cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global Burden of Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are the main causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Methods: The main evidences about the NCDs and CRDs burden and related risk factors, from updated international reports and results of original researches, were collected and described in this review. Results: Most recent evidence is available from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2017 reports. There were 3.2 million deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 495,000 deaths due to asthma. COPD was the seventh leading cause of years of life lost (YLLs). Overall, prevalent cases of CRDs were 545 million: about 50% for COPD and 50% for asthma. Incident cases of CRDs were 62 million, mostly due to asthma (69%) and COPD (29%). COPD accounted for 81.6 million disability-adjusted life years, asthma for 22.8 million. COPD prevalence of 9.1% has been found in a recent general population sample of North-Eastern Italy, while in Central Italy a 25-year follow-up of a general population sample has shown an increased prevalence of COPD and asthma up to 6.8% and 7.8%, respectively. In Central Italy, a COPD incidence of 8% and an asthma incidence of 3.2% have been found in adult subjects at an 18-year follow-up. Among the risk factors, a relevant role is played by smoking and high body mass index for asthma, while smoking, particulate matter pollution, ambient ozone pollution, occupational exposure to particulate matter, gases and fumes, as well as second-hand smoke, play an important role for COPD. Forecasting the YLLs by 2040 indicates a rising toll from several NCDs due to population growth and aging, with COPD expected to reach the fourth leading cause. Conclusions: Several recent studies and international reports highlighted the huge global health burden of CRDs and other major NCDs, pointing out the need for implementing international collaborations to fight this epidemic trend.
Temperature dependent anisotropy and linewidth in the high-Q ferrimagnet V(TCNE)x

The search for low-loss magnetic materials, traditionally driven by applications in microwave electronics, has gained new urgency and additional constraints from emerging applications in quantum information science and technology. While yttrium iron garnet (YIG) has been the material of choice for decades, the emergence of molecule-based materials with robust magnetism and ultra-low damping has opened new avenues for exploration. Specifically, thin-films of vanadium tetracyanoethylene (V[TCNE]x) have shown room-temperature Gilbert damping that rivals the intrinsic (bulk) damping of polished YIG spheres (alpha = 4 x 10^-5). Here, we present a comprehensive and systematic study of the low-temperature magnetization dynamics for V[TCNE]x thin-films, revealing a temperature-driven, strain-dependent magnetic anisotropy that compensates the thin-film shape anisotropy, and the recovery of magnetic resonance linewidth at 5 K comparable to room-temperature values (roughly 2 G at 9.4 GHz). We can account for the variations of the V[TCNE]x linewidth within the context of scattering from dilute paramagnetic impurities.
Filtering adaptive tracking control for uncertain switched multivariable nonlinear systems

This paper synthesizes a filtering adaptive tracking control method for uncertain switched multivariable nonlinear systems. The multivariable nonlinear systems under consideration have both matched...
Duality, Tangential Interpolation, and Töplitz Corona Problems

In this paper, we extend a method of Arveson (J Funct Anal 20(3):208–233, 1975) and McCullough (J Funct Anal 135(1):93–131, 1996) to prove a tangential interpolation theorem for subalgebras of H ∞. This tangential interpolation result implies a Toplitz corona theorem. In particular, it is shown that the set of matrix positivity conditions is indexed by cyclic subspaces, which is analogous to the results obtained for the ball and the polydisk algebra by Trent and Wick (Complex Anal Oper Theory 3(3):729–738, 2009) and Douglas and Sarkar (Proc CRM, 2009).
Advertising and Price Competition Under Consumer Data Privacy Choices

Recent privacy regulations and firm policies endow consumers with the choice of whether to allow firms to use their personal data for marketing (and other) purposes. We investigate the impact of consumer data privacy choices on the advertising ecosystem. We consider a scenario with competing horizontally differentiated firms that advertise to heterogeneous consumers, through an ad platform, to be considered by the consumers. If a consumer opts in, she provides an imperfect signal of her type, based on which the ad platform can price ads, and the firms can target ads and prices. Consumers make privacy choices by considering their surplus utility from product consumption. In particular, they consider two countervailing effects of opting-in to allow firms to use their data: (i) opting-in, while weakly increasing the relevance of ads served, exacerbates price discrimination by firms; and (ii) opting-in facilitates firms' inferences about the consumers' types, which intensifies price competition. These effects depend crucially on the consumers' ad exposure histories, which in turn are determined endogenously by the ad platform's ad pricing strategy. Compared to a benchmark where all consumers are opted-in to data sharing, with privacy choices consumers' surpluses are weakly higher, the firms' profits are weakly lower, and the ad platform's profit is either lower or higher depending on the signal accuracy and extent of product differentiation. We examine the robustness and boundaries of our insights by considering extensions and alternative models.
Living in a Paradox: How Older Single and Widowed Black Women Understand Their Sexuality

