cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Naming chaos: Accident, precariousness, and the spirits of wildness in urban Thai spirit cults

Conceptions of wildness (theuan) and accident pervade the Thai informal economy and infuse certain forms of popular religious practice. I look at the propitiation of wilderness spirits in urban Bangkok at shrines that migrant and marginal workers see as sites of hope and danger. I argue that, by naming the potential for accident and death as a spirit with which they can communicate, informal-economy workers attempt to change the potential for misfortune into its opposite. My study draws on recent work on neoliberal and precarious labor in Europe as well as connections between the occult and the economy.
FPGA Bootstrapping on PCIe Using Partial Reconfiguration

For many FPGA-based computing systems, a dedicated FPGA or interface chip is included to provide I/O functionality. As commercial FPGA sincrease in size, they are becoming large enough to include both theI/O interface and the reconfigurable logic. It is non-trivial, however, to provide a consistent, uninterrupted I/O interface on a single FPGA that supports reconfiguration. This paper presents an FPGA-based PCIe computing system that uses bootstrapping to configure FPGA logic at run-time. A static FPGA circuit is created to provide the PCIe interface when the system is powered-up. At run-time, computational circuits are configured onto the device as partially reconfigured modules through the static PCIe interface. Several computing circuit examples from the ERC Bench benchmarking suite were used to demonstrate this technique.
Synthesis of colloidal uranium-dioxide nanocrystals.

In this paper, we have developed an organic-phase synthesis method for producing size-controlled, nearly monodispersed, colloidal uranium−dioxide nanocrystals. These UO2 nanocrystals are potentially important to applications such as nuclear fuel materials, catalysts, and thermopower materials. In addition, we have systematically mapped out the functions of the solvents (oleic acid, oleylamine, and 1-octadecene) in the synthesis, and we found that N-(cis-9-octadecenyl)oleamidea product of the condensation of oleic acid and oleylaminecan substantially affect the formation of UO2 nanocrystals. Importantly, these results provide fundamental insight into the mechanisms of UO2 nanocrystal synthesis. Moreover, because a mixture of oleic acid and oleylamine has been widely used in synthesizing a variety of high-quality metal or metal-oxide nanocrystals, the results herein should also be important for understanding the detailed mechanisms of these syntheses.
Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act: Potential Changes in Receipt of Mental Health Treatment Among Low-Income Nonelderly Adults With Serious Mental Illness

Objectives. We designed this study to examine differences in receipt of mental health treatment between low-income uninsured nonelderly adults with serious mental illness (SMI) who were eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and their existing Medicaid counterparts. Assessing these differences might estimate the impact of the Medicaid expansion efforts under the ACA on receipt of mental health treatment among uninsured nonelderly adults with SMI.Methods. We examined data from 2000 persons aged 18 to 64 years who participated in the 2008 to 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, had income below 138% of the federal poverty level, met SMI criteria, and either were uninsured (n = 1000) or had Medicaid-only coverage (n = 1000). We defined SMI according to the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act. We used descriptive analyses and logistic regression modeling.Results. In the 28 states currently expanding Medicaid, the model-adjusted prevalence (MAP) o...
Classroom-Based Narrative and Vocabulary Instruction: Results of an Early-Stage, Nonrandomized Comparison Study.

Purpose This nonrandomized feasibility study was designed to provide a preliminary assessment of the impact of a narrative and vocabulary instruction program provided by a speech-language pathologi...
Root Density and Water Potential Gradients near the Plant Root

The models of Gardner (1960) and Cowan (1965) for water transfer to the plant root are used to estimate the differences in water potential between the root and the bulk soil for a wide range of root densities and water extraction rates at a series of matric potentials for a Yolo light clay. For root densities and extraction rates reported both in the literature and in this paper there is good evidence to suggest that the large potential gradients originally predicted by Gardner and Cowan are restricted to situations involving very low root densities and high extraction rates in relatively dry soil.
Dormancy in peppers

Abstract Studies were conducted on 19 cultivars representing 4 species of Capsicum to determine the expression of dormancy in seed germination and emergence. Differences in dormancy were found among cultivars. Fruit age was shown to affect dormancy. Warm, dry storage shortened the length of dormancy while still maintaining a high level of emergence.
Two-Step Likelihood Estimation Procedure for Varying-Coefficient Models

One of the advantages for the varying-coefficient model is to allow the coefficients to vary as smooth functions of other variables and the model can be estimated easily through a simple local quasi-likelihood method. This leads to a simple one-step estimation procedure. We show that such a one-step method cannot be optimal when some coefficient functions possess different degrees of smoothness. This drawback can be attenuated by using a two-step estimation approach. The asymptotic normality and mean-squared errors of the two-step method are obtained and it is also shown that the two-step estimation not only achieves the optimal convergent rate but also shares the same optimality as the ideal case where the other coefficient functions were known. A numerical study is carried out to illustrate the two-step method.
Open-cycle desiccant air conditioning as an alternative to vapor compression cooling in residential applications

