cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A relaxation time study of molecular motion in trimethylolpropane triacrylate and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate

Abstract Proton NMR relaxation times, T 1 , T 2 , and T 1ϱ , have been measured as a function of temperature in trimethylolpropane triacryla (TMPTA) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA). The results for TMPTA and TMPTMA are very similar. Low temperature T 1 minima have been obtained due to methyl group reorientation, and high temperature T 1 and T 1ϱ minima have been obtained due to whole-molecule reorientation. T 2 decreases continuously from the T 1 and T 1ϱ values at high temperat to rigid lattice values at low temperatures. Nearly all of the relaxation time measurements could be analyzed in terms of a Cole-Davidson (CD) distribution of correlation times. The whole-molecule reorientation was described in terms of a cutoff correlation time with a temperature-dependent activation energy. The CD distribution fails to accurately describe the measured T 1ϱ dispersion below the high temperature T 1ϱ minimum in TMPTMA.
A compensation filter for chest portals.

Abstract A simple technique for the rapid construction of a compensating filter for chest portals is described. The method consists of stacking plastic sheets of different lengths, one on top of the other, mounted on a holder which attaches to the treatment machine. The filter is relatively inexpensive and can be assembled easily and quickly. Upon completion of therapy, the filter is dismantled and the plastic sheets returned to the precut set where they may be reused.
Studies on electromagnetic interference shielding characteristics of metal nanoparticle- and carbon nanostructure-filled polymer composites in the Ku-band frequency

The dispersion behaviour and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties were investigated for metal nanoparticle- and carbon nanostructure-filled polymer composites. It was observed that carbon nanostructure-polymer composites exhibited a much higher shielding performance than Ag nanoparticle-polymer composites at the same filler loading. The results also showed that Ag nanoparticle-polymer composites could exhibit an ideal shielding performance only with a very high Ag loading (> 30 wt%). The experimental data exhibited that the shielding effectiveness of the polymer composite containing 5 wt% carbon nanotubes could reach more than 20 dB in the measured frequency region, indicating such composites can be applied to the practical EMI shielding materials. In addition, some possible approaches to further improve the shielding performance of carbon nanotube-polymer composites were proposed and discussed.
Formation of the magnetopause boundary layer by magnetic reconnection

Abstract Magnetic reconnection at the earth's magnetopause can lead to the formation of the magnetopause boundary layer. In this paper, our recent hybrid simulations of the structure of this reconnection layer are summarized. The results are compared with those from the ideal MHD formulation and resistive MHD simulations. In the ideal MHD, rotational discontinuities, slow shocks, slow expansion waves, and contact discontinuity are present in the reconnection layer. In the resistive MHD simulation, the rotational discontinuity is replaced by an intermediate shock or time-dependent intermediate shock (TDIS). In the hybrid simulation, the TDIS quickly evolves to a steady rotational discontinuity. The contact discontinuity cannot be identified due to the mixing of ions from the magnetosheath and magnetosphere, and slow shocks and slow expansion waves are modified. At the dayside magnetopause, a thin rotational discontinuity bounds the reconnection layer from the magnetosheath side, and a high-speed accelerated plasma flow is present on the magnetospheric side of the rotational discontinuity. At the flank of the magnetopause, where a large plasma flow is present in the magnetosheath, the magnetic field transition region is thick, and the accelerated flow exists in the entire field transition region.
A thermodynamic study of unusually stable RNA and DNA hairpins

Abstract About 70% of the RNA tetra-loop sequences identified in ribosomal RNAs from different organisms fall into either (UNCG) or (GNRA) families (where N = A, C, G, or U; and R = A or G). RNA hairpins with these loop sequences form unusually stable tetra-loop structures. We have studied the RNA hairpin GGAC(UUCG)GUCC and several sequence variants to determine the effect of changing the loop sequence and the loop-closing base pair on the thermodynamic stability of (UNCG) tetra-loops. The hairpin GGAG(CUUG)CUCC with the conserved loop G(CUUG)C was also unusually stable. We have determined melting temperatures (Tm), and obtained thermodynamic parameters for DNA hairpins with sequences analogous to stable RNA hairpins with (UNCG), C(GNRA)G, C(GAUA)G, and G(CUUG)C loops. DNA hairpins with (TTCG), (dUdUCG), and related sequences in the loop, unlike their RNA counterparts, did not form unusually stable hairpins. However, DNA hairpins with the consensus loop sequence C(GNRA)G were very stable compared to hairpins with C(TTTT)G or C(AAAA)G loops. The C(GATA)G and G(CTTG)C loops were also extra stable. The relative stabilities of the unusually stable DNA hairpins are similar to those observed for their RNA analogs.
Thermal difference spectra of aromatic amino acids in water

