cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Provable configuration planning for wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) provide a flexible communication infrastructure for sensing and control. However, maintaining coverage is one of the most challenging tasks in configuring and deploying WSNs. Although there has been a significant amount research on providing coverage, most of the existing solutions focus on the coverage problem without giving attention to new sensing capabilities and dependability (security and reliability) requirements of WSN. Nevertheless, most of the existing techniques show limited scalability with the increasing number of sensors. In this paper, we present novel Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) based formalizations to find the satisfying coverage configurations considering various practical security and reliability constraints. The presented approaches were implemented using Yices SMT Solver and evaluated extensively to show the feasibility and scalability of deploying our solutions in real-life WSN.
The Methodology of Desert

In a series of books and articles Paul Robinson (along with various coauthors) builds a case for “empirical desert” as a basis for deciding who should be punished under the criminal law and how much. Robinson’s case is unconvincing in several respects. First, his attempt to discredit the leading rival, deontological desert, is based on a misconception of the prevailing methodology in deontological ethics. Additionally, by dismissing as practically irrelevant the grounds for justified punishment, Robinson’s analysis fails to take account of the dynamic interplay between social and political values on the one hand and the meaning and justification of punishment on the other. Finally, because Robinson’s pragmatic conception of desert is untethered from our political morality, it provides neither the occasion to reflect critically on our punitive institutions and practices nor the normative resources to reform them.
Realization of A/D and D/A coders

Abstract : The notion of a discrete-time coder as a device which converts real vector-valued sequences into sequences over a finite alphabet is formalized. A hierarchical classification of all coders, in terms of their input-output mappings, is sought. This classification is based on a canonical structure theory being developed for coders. An algebraic approach is used to define three classes of coders which have simple canonical realizations, i.e., ones for which known synthesis procedures may be used. It is proposed that coders be viewed as acceptors of real languages, and the hierarchy of the real languages be used in conjunction with the hierarchy suggested by these three coders to achieve a complete classification. (Author)
A case-only analysis of the interaction between N-acetyltransferase 2 haplotypes and tobacco smoke in breast cancer etiology

N-acetyltransferase 2 is a polymorphic enzyme in humans. Women who possess homozygous polymorphic alleles have a slower rate of metabolic activation of aryl aromatic amines, one of the constituents of tobacco smoke that has been identified as carcinogenic. We hypothesized that women with breast cancer who were slow acetylators would be at increased risk of breast cancer associated with active and passive exposure to tobacco smoke. We used a case-only study design to evaluate departure from multiplicativity between acetylation status and smoking status. We extracted DNA from buccal cell samples collected from 502 women with incident primary breast cancer and assigned acetylation status by genotyping ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Information on tobacco use and breast cancer risk factors was obtained by structured interviews. We observed no substantial departure from multiplicativity between acetylation status and history of ever having been an active smoking (adjusted odds ratio estimate of departure from multiplicativity = 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.5 to 1.7) or ever having had passive residential exposure to tobacco smoke (adjusted odds ratio = 0.7, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 1.5). The estimates for departure from multiplicativity between acetylation status and various measures of intensity, duration, and timing of active and passive tobacco exposure lacked consistency and were generally not supportive of the idea of a gene–environment interaction. In this, the largest case-only study to evaluate the interaction between acetylation status and active or passive exposure to tobacco smoke, we found little evidence to support the idea of a departure from multiplicativity.
Delay tolerant mobile networks (DTMNs): controlled flooding in sparse mobile networks

The incredible growth in the capabilities and functionality of mobile devices has enabled new applications to emerge. Due to the potential for node mobility, along with significant node heterogeneity, characteristics such as very large delays, intermittent links and high link error rates pose a new set of challenges. Along with these challenges, end-to-end paths are assumed not to exist and message relay approaches are often adopted. While message flooding happens to be a simple and robust solution for such cases, its cost in terms of network resource consumption is unaffordable. In this paper, we focus on the evaluation of different controlled message flooding schemes over large-scale, sparse mobile networks. We study the effect of these schemes on message delay and network resource consumption. Our simulations show that our schemes can save substantial network resources while incurring a negligible increase in the message delivery delay.
Private Equity Management Fee Conversions

Because of the uproar over "carried interests," it seems that almost everyone knows that the tax law currently allows private equity managers to pay capital gains taxes on a substantial part of the (often substantial) income generated by their services. While this result raises significant tax policy concerns, the basic tax law governing carried interests is well-settled, and legislative action therefore would be necessary to address these concerns. In contrast, a little-known technique utilized by private equity managers to convert the character of their remaining compensation income is extremely aggressive and subject to serious challenge by the IRS. Private equity managers regularly attempt to convert their fixed annual two percent management fees into additional carried interest through so-called fee waivers. The tax result, if this technique is successful, is the conversion of current ordinary income into deferred capital gains. Despite the recent spotlight on the taxation of private equity management compensation, surprisingly little attention has been paid to this particular tax minimization strategy. This article attempts to fill that void. Its purpose is twofold. First, it will describe the mechanics of fee waivers, which are pervasive within the private equity community but not widely appreciated or understood outside of it. Second, it will discuss the tax issues stemming from fee waivers, focusing on the IRS arguments that could be made to disallow their intended tax results.
Fusion-neutron production in deuterium-beam-heated plasmas in the Princeton Large Tokamak

