cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling and simulation of electric ships' power system components and their interaction

Models of propulsion motors, generators, gas turbines, and power converters are used to determine weights and volumes, evaluate designs, and predict performance of power system components for all-electric navy ships. The finite element analysis method using 3D CAD models is used to validate designs and predict performance under prescribed constraints that simulate realistic operational conditions. These models and analyses allow the development of complete, high-fidelity, design-based specifications of power system components before prototypes are built and tested. Examples of electromagnetic, mechanical, structural, thermal, shock and vibration analyses of models representing integrated designs of electric machines are presented. Modeling and simulation at system level play an equally crucial role in system architecture design. Simulation examples using a power system model for an all-electric ship are presented.
Downlink Specific Linear Equalization for Frequency Selective CDMA Cellular Systems

We derive and compare several linear equalizers for the CDMA downlink under frequency selective multipath conditions: minimum mean-square error (MMSE), zero-forcing (ZF), and RAKE. MMSE and ZF equalizers are designed based on perfect knowledge of the channel. The downlink specific structure involves first inverting the multipath channel to restore the synchronous multi-user signal transmitted from the base-station at the chip-rate, and then correlating with the product of the desired user's channel code times the base-station specific scrambling code once per symbol to decode the symbols. ZF equalization restores orthogonality of the Walsh-Hadamard channel codes on the downlink but often suffers from noise gain because certain channel conditions (no common zeros) are not mets MMSE restores orthogonality only approximately but avoids excessive noise gain. We compare MMSE and ZF to the traditional matched filter (also known as the RAKE receiver). Our formulation generalizes for the multi-channel case as might be derived from multiple antennas and/or over-sampling with respect to the chip-rate. The optimal symbol-level MMSE equalizer is derived and slightly out-performs the chip-level but at greater computational cost. An MMSE soft hand-off receiver is derived and simulated. Average BER for a class of multi-path channels is presented under varying operating conditions of single-cell and edge-of-cell, coded and un-coded BPSK data symbols, and uncoded 16-QAM. These simulations indicate large performance gains compared to the RAKE receiver, especially when the cell is fully loaded with users. Bit error rate (BER) performance for the chip-level equalizers is well predicted by approximate SINR expressions and a Gaussian interference assumption.
Intestinal absorption, serum clearance, and interactions between lutein and beta-carotene when administered to human adults in separate or combined oral doses.

Single equimolar doses (0.5 mumol/kg body wt) of lutein and/or beta-carotene in true solution in oil were given to eight adult subjects and 13 blood samples were taken during the subsequent 840 h. Whereas the mean serum concentration of lutein showed a single maximum at 16 h, that of beta-carotene peaked at 6 h and then again at 32 h. Subsequently, lutein and beta-carotene were cleared at approximately the same rate from the serum. The mean (+/- SEM) areas under the curve (AUCs) for lutein and beta-carotene during the first 440 h differed significantly: 59.6 +/- 9.0 and 26.3 +/- 6.4 mumol.h/L, respectively (P < 0.005). AUC values did not correlate with initial serum concentrations of the given carotenoid or with the order of dosing. When combined in the same dose, beta-carotene significantly reduced the serum AUC values for lutein to 54-61% of control values (P < 0.025), whereas lutein reduced the AUC value for beta-carotene in five subjects but enhanced it in three subjects. Effects of lutein on the AUC for beta-carotene were inversely related to the AUC for beta-carotene alone. Thus, carotenoids clearly interact with each other during intestinal absorption, metabolism, and serum clearance, although individual responses can differ markedly.
Orientation and Phase Relationships between Titania Films and Polycrystalline BaTiO3 Substrates as Determined by Electron Backscatter Diffraction Mapping

Titania films have been grown on polycrystalline BaTiO3 (BTO) substrates at 700°C by pulsed laser deposition. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to determine grain orientations in the substrate before growth, and the phase and orientation of the supported films after growth. All BaTiO3 grains within 26° of (001) were covered by anatase films with an orientation relationship of (001)Anatase||(001)BTO and [100]Anatase||[100]BTO. Rutile with a variety of orientations grew on BaTiO3 grains with orientations closer to (110) and (111). EBSD mapping provides an efficient means for determining phase and orientation relationships of films over all orientation parameters.
Variations in Plasma Lycopene and Specific Isomers over Time in a Cohort of U.S. Men

