cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scaling and critical phenomena in a cellular automaton slider-block model for earthquakes

The dynamics of a general class of two-dimensional cellular automaton slider-block models of earthquake faults is studied as a function of the failure rules that determine slip and the nature of the failure threshold. Scaling properties of clusters of failed sites imply the existence of a mean-field spinodal line in systems with spatially random failure thresholds, whereas spatially uniform failure thresholds produce behavior reminiscent of self-organized critical behavior. This model can describe several classes of faults, ranging from those that only exhibit creep to those that produce large events.
Fibrosarcoma adjacent to the site of microchip implantation in a cat

A 14-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat presented with an interscapular mass. A computed tomography scan, biopsy, and histological examination revealed a fibrosarcoma adjacent to a pet identification microchip. Because the cat was previously vaccinated at this site, it is not possible to establish definitive causation of the fibrosarcoma, but this is the first report of a tumor in the vicinity of a microchip in a cat. Microchip-associated tumors have been reported in rodents and dogs. Veterinarians should be aware that because inflammation may predispose felines to tumor formation, separation and observation of vaccination and implantation sites are indicated. Adherence to American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) vaccination guidelines and monitoring of microchip implantation sites are recommended.
Excess thermodynamic properties for {xCO2 + (1 − x)C2H6} (I): experiment and theory

Abstract The excess molar enthalpies H m E of liquid mixtures of carbon dioxide and ethane have been determined calorimetrically at 217.0 and 230.0 K using a recently constructed microprocessor-controlled cryogenic calorimeter. The excess molar enthalpies are large, positive, and nearly independent of temperature in this range, while the dependence of H m E on mole fraction x is slightly asymmetric about x = 0.5. The value of H m E ( x = 0.5) at p = 0 is (1450±30) J·mol −1 for both temperatures. The excess molar Gibbs energies G m E have been calculated using Barker's method at 223.15, 243.15, and 263.15 K from published phase-equilibrium data, and the excess molar volumes V m E at 241.5 K have been obtained from published liquid-mixture densities. The excess molar entropies S m E are large, positive, and slightly asymmetric about x = 0.5. The results for H m E , G m E and V m E are in good agreement with values calculated from perturbation theory using an anisotropic potential model. It is demonstrated that the use of mixing rules proposed by Kohler for determining unlike intermolecular potentials, which require no mixture-parameter fitting, yield more accurate values of the excess properties than the Lorentz-Berthelot rules.
Report from the Berkeley Archeological Site: Have We Found a Dead Branch of the Dead Society?

Humorous continuation of Rothkopf's article [Rothkopf, Michael A. 1978. Publication policy in a primitive society. Interfaces8 2, February.].
Effective conductivity of particulate polymer composite electrolytes using random resistor network method

The effective DC conductivity of particulate composite electrolytes was obtained by solving electrostatics equations using random resistors network method in three dimensions. The composite structure was considered to consist of three phases: matrix, particulate filler, and conductive shell that surrounded each particle; each phase possessing a different conductivity. Different particle size distributions were generated using Monte Carlo simulations. Unlike effective medium formulations, it was shown that the random resistors network method was able to predict percolation thresholds for the effective composite conductivity. It was found that the mean particle radius has a higher influence on the effective composite conductivity compared to the effect of type of the particle size distributions that were considered. The effect of the shell thickness on the composite conductivity has been investigated. It was found that the conductivity enhancement due to the presence of the conductive shell phase becomes less evident as the shell thickness increases.
The optimum dose of pollen in the treatment of pollinosis of children

Summary 1. The maximum tolerated dose is the optimum dose for the pollen-sensitive patient (Rockwell). 2. Coseasonal treatment for a patientnot previously treated is best carried out by means of small intradermal injections at one- to three-day intervals. 3. Small-dose therapy has not been as effective in our hands as high-dose therapy for preseasonal and perennial desensitization (immunization). 4. Children tolerate high-pollen dosage at least as well if not better than do adults. 5. For the child of average sensitivity0.5 to 1 c.c. of 3 per cent pollen extract (15,000 to 30,000 Noon units) is the optimum dosage. 6. In general, the greater the degreeof skin sensitivity to pollen tests, the smaller the top dosage of pollen extract required. There are many exceptions to this generalization. Quantitative skin tests by the serial dilution method are not accurate enough to predict top dosage, and are therefore not advisable as a routine procedure. 7. The best guide to pollen dosage isthe local reaction, provided important factors other than dosage are considered. These are (a) depth of injection, and (b) irritation due to the extracting fluid used. 8. General reactions occurred with relative infrequency, despite the high doses used in hundreds of pollen-sensitive children, provided increase in dosage and other precautions are properly carried out. 9. The results of high dose therapyin pollen-sensitive children have been excellent. Eighty per cent of our patients receive excellent results the first year of such preseasonal therapy. Fifty per cent can discontinue treatment in from three to five years of continuous preseasonal and perennial therapy when treatment is carried out according to the method outlined.
Test results from 1.8-m SSC model dipoles

