cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Low-Income Residents Decide Between Emergency and Primary Health Care for Non-Urgent Treatment

Overcrowding in U.S. emergency departments (ED) is a growing national problem that results in delayed or obstructed care and costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Studies show that access to a primary health care home reduces ED use, but more research is needed to determine how to best redirect vulnerable populations to primary care. Using data from forum group discussions with residents in a low-income, urban community, this study examined the decision processes residents used to decide whether to seek primary versus emergency care. Although residents exhibited high levels of knowledge about the primary health care resources available to them, they voiced a number of negative attitudes toward the services and identified barriers that discouraged them from taking advantage of these resources. The implications of these findings for campaigns aimed at discouraging non-emergency use of emergency services and promoting primary health care use, and studies of vulnerable populations’ access to primary ...
The maintenance of structural integrity in freshwater protozoan communities under stress

The structural assimilative capacity (ability to maintain biological integrity under stress) of protozoan communities from nine lakes in the area of the University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, Michigan, and six stations at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, were studied (1) to determine if communities from lakes of differing trophic state differ in their ability to assimilate various amounts of copper sulfate, and (2) to explore the possible influence of average density of individuals and/or qualitative differences in the types of species present on any observed differences in assimilative capacity. In both the northern Michigan and Smith Mountain Lake studies, a trend in response was demonstrated along the eutrophic-oligotrophic gradient; eutrophic communities had a greater structural assimilative capacity than did oligotrophic communities. Both mean species density and community composition appear to be important factors in the ability to maintain structural integrity.
A fabrication methodology for dual-material engineering structures using ultrasonic additive manufacturing

The capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate multi-material structures have been investigated in many studies. However, only a few of the technologies have been used to fabricate products for direct application. The full development of the capability will enable the fabrication of innovative engineering structures consisting of function-specific material members that cannot be realized using conventional methods. In this work, a methodology for fabricating dual-material engineering structures using ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) was developed. An example structure consisting of members designed to carry tension and compression loads were fabricated using composite materials and Al 3003 matrix material respectively. MetPreg®/Al 3003 and Ti/Al 3003 composite materials were respectively used as tension members in two different structure samples. Single-material copies of the dual-material structures were fabricated using Al 3003 for load-carrying capability comparison. The results of the load tests carried out shows that the dual-material structures could withstand much higher loads than similar structures entirely made of the matrix Al 3003 material. This is an indication that UAM can be effectively used to fabricate multi-material engineering structures.
Green politics and environmental ethics: A defence of human welfare ecology

A major strand of environmentalist thought identifies the supposedly anthropocentric foundations of Western attitudes to nature as a fundamental cause of the environmental crisis. On the basis of this analysis they suggest that the development and widespread acceptance of a ‘biocentric’ or ‘ecocentric’ ethos is a primary requirement for the ultimate development of an ecologically benign society. This view can be questioned for a number of reasons. The causal significance of anthropocentrism is not as clear as had been supposed, attempts to formulate such an ethos have failed on logical or ethical grounds, and it is possible to put forward a fully developed environmentalist position which remains anthropocentric. What has been called ‘human welfare ecology’ has the potential to provide a more coherent, developed and politic eco‐political theory than attempts to base such a theory on a ‘biocentric’ or ‘ecocentric’ ethos.
Iceberg discharge to the Chukchi shelf during the Younger Dryas

The extent of glaciation in northwestern Alaska, the source of sediment supply to the Chukchi shelf and slope, and the movement of sea ice and icebergs across the shelf during the last glacial maximum (LGM) remain poorly constrained. Here we present geophysical and geological data from the outer Chukchi margin that reveal a regionally extensive, heavily ice-scoured surface ∼ 5–8 m below the modern seafloor. Radiocarbon dating of this discrete event yields age estimates between 10,600 and 11,900 14C yr BP, indicating the discharge event occurred during the Younger Dryas. Based on mineralogy of the ice-rafted debris, the icebergs appear to be sourced from the northwestern Alaskan margin, which places important constraints on the ice extent in northern Alaska during the LGM as well as existing circulation models for the region.
Education, Stratification, and the Academic Hierarchy.