Epidemiologic and laboratory studies suggest a possible role for tomato products, a rich source of the carotenoid lycopene, in the prevention of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. Lycopene is consumed primarily as the all-trans-isomer, but the majority of lycopene in blood and tissue exists as a variety of cis-isomers. Specific isomers may be involved in different biological reactions, and patterns of isomers may provide insight into the risk or pathogenesis of disease processes. Total lycopene concentration and the concentrations of the cis- and trans-lycopene isomers were measured by HPLC in plasma samples taken 3-4 y apart from 144 mostly nonsmoking male participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Correlations between plasma concentrations determined 3-4 y apart ranged from 0.55 (all-trans-isomer) to 0.70 (cis-isomer 5 -cis) (P < 0.001). For total lycopene, the correlation was 0.63 (P < 0.001). Total cis-lycopene contributed approximately 67% of total lycopene (range 50-79%). At each time point, the various lycopene isomer concentrations were highly correlated with one another with Spearman correlation coefficients ranging from 0.90 to 0.99 (P < 0.001). Plasma concentrations of total lycopene and its most abundant isomers in samples taken 3-4 y apart were strongly correlated, indicating that dietary patterns and metabolic processes defining lycopene concentrations are stable over time. Because the patterns of lycopene isomers showed limited between-person variability, our results suggest that measuring specific lycopene isomers in epidemiologic studies may not provide additional information beyond that provided by total lycopene concentration. Single plasma samples quantitating plasma lycopene are a valid predictor of long-term exposure for epidemiologic studies.
Logics and legacies of positivist urban geography

Logical positivism, widely understood as a distinctive stock of methods and procedures that fuse quantitative practices with principles of scientific vision, rigor, and endeavor, has both excited a...
CLASSICAL ODE AND PDE WHICH OBEY QUANTUM DYNAMICS

It is well known that classical systems governed by ODE or PDE can have extremely complex emergent properties. Many researchers have asked: is it possible that the statistical correlations which emerge over time in classical systems would allow effects as complex as those generated by quantum field theory (QFT)? For example, could parallel computation based on classical statistical correlations in systems based on continuous variables, distributed over space, possibly be as powerful as quantum computing based on entanglement? This paper proves that the answer to this question is essentially "yes," with certain caveats. More precisely, the paper shows that the statistics of many classical ODE and PDE systems obey dynamics remarkably similar to the Heisenberg dynamics of the corresponding quantum field theory (QFT). It supports Einstein's conjecture that much of quantum mechanics may be derived as a statistical formalism describing the dynamics of classical systems. Predictions of QFT result from combining quantum dynamics with quantum measurement rules. Bell's Theorem experiments which rule out "classical field theory" may therefore be interpreted as ruling out classical assumptions about measurement which were not part of the PDE. If quantum measurement rules can be derived as a consequence of quantum dynamics and gross thermodynamics, they should apply to a PDE model of reality just as much as they apply to a QFT model. This implies: (1) the real advantage of "quantum computing" lies in the exploitation of quantum measurement effects, which may have possibilities well beyond today's early efforts; (2) Lagrangian PDE models assuming the existence of objective reality should be reconsidered as a "theory of everything." This paper will review the underlying mathematics, prove the basic points, and suggest how a PDE-based approach might someday allow a finite, consistent unified field theory far simpler than superstring theory, the only known alternative to date.
Monitoring of fermentation parameters with fiber optics

Bioprocess control requires reliable and continuous monitoring of nutrients and various process parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH. Currently, the on-line control of these parameters is achieved electrochemically via dip-in electrodes or indirectly by off-gas analysis. Optical sensors offer an alternative to these conventional methods. Fiber- optic sensors for measuring pH, CO2 and O2 have been developed. We have demonstrated the use of a fiber-optic sensor for the continuous monitoring of fermentation pH. In this paper we discuss the use of a ratiometric method and medium calibration as a way to improve the precision of the fiber-optic sensor.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Wavelength scaling of hollow-core fiber compressor design parameters

We study supercontinuum generation using numerical simulations of the nonlinear propagation along hollow-core fibers at different pump wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 2 μm. A general hollow fiber compressor design strategy is presented.
When a Constant Classifier is as Good as Any Linear Classifier

A classifier is constant if it classifies all examples into just one class. Call a training data set “(linearly) indiscriminate” if a constant classifier minimizes, among all linear classifiers, the misclassification rate on the training data set. General sufficient conditions are presented for the probability of getting an indiscriminate data set to be positive. Similarly, general sufficient conditions are also presented for the probability of getting an indiscriminate data set to be 0. A small simulation study examines how our results are reflected in the behavior of logistic regression.
Evaluation of frost resistance tests for carbonate aggregates

D-cracking is a progressive distress associated primarily with the use of coarse aggregates that deteriorate when they are critically saturated and subjected to repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. The present study was undertaken to consider better acceptance criteria for concrete aggregates and to allow for the use of more local Minnesota aggregates through selected aggregate beneficiation techniques. Condition surveys of concrete highway pavements were performed to document the field freeze-thaw performance of selected aggregate sources representing a range of frost resistance. Cores were obtained from these sections for laboratory testing and evaluation, and coarse aggregates were obtained from the original sources for use in performing environmental simulation tests [i.e., variations of ASTM C666 and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) single-cycle slow-freeze test] and correlative tests (i.e., absorption and bulk specific gravity, Portland Cement Association absorption and adsorption tests, Iowa pore index test, acid insoluble residue test, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and the Washington hydraulic fracture test). The tests that provided the best correlation with field performance included a modification of ASTM C666 Procedure B (specimens prepared with salt-treated aggregates), the VPI single-cycle slow-freeze test, and the Washington hydraulic fracture test. Other test procedures were correlated with field performance to lesser extents. It was noted that petrographic examination of pavement cores can help to distinguish between D-cracking and other conditions that can produce distresses with similar appearances (e.g., distresses caused by secondary mineralization, embedded shale, poor mix design, and alkali-aggregate reaction).
Mechanism of antimutagenic action of (+)-catechin against the plant-activated aromatic amine 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine

Abstract Aromatic amines are activated into mutagens by both animal and plant systems. For plant-activated aromatic amines an important step in this process involves peroxidase enzymes. 4-nitro- o -phenylenediamine (NOP) is a well known direct-acting mutagen that can be enhanced in mutagenic potency by intact plant cells andalso by isolated peroxidase enzymes. This activation process is inhibited by several different chemical agents including potassium cyanide (KCn), a known peroxidase inhibitor, and (+)-catechin. In our laboratory both KCn and (+)-catechin inhibited peroxidase-mediated NOP activation into a Salmonella mutagen. However, while KCn demonstrated strong peroxidase enzyme inhibition (as measured biochemically), (+)-catechin showed only minimal inhibition of peroxidase. Experiments comparing NOP direct and plant-activated mutagenic activity to different Salmonella strains (in the presence and absence of (+)-catechin) suggest that (+)-catechin may inhibit the mutagenic process by limiting O -acetyltransferase (OAT) activity in Salmonella . OAT activity in Salmonella is a required process for mutations to be induced following treatment with NOP and other aromatic amines.
UNDERSTANDING POLYMORPHIC PHASE TRANSFORMATION BEHAVIOR DURING GROWTH OF NANOCRYSTALLINE AGGREGATES: INSIGHTS FROM TIO2

To understand the impact of particle size on phase stability and phase transformation during growth of nanocrystalline aggregates we conducted experiments using titania (TiO2) samples consisting of nanocrystalline anatase (46.7 wt %, 5.1 nm) and brookite (53.3 wt %, 8.1 nm). Reactions were studied isochronally at reaction times of 2 h in the temperature range 598−1023 K and isothermally at 723, 853, and 973 K by X-ray diffraction (XRD). A numerical deconvolution method was developed to separate overlapping XRD peaks, and an analytical method for determining phase contents of anatase, brookite, and rutile from XRD data was established. Results show that, in contrast to previous studies, anatase in our samples transforms to brookite and/or rutile before brookite transforms to rutile. Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses further support this conclusion. For general titania samples, the transformation sequence among anatase and brookite depends on the initial particle sizes of anatase and brookite, since partic...
The development of endothermy in nestling gray-crowned rosy finches, Leucosticte tephrocotis griseonucha

Abstract 1. 1. Initial and log phases of growth are almost identical to those of some other tundra breeders, but rosy finches maintain a high rate of growth for a longer period. 2. 2. A brood of nestlings can regulate its Tb accurately for 1–2 hr or more at a Ta of 9°C from day 3, whereas an individual does not show significant Tb regulation until day 9. 3. 3. The individual rate of cooling is zero on day 14, the time of fledging. 4. 4. Implications of calculated apparent thermal conductance values are discussed.
Absolute velocity measurements in the solar transition region and corona

Abstract We present an experimental technique to measure absolute velocities of minor ions formed in the solar transition region and corona. A sounding rocket experiment (27 July 1987) obtained high resolution EUV spectra along a solar diameter with spatial resolution of 20 × 20 arcsec. The wavelengths of the λ1533 Si II, λ1548 C IV, and λ770 Ne VIII emission lines were directly compared with wavelengths of known platinum lines generated by an inflight calibration lamp. On the assumption that horizontal motions cancel statistically so that the line-of-sight velocity approaches zero at the limb, we find a net radial downflow of approximately 7.5 ± 1.0 km/s for C IV and upper limits on the radial flow for Si II and Ne VIII. We then test this assumption by direct comparison to our on-board wavelength reference using recently published laboratory rest wavelengths of the solar emission lines. We find agreement within the published uncertainties of the laboratory wavelengths, ± 2 km/s in the case of C IV. Therefore, we suggest that improved laboratory wavelength measurements (± 1 km/s) in conjunction with inflight wavelength calibration would improve constraints on models of transition region and coronal dynamics.
Cost comparisons of reduced-impact and conventional logging in the tropics

Comparisons of the costs of reduced-impact (RIL) and conventional logging (CL) based on new data from Gabon and 10 previously published studies revealed that some tropical forest operators should adopt RIL out of financial self-interest but many may require other motivation. Among the comparisons in which costs were expressed per cubic meter of harvested timber, three reported lower costs for RIL, one showed identical costs with CL, and six reported RIL to be more costly.
Stability of Thin Non-Rotating Hadley Circulations

