cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review and comment

The Formation of Islamic Art. By Oleg Grabar. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1973. 233 pages; 131 illustrations.
Dysphonia in the aging: physiology versus disease.

A chart review from 151 dysphonic patients over the age of 60 was done to define aging related voice disorders. Overwhelmingly, patients suffered from dysphonia due to disease processes associated with aging rather than to physiologic aging alone. These include: 1. central neurological disorders affecting laryngeal function (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, Alzheimer's disease); 2. benign vocal fold lesions (e.g., Reinke's edema, benign and dysplastic epithelial lesions); 3. inflammatory disorders (e.g., laryngitis sicca, medication effect); 4. laryngeal neoplasia; and 5. laryngeal paralysis. Typical laryngeal findings of vocal fold bowing and breathiness consistent with presbylarynges were present in only six patients. Presbylarynges is not a common disorder and should be a diagnosis of exclusion made only after careful medical and speech evaluation.
4-Amino-2-Aryl-3-Cyano-1,2-Dihydropyrimido-[1,2-a]Benzimidazoles AND their Pyrimidine Analogs as New Anticancer Agents

A multicomponent condensation between 2-aminobenzimidazole, malononitrile, and an aryl or heteroaryl aldehyde was used for the synthesis of 4-amino-2-aryl-3-cyano-1,2-dihydropyrimido-[1,2-a]benzimidazoles. In addition, a new method of synthesis of the corresponding pyrimido-[2,1-a]benzimidazole derivatives was developed. These syntheses were used to prepare a library of 4-amino-2-aryl-3-cyano-1,2-dihydropyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazoles and their corresponding pyrimido-[2,1-a]benzimidazole derivatives. This library of compounds was then tested against pancreatic and breast cancer cell lines. A number of compounds were found to possess notable anticancer activity.
Comparison of EBV-infectivity measured by EBNA-induction and immortalization of human B-cells

Abstract Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infectivity was measured by two different systems. One was EBV-specific antigen (EBNA) induction in EBV-negative BJAB cells, the other was immortalization of human peripheral blood B-lymphocytes upon EBV infection. Because the sensitivity of the EBNA-induction assay, which takes 2–3 days, was similar with that of B-cell immortalization, which takes 6–8 weeks, the former can be used for the rapid and convenient determination of EBV-infectivity.
Subvocal rehearsal as a form of speech

eleven adults were given a serial recall task using visually presented disyllabic words characterized by the presence or absence of letters representing labial phonemes. Analysis of electromyographic activity at a chin-lip site demonstrated significantly greater mean peak amplitudes for labial than for nonlabial words during presentation and rehearsal periods, supporting the hypothesis that subvocalization during learning is actually a form of speech.
Finite-size scaling for Mott metal-insulator transition on a half filled nonpartite lattice

We combine the finite-size scaling method with a multistage real-space renormalization-group procedure to examine the Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) on a nonpartite lattice. Based on the Hubbard model, we have found that there exists a critical point $U/t=12.5$ for the MIT with the correlation length exponent $\ensuremath{\nu}=1.$ At the critical point, the charge gap scales with the system size as ${▵}_{g}\ensuremath{\sim}{1/L}^{0.91}.$
Optimal Price Rules, Administered Prices and Suboptimal Prevention: Evidence from a Medicare Program

Pricing methodologies in Medicare vary from one component of the system to another, often leading to conflicting incentives. Failure to recognize linkages may result in inefficient allocation of resources and higher overall costs. To motivate the analysis, I derive pricing rules for a welfare-maximizing regulator. I show that while optimal inpatient payments are standard Ramsey prices, optimal outpatient payments must incorporate net loss due to unnecessary hospitalizations, as well as supply elasticities. Ignoring this leads the myopic regulator to underprovide preventive services. The dialysis program is a useful case for empirical investigation, since payments for maintenance care are more rigidly determined than payments for related hospital care. Given constant prices, empirical analysis focuses on the effect of dialysis intensity on hospital use. Results indicate that greater dialysis intensity reduces hospital use, even at levels considered more than “adequate”. A simple cost-benefit calculation suggests that for every dollar of additional spending on outpatient intensity, about $2 in hospital expenditures can be saved. This suggests that the current pricing structure within aspects of the Medicare program is inefficient, underscoring the problem of regulatory myopia.
Preparation and Electronic Properties of Several Members of the System Fe(x/3)Nb(2x/3)Ti(1-x)O2.

