significant. Our findings have implications for technology choice theory development, regulators mandating or considering mandating XBRL-based reporting, and XBRL-enabled technology adoption.
Multimedia Technology and Students' Achievement in Geography

In this study done at a community college in South Florida, the achievements of students who spoke English as their second language who had attended their K–12 education outside the United States i...
Generalized Inverses, Wald's Method, and the Construction of Chi-Squared Tests of Fit

Abstract Wald's method constructs test statistics having chi-squared limiting distributions from estimators having nonsingular multivariate normal limiting distributions, using the inverse of the covariance matrix of the limiting distribution. This method is here extended to singular multivariate normal limiting distributions by use of generalized inverses. The generalized Wald's method is then applied to give a quite general solution to the problem of constructing chi-squared type statistics for testing fit to a parametric family when unknown parameters are estimated in various ways.
War legitimation discourse: Representing 'Us' and 'Them' in four US presidential addresses

This article presents an intertextual analysis of legitimation in four 'call-to-arms' speeches by Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush. Drawing on Thibault's (1991) account of critical intertextual analysis, I identify key legitimation strategies and thematic formations that underlie the rhetoric of both speakers. In addition, I (re)situate the speeches in their wider social and historical context to demonstrate how both presidents manipulated the public. In the analysis, I first examine how both speakers use polarizing lexical resources to constitute 'Us' and 'Them' as superordinate thematic categories that covertly legitimate war. Next, I analyze how representations of the past and future also function to legitimate violence across the four speeches. Finally, I examine how both presidents demarcate group membership to discredit opponents of war at home, and legitimate violence against non-aggressors abroad. I conclude that, in spite of popular mythology, Bush is not an aberrant American president; he is one of many to have misled the public into war.
Existence results for classes of -Laplacian semipositone equations

We study positive solutions to classes of boundary value problems of the form in on , where denotes the -Laplacian operator defined by ; , is a parameter, is a bounded domain in ; with of class and connected (if , we assume that is a bounded open interval), and for some (semipositone problems). In particular, we first study the case when where is a parameter and is a function such that , for and for . We establish positive constants and such that the above equation has a positive solution when and . Next we study the case when (logistic equation with constant yield harvesting) where and is a function that is allowed to be negative near the boundary of . Here is a function satisfying for , , and . We establish a positive constant such that the above equation has a positive solution when Our proofs are based on subsuper solution techniques.
Holocene environments and soil geomorphology in midwestern United States

Abstract In midwestern United States the most important widespread environmental event during the Holocene about 8000 y.a. was the establishment of an effective precipitation pattern that in part defines the Prairie Peninsula. The pattern occupies a region that is dominated by dry westerly air for 6–9 mo during normal years and for 9–12 mo during drought years. Regional soil geography correlates readily with zones of precipitation effectiveness with Brunizem (Udolls) conforming to the moist, subhumid zone, Chernozem (Boralls, Udolls) relating to the dry, subhumid zone, and Chestnut and Brown soils (Ustolls) fitting the semiarid zone. During the past few thousand years, a climatic reversal has caused encroachment of forest on prairie resulting in the formation of transitional or intergrade soils. In local areas the Holocene is expressed on the land surface by the soil geomorphic unit which is the repetitive occurrence of a sequence of soils on the erosional surface of a hillslope and on the correlative depositional body at the foot and toe of the slope. This unit embraces time, lithology, landscape, and soils and provides a means for mapping the Holocene on the countryside.
OPTIMAL SELECTION OF MATCHED PAIRS FROM LARGE DATA BASES

This paper considers the problem of selecting matched pairs of observations for the reduction of bias in statistical hypothesis testing. A Euclidean distance function is suggested for measuring the similarity between paired observations. The matching process is then formulated initially as an assignment problem. Alternative formulations of the problem that would reduce computational difficulty are considered.
A technique for measuring two-phase relative permeability in porous media via X-ray CT measurements

