cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power Electronics-Enabled Self-X Multicell Batteries: A Design Toward Smart Batteries

The traditional multicell battery design usually employs a fixed configuration to connect multiple cells in series and in parallel during operation in order to achieve the required voltage and current. However, this fixed configuration results in low reliability, low fault tolerance, and nonoptimal energy conversion efficiency. This paper proposes a novel power electronics-enabled self-X, multicell battery design. The proposed multicell battery can automatically configure itself according to the dynamic load/storage demand and the condition of each cell. The proposed battery can self-heal from failure or abnormal operation of single or multiple cells, self-balance from cell state variations, and self-optimize to achieve optimal energy conversion efficiency. These features are achieved by a new cell switching circuit and a high-performance battery management system proposed in this paper. The proposed design is validated by simulation and experiment for a 6 × 3 cell polymer lithium-ion battery. The proposed design is universal and can be applied to any type and size of battery cells.
Increased InAs quantum dot size and density using bismuth as a surfactant

We have investigated the growth of self-assembled InAs quantum dots using bismuth as a surfactant to control the dot size and density. We find that the bismuth surfactant increases the quantum dot density, size, and uniformity, enabling the extension of the emission wavelength with increasing InAs deposition without a concomitant reduction in dot density. We show that these effects are due to bismuth acting as a reactive surfactant to kinetically suppress the surface adatom mobility. This mechanism for controlling quantum dot density and size has the potential to extend the operating wavelength and enhance the performance of various optoelectronic devices.
High-dimensional planning on the GPU

Optimal heuristic searches such as A* search are commonly used for low-dimensional planning such as 2D path finding. These algorithms however, typically do not scale well to high-dimensional planning problems such as motion planning for robotic arms, computing motion trajectories for non-holonomic robotic vehicles and motion synthesis for humanoid characters. A recently developed randomized version of A* search, called R* search, scales to higher-dimensional planning problems by trading off deterministic optimality guarantees of A* for probabilistic sub-optimality guarantees. In this paper, we show that in addition to its scalability, R* lends itself well to a parallel implementation. In particular, we demonstrate how R* can be implemented on the GPU. On the theoretical side, the GPU version of R*, called R*GPU, preserves all the theoretical properties of R* including its probabilistic bounds on sub-optimality. On the experimental side, we show that R*GPU consistently produces lower cost solutions, scales better in terms of memory, and runs faster than R*. These results hold for both motion planning for a 6DOF robot arm planar as well as 2D path finding.
Effect of Hydrophobic Surfactant Proteins SP-B and SP-C on the Phase and Morphology of Protein Deficient Native Surfactant Films

We present alterations in the phase, morphology and mechanical properties of a native replacement surfactant film induced either by the presence or absence of surfactant specific proteins SP-B and SP-C. Using Langmuir isotherms and fluorescence microscopy, the individual lipid-protein interactions in a complicated native surfactant system are explored. The surface tension lowering property of SurvantaTM, a native surfactant, is significantly compromised in the absence of the proteins, as is the ability of the film to undergo reversible collapse. A lack of proteins also causes the characteristic shoulder, prevalent at ∼ 40 mN/m in most lung surfactant mixtures, to disappear. A lack of this characteristic shoulder illustrates the inability of the film to undergo reversible squeeze out by forming “surface associated surfactant reservoirs”. Addition of SP-B causes an increase in the amount of surfactant material adsorbed from the sub-phase. Further it increases the monolayer stability and the compressibility modulus of the protein deficient film. SP-B is therefore responsible for helping the film achieve a high enough surface pressure during compression, as well as quick re-absorption of material during expansion. SP-C plays a dominant role in the formation of bilayer patches containing unsaturated lipids. SP-C also changes the mechanisms of monolayer collapse, and the film collapses via the formation of reversible collapse cracks. However, it is only in the presence of both SP-B and SP-C that the monolayer films are able to perform all the biophysical functions necessary for the proper working of the lung surfactant. These observations provide conclusive evidence showing that both SP-B and SP-C have distinct biophysical functions in the lung surfactant system, making them equally necessary for the long term survival of air-breathing mammals.
The variable morphological coexistence of apoptosis and necrosis in human myocardial infarction: significance for understanding its pathogenesis, clinical course, diagnosis and prognosis.

