cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Positive Psychology Interventions at Work: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in the workplace aim to improve important outcomes, such as increased work engagement, job performance, and reduced job stress. Numerous empirical studies have been conducted in recent years to verify the effects of these interventions. This paper provides a systematic review and the first meta-analysis of PPIs at work, highlighting intervention studies explicitly aligned within the theoretical traditions of positive work and organizations (PWO). We draw from streams of PWO, including positive organizational scholarship (POS), positive organizational behavior (POB) and positive organizational psychology literature (POP) to evaluate PPIs at work. The meta-analytic findings from 22 studies showed that the five workplace positive psychology interventions had a small positive effect on improving desirable work outcomes (g = .25), and a small to moderate effect on reducing undesirable work outcomes (g = −.34). Thus, this paper provides valuable insight on the effectiveness of PPIs at work and future directions for scholars and practitioners.
Effect of partial coherence on dimensional measurement sensitivity for DUV scatterfield imaging microscopy.

Optical scatterfield imaging microscopy technique which has the capability of controlling scattered fields in the imaging mode is useful for quantitative nanoscale dimensional metrology that yields precise characterization of nanoscale features for semiconductor device manufacturing process control. To increase the sensitivity in the metrology using this method, it is required to optimize illumination and collection optics that enhance scatterfield signals from the nanoscale targets. Partial coherence of the optical imaging system is used not only for enhancing image quality in the traditional microscopy or lithography but also for increasing the sensitivity of the scatterfield imaging microscopy. This paper presents an empirical investigation of the effect of partial coherence on measurement sensitivity using a deep ultraviolet scatterfield imaging microscope platform that uses a 193 nm excimer laser as a source and a conjugate back focal plane as a unit for controlling partial coherence. Dimensional measurement sensitivity is assessed through analyzing scatterfield images measured at the edge area of periodic multiline structures with nominal linewidths ranging 44–80 nm on a Molybdenum Silicide (MoSi) photomask. Intensities scattered from the targets under the illuminations with various partial coherence factors and two orthogonal polarizations are assessed with respect to sensitivity coefficient. The optimization of partial coherence factor for the target dimension is discussed through the sensitivity coefficient maps.
Leveraging Technology to Reduce Ambiguity

In most traditional business settings the idea of being comfortable with ambiguity is something that would be appear to be something of a contradiction. Making effective decisions, be it choices linked to investment strategy or audit efficiency, require that the decision makers involved be able to drill down and ascertain exactly which pieces of data are the most important. The simple reality, however, is that as business continues to become more fluid, digitized, and global in nature ambiguity will continue to increase. Especially since it does not look like some of the hard trends – such as changing demographics, political instability, and a rebalancing of how business is conducted on a global basis, will be changing anytime soon, it seems reasonable to expect that the profession will have to evolve in order to keep pace.
Alec Baldwin’s appearances on Saturday Night Live: tangerine wig, Twitter backlash, and the humanising of President Donald J. Trump

For more than three years, Alec Baldwin, comic actor and recurring Saturday Night Live host, has been making regular guest appearances on the NBC variety programme clad in a tangerine wig and busin...
Temporal evolution of heme oxygenase-1 expression in reactive astrocytes and microglia in response to traumatic brain injury

Abstract Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible enzyme that catabolizes heme into biliverdin (which is converted to bilirubin), carbon monoxide, and free iron. HO-1 and its downstream molecules have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, making the effects of HO-1 difficult to predict. It is unknown if HO-1 expression has neuroprotective or neurodegenerative sequelae after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In adult male mice, we quantitatively investigated HO-1 expression in reactive astrocytes and microglia in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI at 1, 7, 14, and 30 days post-injury (dpi). Immunoglobulin G (IgG) staining for blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was significantly increased at 1 and 7 dpi in TBI mice compared to controls. HO-1 expression in astrocytes was significantly increased acutely and sub-acutely (1, 7, 14 dpi) compared to controls. Significantly elevated expression of HO-1 in microglia was only observed at 14 and 30 dpi relative to controls. HO-1 expression remained elevated at 30 dpi following TBI relative to controls. This study for the first time demonstrates that HO-1 is highly expressed in perilesional tissues after TBI, but primarily in cells that contribute to the neuroinflammatory response. Modulating HO-1 expression may provide a path to therapeutic intervention by enhancing the neuroprotective aspects of HO-1. Summary statement: Heme oxygenase-1 expression after traumatic brain injury in adult male mice occurs first in reactive astrocytes followed by dramatic increases in microglia adjacent to the injury site.
Archimedes: Developing a Model of Cognition and Intelligent Learning System to Support Metacognition in Novice Programmers

