cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether either of two mechanical theories predicts the topographic pattern of neuropathology in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). The compression theory states that the spinal cord is compressed between a spondylotic bar anteriorly and the ligamenta flava posteriorly. The dentate tension theory states that the spinal cord is pulled laterally by the dentate ligaments, which are tensed by an anterior spondylotic bar. METHODS: The spinal cord cross section, at the level of a spondylotic bar, is modelled as a circular disc subject to forces applied at its circumference. These forces differ for the two theories. From the pattern of forces at the circumference the distribution of shear stresses in the interior of the disc-that is, over the transverse section of the spinal cord-is calculated. With the assumption that highly stressed areas are most subject to damage, the stress pattern predicted by each theory can be compared to the topographic neuropathology of CSM. RESULTS: The predicted stress pattern of the dentate tension theory corresponds to the reported neuropathology, whereas the predicted stress pattern of the compression theory does not. CONCLUSIONS: The results strongly favour the theory that CSM is caused by tensile stresses transmitted to the spinal cord from the dura via the dentate ligaments. A spondylotic bar can increase dentate tension by displacing the spinal cord dorsally, while the dural attachments of the dentate, anchored by the dural root sleeves and dural ligaments, are displaced less. The spondylotic bar may also increase dentate tension by interfering locally with dural stretch during neck flexion, the resultant increase in dural stress being transmitted to the spinal cord via the dentate ligaments. Flexion of the neck increases dural tension and should be avoided in the conservative treatment of CSM. Both anterior and posterior extradural surgical operations can diminish dentate tension, which may explain their usefulness in CSM. The generality of these results must be tempered by the simplifying assumptions required for the mathematical model.
Single-Point and Multipoint Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of High-Speed Civil Transport

Single-point and multipoint aerodynamicshapeoptimization methods weredeveloped and demonstrated forthe designofanadvancedsupersonictransportsubjecttomanygeometricconstraints.Thestartingpointcone guration baseline was developed in support of the NASA High-Speed Research program using linear-theory-based methods and multidisciplinary system analyses. The single-point design method simulated the presence of nacelles and diverters at supersonic cruise by superimposing nacelles-on/nacelles-off pressure differences, from complete cone gurationanalyses,ontosingle-block-gridwing/bodycalculations.Themultipointdesignmethodusedamultiblock gridto treatthecompletecone guration,including nacelles/diverters, canard,empennage,and wing e aps/slats.Two forms of multipoint optimization were performed at Mach 2.4, 1.1, and 0.9: sequential (design at cruise followed by e ap and canard/tail incidence angle optimization at the two transonic conditions ) and multipoint (simultaneous design at the three e ight conditions via a composite objective function ). Euler-based optimization using a combination of the two methods achieved signie cant performance gains derived from the nonlinear effects. The single-point approach produced much of the improvement, lowering the appropriately weighted thrust coefe cient by 4.28 counts after trimming the full cone guration at the three design points. (A seven count drag reduction was achieved at cruise for the untrimmed vehicle. ) The sequential and multipoint methods achieved 6.03 and 7.55 counts of composite thrust reduction, respectively.
Parallel Implementation of the Wideband Coherent Signal-Subspace (CSS) Based DOA algorithm on single core, multicore and GPU

Computation of Wideband Coherent Signal-Subspace (CSS) Based Direction of Arrival (DOA) has been parallelized and implemented on Multicore (Intel Nehalem Quad Core) and NVIDIA's GPU. This is in an effort to its use for real time applications. The CSS algorithm has been parallelized, partitioned, mapped and scheduled on Multi-Core/GPU. The parallel algorithm is developed in C# and a combination of C and CUDA for Multi-Core and GPU respectively. The algorithm has also been implemented on single core for comparison purposes. Wideband CSS algorithm is implemented assuming 16 and 4 sensors using Uniform Linear Array (ULA).
Effect of R&D and Market Concentration on Merger Outcomes – An Event Study of US Horizontal Mergers

Abstract This study examines the pattern of abnormal returns for merging companies and rivals, to determine investor expectations regarding the impact of horizontal mergers challenged by the government. Prior studies have indicated that the government may have challenged efficiency-enhancing mergers, as evidenced by the pattern of abnormal returns to rivals during merger events. This study uses a two-stage regression approach to examine those patterns, using challenged mergers from 1997 to 2007, and finds evidence of potential price effects from approved mergers. The results also show the mergers to have differential effects depending on the level of R&D, market concentration, and product sales.
Expression of genes encoding vesicular stomatitis and sindbis virus glycoproteins in yeast leads to formation of disulfide-linked oligomers

