cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D cutting force analysis in worn-tool finish hard turning

This study develops an analytical model for cutting force simulations in finish hard turning by a worn tool, which includes both chip formation and flank wear-land contact forces. Due to the 3D nature of the cutting zone, both the uncut chip area and wear-land contact are considered as numerous thin slices and individually analysed for cutting forces modelling. Using coordinate transformations, cutting forces due to individual slices can be projected and further integrated from the lead to tail cutting edge to calculate three components of cutting forces. The methodology was applied to simulate process parameter effects on cutting forces. The radial component is the most sensitive force to the change of process parameters, especially, flank wear-land and tool nose radius. Among all parameters tested, flank wear-land shows the most dominant effects on cutting forces and its existence will also augment the effects of other parameters, for example, the tool nose radius.
TIME-AVERAGING AND FIDELITY OF MODERN DEATH ASSEMBLAGES: BUILDING A TAPHONOMIC FOUNDATION FOR CONSERVATION PALAEOBIOLOGY

Ecosystems today are under growing pressure, with human domination at many scales. It is difficult, however, to gauge what has changed or been lost – and why – in the absence of data from periods before human activities. Actualistic taphonomic studies, originally motivated to understand preservational controls on deep-time fossil records, are now providing insights into modern death assemblages as historical archives of present-day ecosystems, turning taphonomy on its head. This article reviews the past 20 years of work on the temporal resolution and ability of time-averaged skeletal assemblages to capture ecological information faithfully, focusing primarily on molluscs from soft-sediment seafloors. Two promising arenas for ‘applied taphonomy’ are then highlighted: (1) using live-dead mismatch – that is, observed discordance in the diversity, species composition, and distribution of living animals and co-occurring skeletal remains – to recognize recent anthropogenic change, and (2) using time-averaged death assemblages as windows into regional diversity and long-term baselines, as a supplement or substitute for conventional live-collected data. Meta-analysis and modelling find that, in unaltered habitats, live-dead differences in community-level attributes can be generated largely or entirely by time-averaging of natural spatial and temporal variability in living assemblages, on time frames consistent with the range of shell ages observed in death assemblages. Time-averaging coarsens the temporal and spatial resolution of biological information in predictable ways; by comparison, taphonomic bias of information arising from differential preservation, production and transport of shells is surprisingly modest. Several challenges remain for basic taphonomic research, such as empirical and analytical methods of refining the temporal resolution of death assemblages; assessing the fate of resolution and fidelity with progressive burial; and expanding our understanding of the dynamics of skeletal accumulation in other groups and settings. Rather than shunning human-impacted areas as inappropriate analogues of the deep past, we should capitalize on them to explore the fundamental controls on skeletal accumulation and to develop robust protocols for bringing time-averaged death assemblages into the toolkits of conservation biology and environmental management.
Simplified computational methods for the analysis of protein flexibility.

Abstract Conformational flexibility is an inherent property of the protein structure. Large scale changes in the protein conformation play a key role in a variety of fundamental biological activities and have been implicated in a number of diseases. The time scales of functionally relevant dynamic processes in proteins generally do not allow the researchers to study them by the means of detailed atomic level simulations. Therefore, less computationally demanding methods based on the coarse grained models of protein structure and bioinformatics approaches are particularly important for the flexibility-related studies. This review is focused on two broad categories of protein flexibility - protein disorder and conformational switches. In the case of protein disorder, a flexible protein segment or entire protein is structurally disordered, meaning that it does not have a well-defined folded 3D structure. In the case of conformational switches, the protein backbone of a flexible segment can change or "switch" from one specific folded 3D conformation to another. In this review, the relative strengths and limitations of the existing computational tools, mostly from the bioinformatics domain, used to study and predict protein disorder and conformational switches will be discussed and the main challenges will be highlighted.
Evolution of nitrogen fixation.

The processes of oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium are elegantly documented by Ilana Berman-Frank and colleagues as being separated temporally and spatially (Reports, “Segregation of nitrogen fixation and oxygenic photosynthesis in the marine
Shared medical appointments in pulmonary hypertension

AbstractWe aimed to adapt the shared medical appointment (SMA) model to the care of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and evaluate patient satisfaction. Our SMA team included a PH specialist, a PH nurse, and one research fellow. Eight to twelve PH patients with a family member were invited during office visits and by phone calls. Attendance was verified and encouraged by phone calls and informational letters. The meetings started with a 30-minute presentation on various PH topics, which was followed by each patient’s individual visit and a focused examination in front of the group, allowing group questions and interaction. Of the total number of patients (n = 53), 84% stated that they would attend a future SMA. The care provided was rated excellent to very good by 98% of the patients. Ninety-two percent stated that they improved their understanding of the disease and treatment options, and 59% acknowledged a preference for the group visit over the private visit. Twenty-five percent of patients stated t...
Modelling Acid Deposition for Policy Analysis

