cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Valuation Implications of Socially Responsible Tax Avoidance: Evidence from the Electricity Industry

Prior literature suggests that firms may bear reputational costs associated with corporate tax avoidance, which could in turn reduce the net present value of firms’ tax planning strategies. Other research indicates that investors perceive corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and tax avoidance as inconsistent with each other when engaged in concurrently. However, these studies do not consider the fact that firms may have opportunities to avoid tax in socially responsible ways. We investigate the equity valuation implications of one form of socially responsible tax avoidance: claiming the renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC). We predict and find that investors more positively value tax savings generated from PTCs compared to other forms of corporate tax avoidance. Additionally, consistent with the role that CSR can play in enhancing a firm’s reputational capital, we find evidence of a spillover effect in which investors more positively value other sources of tax avoidance to the extent the firm also reduces its taxes in a socially responsible way.
Visualizing shed skin cells in fingerprint residue using dark‐field microscopy

This proof-of-concept study shows that dark-field microscopy provides sufficient contrast for cell visualization in fingerprints with high sebum content. Although the application is limited to smooth surfaces that do not scatter light, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), it was able to measure the number of cells deposited within a fingerprint residue and the reduction in cell transfer with repeated skin contact. On a PET surface, at roughly 5 N of contact force, a typical finger transfers several hundred cells onto the surface. Over subsequent finger contacts onto a clean PET surface, this number decreased exponentially until a steady state was reached, which is characterized by the transfer of (78 ± 36) cells or (0.46 ± 0.21) cells/mm2 when normalized for fingerprint area. High uncertainty in cell transfer was due to: the highly variable nature of a human finger (where the number of loose cells varies from person to person and from day to day depending on what they touch) and difficulties in controlling the contact force and finger movement such as twisting during deposition (where twisting of the finger can expose a new patch of skin to the substrate, increasing the number of cell transfer). Plasma etching was also explored as an effective way to validate dark-field microscopy for cell counting. Although limited to inorganic substrates due to etching effects, exposing the fingerprint for less than 10 min can remove a majority of the sebum while keeping the cells intact for a before-and-after comparison using light microscopy.
Christian Globalism at Home: Child Sponsorship in the United States

How do Christians in the United States, who mostly stay at home, understand themselves as global people and their God as a global God? How is this version of globalisation made? Which techniques or...
Combination Therapy of Chloramphenicol and Daptomycin for the Treatment of Infective Endocarditis Secondary to Multidrug Resistant Enterococcus faecium

A 38-years-old female with an aortic valve replacement presented to an outside hospital (OSH) with fevers and malaise. Blood cultures revealed VRE which was resistant to linezolid, resistant to amp...
Smoking Products Suppress Type I IFN During SARS-Cov-2 Infection

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which can lead to the development severe pneumonia. While some hospital data shows a positive correlation between smoking and severe pneumonia, more molecular-level mechanisms need to be determined. The previous study investigates the mechanism of the negative effect of smoking on anti-viral infection on Type I interferons (IFNs). Research has shown that Type I IFNs play an important role in defending against SARS-Cov-2. Here, we want to investigate smoking components’ effects on SARS-CoV-2 at the molecular level in vitro and give some ideas on the correlation between smoking and syndrome.
DSP System Design: MP3 Player

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) standard MPEG-I Layer-III, commonly known as MP3, is one of the most widely used standards for digital compression and storage of audio data. The MP3 standard was developed to provide compression of audio files without any major loss in audio quality. There are many other software tools in addition to portable MP3 players that are capable of playing MP3 files. This chapter focuses on a LabVIEW software implementation of single channel MP3 player. It also discusses the building components or blocks associated with MP3 decoding. The first functional block associated with the MP3 player is the synchronization block. This block receives the incoming bitstream, extracts certain information from it, and passes the extracted information to the succeeding blocks. An MP3 file is divided into smaller units called frames. Each frame is further divided into five sections—header, cyclic redundancy check (CRC), side information, main data, and ancillary data. The scale factor decoding block decodes the scale factors to allow the reconstruction of the original audio signal. Furthermore, chapter highlights LabVIEW implementation of the entire MP3 decoding system and the steps taken for the real-time implementation of the system.
Stresses and Displacements in Cross-Anisotropic Soils

An analytic investigation is presented on the effect of soil cross-anistropy on surface displacements and stress distributions in a homogeneous thick soil deposit (halfspace) subjected to axisymmetric parabolic vertical surface loading. Rigorous treatment is given to deformational soil anisotropy and particular emphasis is accorded to the sensitivity of calculated stresses and deformations to assumed realistic values of the five independent material constants, under both drained and undrained loading conditions. For a given vertical Young's modulus, it is found that the horizontal Young's modulus, the shear modulus on vertical planes and the Poisson's ratio for horizontal due to vertical strain have a profound effect on all stress and displacement components, especially under undrained conditions. The dependence of normal vertical stresses on material properties and particularly on one of the Poisson's ratios disproves the opposite conclusion of isotropic elasticity.
PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH SMOOTHING AND FILTERING OF GEOPHYSICAL TIME-SERIES DATA

