cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Instrument Control And User Interface For The Arc 3.Sm Observatory

The ARC 3.5m observatory is being designed to permit rapid switching among seven standard instruments and to encourage routine use by remote observers. Remote operation of the telescope and instruments will be required over short distances on-site as well as by astronomers at their home institutions, since the control room and laboratory facilities will be located in a separate building to minimize thermal effects on seeing within the telescope enclosure. In this paper, we discuss our design goals, the proposed architecture for the system, and our progress in development of software to implement the user/telescope and user/instrument interface. Prototype software already in operation includes a multi-window, event-driven, graphically-oriented environment implemented on a Macintosh computer for operation of 32-channel photometer and spectrometer systems. Communications between the Macintosh and a Multibus based instrument control computer occur over a single serial link which can include telephone lines. Controls are implemented graphically via pull-down menus and "control panels" which can be easily tailored to accommodate requirements of different instruments. Status information and data are returned from the instrument control computer and displayed continuously in real time. Among the data display "windows" are multichannel (1-32 channel) strip chart displays and integrated spectra which include statistical errors of individual data points. The software is written in an object-oriented language based on FORTH. Using this approach, a very sophisticated, reliable user interface can be implemented by a single programmer in a short time (several weeks). A similar con-trol environment which will include both telescope and instruments will be implemented via communications between a Macintosh or similar "smart terminal" and a single observatory computer which communicates with additional telescope and instrument control computers.
Conformational Properties of Purine-Like C-Nucleosides

Abstract The multiplicities and chemical shifts of the 5′-hydroxyl resonances in the NMR spectra of a series of purine-like C-nucleosides reflect the presence of a hydrogen bond to N(1), and hence afford a method for assessing solution syn/anti conformational preferences. This paper is dedicated to Dr. Yoshihisa Mizuno on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
Inelastic collisions of CaH with He at cryogenic temperatures

Using helium buffer gas cooling, we have prepared dense samples of ground-state molecular calcium monohydride (CaH X 2Σ) at cryogenic temperatures. We have used optical pumping to polarise the spin state of the CaH molecules and we have measured the inelastic collisions of molecular CaH with atomic helium at temperatures from 2 to 7 K. The measured CaH electronic spin depolarisation rate coefficient increases rapidly with increasing temperature, increasing from 2 × 10−13 cm3 s−1 to over 10−11 cm3 s−1. The strong dependence of rate coefficient on temperature is attributed to the CaH population in the first excited rotational state.
Kinetics of trichloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA) are environmental contaminants that are suspected human carcinogens. To obtain more detail on the role of the liver in the kinetics of TCA and DCA, experimental studies in the isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL) system were conducted. The IPRL system was dosed with either 5 or 50 μmol of either TCA or DCA (25 or 250 μM initial concentration, respectively). TCA and DCA concentrations were followed in perfusion medium and bile for 2 h. The chemical concentration in liver was determined at the end of exposure. Liver viability was monitored by measuring leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into perfusion medium and the rate of bile production. Studies performed with TCA showed that the total TCA concentration in perfusion medium decreased slightly during the first 30 min of exposure and remained constant thereafter. Most TCA, greater than 90% of total, was bound to albumin in the perfusion medium. A low, linear excretion rate of TCA in bile was obtained. The calculated free TCA concentration in the liver intracellular water space was higher than the unbound TCA concentration in the perfusion medium. Parallel studies with DCA showed that the DCA concentration in perfusion medium decreased rapidly. Of the total DCA in the perfusion medium, 60% was bound to albumin. The concentration of DCA in bile decreased over time. There was no DCA detectable in the liver after 2 h of exposure at both DCA concentrations. Enzyme leakage and bile production did not change in the presence of TCA or DCA, indicating that these concentrations were not acutely cytotoxic to the liver.
Simultaneous monitoring of spectral and temporal Xe - Cl excimer laser-induced fluorescence

We present a method that enables us to construct fluorescence fingerprints from samples, with respect both to wavelength- and to time-dependences. A Xe - Cl excimer laser is used for excitation of fluorescing compounds. For every fluorophore, the time course of the fluorescence is recorded over time, as a function of the emission wavelength, subsequent to photoexcitation. Time-resolved multispectral analysis is performed. We derive a linear spectro-temporal kernel: a weighting function, which describes the temporal behaviour of the fluorescence spectrum within the time-bandwidth imposed by our sampling interval (Nyquist frequency), independently of the pulse width of the excitation . The data analysis revealed both the static and the dynamic fluorescence properties of the fluorophores under study.
Hydroa Vacciniforme with Oral Mucosal Involvement

We report the occurrence of oral ulcers in a 6-year-old girl with hydroa vacciniforme. This finding has not hitherto been reported in the literature.
The Tribolium spineless ortholog specifies both larval and adult antennal identity

