McNeese State University

We present an up-to-date, comprehensive summary of the rates for all types of compact binary coalescence sources detectable by the Initial and Advanced versions of the ground-based gravitational-wave detectors LIGO and Virgo. Astrophysical estimates for compact-binary coalescence rates depend on a number of assumptions and unknown model parameters, and are still uncertain. The most confident among these estimates are the rate predictions for coalescing binary neutron stars which are based on extrapolations from observed binary pulsars in our Galaxy. These yield a likely coalescence rate of 100 per Myr per Milky Way Equivalent Galaxy (MWEG), although the rate could plausibly range from 1 per Myr per MWEG to 1000 per Myr per MWEG. We convert coalescence rates into detection rates based on data from the LIGO S5 and Virgo VSR2 science runs and projected sensitivities for our Advanced detectors. Using the detector sensitivities derived from these data, we find a likely detection rate of 0.02 per year for Initial LIGO-Virgo interferometers, with a plausible range between 0.0002 and 0.2 per year. The likely binary neutron-star detection rate for the Advanced LIGO-Virgo network increases to 40 events per year, with a range between 0.4 and 400 per year.

When p correlated process characteristics are being measured simultaneously, often individual observations are initially collected. The process data are monitored and special causes of variation are identified in order to establish control and to obtain a "clean" reference sample to use as a basis in determining the control limits for future observations. One common method of constructing multivariate control charts is based on Hotelling's T2 statistic. Currently, when a process is in the start-up stage and only individual observations are available, approximate F and chi-square distributions are used to construct the necessary multivariate control limits. These approximations are conservative in this situation. This article presents an exact method, based on the beta distribution, for constructing multivariate control limits at the start-up stage. An example from the chemical industry illustrates that this procedure is an improvement over the approximate techniques, especially when the number of subgroups is small.

This applied, self-contained text provides detailed coverage of the practical aspects of multivariate statistical process control (MVSPC) based on the application of Hotelling's T2 statistic. MVSPC is the application of multivariate statistical techniques to improve the quality and productivity of an industrial process. The authors, leading researchers in this area who have developed major software for this type of charting procedure, provide valuable insight into the T2 statistic. Intentionally including only a minimal amount of theory, they lead readers through the construction and monitoring phases of the T2 control statistic using numerous industrial examples taken primarily from the chemical and power industries. These examples are applied to the construction of historical data sets to serve as a point of reference for the control procedure and are also applied to the monitoring phase, where emphasis is placed on signal location and interpretation in terms of the process variables. Specifically devoted to the T2 methodology, Multivariate Statistical Process Control with Industrial Applications is the only book available that concisely and thoroughly presents such topics as how to construct a historical data set; how to check the necessary assumptions used with this procedure; how to chart the T2 statistic; how to interpret its signals; how to use the chart in the presence of autocorrelated data; and how to apply the procedure to batch processes. The book comes with a CD-ROM containing a 90-day demonstration version of the QualStat multivariate SPC software specifically designed for the application of T2 control procedures. The CD-ROM is compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me Millennium Edition, and Windows NT operating systems.

Basing their hypotheses on information processing theory, the authors incorporate important group processes within strategic decision making. They examine the interrelationships of cognitive diversity, task conflict, and competence-based trust and their effects on decision outcomes. Their survey includes top management teams from 85 U.S. hospitals. They found that cognitive diversity has a strong positive relationship with task conflict and that competence-based trust strengthens this relationship. In addition, these results suggest that task conflict mediates the effects of cognitive diversity on decision outcomes.

Multivariate control charts using Hotelling's T2 statistic are popular and easy to use but interpreting their signals can be a problem. Identifying which characteristic or group of characteristics is out of control when the chart signals often necessitates an examination of the univariate charts for each variable. It is shown in this paper that the interpretation of a signal from a T2 statistic is greatly aided if the corresponding value is partitioned into independent parts. Information on which characteristic is significantly contributing to the signal is readily available from this decomposition.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the technique of medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction using autogenous hamstrings or autogenous fascia lata and report the results at a minimum 2-year follow-up. Type of Study: This study represents a case series. Patients with patellofemoral instability following patellar dislocation were restrospectively reviewed after being treated with medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. No concurrent control group was used. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive patients underwent medial patellofemoral repair or reconstruction in the treatment of patellar instability after patellar dislocation. The reconstructions were performed using autogenous gracilis and/or semitendinosus tendons or a strip of autogenous fascia lata. Fifteen patients were available for interview, examination, and radiographic evaluation, with a mean follow-up of 31.5 months. RESULTS: Subjectively, 10 knees had excellent results, 3 knees obtained good results, 1 knee had a fair result, and 1 knee had a poor result, for a total of 93% improvement overall. Using Fulkerson's functional knee score, 93% had good or excellent results. The average postoperative result on Kujala's score for anterior knee symptoms was 88 (range, 80-100). The Tegner activity level averaged 6.8 preinjury and 6.7 postoperatively. Radiographic evaluation showed significant improvements in the congruence angle by an average of 20 degrees (P =.0006), and in the lateral patellofemoral angle by an average of 10 degrees (P =.0003). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical reconstruction or repair of the medial patellofemoral ligament provides favorable results for the treatment of recurrent patellofemoral dislocations with regard to radiographic findings, patient satisfaction, and functional outcome.