ABSTRACT Neutron intensities, the spatial origin of the neutron emission, and the neutron energy spectra have been measured for PLT plasmas heated by deuterium neutral beams with E beam = 25 to 41 keV. In these low-to-moderate density experiments , the neutron emission is highly peaked on axis. Up to 10 12 D-D neutrons per 0.1-s pulse have been obtained, which is 2 orders of magnitude greater than previously achieved in tokamak plasmas. The measured neutron intensity (up to 1 × 10 13 n/s) is in reasonable agreement with predictions of a 1-D theoretical model for neutron production from beam-target and beam-beam reactions, over a range of beam power from 0.2 to 1.1 MW.
Introduction of a new laboratory course: Computer Aided Electronic Circuit Design-Simulation

Based on his experiences with laboratory courses at Shinsyu University and at the Joetsu University of Education, the author believes that the introduction of a new laboratory course, 'Computer Aided Electronic Circuit Design-Simulation', into the curriculum for upper-class undergraduates of the Electronic Engineering Department provides a deeper understanding of the foundations of electronics. This course is planned so as to consist of two hours of lectures and two hours of laboratory work per week for one semester. The seven lesson topics are as follows: computer-aided electronic-circuit design; analyses of linear networks; analyses of nonlinear DC networks; transient analyses of dynamic networks; modeling of the bipolar junction transistor; modeling of the MOS transistor; and guidance in SPICE 2 usage. >
POTASSIUM-INDUCED LESIONS OF THE SMALL BOWEL. II. PATHOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS.

The etiologic role of potassium in the development of characteristically circumferential, stenosing ulcers of the small bowel has been previously inferred and is now established as fact. Precisely how the potassium effects ulcerogenesis is the subject of this communication. The conclusion that an orally administered agent ulcerates the intestine by a topical, escharotic action is the natural one but the morphological and physiological evidence does not substantiate it. In our judgment, the lesion is essentially a hemorrhagic infarct which, depending on its extent and fulminance, produces edema, hemorrhage, erosion, perforation, or cicatrizing stenosis. In the majority of instances, an antedating or perhaps, concomitant organic change in the appertaining vessels may contribute to the vascular insufficiency. In other instances, the vascular insufficiency in both humans and in the experimental animal appears to occur on a functional, probably venomotor, basis and is reflected in segmental hemorrhagic infarctions.
An energy-circuit population model for Great Egrets (Ardea alba) at Lake Okeechobee, Florida, U.S.A.

Abstract I simulated the annual population cycles of Great Egrets (Ardea alba) at Lake Okeechobee, Florida, to provide a framework for evaluating the local population dynamics of nesting and foraging wading birds. The external forcing functions were solar energy, minimum air temperature, water depth, surface-water drying rate, and season. Solar input controlled the production of prey at moderate to high lake stages, but water area exerted primary control during a two-year drought. Modeling prey production as a linear function of water area resulted in underestimation of prey density during the drought, suggesting that prey organisms maintained high fecundity while concentrated in submerged vegetation at the lakeward fringe of the littoral zone. Simulation confirmed that large influxes of wading birds during the drought were the combined result of a regional refuge response and the availability of concentrated prey. Modeling immigration and emigration as primarily functions of the surface-water drying rate, rather than lake stage, resulted in a closer match of observed and simulated population trends for foraging birds, suggesting that the pattern of surface-water fluctuations was a more important factor than water depth. Simulation indicated an abrupt-threshold response rather than a linear association between foraging efficiency and low temperatures, which reduce activity levels of forage fishes. Great Egret breeder recruitment is primarily a function of prey availability, climate, and hydrologic trends, but simulation confirmed the concurrent involvement of a seasonal or physiological-readiness factor. An attractor function driven by high winter lake stages was necessary to reproduce observed patterns of breeder recruitment, suggesting that Great Egrets initiate nesting based on environmental cues that lead to peak food availability when nestlings are present. Poor correspondence of reproductive effort and nest productivity suggested that the drought compromised the birds' predictive abilities. The need to model breeder recruitment as a function of a maximum rate rather than the size of the local foraging population suggested that birds may nest on the lake even though on-lake foraging conditions are poor. Simulated and observed estimates of egg and hatching production did not match, suggesting that the causes of failure during incubation were complex or more localized than could be accounted for with lakewide hydrologic and climatic data. A forced increase in prey consumption of 12% was necessary to reproduce observed, high levels of nest productivity in 1990, which corresponded to the finding that panhandled fish constituted 10–12% of the biomass fed to Great Egret nestlings that year.
Microcomputers and the Elderly: New Directions for Self-Sufficiency and Life-Long Learning.

