cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consciousness and Self-Directed Attention

The relationship between external reality and people’s subjective experience of it has been the subject of philosophical inquiry over the past 2,000 years. These efforts reached a peak during the European Renaissance in the debates between adherents of monism vs. dualism over whether or not objective reality and subjective experience are unified or entirely distinct phenomena that can never being fully reduced or understood relative to one another. A manifestation of this debate was the mind–body problem. Is consideration of the physical and mechanistic underpinnings of human physiology necessary for understanding mental experience? Furthermore, is objectivity theoretically possible if subjective mental experience is distinct from objective reality? Questions regarding the nature of human consciousness and awareness of self relative to the external world have tended to be either implicitly or explicitly embedded in these philosophical debates which continue even today.
Diversity performance of integrated desktop antennas in a home environment

Diversity techniques for antenna selection/combining have long been used to improve wireless communication system performance in multipath environments. Here we report an initial study on the diversity performance of desktop PC as a wireless terminal in the home. Internal and external antennas integrated with a desktop chassis are investigated in indoor environments. Performance is characterized by diversity gain and power imbalance.
Strengthening family resilience

I. Overview 1. Foundations of a Family Resilience Approach 2. Family Diversity and Complexity in a Changing World: Varied Challenges and Pathways in Resilience II. Key Family Processes in Resilience 3. Belief Systems: The Heart and Soul of Resilience 4. Organizational Processes: Relational and Structural Supports 5. Communication Processes: Facilitating Meaning Making, Mutual Support, and Problem Solving III. Practice Applications 6. Assessing Family Resilience: Useful Maps for Practice and Research 7. Practice Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen Family Resilience 8. Applying a Family Resilience Framework in Community-Based Services IV. Facilitating Family Resilience through Crisis, Transition, and Persistent Challenges 9. Challenges and Resilience over the Family Life Cycle: A Developmental Systems Perspective 10. Loss, Recovery, and Resilience 11. Traumatic Loss and Collective Trauma: Strengthening Family and Community Resilience 12. Serious Illness and Disabilities: Family Challenges and Resilience 13. Nurturing Resilience in Vulnerable, Multi-Stressed Families 14. Reconnection and Reconciliation: Healing Relational Wounds Appendix I. Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire Appendix II. Developing Resilience-Based Genograms: Outline and Sample Questions Appendix III. Exploring the Spiritual Dimension in Family Life: Sources of Distress and Resources for Well-Being, Healing, and Resilience References Index
Legal Narrative in the Citizens’ Panel: Identifying Theories to Explain Storytelling in a Small Group Deliberation About Ballot Initiatives

In this paper, three well-known scientific theories of legal narrative are summarized: Bennett and Feldman’s (1981) theory of legal storytelling, Pennington and Hastie’s (1986) story model of juror decision making, and Sunwolf’s (2006) decisional regret theory. Next, the use of legal narrative by participants in the Oregon Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR), a public deliberation about ballot initiatives (Gastil & Knobloch, 2010) is described. Results of a content analysis of narratives observed in the transcripts of the 2010 CIR are presented. Finally, the suitability of the theories of Bennett and Feldman (1981), Pennington and Hastie (1986), and Sunwolf (2006) for explaining the use of narrative by CIR panelists is evaluated, and additional theories of narrative communication, which may shed light on significant aspects of CIR participants’ use of storytelling, are identified.
Small BLT switches for compact pulsed power applications

This paper reports initial design and testing of a compact back-lighted thyratron (BLT) switch with a 12.7 mm o.d. glass envelope. The total switch size, 25 cm3, was reduced by more than one order of magnitude relative to previously published versions of the switch. A broad operation range, from 100 mTorr to 1000 mTorr, was measured with the hold-off voltage staying almost constant at 20 kV in helium. Operation as a BLT, with UV light incident on the back surface of the cathode, was also studied. The current rise rate was measured to be 1times1011 A/s with a switch hold-off voltage of 17 kV when triggered by a 266 nm laser pulse with an effective optical energy less than 10 mJ. The trigger delay time was measured to be 85 ns with a jitter of less than 10 ns. The switch lifetime was tested for 106 discharges at a repetition rate of 10 Hz without significant decay of switch performance. The development of the small BLT switches will benefit compact pulsed power technologies and their applications
Algebraic Automorphism Groups

For an algebraic group G, let W(G) denote the group of all algebraic group automorphisms of G. In this chapter, we examine the possibility of endowing W(G) with the structure of an algebraic group in such a way that G becomes a strict W(G)-variety. The example of a toroid of dimension greater than 1 shows that this is not always possible. However, good questions remain concerning suitable subgroups of W(G) or suitably restricted groups G.
Human rights and health: a workshop for health professionals.

