cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Membrane Separation Parameters. II. Counter-current and Cocurrent Flow in a Single Permeation Stage

Abstract Analytical expressions are presented for calculating the extent of separation of binary gas mixtures achievable in a permeation stage, as well as the required membrane area, when the high- and low-pressure streams in the stage flow either countercurrently or cocurrently to each other. The derivations are similar to those of Oishi et al., but are cast in a form suitable for computer calculations. The results of a parametric study on the separation of oxygen from air are presented for four different flow patterns inside the stage: (a) countercurrent flow, (b) cocurrent flow, (c) cross-flow, and (d) perfect mixing. In the first three cases it is assumed that no mixing occurs on the two sides of the stage (or membrane). The type of flow in the permeation stage can have a significant effect on the degree of separation, but has relatively little effect on the membrane area at low separation factors. Countercurrent flow is the most efficient flow pattern, whereas perfect mixing is the least efficient on...
Some new aspects on the superrotation of the thermosphere

The rotational velocity of the thermosphere in excess of the earth's rotational velocity is investigated. It is shown that there exists in the thermosphere a small diurnal mean driving force in the eastward direction, a phenomenon which is considered to be relative to the 10% to 20% thermospheric superrotation. A critical review of this observation and a theoretical analysis of the force are presented which take into account both equinox and solstice conditions. It is concluded that the discrepancy between observations of the superrotation made so far and accompanying explanations can be resolved, as applied to the area of the lower height region, where the great majority of observations were made.
Cross-linking of peanut allergens by polyphenol oxidase and its effect on peanut allergenicity

Abstract Rationale Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the cross-linking of proteins. The objective was to determine if PPO induces cross-linking of peanut allergens and reduces peanut allergenicity. Methods Protein extracts were prepared from defatted roasted peanut meals. The extracts were then incubated with PPO at 37 C, pH 7, for 60 min, and analyzed by SDS-PAGE, blots and competitive ELISA, using a pooled serum from peanut allergic individuals. Results PPO reacted with two peanut proteins only. These were the major allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2. After PPO treatment, Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 were each seen to decrease significantly in levels. High molecular-weight polymers were formed due to the cross-linking of the allergens induced by PPO. IgE binding of the POD-treated peanut extracts was reduced approximately 4-fold as compared to the untreated. Conclusions A significant decrease in the levels of two major peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 was observed after PPO treatment. Cross-linking of the allergens contributed to this decrease. A 4-fold reduction in IgE binding was observed. This suggests that PPO is capable of inducing a small reduction in peanut allergenicity.
Assessing landscape attractiveness: a comparative test of two new methods

Abstract Techniques for assessing landscape attractiveness are becoming increasingly important in environmental planning. They are a manifestation of the growing need to monitor landscape deterioration, to help preserve natural beauty, to learn about our cultural perceptions, and to satisfy an ever-increasing body of environmental law. This report describes two such evaluation techniques developed by the author and used by the National Trust of South Australia to classify and record natural and rural landscapes. One method, a component checklist, relies on a detailed appraisal of individual landscape elements. The other method, using bipolar semantic differentials, measures ‘whole-landscape’ emotional responses. Although very different in design, and in how viewer preferences are ascertained, the two techniques provide vista scores that correlate very highly ( S r = 0.81 for n = 46). For either method, scenes whose scores are more than 6 points apart can be regarded as significantly different in aesthetic qualities. As with all present evaluation methods, there are still problems with both technique design and the transformation of vistapoint data to spatial (mappable) information. Nevertheless, both the checklist and the bipolar methods seem to be reliable and face-valid tools for measuring South Australian landscape preferences.
Northward, Upward: Stories of Train Travel, and the Journey Towards White South African Nationhood, 1895-1950

Abstract Rhodes' ‘Cape-to-Cairo’ vision was more than a road, rail and telegraph route linking the two extremities of imperially-controlled Africa; it was also an imaginary axis that gathered around it a range of cultural ‘epiphenomena’ during the early twentieth century. This paper examines one of these, accounts of the Cape-to-Rand railway journey, which first appeared in the 1890s, and became a common trope in travel-writing about South Africa until after World War II. These accounts, which appeared in everything from personal memoirs to travel books and were written by visitors as well as South Africans, helped localize and naturalize the ‘spatial story’ of imperialism during the period when South Africa was emerging as a modern, autonomous nation. A recurring set of textual strategies in these accounts rehearsed a particular bodily subjectivity towards landscape, while at the same time incorporating the new nation's physiographic regions into a historically and geographically-legible whole. The Cape-to-Rand railway journey became a discursive trope in which culturally-constructed ideas about landscape and identity were protected and saved.
Standards for Criminal Procedure and Standards for Criminal Law: The Need for Balance

