cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of high-order synchronous generator models from SSFR test data

This paper presents a direct maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to identify the synchronous machine models based on the standstill frequency response (SSFR) test data. The method presented in this study is the first and only algorithm utilizing all available SSFR test data under both shorted and open field circuit conditions to establish a unique equivalent circuit model by maximizing the conditional probability density function of the error residuals. The method is applied to the modeling of two well-known generators, namely the Rockport and Nanticoke generators, using the measured SSFR test data. The results of the study show that by incorporating both the open and short-circuit SSFR data in the modeling process, the SSFR characteristics of the two generators can be accurately represented by the established high order synchronous models up to 1 kHz. The identified synchronous machine model consists of five amortisseur windings on each axis. In addition, an eddy-current effect impedance is included in the d-axis model for representing the increased influence of rotor eddy current under the open-circuit test condition. >
Possible Experiments for Manned Orbiting Laboratory

Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) will provide the opportunity for space experiments and an assessment of man's ability to perform at zero gravity. The experiments discussed (nine in all) are designed to provide astrophysical and terrestrial information on ultraviolet, airglow, upper atmosphere chemistry, solar corona investigations, observation of objects at or near the sun's limb, cosmic ray investigations, planetary astronomy, and ionospheric investigations including plasmas.
Tectonic setting and sandstone petrofacies of the Bisbee basin(USA–Mexico)

Abstract The Late Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous Bisbee basin spanning the USA–Mexico border was part of the Border rift system, which extended into the continental block from the Gulf of Mexico in response to Cordilleran slab rollback. Rift initiation was marked by eruption of a bimodal mid-Jurassic volcanic assemblage succeeding Early to Middle Jurassic arc volcanism. The core of the Bisbee basin is delineated by Upper Jurassic marine strata of limited extent, and by more widespread syntectonic conglomerate of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age derived from intrabasinal fault blocks of synrift paleotopography. Subsequent thermotectonic subsidence of the rift belt induced Early Cretaceous marine and nonmarine sedimentation spreading from the basin core to its flanks, with peak Aptian–Albian transgression marked by deposition of platformal limestone. Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Laramide deformation disrupted the Bisbee deposystems. Bisbee sandstones include arkosic petrofacies derived from intrabasinal fault blocks, lithic (volcaniclastic) petrofacies derived principally from the coeval Alisitos arc to the southwest, subquartzose petrofacies derived mainly from the Mogollon paleohighland forming the northern rift shoulder, and quartzose petrofacies also derived from the rift shoulder. The joint association of disparate petrofacies reflects the unusual geotectonic setting of the Border rift belt.
Adaptive changes in heart rate ofAplysia californica

Various physiological stimuli and changes in state were found to modulate heart rate inAplysia californica. Heart rate increases following a meal, during spontaneous increases in activity, in response to an increase in temperature, to noxious or food stimuli, to moderate hypoxia and during eating. Heart rate decreases in response to extreme hypoxia and during eating in animals that are nearly satiated.
Influence of N and non-N salts on atmospheric methane oxidation by upland boreal forest and tundra soils.

The short-term (24 h) and medium-term (30 day) influence of N salts (NH4Cl, NaNO3 and NaNO2) and a non-N salt (NaCl) on first-order rate constants, k (h–1) and thresholds (CTh) for atmospheric CH4 oxidation by homogenized composites of upland boreal forest and tundra soils was assessed at salt additions ranging to 20 μmol g–1 dry weight (dw) soil. Additions of NH4Cl, NaNO3 and NaCl to 0.5 μmol g–1 dw soil did not significantly decrease k relative to watered controls in the short term. Higher concentrations significantly reduced k, with the degree of inhibition increasing with increasing dose. Similar doses of NH4Cl and NaCl gave comparable decreases in k relative to controls and both soils showed low native concentrations of NH4+-N (≤1 μmol g–1dw soil), suggesting that the reduction in k was due primarily to a salt influence rather than competitive inhibition of CH4 oxidation by exogenous NH4+-N or NH4+-N released through cation exchange. The decrease in k was consistently less for NaNO3 than for NH4Cl and NaCl at similar doses, pointing to a strong inhibitory effect of the Cl– counter-anion. Thresholds for CH4 oxidation were less sensitive to salt addition than k for these three salts, as significant increases in CTh relative to controls were only observed at concentrations ≥1.0 μmol g–1 dw soil. Both soils were more sensitive to NaNO2 than to other salts in the short term, showing a significant decrease in k at an addition of 0.25 μmol NaNO2 g–1 dw soil that was clearly attributable to NO2–. Soils showed no recovery from NaCl, NH4+-N or NaNO3 addition with respect to atmospheric CH4 oxidation after 30 days. However, soils amended with NaNO2 to 1.0 μmol NaNO2 g–1 dw showed values of k that were not significantly different from controls. Recovery of CH4-oxidizing ability was due to complete oxidation of NO2–-N to NO3–-N. Analysis of soil concentrations of N salts necessary to inhibit atmospheric CH4 oxidation and regional rates of N deposition suggest that N deposition will not decrease the future sink strength of upland high-latitude soils in the atmospheric CH4 budget.
Three-dimensional Saturation Transfer 31 P-MRI in Muscles of the Lower Leg at 3.0 T