This is a Work-in-Progress Innovative Practice paper. This paper introduces a multidimensional model of cognition and an application programming interface (API) for an intelligent learning system, which we will refer to as Archimedes, that implements the first two components of the model of cognition into a web application. The model of cognition currently includes five components thinking processes, organizational strategy, design cohesion, skill mastery, and path of program development. Together these components seek to support six strategies of metacognition, metacognitive scaffolding, reflective prompts, self-assessment, self-questioning, self-directed learning, and graphic organizers. This paper focuses on the implementation and integration of the first two components of the model, thinking processes and organizational strategies into a web application. Together these components integrate Writing-To-Learn and literate programming paradigms to allow the Archimedes application to assess introductory programming students’ current level of metacognition and provide automated feedback and allow them to self-monitor, self-assess and improve self-efficacy through the development of strategic knowledge for solving real-world programming problems.
"Live your life cuz everybody's terminal": Describing emotions and coping behaviors of rural advanced cancer patients.

Purpose Culturally competent health care has led to increasing interest in how patients' identities influence the management of their health. The ways rural patients with advanced cancer process emotions and cope with their disease may be influenced by their rural context. The aims for this study were to (1) describe the emotions rural cancer patients experience, (2) describe how rural cancer patients manage their emotions within their rural context, and (3) interlace the themes related to coping with emotions. Methods This paper is a subanalysis of a larger project focused on symptom management among rural patients living with advanced cancer. Using a qualitative descriptive design, authors read and coded patient interview transcripts to extract key perspectives related to managing emotions within a rural context. Findings Sixteen participants, 10 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 68.75 years completed this study. Participants described a spectrum of emotional experiences. Some participants reported no distress, and some described high levels of distress. While previous writers described low levels of religious coping among rural patients, participants in this study often named their faith/spirituality as a major source of emotional coping. Participants also galvanized their social support network, particularly those in their religious community. Finally, participants in this study reported the use of medication as a last resort. Conclusion Results from this study might be influenced from cultural variables found in the rural community; specifically, religiosity and close social networks. Future interventions need to be tailored to the unique responses of rural patients.
A Novel Mathematical Model for Infrastructure Planning of Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Systems for Electric Vehicles.

About 26% of total U.S. energy consumption is used in the transportation sector. Conventional vehicles use fuels such as gasoline, emit harmful gases, and have adverse effects on the environment. Electric vehicles (EVs) provide an alternative solution that decreases the dependency on traditional fuels such as gasoline and reduces hazardous gas emissions. EVs can drive longer distances by employing dynamic wireless power transfer systems (DWPT) without increasing their battery size or having stopovers. Additionally, developing a decision system that avoids an excessive load on the power grid is essential. These decision systems are particularly beneficial for autonomous driving for personal and public transportation. This study briefly reviews the available literature in dynamic wireless power transfer systems and proposes a novel system-level mathematical decision model to find the optimal profile for wireless charging infrastructures. We analyze the role of renewable energy integration on DWPT systems and identify the framework, benefits, and challenges in implementing DWPT for EVs. The mathematical model is mixed-integer, multi-period, and linear, minimizing the total system cost while satisfying the systems requirements. The proposed model and the case study analysis in this research determine the near-optimal plan for DWPT infrastructure allocations and pave the road toward a more detailed power grid and renewable energy integration. Our result indicates that renewable energies can significantly decrease the DWPT total system cost, infrastructure requirements and increase the EVs' reliability. Keywords: Dynamic wireless power transfer, Renewable energy integration, Electric vehicles, Power grid planning, Wireless charging allocation, Infrastructure planning, Mixed-integer optimization.
The Influence of Sex on Upper Extremity Joint Dynamics in Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury.

Introduction Manual wheelchair propulsion is a physically demanding task associated with upper extremity pain and pathology. Shoulder pain is reported in over 25% of pediatric manual wheelchairs users, and this number rises over the lifespan. Upper extremity biomechanics in adults has been associated with shoulder pain and pathology; however, few studies have investigated upper extremity joint dynamics in children. Furthermore, sex may be a critical factor that is currently unexplored with regard to pediatric wheelchair mobility. Objectives To investigate differences in upper extremity joint dynamics between pediatric male and female manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) during wheelchair propulsion. Methods Novel instrumented wheelchair hand-rims synchronized with optical motion capture were used to acquire upper extremity joint dynamics of 20 pediatric manual wheelchair users with SCI (11 males, 9 females). Thorax, sternoclavicular, acromioclavicular, glenohumeral, elbow, and wrist joint kinematics and kinetics were calculated during wheelchair propulsion. Linear mixed models were used to assess differences between sexes. Results Females exhibited significantly greater peak forearm pronation (p = .007), normalized wrist lateral force (p = .03), and normalized elbow posterior force (p = .04) than males. Males exhibited significantly greater peak sternoclavicular joint retraction (p .012). Conclusion This study found significant differences in upper extremity joint dynamics between sexes during manual wheelchair propulsion. Our results underscore the importance of considering sex when evaluating pediatric wheelchair mobility and developing comprehensive wheelchair training interventions for early detection and prevention of upper extremity pain and pathology.
Qu’est-ce qu’un citoyen global ? La vision d’une sémiotique cognitive