Recent studies of the temperature difference spectra of lysozyme [l] and ribonuclease [2] in aqueous buffers over an extensive temperature range have demonstrated significant spectral changes in the 230-300 mn range prior to denaturation of the proteins. In particular isosbestic points in the difference spectra at temperatures below denaturation have been cited as evidence for the existence of two conformational states of the enzymes below the denaturation temperature [ 1,2] . In view of the potential importance of these observations to the understanding of protein conformation in solution it seemed advisable, despite previous studies [3-81, to reinvestigate the effects of temperature on the U.V. spectra of the appropriate free chromophores in water. Thermal difference spectra are reported here for aqueous solutions of the N-acetyl ethyl esters of tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine over a S-65°C temperature range. It is shown that the effect of temperature on the free aromatic residues is qualitatively similar to that observed in proteins prior to denaturation, including the presence of apparent isosbestic points. It is further shown that the apparent isosbestic points are a manifestation of small, thermally induced wavelength shifts in the chromophore absorption bands.
Enzymes involved in the bioconversion of ester-based prodrugs

Enzymes are essential for the activation of many prodrugs. In this review, the most important enzymes (e.g., paraoxonase, carboxylesterase, acetylcholinesterase, cholinesterase) involved in the bioconversion of ester-based prodrugs will be discussed in terms of their biology and biochemistry. Most of these enzymes fall into the category of hydrolytic enzymes. However, nonhydrolytic enzymes, including cytochrome P450s, can also catalyze the bioconversion of ester prodrugs and thus will be discussed here. Other factors influencing the ability of these enzymes to catalyze the bioconversion of ester-based prodrugs, particularly species and interindividual differences and stereochemical and structural features of the prodrugs, will be discussed.
Correlates of inadequate consumption of dairy products among adolescents

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify the sociodemographic, personal, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of low consumption of dairy products among adolescents. A comprehensive, school-based health behavior survey was administered to 36,284 public school students in grades 7 through 12 in Minnesota. Students self-reported consumption of dairy products and items addressing various dimensions of health. The risk factors for low consumption of dairy foods included being female, nonwhite, and of low socioeconomic status. The psychosocial factors associated with low intake included low weight satisfaction, school grades less than or equal to C, and low family connectedness. Dieting was strongly associated with low consumption of dairy foods, and modest consistent associations were also found with other health-compromising behaviors such as binge eating and substance abuse. Interventions aimed at increased consumption of calcium-rich foods among youth need to address high-risk groups and should include both education and environmental components as part of a comprehensive school-based program. Future research should examine differences in intake patterns of calcium-rich foods and health implications of lower intakes among different ethnic groups.
Repeated quinpirole treatment: locomotor activity, dopamine synthesis, and effects of selective dopamine antagonists.

Repeated treatment with the non-selective dopamine agonist apomorphine results in behavioral sensitization and enhanced dopamine synthesis in dopamine projection fields. To examine the role of D2-type dopamine receptors in modulating these effects, the present experiment assessed the effects of repeated treatment with the D2-type agonist quinpirole on locomotor activity and dopamine synthesis. In the first experiment, rats were treated with vehicle or one of two doses (0.3 or 3.0 mg/kg) of quinpirole for 8 days. Daily measures of locomotor activity revealed an initial suppression of activity produced by quinpirole which dissipated over the 8 days of treatment. A trend for an increase in activity for 3.0 mg/kg quinpirole compared to vehicle was obtained on day 8. Twenty-four hours after cessation of treatment, dopamine synthesis, measured as accumulation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after treatment with the DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015, was enhanced in the striatum, but not nucleus accumbensolfactory tubercle (NAOT) or ventral mesencephalon (VM). In Experiment 2, rats were treated for 8 days with vehicle, 3.0 mg/kg quinpirole or the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0.5 mg/kg) in a two (vehicle or quinpirole) × two (vehicle or SCH 23390) design. Quinpirolealone treatment resulted in a reduction of the locomotor suppressant effects of the drug. SCH 23390-alone and quinpirole-SCH 23390 combined treatment resulted in decreased activity compared to the vehicle control group that did not change across days. DOPA accumulation was enhanced in the striatum and NAOT after quinpirole treatment; however, SCH 23390 had no effect. In Experiment 3, rats were treated for 10 days with vehicle, 3.0 mg/kg quinpirole or the D2 antagonist eticlopride (1.0 mg/kg) in a two (vehicle or quinpirole) × two (vehicle or eticlopride) design. As in the first two experiments, repeated quinpirolealone treatment resulted in a reduction of the locomotor suppressant effects of the drug; however, locomotor activity in this group was enhanced compared to vehicle controls on day 10. Eticlopridealone and eticlopride-quinpirole treated rats had suppressed locomotor activity across the 10 days. DOPA accumulation was enhanced by both repeated quinpirole and repeated eticlopride treatment in the striatum and NAOT. DOPA accumulation in eticlopride-quinpirole treated rats was not different from vehicle control levels in the NAOT, while no significant difference was obtained between the eticlopridealone and eticlopride-quinpirole groups in the striatum. The locomotor activity data suggest that repeated quinpirole treatment results in tolerance to the locomotor suppressant effect of the drug. Evidence for sensitization was obtained in two out of three of the experiments. These results suggest that enhanced dopamine synthesis after repeated non-selective dopamine agonist treatment is modulated by D2-type dopamine receptors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using five sampling methods to measure insect distribution and abundance in bins storing wheat

