cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alkaloids of Picea Breweriana

Alkaloids found in Picea breweriana include hygrine, hygroline, N-methylsedridine and N-methylpelletierine. This represents the first isolation of these alkaloids from the Pinaceae. Euphococcinine, an alkaloid previously found in Picea and Pinus species, is also present. The presence of alkaloids characteristic of two different biosynthetic pathways in P. breweriana highlights the apparent uniqueness of this species.
Representing site productivity in the basal area increment model for FVS-Ontario

The utility of site index as a predictor variable in models for complex, mixed species stands is limited because the site index concept is not well suited for these stand types. Additionally, there is no standard protocol of estimating site index for uneven-aged mixed species stands, which is evident in permanent sample plot (PSP) and co-operative (COOP) data sets available from the Province of Ontario, Canada. Under such circumstances, an alternative to site index in a basal area increment model was explored, using a combination of climate and Forest Ecosystem Classification (FEC) variables from the Ontario boreal region. Among the four candidate climate variables chosen, mean annual temperature (MAT) explained the most variability in basal area increment for the four selected tree species – trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.). Our results indicated that a combination of the climate variable, MAT, and FEC explained a substantially higher proportion of variation in the basal area increment than site index alone. Thus, climate and FEC variables are superior substitutes in the basal area increment model even when error-free site index values are possible to obtain.
Mollusc–Microbe Mutualisms Extend the Potential for Life in Hypersaline Systems

Metazoans in extreme environments have evolved mutualisms with microbes that extend the physical and chemical capabilities of both partners. Some of the best examples are bivalve molluscs in evaporite and hypersaline settings. Mollusc tissue is developmentally and evolutionarily amenable to housing vast numbers of symbiotic microbes. Documented benefits to the host are nutritional. Multiple postulated benefits to the microbes are related to optimizing metabolic performance at interfaces, where heterogeneity and steep gradients that cannot be negotiated by microbes can be spanned by larger metazoan hosts. A small cockle, Fragum erugatum, and its photosymbiotic microbes provide a remarkable example of a mutualistic partnership in the hypersaline reaches of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Lucinid bivalves and their endosymbiotic chemolithotrophic bacteria provide examples in which hosts span oxic/anoxic interfaces on behalf of their symbionts at sites of seafloor venting. Multiple lines of evidence underscore ...
Heat-labile accessory factor involved in vaccinia virus plaque neutralization.

A heat-labile accessory factor present in native (unheated) normal serum was found to replace the vaccinia virus neutralizing activity of immune serum destroyed by heating at 56° C for 30 minutes. Treatment of serum samples with ammonium hydroxide or cobra snake venom did not significantly reduce the activity of immune serum. Also, inactivation studies with the properdin deficient (PR) fraction of immune serum after zymosam treatment did not alter the neutralizing activity of immune serum. The neutralization kinetics of vaccinia virus were altered in the presence of the accessory factor. However, the optimum conditions for neutralization were not changed. In the hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test procedure, heating decreased the HI activity of vaccinia immune serum, but the addition of native normal rabbit serum did not restore the lost activity. Although individual components of complement might affect vaccinia neutralization, it appeared that a heat-labile accessory factor, other than properdin or complement, was required for the complete neutralizing activity of vaccinia immune serum.
A New Function for the Elongator Complex: Polarization of Rab Activity?

The Elongator complex was first identified through association with hyperphosphorylated forms of RNA polymerase II and was thought to have a role in transcriptional elongation in yeast. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Rahl et al. suggest a novel function for this complex: regulating polarized cell-surface transport. Defects in the human form of this complex result in a neurodegenerative disease, familial dysautomia (FD), suggesting that a deficiency in neuronal polarized trafficking is the underlying cause of FD.
Conceptual Analysis of the Power Production of Fission Electric Cell Reactors

The United States Department of Energy, Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) Direct Energy Conversion project has as its goal the development of direct energy conversion (DEC) processes suitable for commercial development. DEC is defined as any fission process that returns usable energy with no intermediate thermal process. This project includes the study of the fission electric cell (FEC). In the FEC, fission fragments exit the fuel element cathode and are collected by the cell anode. Previous work [1] has shown the potential of FECs, with theoretical efficiencies up to 60%. Inspection of this work indicates the need for additional system modeling prior to any conclusions regarding the final FEC reactor configuration. This paper builds on the previous work and outlines the development of models to facilitate design decisions. The models address criticality, design life, reactor configuration, and current-voltage characteristics. In addition, this paper proposes future work to complete the design model.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Determinants of skeletal fragility

