cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Domesticated animals and biodiversity: Early agriculture at the gates of Europe and long-term ecological consequences

Abstract The human effects that dominate current ecological and climatic regimes have deep roots. The origins and spread of farming during the Holocene are increasingly viewed as a turning point for human–environmental interaction, health, nutrition, disease, and increasing social complexity. This paper summarizes current evidence for the spread of domesticated animals into the Balkans – the gateway to Europe and a current biodiversity hotspot. The introduction of domesticated plants and animals 8000 years ago was the first documented intentional introduction of new species by humans and initiated a long history of forest clearance, habitat fragmentation, and new ecological relationships that resonate in current discussions of conservation and biodiversity. It is argued that cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were likely genetically diverse upon introduction and contributed to an initial net increase in animal species biodiversity; that these taxa had distinctive ecological histories of interbreeding with wild species and feralization; and that despite local indicators, the lack of clear evidence for widespread environmental impacts of the grazing animals was likely a result of scale. The historical ecology of the Balkans helps characterize the resiliency and limitations of European landscapes, highlights questions regarding ancient biodiversity, and may prove useful for current understandings of conservation issues. Research into early farming creates baselines for questions of biodiversity, geomorphological change, and the creation of new biota. Studies that focus on ecological histories and human impacts on past environments are becoming more important in order to fully grasp the speed, intensity, and scope of Anthropocene developments today.
RESPONSE OF UNDERSTORY TREES TO EXPERIMENTAL GAPS IN OLD‐GROWTH DOUGLAS‐FIR FORESTS

Two 0.2-ha circular openings were created during fall 1990 in an old-growth Douglas-fir forest in the southern Washington Cascade Mountains. All trees >2 m tall were removed with care to minimize the disturbance to the understory and soil. A total of 1250 understory trees were monitored for growth and mortality over the next four years. Four main biological variables were measured: timing of spring budbreak, branch elongation, leader growth, and years of needle retention. Over the same area, measurements and models of direct light, diffuse light, and root competition were generated for correlations with the above biological variables. During 1992 and 1994, budbreak patterns were correlated with diffuse light conditions (0.42 to 0.55). In 1993, however, snow fall and cold temperatures in early spring caused poor correlations with these two predictors (0.06 to 0.24). Instead, direct light was correlated with the budbreak patterns (0.41 to 0.42), which were delayed by 2 wk relative to the other two years. Branch growth was radically affected by the creation of the gaps. During the first growing season following gap creation, branch elongation was suppressed in areas that received elevated levels of direct light, as indicated by a significant negative correlation of branch growth with direct light (-0.23 to -0.36). However, by the third growing season, surviving trees were growing rapidly (up to 30 cm/yr) in most portions of the gaps. Highest growth rates were south of center, where diffuse light levels were high but direct light levels were low. Needle retention patterns were significantly, although weakly, correlated negatively with direct light (-0.14 to -0.25).
Complex argument Hermite–Gaussian and Laguerre–Gaussian beams

Hermite–Gaussian and Laguerre–Gaussian beams with complex arguments of the type introduced by Siegman [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.63, 1093 ( 1973)] are shown to arise naturally in correction terms of a perturbation expansion whose leading term is the fundamental paraxial Gaussian beam. Additionally, they can all be expressed as derivatives of the fundamental Gaussian beam and as paraxial limits of multipole complex-source point solutions of the reduced-wave equation.
Embryo Research: The Ethical Geography of the Debate

Three basic political positions on embryo research will be identified as libertarian, conservative, and social-democratic. The Human Embryo Research Panel will be regarded as an expression of the social-democratic position. A taxonomy of the ethical issues addressed by the Panel will then be developed at the juncture of political and ethical modes of reflection. Among the arguments considered will be those for the separability of the abortion and embryo research debates; arguments against the possibility of the preembryo being a person, especially arguments associated with totipotency and the significance of the primitive streak; and the various reasons for regulating embryo research, including those associated with respect for the preembryo, the protection of traditional views of human procreation, and the prevention of commercialization.
Autopsy and grief: a case of transformative postmortem examination.

Abstract Background: A physician's obligations to deliver compassionate care do not end with a patient's death. When a patient dies there remains a responsibility to assist grieving family members. Unfortunately, many physicians feel ill prepared to assist in the bereavement process, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Although underutilized, the medical autopsy can play an important role in families' grief processes, particularly in those cases wherein uncertainties exist regarding the ultimate cause of death. Discussion: Here we postulate a role for the medical autopsy in assisting families through the grief process, which we demonstrate via an illustrative case. Effective communication of these results to family members is the key to its therapeutic effect.
Performance in chickens and turkeys of chicken-adapted Heterakis gallinarum.