This paper analyses standards for criminal procedure and for criminal law from a comparative perspective. I hope to show that standards for criminal procedure need to be balanced by standards for criminal law because, if a balance is not maintained, the consequences can be disastrous for defendants. I will focus on the U.S. criminal justice system to show what can happen when there is not a balance between standards for criminal procedure and standards for criminal law. Let me start by explaining that, like most American law professors in the criminal area, I teach both criminal procedure and criminal law. But, as I switch from courses in one area to the other over the last few decades, I feel like I am moving between two worlds that are inconsistent and contradictory in the way they treat citizens. In the world of criminal procedure, the rights of defendants in the United States are many, and they are almost always more powerful than the same rights in common law countries that share the same legal tradition. Our Supreme Court has, for example, fashioned an exclusionary rule that demands the exclusion from use at trial, evidence gathered as the result of police mistakes that are somewhat understandable – a misjudgment on the street as to whether the legal standard for a lawful search or lawful arrest was met.1 Other common law countries have exclusionary rules, but they typically balance the seriousness of the violation by the police against other factors such as the seriousness of the crime, the nature of the evidence obtained, etc.2 The U.S. rule is intended to be a powerful
Thermal design and analysis in the Orbiter bay

Thermal design and integration of payloads located in the Orbiter bay are addressed. Methods used to satisfy equipment thermal requirements are discussed with particular emphasis on passive thermal control. Both fixed and tiltable payload configurations are covered. Design methodology, integration techniques, constraints and mission peculiar requirements are presented. Past and future Spacelab missions, including those utilizing the instrument pointing system are of special interest. The OSS-1 payload flown on STS-3 is presented in some detail. Design concepts for the 'all-up' thermal modeling techniques for this payload are discussed. A brief summary of orbital results for OSS-1 are given. Finally, as a special topic, a low power independent pumping system is described in some depth.
New Implications for Wildlife Loss Evaluation: The Role of Subjective Predictors

The quantification and evaluation of environmental losses has been a topic of interest for several years. Research has focused on cause of loss as a primary factor influencing loss assessment, but has neglected less objective influences. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions of cause of the wildlife loss (human, natural, ambiguous) with type of animal (mammal, bird, fish) and proximity of animal (local, international) also manipulated. Participants rated the value of each loss to themselves and society as a whole. They also rated three subjective predictors: similarity of the animal, familiarity with the animal, and ability to relate to the animal. Both subjective and objective factors affected loss assessment with cause of loss not being influential at the individual or societal level of assessment. Similarity, familiarity, and ability to relate were all significant predictors of value in at least some combinations of animal species and proximity.
In vitro immune functions in thiamine-replete and -depleted lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush).

Abstract In this study we examined the impacts of in vivo thiamine deficiency on lake trout leukocyte function measured in vitro . When compared outside the context of individual-specific thiamine concentrations no significant differences were observed in leukocyte bactericidal activity or in concanavalin A (Con A), and phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) stimulated leukocyte proliferation. Placing immune functions into context with the ratio of in vivo liver thiamine monophosphate (TMP – biologically inactive form) to thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP – biologically active form) proved to be the best indicator of thiamine depletion impacts as determined using regression modeling. These observed relationships indicated differential effects on the immune measures with bactericidal activity exhibiting an inverse relationship with TMP to TPP ratios, Con A stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting a positive relationship with TMP to TPP ratios and PHA-P stimulated mitogenesis exhibiting no significant relationships. In addition, these relationships showed considerable complexity which included the consistent observation of a thiamine-replete subgroup with characteristics similar to those seen in the leukocytes from thiamine-depleted fish. When considered together, our observations indicate that lake trout leukocytes experience cell-type specific impacts as well as an altered physiologic environment when confronted with a thiamine-limited state.
Percolation in an oil-continuous microemulsion.

Static and dynamic scaling behaviors of electrical conductivity and dielectric constant are obtained near the percolation transition in an oil-continuous microemulsion. Conductivity data are in agreement with a dynamic percolation picture and inconsistent with the static percolation expected from a bicontinuous structure. The dielectric constant, on the other hand, is found to be insensitive to the dynamical process.
Theory of the decay of the fluorescence polarization anisotropy of macromolecules with local cylindrical symmetry

Abstract A general formulation is developed for the decay of the fluorescence polarization anisatropy of species that exhibit local cylindrical symmetry. This formulation encompasses ordinary rotational diffusion of rigid species, and also admits various deformational brownian motions that proceed under the influence of hookean restoring torques. These latter motions include the overdamped twisting deformations of an elastic filament, and overdamped local rotations of the fluorophore in a harmonic angular potential well fixed in the local macromolecular frame. Explicit formulas valid in particular cases are presented.
Characterization of a new strain of HHV-6 (HHV-6SF) recovered from the saliva of an HIV-infected individual

