cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emotional and Somatic Distress in Eastern North Carolina: Help-Seeking Behaviors

Socio-demographic and cultural factors have been reported to shape help-seeking behavior. However, not much effort has been made to determine the effects of these factors on help-seeking among rural populations. A telephone survey using random-digit dialing was used to explore socio-demographic characteristics and ethnic differences in the types of professionals sought for unexplained somatic and emotional problems (N = 1161) in rural eastern North Carolina. Ethnic differences in comfort with participating in support groups were also examined. The effect of a large natural disaster, Hurricane Floyd and subsequent flooding, on help-seeking choices and comfort with support groups was also assessed. Results showed that the rural population makes a sharp distinction between somatic symptoms and stress-related symptoms. This distinction seemed more pronounced for European-Americans than for African-Americans. In general African-Americans selected help-seeking from clergy more often than European-Americans, although for unexplained somatic symptoms this difference was fostered by Hurricane Floyd with its flooding. African-Americans showed markedly increased comfort with support groups after the hurricane, while European-Americans showed no changes in comfort with support groups as a function of the hurricane. The effects of Hurricane Floyd on African-Americans are interpreted as reflecting an increased salience of community support for African-Americans, significantly through the Baptist Church. Training of clergy should include recognition of stress-related somatic and emotional symptoms and the potential for an important referral role, especially following disasters.
Quantum-dot cellular automaton of asynchronous Null Convention Logic multiplier design

A multiplier is one of the basic building blocks of digital systems. Transistor based implementations, face many limitations due to heat dissipation, high power consumption and current leakage. Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA), an emerging nanotechnology, is a better alternative that soles these problems. However, QCA circuit timing relies on its layout; but this can be solved by utilizing the asynchronous NULL Convention Logic (NCL) design methodology. This paper presents the design f a QCA asynchronous multiplier circuit. Simulations verify the performance of the designed multiplier.
THOMAS AND BARTH IN CONVERGENCE ON ROMANS 1

This article summarizes research on the natural knowledge of God and the construal of sacred doctrine in question one of the Summa Theologiae and chapter 1 of Thomas's Romans commentary, with a comparison to Karl Barth. It takes as its challenge and motivation to uncover some of the affinities (indeed, to create a convergence) between Karl Barth and Thomas Aquinas just where both modern Barthians and modern Thomists would have thought convergence least likely: on the natural knowledge of God. It seeks to do so on the basis of their reading of Romans 1:20 in Barth's Shorter Commenta and Thomas's Super epistolam S. Pauli ad Romanos? where each of them ends up saying surprising things about the natural knowledge of God under the pressure of following Paul. Part II of the article simply asserts the reading of Thomas on Romans and takes theologian's licence to do so in theses defended elsewhere. Part III makes the comparison of the two commentaries (Barth's and Thomas's), arguing a convergence, and it too concludes in theses. Some readers may find the procedure circular. If so, I can only hope the circle is attractive enough to make them curious enough to seek more information. Part of what I hope to do is provide a reading of Thomas's theological procedure that resembles in a smaller way Barth's account of Anselm's.
Relativistic many-body calculations of electric-dipole lifetimes, transition rates and oscillator strengths for 2l−13l′ states in Ne-like ions

Transition rates, oscillator strengths and line strengths are calculated for electric-dipole (E1) transitions between odd-parity 2s22p53s, 2s22p53d and 2s2p63p states and even-parity 2s22p53p, 2s2p63s and 2s2p63d states in Ne-like ions with the nuclear charges ranging from Z = 14 to 100. Relativistic many-body perturbation theory (RMBPT), including the Breit interaction, is used to evaluate retarded E1 matrix elements in length and velocity forms. The calculations start from a 1s22s22p6 Dirac–Fock potential. First-order RMBPT is used to obtain intermediate coupling coefficients and second-order RMBPT is used to calculate transition matrix elements. Contributions from negative-energy states are included in the second-order E1 matrix elements to ensure the gauge independence of transition amplitudes. Transition energies used in the calculation of oscillator strengths and transition rates are from second-order RMBPT. Lifetimes of the 16 even-parity and 18 odd-parity levels are given for Z = 14–100. Transition rates, line strengths and oscillator strengths are compared with critically evaluated experimental values and with results from other recent calculations. These atomic data are important in the modelling of L-shell radiation spectra of heavy ions generated in electron beam ion trap experiments and in L-shell diagnostics of plasmas.
Facile processing of clays into organically-modified aerogels

A facile process for the conversion of clay powders to organically modified clay aerogels (OMCAs) is reported. The resultant clay aerogels are of potential interest for a variety of applications, by themselves, or as a component in composite materials. Freeze-drying aqueous clay-surfactant solutions isolates these highly organized materials. Robust OMCAs are formed from clay-surfactant compositions that initially produce stable surfactant modified clay-water suspensions. Characterization of the OMCA by FTIR, WAXD, and TGA confirms the retention of surfactant after freeze-drying, while SEM and porosimetry data show a structural reorganization of clay sheet bundles. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
A full CI treatment of Ne atom - a benchmark calculation performed on the NAS CRAY 2

Full CI calculations are performed for Ne atom using Gaussian basis sets of up to triple-zeta plus double polarization quality. The total valence correlation energy through double, triple, quadruple and octuple excitations is compared for eight different basis sets. These results are expected to be an important benchmark for calibrating methods for estimating the importance of higher excitations.
Induction of circular episomes during rescue and replication of adeno-associated virus in experimental models of virus latency.

