cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Improvements to the GOES Microburst Products

Abstract The downburst is defined as a strong downdraft produced by a deep convective storm that induces strong or damaging winds on or near the earth's surface. Because of the intense wind shear they produce, downbursts are a hazard to aircraft in flight, especially during takeoff and landing phases. Retrieved profiles of temperature and moisture obtained from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) sounders have been shown to be useful in assessing the potential for convective downbursts. Sounder-derived parameters examined in this paper include the wind index (WINDEX), used to estimate maximum wind gusts; a dry microburst index (DMI), used to estimate dry microburst potential; and maximum theta-e deficit (TeD), used to estimate wet microburst potential. Currently under development is a new wet microburst index that will summarize the physical processes of convective storm development and downburst generation to quantify the potential severity of convective wind gusts. The experimen...
Advanced Boundary Element Analysis of Three-Dimensional Elastic Solids with Fiber Reinforcements

An advanced boundary element methodology for the analysis of three-dimensional fiber-reinforced elastic solids using the concept of fiber elements has been presented in this paper as an extension of the earlier work of Banerjee and co-workers. The previous simplified formulation was based on the assumption that the Poisson ratios of the matrix and the fiber are equal. However, this may not be a valid assumption for all values of elastic stiffness ratios and fiber to matrix volume ratios. Moreover, such restrictions do not allow for any future extensions to nonlinear analysis. Also, because of limiting computing power available at that time, their implementation was restricted to only a small number of fiber elements in a given analysis. The new algorithm proposed in this work does not make any such assumptions. In this algorithm, the fibers are semianalytically integrated and the resulting equations are back-substituted into the equations for the composite matrix without any further approximation. The present work has been implemented in a general purpose multiregion boundary element computer program and is capable of handling very large numbers of fiber elements in a given analysis. Several numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed method of fiber composite analysis and its applicability is demonstrated via practical engineering problems.
Reactions of dehydrodiferulates with ammonia.

Lignocellulosic materials derived from forages and agricultural residues are potential sustainable resources for production of bioethanol or other liquid biofuels. However, the natural recalcitrance of such materials to enzymatic hydrolysis is a major obstacle in their efficient utilization. In grasses, much of the recalcitrance is associated with ferulate cross-linking in the cell wall, i.e., with polysaccharide–polysaccharide cross-linking that results from ferulate dehydrodimerization or with lignin–polysaccharide cross-linking that results from the incorporation of (polysaccharide-bound) ferulates or diferulates into lignin, mainly via free-radical coupling reactions. Many pretreatment methods have been developed to address recalcitrance, with ammonia pretreatments in general, and the AFEX (Ammonia Fiber Expansion) process in particular, among the more promising methods. In order to understand the polysaccharide liberating reactions involved in the cleavage of diferulate cell wall cross-links during AFEX pretreatment, reaction products from five esters modeling the major diferulates in grass cell walls treated under AFEX-like conditions were separated and characterized by NMR and HR-MS. Results from this study indicate that, beyond the anticipated amide products, a range of degradation products derive from an array of cleavage and substitution reactions, and reveal various pathways for incorporating ammonia-based nitrogen into biomass.
Vegetation Similarity and Avifaunal Food Value of Restored and Natural Marshes in Northern New York

Measuring the success of wetland restoration efforts requires an assessment of the wetland plant community as it changes following restoration. But analyses of restored wetlands often include plant community data from only one time period. We studied the development of plant communities at 13 restored marshes in northern New York for 4 years, including 1 year prior to restoration and 3 years afterwards. Restored wetlands ranged in size from 0.23 to 1.70 ha. Four reference wetlands of similar basin morphology, soil type, and size (0.29-0.48 ha) that occurred naturally in the same area were studied as comparisons. Dike construction to restore hydrology disturbed the existing vegetation in some parts of the restored sites, and vegetation was monitored in both disturbed and undisturbed areas. Undisturbed areas within the restored sites, which were dominated by upland field grasses before restoration, developed wetland plant communities with lower wetland index values but comparable numbers of wetland plant species than the reference wetlands, and they lagged behind the reference sites in terms of total wetland plant cover. There were significantly more plant species valuable as food sources for wetland birds, and a significantly higher percent cover of these species, at the undisturbed areas of the restored sites than at the reference wetlands. Areas of the restored sites that were disturbed by dike construction, however, often developed dense, monospecific cattail stands. In general, the plant communities at restored sites became increasingly similar to those at the reference wetlands over time, but higher numbers of herbaceous plants developed at the restored sites, including food plants for waterfowl, rails, and songbirds. Differences in shrub cover will probably lessen as natural recolonization increases shrub cover at the restored sites. Natural recolonization appears to be an effective technique for restoring wetlands on abandoned agricultural fields with established plant cover, but it is less successful in areas where soil has been exposed by construction activity.
Sex Selection and the Procreative Liberty Framework

The practice of sex selection for social reasons has raised serious criticism. Advocates of this practice, however, insist that objections to it are un- founded and that legal bans are ethically unjustified. Usually, proponents use a rights-based liberal approach as the framework to evaluate this practice. Under this framework, reproductive choice is a basic freedom and interference with individuals' autonomous reproductive choices is illegitimate, unless their actions are shown to seriously harm others. As persuasive as this framework might be in relation to many aspects of reproduction, I argue that it is inappropriate when dealing with sex selection for social purposes.
Usefulness of epoprostenol therapy in the severely ill adolescent/adult with Eisenmenger physiology.

