cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies of parameter significance in shell- liquid impact.

In problems involving impact of thin shells into liquids, there are a large number of system parameters which might be significant. Since inclusion in analyses or modeling studies of unnecessary parameters may make the problem completely intractable, whereas omission of important parameters may lead to erroneous results, determination of the relative importance of various system parameters is highly desirable. To make such a determination, a limited series of axially symmetric impact tests were conducted involving shallow, clamped, aluminum, spherical caps entering liquids. Resulting cap permanent deformation was the response parameter considered. This report presents results indicating ranges for which kinematic viscosity and compressibility of the liquid, the density of the shell material, and the gravitational acceleration can be neglected when compared to the other parameters involved.
Fiber Effects on Minicomposite Mechanical Properties for Several Silicon Carbide Fiber-Chemically Vapor-Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Matrix Systems

Several different types of SiC fiber tows were coated with BN and composited using chemically vapor-infiltrated SiC to form single-tow minicomposites. The types of SiC fiber included Nicalon(sup TM), Hi-Nicalon(sup TM), and the new Sylramic(sup TM) polycrystalline SiC fiber. The interfacial shear stresses were determined from unload-reload tensile hysteresis-loop tests. The ultimate stress and strain properties also were determined for the minicomposites. The ultimate strengths of the newer Hi-Nicalon and Sylramic fibers were superior to that of Nicalon minicomposites with similar fiber volume fractions. The Sylramic minicomposites had the lowest strain to failure and highest interfacial shear strength, respectively, because of the high modulus of the fiber and the rough surface of this fiber type. The apparent interfacial shear strength increased as the stress increased for the Sylramic minicomposites, which also was attributed to the surface roughness of this fiber.
Ordering color maps for lossless compression

Linear predictive techniques perform poorly when used with color mapped images as there is no linear relationship between neighboring pixels values. Re-ordering the color table, however, can lead to a lower entropy of prediction errors. The problem of ordering the color table such that the absolute weight of the prediction errors is minimized turns out to be intractable. In fact, even for the simplest prediction scheme that uses the value of the previous pixel for the current pixel, the problem of obtaining an optimal ordering turns out to be the optimal linear arrangement problem. The optimal rearrangement problem can be abstracted as a graph problem, and is known to be intractable. We give two heuristics for the problem and use them for ordering the color table of a color mapped image. The first heuristic is based on the famous network flow problem and is computationally expensive. The second heuristic involves successive transposition of color table entries and is simple in terms of implementation and time complexity. Simulation results giving comparison of the two heuristics are presented. Application of the ordering techniques to lossless compression of gray scale image data is also presented. Re-ordering intensity values for images sometimes leads to significant improvements in compression rates. For example, improvements of almost one bit per pixel were obtained with the well known USC-Girl image. Simulation results for a set of standard images are presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Type I, but not type II, interferon is critical in liver injury induced after ischemia and reperfusion.

We have documented the key role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation and its signaling pathway mediated by interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3, in the induction of inflammation leading to the hepatocellular damage during liver ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Because type I IFN is the major downstream activation product of that pathway, we studied its role in comparison with IFN-γ. Groups of type I (IFNAR), type II (IFNGR) IFN receptor–deficient mice, along with wild-type (WT) controls were subjected to partial liver warm ischemia (90 minutes) followed by reperfusion (1-6 hours). Interestingly, IFNAR knockout (KO) but not IFNGR KO mice were protected from IR-induced liver damage, as evidenced by decreased serum alanine aminotransferase and preservation of tissue architecture. IR-triggered intrahepatic pro-inflammatory response, assessed by tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL-10) expression, was diminished selectively in IFNAR KO mice. Consistent with these findings, our in vitro cell culture studies have shown that: (1) although hepatocytes alone failed to respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), when co-cultured with macrophages they did respond to LPS via macrophage-derived IFN-β; (2) macrophages required type I IFN to sustain CXCL10 production in response to LPS. This study documents that type I, but not type II, IFN pathway is required for IR-triggered liver inflammation/damage. Type I IFN mediates potential synergy between nonparenchyma and parenchyma cells in response to TLR4 activation. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Monomerization of a rhenium(V) dimer by ligation