Human rights and health are inter-dependent entities. This is true for an individual and is equally valid for a community or a nation. It applies to physical, psychological, and spiritual health. It .also applies to economic, educational, social, environmental, and political well being. Health care professionals who are knowledgeable about human rights and their relationships to health are in a better position to design and implement programs and processes aimed at promoting and protecting the health and well-being of their patients and clients than are their colleagues without that information. These professionals are also better able to identify and carry out effective methods of physical, psychological, and spiritual healing for individuals, communities, and nations whose human rights have been violated. They are also prepared to make the most of opportunities to transmit information about human rights principles and practices to their
Phylogenetic constraints on elemental stoichiometry and resource allocation in heterotrophic marine bacteria.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of evolutionary history to variation in the biomass stoichiometry and underlying biochemical allocation patterns of heterotrophic marine bacteria. We hypothesized that phylogeny significantly constrains biochemical allocation strategy and elemental composition among taxa of heterotrophic marine bacteria. Using a 'common-garden' experimental design, we detected significant interspecific variation in stoichiometry, macromolecule allocation and growth rate among 13 strains of marine Proteobacteria. However, this variation was not well explained by 16S rRNA phylogenetic relationships or differences in growth rate. Heterotrophic bacteria likely experience C-limitation when consuming resources in Redfield proportions, which consequently decouples growth rate from allocation to rRNA and biomass P content. Accordingly, overall bacterial C : nutrient ratios (C : P = 77, C : N = 4.9) were lower than Redfield proportions, whereas the average N : P ratio of 17 was consistent with the Redfield ratio. Our results suggest that strain-level diversity is an important driver of variation in the C : N : P ratios of heterotrophic bacterial biomass and that the potential importance of non-nucleic acid pools of P warrants further investigation. Continued work clarifying the range and controls on the stoichiometry of heterotrophic marine bacteria will help improve understanding and predictions of global ocean C, N and P dynamics.
Does HPA-Axis Dysregulation Account for the Effects of Income on Effortful Control and Adjustment in Preschool Children?.

The effects of low income on children's adjustment might be accounted for by disruptions to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity and to the development of effortful control. Using longitudinal data and a community sample of preschool-age children (N = 306, 36-39 months) and their mothers, recruited to over-represent low-income families, we explored the associations among diurnal cortisol levels and effortful control, and we tested a model in which diurnal cortisol and effortful control account for the effects of family income on child adjustment. Continuous indicators of morning cortisol level and diurnal slope, as well as dichotomous indicators reflecting low morning levels and flat diurnal slope, were examined as predictors of rank-order changes in two dimensions of effortful control, executive control and delay ability. Low income was related to a flat diurnal cortisol slope, and above the effects of family income, a flat diurnal cortisol slope predicted lower social competence. Low morning cortisol level predicted smaller gains in executive control and higher total adjustment problems. Further, delay ability predicted lower adjustment problems above the effects of income and diurnal cortisol levels. The results suggest that HPA-axis dysregulation and effortful control contribute additively to children's adjustment.
An algorithm for nonrelativistic quantum-mechanical finite-nuclear-mass variational calculations of nitrogen atom in L = 0, M = 0 states using all-electrons explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions

An algorithm for quantum-mechanical nonrelativistic variational calculations of L = 0 and M = 0 states of atoms with an arbitrary number of s electrons and with three p electrons have been implemented and tested in the calculations of the ground 4S state of the nitrogen atom. The spatial part of the wave function is expanded in terms of all-electrons explicitly correlated Gaussian functions with the appropriate pre-exponential Cartesian angular factors for states with the L = 0 and M = 0 symmetry. The algorithm includes formulas for calculating the Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements, as well as formulas for calculating the analytic energy gradient determined with respect to the Gaussian exponential parameters. The gradient is used in the variational optimization of these parameters. The Hamiltonian used in the approach is obtained by rigorously separating the center-of-mass motion from the laboratory-frame all-particle Hamiltonian, and thus it explicitly depends on the finite mass of the nucleus. With that, the mass effect on the total ground-state energy is determined.
Quantitative mammography contrast threshold test tool

Mammographiccontrast is commonly evaluated by visualizing small objects of varying size or mass divided by projected area. These qualitative contrast determinations are commonly performed by imaging a phantom like the American College of Radiology accreditation phantom at clinical mammographic settings. However, this contrast assessment does not take into account the kVp of the machine. This work describes a quantitative mammographycontrast threshold test tool which examines light object contrast on a uniform background for a contrast range of 0.32% to 1.38% at 25 kVp. For this mammographycontrast threshold test tool, contrast is defined by ΔI/I=log e (ψ0/ψ b ), where ψ0 is the target energy flux, and ψ b is the background energy flux. Contrast threshold is defined as the lowest contrast value for which the objects are visible. Unlike traditional assessments of mammographiccontrast, this measurement of contrast threshold is kVp corrected. The mammographycontrast threshold test tool is constructed out of common plastics and provides a quantitative means of assessing contrast threshold for individual mammographic units and total mammographic systems.
Assessing best management practices for remediation of selenium loading in groundwater to streams in an irrigated region