We showed that in selected severely impaired and symptomatic patients with Eisenmenger physiology, IV-PGI 2 therapy can significantly improve functional capacity, oxygen saturation, and cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. The long-term effects of this agent on morbidity and survival for this population, as well as its complications, remain unknown. A larger controlled prospective multicentered trial should be performed for patients with Eisenmenger physiology who fail conventional therapy and are at the highest risk for significant morbidity and early mortality.
Recent advances in mercury removal technology at the National Energy Technology Laboratory

Abstract The in-house research effort on mercury studies at the National Energy Technology Laboratory is an integrated, multi-task approach, including experimentation at both the laboratory-scale and the pilot-scale, as well as a numerical modeling effort to aid in interpretation of pilot-scale results. In the laboratory-scale work, novel sorbents and techniques for the removal of mercury from flue gas are being investigated using a small packed-bed reactor. The reactor system is used to screen novel sorbents for their capability to remove mercury from gas streams. The capacities of these novel sorbents are determined as a function of gas composition and temperature and are compared to results with commercially available activated carbons. In the pilot-scale work, an existing pilot unit has been characterized with respect to the distribution and fate of hazardous air pollutants in flue gas, with an emphasis on mercury. The pilot unit is a 500-lb/h (227-kg/h) pulverized coal-fired (PCFC) combustion system that includes a furnace, air preheater, spray dryer, ductwork and a pulse-jet fabric filter. The investigations with this unit have entailed evaluation of various activated carbons and novel sorbents, as well as comparisons of various sampling techniques for the determination of total and speciated forms of mercury. The impact of various parameters (temperature, sorbent-to-mercury ratio, baghouse pressure drop) on the removal of mercury has been investigated. Additionally, a slipstream allows for the investigation of sorbent injection in a fly ash-free flue gas over a wide range of operating conditions, including residence time. A summary of the results for mercury measurement and control from the 500-lb/h (227-kg/h) PCFC combustion system will be presented, as well as the evaluation of methods for measurement of in-duct removals using the slipstream. Finally, a discussion of the numerical modeling effort will be given.
Substituted pyridylmethylamide ligands and their zinc complexes

Abstract Mononuclear zinc complexes of a family of pyridylmethylamide ligands abbreviated as HL, HLPh, HLMe3, HLPh3, and MeLSMe [HL = N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide; HLPh = 2-phenyl-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide; HLMe3 = 2,2-dimethyl-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)propionamide; HLPh3 = 2,2,2-triphenyl-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide; MeLSMe = N-methyl-2-methylsulfanyl-N-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-acetamide] were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically and by single crystal X-ray structural analysis. The reaction of zinc(II) salts with the HL ligands yielded complexes [Zn(HL)2(OTf)2] (1), [Zn(HL)2(H2O)](ClO4)2 (2), [Zn(HLPh3)2(H2O)](ClO4)2 (3), [Zn(HLPh)Cl2] (4), [Zn(HLMe3)Cl2] (5), and [Zn(MeLSMe)Cl2] (6). The complexes are either four-, five- or six-coordinate, encompassing a variety of geometries including tetrahedral, square-pyramidal, trigonal-bipyramidal, and octahedral.
Non-Arrhenius diffusional behavior and high-field nuclear spin relaxation in crystals

In terms of Eisenstadt and Redfield's encounter model, the dipolar pair correlation functions associated with two point-defect mechanisms of self-diffusion in cubic crystals assumed to rearrange the nuclear spins simultaneously, are calculated. As a special case, the correlation functions for a single correlated self-diffusion mechanism presented earlier are obtained. Also, assuming random nearest-neighbor jumps of the atoms arranged in a crystal lattice, the random-walk correlation functions of Torrey, Eisenstadt and Redfield, Sholl, and the present author are included in the limit of uncorrelated self-diffusion. Starting from the Fourier-transform relations between the nuclear spin relaxation rates and the dipolar pair correlation functions, the high-field relaxation properties due to two point-defect mechanisms are analyzed in the temperature region where the related Arrhenius plot shows a curvature. For the simultaneous self-diffusion via mono- and divacancies in fcc and bcc single crystals, it is found that the orientation dependences of the high-field relaxation rates are not much affected by a change of the dominant diffusion mechanism. However, the effect of different activation energies and attempt frequencies assumed to characterize the two mechanisms results in asymmetric shapes of the ${T}_{1}$ and ${T}_{1\ensuremath{\rho}}$ minimum as a function of temperature. It is illustrated how these phenomena allow one to determine both self-diffusion mechanisms involved if the related ${T}_{1}$ and (or) ${T}_{1\ensuremath{\rho}}$ minimum may be studied experimentally in the temperature region where the dominant self-diffusion mechanism changes, i.e., where the corresponding Arrhenius plot exhibits a curvature.
Congenital pyloric stenosis as a factor predisposing to the ulcer syndrome.

