cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bearing estimation in beamspace employing frequency diversity

We here develop a beamspace domain based Maximum Likelihood (BDML) estimation scheme for low-angle radar tracking. In the low-angle radar tracking scenario, echoes return from the target via a specular path, as well as by a direct path. The angular separation between the direct and specular arrivals is a fraction of a beamwidth, negating the use of classical monopulse bearing estimation based on sum and difference beams. In the new scheme, the element space snapshot vectors are first operated on by a Butler matrix composed of three orthogonal beamforming vectors. The conversion to 3-D beamspace domain via the Butler matrix beam former is shown to facilitate a simple, closed-form BDML estimator for the direct and specular path angles. To avoid track breaking in cases where the two signals arrive at the center of the array either perfectly in-phase or 180° out-of-phase, the use of frequency diversity is incorporated. The coherent signal subspace concept of Wang and Kaveh is invoked as a means for retaining the computational simplicity of single frequency operation. With proper selection of the auxiliary frequencies, it is shown that perfect focusing at the reference frequency may be simply achieved at the outset, i. e., without iterating. Simulations are presented demonstrating the performance of the BDML estimation scheme employing frequency diversity in a low-angle radar tracking environment.
ATP as an indicator of toxicity

Abstract ATP concentrations were shown to be a fast and reliable indicator of toxicity. pH changes, chloroform, acetone, acrolein and mercuric chloride were tested for toxic effects. Acrolein and mercuric chloride were by far the most toxic substances tested. Chloroform at its solubility limit (approx 5 ml l−1) induced only a 40% reduction in ATP concentration after 6 h exposure. Mercuric chloride at 1 ppm caused nearly 100% loss of ATP in only 1 h. These experiments have demonstrated the utility of ATP concentrations in monitoring and projecting the future effects of pollutants. In conjunction with other methods of estimating sublethal and lethal effects of pollutants, ATP could be valuable in assessing the impact of potential pollutants on aquatic environments.
Effects of Veratrine, Nitrate Ion and γ-Aminobutyric Acid on Mammalian Miniature End-Plate Potentials

Effects of Veratrine, Nitrate Ion and γ-Aminobutyric Acid on Mammalian Miniature End-Plate Potentials
Electroactivity of Cacodylic Acid in Aqueous and Nonaqueous Media

Abstract The electroreduction of dimethylarsenic acid (cacodylic acid), (CH3)AsO2H, and methylarsonic acid, (CH3)ASO3H2, in both nonaqueous and aqueous buffer electrolytes, is described.
THE ANATOMY OF THE ABNORMAL SWELLINGS ON THE STEMS OF SOME VARIETIES OF SOYBEANS

WHILE GROWING several species of plants in the greenhouse in short and long days and at different temperature levels to determine the environmental conditions essential to the induction of blossom buds, a type of response was observed in Glycine Max Merr., var. Illini, var. Manchu 3, and var. Minsoy in ce'rtain environmental conditions unlike that of plants of any species heretofore studied by the writer. In short days and at a cool night temperature, a swelling or thickening of the third and fourth internodes from the stem-tips and a clustering of short, swollen, and unripened pods at the nodes was characteristic of many plants of these varieties (fig. 1). A limited tendency for this condition to occur in some plants in continuously cool long days has been observed. Occasionally plants of soybean grown in the field exhibited a similar condition. The internodes near the stem-tip were short and enlarged, the plants often developed little beyond the blossom stage, and when fruits were formed, they were short and stubby. These abnormal plants remained green while the normal ones had mature fruits and had dropped their leaves (fig. 2). It was noted that at least seventy varieties, in breeding and trial plots of the Department of Agronomy of the College of Agriculture, showed this type of abnormal plant. These abnormal plants were quite infrequent except in one variety in which this habit of growth appeared in 10 to 15 per cent of the population. These types of soybean plants are referred to as "duds" by soybean specialists and growers. Psarev (1940) studied the variety Illini and stated that under the influence of short days the stems reached considerable thickness so that some of the internodes assumed the shape of abnormal swellings or tumors. He concludes that the diameter of short day plants was due to cambial activity, although he does not state whether he was referring to plants with swollen internodes or to normal plants. In either case this is the opposite of what nas been found in a study of the anato'mical structure of 'plants during the induction of blossoms (Struckmeyer, 1941). Psarev (1940) does not mention induction in his paper, but we have learned from our observations that this variety when grown in different environmental combinations is an indeterminate type and is induced to blossom in both
Role of α-Dystroglycan as a Schwann Cell Receptor for Mycobacterium leprae

a-Dystroglycan (a-DG) is a component of the dystroglycan complex, which is involved in early development and morphogenesis and in the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophies. Here, a-DG was shown to serve as a Schwann cell receptor for Mycobacterium leprae, the causative organism of leprosy. Mycobacterium leprae specifically bound to a-DG only in the presence of the G domain of the a2 chain of laminin-2. Native a-DG competitively inhibited the laminin-2—mediated M. leprae binding to primary Schwann cells. Thus, M. leprae may use linkage between the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton through laminin-2 and a-DG for its interaction with Schwann cells.
Determining the number of photoelectrons in a Cherenkov counter