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains transformed with plasmids containing CDNAS coding for the glycoproteins of vesicular stomatitis or Sindbis viruses can be induced to produce large amounts of glycosylated virus glycoproteins. Studies reported here show that these proteins form high molecular weight disulfide-linked oligomers in the yeast endoplasmic reticulum. Oligomers were also found for two genetically altered forms of VSV G; one of these was lacking the membrane anchor domain and the other had the cysteine in the cytoplasmic tail replaced with serine. These oligomers can be separated from the bulk of yeast proteins by brief high-speed centrifugation of yeast extracts prepared by boiling cells with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. Treatment with thiol-reducing agents converts the oligomers to soluble monomeric forms, and this procedure leads to a substantial purification of glycoproteins from bulk yeast protein.
The Moderation Effects of Family Structure and Low Self-Control

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) theory of low self-control (LSC) asserts the etiology of LSC lies in the ability of parents to correctly control their children. These parental behaviors are crucial to understanding how LSC may or may not be transmitted from parents to children. Little research has explored the potential moderating effects of family structure regarding parenting, LSC, and delinquency. Multi-group structural equation modeling is used with data from the National Evaluation of the Teens, Crime, and the Community/Community Works (TCC/CW) program (n = 1,409) to assess these relationships. Results show LSC mediates the relationship between family structure and delinquency. Additionally, the relationships between parenting, LSC, and delinquency are invariant for children from intact or broken homes. It is suggested that future research explore the origins of parental efficacy and LSC beyond family structure while considering self-control as a multidimensional concept. Policy recommendations are also discussed.
Characterization of the multicopper oxidase gene family in Anopheles gambiae.

Abstract The multicopper oxidase (MCO) family of enzymes includes laccases, which oxidize a broad range of substrates including diphenols, and several oxidases with specific substrates such as iron, copper or ascorbic acid. We have identified five putative MCO genes in the genome of Anopheles gambiae and have cloned cDNAs encompassing the full coding region for each gene. MCO1 mRNA was detected in all developmental stages and in all of the larval and adult tissues tested. We observed an increase in MCO1 transcript abundance in the midguts and Malphighian tubules of adult females following a blood meal and in adult abdominal carcasses in response to an immune challenge. Two alternatively spliced isoforms of MCO2 mRNA were identified. The A isoform of MCO2 was previously detected in larval and pupal cuticle where it probably catalyzes sclerotization reactions (He, N., Botelho, J.M.C., McNall, R.J., Belozerov, V., Dunn, W.A., Mize, T., Orlando, R., Willis, J.H., 2007. Proteomic analysis of cast cuticles from Anopheles gambiae by tandem mass spectrometry. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37, 135–146). The B isoform was transcriptionally upregulated in ovaries in response to a blood meal. MCO3 mRNA was detected in the adult midgut, Malpighian tubules, and male reproductive tissues; like MCO1, it was upregulated in response to an immune challenge or a blood meal. MCO4 and MCO5 were observed primarily in eggs and in the abdominal carcass of larvae. A phylogenetic analysis of insect MCO genes identified putative orthologs of MCO1 and MCO2 in all of the insect genomes tested, whereas MCO3, MCO4 and MCO5 were found only in the two mosquito species analyzed. MCO2 orthologs have especially high sequence similarity, suggesting that they are under strong purifying selection; the A isoforms are more conserved than the B isoforms. The mosquito specific group shares a common ancestor with MCO2. This initial study of mosquito MCOs suggests that MCO2 may be required for egg development or eggshell tanning in addition to cuticle tanning, while MCO1 and MCO3 may be involved in metal metabolism or immunity.
Plasma Levels of Brain Natriuretic Peptide: A Potential Marker for HIV-Related Cardiomyopathy:

One of the most common and life-threatening cardiovascular complications of HIV-infection is severe global left ventricular dysfunction due to primary heart muscle disease. At present, there is no single, cost-effective and reliable method of identifying the highly prevalent HIV-related cardiac dysfunction. Nonetheless, growing evidence supports the hypothesis that brain natriuretic peptide measurement has the potential to detect patients who develop HIV-related cardiomyopathy. If true, this hypothesis would have important clinical and public health implications.
Digital Formatting Standards in Medical Imaging: A Primer for Echocardiographers