Newly-harvested wheat stored in each of two bins on each of two farms in Kansas during each of 3 years was sampled every 3-4 days at two locations (in the center and midway between the center and bin wall) within each bin. The variation in insect numbers between bins, locations within a bin, farms and years differed with insect species and sampling method. Five sampling methods were used to monitor insect populations in three regions of each bin: (1) in the head space above the grain; (2) on the grain surface; and (3) within the top 50 cm of the grain mass. Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) and Ahasverus advena (Waltl) were more evenly distributed among these three regions of a bin than the other species. Typhaea stercorea (L.) were found mainly in the head space and on the grain surface. These distribution patterns were consistent throughout the 126-day storage period. R. dominica (F.) were found in the head space and within the grain mass early in the storage period, and mainly in the grain mass as grain cooled in the autumn. The majority of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (91%) were caught in sticky traps in the head space. Two of the three less abundant species, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), tended to be found most often on the grain surface and the other, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), within the grain mass. The sampling method often influenced the results. Emergence traps captured greater numbers of A. advena than other species. More R. dominica were found in grain samples than in traps in the autumn. Pushing probe traps below the surface of the grain reduced the numbers of T. stercorea, A. advena, S. oryzae and T. castaneum captured. Differences between species and times during the storage period in the effectiveness of different sampling methods need to be considered in making pest management decisions.
A disease locus for hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia maps to chromosome 9q33–34

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), or Osler-Weber-Rendu disease, is an autosomal dominant vascular dysplasia of unknown pathogenesis leading to 'widespread' dermal, mucosal and visceral telangiectases and recurrent haemorrhage. We have mapped the HHT gene, by linkage analysis, to markers on 9q33-34 in two large multi-generation families. Haplotype analysis and mapping of recombination breakpoints gives a 4 cM interval between D9S61 and D9S63 as the most likely location of the gene. The closest marker, D9S65, is estimated to be within 1 cM of the gene and shows a combined lod score of 11.41. Two potential candidate genes, COL5A1 and ZNF79, are also located within 9q33-34. These results provide a starting point for the eventual cloning of the HHT gene.
Transferase-deficiency galactosemia: Immunochemical studies of the Duarte and Los Angeles variants

Rabbit antibodies to purified human placental galactose-l-phosphate uridyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.12) were used to establish immunologic cross-reactivity patterns for the enzyme in hemolysates, prepared from red cells of a normal individual, a homozygous Duarte variant, and a heterozygous Los Angeles variant. The antibody immunoprecipitated all three forms of the enzyme. The amount of antibody absorbed by each hemolysate was related to the different levels of activity, and examination of hemolysate/antibody reaction mixtures by starch gel electrophoresis revealed that the antibody quantitatively precipitated all of the isoenzyme forms that characterize these three genetic variants.
Performance limitations of a white light extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric displacement sensor

Non-contacting interferometric fiber optic sensors offer a minimally invasive, high-accuracy means of measuring a structure's kinematic response to loading. The performance of interferometric sensors is often dictated by the technique employed for demodulating the kinematic measurand of interest from phase in the observed optical signal. In this paper a white-light extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer is implemented, offering robust displacement sensing performance. Displacement data is extracted from an estimate of the power spectral density, calculated from the interferometer's received optical power measured as a function of optical transmission frequency, and the sensor's performance is dictated by the details surrounding the implementation of this power spectral density estimation. One advantage of this particular type of interferometric sensor is that many of its control parameters (e.g., frequency range, frequency sampling density, sampling rate, etc.) may be chosen to so that the sensor satisfies application-specific performance needs in metrics such as bandwidth, axial displacement range, displacement resolution, and accuracy. A suite of user-controlled input values is investigated for estimating the spectrum of power versus wavelength data, and the relationships between performance metrics and input parameters are described in an effort to characterize the sensor's operational performance limitations. This work has been approved by Los Alamos National Laboratory for unlimited public release (LA-UR 12-01512).
Surgical red blood cell transfusion practice policies

Abstract This supplement to The American Journal of Surgery reports the proceedings of a consensus conference that developed 11 policies for surgical blood management and proposed interventions that would achieve each policy's intended outcome. Interventions were analyzed in terms of patient and physician variables, settings, and other factors that could influence proper application of the intervention. The policies were designed to achieve four clinical outcomes: maximization of oxygen delivery, cost-effective minimization of transfusion risks, education of physicians and patients, and appropriate surgical management of a special surgery subset, Jehovah's Witness patients.
Variation for Water-Use Efficiency in Alfalfa Germplasm