The performance of open-cycle desiccant air conditioners for residential applications is evaluated. The performance of these systems is compared to that of vapor compression air conditioners on the basis of primary energy use and cost. Systems with improved dehumidifiers can achieve seasonal COP's on the order of 1.1. These systems, when coupled with a solar energy system to supply regeneration energy, are significantly better than conventional air conditioners on a primary energy basis, but are not presently cost-competitive.
Information management and regulatory compliance: a case analysis

Information management in today's tight regulatory environment presents a challenging task to many organisations. This paper reviews the challenges of regulatory compliance and proposes a centralised compliance process model. A case study is used to demonstrate some important compliance strategies.
The influence of ownership on performance: An empirical study

This research examines the relationship between ownership structure and financial performance in the context of the agency theory. It improves upon previous research by presenting an improved risk-adjusted performance measure, by using a larger sample size than prior work and also by controlling for firm size differences. The results suggest that ownership is significantly related to firm financial performance even after controlling for size.
The disulfide content of calf γ-crystallin

Abstract The disulfide content of calf γ-crystallin polypeptides has been investigated. The γ-crystallin fraction of the soluble lens proteins was separated into five distinct polypeptides and characterized by isoelectric focusing, amino acid composition, and N-terminal sequence analysis to 25 residues. It has been demonstrated that 7 cysteines are present in γII,4 to 5 cysteines in γIIIa, γIIIb, and γiv, and 6 cysteines in γI (β s ). Reduction of the total γ-crystallin fraction with DTT resulted in an increase of approximately 1 to 1.5 mol of free SH per mole of protein. This increase in sulfhydryls was demonstrated to be contributed primarily by γII, the major polypeptide representing 50% of the total γ-crystallin, which showed an increase of approximately 2.5 mol of sulfhydryl per mole of protein upon reduction. Insignificant disulfide content was present in γIII and γIV and only a slight amount of disulfide was found in γI (β s ). The observed increase in sulfhydryl content upon reduction was not due to the presence of mixed disulfides of 2-mercaptoethanol, glutathione, or cysteine. The data are consistent with approximately 1 mol of intramolecular disulfide per mole of protein being present in γII. X-ray crystallography of γII has shown that the spatial location of Cys 18 and Cys 22 in the tertiary structure permits disulfide bond formation. Sequence analysis of the four major polypeptides of γ-crystallin, γII, γIIIa, γIIIb, and γIV indicates that only γII has both Cys 18 and Cys 22 . Cys 18 is present in γIIIa, γIIIb, and γIV but Cys 22 is replaced by His 22 . It is probable that the lack of disulfide in γIIIa, γIIIb, and γIV is due to the absence of Cys 22 .
Partial development of the corpus callosum.

PURPOSE To determine whether the MR findings of callosal dysgenesis suggest that the partially formed corpus callosum in humans is the result of arrested growth or delayed continued development. METHODS The MR scans of 25 patients with callosal dysgenesis were reviewed to determine whether the observed corpus callosum corresponded to the form and position of a portion of a normal corpus callosum, as suggested by a theory of arrested growth. RESULTS In 10 of the 25 cases, the partially formed corpus callosum corresponded to a portion of a normal corpus callosum. In the remaining 15 cases, the partially formed corpus callosum was located posterior to the expected location of a normal genu and inferior to the expected location of a normal body. CONCLUSIONS Corpus callosum dysgenesis in humans may be caused by arrested growth in some cases; in other cases it is most likely caused by delayed continued development that attempts to compensate for earlier abnormalities in the evolution of midline structures.
Immunogenicity and cross-allergenicity of aztreonam

Beta-lactams are responsible for more than half of the allergic drug reactions encountered in the hospital setting. Although most such reactions are mild, the potential for acute and life-threatening reactions cannot be underestimated when considering readministration of beta-lactam agents, such as the penicillins or cephalosporins, to persons who have previously exhibited sensitivity. In addition to concerns about possible allergic reactions to the beta-lactam antibiotics individually, considerable cross-reactivity has been demonstrated among such classes as the penicillins, the cephalosporins, and the imipenems, although it cannot yet be predicted on an individual basis. Early studies of the unique monocyclic beta-lactam--or monobactam--aztreonam, indicated that the new class demonstrated negligible cross-reactivity with the standard beta-lactams both experimentally and clinically.Further, aztreonam was associated with an extremely low (2 percent) incidence of immunologic drug reactions. Aztreonam also has been found to be well-tolerated by highly penicillin-allergic patients. Although further clinical study is indicated, data so far are encouraging. If it is confirmed that monobactams such as aztreonam are minimally cross-reactive, well-tolerated by subjects allergic to other beta-lactam antibiotics, and only weakly immunogenic, fewer allergic reactions may be associated with antimicrobial therapy in the future than have been seen with the other available beta-lactam antibiotic drugs.
Normative childhood EMG gait patterns

