cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Care and the Looming Fiscal Crisis in the United States

In this paper, I want to address the large budget gap that will emerge in Medicare and Medicaid in the decades to come. In subsequent sections of the paper, I will briefly describe the finances of the programs and some of their major features. I will then explain the projections done by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office and by the U.S. appointed Board of Trustees of Social Security, Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds. The final sections of the paper will discuss measures that might be taken to close the budget gap which Medicare and Medicaid create in the context of rising health care costs in the United States.
YAG: A TEMPLATE-BASED TEXT REALIZATION SYSTEM FOR DIALOG

We present a natural language realization component, called YAG, that is suitable for intelligent tutoring systems that use dialog. Dialog imposes unique requirements on a generation component, namely: dialog systems must interact in real-time; they must be capable of producing fragmentary output; and they may be re-deployed in a number of different domains. Our approach to real-time natural language realization combines a declarative, template-based approach for the representation of text structure with knowledge-based methods for representing semantic content. Possible text structures are defined in a declarative language that is easy to understand, maintain, and re-use. A dialog system can use YAG to realize text structures by specifying a template and content from its knowledge base. Content can be specified in one of two ways: (1) as a sequence of propositions along with some control features; or (2) as a set of feature-value pairs. YAG's template realization algorithm realizes text without any search (in contrast to systems that must find rules that unify with a feature structure).
The Role of Adsorbate–Adsorbate Interactions in the Rate Controlling Step and the Most Abundant Reaction Intermediate of NH 3 Decomposition on Ru

N–N adsorbate–adsorbate interactions on a Ru(0001) surface are first estimated using quantum mechanical density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and subsequently incorporated, for the first time, in a detailed microkinetic model for NH3 decomposition on Ru using the unity bond index-quadratic exponential potential (UBI–QEP) method. DFT simulations indicate that the cross N–H interactions are relatively small. Microkinetic model predictions are compared to ultra-high vacuum temperature programmed desorption and atmospheric fixed bed reactor data. The microkinetic model with N–N interactions captures the experimental features quantitatively. It is shown that the N–N interactions significantly alter the rate determining step, the most abundant reaction intermediate, and the maximum N*-coverage, compared to mechanisms that ignore adsorbate–adsorbate interactions.
Resolution analysis of a Radio Frequency Tomography system

In this work, we analyze the resolution performance of a Radio Frequency (RF) Tomography system developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago, by commenting on results obtained from both simulations and measurements. RF Tomography (see L. Lo Monte et al., “Radio Frequency Tomography for Tunnel Detection,” IEEE Trans. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 48, No. 3, Mar. 2010, pp. 1128-1137) promises to be a very attractive imaging technology because it is narrowband, it makes use of distributed inexpensive sensors and offers sub-wavelength resolution. Some crucial applications include underground exploration, medical imaging, search and rescue, archeology, and thru-wall imaging, thanks to a very flexible forward model. All these different application share the search of a target by reconstructing images through information measured by the sensors. The resolution achievable through a system of this kind can affect the estimation of the size and the location of the target, and it is therefore one of the main criteria used to judge the overall performance of the system.
Demographic Risk Factors, Study Patterns, and Campus Involvement as Related to Student Success Among Guilford Technical Community College Students:

The educational literature suggests that certain demographic characteristics are more likely to put community college students at risk of not attaining a degree or program completion than their four-year public college counterparts. This study examines the prevalence of demographic risk factors of students attending Guilford Technical Community College as well as two other factors related to student success: study patterns and student involvement. The study compares these factors across three different groups of students: current students, graduates, and students who had recently left the institution prior to completion.
Transient interferometric technique for measuring thermal expansion at high temperatures: Thermal expansion of tantalum in the range 1500–3200 K

The design and operational characteristics of an interferometric technique for measuring thermal expansion of metals between room temperature and temperatures in the range 1500 K to their melting points are described. The basic method involves rapidly heating the specimen from room temperature to temperatures above 1500 K in less than 1 s by the passage of an electrical current pulse through it, and simultaneously measuring the specimen expansion by the shift in the fringe pattern produced by a Michelson-type polarized beam interferometer and the specimen temperature by means of a high-speed photoelectric pyrometer. Measurements of linear thermal expansion of tantalum in the temperature range 1500–3200 K are also described. The results are expressed by the relation: $$\begin{gathered} (l - l_0 )/l_0 = 5.141{\text{ x 10}}^{ - {\text{4}}} + 1.445{\text{ x 10}}^{ - {\text{6}}} T + 4.160{\text{ x 10}}^{ - {\text{9}}} T^2 \hfill \\ {\text{ }} - 1.309{\text{ x 10}}^{ - {\text{12}}} T^3 + 1.901{\text{ x 10}}^{ - {\text{16}}} T^4 \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ where T is in K and l0 is the specimen length at 20°C. The maximum error in the reported values of thermal expansion is estimated to be about 1% at 2000 K and not more than 2% at 3000 K.
Effects of amphetamine on subcellular distribution of dopamine and DOPAC

