cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethanol‐Induced Up‐Regulation of the Urokinase Receptor In Cultured Human Endothelial Cells

Background: Moderate alcohol consumption has been correlated to reduced coronary artery disease (CAD) risk and mortality. This alcohol effect may he mediated in part by an increased endothelial cell (EC) fibrinolysis. ECs synthesize fibrinolytic proteins, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase type plasminogen activator (u-PA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1(PAI-1). In addition, they synthesize and regulate receptors for fibrinolytic proteins, namely (t-PA and plasminogen receptor) Annexin II and u-PA receptor (u-PAR). These receptors play an important role in the regulated expression of receptor-bound plasminogen activator conversion of receptor-bound plasminogen to receptor-bound plasmin on the EC surface (surface-localized fibrinolytic activity). Therefore, systemic factors, such as ethanol, that affect the level, or activity or interaction of one or more of these components, resulting in the increased expression of surface-localized EC fibrinolytic activity, will be expected to reduce the risk for thrombosis, CAD, and myocardial infarction (Ml). We have previously shown that low ethanol up-regulates t-PA and u-PA gene transcription, while it down-regulates PAI-1, hence resulting in increased (sustained, 24 hr) surface-localized EC fibrinolytic activity. The current studies were carried out to determine whether low ethanol increased u-PAR expression in cultured human umbilical cord vein ECs (HUVECs). Methods: Cultured HUVECs were preincubated (1 hr) in the absence/presence of ethanol (0.025-0.2%, v/v); u-PAR mRNA (RT-PCR), antigen (western blot), and activity ( 125 I-u-PA ligand binding/Scatchard analysis) levels were then measured after 0-24 hr. To determine whether the ethanol-induced changes in the u-PAR expression were transcriptional, transient transfection studies were carried out using a u-PAR/ luciferase promoter construct (pu-PAR120/luc [1.2-kb u-PAR promoter fragment ligated to a promoterless luciferase vector]). Results: uPAR mRNA levels increased 2- to 3-fold and antigen levels (western blot) increased 2- to 4-fold while u-PA binding activity increased 36% (1.25 vs. 1.7 x 10 5 sites/cell, B max ) without significantly affecting the K d (1-2 nM). Transient transfection of cultured HUVECs with a pu-PAR120/luc construct resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in promoter activity in ethanol-induced cultures, compared with controls. Conclusion: These combined results demonstrate that low ethanol (≤0.1%, v/v) induces the up-regulation of u-PAR gene transcription, resulting in increased u-PAR ligand binding activity. These results also further identify/define the contribution and role of another fibrinolytic protein in the overall ethanol-induced increase in surface-localized EC fibrinolysis that may underlie and contribute, in part, to the cardioprotection attributed to moderate alcohol consumption.
A class of smoothing functions for nonlinear and mixed complementarity problems

We propose a class of parametric smooth functions that approximate the fundamental plus function, (x)+=max{0, x}, by twice integrating a probability density function. This leads to classes of smooth parametric nonlinear equation approximations of nonlinear and mixed complementarity problems (NCPs and MCPs). For any solvable NCP or MCP, existence of an arbitrarily accurate solution to the smooth nonlinear equations as well as the NCP or MCP, is established for sufficiently large value of a smoothing parameter α. Newton-based algorithms are proposed for the smooth problem. For strongly monotone NCPs, global convergence and local quadratic convergence are established. For solvable monotone NCPs, each accumulation point of the proposed algorithms solves the smooth problem. Exact solutions of our smooth nonlinear equation for various values of the parameter α, generate an interior path, which is different from the central path for interior point method. Computational results for 52 test problems compare favorably with these for another Newton-based method. The smooth technique is capable of solving efficiently the test problems solved by Dirkse and Ferris [6], Harker and Xiao [11] and Pang & Gabriel [28].
The Shannon Error: trying to catch up when you are already ahead.

cations for these illnesses made things worse, not better. Some of the tribes the expedition encountered were intent on killing or robbing them, or both. Yet they pulled it off with the death of only one man, from a ruptured appendix and peritonitis early in the journey. Lewis and Clark were co-captains on a
Subject indexing and citation indexing—part II: an evaluation and comparison

Abstract The extent to which four subject representations and two citation representations associate documents relevant to the same query and discriminate between documents relevant to different queries is investigated as a function of descriptor-weight and similarity thresholds. The descriptor-weight threshold selects a level of indexing exhaustivity for the document representation, and the similarity threshold selects a level from the associated single-link hierarchy. Computations of cluster-based retrieval effectiveness as a function of the threshold values reveal optimal performance levels for each representation. For the subject representations and the citation representations, optimal performance levels occur at relatively low levels of exhaustivity and are materially superior to results derived from random structures. Surprisingly, citation representations are marginally superior to subject representations based on MEDLINE® subject descriptions. The lowest performance levels are associated with exhaustive subject representations, which are biased against associating documents relevant to the same query. Composite results that include combinations of subject and citation outcomes produce meaningful improvements in retrieval performance when compared to the performance of constituent representations.
Hyper- and Hypobaric Processing of T1-Ca-Ba-Cu-O Superconductors

