cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature-dependent radiative decay of localized excitons in a type-II GaAs/AlAs superlattice.

The low-temperature luminescence intensity decay following pulse excitation of localized excitons in a type-II GaAs/AlAs superlattice is nonexponential. The decay obeys a previously derived theory in which excitons experience a distribution of decay rates corresponding to a Gaussian distribution of X to \ensuremath{\Gamma} scattering matrix elements. At high temperature the decay is exponential with a rate equal to the mean of the distribution. The transition is attributed to excitons motionally averaging the distribution as temperature is increased and thermal delocalization occurs. This paper develops a theory of radiative decay which takes into account motional averaging and is valid at all temperatures. The theory has one fitting parameter \ensuremath{\gamma} which is the ratio of exciton lifetime to jump time and determines the extent of averaging performed. Good agreement is found between the theory and experimental data; however, at high excitation intensity and low exciton energy the theory must be modified to take saturation of localized states into account. The temperature dependence of the fitting parameter \ensuremath{\gamma} reveals two delocalization processes, the activation energies of which are interpreted as the localization energy and the exciton binding energy.
Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Sexual Harassment: A Descriptive Study

The emotional and psychological consequences of sexual harassment were investigated. On the basis of previous empirical evidence concerning the correlates of sexual harassment, the role of the working relationship between harasser and target, type of harassment, gender composition of the work group, duration of the harassment, and gender were examined in relation to two psychological states: feelings about work and emotional/physical condition.
TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING COMPUTERIZED ADAPTIVE TESTS

Guidelines are proposed for evaluating a computerized adaptive test. Topics include dimensionality, measurement error, validity, estimation of item parameters, item pool characteristics and human factors. Equating CAT and conventional tests is considered and matters of equity are addressed.
Modernization of tax information system for improved e-government services

In this case study, we summarize current e-government initiatives in Mongolia and highlight the needs for modernizing tax information system of Mongolia, initiatives contributing to modernization of tax information system such as data-sharing protocol between government agencies and the role of the World Bank project. The paper describes the positive impact of improved Tax Information system in the tax system and in overall implementation of e-governance in Mongolia. The paper also presents future challenges of modernizing the tax system and recommendations with regard not only to new tax administration information system but also general e-government development.
Teach-ware: Signal processing resources at connexions [Best of the Web]

In this issue, "Best of the Web" presents signal processing education resources available at Connexions (http://cnx.org). Connexions is a platform and environment for scholars to collaboratively develop and rapidly publish educational materials on the Web. It is based on a new approach to education that seeks to provide a place where everyone in the world can freely share knowledge, and it provides equal access to all people via tools that permit everyone ranging from university professors to school children to post and update knowledge in one place.
Luminescence from supramolecules triggered by the molecular recognition of substrates

Abstract Supramolecules containing a photoluminescent center (PLC) exhibit prompt and intense luminescence upon the molecular recognition of substrates. Luminescence from supramolecular assemblies is triggered by substrates that are light-harvesting and able to coordinate metal ion PLCs, light-harvesting and non-coordinating to PLCs, and non-absorbing and non-coordinating. Our efforts to elaborate the photophysical schemes for these three classes of substrates are described herein.
Value of gallium-67 scanning in septic patients with bilateral renal infection

Abstract Two cases are presented to illustrate the value of gallium-67 scanning in localizing renal pus formation in patients with evidence of bilateral renal infection.
Correlation of heart rate variability with clinical and angiographic variables and late mortality after coronary angiography

Abstract Decreased heart rate (HR) variability is associated with increased mortality after myocardial infarction, but the prognostic value of HR variability in patients without recent myocardial infarction and its correlation with other clinical and angiographic data have not previously been reported. In the present study, detailed clinical assessments and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograms were performed prospectively on 100 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography. HR variability was inversely correlated with HR (r = −0.38, p = 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (r = −0.22, p = 0.025) and digoxin use (r = −0.29, p = 0.004), but not with left ventricular ejection fraction, extent of coronary artery disease or other clinical, electrocardiographic or angiographic variables. All patients were followed for 1 year. Major clinical events after initial discharge occurred in 10 patients and included 6 deaths and 4 coronary bypass operations. Left ventricular ejection fraction was the only variable that correlated with the occurrence of a clinical event (p = 0.002). Decreased HR variability and ejection fraction were the best predictors of mortality (both p 50 ms (36 vs 2%, p = 0.001). Thus, decreased HR variability is a potent independent predictor of mortality in the 12 months following elective coronary angiography in patients without recent myocardial infarction.
Agreement about norms and work-unit effectiveness: evidence from the field