Abstract A simple parallel flow model is derived for a thin (depth to length ratio ≪1) Hadley circulation in a two-dimensional box with rigid horizontal boundaries maintained at a temperature which increases linearly with the horizontal coordinate x. Vertical velocities are assumed to he confined to narrow regions near the ends. The stability of this solution is discussed. Several modes of energy transfer to and from the mean kinetic and potential energies exist. As opposed to the case of thermal convection between isothermal plates in a constant shear, transverse disturbances with symmetry normal to the shear vector are always more unstable than longitudinal disturbances with symmetry parallel to the shear vector. Implications of these results for recent theoretical ideas on the Venusian circulation are discussed.
Learning from experience: operating system vulnerability trends

Despite their failings, collections of vulnerability bulletins and incident reports still provide the best source for data that could give security engineering a quantitative basis. For this reason, we used vulnerability bulletins to extract statistics about the security of common products; specifically the diverse security characteristics of operating systems in the Windows, Unix, and Linux families. In many cases, the data that was available, rather than security engineering requirements, dictated which statistics we derived. Nevertheless, our findings provide interesting insights into how the various products differ and suggest which security mechanisms would most effectively protect different system designs.
Lifeworld or Systemsworld: What Guides Novice Principals?.

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the literature on principal preparation by examining the experiences of novice principals and what their experiences mean for principal preparation in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers employed qualitative methods to examine the experiences of four novice principals over a two‐year period.Findings – The findings suggest that the current climate of efficiency and accountability is contributing to the socialization of principals who focus on the technical aspects of administration over the of relational aspects leadership.Originality/value – This study focuses on the link between preparation programs and the practice of novice principals, an area that has not been fully explored in the literature.
α1-Antitrypsin Concentration in Amniotic Fluid

Concentrations of α1-antitrypsin were measured in 80 specimens of amniotic fluid collected at various stages of pregnancy. Levels remained relatively unchanged throughout gestation, with a median concentration of 10.0 mg/100 ml at 12–24 weeks, 18.7 mg/100 ml at 34–37 weeks, and 16.2 mg/100 ml, after the 37th week. In three instances where the infant developed RDS, the median concentration was 12.4 mg/100 ml.
Eddies contribute to striations in sea surface topography

Scientists recently observed striations in sea surface topography in all ocean basins. These striations appear as alternating mesoscale jet-like structures; they have speeds on the order of 1 centimeter per second and are typically separated by about 200 kilometers in the meridional direction. The cause of these striations has been debated. Contributing to this scientific discussion, Buckingham and Cornillon used a database of tracked eddies and a contour identification and eddy removal algorithm to show that eddies are a significant source of striations. The authors noted that a small portion of the energy was unaccounted for by propagating eddies, allowing for the existence of weak zonal flows. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, doi:10.1029/2012JC008231, 2013)
Effect of free‐volume fluctuations on polymer relaxation in the glassy state

As is most clearly seen in the results of A. J. Kovacs on the volumetric relaxation following changes in temperature, the initial relaxation in polymers is surprisingly rapid, considering how slowly relaxation becomes later. We suggest that this rapid initial relaxation is due to relaxing molecular rearrangements in regions of particularly high free volume produced by thermal fluctuations. The magnitude of thermal fluctuations increases as the size of the region decreases, and molecular rearrangements are described that probably contribute to most polymer relaxation and seem to be completely contained in regions as small as 2–3 nm.
Feature point matching in image sequences

Abstract One of the vital problems in motion analysis is to match a set of feature points over an image sequence. In this paper, we solve this problem by relying on continuity of motion which is known to play an important role in the perception of apparent motion in the human visual system. We propose a relaxation algorithm for feature point matching where the formation of smooth trajectories over space and time is favored. Experimental results on laboratory generated and real scene sequences are presented to demonstrate the merit of out approach.
The effects of glucose and cyclic GMP on RNA synthesis and nuclear morphology in starved rats.

Abstract Feeding rats a diet high in glucose has been demonstrated to inhibit the induction of many enzymes, block the action of glucocorticoids, and, in general, appears to result in decreased cyclic AMP activity. We found that glucose feeding depresses both messenger RNA (mRNA) and non-mRNA synthesis. Electron microscopic examination of the nucleus revealed that glucose feeding decreases the granular component of liver cell nucleoli. It only slightly decreases liver cyclic AMP levels, but produces a sixfold elevation in levels of the cyclic AMP antagonist, cyclic GMP. Administration of bromocyclic GMP, like glucose feeding, depresses mRNA synthesis, but does not simulate the effect of the carbohydrate on nuclear morphology. In addition, glucose feeding halves liver inorganic phosphate and triples ATP levels. Phosphorylation of nuclear proteins, however, remains unaltered. Despite the antagonism between glucose feeding and glucocorticoid activity, the former compound did not change the binding of dexamethasone to liver nuclei.
The presence of cysteine in frog myelin basic protein.