Amphetamine effects on distribution of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and amphetamine in vesicular, cytosolic, and extracellular compartments associated with a striatal varicosity were estimated through use of a computer simulation model. In addition, contribution to overall effects of amphetamine by each of five actions--transport by dopamine transporter (DAT), transport by vesicular monoamine transporter, stimulation of reverse transport, inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO), and slowing of dopamine cell firing rate--were evaluated. Amphetamine enters a varicosity almost entirely by DAT and accumulates to very high levels within the varicosity. Both reverse transport by DAT and passive diffusion contribute to continual amphetamine egress across the plasma membrane. Amphetamine enters storage vesicles by both transport and diffusion. The transport portion competes with dopamine storage, resulting in redistribution of approximately half of dopamine from vesicles to cytosol. The high concentration of amphetamine in the cytosol inhibits MAO, protecting cytosolic dopamine. A very small fraction of cytosolic dopamine is moved to extracellular compartment via reverse transport by DAT. The amount of dopamine moved by reverse transport is limited because of competition by very high cytosolic levels of amphetamine. In the presence of amphetamine, rate of dopamine transfer to extracellular compartment is less than control; however, high levels of extracellular dopamine are maintained because amphetamine occupies the DAT, thus limiting dopamine reuptake. Simulation output from a model using exchange-diffusion mechanism of reverse transport does not match all published data that were simulated, suggesting that inward transport of a substrate is not required to initiate reverse transport.
HLA-identical renal transplant recipients: immunosuppression, long-term complications, and survival.

HLA-IDENTICAL living donor renal transplant recipients have superior long-term graft and patient survival. They require less immunosuppression than other living-donor and cadaver-donor recipients. However, early acute rejection episodes occurring in up to 55% of recipients have been reported with azathioprine (AZA) and prednisone immunosuppression. Although acute rejection (AR) rates are significantly lowered by the addition of cyclosporine (CyA) to the immunosuppression regimen, concerns arise regarding the safety of long-term CyA in this group of patients with low immunologic risk and excellent long-term results. The aim of this study is to analyze the AR rate, immunosuppression requirements, posttransplant complications, long-term allograft function, and graft and patient survival rates in HLA-identical living-donor renal transplant recipients. The effects of two immunosuppressive regimens (AZA and prednisone or AZA, CyA, and prednisone) are compared, and the outcome of CyA and/or prednisone withdrawal is also analyzed.
Control of transcription in aging WI38 cells stimulated by serum to divide.

Abstract In the present work, age-related alterations in histone acetylation and in the enzymatic system responsible for acetylation were examined in two growth states of WI38 fibroblasts. These observations were correlated with transcriptional activity of the cells when quiescent and after stimulation by serum to divide. In young WI38 cells (less than 50% lifespan completed), application of a growth stimulus resulted in sustained increase in transcription occurring after serum stimulation. However, senescent cultures (greater than 80% lifespan completed), while exhibiting 3-fold greater basal levels of transcription when quiescent, showed only 50% as great an increase in transcription following serum stimulation. Turnover of labile histone acetate was observed to decrease following stimulation of young cultures, but in senescent cultures, little turnover was evident either before or after stimulation. Examination of histone acetylase and deacetylase activity in isolated nuclei revealed that deacetylase activity was markedly altered between the resting and growing state and also with age. In resting young cells, two rates of deacetylase activity were apparent, but stimulated cells exhibited only one rate. In addition, at the end of the reaction period, resting cells had removed twice as much incorporated [14C]acetate as had stimulated cells. In contrast, both stimulated and quiescent senescent fibroblasts exhibited two rates of deacetylation, but little deacetylase activity was apparent in either case. The present studies demonstrate an inverse correlation between rates of RNA synthesis and turnover of histone acetate. Enzymatic studies suggest that this result is due to a decrease in histone deacetylase activity.
Eph/ephrin interactions modulate vascular sympathetic innervation.

Abstract Ephs and ephrins are membrane-bound proteins that interact to modulate axon growth and neuronal function. We tested the hypothesis that eph/ephrin interactions affected the growth and function of vascular sympathetic innervation. Using RT-PCR analyses, we detected both classes of ephs (A and B) and both classes of ephrins (A and B) in sympathetic ganglia from neonatal and adult rats. Both classes of ephs (A and B) and both classes of ephrins (A and B) bound to the cell bodies and neurites of dissociated postganglionic sympathetic neurons. Messenger RNAs encoding for both classes of ephs (A and B) and both classes of ephrins (A and B) were also detected in sympathetically innervated arteries from neonatal and adult rats. These data suggest that ephrins/ephs on nerve fibers of postganglionic sympathetic neurons could interact with ephs/ephrins on cells in innervated arteries. We found that ephA4 reduced reinnervation of denervated femoral arteries. Reinnervation in the presence of ephA4-Fc (38.9 ± 6.6%) was significantly less than that in the presence of IgG–Fc (62 ± 10%; n = 5; p
Pulse shaping with saturable absorbers