Some view the academic hierarchy as an essential meritocratic structure that rewards students who have greater natural abilities. Others suggest that this structure reflects specific status divisions. Using nationally representative data, this study considers the relative and independent influence of students' undergraduate achievement, social class, sex, and race on rank of graduate school they attend. Analysis of covariance techniques indicate that undergraduate achievement is the strongest predictor of rank of graduate institution attended, in all six sub-areas examined. All of the status variables also have independent effects. In several sub-areas the graduate academic hierarchy does not universally reward social class, sex, and race groups for equal levels of achievement. Other sex and race groups, with equal achievement levels, attend similarly ranked graduate institutions.
Comparison of ω-Based Turbulence Models for Simulating Separated Flows in Transonic Compressor Cascades

Separated flows in the DLR transonic compressor cascades TSG-91-8K and TSG-89-5 are simulated with a quasi-3D Navier-Stokes code using the zonal k-ω/k-ϵ “Shear Stress Transport” two-equation turbulence model of Menter and the multiscale Reynolds stress model of Wilcox. Both of these models use the specific turbulent dissipation rate ω as the length scale variable. The models are also used to simulate the low speed, separated flow, adverse pressure gradient test case of Driver. While both models predict results which are in good agreement with experiment for the latter test case, they yield relatively poor results, particularly for losses, for the cascade test cases, especially TSG-89-5 where separation occurs from both the suction and pressure surfaces. It is known from the cascade test results that the separations are laminar, so some improvement in agreement is achieved by suppressing transition to the separation points in the simulations. The poor accuracy of the models is believed to be related to severe non-equilibrium of turbulence production and dissipation predicted after the shock-induced separations.Copyright © 1998 by ASME
The bionic body shop: Discussing the many life sustaining devices that can be implanted in the body

The author discusses the many life sustaining devices that can be implanted in the body, covering replacement parts and implants, stimuli implants, and devices to assist the heart.
Religious tolerance through religious diversity and epistemic humility

This paper uses developments in externalist epistemology and philosophy of mind as a foundation for a tolerance-producing attitude of epistemic humility towards the beliefs one retains in light of religious diversity. The first section of this paper describes the conditions under which epistemic humility tends to occur in both the philosophy of mind and externalist epistemology due to what shall be called the resolution problem, and the second section argues that these conditions often obtain in the presence of religious diversity. A third section argues that epistemic humility tends to lead to religious tolerance.
Ocular Complications of Wegener's Granulomatosis

140 patients with biopsy-proven Wegener's granulomatosis were examined during a 16-year period at the Mayo Clinic. Forty patients had diverse and explosive ophthalmic involvement, including conjunctivitis, episcleritis, scleritis, corneal ulceration, uveitis, retinal vasculitis, optic neuropathy, orbital mass, orbital cellulitis, and obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct. The multiple ophthalmic and systemic complications in these 40 patients and the importance of establishing the pathologic diagnosis are discussed. Treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents has dramatically improved the prognosis, although substantial mortality (four patients died of Wegener's granulomatosis) and ocular morbidity (three eyes were enucleated) are still associated with this disease.
The N terminus controls sterol binding while the C terminus regulates the scaffolding function of OSBP.

Previously we reported that when cell cholesterol is acutely lowered with β-methyl-cyclodextrin the amount of activated ERK1/2 in caveolae dramatically increases. We traced the origin of this novel method of pERK1/2 accumulation to a macromolecular complex with dual specific phosphatase activity that contains the serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A, the tyrosine phosphatase HePTP, the oxysterol-binding protein OSBP and cholesterol. When cell cholesterol is lowered, or oxysterols is introduced, the complex disassembles and pERK1/2 increases. In an effort to better understand how OSBP functions as a cholesterol-regulated scaffolding protein, we have mapped the functional parts of the molecule. The command center of the molecule is a centrally located, 51 amino acids (408-459) long sterol-binding domain that can bind both cholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol. This domain is functional whether attached to the N- or the C-terminal half of OSBP. Introduction of a Y458S mutation impairs binding. Even though 25-hydroxycholesterol will compete for cholesterol binding to OSBP408-809, it will not compete for cholesterol binding in full-length OSBP. Upon further analysis we found that a glycine-alaninerich region at the N-terminal end of OSBP works with the PH domain to control cholesterol binding without affecting 25-hydroxycholesterol binding. Finally, we found that HePTP and PP2A bind the C-terminal half of OSBP, HePTP binds a coiled-coil domain (amino acids 732-761), and PP2A binds neither the coiled-coil nor HePTP. On the basis of this information we propose a new model for how OSBP is able to sense both membrane cholesterol and oxidized sterols and link this information to the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Effects of the pulsed fiber-optic-delivered Nd:YAG laser on dentin bonding

Laser modification of the dentin may increase the mechanical retention of composite resin restorations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Nd:YAG laser on dentin bonding. 170 dentin specimens were prepared by horizontal sectioning through the middle coronal third of molars. A 5 mm area of 140 samples were treated at powers of 0.3 to 3.0 W, pulse frequencies of 10 to 30 Hz, and energies of 30 to 150 mJ/pulse. The remaining 30 were untreated dentin sections. Samples were pumiced and bonded with Scotchbond 2 and Silux Plus composite, then light cured and stored at 100% humidity for 24 hours prior to debonding. Shear bond strength was measured and the type of failure was determined. Laser modification of the dentin improved bond strength by 68% compared with the controls. Microscopic examination of the lased samples after debonding showed that 5% failed adhesively at the dentin-resin interface, while 95% failed cohesively within the resin. Therefore, lasers increased dentin bond strengths by improving micromechanical retention.
The quality of work life of child protective investigators: A comparison of two work environments

