cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wipe transition detection using polynomial interpolation

We present a novel technique for detecting the presence of a wipe transition in video sequences and automatically identifying its type. Our scheme focuses on analyzing the characteristics of the underlying special edit effects and estimates actual transitions by polynomial data interpolation. In particular, a B-spline polynomial curve fitting technique is used to measure 'goodness' of fitting to determine the presence of gradual transitions. Our approach is able to recover the original transition behavior of an edit effect even if it is distorted by various post- processing stages. Our wipe transition detector has been tested on various real video sequences to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms.
A Method for the Verification of Wire Crimp Compression Using Ultrasonic Inspection

The development of a new ultrasonic measurement technique to assess quantitatively wire crimp terminations is discussed. The amplitude change of a compressional ultrasonic wave propagating at right angles to the wire axis and through the junction of a crimp termination is shown to correlate with the results of a destructive pull test, which is a standard for assessing crimp wire junction quality. To demonstrate the technique, the case of incomplete compression of crimped connections is ultrasonically tested, and the results are correlated with pull tests. Results show that the nondestructive ultrasonic measurement technique consistently predicts good crimps when the ultrasonic transmission is above a certain threshold amplitude level. A quantitative measure of the quality of the crimped connection based on the ultrasonic energy transmitted is shown to respond accurately to crimp quality. A wave propagation model, solved by finite element analysis, describes the compressional ultrasonic wave propagation through the junction during the crimping process. This model is in agreement within 6% of the ultrasonic measurements. A prototype instrument for applying this technique while wire crimps are installed is also presented. The instrument is based on a two-jaw type crimp tool suitable for butt-splice type connections. A comparison of the results of two different instruments is presented and shows reproducibility between instruments within a 95% confidence bound.
Automatic loop-shaping of QFT controllers via linear programming

In this paper we focus on the following loop-shaping problem: Given a nominal plant and QFT bounds, synthesize a controller that achieves closed-loop stability, satisfies the QFT bounds and has minimum high-frequency gain. The usual approach to this problem involves loop shaping in the frequency domain by manipulating the poles and zeroes of the nominal loop transfer function. This process now aided by recently-developed computer-aided design tools, proceeds by trial and error, and its success often depends heavily on the experience of the loop-shaper. Thus, for the novice and first-time QFT users, there is a genuine need for an automatic loop-shaping tool to generate a first-cut solution. Clearly, such an automatic process must involve some sort of optimization, and, while recent results on convex optimization have found fruitful applications in other areas of control design, their immediate usage here is precluded by the inherent nonconvexity of QFT bounds. Alternatively, these QFT bounds can be over-bounded by convex sets, as done in some recent approaches to automatic loop-shaping, but this conservatism ca have a strong and adverse effect on meeting the original design specifications. With this in mind, we approach the automatic loop-shaping problem by first stating conditions under which QFT bounds can be dealt with in a non-conservative fashion using linear inequalities. We will argue that for a first-cut design, these conditions are often satisfied in the most critical frequencies of loop-shaping and are violated in frequency bands where approximation leads to negligible conservatism in the control design, These results immediately lead to an automated loop-shaping algorithm involving only linear program-ming techniques, which we illustrate via an example.
Some quantitative aspects of passive anaphylaxis in pertussis-vaccinated mice.

Summary1. Pertussis vaccine significantly increased the susceptibility of mice to passive anaphylaxis. Two lots of anti-bovine-serum-albumin rabbit serum containing 0.816 and 2.52 mg antibody N per ml, respectively, were used. With each, the response was graded in relation to amount of antibody injected and reproducible titrations of the SD50 were obtained. The SD50 values for the respective sera were 4.06 ± .27 and 7.9 ± 1.03 mg N/ kg, respectively. Significance of the difference was not definitely established. In non-vaccinated mice, even with several fold increases in antibody, the highest incidence of shock, was around 50% and frequently the response was irregularly graded. 2. Within a range of dosage of pertussis vaccine that varied as much as 16 fold and which significantly affected the histamine LD50, the passive anaphylactic SD50 values of the sera were not significantly altered. 3. Comparable anaphylactic sensitivity was observed when a serum was; administered either 48, 24, or 6 hours before the...
Warranty Periods Based on Three Ordered Sample Observations From a Weibull Population

Further investigation is made of the method derived in [7] for calculating, from Weibull failure data, warranty periods for lots to be manufactured in the future. A tabulation is given of warranty periods associated with lots of size n, n = 10, 11,..., 25, for failure data obtained from samples of size m, m = 2, 3,..., n - 3. The specified assurance level is 0.95.
In vitro anticancer activities and optical imaging of novel intercalative non-cisplatin conjugates.