Strategies to reduce fracture risk must be based on a sound understanding of the mechanisms that underline the increased incidence of fractures with age and with certain diseases. There is evidence that in addition to bone minerals density, other factors influence bone strength. The chapter reviews the biomechanical aspects of age-related fractures, including the interacting roles of traumatic loading and bone strength, and the factors that determine a bones resistances to fracture. Also discussed are the mechanisms by which anti-catabolic and anabolic therapies for osteoporosis may affect bone strength. Finally, several current and future methodologies for improving assessment of bone strength in patients are evaluated.
Interface Delamination of Diamond-Coated Carbide Tools Considering Coating Fractures by XFEM

Interface delamination is the major failure mode of diamond-coated carbide tools in machining. On the other hand, coating cracking is possibly accompanied during a tribological process that induces the delamination phenomenon. However, such an influence between the two failure behaviors has not been investigated in a quantitative way to better understand and design diamond coating tools.In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) indentation model combining cohesive interactions and extended finite element method (XFEM) was developed to investigate the diamond-coating, carbide-substrate interface behavior with the incorporation of coating cracking. The interface interaction was based on a cohesive zone model (CZM) with a bilinear traction-separation law. XFEM was applied to the coating domain to model cracking in the diamond coating with a damage criterion of the maximum principal stress. Deposition stresses were also included to investigate their effect on the coating delamination and fractures. The model was implemented in finite element (FE) codes to analyze the cone crack in brittle coatings, as well as the interface delamination of diamond coated carbide tools. The XFEM model was validated by the indentation testing data from literature in crack initiations and propagations in brittle materials. FE results from the indentation on diamond-coated tools show that the interface delamination size and the loading force become smaller when coating fractures are incorporated in the model, and the deposition stresses will increase the initial crack radius as well as the critical load for delamination in diamond coatings.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering of Pyrazine at the Junction between Two Ag20 Nanoclusters

In this work we present a detailed time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) investigation of the absorption and Raman spectra of a pyrazine molecule located at the junction between two Ag20 clusters. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancements of the order of 106 have been found for the junction system, which are similar to enhancements of 105 found for individual silver nanoparticles. Surprisingly, the chemical enhancement is found to account for as much as 105, suggesting that this mechanism might be more important than previously believed, in particular for nanoparticle aggregates. Moreover, TDDFT calculations suggest that unlike larger nanoparticles, the junction between small Ag20 tetrahedral clusters does not provide an electromagnetic “hot spot”.
Evaluation of Zetzellia mali as a Predator of Panonychus ulmi and Aculus schlechtendali

The predatory behavior and distribution on unsprayed apple leaves of Zetzellia mali (Ewing) was studied to determine its role as a predator of Panonychus ulmi (Koch) and Aculus schlechtendali (Nal.). Z. mali feed on egg stages of P. ulmi . Occasionally the predator attacked resting and nymphal stages. Adults were not attacked. Female predators consumed a maximum of 1 P. ulmi egg/day. The predator fed on active stages of A. schlechtendali . Female predators consumed a maximum of 15 A. schlechtendali adults/day. The predator occurred only on the underside of the leaf, particularly along the midrib. Therefore, the prey on top of the leaf were immune to attack. Also, Z. mali occurred primarily on short side branches or spur growth whereas A. schlechtendali occurred primarily at the tip of the branches containing terminal leaves. Segments of the prey population were always immune to attack because of their local distribution on widely scattered parts of the leaves and trees. In other words, spatial heterogeneity was too great for effective predator control of the prey. This coupled with the fact that adult ♀ P. ulmi are not attacked suggests that Z. mali alone cannot maintain the population of its prey below economic damage levels. The practical worth of Z. mali , however should be determined only in conjunction with actual spray practice and in association with other predators.
Dexniguldipine hydrochloride, a protein-kinase-C-specific inhibitor, affects the cell cycle, differentiation, P-glycoprotein levels, and nuclear protein phosphorylation in friend erythroleukemia cells