This article proposes a stratified realistic model as a general and comprehensive framework for a description of the human world experienced, as well as its strata and areas of experience. An attempt will be made to show how a psycho-semiotic study should be directly associated with an eco-semiotic study because the mind is itself shaped by the semiotic world with which it has evolved. Ethics, aesthetics, and critical thinking must now converge, in the light of contemporary threats, to defend the possibility of global and planetary humanity and habitat.
Reduced-form mechanism design and ex post fairness constraints

This paper incorporates fairness constraints into the classic single-unit reduced-form implementation problem (Border in Economet J Econ Soc, 59(4):1175–1187, 1991, Econ Theory 31(1):167–181, 2007; Che et al. in Econometrica 81(6): 2487–2520, 2013; Manelli and Vincent in Econometrica, 78(6):1905–1938, 2010) with two agents. To do so, I use a new approach that utilizes the results from Kellerer (Math Ann 144(4):323–344, 1961) and Gutmann et al. (Ann Prob 19:1781–1797, 1991). Under realistic assumptions on the constraints, the conditions are transparent and can be verified in polynomial time.
Geospatial Variability in Excess Death Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: Examining Socio Demographic, Climate and Population Health Characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined how socio-demographic, climate and population health characteristics shaped the geospatial variability in excess mortality patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. METHODS: We used Serfling regression models to estimate all-cause excess mortality rates for all 32 Mexican states. The association between socio-demographic, climate, health indicators and excess mortality rates were determined using multiple linear regression analyses. Functional data analysis characterized clusters of states with distinct excess mortality growth rate curves. RESULTS: The overall all-cause excess deaths rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico until April 10, 2021 was estimated at 39.66 per 10 000 population. The lowest excess death rates were observed in southeastern states including Chiapas (12.72) and Oaxaca (13.42), whereas Mexico City had the highest rate (106.17), followed by Tlaxcala (51.99). We found a positive association of excess mortality rates with aging index, marginalization index, and average household size (P < 0.001) in the final adjusted model (Model R2=77%). We identified four distinct clusters with qualitatively similar excess mortality curves. CONCLUSION: Central states exhibited the highest excess mortality rates, whereas the distribution of aging index, marginalization index, and average household size explained the variability in excess mortality rates across Mexico.
The Librarian's Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media

The librarian's nitty-gritty guide to social media / , The librarian's nitty-gritty guide to social media / , کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن آوری اطلاعات دانشگاه امام صادق(ع)
Faith and Work

This article briefly describes the Judeo Christian roots of the “faith and work” movement and traces its more modern development through the industrial revolution and early twentieth century political/economic dynamics. Protestant and Catholic religious influences from the late nineteenth century through the present, as well as soul-searching occasioned by 9/11, have helped articulate questions about the meaning of work, the “Sunday–Monday” gap, business as a vocation. Religiously diverse working environments simultaneously encourage reflection on the relationship between faith and work and a concern for respectful caution in discussing the topic in a managerial context. Keywords: faith and work movement; religion and work; Sunday–Monday gap; purpose of work; Gospel values in work
Time since death and decomposition of the human body: variables and observations in case and experimental field studies

Much of the difficulty in determining the time since death stems from the lack of systematic observation and research on the decomposition rate of the human body. Continuing studies conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provide useful information on the impact of carrion insect activity, ambient temperature, rainfall, clothing, burial and depth, carnivores, bodily trauma, body weight, and the surface with which the body is in contact. This paper reports findings and observations accumulated during eight years of research and case studies that may clarify some of the questions concerning bodily decay.
Petriellidium boydii Infection of the Sphenoid Sinus

Petriellidium boydii infection of the sphenoid sinus in a previously healthy woman was initially diagnosed by immunofluorescent staining of biopsy tissue sections. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating P. boydii precipitins in serum and by isolating the infecting fungus. Despite surgical drainage and intensive therapy with miconazole nitrate, the outcome, because of intracranial extension, was fatal.
Occupations, cigarette smoking, and lung cancer in the epidemiological follow-up to the NHANES I and the California Occupational Mortality Study