An isolate of the human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6SF) recovered from the saliva of an HIV-infected individual differs in its cellular host range and certain genomic properties from other HHV-6 strains described. HHV-6SF replicates in adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMC) substantially better than in fetal cord blood PMC and can be grown only in the MT-4 established T cell line. It preferentially infects CD4+ lymphocytes but can replicate in CD8+ cells and peripheral blood macrophages. It also infects neuroblastoma cells and cell lines derived from the gastrointestinal tract. These latter results suggest that this herpesvirus could play a role in disorders affecting these tissues. Finally, the restriction enzyme pattern of HHV-6SF differs from that of other HHV-6 strains. The identification of this distinct HHV-6 strain could indicate an unusual biologic variation among viral isolates thus far not observed with other herpesviruses.
A look in the corrosion of aluminum alloy friction stir welds

Abstract Aluminum alloy friction stir welds exhibit corrosion susceptibility, where sensitization of the microstructure occurs. The response of the microstructure to the welding is intense, and intergranular corrosion, mainly located along the nugget’s heat-affected region, is promoted by coarsening of the grain boundary precipitates. Short-term post-weld heat treatments, with temperatures similar to the welding temperatures, modify the microstructure and reduce the corrosion. An increase in the corrosion resistance may also be reached by modifying the microchemistry during welding.
Directed cycles with chords

Using a variation of Thomassen's admissible triples technique, we give an alternative proof that every strongly 2-arc-connected directed graph with two or more vertices contains a directed cycle that has at least two chords, while at the same time establishing a more general result. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 31:17–28, 1999
In this issue of Disaster Health

Authors’ abstract: Psychological first aid (PFA) has become the flagship early intervention for disaster survivors, with recent adaptations for disaster responders, in the post-9/11 era. PFA is bro...
Canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling: What do they have in common?

This article illustrates the relation between structural equation modeling (SEM) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). The representation of CCA in SEM may provide some important interpretive information that is not available from conventional CCA, that is, statistical tests for the canonical function and index coefficients, and statistical tests for individual canonical functions. Hierarchically, the relation between the two analytic approaches suggests that SEM stands to be a more general analytic approach. For researchers interested in these techniques, an understanding of the interrelation among them can be helpful to our choice of analytic method.
A kinematic model for the evolution of the Gorda Plate

The magnetic lineation pattern produced by the Gorda Rise reflects a complex tectonic history marked by propagating ridges and nonrigid deformation of the Gorda plate. The Pacific-side lineation pattern is matched using a kinematic model which incorporates northward and southward propagating ridge segments and ridge rotation. By superimposing flexural-slip style deformation on the resulting Gorda-side lineations, and allowing convergent motion at the Mendocino Fracture Zone, the Gorda magnetic pattern is also successfully predicted. A similar model, but one which does not allow convergence at the Mendocino Fracture Zone, fails to produce the observed lineation pattern. Model predictions of the amount of material that would be 'obducted' at the Mendocino due to convergence between the Gorda and Pacific agree with bathymetric and density estimates of the amount of material located along the Mendocino Ridge.
Terahertz absorption spectrum of D2O vapor

Abstract The absorption spectrum of D2O vapor from 0.2 to 2.0 THz (6.7–67 cm−1) which is associated with rotational modes was measured at one atmosphere using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The linewidth and collisional dephasing times were measured for 26 pure rotational transitions in the ground vibrational state (0 0 0). The temperature dependence of the linewidth (Δν) behaves as Δν ∼ T−3/4 and the linewidth decrease with increasing temperature is attributed to the 1/r6 force of interaction between colliding D2O molecules.
SV40 Large T antigen hexamer structure: Domain organization and DNA-induced conformational changes

Simian Virus 40 replication requires only one viral protein, the Large T antigen (T-ag), which acts as both an initiator of replication and as a replicative helicase (reviewed in [1]). We used electron microscopy to generate a three-dimensional reconstruction of the T-ag hexameric ring in the presence and absence of a synthetic replication fork to locate the T-ag domains, to examine structural changes in the T-ag hexamer associated with DNA binding, and to analyze the formation of double hexamers on and off DNA. We found that binding DNA to the T-ag hexamer induces large conformational changes in the N- and C-terminal domains of T-ag. Additionally, we observed a significant increase in density throughout the central channel of the hexameric ring upon DNA binding. We conclude that conformational changes in the T-ag hexamer are required to accommodate DNA and that the mode of DNA binding may be similar to that suggested for some other ring helicases. We also identified two conformations of T-ag double hexamers formed in the presence of forked DNA: with N-terminal hexamer-hexamer contacts, similar to those formed on origin DNA, or with C-terminal contacts, which are unlike any T-ag double hexamers reported previously.
The Balance Point: Courage of Our Convictions: Making Difficult Decisions About Serial Collections

