cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mixed Integer Optimization With NURBs HyPerModels

The challenge of determining the best design in a multimodal design space with multiple local optimal solutions often challenges the best available optimization techniques. By casting the objective function of the optimization problem in the form of a Non-Uniform Rational B-spline (NURBs) metamodel, known as a HyPerModel, significant optimization advantages can be achieved, including the ability to efficiently find the global metamodel optimum solution with less computational expense than traditional approaches. This optimization strategy, defined by the HyPerOp algorithm, uses the underlying structure of a HyPerModel to intelligently select starting points for optimization runs and to identify regions of the design space that do not contain locations for the global metamodel optimum location. This paper describes the application of the HyPerOp algorithm to mixed integer programming problems and demonstrates its use with two example applications. The algorithm works with design spaces composed of continuous and integer design variables and provides a complementary approach for improved optimization capabilities.
Geometrical Adaptive Controller for Tool Deflection Compensation in Helical End Milling Processes

Geometrical Adaptive Control (GAC) aims to maintain the stability of the geometrical quality of mechanical parts during production. GAC systems can effectively compensate for the machining error induced by cutter deflection during helical end milling processes. The existing GAC systems only deal with deflection compensation in machining of straight surfaces. Deflection in curved surface machining is more complicated, and the effect of surface curvature on deflection should be considered when designing the GAC compensation system. This paper intends to develop a GAC system for cutter deflection in end milling of curved geometries to account for deflection variation induced by workpiece curvature. In this paper, the influence of curved geometry on cutting forces is firstly analyzed; then, the deflection is calculated based on the cantilever beam model. The error space motion control methodology is utilized in GAC design for deflection compensation. Simulation studies are conducted on a two-axis milling system for circular surface, and the results validate the compensation strategy.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
E.S.R. studies of radiation damage and structure in oxide glasses not containing transition group ions: A contemporary overview with illustrations from the alkali borate system☆

Abstract Electron spin resonance (e.s.r.) is a particularly powerful method for identifying and characterizing radiation-induced defects in vitreous materials. This paper reviews the fundamental principles and the present state of the art in applying e.s.r. techniques to achieve these ends in oxide glasses which do not contain transition group ions. A wide variety of generic defect types are discussed in some detail by means of examples from the alkali borate system. These include oxygen-associated trapped hole centers and oxygen-vacancy-associated trapped electron centers, as well as several electron and hole-type centers which are associated with interstitial cations and anions, respectively. Probable analogs in other oxide glasses are pointed out. Special emphasis is placed on the kinds of structural information which can be obtained from these studies.
Longitudinal and geomagnetic activity modulation of the equatorial thermosphere anomaly

[1] In this paper we examine the detailed similarities and differences between the equatorial thermosphere anomaly (ETA) and the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) from 20 March to 6 April 2002, when both the ETA and the EIA are distinct in the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) observations. The characteristics of the ETA and the EIA are obtained from the CHAMP accelerometer, in situ electron density measurements, and total electron content (TEC) above the CHAMP satellite. Our results show that the trough locations of the ETA and the EIA in latitude show a good agreement, and both correspond well with the dip magnetic equator, while the ETA crests are usually located poleward of the EIA. Meanwhile, the latitudinal locations of the ETA crests exhibit strong hemispheric asymmetry and large variability during our study interval. The longitudinal variations between the EIA and the ETA show significant differences. The EIA crests from the CHAMP observations show strong wave 4 structures, but the primary component in the ETA is wave 1. Moreover, the ETA densities show strong variations in response to geomagnetic activity, whereas CHAMP in situ electron densities and TEC at the EIA do not reflect such large day-to-day variability. Therefore, a simple EIA-ETA relationship cannot explain the dependence of the longitudinal and geomagnetic activity modulation of the ETA and the EIA. The meridional ion drag, which is significantly modulated by enhanced equatorward winds during elevated geomagnetic activity, is probably responsible for some of the observed features in the ETA, although no unambiguous explanation for ETA formation yet exists.
The receptor for transepithelial transport of IgA and IgM contains multiple immunoglobulin-like domains

We have cloned and sequenced cDNA for the receptor that mediates the endocytosis and transcellular transport of IgA and IgM across many glandular epithelia into external secretions. This receptor contains five extracellular domains which are strikingly homologous to each other and to immunoglobulin variable regions.
Organization of the medial pulvinar nucleus in the macaque