What jobs are associated with the highest and lowest levels of cigarette use and of lung cancer? Are there gender differences in these jobs? Two data sets-the Epidemiological Follow-up to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHEFS) and the California Occupational Mortality Study (COMS) were analyzed to answer these questions. For females, the broad occupations ranking from highest to lowest cigarette use in the NHEFS was: transportation operators, managers, craft workers, service workers, operatives, laborers, technicians, administrative workers, farm owners and workers, sales workers, no occupation, and professionals. The corresponding ranking for males was: transportation operators, no occupation, laborers, craft workers, service workers, technicians, and professionals. The highest-ranking jobs in the COMS were waitresses, telephone operators, and cosmetologists for women, and water-transportation workers, roofers, foresters and loggers for men. Teachers were especially low on all four lists. This study could not determine whether employment within any occupation encouraged smoking or if smokers selected certain occupations.
Proliferative responses of human intraepithelial lymphocytes to various T-cell stimuli

Abstract Human intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are CD8 + T cells located between intestinal epithelial cells, capable of only minimal proliferation to mitogens but brisk proliferation to mitogens combined with sheep red blood cells. This study examines this differential response of IEL. Both IEL and CD8 + T lymphocytes from the peripheral blood are predominantly CD2 + , CD3 + , CD4 − , CD5 + , CD8 + , and express the αβ subunits of the T-cell receptor. Human IEL express the same densities of the CD2, CD3, and CD8 antigens but a lower density of the CD5 antigen than do peripheral blood CD8 + T cells. The proliferation of IEL is significantly less than that of peripheral blood CD8 + T lymphocytes in response to phytohemagglutinin, to concanavalin A, or to anti-CD3 antibody bound to Sepharose (p + lymphocytes with concanavalin A or the low density of the CD25 antigen with phytohemagglutinin. Both IEL and peripheral blood CD8 + T lymphocytes proliferate minimally in response to alloantigens or to interleukin-2, but briskly in response to stimuli of the CD2 receptor such as the combination of anti-TH 2 and anti-T11 3 antibodies or mitogen and sheep red blood cells. The sheep red blood cells enhance the mitogeninduced response of IEL by augmenting events of activation, both interleukin-2 production and interleukin-2 receptor expression. Thus, IEL represent an unusual compartment of CD2 + , CD3 + T lymphocytes that are activated more completely by stimuli of the CD2 receptor than by stimuli of the CD3 receptor or by T-cell mitogens.
Dominance, access to females, and mating success among coresident male mantled howlers (Alouatta palliata) at La Pacifica, Costa Rica.

The priority-of-access (POA) model posits that high dominance rank increases male mating success by increasing access to fertile females. However, the relationship between rank, access to females, and subsequent mating success is variable in primates, and there are few studies representing Neotropical taxa. The purpose here was to test the parameters of the POA model in an asynchronously breeding Neotropical primate, Alouatta palliata, to contribute to our understanding of the relationship between dominance and reproductive strategies in platyrrhines. I collected data on adult males within two large, multimale-multifemale groups exhibiting clear dominance hierarchies at La Pacifica, Costa Rica. Females were classified as sexually receptive (SR) or potentially cycling (PC) based on behavioral and birth data. Access to mates was measured based on total time in proximity to SR/PC females, and mating success was measured based on copulation frequency. Results did not support the predictions of the POA model in that first-ranked males maintained lower than expected time in proximity to SR females, did not consistently maintain the greatest proportion of time in proximity to PC females, obtained lower than expected copulation rates, and did not obtain the highest copulation rates compared to subordinates in either group. Deviations from the POA model were significantly affected by varying operational sex ratios only when considering the lower numbers of available SR females in one group. Alternative reproductive tactics by subordinate males such as tolerance by first-ranked males appeared to be operating, allowing subordinates to obtain mating success when they would otherwise be unable to do so. The study also highlighted how factors such as operational sex ratio may limit the willingness or ability of dominant males to monopolize access to females, and can vary both within and between groups in a population. Am. J. Primatol. 77:388–400, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Styles of Delivery of Legal Services to the Poor: A Review Article

This article was stimulated by the publication of Toward Equal Justice: A Comparative Study of Legal Aid in Modern Societies, edited by Mauro Cappelletti, James Gordley, and Earl Johnson, Jr. (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, Inc., 1975), a recent and ambitious entry in the debate over alternative methods of delivering legal services to the poor. Brakel, the author of several publications in the field, feels that the portion written by Johnson, presenting the operational and research experience with legal services for the poor in this country, is one-sided and unsatisfactory and maintains that, through the process of critically examining the Johnson portion, it is possible to present a more balanced picture of the legal aid experience in the United States. This is important for the domestic audience as well as for the international readers whom the book seeks to address.
Tropical cyclone event sequence similarity search via dimensionality reduction and metric learning