With the progressive improvement in computer processing speed and the increasingly cost-effective storage of large amounts of digital data, the day of all-digital echocardiography is fast approaching. Even today, it is quite feasible to record and store representative loops from every study in a busy echo­ cardiographic laboratory. With the anticipated im­ provements in computer storage technology over the next decade, it is quite likely that by the turn of the century most echocardiography laboratories will be using digital storage as the dominant mech­ anism for processing data in routine clinical echo­ cardiography. A critical requirement for the universal propaga­ tion ofdigital technology is the adoption ofstandard file formats by the echocardiographic community. The acceptance of such a digital formatting standard will permit the integration and display of echocar­ diographic information with other clinical patient data, facilitate the ready interchange ofdigital images between institutions, and allow the permanent ar­ chiving of imaging data of the highest quality. The availability of a widely accepted formatting standard is critical before either vendors or users will invest heavily in digital technology for fear that their in­ vestments will soon be rendered obsolete by changes in data format. Furthermore, these standards must be integrated into the entire medical community to take advantage ofthe advances occurring in the arena of electronic medical records. The American Society of Echocardiography has recently formed a Task Force on Digital Formatting Standards in Echocardiography, members of which are listed at the end of this article. The charge of this
Differences in access to zidovudine (AZT) among symptomatic HIV-infected persons

Object:To evaluate socioeconomic factors that determine whether symptomatic HIV-infected persons are offered zidovudine (AZT).
Evidence for a vagovagal reflex

Abstract Numerous pathophysiological states play a role in the provocation of cardiac asystole or ventricular fibrillation. Vagal reflex suppression of atrial pacemaker activity and of atrioventricular conduction is a significant factor. Clear delineation of the vagal reflex patterns has yet to be achieved and some of our clinical understanding of the vagovagal reflex is based on circumstantial evidence. Nevertheless, it behoves the physician to be familiar with the potential vagovagal actions on cardiac rhythm. The prevention of these deleterious reflexes during periods of disease or drug sensitization is possible and should receive high priority in the care of the patient.
Equilibrium spinning of a typical single-engine low-wing light aircraft

A study is performed of rotary balance data, spin tunnel model, radio-controlled (R/C) model, and full-scale flight test results relating to the spinning of light aircraft. A method is presented for predicting steady spin modes using rotary balance data. Differences in spin characteristics of various wing, tail, and fuselage modifications are discussed as well as scale effects. It is concluded that an equilibrium flat spin is governed primarily by the yawing moment coefficient.
MEAN SOUNDINGS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AREA

Abstract Mean aerological data for the Gulf of Mexico area have been prepared from 10-year records for three stations. Mean monthly height, temperature, and relative humidity data are tabulated for constant pressure surfaces. More detailed information, including density, potential temperature, and specific humidity, is shown for the mean “hurricane season” sounding. The mean data are compared with those previously presented for the West Indies area and some of the interesting climatological features are discussed.
Similarity in languages and programs

We use an information-theoretic notion, namely, (Shannon) information rate, to generalize common syntactic similarity metrics (like Hamming distance and longest common subsequences) between strings to ones between languages. We show that the similarity metrics between two regular languages are computable. We further study self-similarity of a regular language under various similarity metrics. As far as semantic similarity is concerned, we study the amplitude of an automaton, which intuitively characterizes how much a typical execution of the automaton fluctuates. Finally, we investigate, through experiments, how to measure similarity between two real-world programs using Lempel-Ziv compression on the runs at the assembly level.
Centroid Detector Assembly for the AXAF-I Alignment Test System

The High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (imaging) (AXAF-I) consists of four nested paraboloids and four nested hyperboloids, all of meter-class size, and all of which are to be assembled and aligned in a special 15 meter tower at Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY. The goals of the alignment are (1) to make the images of the four telescopes coincident; (2) to remove coma from each image individually; and (3) to control and determine the final position of the composite focus. This will be accomplished by the HRMA Aligment Test System (HATS) which is essentially a scanning Hartmann test system. The scanning laser source and the focal plane of the HATS are part of the Centroid Detector Assembly (CDA) which also includes processing electronics and software. In this paper we discuss the design and the measured performance of the CDA.
Calculation of Host-Guest Binding Affinities Using a Quantum-Mechanical Energy Model.

The prediction of protein–ligand binding affinities is of central interest in computer-aided drug discovery, but it is still difficult to achieve a high degree of accuracy. Recent studies suggesting that available force fields may be a key source of error motivate the present study, which reports the first mining minima (M2) binding affinity calculations based on a quantum mechanical energy model, rather than an empirical force field. We apply a semiempirical quantum-mechanical energy function, PM6-DH+, coupled with the COSMO solvation model, to 29 host–guest systems with a wide range of measured binding affinities. After correction for a systematic error, which appears to derive from the treatment of polar solvation, the computed absolute binding affinities agree well with experimental measurements, with a mean error of 1.6 kcal/mol and a correlation coefficient of 0.91. These calculations also delineate the contributions of various energy components, including solute energy, configurational entropy, and...
Social Work Educators’ Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbians: A National Assessment

