cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Field measurements and comparisons to simulations of high energy laser propagation and off-axis scatter

ABSTRACT The AFIT Center for Directed Energys High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) model allows for the calculation of the irradiance from within a high energy laser beam that is scattered by molecules and particulates in the atmosphere to an off-axis observation point, while incorporating the spreading effects of the turbulence and thermal blooming. Field experiments conducted at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio in summer 2009 allowed for validation measurements for the HELEEOS off-axis algorithm to be collected. Turbulence strength measurements were made at a wavelength of 1.55 µm using a state of the art bistatic turbulence profiler for both horizontal and vertical paths. Pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and aerosol loading data were collected simultaneously with the C n2 measurements. As part of the experime nt, the profiler's beams were imaged off-axis with a calibrated camera array and the received irradiance of the off-axis scattering was quantified. Characterization of the aerosol distribution along the laser path and the path to the observer is accomplished by determining the visibility and climatological aerosols for southwestern Ohio. Comparisons between predicted and measured off-axis irradiance are made. Keywords: HELEEOS, high energy laser, atmospheric scattering
Accuracy enhancement of digital image correlation with B-spline interpolation

The interpolation algorithm plays an essential role in the digital image correlation (DIC) technique for shape, deformation, and motion measurements with subpixel accuracies. At the present, little effort has been made to improve the interpolation methods used in DIC. In this Letter, a family of recursive interpolation schemes based on B-spline representation and its inverse gradient weighting version is employed to enhance the accuracy of DIC analysis. Theories are introduced, and simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the method as compared with the common bicubic interpolation.
VISIT-TO VISIT SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY AND OUTCOMES IN HEMODIALYSIS

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (VTV-BPV) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and death in the general population. We sought to determine the association of VTV-BPV with outcomes in patients on hemodialysis, using data from a National Institutes of Health-sponsored randomized trial (the HEMO study). We used the coefficient of variation (CV) and the average real variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) as metrics of VTV-BPV. In all, 1844 out of 1846 randomized subjects had at least three visits with SBP measurements and were included in the analysis. Median follow-up was 2.5 years (interquartile range 1.3–4.3 years), during which time there were 869 deaths from any cause and 408 (adjudicated) cardiovascular deaths. The mean pre-dialysis SBP CV was 9.9±4.6%. In unadjusted models, we found a 31% higher risk of death from any cause per 10% increase in VTV-BPV. This association was attenuated after multivariable adjustment but remained statistically significant. Similarly, we found a 28% higher risk of cardiovascular death per 10% increase in VTV-BPV, which was attenuated and no longer statistically significant in fully adjusted models. The associations among VTV-BPV, death and cardiovascular death were modified by baseline SBP. In a diverse, well-dialyzed cohort of patients on maintenance hemodialysis, VTV-BPV, assessed using metrics of variability in pre-dialysis SBP, was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality and a trend toward higher risk of cardiovascular mortality, particularly in patients with a lower baseline SBP.
Preserving voltage and long wavelength photoresponse in GaSb/GaAs quantum dot solar cells

Improvement in the open circuit voltage of the GaSb/GaAs quantum dot intermediate band solar cell is achieved by compensating thermionic hole emission of the quantum dots with n-type doping while the short circuit current decreases due to reduced absorption and/or carrier collection. A new QD-IBSC design with a graded doping profile is studied where the QD layers are located at the edge of the space charge region. The built-in electric field provides enhanced photoresponse while preserving solar cell voltage.
Modulation of auditory cortex unit activity during the performance of a conditioned response

Abstract Single-unit activity in primary auditory cortex was studied in unanesthetized, paralyzed cats during the performance of a classical conditioning task. The conditioned stimulus was a 0.5-s white noise (WN) burst paired with tail shock delivered 4.5 s later. Cats habituated to WN without shock served as controls. Overlayed on these tasks was a continuous background of 1 s , behaviorally irrelevant, 100-ms duration tone bursts set to the best frequency and optimal intensity for the particular unit being studied. Spontaneous activity and tone responses following WN were compared with the respective activity preceding WN. The spontaneous or evoked activity of 75% of the cells recorded in the trained animals changed significantly after WN, whereas the activity of 28% of the cells recorded in habituated animals changed. Augmentation and suppression of both spontaneous and evoked activity were found. These results have implications for the encoding of acoustic stimuli in terms of the modulation of lemniscal sensory system activity.
Test-retest repeatability of the National Animal Health monitoring system dairy heifer health report in New York and Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract We did a test-retest study on 21 farms to assess the repeatability of the Dairy Heifer Health Report of the National Dairy Heifer Evaluation Project. The median retest interval was 42 days (range 14–63 days), retest interviewers were blinded as to responses on the first visits, and all date-specific questions were anchored to the dates of the first tests. The overall discrepancy percentage was 8.5% (95% CI 8.0–9.0). Individual farms had discrepancy percentages of 3.0–15.2%; 240 out of the 539 questions had no discrepancies at all, but 81 questions had more than four (out of 21 possible) discrepancies (lowest percentages among the 81: 24%; 95% lower confidence limit on 24%: 6%). Combining ‘no’ and ‘not applicable’ responses for six similarly worded questions in the Biosecurity section would reduce the overall questionnaire discrepancy percentage to 7.8% and would bring that section's discrepancy percentage down to 8.6%. The other discrepancy percentages by section were: Maternity Hygiene, 14.1 %; Preweaning Hygiene, 4.8%; Disease Agents, 3.6%; Vaccination Practices, 12.1%; Preventive Practices, 16.8%. Discrepancy percentages did not differ importantly by type of question (independent, filter, or subordinate) or by type of response required (categorical, count, or measurement). Discrepancy percentages were independent of retest interviewer, test-retest interval and order of test within state (a proxy for time since training of the interviewers) but were correlated with herd size (rsp = 0.59).
Polymer Enhanced Fusion of Model Sperm Membranes as Induced by Calcium