Abstract While the job of the child protective investigator has been described as complex, stressful, and extremely difficult, previous studies have only considered the job in the context of a public child welfare agency. This study compares the quality of work life of child protective investigators in two very different organizational settings: a public child welfare agency and a law enforcement agency. Legislation passed in Florida in 1998, transferred responsibility for investigations from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to the Sheriff's Offices (SO) in four counties. As part of a larger evaluation effort, a survey was conducted of investigators in the four experimental counties and in four comparison counties where DCF was still conducting investigations. The survey asked respondent to rate their quality of work life in five domains and also asked their perceptions of their role and their work environment. The findings indicate that while both groups had similar demographic characteristics and perceptions of their role, the investigators who worked for the SO experienced a higher quality of work life than those who worked for DCF.
Computer-Assisted Laparoscopy in Fertility Preservation and Reproductive Surgery

Current strategies for fertility preservation rely heavily on assisted reproductive technology and fertility-sparing surgery. Whether seeking to avert loss of fertility associated with excision of adnexal or uterine disease or to preempt gonadal failure resulting from chemotherapy or radiation, each woman is unique in her reproductive endeavor and will benefit from careful consideration of her fertility goals together with a specialist in assisted reproductive technology and reproductive surgery. Because avoidance of laparotomy reduces tissue trauma and adhesion formation, advanced laparoscopic surgery is an indispensable tool for all specialists who provide care for women seeking fertility preservation. Computer-assisted laparoscopy, commonly known as robotic surgery, addresses the practical limitations of conventional laparoscopic surgery and holds the promise of making complex fertility-sparing procedures safe and reproducible in the hands of reproductive specialists. Herein we illustrate the transforming capabilities of robotics in reproductive surgery and highlight the current and future potential of this technology in fertility preservation.
The Study of Foreign Languages in China

first "adapt"41 to these external demands. It does so by making use of one or more defense mechanisms, whether of aggression, withdrawal, or some kind of compromise such as diligent study. It is in this way that the second of these two strategies leads so often to what we have called "defensive" learning. The two strategies are alike in one very important respect: both can benefit from very clear and even vigorous leadership by the teaching figure at the beginning of the course. In the first, more "humanistic" strategy, this is a means toward reducing the student's anxieties at the security level, while in the second it is an end in itself. The teaching figures view this strong methodological initiative in quite different ways, and move beyond it in opposite directions.
Age‐adjusted Charlson comorbidity score is associated with treatment decisions and clinical outcomes for patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer

BACKGROUND. By using the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI), the authors characterized the impact of age and comorbidity on disease progression and overall survival after radical cystectomy (RC) for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Also evaluated was whether ACCI was associated with clinicopathologic and treatment characteristics. METHODS. The authors evaluated 1121 patients treated by RC for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder at a single institution (1990–2004). Logistic regression was used to determine the relation between ACCI and clinical features. They evaluated the association between ACCI and overall and progression-free survival by using multivariate survival-time models with pathologic stage and nodal status as covariates. RESULTS. ACCI scores increased during the study period (P = .009). Extravesical disease was present in 43% of patients with ACCI ≤2, 49% with ACCI 3–5, and 56% with ACCI >5 (P = .051). Despite their higher prevalence of extravesical disease, patients with higher ACCI were less likely to have lymph-node dissection (odds ratio, 0.55 and 0.35, respectively, for ACCI 3–5 and >5 vs ≤2; P = .005), and when it was performed, fewer lymph nodes were evaluated (P 5 vs ≤2; P = .04). Higher ACCI was significantly associated with lower overall (P < .005) but not recurrence-free (P = .17) survival after RC. CONCLUSIONS. Age and comorbidity among patients who underwent RC at a cancer referral hospital increased with time. Both age and comorbidity were associated with treatment selection and survival and should, therefore, be considered when comparing outcomes after RC. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Strategies for Learning: Small Group Activities in American, Japanese, and Swedish Industry

The article presents a review of the book “Strategies for Learning: Small Group Activities in American, Japanese, and Swedish Industry,” by Robert E. Cole.
Interdental thickness discrimination in myofascial pain dysfunction subjects.

