cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repositioning a tourism destination: the case of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

SUMMARY This paper is a case study of the repositioning of New Orleans as a tourism destination after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. It examines the event from a post-disaster marketing viewpoint and first outlines the tourism industry in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, including visitor profile, destination image, and positioning statements. The article then recounts the effects of the hurricane on the tourism infrastructure. The effectiveness of recovery marketing strategies, including the repositioning strategies undertaken by the city's tourism marketing organizations, is examined. The disaster management frameworks as discussed in the literature are revisited and extended to include the lessons learned for post disaster market repositioning.
Computational modeling of nitric oxide transport and consumption in blood vessels

A two-dimensional, multi-cellular model, that describes the transport and consumption of Nitric oxide (NO) in blood vessels and the surrounding tissue, is developed. Unlike previous models of this system, the model developed here accounts explicitly for the presence of, and interactions among, a population of red blood cells (RBCs) inside the lumen of the blood vessel, and is, therefore, better suited to quantify the transport barriers that reduce the rate of NO consumption in the blood. The model uses experimentally-derived parameters and consists of several sets of partial differential equations (PDEs) that describe the production, diffusion, and consumption of NO in different regions inside and around the vessel. The PDEs are coupled through the boundary conditions that govern the flux and concentration of NO at the interfaces between the different regions. The entire set of PDEs is solved for NO concentration, using efficient finite-element algorithms, and the results are used to assess the contribution of each transport barrier to the overall resistance for NO uptake in the blood.
Magnetic non-equivalence of methylene protons in dissymmetric benzylamines

Abstract As a result of the lack of a plane of symmetry in identically α,α′- trans -disubstituted heterocyclic amines, the methylene protons of their N-benzyl derivatives are stereochemically and magnetically non-equivalent. The resultant splitting in the NMR spectrum enables an easy differentation between cis and trans isomers.
Law, Culture, and Conflict: Dispute Resolution in Postwar Japan

The 1963 publication of Takeyoshi Kawashima's "Dispute Resolution in Contemporary Japan" has indelibly influenced the study of law and conflict in postwar Japan. A mere nineteen text pages of Arthur Taylor von Mehren's seven hundred-page volume, Law in Japan: The Legal Order in a Changing Society, Kawashima's observations about the infrequency of litigation in Japan, and his emphasis on the sociocultural context of conflict, continue to resonate. As a noted scholar of Japanese law has succinctly written, "Virtually every scholarly work [about Japanese law] in the last thirty-five years has been framed in some way or another by the conceptual construct Professor Kawashima offered." This chapter first identifies the central claims of Kawashima's article and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses. Next, it examines four types of scholarship on Japanese law that owe a significant debt to Kawashima: culturalist views of Japanese law, institutional analyses of the Japanese legal system, law and economics approaches to legal behavior in Japan, and case studies of Japanese law and society. In doing so, it further explores Kawashima's most significant contributions as well as his oversights. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the recent movement to reform the legal system, which seems likely to bring about at least some of the changes to dispute resolution that Kawashima predicted. Both too much and too little have been read into Kawashima's work. Its elegant simplicity hides a complex set of observations. At the same time, those observations can be clearly stated and evaluated.
The Precarious Self: Schools and the Challenge of Climate Change

Educational discourse is supposed to be about the ways we can best prepare the young for their future but, while climate scientists and ecologists have long warned us about the precarious future we face, environmental issues have remained (at best) at the margins of schooling in the United States. Some states have nominally made sustainability a goal of schooling, but those demands seem totally inadequate given the lack of any serious engagement throughout the curriculum. With the failures in Kyoto and Copenhagen and with climate change already occurring, it is far from clear what sustainability might mean in a world so much in flux and with such momentum behind its most dangerous practices. But these factors only increase the importance of this issue in schooling: given the unanimity of scientists about the changing climate (if not quite about its causes), how might students be prepared for the environmental futures they face?
Duke Surgery Research Central: an open-source Web application for the improvement of compliance with research regulation.

Background Although regulatory compliance in academic research is enforced by law to ensure high quality and safety to participants, its implementation is frequently hindered by cost and logistical barriers. In order to decrease these barriers, we have developed a Web-based application, Duke Surgery Research Central (DSRC), to monitor and streamline the regulatory research process.
Is the Predicted ESS in the Sequential Assessment Game Evolvable

The Sequential Assessment Game model of animal contests predicts an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) that is a sequence of thresholds for giving up. Simulated evolution experiments reveal that the selection pressure on higher-numbered thresholds is most likely too low to allow for the theoretically predicted ESS to evolve in nature.
Mathematical Statistics: THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS AND UNDERLYING CONCEPTS OF MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS

The scope of mathematical statistics . The bounds of mathematical statistics are not sharply denned. It is not uncommon to include under mathematical statistics such topics as interpolation theory, approximate integration, periodogram analysis, index numbers, actuarial theory, and various other topics from the calculus of observations. In fact, it seems that mathematical statistics in its most extended meaning may be regarded as including all the mathematics applied to the analysis of quantitative data obtained from observation. On the other hand, a number of mathematicians and statisticians have implied by their writings a limitation of mathematical statistics to the consideration of such questions of frequency, probability, averages, mathematical expectation, and dispersion as are likely to arise in the characterization and analysis of masses of quantitative data. Borel has expressed this somewhat restricted point of view in his statement that the general problem of mathematical statistics is to determine a system of drawings carried out with urns of fixed composition, in such a way that the results of a series of drawings lead, with a very high degree of probability, to a table of values identical with the table of observed values. On account of the different views concerning the boundaries of the field of mathematical statistics there arose early in the preparation of this monograph questions of some difficulty in the selection of topics to be included.
Compellingness: assessing the practical relevance of clinical research results

While the critical appraisal of clinical research has generally focused on aspects of study design and statistical analysis, other features of clinical studies appear to be more important to clinicians for assessing the value of a particular study in the care of particular patients. These features relate to the quality of the knowledge derived from the research, the value of the results to the care of individual patients, and the responsibility of clinicians to be stewards of limited resources. Twelve features of clinical research studies that affect how compelling individual clinicians find the results are proposed and examined here. By better understanding what makes clinical research compelling enough to alter or reinforce clinical practice, clinical researchers can design future studies to better serve the needs of clinicians and patients.
Putting Regulation Before Responsibility: The Limits of Voluntary Corporate Social Responsibility

Globalization of business has heightened concerns regarding corporate conduct in developing countries. Critics have charged that multinational firms in particular have exported social harms involving labor, the environment, bribery, and human rights to jurisdictions outside of their home countries. Opportunities for regulatory arbitrage and the associated collective action problem such opportunities suggest, highlight the need for strong regulatory responses to these issues. Rather than prioritize the strengthening of national or international regulatory actors to address these social harms, voluntary corporate social responsibility initiatives have emerged as a favored response within the international community. This article undertakes a critical examination of the rationale for these initiatives. It argues that the premises on which they are grounded are flawed insofar as they ignore basic research concerning the drivers of regulatory compliance, fail to remedy underlying social harms, contravene broader goals of fostering strong regulatory institutions in developing countries, and undermine economic development to the extent that they erode state capacity in setting economic and regulatory policies. As an alternative to purely voluntaristic measures, this article emphasizes the need to build the capacity of local regulatory authorities. It cites two cases involving the use of domestic regulatory and enforcement power in African states as examples of how the empowerment of state institutions can constitute more effective responses to significant social harms.
How Do Propensity Score Methods Measure Up in the Presence of Measurement Error? A Monte Carlo Study

Considering that the absence of measurement error in research is a rare phenomenon and its effects can be dramatic, we examine the impact of measurement error on propensity score (PS) analysis used to minimize selection bias in behavioral and social observational studies. A Monte Carlo study was conducted to explore the effects of measurement error on the treatment effect and balance estimates in PS analysis across seven different PS conditioning methods. In general, the results indicate that even low levels of measurement error in the covariates lead to substantial bias in estimates of treatment effects and concomitant reduction in confidence interval coverage across all methods of conditioning on the PS.
Residual disorder in silicon after anneal of high dose through oxide arsenic implants

The onset of residual disorder as a function of dose and target temperature Tt has been measured for arsenic 50 keV implants into 〈100〉 silicon through 22.5 nm screen oxide. Dose and target temperature has been varied in the range 1.0×1016 cm−2 to 4.0×10 16 cm−2 and 40°C to 280°C. The number of defects, delineated by Wright etching after high temperature annealing increases monotonically with dose above a certain threshold (no defects below), whereas a maximum of residual defect density has been found at Tt=150°C if the target temperature is varied at constant dose. The amount of residual disorder could be drastically reduced by surface treatments prior to the high temperature anneals (“drive in” and reox.). The maximum of residual disorder (at Tt=150°C interpreted as the result of an in situ anneal of the radiation damage which finally prevents an amorphous surface layer for further increased target temperatures.
A Rasch Model for Partial Credit Scoring.