The acid rain problem is just one amongst many complex environmental issues that are facing policy-makers today. Analytical advice normally takes the form of large and expensive studies, expressed in written reports. The availability of powerful dedicated and interactive computers opens the possibility for the analysis to be represented as an interactive computer program. The computer has considerable potential to improve the quality of the analysis available to a policy-maker. This paper will report on the construction of a decision aid on a powerful personal computer for the British Government, to study the acid deposition problem. As well as describing the technical issues involved in this model, the paper discusses the potential for this approach to policy analysis.
Sex Offenders and Residential Location: A Predictive–Analytical Framework:

Despite the growing body of research examining the collateral consequences of legislation governing sex offenders, a complete understanding of their residential choices post release remains elusive. This paper develops a predictive–analytical framework that helps determine which demographic and socioeconomic factors best forecast the residential choices of convicted sex offenders. Specifically, a derived index of social disorganization (ISDOR) is implemented in both statistical and nonlinear data mining approaches to predict the presence of sex offenders in a community. The results of the analysis are encouraging, predicting nearly 75% of registered offender locations correctly. The utility of this framework as a tool for public policy and law enforcement is discussed.
Further Validation of the Head in the Ford Human Body FE Model

The head in the Ford human body model (FHBM) was previously validated against impact test data involving post mortem human subjects (PMHS). The objective of the current study was to further validate the head model against more PMHS tests. The data included the following published tests: rigid bar impact to the forehead, zygoma, and maxilla (2.5–4.2 m/s), lateral pendulum impact (5.7 m/s), and front pendulum impact to the frontal bone, nasal bone, and maxilla (2.2 m/s). The responses from the model were compared to available published cadaveric response corridors and to various cadaveric responses. When compared to the cadaveric response corridors, the responses from the model were within those corridors. In addition, the model responses demonstrated acceptable fidelity with respect to the test data. The head injury criterion (HIC15 ), strain, and stress values from the model were also reported.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Why Priest’s reassurance is not reassuring

In the service of paraconsistent (indeed, ‘dialetheic’) theories, Graham Priest has long advanced a non-monotonic logic (viz., MiLP) as our ‘universal logic’ (at least for standard connectives), one that enjoys the familiar logic LP as its monotonic core [10, Chs 16, 19]. In this paper, I show that MiLP faces a dilemma: either it is (plainly) unsuitable as a universal logic or its role as a ‘universal logic’ (indeed, its role full stop) is a mystery. While familiarity with the basic ideas of dialetheism [4, 10] is assumed, formal details of the target logics are relegated to an appendix; the basic problem is evident without them.
Consumer Valuation of Protection from Creditor Remedies

This study investigates the values consumers place on restrictions of creditor remedies. The unique data employed were derived from a 1979 consumer survey taken across four local credit markets that differed significantly in their legal environments. The results of binomial logit analysis identified the characteristics of consumers who were willing to pay for contractual protection from several creditor remedies. A study of the dollar amounts that consumers were inclined to pay provided few significant results.
What motivates members to contribute to enterprise online communities

A major challenge for online communities is encouraging members to participate and contribute content to the community. While prior work has identified motivators to contribute for internet community members, it is unknown if these are the same for employees in enterprise communities. A qualitative study with a group of very active employee members of enterprise communities we called "informal leaders", revealed that they were motivated by wanting to help other members but only for those communities which related to their job. In contrast to prior findings from internet communities, they did not appear to be motivated by the need to develop their reputation or to connect with others. These results provide new insights into participation in enterprise online communities.
Thermoelectric Properties of Mn-Doped Ca 5 Al 2 Sb 6

Ca5Al2Sb6 is a relatively inexpensive Zintl compound exhibiting promising thermoelectric efficiency at temperatures suitable for waste heat recovery. Motivated by our previous studies of Ca5Al2Sb6 doped with Na and Zn, this study focuses on doping with Mn2+ at the Al3+ site. While Mn is a successful p-type dopant in Ca5Al2Sb6, we find that incomplete dopant activation yields lower hole concentrations than obtained with either previously investigated dopant. High-temperature Hall effect and Seebeck coefficient measurements show a transition from nondegenerate to degenerate semiconducting behavior in Ca5Al2−x Mn x Sb6 samples (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) with increasing Mn content. Ultimately, no improvement in zT is achieved via Mn doping, due in part to the limited carrier concentration range achieved.
Opioid receptor gene: cytokine response element and the effect of cytokines.