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) shows promise for estimating water-use efficiency (WUE, grams dry weight/gram water transpired) in C 3 crop species. The objective of this study was to determine if variation for Δ is present in diverse alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) germplasm, and if Δ is correlated with direct measurements of WUE. Eighteen alfalfa accessions originating from 13 countries were established in 1990 in irrigated and dryland environments at Central Ferry, WA, in a fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Natrixeroll soil. Significant differences among accessions for leaf Δ were observed with no significant environment × accession interaction
Genetic differences in hepatic lipid peroxidation potential and iron levels in mice.

Oxidative damage to macromolecules, including lipids, has been hypothesized as a mechanism of aging. One end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), is often quantified as a measure of oxidative damage to lipids. We used a commercial colorimetric assay for MDA (Bioxytech LPO-586, Oxis International, Portland, OR) to measure lipid peroxidation potential in liver tissue from young (2 month) male mice from recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains from the C57BL/6J (B6) × DBA/2J (D2) series (BXD). The LPO-586 assay (LPO) reliably detected significant differences (P < 0.0001) in lipid peroxidation potential between the B6 and D2 parental strains, and yielded a more than two-fold variation across the BXD RI strains. In both B6 and D2 mice, LPO results were greater in old (23 month) mice, with a larger age-related increase in the D2 strain. As the level of iron can influence lipid peroxidation, we also measured hepatic non-heme iron levels in the same strains. Although iron level exhibited a slightly negative overall correlation (r2 = 0.119) with LPO results among the entire group of BXD RI strains, a sub-group with lower LPO values were highly correlated (r2 = 0.704). LPO results were also positively correlated with iron levels from a group of 8 other inbred mouse strains (r2 = 0.563). The BXD RI LPO data were statistically analyzed to nominate quantitaive trait loci (QTL). A single marker, Zfp4, which maps to 55.2 cM on chromosome 8, achieved a significance level of P < 0.0006. At least two potentially relevant candidate genes reside close to this chromosomal position. Hepatic lipid peroxidation potential appears to be a strain related trait in mice that is amenable to QTL analysis.
Age determination of the Antarctic fishes Champsocephalus gunnari and Notothenia rossii marmorata from South Georgia

Investigations were performed on otoliths from Champsocephalus gunnari and Notothenia rossii marmorata as part of an effort to study the population dynamics of Antarctic fishes. Examination of otoliths by scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed internal microincrements which were similar to daily increments described for other fish species. No easily identifiable annuli could be discerned and fishes were aged by counting microincrements. Multiple regression analyses relating age to otolith morphometrics and fish size, provided a simpler ageing method. It was determined with these techniques that C. gunnari grew to 50 cm in 15 yrs and N. rossii marmorata grew to 50 cm in 6.5 yrs. The lack of larger-sized individuals for N. rossii marmorata may be indicative of recent overfishing with only the younger age groups remaining. It appears that length-at-age data determined on a yearly basis, could provide valuable scientific and management information for these species.
Genome Sequences of Five Salmonella enterica Serovar Heidelberg Isolates Associated with a 2011 Multistate Outbreak in the United States

Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg has caused numerous outbreaks in humans. Here, we report draft genomes of five isolates of serovar Heidelberg associated with the recent (2011) multistate outbreak linked to ground turkey in the United States. Isolates 2011K-1110 and 2011K-1132 were recovered from humans, while isolates 2011K-1138, 2011K-1224, and 2011K-1225 were recovered from ground turkey. Whole-genome sequence analysis of these isolates provides a tool for studying the short-term evolution of these epidemic clones.
MULTIFUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KOREAN PRAGMATIC MARKER CEKI

Abstract. This paper examines the contemporary functions of the Korean pragmatic marker ceki by examining data gathered from naturally occurring phone conversations and three contemporary television dramas. The marker ceki is frequently used in contemporary Korean across boundaries of gender, education, age, region, etc. However, the standard treatment of the marker in dictionaries does not capture the multifunctional characteristics that ceki evinces in the creation and construction of coherent text and in the indexing of the speaker's interpersonal and affective stances during social interaction. Ceki signals topic change and marks discourse transition. By linking independent propositions, states, and events, ceki brings about sequential coordination and intra-textual coherence. This marker also functions for the structuring of text while allowing the speaker to hold the floor by affording the speaker time during the process of information retrieval. In addition, ceki functions as an attention-getter and is an ideal candidate for initiating discourse, especially with the unknown. In the speech contexts of making excuse, apology, disagreement, and request, the pragmatic marker ceki indexes the speaker's interpersonal and affective/empathetic stances vis-�-vis interlocutors in relation to the upcoming utterance.
An Institutional Theory Analysis of Charter Schools: Addressing Institutional Challenges to Scale.