The morphology of insect antennae varies widely among species, but our understanding of antennal development comes almost solely from studies of one species-the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Moreover, this knowledge applies mostly to adult structures, since Drosophila lacks external larval appendages. In contrast to Drosophila, the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, has both larval and adult antennae, which are very different from one another in morphology. Thus, Tribolium provides an ideal system to compare modes of antennal development both within and between species. Here, we report that the Tribolium ortholog of spineless (Tc-ss) is required in both the larval and adult antennae. Knockdown of Tc-ss by RNAi during either larval or imaginal development causes transformation of the distal portion of the antennae to legs. Thus, the function of ss is conserved between Drosophila and Tribolium with respect to adult antennal specification and also between Tribolium larval and adult antennal development. The similarity of the Tc-ss RNAi phenotype to that of a classically described Tribolium mutation, antennapedia (ap) (of no relationship to the Drosophila Hox gene of the same name), led us to characterize the original ap mutation and two newly identified ap alleles. Our mapping and phenotypic data suggest that Tc-ss is the best candidate for the ap locus. These results represent a first step in characterizing larval and adult antennal patterning in Tribolium, which should provide important insights into the evolution of insect antennal development.
A Disputed Utopia: Islamic Economics in Revolutionary Iran

Many Islamic reformist movements are struggling to establish an Islamic economic order. This would be an ideal society based on the teachings of Islam and resembling Islam's golden age, when Muhammad ruled over Medina for ten years (A.D. 622-32). Similar to other utopias, the Islamic ideal world would be a just and humane society, without the exploitation, domination, alienation, and other social ills that have afflicted the contemporary capitalist and socialist societies. Islamic economic order is presented by these reformist movements and their theoreticians as a third path (neither capitalism nor socialism), a path toward social harmony and economic justice. Islamic economists have attempted to delineate the general outline of the organization of economic relations according to the teachings of Islam. The study of the outline of an Islamic economic order is called Islamic economics.2
High temperature infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed species during catalytic reaction

A reaction system and a high temperature cell have been developed for the infrared spectroscopy of surface species during catalytic reaction. The reaction system was a closed circulation apparatus operated by a bellows pump, and the temperature of catalyst in the cell could be varied over a wide range from –195 to 700°C. Thus, formate ion was detected on an alumina catalyst during the water gas shift reaction between 300 and 500°C. Also, the combination of the infrared spectroscopy with the temperature-programed desorption of adsorbed species made it possible to measure the amount of the formate ion on the catalyst.
Heat transfer from circular tubes in a semi-infinite medium

Un modele numerique base sur la methode de l'integrale de frontiere est utilise pour l'analyse du transfert de chaleur par conduction a 2 dimensions stationnaire de tubes circulaires isothermes dans un milieu semi-infini
Laminar flow efficiency of stratified chilled-water storage tanks

This paper presents results for the efficiency of a stratified chilled-water storage tank with one inlet and one outlet. Numerical solutions for the two-dimensional, unsteady, laminar flow during stably stratified tank filling are compared with a one-dimensional model involving only conductive heat transfer across the thermocline separating the entering cold water and the exiting warm water. This one-dimensional model represents the minimum level of thermal mixing. The difference between the one-dimensional and two-dimensional models are revealed by a horizontal average of the governing equation for the two-dimensional model. Comparison reveals that for inlet Reynolds numbers of approximately 100, the efficiency of the actual, two-dimensional filling is less than 10% below the optimal efficiency of the model. Examination of an effective diffusivity, which can be associated with the mixing ignored in the one-dimensional model, reveals that the early and late stages of the tank-filling process are responsible for most of the deviation between the actual and ideal performances. For the present Reynolds number range, the two-dimensional predictions for effective diffusivity agree well with values derived from published experimental data.
Multidisciplinary Approaches and Assessment Techniques to Better Understand and Enhance Zoo Nonhuman Animal Welfare

Nonhuman animal welfare is a complex concept that encompasses an animal's biological functioning, emotional states, and opportunities to experience a natural life, including the performance of natural behaviors. Further, animal welfare can be viewed as quality of life from the perspective of the animal and thus must consider the animal's subjective experiences. Therefore, assessing and enhancing animal welfare should include multidisciplinary, scientific ventures that strive to create a complete picture of how animals' bodies and minds respond to both aversive and pleasant situations. Practical assessment of animal welfare should include outcome-based measures from the animal that provide information about the individual's welfare as well as resource-based measures that can help identify causes of or risk factors for poor welfare. Increasingly, scientists are examining the emotional states of animals as well as the impact of pain, pleasure, and consciousness on animal welfare. This article discusses approaches such as preference testing, instrumental learning, examination of space and resource use, and qualitative assessments of animal welfare that might be useful and practical for assessing and enhancing welfare in zoo settings.
Multiple arteriovenous aneurysms of soft tissues and bone (pelvis and vertebrae) resulting in cardiac failure.