The synthesis of linear duplex replicative structures (monomers, head-to-head, and tail-to-tail dimers) is an important hallmark of the productive phase of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) life cycle. These structures are generated by a strand-displacement replication mechanism and believed to be a reservoir for single-stranded DNA genomes. During the course of studies with recombinant versions of AAV (rAAV), we discovered the assembly of circular duplex provirus derivatives in latently infected cell lines under conditions permissive for replication (i.e., helper virus dependent). These novel structures were cloned by bacterial trapping revealing a markedly homogeneous structure that included a single copy of the rAAV genome joined head-to-tail about the inverted terminal repeats (ITR). Restriction and sequence analysis of the point of circularization revealed a so-called "TRT" domain, consisting of a single ITR hairpin palindrome flanked by 5' and 3' D sequence elements. The circular conformation was additionally characterized by Southern blotting and confirmed by purification on an ethidium bromide-CsCl gradient where the buoyant density was consistent with circular supercoiled DNA. These findings suggest that AAV replication is accompanied by the assembly of circular duplex structures.
Near-stream landuse effects on streamwater nutrient distribution in an urbanizing watershed

: We investigated spatial and temporal relationships among surface and subsurface watershed attributes and stream nutrient concentrations in urbanizing Johnson Creek watershed in northern Oregon. We sampled stream water at eight urban and five nonurban locations from March 1998 through December 1999. We sampled eight wells distributed over the two primary aquifers in the watershed. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), percentages of landuse attributes within a radius of 30, 91, and 152 m from each sample site were quantified. We analyzed relationships between (1) nutrient concentrations and percentage cover of different landuse attributes, and (2) nutrient concentrations and underlying hydrologic units. We did not find a significant relationship between ground water chemistry and stream water chemistry. We found elevated levels of phosphorus (P) concentrations correlated with urban landuse, while higher nitrogen (N) concentrations were correlated with nonurban (primarily agricultural) landuse. We concluded that elevated levels of N in nonurban areas of Johnson Creek watershed were associated with agricultural practices. We further concluded that urban development factors such as increases in storm drains, dry wells, and impermeable surfaces may be responsible for higher input of P to the stream in urbanizing areas of the Johnson Creek watershed.
Genetic susceptibility to food allergy is linked to differential TH2-TH1 responses in C3H/HeJ and BALB/c mice

Abstract Background: Although food allergy is a serious health problem in westernized countries, factors influencing the development of food allergy are largely unknown. Appropriate murine models of food allergy would be useful in understanding the mechanisms underlying food allergy in human subjects. Objective: We sought to determine the susceptibility of different strains of mice to food hypersensitivity. Methods: C3H/HeJ and BALB/c mice were sensitized to cow's milk (CM) or peanut by means of intragastric administration, with cholera toxin as a mucosal adjuvant. Mice were then challenged with CM or peanut. Antigen-specific IgE levels, anaphylactic symptoms, plasma histamine levels, and splenocyte cytokine profiles of these 2 strains were compared. Results: CM-specific IgE levels were significantly increased only in the C3H/HeJ strain, 87% of which exhibited systemic anaphylactic reactions accompanied by significantly increased plasma histamine levels in response to challenge. BALB/c mice exhibited no significant CM-specific IgE response, increased plasma histamine levels, or anaphylactic symptoms. After peanut challenge, 100% of peanut-sensitized C3H/HeJ mice exhibited high levels of peanut-specific IgE and anaphylactic symptoms. In contrast, no hypersensitivity reactions were detected in BALB/c mice, despite the presence of significant serum peanut-specific IgE levels. Splenocytes from CM- and peanut-sensitized C3H/HeJ mice exhibited significantly increased IL-4 and IL-10 secretion, whereas splenocytes from BALB/c mice exhibited significantly increased IFN-γ secretion. Conclusion: Induction of food-induced hypersensitivity reactions in mice is strain dependent, with C3H/HeJ mice being susceptible and BALB/c mice being resistant. This strain-dependent susceptibility to food allergy is associated with differential T H 2-T H 1 responses after intragastric food allergen sensitization. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:1122-8.)
Effect of cheddar cheese consumption on plasma conjugated linoleic acid concentrations in men