Coordination of dmso to one of the originally equivalent metal centers of a rhenium(V) dithiolato dimer was detected, and the unsymmetrically coordinated adduct was characterized crystallographically. This unsymmetric complex is a key intermediate in the ligand-induced monomerization of the dimer D. A mechanism for monomerization is proposed from kinetics studies.
Electrophysiologic drug testing in symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract Nine patients with symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias were evaluated a mean interval of 16 years after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot. The clinical arrhythmia was sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 4 patients (group I) and premature ventricular contractions in 5 (group II). All patients underwent cardiac catheterization and electrophysiologic studies. Ventricular tachycardia was induced at electrophysiologic study in all patients in group I and in 3 patients in group II. Six patients with inducible sustained monomorphic VT underwent chronic drug testing based on electrophysiologic study. A mean of 3.3 drugs per patient was tested. Patients with right ventricular systolic hypertension did not respond to any drug tested, and underwent surgery. Five patients received drug treatment based on the results of electrophysiologic study. During a mean follow-up period of 2.2 years, no patient in either group had recurrent episodes of VT or syncope. In the postoperative patient with tetralogy of Fallot with symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias, it is concluded that (1) electrophysiologic study is useful in reproducing clinical episodes of VT and in selecting effective antiarrhythmic medication; (2) a small number of patients with ventricular premature complexes alone will have inducible sustained VT during electrophysiologic study; (3) prognosis of these patients may be improved by treatment that results in prevention of VT induction; and (4) in patients with right ventricular hypertension, VT is likely to be refractory to drug treatment.
Structural basis for on-and off-center responses in retinal bipolar cells

Electron microscopy of Golgi preparations of goldfish retina shows that dendrites of type a (hyperpolarizing, off-center) bipolar cells make wide cleft junctions unassociated with synaptic ribbons, while those of type b (depolarizing, on-center) bioplar cells make narrow cleft junctions and synaptic ribbon contacts, with rods and cones. This suggests that wide cleft junctions are the site of sign-conserving, and narrow cleft junctions or ribbon contacts (or both) are the site of sign-inverting synaptic transmission from photoreceptors to bipolars.
Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment of Septic Systems and Its Negative Effects on Shallow Ground Water

Soil-solution samplers and shallow ground water monitoring wells were utilized to monitor nitrate movement to ground water following H2O2 application to a clogged soil absorption system. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in soil water and shallow ground water ranged from 29 to 67 mg/L and 9 to 22 mg/L, respectively, prior to H2O2 treatment. Mean nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in soil water and ground water increased and ranged from 67 to 115 mg/L and 23 to 37 mg/L, respectively, one week after H2O2 application. Elevated concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen above background persisted for several weeks following H2O2 treatment. The H2O2 treatment was unsuccessful in restoring the infiltrative capacity of a well-structured soil. Application of H2O2 to the soil absorption system poses a threat of nitrate contamination of ground water and its usefulness should be fully evaluated before rehabilitation is attempted.
The virtual wall approach to limit cycle avoidance for unmanned ground vehicles

Robot Navigation in unknown and very cluttered environments constitutes one of the key challenges in unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) applications. Navigational limit cycles can occur when navigating (UGVs) using behavior-based or other reactive algorithms. Limit cycles occur when the robot is navigating towards the goal but enters an enclosure that has its opening in a direction opposite to the goal. The robot then becomes effectively trapped in the enclosure. This paper presents a solution named the Virtual Wall Approach (VWA) to the limit cycle problem for robot navigation in very cluttered environments. This algorithm is composed of three stages: detection, retraction, and avoidance. The detection stage uses spatial memory to identify the limit cycle. Once the limit cycle has been identified, a labeling operator is applied to a local map of the obstacle field to identify the obstacle or group of obstacles that are causing the deadlock enclosure. The retraction stage defines a waypoint for the robot outside the deadlock area. When the robot crosses the boundary of the deadlock enclosure, a virtual wall is placed near the endpoints of the enclosure to designate this area as off-limits. Finally, the robot activates a virtual sensor so that it can proceed to its original goal, avoiding the virtual wall and obstacles found on its way. Simulations, experiments, and analysis of the VWA implemented on top of a preference-based fuzzy behavior system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Specificity and selection of gamma-delta receptor-expressing T cells

It is not yet possible to establish a unifying hypothesis regarding TCR-γσ selection, specificity, and function. TCR-γσ-bearing T cells have been characterized that are specific for classical MHC and nonclassical MHC-like antigens, and mycobacterial antigens, including bacterial and possibly self heat-shock proteins. Restricting elements for these antigen-specific TCR-γσ T cells are still obscure, and it is unknown whether they are positively selected during development. However, there is now definitive evidence for intrathymic negative selection of TCR-γσ, and intriguing data suggesting positive selection of certain TCR-γσ that takes place in the periphery and is mediated by non MHC-linked antigens. The central question remains, what critical and unique role, if any, do these T cells play in immune system function? Proposals such as TCR-γσ functioning as an epithelial surveillance system (perhaps not relevant to human TCR-γσ), or as a first line of response to certain bacterial infections, and even a role for TCR-γσ in early intrathymic T cell differentiation all retain validity, and provide testable model systems for further study.
Desire and the Desirable: Nicholas de Cusa's Interfaith Imagination