Results are reported from the first four 1.8-m-long dipoles built as part of the Superconducting Super Collider research and development program. Except for length, these models have the features of the SSC design, which is based on a two-layer cos theta coil with 4-cm aperture. As compared with 17 m, the SSC design length, these 1.8-m magnets are a faster and more economical way of testing changes in field shape, the ratio of copper to superconductor, cable support at the coil center and ends, and similar variables. A review of the magnets' design focuses on the improvements compared with previous test designs studied. The test results reported cover B/I-field uniformity and quench performance. >
Binary mixtures in and beyond the critical region: thermodynamic properties

Abstract An extended law of corresponding states, in combination with a parametric crossover equation of state, is applied to the prediction of thermodynamic properties and phase behavior of pure fluids and binary mixtures over a wide region around vapor–liquid critical points. For pure fluids, a generalized form of the model is given that requires only the acentric factor of the pure component. For mixtures, the critical locus is also required. A good representation of thermodynamic property data is achieved in the range of temperatures 0.8 Tc(x)≤T≤1.5 Tc(x) and densities 0.35 ρc(x)≤ρ≤1.65 ρc(x).
Theory of biexcitons in mixed and segregated stack charge-transfer solids, molecular crystals and π-conjugated polymers

We discuss biexcitons within three different theoretical models in one dimension with excitonic interactions. We develop a general physical picture for optical absorption from the one-photon allowed exciton to the biexciton and to the two-exciton continuum in one dimension. Based on this picture, we propose a criterion of biexciton stability. The validity of our criterion of biexciton stability is proved in the strong-coupling limits of models describing mixed and segregated stack charge-transfer solids, while studies by other investigators have shown that the criterion also remains valid within the Frenkel exciton model with moderate exciton-exciton binding. Based on the same criterion of biexciton stability, we present theoretical evidence for stable biexcitons within the Coulomb-correlated model for π-conjugated polymers. High-energy picosecond photoinduced absorption in π-conjugated polymers is explained as a transition from the optical exciton to the biexciton.
Influence of right heart size on outcome in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum.

BACKGROUNDNeonates with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum (PA-IVS) are frequently born with hypoplastic right heart structures that must grow after right ventricular decompression (RVD) procedures for a complete two-ventricle physiology to be achieved. Previous authors have asserted that neonatal right heart size or morphology will predict right heart growth potential. Since 1983, our bias has favored early RVD regardless of initial right heart size. In 1986, we recognized a subset of patients with coronary artery abnormalities associated with poor outcome after RVD and have defined these patients as having a right ventricular-dependent coronary circulation (RVDCC).METHODS AND RESULTSTo assess the influence of right heart size on outcome independent of the presence of RVDCC, we measured echocardiographic right ventricular (RV) dimensions in 37 neonates with adequate studies presenting between 1983 and 1990. Coronary artery anatomy was adequately assessed by angiography in 36. RV volume and t...
The Mechanism of Surface Electron Ejection by Laser Excited Metastable Molecules

Surface Electron Ejection by Laser Excited Metastables (SEELEM) is a useful but poorly understood form of laser excitation spectroscopy, whereby nominally forbidden transitions that result in the excitation of molecules into long-lived, electronically excited states are selectively (and sensitively) detected. When a molecule in a metastable (lifetime > 100 μs) electronically excited state impacts a metal surface, an electron is ejected and detected, provided that the vertical electronic excitation energy exceeds the work function of the metal. The interaction between the excited molecule and metal surface is sensitively dependent on extrinsic and intrinsic factors, such as, respectively, metal surface contamination and whether the electronic deexcitation is electron spin-allowed or forbidden. SEELEM spectra of acetylene in the region of the A 1Au ← X 1Σg+ (S1 ← S0) V30K10 band illustrate the effects of detector surface contamination on the relative detectivities of S1, T3, and T1 electronic states on Au ...
The role of metallurgy in the NIST investigation of the world trade center towers collapse

On August 21, 2002, on the direction of the U.S. Congress, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated an investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers. In support of the overall investigation goals, the NIST Metallurgy and Materials Reliability Divisions pursued three objectives: assess the quality of the steel used in the construction of the towers, determine mechanical properties of the steel for input to the finite element models of the building collapse, and assess the failure mechanisms of the recovered steel components. This article describes the major findings of the metallurgical part of the NIST WTC investigation and shows how the findings were integrated into the investigation.
Stride prefetching by dynamically inspecting objects