BACKGROUND Myocardial infarction includes both apoptosis and necrosis, but little is known of the morphological relationship of these two different forms of cell death in the human heart, despite the possibility that this may have clinical importance. METHODS Hearts from 77 cases of fatal myocardial infarction were examined. Twelve morphologically representative hearts were selected for immunohistochemical staining to define in detail the histology and cytology of apoptotic areas. RESULTS Both apoptosis and necrosis were present in every heart. Necrotic myocytes quickly disintegrate and evoke acute inflammation. Apoptotic myocytes retain their membrane integrity and do not evoke acute inflammation. Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and apoptotic bodies occurred with engulfment by either neighboring myocytes or macrophages, but predominantly the latter. In many apoptotic areas, the phagocytic capacity was overwhelmed, resulting in large pools of apoptotic bodies lying free in the extracellular space. CONCLUSIONS Because apoptotic cells retain their membrane integrity, enzymatic diagnosis of myocardial infarction that is due to necrosis. Measurement of any intracellular enzyme consequently always underestimates the extent of myocardial infarction, often by a large margin. Morphological progression of cell death in myocardial infarction, from apoptosis to necrosis, may depend upon exceeding the local capacity for phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. However, cells dying by either apoptosis or necrosis are equally dead. There is a need for better definition of the role of apoptosis in myocardial hibernation (or stunning), in ischemic preconditioning and in the pathogenesis of silent angina, and post-myocardial infarction remodeling.
Detecting infection onset with behavior-based policies

A major vector of computer infection is through exploiting vulnerable software or design flaws in networked applications such as the browser. Malicious code can be fetched and executed on a victim's machine without the user's permission, as in drive-by download (DBD) attacks. In this paper, we describe a new tool called DeWare (standing for Detection of Malware) for detecting the onset of infection delivered through vulnerable applications. DeWare enforces the dependencies between user actions and system events, such as file-system access and process execution. Our tool can be used to provide real time protection of a personal computer, as well as for diagnosing and evaluating untrusted websites for forensic purposes. Our solution demonstrates a usable host-based framework for controlling and enforcing the access of system resources. We perform extensive experimental evaluation, including a user study with 21 participants, thousands of legitimate websites (for testing false alarms), 84 malicious websites in the wild, as well as lab reproduced exploits. Our results show that DeWare is able to correctly distinguish legitimate download events from unauthorized system events with a low false positive rate (&#60; 1%).
Physical evidence of a plasmid in Rhizobium japonicum.

L'ADN deRhizobium japonicum 10324 montre une bande plasmide lors d'une centrifugation a l'equilibre sur CsCl/bromure d'ethidium. Nous ne pouvons pas correler la presence de cette bande d'une part, la resistance aux antibiotiques ou la production de nodules de l'autre part.
Variation in the oxytocin content of caprine corpora lutea across the breeding season

Ovarian tissues were obtained from cyclic goats during the early, mid and late breeding season. Immunoreactive oxytocin was measured by RIA in tissue extracts after chromatography on octadecylsilica cartridges. Luteal oxytocin concentrations were significantly greater during the early breeding season than during the mid or late breeding season. Oxytocin is luteolytic in goats. High concentrations of luteal oxytocin may be related to the high incidence of short estrus at the onset of the breeding season.
Test Capabilities and Recent Experiences in the NASA Langley 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel

The NASA Langley 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel is a combustion-heated hypersonic blowdown-to-atmosphere wind tunnel that provides flight enthalpy simulation for Mach numbers of 4, 5, and 7 through an altitude range from 50,000 to 120,000 feet. The open-.jet test section is 8-ft. in diameter and 12-ft. long. The test section will accommodate large air-breathing hypersonic propulsion systems as well as structural and thermal protection system components. Stable wind tunnel test conditions can be provided for 60 seconds. Additional test capabilities are provided by a radiant heater system used to simulate ascent or entry heating profiles. The test medium is the combustion products of air and methane that are burned in a pressurized combustion chamber. Oxygen is added to the test medium for air-breathing propulsion tests so that the test gas contains 21 percent molar oxygen. The facility was modified extensively in the late 1980's to provide airbreathing propulsion testing capability. In this paper, a brief history and general description of the facility are presented along with a discussion of the types of supported testing. Recently completed tests are discussed to explain the capabilities this facility provides and to demonstrate the experience of the staff.
Social and nutritional influences on the feeding of ring dove squab

The effects of food deprivation on ring dove squabs′ begging and pecking was examined during the period of transition from dependent to independent feeding. Food-deprived squabs begged more, pecked more, and were fed more by their parents than nondeprived squabs. When deprived, young squab primarily beg for food and older squab primarily peck. This difference may arise from the relative efficiencies of the two feeding responses at different ages. Additionally, parental state exerted control over the amount the squab pecked and begged. Parental food deprivation affected squab pecking, probably because hungry parents pecked more themselves and fed squabs less. Squab begging was not affected by parental food deprivation. However, parental separation from squab affected squab begging, as parents previously without squab were more likely to feed begging squab than were parents who were not separated from squab. Parental separation from squab did not affect squab pecking. The changes in the endogenous and exogenous controls of squab feeding allow for a great deal of plasticity in the transition from dependent to independent feeding.© 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Crystal Structure of Thiolphthalide

