cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies of the angular correlation function of scattering by random rough surfaces with and without a buried object

The discrimination of the scattered wave from an object buried in shallow ground from that of the rough surface is a difficult task with present ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems. Recently, a new approach for this classical problem has been proposed and its effectiveness has been verified. This new method is based on the angular correlation function (ACF) of the scattered wave observed at two or more different incident and scattered angle combinations. It has been shown that the angular memory signatures of rough surfaces are substantially different from those of typical man-made targets and by choosing the appropriate incident and scattered angles, the surface scattering can be minimized whereas the scattering from the target is almost unchanged. The authors present detailed numerical studies of the ACF of the scattered wave from rough surfaces with and without a buried object. To obtain the ACF, the three averaging methods: realization, frequency and angular averaging, are tested numerically. It is shown that a single random rough surface of moderate extent can exhibit memory effect by using frequency averaging. Frequency averaging with a wide bandwidth is also effective for suppressing fluctuation in ACF and is most useful for practical applications. Numerical simulations indicate that even when the ratio of scattered intensities with and without the buried object is close to unity, the corresponding ratio of ACF magnitude can be more than 10 dB. Thus, using the ACF is superior to using the radar cross section (RCS) in the detection of buried objects.
Electrical isolation of a 0-section in a transfinite electrical network

A 0-section of a transfinite electrical network is a maximal subnetwork that is connected in the usual sense, i.e., there is a finite path between every two nodes. Conditions are established ensuring that a 0-section M is electrically isolated from all other 0-sections. This means that a source in M never induces currents beyond the infinite extremities of M. The conditions are on both the graph and the element values of M. >
Determination of Young's modulus in chemically vapor-deposited SiC coatings

Ceramic coatings have been applied to numerous materials in order to increase hardness, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Knowledge of the basic properties of coatings, such as elastic modulus and fracture toughness, is essential for their successful application. However, the very nature of a coating, e.g., its fragility, surface roughness, and dimensional variation, often makes accurate measurement of these properties difficult. Young's modulus of CVD and SiC coatings was measured in situ (on the substrate) using strain gage/flexure and dynamic resonance techniques. The average Young's moduli of CVD SiC from these techniques were 446 and 415 GPa, respectively, and were considered to be in good agreement. The determination of a representative coating thickness and cross section is critical in order to accurately estimate Young's modulus of coatings.
Laser mass-spectrometric studies of optical damage in CaF 2

Resonance-ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) has been used as a diagnostic for interrogating optical damage events. RIMS involves multistep laser photoionization, generally through real intermediate states, followed by mass separation and detection. Uncoated CaF2 substrates were irradiated by pulses from a Nd:YAG laser operating at ω, 3ω, and 4ω. Interrogation of the ablated material revealed the presence of Ca atoms and CaF radicals after the onset of breakdown. Velocity distributions of these species have been measured. At an ablation wavelength of 1.06μm (ω), we observe a thermal (830-K) Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. At shorter wavelengths, deviations from purely Maxwellian distributions are observed. In addition, the multiphoton ionization excitation spectrum of CaF (F2Π ← X2Σ+) has been recorded as a function of ablation wavelength, and from this qualitative estimates of internal excitation are made. The results are discussed in terms of concepts developing in the study of laser damage and ablation.
Synthesis, Properties, and Structure of Sulfonate Ionomers

Abstract The unique mechanical and rheological properties of ionomers are sources of growing academic and industrial interest. The relationship between the complex properties that ionomers exhibit and their microstructure has been the subject of numerous studies. A greater understanding of this relationship is necessary if one wishes to manipulate the ionic interactions in order to control the properties of the polymer.
Destruction of organic compounds in water using supported photocatalysts

Photocatalytic destruction of organic compounds in water is investigated using tanning lamps and fixed-bed photoreactors. Platinized titanium dioxide (Pt-TiO{sub 2}) supported on silica gel is used as a photocatalyst. Complete mineralization of influent concentrations of 4.98 mg/L tetrachloroethylene and 2.35 mg/L p-dichlorobenzene requires a reactor residence time less than 1.3 minutes. While for influent concentrations of 3.58 mg/L 2-chlorobiphenyl, 2.50 mg/L methyl ethyl ketone and 0.49 mg/L carbon tetrachloride, complete mineralization requires reactor residence times of 1.6, 10.5, and 16.8 minutes, respectively. A reactor model is developed using Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics and the model parameters are determined using a reference compound, trichloroethylene. Based on the results of experiments with trichloroethylene, the model predicts the mineralization of the aforementioned compounds from ultraviolet (UV) irradiance, influent concentration, hydroxyl radical rate constants, and the known physical properties of the compounds. The model is also able to predict organic destruction using solar insolation (which has a different spectral distribution from the tanning lamps) based on the UV absorption characteristics of titanium dioxide.
The influence of aging on preferences for sequences of mixed affective events