Summary In order to study whether peptic ulcer and gastritis occur more frequently in individuals with previous congenital pyloric stenosis than in others, the author has questioned 95 individuals (73 men and 22 women) between the ages of 25 and 45, who had all in early infancy been treated medically for cong. pyl. sten. in a children's hospital. Information was thus obtained on the present and previous states of health of the individuals, especially on possible dyspeptic complaints. Similarly a control group of 100 non-selected hospitalized patients (77 men and 23 women) between the ages of 25 and 51 were questioned. In the starting series it was found that 28 per cent had gastritis or peptic ulcer against 12 per cent in the control group. Adults with previous cong. pyl. sten. thus presented a higher incidence of gastritis and peptic ulcer than the control group. In addition, the investigation revealed a considerably higher incidence of gastritis and peptic ulcer among the parents and siblings of the questioned subjects in the starting series than among the corresponding relatives in the control group.
Are gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists losing popularity? Current trends at a large fertility center.

Objective To explore the long- and short-term trends in LH-suppression protocol use and patient profile characteristics. Design Descriptive study, retrospective cohort. Setting Large, university-based IVF center. Patient(s) Four thousand five hundred one fresh IVF cycles categorized by use of GnRH antagonist, luteal GnRH agonist, and follicular microdose GnRH agonist. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Frequency of use of LH-suppression protocol, patient and cycle characteristics, and outcomes at 10-year (1996–2005), 5-year (2001–5), and 3-year intervals (2004–6). Result(s) In both the Conclusion(s) The target population for GnRH antagonist has broadened to include younger, normal responders in addition to the traditional poor responder. Luteal agonist and microdose protocols are chosen less frequently and remain targeted toward good and poor responders, respectively.
Adiabatic Excitation Using sin2 Amplitude and cos2 Frequency Modulation Functions

Abstract A new pair of amplitude and frequency modulation functions for use in adiabatic excitation is proposed. The functions arise naturally out of a general treatment of optimized adiabatic pulses undertaken previously. The performance of this new pulse scheme, defined with respect to power requirements and insensitivity to large variations in RF field and resonance offset, is evaluated theoretically and confirmed by experiment. The functions perform exceptionally well compared to previously used modulation functions, including the optimized functions. Moreover, the functions are extremely simple and easy to implement. The notation employed illuminates the connection between adiabatic and composite pulses and allows the current results to be compared directly with previous analyses of RF-insensitive pulses.
Usability Heuristics Validation through Empirical Evidences: A Touchscreen-Based Mobile Devices Proposal

Usability is a main issue which definitely affects the quality and success of any interactive product. Touchscreen-based mobile devices are very popular nowadays, the development of new devices and related applications is demanded by users around the world. These new products should be designed following a user-centered approach, which require systematic usability evaluations. In this paper, we present the validation of a new set of usability heuristics for touchscreen-based mobile devices, through experiments.
On dispersion and Markov constants

and put D({x,})=lim supN NdN. In particular he carried out investigations of sequences of the form x ,=n0(mod l) for irrational O's. For such a 0 he defined the dispersion constant by D(O)=D({nO(mod 1)}). It turns out that D(0)<o~ if and only if the continued fraction expansion of 0 has bounded partial quotients. Moreover if 01 and 02 are equivalent, then D(01)=D(0~). (Two numbers are called equivalent if their continued fraction expansions coincide from some point on.) He also shows that if 3 is equivalent to 01=(1 +(5-)/2 then D(0)=(5+3 [~) /10= =1.170..., if 0 is equivalent to ~2=]/2then D(~)=(1+~-2)/2=1.207... and if 0 is not equivalent to either 01 or 02 then D(O)~3-V3-=l .257 .... Thus the dispersion spectrum D, i.e. the set of all possible values of D(0), contains gaps. Niederreiter also identifies another gap in D: ((1 + ]/3)/2, (13 + 7 ]/]'3)/26) = (1.365..., 1.470...). All this suggests an analogy with Lagrange (or Markov) constants and Lagrange spectrum. For each irrational 3 the Lagrange (or Markov) constant is defined by
The economics of information: An exposition

The study of information as a choice variable has been given much more weight by disciplines other than economics. This paper tries to lay out the essential economic characteristics of information as an economic commodity. It discusses the reasons why usual market analysis fails and some of the problems that information creates for industrial structure. It is the treatment of information as a variable and its implications for economic behavior that needs further analysis. This is done by giving a formal statement of the role of information in economic decisions based on the use of information and applying it to specific forms of payoff and cost functions. That in many cases information is about rates leads to the conclusion that the value of new technical information is related to the scale of operation. Once information has been obtained its transmission is easy. Therefore it is difficult to make information into property and the incentives to create it will be lacking. In general the analysis shows that the special properties of information as an economic good have strong implications for the very role and meaning of the firm.
Effects of a Personal Safety Program on Preschoolers' Knowledge, Skills, and Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse

This study examined preschoolers' knowledge, skills, and perceptions of child sexual abuse. Seventy-five preschoolers were pretested, randomly assigned to participate in either a personal safety program or a general safety control program, and then posttested. The personal safety program produced significant gains in knowledge and skills thought to be useful in helping children avoid sexual victimization. Program participants improved significantly in their abilities to recognize abuse, respond in potentially abusive situations (say “no,” get away), report secret touching, and remember key concepts (e.g., that abuse is never a child's fault). The program did not, however, affect participants' perceptions of the age and gender of perpetrators or the gender of the victims, the relationship between victims and perpetrators, or the possibility of abuse recurrence. The program did not make children suspicious of innocuous touches, nor did it affect negatively their views on normal sexual behavior. The advantag...
What is Postmetaphysics? Zabala on the Question of Being

This essay offers a critical assessment of Santiago Zabala's recent book, The Remains of Being: Hermeneutic Ontology After Metaphysics, with the intent of bringing to light Zabala's most provocative claims about hermeneutics, post-Heideggerian ontology, and the future of philosophy in the postmetaphysical epoch. After reflecting on the aims (section II) and structure of Zabala's book (section III), the essay attempts to make clear certain tensions that emerge from Zabala's basic terminology—specifically, the "remains" and "remnants" of Being—with respect to the "subjective" interpretation of Being Zabala defends (section IV). The paper concludes (section V) by pressing Zabala for a more thoroughgoing defense of his most ambitious claims about the primacy of hermeneutics in postmetaphysical thought, particularly regarding his reading of Heidegger's works.
Supporting document organization and security in distributed collaborative authoring systems through the use of collaborations

Most traditional collaborative authoring tools offer some degree of document security and concurrency control. Document security is usually accomplished by allowing users to maintain private windows and to assign private ownership to files, perhaps through operating system mechanisms. Shared portions of a document can be manipulated through shared windows. Some form of concurrency control, such as a locking mechanism, is usually used to provide editors of a shared document with a consistent view of the document. However, few implementations focus on providing security for a document produced by a limited group of collaborators. Instead, these systems provide access to either the owner, or everyone. This paper discusses an organizational paradigm known the Collaboration. Collaborations facilitate group organization, document security, and concurrency control, not through major changes in the operating system or through the introduction of new network protocols, but instead, through features already present in the UNIX operating system and existing network protocols. This paper will also briefly discuss how the Distributed Collaborative Writing Aid (DCWA), a prototype groupware suite, uses the Collaboration paradigm to accomplish these goals.
Infusion of the GABAergic antagonist bicuculline into the medial septal area does not block the impairing effects of systemically administered midazolam on inhibitory avoidance retention.

This experiment investigated the effect of intraseptal administration of the GABAergic antagonist bicuculline methiodide on benzodiazepine-induced amnesia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with cannula aimed at the medial septal area and allowed to recover for 1 week. Ten minutes prior to training in a continuous multiple trial inhibitory avoidance task, buffer solution or bicuculline methiodide (56 or 100 pmol/0.5 μl) was injected into the medial septal area. This infusion was immediately followed by systemic (ip) administration of saline or midazolam (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg). In comparison with saline controls, animals given the higher dose of midazolam (3.0 mg/kg), required more trials to reach acquisition criterion (remaining in the starting chamber for 100 s). This midazolam-induced acquisition deficit was blocked by an intraseptal infusion of bicuculline methiodide (100 pmol). On a 48-h retention test the performance of animals given either dose of midazolam was significantly impaired relative to vehicle controls: Furthermore, although intraseptal infusion of bicuculline methiodide prior to systemic injection of midazolam blocked the midazolam-induced acquisition impairment, bicuculline did not block the midazolam-induced retention impairment. These results suggest that although the medial septal area may be involved in midazolam-induced acquisition deficits, this area is not a critical site of action for benzodiazepine-induced effects on inhibitory avoidance retention.
Arf4 Is Required for Mammalian Development but Dispensable for Ciliary Assembly