Summary Interdental thickness discrimination (ITD) was evaluated on twenty-eight normal subjects and twenty subjects with myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD). This evaluation was performed before and after a submaximal isometric clenching task sustained to pain tolerance. The results of the study demonstrate a significant difference in ITD ability at several test points between the normal and MPD subjects. The experimental variable of sustained submaximal clenching did not significantly alter the ITD ability of either subject group.
Photon counting chirped AM ladar : Concept, simulation, and initial experimental results

In ARL's current chirped amplitude modulation (AM) ladar prototypes using unity gain solid state detectors, amplifier noise limits the receiver sensitivity. This noise is well above the signal shot noise limit. We are developing a method using Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (Gm-APD) photon counting detectors in the chirped AM ladar receiver to yield sensitivities approaching the signal shot noise limit. This method is based on the fact that the chirped AM waveform that modulates the transmitted laser power also modulates the average photon arrival rate at the receiver with a delay corresponding to the round-trip time between the transceiver and the target. We present the concept, and computer and electronic simulation results for ARL's chirped AM ladar operating with a photon counting receiver. We also present the design and initial results of the proof-of-principle laboratory optical experiment that we recently performed. The simulation and experimental results predict significant improvements in the ladar's receiver sensitivity.
The contracted elbow: is ulnar nerve release necessary?

Background: Prophylactic release of the ulnar nerve in patients undergoing capsular release for severe elbow contractures has been recommended, although there are limited data to support this recommendation. Our hypothesis was that more severely limited preoperative flexion and extension would be associated with a higher incidence of postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms in patients undergoing capsular release. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 164 consecutive patients who underwent open or arthroscopic elbow capsular release for stiffness between 2003 and 2010. The ulnar nerve was decompressed if the patient had preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms or a positive Tinel test. Preoperative and postoperative range of motion and incidence of ulnar nerve symptoms were recorded. Results: The mean improvement in the arc of motion of was 36.7 � . New-onset postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms developed in 7 of 87 patients (8.1%) who did not undergo ulnar nerve decompression; eventually, 5 of these patients with persistent symptoms underwent ulnar nerve decompression. The rate of developing postoperative symptoms was higher if patients had preoperative flexion � 100 � (15.2%) compared with those with preoperative flexion >100 � (3.7%). There was no association between preoperative extension or gain in motion arc and postoperative symptoms. Conclusions: The overall rate of ulnar nerve symptoms after elbow contracture release was low if ulnar nerve decompression was performed in patients with preoperative symptoms or a positive Tinel test. There was a higher rate of ulnar nerve symptoms in patients with more severe contractures (� 100 � of
Fungal arthritis. II. Coccidioidal synovitis: clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic considerations.

Abstract This is the second phase of a review of fungal arthritis that will be presented in three parts. Coccidioidal synovitis will be discussed in this issue. Part I was a review of Candida arthritis; part III will be a review of cryptococcal, sporotrichal, histoplasmal, and blastomycotic arthritis.
Fatty-acid monolayers at the nematic/water interface: phases and liquid-crystal alignment.

The two-dimensional (2D) phases of fatty-acid monolayers (hexadecanoic, octadecanoic, eicosanoic, and docosanoic acids) have been studied at the interface of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) and water. When observed between crossed polarizers, the LC responds to monolayer structure owing to mesoscopic alignment of the LC by the adsorbed molecules. Similar to Langmuir monolayers at the air/water interface, the adsorbed monolayer at the nematic/water interface displays distinct thermodynamic phases. Observed are a 2D gas, isotropic liquid, and two condensed mesophases, each with a characteristic anchoring of the LC zenithal tilt and azimuth. By varying the monolayer temperature and surface concentration we observe reversible first-order phase transitions from vapor to liquid and from liquid to condensed. A temperature-dependent transition between two condensed phases appears to be a reversible swiveling transition in the tilt azimuth of the monolayer. Similar to monolayers at the air/water interface, the tempe...
Feminism, Voluntarism and the Welfare State: Toward a Feminist Sociological Theory of Social Welfare.

In current debates about social welfare, the terms public and private are often equated with state vs. nonstate realms. This paper argues that a feminist sociological analysis would reconstitute notions of public and private as forms of social relations that occur in a wide range of activity, thus disentangling them from institutional divisions. It reviews contemporary feminist theory and practice and spells out implications for a feminist sociological theory of social welfare. It uses these implications to look at a particular kind of women’s grassroots voluntary organization that contains possibilities for rethinking societal responses to social welfare needs.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDIES OF ABSCISSION IN PHASEOLUS: LOCALIZATION OF PEROXIDASE'

A B S T R A C T Segments of leaf abscission zone tissue of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Red Kidney were fixed in glutaraldehyde, incubated to demonstrate peroxidase activity in medium containing 3,3'diaminobenzidine (DAB) and postfixed in osmium tetroxide. Electron microscopic observation of treated tissue revealed pronounced deposition of highly electron-opaque material in the form of granules or globules in cell walls, on mitochondrial membranes, associated with rough endoplasmic reticulum and along the plasmalemma and tonoplast. This distribution pattern was typical of both non-treated and ethephon-treated tissue. Ethephon-treated material also contained these granules within cytoplasmic vacuoles. It is suggested that pH of the incubation medium may affect localization sites and that exposure of tissue to light during incubation may modify localization patterns. Differing patterns of distribution of the reaction product in treated and non-treated tissue may reflect changes in membrane permeability and microfibrillar modifications related to ethephon treatment.
Frontiers in transport phenomena research and education: Energy systems, biological systems, security, information technology and nanotechnology