The first π-conjugated macrocyclic diimine and triaza DNA-binding intercalators and their platinum(II) conjugates have been synthesized by direct Schiff base cyclocondensation. The in vitro anticancer activities of compounds 3, 4, and 5 were tested on five cancer cell lines: MCF-7, A549, P388, A2780, and A2780cisR. Ovarian tumors were included specifically to evaluate the new conjugates' ability to circumvent A2780cisR resistance. Antitumor effects of the newly conjugated compounds were compared to those of cisplatin. The data clearly indicate that improved drug efficiencies are achieved as a result of the intercalative moieties. The luminescent probe that was integrated in complexes 8−10 made it possible to monitor drug penetration using optical imaging. Enhanced targeting of tumor nuclei by the study compounds was confirmed by confocal microscopy. This paper describes a new class of platinum-based antitumorals differing from cisplatin in several critical aspects with the potential for significantly imp...
Stratification and supernatural punishment: cooperation or obedience?

Schloss and Murray (S&M) have provided an insightful and important contribution to our understanding of the role of supernatural punishment in the evolution of religious systems. Future researchers...
Reliability assessment of CCDs operating under ionizing radiation ambients: Failure — Simulation studies via electrical overstressing

Abstract This paper addresses a study on simulated space radiation effects on charge-coupled devices (CCD). An implicit method of assessing the performance degradation and field reliability of CCDs operated in natural ionizing-radiation ambients is devised via test studies using an electrical overstress parameter to represent the ionizing radiation dosage equivalently. Relevant cumulative degradation due to accelerated aging performed on a set of commercially available CCD is analyzed to establish the endurance coefficient of device(s). The proposed method is devoid of handling hazardous ionizing radiation sources and also enables fast reliability predictions. The test results are discussed.
The effects of different forms of feedback on fuzzy and verbatim memory of science principles.

Background. Previous models of the effects of feedback account for lower-order learning outcomes but do not adequately describe experimental findings for higher-order learning. Aims. Based on a connectionist model of feedback effects, this investigation aims to show that feedback that allows only one learner response facilitates proposition-specific verbatim encoding, while feedback that requires the learner to try again on error facilitates relational fuzzy encoding. Sample and methods. Volunteer high school students were randomly assigned to one of 5 print-based lesson treatments that consisted of four science expository texts with adjunct inference-level questions covering science principles. The five treatments included delayed feedback, single-try immediate feedback, multiple-try immediate feedback, and two control treatments, questions without feedback, and text only. A post-test given 5 days after instruction was designed to measure both verbatim and fuzzy outcomes. Results. Multiple-try immediate feedback was best for paraphrased post-test questions (fuzzy) and worse for verbatim post-test questions. Conclusions. Fuzzy trace theory complements a connectionist model of feedback, and may provide a fruitful approach for describing the effects of feedback on different learning outcomes.
Uncertainty management: From geological scenarios to production scheme optimization

Abstract Uncertainty management occurs at each step of oil field life, starting from exploration phase to development and production. A rigorous probabilistic analysis is then useful to take decision in a risk-prone environment. The statistical theory, and especially the experimental design approach, is clearly well-suited to determine the main acting uncertain parameters, to evaluate the impact of uncertainty on production forecasts, and to help taking decision during the reservoir development. In this paper, several statistical methods are proposed, mainly based on the experimental design technique, to solve practical problems throughout the field life: – evaluating geological scenarios: for instance, existence of a fault; – comparing and ranking impact of uncertain parameters on production profiles; – assessing production forecasts under uncertainty; – selecting relevant parameters for production scheme optimization: drilling a new well, determining the production rate for maximizing the plateau duration; – performing an economic risk evaluation. These techniques have been widely validated both on realistic synthetic cases and on real field cases. Thus, an illustration of this whole original risk assessment methodology through various field case examples corresponding to different modeling workflow and problematic is presented.
Earthquake science needs more resources

A number of research areas that offer important opportunities to advance the U.S. national effort in earthquake science could benefit from increased funding and interagency coordination, according to a September 2002 report by the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) Key interdisciplinary research goals outlined in the report include documenting the location, slip rates, and earthquake history of dangerous faults throughout the United States, and improving global earthquake forecasting and seismic hazard analysis.
Stability Boundaries of Periodic Models of Propagation in Burner-Stabilized Methane-Air Flames

Abstract Our previous experiments on burner-stabilized laminar premixed flames have identified four nonsteady modes of propagation:axial,radial,spiral and nonplanar.In this paper we present stability boundaries for the occurrence of these modes,at a fixed pressure,as a function of total flow rate and equivalence ratio.We also specify the character of one of the four modes,the nonplanar mode,in which the flame front vibrates like a circular drumhead.
Spatial and interannual variability in mesoscale circulation in the northern California Current System

