cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical investigation of spectroscopic properties of Te2

Abstract Complete active space MCSCF (CASSCF)/first-order configuration interaction (FOCI) calculations are carried out on the electronic states of Te 2 . Spin-orbit interaction is introduced as a correction to CASSCF FOCI results using a relativistic configuration interaction scheme. The spectroscopic properties of a number of electronic states are calculated. Our calculations enable correct assignment of ambiguous earlier assignments and confirmation of tentative earlier assignments of observed spectra. We also predict the properties of a number of electronic states which are yet to be observed.
The role of health in development

Abstract The basic needs strategy of development is directed toward helping poor nations meet requirements for adequate food, shelter, sanitation, health, and education; thus, health becomes an objective of development. At the same time, a basic needs strategy is most effective when viewed as a means to increase individual and national productivity, not merely as a welfare services program. Expenditures on health are considered as an investment in human resources, contributing to productive capacity, but empirical studies on the contribution of health to per capita economic growth are largely anecdotal, marred by poor design and insufficient data. A similarly perplexing problem is the extent to which improved health is the result of specific health program interventions as compared to improved economic and social conditions. Both are important, but their relative importance differs from country to country and from era to era. Better data and analysis are necessary, not only to elucidate the interrelationships between health and development, but to measure the costs and benefits of specific health interventions.
Fourteen Years of Cognitive Radio Development

Cognitive Radio principles were first described at a Keynote Speech by Dr. Joseph Mitola at the IEEE ICASSP Conference in Phoenix in 1999. In this talk Mitola described the principles of a Radio that could help its user to do many things. The vision includes a radio with an understanding of numerous domains ranging from the user's daily routine to an understanding of how to find and efficiently use spectrum and avoid interference. This paper will review Cognitive Radio principles explored by the commercial and defense communities, assessing progress made in the many potential dimensions of Cognitive Radio as an assistant to the radio user. We will utilize the DARPA developed Advanced Wireless Network System / Wireless Network after Next (AWNS/WNaN) radio system and network as the example of a Cognitive Radio capability that provides high levels of adaptivity to the communications radio frequency (RF) environment and the warfighter's mission.
Childhood asthma and measles vaccine response

Background Asthmatic patients have a T H 2-predominant milieu that is associated with humoral immunity. However, little is known about whether humoral immune responses to viral antigens differ between asthmatic and nonasthmatic children. Objective To determine whether humoral immune response differs in asthmatic patients vs nonasthmatic patients. Methods Measles virus specific IgG antibody levels were determined for the Rochester Family Measles Study cohort (n = 876), a convenience sample of healthy children 5 to 12 years of age in Rochester, MN. We conducted comprehensive medical record reviews of 838 children who were eligible for this study. We determined the child's asthma status at the time of determination of antibody levels by applying predetermined criteria for asthma. Comparisons were made using the 2-sample t test or χ 2 test. Results Of the 838 children, 156 (18.6%) had asthma at the time of the determination of antibody levels and were not taking systemic steroids within 14 days of specimen collection. Among those with a nonequivocal antibody reading, the seropositive response rates were similar in asthmatic patients and nonasthmatic patients (89.7% vs 90.3%, respectively; P = .83). However, the equivocal response rates were slightly higher among asthmatic patients than nonasthmatic patients (6.4% vs 4.7%, respectively). Conclusion Asthmatic children seem to have similar humoral immune responses to measles vaccine as those without asthma. Although the findings reassure health care practitioners, whether this finding is generalizable to other vaccines and whether asthmatic patients with low antibody levels have normal cell-mediated immunity need to be elucidated in future studies.
Case Study: Parent-Implemented Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching with a High Risk Dyad.

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to determine if a mother with mild developmental disabilities living in poverty was able to implement Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching (PMT...
Rethinking Cocaine-Associated Chest Pain and Acute Coronary Syndromes

Every year more than 500,000 patients present to the emergency department with cocaine-associated complications, most commonly chest pain. Many of these patients undergo extensive work-up and treatment. Much of the evidence regarding cocaine's cardiovascular effects, as well as the current management of cocaine-associated chest pain and acute coronary syndromes, is anecdotally derived and based on studies written more than 2 decades ago that involved only a few patients. Newer studies have brought into question many of the commonly held theories and practices regarding the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this common clinical scenario. However, there continues to be a paucity of prospective, randomized trials addressing this topic as it relates to clinical outcomes. We searched PubMed for English-language articles from 1960 to 2011 using the keywords cocaine, chest pain, coronary arteries, myocardial infarction, emergency department, cardiac biomarkers, electrocardiogram, coronary computed tomography, observation unit, β-blockers, benzodiazepines, nitroglycerin, calcium channel blockers, phentolamine, and cardiomyopathy; including various combinations of these terms. We reviewed the abstracts to confirm relevance, and then full articles were extracted. References from extracted articles were also reviewed for relevant articles. In this review, we critically evaluate the limited historical evidence underlying the current teachings on cocaine's cardiovascular effects and management of cocaine-associated chest pain. We aim to update the reader on more recent, albeit small, studies on the emergency department evaluation and clinical and pharmacologic management of cocaine-associated chest pain. Finally, we summarize recent guidelines and review an algorithm based on the current best evidence.
A 5-Year Review of Feedback on the Philadelphia-Area Mock ABS Certifying Examination