The crystal and molecular structure of thiolphthalide has been determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The crystals of this compound are orthorhombic (space group P 2 1 2 1 2 1 ) with cell dimensions of a = 4.104 A., b = 11.835 A., and c = 14.602 A. The structure was determined by Patterson and Fourier methods and refined by least squares to a final R value of 0.070. The two C─S bond lengths are 1.83 A. and 1.77 A., with the latter bond adjacent to the carbonyl group. The angle subtended by the C─S bonds is 94°.
Growth and structure of pyrogenic silica

Fractal analysis is used to interpret small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering data on commercial fumed silica powders. Rough primary particles are found in high surface area powders. A model based on ballistic polymerization, sintering, and diffusion-limited aggregation is proposed to explain the observed powder structure. 13 refs., 6 figs.
Vertical transport of dissolved organic C and N under long-term N amendments in pine and hardwood forests

At the Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, a long-term effort is under way to study responses in ecosystem biogeochemistry to chronic inputs of N in atmospheric deposition in the region. Since 1988, experimental additions of NH4NO3 (0, 5 and 15 g N m-2 yr-) have been made in two forest stands: Pinus resinosa (red pine) and mixed hardwood. In the seventh year of the study, we measured solute concentrations and estimated solute fluxes in throughfall and at two soil depths, beneath the forest floors (Oa) and beneath the B horizons. Beneath the Oa, concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic C and N (DOC and DON) were higher in the coniferous stand than in the hardwood stand. The mineral soil exerted a strong homogenizing effect on concentrations beneath the B horizons. In reference plots (no N additions), DON composed 56% (pine) and 67% (hardwood) of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) transported downward from the forest floor to the mineral soil, and 98% of the TDN exported from the solums. Under N amendments, fluxes of DON from the forest floor correlated positively with rates of N addition, but fluxes of inorganic N from the Oa exceeded those of DON. Export of DON from the solums appeared unaffected by 7 years of N amendments, but as in the Oa, DON composed smaller fractions of TDN exports under N amendments. DOC fluxes were not strongly related to N amendment rates, but ratios of DOC:DON often decreased. The hardwood forest floor exhibited a much stronger sink for inorganic N than did the pine forest floor, making the inputs of dissolved N to mineral soil much greater in the pine stand. Under the high-N treatment, exports of inorganic N from the solum of the pine stand were increased >500-fold over reference (5.2 vs. 0.01 g N m-2 yr-V), consistent with other manifestations of nitrogen saturation. Exports of N from the solum in the pine forest decreased in the order NO3-N > NH4-N > DON, with exports of inorganic N 14-fold higher than exports of DON. In the hardwood forest, in contrast, increased sinks for inorganic N under N amendments resulted in exports of inorganic N that remained lower than DON exports in N-amended plots as well as the reference plot.
Managing a major technological change

Abstract Many companies experience disruptive changes when their core product or process technologies shift dramatically. Such shifts in technology present major management challenges. This article uses the cases of NCR and Harris to illustrate contrasting strategic approaches which influence the technological transition. These approaches affect management's ability to see change coming. United Parcel Service provides a current example of a company managing technological discontinuity.
Characterization of a Lamellocyte Transcriptional Enhancer Located within the misshapen Gene of Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila has emerged as an excellent model system in which to study cellular and genetic aspects of hematopoiesis. Under normal developmental conditions and in wild-type genetic backgrounds, Drosophila possesses two types of blood cells, crystal cells and plasmatocytes. Upon infestation by a parasitic wasp or in certain altered genetic backgrounds, a third hemocyte class called the lamellocyte becomes apparent. Herein we describe the characterization of a novel transcriptional regulatory module, a lamellocyte-active enhancer of the misshapen gene. This transcriptional control sequence appears to be inactive in all cell types of the wild-type larva, including crystal cells and plasmatocytes. However, in lamellocytes induced by wasp infestation or by particular genetic conditions, the enhancer is activated and it directs reporter GFP or DsRed expression exclusively in lamellocytes. The lamellocyte control region was delimited to a 140-bp intronic sequence that contains an essential DNA recognition element for the AP-1 transcription factor. Additionally, mutation of the kayak gene encoding the dFos subunit of AP-1 led to a strong suppression of lamellocyte production in tumorous larvae. As misshapen encodes a protein kinase within the Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway that functions to form an active AP-1 complex, the lamellocyte-active enhancer likely serves as a transcriptional target within a genetic auto-regulatory circuit that promotes the production of lamellocytes in immune-challenged or genetically- compromised animals.
Relative Performance of Soybean in End-Trimmed and Plant-to-Length Plots