The creatine kinase (CK) reaction plays a critical role in skeletal muscle function, and can be studied non-invasively using phosphorus ((31)P) saturation transfer (ST) techniques. However, due to the low MR sensitivity of the (31)P nucleus, most studies on clinically approved magnetic fields (≤3.0 T) have been performed with coarse resolution and limited tissue coverage. However, such methods are not able to detect spatially resolved metabolic heterogeneities, which may be important in diseases of the skeletal muscle. In this study, our aim was to develop and implement a (31)P-MRI method for mapping the kinetics of the CK reaction, and the unidirectional phosphocreatine (PCr) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolic fluxes in muscles of the lower leg on a clinical 3.0 T MR scanner. We imaged the lower leg muscles of ten healthy volunteers (total experimental time: 40 min, nominal voxel sizes 0.5 mL), and found statistically significant differences between the kinetics of the CK reaction among muscle groups. Our developed technique may allow in the future the early detection of focal metabolic abnormalities in diseases that affect the function of the skeletal muscle.
Streamlined reflective action research for creative instructional improvement

Busy educators find it difficult to work creatively in conditions imposed by ill‐conceived, politically charged reform initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Act. In order to keep up with research findings, emerging theories and practical recommendations in the creativity literature, they need accessible, highly condensed distillations of the literature to help them improve their work. They also need simplified investigative strategies to help them select, test and refine creative ideas that are best suited to their unique classroom settings. Two veteran elementary school educators, a generalist and a music specialist, used a highly condensed overview of creativity in a streamlined action research initiative. From the process, they gained a broad grasp of creativity concepts, discovered some personal creativity strengths and weaknesses, and made some targeted improvements in their classrooms.
Current Status of Disease-Modifying Drugs in Progressive Rheumatoid Arthritis

The goals of drug treatment in rheumatoid arthritis are twofold. Firstly, we attempt to suppress pain and inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), at times augmented by low doses of corticosteroids. These agents are throught not to modify the course of rheumatoid arthritis (O'Brien, 1983; Pinals, 1983). Secondly, we attempt to induce remission if the disease progresses despite rest and NSAIDs to involve by pain and swelling mUltiple (typically more than 6) joints. Most rheumatologists begin treating progressive rheumatoid arthritis within a few months of onset and are unwilling to wait for the signal of radiological erosions. The repertoire of disease-modifying drugs is small, especially if we insist on compounds that have proven effectiveness in double-blind controlled studies. These agents are listed in table I along with their putative sites of action (Lipsky, 1983) and their documented effects on radiological erosions. Absent from this list are methotrexate and levamisole, because of inadequately controlled trials with the former and unacceptable toxicity in the latter. The 4 classes of compounds, although differing in chemical structure and pharmacology, have some features in common. The onset of clinical improvement with each takes months to begin, and relapse of disease may be expected within a few months of cessation. Historically, there is room for some optimism in the search for disease-modifying drugs. Gold compounds were probably first tried in rheumatoid arthritis in the mistaken belief that the disease was a manifestation of tuberculosis (Bunch and O'Duffy, 1980). The chloroquine derivatives were accidentally found to be beneficial (Page, 1951), and D-penicillamine was used because it could dissociate macroglobulins (Jaffe, 1962). The immunosuppressive agents azathioprine and cyclophosphamide were targeted at abnormal immunological events in rheumatoid arthritis, as evidenced by abnormal production of rheumatoid factors and the presence in synovial tissues of abnormal collections of lymphocytes. All these compounds have been proven clinically effective in rheumatoid arthritis in studies that rarely exceeded 1 year, and have been reviewed in detail elsewhere (Bunch and O'Duffy, 1980). In this article we examine the evidence for sustained benefits, i.e. beyond 1 year of use.
Bringing the Countryside Back In: A Case Study of Military Intervention as State Building in the Brazilian Old Republic

Brazil's Contestado Rebellion (1912–1916) pitted 20,000 millenarian rebels against two-thirds of the Brazilian army. A major event in the consolidation of the Brazilian Republic, it serves as an important case study of the dynamics of central state intervention in the Brazilian hinterland. Local notables took advantage of a new, unprecedented central state presence to press for advantages in their local struggles. At the same time, officer experiences during the rebellion led them to question the institutional arrangements that they felt produced the conflict. The result was a new officer push for a nationalist, central state intervention during the Republic.
The Synovial Flap in Recurrent and Failed Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome is defined by a return of numbness after a symptom-free period after surgical decompression. The most common reason for recurrent symptoms is thought to be the formation of a constrictive scar. In this event, it seems reasonable to lay a barrier about the nerve after rerelease to try to prevent recurrent scar formation. We believe this approach is also reasonable during revision surgery for iatrogenic nerve injury. In this article, we describe the indications and technique and clinical experience using a synovial flap used to cover the median nerve after revision decompression at the wrist.
The Consequences of Perpetrating Psychological Aggression in Dating Relationships A Descriptive Investigation

