cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simulation model of Bouteloua gracilis biomass dynamics on the North American shortgrass prairie.

A grassland primary producer model for simulating intraseasonal biomass dynamics as a function of temperature, moisture, light, and nitrogen was developed for Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag., the dominant C4 grass of the North American shortgrass prairie. Plant state variables included young and mature leaves, crowns, and roots from three depth categories while simulated processes included spring regrowth, photosynthesis, respiration, photosynthate allocation, death, and litterfall. Sensitivity analyses revealed the model was most sensitive to changes in photosynthesis and photosynthate allocation and least sensitive to changes in initial values of state variables, leaf dark respiration rates, and rate of spring regrowth. An abiotic submodel driven by observed weather data was used in conjunction with the primary producer model to simulate plant biomass dynamics under a variety of conditions including untreated controls (C), nitrogen fertilization (F), irrigation (I), and irrigation plus fertilization (IF). Model predictions of life shoot biomass (B s) and annual aboveground net primary production (NPP A) followed the same trends as field measurements with B sand NPP Aof IF>I>F>C. Failure of the model to accurately predict measured declines in peak B sand NPP Aafter several years of irrigation may have been caused by failure to account for growth lags following water stress, inadequate simulation of interspecific competition, or failure to simulate response to some mineral nutrients which had become limiting after several years of this treatment. A simulated annual carbon budget for plants in the four treatments suggests that from 61% (IF) to 80% (C) of the net carbon fixed above ground is ultimately translocated and utilized below ground.
Penicillin G for Anaerobic Lung Abscess

Excerpt To the editor: Levison and associates (1) show that clindamycin may be superior to penicillin for treating anaerobic lung abscess. Their results seem to conflict with those of previous retr...
Low-symmetry plastic deformation in BCC tantalum: experimental observations, modeling and simulations

Abstract A forged and round-rolled pure tantalum bar stock was observed to exhibit large asymmetry in bulk plastic flow response when subjected to large strain Taylor cylinder impact testing. This low-symmetry behavior was analyzed experimentally investigating both the initial stock and the impact-deformed material via x-ray crystallographic texture measurements and automated electron back-scatter diffraction scans to establish spatial microstructural uniformity. Polycrystal simulations based upon the 110 measured duplex texture and experimentally inferred deformation mechanisms were performed to project discrete yield surface shapes. Subsequent least squares fitting and eigensystem analysis of the resulting quadratic fourth-order tensors revealed strong normal/shear stress coupling in the yield surface shape. This mixed-mode coupling produces a shearing deformation in the 1–2 impact plane of a Taylor specimen whose axis is coincident with the compressive 3-axis. The resultant deformation generates an unusual rectangular-shaped impact footprint that is confirmed by finite-element calculations compared to experimental post-test geometries.
Effective Small Business Consultants Are Focused

ABSTRACT Small firms can be assisted a great deal with the support of external business consultants, but consultants need to constantly strive to improve their services. This paper reviews recent conceptual and empirical works to provide a practical guide for consultants to use in assisting small firm performance. The paper helps consultants improve small firm performance (1) by suggesting where to focus improvement efforts and (2) by suggesting a new strategy for marketing their services.
Transforming activity of MECT1‐MAML2 fusion oncoprotein is mediated by constitutive CREB activation

Salivary gland tumors, a group of histologically diverse benign and malignant neoplasms, represent a challenging problem for diagnosis and treatment. A specific recurring t(11;19)(q21;p13) translocation is associated with two types of salivary gland tumors, mucoepidermoid carcinomas and Warthin's tumors. This translocation generates a fusion protein comprised of the N-terminal CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein)-binding domain of the CREB regulator MECT1 (Mucoepidermoid carcinoma translocated-1) and the C-terminal transcriptional activation domain of the Notch coactivator Mastermind-like 2 (MAML2). Here, we demonstrate that the MECT1-MAML2 fusion protein induces expression of multiple genes known to be CREB transcriptional targets. MECT1-MAML2 was found to bind to CREB, recruit p300/CBP into the CREB complex through a binding domain on MAML2, and constitutively activate CREB-dependent transcription. The transforming activity of MECT1-MAML2 was markedly reduced by blocking CREB DNA binding. Thus, this fusion oncogene mimics constitutive activation of cAMP signaling, by activating CREB directly. This study has identified a novel, critical mechanism of transformation for an oncogene associated very specifically with salivary gland tumors, and identified potential targets for the development of novel therapies.
Reply to Boglione and Pennington

In a recent article we presented an argument which, we believe, shows to be incorrect an estimate by Boglione and Pennington of corrections to the valence (quenched) approximation predictions for the properties of the lightest scalar glueball. The Boglione-Pennington reply to our article, it appears to us, fails to address the specific technical issues we raised.
Fitting Full-Information Item Factor Models and an Empirical Investigation of Bridge Sampling