A unidimensional latent trait model for responses scored in two or more ordered categories is developed. This “Partial Credit” model is a member of the family of latent trait models which share the property of parameter separability and so permit “specifically objective” comparisons of persons and items. The model can be viewed as an extension of Andrich's Rating Scale model to situations in which ordered response alternatives are free to vary in number and structure from item to item. The difference between the parameters in this model and the “category boundaries” in Samejima's Graded Response model is demonstrated. An unconditional maximum likelihood procedure for estimating the model parameters is developed.
Phased Migration to Koha: Our Library's Experience

Landman Library is two-thirds of the way through a three-stage process of migrating to the Koha open-source integrated library system (http://koha-community.org). We are an academic library with roughly 143,000 volumes, six professional librarians, and three support staff. The migration to open source was driven by the desire to access our own data as well the need for more flexibility in our public search interface. After evaluating two open-source solutions, we selected Koha because it included modules for all major functions of the library. The phased migration process allowed us to spread costs out over multiple fiscal years and to make the most urgent changes sooner than would have otherwise been possible. The two phases that we have completed so far have taught us various lessons about project management, problem solving, and communication between the library and IT. We learned to involve stakeholders very early, provide specific examples when reporting problems, and have a designated liaison betwee...
Robotic-assisted esophagoesophagostomy.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Minimally invasive repair of esophageal atresia has been described but remains technically challenging. Robotic surgical systems address many of these technical challenges. The purpose of this study was to develop the procedure for and evaluate the technical feasibility of performing a robotic-assisted esophagoesophagostomy using the Zeus Robotic Surgical System. Methods: Esophagoesophagostomy was performed in 10 piglets using thoracoscopic (control, n=5) and robotic-assisted (Zeus, experimental, n=5) approaches. An interrupted esophageal anastomosis using intracorporeal knot tying techniques was performed and evaluated for leak, narrowing, caliber, and mucosal approximation. Anesthesia, operative, anastomotic, and robotic set-up times were recorded as was the number of stitches used. Results: All 10 anastomoses were patent with no narrowing and with excellent mucosal approximation. One anastomosis in the control group had a small leak. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for the parameters measured. Weight (kg): control (C), 6.4 ± 0.8; experimental (E), 6.3 ± 1.0, P =.08. Times (min): anesthesia, C-124 ± 25, E-151 ± 20, P =.09; operative, C-97 ± 21, E-131 ± 27, P =.06; anastomotic, C-89 ± 20, E-125 ± 34, P =.08; robotic set-up, C-6.4 ± 9.3, E-15.6 ± 20, P = 0.13. Stitches (No.): C-11.8 ± 0.8, E-12.0 ± 1.2, P =.7. Caliber (French):C-18F-5; E-18F-4, 14F-1. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted esophagoesophagostomy is technically feasible and offers an alternative approach to thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia. J Pediatr Surg 37:983-985. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
GOTCHA experience report: three-dimensional SAR imaging with complete circular apertures

We study circular synthetic aperture radar (CSAR) systems collecting radar backscatter measurements over a complete circular aperture of 360 degrees. This study is motivated by the GOTCHA CSAR data collection experiment conducted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Circular SAR provides wide-angle information about the anisotropic reflectivity of the scattering centers in the scene, and also provides three dimensional information about the location of the scattering centers due to a non planar collection geometry. Three dimensional imaging results with single pass circular SAR data reveals that the 3D resolution of the system is poor due to the limited persistence of the reflectors in the scene. We present results on polarimetric processing of CSAR data and illustrate reasoning of three dimensional shape from multi-view layover using prior information about target scattering mechanisms. Next, we discuss processing of multipass (CSAR) data and present volumetric imaging results with IFSAR and three dimensional backprojection techniques on the GOTCHA data set. We observe that the volumetric imaging with GOTCHA data is degraded by aliasing and high sidelobes due to nonlinear flightpaths and sparse and unequal sampling in elevation. We conclude with a model based technique that resolves target features and enhances the volumetric imagery by extrapolating the phase history data using the estimated model.
Severe phenotype in mice with termination mutation in exon 2 of cystic fibrosis gene

Mice with a termination codon mutation in exon 2 of the cystic fibrosis (CF) gene were generated using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Animals homozygous for the mutant allele display a severe intestinal phenotype similar to that previously reported for CF mutant mice. The null nature of this allele was demonstrated by the absence of detectable wild-type mRNA, by the absence of detectable CFTR in the serous gland collecting ducts of salivary tissues, and by the lack of cAMP-mediated short-circuit current responses in colonic epithelium of mutant animals.
The Transformation of Nitriles into Amides Using Sodium Percarbonate

The usefulness of sodium percarbonate, an inexpensive, safe and easily handled reagent for the transformation of nitriles into amides was investigated. Aromatic nitriles lacking ortho-substituents and heteroaromatic nitriles were efficiently transformed into amides; while ortho-substituted aromatic nitriles and aliphatic nitriles gave moderate yields of the corresponding amides.
Diabetes-induced glomerular dysfunction: Links to a more reduced cytosolic ratio of NADH/NAD+