Previous studies demonstrated that cytokines regulate opioid and opioid receptor gene expression in neuronal and immune cells. The gene sequence analysis of opioid receptors revealed that mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptor promoter regions contain potential cytokine response elements (NF-IL6 binding sites). It was postulated that the response elements present in opioid receptor promoter regions may have a role in the cytokine effects on opioid receptor gene expression through cis-trans interaction. The present study investigated whether cytokines have an effect on opioid receptor gene expression by cytokine-induced transcription factor, NF-IL6, using a number of immune cell lines which respond to cytokines. Further investigation was made to determine whether the potential cytokine response element DNA sequences on opioid receptor promoter region have functional significance which may be affected by the DNA context of the opioid receptor promoter in immune cell lines. Tandem repeats of conserved cytokine response elements of IL-6 gene fused to a heteropromoter SV40 were utilized as a positive control and expressed 2-fold increased promoter activity after cytokine stimulation. Transient transfection studies in time courses (24-72 h) and different dose treatments (100-500 U/ml for IL-6 and 50-200 U/ml for IL-1 alpha+beta) were also carried out to investigate the possibility that the upregulated gene expression may be transient or cytokine-dose-dependent. Our data demonstrated that there was no significant cytokine-stimulated opioid receptor gene expression in immune cells tested. In addition, the cytokine response elements (NF-IL6 binding sites) in opioid receptor genes are not functional. These results contradict the previous reports in which cytokines modulated the expression of opioid and opioid receptors in neuronal and immune cells. The possible reasons regarding the different results were discussed.
Variability in Dissolved Oxygen and Other Water-Quality Variables Within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Abstract Shallow estuarine habitats are normally characterized by wide interannual and intraannual fluctuations in water-quality variables, including dissolved oxygen; however, the short-term variability in water-quality variables is seldom measured and characterized. Water-quality data collected semicontinuously by automated data sondes from 1995 to 2000 at 55 sites among 22 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) were analyzed to characterize temporal variability and compare conditions among estuarine systems and regions. Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) models revealed several significant interannual and seasonal differences for water-quality variables for many sites sampled within a reserve; however, interannual trends with respect to reserve or region were not readily apparent. Salinity and hypoxic events (dissolved oxygen [DO] < 28% saturation [sat]) were generally greatest in summer or fall. Evapotranspiration and precipitation appeared to influence seasonal salinity patterns at reserve s...
Ridge-valley path planning for 3D terrains

This paper presents a tactical path planning algorithm for following ridges or valleys across a 3D terrain. The intent is to generate a path that enables an unmanned vehicle to surveil with maximum observability by traversing the ridges of a terrain or to operate with maximum covertness by navigating the valleys. The input to the algorithm is a 3D triangle mesh model for the terrain of interest. This mesh may be non-uniform and non-regular. Thus, the algorithm leverages research from computer graphics and computer vision to identify ridge-valley features on the terrain. These features serve as "obstacles" for an artificial potential field algorithm. The valleys are obstacles for a surveillance path, or the ridges are obstacles for a covert path. We incorporate geodesic-rather than Euclidean-distances into the potential field formulation to extend path planning to 3D surfaces. We present the theory of our proposed algorithm and provide experimental results
A test sequence selection method for protocol testing

A method for automated selection of test sequences from a protocol specification given in Estelle for the purpose of testing both control and data flow aspects of a protocol implementation is discussed. First, a flowgraph modeling the flow of both control and data expressed in the given specification is constructed. In the flowgraph, definitions and uses of each context variable, as well as each input and output interaction parameter employed in the specification, are identified. Based on this information, associations between each output and those inputs that influence the output are established. Test sequences are selected to cover each such association at least once. The resulting test sequences are shown to provide the capability of checking whether a protocol implementation under test establishes the desired flow of both control and data expressed in the protocol specification. The proposed method is illustrated by using the class 0 transport protocol as an example. >
A comparison of permanent prostate brachytherapy techniques: preplan vs. hybrid interactive planning with postimplant analysis.

Abstract Purpose: To compare preparation time, procedure time in the operating room, equipment needs, and Day 0 postimplant dosimetry between two different Mick implant techniques performed at a single institution. Methods and Materials: One hundred consecutive monotherapy patients treated from 1999 to 2000 with 125 I transperineal permanent implantation of the prostate using an afterloading Mick applicator were evaluated. The first 40 patients were treated with a preplanned modified peripheral loading Mick technique. The next 60 were treated with a hybrid interactive image-guided Mick technique. The analysis included planning the following: ultrasound volume, time required of preplanning, Day 0 CT volume, number of seeds, number of needles, activity per seed, total activity of the implant, and procedure time. Dosimetric parameters included D 90 , V 100 , and V 150 . Results: Mean planning ultrasound volume (33 vs. 37 cc), Day 0 CT volume (49 vs. 47 cc), mCi/seed (0.30 vs. 0.34 mCi/seed), number of seeds (121 vs. 96), total activity of the implant (36 vs. 32 mCi), D 90 (132 vs. 149 Gy), V 100 (86% vs. 91%), and V 150 (51% vs. 38%) were comparable. Significant differences ( p Conclusions: Hybrid interactive Mick prostate brachytherapy consistently reduces preplanning time, procedure time, and number of needles used, reducing patient treatment time and costs while maintaining excellent dosimetric coverage. Use of hybrid interactive Mick prostate brachytherapy results in improved therapeutic ratios, i.e., maintains Day 0 D 90 >140 Gy, V 100 >90%, and V 150
Scientific perspectives on drug transporters and their role in drug interactions