1. Helerakis gallinarum recovered from chickens, and apparently having lived exclusively or predominantly in chickens for several years, thrived better in chickens than in turkeys, when several hundred embryonated eggs were given in a single feeding. 2. Use of a smaller inoculum reduced the difference in the worm's performance in its traditional host and the new host species. 3. Performance in both species of host was the same following the feeding of small numbers of eggs from worms grown 1 generation in turkeys.
CFD Simulations of an Axisymmetric Mixed-Compresssion Inlet With Bleed Through Discrete Holes

CFD simulations were performed to investigate boundary-layer control through bleed patches in an axisymmetric mixed-compression inlet in which the bleed patches are modeled by two global bleed boundary conditions (BCs). In one bleed BC, the locations of the bleed holes are discerned. In the other bleed BC, each row of bleed holes is modeled as a porous surface, where the number of bleed holes in each row is accounted for by adjusting the discharge coefficient to give the correct bleed rate. Results are presented for the predicted bleed rates, pressure on the cowl and centerbody surfaces, and the flow field. Comparisons were made with available experimental data. Also presented is a method based on one-dimensional isentropic and normal shock solutions to get the flow “started” in CFD simulations of critical flow in mixed-compression inlets. This computational study is based on the ensemble-averaged conservation equations of mass (continuity), momentum (compressible Navier-Stokes), and total energy closed by shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model, where integration is to the wall. Solutions were generated by a cell-centered finite-volume method that uses third-order accurate flux-difference splitting of Roe with limiters, multigrid acceleration of a diagonalized ADI scheme with local time stepping, and patched/overlapped structured grids.© 2003 ASME
Structure activity studies of the serine-AIB dipeptide domain in 2,3-dihydroisothiazole based growth hormone secretagogues.

Abstract A series of growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) based on 2,3-dihydroisothiazole has been synthesized in the search for a potential treatment of growth hormone deficiency or frailty in the elderly. This paper describes the evaluation of the SAR of the benzyl- d -Ser-aminoisobutyric acid dipeptide fragment. Introduction of substituents in the peptide backbone and in the phenyl ring has been investigated, as well as replacements for the benzyl group and for the AIB residue. A number of modifications resulted in enhanced potency over the parent benzyl- d -Ser-AIB derivative.
Distributed Nubia—Somalia relative motion and dike intrusion in the Main Ethiopian Rift

SUMMARY The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) in central Ethiopia extended in the rift-normal direction at a mean rate of 4.0 ± 0.9 mm yr −1 (1σ ) during the period 1992‐2003, nearly a factor of two slower than the opening rate estimated from global plate motion inversions. Rift opening near a geodetic array during this period was accommodated by a single dike injection event in 1993, spatially coincident with active magmatic segments, probably triggered by observed seismicity. Following dike injection, the crust in the rift relaxed as a layered medium, with a ∼15-km-thick elastic lid over a viscous half space of 10 18 Pa s. Diking, rather than normal faulting on rift-bounding faults, appears to be the predominant mechanism of extension in the MER, explaining the very low regional rates of moment release. The length scale and temporal behaviour of surface displacements require viscoelastic rheology in the rift.
Intestine-specific expression of acyl CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 reverses resistance to diet-induced hepatic steatosis and obesity in Dgat1-/- mice.