An active pulse shaper which can generate time waveforms which are very different from those produced naturally by laser oscillators has been devised. The system, which is in effect an optical shutter with variable transmission, consists of an array of bleachable dye cells. The transmittance of each cell is controlled by gating signals that are standard exponential or gaussian optical pulses. The system is applied to the production of the superexponential pulse waveform required for laser initiated nuclear fusion. It is demonstrated that the pulse intensity I(t) = I o (1−t/T)-a with T = 9.45 ns, a = 15/8 and 0 ≤ t ≤ 9.4 ns, can be approximated to within 10% by a triple dye cell system modulating an incident pulse with a 4 ns time constant. The gating signals are two exponentials; one with 1 ns and other 250 ps time constant; and a 250 ps FWHM gaussian.
Symmetry-breaking for positive solutions of semilinear elliptic equations

In a recent interesting paper, GIDAS, NI, and NIRENBERG [2] proved that positive solutions of the Dirichlet problem for second-order semi-linear elliptic equations on balls must themselves be spherically symmetric functions. Here we consider the bifurcation problem for such solutions. Specifically, we investigate the ways in which the symmetric solution can bifurcate into a nonsymmetric solution; when this happens, we say that the symmetry "breaks." To carry out this program, we rely on certain results in [6], where we studied the kernel of the associated linearized operator. This enables us to give some necessary conditions for symmetry to break. We also find a class of functionsf where these conditions are also sufficient; see equation (18) below. The problem is, of course, to show that, when zero comes into the spectrum of the linearized operator and our conditions are fulfilled, bifurcation into the non-radial direction actually occurs. This is done by showing first that the "bifurcation curve" is a smooth manifold near the bifurcation point, and then appealing to a theorem of VANDERBAUWHEDE [8], which gives sufficient conditions for bifurcation to occur in the presence of symmetries.
The impact of changes in child support policy

This paper measures the impact of child support reforms on payments to divorced mothers and welfare participation rates among them. A Stackelberg model of divorced parents’ behavior is calibrated to data from Wisconsin, where child support payments increased from $2,175.35 to $3,431.77 and welfare participation rates decreased from 33.5% to 9% between 1981 and 1992. Results show that new guidelines accounted for 24.4% and improved enforcement for 74% of the increase in payments. Higher payments accounted for a 3.9-percentage-point decline, decreasing welfare benefits an 8.4-percentage-point decline, and the two combined a 15-percentage-point decline in the welfare participation rate.
Transient-Enhanced Diffusion In Ion-Implanted Silicon

We discuss the transient-enhanced diffusion of Sb, As, P, In, Ga, and B in ion-implanted Si, where the near-surface region has been amorphized by the dopant or by a self-implantation process. With Sb, a large transient diffusion enhancement is observed proportional to dopant concentration. For Sb, As, P, and In, the enhancement follows the relative interstitialcy diffusion coefficient. We believe this behavior is caused by stable implantation-induced point defects present in the amorphous surface layer, which decay during thermal processing to release high concentrations of self interstitials. This process occurs in competition with the solid phase epitaxial (SPE) growth process, and for high dopant concentrations can occur in the amorphous phase ahead of the crystallization front. We believe this may be the origin of the dopant redistribution which can occur during SPE growth, which sets the upper limit to the dopant concentration which can be incorporated in the lattice by SPE growth. These effects are reduced for Ga and are absent for B, although transient enhanced diffusion of these species can still occur from defects emitted from the damaged crystal underlying the original amorphous/crystalline interface.
Steady Linear Response to Tropical Heating in Barotropic and Baroclinic Models

Abstract The atmospheric response to tropical heating is examined using both the linear, multilevel baroclinic model with an imposed tropical heat source, and the one-level barotropic model with a tropical divergence forcing. The divergent component of the response in the baroclinic model is characterized by a tropical divergence confined to the heated region, plus convergence and divergence centers away from the tropical heated region at the outflow level. The rotational component of the response is depicted by a local baroclinic response in the Tropics and a remote equivalent barotropic wave train in the extratropics. The barotropic model responses to a fixed tropical divergence are highly sensitive to the strength of the zonal mena zonal flow at different vertical levels in the upper troposphere. The sensitivity is induced by the dependence of the propagation speed of the stationary Rossby wave rays on the strength of the zonal mean zonal flow. The barotropic response to a tropical divergence when line...
Precision of self-consistent energy band calculations

Abstract In this note we point out that previous estimates of the precision of self-consistent energy band calculations have been too optimistic the errors being perhaps two orders of magnitude greater than quoted in some instances.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation and purpura fulminans in a patient with Candida sepsis. Biopsy of purpura fulminans as an aid to diagnosis of systemic candida infection

Disseminated intravascular coagulation and purpura fulminans developed in association with septicemia and meningitis due to Candida tropicalis in an 18-year-old female immunosuppressed renal allograft recipient. Although systemic Candida infection was initially suspected, blood cultures showed no growth of this organism until after its identification in the dermis of a skin biopsy specimen obtained from the site of purpura fulminans. This case illustrates the association between Candida sepsis and purpura fulminans, and demonstrates the usefulness of skin biopsy of purpura fulminans in the early diagnosis of Candida sepsis.
Quantitative characterization of ion pairing and cluster formation in strong 1:1 electrolytes.