Abstract Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid with conjugated double bonds. Conjugated linoleic acid has anticarcinogenic properties and has been identified in human biological fluids and adipose tissue. The origin of CLA in humans is not known, but diet may be contributory. A variety of cheeses, including Cheddar, are good sources of CLA. To investigate the effect of Cheddar cheese consumption (112 g/day) on plasma phospholipid-esterified CLA concentrations, nine healthy men were studied. Cheddar cheese was added to their daily diets for four weeks. Three-day diet records and fasting blood samples were obtained. Protein and total fat intakes increased significantly during dietary intervention. Plasma CLA was significantly higher following Cheddar cheese feeding, exceeding by 19–27% the concentrations observed initially and following intervention. The molar ratio of CLA to linoleic acid also increased significantly following dietary intervention. Plasma concentrations of linoleic and arachidonic acids, cholesterol and phospholipids were not affected by cheese feeding. Since CLA may represent a protective factor against cancer, further study identifying dietary sources and the health benefits of CLA are warranted.
Using GPUs to compute large out-of-card FFTs

The optimization of Fast Fourier Transfer (FFT) problems that can fit into GPU memory has been studied extensively. Such on-card FFT libraries like CUFFT can generally achieve much better performance than their counterparts on a CPU, as the data transfer between CPU and GPU is usually not counted in their performance. This high performance, however, is limited by the GPU memory size. When the FFT problem size increases, the data transfer between system and GPU memory can comprise a substantial part of the overall execution time. Therefore, optimizations for FFT problems that outgrow the GPU memory can not bypass the tuning of data transfer between CPU and GPU. However, no prior study has attacked this problem. This paper is the first effort of using GPUs to efficiently compute large FFTs in the CPU memory of a single compute node.In this paper, the performance of the PCI bus during the transfer of a batch of FFT subarrays is studied and a blocked buffer algorithm is proposed to improve the effective bandwidth. More importantly, several FFT decomposition algorithms are proposed so as to increase the data locality, further improve the PCI bus efficiency and balance computation between kernels. By integrating the above two methods, we demonstrate an out-of-card FFT optimization strategy and develop an FFT library that efficiently computes large 1D, 2D and 3D FFTs that can not fit into the GPU's memory. On three of the latest GPUs, our large FFT library achieves much better double precision performance than two of the most efficient CPU based libraries, FFTW and Intel MKL. On average, our large FFTs on a single GeForce GTX480 are 46% faster than FFTW and 57% faster than MKL with multiple threads running on a four-core Intel i7 CPU. The speedup on a Tesla C2070 is 1.93x and 2.11x over FFTW and MKL. A peak performance of 21GFLOPS is achieved for a 2D FFT of size 2048x65536 on C2070 with double precision.
Shape resonance phenomena in CO following K-shell photoexcitation

Electron cross sections and asymmetries following photoexcitation of the CO K shells were measured directly. Energy analysis of ejected electrons yielded cross sections exhibiting sigma shape resonances in the C(1s), C(KVV), and O(1s) channels, and a ..pi.. resonance in the C(KVV) channel, confirming earlier indirect measurements. Asymmetry measurements showed a sigma shape resonance in the C(1s) channel, in good agreement with the predictions of Dehmer and Dill. The C(KVV) ..pi.. resonance showed nearly isotropic behavior.
Two interacting particles in the Harper model.

The dynamics of two particles with a short-range repulsive or attractive interaction is studied numerically in the Harper model. It is shown that an interaction leads to the appearance of localized states and a pure-point spectrum component in the case when the noninteractive system is quasidiffusive or ballistic. In the localized phase an interaction gives only a stronger localization contrary to the case of two interacting particles in a random potential.
Aging and the impact of distraction on an intersection crossing assist system

It is known that distraction reduces the benefits of collision avoidance systems by slowing a driver's response. The current study examined the impact of a drivers' use of an in-vehicle intersection crossing assist system under demanding cognitive load conditions. Forty eight drivers crossed a busy rural intersection in a simulated environment while completing four blocks of trials, in half of which they used the assist system and engaged in a working memory task. Participants were dichotomized into older and younger age groups. The results showed a tendency towards conservative driving in a single-task condition when only using the assist system. A similar shift in driving style was observed when drivers crossed the intersection while engaged in a secondary task. Using the in-vehicle intersection crossing assist system under cognitively demanding conditions did not result in adverse consequences-the impact of distraction was different compared to a typical collision avoidance system. Older drivers showed some evidence of more conservative intersection crossing, however they also appeared to rely more on the in-vehicle assist system when presented with an extraneous additional task. Keywords: Driver distraction; Language: en
Differences between unmixed and mixed transfer designs as a function of paradigm

