cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability and Availability Assessment in Practice

High reliability and availability is a requirement for most technical systems. Reliability and availability assurance methods based on probabilistic models is the topic addressed in this talk. Non-statespace solution methods are often used to solve models based on reliability block diagrams, fault trees and reliability graphs. Relatively efficient algorithms are known to handle systems with hundreds of components and have been implemented in many software packages. Nevertheless, many practical problems cannot be handled by such algorithms. Bounding algorithms are then used in such cases as was done for a major subsystem of Boeing 787. Non-state-space methods derive their efficiency from the independence assumption that is often violated in practice. State space methods based on Markov chains, stochastic Petri nets, semi-Markov and Markov regenerative processes can be used to model various kinds of dependencies among system components. However, the resulting state space explosion severely restricts the size of the problem that can be solved. Hierarchical and fixed-point iterative methods provide a scalable alternative that combines the strengths of state space and non-state-space methods and have been extensively used to solve real-life problems. We will take a journey through these model types via interesting real-world examples chosen from IBM, Cisco, Sun Microsystems, and Boeing. These methods and applications are fully described in a recently completed book: Reliability and Availability Engineering: Modeling, Analysis and Applications, Cambridge University Press, 2017.
Securitising the new Egypt: Partisan vs. revolutionary demands

How did workers’ demands go from the mainstream of the Egyptian Revolution to the sidelines of authoritarian reconsolidation? Socioeconomic demands formed a key component of the protests of 2011 th...
32 – PETROLOGIC AND THERMAL STRUCTURE OF THE UPPER MANTLE BENEATH SOUTH AFRICA IN THE CRETACEOUS

Assignment of equilibration temperatures and pressures to ultramafic xenoliths from South African kimberlites illustrates that they have been derived from a wide range of depths. The distribution predicates against a cognate hypothesis and indicates that the xenoliths are accidental fragments of the mantle transported to the surface by the kimberlite magma. Suites of xenoliths from single localities show well-defined trends marking Cretaceous geothermal gradients. In general the gradients are comparable to the steady-state model of CLARK and RINGWOOD (1964). The gradients are steepest in the South West Africa region and decrease successively in the Lesotho and Kimberley regions. In all regions there is a sudden steepening of the interpreted geothermal gradient correlating with the presence of intensively sheared xenoliths. It appears that the associated change of slope and textural type marks the top of the low-velocity zone under the shield, giving lithospheric thicknesses which increase from 140 km to 180 and 195 km in the South West Africa, Lesotho and Kimberley regions, respectively. The maximum depth of xenoliths in any locality suggests that kimberlites are derived from minimum depths of 150, 190 and 200 km in the South West Africa, Lesotho and Kimberley regions, respectively. In general, spinel-bearing xenoliths give place to spinel-plus-garnet- and garnet-bearing xenoliths with increasing depth. The boundaries are diffuse and dependent on compositional variations. Major textural breaks correlate with the disappearance of phlogopite and a peridotite H2O/CO2 saturated solidus. The phlogopite dehydration and melting reactions mark boundaries of increasing deformation, suggesting that these reactions are critical in defining the rheid properties of the mantle.
Pre-existing immunity provides a barrier to airborne transmission of influenza viruses

Human-to-human transmission of influenza viruses is a serious public health threat, yet the precise role of immunity from previous infections on the susceptibility to airborne viruses is still unknown. Using human seasonal influenza viruses in a ferret model, we examined the roles of exposure duration and heterosubtypic immunity on influenza transmission. We found that airborne transmission of seasonal influenza strains is abrogated in recipient animals with pre-existing non-neutralizing immunity, indicating that transmissibility of a given influenza virus strain should be examined in the context of ferrets that are not immunologically naive.
Like Priests Set Apart: A Source-Critical Problematization of Circumcision, Religious Othering, and Intermarriage

There is no biblical conception that so interferes with public life and invites endless debates and controversies as the theology of election. From a religious studies perspective, the theology of election has created a tremendous, hideous impact on the history of humankind, from colonialization to Shoah to the politics of identity and populism today. Rather than being the doctrine that unites humanity, the concept of election has been regarded as the core cause that creates otherness. This article argues that the ideation of otherness in the theology of election is deeply connected to and cannot be separated from sexuality issues. The notion of circumcision, as the main feature of post-exilic priestly election theology, inevitably constructs the ideal of lineage purity, thus forbidding intermarriage. The unfaithfulness of God’s people during the Judean monarchy era would later be perceived as the main cause for the suffering and traumatic experience of exile. Radical holiness in the form of religious separation from other nations must be observed for the priests to enjoy the continuation of God’s promise in the form of descendants. The continuation of priestly lineages would assure the continuity of the Temple's existence and worship.
Facilitator effects in middles and more