The current phenomenological study explored how single and/or widowed older Black women understand their sexuality in the context of their Black matriarchal role and through their relational interactions with their children, families, friends, and their extended social networks. The women spoke about their sexuality in the contexts of Black matriarchy, concept of self, and communication. Black matriarchy was defined as the tenacity with which, as Black women and Black mothers, participants occupied a centralized role in their families, while concept of self reflected heavily on conflicting perceptions they held of their understanding of themselves as sexual beings. Regarding communication, many participants felt constrained in self-disclosing their sexual feelings and relationship status. Living in a paradox exemplified our interpretation of the women' struggles as they tried to balance the expectations of the roles they occupied in society with their own identity as a sexual being. Our findings offer a nuanced exploration of the various dimensions about how they understand themselves by providing invaluable insight into their world as older Black women. The implications for policy and practice pertain to assessing the fundamental historical and contemporary issues that older Black women face while simultaneously considering the convergence of race, gender, and sexuality.
Prevalence and risk factors for corkscrew claw syndrome in dairy cattle

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for an emerging hoof lesion in growing heifers and adult dairy cattle with no prior reports in the peer-reviewed literature. Corkscrew claw syndrome (CCS) is not the corkscrew claw that we used to see affecting the rear lateral claws of multiparous cows who were victims of poor housing and hoof care. Nor is it the mild corkscrew of the front medial claw that we commonly recognize. Rather, corkscrew claw syndrome is the combination of corkscrew deformities of the medial claws of both the rear and front feet in combination, and it occurs in heifers predominantly, rather than older cows. The condition can be so severe by the time that the heifer calves, the rear medial claw is the dominant weight bearing claw. The anatomical changes that result in this condition appear to be permanent and unrepairable. The pedal bones are irreversibly changed, developing bony exostoses and becoming narrower and rotated within the claw capsule. For that reason, affected herds will see this syndrome affecting all age groups, starting in growing age heifers and following through all the way to the oldest cows in the herd.
Nomes contáveis e incontáveis em Ticuna

This study examines the count-mass distinction in Ticuna (isolate). Based on original field data, I show that count and mass nouns pattern apart in several grammatical domains. In the language's number system, I demonstrate that mass nouns are incompatible with both nominal and verbal plural marking. In the quantifier system, I show that Ticuna numerals and quantifiers combine only with nouns introduced by determiners, never with bare nouns. Despite this restriction, numerals and quantifiers remain sensitive to countability. Even when introduced by determiners, mass nouns cannot combine with numerals, nor with three of the six quantifiers available to count nouns.
Some Examples of 21st Century Philosophers Who Have Written About Keynes’s Logical Theory of Probability, but Have Skipped Part II of the A Treatise on Probability, Where Keynes Presented His Interval – Valued Approach to Probability

Nearly one hundred years after Keynes published his A Treatise on Probability in 1921,it appears that practically no philosophers have read Part II of the A Treatise on Probability in either the 20th or 21st centuries. This simply means that no modern day philosopher is in any position to recognize that Keynes’s work on his interval valued approach to imprecise probability in 1907,1908 and 1921 makes him the founder, along with G Boole’s contributions in his 1854 The Laws of Thought ,of the imprecise theory of probability long before Koopman’s work in 1940 or the work of I. J. Good, C. Smith ,or H.E. Kyburg in the early 1960’s.
Pancreas, Spleen, and Reticuloendothelial System

The pancreas is a mixed exocrine—endocrine organ that is almost impossible to evaluate during a physical examination owing to its retroperitoneal location. Previous evaluation of the pancreas had relied on the availability of laboratory screening tests such as amylase and lipase levels, which when abnormal are relatively nonspecific. Until approximately 10 years ago, the pancreas had been difficult to evaluate radiographically as well, with the diagnosis relying on direct pressure effects exerted on adjacent organs such as the stomach and small bowel produced by pancreatic masses. Occasionally, calcifications of chronic pancreatitis were detected on plain films. Unfortunately, malignant disease at the time of detection utilizing these modalities was usually far advanced and most often incurable. The other diagnostic modalities available were angiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), both of which are more invasive and could not be used as screening procedures.
TH-EF-BRD-07: Knowledge Based Automatic Lung IMRT Planning with Non-Coplanar Beams