Three academic librarians, a library administrator, a serials librarian, and a collection development librarian, discuss pressing serials issues as they plan for a move to a new library building. Professional perspectives on serials are juxtaposed as they grapple with issues such as limited storage for paper journals, rising costs of serials, and problems related to serials check-in, e-resources, and document delivery.
Counterweapon Aiming for Defense of a Moving Target

Previous correspondence [1, 2] considered the problem of defending moving target by means of a counterweapon launched from the target to intercept the attacker, deriving relations between attacker-target ranges at counterweapon launch and at intercept of the attacker, and the speed capabilities of the counterweapon. The present correspondence derives the location of the intercept point in target-centered coordinates (the counterweapon aimpoint), analyzes the complicated behavior of range and bearing settings with attack geometry, and formulates the relations for determining whether any given attack can be countered under restrictions on speed or angle at which the counterweapon may be fired. Exhaustive analysis is not attempted. A simplified treatment portrays kinematic conditions which must exist if the target is to counter the attack before the target is impacted by the attacking vehicle, through the use of examples.
Evidence for enhanced phosphorus regeneration from marine sediments overlain by oxygen depleted waters

Abstract Phosphorus regeneration and burial fluxes determined from in situ benthic flux chamber and solid phase measurements at sites on the Californian continental margin, Peruvian continental slope, North Carolina continental slope, and from the Santa Monica Basin, California are reported. Comparison of these sites indicates that O2-depleted bottomwaters enhance P regeneration from sediments, diminishing overall phosphorus burial efficiency. Based on these observations, a positive feedback linking ocean anoxia, enhanced benthic phosphorus regeneration, and marine productivity is proposed. On shorter timescales, these results also suggest that O2 depletion in coastal regions caused by eutrophication may enhance P regeneration from sediments, thereby providing additional P necessary for increased biological productivity.
The influence of elevated nitrate concentration on rate of leaf decomposition in a stream

SUMMARY. 1 Leaf decomposition was compared in two streams at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina. U.S.A. One stream drains an undisturbed hardwood watershed, while the other drains a successional watershed subject to an insect outbreak. The successional watershed has elevated nitrate concentrations in the streamwater. 2 Both black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) and sweet birch (Betula lenta) leaf litter decomposed 2.8 times more rapidly in the stream with high nitrate concentrations. 3 The more rapid decay rates appeared to be partly due to accelerated microbial processing in response to nitrate enrichment, because microbial biomass (as ATP) was higher in the nitrate-enriched stream. 4 At each point in time, nitrogen and phosphorus content of the litter was lower in the high nitrate stream; however, there was no significant difference in nitrogen or phosphorus content at the same state of leaf decay in the two streams.
Uniqueness of positive radial solutions for n-Laplacian Dirichlet problems

We prove a theorem on the uniqueness of positive radial solutions to a Dirichlet problem of the n -Laplacian in a finite ball of R n . Our proofs use only elementary analysis based on an identity due to Erbe and Tang. The result can be applied to a large class of nonlinearities, including some polynomials and functions with exponential growth; in particular, the one recently studied by Adimurthi.
Depositional Systems of Fountain Formation and Its Basinal Equivalents, Northwestern Denver Basin, Colorado: ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to provide a better understanding of the depositional systems of the Pennsylvanian Fountain Formation in north-central Colorado. The study area is bounded by T4N, T11N, R66W, and R70W, encompassing portions of the foothills outcrop belt and the Denver basin. The sedimentary sequence observed in surface exposures displays little vertical variation. It is composed of vertically stacked, fining-upward, gravel to siltstone and mudstone cycles containing trough and planar cross-beds, horizontal beds, root structures, and nodular limestone. This succession represents deposition in Donjek-type braided streams and abandoned channel-fill sequences, and the development of soil horizons on a subaerial alluvial fan or alluvial plain. In the subsurface, the vertical succession begins with a basal coarse-grained 140-ft (43-m) thick interval that is identical on the rocks found in End_Page 857------------------------------ surface outcrops to the west. This interval is overlain by 410 ft (125 m) of red shale, siltstone, sandstone, and fossiliferous limestone that grades eastward into black organic shale and limestone. Capping the sequence is a 500-ft (152 m) interval of red shale, siltstone, sandstone, gypsum- and anhydrite-bearing dolomites and fossiliferous limestones that interfinger with typical Fountain coarse-grained terrigenous clastics. This vertical succession of Fountain rocks in the subsurface suggests the following sequence of depositional systems from base to top: alluvial fan and braided alluvial plain, fan deltas, and small interfan embayments that grade eastward into a normal-salinity marine shoreface and an offshore hypersaline carbonate shelf. Normal salinity marine conditions were probably maintained in the parallic zone by the influx of ancestral Front Range runoff. End_of_Article - Last_Page 858------------
Inadequate immunizations. Identification using clinic charts.

