cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Modeling Using a Three-Dimensional Coupled-Mode Model

Abstract : The over-all goal of this research is the development of an accurate and reliable propagation model applicable to environments which exhibit strong range dependence in all three spatial dimensions. The objective of this work is to gain an understanding the physics of propagation in continental shelf areas, specifically horizontal refraction and mode coupling induced by three-dimensional (3D) inhomogeneities in the waveguide. A coupled-mode approach has been applied for this purpose. The coupled-mode approach is attractive for solving problems involving 3D propagation for several reasons. First, this technique provides intuitive results for understanding the features responsible for observed propagation effects in range-dependent environments. For example, upslope propagation is characterized by acoustic energy radiated into the bottom at discrete depths associated with mode cut-off. The modal decomposition of the acoustic field has also been used to describe horizontal refraction in a wedge-shaped ocean, for which the single-mode interference pattern associated with rays launched up and across the shelf has been well documented [Weinberg and Burridge (1974)]. Furthermore, coupled-mode solutions are highly accurate and have been used for benchmarking solutions to range-dependent problems [Jensen and Ferla (1990)]. In order to appreciate the limitations of existing 3D models, it is necessary to have methods which can provide reference solutions for comparison.
Shareholder Activism and Impact on Corporations

Certain hedge funds focus on shareholder activism as a core investment strategy. This chapter discusses the role activist shareholder and its impact that acquires minority equity position in a public corporation and then applies pressure on management in order to increase shareholder value through changes in corporate policy. Some of the common changes advocated by activist shareholders include reducing corporate costs, repurchasing common shares, increasing corporate leverage, increasing dividends, reducing CEO compensation, reducing cash balances, and divesting certain businesses. There is disagreement on whether hedge fund shareholder activism makes companies stronger or merely generates short-term gains that principally benefit the activist at the expense of long-term shareholders. During 2008, there were more than 75 U.S. hedge funds dedicated to event-driven, activist-style investing, and these funds managed more than $50 billion in assets. Some significant institutional investors have lined up with these hedge funds to push boards to be more responsive to shareholders. In a number of cases, it appears that improvements have been made in companies that, in the absence of shareholder activism, may not have occurred. In other cases, large share repurchases pushed by activists and executed by companies created large opportunity costs when the repurchases occurred before subsequent steep share price drops. In addition, a number of acquisitions pushed by activist shareholders have seen significant share price drops since closing.
Adam Smith and the History of Economic Thought: The Case of Banking

Adam Smith promotes markets because of their efficiency and because of their ability to develop and support moral social life. His views on banking are an example of his broader view. According to Smith banks should be allowed to issue their own money and compete in a minimally regulated environment. On the one hand, competition, including the possibility of bank failures, generates discipline, and discipline generates prudent behavior. On the other hand, competition in the banking sector is generated and maintained by prudent behavior. The prudent behavior of morally responsible banks is rewarded with economic success and it supports the economic and moral development of society; and the economic success of banks allows for morals to flourish. Smith’s pictures of banking is a part of his big picture of a complex web of interrelations of markets, laws, and morals; it is an example of the complexity of the natural system of liberty which promotes prosperity and the development of moral, free, and responsible individuals. But when historians of economics look at Smith on banking, they tend to focus only on the technical aspects of Smith, often narrowing the focus and often narrowing (or losing) the picture of the bigger project Smith seems to envision, and generating contradictions.
Field-induced X Y and Ising ground states in a quasi-two-dimensional S = 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet

High field specific heat up to 35 T, ${C}_{p}$, and magnetic susceptibility, \ensuremath{\chi}, measurements were performed on the quasi-two-dimensional (2D) Heisenberg antiferromagnet [Cu(pyz)${}_{2}$(pyO)${}_{2}$](PF${}_{6}$)${}_{2}$. While no ${C}_{p}$ anomaly is observed down to 0.5 K in zero magnetic field, the application of field parallel to the crystallographic $ab$-plane induces a lambda-like anomaly in ${C}_{p}$, suggesting Ising-type magnetic order. On the other hand when the field is parallel to the $c$-axis, ${C}_{p}$ and \ensuremath{\chi} show evidence of $XY$-type antiferromagnetism. This dependence upon the field orientation occurs because the extreme two-dimensionality allows the intrinsic (zero field) spin anisotropy to dominate the interlayer coupling, which has hitherto masked such effects in other materials.
Acupuncture for Relief of Angina

To the Editor: I read with interest the ESBY study (Electrical Stimulation versus coronary artery BYpass surgery in severe angina pectoris) by Mannheimer et al.1 They found that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has antianginal and anti-ischemic effects in severe angina pectoris and concluded that CABG and SCS are equivalent methods in terms of symptom relief. In a previous report,2 these authors showed that myocardial extraction of β-endorphin during control atrial pacing changed to release at the maximum pacing rate during SCS. Furthermore, their results indicate local myocardial turnover of β-endorphin, leuenkephalin, and calcitonin-gene–related …
Autonomic innervation of the human middle ear: An immunohistochemical study

