cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deformation Mechanisms during Latex Film Formation: Experimental Evidence

During the deformation stage of latex film formation, a close-packed array of particles is consolidated to form a structure with volume fraction unity. There are a number of different possible driving forces to achieve this. Proposed mechanisms range from surface tension between polymer particles and either water or air to capillary forces at the water−air interface. We review the different driving forces and the literature supporting them. A recent model we have proposed predicts the conditions under which each mechanism operates. Experiments in the literature correlate well with our model, although the need for experiments with well-defined values for the critical parameters is highlighted.
Application of the hybrid spectral integral method with spectral element method

Exact radiation boundary conditions are of great interest to the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations for an unbounded domain. Previously, the boundary element method has been used as an exact radiation boundary condition in the finite element method. This technique is useful and provides an accurate solution to inhomogeneous objects if the sampling density is high enough. To further improve the accuracy and efficiency of this technique, we have developed a high-order version of such a hybrid technique, i.e., an exact radiation boundary condition for the spectral element method (SEM) based on the spectral integral method (SIM) for three-dimensional electromagnetic problems. This work will demonstrate the high-accuracy and efficiency of the hybrid SIM/SEM technique for 3D scattering problems.
Uranium droplet core nuclear rocket

Uranium droplet nuclear rocket is conceptually designed to utilize the broad temperature range ofthe liquid phase of metallic uranium in droplet configuration which maximizes the energy transfer area per unit fuel volume. In a baseline system dissociated hydrogen at 100 bar is heated to 6000 K, providing 2000 second of Isp. Fission fragments and intense radian field enhance the dissociation of molecular hydrogen beyond the equilibrium thermodynamic level. Uranium droplets in the core are confined and separated by an axisymmetric vortex flow generated by high velocity tangential injection of hydrogen in the mid-core regions. Droplet uranium flow to the core is controlled and adjusted by a twin flow nozzle injection system.
Toward Organizational Dialogue in Black Studies A Critical Rejoinder to Manning Marable

This article is a critical rejoinder to Manning Marable's “Beyond Brown: The Revolution in Black Studies,” featured in the Summer 2005 issue of The Black Scholar . Written in the form of a letter, the article addresses the role of professional organizations within the field of Black Studies and the failed commitment on behalf of “public intellectuals” to build and maintain these disciplinary institutions. Through an interrogation of scholarly writings, current events, conventional media coverage, and various organizational documents, the article lobbies for a recommitment to broad-based dialogue and professional Black Studies associations. Furthermore, it critically engages and outlines developing trends in the field of Black Studies, like institutional under/development, “theoretical balkanization,” and the emergence of paradigmatic schools of thought.
Acoustic whispering gallery mode resonator with Q > 109,000 at 515MHz

A capacitive-gap transduced micromechanical resonator design based on an acoustic whispering gallery mode (WGM) constructed in micro-crystalline diamond has achieved a Q >109,000 at 515MHz, posting an f·Q product of >5.6×1013. The key to this performance is anchor-loss nulling by the WGM, as evidenced by comparison of Q values between radial-contour modes and WGM ones on the same disk device, where a 2–3× enhancement of Q is observed. Q's exceeding 100,000 should enable unprecedented RF front-end frequency selectivity and low phase noise oscillators for future communications.
Robotically-adjustable microstereotactic frames for image-guided neurosurgery

Stereotactic frames are a standard tool for neurosurgical targeting, but are uncomfortable for patients and obstruct the surgical field. Microstereotactic frames are more comfortable for patients, provide better access to the surgical site, and have grown in popularity as an alternative to traditional stereotactic devices. However, clinically available microstereotactic frames require either lengthy manufacturing delays or expensive image guidance systems. We introduce a robotically-adjusted, disposable microstereotactic frame for deep brain stimulation surgery that eliminates the drawbacks of existing microstereotactic frames. Our frame can be automatically adjusted in the operating room using a preoperative plan in less than five minutes. A validation study on phantoms shows that our approach provides a target positioning error of 0.14 mm, which exceeds the required accuracy for deep brain stimulation surgery.
The oxidation mechanism of Pd(1 0 0)

Abstract The oxidation of Pd(1 0 0) was characterized using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and in situ variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The results indicate that Pd(1 0 0) oxidation proceeds through four stages involving up to five surface phases. In the first stage, oxygen chemisorbs atop the Pd surface resulting in p(2×2) and c(2×2) overlayers that desorb at 800 and 700 K, respectively. As the overlayers saturated, island and peninsula growth was observed in STM movies. The islands are one Pd atom high and so the growth is attributed to Pd atoms ejected onto the terraces which then either nucleated islands or attached to preexisting steps. During this second stage, no change in the surface periodicity was observed. After growth stops, the surface reconstructs in the third stage. Above 475 K, STM images revealed the formation of a ( 5 × 5 ) R27° reconstruction. The images of the ( 5 × 5 ) R27° structure are twofold symmetric, consistent with the formation an epitaxial PdO(0 0 1)-like layer. In addition, a (5×5) reconstruction was observed with LEED prior to the ( 5 × 5 ) R27° reconstruction. As the oxygen coverage entered the regime where these reconstructions were observed, a new desorption peak appeared at 650 K. This temperature is higher than that expected for PdO dissociation but lower than that observed for chemisorption suggesting that the Pd–O bond strength in the reconstructed surfaces is intermediate between the bulk oxide and chemisorbed oxygen. In the fourth stage, the LEED patterns began to fade, the STM images showed three-dimensional clusters, and a low-temperature shoulder consistent with PdO decomposition developed in TPD traces. Thus the surface roughens as the bulk oxide forms. The mechanism outlined above is similar to that recently observed for Pd(1 1 1) oxidation.
Replicated data management in distributed database systems