Members of the series Fex3Nb2x3Ti1−xO2 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) were synthesized and their electrical and magnetic properties studied. Powder diffraction patterns of the products could be indexed on the basis of a tetragonal rutile unit cell (space group P42mnm-D124h). Measurements of sintered discs at 300K gave resistivity values of the order of 106 Ω-cm. Magnetic susceptibility studies lead to an assignment of Fe3+x3Nb5+2x3Ti3+x3Ti4+1−4x3O2 for the formal valencies of the ions. It appears that the observed high resistivity is the result of disordering of the ions in the rutile structure.
Crystalline and Liquid Crystalline Polyesters of Phenyl-Substituted 4,4‘-Biphenols. 5. Copolymers with 4,4‘-Oxybis(benzoic acid)

Wholly aromatic, thermotropic copolyesters, derived from either 3-phenyl-4,4‘-biphenol (MPBP) or 3,3‘-diphenyl-4,4‘-biphenol (DPBP) with either terephthalic acid (TA) or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic...
Value in Stress: A Coherent Approach to Stress-Testing

Stress-testing as a risk management tool lacks scientific foundation, and, as the current practice goes, is completely subjective. Nevertheless, it is a mandatory practice to monitor capital adequacy of the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A rational approach to stress-testing argues for a conceptual shift in the current practice. Consideration of fixed stressful scenarios, as the regulation contemplates, is not an optimal practice. The measure of risk proposed here, value in stress (ViS), satisfies a set of rational axioms and allows assignment of a probability to the value under stress. This approach provides direct answers to the current limitations of stress-testing, as expressed by the Committee on the Global Financial System at the Bank for International Settlements, which recommends stress-testing for banking institutions.
Time-limited fluoroscopy to reduce radiation exposure during ERCP: a prospective randomized trial

Background Measures should be used to limit radiation exposure of the staff and patients during ERCP. Objective To determine whether "time-limited fluoroscopy" reduces radiation exposure and fluoroscopy time (FT) compared with continuous fluoroscopy. Design Prospective randomized trial. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Patients Consecutive adult patients presenting for ERCP. Interventions Subjects were randomized into 2 fluoroscopy setting groups: (1) time-limited, where x-ray exposure is limited to 3 seconds each time the foot-operated switch is depressed; (2) continuous, where x-ray exposure continues for as long as the switch is depressed. Main Outcomes Measurements FT, patient, and procedure-related data were recorded. Radiation dosimetry badges were used to estimate cumulative exposure. Results Ninety-nine procedures were performed in the time-limited group and 100 by using continuous fluoroscopy. The mean FT for time-limited fluoroscopy was 284.4 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI] 247.1-321.6) and for continuous fluoroscopy was 314 seconds (95% CI 265.6-362.4; P = .34). Longer FT was associated with moderate or difficult cannulation ( P = .008), lithotripsy ( P P = .007), sphincterotomy ( P P P = .029). The average radiation dose was not amenable to multivariate analysis, and, therefore, no significant difference between groups was found. Limitations Endoscopists were not blinded to the study group assignments. Conclusions FT and radiation exposure are dependent upon numerous patient-, operator-, and procedure-related factors. This study found that, after controlling for the impact of confounding factors, time-limited fluoroscopy significantly decreases FTs.
Functional Response of Bladder Strips From Streplozotocon Diabetic Rats Depends on Bladder Mass

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated the relationship of bladder mass to responses to electrical field stimulation and adrenergic agonists in diabetic rat bladders.Materials and Methods: Longitudinal strips were removed from the ventral and dorsal detrusor of age matched control, 2-month diabetic and sucrose drinking rats. Contractile responses to electrical field stimulation, KCl and phenylephrine, and relaxation in response to norepinephrine and isoproterenol were measured.Results: Bladders from sucrose drinking and diabetic rats weighed significantly more than those of controls. Diabetic rats were divided into 2 groups with the bladder weighing less than or greater than 265 mg. Strips from small diabetic bladders were generally more responsive to field stimulation and norepinephrine than those from control or sucrose drinking rats. Conversely decreased function was especially apparent in dorsal strips from large diabetic bladders. Ventral strips were significantly more sensitive to the relaxant actions of ...
Just-in-time teaching for CS0

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is a teaching and learning strategy based on the interaction between web-based study assignments and an active learner classroom. The essence of JiTT is the feedback loop formed by the students' preparation outside the classroom that shapes their in-class experience. The goal of JiTT is to use feedback to guide teaching and to empower and motivate learners. This paper describes a successful implementation of the JiTT strategy for an introductory computer science course.
Myoclonus and its disorders

This article defines myoclonus, descirbes the numerous causes of myoclonus, and summarizes various classification schemes. The electrodiagnostic characteristics and pathophysiology of this movement disorder are described. Treatment of the various forms of myoclonus is also discussed.
A coalgebraic approach to quasigroup permutation representations

The paper identifies the class of all permutation representations of a given finite quasigroup as a covariety of coalgebras. Each permutation representation decomposes as a sum of homomorphic images of homogeneous spaces. For a group, permutation representations in the present sense specialise to the classical concept. Burnside's Lemma, with a new proof, is extended from groups to quasigroups.
Autonomous Chemomechanical Oscillations in a Hydrogel/Enzyme System Driven by Glucose