Immunizations are cost-effective measures for assuring public health. However, recent outbreaks of measles, mumps, and pertussis underscore the inadequacy of current immunization programs. A model identifying those children who are likely to be inadequately immunized could focus the use of limited health funds. A retrospective examination of the medical charts of 101 children in a large inner-city clinic was undertaken to determine if specific factors were associated with inadequate immunization status. Fifty percent of the children were inadequately immunized by 18 months of age (no measles-mumps-rubella or fewer than three diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccinations). Logistic regression analyses showed that older maternal age, no recurrent or chronic illnesses, and vaginal delivery were independently associated with inadequate immunization status. However, on many charts, information on maternal, social, and environmental variables was incomplete. The increasing use of structured medical charts will enha...
Controlled release of paraquat from surface-modified zeolite Y

Abstract The surface hydroxyl groups of zeolite Y were reacted with 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane, HN(SiHMe 2 ) 2 under ambient conditions and the grafting of siloxy functionality on the zeolite was confirmed by infrared, NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Paraquat (methyl viologen) was ion-exchanged into the zeolite, followed by treatment with the disilazane reagent. Surface modification of paraquat-loaded zeolites encapsulates the guest molecules in the zeolite cages and release of paraquat by ion-exchange with sodium ions was studied. The total amount of paraquat released was dependent on the concentration of Na + in solution, and was similar for the derivatized and underivatized samples. In the absence of surface modification, equilibration occurred within 20 min, whereas with surface modification, the equilibration time was extended to 7 days. These kinetics are reflected in the effective diffusion coefficients ( D ) of paraquat, with D = 1.2 × 10 −15 cm 2 s −1 for derivatized zeolite Y and D = 0.2–1.1 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 for the underivatized sample. Paraquat was chosen as the guest molecule, since it is widely used as an herbicide and its controlled release is of interest in agricultural applications.
Perceptual limits, perceptual equivalence classes, and a robot's sensori-computational capabilities (extended abstract)

Considers a theory of planning, sensing and action in which the fundamental building blocks are, in effect, the 'recognizable sets'-that is, the places in the world that the robot can recognize and distinguish between. To this end the authors observe that viewing the world through sensors, partitions the world into 'perceptual equivalence classes.' The more information the sensors provide, the 'finer' this partition is. Various possible partitions of the world fit into a lattice structure. This lattice structure captures the information or knowledge state about the world. Using this theory the authors develop notions of task-directed planning and show how history can be used to direct actions and gain information. The authors investigate the structure of the recognizability lattice and its relationship to the world. The authors consider how to compute perceptual equivalence classes both from a model, and incrementally, from the world. Finally, the authors investigate mathematical properties that can help the robot generate disambiguating strategies to gain information about the world to accomplish a task. >
Smooth profiles from τ (p) and X(p) data

Summary. We reduce the problem of constructing a smooth, 1-D, monotoni-cally increasing velocity profile consistent with discrete, inexact τ (p) and X(p) data to a quadratic programming problem with linear inequality constraints. For a finite-dimensional realization of the problem it is possible to find a smooth velocity profile consistent with the data whenever such a profile exists. We introduce an unusual functional measure of roughness equivalent to the second central moment or ‘Variance’ of the derivative of depth with respect to velocity for smooth profiles, and we prove that its minimal value is unique. In our experience, solutions minimizing this functional are very smooth in the sense of the two-norm of the second derivative and can be constructed inexpensively by solving one quadratic programming problem. Still smoother models (in more traditional measures) may be generated iteratively with additional quadratic programs. All the resulting models satisfy the τ (p) and X(p) data and reproduce travel-time data remarkably well, although sometimes τ (p) data alone are insufficient to ensure arrivals at large X; then an X(p) datum must be included.
Periaortic Adipose Tissue and Aortic Dimensions in the Framingham Heart Study