A common method to reduce or eliminate potential end-row effects in yield trials is to remove a portion of the plants from the end of the row prior to harvest. Consistent evidence supporting or rejecting the need to end-trim field plots is not available. This study was conducted to determine if plots planted to harvest length and not end-trimmed could be substituted for end-trimmed plots without affecting adversely the relative yield performance of entries in a trial. During 1997 and 1998, separate trials of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] 1 genotypes in maturity groups III, IV, and V were evaluated in fourrow plots at three locations with three replications per location. In each trial, 20 entries were evaluated using three plot treatments: (i) a plot planted to a harvest length of 4.6 m, (ii) a 4.6 m plot end-trimmed to a harvest length of 3.8 m during early vegetative development, and (iii) a 4.6-m plot end-trimmed to a harvest length of 3.8 m following maturity. Seed yield and row length were determined for each plot. Seed yields were significantly different among entries for all three trials. The interactions of plot treatment by entry within year and of plot treatment by entry by location within year were not significant for seed yield in all three trials. Plots planted to harvest length provided an unbiased estimate of the relative performance of yield in soybean.
The Simultaneous Coupling Scheme for SU(3)

We present a simple method for calculating the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients for the tensor product of two unitary irreducible representations of SU(3). The calculation given here is an application and extension of the simultaneous coupling scheme proposed in 2010 for the rotation group SU(2).
Terahertz all-dielectric EMXT waveguide to planar microstrip transition structure

Terahertz all-dielectric Electromagnetic Crystal (EMXT) waveguide to planar microstrip line transition structures are designed, simulated and fabricated. The design is similar to the ridge coupling structure used in metallic waveguide to microstrip transition. Simulation shows that the insertion loss of a back-to-back transition structure is 4 dB at 100 GHz. Experimental characterizations will also be reported. With this kind of transition structures, efficient integration of low loss all-dielectric THz waveguides to planar integrated circuits can be realized conveniently.
Design, fabrication, and analysis of greater than 18% efficient multicrystalline silicon solar cells

Abstract Solar cells with efficiencies as high as 18.6% (1 cm2 area) and 17.5% (4 cm2 area) have been achieved by a process which involves impurity gettering and effective back-surface passivation on multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) grown by the heat exchanger method (HEM). The former efficiency mark represents the highest reported solar cell efficiency on mc-Si to date. PCD analysis revealed that the bulk lifetime in certain HEM samples after phosphorus gettering can be as high as 135 μs. This increases the impact of the back-surface recombination velocity (Sb) on the solar cell performance. By incorporating a deeper aluminum back-surface field (Al-BSF), the Sb for solar cells in this study was lowered from 10,000 to 2000 cm/s (for 1 and 10 μm evaporated aluminum layers, respectively, alloyed in a conventional furnace) and finally to 200 cm/s (for screen printed Al-BSFs alloyed in an RTP furnace). It was observed that the screen-printed/RTP alloyed Al-BSF process raised the efficiency of both float zone and relatively defect-free mc-Si solar cells by lowering Sb. However, this process increased the electrical activity of extended defects so that mc-Si cells with a significant defect density showed degradation in performance.
Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes: A Meta-Analytic Review

This article examines the relationship between intergroup threat and negative outgroup attitudes. We first qualitatively review the intergroup threat literature, describing the shift from competing theories toward more integrated approaches, such as the integrated threat theory (ITT; W. G. Stephan & Stephan, 2000). The types of threats discussed include: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety, negative stereotypes, group esteem threat, and distinctiveness threat. We then conducted a quantitative meta-analysis examining the relationships between various intergroup threats and outgroup attitudes. The meta-analysis, involving 95 samples, revealed that 5 different threat types had a positive relationship with negative outgroup attitudes. Additionally, outgroup status moderated some of these relationships. Implications and future directions are considered.
Aqueous Solubilization of Transmembrane Peptide Sequences with Retention of Membrane Insertion and Function

We recently reported that the peptide C-K4-M2GlyR mimics the action of chloride channels when incorporated into the apical membrane of cultured renal epithelial monolayers. C-K4-M2GlyR is one of a series of peptides that were prepared by the addition of lysine residues to the N- or C-terminus of the M2 transmembrane sequence of the brain glycine receptor. This study addresses how such modifications affect physical properties such as aqueous solubility, aggregation, and secondary structure, as well as the ability of the modified peptides to form channels in epithelial monolayers. A graded improvement in solubility with a concomitant decrease in aggregation in aqueous media was observed for the M2GlyR transmembrane sequences. Increases in short-circuit current (ISC) of epithelial monolayers were observed after treatment with some but not all of the peptides. The bioactivity was higher for the more soluble, less aggregated M2GlyR peptides. As described in our previous communication, sensitivity of channel activity to diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, a chloride channel blocker, and bumetanide, an inhibitor of the Na/K/2Cl cotransporter, was used to assess changes in chloride selectivity for the different assembled channel-forming peptides. The unmodified M2GlyR sequence and the modified peptides with less positive charge are more sensitive to these agents than are the more highly charged forms. This study shows that relatively insoluble transmembrane sequences can be modified such that they are easier to purify and deliver in the absence of organic solvents with retention of membrane association, insertion, and assembly.
Three strikes and you're in: A streams and windows model of incremental policy change