Abstract Based on item response theory, Bock and Aitken introduced a method of item factor analysis, termed full-information item factor (FIIF) analysis by Bartholomew because it uses all distinct item response vectors as data. But a limitation of their fitting algorithm is its reliance on fixed-point Gauss—Hermite quadrature, which can produce appreciable numerical errors, especially in high-dimension problems. The first purpose of this article is to offer more reliable methods by using recent advances in statistical computation. Specifically, we illustrate two ways of implementing Monte Carlo Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm to fit a FIIF model, using the Gibbs sampler to carry out the computation for the E steps. We also show how to use bridge sampling to simulate the likelihood ratios for monitoring the convergence of a Monte Carlo EM, a strategy that is useful in general. Simulations demonstrate substantial improvement over Bock and Aitken's algorithm in recovering known factor loadings in hig...
The structure of light-meromyosin: an electron microscopic study.

Abstract Light-meromyosin crystals show a principal periodicity of 420 ± 25 A along the main axis with an additional structure in the electron microscope. This periodicity agrees with the value of the fundamental fiber period found in muscle by X-ray crystallography by Bear and by Huxley .
Strong-field and attosecond physics in solids

We review the status of strong-field and attosecond processes in bulk transparent solids near the Keldysh tunneling limit. For high enough fields and low-frequency excitations, the optical and electronic properties of dielectrics can be transiently and reversibly modified within the applied pulse. In Ghimire et al (2011 Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 167407) non-parabolic band effects were seen in photon-assisted tunneling experiments in ZnO crystals in a strong mid-infrared field. Using the same ZnO crystals, Ghimire et al (2011 Nat. Phys. 7 138–41) reported the first observation of non-pertubative high harmonics, extending well above the bandgap into the vacuum ultraviolet. Recent experiments by Schubert et al (2014 Nat. Photonics 8 119–23) showed a carrier envelope phase dependence in the harmonic spectrum in strong-field 30 THz driven GaSe crystals which is the most direct evidence yet of the role of sub-cycle electron dynamics in solid-state harmonic generation. The harmonic generation mechanism is different from the gas phase owing to the high density and periodicity of the crystal. For example, this results in a linear dependence of the high-energy cutoff with the applied field in contrast to the quadratic dependence in the gas phase. Sub-100 attosecond pulses could become possible if the harmonic spectrum can be extended into the extreme ultraviolet (XUV). Here we report harmonics generated in bulk MgO crystals, extending to ∼26 eV when driven by ∼35 fs, 800 nm pulses focused to a ∼1VA −1 peak field. The fundamental strong-field and attosecond response also leads to Wannier–Stark localization and reversible semimetallization as seen in the sub-optical cycle behavior of XUV absorption and photocurrent experiments on fused silica by Schiffrin et al (2013 Nature 493 70–4) and Schultze et al (2013 Nature 493 75–8). These studies are advancing our understanding of fundamental strong-field and attosecond physics in solids with potential applications for compact coherent short-wavelength sources and ultra-high speed optoelectronics.
Experiences with CS2 and data structures in the 100 problems format

A dissatisfaction appears to permeate the process of educating computer science students. Both students and instructors seem uninspired in the classroom, resulting in many attempts to enliven, freshen, and improve the experience. These attempts show efficacy, but the pace of improvement is slow. 100 Problems (100P) is an innovative guided discovery curriculum in which students are freed from the classroom and instead work on 100 concept- and research-related problems throughout their undergraduate careers. The 100 problems guide the students to discover the fundamental knowledge and skills required of a graduate of the degree program. Each student is free to create an individualized mode of learning and discovery. As such, the curriculum fosters deep learning among students and challenges students' intellectual growth. In this paper we introduce the 100P curriculum, describe the 100P course format and our experiences offering courses in this format, and report our early findings.
Cultural History/Social History: Some Reflections on a Continuing Dialogue

Beginning in the late 1970s, social history was criticized for its tendency to privilege "normal" behavior, its overdependence on static structures, and on categorizing individuals in preset groups. In replacing social history as the dominant new prospective on the past, cultural historians tried to address some of the serious questions raised about the methods of social historians while they adopted the new subjects that social historians had brought into the field. In their revised strategies, cultural historians brought back into awareness issues relating to the contingent, the personal, and the eccentric. At the same time, in swinging away from the vigorous research methods and forms of disciplined inquiry that had become the hallmarks of social historians, cultural historians frequently fell into a variety of problems that have now become quite visible in the field. By urging that the close alliance between cultural and social history be refreshed, Paula Fass suggests ways in which contemporary cultural historians can strengthen their research and writing by learning from the methods and strategies of social history.
Differing perspectives on the use of scientific evidence and the precautionary principle

