cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEMS ACQUISITION LIFECYCLE

Today's systems and their applications incorporate a variety of complex, physical, logical, and human elements. The interactions between these elements are often so complex that intuition alone is not sufficient for estimating the performance indices of interest. These systems, under a tremendous heavy workload, are expected to generate high throughput at a reasonable level of resources' utilization, fast response time, and maintain high level of quality (such as availability, reliability, and maintainability). These challenging technical performance specifications have imposed on the applications of interest numerous critical technical problems throughout their entire acquisition lifecycles. This paper defines, introduces and addresses a comprehensive systematic performance process to quantify and analyze these technical problems. This performance process identifies and organizes the system performance measurements; structures and addresses its major steps throughout the entire system acquisition lifecycle. Proper implementation of this performance process will ensure on time delivery of high quality and low cost systems.
Reduction in Purely Cubic Function Fields of Unit Rank One

This paper analyzes reduction of fractional ideals in a purely cubic function field of unit rank one. The algorithm is used for generating all the reduced principal fractional ideals in the field, thereby finding the fundamental unit or the regulator, as well as computing a reduced fractional ideal equivalent to a given nonreduced one. It is known how many reduction steps are required to achieve either of these tasks, but not how much time and storage each reduction step takes. Here, we investigate the complexity of a reduction step, the precision required in the approximation of the infinite power series that occur throughout the algorithm, and the size of the quantities involved.
Effect of dietary protein on urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels.

— Among rats consuming diets containing 0%, 18%, or 40% protein (in the form of casein) for 4 consecutive days, urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels varied markedly as a function of the protein content, whether 5-HIAA was expressed as μg/rat/day or as μg/kg body weight/day. These differences could not be attributed to 5-hydroxyindoles in the diet; they probably reflected diet-dependent changes in serotonin synthesis. If animals were treated concurrently with carbidopa (a drug that blocks aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activity in the gut and other peripheral tissues but not in the CNS), urinary 5-HIAA levels fell, and the effect of dietary protein on the 5-HIAA largely disappeared. These observations indicate that serotonin synthesis in peripheral organs, as in brain, is under acute nutritional control.
Stochastic models for toxicant-stressed populations.

We obtain conditions for the existence of an invariant distribution on (0, ∞) for stochastic growth models of Ito type. We interpret the results in the case where the intrinsic growth rate is adjusted to account for the impact of a toxicant on the population. Comparisons with related results for ODE models by Hallamet al. are given, and consequences of taking the Stratonovich interpretation for the stochastic models are mentioned.
Fatal aortoesophageal fistula due to double aortic arch: An unusual complication of prolonged nasogastric intubation

Fatal hematemesis occurred in a 3-month-old boy due to erosion by a nasogastric tube into the right component of an unrecognized double aortic arch. This is the youngest of six reported patients with arterioesophageal fistula in the literature. Including this patient, five of six had nasogastric tubes in place. The tube may have led to fistula formation by compression of the esophageal wall against an anomalous vessel. When a vascular ring is suspected, indwelling esophageal tubes such as nasogastric tubes should not be used.
The Challenges and Opportunities of the No Child Left behind Act: Seven Strategies for Teacher Educators

Abstract The provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that pertain to the preparation, recruitment and retention of teachers are among the law's most complex, challenging and far-reaching in terms of real state policy change. This paper summarizes the potential impact of NCLB on teacher education policy and practice, and offers seven strategies for teacher educators to actively and effectively deal with both the challenges and opportunities posed by NCLB.
Longitudinal Analysis of Changes in Indices of Obesity from Age 8 Years to Age 18 Years Project HeartBeat

To compare growth patterns of obesity indices derived from body composition and anthropometric measures, the authors analyzed data from Project HeartBeat!, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease risk factors in childhood and adolescence. A total of 678 children initially aged 8, 11, and 14 years in The Woodlands and Conroe, Texas, were enrolled and followed with 4-monthly examinations between October 1991 and August 1995. Trajectories of change from age 8 years to age 18 years were estimated for body mass index, percent body fat, abdominal circumference, the sum of two skinfolds, and the sum of six skinfolds. All indices varied importantly with age. Percent body fat, sum of two skinfolds, and sum of six skinfolds shared similar growth patterns, with strong divergence between males and females. Males' body fat decreased with age and females' increased or remained nearly constant with age. In contrast, both body mass index and abdominal circumference increased monotonically with age in both sexes, exhibiting little sex difference as children reached late adolescence. Sex differences were more striking among Blacks than among non-Blacks. The authors conclude that growth patterns of adiposity differ according to the measure chosen. Furthermore, changes in different obesity indices may not relate in the same way to changes in blood pressure or blood lipid concentrations.
A new flat cell for flow-orientation ESR experiments