In this paper, I will argue that obligatory adjuncts in many languages’ middle constructions are a byproduct of an independent constraint on movement, called Anti-locality (Abels 2003; Grohmann 2003; Boskovic 2007; Schneider-Zioga 2007; Erlewine 2016; Brillman & Hirsch to appear). Anti-locality rules out movement that is too local; in other words, movement cannot produce a structure that is too similar to the pre-movement configuration. Though Anti-locality has typically been proposed for Ā-movement, one of its signatures is the presence of obligatory adjuncts (Erlewine 2016; Brillman & Hirsch to appear), which are also found in many languages’ middle constructions. I argue that the profile of obligatory adjuncts in middles is best understood if we extend Anti-locality to A-movement (Deal 2019), thus providing support for the unity of A- and Ā-movement. The proposal will include a tightly restricted set of assumptions about the structure and derivation of a middle, which combined with a formalized Anti-locality constraint, predicts the obligatory adjunct effects we find in different languages’ middle constructions. In particular, middles will be argued to lack a VoiceP and have a two step derivation, in which the object moves through Spec vP en route to subject position. Each movement step will be subject to Anti-locality, which can be ameliorated by adjuncts, reflexives, or lexical structure in the predicates that can form middles.
Part-time Abduction Bracing in Infants With Residual Acetabular Dysplasia: Does Compliance Monitoring Support a Dose-dependent Relationship?

INTRODUCTION Residual acetabular dysplasia is often seen after successful Pavlik treatment or during follow-up for infants with risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip. A previous study supported the effectiveness of part-time abduction bracing for treating this residual dysplasia. However, the relationship between time in the brace and acetabular improvement was not established given the lack of compliance data. The purpose of this prospective study was to validate the effect of part-time bracing on acetabular dysplasia and determine if a dose-dependent relationship exists. METHODS Eligibility criteria included infants ~6 months of age with an AP pelvic radiograph demonstrating acetabular dysplasia, defined as an acetabular index (AI) ≥30 degrees. After obtaining informed consent, a rigid abduction orthosis was prescribed with a thermal compliance sensor. Patients were instructed to wear the brace for nights/naps and follow-up at 1 year of age for repeat radiograph. AIs were measured by the senior author who was blinded to the compliance data. Hours of wear were compared with changes in AI over the study period using descriptive statistics and a generalized estimating equation model. RESULTS Our series consisted of 26 infants (36 hips) with a mean age at enrollment of 5.9 months (range, 4.9 to 7.9); 84.6% were female individuals. At a mean follow-up of 6 months (range, 5.1 to 8.2), average wear time/day was 11.5 hours (range, 1.3 to 21.7), and total time in brace averaged 1698 hours (range, 218 to 3244 hours). The mean improvement in AI over the study period was 4.8 degrees (95% confidence interval, 3.9-5.5 degrees). The authors found a significant correlation between average hours of brace wear per day and improvement in AI (r=0.36, P<0.05), a relationship that remained significant in our multivariate model after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS Part-time abduction bracing is effective for treating residual dysplasia, with the degree of improvement in AI correlating with hours of brace wear per day. Given this dose-dependent relationship, the optimal hours of wear may depend on the severity of residual dysplasia and the tolerance of the child and family to bracing.
Implementation and Remaining Problems

While a full implementation of the framework described in the preceding two chapters is admittedly not an easy task, a database management system called LMS (Logical Structure Management) which partially meets the requirements was developed in late 1979 and has been in service since then in practical application environments. As a matter of fact, the language specification presented in this book is the result of a further theoretical development of the idea of LMS. Applications of LMS include the design and manufacture of such diverse kinds of object as: outer shapes of auto-bodies die faces and structural parts of stamping devices, iron and steel frames, lead frames of integrated circuits, outer shapes of electric appliances, jig and fixures, various mechanical parts and products, and outer and inner parts of houses.
Active disturbance rejection control: From an enduring idea to an emerging technology

This paper introduces an emerging technology called active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), and a story that spans East to West in geography and centuries in time. Emerges from ADRC is the idea that shadowed the ancient Chinese invention of the south-pointing chariot, the idea embedded in a Frenchman' invention of isochronous governor from the early 19th Century, and the very same idea of invariance formalized in the 1939 Soviet Union. The idea was again revived in the 1990s in the form of ADRC and was soon spread to the U.S., where it took roots and gradually matured into a viable industrial control technology, as evident in the recent adoptions by major industrial concerns. Also seen in ADRC is the clashing of ideas in the history of control science, the ideas that go back to H.S. Tsien and R. Kalman in the 1950s. The origin and the making of ADRC can only be understood from the interplay of the big ideas as presented in this paper. Subject to scrutiny were the basic problems, the fundamental assumptions, and the very conception of control science itself. It is the disagreement on the very foundation of our craft that makes a paradigm-shift to ADRC seem inevitable, in theory and in practice.
Development of a quantitative method for detecting enteroviruses in estuarine sediments