Recently, increased interest in drug transporters and research in this area has revealed that drug transporters play an important role in modulating drug absorption, distribution, and elimination. Acting alone or in concert with drug metabolizing enzymes they can affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug. This commentary will focus on the potential role that drug transporters may play in drug-drug interactions and what information may be needed during drug development and new drug application (NDA) submissions to address potential drug interactions mediated by transporters.
The normativity of numbers in practice: technologies of counting, accounting and auditing in Malawi's civil service reform

Contemporary technologies of governing employed in international development rely on the normativity of numbers, and their use of numbers and collection, as conditions for financial support by international financial institutions. This article examines how the normativity of numbers worked in practice during the implementation of civil service reform in Malawi. It reveals a contradiction between the lofty rhetoric of greater efficiency and transparency achieved through the introduction of new technologies and the messy realities of everyday bureaucratic practices, corruption and haphazard implementation.
Vacuum stripping of refrigerants in water sprays

The number of overall liquid transfer units as a function of the total pressure, flow rate, and nozzle height has been measured for the removal of butane and F-22 refrigerants from water for a flat spray nozzle in a vacuum spray chamber. The number of transfer units increases with the flow rate and with the total pressure with the increase proportional to 0.2 power of the Weber number in which the gas density is used. NOL also increases linearly with length, but more than two-thirds of the mass transfer always takes place in liquid sheet attached to the nozzle. Because the rate of mass transfer in a spray chamber is much greater than in a packed column, vacuum spray stripping is recommended for the removal of refrigerants from water and brine in the freezing and hydrate processes for desalination and other slightly soluble gases from aqueous solution in other processes.
Electron waveguiding characteristics and ballistic current capacity of semiconductor quantum slabs

Semiconductor slab electron waveguides with and without spatially varying effective mass are analyzed using the single-band effective-mass equation. Starting with ballistic electron incidence on a potential energy/effective mass interface, expressions for the phase shift, the lateral shift, and the time delay upon total internal reflection are found. It is shown that heterostructure wells, homostructure voltage-induced wells, and heterostructure barriers can act as waveguides for ballistic electrons, and that the waveguiding is described by a single dispersion relation. The guided mode wave functions, dispersion curves, cutoffs, group velocity. effective mass, density of states, and ballistic guided current density are determined. >
Defining, aligning, or declining do not resuscitate during surgery

A Professor A. Droit, 93 years of age, formerly your college ethics teacher, developed a painful ischemic foot from distal aortic blockage. A daughter, who is a nurse, brought him to the hospital. He has multiple comorbidities, including leukemia for which he is getting chemotherapy. He agrees to surgery but hands you a completed do not resuscitate (DNR) form and insists it be honored throughout his care. As the operative wound is being closed, he has a slow ventricular tachycardia, which does not respond to intravenous therapy. You should:
Easy Method of Patient Positioning for Convergent-Beam Cardiac SPECT

Theuseofconvergent-beamSPECTcanincreasedetectionsensitivity; however, the projection data are likely to be truncated if the patient is not properly positioned. This article describes a patient-positioningmethodthathasbeenadoptedinourhospital forcardiacSPECTscanswhenconvergent-beamcollimatorsare used. Methods: The system that we use has 3 detector heads and a patient table (i.e., bed) with 3 locking positions: left, center, and right. When convergent-beam collimators are used in a cardiac SPECT scan, the patient table is locked in the left position, and a noncircular contour orbit is set up. Results: We were able to acquire truncation-free cardiac projections for all of our patients. Conclusion: Patient positioning in convergent-beam SPECT is important. If the patient is not positioned properly, then the heart may be truncated in some projection views. The use of the left locking position of the patient table positions the heart at the center of rotation, and the heart is not truncated in
Geoacoustic inversion using a rotated coordinate system and simulated annealing

