cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional scale soil salinity evaluation using Landsat 7, western San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

Abstract Despite decades of research in soil mapping, characterizing the spatial variability of soil salinity across large regions remains a crucial challenge. This work explores the potential use of Landsat 7 (L7) satellite reflectance data (30 × 30 m resolution) to facilitate salinity mapping. Reflectance data spanning a seven-year period (2007–2013) were obtained for western San Joaquin Valley, California (ca. 1.5 × 10 6 ha), over five soil Orders (Aridisols, Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, and Vertisols). Two ground-truth datasets were considered: 267 direct measurements of salinity (one per L7 pixel) from soil samples (EC e ), and 4891 indirect salinity values (EC e ⁎ ) estimated from the relationships of EC e with geospatial (on average 16 per L7 pixel) electromagnetic induction measurements. The EC e ⁎ ground-truth dataset was characterized by stronger relationship with the L7 reflectance, with the multi-year averages of the L7 data showing R 2 up to 0.43. The correlations between L7 data and EC e ⁎ were significantly influenced by rainfall (stronger in dry years than in rainy years), soil properties (weaker in finer soils), and crop type (stronger when soil salinity was over crop stress tolerance threshold). The results suggest that a fusion of the L7 multi-year reflectance data with information on meteorological conditions, crop type, and soil texture could lead to a reliable salinity prediction model for the entire western San Joaquin Valley. Land resource managers, producers, agriculture consultants, extension specialists, and Natural Resource Conservation Service field staff are the beneficiaries of regional-scale maps of soil salinity.
Dynamic shape sensing using a fiber Bragg grating mesh

When fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) are tightly packed in a mesh and their peaks get close at a distance on the order of individual FBG spectrum widths, they start overlapping and there is a distance below which both peaks won’t be detectable anymore using standard peak detection method. Ability to determine locations of individual peaks even after they overlap allows more gratings in a mesh and an increase in shape sensing resolution. We use a linear interpolation method to estimate peak locations when peaks overlap and become undetectable with standard peak finding technique. We test this algorithm on experimentally obtained data and compare peak locations obtained by the algorithm to exact peak locations. We analyze the error to show that algorithm performs well when velocity of peaks stays uniform during peak crossing. However, the error rapidly increases if the velocity changes during crossing and the maximum error can occur in a situation when peaks change direction during peak crossing.
Activated microglia stimulate transcriptional changes in primary oligodendrocytes via IL-1β

No therapy currently exists to repair demyelinated lesions in multiple sclerosis. However, the use of IgM antibodies may provide a valuable therapeutic avenue for evoking such repair. Unfortunately, the mechanism of immunoglobulin action in CNS repair is currently unknown but may depend upon complex interactions between multiple cell types rather than upon direct activation of a single cell type. Using rat mixed glial cultures containing oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes, we found that the Fc portion of human IgM shifts microglia to an activated phenotype, reduces glial proliferation, upregulates a variety of immediate early genes, including JunB, Egr-1, and c-Fos, and stimulates microglial production and release of IL-1β. Microglia-derived IL-1β consequently triggers transcriptional upregulation of immediate early genes such as c-Jun, Egr-1, and c-Fos in the mixed glial cultures, and stimulates the upregulation of late response genes such as lipocalin in purified oligodendrocytes. Treatment with an IL-1β receptor antagonist abrogates the effects of Fcμ on glial proliferation and prevents the upregulation of lipocalin in response to Fcμ, but does not prevent Fcμ-mediated upregulation of IL-1β, suggesting that IL-1β mediates at least some of the downstream effects of Fcμ in mixed glial cultures. We hypothesize that Fcμ-stimulated IL-1β-induced upregulation of immediate early and late response genes in oligodendrocytes may promote CNS repair.
The triplet lifetime of poly(phenyl vinyl ketone). A laser flash photolysis study

Abstract The photochemistry of poly(phenyl vinyl ketone) in solution has been examined over a temperature range using nanosecond laser flash photolysis techniques. Experiments were performed at low temperatures to eliminate the interference from biradical signals and allow for the separation in time of the behaviour of quencher-free and quencher-containing polymers. For the former the kinetics of triplet decay in toluene-d8 lead to log ( A s −1 ) = 9.90 ± 0.50 and Ea = (3.56 ± 0.30) kcal mol−1 where A is the preexponential factor and Ea the activation energy. The extrapolated triplet lifetime at 20°C is 57 ns.
The Impact of Private Schools on Educational Attainment in the State of São Paulo

This study uses a comprehensive dataset on secondary school students in Brazil to examine the impact of private school enrollment on educational attainment in Sao Paulo. The results show that private school students (across all levels of tuition) perform better than their public school counterparts on Brazil’s high school exit exam, even after reducing sample selection bias via a variety of propensity score matching models. Ultimately, the author concludes that the significant achievement gains provided by low-fee and high-fee private secondary schools in Brazil strengthen the demand for private schooling despite recent increases in public spending.
Transmission electron microscopy for the determination of the microstructure of thin films and interfaces

