cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incidence of caffeine in serum of patients undergoing dipyridamole myocardial perfusion stress test by an intensive versus routine caffeine history screening

The coronary vasodilatory effect of dipyridamole is competitively blocked by caffeine. The purposes of this study were to (1) assess the incidence of having detectable serum caffeine and (2) evaluate whether an intensive caffeine history screening strategy was superior to routine history screening before dipyridamole myocardial perfusion imaging. One hundred ninety-four patients who were randomized to an intensive or a routine screening history strategy were prospectively evaluated. Serum caffeine levels were determined in all patients. Outcomes data, including death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and history of revascularization, were obtained at 24 months. Nearly 1 in 5 patients (19%) who screened negative by history had detectable serum caffeine. In patients who screened negative by history, there was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of caffeine seropositivity between the intensive and routine arms (16% vs 22%, respectively, p = 0.31). The incidence of combined end points of death, myocardial infarction, or revascularization was 22.9% and 7.3% in patients with and without detectable serum caffeine, respectively (p = 0.01). In conclusion, despite initial negative results on screening by history, a considerably high percentage of patients had positive serum caffeine levels. These results do not support the use of an intensive screening strategy. Detectable serum caffeine was associated with a higher incidence of adverse outcomes.
Behavior of Rigid Footings on Gravel under Axial Load and Moment

A laboratory testing program was conducted to study the settlement and rotation response of rigid square footings under combined axial load and moment. A total of 17 tests were performed in which the size of the footing, footing embedment, axial load, and load eccentricity were changed. The test soil consisted of a fine and well-graded gravel contained in a box with dimensions: 1.52 x 1.52 m (5 x 5 ft) cross section and 0.91 m (3 ft) deep. The soil was compacted in layers 150 mm (6 in.) thick to an approximate relative density of 84%. In each test, the axial load, moment, settlement at the center of the footing, and footing rotation were measured. Concentrically loaded footings with different sizes exhibited a similar behavior in terms of the applied stress-normalized settlement (settlement divided by size of footing) response. The analytical model proposed was based on such normalized response as an input, and it was calibrated to account for the change in soil stiffness with confinement. The formulation captures the inherent nonlinear deformations of the soil with load and the coupled nature of settlements and rotations of footings under axial load and moment. The model was tested by comparing calculated values with laboratory measurements from tests not included in its calibration. The comparisons showed a satisfactory agreement between calculations and measurements, bringing confidence in the analytical formulation proposed and the methodology used.
Terminal sequences of the bacteriophage ϕ6 segmented dsRNA genome and its messenger RNAs

Abstract The ends of the three dsRNA genome segments (L, M, and S) of bacteriophage ϕ6 (strand separated and/or intact) and the 5′ ends of the middle and small single-strand messenger RNAs have been sequenced by base-specific partial enzymatic digestion. Terminal sequences for the large and middle dsRNA strands extend about 60 bases. The three dsRNA segments have 18 homologous bases at the left end except for position 2, which differs in the L segment. A 17-base homology defines the right ends of L and M dsRNAs and probably S dsRNA as well. The 5′ ends of middle and small messenger RNAs are identical to the corresponding viral (+) strands.
Polarity of 2-D and 3-D Maps of Tubulin Sheets and Motor-decorated Sheets

Abstract As there has been considerable disagreement about the polarity of two-dimensional and three-dimensional maps of tubulin and tubulin – motor complexes, we have re-investigated this issue by analyzing images of tubulin sheets and motor-decorated sheets found at the distal ends of microtubules nucleated from centrosomes and sperm tails. Our results are unambiguous and define the relationship of the structural features in the maps to the microtubule plus and minus ends. Possible reasons for previous mis-assignments of the polarity are discussed briefly.
Bibliography on communicating technical research information

The technical communication literature contains many articles and books providing advice on how scientists and engineers can improve their skills at communicating research results. The journal articles and book chapters the authors felt offered sound advice on fifteen topics relevant to writing original research results for publication are briefly discussed. >
What controls dynamics of droplet shape evolution upon impingement on a solid surface

A shape coefficient is introduced to quantify droplet shape by measuring its similarity to a desired shape to enable the study of droplet shape evolution upon impingement on a solid surface. Parametric simulations are performed with an experimentally validated numerical model to determine the impact conditions to maximize the shape coefficient. Results show that the Weber number is the controlling factor that determines the maximum achievable shape coefficient and the time instant when it is achieved for small Ohnesorge numbers, whereas the Reynolds number becomes the key parameter defining the optimal shape when the Ohnesorge number is large. A regime map is also developed to define the regions where a desired droplet shape can be achieved without splash. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3071–3082, 2013
Diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the elderly.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease poses special diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the elderly. These patients may not report the classic symptoms of dysphagia, chest pain, and heartburn, and they are more likely to develop severe disease and complications such as esophageal ulceration and bleeding. Therapeutic options include lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery. Polypharmacy and changes in renal, hepatic, and gastrointestinal function can complicate treatment. Proton pump inhibitors can help optimize disease management.
Silicon multiple exciton generation/pn junction hybrid solar cell