Replication is the key factor in improving the availability of data in distributed systems. Replicated data is stored at multiple sites so that it can be accessed by the user even when some of the copies are not available due to site failures. A major restriction to using replication is that replicated copies must behave like a single copy, i.e., mutual consistency as well as internal consistency must be preserved. Synchronization techniques for replicated data in distributed database systems have been studied in order to increase the degree of concurrency and to reduce the possibility of transaction rollback. In this paper, we classify different synchronization methods by underlying mechanisms and the type of information they use in ordering the operations of transactions, and survey some of the replication management methods appeared in the literature.
Critical Microstructures for Microcracking in Al2O3‐ZrO2 Composites

The internal strains asSociated with the martensitic phase transformation of zirconia were used to introduce microcracks into Al2O3/ZrO2 composites. The degree of transformation was found to be dependent on the volume fraction of ZrO2 and its size, the latter of which could be controlled by suitable heat treatments. The microstructural changes that occurred during the heat treatments were studied using quantitative microscopy and X-ray diffraction. For materials containing more than 7.5 vol% Zr02, the ZrO2 particles were found to pin the Al2O3 grain boundaries, thus limiting the Al2O3 grain growth. The limiting grain size was found to be dependent on size and volume fraction of ZrO2. Heat treatments for the higher volume fraction materials (>7.5 vol% ZrO2) caused micro-structural changes which resulted in increased amounts of monoclinic ZrO2 at room temperature; elastic modulus measurements indicated that this was occurring concurrently with microcracking. By combining the ZrO2 grain-size distributions with the X-ray analysis it was possible to calculate the critical ZrO2 size required for the transformation. The critical size was found to decrease with increasing amounts of ZrO2. Hardness and indentation fracture toughness were measured on the composites. Grain fragmentation was observed at the edge of the indentations and microcracks were observed directly, using an AgNO3 decoration technique, near the indentations.
Lung Transplantation Outcomes in “Older” Patients: Risk vs. Benefit?

Purpose Age 65years and older is generally considered a relative contraindication to lung transplantation. We sought to define the short and medium term outcome of LTx in patients aged 65 years older vs. less than 65 years old. Methods and Materials We retrospectively reviewed our database and identified 105 patients who underwent LTx between 04/2007 and 11/2011. Follow up analysis was censored on 11/2012. Time of LTx,33 patients were 65 years or older, and 72 patients younger than 65 years. The demographic, postoperative characteristics and survival of the 2 groups were compared. Results During this period, 94 (89.5%) double and 11 (10.5%) single LTx were performed; 43 female & 62 male recipients. Majority indication, 39% COPD, 36% PF, 12% CF. Of the 11 single LTx, 6 (54.5%) and 5 (45.4%) were implanted in ≥65 yo and figure 1 ] Conclusions LTx can be performed in patients older than 65 years with acceptable short- and medium-term survival. This cohort is well selected, with limited comorbid conditions, likely biasing overall outcome. Uniquely, our center favors bilateral lung transplantation in the majority of our recipients, regardless of age. Similarities of the early- and medium-term survival and freedom from BOS between groups might be due to type II error (small sample size), donor and recipient selection and management, or both. Additional longitudinal follow up is needed at 3-years and 5-years to better evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.
Influence of M-phase chromatin on the anisotropy of microtubule asters.

In many eukaryotic cells going through M-phase, a bipolar spindle is formed by microtubules nucleated from centrosomes. These microtubules, in addition to being "captured" by kinetochores, may be stabilized by chromatin in two different ways: short-range stabilization effects may affect microtubules in close contact with the chromatin, while long-range stabilization effects may "guide" microtubule growth towards the chromatin (e.g., by introducing a diffusive gradient of an enzymatic activity that affects microtubule assembly). Here, we use both meiotic and mitotic extracts from Xenopus laevis eggs to study microtubule aster formation and microtubule dynamics in the presence of chromatin. In "low-speed" meiotic extracts, in the presence of salmon sperm chromatin, we find that short-range stabilization effects lead to a strong anisotropy of the microtubule asters. Analysis of the dynamic parameters of microtubule growth show that this anisotropy arises from a decrease in the catastrophe frequency, an increase in the rescue frequency and a decrease in the growth velocity. In this system we also find evidence for long-range "guidance" effects, which lead to a weak anisotropy of the asters. Statistically relevant results on these long-range effects are obtained in "high-speed" mitotic extracts in the presence of artificially constructed chromatin stripes. We find that aster anisotropy is biased in the direction of the chromatin and that the catastrophe frequency is reduced in its vicinity. In this system we also find a surprising dependence of the catastrophe and the rescue frequencies on the length of microtubules nucleated from centrosomes: the catastrophe frequency increase and the rescue frequency decreases with microtubule length.
Electron-gas theory of the chemical shift