Abstract This paper describes a new flat cell, consisting of a long capillary folded within the outer dimensions of a regular TM 110 flat cell. It is used for flow orientation experiments in X-band ESR and can be oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field.
Heparin-Like Polymers for Potential Inhibition of Bacterial Infection

Sulfated polysaccharides have attained a new recognition in medicine for treatment of human pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. By careful protecting group strategy, methacrylate derivatives of sulfated sugars containing various saccharides have been successfully produced. The position of sulfate groups as well as methyl methacrylate was varied to demonstrate the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the resulting polymers in regards to their multivalent effect on the bacteria inhibition. The preliminary in vitro assay indicated promising inhibition of S. aureus infection in the presence of doubly sulfated polymers and suggests that our sulfated polymers might be a potential candidate to mediate S. aureus internalization.
Passive Optoelectronics Component Manufacturing: A Case Study

The infrastructure required for fiber optic communication systems to become truly affordable includes a supply of individual components at a price that can only be achieved through full automation of the packaging processes. We illustrate the manufacturing of typical passive photonics components through the case of a polarization dependent optical isolator. Identification of the available options here requires an understanding of the underlying optical principles and functionality, as well as of the influences of process variations and part tolerances on performance. Issues relating to cost, ease of manufacturing and automation are discussed. These include component design and materials selection, as well as questions of intellectual property.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Nutrient availability, plant abundance, and species diversity in two alpine tundra communities.

The long-term (5-yr) responses of plant absolute abundance and species diversity to N, P, and N+P fertilization were investigated in two sedge-dominated alpine plant communities that differed in soil resource availability but not in macroclimate: a resource-poor dry meadow and a more resource-rich wet meadow. Prior to analysis, species were grouped into functional groups based on growth form, potential developmental constraints, and presence or absence of mutualisms. Absolute abundance changes of functional groups were more pronounced in the dry-meadow community than in the wet-meadow community. In the dry meadow, mycorrhizal forbs increased with N+P fertilization, nonmycorrhizal forbs increased with P and N+P, and N2-fixing forbs increased with P alone. Grasses increased with N and N+P, whereas sedges, the dominant functional group, were unaffected by fertilization. In the wet meadow, the dominant sedges exhibited abundance increases in response to N, whereas grasses increased with P and N+P. Wet-meadow ...
Sulfonation and Epoxidation of Substituted Polynorbornenes and Construction of Light-Emitting Devices

Efficient routes to sulfonation and epoxidation of the double bonds in a polynorbornene backbone have been found that do not interfere with side chain functional groups of interest for making light-emitting devices. Substituted norbornene monomers were prepared with ether or thioether linkages, which were stable to sulfonation. Oligomers (25mers or 50mers) of homo- and copolymers containing diphenylanthracene (for blue-light emission), oxadiazole (for electron transport), and p-triphenylene (for hole transport) side chains were prepared via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of the corresponding norbornene monomers. Sulfonation of the polynorbornene backbone yielded a polyanionic material that was suitable for creating films via sequential adsorption with the polycation, poly(allylamine HCl) (PAH). Devices with an indium tin oxide (ITO) anode and an aluminum cathode were constructed. A two-layer device comprised of a layer of diphenylanthracene/oxadiazole copolymer and a layer of p-triphenylene...
5,6-epoxyretinoic acid opposes the effects of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in bovine lymphocytes.

12-O-TETRADECANOYLPHORBOL-13-ACETATE (TPA), the most potent of a series of tumour-promoting agents isolated from croton oil1, has been found to be highly active in bovine lymphocytes as a stimulator of choline phospholipid metabolism2, an inducer of ornithine decarboxylase3, and a co-mitogen when used in conjunction with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)4,5. These effects of TPA in the bovine lymphocyte system are antagonised by retinoic acid2,5, an agent which opposes the tumour-promoting action of phorbol esters in mouse skin6,7 and inhibits chemical carcinogenesis in several other tissues8. However, the dose–response curves for retinoic acid in inhibiting these effects in lymphocytes are broad and extend over several orders of magnitude, suggesting that retinoic acid may have to be metabolised to be biologically effective in this system. The possibility that epoxidation might be involved in the activation of retinoic acid and related retinoids was suggested by two observations. First, 10, 11-epoxymethylfarnesoate (insect juvenile hormone III), which bears the epoxide moiety at a position corresponding to the double bond in the ionone ring of retinoic acid, was found to oppose the actions of TPA in bovine lymphocytes and exhibited a much steeper dose–response curve9. Second, we have demonstrated that epoxidation at the 5,6-position of β-ionone strikingly increases its activity as an antagonist of the co-mitogenic action of TPA as well as the TPA stimulation of phospholipid metabolism10. We describe here the chemical synthesis and biological testing of the 5,6-epoxy derivative of retinoic acid as an antagonist of TPA action in bovine lymphocytes. We report that the introduction of an epoxide group at this position results in an enhanced ability to oppose certain effects of TPA in these cells.
Regulation of LuxPQ Receptor Activity by the Quorum-Sensing Signal Autoinducer-2