The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is a comprehensive data and information system which archives, manages, and distributes Earth science data from the EOS spacecrafts. One non-existent capability in the EOSDIS is the retrieval of satellite sensor data based on weather events (such as tropical cyclones) similarity query output. In this paper, we propose a framework to solve the similarity search problem given user-defined instance-level constraints for tropical cyclone events, represented by arbitrary length multidimensional spatio-temporal data sequences. A critical component for such a problem is the similarity/metric function to compare the data sequences. We describe a novel Longest Common Subsequence (LCSS) parameter learning approach driven by nonlinear dimensionality reduction and distance metric learning. Intuitively, arbitrary length multidimensional data sequences are projected into a fixed dimensional manifold for LCSS parameter learning. Similarity search is achieved through consensus among the (similar) instance-level constraints based on ranking orders computed using the LCSS-based similarity measure. Experimental results using a combination of synthetic and real tropical cyclone event data sequences are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of our parameter learning approach and its robustness to variability in the instance constraints. We, then, use a similarity query example on real tropical cyclone event data sequences from 2000 to 2008 to discuss (i) a problem of scientific interest, and (ii) challenges and issues related to the weather event similarity search problem.
FURTHER STUDY OF PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF BRIGHT COLLEGE FRESHMEN

On the Allport-Vernon Lindzey Study of Values bright students tested at Western Washington State College in 1966 and 1967 were lower in economic values and higher in aesthetic values than a local norm group. However, these same bright students responded to the Adjective Check List with lowet scores for defensiveness, self-control, personal adjustment, nurturance, affiliation, and deference but were higher on autonomy and total number of adjectives checked than the local norm group. The bright students appear to be more independent and less well adjusted.
Development of a mercury transformation model in coal combustion flue gas

A bench-scale entrained-flow reactor was used to extract flue gas produced by burning a subbituminous Belle Ayr coal in a 580-MJ/h combustion system. The reactor was operated at 400°, 275°, and 150 °C with a flow rate corresponding to residence times of 0−7 s. Transformations of elemental mercury (Hg0) and total gas mercury (Hggas) in the reactor were evaluated as functions of temperature and residence time. The most significant mercury transformations (Hg0 to Hgp and Hg0 to Hg2+) occurred at 150 °C, while virtually no obvious mercury transformations were observed at 275° and 400 °C. Approximately 30% of total mercury has been oxidized at temperatures higher than 400 °C. A mass transfer-capacity limit model was developed to quantify in-flight mercury sorption on fly ash in flue gas at different temperatures. A more sophisticated model was developed to demonstrate not only the temperature and residence time effects but also to consider the effective surface area of fly ash and dependence of mercury vapor c...
Regenerating motor neurons express Nna1, a novel ATP/GTP-binding protein related to zinc carboxypeptidases.

To identify genes involved in axon regeneration, differential screening was applied to RNA isolated from spinal cord of mice subjected to sciatic nerve transection or crush injury. A 4-kb transcript, termed nna1, was identified that was rapidly induced in affected motor neurons in both paradigms. The levels of nna1 transcript levels declined in motor neurons within 1-2 weeks after nerve crush, coincident with target reinnervation. If reinnervation was blocked by nerve cut and ligation, nna1 was continuously expressed in motor neurons. In addition, in situ analysis of developing embryonic nervous tissue showed nna1 was highly expressed in differentiating neurons, but not proliferating populations. Nna1 is predicted to be a zinc carboxypeptidase that contains nuclear localization signals and an ATP/GTP binding motif. Cultured neurons transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-nna1 expressed GFP-Nna1 in cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. Thus, Nna1 may contribute to nuclear signaling events in differentiating and regenerating neurons.
Photopenic defects in marrow-containing skeleton on indium-111 leucocyte scintigraphy: prevalence at sites suspected of osteomyelitis and as an incidental finding.

The skeletal distribution of red marrow-containing sites with a decreased uptake of indium-111-labelled leucocytes was examined as part of a retrospective review of 128 consecutive scans in 113 patients. The prevalence of photopenic defects was determined for sites of suspected osteomyelitis and for other skeletal locations included as part of limited or total-body surveys. Of 52 sites suspected of osteomyelitis based upon radiological and clinical data, 21 (40%) demonstrated a decreased leucocyte uptake. The prevalence of photopenia ranged from 79% (11/14) in the spine and 63% (5/8) in the pelvis to 25% (4/16) in the proximal femur and 0% elsewhere in the extremities (0/9) and in the skull (0/3). Fourteen of these 21 defects (67%) were due to active (n=9) or healed (n = 5) osteomyelitis/discitis. All sites of active osteomyelitis showed destructive changes on correlative radiographs and were associated with infectious processes of more than 1 months duration. Thirty-seven photopenic defects were observed as incidental findings. The prevalence of photopenia as an incidental finding ranged from 0% in the skull, neck and chest to 3%–4% in the thoracolumbar spine and pelvis and 14% in the femoral heads, the latter reflecting primarily bilateral loss of femoral head marrow. No incidentally found photopenic defect reflected active osteomyelitis. At sites in the spine and pelvis with radiologic evidence of bone destruction suggetive of osteomyelitis, an absence of normal red marrow uptake of labelled leucocytes often reflects a variant presentation for active chronic infection. In contrast, incidental photopenia is uncommon at all skeletal sites except the femoral heads, and should not raise concern over unsuspected active osteomyelitis.
Time-course and regional distribution of the metabolic effects of bromocriptine in the rat brain.