Background The medial pulvinar appears to subserve the integration of associative cortical information and projects to visuomotor-related cortex. In contrast to the other pulvinar subdivisions, the medial pulvinar is a polymodal structure. Therefore, we studied the structural organization of the medial pulvinar to determine how it differs from the surrounding unimodal nuclei. Methods Nissl-stained sections were examined to determine the boundaries of, and the distribution of neuronal sizes within, the medial pulvinar. In addition, Golgi-impregnated neurons were examined and drawn for analysis. Only rhesus monkey specimens were used, and the material had been prepared previously for other studies. Results Projection neurons have round to oval somata and moderate numbers of primary dendrites that extend for short distances before branching into many secondary branches. Two variations of projection neurons (P1 and P2) were distinguished on the basis of the diameters of their dendritic tree. Both varieties have short dendrites that radiate in all directions. They differ in that P2 cells have longer second tier dendrites than P1 cells. Three types of local circuit neurons, tufted, radiating and varicose, were distinguished on the basis of their dendritic morphology. Four types of afferent fibers were identified. Type 1 afferents form cone-shape terminal arbors. Type 2 afferents are similar to those reported for retinal or cortical terminals. Type 3 afferents are of medium thickness and of an unknown origin. Type 4 afferents are thin and have small varicosities consistent with previously described cortical afferents. Afferent fibers are predominantly oriented along the mediolateral axis of the nucleus. We observed putative contacts between some afferents and local circuit neurons and between local circuit neurons and projection neurons. Conclusions Medial pulvinar neurons are generally smaller and rounder than those found in the adjacent pulvinar nuclei. These results provide additional evidence for structural distinctions between thalamic nuclei having different functions. However, the observed differences are subtle. In addition, the data in this report provide morphological evidence that cortical signals are likely to be integrated by means of the circuitry located within the nucleus. Anat. Rec. 250:220–237, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The non-epileptiform basilar artery migraine.

SYNOPSIS Five patients with basilar artery migraine (BAM) are described. One, while exhibiting electroencephalographic(EEG) interictal discharges and photo-paroxysmal responses entirely suppressed by carbamazepine orvalproate, had no improvement of her attacks. Subsequent therapy with propanolol did improve the attacksdespite persistence of EEG abnormalities. A second patient had paroxysmal abnormalities and improved withisometheptene mucate. Three other patients had normal ictal and interictal EEGs, including after activationprocedures. A population of patients with basilar artery migraine exists with normal EEG recordings or withparoxysmal activity independent from that of migraine; these patients may respond to drugs other thananticonvulsants.
Ponderable soliton stars

The theory of Lee and Pang (1987), who obtained solutions for soliton stars composed of zero-temperature fermions and bosons, is applied here to quark soliton stars. Model soliton stars based on a simple physical model of the proton are computed, and the properties of the solitons are discussed, including the important problem of the existence of a limiting mass and thus the possible formation of black holes of primordial origin. It is shown that there is a definite mass limit for ponderable soliton stars, so that during cooling a soliton star might reach a stage beyond which no equilibrium configuration exists and the soliton star probably will collapse to become a black hole. The radiation of ponderable soliton stars may alter the short-wavelength character of the cosmic background radiation, and may be observed as highly redshifted objects at z of about 100,000.
The extended tanh method for abundant solitary wave solutions of nonlinear wave equations

The extended tanh method is used to establish abundant solitary wave solutions of nonlinear wave equations. The obtained solutions include solitons, kinks and plane periodic solutions. The study is an extension to the remarkable development by Malfliet [1]. The extended tanh method presents a wider applicability for handling nonlinear wave equations.
Fracture of composite laminates by three-point bend

An experimental investigation has been carried out on the fracture behavior of T300/5208 graphite/epoxy laminates using three-point bend and tension tests. One laminate, a [0/±45/90] ns orientation, was used withn=1 for tension specimens andn=4 and 8 for bend specimens. The crack-growth-resistance curve was constructed by compliance matching from crack-opening displacement and load data obtained from three-point bend tests. The value of effective crack length and corresponding crack resistance at onset of instability was nearly constant and independent of the initial crack length and laminate thickness. Experimental data from both bend and tension tests correlated reasonably well to the average-stress-failure criterion. Data were also compared with results found in the literature.
Intermediate angle scattering functions and local chain configurations of semicrystalline and amorphous polymers

Molecular scattering functions at intermediate scattering vectors, of μ=(4π/λ sinϑ/2) in the range 0.03 to 1.0A−1, are found to be extremely sensitive to the local configurations of polymer chains in both semicrystalline and amorphous states. Available experimental results of intermediate angle neutron scattering (IANS) from melt-crystallized polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene provide compelling evidence that adjacent re-entry is rare. The rotational isomeric state model satisfactorily accounts for IANS and chain dimensions of polycarbonate in the amorphous state.
A Model for the Solution Structure of a Branched, Three-strand DNA Complex

Abstract The solution structure of a DNA three-way junction (TWJ) containing two unpaired thymidines was elucidated using two- and three-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. TWJs with unpaired nucleotides are ubiquitous structural motifs of complex single-stranded nucleic acids. In the presence of Mg2+, the TWJ complex adopts a unique conformation in which the bases of one of the oligonucleotides (“strand 1”) are continuously stacked across the junction. Guanosine 8 of strand 3 (S3-G8), which pairs with S1-C5. stacks on S2-G5, which is paired to S1-C6. The unpaired thymidine bases (S3-T6 and S3-T7) are exposed to the solvent, whereas the sugar of S3-G8 is largely buried. S3-T6 also interacts with the sugar residue of S3-G11. All three stems conform to B-type DNA.
The left ventricle proteome differentiates middle-aged and old left ventricles in mice.

