cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
L-Band Seawater Dielectric Model Function Based on Improved Measurement Data Set

The dielectric constant of seawater at L-band is determined by a resonant cavity technique. Based on the measurement data, an accurate dielectric model function has been developed and employed to retrieve the ocean surface salinity from the satellite data. The retrieved salinities indicate that the accuracy of the dielectric model needs to be improved to resolve the bias correlated with sea surface temperature. This paper reports the new measurements that have been recently made for the development of a more accurate model function. These new measurements are made using 20, 34 and 36 psu seawater samples from 10°-30° C with a 5° C interval. An improved model function is developed based on the new measurements and on the previous measurements. The salinity retrieval results using the new model function will be presented at the meeting.
Controller Design and Implementation of Solar Panel Companion Inverters

A solar panel companion inverter (SPCI) is a single-stage dc–ac power converter, installed with each solar panel. Each SPCI synthesizes an ac quasi-square wave voltage with variable pulsewidth. The width of ac output voltage of each SPCI is proportional to available power on the solar panel. Output voltages of SPCIs are aggregated across multiple solar panels connected in series, and a sinusoidal ac voltage is synthesized. In this article, dynamic analysis and closed-loop current controller design of SPCI is presented. Simulation results demonstrating the dynamic response of the closed-loop SPCI are included. The closed-loop current control scheme is implemented on a hardware prototype to demonstrate the grid-tied operation of SPCI, and experimental results are presented. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm is implemented for sorted stair-case modulation (SSCM) in MATLAB Simulink. Experimental results demonstrating MPPT operation are presented.
Numerical study of 3-D finlets using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics for trailing edge noise reduction:

This paper uses Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics to study trailing edge noise reduction with 3-D finlets. Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics pr...
Effects of transition metals on the evolution of polymer-derived SiOC ceramics

Abstract This study focuses on catalytic graphitization from different metals, iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni), for inducing carbon growth in silicon oxycarbides (SiOCs) during the pyrolysis. Fe, Co, and Ni-modified SiOCs were synthesized by pyrolysis to 900, 1100, and 1300°C respectively in Ar. The transition metals induced the formation of the corresponding metal silicides, β-SiC, and graphitic carbon with the catalytic activity in the order of Fe > Co > Ni, in agreement with the activation energy calculation based on the carbon types and amounts. Lateral growth of turbostratic carbon followed a 2D grain growth process and its point-like defect density decreased based on the catalytic order of the transition metals, with SiOC/Fe having the lowest defect density. Quantitative analysis of the XPS results with Rietveld refinement illustrated that the phase separation of SiOC is more dominant than local carbothermal reduction between SiO2 and C in the SiOC/M (M=Ni, Co, or Fe) systems. Understanding the catalytic graphitization effect of Ni, Co, and Fe on polymer derived ceramics offers new strategies in increasing high temperature phase amounts and thus creating novel materials for heterogeneous catalysis, magnetic, and other applications.
The Only Constant

The notion that change is coming, ready or not, is a common theme in socio-environmental literature. Whether through proactive efforts to transform social systems in the ways called for or the unfolding consequences of human activities to date, the future is expected to be very different from the present. Either way, analysts argue, we need a reliable theory of social change which can serve as a guide for both making the needed changes and navigating the turbulence ahead. Unfortunately, the problematic concepts which have obstructed our ability to think and speak clearly about human relational processes have also obscured our understanding of social change. After reviewing key influences on how people think about change and academic efforts to study social change more scientifically, this chapter discusses how the socio-environmental synthesis framework serves as an actionable theory of social change.
Molecular mechanisms and treatments for ocular symblephara

There are currently no effective methods to prevent or durably treat ocular symblephara, the adhesions between the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva. How symblephara form at the molecular level is largely unknown. We present here an overview of current clinical symblephara treatments and describe potential molecular mechanisms behind conjunctival adhesion formation that may inform future symblephara treatment and prevention options. Understanding how symblephara form at the molecular level will facilitate treatment development. Preventative therapies may be possible by targeting symblephara progenitor cells immediately after injuries, while novel therapeutics should be aimed at modulating TGF-β pathways and effector cells in conjunctival scarring to treat symblephara formation more effectively.
Short term physician visits and medication prescriptions for allergic disease associated with seasonal tree, grass, and weed pollen exposure across the United States.