The extracellular signaling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2) mediates quorum-sensing communication in diverse bacterial species. In marine vibrios, binding of AI-2 to the periplasmic receptor LuxP modulates the activity of the inner membrane sensor kinase LuxQ, transducing the AI-2 information into the cytoplasm. Here, we show that Vibrio harveyi LuxP associates with LuxQ in both the presence and absence of AI-2. The 1.9 A X-ray crystal structure of apoLuxP, complexed with the periplasmic domain of LuxQ, reveals that the latter contains two tandem Per/ARNT/Simple-minded (PAS) folds. Thus, although many prokaryotic PAS folds themselves bind ligands, the LuxQ periplasmic PAS folds instead bind LuxP, monitoring its AI-2 occupancy. Mutations that disrupt the apoLuxP:LuxQ interface sensitize V. harveyi to AI-2, implying that AI-2 binding causes the replacement of one set of LuxP:LuxQ contacts with another. These conformational changes switch LuxQ between two opposing enzymatic activities, each of which conveys information to the cytoplasm about the cell density of the surrounding environment.
MANTLE HEAT FLOW

A map of the heat flux out of the earth's mantle has been prepared by subtracting the heat flow arising in the earth's crust from the surface heat flow. In continental areas the crustal contribution of the enriched zone is determined from the parameters of the linear heat flow-heat production relationship q o = q* + bA 0 in areas where such data exist. Where heat flow-heat production data are not available, a new empiricism relating reduced heat flow q* to the mean heat flow of a province q-O, q* ~ 0.6 qo, is used to estimate the reduced heat flow, and the depth parameter b is assigned an average value of 8.5 km. The oceanic crustal heat flow contribution includes both heat liberated by cooling, which is a function of the age of the ocean floor, and a small radiogenic component. A spherical harmonic analysis to degree 18 of the computed 5 ° X 5 ° mantle heat flow values yields a mean of 48 mW m-2; the degree variance spectrum has prominent strength at degrees 1,4 and 5. Continent-ocean differences are more apparent in the mantle heat flow than in the surface heat flow. However, contrasting surface heat flow patterns within continents, such as in central and western Australia, which arise from different surficial radioactivity distributions, do not appear in the mantle heat flow. Mantle heat flow is positively correlated with the geopotential and negatively correlated with the topography of the earth. However, correlation of heat flow with a "normalized" topography, in which the base line elevation difference between oceans and continents is suppressed is significantly positive, in accordance with observation that ocean floor topography is thermally controlled.
“Children of a Lesser God:” The Effects of Communication and Interaction Patterns on Student Spiritual Identity at a Church-Related University

Social identity theory provides a frame for studying the relationship between communication and interaction patterns and college student spirituality. In this project we measured the self-perceived spirituality, personal attitudes toward self and others, and communication of a convenience sample of N=149 college students at a private, four-year, church-related institution in southern California. We found that traditionalism, a stable belief in the values and attitudes reflected in how one is raised, explained 60% of student spirituality scores. Gregariousness, the measure of connectedness a participant feels to a group or to the institution, explained an additional 5.2% of student spirituality. Additional post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significant negative association between rebelliousness and both traditionalism and spirituality scores. We also utilized two t-Tests to compare lower and upper class students, as well as females and males, on the variables of interest. Upper class students reported higher scores on spirituality, life satisfaction, gregariousness, positive attitude toward tradition, and self-disclosure whereas lower class members scored higher only in rebelliousness. In addition, females scored higher on all of the variables measured in comparison to males, with the exception of rebelliousness. Findings demonstrated that education at a private Christian institution did not erode student spirituality and may have strengthened spirituality over the four year period.
Children's use of expectations as a source of information in language comprehension ☆

Abstract Six studies of children's comprehension of the passive transformation and of the Minimum Distance Principle are reviewed and their results integrated. Children were in kindergarten through Grade 6, inclusive. Expectations about usual grammatical relations (e.g., agent/action combinations) significantly affected children's comprehension: sentences reflecting expectations were understood more often than sentences contradicting children's expressed expectations. Results are discussed within the framework of referential event strategies in understanding spoken language. Limits of the effect of children's expectation on comprehension are described, including general cognitive developmental status, relevant belief systems, and nature of the psycholinguistic task.
The Paradox at the Heart of American Conservatism

Abstract This essay considers the state of American conservatism focusing initially on social and political institutions and concluding with a few comments on conservatism as an intellectual movement. A paradox is described as lying at the heart of American conservatism: the economic policies supported by conservatives promote economic conditions that are the main causes of the social problems conservatives lament most loudly.
The combined oral contraceptive pill containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol plus levomefolate calcium.