Mice deficient in acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), a key enzyme in triacylglycerol (TG) biosynthesis, are resistant to high-fat (HF) diet-induced hepatic steatosis and obesity. DGAT1-deficient (Dgat1−/−) mice have no defect in quantitative absorption of dietary fat; however, they have abnormally high levels of TG stored in the cytoplasm of enterocytes, and they have a reduced postprandial triglyceridemic response. We generated mice expressing DGAT1 only in the intestine (Dgat1IntONLY) to determine whether this phenotype contributes to resistance to HF diet-induced hepatic steatosis and obesity in Dgat1−/− mice. Despite lacking DGAT1 in liver and adipose tissue, we found that Dgat1IntONLY mice are not resistant to HF diet-induced hepatic steatosis or obesity. The results presented demonstrate that intestinal DGAT1 stimulates dietary fat secretion out of enterocytes and that altering this cellular function alters the fate of dietary fat in specific tissues.
Markers of Inflammation in Arthritic Horses Fed Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Sixteen mature horses with arthritis in the knee, fetlock, hock, or stifle joints were blocked by severity of arthritis, affected joints, and age, and randomly divided into 2 groups. The control group (n = 8) received a commercial 12% CP feed at 1% BW per day. Treated horses (n = 8) received the same mixed feed with the addition of 2 n-3 fatty acid supplements to supply an additional 15 g/d of eicosapentaenoic acid and 19.8 g/d of docosahexaenoic acid. Both groups had access to coastal bermudagrass hay at approximately 1.3% of BW. Horses received respective dietary treatments for 90 d. Synovial fluid was collected from at least one affected joint of each horse on d 0, 30, 60, and 90. Blood samples were collected every 15 d beginning on d 0. Compared with control horses, treatment horses experienced a greater decrease (P< 0.05) in synovial fluid white blood cell concentration and plasma prostaglandin E2 A trend (P = 0.076) toward lower normalized plasma fibrinogen concentration was observed in treated horses compared with control horses throughout the entire trial. When data were analyzed from d 30 through 90, fibrinogen concentrations between groups were significantly different (P < 0.05). Force plate data from 7 horses were obtained to determine potential changes in weight distribution. No significant increase in weight placed on arthritic limbs (P = 0.12) was seen. These data provide further evidence that supplemental long-chain n-3 fatty acids in the equine diet could be advantageous for horses with existing arthritis.
Emerging wireless applications in biomedicine

In recent years, we have become fascinated by the idea of tiny surgical robots that can be introduced into a blood vessel, travel through the patient's body, exchange information with an external controller for detailed diagnosis, and perform local interventions. They might even be permanently resident in the body for continuous monitoring. Such robots exist only in the realm of science fiction today. Their realization faces major obstacles, including power sources, and the control and monitoring of these untethered robots. In this talk, we will address these obstacles through fundamental understanding of wireless power transfer and communication schemes, as well as devising new sensing and propulsion functionalities to these robots.
Schizophrenia in Translation: The Presence of Absence: Habenular Regulation of Dopamine Neurons and the Encoding of Negative Outcomes

Many patients with schizophrenia have pronounced deficits in the use of negative feedback to guide problem solving and learning, as seen on tasks like the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. There is now a compelling body of evidence from nonhuman primates that suggests transient decreases in dopamine cell activity may reflect the occurrence of unexpected negative outcomes, such as the absence of an expected reward, and, generalizing to the human, the occurrence of negative feedback or the absence of expected reward. We present preliminary evidence that habenula projections to the midbrain are capable of producing a transient, but nearly complete, inhibition of dopamine neurons at a population level similar to that observed in behaving primates following an unexpected negative outcome. Human functional imaging studies offer further evidence that the habenula is activated following receipt of unexpected negative feedback or the absence of expected positive feedback. We present initial evidence that patients with schizophrenia lack appropriate modulation of habenula activity in response to feedback. Collectively, these data suggest that the habenula may play a critical role in mediating the feedback-processing deficits of schizophrenia.
Eosinophilic Meningitis Due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis in a Returned Traveler: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is the principal cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide, and the increase in world travel and shipborne dispersal of infected rat vectors has extended this parasite to regions outside of its traditional geographic boundaries. We report a case of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis in a patient who recently returned from a trip in the Pacific.
How Time of Exposure to the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Affects Hyla chrysoscelis in the Presence of an Insecticide1

Abstract: Effects of pathogens on host life-history characteristics can be influenced by changes in the immune system that occur during development as well as by environmental factors that negatively affect immune system function. Amphibians worldwide are experiencing population declines from chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Disease outbreaks can be influenced by timing of exposure to B. dendrobatidis and by abiotic factors, such as pesticides, that could influence susceptibility. To examine the effects of larval pesticide exposure and timing of B. dendrobatidis exposure during development, we exposed Cope’s Gray Treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis) to the insecticide malathion throughout larval development and to B. dendrobatidis at 1 or 3 wk posthatching, or after metamorphosis. We reared tadpoles through metamorphosis and then for 28 d in the terrestrial environment to examine treatment effects on larval survival, time to metamorphosis, and mass at metamorphosis,...
Further study on space-time adaptive processing with sum and difference beams

