cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Learning and Multiaccess of On-Off Channels

The problem of distributed access of a set of N on-off channels by K ≤ N users is considered. The channels are slotted and modeled as independent but not necessarily identical alternating renewal processes. Each user decides to either observe or transmit at the beginning of every slot. A transmission is successful only if the channel is at the on state and there is only one user transmitting. When a user observes, it identifies whether a transmission would have been successful had it decided to transmit. A distributed learning and access policy referred to as alternating sensing and access (ASA) is proposed. It is shown that ASA has finite expected regret when compared with the optimal centralized scheme with fixed channel allocation.
Single-crystal silicon/silicon dioxide multilayer heterostructures based on nanomembrane transfer

A method to fabricate single-crystal Si∕SiO2 multilayer heterostructures is presented. Heterostructures are fabricated by repeated transfer of single crystal silicon nanomembranes alternating with deposition of spin-on-glass. Nanomembrane transfer produces multilayers with low surface roughness and smooth interfaces. To demonstrate interface quality, the specular reflectivities of one-, two-, and three-membrane heterostructures are measured. Comparison of the measured reflectivity with theoretical calculations shows good agreement. Nanomembrane stacking allows for the preprocessing of individual membranes with a high thermal budget before the low thermal budget assembly of the stack, suggesting a new avenue for the three dimensional integration of integrated circuits.
Crystal Structures of the Toxoplasma Gondii Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase Gmp and -Imp Complexes: Comparison of Purine Binding Interactions with the Xmp Complex

The crystal structures of the guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP) and inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) complexes of Toxoplasma gondii hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) have been determined at 1.65 and 1.90 A resolution. These complexes, which crystallize in space groups P2(1) (a = 65.45 A, b = 90.84 A, c = 80. 26 A, and beta = 92.53 degrees ) and P2(1)2(1)2(1) (a = 84.54 A, b = 102.44 A, and c = 108.83 A), each comprise a tetramer in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. All active sites in the tetramers are fully occupied by the nucleotide. Comparison of these structures with that of the xanthosine 5'-monophosphate (XMP)-pyrophosphate-Mg(2+) ternary complex reported in the following article [Heroux, A., et al. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 14495-14506] shows how T. gondii HGPRT is able to recognize guanine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine as substrates, and suggests why the human enzyme cannot use xanthine efficiently. Comparison with the apoenzyme reveals the structural changes that occur upon binding of purines and ribose 5'-phosphate to HGPRT. Two structural features important to the HGPRT mechanism, a previously unrecognized active site loop (loop III', residues 180-184) and an active site peptide bond (Leu78-Lys79) that adopts both the cis and the trans configurations, are presented.
A New Deterministic Approach in Probabilistic Design Optimization

In this paper, a simple and powerful formulation is presented for probabilistic design of engineering systems. The challenging task of optimum allocation of errors to design variables is transformed into a simple zero degree of difficulty geometric programming problem. This method is based on a known state of the design (the design values as well as the linear mapping between the input and output of the system). Uncertainties of design variables are assumed to be independent, and normally distributed. Failure is defined as a constraint in the optimization process, and has the form of the probability of divergence of outputs from their allowable bounds. Then, this constraint is simplified into a deterministic bound within six sigma spread. Having a zero DOD problem, the optimal solutions are readily available for any system regardless of the complexity. Several numerical experiments are conducted to assess the efficiency of the proposed formulation. The results are compared with more exhaustive searches using Monte Carlo simulation. For higher order and complex systems, it is demonstrated that this formulation will be %20 more conservative than the exact Monte Carlo simulation.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The enzymic conversion of hydroxycinnamic acids to p-coumarylquinic and chlorogenic acids in tomato fruits

Abstract Two enzymes thought to be involved in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid have been separated and purified by ion exchange chromatography and their properties studied. These two enzymes, p-coumarate CoA ligase and hydroxycinnamyl CoA: quinate hydroxycinnamyl transferase, acting together catalyse the conversion of p-coumaric acid to 5′-p-coumarylquinic acid and of caffeic acid to chlorogenic acid. The ligase has a higher affinity for p-coumaric than for caffeic acid and will in addition activate a number of other cinnamic acids such as ferulic, isoferulic and m-coumaric acids but not cinnamic acid. The transferase shows higher activity and affinity with p-coumaryl CoA than caffeyl CoA. It also acts with ferulyl CoA but only very slowly. The enzyme shows high specificity for quinic acid; shikimic acid is esterified at only 2% of the rate with quinic acid and glucose is not a substrate. The transferase activity is reversible and both chlorogenic acid and 5′-p-coumarylquinic acids are cleaved in the presence of CoA to form quinic acid and the corresponding hydroxycinnamyl CoA thioester.
Subspecialty evaluation of chronically ill hospitalized patients with suspected immune defects.