Different governments and agencies are approaching the use of scientific evidence, weight of evidence, and the precautionary principle in different ways. The European Community has used the precautionary principle in situations where the consequences are great, data are unavailable or will be costly (in terms of money and time) to obtain, or data are difficult or impossible to obtain. Other countries, such as the United States, have a risk assessment process that has built-in safety or uncertainty factors which are themselves precautionary. Risk management decisions can be made on the basis of adequate studies, risk assessment, weight-of-evidence approaches, and the application of the precautionary principle. While weight of evidence has been used in the United States for increased research funding and regulator action with respect to some chemicals that are hormonally active, the European Community has applied the precautionary principle.
VLBA Astrometric Observations of the Cassini Spacecraft at Saturn

The planetary ephemeris is an essential tool for interplanetary spacecraft navigation, studies of solar system dynamics (including, for example, barycenter corrections for pulsar timing ephemeredes), the prediction of occultations, and tests of general relativity. We are carrying out a series of astrometric VLBI observations of the Cassini spacecraft currently in orbit around Saturn, using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). These observations provide positions for the center of mass of Saturn in the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) with accuracies ~0.3 milli-arcsecond (1.5 nrad), or about 2 km at the average distance of Saturn. This paper reports results from eight observing epochs between 2006 October and 2009 April. These data are combined with two VLBA observations by other investigators in 2004 and a Cassini-based gravitational deflection measurement by Fomalont et al. in 2009 to constrain a new ephemeris (DE 422). The DE 422 post-fit residuals for Saturn with respect to the VLBA data are generally 0.2 mas, but additional observations are needed to improve the positions of all of our phase reference sources to this level. Over time we expect to be able to improve the accuracy of all three coordinates in the Saturn ephemeris (latitude, longitude, and range) by a factor of at least three. This will represent a significant improvement not just in the Saturn ephemeris but also in the link between the inner and outer solar system ephemeredes and in the link to the inertial ICRF.
Ho:YAG rod amplifier for vortex beams

A Ho:YAG rod amplifier is demonstrated for vortex beams with orbital angular momentum. Simulations show nice correlation with experimental data and potentially high gain. This could be used for complex modes and spatial division multiplexing.
A contextual analysis of power and foreign policy behavior

This article applies contextual analysis to state directed dyads and monads successfully achieving a more complete and empirically successful model of foreign policy behavior. While contextual analysis is a multilevel analysis integrating individual and group level variables, its logic can be applied to any unit of analysis and groups of such units. Benefits of contextual analysis include considering new explanatory models, in this case alternative uses of attribute magnitude in the directed dyad, and more comprehensive explanation by integrating variables often isolated at separate levels of analysis. A general proposition explaining volume of foreign policy behavior is advanced and then two more specific contextual models are delineated. Empirical testing with events data reveals a mixed additive interaction model to be far superior to previous population wide dyadic models.
Radioscopic visualization of melting, alloying and solidification of pure Al and Al–Cu

Abstract Horizontal directional solidification (HDS) and horizontal directional melting (HDM) of pure Al and Al–4.5%wt Cu alloy were studied in real-time with in situ X-ray radioscopic visualization technology. Cu into pure Al and the stratification and mixing of Cu in Al–Cu alloy melt were monitored. Some characteristics of the dynamics of the solid–liquid interface profile during HDS of a rectangular Al and Al–Cu alloy specimen were exposed. The experimental results obtained with pure Al provided confidence in the experimental procedures. However, for the HDS of Al–4.5%wt Cu alloy, several phenomena were observed that may require more specific numerical modeling efforts.
The identification and quantification of some non‐volatile oxidation products of fatty acids developed during prolonged storage of wheat flour

Three white bread flours, stored in good conditions for 5 years have been investigated for the presence of non-volatile oxidation products of linoleic acid. Two products have been identified and their rate of accumulation with time of storage determined.
Paralegals in Corrections: A Proposed Model.

Abstract Prisoner's rights litigation over the last twenty years has spurred the growth of inmate legal assistance programs. The trend toward providing law libraries and even paralegal/attorney services indicates an increased need for trained professionals in the prison setting. The legal assistance program currently offered by the Texas Department of Corrections demonstrates the wide range of questions and problems that the paralegal can address. Many issues of importance to the morale and adjustment of the inmate are only quasi-legal and can be resolved through accurate information and appropriate outside service agency referrals. The paralegal may be a very efficient and practical resource for complying with evolving legal service standards in the prison.
The new womanhood: counselor alert

“The New Womanhood reaches beyond the traditional educational and vocational dimensions. It embraces the personhood of a woman.
Modeling two-phase fluid and heat flows in geothermal wells