An efficient method for geoacoustic inversions in a range-dependent ocean waveguide is implemented and tested with synthetic data. This method combines a simulated annealing search with an optimal coordinate rotation that increases the efficiency of navigating parameter landscapes for which parameter coupling is important. The coordinate rotation associated with the parameter couplings also provides information about which parameters are resolvable for a particular inversion frequency and array geometry. Using this information, results from several single-frequency inversions can be combined to obtain an estimate for the sediment parameters.
CAREER READINESS: A POTENTIAL PATHWAY THROUGH WHICH URBAN YOUTH'S EXPOSURE TO STRESS INFLUENCES ADULT HEALTH

A growing body of research provides support for the detrimental effects of stress during childhood on future adult health, however, less is known about how stress disrupts normal developmental processes. This pathway may be particularly relevant for urban adolescents who are exposed to additional contextual stressors. This study will longitudinally explore how psychological stress from multiple domains influences urban adolescents' career readiness. Two hundred youth (ages 14-21) completed surveys assessing their school, family, neighborhood and health stress. Path analysis using a parallel process model found that school and neighborhood stress at 6 months were significantly associated with decreased career readiness at 15 months. Health stress at baseline was related to an increased report of career readiness at 15 months, which was moderated by parental closeness. These findings suggest that experiences of stress for urban youth negatively impact their planning for the future, particularly in the absence of supportive parental relationships.
Supplying the missing link with MECCA-A (minority students' education)

Since the early 1970s the Purdue Minority Engineering Program (MEP) has conducted a relatively comprehensive program of recruitment, retention, and evaluation directed at improving this data by the successful graduation of African American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and American Indian students. Program components have included motivational recruitment, retention, and evaluation starting with students at grade seven and continuing through college graduation. The underlining philosophy has been that a comprehensive program is essential and that 'one shot' programs that focus on only one or two components will have little if any long range impact. To provide a synergistic context for the MEP program, a Multicultural Engineering Comprehensive Career Academy (MECCA) was envisioned and steps have been taken to make it a reality. The authors summarize MECCA, including the existing MEP programs, and focus on what are believed to be the three critical missing links-an Elementary Out-Reach Program, a Parent Involvement Program, and a Longitudinal Follow-up Evaluation Program. >
Integrated Functions for Four Basic Models of Indirect Pharmacodynamic Response

The integrated solutions (ABEC, area between baseline and effect curve) of four basic models of indirect pharmacodynamic responses are developed. These models assume that drug can inhibit or stimulate the production or loss of the response variable. For two models (I and III) with monoexponential drug disposition, explicit formulas for the ABEC were obtained, where ABEC is a function of ln (1 + (D/V)/IC50 )o r ln (1 + ( D / V )/SC50) where D ) dose, V ) volume, and IC50 or SC50 ) 50% effective concentration. Two other models (II and IV) were treated asymptotically with respect to small and large doses. Approximate formulas (e.g., ABEC ) constant(1) ‚ ln (1 + (D/V)/IC50) + constant (2)) were derived and the asymptotic behavior of the ABEC was established. In addition, simulations were performed to assess the effects of drug absorption rates and polyexponential disposition on ABEC values. These models show how pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors jointly determine the net response to a single dose of drug.
Bauschinger effect in thin metal films

Abstract The Bauschinger effect in thin sputter-deposited Al and Cu films is studied by isothermally deforming the films alternately in tension and compression. Passivated films exhibit an unusual Bauschinger effect with reverse flow already occurring on unloading, while unpassivated films show little or no reverse flows when the film is fully unloaded.
Institutional Differences and the Direction of Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment Flows: Are South–South Flows any Different than the Rest?

We explore the asymmetric effects of institutional differences on bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI) flows conditional on countries' development levels, previous experiences of foreign investors and bilateral trade relations. The empirical results using bilateral FDI data from 134 countries during 1990–2009 suggest that institutional differences create entry barriers for foreign investors only in North–South and South–North directions, and more so for the former. Furthermore, Southern investors appear to have a comparative advantage in institutionally different developing countries. Finally, we find no evidence that investor experiences in other institutionally different countries or existing trade linkages negate the negative effect of institutional distance.
Evaluating the performance of top African banks using Data Envelopment Analysis

The major aim of this research is to measure the relative efficiency of the top 100 African banks. The sensitivity of the results is also investigated. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used to evaluate the relative efficiency of African banks. Cross-sectional data for the year 2005 were used to conduct the analysis. The results indicate that the performance of several banks is sub-optimal, suggesting the potential for significant improvements. Separate benchmarks were derived for possible reductions in resources used, and significant savings are possible on this account. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the importance of encouraging increased efficiency throughout the banking industry in Africa.
Parylene-AF4: a polymer with exceptional dielectric and thermal properties