While year-round exposure to pollen is linked to a large burden of allergic diseases, location-specific risk information on pollen types and allergy outcomes are limited. We characterize the relationship between acute exposure to tree, grass and weed pollen taxa and two allergy outcomes (allergic rhinitis physician visit and prescription allergy medication fill) across 28 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the United States. We obtained daily pollen data from National Allergy Bureau (NAB) monitors at these 28 MSAs for 2008–2015. We revised the NAB guidelines to classify taxa-specific pollen severity each day. Daily information on allergic rhinitis and prescribed allergy medications for individuals with employer-based health insurance from the IBM MarketScan Research database for these MSAs. We combined the daily pollen and health data for each MSA into a longitudinal dataset. We conducted a MSA-specific conditional quasi-Poisson regression analysis to assess how different levels of pollen concentration impact the health outcomes, controlling for local air pollution, meteorology and Influenza-like illness (ILI). We used a random effects meta-analysis to produce an overall risk estimate for each pollen type and health outcome. The seasonal distribution of pollen taxa and associated health impacts varied across the MSAs. Relative risk of allergic rhinitis visits increased as concentrations increased for all pollen types; relative risk of medication fills increased for tree and weed pollen only. We observed an increase in health risk even on days with moderate levels of pollen concentration. 7-day average concentration of pollen had stronger association with the health outcomes compared to the same-day measure. Controlling for air pollution and ILI had little impact on effect estimates. This analysis expands the catalogue of associations between different pollen taxa and allergy-related outcomes across multiple MSAs. The effect estimates we present can be used to project the burden of allergic disease in specific locations in the future as well inform patients with allergies on impending pollen exposure.
‘Pretty, but Not so Pretty…’: Marlowe’s Female Sidekicks and the Domestication of Hard-Boiled Detective Fiction

In this chapter, Howe examines an under-researched aspect of Raymond Chandler’s work: his role in the early development of the platonic female sidekick and husband and wife crime-solving team in hard-boiled fiction. Chandler’s Philip Marlowe is often regarded as the prototypical ‘lone wolf’ detective. However, he has recurring collaborations with two women in the series: Anne Riordan, an insightful young writer with a cutting wit that matches the detective’s own; and Linda Loring, a keenly observant and analytical woman whom Marlowe ultimately marries. As Howe argues, these collaborations broaden the often-limited masculine perspective of Marlowe’s critique of consumerism and the myth American self-authorship, shifting the ‘sidekick’ relation to something more equitable and certainly more interesting.
Listening Backward: Sonic Intimacies and Cross-Racial, Queer Resonance

Documenting my encounters as a white queer scholar with the sonic archive of the late black American lesbian comic Jackie “Moms” Mabley, this paper explores the cross-racial/sexual politics of sonic historiography. Through what I term listening backward, I examine how sound procures queer sonic intimacies between critic and subject: the repetitive listening, soundwaves directly travelling from one voice to one person, and most pertinently, the historical and sociocultural contexts that make consumption of such exchange possible and/or fraught. This listening practice centres on relational and resonant modes of archiving through sound and asks: (1) How can exploring methods of sonic documentation align performance studies’ commitment to archiving the affective? (2) What might attention to not only the product of such documentation but also its performative processes offer about how the sonic can deepen modes of performance historiography and the racial/sexual politics of listening? (3) What practices of listening can centre queer intimacies and temporalities in the archive?
Expansions of salivary gland CD4+ T cells from Sjögren’s syndrome patients: single-cell repertoire analysis and correlation with clinical measures of disease (HUM3P.255)

Sjogren’s syndrome is a systemic rheumatic disorder characterized by dry eyes, dry mouth and T cell infiltration of exocrine gland tissue. To determine the extent of salivary gland (SG) CD4 + memory T cell clonal expansion and whether these expansions are as frequent in peripheral blood (PB), a multiplex PCR method was used to amplify both the α and β T cell receptor (TCR) sequences from memory CD4 + T cells sorted from SG lip biopsy tissue and PB of 10 primary Sjogren’s syndrome patients. Over 3,000 TCR sequences were obtained from 50-115 (median 91) individual SG and 75-121 (median 104) individual PB T cells per patient. The percentage of cells that were part of clonal expansions was significantly higher in SG (median 11%, range 0-28%) compared to PB (median 0.9%, range 0-7%, p=0.003). Sequence analysis revealed: 1) highly homologous CDR3s among different expanded SG T cell clones within single patients, suggesting antigen-driven expansion and 2) unique cases of convergent recombination among unrelated patients, where different V segments/additions/deletions were utilized to make identical CDR3 amino acid sequences. The percentages of clonally expanded SG T cells correlated significantly with degree of SG fibrosis and reduced saliva production but not with systemic features of disease. SG clonal expansions detected in this study likely identify T cells involved in recognition of common antigen(s) and glandular dysfunction.
The Effect of Inequality Frames on Redistributive Income Policy Support

Although most Americans agree that wealth inequality is a pressing problem, opposition to redistributive income policies remains high, particularly among conservatives. We explore the possibility that this opposition is influenced by how income inequality is discussed: as either the poor making less than the rich or the rich making more than the poor. We find that conservatism predicted opposition to redistributive income policies when participants were told that the poor make less, but that this opposition was attenuated when participants were told that the rich make more. This effect was driven by participants’ attributions for wealth.
Methionineless Death in Escherichia coli