This study presents guidelines for the construction of simple time-series filters that facilitate the analysis of geophysical data. Emphasis is placed on underlying assumptions, filter design, and interpretative restrictions. Examples of filter design and associated problems are presented utilizing precipitation data from South America. [Key words: time-series analysis, filtering, simple moving average, band-pass filters, smoothing operation.]
HIV--Breaking the Rules for Nuclear Entry

How does human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gain access to the carefully guarded nucleus of the host cell? In a Perspective, Segura-Totten and Wilson elaborate on new findings (de Noronha et al.) showing that the HIV protein Vpr is crucial for causing transient herniations in the host cell nuclear envelope. These ruptures are sufficient to enable the preintegration complexes of invading virions to enter the nucleus and to integrate with host cell DNA.
Extraction of handwritten text from carbon copy medical form images

This paper presents a methodology for separating handwritten foreground pixels, from background pixels, in carbon copied medical forms. Comparisons between prior and proposed techniques are illustrated. This study involves the analysis of the New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DoH) Pre-Hospital Care Report (PCR) [1] which is a standard form used in New York by all Basic and Advanced Life Support pre-hospital healthcare professionals to document patient status in the emergency environment. The forms suffer from extreme carbon mesh noise, varying handwriting pressure sensitivity issues, and smudging which are further complicated by the writing environment. Extraction of handwriting from these medical forms is a vital step in automating emergency medical health surveillance systems.
Minimum achievable decay rates of the discrete linear inclusion

In this paper we provide a scheme for estimating the minimum achievable exponential decay rate of a switched linear system via output feedback control. The output feedback stabilization of switched linear systems using path-dependent controllers is characterized exactly in [8] in terms of an increasing family of linear matrix inequalities; the feasibility of any one of these inequalities allows for the construction of a stabilizing controller, while infeasible conditions are disregarded. In this paper we use the infeasibility of these conditions to provide a lower bound on the achievable decay rate of the closed-loop system. We consider the special case of the discrete linear inclusion - e.g., a system with unrestricted switching - and develop a family of estimators of the minimum achievable decay rate for the system. For controllers of a fixed path-dependence, the resulting bounds provide an interval containing the minimum performance level whose length may be made as small as desired. The lower bound of these intervals is used as a nondecreasing estimation of the achievable decay rate. A simple, physically motivated example is provided to demonstrate the practical application of this result.
The crystal structure of the 1212 nonsuperconductor phase (Pb0.71Cu0.29)Sr2(Y0.73Ca0.27)Cu2O7

The reaction product from an oxide mixture of 1Pb:2Sr:0.75Y:25Ca:2Cu at 960 °C was nearly single phase. The crystal structure of a single crystal, selected from the reaction product, was determined from three-dimensional x-ray diffraction data. The stoichiometry was found to be Pb 0.71 Cu 0.29 Sr 2 (Y 0.73 Ca 0.27 )Cu 2 O 7 . The tetragonal lattice constants are a = 3.8207(4) A, c = 11.826(1) A, space group P 4/ mmm , M r = 655.6, Z = 1, D x , = 6.31 g cm −3 , λ(MoK α ) = 0.71069 A. R = 0.0269 for 179 unique observed reflections. The crystal structure is isomorphous with the 1212 phases. The Pb ion at the origin has an occupancy of 0.705 (8) and a Cu ion is located at 0.221, 0, 0 with an occupancy of 0.295. The oxygen ion in the plane of the Pb ions is disordered over a fourfold site with an occupancy of one. An ordered arrangement of this oxygen ion results in a distorted environment for periodically repeated Pb ions. The Pb–O bond lengths to the two oxygen ions above and below the Pb plane are 1.968(14) A. The Cu ion, displaced from the origin, can be considered as tetrahedrally coordinated. The four Cu–O bond distances in the CuO 2 plane are 1.917(6) A and the bond length to a fifth oxygen atom is 2.304(14) A at the apex of the square pyramid. A valence sum calculation for Cu in square coplanar coordination yields a value of 2.01. A similar calculation for Cu in the tetrahedral site yields 1.5. Sr is in a monocapped square antiprism coordination polyhedron. Y and Ca atoms occupy statistically the same site and are in cubic coordination. The structure can be described as consisting of CuO 2 –(Y, Ca)–CuO 2 layers with PbO 6 octahedra flanking the layers and Sr in the oxygen interstice. The compound is metallic at room temperature and shows no superconducting transition to 20 K.
Sand grain size composition influences subsurface oxygen diffusion and distribution of an endemic, psammophilic lizard