Abstract A simple way to determine the number of photoelectrons in a Cherenkov counter is presented.
Extinction and Persistence in Models of Population-Toxicant Interactions

ABSTRACT Hallam, T.G. and de Luna, J.T., 1984. Extinction and persistence in models of population-toxicant interactions. Ecol. Modelling, 22: 13–20. Recent qualitative studies of the effects of toxicants on populations have resulted in conjectures about the role played by a dose-response function in determining the existence of multiple equilibrium states, consequences of modelling chemical dynamics by first order laws, and problems arising when uptake of toxicant can occur through both environmental and food chain pathways. A brief synthesis, focusing upon the sensitivity of the models to the representation of the population, of these studies is presented. Then, some new persistence-extinction results for resource-consumer-toxicant interactions are indicated. An analytic approach is utilized to address a set of generic models each employing a dynamic submodel of the population, a dynamic formulation for environmental concentration of toxicant, and a dynamic concentration of toxicant in the individual organisms. Coupling of toxicant and population is achieved through a dose response function representing the effects of body burden on the intrinsic growth rate of the population. Conclusions, derived from the models by analytic techniques, are phrased in terms of system level parameters that govern persistence or extinction of the model population. While these system parameters are theoretically easy to compute since they are defined in terms of population and chemical parameters, the paucity of complete parameter sets for a population and a toxicant makes application difficult.
The acute side effects of bright light therapy: a placebo-controlled investigation.

Despite the emergence of numerous clinical and non-clinical applications of bright light therapy (LT) in recent decades, the prevalence and severity of LT side effects have not yet been fully explicated. A few adverse LT effects—headache, eye strain, irritability, and nausea—have been consistently reported among depressed individuals and other psychiatric cohorts, but there exists little published evidence regarding LT side effects in non-clinical populations, who often undergo LT treatment of considerably briefer duration. Accordingly, in the present study we examined, in a randomized sample of healthy young adults, the acute side effects of exposure to a single 30-minute session of bright white light (10,000 lux) versus dim red light (< 500 lux). Across a broad range of potential side effects, repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed no significant group-by-time (Pre, Post) interactions. In other words, bright light exposure was not associated with a significantly higher incidence of any reported side effect than was the placebo control condition. Nevertheless, small but statistically significant increases in both eye strain and blurred vision were observed among both the LT and control groups. Overall, these results suggest that the relatively common occurrence of adverse side effects observed in the extant LT literature may not fully extend to non-clinical populations, especially for healthy young adults undergoing LT for a brief duration.
Studies of sterol synthesis, synthesis regulation and transport in cultured human kidney.

Abstract Cellular sterol content and sterol metabolism were studied in diploid human kidney cells in early passages in culture. Cholesterol, the main cellular sterol, was present at levels similar to those reported for other cultured mammalian kidneys. Cholesterol biosynthesis was characterized by a slow conversion of sterol precursors with accumulation of lanosterol and 27 carbon-atom sterols. In the absence of exogenous cholesterol, kidney cells grew slowly and intracellular cholesterol decreased; however, sterol formation from labelled acetate was stimulated. These results suggest that the cholesterol concentration in the culture medium influences the rate of sterol formation by the kidney cell. Furthermore, cholesterol appears to be essential to cultured human kidney and de novo synthesis by the cells in culture is not adequate to meet their requirements for growth.
Sensors and actuators: Low-cost sensors linearize, condition, and preprocess inputs from measured parameters. New actuators provide precise position control

Discusses the use of sensors in automated factories to linearise, condition, and preprocess inputs from measured parameters. Some new actuators which can provide precise position control are also described.
Timing variability analysis for layout-dependent-effects in 28nm custom and standard cell-based designs

We identify most recent sources of transistor layout dependent effects (LDE) such as stress, lithography, and well proximity effects (WPE), and outline modeling and analysis methods for 28 nm. These methods apply to custom layout, standard cell designs, and context-aware post-route analysis. We show how IC design teams can use a model-based approach to quantify and analyze variability induced by LDE. We reduce the need for guard-bands that negate the performance advantages that stress brings to advanced process technologies.
A Multi-Proportions Randomized Response Model

Abstract In surveys of human populations respondents are not likely to participate or tell the truth when the reply may tend to stigmatize them in the eyes of the surveyor. Warner developed a technique for estimating the proportion of persons with such a sensitive characteristic in a binomial situation by having the respondent answer only “Yes” or “No” to one of two questions selected at random. This technique is hereby extended to the case where the population can be divided into t categories in which at least one and not more than (t − 1) of them are stigmatizing. The case when t = 3 is investigated in detail and the estimates are shown to be unbiased. The variances are larger than those for regular trinomial estimators but this loss may be compensated for by greater cooperation. Under the assumption that respondents may tend to lie under either interviewing method, comparisons are made to determine where the randomizing technique still has an advantage. An example of a field trial is cited where the me...
Human gastric adenocarcinoma cathepsin B: isolation and sequencing of full-length cDNAs and polymorphisms of the gene