This article presents a conceptual framework derived from institutional theory in sociology that offers two competing policy contexts in which charter schools operate—a bureaucratic frame versus a decentralized frame. An analysis of evolving charter school types based on three underlying theories of action is considered. As charter school leaders pursue new and different forms of schooling, they are challenged by well-established bureaucratic rules and norms that define what it means to be a legitimate school. Microlevel institution-building efforts, however, may represent viable alternatives to the institutional order of public education as charter school leaders attempt to achieve scale.
A Role for Poetry in Consumer Research

Consumer researchers are wrestling with the crisis of representation that has challenged contiguous disciplines over the past decade. Traditional or conventional prose articles seem increasingly insufficient as vessels for representing our understandings and experiences. In this article, we demonstrate how poetry contributes to the research enterprise. We use our own experiences as researcher-poets to illustrate how the writing and close reading of poetry can take us directly to the heart of consumption. Our essay is intended to provide a philosophical basis for the inclusion of poetry between the covers of this journal. One aim of the physical sciences has been to give an exact picture of the material world. One achievement of physics in the twentieth century has been to prove that that aim is unattainable. (Bronowski 1973)
Short-term potentiation of mEPSCs requires N-, P/Q- and L-type Ca2+ channels and mitochondria in the supraoptic nucleus.

The glutamatergic synapses of the supraoptic nucleus display a unique activity-dependent plasticity characterized by a barrage of tetrodotoxin-resistant miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) persisting for 5–20 min, causing postsynaptic excitation. We investigated how this short-term synaptic potentiation (STP) induced by a brief high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of afferents was initiated and maintained without lingering presynaptic firing, using in vitro patch-clamp recording on rat brain slices. We found that following the immediate rise in mEPSC frequency, STP decayed with two-exponential functions indicative of two discrete phases. STP depends entirely on extracellular Ca2+ which enters the presynaptic terminals through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels but also, to a much lesser degree, through a pathway independent of these channels or reverse mode of the plasma membrane Na+–Ca2+ exchanger. Initiation of STP is largely mediated by any of the N-, P/Q- or L-type channels, and only a simultaneous application of specific blockers for all these channels attenuates STP. Furthermore, the second phase of STP is curtailed by the inhibition of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake or mitochondrial Na+–Ca2+ exchanger. mEPSCs amplitude is also potentiated by HFS which requires extracellular Ca2+. In conclusion, induction of mEPSC-STP is redundantly mediated by presynaptic N-, P/Q- and L-type Ca2+ channels while the second phase depends on mitochondrial Ca2+ sequestration and release. Since glutamate influences unique firing patterns that optimize hormone release by supraoptic magnocellular neurons, a prolonged barrage of spontaneous excitatory transmission may aid in the induction of respective firing activities.
My Instructor Made Me Do It: Task Characteristics of Procrastination.

Procrastination can have a negative effect on learning. Many previous studies have examined personality factors that contribute to procrastination. This study examines selected assignment characteristics controllable by the instructor that might influence student procrastination. Results found less procrastination on assignments that were perceived as interesting, that required students to use a variety of skills, for which students perceived social norms and rewards for starting promptly, and for which the instructor provided clear instructions. Procrastination was not affected by fear, deadline pressure from other assignments, or the degree to which the task was perceived as difficult or time consuming.
Long-range order and magnetic properties of MnxPt1−x thin films

Abstract Thin films of MnxPt1−x (x = 0.18, 0.22, 0.25, 0.30, 0.34) were prepared by magnetron sputtering onto quartz substrates. After annealing in vacuum for 1 h at 850°C, X-ray diffraction indicates that the films have the Cu3Au cubic structure ( a = 3.87 A ) and are highly textured with the (111) axis along the film normal. These samples have a high degree of long-range order, as indicated by the ratio of the intensities of the superlattice (100) and fundamental (200) X-ray diffraction reflections. We report here the results of magnetic and magneto-optical measurements on these samples over a wide range of temperatures.
Trauma induced hypercoagulablity in pediatric patients

Abstract Purpose Coagulation changes in pediatric trauma patients are not well defined. To fill this gap, we tested the hypothesis that trauma evokes a hypercoagulable response. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted in hospitalized patients (age 8months to 14years) admitted for trauma or elective surgery. Informed consent was obtained from the parents and informed assent was obtained in patients 7years of age or older. Coagulation changes were evaluated on fresh whole blood using thromboelastography (TEG) and on stored plasma using assays for special clotting factors. Results Forty three patients (22 trauma, median injury severity score=9; and 21 uninjured controls) were evaluated. For trauma vs control, prothrombin time (PT) was higher by about 10% (p Conclusion A hypercoagulable state is associated with minor trauma in children. More work is needed to determine the functional significance of these changes and to establish normal pediatric reference ranges.
Participatory Learning With Granular Observations