Introduction: Neural tube defects are the second most common congenital anomaly in the United States, although their incidence may be decreased by periconception folic acid supplementation. A new oral contraceptive containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol plus levomefolate calcium was formulated to decrease the risk of neural tube defects in pregnancies conceived while taking or shortly after discontinuing this pill. Areas covered: Because of its novelty, very few studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy, side effects and safety related to contraception, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and acne; therefore, literature evaluating similar contraceptives without levomefolate is reviewed. Additionally, we review studies evaluating the addition of levomefolate calcium to oral contraceptives containing 3 mg drospirenone and either 20 or 30 μg ethinyl estradiol. To date, no study has been performed to evaluate the effect this new oral contraceptive has on reducing the incidence of neural tube def...
The polar properties of valence bonds

Abstract Arguments based on bond-stretching frequencies, nuclear quadrupole coupling constants and bond lengths indicate that bonds having the same strength factor can have different electronic structures. It is then argued that a more useful probe for obtaining an insight into bond character is provided by infrared band intensities which can be analyzed to yield values for the constants occurring in bond moment functions. A new bond moment theory, in which the concept of “rehybridization moments” is introduced, is described. Using this theory, self-consistent values are obtained for the bond moment constants governing the band intensities for the molecules HCN, C 6 H 6 and C 2 H 4 .
The Economics of Managing Infectious Wildlife Disease

We use a two-state linear control model to examine the socially optimal management of disease in a valuable wildlife population when diseased animals cannot be harvested selectively. The two control variables are nonselective harvests and supplemental feeding of wildlife, where feeding increases both in situ productivity and disease prevalence. We derive a double singular solution which depends on the initial state and does not require bang-bang controls. The case of bovine tuberculosis among Michigan white-tailed deer is analyzed. In the base model, the disease is optimally maintained at low levels, with intermittent investments (via feeding) in deer productivity.
Finite Element Evaluation of Acoustic Energy Penetration of Partially Submerged Tube Bundles

In this paper, the finite element software ANSYS is used to model ultrasonic waves propagating through a liquid volume containing partially submerged tubes. An immersible transducer is used to generate the waves. The goal of the investigation is to find an appropriate excitation frequency in order to perform ultrasonic cleaning of the tubes. Modal analysis of the coupled tubes–liquid system is conducted to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the tube structures under ultrasonic wave excitations. The frequency at which the acoustic waves efficiently penetrate the tube array with least energy loss and least deformation to tube structures is obtained, and will be used to probe the capability and the potential of utilizing ultrasonic energy as a non-destructive technique for cleaning tube bundles.
Preparation of atomic sodium as a two-level atom

Abstract A method of preparing atomic sodium so that it behaves, to a first approximation, as a simple two-level atom is presented. The procedure consists of a succession of optical pumpings by a c.w. dye laser of a thermal atomic beam of sodium.
Genes contributing to minimal residual disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: prognostic significance of CASP8AP2.

In childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), early response to treatment is a powerful prognostic indicator. To identify genes associated with this response, we analyzed gene expression of diagnostic lymphoblasts from 189 children with ALL and compared the findings with minimal residual disease (MRD) levels on days 19 and 46 of remission induction treatment. After excluding genes associated with genetic subgroups, we identified 17 genes that were significantly associated with MRD. The caspase 8–associated protein 2 (CASP8AP2) gene was studied further because of its reported role in apoptosis and glucocorticoid signaling. In a separate cohort of 99 patients not included in the comparison of gene expression profiles and MRD, low levels of CASP8AP2 expression predicted a lower event-free survival (P = .02) and a higher rate of leukemia relapse (P = .01) and were an independent predictor of outcome. High levels of CASP8AP2 expression were associated with a greater propensity of leukemic lymphoblasts to undergo apoptosis. We conclude that measurement of CASP8AP2 expression at diagnosis offers a means to identify patients whose leukemic cells are highly susceptible to chemotherapy. Therefore, this gene is a strong candidate for inclusion in gene expression arrays specifically designed for leukemia diagnosis.
The accuracy of preoperative templating in cementless total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract We evaluated the accuracy and clinical usefulness of preoperative templating in 109 cementless total hip arthroplasties. The size of the prosthesis was exactly predicted in 46 (42.2%) acetabular and 75 (68.8%) femoral components. The accuracy increased to greater than 90% if the prosthesis size was within 1 or 2 sizes (above or below) for femoral component and acetabular components, respectively. Having a contralateral total hip arthroplasty as a guide for preoperative templating was associated with greater accuracy in predicting the femoral component size only. Eighty-eight percent of the acetabular components were oriented inside the presumed safe range for inclination; 42% of the acetabular components were in the presumed safe range of anteversion. The mean postoperative leg length discrepancy was 0.9 ± 6.8 mm; 93.5% had a discrepancy within 10 mm.
Normal Skin Test Responses in Chronic Marijuana Users