Abstract The optics and construction of a transmission electron microscope are reviewed, along with electron diffraction and its relation to image contrast. Three general areas of thin film analysis by transmission electron microscopy are discussed: geometric determinations, involving variations in the thickness of thin films, substrate dislocations and grain size; microstructure determination by electron diffraction, using ionized cluster beam deposited aluminum; analysis of an interfacial reaction by a combination of diffraction and X-ray fluorescence, using Inconel 718 and a lithia-silica glass ceramic. Future trends in the use of transmission electron microscopy for the analysis of thin films are discussed.
Prospective payment for psychiatric hospitalization: context and background

Retrospective cost-based reimbursement, incorporated into Medicare from the outset, has been the dominant mode of finincing for health and mental hospital services. However, steadily rising health care costs led to the 1983 enactment of a prospective payment system for hospital reimbursement for Medicare, based on diagnosis-related groups. Many psychiatric hospitals and units are currently exempted from the system, but psychiatry and the health care field in general must deal with a number of issues, such as costshifting, quality of care, and adequate recognition of severity of illness, resulting from implementation of tbe system. The authors provide background for the prospective payment system by defining terms, summarizing the history of federal prospective payment legislation, describing three state systems, and discussing generic issues facing the health care community.
Application Of Energy-based Technologies And Topical Hemostatic Agents In The Management Of Surgical Hemostasis

Achieving intraoperative hemostasis is essential for excellent surgical outcomes. A variety of methods, ranging from mechanical tools and energy-based technologies to topical hemostatic agents, are available to the modern surgeon. Given that bleeding develops from different origins, from small discrete bleeding or venous oozing to arterial hemorrhage, different tools and agents have different efficacy in specific situations. In this article, we review the mechanism by which currently available hemostatic tools and agents stop bleeding and give recommendations for their use during surgery. Furthermore, the costs of the various methods are presented, allowing the provider to choose not only the most potent but also the most cost-effective treatment modality in each situation.
Evidence for a second electronic state near the B3u, nπ* singlet of pyrazine

Abstract The absorption spectra of pyrazine and the methyl pyrazines are measured and compared in the region of the nπ* pyrazine transition 1 B 3 u ← 1 A g . The vapor spectrum of 2,6-dimethyl pyrazine reveals in addition to this absorption (0,0 at ≈31380 cm −1 ) a weak, sharp band system (0,0 at 31158 cm −1 ) having the characteristics of a second nπ * transition.
The gene encoding human TFE3, a transcription factor that binds the immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer, maps to Xp11.22.

Abstract TFE3, a member of the helix-loop-helix family of transcription factors, binds to the μE3 motif of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer and is expressed in many cell types. We have localized human TFE3 to the proximal short arm of the X chromosome using a somatic cell hybrid panel. A frequent Rsa I RFLP detected by the TFE3 cDNA was found and used to confirm this location by linkage analysis in 20 pedigrees. Two-point and multipoint lod scores place TFE3 near markers in Xp11.22 with the most likely order DXS7-DXS255-TFE3-DXS146-DXS14.
TIME VERSUS FLOW COMPOSITE WATER SAMPLING FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES IN THE EVERGLADES AGRICULTURAL AREA

By legislative mandate, all entities discharging agricultural drainage water to area canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of South Florida are required to participate in an extensive total-phosphorus (TP) concentration and load monitoring program. This means that all farms must purchase, install, and operate instruments for measuring pump station discharge volumes and for collecting water samples from the drainage stream. Acceptable methods for both flow measurement and water sampling are varied, and the selection of appropriate methods is often dependent on the characteristics of the sampled water, the types of pumps used, and the end use of the resulting data. In the EAA, drainage water TP concentrations are highly variable, pump stations are unique and difficult to accurately calibrate and monitor, and the end use of the data is for determining regulatory program compliance. Of great interest is the possibility of reducing monitoring costs by using time composite sampling techniques rather than flow compositing to determine drainage water TP concentrations and loads. To address this question, flow and time composite sample data pairs from 820 sampling events over a three-yr period, from 10 farms representative of agricultural conditions in the EAA, were compared. Pump station average operating flow rates ranged from 240 L/s to 1860 L/s, flow composite sample trigger volumes ranged from 0.92 ML to 7.2 ML and time composite sample intervals were 30 and 60 min. The non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test showed that the flow and time composite data sets, for both TP concentrations and loads, respectively, were not significantly different. Linear regression analyses yielded flow/time multiplicative factors of 0.99 for TP concentrations and 1.07 for TP loads. However, field and laboratory errors intrinsic to agricultural drainage water sampling and analysis were deemed to be great enough so as to make the application of the 1% and 7% corrections to the data unnecessary. Furthermore, the sample collection interval substantially influenced the time composite event TP concentration and load values, indicating that proper selection of sampling intervals could significantly alter differences between the time and flow composite sampling strategies. Hence, for the purposes of the regulatory monitoring program in the EAA, and constrained by the test conditions above, a simple 1:1 correspondence between flow and time composite water samples is acceptable provided that the time composite sampling period is set between 60 and 180 min.
Penetrating Ocular Injury With a Fetal Scalp Monitoring Spiral Electrode