—Frog myelin basic protein, when subjected to ion-exchange chromatography at alkaline pH, underwent conversion to a higher molecular weight form. Treatment of the latter with 2-mercaptoethanol regenerated the monomeric basic protein. Amino acid analysis of the monomer and the higher molecular weight species after performic acid oxidation demonstrated the presence of approximately 1 mol of cysteic acid per mol of protein of molecular weight 19,700. Treatment of the monomer with the mild oxidizing agent azodicarboxylic acid bis dimethyl amide resulted in its partial conversion to the higher molecular weight form. These studies demonstrate that the frog myelin basic protein, unlike those of all other species hitherto examined, contains a single cysteinyl residue in its polypeptide chain.
Solving convex programming problems with equality constraints by neural networks

Abstract This paper presents a neural network approach for solving convex programming problems with equality constraints. After defining the energy function and neural dynamics of the proposed neural network, we show the existence of an equilibrium point at which the neural dynamics becomes asymptotically stable. It is shown that under proper conditions, an optimal solution of the underlying convex programming problems is an equilibrium point of the neural dynamics, and vise versa. The configuration of the proposed neural network with an exact layout is provided for solving linear programming problems. The operational characteristics of the neural network are demonstrated by numerical examples.
Numerical study of two-dimensional non-plane MHD wave propagation in a supersonic, superalfvenic magnetohydrodynamic flow

The features of a 2.5-dimensional time-dependent MHD numerical code used to simulate the propagation of finite amplitude MHD waves through an inhomogeneous, supersonic superalfvenic medium are described. Basic equations for conservation of mass, momentum, and free energy in a unit volume plasma gas and for magnetic induction are defined. Initial conditions are functions of the radial coordinates and disturbances are introduced at the lower boundary. A set of finite difference equations based on a Lax-Wendroff scheme is used for the simulation. The model is applied to analyzing a solar flare shock wave in steady-state and global transient conditions while propagating at 1 AU heliolongitude.
A model for azinphosmethyl attenuation and movement in a Michigan orchard ecosystem: II. Parameterization of a field-based model

Residue data from field samples were used to parameterize a model for azinphosmethyl attenuation and movement in an orchard ecosystem. Rates of attenuation within, and movement between, specified orchard compartments were determined under various rainfall regimes. The output of this model was structured to allow the estimation of the time course of azinphosmethyl exposure to ground-dwelling invertebrates. Root mean squared errors for the comparison of the model predictions with an independent set of residue data indicated good prediction of azinphosmethyl fate within the tree, grass-broadleaves layers, and soil layers. Prediction of pesticide dynamics within the litter-moss was much more difficult. Model predictions estimate that under dry conditions 25% of the daily loss of azinphosmethyl from the orchard trees is due to movement to other parts of the orchard. Greater movement is predicted under rainfall conditions.
An algorithm for assigning multiplexer inputs

The paper describes a completely analytic method for assigning inputs to a multiplexer which involves only operations on the min term list and does not require the use of any graphical devices such as Karnaugh maps or truth tables. An example is described in detail
Urban ‘Utopias’: The Disney Stigma and Discourses of ‘False Modernity’

This paper examines the political implications of the practice of framing mega urban development projects with the language of ‘utopia’ or ‘Disney’. Through a case study of Kazakhstan's new capital, Astana, I argue that the stigmatizing language of ‘utopia’ is a highly political bordering practice, defining the ‘imaginary’ and the ‘real.’ Coupled with ethnographic data from fieldwork in Kazakhstan between 2009 and 2011, I perform a textual analysis of English and German language press coverage of Astana, and demonstrate how narratives of ‘false modernity’ and ‘utopia’ have become the dominant way of reading and writing about the city. Although often critical of the project as a sign of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev's ‘megalomania,’ this coverage obscures more complex geographies of power and state—society relations in the independent state. Symptomatic of liberal (ie, top-down, one-dimensional) understandings of power, the hegemonic discourse simultaneously reinscribes the state's ‘coherence’ and era...
Neuropsychological outcome in relation to head injury severity. Contributions of coma length and focal abnormalities.

Neuropsychological test performances of 102 consecutive head-injured patients were evaluated at 1 mo and 1 yr after injury. The results of the study indicated that both coma length and the presence of focal abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) scans contribute independently to neuropsychological outcome. The effects of coma length are stronger than the effects of focal abnormalities evident on CT scans and continue to exert a stronger influence on neuropsychological outcome over the year postinjury. These results suggest that the extent of diffuse pathology may be a more important determinant of long-term behavioral outcome than the presence of focal lesions. Language: en
A methodological note: comparison between period and rate data in studies of cardiac function.