Modern psychology and psychoanalysis tell us about the importance of desire. But what is the meaning of desire? Can it account for itself? An older tradition reminds us of the distinction between desire and what is "desirable." In some philosophical perspectives, desire and the desirable are sharply separated, leading to the dichotomies between "is and ought" or "inclination and duty." However, can something be truly desirable if it is not also somehow desired? Some philosophers have tried to build a linkage; Aristotle famously connected "orexis" and "arete." This paper turns to Nicolaus of Cusa who delineated a path of existential transformation and pedagogy: the search for truth and goodness animated by love. Two aspects are singled out: his emphasis on concrete experiential learning; and his concern with interfaith imagination as a pathway to peace.
Interfacial energetics of protein adsorption from aqueous buffer to surfaces with varying hydrophilicity.

Adsorption isotherms constructed from time-and-concentration-dependent advancing contact angles θa show that the profound biochemical diversity among ten different blood proteins with molecular weight spanning 10−1000 kDa has little discernible effect on the amount adsorbed from aqueous phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution after 1 h contact with a particular test surface selected from the full range of observable water wettability (as quantified by PBS adhesion tension=cos; whereis the liquid−vapor interfacial tension andis the advancing PBS contact angle). The maximum advancing spreading pressure,, determined from adsorption isotherms decreases systematically withfor methyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (CH3 SAM, τo = −15 mN/m), polystyrene spun-coated onto electronic-grade SiOx wafers (PS, τo = 7.2 mN/m), aminopropyltriethoxysilane-treated SiOx surfaces (APTES, τo = 42 mN/m), and fully water wettable SiOx (τo = 72 mN/m). Likewise, the apparent Gibbs' surface excess [Γsl − Γsv], which measures...
The Rationale for Initiating Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia in Young Adulthood

Even though it has been recognized for some time that the lesions of atherosclerosis begin in childhood, there has been reluctance to recommend intervention, especially intervention with drugs, before the age of 50 years. Recent evidence, particularly evidence from human genetics, has greatly strengthened the case for earlier intervention to correct hypercholesterolemia and other risk factors. This report briefly reviews some of the emerging lines of evidence that are helping us reach a consensus on when and how we should intervene.
Pattern of somatic transposition in a high copy Ac tomato line.

Summary A transgenic tomato line containing between eight and ten copies per genome of an exceptionally active maize transposable element Ac has previously been described. Southern analyses indicated that these elements are somatically active in these plants. In order to characterize further the pattern of somatic transposition in this line, 24 independent Ac insertion events from a single plant were cloned. In 21 cases, Ac inserted into single copy genomic DMA while in three cases Ac inserted into sequences present at two to four copies per genome; none of the insertions occurred into more highly repetitive DMA. The chromosomal locations of 20 insertion sites were determined by RFLP mapping and a pattern of small dispersed clusters emerged. Thirteen of the 20 insertion sites were linked to at least one other insertion site but these were distributed over nine of the 12 tomato chromosomes. Only one Ac insertion was linked to the T-DNA locus. The structural integrity of these Ac elements was examined and no evidence of deletions or other rearrangements suggestive of Ds elements was found. The implications of these findings with respect to the use of Ac as a transposon tag in heterologous species are discussed.
ritual and cultural reproduction in non‐Islamic Java

Recent studies link the problem of cultural transmission to the larger issue of how we conceptualize cultural history and integration. I address this question here by examining reproduction and change in lava's only surviving Indic priesthood. The conflict of meanings characteristic of priestly and popular ritual culture in modern Tengger has a history shaped by the differing modes of cultural transmission around which this non-Islamic tradition was organized. I also raise some questions as to the relation of social order to cultural form and of public symbolism to private thought, [cultural transmission, religious change, Indonesia, Islam and Hinduism, myth and ritual]
Tu1591 Efficacy of Endoscopic Spray Cryotherapy With Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) or Submucosal Dissection (ESD) in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus (BE) Related Neoplasia

Median EBD treatment periods required for dysphagia relief were 56.0 day and 0.0 day, in the preemptive EBD and systemic steroid group, respectively (p 0.0005).In particular, no less than 32.7 EBD sessions on the average was needed in the preemptive EBD following complete circular ESD, while oral prednisolone decreased EBD sessions to 2.3 on the average (p 0.05). In complete circular ESD group,mean EBD treatment periods required for dysphasia relief were 209 day and 30.2 day, in the preemptive EBD and systemic steroid group, respectively (p 0.05). Conclusions Post-ESD esophageal stricture was persistent even if treated preemptively with multiple EBD sessions, but oral prednisolone may offer a useful option for the problem.
To Be Young, Gifted, and Strategic: Advantages for Memory Performance