Abstract A novel method for computing two-phase relative permeability curves from the results of spontaneous imbibition experiments is presented. Using a specially constructed imbibition cell and an X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, we obtain accurate measurement of saturation profiles along the length of cores as a function of time. The saturation profile history allows direct computation of the relative permeability for both phases from a single experiment when used in combination with a previously measured capillary pressure curve. Results are unique within experimental error. The proposed procedure works equally well for spontaneous and forced cocurrent imbibition. It was tested thoroughly using synthetic and experimental spontaneous imbibition data, for water–air and water–oil systems. Study showed that the pressure-gradient history can be neglected during calculations of air–water relative permeability; however, pressure-gradient data improves the accuracy of measurement for viscous oil flowing at high water saturation. Test results are described within the paper. Advantages include the incorporation of capillary forces and no requirement for steady-state conditions. This method is useful to measure imbibition relative permeability curves, especially in low permeability rocks at relatively low wetting phase saturations. In such systems, it is laborious to reach multiple steady states and capillary forces are significant so that classical unsteady-state techniques do not apply.
Credentialism among graduate students

Writers on higher education frequently assume that American undergraduate and graduate students enroll mainly to obtain credentials, and care little about acquiring competence. An exploratory study of students entering four elite fields found that most soughtboth credentials and competence. “Empty” credentials appealed to some, but stiff competition within their chosen occupations evidently led the great majority of students to seek every advantage that graduate education could provide.
Modelling point defect dynamics in the crystal growth of silicon

Abstract The quality of silicon single crystals grown by the Czochralski (CZ) and floating zone (FZ) methods depends on the distribution of microdefects formed by silicon vacancies and interstitials and by impurities, such as oxygen and carbon. This paper describes the first steps of an attempt to model the formation of these defects by combining atomistic-level simulation of the equilibrium, transport, and kinetics of point defects and impurities in silicon, with continuum modelling of defect transport and reaction. The continuum models are written in terms of classical equilibrium, transport and kinetic coefficients, which are estimated using atomistic simulations based on the Stillinger-Weber interatomic potential for describing the interactions of silicon atoms. Atomistic simulations are reported for the equilibrium and transport properties of interstitials and vacancies in pure silicon. Calculations predict that interstitials prefer to form 〈110〉 dumbbells in the diamond lattice and that these point defects become delocalized at elevated temperatures. A model is proposed for the recombination of vacancies and interstitials that leads to a high entropic energy barrier at high temperatures due to this delocalization. Calculations of continuum point defect distributions for a prototype, steady-state crystal growth system predict the transition between vacancy (D-defects) and interstitial (A-defects) dominated precipitation of microdefects as a function of temperature gradient, crystal pull rate and crystal radius. These predictions arein qualitative agreement with experiments for FZ-grown crystals.
Size exclusion chromatography of nylon-6

Abstract A new size exclusion chromatography (SEC) system for nylon-6 has been developed which uses the universal calibration peak retention of narrow dispersity poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFEtOH). The SEC system, operated at room temperature with silanized silica columns, obviates the solvent incompatibility of TFEtOH with styrene-gel packings and gives simple and reproducible chromatograms of polyamide-6. The method provides molecular weight accuracy within ±10% without correction for dispersion. To support the universal calibration for nylon-6, it was necessary to investigate the macromolecular hydrodynamics of PMMA in TFEtOH; results are represented well by the Stockmayer-Fixman viscosity-molecular weight theory. Poly(methylmethacrylate) in TFEtOH exhibits a Mark-Houwink exponent of 0.88 and a polymer-solvent interaction parameter, χ 12 equal to 0.38.
Trait and situational attributions in a naturalistic setting: Familiarity, liking, and attribution validity