[1] We used wavelet analyses of sea surface height (SSH) from >13 years of satellite altimeter data to characterize the variability in mesoscale circulation in the northern California Current (35°N–49°N) and explore the mechanisms of variability. We defined “mesoscale” circulation as features, such as eddies and filaments, which have 50- to 300-km length scales and 4- to 18-week temporal scales. Fluctuations in SSH caused by such features were reflected in wavelet analyses as power (energy). Spatial and interannual variation in mesoscale energy was high. Energy was highest at ∼38°N, decreasing to the north and south. Between ∼43°N and 48°N, energy was low. Zonally, mesoscale energy was highest between ∼125°W and 129°W at latitudes south of 44°N; very little power occurred in the deep ocean west of 130°W. Energy peaked during summer/fall in most years. The primary climate signals were suppressed energy during La Nina and cold years and increased energy during El Nino events. Energy was not strongly linked to upwelling winds, but did correspond to climate indices, indicating that basin-scale processes play a role in controlling mesoscale circulation. We hypothesize that climate affects mesoscale energy through changes in both potential and kinetic energy in the form of density gradients and coastal upwelling winds. The relationship between mesoscale circulation and climate was complex: no single climate, transport, or upwelling index explained the variability. These results are relevant to ecosystem dynamics and the global carbon cycle because mesoscale circulation features deliver nutrient-rich water and coastal organisms from productive upwelling areas to the deep sea.
Lipid Bilayer Membrane Shape Remodeling by Lipid-Modified Ras Proteins

Ras proteins are small GTP-hydrohydrolyzing enzymes that operate as molecular switches in signal transduction pathways and are present in a mutant, activated state in many human tumors. It has been shown that the lipid-modified C-terminus drive lateral segregation of Ras proteins into membrane sub-structure on the plasma membrane. Such transient and dynamic molecular assembly, so-call nanocluster, is emerging as a crucial mechanism by which cells achieve high-fidelity signal transmission. However, little is known about the underlying force driving the formation of nanoclusters on the plasma membrane and their influence on the membrane structure.To investigate the interaction between nanocluster and the membrane, we carried out extensive semi-atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the C-terminal membrane-targeting motif of H-ras (tH) in a phase separated lipid bilayer composed of 2000 DPPC, DliPC and cholesterol molecules. We found out that at ambient temperature approximately 30–40% of tH molecules assemble into clusters of 4-9 proteins, and preferentially localize at the interface between the liquid-order and liquid-disorder phases of the membrane. In the nanoclusters, tH backbones preferably exhibits an extended conformation and align linearly at the phase interface. With such molecular-level organization, tH molecule act as a linactant at the interface and reduce line tension of the anchor-containing monolayer and induces shape transition of the overall membrane due to the tendency of the system to minimize the free energy. The resultant geometry of the membrane is determined by the different elastic bending modulus of different phases as well as the phase boundary line tension, which is strongly affected by the localization of the nanoclusters. Our findings were explained based on the domain-induced budding model and shed light on the interaction between membrane-bounded proteins and membrane domains, such as lipid rafts.
A 200 MHz CMOS Q-enhanced LC bandpass filter

This paper presents design techniques and performance bounds for implementing Q-enhanced, LC bandpass filters in silicon IC technologies. These filters offer significant advantages over switched capacitor and Gm-C based designs, including higher frequency of operation and lower power consumption for a given dynamic range. A prototype 200 MHz, fourth-order filter implemented in a 2 /spl mu/m n-well CMOS process is described, and measured performance is compared with theoretical predictions. The prototype filter operates at a selectivity Q of 100 and draws less than 8 mA when operating from 3 to 5 V supplies, making it potentially suitable for use as a first IF filter in modern cellular and PCS receivers.
A method for cloud detection and opacity classification based on ground based sky imagery

Abstract. Digital images of the sky obtained using a total sky imager (TSI) are classified pixel by pixel into clear sky, optically thin and optically thick clouds. A new classification algorithm was developed that compares the pixel red-blue ratio (RBR) to the RBR of a clear sky library (CSL) generated from images captured on clear days. The difference, rather than the ratio, between pixel RBR and CSL RBR resulted in more accurate cloud classification. High correlation between TSI image RBR and aerosol optical depth (AOD) measured by an AERONET photometer was observed and motivated the addition of a haze correction factor (HCF) to the classification model to account for variations in AOD. Thresholds for clear and thick clouds were chosen based on a training image set and validated with set of manually annotated images. Misclassifications of clear and thick clouds into the opposite category were less than 1%. Thin clouds were classified with an accuracy of 60%. Accurate cloud detection and opacity classification techniques will improve the accuracy of short-term solar power forecasting.
Better discount evaluation: illustrating how critical parameters support heuristic creation