Abstract This study presents a robust model for a two-phase flow in geothermal wells using the drift-flux approach. For estimating the static head, we use a single expression for liquid holdup, with flow-pattern-dependent values for flow parameter and rise velocity that gradually changes near the transition boundaries to avoid discontinuity in the estimated gradients. Frictional and kinetic heads are estimated with the simple homogeneous modeling approach. As the geothermal fluids ascend up the well, loss of both momentum and heat occurs. The consequent pressure loss often leads to flashing and increase in steam fraction (quality) despite heat loss. Accurate estimation of heat loss, which leads to significant changes in fluid properties influencing pressure-drop, is, therefore, important in modeling flow in geothermal wells. Heat transfer from the wellbore fluid to the surrounding formation is rigorously modeled by treating the wellbore as a heat sink of finite radius in an infinite-acting medium (formation) and accounting for the resistances to heat transfer by various elements of the wellbore. We present a comparative study involving the new model and those that are often used for geothermal wells. These models include those of Ansari et al.'s, Orkiszewski's, Hagedorn and Brown's, and the homogeneous model. The main ingredient of this study entails the use of a small but reliable dataset. Statistical analyses suggest that all the models behave similarly, although the proposed model offers marginally greater accuracy and simplicity of use. Uncertainty of performance appears to depend upon the quality of data input, rather than the model characteristics.
Limb-salvage strategies to optimize quality of life: The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center experience

Introduction Sarcomas of bone and soft tissue are rare neoplasms with diverse histology and biologic behavior. Approximately 6,600 new cases of soft-tissue sarcoma and 2,500 new cases of bone sarcoma present each year.1 Most of these tumors develop in the extremities. An increased understanding of sarcoma biology, advances in diagnostic imaging modalities, the development of effective adjuvant therapy regimens, and the application of new technologies and techniques for surgical resection and reconstruction have changed the nature and scope of treatment for these tumors. These advances have helped shape current surgical strategies and have prompted an increase in technically demanding limb-sparing surgical procedures. Successful limb conservation preserves, repairs, or reconstructs critical structures necessary for limb function without compromising the oncologic objective of complete tumor extirpation. Because of several factors, the number of patients who are candidates for limb conservation is increasing without a significant increase in the risk of local tumor recurrence or an adverse effect on overall patient survival.2-4 The factors causing this result include refinements in diagnostic and extirpative approaches, improvements in bone and joint reconstruction, and better techniques for coverage of soft-tissue defects. These developments have prompted a critical evaluation of the variables affecting limb preservation, functional outcome, and quality of life for the sarcoma survivor. This report discusses the strategies used at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with these complex extremity tumors. Four case examples illustrate the range of clinical challenges confronting the sarcoma oncology team as members try to attain a better patient outcome using multimodality therapy and limb-sparing surgery.
The Prevention of Laparoscopic Bile Duct Injuries: An Analysis of 300 Cases of from a Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology Perspective:

Application of human factors concepts to high-risk activities has facilitated reduction in human error. With introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the incidence of bile duct injury increased. Seeking ideas for prevention, we analyzed 300 laparoscopic bile duct injuries within the framework of human error analysis. The primary cause of error (97%) was a visual perceptual illusion. The laparoscopic environment contributed to 75% of injuries, poor visibility 22%. Most injuries involved deliberate major bile duct transection due to misperception of the anatomy. This illusion was so compelling that the surgeon usually did not recognize it. Even when irregular cues were detected, improper rules were employed, eliminating feedback. Since the complication-causing error occurred at few key steps during laparoscopic cholecystectomy; we instituted focused training to heighten vigilance, and have formulated specific rules to decrease the incidence of bile duct injury. In addition, factors in the laparoscopic ...
Dissipative and dispersive behaviors of lattice-based models for hydrodynamics

Both dissipation and dispersion are present in many complex systems; their interactions through nonlinearity can lead to interesting features. We investigate in this paper the dissipation-dispersion interactions that exist in lattice-based kinetic models for hydrodynamics. The classical Chapman-Enskog expansion is used to derive the dispersion coefficients at third order of Knudsen number. Unlike the dissipation coefficient (viscosity) that is always positive, the dispersion coefficient can be either positive or negative. It would be interesting to know if there is any other physics in these models as compared with the traditional dispersionless Navier-Stokes dynamics. Traveling wave solutions in one dimension are studied and two different solutions have been found: (1) monotonic shock solutions and (2) oscillatory shock solutions, according to different conditions. In two- and three-dimensional systems, whether or not these oscillatory behaviors caused by the interactions between nonlinearity, dissipation, and dispersion have anything to do with vortex cascades (direct or inverse) would be an interesting question and we leave it for future studies. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Valvular pulmonic stenosis in infancy

Valvular pulmonic stenosis with intact ventricular septum may be an extremelydangerous condition in infancy. The importance of early recognition and prompt referral of such infants for elective rather than emergency study and surgery cannot be overemphasized. In a series of 36 infants with pure pulmonic stenosis, salient clinical features and danger signs are described and results of surgery with follow-up are given.
Dietary restriction retards the age-associated loss of rat striatal dopaminergic receptors