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a penetrating ocular injury resulting from inadvertent placement of a fetal scalp monitoring spiral electrode into the right eye of a preterm male with a face presentation. METHODS: Case report and review of the literature. RESULTS: A spiral electrode was screwed clockwise into the right eye, tearing the inferior retina and creating two inferior iridotomies. Severe myopic astigmatism resulted from gradual lens dislocation combined with elongation of the eye. Despite persistent occlusive therapy and aggressive optical correction, before and after lensectomy at age 3 years, visual acuity was only 20/200 at age 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Although complications from spiral monitoring electrodes are uncommon, this case emphasizes that before inserting a spiral monitoring electrode during labor, face presentation must be excluded to prevent inadvertent ocular injury.
Importance of loop dynamics in the neocarzinostatin chromophore binding and release mechanisms

Neocarzinostatin (NCS) is an antitumor chromophore carrier protein with many therapeutic applications. To characterize its binding and release mechanism, we have carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for apo-NCS and holo-NCS. Although the β-sheet regions of the protein exhibit restricted motion, large atomic fluctuations were observed in the loop regions, especially loop 99–104. This loop undergoes a “door-opening” motion that can facilitate chromophore binding and release. Calculated NMR order parameters confirm the simulated loop flexibility. We also provide a proposed explanation for the release rate difference for two mutants F78L and F78A through our simulation. The binding site structures of holo-NCS were also validated by chemical shift perturbations. Based on these results, a new binding and release mechanism for the NCS chromophore is proposed.
Concise narratives: a structural analysis of political discourse

The article suggests a new framework for the structural analysis of political narratives using the concept of ‘concise narrative’. These are segments of a speech that contain its entire temporal range in a few paragraphs. Based on the analysis of Israeli ministerial discourse during the early years of the state, the article argues that these ‘concise narratives’ can shed light on the infrastructure of political narratives. A study of ‘concise narratives’ can also illuminate how political values, identities and ideologies are combined with day-to-day politics while being transferred from the speaker to his audience. The epilogue examines the intertextual relations between different political narratives, focusing on the transition of ‘concise narratives’ from the early days of Israeli politics to contemporary political discourse.
Replacement of anesthesia machines improves intraoperative ventilation parameters associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome

The impact of anesthetic equipment on clinical practice parameters associated with development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has not been extensively studied. We hypothesized a change in anesthesia machines would be associated with parameters associated with lower rates of ARDS. We performed a retrospective cohort study on a subset of data used to evaluate intraoperative ventilation. Patients included adults receiving a non-cardiac, non-thoracic, non-transplant, non-trauma, general anesthetic between 2/1/05, and 3/31/09 at the University of Michigan. Existing anesthesia machines (Narkomed IIb, Drager) were exchanged for new equipment (Aisys, General Electric). The initial subset compared the characteristics of patients anesthetized between 12/1/06 and 1/31/07 (pre) with those between 4/1/07 and 5/30/07 (post). An extended subset examined cases two years pre and post exchange. Using the standard predicted body weight (PBW), we calculated and compared the tidal volume (total Vt and mL/kg PBW) as well as positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), Delta P (PIP-PEEP), and FiO2. A total of 1,414 patients were included in the 2-month pre group and 1,635 patients included in the post group. Comparison of ventilation characteristics found statistically significant differences in median (pre v post): PIP (26 ± 6 v 21 ± 6 cmH2O,p < .001), Delta P (24 ± 6 v 19 ± 6 cmH2O, p < .001), Vt (588 ± 139 v 562 ± 121 ml, p < 0.001; 9.3 ± 2.2 v 9.0 ± 1.9 ml/kg predicted body weight, p < .001), FiO2 (0.57 ± 0.17 v 0.52 ± 0.18, p < .001). Groups did not differ in age, ASA category, PBW, or BMI. The two year subgroup had similar parameters. Risk adjustment resulted in minimal differences in the analysis. New anesthesia machines were associated with a non-statistically significant reduction in postoperative ARDS. In this study, a change in ventilator management was associated with an anesthesia machine exchange. The smaller Vt and lower PIP noted in the post group may imply a lower risk of volutrauma and barotrauma, which may be significant in at-risk populations. However, there was not a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of post-operative ARDS.
An array of Hagen-Cockerell wave power absorbers in head seas