Tl-based superconductors of initial composition Tl:Ca:Ba:Cu equal to 2:2:2:3 and 1:3:1:3 were heated in oxygen at pressures of 10{sup 4} to 6 {times} 10{sup 5} Pa. The 2:2:2:3 composition formed primarily the 2-layer superconductor with zero resistance from 77 to 104 K. The 1:3:1:3 composition formed nearly phase pure 3-layer superconductor with a maximum zero resistance temperature of 120 K. Application of hyperbaric pressure influenced phase purities and transition temperatures slightly; phase purities decreased significantly with application of hypobaric pressures. 10 refs., 1 fig.
Auto ignition synthesis of nanocrystalline MgAl2O4 and related nanocomposites

Nanocrystalline powders of various compositions in the Al2O3–MgO binary system were synthesized using a novel “auto ignition” process. The respective nitrates were used as starting materials and urea as fuel. Thermodynamic calculations of the adiabatic temperatures were performed for various compositions from Al2O3-rich to the MgO-rich side of the phase diagram. The combustion temperatures of the different compositions were also determined experimentally. The as-synthesized powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a result of processing, spinel, alumina, magnesia, and solid solutions/ nanocomposites thereof formed. Grain sizes and the lattice parameter were calculated based on XRD results. Where appropriate, the lattice parameter versus the composition of these solid solutions satisfied Vegard’s law. Spinel grains were in the 13–20 nm range, alumina grains were 30–40 nm, and MgO grains were 2–28 nm. The grain sizes calculated from XRD results were in good agreement with the TEM results.
1122 CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (LE) IN CHILDREN

In 67 unselected patients under the age of 20 years with LE, evidence of CNS disease was present in 18% (3M,9F). Abnormal neurologic findings included: chorea-7, upper motor neuron signs-3, cranial nerve paresis-3, cerebellar dysfunction-2, focal seizures and coma-1, stroke associated with hypertension-2. Chorea is the major abnormality in this group; in 3 patients it presented as long as three years prior to the diagnosis of LE. Significant renal disease was present in 8 patients. Laboratory tests were not helpful in diagnosis. Lumbar puncture and brain scan were normal unless stroke was present. EEG was always abnormal but correlated with neurologic findings and improvement. Serologic parameters were only mildly abnormal during recurrences of CNS disease. Standard doses of prednisone and Imuran used to treat LE exacerbations corrected all major CNS abnormalities except neurologic deficits secondary to strokes. Three patients had recurrences of CNS disease which responded to retreatment with high-dose therapy. This study provides the first comprehensive view of the high incidence of CNS involvement in a non-selective series of childhood LE patients and emphasizes the need to recognize subtle abnormalities and initiate adequate therapy.
Delay Eyeblink Classical Conditioning is Impaired in Fragile X Syndrome

We examined 400 ms delay eyeblink classical conditioning in 20 participants with Fragile X syndrome ages 17-77 years, and 20 age-matched, healthy control participants. The Fragile X group demonstrated impaired learning and abnormal conditioned response timing. Adults with Fragile X (n=16) were also tested at two successive 12-month follow-up sessions to examine reacquisition and long-term retention. Participants in groups older and younger than 45 years demonstrated significant learning during each reacquisition session. Younger participants demonstrated greater retention of the CS/US association at each follow-up session than older participants. Fragile X impairs the acquisition and timing of conditioned eyeblink responses, but with repeated training adults with Fragile X syndrome show significant plasticity.
Profile of perceptual-cognitive traits and personality style of possible relevance to creative productivity.

The amount of illusory movement perceived on the autokinetic test, manifestations of primary process expression on the Rorschach, and creative productivity as measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, were collected from 47 volunteer college students. Those individuals who expressed primary process thinking as blatant affect and the fusion of images, and elaborated on a stimulus pictorially, had extensive movement on the autokinetic test (P less than .05). We further delineated certain personality characteristics of these individuals employing a 26-item bipolar questionnaire. They are among other things, active, striving, assertive, in touch with and free to express emotion, rebellious, incautious, self-determing, productive, motivated to influence others, and excelling in producing objects or ideas which are unique.
Inelastic Response of Extended Pile Shafts in Laterally Spreading Ground during Earthquakes (Student Paper Competition 2010)

The seismic design of extended pile shafts for the combined effects of dynamic shaking and liquefaction-induced lateral spreading is investigated using nonlinear dynamic finite element analyses (NDA). Results of NDA parameter studies are used to illustrate how inertia and lateral spreading loads combine during shaking. The NDA results are used to evaluate equivalent static analysis (ESA) methods. Implications for design practice are discussed.
FastTree 2--approximately maximum-likelihood trees for large alignments.

