cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Entrainment of aqueous subphase in Langmuir-Blodgett films

Abstract An on-line capacitance technique has been employed for the detection of entrainment of the aqueous subphase during Langmuir-Blodgett deposition. This technique exploits the high dielectric constant of the subphase relative to air and to deposited monolayers. An interdigitated electrode structure was patterned on a substrate, and the capacitance was recorded throughout a dipping cycle. Electrodes were oriented parallel and perpendicular to the air-water interface during dipping. Subphase entrainment was detected by means of two indicators, drying time and the slope of the capacitance vs. time trace. Entrainment occurred during the deposition of all the monolayer materials employed, namely arachidic acid and n-docosyl homologues of merocyanine and hemicyanine. Comparable levels of entrainment observed for both orientations of the electrode indicate that entrainment is independent of topography. The dyes had characteristics different from those of arachidic acid. Poor deposition was obtained on the downstroke with partially dry substrates, indicating the strong influence of entrainment on the quality of deposition. This emphasizes the need for entrainment studies, and also the applicability of the capacitance technique in determining the necessary dwell times.
Simultaneous determination of refractive indices and angles of prisms.

By using the Fraunhofer diffraction on a fine slit and the statistic models of the least-squares error plus the normal error distribution, the refractive indices and the angles of prisms can be determined simultaneously with a simple experimental setup. The accuracy is of the order of 10−4 for refractive indices and of the order of minutes for angles. The computer algorithms to apply the statistical models are explained.
A DYNAMICAL MODEL OF PROMINENCE LOOPS

A dynamical model of prominence loops is constructed on the basis of the theory of hydromagnetic buoyancy force. A prominence loop is regarded as a flux rope immersed in the solar atmosphere above a bipolar region of the photospheric magnetic field. The motion of a loop is partitioned into a translational motion, which accounts for the displacement of the centroidal axis of the loop, and an expansional motion, which accounts for the displacement of the periphery of the loop relative to the axis. The translational motion is driven by the hydromagnetic buoyancy force exerted by the surrounding medium of the solar atmosphere and the gravitational force exerted by the Sun. The expansional motion is driven by the pressure gradient that sustains the pressure difference between internal and external gas pressures and the self-induced Lorentz force that results from interactions among internal currents. The main constituent of the hydromagnetic buoyancy force on a prominence loop is the diamagnetic force exerted on the internal currents by the external currents that sustain the pre-existing magnetic field. By spatial transformation between magnetic and mechanical stresses, the diamagnetic force is manifested through a mechanical force acting at various mass elements of the prominence. For a prominence loop in equilibrium, the gravitational force is balanced by the hydromagnetic buoyancy force and the Lorentz force of helical magnetic field is balanced by a gradient force of gas pressure.
How to decode student bottlenecks to learning in computer science (abstract only)

After thirty years or more of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) many students still struggle to learn at the university level, while ever more techniques are being developed to help students learn and measure their success. In practice, however, efforts to reshape classes begin with questions such as: "How can I make use of this new technique?" Or, "How can I increase my students' critical thinking?" Such questions are often too broad to provide a clear focal point for designing efficient strategies. They sometimes draw attention to parts of the course not in great need of reform, and generally focus the process on the means (teaching) rather than the end (student learning). A shift is taking place in higher education so that teaching is approached not from content or from the teaching methods, but from the mental processes that are crucial to functioning in a discipline. Decoding the Disciplines (Middendorf & Pace, 2004) is an evidence-based, learner-centered methodology that can conclusively improve teaching by prioritizing what really matters in making meaning in a discipline and boosting learning outcomes in the classroom. It offers a meta-strategy, providing both a framework to define the task at hand and a means to determine which tools would be most useful in accomplishing it. Starting from the bottlenecks, the places where students get stuck, and connecting them with what experts do so they won't get stuck, the crucial mental processes drive the teaching and learning so students can be successful.
State transitions in geomorphic responses to environmental change

Abstract The fundamental geomorphic responses to environmental change are qualitative changes in system states. This study is concerned with the complexity of state transition models (STM), and synchronization. The latter includes literal and inferential synchronization, the extent to which observations or relationships at one time period can be applied to others. Complexity concerns the extent to which STM structure may tend to amplify effects of change. Three metrics—spectral radius, Laplacian spectral radius, and algebraic connectivity—were applied to several generic geomorphic STMs, and to three real-world examples: the San Antonio River delta, soil transitions in a coastal plain agricultural landscape, and high-latitude thermokarst systems. While the Laplacian spectral radius was of limited use, spectral radius and algebraic complexity provide significant, independent information. The former is more sensitive to the intensity of cycles within the transition graph structure, and to the overall complexity of the STM. Spectral radius is an effective general index of graph complexity, and especially the likelihood of amplification and intensification of changes in environmental boundary conditions, or of the propagation of local disturbances within the system. The spectral radius analyses here illustrate that more information does not necessarily decrease uncertainty, as increased information often results in the expansion of state transition networks from simpler linear sequential and cyclic to more complex structures. Algebraic connectivity applied to landscape-scale STMs provides a measure of the likelihood of complex response, with synchronization inversely related to complex response.
The Mexican candelilla plant and its wax