A sample of 927 U.S. social work educators expressed limited negative attitudes toward lesbians and slightly more negative attitudes toward gay men in this cross-sectional, national study using standardized survey instruments with proven psychometric properties. Faculty most likely to express negative attitudes toward lesbians included those employed at a religiously affiliated university (whether sectarian or non-sectarian), identifying as African-American and male, working in an urban or suburban setting (rather than a rural one), and having probationary tenure-track status. These individual and institutional characteristics accounted for 7.8% of the variance in social work educators’ negative attitudes toward lesbians. Faculty most likely to express negative attitudes toward gay men included those identifying as African-American, employed at a religiously affiliated university, identifying as heterosexual and male. These variables explained 12.4% of the variance in social work educators’ negative attit...
Hydrogen dissociation below 1 K

We report on an investigation of hydrogen dissociation at dilution refrigerator temperatures. The objective of this study is to develop a low-temperature hydrogen atom source for experiments on spin-polarized atomic hydrogen. We find that, in a discharge tube coated with a solid H2 layer and a superfluid He film, hydrogen dissociation is mediated by a glow discharge supported by He vapor. The He discharge provides the energetic particles needed for removing H atoms from the solid H2 coating. In order to strike a He discharge, the He vapor pressure has to correspond to a wall temperature of 0.60–0.75 K. The best results are obtained close to the low-temperature threshold for ignition, or at even lower temperatures if the rf discharge pulse is preceded by a heat pulse adjusted to flash-evaporate the required initial He density. Hydrogen atom yields of 1013 H/discharge pulse are typical, and scale with the pulsed rf energy as long as the discharge volume is not overheated and remains in good thermal contact with its cooling jacket. In these conditions the H flux from the dissociator is proportional to the average rf power with a dissociation efficiency of ∼3%. With a dilution refrigerator circulation of 0.3 mmole/sec of3He, H fluxes of 5×1013 H/sec are obtained in steady-state discharge conditions.
Are children with lesser-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia curable with antimetabolite therapy?

Are children with lesser-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia curable with antimetabolite therapy?
Effect of systemic pesticide implants on the level of Western spruce budworm infestation: Treatment and post-treatment years

Abstract I recorded the mean density of Western spruce budworm ( Choristoneura occidentalis ) and all other arthropods on a group of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) trees treated with systemic pesticide implants, and on a control group of untreated trees. Both budworm density and the density of other arthropods was significantly higher on the control trees. Conversely, cone mass was significantly greater on treated trees. During the year following treatment, budworm densities were no longer different between treatment and control groups. The long-term benefits of treatment for a single year are, therefore, uncertain.
A guide to building image-centric databases

There is a paucity of image-centric neuroinformatics infrastructure within the individual investigator’s laboratory despite the obvious need for automation and integration of experimental results. Yet, solutions can often be readily built using off-the-shelf databases and associated tools. Doing so simplifies day-to-day research operation and increases throughput. Proper construction of in-house solutions may also expedite community-wide integration of private and public data repositories. Here we describe neuroinformatics approaches at different levels of functionality, required expertise, and size of image datasets. The simplest approach offers ease of image browsing and rudimentary searching. More sophisticated systems provide powerful search capabilities, a means of tracking analysis, and even automated serial processing pipelines. In this practicum, we provide guidance in selecting among the different options.
Drift of flexibly connected frames

Abstract The ease of erection of bolted frames has caused an increase in their application in recent years. The safe design of such frames requires the inclusion of joint flexibility in the analysis. The behavior of such connections is generally nonlinear. Since in optimization and nonlinear analysis the solution is carried out as a collection of elastic problems, efficient techniques are required for the analysis of the frame. In this paper a method is developed for such purposes. The method gives exact results for symmetric multi-story single-bay frames. For multi-bay frames the results are approximate and the degree of accuracy varies with the problem. A procedure for obtaining the exact solution of multi-bay frames is discussed.
Reference values for blood findings in relatively fit elderly persons.

In a retirement community group of 73 relatively fit elderly white persons, a cross-sectional study of 53 different blood tests was conducted. The five test categories for blood values were hematology, chemistry, thyroid function, protein electrophoresis, and immunology. Fifteen percent of the blood findings were outside the range accepted as normal by the examining laboratories. Most of the subjects showed between 5 and 10 “abnormal” values within the five test categories. Since the findings were fairly predictable in view of the patho-anatomic changes that accompany aging, and since the manifestations of disease were at most subclinical, only minor alterations in individual management were needed. Subsequent appropriate clinical re-evaluation of these subjects during a six-month follow-up revealed no striking changes. It would appear that the ranges of “normal” reference values may need to be expanded. Although cross-sectional laboratory studies are useful, longitudinal studies seem essential if clinicians are to attain a more valid perspective.
Bank regulation under nonbinding capital guidelines