Objectives The American Board of Surgery Certifying Examination (ABSCE) is an oral examination designed to evaluate a resident׳s ability to apply their cognitive knowledge to manage a broad range of clinical problems. In this study, we analyze our 5-year experience with a Philadelphia-wide mock oral examination (PMOE). Setting The PMOE is organized by the Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and offered annually to all postgraduate year 4/5 residents from the 8 participating Philadelphia general surgery programs. Each examinee is scheduled for 3 consecutive 30-minute examinations given by 2 examiners per room. Overall performance is graded for each interaction using the ABSCE scoring method. Participants are given their “pass/fail” status, and they receive written examiner feedback. Design From 2008 to 2013, deidentified examinee scores from both the PMOE and the ABSCE were reviewed; overall pass/fail status was compared using the chi-square statistic for significance. Examinee feedback from 2009 to 2013 was reviewed by 3 independent raters and characterized as commenting upon cognitive knowledge, clinical management, or communication skills. This categorical data were then correlated with pass/fail status and examined using unpaired t tests for significance. Results From 2009 to 2013, 189 residents participated in the PMOE with an overall pass rate of 53%, compared with the ABSCE pass rate of 76% for 113 examinees from the Philadelphia area from 2008 to 2013 (χ 2 = 18.8, p Conclusion The PMOE provides residents an opportunity to receive feedback on their performance on a representation of the ABSCE that may be more rigorous than the actual certifying examination. Deficits in cognitive knowledge are a significant determinant of performance on a city-wide mock oral examination.
Structures and heats of formation of C4H+7 ions in the gas phase

Abstract The proton affinities of 1,3-butadiene and 2-butyne have been derived from equilibrium constant determinations to be 190 ± 1 and 188 ± 1 kcal mol−1, respectively. Based on these results, the (stationary electron convention) heats of formation of the 1-methylallyl ion, (CH3CHCHCH+2), and the 2-butenyl ion (CH3CCHCH+3) are 202 ± 2 and 213 ± 2 kcal mol−1, respectively. The proton affinity of 1,2-butadiene has been determined to be approximately 189 kcal mol−1, leading to a value for the heat of formation of the corresponding C4H+7 ion of approximately 215 kcal mol−1, indicating that this ion has the same structure as protonated 2-butyne. The 2-butenyl ion (protonated 2-butyne), CH3CCHCH+3, reacts with CH3CN by proton transfer with a rate constant of ≈ 5–7 × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. A competing reaction is a collision-induced rearrangement to the lower-energy 1-methylallyl structure (CH3CHCHCH+2). The latter ion reacts with CH3CH with a rate constant of 0.5 × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Based on this difference in reactivity, it is possible to ascertain that, under the conditions of the ICR experiment (40 eV ionizing electrons, 10−6 torr), about 85–90% of the fragment C4H+7 ions formed in cyclopentane initially have the 1-methylallyl structure, while the fragment ions in the linear and branched pentenes and in the butenes originate predominantly with a higher energy structure which may be either CH3CCHCH+3 or CH2C(CH3)CH+2. Proton transfer bracketing experiments gave values for the proton affinities of the CH3CHCHCH2 and CH2C(CH3)CH2 radicals of 191 and 185 kcal mol−1, respectively. These proton affinity values correspond to heats of formation of the respective radicals of 31.7 and 28.6 kcal mol−1.
Capillary modification and evaluation using streaming potential and frontal chromatography for protein analysis in capillary electrophoresis

Abstract The modification of capillary surfaces in capillary electrophoresis requires accurate chemical characterization of the synthesized materials. A three-step procedure was developed for the evaluation of capillaries used for protein separations in capillary electrophoresis. These measurements include ζ potential determination via streaming potential measurements, adsorption characteristics using frontal chromatography measurements of test solutes, and overall performance under running conditions using selected test solutes. The ζ potential determined from the streaming potential reflects the degree to which the capillary wall can undergo electrostatic interactions with proteins as well as the magnitude of the electroosmotic flow. Frontal chromatography measurements with selected probe proteins can indicate both the amount of adsorption as well as the probable types of interactions involved in the adsorption. Kinetic information can also be obtained in some instances. Electrophoresis with test solutes reflects the overall effect of adsorption. For this study, three types of capillaries were evaluated: (1) bare fused-silica capillaries, (2) capillaries coated with several thickness of cross-linked polyethylene glycol and (3) cross-linked polyethyleneimine. The polyethylene glycol column displayed much weaker electrostatic and similar hydrophobic and/or hydrogen bonding interactions as compared with underivatized fused-silica columns. The polyethyleneimine column exhibited poor performance for the test proteins used. Good electrophoretic performance seems to be possible only if adsorption measurements were below 0.2 ng/cm2 (correspondng to 0.1% of available surface area) for all of the test proteins.
Gas phase reactions of NH2Cl with anionic nucleophiles: nucleophilic substitution at neutral nitrogen