Research on preferences among sequences of mixed affective events has mostly used young adults as participants. Given differences due to aging in people's ability to regulate emotion, one could expect differences due to aging in preferences for different sequences. Study 1 demonstrated age-related differences in how older adults (age 65 and older) versus young adults (age 18–25) choose to order mixed affective events that will occur over time. The tendency to choose sequences in which the final event is positive was greater among older adults versus young adults. And, more so than young adults, older adults preferred that the positive and negative events in a sequence be separated in time by a neutral event. Studies 2–3 investigated age-related differences in overall retrospective evaluations of presented sequences of mixed affective events. In contrast to young adults, older adults' retrospective evaluations were not affected by: (1) whether the final trend of the sequence improved monotonically; (2) whether the last event in the sequence was positive; or (3) the temporal proximity of positive and negative events in the sequence. Results of Study 3 suggest that these age-related differences are due to differences in older (vs. young) adults' ability to regulate emotion. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Minocycline-induced central nervous system-pulmonary hypersensitivity syndrome.

Minocycline is widely used in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Reported side-effects include hypersensitivity pneumonitis, drug-induced lupus, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody (ANCA) ANCA-positive vasculitis, and other autoimmune syndromes. We report the second case of severe central nervous system-pulmonary syndrome in a patient taking minocycline, which required high-dose corticosteroid therapy. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially serious complication when prescribing minocycline, or when presented with a systemically ill patient taking this drug.
Error probability bounds for QAM signaling over correlated Rician-fading diversity channels

A method is described for obtaining tight closed-form bounds on the probability of error for quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and fading diversity channels. The channels exhibit correlated fading and have specular components. In addition, the effects of imperfect automatic gain control are considered. >
Constructive Noncooperation as Political Resistance

Building on the examples of the Rank and File and Settlement House Movements, transformative social workers in the United States today have an obligation to strive to integrate liberation and resistance approaches into a broad range of settings. Liberatory social work practice requires us to challenge oppressive social conditions that regulate people's lives and constrain their options. In this article, we explore constructive noncooperation as an important strategic option in campaigns of resistance by oppressed populations and communities and as a key principle of practice for social workers acting in solidarity with those groups. Vaclav Havel's concept of living in truth as an individual path of constructive resistance and the construction of cultures of resistance and parallel structures as collective strategies have the potential for progressively shaping more just societies in which human rights can be universally realized.
Maltreatment and Depression in Adolescent Sexual Offenders with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined the self-reported presence and severity of abuse, neglect, and depressive symptoms for 43 adolescents adjudicated delinquent due to a sexual offense. Twenty-seven of the adolescent sexual offenders were also diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, and 16 did not carry an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Both groups reported moderate to high levels of abuse and neglect. Adolescent sexual offenders with an autism spectrum disorder reported significantly higher depressive symptoms than those without an autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, of the group with an autism spectrum disorder, those reporting severe levels of emotional abuse and/or emotional neglect were more likely to also have depressive symptoms. Results suggest a need to tailor treatment programs to match the unique needs of sexual offenders.
Stability analysis of complex maximum likelihood ica using Wirtinger calculus

The desirable asymptotic optimality properties of the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator make it an attractive solution for performing independent component analysis (ICA) as well. Wirtinger calculus is shown to provide an attractive framework for the derivation and analysis of complex-valued algorithms using nonlinear functions, and hence of ICA algorithms as well. Local stability analysis of complex ICA based on ML presents a unique challenge, since in addition to the need for computation of derivatives, the Hessian of a matrix quantity needs to be evaluated, and for the complex case, it assumes a significantly more complicated form than the real-valued case. In this paper, we demonstrate how Wirtinger calculus allows the use of an elegant approach proposed by Amari et al. (1997) in the analysis, thus enabling the derivation of the conditions for local stability of complex ML ICA. We further study the implications of the conditions for a generalized Gaussian density model.
An Experimental Method for Making In Situ Spectral Emittance Measurements of Coal Ash Deposits

An experimental procedure has been developed to make in situ spectral emittance measurements of coal ash deposits. Pulverized coal is injected into a down-fired, entrained-flow reactor. Ash accumulates on a probe placed in the reactor effluent. The spectral emittance of the ash layer is calculated using measurements of the surface temperature and the spectral emissive power of the deposit. Measurements of the spectral emissive power and the surface temperature are obtained using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The methods used to extract the spectral emissive power and surface temperature from measured infrared spectra were validated using a blackbody radiator at known temperatures. The experimental procedure was then used to find the spectral emittance of a coal ash deposit formed under oxidizing conditions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
CRISPR Critters and CRISPR Cracks