A one-period model of bank equity is presented in which the end of the period can be interpreted as the next regulatory examination. A capital guideline is in place that may or may not be met as the values of the bank's assets and liabilities fluctuate during the period. If the guideline is not met at the time of examination, however, equityholders bear some cost. The bank's risk-taking incentives between examinations are studied. The model suggests that higher capital guidelines may cause riskier bank behavior at some points in time, but do not imply a trend toward a riskier banking system.
Generational garbage collection and the radioactive decay model

If a fixed exponentially decreasing probability distribution function is used to model every object's lifetime, then the age of an object gives no information about its future life expectancy. This radioactive decay model implies there can be no rational basis for deciding which live objects should be promoted to another generation. Yet there remains a rational basis for deciding how many objects to promote, when to collect garbage, and which generations to collect.Analysis of the model leads to a new kind of generational garbage collector whose effectiveness does not depend upon heuristics that predict which objects will live longer than others.This result provides insight into the computational advantages of generational garbage collection, with implications for the management of objects whose life expectancies are difficult to predict.
Recent Developments at JPL in the Application of Image Processing to Astronomy

Four applications of image processing to astronomy, automated location and analysis of star and galaxy images, geometric and radiometric decalibration of vidicon spectra, display of multiband radio images, and generation of high resolution polarization direction and magnitude maps from images are presented with illustrative examples. The technique by which a digital image can be analyzed automatically to locate and segregate between stars and galaxies and the steps performed by the classifier to determine the nature of each object are outlined. The classification program executed on a 48 inch Schmidt plate of the cluster of galaxies 655 is described. The calibration and decalibration steps to remove geometric and radiometric distortions from a silicon vidicon camera digital spectra are discussed. Three methods of displaying multispectral radio data, generating a mosaic of each image, producing a color coded image to depict radio velocity, and producing a stereo pair with radial velocity as depth are described. The generation of polarization information from images obtained through linear polarizing filters is illustrated, and it is concluded that in each case information was displayed using digital techniques which could not readily have been provided visually.
Does adding a lesser-curvature gastrogastric plication suture reduce the need for revision after laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placement?

The need for revision after laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) surgery has been reduced over the past 10 years with the introduction of the pars flaccida technique, delicate band tightening, and concurrent hiatal hernia repairs. However, band revision still occurs for as many as 5% of patients. Placement of a lesser-curvature gastrogastric suture distal to the band is one newer technique suggested to lower band slippage. To evaluate the worth of this technique, the authors have investigated two groups of patients in their practice: one group with the plication stitch and one group without it. This retrospective review examined data for 1,365 LAGB patients collected prospectively by an institutional review board-approved database between July 2007 and May 2010. One surgeon did not perform the plication stitch (n = 776) and one did (n = 589). The surgical techniques were very similar. The majority of the patients had crural repair at the primary operation. Band revision rates were assessed. For 1,365 patients, LAGB was performed safely. The mean follow-up period was 22 months. The two groups were similar. The no-stitch group consisted of 776 patients (496 women, 64%) with a mean age of 42 years, a mean weight of 278 lb, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 44.6 kg/m2. The stitch group consisted of 589 patients (426 woman, 72%) with a mean age of 40 years, a mean weight of 278 lb, and a mean BMI of 44.8 kg/m2. The no-stitch group had an estimated weight loss (EWL) of 44% at 12 months and 50% EWL at 2 years. The stitch group had 37% EWL at 12 months and 45% EWL at 2 years. Both groups had very low revision rates. The no-stitch group had 4 revisions in 776 patients (0.26%), and the stitch group had 9 revisions in 589 patients (1.5%). Adding gastrogastric plication sutures offers no benefit of reducing the rate of revision after LAGB surgery.
Particle motion in the stagnation zone of an impinging air jet

This study investigated particle behaviour in the stagnation zone of natural and forced round impinging air jets using flow visualization, image analysis, and particle image velocimetry. The jet Reynolds number was 21000, and the nozzle to plate spacing was five diameters. Small mass loadings of glass beads with inertial time constants τp of 1.7 and 7 ms were examined. The Stokes number associated with the mean flow Stm = τpU0/D ranged from 0.6 to 2.4, and the Stokes number associated with vortices in the forced flow St′ = τpf ranged from 0.3 to 1.25 where f is the vortex passage frequency. Particle velocities near the wall deviated strongly from fluid velocities, resulting in rebound and non-Stokesian effects (i.e. significant particle Reynolds numbers Rep). The deceleration associated with rebounding caused long particle residence times in the stagnation zone and significant increases in particle number density above the plate. Rebound height and the height of the region of particle accumulation were well correlated and increased with Stm. Particles associated with lower Stm were accelerated in the radial direction more quickly, not only because of their decreased inertia, but also because of the larger fluid velocties encountered. Shear layer vortices produced spatial variations in particle concentration in the free jet which caused number density near the plate to fluctuate with time. The vortices had little effect on particle motion near the stagnation point, however. Only particles in the vicinity of vortex cores felt the influence of the vortex-induced velocity field. Hence, particle motion in the stagnation zone was most dependent on the mean flow (and thus Stm).
The effect of aprepitant and race on the pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide in breast cancer patients