About eight million pounds of this wax, obtained from wild plants in northern Mexico and adjacent parts of Texas, have been used annually in the United States in recent years—three million of them in the chewing-gum industry, the rest in the manufacture of coating and polishing preparations.
On the stabilization and observation of nonlinear/uncertain dynamic systems

The problem of stabilization and observation of uncertain and/or nonlinear dynamic systems for which matching conditions are not satisfied is investigated. No statistical description of uncertain elements is assumed. The uncertain and/or nonlinear quantities are described only in terms of bounds on their possible sizes. Stabilizing feedback controllers and observers are proposed whose design is based on the constructive use of Lyapunov functions. >
The nucleation kinetics, crystallography, and mechanism of the massive transformation

Experimental and theoretical evidence on the role of special crystallographic orientation relationships in massive transformations is critically reviewed. The implications of these and of the results of interfacial structure and morphological studies for the nucleation mechanism of the massive transformation are considered. The role of crystallography during the growth process of massive transformation is also briefly discussed. The conclusion is reached that orientation relationships capable of producing low energy, zero mobility interfaces play the same type of dominant roles in the nucleation and growth of the massive transformation as they do in precipitation from solid solution.
Does variation in the intensity and duration of predation drive evolutionary changes in senescence

Summary The evolutionary theory of senescence predicts that increased rates of extrinsic mortality select for faster declines in fertility and survival with age. One predicted mechanism is that increased mortality favours alleles that enhance fitness early in life at the expense of survival or reproduction later in life (antagonistic pleiotropy). We tested these predictions in natural populations of Daphnia ambigua from lakes that vary in the severity and duration of fish predation. Daphnia are found in lakes with (i) anadromous alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) that migrate between marine and freshwater, (ii) permanent landlocked alewife and (iii) no alewife. Daphnia are rare year-round in ‘landlocked lakes’ and are seasonally eliminated from the water column in ‘anadromous lakes’ due to the very strong predatory impact of anadromous alewife on populations of zooplankton. Previous work has also shown that intense seasonal bouts of predation by anadromous alewife has selected for increased allocation towards growth and reproduction in Daphnia found in lakes with anadromous alewife. Such variation in the risk of mortality and the expression of life-history traits early in life provides the raw materials to test the evolutionary theory of ageing. We reared replicate populations of Daphnia from all three lake types and quantified lifetime rates of offspring production and intrinsic survival. We found no differences in age-related declines in fertility or survival. Daphnia from anadromous lakes produced significantly more offspring throughout their lifetime despite no differences in life span or in the number of reproductive bouts compared with Daphnia from lakes with landlocked and no alewife. The lack of divergence in ageing contradicts the prediction that elevated mortality rates drive evolutionary shifts in ageing. We reconcile these results by considering the predictions of theoretical frameworks that incorporate feedbacks associated with increased mortality such as density- and condition-dependent processes. Our results, which are better explained by a consideration of these processes, thus call for a greater consideration of models that more explicitly consider the ecology of focal organisms.
First-principles theory of copper in silicon

Abstract The properties of copper in silicon calculated from first-principles methods are reviewed and discussed. The defects studied so far include interstitial and substitutional copper, Cu complexes with the vacancy and vacancy clusters, Cu-self-interstitial pairs, Cu-shallow acceptor pairs, Cu–H, and Cu–O interactions, and Cu–Cu pairs. The variety of these interactions is possible because the 3 d shell of Cu is full only for the free atom. Inside the Si matrix, some electrons are promoted from the 3 d shell into the 4 sp shell, and copper easily forms multiple (weak but) covalent bonds, in particular with native defects and impurities such as H. However, the interactions between interstitial Cu and interstitial O or the A-center do not involve the formation of a Cu–O bond, as oxygen much prefers to bind to silicon.
Understanding bursting oscillations as periodic slow passages through bifurcation and limit points

We consider a biochemical system consisting of two allosteric enzyme reactions coupled in series. The system has been modeled by Decroly and Goldbeter (J. Theor. Biol. 124, 219 (1987)) and is described by three coupled, first-order, nonlinear, differential equations. Bursting oscillations correspond to a succession of alternating active and silent phases. The active phase is characterized by rapid oscillations while the silent phase is a period of quiescence. We propose an asymptotic analysis of the differential equations which is based on the limit of large allosteric constants. This analysis allows us to construct a time-periodic bursting solution. This solution is jumping periodically between a slowly varying steady state and a slowly varying oscillatory state. Each jump follows a slow passage through a bifurcation or limit point which we analyze in detail. Of particular interest is the slow passage through a supercritical Hopf bifurcation. The transition is from an oscillatory solution to a steady state solution. We show that the transition is delayed considerably and characterize this delay by estimating the amplitude of the oscillations at the Hopf bifurcation point.
Dispersive aspects of the high-field hopping mobility of molecularly doped solids with dipolar disorder