Aqueous solutions of 1:1 strong electrolytes are considered to be the prototype for complete ionic dissociation. Nonetheless, clustering of strong 1:1 electrolytes has been widely reported in all atom molecular dynamics simulations, and their presence is indirectly implicated in a diverse range of experimental results. Is there a physical basis for nonidealities such as ion pairing and cluster formation in aqueous solutions of strong 1:1 electrolytes? We attempt to answer this question by direct comparison of results from detailed molecular dynamics simulations to experimentally observed properties of 1:1 electrolytes. We report the analysis of a series of lengthy molecular dynamics simulations of alkali−halide solutions carried out over a wide range of physiologically relevant concentrations using explicit representations of water molecules. We find evidence for pronounced nonideal behavior of ions at all concentrations in the form of ion pairs and clusters which are in rapid equilibrium with dissociated...
Cavity formation before stable hydrogen bonding in the folding of a beta-clam protein.

The time course of folding of a small β-sheet protein reveals formation of a central ligand binding cavity before the consolidation of the native hydrogen bonding network. These results suggest that side chain interactions and not stable hydrogen bonding determine the β-sheet architecture and play crucial roles in the overall chain topology.
411: Association of corticosteroids (CS) and neuronal injury in an in vitro model of hypoxic brain cells

injury in an in vitro model of hypoxic brain cells Carlos Carreno, Joseph Alcorn, Karen Bishop, Baha Sibai, Alex Vidaeff The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Houston, TX, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Pediatrics, Houston, TX OBJECTIVE: Animal models indicate that exposure to CS may result in neuronal injury, but the effects of CS on the brain of growth-restricted human fetuses (state of chronic utero-placental insufficiency) remain largely unstudied. We investigated if CS exposure contributes to neuronal injury in an in vitro model of neuronal cells under hypoxic environment. STUDY DESIGN: U87 glioblastoma cells were exposed to hypoxic or normoxic conditions for 10 hours and then incubated in the absence or presence of dexamethasone (DXM, 10-7 M) for 48 hours. Study groups included: Normoxia only, Normoxia DXM, Hypoxia only and Hypoxia DXM.Neurotoxicity, reflected by apoptosis, was determined using a caspase-3-specific activity assay and western blotting. Caspase-3 values were calculated as a percentage of mean caspase-3 cleavage. Each experiment was performed in triplicate (n 48 for each experiment). ELISA were used to measured Caspase 3 activity in cell culture media. Numeric values are expressed as mean ( SEM). Paired t test was used to establish a difference between the study groups. RESULTS: Pro-caspase-3 (32 kDa) was expressed in culture, but the activated 17 Kd Caspase 3 was not expressed in cell lysate. There was no significant difference in the ratio of caspase 3 activation when U87 cells were exposed to 10 hours of hypoxia as compared to normoxia only (Hypoxia: 0.46 0.44 vs. Normoxia: 0.37 0.37, p 0.05). The pro-apoptotic effects of DXM were not increased by pre-exposure to hypoxia: (Hypoxia only: 0.37 0.37 vs. Hypoxia DMX: 0.47 0.40, p 0.05). Figure compares the ratio of 17 Kd Caspase 3 activation among the different study groups. CONCLUSION: In this novel in vitro model we found no effect of hypoxia on the activation of Caspase 3 in U87 cells. We also found that the addition of DXM to hypoxic cells had no additive or synergistic effects. Therefore, we speculate that the administration of CS in the setting of fetal growth restriction will not lead to any potential neuronal injury.
A Study of Certain Properties of Myosin from Skeletal Muscle

SUMMARY— This investigation was conducted (a) to establish a procedure for purifying a stable myosin preparation from pig skeletal muscle and (b) to evaluate the enzymatic activity and associated characteristics of purified myosin, isolated at death from skeletal muscles which ultimately have varying rates of hydrolysis of ATP in situ during the first half-hour after death. Rabbit muscles were also used for comparative purposes. Myosin preparations were found to be pure (by ultracentrifugation, Sephadex separation and superprecipitation tests) and stable with normal values for SH groups. The Ca++-activated ATPase activities of myosin extracted from PSE Poland China pigs were significantly greater than those from Chester White pigs and normal Poland China pigs. EDTA-activated ATPase activities were greater in myosin from PSE Poland China than in normal Poland China.
Polymorphism of the Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase Gene in African-Americans