We construct a gauge-invariant approximation of the energy density of an interacting electron gas in the presence of a non-uniform magnetic field. The interaction is approximated by a slowly varying local potential. The magnetic field is a superposition of a constant field B and that due to a magnetic dipole μ, thus making the energy density suitable for direct calculation of chemical-shift tensors of, for example, interacting closed-shell systems. Unlike a similar theory for the magnetic susceptibility, the field-dependent exchange energy does not diverge.
Cumulative sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus losses from bare and compost-amended fill slopes.

Constructed slopes are often amended with compost in order to reduce erosion and improve vegetation establishment. These composts can contain soluble nutrients which may become a source of pollution to nearby water bodies. This study examined annual sediment and nutrient losses in surface runoff from nine potential types of compost treatments. These included treatments that tested differences between two types of compost (mature and immature) as well as various methods of compost application, including surface blankets and incorporation. Over an entire rain season, there were no significant differences in sediment and nutrient (NO3−, NH4+ and P) losses between the two compost types when they were applied as surface blankets. In treatments where a compost blanket was applied over the top of compost tilled into the soil there was a significant reduction in sediment loss compared to treatments where compost was just tilled into the soil, without a blanket overlay. This treatment reduced sediment loss to a le...
Mapping class groups for D = (2+1) quantum gravity and topological quantum field theories

A series of disjunctional techniques combining Cerf's original work on diffeomorphism extensions and the Smale-Hatcher Conjecture are used to determine the mapping class groups or homeotopy groups of three-manifolds in which Chern-Simons-Witten and 3-dimensional quantum gravity theories live. Four cases of interest are being considered, two of which focus on three-manifolds with topology M = Zg X R (g ⩾ 2). We show that when the 3-manifold Mg is endowed with only one boundary component, its mapping class group is trivial; whereas the mapping class group is non-zero when Mg has two boundary components. As for proper 3-manifolds such as handlebody Hg (g ⩾ 2), we prove that the mapping class group is trivial when Hg possesses one boundary component. In contrast, when endowed with no boundary component at all, Hg has a highly non-trivial mapping class group. The original impetus for the present work draws on recent developments in 3-dimensional physics, most notably on Chern-Simons-Witten theories and their quantum gravity incarnations. In these theories, mapping class groups have been at the forefront of determining suitable quantizations, solving operator ordering problems, finding a suitable set of diffeomorphism-invariant observables, and detecting and cancelling global gravitational anomalies. The problem of finding a suitable set of mapping class group induced observables is singled out. In particular, we provide a generalization of the Nelson-Regge construction of diffeomorphism-invariant observables for 2 + 1 quantum gravity by showing that the set of mapping class group induced observables corresponds to the centralizer of non-trivial mapping class groups. For proper 3-handlebodies with non-trivial homeotopy groups, it is argued that the lack of a global time direction is a significant obstacle in the physical description of topological quantum field theories, including their quantum gravity incarnation. Because of the triviality of some 3-homeotopy groups, the message derived from the present work is that there are a limited number of 3-manifolds (proper or otherwise) in which one can define consistent theories of quantum gravity and/or Chern-Simons-Witten theories.
Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma: A practical approach

Abstract Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is complicated because the tumor has a varied radiologie appearance and frequently coexists with cirrhotic regenerative and dysplastic nodules. In cirrhotic patients, any dominant solid nodule that is not clearly a hemangioma should be considered a HCC until proven otherwise, especially if the lesion is hypervascular, of high T2 signal intensity, or demonstrates venous invasion. Biopsy of HCC in cirrhosis is risky and surveillance is often preferable. The doubling time of HCC is 1 to 12 months, and a nodule that is stable over 4 months is very unlikely to be a HCC. However, stable nodules cannot be dismissed, since livers containing dysplastic nodules are at high risk to develop HCC. In noncirrhotic patients, any solid mass that is not clearly a hemangioma or focal nodular hyperplasia is potentially a HCC, and biopsy may be required. Venous invasion by tumor should be distinguished from bland thrombus. Imaging detection of nodal metastases is limited by the frequent finding of benign reactive lymphadenopathy in cirrhosis. Resection is the preferred treatment for HCC, but is contraindicated in the presence of tumors in both lobes, major venous invasion, invasion of adjacent organs other than the gallbladder, tumor rupture, nodal metastases, or distant metastases.
Effects of long-term haloperidol treatment on glutamate-evoked ascorbate release in rat striatum.