Purpose: We present a lung IMRT planning method which automatically determines both plan optimization objectives and beam configurations with non-coplanar beams by analyzing patient-specific anatomical information and learning from past planning experiences. Methods: A beam navigation index map is constructed to characterize the geometry of the tumor relative to the OARs at each candidate beam direction. It is defined as the ratio of the dose deposited inside the OARs to that in the PTV along the beam path. An additional term which is a function of the beam spread is added to the navigation index to account for the effect of multiple beams on PTV dose conformity. For each case, a fixed number of beams which minimizes the total index values are selected. The relative weights of different OARs and the dose conformity term in the index are learned from the beam configurations in a database of mostly co-planar beam plans. The OAR dose sparing objectives are generated by OAR DVH prediction models which are trained by prior IMRT plans. This completely automated method was validated by re-planning 10 clinical lung plans which have used non-coplanar beams. Important dosimetric parameters of the automatically generated plans are compared with those of the clinical plans by Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results: All dosimetric parameters in the automatically generated plans are statistically better or comparable with those in clinical plans. The most significant improvements are: lung V10Gy with average reduction of 6% of OAR volume, Esophagus V20Gy with average reduction of 3% and spinal cord D2% with reduction of 19% of prescription dose on average. Conclusion: Knowledge models learned from mostly co-planar beam plans can be utilized to generate IMRT plans with non-coplanar beams. This method demonstrates the potential to improve both the planning efficiency and plan quality by automatically incorporating non-coplanar beams. Partially supported by NIH/NCI under grant #R21CA161389 and a master research grant from Varian Medical Systems.
Rationale for Aggressive Lipid Lowering in High-Risk Patients

According to current guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), the target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level for patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD) or CHD risk equivalents is less than 100 mg/dL, with an optional target of less than 70 mg/dL. More recent data suggest, however, that the physiologically normal level of LDL-C and the level at which atherogenesis is initiated is much lower. Overall, the data convincingly demonstrate that LDL-C lowering is associated with a significant reduction in CHD events, regardless of preexisting CHD. The NCEP ATP III treatment guidelines, published in 2002 and updated in 2004, do not reflect more recent findings on intensive lipid-lowering therapy, which are likely be addressed in the NCEP ATP IV guidelines, scheduled to be released in 2011. Drug options for LDL-C lowering include statins (the drug of choice), bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid, fibrates, and selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors.
What is wrong with public choice

Three problems plague the public choice perspective. First, it cannot explain why people vote, changes in voting behavior, or the actual votes of people. Second, public choice cannot predict the behavior of politicians. It cannot help us understand the sorts of people who run for public office, why candidates run for office promising less government, nor help us understand the actual votes cast by elected politicians. Finally, evidence about the growth of government runs counter to the claims of the public choice school. The paper concludes with some suggestions about how and why public choice has gone wrong.
On Scalable Synchronization for Distributed Embedded Real-Time Systems

We consider the problem of programming distributed embedded real-time systems with distributed dependencies. We show that the de facto standard of using locks and condition variables in conjunction with threads can have significant overhead and semantic difficulty and suggest alternative programming abstractions to alleviate these problems. We also discuss several alternatives for implementing these programming abstractions and discuss the algorithms and protocols needed.
Irish Bridge Sheds Light on Dark Ages

Sean Duke The vaunted engineering skills that the Romans spread across Europe are supposed to have vanished during the "Dark Ages." But a new find in the west of Ireland is challenging that assumption. A pair of underwater archaeologists has discovered the remains of a huge wooden bridge across the river Shannon. Researchers now believe that the bridge, dated at A.D. 804, was the work of monks from the nearby town of Clonmacnoise, who kept Roman expertise alive over the centuries.
The Anti-Globalization Paradox

In The Globalization Paradox, Dani Rodrik sets up what he calls a policy trilemma among hyperglobalization, democracy and autonomy. This trilemma is best understood as a tradeoff between national autonomy and rules that promote globalization. However, a contractual perspective on international law - recognizing that states use international law to make exchanges of policy autonomy in ways that enhance each consenting state’s welfare - suggests that there is no real tradeoff between national autonomy and international legal rules that promote globalization. Instead, these rules may be seen as an expression of national autonomy. Furthermore, international law does not necessarily need the same types of democratic credentials that national law requires, because states consent to international law through their national democratic processes. While there may indeed be an argument that there exists a democracy deficit in the formation of international law, this is a more subtle argument than the one Rodrik makes to the effect that international law can never have democratic credentials unless global democratic government is established. Globalization can take place through international legal rules that have appropriate democratic credentials, and that leave in place appropriate national autonomy.
Implementing a Software Defined Radio using the Maestro 49-tile processor

The Maestro 49-tile Radiation-Hard-by-Design chip was developed to demonstrate the application of space-qualified, multicore hardware. We have investigated the implementation of a single precision floating-point pipeline FFT to be used as part of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) application. The details of the software architecture that can adapt to the use of different numbers of tiles and the performance of the N-point FFTs for N = 128, 512, 1024, and 2048 are described. The maximum throughput achieved for a 2048-point FFT is 27 million samples per second when 20 of the 49 available tiles are used for separate FFT blocks, one tile is used for input data distribution, and one tile is used for output data collection. We also report on the performance of the SDR based upon the FFT experiments.
Susceptibilities of Algae and Legionella pneumophila to Cooling Tower Biocides