Dexniguldipine hydrochloride (DNIG) is a potent antineoplastic agent with well-documented anti-(protein kinase C) activity and an ability to reverse multidrug resistance. Given the importance of protein kinase C (PKC) activity in proliferation and differentiation, we examined the effect of DNIG on several parameters of Friend erythroleukemia cell (FELC) activity. Particular attention was paid to proliferation, hexamethylene-bisacetamide-(HMBA)-induced differentiation, nuclear localization of protein kinase C, and nuclear protein phosphorylation. P-glycoprotein expression was also followed as an indicator of changes in multidrug resistance. At 2.5 μM, DNIG caused a significant decrease in the rate of FELC proliferation, while maintaining a cellular viability of greater than 80%, whether exposure to the drug was continuous over 96 h or took the form of a 6-h pulse/chase. DNA synthesis was decreased in cells exposed to DNIG for 20 h. Flow cytometry showed a marked increase in the percentage of cells in S phase of the cell cycle. Phosphorylation studies revealed decreased phosphorylation of two nuclear proteins (80 kDa and 47 kDa) following a 4-h exposure to the drug. HMBA-induced differentiation was significantly inhibited with continuous exposure to DNIG, and this effect appears to be a pre-commitment one, as 6-h pulse/chase exposures also resulted in inhibition of differentiation. Cells induced to differentiate with HMBA also demonstrated a decrease in the quantity of the 80-kDa phosphoprotein. western blotting revealed that, even in the face of decreased phosphorylation, exposure to this PKC inhibitor resulted in an increase in the amount of nuclear PKCα. Finally, levels of P-glycoprotein were decreased in the presence of this drug. Our work identifies several effects of the PKC inhibitor DNIG on FELC and suggests several roles for PKC in regulating FELC proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, these results suggest that this PKC inhibitor may increase the effect of other chemotherapeutic drugs, particularly S-phase-specific ones, by increasing the length of S phase and decreasing multidrug resistance. The possibility of combination therapy with DNIG and other antineoplastic agents should be investigated further in light of these findings.
Ammonia intoxication in the near-adult cat as a result of a dietary deficiency of arginine

Near-adult cats, fasted overnight, and given a single meal of a complete amino acid diet without arginine, developed hyperammonemia and showed clinical symptoms of ammonia toxicity within 2 hours. One cat (2.7 kilograms) died 4.5 hours after ingesting only 8 grams of the diet. Since ornithine also prevented hyperammonemia, it appears that the domestic cat cannot synthesize ornithine.
Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in leaves of “Valencia” orange subjected to water deficits

Abstract Photosynthetic principal end products (starch, sucrose, and reducing sugars) were determined in leaves of “Valencia” orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) after trees were subjected to a 10-day, water-deficit period. Water deficit reduced concentrations of starch and sucrose, but not reducing sugars, in orange leaves. Starch content was reduced to 40–70% and sucrose content was reduced 30–75%. Reducing sugars in leaves of trees subjected to water deficit were higher than those of well-watered control trees, having increases ranging from 30 to 115%. Decreases in leaf starch and sucrose contents in “Valencia” orange due to water deficit apparently were the result of inhibitions in leaf photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, due in part to a reduction in stomatal conductance and presumably to a reduction in ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activation and concentration.
The initiation of fetal hemoglobin biosynthesis.

Abstract Biosynthesis of the α and β chains of rabbit and human adult hemoglobin is initiated with a methionyl residue, which is removed during elongation of the peptide chain. To study the initiation of biosynthesis of the γ chain of human fetal hemoglobin, fresh placental blood was used for labeling experiments with radioactive amino acids. Labeled nascent peptide chains were purified from the polysomal fraction of placental blood reticulocytes. The number of amino acid residues in nascent γ chain at the time of removal of its N-terminal methionine was estimated to be 40–60 from the relative yields of labeled tryptic peptides.
Magnetic resonance microscopy of flows and compressions of the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems in pupae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Circulatory, respiratory, and digestive motions in Manduca sexta pupae were observed using proton-density weighted and fast-imaging with steady-state free procession magnetic resonance microscopy. Proton-density weighted images clearly differentiated pupal air sacs from the hemolymph and organs because, as expected, the air sacs appeared dark in these images. Steady-state free procession imaging allowed real-time monitoring of respiration and circulation, creating movies of hemolymph circulation. Some of the movies show compression and inflation of the air sacs as well as abdominal movements consistent with previously reported ceolopulses. To our knowledge, this is the first magnetic resonance microscopy study of insect circulation and respiration and these preliminary results demonstrate the potential of magnetic resonance microscopy for studying in vivo dynamic processes in insects.
Sensory systems as cybernetic systems that require awareness of alternatives to interact with the world: Analysis of the brain-receptor loop in Norwich's Entropy Theory of Perception