Abstract Purpose: Although there have been numerous studies of autonomic innervation of the middle ear mucosa, and the mechanism of effusion into the middle ear cavity in animals, the autonomic innervation of the human middle ear has not received much attention. The purpose of this study is to show the presence of catecholaminergic nerve fibers in the human middle-ear mucus membrane that may play an important role in the pathogenesis of middle-ear effusion. Materials and Methods: A total of 126 celloidin-embedded temporal bone sections from the temporal bone bank at the House Ear Institute were used for immunohistochemical study. A polyclonal antibody to tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme was used to show the presence of catecholaminergic nerve fibers. Results: Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive nerve fibers containing numerous fine varicosities along their course, characteristic of noradrenergic neurons, were observed throughout the middle-ear mucosa including the promontary, sinus tympani, mesotympanum, and hypotympanum. In addition, these nerve fibers were seen in close promixity to the small-caliber blood vessels. A striking variation in the intensity of staining as well as in the amount of nerve fibers was observed among the temporal bone sections. Conclusion: It is possible that the catecholaminergic nerve fibers, like elsewhere in the body, may exert a direct influence on the middle-ear mucosal blood vessels. We speculate that the effusion into the middle-ear space is an active, rather than a passive process. It is conceivable that cholinergic-sympathetic nerves might exist in the human middle-ear mucus membrane, and that these autonomic nerves, in conjunction with the neuropeptides, may play an active role in the pathogenesis of human middle-ear effusion.
Effect of practice on the identification of auditory sequences

Using a variant of the up-and-down method to establish duration thresholds for correct report of the order of sound sequences, six experiments were run with a practiced crew of three Ss. All showed striking improvement with practice, but substantial individual differences were observed. Two Ss found spaced sequences harder than simple cyclic ones and single presentations hardest of all, had increased difficulty when the component frequencies were brought closer together, and were disturbed by irregular timing. These variables made no difference to the third and most sensitive S, whose threshold reached 23 msec per component. All Ss displayed poorer performance if noise, additional signals, or a distrating activity occurred between the stimulus sequence and the response.
Design and testing of a long-range, precision fast tool servo system for diamond turning

Abstract A long-range, precision fast tool servo (FTS) system was developed that is capable of accurately translating the cutting tool on a diamond turning machine (DTM) with maximum accelerations of 260 m s−2 and bandwidths of up to 140 Hz. The maximum displacement range of the cutting tool is 2 mm. The FTS utilizes a flexure mechanism driven by a voice coil actuator, a custom linear current amplifier and a laser interferometer feedback system. This paper describes the design of the electromechanical system, controller configuration and cutting tests to evaluate the system. Initially, low disturbance rejection and poor command following degraded the surface finish of machined test parts. Several techniques to add damping to the dynamic system were investigated to improve the generated surface finishes. Electromotive damping was applied inside the voice coil actuator, and two different viscoelastic damping materials were applied to the flexure mechanism. A control strategy consisting of linear and non-linear feedforward controllers and a proportional, integral and derivative (PID) feedback controller was implemented to accommodate the changed system dynamics. The workpieces were analyzed using form and surface inspection instruments to evaluate the overall system performance. A cylindrical part with five lobes cut across the face had a surface finish value between 20 and 30 nm Ra.
Hydrogen bonded silanols in the 10 Å phase: Evidence from NMR spectroscopy

Using 29Si, 1H, and 2H magic-angle spinning (MAS) and 29Si{1H} heteronuclear correlation (Het-Cor) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy the tetrahedral sheets of the 10 A phase are shown to contain Q2-type Si bonded to silanol groups that donate hydrogen bonds to interlayer H2O. 29Si NMR spectra of 10 A phase samples synthesized from oxide and from crystalline talc starting materials contain a peak near −87 ppm for Q2 Si, in addition to the main peak at −98 ppm for the talc-like Q3 of the tetrahedral sheet. The 1H MAS NMR spectra of the 10 A phase contain two distinct peaks, at chemical shifts of +7.8 and +3.2 ppm, in addition to a narrow peak near +0.9 ppm from the talc-like hydroxyl groups. 29Si{1H} HetCor data indicate that the +7.8 ppm 1H resonance corresponds to silanol groups and that at +3.2 ppm arises from interlayer H2O. Comparison of the observed data with correlations of 1H NMR chemical shift and 2H quadrupolar coupling indicates that the silanol groups donate moderate hydrogen bonds to interlayer H2O, d (O···O) ≈ 2.8 A, whereas most interlayer H2O donate only very weak or no hydrogen bonds at ambient conditions. Our results suggest that formation of the 10 A phase involves formation of vacancies, which allow favorable hydrogen bond interaction between interlayer H2O and the normally hydrophobic talc-like 2:1 layers.
Correlation of Missed Doses of Enoxaparin With Increased Incidence of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Trauma and General Surgery Patients