The cell-mediated immunity of 22 chronic marijuana smokers showed no difference from that of normal controls when evaluated by in vivo skin testing with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. However, a significant difference was seen between these chronic marijuana users, all of whom could be sensitized to 2,4-dinitro-chlorobenzene, and age-matched cancer patients, who showed a decreased capacity to be sensitized.
Symbolic Models and Emergent Models: A Review

There exists a large conceptual gap between symbolic models and emergent models for the mind. Many emergent models work on low-level sensory data, while many symbolic models deal with high-level abstract (i.e., action) symbols. There has been relatively little study on intermediate representations, mainly because of a lack of knowledge about how representations fully autonomously emerge inside the closed brain skull, using information from the exposed two ends (the sensory end and the motor end). As reviewed here, this situation is changing. A fundamental challenge for emergent models is abstraction, which symbolic models enjoy through human handcrafting. The term abstract refers to properties disassociated with any particular form. Emergent abstraction seems possible, although the brain appears to never receive a computer symbol (e.g., ASCII code) or produce such a symbol. This paper reviews major agent models with an emphasis on representation. It suggests two different ways to relate symbolic representations with emergent representations: One is based on their categorical definitions. The other considers that a symbolic representation corresponds to a brain's outside behaviors observed and handcrafted by other outside human observers; but an emergent representation is inside the brain.
Algebraic specification techniques for parametric types with logic-based constraints

Mainstream object-oriented languages now offer capabilities of generic types with bounded type parameters, but they typically do not provide support for specifying semantic requirements on the type parameters' methods beyond conformance of signatures. Regrettably, even object-oriented assertion languages, such as JML, have nontrivial limitations in this regard. Yet many interesting parameterized types require additional semantic features if they are to function as intended. We illustrate the issues with a case study of project scheduling based on the Project Management Institute's generic characterization of task breakdowns. We consider algebraic techniques for instantiating parametric types in such a way that the semantic requirements expressed by logic-based constraints propagate to the instantiating types. These techniques argue for more general bindings of actual type parameters for the formal ones which do not have the restrictions of current programming languages. We show that types equipped with constraints should be viewed as theories, and the bindings as morphisms of types as theories. We translate these software specifications into theories in the PVS specification language. These proposals lead to conclusions about language features for more general, semantic bindings of the actual for the formal type parameters, at least in the assertion languages.
Intravascularly Administered RGD-Displaying Measles Viruses Bind to and Infect Neovessel Endothelial Cells In Vivo

Systemically administered vectors must cross the endothelial lining of tumor blood vessels to access cancer cells. Vectors that interact with markers on the lumenal surface of these endothelial cells might have enhanced tumor localization. Here, we generated oncolytic measles viruses (MVs) displaying αvβ3 integrin-binding peptides, cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) or echistatin, on the measles hemagglutinin protein. Both viruses had expanded tropisms, and efficiently entered target cells via binding to integrins, but also retained their native tropisms for CD46 and signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM). When fluorescently labeled and injected intravascularly into chick chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs), in contrast to unmodified viruses, the integrin-binding viral particles bound to the lumenal surface of the developing chick neovessels and infected the CAM vascular endothelial cells. In a mouse model of VEGF-induced angiogenesis in the ear pinna, the integrin-binding viruses, but not the parental virus, infected cells at sites of new blood vessel formation. When given intravenously to mice bearing tumor xenografts, the integrin-binding virus infected endothelial cells of tumor neovessels in addition to tumor parenchyma. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that oncolytic MVs can be engineered to target the lumenal endothelial surface of newly formed blood vessels when administered intravenously in living animals.
An Independent Axiom System for the Real Numbers

(2009). An Independent Axiom System for the Real Numbers. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 78-86.
Whistling in the Dark? [Microwave Surfing]

Bell Labs scientists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson received the 1978 Nobel Prize in physics for their “accidental” discovery in 1965 that “the electromagnetic noise picked up by their horn antenna was not caused by a white dielectric substance (pigeon droppings) within the antenna, but represented the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CMB was found to be diffuse, coming essentially uniformly from all directions, and had an equivalent temperature of around 2.7 Kelvin. Since it originated only 300,000 years after the Big Bang (the genesis moment around 14 billion years ago when space and time began), it provides crucial experimental data about the early history of our universe” [1].
Improved Scoring of Ligand−Protein Interactions Using OWFEG Free Energy Grids

A new approach to rapidly score protein−ligand interactions is tested on several protein−ligand systems. Results using this approach − the OWFEG free energy grid − are quite promising and are generally in better agreement with experiment (in some cases much better) than those obtained employing scoring techniques currently in wide use. The OWFEG free energy grid is generated from a one-window free energy perturbation MD simulation (Pearlman, D. A. J. Med. Chem. 1999, 42, 4313−4324). The OWFEG approach is applied to three protein systems: IMPDH, MAP kinase p38, and HIV-1 aspartyl protease. OWFEG scores are compared to experimental Ki and IC50 data in each case. Empirical scoring functions applied to the same systems for comparison include ChemScore, Piecewise Linear Potential (PLP), and Dock energy score.
Study of fluid flow through scaled-up ink jet nozzles