A theoretical study is given for the dynamic properties of a floating head-sea absorber in a parallel array. The absorber is a slender raft with power converters attached at the connecting hinges in order to extract wave energy from the relative rotation of adjacent pontoons. The effect of neighbouring rafts on the optimum efficiency and the corresponding converter impedance, motion amplitudes and waves forces are worked out by a numerical method of integral equation and an approximate analytical method for slender bodies. In addition, the drift force is also discussed.
Disability and Severe Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage. A Prospective Study of Community‐Dwelling Older Persons

OBJECTIVE: To describe the occurrence of severe gastrointestinal bleeding in community-dwelling older persons and to examine whether disability is a risk factor for this life-threatening condition independent of other known predictors. DESIGN: Prospective cohort survey. SETTING: Three communities of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). PARTICIPANTS: 8205 persons age ≥68 years. MEASUREMENTS: The hospital discharge diagnoses provided by the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files and the death certificates were prospectively surveyed for 3 years. Those with at least 1 discharge diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding and who received a blood transfusion or died were identified as cases of severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Physical disability, cognitive function, smoking and alcohol intake habits, body mass index, blood pressure, chronic conditions, number of hospital admissions in past year and medications taken were assessed at baseline. RESULTS: The occurrence rate of severe gastrointestinal bleeding was 10.8 per 1000 person-years (241 events/22,277 person-years). In proportional hazards regression models, compared with no disability, ≥ 1 disabilities in the Rosow-Breslau scale (RR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.5–2.9), and ≥1 ADLs limitations (RR = 3.1, 95% CI = 2.1–4.6) independently predicted gastrointestinal hemorrhage after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, comorbidity, number of hospital admissions, blood pressure, intake of coumarin, corticosteroids, aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective analysis, disability is an independent predictor of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms by which disability may cause gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Because physical disability is potentially modifiable, strategies to lower the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding should be evaluated.
Effects of trinucleotides on hormonally responsive adenylate cyclase activity in rat kidney.

Abstract The effects of trinucleotides on basal and hormonally stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in rat kidney homogenates was evaluated. In the absence of added trinucleotides, parathyroid hormone (PTH) increased cortical adenylate cyclase activity, while antidiuretic hormone (ADH) increased medullary activity; however, prostaglandin (PG)E2 did not stimulate adenylate cyclase activity in the renal cortex, outer medulla, or inner medulla. However, with exogenous guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) at concentrations as low as 8 × 10−7M, PGE2 did activate adenylate cyclase. This effect was seen over a concentration range of 8 × 10−7 to 8 × 10−4M PGE2. In addition, deoxyGTP and cytosine 5′-triphosphate (CTP) were also effective in the cortex, and deoxyGTP was effective in the inner medulla. GTP also augmented PTH stimulation slightly in the cortex, but had no effect on ADH stimulation in medullary tissue. Therefore, a diference in the GTP requirement was observed for prostaglandins compared to polypeptide hormones. When stimulation by PTH or ADH was examined over a wide concentration range, no dependency upon GTP for stimulation was observed. Furthermore, when the ATP concentration was reduced from 2 to 0.2 mM and Mg++ concentration was varied from 1 to 5 mM, a dependency of either PTH or ADH stimulation upon GTP was still not observed. Guanylyl 5′-imidodiphosphate (8 μM) elevated both basal and polypeptide hormone activity in all three tissues but did not elevate PGE2 above basal values for that group. GTP appears to be important in renal regulation of PGE2-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity.
The need for long range components in the effective nuclear interaction

Abstract It is shown that if one uses single particle energies from experiment and a delta residual interaction it is not possible to obtain the energy of the giant dipole and spurious states of 208 Pb, and at the same time obtain reasonable results for the low lying two-particle spectra of 210 Pb or 210 Po. Related to the above problem, the isobaric analog state of 208 Pb (in 208 Bi) comes much too low in calculations using realistic interactions. It is noted here that the above difficulties can be overcome, phenomenologically at least, by adding to the effective interaction some long range repulsive components. The Bansal-French and the Schiffer interactions are examples of these. However, the dipole-dipole component of the Schiffer interaction gives much too large a splitting between the dipole state and spurious state.
Measurement of the Neutron Strength Function Γ ¯ n 0 D for Nuclides with 45 to 75 Nucleons

Neutron transmission measurements have been made on many of the nuclides whose atomic weights lie between 45 and 75. Parameters of individual resonances were deduced for some of these nuclides and for all of them a value of the strength function $\frac{{{\overline{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{n}}^{0}}{D}$ was obtained. The experimental values of the strength function indicate a maximum near $A=53$. This is consistent with the prediction of the theory of Feshbach, Porter and Weisskopf for a square-well potential with ${V}_{0}=44$ Mev, $\ensuremath{\zeta}=0.03$ and $R=(1.26{A}^{\frac{1}{3}}+0.7)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm. The shape of the observed maximum is not in agreement with this simple theory, however, so a discussion is given which compares the present measurements with predictions based on more realistic models of the nucleus.
The Use of Calcium Phosphate Cements in The Maxillofacial Region

Defects in the maxillofacial region may result from many causes, including injury and tumor excision. Such defects must be repaired as completely as possible so that the best possible restoration of function and cosmesis can be achieved. Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) are a blend of amorphous and crystalline compounds that are used in paste form and become solid HA when they set. This article will review literature regarding various types if CPCs, their application to maxillofacial surgery, and the contraindications and complications associated with their use.
Laparoscopy for the definitive diagnosis of intra-abdominal lymphoma.