Software prefetching is a promising technique to hide cache miss latencies, but it remains challenging to effectively prefetch pointer-based data structures because obtaining the memory address to be prefetched requires pointer dereferences. The recently proposed stride prefetching overcomes this problem, but it only exploits inter-iteration stride patterns and relies on an off-line profiling method.We propose a new algorithm for stride prefetching which is intended for use in a dynamic compiler. We exploit both inter- and intra-iteration stride patterns, which we discover using an ultra-lightweight profiling technique, called object inspection. This is a kind of partial interpretation that only a dynamic compiler can perform. During the compilation of a method, the dynamic compiler gathers the profile information by partially interpreting the method using the actual values of parameters and causing no side effects.We evaluated an implementation of our prefetching algorithm in a production-level Java just-in time compiler. The results show that the algorithm achieved up to an 18.9% and 25.1% speedup in industry-standard benchmarks on the Pentium 4 and the Athlon MP, respectively, while it increased the compilation time by less than 3.0%.
Isolation and Culture of Adult Mouse Cardiomyocytes for Cell Signaling and in vitro Cardiac Hypertrophy

Technological advances have made genetically modified mice, including transgenic and gene knockout mice, an essential tool in many research fields. Adult cardiomyocytes are widely accepted as a good model for cardiac cellular physiology and pathophysiology, as well as for pharmaceutical intervention. Genetically modified mice preclude the need for complicated cardiomyocyte infection processes to generate the desired genotype, which are inefficient due to cardiomyocytes’ terminal differentiation. Isolation and culture of high quantity and quality functional cardiomyocytes will dramatically benefit cardiovascular research and provide an important tool for cell signaling transduction research and drug development. Here, we describe a well-established method for isolation of adult mouse cardiomyocytes that can be implemented with little training. The mouse heart is excised and cannulated to an isolated heart system, then perfused with a calcium-free and high potassium buffer followed by type II collagenase digestion in Langendorff retrograde perfusion mode. This protocol yields a consistent result for the collection of functional adult mouse cardiomyocytes from a variety of genetically modified mice.
Off-target effects associated with long dsRNAs in Drosophila RNAi screens

Evidence of off-target effects (OTEs) associated with small interfering (si)RNAs (19-29bp) in mammalian cells has existed for several years. Two recent articles demonstrate that short sequences within long double-stranded (ds)RNAs frequently cause undesirable OTEs in cultured Drosophila cells. These results reveal the potential for high false-positive rates in RNA interference (RNAi) screens using long dsRNAs and highlight the need for screening with multiple, non-overlapping long dsRNAs or siRNAs. Discovering multiple potent siRNAs with minimal off-target profiles for each target transcript will be invaluable for genome-based studies of gene function and for personalized RNAi therapeutics.
The synthesis of sulfated dextran beads for isolation of human plasma coagulation factors II, IX, and X.

Abstract We have prepared a new matrix for the chromatography of coagulation factors using bead-polymerized dextran (Sephadex) sulfated by anhydrous reaction with chlorosulfonic acid. The material is a useful adsorbent for isolation of human plasma coagulation Factors II, IX, and X. Good recoveries (70, 40, and 50% for Factors II, IX, and X, respectively) of proteins homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and >99% free of contaminating activities can be obtained from human plasma in 2 days. This new chromatographic material greatly simplifies the isolation of these coagulation factors.
Group territoriality and the benefits of sociality in the African lion, Panthera leo

We analysed 38 years of data on 46 lion prides in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, and found that territorial competition directly affected critical components of female fitness and that larger prides gained and maintained access to the highest-quality habitat. Neighbours had a significant negative effect on female reproductive success and survival, and larger prides were significantly more likely to maintain control of disputed areas and to improve the quality of their territories. Adult females were significantly less likely to be alone when a pride had more neighbours, suggesting sensitivity to risk of encounter. In most cases, the effects of intergroup territorial competition were associated only with prides that had not recently split (i.e. that were not closely related). Overall, males were more important in group-territorial competition than expected, and female mortality and wounding rates were significantly associated with male neighbours, suggesting that males may use lethal aggression to tip the balance of power in favour of their prides. Within the Felidae, only lions are consistently gregarious, and our research illustrates that numerical advantage in territorial competition is a primary benefit of group living in lions and may have been important in the evolution of lion sociality.
Indications and techniques of pediatric cardiac pacing

There are special challenges associated with the use of transvenous pacemakers in children. For example, a child’s chest cavity or vascular dimensions could be too small to host the generator and leads available or required. If leads are implanted, they may stretch as the child grows. This increases the risk that the leads will later dislodge or fracture. Moreover, children requiring pacemakers often have coexisting congenital heart defects and the structural abnormalities of those could hinder easy placement of the pacing system. This article will first review the indications for permanent pacing in children and will then describe the unique challenges associated with such use.
Uptake and elimination of naphthalene from liver, lung, and muscle tissue in the leopard frog (Rana pipiens).