A 100-fold scaled-up model of ink jet nozzle flow is described. A theoretical justification for scaling the relevant parameters, starting from the equations of motion, is presented. The scaling procedure and the effects of unscaled parameters are discussed as well as the scaled-up "ink." Following a description of the experimental apparatus, the results of a series of experiments are then presented. These consist of directionality, directional stability and flow efficiency measurements in four nozzle configurations: conical, cylindrical, square, and "hybrid" nozzles.
Phase transitions in thin films of a binary mixture

Abstract A mean field approach has been used to study the equilibrium behavior of a binary mixture in a thin film. The wall interaction was evaluated using a nearest neighbor model. Criteria for surface enrichmene have been proposed. A linear analysis was used to develop an expression for the critical film thichness. The critical point was found to be independent of the wall composition, for the case of weakly interacting wall.
Logically Speaking: Evidence for Item-Based Acquisition of the Connectives AND & OR

Why is it that young children use connectives correctly in conversation, yet frequently err when asked to use the same connectives in formal reasoning? One possibility is that connective acquisition is item-based in which usage rules are induced from natural language input. This possibility was evaluated by examining the correspondence between the structure of children's natural language environment and their own productions. AND and OR use was coded within 100,626 turns between parents and children between 2.0 and 5.0 for (a) frequency, (b) meanings, (c) syntactic frames, and (d) formal or informal use. The results are consistent with item-based learning in that children's initial productions were very similar to those of adults on each dimension investigated. AND was produced significantly more frequently than OR, meaning and syntactic frame use were highly consistent across ages and producers, and use was nearly always informal.
Mini-chromatofocusing of plant and fungal polyphenoloxidases.

Abstract Mini-chromatofocusing was used to estimate the isoelectric points of mung bean polyphenoloxidase (5.4), broad bean polyphenoloxidase (5.4–5.7), and mushroom tyrosinase (4.5) in crude and purified samples. Using 1 to 2 ml of Polybuffer exchanger and 20 to 25 ml of Polybuffer 74, isoelectric points for the above enzymes were obtained in less than 2 h. Using this technique, isoelectric points for β-lactoglobulin (4.5), carbonic anhydrase (6.4), soybean trypsin inhibitor (4.1), myoglobin (6.9), and bovine serum albumin (4.8) were obtained and compared to existing literature values. Mini-chromatofocusing provides a rapid estimation for isoelectric points of proteins and enzymes and may be a useful alternative to conventional methods for determination of isoelectric points.
Are there Election-Driven Tax-and-Expenditure Cycles for Urban Governments?

Do tax-and-expenditure cycles exist at the city level? Local politicians cannot manipulate the economy to improve their own or their party's electoral prospects and thereby produce apolitical business cycle. However, they can manipulate tax revenues and expenditures over the election cycle, with some constraints. Using data from medium-and large-sized U.S. cities from 1978 through 1985, the authors found evidence that tax-revenue cycles exist in many cities with mayor-council governments, where politicians prefer to cut taxes or avoid tax increases in fiscal years when an election is imminent. There was little evidence, however, of operating expenditure cycles.
Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase Promotes Endothelial Repair After Vascular Injury

Objectives We sought to determine if a reduction in asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) enhances endothelial regeneration. Background Asymmetric dimethylarginine is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Increased plasma levels of ADMA are associated with endothelial vasodilator dysfunction in patients with vascular disease or risk factors. Asymmetric dimethylarginine is eliminated largely by the action of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), which exists in 2 isoforms. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 transgenic (TG) mice manifest increased DDAH activity, reduced plasma and tissue ADMA levels, increased nitric oxide synthesis, and reduced systemic vascular resistance. Methods The left femoral arteries of DDAH1 TG mice and wild-type (WT) mice were injured by a straight spring wire, and regeneration of the endothelial cell (EC) monolayer was assessed. Endothelial sprouting was assayed with growth factor-reduced Matrigel. Results Regeneration of the EC monolayer was more complete 1 week after injury in TG mice (WT vs. TG: 40.0 ± 6.5% vs. 61.2 ± 6.4%, p Conclusions We find for the first time an important role for DDAH in EC regeneration and in neointima formation. Strategies to enhance DDAH expression or activity might be useful in restoring the endothelial monolayer and in treating vascular disease.
Screen of Genes Linked to High-Sugar Content in Stems by Comparative Genomics