The time-of-flight mobility of photoinjected charges in molecularly doped polymers obeys a Poole-Frenkel law, μ ∞ exp(γ√E), which is commonly viewed as arising from hopping transport among sites with a large degree of energetic disorder. Recent theoretical investigations have focused on long-range correlations that characterize site energies when the dominant mechanism for energetic fluctuations is the interaction of charge carriers with randomly-oriented permanent dipoles of the dopant and host polymer. An exact calculation of the steady-state drift velocity v d for a one-dimensional system with correlated dipolar disorder predicts a Poole-Frenkel law similar to that observed. In order to investigate another feature commonly observed in the high-field measurements, namely, the anomalous dispersion of the current-time transients, we have performed an exact calculation of the field-dependent diffusion constant D for the same dipolar disorder model. In the bulk limit we obtain an expression D = (KT/e)∂v d /∂E that generalizes the normal Einstein relation and predicts a strongly field-dependent diffusion constant.
EFFECTS of TEMPERATURE and SOLUTE ON the MINIMUM WATER ACTIVITY FOR GROWTH and TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTIC of SELECTED MESOPHILES and PSYCHROTROPHS1

The temperature effect on the temperature characteristic (energy of activation) and the minimum water activity (a w ) for the growth of the psychrotrophs P. fluorescens and B. thermosphacta and the mesophiles Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus were analyzed in liquid media. Experimental data show that the minimum a w of mesophiles is higher than that of psychrotrophs and more sensitive to temperature changes. The minimum growth a w is affected by the a w -controlling solute. The temperature characteristic of psychrotrophs was si gnificantly lower than that of mesophiles and suggests a strong synergistic effect of low temperature and reduced a w on the growth of mesophiles. The effect of a w on the temperature characteristic depends on the a w -controlling solute
Potential impact of subsonic and supersonic aircraft exhaust on water vapor in the lower stratosphere assessed via a trajectory model

[1] We employ a trajectory model to assess the impact on the stratosphere of water vapor present in the exhaust of subsonic and a proposed fleet of supersonic aircraft. Air parcels into which water vapor from aircraft exhaust has been injected are run through a 6-year simulation in the trajectory model using meteorological data from the UKMO analyses with emissions dictated by the standard 2015 emissions scenario. For the subsonic aircraft, our results suggest maximum enhancements of ∼150 ppbv just above the Northern Hemisphere tropopause and of much less than 50 ppbv in most other regions. Inserting the perturbed water vapor profiles into a radiative transfer model, but not considering the impact of additional cirrus formation resulting from emissions by subsonic aircraft, we find that the impact of subsonic water vapor emissions on the radiative balance is negligible. For the supersonic case, our results show maximum enhancements of ∼1.5 ppmv in the tropical stratosphere near 20 km. Much of the remaining stratosphere between 12 and 25 km sees enhancements of greater than 0.1 ppmv, although enhancements above 35 km are generally less than 50 ppbv, in contrast to previous 2-D and 3-D model studies. Radiative calculations based upon these projected water vapor perturbations indicate they may cause a nonnegligible impact on tropical temperature profiles. Since our trajectory model includes no chemistry and our radiative calculations use the most extreme water vapor perturbations, our results should be viewed as upper limits on the potential impacts.
A laminin-like adhesive protein concentrated in the synaptic cleft of the neuromuscular junction

A striking example of topographic specificity in synapse formation is the preferential reinnervation of original synaptic sites on denervated muscle fibres by regenerating motor axons. This specificity is mediated by the basal lamina of the synaptic cleft. A glycoprotein, s-laminin, has now been iden-tified that is selectively associated with synaptic basal lamina and is recognized by motoneurons. Molecular cloning reveals that s-laminin is a novel homologue of laminin, a potent promoter of neurite outgrowth.
Intrinsically slow dynamic instability of HeLa cell microtubules in vitro