Summary Selenium (Se) contamination in groundwater and surface water in numerous river basins worldwide has become a critical issue in recent decades. An essential micro-nutrient, Se can prove harmful to fish, water fowl, livestock, and even humans at elevated concentrations. In an overall effort to curb Se contamination in environmental systems, this study aims to identify best-management practices (BMPs) that can assist in remediating Se contamination in irrigated river basins. Using multi-decadal simulations of a calibrated and tested groundwater flow model (MODFLOW-UZF) and Se chemical reactive transport model (UZF-RT3D), the impact of water- and land-management strategies in reducing Se contamination are explored for a 500 km2 study region in the Lower Arkansas River Valley (LARV) in southeastern Colorado. The effectiveness of reduced applied irrigation volumes, sealing of earthen irrigation canals, rotational fallowing of cultivated land, reduced fertilizer loading, and enhanced riparian buffer zones, implemented individually as well as concurrently in various combinations, is explored. Results indicate that significant (>10%) decreases in Se mass loading to the Arkansas River system (main stem and tributaries) can be achieved when individual BMPs are implemented, with land fallowing, reduced irrigation, and enhanced riparian buffer zones providing the best results (13–14% load reduction). Even greater impacts (20–50% Se load reduction) can be achieved with 3 or 4 BMPs implemented concurrently. Results demonstrate that Se remediation can potentially be achieved within the LARV, and also can serve as a guide for other Se-affected river basins within the western United States and throughout the world.
Factorization in relativistic heavy-ion scattering

Abstract We have calculated the total cross sections for relativistic nucleus-nucleus scattering in the Glauber theory and conclude that there will be no factorization, due to the short-range nature of nucleon-nucleon interaction as compared to the sizes of the colliding nuclei.
USE OF COMPUTER SIMULATION IN SCHOOL FOODSERVICE1

Computer simulation can be used to help understand the behavior of systems and/or evaluate strategies for their operation. Objectives of this study were to use computer simulation to determine the impact of varying job responsibilities of school foodservice assistants on time to serve students and examine the effect of varying class arrival times on total time in line and number of students in line. A simulation model was developed using data collected at an elementary school on time for students to receive a tray, obtain food items, and be processed by a cashier. Results of variations in the simulation model suggested that use of one foodservice assistant as a runner to refill food items on the line could reduce student time in line by 56%. Altering the class arrival time also reduced the amount of time students took to move through the line. Use of computer simulation provided a means to examine the impact of various management strategies without disrupting actual service. Simulation models in this study demonstrated that altering staffing patterns and arrival times of classes could greatly affect time for students to proceed through the cafeteria line.
Intraoperative Blood Salvage in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty: Who Benefits Most?

The purpose of the present study was to identify factors that predict reinfusion following intraoperative blood salvage (IOBS). We retrospectively identified 298 patients who underwent aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty at our institution between February 2005 and January 2007. Of these, 160 (53.7%) received reinfusion from IOBS. In the reinfusion group, an average of 850 mL (range, 300-4300) of fluid was collected and an average of 270 mL (range, 135-1350) of red blood cells was returned. Exchange of both the femoral and acetabular components, use of a trochanteric osteotomy, increased body mass index, and advanced age were associated with reinfusion. Based on these results, surgeons may consider using IOBS on patients with these preoperative characteristics.
INfluence of estrogen and progesterone on glutamic acid decarboxylase activity in discrete regions of rat brain.

: Female Charles River rats were ovariectomized and treated for three days with 17/8-estradiol benzoate (E) (1.0 /μg/day), progesterone (P) (500 μg/day), vehicle, or a combined treatment (2 days E, one day P). Animals were killed on day 3 and the brains were dissected by the micropunch technique. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activity was measured by collection of 14CO2. Estradiol benzoate and progesterone were potent inhibitors of GAD activity in regions such as the arcuate nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamus and corticomedial amygdala. Estrogen reduced the Vmax of GAD for glutamate as a substrate without changing the Km. Estrogen also failed to change the Km for pyridoxal phosphate. Combined treatment with estrogen and progesterone did not reduce GAD from ovariectomized levels except in the septum, indicating an interaction of the two hormones at the level of GAD. The suggestion is made that under conditions that inhibit LH secretion GAD activity is low, but when LH secretion is stimulated GAD activity may be comparatively high.
Cloning, genomic organization, chromosomal assignment and expression of a novel mosaic serine proteinase: epitheliasin

We report the isolation of a cDNA encoding a novel murine serine proteinase, epitheliasin. The cDNA spans 1753 bp and encodes a mosaic protein with a calculated molecular mass of 53529 Da. Its domains include a cytoplasmic tail, a type II transmembrane domain, a low-density lipoprotein receptor class A domain, a cysteine rich scavenger receptor-like domain and a serine proteinase domain. The proteinase portion domain shows 46-53% identity with mouse neurotrypsin, acrosin, hepsin and enteropeptidase. The gene, located in the telomeric region in the long arm of mouse chromosome 16, consists of 14 exons and 13 introns and spans approximately 18 kb. Epitheliasin is expressed primarily in the apical surfaces of renal tubular and airway epithelial cells.
Repolarization interactions between cardiac segments of varying action potential duration.