Psychological aggression is the most prevalent form of aggression in dating relationships, with women perpetrating as much, if not more, psychological aggression than men. Researchers have advocated for an examination of the consequences that follow psychological aggression for the perpetrator, in hopes that this will lead to innovative intervention programs aimed at ameliorating dating violence. The current study investigated the self-reported consequences of having perpetrated psychological aggression against a dating partner among female college students in a current dating relationship (N = 115). Participants endorsed numerous consequences as having followed their perpetration of psychological aggression, including both punishing and potentially reinforcing consequences. Furthermore, findings indicated that for some perpetrators, psychological aggression may function as a method of emotion regulation. Implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed.
Teacher Candidates' Collaboration and Identity in Online Discussions.

In an online context, without facial, verbal or gestural cues, establishing identities through naming social positions appeared essential to effective written communication for graduate pre-service teacher candidates enrolled in a course on literacy education for elementary students. As they engaged in small group asynchronous discussions about course readings, candidates named their identities and deferred to course authors more often than they referenced group identities, or attempted to bond with one another. They engaged least frequently in disagreeing with one another, or challenging the authority of course texts, creating polite, cordial exchanges in most groups. Male candidates challenged their group members more often, suggesting differences in communication styles shaped their responses. Dialogue journaling shows promise in facilitating learner connection and building a sense of community by facilitating dialogue and decreasing psychological distance between participants who are geographically and temporally separated.
Gene expression signatures in chronic and aggressive periodontitis: a pilot study

This pilot study examined gene expression signatures in pathological gingival tissues of subjects with chronic or aggressive periodontitis, and explored whether new subclasses of periodontitis can be identified based on gene expression profiles. A total of 14 patients, seven with chronic and seven with aggressive periodontitis, were examined with respect to clinical periodontal status, composition of subgingival bacterial plaque assessed by checkerboard hybridizations, and levels of serum IgG antibodies to periodontal bacteria assayed by checkerboard immunoblotting. In addition, at least two pathological pockets/patient were biopsied, processed for RNA extraction, amplification and labeling, and used to study gene expression using Affymetrix U-133 A arrays. Based on a total of 35 microarrays, no significantly different gene expression profiles appeared to emerge between chronic and aggressive periodontitis. However, a de novo grouping of the 14 subjects into two fairly robust clusters was possible based on similarities in gene expression. These two groups had similar clinical periodontal status and subgingival bacterial profiles, but differed significantly with respect to serum IgG levels against the important periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythensis and Campylobacter rectus. These early data point to the usefulness of gene expression profiling techniques in the identification of subclasses of periodontitis with common pathobiology.
Don’t Wait Until You Get Whacked on the Knees: An Appreciation for Reflexive Management

Excerpt] An interesting question was recently posed by a guest speaker to undergraduate students in a strategic management course: “If you saw trash on the floor of your student cafeteria and lounge, would you bend down to pick it up? If you don't see the trash now, why should I trust that you will begin to see it when it is in my hotel cafeteria or lobby?”
Modeling, game theory, and strategic management

This paper examines the potential usefulness of game-theoretic modeling for the development of theory in strategic management. It is argued that there is significant potential for the development of ‘metaphorical’ models that capture the broad qualitative features of settings involving strategic interactions. The paper discusses the positive attributes of mathematical modeling, the nature and role of game-theoretic modeling, and its potential for contributing to empirical work and to providing advice to managers.
The Autoimmune Regulator Prevents Premature Reproductive Senescence in Female Mice

Loss-of-function mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene are responsible for autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1), which commonly manifests as infertility in women. AIRE is a transcriptional regulator that promotes expression of tissue-restricted antigens in the thymus, including antigens specific to the ovary. Thymic expression of ovarian genes under AIRE's control may be critical for preventing ovarian autoimmune disease. Because mice lacking Aire are an important APS-1 model, we examined the reproductive properties of female Aire-deficient (Aire−/−) mice. Female Aire−/− mice on the BALB/c background were examined for reproductive parameters, including fertility, litter sizes, and ovarian follicular reserves. Although delayed puberty was observed in Aire−/− mice, all mice entered puberty and exhibited mating behavior. Only 50% of Aire−/− females gave an initial litter, and only 16% were able to produce two litters. Ovarian histopathologic examination revealed that 83% of previously bred females lost all ovarian follicular reserves. Among virgin females, follicular depletion was observed in 25% by 8 wk, and by 20 wk, 50%–60% of mice lost all follicles. This was associated with elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone level and ovarian infiltration of proliferating CD3+ T lymphocytes. Ovulation rates of 6-wk-old Aire−/− mice were reduced by 22%, but this difference was not statistically significant. Finally, transplantation experiments revealed that follicular loss depended on factors extrinsic to the ovary. These results suggest that immune-mediated ovarian follicular depletion is a mechanism of infertility in Aire−/− mice. The results have important implications in the pathogenesis of ovarian autoimmune disease in women.
Heat shock protein 90 and calcineurin pathway inhibitors enhance the efficacy of triazoles against Scedosporium prolificans via induction of apoptosis.

