cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetoimage effects in the van der Waals interaction of an atom and a bounded, dynamic, nonlocal plasmalike medium

We present a theory of van der Waals (vdW) atom-surface attraction in which the second order vdW energy is explicitly exhibited as a correlation\char21{}self-energy of atomic electrons generated by a dynamic, nonlocal image potential due to polarization of the electrons of the bounded metal-semiconductor surface system in the electrostatic limit. This formulation is applied to a metal-semiconductor plasma in a magnetic field perpendicular to its bounding surface. The dependence of the atom-surface vdW energy on magnetic field strength provides an adjustable parametrization of the underlying zero-point photon energy (represented in terms of the nonretarded longitudinal plasmon-photons of the Coulomb interaction), opening the possibility of analyzing the concomitant fundamental quantum phenomenology in detail with material parameters that can be examined experimentally. The determination of the image potential, including its nonlocal and dynamic magnetic field effects, involves the construction of a ``surface dielectric function,'' which is carried out using a Green's function joining procedure for nonlocal dynamic electrostatics. In this aspect of our second-order vdW energy calculation, we take account of the role of the magnetic field by means of a hydrodynamic model of magnetoplasma nonlocality in dynamic longitudinal dielectric response. Both local and nonlocal magnetic field effects in vdW energy are analyzed within the framework of a multipole expansion, and are also discussed, respectively, in expansions in powers of ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{2}$ $({\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ is the cyclotron frequency). Furthermore, we determine the role of Landau quantization magnetic field effects in the skewing of the surface electron charge distribution from its uniform positive background, exhibiting de Haas\char21{}van Alphen oscillatory (and ``staircase'') behavior.
Nature of the second transition in UPt3

Abstract A preliminary account is given of the thermodynamics of the phase transition which takes place within the superconducting state of UPt3. It is shown that at high fields, a simple perturbative calculation can performed which gives a first-order trasition. The position of the phase boundary, the latent heat, and the change in the magnetization can be computed. Thus a rather complete picture of this transition emerges.
SoC Processor Discovery for Program Execution Matching Using Unsupervised Machine Learning

The fast cadence for evolving mobile compute systems, often extends their default processor configuration by incorporating task specific, companion cores. In this setting, the problem of matching a compute program to efficiently execute on a dynamically selected processor, poses a considerable challenge to employing traditional compiler technology. Rather, we propose an unsupervised machine learning methodology that mines a large data corpus of unlabeled compute programs, with the objective to discover optimal program-processor relations. In our work, we regard a compute program as a text document, comprised of a linear sequence of bytecode mnemonics, and further transformed into an effective representation of a bag of instruction term frequencies. Respectively, a set of concise instruction vectors is forwarded onto a finite mixture model, to identify unsolicited cluster patterns of source-target compute pairings, using the expectation-maximization algorithm. For classification, we explore k-nearest neighbor and ranked information retrieval methods, and evaluate our system by simultaneously varying the dimensionality of the training set and the SoC processor formation. We report robust performance results on both the discovery of relational clusters and feature matching.
Experimental Study of In-Situ Upgrading for Heavy Oil Using Hydrogen Donors and Catalyst Under Steam Injection Condition

This research is a study of the in-situ upgrading of Jobo crude oil using steam, tetralin or decalin, and catalyst (Fe(acac)₃) at temperatures of 250 °C, 275 °C and 300 °C for 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours using an autoclave. Viscosity, API gravity and compositional changes were investigated. We found that tetralin and decalin alone were good solvents for heavy oil recovery. Tetralin or decalin at concentrations of 9% (weight basis) could reduce the Jobo crude oil viscosity measured at 50 °C by 44±2% and 39±3%. Steam alone had some upgrading effects. It could reduce the oil viscosity by 10% after 48 hours of contact at 300°C. Tetralin, decalin or catalyst showed some upgrading effects when used together with steam and caused 5.4±4%, 4±1% and 19±3% viscosity reduction compared with corresponding pre-upgrading mixture after 48 hours of reaction at 300°C. The combination of hydrogen donor tetralin or decalin and catalyst reduced the viscosity of the mixture the most, by 56±1% and 72±1% compared with pre-upgrading mixture. It meant that hydrogen donors and catalyst had strong synergetic effects on heavy oil upgrading. We also found that 300 °C was an effective temperature for heavy oil upgrading with obvious viscosity reduction in the presence of steam, hydrogen donors and catalyst. Reaction can be considered to have reached almost equilibrium condition after 48 hours. The GC-MS analysis of the gas component showed that light hydrocarbon gases and CO₂ were generated after reaction. The viscosity reduction from decalin use is larger than that of tetralin because decalin has more hydrogen atoms per molecule than tetralin. A mechanism of transferring H (hydrogen atom) from H₂O and hydrogen donors to heavy oil, which can lead to structure and composition changes in heavy oil, is explained. The study has demonstrated that in-situ heavy oil upgrading has great potential applications in heavy and extra heavy oil recovery.
The Changing Profile of Patients Who Used Emergency Department Services in the United States: 1996 to 2005