We introduce and discuss the participatory learning paradigm. A formal system implementing this type of learning agent is described. We then extend this system so that it can learn from interval-type observations. We further extend this system to the case when the observation is a more general granular object such as a fuzzy set. In the initial stage, while we allowed our observations to be granular, we restricted the learning to be precise values. In the next part, we allow both the observations and learned object to be granular. An important issue that arises when learning granular values relates to the specificity of the learned value. Learned values that are too unspecific can be useless. We suggest methods for controlling the specificity of the values learned.
Diagnostic Imaging for Pharmacists

B.T. Smith and K.D. Weatherman, eds. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association, 2012, 273 pages, $74.95 This is a concise and comprehensive book for practicing pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students to better understand diagnostic imaging and the pharmaceuticals used as
Observational determinism for concurrent program security

Noninterference is a property of sequential programs that is useful for expressing security policies for data confidentiality and integrity. However, extending noninterference to concurrent programs has proved problematic. In this paper we present a relatively expressive secure concurrent calculi, provides first-class channels, high-order functions, and an unbounded number of threads. Well-typed programs obey a generalization of noninterference that ensures immunity to internal timing attacks and to attacks that exploit information about the thread scheduler. Elimination of these refinement attacks is possible because the enforced security property extends noninterference with observational determinism. Although the security property is strong, it also avoids some of the restrictiveness imposed on previous security-typed concurrent languages.
Effect of ingested fat on fatty acid composition of serum lipoproteins

The fatty acid composition of several serum lipoprotein fractions of a human subject was studied before and after the ingestion of a fat meal composed of corn oil. It was found that the fatty acids of the chylomicrons, low density lipoproteins (d 1.21 fraction tend to resemble the fatty acids of the recently ingested fat. It was established that this resemblance was not the result of exchange in vitro from chylomicrons to other fractions. Similar changes in composition of the other lipoprotein fractions were also observed, but these were small in magnitude and not outside the range of experimental error.
Discovering Price-Load Relationships in California's Electricity Market

This paper reports on characterizing recent price behavior in the Califomia electricity market. Market participants-that is, producers, consumers, and traders-are highly motivated by the potential for profits to develop strategies to explore-and exploit-the limits of system operation. These strategies should be reflected in the market as different price to load relationships. We show that a number of regimes, i.e., characteristic behaviors, exist in the price time series and provide a brief analysis of each regime. Knowledge of the number of regimes, their characteristics, and switching dynamics allows insight into the market and power system performance.
Biologically Inspired Design of Small Flapping Wing Air Vehicles Using Four Bar Mechanisms and Quasi-Steady Aerodynamics

In this paper, the energetics of a flapping wing micro air vehicle is analyzed with the objective of design of flapping wing air vehicles. The salient features of this study are: (i) design of an energy storage mechanism in the air vehicle similar to an insect thorax which stores part of the kinetic energy of the wing as elastic potential energy in the thorax during a flapping cycle; (ii) inclusion of aerodynamic wing models using blade element theory and inertia of the mechanism using rigid body modeling techniques; (iii) optimization of parameters of the energy storage mechanism using the dynamic models so that the peak power input from the external actuators during a flapping cycle is minimized. A series of engineering prototypes based on these studies have been fabricated which justify the use of these mathematical techniques.
Success of Supplier Alliances for Capital Projects

Energy sector capital projects typically cost hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Managing the engineered equipment is important not only because of their high dollar value but also because the long manufacturing lead times often drive the overall project schedules. In recent years, several supplier alliances have been successfully implemented on such projects leading to initial price savings in the range from 6 to 10%. This paper presents the result of a study to assess the opportunities and barriers with such partnerships. Interviewed company executives perceived that time savings and quality improvements, mostly due to the suppliers’ specialized expertise, are of much greater value than a lower bid price. Most surprisingly, very few companies use metrics to measure performance, thus leaving them in the dark on the question of how well an alliance worked or why it failed. The relevance of the presented work is in the amount of actual field data that has been generated and processed.
A modular approach to addressing model design, scale, and parameter estimation issues in distributed hydrological modelling

A modular approach to model design and construction provides a flexible framework in which to focus the multidisciplinary research and operational efforts needed to facilitate the development, selection, and application of the most robust distributed modelling methods. A variety of modular approaches have been developed, but with little consideration for compatibility among systems and concepts. Several systems are proprietary, limiting any user interaction. The US Geological Survey modular modelling system (MMS) is a modular modelling framework that uses an open source software approach to enable all members of the scientific community to address collaboratively the many complex issues associated with the design, development, and application of distributed hydrological and environmental models. Implementation of a common modular concept is not a trivial task. However, it brings the resources of a larger community to bear on the problems of distributed modelling, provides a framework in which to compare alternative modelling approaches objectively, and provides a means of sharing the latest modelling advances. The concepts and components of the MMS are described and an example application of the MMS, in a decision-support system context, is presented to demonstrate current system capabilities.
Simultaneous Determination of Joint Product Cost Allocations and Cost-Plus Prices*