One of the great advantages of the fully sequenced rice genome is to serve as a reference for other cereal genomes in particular for identifying genes linked to unique traits. A trait of great interest is reduced lignocellulose in the stem of related species in favor of fermentable sugars as a source of biofuels. While sugarcane is one of the most efficient biofuel crops, little is known about the underlying gene repertoire involved in it. Here, we take advantage of the natural variation of sweet and grain sorghum to uncover genes that are conserved in rice, sorghum, and sugarcane but differently expressed in sweet versus grain sorghum by using a microarray platform and the syntenous alignment of rice and sorghum genomic regions containing these genes. Indeed, enzymes involved in carbohydrate accumulation and those that reduce lignocellulose can be identified.
Enhanced Coil Expansion and Intrapolymer Complex Formation of Linear Poly(methacrylic acid) Containing Poly(ethylene glycol) Grafts

Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) represent a polyacid/polybase pair capable of forming reversible, pH-responsive, hydrophobic complexes stabilized by hydrogen bonding in aqueous media. Linear PMA was modified with methoxy-terminated, long-chain (5000 Mw) poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) via random coupling in dimethyl sulfoxide using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as a coupling agent. The degree of ionization, α, was deteremined utilizing potentiometric titration. The presence of tethered MPEG markedly increased the pKa values over those of the PMA homopolymer or PMA/MPEG mixtures at α < 0.35. The dilute solution PMA−PEG intramolecular association was probed by monitoring the PEG nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin−spin (T2) relaxation as a function of pH. Two populations of MPEG exist at appropriate ionizations: those participating in hydrogen bonding with the PMA backbone and those not participating in hydrogen bonding. Polymer self-diffusion at varying degrees of ionization was mea...
PRICE PRESSURE AND THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS IN CLOSED‐END FUNDS

A trader-identified transactions database is employed to investigate: (1) the relation between order-flow imbalance and closed-end fund share prices and discounts; and (2) the role of institutional investors in closed-end funds. Empirical results are consistent with the hypothesis that buyers (sellers) of closed-end funds face upward-downward-) sloping supply (demand) curves. The results also demonstrate that ownership statistics do not accurately reflect institutional investors' importance in the closed-end fund market. The results fail to provide evidence that institutional investors offset the positions of individual investors or that institutional investors face systematic “noise trader risk.”
Detecting common subexpressions for multiple query optimization over loosely-coupled heterogeneous data sources

The research presented in this paper supports the identification of common subexpressions as candidates for potential materialized views that form the basis of multiple query optimization in a loosely-coupled distributed system where query expressions access heterogeneous data sources, including relations and data-centric XML. This paper introduces a unifying mixed multigraph formalism to represent SQL, XQuery, and LINQ queries in a common query graph model and a heuristics-based algorithm to detect common subexpressions. The identified common subexpressions represent an opportunity for defining a materialized view to avoid repeating computation. The common subexpressions may access only relations, only XML, or a combination of relations and XML. The mixed multigraph model and the heuristic rules presented in this paper have distinguished advantages over the existing approaches that consider only relational or XML data sources individually. The mixed multigraph model can present SQL, XQuery, and LINQ queries in a single graph model and the heuristic rules are designed to consider the identical and subsumed conditions at the same time. A prototype implementation of the algorithm illustrates the applicability of the approach using various examples from the research literature as well as scenarios over a Criminal Justice enterprise that include common subexpressions across relational and XML data sources.
Limitation to photosynthesis in Pratylenchus penetrans- and Verticillium dahliae-infected potato

Mechanism(s) responsible for decrease in photosynthetic rates of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) leaves infected by the fungus Verticillium dahliae (Kleb) and the nematode Pratylenchus penetrans (Cobb, Sher, Allen) have not been fully researched. Two growth chamber experiments were undertaken to determine the factors contributing to the decrease in CO 2 exchange rates of young, fully expanded leaflets of potato (cv. Russet Burbank) plants grown in pots infested with P. penetrans and/or V. dahliae. Treatments were P. penetrans-infested soil, V. dahliae-infested soil, soil infested with both the nematode and the fungus, and a noninfested control. Leaf CO 2 response curves were measured at early (16 d after inoculation [DAI]) and late (42 DAI) stages of infection for all treatments at saturating light (1500 μmol m -2 s -1 of photosynthetically active radiation [PAR] using a portable photosynthesis system. Carbon dioxide exchange rates were also measured at 1000, 400, and 200 μmol m -2 s -1 PAR to determine leaf light response. At ambient CO 2 concentration, concomitant infection by both pathogens significantly reduced C assimilation rate (A) and light use efficiency (μmoles CO 2 fixed per μmol of light used), and increased the intercellular CO 2 (C 1 ) of these young leaves at 42 DAI, but not at 16 DAI. Infection by either pathogen alone had little or no effect on the leaf gas exchange parameters. Analysis of the curve relating A and C i showed that either treatment alone did not change the initial slope of the curve at 16 DAI. A significant reduction in both the initial slope of A vs. C i curves and A at C i = 500 μmol mol - 1 in the jointly infected plants were noticeable at 42 DAI indicating that nonstomatal effects could explain the reduction in C assimilation rate at this late stage of disease infection. Leaf patchiness might also be a contributing factor to this phenomena in the leaves of the jointly infected plants.
The Musical Representation: Meaning, Ontology, and Emotion