In male Wistar rats subjected to dietary restriction by alternate days of feeding and fasting the normal age-associated loss of striatal dopamine receptors in the brain was substantially retarded. The mean survival time of the rats on the restricted diet was increased by approximately 40 percent compared to control rats given free access to food. Dopamine receptor concentrations in striata of 24-month-old rats that had been on a restricted diet since weaning were 50 percent higher than those of control animals of the same age, and essentially comparable to 3- and 6-month-old control rats.
Alternating-Sign Matrices and Domino Tilings (Part I)

We introduce a family of planar regions, called Aztec diamonds, and study tilings of these regions by dominoes. Our main result is that the Aztec diamond of order n has exactly 2n(n+1)/2 domino tilings. In this, the first half of a two-part paper, we give two proofs of this formula. The first proof exploits a connection between domino tilings and the alternating-sign matrices of Mills, Robbins, and Rumsey. In particular, a domino tiling of an Aztec diamond corresponds to a compatible pair of alternating-sign matrices. The second proof of our formula uses monotone triangles, which constitute another form taken by alternating-sign matricess by assigning each monotone triangle a suitable weight, we can count domino tilings of an Aztec diamond.
WE-D-ValA-04: Synchrony — Real-Time Respiratory Compensation System for the CyberKnife

Fluoroscopic, ultrasonic and 4D CT studies of the organs in the thorax and abdomen have shown that some organs may move as much as 4 cm due to respiratory motion. If the motion is not compensated for during external beam radiation therapy, the dose coverage to target may be compromised. On the other hand, if the motion is compensated for with an increase of margin, a significant amount of normal tissue may be irradiated unnecessarily. The issue of respiratory compensation becomes more important for hypofractionated treatments and even more so for single‐fraction extracranial radiosurgery applications. CyberKnife is an image‐guidedradiosurgery system that consists of a 6‐MV LINAC mounted to a robotic arm coupled through a control loop to a digital diagnostic x‐ray imaging system. The robotic arm can point the beam anywhere in space with six degrees of freedom, without being constrained to a conventional isocenter. The CyberKnife has been recently upgraded with a real‐time respiratory tracking and compensation system called Synchrony. Using external markers in conjunction with diagnostic x‐ray images, Synchrony helps to guide the robotic arm to move the radiation beam in real time such that the beam always remains aligned with the target. With the aid of the Synchrony, the tumor motion can be tracked in three dimensional space, and the motion induced dosimetric change to target can be minimized without an increase in margin. The working principles, advantages, limitations and our clinical experience with this new technology will be discussed.
Release of adenosine and lack of release of ATP from contracting skeletal muscle

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been suggested as a mediator of active hyperemia and its levels have been reported to increase in the venous plasma from contracting skeletal muscle. However, the source of the ATP is unknown. The present study indicates that a large portion of the plasma ATP is released from the formed elements of blood when the blood is collected in the presence of EDTA. When EDTA was added to blood that was previously incubated at 37° C for 5 min to destroy all free ATP, the ATP level was 0.57±0.12 (±S.E.) nmoles/ml. However, it was possible to detect exogenously added ATP only when blood samples were collected into EDTA; collection into saline or citrate afforded no protection against ATP degradation by the ATPases of the blood. In dog hindlimb preparations perfused at constant flow or constant pressure, the venous plasma ATP of blood collected in the presence of EDTA exhibited no consistent increase during or following tetanic contraction of the muscles. In isolated, perfused rat hindlimbs, no ATP was detectable in the venous effluents from resting or contracting muscles (ATP<0.08 nmoles/ml). However, the levels of adenosine in the venous effluents were greater in contracting than in resting hindlimbs. The data indicate that it is not possible to make valid determinations of plasma ATP levels and thus, one cannot determine the role of ATP in active hyperemia based on these data. However, the currently available data from isolated muscle preparations do not support the concept that ATP is released from contracting skeletal muscle, and therefore, it is unlikely that ATP is a mediator of the metabolically-linked local regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow. The enhanced release of adenosine from contracting rat hindlimb muscles may indicate a role for this nucleoside in the regulation of blood flow in skeletal muscle.
Factorials and Stirling numbers in the algebra of formal Laurent series