Purpose The prodrug cyclophosphamide is metabolized by cytochrome P450(CYP)2B6 to the active metabolite, 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4-OH), and by CYP3A4/5 to toxic chloracetaldehyde and 2-dechloroethylcyclophosphamide (DCE). Since aprepitant is a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4, the study was designed to determine whether its concurrent use alters the pharmacokinetics (PK) of cyclophosphamide. In addition, we sought to determine the effect of race and pharmacogenomics on cyclophosphamide PK.
Purging deleterious mutations under self fertilization: paradoxical recovery in fitness with increasing mutation rate in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Background The accumulation of deleterious mutations can drastically reduce population mean fitness. Self-fertilization is thought to be an effective means of purging deleterious mutations. However, widespread linkage disequilibrium generated and maintained by self-fertilization is predicted to reduce the efficacy of purging when mutations are present at multiple loci. Methodology/Principal Findings We tested the ability of self-fertilizing populations to purge deleterious mutations at multiple loci by exposing obligately self-fertilizing populations of Caenorhabditis elegans to a range of elevated mutation rates and found that mutations accumulated, as evidenced by a reduction in mean fitness, in each population. Therefore, purging in obligate selfing populations is overwhelmed by an increase in mutation rate. Surprisingly, we also found that obligate and predominantly self-fertilizing populations exposed to very high mutation rates exhibited consistently greater fitness than those subject to lesser increases in mutation rate, which contradicts the assumption that increases in mutation rate are negatively correlated with fitness. The high levels of genetic linkage inherent in self-fertilization could drive this fitness increase. Conclusions Compensatory mutations can be more frequent under high mutation rates and may alleviate a portion of the fitness lost due to the accumulation of deleterious mutations through epistatic interactions with deleterious mutations. The prolonged maintenance of tightly linked compensatory and deleterious mutations facilitated by self-fertilization may be responsible for the fitness increase as linkage disequilibrium between the compensatory and deleterious mutations preserves their epistatic interaction.
Exploring New Research Frontiers in Offshoring Knowledge and Service Processes

Abstract This paper provides an introduction to a special issue on the offshoring of service and knowledge work. Brief descriptions are provided for 13 papers that fall into three categories including strategic and organizational issues, global and knowledge supply-chain issues, and tactical issues. The intent of this special issue was to provide a venue for presenting numerous perspectives on the operational and cross-disciplinary challenges and opportunities in the area of service and knowledge offshoring.
Towards a philosophy of engineering

"Design as exploration" model is used to describe a generalized design approach focused on a synthesis process. We posit that design synthesis is the differentiating element that separates engineering as fundamentally different from the physical sciences. As such, it is design synthesis that is necessary and sufficient component to a philosophy of engineering. With this end in mind, design as exploration is used as a framework looking towards developing a philosophy of engineering. Design synthesis and the design as exploration model form the basis for a philosophy of engineering. In this paper, we present thoughts and reasons as to why design synthesis, as an embodiment of intelligence, is key to a philosophy of engineering.
Political influence across generations: partisanship and candidate evaluations in the 2008 election

Recent scholarship in political socialization has moved beyond traditional transmission models of parent-driven socialization to consider alternative pathways, like trickle-up socialization and its predictors. However, these studies have paid less attention to the diverse ways in which parents and children develop discrete political orientations, especially during a competitive presidential campaign. In this study, we examine various pathways through which influence occurs across generations in terms of partisanship and candidate evaluations. Our results suggest that while harmonious attitudes remain the norm, there are substantial opportunities for youth to demonstrate their independence, particularly when gaining perspectives from schools and digital media sources. Our findings indicate the importance of exploring how youth and their parents come to understand politics and the forces that shape youth socialization.
The Homestake Neutrino Detector

Abstract Neutrino mass ordering, mixing, and potential for CP violation are some of the most important questions facing particle physics today. To address them, a Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) is being planned using a 700 kw beam that would be directed from Fermilab to an underground site in Lead, South Dakota – a baseline of 1300 km. At this site, one or more large detectors are being planned that would not only provide sufficient mass for a precision long baseline oscillation experiment, but also be sensitive to neutrino bursts from supernovae, proton decay, and cosmic ray neutrinos. The major components of the design and expected physics sensitivity are presented.
Presentation and treatment of subfertile men with balanced translocations: the cleveland clinic experience.