This study compares the transfer effects in paired-associate learning obtained with unmixed and mixed designs. In an unmixed design all pairs in the successive lists conform to the same paradigm; in a mixed design the paradigm varies for different subgroups of items. An earlier study by Twedt and Underwood (1959) had shown that the two designs yield equivalent results when all the conditions of transfer included in the designs are negative. The present experiment extends the comparison between the two designs to a situation in which a condition of positive transfer (A-B, A-B′) is present along with conditions of negative transfer. All S s learned two successive lists of 12 paired adjectives. Four paradigms of transfer were used: A-B, A-C; A-B, C-B; A-B, A-B′; C-D (control). There was a separate group for each paradigm under the unmixed condition, and four groups in the mixed condition such that each subset of 3/12 items was used equally often under each paradigm. All groups learned the same second list, with the conditions of transfer manipulated by appropriate variations of the second list. The unmixed design resulted in better performance on the transfer trials for all paradigms except C-D. The differences between the two conditions of testing, while consistent, were small. The separation between the two designs appears to be due largely to interference during mixed-list learning produced by attempts to apply multiple rules differentially to different subgroups of items.
Atrial natriuretic peptide gene transfer by means of intranasal administration attenuates airway reactivity in a mouse model of allergic sensitization

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a bronchodilator; however, the short half-life of ANP in vivo limited its therapeutic utility to treat asthma. The efficacy of intranasally administered plasmid DNA-expressing ANP (pANP; amino acid 99-126; Acc. No. XM131840) on the prevention of allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was examined in this study by using a mouse model of asthma. Ovalbumin-sensitized mice were treated with pANP versus control plasmids, and AHR was monitored after ovalbumin challenge for 5 weeks on 10-day intervals starting 4 days after gene transfer. Mice administered pANP demonstrated significantly less AHR for 20 days after treatment. The results demonstrate that pANP gene transfer protects against AHR and might be useful in the treatment of asthma.
A fundamental study of Pt tetraammine impregnation of silica: 1. The electrostatic nature of platinum adsorption

Abstract The adsorption of Pt(NH 3 ) 4 +2 onto five different amorphous silicas (fumed and precipitated) was studied as a function of pH and concentration of platinum in solution. The ability of silica to protonate and deprotonate as a function of pH leads to an electrostatic attraction of the +2 platinum cation in the basic pH range, where the silica surface is negatively charged. Adjusting for the differences in surface area of the various silicas, and since all have about the same point of zero charge (PZC), the adsorption behavior is similar for all materials. Platinum uptake as functions of pH and metal concentration is reasonably simulated by the revised physical adsorption (RPA) model using the same set of independently measured parameters for all five silicas. This is the same model that has been previously employed to describe the adsorption of anionic Pt chloride complexes over alumina in the acidic pH range [Chem. Eng. Sci. 56 (2002) 3491]. The proton balance included in the model also accounts for shifts in pH, which are virtually the same with and without metal in solution. Because of this, and because the maximum extent of Pt adsorption appears to have a steric limit and is much less than that predicted by an “ion-exchange” mechanism, we believe that “electrostatic adsorption” is a more precise description of the adsorption mechanism. In a second paper among other issues we show that platinum complexes adsorbed onto silica at the optimal pH of about 10 remain 100% dispersed after reduction.
The Regular Education Initiative What Do Three Groups of Education Professionals Think

This study was conducted to examine education professionals' attitudes toward the Regular Education Initiative (REI). The REI is a proposed reform movement designed to restructure general, compensatory, and special education service delivery systems. A six-page survey was mailed to 1200 educators (400 general education teachers, 400 special education teachers, and 400 building principals) in the state of Michigan. This survey assessed educators' agreement with REI goals and acceptance of proposed methods for impiementing the initiative. In addition, respondents noted their technical assistance needs in carrying out the reform agenda and cited specific factors that they believed impeded or promoted the movement in their own school systems. Of a possible 1,177 scorable questionnaires, 605 were returned, yielding a 51% response rate. Results indicated general agreement with the majority of REI goals and procedures. Some significant differences emerged, however, among the three groups of respondents on specif...
Balancing Needs, Efficiency, and Functionality in the Provision of Modeling Software: A Perspective of the NIH WinSAAM Project

The development of new software or the refinement of existing software for new operating environments each calls for judicious balancing. On the one hand, we strive for simplicity, predictability, and operational protection as it is well recognized that software with these attributes will attract an audience of satisfied users. But, on the other hand, these attributes do not conjure a sense of power, efficiency, or flexibility, and these other properties are also appreciated by users, albeit a somewhat different group of users. The goal is to achieve a blend which isolates critical functionality, flexible control, and user support while meeting the needs of the broadest collection of serious users. In this chapter, we discuss the issues impacting the migration of SAAM to the Windows environment, the NIH WinSAAM Project, and we outline the steps taken to ensure its feasibility. In addition, we describe a new paradigm for software development and use which ensures the durability of the software for modeling.
Aliasing and noise in core-surface flow inversions

