cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wafer-Scale Graphene Integrated Circuit

A wafer-scale graphene circuit was demonstrated in which all circuit components, including graphene field-effect transistor and inductors, were monolithically integrated on a single silicon carbide wafer. The integrated circuit operates as a broadband radio-frequency mixer at frequencies up to 10 gigahertz. These graphene circuits exhibit outstanding thermal stability with little reduction in performance (less than 1 decibel) between 300 and 400 kelvin. These results open up possibilities of achieving practical graphene technology with more complex functionality and performance.
Coordinating Sanctions in Torts

This Article begins with the canonical law-and-economics account of tort law as a regulatory tool, that is, as a means of giving regulated parties the optimal ex ante incentives to minimize the costs of accidents. Building on this regulatory picture of tort law, the Article asks the question how tort law should coordinate with already existing non-tort systems of regulation. Thus, for example, if a particular activity is already subject to extensive agency-based regulation, regulation that already addresses the negative externalities or other market failures associated with the activity, what regulatory role remains for tort law? Should tort law in such cases be displaced or preempted? The answer is: It depends. Sometimes, even in the presence of overlapping non-tort regulation, there is a regulatory role that tort law can play, sometimes not. If the non-tort regulatory standard is already “fully optimizing,” in the sense that the regulatory standard (a) sets both an efficient floor and an efficient ceiling of conduct and (b) is fully enforced by the regulatory authority, then tort law arguably should be fully displaced in the sense that no tort remedy should be available for harms caused by such an activity. If, however, the regulatory standard is only “partially optimizing” (for example, it is only an efficient minimum or efficient floor or it is only partially enforced), then tort law continues to have an important regulatory role to play. This framework can be used to explain such tort doctrines as negligence per se and suggests circumstances in which there should be a corollary doctrine of non-negligence per se. It also helps to explain recent federal preemption cases involving overlapping tort and regulatory standards. Finally, the framework produces insights for how tort law might efficiently be adjusted to coordinate with overlapping social norms, which are also considered within the L&E tradition to be a form of regulation.
Juvenile anisakine parasites from the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae

Two coelacanths captured in waters off of the Comoro Islands were examined for parasites. Eight third-stage anisakines of the genus Terranova or Pulchrascaris were found in the spiral valve and rectum of the two coelacanths examined. The poor condition of these defrosted specimens prevented further identification. The depauperate parasitofauna in coelacanths may result from their unique physiology and morphology and because they are a relict fish that has survived millions of years beyond other relatives and potential intermediate hosts.
Cerebral Embolization of Ethiodized Oil following Intranodal Lymphangiography.

Intranodal lymphangiography (IL) has supplanted pedal lymphangiography (PL) as an easier and more practical approach to opacifying lymphatic vessels for interventional radiologists treating refractory chyle leaks. As more interventional radiologists—many of who are not trained in or have not performed PL—incorporate IL into their practice, it is imperative that they be familiar with the risks of lymphangiography, including pulmonary and systemic embolization of oily contrast material. Herein, the authors report a devastating case of cerebral embolization of ethiodized oil following IL and review the literature regarding systemic embolization following lymphangiography.
Supercurrent Noise in Quantum Point Contacts

Spectral density of current fluctuations in a short ballistic superconducting quantum point contact is calculated for arbitrary bias voltages $V$. Contrary to a commonly held view that the supercurrent flow in Josephson junctions is a coherent process without fluctuations, we find extremely large current noise that is caused by the supercurrent coherence. At finite voltages, this noise can be qualitatively understood as the shot noise of the large charge quanta of magnitude $2\ensuremath{\Delta}/V$ equal to the charge transferred through the contact during one period of the Josephson oscillations.
Effects of progesterone withdrawal and estrogen on maternal behavior in nulliparous rats.

Different studies have pointed to the importance of the prepartum rise in estrogen and the decline in progesterone in the onset of maternal behavior in the rat. Because these endocrine conditions begin to occur at about the same time during late pregnancy, ovariectomized virgin rats were used to separate the specific roles of these hormones. Animals were implanted subcutaneously with progesterone (P) or estradiol-17β and tested either after the removal of the implants on Day 16 (Withdrawal) or during an extended period of implantation (Maintenance). Nonimplanted Injection groups received a single injection of P (5 mg) or estradiol benzoate (EB, 200 μg/kg). The Withdrawal, Maintenance, and Injection groups treated with P did not differ from each other or from vehicle-implanted controls. However, all three estrogen groups had latencies to the onset of maternal behavior (retrieving and crouching over pups) significantly shorter than those of their respective P groups and the controls. Experiment 2 examined the effect of prolonged P treatment followed by its withdrawal on EB stimulation of maternal care. Significantly shorter latencies were found among females given a subthreshold injection of EB (5 or 50 μg/kg) following pretreatment with either P implants for 16 days or a single injection of P (5 mg). The data show that estrogen alone but neither progesterone nor progesterone withdrawal alone is capable of inducing short-latency maternal behavior. However, progesterone withdrawal may modulate the onset of maternal care by increasing the animals' sensitivity to lower doses of estrogen.
Smoothing and spatial grid effects in implicit particle simulation