Background The diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency is suggested by recurrent or unusual infections and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Because the diversity of immune defects and clinical presentations poses a diagnostic challenge in hospital populations, a computer algorithm was devised to help identify patients. Objective To assess use of pertinent subspecialty clinics by patients with clinical features of immunodeficiency. Methods Using a validated algorithm based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) , codes applied to The Mount Sinai Hospital billing records, we investigated hospitalized patients, 60 years or younger, who had been diagnosed as having conditions associated with immunodeficiency, excluding those with confounding medical conditions. Immunodeficiency-related disease codes were given a weighted score based on relative severity and expressed as a sum for admissions between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2003. Demographic features, subspecialty care, and clinic attendance were determined. Results The 296 computer-identified patients with illnesses characteristic of immunodeficiency were 35.8% Hispanic, 27.0% African American, and 21.6% white; their median age was 13.3 years. Patients were hospitalized 1,261 times, or a median of 4.2 times each (range, 1-42 times), and had 5,700 diagnoses. Of the patients, 75.0% received primary care at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Although the most common diagnosis was pneumonia (n = 243), 45% of patients never received allergy/immunology or pulmonary subspecialty care. Conclusion Despite receiving primary medical care at the same hospital, many frequently hospitalized subjects with features of immunodeficiency do not receive medical care in appropriate subspecialty clinics.
Population and Species Divergence of Chemical Cues that Influence Male Recognition of Females in Desmognathine Salamanders

Growing evidence indicates that males may be more discriminating of mating partners than often has been assumed. In the North American Ocoee dusky salamander, Desmognathus ocoee (Plethodontidae: Desmognathinae), sexual incompatibility among conspecific populations is high in encounters staged in the laboratory, at least in part because males fail to recognize ‘other’ females as appropriate targets for courtship. I used Y-mazes to test the hypothesis that males of D. ocoee discriminate between substrate-borne chemical cues produced by ‘own’ (homotypic) and ‘other’ (heterotypic) females. Males of four populations discriminated in favor of substrates soiled by homotypic females over clean (control) substrates (expt 1), suggesting that females produce chemical cues of sociosexual significance to males. Furthermore, males from these populations discriminated in favor of substrates soiled by homotypic females vs. substrates soiled by heterotypic females (expt 2), both conspecific and heterospecific (D. carolinensis and D. orestes). Thus, differences among populations and species in female chemical cues appear to affect the chemotactic responses of males. I suggest that, together with differences in behavioral signals and responses exhibited during courtship, differences in female chemical cues likely contribute to sexual incompatibility among populations and taxa of desmognathine salamanders.
Lateral Stiffness of Shear Walls with Openings

This technical note investigates the accuracy of a simplified hand method recommended in several design guidelines for practicing structural engineers for calculating the lateral stiffness of shear walls with openings. Parametric studies are performed in which the location and size of the opening as well as the aspect ratio of the wall are varied. Toward this goal, a special-purpose finite-element algorithm is developed and implemented in the computing package MATLAB. Results from finite-element analysis are compared to those of the hand method. It is found that the hand method, despite its complexity, is highly approximate and often enormously overestimates the stiffness of shear walls with openings.
Enumeration of soil ciliate active forms and cysts by a direct count method

Abstract A two-step direct count method may be used to determine the proportions of active and encysted ciliates in soils. Ten 5 cm deep samples are collected with a 1 cm diameter cork borer from a 4 m2 area. The samples are thoroughly mixed and a 0.6 g subsample weighed. Of this, 0.2 g is mixed with 3 ml sterile soil extract and examined drop by drop and active ciliates recorded. The remaining 0.4 g is mixed with 10 ml bacterized soil extract, and 0.04-ml aliquots added to the inner 60 wells of a 96-well microtiter plate. The outer wells are filled with distilled water, the plate covered, and incubated at 20–23°C for 6–7 days. Each well is examined for ciliates, and the numbers and species recorded. From these two counts, active forms, cysts, and total numbers, per gram are calculated.
Work in progress — First year retention of Hispanic, first-generation students

The “Program to Increase College Opportunities and Successes” (PICOS) is an NSF S-STEM funded initiative to increase the number of Hispanic, first-generation, financially needy students in Math, Chemistry, Engineering, and Engineering Technology using scholarship funds and academic success initiatives. This program recruited two cohorts of freshmen: the first in fall 2008, the second in fall 2009. A variety of efforts from different areas of campus were brought together into a single, sustainable academic success initiative. These efforts include a bridge program, block scheduling, faculty mentoring, evening tutor sessions, and academic advising. These promote an academic learning community as well as a collegial relationship between student and faculty mentors. The regular interactions with the students facilitate monitoring of student performance so student with academic difficulties can be counseled closely on overcoming their deficit. Many of these efforts will continue throughout the students' academic careers. This paper will describe the literature associated with academic success initiatives in STEM and this demographic, as well as how the wide range of initiatives were consolidated under a single umbrella to achieve retention goal of 74%.
The impact of isolated central nervous system relapse following initial complete remission in childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia.