[2.2]Paracyclophanes are useful chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursors of thin film polymers, known as Parylenes. Parylenes are ideally suited for use as conformal coatings in a wide variety of applications, such as in the automotive, medical, electronics, and semiconductor industries. Parylene coatings are inert and transparent and have excellent barrier properties. The bridge-fluorinated 1,1,2,2,9,9,10,10-octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane (AF4) is the CVD precursor of Parylene-AF4 polymer, which combines a low dielectric constant with high thermal stability, low moisture absorption, and other advantageous properties. With such properties, and because its in vacuo deposition process ensures conformality to microcircuit features and superior submicron gap-filling capability, Parylene-AF4 has considerable promise as an interlayer dielectric for on-chip high-speed semiconductor device interconnection. This paper reviews the synthesis and properties of Parylene-AF4 and its paracyclophane precursor, including a discussion of the importance of the fluorinated bridges, the advantages of the dimeric precursor, and why Parylene-AF4 has the potential to meet the needs of the semiconductor industry with respect to the key properties of a potential interlayer dielectric.
Maximum effort control for oscillatory element

Maximum effort control is a method of achieving deadbeat response for a step input to an undamped second order element (two poles on the j\omega axis of the s-plane) which is preceded by a saturating amplifier. This method of control supplies the maximum available energy to the element being controlled, by driving the amplifier to saturation whenever an error is present. The realization of a maximum effort control system for an oscillatory element is found through a phase plane analysis of the equations of motion of the oscillatory element. The control system topology is also found by the analysis of a phasor representation of the transients introduced in the oscillatory element by the output of the saturating amplifier. The system was constructed to compare the experimental responses of step inputs and load disturbances, to the responses obtained from an idealized mathematical model of the system. The adaptability of the control system was tested by using it to control a damped oscillatory element. The system described will be an aid in the design of the control system which will give optimum response for random inputs to a undamped second order element which is preceded by a saturating amplifier. It also provides a method of control for systems in which it is impossible to damp poles near the j\omega axis.
Amphiphilic Multi-Arm Block Copolymer Based on Hyperbranched Polyester, Poly(L-lactide) and Poly(ethylene glycol) as a Drug Delivery Carrier

A novel type of biodegradable/biocompatible amphiphilic hyperbranched copolymer (H40-PLA-b-MPEG) was synthesized. Its micellar properties were studied by DLS, fluorescence spectroscopy and TEM. The drug release profile showed that the H40-PLA-b-MPEG micelles provide an initial burst release, followed by a sustained release of the entrapped hydrophobic model drug over a period of 4 to 58 h. The copolymer degraded hydrolytically within 6 weeks under physiological conditions. The MTT assay showed no obvious cytotoxicity against a human endothelial cell line at a concentration range of 0-400 microg x mL(-1). These results indicate that the H40-PLA-b-MPEG micelles have great potential as hydrophobic drug delivery carriers.
Feed Refusal During Ochratoxicosis in Turkeys

Previous observations of feed refusal associated with apparent field outbreaks of ochratoxicosis in turkeys but not in chickens suggested that these species differed in response to ochratoxin or that different factors were involved in the field outbreaks. The recent development of laboratory models for the study of feed refusal syndromes in poultry permitted an evaluation of the problem. Pure ochratoxin A reduced the consumption of feed by young turkeys. Refusal of graded concentrations of ochratoxin A in feed was not detected in young chickens. These results, which suggested that feed refusal is a symptom of ochratoxicosis in turkeys but not in chickens, provide additional evidence that the aforementioned outbreaks were caused by ochratoxin and that ochratoxicosis is an emerging problem in the poultry industry.
A programmable DSP solution to a solid state audio player

Portable solid-state audio players are currently reaching consumers through the advent of new audio compression algorithms and non-volatile flash memory technology. This paper presents a low-power, software programmable portable audio system utilizing these technologies. The system is designed to play music and other types of audio media stored on a flash memory card. This card can hold up to an hour's worth of material, with quality approaching that of a compact disc (CD). The flash memory cards provide much better audio quality than that of a cassette tape, yet remain smaller and much more resistant to vibration and motion. Audio material is obtained through licensed distributors, via the Internet, or through media kiosks set up in retail outlets. All audio decoding, equalization, volume control, sample rate conversion and digital watermarking algorithms are handled by a 16-bit, fixed point digital signal processor (DSP). Software upgradeability allows multiple decoding algorithms, decryption methods and other features, such as equalizers, to run easily. System performance characteristics are also presented.
Brand-Consumer Relationship And Corporate Social Responsibility: Myth Or Reality & Do Consumers Really Care?