Abstract Convergence and linear dispersion properties in implicit particle codes used in plasma simulation are investigated. Inconsistent spatial smoothing and simplified spatial differencing are shown to be closely related and degrade convergence and, if suitable care is not taken, stability. The convergence and dispersion properties of non-iterated, partially converged solution schemes are calculated. A careful combination of an implicit field solution with extrapolation of particle quantities using a previously calculated electric field heed not degrade linear stability and dispersion characteristics. Even with some degradation of convergence, and with only one pass through the coupled particle and field equations on each time step, code performance can be entirely satisfactory if good stability and dispersion characteristics are preserved.
Analyzing the Impact of Science Reporting

Despite the efforts made by the mass media, only modest progress has been made in affecting human behavior through information about science. More research is needed, especially in communicating new concepts and ideas.
Sequential high temperature reduction, low temperature hydrolysis for the regeneration of sulfated NOx trap catalysts

We describe a new method that minimizes irreversible Pt sintering during the desulfation of sulfated PUBaO/Al 2 O 3 lean NO x trap (LNT) catalysts. While it is known that the addition of H 2 O to H 2 promotes desulfation, we find that the significant and irreversible Pt sintering arising from the presence of water is unavoidable. Control of precious metal sintering is considered to be one of the critical issues in the development of durable LNT catalysts. The new method described here is a sequential desulfation process: the first step is to reduce the sulfates with hydrogen only at higher temperatures to form BaS, followed by a treatment of the thus reduced sample with water at low to moderate temperatures to convert BaS to BaO and H 2 S. The data showed that Pt sintering was significantly inhibited due to the absence of H 2 O during the desulfation at high temperatures, and also demonstrates the similar NO x uptake with the desulfated sample cooperatively with H 2 and H 2 O. This study clearly revealed both positive and negative roles for water in desulfation processes and these factors must be considered when optimizing LNT operation.
Simultaneous separation of acid metabolites of catecholamines: application to urine and tissue.

Abstract A column chromatographic technique utilizing basic alumina at pH 4.5 for the separation of homovanillic acid (HVA) and subsequent differential elution of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and dihydroxymandelic acid (DOMA) is presented. The 24-h urinary excretions of these acids (with separate day and night specimens) were measured in 12 normal adult males. Mean 24-h urinary outputs expressed in mg/24 h are 9.4 ± 2.5 for HVA, 3.6 ± 1.2 for VMA, 3.0 ± 1.3 for DOPAC and 0.34 ± 0.13 mg for DOMA. Except for an increased day excretion of DOPAC there was no significant difference in day and night output of these compounds. As little as 3 μg of an authentic mixture of DOMA and DOPAC could be separated on basic alumina, with respective recoveries of 57 and 53%. The same concentration of both compounds added to rat brain homogenate yielded recoveries of 55% for DOMA and 56% for DOPAC. The advantages and application of basic alumina for the separation of blood plasma dihydrophenylalanine (DOPA) from dopamine are discussed.
Surficial sediment stability on Georges Bank, in the Great South Channel and on eastern Nantucket Shoals

Abstract Surficial sediment stability was estimated on Georges Bank, in the Great South Channel and on eastern Nantucket Shoals (36,699 km 2 ) by determining where benthic shear stresses derived from an ocean model matched or exceeded the critical shear stress of the observed surficial sediments. The shear stress resulting from M 2 and S 2 semi-diurnal tides was estimated with the Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model. Mixed-sediment critical shear stress levels were calculated for sediment compositions ranging from sand to boulder-dominated using 67,400 underwater video quadrats sampled from 1999 to 2010. Stresses matched or exceeded the sediment critical levels in 16,926 km 2 (46%) of the study area, and were inversely related to water depth ( r 2 =69.1%). In depths >50 m (10,953 km 2 ) all sediments were stable due to weak flow (≤0.4 N m −2 ). In the shallower higher flow areas (>0.4 N m −2 , 25,716 km 2 ) only sediments containing gravel remained stable. The largest stresses occurred on Nantucket Shoals and central and northeastern Georges Bank (≥2 N m −2 ); in these areas only sand with cobbles or sediments dominated by gravel remained stable. Outcrops of these stable sediments were surrounded by highly unstable areas with stresses 2 to 9 times higher than the sediment critical levels. This analysis identifies the locations which likely remain stable even under the high shear stresses typical of Georges Bank, the Great South Channel and eastern Nantucket Shoals. Further, we provide the map products needed to begin investigating the influences of natural sediment disturbance on the spatial and temporal patterns of the benthos including the resilience of stable versus unstable areas to anthropogenic disturbances.
Modeling Driver Behavior Within a Signalized Intersection Approach Decision-Dilemma Zone