Since the development of the microcomputer in the early 70's, computer technology has expanded into the eductional lives of increasing numbers of persons. Computers, once seen only in wealthy industries, are now nearly as common as pencils and paper in our nations' schools. In addition to the rapid development of computer training programs at the post secondary level, the proliferation of such programs is now manifest at the secondary, elementary, and even preschool levels. While computers appear to offer a great deal of educational potential for our youth, their benefits have not as yet been explored among older adults.
Thallophilic interactions in aryloxide compounds: the [Tl2(mu2-OAr)4] structural motif in (TlOAr)4 and Tl2Cu(OAr)4 compounds.

Two thallium aryloxide compounds TlOC6F5 (TlOArF) and bis-3,5-TlOC6H3(CF3)2 (TlOAr‘) have been recrystallized from THF and crystallographically characterized in different isomeric forms. The latter compound forms a solvated tetrameric cubane, {TlOAr‘}4·THF, 1. The TlOArF compound crystallized with a similar stoichiometry, {TlOArF}4·2 THF, 2, but contains a {Tl2(μ2-OArF)4} unit that includes a thallophilic interaction at a distance of 3.5943(15) A. Solution 205Tl and 203Tl NMR studies of 1 and 2 support the retention of a cubane structure for 1 in solution and suggest a similar structure for 2 with coupled thallium centers down to −90 °C. Fluorescence spectroscopy data for both compounds 1 and 2 in THF are consistent with LMCT. DFT calculations of 1, 2, and three models of the {Tl2(μ2-OArF)4} unit show a bonding overlap of the bridged thallium atoms in 2 and are also used to describe the bonding in 1. The structures of two heterobimetallic compounds, Tl2Cu(OArF)4, 4, and Tl2Cu(OAr‘)4, 5, with the {Tl2(μ2-O...
Fast holographic wavefront sensor

In this talk we will present a new zonal wavefront sensor. The device is able to take a single incident beam and diffract it into multiple beams with different focal locations, according to the presence and strength of particular aberrations. The Zernike terms in the beam are simply read out according to the location of the foci on the image plane CCD. We have created a hologram design such that the locations of the beams can be quickly and easily determined, providing all necessary information to correct for these aberrations, so that the wavefront information is derived without the need for any computations. It is a very compact and practical device that could potentially have applications for the USAF airborne laser or atmospheric distortion characterization.
Noise Subspace-Based Iterative Technique for Direction Finding

In the area of array signal processing, direction of arrival (DoA) estimation is a widely studied topic. In this estimation process the noise subspace of the received signal covariance matrix is often utilized and obtained through numerical methods. We explicitly derive an algebraic expression of the noise subspace when the number of signal sources present is less than the number of elements of a uniform linear array (ULA). This expression of the noise subspace is then used to formulate a constrained minimization problem to obtain the DoAs of all the sources in a scene in the presence of spatially white noise of identical power. This noise subspace-based estimation (NISE) algorithm iteratively solves for each source's DoA, potentially yielding (depending on the number of iterations) lower complexity than existing DoA estimation algorithms, such as fast root-MUSIC (FRM), while exhibiting performance advantages for a low number of time samples and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The convergence of NISE is then proven mathematically. In addition it is shown how NISE can readily incorporate prior knowledge into the DoA estimation process.
OUT IN THE WOODS: E. M. FORSTER'S SPATIAL ALLEGORIES OF PROPERTY, SEXUALITY, AND COLONIALISM

(2003). OUT IN THE WOODS: E. M. FORSTER'S SPATIAL ALLEGORIES OF PROPERTY, SEXUALITY, AND COLONIALISM. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory: Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 317-355.
Social Relationships in the Church During Late Life: Assessing Differences Between African Americans, Whites, and Mexican Americans

The purpose of this study is to see if there are differences in the social relationships that older African Americans, older whites, and older Mexican Americans form with the people where they worship. Data from two large surveys are pooled to see if race differences emerge in eleven different measures of church-based social relationships. These measures assess social relationships with rank-and-file church members as well as social relationships with members of the clergy. The findings reveal that older African Americans tend to have more well-developed social relationships in the church than either older whites or older Mexican Americans. This is true with respect to relationships with fellow church members as well as relationships with the clergy. In contrast, relatively few differences emerged between older Americans of European descent and older Mexican Americans. However, when differences emerged in the data, older whites tend to score higher on the support measures than older Mexican Americans.
Electrical Properties of Bioelectrodes

This paper concentrates on the electrical properties of metal electrode?electrolyte interfaces with emphasis on contributions by Schwan's laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania and more recently by the Bio-Electrode Research Laboratory at Drexel University. We cover the fundamental aspects of electrical characterization studies in a wide dynamic range for the amplitude and frequency content under both linear and nonlinear conditions.
Human periplakin: genomic organization in a clonally unstable region of chromosome 16p with an abundance of repetitive sequence elements.