Most space-time adaptive processing (STAP) approaches for airborne surveillance radars have two common problems: high production and maintenance cost resulting from their need for a large number of calibrated coherent receiver channels, as well as poor performance in nonhomogeneous clutter environments, as pointed out in Wang (1995). To solve the above problems, a new STAP approach, called /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-STAP, is described in Brown (1996), which uses only the main sum (/spl Sigma/) and difference (/spl Delta/) beams of an airborne radar for adaptive suppression of clutter in the joint angle-Doppler domain. This approach dramatically reduces system implementation cost, as it requires only two digitized channels, and is applicable to both phased array and reflector-feed apertures. It has been shown via simulation that /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-STAP can offer near optimal performance and requires much smaller sample support than other approaches, which is critical for successful operation in severely nonhomogeneous clutter. As a continuation of our effort on this approach (Wang 1996), this paper shows some new results on the /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-STAP approach, including the desired characteristics of the /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-beam patterns, comparison between the /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-STAP and /spl Sigma//spl Delta/-DPCA, and the evaluation of its performance for three different beams.
Reconciling informed consent with prescription drug requirements

According to Jessica Flanigan,1 ‘physicians and pharmacists must be legally required to allow universal access to whatever treatments they provide. Citizens have rights of self-medication for the same reasons that they have rights of informed consent.’ In particular, health outcome promotion, welfare promotion and respect for patient autonomy, ‘the most widely cited’ reasons for the doctrine of informed consent (DIC), equally support a libertarian drug access policy. Moreover, they support it regardless of the impact on the patient's future welfare or autonomy or the externalities for others. Outside catastrophic ‘superbug’ scenarios, we should all be able to procure any available drug without prescription, in a ‘behind the counter’ arrangement—after drug contents and risks, fully stated on labels, are assessed for our particular case and explained by pharmacists. Flanigan's trenchant presentation forces us to question standard justifications of DIC, but remains unconvincing. The spirit of DIC allows some coercive interventions. For example, while it rules out coercing a person to participate in a risky study, it permits coercing non-participation in a pointless risky study. Liberal champions of informed consent typically support coercive seat belt laws, smoking zoning laws, centralised water fluoridation, taxation and traffic regulation. It is true that some bioethicists’ not-very-careful defence of informed consent includes sweeping declarations of the unrestricted primacy of negative rights against being coerced in any autonomous pursuit. Applied consistently, such an unrestricted primacy for non-coercion would have ruled out most drug prescription requirements, as well as research subject protection, seat belt laws and other widely accepted coercive policies. Flanigan does make the case for non-coercion in the specific area of drug access. First, adducing the historical performance of prescription requirements, she claims: ‘On balance, a right to self-medication would have better medical consequences than the status quo.’ Flanigan's main explanation for the alleged counterproductivity …
Numerical and experimental efforts to explain delayed gas breakdown in 0-pinch devices with bias magnetic field

A single particle model and particle-in-cell simulations have been used to elucidate the breakdown physics in a ringing theta-pinch with a bias magnetic eld. Previous experimental results show that gas breakdown occurs when the bias magnetic eld is nulli ed by the theta-pinch magnetic eld. The analyses presented here agree with the experimental results and show that electron kinetic energy does not exceed the ionization threshold of deuterium until the net magnetic eld is approximately zero. Despite the presence of a strong electric eld, the gyromotion of electrons within the bias magnetic eld prevents them from gaining energy necessary to ionize the gas. Parametric analysis of the peak electron energy as a function of the bias and pre-ionization magnetic elds reveals that: (1) when the bias magnetic eld is 97% of the pre-ionization magnetic eld, peak electron energies are highly erratic resulting in poor overall ionization, and (2) full ionization with repeatable behavior requires a pre-ionization to bias magnetic eld ratio of approximately 2 to 1 or higher. E orts to better characterize this phenomena experimentally are ongoing. However some preliminary ndings using a dual-probe cancellation technique are presented.
Automatic initialization and tracking using attentional mechanisms

A biologically inspired approach for automated visual tracking is proposed. In this approach it is hypothesized that target initialization and tracking are a consequence of saliency mechanisms that guide the deployment of visual attention. The recently proposed discriminant center-surround saliency model, is used to derive the tracking framework. In this framework, automatic tracker initialization is achieved using bottom-up saliency with motion features, while the tracking problem is formulated as one of continuous target-background classification, implemented using saliency in two stages. The first, or learning stage, combines a focus of attention mechanism and bottom-up saliency to identify a maximally discriminant set of features for target detection. The second, or detection stage, uses a feature based attention mechanism and a target-tuned top-down discriminant saliency detector, to detect the target. Overall, the tracker iterates between learning discriminant features from the target location in a video frame and detecting the location of the target in the next frame. To implement this tracker, well known properties of the statistics of natural images are exploited leading to computational efficiency. Experimental results comparing the proposed method to the state of the art in tracking are presented, showing improved performance.
Literary Theory and Children's Literature: Interpreting Ourselves and Our Worlds.