Importance Enoxaparin sodium is widely used for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, yet DVT rates remain high in the trauma and general surgery populations. Missed doses during hospitalization are common. Objective To determine if missed doses of enoxaparin correlate with DVT formation. Design, Setting, and Participants Data were prospectively collected among 202 trauma and general surgery patients admitted to a level I trauma center. Main Outcomes and Measures Deep vein thrombosis screening was performed using a rigorous standardized protocol. Results The overall incidence of DVT was 15.8%. In total, 58.9% of patients missed at least 1 dose of enoxaparin. The DVTs occurred in 23.5% of patients who missed at least 1 dose and in 4.8% of patients who did not ( P P Conclusions and Relevance Interrupted enoxaparin therapy and age 50 years or older are associated with DVT formation among trauma and general surgery patients. Missed doses occur commonly and are the only identified risk factor for DVT that can be ameliorated by physicians. Efforts to minimize interrupted enoxaparin prophylaxis in patients at risk for DVT should be optimized.
Evidence for charge localization in the ferromagnetic phase of La 1 − x Ca x MnO 3 from high real-space-resolution x-ray diffraction

High real-space-resolution atomic pair distribution functions of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ $(x=0.12,$ 0.25, and 0.33) have been measured using high-energy x-ray powder diffraction to study the size and shape of the ${\mathrm{MnO}}_{6}$ octahedron as a function of temperature and doping. In the paramagnetic insulating phase we find evidence for three distinct bond lengths which we ascribe to ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{4+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O},$ ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O}$-short, and ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O}$-long bonds, respectively. In the ferromagnetic metallic (FM) phase, for $x=0.33$ and $T=20 \mathrm{K},$ we find a single Mn-O bond length; however, as the metal-insulator transition is approached either by increasing T or decreasing x, intensity progressively appears around $r=2.15$ and in the region $1.85\ensuremath{-}1.9 \AA{}$ suggesting the appearance of ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O}$-long bonds and short ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{4+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{O}$ bonds. This is strong evidence that charge localized and delocalized phases coexist close to the metal-insulator transition in the FM phase.
Late follow-up after repair of left ventricular aneurysm and (usually) associated coronary bypass grafting.

This study assesses clinical and operative data (LV) aneurysm was repaired to determine factors that might predict in-hospital and long-term outcome. Long-term follow-up study was obtained in 296 of 298 patients undergoing LV aneurysm repair with or without coronary artery bypass grafting between 1974 and 1986. No patient had sustained a myocardial infarction within 2 weeks of surgery or was undergoing other concurrent cardiac surgery. The average age of the study patients was 57 +/- 9 years and the average ejection fraction was 35 +/- 13%. Ninety percent of the patients underwent concurrent bypass grafting, with an average of 2.2 +/- 1.3 grafts placed. Fourteen (5%) patients died in the hospital, with most deaths attributable to LV dysfunction. Advanced age and less extensive revascularization were correlates of in-hospital mortality. The 10-year survival was 57%, myocardial infarction-free survival 43%, and freedom from death, myocardial infarction and reoperative coronary surgery 41%. Advanced age, systemic hypertension, significant left main coronary artery narrowing and emergent operative status were multivariate correlates of long-term mortality. A low-risk population was defined by the absence of these risk factors, and high-risk by the presence of greater than or equal to 1 risk factors. The 10-year survival was 71% in the low-risk and 41% in the high-risk groups (p = .0006). The 10-year myocardial infarction free survival was 55% in the low-risk and 31% in the high-risk groups (p = 0.0017). LV aneurysm repair may be performed with acceptable in-hospital mortality, and the long-term risk may be stratified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Blends of amorphous-crystalline block copolymers with amorphous homopolymers. Morphological studies by electron microscopy and small angle scattering

A morphological study was performed with symmetric diblock ethylene-propylene copolymer (DEP) and the binary blends made from DEP and atactic polypropylene (APP) by use of small angle X-ray, light and neutron scattering, and also scanning and transmission electron microscopy. DEP contains a crystallizable polyethylene block and an amorphous atactic polypropylene block. Quenching the blends in liquid nitrogen preserved the morphology in the melt state. This quenching technique revealed that DEP forms a lamellar microdomain structure and blending DEP and APP includes morphological changes in the microdomain structures as well as macrophase separation. When the APP chain was shorter than the APP block, the addition of APP changed the morphology from a lamellar to a bicontinuous cylindrical and then a discrete cylindrical and finally to a spherical structure. On the other hand, when the APP chain was longer than the APP block, macrophase separation was observed and only a transition from a lamella to a bicontinuous cylinder occurred. These morphological transitions in the melt state can be correlated to differences in the crystallization kinetics of the blends.
Peer-to-peer file sharing in VANETs using TC-MAC