Abstract While some use has been made of the agenda setting portions of Kingdon's 1984 “streams and windows” model, little attention has been paid to the implications of the full model for policy change. At the same time, much is being made of the new “Three Strikes” legislation as a radical departure from past crime control efforts. In this article, Kingdon's full model is used to provide insights into the policymaking process that resulted in the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (U.S. House of Representatives, 1994) and its “three strikes” proviso. This article shows how this proviso is really only an incremental addition to previous legislation — the 1984 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. It also demonstrates that Kingdon's model provides insights into the process of policy change by identifying the relevant actors, institutions, and political processes, and that his model also can form the basis for evaluation of that process.
Improved modular reliability analyses of hybrid phased mission systems

Phased mission systems (PMSs) involve a sequence of multiple tasks that must be carried out in consecutive, non-overlapping phases of operation. During each phase, the system is typically subject to different stresses and dependability requirements. Three major factors contribute to the difficulty in analysing PMSs: dynamics in system configuration, failure criteria, and component failure behaviour across different phases; s-dependence across the consecutive phases for a given component; and s-dependence among different components. A phase modular approach that integrates combinatorial solutions to static modules and Markov solutions to dynamic modules as appropriate has been recently proposed to address the above difficulty. Although the modular approach outperforms both the purely combinatorial solutions in modelling power and state-space based methods in computational efficiency, it involves costly path enumeration as well as joint phase module model generation and probability computation. This paper p...
Explaining the Maritime Freight Charges in Diocletian's Price Edict

Geospatial modeling enables us to relate the maritime freight charges imposed by the tetrarchic price controls of 301 CE to simulated sailing time. This exercise demonstrates that price variation is to a large extent a function of variation in sailing time and suggests that the published rates are more realistic than previously assumed.
Life trajectories of youth committing to climate activism

This article draws from a study investigating the life trajectories of 17 youth climate activists from 14 countries through semi-structured, life memory interviews using Internet-based methods. The interpretations of the interviews focus on the ways in which participants constructed the meanings and functions of experiences and how they represented the nature of the process of their committing to climate activism. Included in the interpretations are the nature of moments of consciously committing, the role of both concern for nature and for social justice, the dynamic and ceaseless process of committing, and the role of the youth climate movement. The discussion highlights the uniqueness of youth and of climate change in the process of committing. The research contributes to the limited but important literature on the life trajectories of youth climate activists.
Is recognition memory all-or-none?

The retention of partial information concerning paired associates was shown as follows. After one paired presentation of either short word-short word pairs or simple design single letter pairs, adult Ss were provided with all the stimuli and responses and asked to match them. They were then asked to give a second guess by rearranging only the pairings that had been wrong on the 1st guess. Better-than-chance matching on the 2nd guess showed that some information about the pairings was present in spite of the error on the 1st guess. The results disconfirm the idea that connections among short words, single letters or conventional designs must be learned all-or-none in a recognition task.
Measurement Of Total Hemispherical Emissivity Of Contaminated Mirror Surfaces

The effects of dust contamination on the total hemispherical emissivity (THE) of a 1.5-inch-diameter Al/MgF2-coated telescope mirror are investigated experimentally. The THE is determined by means of cooling-rate measurements in the temperature range 10-14.5 C in a vacuum of 100 ntorr or better. Photographs and drawings of the experimental setup are provided, and results for 11 dust levels are presented in tables and graphs. It is shown that dust has a significant effect on THE, but the experimental losses are only about half those predicted for perfectly black dust in perfect thermal contact with the mirror surface.
A SURVEY ON THE PARALLEL DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

The importance of production systems in artificial intelligence (AI) has been repeatedly demonstrated by a large number of expert systems. As the number and size of expert systems grow, there has however been an emerging obstacle in such AI applications: the large processing time. The need for faster execution of production systems has spurred research in both the software and hardware domains, including connectionist architectures. This paper surveys various aspects of parallel distributed processing of production systems. Approaches taken to date to solve the problems associated with production systems are classified here into three levels: the algorithmic level, the parallel implementation level, and the connectionist level. Several pattern matchers and multiple rule firing principles are presented to demonstrate the algorithm level improvement. Several parallel implementation efforts are surveyed along with experimental results on real machines or with simulators. The presentation of three different types of connectionist production systems (local, distributed, and hierarchical representation) completes this survey. Finally, we explore some potential avenues towards the implementation of a true asynchronous parallel production system.
Multifamily Affordable Housing: Residential Satisfaction