Study objective Because of the vital role of emergency departments (EDs) in the US health care system, it is important to monitor the changes in the patient mix over time to identify existing problems and ways to improve the system. The current study aimed to identify raw and population-adjusted time trends for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, access to care, utilization of care, and general health of ED users and heavy ED users. Methods Ten years' worth of nationally representative data was derived from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 1996 to 2005. Raw time trends of various patient characteristics for ED users, nonusers, and heavy users were estimated to demonstrate changes in ED patient mix. Population-attributable fraction was used to generate population-adjusted trends that elucidate the net changes in subpopulations' propensities to ED use in relation to those of the general population. Results Between 1996 and 2005, the total number of noninstitutionalized individuals who used ED services increased from 34.2 to 40.8 million. That is, the proportion of ED users in the US population increased from 12.7% to 13.8%. Increasing proportions of elderly and those who perceived themselves to be in poor or fair physical health among ED users, particularly heavy users, were found in both raw and population-adjusted trends. Several subpopulations demonstrated increasing levels of ED use after population adjustment: blacks, patients within 100% to 199% of the federal poverty line, patients with only Medicare, patients with greater than or equal to 2 types of insurance, and patients with at least 1 inpatient stay. Decreasing population-adjusted trends were found in the proportions of female patients, Hispanics, patients at greater than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty line, the uninsured, and patients with only private insurance, respectively. Conclusion EDs play a larger role in the management of geriatric patients over time. The increasing burden of the aging population in the EDs poses challenges in the training of future emergency physicians, care for older patients, public health insurance, and health care system reform.
Neutrophil elastase and neutropenia

HEMATOPOIESIS Neutrophil elastase ([NE] also called elastase-2 [ELA-2]) is a powerful serine protease stored in the primary granule of neutrophils.[1][1] This enzyme is synthesized primarily at the promyelocyte stage of neutrophil development in the bone marrow. The human gene for NE is located at
A portable, self-leveling, constant-rate cone penetrometer with computer-controlled data acquisition for tillage studies

Abstract Precise measurements of cone resistance have become an important way of characterizing tillage effects on soil strength and compaction. Design and data capture modifications were made to a portable constant-rate field cone penetrometer. These modifications were aimed at improving the ease and rapidity of data acquisition in the field and its subsequent analysis in the laboratory. Force of penetration was determined with a load cell instead of four strain gauges mounted on a proving ring while a continuous-turn potentiometer replaced a rotary encoder for depth measurement. A strip-chart recorder or data logger was replaced by a portable computer which plotted cone resistance vs. depth for each run on its screen and saved the data to memory in the field.
Models and estimation methods for clinical HIV-1 data

Clinical HIV-1 data include many individual factors, such as compliance to treatment, pharmacokinetics, variability in respect to viral dynamics, race, sex, income, etc., which might directly influence or be associated with clinical outcome. These factors need to be taken into account to achieve a better understanding of clinical outcome and mathematical models can provide a unifying framework to do so. The first objective of this paper is to demonstrate the development of comprehensive HIV-1 dynamics models that describe viral dynamics and also incorporate different factors influencing such dynamics. The second objective of this paper is to describe alternative estimation methods that can be applied to the analysis of data with such models. In particular, we consider: (i) simple but effective two-stage estimation methods, in which data from each patient are analyzed separately and summary statistics derived from the results, (ii) more complex nonlinear mixed effect models, used to pool all the patient data in a single analysis. Bayesian estimation methods are also considered, in particular: (iii) maximum posterior approximations, MAP, and (iv) Markov chain Monte Carlo, MCMC. Bayesian methods incorporate prior knowledge into the models, thus avoiding some of the model simplifications introduced when the data are analyzed using two-stage methods, or a nonlinear mixed effect framework. We demonstrate the development of the models and the different estimation methods using real AIDS clinical trial data involving patients receiving multiple drugs regimens.
Adaptive Subtraction of Free Surface Multiples Through Order-by-order Prediction, Matching Filters And Independent Component Analysis

We present a three stage algorithm for adaptive subtraction of free surface multiples, a processing step made necessary in the free-surface multiple elimination method, for example, by the absence of any of its deterministic prerequisites (knowledge of source wavelet, deghosted data, etc.). First, we construct multiple orders from the free surface multiple prediction formula. Each order contains unique information about the data. Second, we use the full recording duration of any given data trace to construct filters that attempt to match the data and the multiple predictions. This filter produces good phase results, but because of the order by order nature of the free surface algorithm, results that are still insufficient for straightforward subtraction. Instead, third, we construct, trace-by-trace, a mixing model where the mixtures are the data trace and its orders of multiple predictions. Corresponding to the mixtures, there are sources and a mixing process, both of which we find through a blind source separation technique, in particular by employing independent component analysis. One of the recovered sources is the desired signal. That is, it is the data without free surface multiples. This side-steps the subtraction inherent to most adaptive subtraction methods, and instead separates the desired signal from the free surface multiples.
The political economy of fiscal restrictions: Implications for Europe from the United States