Abstract A US National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop entitled “Frontiers in Transport Phenomena Research and Education: Energy Systems, Biological Systems, Security, Information Technology, and Nanotechnology” was held in May of 2007 at the University of Connecticut. The workshop provided a venue for researchers, educators and policy-makers to identify frontier challenges and associated opportunities in heat and mass transfer. Approximately 300 invited participants from academia, business and government from the US and abroad attended. Based upon the final recommendations on the topical matter of the workshop, several trends become apparent. A strong interest in sustainable energy is evident. A continued need to understand the coupling between broad length (and time) scales persists, but the emerging need to better understand transport phenomena at the macro/mega scale has evolved. The need to develop new metrology techniques to collect and archive reliable property data persists. Societal sustainability received major attention in two of the reports. Matters involving innovation, entrepreneurship, and globalization of the engineering profession have emerged, and the responsibility to improve the technical literacy of the public-at-large is discussed. Integration of research thrusts and education activities is highlighted throughout. Specific recommendations, made by the panelists with input from the international heat transfer community and directed to the National Science Foundation, are included in several reports.
Profits Under Nazi Planning

Early developments: partial planning, 1. — Shift to central planning, 2. — Results, 3. — The role of profits, 4. — Supplementary inducements, 5. — Control of investment incomes, 7. — Results, 9. — Control of profit margins: equalization, 10; manipulation, 11; determination, 12. — Results, 14. — The abortive profit ceiling, 16. — Results, 18. — Profit incentives in price control, 19. — Subsidies, 21. — Results, 22. — General conclusions, 24.
Experiences with Multi-National, Multi-Semester Design Team Projects

This paper describes the experiences gained by the instructors of the first three multinational, multi-semester design team project classes of the Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education (GEARE). The experiences with respect to technical challenges, communication within the assigned groups, leveraging the different educational backgrounds, technology transfer to supporting entities, interactions between students and support staff, transfer of credits and grades, and lessons learned are outlined in this paper.
Abdominal Aortic Healing Associated with a Thin-Walled Dacron—Covered Endovascular Graft in a Canine Model

Purpose:To characterize the healing response associated with an experimental endovascular graft (EVG) by examining the lumen of the prosthesis and the native vessel wall responses after implantatio...
Mechanism of Inactivation of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase by (S)-2-Amino-5-(2-(methylthio)acetimidamido)pentanoic Acid.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the conversion of l-arginine to l-citrulline and the second messenger nitric oxide. Three mechanistic pathways are proposed for the inactivation of neuronal NOS (nNOS) by (S)-2-amino-5-(2-(methylthio)acetimidamido)pentanoic acid (1): sulfide oxidation, oxidative dethiolation, and oxidative demethylation. Four possible intermediates were synthesized. All compounds were assayed with nNOS, their IC50, KI, and kinact values were obtained, and their crystal structures were determined. The identification and characterization of the products formed during inactivation provide evidence for the details of the inactivation mechanism. On the basis of these studies, the most probable mechanism for the inactivation of nNOS involves oxidative demethylation with the resulting thiol coordinating to the cofactor heme iron. Although nNOS is a heme-containing enzyme, this is the first example of a NOS that catalyzes an S-demethylation reaction; the novel mechanism of inactivation descri...
Effects of exit boundary conditions on results of kinetic simulations of spherical expansion of mon- and diatomic gases in a gravitational field

The spherical expansion of mon- and diatomic gases in a spherically symmetric gravitational field is studied in kinetic simulations. The simulations are performed with the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method in the range of the source Knudsen number, the ratio of the mean free path of gas molecules to the source radius, from 0.01 to 0.001, and in the range of the source Jeans parameter, the ratio of the characteristic gravitational binding energy of a gas molecule to its thermal energy, from 0 to 6. The exit boundary position R1 of the computational domain was varied from 10 to 800 times the source radii R0 in order to quantify the effect of the size of the computational domain and kinetic escape boundary conditions on the flow structure and escape rates. It is shown that the flow structure and escape rates for both mon- and diatomic gases are highly sensitive to the position of the exit boundary, when the source Knudsen number is sufficiently small and the source Jeans parameter corresponds to the transition from blow-off to Jean-like thermal escape. Outside the transitional range, the flow structures and escape rates are only marginally affected by the position of the exit boundary. In the case of a diatomic gas, the calculated flow structures converge with increasing size of the computational domain. In the case of a monatomic gas, the flow structures calculated for the transitional range of the Jeans parameter do not exhibit convergence with respect to increasing size of the computational domain in the considered range of R1/R0. It is shown that such flows remain subsonic and retain local equilibrium at arbitrary large distances from the source. The solution of the kinetic problem for a given molecular model in these conditions is uniquely defined by three parameters including the source Jeans parameter and Knudsen number and an additional parameter that constrains the flow far downstream. This additional parameter can be chosen in the form of the imposed number escape rate.
Reliable video transmission over fading channels via channel state estimation