The molecular basis for the genetic polymorphism of thiopurine S -methyltransferase (TPMT) has been estab-lished for Caucasians, but it remains to be elucidated in African populations. In the current study, we determined TPMT genotypes in a population of 248 African-Americans and compared it with allele frequencies in 282 Caucasian Americans. TPMT genotype was determined in all individuals with TPMT activity indicative of a heterozygous genotype ( 10.2 U/ml pRBC, n = 23 African-Americans, n = 21 Caucasians). No mutant alleles were found in the high activity control groups. The overall mutant allele frequencies were similar in African-Americans and Caucasians (4.6 and 3.7% of alleles, respectively). However, while TPMT*3C was the most prevalent mutant allele in African-Americans (52.2% of mutant alleles), it represented only 4.8% of mutant alleles in Caucasians ( P His), was found in one African-American with intermediate activity. These data indicate that the same TPMT mutant alleles are found in American black and white populations, but that the predominant mutant alleles differ in these two ethnic groups.
Subjective Response Differences between Visual Analogue, Ordinal and Hybrid Response Scales

The Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) discipline employs different subjective response scale formats to measure subjective phenomena (e.g., hazard perception). Per the psychometrics literature, different scale formats can yield different participant responses, which is a potential threat to validity in replication studies if response scales are not consistent across study iterations. If ordinal response scales (e.g., Likert scales) yield ordinal data and continuous response scales (e.g., Visual Analogue Scales) yield continuous data then it is inappropriate to substitute one response scale for the other if they potentially yield different responses for the same question. The current research compared mean participant ratings for the same question on VAS, Likert and Hybrid response scales and found that VAS scales had significantly lower mean ratings than Likert and Hybrid response scales. Two scale features, the number of anchors (5 or 9) and the scale length (10.0cm and 19.2cm), were varied and no sign...
THE MALTHUSIAN PARAMETER OF ASCENTS : WHAT PREVENTS THE EXPONENTIAL INCREASE OF ONE'S ANCESTORS ?

The reason that the indefinite exponential increase in the number of one’s ancestors does not take place is found in the law of sibling interference, which can be expressed by the following simple equation: where Nn is the number of ancestors in the nth generation, ASZ is the average sibling size of these ancestors, and Nn+1 is the number of ancestors in the next older generation (n + 1). Accordingly, the exponential increase in the number of one’s ancestors is an initial anomaly that occurs while ASZ remains at 1. Once ASZ begins to exceed 1, the rate of increase in the number of ancestors is progressively curtailed, falling further and further behind the exponential increase rate. Eventually, ASZ reaches 2, and at that point, the number of ancestors stops increasing for two generations. These two generations, named AN SA and AN SA + 1, are the most critical in the ancestry, for one’s ancestors at that point come to represent all the progeny-produced adults of the entire ancestral population. Thereafter, the fate of one’s ancestors becomes the fate of the entire population. If the population to which one belongs is a successful, slowly expanding one, the number of ancestors would slowly decline as you move toward the remote past. This is because ABZ would exceed 2. Only when ABZ is less than 2 would the number of ancestors increase beyond the AN SA and AN SA + 1 generations. Since the above is an indication of a failing population on the way to extinction, there had to be the previous AN SA involving a far greater number of individuals for such a population. Simulations indicated that for a member of a continuously successful population, the AN SA ancestors might have numbered as many as 5.2 million, the AN SA generation being the 28th generation in the past. However, because of the law of increasingly irrelevant remote ancestors, only a very small fraction of the AN SA ancestors would have left genetic traces in the genome of each descendant of today.
The System Ilia: Teaching Useful Nonexpressible Understanding in Psychology

Sum7nasy.-A computerized system, called ILIA, for teaching a useful nonexpressible understanding of complex natural phenomena is briefly described. The applications to teaching psychology to persons without a technical background is stressed, and use in a particular course outlined. Through attempting to teach people about the complex behavior of natural systems without having to learn detailed analytic dynamics, this type of system may have many uses outside of the university. A simple analysis of students' reactions suggests that ILIA may be reasonably effective in achieving its goal. The human brain may contain three trillion connections influenced by as many as two hundred neurotransmitters. If psychology is considered to be the science of individuals, then it may be the most difficult of all the sciences if the degree of success, rigor, and elegance achieved by physics is to be sought. A well-trained psychologist may eventually have to have training that exceeds that of the theoretical physicist in both difficulty and sophistication. If this is only partially true; the complexity of psychology will pose serious problems for teaching those without a highly technical background. Even at present, aspects of psychology are sufficiently complex to be inaccessible to many who would like to understand the subject matter. The psychologist, and others like sociologists, political scientists and anthropologists, have a problem faced neither by disciplines like engineering nor astronomy. In engineering, courses are typically not taught until the student has the necessary background to understand the technical details. A course on astronomy can be even unrealistically simplified since it is unlikely that the student will ever use the information. On the other hand, many students take psychology courses without a technical background but do expect to apply what they learn to either their personal lives or in their professions. A frequent "solution" is to simplify the psychological material anyway. Such simplifications have an intrinsic appeal to the student (if he accepts them) for he feels that something valuable is being learned with relatively little effort. The danger in this "solution" lies not with the individual alone, but with the aura of simplicity it attaches to the science of psychology. Psy
Pavement thickness design for no-fines concrete parking lots