Middle-aged and old left ventricles (LVs) are structurally and functionally very similar. Compared to a young LV, both show increased wall thickness and increased cavity size, with preserved cardiac function. However, when a stressor such as myocardial infarction occurs, striking differences are revealed between young and old LVs and there is a marked reduction in survival rates for the old group. The objective of this study was to investigate the proteomic basis of age-related changes in the LV of male mice in order to identify proteins that are differentially expressed between middle-aged and old groups and to gain mechanistic insight into effects of aging on the unstressed heart. Young (3 months old; n ) 6), middle-aged (MA; 15 months old; n ) 6), and old (23 months old; n ) 5) LVs were examined by echocardiography, homogenized, and separated into soluble and insoluble protein fractions using differential extraction. We found that the LV mass-to-tibia ratio increased from 6.4 ( 0.2 mg/mm in young to 11.0 ( 0.6 and 10.1 ( 0.7 mg/mm in MA and old, respectively (both p < 0.05 vs young), which was caused by increases in both LV wall thickness and volume. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we detected age-related alterations in the levels of 73 proteins (all p < 0.05). Among these proteins were mortalin, peroxiredoxin 3, epoxide hydrolase, and the superoxide dismutases SOD-1 (Cu/ZnSOD) and SOD-2 (MnSOD), which have been previously associated with aging and/or cardiovascular disease. Together, these results reveal proteomic changes that occur in the LV with age. The proteins identified here may be useful markers of cardiac aging and may help in deducing mechanisms to explain the inability of the old heart to withstand challenge.
Search and Rescue Trends and the Emergency Medical Service Workload in Utah's National Parks

Abstract Objective.—To identify the emergency medical service (EMS) workload and trends associated with search and rescue (SAR) operations in Utah's National Park Service (NPS) units. Methods.—Data for this study were collected from the Annual Emergency Medical Services Report and the Annual Search and Rescue Report for National Park Service units in Utah from 2001–2005. Results.—There were 4762 EMS incidents reported between 2001 and 2005, including 79 fatalities (50 traumatic; 29 nontraumatic). The most common EMS transportation method was ground (1505) and helicopter (553) transport. The heaviest trauma, medical, and cardiac workload was at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA) and the heaviest first aid workload was at Zion National Park (ZION). There were 1190 SAR operations between 2001 and 2005 involving 67 fatalities, 623 ill or injured visitors, 1813 non-ill or non-injured visitors, and 92 saves. GLCA and ZION accounted for 47% and 21% of all SAR operations. The total cost of SAR operations...
Ecce Elvis : «Elvis studies» as a postmodernist paradigm for the academic study of religions

Le phenomene «Elvis» n'a cesse de se developper depuis la mort de celui-ci et l'on peut dire qu'il existe des «religions» Elvis diverses aujourd'hui composees de differentes sortes de fans/disciples/croyants, des degres varies de «foi» symbolique et toute une panoplie de formes de devotion iconographique et rituelle. Cet article se pose la question du sens de la culture Elvis et des etudes sur Elvis.
Mathematical metrology for evaluating a 6DOF visual servoing system

In this paper we develop a homogeneous matrix transformation to fit two streams of dynamic six degree of freedom (6DOF) data for evaluating perception systems using ground truth. In particular, we compare object position and orientation results from a 6DOF laser tracker that we consider to be ground truth with results from a real-time visual servoing system from the Purdue Robot Vision Lab. A problem that arises when comparing these two data streams is that they are not necessarily in the same coordinate system. Therefore, a method to transform one coordinate system to the other is needed. We solve this problem by developing an optimization problem that minimizes the space between each coordinate system. In other words, we construct a rotation and translation which best transforms one coordinate space to the other.
Cycle packings in graphs and digraphs

Abstract A cycle packing in a (directed) multigraph is a vertex disjoint collection of (directed) elementary cycles. If D is a demiregular multidigraph we show that the arcs of D can be partitioned into Δ in cycle packings — where δ in is the maximum indegree of a vertex in D . We then show that the maximum length cycle packings in any digraph contain a common vertex.
Model for the role of oxygen defects in oxygen-defect superconductors.

We propose that oxygen defects provide a mechanism for pairing enhancement in oxide-defect superconductors. A model is formulated and mean-field Gorkov equations are derived and solved numerically for a two-dimensional realization of the model. We show that very high-temperature critical temperatures are not difficult to understand in such models. Several experimental features of the superconducting oxides, including spin-glasslike properties, sensitivity to oxygen concentration and temperature dependence of positron annihilation times, appear to be qualitatively consistent with such a model.
Acetylsalicylic acid does not alter thermo-effector responses during mild whole-body passive heat stress in young men.