The population characteristics of the linear envelopes of the electromyograms measured from seven lower extremity muscles in children were studied during locomotion. The variability and changes in pattern with respect to walking speed and age were investigated using statistical properties and analysis of variance of the envelopes. All muscles studied showed changes in their patterns that were associated with different walking speeds. Some changes concerned the relative intensity of existing phases of activity. The most remarkable trend was that all envelopes tended to have more consistent patterns as speed increased. With regard to age, within the span of 4–11 years, only the two high muscles studied demonstrated appreciable differences.
Selection Testing via the Internet: Practical Considerations and Exploratory Empirical Findings*

Despite a growing body of applied research on using the Internet for some human resource management practices, few studies have provided equivalence information or practical lessons concerning selection testing via the Internet. We identify several issues associated with measurement and validity, the role of several individual characteristics, respondents' reactions and behaviors, and other considerations concerning Internet test administration. We also report results from an exploratory study of the correlation between paper-and-pencil and Internet-administered cognitively oriented selection tests (including timed and untimed, proctored tests). Our empirical results suggest modest degrees of cross-mode equivalence for an untimed situational judgment test (r= .84) and for a timed cognitive ability test (r= .60). Further, some types of items (math, verbal, spatial) in the timed cognitive ability test seem to play a differential role in the reduced cross-mode equivalence. New issues regarding the perception of, and reaction to, items presented via the Internet are presented, and a variety of practical issues are derived and discussed.
Preoperative Prediction of Non-Home Discharge: A Strategy to Reduce Resource Use after Cardiac Surgery

Background Patients requiring discharge to a continuing care facility after cardiac surgery (non-home discharge) frequently have prolonged hospital stays while arrangements are made for posthospital care. We hypothesized that preoperatively identifying patients likely to require non-home discharge would allow earlier discharge planning, shorten length of stay, and thereby reduce resource use. This study sought to develop a validated tool for preoperative planning of non-home discharge. Study Design From October 2008 to December 2009, 4,243 patients were discharged alive after cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Of these, 4,031 resided in the 48 contiguous states or Alaska and formed the study cohort. Logistic regression analysis of non-home discharge was performed using preoperative data generally readily available at admission. A subsequent group of 2,005 patients discharged alive from December 2009 to July 2010 was used to validate this model. Results Eighteen percent of patients had non-home discharge, which was predictable from data readily available at admission for cardiac surgery (C-statistic 0.88 for model development, 0.87 for model validation). The strongest predictors included intra-aortic balloon pumping (odds ratio [OR] 7.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7 to 32), emergency status (OR 3.7; CI 2.1 to 6.5), older age (p Conclusions Non-home discharge can be easily predicted using data obtained during routine preoperative evaluation of cardiac surgical patients. We expect that early identification of patients at high risk for non-home discharge will allow for more intensive, personalized discharge planning, and will reduce wasted days and resource use.
Controlled intermixing of multiple quantum wells for broadly tunable integrated lasers

A broadly tunable MQW laser utilizing a combined impurity-free vacancy disordering and beam steering techniques is proposed and investigated experimentally. The device consists of a beam-steering section and an optical amplifier section fabricated on a GaAs/AlGaAs MQW p-i-n hetrostructure substrate. The beam steering section forms a reconfigurable single mode waveguide that can be positioned laterally by applying electrical currents to two parallel contact stripes. The active core of the gain section contains a GaAs/AlGaAs MQW that is progressively disordered such that an optical beam steered through the selected region experience a peak in the gain spectrum that is determined by the degree of disordering of the MQWs. Furthermore the MQW in the beam-steering section is disordered to the largest extent to minimize optical beam attenuation. The MQW structure was intermixed using an impurity-free vacancy induced disordering technique. The MQW sample is encapsulated with a SiO 2 film grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The beam steering region is coated with a 400nm thick SiO 2 film whereas in the gain section, the SiO 2 film is selectively etched such that the thickness grades linearly ranging from 0 to 325nm. The disordering of the entire slab region is then induced by a single rapid thermal annealing step at 975°C for a 20s. Experimental results showed a controllable 10 to 60 nm wavelength blue shift of the peak of the photoluminescence spectrum corresponding to the change in SiO 2 caps thickness and a lateral beam steering range up to 20 μm over the slab region.
Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Ankle: An Anterior–Posterior Technique for Excision