This essay focuses on possible nonhuman applications of CRISPR/Cas9 that are likely to be widely overlooked because they are unexpected and, in some cases, perhaps even "frivolous." We look at five uses for "CRISPR Critters": wild de-extinction, domestic de-extinction, personal whim, art, and novel forms of disease prevention. We then discuss the current regulatory framework and its possible limitations in those contexts. We end with questions about some deeper issues raised by the increased human control over life on earth offered by genome editing.
Renal 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid synthesis during pregnancy

We examined whether renal 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) synthesis is altered during gestation. Renal microsomal arachidonic acid ω-hydroxylase activity increased by 50 and 48% in rats on days 12 and 19 of gestation, respectively. Renal microvessel 20-HETE synthesis increased by 50 and 82% in rats on days 6 and 12 of gestation, respectively, and returned to control levels at day 19 of gestation. In contrast, 20-HETE synthesis in isolated medullary thick ascending limb was unchanged from control levels on days 6 and 12 of gestation, but it increased twofold on day 19 of gestation. This increase on day 19 of gestation was associated with a twofold increase in urinary 20-HETE excretion, and it coincided with a 23-mmHg fall in blood pressure. Moreover, change in the rate of 20-HETE synthesis in microvessels was consistent with the level of expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP)4A proteins. Administration of the CYP4A inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) for 2 days on day 12 of pregnancy or for 5 days starting on day 15 of pregnancy caused a transient but significant reduction in systolic blood pressure. ABT treatment also decreased urinary sodium, urinary 20-HETE, and renal and microvessel 20-HETE synthesis. This study, to our knowledge, is the first to demonstrate that 20-HETE synthesis in the kidney is altered in time- and site-specific manners during pregnancy. The localized pattern of changes suggests that there are distinct regulatory mechanisms for 20-HETE synthesis in the kidney during pregnancy.
Nonverbal Neuropsychological Assessment

In this chapter, the author describes representative nonverbal measures tapping the neuropsychological domains of attention and executive functions, memory and new learning ability, and visual–spatial cognition. While cautioning that the term nonverbal describes the overt requirements of a test and not internal mental processes required for test performance, the author provides clinical indications for the use of nonverbal methods in neuropsychological assessment. Specifically, nonverbal measures should be considered on any occasion in which language-based functioning is likely to be compromised, in conjunction with a direct verbal appraisal of the nature and degree of language difficulty. The vast array of options available to the practitioner wanting to utilize nonverbal tests suggests that the current state of nonverbal neuropsychological assessment is healthy and vibrant. Computer-administered assessment options are proliferating, lending themselves to nonverbal forms of response via the click of a mouse or use of a touchscreen. Nearly every important domain of neuropsychological assessment (with the exception of expressive language) now includes tests with reduced language requirements, suggesting that in the future, it may be possible to conduct a reasonably comprehensive neuropsychological assessment without requiring that the examinee speak. It may also be argued that enhancing the nonverbal administration of most neuropsychological tests may ultimately improve test validity and reduce the construct irrelevant variance introduced by the high language loads of most neuropsychological measures.
Younger gestational age is associated with increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome during infancy in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Background The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of gestational age (GA) on short-term neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes in congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors. Materials Between 6/2004 and 2/2013, 135 consecutive CDH patients underwent ND assessment using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III at a median follow-up age of 13months (range, 5-36). ND delay was defined by a score of ≤85 in any of the composite scales. Severe impairment was defined as a score of ≤69 in at least one domain. The effect of GA was evaluated as continuous and categorical variables. GA at delivery was grouped into full term (39-41weeks), near term (37-38), late preterm (34-36), and preterm (24-33). Results Median GA at delivery was 38weeks (range, 24-41). Fifty (37%) patients were delivered full term, 59 (44%) near term, 16 (12%) late preterm, and 10 (7%) preterm. CDH children born before 39weeks' gestation were more likely to score below average (P=0.005) with corrected age for at least one composite score compared to full term peers. Cognitive (P=0.06) and language (P=0.08) scores tended to be lower in the near-term and late-preterm group compared to full-term CDH infants. Patients born near term and late preterm had significantly lower motor composite and fine motor scores compared to full-term children (P=0.009 and P Conclusions Compared to term infants, not only preterm but also late preterm and near-term CDH children carry an increased risk of ND delays. Motor performance appears most susceptible to earlier delivery.
The Prevalence of Uncorrected Refractive Errors in Adolescents Incarcerated in a Youth Detention Center