The effects of a 0–12-hour naphthalene exposure on pulmonary CO2 excretion and bioaccumulation in the leopard frog, Rana pipiens, were investigated. The data showed that naphthalene transport occurred from the aqueous phase into the frog tissue. The first-order rate constant (k in day−1) for the entry of naphthalene from the water into the frog was 0.079 ± 0.007 (k ± 95% C.I.). Bioaccumulation of naphthalene was measured in liver, lung, and thigh muscle tissue. Exposure to naphthalene caused a significant reduction in pulmonary CO2 excretion, particularly following the first 30 minutes of exposure. Pulmonary CO2 excretion returned to baseline levels after 8 hours of exposure, indicating that some degree of acclimation had occurred. Depuration experiments were used to monitor recovery from naphthalene exposure. Recovery of CO2 excretion was evident following 2 hours of depuration and complete elimination of naphthalene from tissues occurred after 3 hours. The data indicate that accumulated polycyclic aroma...
Extrapolating and Interpolating Surfaces in Depth

Random-dot stereograms were generated with a blank area placed in part of the right-hand image so making a patchwork of monocular and binocular areas. The perceived depth and shape of the monocular region, where depth was not explicitly marked, depended in part on the depth and surface orientation of adjacent binocular areas. Thus a monocular rectangle flanked by two binocular rectangles which were placed in different fronto-parallel planes was seen as a sloping surface spanning the depth between the binocular regions, and, under some conditions, the gradient of a sloping binocular plane extended into a neighbouring monocular area. Division of the monocular region into two by textural discontinuities or discontinuities of motion sometimes altered the shape of the extrapolated surface. Often, though, the shape was unchanged by such discontinuities implying that both two- and three-dimensional features are used to segment a scene into separate surfaces. Pictorial cues also contribute to the shape and apparent depth of the monocular surface. For instance, when subjects viewed a display consisting of portions of a cube of which two ends were shown stereoscopically and one side monocularly, the monocular side was seen in three dimensions filling the gap between the ends. When stereo cues were pitted against pictorial cues, sometimes pictorial cues and sometimes stereo cues dominated, and sometimes the surface contained sharp discontinuities enabling both to be accommodated.
Relativistic kHz chirped-pulse amplified laser with >10/sup 8/ intensity contrast ratio and carrier-envelope phase stabilization

We demonstrate a high-contrast relativistic kHz chirped-pulse amplified laser with carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stabilization. Contrast ratio of >10/sup 8/ and CEP stabilization with a jitter of /spl les/1 rad are achieved for laser pulses with relativistic intensity.
9.2.9 The Role of Systems Integration in Knowledge Management and the Knowledge Economy

This paper discusses the role of systems integration in knowledge management and the knowledge economy. It describes the social, human, organizational, and technological factors involved with the systems engineering and integration of the systems that must support knowledge management.
Heating and cooling properties of clouds

Clouds play an important role in Earth's radiation balance, affecting the amount of heat from the Sun that reaches the surface and the heat radiated back from the surface that escapes out into space. The vertically layered structure of clouds complicates these effects, but until recently, scientists did not have instruments that provided the high vertical resolution data needed to fully examine clouds’ heating and cooling effects. Now, using instruments on board the CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellites, Haynes et al. examined the radiative heating and cooling characteristics of the layers of the cloudy atmosphere in greater detail than previous studies.
Pediatrics: Masked hypertension: a risk factor in children with CKD

Masked hypertension—which is present in about 25% of adult patients initially classified as normotensive—is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and is a well-documented marker of cardiovascular risk in adults. A recent study has found that masked hypertension is also an important and underdiagnosed cardiovascular risk factor in children.
A phosphotyrosine-dependent protein interaction screen reveals a role for phosphorylation of caveolin-1 on tyrosine 14: recruitment of C-terminal Src kinase.

Caveolin-1 is a substrate for nonreceptor tyrosine kinases including Src, Fyn, and Abl. To investigate the function of caveolin-1 phosphorylation, we modified the Gal4-based yeast two-hybrid system to screen for phosphorylation-dependent protein interactions. A cDNA library was screened using the N terminus of caveolin-1 as bait in a yeast strain expressing the catalytic domain of Abl. We identified two proteins in this screen that interact with caveolin-1 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner: tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and C-terminal Src kinase (Csk). TRAF2 bound to nonphosphorylated caveolin-1, but this association was increased 3-fold by phosphorylation. In contrast, association of Csk with caveolin-1 was completely dependent on phosphorylation of caveolin-1, both for fusion proteins in yeast (>35-fold difference in affinity) and for endogenous proteins in tissue culture cells. Our data suggest that phosphorylation of caveolin-1 leads to Csk translocation into caveolae. This may induce a feedback loop that leads to inactivation of the Src family kinases that are highly enriched in caveolae.
Uptake as language awareness