A uniformly graded coarse aggregate and a cement-water paste comprise no-fines concrete. No-fines concrete is beneficial in areas that receive frequent or excessive rainfall because of its excellent drainage properties. This paper discusses thickness design of no-fines concrete parking lot pavements. Based on its engineering properties, traffic conditions, and subgrade characteristics, a determination about thickness of no-fines concrete pavements is made. Two design procedures were used for the thickness evaluation of no-fines concrete parking lots--American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Port Cement Association (PCA). Laboratory results indicate that if proper proportioning and densification occurs, no-fines concrete can be successfully employed as a surface paving material for parking lots. The thickness design tables reveal that the PCA design procedure is more appropriate for thinner pavements, while AASHTO yields a more conservative outcome for thicker pavements. Both design methods offered similar thickness results for intermediate traffic categories.
Bound for loss of lock rate in partial response recording channels

Loss of lock in timing recovery becomes the bottleneck of the overall system bit error rate performance in low-signal-to-noise ratio partial response recording channels. Presented here is a bound for the loss of lock rate in terms of root mean squared value of the residual timing jitter. Results of Monte-Carlo simulations agree well with the derived bound for practical magnetic recording channels.
Source-Parameter Estimation by Full Waveform Inversion in 3D Heterogeneous, Viscoelastic, Anisotropic Media

A source parameter estimation algorithm that incorporates Green9s functions for 3D heterogeneous viscoelastic anisotropic media is developed. The algorithm is based on the construction of synthetic seismograms for a double-couple point source by linear combination of the five fundamental sources that correspond to the moment tensor components. Construction of the Green9s functions for such complex media is performed numerically by eighth-order finite differencing. For the source inversion, the model search procedure of Zhao and Helmberger (1994) is used. Results for a synthetic event in a realistic 3D model of the San Fernando basin show that incorporation of the 3D structure reduces the residual errors of the waveform fitting by more than 50% compared to those for a 1D layered model; azimuthal anisotropy produced by vertical cracks reduces the errors about 30%; and attenuation accounts for the other 20%. The algorithm is applied to real data from two 1994 Northridge aftershocks. The source parameters obtained from high-frequency seismograms at local distances are similar to those obtained using traditional approaches at regional distances. In the source estimations from real data, the largest improvement in the residuals is observed in going from a 1D to the 3D model. The most significant contribution of the 3D structure is a considerable improvement in the uniqueness of solution. Incorporation of anisotropy and attenuation to the 3D model into estimations do not improve the solutions for the real data and implies that these aspects of the model are not yet sufficiently well defined to contribute to improving source-parameter estimations.
Modeling weak fluctuations of undersea telemetry signals

Numerical calculation of acoustic field perturbation expressions can be used to predict fluctuations after propagation through ocean sound-speed structures, but before the onset of multipath. The general form of the expressions for signal spectra or correlation functions allow numerical evaluation for an unlimited quantity of vector wave-number spectral models of refractive index. In order to help define the bounds of applicability of the theory, log-intensity fluctuation variances have been calculated for three major situations: ocean internal waves, ocean turbulence, and continuous strong large-scale turbulence. Propagation through ocean thermocline internal waves, realistically weak thermocline turbulence, and unrealistically strong turbulence show that scintillations of intensity can be predicted and understood to first order up to ranges of tens of kilometers, given the proper transmission geometry. Internal wave effects dominate over any effects from expected microstructure. Nonhorizontal transmission yields small fluctuations, but eventually refractive effects of the sound channel will contribute some additional spatial variability and multipath, complicating the use of the theory. Multipath due to the sound channel can exist at ranges where the random small-scale structures would contribute only small perturbations (no multipath from small structures). >
Using modified z-transforms to model the step response of the peak current-mode controlled buck converter

Modified z-transforms were used previously to derive a z-domain transfer function for the peak current-mode controlled buck converter. This paper derives the relationships between the poles in the z-domain transfer function and the step response in the time domain. This will allow practical implementation of the modified z-transform model so that time domain parameters like overshoot and settling time can be determined. This paper experimentally verifies the model in the time domain by using the changes in the duty cycle of the gate waveform during the transient response to a step change in the control voltage.
Laser-linewidth effects on the photon–phonon conversion rate at a gas–solid interface