Abstract Four full-length cDNA clones coding for preprocathepsin B were isolated from a human gastric adenocarcinoma cDNA library (AGS 1-6-30-1) and analyzed for possible sequence modifications that might be linked to altered intracellular trafficking and secretion of cathepsin B (CTSB) in malignant tumors. Comparison of AGS 1-6-30-1 cDNAs with human kidney/hepatoma cDNAs revealed: (1) three potential N-glycosylation sites instead of two, (2) a nucleotide (nt) substitution m the coding region for the propeptide from GTG to CTG which would result in a Val26 → Leu change, (3) three silent nt replacements in the coding region for the mature protein, (4) five single-nt differences in the 5′- and 3′-UTR (untranslated regions), (5) heterogeneity in the 5′-UTR, and (6) a 10-bp insertion in the 3′-UTR. The 10-bp insertion in the 3′-UTR may alter the stability of CTSB mRNA transcripts and thereby the expression of CTSB. These clones should be useful for expressing human tumor CTSB and analyzing the function of this enzyme in malignant progression. Two restriction-fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), EcoRI and TaqI, were detected by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from 36 unrelated Caucasians. Inheritance and distribution of the EcoRI alleles (13.0 and 11.0 kb) and the TaqI alleles (5.7 and 4.6 kb) indicated they were independent polymorphisms. In contrast to the EcoRI alleles of 13.0 and 11.0 kb observed in the population survey, genomic DNA from two AGS gastric adenocarcinoma subclones revealed two EcoRI alleles of 13.0 and 7.8 kb. Whether the sequence modifications observed in the AGS 1-6-30-1 CTSB cDNA clones are associated with its altered expression and distribution of CTSB in tumors will require further investigation.
Effect of food coadministration on 5-aminosalicylic acid oral suspension bioavailability.

Single doses of 1 gm 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) suspension was administered to 24 healthy volunteers during both fasting and fed conditions. For subjects in a fasting state, plasma 5-ASA and acetyl 5-ASA concentrations peaked rapidly 1 hour after dosing to 14.72 μg/ml and 11.4 μg/ml, respectively. The elimination half-life of 5-ASA was 51.9 minutes, whereas the acetyl 5-ASA half-life could not be determined. A mean of 78.3% of the dose was excreted in the urine, with 5-ASA accounting for 21.2% of the dose and acetyl 5-ASA accounting for the balance. Only 11.3% of the dose was eliminated in the feces, consisting mostly of acetyl 5-ASA. Food coadministration reduced 5-ASA and acetyl 5-ASA systemic relative bioavailability to 44% and 76%, respectively, compared with the fasting treatment. Urinary excretion of the salicylates was reduced to 46.8%, and fecal salicylate elimination increased almost 100%– to 24.2% of the total dose. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 48, 26–33; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.113
Predicting Milk Yield of Holstein Cows from 306 to 395 Days in Milk

Abstract Prediction equations were determined to estimate daily milk yield from 306 to 395 d in milk for forecasting herd milk sales from Holstein cows in lactation >305 d. Data were test day milk weights for 65,322 primiparous and 119,220 pluriparous lactations of > 305 d from the Southern US. A forecast model was developed using same lactation 305 d milk yield (in classes of 500 kg increments) that gave similar predicted daily yields as models utilizing last sample milk weight information. This model has the advantage of early forecasting of later milk using projected 305-d yields. Reduced forecast models ignoring days pregnant, yield class, or both accounted for 95, 68, and 59%, and 91, 67, and 56% as much variation in daily milk as the full model for the primiparous and pluriparous cows. Percentage of 305-d milk yielded in mo 11, 12, and 13, depending on 305-d yield class, ranged from 7.1 to 7.0%, 6.2 to 6.0%, and 5.4 to 5.0%, and 5.4 to 5.0%, 4.3 to 3.9%, and 3.3 to 3.0% for first parity and pluriparous cows calving in winter and 125 d open. Cows not calving in winter or with more than 125 d open yielded more milk in extended lactation. These percentages are larger than generally assumed in studies of days open, thus indicating that cost of days open may have been overestimated.
Alterations of pancreatic islet structure, metabolism and gene expression in diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice

The reduction of functional β cell mass is a key feature of type 2 diabetes. Here, we studied metabolic functions and islet gene expression profiles of C57BL/6J mice with naturally occurring nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) deletion mutation, a widely used model of diet-induced obesity and diabetes. On high fat diet (HF), the mice developed obesity and hyperinsulinemia, while blood glucose levels were only mildly elevated indicating a substantial capacity to compensate for insulin resistance. The basal serum insulin levels were elevated in HF mice, but insulin secretion in response to glucose load was significantly blunted. Hyperinsulinemia in HF fed mice was associated with an increase in islet mass and size along with higher BrdU incorporation to β cells. The temporal profiles of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) of isolated islets were comparable in HF and normal chow fed mice. Islets isolated from HF fed mice had elevated basal oxygen consumption per islet but failed to increase oxygen consumption further in response to glucose or carbonyl cyanide-4-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP). To obtain an unbiased assessment of metabolic pathways in islets, we performed microarray analysis comparing gene expression in islets from HF to normal chow-fed mice. A few genes, for example, those genes involved in the protection against oxidative stress (hypoxia upregulated protein 1) and Pgc1α were up-regulated in HF islets. In contrast, several genes in extracellular matrix and other pathways were suppressed in HF islets. These results indicate that islets from C57BL/6J mice with NNT deletion mutation develop structural, metabolic and gene expression features consistent with compensation and decompensation in response to HF diet.
Chain recurrence and attraction in non-compact spaces

In the study of a dynamical system f: X → X generated by a continuous map f on a compact metric space X, the chain recurrent set is an object of fundamental interest. This set was defined by C. Conley, who showed that it has two rather different looking, but equivalent, definitions: one given in terms of ‘approximate orbits’ through individual points (pseudo-orbits, or e-chains), and the other given in terms of the global structure of the class of ‘attractors’ and ‘basins of attraction’ of f. The first of these definitions generalizes directly to dynamical systems on any metric space, compact or not. The main purpose of this paper is to extend the second definition to non-compact spaces in such a way that it remains equivalent to the first.
Intestinal motility. I. Control mechanisms in the basic electric rhythm of the canine small intestine.

Abstract The pacesetter potential of the BER in the fasting dog has a varied rapidly changeable pattern. A polypeptide extractable from the posterior pituitary when given intravenously has the capacity to alter the varied pacesetter potential pattern in the fasting dog to that of a highly organized cephalocaudad coherent pattern. Serotonin when instilled intraluminally in a dog pretreated with iv Coherin has the capacity of making the pacesetter potentials simultaneous in a particular segment of small intestine. This observable pacesetter potential performance would seem to preclude an anatomically stable focal pacemaker apparatus. An alternative model is proposed comprised of a linear intramural pacing apparatus demonstrable in the form of an electropositive beat and involving varying lengths of intestine depending on physiological stimulus.
Genetic variation in sialidase and linkage to N-acetylneuraminate catabolism in Mycoplasma synoviae.

We explored the genetic basis for intraspecific variation in mycoplasmal sialidase activity that correlates with virulence, and its potentially advantageous linkage to nutrient catabolism. Polymorphism in N-acetylneuraminate scavenging and degradation genes (sialidase, N-acetylneuraminate lyase, N-acetylmannosamine kinase, N-acetylmannosamine-6-phosphate epimerase, N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate deacetylase, and glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase) was evident among eight strains of the avian pathogen Mycoplasma synoviae. Most differences were single nucleotide polymorphisms, ranging from 0.34 ± 0.04 substitutions per 100 bp for N-acetylmannosamine kinase to 0.65 ± 0.03 for the single-copy sialidase gene nanI. Missense mutations were twice as common as silent mutations in nanI; 26% resulted in amino acids dissimilar to consensus; and there was a 12-base deletion near the nanI promoter in strain WVU1853T, supporting a complex genetic basis for differences in sialidase activity. Two strains had identical frameshifts in the N-acetylneuraminate lyase gene nanA, resulting in nonsense mutations, and both had downstream deletions in nanA. Such genetic lesions uncouple extracellular liberation of sialic acid from generation of fructose-6-phosphate and pyruvate via intracellular N-acetylneuraminate degradation. Retention of nanI by such strains, but not others in the M. synoviae phylogenetic cluster, is evidence that sialidase has an important non-nutritional role in the ecology of M. synoviae and certain other mycoplasmas.
A microfabricated array bioreactor for perfused 3D liver culture

We describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a bioreactor that enables both morphogenesis of 3D tissue structures under continuous perfusion and repeated in situ observation by light microscopy. Three-dimensional scaffolds were created by deep reactive ion etching of silicon wafers to create an array of channels (through-holes) with cell-adhesive walls. Scaffolds were combined with a cell-retaining filter and support in a reactor housing designed to deliver a continuous perfusate across the top of the array and through the 3D tissue mass in each channel. Reactor dimensions were constructed so that perfusate flow rates meet estimated values of cellular oxygen demands while providing fluid shear stress at or below a physiological range (<2 dyne cm(2)), as determined by comparison of numerical models of reactor fluid flow patterns to literature values of physiological shear stresses. We studied the behavior of primary rat hepatocytes seeded into the reactors and cultured for up to 2 weeks, and found that cells seeded into the channels rearranged extensively to form tissue like structures and remained viable throughout the culture period. We further observed that preaggregation of the cells into spheroidal structures prior to seeding improved the morphogenesis of tissue structure and maintenance of viability. We also demonstrate repeated in situ imaging of tissue structure and function using two-photon microscopy.
Fabrication of Hierarchical Structures by Wetting Porous Templates with Polymer Microspheres