Nine algal strains and nine Legionella pneumophila strains were tested in laboratory culture for their susceptibility to inhibition by a variety of commercially available microbiocides. The responses ranged from ineffective to effective at 1/100 the manufacturers' recommended pulse doses. Tests were also performed to determine whether the action of the microbiocide was bacteriostatic or bacteriocidal.
Characterization of the transposon carrying the STII gene of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

The Escherichia coli enterotoxin STII gene is carried by Tn4521. The terminal repeats of Tn4521 are composed of IS2 sequences; however, neither repeat is a complete IS2. In order to determine how this seemingly defective transposon could transpose, mutations were generated within Tn4521 to determine the regions essential for transposition. The left terminal repeat region was found to be non-essential, but the right terminal repeat area was demonstrated to be crucial for transposition. Within the right terminal repeat area is an open reading frame (ORF), capable of encoding a 159 amino acid protein, which was shown by frameshift mutation analysis to be required for transposition. This protein may be the transposase of Tn4521. A pair of 11 bp repeat sequences flanking the ORF was also found to be important. The right 11 bp repeat is part of the left IS2 terminal sequence, and the left 11 bp repeat is located about 300 bp upstream from the right IS2 terminal sequence located within the right terminal repeat region. The results of this study suggest that Tn4521 is a functional transposon and that the sequence including this pair of 11 bp sequences plus the intervening sequence is a transposable element which may be responsible for Tn4521 transposition.
A Study on Electronic Information Literacy for Montana Extension Service Professionals

ABSTRACT U.S. Extension Service identifies the need for people to become ‘information literate’ (Greiner, Cain, and Hodges, 1992). The Future Application of Communication Technology report (ES-USDA and ECOP, 1992) states there is a need to increase staff knowledge and skills in communication and information technologies. The purpose of the study was to determine the training of selected information literacy competencies needed by Montana Extension Service (MES) professionals for electronically acquiring and disseminating information. The structure of the study was according to Borich's (1980) needs assessment model. Results and conclusions indicate that MES professionals need training of electronic information literacy competencies, and encouragement and incentives to use information in an electronic format. Selected demographic factors had no influence on MES professionals' need of training to gain electronic information literacy.
Weak localization, interaction effects, and the metallic phase in p -SiGe

Magnetoresistance results are presented for p-SiGe samples on the metallic side of the $B=0$ metal-insulator transition. It was possible to separate the weak localization and Zeeman interaction effects but the results could not be explained quantitatively within the framework of standard theories for quantum corrections of a weakly interacting two-dimensional system. Analysis using a theory for interaction corrections at intermediate temperatures, recently proposed by Zala, Narozhny, and Aleiner provided values of the Fermi-liquid parameter ${F}_{0}^{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$ of order -0.5. Similar values also explain the linear increase of resistance with temperature characteristic of the metallic phase.
Remarks on the complexity of nondeterministic counter languages

Abstract For classes of languages accepted in polynomial time by multicounter machines, various trade-offs in computing power obtain among the number of counters, the amount of time, and the amount of space required in all cases, deterministic and nondeterministic, on-line and off-line. Hierarchies can be obtained in all cases by varying the number of counters or the amount of time allowed. In the on-line case, nondeterministic counter machines are always more powerful than deterministic counter machines for the same number of counters and the same polynomial time bound. Relationships with open problems are explored.
Agents that act luminally to treat diarrhoea and constipation

Diarrhoea and constipation are two of the most common symptoms encountered by primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. Luminally acting agents are less likely to cause adverse events than drugs with systemic actions. This Review discusses luminally acting treatments for diarrhoea and constipation, focussing on new agents and those that are currently in clinical trials.
Quantitative analysis of graduate-level engineering management programs

The purpose of this study is to analyze the curricula of Engineering Management programs awarding a graduate-level EM degree (Master's and Doctoral). The analysis is conducted using text analysis software, which brings the necessary rigor and objectivity required when dealing with qualitative data. Preliminary research using multiple sources (American Society for Engineering Management and American Society of Engineering Education) result in a list of over one-hundred universities that offer a graduate-level degree in EM. To conduct the analysis, a curriculum database will be formed that includes course names and descriptions. This data will provide the input to the conceptual and semantic analysis using a computer tool. The results of this analysis will provide an insight into different threads, commonalities and differences between EM programs.
Bayesian validation assessment of multivariate computational models