Gifted and nongifted children's use of an organizational strategy was contrasted on multitrial free-recall tasks, using different sets of items on each trial. In an initial experiment, gifted children initially had higher levels of recall and strategic functioning than nongifted children, but this advantage was lost on later trials. While overall there was an advantage to memory of being strategic, this advantage was statistically significant for the gifted children only at trial 1, whereas it was significant for the nongifted children on trials 2 through 5. A sort-recall procedure was used in Experiment 2, with results indicating that gifted children benefited more than nongifted children when strategy use was simplified, while the results of Experiment 3, which used nonsense words as stimuli, demonstrated that gifted children demonstrated greater use of active strategies than nongifted children. The results of these experiments were interpreted as evidence that at least a portion of gifted children's advantage on free recall tasks lies in nonstrategic processes.
Real-time MTF evaluation of displays in the clinical arena

Four methods for near real-time measurement of the modulation transfer function (MTF) of electronic displays are presented. The methods are based on measuring the display’s response to an edge, periodic bar-patterns, line and whitenoise stimuli. Although all the methods yield practically the same result, they require different data acquisition time and different degrees of human intervention while analyzing the acquired data. The paper presents a comparison between the four methods in context of the time required to implement each and cites implementation issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve real time data analysis and presentation.
Hearing evaluation of patients with head and neck cancer: Comparison of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Brock and Chang adverse event criteria in patients receiving cisplatin

Background The purpose of this study was to compare Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), Brock and Chang hearing loss grading in patients with head and neck cancer receiving cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP). Endpoints were baseline distribution of hearing loss, interobserver consistency, and sensitivity to hearing loss after CDDP treatment. Methods Four hundred sixty single ear audiograms in 110 patients with head and neck cancer were graded. Hearing loss at baseline, interobserver agreement rates, and changes in hearing loss after CDDP were evaluated. Results The Chang and Brock tools' baseline hearing loss distribution was concentrated at grade 0 (57% and 41%, respectively), whereas 47%, per the CTCAE, had grade 3 baseline hearing loss. Interobserver agreement was highest for the Brock scale (≥90%) followed by the Chang (≥89%) and CTCAE (≥75%) scales. Detection of change after CDDP was highest for Chang (48%) followed by Brock (45%) and the CTCAE (32%). Conclusion The Brock and Chang tools may be superior to the CTCAE in patients with head and neck cancer receiving CDDP using baseline hearing loss distribution, interobserver agreement, and detection of hearing loss grade change as performance indicators. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 1102–1107, 2015
Cohesive zone laws for void growth — II. Numerical field projection of elasto-plastic fracture processes with vapor pressure

Abstract Modeling ductile fracture processes using Gurson-type cell elements has achieved considerable success in recent years. However, incorporating the full mechanisms of void growth and coalescence in cohesive zone laws for ductile fracture still remains an open challenge. In this work, a planar field projection method, combined with equilibrium field regularization, is used to extract crack-tip cohesive zone laws of void growth in an elastic–plastic solid. To this end, a single row of void-containing cell elements is deployed directly ahead of a crack in an elastic–plastic medium subjected to a remote K -field loading; the macroscopic behavior of each cell element is governed by the Gurson porous material relation, extended to incorporate vapor pressure effects. A thin elastic strip surrounding this fracture process zone is introduced, from which the cohesive zone variables can be extracted via the planar field projection method. We show that the material's initial porosity induces a highly convex traction–separation relationship — the cohesive traction reaches the peak almost instantaneously and decreases gradually with void growth, before succumbing to rapid softening during coalescence. The profile of this numerically extracted cohesive zone law is consistent with experimentally determined cohesive zone law in Part I for multiple micro-crazing in HIPS. In the presence of vapor pressure, both the cohesive traction and energy are dramatically lowered; the shape of the cohesive zone law, however, remains highly convex, which suggests that diffusive damage is still the governing failure mechanism.
The Immune Signature of CD8+CCR7+ T Cells in the Peripheral Circulation Associates with Disease Recurrence in Patients with HNSCC