AbstractAcetylsalicylic acid (ASA), aspirin, exerts potent systemic effects that may interfere with normal thermo-effector responses. We investigated the influence of commonly ingested ASA doses on measures of skin blood flow (SkBF) and local sweat rate (SR) during whole-body, passive heat stress. Seven male participants completed counter-balanced trials to compare ASA treatments (single dose 325 mg or 4 consecutive days 81 mg (4-d 81 mg)) to control (no ASA). Laser-Doppler flowmetry provided an index of SkBF. A ventilated capsule measured local sweat rate via capacitance hygrometry. Mean body temperature () was increased by 1 °C above baseline using a water-perfused suit. was similar at the onset of cutaneous vasodilation among trials. Cutaneous vascular conductance, expressed as a percentage change from baseline, was not different among trials. Additionally, at the onset of local SR and SR sensitivity did not differ among trials. While ASA has previously been shown to influence SkBF during heat stress, ...
Gene Transfer and Expression of Platelet-derived Growth Factors Modulate Periodontal Cellular Activity:

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent stimulator of wound healing. PDGF gene therapy may promote greater periodontal regeneration than local protein application, due to sustained growth factor delivery to the target tissue. This investigation tested the ability of recombinant adenoviruses (rAds) encoding PDGF-A or PDGF-1308 (a PDGF-A dominant-negative mutant that disrupts endogenous PDGF bioactivity) to affect cells derived from the periodontium. Osteoblasts, periodontal ligament fibroblasts, and gingival fibroblasts were transduced with rAds, and gene expression, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation were evaluated. The results revealed strong message for the PDGF-A gene for 7 days following gene delivery. Ad2/PDGF-A enhanced the mitogenic and proliferative response in all cell types, while Ad2/PDGF-1308 potently inhibited mitogenesis and proliferation. In conclusion, Ad2/PDGF can effectively transduce cells derived from the periodontium and promote biological activity equivalent to PDGF-AA. These studies support the potential use of gene therapy for sustained PDGF release in periodontal tissues.
Abstract 2135: TGFβRI inhibition results in reduced collagen expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a robust stromal component termed the desmoplastic reaction. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) has been implicated in the activation of the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) that leads to pancreatic desmoplasia and the increased deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. Desmoplasia and its effects are thought to contribute to poor drug efficacy in PDAC treatment. We therefore hypothesized that TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibition may serve to improve the activity of chemotherapeutics in PDAC by reducing the effects of desmoplasia. Using the TGFβRI inhibitors, LY2157299 and SB431542, we assessed the effects of TGFβR inhibition on cell proliferation and collagen production in both mono- and co-cultured pancreatic tumor cells and CAFs. We found that although the TGFβRI inhibitors had moderate effect on the proliferation of PDAC cells and co-cultured CAF cells, they significantly inhibited collagen 1 expression in the co-culture of MIA PaCa-2 and SU86.86 cells with CAFs (2.3 and 6.0-fold at the mRNA level, respectively). Similar qualitative reductions were also observed in immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblots probing for collagen 1 protein levels. We also sought to determine if TGFβR inhibition would result in a reduction in collagen expression in the more biologically relevant in vivo model for PDAC, the LSL-KrasG12D/+;LSL-Trp53R172H/+;Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mouse. KPC mice were treated orally, b.i.d., with 75mg/kg LY2157299 and by i.p., with gemcitabine (q3dx4) at 80mg/kg. Tumors in KPC mice treated with the combination of LY2157299 and gemcitabine showed a marked reduction in overall stromal content when compared to vehicle-treated mice. Our results suggest that TGFβR inhibition may be an effective means of ameliorating the effects of desmoplasia in PDAC, which may in turn improve the efficacy of current PDAC treatment regimens. Citation Format: Clifford J. Whatcott, Sabrina N. Dumas, Aprill Watanabe, Janine LoBello, Daniel D. Von Hoff, Haiyong Han. TGFβRI inhibition results in reduced collagen expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2135. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2135
Preparation and the haemoglobin content of red cell ghosts.