The dynamic behavior of mammalian microtubules has been extensively studied, both in living cells and with microtubules assembled from purified brain tubulin. To understand the intrinsic dynamic behavior of mammalian nonneural microtubules, we purified tubulin from cultured HeLa cells. We find that HeLa cell microtubules exhibit remarkably slow dynamic instability, spending most of their time in an attenuated state. The tempered dynamics contrast sharply with the dynamics of microtubules prepared from purified bovine brain tubulin under similar conditions. In accord with their minimal dynamic instability, assembled HeLa cell microtubules displayed a slow treadmilling rate and a low guanosine-5′-triphosphate hydrolysis rate at steady state. We find that unlike brain tubulin, which consists of a heterogeneous mixture of β-tubulin isotypes (βII, βIII, and βIV and a low level of βI), HeLa cell tubulin consists of βItubulin (∼80%) and a minor amount of βIV tubulin (∼20%). The slow dynamic behavior of HeLa cell microtubules in vitro differs strikingly from the dynamic behavior of microtubules in living cultured mammalian cells, supporting the idea that accessory factors create the robust dynamics that occur in cells.
Developmental delay in young children in child welfare by initial placement type

Estimates of developmental delay in children in out-of-home foster care range from 13–62%. Overlooked in these studies are comparisons of developmental delay differentiated by a child's initial placement type (i.e., biological parent, kinship care, or nonrelative foster care) following evaluation for possible abuse and/or neglect. The developmental status of children residing in these different placement types warrants further scrutiny by clinicians and policy makers, especially due to the recent trend towards family preservation efforts and the growing use of kinship care. Data were collected on 798 children, ages 3–36 months, who were admitted to San Diego's sole emergency shelter/receiving facility from April 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999 for investigation of alleged maltreatment. Children admitted received a physical exam and developmental screening using the Denver Developmental Screening Test (Denver-II). Sixty two percent of children (491) scored “suspect” on the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (Denver-II). Of these children, 73% received a developmental evaluation using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (Bayley-II). Over 34% of these children evaluated scored more than 2 standard deviations below the mean on at least one component of the Bayley-II regardless of placement type. Although children with “suspect” scores on the Denver-II were more likely to be placed in nonrelative foster care (p < .013), there was no difference between placement types for children with delay on the Bayley-II. Results for children released to their biological parent(s) should be viewed as preliminary, because these children were less likely to receive an evaluation compared to other children. However, results suggest that young children placed in kinship care are as likely to be developmentally delayed, based on the Bayley-II, as those children placed in nonrelative foster care. Given concerns in the literature that children in kinship care receive fewer services than children in nonrelative foster care, this finding bears further investigation. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
BASIDIOSPOROGENESIS IN BOLETUS RUBINELLUS. I. STERIGMAL INITIATION AND EARLY SPORE DEVELOPMENT

A B S T R A C T Sterigmal initiation in Boletus rubinellus resembled hyphal tip growth. Four stages in early basidiospore development have been delineated based on gross morphology, and changes in wall layers and cytoplasm. Changes in wall layers and cytoplasm during spore development were stage-specific. During Stage 1 the spore wall consisted of two layers identical to those of the sterigmal wall with occasional pellicle remnants on the outer surface. The onset of wall differentiation began in Stage 2, and during Stage 3 wall layers characteristic of the mature spore developed. At Stage 4 there was a pronounced gradient in wall thickness from the apex to the base of the spore. Small vesicles (30-60 nm diam) were uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm of spherically enlarging spores (Stage 2), but during spore elongation (Stages 3 and 4) numerous larger vesicles as well as small vesicles aggregated at the spore apex. A variety of cytoplasmic organelles entered the spore during Stage 3; however, migration of storage materials and the nucleus to the spore did not occur until late basidiospore development. The hilar appendix body developed in the earliest spore primordium and persisted until Stage 3. Development of wall layers and their differential thickening, distribution of vesicles, and probable function of the hilar appendix body are discussed with reference to the control of spore shape. Systematic implications of the data are considered.
Stability of thermal convection in a salinity gradient due to lateral heating

Abstract Experimental investigations have been conducted to study the behavior of the flow field induced by lateral heating in a stably stratified fluid of constant gradient. The experiments were carried out in a tank 5 × 7 case7 8 × 11 case3 4 in. high; two opposite walls were made of aluminum and kept at different but constant temperatures, while the other two were of plexiglass for flow observation. The governing parameter is shown to be the Rayleigh number based on the length scale which is the potential rise of a heated fluid element in a stably stratified surrounding. At subcritical Rayleigh numbers, the fluid rises, almost imperceptibly, parallel to the heated plate and the lateral transport of heat is entirely by conduction. At supercritical Rayleigh numbers, the flow becomes unstable and cellular convection results, which is clearly visible in a shadowgraph. The cells are of approximately equal size and they appear simultaneously all along the heated wall. They grow in the lateral direction and finally reach the opposite wall. The critical Rayleigh number above which cellular convection occurs has been experimentally determined to be 15000 ± 2500.
Hierarchical Optimization of Large-Scale Time-Delay Systems - A Brief Overview

In this paper two hierarchical schemes are proposed for large-scale time-delay systems. The models of such systems are decomposed into a number of subsystems. Two fast-converging algorithms based on the extensions of interaction prediction and costate prediction methods to time-delay systems are presented. The algorithms are demonstrated by two examples.
A 1-V 6-b 50-MSamples/s current-interpolating CMOS ADC