Reactions of chloramine, NH2Cl, with HO−, RO− (R = CH3, CH3CH2, CH3CH2CH2, C6H5CH2, CF3CH2), F−, HS−, and Cl− have been studied in the gas phase using the selected ion flow tube technique. Nucleophilic substitution (S N2) at nitrogen to form Cl− has been observed for all the nucleophiles. The reactions are faster than the corresponding S N 2 reactions of methyl chloride; the chloramine reactions take place at nearly every collision when the reaction is exothermic. The thermoneutral identity S N 2 reaction of NH2Cl with Cl−, which occurs approximately once in every 100 collisions, is more than two orders of magnitude faster than the analogous reaction of CH3Cl. The significantly enhanced S N2 reactivity of NH2Cl is consistent with a previous theoretical prediction that the barrier height for the S N2 identity reaction at nitrogen is negative relative to the energy of the reactants, whereas this barrier height for reaction at carbon is positive. Competitive proton abstraction to form NHCl− has also been observed with more highly basic anions (HO−, CH3O−, and CH3CH2O−), and this is the major reaction channel for HO− and CH3O−. Acidity bracketing determines the heat of deprotonation of NH2Cl as 374.4 ± 3.0 kcal mol−1.
Total Protein, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, Ribonucleic Acid, and Histone Content of Isolated Nuclei of Chicken Erythrocytes

Abstract Nuclei were isolated from erythroid cells of thirteen day chick embryos, eighteen day chick embryos, and hens; total protein, DNA, RNA, and histone contents were determined per nucleus. The average picogram quantities of total protein, DNA, RNA, and histone per nucleus from erythrocytes of the hen were 3.20, 2.05, 0.33, and 1.74, respectively. The results were the same in nuclei from the erythrocytes of the two ages of embryos except that the average total protein in nuclei from 18-day embryos was 2.64 picograms.
Modelling olfactory pattern recognition by an adaptive spatial filter

The neural dynamics of the vertebrate olfactory system have been simulated with integrodifferential equations, in the search for insight into the nature of a primitive but still highly successful pattern recognition mechanism. The basic neural circuitry consists of a mass of interactive neurons having the capability of alternating between a stable equilibrium state and a stable limit cycle state. The spatial amplitude modulation of the limit cycle seen as a carrier appears to reflect information that is stored in the olfactory bulb from previous exposure to odors. This store is conceived to exist in the form of patterns of modified synapses constituting templates. Experiments have been conducted with two types of template, one associated with attention and desired input, the other with habituation and unwanted input. As constituted the model has certain desirable features, but it fails to account for the physiological result that the limit cycle patterns observed in the bulb appear to conform more to expectations of input than to actual input.
Analysis of magnetic aftereffect by using Monte Carlo methods

Magnetic aftereffect phenomena are simulated in the framework of phenomenological models of hysteresis by using the Monte Carlo technique. It is shown that a logt-type dependence of the average value of the output variable (usually the magnetization) can be qualitatively predicted by using simplified models of hysteresis with local memory, such as the Jiles-Atherton, Hodgdon, or the Energetic model. These models are computationally much more efficient than the more elaborate models of hysteresis with global memory like the Preisach model. Numerical results related to the decay of the output variable as of function of time are presented. The viscosity coefficient as well as the temperature dependence of the viscosity coefficient is analyzed in detail.
QM/MMpol: A Consistent Model for Solute/Solvent Polarization. Application to the Aqueous Solvation and Spectroscopy of Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, and Acetone

We present a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical theory that consistently treats many-body polarization effects in the MM region (QM/MMpol). The method described here is based on our previous theory for single-point ground and excited states. Here we extend the formalism to include analytical gradients, making the approach useful for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Central to our development is a consistent treatment of the interaction of the MM polarizable dipoles with the full QM wave function in a fashion that allows for energy conservation in the MD. We present implementation details for NDDO semiempirical QM Hamiltonians of the MNDO type. We also present an analysis of the solvent and substituent effects on the spectroscopic blue shift of the n−π* electronic excited state of a series of carbonyl-containing solutes: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone. We use the AM1 semiempirical Hamiltonian to treat the solute and the POL1 polarizable model for the solvent. For formaldehyde, we ...
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in Patients with hypertension and preserved systolic function