Vesicle contents-mixing assays were used to study the fusion of a lipid membrane system that was designed to model the sperm plasma membrane. Comparisons were made to a simpler membrane system that was composed of an equimolar mixture of neutral and anionic phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and phosphatidylserine (POPS)). For both membrane systems, fusion was induced by calcium and was significantly enhanced by the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at a low concentration that was insufficient to cause depletion interactions. In particular, the polymer serves to increase the initial burst and subsequent kinetics of calcium-induced fusion. In comparison with the simpler membrane system, the more-complex sperm mimic vesicles are more resistant to fusion, requiring a higher threshold of calcium concentration. This difference in behavior is attributed to the large fraction of cholesterol (30%) in the sperm mimic membranes. We examined the influence of PEG on ion-binding to membranes using a syste...
Toward Amp-Level Field Emission With Large-Area Arrays of Pt-Coated Self-Aligned Gated Nanoscale Tips

Design, fabrication, and characterization of Pt-coated, self-aligned, and gated Si field emission arrays are reported. Arrays of 320000 tips with 10 \(\mu \) m pitch are employed to emit currents as high as 0.35 A (current density of 1.1 A/cm \(^{2}\) ) at gate-emitter biases of 300 V. For reliability, the devices have a gate dielectric thicker than 2.5 \(\mu \) m maintaining the field inside gate insulator below 150 V/ \(\mu \) m and a 5-nm-thick Pt-coating protecting the tips against sputtering by back-streaming ions. The Pt-coating also increases the capture cross section of electrons from the emitter cone, resulting in higher emission currents compared with uncoated Si tips when the supply of electrons is limited to the surface. The device failure at high currents is associated with plasma ignition due to local pressure rise caused by outgassing of the anode. At lower emission currents, the devices are capable of long-term emission (>3 h) at pressures as high as \(10^{-5}\) Torr. Furthermore, a high-yield fabrication process is presented for large-area fabrication of highly-uniform gated tip arrays that could be expanded to active areas larger than 10 cm \(^{2}\) to increase the emission current.
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Has Membrane‐Associated Immobilization Antigens

Sera from fish that survive infections with the ciliated protozoon, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, immobilize the parasite in vitro. In order to identify cell surface antigens involved in the immobilization response, integral membrane proteins were extracted from tomites with Triton X-114 and used to immunize rabbits. The rabbit antisera immobilized the parasite in vitro and antigens were localized to cell and ciliary plasma membranes by indirect immunofluorescent microscopy. The membrane protein fractions from both whole cells and tomite cilia were characterized by 1- and 2-dimensional SDS-PAGE. A 43,000-dalton (D) glycoprotein with an isoelectric point of 7.0 is the predominant protein in these fractions, comprising 12% and 60% of the total protein of whole cell and ciliary membranes, respectively. Western blot analysis of ciliary proteins with immune rabbit sera indicated that the 43,000-D glycoprotein is the principal antigen.
The concept of the Concept Inventory assessment instrument

The well-known Force Concept Inventory (FCI) instrument has been in use over the last 15 years, and is now credited with stimulating reform of physics education. An instructor can give the FCI as both a pre-test and as a post-test to produce data that can be used in a continuous improvement manner to evaluate the effectiveness of various instructional strategies. This presentation reviews the development and history of the FCI from the standpoint of what makes it so effective for this use. This presentation is a lead-in to four new Concept Inventories, two in thermodynamics (one for a first year course and one for a second year course), one in signals and processing, and one in strength of materials. Other Concept Inventories are known to exist or are being created (e.g., wave phenomenon for electrical engineers and energy principles in physics).
An examination of work and personal life conflict, organizational support, and employee health among international expatriates