Reptile species endemic to dune ecosystems worldwide possess morphological and behavioral adaptations for burying in sand. Specializations for burying and subsurface breathing among these animals are advantageous only where sand conditions permit. The patchy distributions of many psammophilic species are presumably due to the occurrence of suitable areas where attributes of the sand facilitate locomotion, burying, subsurface breathing and nesting. The endemic, dune-dwelling Sceloporus arenicolus does not occur in areas where sand grain size composition is relatively fine, and the distribution of the species appears limited to areas with coarse-grained sand. However, the exact mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. We hypothesized that subsurface breathing is inhibited in fine sand, and tested the prediction that fine sand restricts diffusion of oxygen. We compared oxygen diffusion rates in sand with grain size compositions matching sites where S. arenicolus was present (coarse sand) to diffusion rates in samples from sites where it was absent (fine sand). We found that samples with relatively coarse sand from sites where S. arenicolus was present had higher oxygen diffusion rates than samples with finer sand where S. arenicolus was absent. These results corroborated our prediction and support the hypothesis that subsurface breathing by S. arenicolus is constrained by fine sand. This is the first step in a line of research on the role of sand grain size composition in the life history of dune-dwelling reptiles and more experiments can build on this study. Our results have broad implications for the conservation of all strictly psammophilic species by improving our understanding of the habitat elements necessary for their survival and persistence.
The distribution of the cells of origin of callosal projections in cat visual cortex

The distribution of neurons projecting through the corpus callosum (callosal neurons) was examined in retinotopically defined areas of cat visual cortex. As many callosal neurons as possible were labeled in a single animal by surgically dividing the posterior two-thirds of the corpus callosum and exposing the cut ends of callosal axons to horseradish peroxidase. The distribution of callosal neurons within a visual field representation was related to standard electrophysiological maps as well as to recording sites marked by electrolytic lesions. Callosal neurons were found in every retinotopically defined cortical area. The portion of the visual field representation that contained callosal neurons increased progressively from the area 17/18 border to area 19, to areas 20 and 21, and to the lateral suprasylvian visual areas. In area 17, the portion of the visual field representation containing callosal neurons extended from the vertical meridian out to a maximum of 10 degrees azimuth. In the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian visual area, callosal neurons were present in a region extending from the vertical meridian representation out to a representation of 60 degrees azimuth. Most callosal neurons were medium to large pyramids at the border of layers III and IV. A few layer IV stellates were among the callosal neurons of areas 17 and 18. In area 19 and even more so in the lateral suprasylvian visual areas, callosal neurons included pyramidal and fusiform-shaped cells in layers V and VI. The laminar distributions of callosal neurons in areas 20 and 21 were similar to those of area 19 and the lateral suprasylvian visual areas. The widespread distribution of callosal neurons in areas 20 and 21 and in the lateral suprasylvian visual areas suggests that the regions of peripheral visual field representation in cat cortex, as well as the representations of the vertical meridian, have access to the opposite cerebral hemisphere. This finding is significant in light of demonstrations of the importance of some of these cortical areas in the interhemispheric transfer of visual learning.
Elastic analysis of finite stiffness bimaterial interfaces : Application to dislocation : Interface interactions

Abstract We present an easily applied method for determining the elastic fields in problems containing bimaterial interfaces of arbitrary stiffness. This analytical approach is useful for the common situation in which the classical “welded” and “slipping” interface elastic boundary conditions do not adequately describe the interface. As an application of this new approach, we examine the interactions of a single dislocation and an array of dislocations with a general bimaterial interface (with and without misfit) as a function of interfacial stiffness. In cases in which the dislocations are repelled from the interface in the “welded” interface limit, they are attracted to the interface at small separations in the finite stiffness interface limit. In cases where there is a finite misfit dislocation array stand-off from the interface in the welded interface limit, decreasing the interface stiffness results in smaller (or zero) stand-off distances.
The failure of induced anemia to affect changes in hemoglobin and chimerism in cattle1

Summary In contrast to sheep and goats, chronic and acute anemia induced by bleeding does not appear to alter hemoglobin types in cattle. Three adult cattle twins of type A and two non-twin calves of type AB sustained anemias with hemoglobin levels of 80 % and 50 % of normal without the appearance of a new type. In addition, no changes in the chimeric red cell mixtures were observed in the twins.
Homoleptic allyl complexes of chromium with trimethylsilylated ligands. Formation and molecular structure of {[1-(SiMe3)C3H4]2Cr}2, [1,3-(SiMe3)2C3H3]2Cr, and [1,1′,3-(SiMe3)3C3H2]2Cr

Abstract Reaction of two equivalents of K[1-(SiMe3)C3H4], K[1,3-(SiMe3)2C3H3], or K[1,1′,3-(SiMe3)3C3H2] with CrCl2 in THF at −78 °C produces the red complexes {[1-(SiMe3)C3H4]2Cr}2 (1), [1,3-(SiMe3)2C3H3]2Cr (2) and [1,1′,3-(SiMe3)3C3H2]2Cr (3), respectively. They are thermally stable compounds, remarkably so for the monomeric 2 and 3, which possess formal 12-electron counts. Single crystal X-ray structures confirm the dimeric nature of {[1-(SiMe3)C3H4]2Cr}2, which is constructed around a Cr2 core with CrCr′=1.9784(7) A. In the monomeric complexes, the allyl ligands are bound in a trihapto manner to the metals, with CrC distances of 2.193(2)–2.257(2) A in 2 and 2.223(5)–2.319(5) A in 3. The allyl ligands adopt staggered conformations, with a 10.4° angle between the C3 planes in (2) and parallel ligands in (3). The trimethylsilyl groups in both complexes are in a syn, anti conformation. The monomeric complexes are high-spin, with four unpaired electrons. The steric shielding provided to the metal by the trimethylsilyl groups is probably responsible for the lack of reactivity of 2 with bulky donors such as PPh3, although it forms a monoadduct with the more sterically compact PMe3. Density functional theory calculations were performed on (C3H5)2Cr, and comparisons made with the structures of the trimethylsilylated derivatives.
Yellowing and photosynthetic decline of barley primary leaves in response to atmospheric CO2 enrichment