An autonomous chemomechanical oscillator, driven by membrane-controlled enzymatic conversion of a physiological substance, glucose, to hydrogen ion, has been constructed. The oscillator consists of a pH-sensitive, hydrophobic polyelectrolyte hydrogel membrane based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid), and the enzyme glucose oxidase. The system is configured as a transport cell, with the membrane separating two compartments. A solution containing glucose at constant concentration flows through one compartment (Cell I). Glucose permeates the membrane into the other compartment (Cell II), containing glucose oxidase, which converts glucose to hydrogen ion. Hydrogen ions in turn regulate membrane charge, swelling, and glucose permeability, establishing a negative feedback loop. The membrane's response to hydrogen ion exhibits hysteresis, and under proper conditions a feedback instability is created, leading to oscillations in membrane swelling and permeability, and in pH measured in Cell II. The...
Biomimetic surfactant polymers designed for shear‐stable endothelialization on biomaterials

We have developed a series of extracellular matrix (ECM)-like biomimetic surfactant polymers to improve endothelial cell adhesion and growth on vascular biomaterials. These polymers provide a single-step procedure for modifying the surface of existing biomaterials and consist of a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) backbone with varying ratios of cell-binding peptide (RGD) to carbohydrate (maltose), ranging from 100% RGD:0% maltose to 50% RGD:50% maltose. Three biomimetic surfaces, as well as a fibronectin (FN)-coated glass surface were seeded at confluence with human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) and exposed to shear stresses ranging from 0-40.6 dyn/cm 2 for periods of 2 h and 6 h. Surfaces were examined for HPAEC coverage and cytoskeletal arrangement as a function of time and shear stress. In general, after 6 h of shear exposure, EC retention on 100% RGD > FN > 75% RGD > 50% RGD. The 100% RGD surface maintained more than 50% of its initial EC monolayer at low to moderate shear stresses whereas all other surfaces dropped to 40% or less in the same shear stress range. The most stable surface, 100% RGD, showed a significant increase in cytoskeletal organization at all shear stresses greater than 2.5 dyn/cm 2 . In contrast, there was no real change in cytoskeletal organization on the FN surface, and there was a decrease on the 75% RGD surface over time. These results indicate that increasing surface peptide density can control EC shear stability. Furthermore, improved shear stability increases with increasing peptide density and is related to the EC's ability to reorganize its cytoskeleton.
Air-pulse OCE for assessment of age-related changes in mouse cornea in vivo

We demonstrate the use of phase-stabilized swept source optical coherence elastography (PhS-SSOCE) to assess the relaxation rate of deformation created by a focused air-pulse in tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms of various concentrations and mouse corneas of different ages in vivo. The results show that the relaxation rate can be quantified and is different for gels with varying concentrations of gelatin and mouse corneas of different ages. The results indicate that gel phantoms with higher concentrations of gelatin as well as older mouse corneas have faster relaxation rates indicating stiffer material. This non-contact and non-invasive measurement technique utilizes low surface displacement amplitude (in µm scale) for tissue excitation and, therefore, can be potentially used to study the biomechanical properties of ocular and other sensitive tissues.
Gainful Activity and Intimate Partner Aggression in Emerging Adulthood.

Although intimate partner aggression crosses social class boundaries, education and employment are important predictors. Yet given that emerging adulthood is a transitional period, completed education and employment, as single measures, are not ideal indicators of socioeconomic status for young people. We examined associations between self-reports of gainful activity, defined as enrollment in school or full-time employment, and intimate partner aggression among young adults in dating, cohabiting, or married relationships (N = 648). Both men and women’s participation in gainful activity was negatively associated with aggression. We found that when neither partner was gainfully active, individuals reported higher frequency of physical aggression. In cases of gainful activity asymmetry, the gender of the gainfully active partner did not predict intimate partner aggression. Additionally, we found no evidence that the association between gainful activity and frequency of intimate partner aggression differed by...
An adenovirus E1a protein region required for transformation and transcriptional repression

The adenovirus E1a region encodes two closely related gene products: 243 and 289 amino acid phosphoproteins. These proteins differ in their primary sequence only by 46 amino acids unique to the 289 amino acid protein. By constructing single-base substitution mutants we localized two functional regions of these E1a proteins: one required for efficient transcriptional activation, another required for efficient transcriptional repression. The 289 amino acid protein contains both regions and appears to function primarily as a transcriptional activator. The 243 amino acid protein lacks the transcriptional activation domain and appears to function primarily as a transcriptional repressor. Mutations within a highly conserved region define a novel class of transformation-defective mutants. These mutant E1a proteins can still efficiently activate transcription of early viral and cellular genes but cannot repress transcription of target genes. The fact that viral transformation may require a transcriptional repression function provides new insights into the mechanism by which adenovirus transforms cells.
Oxidation of the Zwitterion (CO)5WNPhNPhC(OMe)Ph with I2. Formation of Tungsten(IV) Imido Complexes and a Tungsten(VI) Metallacycle