Abstract This study analyzes the effect of two types of work and personal life conflict and organizational support on expatriate employees’ mental well-being. Survey data were obtained from a culturally diverse sample of 118 employees working in Europe. Overall, employees reported higher levels of work interfering with their personal life, than personal life interfering with their work. Results demonstrated that work–personal life conflict was related to employees’ depression and anxiety and personal–work life conflict was related to employees’ concern for their health. Organizational support had significant main effects on well-being and conflict; however, organizational support did not buffer the effects of conflict on expatriates’ well-being. Although organizations are often concerned with the reduction of personal life interfering with work for expatriates (e.g., spouse employment, schooling for children), this study suggests that organizations should also concerned with how work is interfering with expatriates personal lives (e.g., reevaluate extensive travel, long hours.) Thus, programs that address both types of conflict are imperative to retain high quality employees. Finally, this study suggests that informal types of organizational support (e.g., a perception that the organization is concerned with one's personal life) are important for expatriate success, and should be incorporated into expatriate programs.
Characterization of Encapsulated Micromechanical Resonators Sealed and Coated With Polycrystalline SiC

This paper presents the characterization of sealed microelectromechanical devices and their packaging fabricated in a polycrystalline 3C silicon carbide (poly-SiC) thin-film encapsulation process. In this fabrication technique, devices are sealed with a nominally 2-?m low-pressure chemical vapor deposition poly-SiC, and the device layer is simultaneously coated with a nominally 0.2- ?m poly-SiC thin film. Device characterization includes measurement of the resonant frequency and the quality factor of double-ended tuning-fork micromechanical resonators, which have a Si-SiC composite beam structure. Experimental results show that the pressure inside the packaging can be controlled from 447 Pa to 15.5 kPa with a 400°C annealing process. The frequency drifts of the encapsulated resonators are less than the frequency noise level (±10.6 ppm) measured over 29 days at 84.6°C ±0.1°C, which suggests that the poly-SiC thin-film packaging technique can offer hermetic packaging for various applications in microelectromechanical systems including inertial sensors. In addition to the packaging performance, the temperature coefficient of Young's modulus for poly-SiC is derived from the resonant-frequency change of resonators with temperature. The reduction of the quality factor due to the poly-SiC coating, predicted in the theoretical model, is confirmed by measurements.
High performance work organizations and job rewards in manufacturing and service economies

High performance work organizations (HPWOs) and their consequences in the workplace have gained a notable status in sociology and psychology of the workplace during the last three decades in the US and in the other industrialized nations. One area in which the ongoing debates and evidence are inconclusive is the job rewards associated with HPWOs in the manufacturing and service economies. Analysing functional and numerical flexibilities (the ‘internalization’ and ‘externalization’ strategies) adopted in the manufacturing and service sectors, this study intends to extend our understanding of associations between workplace restructuring (HPWOs) and job rewards. The findings reveal that ‘internalized’ or standard employees have gained from internalization strategy with no significant differences between the two economic sectors. However, significant differences are disclosed when the consequences of externalization are contrasted between the sectors. The externalization strategy has significantly undermined ...
The effect of age on positive and negative affect : a developmental perspective on happiness

The effect of age on happiness, as defined by positive and negative affect, was examined in a survey of 2,727 persons of a broad age range (25-74) conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development. The age-affect association was examined, controlling for a host of sociodemograp hic, personality, and contextual influences. Among women, age was related to positive affect nonlineariy but was unrelated to negative affect. Among men, age interacted with 2 key variables in predicting affect: extraversion and marital status. These findings lend support to recent life span theories of emotion and indicate that personality, contextual, and sociodemographic variables, as well as their interactions, are all needed to fully understand the age-affect relationship.
Flexible, plastic transistor-based chemical sensors

Abstract Flexible, plastic chemical sensors were fabricated using a thin polymer gate dielectric layer and polymer electrodes patterned via selective wetting directly on the surface of the organic semiconductor film. Low-voltage transistors based on DDFTTF with PEDOT:PSS electrodes had a mobility as high as 0.05 cm 2 /Vs with an on–off ratio of 1.2 × 10 4 on ITO/PET substrates. These devices demonstrated stable operation in water with sensor characteristics similar to those reported on rigid silicon substrates, with sub-ppm detection for cysteine and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TNB).
How Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts Correlate with Taxable Properties

This article deals with Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which is a popular economic development tool. TIF borrows against future tax revenues to subsidize current development projects. In Illinois, this economic development tool is justified by its promise to expand the local tax base: by increasing tax revenues, increasing the number of tax payers or increasing the number of taxable properties in the area. However, it is not clear that TIF delivers on its promise. A new dataset, which is introduced in this article, helps to clarify the issue. It does so by providing information about the number of TIF Districts in suburban Cook County, Illinois, the number of taxable properties therein and the nature of the relationship between these variables. If these variables move together, which would indicate that TIF Districts positively correlate with taxable properties, this article will find that TIF delivers on its promise.
OPTIMAL INVENTORY STOCKING LEVELS WITH DEMAND TRANSFERENCE AMONG PRODUCTS