Diabetes-induced glomerular dysfunction: Links to a more reduced cytosolic ratio of NADH/NAD + . These studies were undertaken to examine effects of elevated glucose levels on glycolysis, sorbitol pathway activity, and the cytosolic redox state of NADH/NAD + in isolated glomeruli. Blood-free glomeruli were isolated from kidneys of male, Sprague-Dawley rats using standard sieving techniques, then incubated for one hour at 37°C, pH 7.4, pO 2 ∼500 torr, in Krebs bicarbonate/Hepes buffer containing 5 or 30 mM glucose. Elevated glucose levels increased glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, total triose phosphates, lactate, the lactate/pyruvate ratio, sorbitol, and fructose, but did not affect sn-glycerol 3-phosphate, pyruvate, or myo -inositol levels. The more reduced glomerular cytosolic redox state (manifested by the tissue lactate/pyruvate ratio) induced by 30 mM glucose was completely abrogated by aldose reductase inhibitors added to the diet two to seven days prior to glomerular isolation. These observations, coupled with evidence linking glucose- and diabetes-induced glomerular dysfunction to increased sorbitol pathway metabolism, support the hypothesis that metabolic imbalances associated with a more reduced ratio of cytosolic NADH/NAD + (resulting from increased glucose metabolism via the sorbitol pathway) play an important role in mediating glucose- and diabetes-induced glomerular dysfunction.
AGING AND SEVERE PHYSICAL DISABILITY: PATTERNS OF CHANGE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES

For the first time in history, numbers of people with severe physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury or polio are surviving to old age. Aging‐related changes combined with preexisting impairments present new challenges for these individuals and for service providers. Implications for professionals include the need to foster more collaborative relationships between themselves and recipients, to emphasize services that enable independence, to coordinate new services, and to address issues of wellness, not only disability.
Basolateral Amygdala Lesions Abolish Orbitofrontal-Dependent Reversal Impairments

Damage to orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has long been associated with deficits in reversal learning. OFC damage also causes inflexible associative encoding in basolateral amygdala (ABL) during reversal learning. Here we provide a critical test of the hypothesis that the reversal deficit in OFC-lesioned rats is caused by this inflexible encoding in ABL. Rats with bilateral neurotoxic lesions of OFC, ABL, or both areas were tested on a series of two-odor go/no-go discrimination problems, followed by two serial reversals of the final problem. As expected, all groups acquired the initial problems at the same rate, and rats with OFC lesions were slower to acquire the reversals than sham controls. This impairment was abolished by accompanying ABL lesions, while ABL lesions alone had no effect on reversal learning. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that OFC facilitates cognitive flexibility by promoting updating of associative encoding in downstream brain areas.
Examination of the thermal variation of the mean square atomic displacements in zinc and evaluation of the associated Debye temperature.

Mean square atomic displacements variation with temperature in Zn, evaluating Debye temperature
Bite force discrimination by individuals with complete dentures

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences existed in interincisor bite force discrimination between a group of subjects wearing complete dentures and a group of dentate individuals. It was hypothesized that biting force is monitored at least in part by the sensory mechanism within the PDL and that the absence of the PDL would result in reduced bite force discrimination. A specially designed strain gauge scale was constructed for the measurement of bite force. Bite force discrimination was assessed at three different standards including 500, 1000, and 3000 gm. Data analysis revealed that, overall, bite force discrimination was not significantly different for the two groups. However, at the lightest standard of 500 gm, the dentate group performed significantly better ( p
Making efficient public good decisions using an augmented Ausubel auction

We provide the generalization of Ausubel’s 2004 ascending bid auction to public good environments. Like its private good counterpart, the public good Ausubel auction encourages truthful revelation of preferences, is privacy preserving, and yields an equilibrium allocation that is outcome equivalent to the public good Vickrey auction. Other properties are not ideal in a public good setting. We discuss two such issues and propose an alternative dynamic auction which solves these problems.
An assessment of claims of 'excess heat' in 'cold fusion' calorimetry

Abstract Claims of ‘excess heat’ from measurements of the heat of electrolysis at several watts of power are largely based on use of poorly characterized, isoperibol, heat-conduction calorimeters with single-point temperature sensors. This paper describes construction, testing, and calibration of a calorimeter of similar design. Heat-conduction calorimeters with single-point temperature sensing and inadequate mixing are subject to large systematic errors resulting from non-uniform heat distribution within the system. Confirmation of electric-heater calibration by a chemical reaction with a well-known enthalpy change is a minimum requirement to insure accuracy. Improper or incomplete calibration is a probable cause for many claims of ‘excess heat’ in ‘cold fusion’ experiments.
Parent and physician attitudes regarding electronic communication in pediatric practices.