Abstract Local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) and motor behavior were examined in awake Fischer-344 rats after administration of the dopaminergic agonist bromocriptine (BROMO). LCGU was measured using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose technique in 63 brain regions at 1,2,3 or 4 h after BROMO 20 mg/kg, and at 4 h after BROMO 100 mg/kg i.p. At 2 h, LCGU was reduced significantly in 13% of the 63 regions examined. The affected regions are related to the topographical distribution of dopaminergic innervation in the brain. At 3–4 h, LCGU remained depressed in some of the above dopaminergic regions, but was elevated significantly in regions which are involved in sensorimotor function. BROMO also produced two behavioral effects depending on time after administration. Locomotor activity was depressed at 1–2 h, and stereotyped behavior appeared at 3–4 h. The time-dependent effects of BROMO may reflect progressively increasing brain concentrations of the drug or of its active metabolites. The coincidence of locomotor depression and reduction of LCGU in dopaminergic regions suggests a role of dopamine autoreceptors in regulation of motor function. Metabolic stimulation of many non-dopaminergic regions when stereotypy is evident suggests that circuit(s) involving these areas may contribute to stereotypy.
Dispersion and wave-function symmetry in cold atoms experiencing artificial gauge fields

We analyze the single-particle quantum mechanics of an atom whose dispersion is modified by spin-orbit coupling to Raman lasers. Such a setup can create a double-well-shaped dispersion, which leads to unusual single-particle physics. We show how this dispersion influences the symmetry of the ground-state wave function in different physical-space potentials, including a square well, a harmonic well, and a double well.
Next Generation Automatic Test System (NGATS) Update

The next generation automatic test system (NGATS) is the latest addition to the Integrated family of test equipment (IFTE) developed and managed by product manager, test, measurement and diagnostic equipment (PM TMDE). This is Version 6 of what is commonly known as the Base Shop Test Facility series of systems developed by the off platform, automatic test system program. NGATS is a reconfigurable, general-purpose, mobile, deployable, automatic test system designed to provide sustainment support to all Army weapon systems. This flexible testing platform will finally standardize and reduce the quantity of the Army's ATE systems to one modern tester and improve weapon system availability. It will allow for a decrease in logistical support requirements for ATE systems and the supported weapons systems and increase the mobility, deployability, affordability and supportability, of automated test equipment. NGATS assures compliance with Joint NxTest architecture and will support the agile rapid global combat support (ARGCS) advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD) by using a common framework for DOD automatic test systems (ATS). Incremental deployment of this system will ultimately modernize and replace three existing test platforms, DSESTS, BSTF (V) 3, and BSTF (V) 5. NGATS will not only support the weapons systems currently fielded but will also support additional weapons systems as they are developed and fielded in the future. The NGATS will initially take advantage of the existing Test Program Sets for legacy weapons systems however new systems and those legacy systems that will remain in the Army inventory will have TPSs designed to take full advantage of the modern NGATS technology. Increment 1 replaces DSESTS and supports the weapons systems in the heavy brigade combat team (HBCT). The TPSs for Abrams, Bradley and other systems will be rehosted to NGATS with significant improvements. Increment 2 replaces BSTF (V) 3 and supports the MLRS, Avenger, Paladin, TOW, SINCGARS, Kiowa Warrior, Ground Based Sensor, G/VLLD, and M1A1 (SRUs) systems. Increment 3 replaces BSTF (V) 5 and supports the Kiowa Warrior and Apache. There has been increased interest in utilizing the IFTE NGATS as an Army organic sustainment support platform. Other systems that are candidates for support are KNIGHT, LLDR, STRYKER, FCS, Firefinder, LOSAT, NLOS, HIMARS, Land Warrior, SHORADS, TAD, and CROWS.
Density of states in two A-15 materials