Use of the net realizable value approach for joint manufacturing cost allocations requires knowledge of selling prices of joint products. However, joint product selling prices themselves are functions of the allocated costs under a cost-plus pricing policy. In this case, it is necessary to determine joint cost allocations and joint product prices simultaneously. This paper applies a nonlinear programming (NLP) approach to simultaneously determine the optimal joint production decision, joint product cost-plus prices, and joint cost allocations using the net realizable value method. The NLP solution provides not only the optimal joint production and pricing decisions, but also the necessary conditions for such optimal decisions.
Understanding heterogeneous effects of trauma exposure: relevance to postmortem studies of PTSD.

Osuch and colleagues posit that the creation of a brain tissue bank for the investigation of the effects of “extreme environmental stressors” will fill a gap in current knowledge of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by facilitating new discoveries that will enable scientists to correlate structural and functional imaging findings with tissue abnormalities (Osuch et al., 2004). The authors suggest that since knowledge of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia have been advanced by the results from postmortem studies, so too, our understanding of the effects of extreme stress and disorders resulting from stress can be enhanced by applying molecular technologies to the collect ion of well–characterized postmortem tissue. Implicit in the authors’ perspective is that postmortem tissue of persons exposed to extreme stress will be informative about the pathophysiology of stress disorders such as PTSD, and, conversely, that brains of subjects with PTSD will provide information about the effects of extreme environmental stress. This assumption is reasonable only to the extent that PTSD represents a prototypic response to extreme environmental events. However, because PTSD only occurs in a subset of persons exposed to trauma, it does not appear prudent to make assumptions about PTSD based on knowledge about stress exposure, or use the presence of PTSD as a proxy for the effects of environmental stress. Rather, the challenge in brain banking for the purpose of understanding both the effects of trauma and how such events may culminate in the production of psychopathology (e.g., PTSD) involves understanding the areas in which exposure to trauma in the absence of PTSD results in distinct outcomes from those associated with the development of PTSD. For postmortem studies in any disorder to be meaningful, there must be a precise characterization of the clinical syndrome. However, to date, several important issues rePsychiatry 67(4) Winter 2004 391
Haptic sculpting of volumetric implicit functions

Implicit functions characterized by the zero-set of polynomial-based algebraic equations and other commonly-used analytic equations are extremely powerful in graphics, geometric design, and visualization. But the potential of implicit functions is yet to be fully realized due to the lack of flexible and interactive design techniques. The paper presents a haptic sculpting system founded upon scalar trivariate B-spline functions. All the solids sculpted in our environment are semi-algebraic sets of volumetric implicit functions. We develop a large variety of sculpting toolkits equipped with an intuitive haptic interface to facilitate the direct manipulation of implicit functions in real-time. To facilitate multiresolution editing and different levels of details, we employ three techniques: hierarchical B-splines, CSG-based functional composition, and knot insertion. Our experiments demonstrate that our algorithms and haptics-based techniques can greatly overcome the modeling difficulties associated with implicit functions. The novel modeling techniques and their haptics-based design principle are extensible to the design of arbitrary implicit functions.
Large Hepatitis Delta Antigen Is Not a Suppressor of Hepatitis Delta Virus RNA Synthesis once RNA Replication Is Established

Moderation of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) replication is a likely prerequisite in the establishment of chronic infections and is thought to be mediated by the intracellular accumulation of large hepatitis delta antigen (L-HDAg). The regulatory role of this protein was suggested from several studies showing that cotransfection of plasmid cDNAs expressing both L-HDAg and HDV RNA results in a potent inhibition of HDV RNA replication. However, since this approach differs significantly from natural HDV infections, where HDV RNA replication is initiated from an RNA template, and L-HDAg appears only late in the replication cycle, it remains unclear whether L-HDAg can modulate HDV RNA replication in the natural HDV replication cycle. In this study, we investigated the effect of L-HDAg, produced as a result of the natural HDV RNA editing event, on HDV RNA replication. The results showed that following cDNA-free HDV RNA transfection, a steady-state level of RNA was established at 3 to 4 days posttransfection. The same level of HDV RNA was reached when a mutant HDV genome unable to make L-HDAg was used, suggesting that L-HDAg did not play a role. The rates of HDV RNA synthesis, as measured by metabolic labeling experiments, were identical at 4 and 8 days posttransfection and in the wild type and the L-HDAg-deficient mutant. We further examined the effect of overexpression of L-HDAg at various stages of the HDV replication cycle, showing that HDV RNA synthesis was resistant to L-HDAg when it was overexpressed 3 days after HDV RNA replication had initiated. Finally, we showed that, contrary to conventional thinking, L-HDAg alone, at a certain molar ratio with HDV RNA, can initiate HDV RNA replication. Thus, L-HDAg does not inherently inhibit HDV RNA synthesis. Taken together, these results indicated that L-HDAg affects neither the rate of HDV RNA synthesis nor the final steady-state level of HDV RNA and that L-HDAg is unlikely to act as an inhibitor of HDV RNA replication in the natural HDV replication cycle.
PHENOL OXIDASE ACTIVITY IN PEATLANDS IN NEW YORK STATE: RESPONSE TO SUMMER DROUGHT AND PEAT TYPE