We present a simple route to prepare hierarchical structures by allowing the partial diffusion of polymer microspheres into the nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Polystyrene (PS) microspheres were first spread onto a silicon substrate and allowed to self-assemble into well-ordered monolayers of the microspheres. Upon heating above the glass-transition temperature, diffusion of the PS into the pores of the AAO occurred only at pores of the microspheres in contact with the membrane. After the removal of the AAO membrane, ordered arrays of microspheres capped with nanorods were produced, yielding surfaces with topographies spanning multiple length scales. Control over the nanoscopic and microscopic length scales can be trivially achieved by changing the size of the microspheres and the diameter of the pores in the membranes.
Numerical analysis of terahertz generation characteristics of photoconductive antenna

A numerical model of terahertz (THz) photoconductive antenna (PCA) is developed and studied. This model includes the multi-physical phenomena of the PCA involving the light-matter interaction, photo-excited carrier dynamics and EM propagation of the generated THz radiation. Both in-house finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method and commercial tools such as COMSOL are used in this study. Various PCA-related parameters, such as the pump laser power, DC bias voltage, laser pulse width, and beam spot location, as well as material related parameters (e.g., carrier lifetime, mobility and doping density) can be investigated using this model.
Simulating landscape catena effects in no-till dryland agroecosystems using GPFARM.

This study evaluated the site-specific applicability and efficacy of the GPFARM decision support system (DSS) based on underlying simulation model performance for dry mass grain yield, crop residue, total soil profile water content, and total soil profile residual NO3–N across a landscape catena for dryland no-till experimental locations in eastern Colorado. Relative error of simulated mean, normalized objective function (root mean square error divided by the observed mean), and index of agreement evaluation statistics were calculated to compare modeled results to observed data. A one-way, fixed-effect ANOVA was also performed to determine differences among experimental locations and summit, sideslope, and toeslope landscape positions. GPFARM simulations matched observed data trends, with the model correctly distinguishing variations between the summit and toeslope landscape positions. In addition, experimental observations and GPFARM simulations both indicated that the toeslope landscape position was the most productive for grain yield and also exhibited higher amounts of crop residue, total soil profile water content, and total soil residual NO3–N. The GPFARM crop model performed adequately but was inconsistent in simulating winter wheat, corn, and sorghum dry mass grain yield. GPFARM performance in simulating crop residue was poorer than for crop grain yield. GPFARM predicted mean total soil profile water content was generally within ±20% of the observed mean across locations and landscape positions, with the model somewhat biased towards overpredicting total soil profile water content at the summit and sideslope landscape positions. Total soil profile residual NO3–N was underpredicted by GPFARM across all locations and landscape positions by an average of 30%. Although GPFARM appears to have reasonably simulated long-term output responses across a landscape catena for the eastern Colorado experimental locations (especially given the simplifying assumptions in many of the GPFARM simulation components and the inherent variability present at the experimental plot level), different interpretations of GPFARM performance can be made depending on the evaluation statistic of interest. Furthermore, the model cannot fully account for water and chemical movement across the landscape catena; simulation results suggest that addition of a spatially-distributed routing component should offer improvements in GPFARM prediction accuracy across a catena where surface runoff or lateral subsurface flow is occurring. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Wavelet-Based Time Series Analysis of Circadian Rhythms:

Analysis of circadian oscillations that exhibit variability in period or amplitude can be accomplished through wavelet transforms. Wavelet-based methods can also be used quite effectively to remove trend and noise from time series and to assess the strength of rhythms in different frequency bands, for example, ultradian versus circadian components in an activity record. In this article, we describe how to apply discrete and continuous wavelet transforms to time series of circadian rhythms, illustrated with novel analyses of 2 case studies involving mouse wheel-running activity and oscillations in PER2::LUC bioluminescence from SCN explants.
Efficacy and Safety of Flexible Dose Fesoterodine in Men and Women with Overactive Bladder Symptoms Including Nocturnal Urinary Urgency

Purpose: Awakening from sleep to urinate is the hallmark of nocturia, a condition that impacts several facets of health related quality of life and for which current therapy is suboptimal. Given the paucity of prospective data on antimuscarinics for the management of nocturia, we investigated the efficacy and safety of flexible dose fesoterodine for the treatment of nocturnal urgency in subjects with nocturia and overactive bladder.Materials and Methods: Subjects with 2 to 8 nocturnal urgency episodes per 24 hours began a 2-week, single-blind, placebo run-in followed by 1:1 randomization to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with fesoterodine (4 mg daily for 4 weeks with an optional increase to 8 mg) or placebo using predefined criteria for nocturnal urgency episodes, nocturnal urine volume voided and total 24-hour urine volume voided. The primary end point was change from baseline to week 12 in the mean number of micturition related nocturnal urgency episodes per 24 hours.Results: Overall 963 subjects we...
Supply Chain Management: Practices, Concerns, and Performance Issues