Objective. To determine 1) the electronic mail (e-mail) capabilities of families, general pediatricians (GPs), and subspecialty pediatricians (SPs) from an integrated pediatric health care delivery system and 2) the knowledge base and attitudes of these groups regarding the potential issues involved in using e-mail for physician-patient communication. Methods. Parents were interviewed in the offices of participating practices using a standardized survey tool. Pediatricians and staff were interviewed using a separate instrument. The data were entered into a database for analysis. Results. A total of 325 parents and 37 physicians were interviewed. Fifty-seven percent of the 161 parents who were interviewed at the GP offices and 66% of the 164 families that were interviewed at SP offices had access to e-mail. Parents aged 31 to 40 years were significantly more likely to have access to e-mail than parents of other age groups. Access to e-mail increased with family income and parental education. Most (74%) parents who were interviewed expressed interest in using e-mail to contact their child's physician/physician's office for several purposes, including getting information or test results, scheduling appointments, and/or discussing a particular symptom. Although both groups of parents expressed concerns about confidentiality, parents at the GP offices were significantly more concerned (median GP = 95 vs median SP = 70). Seventy-four percent of GPs and 100% of SPs had access to e-mail; however, 79% did not want to use e-mail for physician-patient communication, citing concerns about confidentiality and the time demands that patient e-mail might engender. Conclusions. The majority of parents and pediatricians at both general and subspecialty pediatric offices are capable of communicating electronically. Parents and pediatricians are aware of the issues surrounding e-mail use for patient communication. Most parents express an interest in using e-mail for patient-physician communications, whereas most physicians are opposed to this practice. Pediatrics 2002;109:740-744; e-mail, Internet, physician-patient communication, electronic communication.
When worlds collide: IP3 receptors and the ERAD pathway

While cell signaling devotees tend to think of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a Ca(2+) store, those who study protein synthesis tend to see it more as site for protein maturation, or even degradation when proteins do not fold properly. These two worldviews collide when inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptors are activated, since in addition to acting as release channels for stored ER Ca(2+), IP(3) receptors are rapidly destroyed via the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, a ubiquitination- and proteasome-dependent mechanism that clears the ER of aberrant proteins. Here we review recent studies showing that activated IP(3) receptors are ubiquitinated in an unexpectedly complex manner, and that a novel complex composed of the ER membrane proteins SPFH1 and SPFH2 (erlin 1 and 2) binds to IP(3) receptors immediately after they are activated and mediates their ERAD. Remarkably, it seems that the conformational changes that underpin channel opening make IP(3) receptors resemble aberrant proteins, which triggers their binding to the SPFH1/2 complex, their ubiquitination and extraction from the ER membrane and finally, their degradation by the proteasome. This degradation of activated IP(3) receptors by the ERAD pathway serves to reduce the sensitivity of ER Ca(2+) stores to IP(3) and may protect cells against deleterious effects of over-activation of Ca(2+) signaling pathways.
Experimental investigations of thrust vectoring systems for VTOL aircraft

This paper presents a summary of two technology programs sponsored by NASA to investigate the characteristics of two thrust vectoring schemes for V/STOL aircraft. The operational capability of the VTOL aircraft is dependent on maximum utilization of the installed thrust in both the cruise and powered lift modes of flight. An effective thrust vectoring system on the cruise propulsion unit is therefore essential to provide maximum payload in hover and STOL plus minimum specific fuel consumption in loiter and cruise. Introducing a high by-pass ratio fan system, augmenting the gas generator thrust, as the propulsion system for VTOL aircraft places increased significance on the performance of the relatively short coupled thrust vectoring systems. The two programs discussed herein include both large-scale and small-scale tests of a vectoring hood system with a vented, internal-lip and swivel nozzle systems. These tests indicated that a satisfactory thrust vectoring system can be developed.
Fibre-optic interferometric systems using low-coherence light sources

Abstract With the increasing interest in the use of optical-fibre interferometer measurement systems, the importance of the incorporation of low-coherence light sources is becoming of particular significance. In this work, the optical characteristics of different types of such sources in several interferometers are reviewed and examples are given. Their advantages in terms of increased unambiguous range, immunity to perturbation, high resolution and dynamic range, are discussed.
Polymers for gene delivery across length scales

A number of human diseases stem from defective genes. One approach to treating such diseases is to replace, or override, the defective genes with normal genes, an approach called 'gene therapy'. However, the introduction of correctly functioning DNA into cells is a non-trivial matter, and cells must be coaxed to internalize, and then use, the DNA in the desired manner. A number of polymer-based synthetic systems, or 'vectors', have been developed to entice cells to use exogenous DNA. These systems work across the nano, micro and macro length scales, and have been under continuous development for two decades, with varying degrees of success. The design criteria for the construction of more-effective delivery vectors at each length scale are continually evolving. This review focuses on the most recent developments in polymer-based vector design at each length scale.
Eleven Tips to Find Course Materials When Time is Limited

New faculty and others have limited time to develop new courses and course lectures. Using a short course on human factors and nuclear power as a case study, the author identified tips for finding ...
Personality patterns in chronic alcoholism (Korsakoff's syndrome), chronic schizophrenia, and geriatric patients with chronic brain syndrome.