(1999). Literary theory and children's literature: Interpreting ourselves and our worlds. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 38, Expanding the Worlds of Children's Literature, pp. 138-146.
The Long War: insurgency, counterinsurgency and collapsing states

Abstract This introductory article provides the context for the contemporary debate about insurgency, counterinsurgency and collapsing states taking place against the backdrop of what originated as the ‘global war on terror’ (gwot) and is now increasingly being characterised as ‘the Long War’. The Long War and the gwot are often represented as a ‘new’ era in warfare and US geopolitics, despite the fact that, rhetorically, George W Bush and other administration officials have on occasion invoked the Second World War as analogous to the Long War. This article argues that the Long War is new in important respects, but it also bears many similarities to the Cold War. A key similarity between the Cold War and the Long War is the way in which insurgency and counterinsurgency are seen primarily in the context of inter-state rivalry in which the critical local or regional dynamics of revolution and counter-revolution are neglected. In this context US policy makers and their allies have again erroneously applied a...
Applying Social Psychology to International Social Issues

This article discusses six key issues that arise when social psychology applies its insights to international affairs. Three involve the applications themselves. Effective applications must connect with the macro level of analysis, attend to social problems long overlooked by the discipline, and operate consistently across cultures and societies. For this last point, two broad predictions—the universality and mediation hypotheses—are advanced that assert that the same social psychological processes can lead to diverse outcomes in different settings. The remaining issues involve the political context of applications made in the public arena. Such efforts must avoid victim blaming; be made available throughout the status hierarchy, not just to elites; and recognize that the public policy arena is scalding hot and controversial. Throughout the discussion, Kelman's remarkable applications to the search for peace in the Middle East illustrate the points. The article closes with remedial suggestions for the future.
Ranging Accuracy in Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks

Theoretical analysis of time-of-arrival (TOA)-based high-precision ranging algorithm for the dynamic spectrum access networks (DSANs) is performed. The asymptotic frequency-domain Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) of the ranging algorithm that takes the frequency-dependent feature (FDF) and phase of multipath components (MPCs) into account is derived through Whittle formula. The effects of FDF-MPCs and related parameters such as absolute bandwidth and operating center frequency on the ranging accuracy are investigated. The results show that the impacts of the FDF-MPCs on the ranging accuracy can be significant and it is recommended utilizing as large absolute bandwidth as possible at low operating center frequencies to obtain high-precision distance information of the users in the DSANs
Energetics of Urea Permeation through Sodium-Dependent Galactose Cotransporter vSGLT

In human kidneys, the glomeruli filter about 54 g of urea from the blood each day and approximately 12-14 g of which is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule that is believed to be devoid of urea channels or uniporters. Experimental evidence suggests that human sodium-dependent glucose cotransporters (hSGLTs) may be involved in urea uptake. Our Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the inward-facing structure of vSGLT (PDB ID: 3DH4) resulted in permeation of a single urea molecule in presence of a bound galactose. Separately, long-timescale MD simulations (1.5 μs) performed on the Anton supercomputer in presence of urea did not result in any urea permeation event. During these simulations, sugar was observed to escape the binging pocket indicating that the presence of galctose in the binding pocket may facilitate urea escape to the periplasm. Here we present our results on the study of energetics of urea transport along the previously observed pathway. Umbrella sampling simulations are performed to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) of urea exit. Separate sets of umbrella sampling simulations are performed in presence and absence of a bound galactose to investigate our hypothesis that the bound galactose facilitates urea permeation. Two different force field parameters for urea are used to inspect the validity of the previously observed urea permeation event.
Morphological and kinematic basis of the hummingbird flight stroke: scaling of flight muscle transmission ratio

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) are widely known for their insect-like flight strokes characterized by high wing beat frequency, small muscle strains and a highly supinated wing orientation during upstroke that allows for lift production in both halves of the stroke cycle. Here, we show that hummingbirds achieve these functional traits within the limits imposed by a vertebrate endoskeleton and muscle physiology by accentuating a wing inversion mechanism found in other birds and using long-axis rotational movement of the humerus. In hummingbirds, long-axis rotation of the humerus creates additional wing translational movement, supplementing that produced by the humeral elevation and depression movements of a typical avian flight stroke. This adaptation increases the wing-to-muscle-transmission ratio, and is emblematic of a widespread scaling trend among flying animals whereby wing-to-muscle-transmission ratio varies inversely with mass, allowing animals of vastly different sizes to accommodate aerodynamic, biomechanical and physiological constraints on muscle-powered flapping flight.
Estimating and Testing Pleiotropy of Single Genetic Variant for Two Quantitative Traits