CMOS analog-to-digital converters (ADC's) require either bootstrapping techniques or low-threshold devices to function at low supply voltages. A 6-b 50-MSamples/s ADC in normal-threshold CMOS operates with a single battery cell as low as 0.9 V without bootstrapping. A current-interpolation approach is taken to configure a 1-V ADC system that does not allow more than one V/sub GS/ plus one V/sub DSsat/ between the supply rails. The prototype takes a rail-to-rail input and works with a single system clock. The chip fabricated in 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS occupies an area of 2.4/spl times/2 mm/sup 2/ and consumes 10 mW each in analog and digital supplies.
Do Infants Have a Sense of Fairness

Two experiments examined infants' expectations about how an experimenter should distribute resources and rewards to other individuals. In Experiment 1, 19-month-olds expected an experimenter to divide two items equally, as opposed to unequally, between two individuals. The infants held no particular expectation when the individuals were replaced with inanimate objects, or when the experimenter simply removed covers in front of the individuals to reveal the items (instead of distributing them). In Experiment 2, 21-month-olds expected an experimenter to give a reward to each of two individuals when both had worked to complete an assigned chore, but not when one of the individuals had done all the work while the other played. The infants held this expectation only when the experimenter could determine through visual inspection who had worked and who had not. Together, these results provide converging evidence that infants in the 2nd year of life already possess context-sensitive expectations relevant to fairness.
Impact of Outpatient Rehabilitation Medicare Reimbursement Caps on Utilization and Cost of Rehabilitation Care After Ischemic Stroke: Do Caps Contain Costs?

Abstract Objective To estimate the proportion of patients with ischemic stroke who fall within and above the total outpatient rehabilitation caps before and after the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 took effect; and to estimate the cost of poststroke outpatient rehabilitation cost and resource utilization in these patients before and after the implementation of the caps. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Medicare reimbursement system. Participants Medicare beneficiaries from the state of South Carolina: the 1997 stroke cohort sample (N=2667) and the 2004 stroke cohort sample (N=2679). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Proportion of beneficiaries with bills within and above the cap before and after the cap was enacted, and total estimated 1-year rehabilitation Medicare payments before and after the cap. Results The proportion of patients with stroke exceeding the cap in 2004 after the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was enacted was significantly lower (5.8%) than those in 1997 (9.5%) had there been a cap at that time ( P =.004). However, when the proportion of individuals exceeding the cap among both the outpatient provider and facility files was examined, there was a greater proportion of patients with stroke in 2004 (64.6%) than in 1997 (31.9%) who exceeded the cap ( P P =.12), and in fact, decreased slightly from $1052 in 1997 to $833 in 2004. However, when examining rehabilitation costs using all available outpatient Medicare bills, the average estimated payments greatly increased ( P Conclusions These findings suggest that billing practices may have changed after outpatient rehabilitation services caps were enacted by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Rehabilitation services billing may have shifted from Part B provider bills to being more frequently included in facility charges.
Information Exchange in Wireless Networks with Network Coding and Physical-layer Broadcast

Abstract—We show that mutual exchange of independentinformation between two nodes in a wireless network can be efﬁ-ciently performed by exploiting network coding and the physical-layer broadcast property offered by the wireless medium. Theproposed approach improves upon conventional solutions thatseparate the processing of the two unicast sessions, correspondingto information transfer along one direction and the oppositedirection. We propose a distributed scheme that obviates theneed for synchronization and is robust to random packet lossand delay, and so on. The scheme is simple and incurs minoroverhead. I. I NTRODUCTION In this paper, we investigate the mutual exchange of inde-pendent information between two nodes in a wireless network.Let us name the two nodes in consideration a and b, respec-tively. Consider a packet-based communication network withall packets of equal size. The basic problem is very simple: awants to transmit a sequence of packets {X 1 (n)} to b andb wants to transmit a sequence of packets {X
Capacity of Finite State Channels Based on Lyapunov Exponents of Random Matrices