bitors of coagulation in nonhemophiliac children, J PEDIATR 96:439, 1980. 6. Green D: Spontaneous inhibitors of factor VIII, Br J Haematol 15:57, 1978. 7. Klein KG, Parkin JD, and Madaras F: Studies on acquired inhibitors of factor VIII induced by penicillin allergy, Clin Exp Immunol 26:155, 1976. 8. Schleider MA, Nachman RL, Jaffe EA, and Coleman M: A clinical study of the lupus anticoagulant, Blood 48:499, 1976. 9. Feinstein DI, and Rappaport SI: Acquired inhibitors of blood coagulation, Prog Hemost Thromb 1:75, 1972. 10. Kirk PJ, McLellan DS, and Aronstram A: Acquired circulating anticoagulant in a four year old child, Br Med J 2:1296, 1976. 11. Beck DW, Strauss RG, Kisker CT, and Henriksen RA: An intrinsic coagulation pathway inhibitor in a three year old child, Am J Clin Pathol, 71:470, 1979.
Flight, Attraction, and Mating Behavior of the Douglas-fir Tussock Moth in Oregon

Continuous observations and measurements were made of adult flight, mating, and oviposition of Orgyia pseudotsugata McDunnough over a 31-h period in eastern Oregon. Male flight started at 1000 (P.S.T.), gradually increased to a peak period ca. 1700, and concluded at 1930. This coincided with peak mating activity with the wingless females. Oviposition occurred immediately after mating. Virgin females attached to sticky traps were very effective for attracting and capturing male moths. The female sex pheromone offers a possible technique for early detection of Douglas-fir tussock moth populations.
Optical Emission from Surface Plasmons

A theory of light emission by surface plasmons created on a semi-infinite plane-bounded electron gas by grazing incidence fast electrons is presented. Photon-surface plasmon coupling is assumed to occur through surface roughness and is taken to be weak enough so that it may be treated in low-order perturbation theory. Formulae are given for the distribution in angle and energy of emitted photons of both polarizations, assuming that the surface roughness may be described by a stochastic model. Es wird eine Theorie der Lichtemission durch Oberflachenplasmonen, die an einem halbunendlichen durch Ebenen begrenzten Elektronengas durch schnelle Elektronen streifender Inzidenz erzeugt werden, mitgeteilt. Es wird angenommen, das Photonen—Oberflachenplasmonen-Kopplung durch Oberflachenrauhigkeit auftritt und das sie schwach genug ist, um mit einer Storungstheorie niedriger Ordnung behandelt werden zu konnen. Ausdrucke fur die Winkel- und Energieverteilung der emittierten Photonen werden fur beide Polarisationen angegeben, wobei angenommen wird, das die Oberflachenrauhigkeit durch ein stochastisches Modell beschrieben werden kann.
Transcranial Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Medication Refractory Auditory Hallucinations

s / Brain Stimulation 8 (2015) 395e411 401 through direct or indirect approach has shown promising results in relieving tinnitus in both human and animal subjects. Among the structures stimulated include the cochlear nucleus, auditory cortex, basal ganglion, and prefrontal cortex. However, there remains a large variability in therapeutic effects across different brain stimulation modalities. In order to achieve effective therapy, our lab has established animalmodels of brain stimulation to suppress tinnitus. We have been searching for optimal stimulation strategies and to delineate the underlyingmechanisms of brain-stimulation-induced tinnitus suppression. In this conference, I will present the latest development on tinnitus suppression through brain stimulation and discuss the underlying mechanisms and technological development.
Harmonic Dissonance: Reflections on Dwelling in the Field

Abstract Focusing on the idea of dwelling in the field, this paper explores the moral grammar of living with others in field settings, including the texture of membership in one's own family and host families. Through a comparative analysis of two ethnographic research contexts – one on transnational Christian non-governmental organizations in the US and Zimbabwe in 1996 –97, and the other on orphans and philanthropy in India in 2004–05 – I interrogate what it means to inhabit the field. In the world of multi-sited ethnography all research sites are not created equal; both in terms of the kinds of data one can collect and the types of observations one can make. How ethnographers are situated in a web of affliations affects their experience in the field, what they observe, and their research practice. I propose renewed attention to how anthropologists live in the field, including how relationships are interpreted in the field by ethnographers and their informants.
Judging the intensity of facial expressions of emotion: Depression-related biases in the processing of positive affect.