The primary cilium is a sensory organelle, defects in which cause a wide range of human diseases including retinal degeneration, polycystic kidney disease and birth defects. The sensory functions of cilia require specific receptors to be targeted to the ciliary subdomain of the plasma membrane. Arf4 has been proposed to sort cargo destined for the cilium at the Golgi complex and deemed a key regulator of ciliary protein trafficking. In this work, we show that Arf4 binds to the ciliary targeting sequence (CTS) of fibrocystin. Knockdown of Arf4 indicates that it is not absolutely required for trafficking of the fibrocystin CTS to cilia as steady-state CTS levels are unaffected. However, we did observe a delay in delivery of newly synthesized CTS from the Golgi complex to the cilium when Arf4 was reduced. Arf4 mutant mice are embryonic lethal and die at mid-gestation shortly after node formation. Nodal cilia appeared normal and functioned properly to break left-right symmetry in Arf4 mutant embryos. At this stage of development Arf4 expression is highest in the visceral endoderm but we did not detect cilia on these cells. In the visceral endoderm, the lack of Arf4 caused defects in cell structure and apical protein localization. This work suggests that while Arf4 is not required for ciliary assembly, it is important for the efficient transport of fibrocystin to cilia, and also plays critical roles in non-ciliary processes.
Assessing aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Antarctic fish captured near palmer and McMurdo Stations, Antarctica

Since little is known about the effects of contaminants on Antarctic organisms, the effects of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on Antarctic fish were evaluated. Fish captured near Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula exhibited induced ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities and elevated concentrations of biliary PAH metabolites compared to fish from control sites. Naphthalene and phenanthrene PAH metabolite levels were significantly higher in the bile of fish captured near McMurdo Station than in fish from remote sites in McMurdo Sound. Laboratory experiments were conducted in which Notothenia gibberifrons were treated with benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and diesel fuel Arctic (DFA). Although DFA is composed primarily of 2- and 3-ring PAH which are not known to be potent CYPIA inducers, the maximal hepatic EROD activity of DFA-treated fish was approximately 80% of that observed in BaP-treated fish. Additionally, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) were determined for hepatic extracts of laboratory-dosed and field-captured fish using rat hepatoma H4IIE cell bioassays. The TEQ values of H4IIE cells dosed with hepatic extracts of DFA-treated fish correlated more closely with hepatic concentrations of 3-ring and >3-ring PAH than with 2-ring and ΣPAH concentrations. However, bioassay-derived TEQs were higher than expected based on the measured levels of ≥3-ring PAH in the hepatic extracts of DFA-treated fish. The TEQs for hepatic tissue extracts of BaP-treated fish paralleled tissue concentrations of PAH. The TEQs for field captured fish were significantly lower than those derived from dosed fish extracts.
A note on limitations of a certain creep function used in practice

The creep function of Aleksandrovskii, widely used in some parts of the world, is compared to long-range creep test data available in the literature, using computer optimization techniques. It is found that this creep function is inherently incapable of modeling creep for large creep durations and high ages at stress application.
Pursuing the Enemies of Freedom: Religion in the Persuasive Rhetoric of the Bush Administration

AbstractThis paper will explore President George W. Bush's State of the Union and Inaugural Addresses using Stephen Toulmin's method of rhetorical analysis to identify the religious ideology inherent in it and render it as explicit as possible. Toulmin's work provides useful tools for analyzing the internal logic of a persuasive argument by exploring the various elements that constitute this type of rhetorical performance. Focusing carefully on each component in turn, this method is helpful in uncovering internal tensions within the text and elements of the argument that routinely remain implicit. Based on this analysis, the paper will then explore how this ideology reflects an inchoate religious discourse that has come to significantly monopolize public references to religion. Short on consistency and rigorous analysis of its implications, this discourse is far from innocuous. In a world where religion matters, scholars have a responsibility to analyze public religious claims and encourage a well populat...
Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

Concussions have garnered more attention in the medical literature, media, and social media. As such, in the nomenclature according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the term concussion has been supplanted by the term mild traumatic brain injury. Current numbers indicate that 1.7 million TBIs are documented annually, with estimates around 3 million annually (173,285 sports- and recreation-related TBIs among children and adolescents). The Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool 3 and the NFL Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool are commonly used sideline tools.
Novel approach to form and pattern sol–gel polymethylsilsesquioxane-based spin-on glass thin and thick films

Abstract In this paper, the applications of sol–gel materials and process to semiconductor industry are introduced. Based on the sol–gel technique, the spin-on glass (SOG) fabrication techniques to realize thin and thick films are presented hereby. The thin films were patterned by liquid embossing techniques. For thick films, the film thickness can reach more than 200 μm. The whole process is a novel fabrication technique for thick SOG films, which can be performed at very low temperature without using molds. It is excluded from the original thermal deposition techniques required very high temperature or vacuum facilities. Furthermore, the requirement of the sol–gel process for equipments is simple and much less expensive. The desired microstructure can be obtained directly by organic solvent development after deep X-ray lithography (DXRL). Finally, the film structures were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which shows that the films have the same characteristics of the thermal silicon dioxide after DXRL.
Exploration of Metamodeling Sampling Criteria for Constrained Global Optimization

The use of surrogate models or metamodeling has lead to new areas of research in simulation-based design optimization. Metamodeling approaches have advantages over traditional techniques when dealing with the noisy responses and/or high computational cost characteristic of many computer simulations. This paper focuses on a particular algorithm, Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) that uses kriging metamodels. Several infill sampling criteria are reviewed, namely criteria for selecting design points at which the true functions are evaluated. The infill sampling criterion has a strong influence on how efficiently and accurately EGO locates the optimum. Variance-reducing criteria substantially reduce the RMS error of the resulting metamodels, while other criteria influence how locally or globally EGO searches. Criteria that place more emphasis on global searching require more iterations to locate optima and do so less accurately than criteria emphasizing local search.
Terahertz conductivity of rough metallic surfaces