SUMMARY The potential pitfall that core flow inversions may be aliased as a result of model underparametrization is considered. Synthetic tests involving randomly generated flows with differing energy spectra have been used to explore this problem. If underparametrizing neglects terms comparable to the largest of those already modelled, only a poor representation (not an average in space or time) of the actual flow that generated the data is obtained. It is found that the key aspects of the flow that determine whether an underparametrized inversion of the field produced by that flow will be successful are its temporal and spatial energy spectra: when the spectra fall off as (degree)−2, or faster, underparametrized inversions yield accurate results, but if the decrease is slower, the spatial and/or temporal aliasing is severe enough to corrupt the solution at all degrees. Damping does not appear 10 remedy this difficulty but in fact obscures it by forcing the flow to converge upon a single, but possibly still aliased, solution. Guided by this analysis, the ‘ufm1’ radial field model of Bloxham & Jackson (1992) was inverted for core-surface flows between 1970 and 1990. Parametrizing the flow as steady in time leads to solutions that are highly sensitive to the model truncation level. It appears that temporal (but not spatial) underparametrization and the aliasing this induces is to blame. Relaxing the steady-motion constraint produces estimates displaying convergence in the temporal domain and greatly reduces sensitivity to spatial truncation level. The core flow shows significant temporal variation, even over an interval as short as 20 years. The resulting energy spectra, however, are still too flat to be those of the true flow without incurring severe spatial aliasing that is not observed. It appears that noise in the high-degree secular variation (SV) is responsible. Damping is effective in removing most of this noise, but only because aliasing is no longer a factor and noise is restricted to that part of the SV signal which makes only a small contribution to the flow solution. Finally, tests with synthetic fields, generated by known flows and perturbed with noise, reveal that the level of real noise present in the high-degree SV may be as much as 102 times larger than the ufm1 SV convariance estimates indicate.
A Self-Contained Large-Scale FPAA Development Platform

Analog circuits and systems research and education can significantly benefit from the computational flexibility provided by large-scale FPAAs. The component density of these devices is sufficient to synthesize large systems in a short period of time. However, this level of reconfigurable and programmable complexity requires a development platform and CAD tools to demonstrate the capabilities of large-scale FPAAs before they can be widely accepted. To address this need, a self-contained FPAA setup has been developed along with an integrated software design flow. With only an Ethernet connection and an AC power outlet, a researcher or student can explore the numerous analog circuit possibilities provided by large-scale FPAAs.
Hypoxic constriction and reactive oxygen species in porcine distal pulmonary arteries.

To determine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an essential role in hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) and the cellular locus of ROS production and action during HPV, we measured int...
Age-differentiated minimum wages in developing countries

Abstract The fact that minimum wages seem especially binding for young workers has led some countries to adopt age-differentiated minimum wages. We develop a dynamic competitive two-sector labor market model where workers with heterogeneous initial skills gain productivity through experience. We compare two equally binding schemes of single and age-differentiated minimum wages, and find that although differentiated minimum wages result in a more equal distribution of income, such a scheme creates a more unequal distribution of wealth by forcing less skilled workers to remain longer in the uncovered sector. We also show that relaxing minimum wage solely for young workers reduces youth unemployment but harms the less skilled ones.
Interaction Between Childhood Temperament and Parental Discipline Practices on Behavioral Adjustment in Preadolescent Sons of Substance Abuse and Normal Fathers

We conducted this study with a sample of sons of fathers having a Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder (PSUD+, n = 55) and sons of fathers who did not qualify for a PSUD (PSUD-, n = 97). Parental discipline practice from the child's perspective was investigated in relation to the child's difficult temperament to determine their association with sons' externalizing and internalizing behavior problems reported by mothers. PSUD+ status, difficult temperament in the boys, and their ratings of parental discipline practices accounted for a significant proportion of variance with respect to their externalizing behavior (11%), but only PSUD+ status had a main effect on internalizing behavior. However, the main finding of this study was that the interaction of parental discipline and difficult temperament in the child moderated both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, accounting for an additional 5% of an explained variance. Thus, this study illustrates the importance of the conjoint influence of children's temperament characteristics and parental discipline practices on the children's adjustment. These results support the findings from previous studies showing that a difficult temperament disposition places the child at risk for maltreatment by parents and for development of a disruptive behavior disorder. Both outcomes have been found in many investigations to presage alcohol and drug abuse in adolescence. The findings also underscore the importance of both individual and contextual variables for understanding the development of psychopathology. In this regard, the results show the need for prevention and treatment to encompass strategies directed at disaggregating the basis of maladaptive family interaction patterns.
Enjoying militarism: Political/personal dilemmas in studying U.S. police paramilitary units