Purpose: Patients with cancer have an increased frequency of circulating apoptosis-sensitive CD8 + CCR7 neg T cells and few CD8 + CCR7 + T cells versus normal controls. The functional and clinical significance of this imbalance was investigated using peripheral blood of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Experimental Design: The frequency of circulating CD8 + T cells co-expressing CCR7, CD45RO, CD28, and Annexin V (ANXV) was evaluated in 67 patients and 57 normal controls by flow cytometry. Spearman rank correlations among immunophenotypic profiles were analyzed. Recursive partitioning classified subjects as patients or normal controls based on CD8 + CCR7 + T-cell percentages. Kaplan–Meier plots estimated disease-free survival (DFS). Results: The CD8 + CCR7 + T-cell frequency was low, whereas that of total CD8 + CCR7 neg and ANXV-binding CD8 + CCR7 neg T cells was higher in patients with HNSCC than in normal controls ( P + T cells ( P + CD45RO neg CCR7 + (T N ) cell frequency ( P P + CD45RO + CCR7 + (T CM ) T cells and of the two CCR7 neg subsets (T PM and T TD ). In recursive partitioning models, the CD8 + CCR7 + T-cell frequency of 31% distinguished patients from normal controls with 77% to 88% accuracy after cross-validation. In 25 patients tested before any therapy, the CD8 + CCR7 + T-cell frequency of less than 28% predicted disease recurrence within 4 years of definitive therapy ( P Conclusion: The CD8 + CCR7 + T-cell frequency in HNSCC patients9 blood tested at diagnosis can discriminate them from normal controls and predicts disease recurrence. Clin Cancer Res; 19(4); 889–99. ©2012 AACR .
Psychogenic movement disorders

Summary Diagnosis and treatment of psychogenic movement disorders are challenging for both neurologists and psychiatrists. Symptoms can mimic the full range of organic abnormal involuntary movements, affect gait and speech, or present as unusual undifferentiated movements. Typical clinical characteristics of these disorders are acute onset, fast progression, movement patterns incongruent with organic movement disorders, distractibility, variability, and simultaneous occurrence of various abnormal movements and dysfunctions. Avoidance of iatrogenic damage by unnecessary invasive tests or inappropriate medication, as well as use of appropriate psychiatric treatments are pivotal steps in the management of these disorders. The few clinical trials specific to psychogenic movement disorders focus on antidepressants and psychotherapy. Presence of a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis of depression or an anxiety disorder is a positive prognostic factor, whereas long-standing symptoms, insidious onset of movements, and a psychiatric diagnosis of hypochondriasis, factitious disorder, or malingering are associated with poor outcome.
Japanese Society: Tradition, Self, and the Social Order

As the world's only major industrial society yet to emerge from outside the Western tradition, Japan has evolved into an industrial state very different from those of the West. Robert Smith argues that this difference is found not so much in organisational and institutional forms as in the Japanese view of the relationship of individuals to one another and to society as a whole. He traces the origin of this difference to the historical traditions of Japan, which rest on cultural premises quite unlike those of the Western world. His compelling and convincing analysis of contemporary Japanese society has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the nature of the modern industrial world.
Surface Functionality of Nanoparticles Determines Cellular Uptake Mechanisms in Mammalian Cells

Nanoparticles (NPs) are versatile scaffolds for numerous biomedical applications including drug delivery and bioimaging. The surface functionality of NPs essentially dictates intracellular NP uptake and controls their therapeutic action. Using several pharmacological inhibitors, it is demonstrated that the cellular uptake mechanisms of cationic gold NPs in both cancer (HeLa) and normal cells (MCF10A) strongly depend on the NP surface monolayer, and mostly involve caveolae and dynamin-dependent pathways as well as specific cell surface receptors (scavenger receptors). Moreover, these NPs show different uptake mechanisms in cancer and normal cells, providing an opportunity to develop NPs with improved selectivity for delivery applications.
Economic Burden of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses and service use, caregiver time, and cost outcomes. METHODS: We used national data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey linked to the National Health Interview Survey and a study-specific survey to estimate the annual utilization and costs for health care, school, ASD-related therapy, family-coordinated services, as well as caregiver time in children aged 3 to 17 years, with and without parent-reported ASD. Regression analyses estimated the association between ASD diagnosis and cost, controlling for child gender, age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, household income, country region and urban/rural classification, and non–ASD-related illnesses. RESULTS: Children with parent-reported ASD had higher levels of health care office visits and prescription drug use compared with children without ASD (P CONCLUSIONS: The economic burden associated with ASD is substantial and can be measured across multiple sectors of our society. Previous analyses that focused on health care underestimated this economic burden, particularly for school systems.
Experimental Design and the Relative Sensitivity of BOLD and Perfusion fMRI

This paper compares the statistical power of BOLD and arterial spin labeling perfusion fMRI for a variety of experimental designs within and across subjects. Based on theory and simulations, we predict that perfusion data are composed of independent observations in time under the null hypothesis, in contrast to BOLD data, which possess marked autocorrelation. We also present a method (sinc subtraction) of generating perfusion data from its raw source signal that minimizes the presence of oxygen-sensitive signal changes and can be used with any experimental design. Empirically, we demonstrate the absence of autocorrelation in perfusion noise, examine the shape of the hemodynamic response function for BOLD and perfusion, and obtain a measure of signal to noise for each method. This information is then used to generate a model of relative sensitivity of the BOLD and perfusion methods for within-subject experimental designs of varying temporal frequency. It is determined that perfusion fMRI provides superior sensitivity for within-subject experimental designs that concentrate their power at or below approximately 0.009 Hz (corresponding to a "blocked" experimental design of 60-s epochs). Additionally, evidence is presented that across-subject hypothesis tests may be more sensitive when conducted using perfusion imaging, despite the better within-subject signal to noise obtained in some cases with BOLD.
A robust self‐starting explicit computational methodology for structural dynamic applications: Architecture and representations