A forced-choice intensity judgment task was used to investigate biases in the processing of subtle expressions of emotion in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD). Participants were presented with 2 pictures of the same actor side by side, either depicting a neutral and a subtle emotional expression or depicting a subtle positive and a subtle negative expression. Participants were asked to indicate which of the 2 pictures showed the stronger emotion. Compared with participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and with never-disordered controls (CTLs), participants with MDD were less likely to judge subtle happy expressions as more intense than neutral expressions. In addition, compared with the CTL participants, participants who had MDD and participants who had SAD were less likely to judge subtle happy expressions to be more intense than negative expressions. Biases in the judgment of the intensity of subtle expressions of positive affect could play an important role in the interpersonal difficulties that are associated with depression.
Glyceryl Trinitrate (Nitroglycerin) Ointment and Isosorbide Dinitrate: A Review of their Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use

Sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin) is the most widely used drug in the treatment of angina pectoris, but its use is limited due to its short acting effect. Recent investigations have shown that some longer acting nitrates administered orally or topically have a long acting antianginal effect. The mechanism of the antianginal effect of nitrates is multifactorial. Nitrates increase oxygen supply to the myocardium by causing redistribution of coronary blood flow. In addition, nitrates decrease myocardial oxygen demand by reducing left ventricular volume, intramyocardial tension, and left ventricular afterload. The use of nitrates for the treatment of congestive heart failure has also been established in recent years. Nitrates have a predominant venodilatory effect resulting in peripheral blood pooling and decreased venous return to the heart, thereby decreasing left ventricular filling pressure. The effect of nitrates on the arteriolar circulation is small, and there is usually little or no change in cardiac output. Some reduction in systemic blood pressure can be seen, while there is usually no change in heart rate. In a small number of patients with myocardial infarction complicated by congestive heart failure, the use of long acting nitrates has resulted in haemodynamic and symptomatic improvement. Nitrates has also bee shown to improve variant angina. Nitrates are usually well tolerated in most patients. However, some troublesome side effects can occur, including headache, postural hypotension, and methaemoglobinaemia.
Solid supported CN cross-coupling reactions

Abstract We report herein the first examples of polymer supported aryl-heteroaryl CN cross-coupling reactions and dramatically decreased reaction times upon microwave irradiation. The methodology provides easy access to N -arylated heterocycles from heterocycles bearing an NH bond and readily available arylboronic acids in the presence of copper(II) acetate and pyridine.
Internal friction and elastic modulus behavior of vitreous carbon from 4°K to 570°K

Internal friction and elastic modulus values have been investigated for vitreous carbon from 4 to 570°K at frequencies of 21–22 kc/sec. Samples about 4.0 by 0.09 by 0.2 in. were driven in a longitudinal mode, and the dynamic properties were obtained in resonance measurements. As-received samples exhibit low internal friction values (Q−1 < 3 × 10−4), but there is evidence of small mechanical relaxations near 50°K and above 400°K along with accompanying modulus inflections. Heat treatment at 1800°C, and reactor radiation both appear to affect the mechanical loss and the elastic modulus of the material. Modulus levels of the vitreous carbon are observed to be about 29 × 1010 dynes/cm2 and rather insensitive to temperature over the range studied. Although the modulus level is somewhat higher than the typical modulus values of carbon-backbone polymers, the level is within the range of the modulus values observed for some graphites and pyrolytic carbons that have been studied.
Accessibility of spatial information in a situation model

Four experiments examined the availability of spatial information from a situation model. By using two dependent measures (naming and reading time) and two different sets of experimental instructions, it was demonstrated that spatial information was available to the reader only under very specific conditions. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that, if readers were told to focus on spatial details, that information became available. However, when told to read for comprehension, spatial information did not become available. Experiments 3 and 4 used a modified set of materials and demonstrated that spatial information was available only when it was required for comprehension, even with materials that strongly encouraged the reader to focus on spatial details.
TERAHERTZ SIGNAL TRANSMISSION IN MOLECULAR SYSTEMS

Terahertz signal transmission in DNA is simulated and analyzed using molecular dynamics and digital signal processing techniques to demonstrate that signals encoded in vibrational movements of hydrogen bonds can travel along the backbone of DNA and eventually be recovered and analyzed using digital signal processing techniques.
Adolescence and parental influence

Treatment of a borderline mother and her adolescent daughter is approached with a combination of individual and conjoint sessions, enabling the therapist to identify the distortions within their relationship and to interpret these to the individuals. Mother and daughter attempt to involve the therapist in a collusion in the rejecting-abandoning projection. A combination of interpretation and presentation of a real, nurturing object enables the adolescent to become more interested in peers and able to go to college, and the mother to become less accident prone and able to keep her job.
Pathogenetic consequences of cytomegalovirus-host co-evolution