Companies are claiming that they are being challenged to maintain profitability and behave in socially responsible ways. The question is how much “the social responsibility” is a real pressure. Do consumers really know what the companies, producing their favorite brands, are doing? Do consumers really care? How much of an effect do the company practices have on the consumer’s response to a brand? Or does the consumer-brand relationship have nothing to do with the company’s practices? Does the customer’s response change with the type of company practices (e.g. environmentally friendly or not, treats well or mistreats employees, relationship with suppliers, supports or doesn’t support social causes, etc.)? Does such response depend on who the customer is (e.g. different demographics, loyalty to a brand, or level of awareness of societal issues, etc.)? The study attempts to answer these questions and more. The survey included a random sample of 317 adult individual consumers in the Southern California region. Results of the survey are presented within a conceptual framework hypothesizing that the relationship between the consumer and the brand can be affected differently by the company’s different practices in regard to social responsibility; and by the consumer’s characteristics. The paper concludes with some recommendations that may benefit interested companies, social-action groups, and policymakers.
Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Host Mortality on Disease Spread

The virulent effects of a pathogen on host fecundity and mortality (both intrinsic and extrinsic mortality due to predation) often increase with the age of infection. Age of infection often is also correlated with parasite fitness, in terms of the number of both infective propagules produced and the between-host transmission rate. We introduce a four-population partial differential equations (PDE) model to investigate the invasibility and prevalence of an obligately killing fungal parasite in a zooplankton host as they are embedded in an ecological network of predators and resources. Our results provide key insights into the role of ecological interactions that vary with the age of infection. First, selective predation, which is known both theoretically and empirically to reduce disease prevalence, does not always limit disease spread. This condition dependency relies on the timing and intensity of selective predation and how that interacts with the direct effects of the parasite on host mortality. Second, low host resources and intense predation can prevent disease spread, but once conditions allow the invasion of the parasite, the qualitative dynamics of the system do not depend on the intensity of the selective predation. Third, a comparison of the PDE model with a model based on ordinary differential equations (ODE model) reveals a parametrization for the ODE version that yields an endemic steady state and basic reproductive ratio that are identical to those in the PDE model. Our results highlight the complexity of resource-host-parasite-predator interactions and suggest the need for additional data-theory coupling exploring how community ecology influences the spread of infectious diseases.
Correlation of CT Cerebral Vascular Territories with Function: II. Posterior Cerebral Artery

This paper presents schematic displays of the cerebral territories supplied by branches of the posterior cerebral artery as they would appear on axial and coronal computed tomographic (CT) scan sections. Companion diagrams of regional cortical function and a discussion of the fiber tracts are provided to simplify correlation of clinical deficits with coronal and axial CT abnormalities. Illustrations of the vascular supply and functional relay points (nuclei) of the thalamus are provided.
Network Management of Disruption-Tolerant Networks: A Systems Engineering Approach

Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) maintain communications despite the temporary loss of one or more nodes in the path, including cut vertices and path endpoints. These networks utilize store-and-forward, persistent storage, and intelligent timer techniques to overcome planned and unplanned transmission obstacles. DTNs are favored in deep space missions where constraints on power, infrastructure, and physics preclude high-speed, robust communication. Network management (NM) describes the configuration, state, fault, and performance management of a network node. It is likely that NM applications operating over DTNs cannot make the bandwidth and longevity assumptions codified in non-DTN protocol NM applications. This paper describes a systems engineering approach to analyzing the DTN NM problem. We present four major developmental areas (system architecture, data definition/usage, application architecture, and tool implementation) critical to the maturation of this ability. Within each developmental area we present implementation recommendations and current threads of research. Ultimately, we conclude that closed-loop network management of DTNs is not viable and architectures that promote status telemetry over control loops, autonomous decision making over static configuration, and locality over global administration must be engineered for these networks. We further conclude that a per-network system analysis is necessary to balance the desire for an implementation-specific optimal solution versus a generalized best-practice solution.
Fissure behavior in the Chihuahuan Desert, and depth estimation using sediment strength

Earth fissures are large open cracks in sediment and are controversial factors for siting waste facilities in the United States. Fissures were cited as potential hazards at each of the last two Texas radioactive waste sites. The fissures were considered potential conduits to the surface or to underlying aquifers. This research describes the behavior of earth fissures near Fort Hancock, Texas, and presents a method for estimating fissure depth using standard soil strength measurements. Observations described in the literature indicate that fissures open suddenly and episodically, swallowing large volumes of sediment and water. The author9s observe that once a fissure is flooded and eroded, the fissure may become inactive and water may episodically pond in it for several years. This study suggests that during fissure flooding and erosion, the walls of the fissure weaken and collapse, closing the fissure until the sediment dries and hardens. Results indicate that fissures are limited in depth by the strength of the materials they form in. Using data from studies by previous researchers, we calculated maximum depths ranging from 2.3 to 17 m, within the fissures. The fissures in this study were in silty sand with an estimated depth of 5 m. Resistivities above the fissures indicated wetting and drying of the sediments to a 6 to 8 m depth, slightly deeper than the theoretical crack depth. Because wetting can extend below the depth of the fissure, these results are compatible. Trenches in fissures nearby bottomed in what was believed to be the fissure base at 6 m.
Responses of Susceptible and Resistant Wheat Associated with Hessian Fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Infestation