Several investigators have reported on the detection of enteric viruses in marine sediments, but none determined the efficiency of their methods and only limited volumes of sediment were sampled. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a quantitative method for detecting enteroviruses in marine sediments so that their relative proportion to viruses freely suspended in estuarine water could be more accurately determined. Poliovirus was found to adsorb readily to natural marine sediments collected along the Texas Gulf coast. A number of substances were evaluated for their ability to elute adsorbed viruses. A solution of 10% fetal calf serum adjusted to pH 10.5 and 0.05M ethylenediaminetetraacetate (pH 11.0) were found to be the best eluents. Using ethylenediaminetetraacetate as an eluent, it was possible to elute virus from large volumes of sediment and reconcentrate the sediment eluate into an economically assayable volume (30 to 50 ml). Poliovirus could be recovered from the sediment with an overall efficiency of 50%. This method was found to be satisfactory for the recovery of naturally occurring animal viruses in estuarine sediments from the upper Texas Gulf coast.
Effects of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and Related Compounds on the Occupied Nuclear Estrogen Receptor in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract Treatment of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with 17β-[3H]estradiol resulted in a rapid accumulation of occupied nuclear estrogen receptor complex in which levels were maximized within 1 h and decreased after 3 h. Pretreatment of the cells with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) 6 or 12 h prior to the addition of the radiolabeled hormone resulted in a 38 and 63% reduction in the levels of the occupied nuclear estrogen receptor, respectively, whereas addition of TCDD 1 h prior to the radioligand did not cause any significant change in the levels of the occupied nuclear receptor using velocity sedimentation analysis. Moreover, it was also shown with estrogen receptor antibodies that the TCDD-mediated dose-dependent decrease in occupied nuclear receptor levels was paralleled by a comparable decrease in immunoreactive protein at concentrations of 10−8 to 10−11m TCDD. The reduction in levels of the occupied nuclear estrogen receptor was not due to increased estradiol metabolism since a significant reduction was observed at TCDD concentrations (10−11 to 10−13m) which do not induce cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase enzyme activities in MCF-7 cells. Treatment of the MCF-7 cells with actinomycin D or cycloheximide resuited in a greater than 2-fold increase in levels of the occupied nuclear estrogen receptor, and cotreatment of the cells with both TCDD and these inhibitors significantly decreased levels of the nuclear estrogen receptor complex. The structure-activity relationships for TCDD and several congeners were similar for both the reduction of occupied nuclear estrogen receptor levels and several aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor agonist activities, and these results support a role of the Ah receptor in these processes.
Chapter 15 A Microfluidics‐Based Method for Analyzing Leukocyte Migration to Chemoattractant Gradients

Abstract Leukocyte trafficking in tissues mediates cellular immune responses and can be directed by chemotactic factors such as chemokines. Understanding chemotactic responses of leukocytes to chemoattractant gradients is of great interest and importance to both basic science and clinical research. Conventional methods for studying leukocyte migration and chemotaxis generally lack the ability to maintain and manipulate gradient profiles. In contrast, microfluidic devices can generate well‐defined stable chemical gradients and can precisely modify gradient conditions in space and time. Previously, microfluidic gradient‐generating devices have been used to investigate various aspects of leukocyte migration in different chemoattractant fields with the focus on human blood neutrophils. Recently, chemotaxis of human blood T cells in chemokine gradients was successfully demonstrated in a microfluidic device. In this chapter, the detailed method of analyzing the migration of human blood neutrophils and T cells in chemoattractant gradients with microfluidic devices is described.
Olfactory Dysfunction in ApoE ɛ4/4 Homozygotes with Alzheimer's Disease.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory impairment and the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The associated neuropathology originates in brain areas responsible for olfaction, which makes olfactory tasks potentially useful for assessing AD. The strongest genetic risk factor for AD is the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ɛ4 allele that has been associated with increased cognitive and olfactory deficits. While individuals carrying one ɛ4 allele of the ApoE gene are at increased risk for AD relative to non-carriers, those with two copies of the ɛ4 allele demonstrate an even higher risk for developing AD. Furthermore, homozygous ApoE ɛ4/4 individuals diagnosed with AD are known to have heightened amyloid burden and a more rapid rate of cognitive decline relative to heterozygous ɛ3/4 ApoE carriers. All of these factors suggest there are differences in severity and progression of AD as a function of possessing one versus two ɛ4 alleles. The current study investigated olfactory functioning in homozygous ɛ4/4 older adults diagnosed with probable AD. Compared to demographically matched ɛ3/3 and ɛ3/4 individuals, ɛ4/4 individuals showed deficits in odor identification and remote odor memory as measured by odor familiarity ratings. The current findings suggest that these particular domains of olfactory functioning may be more impaired in AD ɛ4/4 homozygotes compared to ɛ3/4 heterozygotes and ɛ3/3 homozygotes. These deficits give insight into how the presence of two ɛ4 alleles may differentially affect the progression of AD and suggest the usefulness of odor tasks in detecting those at risk for AD.
An Error Metric for Monte Carlo Ray Tracing

A method is presented for characterizing the error in Monte Carlo realistic image synthesis calculations. An error metric has been developed that can be used to control the variance in the final picture by choosing both the number of rays to be cast into the image plane and the number of rays to be spawned at each bounce in the environment. The method provides specific guidance in how to apply Russian Roulette and splitting at each level of the ray tree. An initial implementation of the method has been done to test the theory and to illustrate its mechanics.
Detecting selective sweeps in naturally occurring Escherichia coli.