Methionine auxotrophs of strains derived from Escherichia coli 15 lose their colony-forming ability when deprived of this amino acid. Late addition of methionine to liquid cultures did not restore plating efficiency but permitted growth of surviving cells. This phenomenon, termed methionineless death (mld), was not observed with methionine auxotrophs of E. coli strains B, W, or K(12), nor was a similar amino acidless death observed with corresponding auxotrophs of E. coli 15 for arginine, tryptophan, proline, isoleucine, and leucine. Mld was not dependent upon the genetic site determining methionine auxotrophy, nor did it affect the decarboxylation of methionine or the stability of methionyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase activity of starved cells. Death was not altered by the presence of spermine or spermidine but was abolished by the methionine analogue, alpha-methylmethionine. Simultaneous starvation of another amino acid in a multiple auxotroph also significantly reduced mld, suggesting a possible role of protein synthesis. The onset of mld is correlated with a lower net increase of deoxyribonucleic acid.
Growth of Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans on Organic Matter

Following a brief adaptation period to glucose, Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans was grown on glucose, mannitol, several other sugars, and a few amino acids in the absence of an oxidizable iron source. Prolonged growth on an organic substrate free from iron rendered the organism obligately organotrophic. The growth rate of the bacterium was greater in heterotrophic culture; the doubling time was approximately 4.5 hr on glucose. The bacterium retained its acidophilic properties during adaptation and growth on glucose and would not grow in neutral or slightly alkaline media. Addition of p-aminobenzoic acid was necessary for abundant growth of the cells on glucose. Of the eight strains of Fe++-oxidizing bacteria studied, only two strains grew on glucose in a nondialyzed system. The results of manometric studies are discussed with regard to metabolic efficiency of organic matter in this organism.
A Review of “Living Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary History of Modern Birds”

At this point in the early part of the 21st century, most people have at least heard of the concept that modern birds are ‘dinosaurs’ or are in some way related to the former megastars of the Mesoz...
Introduction to this issue: traumatic brain injury.

Every year in the U.S., there are at least 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), occurring either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries (Faul, Zu, Wald, & Coronado, 2010). TBI is a contributing factor to a third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S. About 75% of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild TBI (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). In 2000, direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as lost productivity of TBI, totaled an estimated $76.5 billion in the U.S. (Finkelstein, Corso, & Miller, 2006). This is the first time that Behavioral Sciences & the Law (BSL) has addressed TBI within a themed issue. Previous articles have addressed relevant neuropsychological testing, and in 2008 a special issue of BSL was devoted to brain imaging. The current issue includes contributions from psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, legal scholars, medical ethicists, and military physicians, all of whom focus on behavioral aspects of TBI within forensic settings. For many TBI survivors, there will be subsequent involvement in adjudication or litigation processes. The emphasis of this special issue is on forensic perspectives important to behavioral health professionals who are often involved in assessing and caring for persons with TBI, as these individuals will commonly be among the healthcare professionals asked to take on the role of forensic expert. The last decade has seen significant controversies develop at the interface between medicine-psychology and the law. The term of art, “neurolaw,” is transforming the practice of TBI litigation and transforming the legal system (Rozen, 2007). In many cases, the law has raced ahead of the science, particularly with regard to using functional neuroimaging to delineate mild TBI (Granacher, 2008a, 2008b; Wortzel, Filley, Anderson, Oster, & Aciniegas, 2008). Few would disagree with the notion that a neurobehavioral analysis of the forensic issues of TBI is incomplete without consideration of the contributions of neuroimaging. Forensic psychiatry has recently added to these contributions, and it is important for behavioral practitioners to understand the role and limitations of structural neuroimaging information within the overall forensic assessment of TBI (Granacher, 2012, 2013). Whereas the structural neuroimaging
A Putative Early-Type Host Galaxy for GRB 060502B: Implications for the Progenitors of Short-Duration Hard-Spectrum Bursts

Starting with the first detection of an afterglow from a short-duration hard-spectrum γ-ray burst (SHB) by Swift last year, a growing body of evidence has suggested that SHBs are associated with an older and lower redshift galactic population than long-soft GRBs and, in a few cases, with large (≳10 kpc) projected offsets from the centers of their putative host galaxies. Here we present observations of the field of ORB 060502B, a SHB detected by Swift and localized by the X-Ray Telescope (XRT). We find a massive red galaxy at a redshift of z = 0.287 at an angular distance of 17.1″ from our revised XRT position. Using associative and probabilistic arguments, we suggest that this galaxy hosted the progenitor of GRB 060502B. If true, this offset would correspond to a physical displacement of 73 ± 19 kpc in projection , about twice the largest offset inferred for any SHB to date and almost an order of magnitude larger than a typical long-soft burst offset. Spectra and modeling of the star formation history of this possible host show it to have undergone a large ancient starburst. If the progenitor of GRB 060502B was formed in this starburst episode, the time of the GRB explosion since birth is τ ≈ 1.3 ± 0.2 Gyr and the minimum kick velocity of the SHB progenitor is vkick,min = 55 ± 15 km s-1. © 2007, The Astronomical Society. All right reserved.
c-MYC oncoprotein production in experimental vein graft intimal hyperplasia.