Objective To assess prospectively diastolic function in hypertensive patients with preserved left ventricular function, particularly focusing on the limitation of the transmitral flow velocity curve alone to detect diastolic dysfunction. Patients and Methods Comprehensive Doppler analysis was performed in 51 hypertensive patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function. Results The ratio of the peak early diastolic filling wave velocity to the peak velocity of filling wave at atrial contraction was less than the age-adjusted mean value minus 2 SD in 16 patients, and the other 35 patients had a "normal" transmitral Doppler signal. However, the combined transmitral and pulmonary venous Doppler analysis revealed that 12 of these 35 patients had a "pseudonormal" pattern. The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction was estimated at 31% with use of transmitral Doppler alone but increased to 55% when comprehensive Doppler analysis was used (P Conclusion The presence of diastolic dysfunction has been frequently overlooked in hypertensive patients with transmitral Doppler analysis alone, and an assessment of diastolic function with a comprehensive Doppler analysis is needed in patients at risk for diastolic dysfunction.
Marginal and total production cost indices: Theory and applications

We show that the total cost of production index and the marginal cost of production index may be used to illuminate the course of an industry's evolution. Each of these summary statistics conveys different bits of information about the industry. Theoretical properties of the indices are compared, and then the indices are applied to data from the steel industry to illustrate how changes in the indices over time reflect fundamental changes in industry conditions.
Empirical predictors of annual bed load travel distance, and implications for salmonid habitat restoration and protection

Measurements of annual travel distance (Lb) of bed load sediment at 16 locations in Alaska, the intermountain USA, west coast USA and Scotland are strongly correlated with bankfull channel width (r2 = 0·86, p < 0·001). Travel distance of particles is probably limited by trapping in bars, which have a longitudinal spacing proportional to channel width. Increased abundance of woody debris reduces bar spacing and may reduce Lb. Longer cumulative duration of bed load transporting flows in a year appears to increase Lb. Other predictors of annual travel distance such as stream power per unit length, drainage area and bankfull discharge were less well correlated with Lb (r2 ranging from 0·27 to 0·51). Stream power per unit bed area, basal shear stress and slope were not significantly related to Lb (r2 < 0·05). Most correlations were improved when regressions were limited to data from the west coast USA. Travel distance estimates can be used to help identify reaches that may take longer to recover from large, short-term increases in sediment supply. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ecological research in Nicaragua

Abstract Shortages of funds and personnel have restricted the development of ecological research in Nicaragua. These problems are exacerbated by the current war between the forces of the government and the contras. In spite of these difficulties, there has been considerable recent progress in research that focuses on urgent environmental problems — especially agricultural ecology and conservation biology.
In vitro nutritional requirements of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. I. Effects of sterols, sterol derivatives and heme compounds on the free-living stages.

Abstract 1. 1. Nippostrongylus brasiliensis free-living stages developed in culture on Escherichia coli K-12 supplemented with a sterol or sterol derivative. 2. 2. Excessive washing of living E. coli removed a “growth factor” which was replaced by a heme compound. 3. 3. Although supplemented living E. coli supported N. brasiliensis development, better growth occurred when formalin-killed E. coli was used as a culture medium base. 4. 4. Heat-killed E. coli did not support complete development of N. brasiliensis free-living stages even upon addition of sterol and heme. 5. 5. N. brasiliensis larvae in culture took up and incorporated 3H-7α cholesterol.
Abdominal ultrasound examination of the first-trimester fetus

The first-trimester fetus can now be comprehensively studied with ultrasound. Various biometric measurements correlate well with gestational age, such as crown-rump length (r2 = 0.938) and cranial apex to ear diameter (r2 = 0.983). On the other hand, yolk sac diameter (r2 = 0.129) and abdominal perimeter (r2 = 0.58) correlate poorly with gestational age. By 10 weeks' gestation, kidneys can be visualized in 60% of cases; 98% will be seen at 11 weeks; and 100% of cases will be visible by 12 weeks. The bladder appears later, and by 12 weeks' gestation this organ can be identified in 50% of cases. It is likely that renal agenesis can be diagnosed (or excluded) reliably in the first trimester. With improving technology, prenatal diagnosis of some fetal anomalies is now possible in the first trimester.
FUD: a plea for intolerance

Relying on dubious claims can cause researchers to focus on the wrong questions and organizations to misdirect security spending.
Examining Facets of Peacebuilding

After the Smoke Clears: The Just War Tradition and Post War Justice, Mark Allman and Tobias L. Winright (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2010). Civil Society & Peacebuilding: A Critical Assessment, Tha...
Covariance analysis of RNA recognition motifs identifies functionally linked amino acids.