Abstract A case is presented of a 34-year-old man who was hospitalized because of a three-month history of dependent edema and orthopnea. A diagnosis of rheumatic valvulitis was entertained, based upon the patient's age, the obvious signs of right and left heart failure, and a high pulse pressure. The absence of a murmur of aortic insufficiency in the presence of Corrigan's pulse prompted the consideration of arteriovenous fistula. Murmurs were heard in the lower vetebral and posterior pelvic regions and x-ray examinations of these areas revealed numerous lytic lesion. The coincidence of the pelvic murmurs and osseous lysis led to the clinical diagnosis of angiosarcoma with arteriovenous fistulas and resultant heart failure. An unusual low-salt syndrome, owing to salt deprivation and mercurial diuretics, was present. He expired five weeks after admission. Autopsy disclosed an extraordinary cardiac hypertrophy and multiple communications between the left hypogastric artery and the left common iliac vein. A very large aneurysmal sac was found occupying most of the posterior pelvic cavity. Extending posteriorly were dilated vessels which entered the pelvic and vertebral bones to form loculated, interconnected, intraosseous vascular channels. Evidence is presented which suggests that these vascular lessions are developmental anomalies. When one recalls that arteries and veins have a common embryonic origin from a capillary plexus, lying in close proximity to large vascular trunks, it is quite surprising that abnormal vascular communications do not occur more frequently. An alertness to this possibility may prompt the more frequent discovery of deeply hidden arteriovenous fistulas in those cases of decompensated heart disease in which the physical signs do not explain adequately the clinical findings.
International Education and Service Learning Approaches Toward Cultural Competency and Social Justice

The field of counseling psychology continues to see a perpetual underutilization of mental health resources by many cultural groups, including international populations. Underutilization of services is due, in part, to psychologists’ deficiency in cultural and international competency. International education—an experiential learning technique that involves cultural contact—has been proposed as an alternative method for training students to work effectively cross-culturally. The current article examines the effects of service learning embedded in a study abroad diversity course in Singapore. The course was designed for graduate counseling psychology students as an experiential vehicle for developing cultural competency and awareness of social justice issues through direct contact with diverse groups. Qualitative data are reviewed, and implications for training, such as integration of cross-cultural and social justice issues in counseling training programs, are discussed.
Suggestions on Teaching International Students: Advice for Psychology Instructors.

In this article, I alert psychology faculty to some pertinent but often overlooked issues regarding international students. These students sometimes face communication barriers and cultural differences in addressing professors. In addition, international students studying in the United States must adhere to American immigration laws regarding full-time study status and school employment (e.g., research and teaching assistantships). In this article, I discuss these issues and suggest solutions for overcoming various barriers.
A Coincidence-Based Test for Uniformity Given Very Sparsely Sampled Discrete Data

How many independent samples N do we need from a distribution p to decide that p is epsiv-distant from uniform in an L1 sense, Sigmai=1 m |p(i) - 1/m| > epsiv? (Here m is the number of bins on which the distribution is supported, and is assumed known a priori.) Somewhat surprisingly, we only need N epsiv2 Gt m 1/2 to make this decision reliably (this condition is both sufficient and necessary). The test for uniformity introduced here is based on the number of observed ldquocoincidencesrdquo (samples that fall into the same bin), the mean and variance of which may be computed explicitly for the uniform distribution and bounded nonparametrically for any distribution that is known to be epsiv-distant from uniform. Some connections to the classical birthday problem are noted.
Personality And IT Project Team Makeup

IT project success continues to present major problems for organizations. The CHAOS survey results for 2004 report that only 29% of IT projects were considered successful, 53% were challenged, and 18% were considered failures. Many of these problems are avoidable and it is important to understand the various success factors associated with IT projects. This study provides insight into improving these inadequate IT project outcomes by investigating the influence of IT project team member personality traits on project success factors. The “Big Five” factor model of personality is utilized to measure team member personality characteristics. Relationships between the Big Five personality traits and the project success factors of “on schedule” and “quality” are evaluated. Results indicate the personality trait of extroversion is positively associated with keeping the project on schedule, while the trait of openness to experience is negatively associated with keeping the project on schedule. In addition, conscientiousness was found to have a positive influence on project quality. Agreeableness was not evaluated and no significant relationship was found between emotional stability and project success.
A security model for object-oriented databases