A robust self-starting explicit architecture for computational structural dynamics is described. The proposed methodology involves expressing the governing equations of motion in conservation form and temporal discretization is accomplished in the spirit of the Lax-Wendroff type formulations. The development of the basic methodology is shown. Discretization in space is accomplished by introducing stress-based representations and employing the classical Galerkin scheme. Numerical test model results are presented which validate the architecture.
Gender Differences in Athletic Performance and their Implications in Gender Ratios of Suicide: A Comparison between the USA and China

This article attempts to understand the unique gender ratio in Chinese suicide from a physiological perspective. While Chinese women have been performing notably better than Chinese men in international sport competitions, it is suggested that sport achievements and suicide risks are both related to masculinity and aggression. To test the hypothesis that the gender difference in Chinese sports records is smaller than that found in U.S. sports records, both Chinese and U.S. national athletic records were analyzed for field, track, and swimming events. With the hypothesis supported by the data, the findings suggest a new explanation for the high suicide rate by Chinese women and low suicide rate by Chinese men. Future research is needed on physical, psychological, and biological factors that may be associated with gender differences in Chinese suicides.
Carrier refraction in quantum well waveguides.

Carrier-induced refractive index changes in forward-biased InGaAs–InAlAs quantum well waveguides are calculated using a Kramers-Kronig transformation of Bar-Joseph’s experimental absorption spectra [ Phys. Rev. Lett.59, 1357 ( 1987)]. At the 1.65-μm wavelength where the material is nominally transparent, an index change of −0.06 is found for an injection of 6 × 1017 electrons/cm3. A quantum well waveguide 2 × 2 reversed-Δβ directional coupler switch with an active length of 480 μm is proposed.
Initiation of slugs in horizontal gas-liquid flows

Experiments were conducted with air-water flow in a horizontal 0.095-m pipeline at atmospheric pressure to examine the mechanism by which slugs form in a stratified flow. A specially designed entrance box was used to avoid disturbances. In these experiments, at superficial gas velocities less than 3 m/s, the slugs are found to evolve from waves, with a length of about 0.085 m, that are generated by a Jeffreys mechanism. These waves grow in height and eventually double in wavelength by a nonlinear resonance mechanism. Depending on the height of the liquid, the growth can lead to a breaking wave or to a wave that fills the whole pipe cross section. At superficial gas velocities equal to or greater than 4 m/s capillary-gravity waves with a wide range of lengths are generated by a linear Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism. These rapidly evolve into long waves outside the range of linear instability. If the liquid height is large enough, these waves can form slugs through a nonlinear Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that is aided by wave coalescence.
A Reasoning Methodology for CW-Based Question Answering Systems

Question Answering Systems or (QA systems for short) are regarded as the next generation of the current search engines. Instead of returning a list of relevant documents, QA systems find the direct answer to the query posed in natural language. The key difficulty in designing such systems is to perform reasoning on natural language knowledgebase. The theory of Computing with Words (CW), proposed by Zadeh, offers a mathematical tool to formally represent and reason with perceptive information. CW views a proposition in natural language as imposing a soft/hard constraint on an attribute and represents it in form of a generalized constraint . In this paper we develop a reasoning methodology for the restricted domain CW-based QA systems. This methodology takes, as input, the knowledgebase and the query in form of generalized constraints and organizes the knowledge related to the query in a new tree structure, referred to as a constraint propagation tree . The constraint propagation tree generates a plan to find the most relevant answer to the query and allows improving the answer by establishing an information-seeking dialog with user.
The semiconductor industry challenges in the decade ahead

The semiconductor industry has entered a period of great promise destined to be the most fruitful and rewarding in its history. This potential has been recognized by governments, major non-electric companies, communications and media organizations, with all exerting strong external forces on directions and strategies ....Concurrently, the rate of technology advancements continues unabated with major technology turnovers occurring every five to seven years. Each advance is more demanding, pressing for internal capabilities to design and manufacture devices and the need to meet critical requirements for interfacing with external users .... Do these forces present challenges that require new approaches and strategies by the semiconductor industry, or are they large-scale versions of similar forces that have been faced by industry in each of the major technology events of the past 25 years? ....These vital issues will be assessed.
Ethnic differences in social correlates of diet