Because of its high recurrence rate, complete excision with total synovectomy is crucial for diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (DPVNS). Regardless of location, surgical approach requires meticulous soft tissue management and full joint exposure to assure complete tumor excision. In the ankle, PVNS can be present in the medial and lateral gutters, as well as extend along the syndesmotic ligament, flexor and peroneal tendon sheaths, and adjacent joints (ie, subtalar and midtarsal joints). The authors describe an open, anterior-posterior technique for excision of DPVNS lesions from the ankle joint with erosive lesions of the tibia and talus, as well as from the flexor hallucis longus and peroneal tendon sheaths. Whereas previously described dual-incision techniques have focused on posteromedial and posterolateral approaches to the ankle, the authors' posterior exposure, in particular, uses a midline skin incision and a longitudinal split of the Achilles tendon. This provides an excellent exposure and minimizes potential wound healing complications.
Ketene dithioacetals III: the conjugate addition of ketene dithioacetal anions to cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones

Abstract The relative amounts of 1,2 to 1,4 addition products of several ketene dithioacetal anione to cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones have been determined. The influence of solvent and counterion is reported.
Power efficient implementation of SDFEC and DSP for optical transceivers

□ Following power — aware practices throughout a design cycle can lead to very low power DSP and SDFEC designs for the optical transceivers □ The slides captured a sub-set of techniques being used in designs today □ Newer more creative solutions continue to be invented
An Integrated High-Voltage Low-Distortion Current-Feedback Linear Power Amplifier for Ultrasound Transmitters Using Digital Predistortion and Dynamic Current Biasing Techniques

A novel integrated high-voltage linear power amplifier for medical ultrasonic transmitter applications is presented in this brief. The amplifier employs a current-feedback technique with two cascading push–pull class-AB buffers. It overcomes the gain–bandwidth product limitation of a conventional voltage-feedback amplifier, capable of generating high output signal swing with a wide closed-loop bandwidth. In addition, a dynamic current biasing topology is integrated on-chip using a voltage-controlled current source and a 7-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC). To further improve the signal linearity of the amplifier output, a digital predistortion (DPD) technique is applied by using a DAC, an analog-to-digital converter, and a digital field-programmable gate array. The presented amplifier was fabricated using a 1- $\mu\hbox{m}$ 200-V CMOS process. The measurement results show that this integrated linear power amplifier is capable of driving a load of a 100- $\Omega$ resistor in parallel with a 300-pF capacitor while achieving a signal swing up to 180 $V_{\rm pp}$ with a second-order harmonic distortion as low as $-$ 50 dB. Measurement results also show that the amplifier achieves a maximum slew rate of 4 V/ns and a power efficiency of 30%. As a result, this power amplifier is expected to greatly improve medical ultrasound image quality.
Exploring the role of natural helpers in efforts to address disparities for children with conduct problems

The incorporation of natural helpers into services has been suggested as an innovative strategy to address disparities for historically underserved children with conduct problems. In order to inform incorporation efforts, this study examined the perceptions of natural helpers serving one U.S. Latina/o community regarding need for services for children with conduct problems, their reactions to a specific parent training intervention, and the training and support needed to deliver this intervention successfully. Participants identified a need for culturally-responsive services for children with conduct problems, and felt that parent training would be appropriate for the families they serve. Participants further identified specific training and support that they would require in order to deliver parent training with fidelity and effectiveness. Findings support the suggestion that natural helpers have the potential to address service disparities among Latina/o children with conduct problems. Recommendations from natural helpers should guide the development of culturally-adapted preventive interventions that help address existing service disparities.
Rapid prototyping of microstructured hydrogels via laser direct-write and laser interference photopolymerisation

We present recent results on fabrication of micrometre- and sub-micrometre-scale structures in polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA), a biocompatible hydrogel, useful in biomedical applications. The hydrogel structures were fabricated using two laser-based techniques; laser direct-write photopolymerisation, and multiple-beam laser interference photopolymerisation using continuous wave, nanosecond pulsed and femtosecond pulsed lasers, with light wavelengths of 266 nm, 355 nm, 532 nm and 800 nm. Through these techniques, we demonstrated the ability to fabricate fine structures over large areas without the use of templates or masks. Such structures can be useful for a variety of applications including cell biological studies, tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Polymer Microvalve Based on Anisotropic Expansion of Polypyrrole

An actuator fabricated from the conductive polymer polypyrrole using microfabrication techniques is presented. This actuator utilizes the anisotropic volume change, which occurs under application of an electric field in polypyrrole grown in the presence of NaDBS. This volume change is in direction normal to the substrate, and is several times larger than lateral volume change utilized in polypyrrole microactuators to date. The actuator is applied in a microfluidic valve where membrane and microchannels are fabricated from a transparent elastomer using soft lithography. The use of elastomer enabled a good valve seal and encapsulation of the electrolyte used for polypyrrole actuation.
Immunocytochemical localization of protein kinase C in developing brain tissue and in primary neuronal cultures.