Repeated haloperidol injections increase extracellular striatal ascorbate. Because ascorbate release depends on glutamate uptake, we assessed this mechanism in the haloperidol effect. Linear staircase voltammetry was combined with intrastriatal infusions of L- or D-glutamate or saline in behaving rats after 7 or 21 days of haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). Control animals, receiving either vehicle or no treatment, responded to L-, but not D-glutamate or saline infusion with a 50% increase in ascorbate. In contrast, glutamate-evoked ascorbate release disappeared after 7 but reappeared after 21 days of haloperidol. Thus, increased striatal ascorbate release following chronic haloperidol cannot be explained by an enhanced response to glutamate.
Overcoming design shock [electrical engineering course]

For several years, a senior design course has been part of the electrical engineering program at Villanova University. Seniors, working in teams of two or three, select an advisor, write a proposal, carry out the project, make progress reports, give an oral presentation, and submit a final report. Problems that the students frequently have in this course include vaguely written proposals, inability to apply theory to practical situations, and naive expectations of instant success. A new curriculum addresses the problem of senior "design shock" by introducing design in several of the early courses. Most required courses include practicums that afford the opportunity to carry out mini-designs. Sophomores design DC and AC circuits as soon as they learn about them. They also learn how to interface various devices such as thermistors, photocells, microphones, light bulbs, buzzers, and motors to digital ICs. Proposals, computer simulations, laboratory testing, oral reports, and written reports are part of the early design experience. In the laboratory, cookbook experiments have been eliminated. Design specifications are derived from student ID numbers or determined by lottery. In the classroom, a portable PC is used to demonstrate circuit simulation and schematic capture on circuits covered in the course. Students are given objectives to achieve and asked to confirm their design using PSpice. The process of assigning course-related design projects is continued throughout the junior year in order to prepare the students adequately for more challenging and meaningful design work in the senior year.
OnQ: an authoring tool for dynamic online surveys

Internet growth and activity has been increasing almost exponentially over the last decade. Today, millions of people all over the world use the Internet for a variety of activities, such as email and instant messaging, shopping, trading stocks, research, and many others. Of these, one of the fastest growing is online surveys. Because of its global reach, the Internet is the perfect medium for conducting surveys. In recent decades surveys have become a widely used tool to measure individuals' opinions, preferences and behavior. A Web-based survey is a very effective way to reach large numbers of people from all over the world compared to paper, in-person, or telephone surveys. A survey authoring tool called OnQ makes the creation and deployment of Web surveys intuitive and efficient, providing tools and features that commercially available survey authoring tools do not. This paper gives an overview of OnQ, provides details about each of its four main components, and describes currently active surveys produced by OnQ. The paper concludes with a summary and a view of plans for the future.
Vancomycin and maltodextrin affect structure and activity of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Hyperosmotic agents such as maltodextrin negatively impact bacterial growth through osmotic stress without contributing to drug resistance. We hypothesized that a combination of maltodextrin (osmotic agent) and vancomycin (antibiotic) would be more effective against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms than either alone. To test our hypothesis, S. aureus was grown in a flat plate flow cell reactor. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images were analyzed to quantify changes in biofilm structure. We used dissolved oxygen microelectrodes to quantify how vancomycin and maltodextrin affected the respiration rate and oxygen penetration into the biofilm. We found that treatment with vancomycin or maltodextrin altered biofilm structure. The effect on the structure was significant when they were used simultaneously to treat S. aureus biofilms. In addition, vancomycin treatment increased the oxygen respiration rate, while maltodextrin treatment caused an increase and then a decrease. An increased maltodextrin concentration decreased the diffusivity of the antibiotic. Overall, we conclude that (1) an increased maltodextrin concentration decreases vancomycin diffusion but increases the osmotic effect, leading to the optimum treatment condition, and (2) the combination of vancomycin and maltodextrin is more effective against S. aureus biofilms than either alone. Vancomycin and maltodextrin act together to increase the effectiveness of treatment against S. aureus biofilm growth.
Physical–biological interactions in a subarctic estuary: How do environmental and physical factors impact the movement and survival of beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska?

Abstract The annual abundance population estimates of the endangered beluga whales in Cook Inlet (CI), Alaska, have indicated a decline in the population over the past decades and no convincing explanation has been offered so far for this trend. Satellite tracking data of about 20 Cook Inlet beluga whales (CIBW) over some 5-year period, as well as annual population counts and stranding reports were compared with environmental observations. The seasonal movements of the belugas within CI appear to be affected by variations in water temperature, ice coverage and most significantly, by river discharge. Statistically significant correlations were found between the seasonal movements of the CIBW and the timing of peak flows at different rivers. Interannual variations of the CIBW movements were found to relate to year-to-year variations in water temperature and the time of ice melt/freezing; thus, in warmer years the CIBW will stay in the upper inlet longer, before dispersing to the mid and lower CI in winter. Both, the population of the beluga and stranding numbers show a 3–4-year cycle of interannual variations resembling the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index, though the exact mechanism in which large-scale climate variations impact the CIBW habitat is not clear yet. The analysis suggests that the method of estimating the CIBW population from annual aerial surveys needs further evaluation, since interannual changes in the spatial distribution of CIBW preferred locations may have a confounding effect on estimates of population abundance.
Primary Research: Short Communication: Evidence Supporting Rare AIDS-Kaposi's Sarcoma Metastasis In Keeping With Their Vascular Endothelial Evolution.