An authorization model for object-oriented databases is developed. This model consists of a set of policies, a structure for authorization rules, and an algorithm to evaluate access requests against the authorization rules. The model is illustrated by a specific database system intended for CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/manufacturing) applications, and incorporates knowledge rules with a database of objects combined through an object-oriented semantic association model (OSAM). The database is composed of objects that include a collection of facts and a collection of relevant rules. All the knowledge manipulation operations can be used to express the rules. Some of these rules could be integrity or security rule, i.e. they could be the basis for a mechanism to enforce integrity or security. >
Cities in the Telecommunications Age: The Fracturing of Geographies

James O. Wheeler, Yuko Aoyama, and Barney Warf, eds. New York: Routledge, 2000. ix and 350 pp., maps, diags., tables, photos., notes, biblio., and index. $27.95 paper (ISBN 0-415-92442-1). Fueled b...
The Drosophila dorsal-ventral patterning gene tolloid is related to human bone morphogenetic protein 1.

Abstract Mutations in the Drosophila tolloid (tld) gene lead to a partial transformation of dorsal ectoderm into ventral ectoderm. The null phenotype of tld is similar to, but less severe than decapentaplegic (dpp) , a TGF-β family member required for the formation of all dorsal structures. We have cloned the tld locus by P element tagging. At the blastoderm stage, tld RNA is expressed dorsally, similar to that described for dpp . Analysis of a tld cDNA reveals three sequence motifs: an N terminal region of similarity to a metalloprotease, two EGF-like repeats, and five copies of a repeat found in human complement proteins C1r and C1s. tld sequence is 41% identical to human bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP-1); the closest members to dpp within the TGF-β superfamily are BMP-2 and BMP-4, two other bone morphogenetic proteins. These findings suggest that these genes are members of a signal generating pathway that has been conserved between insects and mammals.
The construction of an optimal weakly divergence-free macroelement

The divergence-free finite element method (DFFEM) is a method to find an approximate solution of the Navier-Stokes equations in a divergence-free space. That is, the continuity equation is satisfied a priori. DFFEM eliminates the pressure from the calculations and reduces significantly the dimension of the system to be solved at each time step. For the standard 8-node velocity and 4-node pressure DFFEM, an optimal basis for the weakly divergence-free subspace is constructed such that each basis function has non-zero support on at most nine contiguous elements. Given this basis, weakly divergence-free macroelements are constructed.
Better Estimates of Confidence Intervals for Very Low Error Rate Population

In the estimation of error rates for populations, whose error rate is quite small, the usual assumption of normality can lead to erroneous results. The confidence interval that is actually calculated for any given probability will have too low a lower bound, and not a high enough upper bound. Thus, the user may be misled into too optimistic a view of the population being sampled. This article discusses the nature of the problem and provides graphs from which the more accurate interval can be read. The final section of the paper deals with the related problem of confidence intervals when the observed error rate is zero. Tables are provided which facilitates the developing of confidence statements for such samples.
Meta‐Optimization Using Cellular Automata with Application to the Combined Trip Distribution and Assignment System Optimal Problem

In this paper, meta-optimization and cellular automata have been introduced as a modeling environment for solving large-scale and complex transportation problems. A constrained system optimum combined trip distribution and assignment problem was selected to demonstrate the applicability of the cellular automata approach over classical mixed integer formulation. A mathematical formulation for the selected problem has been developed and a methodology for applying cellular automata has been presented. A numerical example network was used to illustrate the potential for using cellular automata as a modeling environment for solving optimization problems.
Discharge Current Modulation to Obtain the Pulse Operation of a Power CO 2 Laser, with Continuous Flow of the Gas

In the first part of the article there're presented pulse excitation methods of CO2 lasers, which permit the growth of the number of their applications in material processing. In the second part of the article it is presented a pulse excitation system of CO2 lasers, with continuous flow of the gas, with electrical discharge in glass pipes, which allows the pulse operation of the laser and automatic control of its parameters during the material processing. By Spice simulation was tested in time and frequency domains the Half-Bridge converter, and it was analyzed its stability.
The Costs of Beach Replenishment along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

Abstract Most existing studies of beach replenishments make approximations or use rules-of-thumb for the cost of the volume of material applied or the cost per length of shoreline. Using published historical data from the US Atlantic coast, we develop a statistical model of the costs of beach replenishment episodes. The model can be used to evaluate the costs of replenishment as a function of the volume of material, the beach length, the episode location, the year, the type of episode, and the source of funding. Although it has been observed that beach replenishment activities are small and declining in number in some areas, such as in New England, we expect that future coastal erosion expected from changes in sea levels as exacerbated by storm events eventually may lead to increased attention to the use of beach replenishment as a “soft” structural response. It is critical for coastal planners to compare sound estimates of the costs of soft structures to the costs of alternative responses, including hard...
Three dimensional multi-valued design in nanoscale integrated circuits