: The personality profiles of three groups of long-term hospital patients were obtained by means of the Emotions Profile Index, a personality test designed to measure 8 basic traits. The study groups were as follows: 1) patients with severe chronic alcoholism who showed definite evidence of Korsakoff's syndrome, 2) patients with chronic schizophrenia, and 3) geriatric patients with chronic brain syndrome. All these groups were in state hospitals. The Korsakoff-alcoholic patients appeared to be gregarious, obedient, timid, and poorly self-controlled. Then-profile was different from those of normal subjects and of patients with schizophrenia. However, their profile was similar to that of geriatric patients with chronic brain syndrome who were not alcoholic. The basic similarity between Korsakoff-alcoholic patients and geriatric-CBS patients suggests that there is not a unique alcoholic personality.
Advances in flowing afterglow and selected-ion flow tube techniques

Abstract New developments in flowing afterglow and selected-ion flow tube (SIFT) techniques are briefly reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to the new chemical and physical information that can be obtained with use of the tandem flowing afterglow-triple quadrupole apparatus developed in the author's laboratory. Several outstanding recent achievements in the design and utilization of flowing afterglow and SIFT instruments in other laboratories are briefly highlighted that illustrate the power and flexibility of flow-tube-based methods. These include isotope tracer experiments with the tandem flowing afterglow-SIFT instrument in Boulder, studies of large molecular cluster ions with the variable temperature facility at Penn State, and gas-phase metal ion reactions with the laser ablation/fast flow reactor in Madison. Recent applications of the flowing afterglow-triple quadrupole instrument in our laboratory have made use of collision-induced dissociation (CID) as a tool for synthesizing novel ions and for obtaining new thermo-chemical information from threshold energy measurements. Collision-induced decar☐ylation of organic car☐ylate ions provides access to a variety of unusual and highly basic carbanions that cannot be generated with conventional ion sources. The formation and properties of saturated alkyl ions and studies of gas-phase reactions of the methyl anion are briefly described. We have developed a new method for carrying out “preparative CID” in a flowing afterglow with use of a mini-drift tube; some recent applications of this new ion source are presented. Measurement of CID thresholds for simple cleavage reactions of thermalized ions can provide accurate measures of bond strengths, gas-phase acidities and basicities, and heats of formation for ions and reactive neutral species. Applications of this approach in the thermochemical characterization of carbenes, benzynes and biradicals are described. Future prospects for the continued development of flow reactor-based methods are also briefly discussed.
Prediction of flux and selectivity in pervaporation through a membrane

Abstract Flux and selectivity in pervaporation through a membrane can be predicted via the solution-diffusion mechanism by the use of solubility and diffusivity models. The solubility model developed takes into account the free energy contributions in the mixture system of multicomponent penetrants and a polymer from combinatorial-entropy, free-volume, interactional-enthalpy, and elastic factors. The diffusivity model developed is the hybrid model that combines the key features of the free-volume and molecular models. In the hybrid model, penetrant molecular thickness and polymer molecular parameters are used to determine the term equivalent to the preexponential factor of the free-volume model, and the free-volume expression is used to relate penetrant diffusivity to penetrant size and the free volume of the mixture system including concentration contributions from the multicomponent penetrants. Both the solubility and diffusivity models have been verified with the sorption of single-component aromatic vapors in a semicrystalline polyethylene film. Based on the single-component solubility and diffusivity model parameters determined from the sorption, the prediction of flux and selectivity is in line with experimental data obtained from the perva-poration of a mixture of toluene, p-xylene, and mesitylene through the polyethylene film at various temperatures and different permeate pressures. The effects of temperature on flux and selectivity are investigated via both the model prediction and experiments. Also predicted are the effects of permeate vapor pressure on flux and selectivity, and the concentration and diffusivity profiles across the membrane.
Content-based indexing in the MPEG-1, -2, and -4 domains