The photosynthetic response of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Brant) primary leaves was studied as a function of chlorosis induced by CO 2 enrichment. Leaf yellowing, measured as changes of chlorophyll a and b, was more extensive in controlled environments at elevated (680 ± 17 μl 1 -1 ) than at ambient (380 ± 21 μl 1-') CO 2 . Stomatal conductance of primary leaves was decreased by growth in elevated CO 2 between 11 and 18 days after sowing (DAS) when measured at both 380 and 680 μl 1 -1 CO 2 . Internal leaf CO 2 concentration (C i ) was also lower for elevated- compared to ambient-CO 2 -grown primary leaves between 11 and 14 DAS. Results suggest that non-stomatal factors were responsible for the decreased photosynthetic rates of elevated- compared to ambient-CO 2 -grown primary leaves 18 DAS. Various photochemical measurements, including quantum absorptance (α), minimal (F o ), maximal (F m ), and variable (F v ) chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as the F v /F m ratio, were significantly decreased 18 DAS in the elevated- compared to ambient-CO 2 treatment. Photochemical (qp) and nonphotochemical (q N ) chlorophyll fluorescence quenching coefficients of 18-day-old primary leaves did not differ between CO 2 treatments. Photosynthetic electron transport rates of photosystem II were slightly lower for elevated- compared to ambient-CO 2 -grown primary leaves 18 DAS. Concentrations of α-amino N (i.e. free amino acids) in barley primary leaves were increased by CO 2 enrichment 10 DAS, but subsequently, α-amino N decreased in association with photosynthetic decline. Total acid protease activity was greater in elevated- than in ambient-CO 2 -grown leaves 18 DAS. The above findings suggest that photoinhibition and premature senescence were factors in the CO 2 -dependent yellowing of barley primary leaves.
Preparation and characterization of monodisperse unilamellar phospholipid vesicles with selected diameters of from 300 to 600 nm.

Abstract A method has been developed for making large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) with low polydispersity. The LUV, constituted of dioleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPA), 300 nm in diameter are made by a modification of the pH adjustment technique (Hauser, H. and Gains, N. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 1683–1687). This size is 10 times that (30 nm) of vesicles prepared by prolonged sonication. Vesicle size is increased stepwise by adding cholesterol (to a maximum of 40 mol% cholesterol) to form vesicles in 0.15 M KCl with up to 600 nm diameter. The vesicle size is measured by photon correlation spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and by measurement of the internal volume with cyanocobalamin while calculating the number of DOPA molecules per vesicle. Vesicles are stable for at least three weeks. Sepharose 4B column chromatography of the preparation yields a peak of fractions with the same polydispersity as the original sample and shows that 30 to 40% of the original lipid in a sample is recovered as LUV. Less than 2% of the sample forms small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) (diameter = 30 nm), which emerge from the column in a separate peak. Since the remaining lipid is not suspended in the buffer during vesicle formation, for most purposes the vesicles may be used immediately after titration so that they can be prepared in less than 40 min.
Interannual variability in hindcasts of atmospheric chemistry: the role of meteorology

Abstract. Two 40-year meteorological datasets are used to drive the Model of Ozone and Related Tracers chemical transport model, version 2 (MOZART2) in hindcast simulations. One dataset is from the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis, the second dataset uses meteorology from the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3) forced with observed interannually varying sea surface temperatures. All emissions, except those from lightning are annually constant. Analysis of these simulations focuses on the period between 1979–1999, due to meteorological discontinuities in the NCEP reanalysis during the 1970s. The meteorology using CAM3 captures observed trends in temperature and water vapor; the simulation using NCEP meteorology does not. This paper examines the regional and global interannual variability of various chemical and meteorological fields: CO, OH, O3 and HNO3, the surface photolysis rate of NO2 (as a proxy for overhead cloudiness), lightning NO emissions, water vapor, planetary boundary layer height, and temperature. The variability due to changes in emissions is not considered in this analysis. In both the NCEP and CAM3 simulations the relative variability of CO, OH, O3 and HNO3 are qualitatively similar, with variability maxima both in the tropics and the high latitudes. Locally, relative variability generally ranges between 3 and 10%; globally the tropospheric variability generally ranges from half to one percent, but can be higher. For most fields the leading global Empirical Orthogonal Function explains approximately 10% of the variability and correlates significantly with El Nino. In both simulations the first principal component of a multiple tracer, globally averaged analysis shows a strong coupling between surface temperature, measures of the hydrological cycle, CO and OH, but is not correlated with El Nino. In both simulations we examine the global response of the selected variables to changes in global surface temperature, and compare with a climate simulation over the 21st century.
The convergence of subspace trust region methods