Abstract This paper analyzes fiscal restrictions in the United States as a way of shedding light on the likely effects of the excessive deficits provisions of the Maastricht Treaty. We consider their impact on levels of deficits, on the cost of borrowing, and on the stabilization function of fiscal policy. If U.S. experience is any guide, Maastricht's fiscal restraints are enforceable, but if vigorously enforced they could significantly diminish the stabilization capacity of national budgets.
Edaphic diatom communities associated with Spartina alterniflora and S. patens in New Jersey

Edaphic diatoms inhabiting the sediments beneath dwarf Spartina alterniflora Loisel. and S. patens (Ait.) Muhl. in Great Bay salt marsh, Tuckerton, New Jersey were collected from 24 September 1974 through 20 August 1975. Of the 91 taxa encountered, 8 were endemic to the dwarf S. alterniflora habitat and 42 endemic to the S. patens habitat. The edaphic diatom community associated with S. patens was comprised of a much greater number of taxa and possessed higher values for species diversity (H') and evenness (J') than the community associated with dwarf S. alterniflora. The salinity of the marsh surface showed a completely opposite trend, being greatly reduced at the S. patens habitat. A highly significant relationship (P < 0.001) between the number of diatom taxa and marsh surface salinity at the S. patens habitat was demonstrated by a least squares regression. This finding led to the conclusion that the dissimilarity in the structure of the two edaphic diatom communities was primarily due to the very low marsh surface salinities at the S. patens habitat from January through June, and that this sustained. low-salinity regime allowed a very large number of taxa to coexist only in the S. patens community. Comparison of the diatom flora of Great Bay salt marsh with that of a Delaware marsh studied previously by the author showed that 67.0% of the 91 taxa encountered in New Jersey also occur on the Delaware marsh.
Monoclonal antibody DS6 detects a tumor-associated sialoglycotope expressed on human serous ovarian carcinomas.

A newly developed murine monoclonal antibody, DS6, immunohistochemically reacts with an antigen, CA6, that is expressed by human serous ovarian carcinomas but not by normal ovarian surface epithelium or mesothelium. CA6 has a limited distribution in normal adult tissues and is most characteristically detected in fallopian tube epithelium, inner urothelium and type 2 pneumocytes. Pre-treatment of tissue sections with either periodic acid or neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae abolishes immunoreactivity with DS6, indicating that CA6 is a neuraminidase-sensitive and periodic acid-sensitive sialic acid glycoconjugate ("sialoglycotope"). SDS-PAGE of OVCAR5 cell lysates has revealed that the CA6 epitope is expressed on an 80 kDa non-disulfide-linked glycoprotein containing N-linked oligosaccharides. Two-dimensional non-equilibrium pH gradient gel electrophoresis indicates an isoelectric point of approximately 6.2 to 6.5. Comparison of the immunohistochemical distribution of CA6 in human serous ovarian adenocarcinomas has revealed similarities to that of CA125; however, distinct differences and some complementarity of antigen expression were revealed by double-label, 2-color immunohistochemical studies. The DS6-detected CA6 antigen appears to be distinct from other well-characterized tumor-associated antigens, including MUC1, CA125 and the histo-blood group-related antigens sLea, sLex and sTn.
Effect of Hydrogen Free Radicals on Hg1−xCdxTe

The effects of atomic hydrogen (H) and Br/methanol etching on Hg 1-x Cd x Te films were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Exposure of an as-received Hg 1-x Cd x Te sample to H + H 2 resulted in H-induced TeO 2 reduction. The oxide reduction was first order with respect to H + H 2 exposure. Exposure to H + H 2 after etching the Hg 1-x Cd x Te film in a Br/methanol solution induced Hg and C depletion. Hg and C removal was also observed after completely reducing the TeO 2 on the as-received sample. The removal process was hindered by the formation of a Cd-rich overlayer on both etched and unetched surfaces.
Applications of Hyperpolarized 129Xe NMR Spectroscopy to the Study of Materials