SUMMARY The advent of information technology and intense global competition has enticed many world-class manufacturers and service providers into adopting an integrated strategic approach to supply chain management. Although many supply chain management efforts have failed to achieve the desired results, it has become a significant strategic tool for firms striving to achieve competitive success. Using a survey of senior supply and materials management professionals in the United States, this study investigates the contemporary practices and concerns of supply chain management. This study also relates the practices and concerns to firms' performance by means of bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. A general conclusion is that all of the significant supply chain management practices positively impact performance.
Influence of Reactor Configuration on the Selective Oxidation of Glycerol over Au/TiO2

The oxidation of glycerol by molecular oxygen in the aqueous phase over Au/TiO2 was investigated in both a batch reactor and a continuous upflow fixed bed reactor. The effects of catalyst particle size, gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, reaction temperature, dioxygen pressure, and solution pH were examined in the fixed bed system. The unique hydrodynamics of the fixed bed system allowed for secondary oxidation products such as tartronic acid and oxalic acid to form in substantial amounts, which contrasts the product distribution observed in a batch system. These results suggest that reactor configuration can play an important role in the observed product selectivity from oxidation reactions over highly active gold catalysts.
Endogenous Oxidative DNA Damage, Aging, and Cancer

Progress in identifying the important endogenous processes damaging DNA and developing methods to assay this damage in individuals is presented. This approach may aid studies on modulation of cancer and aging. The endogenous background level of oxidant-induced DNA damage in vivo has been assayed by measuring 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (oh8dG), thymine glycol and thymidine glycol in urine and oh8dG in DNA. oh8dG is one of about 20 adducts found on oxidizing DNA, e.g., by radiation. The level of oxidative DNA damage as measured by oh8dG in normal rat liver is shown to be extensive, especially in mtDNA (1/130,000 bases in nuclear DNA and 1/8,000 bases in mitochondrial DNA). We also discuss three hitherto unrecognized antioxidants in man.
On fast iterative mapping algorithms for stripe based coarse-grained reconfigurable architectures

Reconfigurable devices have potential for great flexibility/efficiency, but mapping algorithms onto these architectures is a long-standing challenge. This paper addresses this challenge for stripe based coarse-grained reconfigurable architectures (CGRAs) by drawing on insights from graph drawing. We adapt fast, iterative algorithms from hierarchical graph drawing to the problem of mapping to stripe based architectures. We find that global sifting is 98 times as fast as simulated annealing and produces very compact designs with 17% less area on average, at a cost of 5% greater wire length. Interleaving iterations of Sugiyama and global sifting is 40 times as fast as simulated annealing and achieves somewhat more compact designs with 1.8% less area on average, at a cost of only 1% greater wire length. These solutions can enable fast design space exploration, rapid performance testing, and flexible programming of CGRAs “in the field.”
DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF HERBIVORES ON NITROGEN DYNAMICS: VOLES IN RIPARIAN AREAS

Herbivores can directly increase nitrogen mobility by increasing the quality of organic matter entering the decomposition cycle, but they also may decrease nitrogen mobility by decreasing the biomass of high-nitrogen species in the plant community. We assessed effects of voles (Microtus) on nitrogen dynamics using exclosures in two riparian meadows (Crystal Bench and Blacktail Deer Creek) in Yellowstone National Park (USA). At both sites, the quantity of plant litter was decreased by herbivory following a vole population peak in 1992. At Crystal Bench, removal of voles caused a decrease in the nitrogen concentration and an increase in the C:N ratio of plant litter over the four years of the study. The higher quality litter produced in the presence of voles at Crystal resulted in a larger pool of potentially mineralizable nitrogen in soil from control plots relative to soils from plots that had not been accessible to voles. At Crystal, vole removal did not cause a change in plant community composition. How...
A 22nm high performance embedded DRAM SoC technology featuring tri-gate transistors and MIMCAP COB

A 22 nm generation technology is described incorporating transistor and interconnects with performance suitable for the needs of both high density DRAM and high-performance logic devices. We have integrated a 0.029 μm2 DRAM cell capable of meeting >100μs retention at 95°C. Results will be reported for a test-vehicle with best-reported array density at 17.5Mb/mm2 based on a 128Mb macro. The process technology utilizes our leading edge 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistor as described previously [1,2]. The excellent leakage and performance characteristics of tri-gate transistors have been optimized for the access transistor, while maintaining the performance needed to enable high performance circuits in the same die. A high aspect-ratio, 3-D metal-insulator-metal capacitor trench has been integrated into the ultra-low-k interlayer dielectric and Cu metallization used for interconnect stacks. The previously described 22nm logic and SoC technology has been leveraged, with a 3-D MIM capacitor included in the ultra-low-k (ULK) ILD at the same level as the Metal-2 through Metal-4 interconnects. Excellent retention capability and yield have been demonstrated.
Battered women's coping strategies and psychological distress: differences by immigration status.