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are a form of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) in which vehicles on the road form the nodes of the network. VANETs provide several services to enhance the safety and comfort drivers and passengers. One of the services that VANETs can provide is file sharing between vehicles. Sharing large scale files through the network is a challenging task. Therefore, developing an efficient peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing scheme is important. This paper presents a P2P file sharing scheme for VANETs using TC-MAC, a MAC algorithm for vehicular ad-hoc networks using Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA) slot reservation based on clustering of vehicles. Using TDMA will reduce collisions and packet drops in the channel, as well as provide fairness in sharing the wireless medium and minimizing the effect of hidden terminals. Our work aims to develop a P2P file sharing algorithm to improve the file downloading time between neighbouring vehicles.
Secondor: A Program that Computes a Second-Order Principal Components Analysis and Various Interpretation AIDS

Program SECONDOR computes various first-order principal components, including unrotated components, and components rotated to both varimax and promax criteria. Both rotated and unrotated second-order components are reported, and several aids for interpreting higher-order results directly in terms of observed variables are reported, including a Schmid-Leiman solution.
Factors in Physician Expectations of a Forthcoming Electronic Health Record Implementation

Current emphasis on the computerization of healthcare makes research on physician technology acceptance increasingly important. By understanding factors in physician acceptance and use of information technology, administrators may be able to increase the value of systems in their organizations. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of physician characteristics on effort expectancy and performance expectancy in the context of forthcoming EHR. This was achieved through a survey of 256 physicians in an academic medical group practice just before the implementation of a vendor-based EHR. Openness to change in clinical practice and being a male were positively related to effort expectancy and performance expectancy. Age and computer self-efficacy had negative and positive associations with effort expectancy respectively. These results contribute to the growing literature on technology acceptance in healthcare and highlight some specific physician characteristics that administrators may be able to leverage when managing EHR implementations.
Adaptation and improvement of ASW tactical decision aid design to Mine Warfare tactical decision aid

In this presentation, the adaptation of a tactical decision aid (TDA) designed for Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) to one used for Mine Warfare is discussed. Previous work at the Naval Research Laboratory established a TDA, namely GRASP for the ASW role. Recently at NRL work has been done to extend the TDA model to Mine Warfare. Specifically this presentation examines search path algorithms for the two TDAs. Comparisons will be shown between various search path algorithms for environmentally influenced mine detection: GRASP, edge covering, and greedy algorithms for limited time searches and searches for assured threshold confidence of detection. Oceanic environmental parameters relevant to designing tactical decision aids for mine detection will be noted. In conclusion this presentation discusses how extensively detailed must the environmental survey be in order to make search path analysis sensitive to the data.
Increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor is predictive of cocaine relapse outcomes: a prospective study.

Background Cocaine dependence is associated with high relapse rates, but few biological markers associated with relapse outcomes have been identified. Extending preclinical research showing a role for central brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in cocaine seeking, we examined whether serum BDNF is altered in abstinent, early recovering, cocaine-dependent individuals and whether it is predictive of subsequent relapse risk. Methods Serum samples were collected across three consecutive mornings from 35 treatment-engaged, 3-week-abstinent cocaine-dependent inpatients (17 males/18 females) and 34 demographically matched hospitalized healthy control participants (17 males/17 females). Cocaine-dependent individuals were prospectively followed on days 14, 30, and 90 posttreatment discharge to assess cocaine relapse outcomes. Time to cocaine relapse, number of days of cocaine use (frequency), and amount of cocaine use (quantity) were the main outcome measures. Results High correlations in serum BDNF across days indicated reliable and stable serum BDNF measurements. Significantly higher mean serum BDNF levels were observed for the cocaine-dependent patients compared with healthy control participants ( p p p p = .05). Conclusions High serum BDNF levels in recovering cocaine-dependent individuals are predictive of future cocaine relapse outcomes and may represent a clinically relevant marker of relapse risk. These data suggest that serum BDNF levels may provide an indication of relapse risk during early recovery from cocaine dependence.
Impact of a prescription copayment increase on lipid-lowering medication adherence in veterans.