An atom, bounded to the surface of a crystal; absorbs photons from a strong incident laser field and subsequently emits phonons into the solid. In this paper we study the influence of the laser linewidth on this photon–phonon conversion process. The appearance of coherences obscures the interpretation of the equation of motion in terms of transition rates and prohibits the derivation of a master equation in the transient region. The absorbed energy from the driving field, which is assumed to be resonant with a set of two levels only, results from the work done by the external field on the transition dipole. In the steady state, the energy absorption from the radiation field equals the energy emission in the phonon field. It is shown that in this long-time limit the coherences can be expressed in terms of the populations, and hence the system is again described by a masterlike equation. Specific aspects of the finite laser bandwidth are pointed out.
Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of the relationship between 6-keto PGF1α and high density lipoproteins

Two studies were performed to examine the relationship between Prostacyclin (PGI2) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). A longitudinal study examined the stable metabolite of PGI2, 6-keto PGF1α, along with HDL-C, and total cholesterol (TC) before (Week 0), during (Week 4), and after (Week 9) an eight week aerobic conditioning program. 6-keto PGF1α was measured by radioimmunoassay using 125I, and HDL-C and TC were spectrophotometrically analysed. Maximal oxygen uptake and resting heart rate data obtained at Week 0 confirmed that the training group (E) was not different from the sedentary group (C). Results obtained at Week 9 indicated that maximal oxygen uptake was higher (p<0.05) and resting heart rate lower (p<0.05) in the E group, while these variables remained unchanged in group C. Levels of 6-keto PGF1α, HDL-C, and TC did not differ between groups E and C when Week 0 was compared with Week 9. However, within the E group, significantly lower concentrations of 6-keto PGF1α (p<0.05) and HDL-C (p<0.05) were found at Week 4 compared with Week 0. A cross-sectional study involving 52 subjects examined the relationship between 6-keto PGF1α and several cardiovascular disease risk factors which included HDL-C. The only significant correlation (r = 0.50 p<0.05) observed was between 6-keto PGF1α and HDL-C.
An Investigation Into the Effect of Full-Scale Supply Chain Management Software Adoptions on Inventory Balances and Turns

Supply chain management (SCM) software vendors, analysts, and others claim that firms implementing SCM software stand to benefit by being able to reduce inventory holdings and increase inventory turns. We theorize that full-scale implementations lead to system-wide inventory optimization, which in turn leads to cost improvement associated with inventory balances and turns. To examine the question, we develop an analytical model of inventory optimization, then analyze the effects of the model with a numerical experiment, and finally confirm the results with an empirical examination. We find that firm-wide implementation is significant in explaining improvement in inventory metrics, relative to pre-implementation metrics for our sample. Our empirical tests indicate that implementing SCM software across only a portion of the firm does not impact inventory metrics, but that the scale of implementation does. More precisely, we find that firms implementing SCM software across the entire company significantly improve both inventory turns and inventory as a percent of revenue relative to partially-implementing firms and non-implementers.
Physical Controls on Methane Ebullition from Reservoirs and Lakes

Understanding the nature and extent of methane production and flux in aquatic sediments has important geochemical, geotechnical, and global climate change implications. Quantifying these processes is difficult, because much of the methane flux in shallow sediments occurs via ebullition (bubbling). Direct observation of bubble formation is not possible, and bubbling is episodic and dependent upon a number of factors. Whereas previous studies have correlated methane flux with surface wind intensity, detailed study of Lake Gatun in Panama and Lago Loiza in Puerto Rico suggest that methane flux is more closely correlated with the shear stress in sediments caused by bottom currents. Bottom currents in turn are a complex function of wind, internal pressure gradients, and lake bathymetry. A simple physical model of bottom currents and sediments in these lakes suggests that most methane ebullition originated from the upper 10–20 cm of the sediment column. Our data reaffirm previous studies showing that ebullitive methane flux is minor in water deeper than ∼5 m.
“The same cause and like quarell”: Eusebius, John Foxe, and the Evolution of Ecclesiastical History

In 1563, just five years after Elizabeth ascended to the throne, John Foxe published the first edition of his Acts and Monuments. Part ecclesiastical history, part martyrology, part English chronicle, and entirely Protestant, this enormously popular work had a significant impact upon its age. The dedicatory letter to the Queen in this first edition begins with an elaborate woodcut of the letter C, in which Elizabeth sits enthroned. [See Figure 1.] This C is the beginning of the word “Constantine.” Foxe writes: “Constantine the greate and mightie Emperour, the sonne of Helene an Englyshe woman of this youre Realme and countrie (moste Christian and renowned Pryncesse Queene Elizabeth) … pacified and established the churche of Christ, being long before under persecution almost … 400 years” (1563 Pref. vi). Thus Foxe immediately emphasizes the supposed Englishness of Constantine and builds upon this link between Rome and Britain by implying that, just as Constantine had delivered the Christians from an age of persecution, so had Elizabeth. But there is another parallel that Foxe is interested in establishing, at which he hints as the letter continues. Foxe tells the story of how Constantine once traveled to Caesaria, where he promised to grant Eusebius, the Bishop, whatever he wanted for the good of the church: “The good and godly Byshop … made this petition, onely to obtaine at his maiesties hand under his seale and letters autentique, free leave and license through al the monarchie of Rome … to searche out the names, sufferinges and actes, of all such as suffered in al that time of persecution before, for the testimonie and faith of Christ Jesus” (1563 Pref., vi).
Server-side code injection attack detection based on Kullback-Leibler distance