When a product is temporarily unavailable it is not uncommon to find consumers buying a related product rather than postponing the purchase until the former is back in stock. This phenomenon may be observed in the sale of cigarettes, candy bars, different-sized packages of milk, lawn fertilizer, brands of wine and a host of other consumer items. This paper suggests a model for the vendor to employ when seeking to opti mize his stocking strategy for a periodic review/replenishment system.
A dietary and behavioral intervention designed to lower coronary heart disease. Risk factors are unaffected by variation at the APOE gene locus

Variation at the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene locus has demonstrated a consistent impact on lipoprotein levels. APOE typing was performed for 488 healthy, caucasian, premenopausal women participating in the Women's Healthy Lifestyle Project (WHLP) aimed at reducing total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol intake and promoting physical activity. Women in both the intervention and control groups were included in the trial. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the magnitude of the changes in total cholesterol (Tc), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) due to the dietary intervention were dependent on the variation in APOE. Weight, body mass index (BMI), and lipoprotein levels were measured at baseline and at a 6 month follow-up. ANOVA was used to determine whether the change in Tc and LDLc was dependent on dietary intervention and variation at APOE levels. The levels of Tc and LDLc were higher in women with the APOE*4 genotype. There were no statistically significant effects of APOE genotype and changes in Tc and LDLc (P > 0.1). Adjusted Tc and LDLc changes were comparable in the 3 APOE subgroups (Tc = -14.3, -12.9 and -11.7 mg/dl; LDLc = -12.1, -10.7 and -10.7 mg/dl, respectively as above). In conclusion, the genetic (APOE) background of premenopausal women in this study did not have a significant effect on their response to dietary intervention.
A New Approach to Sparse Matrix Eigenvalues

A new approach to the eigenvalue problem of large sparse symmetric matrices is developed in this paper. It is based on scaling and translating the matrix such that it can be regarded as the cosine of another symmetric positive definite matrix. FFT is used to obtain the different eigenvalues. To compute all the n eigenvalues and eigenvectors, where n is the size of the matrix, this method requires O(n) matrix vector multiplications. When only the eigenvalues are required, the memory space needed is on the order of n. This method provides a practical alternative to other iterative methods.
A Formal Model of Service Delivery

We define a service delivery system as a set of interacting entities that are involved in the delivery of one or more business services. A service operating system manages the processes and resources within a service delivery system. This paper presents our on-going work on developing a formal model for these concepts, with the goal of clearly and precisely describing the delivery behavior of service systems. The model lays the groundwork for reasoning about the scenarios that occur in service delivery.
Polyelectrolyte and carbon nanotube multilayers made from ionic liquid solutions

The inevitable contact of substrates with water during the traditional practice of layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) creates problems for multiple potential applications of LBL films in electronics. To resolve this issue, we demonstrate here the possibility of a LBL process using ionic liquids (ILs), which potentially eliminates corrosion and hydration processes related to aqueous media and opens additional possibilities in structural control of LBL films. ILs are also considered to be one of the best “green” processing solvents, and hence, are advantageous in respect to traditional organic solvents. Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (PSS) were dispersed in a hydrophilic IL and successfully deposited in the LBL fashion. To produce electroactive thin films with significance to electronics, a similar process was realized for PSS-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT-PSS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Characterization of the coating using standard spectroscopy and microscopy techniques typical of the multilayer field indicated that there are both similarities and differences in the structure and properties of LBL films build from ILs and aqueous solutions. The films exhibited electrical conductivity of 102 S m−1 with transparency as high as 98% for visible light, which is comparable to similar parameters for many carbon nanotube and graphene films prepared by both aqueous LBL and other methods.
Combining multicore and reconfigurable instruction set extensions

The shift to multi-core processors presents a number of opportunities and challenges to different research fields, including the field of FPGA applications. This paper investigates the advantages of combining multi-core processors and reconfigurable instruction set extensions. Both our analysis and the experimental results show that these two approaches exploit different levels of parallelism. Using a case study on the Floyd-Warshall algorithm, we demonstrate that the multi-core architecture and the reconfigurable instruction set extensions complement each other. By combining these two methods together we find a win-win solution, which gives us a more efficient implementation with higher performance.
Compromised Sensor Nodes Detection: A Quantitative Approach

In a wireless sensor network, an adversary may crack legal nodes or deploy malicious nodes to launch various attacks. These nodes are collectively called compromised nodes. In this paper, we define a data transmission quality (DTQ) function to differentiate the legitimate nodes and compromised nodes. The DTQ function is defined in a way that it will keep close to constant or change smoothly for legitimate nodes and will keep decreasing for suspicious nodes. The final decision of whether or not a suspicious node is compromised is determined by a group voting procedure. Simulations were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the design.
Effects of Polymer Viscosity and Nanofillers on Morphology of Nanofibers Obtained by a Gas Jet Method