This paper describes a heuristic creation process based on the notion of critical parameters, and a comparison experiment that demonstrates the utility of heuristics created for a specific system class. We focus on two examples of using the newly created heuristics to illustrate the utility of the usability evaluation method, as well as to provide support for the creation process, and we report on successes and frustrations of two classes of users, novice evaluators and domain experts, who identified usability problems with the new heuristics. We argue that establishing critical parameters for other domains will support efforts in creating tailored evaluation tools.
Spatial patterns of increases and decreases in the length of the sea ice season in the north polar region, 1979–1986

Recently it was reported that sea ice extents in the Northern Hemisphere showed a very slight but statistically significant decrease over the 8.8-year period of the Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) data set. In this paper the same SMMR data are used to reveal spatial patterns in increasing and decreasing sea ice coverage. Specifically, the length of the ice season is mapped for each full year of the SMMR data set (1979-1986), and the trends over the 8 years in these ice season lengths are also mapped. These trends show considerable spatial coherence, with a shortening in the sea ice season apparent in much of the eastern hemisphere of the north polar ice cover, particularly in the Sea of Okhotsk, the Barents Sea, and the Kara Sea, and a lengthening of the sea ice season apparent in much of the western hemisphere of the north polar ice cover, particularly in Davis Strait, the Labrador Sea, and the Beaufort Sea.
Oxidation of hydrogen in a helium stream by copper oxide: Analysis of combined film and pore diffusion with rapid irreversible reaction in a fixed‐bed process

Differential equations were derived to describe the system characterized by a rapid, irreversible reaction of a fluid species in a flowing fluid with a fixed bed of solids in which the reaction rate was controlled by mass transfer of the reacting fluid from the bulk fluid to the reaction site in the solid. Two kinds of mass transfer resistances were assumed, external or film diffusion resistance, and internal pore diffusion resistance. The set of differential equations were solved by a finite-difference method for both the generalized case and for the specific case of reaction of hydrogen in a stream of helium with fixed beds of copper oxide pellets. The hydrogen-copper oxide reaction is one step in a proposed method for removal of hydrogen as a contaminant in the helium coolant of nuclear reactors. This reaction was experimentally investigated in tests with both differential and deep beds of copper oxide in the temperature range of 400 to 600°C., at pressures of 10.2 to 30.0 atm., with gas mass flow rates of 0.0050 to 0.050 g./sq.cm.-sec, and with inlet hydrogen concentrations of 0.0008 to 1.21 vol. %. These tests showed that the system could be described by the two rate-limiting steps: film and pore diffusion of hydrogen. Differential-bed tests were used to establish hydrogen transport properties within the porous copper oxide pellets, and tests with deep beds were used to establish external mass transport properties. Generalized breakthrough curves were determined by a computer solution of the mathematical model. These curves can be the basis for design of fixed-bed copper oxide oxidizers for gas-cooled, nuclear reactor purification systems and for design of any fixed-bed system which follows the assumed reaction mechanism.
Team building in lower division projects courses

Teamwork in lower division projects courses is increasingly common. To ensure student effectiveness in these teams, instructors must assume a facilitator role to nurture team process and progress. This paper describes team-building activities in two introductory engineering design/build projects courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The discussion is organized around developmental stages that teams typically pass through-forming, storming, norming and performing-with stage-appropriate reference to team needs, assessment and activities designed to build team skills. An evaluation of this team-building program is provided, based on skills self-assessment data gathered from students during one semester. Implications and suggestions for curriculum improvement are discussed.
Chelation Therapy A New Look at an Old Treatment for Heart Disease, Particularly in Diabetics

Don’t cringe when you hear the term chelation (key-LAY-shun) therapy. If you have heard about it at all, you may have heard that it is alternative medicine, quackery, expensive, and even dangerous. New research funded by the National Institutes of Health is suggesting that this old treatment has some real life in it and that it may particularly benefit patients with diabetes mellitus and prior heart attacks. Chelation therapy was first used in the early 20th century to treat metal poisoning. The treatment involves administering a drug called a chelator, which has a magnetically charged pocket that can “grab” a metal and hang onto it, kind of like a baseball mitt with a magnet in its pocket, allowing the metal to be excreted in the urine. One chelator, calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat lead poisoning. Alternative medicine practitioners have been using a similar chelator, disodium EDTA, to treat heart disease, claiming to see benefits, since the 1950s. Disodium EDTA chelation therapy is usually administered intravenously each week for 20 to 40 sessions. Each intravenous infusion may last …
Requirement-driven decision support systems

It is argued that one of the problems associated with contemporary rule-based decision-support systems is that it is not always practical to specify completely a consistent set of decision rules. However, in these cases it is often possible to specify qualitative features (including constraints) and a performance critique for use in the genetic evolution of a consistent set of decision rules. In particular, the author integrates previous research to yield a genetic expert system, i.e., an expert system whose rule base may be formulated as a high-level constraint-satisfaction problem. >
Simulated performance characteristics of an external Compton probe for prostate imaging