The nucleotide sequences of the gapA and pabB genes (separated by approximately 32.5 kb) were determined in 12 natural isolates of Escherichia coli. Three analyses were performed on the data. First, the levels of polymorphism at the loci were compared within and between E. coli and Salmonella strains relative to their degrees of constraint. Second, the gapA and pabB loci were analyzed by the Hudson-Kreitman-Aguade (HKA) test for selective neutrality. Four additional dispersed genes (crr, putP, trp and gnd) were added to the analysis to provide the necessary frame of reference. Finally, the gene genealogies of gapA and pabB were examined for topological consistency within and between the loci. These lines of evidence indicate that some evolutionary event has recently purged the variability in the region surrounding the gapA and pabB loci in E. coli. This can best be explained by the spread of a selected allele through the global E. coli population by directional selection and the resulting loss in variability in the surrounding regions due to genetic hitchhiking.
Gain-bandwidth enhancement in GaAs MESFET wideband amplifiers

Most direct-coupled GaAs MESFET amplifiers tend to use a conventional topology, which provides a limited gain-bandwidth product per stage. Circuit techniques to increase the bandwidth in such amplifiers are discussed, considering the examples of a 26-dB, 3.2 GHz amplifier using cascode stages, and an 11-dB, 6.4-GHz amplifier using distributed matching elements. Particular emphasis is placed on bandwidth enhancement using distributed matching elements. >
Preference for IgG mAb Binding Insulin in Solution or on Surfaces is Related to Immunoglobulin Variable Region Structures

Studies on insulin autoantibodies often show a lack of correlation between enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and fluid phase radioimmunoassays (RIAs). Similarly, a set of IgG anti-insulin monoclonal antibodies (mAb) from BALB/c mice are found to differ in their binding in ELISAs and RIAs. To understand the structural basis for differential insulin binding, soluble and complexed biotinylated insulin is used to confirm binding properties independent of insulin-coated plastic and radioiodination. The binding properties of intact mAb are also present in Fab fragments, indicating ligand preference is not related to valence or to the Fc portion of Ig. Analysis of binding to soluble or bound ligand in relationship to antibody variable (V) region structures indicates that differential binding in the two assays is a property of heavy chain variable region structure. Studies also show that limited amino acid replacements arising during maturation of the immune response may change the binding preference for an individual mAb. These findings indicate that differences in detection of insulin binding in solid phase and fluid phase are not artefactual but reflect intrinsic structural features of immunoglobulin interaction with insulin.
Le mystère De Gaulle; son choix pour l'Algérie (The De Gaulle Mystery: His Choice for Algeria)

Le mystere De Gaulle; son choix pour l'Algerie (The De Gaulle Mystery: His Choice for Algeria), by Benjamin Stora, Paris, Robert Laffont, 2009, 267 pp. ISBN 978-2-2211-1076-8 The Algeria policy was...
Template-Directed Synthesis of Novel, Nucleic Acid-Like Structures

In studying the origins of life, it is important to examine reactions of substrate mixtures that could plausibly have accumulated on the primitive earth. Nucleoside diphosphates would probably have been synthesized along with the standard nucleotides under prebiotic conditions. For these reasons, the template-directed reactions of activated derivatives of these diphosphates, alone or mixed with activated nucleotides, were investigated. An activated derivative of deoxyguanosine 3',5'-didphosphate condensed efficiently on a polycytidylate template to give oligonucleotide analogous in which each 3,5'ophosphodiester bond was replaced by a pyrophosphate linkage. Oligomers were formed even in the absence of a template, but much more slowly. Template-directed condensation occurred also with an analogous deoxadenosine derivative on polyuridylic acid and with an analogous acycloguanosine derivative on polycytidylic acid.
Dynamic downscaling of 22-year CFS winter seasonal hindcasts with the UCLA-ETA regional climate model over the United States

This study evaluates the UCLA-ETA regional model’s dynamic downscaling ability to improve the National Center for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System (NCEP CFS), winter season predictions over the contiguous United States (US). Spatial distributions and temporal variations of seasonal and monthly precipitation are the main focus. A multi-member ensemble means of 22 winters from 1982 through 2004 are included in the study. CFS over-predicts the precipitation in eastern and western US by as much as 45 and 90 % on average compared to observations, respectively. Dynamic downscaling improves the precipitation hindcasts across the domain, except in the southern States, by substantially reducing the excessive precipitation produced by the CFS. Average precipitation root-mean-square error for CFS and UCLA-ETA are 1.5 and 0.9 mm day−1, respectively. In addition, downscaling improves the simulation of spatial distribution of snow water equivalent and land surface heat fluxes. Despite these large improvements, the UCLA-ETA’s ability to improve the inter-annual and intra-seasonal precipitation variability is not clear, probably because of the imposed CFS’ lateral boundary conditions. Preliminary analysis of the cause for the large precipitation differences between the models reveals that the CFS appears to underestimate the moisture flux convergence despite producing excessive precipitation amounts. Additionally, the comparison of modeled monthly surface sensible and latent heat fluxes with Global Land Data Assimilation System land data set shows that the CFS incorrectly partitioned most of surface energy into evaporation, unlike the UCLA-ETA. These findings suggest that the downscaling improvements are mostly due to a better representation of land-surface processes by the UCLA-ETA. Sensitivity tests also reveal that higher-resolution topography only played a secondary role in the dynamic downscaling improvement.
Time-Space Patterns: The Natural Laws of Geology