This research uses content analysis to examine the portrayal of women in 47 randomly selected games from the Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation console gaming systems. We suggest that video games, similar to other media forms, are sources of information that children and young adults may use to determine what behaviors and attitudes are considered appropriately masculine and feminine. This analysis revealed a significant sex bias in the number of male versus female characters found in the games and among the way in which the male and female characters were dressed. Of the 597 characters coded, only 82 (13.74%) were women. The Nintendo 64 games had the fewest number of female characters, and the majority of the female characters wore clothing that exposed more skin than the male characters.

1.The Study of Gender 2. Researching Sex and Gender 3. Gender Stereotypes: Masculinity and Femininity 4. Hormones and Chromosomes 5. Theories of Gender Development 6. Developing Gender Identity 7. Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities 8. Emotion 9. Relationships 10. Sexuality 11. School 12. Careers and Work 13. Health and Fitness 14. Stress, Coping, and Psychopathology 15. Treatment for Mental Disorders 16. How Different?

INTRODUCTION When a high-powered laser beam is focused onto a small area or spot of a solid surface, the temperature of the locally heated region rises rapidly to the vaporization temperature of the solid material and an optically induced plasma, frequently called a laser-induced plasma (LIP) or laser-ablated plasma (LAP) or laser spark is formed at the surface. The plasma will be formed when the laser power density exceeds the breakdown threshold value of the solid surface. Although different materials have different breakdown thresholds, an optical plasma is produced when the laser power density exceeds several megawatts per centimeter squared (106 - 109 W/cm2). This plasma has been used for sampling, atomization, excitation, and ionization in analyhcal atomic spectroscopy. It has also been frequently used and proposed as a source for atomic emission spectrometry (AES). In this case the technique is most ofien referred to as laser microprobe optical emission spectrometry (LM-OES) developed by Brech and Cross [1] in early nineteen-sixties or more recently called laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) [2,3]. Generally, this analyhcal technique involves two steps; the pulsed focused laser beam directed into a gaseous sample or the surface of a solid or liquid, to produce a transient LIP, followed by the measurement of a characteristic atomic emission signal related to some species present in the plasma. The LIP formed is tightly focused and consists of vaporized atoms, ions, electrons, and molecular fragments. The application of LIBS for direct spectrochemical analysis is a rapidly growing field ranging from the detection of atmospheric pollutants to monitoring of material production processes, and even to “clean-room” technology. Laser ablation techniques have also been applied for solid sample introduction into other plasma sources [4–9]. In recent years, the powerful technique of LIBS as an analytical tool has been recognized by a number of research groups, and has led to an increasing number of publications on the applications of LIBS both in the laboratory and in industry. This growing success of LIBS is a result of thorough research carried out to understand the related plasma physical processes, aided by marked improvements in laser systems and photodetector technology.

A persistent problem in multivariate control chart procedures is the interpretation of a signal. Determining which variable or group of variables is contributing to the signal can be a difficult task for the practitioner. However, a procedure for decomposing the T2 statistic into orthogonal components greatly aids the interpretation effort. In this paper, a series of examples illustrates the usefulness of this interpretation scheme and relates it to the familiar concept of a statistical distance measure. The relationship between the T2 decomposition procedure and a regression of one variable on a subset of other variables is also demonstrated, and used to aid signal interpretation. Recommendations are made and steps are suggested to provide a faster sequential computation scheme for the decomposition.

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009, and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and $25{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$; this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up to 40 Mpc distant for binary neutron stars, and further for higher mass systems. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass, including the results from previous LIGO and Virgo observations. The cumulative 90% confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems are $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$, $3.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$, and $6.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\text{ }{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively. These upper limits are up to a factor 1.4 lower than previously derived limits. We also report on results from a blind injection challenge.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of the current study is to assess some of the self‐reported factors that students in the study used as choice criteria in making their school selection. Design/methodology/approach – The results of this study were obtained by conducting a series of focus groups involving incoming freshmen at a small liberal arts university located in the south eastern part of the USA. The focus groups were conducted to obtain insight into the factors that led this particular group of freshmen to the school and, second, to determine what areas were not living up to their expectations. The authors later surveyed a large sample (450 students) of the incoming freshman class using a questionnaire that was developed from the input obtained during the focus groups. Findings – Analysis of gap scores for the student population used in this study indicates that the current group does not consider their university a "quality" institution. Additionally, the importance‐performance grid (I‐P grid) points towards a lack of perceived quality, as only two of the dimensions considered actually fall into the "keep up the good work" quadrant. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitation of this study is the scope and size of its sample. Because the study involved a single group of university students from one university, the results cannot be generalized across a university‐wide spectrum. Nonetheless, the study does provide evidence for the development and use of the I‐P grid on those occasions calling for preliminary identification and assessment of student measures of service quality. Originality/value – By demonstrating the feasibility of the approach taken by the authors, it should be possible for university officials to utilize similar procedures when evaluating the overall satisfaction levels of their students' educational experience.