Hypotheses on the relationship between norms and work-unit effectiveness are developed and tested on data from 30 hospital emergency units. The analyses are based on data collected from sources inside and outside the emergency units and on hospital records data. Results indicate that agreement about norms within and between interacting groups is positively associated with the effectiveness criteria. Agreement about norms between groups appears to be more strongly related to effectiveness than agreement within groups. Suggestions are advanced for future research on norms. Two lines of research that look particularly promising are specifying the conditions under which norms relate to effectiveness and identifying variables that lead to agreement about norms.
The Key Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA-I Lectin on Experimental Gut-Derived Sepsis

Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a feared hospital pathogen, it is considered to be part of the normal flora in healthy adults. 1 In fact, normal volunteers who swallow live cultures of P. aeruginosa remain healthy despite carrying the organism in their feces for up to 6 days. 2 In critically ill patients, however, the mere presence of P. aeruginosa in the proximal intestinal tract is associated with a 70% death rate, a threefold increase over age-matched critically ill patients who have negative cultures for this organism. 3 Although many have proposed that intestinal bacteria or their toxins can cause a state of systemic inflammation and sepsis, no pathogen or toxin has been identified that can independently cause this hypothetical state when introduced by means of the intestinal tract. When P. aeruginosa, however, is placed in the drinking water of immunosuppressed mice decontaminated of their indigenous flora with antibiotics, they die of gut-derived bacteremia. 4 This model does not explain the clinical observation that patients can die of sepsis presumed to be due to bacteria of gut origin while their cultures remain negative. In the intestinal tract, the invasive and cytotoxic effects of bacteria are often judged by their ability to adhere to and alter the barrier function of cultured intestinal epithelial cells. We and others have shown that bacterial adherence alone can significantly alter the permeability of the intestinal epithelium to proinflammatory luminal macromolecules. 5,6 Recent evidence suggests that the PA-I lectin of P. aeruginosa may be an important component of its virulence phenotype by acting as an adhesin, facilitating its contact to vulnerable epithelial surfaces. 7 Therefore, the extent to which P. aeruginosa adheres to and alters the permeability of intestinal epithelia, the rate-limiting barrier of the intestinal mucosa, may have clinical relevance to its virulence. Our laboratory has also established that the combination of a 30% surgical hepatectomy and short-term starvation alters the commensal Escherichia coli population in the cecum, resulting in an upregulation of their adherence phenotype. 8 We further established in this model that bacterial adherence to the cecal mucosa induced marked alterations in mucosal electrophysiology. 9 Therefore, the aims of this study were to characterize the effects of P. aeruginosa on the intestinal mucosal epithelium in human cultured epithelia, to determine its pathogenic effects in vivo when introduced into the mouse cecum, and to define the specific pathogenic role of PA-I lectin, a cytoplasmic adhesin of P. aeruginosa, in these systems.
A note on convergence rate of constrained capacity estimation algorithms over ISI channels

It has recently become popular to use simulation-based algorithms to empirically estimate achievable information rates over intersymbol interference (ISI) channels with inputs from specific input constellations. Such algorithms are guaranteed to converge by invoking the Shannon-McMillan-Brieman theorem provided that the output sequence is stationary and ergodic. In this note, we establish a central limit theorem result on the rate of convergence, and show that the variance of the estimates decreases like 1/N (where N is the sequence length employed) as N goes to infinity. This result indicates that it is possible to achieve estimation accuracy with any desired level by simply increasing the number of samples appropriately.
A particle-membrane complex in developing rat taste buds

An unusual structure has been noted within dark cells of taste buds from young rats. It appears most prominently in 10-day-old rats, at a time when the taste bud is almost fully differentiated. The structure consists of dense, irregularly shaped particles, 250–350 A in size, associated with the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope. These particles are well demonstrated in sections stained with uranyl acetate alone, as well as in those treated with solutions containing lead salts. For this and other reasons it is suggested that the particles contain ribonucleoprotein. Their appearance is thought to be an expression of a stage of cytodifferentiation in taste bud dark cells.
Influence of patella alta on knee extensor mechanics