Novel three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale integrated circuits (nanoICs) are examined in this paper. These nanoICs are synthesized utilizing aggregated 3D neuronal-hypercells (/spl aleph/-hypercells) with multi-terminal electronic nanodevices. The proposed nanodevices ensure multi-valued input-output characteristic that lead to a direct technological solution of multi-valued logic synthesis problem. Super-high-performance computing architectures and memories can be devised (synthesized), designed and optimized. At the system-level, we examine nanoICs as networked aggregated 3D /spl aleph/-hypercells. In particular, scalable 3D /spl aleph/-hypercell topologies are under consideration. These /spl aleph/-hypercells integrate interconnected functional multi-terminal electronic nanodevices that implement logic functions. The proposed nanoICs platform suits the envisioned cognizant computing ensuring preeminent information processing and immense memory.
The logic of demand in Haskell

Haskell is a functional programming language whose evaluation is lazy by default. However, Haskell also provides pattern matching facilities which add a modicum of eagerness to its otherwise lazy default evaluation. This mixed or “non-strict” semantics can be quite difficult to reason with. This paper introduces a programming logic, P-logic, which neatly formalizes the mixed evaluation in Haskell pattern-matching as a logic, thereby simplifying the task of specifying and verifying Haskell programs. In p-logic, aspects of demand are reflected or represented within both the predicate language and its model theory, allowing for expressive and comprehensible program verification.
Continuous Gain Calibration of Parallel Delta Sigma A/D Converters

A method to correct for gain errors in each channel of a parallel delta-sigma (PiDeltaSigma) converters in real-time is presented. The calibration technique requires an additional channel that is linearly dependant on PiDeltaSigma channels used. By introducing the redundancy in a system, the adaptive LMS algorithm can be used to correct for gain errors within the channels. Using a 16-channel PiDeltaSigma converter with 4th order delta-sigma modulators and oversampling rate of 6, the simulation results show a 90 dB reduction in unwanted tones caused by 1% gain mismatch
Optimal operation of integrated processing systems. Part I: Open‐loop on‐line optimizing control

A method for tracking the economically optimal operating conditions of a chemical process in the presence of constraints is developed. The technique is based on an on-line search rather than a fundamental model. The most profitable operating point is found by fitting a dynamic model of the process based on data obtained from experimental moves on the plant. This model is used to compute gradients of the economic objective and of the constraints so that a direction of economic improvement inside the allowed operating region of the plant is always obtained. Constraint violations during the transients are prevented by a multivariable regulator. A new regulation method (Internal Model Control) is used which permits explicit handling of constraints and which can be made robust against modelling errors. This combined optimization/regulation approach is tested in a demonstrative simulation example and shown to be reliable for following a moving optimum and safely handling complex constraint moves.
The Sage Operating System

The author describes SAGE, an operating system designed for real-time supervisory control applications. The SAGE kernel runs on a Motorola 68020 processor board and provides a variety of services, including process and memory management, protocol support, and precise timing facilities. In addition, file system capabilities are provided through remote procedure calls made over a LAN interface. Development tools, which run on a Sun workstation, allow programs to be compiled and dynamically downloaded to the SAGE host as needed. >
Should Physician-Assisted Suicide be Legalized? A Challenge for the 21 st Century

The author discusses the sociological, psychological and medical factors at the basis of physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The patient's intolerable pain and suffering are viewed as motives for PAS, together with the physician's possible loss of a sense of professional omnipotence. Both the patient and the assisting doctor are thought to be essentially victims of a technological era. A utilitarian approach to human despair is seen as a short-sighted solution to a tragic problem. The author suggests a more humane approach to the dying patient, and warns against the possibility of falling onto the so-called slippery slope of active euthanasia in the eventuality of the legalization of the practice of physician assisted suicide.
PSpice Modeling of Three-Phase Transformer

PSpice is being used as a simulation tool for analysis and design of power electronic circuits. A transformer is an integral part of power electronic equipment and it is usually the input stage of a high power converter. A good model of the transformer is needed to evaluate the performance parameters of power converters. The non-linear characteristic of a magnetic circuit makes modeling complicated. This paper presents four models of three-phase transformers, which are used to evaluate the performances of a three-phase diode rectifier.
The Effects of Individual Differences in Test Anxiety and Type of Orienting Task on Levels of Organization in Free Recall.