Scedosporium prolificans is a pathogenic mold resistant to current antifungals, and infection results in high mortality. Simultaneous targeting of both ergosterol biosynthesis and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) or the cal- cineurin pathway in S. prolificans may be an important strategy for enhancing the potency of antifungal agents. We hypothesized that the inactive triazoles posaconazole (PCZ) and itraconazole (ICZ) acquire fungicidal activity when combined with the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus (TCR) or Hsp90 inhibitor 17-demethoxy-17-(2-propenylamino) geldanamycin (17AAG). PCZ, ICZ, TCR and 17AAG alone were inactive in vitro against S. prolificans spores (MICs > 128 μg/ml). In contrast, MICs for PCZ or ICZ in combination with TCR or 17AAG (0.125-0.50 μg/ml) were much lower compared with drug alone. In addition PCZ and ICZ in combination with TCR or 17AAG became fungicidal. Because apoptosis is regulated by the calcineurin pathway in fungi and is un- der the control of Hsp90, we hypothesized that this synergistic fungicidal ef- fect is mediated via apoptosis. This observed fungicidal activity was mediated by increased apoptosis of S. prolificans germlings, as evidenced by reactive oxygen species accumulation, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, phosphatidylserine externalization, and DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, induction of caspase-like activity was correlated with TCR or 17AAG + PCZ/ICZ-induced cell death. In conclusion, we report for the first time that PCZ or ICZ in combination with TCR or 17AAG renders S. prolificans exquisitely sensitive to PCZ or ICZ via apoptosis. This finding may stimulate the develop- ment of new therapeutic strategies for patients infected with this recalcitrant fungus.
On the design of decision support system for power system operation using sensor fusion techniques

The authors evaluate the performance of an integrated decision support (IDS) system design for assessing power system security status. This design is based on sensor fusion techniques. The IDS system integrates the information from two different security criteria and gives the optimal decision which minimizes the risk of making a wrong decision. A simple two-bus power system is used to illustrate the IDS system and evaluate the 16 possible decision rules. It is shown that as the operating conditions change (uniform vs. Gaussian distribution) the fusion rules change, thus showing the need for a decision fusion center in energy management systems. >
Parent, peer and TV influences on American teens' athletic shoes purchasing.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how socialisation agents – parents, peers and TV – influence American teens' athletic shoes purchasing and how any influence differs according to teens' demographic characteristics. Participants were 558 teens in a Southeastern state in the USA. Overall, peers exert the greatest influence. Using multiple regression analyses, the results suggested that socialisation agents' influence differed according to teens' demographic characteristics. Family and consumer educators should consider the findings of this study as a guide to give better education to teens as consumers.
Comparison of different state space definitions for local dynamic stability analyses

Measures of local dynamic stability, such as the local divergence exponent (lambda*(s)) quantify how quickly small perturbations deviate from an attractor that defines the motion. When the governing equations of motion are unknown, an attractor can be reconstructed by defining an appropriate state space. However, state space definitions are not unique and accepted methods for defining state spaces have not been established for biomechanical studies. This study first determined how different state space definitions affected lambda*(s) for the Lorenz attractor, since exact theoretical values were known a priori. Values of lambda*(s) exhibited errors <10% for 7 of the 9 state spaces tested. State spaces containing redundant information performed the poorest. To examine these effects in a biomechanical context, 20 healthy subjects performed a repetitive sawing-like task for 5 min before and after fatigue. Local stability of pre- and post-fatigue shoulder movements was compared for 6 different state space definitions. Here, lambda*(s)decreased post-fatigue for all 6 state spaces. Differences were statistically significant for 3 of these state spaces. For state spaces defined using delay embedding, increasing the embedding dimension decreased lambda*(s) in both the Lorenz and experimental data. Overall, our findings suggest that direct numerical comparisons between studies that use different state space definitions should be made with caution. However, trends across experimental comparisons appear to persist. Biomechanical state spaces constructed using positions and velocities, or delay reconstruction of individual states, are likely to provide consistent results.
Bias in Planning and Explanation-Based Learning