Background— In February 2002, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increased copayments from $2 to $7 per 30-day drug supply of each medication for many veterans. We examined the impact of the copayment increase on lipid-lowering medication adherence. Methods and Results— This quasiexperimental study used electronic records of 5604 veterans receiving care at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center from November 1999 to April 2004. The all copayment group included veterans subject to copayments for all drugs with no annual cap. Veterans subject to copayments for drugs only if indicated for a non–service-connected condition with an annual cap of $840 for out-of-pocket costs made up the some copayment group. Veterans who remained copayment exempt formed a natural control group (no copayment group). Patients were identified as adherent if the proportion of days covered with lipid-lowering medications was ≥80%. Patients were identified as having a continuous gap if they had at least 1 continuous episode with no ...
Simple front-end electronics for multigap resistive plate chambers

Abstract A simple circuit for the presentation of the signals from Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs) to standard existing digitization electronics is described. The circuit is based on “off-the-shelf” discrete components. An optimization of the values of specific components is required to match the aspects of the MRPCs for the given application. This simple circuit is an attractive option for the initial signal processing for MRPC prototyping and bench- or beam-testing efforts, as well as for final implementations of small-area Time-of-Flight systems with existing data acquisition systems.
Stability and coking of direct-methane solid oxide fuel cells: Effect of CO2 and air additions

Abstract This paper concerns the stability of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), operated with fuel mixtures of methane–CO2 and methane–air. Stability, which was evaluated in terms of voltage decrease at constant current density, was affected by coke deposits. Chemically inert anode barrier layers were shown to enhance stability and to slow catalytic endothermic reforming reactions within the Ni–YSZ anode that otherwise caused deleterious temperature variations and cell cracking. Increasing the amount of CO2 added to CH4 fuel led to a wider stable operating range, yet had relatively little effect on SOFC performance. Button cells operated at 800 ° C with fuel streams of 75% CH4 and 25% CO2 achieved maximum power densities above 1 W/cm2. Adding air to methane also increased stability. In the case of air addition, SOFC temperature increased as a consequence of exothermic partial-oxidation reforming chemistry. Models were developed to predict temperature and gas-composition profiles within the button cells. The simulation results were used to assist interpretation of the experimental observations.
Period doubling and complex dynamics in an isothermal chemical reaction system

Abstract Stability and bifurcation theory have been used to organize a computational study of the dynamics of a three-variable isothermal reaction system with quadratic kinetics. This system exhibits a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations over decreasing intervals of parameter changes. This simple example illustrates a wide variety of complicated dynamics and shows that the qualitative dynamic features of isothermal reaction systems may be extremely sensitive to parameter values.
Effects of context and keyword methods on second language vocabulary acquisition

Abstract College students in German language classes were assigned to one of three vocabulary learning conditions. Both semantic context and keyword treatment conditions facilitated the recall of a German word to fit a German context sentence on both an immediate and a 3-week delay test for first- and second-year students. For second-year students there was also a tendency for the context treatment to facilitate recall of an English word when given a German word.
Magnetic stratigraphy and faunal patterns in Arctic ocean sediments

Magnetic reversal data from T-3 cores indicate a sedimentation rate of 1.0 to 2.6 mm per 1000 years for the last 4 million years. Foraminifera and associated detritus suggest that the Arctic has not been warmer than at present for at least 1½ million years. There is some correlation between Foraminifera distribution and magnetic reversal boundaries but the meaning of this is not understood.
TOPPSY: A time overlapped parallel processing system

Abstract A new architecture is proposed for the neighborhood processing of 2-D data fields. This architecture claims to yield an increase in processing time of a factor equal to the horizontal extent of the neighborhood, by using a totally structured data-input and data-output path. In theory, a very large number of processing elements can be attached to these data paths to accommodate complex and time-consuming algorithms. Adding processing elements has no influence on the software, and user programs work with a very simple, data-driven interface.
Imitation in shadowing words.

Imitation of shadowed words was evaluated using Goldinger’s (1998) AXB paradigm. The first experiment was a replication of Goldinger’s experiments with different tokens. Experiment 1’s AXB tests showed that shadowed words were judged to be better imitations of target words than were baseline (read) counterparts more often than chance (.50). Order of presentation of baseline and shadowed words in the AXB test also significantly influenced judgments. Degree of prior exposure to token words did not significantly influence judgments of imitation. Experiment 2 employed modified target tokens with extended voice onset times (VOTs). In addition to AXB tests, VOTs of response tokens were compared across baseline and shadowing conditions. The AXB tests revealed shadowed words to be better imitations of target tokens than baseline, without an influence of AXB presentation order. Differences between baseline and shadowing VOTs were greater when VOTs were extended. The implications of spontaneous imitation in nonsocial settings are considered.
Preliminary Structure/Function Studies of the Human Voltage-Gated Proton Channel