Abstract This research evaluates the effects of molecular weight, polymer solution concentration, and carbon nanotube concentration on diameter distribution of polymer nanofibers produced with gas jet fiber (GJF) method. In GJF method, the shear and extensional forces of high-velocity gas jets are used to spin fibers from polymer solutions. The correlation between polymer molecular weight and fiber diameter distribution is studied along with the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on fiber diameter distribution. The paper also assesses how carbon nanotubes distribute in bi-component polymer nanofibers. It is found that polymer chain entanglement is a key determinant of fiber diameter. MWCNTs do not show preference for distribution in polyvinylidene pyrrole (PVP) and polyvinylacetate (PVAc) and instead appear on the surfaces of the fibers. A negative value of spreading coefficient supports this observation.
Derivation Of Requirements For Surface Quality And Metrology Instrumentation For AXAF/TMA

The top level goal for residual image degradation due to all mirror surface errors for the Advanced X-ray Astrophysical Facility (AXAF) Technology Mirror Assembly (TMA) was a Root Mean Square (RMS) image diameter of 0.38 arc second, approximately one order of magnitude tighter than for the highly successful HEAO-B, which represented the previous state of the art. In this paper, we cover the subdivision of the top level goal into a detailed error budget for various surface errors, and from there the subdivision into requirements on the surface metrology instrumentation. The derivation of the detailed error budget for surface errors required the definition of a new set of mathematical functions to describe surface errors on cylindrical optics, and a new type of analysis of the effect of mid-frequency surface errors on high quality X-ray images. The derivation of requirements on the surface metrology instrumentation pointed the way for the conceptualizing and design of several new metrology instruments which were beyond the previous state of the art.
Bragg-induced orbital angular-momentum mixing in paraxial high-finesse cavities.

Numerical calculation of vector electromagnetic modes of plano–concave microcavities reveals that the polarization-dependent reflectivity of a flat Bragg mirror can lead to unexpected cavity field distribution for nominally paraxial modes. Even in a rotationally symmetric resonator, certain pairs of orbital angular momenta are necessarily mixed in an excitation-independent way to form doublets. A characteristic mixing angle is identified, which even in the paraxial limit can be designed to have large values. This correction to Gaussian theory is of zeroth order in deviations from paraxiality. We discuss the resultant nonuniform polarization fields. Observation will require small cavities with sufficiently high Q. Possible applications are proposed.
siteFiNDER|3D: a web-based tool for predicting the location of functional sites in proteins

Although knowledge of a protein's functional site is a key requirement for understanding its mode of action at the molecular level, our ability to locate such sites experimentally is far exceeded by the rate at which sequence and structural information is being accumulated. siteFiNDER|3D is an online tool for the prediction of functionally important regions in proteins of known structure. At the core of the server lies the CFG analysis algorithm, which uses a moving 3D window to correlate patterns of functional/chemical group conservation in the query protein with the location of functional sites. Here, we give a general overview of the functionality offered by the siteFiNDER|3D server, along with general recommendations aimed at maximizing the accuracy and predictive value of this tool in a variety of contexts. siteFiNDER|3D can be accessed at: ‘http://sage.csb.yale.edu/sitefinder3d’ and requires, at a minimum, the atomic coordinates of a query protein in PDB format.
New Drugs and Drug News: The 411 and Implications for Palliative Care (TH313)

describe the role of the palliative care consultant caring for patients with kidney disease, provide prognostic tools, and provide a framework for engaging in discussions of treatment decisions. Content. The session includes an overview of the kidney disease trajectory and describes common triggers for palliative care consultation. Three common triggers for palliative care involvement along this trajectory will be explored and discussed: (a) discussions of dialysis initiation and withholding in seriously ill patients, (b) symptom management and medication strategies for patients both receiving and not receiving dialysis, and (c) end-of-life issues including dialysis withdrawal and dialysis access failure. We present a framework to elicit patient values and goals specifically addressing kidney disease treatment plans. This framework includes communicating the risks and benefits of dialysis in seriously ill patients and negotiating a care plan which may include withholding dialysis, withdrawing dialysis, or a time-limited treatment trial. Conclusion. By the end of the session, the palliative care provider will have gained new tools and understanding in caring for seriously ill patients with kidney disease. Participants will have an understanding of the unique challenges in treatment decision making; be able to list common symptoms patients experience, including treatment-related issues specific to certain symptoms; and gain an understanding of the prognostic factors and outcomes for different treatment paths. The palliative care provider will have the skill set to communicate care goals and treatment decisions with seriously ill patients with kidney disease.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND GUN MARKETS: HOW MUCH HAVE RECENT REFORMS OF THE FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSING SYSTEM REDUCED CRIMINAL GUN SUPPLIERS?*