The RNA recognition motif (RRM) is one of the most common eukaryotic protein motifs. RRM sequences form a conserved globular structure known as the RNA-binding domain (RBD) or the ribonucleoprotein domain. Many proteins that contain RRM sequences bind RNA in a sequence-specific manner. To investigate the basis for the RNA-binding specificity of RRMs, we subjected 330 aligned RRM sequences to covariance analysis. The analysis revealed a single network of covariant amino acid pairs comprising the buried core of the RBD and a surface patch. Structural studies have implicated a subset of these residues in RNA binding. The covariance linkages identify a larger set of amino acid residues, including some not directly in contact with bound RNA, that may influence RNA-binding specificity.
High Strength Wood-based Sandwich Panels Reinforced with Fiberglass and Foam

Mechanical analysis is presented for new high-strength sandwich panels made from wood-based phenolic impregnated laminated paper assembled with an interlocking tri-axial ribbed core. Four different panel configurations were tested, including panels with fiberglass fabric bonded to both outside faces with self-expanding urethane foam used to fill the ribbed core. The mechanical behaviors of the sandwich panels were strength tested via flatwise compression, edgewise compression, and third-point load bending. Panels with fiberglass exhibited significantly increased strength and apparent MOE in edgewise compression and bending, but there were no noticeable effects in flatwise compression. The foam provided improved support that resisted both rib buckling and face buckling for both compression and bending tests. Post-failure observation indicated that core buckling dominated the failures for all configurations used. It is believed that using stiffer foam or optimizing the dimension of the core might further improve the mechanical performance of wood-based sandwich panels.
Practicing the Common Good: The Pedagogical Implications of Catholic Social Teaching

A persistent question for pedagogy is that of whether and how the content of a course ought to shape the teaching method. Both the understanding of practical reason and the substantive concepts of modern Catholic social teaching support a classroom dynamic of a relatively egalitarian dialectic. The author grounds the case for this pedagogy in the understanding of practical reason as found in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, and shows that such an understanding is continued in modern Catholic social teaching. He then shows how the social teaching's substantive move to a more egalitarian social theory reinforces the egalitarian mode of reasoning. The author and others are attempting to practice this pedagogy in the context of the University of Notre Dame's new Program in Catholic Social Tradition. The investigation as a whole raises the question of whether colleges and universities that have actively maintained religious affiliations have a decided advantage in sustaining an academic culture where faculty and students can practice practical reason.
THE SCENOPINIDAE (DIPTERA) OF AUSTRALIA; INCLUDING THE DESCRIPTIONS OF ONE NEW GENUS AND SIX NEW SPECIES

The Scenopinidae of Australia are reviewed and keys provided for the 7 genera and 31 species including the new genus Paramonova and 6 new species, Scenopinus brittoni, Riekiella rossi, Paramonova brevipalpa, P. emarginata, Neopseudatrichia inglewoodi and N. monteithi. Six species of Riekiella Paramonov, R. collessi Kelsey, R. complexa Kelsey, R. dycei Kelsey, R. quadrifida Kelsey, R. taylori Kelsey and R. uncata Kelsey, are transferred to the genus Paramonova and Scenopinus bolgarti Kelsey to Riekiella.
The time dimension in the study of mass movements

Abstract This paper comprises two parts. The first gives the results of a study of the temporal dimensions of mass movements which was carried out by the European Centre for Geomorphological Risks in 1993. We observed that the time terminology was often inaccurate or incomplete, so we have tried to clarify concepts such as the state and mode of activity, dormancy, the return time and the age of a movement. The second part sets out a few principles which may be helpful in applying these cartographic concepts in maps of various scales and types. Its object is to give greater consideration to temporal aspects which are just as important as intensity for this type of hazard, but which are often harder to recognise thus often ignored or overlooked, particularly in maps.
Longitudinal changes in central corneal thickness and their relation to glaucoma status: an 8 year follow up study

Aims: To determine if central corneal thickness (CCT) changes over time and if this change relates to glaucoma progression. Methods: 39 patients (64 eyes) with open angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, glaucoma suspect status, or a normal eye examination were examined at two visits. CCT, age, race, sex, family history of glaucoma, presence of diabetes and systemic hypertension, diagnosis, visual acuity, spherical equivalent, intraocular pressure, vertical and horizontal cup to disc ratios, number of glaucoma medications prescribed, Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) score and mean deviation of Humphrey visual fields, and interventions required were recorded. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon signed ranks test, linear regression, and analysis of variance. Results: Between the two visits (mean 8.2 years apart), mean CCT decreased by 17 μm in right eyes (p Conclusion: In this longitudinal study, CCT decreased over time, but this may not be related to glaucoma progression.
Space Station crew safety - Human factors model