Reaction of the zwitterion (CO)5WNPhNPhC(OMe)Ph (1) with 1 equiv of I2 produces the iodo-bridged imido dimer [(CO)2W(NPh)I2]2 (2) and the imidate PhNC(OMe)Ph. Oxidation of 1 with 2 equiv of I2, however, leads to the formation of the unusual 16-electron tungsten(VI) metallacycle I3(PhN)WNPhCPhO (8). The structure of 8 was determined by X-ray crystallography. Mechanistic studies on the formation of both 2 and 8 are consistent with initial iodination of the metal center of 1, followed by NN bond cleavage to form (CO)3W(NPh)I2 as a common intermediate. Loss of a labile CO ligand and dimerization produces 2, while further oxidation with a second equivalent of I2 and reaction with the side product PhNC(OMe)Ph leads to 8 and MeI. Treatment of dimer 2 with two-electron-donor ligands results in the formation of compounds of the type (CO)2I2W(NPh)L, where L = THF, CH3CN, pyridine, NEt3, or 2,4,6-Me3C6H2NH2.
The lead nucleus as a miniature surrogate for a neutron star

The nucleus of 208Pb, a system 18 orders of magnitude smaller and 55 orders of magnitude lighter than a neutron star, may be used as a miniature surrogate to establish important correlations between its neutron skin and several neutron-star properties. Indeed, models with a thicker neutron skin in 208Pb generate larger neutron stars that have a lower liquid-to-solid transition density. Further, we illustrate how the correlation between the neutron skin in 208Pb and the radius of a 1.4 solar-mass neutron star may be used to place important constraints on the equation of state of neutron-rich matter and how it may help elucidate the existence of a phase transition at the core of the star.
Transverse grating-assisted narrow-bandwidth acousto-optic tunable filter.

An experimental acousto-optic tunable filter that has a narrow spectral bandwidth (0.2 nm at 1550 nm) and a fast 10?µs tuning capability with a continuous tuning range of approximately 50 nm is described. The tunable filter consists of an acousto-optic beam deflector with a diffraction grating whose grating vector is transverse to the direction of light propagation.
Factors associated with symptomatic improvement and recovery from major depression in primary care patients.

This article describes a post-hoc analysis of clinical and psychosocial factors and beliefs about health associated with treatment outcome in a sample of depressed primary care patients (N=181) randomly assigned to a standardized treatment or physician's usual care (UC). Different factors were found to predict clinical outcomes for treatment modality [UC vs. interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) or nortriptyline (NT)] and the type of outcome evaluated (i.e., depressive symptoms at 8 months or symptomatic and functional recovery at 8 months). Factors associated with treatment-specific outcomes are also described. Consistent with prior studies, lower depressive symptom severity at 8 months was associated with higher baseline functioning, minimal medical co-morbidity, race, and standardized pharmacologic or psychotherapeutic treatment. Additionally, an interaction between treatment modality and health locus of control indicated that individuals perceiving more self-control of their health and who received a standardized treatment experienced greater depressive symptom reduction at 8 months. Factors associated with symptomatic and functional recovery from the depressive episode were also examined. Patients who received a standardized treatment (IPT or NT) perceived greater control of their health and lacked a lifetime generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder were more likely to recover by month 8 than those who received usual care. While clinical severity and treatment adequacy play an important role in both symptomatic improvement and full recovery from a depressive episode, other key factors such as health beliefs and non-depressive psychopathology also influence recovery.
Attack vs. failure detection in event-driven wireless visual sensor networks

In event-driven wireless Visual Sensor Networks (wVSNs), video nodes have access to additional data from scalar-sensors such as temperature or motion. The scalar-data may be used locally by the nodes instead of (or in conjunction with) vision technologies to control the potentially energy-costly transmission and storage of video frames and must thus be reliable. In this work we focus on the detection of occasional errors in such scalar-data sensors under both the scenario of harsh environmental conditions, and the scenario of hostile conditions involving an attacker. In the hostile case, the attack statistics may not be known to the cluster-head performing the error detection. We hence propose the use of a count detector in conjunction with Nash equilibrium analysis for the hostile case. We compare the detection performance of the count detector in hostile conditions to the performance of the optimal Neyman-Pearson (NP) detector which may be used under harsh conditions (scenario where the error statistics may be estimated). Through analysis and simulations we conclude that in this severe regime of attack with missing statistics, the count detector performs reasonably well compared with the optimal NP detector with significance for reliable event-driven wVSN.
In Memoriam: Martha Dukes Yow, MD

Martha Dukes Yow, MD, editor of the Journal of Infectious Diseases from 1983 to 1988, died 29 May 2005, in Houston, after a long illness. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Robert Roessler; her children, Ellard, John, and Katherine; and her grandchildren, Katy, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Megan. Dr. Yow left an indelible mark on the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) as one of its early fellows, as one of a handful of women in a maledominated academic medical world, and as a pioneer in the specialty of pediatric infectious diseases. Dr. Yow was the consummate clinical
Reduction in Summer Soil Wetness Induced by an Increase in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