This paper makes sense of an irony, experienced while conducting field research, by linking it to broader social, political, and cultural processes. The objectives in doing so are not exclusively theoretical, practical, or methodological, but all three. Explaining the irony necessitates a theoretical and epistemological discussion of the relationship between the dualities of agency/structure, micro/macro, and personal/political. The ethnographic description of a police paramilitary unit's “training session,” and the author's reaction, provide a forum for exposing the practical implications of this micro research event: a strengthening of paramilitaristic policing, state tendencies to militarize social problems in the post-Cold War era, and a revitalization of paramilitarism in popular culture. Finally, the enactment of “self-reflexivity” as the methodological foundation of this study demonstrates its utility.
Micro Air Vehicle Flapping Wing Effectiveness, Efficiency and Aeroelasticity Relationships

By utilizing passive wing deformation, thrust can be produced with a single-degree-offreedom flapping motion. Studies have shown that wings of different flexibility produce effective thrust at different frequency ranges. This work focuses on the efficiency of the wings: comparing the thrust production of certain power input to wings of different structural properties. The aeroelasticity of the wings is examined with full-field deformation measurement techniques. Four pairs of flexible membrane wings of different reinforcement skeletons are tested. Their bending and twisting stiffness are characterized, with deformation plots compared and correlated with thrust production at different frequencies. The results show that the wing compliance is crucial in thrust production: thrust is effectively produced with some particular patterns of passive deformation. The experimental setup consists of a flapping mechanism that enables actuation up to 45 Hz at 70o stoke amplitude; a force and torque sensor that measures the lift and thrust; and a digital image correlation system that consists of four cameras, capable of capturing the complete stroke kinematics and structural deformation. This work solves several technical challenges: measuring low magnitude of forces, monitoring power consumption rate, measuring the aeroelastic deformation and intensive data post processing.
The 2009-2010 El Niño: Hydrologic Relief to U.S. Regions

Current forecasts by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are that the Pacific Ocean will experience El Nino conditions in late 2009 and into 2010. These forecasts are similar to past El Ni˜o events in 1972–1973, 1982–1983, 1986–1987, and 2002–2003. Evaluating the hydrologic conditions for these past El Nino events reveals that during these times, surface water supply conditions improved in many parts of the United States, including the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest. At the same time, the Pacific Northwest and other specific regions of the United States experienced below-average water supply conditions. This is consistent with the long-established linkages between oceanic-atmospheric phenomena, El Nino, and streamflow [e.g., Kahya and Dracup, 1993; Tootle et al., 2005].
Interactive command building and sequencing for supervised autonomy

An operator interface for interactive command building and sequencing for supervised autonomy is described. The system is the ground operator control station of a local-remote telerobotics system being developed for time-delayed remote-control of Space Station Freedom robots. The system provides stereo graphics overlay on video with interactive update of the environment. The operator selects objects in the environment with which to interact, and skills to specify the task to be performed, such as grasping a module, or opening a door. The information needed by the skill to operate on a specific object is stored in a knowledge base. In more complex cases, such as inserting a grasped module into a receptacle or using a tool on an object, the parameterization is generated by the skill querying the knowledge base for both the tool being held and the object on which the operation is performed. >
Justicia y racionamiento sanitario en el Plan AUGE: dilemas bioéticos asociados a la distribución de recursos escasos

Rationing criteria in health care establish by AUGE, in Chile, are based, mainly, in maxi- mum efficiency, contrary to the equity principle, which should sustain health care policies in demo - cratic societies. For the application and justification of health care rationing techniques is required not only a medical science and health care economy reflection, but a moral philosophy and bioethical reflection as well. The study of health care distributive justice theories allows to value critically health care rationing criteria used by Clinical Guidelines for each GES/AUGE pathology, which operate contrary to the equity principle.
Lifting the Veil on Cyber Offense

Cyber attacks are deliberate actions to alter, disrupt, deceive, degrade, or destroy computer systems or networks or the information and/or programs resident in or transiting these systems or networks. The use of cyber attack as an instrument of US policy is rarely discussed but is an important topic to the nation.
Performance of Beef Replacement Heifers Grazing Three Warm-Season Perennial Grasses

Abstract Bagley, C.P. 1996. Performance of beef replacement heifers grazing three warm-season perennial grasses. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 9: 33–43. A study was conducted to compare the performance of beef replacement heifers grazing three warm-season perennial grasses using relatively high levels of N fertilizer. Crossbreed heifers initially 14 mo of age with an average weight of 292 kg were blocked according to breed type and allotted to pastures of common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], ‘Alicia’ bermudagrass and ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge). All pastures had been established for several years prior to initiation of the grazing trials on Coastal Plain (Agric., Plinthaquic and Plinthic Paleudults) soils. All pastures received 55 kg/ha of N as ammonium nitrate starting 3 wk prior to initial grazing and at 21-d intervals during the grazing period. The “put and take” system of grazing management was utilized with stocking rates adjusted at 3 wk intervals based on forage canopy hei...
Empires,Nations, and Natives. Anthropology and State‐Making

Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Anthropology and the Government of "Natives," a Comparative Approach / Benoit de L'Estoile, Federico Neiburg, and Lygia Sigaud 1 Rationalizing Colonial Domination? Anthropology and Native Policy in French-Ruled Africa / Benoit de L'Estoile 30 "The Good-Hearted Portuguese People": Anthropology of Nation, Anthropology of Empire / Omar Ribeiro Thomaz 58 Vichy France and the End of Scientific Folklore (1937-1954) / Florence Weber 88 From Nation to Empire: War and National Character Studies in the United States / Federico Neiburg and Marcio Goldman 108 Anthropology at the End of Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Colonial Social Sciences Research Council, 1944-1962 / David Mills 135 Bordering on Anthropology: Dialectics of a National Tradition in Mexico / Claudio Lomnitz 167 Indigenism in Brazil: The International Migration of State Policies / Antonio Carlos de Souza Lima 197 The Anthropologist as Expert: Brazilian Ethnology between Indianism and Indigenism / Joao Pacheco de Oliveira 223 Anthropology, Development, and Nongovernmental Organizations in Latin America / Jorge F. Pantaleon 248 The Ethnologist and the Architect: A Postcolonial Experiment in the French Pacific / Alban Bensa 263 "Today We Have Naming of Parts": The Work of Anthropologists in Southern Africa / Adam Kuper 277 References 301 Contributors 327 Index 331
Mechanism of Auxiliary Subunit Modulation of Neuronal α1E Calcium Channels

Voltage-gated calcium channels are composed of a main pore-forming alpha1 moiety, and one or more auxiliary subunits (beta, alpha2 delta) that modulate channel properties. Because modulatory properties may vary greatly with different channels, expression systems, and protocols, it is advantageous to study subunit regulation with a uniform experimental strategy. Here, in HEK 293 cells, we examine the expression and activation gating of alpha1E calcium channels in combination with a beta (beta1-beta4) and/or the alpha2 delta subunit, exploiting both ionic- and gating-current measurements. Furthermore, to explore whether more than one auxiliary subunit can concomitantly specify gating properties, we investigate the effects of cotransfecting alpha2delta with beta subunits, of transfecting two different beta subunits simultaneously, and of COOH-terminal truncation of alpha1E to remove a second beta binding site. The main results are as follows. (a) The alpha2delta and beta subunits modulate alpha1E in fundamentally different ways. The sole effect of alpha2 delta is to increase current density by elevating channel density. By contrast, though beta subunits also increase functional channel number, they also enhance maximum open probability (Gmax/Qmax) and hyperpolarize the voltage dependence of ionic-current activation and gating-charge movement, all without discernible effect on activation kinetics. Different beta isoforms produce nearly indistinguishable effects on activation. However, beta subunits produced clear, isoform-specific effects on inactivation properties. (b) All the beta subunit effects can be explained by a gating model in which subunits act only on weakly voltage-dependent steps near the open state. (c) We find no clear evidence for simultaneous modulation by two different beta subunits. (d) The modulatory features found here for alpha1E do not generalize uniformly to other alpha1 channel types, as alpha1C activation gating shows marked beta isoform dependence that is absent for alpha1E. Together, these results help to establish a more comprehensive picture of auxiliary-subunit regulation of alpha1E calcium channels.
A discontinuous enrichment method for the efficient solution of plate vibration problems in the medium‐frequency regime

A discontinuous enrichment method (DEM) is presented for the efficient discretization of plate vibration problems in the medium-frequency regime. This method enriches the polynomial shape functions of the classical finite element discretization with free-space solutions of the biharmonic operator governing the elastic vibrations of an infinite Kirchhoff plate. These free-space solutions, which represent flexural waves and decaying modes, are discontinuous across the element interfaces. For this reason, two different and carefully constructed Lagrange multiplier approximations are introduced along the element edges to enforce a weak continuity of the transversal displacement and its normal derivative, and discrete Lagrange multipliers are introduced at the element corners to enforce there a weak continuity of the transversal displacement. The proposed DEM is illustrated with the solution of sample plate vibration problems with different types of harmonic loading in the medium-frequency regime, away from and close to resonance. In all cases, its performance is found to be significantly superior to that of the classical higher-order finite element method.
Grating Couplers Fabricated by Electron-Beam Lithography for Coupling Free-Space Light Into Nanophotonic Devices

Grating couplers with nanoscale periodicity have been fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. A versatile experimental apparatus has been implemented to measure the efficiency of these gratings in coupling free-space radiation into planar waveguides. This coupling efficiency has been measured as a function of grating depth and the angle and wavelength of incident radiation. Coupling efficiencies of at least 5% and as high as 20% are demonstrated for wavelengths in the vicinity of 1550 nm and incident angles around 45deg.
The distance that contaminated aquatic subsidies extend into lake riparian zones.