Objective To assess the efficacy of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of intra-abdominal lymphoma. Patients and methods The medical records of patients with suspected primary or recurrent lymphoma who underwent laparoscopy between March 1991 and March 2003 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, operative, and pathologic data were collected. The feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the laparoscopic procedure were assessed. Results Laparoscopic biopsy was attempted in 94 patients. In 78 patients (83%), the procedure was completed laparoscopically. Conversion to laparotomy was undertaken in 16 patients (17%), most commonly because of inadequate exposure, insufficient tissue, or postoperative adhesions. Among the 69 cases of lymphoma, 55 (80%) were diagnosed via laparoscopy only, 9 (13%) via laparotomy, and 5 (7%) with later procedures. Of the remaining 25 patients, 7 had nonlymphoma disease (4 occult carcinomas, 1 multiple myeloma, 1 epithelioid leiomyosarcoma, and 1 neuroblastoma), and 18 had benign lymphadenopathy (no evidence of lymphoma with a mean follow-up of 53 months). The laparoscopic procedure resulted in false-negative results in 6 patients (6%). The mean hospital stay for patients having a laparotomy was 6 days (range, 3-10 days); the remaining patients were all outpatients. The only Intraoperative laparoscopic complication was hemorrhage that required laparotomy. This event occurred in a patient with a previously undiagnosed neuroblastoma. Conclusion Laparoscopic lymph node biopsy safely provides adequate tissue for full histological evaluation on an outpatient basis in most patients with intra-abdominal lymphoma.
Site-specific addition of D2O to the (H2O)6− “hydrated electron” cluster: isomer interconversion and substitution at the double H-bond acceptor (AA) electron-binding site

We report the results of an experimental study designed to establish whether, once formed, one of the isomer classes of the hydrated electron clusters, (H2O)n−, can interconvert with others when a water molecule is added by condensation. This is accomplished in an Ar-cluster mediated approach where a single intact D2O molecule is collisionally incorporated into argon-solvated water hexamer anions, creating the isotopically labeled D2O·(H2O)6−·Arn heptamer anion. Photoelectron and infrared predissociation spectroscopies are employed both to characterize the isomers generated in the condensation event and to track the position that the D2O label adopts within these isomeric structures. Despite the fact that the water hexamer anion precursor clusters initially exist in the isomer I form, incorporation of D2O produces mostly isomers I′ and II in the labeled heptamer, which bind the electron more (I′) or less (II) strongly than does the isomer I class. Isomers I and I′ are known to feature electron binding primarily onto a single water molecule that resides in an AA (A = H-bond acceptor) site in the network. Surprisingly, the D2O molecule can displace this special electron-binding H2O molecule such that the anionic cluster retains the high binding arrangement. In the more weakly binding isomer II clusters, the D2O molecule fractionates preferentially to sites that give rise to the vibrational signature of isomer II.
A Phase 3, Multicenter, Open Label, Randomized Study Of Abarelix Versus Leuprolide Plus Daily Antiandrogen In Men With Prostate Cancer

Purpose: We compared the endocrinological and biochemical efficacy of abarelix depot, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, with that of a widely used combination of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist and a nonsteroidal antiandrogen.Materials and Methods: A total of 255 patients were randomized to receive open label 100 mg. abarelix depot or 7.5 mg. leuprolide acetate intramuscularly injection on days 1, 29, 57, 85, 113 and 141 for 24 weeks. Patients in the abarelix group received an additional injection on day 15 and those in the leuprolide acetate group received 50 mg. bicalutamide daily. Patients could continue treatment with study drug for an additional 28 weeks. The efficacy end points were the comparative rates of avoidance of testosterone surge (greater than 10% increase) within 7 days of the first injection and the rapidity of achieving reduction of serum testosterone to castrate levels (50 ng./dl. or less) on day 8. Patients were monitored for adverse events and laboratory abnor...
Discussion of Limiting Deposition Power Densities in Laser Target Materials

The availability of terawatt KrF* laser systems is expanding capabilities to explore new atomic processes at high intensity in the ultraviolet. By utilizing the nonlinear absorption of laser energy into a target material and the relativistic motion of electrons in the high charge state plasma produced by intensities exceeding 1019 W/cm2, it should be possible to exceed the deposition power density necessary to achieve amplification in the x-ray region.
Group foraging in the colonial spider Parawixia bistriata (Araneidae): effect of resource levels and prey size