The objectives of this paper are to identify strategic issues impacting multifamily affordable housing resident satisfaction and to develop a systematic model to forecast residential satisfaction based on data gathered from two multifamily affordable housing properties located in Atlanta. This study concluded that major variables impacting residence are satisfaction with property management, tenant selection policies, enforcing residential rules, communication with residents, property management staff answering quickly to residents' concerns, how cooperative property management staff is with residents, how friendly staff is to residents, residents referring their friends to live in their apartment complex, quality of the community, maintenance, residents' quality of life, building quality, quality of building repairs, overall cleanness of property grounds, overall cleanness of the community, residents' perception of safeness in their neighborhood at night, residents' perception of safeness at night while inside their units, and overall resident satisfaction with their apartment units. The study provides a framework for developing a decision support system that could be used by property managers or developers.
Twenty-One Genome Sequences from Pseudomonas Species and 19 Genome Sequences from Diverse Bacteria Isolated from the Rhizosphere and Endosphere of Populus deltoides

To aid in the investigation of the Populus deltoides microbiome, we generated draft genome sequences for 21 Pseudomonas strains and 19 other diverse bacteria isolated from Populus deltoides roots. Genome sequences for isolates similar to Acidovorax, Bradyrhizobium, Brevibacillus, Caulobacter, Chryseobacterium, Flavobacterium, Herbaspirillum, Novosphingobium, Pantoea, Phyllobacterium, Polaromonas, Rhizobium, Sphingobium, and Variovorax were generated.
PetroPlot: A plotting and data management tool set for Microsoft Excel

PetroPlot is a 4000-line software code written in Visual Basic for the spreadsheet program Excel that automates plotting and data management tasks for large amount of data. The major plotting functions include: automation of large numbers of multiseries XY plots; normalized diagrams (e.g., spider diagrams); replotting of any complex formatted diagram with multiple series for any other axis parameters; addition of customized labels for individual data points; and labeling flexible log scale axes. Other functions include: assignment of groups for samples based on multiple customized criteria; removal of nonnumeric values; calculation of averages/standard deviations; calculation of correlation matrices; deletion of nonconsecutive rows; and compilation of multiple rows of data for a single sample to single rows appropriate for plotting. A cubic spline function permits curve fitting to complex time series, and comparison of data to the fits. For users of Excel, PetroPlot increases efficiency of data manipulation and visualization by orders of magnitude and allows exploration of large data sets that would not be possible making plots individually. The source codes are open to all users.
Voter ideology in Western democracies: An update

In this article, we update and expand the measure of voter ideology we originally proposed in this journal in 1998. Our new measure combines party manifesto data most recently updated by Budge et al. (2001) with election return data. Assuming the compa- rability and relevance of left-right ideology, we estimate the median voter position in 25 Western democracies throughout most of the postwar period. With this measure, we are able to make cross-national comparisons of voter ideology among these countries, as well as cross-time comparisons within individual countries.
Mechanical testing of thin polymer films

Package designers need reliable mechanical data of packaging materials at a variety of temperatures in order to predict stress distribution and to make long term predictions on package reliability. It is generally assumed that coefficients of thermal expansion and modulus data of metals and ceramics do not depend on the film thickness of these materials. The same, however, does not hold true for polymers. This poses several questions: How strong is the dependence of thermo-mechanical properties on film thickness? How well can these properties be measured? Do all polymers behave similarly? This paper explores some of these issues.
Easily computable good approximations for spectral radiative properties of particle—gas components and mixture in pulverized coal combustors

A rather large computational effort is required for calculating the exact values of the spectral radiative extinction, absorption and scattering coefficients in pulverized coal combustors, which contain a polydispersed solid—gas mixture of reactants and combustion products (coal, char, fly ash and soot particles and gaseous components). This computation becomes an especially significant problem in comprehensive modelling of coal combustors, where these properties vary in space and time and where the solution methods are iterative. A number of approximate expressions for calculating these coefficients for each of the particle types, requiring practically insignificant computational effort, are examined for a wide range of size parameters, by comparison with the results of the full Mie equations solved with Mathematica. A set of these approximations, which typically produce errors of <8.9% and <5.1% in the spectral extinction and scattering coefficients respectively, is recommended for use. The spectral absorption coefficient for the gas components is obtained by using the exponential wide-band model. A solution of a comprehensive model of a pulverized anthracite coal combustor shows that the combined error introduced by the recommended radiative property approximations generates an error of <1.45% in the combustor gas temperature and radiation intensity profile predictions.
Edge-maximal ( k, l )-graphs