Introduction: Balanced chromosomal translocations are a relatively common (2–7%) finding among infertile couples. We report clinical features of males with translocations at our institution. Materials and Methods: Data was collected on men presenting for infertility evaluation between July 2006 March 2010, including presentation, medical history, and infertility treatments. Criteria for genetic evaluation, consisting of karyotype and Y-linked microdeletion assay, included severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia (sperm concentration Results: Of the 4,612 patients in our male infertility clinic 306 met criteria for genetic evaluation. Three patients had a balanced translocation, of which 2 had Robertsonian translocations, and 1 had a balanced translocation. One patient had normal bulk semen parameters, normal volume azoospermia, and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. All patients were offered medical genetics consultation. Potential pregnancy outcomes were evaluated using a predictive software package. One patient had intratubular germ cell neoplasia and underwent orchiectomy; subsequent fertility evaluation has been deferred. The other 2 are considering in-vitro fertilization with pre-implantation genetic evaluation. Conclusions: Given the low incidence of balanced translocations detected in our population, better clinical indicators other than semen parameters or history of recurrent pregnancy loss are needed to determine screening for this finding.
VERKEHRSVERBUND: THE SUCCESS OF REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN GERMANY, AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND.

Abstract The Verkehrsverbund system of public transport organization offers a practical solution to the problem of providing integrated regional public transport service for the increasingly suburbanized metropolitan areas of Europe and North America. By carefully coordinating fares and services for all routes, all types of public transport, and all parts of the metropolitan region, Verkehrsverbund systems in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have greatly improved the quality of the public transport alternative to the automobile. Five Verbund systems were chosen for detailed analysis: Hamburg, Munich, the Rhein-Ruhr region, Vienna and Zurich. This article documents the success of each Verbund in attracting more public transport riders and, in most cases, increasing or at least stabilizing public transport's share of modal split. It also analyzes the reasons for the success of the Verkehrsverbund, including service expansion, improvement in service quality, more attractive fares, and extensive marketing campaigns. The five case study systems offer lessons for other public transport systems facing similar challenges of dealing with increasing auto ownership and suburbanization. The article concludes with an analysis of the most challenging problem of all: public transport finance. As shown dramatically by the five case studies, the service improvements and fare structures needed for truly effective regional public transport require substantial government subsidy. Fiscal austerity at every government level is leading to subsidy cutbacks in most countries of Europe and North America. The five case study systems examined in this article provide lessons on how to deal most effectively with limited subsidy funds in order to minimize service deterioration, fare increases and ridership losses.
First-excursion probability in non-stationary random vibration.

The first-excursion probability of a non-stationary Gaussian process with zero mean has been studied. Within the framework of the point process approach, a variety of analytical approximations applicable to stationary random processes is extended herein to non-stationary random processes. The extension is possible owing to a recent definition of non-stationary envelope processes proposed by the author. With the aid of numerical examples, merits of each approximation are examined by comparing with the results of simulation. It is found that under non-stationary excitations with short duration, the Markov approximation is the best among all the approximations discussed in this paper.
FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF NON‐NEWTONIAN FOODS UTILIZING A LOW‐COST ROTATIONAL VISCOMETER

Various cups and bobs were constructed for use with a Brookfield Rheolog viscometer. The bobs were examined for end effects utilizing standard solutions of known viscosity and corrected bob heights determined. Improved rotational capabilities were provided by combining an audio generator, amplifier and power transformer to give decreased, intermediate and increased speeds of rotation. This system proved accurate when tested with a Newtonian product (sucrose solutions) and gave flow constants not significantly different from those obtained using a Haake Rotovisco for the evaluation of a non-Newtonian product (orange juice).
Globus GridFTP: what's new in 2007

GridFTP is a high-performance, secure, reliable data transfer protocol optimized for high-bandwidth wide-area networks. It is based on the Internet FTP protocol, and it defines extensions for high-performance operation and security. The Globus implementation of GridFTP provides a software suite optimized for the gamut of data access issues---from bulk file transfer to the details of getting data out of complex storage systems within sites. We summarize some recent developments in Globus GridFTP.
Marriage: Does it protect young women from alcoholism?