First appearing in hardback in 2007, the recently published paperback version of The Musical Representation makes Charles O. Nussbaum’s impressive multidisciplinary and variegated discourse on the ...
CMOS Detector Technology

An entry level overview of state-of-the-art CMOS detector technology is presented. Operating principles and system architecture are explained in comparison to the well-established CCD technology, followed by a discussion of important benefits of modern CMOS-based detector arrays. A number of unique CMOS features including different shutter modes and scanning concepts are described. In addition, sub-field stitching is presented as a technique for producing very large imagers. After a brief introduction to the concept of monolithic CMOS sensors, hybrid detectors technology is introduced. A comparison of noise reduction methods for CMOS hybrids is presented. The final sections review CMOS fabrication processes for monolithic and vertically integrated image sensors.
Effects of ATP and Taurine on Calcium Uptake by Membrane Preparations of the Rat Retina

: The effects of ATP and taurine on the kinetics of calcium uptake in rat retinal membrane preparations were determined. ATP increased calcium uptake at low calcium ion concentrations. Addition of ATP plus taurine further increased calcium uptake. Cooperative relationships were observed for calcium uptake in the absence of ATP and taurine. In the presence of phosphate ions reciprocal plots demonstrated upward deflections from linear ty, while in the absence of phosphate ions downward deflections were noted. Addition of ATP plus taurine to the incubation system appeared to obliterate the cooperativity. Two uptake systems for calcium were observed.
Atomization of Specialty Alloy Powders

This article reviews powder making methods involving the atomization of liquid metal, with particular reference to specialty alloys. The methods are classified as commercial, pilot-scale, and laboratory-scale. Powder characteristics and properties are considered in relation to process parameters; where available, mechanisms of the break-up of the liquid metal stream or sheet are analyzed.
Growth plate chondrocyte maturation is regulated by basal intracellular calcium.

Among the cellular events that are associated with the process of endochondral ossification is an incremental increase in chondrocyte basal intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) from 50 to 100 nM. To determine if this rise in [Ca(2+)](i) functionally participates in the maturational process of growth plate chondrocytes (GPCs), we examined its effect on several markers of hypertrophy, including annexin V, bone morphogenetic protein-6, type X collagen, and indian hedgehog. Expression of these genes was determined under conditions either where the Ca(2+) chelator EGTA was used to deplete extracellular Ca(2+) and lower [Ca(2+)](i) to 100 nM. Although no effect on the expression of these genes was observed following treatment with 5 mM CaCl(2), 4 mM EGTA significantly inhibited their expression. This effect was recapitulated in sternal chondrocytes and was reversed following withdrawal of EGTA. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the EGTA-induced suppression of these genes was mediated by a factor whose expression is responsive to changes in basal [Ca(2+)](i). Since EGTA mimicked the effect of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) on GPC maturation, we examined the effect of low [Ca(2+)](i) on PTHrP expression. Suggesting that low [Ca(2+)](i) suppression of hypertrophy was PTHrP-dependent in GPCs, (a) treatment with 4 mM EGTA increased PTHrP expression, (b) the EGTA effect was rescued by blocking PTHrP binding to its receptor with the competitive antagonist TIP(7-39), and (c) EGTA could mimic the PTHrP stimulation of AP-1 binding to DNA. Additionally, PTHrP promoter analysis identified a domain (-1498 to -862, relative to the start codon) involved with conferring Ca(2+) sensitivity to the PTHrP gene. These findings underscore the importance of cellular Ca(2+) in GPC function and suggest that PTHrP action in the growth plate is at least partially regulated by changes in basal [Ca(2+)](i).
A Fabric and Petrologic Study of the Pleasantview Sandstone

ABSTRACT The Pleasantview sandstone is a typical Pennsylvanian cyclothem sandstone in western Illinois exhibiting both channel and non-channel phases. In order to describe the sandstone and to interpret the sediment transport direction and the environmental conditions existing at the time of deposition, an investigation was made of the texture, composition, depositional structure, cross-bedding, and dimensional fabric. Results of this study indicate that the sandstone is a subgraywacke which was deposited in a north and northwest direction. It is concluded that the process which cut the Pleasantview channel was to a large degree independent of the processes which later filled the channel with sediment. No conclusive evidence could be found for the exact nature of the processes operating at the time of channel cutting and filling. However, it is suggested that the environmental conditions of the Pleasantview most closely resemble those conditions existing at present in the Dutch Wadden Sea.