A graph G is a (k, l)-graph if for any subgraph H of G, that |V(H)| ≧ implies that k(H) ≦ k − 1. An edge-maximal (k, l-graph G is one such that for any e ϵ E(Gc), G + e is not a (k, l)-graph. In [F. T. Boesch and J. A. M. McHugh, „An Edge Extremal Result for Subcohesion,” Journal of Combinatorial Theory B, vol. 38 (1985), pp. 1–7] a class of edge-maximal graphs was found and used to show best possible upper bounds of the size of edge-maximal (k, l)-graphs. In this paper, we investigate the lower bounds of the size of edge-maximal (k, l)-graphs. Let f(n, k, l) denote the minimum size of edge-maximal (k, l)-graphs of order n. We shall give a characterization of edge-maximal (k, l)-graphs. This characterization is used to determine f(n, k, l) and to characterize the edge-maximal (k, l)-graphs with minimum sizes, for all n ≦ k + 2 ≦ 5. Thus prior results in [F.T. Boesch and J. A. M. McHugh, op. cit.; H.-J. Lai, „The Size of Strength-Maximal Graphs,” Journal of Graph Theory, vol. 14 (1990), pp. 187–197] are extended.
The Development of Individualized Education Programs: Where Have We Been and Where Should We Go Now?

There are more than 6.6 million students with disabilities in U.S. public schools who receive special education services, which means that there are 6.6 million Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that have been developed and are being implemented at any given time. Each IEP represents real cost in educational opportunity, relationship building between families and schools, time, and resource allocation. Given this information, it is important to examine what we have learned from research on the development of IEPs, and to begin charting a new direction for research and practice related to IEP development. This literature review examines published, peer-reviewed research studies that have examined IEP development since the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The review concludes with a discussion of how findings from previous research on IEP development can inform future research agendas, educator practice, and federal and state policies.
Wage indexation and the israeli labor market: The institutional imperative

Israel is a nation replete with contradictions; its economics, politics, and sociology often defy understanding. This Jewish state, located on the periphery of the Moslem world, has few natural resources of its own, while its neighbors to the south and east enjoy the benefits of oil wealth. It is geographically Middle Eastern, yet politically finds itself considered European. Its population is predominantly Asian and African, yet its political institutions and leadership, civilization, and national cultural figures are rooted in the West. Another contradiction, less obvious but no less puzzling, provides the subject of this article. In typical periods of inflation, real wages are eroded and the laboring class suffers from a reduction in its purchasing power. Yet in the inflationary economy characteristic of most of Israel's existence, the wage-earner has managed to escape the harm threatened by the ever-diminishing value of the currency. The ostensible explanation-indexed wage contracts-appears to be inadequate, for such agreements never provided full de jure coverage against inflationary erosion. Israeli experience with indexation has endured longer and is more comprehensive than that of any other nation whose economic institutions utilize formal indexed contracts. Historically, linkage in the Israeli labor market represents the parent, with financial market indexation the first-born and the linked tax and welfare structure a younger child. This article focuses on the labor market alone and on the critical role played by its institutional framework in explaining the baffling nature of the Israeli cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) mechanism. It deals almost exclusively with the microeconomic issues raised by imperfect indexation, and suggests that institutional reasons underlie the imperfections.1 Although the case evaluated here deals specifically with wage indexation in the Israeli context, the presence of similar circumstances and motivations in other countries suggests that the institutional role has wider applicability. The plan of the paper is, in the next section, to consider the general institutional setup in the Israeli labor market as it affects COLA arrangements; in section III to suggest two alternative models of the nominal wage/real wage determination process; to devote section IV to an explanation of the models applied to Israel; and finally, to summarize and conclude. The fundamental point made in this paper is that a complex wage-COLA determination process serves
Nano-structured poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid polymer surface features increase cell functions

Polymers currently utilized for tissue engineering applications do not possess surfaces with nanostructured features. In contrast, the tissue that the polymers will regenerate is composed of proteins that have nanometer dimensions. Undoubtedly, the presence of proteins in natural tissue provide for surface roughness values in the nanometer regime. For this reason, the objective of the present study was to design, synthesize, and evaluate (using in vitro cellular models) the ability of poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) as the next generation of more efficient tissue engineering materials. Results provided the first evidence that osteoblasts (bone-forming cells), chondrocytes (cartilage synthesizing cells), aortic smooth muscle cells, and bladder smooth muscle cells adhered and proliferated more on nanostructured compared to conventional PLGA substrates. For this reason, the present results suggest that to enhance tissue regeneration, PLGA should incorporate a high degree of nanostructured surface features.
The Poisson Multiple-Access Conflict Resolution Problem