Introduction & Objectives: Norwich's Entropy Theory of Perception (1975 [1] -present) stands alone. It explains many firing-rate behaviors and psychophysical laws from bare theory. To do so, it demands a unique sort of interaction between receptor and brain, one that Norwich never substantiated. Can it now be confirmed, given the accumulation of empirical sensory neuroscience? Background: Norwich conjoined sensation and a mathematical model of communication, Shannon's Information Theory, as follows: “In the entropic view of sensation, magnitude of sensation is regarded as a measure of the entropy or uncertainty of the stimulus signal” [2]. “To be uncertain about the outcome of an event, one must first be aware of a set of alternative outcomes” [3]. “The entropy-establishing process begins with the generation of a [internal] sensory signal by the stimulus generator. This is followed by receipt of the [external] stimulus by the sensory receptor, transmission of action potentials by the sensory neurons, and finally recapture of the [response to the internal] signal by the generator” [4]. The latter “recapture” differentiates external from internal stimuli. The hypothetical “stimulus generators” are internal emitters, that generate photons in vision, audible sounds in audition (to Norwich, the spontaneous otoacoustic emissions [SOAEs]), “temperatures in excess of local skin temperature” in skin temperature sensation [4], etc. Method (1): Several decades of empirical sensory physiology literature was scrutinized for internal “stimulus generators”. Results (1): Spontaneous photopigment isomerization (“dark light”) does not involve visible light. SOAEs are electromechanical basilar-membrane artefacts that rarely produce audible tones. The skin's temperature sensors do not raise skin temperature, etc. Method (2): The putative action of the brain-and-sensory-receptor loop was carefully reexamined. Results (2): The sensory receptor allegedly “perceives”, experiences “awareness”, possesses “memory”, and has a “mind”. But those traits describe the whole human. The receptor, thus anthropomorphized, must therefore contain its own perceptual loop, containing a receptor, containing a perceptual loop, etc. Summary & Conclusions: The Entropy Theory demands sensory awareness of alternatives, through an imagined brain-and-sensory-receptor loop containing internal “stimulus generators”. But (1) no internal “stimulus generators” seem to exist and (2) the loop would be the outermost of an infinite nesting of identical loops.
Topographic control of stratified flows: upstream jets, blocking and isolating layers

Optimal solutions to the nonlinear, hydrostatic, Boussinesq equations are developed for steady, density-stratified, topographically controlled flows characterized by blocking and upstream influence. These flows are jet-like upstream of an isolated obstacle and are contained within an asymmetric, thinning stream tube that is accelerated as it passes over the crest. A stagnant, nearly uniform-density isolating layer, surrounded by a bifurcated uppermost streamline, separates the accelerated flow from an uncoupled flow above. The flows are optimal in the sense that, for a given stratification, the solutions maximize the topographic rise above the blocking level required for hydraulic control while minimizing the total energy of the flow. Hydraulic control is defined mathematically by the asymmetry of the accelerated flow as it passes the crest. A subsequent analysis of the Taylor–Goldstein equation shows that these sheared, non-uniformly stratified flows are indeed subcritical upstream, critical at the crest, and supercritical downstream with respect to gravest-mode, long internal waves. The flows obtained are relevant to arrested wedge flows, selective withdrawal, stratified towing experiments, tidal flow over topography and atmospheric flows over mountains.
Building voting tools to support group collaboration

Researchers in Group Support Systems (GSS) and facilitators of group meetings recognize that implementing convergence processes in group is a challenging task. Voting, when used properly, can be a great aid in the convergence process. To reap the full benefit of voting in GSS, the processing and communication capability in GSS must be used when building voting tools. In this paper, we describe the functional requirements of sophisticated voting tools for group collaboration by reviewing theories and existing voting tools. These considerations can serve as guidelines for design and development of next generation voting tools.
Pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in foals: influence of age within the neonatal period

Neonatal foals have unique pharmacokinetics, which may lead to accumulation of certain drugs when adult horse dosage regimens are used. Given its lipophilic nature and requirement for hepatic metabolism, metronidazole may be one of these drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profiles of metronidazole in twelve healthy foals at 1-2.5 days of age when administered as a single intravenous (IV) and intragastric (IG) dose of 15 mg/kg. Foals in the intravenous group were studied a second time at 10-12 days of age to evaluate the influence of age on pharmacokinetics within the neonatal period. Blood samples were collected at serial time points after metronidazole administration. Metronidazole concentration in plasma was measured using LC-MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using noncompartmental analysis and compared between age groups. At 1-2.5 days of age, the mean peak plasma concentration after IV infusion was 18.79 ± 1.46 μg/mL, elimination half-life was 11.8 ± 1.77 h, clearance was 0.84 ± 0.13 mL/min/kg and the volume of distribution (steady-state) was 0.87 ± 0.07 L/kg. At 10-12 days of age, the mean peak plasma concentration after IV infusion was 18.17 ± 1.42 μg/mL, elimination half-life was 9.07 ± 2.84 h, clearance was 1.14 ± 0.21 mL/min/kg and the volume of distribution (steady-state) was 0.88 ± 0.06 L/kg. Oral approximated bioavailability was 100%. Cmax and Tmax after oral dosing were 14.85 ± 0.54 μg/mL and 1.75 (1-4) h, respectively. The elimination half-life was longer and clearance was reduced in neonatal foals at 1-2.5 days as compared to 10-12 days of age (P = 0.006, P = 0.001, respectively). This study warrants consideration for altered dosing recommendations in foals, especially a longer interval (12 h).
Agent-oriented compositional approaches to services-based cross-organizational workflow