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of residents requiring corrective lenses in a youth detention center for juveniles from 12 to 18 years old over a 2-year period. A greater number of adolescents incarcerated for criminal activity in a detention center had uncorrected refractive errors (34.87 %) as compared to a comparable population in the public school system (22 %). The prevalence of significant refractive errors among incarcerated adolescents in this study is significantly higher than has been reported previously. The current study found a refractive error rate of almost 35 %. This difference can be explained by a number of factors in their social environments and identifies an area for potential intervention to reduce antisocial behavior in this population.
Instantaneous wing kinematics tracking and force control of a high-frequency flapping wing insect MAV

The superior maneuverability of insect flight is enabled by rapid and significant changes in aerodynamic forces, a result of subtle and precise change of wing kinematics. The high sensitivity of aerodynamic force to wing kinematic change demands precise and instantaneous feedback control of the wing motion trajectory, especially in the presence of various parameter uncertainties and environmental disturbances. Current work on flapping wing robots was limited to open-loop averaged wing kinematics control. Here we present instantaneous closed-loop wing trajectory tracking of a DC motor direct driven wing-thorax system under resonant flapping. A dynamic model with parameter uncertainties and disturbances was developed and validated through system identification. For wing trajectory generation, we designed a Hopf oscillator based central pattern generator with smooth convergence. Using the linearized model while treating the nonlinearity as disturbance, we designed a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller and a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) for instantaneous wing trajectory tracking at 24 Hz; Using the original nonlinear model, we designed a nonlinear controller to achieve robust performance at over 30 Hz. The control algorithms were implemented and compared experimentally on a 7.5 g Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). The experiments showed that the PID and nonlinear controls resulted in precise trajectory tracking; while LQR controller tracked with less precision but with smaller input effort. In addition, the nonlinear control algorithm achieved better tracking of wing trajectories with varying amplitude, bias, frequency, and split-cycles while adapting to the variations on wing morphological parameters such as wing geometry and stiffness. Furthermore, the lift force measurements of the nonlinear control results were compared with those of open-loop average wing kinematics control commonly adopted in current designs.
Communication via Different Media During Military Deployments and Postdeployment Relationship Satisfaction

ABSTRACTThere are few quantitative studies of communication between service members (SMs) and spouses during military deployments. Approximately one year postdeployment, 224 SMs and 214 of their spouses completed measures of relationship satisfaction. SMs also retrospectively reported on frequency of synchronous (real-time; e.g., phone) and asynchronous (delayed; e.g., e-mail) communication, and family-related stressors during deployment. Postdeployment relationship satisfaction in both partners was associated with SMs' recall of spouses having written/e-mailed more frequently than SMs. Significant interactions indicated that, when SMs recalled higher family-related stressors during deployment, greater satisfaction was associated with more asynchronous and less synchronous communication. This pattern was reversed when SMs recalled lower family-related stressors.
Some Exact Number Theory Computations via Probability Mechanisms

1. INTRODUCTION. In this paper we apply stochastic methods to efficiently compute several number theoretic functions. The application of probability to number theory suggests density results. For example, the prime number theorem asserts that the probability that a number chosen between 1 and n is prime is approximately 1/log n. This is, of course, just an asymptotic estimate. Our goal here is to obtain exact results about functions involving the bit patterns of numbers. The results we describe can be generalized to other bases, notably base 10, but we work with base 2 for simplicity and ease of computations. The first problem we address is how to select a random number x between 0 and a fixed bound n, written in binary as
Oxidation at the Core–Ligand Interface of Au Lipoic Acid Nanoclusters That Enhances the Near-IR Luminescence

A new surface oxidation mechanism that enhances the luminescence of Au nanoclusters is discovered in Au nanoclusters synthesized with disulfide lipoic acid. The quantum efficiency increased from 1 to 2% up to 10% upon the sulfur oxidation at the Au–ligand interface. Relatively low quantum efficiency has been a bottleneck barrier to exploit the appealing near-infrared luminescence from molecular-like gold nanoclusters for broader and effective applications. Combined IR, XPS, and NMR analysis reveals that the outer sulfur atoms on ca. half of the lipoic acid ligands were partially oxidized accompanying the luminescence enhancement. Opposite to those from the widely studied monothiolate Au nanoclusters, the quantum efficiency increases at lower pH. The observation is explained by the electron density changes at the core–ligand interfaces under the ligand dielectric layer. Multivalent binding of the lipoic acid ligands on Au core drastically reduces the exchange or addition of monothiols into ligand monolayer...
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF MULTIMEDIA COMPRESSION ALGORITHMS