In animal groups whose focus is on juvenile growth, prey attributes and the way in which individuals have access to those prey influence the level of sociality. Models examining the evolution of group foraging predict that, if an individual is able to monopolize a prey item, it should not permit collaboration in the capture of or feeding on that prey. If monopoly is not possible, individuals should allow others to join because of the high cost of prey defensibility. Hunger stress can affect the above predictions through its effect on the perceived value of a prey item. An increase in the individual tendency to attack prey could result in more group captures at higher hunger levels when the resident spider fails to monopolize a prey item. I conducted a study on the foraging behaviour of the colonial spider Parawixia bistriata in habitats with different insect availability. I offered prey items of known size to spiders at their web sites and determined frequency of group capture and feeding relative to prey size. I also recorded the number of individuals participating in capture and feeding groups and interactions between the resident and other foraging spiders. Individuals showed a higher tendency to capture prey and feed in a group as the size of the prey increased. In addition, spiders from habitats with lower levels of prey (dry sites) had a higher tendency to attack prey collectively than did spiders from wet sites where prey levels were higher. Although there were no between-habitat differences in tendency to feed in groups, group sizes of foraging spiders were larger at dry sites. Levels of aggression between the resident and other foraging spiders were low over all trials, but behavioural acts involving direct interactions were more frequent in groups from dry sites.
Three-dimensional analyses of electric currents and pressure anisotropies in the plasma sheet

[1] Long-term averaged three-dimensional (3-D) databased magnetotail models have been created for many plasma and field parameters. A simple modeling technique that was used in earlier work is compared with a new more comprehensive procedure. Good agreement between the two methods was found when both produced stable results. The simpler method generated reliable models from any of the available data sets, while the more complex method did not. It is shown how analyses of the models can determine plasma and field parameters that are too small to be measured directly. The magnetic field data was used to calculate average electric currents flowing in the x and y directions. Full 3-D distributions of j x and j y were determined from the models even though these currents were too small to measure directly with adequate accuracy. Changes of the electron and ion pressure anisotropies as a function of distance along an average magnetic field line then were analyzed. It was concluded that the electron anisotropy was created by an electric field with a parallel component near the neutral sheet. The parallel electric field is small but is required to maintain charge neutrality in the region containing guiding center electron and nonguiding center ion orbits. In addition to creating anisotropic electron distributions the presence ofthis parallel electric field violates the ideal MHD assumptions near the neutral sheet. The ion anisotropy suggests that the net effect of chaotic ion motion near the neutral sheet is to create a weak source cone distribution superimposed on a denser isotropic component.
How Can We Train Leaders if We Do Not Know What Leadership Is

Views of leadership that focus on the traits and behaviors of the leader are commonly used to develop training programs. Although these leadership training programs have some application, they suffer from several problems. First, there is no reasonable agreement on what traits or behaviors are leadership traits or behaviors. Second, there is no way to differentiate what makes a good leader from what makes an effective manager or an effective person. And third, people who emerge from these training programs rarely become what anyone might define as good leaders. A view of leadership as a community development process is explored as an alternative to traditional leadership approaches, and its implications for training and education are discussed.
Flow visualization inside a wire-plate electrostatic precipitator

A flow visualization study was performed in a wire-plate precipitator with a plate-plate spacing of 20.32 cm and wire-wire spacing of 20.32 cm. Smoke was used as the flow tracer, where injection and illumination were accomplished by two different techniques. In one method smoke was released from a single heated probe and illuminated by electronic flash. The other method employed a uniform smoke flow made visible by a laser sheet. The latter technique proved to be superior, providing well-defined views of the flow in both streamwise and spanwise planes over a wide range of velocities (0.2-2 m/s) and current densities (0-0.5 mA/m). The illuminated flow patterns were recorded by still 35 mm photography and color video taping. Of particular interest was the interaction between the precipitator gas flow and the corona-generated electric wind for both polarities of discharge. Results showed that positive corona discharge produces a stable two-dimensional smoke flow with negligible turbulent dispersion for precipitator velocities greater than 0.7 m/s. Lower velocities allowed the electric wind to dominate producing unstable, recirculating flow with widespread turbulence. Negative discharges were inherently unsteady and three-dimensional at all operating conditions but displayed extreme instability and recirculation (similar to positive polarity) for precipitator velocities less than 0.7 m/s. >
The Difference States Make: Democracy, Identity, and the American City