With the sophistication and maturity of distributed component-based services and semantic web services, the idea of specification-driven service composition is becoming a reality. One such approach is workflow composition of services that span multiple, distributed web-accessible locations. Given the dynamic nature of this domain, the adaptation of software agents represents a possible solution for the composition and enactment of cross-organizational services. This paper details design aspects of an architecture that would support this evolvable service-based workflow composition. The internal coordination and control aspects of such an architecture is addressed. These agent developmental processes are aligned with industry-standard software engineering processes.
Fixed-final-time optimal tracking control of input-affine nonlinear systems

In this study, approximate dynamics programming framework is utilized for solving the Bellman equation related to the fixed-final-time optimal tracking problem of input-affine nonlinear systems. Convergence of the weights of the neurocontroller in the proposed successive approximation based algorithms is provided and the network is trained to provide the optimal solution to the problems with (a) unspecified initial conditions (b) different time horizons, and (c) different reference trajectories under certain general conditions. Numerical simulations illustrate the versatility of the proposed neurocontroller.
Preliminary findings from a prospective, randomized trial of two palatal operations for sleep-disordered breathing.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the efficacy of 2 palatal surgical procedures in the treatment of patients with mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a prospective, randomized, crossover surgical trial at a university hospital.METHODS: Twenty patients with mild SDB for whom conservative treatment failed were identified and consecutively enrolled into an institutional review board-approved surgical protocol. They were randomly assigned to undergo either radiofrequency ablation of the palate (RFAP) for a planned 3-stage treatment or laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), also for 3 stages of treatment, using a CO2 laser. Parameters assessed included severity of SDB (polysomnography), subjective and objective loudness of snoring (visual analog scale and SNAP recording), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and anatomic changes (upper airway endoscopy), as well as demographic factors. Patients not achieving satisfactory improvement in their condition were crossed over to the...
Prevalence and management of rheumatoid arthritis in the general population of Greece—the ESORDIG study

Objective. To assess the prevalence and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the general adult population of Greece. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on the total adult population (� 19 yrs old) of seven communities (8547 subjects), and on 2100 out of 5686 randomly selected subjects in two additional communities. The study, based on a standardized questionnaire and clinical evaluation and laboratory investigation when necessary, was carried out by rheumatologists who visited the target population at their homes. Diagnosis of RA was based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1987 criteria. Results. A total of 8740 subjects participated (response rate 82.1%). RA was diagnosed in 59 individuals. The prevalence of RA was 0.68% (95% CI 0.51–0.85); it was significantly higher in females than males (P < 0.0005), and increased significantly with age up to and including the 50–59-yr-old group (P < 0.002), and then decreased slightly. On their first medical visit, 19% (95% CI 9.7–30.9) of the RA patients had consulted a rheumatologist, while during the first year after disease onset, 61% (95% CI 48.6–73.4) had done so. Early consultation with a rheumatologist and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) combination therapy were negatively associated with ACR functional classes II–IV [adjusted odds ratios 0.18 (95% CI 0.04–0.85) and 0.17 (95% CI 0.04–0.72), respectively]. Conclusions. The prevalence of RA in the general adult population of Greece is similar to that in many other European countries; early consultation with a rheumatologist and DMARD combination therapy are associated with a better RA outcome.
Resource usage policy expression and enforcement in grid computing

To date, not enough attention has been paid to issues surrounding the description and enforcement of policies for controlling grid resources. These policies define the permitted or desired usage scenario(s) allowed by resource providers, virtual organizations, or even the governing body for an entire grid. Most existing Grid systems have either "in-spirit" usage policies with no actual enforcement (e.g., all resource providers are assumed to contribute in kind), or have implicit resource usage policies whose intent can only be manifested by examining the ad-hoc policy enforcement. Moreover, systems that do define some resource usage policies typically consider only CPU resources, without mentioning other grid resources such as disk and bandwidth. Unless sufficient resource usage policies and enforcement mechanisms are created, resource providers will be increasingly reluctant to participate in grids out of fear that their local resources will be overrun. In this paper, we identify the requirements for a resource usage policy language, and then propose an event-centric model by which to implement these policies. We describe the language structure, its implementation on top of the XML access control language XACML and a policy service that processes the language. Because decisions based on this type of policy typically require information from outside the security context of a single grid request, we extend XACML for general timer-based and event-centric processing necessary to enforce such Grid resource usage policies. We evaluate our prototype implementation on a grid consisting of three data repositories by showing that a usage policy-controlled grid environment can be achieved with only minimal overhead.
3.1.2 Two Empirical Tests of Design Principles for Survivable System Architecture