In this paper, we are evaluating the performance of Huffman and Run Length Encoding compression algorithms with multimedia data. We have used different types of multimedia formats such as images and text. Extensive experimentation with different file sizes was used to compare both algorithms evaluating the compression ratio and compression time. Huffman algorithm showed consistent performance compared to Run Length encoding.
Ecological and Nutritional Studies on Coleomegilla maculata De Geer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). I. The Development of an Artificial Diet and a Laboratory Rearing Technique

Sixteen experimental diets were formulated and tested for rearing Coleomegilla maculata . Only one proved to be satisfactory for rearing this coccinellid continuously under laboratory conditions. The basic ingredients of this diet were casein, sucrose, wheat germ, soybean hydrolyzate, glycogen, butter fat, a Liver fraction, corn oil, brewer’s yeast, dextrose, cotton leaf extract (carotenoids and sterols), ascorbic acid, salt mixture, vitamins, antibiotics, agar, and water.
Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS)

Teaching materials have been developed for introductory physics for the life sciences. They are written as self-contained self-study guides. The first chapter introduces students to using Excel using an authentic computational model of diffusion that introduces students to equilibrium as a dynamic stochastic process in the context of the oxygen cascade. Students discover that Fick's law is a consequence of Brownian motion in an active learning exercise using a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of their own construction. Subsequent chapters introduce students to: algorithms and computational thinking; exponential decay in drug elimination and radioactive decay; half-life and semi-log plots; finite difference methods (and calculus); the principles of scientific modeling; model validation and residual analysis; and osmosis. Analysis of published clinical data and Nobel Prize winning research is featured. Because the materials are self-contained they can be used in a flipped-classroom approach. The chapters are available for free at http://circle4.com/biophysics/chapters/ and have been listed as curricular resources in the recent American association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) report on Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS).
Analyzing interactions in a multi-agent simulation of cross replicating RNA enzymes

Evolutionary adaptation and synchronization with an environment is a key component of many real-world systems. In this work we seek to further understand the first nonbiological system that undergoes self-sustained replication using a multi-agent simulation of the system's evolutionary dynamics. [Lincoln & Joyce, 2009] demonstrated two RNA enzymes that catalyze each other's synthesis and undergo self-sustained exponential amplification. Due to the cost and difficulty of real-world experiments we leverage agent simulation to better explore and analyze the experiments and suggest possible extensions.We leverage tools from the emerging field of Network Science to generate a recombination network of the agent-agent interactions and demonstrate that under resource limitations the system is driven to generate more variation, thereby enabling adaptation to environmental pressures. We measure this variation using recombination network properties such as the average degree, network diameter, and clustering coefficient. Additionally, we show agent-environment synchronization by measuring the population growth of agents while adjusting the temporal influence of environmental pressures and analyzing the system's ability to adapt and compensate.By developing a simulation of the real-world experiments we were able to quickly and cost effectively test out various experiment extensions to determine which would be interesting and feasible to further explore.
Predicting Clinical Outcomes Using Molecular Biomarkers.

Over the past 20 years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of biomarkers. At the last count, there were 768,259 papers indexed in PubMed.gov directly related to biomarkers. Although many of these papers claim to report clinically useful molecular biomarkers, embarrassingly few are currently in clinical use. It is suggested that a failure to properly understand, clinically assess, and utilize molecular biomarkers has prevented their widespread adoption in treatment, in comparative benefit analyses, and their integration into individualized patient outcome predictions for clinical decision-making and therapy. A straightforward, general approach to understanding how to predict clinical outcomes using risk, diagnostic, and prognostic molecular biomarkers is presented. In the future, molecular biomarkers will drive advances in risk, diagnosis, and prognosis, they will be the targets of powerful molecular therapies, and they will individualize and optimize therapy. Furthermore, clinical predictions based on molecular biomarkers will be displayed on the clinician’s screen during the physician–patient interaction, they will be an integral part of physician–patient-shared decision-making, and they will improve clinical care and patient outcomes.
The Tunisian Revolution and After in the Work of Jalila Baccar and Fadhel Jaïbi

Marvin Carlson’s chapter engages with the work of Jalila Baccar and her husband, Fadhel Jaibi, who are based in one of the most critical post-conflict cities in the contemporary world: Tunis. Carlson argues that their work yields a unique insight into the recent turbulent history of Tunisia, where the self-immolation of a street vendor in Tunis was a shocking political act that precipitated the Arab Spring. Carlson chronicles how Baccar and Jaibi’s trilogy of plays, which explicitly engage with the causes and aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, helped challenge and change the political landscape of Tunis. Carlson traces how the emergence of a national theatre in Tunis, alongside Baccar and Jaibi’s burgeoning international acclaim, led to a series of commissions and confrontations with the state, as the new, hard-line Salafist regime targeted liberal, secular aspects of Tunisian society. In so doing, they created an even harsher environment than that of the deposed dictator, and Carlson highlights how artists like Baccar and Jaibi have heroically fought to maintain a dissident and secular theatre in Tunis.
Integral Equations for Nonlinear Problems in Partial Differential Equations