Both Hall (1859) and Wilson (1965) discovered patterns that have changed the way that we think about geology and the way that we see the world, by focusing our attention on new interrelationships. The patterns involve time-space relations rather than functional relations between variables, but are used in the same way as the classic natural laws of physics and chemistry. These patterns have been used to make predictions, indicate important parameters to quantify and identify new types of questions to ask.
Shear Stress Effect on the Production of Nitric Oxide in Cultured Rat Aorta Endothelial Cells

Atherosclerotic lesions tend to develop in regions where there are separations from unidirectional laminar blood flow, typically near branches, bifurcations, regions of arterial narrowing, and curvatures in the arteries (1, 2). Obviously, homodynamic forces play a key role in atherosclerosis. Studies also indicate that vascular endothelium function disturbance, especially impairment of endothelium dependent vasodilation, is involved (3). Shear stress affects endothelial cells in many ways, such as cytoskeletal rearrangement, decrease of intracellular pH, release of PGI2 and some growth factors (PDGF, FGF, ECGF, TGF-b, etc), activation of IP3 and mitogen-activated protein kinases, and the significant increase in the production of nitric oxide (1,2,4,5). As an important function factor of vascular endothelial cells, nitric oxide (NO) is closely related to the endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis (6). Endothelial derived nitric oxide involves in many events in the vasculature, including vasodilation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, adhesion molecule expression, and vascular smooth muscle proliferation, which are directly or indirectly related to atherosclerosis. Endothelial cells release NO more potently in response to increased shear stress than to agonists that raise intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca2+ ]i . Studies have indicated that NO production increases with a calcium/CaM dependent manner in the first few minutes after exposed to shear stress, followed by a sustained NO production that occurs more than 30min which is Ca2+ independent (7). The activation of eNOS by shear stress, which modulated by Ca/CaM, G protein, tyrosine kinase phosphorylation and eNOS gene expression, is responsible for the increase of NO production (8). However, the contribution of extracellular calcium to the production of NO is somewhat contradictory.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
ELECTROPHORETIC KARYOTYPING OF YEASTS, AND SOUTHERN BLOTTING USING WHOLE CHROMOSOMES AS TEMPLATES FOR THE PROBE PREPARATION

The technique of Contour-clamped Homogenous Electric Field (CHEF) gel electrophoresis has been used to separate intact chromosomal DNA of different species of the yeast genera Saccharomyces and Zygosaccharomyces. Various strains of the same species had similar chromosomal band patterns. However, differences between individual bands indicated that strain-specific chromosome length polymorphism is common in these organisms.To test conspecificity, a new, DNA-DNA hybridization technique was developed using individual whole chromosomes as templates to prepare randomly primed, radioactive probes. Under our conditions of stringency, species-specific hybridization reactions were achieved with these probes. The method is an efficient tool to study the genetic diversity of a given yeast species. Also, it can assist yeast species identification.
Optical time lens based on four-wave mixing on a silicon chip

We propose a new technique to realize an optical time lens for ultrafast temporal processing that is based on four-wave mixing in a silicon nanowaveguide. The demonstrated time lens produces more than 100 pi of phase shift, which is not readily achievable using electro-optic phase modulators. Using this method we demonstrate 20x magnification of a signal consisting of two 3 ps pulses, which allows for temporal measurements using a detector with a 20 GHz bandwidth. Our technique offers the capability of ultrafast temporal characterization and processing in a chip-scale device.
Comparison of the photovoltaic response of oleylamine and inorganic ligand-capped CuInSe2 nanocrystals.

Thin film photovoltaic devices (PVs) were fabricated with CuInSe2 (CIS) nanocrystals capped with either oleylamine, inorganic metal chalcogenide-hydrazinium complexes (MCC), or S2-, HS–, and OH–. A CIS nanocrystal layer deposited from solvent-based inks without high temperature processing served as the active light-absorbing material in the devices. The MCC ligand-capped CIS nanocrystal PVs exhibited power conversion efficiency under AM1.5 illumination (1.7%) comparable to the oleylamine-capped CIS nanocrystals (1.6%), but with significantly thinner absorber layers. S2–-capped CIS nanocrystals could be deposited from aqueous dispersions, but exhibited lower photovoltaic performance.
Simple Guidance Scheme for Low-Thrust Orbit Transfers