This study uses data gathered in a field test on 60 test participants to develop models that characterize driver brake perception-reaction times (PRTs), brake times, and stop-go decisions at the onset of a yellow indication at a high-speed signalized intersection approach. The study demonstrates that driver PRTs are influenced only by the driver's time to intersection (TTI) at the onset of the yellow indication. The driver PRT is found to increase linearly with TTI and is not affected by the vehicle speed (in the range of 54 to 88 km/h), driver gender, or driver age. In the case of stop-go behavior, the older driver (≥65 years of age) dilemma zone is wider, ranging from a TTI of 4.81 to 1.66 s versus 4.90 to 2.87 s for the younger age group. Female drivers are more likely to stop than male drivers and tend to have a dilemma zone that is closer to the intersection. Finally, the study demonstrates that dilemma zone control systems should consider a dilemma zone from 5.0 to 1.5 s instead of the current state...
Nucleon axial form factor from lattice QCD.

Results for the isovector axial form factors of the proton from a lattice QCD calculation are presented for both the point-split and local currents. They are obtained on a quenched ${16}^{3}$ \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 24 lattice at $\ensuremath{\beta}=6.0$ with Wilson fermions for a range of quark masses from strange to twice the charm mass. For each quark mass, we find that the axial form factor falls off slower than the corresponding proton electric form factor. Results extrapolated to the chiral limit show that the ${q}^{2}$ dependence of the axial form factor agrees quite well with experiment. The axial vector coupling constant ${g}_{A}$ calculated for the point-split and local currents is 1.20 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.11 and 1.18 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.11. The central values are 4% and 6% smaller than the experimental value of 1.254, respectively. We also consider the large $\mathrm{ma}$ correction and renormalization for the axial vector current of heavy quarks.
Batch rekeying for secure group communications

Many emerging web and Internet applications are based on a group communications model. Thus, securing group communications is an important Internet design issue. The key graph approach has been proposed for group key management. Key tree and key star are two important types of key graphs. Previous work has been focused on individual rekeying, i.e., rekeying after each join or leave request. In this paper, we first identify two problems with individual rekeying: inefficiency and an out-of-sync problem between keys and data. We then propose the use of periodic batch rekeying which can improve efficiency and alleviate the out-of-sync problem. We devise a marking algorithm to process a batch of join and leave requests. We then analyze the key server’s processing cost for batch rekeying. Our results show that batch rekeying, compared to individual rekeying, saves server cost substantially. We also show that when the number of requests in a batch is not large, the best key tree degree is four; otherwise, key star (a special key tree with root degree equal to group size) outperforms small-degree key trees.
Thermally conductive alumina/organic composites for photovoltaic concentrator cell isolation

Styrene-acrylate copolymer coatings were deposited onto anodized aluminum substrates and the processing characteristics correlated with coating properties. The aluminum (5005-H34) alloy trough or housing module was anodized in a chilled (0-5 degrees C) 18% aqueous sulfuric acid bath. The entire housing was anodized to 50 V at a current density of 1.4 A/dm/sup 2/. A styrene-acrylate copolymer electrophoretic bath was prepared, and the bottom of the inside of the module was electrocoated at 0.5 mA/cm/sup 2/ for 120 s. Breakdown measurements were obtained by placing a probe on the coating composite and gradually increasing the voltage until a current in excess of 10 mA occurred. The results indicate that thin, relatively high thermal conductivity, high-voltage breakdown dielectrics can be formed using this economical process. >
Tectonic rotation of the Santa Ynez Range, California, recorded in the Sespe Formation

SUMMARY Terrestrial claystone and siltstone in the Sespe Formation (Oligocene) in the Santa Ynez Range near Santa Barbara, California, record a palaeomagnetic field that predates the regional folding and satisfies a reversal test. The mean declination of 80.1" closely matches the declination in Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks studied by others in the Western Transverse Block (of which the Santa Ynez Range is a part), and the mean inclination of 38.9" is consistent with a hypothesis that the block was once about 10" south of its present latitude. The combined palaeomagnetic data indicate that clockwise rotation of the block is entirely post-Oligocene; the rotation might not haye commenced until the middle Miocene, or about 15 Myr after northward motion of the block began.
Organizations as Contexts: Implications for Safety Science and Practice:

A theory of organizations as contexts frames the kinds of objective and subjective evidence needed for systematic analyses of the conditions under which accidents and incidents occur, are recovered from, or are prevented. Contexts of risk-handling activities in high-hazard produc tion systems are seen as supraindividual and self-governing entities, structured by social and cultural properties such as goals, resources, communication, meanings and categories, and intercontext relation ships. The concept of self-governance equalizes the importance of lateral and executive control for safety management. Actors' access to and degree of perceived and objective control over resources become significant data, as do data relating to communicative, cultural, and coordination issues. Context theory highlights several issues in safety research and practice and organizational studies generally, and it sug gests new approaches to incident investigations and organizational learning.
Pattern alignment effects in through-wafer bulk micromachining of (100) silicon

Precise alignment of the mask patterns relative to wafer crystallographic orientation is critical in the fabrication of many MEMS devices. Slight misalignment between the two can create striations and other defects in the etched sidewalls using an orientation dependent etchant such as potassium hydroxide (KOH). This paper focuses on the characterization of the resultant geometries due to the deliberate misalignment of photolithographically defined patterns relative to the [110] plane in (100) orientation silicon. The surface roughness of the etched (111) sidewall are characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and profilometry.
Ecthyma: a potential mimicker of zoonotic infections in a returning traveler

The cutaneous ulcer in a patient with a history of international travel poses a vexing diagnostic dilemma for the clinician. While Streptococcus and Staphylococcus are common causes of cutaneous ecthyma, the necrotizing ulcer can have a vast differential diagnosis including ulcerating zoonoses.
Managing Agreement: The Abilene Paradox

It was July in Coleman, Texas. The summer heat was brutal, io^ in the shade. The relentless West Texas wind was blowing fine grained topsoil through the air. However, the afternoon was bearable, even potentially enjoyable. The air-conditioning was working. There was cold lemonade and beer, and a baseball game on television. It had the makings of an agreeable day. Then my father-in-law suddenly said, "Let's get in the car, and go to Abilene. We can have dinner at the new restaurant." My first thought was, "Why? It's over $o miles to Abilene. It's insane to drive in this dust and heat. His car doesn't have air conditioning.'' However, my wife chimed in with, "Great idea. I'd like to go. How about you, Chuck?" Since my own desires were obviously out of step I replied, "Sounds good to me," and then I added, "I hope your mother wants to go." "Of course I want to go," said my mother-in-law. "I haven't been to Abilene in weeks." We proceeded to get into my father-in-law's car, and drive to Abilene. My first and worst thoughts were confirmed. The heat was death in the afternoon. We were soon covered with a fine layer of dust that was, in turn, covered with a layer of sweat. The
Evolution of predator and prey movement into sink habitats.

Abstract: Mathematical models of predator‐prey interactions in a patchy landscape are used to explore the evolution of dispersal into sink habitats. When evolution proceeds at a single trophic level (i.e., either prey or predator disperses), three evolutionary outcomes are observed. If predator‐prey dynamics are stable in source habitats, then there is an evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) corresponding to sedentary phenotypes residing in source habitats. If predator‐prey dynamics are sufficiently unstable, then either an ESS corresponding to dispersive phenotypes or an evolutionarily stable coalition (ESC) between dispersive and sedentary phenotypes emerges. Dispersive phenotypes playing an ESS persist despite exhibiting, on average, a negative per capita growth rate in all habitats. ESCs occur if dispersal into sink habitats can stabilize the predator‐prey interactions. When evolution proceeds at both trophic levels, any combination of monomorphic or dimorphic phenotypes at one or both trophic levels ...
Tree-varying multicast on an overlay network of unreliable end hosts

IP-layer multicast (IP multicast) is a sophisticated approach for delivering data to multiple receiver hosts distributed in networks, but several issues have prevented its wide deployment. To solve the issues, several application-layer multicasts (ALM) have been proposed as architectural alternatives to IP multicast. ALMs depend on the reliability of the end hosts, but end hosts are less stable than network devices, such as switches and routers, which IP multicast depends on, because their computing resources are shared by other, unpredictable, processes. The article presents a new ALM protocol on an overlay of such undependable end hosts. It exploits a group hierarchy for scalable data delivery, for example, to thousands of receivers, as well as conventional ALMs. No leader hosts are fixed in the hierarchy, but they are dynamically and randomly assigned for each forwarding operation at the end hosts. Thus, the multicast trees change very frequently. This distributes and balances the stress in the delivery networks, avoiding congestion. We analyse the link stress and show that it is up to double the data bit rate when the receivers are equally distributed in the group hierarchy. This also makes the system stable and robust, not only to dynamic membership changes when receivers join and leave, but also to temporal performance changes in the receiver hosts, which would cause errors such as a packet loss when they fail to receive or send some packets in time. We also discuss scalability issues and show the results of demonstration experiments.
Soil Properties and Macro Cations Status impacted by Long‐Term Applied Poultry Litter