The use of 129Xe NMR spectroscopy in the study of porous materials is by now a well- established method that has been reviewed many times [1–3]. The main idea is that the chemical shift tensor of Xe nuclides is extremely sensitive to local surroundings, primarily because of the large number of polarizable electrons [4, 5]. For small pore systems this is best summarized by stating that the isotropic shift is dependent on the size of the void space available to a xenon atom, whereas the anisotropic shift is sensitive to shape [4, 5]. These simple ideas are often modified by the need to take into account dynamics as well as Xe-Xe interactions (especially in large-pore materials), and it must be considered that if an isotropic line is observed in non-cubic solids, this can only be ascribed to the presence of fast dynamic processes [6–8]. As such, one must take into account the pore volume sampled by a xenon atom on the appropriate time scale in order to understand chemical shifts and relaxation parameters [6–8]. Dynamic processes also lend themselves to study, but only as equilibrium processes, eg by 2D EXSY or polarization transfer experiments [9]. As in the case of many NMR applications, the utility of the technique is limited by the need to acquire sufficient signal in a time that is short compared to the time scale of the process itself. The enhancement of the 129Xe NMR signal by the optical pumping of Rb, followed by spin exchange with Xe, has allowed an entire new approach to the study of materials [10–14]. Some of the main advantages include the rapid acquisition of spectra, which allows the study of non- equilibrium processes, and the acquisition of spectra at very low concentrations of Xe, which allow the efficient acquisition of “zero-loading” spectra and the use of Xe as a tracer to follow adsorption-desorption processes, phase transitions, etc.
An Attempt to Shape Bidimensional Attention in 24-Month-Old Infants.

Abstract Twenty-four Ss within 2 weeks of 24 months of age were presented a shapping procedure designed to lead to bidimensional sorting behavior. The shaping sequence involved three steps. Step I required spatial separation of two objects and 22 Ss reached criterial performance within the 25 trials allotted to this step. Step II required unidimensional sorting of two objects by color for half the Ss and by form for the other half. Ten Ss reached criterial performance within the 35 trials allotted to the second step. Step III required sorting three objects by both color and form. Four Ss succeeded on the third step at a level sufficient to reject statistically an existing hypothesis that children are limited to unidimensional attention prior to about 7 years of age. Success on Step III was significantly related to success on Step II. Errors on Step III were examined to further assess the unidimensional hypothesis and some support was found. Overall, however, data from this and other studies are viewed as more consistent with an alternative hypothesis that unidimensional and multidimensional attention are in part situationally dependent on the absence or presence of reinforcement for object discrimination.
A Decade of QTL Mapping for Cyst Nematode Resistance in Soybean

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe), the most destructive pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill], is estimated to be responsible for almost nine million megagrams in annual yield loss worldwide. Host plant resistance is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of controlling SCN. Resistance is present among soybean plant introductions (PIs) and related wild species, such as Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc. Molecular marker technology has ushered in a decade devoted to the identification and characterization of quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying SCN. These genetic mapping efforts uncovered numerous locations of SCN resistance QTL in many PIs. In more than a decade of mapping SCN resistance QTL, there is some consistency in the results. In almost all studies involving various sources of resistance, the QTL conferring the greatest level of resistance mapped to the region containing rhg1 on linkage group (LG) G. In addition, a major resistance QTL was mapped in many sources to the region containing Rhg4 on LG A2. The mapping of QTL to these regions from many sources suggests that these sources may have resistance genes in common, which has caused concern over the possible dependence on a few resistance genes. Recently, two independent research groups reported cloning candidate genes for rhg1 and Rhg4. Despite these advances, there is some degree of trepidation, especially in the public sector, on the use of rhg1 and Rhg4 genetic mapping and cloning information in SCN resistance breeding because of intellectual property issues.
The Politics of the Pitch: Claiming and Contesting Democracy Through the Iraqi National Soccer Team

Sport was among the many cultural resources that George W. Bush used to justify rhetorically the need for war in Iraq. Specifically, he sought to capitalize on the unexpected success of the Iraqi national soccer team during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Bush campaign produced a commercial that aired during the two weeks of Olympic coverage, in which Bush was credited with spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. Simultaneously, the president claimed that Iraq's participation in the Games was possible only because of American-led action that had toppled Saddam Hussein. Rather than accept this narrative, many Iraqi athletes and citizens responded with anger and resentment towards the United States. This analysis demonstrates the extent to which sport metaphors are implicated in the contests over democracy. Moreover, it suggests that critics must engage the discourses of sport as they articulate with politics in an effort to recover the democratic potential of each.
dSLAM analysis of genome-wide genetic interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Analysis of genetic interactions has been extensively exploited to study gene functions and to dissect pathway structures. One such genetic interaction is synthetic lethality, in which the combination of two non-lethal mutations leads to loss of organism viability. We have developed a dSLAM (heterozygote d iploid-based s ynthetic l ethality a nalysis with m icroarrays) technology that effectively studies synthetic lethality interactions on a genome-wide scale in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Typically, a query mutation is introduced en masse into a population of ∼6000 haploid-convertible heterozygote diploid Yeast Knockout (YKO) mutants via integrative transformation. Haploid pools of single and double mutants are freshly generated from the resultant heterozygote diploid double mutant pool after meiosis and haploid selection and studied for potential growth defects of each double mutant combination by microarray analysis of the “molecular barcodes” representing each YKO. This technology has been effectively adapted to study other types of genome-wide genetic interactions including gene-compound synthetic lethality, secondary mutation suppression, dosage-dependent synthetic lethality and suppression.
Ovarian angiosarcoma: Extended survival following optimal cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Angiosarcomas are rare vascular tumors that comprise up to 3% of all adult soft tissue sarcomas. The majority of angiosarcomas occur in cutaneous sites, most frequently in the head and neck region. They can be caused by prior radiation, chronic lymphedema, or a history of exposure to vinyl-chloride chemotherapy (Bradford et al., 2010). Although one-fourth of these tumors arise in deep soft tissue, angiosarcoma has only rarely been described in the ovary. The first reported case was in 1931 and, to date, less than 35 cases have been published in the literature (Bosmuller et al., 2011). Angiosarcomas, regardless of anatomic site, demonstrate aggressive clinical behavior, with median survival ranging from 15 to 30 months, and fewer than 12% of patients alive at 5 years (Penel et al., 2007). In general, patients with ovarian angiosarcoma present with advanced disease and have a very poor prognosis. Among those patients with FIGO stage III and IV disease, the median survival is 6 to 7 months, with an overall range of 1 to 30 months (Bradford et al., 2010). Typically, radical surgical excision is followed by any number of possible chemotherapeutic regimens. For metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas, anthracyclines and ifosfamide have proven to be the most effective chemotherapeutic agents. Additionally, taxanes have demonstrated promising results in angiosarcomas of the head and neck (Penel et al., 2008). We report a patient with stage IIIC ovarian angiosarcoma who had extended survival after primary cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant doxorubicin and ifosfamide chemotherapy.
Hospital Mergers and Competitive Effects: Two Retrospective Analyses