Abstract Antisera to protein kinase C (PKC) have been used to examine the presence and distribution of the enzyme in developing cerebellar cortex of postnatal rat and in cultures of rat sympathetic ganglia. In the cerebellar cortex of 2-, 4-, and 6-day old rats, immunostaining was observed in areas of early-forming presynaptic terminals and growth cones. No staining was evident in the cortical proliferative zone. Beginning at 10 days postnatal, nuclear staining, not apparent at earlier stages, was prominent in Purkinje cells. In neuronal cultures of dissociated rat sympathetic ganglia, PKC was immunolocalized in cell bodies and bundles of neuronal processes. Immunoreactivity was particularly striking in growth cones of extending neurites and in axonal varicosities. These results suggest a role for PKC in neuronal growth following cell proliferation and in synaptic function. The appearance of nuclear staining in later developmental stages suggests that the enzyme may be involved in the promotion and maintenance of the differentiated state of neurons.
Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in an acid Oxisol in western Puerto Rico : Effects of tillage, liming and fertilization

Abstract Changes in land use and management of tropical systems are considered to be major factors in the recent upsurge in increases in atmospheric nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ). Studies were initiated in western Puerto Rico grasslands to determine the effect of plowing, or liming and fertilizing an acid Oxisol on the soil–atmosphere exchanges of N 2 O and CH 4 . Weekly field flux measurements and field manipulation and laboratory studies were conducted over 22 months during 1993–1995. We found that N 2 O emissions from an Oxisol acidified to pH 4 were generally lower than from pH 6 Oxisol soils that were used as reference controls. Plowing the grasslands did not change mean N 2 O emission rates from either pH soil. Liming the acidified Oxisol to pH 6 tended to increase N 2 O emissions to the rates from the undisturbed grassland. Fertilizing the acidified grassland increased N 2 O emissions but much less than when these soils were both limed and fertilized. Short-term field studies employing nitrification inhibitors in which we measured nitric oxide (NO) and N 2 O emissions, demonstrated that nitrification rates generally control N 2 O emissions; thus these were lower in unlimed soil. It is likely that NO was produced through the chemical decomposition of nitrite, which in turn, was a product of biological nitrification. Soil consumption of atmospheric CH 4 in the acidified Oxisol was about one-fourth of that in the pH 6 reference soil. Liming did not restore CH 4 consumption in the acid soil to rates comparable to those in the reference Oxisol. We conducted a laboratory induction study to determine if incubation of these limed or unlimed acidified soils with high concentrations of CH 4 could induce methanotrophic activity. Comparable uptake rates to the control soils were not induced by these incubations. These studies illustrate that management of soil can considerably affect the soil–atmosphere exchange of such trace gases as N 2 O and CH 4 which can affect global atmospheric properties.
MOS interface-state density measurements using transient capacitance spectroscopy

The use of a deep-level transient capacitance technique for characterizing the interface properties of an MOS transistor (MOSFET) is discussed. A formulation to calculate interface-state densities is extended from the previous work. Experimental results done with both MOSFET's and MOS capacitors are shown to illustrate the advantages of using a transistor-type structure. The use of MOSFET's provides not only the capability of probing the interface-state densities throughout the bandgap but also eliminates the effects of minority-carrier generation at the interface. The interface-state densities for variously processed MOS structures were investigated. For hydrogen-annealed MOSFET's and MOS capacitors on and orientations of n-type substrates, the interface-state densities were shown to peak near the energies close to the band edges, these corresponding to the measurement temperature where the freeze-out of bull majority carriers occurs. The ability to measure mobile-ion-induced interface states was discussed. The present technique, being a direct differential measurement, has several advantages over the conventional C(V) technique. It may provide a higher sensitivity and more reliable data on the densities of states. Moreover, the measurement of the densities of states does not necessarily require a determination of surface potential.
Response of man to infection with Vibrio cholerae. I. Clinical, serologic, and bacteriologic responses to a known inoculum.

The spectrum of illness and the immunologic response produced by cholera in volunteers were studied. The strains of Vibrio cholerae used were classical Inaba 569B and classical Ogawa 395. An oral dose of 108 organisms in buffered saline was required to induce the diarrhea of cholera. When given with live organisms, NaHCO3 lowered the infecting dose from 108 to 104 organisms. Clinical manifestations of infection varied from culturally positive formed stools to "rice water" diarrhea. Severe diarrhea did not have an explosive onset but rather progressively increased in volume during a 24-hr period. In 45% of cases the stool was positive for V. cholerae before the onset of diarrhea. Titers of vibriocidal antibody rose after diarrhea, peaked the second week after challenge, and rapidly fell during the next four weeks.
Fourth Workshop on Electromagnetic Induction Sees Launching of Proposed International Project