Background Periaortic fat, because of its contiguity with the aorta, may promote vascular remodeling and aortic dilatation. However, the relations between perioartic fat depots and aortic dimensions have not been previously described. Methods and Results A total of 3001 individuals (mean age 50±10 years, 49% women) from the Framingham Offspring and Third Generation cohorts underwent computed tomography for quantification of periaortic fat and aortic dimensions. We estimated the association between quantitative periaortic and visceral adipose tissue volumes (per standard deviation [SD] increment of volume) with aortic dimensions in both the thorax and abdomen. Thoracic periaortic fat was associated with higher thoracic aortic dimensions (β coefficient per SD of fat volume 0.67 mm, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.76 mm; P <0.001). The association persisted after adjustment for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors including body mass index and visceral adipose tissue volume. Results for the association of periaortic fat and abdominal aortic dimensions were similar. Further adjustment for adipokines (resistin and adiponectin) had no significant impact on these associations. Conclusions Periaortic fat volume was associated with aortic dimensions in both the thorax and abdomen, supporting the notion that local fat depots may contribute to aortic remodeling. Further work to understand the mechanisms underlying this association is warranted.
Electrodynamics in a very thin current sheet leading to magnetic reconnection

Abstract. We study the formation of a very thin current sheet (CS) and associated plasma electrodynamics using three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell simulations with ion to electron mass ratio M/m=1836. The CS is driven by imposed anti-parallel magnetic fields. The noteworthy features of the temporal evolution of the CS are the following: (i) Steepening of the magnetic field profile Bx(z) in the central part of the CS, (ii) Generation of three-peak current distribution with the largest peak in the CS center as Bx(z) steepens, (iii) Generation of converging electric fields forming a potential well in the CS center in which ions are accelerated. (iv) Electron and ion heating in the central part of the CS by current-driven instabilities (CDI). (v) Re-broadening of the CS due to increased kinetic plasma pressure in the CS center. (vi) Generation of electron temperature anisotropy with temperature perpendicular to the magnetic field being larger than the parallel one. (vii) Current disruption by electron trapping in an explosively growing electrostatic instability (EGEI) and electron tearing instability (ETI). (viii)The onset of EGEI coincides with an increase in the electron temperature above the temperature of the initially hot ions as well as the appearance of new shear in the electron drift velocity. (ix) Bifurcation of the central CS by the current disruption. (x) Magnetic reconnection (MR) beginning near the null in Bx and spreading outward. (xi) Generation of highly energized electrons reaching relativistic speeds and having isotropic pitch-angle distribution in the region of reconnected magnetic fields. We compare some of these features of the current sheet with results from laboratory and space experiments.
Fault-tolerant permanent magnet machines: a review

Synchronous permanent magnet (PM) machines have been gaining a lot of interest over the years. This is due to their several advantages including high power density, high efficiency and high reliability. One of the key concerns about PM machines especially in safety-critical applications (such as the more-electric aircraft) has been the issue of fault-tolerance since the machine cannot be de-excited. A lot of work has been done both on the machine side as well as the power converter side (including power converter configuration and remedial control strategies). This study will provide a thorough review and summary of what has been covered in literature up-to-date. The study will highlight the tradeoffs (including weight, cost and reliability) involved in the various proposed methods and strategies with more emphasis on the machine side. The methods discussed in this study include active control methods form converter side, memory motors, doubly-salient and flux-switching machines, use of auxiliary windings, mechanical flux-weakening methods, use of shunts and shields, thermal protection and transverse flux machines. The study will also include some comments about where the research in this area is heading in the future.
A Haemogregarine from a Water Snake, Natrix piscator Taken in the Vicinity of Bombay, India*

SYNOPSIS. Approximately fifty % of Natrix piscator from the vicinity of Bombay showed a haemogregarine in the peripheral blood. Schizogonic stages were found in great abundance in the lung capillaries, and occasionally in other internal organs. No parasites could be demonstrated in trombiculid mites of the genus Schongastia fed on infected snakes. Various developmental stages were found in the leech, Hirudinaria granulosa allowed to feed on infected Natrix piscator. The haemogregarine was originally described from this host in Ceylon on the basis of blood stages only and was named Haemogregarina mirabilis. Although the parasite exhibits several of the characters diagnostic of the schizogonic stages of the genus Hepatozoon, it is advisable for the present to retain it in the genus Haemogregarina.
The politics of autonomy and cooptation in Africa: the case of the Ugandan Women's Movement

State responsiveness to pressures from women's movements in Africa has been limited. However, where inroads have been made, associational autonomy from the state and dominant party has proved critical. The women's movement is one of the most coordinated and active social movements in Uganda, and one of the most effective women's movements in Africa more generally. An important part of its success comes from the fact that it is relatively autonomous, unlike women's movements in earlier periods of Uganda's post-independence history. The women's movement, in spite of enormous pressures for cooptation, has taken advantage of the political space afforded by the semi-authoritarian Museveni government, which has promoted women's leadership to serve its own ends. Leaders and organisations reflect varying degrees of autonomy and cooptation. Nevertheless the women's movement has had a visible impact on policy as a result of its capacity to set its own far-reaching agenda and freely select its own leaders.
Neural networks and traditional time series methods: a synergistic combination in state economic forecasts