Abstract In Experiment 1, high and low test-anxious subjects recalled a list composed of words that could be organized either by taxonomic categories or first letters. High-anxiety subjects showed less recall and conceptual clustering. There was no anxiety difference in alphabetic clustering, but low-anxiety subjects used alphabetic clusters to bridge transitions between conceptual categories more often than did high-anxiety subjects. An initial orienting task which required semantic processing reduced the recall deficit for high-anxiety subjects but not the clustering deficit. Low-anxiety subjects seemed minimally affected by a nonsemantic-orienting task. Experiment 2 used a list that could be organized by associates or rhymes. High-anxiety subjects recalled less and exhibited less clustering of both types. The nonsemantic-orienting task depressed performance for both anxiety levels, though the effect was somewhat greater for high-anxiety subjects. Overall, these results provide little evidence to support the hypothesis that high-anxiety subjects process differently only for semantic content, but methodological limitations preclude unequivocally rejecting that view.
Clinical Management of a Patient with Chronic Recurrent Vertigo Following a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Vertigo, was provoked and right torsional up-beat nystagmus was observed in a 47-year-old patient when she was placed into the right Hallpike-Dix test position using infrared goggle technology. The clinical diagnosis was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), specifically right posterior canalithiasis, resulting from a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffered approximately six-months earlier. Previous medical consultations did not include vestibular system examination, and Meclizine was prescribed to suppress her chief complaint of vertigo. Ultimately, the patient was successfully managed by performing two canalith repositioning maneuvers during a single clinical session. The patient reported 100% resolution of symptoms upon reexamination the following day, and the Hallpike-Dix test was negative. Continued symptom resolution was subjectively reported 10 days postintervention via telephone consultation. This case report supports previous publications concerning the presence of BPPV following TBI and the need for inclusion of vestibular system examination during medical consultation.
Methamphetamine Self-Administration in the Cat*

A procedure for studying intravenous drug self-administration in the cat is described. Ten cats were given 24-h access to methamphetamine reinforcement (0.04 mg/kg/inj.). The subjects maintained a significantly higher response rate for drug reinforcement than for saline. The pattern of self-administration over days alternated between periods of high and low drug intake. Six additional cats were used to study the effect of dose per injection on methamphetamine self-administration under conditions of limited access. When methamphetamine was substituted at various doses per infusion in animals maintained on cocaine reinforcement, response rate was shown to be an inverted U-shaped function of dose. These studies demonstrate that methamphetamine is a reinforcer in the cat and its patterns of intake under conditions of 24-h and limited access resemble other species.
Exploring the sensitivity of soil carbon dynamics to climate change, fire disturbance and permafrost thaw in a black spruce ecosystem

Abstract. In the boreal region, soil organic carbon (OC) dynamics are strongly governed by the interaction between wildfire and permafrost. Using a combination of field measurements, numerical modeling of soil thermal dynamics, and mass-balance modeling of OC dynamics, we tested the sensitivity of soil OC storage to a suite of individual climate factors (air temperature, soil moisture, and snow depth) and fire severity. We also conducted sensitivity analyses to explore the combined effects of fire-soil moisture interactions and snow seasonality on OC storage. OC losses were calculated as the difference in OC stocks after three fire cycles (~500 yr) following a prescribed step-change in climate and/or fire. Across single-factor scenarios, our findings indicate that warmer air temperatures resulted in the largest relative soil OC losses (~5.3 kg C m−2), whereas dry soil conditions alone (in the absence of wildfire) resulted in the smallest carbon losses (~0.1 kg C m−2). Increased fire severity resulted in carbon loss of ~3.3 kg C m−2, whereas changes in snow depth resulted in smaller OC losses (2.1–2.2 kg C m−2). Across multiple climate factors, we observed larger OC losses than for single-factor scenarios. For instance, high fire severity regime associated with warmer and drier conditions resulted in OC losses of ~6.1 kg C m−2, whereas a low fire severity regime associated with warmer and wetter conditions resulted in OC losses of ~5.6 kg C m−2. A longer snow-free season associated with future warming resulted in OC losses of ~5.4 kg C m−2. Soil climate was the dominant control on soil OC loss, governing the sensitivity of microbial decomposers to fluctuations in temperature and soil moisture; this control, in turn, is governed by interannual changes in active layer depth. Transitional responses of the active layer depth to fire regimes also contributed to OC losses, primarily by determining the proportion of OC into frozen and unfrozen soil layers.
Limited-angle image reconstruction in non-destructive evaluation

The practice and the theory of image reconstruction in conventional x-ray computerized tomography (CT) is briefly reviewed. Limited-angle CT is introduced where it is shown that scanning in a restricted angular range results in missing information, which in term causes the problem to become underdetermined. The use of generally available a priori information can compensate for the missing information and therefore improve the reconstructed image. An efficient iterative transform algorithm which utilizes the a priori information in conjunction with the limited-angle x-ray data to reconstruct the object is described. The object is transformed back and forth between the object space and the projection space, being corrected by the a priori information in the object space, and the limited-angle known projections in the projection space. The use of the convex hull of the object in image reconstruction is intorduced, and the procedure for the construction of the hull from the x-ray data detailed. The use of more specific a priori information is shown to further improve the reconstructed image. Finally, the applications of limited-angle image reconstruction to the reduction of scan time and dosage in fan beam scanning, image improvement in conventional digital tomography, and ultrasonic flaw characterization are discussed.
Silicon thin-film solar cells at high growth rate under constant power-to-flow ratio plasma conditions