The Fourth Workshop on Electromagnetic Induction in the Earth and Moon held in the Bavarian village of Murnau, West Germany, September 6–13,1978 had two notable features: one was improved methodology and the linking of electromagnetic information to other geophysical investigations, such as heat flow or seismology; the other was formal approval of a project for international cooperation in studies of electrical anomalies associated with the asthenosphere. The workshop, sponsored by Working Group III of IAGA (International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy), was devoted to probing electrical properties of the earth from the crust down to depths of 1000 km, as inferred from (a) magnetotellurics (MT), in which both electrical and magnetic observations are made; and (b) geomagnetic deep sounding (GDS), which uses purely magnetic variations. Although the depth resolution of these methods is usually poorer than seismic methods, lateral resolution is usually better. In addition, they have the advantage that a zone of anomalously high conductivity presents a strong effect, whereas seismic waves are absorbed or deflected downward by a low-velocity zone. It is this feature that makes MT and GDS attractive for studies of the asthenosphere. A summary of the meeting is presented below, followed by a discussion of the Soviet proposal to initiate an international program to study the electrical properties of the asthenosphere: Elas.
An object class-uncertainty induced adaptive force and its application to a new hybrid snake

Object segmentation is of paramount interest in many imaging applications, especially, those involving numeric, symbolic, syntactic, or even high level cognitive knowledge perception. Among others, ''snake''-an ''active contour'' model-is a popular boundary-based segmentation approach where a smooth curve is continuously deformed to lock onto an object boundary. The dynamics of a snake is governed by different internal and external forces. A major limitation of the present framework has been the difficulty of incorporating object-intensity driven features into snake dynamics so as to prevent uncontrolled expansion/contraction once the snake leaks through a weak boundary region. In this paper, a local-intensity-driven ''adaptive force'' is introduced into the model using object class-uncertainty theory. Given a priori knowledge of object/background intensity distributions, class-uncertainty theory yields object/background classification of every location and establishes its confidence level. It has been demonstrated earlier that confidence level is high inside homogeneous regions and low near boundaries. In the current paper, object class-uncertainty theory has been applied to control snake deformation leading to a new adaptive force acting outward (expanding) inside intensity-defined object regions and inward (squeezing) inside background regions. It has been demonstrated that the method possesses potential to resist uncontrolled expansion of a snake contour (for an expanding type) inside background after leaking through a weak boundary. Further, it has been shown that the adaptive force operates in a complementary fashion with the image intensity gradient by reducing its strength near boundaries using the confidence level of classification. Another major contribution of this paper is the formulation of a ''hybrid snake'' (HS)-a new model, where an initial contour is gradually deformed over a hybrid energy surface composed of some direct energies (e.g., internal energies) and other indirect energies contributed by local contour displacements over a force-field (e.g., image or user-constrained force-field). Applications of the proposed adaptive force-enabled HS on different phantom and real images have been presented and comparisons have been made with a conventional snake (CS). Finally, a quantitative comparison based on computer-generated phantoms at various levels of blur and noise has been provided.
Why women engage in anal intercourse: results from a qualitative study

This study used qualitative methods to assess why women engage in heterosexual anal (receptive) intercourse (AI) with a male partner. Four focus groups which comprised women from diverse ethnicities were conducted. All groups were digitally recorded for transcription; transcripts were analyzed using the methods of grounded theory to determine themes. Women’s reasons for engaging in anal intercourse with a male partner can be described in broad categories including that the women wanted to have anal intercourse, either because of their own desire, to please a male partner, or they were responding to a quid pro quo situation. The riskiness of AI was assessed within relationship contexts. Past experience with AI including emotional and physical reactions was identified. Among the negative physical experiences of AI were pain and disliking the sensation, and uncomfortable side effects, such as bleeding of the rectum. Negative emotional experiences of AI included feelings of shame, disgust, and being offended by something her male partner did, such as spitting on his penis for lubrication. Positive physical experiences included liking the sensation. Many of the women also endorsed positive emotional experiences of AI, including that it was more intimate than vaginal sex, and that it was something they reserved only for special partners. The majority of AI episodes were unplanned and not discussed prior to initiation. Pain during AI was mitigated by the use of lubricants or illicit drugs. Even those women who found pleasure in AI expressed a preference for vaginal intercourse.
STUDIES ON IMMUNITY TO SWINE INFLUENZA.

Of the two etiological components of swine influenza, only the filtrable virus possessed immunizing properties. H. influenzae suis, while essential to the production of the disease, played only a secondary and contributory role and, alone, conferred no immunity. Serum of swine convalescent from the filtrate disease neutralized the swine influenza etiological complex of organism and virus. Intramuscularly administered swine influenza virus was incapable of inducing illness but did render hogs immune to swine influenza. It is suggested that a specific relationship, as regards infectivity, exists between the swine influenza virus and the tissues of the respiratory tract.
Neuroradiological assessment of brain structure and function and its implication in the pathogenesis of West syndrome.