Background We recently described FastTree, a tool for inferring phylogenies for alignments with up to hundreds of thousands of sequences. Here, we describe improvements to FastTree that improve its accuracy without sacrificing scalability.
Steiner Triple Systems, Pinched Surfaces, and Complete Multigraphs

We consider complete multigraphs $${K_n^m}$$ K n m on n vertices with every pair joined by m edges. We embed these graphs to triangulate $${S_n^k}$$ S n k , a pinched surface with n pinch points each having k sheets. These embeddings have a vertex at each pinch point and any two sheets at a pinch point have the same number of edges. Moreover, we want to 2m-color the faces such that each color class is a Steiner triple system. These embeddings generalize in two ways biembeddings of Steiner triple systems, the case m = 1, k = 1 of simple graphs in surfaces without pinch points.
Chemotherapy: Failure of bevacizumab in early-stage colon cancer.

A randomized phase III trial of patients with stage II and III colon cancer showed no benefit of adding bevacizumab to standard adjuvant oxaliplatin plus fluorouracil and leucovorin. Despite suggestive evidence of a short-term benefit, these data and other similar findings dictate that adjuvant bevacizumab should not be used in colon cancer.
Beam shaping element for compact fiber injection systems

Injection of high power, multi-mode laser profiles into a fiber optic delivery system requires controlling a number of injection parameters to maximize throughput and minimize concerns for optical damage both at the entrance and exit faces of the fiber optic. A simple method for simultaneously achieving a compact fiber injection geometry and control of these injection parameters, independent of the input source characteristics, is provided by a refractive lenslet array and simple injection lens configuration. Design criteria together with analytical and experimental results for the refractive lenslet array and short focal length injection lens are presented. This arrangement provides a uniform spatial intensity distribution at the fiber injection plane to a large degree independent of the source mode structure, spatial profile, divergence, size, and/or alignment to the injection system. This technique has application to a number of laser systems where uniform illumination of a target or remote delivery of high peak power is desired.
Environmental Attitudes of Scientists in Ghana, Kenya, and Kerala: Evidence on NGOs and Traditional Research Sectors

Drawing on a survey of researchers in Ghana, Kenya, and the Indian state of Kerala, attitudes of NGO scientists are examined and compared with those in universities and national research institutes. Recently, some NGOs have initiated research activities, raising the question of whether those who pursue research in these organizations are similar to or different from those in more traditional contexts. Environmentalist views are now widespread among researchers in less developed countries. Two underlying dimensions are identified, one of which is tiers-mondisme, the degree to which a researcher adopts a distinctive developing country perspective on environmental issues. Results show that NGO researchers are not generally different in terms of their environmental views. However, national context and participation in the international system affect the degree to which researchers adopt a distinctive developmental perspective.
Using Spatial Diversity to Improve the Confidentiality of Atmospheric Free Space Optical Communication

Free space optical communication through the atmosphere has the potential to provide secure, low-cost, rapidly deployable, dynamic, data transmission at very high rates. Despite the ability for free space optical technology to transmit a narrow beam of light to a specific destination, it is still possible for an eavesdropper to gather light and decode information intended for another user. This paper addresses the use of spatial diversity to improve confidentiality, thereby impeding potential eavesdroppers. We find that spatial diversity with coherent detection and wavefront predistortion based on turbulence state feedback is an effectively technique to improve the confidentiality of free space optical communication.
Mating behaviour of the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus and its dependence on social and environmental cues

Abstract Abstract. A Markov analysis of Gryllus bimaculatus mating behaviour yielded significant behavioural transitions in all three stages of mating. Antennal contact initiated by either males or females was required to elicit courtship behaviour and courtship singing. Visual stimuli alone were insufficient to elicit courtship behaviour in either males or females. Performing courtship behaviour increased sexual receptivity in both male and female crickets and this effect lasted for 10-15 min after courtship had been terminated. During this time crickets responded sexually to anaesthetized females and mute males even though these animals were normally ineffective in eliciting mating behaviour. Animals held in colonies, instead of in social isolation, did not differ in the timing or in the behavioural sequence of their courtship. This suggests that social contact and prior sexual experience do not affect courtship. The robustness of courtship behaviour in G. bimaculatus makes it an attractive model system for studies in behavioural physiology and behavioural ecology.
Speaking of science

"You are able to read this sentence." Surely this assertion, which opens Scientific Babel , is self-evident. But as author Michael Gordin goes on to show, there was nothing inevitable about the rise of "global English". Reviewer Lynn Nyhart considers this account of how short-lived language movements, translation efforts, and publication schemes interacted with global geopolitics to make English the language of science… for now.
Monte Carlo simulations and backscattering enhancement of random metallic rough surfaces at optical frequencies