Niederhausen, H., Factorials and Stirling numbers in the algebra of formal Laurent series, Discrete Mathematics 90 (1991) 53-62. In the algebra of formal Laurent series, the falling factoral powers x(“) are generalized to {x}‘“) for all integers n. The Stirling coefficients map the standard basis of powers into the factorial powers. They comprise the Stirling numbers of both kinds, and a wedge of ‘new’ numbers, closely related to Bernoulli numbers of general order. {x}‘“’ can be used to construct a binomial series {i}, allowing for Vandermonde convolution and even a completely formal interpretation of (1 + t)@) as a Laurent series in t with coefficients being Laurent series in x.
International variation in pancreatic cancer mortality for the period 1955-1998.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is an important cause of cancer mortality in developed countries. This article examines time trends for pancreatic cancer mortality rates in 38 countries on five continents between 1955 and 1998. Methods: We used the World Health Organization database on Age-Standardized World Population pancreatic cancer mortality rates by gender and fitted these data with linear regression models. This allowed us to (1) investigate the statistical significance of temporal trends; and (2) consider differences in trends among countries; and (3) predict future pancreatic cancer mortality rates. Results: Over 44 years, pancreatic cancer mortality rates increased for females worldwide. Pancreatic cancer mortality rates for men increased in Southern Europe. In contrast, pancreatic cancer mortality rates for men in North America and Oceania increased until about 1975 and then decreased or remained stable. Ourpredictive models suggest that by 2005 the relative burden of pancreatic cancer mortality will have shifted away from Northern Europe and North America toward Southern Europe and Asia. Conclusions: Future research on pancreatic cancer should concentrate separately on the assessment of risk attributable to exposure to environmental factors, lifestyle factors, genetic determinates of pancreatic cancer, and the interactive influences of these factors on pancreatic cancer.
Control of Powder Flow Rate in Laser Metal Deposition Process

Precise regulation of powder flow in laser based manufacturing processes is critical to achieving excellent part quality. Control of powder flow in laser based manufacturing processes is challenging since low flow rates, where nonlinear effects are significant, are typically required. Also, gravity fed powder feeder systems have significant transport delays, making the control of powder flow even more challenging. This paper presents a control strategy for regulating the powder flow rate in a gravity fed powder feeder system. A dynamic model of the powder feeder system, including transport delay, is constructed and a digital proportional plus integral controller is designed. An observer is used to estimate powder flow rate using the powder feeder motor encoder signal. The control strategy is implemented in a Smith Predictor Corrector Structure to account for the material transport delay. Simulation and experimental results validate the controller.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
II.—SEEING AND OBSERVING

IN this paper I wish to examine two theses about seeing,and then suggest a third. The twotheses are advanced to account for what the late Professor Hanson calls controversy in research science.1 Such conflicts arise when there is a disagreement about the data although all the data are in. Hanson's examples are (pp. 4-5): (1) two microbiologists one of whom claims to have discovered a new cell organ while the other-examining the same slide-attributes what he sees to a faulty staining technique. And (2) Tycho Brahe and Kepler watching the sun at dawn. Of these astronomers Hanson says-and this is thesis I-that they do not see the same thing, but also-and this is thesis II-that they both see the sun but do not mean the same thing by " sun ". Obviously, thesis II may be understood either as an addition or as an alternative to thesis I. What both theses are intended to account for are the facts that the first microbiologist will embark on a new research project while the second will not, aind that Brahe and Kepler will look for different paths of different heavenly bodies. Both theses are false if they are understood as theses about seeing-and this is how Hanson presents them-but his claims in defence of thesis I are mostly true when they are understood as claims about observing-and that, I suspect, is how he meant them. Hanson's argument in defence of the first thesis may be summarized as follows. Consider two normal observers, a physicist and a layman, who are looking at an X-ray tube, are paying attention, have an unobstructed view and good light, etc. If we ask the physicist, "what do you see now ? ", he is in a position to reply, " I see an X-ray tube ". The layman, in contrast, could only reply, " a glass-and-metal gadget " or " a complicated light bulb ". Of course, the layman might have overheard the physicist's reply and believed it, then he too could answer, " an X-ray tube "; but for the sake of simplicity let us assume that he did not and thus cannot. Hanson then raises the question whether the physicist and the layman see the same thing and concludes that they do and they do not. They are visually aware of the same thing but the ways
The Dynamics of Biracial Coalitions: Crossover Politics in Los Angeles:

T X 1 HE relationship between blacks and white liberals, once widely admired, has been a source of bitter division since the conclusion of the civil rights movement and the rise of a more independent and assertive black politics. In their book Black Power (1967) Carmichael and Hamilton argued that blacks could not depend on white allies, no matter how liberal. Since "politics results from a conflict of interests, not of consciences" (p. 75), white liberals were not very different from other whites, and would desert the black cause if their own interests were threatened. Henry indicated that blackHispanic alliances would be more successful than black-liberal coalitions (1980), while Davidson (1972) and Hahn and Almy (1971) promoted a class alliance between blacks and white workers.
Seismology and geodesy of the sun: Low-frequency oscillations.