STUDIES of species differences in red cell phosphatides1 have led to a re-examination of the problem of standardizing the method of preparing erythrocyte membranes (‘ghosts’, post-haemolytic residues). It seems essential that if results obtained with physical methods, for example, electron microscopy, are to be correlated with those obtained by chemical analysis, greater uniformity of procedure for preparation of membranes must be sought. The matter has received little recent attention. In what was perhaps the first chemical analysis of the structural protein, stromatin, Jorpes2 found his preparations to contain irregular amounts of haemoglobin, representing 10–30 per cent of the dry weight. Not long afterwards, Adams3 offered spectroscopic evidence for the idea that in the intact cell haemoglobin is combined with stromatin. Keilin and Hartree4, however, were able to show that the finding was explained by the peculiar optical properties of the medium and could not be regarded as an indication of a haemoglobin–stromatin complex. Since that time the blood-pigment found attached to ‘ghosts’ has come to be regarded, or, at any rate, treated, as a sort of contaminant the physical association of which with the membrane proper interferes with obtaining satisfactory material for analysis of other things. Various methods have been devised for preparing ‘ghosts’, one of which5 claims to reduce the iron content to the vanishing point (<0.01 per cent haemoglobin). It is difficult to find information about the stage in the processing at which the intact membranes begin to break up, or, indeed, what the microscopic appearance of the final product is. Usually, the recommended techniques introduce acid or salt washing at some point to expedite the removal of haemoglobin—measures which in our hands have led to prompt disintegration of ‘ghosts’, as shown by microscopic examination.
Wide baseline stereo object matching using minimal cost flow algorithm

Monocular vision-based vehicle detection is a low-cost solution for active safety and driver assistance systems (ASDA). However, the depth estimation deviates its true value when the flat ground assumption does not hold. In this paper, we propose a stereo approach with a large baseline to address the issue without extracting three-dimensional features from disparity map. The proposed system first searches vehicle template among possible discrete rectangle boxes in the image pair. The system detects the presence, and estimates the distance of a vehicle simultaneously. This joint problem of detection and matching can be formulated as a minimal cost flow problem, which can be solved efficiently. The experimental results show that not only we have a redundant monocular vision system, but also the performance of both detection and range estimation is significantly enhanced.
Writing across the curriculum and criminal justice courses: Successful assignments 101

Writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) programs have been developed and implemented at many colleges and universities throughout the United States and the world. Most readers have certainly heard of writing across the curriculum or have been encouraged to use WAC learning strategies in their courses; but there still may be some doubt about effective ways to use WAC in the classroom. Many articles discuss WAC and writing to learn (WTL), but few articles examine in depth some of the more practical considerations of implementing WAC and WTL in specific courses. This article attempts to do this by describing four successfully used WAC assignments: prison letters, courtroom observations, professional interviews and learning logs. In discussing each exercise, we offer some practical pedagogical tips to help readers implement these types of assignments in various courses; we also provide some of our students' responses to such projects.
Managing the Environmental Change Process: Barriers and Opportunities

Organizations face formidable obstacles to the institutionalization of environmental management programmes. Longitudinal studies show that companies face two major types of barriers to change: industry‐specific barriers, which affect all organizations in a line of business; and organizational barriers, which are not specific to environmental problems, but may impede a company′s capacity to deal with any form of change. Evidence shows that these barriers can be overcome through effective environmental management programmes. Argues that by overcoming these barriers, organizations can move along an environmental performance curve, consisting of phases involving adjustment to regulatory and market realities; adaptation and anticipation of emerging issues; and innovation in achieving economically and environmentally sustainable performance through change programmes involving internal and external elements.
Manipulating the electricity power market via jamming the price signaling in smart grid

While enhancing the efficiency and agility to the power system, the communication infrastructure in smart grid also incurs vulnerabilities to the reliability of the power market and power grid. A novel attacking scheme is proposed, in which an attacker jams the signaling of power price and then ceases jamming when the power price has been significantly changed. The power users jammed by the attacker will make a rapid response to the changed power price, whose change direction can be predicted by the attacker. Then, the attacker can manipulate the price in the power market and thus makes profit. The abrupt change of power consumption will also cause a significant impact on the power grid stability. The effect of such an attack will be discussed both analytically and numerically. A countermeasure for this attack is also proposed.
Has inventory management in the US become more efficient and flexible? A macroeconomic perspective

Abstract This paper examines the seeming eradication of evidence for improved inventory management since the early 1980s suggested by the aggregate data in the January 1993 revision of the Bureau of Economic Analysis' inventory and sales estimates for US manufacturing and trade. It analyzes inventory-sales (output, orders) ratios at the published level of detail to determine whether at least some components continue to show clear evidence of increased long-run efficiency after 1982. Further, it investigates three other potential avenues of improved inventory management: greater “cyclical flexibility” (adjusting of inventory levels more fully to cyclical peaks and troughs); faster adjustment to near-term desired levels; and diminished buffer stock behavior. For each aspect and each inventory component, several indicators are examined (jointly) to assess the evidence for improved management. The incidence of positive assessments is then viewed across components to judge their overall role. Substantial evidence for improved long-run efficiency is largely confined to materials and work-in-process inventories in certain manufacturing industries; rising inventory-sales ratios for other components, centered in retail trade, are offsetting elements. Significantly greater cyclical flexibility and faster speeds of adjustment are more widespread, although again centered in manufacturing. There is virtually no evidence of diminished buffer stock behavior.
Can Non-full-probability Internet Surveys Yield Useful Data? A Comparison with Full-probability Face-to-face Surveys in the Domain of Race and Social Inequality Attitudes:

The authors investigate the potential utility of Web-based surveys of non-full-probabilistically sampled respondents for social science research. Specifically, they compare demographic, attitude re...
Forward error correction and design of spread spectrum based multiple access networks

Spread spectrum technology is a natural choice for use in wireless multiple access networks. This paper addresses the problem of performance evaluation and design of spread spectrum based multiple access networks when forward error correction is employed. Although the use of forward error correction increases the probability of a transmission being received successfully, the effective throughput is decreased due to the increased number of redundant bits that are needed. Using an equilibrium point analysis we develop approximations for performance measures of interest. Asymptotic approximations that require reduced computational effort are also developed. We characterize the interaction between key system parameters and determine the amount of forward error correction that should be provided. Trade-offs involved in designing spread spectrum based multiple access networks that are stable and deliver high throughput while maintaining minimal delays are highlighted. Extensive numerical results are presented in the paper.
A new diagnostic system for psychiatry.

The objective of this work is to apply theoretical concepts from system theories to psychiatry, and formulate a novel diagnostic system that will combine the advantages of descriptive diagnosis and biopsychosocial diagnosis in psychiatry. Biopsychosocial factors and symptoms of mental disorders are described as instabilities and perturbations in a system (i.e. the nervous system). The author reviews certain basic concepts from system theories and applies them to clinical concepts in psychiatry. Biopsychosocial factors are perceived as agitators of organization in the nervous system, and symptoms are described as emergent properties out of these perturbations. A profile of biopsychosocial factors is plotted to correlate with a profile of perturbations and their related symptoms. This agitator versus perturbation mapping is advantageous as a diagnostic system for psychiatry. The proposed diagnostic system is of value in dealing with the clinical complexity of mental disorders, has a potential for increasing predictive validity in psychiatry, and may contribute to etiological brain research of mental disorders.
Income distribution, demand structure and employment: The case of Peru

The present growth process of Peru is characterized by a relatively low rate of labour absorption in the modem firms (together with growing urbanization and urban under‐employmenf). This fact, which is common in underdeveloped countries, has been usually attributed to factor market imperfections and/or imported technology. This study attempts to estimate empirically the hypothesis that the rate of industrial employment may also be influenced by the demand structure which is associated with the existing income distribution profile in Peru. The result is that income transfers from the rich to the poor would increase industrial employment. This ‘redistribution effect’ is not remarkably high, however. For example, a 3 per cent increase in industrial employment would require a selective redistribution of 6 per cent of Peru's national income.
Sensitivity to Sensoriprocessing, Self-Discrepancy, and Emotional Reactivity of Collegiate Athletes:

This study investigated how differences between athletes who scored low and high on sensoriprocessing sensitivity apply self-discrepancies and emotional reactions to competitive sporting events. Tw...
An analysis of the physical properties of peptides that influence the pigeon cytochrome c specific T lymphocyte response.

Abstract The ability to modify T cell responses was analyzed using synthetic peptide analogues of the T cell determinant for pigeon cytochrome c . Although the B10.A T cell proliferative response is directed to residues 95–104, residues to the amino-terminal side of this determinant influence antigen-specific T cell recognition. The proposed role of this non-determinant leader sequence has been to stabilize the core determinant in a helical conformation. Previous studies from our laboratory, however, using non-native leader sequences, have demonstrated that factors other than conformational stabilization are responsible for the modulated recognition of the core determinant. In the studies presented here, we investigated the role of the leader sequence using synthetic analogues that contained the core determinant, residues 95–104, and various seven residue non-native leader sequences that were designed to examine the changes to T cell recognition invoked when the determinant was made more or less helical, amphipathic, or lipid binding in character than the native determinant. The structure of each analogue in aqueous, non-polar (TFE) and lipid environments was determined by circular dichroism. The ability of each antigen analogue to bind to phospholipid membranes and to stimulate two different pigeon cytochrome c T cell hybridomas, 2B4 and 22.D11, was also investigated. Our findings suggest that neither helicity or amphipathicity are necessary features of T cell recognition but that electrostatic interactions involving either the lipid membrane or the I-E k molecule may influence T cell stimulation.
Characterization of the cellulose-degrading bacterium NCIMB 10462

The gram-negative cellulase-producing bacterium NCIMB 10462 has been previously namedPseudomonas fluorescens subsp. or var.cellulosa. Because of renewed interest in cellulose-degrading bacteria for use in the bioconversion of cellulose to chemical feed stocks and fuels, we re-examined the characteristics of this microorganism to determine its true metabolic potential. Metabolic and physical characterization of NCIMB 10462 revealed that this is an alkalophilic, nonfermentative, gram-negative, oxidase-positive, motile, cellulose-degrading bacterium. The aerobic substrate utilization profile of this bacterium has few characteristics consistent with a classification ofP. fluorescens and a very low probability match with the genusSphingomonas. However, total lipid analysis did not reveal that any sphingo-lipid bases are produced by this bacterium. NCIMB 10462 grows best aerobically, but also grows well in complex media under reducing conditions. NCIMB 10462 grows slowly under anaerobic conditions on complex media, but growth on cellulosic media occurred only under aerobic conditions. Total fatty acid analysis (MIDI) of NCIMB 10462 failed to group this bacterium with a known pseudomonas species. However, fatty acid analysis of the bacteria when grown at temperatures below 37°C suggest that the organism is a pseudomonad. Since a predominant characteristic of this bacterium is its ability to degrade cellulose, we suggest that it be calledPseudomonas cellulosa.
Mesolimbic Neuronal Activity across Behavioral States