The finite element method of Monte Carlo simulations of random rough surface scattering is extended to plane and tapered wave scattering from random metallic surfaces at optical frequencies. The backscattering enhancement associated with these rough surfaces is studied for both TE and TM incident waves. Numerical results of the finite element method are presented and compared with those of the tapered wave integral equation method. In all the cases considered, both the TE and TM incident waves show backscattering enhancement. The lossy surfaces scatter more power for TE incident waves than those of TM due to the TM surface waves. No TE surface wave is supported by rough surfaces simulated in this paper.
Halothane-induced Alterations of Cyclic Nucleotide Concentrations in Three Regions of the Mouse Nervous System

In an effort to determine whether halothane alters cyclic nucleotide levels in the nervous system, mice were exposed to air (control) or halothane 0.7, 1.4, 2.4, 3.0, or 4.4 per cent in air, for 15 minutes. After quick-freezing in liquid nitrogen, levels of 3,5‘-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and 3’,5‘-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord were determined. Lactate and pyruvate were measured in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum as an index of brain oxygenation, and blood-gas and pH values were measured in replicate experiments. Three groups of studies were made: 1) control, 2) low halothane concentrations (0.7–2.4 per cent) without hypoxia and acidosis, and 3) high halothane concentrations (3.0 and 4.4 per cent) accompanied by hypoxia and acidosis. Low halothane concentrations increased cGMP in the cerebral cortex, depressed it in the cerebellum, and had no effect on levels in the spinal cord. Similar alterations were seen after exposure to high halothane concentrations that included a hypoxic component, except that cGMP in the spinal cord was depressed. Since anoxia decreases cGMP in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, the increase in cGMP in the cortex suggests that the effect of halothane cannot be attributed to hypoxia. The only effect of halothane on cAMP was to depress the levels of the nucleotide in the cortex at halothane concentrations of 2.4 per cent or more. The authors conclude that halothane has a greater effect on cGMP than on cAMP, and that the biochemical responses to the anesthetic vary among regions of the nervous system.
Competing through Services: Service Migration of Information Technology Product Vendors

The provision of services has become an increasingly important component of the economy of industrialized economies and the revenue stream for many traditional product companies. This is especially true for companies offering information technology (IT) products, as service revenues are often several times the initial purchase or licensing fees, making the development of a successful services business both a strategic area for growth and a way to diversify revenue streams. This paper examines factors that influence the extent to which IT product companies are able to utilize services as a source of revenue. Drawing literatures from evolutionary economics, service diversification, and organizational decline, we identify architecture knowledge of IT systems, information asymmetry of service offering, and previous performance as key drivers of the percentage of revenues associated with services.
The payoff and implied pricing kernel in REITs

This article explores the hybrid character (i.e. the resemblance of both stock and bond) of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) through the implied pricing kernel behind REITs prices. We use the Empirical Pricing kernel method (Rosenberg and Engle, 2002) to explore their Payoff probability density and extract the implied pricing kernel. To estimate payoff probability density, we use asymmetric GARCH model. Results indicate that implied pricing kernels flatten in all ranges of low rate of returns and decrease exponentially in ranges of high rate of returns. This means the REIT pricing kernel resembles a bond when rate of return is low, and a stock when it is high. The pattern is consistent between 1970 and 2000.
Variable viscosity entrance-region flow of non-newtonian liquids

A numerical solution was obtained for the problem of flow of a non-Newtonian fluid with temperature-dependent viscosity in the entrance region of a round tube. The solution, which is based on an integral boundary layer approach in the immediate entrance region and a finite difference scheme farther downstream, gives pressure drops and Nusselt numbers as functions of downstream distance for a uniform entering velocity and a constant tube wall temperature. A power-law model with an Arrhenius-type temperature dependency was used to represent the fluid. Results are presented in the form of correlations in terms of the parameters n, Pr and H (the ratio of the wall viscosity to entering viscosity) from which numerical values can be obtained if values of the viscosity constants of the fluid are known.
Ammonia-Evaporation-Induced Synthetic Method for Metal (Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni) Hydroxide/Oxide Nanostructures

We report an ammonia-evaporation-induced synthetic method for metal (Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd) hydroxide/oxide nanostructures including hierarchical CuO spheres with radiating nanoplates, densely branched ZnO nanowires, Cd(OH)2 nanofibers, and Ni(OH)2 nanoplates. One important feature of this mild and surfactant-free methodology is that these nanostructures grow in a dynamic environment with the continuous decrease of pH and ammonia concentration in the solution, which is responsible for the formation of the complex architectures. The obtained Cd(OH)2 nanofibers and Ni(OH)2 nanoplates can also be converted into oxides by a subsequent thermal treatment. In addition to the synthesis and mechanism studies, we have investigated the electrochemical reactivity of the CuO spheres, CdO nanofibers, and NiO nanoplates toward lithium and demonstrated their potential application as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.
Vibrational overtone spectroscopy of OHAr complexes