Abstract We present empirical analyses of the effects of two hospital mergers – both occurring in the northern suburbs of Chicago in 2000 – on the pre‐ and post‐merger prices negotiated with commercial health insurers. Using difference‐in‐differences methodology and data on actual transaction prices, specifically the prices paid by private health insurance companies and patients for inpatient care, we find one of the mergers was anticompetitive. Relative to price increases at other hospitals, the merger between Evanston Northwestern and Highland Park Hospitals led to large and statistically significant post‐merger price increases. Our results are robust across data sources, control groups, and case‐mix adjustment methods.
The Notch signaling inhibitor DAPT down-regulates cdk5 activity and modulates the distribution of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins.

Notch signaling is critical for the development of the nervous system. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) is a neuronal kinase involved in neuronal development and phosphorylates a number of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins. To determine the relationship between Notch and cdk5 signaling, we tested the effects of the Notch inhibitor, N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) on cdk5 expression, activity and cytoskeletal protein distribution in the rat cortical neurons in primary cultures. Neurons treated with 10 μM DAPT showed attenuated cdk5 activity in spite of an up-regulation of cdk5 protein level, consistent with a phenomenon reported in the cdk5 transgenic mice. Immunoblot and immunofluorescence analyses showed an increased level of cdk5, but not p35. Phospho-tau and phospho-neurofilament showed a shift from axons to cell bodies in DAPT-treated cells. DAPT-induced attenuation of cdk5 activity was restored by over-expression of p35 indicating that it interacted with cdk5 and up-regulated nascent cdk5 activity. p35 over-expression also rescued DAPT-induced translocation of phospho-tau and phospho-neurofilament. Immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting demonstrated that DAPT does not disrupt cdk5 and p35 interaction. Moreover, DAPT up-regulated neurogenin that is negatively regulated by Notch, and down-regulated Hes1, a downstream target of Notch, suggesting that Notch signaling in the cortical neurons was disrupted. Semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR analyses confirmed that DAPT up-regulated cdk5 expression at the transcriptional level. These results establish a link between Notch signaling and cdk5 expression regulating neuronal cytoskeletal protein dynamics.
Design and development of an electromagnetic cervical range of motion system

A three-dimensional cervical-spine range-of-motion system has been developed using an electromagnetic tracking system for data collection and a personal computer for analysis and graphic representation of the data. A test was designed to investigate the sensitivity of the electromagnetic device to the proximity of metal. It was found that relative position errors could be kept below 0.5 cm and rotation errors could be kept below 1 degrees if all metal was at least 33 cm from the source and sensor and the source was kept at least 33 cm from the floor. >
Implementation of Internal Curing in Transportation Concrete

Internal curing is one method used to improve the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. Internal curing provides additional water to the hydrating cement particles that is not part of the original mixing water. The Ohio Department of Transportation (Ohio DOT) observed significant differences in early-age cracking of high-performance bridge decks in northeast Ohio and attributed it to differences in the absorption of the coarse aggregate. Ohio DOT sponsored a study to investigate the properties and cracking tendencies of several of its classes of concrete, including high-performance concrete, paving concrete, structural concrete, and bonded overlays. A large number of studies have been published documenting the benefits of internal curing; however, work is necessary to implement it. The focus of this study is on the benefits of internal curing for pavement and overlay mixtures and the use of internal curing in the field. Evaluation was done of the fresh and hardened concrete properties of the d...
Algorithms for chattering reduction in system control