A model of the various human factors issues and interactions that might affect crew safety is developed. The first step addressed systematically the central question: How is this Space Station different from all other spacecraft? A wide range of possible issue was identified and researched. Five major topics of human factors issues that interacted with crew safety resulted: Protocols, Critical Habitability, Work Related Issues, Crew Incapacitation and Personal Choice. Second, an interaction model was developed that would show some degree of cause and effect between objective environmental or operational conditions and the creation of potential safety hazards. The intermediary steps between these two extremes of causality were the effects on human performance and the results of degraded performance. The model contains three milestones: stressor, human performance (degraded) and safety hazard threshold. Between these milestones are two countermeasure intervention points. The first opportunity for intervention is the countermeasure against stress. If this countermeasure fails, performance degrades. The second opportunity for intervention is the countermeasure against error. If this second countermeasure fails, the threshold of a potential safety hazard may be crossed.
The effects of variable ionospheric and plasmaspheric Faraday rotation on low frequency radio arrays

Low frequency arrays such as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which use fixed dipoles operating at meter wavelengths and longer, have very large fields of view and exhibit strong cross-polarization response due to geometric effects, as well as the characteristics of the electronics. The linearly polarized sky at these frequencies is bright and complex in structure, demanding accurate polarimetric calibration for high fidelity imaging. This calibration is made more challenging by high-amplitude time- and direction-dependent ionospheric and plasmaspheric Faraday rotation. In this contribution we describe the relevant ionospheric behaviors, and discuss approaches for dealing with the resulting effects.
Monitoring the monitor: An incentive structure for a financial intermediary

This paper studies financial intermediation (i.e., delegated monitoring) in a costly state verification model. There are a finite number of agents, thus the intermediary cannot fully diversify its portfolio and is subject to default risk. The role of the intermediary is to satisfy simultaneously the different portfolio preferences of borrowers and lenders. Two questions arise when a delegated monitor is subject to non-trivial default risk: (a) What arrangement solves the problem of monitoring the monitor? (b) What intermediary portfolio accomplishes optimal asset transformation between borrowers and lenders? Unlike previous delegated monitoring studies, the law of large numbers is not sufficient to obtain our results. Instead, we appeal to a stronger results, the large deviation principle, which establishes that convergence in the law of large numbers is exponential.
Toward on-demand wafer fab simulation using formal structure & behavior models

Contemporary factories in capital intensive industries such as semiconductor manufacturing are very complex, with many sources of risk. The highly competitive and global business environment forces companies to analyze, design, and continuously re-design factories with distributed multi-disciplinary teams. Traditional factory design approaches using spreadsheets and stand-alone simulations cannot adequately cope with the resulting time, cost, and risk requirements. In this paper, we address the opportunity to support fab design teams by providing on-demand simulation. The method for achieving this combines formal fab descriptive models with a process for generating fab analysis models from relatively standard sources of fab data.
Factors that influence the rate of epithelial maturation in the cervix in healthy young women.

Purpose To examine the longitudinal changes in the epithelial topography of the cervix in healthy young women; and to determine the sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological factors associated with the rate of cervical epithelial maturation.
Fourier domain optical coherence tomography with a linear-in-wavenumber spectrometer

We describe Fourier domain optical coherence tomography equipped with a novel linear-in-wavenumber spectrometer. The presented device linearizes the spectral dispersion of the spectrometer in wavenumber using a specifically designed prism. The spectral linearity in wavenumber makes numerical interpolation into wavenumber unnecessary, reduces computing time, and furthermore results in improvement of the falloff of signal with image range inherent to frequency-domain optical coherence tomography imaging. Experiments demonstrate the improvement of the falloff and agree with the expected results from simulation.
Modeling of the FWD Deflection Basin to Evaluate Airport Pavements

AbstractThe falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing develops a deflection basin on the pavement surface. Depths of this deflection basin from the center of the falling weight are measured at different radial offsets. These deflections are used for the backcalculation of the pavement layer moduli. Most of the available backcalculation software uses the layered elastic theory and static load to calculate moduli from known pavement surface deflections. However, the FWD test load is dynamic, and layer materials may show nonelastic behavior. Layered elastic theory in these types of software cannot characterize dynamic response of the pavement. Also, elastic theory is unable to accurately predict the surface deflection whenever stress developed in any pavement layer exceeds the yield point. For this reason, this study has performed a finite-element analysis of the airport pavement under the FWD test considering the dynamic load and materials plasticity. The analysis presented here includes elastoplastic beha...
The U.S. seed industry: an exploration of statistics highlighting the economic activity of the U.S. row crop seed industry.