Periplakin, a member of the plakin family of proteins, has been recently characterized by cDNA cloning, and the corresponding gene, PPL, has been mapped to human chromosome 16p13.3 (Aho et al., 1998, Genomics 48: 242-247). Periplakin has also been shown to serve as an autoantigen in a malignancy-associated autoimmune blistering disease, paraneoplastic pemphigus (Mahoney et al., 1998, J. Invest. Dermatol. 111: 308-313). In this study, we have elucidated the intron-exon organization of human PPL and characterized its promoter region. The flanking 5' sequences were rich in G and C ( approximately 80%) and included multiple AP2 sites and a SP1 site, while no canonical TATA or CCAAT sequences were found. The functionality of the upstream sequences (-709 to +135) as a promoter in cultured epidermal keratinocytes was detected by a CAT reporter gene, and a limited region (-382 to +135) showed activity in cultured dermal fibroblasts, attesting to cell-type specificity of the promoter. The genomic organization, including the intron-exon borders, was determined by direct nucleotide sequencing of human genomic P1 clones. Comparative analysis of cDNA and genomic sequences revealed that PPL consists of 22 exons, with the distribution of exons in PPL being consistent with that of other plakin genes: 21 small exons, separated by large introns, encode the amino-terminal globular domain, and 1 large exon encodes the entire rod and the tail domains. Characterization of four P1 clones spanning the PPL locus revealed multiple Alu repeats, 20 of them within 33 kb of the entirely sequenced segments (0.60/kb), in addition to numerous MIR and L1 elements. These repetitive elements could lead to the clonal instability detected throughout the genomic P1 clones and may give rise to the genomic rearrangements possibly underlying the paraneoplastic pemphigus.
Tracing phylogeny through proteins of the layers of the eye lens nucleus.

Abstract 1. 1. In accordance with the concept that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, it was hypothesized that the proteins in the eye lens nucleus increase in antiquity with depth of layer and so can be used to reconstruct the phylogenetic past. 2. 2. This hypothesis was tested by analyzing electrophoretic patterns of proteins from solubilized nuclear lens layers of three tuna species with well-studied phylogenies. The tuna species are the albacore, Thunnus alalunga; yellowfin, T. albacares; and skipjack, Katsuwonus pelamis. 3. 3. The electrophoretic patterns fitted a scheme that is in agreement with major phylogenetic beliefs about these species. Additionally, the patterns seemed to indicate that (a) the skipjack diverged later (although to a lesser degree) from a common ancestor than did the other two tuna species, and (b) the albacore is more closely related to the skipjack than is the yellowfin. 4. 4. It is concluded that electrophoretic analysis of proteins from nuclear lens layers is a promising new tool for tracing phylogenetic relationships.
Institutional Ownership and Return Reversals Following Short‐Term Return Consistency

Securities with consistently strong positive (negative) returns during the previous two weeks have future returns that are higher (lower) than those that do not. The results hold for various robustness checks, including those involving firm size, share turnover, past return levels, and bid-ask bounce. The returns to short horizon consistency trading strategies are reliable through time and are both economically and statistically significant. There is also some evidence that longer periods of consistency lead to greater risk-adjusted profits. Most surprising is that this effect holds only for those firms with high institutional ownership.
On Proving That and S 2 are Independent

Abstract The need to establish the independence of the sample mean and the sample variance in sampling from a normal population arises early in a course in statistics. For the result is an essential ingredient in the derivation of the Student-t distribution for statistical inference. Often this need arises before the tools, notably multivariate methods, for a rigorous proof are available. Occasionally one will find attempts to derive this result using only bivariate assumptions. A recent article in this journal, as well as some current textbooks, offer such a proof. In all cases there are serious questions about the validity of the proofs.
Evaluation of image-based modeling and laser scanning accuracy for emerging automated performance monitoring techniques