The purpose of this study was to compare the knee extensor mechanics in persons with and without patella alta. Thirteen subjects with patella alta and 14 subjects with normal patellar position participated in the study. Sagittal and axial MR images of the knee were acquired at 0 degrees , 20 degrees , 40 degrees , and 60 degrees of knee flexion. Measurements of actual moment arm, patellar ligament/quadriceps tendon force ratio, quadriceps effective moment arm, and joint reaction force/quadriceps force ratio were obtained. There were no differences between groups in terms of actual moment arm. However, subjects with patella alta had significantly larger patellar ligament/quadriceps tendon force ratios (1.04+/-0.02 vs. 0.92+/-0.02) and quadriceps effective moment arms (4.40+/-0.09 vs. 4.00+/-0.09 cm) when averaged across the range of knee flexion angles tested. There was no difference in the joint reaction force/quadriceps force ratio between groups. The observed differences in knee extensor mechanics suggest that individuals with patella alta have a more efficient knee extensor mechanism and would be expected to generate similar joint reaction forces per unit quadriceps force compared to subjects with normal patellar position. Therefore, persons with patella alta may experience less patellofemoral joint reaction force to overcome the same knee flexion moment in the range of 0 degrees -60 degrees of knee flexion.
Software Tools for Safety-Critical Systems According to DO-254

In recent decades, safety has emerged as a major issue in many embedded applications in the aerospace, aircraft, automobile, railways, nuclear, medical, and other industries. Safety in this context means avoiding harm to individuals or society due to malfunctioning computer equipment or software. The essential requirements for these systems are so strict that they are regulated by government agencies such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the case of both airborne and ground aviation systems.The general concept of safety assurance is to minimize risk that can lead to accidents. This implies that the software tools used to develop the hardware and software components in safety-critical systems must be evaluated as thoroughly as the products themselves.
Toward quality data: an attribute-based approach

Abstract A quality perspective in data resource management is critical. Because users have different criteria for determining the quality of data, we propose tagging data at the cell level with quality indicators, which are objective characteristics of the data and its manufacturing process. Based on these indicators, the user may assess the data's quality for the intended application. This paper investigates how such quality indicators may be specified, stored, retrieved, and processed. We propose an attribute-based data model, query algebra, and integrity rules that facilitate cell-level tagging as well as the processing of application data that is augmented with quality indicators. An ER-based data quality requirements analysis methodology is proposed for specification of the kinds of quality indicator to be modeled.
Second-class citizens? Gender in African citizenship law

In recent publications, Manby (2009, 2010) has pointed out serious inequities in African citizenship laws. As women are one of the largest groups at risk of unequal treatment, we systematically examine sub-Saharan African citizenship laws for discriminatory provisions and language. We find that for laws currently in force, legal treatment of women is uneven, both across the continent and within countries. We consider the role gender plays in transmitting citizenship to children, as well as differences between the genders in citizenship transmitted through marriage. Some countries are gender neutral in most or all aspects of the law, others are gender neutral with respect to parents and children but favor men in transmitting citizenship to their wives, and others still discount the role of women in both respects. We employ quantitative methods to understand the background conditions that influence citizenship law, finding that temporal and demographic factors have some systematic influence. To understand w...
Fractal geometry based model for a musical cymbal design and rapid manufacturing

This paper aims at an equation based simulation, CAD modeling and manufacturing of a fractal surface embedded on a musical cymbal. This study is essentially a proof-of-concept of a new method of complex-surface characterization, design and manufacturing using an equation-based approach. A cymbal shape was chosen to carry the fractal profile because generally most musical cymbals have an inherent broken surface pattern that is created to enhance the resulting musical quality, and hence it would be a topic of further study to characterize the musical notes emanating from a fractal surface on this cymbal. A fractal surface cymbal model was developed; a point cloud representation of the cymbal was generated from Matlab; a surface model was built and processed in image data processing software Imageware; a solid model was completed in CAD software PRO/E; a rapid prototype of the fractal surface cymbal was fabricated; and MasterCam software was used to generate CNC codes and simulate the CNC machining process. The effect of the variation of the parameters of the equation based surface is also shown by varying the topothesy and fractal parameter of the surface. Finally, the equation based method is used to generate other complex surfaces such as Cassini surface and the Bohemian Dome which are then solidified and prepared of manufacture.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Facile patterning of hybrid CdSe nanoparticle films by photoinduced surface defects.

The photopatterning of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) films is facilitated by preparing defect-rich QDs on selective sites on the film. A key step is UV irradiation in the presence of a polar solvent such as methanol in situ as a “developer” which readily dissolves trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) but not the QDs. This results in a dramatically reduced photopatterning time and irradiation intensity requirement. The optical property changes were examined by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, the photo-oxidized pattern of the CdSe QD film was readily observed by fluorescence microscopy. The chemical change due to attenuation of the P═O vibration of TOPO (due to its removal) could be detected by FT-IR imaging or FT-IR chemical mapping. Thus, the protocol is a simple yet effective way of patterning PL properties of QD films at much reduced exposure time compared to previously reported methods. It may find utility for a host of cell-based film assays and PL display device applications at various resolut...
The Domain Dependence of Parsing

A major concern in corpus based approaches is that the applicability of the acquired knowledge may be limited by some feature of the corpus, in particular, the notion of text 'domain'. In order to examine the domain dependence of parsing, in this paper, we report 1) Comparison of structure distributions across domains; 2) Examples of domain specific structures; and 3) Parsing experiment using some domain dependent grammars. The observations using the Brown corpus demonstrate domain dependence and idiosyncrasy of syntactic structure. The parsing results show that the best accuracy is obtained using the grammar acquired from the same domain or the same class (fiction or nonfiction). We will also discuss the relationship between parsing accuracy and the size of training corpus.
The Development of Early Symbolization: Educational Implications.