People are rarely passive, and battered women are no exception. This study investigated the types of coping strategies women of Japanese descent (both Japan-born and U.S.-born) chose and their perceived effectiveness in dealing with their partners' violence. Japan-born respondents were significantly less likely to use “active” strategies and perceived them to be less effective than did U.S.-born respondents. For the Japan-born, the more effective they perceived “active” strategies, the higher their psychological distress, whereas the more effective they perceived “passive” strategies, the lower their psychological distress. In contrast, for the U.S.-born, the higher the perceived effectiveness of “active” strategies, the lower their psychological distress, and the perceived effectiveness of “passive” strategies had little effect on their psychological distress. The complex relationship between individuals' country of birth, the choice and perceived effectiveness of coping strategies, and psychological distress calls for increased attention to the role of culture in studies of coping and domestic violence.
Inflammation, demyelination, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis

Although axonal loss has been observed in demyelinated multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, there has been a major focus on understanding mechanisms of demyelination. However, identification of markers for axonal damage and development of new imaging techniques has enabled detection of subtle changes in axonal pathology and revived interest in the neurodegenerative component of MS. Axonal loss is generally accepted as the main determinant of permanent clinical disability. However, the role of axonal loss early in disease or during relapsing-remitting disease is still under investigation, as are the interactions and interdependency between inflammation, demyelination, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in the pathogenesis of MS.
Child Rearing and Education in Urban Environments Black Fathers' Perspectives

In this article, the authors use in-depth interviews of African American fathers in an urban setting to explore their fathering attitudes and behaviors. From the qualitative data, four general themes emerge: paternal beliefs and modes of functioning, strength and resiliency, racial socialization of children, and fathers as teachers in the home. The findings lend support to the burgeoning reconceptualization of the role of the Black father in urban America. The self-descriptions of African American fathers provide evidence that urban African American fathers are important, vital, and active forces in their children's achievement development.
Learning and reasoning about interruption

We present methods for inferring the cost of interrupting users based on multiple streams of events including information generated by interactions with computing devices, visual and acoustical analyses, and data drawn from online calendars. Following a review of prior work on techniques for deliberating about the cost of interruption associated with notifications, we introduce methods for learning models from data that can be used to compute the expected cost of interruption for a user. We describe the Interruption Workbench, a set of event-capture and modeling tools. Finally, we review experiments that characterize the accuracy of the models for predicting interruption cost and discuss research directions.
Saving Energy with Highly-Controlled Lighting in an Open-Plan Office

AbstractAn installation in a Federal building tested the efficacy of a highly-controlled, workstation-specific lighting retrofit. The study took place in 86 cubicles in an open office with low levels of daylight. A direct/indirect pendant luminaire with three 32 watt lamps, two DALI ballasts, and an occupancy sensor provided both task and ambient light for each cubicle. All three lamps turned on and off according to occupancy on a workstation-by-workstation basis. Field measurements taken over the course of several months demonstrated 40 percent lighting energy savings compared to a baseline that represents a typical Federal building retrofit; the baseline has a lighting power density of 8.9W/m2 (0.83W/ft2) and no advanced controls. A photometric analysis found that the installation provided higher desktop light levels than the baseline did, while an occupant survey suggested that occupants preferred the lighting system to the baseline.This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the Unit...
Thyrotropin receptor–associated diseases: from adenomata to Graves disease

The thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) is a G protein-linked, 7-transmembrane domain (7-TMD) receptor that undergoes complex posttranslational processing unique to this glycoprotein receptor family. Due to its complex structure, TSHR appears to have unstable molecular integrity and a propensity toward over- or underactivity on the basis of point genetic mutations or antibody-induced structural changes. Hence, both germline and somatic mutations, commonly located in the transmembrane regions, may induce constitutive activation of the receptor, resulting in congenital hyperthyroidism or the development of actively secreting thyroid nodules. Similarly, mutations leading to structural alterations may induce constitutive inactivation and congenital hypothyroidism. The TSHR is also a primary antigen in autoimmune thyroid disease, and some TSHR antibodies may activate the receptor, while others inhibit its activation or have no influence on signal transduction at all, depending on how they influence the integrity of the structure. Clinical assays for such antibodies have improved significantly and are a useful addition to the investigative armamentarium. Furthermore, the relative instability of the receptor can result in shedding of the TSHR ectodomain, providing a source of antigen and activating the autoimmune response. However, it may also provide decoys for TSHR antibodies, thus influencing their biological action and clinical effects. This review discusses the role of the TSHR in the physiological and pathological stimulation of the thyroid.
Convergence of assistive devices and mainstream products: Keys to university participation in research, development and commercialization