Abstract Accurate and rapid assessment of the as-built status on any construction site provides the opportunity to understand the current performance of a project easily and quickly. Rapid project assessment further identifies discrepancies between the as-built and as-planned progress, and facilitates decision making on the necessary remedial actions. Currently, manual visual observations and surveying are the most dominant data capturing techniques but they are time-consuming, error-prone, and infrequent, making quick and reliable decision-making difficult. Therefore, research on new approaches that allow automatic recognition of as-built performance and visualization of construction progress is essential. This paper presents and compares two methods for obtaining point cloud models for detection and visualization of as-built status for construction projects: (1) A new method of automated image-based reconstruction and modeling of the as-built project status using unordered daily construction photo collections through analysis of Structure from Motion (SfM); (2) 3D laser scanning and analysis of the as-built dense point cloud models. These approaches provide robust means for recognition of progress, productivity, and quality on a construction site. In this paper, an overview of the newly developed automated image-based reconstruction approach and exclusive features which distinct it from other image-based or conventional photogrammetric techniques is presented. Subsequently the terrestrial laser scanning approach carried out for reconstruction and comparison of as-built scenes is presented. Finally the accuracy and usability of both of these techniques for metric reconstruction, automated production of point cloud models, 3D CAD shape modeling, and as-built visualizations is evaluated and compared on eight different case studies. It is shown that for precise defect detection or alignment tasks, image-based point cloud models may not be as accurate and dense as laser scanners' point cloud models. Nonetheless image-based point cloud models provide an opportunity to extract as-built semantic information (i.e., progress, productivity, quality and safety) through the content of the images, are easy to use, and do not need add burden on the project management teams by requiring expertise for data collection or analysis. Finally image-based reconstruction automatically provides photo alignment with point cloud models and enables image-based renderings which can remarkably impact automated performance monitoring and as-built visualizations.
Implementing Inter-Enterprise Workflow Management Using Agent-Based Web Services

The service-orientated computing paradigm is transforming traditional workflow management from a close, centralized control system into a worldwide dynamic business process. This paper presents an agent-based Web service model to support inter-enterprise workflow management. In the proposed model, agent-based technology provides the workflow coordination at both inter-and intra-enterprise levels while Web services based technology provides infrastructures for messaging, service description and workflow enactment. Coordination agents and resource agents negotiate through a bidding mechanism for constructing dynamic workflow process between business partners. The agent system architecture, coordination model and related components are described. A prototype system is implemented for simulating the formation process of virtual enterprises. Our current approach integrating agents and Web services mainly focuses on communication and interaction. Our ongoing work is focusing on semantic integration in composing a dynamic workflow for inter-enterprise cooperation.Copyright © 2005 by National Research Council of Canada
Nitrile Groups as Vibrational Probes: Calculations of the C≡N Infrared Absorption Line Shape of Acetonitrile in Water and Tetrahydrofuran

The C≡N bond is a powerful probe of protein structure and dynamics because it absorbs in a region of the infrared spectrum apart from the other vibrations that occur naturally in proteins, and because its infrared absorption line shape is sensitive to specific characteristics of the local environment. Since the polarity experienced by the probe can differ dramatically within the protein, infrared spectroscopy of a C≡N site-specifically labeled residue can be used to infer its local environment within the protein. It has been shown experimentally that the spectrum of acetonitrile in water is different in terms of peak position and width compared to acetonitrile in tetrahydrofuran (THF). An optimized quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics method for calculating accurate vibrational frequencies in condensed-phase was parametrized for acetonitrile in water. The transferability of the methodology to a different solvent was tested by computing the infrared line shapes of acetonitrile in both water and THF and co...
Twenty years of Tm:Ho:YLF and LuLiF laser development for global wind and carbon dioxide active remote sensing

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has a long history of developing pulsed 2-μm lasers. From fundamental spectroscopy research, theoretical prediction of new materials, laser demonstration and engineering of lidar systems, it has been a very successful progress spanning around two decades. This article covers the 2-μm laser development from early research to current state-of-the-art instrumentation and projected future space missions. This applies to both global wind and carbon dioxide active remote sensing. A brief historical perspective of Tm:Ho work by early researchers is also given.
Ribonucleoprotein-containing vesicles in cysts of Naegleria gruberi.

SYNOPSIS. Ultraviolet microscopy and electron microscope autoradiography were used to study ribonucleoprotein in cysts of Naegleria gruberi. The absorption maximum for cysts is at 265 nm with little detectable absorption occurring at 295 nm. Pre-cystic trophozoites absorb less strongly than the cysts at 265 mm. Acridine orange staining indicated concentrations of ribose nucleic acid or ribonucleoprotein in the cytoplasm of young cysts. The dye stained discrete vesicles in the cytoplasm. Tritiated uridine and tritiated proline were used to follow changes in RN-protein at encystment. Label was incorporated into vesicles filled with ribosome-like particles. These are presumably the sites of acridine orange staining. Relatively little label was associated with the cyst cytoplasmic matrix; most of the silver grains lay over the nucleus and cytoplasmic organelles. The vesicles are believed to represent autophagosomal-type vacuoles with the contents derived from breakdown of organelles such as mitochondria. The path of label into the vesicles is via lysis of labeled cytoplasmic organelles. The RN-protein vesicles of Naegleria gruberi cysts are compared to the chromatoid bodies of Entamoeba invadens. It is concluded that, tho differences in detail are present, the role of the structures in the cysts is probably the same. They are a ready source of amino acids and ribosomes in a dedifferentiated or pool state to be used for synthetic reactions that accompany resumption of trophic existence.
Comparison of Organic and Conventional Crops at the Neely-Kinyon Long-term Agroecological Research (LTAR) Site-2000