Research Summary: Following reforms of the federal firearms licensing system, nearly 70% of the nation's retail gun dealers active in 1994 dropped out of business by 1998. Dropout dealers supplied one-third of guns recovered and traced by police but were linked to fewer crime guns than were other dealers, most likely because dropouts tended to be lower volume dealers. It is not clear if guns sold by dropouts had a higher probability of being used in crime, but guns supplied by dropouts did not move into criminal channels more quickly. Policy Implications: If federal reforms have reduced the availability of guns to criminals, the effect has probably been more modest than suggested by the overall reduction in dealers. Producing further reductions in the flow of guns to criminals through oversight of gun dealers will require refinement in the identification of problematic gun dealers. Language: en
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease A Review

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a bacterial infection centered in the fal lopian tubes, is increasingly encountered among adolescents seen by the pedia trician. This review describes two cases representative of gonococcal and non gonococcal PID and the pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treat ment of this disorder are discussed. Emphasis is placed on management by the primary care pediatrician and indications for gynecologic consultation.
Frequency of Angina Pectoris After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and the Effect of Metallic Stent Type.

Although metallic coronary stents significantly reduce angina pectoris compared with optimal medical therapy, angina after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains frequent. We, therefore, sought to compare the incidence of any angina during the 1 year after PCI among the spectrum of commercially available metallic stents. Metallic stent type was classified as bare metal stent, Cypher, Taxus Express, Xience V, Promus Element, and Resolute. The primary end point was patient-reported angina within 1 year of PCI. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the independent association of stent type with any angina at 1 year. Overall, 8,804 patients were queried in regard to angina symptoms; 32.3% experienced angina at some point in the first year after PCI. Major adverse cardiovascular events, a composite of all-cause mortality, target vessel revascularization, and Q-wave myocardial infarction, increased with angina severity: 6.8% for patients without angina, 10.0% for patients with class 1 or 2 angina, and 19.7% for patients with class 3 or 4 angina (p
Spin structure of harmonically trapped one-dimensional atoms with spin-orbit coupling

We introduce a theoretical approach to determine the spin structure of harmonically trapped atoms with two-body zero-range interactions subject to an equal mixture of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling created through Raman coupling of atomic hyperfine states. The spin structure of bosonic and fermionic two-particle systems with finite and infinite two-body interaction strength $g$ is calculated. Taking advantage of the fact that the $N$-boson and $N$-fermion systems with infinitely large coupling strength $g$ are analytically solvable for vanishing spin-orbit coupling strength $k_{so}$ and vanishing Raman coupling strength $\Omega$, we develop an effective spin model that is accurate to second-order in $\Omega$ for any $k_{so}$ and infinite $g$. The three- and four-particle systems are considered explicitly. It is shown that the effective spin Hamiltonian, which contains a Heisenberg exchange term and an anisotropic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya exchange term, describes the transitions that these systems undergo with the change of $k_{so}$ as a competition between independent spin dynamics and nearest-neighbor spin interactions.
Reciprocal Regulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics and Calcium Signaling in Astrocyte Processes

We recently showed that inhibition of neuronal activity, glutamate uptake, or reversed-Na + /Ca 2+ -exchange with TTX, TFB-TBOA, or YM-244769, respectively, increases mitochondrial mobility in astrocytic processes. In the present study, we examined the interrelationships between mitochondrial mobility and Ca 2+ signaling in astrocyte processes in organotypic cultures of rat hippocampus. All of the treatments that increase mitochondrial mobility decreased basal Ca 2+ . As recently reported, we observed spontaneous Ca 2+ spikes with half-lives of ∼1 s that spread ∼6 μm and are almost abolished by a TRPA1 channel antagonist. Virtually all of these Ca 2+ spikes overlap mitochondria (98%), and 62% of mitochondria are overlapped by these spikes. Although tetrodotoxin, TFB-TBOA, or YM-244769 increased Ca 2+ signaling, the specific effects on peak, decay time, and/or frequency were different. To more specifically manipulate mitochondrial mobility, we explored the effects of Miro motor adaptor proteins. We show that Miro1 and Miro2 are both expressed in astrocytes and that exogenous expression of Ca 2+ -insensitive Miro mutants (KK) nearly doubles the percentage of mobile mitochondria. Expression of Miro1 KK had a modest effect on the frequency of these Ca 2+ spikes but nearly doubled the decay half-life. The mitochondrial proton ionophore, FCCP, caused a large, prolonged increase in cytosolic Ca 2+ followed by an increase in the decay time and the spread of the spontaneous Ca 2+ spikes. Photo-ablation of mitochondria in individual astrocyte processes has similar effects on Ca 2+ . Together, these studies show that Ca 2+ regulates mitochondrial mobility, and mitochondria in turn regulate Ca 2+ signals in astrocyte processes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In neurons, the movement and positioning of mitochondria at sites of elevated activity are important for matching local energy and Ca 2+ buffering capacity. Previously, we demonstrated that mitochondria are immobilized in astrocytes in response to neuronal activity and glutamate uptake. Here, we demonstrate a mechanism by which mitochondria are immobilized in astrocytes subsequent to increases in intracellular [Ca 2+ ] and provide evidence that mitochondria contribute to the compartmentalization of spontaneous Ca 2+ signals in astrocyte processes. Immobilization of mitochondria at sites of glutamate uptake in astrocyte processes provides a mechanism to coordinate increases in activity with increases in mitochondrial metabolism.
Tackling problem nonlinearities & delays via asymmetric, state-dependent objective costs in MPC of an artificial pancreas