A goal of neurophysiology of the mesolimbic system is to determine the activity patterns within the regions in the prefrontal cortex, ventral neostriatum, and amygdala that regulate behavioral patterns to seek rewards. A new technology has been introduced in which arrays of microwires are implanted in different brain regions while activity patterns of ensembles of neurons are recorded for long periods of time during freely moving behaviors. Multichannel instrumentation and software is used for data acquisition and analysis. An initial hypothesis was that neural signals would be encountered in the nucleus accumbens and associated regions specifically related to reward. However, an initial study of neural activity and behavioral patterns during a simple lever press for intravenous cocaine (1 mg/kg) revealed that phasic excitatory or inhibitory neural activity patterns often appear prior to the reward phase. Individual neurons throughout the mesolimbic system appear to code information specific to sensory and motor events, tones, or lever presses in the chain of tasks leading to all rewards so far studied. Different spatial temporal patterns also appear within the same neural populations, as reward is changed from injected cocaine to heroin, from ingested pure water to ethanol in water or sucrose. Overall, patterns of activity for each neuron are found to shift dynamically during the operant task as changes are made in the target reward. Significant shifts in activity of mesolimbic neurons that are unrelated to specific sensory-motor events also appear during complex sessions, such as during a bout of ethanol consumption to reach satiation or during progressive ratio tasks with increasing difficulty. An emerging hypothesis is that some candidate neural elements in the mesolimbic system code the anticipated reward, whereas others serve internal logic functions of motivation that mediate extinction or resumption of specific goal-directed behaviors.
DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES IN PERFLUBRON UPTAKE INTO THE BLOOD DURING TIDAL LIQUID VENTILATION (TLV) IN THE IMMATURE LAMB. † 1310

Tidal liquid ventilation (TLV) with perfluorochemical liquids (PFC) has been shown to provide effective gas exchange in term and preterm lambs with respiratory failure. PFCs have very low surface tensions and have high respiratory gas solubilities. It is these physical characteristics that make PFC an ideal media with which to support gas exchange in the stiff, noncompliant lungs characteristic of Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome(IRDS). Although PFC is bioinert, nontoxic, and nonbiotransformable, a small quantity does cross into the blood. To determine if there is a developmental difference in PFC uptake in an animal model which resembles the cardiopulmonary development of human neonates currently receiving PFC therapy, 2 groups of premature lambs [Gr 1: 111 ±.23 days; n=6) and Gr 2: 123±.95 days; n=6)] were delivered by caesarean section, anesthetized, paralyzed, tracheotomized, placed on a time-cycled, pressure-limited tidal liquid ventilator, and ventilated with perflubron (Liquivent®: Alliance Pharm. Corp.) for 4 hours. Ventilation was modulated to maintain physiologic blood gases. Blood PFC content was determined by headspace analysis using an electron capture detector gas chromatograph on samples taken in utero, every 15 mins up to 1 hour, and every 30 mins to 4 hrs. These data were compared to that of previously evaluated term lambs (Pediatr Res (37): A1414). Results in μgm/gm (mean ± SE) are presented below:Table These data demonstrate that very minute (all values < 10μgm/gm) but different (*p<.01) quantities cross into the blood of the immature lamb following tidal liquid ventilation. The mean over 4 hrs for Gr 1, Gr 2, and the term lambs were 4.31 ±.29, 6.97±.36, and 7.35 ±.36, respectively, showing comparable levels in term and preterm blood perflubron content. These data suggest that even in the presence of high lung permeability of prematurity, perflubron blood content does not exceed that of a normal, term newborn lamb.(Supp by AlliancePharm Corp,R29HD26341)
Long-term follow-up and tomographic assessment of an intrabony defect treated with enamel matrix derivative.