Neuroimaging studies with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning have contributed significantly to our understanding of West syndrome. Cortical dysplastic lesions are the most common abnormalities seen with MRI in infants with spasms, but other structural lesions are also detected occasionally. An underlying cortical dysplasia may not be apparent until myelination has advanced in the brain and poor gray-white matter differentiation becomes observable. Many cortical dysplastic lesions can only be detected using PET scanning of glucose metabolism or gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptor binding. The MRI and PET findings, together with neurophysiological observations, strongly suggest that infantile spasms are initiated as cortical epileptic discharges that, during a 'critical' developmental period, may undergo secondary generalization in an age-dependent mechanism to emerge as spasms. The onset of spasms often coincides with the functional maturation of cerebral cortex. Based on data from glucose metabolism PET scanning as well as electrophysiological and neurochemical findings on infants with spasms, we have postulated that the offending lesion is a focal or diffuse cortical abnormality which, at a critical stage of maturation, causes abnormal functional interactions with brainstem raphe nuclei which project widely throughout the brain. Raphe-cortical projections could mediate the hypsarrhythmic changes seen on EEG. The prominent serotonergic raphe-striatal pathway and descending spinal pathways may be responsible for secondary generalization of the cortical discharges to result in the relatively symmetric spasms. It is likely that additional factors (e.g. genetic) play a role in the manifestation of the age-specific electroclinical features of West syndrome. Recently developed PET tracers can be used to detect epileptogenic brain regions and also to investigate developmental abnormalities of serotonergic (using the tracer alpha[(11)C]methyl-L-tryptophan) and GABAergic (using [(11)C]flumazenil) neurotransmitter systems. These systems are implicated in epileptogenesis, and their involvement in the pathophysiology of West syndrome can be further addressed by future functional neuroimaging studies.
Heterogeneous void formation in 14 MeV nickel-ion irradiated 316 SS

The microstructure of type 316 austenitic stainless steel has been investigated following 14 MeV Ni-ion irradiation to 3.3× 1016 ions/cm2 (40 dpa peak damage) at temperatures from 450°C to 650°C. Specimens were prepared in cross section to allow analysis over the entire damage range, and the void parameters, dislocation structure, and precipitation response are reported. Heterogeneous void formation was observed in the absence of gas. The swelling curve from this study has been compared to that derived from helium preinjection work. It was found that helium shifts the peak swelling temperature upwards in excess of 100°C for similar damage rates. The precipitation response shows a marked change from small block/rod morphology at 450–550°C to Fe2P thin lathe precipitates at 600–650°C. Void formation was detected only for the lower temperature range and was associated with the small block/rod precipitates.
Effect of iron saturation on the bacteriostasis of human serum: In vivo does not correlate with in vitro saturation

Human serum inhibits the growth of a variety of human pathogens. One of the serum bacteriostatic components is transferrin, the major iron-binding protein. In the presence of transferrin, free iron, which is required for bacterial nucleoprotein synthesis, is unavailable and bacterial growth is inhibited. In an in vitro system, we tested the hypothesis that serum with highly saturated transferrin allows free iron to be available for rapid bacterial growth. We first confirmed the finding that addition of ionic iron sufficient to saturate transferrin in normal sera inhibits the bacteriostatic activity for Escherichia coli . In contrast, no differences were found in the growth rate of E. coli in sera from individuals representing the entire range of transferrin saturation found in humans (iron-deficient, normal, and thalassemic). This finding supports the thesis that iron added in vitro is more easily extracted than in vivo, where it is tightly bound to transferrin, and does not support the contention that ordinary iron treatment predisposes infants to infection.
Transient quadriparesis in the athlete.

A considerable amount of controversy persists regarding return-to-play criteria and the risk for more severe injury after an athlete experiences an episode of transient quadriparesis. Similarly, the implication of the presence of congenital stenosis in an athlete participating in contact sports elicits great debate in the literature in terms of the athlete's risk for neurologic injury. The relatively infrequent occurrence rate of both transient quadriparesis and permanent cervical cord injury make it difficult to predict with certainty whether or not an episode of transient quadriparesis is a risk factor for permanent neurologic injury. The decision-making process in determining player eligibility in the face of congenital stenosis or after a documented spinal injury is difficult and at times confusing. Every injury and athlete should be evaluated on an individual basis in terms of cause, symptoms, radiographic findings, and previous history. It is hoped that the guidelines for return-to-play delineated in this article will help the physician and the athlete make an informed and rational decision regarding the criteria for and relative risks of returning to participation in a contact sport. Language: en
The Predictive Safety Testing Consortium and the Coalition Against Major Diseases