Abstract We studied phenol oxidase (PO) activity in two Sphagnum-dominated peatlands and a Carex-dominated freshwater marsh during a strong summer drought in Central New York, USA to determine whether PO activity might respond to expected climatic changes. Peat was sampled at different depths and within distinct vegetation types within the marsh. Carex-derived peat supported substantially higher PO activity (average = 0.030, range = 0.011–0.051 μMOL diqc min−1 mg dry peat−1, at soil pH 5.5) than Sphagnum peat (average = 0.006, range = 0.001–0.015 μMOL diqc min −1 mg dry peat−1, at soil pH 3.8). In both peat types, PO activity showed a strong exponential increase with increased solution pH. Phenol oxidase activity in Sphagnum peat did not vary significantly during the drought, suggesting that PO activity may be constrained by low pH and enzyme inhibitors. Conversely, PO activity in the marsh peat varied with peat type and sample date but not as a consistent function of water-table depth. As a result, PO ac...
Effectiveness of Xenon as a Fire Suppressant Under Microgravity Combustion Environment

ABSTRACTThe ‘FLame EXtinguishment’ (FLEX) program conducted by NASA on board the International Space Station (ISS) has been assisting in developing fire-safety protocols for low gravity applications through microgravity droplet combustion experiments. A wide range of fuels, including alcohols and alkanes, have been studied in different ambient conditions that also encompass the use of various diluent species and concentrations. A prime focus of the work has been to observe the relative effectiveness of atmospheric composition and pressure changes on fire suppression under ‘reduced’ gravity conditions. Here, detailed numerical simulations are performed to investigate the combustion and extinction characteristics of isolated sphero-symmetric 1.0–2.0-mm diameter methanol droplets burning in xenon (Xe)-enriched environments. Comparisons of diluent behaviors under identical conditions using argon (Ar), carbon dioxide (CO2), and helium (He) as the alternative diluent to nitrogen are also reported. The predictio...
Extreme weather, made by us?

Anthropogenic climate change is expected to increase the frequency of heat waves and other extreme weather events ( 1 ). When such an event occurs, it is natural to ask whether it can be attributed to human activities. Conventional wisdom has long held that although it is possible to attribute an increase in the frequency of extreme events to human activities, the same is not true of individual events. Recent studies that appear to identify the role of anthropogenic climate change in, among other events, the 2010 Russian heat wave ( 2 ), the 2013 Australian heat wave ( 3 ), and the ongoing drought in California (see the photo) ( 4 ) suggest that this conventional wisdom has been overturned. But has it?
Margin-based active subspace clustering

Subspace clustering has typically been approached as an unsupervised machine learning problem. However in several applications where the union of subspaces model is useful, it is also reasonable to assume you have access to a small number of labels. In this paper we investigate the benefit labeled data brings to the subspace clustering problem. We focus on incorporating labels into the k-subspaces algorithm, a simple and computationally efficient alternating estimation algorithm. We find that even a very small number of randomly selected labels can greatly improve accuracy over the unsupervised approach. We demonstrate that with enough labels, we get a significant improvement by using actively selected labels chosen for points that are nearly equidistant to more than one estimated subspace. We show this improvement on simulated data and face images.
Temporary Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds

On September 16, 2008 following heavy losses on its holdings of Lehman Brothers commercial paper in the wake of the Lehman bankruptcy filing, The Reserve Primary Fund "broke the buck" when its net asset value fell below the $1.00 per share target traditionally maintained by money market mutual funds (MMMFs). The resulting losses to investors in the Primary Fund sparked a panic among prime (nongovernment) MMMF investors more generally as they became aware that it was possible to lose money in accounts that were typically viewed as safe. Within a week, roughly $300 billion had been withdrawn from prime MMMFs. To arrest this run on MMMFs, the United States Treasury announced the creation of the Temporary Guarantee Program for Money Market Funds (the Guarantee Program) on September 19th. Under the Guarantee Program, participating MMMFs paid a fee in return for which Treasury agreed to protect investors from any losses on existing holdings resulting from a breaking of the buck. With the fear of losses thus removed, the run on prime MMMFs came to a halt as mass redemptions from prime MMMFs ended almost completely by the end of October. Treasury suffered no losses under the Guarantee Program and earned approximately $1.2 billion in participation fees.