Allwright (1984b) has suggested that asking learners to report the items they have learnt from a lesson (uptake) provides a means of investigating the relationship between classroom interaction and language learning. The study reported in this paper constitutes an investigation of uptake. It examines the sincerity and validity of uptake as a measure of language learning by comparing the words learners report learning after completing a listening task with the words they score correctly on a translation test. The results suggest that whereas uptake may constitute a fairly sincere measure of learning and may have construct validity, its concurrent validity is uncertain. It is suggested, however, that uptake constitutes a useful measure of explicit vocabulary learning (i.e. of items learners are aware of having learned). Such a measure is of interest to both researchers and teachers. However, further research is required to establish what kind of lexical knowledge it measures.
The active site for ethylene polymerization over chromium supported on silica

Abstract Nitric oxide has been used as a probe molecule to investigate the state of chromium supported on silica gel which is active in the polymerization of ethylene. Chromium(III) ions, formed either by the reduction of Cr(VI) or by the direct addition of Cr(III) from solution, coordinate with nitric oxide as the [CrIII(NO)2]3+ complex. This complex has been identified by epr and infrared spectroscopy. The initial activity for ethylene polymerization correlates well with the concentration of isolated Cr(III) ions, as determined from the epr spectrum of the [CrIII(NO)2]3+ complex. This correlation persists over a variety of catalyst pretreatments, including oxidation and reduction of the chromium. Chromium(V) was excluded as the active site on the basis of a negative correlation with catalytic activity, and chromium(II) was excluded because reduction of Cr(III) SiO 2 samples and extensive reduction of the Cr(VI) SiO 2 samples with CO resulted in catalysts having very low activity. Mononuclear chromium(III) ions with at least two available coordination sites are identified as the active species for ethylene polymerization.
Structural Optimization of Conceptual Aerospace Vehicles

Aerospace vehicle structures must be optimized for mass to maximize the mission payload. During the conceptual design phase, structures must be optimized to accurately predict the mass of the design. Analysis methods that are used in sizing members should allow for the selection of a variety of metallic and composite materials and user-defined geometry constraints. Rapid vehicle structural analysis is often necessary to improve the fidelity and the results that are obtained during the preliminary design. Recent experiences are highlighted that utilize the Collier Research Corporation's Hypersizer toolset to optimize structural concepts.
Lipids in sea water

Acidified and filtered sea water samples which were extracted with petroleum ether and ethyl acetate have been shown to contain a variety of lipid compounds in trace amounts. Concentrations of these solvent-soluble substances ranged from 0.5 to 6.0 mg/liter, the lower concentrations being found in offshore waters. The solvent extracts of the sea water were separated into eight lipid classes by column chromatography on silicic acid. The fractions eluted with solvents of increasing polarity were characterized by thin-layer chromatography, infrared and ultraviolet absorption and gas chromatography. These techniques revealed a complex mixture of alkanes, alkenes, fatty acids, steroids, phospholipids and many as yet unidentified components. Twenty to thirty alkanes were present as indicated by gas chromatography. No aromatic hydrocarbons were detected. Chromatography of the methyl esters of the fatty acids indicated the presence of acids with chain lengths varying from 14 to 22 carbons, both saturated and unsaturated. In many samples the unsaturated fatty acids containing 18 to 22 carbons predominated. The lipid components varied somewhat in composition as well as concentration from location to location and with season and depth.
Integrating Public Relations with Advertising: An Exercise for Students in the College Public Relations Campaigns Course

Courses: Public Relations Campaigns, General Introduction to Mass Media Objective: The following exercise helps students on the public relations campaigns course understand how to: 1. Use public relations and advertising together, as well as separately, in a way that is in harmony with the client's goals, objectives, and budget. 2. Combine advertising and public relations in such a way to give an integrated marketing force that is actually greater than the sum of its parts. 3. Make crucial decisions about which public relations or advertising tactics are appropriate and effective, accounting for constraints such as time and money.
The role of a detailed configuration accounting (DCA) atomic physics package in explaining the energy balance in ignition-scale hohlraums

Abstract In 2009 the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) gas-filled/capsule-imploding hohlraum energetics campaign showed good laser-hohlraum coupling, reasonably high drive, and implosion symmetry control via cross-beam transfer. There were, however, discrepancies with expectations from the standard simulation model including: the level and spectrum of the Stimulated Raman light; the tendency towards pancake-shaped implosions; and drive that exceeded predictions early in the campaign, and lagged those predictions late in the campaign. We review here the origins/development path of the “high flux model” (HFM). The HFM contains two principal changes from the standard model: 1) It uses a detailed configuration accounting (DCA) atomic physics non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium (NLTE) model, and 2) It uses a generous electron thermal flux limiter, f = 0.15, that is consistent with a non-local electron transport model. Both elements make important contributions to the HFM’s prediction of a hohlraum plasma that is cooler than that predicted by the standard model, which uses an NLTE average atom approach, and a value of f = 0.05 for the flux limiter. This cooler plasma is key in eliminating most of the discrepancies between the NIC data and revised expectations based on this new simulation model. The HFM had previously been successfully deployed in correctly modeling Omega Laser illuminated gold sphere x-ray emission data, and NIC empty hohlraum drive. However, when the HFM was first applied to this energetics campaign, the model lacked some credibility/acceptance compared to the standard model, because it actually worsened the discrepancy between the observed hohlraum drive for the 1 MJ class experiments performed late in the campaign and the revised expectation of higher drive based on the HFM. Essentially, the HFM was making a prediction that the laser-hohlraum coupling was less than that assumed at that time. Its credibility was then boosted when a re-evaluation of the laser light losses from the hohlraum due to laser plasma interactions matched its prediction.
Using Real Options for Revenue Risk Mitigation in Transportation Project Financing