Abstract We studied interactions between action potential duration (APD) disperse zones using a double compartment bath in which an APD lengthening solution (Ni ++ 2 mmol/L, in Tyrode's solution) was added to one compartment (which contained a portion of the fiber labeled "segment A") followed by addition of an APD shortening solution (6 to 10 mmol/K + ) to the other compartment ("segment B"). Standard microelectrode techniques were used in canine Purkinje fibers. With Ni ++ in segment A, there was a dispersion in APD measured at both 50% (APD 50 ) and 95% (APD 95 ) of repolarization. After selective addition of K + to segment B, APD 50 dispersion remained constant while APD 95 dispersion increased, which indicated a change in the slope of repolarization, a factor with possible arrhythmogenic potential. In addition, a characteristic transition, a factor with possible arrhythmogenic potential. In addition, a characteristic transitional action potential was seen adjacent to the partition. This had a timely and normally sloping early repolarization followed by a much more gradually sloping shelf. Premature action potentials arising during this shelf had diminished upstrokes. Results of these experiments may be useful in evaluating APD dispersion in relation to arrhythmias.
Serum creatine kinase levels in spinobulbar muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

We compared serum creatine kinase (CK) levels between spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and reviewed available histochemical studies of frozen sections of muscle biopsies. CK levels and the frequency of patients with elevated CK levels were significantly higher in the SBMA group when compared with the ALS group. CK levels occasionally approached values up to 8 times the upper limit of normal in the SBMA group. In addition to the chronic neurogenic changes in the muscle biopsy, all SBMA patients showed one or more myopathic changes. Increased numbers of markedly hypertrophic fibers were consistently seen in all patients. It is not clear whether the elevated CK level is directly related to the increased number of hypertrophic fibers or to other myopathic features. Based on these findings, we recommend genetic testing for SBMA in cases of male patients with motor neuron disease who present with a significantly elevated serum creatine kinase level, even when other characteristic clinical features of SBMA are absent.
Nitric oxide mediates contraction‐induced attenuation of sympathetic vasoconstriction in rat skeletal muscle

1. Sympathetic vasoconstriction is attenuated by metabolic events in contracting rat skeletal muscle, in part by activation of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. However, the specific metabolites in contracting muscle that open KATP channels are not known. We therefore asked if contraction-induced attenuation of sympathetic vasoconstriction is mediated by the endogenous vasodilators nitric oxide (NO), adenosine, or prostaglandins PGI2 or PGF2, all of which are putative KATP channel openers. 2. In anaesthetized rats, hindlimb contraction alone significantly attenuated the vasoconstrictor responses to lumbar sympathetic nerve stimulation. Inhibition of NO synthase with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 5 mg kg-1, i.v.) partially reversed this effect of contraction, resulting in enhanced sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting hindlimb. Subsequent treatment with the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide (20 mg kg-1, i.v.) had no further effect on sympathetic vasoconstriction in contracting hindlimb. 3. This effect of L-NAME to partially reverse contraction-induced attenuation of sympathetic vasoconstriction was not replicated by D-NAME (5 mg kg-1, i.v.) or angiotensin II (12.5 ng kg-1 min-1, i.v.), the latter used as a hypertensive control. 4. Adenosine receptor blockade with 8-(p-sulphophenyl)theophylline (10 mg kg-1, i.v.) or cyclooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin (5 mg kg-1, i.v.) had no effect on contraction-induced attenuation of sympathetic vasoconstriction. 5. These results suggest that NO plays an important role in the precise regulation of blood flow in exercising skeletal muscles by opposing sympathetic vasoconstriction. Although the underlying mechanism is not known, it may involve NO-induced activation of vascular KATP channels.
Kinetics of silicides on Si〈100〉 and evaporated silicon substrates

Abstract We investigated the growth rates of Ni2Si, NiSi, Pt2Si, PtSi and CrSi2 formed on a Si〈100〉 (Sic) or an evaporated silicon (Sie, which is amorphous) substrate during thermal annealing. The same phases of silicides were found on Sic and Sie. The growth rates of the silicides formed on Sic were similar to those formed on Sie. The formation temperature of CrSi2 was about 50°C lower on Sie than on Sic, and the CrSi2 film was laterally more uniform on Sie than on Sic. We summarize here the results of this and other investigations (e.g. Pd2Si, Co2Si, CoSi, CoSi2, NiSi2, TiSi2, and ErSi2) on the differences in the kinetics of silicides formed on the two substrate types.
Multiphase Growth and Electronic Structure of Ultrathin Hexaazatrinaphthylene on Au(111)