The geographical distribution of the change in soil wetness in response to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide was investigated by using a mathematical model of climate. Responding to the increase in carbon dioxide, soil moisture in the model would be reduced in summer over extensive regions of the middle and high latitudes, such as the North American Great Plains, western Europe, northern Canada, and Siberia. These results were obtained from the model with predicted cloud cover and are qualitatively similar to the results from several numerical experiments conducted earlier with prescribed cloud cover.
To judge a book by its weight you need to know its content: Knowledge moderates the use of embodied cues

Abstract Participants evaluated a book as more important when it weighed heavily in their hands (due to a concealed weight), but only when they had substantive knowledge about the book. Those who had read a synopsis (Study 1), had read the book (Study 2) and knew details about its plot (Study 3) were influenced by its weight, whereas those unfamiliar with the book were not. This contradicts the widely shared assumption that metaphorically related perceptual inputs serve as heuristic cues that people primarily use in the absence of more diagnostic information. Instead, perceptual inputs may increase the accessibility of metaphorically congruent knowledge or may suggest an initial hypothesis that is only endorsed when supporting information is accessible.
Long-Term Dietary Vitamin E Retards Development of Retrovirus-Induced Disregulation in Cytokine Production

A 15-fold increase in dietary vitamin E (160 IU/liter) normalized hepatic and serum levels of vitamin E normally reduced by retrovirus infection. It also significantly retarded development of splenomegaly and hypergammaglobulinemia induced by retrovirus infection, while significantly restoring release of interleukin-2 (IL) and interferon-gamma by splenocytes which are suppressed by retrovirus infection. Retrovirus infection elevated production of IL-4 and IL-6 by splenocytes, but this elevation was inhibited by vitamin E. Increased levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha produced by splenocytes during progression to murine AIDS were also inhibited by vitamin E. Vitamin E supplementation also helped restore retrovirus-suppressed splenocyte proliferation. These data indicate that vitamin E supplementation can help overcome retrovirus-induced reduction in tissue vitamin E, modulate cytokine release, and normalize immune dysfunctions during progression to murine AIDS.
Low frequency flows through an array of airfoils

Abstract The linearized flow through a finite array of airfoils undergoing arbitrary motion is investigated analytically. The key assumptions are that motion is at low frequencies and that the interference between the airfoils is weak; both of these assumptions are defined precisely in the main body of the paper. An important ingredient of the analysis is the enforcement of the Kutta condition and the treatment of the unsteady wakes. It is shown that the effective induced velocity at each airfoil also depends on the shed vorticity and not only on the interference created by the neighboring airfoils. Two examples are treated at the end of the paper in order to illustrate the power of the present approach.
Making better babies: public health and race betterment in Indiana, 1920-1935.

In 1920, Indiana's Division of Infant and Child Hygiene inaugurated its first Better Babies Contest at the state fair. For the next 12 years, these contests were the centerpiece of a dynamic infant and maternal welfare program that took shape in Indiana during the decade of the federal Sheppard–Towner act. More than just a lively spectacle for fairgoers, these contests brought public health, “race betterment,” and animal breeding together in a unique manner.This article describes one of the most popular expressions of public health and race betterment in rural America. It also raises questions about the intersections between hereditarian and medical conceptions of human improvement during the early 20th century, especially with respect to child breeding and rearing.
Colloidal dispersions : Structure, stability and geometric confinement

Abstract The structure, stability, wetting, spreading, and adhesion behavior of suspensions of nanometer-sized particles depend highly on the many-body interaction forces between the particles and between the particles and the confining geometry. Such is especially the case in concentrated colloidal dispersions when particles are more likely to come in close contact with one another and are confined, where their structural properties are strongly modified in comparison to their bulk properties. The last decade has seen an intensified interest in understanding the role of many-body interactions, which result in attractive depletion and structural forces in fluid–particle systems. This perspective highlights the role of such forces in current and emerging technologies.
Some effects of oscillation waveform and amplitude on unsteady turbulent shear flows

Some physical features of several unsteady separating turbulent boundary layers are presented for practical Reynolds numbers and reduced frequencies such as for helicopter and turbomachinery flows. The effects of unsteadiness amplitude and waveform are examined for flows along the floor of a converging and diverging wind tunnel test section. At the end of the converging portion, the mean skin friction coefficient normalized on the mean dynamic pressure is independent of the waveform and amplitude within low experimental uncertainties. In the detaching and detached portions of the flow, wall values of the fraction of time that the flow moves downstream of gamma sub pu, which is a separated flow state variable, shows that oscillation waveform and amplitude strongly influence the detached flow behavior. Distributions of gamma sub pu during a cycle indicate hysteresis within the detached flow and the effects of the higher harmonics of pressure gradient and velocity.
Jane Jacobs and the Cosmopolitan Metropolis: 2012 UHA Presidential Address