Most ethnic populations worldwide consume poultry products. Whereas poultry litter (PL) is a traditionally inexpensive and effective fertilizer to improve soil quality and agricultural productivity, overapplication to soils has raised concerns because excess nutrients in runoff could accelerate the eutrophication of fresh bodies of water. A long-term field experiment of land application of PL to soils used for pasture growth has been maintained for nearly two decades in the Sand Mountain region of north Alabama, USA. In this work, several soil parameters impacted by the long-term applied litter were characterized. The findings clearly support previous general observations that long-term applied litter on pasture soils altered soil properties and macrocation levels. Unlike other studies, however, the effects of applied litter at multiple rates and years were examined, thus revealing the dynamic impacts on soil properties. Hay yields increased with the increase of years of PL application, regardless of the applied rate. This observation was consistent with previous observations that the labile phosphorus (P) portion in these soils increases with application years whereas total P increases with the cumulative applied PL amounts. Poultry litter application did not markedly affect soil electric conductivity, bulk density, or sodium (Na) or potassium (K) levels, especially at the soil surface (0-20 cm). Soil pH, carbon (C), C/nitrogen (N) ratio, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were profoundly affected at all three soil depths (0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm). Most soil parameters analyzed in this study reached peak values with 10-15 years of applied litter. This observation suggests that there was a turning point of impact for applied litter around 10 years: prior to that the soil macrocations were altered positively as a result of accumulative functions. Continuous litter application may negatively alter a soil's capacity to retain macrocations, leading to less impact observed in this study. In other words, pasture soils with more than 10 years of applied litter would have higher potential for leaching and runoff. Our observation suggested that best management practices for land application of PL should take into consideration the different effects of PL application history.
THE EFFECT OF LOCAL INJECTION OF DRUGS ON THE UPTAKE AND EXCRETION OF INTRADERMALLY INJECTED DYE. EVIDENCE OF AN EXTRARENAL ACTION OF MERCURIAL DIURECTICS.

Abstract Clearing of vital bue dyes from the site of intradermally injected drugs, and increased urinary excretion of intradermally injected patent blue V with drugs have demonstrated that meralluride exerts a local extrarenal action at the tissue level apparently by increasing the uptake of dye by capillaries, small veins, and lymphatics. Other cardiovascular drugs studied did not exhibit all of the same effects but did manifest evidence of local actions of different nature, for example, increased diffusion of fluid from capillaries. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the actions of mercurial diuretics and confirm the existence of an extrarenal action of meralluride which may be of significance in the treatment of edema. Although more detailed basic techniques are necessary to determine the precise mechanism of action at cellular levels, the techniques presented in these studies can serve as methods for establishing the existence of local effects of other pharmacologic, chemical, or physical agents.
Stochastic Stability and Performance Robustness of Linear Multivariable Systems

Stochastic robustness, a simple technique used to estimate the robustness of linear, time-invariant systems, is applied to a single-link robot arm control system. Concepts behind stochastic stability robustness are extended to systems with estimators and to stochastic performance robustness. Stochastic performance robustness measures based on classical design specifications are introduced, and the relationship between stochastic robustness measures and control system design parameters is discussed. The application of stochastic performance robustness, and the relationship between performance objectives and design parameters are demonstrated by means of the example. The results prove stochastic robustness to be a good overall robustness analysis method that can relate robustness characteristics to control system design parameters.
Manufacturing cost analysis of optoelectronic integrated circuits

A modified version of a recently proposed cost model for millimeter and microwave integrated circuits is applied to the cost analysis of optoelectronic integrated circuits. The particular example that is examined is a four-function receiver module for optical interconnects. On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that the lowest receiver module cost, for any level of production, is achieved by integrating the receiver at the rate of two functions per chip, rather than a full single-chip integration of the receiver. This observation is the result of the loss of functional yield and a reduction of the number of die per wafer incurred by the increased die size. >
Towards supply chain collaboration: an operations audit of VMI initiatives in the electronics industry

Recently, there has been an increased focus on supply chain collaboration efforts such as Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI). Often, supply chain partners have experienced gaps between desired and actual performance in working towards a successful collaborative relationship. In this research, we analysed two VMI initiatives that have not yet produced the level of performance desired by the supply chain partners involved. In each case, an operations audit was performed to determine where characteristic and performance gaps existed. The output of this research effort is inherent in the operations audit process employed, the VMI initiative gaps discovered during the process as well as the steps that could be undertaken to minimise or eliminate these gaps. The paper culminates in a framework that describes the operations audit in terms of an iterative, collaboration evaluation process. The framework and process can serve as valuable mechanisms for understanding the evolution towards collaborative supply chain relationships.
Incremental power network analysis using backward random walks