Abstract The vibrational overtone spectrum of OHAr complexes is obtained using a novel infrared pump-ultraviolet probe scheme. Complexes of Ar with OH X( v ″=2) are long-lived, with vibrational predissociation lifetimes of > -6 μs. Rotational analysis of the OHAr overtone spectrum shows that the vibrationally averaged OH center-of-mass to Ar separation distance (3.7 A) increases by less than 0.1 A upon overtone vibrational excitation of the OH moiety. The vibrational frequency of the OH overtone transition is shifted 0.9±0.2 cm −1 towards lower energy upon complexation with Ar, indicating a slight increase in the binding energy of Ar to vibrationally excited OH.
HSP110 PROTECTS HEAT-DENATURED PROTEINS AND CONFERS CELLULAR THERMORESISTANCE

The 110-kDa heat shock protein (hsp110) has long been recognized as one of the primary heat shock proteins in mammalian cells. It belongs to a recently described protein family that is a significantly diverged subgroup of the hsp70 family and has been found in organisms as diverse as yeast and mammals. We describe here the first analysis of the ability of hsp110 to protect cellular and molecular targets from heat damage. It was observed that the overexpression in vivo of hsp110 conferred substantial heat resistance to both Rat-1 and HeLa cells. In vitro heat denaturation and refolding assays demonstrate that hsp110 is highly efficient in selectively recognizing denatured proteins and maintaining them in a soluble, folding-competent state and is significantly more efficient in performing this function than is hsc70. hsp110-bound proteins can then be refolded by the addition of rabbit reticulocyte lysate or hsc70 and Hdj-1, whereas Hdj-1 does not itself function as a co-chaperone in folding with hsp110. hsp110 is one of the principal molecular chaperones of mammalian cells and represents a newly identified component of the primary protection/repair pathway for denatured proteins and thermotolerance expression in vivo.
A trans‐continental gravitational traverse and its relation to regional geology

The writer, working under a grant from the Geological Society of America and using a Humble type-X gravimeter made available to the American Geophysical Union for scientific research, established a gravitational traverse from Morro Bay, California, to Sea Bright, New Jersey. The traverse crossed the San Joaquin Valley, Death Valley, the Basin and Range Area, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, the Ozark Uplift, the Illinois Basin, the Cincinnati Arch, the Appalachian Mountains, the Triassic lowlands, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Strontium isotopic chronostratigraphy and correlation of the Miocene Monterey Formation in the Ventura and Santa Maria basins of California

The Sr isotopic composition of authigenic marine carbonates can be used effectively with the known Sr isotopic evolution of sea water to decipher chronostratigraphic relationships and correlate the Monterey Formation. The Sr isotopic chronostratigraphy of both the Oakview and Mussel Rock sections agrees with published biostratigraphic ages. Correlations of lithologic members between the two sections are also in accord with the published lithologic and biostratigraphic correlations. Time and stratigraphic resolutions of Sr isotopic chronostratigraphy are dependent upon the slope of the sea water Sr evolution curve, sedimentation rates, inherent Sr isotopic variability, and analytical precision. On the average, individual analyses yield time resolutions of 0.5 Ma and stratigraphic resolutions of 10-70 m of section. 24 references, 3 figures, 3 tables.
Effect of reduced barometric pressure on drug action and metabolism in mice.

Abstract Mice kept at a simulated altitude of 18,000 ft for 5 days had a shorter duration of loss of righting reflex with hexobarbital, zoxazolamine and mephenesin, but not with pentobarbital. Exposure to reduced pressure did not alter brain receptor sensitivity to these drugs. Decreased hexobarbital sleeping time was produced 3 days after initial simulated altitude exposure and was reversed within 3 days after return to normobaric conditions. The hepatic microsomal metabolism of aniline, hexobarbital, nitroanisole and dichlorophenolindophenol was increased in mice kept in a hypobaric chamber while that of methylaniline was not altered. Mice exposed to reduced pressure had a loss of total body weight, liver weight, and liver water content. Hepatic RNA-P and DNA content was increased, but there was no change in the hepatic microsomal protein or cytochrome P-450 content. A decreased hexobarbital sleeping time in different mice strains was observed at a simulated altitude of 18,000 ft but not at 8000 ft. The results suggest that the alterations in drug action observed may be due primarily to increased drug metabolism produced by hypobaric hypoxia.
An attitude toward behavior modification scale

A Likert scale was developed to measure attitudes toward the use of behavior modification in business organizations. To minimize experimenter bias, projective techniques were used to generate a pool of statements for the scale. The statements were Q-sorted by a panel of experts and 26 items with low semiinterquartile ranges were selected for the scale. The scale, given to 252 subjects, had a test-retest reliability coefficient of .70; split-half and odd-even reliability coefficients of .88 and .92 were also obtained. Factor analysis showed that items loaded on two factors, but attitudes toward behavior modification consisted of basically a single component. Validity of the scale is yet to be established. At this point it may serve as a research tool.
Studies of the stability and reactivity of substituted vinyl titanium triisopropoxides