Abstract Research on the symbolic functioning of very young children has important implications for educational materials. We argue that there are no transparent symbols; one can never assume that what seems to be an obvious symbolic relation is obvious to young children. We have discovered that young children have particular difficulty understanding and using symbols that are themselves interesting objects. A symbol, such as a scale model of a room, that is salient and appealing as an object, requires a dual representation: To use a model, one must simultaneously represent both the model itself and its referent. Research on young children's understanding and use of models indicates that they have particular difficulty achieving dual representation. This work has clear implications for the use of symbolic objects for educational purposes. We discuss several examples of commonly used symbolic objects, suggesting that they may be less helpful to young learners than is generally assumed.
Sequencing the Oxytricha trifallax macronuclear genome: a pilot project.

Ciliates, microbial eukaryotes, have been important experimental organisms for >100 years, contributing to the discovery and understanding of self-splicing RNA, telomere biochemistry and transcriptional regulation by histone modification. We have completed a pilot sequencing project of the Oxytricha trifallax macronuclear (MAC) genome. When complete, this genome sequence, along with the emerging Tetrahymena thermophila and Paramecium tetraurelia sequences, will provide an important resource for basic eukaryotic cell biology, molecular evolution and the related apicomplexan parasites, such as Plasmodium spp.
Timeliness and transaction management in extended enterprises

An Extended Enterprise (EE) links a company to its suppliers, distributors, freighters, customers, workforce and other external constituents. Linkages among EE constituents enable coordination and collaboration in demand forecasting, production planning, deployment and transportation. Such coordination and collaboration provide synergies and reduce wasteful transaction costs, redundancies, delays and inefficiencies. The development in enterprise-level Information Technology (IT) enables various EE constituents' computer applications to collaborate closely, thus adding value to the EE. This paper considers the role of multi-tiered system architecture in enterprise extension, examines the services provided by enterprise application servers in support of EE transactions, and discusses the accounting and business implications of such services.
Species specificity in growth regulatory effects of cellular interaction.

SURFACE (monolayer) cultures of human diploid cells show a marked decrease in the rate of synthesis of DNA, RNA and net protein as the population density of the cultures increases1, but it has not yet been determined whether growth inhibition occurs because of actual cellular contact, or whether growth inhibitory compounds are released extracellularly to act only at very short range2. Heteroploid epithelial human cells, either arising as spontaneous transformants in cultures of normal cells, or cultured from cancerous tissue, were much less susceptible than diploid cells to growth inhibitory effects and attained three to ten-fold greater population densities. Strains of hypodiploid and trisomic human fibroblasts behaved like normal cells in their susceptibility to population density inhibition3.
On the nature of thought processes and their relationship to the accumulation of knowledge, Part XIII: The nature of evidence.

We tend to think of evidence that it must be of necessity true and unassailable, but that does not conform to reality. Evidence is really just a reason or reasons that we use to justify our beliefs. We try to hold evidence to an ideal, but because of our innate fallibility, which occurs as a direct result of our evolution within the environment with which we have co-evolved, we cannot ensure evidence meets that ideal. The nature of language and the use of that language by us is a major impediment to maintaining consistency and avoiding contradiction in our communication with one another. Additionally, our “natural” thought processes do not follow the rules of logic as discovered by logicians throughout the ages. This being the case, we must endeavor to understand better our human fallibility and learn to work within our capabilities. To do so, we must accept “evidence” as what it is instead of what we would like it to be.
Phase and chemical analysis of a fused refractory based on bauxite concentrate

Based on a bauxite concentrate, we obtained a mullite-bearing refractory exhibiting high-temperature strength. The refractory materials produced by melting the bauxite concentrate with alumina and silica additions show the presence of solid solutions of mullite whose basicity was quantitatively evaluated using chemical and IR-spectroscopic methods.
Myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery: evaluation using exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy.