Cytological analysis of wheat infested by the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), indicated that on susceptible plants, virulent larvae (biotype L, virulent to resistance genes H3,5,6,7/8) caused a generalized increase in cuticular-membrane permeability of cells in the lower leaf sheath. On resistant plants, feeding by avirulent larvae (biotype GP, no genes for virulence) resulted in localized responses. This suggests that plant responses limited the ability of avirulent larvae to elicit generalized changes in cell permeability. Analyses of plant protein patterns by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblots indicated that separate changes in protein metabolism occurred in susceptible versus resistant wheat in association with Hessian fly infestation. In susceptible wheat, ribulose-l,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) increased in the lower leaf sheath in association with infestation. In resistant wheat (cv. Caldwell, H6 gene for resistance), proteins of low molecular weight appeared in the lower leaf sheath in association with infestation by avirulent larvae. Protein changes associated with infestation were not elicited by physical wounding of plants. Protein changes detected in resistant wheat infested by avirulent larvae (biotype GP) did not appear when the plants were infested with virulent larvae (biotype L). Results support the hypothesis that hypersensitivity is the phenotypic basis of resistance in the Hessian fly-wheat interaction and involves “recognition” of an avirulence gene product or process.
Immunologic and Cytochemical Properties of Histiocytic and Mixed Histiocytic–Lymphocytic Lymphomas

Lymph nodes were biopsied from seven patients with the presumptive clinical diagnosis of lymphoma and studied for their ability to form spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (T cell marker), for surface immunoglobulins (B cell marker), for cytochemical reactivity with peroxidase, alpha-naphthyl acetate and butyrate esterases, naphthol ASD chloroacetate esterase, acid phosphatase, periodic acid–Schiff, Sudan black B, and Wright–Giemsa on touch preparations, as well as in hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Lymph nodes from patients without hematologic malignancy served as controls. Diagnoses of diffuse histiocytic lymphoma were made in five cases and diffuse mixed histiocyticlymphocytic lymphoma in 2 cases. The cytochemical staining of the lymphoma cells were typical of lymphoid cells rather than macrophages. In five cases neoplastic cells contained surface immunoglobulins, suggesting a B cell origin, and in one case a paucity of cell surface markers was found. Cells from uninvolved nodes of lymphoma patients could not be differentiated from those of the control group.
Der neue Ford Mondeo

Der neue Mondeo, vor wenigen Wochen eingefuhrt, ist das technisch hochstentwickelte Automobil, das Ford bislang auf den Markt gebracht hat. Eine Vielzahl von Assistenzsystemen wie das Auffahrwarnsystem FA (Forward Alert) und das Aufprallminderungssystem durch Bremseingriff CMbB (Collision Mitigation by Braking) unterstutzen den Fahrer effektiv. Das fur seine guten dynamischen Eigenschaften bekannte Fahrwerk wurde fur das neue Modell nochmals uberarbeitet. Das ATZ-Titelthema gibt einen Uberblick uber die wichtigsten technischen Innovationen des neuen Mondeo.
Energy harvesting using piezoelectric materials in aerospace structures

Abstract Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are piezoelectric architectures that are smartly designed to maximum capture ambient vibration/motion energy into piezoelectric material and convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy. The critical piezoelectric material properties for energy harvesting are briefly introduced to provide the reader with a basic background. The state-of-the-art piezoelectric energy harvesting technologies have been reviewed. These PEH concepts include the cantilever beam-based unimorph and bimorph PEHs, flextensional PEHs, edge-clamped PEHs, and the advanced PEHs. Flextensional PEHs are the most promising PEH technology on the market because their average power output is at least one order of magnitude higher than cantilever beam PEHs and edge-clamped PEHs. Flextensional PEHs are also relatively easily integrated into aerospace space systems with little effect on flow dynamic control. In addition, flextensional PEHs can be operated in both resonance and off-resonance modes. Cymbal-type flextensional PEH research opened the door to flextensional PEHs. The “33” mode multilayer stack-based flextensional PEH is one of the most promising PEHs for practical application, with advantages such as capturing more mechanical energy into the piezoelectric structure, increasing mechanical to electrical energy conversion efficiency three to fivetimes, and increasing energy storage efficiency with optimized multilayer configuration. The electrical power delivery from a piezoelectric structure to a resistive load and the energy storage issues are addressed. PEH characterization methods are briefly introduced. Finally, suggestions on PEHs for aerospace applications are discussed.