Abstract Sliding mode control (SMC) is among the popular approaches for control of systems, especially for unknown nonlinear systems. However, the chattering in SMC is generally a problem that needs to be resolved for better control. A time-varying method is proposed for determining the sliding gain function in the SMC. Two alternative tuning algorithms are proposed for reducing the sliding gain function for systems. The first algorithm is for systems with no noise and disturbance but with or without unmodeled dynamics. The second algorithm is for systems with noise, disturbance, unmodeled dynamics, or any combination of them. Compared with the state-dependent, equivalent-control-dependent, and hysteresis loop methods, the proposed algorithms are more straightforward and easy to implement. The performance of the algorithms is evaluated for five different cases. A 90% to 95% reduction of chattering is achieved for the first algorithm used for systems with sensor dynamics only. By using the second algorithm, the chattering is reduced by 70% to 90% for systems with noise and/or disturbance, and by 25% to 50% for systems with a combination of disturbance, noise, and unmodeled dynamics.
Portal vein dilatation in the liver transplant recipient.

Portal vein stenoses are quite rare in liver transplant recipients except when interposition grafts are used to facilitate the surgical anastomosis.1 Often these lesions are discovered with non-invasive screening tests such as ultrasound but can also present with symptoms related to portal hypertension. Because stenoses can progress to complete occlusions that portend a much worse prognosis, we have aggressively sought and dilated stenoses. When encountered, this type of vascular complication is effectively alleviated with percutaneous angioplasty.2,3,4,5,6 Metallic stents have also been used effectively to treat recurrent and elastic stenoses.6,7,8
Micro-pillar measurements of plasticity in confined Cu thin films

Sputtering was utilized to deposit polycrystalline Cu and CrN films sequentially onto Si(100) substrates, forming specimen assemblies in which predominantly 〈111〉 oriented Cu thin films of varying thicknesses were confined between Si and CrN. Cylindrical micro-pillars of CrN/Cu/Si(100) were fabricated through focused ion beam milling, with the interfaces either normal to the axial direction or at an inclination of 45°. Axial compression loading of the micro-pillars produced extensive plasticity within the thin Cu interlayers in both cases, but with distinctly different responses involving combined compression and shear when the interfaces are normal to the compression axis and constrained shear when the interfaces are inclined. Significant size effects were observed, offering new experimental evidence of scale-dependent plasticity for thin film layers, and new experimental test cases for non-local plasticity theories.
Ab initio study of the stable phases of 1:1 tantalum nitride

Abstract Integrated circuits will continue to see dimensional shrinking and, as a consequence, the barrier layers needed to stop the diffusion of the metal interconnects into the dielectrics will also need to shrink. One of the key materials used as a barrier layer is tantalum nitride, but it is relatively unexplored from an ab initio perspective. In addition, there seems to be some conflicting data with regard to the most stable crystal structure at ambient conditions for the system. Two crystal structures in the phase diagram (e-TaN, P6/mmm and δ-TaN, Fm 3 ¯ m ) and one alternate crystal structure (π-TaN, P 6 ¯ 2 m ) are assessed using density functional theory. This study determines the lattice constants, bulk modulus and heat of formation for each of these crystal structures to determine the most stable system. In addition, an assessment of the bonding is done to provide insight into phase stability. The π-TaN is shown to be the most likely crystal structure over e-TaN or δ-TaN at low temperatures. Vacancy formation energy calculations were done to understand the line compound of TaN at ambient conditions. Vacancy formation on the Ta and N sites were large, suggesting that the π-TaN exists in a very narrow composition range, consistent with the phase diagram. In contrast, Ta vacancies are favorable in the δ-TaN phase, and the shallowness of the Gibbs free energy curve vs. composition is consistent with the δ-TaN phase occurring at 42 to 50 at.% on the phase diagram.
Studies on cell number and the progression factor in the growth of Japanese beetle larvae (Popillia japonica Newman)

Increases in weight, total body length, and width and length of the head capsule of Japanese beetle larvae were studied. Since the progression factors decreased with succeeding molts and exhibited considerable variation it was concluded that Przibram's principle is inapplicable. Cells were counted in the mid-intestine and brain. Columnar cells of the mid-intestine were measured. The data show: (a) No increase in cell number occurs at the time of molting. (b) The progression in weight and length cannot be correlated with an increase in cell number. In the first instar the progression for increase in weight was 5.73; while for increase in cell number, it was 1.67 for the mid-intestine, and 1.19 for the brain. In the second instar, the corresponding figures were 5.24, 1.98 and 1.69. In the third instar average weight increased 3.18 times, but there was practically no increase in cell number. Thus, molting does not represent a definite increase in number of cells of the insect's body as suggested by Przibram and Megusar, and Bodenheimer's method of calculating cell divisions seems to have no factual basis. Increase in size of the larva is largely due to an increase in cell size. The ratio of increase in total cell volume of the columnar cells of the mid-intestine is approximately equal to the ratio of weight increase.
Organochlorine Pesticides and Thiamine in Eggs of Largemouth Bass and American Alligators and Their Relationship with Early Life-stage Mortality