Summary form only given. The terahertz (THz) regime, commonly designated as the frequency region between 300 GHz and 3 THz, is relatively underutilized compared to other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, THz radiation has many potential applications in molecular spectroscopy, communications, medical imaging, and security imaging1.
Carbon sources and signals through time in an Alpine groundwater Basin, Sagehen California

Abstract In 2003, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) apparent ages, major ion chemistry and C isotopes were determined in nine springs from Sagehen Basin, a high elevation watershed in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Springs with similar apparent ages, which ranged between 15 and 45 a, had very similar chemistry despite being found in different areas of the watershed. In agreement with earlier studies, concentrations of rock-derived cations (Ca2+ and Na+), conductivity, temperature and pH increase with apparent age, documenting the chemical evolution of this groundwater system. In contrast with the cation data, δ13C and ΣCO2 show no correlation with apparent age. δ13C displays a strong linear relationship with 1/ΣCO2 (R2 = 0.91). This is consistent with results from a previously developed soil respiration/diffusion model. Spring radiocarbon content ranged between 85 and 110 pmc and varied with apparent age, whereby the youngest groundwater has the highest radiocarbon values. The spring radiocarbon is set by the soil pCO2 and its trend can be best described assuming the soil CO2 is composed of a mixture of 50–66% fast- (15–25 a) and 33–50% slow- (4 ka) cycling components. These results are consistent with previous soil C studies. The C isotope data indicate that in Sagehen Basin the groundwater ΣCO2 is inherited from the soil zone with little, if any, contribution from the dissolution of disseminated calcite.
Cross-Property Connection between Work-Hardening Coefficient and Electrical Resistivity of Stainless Steel During Plastic Deformation

Present paper focuses on the cross-property connection between the changes in electrical resistivity and work hardening coefficient in the process of plastic deformation. The possibility of the cross-property connection is provided by the fact that both quantities are governed by the same parameter - growth of the dislocation density caused by the applied stresses. Experimental measurements on stainless steel 304 are in a good agreement with analytical estimates.
Trade-secret model: potential pitfalls.

In their Policy Forum “Genomics, Biobanks, and the trade-secret model” (15 April, p. [309][1]), R. Mitchell et al. submit that donating genetic samples for medical research is like selling a confidential commodity of potentially lucrative value, warranting individual licensing arrangements to
Stability of entomopathogenic bacteria, Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus luminescens , during in vitro culture

The entomopathogenic nematode-bacteria complexes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora/Photorhabdus luminescens and Steinernema carpocapsae/Xenorhabdus nematophila are mass produced for use as biological insecticides. Stability of the bacterial partner in culture is essential for maintaining traits important for both biological control and production. Two geographically distinct strains of each bacterial species were isolated from their nematode partners and serially subcultured on in vitro media to assess trait stability. Subculturing resulted in a shift to secondary cell production in one P. luminescens strain and both X. nematophila strains within ten in vitro culture cycles. However, when cell phenotypic variation was controlled in X. nematophila strains by regular selection for primary variants, no trait change was detected in the primary variant after prolonged subculture. When P. luminescens cell phenotypic variation was controlled by selection for primary variants, changes in the primary variant of both strains were noted including reductions in cell and inclusion body size and inclusion body prevalence. Bacterial ability to cause lethal infections following injection into the hemocoel of Tenebrio molitor larvae declined by more than half in primary variants of one P. luminescens strain. Conversely, yield was enhanced, with the subcultured P. luminescens strains showing 53.5 and 75.8% increases in primary cell density. Field adapted traits of primary variant P. luminescens strains tend to deteriorate during in vitro culture as tradeoffs for gains in yield. In vitro producers of the P. luminescens/H. bacteriophora complex must weigh the need for superior bacterial yield against the need to preserve traits important for biological control.
Degenerate submanifolds in Semi-Riemannian geometry

Degenerate submanifolds of Semi-Riemannian manifolds are studied. The relation of the Semi-Riemannian structure of a Semi-Riemannian manifold M to the intrinsic singular Semi-Riemannian structure of a degenerate submanifold H in M is investigated. Gauss-Codazzi equations are obtained for a certain class of degenerate submanifolds of Semi-Riemannian manifolds.
A comparison of two RNA isolation methods for double-stranded RNA of infectious bursal disease virus

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), a member of the birnaviridae family, contains a bisegmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome. The segments are linked covalently at 5' termini by a large (90 kDa) viral genomic protein that migrates similar to viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase of IBDV. A proteinase K digestion based approach and acid-guanidium-phenol-chloroform (AGPC) RNA extraction method were used to extract dsRNA of IBDV from infected bursae. After extraction, dsRNA of IBDV was purified by precipitation with lithium chloride. The yield and purity of dsRNA of IBDV extracted by AGPC method was lower than that of proteinase K digestion based approach. This observation correlates with the presence of a genome-linked protein in IBDV. Although dsRNA obtained by both methods are suitable for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of at least up to 1201 base pairs (bp) of cDNA, dsRNA extracted by the proteinase K digestion method is more suitable than that by AGPC method for the amplification of longer fragments (1958 bp) of IBDV cDNA by PCR.
RELATIVE EFFECTS OF FIGHTING ON BOUND AND UNBOUND CORTICOSTERONE IN MICE.