The Predictive Safety Testing Consortium and the Coalition Against Major Diseases, both launched by the Critical Path Institute, provide valuable examples of the outcomes and lessons learned by different types of consortia working on new drug development tools.
Ice-sheet evolution in James Ross Basin, Weddell Sea margin of the Antarctic Peninsula: The seismic stratigraphic record

The stratigraphic architecture of the James Ross Basin, NW Weddell Sea continental shelf, shows three major phases of deposition: preglacial, ice-sheet growth, and ice-sheet dominated. The preglacial phase shows stratigraphic sequences that are similar to low-latitude margins. During the ice-sheet growth phase, there is evidence for initial ice-sheet grounding in the southern part of the basin, which migrated in steps northward. Sediment supply was also high during the ice-sheet growth phase. During the ice sheet–dominated phase, both north and south parts of the basin inherited all the classic features indicative of glacial strata: large glacial troughs hundreds of meters deep and tens of kilometers wide, truncation of sequences overlain by chaotic seismic facies and topped with coherent laminated reflections, and an oversteepened continental slope. The James Ross Basin strata are divided into five units (S5–S1). Each unit is characterized based upon seismic facies and stratigraphic architecture, and the age of each unit is inferred from a seismic stratigraphic age model. End-member strata (S5 and S1) were drilled and dated during SHALDRIL and help to constrain this age model. In total, 34 grounding events of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS) are recorded on the continental shelf. This is similar to the 31 grounding events imaged on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Ice grounding on the continental shelf is shown to have occurred as early as late middle Miocene to early late Miocene in the southern part of the basin. The ice sheet advanced northward to encompass the northern peninsula by late Miocene time. The seven oldest glacial unconformities are believed to predate all previously identified unconformities on the peninsula continental shelf. An expanded section of late Pliocene–Pleistocene deposits shows a minimum of 10 grounding events; this record more closely matches the deep-sea oxygen isotope record than previous seismic studies of Antarctic margins have shown.
Modern International Thought: Problems and Prospects

Summary International intellectual history—the intellectual history of the international and an internationalised intellectual history—has recently emerged as one of the most fertile areas of research in the history of ideas. This article responds to eight essays inspired by my own contribution to this field in Foundations of Modern International Thought (2013). It engages with their positive achievements regarding the recovery of other foundations for modern international thought: for example, in theology, historiography and gender history. It addresses some of the methodological problems arising from the search for foundations, notably anachronism, presentism and diffusionism. It expands on others’ arguments about the international thought of Hobbes and Locke and the limits of cosmopolitanism. Finally, it points the way forward for international intellectual history as a collaborative, interdisciplinary, transnational and transtemporal enterprise.
Physics-based signal processing in the presence of environmental model uncertainties

Physics-based signal processing methods for radar and sonar utilize computational acoustic or electromagnetic models to improve target detection and localization. These techniques are motivated by the fact that using an accurate model of the full multipath wavefield can often theoretically provide large performance. A key difficulty in practically realizing these gains, however, has been the need for sufficiently accurate knowledge of the propagation environment. An approach which offers improved robustness to environmental modeling errors has been to treat uncertain environmental parameters as random variables with known statistics. Two applications of statistical environmental modeling in physics-based signal processing are reviewed: (1) matched-field beamforming with environmental perturbation constraints for passive sonar, and (2) maximum a posteriori multipath track association for skywave over-the-horizon radar. In both applications, real-data results support the use of statistical environmental models to achieve improved robustness.
Picosecond laser-induced damage morphology: Spatially resolved microscopic plasma sites

Abstract The morphology just above threshold of damage sites caused by picosecond 1.06 μm laser pulses is shown to consist of a collection of micron-sized, spatially distinct vestiges of individual plasmas. From the observed site density, the density of electrons which may initiate breakdown can be inferred. The morphology is consistent with an avalanche ionization model, but not with absorbing inclusion damage.
Exploiting Temporal Knowledge to Organize Constraints

Abstract : This paper examines the role of temporal knowledge in regard to the representation and utilization of constraints within time dependent problem domains. The author first considers the representation of constraints whose interpretations may vary in different temporal regions of the solution space. A representation that organizes constraint variants via the temporal relationships among them is presented and seen to support a simple mechanism for determining the applicable variant at any point in time. He then turns his attention to the management of temporal constraints that are dynamically imposed as various commitments are made by the reasoning system (e.g. as resources are allocated to activities in a plan). Constraint propagation techniques which collectively insure consistency in the hypotheses under development are presented and discussed. These techniques are driven by the temporal relationships present in the domain model. This work is motivated by ongoing research with ISIS, an intelligent scheduling and information system currently being applied to the problem of scheduling job shops, and examples throughout the paper are drawn from this domain. (Author)