The purpose of this study was to compare two methods of analyzing EKG data, period (R–R intervals) and frequency (heart rate). Simulated data as well as EKGs recorded from newborn infants were utilized to show the effects of transforming cardiac periods into frequencies. The results showed that this transformation introduces errors, which are reflected in the mean, variance, and the degree of skewness of the basic data. It is argued that the widely used convention of transforming period data into heart rate should not be used without valid justification.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in patients with preoperative renal failure

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative renal failure on the outcome of patients undergoing infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Of 251 patients undergoing AAA repair from 1977 to 1984, 10% had evidence of preoperative chronic renal failure. These patients were classified according to their preoperative serum creatinine values; group I had preoperative creatinine levels of 2 to 4 mg/dl, group II had creatinine levels greater than 4 mg/dl but no history of hemodialysis, and group III consisted of patients on chronic hemodialysis before operation. One of 16 patients in group I developed transient high-output renal failure postoperatively. Four of the six patients in group II (67%) developed significant postoperative deterioration of renal function and required acute hemodialysis. Of the four patients in group III maintained on chronic hemodialysis preoperatively, one died of sepsis from an ischemic colon. This experience suggests that patients with mild renal dysfunction (serum creatine value less than 4 mg/dl) can undergo elective AAA repair without additional morbidity. Patients on hemodialysis before operation can also safely undergo surgical repair of their AAAs electively if dialyzed the day before operation. Patients with severe renal dysfunction (serum creatinine greater than 4 mg/dl) who are not on hemodialysis should be considered for dialysis preoperatively in an attempt to reduce the high incidence of serious postoperative renal functional deterioration and subsequent morbidity.
A system for separating amplifiers from wire proportional chambers

Abstract A front-end electronics system is described which permits removal of all electronics from multiwire proportional chamber frames and thus optimizes the active to deadspace ratio when such detectors are used in confined spaces. Our solution to the concomitant crosstalk and pickup problems is also detailed.
Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions using dithiooxamides supported on silica gel

Abstract Silica gel was used as a support for N, N'‐ didodecyldithiooxamide, a bidentate chelating agent with sulfur and nitrogen donor atoms. Aqueous solutions of five heavy metals (0.03 M copper, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc solutions) were treated with silica gel (control) and loaded silica gel. Resulting solutions were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Using silica gel alone (control), the percent metal extracted was 3.2+0.9 (Cu), 16.3 ±1.6 (Ni), 3.9±1.2 (Pb), 13.6 ± 4.8 (Ag), and 4.8± 1.8 (Zn). Using silica‐supported chelating agent, the percent removal was 99.1±0.3 (Cu), 70.7±1.7 (Ni), 29.1±1.7 (Pb), 83.5±0.7 (Ag), and 6.5±1.9 (Zn). The results did not correlate with the “softness”; parameter for type a or type b metals.
Structure of particle-laden jets - Measurements and predictions

Measurements of mean and fluctuating velocities of both phases as well as particle mass fluxes were completed in turbulent, particle-laden jets containing monodisperse particles with well-defined initial and boundary conditions. The new measurements were used to evaluate a stochastic separated flow model of the process which treated effects of interphase slip and turbulent dispersion using random-walk computations for particle motion. The continuous phase was treated using a modified k-epsilon model allowing for direct contributions of interphase transport to both mean and turbulence properties. The model performed reasonably well over the new data base, with all empirical parameters fixed from earlier work. In contrast, simplified models ignoring either interphase slip or turbulent dispersion yielded poor agreement with the measurements.
GTP-dependent hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate by soluble phospholipase C from adult human epidermis

Abstract The regulation of soluble phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C from adult human epidermis by guanine nucleotide was investigated. In the presence of physiologic concentrations of Ca ++ (1 μM) and Mg ++ (1.5 mM), neither phosphatidylinositol (PI) nor phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) were appreciably hydrolyzed. Addition of guanosine-5′-triphosphate (GTP) or guanosine-5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP-γ-S) significantly stimulated hydrolysis of PIP 2 , but not PI. Stimulation of PIP 2 hydrolysis by GTP was dose-dependent betwen 1 − 100 ,μM GTP. Other nucleoside triphosphates and nucleotide analogues were unable to substitute for GTP or GTP-γ-S. A GTP-γ-S-stimulated PIP 2 hydrolysis was inhibited by guanosine-5′-O-(2-thiodiphosphate (GDP-β-S). The phospholipase C preparation specifically bound [ 35 s]GTP-γ-S and this binding was also inhibited by GDP-β-S. In addition to a 41,000-dalton pertussis toxin substrate, the phospholipase C preparation contained 3–4 GTP binding proteins with molecular weights between 20,000–30,000.These data demonstrate that human epidermis contains a soluble GTP-dependent phospholipase C activity that specifically hydrolyzes PIP 2 and suggest that this reaction is regulated by a GTP-binding protein(s).
An experimental technique for imposing dynamic multiaxial-compression with mechanical confinement