Background: It is postulated that the unusual manifestations of Kaposis's sarcoma cells in nonendothelial brain tissues and on eyeballs in advanced acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases are metastasized AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cells arising from vascular endothelial cells. Methods: Experiments were performed to explore the above hypothesis by testing for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (CD54 antigens) on cutaneous AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cells as well as on AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cells isolated from eyeballs as studies have illustrated that, unlike localized Kaposi's sarcoma cells of primary lesions, proliferating Kaposi's sarcoma cells in proximity to primary lesions express a negative or diminished phenotype when evaluated for identical surface antigens. Parallel CD54 antigen tests were done on vascular endothelial cells and monocytes/ macrophages as endothelial cells are considered evolutionarily related to Kaposi's sarcoma cells and monocytes/macrophages are ideal CD54 antigen positive controls. Results: Our data showed that only AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cells of the eyes did not express CD54 antigens. Conclusions: We therefore report that our findings support the postulation suggesting AIDSKaposi's sarcoma dissemination in advanced AIDS patients in keeping with their vascular endothelial heredity.
Peptide inhibitors of dengue-virus entry target a late-stage fusion intermediate.

The mechanism of membrane fusion by “class II” viral fusion proteins follows a pathway that involves large-scale domain rearrangements of the envelope glycoprotein (E) and a transition from dimers to trimers. The rearrangement is believed to proceed by an outward rotation of the E ectodomain after loss of the dimer interface, followed by a reassociation into extended trimers. The ∼55-aa-residue, membrane proximal “stem” can then zip up along domain II, bringing together the transmembrane segments of the C-terminus and the fusion loops at the tip of domain II. We find that peptides derived from the stem of dengue-virus E bind stem-less E trimer, which models a conformational intermediate. In vitro assays demonstrate that these peptides specifically block viral fusion. The peptides inhibit infectivity with potency proportional to their affinity for the conformational intermediate, even when free peptide is removed from a preincubated inoculum before infecting cells. We conclude that peptides bind virions before attachment and are carried with virions into endosomes, the compartment in which acidification initiates fusion. Binding depends on particle dynamics, as there is no inhibition of infectivity if preincubation and separation are at 4°C rather than 37°C. We propose a two-step model for the mechanism of fusion inhibition. Targeting a viral entry pathway can be an effective way to block infection. Our data, which support and extend proposed mechanisms for how the E conformational change promotes membrane fusion, suggest strategies for inhibiting flavivirus entry.
Short-Term Response of Jordan's Salamander to a Shelterwood Timber Harvest in Western North Carolina

The effects of shelterwood cutting on the abundance of Jordan's salamander (Plethodon Jordan!) in western North Carolina were examined during 1997 and 1998. Terrestrial salamander assemblages were sampled before, immediately after, and one year after timber harvest on control and treatment plots to estimate abundance. We also sur- veyed salamanders immediately after the harvest along transects radiating out from cut plots to determine whether cutting triggered salamander emigration from disturbed plots. Both before and after timber harvest, the site was strongly dominated by Jordan's sala- mander. No significant effects of initial shelterwood cutting on Jordan's salamander abun- dance were apparent after timber harvest. Abundance of this species decreased from pre- cutting to post-cutting sampling on both control and treatment plots, which likely reflected the drought that characterized both post-cutting sampling periods, but not pre-cutting sampling. No emigration of salamanders from the cut plots was detected after timber har- vest These findings suggest that at a stand scale, shelterwood harvests may pose less of a short-term threat to salamander populations than clearcutting, but more study is necessary to assess broad-scale tradeoffs between harvest yield and biological impacts associated with alternative timber harvest methods. (Key words: salamander, timber harvesting, North Carolina.) •
Manager Associate (IKBS)

The knowledge-based Manager Associate, which assists managers in planning, organizing, staffing, scheduling, measuring, visualizing, and controlling software development processes, is described. The Manager Associate operates in a distributed Unix environment in which the manager has access to the software developer workstations through a computer network. The Manager Associate helps managers anticipate problems, which allow early corrective action. As a result, software projects can be developed on time, within budget, and to customer satisfaction. >
Genesys-Pro: innovations in test program generation for functional processor verification