3Pao, L. Y., “Minimum-Time Control Characteristics of Flexible Structures,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 19, No. 1, 1996, pp. 123–129. 4Singh,T., andVadali, S.R., “RobustTime-Optimal Control:AFrequency Domain Approach,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1994, pp. 346–353. 5Singer, N. C., and Seering, W. P., “Preshaping Command Inputs to Reduce System Vibration,” Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control, Vol. 12, March 1990, pp. 76–82. 6Banerjee, A. K., “Dynamics and Control of the Shuttle-Antennae System,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 41, Jan.–March, 1993, pp. 73–90. 7Singhose, W., Banerjee, A. K., and Seering, W. E., “Slewing Flexible Spacecraft with De ection Limiting Input Shaping,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 20, No. 2, 1997, pp. 291–298. 8Singhose,W., and Singer, N., “Effects of Input Shaping on Two-Dimensional Trajectory Following,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 12, No. 6, 1996, pp. 881–887. 9Spong,M.W., and Vidyasagar, M., RobotDynamics andControl, Wiley, New York, 1989, pp. 24, 259–283. 10Banerjee, A. K., and Singhose, W. E., “Input Shaping with Nonlinear Tracking Control of a Two-Link Flexible Robot,”AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conf., AAS Paper 97-121, Sun Valley, ID, Aug. 1997.
A Modern Control Approach to Active Noise Control

Active noise control systems currently in use and/or described in the research literature are typically bassed on adaptive signal processing theory or, equivalently, adaptive feedforward control theory. This paper presents a modern control aproach to the problem of active noise cancellation in a three-dimensional space. The controller is designed based on a direct self-tuning regulator. Two forms of adaptive control, namely, pole placement and minimum variance controls are considered and compared in simulation
Effect of Casting Temperature on the Microstructure of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Aluminium Alloy Billets Prepared by LFEC Process

In order to understand the effect of casting temperature on the low frequency electromagnetic casting process, 200mm billets of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy were produced, the microstructure was analyzed and the temperature field was measured during the casting process. The experimental results showed that low frequency electromagnetic casting process has an evident grain refining effect on aluminum alloy and casting temperature is not a sensitive parameter for this process, which can tolerate a large range of casting temperature. In the range of 710 to 750 °C, casting temperature does not show significant effect on the microstructure.
Test method for measuring station-keeping with unmanned marine vehicles using sonar or optical sensors

This paper proposes a test method for measuring the ability of a USV or ROV to fixate on an underwater object, i.e., station-keeping. Station-keeping is needed to permit an operator or domain expert to stay focused on an area in an image long enough to identify objects, such as submerged cars and debris, or a condition, such as scour eroding the underwater footing of a bridge. This problem is different from traditional robot control, as the point is not to measure the positions of the robot and sensor payload but rather how well the system maintains the position of the object in the image. The test method uses the Lucas-Kanade optical flow algorithm in OpenCV to track an inexpensive raised plywood and wire fiducial. The rotational, translational, and root mean square (RMS) error is measured over a 3 minute period as well as number of image frames in which the fiducial was not visible. The method was demonstrated using a DIDSON acoustic camera, but is generalizable to other types of sonars and underwater video cameras.
Thermal stability and electrical resistivity of 14N-implanted nickel contacts on n+-Si

Abstract We investigated the stability and electrical resistivity of evaporated nickel contacts on n + -Si after implantation with 14 N at a fluence of 2 x 10 16 cm -2 after sequential thermal annealing from 300 to 625°C. Unimplanted samples are used as a reference for comparison. The contact resistivity is determined from Kelvin measurements using a transmission line model interpretation. Interfacial reactions are studied using 2 MeV 4 He + backscattering spectrometry. We observe no silicide formation in 14 N-implanted samples until they have been annealed at above 550°C, whereas usual silicide formation is observed in unimplanted samples. The contact resistivity is sensitive to 14 N implantation and barrier formation, but not to the annealing temperature, and has a value of about 30 μω cm 2 . In addition to diffusion barrier formation, the implantation is also found to improve the adherence of nickel to silicon.
Optimizing single port surgery: a case report and review of technique in colon resection.

Background Minimally invasive colon surgery was first described in the early 1990s, decreasing the morbidity compared with open procedures. Recently, single port laparoscopy has emerged, with reports of applications to colon surgery. Although feasible, many new technical challenges exist. Methods An optimal operative technique for colon resection entirely through the umbilicus, using a robot and a GelPort is described. Results The robotic advantages of visualization and articulation minimize the disadvantages of single incision surgery. Programming the robotic arms in reverse decreases instrument clashing. In addition, the GelPort allows for trocar spacing and freedom of placement while providing a wound protector for specimen extraction. Conclusions As single port surgery develops, disadvantages must be overcome. Using a combination of the robot and GelPort, these disadvantages are addressed and minimized. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gender Equity Planning: Inserting Women into Local Economic Development:

Although economic disparities persist between men and women, women's issues in the context of U.S. local economic development planning have received relatively little attention by scholars and prac...
A quantitative high-throughput chemotaxis assay using bioluminescent reporter cells