Transmission of continuous media such as video over time-varying wireless communication channels can benefit from the use of adaptation techniques in both source and channel coding. An adaptive feedback-based wireless video transmission scheme is investigated in this research with special emphasis on feedback-based adaptation. To be more specific, an interactive adaptive transmission scheme is developed by letting the receiver estimate the channel state information and send it back to the transmitter. By utilizing the feedback information, the transmitter is capable of adapting the level of protection by changing the flexible RCPC (rate-compatible punctured convolutional) code ratio depending on the instantaneous channel condition. The wireless channel is modeled as a fading channel, where the long-term and short-term fading effects are modeled as the log-normal fading and the Rayleigh flat fading, respectively. Then, its state (mainly the long-term fading portion) is tracked and predicted by using an adaptive LMS (least mean squares) algorithm. By utilizing the delayed feedback on the channel condition, the adaptation performance of the proposed scheme is first evaluated in terms of the error probability and the throughput. It is then extended to incorporate variable size packets of ITU-T H.263+ video with the error resilience option. Finally, the end-to-end performance of wireless video transmission is compared against several non-adaptive protection schemes.
Thyroid function and lipid concentration after thyroidectomy in rats

The purpose of this study was to determine whether subjects with high serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels and low-normal serum thyroxine (T4) levels are euthyroid, as a result of the increased TSH stimulation of the thyroid, or hypothyroid. As a model to study this clinically important problem we analyzed serum cholesterol (Chol), triglyceride (Tg), TSH, T4, and triiodothyroxine (T3) before and 7, 10, and 12 weeks after sham operation (SO), hemithyroidectomy (Htx), and total thyroidectomy (Ttx) in 33 male Sprague—Dawley rats. By 7 weeks after Ttx serum TSH levels increased from 861 ± 84 to 9657 ± 644 ng/ml, T4 decreased from 3.7 ± 0.18 to 0.84 ± 14 ng/ml, and T3 decreased from 0.317 ± 0.026 to 0.217 ± 0.007 ng/ml (P < 0.001). Serum Chol increased from 69.6 to 112.5 mg/dl, whereas Tg decreased from 70.93 ± 3.56 to 50.54 ± 4.18 mg/dl (P < 0.01). After Htx serum TSH levels were higher than before operation and were higher than in the SO group (P < 0.05); serum T4 and T3 levels tended to be lower than before Htx and lower than in the SO group, but this decrease was only significant for both T4 and T3 10 weeks after operation (P < 0.05); serum Chol and Tg levels were the same in Htx and SO animals. Thus, after Ttx (1) serum T3 and T4 levels decrease, (2) serum TSH levels increase, (3) serum Chol levels increase, and (4) serum Tg levels decrease. After Htx (1) serum TSH levels increase, (2) serum T3 and T4 levels are low-normal or slightly low, (3) serum Chol and Tg levels are normal. It appears that increased TSH stimulation of the thyroid gland can maintain normal serum lipid levels in the presence of low-normal or slightly low thyroid hormone concentrations. Thus, animals with increased serum TSH levels and low-normal or slightly low thyroid hormone levels are either not hypothyroid or serum lipid levels are an insensitive indicator of hypothyroidism.
Analytic first and second derivatives for the recursive prediction error algorithm's log likelihood function

This note improves on a method for computing analytic derivatives of the likelihood function of a discrete, linear, time invariant Gaussian state-space system and extends it to handle correlation between the state transition and measurement noise terms and to compute the analytic Hessian matrix. >
The refractive indices of some garnet crystals at 1.15 μm

Abstract Refractive index measurements for Y3Fe5O12, (LaY)3Ga.33Fe4.67O12 and Ga3Gd5O12 were obtained at 1.152 μm by observing optical waveguiding in epitaxial thin films.
Stimulus ratio effects on speech discrimination by children and adults.

This investigation examined the response strategies and discrimination accuracy of adults and children aged 5–10 as the ratio of same to different trials was varied across three conditions of a “ch...
Gold Nanocluster DNase 1 Hybrid Materials: An Efficient Method for DNA Contamination Sensing.