Retrieval of videos from large databases using the inherent content as a key, is an important and challenging problem with many applications. The large volume of data associated with visual information presents challenges from the perspectives of storage, browsing, indexing and retrieval. The Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) has addressed the issue of compression by proposing a family of video compression standards, namely MPEG 1, MPEG 2 and MPEG 4. In this paper, we propose a unified scheme for indexing the visual content in the MPEG 1, 2, and 4 domains. A video is first segmented into elemental units called shots. In the case of MPEG 1 and 2 videos containing simple camera operations (without significant object motion), we propose to generate a mosaic which is representative of the visual content of the entire shot in contrast to existing approaches where videos with both little and large motion employ one of the frames (say the first frame) of the shot as a representative key frame. In the case of MPEG 4 videos, sprites (proposed by the MPEG 4 standard) are used as the mosaic reflecting the background content of the shot. We propose a scheme for indexing the visual content by extracting features from the mosaic/key frame, which is tagged along with the temporal parameters obtained from the shot. The quantification and qualification of the color and texture information in the keyframes are obtained by using a supervised classifier. The shape information is extracted at the local and global levels using the concept of edge histograms. In addition, the shape information available from the binary alpha planes of the foreground video object in MPEG 4 is approximated by a B-Spline representation and used as a feature vector. A representation scheme has been developed which generates an XML file that contains the extracted content descriptors in accordance with the Data Description Language (DDL) of MPEG 7.
Vibrational circular dichroism in amino acids and peptides. 7. Amide stretching vibrations in polypeptides

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra for the principal amide stretching vibrations, amide A (NH stretch) and amide I (predominantly CO stretch), are presented and analyzed for a variety of polypeptides dissolved in chloroform, as well as for two examples in D2O. Our results for poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) confirm the first and only previous report of VCD in polypeptides carried out by Singh and Keiderling [(1981) Biopolymers20, 237–240]. Collectively, our spectra show that the sense of the bisignate VCD in these two regions depends on the sense of α-helicity and not on the absolute configuration of the constituent amino acids. This conclusion is established by obtaining VCD for the two polypeptides, poly(β-benzyl-L-asparate) and poly(im-benzyl-L-histidine), that form left-handed as opposed to right-handed α-helices. A new amide band having significant VCD intensity owing to its Fermi resonance interaction with the NH stretching mode has been identified as a weak shoulder on the low-frequency side of the amide A band near 3200 cm−1 and is assigned as a combination band of the amide I and amide II vibrations. VCD spectra of polypeptides in D2O solution, although weak, have been successfully measured in the amide I region, where spectra appear to be more complicated due to the presence of solvated and internally hydrogen-bonded amide groups. Strong monosignate contributions to the VCD in the amide A and amide I regions for some of the polypeptides indicate coupling of an electronic nature between these two regions and is deduced by an application of the concept of local sum rules of rotational strength. It appears that a detailed understanding of the VCD obtained for polypeptides will not only be diagnostic of secondary structure, but also of more subtle structural and vibrational effects that give rise to local, intrinsic chirality in the amide vibrations.
Hole spin relaxation in quantum dots

We present results for relaxation of the spin of a hole in a cylindrical quantum dot due to acoustic phonon assisted spin flips at low temperatures with an applied magnetic field. The hole dispersion is calculated by numerical diagonalization of the Luttinger Hamiltonian and applying perturbation theory with respect to the magnetic field, and the hole-phonon coupling is described by the Bir-Pikus Hamiltonian. We find that the decoherence time for hole spins for dots ≤20 nm is on the order of 10 - 8 s. This is several orders smaller than the decoherence time due to phonon assisted processes for electron spins in similar dots and is comparable to the total decoherence time of an electron spin in a quantum dot, which is controlled by the hyperfine interaction with nuclei. We obtain the dependence of the relaxation rate of the hole spin on dot size and hole mass.
Training autoassociative recurrent neural network with preprocessed training data

The Auto-Associative Recurrent Network (AARN), a modified version of the Simple Recurrent Network (SRN) can be trained to behave as recognizer of a language generated by a regular grammar. The network is trained successfully on an unbounded number of sequences of the language, generated randomly from the Finite State Automation (FSA) of the language. But the training algorithm fails when training is restricted to a fixed finite set of examples. Here, we present a new algorithm for training the AARN from a finite set of language examples. A tree is constructed by preprocessing the training data. The AARN is trained with sequences generated randomly from the tree. The results of the simulations experiments are discussed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Some methodologic lessons learned from cancer screening research.