Survivability, the ability of a system to minimize the impact of a finite-duration disturbance on value delivery, is increasingly recognized beyond military contexts as an enabler for maintaining system performance in the presence of dynamic disturbance environments. This paper attempts to validate a preliminary set of twelve general design principles for survivability through two empirical tests. Survivability features of the A-10A “Warthog” combat aircraft and UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter, two systems designed for reduced vulnerability, are inductively traced to an existing set of principles. Seven unique insights are derived from the analysis, and the design principles are revised to reflect the lessons learned. A new set of seventeen design principles are formalized: six aimed at reducing susceptibility and eleven aimed at reducing vulnerability. The paper concludes with propositions for future work for developing a theory of survivable system architecture and a discussion of the importance of empiricism in systems engineering.
MAC protocol adaptation in cognitive radio networks

This paper presents an adaptive MAC (AMAC) protocol for supporting MAC layer adaptation in cognitive radio networks. MAC protocol adaptation is motivated by the flexibility of emerging software-defined radios which makes it feasible to dynamically adjust radio protocols and parameters in order to maintain communications quality. Dynamic changes to the MAC layer may be useful in tactical or vehicular networking scenarios, where radio node density, traffic volumes and service requirements can vary widely over time. A specific control framework for the proposed AMAC algorithm is described based on the ”CogNet” protocol stack which uses a Global Control Plane (GCP) to distribute control information between nearby radios. An AMAC prototype which switches between CSMA and TDMA is evaluated for various traffic scenarios using the NS-2 simulator. In addition, a proof-of-concept AMAC protocol is implemented using GNUradio/USRP platforms on the ORBIT radio grid testbed. Detailed simulation and experimental results are given for both UDP and TCP traffic with different usage scenarios and application models. The results show that AMAC can provide improved performance relative to a conventional static system and can be implemented with reasonable control protocol overhead and latency.
Socialization and specialization in the legal profession

The amount of law in the United States increases daily in volume and scope. It is impossible for one attorney to stay current in all aspects of these growing bodies of law. An attorney must specialize in specific areas of the law. An attorney likes to be able to meet all of the legal needs of a client so that the attorney will not risk losing the client. Clients tend to believe that if you have a legal problem, you see an attorney and expect that problem will be solved. Specialization limits the attorney's ability to meet all of the client's needs without a corresponding change in the client's expectations. This paper will look at the socialization that will occur in the delivery of legal services as attorneys specialize more.
Unilateral alopecia in association with Horner's syndrome

A 10-month-old girl was noted by her parents to have right-sided anhidrosis and miosis. Clinically, the patient had right-sided Horner's syndrome. Subsequent investigations revealed a right thoracic neuroblastoma with widespread skeletal metastases. She underwent complete thoracoscopic resection as a diagnostic procedure, …
Cinnamate-based DNA photolithography

As demonstrated by means of DNA nanoconstructs, as well as DNA functionalization of nanoparticles and micrometre-scale colloids, complex self-assembly processes require components to associate with particular partners in a programmable fashion. In many cases the reversibility of the interactions between complementary DNA sequences is an advantage. However, permanently bonding some or all of the complementary pairs may allow for flexibility in design and construction. Here, we show that the substitution of a cinnamate group for a pair of complementary bases provides an efficient, addressable, ultraviolet light-based method to bond complementary DNA covalently. To show the potential of this approach, we wrote micrometre-scale patterns on a surface using ultraviolet light and demonstrated the reversible attachment of conjugated DNA and DNA-coated colloids. Our strategy enables both functional DNA photolithography and multistep, specific binding in self-assembly processes.
A NOTE ON PRIMITIVE MATRICES

Abstract : Suppose that A is a square matrix consisting of nonnegative elements. In certain considerations it is important to know when all the elements of some power of A are strictly positive. Frobenius gave a very simple necessary and sufficient condition for this to happen. In this paper a simple proof of this result is given. This proof is algebraic in nature and avoids the use of the convergence of powers of a matrix.
Strengthening of Glass by Sol-Gel Coatings

The affects of alkoxide-derived coatings on the bending strength of silica glass were investigated. For densified coatings, increases in strength of 120% to 130% were found. A model of the strengthening process, based on the filling-in and partial healing of surface flaws, is proposed. The model accounts for the temperature dependence of strengthening, the inensitivity of strengthening to the size of oligomers in the coating solution, and the insensitivity of strengthening to the thickness of the coating. The presence of a significant residual tensile stress in sol-gel-strengthened material is also indicated.
Antral Somatostatin: A Paracrine Regulator of Gastrin Secretion

The first firm evidence for a paracrine role of somatostatin was obtained by Saffouri et al. (1) who showed that addition of somatostatin antiserum to the perfusate in the isolated vascularly perfused rat stomach produced a prompt, reversible increase in gastrin secretion (Fig. 1).
Gaining Insights into Epidemics by Mining Historical Newspapers

A collaborative project combines innovative algorithmic techniques with traditional textual analysis of newspapers to learn more about past health events, guiding preparedness for future crises.
Empirically tuning LAPACK’s blocking factor for increased performance