Abstract The hourly averages of the solar ellipticity measured from June 13 to Sept. 17, 1966, are analyzed for indications of solar oscillations with periods in excess of 2 hr ν 0.1 hr-1 but for lower frequencies the power spectrum shows a very complex structure containing about 20 strong narrow peaks. The complexity is illusionary. The signal apparently consists of only two frequencies. The complexity is due to aliasing by the window function with its basic 24-hr period, with many observational days missing, and with different numbers of hourly averages for the various observational days. Both signal frequencies are apparently due to odd-degree spherical harmonic oscillations of the sun.
Nomenclatural changes in the Poaceae

Dichanthelium (Panicum subg.Dichanthelium Hitchc. & Chase) is elevated to generic rank, with new name combinations for 17 species and three varieties.Erioneuron grandiflora andE. nealleyi are reduced to varietal rank underE. avenaceum. One new name combination inElymus and one inLeptoloma are proposed.
Dual quaternion application to kinematic calibration of wrist-mounted camera

This article is concerned with kinematic calibration issues arising from a wrist mounted camera: the so-called hand-eye kinematic calibration problem. Dual quaternions are used for the parameterization of the rigid transformation. A simple method is derived to obtain a closed form solution to the problem. Also a fine calibration technique using the gradient descent method is discussed in the presence of measurement noise.
In vitro and in vivo responses of a murine transitional cell carcinoma to doxorubicin, mitoxantrone and aclacinomycin-A

In vitro and in vivo effects of mitoxantrone, aclacinomycin-A and doxorubicin were examined in a transplantable murine transitional bladder carcinoma, FCB. The in vitro parameters used included monolayer growth kinetics, tumor stem-cell colony formation and autoradiographic analysis of thymidine labeling. Monolayer growth kinetics revealed that both mitoxantrone and aclacinomycin-A resulted in reductions in FCB cell growth, which were significantly higher (41% and 65%, respectively) than those seen with doxorubicin treatment (22%). Similarly, by the stem-cell assay, an increased reduction in colony formation was seen in aclacinomycin-A (98%) and mitoxantrone (91%) treated cultures when compared with doxorubicin (51%) treated cultures. Autoradiographic data revealed that 24-h exposure with both aclacinomycin-A and mitoxantrone significantly inhibited thymidine incorporation (98% and 80% respectively), which was an increase over doxorubicin (19%). In vivo studies revealed that aclacinomycin-A treatment increased the mean life span of C57BL mice by 60.6% when compared with a 33.6% increase in doxorubicin-treated animals and a 19.7% increase in mitoxantrone-treated animals. Both the in vitro and in vivo data suggest that aclacinomycin-A is a superior drug when used against this specific murine bladder tumor cell and that further testing of this agent for its efficacy in other urologic tumors is justified.
Ventricular defibrillating threshold : strength-duration and percent-success curves

The term defibrillation threshold is usually understood to mean the shock intensity just enough to defibrillate a specified cardiac chamber (atria or ventricles). With the advent of so many different types of defibrillator, it is important to be able to specify the defibrillation threshold, which has frequently been described by the classical strength-duration curve. Another method of representing defibrillation plots the percent-successful defibrillation against shock-strength area. The mechanism of defibrillation is discussed, and the concepts of the strength-duration curve and percent-success against shock-strength curves are compared. Because defibrillation is associated with a time-varying spectrum of cellular excitability, a given shock strength will not always achieve defibrillation, and this produces the sigmoid shape for the curve that relates percent-successful defibrillation to shock strength. Therefore it is important to recognise two concepts: first, there is a family of strength-duration curves for defibrillation, each curve representing a given percent-successful defibrillation, and, secondly, there is a family of percent-success against shock-strength curves, one for each pulse duration. Canine ventricular defibrillation data are used to bring these two concepts together. Most importantly, the concepts adduced in the paper apply to transventricular, intracardiac and transchest defibrillation; the only difference in these applications is a scale factor that represents electrode location with respect to the heart.
Exactly soluble Ising models exhibiting multiphase points

A class of decorated spin 1/2 Ising models is introduced: all bonds of a hypercubic lattice parallel to one axis are decorated by n spins. Within each decorated bond, nearest neighbor ferromagnetic interactions compete with next‐nearest neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions. An exact dedecoration transformation reduces the model to an anisotropic Ising model which is exactly soluble in two dimensions (d = 2) and for which accurate series expansion estimates are available for d = 3. Phase diagrams are presented for d = 2 and 3 : all exhibit a multiphase point at which many distinct, spatially modulated commensurate phases coexist. The variation of the characteristic wavevector and other properties are compared and contrasted with those of the axial next‐nearest neighbor Ising (ANNNI) models.
Understanding Community Norms Surrounding Tobacco Sales