Along with the accumulated data of genetic variants and biomedical phenotypes in the genome era, statistical identification of pleiotropy is of growing interest for dissecting and understanding genetic correlations between complex traits. We proposed a novel method for estimating and testing pleiotropic effect of a genetic variant on two quantitative traits. Based on a covariance decomposition and estimation, our method quantifies pleiotropy as the portion of between-trait correlation explained by the same genetic variant. Unlike most multiple-trait methods that assess potential pleiotropy (i.e., whether a variant contributes to at least one trait), our method formulates a statistic that tests exact pleiotropy (i.e., whether a variant contributes to both of two traits). We developed two approaches (a regression approach and a bootstrapping approach) for such test and investigated their statistical properties, in comparison with other potential pleiotropy test methods. Our simulation shows that the regression approach produces correct P-values under both the complete null (i.e., a variant has no effect on both two traits) and the incomplete null (i.e., a variant has effect on only one of two traits), but requires large sample sizes to achieve a good power, when the bootstrapping approach has a better power and produces conservative P-values under the complete null. We demonstrate our method for detecting exact pleiotropy using a real GWAS dataset. Our method provides an easy-to-implement tool for measuring, testing, and understanding the pleiotropic effect of a single variant on the correlation architecture of two complex traits.
A Novel zero-voltage-switching scheme for renewable/alternative energy based high-frequency-AC-link inverter

A novel zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) scheme is described for a cycloconverter-type high-frequency inverter applicable for renewable/alternative energy sources. the proposed scheme achieves primary-side-converter assisted switching of the ac/ac converter switches under ZVS condition. The scheme is applicable for both unity and non-unity-power-factor loads. It also mitigates diode reverse-recovery problem, evident in competing conventional schemes, thereby anabling high-frequency switching with minimal compromise in efficiency. The modes of operation of the ac/ac converter are explained to outline the behavioral response. Results on the efficacy of the ZVS-based inverter and its performance show satisfactory performances.
Manure Management System Design Strategies: How and Why

The most limiting component of a manure management system is the spreading of manure and manure slurries on cropland. Successful strategies must account for hydraulic limitations to prevent runoff. Those strategies must also recognize nutrient concentrations and match crop uptake requirements with applications. Equipment development offers the necessary tools for successful manure handling, but management needs to use this technology. The development of successful spreading strategies that acknowledge the limits of hydraulics and nutrient loading are discussed.
Zigzag Search for Continuous Multiobjective Optimization

A new method is proposed using a gradient-based zigzag search approach for multiobjective optimization MOO or vector optimization problems. The key idea of this method is searching around the Pareto front by applying an efficient local search procedure using the gradients of the objective functions. This local search zigzags along the Pareto surface guided by the gradients and iteratively returns the visited Pareto optima. Many continuous MOO problems have smooth objective functions and the set of the nondominated objective function values forms a regular surface in the image space. This fact motivates developing the zigzag search method for such relatively well-posed MOO problems. A simple implementation of this method, z-algorithm, is presented particularly for continuous bi-objective optimization BOO problems with well-connected Pareto optimal solutions. The efficiency of the z-algorithm is studied with a set of BOO problems and the algorithm performances are compared to those of a recently developed MOO algorithm, Pareto front approximation with adaptive weighted sum method.
Preserving the aesthetics during non-fixed aspect ratio scaling of the digital border

To enhance the visual effect of a photo, various digital borders or frames are provided for photo decoration at photo sharing websites. Even though multiple versions of the same border design may be prepared manually for several "standard" page or photo sizes, difficulty arises when the user's page or photo sizes are not one of the standards. Forcing a photo into the unfitted border will result in a cropped photo. This limits the use of digital borders and therefore the art designs. In this paper, we propose a method that automatically resizes the digital border for different paper sizes while preserving the look and feel of the original design. It analyzes the geometric layout and semantic structure of the digital border, and then based on the nature of the structures; it scales and moves them to the right place to reconstruct the digital border to the new page size.
Low Doses of Lipopolysaccharide and Minimally Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Cooperatively Activate Macrophages via Nuclear Factor κB and Activator Protein-1. Possible Mechanism for Acceleration of Atherosclerosis by Subclinical Endotoxemia