Abstract Purpose: The expression of c-MYC oncoprotein in proliferating smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was analyzed in an experimental model of vein graft intimal thickening. Methods: Superficial epigastric vein grafts were inserted into the femoral arteries of male Sprague–Dawley rats. The vein grafts were harvested at 6 hr, 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after grafting and were rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen. Immunohistochemical labeling and morphologic analysis of vein graft sections with a double staining technique were used to identify c-MYC/alpha SMC actin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PC10)/alpha SMC actin within intimal cells. c-MYC/alpha SMC actin and PC10/alpha SMC actin positive cells were quantitated in the perianastomotic area (R-1) and the body of the graft (R-2) for each time period. Total wall and intimal thickness of perfusion fixed vein grafts were measured with a computer digitized system. Results: Intimal and total wall thickening in the R-1 region peaked at 1 week (27.4 and 579.4 μm, respectively) and were significantly thicker (P
JCE QBank: Physical Chemistry Question Database for Quantum Chemistry

This technology report describes a collection of nearly 1000 closed-response questions for learning and assessment in undergraduate quantum chemistry. Formats include multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, plus a few fill-in-the-blank and matching questions; the questions in the collection have been tested in varied settings, accruing positive student feedback and achieving measurable learning gains. The complete JCE QBank collection, including answers, is available online for instructors.
The Transmission of Chinese Medicine.

The Transmission of Chinese Medicine. Elisabeth Hsu. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. viii + 296 pp., tables, appendix, glossary, references, indexes.
A Carolina Coastal Low-Level Jet during GALE IOP 2

A persistent, diurnally varying low-level jet (LLJ) was observed along the Carolina coastal plain during the early part of GALE IOP 2 between 0000 UTC January 24 and 0600 UTC January 25. A 1D PBL model (Zhang and Anthes, 1982) is utilized to examine the various dynamic forcing mechanisms controlling the formation and evolution of the LLJ. The experiments suggest that a specific geostrophic wind velocity profile in the lower troposphere was necessary to produce a number of the observed Carolina LLJ characteristics.
Young Adult Daughters' Relationships With Their Fathers: Review of Recent Research

The young adult years raise a number of intriguing questions about the relationship between fathers and daughters. How does the quality of their relationship throughout childhood manifest itself during a daughter's college years? In what specific ways is the “well-fathered” daughter advantaged compared with daughters who had troubled or distant relationships with their fathers? What aspects of the daughter's college and early adult life are generally more influenced by her relationship with her father than by her relationship with her mother? This review of recent research provides intriguing and occasionally surprising answers to these questions about young adult daughters and their fathers.
Chemoprevention of mammary carcinogenesis in a transgenic mouse model by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in the diet is associated with decreased cyclin D1 activity

Mechanisms underlying the chemopreventive effect of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) on the development of mammary cancer were investigated utilizing the whey acidic protein promoter-T antigen transgenic mouse model of breast cancer progression. Mice were exposed to four different doses of DFMO in the diet (3.5, 4.9, 7.0 and 10 g/kg diet). Tumor latency was increased in a dose-dependent manner. DFMO at the highest dose significantly delayed tumor onset (131 days as compared to 109 days in control unexposed mice, P=0.018). Analyses of preneoplastic mammary tissue collected 1 month after DFMO treatment demonstrated that DFMO (10 g/kg diet) significantly increased the ratio of apoptotic to proliferative indices (P=0.013) and significantly reduced the percentage of cells demonstrating nuclear localized cyclin D1 (P=0.013). Nuclear localizations of p27, p21 and Stat5a were not affected. Inhibitory effects of DFMO on cell growth and survival were lost as the cells progressed to cancer. In conclusion, the chemopreventive effects of DFMO on mammary cancer progression were mediated by changes in both apoptosis and cell proliferation in preneoplastic cells. Alterations in cyclin D1 activity in preneoplastic cells could represent an early biomarker of chemopreventive action and are consistent with a mechanistic role for cyclin D1 in progression of mammary cancer.
Gamma rays produced by 1.75- to 4-MeV proton bombardment of thick aluminum targets

Abstract In the few-MeV energy range below the (p,n) threshold, gamma rays are produced from proton bombardment of aluminum via the 27 Al(p,p′γ) 27 Al, 27 Al(p,α,γ) 24 Mg, and 27 Al(p,γ) 28 Si reactions. Thick-target γ-ray yield data are important for various applications, including radiation shielding near accelerators and γ-ray background interference in experiments that focus on other materials. We measured p+Al γ-ray spectra over the photon energy range 0.5–15 MeV and at 0° and 90° laboratory angle relative to the incident proton beam. In the experiment, mono-energetic proton beams of 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4 MeV irradiated thick stopping targets of pure aluminum. The resulting gamma rays were detected by 7.62×7.62 cm 2 NaI scintillation detectors. The spectra were unfolded using detector response functions calculated with the Monte Carlo code MCNP-4C. We report γ-ray spectra and tabulated γ-ray yields that can be used in applications that involve protons incident on thick aluminum targets at energies ⩽4 MeV.
Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: enhanced survival following intracarotid injection of sodium borocaptate with or without blood-brain barrier disruption