New data are presented and analyzed, along with previous data in a refinement of an earlier method of obtaining the density of states from measurements of the slope of the critical field at T/sub c/ and rho/sub 0/. For Nb/sub 3/Sn the data are consistent with the idea that T/sub c/ is a function mainly of N (O). For Nb/sub 3/Ge the data do not indicate such a simple behavior, and a discussion is given of this discrepancy in terms of anomalies in the sample properties.
Psychometric characteristics of an instrument for measuring creative potential in preschool children

The purpose of this study was to provide psychometric data on the Multidimensional Stimulus Fluency Measure (MSFM). The MSFM is an instrument that uses ideational fluency tasks to measure creative potential in preschool children. Although the MSFM has been used in several studies, construct validity of the final form and a shortened form has not been demonstrated previously, and no scoring protocols have been available. This study investigated the construct validity of both forms based on the criteria of a creativity/intelligence distinction, intertask correlations higher than correlations to measures of IQ, the relationship of quantity of responses to their quality, and the existence of a response hierarchy such that popular responses occur early and original responses later in the sequence. In addition, scoring protocols were evaluated and shown to have high interscorer reliability.
Molecular dynamics of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(propylene glycol) copolymer networks by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

The dynamic relaxation properties of amorphous rubbery networks prepared by the UV photopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate [PEGDA] and poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate [PPGDA] cross-linkers have been investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Effective cross-link density in the networks was controlled by copolymerization of the diacrylate cross-linkers with monofunctional acrylates of similar chemical composition. For all of the networks examined, three motional transitions were detected with increasing temperature, including an intermediate “fast” relaxation located between the typical sub-glass and glass−rubber processes and corresponding to a subset of constrained segmental motions that were more local and less cooperative in nature as compared to those associated with the glass transition. The properties of the intermediate relaxation were sensitive to the degree of constraint imposed by the cross-link junctions: the dielectric intensity of the fast process decreased with ...
Quantitative nanomechanical characterization of the van der Waals interfaces between carbon nanotubes and epoxy

Interfacial interactions between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polymer matrices play a critical role in the bulk mechanical performance of CNT-reinforced polymer nanocomposites, but their mechanisms remain elusive after over a decade of research. Here we present an in situ electron microscopy nanomechanical study of the non-covalent van der Waals interfaces between individual CNTs and epoxy resins in conjunction with atomistic simulations. By pulling out individual double-walled CNTs from Epon 828 films inside a high resolution electron microscope, the nanomechanical measurements capture the shear lag effect on CNT–epoxy interfaces. The maximum pull-out load of CNT–epoxy interfaces is found to be about 44% higher than the recently reported value for CNT–poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) interfaces that were characterized using the same experimental technique and the same batch of dispersed CNTs. The higher interfacial strength of CNT–epoxy interfaces is partially attributed to the forced molecular deformations of aromatic rings in epoxy chains in the vicinity of the binding interface, which is supported by molecular dynamics simulations of the CNT–polymer interfacial interactions. The research findings contribute to a better understanding of the local load transfer on the tube–polymer interface and the tube’s reinforcing mechanism, and ultimately the optimal design and performance of nanotube-reinforced polymer nanocomposites.
The coupled effects of personalized occupancy profile based HVAC schedules and room reassignment on building energy use

Abstract Buildings account for nearly 38% of the total energy use in the U.S., and 46% of this use is associated with commercial buildings. More than 40% of the energy in commercial buildings is consumed by HVAC systems, which provide heating, cooling and ventilation to individual zones to maintain comfortable and healthy indoor environments. A more refined control strategy based on actual occupancy might improve HVAC system related energy efficiency. Accurate occupancy profiles are important to determine actual energy demands and corresponding control schedules. This paper focuses on energy efficiency in office buildings with centrally controlled VAV systems by setting zone-level HVAC start/stop schedules using personalized occupancy profiles, which represent occupants’ long-term presence patterns. Evaluation of the method was performed using a simulation model, calibrated by the actual energy use data of an office test bed building. Up to 9% of the energy was saved when personalized occupancy profile based HVAC schedules were used. However, if occupants of a zone have different occupancy patterns, the aggregated patterns may hinder any potential efficiency that might be realized from zone-level HVAC start/stop schedules. This paper also presents an approach for reassigning rooms to unify the start/stop times at the zone level by placing occupants with similar profiles in the same mechanical zones. When room reassignment was implemented and coupled with profile based control schedule, HVAC energy use was reduced by another 8%. The proposed methods could provide reliable personalized HVAC control for small-size office buildings without advanced building automation systems, nevertheless, they could also be extended to buildings with packaged HVAC systems and individual air-conditioning systems.
An Automatic Algorithm for Evaluating the Precision of Iris Segmentation