Co-evolution has been shown to result in an adaptive reciprocal modification in the respective behaviors of interacting populations over time. In the case of host-parasite co-evolution, the adaptive behavior is most evident from the reciprocal change in fitness of host and parasite-manifested in terms of pathogen survival versus host resistance. Cytomegaloviruses and their hosts represent a pairing of populations that has co-evolved over hundreds of years. This review explores the pathogenetic consequences emerging from the behavioral changes caused by co-evolutionary forces on the virus and its host.
The `Freynshe booke' and the English Translator: Malory's `Originality' Revisited

Recent criticism has reflected the assumption that there is an identifiable,`typical' translator in fifteenth-century England, and that a comparison between Malory's translation practices in Morte Darthur and that norm reveal him falling outside of it. However, the differentiations between reader and writer, translator and redactor, which appear self-evident to contemporary readers, may have been indistinct, if not invisible, to Malory himself. This article suggests a way in which Malory might justifiably have perceived his relationship to `the Freynshe booke' as that of a faithful transmitter of a translated `text.'
Concurrent CIS-platinum and radiation with or without surgery for advanced head and neck cancer

Abstract Purpose : This study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of concurrent cis-platinum and radiation in patients with advanced head and neck cancer and to determine if patients responding to the preoperative regimens may be cured without radical surgery. Methods and Materials : One hundred and one patients with potentially operable Stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck received 45 Gy at 1.8 Gy fractions and continuous infusion cis-platinum 20 mg/m2 over 24 h on days 1 through 4 and 22 through 25 of the radiation schedule. Three to 4 weeks later, radical surgery of the primary site and neck dissections for patients presenting with cervical adenopathy was undertaken or if a complete response had been achieved, continued with radiation to 72 Gy with another course of concurrent continuous infusion cis-platinum. Result : Complete and partial responses were achieved in 92% of the primary sites and 95% of the nodes. Over 80% of the patients were rendered tumor free at surgery after only the initial course of chemotherapy and radiation. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities from chemotherapy and radiation. Ninety-five percent of the patients who initiated treatment completed it. With a median follow-up of 41 months for all patients, 49% of the patients have survived disease free up to 9 years, independent of whether or not their primary tumors were resected or were treated definitively by further chemotherapy sensitized radiation. The disease-specific survival is 78% after 3 years with no local failures thereafter. Conclusion : These findings suggest that continuous infusion cis-platinum administered concurrently with radiotherapy can improve survival in advanced head and neck cancer. Patients responding to the preoperative regimen may be cured without radical surgery, which can be reserved for salvage.
Oxidized Flavor in Milk. XIV. A Possible Mode of Action of Inhibitors in Preventing the Development of Oxidized Flavor in Milk

Summary A possible explanation for various inhibitors for oxidized flavor is presented. One class of substances which includes proteins, citrates, and amino acids inhibits by forming complex ions with copper, thus repressing its ionization. Tyrosine, divalent manganese, lactose, and glucose inhibit oxidized flavor by being oxidized by hydrogen peroxide, thus protecting the phospholipides of milk.
Late Post-glucose Rise in Plasma Growth Hormone as a Test of Pituitary Function

ABSTRACT The late rise in plasma growth hormone following glucose ingestion has been evaluated as a test of pituitary function. Plasma growth hormone rose at least 5 ng/ml, or was at least 7 ng/ml in 7 of 13 patients (58%), 4 hr after ingestion of glucose (1.4 g/kg). It is suggested that this is a useful and simple screening test in evaluating pituitary function. If it is inconclusive, arginine and insulin infusion should be employed.
Variable conductivity: Effects on the thermal structure of subducting slabs

Understanding the thermal structure of the lithosphere in subduction zone environments is a key element in the realization of the source of deep focus earthquakes and other geodynamic processes. Model predictions of the thermal structure of subducting slabs are dependent upon a priori knowledge of how thermal conductivity varies within the slab. Using recent results for the variation of thermal conductivity as a function of temperature, pressure, and gross mineralogy, we investigate how models that utilize a realistic model for variable conductivity compare with canonical models for constant conductivity. Results suggest that jumps in thermal conductivity across the phase boundaries that arise due to transformations to β and γ-spinel phases lead to old, fast, steeply dipping slabs being considerably warmer than previously thought. Although these results do not rule out the possibility of a metastable wedge source of deep focus earthquakes, they do imply the likelihood of metastable olivine being found at depth is less than once thought.
Effect of Boundary Support and Reflector Dimensions on Inflatable Parabolic Antenna Performance