Here we report on a novel biophotonic assay system for the detection and quantitation of chemotaxis, the directed movement of cells in response to chemokine concentration gradients. Our assay employs a firefly luciferase (ffLuc)-generated biophotonic signal to quantify cellular migration in 96-well microplate chemotaxis instruments. When compared to direct cell enumeration, the biophotonic reporter method is superior in accuracy, reproducibility, and sensitivity. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the utility of this assay for quantifying the chemotactic response of ex vivo expanded ffLuc(+) primary human T-cells to recombinant human chemokines MCP-1, RANTES, and IP-10. The 96-well microplate format and in situ biophotonic detection of cells are amenable to high-throughput screening of peptides and small molecule libraries to identify agonists and antagonists of cellular chemotaxis, to analyze biological fluids for chemotactic activity, and to study chemotaxis in a variety of cell types.
Colchicine affects the distribution of isotope-labeled H2O and extracellular markers in rat liver and hepatomas

Treatment of hepatoma-bearing rats with colchicine (175 or 250 micrograms/100 g body wt) greatly diminished the radioactivity in tumors when measured 10 min after subcutaneous injection of 3H2O. There were relatively small effects of colchicine treatment on the level of radioactivity in blood and little change in the ratio of radioactivity in blood and liver. Inhibitory effects of colchicine were also observed for the distribution in hepatomas of the extracellular markers [3H] methoxy-inulin and [14C] sucrose. An effect of colchicine on circulation in hepatomas may be a factor in the previously reported inhibitory action on metabolite uptake.
Familial multiple lateral telangiectatic nevi (port-wine stains or nevi flammei).

Pasyk KA. Familial multiple lateral telangiectatic nevi (port-wine stains or nevi flammei) Clin Genet 1992:41: 197–201. Two families with multiple lateral telangiectatic nevi (LTN) (port-wine stains or nevi flammei) in various areas of the body in two and three generations are presented. In the second family, some members in addition to LTN also had superficial (strawberry) hemangiomas and hemangioma-like venous malformations. The pedigrees of these families indicate auto-somal dominant inheritance of multiple LTN.
Evidence for nonoperative management of acute limb ischemia in infants

Acute limb ischemia (ALI) in infants is a catastrophic event. We performed a query of our database to determine those with ALI. Twelve patients were identified. The most frequent presentation was cyanotic limbs. Eleven patients were treated nonoperatively with anticoagulation. One patient was treated surgically with Fogarty balloon thrombectomy. There were three deaths all due to associated comorbidities. All had viable limbs on follow-up examination. There were three complications in the patients managed conservatively. Our recommendation for infants presenting with ALI is conservative observation with anticoagulation and intervention only for cases with tissue loss.
Drug-Induced Actions on Brain Neurotransmitter Systems and Changes in the Behaviors and Emotions of Depressed Patients

Despite cumulative evidence that the tricyclic drugs result in significant changes in the functioning of brain serotonergic (5-HT) and nordrenergic (NE) systems, such changes have not been found to be associated with recovery from depression. Based upon evidence that the 5-HT and NE systems were associated with different emotions, it was hypothesized that changes in these systems were associated with different components of behavior in drug-responsive patients and not with changes in the "whole" disorder. Findings from this multihospital study of 104 unipolar and bipolar depressed patients showed early drug-associated reductions in anxiety and hostility in treatment responders to precede changes in motor retardation and depressed mood. Adopting this approach of looking for relationships between changes in components of major depression and changes in neurotransmitter system function, decreases in 5-HT and NE metabolite concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients treated with tricyclics, were found to be correlated with changes in specific behaviors. Results indicated the following: (1) drug-induced changes in the 5-HT system to be associated with mood aspects, notably anxiety, and depressed mood; changes in NE primarily with the psychomotor, secondarily with the mood components of the depressed state; (2) the pattern of relationships between changes in 5-HT and in mood in the unipolar was different than that in the bipolar subtype. The results indicate that in determining the relationships of biochemical changes to behavioral ones, that it is important to take into account the type of depression (bipolar or unipolar), as well as examining individually and over time those components that make up the disorder of depression. These results support evidence that tricyclics have multiple behavioral actions, that response is mediated through changes in specific behaviors and that this approach warrants further application in prospective studies of antidepressant drug mechanisms and their therapeutic actions.
Genital secretory immune response to chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection: a comparison between intravenously and genitally inoculated rhesus macaques.