This report presents relevant statistics that highlight the economic activity of the U.S. seed industry. The focus of this report is on the four main U.S. crops: corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton. The report contains three sections. The first is related to the U.S. seed market’s size based on seed sales and expenditures. The second section examines industry investment in research and development (R&D) activity in terms of both budget and human resources. The final section illustrates the impact of the seed industry in terms of intellectual property development, improved productivity, and other benefits. This report focuses on using publicly available data to examine these three areas. In addition, the report presents the results of a survey conducted among American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) members that helped fill some gaps in publicly available information. The report ends with identification of deficiencies in the industry data that could be improved with more study and/or reporting from the industry.
Longitudinal mode beating spectra in long-cavity quantumdot semiconductor lasers

The optical and microwave spectra of 5-mm-long quantum-dot diode lasers are investigated. Comparison of observed beating lines with quantum-well lasers shows differences in the group index, linewidth, and line shape.
Crab Bitten by a Fish from the Upper Cretaceous Pierre Shale of South Dakota

A single specimen of Raninella shows evidence of being bitten by a small predator. The fragmentary carapace has been punctured at four points and fractured at two. Three of the punctures and the two fractures were made from below, and the other puncture was made from above. The teeth of the predator, probably a fish, were small, round, and widely spaced.
Design And Implementation Of A Multi-Sensor Fusion Algorithm On A Hypercube Computer Architecture

A multi-sensor integration (MSI) algorithm written for sequential single processor computer architecture has been transformed into a concurrent algorithm and implemented in parallel on a multi-processor hypercube computer architecture. This paper will present the philosophy and methodologies used in the decomposition of the sequential MSI algorithm, and its transformation into a parallel MSI algorithm. The parallel MSI algorithm was implemented on a NCUBETM hypercube computer. The performance of the parallel MSI algorithm has been measured and compared against its sequential counterpart by running test case scenarios through a simulation program. The simulation program allows the user to define the trajectories of all players in the scenario, and to pick the sensor suites of the players and their operating characteristics. For example, an air-to-air engagement scenario was used as one of the test cases. In this scenario, two friend aircrafts were being attacked by six foe aircraft in a pincer maneuver. Both the friend and foe aircrafts launch missiles at several different time points in the engagement. The sensor suites on each aircraft are dual mode RADAR, dual mode IRST, and ESM sensors. The modes of the sensors are switched as needed throughout the scenario. The RADAR sensor is used only intermittently, thus most of the MSI information is obtained from passive sensing. The maneuvers in this scenario caused aircraft and missile to constantly fly in and out of sensors field-of-view (F0V). This resulted in the MSI algorithm to constantly reacquire, initiate, and delete new tracks as it tracked all objects in the scenario. The objective was to determine performance of the parallel MSI algorithm in such a complex environment, and to determine how many multi-processors (nodes) of the hypercube could be effectively used by an aircraft in such an environment. For the scenario just discussed, a 4-node hypercube was found to be the optimal size and a factor two in speedup was obtained. This paper will also discuss the design of a completely parallel MSI algorithm.
Extrinsic and intrinsic determinants of nerve regeneration

After central nervous system (CNS) injury axons fail to regenerate often leading to persistent neurologic deficit although injured peripheral nervous system (PNS) axons mount a robust regenerative response that may lead to functional recovery. Some of the failures of CNS regeneration arise from the many glial-based inhibitory molecules found in the injured CNS, whereas the intrinsic regenerative potential of some CNS neurons is actively curtailed during CNS maturation and limited after injury. In this review, the molecular basis for extrinsic and intrinsic modulation of axon regeneration within the nervous system is evaluated. A more complete understanding of the factors limiting axonal regeneration will provide a rational basis, which is used to develop improved treatments for nervous system injury.
Mining templates from search result records of search engines

Metasearch engine, Comparison-shopping and Deep Web crawling applications need to extract search result records enwrapped in result pages returned from search engines in response to user queries. The search result records from a given search engine are usually formatted based on a template. Precisely identifying this template can greatly help extract and annotate the data units within each record correctly. In this paper, we propose a graph model to represent record template and develop a domain independent statistical method to automatically mine the record template for any search engine using sample search result records. Our approach can identify both template tags (HTML tags) and template texts (non-tag texts), and it also explicitly addresses the mismatches between the tag structures and the data structures of search result records. Our experimental results indicate that this approach is very effective.
A Philosophical Analysis of Neuroenergetics

Neuroimaging studies measure cerebral rates of glucose and oxygen consumption yet they are often interpreted to support philosophical positions about mental processes presumed to represent behavior. Cognitive Neuroscience has claimed that Neuroimaging resolves Descartes’ dualism of Mind and Matter by mapping such presumed mental processes onto the brain. Bennett & Hacker point out that this is nonsense because a person, not the brain, performs observable activities such as remembering, planning or voting. This analysis is supported by the continuing inability of neuroimaging to locate the modular brain activities postulated to perform mental activity. Pragmatist philosophy emphasizes that such postulated representations are contingent hypothesis invented to deal with the world in everyday life and are not definable as proposed by Cognitive Neuroscience. A recent philosophy of Mechanisms, reflecting what biologists actually do when explaining observable phenomena, looks for explanations not from postulated representations but from multi-level, multi-disciplinary mechanisms of metabolism and energetics which are actually measured in neuroimaging. The value of this philosophy is illustrated by the experimental relations between cerebral energetics in disorders of consciousness and the response to stimuli.
Log files: an extended file service exploiting write-once storage