Protein-encapsulated gold nanocluster (P-AuNC) synthesis was first demonstrated in 2009 [1]. Initially, these P-AuNCs were used as cellular imaging agents as the protein shell surrounding the AuNC made them highly biocompatible. However, recent studies have begun to show that these stabilizing proteins may also retain native biological function, thus giving a dual functionality to these hybrid molecules. Here, we present the synthesis of DNase 1 stabilized AuNCs (DNase 1:AuNCs) with core sizes consisting of either eight or 25 atoms. The DNase 1:Au8NCs exhibit blue fluorescence, whereas the DNase 1:Au25NCs are red emitting. Moreover, in addition to the intense fluorescence emission, the synthesized DNase 1:AuNC hybrids retain the native functionality of the protein, allowing simultaneous detection and digestion of DNA with a detection limit of 2 mg/mL (Figure 1). The DNase 1:AuNCs could be conveniently employed as efficient and fast sensors to augment the current inefficient and time-consuming DNA contamination analysis techniques.
Individual and developmental differences in working memory across the life span

The effects of secondary tasks on verbal and spatial working memory were examined in multiple child, young adult, and older adult samples. Although memory span increased with age in the child samples and decreased with age in the adult samples, there was little evidence of systematic change in the magnitude of interference effects. Surprisingly, individuals who had larger memory spans when there was no secondary task showed greater interference effects than their age-mates. These findings are inconsistent with the hypothesis that age and individual differences in working memory are due to differences in the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, at least as this hypothesis is currently formulated. Moreover, our results suggest that different mechanisms underlie developmental and individual differences in susceptibility to interference across the life span. A model is proposed in which memory span and processing speed both increase with development but are relatively independent abilities within age groups.
Dynamical Origin of Low-Frequency Variability in a Highly Nonlinear Midlatitude Coupled Model

Abstract A novel mechanism of decadal midlatitude coupled variability, which crucially depends on the nonlinear dynamics of both the atmosphere and the ocean, is presented. The coupled model studied involves quasigeostrophic atmospheric and oceanic components, which communicate with each other via a constant-depth oceanic mixed layer. A series of coupled and uncoupled experiments show that the decadal coupled mode is active across parameter ranges that allow the bimodality of the atmospheric zonal flow to coexist with oceanic turbulence. The latter is most intense in the regions of inertial recirculation (IR). Bimodality is associated with the existence of two distinct anomalously persistent zonal-flow modes, which are characterized by different latitudes of the atmospheric jet stream. The IR reorganizations caused by transitions of the atmosphere from its high- to low-latitude state and vice versa create sea surface temperature anomalies that tend to induce transition to the opposite atmospheric state. T...
Neurons in the dorsal rostral pons process information about changes in venous return and in arterial pressure

To examine pathways in the brain stem that process information from cardiovascular receptors we tested, in cats anesthetized with chloralose/urethane, 76 neurons in the locus coeruleus and locus subcoeruleus for their response to hemodynamic perturbations. The experiments were designed to define processing of information from arterial baroreceptors and from atrial receptors. We have modified the activity of baroreceptors and/or atrial receptors using partial constriction of the supradiaphragmatic inferior vena cava, with and without stabilization of arterial pressure and have modified the activity of atrial receptors directly using volume pulsation of the right atrium (+/- ml, 1 Hz, 3 min). The activity of 26 neurons increased and the activity of two neurons decreased in response to constriction of the vena cava. A quantitative analysis indicates that the behavior of these neurons is related in part to changes in arterial pressure and in part to changes in other pressures, such as atrial pressure. None of the neurons stimulated by constriction of the vena cava responded to volume pulsation of the right atrium. However, 6 of 9 responsive neurons tested responded also to contriction of the vena cava during stabilization of arterial pressure. Under this condition the neurons must be responding to changes in the activity of cardiovascular receptors other than arterial baroreceptors. The results suggest strongly that neurons in the locus coeruleus and locus subcoeruleus process information about changes in venous return and in arterial pressure. It is hypothesized that the responsive neurons may mediate changes in the release of pituitary hormones and in behavioral arousal in response to hemodynamic change.
A simultaneous solution for flow and fiber orientation in axisymmetric diverging radial flow

Abstract The effect of the changing microstructure during the flow of fiber suspensions on the flow kinematics is studied. The suspension is assumed to consist of rigid cylindrical particles immersed in a highly viscous Newtonian fluid. Further, the suspension is modeled as an anisotropic fluid whose rheological properties are functions of the local microstructure. The effect of inertia is neglected during the flow of the suspension. The orientation of the particles is assumed to be governed by the flow field and the fiber—fiber interactions. The governing equations for the flow field and fiber orientation are coupled and are simultaneously solved in an axisymmetric radial-flow configuration. These solutions are compared to those obtained using the conventional decoupled approximation where the bulk flow field is assumed to be unaffected by the presence of the suspended particles.
HRTEM study of displacement cascade damage in krypton-ion-irradiated silicate — olivine