The humoral and genital secretory immune response to chronic SIV infection was compared between female Rhesus macaques inoculated by i.v. or intravaginal routes. Total IgG levels in serum were 10-fold higher in SIV-infected animals when compared with uninfected controls. Vaginal washes from normal macaques contained predominantly IgA and IgG, while those from SIV-infected animals contained high levels of IgG. The SIV-infected animals had high titres of SIV-specific IgG in serum, with lower but detectable IgA and IgM responses. The genital secretory immune response to SIV was similar in intravenously and intravaginally inoculated animals. The anti-SIV response in the vaginal washes consisted mainly of IgG. Within the lamina propria of the reproductive tract of animals chronically infected with SIV there were essentially no IgA or IgG plasma cells and only a small number of IgM plasma cells, while two normal animals had large numbers of IgA plasma cells. These results suggest that the mucosal immune system of the female reproductive tract is impaired in chronic SIV infection.
Radar cross section of a thin plate near grazing incidence

Backscattering cross sections of horizontal and vertical polarizations are computed for a conducting rectangular plate with emphasis in the region near grazing incidence. Three techniques used in higher order diffraction are compared, as they give rise to significantly different results in the region of interest.
The Thy-1 epidermal cell: perspective and prospective

Recently a class of cells distinguished by the presence of the cell-surface protein, Thy-I, has been discovered in the epidermis. These cells constitute a heterogeneous population such that they may be dendritic or round, and may be derived from both mesenchymal and ectodermal tissue. Phenotypically, cells with the following characteristics have been observed: Thy-I +, Vim+; Thy-I+, Vim-; Thy-I+, Ker+; Thy-I+, Ker-; Thy-I+, asialo GMI+; Thy-I+, asialo GMI-. Thy-I+ epidermal cells do not appear to be T or B lymphocytes, macrophage/monocytes or melanocytes. The Thy-I+ epidermal cell can be studied in in vivo and in vitro systems. It would appear that skin as well as the immune system contain Thy-I+ and Ia+ cells. Such cells may be prerequisite for both systems to carry out their primary defense functions.
Mobilization of Al and Ti during weathering — Isovolumetric geochemical evidence

Variations in the volumetric concentrations of Al2O3 and TiO2 (in g cm−3) as a function of bulk density for 18 different saprolite suites strongly suggest that significant mobilization of Al and Ti during weathering is more common than is generally assumed. Although trends of decreasing Al2O3 (in g cm−3) with decreasing bulk density could result from dilation, textural and structural features in saprolites argue against significant volume expansion during weathering. Indeed it appears from theoretical calculations that most weathering reactions, including those in which Al is conserved, remove large quantities of various oxides and in the process should create significant amounts of void space. Accordingly, unless large quantities of smectite are produced, it seems unlikely that expansive forces should arise from such reactions. Theoretical calculations are presented that show the effect of dilation on reaction paths. Such calculations are shown to be useful in evaluating the impact of dilation (or compaction) in cases where textural and/or structural criteria are unavailable or ambiguous.
CHLOROPLAST DIVISION AND PYRENOID FORMATION IN CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDI1

SUMMARY The process of chloroplast division during mitosis in Chlamydomonas reinhardi is followed with the electron microscope. The pyrenoid and the chloroplast reproduce by fission. The dividing chloroplast contains regions of dense material that superficially resemble pyrenoids, but it is concluded that the formation of the dense material is not related to pyrenoid formation in C. reinhardi. The dense material appears to be localized over regions of chloroplast DNA.
The 'Pre-Colombian' Era of Drug Trafficking in the Americas: Cocaine, 1945-1965

Before anyone heard of Colombian narcotraficantes, a new class of international cocaine traffickers was born between 1947 and 1964, led by little-known Peruvians, Bolivians, Chileans, Cubans, Mexicans, Brazilians, and Argentines. These men—and often daring young women—anxiously pursued by U.S. drug agents, pioneered the business of illicit cocaine, a drug whose small-scale production in the Andes remained legal and above board until the late 1940s. Before 1945, cocaine barely existed as an illicit drug; by 1950, a handful of couriers were smuggling it by the ounce from Peru; by the mid-1960s this hemispheric flow topped hundreds of kilos yearly, linking thousands of coca farmers across the eastern Andes to crude labs, organized trafficking rings, and a bustling retailer diaspora in consuming hot-spots like New York and Miami. The Colombians of the 1970s, the Pablo Escobars who leveraged this network into one of hundreds of tons, worth untold billions, are today notorious. Yet historians have yet to uncover their modest predecessors or the actual start of Colombia's role: cocaine's “pre-Colombian” origins.
Configuring Listserv, configuring discourse

Abstract Listserv electronic mailing lists have become popular with teachers and scholars in computers and composition for their ability to bring students and professionals together to discuss issues in a written medium. Listservs are perceived as allowing a more egalitarian discourse than might take place in person, as characteristics of status, color, gender, and class are not readily visible. This article examines a particular software package (Listserv), a package for distributing email to a group of subscribers for the purpose of discussion. Popular as Listserv is, few users are aware of the constraints the software places on the rhetorical situation of the email list. This article explains how a Listserv is configured by the software, the decisions the list administrator can make, and how the configuration constrains the discussion that takes place. I list the elements of an actual Listserv header file, indicate the different options for each configuration the administrator might have chosen, and describe the effects of the choice on the list’s discourse. Listserv settings can configure the power relationships within discussion groups. If the intention of the instructor is to offer a space for minority views to be expressed, without flaming, one form of configuration may be more useful than another. Ultimately, list administrators, through their configuration of the software for a particular list, influence which subscribers can speak and which cannot, an influence that can be positive or negative depending on one’s perspective of the particular rhetorical situation of a particular electronic discussion.