Seven patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery were evaluated by means of thallium-201 exercise scintigraphy. The degree of systolic narrowing was 60–70% in five patients and 75–80% in two patients. All patients had presented with chest pain. The resting electrocardiogram was normal in six patients; there were ST segment and T-wave abnormalities in one patient. No patient complained of chest pain during exercise. The exercise electrocardiogram was negative in six patients and inconclusive in one patient. Exercise myocardial scans were negative in all seven patients. We conclude that no evidence of ischemia was demonstrated in patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery as determined by exercise electrocardiography and stress thallium-201 scintigraphy.
Models and Mechanisms of III-V Compound Semiconductor Growth by Movpe

A kinetic model for metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of GaAs from trimethylgallium and arsine is imbedded into two-dimensional transport phenomena descriptions of horizontal and vertical MOVPE reactors. The mechanism involves 15 gas-phase species, 17 gas-phase reactions, 9 surface species and 26 surface reactions. The surface reactions take into account different crystallographic orientations of the GaAs substrate. Carbon incorporation is predicted to occur via carbene containing species. A sensitivity analysis shows that only a few reactions are needed to simulate observed growth rates while the full mechanism is important in computing carbon levels in GaAs. The model predictions are in good agreement with data for trimethylgallium decomposition in hot isothermal tubes, with GaAs growth in horizontal reactors, and with carbon incorporation in vertical reactors. The transport-reaction model demonstrates that both gas-phase and surface reactions as well as transport phenomena are important in predicting MOVPE reactor performance.
Neither platelet activating factor nor leukotrienes are critical mediators of liver injury after lipopolysaccharide administration

The intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to rats results in liver lesions characterized by the infiltration of both platelets and neutrophils into the liver and by midzonal hepatocellular necrosis. The liver injury is dependent on neutrophils, platelets and the coagulation system, as removal or inhibition of any of these components inhibits the development of hepatocellular necrosis. Platelet activating factor (PAF) and the cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) are potent inflammatory lipids that are critical for the development of some LPS-mediated alterations. To test the hypothesis that PAF, alone or in combination with LTs, contributes to the development of liver injury during LPS exposure, we conducted studies with the PAF receptor antagonist, WEB 2086, and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, Zileuton. Female, Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with WEB 2086 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) alone or with Zileuton (40 mg/kg, p.o.) 1 h before the administration of LPS (4 mg/kg, i.v.) or its saline vehicle. Treatment with WEB 2086, alone or in combination with Zileuton, did not inhibit LPS-mediated hepatic neutrophil infiltration or liver injury, as assessed by histologic evaluation and increases in plasma alanine aminotransferase activity. Pretreatment with these agents also had no effect on the activation of the coagulation system or on the thrombocytopenia induced by LPS. These results suggest that PAF, alone or in combination with 5-lipoxygenase products, is not a critical mediator of LPS-induced hepatocellular injury in this model.
Non-dimensional approach for static balancing of rotational flexures

Abstract This work presents a general method of statically balancing flexural hinges. Using a set of non-dimensional parameters, we show that one can quickly design a statically balanced rotational flexure. First, a balancing method is developed for an idealized hinge/torsion spring system. This method is then extended to load-dependent systems and is demonstrated with the design of a balanced cross-axis-flexural pivot with stiffness that varies as a function of compressive preload. A physical prototype is built and tested to verify the design method. This method is general for any system that has a well understood stiffness response to an applied compressive load.
South-South cooperation: Cuban technical assistance to developing countries in sugar production.

Abstract Cuba's long tradition as a sugar producer and commitment to the future of the industry uniquely qualify it to assist Third World nations in the development of their sugar industries. This report reviews the range of Cuban internationalist civilian assistance to developing countries, and then illustrates Cuban assistance to foreign sugar industries with reference to seven African and Central American countries. Foreign policy, rather than commercial advantage, seems to be the dominant consideration. The impact of Cuban assistance on world sugar production appears to have been marginal to date, but this could change.
Private copying, reproduction costs, and the supply of intellectual property

Abstract Recent technological advances that have substantially reduced the cost of private copying of intellectual property, and led to widespread copying, have produced claims of severe harm to producers. This paper develops a model to analyze the effect of private copying on the profits of producers and the welfare of consumers. When originals and copies are perfect substitutes and all originals are copied the same number of times, a necessary and sufficient condition for both profits and consumer welfare to decrease is that copying is less efficient than producing originals. However, when some originals are copied and others are not, producer profits may decline even when copying is efficient, and some consumers may benefit from inefficient copying. The analysis suggests that published estimates of the harm to producers resulting from private copying may be seriously in error.
Arguing about the ethics of past actions: An analysis of a taped conversation about a taped conversation