The process of power network analysis during VLSI chip design is inherently iterative. It is very common for the designer to make many small perturbations to an otherwise complete design, to enhance the design or fix design violations. Considering the size of the modern chips, updating the solution for the changed network can be a computationally intensive task. In this paper we propose an efficient and accurate incremental solver that utilizes the backward random walks to identify the region of influence of the perturbation. The solution of the network is updated for the significantly smaller region only. The proposed algorithm is capable of handling consecutive perturbations without any degradation. The experimental results show speedups of up to 13.7× as compared to a complete solution.
Adaptive Representations for Reinforcement Learning

In reinforcement learning, an autonomous agent seeks an effective control policy for tackling a sequential decision task. Unlike in supervised learning, the agent never sees examples of correct or incorrect behavior but receives only a reward signal as feedback. One limitation of current methods is that they typically require a human to manually design a representation for the solution (e.g. the internal structure of a neural network). Since poor design choices can lead to grossly suboptimal policies, agents that automatically adapt their own representations have the potential to dramatically improve performance. This thesis introduces two novel approaches for automatically discovering high-performing representations. The first approach synthesizes temporal difference methods, the traditional approach to reinforcement learning, with evolutionary methods, which can learn representations for a broad class of optimization problems. This synthesis is accomplished via (1) on-line evolutionary computation, which customizes evolutionary methods to the on-line nature of most reinforcement learning problems, and (2) evolutionary function approximation, which evolves representations for the value function approximators that are critical to the temporal difference approach. The second approach, called adaptive tile coding, automatically learns representations based on tile codings, which form piecewise-constant approximations of value functions. It begins with coarse representations and gradually refines them during learning, analyzing the current policy and value function to deduce the best refinements. This thesis also introduces a novel method for devising input representations. In particular, it presents a way to find a minimal set of features sufficient to describe the agent's current state, a challenge known as the feature selection problem. The technique, called Feature Selective NEAT is an extension to NEAT, a method for evolving neural networks used throughout this thesis. While NEAT evolves both the topology and weights of a neural network, FS-NEAT goes one step further by learning the network's inputs too. Using evolution, it automatically and simultaneously determines the network's inputs, topology, and weights. In addition to introducing these new methods, this thesis presents extensive empirical results in multiple domains demonstrating that these techniques can substantially improve performance over methods with manual representations.
Cruciferous Vegetable Intake and Lung Cancer Risk: A Nested Case-Control Study Matched on Cigarette Smoking

Background: Due predominantly to cigarette smoking, lung cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death worldwide. Cruciferous vegetables may reduce lung cancer risk. The association between intake of cruciferous vegetables and lung cancer risk was investigated in the CLUE II study, a community-based cohort established in 1989. Methods: We matched 274 incident cases of lung cancer diagnosed from 1990 to 2005 to 1,089 cancer-free controls on age, sex, and cigarette smoking. Dietary information was collected at baseline. Multivariable odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Results: Intake of cruciferous vegetables was inversely associated with lung cancer risk (highest-versus-lowest fourth: OR Q4vsQ1, 0. 57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85; P -trend = 0.01). The inverse associations held true for former smokers (ORQ4vsQ1, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27-0.92; P -trend = 0.05) and current smokers (ORQ4vsQ1, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29-0.95; P -trend = 0.02). Conclusions: After carefully controlling for cigarette smoking, higher intake of cruciferous vegetable was associated with lower risk of lung cancer. Impact: The observed inverse association coupled with accumulating evidence suggests that intake of cruciferous vegetables is inversely associated with lung cancer risk, and this association seems to hold true beyond the confounding effects of cigarette smoking. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(10); 2534–40. ©2010 AACR. This article is featured in Highlights of This Issue, [p. 2419][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/19/2419
Mechanical Force and Cytoplasmic Ca 2+ Activate Yeast TRPY1 in Parallel

The ability to sense mechanical and osmotic stimuli is vital to all organisms from mammals to bacteria. Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion-channel family have attracted intense attention for their involvement in mechanosensation. The yeast homologue TRPY1 can clearly be activated by hypertonic shock in vivo and by stretch force under patch clamp. Like its animal counterparts, TRPY1 is polymodal, being gated by membrane stretch force and by cytoplasmic Ca2+. Here, we investigated how these two gating principles interact. We found that stretch force can induce some channel activation without cytoplasmic Ca2+. Tens of micromolar Ca2+ greatly enhance the observed force-induced activities, with open probabilities following well the Boltzmann distribution, in which the two gating energies are summed as exponents. To map this formalism to structures, we found Ca2+-binding proteins such as calmodulin or calcineurin to be unnecessary. However, removing a dense cluster of negative charges in the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of TRPY1 greatly diminishes the Ca2+ activation as well as its influence on force activation. We also found a strategic point upstream of this charge cluster, at which insertion of amino acids weakens Ca2+ activation considerably but leaves the mechanosensitivity nearly intact. These results led to a structure–function model in which Ca2+ binding to the cytoplasmic domain and stretching of the membrane-embedded domain both generate gating force, reaching the gate in parallel.
Clinical reasoning: A 6-year-old boy with uncontrollable right-sided movements.