Functional verification is widely recognized as the bottleneck of the hardware design cycle. With the ever-growing demand for greater performance and faster time to market, coupled with the exponential growth in hardware size, verification has become increasingly difficult. Although formal methods such as model checking and theorem proving have resulted in noticeable progress, these approaches apply only to the verification of relatively small design blocks or to very focused verification goals. Current industry practice is to use separate, automatic, random stimuli generators for processor- and multiprocessor-level verification. The generated stimuli, usually in the form of test programs, trigger architecture and microarchitecture events defined by a verification plan. MAC-based algorithms are well suited for the test program generation domain because they postpone heuristic decisions until after consideration of all architectural and testing-knowledge constraints. Geneysys-Pro is currently the main test generation tool for functional verification of IBM processors, including several complex processors. We've found that the new language considerably reduces the effort needed to define and maintain knowledge specific to an implementation and verification plan.
Synthesis of controllers for non-minimum phase and unstable systems using non-sequential MIMO quantitative feedback theory

Considered Are multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems with non-minimum phase (NMP) zeros and unstable poles, where some of the unstable poles are located to the right of, or close to, the NMP zeros. In the single-input single-output (SlSO) case such systems pose serious difficulties in controller synthesis for performance and stability. In spite of the added degrees of freedom the MIMO case also poses difficulties, as has been shown in the stabilization of the X-29 aircraft. When using the MIMO QFT technique, the design procedure proceeds by decomposing the MIMO design problem into multiple multi-input single-output (MISO) design problems, with the equivalent SISO plants q/sub ii/, where (P/sup -1/)/sub ii/ = 1/q/sub ii/, employed in each MISO design. Developed is a transformation scheme that can be used to condition the equivalent SISO plants so that the difficult problem of NMP zeros lying to the left of, or close to, unstable poles may be avoided. Examples illustrate the use of the proposed transformation.
Quantum mechanical description of the dynamics of a laser with two-pulse/cavity round-trip

The density matrix of a two-level system interacting with a near resonant field, corresponds to the circulating intensities (diagonal elements) and the beat signal of the interfering outputs (off-diagonal element) of a ring laser.
Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2, C-Reactive Protein, and Coronary Artery Disease in Individuals with Type 1 Diabetes and Macroalbuminuria

Given the paucity of data in type 1 diabetes concerning lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ), we examined its prospective relationship with coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as the effect of modification by C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin genotype, in individuals with type 1 diabetes who are at an increased risk for CAD due to also having macroalbuminuria (n596). Although Lp-PLA 2 activity was univariately predictive of CAD (HR51.54 per SD, p50.009), this relationship was not significant after covariate adjustment (p50.59). There was a significant interaction between Lp-PLA 2 and CRP (p50.02), i.e. those with both markers greater than the median level were more likely to have a CAD event than those persons with low levels of both (HR52.89, p50.06). When stratified by haptoglobin genotype, Lp-PLA 2 was predictive of CAD in persons with the 2/1 (HR52.40, p50.05), but not 2/2 (HR50.66, p50.27), genotype. The association between Lp-PLA 2 activity and CAD differs by CRP and haptoglobin genotype in this group of persons with type 1 diabetes and macroalbuminuria.
Simultaneous Targeting of COX-2 and AKT Using Selenocoxib-1-GSH to Inhibit Melanoma

Melanoma is a highly metastatic and deadly disease. An agent simultaneously targeting the COX-2, PI3K/Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways that are deregulated in up to 70% of sporadic melanomas might be an effective treatment, but no agent of this type exists. To develop a single drug inhibiting COX-2 and PI3K/Akt signaling (and increasing MAPK pathway activity to inhibitory levels as a result of Akt inhibition), a selenium-containing glutathione (GSH) analogue of celecoxib, called selenocoxib-1-GSH was synthesized. It killed melanoma cells with an average IC50 of 7.66 μmol/L compared with control celecoxib at 55.6 μmol/L. The IC50 range for normal cells was 36.3 to 41.2 μmol/L compared with 7.66 μmol/L for cancer cells. Selenocoxib-1-GSH reduced development of xenografted tumor by approximately 70% with negligible toxicity by targeting COX-2, like celecoxib, and having novel inhibitory properties by acting as a PI3K/Akt inhibitor (and MAPK pathway activator to inhibitory levels due to Akt inhibition). The consequence of this inhibitory activity was an approximately 80% decrease in cultured cell proliferation and an approximately 200% increase in apoptosis following 24-hour treatment with 15.5 μmol/L of drug. Thus, this study details the development of selenocoxib-1-GSH, which is a nontoxic agent that targets the COX-2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in melanomas to inhibit tumor development. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(1); 3–15. ©2012 AACR .
PMD compensation in optical coherent single carrier transmission using frequency-domain equalisation

The transmission performance of optical single-carrier (SC) transmission using frequency-domain equalisation (FDE) to counter polarisation mode dispersion (PMD) is evaluated. 25 Gbit/s coherent optical SC transmission using FDE (CO-SC-FDE) is demonstrated in the presence of a significant amount of differential group delay (DGD). The results show that CO-SC-FDE compensates for the influence of the 125 ps DGD; the OSNR penalty is 0.81 dB.
Modeling of Construction Scheduling with Coloured Petri Nets