Scanning tunneling microscopy was used to study the morphological behavior of 1−2 monolayers (ML) of 5,6,11,12,17,18-hexaazatrinaphthylene (HATNA) deposited on Au(111). The first ML consisted of molecules flat on the surface, arranged in one of three different ordered phases depending on annealing parameters. The second ML assumed an upright orientation and tended to order only if the first layer was disordered. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of 1−2 ML ordered HATNA was compared to ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and inverse photoemission spectroscopy of 80 A amorphous HATNA. There is good agreement between techniques in the transport band gap (∼3.80 eV), but the position of the Fermi level in the gap is shifted in the tunneling spectra by about 0.75 eV toward the highest occupied molecular orbital. The shift may be due to morphological effects or degradation from ultraviolet light irradiation.
The Social Psychology of Service Interactions

My talk today will be successful if I am able to persuade some scholars to study commercial interactions between strangers, a class of social interaction that has been neglected by researchers interested in social issues. Interactions between a provider of goods or services and a customer who are strangers to each other are important because they are now so common, a by-product of the modern service economy. In my talk today, I review and describe the traditional way services have been delivered—in relationships—and a newer way service is delivered—in service “encounters,” where a customer interacts with a different service provider, or even a machine, each time she needs the same kind of service. I will describe some research findings relating to how these two forms of service delivery differ and how the recipients of service respond to these different forms of service delivery. I will then describe some areas for future research, drawing on existing theories (such as attribution theory and stereotyping), and show how they apply to the study of service interactions.
Utilization of Verbal and Non-Verbal Feedback Among College Ss.

Summary.40 college Ss learned a discrimination task under conditions of verbal and non-verbal feedback. Prior information on meaning of overt and covert feedback cues was given half of the Ss. Generally, Ss who had pre-experimental ioformation on the nature of feedback were superior to chose who did nor receive prior information. However, college Ss do appeac to make significantly better use of verbal than non-verbal feedback regardless of the instructional condition. A number of investigations involving discrimination learning (Cairnes, 1967; Spence, 1966; Spence & Lair, 1965) have tended to support the hypothesis that the reinforcement value of a feedback ale lies in the information provided for S. Two recent studies (Cairnes, 1967; Spence, Armstrong, & Conrad, 1969) have further confirmed this idea by comparing verbal with non-verbal feedback where Ss were either informed or not informed about the meaning of the feedback cues pre-experimentally. Cairnes, however, did find that Ss perform somewhat better with verbal feedback than non-verbal feedback even when no pre-experimental instructions were given. Spence and her associates attributed this result to failure to instruct Ss on the meaning of the "blank," i.e., E's failure to respond when incorrecr responses are made. Spence and associates found that Ss fully informed regard~ng both the overt reinforcer for correct and "blank" for incorrect showed no d~fference in performance between verbal and non-verbal feedback, although Ss partially informed by instructions only about the nature of the overt cue demonstrate differences in response to the verbal and non-verbal feedback cue. Early research on discrimination learning such as represented by Buss and Buss ( 1956) suggested a differential value among various feedback cues. Spence and Lair (1965) and Spence (1966) found that among symbolic feedback cues there was no difference in reinforcing value among overt feedback cues when Ss were fully aware of the meaning of E's failure to give a cue. Thus it was concluded that the reinforcement which occurred using verbal events depended primarily on the information made available to S. The particular problem of the present study is to raise again the issue of equivalence of various forms of feedback. Both Cairnes (1967) and Spence and associates (1969) used children in the primary grades of school. A possibility exists that years of habituation in formal educational settings can lead to an increased sensitization to verbal-symbolic cues. Thus, in spite of preliminary
Effects of Club Soda and Ginger Brew on Linguapalatal Pressures in Healthy Swallowing

Oral chemesthesis is the detection of chemicals that activate temperature and pain receptors in the oral mucosa. Presentation of orally chemesthetic input has been theorized to stimulate a faster, stronger swallow. We measured differences in peak linguapalatal swallowing pressures, pressure durations, and pressure adjustments in response to two volumes of water and carbonation (in Schweppes® Club Soda) and carbonation + gingerol (in Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew) in 20 young adult women. There was a main effect of stimulus on linguapalatal swallowing pressure, F(6,74) = 6.247, p = 0.000, hp2 = 0.536 (Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew > Schweppes Club Soda > water). Rising and releasing linguapalatal pressure durations were greater for carbonation + gingerol and carbonation than for water. Our results add to the evidence that orally chemesthetic beverages influence greater neuromotor activity compared to water during the oral stage of swallowing. Our findings also suggest that there may be some benefit to the cumulative addition of chemosensory agents in a beverage. Clinically, this provides a theoretical basis for considering the use of these or chemically similar beverages as facilitating stimuli in patients who aspirate thin liquids.
Design of Locally Slender Structural Steel Columns