Rationale: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is an important determinant of inflammation in atherosclerotic lesions. It has also been documented that certain chronic infectious diseases, such as periodontitis and chlamydial infection, exacerbate clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis. In addition, low-level but persistent metabolic endotoxemia is often found in diabetic and obese subjects and is induced in mice fed a high-fat diet. Objective: In this study, we examined cooperative macrophage activation by low levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and by minimally oxidized LDL (mmLDL), as a model for subclinical endotoxemia-complicated atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: We found that both in vitro and in vivo, mmLDL and LPS (Kdo2-LipidA) cooperatively activated macrophages to express proinflammatory cytokines Cxcl2 (MIP-2), Ccl3 (MIP-1α), and Ccl4 (MIP-1β). Importantly, the mmLDL and LPS cooperative effects were evident at a threshold LPS concentration (1 ng/mL) at which LPS alone induced only a limited macrophage response. Analyzing microarray data with a de novo motif discovery algorithm, we found that genes transcribed by promoters containing an activator protein (AP)-1 binding site were significantly upregulated by costimulation with mmLDL and LPS. In a nuclear factor–DNA binding assay, the cooperative effect of mmLDL and LPS costimulation on c-Jun and c-Fos DNA binding, but not on p65 or p50, was dependent on mmLDL-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. In addition, mmLDL induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent derepression of AP-1 by removing nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) from the chemokine promoters. Conclusions: The cooperative engagement of AP-1 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB by mmLDL and LPS may constitute a mechanism of increased transcription of inflammatory cytokines within atherosclerotic lesions.
On the remedies to the traditional innovation life cycle model

This paper recommends four measures to solve the problems existing in the traditional innovation life cycle, i.e., the Abernathy-Utterback (A-U) model. Based on a thorough examination on the linkage between innovation types and innovation dynamics, this study finds that the usefulness of the A-U model is discounted by its exclusion, oversimplification and insufficient sorting function. To overcome these limitations and develop a more accommodating innovation life cycle, it is necessary to select a broader common denominator, identify a set of innovation-binding forces, differentiate the life curves of key innovation components and label more turning points in an innovation life cycle.
Modeling and Simulation of Capillary Microfluidic Networks Based on Electrical Analogies

In this study we implemented the network simulation techniques using macromodels (lumped models) for capillary driven flows in microfluidic networks. The flow characteristics in a flow junction, such as meniscus stretching and bifurcation, were studied and their effects on filling time as well as pressure drop were explored for various network configurations. The results from the network simulator are validated numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations by employing the volume-of-fluids (VOF) method. The predictions by the network simulator for free-surface flows in different microfluidic networks were found to be in good agreement with the results obtained from the VOF simulations for filling time and meniscus position. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4004092]
Thyroid Hormones: Positive Relationships With Cognition in Healthy, Euthyroid Older Men

Background Although the association of clinical hypothyroidism with cognitive deficits is well known, the cognitive effects of thyroid hormones in euthyroid subjects are less studied and understood. The purpose of this study was to examine thyroid-cognition relationships in healthy, euthyroid older men. Methods We examined healthy men (N = 44, mean age = 72), excluding clinically hypothyroid/hyperthyroid or diabetic/hyperglycemic subjects and those with dementia, depression, CNS medications, or recent illness. Plasma samples obtained across a 24-hour period were pooled, then assayed for total thyroxine (TT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), and T3 resin uptake. Free thyroxine index (FT4I) was calculated. A broad cognitive battery (including the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised [WAIS-R], the Dementia Rating Scale [DRS], and the Rivermead Behavioral Profile [PROFILE]) was administered to all subjects. Results Regression analyses controlling age and education showed TT4 and FT4I to have significant positive relationships with measures of overall cognition; TT4 accounted for 8% to 12% of the variance in omnibus cognitive measures such as WAIS Performance, WAIS Verbal score, and GLOBAL cognitive scores. Conclusions Our findings suggest that within "normal" range of variation in plasma thyroid hormones, TT4 but not T3 positively associates with general cognition in healthy elderly men.
Criticality aware access control model for pervasive applications

Access control policies define the rules for accessing system resources. Traditionally, these are designed to take a reactive view for providing access, based on explicit user request. This methodology may not be sufficient in the case of critical events (emergencies) where automatic and timely access to resources may be required to facilitate corrective actions. This paper introduces the novel concept of criticality which measures the level of responsiveness for taking such actions. The paper further incorporates criticality in an access control framework for facilitating the management of critical situations. Specific properties and requirements for such criticality aware access control are identified and a sample model is provided along with its verification.
Learning approximate cost-to-go metrics to improve sampling-based motion planning