Sales of organic products are expected to reach $8 billion in the U.S. in the year 2001, showing a continued 20% annual growth rate. In Iowa alone, organic acreage for all crops has increased from 13,000 in 1995 to 150,000 in 1999. The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has identified the need for dedicated lands throughout Iowa where research on organic practices can be conducted over the long term. In the third year of the N-K LTAR, organic certification was obtained through the State of Iowa Organic program. We continued our examination of the agronomic and economic performance of conventional and organic systems, using required practices for certified organic production.
A marching method for parametric surface/surface intersection

Abstract A general marching method for surface⧸surface intersection is described for smooth parametric surfaces defined over rectangular and triangular domains. Surface equations are not required explicitly—only evaluated surface positions and tangents. The algorithm is based on an extension of a marching method presented in [Barnhill et al. '87], and also includes ideas from [Houghton et al. '85]. Our new algorithm permits the intersection of triangular surfaces, and the intersection of surfaces that generate tangent and branch points, and tangent tracks. We include a method for approximating step length, and methods for relaxing intersection points onto surface boundaries. These ideas are discussed in this paper and illustrative examples are provided. Comparisons to existing algorithms are also included.
Response to Charles Tilly

There is so much agreement between my views on this subject and those expressed by Charles Tilly that what I will say can hardly be construed as con stituting a controversy. Let me agree at the outset: Formal analysis and the quantitative methods it makes possible have become standard, indispensable adjuncts to research in labor history, as in social history as a whole. As Tilly puts it, "the periphery constrains the core." The central, most difficult ques tions in social history (most of which attempt to link political behavior with social background and identity) cannot be answered by quantitative methods alone, because they require one to make inferences about motives and percep tions that are not amenable to formal analysis. That historical actors them selves cannot observe each others' perceptions or motives is responsible for a great deal of the violence and injustice that history has recorded. How actors manage to overcome this difficulty and to act in unison, confident of each oth ers' mutual accord, cannot be explained or even described by means of formal models. An almost preverbal negotiation constantly going forward in human social life conditions everything else. Certain kinds of actions and conditions can be counted but only because societies themselves standardize and classify these actions and conditions. That is, formal models themselves often play a role in the solutions that his torical actors seize upon to coordinate life in communities. A wedding cere mony, a voting procedure, or a picket line are enactments of highly structured, formalized scenarios which, so to speak, prescribe motives for the partici pants. Bride and groom by conventional expectation wish to cohabit, voters to choose representatives, pickets to restrict access to the workplace. The formal scenario for the action is often arranged to allow for the policing of the actors' motives to make sure that they indeed conform to the prescribed ones. In other words, uncertainty about motives is allowed for in the system. Bride and groom are separately asked if they wish to marry, and witnesses attest to their responses in writing. Voters are put in booths to ensure that they consult only their own preference in voting. Forces of order nervously observe pickets to ensure they do no more than picket, just as pickets observe the entrance to the workplace to ensure that all their fellow workers really continue to want to strike. Formalized public action is one of the principal means by which human
Flight test bed for visual tracking of small UAVs

This paper describes the development of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, which will be used to demonstrate multiple-vehicle flight control algorithms. Planned demonstrations include vehicle coordination experiments involving autonomous air, ground, and marine vehicles. More immediately, a system of two UAVs will be used to demonstrate adaptive visual tracking algorithms. To speed development time, critical hardware such as the aircraft autopilots and self-stabilizing gimballed camera system are purchased commercially. These systems are being installed in a commonly available hobby industry airframe. This paper describes component selection and high-level integration and results from early flight tests. The paper also describes the vision-based target tracking algorithm to be demonstrated using this system.
Analysis of EXAFS data inr space

The procedures required in the analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) data inr space are examined in some detail with reference to comparable operations ink space where appropriate. Since each operation in one space has its exact equivalent in the other, the choice betweenr andk space turns on relative convenience in the particular circumstances of each application. Some potential difficulties are identified.
Analysis of a continuous, aerobic, fixed‐film bioreactor. I. Steady‐state behavior

The analysis of a continuous, aerobic, fixed-film bioreactor is performed by simulating the behavior of penicillin production in a three-phase fluidized bed. Rigorous mathematical models are developed for a fluidized-bed fermentor in which bioparticles are fluidized by the liquid medium and air. The steady-state performance of the fluidized-bed reactor is appraised in terms of penicillin productivity and outlet concentration by considering the two extremes in contacting patterns, complete back-mix and plug flow, in the absence of a growing biofilm. The results show that the complete back-mix contacting pattern is preferred over that of plug flow due to the nature of the penicillin kinetic relationships. It is also shown that for the dual-nutrient (glucose and oxygen) penicillin reaction system the optimum biofilm thickness does not equal the penetration depth of a limiting nutrient, but depends upon the total reactor configuration.
Recognition of paleoearthquakes on the Puente Hills blind thrust fault, California.