Abstract The stability and reactivity of vinyl titanium triisopropoxides having a variety of substitution patterns has been explored. These reagents when prepared in Et2O have proven to be more stable than expected based on prior reports, and they exhibit sufficient reactivity at temperatures where they are stable (−78°→∼−60°C) to undergo highly chemoselective addition to a structurally diverse group of aldehydes in fair to excellent yields. However, stereoselectivity obtained upon attempted chelation controlled addition to α and β-alkoxy aldehydes is modest.
A refined algorithm for finite-difference synthesis of cam profiles

Abstract The present paper deals with the synthesis of a cam profile when the prescribed acceleration pattern is given in numerical form. It is primarily an extension of previous work by the author with a view to upgrading the numerical accuracy of the synthesized cam profile, hence broadening the scope of application to a general class of high-speed cams. The technique is to differentiate the Stirling interpolation formula or the Gregory-Newton interpolation formula, thereby refining the prescribed initial acceleration data so that it will be correct to differences of high order. The effectiveness and the accuracy of this technique is demonstrated by a numerical example.
Modified similarity prediction of jet and buoyant jet entrainment in the transition region

Abstract The current study examines the transition region of axisymmetric isothermal and bouyant jets of low Reynolds numbers, directed vertically upward into a stagnant ambient. Velocity profiles were measured at axial distances ranging from 5 to 28 nozzle diameters downstream for Reynolds numbers from 850 to 7405 in an isothermal jet air. Profiles at the same locations were measured in a buoyant jet for Reynolds numbers from 540 to 3200. The Gaussian constant, m , is commonly used in characterizing jet, buoyant jet, and plume velocity profile width in the fully developed similarity zone. Results indicated that this parameter can also be used in the transition region if modified to incorporate the effects of Reynolds and Froude numbers. Correlation equations are presented that predict the profile width in the transition region as a function of the nozzle exit conditions. Assumption of some average value of profile width without consideration of Reynolds number, Froude number, or downstream distance would result in large error in estimation of volumetric flow rate, and, thus, entrainment at a location.
Dynamics of two electrically coupled chaotic neurons: experimental observations and model analysis.

Conductance-based models of neurons from the lobster stomatogastric ganglion (STG) have been developed to understand the observed chaotic behavior of individual STG neurons. These models identify an additional slow dynamical process – calcium exchange and storage in the endoplasmic reticulum – as a biologically plausible source for the observed chaos in the oscillations of these cells. In this paper we test these ideas further by exploring the dynamical behavior when two model neurons are coupled by electrical or gap junction connections. We compare in detail the model results to the laboratory measurements of electrically-coupled neurons that we reported earlier. The experiments on the biological neurons varied the strength of the effective coupling by applying a parallel, artificial synapse, which changed both the magnitude and polarity of the conductance between the neurons. We observed a sequence of bifurcations that took the neurons from strongly synchronized in-phase behavior, through uncorrelated chaotic oscillations to strongly synchronized – and now regular – out-of-phase behavior. The model calculations reproduce these observations quantitatively, indicating that slow subcellular processes could account for the mechanisms involved in the synchronization and regularization of the otherwise individual chaotic activities.
Administration of Growth Hormone to Pregnant Rats on a Reduced Diet Inhibits Growth of Their Fetuses

During gestation, female rats become resistant to the anabolic actions of GH. The importance of this resistance for conceptus growth was investigated by treating pregnant dams on a reduced diet with ovine (o) or bovine (b) GH during days 10-20 of gestation. Reducing food intake to 60% that of ad libitum-fed controls significantly depleted maternal inguinal fat stores by day 20 of gestation, but it did not affect the growth of the fetuses or the placentas. In the food-restricted dams, twice daily injections of oGH (1 mg/day) or bGH (5 mg/day) during days 10-20 of gestation increased their inguinal fat pad wet weight by 28% and 62%, respectively, but had no effect on the wet weight of maternal heart, liver, or spleen. The dams treated with bGH had significantly heavier kidneys than the PBS- or oGH-treated females. On day 20 of gestation, control animals fed a 60%-diet had total serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels that were depressed to the same extent as those in ad libitum fed dams (i.e. to about 25% of the levels in nonpregnant females). Both the oGH and bGH treatments significantly elevated maternal serum insulin-like growth factor-I to 42% and 300%, respectively, of the levels in the untreated underfed dams. Compared to virgin controls, maternal tibial epiphyseal plate width was also significantly diminished in dams fed ad libitum or a 60% diet. Nevertheless, oGH and bGH were effective at augmenting maternal tibial epiphyseal plate width to equal those in virgin controls. Both doses of GH significantly reduced placental and fetal weights compared to those of PBS-injected dams on a 60% diet, and dams treated with the higher dose of GH were in an advanced stage of fetal and placental resorption by day 20 of gestation. Thus, maternal resistance to the anabolic actions of GH appears to be an important adaptation for diverting nutrients from the mother to the fetus.
TRANSITIONS IN DYNAMICAL REGIMES BY DRIVING: A UNIFIED METHOD OF CONTROL AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF CHAOS

We propose a simple method for the synchronization and the control of chaos. A general qualitative description of the method is presented.
Random coding theorem for broadcast channels with degraded components