Voltage-dependent H+ (Hv) channels mediate proton conduction into and out of cells under the control of the membrane voltage (Vm) and the transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH). Hv channels are unusual compared to voltage-dependent K+, Na+ and Ca2+ channels in that Hv channel genes encode a voltage sensor domain (VSD) without a pore domain. Purification of Hv channels to homogeneity and reconstitution into synthetic lipid liposomes demonstrated that the VSD by itself supports H+ flux. In addition to this unique biophysical behavior, recent research has revealed many important physiological roles for Hv channels in immunity, human male fertility and cancer. An experimentally determined structural model of human Hv channels would greatly contribute to our understanding of how the channel is regulated by Vm and ΔpH and may reveal the conduction pathway for protons through the channel. Furthermore, a structural model could allow for rational development of pharmacological contraceptive or anti-cancer agents. Here, I will be presenting preliminary work towards the biochemical, functional and structural characterization of purified human Hv channels.
Quatum corrections on high-energy lines to amplitudes induced by euclidean field solutions

Abstract It is known that first quantum corrections to non-perturbative scattering amplitudes induced by solutions of field equations in euclidean space are expressed through the on-mass-shell residues of the propagators of particles in the field of such a solution. Here it is shown that the high-energy behavior of these residues can be found by applying the Regge-pole technique and is intimately related to the translational zero modes of the classical solution. The quantum corrections to the scattering amplitude induced by instantons in a Higgs vacuum are universally described by a simple formula which in the limiting case of vanishing Higgs vacuum expectation reproduces the recent result of Mueller.
Methyl torsions in the Rydberg states of 2,3-dimethylbutadiene

Abstract The vibrational structure of the 3p1, Rydberg transition of 2.3-dimethylbutadiene has been recorded and analyzed. A significant reduction in frequency of the lower -CH3 torsion on excitation is observed in both this state and in the 4f1 and 4f2 Rydberg states.
Improved Dual Decomposition for Distributed Model Predictive Control

Abstract In dual decomposition, the dual to an optimization problem with a specific structure is solved in distributed fashion using (sub)gradient and recently also fast gradient methods. The traditional dual decomposition suffers from two main short-comings. The first is that the convergence is often slow, although fast gradient methods have significantly improved the situation. The second is that computation of the optimal step-size requires centralized computations, which hinders a fully distributed implementation of the algorithm. In this paper, the first issue is addressed by providing a tighter quadratic approximation of the dual function than what has previously been reported in the literature. Then a distributed algorithm is presented in which the provided dual function approximation is minimized in each step. Since the approximation is more accurate than the approximation used in standard and fast dual decomposition, the convergence properties are improved. For the second issue, we extend a recent result to allow for a fully distributed parameter selection in the algorithm. Further, we show how to apply the algorithm to optimization problems arising in distributed model predictive control (DMPC) and that the proposed algorithm enjoys distributed reconfiguration, i.e. plug-and-play , in the DMPC context.
Electrospun polyethylene oxide/cellulose nanocrystal composite nanofibrous mats with homogeneous and heterogeneous microstructures.

An electrospinning process was successfully used to fabricate polyethylene oxide/cellulose nanocrystal (PEO/CNC) composite nanofibrous mats. Transition of homogeneous to heterogeneous microstructures was achieved by tailoring the concentration of PEO/CNC mixture in the solution from 5 to 7 wt %. Morphology investigation of the obtained nanofibers demonstrated that rod-shaped CNCs were well-dispersed in the as-spun nanofibers and highly aligned along the nanofiber long-axis. PEO/CNC nanofibers became more uniform and smaller in diameter with increased CNC-loading level. The heterogeneous composite mats were composed of rigid–flexible bimodal nanofibers. Results of structure characterization indicated that the incorporated CNCs interacted strongly with the PEO matrix through hydrogen bonding. Mechanical properties of both types of mats were effectively improved by using CNCs, with heterogeneous mats being stronger than their homogeneous counterparts for all compositions (0–20 wt % CNC contents). When a smal...
The Glance software package.

We describe the Glance software package, which takes advantage of tablet PC technology to control experiments that require participants to reconstruct complex stimuli, as with the Chase and Simon (1973) chess reconstruction task, and to present tests that require participants to refer briefly to critical displays, as with the digit-symbol task. Participants press the space bar, which allows access to the stimulus and, simultaneously, prohibits drawing on the tablet. At release of the space bar—or optionally, after some period of time—the stimulus is hidden, and the drawing tools are enabled. Output from Glance allows analysis as fine grained as each stroke or as coarse as the entire image.
Taiwanese farm workers' pesticide knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and clothing practices.