We have previously described an endorectal gamma imaging probe based on the Compton camera principle that promises simultaneous high sensitivity and high resolution. In this paper, we investigate an external probe that is noninvasive and does not require the high density packaging imposed by the size constraint of the endorectal probe. We analyze the performance of the external probe using Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, we evaluate the detection efficiency, spatial resolution, and lesion visibility of the proposed system. The preliminary simulation results show that our technique achieves an average detection efficiency of 2.4/spl times/10/sup -3/ for the two photon energies of In/sup 111/ labelled ProstaScint. In addition, it improves detection efficiency by nearly 2 orders of magnitude over a conventional SPECT system with a high resolution collimator, and achieves up to 26% higher efficiency than the endorectal probe. The average FWHM resolution of the proposed probe is 3.4 mm for both emission gamma-rays of In/sup 111/, which is 2 times better than that of a SPECT system and 39% larger than the endorectal probe.
Ultrasonic-assisted self-assembly of monolayer graphene oxide for rapid detection of Escherichia coli bacteria

Due to potential risks to the environment and human health arising from pathogens/chemical contaminants, novel devices are being developed for rapid and precise detection of those contaminants. Here, we demonstrate highly sensitive and selective field-effect transistor (FET) sensor devices for detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria using thermally reduced monolayer graphene oxide (TRMGO) sheets as semiconducting channels. The graphene oxide (GO) sheets are assembled on the aminoethanethiol (AET)-functionalized gold (Au) electrodes through electrostatic interactions with ultrasonic assistance. Anti-Escherichia coli (anti-E. coli) antibodies are used as receptors for selective detection of E. coli cells and integrated on the FET device through covalent bonding with Au nanoparticles on the GO surface. The TRMGO FET device shows great electronic stability and high sensitivity to E. coli cells with a concentration as low as 10 colony-forming units (cfu) per mL. The biosensing platform reported here is promising for large-scale, sensitive, selective, low-cost, and real-time detection of E. coli bacteria.
Dynamical motion of a substitutional impurity in a crystal within harmonic approximations

Abstract The displacement autocorrelation function and its Fourier transform of a substitutional impurity atom in a crystal lattice are calculated for a specific model of a crystal taking into account the change in force constants as well as the change in mass. The results are expressed in terms of the frequency spectrum of the pure crystal and the perturbation parameters characterizing the effect of the impurity. As an application of the calculations the Mossbauer one-phonon absorption cross section is calculated by supposing that only the impurity is Mossbauer-active. Particular attention is paid to the case in which a sharp resonant mode appears in the low frequency region. Using the Debye model, a simple expression is obtained for the ratio of the peak value of the one-phonon line to that of the zero-phonon line.
Institutional determinants of American undergraduate student debt

Between 2005 and 2013, student loan debt in the US increased at a rate of 13.3 per cent per annum. This rise in collegiate student debt has become the focus of any number of new proposals and policies at both the state and national levels. While considering broad policies to stem this rising tide are admirable, they do little to help a graduating high school student interested in minimising their debt level choose between competing institutions of higher learning. In this paper, we analyse the institutional characteristics that result in students assuming higher debt levels. We use a data set compiled from the 2011 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and supplement from a variety of sources with additional institutional characteristics such as location and weather to investigate this question. After controlling for the cost of attending the institution, we find that requiring higher standardised test scores on entrance exams and being located in less urban areas result in lower average debt by ...
Caregiver placebo effect for dogs with lameness from osteoarthritis.

Objective—To document the caregiver placebo effect in owners and veterinarians of dogs with lameness from osteoarthritis. Design—Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. Animals—58 dogs with lameness secondary to osteoarthritis. Procedures—Dogs enrolled in the placebo arm of an FDA-approved study were evaluated to determine the relationship between subjective (caregiver responses) and objective (force platform gait analysis) patient outcome measures. Results—A caregiver placebo effect for owners evaluating their dog's lameness occurred 39.7% of the time. A caregiver placebo effect occurred 44.8% of the time when veterinarians examined dogs for lameness at a walk, 44.8% of the time when veterinarians examined dogs for lameness at a trot, and 43.1% of the time when veterinarians evaluated dogs for signs of pain on palpation of the joint. This effect was significantly enhanced with time. Mean ground reaction forces (GRFs) remained unchanged for dogs during trea...
Clarification on the Fecundity of Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill)

Abstract Accurate fecundity estimates are necessary for the proper assessment of fish stocks. Despite all recent investigations of the reproductive biology of Rhinoptera bonasus (Cownose Ray) indicating a maximum fecundity of 2 embryos per brood, maximum fecundity estimates of 6 per brood persist. All reports of 6 embryos per brood seem to stem from a single account. It is the purpose of this paper to present evidence indicating that the report of 6 embryos is based upon a misidentification in the field, and that maximum fecundity estimates for the Cownose Ray are therefore up to six-fold higher than actually observed.
Gain scaling for multirate filter banks

Eliminating two trivial degrees of freedom corresponding to the lowpass DC response and the highpass Nyquist response in a two-channel multirate filter bank seems simple enough. Nonetheless, the ISO/IEC JPEG 2000 image coding standard manages to make this mundane task look totally mysterious. We reveal the true meaning behind JPEG 2000's arcane specifications for filter bank normalization and point out how the seemingly trivial matter of gain scaling leads to highly nontrivial issues concerning uniqueness of lifting factorizations.
Multis: a new class of multiprocessor computers.