Submitted to Cornell University's online archive www.arXiv.org in 2008 by Matthew Pitkin. Post-print sourced from www.arxiv.org. Erratum Appears within Astrophysical Journal, 2009; 706(1): L203-L204. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L203

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Abstract The use of laser‐induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) has grown steadily, and it has proven to be a relatively dynamic research activity for performing direct spectrochemical elemental or metal analysis of a variety of materials, solids, liquids, and gases, with none or little sample pretreatment procedures. Significant progress has been made during the last several years on the diverse and versatile applications of LIBS including remote material analysis in nuclear power stations, space exploration, diagnostics of archaeological objects, and metal diffusion in solar cells, etc. This review presents the more recent applications of LIBS based on the development of fiber‐optic (FO) technology and portable instrumentation. The characteristics of matrices, object of analysis, laser system used, and analytical performances are tabulated for metallurgical samples, liquid and colloid samples, aerosol and gases, environmental samples, non‐metallic solids, advanced materials, and miscellaneous applications.

The reactivity pattern of small (approximately 10 to 20 atoms) anionic aluminum clusters with oxygen has posed a long-standing puzzle. Those clusters with an odd number of atoms tend to react much more slowly than their even-numbered counterparts. We used Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to show that spin conservation straightforwardly accounts for this trend. The reaction rate of odd-numbered clusters increased appreciably when singlet oxygen was used in place of ground-state (triplet) oxygen. Conversely, monohydride clusters AlnH-, in which addition of the hydrogen atom shifts the spin state by converting formerly open-shell structures to closed-shell ones (and vice versa), exhibited an opposing trend: The odd-n hydride clusters reacted more rapidly with triplet oxygen. These findings are supported by theoretical simulations and highlight the general importance of spin selection rules in mediating cluster reactivity.

The relationship between dry weight at adult emergence and wing length cubed was compared by regression analysis for three mosquito species reared in the laboratory and five species collected from the field. The regression equations were compared by ANCOVA between sexes and sources within species, and among species. Results indicated that the proportional relationship of wing length to teneral adult dry weight is highly variable and that unique regression formulae are required for each mosquito species and sex. Also, the relationship between wing length and dry weight differed within species among specimens reared in the lab versus those collected from the field.

We present direct upper limits on continuous gravitational wave emission from the Vela pulsar using data from the Virgo detector's second science run. These upper limits have been obtained using three independent methods that assume the gravitational wave emission follows the radio timing. Two of the methods produce frequentist upper limits for an assumed known orientation of the star's spin axis and value of the wave polarization angle of, respectively, 1.9 10<sup>24</sup> and 2.2 10<sup>24</sup>, with 95% confidence. The third method, under the same hypothesis, produces a Bayesian upper limit of 2.1 10<sup>24</sup>, with 95% degree of belief. These limits are below the indirect <i>spin-down limit</i> of 3.3 10<sup>24</sup> for the Vela pulsar, defined by the energy loss rate inferred from observed decrease in Vela's spin frequency, and correspond to a limit on the star ellipticity of ~10<sup>3</sup>. Slightly less stringent results, but still well below the spin-down limit, are obtained assuming the star's spin axis inclination and the wave polarization angles are unknown.

Compact binary systems with neutron stars or black holes are one of the most promising sources for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Gravitational radiation encodes rich information about source physics; thus parameter estimation and model selection are crucial analysis steps for any detection candidate events. Detailed models of the anticipated waveforms enable inference on several parameters, such as component masses, spins, sky location and distance, that are essential for new astrophysical studies of these sources. However, accurate measurements of these parameters and discrimination of models describing the underlying physics are complicated by artifacts in the data, uncertainties in the waveform models and in the calibration of the detectors. Here we report such measurements on a selection of simulated signals added either in hardware or software to the data collected by the two LIGO instruments and the Virgo detector during their most recent joint science run, including a ``blind injection'' where the signal was not initially revealed to the collaboration. We exemplify the ability to extract information about the source physics on signals that cover the neutron-star and black-hole binary parameter space over the component mass range $1\text{ }{\mathrm{M}}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}--25\text{ }{\mathrm{M}}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ and the full range of spin parameters. The cases reported in this study provide a snapshot of the status of parameter estimation in preparation for the operation of advanced detectors.

The average wing length of Aedes aegypti females collected as pupae was 2.47 mm, which was significantly smaller than the 2.64 mm average wing length of the host-seeking females collected in the field. The average wing length of nulliparous host-seeking females was 2.62 mm, which was significantly smaller than the 2.76 mm wing length of parous host-seeking females. Thus, small Ae. aegypti females exhibited reduced blood-feeding success and, most likely, reduced survival when compared with large adults.