Abstract Multivariate model validation is a complex decision-making problem involving comparison of multiple correlated quantities, based upon the available information and prior knowledge. This paper presents a Bayesian risk-based decision method for validation assessment of multivariate predictive models under uncertainty. A generalized likelihood ratio is derived as a quantitative validation metric based on Bayes’ theorem and Gaussian distribution assumption of errors between validation data and model prediction. The multivariate model is then assessed based on the comparison of the likelihood ratio with a Bayesian decision threshold, a function of the decision costs and prior of each hypothesis. The probability density function of the likelihood ratio is constructed using the statistics of multiple response quantities and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed methodology is implemented in the validation of a transient heat conduction model, using a multivariate data set from experiments. The Bayesian m...
Aspects of π-d scattering in a relativistic three-body model

A relativistic three-body model of the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}d$ system is employed to calculate elastic scattering in the (3, 3) resonance region. The results demonstrate that this effect is not related to a resonance pole in the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}d$ amplitude, and may be simply understood in terms of well known rescattering singularities. Related questions concerning convergence of the multiple scattering series and pion absorption are discussed.
An investigation of R6Fe23Hx thermodynamics

Abstract Pressure-composition isotherms are presented for the R 6 Fe 23 -H 2 systems with R ≡ Y, Ho, Er or Lu. The R 6 Fe 23 compounds can be hydrogenated up to about 18 g atoms of hydrogen per mole of compound using an applied pressure of about 50 atm. There is evidence of two plateaux in the case of the systems with R ≡ Ho or Er, indicating the existence of at least three hydrides designated as α, β and γ. For the Lu 6 Fe 23 -H 2 system only a single plateau is observed, corresponding to the α-β equilibrium. The β-γ equilibrium pressure lies beyond the experimentally accessible pressure range. The Y 6 Fe 23 -H 2 system gives an indication of equilibrium between the β and γ hydrides. ΔH and ΔS for hydride decomposition were established using the van't Hoff expression. An anomalously high ΔS (greater than 140 J K −1 (mol H 2 ) −1 ) was observed for the β → α transition with R ≡ Ho, Er or Lu and is tentatively ascribed to a large lattice effect associated with the tetragonal distortion of the β phase. The ΔH values are in the range 39.7–51.7 kJ (mol H 2 ) −1 .
Atomic emission rates in inhomogeneous media with applications to photonic band structures

There has been a great deal of interest in periodic dielectric materials that exhibit photonic band structures. One of the more interesting features of such a substance is its ability to alter the emission rate of probe atoms embedded in the periodic lattice. Large enhancements and complete inhibition of emission rates can be obtained. It has been known for some time that the influence of a cavity on atomic emission is essentially a classical effect. Hence, we develop a general classical treatment of radiation rates in an inhomogenous medium. Our results agree with those of a fully quantum calculation, and are applied to a simple scalar model of a dipole in a one-dimensional periodic lattice of the Kronig-Penney type.
Evidence that the MIF2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a centromere protein with homology to the mammalian centromere protein CENP-C.

The MIF2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been implicated in mitosis. Here we provide genetic evidence that MIF2 encodes a centromere protein. Specifically, we found that mutations in MIF2 stabilize dicentric minichromosomes and confer high instability (i.e., a synthetic acentric phenotype) to chromosomes that bear a cis-acting mutation in element I of the yeast centromeric DNA (CDEI). Similarly, we observed synthetic phenotypes between mutations in MIF2 and trans-acting mutations in three known yeast centromere protein genes-CEP1/CBF1/CPF1, NDC10/CBF2, and CEP3/CBF3B. In addition, the mif2 temperature-sensitive phenotype can be partially rescued by increased dosage of CEP1. Synthetic lethal interactions between a cep1 null mutation and mutations in either NDC10 or CEP3 were also detected. Taken together, these data suggest that the Mif2 protein interacts with Cep1p at the centromere and that the yeast centromere indeed exists as a higher order protein-DNA complex. The Mif2 and Cep1 proteins contain motifs of known transcription factors, suggesting that assembly of the yeast centromere is analogous to that of eukaryotic enhancers and origins of replication. We also show that the predicted Mif2 protein shares two short regions of homology with the mammalian centromere Ag CENP-C and that two temperature-sensitive mutations in MIF2 lie within these regions. These results provide evidence for structural conservation between yeast and mammalian centromeres.
Vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy at the water/lipid interface: molecular dynamics simulation study.

The sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectrum from the water/[1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine] (DMPC) interface in the OH stretching mode region of water is simulated and shows three spectral peaks which are assigned to different environments. The weak 3590 cm−1 peak is attributed to a few water molecules coupled to the glycerol backbone of DMCP. The 3470 cm−1 feature comes from the top water layer adjacent to the hydrophilic headgroup of DMPC. The 3290 cm−1 peak arises from the near-bulk water nonadjacent to DMPC. The stretching mode corresponding to the 3290 cm−1 peak is strongly coupled to the neighboring water molecules. In contrast, the 3470 cm−1 mode is decoupled from the surrounding water molecules, and the orientation of water is governed by DMPC. This decoupling explains the slow relaxation dynamics of water measured in the time-resolved SFG experiment. Despite the similarity of the SFG spectra, the peak origins of water/lipid and water/vapor interfaces are different.
Integrating Distributed Sources of Information for Construction Cost Estimating using Semantic Web and Semantic Web Service technologies

Abstract A construction project requires collaboration of several organizations such as owner, designer, contractor, and material supplier organizations. These organizations need to exchange information to enhance their teamwork. Understanding the information received from other organizations requires specialized human resources. Construction cost estimating is one of the processes that requires information from several sources including a building information model (BIM) created by designers, estimating assembly and work item information maintained by contractors, and construction material cost data provided by material suppliers. Currently, it is not easy to integrate the information necessary for cost estimating over the Internet. This paper discusses a new approach to construction cost estimating that uses Semantic Web technology. Semantic Web technology provides an infrastructure and a data modeling format that enables accessing, combining, and sharing information over the Internet in a machine processable format. The estimating approach presented in this paper relies on BIM, estimating knowledge, and construction material cost data expressed in a web ontology language. The approach presented in this paper makes the various sources of estimating data accessible as Simple Protocol and Resource Description Framework Query Language (SPARQL) endpoints or Semantic Web Services. We present an estimating application that integrates distributed information provided by project designers, contractors, and material suppliers for preparing cost estimates. The purpose of this paper is not to fully automate the estimating process but to streamline it by reducing human involvement in repetitive cost estimating activities.
Acute immobilization stress triggers skin mast cell degranulation via corticotropin releasing hormone, neurotensin, and substance P: A link to neurogenic skin disorders.

Many skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, worsen during stress and are associated with increased numbers and activation of mast cells which release vasoactive, nociceptive, and proinflammatory mediators. Nontraumatic acute psychological stress by immobilization has been shown to induce mast cell degranulation in the rat dura and colon. Moreover, intradermal injection of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) or its analogue urocortin (10(-5)-10(-7) M) induced skin mast cell degranulation and increased vascular permeability. Here, we investigated the effect of acute immobilization stress on skin mast cell degranulation by light microscopy and electron microscopy. Immobilization for 30 min resulted (P < 0.05) in degranulation of 40.7 +/- 9.1% of skin mast cells compared to 22.2 +/- 7.3% in controls killed by CO(2) or 17.8 +/- 2.4% in controls killed by pentobarbital. Pretreatment intraperitoneally (ip) with antiserum to CRH for 60 min prior to stress reduced (P < 0.05) skin mast cell degranulation to 21.0 +/- 3. 3%. Pretreatment with the neurotensin (NT) receptor antagonist SR48692 reduced (P < 0.05) mast cell degranulation to 12.5 +/- 3.4%, which was significantly (P < 0.05) below control levels. In animals treated neonatally with capsaicin to deplete their sensory neurons of their neuropeptides, such as substance P (SP), mast cell degranulation due to immobilization stress was reduced to about 15%. This is the first time that stress has been shown to trigger skin mast cell degranulation, an action not only dependent on CRH, but apparently also involving NT and SP. These findings may have implications for the pathophysiology and possible therapy of neuroinflammatory skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis, neurogenic pruritus, or psoriasis, which are induced or exacerbated by stress.
Crack closure stresses in fiber reinforced brittle matrix composites

Abstract The fracture toughness of an alumina ceramic and a continuous SiC fiber reinforced alumina composite processed by pressureless sintering was studied in situ in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The applied stress intensity factor was obtained as a function of both applied load and crack extension. Closure stresses across crack surfaces imposed by grain-bridging and fiber-bridging, and hence fracture resistance from bridging were studied by both stress intensity factor and J-integral considerations. Theoretical calculations agree with experimental results. An average fracture resistance of ≈40 J m −2 per fiber and a corresponding toughness of ≈1·6 MPam 1/2 per fiber was obtained for fiber elastic bridging before fiber failure. Fiber-matrix interfacial properties were examined and a technique for evaluating interfacial frictional shear stress was developed.
Forschungsstrategien für ein zweites „Magnesium – Zeitalter“ im Fahrzeugbau