Thiamine deficiency has been linked to early mortality syndrome in salmonids in the Great Lakes. This study was conducted to compare thiamine concentrations in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) eggs from sites with high embryo mortality and high exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) (Lakes Apopka and Griffin, and Emeralda Marsh, Florida, USA) to those from sites that have historically exhibited low embryo mortality and low OCPs (Lakes Woodruff and Orange, Florida). During June– July 2000, 20 alligator clutches were collected from these sites, artificially incubated, and monitored for embryo mortality. Thiamine and OCPs were measured in one egg/clutch. During February 2002, 10 adult female bass were collected from Emeralda Marsh and Lake Woodruff and mature ovaries analyzed for thiamine and OCP concentrations. Although ovaries from the Emeralda Marsh bass contained almost 1,000-fold more OCPs compared with the reference si...
Isolation of a human cDNA encoding amidophosphoribosyltransferase and functional complementation of a CHO Ade-A mutant deficient in this activity.

We report here the isolation of a human cDNA encoding the first step in de novo purine biosynthesis, amidophosphoribosyltransferase (PRAT). The human PRAT cDNA was isolated by complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae ade4 mutant deficient in PRAT enzymatic activity. The identity of the isolated cDNA, designated pAdeA-3, was confirmed by several independent methods. Genomic DNA sequences homologous to pAdeA-3 show coordinate segregation with the hypoxanthine nutritional requirement in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell Ade−A-human hybrids, segregants of these hybrids, and irradiation reduction hybrids. The PRAT cDNA after insertion into a mammalian expression vector was capable of correcting the PRAT enzyme deficiency in CHO Ade−A mutants. This correction was monitored by both cell-free PRAT assays and in vivo phosphoribosylformylglycinamide (FGAR) accumulation studies. FGAR accumulation is a classic method for assessment of the early steps of purine nucleotide biosynthesis. Two of the isolated transformants, designated PRAT-1 and PRAT-2, exhibited 22% and 53%, respectively, of wild-type CHO K1 PRAT enzymatic activity using a cell-free enzyme assay. These same two transformants plus an additional transformant, designated PRAT-13, showed FGAR accumulations of 150%, 260%, and 140%, respectively, compared to the levels of accumulation seen in CHO K1. Transformants PRAT-1 and PRAT-2 both contained a mRNA species recognized by the PRAT cDNA of identical size to a mRNA species in human fibroblasts homologous to the PRAT cDNA. This observation, along with the functionality of the cDNA in both yeast and CHO cells deficient in PRAT activity, suggests the isolated cDNA is full length.
Random Fibonacci sequences and the number 1.13198824...

\begin{abstract} For the familiar Fibonacci sequence --defined by $f_1 = f_2 = 1$, and $f_n = f_{n-1} + f_{n-2}$ for $n<2$ --$f_n$ increases exponentially with $n$ at a rate given by the golden ratio $(1+\sqrt{5})/2=1.61803398\ldots$. But for a simple modification with both additions and subtractions --the {\it random} Fibonacci sequences defined by $t_1=t_2=1$, and for $n<2$, $t_n = \pm t_{n-1} \pm t_{n-2}$, where each $\pm$ sign is independent and either $+$ or $-$ with probability $1/2$ --it is not even obvious if $\abs{t_n}$ should increase with $n$. Our main result is that \begin{equation*} \sqrt[n]{\abs{t_n}} \rightarrow 1.13198824\ldots\:\:\: \text{as}\:\:\: n \rightarrow\infty \end{equation*} with probability $1$. Finding the number $1.13198824\ldots$ involves the theory of random matrix products, Stern-Brocot division of the real line, a fractal-like measure, a computer calculation, and a rounding error analysis to validate the computer calculation. \end{abstract}
Aqueous Solubility Relationships for Two Types of Calcium Silicate Hydrate

There are many published values for the concentrations of lime and silica in the aqueous phase which is in contact with calcium silicate hydrate. These have been collected, carefully analyzed, and found often to be apparently inconsistent. When, however, they are interpreted as having come from an aqueous phase which is in near equilibrium with one or another of two possible modifications of calcium silicate hydrate, almost all the data are rationalized. Some important insights emerge for the understanding of the complex processes which occur during the hydration of tricalcium silicate.
Sprouty1 inhibits angiogenesis in association with up-regulation of p21 and p27.