Publisher Summary Integral equations have been used in the study of differential equations, both ordinary and partial, since time immemorial. This chapter provides some illustrative examples from the recent literature involving problems in partial differential equations where either the equation or the boundary conditions contain nonlinearities. In most cases, the nonlinear problem is attacked by first solving a related linear problem. The solution to the linear problem involves integral operators and when the non-linearities are introduced, the original problem is replaced by that of solving a nonlinear integral equation.
Using toys to teach physics

Beverley Taylor says that using everyday toys to explain concepts in physics is a powerful way to teach the subject.
Lateral Live-Load Distribution of Dual-Lane Vehicles with Nonstandard Axle Configurations

AbstractThe numbers and sizes of permitted vehicles that consist of at least four wheel lines have been increasingly crossing on highways and bridges. For safety purposes, it is necessary to understand how those truck loads are distributed to the primary bridge elements. It is widely accepted that the lateral live-load distribution factor (LDF) is affected by the spacing of adjacent wheel lines of truck loads. However, current specifications for the LDF are applicable only for vehicles that have standard axle configurations, whereas oversized vehicles usually have nonstandard wheel-line spacing. Furthermore, Iowa’s 5-ft (1.5-m) spacing requirement, which specifies that dual-lane trucks with interior-pair wheel-line spacing ≥5 ft (1.5 m) are allowed to have an axle weight up to 20 kips/lane (90 KN/lane), should also be evaluated. The objective of this paper was to investigate the impact of the wheel-line spacing of four-wheel dual-lane loads on lateral live-load distribution on slab-on-girder bridges. Twen...
Changes and Factors Associated With Tobacco Counseling: Results From the AAP Periodic Survey.

Abstract Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises pediatricians to counsel parents and patients who use tobacco to quit. This study assesses changes in counseling between 2004 and 2010, and factors associated with counseling in 2010. Methods In 2004 and 2010, the Periodic Survey, a national survey of AAP members, inquired about tobacco counseling. Chi-square tests were performed to compare responses by survey year. Bivariate and multivariable analyses examined factors associated with counseling. Results Similar proportions of pediatricians in both years (N 2004 = 535 and N 2010 = 549) advised adolescents who smoke to quit (85% vs 81%), discussed quitting techniques (34% vs 32%), and recommended nicotine replacement medications (17% vs 18%). More pediatricians in 2010 reported helping patients assess reasons for and against continuing to smoke (56% vs 48%), providing quitting materials (20% vs 15%), and referring patients to cessation programs (18% vs 13%). More pediatricians in 2010 reported providing quitting materials to parents who smoke (14% vs 10%) and referring to smoking cessation programs (16% vs 11%) (all P Conclusions Most pediatricians advised patients and parents who smoke to quit, and these percentages did not change from 2004 to 2010. Although percentages for assisting with cessation did increase for several activities, most pediatricians still do not do so. Opportunities exist to improve clinicians' protection of children from tobacco and tobacco smoke through quit-line referrals, motivational interviewing, and offering medications.
Imaging and spectroscopy of nanostructures through aberration-corrected stem

The aberration-corrected STEM allows nanostructures to be investigated with greater resolution and sensitivity than ever before. Single atom sensitivity is achieved both in imaging and also for spectroscopy, for atoms on surfaces or within the bulk. Nanocrystal size, shape, surface termination, 3D structure and the presence of any defects can be seen with unprecedented ease. The improved sensitivity provides improved input for theory, allowing new insights into nanostructure properties and the origin of their unique functionality. Furthermore, the larger aperture available with aberration-corrected STEM improves the depth resolution dramatically. Nanometer depth resolution can be achieved by simply taking a focal series of images, which may then be reconstructed into a 3D rendering of the material in the same manner as with confocal optical microscopy but maintaining sensitivity to individual atoms.
Intercandidate Facebook Agenda-Building Effect of Webb County Judge Election Campaigns on the US-Mexico Border