Borehole data from young sediments folded above the Puente Hills blind thrust fault beneath Los Angeles reveal that the folding extends to the surface as a discrete zone (≤145 meters wide). Buried fold scarps within an upward- narrowing zone of deformation, which extends from the upward termination of the thrust ramp at 3 kilometers depth to the surface, document the occurrence of at least four large (moment-magnitude 7.2 to 7.5) earthquakes on this fault during the past 11,000 years. Future events of this type pose a seismic hazard to metropolitan Los Angeles. Moreover, the methods developed in this study can be used to refine seismic hazard assessments of blind thrusts in other metropolitan regions.
Elevated neuronal c-Fos-like immunoreactivity and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in genetically obese (ob/ob) mice

Abstract Adult genetically obese ( ob/ob ) mice display a number of metabolic alterations, the primary cause of which may be a defect in their central nervous system (CNS). The protein encoded by the protooncogene c- fos , c-Fos, functions as a nuclear transcription factor, and also serves as a marker of neuronal activity. The specific objectives of this study were (1) to use c-Fos immunohistochemistry to identify regions with altered neuronal activity in 6–7 week old male lean and ob/ob mice; (2) to examine c- fos relative mRNA abundance by northern blot analysis in brains of these mice and compare it with that of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide well known to alter feeding and (3) determine changes in c-Fos immunoreactivity and mRNA caused by food deprivation. Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) tended to be higher in ad libitum fed ob/ob mice than in lean controls in most brain regions examined. The most prominent and consistent differences were in the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) where the numbers of Fos-positive nuclei were approximately 3 hold higher in ob/ob mice. Food deprivation for 24 h increased FLI in the PVN in lean mice but did not further augment FLI in the PVN of ob/ob mice. Arcuate nuclei of lean and ob/ob mice showed minimal FLI staining under ad libitum fed conditions. Food deprivation however, induced FLI in acurate nuclei of both lean and ob/ob mice. The abundance of c- fos mRNA in whole brain of ob/ob mice averaged several fold higher than in leans under both fed and fasted conditions. There was no difference in whole brain NPY mRNA between lean and ob/ob mice. Prolonged stimulation of c-Fos in specific neurons of ob/ob mice including the paraventricular nucleus probably has modulatory effects on certain genes which in turn account for long term adaptive changes of the ob/ob phenotype.
Intracellular sodium components in rat skeletal muscle.

SummaryThe premise that intracellular sodium is functionally a simple solution in a cell membrane is questioned by the authors and others(2,9). The data reported are interpreted as indicating that there is a component of intracellular sodium which is characterized by not being exchangeable with potassium ions. Fenn felt that such sodium ions were bound to myosin(1). The nuclei and mitochondria are suggested as additional possible sites of binding of such sodium.
Glucocorticoid suppression of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla

Studies were performed to evaluate the effects of glucocorticoids on the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla. Plasma concentrations of norepinephrine and epinephrine were measured in rats in which endogenous glucocorticoids were removed by bilateral adrenalectomy and in rats to which exogenous glucocorticoids were administered. In intact rats, dexamethasone (2.5, 25 or 250 micrograms) pretreatment suppressed ether vapor-induced elevations of norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations in plasma. Corticosterone (3 mg/kg), similar to dexamethasone, attenuated the elevation of plasma concentrations of norepinephrine and epinephrine in rats exposed to ether vapor. Glucocorticoids did not alter the elevation of plasma catecholamines stimulated by intracerebroventricular injections of corticotropin-releasing factor or calcitonin gene-related peptide, thus demonstrating functional integrity of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla. Adrenalectomy resulted in elevation of basal plasma norepinephrine levels and accentuation of ether vapor-induced elevations of plasma norepinephrine concentrations in rats. Dexamethasone (25 ug) administration blunted the effects of adrenalectomy on both basal and ether vapor-stimulated levels of plasma norepinephrine. It is concluded that glucocorticoids acting at as yet undefined sites may be involved in the regulation of sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medullary function.
Role of gangliosides in gonadotropin and cholera enterotoxin stimulated steroidogenesis in isolated rat ovarian cells