The trust region method is an effective approach for solving optimization problems due to its robustness and strong convergence. However, the subproblem in the trust region method is difficult or time-consuming to solve in practical computation, especially in large-scale problems. In this paper we consider a new class of trust region methods, specifically subspace trust region methods. The subproblem in these methods has an adequate initial trust region radius and can be solved in a simple subspace. It is easier to solve than the original subproblem because the dimension of the subproblem in the subspace is reduced substantially. We investigate the global convergence and convergence rate of these methods.
Adsorbate deformation as a contrast mechanism in STM images of biopolymers in an aqueous environment: Images of the unstained, hydrated DNA double helix

SUMMARY A stable residual aggregate remains on a submerged gold surface after electrophoretic deposition of DNA. We present scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) images of these aggregates which show many objects with the geometry of DNA, clearly displaying the 3·4 nm helix pitch. These images are quite distinctive, and cannot be generated when the deposition technique is used without DNA in the buffer solution. A characteristic of these images is that the tip is observed to dip down over the DNA molecule at the same time as the apparent barrier height drops by a factor of about four. The tip displacement is accounted for by a model in which contrast is dominated by local fluctuations in the deformability of the adsorbate layer, a quantity deduced from measurements of the apparent barrier heights in air, water, over small molecule adsorbates, and over DNA.
Uninhibited neurogenic bladder in adults

The uninhibited neurogenic bladder is a common entity. It is characterized by urge incontinence, frequency, enuresis, and recurrent urinary tract infections. The diagnosis can only be made by a thorough urologic investigation, including cystometrography. A sound treatment program involves the use of anticholinergic medication to abolish uninhibited contractions, frequent voiding to keep intravesical pressure low, and antibiotic treatment when indicated for concurrent infection.
High temperature solar collector with optimal concentration: Non-focusing fresnel lens with secondary concentrator☆

Abstract A non-evacuated collector consisting of a linear Fresnel lens and a second stage concentrator of the CPC type is described and tested in detail. Use of a Fresnel lens accomplishes two different objectives simultaneously: it allows for the design of a nearly ideal light collector (of the CPC type) of high concentration and height-to-aperture ratio close to 1 and plays the role of a cover, making the collector less sensitive to the environment than one with exposed reflector surface. The geometric concentration is 15.56 and the acceptance half angle is 3°. The optical efficiency measured with an Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR) is 65.6 per cent and the efficiency at ΔT I of 0.235 is 48 per cent (ΔT = Tavfluid − Tamb = 200°C, IACR = 850 W/m2). Heat loss measurements for double glazed configurations are reported and the resulting efficiency at ΔT I of 0.3 is predicted to be 48 per cent. These numbers are expected to be raised by 3 percentage points for a next generation of lenses. The collector is mounted with its tracking axis oriented oriented NS since EW tracking axis orientation is impractical for a linear Fresnel lens, but its wide acceptance angle permits tracking by a simple clock mechanism at constant speed. Two different strategies are considered (i) polar mount, (ii) two adjustments of the tracking axis a year (summer and winter); the predicted yearly performance is calculated for four locations and four working fluid temperatures. The projected cost is estimated to be $70.00/m2 (1976 dollars), possible because the construction of the collector lends itself to the use of inexpensive materials such as plastic and glass.
Morphology, Oxidation, and Mechanical Behavior of Nanoporous Cu Foams

Nanoporous copper foams (65–80% porosity) are synthesized by dealloying different copper alloys, including Cu20Zn80, Cu35Zn65, and Cu30Al70. Ligament sizes, porosity, and oxide content are examined by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction to determine the nanoporous foam's structure and thermal stability. The pores and ligaments of the copper foams can range in size from 35 to 220 nm. Both parameters can be controlled by either the dealloying process or a subsequent heat treatment. The results show no copper oxide peaks for the as-prepared samples; however, any heat treatments above 200 °C lead to the formation of Cu oxide (CuO and Cu2O). These foams are shown to retain their structural integrity even after oxidation. A novel method is thus developed for synthesizing nanoporous Cu oxide foams by heat treating nanoporous copper.
Dissolution-reprecipitation of igneous zircon in mid-ocean ridge gabbro, Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge

Abstract Zircons recovered from oceanic gabbro exposed on Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge, typically display oscillatory and sector zoning consistent with igneous crystallization from mafic magmas. In one rock (of twenty investigated), weak-oscillatory-zonation patterns are overprinted by secondary textural features characterized by mottled, convoluted and wavy internal zonation patterns that are frequently associated with secondary micron- to submicron-scale micro-porosity. These zircons are hosted in a felsic vein that intruded an oxide gabbro, both of which are cross-cut by monomineralic amphibole- and quartz-rich veinlets. Zircons with weak-oscillatory-zonation patterns record a weighted-average 206Pb/238U age of 12.76 ± 0.20 Ma (mswd = 1.5), and have high trace element concentrations [e.g., ΣREEs (∼ 0.4–2.2 wt.%), Y (∼ 0.6–2.8 wt.%), P (∼ 0.4–0.9 wt.%)], and Th/U (0.1–0.5). These zircons are anomalously old (≥1 Myr) relative to the magnetic age for this portion of oceanic crust (11.75 Ma). In contrast, zircons with non-igneous, secondary textures have a younger weighted-average 206Pb/238U age of 12.00 ± 0.16 Ma (mswd = 1.7), and have lower trace element concentrations [e.g., ΣREEs (∼ 0.2–0.8 wt.%), Y (∼ 0.3–1.0 wt.%), P (∼ 0.1–0.3 wt.%)], and slightly lower Th/U (0.1–0.3). The weighted-average age of these zircons is similar to the magnetic anomaly age, and other 206Pb/238U ages of nearby rocks. We do not observe a correlation between crystallographic misorientation, internal texture, or trace element chemistry. We suggest that the decrease in trace element concentrations associated with the development of non-igneous alteration textures is attributed to the purging of non-essential structural constituent cations from the zircon crystal lattice at amphibolite-facies conditions. The mechanism of alteration/re-equilibration was likely an interface-coupled dissolution–reprecipitation processes that affected pre-existing, anomalously old zircons during shallow-level magmatic construction of Atlantis Bank at ∼ 12.0 Ma.
Gene expression profiling of human alveolar macrophages infected by B. anthracis spores demonstrates TNF-α and NF-κb are key components of the innate immune response to the pathogen

Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax, has recently been used as an agent of bioterrorism. The innate immune system initially appears to contain the pathogen at the site of entry. Because the human alveolar macrophage (HAM) plays a key role in lung innate immune responses, studying the HAM response to B. anthracis is important in understanding the pathogenesis of the pulmonary form of this disease.
Predictive Modeling of Transplant-Related Mortality

This paper describes the application of machine learning approaches for predictive modeling to improve the estimation of risks for complications of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation HCT including relapse, graft-versus-host disease, and transplant-related mortality TRM. Clinical disease and demographic factors known to impact the outcome of HCT include: recipient and donor age, type of donor related/unrelated, donorrecipient gender, diagnosis and disease status pre-HCT, and stem cell source peripheral blood, marrow, and umbilical cord blood. However, biostatistical analysis of risk has only limited accuracy in estimating a given patient’s risks of serous post-HCT complications. We describe the application of standard support vector machine SVM classifiers for data-analytic modeling of TRM. The goal is to predict the binary output TRM alive or dead from a set of genetic, demographic, and clinical inputs. Classification decision rule is estimated using SVM approach appropriate for such sparse multivariate data. This study compares several feature selection techniques for modeling TRM and objectively evaluates the quality of feature selection via prediction accuracy of the corresponding SVM classifiers. In addition, we discuss methods for interpretation of multivariate SVM models.
Polychromatic flow cytometry : A rapid method for the reduction and analysis of complex multiparameter data

Background: Recent advances in flow cytometry have resulted in the development of reliable techniques for performing polychromatic (5–17 color) flow cytometry analysis. However, the data reduction and analysis involved in the resolution of hundreds of possible cellular subphenotypes identified, using a single polychromatic flow cytometry staining panel, presents a major obstacle to the successful application of this technology. Methods: To generate two distinct collections of T cell populations with differentially expressed surface markers, cryopreserved lymph node cells from 5 melanoma patients vaccinated with the modified gp100209-2M melanoma peptide were stimulated with cognate peptide and cultured in either IL-21 + low-dose IL-2 or IL-15 + low-dose IL-2. In vitro stimulated (IVS) cells were interrogated using 8-color flow cytometry. Data were analyzed using Winlist Hyperlog™ and FCOM™ software, and 32 T cell subsets were resolved for each culture condition. Hierarchical clustering analysis was applied to the relative percentages of each subphenotype for both IVS conditions to determine if unique cell surface marker expression signatures were produced for each IVS culture. Results: Sequential data analysis using Hyperlog™ and FCOM™ demonstrated that lymphocytes cultured in IL-21 + IL-2 had a distinctively different set of subphenotype signatures compared to cells grown in IL-15 + IL-2 for all 5 patients. Importantly, subsequent cluster analysis of all 32 subphenotype frequencies in each IVS test condition for all 5 patients reproducibly demonstrated that cellular subphenotypes produced after IL-21 + IL-2 IVS partitioned separately from subphenotypes produced by IL-15 + IL-2 IVS. Conclusions: The integrated sequential use of Hyperlog™ and FCOM™ software with cluster analysis algorithms for the reduction and analysis of polychromatic flow cytometry data produces an effective, rapid technique for the assessment of complex patterns of subphenotype expression between and within multiple test samples. This approach to data analysis may enhance the use of polychromatic flow cytometry for both research and clinical applications. © 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology
GORENSTEIN WITT RINGS II

The abstract Witt rings which are Gorenstein have been classified when the dimension is one and the classification problem for those of dimension zero has been reduced to the case of socle degree three. Here we classify the Gorenstein Witt rings of fields with dimension zero and socle degree three. They are of elementary type.
A natural solution to the modal equations