A new experimental technique for imposing controlled lateral confinement on specimens subjected to dynamic uniaxial compression has been developed. A description of the experimental technique and experimental results on a ceramic are presented. The axial compression is applied by a split Hopkinson pressure bar modified to subject the specimen to a single loading pulse during the experiment. The specimen is confined laterally by a shrink-fit metal sleeve. The results show that the failure occurs by fragmentation due to axial splitting under uniaxial stress condition, whereas failure occurs by localized deformation on faults under moderate lateral confinement. The compressive failure strength of the ceramic increases with increasing confinement pressure.
ANALYSIS OF AUTOMATIC STEERING CONTROL FOR HIGHWAY VEHICLES WITH LOOK-DOWN LATERAL REFERENCE SYSTEMS

SUMMARY In this paper, steering control for passenger cars on automated highways is analyzed, concentrating on look-down reference systems. Extension of earlier experimental results for low speed to highway speed is shown to be non-trivial. The limitations of pure output-feedback of lateral vehicle displacement from the road reference are examined under practical constraints and performance requirements like robustness, maximum lateral error and comfort. The in-depth system analysis directly leads to a new alternative design direction which allows to preserve look-ahead reference systems for highway speed automatic driving.
A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for ethylene oxide in mouse, rat, and human.

Ethylene oxide (EO) is widely used as a gaseous sterilant and industrial intermediate and is a direct-acting mutagen and carcinogen. The objective of these studies was to develop physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PB-PK) models for EO to describe the exposure-tissue dose relationship in rodents and humans. We previously reported results describing in vitro and in vivo kinetics of EO metabolism in male and female F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice. These studies were extended by determining the kinetics of EO metabolism in human liver cytosol and microsomes. The results indicate enzymatically catalyzed GSH conjugation via cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (cGST) and hydrolysis via microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) occur in both rodents and humans. The in vitro kinetic constants were scaled to account for cytosolic (cGST) and microsomal (mEH) protein content and incorporated into PB-PK descriptions for mouse, rat, and human. Flow-limited models adequately predicted blood and tissue EO levels, disposition, and elimination kinetics determined experimentally in rats and mice, with the exception of testis concentrations, which were overestimated. Incorporation of a diffusion-limited description for testis improved the ability of the model to describe testis concentrations. The model accounted for nonlinear increases in blood and tissue concentrations that occur in mice on exposure to EO concentrations greater than 200 ppm. Species differences are predicted in the metabolism and exposure-dose relationship, with a nonlinear relationship observed in the mouse as a result of GSH depletion. These models represent an essential step in developing a mechanistically based EO exposure-dose-response description for estimating human risk from exposure to EO.
In vitro activity of HRE 664, a penem antibiotic.

Abstract HRE 664, a new penem antibiotic, inhibited 90% of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Citrobacter diversus, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella, Shigella, Providencia, Aeromonas , and Morganella at ⩽2 μ g/ml but was considerably less active than cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and imipenem. It did not inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC >128 μ g/ml). HRE 664 inhibited Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter freundii , and Serratia marcescens at 1–8 μg/ml, two- to fourfold higher MICs than imipenem. HRE 664 inhibited methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis at ⩽0.12 μ g/ml, but methicillin-resistant S. aureus and S. epidermidis were resistant. Group A, C, and G streptococci and Streptococcus pneumoniae were inhibited by 0.06 μg/ml. Bacteroides and Clostridium species were inhibited by 0.25 μg/ml comparable to imipenem. HRE 664 was not hydrolyzed by β-lactamases TEM-1, TEM-2, TEM-3, TEM-5, SHV-1, PSE-1, PSE-4, OXA-2, OXA-3, K-1, P99, Morganella, P. vulgaris , and S. aureus PC-1 but was hydrolyzed by the β-lactamase of Xanthomonas maltophilia .
The threshold of regulation and its application to indirect food additive contaminants in recycled plastics

Recycled plastics have been used in food-contact applications since 1990 in various countries around the world. To date, there have been no reported issues concerning health or off-taste resulting from the use of recycled plastics in food-contact applications. This is due to the fact that the criteria that have been established regarding safety and processing are based on extremely high standards that render the finished recycled material equivalent in virtually all aspects to virgin polymers. The basis for this conclusion is detailed in this document.
Evaluation of Binary Fe–Ni Alloys as Intermediate-Temperature SOFC Interconnect