The Critical Chain Scheduling (CCS) makes schedule planning and control more effective than traditional project management as CPM and PERT. Traditional network techniques are ineffective in modeling a dynamic and stochastic system such as a construction project. This paper demonstrates how Coloured Petri Nets (CPN), a visual formalism used for modeling discrete event systems, can be used effectively for modeling construction schedule. In this paper, a new scheduling method using Coloured Petri Nets to develop Critical Chain Scheduling (CPN-CCS) is proposed. The paper illustrates the CPN to model and shows how CPN-CCS models of construction schedule can be constructed. The analysis of the CPN-CCS models is performed by Occurrence Graphs (OG) method. And then the relation of the liveness of the CPN-CCS nets will be obtained, which verifies that the construction scheduling can be completed.
Robust parallel ILU preconditioning techniques for solving large sparse matrices

We discuss issues related to domain decomposition and multilevel preconditioning techniques which are often employed for solving large sparse linear systems in parallel computations. We implement a parallel preconditioner for solving general sparse linear systems based on a two level block ILU factorization strategy. We give some new data structures and strategies to construct a local coefficient matrix and a local Schur complement matrix on each processor. The preconditioner constructed is fast and robust for solving certain large sparse matrices. Numerical experiments show that our domain based two level block ILU preconditioners are more robust and more efficient than some published ILU preconditioners based on Schur complement techniques for parallel sparse matrix solutions.
Social presence on LinkedIn: Perceived credibility and interpersonal attractiveness based on user profile picture

LinkedIn is a social networking site dedicated to making business connections for the purposes of building a professional network and sharing employment opportunities. Social networking sites (SNS) have allowed more content to be user-generated, making it increasingly difficult for users to assess credibility of information regarding source, message, and medium. Like other social media sites, LinkedIn provides information about a user that viewers can use to make judgments about the source, such as their credibility and attractiveness. With the use of Sundar’s MAIN model, the present study investigated the importance of social presence in the form of a profile picture when individuals are judging credibility of a LinkedIn user’s profile. Findings demonstrated significant differences between social presence (picture/no picture) conditions and social attraction and competence. Results indicated that users who post a profile picture along with their LinkedIn profile are perceived as more socially attractive and more competent than users who do not post a picture.
2,6-Diisopropyl-anilinium chloride.

The title compound, C12H20N+·Cl−, crystallizes with the chloride anions situated on twofold axes, while the cation is on a general position. All conventional hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors are utilized, forming a hydrogen-bonded ladder motif along the c axis. Investigation of the torsion angles between aromatic systems and isopropyl groups reveals unusual geometrical features. One isopropyl groups exhibits an expected eclipsed conformation with respect to the aromatic ring. The other isopropyl group shows a slight twist with respect to the aromatic ring. The short Cl⋯HC(methine) contact (2.88 A) observed in the asymmetric unit is the probable reason for the twist feature around the isopropyl area.
Private information and limitations of Heckman's estimator in banking and corporate finance research

Private information is a common problem in banking and corporate finance research. Heckman's (1979) two-step estimator is commonly used to test for sample selection using a simple t-test on the inverse Mills ratio (IMR) coefficient. Following Puri (1996), this test is often interpreted as a test for private information. We conduct a series of Monte Carlo simulations to show that researchers can reliably use the Heckman estimator to test for private information when this private information is random. However, private information often takes the form of an omitted variable with a deterministic relationship to selection and outcomes. In this case, we show that the IMR coefficient is biased and inconsistent and that t-tests lead to incorrect conclusions regarding the significance of private information as well as its impact on selection and outcomes. We illustrate our results using a unique case in prior literature in which a bank's prior information was revealed. In conclusion, the Heckman model cannot be interpreted as a test for private information (or sample selection) when private information takes the form of an omitted variable in the first-stage regression.
Parity, Imprecise Comparability and the Repugnant Conclusion

This article explores the main similarities and differences between Derek Parfit's notion of imprecise comparability and a related notion I have proposed of parity. I argue that the main difference between imprecise comparability and parity can be understood by reference to ‘the standard view’. The standard view claims that 1) differences between cardinally ranked items can always be measured by a scale of units of the relevant value, and 2) all rankings proceed in terms of the trichotomy of ‘better than’, ‘worse than’, and ‘equally good’. Imprecise comparability, which can be understood in terms of the more familiar notions of cardinality and incommensurability, rejects only the first claim while parity rejects both claims of the standard view. I then argue that insofar as those attracted to imprecise comparability assume that all rankings are trichotomous, as Parfit appears to, the view should be rejected. This is because imprecise equality is not a form of equality but is a sui generis ‘fourth’ basic way in which items can be ranked. We should, I argue, understand imprecise equality as parity, and imprecise comparability as entailing ‘tetrachotomy’ – that if two items are comparable, one must better than, worse than, equal to, or on a par with the other. Thus those attracted to the idea that cardinality can be imprecise should abandon trichotomy and accept parity and tetrachotomy instead. Finally, I illustrate the difference between Parfit's trichotomous notion of imprecise comparability and parity by examining how each notion might be employed in different solutions to the problem posed by the Repugnant Conclusion in population ethics. I suggest that parity provides the arguably more ecumenical solution to the problem.
Toward computer-assisted image-guided congenital heart defect repair: an initial phantom analysis.