For parabolic antennas with sufficient surface accuracy, more power can be radiated with a larger aperture size. This paper explores the performance of antennas of various size and reflector depth. The particular focus is on a large inflatable elastic antenna reflector that is supported about its perimeter by a set of elastic tendons and is subjected to a constant hydrostatic pressure. The surface accuracy of the antenna is measured by an RMS calculation, while the reflector phase error component of the efficiency is determined by computing the power density at boresight. In the analysis, the calculation of antenna efficiency is not based on the Ruze Equation. Hence, no assumption regarding the distribution of the reflector surface distortions is presumed. The reflector surface is modeled as an isotropic elastic membrane using a linear stress-strain constitutive relation. Three types of antenna reflector construction are considered: one molded to an ideal parabolic form and two different flat panel design patterns. The flat panel surfaces are constructed by seaming together panels in a manner that the desired parabolic shape is approximately attained after pressurization. Numerical solutions of the model problem are calculated under a variety of conditions in order to estimate the accuracy and efficiency of these antenna systems. In the case of the flat panel constructions, several different cutting patterns are analyzed in order to determine an optimal cutting strategy.
Axial magnetic field effects on redesigned ignitrons utilizing glass walls and cylindrical dielectrical inserts

The authors discuss test results for three special types of ignitrons; a small glass-walled ignitron, a demountable ignitron, and a commercial NL-2909 ignitron. The conduction experiments used a capacitor bank with 2.56 mF total capacitance and 128 kJ maximum energy at 10 kV. The ignitrons were in a critically damped configuration at peak currents of up to 100 kA. To study effects of axial magnetic fields on the switching characteristics, including self-breakdown voltage and arc voltage, the test specimens were mounted inside high-power, water-cooled electromagnets. The demountable tube was tested before and after the insertion of a dielectric cylindrical shield between the tube wall and the inner conducting structure of the tube. It is shown that axial magnetic fields stabilize and confine the discharge plasma to the interelectrode region, reduce the arc voltage and its ripple, and significantly reduce the self-breakdown voltage. >
PENETRATION OF LIGHT INTO THE UTERUS OF PREGNANT MAMMALS

— The fraction of incident light which reaches the uterine lumen in pregnant rats and guinea-pigs was studied with a surgically implanted optical fiber. Penetration of visible spectrum light (400–650-nm wavelengths) into the uterus was examined. The effects of clipping the hair, retracting the skin, and retracting the abdominal wall on the penetration of light was also assessed to determine the relative amount of light transmitted through each layer between the external environment and the uterus. The presence of significant transmission at biologically relevant wavelengths raises the possibility that environmental lighting may reach the fetus and influence development
Integration of advanced reservation and bandwidth reconfiguration based admission control in wireless networks with multimedia services

In this paper we propose an integrated bandwidth management and call admission control scheme applicable in wireless networks that support multiple services with different QoS requirements. The proposed scheme is achieved via i) the integration of a position-assisted and mobility-based predictive advanced bandwidth reservation mechanism that facilitates the seamless operation of the handoff process and ii) a bandwidth reconfiguration based call admission control strategy that supports flexible QoS management. The comparison of the achievable performance of our proposed scheme with the corresponding results of conventional systems demonstrate that our integrated strategy can alleviate the problem of over-reservation, support seamless operation throughout the wireless network and increase significantly the system resource utilization.
Starer Versus Scanner: Background Suppression Comparison

Staring mosaics and line-array scanners are compared in their clutter suppression characteristics, as measured by signal-to-clutter ratio. Established sensor designs for detecting a moving point source target were selected for the comparison. Factors for target speed and crossing geometry are included in the analysis, but temporally varying background is neglected. Results are given in terms of the line-of-sight drift rate for the mosaic which would yield the same signal-to-clutter ratio as the scanner.
A multivariate stock–recruitment function for cohorts with sympatric subclasses: application to maternal effects in rockfish (genus Sebastes)

I present a multivariate stock–recruitment function (MSRF) for calculating recruitment when a cohort comprises sympatric subclasses. Sympatric subclasses emerge when there are closely interacting s...
The Enduring Effects of Competitive Elections

AbstractResearch on U.S. congressional elections has placed great emphasis on the role of competitiveness, which is associated with high levels of campaign spending, media coverage, and interest group and party involvement. Competitive campaigns have been found to increase citizens' participation, engagement and learning. However, little is known about whether the effects of competitive campaigns have enduring consequences for citizens' attitudes and behavior. Analyzing a survey of citizens conducted one year after the 2006 congressional elections that includes an oversample of respondents from competitive House races, we examine whether exposure to a competitive House campaign affects voters' political knowledge and political interest as well as their consumption of political news. We find that competitive elections have positive effects that endure for at least a year beyond the campaign season, reinforcing the idea that political competition plays a robust role in American representative democracy.
Moving toward web-scale: adapting semantic components for use in large collections