Binary Fe-Ni alloys with 45-60Ni (wt %) were evaluated as an interconnect material for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The oxidation resistance of the Fe-Ni alloys in air improved with increasing Ni content. The thermally grown oxide scale on these alloys generally consisted of a Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} top layer and a (Fe,Ni){sub 3}O{sub 4} spinel inner layer, with the thickness of the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer decreasing as the Ni content increased. No measurable weight change was observed after isothermal oxidation in Ar+4%H{sub 2}+3%H{sub 2}O at 800 C and a metallic surface was maintained. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) increased with the Ni content in these alloys and the CTE values were similar to those of other cell components. The (Fe,Ni){sub 3}O{sub 4} spinel with a composition similar to that thermally grown on the Fe-50Ni alloy exhibited a CTE value close to the alloy substrate, which aids scale spallation resistance for this alloy. The scale area specific resistance of the Fe-Ni alloys was found to be comparable to that of the current interconnect alloys, as a result of high electrical conductivity of the (Fe,Ni){sub 3}O{sub 4} spinel. The promise and issue with these Fe-Ni alloys as interconnectmore » materials are highlighted and potential approaches to address the issue are outlined.« less
Experimental Characterization of Optical Nonlocalities in Metal-Dielectric Multilayer Metamaterials

The optical nonlocalities in metal-dielectric multilayer metamaterials are characterized as functions of incident angles for different polarizations. The measured epsilon-near-zero frequency shifts due to nonlocal effects agree with the theoretical analysis developed from transfer-matrix method.
Effect of stoichiometric concentration of hardener and percentage styrene oxide diluent on the crosslinking and mechanical properties of an epoxy resin cured with DEAPA

Epoxy resin was cured with diethylaminopropylamine (DEAPA) in amounts ranging from 10% to 50% of stoichiometric amount. The yield strength of resulting thermosets formed by heat curing at 75°C is found to increase with decreasing amount of hardener. This is attributed to a more densely crosslinked structure resulting from increased tertiary amine-initiated epoxide–epoxide chain reaction and decreased primary and secondary amine–epoxide reaction. Infrared analysis and swelling data are also presented. Styrene oxide diluent is found to have a moderate effect on mechanical properties in the range from 10 to 25 parts per hundred (phr).
cis‐2,4,6,8‐Tetra­nitro‐1H,5H‐2,4,6,8‐tetra­aza­bi­cyclo­[3.3.0]­octane, the energetic compound `bi­cyclo‐HMX'

The title compound, C4H6N8O8, represents the energetic mol­ecule commonly called `bi­cyclo-HMX'. It was synthesized because it was expected to be denser than the powerful energetic material HMX, and thus exhibit improved energetic performance. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that this mol­ecule was actually slightly less dense than HMX.
The Development of Psychotic Disorders in Adolescence: A potential role for hormones

This article is part of a Special Issue "Puberty and Adolescence". The notion that adolescence is characterized by dramatic changes in behavior, and often by emotional upheaval, is widespread and longstanding in popular western culture. In recent decades, this notion has gained increasing support from empirical research showing that the peri- and post-pubertal developmental stages are associated with a significant rise in the rate of psychiatric symptoms and syndromes. As a result, interest in adolescent development has burgeoned among researchers focused on the origins of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Two factors have fueled this trend: 1) increasing evidence from longitudinal research that adolescence is the modal period for the emergence of "prodromal" manifestations, or precursors of psychotic symptoms, and 2) the rapidly accumulating scientific findings on brain structural and functional changes occurring during adolescence and young adulthood. Further, gonadal and adrenal hormones are beginning to play a more prominent role in conceptualizations of adolescent brain development, as well as in the origins of psychiatric symptoms during this period (Walker and Bollini, 2002; Walker et al., 2008). In this paper, we begin by providing an overview of the nature and course of psychotic disorders during adolescence/young adulthood. We then turn to the role of hormones in modulating normal brain development, and the potential role they might play in the abnormal brain changes that characterize youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis. The activational and organizational effects of hormones are explored, with a focus on how hormone-induced changes might be linked with neuropathological processes in the emergence of psychosis.
On the Prototype Theory of Concepts and the Definition of Art

The prototype theory of concepts, developed by the psychologist Eleanor Rosch while under the influence of Ludwig Wittgenstein's remarks about family resemblance, and defended and refined by other psychologists and cognitive scientists, has been said to mark a major shift in psychology away from classical theories of concepts and toward probabilistic ones.1 According to the classical theory of concepts, there are individually necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for the application of a concept. According to the prototype theory, there are not. Concepts, on the prototype theory, are (roughly) complex mental representations of categories, membership in which is a matter of being similar enough to-having enough of the properties of-prototypical members of the class.2
CORR Insights: Subject-specific patterns of femur-labrum contact are complex and vary in asymptomatic hips and hips with femoroacetabular impingement.

This CORR Insights® is a commentary on the article “Subject-specific Patterns of Femur-labrum Contact are Complex and Vary in Asymptomatic Hips and Hips With Femoroacetabular Impingement” by Kapron and colleagues available at: DOI: 10.1007/s11999-014-3919-9. The author certifies that he, or any member of his immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR ® or the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. This CORR Insights® comment refers to the article available at DOI: 10.1007/s11999-014-3919-9.