The finite-state Markov channel (FSMC) is a time-varying channel having states that are characterized by a finite-state Markov chain. These channels have infinite memory, which complicates their capacity analysis. We develop a new method to characterize the capacity of these channels based on Lyapunov exponents. Specifically, we show that the input, output, and conditional entropies for this channel are equivalent to the largest Lyapunov exponents for a particular class of random matrix products. We then show that the Lyapunov exponents can be expressed as expectations with respect to the stationary distributions of a class of continuous-state space Markov chains. This class of Markov chains, which is closely related to the prediction filter in hidden Markov models, is shown to be nonirreducible. Hence, much of the standard theory for continuous state-space Markov chains cannot be applied to establish the existence and uniqueness of stationary distributions, nor do we have direct access to a central limit theorem (CLT). In order to address these shortcomings, we utilize several results from the theory of random matrix products and Lyapunov exponents. The stationary distributions for this class of Markov chains are shown to be unique and continuous functions of the input symbol probabilities, provided that the input sequence has finite memory. These properties allow us to express mutual information and channel capacity in terms of Lyapunov exponents. We then leverage this connection between entropy and Lyapunov exponents to develop a rigorous theory for computing or approximating entropy and mutual information for finite-state channels with dependent inputs. We develop a method for directly computing entropy of finite-state channels that does not rely on simulation and establish its convergence. We also obtain a new asymptotically tight lower bound for entropy based on norms of random matrix products. In addition, we prove a new functional CLT for sample entropy and apply this theorem to characterize the error in simulated estimates of entropy. Finally, we present numerical examples of mutual information computation for intersymbol interference (ISI) channels and observe the capacity benefits of adding memory to the input sequence for such channels
Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) proactive intelligent advances for photovotaic systems

This paper provides an overview of the activities of and progress made in the US DOE Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) program. The work has now progressed from the “Conceptual Designs and Market Analysis” Stage 1 through the “Prototype Development” Stage 2. Twelve contractors completed the Stage 1 conceptual designs and market analysis. Best value competition resulted follow on work with control methodologies and hardware prototypes developed and completed by five contractors. The prototypes span system sizes from micro-inverters (200W) to commercial sizes through 100kW. Modularity of the designs enables larger applications. This SEGIS R&D is opening pathways for connecting PV systems to emerging intelligent utility grids and micro-grids. In addition to new grid-interconnection capabilities and “value added” features, the new hardware designs result in smaller, less material-intensive, and higher reliability products. The solutions and “value added” enabled by SEGIS systems will help drive the “advanced integrated system” concepts and “smart grid” evolutionary processes forward in a faster and more focused manner.[1,2,3]
Comprehensive Modeling Of Critical Health Care Activities, Costs And Data Needs Within The Context Of Addiction Rehabilitation

There are few systems which aggregate standardized pertinent clinical observations of discrete patient problems and resolutions. The systematic information supplied by clinicians is generally provided to justify reimbursement from insurers. Insurers, by their nature, are expert in modeling health care costs by diagnosis, procedures, and population risk groups. Medically, they rely on clinician generated diagnostic and coded procedure information. Clinicians will document a patient's status at a discrete point in time through narrative. Clinical notes do not support aggregate and systematic analysis of outcome. A methodology exists and has been used by the US Army Drug and Alcohol Program to model the clinical activities, associated costs, and data requirements of an outpatient clinic. This has broad applicability for a comprehensive health care system to which patient costs and data requirements can be established.
If You Did Not Document It, It Did Not Happen: Rates of Documentation of Discussion of Infertility Risk in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Patients' Medical Records

The authors conclude that the overall rate of documentation is low and results show disparities among specific groups. While greater numbers of discussions may be occurring, there is need to create interventions to improve documentation.
The Process of Retiring: Organizational Entry in Reverse

Almost ten million Americans are approaching retirement age, yet the management and industrial psychology literature shows little concern about retirement. Our studies indicate that many concepts regarding organizational entry are pertinent to retirement. We discuss the limitations of present research on retirement as well as the implications of work on organizational entry processes for the study of retirement.
Microvolt T-wave alternans for the risk stratification of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events : A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the predictive value of microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA) testing for arrhythmic events in a wide variety of populations. BACKGROUND Previous studies describing the use of MTWA as a predictor of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events have been limited by small sample sizes and disparate populations. METHODS Prospective studies of the predictive value of exercise-induced MTWA published between January 1990 and December 2004 were retrieved. Data from each article were abstracted independently by two authors using a standardized protocol. Summary estimates of the predictive value of MTWA were made using a random-effects model. RESULTS Data were accumulated from 19 studies (2,608 subjects) across a wide range of populations. Overall, the positive predictive value of MTWA for arrhythmic events was 19.3% at an average of 21 months' follow-up (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.7% to 21.0%), the negative predictive value was 97.2% (95% CI 96.5% to 97.9%), and the univariate relative risk of an arrhythmic event was 3.77 (95% CI 2.39 to 5.95). There was no difference in predictive value between ischemic and nonischemic heart failure subgroups. The positive predictive value varied depending on the population of patients studied (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Microvolt T-wave alternans testing has significant value for the prediction of ventricular tachyarrhythmic events; however, there are significant limitations to its use. The predictive value of MTWA varies significantly depending on the population studied. Careful standardization is needed for what constitutes abnormal MTWA. The incremental prognostic value of MTWA when used with other methods of risk stratification is unclear.
Molecular beacon–quantum dot–Au nanoparticle hybrid nanoprobes for visualizing virus replication in living cells