This paper generalizes Cover's results on broadcast channels with two binary symmetric channels (BSC) to the class of degraded channels with N components. A random code, and its associated decoding scheme, is shown to have expected probability of error going to zero for all components simultaneously as the codeword length goes to infinity, if the point representing the rates to the various receivers falls in the set of achievable rates described by this paper. A procedure to expurgate a good random broadcast code is given, leading to a bound on the maximum probability of error. Binary symmetric broadcast channels always fall in the class of degraded broadcast channels. The results of the paper are applied to this class of channels of potential practical importance.
Energetics of Body Tissue Mobilization

Abstract The dairy cow may rely heavily on body fat reserves as an energy source in early lactation. The extent to which milk may be produced from this energy source will be restricted by condition of the animal at the time of parturition. Data from this laboratory suggest that milk may be produced from body tissue reserves with an efficiency of 82 to 84% and that the body tissue reserves may be replenished in late lactation by deposition of body tissue with an efficiency equal to or exceeding that of milk production. It appears unrealistic to relate tissue energy changes to live weight change without some consideration being given to the change in rumen fill. If an estimate of change in rumen fill can be made, the caloric equivalent of empty body weight change may be assumed to be 5 to 7 Meal per kilogram live weight loss.
A maximum-likelihood beamspace processor for improved search and track

The authors describe a two-stage digital beamforming architecture for use in radar. The first stage uses digitized subarray voltages to form a number of highly overlapped adaptive beams. The beams are themselves adaptively weighted during the second stage. Maximum-likelihood processing is used in the second stage to estimate target amplitude and angle of arrival. It is shown that the new architecture supports improved search and track performance compared to traditional systems that use a single receive beam and monopulse processing to measure angle.
Tracking segmented objects using tensor voting

The paper presents a new approach to track objects in motion when observed by a fixed camera, with severe occlusions, merging/splitting objects and defects in the detection. We first detect regions corresponding to moving objects in each frame, then try to establish their trajectory. We propose to implement the temporal continuity constraint efficiently, and apply it to tracking problems in realistic scenarios. The method is based on a spatiotemporal (2D+t) representation of the moving regions, and uses the tensor voting methodology to enforce smoothness in space and table of the tracked objects. Although other characteristics may be considered, only the connected components of the moving regions are used, without further assumptions about the object being tracked. We demonstrate the performance of the system on several real sequences.
Construction of optimal designs to increase the power of the multiresponse lack of fit test

Abstract Two design criteria are introduced to improve the power of the multivariate lack of fit test for a linear multiresponse model. These criteria are extensions of the Λ 1 and Λ 2 -optimality criteria discussed by Jones and Mitchell (1978) for the single-response case. A procedure is presented for the generation of an optimal design based on the Λ 2 -criterion.
Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system

Abstract Based on both economic and sociological theory, the effects of supervisory control and organizational support on the frequency and effort of individuals in contributing their personally held valuable knowledge to a “best practices-lessons learned, repository-based” knowledge management system (KMS) were compared. Supervisory control, as expected, had significant impact on frequency, but it also had unexpectedly significant influence on effort. When system variables—usefulness and ease of use—were controlled for, the organizational support measure had little effect on either outcome. These results provide greater support for economic-agency-theory motivators of knowledge sharing and lesser support for organizational support motivators than has been previously believed. They also emphasize the important impact of systems variables in motivating KMS use. Since the study was conducted in a government (joint civilian–military) organization, the organizational type may significantly influence the results. However, since the result is contrary to the conventional wisdom that suggests that a “knowledge-sharing culture” is all-important, at the very least, this study shows that the nature of the organization may moderate the relationship between the motivational approach and the outcomes.
Losses of tapered dielectric slab waveguides with axial variations in index of refraction

The effects of varying the index of refraction in the cladding along the length of a tapered dielectric waveguide are calculated using a local normal mode analysis. Variations in the length and shape of the taper are considered. The numerical results show that in some cases the losses can be reduced by an order of magnitude, even for short tapers whose length is of the order of the guide dimensions. The technique has several other potential applications, including waveguide bends, branches, and couplers. >
Two-Dimensional Partial Orderings: Recursive Model Theory

In this paper and the companion paper [9] we describe a number of contrasts between the theory of linear orderings and the theory of two-dimensional partial orderings. The notion of dimensionality for partial orderings was introduced by Dushnik and Miller [3], who defined a partial ordering 〈 A, R 〉 to be n -dimensional if there are n linear orderings of A , 〈 A, L 1 〉, 〈 A, L 2 〉 …, 〈 A, L n 〉 such that R = L 1 ∩ L 2 ∩ … ∩ L n . Thus, for example, if Q is the linear ordering of the rationals, then the (rational) plane Q × Q with the product ordering (〈 x 1 , y 1 〉 ≤ Q × Q 〈 x 2 , y 2 , if and only if x 1 ≤ x 2 and y 1 ≤ y 2 ) is 2-dimensional, since ≤ Q × Q is the intersection of the two lexicographic orderings of Q × Q . In fact, as shown by Dushnik and Miller, a countable partial ordering is n -dimensional if and only if it can be embedded as a subordering of Q n . Two-dimensional partial orderings have attracted the attention of a number of combinatorialists in recent years. A basis result recently obtained, independently, by Kelly [7] and Trotter and Moore [10], describes explicitly a collection of finite partial orderings such that a partial ordering is a 2dpo if and only if it contains no element of as a subordering.
Propagation of partially coherent fields through planar dielectric boundaries using angle-impact Wigner functions I. Two dimensions