Effective risk management is essential for success in transportation project financing arrangements such as build-operate-transfer (BOT). Both sponsors and lenders consider the revenue risk an extremely important factor when they assess a BOT project's feasibility. One potential strategy for mitigating the revenue risk is a revenue guarantee, in which a guarantor secures a minimum amount of revenue for a project; such guarantees take the form of a put option. However, the inclusion of such guarantees in BOT arrangements is hampered by the lack of methods to determine the value, or the fair price, of these types of options. Current valuation techniques lack the flexibility to structure the options in a manner that is affordable to the government and attractive to the private sector. This significant shortcoming opens a research opportunity to explore the development of methods for valuing more flexible and affordable guarantee structures. This paper presents two new valuation methods, the multi-least squar...
Inhomogeneous inflation with spinning fluid

An inhomogeneous and anisotropic solution for the inflationary (exponential) phase is obtained, endowed with a spinning fluid.
Natural convection arising from a heat generating substrate-mounted protrusion in a liquid-filled two-dimensional enclosure

Abstract An investigation of natural convection flow and heat transfer arising from a substrate-mounted protruding heat source immersed in a liquid-filled square enclosure is reported. The model considers heat transfer within the protrusion and substrate and the coupled natural convection in the fluid. Numerical predictions are obtained for a wide range of appropriate Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers and substrate to fluid thermal conductivity ratios that may be encountered in liquid-immersion cooling of electronic components. For many situations of interest prescribing simplistic heat transfer conditions at the solid surfaces is found inappropriate. Increasing the Rayleigh number beyond 106 and the substrate thermal conductivity beyond 100 times that of the liquid produces only a marginal decrease in the maximum temperatures. Computed protrusion surface temperatures compare favorably with available experimental results for a similar configuration.
A mechanistic analysis to characterize oramucosal permeation properties.

Abstract The hypotheses of this study are that the permeation of ionizable molecules follows the pH-partition theory, that the preferred transport pathway for penetrants depends on their charge status and that transport resistance is related to the membrane-coating granules (MCG). Transcellular resistance is believed to be proportional to the volume of MCG in the intracellular space while paracellular resistance is believed to result from the extrusion of the lipid contents of the MCG into the intercellular space. Nicotine, an ionizable model compound with two p K a values (3.4 and 8.2), was chosen as a molecular probe to investigate the pH-partition theory on permeation through porcine oramucosae, to characterize the differences in permeability among various oramucosae, and to explore the preferred transport pathways of each nicotine species through oramucosae. The pH-partition theory was proved from the observations that permeability, partition coefficient and diffusivity of nicotine varied as a function of pH. The keratinized gingiva was found to have greater permeability than the non-keratinized buccal and sublingual mucosae. The neutral nicotine species had a higher permeability than the ionized species due to its higher partition coefficient and diffusivity. A mechanistic analysis (permeability ratio-pH profile) was conducted to determine the preferred transport pathway of each nicotine species. The permeability of neutral nicotine was found to be proportional to the occupied volume of MCG in the intracellular space. This indicates that the preferred transport pathway for neutral nicotine is transcellular. As the solution pH was decreased, and a greater fraction of nicotine became protonated, the transport of hydrophilic, charged nicotine species along the intercellular pathway was preferred.
Effect modification of ozone-related mortality risks by temperature in 97 US cities.

Many time-series studies have characterized the relationship between short-term ozone exposure and adverse health outcomes, controlling for temperature as a confounder. Temperature may also modify ozone effects, though this has been largely under-investigated. In this study, we explored whether temperature modifies the effect of short-term ozone exposure on mortality. We used the database developed for the National Morbidity and Mortality Air Pollution Study to estimate ozone mortality risks in 97 US cities in May through September, 1987-2000. We treated temperature as a confounder as well as an effect modifier by estimating risks at low, moderate, and high temperature categories. When temperature was treated as a confounder, a 10-ppb increase in daily 24-h ozone was associated with a 0.47% (95% CI: 0.19%-0.76%) increase in mortality. When we assessed effect modification by temperature, the interaction between ozone and temperature was not statistically significant. However, there was a U-shaped pattern in mortality risk, which was greater at the low ( 75th percentile) temperature levels than moderate temperature levels. At the high temperature category, a 10% increase in AC prevalence mitigated mortality risk associated with 10-ppb of ozone exposure by -0.18% (95% CI: -0.35%, -0.02%). Furthermore, ozone mortality risk in the high temperature category increased as we restricted our analyses to hotter days. On days where temperatures exceeded the 75th, 90th, and 95th percentile temperatures, a 10-ppb increase in ozone was associated with a 0.65% (95% CI: 0.20%-1.09%), 0.83% (95% CI: 0.17%-1.48%), and 1.35% (95% CI: 0.44%-2.27%) increase in mortality, respectively. These results suggested that high temperatures may exacerbate physiological responses to short-term ozone exposure.
Visual Deprivation Suppresses L5 Pyramidal Neuron Excitability by Preventing the Induction of Intrinsic Plasticity