In the US, denormalizing tobacco use is key to tobacco control; less attention has been paid to denormalizing tobacco sales. However, some localities have placed limits on the number and type of retailers who may sell tobacco, and some retailers have abandoned tobacco sales voluntarily. Understanding community norms surrounding tobacco sales may help accelerate tobacco denormalization.We conducted 15 focus groups with customers of California, New York, and Ohio retailers who had voluntarily discontinued tobacco sales to examine normative assumptions about where cigarettes should or should not be sold, voluntary decisions to discontinue tobacco sales, and government limits on such sales.Groups in all three states generally agreed that grocery stores that sold healthy products should not sell tobacco; California groups saw pharmacies similarly, while this was a minority opinion in the other two states. Convenience stores were regarded as a natural place to sell tobacco. In each state, it was regarded as normal and commendable for some stores to want to stop selling tobacco, although few participants could imagine convenience stores doing so. Views on government's role in setting limits on tobacco sales varied, with California and New York participants generally expressing support for restrictions, and Ohio participants expressing opposition. However, even those who expressed opposition did not approve of tobacco sales in all possible venues. Banning tobacco sales entirely was not yet normative.Limiting the ubiquitous availability of tobacco sales is key to ending the tobacco epidemic. Some limits on tobacco sales appear to be normative from the perspective of community members; it may be possible to shift norms further by problematizing the ubiquitous presence of cigarettes and drawing connections to other products already subject to restrictions.
Early Predictors of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Among American Indian Children

American Indian (AI) children have the highest rates of obesity among ethnic groups in the United States, and rates continue to increase. This study was designed to examine the effects of prenatal and early postnatal factors on AI children's body mass index (BMI) trajectories, adiposity, and cardiovascular risk markers during early childhood. We screened 471 AI children (ages 5-8) from three Wisconsin tribes. Screenings included anthropometric and body fat measures and non-fasting lipid and glucose via fingerstick blood samples. Tribal records from Women Infants and Children (WIC) programs and clinic charts provided data on children's BMI trajectories, maternal prenatal factors, and the early postnatal feeding environment. Forty-seven percent of children were overweight or obese. Analysis of growth trajectories showed that children's BMI category was largely determined within the 1 year of life. Significant predictors of children's BMI category at age 1 included macrosomia (OR 4.38), excess gestational weight gain (OR 1.64) and early termination of breastfeeding (OR 1.66). Children who were overweight/obese at age 1 had greater odds of being overweight (OR 3.42) or obese (OR 3.36), and having unhealthy levels of body fat (OR 2.95) and LDL cholesterol (OR 1.64) at ages 5-8. Children's BMI category is determined in the early post-natal environment, within the 1 year of life, by factors including excess gestational weight gain and early termination of breastfeeding. In turn, children's BMI category at age 1 predicts the emergence of cardiovascular risk markers in early childhood.
Transforming growth factor-β signaling helps specify tumor type in DMBA and hormone-induced mammary cancers

To determine the role of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in mammary development and tumor formation, we previously generated transgenic mice that expressed a dominant-negative form of the TGF-β type II receptor (DNIIR) under the control of DNA regulatory elements from the metallothionein promoter (MT-DNIIR-28). In this report, we tested the hypothesis that loss of TGF-β signaling in the mammary gland alters the development of chemically or hormonally induced tumors in mice. Four groups of mice were used in the study: wild-type and MT-DNIIR-28 mice on zinc with pituitary isograft, and wild-type and MT-DNIIR-28 mice on zinc with pituitary isograft treated with the carcinogen, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Tumor-free survival over time, tumor growth rate, and tumor pathology were measured. Statistically significant differences in tumor free survival over time or tumor growth rate were not detected in wild-type versus transgenic mice treated with DMBA. In contrast, tumor-free survival was significantly altered in transgenic mice that were treated with the pituitary isograft alone with MT-DNIIR mice developing tumors more quickly. Alterations in the types of tumors that formed in wild-type versus MT-DNIIR DMBA-treated mice were detected. In wild-type mice, tumors with squamous differentiation or bicellular adenomyoepitheliomas were most common. Adenomyoepitheliomas were not detected in transgenic mice. Furthermore, there was reduced staining for α smooth muscle actin and keratin 14, markers for myoepithelial cells, in the glandular portion of tumors in transgenic mice. The pathology of tumors induced by pituitary isograft alone was also markedly different in wild-type and transgenic mice. All the tumors classified from wild-type mice demonstrated some form of squamous differentiation, whereas squamous differentiation was not detected in the pituitary-induced transgenic tumors. The results suggest that TGF-β acts as a tumor suppressor for hormone-induced cancers and that TGF-β has a role in determining tumor pathology by regulating myoepithelial or squamous differentiation, maintenance, or transformation.
Time-Frequency Signal Representations Using Interpolations in Joint-Variable Domains

Time-frequency (TF) representations are a powerful tool for analyzing Doppler and micro-Doppler signals. These signals are frequently encountered in various radar applications. Data interpolators play a unique role in TF signal representations under missing samples. When applied in the instantaneous autocorrelation domain over the time variable, the low-pass filter characteristic underlying linear interpolators lends itself to cross-terms reduction in the ambiguity domain. This is in contrast to interpolation performed over the lag variable or a direct interpolation of the raw data. We demonstrate the interpolator performance in both the time domain and the time-lag domain and compare it with sparse signal reconstruction, which exploits the local sparsity property assumed by most Doppler radar signals.