Student dormitory advisors (n = 16) made trait/situation attributions to themselves and also identified three friends and three acquaintances. Friends (n = 41) and acquaintances (n = 43) then made attributions to themselves along with attributions and familiarity ratings of the advisors who identified them. The actor-observer effect was obtained for situational but not for trait attributions, both when advisors' self-attributions were compared to attributions made about them by friends and acquaintances (common target) and when the latter's self attributions were compared to their target attributions (common rater). Among friends and acquaintances, target familiarity was positively related to trait attributions and was negatively related to uncertainty attributions. Also, familiarity was positively related to the validity of situational but not of trait attributions. It was concluded that familiarity appears to influence the process of attribution, but differentially for dispositional vs. situational attributions and for actor-observer differences vs. observer variations in attributions. Moreover, increased information about the actor as a result of greater familiarity may lead to both more accurate and more favorable attributions.
Prospects for detecting supernova neutrino flavor oscillations

The neutrinos from a type II supernova provide perhaps our best opportunity to probe cosmologically interesting muon and/or tauon neutrino masses. This is because matter enhanced neutrino oscillations can lead to an anomalously hot ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}$ spectrum, and thus to enhanced charged current cross sections in terrestrial detectors. Two recently proposed supernova neutrino observatories, OMNIS and LAND, will detect neutrons spalled from target nuclei by neutral and charged current neutrino interactions. As this signal is not flavor specific, it is not immediately clear whether a convincing neutrino oscillation signal can be extracted from such experiments. To address this issue we examine the responses of a series of possible light and heavy mass targets, ${}^{9}\mathrm{Be}{,}^{23}\mathrm{Na}{,}^{35}\mathrm{Cl},$ and ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}.$ We find that strategies for detecting oscillations which use only neutron count rates are problematic at best, even if cross sections are determined by ancillary experiments. Plausible uncertainties in supernova neutrino spectra tend to obscure rate enhancements due to oscillations. However, in the case of ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb},$ a signal emerges that is largely flavor specific and extraordinarily sensitive to the ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{e}$ temperature, the emission of two neutrons. This signal and its flavor specificity are associated with the strength and location of the first-forbidden responses for neutral and charge current reactions, aspects of the ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ neutrino cross section that have not been discussed previously. Hadronic spin transfer experiments might be helpful in confirming some of the nuclear structure physics underlying our conclusions.
On-line parameter identification of a cart by mobile manipulation pushing

Abstract In this paper, a model identification method for unknown parameters of a non-holonomic cart has been developed. By interactions between a mobile manipulator and the cart, the sensory information is collected to estimate the model parameters of the cart. Since the raw data are contaminated by noise that cannot be modeled statistically, a wavelet based least square method (LSM) is proposed to estimate these parameters for the cart. The raw signal is decomposed into certain bandwidths to generate a series of new signals, which are used to estimate the parameters. The new signal, which has the minimal estimation residual in the least square sense, is adopted as the best estimation. The error convergence of the estimation approach is given. The experimental results indicate that the estimation accuracy can be significantly improved by the use of the proposed method.
Investigating pulsed dye laser-blood vessel interaction with color Doppler optical coherence tomography.

A non-invasive method of imaging laser irradiated blood vessels has been achieved using Color Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography (CDOCT). This method may increase understanding of the mechanisms behind treatment of vascular disorders. The CDOCT system used a 1280 nm center wavelength superluminescent diode. A 585 nm, 360 μs pulsed dye laser was used to irradiate hamster dorsal skin flap window preparations. Irradiation sites were imaged with CDOCT prior to, immediately after, and 24 hours after laser irradiation. The processed CDOCT signal provided an estimate of the blood flow velocity. An increase in the blood vessel backscattered signal was observed as blood or vessel walls were coagulated. A decrease in damaged blood vessel reflectivity occurred after twenty four hours.
The dimensionality of the urban functional system.