A log service provides efficient storage and retrieval of data that is written sequentially (append-only) and not subsequently modified. Application programs and subsystems use log services for recovery, to record security audit trails, and for performance monitoring. Ideally, a log service should accommodate very large, long-lived logs, and provide efficient retrieval and low space overhead.In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of the Clio log service. Clio provides the abstraction of log files: readable, append-only files that are accessed in the same way as conventional files. The underlying storage medium is required only to be append-only; more general types of write access are not necessary. We show how log files can be implemented efficiently and robustly on top of such storage media—in particular, write-once optical disk.In addition, we describe a general application software storage architecture that makes use of log files.This work was supported in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contracts N00039-84-C-0211 and N00039-86-K-0431, by National Science Foundation grant DCR-83-52048, and by Digital Equipment Corporation, Bell-Northern Research and AT&T Information Systems.
Antibody-forming cell response to virus challenge in mice immunized with DNA encoding the influenza virus hemagglutinin.

Immunization of mice with DNA encoding the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) affords complete protection against lethal influenza virus infection and the means to investigate the mechanisms of B-cell responsiveness to virus challenge. Using a single-cell enzyme-linked immunospot assay, we sought to determine the localization of HA-specific antibody-forming cells (AFCs) during the development of humoral immunity in mice given HA DNA vaccine by gene gun. At 33 days postvaccination, populations of AFCs were maintained in the spleen and bone marrow. In response to lethal challenge with influenza virus, the AFCs became localized at the site of antigenic challenge, i.e., within the draining lymph nodes of the lung compartment. Immunoglobulin G (IgG)- and IgA-producing AFCs were detected in lymph nodes of the upper and lower respiratory tracts, underscoring their importance in clearing virus from the lungs. Response to challenge required competent CD4+ T cells, without which no AFCs were generated, even those producing IgM. By contrast, in mice vaccinated with an HA-containing subunit vaccine, fewer AFCs were generated in response to challenge, and these animals were less capable of resisting infection. Our findings demonstrate the comparable localization of AFCs in response to challenge in mice vaccinated with either HA DNA or live virus. Moreover, the former strategy generates both IgG- and IgA-producing plasma cells.
Load-capacity interference and the bathtub curve

Load-capacity (stress-strength) interference theory is used to derive a heuristic failure rate for an item subjected to repetitive loading which is Poisson distributed in time. Numerical calculations are performed using Gaussian distributions in load and capacity. Infant mortality, constant failure rate (Poisson failures), and aging are shown to be associated with capacity variability, load variability, and capacity deterioration, respectively. Bathtub-shaped failure rate curves are obtained when all three failure types are present. Changes in load or capacity distribution parameters often strongly affect the quantitative behavior of the failure-rate curves, but they do not affect the qualitative behavior of the bathtub curve. Neither is it likely that the qualitative behavior will be affected by the use of nonGaussian distributions. The numerical results, however, indicate that infant mortality and wear-out failures interact strongly with load variability. Thus bathtub curves arising from this model cannot be represented as simple superpositions of independent contributions from the three failure types. Only if the three failure types arise from independent failure mechanisms or in different components is it legitimate simply to sum the failure rate contributions. >
Implementing an evidence-based intervention to improve care for ventilator-dependent residents in a nursing home facility

Introduction: Pneumonia is a potentially preventable cause of readmissions among nursing home residents. It was found to be a frequent cause of readmission among ventilator-dependent residents in a nursing home facility. The objective of this project was to implement and evaluate a comprehensive respiratory care program for residents dependent on ventilators and potentially decrease the readmission rate in a community nursing home. Methods: A quality improvement project was undertaken to improve the care provided to ventilator-dependent resident. Components of the project included implementation of the ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) protocol, a hand hygiene bundle, and an education program on respiratory care. To assess the program impact, process monitoring of the elements of the VAP protocol, adherence to hand hygiene, and readmission rates were undertaken at baseline and following implementation of the program. Results: The VAP protocol was successfully implemented through education, changes to documentation, and an institutional policy. Process auditing showed improvement over time in adherence to the two elements of the protocol, elevation of head of bed and daily oral care, directly related to VAP prevention. Correct hand washing occurred 12% of the time, increasing to 68% at 6 weeks post-implementation; however, adherence decreased to 35% at the 7 months follow-up. A chart review of the reasons for readmission showed a downward trend in readmissions related to pneumonia from 29% pre-intervention to 9% following the intervention. Conclusions: This project reflects an improvement in the care provided to residents dependent on ventilators. This was accomplished by adapting the VAP protocol to fit within the nursing home context.