Sampling-based planners have been shown to be effective in searching unexplored parts of a system's state space. Their desirable properties, however, depend on the availability of an appropriate metric, which is often difficult to be defined for some robots, such as non-holonomic and under-actuated ones. This paper investigates a methodology to approximate optimum cost-to-go metrics by employing an offline learning phase in an obstacle-free workspace. The proposed method densely samples a graph that approximates the connectivity properties of the state space. This graph can be used online to compute approximate distances between states using nearest neighbor queries and standard graph search algorithms, such as A*. Unfortunately, this process significantly increases the online cost of a sampling-based planner. This work then investigates ways for the computationally efficient utilization of the learned metric during the planner's online operation. One idea is to map the sampled states into a higher-dimensional Euclidean space through multi-dimensional scaling that retains the relative distances represented by the sampled graph. Simulations on a first-order car and on an illustrative example of an asymmetric state space indicate that the approach has merit and can lead into more effective planning.
The Invisible Hand in Legal Theory

Theorists have offered invisible-hand justifications for a range of legal institutions, including the separation of powers, free speech, the adversary system of litigation, criminal procedure, the common law, and property rights. These arguments are largely localized, with few comparisons across contexts and no general account of how invisible-hand justifications work. This essay has two aims. The first is to identify general conditions under which an invisible-hand justification will succeed. The second is to identify several theoretical dilemmas that arise from the structure of invisible-hand justifications and that cut across local contexts. These are the dilemma of norms, which arises because norms of truth-seeking, ethical action or altruism can both promote and undermine the workings of the invisible hand; the dilemma of second best, which arises because partial compliance with the conditions for an invisible-hand justification can produce the worst of all possible worlds; and the dilemma of verification, which arises where theorists claim that an invisible-hand process functions as a Hayekian discovery procedure -- a claim that is empirical but pragmatically unverifiable.
Rule-based multi-query optimization

Data stream management systems usually have to process many long-running queries that are active at the same time. Multiple queries can be evaluated more efficiently together than independently, because it is often possible to share state and computation. Motivated by this observation, various Multi-Query Optimization (MQO) techniques have been proposed. However, these approaches suffer from two limitations. First, they focus on very specialized workloads. Second, integrating MQO techniques for CQL-style stream engines and those for event pattern detection engines is even harder, as the processing models of these two types of stream engines are radically different.In this paper, we propose a rule-based MQO framework. This framework incorporates a set of new abstractions, extending their counterparts, physical operators, transformation rules, and streams, in a traditional RDBMS or stream processing system. Within this framework, we can integrate new and existing MQO techniques through the use of transformation rules. This allows us to build an expressive and scalable stream system. Just as relational optimizers are crucial for the success of RDBMSes, a powerful multi-query optimizer is needed for data stream processing. This work lays the foundation for such a multi-query optimizer, creating opportunities for future research. We experimentally demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.
Relationships of the Salamandrid Genera Paramesotriton, Pachytriton, and Cynops Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Abstract We compared 786 base pairs of cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequence to examine the evolutionary relationships among seven species belonging to three genera of Asian newts: Paramesotriton, Pachytriton, and Cynops. We find strong evidence supporting recognition of a clade for these genera. Although bootstrap support values are relatively low, both parsimony and likelihood analyses suggest that the species of Paramesotriton sampled form a monophyletic group with Paramesotriton caudopunctatus basal to the other three species. Cynops appears to be paraphyletic, with Pachytriton and Paramesotriton being more closely related to Cynops pyrrhogaster than to Cynops cyanurus. Pachytriton and Paramesotriton exhibit some morphological similarities and have more specialized breeding habits and environmental requirements than Cynops, suggesting that they shared an evolutionary history before diverging. Our morphological investigations corroborate previous studies that suggested Cynops is the most generalized ...
Review to typical local contaminated land legislation of Japan

Japan puts high attention to soil contamination legislation. So far, it has developed advanced regulatory frameworks for preventing and remediating soil contamination both at the local and central levels. Local regulations have played significant roles during the making of national legislation. Numerous mechanisms created by local governments have adopted by the national legislation. A review to the local experience will great benefit our understanding to the creation and development of soil contamination prevention and remediation mechanisms in Japan, which may also benefit the similar practice in China.
Tinkering in Game Worlds

This essay discusses machinima as a form of media tinkering that combines modifications of technology with content re-mixing. Drawing on parallels to early radio enthusiasts, this essay argues that machinima makers can be understood as digital crafters who use games as production tools as well as cultural reference. Mike Munson’s machinima piece “The Tyrant” (2006), is examined here as exemplary of such combined forms of media re-crafting. Ultimately, the perspective advocated through this analysis demands the inclusion of production processes in our wider understanding of digital art literacy, of which machinima is one manifestation.