This paper suggests that the formulation and testing of hypotheses relating the functional role of cities in a society to other urban structure and process variables might be facilitated by substituting a continuous variable approach to the functional system for the prevailing discrete typologies. Using variables indexing the scope of economic activities in U.S. communities at two points in time, we elaborate a technique for identifying the dimensions underlying an existing typology, and the 56 largest SMSA’s are ranked along these dimensions.
The spectroelectrochemical response for first-order e.c. processes with electrode product and reactant adsorption following double potential step excitation

The double potential step optical responses for the e.c. mechanism in the presence of electrode product and reactant adsorption have been described and their utility for the determination of chemical reaction rates discussed.
Emotion regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers an alternative to traditional psychotherapies designed to regulate affect. ACT is based on the premise that normal cognitive processes distort and enhance the experience of unpleasant emotion, leading clients to engage in problematic behaviors designed to avoid or attenuate those unpleasant emotions. Such avoidant behavior patterns can hinder and prevent client movement toward valued goals and place the client in harmful situations. Rather than working to change cognitions or decrease levels of emotion, the ACT approach involves the client directly experiencing problematic emotions in a context in which the literal functions of language enhancing the negative implications of those emotions are stripped away. The focus throughout the treatment is facilitating the client's movement toward a more valued and personally fulfilling life, in a context in which previously obstructive unpleasant emotions no longer serve as obstructions. A case study is provided to illustrate some of ACT's core techniques.
Allometry and simple epidemic models for microparasites

Simple mathematical models for microparasites offer a useful way to examine the population dynamics of different viral and bacterial pathogens. One constraint in applying these models in free-living host populations is the paucity of data with which to estimate transmission rates. Here we recast a standard epidemiological model by setting the birth and death rates of the host population and its density as simple allometric functions of host body weight. We then use standard threshold theorems for the model in order to estimate the minimum rate of transmission for the parasite to establish itself in a mammalian host population. Transmission rates that produce different comparable values of the parasites' basic reproductive number, RO, are themselves allometric functions of host body size. We have extended the model to show that hosts having different body sizes suffer epidemic outbreaks whose frequency scales with body size. The expected epidemic periods for pathogens in different mammalian populations correspond to cycles observed in free-living populations.
Counting discrete emission steps from intrinsic localized modes in a quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnetic lattice

Intrinsic localized modes (ILMs) in a quasi-1D antiferromagnetic material ${({\mathrm{C}}_{2}{\mathrm{H}}_{5}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{H}}_{3})}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{Cl}}_{4}$ are counted by using a novel nonlinear energy magnetometer. The ILMs are produced by driving the uniform spin wave mode unstable with an intense microwave pulse. Subsequently a subset of these ILMs become captured by and locked to a cw driver so that their properties can be examined at a later time with a tunable cw low power probe source. Four-wave mixing is used to enhance the emission signal from the few large amplitude ILMs over that associated with the many small amplitude plane wave modes. A discrete step structure observed in the emission signal is identified with individual ILMs becoming unlocked from the driver. At most driver power and frequency settings the resulting emission step structure appears uniformly distributed; however, sometimes, nearby in parameter space, families of emission steps are evident as the driver frequency or power is varied. Two different experimental methods give consistent results for counting individual ILMs. Because of the discreteness in the emission both the size of an ILM and its energy can be estimated from these experiments. For the uniformly distributed case each ILM extends over $\ensuremath{\sim}42$ antiferromagnetic unit cells and has an energy value of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{J}$ while for the case with families the ILM length becomes $\ensuremath{\sim}54$ antiferromagnetic unit cells with an energy of $1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{J}$. An unresolved puzzle is that the emission step height does not depend on experimental parameters the way classical numerical simulations suggest.
Singularities of energy-minimizing maps from the ball to the sphere

We study maps ϕ from the unit ball B in R3 to the unit sphere S2 in R3 which minimize Dirichlet’s energy integral $$ \varepsilon (\varphi ) = \int {_B} |\nabla \varphi {|^2}dV $$ .