We examine the angle-impact Wigner function (AIW) as a computational tool for the propagation of nonparaxial quasi-monochromatic light of any degree of coherence past a planar boundary between two homogeneous media. The AIWs of the reflected and transmitted fields in two dimensions are shown to be given by a simple ray-optical transformation of the incident AIW plus a series of corrections in the form of differential operators. The radiometric and leading six correction terms are studied for Gaussian Schell-model fields of varying transverse width, transverse coherence, and angle of incidence.
ALIEN PLANT DYNAMICS FOLLOWING FIRE IN MEDITERRANEAN-CLIMATE CALIFORNIA SHRUBLANDS

Over 75 species of alien plants were recorded during the first five years after fire in southern California shrublands, most of which were European annuals. Both cover and richness of aliens varied between years and plant association. Alien cover was lowest in the first postfire year in all plant associations and remained low during succession in chaparral but increased in sage scrub. Alien cover and richness were significantly correlated with year (time since disturbance) and with precipitation in both coastal and interior sage scrub associations. Hypothesized factors determining alien dominance were tested with structural equation modeling. Models that included nitrogen deposition and distance from the coast were not significant, but with those variables removed we obtained a significant model that gave an R 2 5 0.60 for the response variable of fifth year alien dominance. Factors directly affecting alien dominance were (1) woody canopy closure and (2) alien seed banks. Significant indirect effects were (3) fire intensity, (4) fire history, (5) prefire stand structure, (6) aridity, and (7) community type. According to this model the most critical factor in- fluencing aliens is the rapid return of the shrub and subshrub canopy. Thus, in these communities a single functional type (woody plants) appears to the most critical element controlling alien invasion and persistence. Fire history is an important indirect factor be- cause it affects both prefire stand structure and postfire alien seed banks. Despite being fire-prone ecosystems, these shrublands are not adapted to fire per se, but rather to a particular fire regime. Alterations in the fire regime produce a very different selective environment, and high fire frequency changes the selective regime to favor aliens. This study does not support the widely held belief that prescription burning is a viable man- agement practice for controlling alien species on semiarid landscapes.
Training brain networks and states

Brain training refers to practices that alter the brain in a way that improves cognition, and performance in domains beyond those involved in the training. We argue that brain training includes network training through repetitive practice that exercises specific brain networks and state training, which changes the brain state in a way that influences many networks. This opinion article considers two widely used methods – working memory training (WMT) and meditation training (MT) – to demonstrate the similarities and differences between network and state training. These two forms of training involve different areas of the brain and different forms of generalization. We propose a distinction between network and state training methods to improve understanding of the most effective brain training.
Strategic change through sensible projects

Abstract While economists in donor agencies and within developing countries often define the strategic agenda, when getting results on the ground matters and implementation is valued, professional development managers are needed. Institutional analysis should be done during project or program preparation with attention to what is needed for implementation — this results in a more sensible design. Using land reform in Northeast Brazil — a strategic issue — this article looks at the institutional requisites for market-based approaches to land reform to illustrate the importance of the role of the development manager/institutional specialist.
Switching from single-stranded to double-stranded DNA limits the unwinding processivity of ring-shaped T7 DNA helicase.

Phage T7 helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by encircling one strand while excluding the complementary strand from its central channel. When T7 helicase translocates on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), it has kilobase processivity; yet, it is unable to processively unwind linear dsDNA, even 60 base-pairs long. Particularly, the GC-rich dsDNAs are unwound with lower amplitudes under single-turnover conditions. Here, we provide evidence that T7 helicase switches from ssDNA to dsDNA during DNA unwinding. The switching propensity is higher when dsDNA is GC-rich or when the 3′-overhang of forked DNA is <15 bases. Once helicase encircles dsDNA, it travels along dsDNA and dissociates from the end of linear DNA without strand separation, which explains the low unwinding amplitude of these substrates. Trapping the displaced strand with ssDNA binding protein or changing its composition to morpholino oligomer that does not interact with helicase increases the unwinding amplitude. We conclude that the displaced strand must be continuously excluded and kept away from the central channel for processive DNA unwinding. The finding that T7 helicase can switch from ssDNA to dsDNA binding mode during unwinding provides new insights into ways of limiting DNA unwinding and triggering fork regression when stalled forks need to be restarted.