Since the death of Jane Jacobs in 2006 there has been a long list of tributes and retrospective evaluations of her work. This essay joins in the retrospection and questions the influence of Jacobs ...
Admittance matrix design for force-guided assembly

The authors address the design of manipulator admittance for reliable force-guided assembly. Their goal is to design the admittance of the manipulator so that, at all possible bounded part misalignments, the contact forces always lead to error-reducing motions. If this objective can be accomplished for a given pair of mating parts, the parts are called force-assemblable. As a testbed application of manipulator admittance design for force-guided assembly, the authors investigate the insertion of a workpiece into a fixture consisting of multiple rigid fixture to be one for which there exists an admittance matrix that ensures the unique positioning of a workpiece despite initial positional error. It is shown that, in the absence of friction, all deterministic fixtures are linearly force-assemblable. How to design an admittance matrix that guarantees that the workpiece will be guided into the deterministic fixture by the fixel contact forces alone is shown. >
Mode of action of pyrazinamide: disruption of Mycobacterium tuberculosis membrane transport and energetics by pyrazinoic acid

Pyrazinamide is an important sterilizing drug that shortens tuberculosis (TB) therapy. However, the mechanism of action of pyrazinamide is poorly understood because of its unusual properties. Here we show that pyrazinoic acid, the active moiety of pyrazinamide, disrupted membrane energetics and inhibited membrane transport function in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The preferential activity of pyrazinamide against old non-replicating bacilli correlated with their low membrane potential and the disruption of membrane potential by pyrazinoic acid and acid pH. Inhibitors of membrane energetics increased the antituberculous activity of pyrazinamide. These findings shed new light on the mode of action of pyrazinamide and may help in the design of new drugs that shorten therapy.
Establishing performance requirements of computer based systems subject to uncertainty

The design of complex systems is difficult at best, but as a design becomes intensively dependent on the computer processing of external and internal information, the design process quickly borders chaos. This situation is exacerbated with the requirement that these systems operate with a minimal quantity of information, generally corrupted by noise, regarding the current state of the system. Establishing performance requirements for such systems is particularly difficult. This paper briefly sketches a general systems design approach with emphasis on the design of computer based decision processing systems subject to parameter and environmental variation. The approach will be demonstrated with application to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for automotive emissions systems now mandated by the state of California and the Federal Clean Air Act. The emphasis is on developing approach for establishing probabilistically based performance requirements for computer based systems.
Global crop yield reductions due to surface ozone exposure: 1. Year 2000 crop production losses and economic damage

Exposure to elevated concentrations of surface ozone (O3) causes substantial reductions in the agricultural yields of many crops. As emissions of O3 precursors rise in many parts of the world over the next few decades, yield reductions from O3 exposure appear likely to increase the challenges of feeding a global population projected to grow from 6 to 9 billion between 2000 and 2050. This study estimates year 2000 global yield reductions of three key staple crops (soybean, maize, and wheat) due to surface ozone exposure using hourly O3 concentrations simulated by the Model for Ozone and Related Chemical Tracers version 2.4 (MOZART-2). We calculate crop losses according to two metrics of ozone exposure e seasonal daytime (08:00e19:59) mean O3 (M12) and accumulated O3 above a threshold of 40 ppbv (AOT40) e and predict crop yield losses using crop-specifi cO 3 concentration:response functions established by field studies. Our results indicate that year 2000 O3-induced global yield reductions ranged, depending on the metric used, from 8.5e14% for soybean, 3.9e15% for wheat, and 2.2e5.5% for maize. Global crop production losses totaled 79e121 million metric tons, worth $11e18 billion annually (USD2000). Our calculated yield reductions agree well with previous estimates, providing further evidence that yields of major crops across the globe are already being substantially reduced by exposure to surface ozone e a risk that will grow unless O3-precursor emissions are curbed in the future or crop cultivars are developed and utilized that are resistant to O3.
Optimal control of an invasive species with imperfect information about the level of infestation

The presence of invasive species is often not realized until well after the species becomes established. Discovering the location and extent of infestation before the invasive species causes widespread damage typically requires intensive monitoring efforts. In this paper, we analyze the problem of controlling an invasive species when there is imperfect information about the degree of infestation. We model the problem as a partially observable Markov decision process in which the decision-maker receives an imperfect signal about the level of infestation. The decision-maker then chooses a management action to minimize expected costs based on beliefs about the level of infestation. We apply this model to a simple application with three possible levels of infestation where the decision-maker can choose to take no action, only monitor, only treat, or do both monitoring and treatment jointly. We solve for optimal management as a function of beliefs about the level of infestation. For a case with positive monitoring and treatment costs, we find that the optimal policy involves choosing no action when there is a sufficiently large probability of no infestation, monitoring alone with intermediate probability values and treatment alone when the probability of moderate or high infestation is large. We also show how optimal management and expected costs change as the cost or quality of information from monitoring changes. With costless and perfect monitoring, expected costs are 20–30% lower across the range of belief states relative to the expected costs without monitoring.
Procedures and Problems in Behavioral Training for Parents