Abstract Purpose : Sodium borocaptate (Na2B12H11SH or BSH) has been used clinically for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of patients with primary brain tumors. The purpose of the present study was to determine if tumor uptake of BSH and efficacy of BNCT could be enhanced in F98 glioma-bearing rats by intracarotid (i.c.) injection of the compound with or without blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D). Methods and Materials : For biodistribution studies 100,000 F98 glioma cells were implanted stereotactically into the brains of Fischer rats, and 12 days later BBB-D was carried out by i.c. infusion of 25% mannitol, followed immediately thereafter by i.c. injection of BSH (30 mg B/kg body weight). Animals were killed 1, 2.5, and 5 h later, and their brains were removed for boron determination. For BNCT experiments, which were initiated 14 days after intracerebral implantation of 1000 F98 cells, BSH (30 mg B/kg b.wt. was administered intravenously (i.v.) without BBB-D, or i.c. with or without BBB-D. The animals were irradiated 2.5 h later with a collimated beam of thermal neutrons at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Medical Research Reactor. Results : The mean tumor boron concentration after i.c. injection with BBB-D was 48.6 ± 17.2 μg/g at 2.5 h compared with 30.8 ± μg/g after i.c. injection without BBB-D and 12.9 ± 4.2 μg/g after i.v. injection. The best composite tumor to normal tissue ratios were observed at 2.5 h after BBB-D, at which time the tumor: blood (T:B1) ratio was 5.0, and the tumor; brain (T:Br) ratio was 12.3, compared to 1.1 and 4.6, respectively, in i.v. injected rats. The mean survival time for untreated control rats was 24 ± 3 days, 29 ± 4 days for irradiated controls, 33 ± 6 days for those receiving i.v. injection of BSH, 40 ± 8 days for rats receiving i.c. BSH without BBB-D, and 52 ± 13 days for BBB-D followed by BNCT (p = 0.0003 vs.i.v. injected BSH). Conclusions : Intracarotid administration of BSH with or without BBB-D significantly increased tumor uptake of BSH and enhanced survival of F98 glioma-bearing rats following NBCT. BBB-D may be a useful wat to enhance the delivery of both low and high molecular weight boron compounds to brain tumors. Further studies are in progress to assess this approach with other boron delivery agents.
Modeling thermal fatigue damage in metal-matrix composites

Abstract Damage in the form of reduction in tensile residual strength due to combinations of thermal fatigue and time of exposure to maximum temperature is modeled using linear life-fraction modeling with the addition of an interaction term between cyclic and time-dependent contributions. Data from titanium alloys reinforced with SiC fibers involving thermal cycling, thermal cycles with hold times at maximum temperature, and long-term exposure at high temperature are used to determine model constants. A better representation of data is achieved by treating damage accumulation due to cyclic and hold-time effects as nonlinear functions of cycles and hold time, respectively, using power-law forms. Hold-time effects are found to accumulate damage in a highly nonlinear fashion, with the greatest amount of damage occurring for the shortest times. The differences between an interaction model and nonlinear model are discussed when applying them to fatigue-life prediction as well as in describing damage.
Endostatin finds a new partner: nucleolin

In this issue of Blood , Shi and colleagues examine the endostatin binding of nucleolin on angiogenic endothelial cells, as well as the transport of nucleolin to the nucleus, where it prevents proliferation—thus revealing a novel mechanism for endostatin's antiangiogenic activity. During the past
Decision Support Systems: An Introduction for Program Evaluators

Decision Support Systems (DSS) are automated information systems designed to aid administrative decision making. This article reviews the literature on the design, implementation, and evaluation of DSS. Based on the review, the article suggests that evaluators act as liaisons between designers and managers, identify and collect data for DSS, and evaluate DSS. The DSS literature supports the value of collaboration between evaluators and users, and it suggests how to improve their relationships. The emphasis of DSS designers on decision-making styles may provide a new dimensionfor research on evaluation.
Factors Affecting Evacuation Behavior: The Case of 2007 Cyclone Sidr, Bangladesh

Cyclone Sidr, a Category 4 storm, struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh on 15 November 2007. Despite early cyclone warnings and emergency evacuation orders for coastal residents, thousands of individuals stayed in their homes. This study examines Sidr victims’ responses to cyclone warnings and evacuation orders, and explores the factors that would explain why the victims did or did not comply with the orders. Based on survey data collected from 277 Sidr survivors living in the four most severely impacted coastal districts, this study found that more than 75 percent of all respondents were aware of the cyclone warnings and evacuation orders before Sidr's landfall. Despite the efforts of the Bangladesh government, there were lapses in cyclone warnings and evacuation procedures. Field data also reveal several reasons cited by respondents for not complying with evacuation orders. Multivariate analyses of survey data show that trust in warning messages was the most important determinant in the decision t...
Divergence, convergence, and self-organization in landscapes