Maxwell McCombs proposed a hypothesis that required testing in the digital media. McCombs predicted that the correlation between new media agendas would need to be greatly opposing rather than greatly redundant, like those typically found in traditional media agendas. This study tested McCombs’ hypothesis and provides evidence that confirms it. The research examines the Facebook ( fb ) agenda-building effect between two Democratic candidates, Danny Valdez and Tano Tijerina, who ran for the Webb County judge seat during the 2014 Texas primary. The census sample included a total of 246 fb posts, 73 percent from Valdez and 27 percent from Tijerina. The fb agenda-building effect of election issues showed a slight positive correlation (rho = + 0.286) between the two Democratic candidates. Similar behavior was observed in the fb agenda-building effect of positive personal attributes, showing a slight positive correlation (rho = + 0.386). These results show that both fb agenda-building effects have a weak degree of interdependence, indicating that the Democratic candidates’ agendas were independent of each other.
Exceptional and Necessary: Practicing Rights-Based Social Work in the USA

This paper argues that it is critical for social workers to become familiar with the larger set of human rights—including social and economic rights—and put them into practice because respecting and validating these rights has the potential to transform our clients, our societies, and our social work profession. Beyond arguing the importance of human rights, this paper will provide needed human rights background, as well as specific guidance for social workers and educators about how to take a rights-based approach to professional social work practice. Though the article focuses on the US example, global readers may find the analytic framework employed here useful for understanding the challenges social workers in their own countries face when adopting rights-based approaches. In all countries, social workers must analyze the legal and cultural specificities that promote—or limit—human rights and how the local context may encourage or challenge rights-based practices. Overall, a rights-based approach to practice has the potential to offer social work—a profession oriented to social well-being—the opportunity to take leadership, and become the point profession on economic, social, and cultural rights.
Control of hmu Heme Uptake Genes in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Response to Iron Sources.

Despite the mammalian host actively sequestering iron to limit pathogenicity, heme (or hemin when oxidized) and hemoproteins serve as important sources of iron for many bloodborne pathogens. The HmuRSTUV hemin uptake system allows Yersinia species to uptake and utilize hemin and hemoproteins as iron sources. HmuR is a TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor for hemin and hemoproteins. HmuTUV comprise a inner membrane ABC transporter that transports hemin and hemoproteins from the periplasmic space into the bacterial cytoplasm, where it is degraded by HmuS. Here we show that hmuSTUV but not hmuR are expressed under iron replete conditions, whereas hmuR as well as hmuSTUV are expressed under iron limiting conditions, suggesting complex transcriptional control. Indeed, expression of hmuSTUV in the presence of inorganic iron, but not in the presence of hemin, requires the global regulator IscR acting from a promoter in the intergenic region between hmuR and hmuS. This effect of IscR appears to be direct by binding a site mapped by DNaseI footprinting. In contrast, expression of hmuR under iron limiting conditions requires derepression of the ferric uptake regulator Fur acting from the hmuR promoter, as Fur binding upstream of hmuR was demonstrated biochemically. Differential expression by both Fur and IscR would facilitate maximal hemin uptake and utilization when iron and heme availability is low while maintaining the capacity for periplasmic removal and cytosolic detoxification of heme under a wider variety of conditions. We also demonstrate that a Y. pseudotuberculosis ∆iscR mutant has a survival defect when incubated in whole blood, in which iron is sequestered by heme-containing proteins. Surprisingly, this phenotype was independent of the Hmu system, the type III secretion system, complement, and the ability of Yersinia to replicate intracellularly. These results suggest that IscR regulates multiple virulence factors important for Yersinia survival and growth in mammalian tissues and reveal a surprising complexity of heme uptake expression and function under differing conditions of iron.
PET/MRI: Safety Considerations

Safety is an important consideration in PET/MRI and is complicated by the coexistence of the safety concerns of MRI and PET. These issues have significant impact on both patient workflow and the design of the PET/MRI facility. When considering patient workflow, one must consider where patients will be injected with the radiotracer and when screening for MRI safety occurs. Additionally, PET/MRI facilities should be designed with both MRI and radiation safeties in mind. Below we discuss the specific safety concerns associated with PET and MRI separately.
Bringing Institutions Into Strategy Teaching

New institutionalism as a research area is thriving in the strategic management literature. The importance of institutional realities and transitions is also evident around the world. Yet, institut...
Alloy Surface Behavior: Experimental Methods and Results

While the title of this conference does not mention alloy surfaces, and most of the contributions will be concerned with bulk properties of alloys, the surface behavior of alloys has received considerable attention, both theoretical and experimental. This has come about in the past 20–25 years, as new surface analysis techniques and ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) technology have been used to investigate surface phenomena important in such fields as corrosion,1 catalysis,2 microelectronics,3,4 and self-renewing coatings.5 The use of ordered alloy systems for higher temperature, high ductility applications, such as turbine blades in jet engines has generated interest in the ordered surfaces of NiA1.6
On Approximation of the Power-p and Bottleneck Steiner Trees