The literature is replete with conflicting articles about the relationship of marital status and drinking in women. This study is an analysis of the drinking practices of women, 24 through 32 years old, who were respondents in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Variations in drinking patterns for the years 1982 through 1988 as a function of changes in marital status are detailed. Findings indicated that women who married or remarried decreased drinking, whereas those who became separated or divorced increased drinking. In the present study, women with alcoholic spouses exhibited similar changes in drinking as did other young women. Our conclusion was that the instability created by a change in social position, namely marital status, led to changes in drinking patterns during the study interval in the direction of those associated with the new social position.
Enhanced dechlorination of trichloroethylene by membrane-supported Pd-coated iron nanoparticles

In this study, cellulose acetate (CA) supported iron and Pd/Fe nanoparticles were used for dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) from water. Solution and microemulsion methods were used to synthesize the iron nanoparticles. Pd/Fe bimetallic particles were prepared by postcoating Pd on the prepared iron nanoparticles. These materials were then dispersed in CA solution, which was used to prepare the membrane-supported nanoparticles. TEM imaging confirmed that the iron and Pd/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles were ∼10 nm in diameter. The results of dechlorination studies showed that the surface composition of the Pd/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles (microemulsion method) significantly affected the observed reduction rate constant. In addition, the rate constant was a nonlinear function of metal loading and initial TCE concentration. A comparative study for the Pd/Fe (Pd 1.9 u't %) nanoparticles from solution and microemulsion methods showed that the nanoparticles formed by the latter method gave superior performance for the dechlorination of TCE.
On the metrics and origin of Rig-Vedic ná ‘like, as’

Beginning with the synchronic metrical distribution of na and na ‘NEG’, we attempted to formulate, first, certain principles of Rig-Vedic exegesis (which we applied to several obscure or hitherto imperfectly understood passages), and second, a theory concerning the origin of the comparative function of na. Unlike previous explanations, the theory described above accounts in a systematic way for the formal, functional, and metrical features of na.
Testing of Aspheric Optical Surfaces

Aspheric surfaces are common in modern optical systems. Being able to measure the quality of aspheric optical surfaces is essential in optical manufacturing. The paper will describe and compare techniques used to measure aspheric surfaces. Article not available.
High-Resolution Alignment of Sampled Waveforms

Waveforms are often sampled faster than the Nyquist rate to obtain desired temporal resolution, even though, theoretically, oversampling adds no information and should not be necessary. This paper shows how high resolution can be achieved efficiently from data sampled at the Nyquist rate by working with coefficients of the Fourier-series expansion of the continuous interpolating waveform. Practical algorithms are presented for aligning and comparing waveforms, locating peaks, resolving superimpositions, and averaging overlapping waveforms. The algorithms prove to be more accurate, and to require fewer computations and less storage than techniques which employ continuous oversampling in many signal-processing applications, particularly template matching.
Dynamic subset selection for multi-camera tracking

While multi-camera methods for object tracking tend to out-perform their single-camera counterparts, the data aggregation schemes can introduce new challenges, such as resource management and algorithm complexity. We present a framework for dynamically choosing the best subset of available cameras for tracking in real-time, which reduces aggregate tracking error and resource consumption and can be applied to a variety of existing base tracking models. We demonstrate on challenging video sequences of players in a basketball game. Our method is able to successfully track targets entering and exiting camera views and through occlusions, and overcome instances of single-view tracking drift.
Electrospray mass spectra from protein electroeluted from sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels

Electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry of proteins separated on sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels is severely limited by the requirement that the protein be completely separated from the SDS. As shown here, the gaseous noncovalent SDS adducts of protonated proteins thus formed can be dissociated by infrared irradiation. ESI spectra from myoglobin in SDS-containing solutions show molecular ions adducted with up to 15 dodecyl sulfates, but ir irradiation of these ions causes complete dissociation to expel the SDS.
Hybrid GA-PSO multi-objective design optimization of coupled PM synchronous motor-drive using physics-based modeling approach

The torque ripple of a PM synchronous motor (PMSM) originates from two sources; the cogging torque and mismatch between the back emf and phase current waveforms. The first source is only related to the magnetic design parameters of PMSM and the second source is related to the effect of the driving circuit on the magnetic design parameters. Therefore, achieving a minimum torque ripple requires a hybrid magnetic design of PMSM dynamically when it is connected to the driving circuit. From the motor design point of view, a minimum torque ripple can be achieved with a minimum cogging torque and a proper back emf waveform. This sometimes causes an undesirable phase current of machine which in turn increase the total harmonic distortion and the RMS value of the phase current. As a results, this leads to a lower motor efficiency. Although a desirable trade-off between performance measure of the machine and magnetic design parameter can help achieve a more efficient design This paper deals with an optimal design of PMSM motor geometry to achieve minimum torque ripple, minimum RMS value of phase current, and minimum total harmonic distortion of phase currents simultaneously. A multi-objective function is formed as a combination of these parameters. A physics-based phase variable model is used to couple the motor to the driving circuit. The physical behavior of PMSM was calculated by a non-linear transient FE analysis with motion. A mixed Genetic-particle swarm algorithm is developed and used as an optimization procedure. The results before and after optimization show the expected performance improvements while reducing magnet material and copper size.