LAPACK (linear algebra package) is a statically cache-blocked library, where the blocking factor (NB) is determined by the service routine ILAENV. Users are encouraged to tune NB to maximize performance on their platform/BLAS (the BLAS are LAPACKpsilas computational engine), but in practice very few users do so (both because it is hard, and because its importance is not widely understood). In this paper we (1) Discuss our empirical tuning framework for discovering good NB settings, (2) quantify the performance boost that tuning NB can achieve on several LAPACK routines across multiple architectures and BLAS implementations, (3) compare the best performance of LAPACKpsilas statically blocked routines against state of the art recursively blocked routines, and vendor-optimized LAPACK implementations, to see how much performance loss is mandated by LAPACKpsilas present static blocking strategy, and finally (4) use results to determine how best to block nonsquare matrices once good square blocking factors are discovered.
Education and Marginality: Race and Gender in Higher Education, 1940–1955

Whether it be my religion, my aesthetic taste, my economic opportunity, my educational desire, whatever the craving is, I find a limitation because I suffer from the greatest known handicap, a Negro — a Negro woman. (Mary McLeod Bethune, “Closed Doors,” 1936).
Interfacial thermodynamics of confined water near molecularly rough surfaces.

We study the effects of nanoscopic roughness on the interfacial free energy of water confined between solid surfaces. SPC/E water is simulated in confinement between two infinite planar surfaces that differ in their physical topology: one is smooth and the other one is physically rough on a sub-nanometre length scale. The two thermodynamic ensembles considered, with constant pressure either normal or parallel to the walls, correspond to different experimental conditions. We find that molecular-scale surface roughness significantly increases the solid–liquid interfacial free energy compared to the smooth surface. For our surfaces with a water-wall interaction energy minimum of −1.2 kcal mol−1, we observe a transition from a hydrophilic surface to a hydrophobic surface at a roughness amplitude of about 3 A and a wavelength of 11.6 A, with the interfacial free energy changing sign from negative to positive. In agreement with previous studies of water near hydrophobic surfaces, we find an increase in the isothermal compressibility of water with increasing surface roughness. Interestingly, average measures of the water density and hydrogen-bond number do not contain distinct signatures of increased hydrophobicity. In contrast, a local analysis indicates transient dewetting of water in the valleys of the rough surface, together with a significant loss of hydrogen bonds, and a change in the dipole orientation toward the surface. These microscopic changes in the density, hydrogen bonding, and water orientation contribute to the large increase in the interfacial free energy, and the change from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic character of the surface.
Spanish in the Intensive Study Plan at the University of Washington

Author's summary.— With the threefold purpose of concentrating on one subject a quarter, allowing students to set their own pace, and developing student leadership, the plan described below was tried out at the University of Washington last year under the guidance of Dean E. H. Lauer.)
The art of radiation oncology

The accumulation of spam e-mails in my ‘‘bulk’’ folder is laced with all sorts of raunchy solicitations, yet I have learned to read through the list before accidentally deleting an important e-mail. Last week, while performing this obtuse responsibility, I discovered an invitation to my 25th medical school reunion. I couldn’t believe that time has gone by so quickly. Out came the medical school yearbook, and along with it a bunch of memories. It is obvious now that I could never have predicted the path taken, both in training and as a radiation oncologist. And there, on the back page of the yearbook, was a copy of the Hippocratic Oath I had taken some 25 years ago. I was dumbstruck that I had forgotten the language, although not the concept: ‘‘I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.’’
Matching Preferred Cognitive Mode with Teaching Methodology in Learning a Novel Motor Skill

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the whole-part methodology issue for teaching physical skills in view of individual differences in the learner's cognitive style. A coeducational pool of 429 undergraduate college students began the study. The Learning Skills Inventory (a modified cognitive map) and the lateral eye movement phenomenon were utilized to identify particular learner characteristics. One hundred subjects were finally classified as either holistic or sequential information processors and completed the study by learning to juggle with either whole or part teaching methods. Using the two-way analysis of variance in a two-by-two factorial design, a significant interaction effect was found (F 1,96 = 6.02, p < .05). Sequential learners using the part method and holistic learners using the whole method took significantly fewer minutes to learn to juggle than sequential learners using the whole method and holistic learners using the part method. Learning efficiency was increased by imp...
Money and the Money Wage Rate

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews a brief analysis in support of Keynes's contention that sticky money wages are an essential property of money. The support for Keynes's remarkable assertion rests largely on the contentions that the money wage rate is the numeraire of the monetary system and a flexible numeraire would cause the value of money to flex randomly, which, in turn, would destroy the usefulness of money both as a store of value and as a medium of exchange. The money wage rate is the numeraire of the economic system simply because it is the predominant determinant of the value of money. The money wage rate is the anchor price of the economy. To have a stable numeraire, sticky money wages are essential. Sticky wage rates imply sticky costs of production and a relatively stable value of money. Thereafter for Keynes, the utility of money is solely derived from its exchange value and the services money provide can be rendered only if there is sufficient stability in its purchasing power in buying the goods that it represents. Money cannot survive for long if its value is subject to frequent random variations is that such fluctuations would destroy its general acceptability.
The Disintegration Scheme of V 48