The design of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) law for an Artificial Pancreas (AP) that automatically delivers insulin to people with type 1 diabetes mellitus is considered. An MPC law was recently proposed that exploits the simplicity of linear dynamical models, but is in two ways a 'nonlinear' departure of standard linear MPC, while circumnavigating the complexity of cumbersome, fully nonlinear MPC approaches. The first of two issues focused on is the nonlinearity of the control problem, and it is demonstrated how this can be tackled via asymmetric objective functions. The second issue is controller induced hypoglycemia resulting from the large delay in actuation and sensing. The proposed MPC strategy employs an asymmetric, state-dependent objective function that leads to a nonlinear optimization problem. The result is an AP controller with significantly elevated safety and comparable control performance. The contribution of this paper is a detailed in-silico analysis of the proposed control law, and a clinical demonstration of the benefits of asymmetric objective functions.
A large-scale manifold learning approach for brain tumor progression prediction

We present a novel manifold learning approach to efficiently identify low-dimensional structures, known as manifolds, embedded in large-scale, high dimensional MRI datasets for brain tumor growth prediction. The datasets consist of a series of MRI scans for three patients with tumor and progressed regions identified. We attempt to identify low dimensional manifolds for tumor, progressed and normal tissues, and most importantly, to verify if the progression manifold exists - the bridge between tumor and normal manifolds. By mapping the bridge manifold back to MRI image space, this method has the potential to predict tumor progression, thereby, greatly benefiting patient management. Preliminary results supported our hypothesis: normal and tumor manifolds are well separated in a low dimensional space and the progressed manifold is found to lie roughly between them but closer to the tumor manifold.
Failed landings after laying hen flight in a commercial aviary over two flock cycles

Many egg producers are adopting alternative housing systems such as aviaries that provide hens a tiered cage and a litter-covered open floor area. This larger, more complex environment permits expression of behaviors not seen in space-limited cages, such as flight. Flight is an exercise important for strengthening bones; but domestic hens might display imperfect flight landings due to poor flight control. To assess the potential implications of open space, we evaluated the landing success of Lohmann white laying hens in a commercial aviary. Video recordings of hens were taken from 4 aviary sections at peak lay, mid lay and end lay across two flock cycles. Observations were made in each focal section of all flights throughout the day noting flight origin and landing location (outer perch or litter) and landing success or failure. In Flock 1, 9.1% of all flights failed and 21% failed in Flock 2. The number of flights decreased across the laying cycle for both flocks. Proportionally more failed landings were observed in the double row sections in Flock 2. Collisions with other hens were more common than slipping on the ground or colliding with aviary structures across sections and flocks. More hens slipped on the ground and collided with physical structures at peak lay for Flock 2 than at other time points. More collisions with other hens were seen at mid and end lay than at peak lay for Flock 2. Landings ending on perches failed more often than landings on litter. These results indicate potential for flight-related hen injuries in aviary systems resulting from failed landings, which may have implications for hen welfare and optimal system design and management.
Daily energy expenditure and water-turnover rate of adult European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) during the nesting cycle

-We measured rates of carbon-dioxide production and water turnover in adult starlings by the doubly-labeled water technique. CO2 production of females was 4.23 cm3g-l h-1 during the incubation period, 4.86 cm3 g-' h-I during the early part of the nestling period, and 6.86 cm3 g-1 h-I during the middle of the nestling period, the time of greatest food requirement by the brood. During the last period, the rate of CO2 production by males was 5.50 cm3 gh-1. CO2 production was independent of brood size (3-7, approximately a two-fold range of brood mass) during both the early and middle parts of the nestling period. Water-turnover rates paralleled CO2 production over the nesting cycle, the average values for each sample varying between 0.048 and 0.070 per h. Within each of the samples, waterturnover rates were independent of CO2 production but appeared to be influenced by weather conditions. During the middle of the nestling period, water-turnover rates were higher on 2 cold, rainy days than on 2 milder days. The maximum daily energy expenditure for females was about four times predicted BMR, similar to values reported in other studies. Received 19 August 1983, accepted 4 March 1984. DAILY energy expenditure (DEE) of adult birds has been the subject of many recent studies (Walsberg 1977, 1978, 1983; Mugaas and King 1981). A few investigators have attempted to relate DEE to variations in the time and energy demands of activities during the nesting cycle and to conditions of the environment. For example, Drent and Daan (1980) concluded that the maximum daily work capacity of birds during the nesting cycle is about four times the basal metabolic rate. Some investigators, using time and energy budget methods, have suggested that there is an increase in DEE between the incubation and nestling periods (Walsberg 1977, Mugaas and King 1981); others have found none (Custer 1974, Withers 1977, Holmes et al. 1979, Ettinger and King 1980). Part of this discrepancy may arise from uncertainty over factors converting activity to energy expendi-
The Infrasound Network (ISNet) as an 88D Adjunct Tornado Detection Tool: The Status of Infrasonic Tornado Detection