Here we describe a new hybrid fluorescent nanoprobe composed of a nuclease-resistant molecular beacon (MB) backbone, CdSe–ZnS core–shell quantum dots (QDs) as donors, and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as quenchers, for the real-time visualization of virus replication in living cells. By using a Au NP–MB to QD ratio of 6 ∶ 1, a 7.3-fold increase in fluorescent signal was achieved upon target binding. For living cell experiments, a hexahistidine-appended Tat peptide was self-assembled onto the QD surface to provide nearly 100% non-invasive delivery of the QD–MB–Au NP probes within 2 h. By directly visualizing the fluorescent complexes formed with the newly synthesized viral RNA, this QD–MB–Au NP probe provided sensitive and real-time detection of infectious viruses as well as the real-time visualization of cell-to-cell virus spreading.
Nuclear Archaeology for Heavy-Water-Moderated Plutonium Production Reactors

There is growing interest in a set of methods and tools that can be used to characterize past fissile material production activities, using measurements and sampling at production and storage sites. This field has been dubbed “nuclear archaeology.” The best-established example of nuclear archaeology relies on measurements of the isotope ratios of selected elements in the graphite of graphite-moderated plutonium production reactors. This Graphite Isotope-Ratio Method (GIRM) determines the cumulative neutron fluence through the graphite and thereby estimates the cumulative plutonium production in the reactor. The great limitation of this particular method is that it can only be applied to graphite-moderated reactors, which represent only one class of reactors that have been used for unsafeguarded plutonium production. In this article, we propose to extend this method to non-graphite moderated reactors by analyzing the evolution of relevant isotope ratios in the support structures and other core components o...
Depletion of pituitary thyrotropic hormone by thyrotropin releasing factor.

Intravenous administration of a highly purified preparation of bovine or porcine thyrotropin releasing factor (TRF) produced a significant depletion of pituitary TSH content in mice. The minimum active dose of TRF required for significant TSH depletion is 4 ng. Pretreatment of the mice with 10 ng of L-thyroxine prevented the release and depletion ofpituitary TSH after the administration of TRF. Lysine vasopressin and cerebral cortex extracts had no effect on pituitary TSH. Administration of histamine did not lower pituitary TSH content. These data provide demonstration of the biological activity of TRF. (Endocrinology 81: 918, 1967)
A Method for Selecting Velocity Filter Cutoff Frequency for Maximizing Impedance Width Performance in Haptic Interfaces

This paper analyzes the effect of velocity filtering cut-off frequency on the Z-width performance in haptic interfaces. Finite Difference Method (FDM) cascaded with a lowpass filter is the most commonly used technique for estimating velocity from position data in haptic interfaces. So far, there is no prescribed method for obtaining the FDM+filter cut-off frequency that will maximize the Z-width performance. We present a simulation based method to demonstrate that there exists such an ideal FDM+filter cut-off frequency, and that it can be predicted by numerical simulation. Experiments are conducted on a single degree-of-freedom linear haptic interface to validate the simulation results.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Quantitative Correlations between the Normal Incidence Differential Reflectance and the Coverage of Adsorbed Bromide on a Polycrystalline Platinum Rotating Disk Electrode

Normal incidence reflectance spectra (λ = 635 nm) data were acquired from a Pt disk of a rotating Pt|Pt ring-disk electrode in 0.1 M HClO₄ solutions containing bromide in the μM range, while scanning the disk potential linearly and measuring the diffusion limited bromide oxidation current at the ring. Analysis of the results obtained made it possible to correlate quantitatively the relative intensity of the reflected light, R, with the bromide coverage, i.e. the fraction of the surface covered by bromide, assuming the remaining areas of the Pt disk are covered by adsorbed hydrogen, using empirical functions to account for the potential dependence of the optical signals for each of the two surface regions. This technique opens new prospects for monitoring in real time the coverage of bromide and perhaps other adsorbed species during the course of a faradaic process under well-defined conditions of mass transport control.
Recurrent stomal variceal bleeding. Successful treatment using injection sclerotherapy.

Stomal varices may develop in patients with gastrointestinal stomas and portal hypertension. Bleeding often is recurrent and may be fatal. A 48-year-old woman had six major stomal variceal bleeds requiring 20 U of blood in the four months before beginning stomal sclerotherapy. “Paravariceal” injections using various combinations of sodium tetradecyl sulfate, ethanol, and saline resulted in a decrease in blood transfusions to 3 u during a 20-month follow-up. Injection sclerotherapy deserves consideration in patients with recurrent stomal variceal bleeding.
Rustproofing People: Corporate Recreation Programs in Perspective

(1983). Rustproofing People: Corporate Recreation Programs in Perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 54, Including Leisure Today, pp. 42-44.
THE APPLICATION OF BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING PROCEDURES TO THE PROBLEMS OF QUALITY CONTROL: COMMENT

The article reports the author's opinions regarding the use of behavioral conditioning methods in quality control management. He includes a critique of the article “The Application of Behavioral Co...
Racial and socioeconomic disparities in reduction mammoplasty: an analysis of nationwide inpatient sample database.