Consumption of emergent aquatic insects by terrestrial invertebrates is a poorly resolved, but potentially important, mechanism of contaminant flux across ecosystem borders leading to contaminant exposure in terrestrial invertivores. We characterized the spatial extent and magnitude of contaminant transfer from aquatic sediments to terrestrial invertebrate predators by examining riparian araneid spiders, terrestrial insects, and emergent aquatic insects for stable isotopes and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, sum of 141 congeners) at Lake Hartwell, (Clemson, South Carolina, USA). PCB concentrations in aquatic insects were orders of magnitude higher than in terrestrial insects. Aquatic insect consumption by spiders (as indicated by δ13C and δ15N), PCB concentrations in spiders, and aquatic prey availability were greatest at the shoreline and declined inland, while terrestrial prey availability was invariant with distance. These patterns indicate PCB transfer to spiders through consumption of emergent aquatic insects extending to a distance of ∼5 m inland. Measurable, but much lower, PCBs were present in insect predators dominated by social wasps up to 30 m inland. These results illustrate the importance of emergent insects as vectors of contaminant transfer from lake sediments to riparian food webs, and that spiders are key predators in this process.
Infants weighing 1,000 grams or less at birth: developmental outcome for ventilated and nonventilated infants.

The neurodevelopmental outcome at a mean age of 40 months was investigated in 23/25 surviving infants of birth weights less than or equal to 1,000 gm. Eight infants required intubation and assisted ventilation and 17 were not ventilated. One ventilated infant was lost to follow-up and one nonventilated infant was a victim of sudden infant death syndrome at age 6 months. Fifteen (65%) had a good outcome but the differences between ventilated and nonventilated infants were striking. Thirteen (81%) of the nonventilated group were normal, but only two ventilated survivors (28%) were normal (P less than 0.05). Cicatricial retrolental fibroplasia occurred in three (43%) of the ventilated survivors and in none of the nonventilated infants (P less than .02). The requirement for assisted ventilation in these very low-birth-weight infants is associated with significant morbidity. Improvement in outcome may depend as much upon better understanding and management of prenatal events as upon improvements in neonatal care.
A systematic review of Karen refugee health

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive perspective of the documented physical and mental health issues Karen refugees from Burma face as a result of war and refugee trauma, and migration. The review will address the question: What is the impact of trauma and migration on the physical and mental health of Karen refugees? Design/methodology/approach – A total of 18 articles were systematically selected for inclusion in the final review. The focal content for included articles includes qualitative and quantitative research representative of the health and migration experiences of Karen refugees. Findings – The findings of this review demonstrate significance for health providers from a public health standpoint as programs and services are targeted to meet the specific health needs of the Karen community. It also highlights the contribution of the Karen forced migration experience to the complexity of individual and community health needs, particularly as a result of the protracted ...
Pension Participation: February 2001

This article examines February 2001 Current Population Survey (CPS) data for workers' participation in employment-based pension plans. The percentage of workers ages 21-64 participating in a plan was found to be 54.8 percent in 2001, up from 51.0 percent in 1995. Furthermore, workers with different characteristics were found to have different probabilities of participating in a pension plan. In particular, male, white, older, full-time, and public sector workers were more likely to have participated. Finally, the percentage of those not participating by choice (relative to not being eligible) when working for an employer that sponsors a plan increased significantly from 25.1 percent in 1995 to 31.1 percent in 2001.
Distributed Kalman Filter with Fast Consensus for Wireless Sensor Networks

With the revolution of wireless sensor networks and the advances on microchip technologies the potential of distributed interconnected systems have exploded. Yet, even with great sensing capability and great communication throughput in the wireless links, we encounter fundamental problems: Communication Congestion and Scalability. The scalability issue and communication congestion are closely related in the application of distributed estimation algorithms. The more sensors we add to our system the more communication we will require. In general, in order to share the information gathered by all the sensors, we also get a higher likelihood of running into critical network congestion. Moreover, the scalability problem is not only related to communication issues but also to computation problems, as with higher dimensional measurement vectors it also comes a higher computational demand for the estimation algorithms. Distributed Kalman Filter (DKF) is one of the most fundamental distributed estimation algorithms. Most of the proposed DKF in the literature rely on consensus filters algorithm. The convergence rate of such distributed consensus algorithms typically depends on the network topology and the weights given to the edges between neighboring sensors. This paper proposes a DKF with fast consensus. The idea is to apply a polynomial filter on the network matrix in order to increase the convergence by minimizing its second largest eigenvalue of the polynomial. Fast convergence can contribute to significant energy saving. Moreover we redesigned the DKF to reduce its computational complexity and to reduce the communication traffic between the sensor nodes. Thus, the experimental results show that the TelosB mote can run DKF with up to seven neighbors for real application.
Draft whole-genome sequence of urease-producing Sporosarcina koreensis

ABSTRACT Urease-producing microbes are of significance due to their potential application in biocement production. Sporosarcina koreensis Q1 is a urease-producing bacterium belonging to the phylum Firmicutes. Here, we present the draft whole-genome sequence of S. koreensis Q1, isolated from a barchan sand dune in Qatar.