AbstractThe primary objective of this paper is to evaluate and compare design methods for locally slender steel columns. Three design methods utilized for such columns in the United States are explored: (1) the Q-factor method; (2) the unified effective width method; and (3) the direct strength method. The design strength formulas for locally slender W-section columns for all methods are provided in a common notation. The expressions highlight the prominent role of elastic local (cross-section) slenderness. A nonlinear shell finite-element analysis parametric study on short, intermediate, and long columns is conducted to explore the divergence in the design methods as a function of local slenderness. Recommendations for advancing the design methods are offered. In particular, based on the parametric study, an effective width method alternative is provided.
On the high-energy behavior of weakly-coupled gauge theories

Abstract Motivated by recent investigations in sphaleron physics, we discuss several ways in which even weakly-coupled gauge theories, like the standard model, show non-perturbative features at energies E > Mw/αw and multiplicity N∼αw−1. For B + L-violating processes we show how to modify the canonical dilute instanton gas approximation (DIGA) so that it gives sensible answers at high energy in Minkowski space; in the fixed-angle regime, cross sections decrease like E−2 and show a Poisson distribution in N, peaked at N ≌2π/α w ; this is essentially the limiting multiplicity. The total cross section is many orders of magnitude larger than would be expected from the DIGA at small N, but exactly how many orders of magnitude larger is extremely difficult to calculate. We show that perturbation theory breaks down at similar energies and multiplicities for B + L-conserving processes, and give a simple model of a cure through unitarization. Finally, we speculate on such issues as large-multiplicity diffractive events and sphaleron processes.
Implementation and evaluation of parallel query processing algorithms and data partitioning heuristics in object-oriented databases

Object-oriented database management systems (OODBMSs) provide rich facilities for the modeling and processing of structural as well as behavioral properties of complex application objects. However, due to their inherent generality and continuously evolving functionalities, efficient implementations are important for these OODBMSs to support the present and future applications, particularly when the databases are very large. In this paper, we present several parallel, multi-wavefront algorithms based on two processing approaches, i.e., identification and elimination approaches, to verify association patterns specified in queries. Both approaches allow more processors to operate concurrently on a query than the traditional tree-structured query processing approach, thus introducing a higher degree of parallelism in query processing. A heuristic method is presented for partitioning an object-oriented database (OODB). The main consideration for partitioning the database is load balancing. This method also tries to reduce the communication time by reducing the length of the path that wavefronts need to be propagated. Multiple wavefront algorithms based on the two approaches for tree-structured queries have been implemented on an nCUBE 2 parallel computer. The implementation of the query processor allows multiple queries to be executed simultaneously. This implementation provides an environment for evaluating the algorithms and the heuristic method for partitioning the database. The evaluation results are presented in this paper.
Grb2 mediates the EGF-dependent activation of guanine nucleotide exchange on Ras

Activation of receptor tyrosine kinases such as those for epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor, or nerve growth factor converts the inactive, GDP-bound form of Ras to the active, GTP-bound form, and a dominant negative mutant of Ras interferes with signalling from such receptors. The mechanisms by which receptor tyrosine kinases and Ras are coupled, however, are not well understood. Many cytoplasmic proteins regulated by such receptors contain Src-homology (SH) 2 and 3 domains, and the SH2- and SH3-containing protein Grb2, like its homologue from Caenorhabditis elegans, Sem-5, appears to play an important role in the control of Ras by receptor tyrosine kinases. Here we show that overexpression of Grb2 potentiates the EGF-induced activation of Ras and mitogen-activated protein kinase by enhancing the rate of guanine nucleotide exchange on Ras. Cellular Grb2 appears to form a complex with a guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor for Ras, which binds to the ligand-activated EGF receptor, allowing the tyrosine kinase to modulate Ras activity.
Stamen-specific proteins of buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris)

Summary Total proteins were extracted from Cenchrus ciliaris L. (buffelgrass) pistils at the stages of megasporogenesis and of embryo sac enlargement and from anthdrs at the stages of microsporogenesis and of uninucleate microspore enlargement. They were analyzad by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/SDSpolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Four stamen-specific proteins were detected. One of them was specific to the microsporogenesis stage and one to the uninucleate microspore stage. The other two were found in both stages. No pistil-specific protein was found among 300 spots examined. Two cultivars gave identical results. The stamen-specific proteins might be involved in sexual differentiation in this species or they could be gametophyte- or meiosis-specific proteins.
Hibernation in Black Bears: Independence of Metabolic Suppression from Body Temperature