In the face of widespread cynicism as regards the possibilities for reasoned and reasonable adjudication of ethical differences in the postmodern age, this essay proposes a dialogic, reconstructive rhetoric as a vehicle for jointly arguing about the ethics of past actions, and looks to the friendship circle as a model arena for the playing out of such a rhetoric. Analyzed by way of illustration is a conversation among four good friends about the ethics of another, surreptitiously taped, conversation between two of those friends.
Nearly linear dynamics of nonlinear dispersive waves

Abstract Dispersive averaging effects are used to show that the Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation with periodic boundary conditions possesses high frequency solutions, which behave nearly linearly. Numerical simulations are presented, which indicate the high accuracy of this approximation. Furthermore, this result is applied to shallow water wave dynamics in the limit of KdV approximation, which is obtained by asymptotic analysis in combination with numerical simulations of KdV.
Tensorial analysis of transmission systems — III

THIS ARTICLE undertakes something unique in the application of mathematical methods to the solution of physical problems. It has long been universally believed by engineers and mathematicians that if a very long and complicated problem is given, it is not possible to cut the problem into several shorter and simpler parts, solve each part separately, then interconnect the partial solutions, in order to arrive thereby at the exact solution of the original complex system itself. People always argued that it is necessary to have available the answer to the entire problem first, before an answer valid to only one portion of it may be arrived at. It was argued that one must know the effects of forces impressed at the farthest corner of an assembly, before the behavior of the nearest group could be predicted.
W pair production by Z0 pair fusion

Abstract Using the effective gauge boson approximation we calculate the invariant mass distribution and longitudinal polarization fraction for the production of W + W − pairs by Z 0 pair fusion at a collider energy of 40 TeV. The mass distribution is compared with the case where the production is by W + W − pair fusion. Results are presented for Higgs masses of 0.5 and 1 TeV.
‘Are You Top or Bottom?’: Social Science Answers for Everyday Questions about Sadomasochism

Sadomasochism remains a topic of curiosity for academics and non-academics alike. There has been a recent proliferation of scholarship on the topic to explain and justify the behaviors of practitioners of sadomasochism, who remain a diverse yet understudied population. This article offers answers for questions typically asked about sadomasochism. The article includes a brief historical sexological background, explores the topic of sadomasochism from a social science perspective, and deals with linkages between sadomasochism and the sex industry, which I argue deserves more attention by researchers.
A sequential chart for the audit-based evaluation of screening mammogram interpretation.

Rationale and Objectives. Auditing has received much attention recently as a method for radiologists to use to evaluate their interpretation of screening mammograms. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations require that some sort of audit be in place before a mammography screening facility can receive accreditation. Auditing presents a unique opportunity to monitor accuracy continually and identify problems early. Audit data present unique challenges, however, and appropriate methods must be used to control the risk of errors. Materials and Methods. This article introduces a simple method for the task of deciding if a radiologist yields an acceptable positive predictive value based on audit. The method is based on “sequential” decision-making techniques that have found wide application in quality control problems. These techniques are developed for diagnostic radiology and embodied in an easy-to-use decision-making chart. Results. Several examples, based on audit data from actual mammography facilities, provide insights into the use of these charts and the influence of ( a ) the selection of standards, ( b ) the selection of error risks, and ( c ) radiologist variability. The examples also serve to demonstrate another important property of this method—that is, it specifies the minimum amount of data that has to be collected before any decision can reliably be made. Conclusion. The chart presented in this article provides a method by which audit data can be used objectively to evaluate the accuracy of screening mammogram interpretation. The method controls the risk of either falsely accepting an unqualified radiologist or falsely rejecting a qualified radiologist. It should be a useful tool to radiologists who must evaluate their own practices.
Congestive gastroenteropathy—an extension of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in portal hypertension

Three cirrhotic patients with acute and chronic gastrointestinal blood loss are described. All had extensive gastric mucosal changes on endoscopy consistent with congestive gastropathy and also had extensive duodenal and jejunal changes consisting of multiple friable punctate areas of erythema. Two patients had esophageal varices from which bleeding could not be documented. The mucosal abnormalities seen in the small intestine of all three patients were similar to those within the stomach and are thought to represent an extension of congestive gastropathy and to be contributing to the blood loss. We propose that the term "congestive gastropathy" be replaced by a more comprehensive term, "congestive gastroenteropathy." The cause of these mucosal abnormalities remains unclear. Attempts at endoscopic therapy of these extensive abnormalities should be avoided until a greater understanding of the underlying pathophysiology is reached.
Evaluating on-farm irrigation efficiency across the watershed: A case study of New Mexico's Lower Rio Grande Basin