SummaryCirculating corticosterone is almost entirely zinc-precipitable in isolated C57BL/6J (adult male) mice. Mice maintained in isolation except for daily 15-minute exposures to trained fighting mice show a profound increase in circulating corticosterone which is entirely traceable to increases in unbound (non-zinc-precipitable) hormone following fighter-exposure. Mice exposed to the first defeat by a fighter were characterized by more than 24 hours of elevated unbound corticosterone with no alteration in that fraction bound to protein. Adaptation to the experimental situation is rapid since, by the fourth exposure to a fighter, the elevation of unbound hormone lasts less than 3 hours; again, with no change in the level of protein-bound corticosterone.
Continuum effects in Λ-hypernuclei

Abstract Calculations have been performed for the 12 Λ C and 16 Λ O states above Λ-threshold. It is demonstrated that continuum coupling reduces ( K − , π − strength assigned to a specific level. Natural parity states which begin to show some degree of collectivity are broad and become part of the quasi-elastic bump. The stretched states which appear in conventional nuclei also become broad and difficult to be identified experimentally.
Larger domains of disoriented chiral condensate through annealing

Abstract Relativistic heavy ion collisions can generate metastable domains in which the chiral condensate is disoriented. Nucleussizeddomains can yield measurable fluctuations in the number of neutral and charged pions. We propose a scenario in whichdomains are “annealed” by a dynamically evolving effective potential in the heavy ion system. Domains of sizes exceeding3 fm are possible in this scenario.
Effects of dopaminergic drugs on food- and cocaine-maintained responding. IV: continuous cocaine infusions

The effects of cocaine (continuously infused during the session with and without a pre-loading dose) on responding maintained under multiple fixed-ratio 30 schedules of limited access to food and cocaine delivery (10 or 56 μg/kg per injection) were studied in nine rhesus monkeys. When responding was maintained by 10 μg/kg per injection, cocaine decreased rates of cocaine-maintained responding in a dose-related manner while having no effect on food-maintained responding. When responding was maintained by 56 μg/kg per injection, cocaine decreased both cocaine- and food-maintained responding. These results show that the effects of continuous infusions of cocaine depend upon both the unit dose of cocaine and the event that maintains responding. As such, the effects of continuous infusions of cocaine are similar to those of other, longer-acting dopamine agonists. Such results support the development of long-acting agonist approaches to the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of cocaine abuse.
New Challenges for Technical Services in the 21st Century

This paper forecasts changes in library technical services that are being influenced by changes in information technology, telecommunicatons, a transition from mass production to mass customization, and economic pressures. It predicts that technical services librarians will play new roles in organization of the World Wide Web and development of EDI technologies. The complexities of these technologies will require collaboration with other disciplines and with library networks and consortia.
A model study of the effects of intermittent loss on odd nitrogen concentrations in the lower troposphere

A time-dependent box model of the lower troposphere which includes a description of photochemical and physical processes has been developed. This model has been applied to the calculation of nitric acid and NO(x)(NO + NO2) concentrations over a diurnal cycle which includes precipitation. Nitric acid concentrations and the HNO3/NO(x) ratio are found to be highly variable under the assumptions regarding the frequency, duration, and intensity of precipitation employed in this model. The chemistry of odd nitrogen compounds during the night is potentially important in establishing the level of nitric acid in the lower troposphere. These calculations also indicate that relatively large errors may occur when the continuity equation describing nitric acid variations is averaged over a diurnal cycle which includes precipitation. Interpretation of simultaneous measurements of HNO3 and NO(x) will require some knowledge of the history of the observed air mass and may require an improved understanding of nighttime odd nitrogen chemistry.
The Influence of Age on Thermosensitivity During Cold Water Immersion