The American Society of Plastic Surgery recently recorded a decline in numbers of breast reductions, one of the most common procedures performed by plastic surgeons. The purpose of this study is to characterize the reduction mammoplasty patient population which would further assist in planning the future workforce needs. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for 2007, a X 2 analysis of female in-patients treated with reduction mammoplasty for breast hypertrophy was performed to identify significant differences in race and payer mix. Of 8394 female in-patients with breast hypertrophy, 61% were treated with reduction mammoplasty. Black and Hispanic patients (P < 0.0001) and patients with private insurance (P < 0.0001) were more likely to undergo reduction mammoplasty. This study demonstrates racial and socioeconomic disparities in breast reduction in the United States in 2007. With the pending institution of universal healthcare, it is predicted that disparities revealed may worsen due to cost containment pressures.
Interrelationships of Certain Economic Characters in Four Strains of New Hampshires

Abstract THE modes of inheritance of economically important characters in poultry have been thoroughly investigated since Pearl began his breeding experiments at the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. Perhaps the characters most thoroughly investigated have been those directly influencing the production of eggs. However, improvement in fecundity was not easily accomplished because of the complex nature of its inheritance, in contrast to such characters as body weight and egg size for which heritability estimates are high. There are many interactions, both desirable and undesirable, that result from different combinations of these characters and others which are concerned with the physical nature of eggs. For instance, it is generalized that if a pullet matures too early in life, initial egg size will be smaller and body weight lower, a longer time will be required to attain maximum egg size, and the maximum egg size will be smaller than that of later maturing pullets. . . .
Density perturbation in populations of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) in beef cattle forage areas in response to two regimens of vegetation management.

Exposure of lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), to ≥200°C for 2.5s in the laboratory induced 100%mortality in all life stages. Estimated mortality increased with increasing temperature and exposure time. Larvae were most susceptible to high temperature followed by nymphs, males, and then females. Regression analysis was used to relate the effect of short-term temperature elevation (>200°C) in the tick habitat, by mechanical flaming, to change in rate of growth in populations of A. americanum. Over a 3-year period, this rate was negative for adults in flamed and unflamed plots fenced to exclude bovine hosts when compared with unfenced control plots. The rate was positive for adults in unfenced flamed plots. Populations of nymphs in flamed plots, whether fenced or not, increased, while those in unframed fenced plots decreased. Larvae failed to develop in fenced plots but larva populations increased at a significantly greater rate in flamed compared with unframed plots. Over a 4-year period following elimination of all woody plant species from a 0.6-ha pasture-woodland ecotone study plot with herbicides, rates of change in populations of A. americanum were negative when compared with rates for populations in an adjacent control (untreated) plot, regardless of life stage, and were significantly different for populations of larvae in each plot.
Pitfalls of single lung transplantation (SLT) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Figure 1 demonstrates two complications of single lung transplantation (SLT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). First, the image shows hyperinflation of the native right lung causing compression of the graft lung. In one study, patients with SLT showed no evidence of flow limitation at rest, but the majority of patients did show evidence of dynamic hyperinflation during exercise. Unsurprisingly, patients who underwent bilateral lung transplantation (BLT) showed no evidence of …
WiWho: wifi-based person identification in smart spaces

There has been a growing interest in equipping the objects and environment surrounding users with sensing capabilities. Smart indoor spaces such as smart homes and offices can implement the sensing and processing functionality, relieving users from the need of wearing/carrying smart devices. Enabling such smart spaces requires device-free, effortless sensing of user's identity and activities. Device-free sensing using WiFi has shown great potential in such scenarios, however, a fundamental question of person identification has remained unsolved. In this paper, we present WiWho, a framework that can identify a person from a small group of people in a device-free manner using WiFi. We show that Channel State Information (CSI) used in recent WiFi can identify a person's steps and walking gait. The walking gait being distinguishing characteristics for different people, WiWho uses CSI-based gait for person identification. We demonstrate how step and walk analysis can be used to identify a person's walking gait from CSI, and how this information can be used to identify a person. WiWho does not require a person to carry any device and is effortless since it only requires the person to walk for a few steps (e.g. entering a home or an office). We evaluate WiWho using experiments at multiple locations with a total of 20 volunteers, and show that it can identify a person with average accuracy of 92% to 80% from a group of 2 to 6 people respectively. We also show that in most cases walking as few as 2-3 meters is sufficient to recognize a person's gait and identify the person. We discuss the potential and challenges of WiFi-based person identification with respect to smart space applications.