Many VLSI routing applications, as well as the facility location problem involve computation of Steiner trees with non-linear cost measures. We consider two most frequent versions of this problem. In the power-p Steiner problem the cost is defined as the sum of the edge lengths where each length is raised to the power p > 1. In the bottleneck Steiner problem the objective cost is the maximum of the edge lengths. We show that the power-p Steiner problem is MAX SNP-hard and that one cannot guarantee to find a bottleneck Steiner tree within a factor less than 2, unless P = NP. We prove that in any metric space the minimum spanning tree is at most a constant times worse than the optimal power-p Steiner tree. In particular, for p = 2, we show that the minimum spanning tree is at most 23.3 times worse than the optimum and we construct an instance for which it is 17.2 times worse. We also present a better approximation algorithm for the bottleneck Steiner problem with performance guarantee log2 n, where n is the number of terminals (the minimum spanning tree can be 2 log2 n times worse than the optimum).
Finite Direct Products

The main result of this chapter is a complete description of all finite abelian groups as direct products of cyclic p-groups. By passing from abelian groups to modules over a principal ideal domain, we show that this result gives canonical forms for matrices. The essential uniqueness of the factorization of a finite abelian group as a direct product of cyclic p-groups is then generalized to nonabelian groups that arc direct products of “indecomposable” groups.
Microfluidic Devices and Their Applications to Lab-on-a-Chip

Various microfluidic components and their characteristics, along with the demonstration of two recent achievements of lab-on-chip systems are reviewed and discussed. Many microfluidic devices and components have been developed during the past few decades, as introduced earlier for various applications. The design and development of microfluidic devices still depend on the specific purposes of the devices (actuation and sensing) due to a wide variety of application areas, which encourages researchers to develop novel, purpose-specific microfluidic devices and systems. Microfluidics is the multidisciplinary research field that requires basic knowledge in fluidics, micromachining, electromagnetics, materials, and chemistry for various applications.
Origin of Conductivity Threshold in the Solid Electrolyte Glass System: $( \hbox{Ag}_{2} \hbox{S})_{x}( \hbox{As}_{2} \hbox{S}_{3})_{1-x}$

The electrical conductivity of (Ag2S)x(As2S3)1-x glasses increases to display a step-like jump of nearly five orders of magnitude in the narrow composition range, 9% 7%. The Ag-rich phase is thought to percolate near x ~ 9%, and to contribute to the large jump in conductivity of the glasses. The high-Tg phase represents a semiconducting As2S3 glass phase alloyed with a few mole percent of Ag2S, and it displays a reversibility window in the 8% 13%. Softening of the high-Tg phase lowers Ag+ ion migration energies and also contributes to the conductivity threshold.
The Economics of Liability Insurance

This chapter examines key elements of the liability system in the USA: the basic theory on the role of liability rules in providing incentives for loss control; the effects of limited liability on the demand for liability insurance and on the ability of tort liability to provide optimal incentives; the problem of correlated risk in liability insurance markets; issues in liability insurance contract design; and the efficiency of the US tort liability and liability insurance system. The troublesome areas of medical malpractice, directors’ and officers’ liability and general liability insurance crises are highlighted.
Comparison of colored sticky traps for monitoring thrips populations (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in staked tomato fields.

The response of flower thrips, Frankliniella spp., to various colors and sticky trap designs was evaluated in staked tomato fields in western North Carolina. Yellow sticky traps caught significantl...
Bases for Hilbert Spaces

The separable Hilbert spaces are the only class of abstract spaces for which the existence of a Schauder basis is warranted. It is indeed a classical fact that in every separable Hilbert space H there exists a total orthonormal sequence, hence an orthonormal basis for H. It follows that a basis for H is orthonormal if and only if it is normal and that such a basis is unconditional.
Adenoviruses — Model for DNA Replication in Mammalian Cells — Role of Viral Proteins in Viral DNA Replication

The synthesis of DNA in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is complex, involving numerous enzymes and other proteins that may function in multi-enzyme systems. A molecular description of DNA replication in Escherichia coli, is only beginning to be realized, after fifteen years of intensive studies using small bacteriophage DNA molecules as probes. Full details, however, will no doubt require many years of additional study. Several of the approximately fifteen proteins that are involved in DNA replication in E.coli (excluding DNA precursor enzymes), as indicated by biochemical and/ or genetic studies, have not yet been identified. Moreover, functions have been established for only some of these proteins, and their complex interactions have only recently begun to be appreciated.