A 6-year-old boy with no significant medical history presents for uncontrollable abnormal movements of the right side for 3 days. Four days prior to presentation, he complained to his mother that “something was wrong” with his right hand. Three days prior to presentation, his mother noticed he would drop things like books and pencils and be unable to pick them up, had difficulty feeding himself, and when he would try to run he would hop. He complained of difficulty writing and his handwriting was uncharacteristically messy. His mother began to notice odd movements of his right upper extremity, such as rolling his wrist and rotating his shoulder. One day prior to presentation, he was complaining of generalized right-sided weakness and his mother noted he had difficulty lifting his right arm. ### Questions for consideration: 1. What is the differential diagnosis? 2. What would you look for on review of systems? On physical examination? The differential of a child with chorea is large and includes collagen vascular diseases, Wilson disease, Sydenham chorea (SC), paroxysmal dyskinesia, hyperthyroidism, drug intoxication, Tourette syndrome, and encephalitis, among others (table). Although its existence is unproven, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disease associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS) should be kept in mind as it shares characteristics with SC. View this table: Table Features of selected differential diagnoses of chorea The patient denied any fever, chills, nausea, headache, sore throat, recent infections, throat clearing, history of seizures, recent trauma, rashes, dizziness, numbness, tingling, or joint pains. He was unable to suppress the movements, although they disappeared during sleep. His mother denied any changes in mood, appetite, or sleep. No obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors were noticed. No recent travel or sick contacts were reported. He was not on any medications or supplements. His last illness was a sore throat 14 months ago. Neither past medical history nor family history was …
Revisiting the Grand Canyon.

It was with wistfulness that I read John Schmidt's review of James Powell's book Grand Canyon (“The grand question,” 16 Sept., p. [1818][1]). I was a teenager in the late 1960s when my family took an epic car trip around the United States, visiting the Grand Canyon and many other national parks
Temperature dependence of the electron mobility in photorefractive Bi 12 SiO 20

We have measured the temperature dependence of the electron mobility in a single crystal of photorefractive n-type cubic Bi12SiO20 by using a holographic time-of-flight technique. Our results show that the mobility, with a value μ = 0.24 ± 0.07 cm2/(V s) at room temperature, has a temperature dependence of the Arrhenius form, with an activation energy of 320 ± 40 meV in the experimental range 270–310 K.
Vitamin E Supplementation in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Tardive Dyskinesia, and Cataract: Part 2

OBJECTIVETo review clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of vitamin E supplementation in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, tardive dyskinesia, and cataract.DATA SOURCESUsing the MeSH terms alpha-tocopherol, tocopherols, vitamin E, Parkinson disease, tardive dyskinesia, Alzheimer disease, cataract, and clinical trials, a literature review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles in MEDLINE (1966–July 2005).STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONPublished materials including original research, review articles, and meta-analyses were reviewed. Only English-language articles and trials that included vitamin E alone or in combination with other vitamins or minerals were reviewed. Emphasis was placed on prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.DATA SYNTHESISThe clinical studies demonstrated contradicting results regarding the benefits of vitamin E in Parkinson's disease, tardive dyskinesia, and cataract. The study reviewed for Alzheimer's disease seemed ...
About Some Tensegrity Structures

Tensegrity structures are structures where there are, typically, a few struts and many links, which are nevertheless stable structures. This paper considers structures where the platform and base are regular planar n-gons, with the appropriate connections and derives a very simple formula for their realizeable/unique construction. The effects of changing a single length can also be studied.
Controlled drift of indirect excitons in GaAs coupled quantum wells

Summary form only given. Because excitons are charge neutral electron-hole pairs, they do not normally move in response to an electric field, and therefore it is difficult to control their motion. We report here the successful demonstration of two methods of exerting a force on excitons in GaAs coupled quantum wells. Both of these methods have been used to confine excitons to a spatial trap which is well approximated by harmonic potential in the plane of the wells.
STUDIES ON PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN VITRO VI. INCORPORATION AND RELEASE OF AMINO ACIDS IN PARTICULATE PREPARATIONS FROM LIVERS OF RATS

The release of radioactive amino acid from the particulate fractions separated from the prelabelled livers of rats by centrifugation has been studied under various conditions. Although pure fractions may not have been obtained, great differences in behavior were observed. In the mitochondria and nuclei dinitrophenol (10–4 M) causes an inhibition of release, but in microsomes the opposite effect is observed. When the incubation medium is fortified with ATP and phosphocreatine, release is inhibited. In microsomes and nuclei the inhibition proceeds to the extent that the incorporation of preformed radioactive amino acid occurs. Protein is synthesized at a rapid rate. In incubations longer than 1 hour there is always a release of radioactive amino acid. It is concluded from these results that the interpretation of release data from slices or systems such as those studied is impossible without further information concerning some of the unknown variables. The most important unknown is the specific activity of the "free" amino acid in the particulates and the effect of carrier amino acid in the medium of this specific activity.
Selenite treatment inhibits LAPC-4 tumor growth and prostate-specific antigen secretion in a xenograft model of human prostate cancer.