Little is known about whether culture influences social correlates of dietary behaviors. Questionnaires on parent- and child-reported family and peer influences on children's fruit, juice and vegetable consumption were analyzed for ethnic group differences in responses. Grade 4-6 students completed the questionnaires in the classroom and their parents completed telephone or in-home interviews. Analyses of variance across ethnic categories and chi2 analysis of differences in ethnic group composition between clusters of scales were conducted. Few ethnic group differences were detected, suggesting substantial commonality among respondents. Ethnic differences might be accommodated by interventions tailored to particular behaviors among ethnic groups.
Interpersonal boundary regulation within Online Social Networks

The popularity of Online Social Networks (OSN's) is still on the rise even though we have started to realize that connection comes with a cost. Interpersonal boundaries positively impact the way we interact with others, but they are often overlooked within online social networks which can lead to negative consequences. This research investigates ways to balance the benefits and tradeoffs of OSN's through an examination of interpersonal boundary regulation. Understanding the process of interpersonal boundary development in the context of OSN's will help inform both users and designers how to best negotiate boundaries to enhance interpersonal connection without sacrificing self within OSN's.
Resolution of trigeminal neuralgia by coil embolization of a persistent primitive trigeminal artery aneurysm

The persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PTA) is a rare anastomosis between the carotid artery and basilar artery. While most PTAs are asymptomatic, lateral variants can occasionally compress the trigeminal nerve and precipitate trigeminal neuralgia. Aneurysms of the PTA are exceptionally rare in the literature and have not previously been associated with trigeminal neuralgia. We present the first case of an aneurysm of the PTA causing trigeminal neuralgia. The patient underwent coil embolization of the aneurysm which relieved her symptoms. We propose embolization as a viable therapeutic option for the resolution of trigeminal neuralgia when the condition is secondary to irritation by the high velocity pulsatile flow of an aneurysm.
Eating disorders: Progress and problems

Recent research on Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa has yielded an increasingly detailed understanding of the range of biological and psychological abnormalities associated with these eating disorders. Inherited vulnerabilities, cultural pressures, and adverse individual and family experiences all appear to contribute to the onset of extreme dieting, binge eating, and purging. Once initiated, these behaviors give rise to multiple physiological disturbances, some of which may serve to perpetuate the illness. Although there have been substantial advances in the management of Bulimia Nervosa, the goal of offering effective treatment to all individuals with eating disorders remains elusive. This article reviews current thinking on the etiology and treatment of the two major eating disorders and a related syndrome, Binge Eating Disorder.
Gender differences in coronary artery diameter reflect changes in both endothelial Ca2+ and ecNOS activity.

Elevation of nitric oxide (NO) release from the vascular endothelium may contribute to some of the gender-associated differences in coronary artery function. The mechanisms by which gender affects ...
Advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important paraclinical measure for assessing and monitoring the pathologic changes implicated in the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Conventional MRI sequences, such as T1-weighted gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced and spin-echo T2-weighted imaging, provide an incomplete picture of the degree of inflammation and underlying neurodegenerative changes in this disease. Two- and three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and double-inversion recovery sequences allow better identification of cortical, periventricular, and infratentorial lesions. High field strength MRI has the potential to detect more cortical and deep gray matter lesions, but the detection of subpial cortical lesions in MS remains challenging. Unenhanced T1-weighted imaging can reveal hypointense black holes, a measure of chronic neurodegeneration. Magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) is increasingly used to characterize the evolution of MS lesions and normally appearing brain tissue, and evidence suggests that the dynamics of magnetization transfer changes correlate with the extent of demyelination and remyelination. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which provides details on tissue biochemistry, metabolism, and function, also has the capacity to reveal neuroprotective mechanisms. By measuring the motion of water, diffusion imaging can provide information about the orientation, size, and geometry of tissue damage in white and gray matters. Iron imaging-related techniques such as susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) have enormous potential for identifying iron-related pathology in MS. These advanced non-conventional MRI techniques relate better to clinical impairment, disease progression, and accumulation of disability and have the potential to detect neuroprotective effects of treatment.
A Proposed Research Model of Entrepreneurial Motivation

Drawing on the literature involving the venture start-up process, integrated with motivational theory from the field of organizational behavior, a model describing the factors that affect firm star...
Settlements in the Civil Wars of Myanmar and Sri Lanka: The Success, Failure and Deception of the Peace Process

The civil wars in Myanmar and Sri Lanka were both long-lasting ethnic conflicts. While the government of Myanmar is still fighting with several ethnic armed groups, a series of ceasefires were reac...
An analysis of HRP-filled basket cell axons in the cat's cerebellum. II. Axonal distribution.