The disintegration scheme involved in the decay of 16-day ${\mathrm{V}}^{48}$ to ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{48}$ has been established by scintillation studies, and spins and parities have been assigned to the levels. The angular correlation of the well-known cascade gamma-ray pair with energies of 0.99 and 1.32 Mev has been measured. The corresponding levels are found to have spins 0-2-4. The positron spectrum has been measured with a magnetic beta-ray spectrometer and shows evidence for positron emission to a level in ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{48}$, 22.2 Mev above the ground state. The positron group involved in the decay to the 2.31-Mev level of ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{48}$ is found to have an end point of 0.69 Mev.
Some Aspects of the Impact of Multidirectional Shaking on Liquefaction of Level and Sloping Granular Deposits

AbstractA very limited number of computational studies have been presented for the analysis of the response of saturated granular soils to multidirectional shaking despite it being the realistic mode of loading that resembles an actual earthquake. Herein, this paper examines the capabilities of a recently developed, coupled lattice Boltzmann method (LBM)–discrete element method (DEM) of modeling level and gently sloped soil deposits when subjected to bidirectional shaking. The results of conducted simulations show that bidirectional shaking may increase surface settlement of level deposits by about 30% over unilateral shaking. The depth along the deposit that experiences excess pore pressure ratio close to unity increases as a result of bidirectional shaking compared to unilateral shaking. Bidirectional shaking also increases the magnitude of lateral spreading and associated shear strains in sloping deposits. Other aspects of the response include capturing soil dilative behavior and associated temporary i...
The Stargazers' Stone

"Opportunities come to prepared minds." Mason had worked in the Royal Observatory and recently both men had been in the service of the Royal Society of London.2 Both knew well of the scientific campaign that had been carried on by learned bodies of Europe since the early days of Isaac Newton to obtain accurate data from many parts of the earth to be used in computing its size and shape and especially the amount of flattening at its poles. No data for these purposes had as yet been secured from the continent of North America. Mason and Dixon began to gather such data immediately after their arrival. By January 6th, 1764 the latitude of the "South Point of the City of Philadelphia" had been established and on the following day says the Field Notes: "Set out from Philadelphia with a Quadrant to find (nearly) a Place in the Forks of Brandiwine having the same Latitude as the South Point of the City of Phila
A Wiki-Based Solution to Managing Your Institution's Imaging Protocols.

At our institution, we have roughly 300 different CT protocols in routine clinical use. Of these 300 protocols, we have 149 distinct clinical indications that are not broken up into different patient sizes [1]. A single-phase examination with three reconstructions has roughly 50 editable fields on the scanner. These parameters need to be maintained across 12 scanner models, which translates to 180,000 (300 50 12) unique scanner parameters needed to define our complete CT protocol set. This is a low estimate because many of our examinations are multiphasic and have more than three reconstructions. This estimate also does not include any clinical parameters (eg, patient preparation, contrast instructions), which are important to maximize the diagnostic utility and workflow of our CT practice. Almost immediately, problems arise when so many protocols and protocol parameters are in clinical use. Maintaining the same protocol name and number identifier for the same indication on all scanners has proved challenging at our institution, requiring a dedicated effort by our lead CT technologist. Furthermore, many dose monitoring software packages use protocol number identifiers. Therefore, managing the
ILC You Later: Early and Irreparable Loss of Innate Lymphocytes in HIV Infection.

Loss of IL-17-producing cells in the gut during HIV infection is linked to GI barrier damage. Kloverpris et al. (2016) find that circulating ILCs are lost early and irreversibly during HIV infection. Early ART administration protects against the ILC loss, and this might be clinically beneficial to HIV-infected individuals.
Training the Party: Party Adaptation and Elite Training in Reform-era China

Charlotte P. Lee considers organizational changes taking place within the contemporary Chinese Communist Party (CCP), examining the party's renewed emphasis on an understudied but core set of organizations: party-managed training academies or 'party schools'. This national network of organizations enables party authorities to exert political control over the knowledge, skills, and careers of officials. Drawing on in-depth field research and novel datasets, Lee finds that the party school system has not been immune to broader market-based reforms but instead has incorporated many of the same strategies as actors in China's hybrid, state-led private sector. In the search for revenue and status, schools have updated training content and become more entrepreneurial as they compete and collaborate with domestic and international actors. This book draws attention to surprising dynamism located within the party, in political organizations thought immune to change, and the transformative effect of the market on China's political system.