Purpose: Selenium compounds have known chemopreventive effects on prostate cancer. However selenite, an inorganic form of selenium, has not been extensively studied as a treatment option for prostate cancer. Our previous studies have demonstrated the inhibition of androgen receptor expression and androgen stimulated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression by selenite in human prostate cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the in vivo effects of selenite as a therapy to treat mice with established LAPC-4 tumors. Methods and Materials: Male mice harboring androgen-dependent LAPC-4 xenograft tumors were treated with selenite (2 mg/kg intraperitoneally threetimes per week) or vehicle for 42 days. In addition, androgen-independent LAPC-4 xenograft tumors weregenerated in female mice over 4 to 6 months. Once established, androgen-independent LAPC-4 tumor fragments were passaged into female mice and were treated with selenite or vehicle for 42 days. Changes in tumor volume and serum PSA levels were assessed. Results: Selenite significantly decreased androgen-dependent LAPC-4 tumor growth in male mice over 42 days (p < 0.001). Relative tumor volume was decreased by 41% in selenite-treated animals compared with vehicletreated animals. The inhibition of LAPC-4 tumor growth corresponded to a marked decrease in serum PSA levels (p < 0.01). In the androgen-independent LAPC-4 tumors in female mice, selenite treatment decreased tumor volume by 58% after 42 days of treatment (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that selenite may have potential as a novel therapeutic agent to treat both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer. 2008 Elsevier Inc. Prostate cancer, LAPC-4 xenograft, Selenite, PSA, Androgen-independent prostate cancer.
Precipitation over Greenland Retrieved by a Dynamic Method and Its Relation to Cyclonic Activity

Abstract In order to calculate the vertical motion over some high mountain regions, such as Greenland, an ω-equation without the quasigeostrophic approximation in σ-coordinates has been developed. A dynamic method for retrieving precipitation over Greenland is based on this ω-equation. The retrieved annual mean precipitation distribution for 1987 and 1988 is in very good agreement with the observed annual accumulation pattern over the Greenland Ice Sheet. The major weather system producing precipitation over Greenland is the frontal cyclone. Based on the precipitation characteristics, Greenland can be divided into five subregions. Precipitation over the north coastal and central interior regions primarily occurs in summer. For the three other subregions, if the composite monthly mean sea level pressure charts for high and low monthly precipitation amounts are constructed, a clear relationship between precipitation and cyclonic activity emerges. If a mean cyclone exists in the Labrador Sea, heavy precipita...
Adiabatic Limit with Isolated Degenerate Fibres

In this talk I want to remind you of the setup for adiabatic limit and then to discuss various generalizations of it. I will try to show how problems with singular or degenerate fibres can be treated and how these are related to gluing problems and to the behaviour at the boundary of certain geometric moduli spaces.
Reaching Zero Energy in Florida's Hot Humid Climate

Once considered economically impractical and technology unfeasible, the zero energy home [ZEH] is now a reality, zero energy communities are on the rise and the world is poised to enter a new clean renewable energy era. In the State of Florida the hot humid climate presents certain challenges to energy efficiency, comfort and the development of ZEH. Vernacular and modern buildings built before the influx of air conditioning hold valuable lessons about designing in harmony with the climate. Research on ZEH in Florida has resulted in a wealth of useful information but many problems still remain. Most ZEH have been built with conventional site built methods and have reduced cooling loads with well-sealed, highly insulated envelopes. As a result, the homes are often closed off to the exterior and few innovations in cooling technology have been introduced. This paper describes the research and design of a ZEH prototype for a hot humid climate, funded by a Florida Energy Systems Consortium grant. Taking vernacular architecture, modern architecture and recent ZEH research as points of departure the author describes the design and construction strategy for a ZEH prototype for a hot humid climate that will attempt to improve on current ZEH examples. The author argues that a Florida ZEH should have the potential to open up and take advantage of natural ventilation during the cool mild season and close during the hot humid season for mechanical cooling. A ZEH designed in this way would be more connected with the environment and the cooling load would be reduced with the use of natural ventilation also reducing the need for expensive PV panels and making the house more affordable. Prefabrication of ZEH can reduce waste associated with site building while shortening the construction period and reducing the overall cost of the house.