Ever since the initial planning for the 1997 Utah legislative session, neural-network forecasting techniques have provided valuable insights for analysts forecasting tax revenues. These revenue estimates are critically important since agency budgets, support for education, and improvements to infrastructure all depend on their accuracy. Underforecasting generates windfalls that concern taxpayers, whereas overforecasting produces budget shortfalls that cause inadequately funded commitments. The pattern finding ability of neural networks gives insightful and alternative views of the seasonal and cyclical components commonly found in economic time series data. Two applications of neural networks to revenue forecasting clearly demonstrate how these models complement traditional time series techniques. In the first, preoccupation with a potential downturn in the economy distracts analysis based on traditional time series methods so that it overlooks an emerging new phenomenon in the data. In this case, neural networks identify the new pattern that then allows modification of the time series models and finally gives more accurate forecasts. In the second application, data structure found by traditional statistical tools allows analysts to provide neural networks with important information that the networks then use to create more accurate models. In summary, for the Utah revenue outlook, the insights that result from a portfolio of forecasts that includes neural networks exceeds the understanding generated from strictly statistical forecasting techniques. In this case, the synergy clearly results in the whole of the portfolio of forecasts being more accurate than the sum of the individual parts.
MIMO control of an Apache web server: modeling and controller design

This paper considers the efficacy of feedback control in improving the performance of computing systems. Computing systems typically have many competing performance goals which are affected by several external variables. A feedback control strategy is desirable because well established techniques exist to handle these performance trade-offs and external disturbances. In order to employ such a strategy, decisions need to be made about the inputs, outputs, sample time, model type, and performance measures. This paper describes this process, which is often nebulous for computing systems, in the context of an Apache web server. A linear multi-input multi-output model of the system is identified experimentally and used to design several feedback controllers. Experimental results are presented showing the problems associated with a pure pole placement design and effectiveness of LQ control based techniques. The paper concludes with a discussion of future work.
Neuroprotective properties of ketone bodies.

Ketosis, as with fasting or induced by ketogenic diet, continues to be explored as a strategy toward the treatment of neuropathologies and disease. Exogenous administration of anaplerotic compounds has shown promise as they rescue oxidatively stressed tissues and has shown to improve overall function in liver and heart, but little is known about their application in brain. Precursors of propionyl-CoA such as odd-chain fatty acids (propionate, heptanoate) as well as odd-chain C4 and C5 have been changed to C4 and C5 consistently. Please check.C5-ketone bodies (β-keto and R-β-hydroxypentanoate) are potential anaplerotic substrates as these compounds are metabolized to propionyl-CoA that enters the citric acid cycle as succinyl-CoA. We have recently reported that ketosis was neuroprotective against transient focal ischemia. In this study, we present data that support the use of alternate energy substrates such as propionate and ketone bodies, as part of treatment regimes against ischemia–reperfusion injury. We propose that anaplerotic compounds are beneficial to recovery of brain following an ischemic event, such as with transient global or focal brain ischemia. We present data from two in vivo models of transient brain ischemia, cardiac arrest and resuscitation and focal stroke (via MCAO) where either ketosis induced by ketogenic diet (C4 ketosis) or infusion of propionate ester (N,S-dipropionyl cysteine ethyl ester) resulted in improved outcome following ischemic insult.
Thermodynamics of microplasma initiation in liquids

It has been shown that microplasmas, ranging from 3–20 µm in diameter, can be generated in electrolyte and dielectric liquids [1]. The application of short duration pulses, ranging in energy from milijoules to joules, to submerged electrodes releases energy in the form of shockwaves, light emission and chemistry. The energy dissipation occurs in a highly localized and non-uniform manner and the state of the fluid can vary rapidly both spatially and temporally around the electrode. Concerns about bubble formation during discharge initiation may be a moot issue as in theory the localized state may even pass through super critical states during this breakdown process. To understand such plasma initiation within a liquid the thermodynamic state and process should be understood. The nature of this breakdown process can be compared to underwater explosions and this is used as a point reference throughout this analysis. Voltage-current characteristics, Schlieren and Shadowgraphs techniques are employed to trace state transitions and to obtain a better understanding of the process. Optical emission spectroscopy is also used to identify species. Production of plasma in liquid can provide both nonthermal and thermal mechanisms for chemically modifying water, oil and other liquids. It is hypothesized that the thermodynamic state and plasma state can be controlled by modifying rise time and duration of the pulses. Determining such methods of controlling the state can lead to better control over the chemistry taking place.
Review of Gregg Braden's Book: The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits

In is interesting that Braden sees reality as a computer simulation, and it comes with belief codes that act as part of the universal computer program. This admission would seem to delight materialists and science fiction writers that venture similar speculations. But Braden's usage is metaphorical, and there is a serious caveat that permits a break from a mechanistic world view: we are able to re-program our poorly tuned beliefs, because instinctively we know that the simulation is only an illusion. Because we know that an appearance is an illusion we are able to escape the dictates of a computer program, and therefore greater reality cannot be just a simulation. You can find this book at Amazon: The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits .
Assessment of diagnostic performance of volumetric PET/CT parameters in treatment response monitoring of cardiac sarcoidosis

297 Objectives There is a growing body of evidence supporting the application of volumetric PET/CT indices, including metabolic active volume (MAV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), in malignancies. However, limited data are available about the reliability of these parameters in non-malignant diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic value and interreader agreement of volumetric FDG PET/CT parameters in treatment monitoring of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis. Methods Forty one PET/CT scans of 16 subjects with cardiac sarcoidosis who underwent serial cardiac FDG PET imaging were included. Cardiac involvement was assessed quantitatively by measuring SUVmax, SUVmean, metabolic active volume (MAV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG=MAV*SUVmean). Two nuclear medicine physicians measured cardiac lesions independently. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland-Altman and tests were performed to measure the inter-reader reproducibility of measurements. Clinical response was determined by New York Heart Association classification(NYHA). The changes of PET parameters were calculated as relative differences between baseline and follow-up scans and correlated with clinical treatment response. Results We observed robust agreement between measurements of the two readers of volumetric FDG PET indices where the ICC of SUVmean, MAV, and TLG varies between 0.99(95%CI: 0.97-1), 0.94(95%CI: 0.89-0.97) and 0.97(95%CI: 0.94-0.99), respectively. MAV and TLG showed better correlation with clinical response than SUVmax and SUVmean. For prediction of disease progression, relative change of MAV of > 5.6 % showed 80% sensitivity and 85.71% specificity. Relative change of TLG of > 17% gave 70% sensitivity and 85.71% specificity. Conclusions Our results showed that volumetric FDG PET/CT parameters have strong interreader agreement for practical and accurate quantification of cardiac sarcoidosis. Total lesion glycolysis and metabolic active volume are promising biomarkers of disease progression in cardiac sarcoidosis.
What Causes Workers to Retire Before They Plan

This paper explores the extent to which health, employment, family, or finances are associated with earlier-than-planned retirement using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The importance of any shock that drives early retirement depends both on its effect on those experiencing it and its prevalence in the population; therefore, the analysis proceeds in two steps. First, a probit regression is used to determine the strength of the relationship between the shocks and earlier-than-planned retirement, controlling for individual characteristics. Second, to incorporate the prevalence of the shock, counterfactual experiments are run to determine how much early retirement would be reduced in the population if these shocks did not occur.
Multi-Resolution Codebook Based Beamforming Sequence Design in Millimeter-Wave Systems

There is growing interest in using millimeter wave (mmWave) communication for fifth generation (5G) wireless systems because of the large bandwidth available in these frequencies. To overcome the higher path loss at mmWave bands, highly directional beamforming using large-scale, or massive, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems is critical. In this scenario, the problem of channel estimation becomes challenging due to the substantial training overhead needed to sound all possible beam directions using a high-resolution narrow beam. To tackle the issue of beam search in a mmWave system, we consider the use and design of multi-resolution beamforming sequences, which can quickly search out the dominant channel direction in a bisection manner. Given the multi-resolution codebook, the proposed multi-resolution beamforming sequence is designed to strike a balance between minimizing the training overhead and maximizing beamforming gain. We discuss how the multi-resolution codebook can be designed using a phase-shifted version of a {\em discrete Fourier transform} (DFT) matrix. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Process Studies of Climatically Relevant Parts of the Aerosol Life Cycle

This report is organized into three sections. Section A provides highlights of selected publications. Section B lists participation in ASR focus or working groups related to the grant. Section C lists publications supported by grant.
Acute encephalopathy with combination dabrafenib/trametinib therapy:

Biomarkers have improved the clinical application of numerous targeted agents used to treat solid tumors. In melanoma, the finding that approximately 60% of tumor cells harbor specific Val600 mutations of BRAF has increased the likelihood of response to certain agents aimed at inhibiting the mutant kinase. While dabrafenib is an effective anti-tumor agent with acceptable tolerability in patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma, we report the development (and outcome) of a previously unpublished acute toxic reaction observed in a patient receiving the drug.
Linking Transformational Leadership to Self-Efficacy, Extra-Role Behaviors, and Turnover Intentions in Public Agencies: The Mediating Role of Goal Clarity:

Although transformational leadership and goal clarity have been linked separately to self-efficacy, extra-role behaviors, and turnover intentions, research has not fully considered how transformati...