Abstract The direct solution for all of the mode shapes of undamped, linear elastic systems in free vibration is accomplished by means of a converging iteration scheme applied to the modal equations. Previous versions of the digital computer program used in this solution find successive mode shapes with a decreasing accuracy. The present version employs a natural solution, so that every mode shape is found with the same accuracy.
Microscopic underpinnings of defect nucleation and growth in silicon crystal growth and wafer processing

Accurate quantitative modeling of point defect and impurity aggregation during silicon crystal growth and wafer annealing requires a detailed understanding of the underlying atomic scale mechanisms involved in defect formation, diffusion, and clustering. Examples are presented that demonstrate the utility of atomic scale studies for generating a complete picture of defect aggregation in crystalline silicon. In the first example, an approach for computing the thermodynamic properties of point defect clusters at high temperature is presented that accounts for cluster configurational entropy. In the second example, a lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model is applied to the direct simulation of vacancy clustering in the presence of oxygen atoms, which are known to act as reversible vacancy traps. The simulations are able to capture complex aggregate morphologies that have been observed experimentally, in particular the cloud-like distribution of small clusters around voids, and the double-void structures frequently observed in Czochralski crystal growth.
Microdialysis Measurement of Intratumoral Temozolomide Concentration after Cediranib, a Pan-VEGF Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in a U87 Glioma Model

Combining anti-angiogenesis agents with cytotoxic agents for the treatment of malignant gliomas may affect the cytotoxic drug distribution by normalizing the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This study examines the intratumoral concentration of temozolomide (TMZ) in the presence and absence of the pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, cediranib. Seven nude rats bearing U87 intracerebral gliomas had a microdialysis probe centered within the tumor. Ten-days after tumor implantation, TMZ (50 mg/kg) was given orally. The extracellular fluid (ECF) concentrations of TMZ within the tumor were assessed via microdialysis for 6 h following TMZ administration. Cediranib (6 mg/kg) was then given orally, and 12 h later, TMZ was re-administered with subsequent microdialysis collection. A subset of animals also underwent functional MRI to assess angiogenesis in vivo at post-inoculation days 12 and 21, before and after the cediranib treatment. After dosing of oral TMZ only, ECF-TMZ mean-C max and area under the concentration curve(AUC0–∞) within the tumor were 0.59 μg/mL and 1.82 μg h/mL, respectively. Post-cediranib, ECF-TMZ mean-C max and AUC0–∞ were 0.83 μg/mL and 3.72 ± 0.61 μg h/mL within the tumor, respectively. This represented a 1.4-fold (p = 0.3) and 2.0-fold (p = 0.06) increase in the ECF-TMZ C max and AUC0–∞, respectively, after cediranib administration. In vivo MRI measurements of the various vascular parameters were consistent with a BBB “normalization” profile following cediranib treatment. In the U87 intracerebral glioma model, within the first day of administration of cediranib, the intratumoral concentrations of TMZ in tumor ECF were slightly, but not statistically significantly, increased when compared to the treatment of TMZ alone with radiographic evidence of a normalized BBB.
Quasi-static, low-velocity impact and ballistic impact behavior of plain weave E-glass/phenolic composites:

Quasi-static, low-velocity impact (LVI) and ballistic impact loading conditions were used to find the material properties and dynamic responses of E-glass/phenolic composites. Standard American Soc...
Effects of Finite-Bandwidth Driver Pumps on the Parametric-Decay Instability

The effects of a finite-bandwidth driver pump on the parametric-decay instability are investigated experimentally. The results include the dependence of threshold power, growth rate, and saturation level on the bandwidth of several coherently and randomly modulated pumps.
Reduction of Flow Rate Into a Saccular Aneurysm After Stenting

Stents, wire-frame structures, are very effective devices in the treatment of vascular diseases, such as stenoses and aneurysms. One-third of patients who have stent placements develop restenosis over a six-month period, with the cause thought to be hemodynamic-related. The use of stent grafts to treat aneurysms often leads to exclusion of smaller vessels adjacent to the aneurysm from the circulation, and success of this procedure may therefore depend on the size of small vessels being occluded. An open stent is preferred to preserve the blood supply to neighboring vessels, but is considered to be less effective in aneurysm thrombosis and in reducing the pressure inside the aneurysm.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Dynamic mechanical characterization for nonlinear behavior of single carbon fibers

Abstract In the work presented here, small amplitude in-situ dynamic loads are superimposed onto quasi-static tensile tests, to obtain storage and loss modulus as a function of global strain for deforming single PAN carbon fibers. This technique allows for the measurement of carbon fiber modulus at unprecedented resolution without the need for compliance correction, which is difficult to implement as carbon fibers have a non-linear modulus dependency with strain. The relationship of the elastic modulus with strain is quantified to evaluate the single fiber nonlinearity during extension. Fibers with initially higher modulus are shown to have greater nonlinear dependency on strain amplitude, even for fibers taken from the identical tow. The strong correlation between tensile modulus with strain and its initial modulus indicates that the measured mechanical properties describe a fundamental structure of carbon fibers.
Enhancement of nitrate reductase activity and metabolic nitrate concentration by methionine sulfoximine in barley roots