The axons of basket cells course horizontally within the lower molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex and give rise to three types of axon collaterals. One collateral distributes around the somata and axon hillocks of Purkinje cells, forming a complex pericellular basketlike formation or “pinceau”. The other two axonal specializations have the form of beaded tendrils, but differ in their origin and laminar distribution. In the previous paper, the morphometry and configuration of these axonal branches were described. In the present account, their synaptic relationships are analyzed based on serial section analysis and computer reconstructions. Our data indicate that: (1) Purkinje cells receive descending collaterals from more than one basket cell; (2) the contribution of the descending collaterals to individual pinceau is not uniform; Purkinje cells located close to the basket cell of origin receive a greater number of descending collaterals when compared to Purkinje cells located more distally; (3) few synaptic junctions are formed by the descending collaterals within the pinceaux; (4) beaded tendrils make synaptic contacts with the somata and dendrites of Purkinje cells, and (5) the horizontal axon forms synaptic junctions with the dendritic shafts and spiny branchlets of Purkinje cells. Functional considerations of these synaptic relationships are discussed in the light of the classic concept of off-beam inhibition mediated by basket cells.
Visualization of Compression and Spillover in a Coadsorbed System: Syngas on Cobalt Nanoparticles

Competitive adsorption and lateral pressure between surface-bound intermediates are important effects that dictate chemical reactivity. Lateral, or two-dimensional, pressure is known to promote reactivity by lowering energetic barriers and increasing conversion to products. We examined the coadsorption of CO and H2, the two reactants in the industrially important Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, on Co nanoparticles to investigate the effect of two-dimensional pressure. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we directly visualized the coadsorption of H and CO on Co, and we found that the two adsorbates remain in segregated phases. CO adsorbs on the Co nanoparticles via spillover from the Cu(111) support, and when deposited onto preadsorbed adlayers of H, CO exerts two-dimensional pressure on H, compressing it into a higher-density, energetically less-preferred structure. By depositing excess CO, we found that H on the Co surface is forced to spill over onto the Cu(111) support. Thus, spillover of H from Co onto Cu...
Application of Main Steam Pressure Deviation Tolerance Method in Coordinated Control System of Large-Scale Supercritical Thermal Power Unit

Taking the coordination control logic in Baicheng power plant of china power investment corporation( CPI) as an example,this paper introduced the coordinated control system of large-scale supercritical thermal power unit,focused on the application of main steam pressure deviation tolerance method in the turbine control system,and analyzed the working process of this method in load rising stage as well as in load decreasing stage. The practical application proved that the pressure deviation tolerance method can quickly respond the load change,maximize the ability of turbine main control system in the process of power regulating. And it provides a final limit to the pressure deviation and make sure the serious pressure control will not happen,which has good control effect.
The study on influence of Longnan lead-zinc mining environment on the safety of tea product

Objective:Study the potential factors that influence the safety of Longnan tea in the lead-zinc mining environment.Methods: Collected 124 tea samples from 3 counties,9 rural towns of tea-producing areas in Longnan,the contents of lead,zinc,copper,iron and manganese in the samples were determined.Then the results were compared to the tea samples of other productive tea areas.Results: The range of RSD of copper,iron,lead,zinc and manganese were 30.88±7.22,19.92±5.34,67.88±10.15,17.02±2.11 and 15.70±2.33,respectively.The contents of copper and lead in the tea samples varied a lot.The change trend of content of the feature element zinc in another mining was steady correspondingly.The samples without finding of lead appeared in the environments at different distances around the lead-zinc mining.Conclusion: The large-scale change of content of lead and zinc in the determined results was ascribed to the pollution factors,which resulted in non-standard operation in the manufacture process,etc.Lead was not detected in some kinds of Longnan tea;In comparison,other tea in the local has a great gap in the control of pollutants.
Modeling the nonequilibrium effects in a nonquasi-equilibrium thermodynamic cycle based on steepest entropy ascent and an isothermal-isobaric ensemble

Abstract Conventional first principle approaches for studying nonequilibrium or far-from-equilibrium processes depend on the mechanics of individual particles or quantum states. They also require many details of the mechanical features of a system to arrive at a macroscopic property. In contrast, thermodynamics provides an approach for determining macroscopic property values without going into these details, because the overall effect of particle dynamics results, for example, at stable equilibrium in an invariant pattern of the “Maxwellian distribution”, which in turn leads to macroscopic properties. However, such an approach is not generally applicable to a nonequilibrium process except in the near-equilibrium realm. To adequately address these drawbacks, steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics (SEAQT) provides a first principle, thermodynamic-ensemble approach applicable to the entire nonequilibrium realm. Based on prior developments by the authors, this paper applies the SEAQT framework to modeling the nonquasi-equilibrium cycle, which a system with variable volume undergoes. Using the concept of hypoequilibrium state and nonequilibrium intensive properties, this framework provides a complete description of the nonequilibrium evolution in state of the system. Results presented here reveal how nonequilibrium effects influence the performance of the cycle.