Irrigation efficiency is a critical factor in irrigation water management. Irrigation efficiency is used in economic analysis when selecting an irrigation system design, and in irrigation management. It is also used in water rights adjudication and administration. On-farm irrigation efficiency is spatially and temporally variable and measuring irrigation efficiency is time consuming and costly. This paper describes a process to evaluate on-farm irrigation efficiency across the watershed using a combination of remote sensing and ground level measurements. On-farm irrigation efficiency was evaluated for three major crops in New Mexico's Lower Rio Grande Basin (LRG). The results of on-farm irrigation efficiency evaluation of 152 alfalfa fields, 189 pecan fields and 38 cotton fields showed that the average on-farm irrigation efficiency was 64%. However, on-farm irrigation efficiency values ranged from 11% to 95%. Accounting for delivery efficiency of 54%, the overall district efficiency was calculated as 35%. The study shows significant potential for improving irrigation efficiency in the LRG watershed; however, the inefficiency of the system is a major factor in recharging and sustaining the local aquifer. Significant improvement in on-farm and delivery efficiency can potentially change the hydrologic balance and result in depletion of the historically stable groundwater of the Mesilla Bolson.
Effects of adsorption site and surface stress on ordered structures of oxygen adsorbed on W(110).

Ordered phases of O on W(110) entail compressive surface stress, the manifestations of which are directly observed for different coverages using scanning tunneling microscopy. Low coverage adsorption results in a gas phase with disordered persistent structures. At higher coverage, ordered phases condense with disordered domains. O adsorption in the two distinct triply coordinated sites of the W(110) unit cell leads to separate domains with the adsorption site exchanged. Annealing relieves compression within high coverage phases by the formation of site-exchange domain superstructures.
Storm surge modelling with geographic information systems: estimating areas and population affected by cyclone Nargis

A methodology has been developed to model storm surges during cyclones, and to estimate affected areas and population with Geographical Information System (GIS). Surge profiles were derived from the calibrated wind velocity distribution by using regional regressive relationships between the wind velocities and surge heights. Discretised forms of the calculated surge profiles were entered in GIS analysis to estimate affected area and population. This approach was compared with a simple and more common GIS approach that uses a constant storm surge height. The study also considers the effects of different time advisories on the estimation of affected population and areas. It was found that for the cyclone ‘Nargis’, the affected area and population could be estimated with accuracies of 60 and 20%, respectively, for advisories issued when the cyclone centre was more than 600 km from the landing point. These accuracies were 80 and 60%, respectively, when the cyclone centre was within 200 km of landfall. The proposed methodology can be helpful for early warning systems and disaster risk management due to its simplicity and speed as well as in cases where minimal information on the affected areas and population is available such as in the case of cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Gene Regulatory Network Reconstruction Using Conditional Mutual Information

The inference of gene regulatory network from expression data is an important area of research that provides insight to the inner workings of a biological system. The relevance-network-based approaches provide a simple and easily-scalable solution to the understanding of interaction between genes. Up until now, most works based on relevance network focus on the discovery of direct regulation using correlation coefficient or mutual information. However, some of the more complicated interactions such as interactive regulation and coregulation are not easily detected. In this work, we propose a relevance network model for gene regulatory network inference which employs both mutual information and conditional mutual information to determine the interactions between genes. For this purpose, we propose a conditional mutual information estimator based on adaptive partitioning which allows us to condition on both discrete and continuous random variables. We provide experimental results that demonstrate that the proposed regulatory network inference algorithm can provide better performance when the target network contains coregulated and interactively regulated genes.
The Emergence of Load-Oriented Sterilization

Maximum sterilization relies on proper use of equipment. The author explains sterilization accuracy levels, loading techniques and use of biological indicators. Achieving maximum equipment sterilization is critical. Factors that contribute to sterilization efficiency are covered, including sterilization accuracy level, chamber loading and biological indicators.
An interactive 3D visualization and manipulation tool for effective assessment of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis using computed tomographic angiography