Multis are a new class of computers based on multiple microprocessors. The small size, low cost, and high performance of microprocessors allow the design and construction of computer structures that offer significant advantages in manufacture, price-performance ratio, and reliability over traditional computer families. Currently, commercial multis consist of 4 to 28 modules, which include microprocessors, common memories, and input-output devices, all of which communicate through a single set of wires called a bus. Adding microprocessors together increases the performance of multis in direct proportion to their price and allows multis to offer a performance range that spans that of small minicomputers to mainframe computers. Multis are commercially available for applications ranging from real-time industrial control to transaction processing. Traditional batch, time-sharing, and transaction systems process a number of independent jobs that can be distributed among the microprocessors of a multi with a resulting increased throughput (number of jobs completed per unit of time). Many scientific applications (such as the solving of partial differential equations) and engineering applications (such as the checking of integrated circuit designs) are speeded up by this parallel computation; thus, multis produce results at supercomputer speed but at a fraction of the cost. Multis are likely to be the basis for the next, the fifth, generation of computers—a generation based on parallel processing.
Disturbance of equilibria by decay of radioactive components

Changes in the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of materials resulting from radioactive decay may either enhance or retard the approach to an equilibrium state. Radiation damage leads to changes in phase behavior and introduces errors into crystal structure, lattice parameter, and thermodynamic measurements. Correlation of radiation effects observed by external particle bombardment may be used to anticipate the consequences of self damage caused by radioactive decay.
Airborne endotoxin concentrations at a large open-lot dairy in southern idaho.

Endotoxins are derived from gram-negative bacteria and are a potential respiratory health risk for animals and humans. To determine the potential for endotoxin transport from a large open-lot dairy, total airborne endotoxin concentrations were determined at an upwind location (background) and five downwind locations on three separate days. The downwind locations were situated at of the edge of the lot, 200 and 1390 m downwind from the lot, and downwind from a manure composting area and wastewater holding pond. When the wind was predominantly from the west, the average endotoxin concentration at the upwind location was 24 endotoxin units (EU) m?3, whereas at the edge of the lot on the downwind side it was 259 EU m?3. At 200 and 1390 m downwind from the edge of the lot, the average endotoxin concentrations were 168 and 49 EU m?3, respectively. Average airborne endotoxin concentrations downwind from the composting site (36 EU m?3) and wastewater holding pond (89 EU m?3) and 1390 m from the edge of the lot were not significantly different from the upwind location. There were no significant correlations between ambient weather data collected and endotoxin concentrations over the experimental period. Th e downwind data show that the airborne endotoxin concentrations decreased exponentially with distance from the lot edge. Decreasing an individual’s proximity to the dairy should lower their risk of airborne endotoxin exposure and associated health effects.
Prospects for Wafer-Level Testing of Gigascale Chips with Electrical and Optical I/O Interconnects

Gigascale (GSI) chips with high-bandwidth, integrated optoelectronic (OE) components are an emerging technology. This paper identifies the issues related to testing of such chips during high-volume manufacturing. A probe substrate to enable the same is also demonstrated.
Periodic homogenisation of certain fully nonlinear partial differential equations

We demonstrate how a fairly simple “perturbed test function” method establishes periodic homogenisation for certain Hamilton-Jacobi and fully nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations. The idea, following Lions, Papanicolaou and Varadhan, is to introduce (possibly nonsmooth) correctors, and to modify appropriately the theory of viscosity solutions, so as to eliminate then the effects of high-frequency oscillations in the coefficients.
Emerging forests on abandoned land: Puerto Rico’s new forests

Abstract The species composition of forests change continuously as the earth’s biota evolves and adjusts to environmental change. Humans are accelerating the rate of species turnover by moving species around the planet and dramatically changing environmental conditions. Our focus is on new forests in Puerto Rico that emerge naturally on abandoned lands previously converted to agriculture and degraded. These forest stands have combinations of species that are new to the island’s landscapes. New forests exhibit high species dominance during forest establishment, which includes dominance by alien tree species. These alien tree species establish and maintain forest cover, which may facilitate regeneration of native tree species. Landscape analysis and literature review revealed that these emerging stands are highly fragmented (60% were
Pre-earthquake signals – Part II: Flow of battery currents in the crust