Abstract With a 1.5 MeV Kr + -ion irradiation at room temperature, olivine [(Mg 0.88 Fe 0.12 ) 2 SiO 4 ] was completely amorphized after a dose of 5.3×10 14 ions/cm 2 , as observed by in situ TEM. After a dose as low as 2.55×10 12 ions/cm 2 , HRTEM revealed damaged domains (approximately 5 nm in dimensions) in which lattice fringes were fuzzy or completely lost at the thin regions of the sample. Multislice image calculations for supercells containing various amounts of amorphous volume and Monte Carlo simulations for displacement cascades indicate that the observed damage domains in the HRTEM image contain 30%–100% amorphous volume through the thickness and are caused by overlapping of the displacement cascades in projection.
A local solution for deterministic and stochastic transport equations

A local method is developed for finding the hydraulic head at an arbitrary point of a soil deposit with conductivity varying randomly in space. The method is said to be local since it delivers the hydraulic head at an arbitrary point of a soil deposit directly rather than extracting it from a field solution. The local method always converges to the exact solution, is ideal for parallel computation, and is simple to implement. The method is applied to solve locally one-dimensional transport equations with mixed boundary conditions, calculate corresponding effective conductivity, and examine size effect in specimens with hydraulic conductivity varying randomly in space.
Valuation of asset leasing contracts

Abstract This paper describes the relation among a variety of asset leasing contracts, including: (1) cancellable operating leases; (2) leases which grant the lesse an option to extend the life of the lease; (3) leases that grant the lessee an option to purchase the leased asset at a fixed price at the maturity date of the lease; (4) leases that grant the lessee the right to purchase the leased asset at its ‘fair market value’ at the maturity date of the lease; (5) leases that grant an option to the lessee to purchase the leased asset at a prespecified price anytime during the life of the lease; (6) leases that require the lessee to purchase the leased asset at a fixed price at the maturity date of the lease; and (7) leases that contain non-cancellation provisions. The paper uses a compound option pricing framework to develop a general model for valuing (or evaluating) each of the types of leasing contracts. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effect of the various elements of a leasing contract — including cancellation risk and residual value risk — on equilibrium rental payments.
How is Taking Care of Caregivers of Children with Disabilities Related to Academic Achievement

Respite care services have been linked to variety of positive outcomes for caregivers and families alike. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association of receiving respite care with academic achievement for children with disabilities across time. The study employed a nationally representative sample of children to examine this relationship using structural models. Results indicate a positive association between receiving respite care services and academic achievement across time for children with disabilities. In an era of high-stakes achievement testing, these results link respite care services to those academic achievement outcomes while complementing previous research.
Biaxial Fatigue of Fiber-Reinforced Composites at Cryogenic Temperatures. Part I: Fatigue Fracture Life and Mechanisms

A study of biaxial fatigue of glass fiber-reinforced composites subjected to in-phase, cyclic tensile and torsional loading at cryogenic temperatures is presented. Fatigue failure of the composite is investigated in terms of cyclic fracture, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation. Fatigue fracture lives of the cryogenic composite are obtained for the cases of various combinations of cyclic tensile and torsional stresses. A power-law relationship is established between the range of cyclic octahedral shear stress and the number of cycles to fracture. Influences of hydrostatic mean stress and stress biaxiality ratio on fatigue fracture of the fiber composite are determined. Fracture mechanisms in the material during the cryogenic biaxial fatigue are examined by using optical and scanning electron microscopes.
Einstein, Heisenberg, Kant: methodological distinction and conditions of possibilities

Abstract The concepts of objectivity and causality, as they are used in general in IS research, and in particular in critical realism, are no longer valid in Physics. Therefore, IS research should consider the “copernician revolution” that happened in Physics and in other sciences. Bhor, Heisenberg and Einstein themselves refer to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. The two fundamental concepts are therefore no more objectivity and causality, but the “methodological distinction” and the “conditions of possibilities”. This kantian framework, commonly used by other human and social sciences, like sociology or history, indicates a way for an epistemological pluralism in IS research.
The Structure of Religion

The popular belief that religion is the same everywhere or that all religions are ‘at bottom’ identical in essentials is a widespread falsehood that is saved from being completely worthless by the fact that religion does exhibit a universal or common structure wherever it appears. This structure is intimately related to the structure of human life in the world. The enduring pattern that enables us to understand religions widely separated in both time and space depends largely on the fact that man and the process of human life in the world have their own structures which remain, despite the undeniable variety introduced by vast differences of culture, ethnic features, geographical location, climate etc. Structure means pattern or form; it is reality significantly organised. It can be grasped as that which endures above and beyond changing historical details. Because human life has a structure, we are able to understand the wrath of Achilles or sympathise with the love of Abelard for Heloise although we are separated from both by centuries of time.