ABSTRACT This paper presents IVM, an Interactive Vessel Manipulation tool that can help make eective and ecient as-sessment of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in computed tomographic angiography (CTA) studies. IVM consistsof three fundamental components: (1) a visualization component, (2) a tracing component, and (3) a measure-ment component. Given a user-specied threshold, IVM can create a 3D surface visualization based on it. Sincevessels are thin and tubular structures, using standard isosurface extraction techniques usually cannot yieldsatisfactory reconstructions. Instead, IVM directly renders the surface of a derived binary 3D image. The imagevolumes collected in CTA studies often have a relatively high resolution. Thus, compared with more complicatedvessel extraction and visualization techniques, rendering the binary image surface has the advantages of beingeective, simple and fast. IVM employs a semi-automatic approach to determine the threshold: a user can adjustthe threshold by checking the corresponding 3D surface reconstruction and make the choice. Typical tracingsoftware often denes ROIs on 3D image volumes using three orthogonal views. The tracing component in IVMtakes one step further: it can perform tracing not only on image slices but also in a 3D view. We observe thatdirectly operating on a 3D view can help a tracer identify ROIs more easily. After setting a threshold and tracingan ROI, a user can use IVMs measurement component to estimate the volume and other parameters of vesselsin the ROI. The eectiveness of the IVM tool is demonstrated on rat vessel/bone images collected in a previousCTA study.Keywords: Computed tomographic angiography, 3D surface visualization, region of interest, vessel extraction
STUDIES ON QUASILATTICES : MISTAKES AND LONG RANGE CORRELATION IN ONE DIMENSION

Mistakes in one dimensional quasilattices are studied. The effect of mistakes on the diffraction intensity is calculated exactly : we show that the diffraction pattern is changed qualitatively. Detailed calculations of Fourier transform and configuration average are given. Also the density-density correlation for both perfect and imperfect quasilattices have been studied. We show explicitly that quasilattices are infinitely correlated, and that introducing mistakes does not break this correlation. Mistakes are shown to be generic for the quasilattice : they cost little energy, and increase the entropy.
Gas phase composition and extraneous deposition in GaAs vapor epitaxy

Abstract Continuous, in situ rate measurements were used to evaluate the influence of gas phase supersaturation on the GaAs epitaxial growth kinetics relative to the extent of heterogeneous nucleation and extraneous deposition on fused silica. Using a Ga/AsCl3/H2 vapor deposition system, the supersaturation was experimentally varied by three techniques: (1) introduction of excess AsCl3 or HCl to the gas stream leaving the source region, (2) variation of the partial pressure of AsCl3 entering the source region, and (3) variation of the source temperature. The resulting changes in the relative supersaturation were determined from the temperature at which the epitaxial growth rate is equal to the substrate etch rate. The relative rate of extraneous growth on the fused silica specimen holder was evaluated from the characteristics of gravimetrically measured rate-temperature curves. It is found that additions of excess HCl or variations in the source temperature, while significantly altering the supersaturation, have relatively little effect on suppressing extraneous deposition. On the other hand, dilution of the reactant stream not only reduces the supersaturation, but also greatly suppresses the rate of extraneous deposition relative to epitaxial growth and permits selective epitaxial growth at lower temperatures.
Activation of NK cells by extracellular heat shock protein 70 through induction of NKG2D ligands on dendritic cells.

We have previously reported that heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) vaccination induced natural killer (NK) cell activity in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In this study, HSP70 of both autologous and allogeneic origin was found to stimulate IFN-γ production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of CML patients, as well as of normal subjects. Further investigations demonstrated that the activity of HSP70 was dependent on both NK cells and dendritic cells (DCs). HSP70 did not induce significant IFN-γ production from either NK cells or DCs alone. Mechanistically, we found that HSP70-mediated DC-NK cell crosstalk required cell-cell contact, which could be inhibited completely by neutralizing antibody against NK activating receptor NKG2D. The significance of NKG2D was further corroborated by the finding that HSP70 induced the expression of an NKG2D ligand, the MHC class I chain-related protein A (MICA), on DCs; HSP70-augmented IFN-γ release was abrogated by antibody against MICA. Thus extracellular HSP70, released during either stress or inflammatory cell death, may serve as a critical link between NK and DCs in mounting immune responses against infections, cancers and self-antigens.
Scaffolded-Language Intervention Speech Production Outcomes

This study investigated the effects of a scaffolded-language intervention using cloze procedures, semantically contingent expansions, contrastive word pairs, and direct models on speech abilities i...
Evoked Optical Response Under Wake, Sleep, and Anesthetized States

Concurrent electrical and optical measurements of auditory cortex responses exhibits state dependent hemodynamic activity. When compared to wake, quiet sleep elicits large, late optical signals, REM signals are large, while Isoflurane signals are phase shifted.
Digital Piracy: An Examination of Three Measurements of Self-Control

Research has shown a link between digital piracy and self-control. However, the research focuses on only one version of self-control theory. The purpose of the present study is to examine the link between self-control and digital piracy. Using data from 358 college students, this study shows that all 3 measures of self-control help us understand the link between self-control and digital piracy. The results indicate that illuminating the factors that could be inhibitions and developing strong social bonds can reduce the likelihood of digital piracy.