The major thrust of system theory research in recent years has been directed at multiterminal, or decentralized, problems. These are characterized by the fact that system functions — such as coding, routing, control, decision, and estimation — are effected simultaneously at several physically distinct sites within the system. The information available differs, in general, from site to site. This necessitates the development of distributed algorithms aimed at cooperatively achieving optimum, or near-optimum, performance in the face of topologically complex information patterns. In previous lectures at CISM, several investigators including myself have treated multiterminal information theory problems involving distributed algorithms for encoding and decoding. In these lectures I concentrated instead on an intriguing problem in multiterminal communication theory, the conflict resolution problem in packet-switched communication networks. After stating the problem, we recast it as one of “fishing in a Poisson stream with a weak net”. The slotted ALOHA protocol is described ana analyzed. Gallager’s improvement on Capetanakis’s algorithm is then treated in considerable detail; a closed-form expression for its efficiency is derived. Recursive equations developed by the Russian and French schools are presented as an alternative means of analyzing this algorithm and others. Then we present Pippenger’s and Molle’s upper bounds to the maximum efficiency attainable. We conclude with what we feel to be a convincing case for our belief that Molle’s method can be improved upon to yield an upper bound of 0.5254 which is only 0.0377 above the efficiency of 0.4877 achieved by the optimized version of Gallager’s algorithm.
Health consequences of long-term injection heroin use among aging Mexican American men.

Objectives: Research on the health consequences of long-term injection drug use (IDU) is limited. This article examines these consequences among aging, male Mexican American injecting heroin users. Concern for this group is crucial, given its health disparities and the association of IDU with disease transmission. Method: Aging, male Mexican American IDUs (N = 227) were recruited through intensive outreach. Participants self-reported health status, medical and substance use history, and completed behavioral and psychometric health scales. Results are compared to Hispanic national samples. Results: Participants had significantly poorer self-rated health and negative health conditions. Selected medical conditions not associated with the heroin-use lifestyle (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, arthritis) were lower relative to the comparison samples. Discussion: This population has a complex profile of health consequences linked to a heroin-using lifestyle. The study concludes that routine screening of infectious...
Refrigeration challenges in the next generation of computer, telecommunications and military electronic equipment

The application of vapor compression refrigeration to high performance, next generation electronic equipment cooling is ripe with challenge. Some challenges are specific to vapor compression refrigeration while others are challenges faced by many active cooling methods. Conversely, vapor compression refrigeration addresses many of the thermal challenges of high performance electronics particularly well. Obvious challenges include the ease of integration of the technology, the reliability, availability, cost and efficiency of the technology and for spot cooling, the design, operating range and thermal stability of the cold plate. An attempt will be made in this presentation to give an overview of these challenges associated with the application of vapor compression refrigeration to spot cooling of electronics and characterize the current state-of-the-art.
Characteristics of Cocaine Users in a Private Inpatient Treatment Setting.

Patient records were reviewed from an eighteen-month period of a private hospital adult addictive disease unit. Of 667 consecutive admissions, sixty-five (49 males, 16 females) were diagnosed with cocaine abuse or dependence; 38 percent were from rural areas. Although mean age of males and females was similar, males had a longer duration of use (8.2 years versus 5.8 years), however, females used an average of 14 grams per week versus 9.5 grams per week for males. African-American patients were over-represented among the cocaine using sample and also among the sample who chose smoking as their route of administration. A larger percentage of males had legal problems and admitted to "dealing," when compared to females. Those from rural areas were more likely to be married and less apt to have legal problems.
Multi-constraint dynamic access selection in always best connected networks

In future generation networks, various access technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS and UMTS, etc., are simultaneously available to mobile devices. They vary in characteristics (communication range, power consumption, security, etc.) and QoS parameters (bandwidth, delay, etc.) The notion of always best connected (ABC) enables people to run applications over the most efficient combination of access technologies with continuous connectivity. Access selection is the key functional block in ABC solutions, as it chooses the most suitable access networks for application traffic flows. However, it is important that access selection decisions be dynamically made, minimizing the power consumption on mobile devices while satisfying QoS requirements and user/application preferences. In this paper, we model the problem of multi-constraint dynamic access selection (MCDAS) as a variant of bin packing problem. A series of approximation algorithms derived from the first fit decreasing (FFD) algorithm are proposed for finding near-optimal solutions. Simulation studies show that the algorithms we propose gradually improve performance towards quasi-optimal solutions in terms of power consumption and preference satisfaction.