Biases enable systems to make decisions in realms where all legitimate sources of knowledge have been exhausted. This article investigates the application of biases to the problem of planning, and how this can indirectly induce effective biases in a learning process that is based on a planner’s experiences. Experimental results from six biased planners, plus several more complex multi-method planners, indicate complex tradeoffs among planner completeness, planning efficiency, and plan length. Learning also varies in complex ways among these planners, with one notable result being the ease with which some planners learn rules that can generalize from one object to many; a phenomenon known in machine learning as generalization to N.
Spatiotemporal Pattern Formation in Neural Fields with Linear Adaptation

We study spatiotemporal patterns of activity that emerge in neural fields in the presence of linear adaptation . Using an amplitude equation approach, we show that bifurcations from the homogeneous rest state can lead to a wide variety of stationary and propagating patterns on one- and two-dimensional periodic domains, particularly in the case of lateral-inhibitory synaptic weights. Other typical solutions are stationary and traveling localized activity bumps ; however, we observe exotic time-periodic localized patterns as well. Using linear stability analysis that perturbs about stationary and traveling bump solutions, we study conditions for the activity to lock to a stationary or traveling external input on both periodic and infinite one-dimensional spatial domains. Hopf and saddle-node bifurcations can signify the boundary beyond which stationary or traveling bumps fail to lock to external inputs. Just beyond a Hopf bifurcation point, activity bumps often begin to oscillate, becoming breather or slosher solutions.
Underwater communications and AUVs: from the arctic to the equator and other places before, after and in between

From the early days of the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Networks (AOSN) researchers have tried to exploit the synergies that exist between underwater navigation, communications and adaptive control. Over the last ten years we have made slow but steady progress in this regard.In this talk, we examine the role of underwater communications in the context of use on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). In particular this talk is based on our work with the Seabed, Jaguar and Puma AUVs and their use in studies aimed marine archaeology, habitat characterization, coral reef ecology, hydrothermal vent studies and arctic operations. Based on user requirements we highlight cases where acoustic communications were used for vehicle health related telemetry, vehicle navigation and telemetry, telemetry of sensor scalar data for adaptive surveys, telemetry of vehicle imagery and multiple vehicles operations.
Membrane Tension, Lipid Adaptation, Conformational Changes, and Energetics in MscL Gating

This study aims to explore gating mechanisms of mechanosensitive channels in terms of membrane tension, membrane adaptation, protein conformation, and energetics. The large conductance mechanosensitive channel from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tb-MscL) is used as a model system; Tb-MscL acts as a safety valve by releasing small osmolytes through the channel opening under extreme hypoosmotic conditions. Based on the assumption that the channel gating involves tilting of the transmembrane (TM) helices, we have performed free energy simulations of Tb-MscL as a function of TM helix tilt angle in a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer. Based on the change in system dimensions, TM helix tilting is shown to be essentially equivalent to applying an excess surface tension to the membrane, causing channel expansion, lipid adaptation, and membrane thinning. Such equivalence is further corroborated by the observation that the free energy cost of Tb-MscL channel expansion is comparable to the work done by the excess surface tension. Tb-MscL TM helix tilting results in an expanded water-conducting channel of an outer dimension similar to the proposed fully open MscL structure. The free energy decomposition indicates a possible expansion mechanism in which tilting and expanding of TM2 facilitates the iris-like motion of TM1, producing an expanded Tb-MscL.
Multi-band software defined radio for spaceborne communications, navigation, radio science, and sensors

Demanding mass and power requirements across many low-cost NASA mission sets (Discovery, New Frontiers, Mars Scout, SMEX, MIDEX, and others) place a premium on lightweight, efficient, and versatile radios.1,2 A low power, low mass, modular, multi-band software-defined radio (SDR) has been developed by JHU/APL, under the name Frontier Radio, for use in communications, navigation, radio science, and sensor applications for a variety of NASA missions. The current SDR implementation features communications and Doppler navigation modes, and provides a highly capable platform to build upon for future technology enhancements. Features such as in-band channel assignment, bit rate, modulation format, turnaround ratio, loop bandwidths, and coding formats are reconfigurable in flight. Modularity within the core hardware and firmware platforms enable infusion of new technology with minimal non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. Current configurations operate within the NASA S, X (under development), and Ka-bands (26 and 32 GHz), though alternate RF slices may be added and/or substituted for other bands or sensor applications. This SDR is currently capable of transmit data rates up to 25 Mbps (and higher with 8/16 PSK/QAM) and receive data rates up to 1.3 Mbps via QPSK, with significantly higher capability under development. Compatibility with NASA's STRS architecture helps promote the use of this SDR throughout the NASA community. Along with its low power (5 W receive mode w/internal ovenized oscillator and 28V bus power) and low mass (1.8/2.1 kg, single/dual band configuration), this SDR offers missions a combination of capabilities and efficiency. The NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission is currently developing a flight implementation of this SDR (S-Band only), with launch planned for the year 2012.
DIMENSIONS OF SATISFACTION WITH PURCHASES OF WOMEN'S DRESSES: BEFORE AND AFTER GARMENT CARE