After a background of operation through three years (2003–2005), the purpose of this paper is to summarize the status of our efforts to evaluate the potential of NOAA’s Infrasonic Detection Network (ISNet) for tornado detection and warning. The network implementation has involved parallel efforts at hardware design, detection algorithm development, designing displays, application of a fully compressible numerical model to understand infrasound generation processes, and modeling propagation using a 3-D acoustic ray tracing program. In combination, these efforts are placing us in a position to realistically assess the potential of infrasound to help with tornado detection and warning. One of our initial expectations, (that a 3-station network separated by about 200Km would robustly triangulate on acoustic tornadic sources) was shattered. Only at longer ranges (typically > 200Km because of an upper atmospheric wave guide) did the 3 stations (at Boulder, CO, Pueblo, CO, and Goodland, KS) monitor the same source with clear detections. On the other hand, individual stations showed regional tornado detection skill with different stations at times simultaneously detecting different regional tornadoes. Ray trace simulations have explained these regional detection differences, indicating that there is a need for closer network station spacing. Examples of both good and failed detections of tornadic storms are presented and recommendations are made for optimum network spacing. The needs for further evaluation are reviewed; including implementation of a denser network, improved verification (network stations can contribute guidance to field programs), improved display options, and timeliness. An intriguing aspect of our observations is that storms often produce infrasound about 30 minutes prior to a first tornado report. Numerical simulations completed and in progress should help illuminate the infrasonic source processes. Figure 1 below indicates the important elements involved with infrasonic tornado detection.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Lines Without Order

ion sets mathematicians free Of spatial limits and time's interludes. Abstraction lets them add infinitudes To reach a still vaster infinity, To postulate points as transcendently Unreal as pixies in solemn moods, To fete a shadowy whole that includes The part which equals it resplendently. Creators of their own strange universe, Mathematicians can transcend the earth, Just as the spirit can transcend the flesh. More liltingly than Irishmen speak Erse, Their image sing of the lyric birth Of paradoxes woven in a mesh.
Role of Bone Marrow Maturity, Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor, and Forkhead Box Protein N1 in Thymic Involution and Rejuvenation.

Thymic involution is associated with age-related changes of the immune system. Utilizing our innovative technique of transplantation of a thymus as an isolated vascularized graft in MHC-inbred miniature swine, we have previously demonstrated that aged thymi are rejuvenated after transplantation into juvenile swine. Here we have studied the role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and forkhead-box protein-N1 (FOXN1) as well as bone marrow (BM) in thymic rejuvenation and involution. We examined thymic rejuvenation and involution by means of histology and flow cytometry. Thymic function was assessed by the ability to induce tolerance of allogeneic kidneys. Aged thymi were rejuvenated in a juvenile environment, and successfully induced organ tolerance, while juvenile thymi in aged recipients involuted and had a limited ability to induce tolerance. However, juvenile BM inhibited the involution process of juvenile thymi in aged recipients. An elevated expression of both FOXN1 and IGF1 receptors (IGF-1R) was observed in juvenile thymi and rejuvenated thymi. Juvenile BM plays a role in promoting the local thymic milieu as indicated by its ability to inhibit thymic involution in aged animals. The expression of FOXN1 and IGF-1R was noted to increase under conditions that stimulated rejuvenation, suggesting that these factors are involved in thymic recovery.
Understanding Activist Fundamentalism: Capitalist Crisis and the “Colonization of the Lifeworld”

The development of a politically active fundamentalism has been widely documented but has not received sufficient attention from critical theorists. The movement has had influence on political elites and political discourse although its grass roots support is problematic. "Revitalization" and "dedifferentiation" theories apply to movements with broad support which activist fundamentalism may not possess. Both theories are based on assumptions about the progressive nature of social evolution. An alternative analysis based on JUrgen Habermnas's concepts of "legitimation crisis" and "colonization of the lifeworld" suggests that social movements such as activist fundamentalism arise in response to efforts to deal with contradictions within social systems and to struggles among the state, economy, family, and religion to control those efforts. New movements, on both the left and right, can be expected to emerge as these conflicts continue.