Most contemporary theorizing that addresses questions of democracy and difference is framed by broadly constructivist claims. Yet when it comes to thinking about democratic state intervention into social relations of difference, political theorists tend to stress reactive strategies, overlooking the role that democratic states play in helping shape and reinforce social definitions of difference. Exploring the case of the construction of racialized difference in the American city, the author makes the case that arguments for tolerating, for recognizing, and for deliberating across extant differences are insufficiently attentive to the role states play in making difference. Institutional efforts to deal with difference democratically should target the points at which it gets produced, aiming not simply to modify the effects of social definitions of identity and difference—but to democratize the processes through which these are defined and redefined.
Falling Through the Cracks: Undergraduate Students’ Mathematics Learning Experience

In this chapter, we present the findings of two undergraduate students who became disinterested in studying mathematics despite initial success in high school. As a result, these students quit their science and engineering-related programs to pursue programs in the humanities. Reasons for this situation are related to how mathematics is taught at college which sometimes portrays mathematics as a subject which you are either predestined to succeed or not and a lack of teacher support.
Channel electron multipliers: detection efficiencies with opaque MgF 2 photocathodes at XUV wavelengths

Detection efficiencies of channel electron multipliers (CEM) with opaque MgF2 photocathodes obtained in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV), 44 A to 990 A, are reported. A stable highly efficient response is reported for that interval, with no adverse effects on CEM performance. Efficiencies twice those of uncoated CEMs are obtained for 50 A to 350 A. The Mullard B419BL and Galileo 4510WL single-stage cone-cathode CEMs were used in the experiments. A rare-gas double ionization chamber was employed as absolute standard detector for 406 A to 990 A, and a flow Geiger counter filled with 96% argon and 4% isobutane for 44 A to 256 A. Absolute detection efficiencies are 10% higher from 67 A to 990 A when photocathodes are illuminated at an angle of incidence 45 deg. The photocathodes suffered no loss of response in storage (in vacuum or air) after an initial aging period. Effects of scattered UV radiation are greatly reduced when MgF2-coated CEMs are used in the XUV.
Evidence-Based Social Work Practice with Mentally Ill Persons who Abuse Alcohol and Other Drugs

Abstract The current article outlines a comprehensive approach to evidence-based social work practice, and applies it to persons with severe and persistent mental illness who also abuse alcohol and other drugs. Representative empirical literature is summarized within a framework that delineates the three major functions of evidence-based social work practice: assessment, intervention and evaluation. Assessment protocol, which incorporates the use of valid scales to complement the qualitative interview, is based on domain-specific research that outlines relevant psychosocial risk factors, and highlights those that are amenable to change. Intervention strategies are derived from the growing body of controlled research findings, but flexibility in implementation is recommended to accommodate clients' individual needs and the vagaries of daily practice. Naturalistic evaluation methods are used to capitalize on the use of brief, valid process and outcome measures to augment individual qualitative evaluation an...
A generalized sidelobe canceller with soft constraints

An efficient beamforming structure similar to a generalized sidelobe canceller is derived from the soft constrained minimum variance (SCMV) method of B. Van Veen (see ibid., vol.39, no.9, p.1964-72, 1991). The structure greatly reduces the computational load of the SCMV method and provides insight into the nature of SCMV beamforming. >
Numerical performances of autoregressive spectrum estimators based on three-term recurrences

The numerical performance of two fast algorithms for estimating the power spectral density of an autoregressive process is studied. The algorithms perform similarly to the Burg algorithm, but require only two-thirds as many multiplications as the most efficient implementation of the Burg algorithm. This allows the high resolution associated with the Burg algorithm to be obtained using many fewer computations. One algorithm is the deterministic form of the split lattice algorithm adjoined to the split Levinson recursions; however, its resolution is relatively poor. The other algorithm corrects a bias in the first algorithm, and has resolution similar to the Burg algorithm. >
Anisometropic Amblyopia: The Potential Role of Keratorefractive Surgery

Introduction: Traditional therapy for anisometropic amblyopia often fails when severe anisometropia is present. Recent advances in refractive surgery for anisometropic amblyopia suggest that surgical treatment may be a viable alternative in certain situations. Methods: The potential indications for refractive surgery for anisometropia, the different refractive procedures available, and the risks and benefits of each procedure are discussed. Results: The most reasonable indication at present is severe anisometropia that is nonresponsive to conventional therapy. The risks, though rare, of PRK and LASEK are corneal haze and regression of refractive correction, and risks of LASIK are keratectasia, flap loss, flap tear, or buttonhole, and regression of refractive correction. Conclusions: Surgical interventions now exist that have value in the treatment of anisometropic amblyopia. Randomized clinical trails are needed in order to optimally evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of these treatments.
Design and simulation of an intra-ventricular assistive device for end stage congestive heart failure patients