The purpose of this research was to assess the appropriateness of grouping evaluative criteria used by women in their dress purchases according to instrumental, expressive, and market aspects. Respondents from a random telephone sample were divided into two groups, ‘Care’ and ‘Nocare’, according to whether or not the consumers had cared for (washed or cleaned) their dresses at the time satisfaction was measured. For both groups, factors were generated which were representative of the three aspects of evaluative criteria proposed. The factors reflected expressive, price, selection/size, and performance dimensions of clothing satisfaction. Hence, in analysing clothing satisfaction, researchers must recognize that several functions are served by clothing and reflect these in the research methodology.
Improved methods for generating dynamic computer generated holograms for realising adaptive optical cross connects

Diffractive optical elements (DOE) designed by computer, i.e. computer generated holograms (CGH), offer precise control over optical wavefronts that is difficult to attain using classical optical elements and that can be of significant benefit to optical interconnection systems. Typically a CGH is implemented in a fixed medium via standard methods of micro- fabrication which may either be used directly or as a master for volume manufacture via process of replication. The computer time required to design the CGH is then not a significant issue and it is standard practice to employ computationally expensive algorithms such as simulated annealing (SA) to optimize the design. However, advances in spatial light modulator technology now offer the prospect of programmable computer generated holograms that have particularly promising application in reconfigurable interconnections systems e.g. holographic beam steering switches.
Insulin Resistance in Cats

Insulin resistance is defined as decreased sensitivity to insulin. Insulin resistance is an important component of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and resolution of peripheral insulin resistance in cats with type 2 DM together with good glycemic control may result in diabetic remission. In insulin-dependent diabetic cats, insulin resistance is manifested clinically as an inadequate response to an appropriate pharmacologic dose of insulin. This article focuses on the clinical problem of insulin resistance in insulin-dependent diabetic cats.
The nature of volcano-plutonic relations and the shapes of epizonal plutons of continental arcs as revealed in the Great Bear magmatic zone, northwestern Canada

The shapes of plutons and their emplacement mechanisms, the connection between the volcanic and plutonic realms, and the development of batholiths have been of interest to geologists since they realized that plutons were once low viscosity magma. These issues have proven difficult to resolve because there are few places that have enough relief to expose the critical relations. The Great Bear magmatic zone, a Paleoproterozoic continental arc located in northern Canada's Wopmay orogen, provides an informative field setting to resolve some of these issues because the rocks are generally non-metamorphosed and were broadly folded such that calderas, stratovolcanoes, and a wide variety of plutons are exposed in oblique cross-section on fold limbs in an area of subdued topographic relief. Early mafic plutons intruded co-magmatic pillow basalt piles as thin sheets with aspect ratios of 10–15. Plutons of intermediate composition, temporally associated with andesitic stratocones, have flat or slightly domical roofs and flat floors, and aspect ratios in the range of 5–10. Granodioritic to monzodioritic plutons that cut thick sequences of ash-flow tuff and related volcaniclastic rocks are generally sheet-like bodies with aspect ratios of 10–20, except where they intrude calderas and form resurgent plutons. Granitic plutons intrude at slightly deeper crustal levels, are generally younger, and typically have miarolytic cavities, pegmatites, and associated dike swarms. The granites have flat roofs and floors but generally have lower aspect ratios than the intermediate composition plutons. Cycles—where magma bodies were first partially evacuated by eruption, then were re-energized and rose into their own ejecta to form plutons—span the compositional range from basalt to rhyodacite. The cycle of eruption, with the partial evacuation of chambers and subsequent rise of remaining magma to even higher levels in the crust explains why it is generally so difficult to link volcanic eruptions to specific plutons. The overall development of the Great Bear magmatic zone—from small-scale local eruptions of basalt to voluminous eruptions of intermediate composition ash-flow tuff followed by wide-scale emplacement of granitic plutons—is interpreted to represent input of subduction-related magmas, which led to progressive heating, melting, and wholesale upward differentiation of the crust beneath the arc.
Evidence Supporting a Systolic Blood Pressure Goal of Less Than 150 mm Hg in Patients Aged 60 Years or Older: The Minority View