Die Strategie zur Erreichung eines „zweiten Mg-Zeitalters“ wird fur die vier Fahrzeugmodule Antriebsstrang, Innenraum, Rohkarosse und Fahrwerk uber bereits realisierte bzw. mogliche zukunftige Mg-Bauteile differenziert in ihrer zeitlichen, denkbaren Realisierungswahrscheinlichkeit erlautert. Notwendige F&E-Aktivitaten zur Umsetzung des prognostizierten Mg-Einsatzes werden anhand von Bauteil- und Projektbeispielen vorgestellt. The Second Age of Magnesium Research-Strategies to Bring the Automotive Industry's Vision to Reality This paper describes the strategy for bringing about a “second magnesium age” by means of the four vehicle modules drive train, interior, body and chassis by the use of existing and possible future magnesium components, differentiated according to the time frame and conceivable likelihood of realisation. The R&D activities necessary for implementation of the predicted use of Mg are illustrated by means of example components and projects.
Effect of substrate bias on properties of RF-sputtered Cr-SiO films

Properties of rf-sputtered Cr-SiO cermet films have been studied as a function of rf substrate bias. Films with five orders-of-magnitude change in electrical resistivity have been deposited from one Cr-SiO(5O:5O wt %) target by changing the substrate bias. Resistivities of about 200 Ω ċ cm at 5% bias and about 2 × 10-3 Ω ċ cm at 20% bias have been obtained.
Tracking group targets using hypergraph matching in data association

Group moving targets are number of targets independently moving in a physical space but keeping their relative order or pattern invariant. The up to date state-of-the-art multi-target tracking (MTT) data association methods (GNN,JPDA,MHT) are easily fail on group targets tracking problems, since the tracker-to-observation ambiguity cannot be resolved if only using the individual track to observation information. A hypergraph G is represented by G = {V,E}, where V is a set of elements called nodes or vertices, E is a set of non-empty subsets containing d-tuple of vertices called hyperedges. It can be used as a new mathematic tool to represent a group of moving targets if we let each target be a vertex and a d-target subset be an hyperedge. Under this representation, this paper reformulates the traditional MTT data association problem as an hypergraph matching one between the hypergraphs formed from tracks and observations, and shows that the traditional approach (only uses the vertex-to-vertex information) which is a special case under the proposed framework. In addition to the vertex-to-vertex information, since the hyperedge-to-hyperegde information is also used in building the assignment matrix, the hypergraph matching based algorithms give better performance than that from the traditional methods in group target tracking problems. We demonstrate the declaration from simulations as well as video based geotracking examples.
Jigsaw puzzle matching using a boundary-centered polar encoding

Abstract A shape representation suitable for efficient matching (fitting together) of parts of boundaries of two-dimensional objects is described. This representation, which uses polar coordinate systems centered around curvature maxima and minima, is applied to the problem of fitting together curved jigsaw puzzle pieces. A program implementing these techniques is described.
A topology optimization problem in control of structures using modal disparity

Towards the goal of developing a new methodology for control of vibration in flexible structures, this paper introduces the concept of modal disparity and addresses the topology optimization problem for maximizing the disparity. The modal disparity in a structure is generated by the application of forces that vary the stiffness of the structure and a topology optimization problem determines the best locations for application of these forces. When the forces are switched on and off and, as a result, the structure is switched between two stiffness states, modal disparity results in vibration energy being transferred from a set of uncontrolled modes to a set of controlled modes. This allows the vibration of the structure to be completely attenuated by removing energy from the small set of controlled modes. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate control of vibration in two truss-like structures exploiting modal disparity.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
An innovative simulation environment for cross-domain policy enforcement

Abstract With the development of policy management systems, policy-based management has been introduced in cross-domain organization collaborations and system integrations. Theoretically, cross-domain policy enforcement is possible, but in reality different systems from different organizations or domains have very different high-level policy representations and low-level enforcement mechanisms, such as security policies and privacy configurations. To ensure the compatibility and enforceability of one policy set in another domain, a simulation environment is needed prior to actual policy deployment and enforcement code development. In most cases, we have to manually write enforcement codes for all organizations or domains involved in every collaboration activity, which is a huge task. The goal of this paper is to propose an enforcement architecture and develop a simulation framework for cross-domain policy enforcement. The entire environment is used to simulate the problem of enforcing policies across domain boundaries when permanent or temporary collaborations have to span multiple domains. The middleware derived from this simulation environment can also be used to generate policy enforcement components directly for permanent integration or temporary interaction. This middleware provides various functions to enforce policies automatically or semi-automatically across domains, such as collecting policies of each participant domain in a new collaboration, generating policy models for each domain, and mapping specific policy rules following these models to different enforcement mechanisms of participant domains.
Applying modality and equivalence concepts to pattern finding in social process-produced data