Abstract This work approaches the problem of increasing the growth rate of device quality a-Si:H by using the simplest case, a standard RF-PECVD system and pure silane as feedstock gas. Starting from plasma conditions which provided a high-quality material at very low deposition rates, the silane flow and the applied power ( RFP ) were proportionally increased. As a result, the growth rate showed an almost linear increase with the RFP . An exhaustive analysis of the material obtained revealed the existence of a wide window in which the structural/optoelectronic properties remain unchanged. Within this window, a-Si:H p-i-n solar cells were fabricated in order to verify the applicability of the procedure proposed to the development of device structures. The initial results showed an excellent behaviour of the solar cells at higher growth rates, without any relevant detriment in the collection capability and fill factor. Thus, the constant power-to-flow ratio is presented as an easy and reliable method to reduce the deposition time which, additionally, could be applied to any variant of plasma CVD system.
The Press and 'Unprecedented' Presidential Travel: Comparing the Clinton and Obama Visits to Ghana in the Ghanaian Times and the New York Times

Presidential trips abroad are supposedly important public diplomacy, and public relations, activities. Yet little is known about how presidential trips abroad are covered by the mass media, especially in the foreign “host” countries. This study examines media coverage of two “ground-breaking” presidential visits to the same region and country: Bill Clinton’s 1998 and Barack Obama’s 2009 trips to Ghana in West Africa. It utilizes a “double comparative case study” approach by comparing these two events by one major American media outlet - the New York Times - with a leading local newspaper in the host nation, the Ghanaian Times.Various factors, such as newsworthiness criteria, ownership influences, the political substance of the visits themselves, and the role and context of the two countries in the global geopolitical system are used as tools to analyze the coverage.
Some Observations on Tool Wear in Single Point Diamond Turning of Stainless Steel

Single point diamond turning (SPDT) is a cost effective technique for production of certain types of optical, opto-electronic, and mechanical elements. SPDT is often considered a “new” technology, even though single crystal natural diamonds have been used by engravers for millennia and as lathe tools for centuries1. The technology which, today, is commonly referred to as single point diamond turning (SPDT) has roots in parallel developments in Europe and the USA starting in the 1940s.
Trustworthy Self-Integrating Systems

Patients in intensive care often have a dozen or more medical devices and sensors attached to them. Each is a self-contained system that operates in ignorance of the others, and their integrated operation as a system of systems that delivers coherent therapy is performed by doctors and nurses. But we can easily imagine a scenario where the devices recognize each other and self-integrate (perhaps under the guidance of a master “therapy app”) into a unified system. Similar scenarios can be (and are) envisaged for vehicles and roads, and for the devices and services in a home. These self-integrating systems have the potential for significant harm as well as benefit, so as they integrate they should adapt and configure themselves appropriately and should construct an “assurance case” for the utility and safety of the resulting system. Thus, trustworthy self-integration requires autonomous adaptation, synthesis, and verification at integration time, and this means that embedded automated deduction (i.e., theorem provers) will be the engine of integration.
Mn K-Edge X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) Studies of La1-xSrxMnO3

Systematic Mn K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements on samples of La1-xSrxMnO3, which are precursors to colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) materials, are reported. Detailed results on the edge or chemical shift as a function of Sr concentration (hole doping) and sample preparation (air vs oxygen annealed), are discussed. For comparison, a systematic XANES study of the Mn K-edge energy shift, denoting valence change in Mn, has been made in standard manganese oxide systems. Contrary to expectations, the variation in near-edge energies for Mn in La0.725Sr0.275MnO3 were small when compared to the difference between that for manganese oxide standards of nominal valence of +3 and +4 (Mn2O3 and MnO2).
Pbzt/Polyamide Thermoplastic Micro-Composites - An Outgrowth of Molecular Composites Development