The purpose of this study was to assess Taiwanese fruit farm workers’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and clothing practices regarding pesticide activities. Seventy-seven fruit farm workers from four districts of Tainan City, Taiwan completed the questionnaire. Results indicated that farmer workers had a good overall level of knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and most had experienced symptoms of pesticide poisoning. Farm workers’ attitudes toward pesticide use and handling indicated that they saw pesticides useful in controlling pests. Farm workers indicated the limited availability of comfortable clothing designed for a hot and humid climate while still providing sufficient protection was the main reason for not wearing personal protective clothing (PPC) and personal protective equipment (PPE). Emphasis on safety precautions is needed when using pesticides, and the importance of PPC and PPE is essential for the health of farm workers.
Are W pairs a detectable signature for heavy Higgs bosons at the Superconducting Super Collider

Events with high-mass $W$ pairs and corresponding backgrounds have been generated, realistically simulated, and analyzed to isolate the Higgs boson. The signature considered is one produced when one $W$ decays leptonically while the other decays hadronically. Detection efficiencies are calculated for the case of an 800-GeV minimal Higgs boson. For the case of a top quark lighter than the $W$, the signal is observed with a statistical significance of two standard deviations after one year of simulated Superconducting Super Collider running with a luminosity of ${10}^{33}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Application Of Wedge And Strip Image Readout Systems To Detectors For Astronomy

We describe microchannel plate QVICP) detector systems that use wedge and strip anodes for imaging radiation in the range 50A to 8000A. Test data, obtained from the calibration of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite (UVE)1 detectors and the AMA` EUV aeronomy sensor is presented. We have investigated the long term performance characteristics of Z stack microchannel plates and show that stable operation is achieved after an initial settling period. We discuss conventional and new anode designs and their potentiar increasing, the position resolution. Position resolution of better than 80 microns FWD has been attained for 50mm devices and is shown to be essentially independent of event location. Image nonlinearity of less than 0.3% has been achieved with stability to better than 0.1%. We demonstrate that differential nonlinearity of less than 1% and stability to better than 1% have been obtained. Measurements of the quantum efficiency of a CsI photocathode on an MCP are presented, demonstrating efficiencies as high as 47%.
Effects of supplementing laying rations with certain B-complex vitamins.

Synopsis Two tests, using commercial White Leghorn layers and simplified rations, were conducted to determine the need for certain supplemental B‐vitamins. Varying levels of a multiple supplement (containing riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin and choline) were used in the first test. A factorial arrangement of treatments, using single and combination additions of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin, was employed in the second test. During the first test all supplemental vitamin levels resulted in a highly significant increase in egg production and egg size. The lowest dietary supplemental vitamin level was just as adequate as higher levels. Food consumption, body weight gain, viability and specific gravity of eggs were not significantly affected by B‐vitamin fortification. Riboflavin supplementation resulted in a significant increase in egg production in the second test. The specific gravity of eggs was significantly decreased due to riboflavin supplementation. The addition of niacin and pantothenic...
Expression of human argininosuccinate synthetase after retroviral-mediated gene transfer.

The cDNA sequence for human argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) was introduced into plasmid expression vectors with an SV40 promoter or Rous sarcoma virus promoter to construct pSV2-AS and pRSV-AS, respectively, and human enzyme was synthesized after gene transfer into Chinese hamster cells. The functional cDNA was inserted into the retroviral vectors pZIP-NeoSV(X) and pZIP-NeoSV(B). Ecotropic AS retrovirus was produced after calcium-phosphate-mediated gene transfer of these constructions into the packaging cell line ψ-2, and viral liters up to 105 CFU/ml were obtained. Recombinant AS retrovirus was evaluated by detecting G-418-resistant colonies after infection of the rodent cells, XC, NRK, and 3T3. Colonies were also obtained when infected XC cells were selected in citrulline medium for expression of AS activity. Southern blot analysis of infected cells demonstrated that the recombinant retroviral genome was not altered grossly after infecting some rodent cells, while other cells showed evidence of rearrangement. A rapid assay for detecting AS retrovirus was developed based on the incorporation of [14C]citrulline into protein by intact 3T3 cells or XC cells.
Understanding Neural Networks as Statistical Tools

Abstract Neural networks have received a great deal of attention over the last few years. They are being used in the areas of prediction and classification, areas where regression models and other related statistical techniques have traditionally been used. In this paper we discuss neural networks and compare them to regression models. We start by exploring the history of neural networks. This includes a review of relevant literature on the topic of neural networks. Neural network nomenclature is then introduced, and the backpropagation algorithm, the most widely used learning algorithm, is derived and explained in detail. A comparison between regression analysis and neural networks in terms of notation and implementation is conducted to aid the reader in understanding neural networks. We compare the performance of regression analysis with that of neural networks on two simulated examples and one example on a large dataset. We show that neural networks act as a type of nonparametric regression model, enab...
Reduced capacity for fatty acid oxidation in rats with inherited susceptibility to diet-induced obesity.