Development and commercialization activities for assistive devices and mainstream products are converging. Aging and disability demographics, rapid technical innovation, healthcare costs, intense market competition and public policy all drive this trend; while trans-generational design suggests new business strategies and product solutions. The university research community can play an important role in industry research and development activities leading to new products. Business is the gateway through which all new products enter the marketplace. University researchers are advised to engage business partners prior to the inception of their own research activities, and early in the corporate product development cycle. Successful university- business partnership requires that university researchers and other stakeholders recognize business' lead in product development and commercialization; and understand and practice business culture. University contributions may include: technical research and development; identification of customer and technology needs; product definition; prototype testing; product validation; clinical trials and external funding through grant activities. Five keys to successful university-business partnership are discussed.
Subscriber location in CDMA cellular networks

Subscriber radio location techniques are investigated for code-division multiple-access (CDMA) cellular networks. Two methods are considered for radio location: measured times of arrival (ToA) and angles of arrival (AoA). The ToA measurements are obtained from the code tracking loop in the CDMA receiver, and the AoA measurements at a base station (BS) are assumed to be made with an antenna array. The performance of the two methods is evaluated for both ranging and two-dimensional (2-D) location, while varying the propagation conditions and the number of BS's used for the location estimate.
New and recurrent tumors in germinal retinoblastoma: is there a treatment effect?

Patients with germinal retinoblastoma (those with bilateral disease or positive family history) have a mutation which puts them at risk for developing new tumors. It is unclear whether the frequency of new tumor development is effected by the type of treatment employed. It may be hypothesized that external beam radiation ‘sterilizes’ the whole retina, and thus decreases the risk of new and recurrent tumors. We reviewed our experience with 66 eyes in 47 patients over the past ten years. We did not find a significant difference in the incidence of new and recurrent retinoblastoma among eyes treated with external beam radiation versus focal modalities.
Eicosapentaenoic acid restores tamoxifen sensitivity in breast cancer cells with high Akt activity

Background: Tamoxifen resistance is the underlying cause of treatment failure in a significant number of patients with breast cancer. Activation of Akt, a downstream mediator in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway has been implicated as one of the mechanisms involved in tamoxifen resistance. Breast cancers with heightened Akt activity are frequently associated with an aggressive disease and resistance to chemo- and hormone-therapy-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of PI3K restores apoptotic response to tamoxifen in hyperactive Akt cells. Therefore, agents that demonstrate Akt inhibitory properties are attractive therapeutic agents for the treatment of hormone-resistant breast cancer. n-3 fatty acids have proven to be potent and efficacious broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitors. Materials and methods: In this study we demonstrate that the n-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), inhibits the kinase activity of Akt. Co-treatment with EPA renders breast cancer cells that overexpress a constitutively active Akt more responsive to the growth inhibitory effects of tamoxifen by approximately 35%. Conclusions: These findings suggest that EPA may be useful for the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells with high levels of activated Akt and provide the rationale to test this hypothesis in the clinic.
Bradykinin contribution to renal blood flow effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in the conscious sodium-restricted dog.

We examined the relative contribution of renin-angiotensin system blockade and bradykinin potentiation to the renal hemodynamic effect of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalaprilat in sodium-deprived dogs. Six conscious dogs instrumented for monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and renal blood flow (RBF) were employed in five groups of experiments. In group 1, enalaprilat alone was administered, and it decreased BP by -24 +/- 3 mm Hg and increased RBF by 135 +/- 15 ml/min. During a constant intravenous infusion of saralasin (group 2), enalaprilat decreased BP by -7 +/- 3 mm Hg and increased RBF by 84 +/- 7 ml/min (delta BP and delta RBF, p less than 0.01 vs. group 1 by analysis of variance). During a constant intrarenal arterial infusion of saralasin (group 3), the respective changes in BP and RBF after enalaprilat were -10 +/- 3 mm Hg and 69 +/- 12 ml/min, and these results did not differ from those of group 2. The infusion of saralasin intravenously or intrarenal arterially decreased BP slightly and increased RBF. In the presence of an intravenous infusion of a specific bradykinin antagonist, D-Arg-Arg-Pro-Hyp-Gly-Thi-Ser-D-Phe-Thi-Arg.TFA (B5630) (group 4), enalaprilat decreased BP by -28 +/- 4 mm Hg and increased RBF by 82 +/- 24 ml/min (delta RBF, p less than 0.01 vs. group 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Laboring in the Vineyard of Physical Chemistry

PrologueThis is an account mostly of what I have seen and worked on in physical chemistry, from my time in graduate school six decades ago to the present. It is a personal story about kinetics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics—in which subjects I continue to be educated, thanks to patient instruction by my students and associates. When I had the invitation from Steve Leone to write this article I said “yes” because (a) “yes” is my default setting; (b) it was a great honor to have been invited to do it; and (c) I was too busy at the time to think about what the consequences of saying “yes” would be. I must now do my best to fulfill my promise.