In this paper, we apply a well-known measure from information theory domain called Kullback-Leibler distance (or divergence) (KLD) to detect the symptoms of code injection attacks early during programme runtime. We take advantage of the observation that during code injection attack, the intended structure deviates from the expected structure. The KLD can be a suitable measure to capture the deviation. Our contribution includes the development of a server-side framework to compute KLD. In particular, we apply a smoothing algorithm to avoid the infinite KLD distance during attack detection stage. We evaluate our approach with three PHP applications having SQLI and XSS vulnerabilities. The initial results show that KLD can be an effective measurement technique to detect the occurrence of code injection attacks. The approach suffers from lower false positive and negative rates, and imposes negligible runtime overhead.
Recovery of Humic-Reducing Bacteria from a Diversity of Environments

To evaluate which microorganisms might be responsible for microbial reduction of humic substances in sedimentary environments, humic-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of sediment types. These included lake sediments, pristine and contaminated wetland sediments, and marine sediments. In each of the sediment types, all of the humic reducers recovered with acetate as the electron donor and the humic substance analog, 2,6-anthraquinone disulfonate (AQDS), as the electron acceptor were members of the family Geobacteraceae. This was true whether the AQDS-reducing bacteria were enriched prior to isolation on solid media or were recovered from the highest positive dilutions of sediments in liquid media. All of the isolates tested not only conserved energy to support growth from acetate oxidation coupled to AQDS reduction but also could oxidize acetate with highly purified soil humic acids as the sole electron acceptor. All of the isolates tested were also able to grow with Fe(III) serving as the sole electron acceptor. This is consistent with previous studies that have suggested that the capacity for Fe(III) reduction is a common feature of all members of the Geobacteraceae. These studies demonstrate that the potential for microbial humic substance reduction can be found in a wide variety of sediment types and suggest that Geobacteraceae species might be important humic-reducing organisms in sediments.
Tuberculosis: una dinámica continua entre el pasado y el presente, para imaginar el futuro

Progress in understanding the biological processes that allow Mycobacterium tuberculosis to be a successful parasite have accelerated in the last twenty years. This progress has been stimulated by the return of tuberculosis (TB) as an important disease in industrialized countries, by its increase in emergent nations in the tail of population increases and poverty and by the spread of multiple drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) M. tuberculosis as a result of treatment failures. Progress on M. tuberculosis biology has also been fueled by advances in microbiology and molecular biology, including molecular genetics, genomics, proteomics and in vitro and in vivo models of infection. The study of latency or dormancy, a phenomenon central to understanding the persistence of M. tuberculosis and the development of TB in individuals, its spread in human populations and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant/tolerant organisms, has been preferred targets for investigators in this area. In this manner, factors that trigger M. tuberculosis latency (e. g, hypoxia, nutrient starvation, NO exposure) have been characterized and the metabolic shifts to host lipid utilization, tolerance to antimicrobials and resistance to host immune mechanisms involved in latency have been determined. Similarly, genetic changes and the resulting antimicrobial mechanisms mediating the MDR and XDR states have been characterized and potential new vaccines that avoid reactivation from latency and infection are being developed. Despite this progress, and given the fact that effective anti tuberculosis therapy was developed and first introduced clinically at the end of the 1940s, there are now more cases of latent and active TB worldwide than ever before. This reinforces the concept of TB as a bacterial disease with strong social and economical! determinants which are presently stimulating increased transmission in many human groups, undermining diagnostics, treatment and prevention. It suggests that in a scenario of global economical crisis the struggle against TB will be weakened, unless efforts are included to alleviate poverty, decrease economic inequality, improve public health and allow democracy and political organization.
Upper bound mixed H 2 /H ∞ control and integrated design for collocated structural systems

The present paper addresses the mixed H 2 /H ∞ norm analysis and feedback control design problem for structural systems with collocated actuators and sensors. The mixed norm formulation provides a trade-off measure of a system performance and robustness in the presence of uncertainties in the system model. First, we develop an explicit upper bound expression for the mixed H 2 /H ∞ norm of collocated structural systems and an explicit parametrization of output feedback control gains to guarantee such bounds. The results offer computationally efficient solutions for system analysis and multi-objective controller design that are especially suitable for large-scale collocated systems where traditional analysis and design methods fail. The second part of the paper uses the proposed bounds to address the simultaneous design of structural damping parameters and feedback control gains for optimized closed-loop mixed-norm performance. A linear matrix inequality (LMI) formulation is provided for the integrated damping and control gain optimization. Structural control design numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the advantages and computational efficiency of the proposed bounds and the integrated design approach.