Abstract High-fat, energy-dense diets promote weight gain and obesity in humans and other animals, but the mechanisms underlying such diet-induced obesity remain elusive. To determine whether a reduced capacity to oxidize fat is involved in the etiology of diet-induced obesity, we examined different measures of fatty acid oxidation in rats selectively bred for susceptibility (DIO) or resistance (DR) to dietary obesity before and after they were fed a high-fat diet and became obese. DIO rats eating a low-fat diet oxidized less dietary fatty acid in vivo and had lower levels of plasma ketone bodies during fasting compared with DR rats. Lean DIO rats fed a low-fat diet showed reduced liver messenger RNA expression of CD36, which transports fatty acids across cell membranes, and long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (ACADL), which catalyzes the first step in the mitochondrial β -oxidation of fatty acids. The deficit in CD36 and ACADL messenger RNA expression was also seen in obese DIO rats that had been eating a high-fat diet and, in addition, was accompanied by reduced expression of liver carnitine palmitoyl transferase I, the enzyme that mediates transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria. No differences were found in the expression of liver enzymes involved in fat synthesis; however, in muscle, DIO rats fed the low-fat, but not high-fat, diet showed greater expression of diacylglycerol O -acyltransferase 1 and lipoprotein lipase than did DR rats. Expression of muscle enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation was similar in the 2 groups. These findings provide a metabolic mechanism for the development of diet-induced obesity and thus suggest potential targets for intervention strategies to treat or prevent it.
Influence of Ammonia Borane on the Stability of a Liquid Rocket Combustor

Single drop studies have shown that there are significant differences in the way liquid hydrocarbons containing additives burn, compared with neat fuels. An experimental study was performed to evaluate how this change in burning behavior might affect the stability behavior of a model rocket combustor. Ammonia borane was investigated as a potential additive using a continuously variable resonance combustor, which has been shown to generate self-excited instabilities. The neat fuel was ethanol. High-speed imaging was used to obtain approximate heat release and boron oxidation profiles near the injector. Whereas neat ethanol exhibited only one mode of unsteady heat addition, it was found that the addition of the ammonia borane resulted in a bimodal temporal and spatial unsteady heat addition. This bimodal behavior produced combustion dynamics that allowed the system to be unstable over a wider range of geometric configurations.
A Silicon Detector on a Carbon Fiber Support Structure at Small Radius

The design of a silicon detector on a carbon fiber support structure at small radius for the DO experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron p ¯ p collider is presented. The emphasis is placed on grounding schemes to minimize noise contributions.
Current-phase relation and phase-dependent conductance of superconducting point contacts from rf impedance measurements

The rf impedance of superconducting point contacts has been measured as a function of the quantum-mechanical phase difference $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ across the point contact. By representing the point contact as a parallel combination of an inductor $\mathfrak{L}(\ensuremath{\varphi})=(\frac{\ensuremath{\hbar}}{2e}){(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}{I}_{p}}{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\varphi}})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and a resistor $R\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{1}{G(\ensuremath{\varphi})}$ the current-phase relation ${I}_{p}(\ensuremath{\varphi})$ and the phase-dependent conductance $G(\ensuremath{\varphi})$ have been determined from measurements at 30 MHz on phase-biased niobium point contacts. For point contacts with sufficiently small critical current ${I}_{c}$, the inductance was $\mathfrak{L}(\ensuremath{\varphi})=\frac{\ensuremath{\hbar}}{2e{I}_{c}cos\ensuremath{\varphi}}$ yielding the expected negative inductance branch for $\frac{\ensuremath{\pi}}{2}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\varphi}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\pi}$ and a sinusoidal current-phase relation. For larger critical currents there were departures from the sinusoidal form for the measured ${I}_{p}(\ensuremath{\varphi})$. There was a phase-dependent conductance that is an increasing function of $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ corresponding to a negative coefficient for the $cos\ensuremath{\varphi}$ term in the Josephson current.
On the Climatic Determination of Scale Size in a Lizard

Soule', Michael (Department of Biology, University of California, SanDiego, La Jolla, California, 92037) and Kerfoot, W. Charles (Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104). On the climatic determination of scale size in a lizard. Syst. Zool. 21:97-105.-The relation between climate and scale size was studied in the two northern groups of Sceloporus graciosus. In the western section, an area of intense summer drought, 84 percent of the geographic variation in the number of mid-dorsal scales was explained in a multiple regression model by August rainfall and annual pan evaporation. Desiccation is probably the relevant selective factor. In the eastern section where the summer drought is variably ameliorated by the summer Sonoran monsoon rains, especially in the south, winter maximum temperatures and August rainfall, in that order of importance, account for 83 percent of the geographic variation. It is hypothesized that scale size, by partially determining cutaneous surface area, is an important component of both thermoregulatory and water balance systems in this animal. [Scale size; lizards; Sceloporus; multiple regression.]
Electronic and Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Properties of the Liquid Metals

The electronic structure of liquid metals has been studied by investigating the temperature dependence of the electron density of states, electron effective mass, Knight shift, and coefficient of electrical resistivity. The values of the effective mass have been successfully used to interpret the change of the Knight shift upon melting. The temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity, calculated using the temperature-dependent effective mass and the Ziman theory, shows substantially improved agreement with experiment.