Many theories, old and new, of landscape and earth-surface system development involve concepts of self-organization. There are at least eleven distinct definitions of self-organization in the literature that are relevant to landscapes. Some have profoundly different implications with respect to the nature and trajectories of landscape evolution and earth-surface system behavior, including whether evolution is convergent or divergent, whether entropy or energy dissipation is maximized or minimized, the role of chaos, and the mechanisms by which self-organized patterns are generated. Despite these differences, most self-organization concepts can be broadly aggregated into two categories: those concerned with the evolution of order and regularity in the aggregate or ensemble properties of the landscape, and those concerned with the differentiation of landscapes into more diverse spatial units. This paper presents a theory of spatially divergent self-organization related to the latter, showing that autogenic differentiation is directly linked to dynamical instability and chaos. The determination of the self-organization properties of a landscape should be a starting point rather than a goal of geographic explanation. The extent to which field-testable hypotheses are generated, or explanations provided based on process mechanics or landscape history, will ultimately determine the utility of self-organization concepts and methods in physical geography.
Design and fabrication of 0.5 micron GaAs Schottky barrier diodes for low-noise terahertz receiver applications

Recent technological advances have made possible the development of heterodyne receivers with high sensitivity and high spectral resolution for frequencies in the range 1,000–3,000 GHz (1–3 THz). These receivers rely on GaAs Schottky barrier mixer diodes to translate the high-frequency signal to a lower frequency where amplification and signal processing are possible. At these frequencies, the diode quality is a major limitation to the performance of the receiver. The design, fabrication and DC evaluation of a diode for this frequency range is presented. A figure-of-merit cut-off frequency of over 10 THz is achieved with a record low zero biased capacitance of 0.5 fF. Results from RF tests are also given.
Temperament, conditioning, and memory in 3-month-old infants with Down syndrome

Abstract Three-month-old infants with Down syndrome and same-aged nonhandicapped infants learned to move an overhead crib mobile by kicking their feet. Subjects' mothers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), a measure of infant temperament. For the infants with Down syndrome, response rate during conditioning was positively correlated with maternal ratings of activity level. Negative correlations were obtained between maternal ratings of fear and smiling and laughter and the amount of mobile movement produced by the infants with Down syndrome during conditioning relative to their baseline rate of kicking. No significant correlations were obtained for the nonhandicapped infants between their IBQ ratings and various indices of conditioning and 1-week retention. In addition, no differences were found between the infants with Down syndrome and the nonhandicapped infants on any temperament scale. These findings indicate that the reactivity of the young infant with Down syndrome in response to external stimulation is related to his or her learning performance. Furthermore, unlike at older ages during infancy, at 3 months of age, the emotional profile of the infant with Down syndrome and the nonhandicapped infant is very similar.
A parallel fast multipole method for elliptic difference equations

A new fast multipole formulation for solving elliptic difference equations on unbounded domains and its parallel implementation are presented. These difference equations can arise directly in the description of physical systems, e.g. crystal structures, or indirectly through the discretization of PDEs. In the analog to solving continuous inhomogeneous differential equations using Green's functions, the proposed method uses the fundamental solution of the discrete operator on an infinite grid, or lattice Green's function. Fast solutions O ( N ) are achieved by using a kernel-independent interpolation-based fast multipole method. Unlike other fast multipole algorithms, our approach exploits the regularity of the underlying Cartesian grid and the efficiency of FFTs to reduce the computation time. Our parallel implementation allows communications and computations to be overlapped and requires minimal global synchronization. The accuracy, efficiency, and parallel performance of the method are demonstrated through numerical experiments on the discrete 3D Poisson equation.
Local communities and protected areas: The mediating role of place attachment for pro-environmental civic engagement