In visual cortex monocular deprivation (MD) during a critical period (CP) reduces the ability of the deprived eye to activate cortex, but the underlying cellular plasticity mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we show that MD reduces the intrinsic excitability of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons and enhances long-term potentiation of intrinsic excitability (LTP-IE). Further, MD and LTP-IE induce reciprocal changes in K(v)2.1 current, and LTP-IE reverses the effects of MD on intrinsic excitability. Taken together these data suggest that MD reduces intrinsic excitability by preventing sensory-drive induced LTP-IE. The effects of MD on excitability were correlated with the classical visual system CP, and (like the functional effects of MD) could be rapidly reversed when vision was restored. These data establish LTP-IE as a candidate mechanism mediating loss of visual responsiveness within L5, and suggest that intrinsic plasticity plays an important role in experience-dependent refinement of visual cortical circuits.
A New Class of Point Interactions in One Dimension

We present a class of self-adjoint extensions of the symmetric operator −Δ|C∞0(R1\{0}) which correspond formally to perturbations of the Laplacian by pseudopotentials involving δ2. These operators, which provide new examples of generalized point interactions in the sense of Seba, are defined by the boundary conditions ƒ(0+) = e−zƒ(0−), rƒ(0+) + ƒ′(0+) = ez[rƒ(0−) + ƒ′(0−)], for z ∈ C, r ∈ R. We calculate their spectra, resolvents, and scattering matrices, and show that they can be realized as limits of Schrodinger operators with local short-range potentials.
The “Peace Ballot” and the “Rainbow” Controversy

Assessments of the famous “Peace Ballot,” officially “A National Declaration on the League of Nations and Armaments,” have undergone little change since its results were announced in June 1935. Like contemporary observers, historians are unclear on the origins of the ballot, are impressed by the public response, and are uncertain of the meaning of “the most remarkable popular referendum ever initiated and carried through by private enterprise.” Historians will probably never reach a consensus on the exact meaning of the ballot and are likely to go on echoing the diverse judgments of contemporaries. But the origins of the referendum are not obscure, and in The Impact of Hitler: British Politics and British Policy 1933-1940 Maurice Cowling has offered a stimulating thesis that could embrace the ballot and suggest a new evaluation of the political controversy that surrounded the preparation and conduct of that much-heralded “National Declaration.” Cowling has persuasively argued that foreign policy was the form party conflict took in Great Britain in the late 1930s. Politicians conducted it in the light of party considerations. Cowling selected 1935 as the year foreign policy first became “central,” when Abyssinia became the focus of all political discussions. And it was the issue through which Stanley Baldwin reestablished Conservative “centrality” in domestic politics after strong “swings” against the government in by-elections during 1933 and 1934. According to the Cowling thesis, in the class-polarized politics of the 1930s, party leaders had to be especially sensitive to the opinion of the center, which, in 1935, meant presenting policy in terms that the League of Nations Union and its largely Liberal constituency would approve.
GENERALIZATION OF THE BOGULIUBOV METHOD APPLIED TO MIXTURES OF BOSE- EINSTEIN PARTICLES

The method developed by Boguliubov for an imperfect Bose-Einstein gas is generalized in order to permit examination of a mixture of an arbitrary number of different species of bosons. The generalized method involves diagonalization of a matrix that has a Hermitian-like property by a unitary-like transformation in a space with an indefinite metric. When a neutral mixture of two types of charged bosons is examined, it is found that two types of elementary excitations exist; one having the energy-momentum dispersion relation associated with plasma oscillations at low momenta and another having the energy-momentum relation characteristic of a free particle with a modified mass at very low and high momenta. Further investigation shows that the plasma-type excitation consists of an oscillation in charge density while the free-particle-like excitation consists of an oscillation in mass density. (auth)
Dispersion effects in electron scattering