Sprouty1 (Spry1) is a conserved antagonist of FGF signaling. The goal of this study was to further explore the downstream mechanisms governing Spry1 inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation. Up-regulation of Spry1 in HUVECs inhibited tube formation on Matrigel (n = 6, P 2-fold increase in an anti-angiogenic factor, serpin peptidase inhibitor, clad F (Serpinf1), and a >2-fold decrease in pro-angiogenic factors fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT1), angiopoietin2 (Ang-2), and placental growth factor (PGF) (n = 2). To define upstream mechanisms that may regulate endogenous Spry1, we performed a search for responsive elements upstream of the promoter region. This search resulted in the identification of multiple degenerate hypoxia responsive elements. Exposure to hypoxia resulted in a significant increase in Spry1 expression (n = 8, P < 0.01). These findings shed new light on downstream signaling pathways associated with Spry1 anti-proliferative responses, and provide new evidence that hypoxia stimulates Spry1 expression.
Disentangling nonlinearities in the long- and short-run price relationships: an application to the US hog/pork supply chain

Increased concentration at the retail, food processing and farm input manufacturing levels has brought increased attention to patterns in retail-to-farm price spreads. Most studies documenting asymmetric price transmission focus on nonlinear error correction processes, as opposed to the current study which analyses potential nonlinearities in the long-run relationship between the farm and retail prices. The null hypothesis of nonlinearity in the long-run relationship between farm and retail prices in the US hog/pork supply chain is rejected in favour of a Smooth Transition Cointegration (STC) framework. The STC framework predicts downward price stickiness in retail prices. The predicted residuals of the nonlinear model are used to investigate whether it is possible to disentangle nonlinearity in the long-run price relationship from nonlinearity in the adjustment towards the long-run equilibrium. The results underline the importance of testing for linearity in the long-run price relationship before modelli...
Acquisition of Consumption Stereotypes by Children

The main goal of consumer education of children and adolescents is the transmission of skills and concepts which allow individuals to maximize their satisfaction given their particular set of values. Ac cordingly, consumer educators stress skills such as handling money, comparison shopping, budgeting, and saving—all designed to pro mote economic rationality. In addition, consumer educators en courage children to analyze products in terms of their functional characteristics (for example, how nutritious is the food, how sturdy are the shoes, or how safe is the bicycle). The acquisition of these consumer competencies has been well documented [20, 26, 30, 33]. At the same time that consumer education is occurring at school (and to a lesser extent at home), children are learning the symbolic meanings that are attached to goods by either adults or peers. For in stance, children learn that having one cartoon character on their T-shirts brings them esteem or envy, while another character marks them as "out of it." Or, by watching their parents, children learn that owning a new sports car is "better" than driving an old sedan. In fact, a child's perception of the symbolic meaning of a product or brand will often overpower functional considerations of an economic nature.
Stepped-Impedance Transformers and Filter Prototypes

Quarter-wave transformers are widely used to obtain an impedance match within a specified tolerance between two lines of different characteristic impedances over a specified frequency band. This paper gives design formulas and extensive tables of designs, most of which were especially derived so that an integrated account could be presented for the first time. Numerous examples are given. Only homogeneous, synchronous transformers and filters are included in this paper, but a short bibliography on related topics is appended. The theory is also applied to band-pass filters, by showing how to convert quarter-wave transformers into half-wave filter prototypes. The theoretical and numerical results presented are applicable to the design of impedance transformers, direct-coupled cavity filters, short-line low-pass filters, optical antireflection coatings and interference filters, acoustical transformers, branch-guide directional couplers, TEM-mode coupled-transmission-line directional couplers, and other circuits. These applications have been or will be dealt with in separate papers; this paper gives the basic theory and some of the numerical data required for these applications.
Self-control, negative affect and neural activity during effortful cognition in deprived smokers

The vast majority of attempts to quit smoking cigarettes are unsuccessful. Negative affect (NA) is one of the primary factors contributing to smoking relapse, in part because it interferes with psychological processes that are essential for self-regulation and coping. Converging evidence suggests that NA may be less of a problem for smokers with high relative to low dispositional self-control, but very little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this effect. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to address this issue by examining the associations between trait self-control, state levels of NA and patterns of brain activation in nicotine-deprived smokers (n ¼ 117) during the performance of a verbal n-back paradigm (a task requiring cognitive processes that support self-regulation). While the activation of several brain regions linked to executive control correlated positively and negatively with state NA and trait self-control, respectively, an interaction between these factors was identified in only one region: the ventromedial
Expression of the neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) gene isoforms during rat embryonic development

The neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) gene product, merlin, encodes a 595 amino acid protein with sequence similarity to a family of proteins linking cell membrane proteins to the cytoskeleton. Two isoforms of merlin have been described which differ by the presence (type 2 merlin) or absence (type 1 merlin) of exon 16 sequences inserted into the extreme carboxyl terminus of the protein. To determine the role of this important negative growth regulator during normal embryonic development, the expression of these two merlin isoforms was examined at representative stages of rat embryogenesis and in adult tissues. Partial sequence analysis of the rat merlin gene demonstrated striking amino acid identity to the published mouse and human merlin gene sequences. In situ hybridization and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that rat merlin is widely expressed during embryogenesis and early postnatal life in most tissues but becomes restricted to the brainstem, cerebellum, dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord, adrenal gland and testis in adult animals. The elucidation of the pattern of merlin gene expression in adult and embryonic tissues provides the foundations for future studies aimed at determining the function(s) of this protein during cell differentiation and embryonic development.