Abstract The enhancement of nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and metabolic NO 3 − concentration by methionine sulfoximine (MSO) in roots of 8-day-old intact barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings was studied. NRA was induced with 0.05–100 mM NO 3 − with or without 0.25 mM MSO and assayed in vitro using NADH as the electron donor. Metabolic NO 3 − concentration was estimated by the anaerobic in vivo NRA assay method. In the absence of MSO, induction of NRA reached a plateau at 0.1 mM external NO 3 − , even though root NO 3 − accumulation continued at higher external NO 3 − concentrations. MSO enhanced the induction of NRA in roots exposed to NO 3 − concentrations greater than 0.1 mM, although total NO 3 − accumulation in MSO-treated roots decreased. In the absence of MSO, induction of NRA reached a plateau after 6 h exposure to 100 mM NO 3 − , whereas in the presence of MSO the enzyme activity increased gradually up to 24 h. Metabolic NO 3 − concentrations were similar in roots induced with 0.1 and 100 mM NO 3 − . MSO had no effect on the metabolic NO 3 − concentration when roots were induced with 0.1 mM NO 3 − , but it increased the metabolic NO 3 − concentration in roots induced with 100 mM NO 3 − by 2-fold between 6 and 24 h. The results indicate that in the absence of MSO the metabolic NO 3 − pool is saturated at 0.1 mM exogenous NO 3 − and that enhancement of NRA by MSO at higher NO 3 − levels may be due to increased accumulation of NO 3 − in that pool.
RF-DNA Fingerprinting for Airport WiMax Communications Security

Wireless communication security is addressed using device-specific RF-DNA fingerprints in a localized regional air monitor. The targeted application includes IEEE 802.16 WiMax-based airport communications such as being proposed by the Euro control and FAA organizations–concept validation is currently underway using the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) network. Security enhancement via RF-DNA fingerprinting is motivated by earlier RF-DNA work using GMSK-based intra-cellular GSM signals and OFDM-based 802.11a peer-to-peer WiFi signals. The commonality that WiMax shares with these two existing communication systems, i.e., the cellular control structure of GSM and the multi-carrier OFDM modulation of 802.11a, suggests that RF-DNA fingerprinting may be effective for WiMax device discrimination. This is important given that WiMax shares some common features that may prove detrimental, to include bit-level authentication, privacy, and security mechanisms. It is reasonable to assume that these bit-level mechanisms will come under attack as ``hackers'' apply lessons learned from their previous successes. The contributions of this paper include: 1) the introduction of a Spectral Domain (SD) RF-DNA fingerprinting technique to augment previous Time Domain (TD) and Wavelet Domain (WD) techniques, and 2) a first look at AeroMACS physical waveform features and the potential applicability of RF-DNA fingerprinting using operationally collected signals.
An experimental study showing the effects on a standard PI controller using a segmented MEMS DM acting as a mod(λ) device

The ASALT lab has been investigating the use of a segmented MEMS DM in adaptive optics systems. One of the anticipated benefits of a segmented device is that in monochromatic light the throw is essentially infinite due to the modulo 2π nature of the device. Earlier work demonstrated how this modulo 2π behavior interacts unexpectedly with a standard proportional integral controller. Here we present experimental data on this effect to include the testbed on which the data was taken and the methodology used to measure the effect.
A non-Bernoulli skew product which is loosely Bernoulli

LetT: Y→Y be the Bernoulli two shift with independent generatorQ={Q 0,Q 1} and letS: X→X be a measure preserving bijection. If (S, X) is ergodic then the skew product onX×Y defined by {fx339-1} is aK-automorphism. IfŜ is also Bernoulli we sayS is pre-Bernoulli. J. Feldman showed that ifS is pre-Bernoulli thenS must be loosely Bernoulli. We construct an example to show the converse is false, i.e. anS that is loosely Bernoulli but not pre-Bernoulli.
Remote sensing of coastlines: detection, extraction and monitoring

This paper reviews the current status of the use of remote sensing for the detection, extraction and monitoring of coastlines. The review takes the US system as an example. However, the issues at hand can be applied to any other part of the world. Visual interpretation of airborne remote sensing data is still widely and popularly used for coastal delineation. However, a variety of remote sensing data and techniques are available to detect, extract and monitor the coastline. The developed techniques have reached a level of maturity such that they are applied in operational settings.
Union Commitment and Stakeholder Red Tape: How Union Values Shape Perceptions of Organizational Rules

This study examines whether public sector unionization encourages members to perceive more red tape in the work organization. Using the concepts of union socialization, commitment to union values, ...
Prescribing efficiently in nursing homes

Giving medications in nursing homes is time consuming and expensive. The orders for medications in a community nursing home were examined to determine if nursing time could be saved by consolidating the administration of medications. Nineteen percent of the medication administration visits could be eliminated by this method according to the independent judgments of two physicians. This could save up to $19,000 in nursing time per year, and the time could be redirected to other nursing activities that could improve the quality of care in nursing homes