Some users' information needs are very targeted, especially in domain-specific settings. The semantic components model supplements traditional full text and keyword indexing with a semantic description of subdocument content that does not necessarily correspond to structural elements in a document. The model extends typical query languages by allowing user queries to address subdocument components in addition to the whole document. We have evidence from a large interactive user study showing that semantic components can enhance document retrieval in a domainspecific digital library. We now propose to adapt the semantic components approach to improve its scalability for use in large document collections by allowing user indexing, by allowing multiple indexing instances per document, and by introducing an open semantic component schema. The proposed research will examine design issues and implementation options and provide preliminary evaluations of the effect of these adaptations on retrieval performance.
Modeling aquifer systems with analytic elements and subdomains

[1] A new approach for analytic element (AE) modeling of groundwater flow is presented. The approach divides the modeled region into polygonal subdomains, each with its own analytic flow model and its own local isotropic or anisotropic aquifer parameters. This allows analytic modeling of systems where the anisotropy ratio and direction vary spatially, an AE capability not possible without subdomains. It also allows for flexible layering in a model, with more layers in the area of interest abutting fewer layers in the far field. The approach is demonstrated in a model with seven subdomains and a mix of single-layer and triple-layer areas. Checks of the model indicate that the inter-subdomain boundary conditions can be approximated well, and where the differential equation is approximated (multilayer areas and transient flow), that approximation can be quite accurate.
Our Conferences Do Everything (and So Do We)

Fouad et al. provide a meticulous description of the origins, design, functioning, and outcomes of the 2001 Houston National Conference on Counseling Psychology. This comment responds to the content of the article as well as issues of identity raised by Fouad et al.
DMDX: A Windows display program with millisecond accuracy

DMDX is a Windows-based program designed primarily for language-processing experiments. It uses the features of Pentium class CPUs and the library routines provided in DirectX to provide accurate timing and synchronization of visual and audio output. A brief overview of the design of the program is provided, together with the results of tests of the accuracy of timing. The Web site for downloading the software is given, but the source code is not available.
Mesure de la valeur à vie du client

La mesure de la valeur a vie du client (Customer Lifetime Value, CLV) est primordiale car elle represente un des indicateurs principaux dans l'evaluation des decisions relatives a la gestion de la ...
CDS Credit-Event Auctions 1

Credit-event auctions were introduced in 2005 to facilitate cash settlement in the credit default swap market following a credit event. They have a novel two-stage structure that makes them distinct from other auction forms. This paper studies outcomes in credit-event auctions over the period 2008-10.Our analysis is in three parts. In the first part, we look at the efficacy of price discovery in the auction. We find that the auction price has a significant bias relative to the pre- and post-auction market prices for the same instruments, and that volatility of market prices often increases after the auction; nonetheless, we find that information generated in the auction has considerable impact on post-auction market prices. In the second part of the analysis, we look at behavior within and across auctions and the factors that influence it. We find, among other things, that “winner’s curse” concerns play a central role, affecting liquidity provision in the auction, the pricing bias, and bidders’ within-auction updating of their private information based on information revealed in the auction’s first stage. In the final part of the paper, under some simplifying assumptions, we carry out a structural estimation to recover the underlying distribution of signals. Using these estimates, we find that the alternative auction formats could reduce the amount of bias in the auction final price.
Cysteamine Modulates Oxidative Stress and Blocks Myofibroblast Activity in CKD

Therapytoslowtherelentlessexpansionofinterstitialextracellularmatrixthatleads to renal functional decline in patients with CKD is currently lacking. Because chronic kidney injury increases tissue oxidative stress, we evaluated the antifibrotic efficacy of cysteamine bitartrate, an antioxidant therapy for patients with nephropathic cystinosis, in a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction. Fresh cysteamine (600 mg/kg) was added to drinking water daily beginning on the day of surgery, and outcomes were assessed on days 7, 14, and 21 after surgery. Plasma cysteamine levels showed diurnal variation, with peak levels similar to those observed in patients with cystinosis. In cysteamine-treated mice, fibrosis severity decreased significantly at 14 and 21 days after unilateral ureteral obstruction, and renal oxidized protein levels decreased at each time point, suggesting reduced oxidative stress. Consistent with these results, treatment of cultured macrophages with cysteamine reduced cellular generation of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, treatment with cysteamine reduced a-smooth muscle actin–positive interstitial myofibroblast proliferation and mRNA levels of extracellular matrix proteins in mice and attenuated myofibroblast differentiation and proliferation in vitro ,b ut did not augment TGF-b signaling. In a study of renal ischemia reperfusion, cysteamine therapy initiated 10 days after injury and continued for 14 days decreased renal fibrosis by 40%. Taken together, these data suggest previously unrecognized antifibrotic actions of cysteamine via TGF-b–independent mechanisms that include oxidative stress reduction and attenuation of the myofibroblast response to kidney injury and support further investigation into the potential benefit of cysteamine therapy in the treatment of CKD.
Dissecting the dark-adapted electroretinogram