Radiation exposure in interventional cardiology is an important consideration, due to risk of cancer and other morbidity to the patient and clinical staff. Cardiac catheterizations rely heavily on fluoroscopic imaging exposing both patient and clinician to ionizing radiation. An image-guided surgery system capable of facilitating cardiac catheterizations was developed and tested to evaluate dose reduction. Several electromagnetically tracked tools were constructed specifically a 7-Fr catheter with five 5-degree-of-freedom magnetic seeds. Catheter guidance was accomplished using our image guidance system Kit for Navigation by Image-Focused Exploration and fluoroscopy alone. A cardiac phantom was designed and 3D printed to validate the image guidance procedure. In mock procedures, an expert clinician guided and deployed an occluder across the septal defect of the phantom heart. The image guidance method resulted in a dose of 1.26 mSv of radiation dose per procedure, while traditional guidance resulted in a dose of 3.33 mSv. Average overall dose savings for the image-guided method was nearly 2.07 mSv or 62 %. The work showed significant ( $$p<0.001$$ ) decrease in radiation dose with use of image guidance methods at the expense of a modest increase in procedure time. This study lays the groundwork for further exploration of image guidance applications in pediatric cardiology.
Laser radio: backhaul solution for 5G networks

Free space laser communications provides wide bandwidth and high security capabilities to cellular backhaul network in order to successfully accomplish data communication between cell sites and NOC (Network Operation Center). For this application, an optical receiver is a critical component and needs to be designed to operate in sunlight and other ambient noise environments while providing reliable data transmission. In this paper, a method of Free Space Laser Communication along with a differential optical receiver is presented for the backhaul solution of 5G networks that provides high capacity, reliability, less deployment cost, and long distance reach. At the receiver, two photo diodes are cross coupled. The effect is that the net output power is close to zero. The laser signal is then transmitted only into one of the receivers. With all other signals being cancelled out, the laser signal is an overwhelmingly dominant signal. In the proposed configuration, two signals generating photo-receptors are arranged such that when they are opposed to one another, the effect is a cancellation, if and only if the both photo-receptors receive the same amount of input.
Rituximab-Mediated Molecular Cell Signaling Via CD20 in B-NHL Cell Lines: Autonomy from Cross-Linking with Tumor FcRs.

Abstract Rituximab (chimeric anti-CD20 mAb) is currently being used in the therapy of Non-Hodgkin's B-cell Lymphoma (NHL). It has also been reported that the combination of rituximab and chemotherapy is effective in patients with NHL. Several proposed mechanisms have been suggested for rituximab-mediated effects in vivo and include ADCC, CDC and apoptosis. In addition, we have reported that rituximab can trigger the tumor cells and modifies several intracellular survival signaling pathways resulting in the sensitization of tumor cells to various chemotherapeutic drugs (Alas et al., Clin. Cancer Res. 8:836, 2001; Jazirehi et al., Mol. Cancer Therapy 2:1183, 2003; Vega et al., Oncogene 23:3530, 2004). Rituximab-mediated signaling might have resulted from directly triggering CD20 alone or in conjunction with triggering FcRs on the tumor cells via the Fc fragment of rituximab. This study was designed to distinguish between these two possibilities. Since the CH2 domain in Fc is responsible for its interaction with the Fc receptor, we have genetically engineered a rituximab mAb in which the CH2 domain was deleted. The CHO cells secreted one monomeric form with properly formed disulfides rituximab (CH2−) and a dimeric form rituximab (CH2−) Dimer. The functions of the two CH2-deleted domain antibodies were examined in several systems and compared with those of the native rituximab. We used Ramos and 2F7 B-NHL cell lines as model systems. As expected, we demonstrate that the CH2-deleted antibodies are defective in their ability to mediate ADCC and CDC. However, their biological functions and their ability to signal the cells were not altered and were similar to those observed with rituximab. Hence, the CH2-deleted antibodies inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell aggregation in culture, and induced apoptosis when cross-linked with a secondary anti-human IgG. In addition, the CH2-deleted antibodies triggered the cells similar to rituximab and inhibited the Src kinase pLyn, the downstream p38 MAP kinase, the transcription factors NF-κB, YY1, SP1, and STAT3, and Bcl-2/Bcl-xL expression. These modifications resulted in the sensitization of B-NHL cell lines to both chemotherapeutic drugs and Fas-induced apoptosis. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that rituximab-mediated signaling and modification of intracellular signaling pathways can take place in the absence of any contribution of the Fc fragment cross-linked to the cell Fc receptors. These studies suggest that chemo and immuno-sensitization by rituximab can take place in vivo in the absence of Fc-FcR contributions and thus are of potential clinical relevance.