Credible and useful methodologic evaluations are essential for increasing the uptake of effective cancer screening tests. In the current article, the authors discuss selected issues that are related to conducting behavior change interventions in cancer screening research and that may assist researchers in better designing future evaluations to increase the credibility and usefulness of such interventions. Selection and measurement of the primary outcome variable (i.e., cancer screening behavior) are discussed in detail. The report also addresses other aspects of study design and execution, including alternatives to the randomized controlled trial, indicators of study quality, and external validity. The authors conclude that the uptake of screening should be the main outcome when evaluating cancer screening strategies; that researchers should agree on definitions and measures of cancer screening behaviors and assess the reliability and validity of these definitions and measures in different populations and settings; and that the development of methods for increasing the external validity of randomized designs and reducing bias in nonrandomized studies is needed. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Amplitude modulation detection patterns of the Budgerigar

In determining the Amplitude Modulation Detection thresholds of the English Budgerigar, several stimuli were used. Amplitude modulation (AM) is the time variation of a sound signal's amplitude2. Using tone and noise carrier waveforms, MATLAB computed both AM and un-modulated stimuli; these signals were played through a speaker for the English Budgerigar. The bird discriminated between the modulated and un-modulated tones. Results show that this species of bird shows similar detection patterns as human beings. Based on the correlations between the bird and human data, the auditory system of the Budgerigar may possibly serve as a model for the human auditory system.
Power system operations scheduling using separable programming

Abstract The problem of electric power operations scheduling comprises maintenance scheduling, intermediate- and short-term hydro-thermal scheduling, unit commitment and production scheduling. Recognizing the inter-relationship among these subproblems, the effect on one another is analyzed. Computationally efficient formulations and algorithms for maintenance scheduling and intermediate- and short-term hydro-thermal scheduling are presented. A variation of the separable programming technique is presented. This results in a linear programming formulation of the nonlinear scheduling problem. This technique is applied to a hypothetical system containing nuclear, fossil, hydro-electric and pumped-storage units. The large problem of hydro-thermal scheduling due to the inclusion of a nuclear unit is decomposed into two stages. In the first stage, the relatively stable nuclear generation is optimized with respect to the generation from large fossil-steam units. Hourly generation levels for all units in the system are then determined in the second stage.
Lessons learned using the insertable robotic effector platform (IREP) for single port access surgery

This paper presents the preliminary evaluation of a robotic system for single port access surgery. This system may be deployed through a 15-mm incision. It deploys two surgical arms and a third arm manipulating a stereo-vision module that tracks instrument location. The paper presents the design of the robot along with experiments demonstrating the capabilities of this robot. The evaluation includes use of tasks from fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery, evaluation of telemanipulation accuracy, knot tying, and vision tracking of tools.
Rapid alteration in Ca++ content and fluxes in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treated myoblasts.

Abstract The tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate rapidly induces alterations in both Ca++ content and transport in cultured differentiated chick myoblasts. At 4 ng/ml (6nM), the promoter caused a 25 ± 12% decrease in total intracellular Ca++ within 5 h after its addition. Measurement of 45Ca++ transport at this time revealed a 15 ± 6% decrease in the rate constants for both efflux and influx. Values of t 1 2 for the cytosolic Ca++ pool in control and treated cells were 9.1 and 10.7 min, respectively, for efflux and 8.6 and 10.4 min, respectively, for influx. Ca++ influx was decreased maximally within 90 sec after promoter addition. No effect was observed on 86Rb+ uptake or intracellular concentration at equilibrium. The Ca++ response is among the most rapid yet reported and may play a primary role in altering cellular metabolism.
The Contrast between Active Transport and Diffusion of Indole-3-acetic Acid in Coleus Petioles

myriad surfaces in the usual 5-mm transport section, and auxins are typically very surface-active molecules (23). It seemed likely that the usual model of IAA diffusing through a cylinder of water was too different from the multisurfaced reality of the transport-section to be pertinent. Accordingly, experiments were designed to examine directly the properties of IAA movement through nonliving tissues and through dimensionally similar agar cylinders. (Some of these results have been reported in a preliminary communication [10].) Plants used were from the Princeton clone of Coleus blumei Benth., grown as described by Veen and Jacobs (22). The fifth leaf-pair below the apical bud was used as a source of sections for the transport tests. The sections were cut from the middle region of the petiole.
Recurrent Pneumonia in a Young Adult

Abstract:Pulmonary sequestrations are rare lesions divided into intralobar and extralobar varieties. Intralobar and extralobar sequestrations are distinguished by the lack of an investing pleural envelope surrounding the former. Furthermore, the typical ages of presentation and clinical manifestatio
Improved Radio Acoustic Sounding Techniques

Abstract Improved radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) technology for use with radar wind profilers has been developed and applied to 915-MHz and 50-MHz profilers. The most important advance is the simultaneous measurement of the wind velocity to correct the acoustic velocity measurement for air motion. This eliminates the primary source of error in previous RASS measurements, especially on short time scales. Another improvement is the use of an acoustic source that is controlled by the same computer that controls the radar. The source can be programmed to produce either a swept frequency or a random hopped frequency signal. Optimum choices of the acoustic source parameters are explored for particular applications. Simultaneous measurement of acoustic and wind velocity enables the calculation of heat flux by eddy correlation. Preliminary heat flux measurements are presented and discussed. Results of the use of RASS with oblique beams are also reported.