Parent-mediated programs in behavior modification are routinely prescribed for parents whose children exhibit inappropriate behavioral repertoires. Empirical evidence exists in abundance to support the efficacy and utility of alternative procedures for handicapped and normal children with a variety of academic, social, and behavioral difficulties. Specific and general reservations are reviewed, with considerations for the prescription and implementation of behavioral training programs for parents. Regard is given to the attractive nature of parents' self-instructional behavioral approaches.
Real-time transaction scheduling: a cost conscious approach

Real-time databases are an important component of embedded real-time systems. In a real-time database context, transactions must not only maintain the consistency constraints of the database but must also satisfy the timing constraints specified for each transaction. Although several approaches have been proposed to integrate real-time scheduling and database concurrency control methods, none of them take into account the dynamic cost of scheduling a transaction. In this paper, we propose a new cost conscious real-time transaction scheduling algorithm which considers dynamic costs associated with a transaction. Our dynamic priority assignment algorithm adapts to changes in the system load without causing excessive numbers of transaction restarts. Our simulations show its superiority over EDF-HP algorithm.
EL displays for automotive applications

This paper presents an overview of the display requirements for automotive applications and introduces alternating-current thin-film electroluminesent (ACTFEL) displays for automobiles. An ACTFEL has advantages over other displays under sunlight and low temperature conditions. Several automotive applications for transparent and multicolor EL displays are introduced in this paper.
Performance of code acquisition for DS-CDMA overlay

This paper evaluates and compares the performance of two code acquisition schemes for direct-sequence (DS) code-division multiple-access (CDMA). The first techniques is a subspace based estimation technique which uses the well-known MUSIC algorithm. The second method obtains its timing estimation from an adaptive near-far resistant receiver known as the minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) receiver. Both of these techniques have been shown in previous work to be able to obtain reliable code acquisition in a severe near-far environment. It is shown that both of these techniques are also simultaneously robust to narrowband interference and near-far cochannel interference and thus useful in a CDMA overlay scenario. Simulation results are provided which evaluate the performance of these acquisition schemes as it depends on the bandwidth of the narrowband interference and the presence or absence of CDMA power control. The interference is modelled as narrowband Gaussian noise. It is found that the MUSIC estimation strategy provides a consistently better estimate than the MMSE estimator but at the cost of significantly higher complexity.
Drag reduction in dilute flowing gas‐solid suspensions

The effect of solids loading ratio, particle size, and gas Reynolds number on the pressure drop and flow characteristics of a dilute gas-solid suspension in turbulent pipe flow has been studied experimentally in both vertical and horizontal test sections. Glass beads of 10 to 60μ diameter were used at air Reynolds numbers of 10,000 to 25,000 and solids loading ratios of up to 2.5 Drag reduction was observed in the vertical test section for all of the particles studied, with the 30μ particles yielding a maximum drag reduction of about 75% at a loading ratio of 1.5. In the horizontal test section, drag reduction was observed only with the smallest sized particles, indicating a gravity effect. An explanation of these results based on the particles interacting with the turbulent structure of the gas near the wall has been proposed.
School Problems and Other Factors in Childhood Headache Syndromes

School-age children with headache disorders require the interdisciplinary attention of both educators and physicians. When school problems accompany other significant headache factors, a simple prescription is not an effective treatment. This article examines ten headache factors pertinent to a school-age population. Emphasis is placed on school problems and the need for professional collaboration on a disorder with both academic and medical manifestations.
Drums: The Heartbeat of Africa

Drums: The Heartbeat of Africa. Edited by Esther A. Dagan. Montreal: Galerie Amrad African Art Publications, 1993. 223 pp.; black-and-white photographs, line drawings, glossary, bibliography.
Course Assessment and Proposal Report (CAPR)

One of the primary keys to accreditation under EC2000 criteria is the ability to show a process for assessment of courses within a given program. Assessment must be cyclic, that is it must identify the current state of a course, identify a plan for improvement and then indicate whether or not that plan succeeded. Assessment must also be documented. Today's environment makes it possible to track a great deal of data on almost any aspect of a course, yet it takes time to convert that data into meaningful information. If too much data is collected, then time to do subsequent assessment is lost to sifting out relevant facts from collected data. With time at a premium, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at USMA developed a document that captures key information in a format that is inherently cyclic. This document is called the Course Assessment and Proposal Report (CAPR). It was designed in August 1999 and was used for several courses during the academic year of 1999-2000. It has been expanded and is being used for all courses within the department for academic year 2000-2001. The format of the document is evolutionary in nature and will change over time to best suit the overall needs of the department. The Course Assessment and Proposal Report has five basic sections, and a series of annexes which provide detailed information. The various sections and annexes are designed such that they can be easily extracted from the CAPR and used to support a variety of other requirements.
Temperature-dependent peptidergic feedback: potential role in seasonal egg laying in Aplysia.