Abstract. When rocks are subjected to stress, dormant electronic charge carriers are activated. They turn the stressed rock volume into a battery, from where currents can flow out. The charge carriers are electrons and defect electrons, also known as positive holes or pholes for short. The boundary between stressed and unstressed rock acts as a potential barrier that lets pholes pass but blocks electrons. One can distinguish two situations in the Earth's crust: (i) only pholes spread out of a stressed rock volume into the surrounding unstressed rocks. This is expected to lead to a positive surface charge over a wide area around the future epicenter, to perturbations in the ionosphere, to stimulated infrared emission from the ground, to ionization of the near-ground air, to cloud formation and to other phenomena that have been reported to precede major earthquakes. (ii) both pholes and electrons flow out of the stressed rock volume along different paths, sideward into the relatively cool upper layers of the crust and downward into the hot lower crust. This situation, which is likely to be realized late in the earthquake preparation process, is necessary for the battery circuit to close and for transient electric currents to flow. If burst-like, these currents should lead to the emission of low frequency electromagnetic radiation. Understanding how electronic charge carriers are stress-activated in rocks, how they spread or flow probably holds the key to deciphering a wide range of pre-earthquake signals. It opens the door to a global earthquake early warning system, provided resources are pooled through a concerted and constructive community effort, including seismologists, with international participation.
Energy-efficient coverage problems in wireless ad-hoc sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks constitute the platform of a broad range of applications related to national security, surveillance, military, health care, and environmental monitoring. The sensor coverage problem has received increased attention recently, being considerably driven by recent advances in affordable and efficient integrated electronic devices. This problem is centered around a fundamental question: How well do the sensors observe the physical space? The coverage concept is subject to a wide range of interpretations due to a variety of sensors and their applications. Different coverage formulations have been proposed, based on the subject to be covered (area versus discrete points) and sensor deployment mechanism (random versus deterministic) as well as on other wireless sensor network properties (e.g. network connectivity and minimum energy consumption). In this article, we survey recent contributions addressing energy-efficient coverage problems in the context of static wireless sensor networks. We present various coverage formulations, their assumptions, as well as an overview of the solutions proposed.
A Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, AR-42, Reactivates HIV-1 from Chronically and Latently Infected CD4⁺ T-cells

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) latency is a major barrier to a cure of AIDS. Latently infected cells harbor an integrated HIV-1 genome but are not actively producing HIV-1. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, such as vorinostat (SAHA), have been shown to reactivate latent HIV-1. AR-42, a modified HDAC inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy against malignant melanoma, meningioma, and acute myeloid leukemia and is currently used in clinical trials for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In this study, we evaluated the ability of AR-42 to reactivate HIV-1 in the two established CD4⁺ T-cell line models of HIV-1 latency. In HIV-1 chronically infected ACH-2 cells, AR-42-induced histone acetylation was more potent and robust than that of vorinostat. Although AR-42 and vorinostat were equipotent in their ability to reactivate HIV-1, AR-42-induced maximal HIV-1 reactivation was twofold greater than vorinostat in ACH-2 and J-Lat (clone 9.2) cells. These data provide rationale for assessing the efficacy of AR-42-mediated HIV-1 reactivation within primary CD4⁺ T-cells.
Composition of phospholipids and of phospholipid fatty acids and aldehydes in human red cells

Improved methods for lipid analysis that have been developed recently were employed to reevaluate the phospholipid composition, the fatty acid and fatty aldehyde composition of the total phospholipid, and the fatty acid composition of the individual phospholipids of normal human red cells. Thirty-three fatty acids and five fatty aldehydes were estimated and tentatively identified in the total phospholipid of normal human red cells. Additional minor components were evident. The major individual phospholipids were isolated by silicic acid thin-layer chromatography and quantified. The fatty acid compositions of phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine, lecithin, and sphingomyelin were determined. Each of these phospholipids showed a distinctive and characteristic fatty acid pattern.
A Baldrige Portfolio: Does Quality Outperform The Market?

This paper investigates the claim, by the Department of Commerce, that a portfolio of Baldrige National Quality Award winners outperforms the market. They find that there is a 92 percent return for Baldrige winners as compared to a 33 percent return on the S&P 500 index. Their results are published and used to promote “quality” in Department of Commerce press releases. Our findings do not support their claim that investors can handsomely outperform the market by investing in a Baldrige portfolio. We find that their study is sensitive to risk measurement and that extending the time horizon alone eliminates any advantage. Our examination of long-run stock price performance of Baldrige firms also does not support their claim of outperforming the market.
Parental Contributions to the Development of Their Offspring