Objective This investigation evaluated the influence of older age (OLD) vs younger age (YNG) on thermosensitivity and metabolic heat production (HP) during cold water immersion (20°C) in 15 YNG (22.7±2.7 years) vs 7 OLD (41.7±2.7 years) individuals. Methods After a 20-minute baseline (BASE) period, subjects were immersed in 20°C water until esophageal temperature (Tes) reached 36.5°C, or for a maximum preocclusion (pre-OCC) time of 40minutes. Arm and thigh cuffs were then inflated to 180 and 220mm Hg, respectively, for 10minutes (termed "occlusion" [OCC]). After release of the inflated cuffs (postocclusion [post-OCC]), the slope (β) of the relationship between the decrease in Tes and the increase in HP was used to quantify thermosensitivity. Results Analysis of variance showed no significant difference in thermosensitivity between OLD and YNG (OLD=2.25±1.72W·kg −1 ·°C −1 vs YNG=3.56±1.53W·kg −1 ·°C −1 ). No significant differences ( P >.05) were found for mean skin temperature (Tsk; OLD=23.8°C±0.31°C vs YNG=24.2°C±0.19°C), HP ( P >.05; OLD=3.10±0.38W·kg −1 vs YNG=2.50±0.22W·kg −1 ), or Tes (OLD=36.61°C±0.11°C vs YNG=36.74°C±0.06°C). Conclusions Therefore, these data demonstrate that when faced with a cold challenge, there is a similar response in β, HP, Tes, and Tsk between OLD and YNG individuals.
The dynamics of error growth and predictability in a model of the Gulf stream. Part II : Ensemble prediction

Abstract For any forecasting system, the ability to reliably estimate the skill of a forecast in advance (i.e., at the time the forecast is issued) is clearly desirable. In this paper the potential of ensemble prediction for estimating both the skill of forecasts of the Gulf Stream and the predictability of the ocean is examined. Using ensemble prediction methods the author has investigated how effective different types of perturbations are for perturbing the initial conditions of the ensemble members. The perturbations considered include the singular vectors, finite-time normal modes, and adjoint finite-time normal modes of a linearized version of the forecast model. The relationship between the skill of a forecast and the spread of an ensemble of forecasts about a reference forecast (the“control”) is examined as a function of (a) the type of perturbations used to perturb the ensemble members and (b) various different measures of forecast skill and ensemble spread. Assuming that the forecast model is per...
An 800 MSPS quadrature DDFS and integrated nonlinear DAC-filter with <15 ns instantaneous frequency hopping time

An 800 MSPS quadrature Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer (DDFS) with an integrated 13-bit nonlinear DAC and a 200 MHz spur-rejection filter is presented. The system consists of a 10 ns latency ROM-less DDFS and a sine-weighted, current-steering DAC with a layout technique conducive to the DDFS algorithm. A 200 MHz active OTA-RC spur-rejection filter follows the DDFS-DAC giving > 60 dB rejection at 600 MHz with an IIP3 of 25 dBm. The system achieves an SFDR ≈ 33 dB and a total instantaneous hopping time of 15 ns. The system is designed and fabricated in a 0.13 μm CMOS technology, has a total chip area of 2.54 mm × 2.96 mm, and consumes 420 mW of power.
A Hierarchical Cascade of Second Messengers Regulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa Surface Behaviors

ABSTRACT Biofilms are surface-attached multicellular communities. Using single-cell tracking microscopy, we showed that a pilY1 mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is defective in early biofilm formation. We leveraged the observation that PilY1 protein levels increase on a surface to perform a genetic screen to identify mutants altered in surface-grown expression of this protein. Based on our genetic studies, we found that soon after initiating surface growth, cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels increase, dependent on PilJ, a chemoreceptor-like protein of the Pil-Chp complex, and the type IV pilus (TFP). cAMP and its receptor protein Vfr, together with the FimS-AlgR two-component system (TCS), upregulate the expression of PilY1 upon surface growth. FimS and PilJ interact, suggesting a mechanism by which Pil-Chp can regulate FimS function. The subsequent secretion of PilY1 is dependent on the TFP assembly system; thus, PilY1 is not deployed until the pilus is assembled, allowing an ordered signaling cascade. Cell surface-associated PilY1 in turn signals through the TFP alignment complex PilMNOP and the diguanylate cyclase SadC to activate downstream cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) production, thereby repressing swarming motility. Overall, our data support a model whereby P. aeruginosa senses the surface through the Pil-Chp chemotaxis-like complex, TFP, and PilY1 to regulate cAMP and c-di-GMP production, thereby employing a hierarchical regulatory cascade of second messengers to coordinate its program of surface behaviors. IMPORTANCE Biofilms are surface-attached multicellular communities. Here, we show that a stepwise regulatory circuit, involving ordered signaling via two different second messengers, is required for Pseudomonas aeruginosa to control early events in cell-surface interactions. We propose that our studies have uncovered a multilayered “surface-sensing” system that allows P. aeruginosa to effectively coordinate its surface-associated behaviors . Understanding how cells transition into the biofilm state on a surface may provide new approaches to prevent formation of these communities.
A finite sample comparison of white's direct and simple tests for heteroscedasticity

Two tests for heteroscedasticity in linear regression and a heteroscedasticity-consistent estimator of convariance (White, 1980) are studied, through simulation, for their impact on inference on the regression coefficients in moderate sized samples. One of the tests, the direct test, and the estimator of convariance are both incorporated in recent regression software. The evidence of this study suggests that can give rise to misleading inference. The other test for heteroscedasticity, the simple test, performs far better.