alpha-Bag cell peptide (alpha-BCP), one of the secretory products of the neuroendocrine bag cells in Aplysia, has been reported by various investigators to have either excitatory or inhibitory feedback effects. Though conflicting, these results may be explained by the difference in temperature at which the experiments were performed. Because egg laying in this animal is temperature dependent, the alteration in function of this peptide by temperature may offer a possible molecular basis for the seasonal regulation of egg laying. This hypothesis was investigated by assessing the feedback actions of alpha-BCP at various temperatures. At 15 degrees C, alpha-BCP hyperpolarized bag cells, shortened the duration of synaptically evoked bag cell discharges, and reduced the number of action potentials per discharge. However, at 20 degrees C, the peptide depolarized bag cells, lengthened discharges, and increased the number of action potentials per discharge. A temperature-dependent influence on bag cell cAMP levels may underlie these effects, because alpha-BCP reduced basal cAMP levels in intact bag cells at temperatures of 15 degrees C and below, while at 17–22 degrees C it increased these levels. However, the inhibitory effects of alpha-BCP on stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in bag cell homogenates were not temperature dependent. Moreover, a low-Ca2+/high-Mg2+ solution abolished alpha- BCP's ability to increase bag cell cAMP levels at 20 degrees C. This suggests that the peptide may evoke the secretion of an excitatory modulator at the higher temperature. These results imply that alpha-BCP is autoinhibitory at typical winter temperatures, but becomes autoexcitatory as ocean temperature rises in the summer. Thus, the peptide may function in coordination with other factors to regulate egg laying in response to seasonal temperature variations.
Resilient cities: meaning, models, and metaphor for integrating the ecological, socio-economic, and planning realms

Urban designers, ecologists, and social scientists have called for closer links among their disciplines. We examine a promising new tool for promoting this linkage—the metaphor of “cities of resilience.” To put this tool to best use, we indicate how metaphor fits with other conceptual tools in science. We then present the two opposing definitions of resilience from ecology, and give reasons why one is more appropriate for linking with design. Additional specific tools and insights that are emerging from, or being increasingly used in, ecology can further support the linkage with urban design. These include recognizing the role of spatial heterogeneity in both ecological and social functioning of urban areas, the integrating power of watersheds, social and ecological patch dynamics of cities, the utility of spatial mosaic models to capture function, the use of an integrated “human ecosystem” modeling framework, and the consequent perspective of metropolitan areas as integrated ecological-social systems. Three additional tools are related to the adaptability of people and human institutions. First is the recognition of a “learning loop” in metropolitan ecosystems in which people respond to and affect ecological change, the use of urban design as experiments whose ecological and social outcomes can be measured, and finally the potency of a dialog between professionals and citizens, communities, and institutions, to support both research and design. The metaphor of resilience, and its technical specifications, draw these diverse strands for linking ecology and planning together. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Rhizospere Redox Cycling and Implications for Rhizosphere Biotransformation of Selected Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Congeners

Theoretically, sequential cycles of dechlorination followed by aerobic bio-oxidation are desirable to achieve complete degradation of a mixture of higher and lower chlorinated PCBs. In this research, soil was artificially contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mixture and as single congeners, aged, and planted with two different plant species. Alternating redox cycles were created in the root zone of plants by flooding and draining the soil. Over 32 weeks, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and poplar (Populus deltoids × nigra DN34) planted systems that were exposed to alternate cycles of flooding performed better in reducing parent PCBs than planted systems that were not cycled (p < 0.05). The cycled systems also had a higher mass of PCB transformation products than the uncycled systems. Multiple cycles were necessary to achieve significant differences between the cycled and uncycled treatments.
Automatic analog fault simulation

This paper presents an approach for using analog simulation together with artificial neural networks as a tool in the development of a test strategy. Relationships between circuit components and node states provided by simulation are used to create relationship matrices for a neural network. This approach provides a guide to diagnosing circuits by developing inferences about circuit component problems. The approach presented in this paper is a component of an automated test program generation (ATPG) concept. Problems associated with this approach are identified and defined. An industry accepted simulation engine generates data for operational circuit behavior. The simulation engine uses a netlist consisting of a to-from list, model definitions and an input description. Failures are simulated by one of two methods: (1) modifying circuit netlist, (2) modifying components. The circuit netlist is modified by adding opens and shorts to circuit nodes. The component models are modified by changing the component parameters within the component library. Simulation faults are chosen by the test program developer. Measures of component and node deviations from normal are used in the development of neural network matrices. An example analog circuit demonstrates the approach and typical results. This work may lead to development of a test strategy engine for automated analog test program development.