The 2014 guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults from the panel appointed to the Eighth Joint National Committee includes a recommendation to increase the target systolic bloo...
Monitoring of cropland practices for carbon sequestration purposes in north central Montana by Landsat remote sensing

article i nfo We used an object-oriented approach in conjunction with the Random Forest algorithm to classify agricultural practices, including tillage (till or no-till (NT)), crop intensity, and grassland-based conservation reserve (CR). The object-oriented approach allowed for per-field classifications and the incorporation of contextual elements in addition to spectral features. Random Forest is a classification tree-based advanced classifier that avoids data over-fitting associated with many tree-based models and incorporates an unbiased internal classification accuracy assessment. Landsat satellite imagery was chosen for its continuous coverage, cost effectiveness, and image accessibility. Classification results for 2007 included producer's accuracies of 91% for NT and 31% for tillage when applying Random Forest to image objects generated from a May Landsat image. Low classification accuracies likely were attributed to the misclassification of conservation-based tillage practices as NT. Results showed that the binary separation of tillage from NT management is likely not appropriate due to surface spectral and textural similarities between NT and conservation-type tillage practices. Crop and CR lands resulted in producer's accuracies of 100% and 90%, respectively. Crop and fallow producer's accuracies were 95% and 82% in the 2007 classification, despite post-senesced vegetation; misclassification within the fallow class was attributed to pixel-mixing problems in areas of narrow (b100 m) strip management. A between-date normalized difference vegetation index approach was successfully used to detect areas having "changed" in vegetation status between the 2007 and prior image dates; classified "changed" objects were then merged with "unchanged" objects to produce crop status maps. Field crop intensity was then determined from the multi-year analysis of generated crop status maps.
Experience with CellaVision DM96 for peripheral blood differentials in a large multi-center academic hospital system

Context and Aims: Rapid, accurate peripheral blood differentials are essential to maintain standards of patient care. CellaVision DM96 (CellaVision AB, Lund, Sweden) (CV) is an automated digital morphology and informatics system used to locate, pre-classify, store and transmit images of platelets, red and white blood cells to a trained technologist who confirms or edits CV cell classification. We assessed our experience with CV by evaluating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for CV in three different patient populations. Materials and Methods: We analyzed classification accuracy of CV for white blood cells, erythroblasts, platelets and artefacts over six months for three different university hospitals using CV. Results: CV classified 211,218 events for the adult cancer center; 51,699 events for the adult general hospital; and 8,009 events for the children's hospital with accuracy of CV being 93%, 87.3% and 95.4% respectively. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were <80% for immature granulocytes (band neutrophil, promyelocyte, myelocyte and metamyelocytes) (differences usually within one stage of maturation). Cell types comprising a lower frequency of the total events, including blasts, showed lower accuracy at some sites. Conclusions: The reduced immature granulocyte classification accuracy may be due in part to the subjectivity in classification of these cells, length of experience with the system and individual expertise of the technologist. Cells with low sensitivity and positive predictive value comprised a minority of the cells and should not significantly affect the technologist re-classification time. CV serves as a clinically useful instrument in performance of peripheral blood differentials.
A Sixth Order Accuracy Solution to a System of Nonlinear Differential Equations with Coupled Compact Method

A system of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations with convective and dispersive terms was modified from Boussinesq-type equations. Through a special formulation, a system of nonlinear partial differential equations was solved alternately and explicitly in time without linearizing the nonlinearity. Coupled compact schemes of sixth order accuracy in space were developed to obtain numerical solutions. Within couple compact schemes, variables and their first and second derivatives were solved altogether. The sixth order accuracy in space is achieved with a memory-saving arrangement of state variables so that the linear system is banded instead of blocked. This facilitates solving very large systems. The efficiency, simplicity, and accuracy make this coupled compact method viable as variational and weighted residual methods. Results were compared with exact solutions which were obtained via devised forcing terms. Error analyses were carried out, and the sixth order convergence in space and second order convergence in time were demonstrated. Long time integration was also studied to show stability and error convergence rates.
L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase in sputum from patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases.

Abstract Human sputum specimens can be handled and homogenized like a tissue. Study of the stereochemical specificity of lactate dehydrogenase at pH 9.3, has demonstrated that substantial amount of l(+)-Lactate-dependent activities exist in sputa of patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases. d(−)-Lactate dehydrogenase activities either were absent or present in very low concentrations. The l(+)-Lactate dehydrogenase activities of human sputum appear to be primarily of the heart (H) type which requires optimal low concentrations of pyruvate for maximal activity. The sputum enzyme has characteristics similar to that found previously for human whole saliva. The primary source of the enzyme in human whole saliva is believed to be the polymorphonuclear leukocyte which is also a major cell type found in human sputum specimens. The activities of whole sputum homogenates have been compared to those of sputum homogenate supernatant extracts, and the activities were found to be virtually the same. Freezing and thawing of whole homogenates resulted in a variable loss of enzyme activity.
Vascular endothelial growth factor: Potential predictor of treatment response in major depression.

AbstractObjectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate baseline plasma VEGF levels as a potential predictor of response to antidepressant pharmacotherapy. The study also sought to determine whether baseline plasma VEGF would be useful in predicting treatment outcome when two pharmacodynamically diverse agents with established antidepressant efficacy, escitalopram and quetiapine, were administered monotherapeutically to MDD patients. Methods: Two groups of qualifying MDD subjects were enrolled. One group was treated with escitalopram and the other with quetiapine. Plasma concentrations of VEGF were measured using Randox Technologies at baseline, and at weeks 8 and 12 of treatment. Results: We stratified the MDD patients into those who remitted and those who failed to respond. Mean baseline VEGF for the remitters and non-responders was 9.61 and 5.40 pg/ml, respectively (P < 0.0005). Using optimal data analysis a cut score of 7.49 pg/ml for baseline plasma VEGF distinguished remitters from non-responders ...
A Pilot Study on Arabic Multi-Genre Corpus Diacritization

Arabic script writing is typically underspecified for short vowels and other mark up, referred to as diacritics. Apart from the lexical ambiguity found in words, similar to that exhibited in other languages, the lack of diacritics in written Arabic script adds another layer of ambiguity which is an artifact of the orthography. Diacritization of written text has a significant impact on Arabic NLP applications. In this paper, we present a pilot study on building a diacritized multi-genre corpus in Arabic. We annotate a sample of nondiacritized words extracted from five text genres. We explore different annotation strategies: Basic where we present only the bare undiacritized forms to the annotators, Intermediate (Basic forms+their POS tags), and Advanced (automatically diacritized words). We present the impact of the annotation strategy on annotation quality. Moreover, we study different diacritization schemes in the process.
A 3-Month-Old Girl with Failure to Thrive

This 3-month-old girl was evaluated for failure to thrive and jaundice. She was the 2,685-gram product of a full-term, uncomplicated pregnancy, labor, and delivery to a 21-year-old gravida 2 para 2 (G2P2) woman. Shortly after birth, it became clear the child had signifi cant failure to thrive and jaundice despite multiple manipulations of formula. She had an extensive evaluation after being found to have cholestatic jaundice. Two liver biopsies were performed at an outside hospital, which showed paucity of bile ducts. She had a normal echocardiogram and normal ophthalmologic examination. She was drinking only 15 oz a day of a cow’s milk-based formula, requiring 20 minutes to drink between 1 to 3 oz. There was no history of vomiting, coughing, or choking, but she had intermittent acholic stools. Family history was unremarkable. On exam, she was a scrawny, malnourished-appearing girl. Her weight, length, and head circumference were all well below the 5th percentile, although they had been in the 25th percentile at birth. She had two patches of hyperpigmentation on her back and trunk. She had extremely prominent cheeks but was not dysmorphic otherwise. She was normocephalic.
Child Affected by Parental Relationship Distress.

Objective A new condition, "child affected by parental relationship distress" (CAPRD), was introduced in the DSM-5 . A relational problem, CAPRD is defined in the chapter of the DSM-5 under "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention." The purpose of this article is to explain the usefulness of this new terminology. Method A brief review of the literature establishing that children are affected by parental relationship distress is presented. To elaborate on the clinical presentations of CAPRD, four common scenarios are described in more detail: children may react to parental intimate partner distress; to parental intimate partner violence; to acrimonious divorce; and to unfair disparagement of one parent by another. Reactions of the child may include the onset or exacerbation of psychological symptoms, somatic complaints, an internal loyalty conflict, and, in the extreme, parental alienation, leading to loss of a parent–child relationship. Results Since the definition of CAPRD in the DSM-5 consists of only one sentence, the authors propose an expanded explanation, clarifying that children may develop behavioral, cognitive, affective, and physical symptoms when they experience varying degrees of parental relationship distress, that is, intimate partner distress and intimate partner violence, which are defined with more specificity and reliability in the DSM-5 . Conclusion CAPRD, like other relational problems, provides a way to define key relationship patterns that appear to lead to or exacerbate adverse mental health outcomes. It deserves the attention of clinicians who work with youth, as well as researchers assessing environmental inputs to common mental health problems.
Is There a Role for PET/CT Parameters to Characterize Benign, Malignant, and Metastatic Parotid Tumors?

OBJECTIVE. Assessment of benign and malignant lesions of the parotid gland, including metastatic lesions, is challenging with current imaging methods. Fluorine-18 FDG PET/CT is a noninvasive imaging modality that provides both anatomic and metabolic information. Semiquantitative data obtained from PET/CT, also known as PET/CT parameters, are maximum, mean, or peak standardized uptake values (SUVs); metabolic tumor volume; total lesion glycolysis; standardized added metabolic activity; and normalized standardized added metabolic activity. Our aim was to determine whether FDG PET/CT parameters can differentiate benign, malignant, and metastatic parotid tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty-four patients with parotid neoplasms underwent PET/CT before parotidectomy; maximum SUV, mean SUV, peak SUV, total lesion glycolysis, metabolic tumor volume, standardized added metabolic activity, and normalized standardized added metabolic activity were calculated on a dedicated workstation. Univariate analyses were perf...