fifty-fold increase in progesterone production. Both cholera enterotoxin and hCG-stimulated progesterone response was accompanied by a lag period. The duration of the lag period in the production of the progesterone depended on the concentration ot gonadotropin or cholera enterotoxin, and with maximally stimulating dose it was 20-30.minutes. Addition of highly purified mixed gangliosides to the incubation medium abolished the stimulatory effect of cholera enterotoxin on progesterone response. In contrast, under iaentical experimental conditions, ganglioside addition produced no effect on progesterone response elicited by hCG or LH. Similarly mixed gangliosides did not prevent the specific binding of [ 1251]hCG to the ovarian cells or to the membranes isolated from the ovary. In addition preincubation of [12!jI]hCG with ganglioside did not alter the subsequent binding of the hormone to the ovarian cell surface receptor. These findings suggest that gangliosides are not involved in the hormone receptor interactions and subsequent receptor mediated physiological response.
Associations of a Sexually Transmitted Disease Diagnosis During a Relationship with Condom Use and Psychosocial Outcomes: (Short) Windows of Opportunity

Few studies have examined whether and how receiving an sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnosis while in a romantic relationship relates to condom use and psychosocial sexual outcomes. Using dyadic data, we examined associations of a personal or a partner’s STD diagnosis during a relationship with condom use, monogamy intentions, condom intentions and attitudes, and STD susceptibility and communication. Because beliefs about how the STD was acquired may shape associations with behavior and cognitions, gender and suspecting that one’s partner had other sexual partners (i.e., partner concurrency) were examined as moderators. Participants were 592 individuals in 296 couples expecting a baby; 108 individuals had been diagnosed with an STD during the relationship. Personal STD diagnosis was unrelated to outcomes or was associated with increased risk. A partner’s diagnosis related to more positive condom intentions and attitudes. Among men who suspected concurrency, both a personal and a partner’s STD diagnosis were associated with less condom use. Receiving the STD diagnosis during pregnancy was associated with greater susceptibility and marginally greater condom use. Results suggest potential benefits of enhancing communication and encouraging joint risk reduction counseling among couples, engaging men more fully in preventive efforts, and capitalizing on the short window during which risk reduction occurs.
Outcome of sphincteroplasty combined with surgery for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse

PURPOSE: This is the first reported prospective study comparing outcome and cost in patients undergoing sphincteroplasty for anal incontinencevs. sphincteroplasty performed in combination with one or more procedures for urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse. METHODS: We analyzed 44 patients with fecal incontinence who underwent anal sphincter repair alone (20 patients) or in combination with procedures for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse (24 patients). Information regarding risk factors for fecal incontinence, the degree of incontinence, and the extent that incontinence limited social, physical, and sexual activity was prospectively obtained from questionnaires. Clinic chart reviews and follow-up telephone interviews provided additional data. A cohort of case-matched patients who underwent only urogynecologic procedures was compared retrospectively for operative time, hospital cost, length of stay, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: There were no major complications in any group. The functional outcomes, physical, social, and sexual activity were similar in all three groups. Twenty-two of 24 patients who underwent the combined procedures were glad that they had both procedures concomitantly. CONCLUSION: Combination pelvic floor surgery provides good outcomes and is cost effective. This approach should be offered to women with concurrent problems of fecal and urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse.
Concrete Offshore LNG Terminals A Viable Solution and Technical Challenges

This paper discusses the feasibility of concrete offshore LNG terminals with a focus on applications in the Gulf of Mexico and other coastal areas of the United States. There is an ever growing need to import more natural gas into the United States. Yet, this need is limited by the lack of infrastructure for receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from LNG carriers. In the search for safe, economical and environmental-friendly installations, concrete offshore LNG terminals are emerging as a very promising solution. A prestressed concrete structure has many advantages over steel installations, such as high resistance to cryogenic temperatures, high resistance to thermal shock, good durability in the marine environment, extended fatigue life, strong resistance against boat impact, fire, explosion, etc. There are, however, many challenges in design, construction, transportation and installation. Complicating the situation are the concerns over consequences of LNG leakage, boat impacts, fire explosions, etc., which are not fully discussed in the existing design codes. Aiming at the feasibility of building concrete offshore LNG terminals, the paper presents in detail the major advantages and technical challenges in design aspects, construction, transportation and installation. It reviews the state-of-the-art technology, and refers to the successful experience of an offshore concrete platform in more harsh environmental conditions, the Hibernia concrete platform in Newfoundland, Canada. Recently, ABS issued its ABS Guide for Building and Classing Offshore LNG Terminals, which provides a comprehensive guidance for design, construction and survey of concrete offshore LNG terminals. This paper highlights the ABS Guide, and addresses the regulatory requirements and class interface with the regulatory
Stability of a viscous compound fluid drop

A compound drop composed of viscous Newtonian core and shell fluids is disturbed away from its motionless spherical state. The physical characteristics of the drop determine the decay rates of any disturbance. This damping process is accompanied by out-of-phase displacements of the two interfaces. Special limiting cases of a thin and thick shell are investigated.