Background: Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) has an extensive documentation of use in the treatment of periodontal defects. Digital volume tomography (DVT) has been in use in dental medicine since the late 1990s, with a major advantage of decreased radiation and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional computed tomography (CT). To the best of our knowledge, there is no peer-reviewed report documenting long-term tomographic assessment of an intrabony defect treated with EMD alone.Methods: In this case report, we document the long-term response of an isolated intrabony defect treated with flap surgery plus EMD and monitored for 30 months with a DVT scan. We also compare clinical and radiographic findings for the defect at 7 and 30 months postoperatively.Results: With regenerative treatment, significant improvements in probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were observed both short and long term. No recession occurred, and papillary heights were maintained through...
Corybantic: towards the modular composition of SDN control programs

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) promises to enable vigorous innovation, through separation of the control plane from the data plane, and to enable novel forms of network management, through a controller that uses a global view to make globally-valid decisions. The design of SDN controllers creates novel challenges; much previous work has focused on making them scalable, reliable, and efficient.However, prior work has ignored the problem that multiple controller functions may be competing for resources (e.g., link bandwidth or switch table slots). Our Corybantic design supports modular composition of independent controller modules, which manage different aspects of the network while competing for resources. Each module tries to optimize one or more objective functions; we address the challenge of how to coordinate between these modules to maximize the overall value delivered by the controllers' decisions, while still achieving modularity.
Video Guidance Sensor for automated capture

The paper describes a video-based sensor, the Video Guidance Sensor, which has been developed for use in automated docking systems or for automated capture with robotic systems. The sensor itself consists of several basic components: IR diode illuminators, a solid-state camera, a frame grabber, and a microprocessor. The target consists of three circular retroreflectors evenly spaced in a line with the middle reflector mounted on a short pole. Each retroreflector has a narrow bandpass optical filter in front of it. From this sensor and target configuration, the positions and attitudes of the target relative to the sensor can be determined. The position information can be differenced to with respect to time in order to obtain the relative positional and angular velocities. That information is sufficient to perform automated docking, berthing, or capture. The paper gives details of the sensor's make-up, including accuracies, noise characteristics, and operating ranges.
Somatomedin-Like Effects of Biologically Active Bovine Growth Hormone Fragments

Two fragments of bovine GH, obtained by dissociation of a limited tryptic digest of the hormone, were examined for several activities which have been associated with somatomedin. The activities evaluated were: 1) the in vitro uptake of [35S]sulfate and [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of cartilage segments of hypophysectomized rats and 2) the competition with [125I]iodo-insulin for insulin-binding sites of a particulate human placental membrane preparation. The smaller fragment, A-II, stimulated sulfation and DNA synthesis, and competed with insulin. The larger fragment, A-I, at a concentration of 1 × 10-7 M, enhanced DNA synthesis but did not affect sulfate uptake. A-I competed with insulin but not as effectively as A-II. Bovine GH, at the concentrations tested, did not affect sulfation or DNA synthesis. It did compete with insulin binding but not as effectively as A-II. The in vitro responses observed with both A-I and A-II were not parallel to those found with normal human serum, nor was the overal...
SELF‐ASSESSMENT OF REASONING SKILLS

The general aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of self-assessing thinking/reasoning skills and to provide information about the psychometric properties of one instrument designed to self-assess these skills. This objective was accomplished by examining the relationship of the self-assessment to cognitive measures of reasoning skills. A sample of Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General Test takers (n = 342) completed a battery of reasoning tests along with a 20-item self-assessment of thinking skills, which had been developed empirically on the basis of a survey of graduate faculty. The results revealed only weak relations (rs in the .20s) between the self-assessment and cognitive test scores. Possible reasons are proposed for the lack of any strong relation.
Pharmacokinetics of ezlopitant, a novel non-peptidic neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist in preclinical species and metabolite kinetics of the pharmacologically active metabolites.

The pharmacokinetics of ezlopitant were determined in the rat, gerbil, guinea pig, ferret, dog and monkey after intravenous and oral administration. In general, ezlopitant is marked by high clearance values that approach or exceed hepatic blood flow values, moderate to high values for steady-state volume of distribution (3.9–28 L/kg), and terminal phase half-life values ranging from 0.6 h in the guinea pig to 7.7 h in the rat. Oral bioavailability ranged from <0.2% (guinea pig) to 28% (dog). Data from portal vein cannulated dogs suggested that 37% of an oral dose of ezlopitant enters the portal vein as an unchanged drug in this species. Ezlopitant is metabolized to two pharmacologically active metabolites, an alkene (CJ-12 458) and a benzyl alcohol (CJ-12 764). After administration of the parent compound, CJ-12 764 was found in greater abundance than CJ-12 458 in all species examined. Ezlopitant and CJ-12 458 were highly protein bound in plasma (or serum), whereas the protein binding of CJ-12 764 was somewhat lower. Measurement of the kinetics of ezlopitant, CJ-12 458 and CJ-12 764 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs demonstrated that all three compounds can partition into the CSF, and thereby, be capable of contributing to centrally mediated pharmacological effects. Thus, these data suggest that the pharmacological activity exhibited by ezlopitant in preclinical species in vivo is likely a result of the parent compound plus the active metabolites. Furthermore, the contributions of ezlopitant and the active metabolites to pharmacological activity probably varies with the identity of the model species, as well as the dose and route of ezlopitant administration. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.