Abstract Managers and researchers agree on the importance of understanding the nature of humans' attachment to place in order to reduce environmental impacts in protected areas. Attachment has been discussed as having implications for pro-environmental behaviors directed at protecting natural resources and informing sustainable recreation and ecosystem management. Accordingly, this study examined whether residents' (who might also be park visitors) attachment to a place (i.e. a national park) mediated the relationship between community attachment and engagement in participatory resource management. Drawing on responses from 239 residents in communities surrounding Retezat National Park in Romania, place attachment, community attachment, and pro-environmental civic engagement behavioral beliefs were hypothesized as independent variables. A high correlation was observed between place attachment factors, place identity and place dependency which suggested a weak differentiation of the two factors. Pro-environmental civic engagement intentions were found to vary depending on residents' beliefs regarding pro-environmental civic engagement and level of place attachment. Both community attachment and park related place attachment played a role in predicting citizens' levels of pro-environmental civic engagement beliefs. Parks that are perceived to have a level of mutual benefit and co-management generate more support toward conservation and recreational use goals. Management implications Local residents represent a key stakeholder group for parks and protected areas because of their constant interaction with the setting through recreation and other activities. This study reveals the importance of understanding the social environment within communities proximal to a park and how social perceptions can shape attachment to a protected area with implications for pro-environmental civic engagement beliefs and intentions to sustain natural resource protection. Programs and initiatives designed to increase local residents' attachment to their community (e.g. through recreation programming, special events like concerts, wildlife oriented walks, nature oriented games) should be encouraged and supported by park managers. Allowing some carefully managed and zonal extractive uses of the park also facilitates more positive social connections and attitudes toward the park, as long as other extensive park area resources are protected and basic principles of sustainability and conservation are followed. Based on responses to the civic engagement beliefs and intention items in this study, it would also be advisable to provide opportunities for local residents to participate in meetings, public hearings, community projects and management decisions, to sustain trust in park managers, which is very important to local impressions of a park and positive park attachment attitudes.
The immunosuppressive effect of type II mouse interferon preparations on antibody production.

Abstract Preparations containing Type II (immune induced) interferon suppressed the immune response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) both in vitro and in vivo . Type II interferon preparations were 250 times more active in immunosuppression than Type I (L cell) interferon preparations in parallel experiments. The antiviral and immunosuppressive activities shared several unique physical-chemical activities including pH 2 lability, 56 °C stability, and resistance to inactivation by anti-L-cell interferon antibody. Both activities were denatured by boiling at 100 °C for 2.5 min, but were not renatured by boiling for 1 min with 1% SDS, 1% β-mercaptoethanol and 5 M urea. The bulk of both the immunosuppressive and antiviral activities were recovered from a 41–60% saturated ammonium sulfate precipitate of Type II interferon. Sephadex G-100 column chromatography of Type II interferon preparations yielded two major peaks of anti-viral activity of molecular weights of approximately 40,000 and 90,000, both of which together contained the total immunomodulating activity observed in the proteins of the Chromatographic effluent. The 90,000-dalton species was also detected by its anti-viral and immunosuppressive activity on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
A Study of Recycled Polystyrene for Structural Concrete Application

Concrete has one of the highest carbon footprints of building materials in use, and is also one of the most often used building materials in modern construction. Polystyrene is a non-biodegradable polymer in continued use. This paper examines the feasibility of using polystyrene beads in structural concrete. Recycled polystyrene beads were used as a coarse aggregate in concrete mixtures to explore possible structural application. Two samples apiece of three experimental mixes of concrete as well as control concrete mixtures were tested in the laboratory for density and compressive strength at 14, 28, 56 and 70 days curing. The laboratory testing showed one experimental mixture was of comparable compressive strength to the control concrete mixture. The experimental results demonstrated that recycled polystyrene concrete in volumetric percentages below 18.75% could be a feasible green concrete mixture.
The Effects of JM and JM-V Leukosis Strains on Chicks Vaccinated with Herpes Virus of Turkeys (HVT)

Abstract When HVT vaccinated chickens were challenged with JM-V and JM leukosis strains, there was a parallel in the leukemic mortality of the former within 2 weeks and the development of tumors by the latter up to 20 weeks postinoculation or exposure. There was an inverse relationship between HVT dosage in vaccinated chicks and mortality due to subsequent JM-V challenge. There was a greater degree of protection by HVT vaccination in susceptible lines of chickens than in resistant lines as determined by JM-V challenge.
ATP cross-linked to Escherichia coli single-strand DNA-binding protein can be utilized by the catalytic center of primase as initiating nucleotide for primer RNA synthesis on phage G4oric template.

We report a new observation of the role of Escherichia coli single-strand DNA binding protein (SSB) in synthesis of primer RNA (pRNA) catalyzed by.E.coli primase on the SSB-coated phage G4oric template. Using a set of ATP priming substrates with reactive groups attached to the 5' gamma-phosphate on different length "arms", we have demonstrated that, in the primase/SSB/G4oric pRNA synthesis complex, ATP cross-linked to both primase and SSB could be equally utilized as initiating nucleotide for pRNA synthesis. The distance between SSB surface and alpha-phosphorus of the priming substrate was estimated to be less than 7 A. ATP cross-linked to primase and SSB can be further elongated in the presence of other NTPs, giving almost identical patterns of covalently attached pRNAs of up to 12 nucleotides in length. The regions of primase and SSB with cross-linked ATP that can be used for pRNA synthesis are, therefore, arranged in a similar way relative to the active center of pRNA synthesis. The pRNA covalently linked to SSB was localized, mapping between Met48 and Trp88. This observation raises the possibility that SSB may play an active role in the initiation of pRNA synthesis in this system.
Landscape context moderates edge effects: Nesting success of wood thrushes in Central New York