Recent developments in the field of nonideal iris recognition have shown that the presence of the degradations such as insufficient contrast, unbalanced illumination, out-of-focus, motion blur, specular reflections, and partial area affect performance of iris recognition systems. Most iris recognition systems are designed to implement a number of processing steps with iris segmentation being one of the first steps. If segmentation is not performed at a certain precision, the error of segmentation will further propagate and will be amplified during the proceeding processing, encoding, and matching steps. This emphasizes a critical need in designing robust iris segmentation algorithms and together with it a need of automatic algorithms evaluating the precision (accuracy) of iris segmentation. Automatic algorithm evaluating the precision of segmentation plays important role for two reasons: (1) it can be placed into a feedback loop to enforce another run of segmentation algorithm that may include more sophisticated steps for high precision segmentation and (2) the outcome of this evaluation can be treated as a quality factor and thus can be used to design a quality driven adaptive iris recognition system. This work analyzes effects of degradations on iris segmentation and proposes and tests an automatic algorithm evaluating the precision of iris segmentation.
Traffic viscosity due to speed variation: Modeling and implications

The analogy of traffic flow to water flow has been well known. But some essential differences exist, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity, and the extent to which conservation law holds. Not surprisingly, this is due to different manners in which water particles and vehicles move and interact. In this study, we investigate and model the viscous behavior exhibited by traffic flow. We attribute the viscous effect of traffic flow to drivers' heterogeneity in terms of their preferred driving speeds. A model incorporating the diffusion effect is developed based on the idea of characteristic curve. In particular, the governing equation of the traveling platoon is explicitly derived from this model. In accordance with our postulation, the derived equation includes one viscosity term. The proposed model is best suited for the analysis of the local fine structure of traffic flow which is conventionally represented as a shock.
Urban search and rescue robot performance standards: progress update

In this paper, we describe work in performance standards for urban search and rescue (USAR) robots, begun in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security. This program is being coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and will result in consensus standards developed through ASTM International, under the Operational Equipment Subcommittee of their Homeland Security Committee. A comprehensive approach to performance requirements and standards development is being used in this project. Formal test methods designed by several working groups in the standards task group are validated by the stakeholders. These tests are complemented by regular exercises in which responders and robot manufacturers work together to apply robots within realistic training scenarios. This paper recaps the most recent exercise, held at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Maryland Task Force 1 training facility, at which over twenty different robots were operated by responders from various FEMA Task Forces. The exercise included candidate standard test methods being developed for requirements in the areas of communications, mobility, sensors, and human-system interaction for USAR robots.
A fast algorithm for Monte Carlo simulations of multiple Coulomb scattering

Abstract We present a new algorithm to include the effects of multiple Coulomb scattering in the Monte Carlo simulation of the transport of fast charged particles through the constituents of an experimental apparatus. This algorithm is an approximation to the analytic description of multiple scattering by Moliere and others, which provides proper treatment of large angles (beyond the region of validity for the small angle approximation) and allows the fast generation of random scattering angles as needed for Monte Carlo simulations.
An ontology for software engineering teaching modules

The World Wide Web is increasingly being used to allow both educators and learners to more easily locate desired information, as well as to support integration of related materials from different sources. This paper reports on an ontology constructed for the Network Community for Software Engineering Education (SWENET) and represents a teaching perspective on software engineering material. The addition of semantic mark up to teaching modules based on the SWENET ontology would allow instructors and learners to access material in the manner that best fits their educational needs, increase reuse of teaching materials and support integration with existing learning objects.
Transforming thyself: Serials agents in a digital world

Purpose – This article discusses the impact of electronic resources on the suite of services provided by serials agents. Design/methodology/approach – The article describes the changing needs of academic libraries in this new environment, and the ways in which serials agents can repurpose themselves to remain a corner‐stone of serials management. A white paper by R2 Consulting is referenced for its insights into the expectations and requirements of academic libraries. Brief statements by two Otto Harrassowitz executives are included. Findings – If agents are to take on these new responsibilities for e‐journals, libraries must expect to pay something beyond typical service fees. Many cash‐strapped libraries will find it difficult to pay higher fees to agents than they do presently, even for services that could save hundreds of hours per year in staff time. Consortia‐purchased collections and the proclivities of a handful of large publishers aside, it will no doubt become necessary for libraries to entrust all subscriptions to agents as the majority of subscriptions maintained by libraries migrate from print to electronic. Originality/value – Outlines a role for serials agents in the new digital information world.
The “bucking bronco” motor as a nonlinear oscillator

The “bucking bronco” motor is a “relaxation oscillator.” It is part of a nonlinear system, and investigation of it gives insight into many problems in the nonlinear analysis of both electric and mechanical systems. The “bronco” is described from a physical viewpoint, through differential equations, in terms of an equivalent circuit and from an analog computer study.