In an attempt to produce a less invasive alternative to current ventricular assistive devices, this study proposes a novel intra-ventricular VAD for end stage congestive heart failure patients. VADs are approved by FDA as Bridge to Transplantation Therapy (BTT), Bridge to Recovery Therapy (BRT) and permanent or Destination Therapy (DT) for patients at NYHA Class IV as an alternative to heart transplant. While all current devices require open-heart surgery, the flexible structure and thin active membrane, made of Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) and Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), enables transcatheter implantation and thus eliminates the need for a thoracotomy. Moreover, exerting almost no shear stress on blood cells and having no stagnant points reduces the risk of hemolysis and thrombosis. In order to define the average working conditions and physiological needs, hemodynamics of an eligible patient is first examined. Different motion mechanisms are then evaluated to find the one that has the maximum volume displacement and also mimics the natural motion of the heart. As the preliminary evaluation of the device, 1D results of an FEM solution of the governing differential equation of the electrochemical behavior of IPMCs are found to check the compliancy of IPMCs with those needs defined by hemodynamic and motion analyses. Although modeling and simulation results provided in this paper are for left ventricle, the same progressive design and test processes are also applicable for the right ventricle.
Enhancement of reaching performance via self-speech in people with Parkinson's disease

Objective : To evaluate the effects of self-speech as an internal cue on reaching performance in people with Parkinson's disease. Subjects : Eight people with Parkinson's disease were voluntarily recruited from the upstate New York community. Design and setting : This study was a repeated measure analysis of reaching performance under four randomized counterbalanced vocalization (speech) conditions that include a no vocalization control condition. The study was conducted in a university-based motion analysis laboratory. Participants performed a simple sequential daily reaching performance of reaching for a bottle, grasping and placing it on a simulated cabinet. Under counterbalanced randomized conditions, before each performance, participants either self-vocalized the word `yaah' (self-cue), listened to the word `yaah' vocalized by the experimenter (external cue), imagined vocalizing the word `yaah', or just simply performed the task without any vocalization (control — no vocalization). Main measures : Th...
A Survey and Evaluation.

The goal of research should be to discover the interrelationships of those persons, settings, and types of equipment which make a teleconference successful.
Cardiac Involvement in a child with Unsuspected Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

This is an unusual case of sudden, unexpected death in an 8-year-old white male with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and unsuspected pseudoxanthoma elasticum.
Dietary modulation of intestinal nutrient transport in the teleost fish tilapia.

Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) were fed a diet with either 60% carbohydrate (70% grain-4% fish meal) or 17% carbohydrate (11% grain-65% fish meal) for greater than or equal to 4 wk. Intestinal uptake of radiolabeled acetate, D-glucose, and L-proline was measured in brush-border membrane vesicles. As expected, fish fed high carbohydrate had significantly higher D-glucose uptake than those fed low carbohydrate [maximal uptake rate (Vmax), respectively, 84.2 +/- 18.2 vs. 37.4 +/- 10.9 pmol.mg protein-1.s-1; n = 4 batches of vesicles in each case; t test, P less than 0.025]. The change in glucose transport was specific, because in the same batches of vesicles there was no significant diet effect on carrier-mediated uptake of L-proline or acetate. Also as expected, dietary modulation of carrier-mediated transport was effected primarily by alterations in Vmax and not apparent Michaelis constant (Km); Km was not significantly altered by diet for either D-glucose (high carbohydrate vs. low carbohydrate, respectively, 0.34 +/- 0.17 vs. 0.12 +/- 0.03 mM; P greater than 0.2), L-proline (respectively, 0.10 +/- 0.03 vs. mM 0.13 +/- 0.05), or acetate (respectively, 4.8 +/- 1.4 vs. mM 6.5 +/- 2.2).
Large Area Electronics for Flat Panel Imagers Progress and Challenges

The technology of large area electronics has made significant progress in recent years because of the fast maturing excimer laser annealing process. The new thin film transistors based on laser processed poly silicon provide unprecedented performance over the traditional thin film transistors using amorphous silicon. They open up the possibility of building flat panel displays and imagers with higher integration and performance. In this paper, we will review the progress of poly-Si thin film transistor technology with emphasis on imager applications. We also discuss the challenges of future improvement of flat panel imagers based on this technology.
Morphological Variation in a Unisexual Whiptail Lizard (Aspidoscelis exsanguis) and One of Its Bisexual Parental Species (Aspidoscelis inornata) (Reptilia: Squamata: Teiidae): Is the Clonal Species Less Variable?

ABSTRACT Two clonal lineages, each comprising multiple generations of unisexual A. exsanguis, were produced in the laboratory from two lizards that were collected at the same locality in the field. Based on 10 meristic and four additional characters, we assessed morphological scores and relative variation as follows: (1) between the two laboratory lineages; (2) between these lineages pooled and samples of A. exsanguis and the bisexual (gonochoristic) A. inornata from the field; and (3) between field samples of the clonal lizards and A. inornata from a nearby locality. The two lineages differed significantly in the means and variances of two univariate characters and the two most informative multivariate characters. Contrary to expectations, the pooled sample of cloned laboratory lineages of A. exsanguis were as variable as the bisexual species in all 10 univariate characters and four important multivariate characters.