This chapter will consider the question of what mammalian parents contribute to the development of their offspring and how they do it. Of course, the very designation of an animal as a mammal depends on how the mother nourishes the young, and this aspect of the relationship still dominates our thinking on the nature of early parental care. The mother is there to feed the infant so it can grow. Before birth she does this through the placenta and after birth through her mammary system. The contribution of the mother, then, is to supply the metabolic substrate for the biochemical synthetic factories in the muscles, bones, skin, and internal organs of the fetus. But the infant has another obvious need—to be protected. The evolutionary origins of these two basic characteristics of parental care in mammals have been discussed by Klopfer (this volume).
Osteoid Osteoma in Children and Young Adults

Osteoid osteoma is a relatively common benign tumor of bone which occurs most often in adolescents and young adults. The pattern of the pain with its characteristic response to aspirin and the roentgenographic findings make the clinical diagnosis easy and virtually certain. An example is presented to help the pediatrician become familiar with the tumor and its diagnosis.
RACIAL AND SEX DIFFERENCES IN "IMAGES OF THE FUTURE"

Summary.-Scenarios of future careers were written by 454 senior high school students in a southeastern high school. Random samples of 40 black females, 40 black males, 40 white males, and 40 white females were scored for eight characteristics and means were compared through analysis of variance. Only one sex difference was found, girls rated higher than boys on perception of self as changed in the future. The blacks projected greater career satisfaction for the future but the whites wrote longer scenarios and projected greater perceptions of changes in the world/mankind, greater awareness of future problem, more proposals of solutions to fumre problems, and stronger perceptions of self as a creative problem solver. There were no differences in commitments to making a better world or solving future problems. It is commonly believed that girls see the future differently from boys and that minority and non-minoriq children's views of the fume are different. For example, in a study involving 200 gifted and talented high school students in the Georgia Governor's Honors Program (2) both beliefs were endorsed. Only 20% of them disagreed with the statement that "women see the future differently from men" and only 17% agreed that "minority and non-minority children's views of the future are similar." The present study tested the hypothesis that there are no differences in the images of the future due to sex and race (black and white), as assessed by the future scenarios of 454 senior high school students (254 whites and 200 blacks, who were about equally distributed according to sex). Using a 30-min. time limit, all 454 students wrote scenarios concerning their careers 25 yr. hence according to instructions employed in several earlier studies (1). Random samples were then drawn of 40 black males, 40 black females. 40 white males. and 40 white females. Each of the randomly drawn scenarios was then scored for number of words used and the future images projected were rated for 7 characteristics on a 9-point scale. Scenarios
Notes on and Control of Stink Bugs Affecting Cotton in Arizona

The brown cotton bug, Euschistus impictiventris Stal, is the dominant stink bug pest in the major cotton growing areas of central Arizona while the Say stink bug, Chlorochroa sayi Stal, dominates in cotton in higher elevations of eastern Arizona. Effective estimates of populations, to determine the need for control treatments, require that sweep net counts be augmented by counts of insects observed but not caught. Stink bugs are not caught in representative numbers with a standard net because of their rapid movement and their frequent location on the plant below the range of the normal net stroke. From 1959 to 1961 stink bugs caused shedding of newly formed bolls and, later in the season, damaged bolls remaining on the plant, causing carpel injury, seed injury, stained lint, lowered yields, lower quality, and the encouragement of boll rot fungi. Alfalfa and sugar beets were preferred over cotton by the brown cotton bug in central Arizona. Cotton was more heavily attacked when grown near alfalfa, particularly after alfalfa was cut or permitted to enter summer dormancy. Tests of insecticides applied by aircraft for brown cotton bug control in 1960 and 1961 indicated that formulations of (1) carbaryl, (2) methyl parathion plus DDT, (3) endrin, and (4) DDT plus toxaphene or Strobane®, terpene polychlorinates (65% chlorine) were effective. New compounds of promise included Bidrin®, 3-hydroxy- N,N -dimethyl- cis -croton-amide dimethyl phosphate; and Imidan®, O,O -dimethyl S-phthalimidomethyl phosphorodithioate. Repeated applications at intervals of 7 to 10 days during both July and August were required.
Dissociating Excitons Photogenerated in Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes at Polymeric Photovoltaic Heterojunction Interfaces

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) have strong near-infrared and visible absorptivity and exceptional charge transport characteristics, rendering them highly attractive semiconductor absorbers for photovoltaic and photodetector technologies. However, these applications are limited by a poor understanding of how photogenerated charges, which are bound as excitons in s-SWCNTs, can be dissociated in large-area solid-state devices. Here, we measure the dissociation of excitons in s-SWCNT thin films that form planar heterojunction interfaces with polymeric photovoltaic materials using an exciton dissociation-sensitive photocapacitor measurement technique that is advantageously insensitive to optically induced thermal photoconductive effects. We find that fullerene and polythiophene derivatives induce exciton dissociation, resulting in electron and hole transfer, respectively, away from optically excited s-SWCNTs. Significantly weaker or no charge transfer is observed using wider gap polym...