Black bears hibernate for 5 to 7 months a year and, during this time, do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. We measured metabolic rate and body temperature in hibernating black bears and found that they suppress metabolism to 25% of basal rates while regulating body temperature from 30° to 36°C, in multiday cycles. Heart rates were reduced from 55 to as few as 9 beats per minute, with profound sinus arrhythmia. After returning to normal body temperature and emerging from dens, bears maintained a reduced metabolic rate for up to 3 weeks. The pronounced reduction and delayed recovery of metabolic rate in hibernating bears suggest that the majority of metabolic suppression during hibernation is independent of lowered body temperature.
Microcomputers as work stations for sociologists

Microcomputers are making their way into the departments, institutions and homes of most sociologists. After a brief overview of the directions of computer and microcomputer evolution and of the microcomputer's present uses, I offer specific advice about the use and purchase of microcomputers for sociologists engaged in research, teaching and administration.
THE CRITICAL EYE: AN OVERVIEW OF CONTACT LENS MATERIALS

An overview of several classes of new materials proposed and being used for the fabrication of contact lenses is made, with special references to microbiological problems, lens “aging” and the physiological tolerances of the cornea to each.
Transforaminal Thoracic Interbody Fusion (TTIF) for Treatment of a Chronic Chance Injury

Multiple anterior and posterior approaches to the thoracic disc space have been reported. However, we are not aware of any previous reports describing a transforaminal approach for thoracic disc release and interbody cage placement. In this case report, we describe a method to perform transforaminal thoracic interbody fusion (TTIF), which is an adaptation of an established lumbar fusion technique (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion). Key differences between the two procedures are discussed. A 24-year-old woman presented after sustaining a T11-12 Chance fracture that had been treated in a brace. She had severe, debilitating pain and a rigid segmental kyphotic deformity of 38°. The patient was treated 3 months post-injury with T10-L1 fusion with anterior release and interbody fusion with cage placement at T11-12. Anterior column release and fusion were performed via a transforaminal approach. The patient had anatomic reduction of deformity, solid arthrodesis, and relief of pain at 1-year follow-up. The TTIF approach permits access to the anterior column of the thoracic spine for the purpose of reduction of deformity and interbody fusion with reduced morbidity compared to anterior–posterior surgery.
[3H]Dihydroalprenolol binding sites in rat myocardium: relationship between a single binding site population and the concentration of radioligand.

Abstract [3H]Dihydroalprenolol bound to a single population of high affinity sites in rat myocardial membranes when the concentration of the radioligand was below 5 nM. These sites displayed characteristics which would be expected of binding to the β-receptor. Kinetic- and Scatchard-derived dissociation constants were 0.6 and 2.0 nM, respectively. Binding was to a limited number of sites, 60 fmols/mg protein. Scatchard analysis using radioligand concentrations in excess of 5 nM resulted in concave upward plots suggestive of more than one population of binding sites. The lower affinity sites (labeled at high radioligand concentration) were non-stereospecific in nature and became a progressively larger fraction of “specific binding” as the concentration of dihydroalprenolol was increased above 5 nM.
Interest Group Influence on State Administrative Rule Making The Impact of Rule Review

In many states, administrative rules are subject to review by elected political officials in the legislative and/or executive branches. Using recently developed measures of state rule review powers...
Some flaws in the doctrine of classical liberalism: Reviewing Charles Murray’sWhat it means to be a libertarian: A personal interpretation

In the course of a review of Charles Murray’sWhat It Means to Be a Libertarian, the following paper presents a critique of some of the assumptions underlying the political economy and laissez-faire policy recommendations of modern libertarian thought. After considering the role and importance of asymmetric information, relative immobility of labor, and unemployment in the formation of labor and consumption goods markets, this paper concludes that there is a positive role for the state in the construction of just and efficient markets. The paper argues that a regime of laissez-faire would be most unlikely to result in enhanced economic growth and prosperity, to say nothing of the more extravagant claims that Murray makes, such as a diminution of racism, crime, and welfare dependence, with an enhanced sense of community and family values.
More Intense, More Frequent, and Longer Lasting Heat Waves in the 21st Century

A global coupled climate model shows that there is a distinct geographic pattern to future changes in heat waves. Model results for areas of Europe and North America, associated with the severe heat waves in Chicago in 1995 and Paris in 2003, show that future heat waves in these areas will become more intense, more frequent, and longer lasting in the second half of the 21st century. Observations and the model show that present-day heat waves over Europe and North America coincide with a specific atmospheric circulation pattern that is intensified by ongoing increases in greenhouse gases, indicating that it will produce more severe heat waves in those regions in the future.
Organizational Surveys: A System for Employee Voice

Although surveys are often used to assess and track employee attitudes and opinions over time and are used quite frequently by applied communication researchers, the use of surveys as a channel to voice employee attitudes and opinions has not been fully explored in the employee voice or basic organizational communication literature. With the increased call for accountability, effective applied communication researchers can play an important role in ensuring that organizations engage in the survey process in a manner that is “safe” for employees, and ethical and practical for the organization. Because the question of how to accomplish this task is complex and cannot be fully addressed within the constraints of a commentary, I offer three general principles to guide future researchers in helping overcome organizational communication problems: Build trust in the organizational survey process, the researcher(s), and the organization. Eliminate the adversarial relationship that often exists between management ...
Control of Intrazeolitic Gallium Cation Content and Its Effects on C2 Dehydrogenation in Ga-MFI Catalysts