Molecular composites are dispersions of rigid-rod polymer molecules in a matrix of flexible coil polymers, formed by the coagulation of a solution containing these components. Where there is aggregation of the rigid-rod molecules, such composites are called micro-composites (MC's). These composites offer the potential for better economics and improvements in composite processing, and possibly performance, over conventional ‘string and glue’ composites. This paper describes work performed under contract to the U. S. Air Force to develop PBZT/thermoplastic molecular composites into a viable technology. A commercially viable MC spinning and heat-treatment process has been defined based on a novel mixed solvent/quaternary solution technology developed by Du Pont. Advantages of this process include better economics, superior processing performance, and improved MC fiber tensile properties versus prior art. PBZT/polyamide MC fibers with strength/modulus of 332 ksi/29 Msi have been produced using this process. Adhesion equivalent to that obtained in conventional composites has been demonstrated. Uni-axial properties achieved to date compare favorably with conventional ‘string and glue’ PBZT/epoxy composites although compressive and shear strengths may be limiting factors in MC applications.
Effects of Message Framing and Past Experience on Intentions to Prevent Human–Coyote Conflicts

To test the effects of message framing on intentions to participate in seven behaviors to prevent coyote problems, we randomly assigned 461 participants to a control (no message) group or one of fo...
Robust optimization in high dimensions

Introduction Optimization has a distinguished history in engineering and industrial design. Most approaches, however, assume that the input parameters are precisely known and that the implementation does not suffer any errors. Information used to model a problem is often noisy, incomplete or even erroneous. In science and engineering, measurement errors are inevitable. In business applications, the cost and selling price as well as the demand for a product are, at best, expert opinions. Moreover, even if uncertainties in the model data can be ignored, solutions cannot be implemented to infinite precision, as assumed in continuous optimization. Therefore, an “optimal” solution can easily be sub-optimal or, even worse, infeasible. There has been evidence illustrating that if errors (in implementation or estimation of parameters) are not taken into account during the design process, the actual phenomenon can completely disappear. A prime example is optimizing the truss design for suspension bridges. The Tacoma Narrows bridge was the first of its kind that was optimized to divert the wind above and below the roadbed [1]. Only a few months after its opening in 1940, it collapsed due to moderate winds which caused twisting vibrational modes. In another example, Ben-Tal and Nemirovski demonstrated that only 5% errors can entirely destroy the radiation characteristics of an otherwise optimized phased locked and impedance matched array of antennas [2]. Therefore, taking errors into account during the optimization process is a first-order effect. Traditionally, sensitivity analysis was performed to study the impact of perturbations on specific designs and to find solutions that are least sensitive among a larger set of optima.
Ras and RASSF Effector Proteins

Abstract Activated Ras, in addition to having well-characterized mitogenic effects, is a potent inducer of growth arrest and cell death. Indeed, the normal response to constitutive Ras activation in a non-transformed cell may be suicide, not transformation. For activated Ras to fully manifest its transforming properties, a series of tumor suppressor pathways must be disabled. The RASSF family of proteins are Ras effectors that are also tumor suppressors. They serve to link Ras to the activation of pro-apoptotic and pro-senescent signaling pathways. The inactivation of these “death effectors” is very common in human tumors and facilitates Ras-mediated transformation by uncoupling Ras from growth/survival inhibitory biological processes.
A Behavioral Approach to Organizational Change: Reinforcing Those Responsible for Facilitating the Climate and Hence Promoting Diversity

ABSTRACTDespite the passage of the U.S. Civil Rights Act in 1964, cries can still be heard for a more diverse workforce. Among the difficulties are retaining often sought-after women and minorities. In this 2-year demonstration, change agents—the provost, deans, and heads of departments/schools of a large public university—were helped to deliberately and directly change the milieu of their departments and schools so as to encourage faculty to remain. Uniquely suited to organizational change, the behavioral approach identifies constructive actions for change agents and, most importantly, provides proven strategies for motivating them. Fostering a supportive climate was defined in terms of change agents’ behaviors. The Building Behaviorally Based Climate Survey was developed and validated. Recognition and feedback were provided in what is typically a feedback desert. This reinforcement model can be used to create and sustain inviting atmospheres, hence enticing all faculty, including women and minority facu...
DNA and Higher Plant Systematics: Some Examples from the Legumes

In the last few years, the DNA revolution has begun to have a dramatic impact on the field of plant systematics. Access to the various plant genomes--chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear--has provided the systematist with a virtually inexhaustible source of characters for phylogenetic analysis. The interaction of DNA technology and cladistic analysis has been particularly powerful: the tools for producing empirical data relevant to phylogenetic relationship have been complemented by a rigorous theoretical framework on which to build explicit hypotheses of homology and phylogeny. This potent combination has led to a rapid acceptance of molecular approaches in “mainstream” plant systematics, which has been manifested in a large number of publications and papers at plant systematics meetings (at least in the USA) involving DNA phylogenies. Not all of the three genomes have received equal attention, however, nor have the tools that are currently most widely used been shown to be useful at all taxonomic levels. Furthermore, the role of polymorphism, of confidence in phylogenies, and in general of the difference between gene trees and species trees is only slowly becoming appreciated among plant systematists and clearly should have some impact on the development of the field.