: Despite two decades of research into the effects of habitat fragmentation and edges on nesting birds, critical information about how edges affect the success of natural nests of Neotropical migratory songbirds breeding in heterogeneous landscapes is still missing. We studied abundance and nesting success in Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) breeding across a heterogeneous landscape in central New York from 1998 to 2000 to test the hypothesis that edge effects on nesting passerines are stronger in fragmented than contiguous landscapes. We monitored nests to estimate nesting success in edge and interior habitats in both fragmented and contiguously forested landscapes. In contiguous landscapes, daily survival rate did not differ between edge nests (0.963) and interior nests (0.968) (χ2= 0.19, p = 0.66). In contrast, in fragmented landscapes, daily survival estimates were higher in interior (0.971) than edge (0.953) nests (χ2= 3.1, p = 0.08). Our study supports the hypothesis that landscape composition moderates edge effects on actual nests of birds but does not determine the mechanisms causing these patterns. Resumen: No obstante dos decadas de investigacion sobre fragmentacion de habitat y efecto de borde sobre aves anidantes, aun se carece de informacion sobre el efecto de borde sobre el exito de nidos naturales de aves migratorias neotropicales que se reproducen en pasajes heterogeneos. Estudiamos la abundancia y exito de anidacion de Hylocichla mustelina en un paisaje heterogeneo en el centro de New York de 1998 – 2000 para probar la hipotesis de que el efecto de borde sobre paserinas anidantes eran mayores en paisajes fragmentados que en continuos. Monitoreamos nidos para estimar el exito en habitats de borde y de interior en paisajes tanto con bosques continuos como discontinuos. En paisajes continuos, la tasa de supervivencia diaria no difirio entre nidos de borde (0.963) y nidos de interior (0.968) (χ2= 0.19, p = 0.66). En contraste, en paisajes fragmentados, las estimaciones de supervivencia diaria fueron mayores en nidos del interior (0.971) que del borde (0.953) (χ2= 3.1, p = 0.08). Nuestro estudio soporta la hipotesis de que la composicion del paisaje modera los efectos de borde sobre nidos de aves, pero no determina los mecanismos que causan estos patrones.
A Microphone Array System for Automatic Fall Detection

More than a third of elderly fall each year in the United States. It has been shown that the longer the lie on the floor, the poorer is the outcome of the medical intervention. To reduce delay of the medical intervention, we have developed an acoustic fall detection system (acoustic-FADE) that automatically detects a fall and reports it promptly to the caregiver. Acoustic-FADE consists of a circular microphone array that captures the sounds in a room. When a sound is detected, acoustic-FADE locates the source, enhances the signal, and classifies it as “fall” or “nonfall.” The sound source is located using the steered response power with phase transform technique, which has been shown to be robust under noisy environments and resilient to reverberation effects. Signal enhancement is performed by the beamforming technique based on the estimated sound source location. Height information is used to increase the specificity. The mel-frequency cepstral coefficient features computed from the enhanced signal are utilized in the classification process. We have evaluated the performance of acoustic-FADE using simulated fall and nonfall sounds performed by three stunt actors trained to behave like elderly under different environmental conditions. Using a dataset consisting of 120 falls and 120 nonfalls, the acoustic-FADE achieves 100% sensitivity at a specificity of 97%.
Antibacterial Activities of Chitosans and Chitosan Oligomers with Different Molecular Weights on Spoilage Bacteria Isolated from Tofu

Seven bacteria were isolated from spoiled tofu and identified as Bacillus sp. (S08), B. megaterium (S10), B. cereus (S17, S27, S28, S32), and Enterobacter sakazakii (S35). In a paper disc test with 6 chitosans and 6 chitosan oligomers of different molecular weights, chitosans showed higher antimicrobial activity than did chitosan oligomers at a 0.1% concentration. Results of inhibitory effects of 6 chitosans on growth of Bacillus sp. (S08) failed to detect viable cells after incubation for 24 hrs at 37 C, even at 0.02% concentration. With B. megaterium (S10) and B. cereus (S27), a 3 to 4 log cycle reduction was found in the chitosan-treated group. The growth of Enterobacter sakazakii (S35) was completely suppressed in the presence of 0.04% chitosan except for 1 chitosan product. The minimum inhibitory concentration of chitosan differed with products and isolates, ranging from 0.005% to above 0.1%.
Comparison of two manipulator designs for laparoscopic surgery

Two kinematically dissimilar robots for laparoscopic surgery have been designed and built through a collaborative effort between IBM Research and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The two mechanisms represent two distinct design approaches and a number of different engineering design decisions. In this paper we describe the mechanical design and kinematic structure of the two robots and report on the results of laboratory evaluations of the two mechanisms. The two systems are compared in terms of safety, ergonomics, ease of control, accuracy, and mechanical stiffness. In each of the categories we attempt to separate the impact of the particular design decisions made in the construction of each mechanism from the more general issue of the fundamental potential and limitations of each of the design approaches towards satisfying the particular design criterion. Based on our experience, we offer some conclusions and recommendations regarding the design of surgical robots for laparoscopy.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.