Abstract Ga-doped MFI zeolites are selective C 2 and higher alkane dehydrogenation catalysts. The balance between zeolite proton sites and exchanged Ga-cations, which is known to critically affect the formation of aromatics, is itself greatly affected by the extent of Ga reduction, steaming, and treatment with oxidizers. Also, although the reaction can be inhibited by H 2 , and CH 4 , at short times on stream the presence of CH 4 can in some cases enhance the formation of aromatics. The reaction of ethane at low alkane pressures has been used to separate these effects from site deactivation by coking. The kinetics studies were supplemented with site characterization experiments, including thermal analysis of adsorbed 1-propanamine, TPO of the carbonaceous residues, XRD, and FTIR of the catalyst and of adsorbed 1-propanamine and pyridine. These studies show that at reaction conditions small quantities of H 2 O and/or O 2 can transform intrazeolite Ga-cation sites back to protons and gallium oxide. This transformation inhibits the formation of aromatics except in the case of low levels of protons, where the yield to aromatics can actually increase. The results are interpreted in terms of the dual-function mechanism for alkane dehydrogenation.
Plasmonic effects on the laser-induced metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide

Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) is a strongly-correlated electron material with a well-known semiconducting to metallic phase transition that can be induced thermally, optically, or electrically. When switched to the high-temperature (T > 68°C) metallic phase, the greatest contrast in the optical properties occurs at wavelengths in the near-to-mid-infrared and beyond. In the visible to near-infrared, however, upon switching for wavelengths between ~500-1000 nm, VO 2 transmits more light in the metallic phase. In this paper, we report studies of the effect of near-IR irradiation (785 nm) on lithographically prepared arrays of gold nanoparticles (NPs) covered with a thin film of VO 2 and find that the presence of the NPs substantially lowers the laser threshold for low-power induction of the phase transition. Hybrid Au::VO 2 structures were created by coating lithographically prepared arrays of gold nanoparticles (NPs) (diameters 140 and 200 nm, array spacing 450 nm) with 60 nm thick films of VO 2 by pulsed laser deposition. Due to resonant absorption of the Au particle-plasmon resonance (PPR) at 785 nm, a temperature-dependent shift in the PPR can be generated by switching the VO 2 from one phase to another. We have measured the switching behavior of VO 2 and Au::VO 2 structures using shuttered CW laser irradiation in order to study both optical and thermal mechanisms of the phase transition. Transient absorption measurements using a shuttered 785 nm pump laser corresponding to the PPR resonance of the Au NPs and 1550 nm CW probe show that the presence of the Au NPs lowers the threshold laser power required to induce the phase transition.
New sources of monomers and polymers—A review

In spite of the availability of- almost fifty commercial synthetic plastics, many new ones were announced at the recent First Chemical Congress of the North American. Continent at Mexico City. Among these are the high temperature resistant aramides and imides, poly(phenylene sulfide), poly(phenylene oxide), poly(aryl sulfone), H resin, modified phenolic resins and the phosphazenes. Other new polymers are block and graft copolymers, conductive polymers, barrier resins, poly 1,2-butadiene, polyolefins and polyurethanes. New coupling techniques and shortages of feed stocks have resulted in a renewed interest in filled plastics and recycled polymers.
Physically-Accurate Synthetic Images for Machine Vision Design

In machine vision applications, accuracy of the image far outweighs image appearance. This paper presents physically-accurate image synthesis as a flexible, practical tool for examining a large number of hardware/software configuration combinations for a wide range of parts. Synthetic images can efficiently be used to study the effects of vision system design parameters on image accuracy, providing insight into the accuracy and efficiency of image-processing algorithms in determining part location and orientation for specific applications, as well as reducing the number of hardware prototype configurations to be built and evaluated. We present results illustrating that physically accurate, rather than photo-realistic, synthesis methods are necessary to sufficiently simulate captured image gray-scale values. The usefulness of physically-accurate synthetic images in evaluating the effect of conditions in the manufacturing environment on captured images is also investigated. The prevalent factors investigated in this study are the effects of illumination, the sensor non-linearity and the finite-size pinhole on the captured image of retroreflective vision sensing and, therefore, on camera calibration was shown; if not fully understood, these effects can introduce apparent error in calibration results. While synthetic images cannot fully compensate for the real environment, they can be efficiently used to study the effects of ambient lighting and other important parameters, such as true part and environment reflectance, on image accuracy. We conclude with an evaluation of results and recommendations for improving the accuracy of the synthesis methodology.