Abstract Dispersion effects in the scattering of high energy electrons on nuclei are calculated within the eigen-channel theory. Virtual excitations between the groundstate and three excited nuclear states lead to 20% corrections of the elastic and up to 100% corrections of the inelastic DWBA cross sections.
Roles of Cytosolic Hsp70 and Hsp40 Molecular Chaperones in Post-translational Translocation of Presecretory Proteins into the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Hsp70 molecular chaperones and their co-chaperones work together in various cellular compartments to guide the folding of proteins and to aid the translocation of proteins across membranes. Hsp70s stimulate protein folding by binding exposed hydrophobic sequences thereby preventing irreversible aggregation. Hsp40s stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsp70s and target unfolded proteins to Hsp70s. Genetic and biochemical evidence supports a role for cytosolic Hsp70s and Hsp40s in the post-translational translocation of precursor proteins into endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. To gain mechanistic insight, we measured the effects ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae Ssa1p (Hsp70) and Ydj1p (Hsp40) on the translocation of histidine-tagged prepro-α-factor (ppαF6H) into microsomes. Radiolabeled ppαF6H was affinity purified from wheat germ translation reactions (or Escherichia coli) to remove endogenous chaperones. We demonstrated that either Ssa1p or Ydj1p stimulates post-translational translocation by preventing ppαF6H aggregation. The binding and/or hydrolysis of ATP by Ssa1p were required to maintain the translocation competence of ppαF6H. To clarify the contributions of membrane-bound and cytosolic Ydj1p, we compared the efficiency of chaperone-dependent translocation into wild-type and Ydj1p-deficient microsomes. Neither soluble nor membrane-bound Ydj1p was essential for post-translational protein translocation. The ability of Ssa1p, Ydj1p, or both chaperones to restore the translocation competence of aggregated ppαF6H was negligible.
Nail: A Practical Interface Generator for Data Formats

We present Nail, an interface generator that allows programmers to safely parse and generate protocols defined by a Parser-Expression based grammar. Nail uses a richer set of parser combinators that induce an internal representation, obviating the need to write semantic actions. Nail also provides solutions parsing common patterns such as length and offset fields within binary formats that are hard to process with existing parser generators.
The genetic determinants of renal impairment following cardiac surgery.

Cardiac surgery is frequently performed, and acute renal dysfunction is a common adverse event following this procedure. Cardiac surgery-related renal injury independently predicts longer hospital stays and greater rates of morbidity and mortality. Although much work has been completed toward better understanding of this phenomenon, the state of knowledge concerning surgery-related renal injury remains limited. Currently, there is no effective paradigm to identify patients who are at risk for this condition; the specific mechanisms of renal injury during surgery are incompletely understood; and few therapies exist to prevent or treat this phenomenon. To better understand this common clinical problem, recent research has focused on the importance of genetic variability within the physiological and patho-physiological systems that underlie renal dysfunction following cardiac surgery. Emphasizing the importance of using genetics to elucidate molecular mechanisms of this disease, this article reviews the curr...
Unmixing of spectrally similar quantum dots using filter selection

This paper explores the possibilities for quantitative analysis of multiplexed Quantum Dot Immunohistochemical (QDIHC) staining using a 10-slot fluorescence microscope filter wheel. QDs are an ideal fluorophore for staining biomarkers due to their unique properties, including greater photostability and relatively narrower emission bandwidths compared to organic dyes. We imaged a slide containing 5 pure QD spots and 6 QD mixtures with a customized scanning fluorescence microscope. The QD mixtures contained either two or three QDs in equal amounts. Ten filter cubes were used to gather emission signal and then fast non-negative least squares regression (FNNLS) performed the unmixing process by assigning components of the 10-channel raw data to one of the five QDs used. the average error in the unmixing process was measured to be 7.60% when all filters were used and 7.80% when only 6 filters were used.
On combining alternate test with spatial correlation modeling in analog/RF ICs

Statistical intra-die correlation has been extensively studied as a means for reducing test cost in analog/RF ICs. Generally known as alternate test, this approach seeks to predict the performances of an analog/RF chip based on low-cost measurements on the same chip and statistical models learned from a training set of chips. Recently, an orthogonal direction for leveraging statistical correlation towards reducing test cost of analog/RF ICs has also gained traction. Specifically, inter-die spatial correlation models learned from specification tests on a sparse subset of die on a wafer are used to predict performances on the unobserved die. In this work, we investigate the potential of combining these two statistical approaches, anticipating that the performance prediction accuracy of the joint correlation model will surpass the accuracy of its constituents. Experimental results on industrial semiconductor manufacturing data validate this conjecture and corroborate the utility of the combined performance prediction models.
Linear complementarity problems solvable by a polynomially bounded pivoting algorithm

A sufficient condition is given under which the parametric principal pivoting algorithm will compute the unique solution to a linear complementarity problem defined by an n by n P-matrix in no more than n pivots. The condition is then shown to be satisfied by a P-matrix which has a hidden Z transpose and thus in particular, by an H-matrix with positive diagonals as well as by a strictly diagonally dominant matrix. The same condition is also shown to be sufficient for Lemke’s almost complementary algorithm to compute a solution to a linear complementarity problem defined by an n by n nondegenerate matrix in at most n+1 pivots. Finally, a polynomial testing procedure for the condition is described.