Although gross recordings of the ganzfeld flash-evoked electroretinogram (ERG) can potentially provide information about the activity of many, if not all, retinal cell types, it is necessary to dissect the ERG into its components to realize this potential fully. Here we describe various procedures that have been used in intact mammalian eyes to identify and characterize the contributions to the dark-adapted ERG of different cells in the retinal rod pathway. These include (1) examination of the very early part of the response to a flash (believed to reflect directly the photocurrent of rods), (2) application of high-energy probe flashes to provide information about the underlying rod photoreceptor response even when this component is obscured by the responses of other cells, (3) pharmacological suppression of responses of amacrine and ganglion cells to identify the contribution of these cells and to reveal the weaker responses of bipolar cells, (4) use of pharmacological agents that block transmission of signals from rods to more proximal neurons to separate responses of rods from those of later neurons, (5) examination of the ERG changes produced by ganglion-cell degeneration or pharmacological block of nerve-spike generation to identify the contribution of spiking neurons, (6) modeling measured amplitude-energy functions and timecourse of flash responses and (7) using steady backgrounds to obtain differential reductions in sensitivity of different cell types. While some of these procedures can be applied to humans, the results described here have all been obtained in studies of the ERG of anaesthetized cats, or macaque monkeys whose retinas are very similar to those of humans.
An Evidence-Based Perspective on Sexual Offender Registration and Residential Restrictions

This chapter will first describe what is currently known about the registered sex offender (RSO) population in the USA, as well as what we know about victimization patterns. Then, common public perceptions about sexual offenders will be compared with research findings. Sex offender registration and residential restriction laws will be examined to illustrate the gaps that can exist between evidence and practice. Registration durations of 25 years to life contradict empirical evidence that risk declines with increased time spent in the community offense-free. Thus, the emphasis on registration compliance over longer registration periods will likely create an inefficient distribution of resources without contributing meaningfully to community safety. Lawmakers should invest in evidence-based policies rather than those that demonstrate negligible public safety benefit. Sexual assault is a serious social problem, and in order to be effective, prevention strategies should reflect not only public opinion, but empirical demonstration of effectiveness. This chapter will explore how contemporary sex offender management policy might better incorporate empirical research into sound prevention strategies.
The internet and inequality

Is universal access to the Internet a realistic method for addressing worldwide socioeconomic inequality?
PREDICTED FLUSHING TIMES AND POLLUTION DISTRIBUTION IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY

The observed salinity distribution in the Columbia River Estuary is used to predict the flushing times for various river discharge rates, varying tidal ranges, and varying salinity intrusions. Both the modified tidal prism method and the fraction of fresh water method are used, and the results are compared. The latter method predicts shorter flushing times, while both methods vary m a similar manner with changing river discharge and changing salinity intrusion. Both methods predict a relatively short flushing time for the estuary. The observed salinity distributions under varying conditions are also used to predict the distribution of conservative and non-conservative pollutants. In this case the fraction of fresh water method and the diffusion equation are used. In general, the fraction of fresh water method predicts higher concentrations. "When the lower estuary is divided into two channels, the two methods give quite different results. The diffusion equation method predicts a peak concentration upstream from the outfall rather than at the outfall, when the outfall location is arbitrarily placed at certain locations.
Central service in Siberia.

In 1992, eight healthcare professionals from United Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota spent six weeks in Ishim, in the Siberian region of Russia, on a medical information exchange to observe the methods of healthcare delivery, assess the needs of medical facilities and share technical advice where applicable. Ishim's CS workers were anxious to learn how to better utilize the resources they had--which were few. Supplies were so limited that CS workers were provided little personal protective equipment; there were not even gloves available for handling contaminated instruments in the washing and decontamination areas. Ishim's facility reprocessed virtually everything, including tongue depressors and surgeons' gloves. The CS department cleaned, assembled and sterilized instruments for Ishim City Hospital's OR and for the city's 28 clinics. When United's representatives returned to the U.S., they formed a supply committee to procure instruments and other needed materials for the Russian hospital and clinics.
Control of the Microstructure of Polycrystalline Diamond And Related Materials Via an Enhanced Cvd Process

High quality diamond films have potential applications in high speed, high temperature electronic devices and hard, wear resistant coatings for cutting tools. Diamond is an ideal material for substrates or thin films in integrated circuits because it has the combined properties of high thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, and low dielectric constant.1,5 In addition to passive roles as heat sinks, diamond is also being evaluated as a device material for microwave frequency and semiconductor applications. Diamond is desirable for electronics operating at microwave frequencies because of its low susceptibility to X-ray, ultraviolet, and gamma radiation damage.3,5 The interest in diamond as a semiconductor stems from its ability to operate at temperatures between 100°C and 500°C, beyond the range of most smaller band gap semiconductors.6