Large amounts of detailed transactional information are generated by ongoing social processes. For managing and mining such data, we treat them as “objects” and “relations”. These ideas strongly parallel the way that social network analysts conceive of social structure. Modality (roughly, distinguishing multiple classes of social actors or nodes in networks) and equivalence classes (roughly, distinguishing general patterns in the ways that objects in classes are related to one another or to objects in other classes) have proven to be very useful in helping social network analysts to think about complex relational structures among social objects. Dimensional and generalized “block models” of multi-modal social networks provide tools for designing searches to identify patterns. The ideas are illustrated by descriptions of how a number of social process-produced data might be approached, including bibliographic databases, communications logs, virtual communities, and economic transactions.
Enhancement of Dry Triboelectric Separation of Fly Ash Using Seed Particles

The separation efficiency of triboelectric separation technology for fine particles has been largely attributed to the extent to which the particles are tribo-charged. The higher the particle charge, the better will be the separation efficiency in most triboelectric systems. Using a pneumatic transport triboelectric separator system, the effect of additives or charge seed particles on separation efficiency has been studied. In this system, turbulence caused by pneumatic conveyance within specially designed conveyance pipes causes strong particle interactions, which in turn creates high bipolar charge. The purpose of this research was to explore the possibility of increasing charge exchange and separation efficiency by addition of charge seed particles similar to or different from those normally contained in the feed material. It has been shown that copper powder affected the separability of coal from combustion ash whereas a high response ash did not. Results are presented to explain the charge behavior o...
Book Review: Gabriel Kolko, Anothe R Century of War? (New York: The New Press, 2002), pp. 165, US$15.95.

(2003). Book Review: Gabriel Kolko, Anothe R Century of War? (New York: The New Press, 2002), pp. 165, US$15.95. Political Science: Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 67-69.
Solid state detectors

Solid state detectors play a fundamental role in particle physics providing precision vertex detection, identification of heavy quarks and leptons, and momentum measurement. The status of the LHC experiments will be reviewed including their performance and the lesson that we have learned from their construction. The development of extremely radiation hard sensors, for the LHC luminosity upgrade will also be discussed. Progress in hybrid, monolithic or semi-monolithic pixel detectors will be presented including the application of monolithic active pixels (MAPS) and DEPFET pixels for RHIC and SuperBelle upgrades.
Role of oleic acid in the metabolism of essential fatty acids

Groups of young male guinea pigs were fed diets containing corn oil, coconut oil, coconut oil plus elaidic acid, and coconut oil plus oleic acid. The oleic acid-fed group showed signs of essential fatty acid deficiency after four weeks and severe signs after eight weeks. The elaidic acid-fed group did not show these symptoms. It is proposed that oleic acid competes competitively with linoleic acid as a substrate for the enzymes involved in linoleate transformations when only a very limited supply of linoleic acid is available to the animals and oleic acid is made available in relatively large amounts. A detailed analysis of the serum, liver, and adipose tissue lipid and a study of the incorporation of acetate-1-C14 into different lipids is presented.
Productive taboos: cultivating spatialized literacy practices

The fifth grade students in this project were part of a yearlong ethnographic study in an urban elementary school. They engaged in a student initiated inquiry project combining bakeries and mysteries, which culminated in the production of an original film. Situated in a socio-spatialized stance on literacy involving networks of participation and interaction in conjunction with Discourses and encoded texts, this study examines the co-construction of lived and ideologically charged spaces. The inquiry project privileged discussion, script writing, and a range of texts as literacy curricular tools, such as everyday texts (cookbooks and TV shows, e.g. Cake Boss) and cultural content (pop music icons Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson). The students, from three ability-grouped classrooms, reimagined their roles within the inquiry group through bargaining for tasks, wearing costumes, and taking on new roles to determine how to interact with one another effectively. Analysis, with an emphasis on the social co-con...
The Role of Soil Arthropods in Community Energetics

Though the primary development of principles of energetics was pioneered in aquatic studies, considerable information has accrued from more recent investigations of terrestrial species. Studies of soil organisms—particularly arthropods—have given us some understanding of the applicability of principles of energetics to terrestrial communities. Data from soil communities have yielded an annual energy budget for oribatid mites, ecological efficiencies for two trophic levels, and a series of herbivore:carnivore ratios for a number of communities. Energy-flow analyses of the problems of species abundance in community organization, the relationship of population production and maintenance, and the energy relationships of the soil to above-ground communities have also been attempted. As data accumulate, however, the inadequacy of the Lindeman model becomes apparent, and there are prospects for change in this conceptual scheme.
Raman scattering from 6Li+ and 7Li+ ions in lithium beta-alumina

Abstract Raman bands due to translational modes of 6Li+ and 7Li+ ions in beta-alumina were found in the frequency range of 340–410 cm−1, which is much higher than expected from the corresponding values reported for other alkali-metal ions (20–100 cm−1). Based on a model calculation, it is believed that the large shifts to higher frequencies are due to deviations of the Li+ ions from the mirror plane into “pocket sites” formed by oxygen ions above or below the Beevers-Ross sites