The concept of a nanostructured-surface/pn junction hybrid solar cell has been modeled to incorporate multiple excitons generation effects. Using the mature silicon solar cell as a base, a nanostructured surface can be made to increase efficient absorption of high energy light by impact ionization induced multiple exciton effects. The nanostructured surface has additional benefits including anti-reflection and a surface field at the quantum confined regions. An ideal detailed-balance efficiency of 41.2% is found for the hybrid solar cell under one sun illumination. This is reduced to 33% when taking into account non-idealities yet both models increase rapidly with concentration as discussed thus motivating a search for the best nanostructured surface to yield multiple excitons generation. A preliminary design of such a surface has been chosen and fabrication is shown.
0.4-W diffraction-limited beam and single-frequency operation from resonant antiguided phase-locked laser array with DFB grating

We present here the first demonstration of a phase-locked array for which a DFB grating acts as an array-mode selector. Single-frequency and single-spatial mode operation are achieved to 0.45 W peak power. Thus, resonant antiguided optical waveguide (ROW) DFB laser diode arrays have potential for stable-beam, reliable operation to watt range coherent powers.
WHAT DO PLANNING ANALYSTS DO? PLANNING AND POLICY ANALYSIS AS ORGANIZING*

Analysts do more than work to solve problems or process information; they organize others' attention to possibilities of action and thus shape expectations, working relationships, participation, political support and opposition, hopefulness and resignation. This analysis suggests a communicative ethics illuminating the practical choices that planning analysts routinely confront: to spread or withhold information, to raise or lower expectations, to encourage and inform citizen action and project review or to discourage them.
Responsiveness of the Madison 109 Lung Carcinoma to Maleic Vinyl Ether Copolymer

This study establishes the responsiveness of mice bearing the Madison 109 lung carcinoma (M109), a tumor relatively resistant to chemotherapy, to the immunomodulator maleic vinyl ether (MVE-2; molecular weight 15,500). BALB/c mice inoculated with 5 X 10(5) M109 cells into the hind footpad developed a primary tumor which metastasized to the lung within 7 days and resulted in death of the host between 36 and 42 days. Early in the disease, weekly intratumor (i.t.) or intravenous administration of MVE-2 (25 mg/kg) inhibited the growth of the primary tumor and significantly prolonged the life span of the host. During the pulmonary metastatic process, systemic administration of MVE-2 alone or MVE-2 coupled with surgical excision or radiotherapy of the primary tumor became decreasingly efficacious. Late in the disease only MVE-2 introduced directly into the metastatic tumor bed by intrapleural injection proved to be effective in prolonging life span. These studies indicate that both the primary and metastatic M109 tumors are sensitive to MVE-2 and suggest that the efficacy of MVE-2 treatment is largely dependent upon its distribution in the tumor-bearing mice.
Framework of Closed-loop Optimization System for Operation Management in Plant-wide Production Process

The cooperative control of technical indices of various unit processes is an essential operation management process to gradually achieve wide-area optimization of the production process. There are so many factors, and the adjustment of which is coupled. This needs to be taken into account when to perform the operation control of a unit process index. To achieve effective and timely structuring of operation management, the framework of a closed-loop optimization system for enhancing the operation management ability of plant-wide production process is proposed. The structure and functions of the framework are introduced in detail. In the end, this paper presents a development meta-system to support the implementation of the proposed scheme and the application of the framework.
Stress Gradients in Sio2 Thin Films Prepared by Thermal Oxidation and Subjected to Rapid Thermal Annealing

We have studied stress gradients in thermally grown SiO2 thin films and relaxation of the stress by rapid thermal annealing. These properties were examined by incrementally etching back the SiO2 films and performing infrared spectroscopy and beam-bending measurements at each thickness. The thickness-averaged values measured were then deconvoluted to obtain stress values for thin layers of the SiO2 films. We observed steep stress gradients close to the Si/SiO2 interface for wet oxides which were similar to those previously studied in dry oxides. The stress gradients were steeper for films grown or annealed at high temperatures. In addition, we have been able to show that thin films (≈ 200 A) relax more freely than thicker films (≈ 1000 A), in which oxide close to the interface is prevented from relaxing by the oxide on top of it.
Maestro-VC: a paravirtualized execution environment for secure on-demand cluster computing

Virtualization, a technology first developed for partitioning the resources of mainframe computers, has seen a resurgence in popularity in the realm of commodity workstation computers. This paper introduces Maestro-VC, a system which explores a novel use of VMs as the building blocks of entire virtual clusters (VCs). Virtualization of entire clusters is beneficial because existing parallel code can run without modification in the virtual environment. At the same time, inserting a layer of software between a virtual cluster and native hardware allows for security enforcement and flexible resource management in a manner transparent to running parallel code. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of Maestro-VC, and give the results of some preliminary performance experiments.
Synthesis and physical properties of N‐substituted polyimides based on imidazole

AB-type monomers based on imidazole for the preparation of polyimides were synthesized by carrying out a substitution at the 1-position of 2-amino-4,5-dicyanoimidazole, followed by hydrolysis. Thus, pendant groups such as hexyl and 2,4-dinitrophenyl as an aliphatic long chain and an electron-withdrawing group, respectively, were introduced at the 1-position of the imidazole monomer. A solid-state polymerization was employed to prepare the poly(imidazoleimide)s in the form of a film from poly(imidazoleamic acid chloride)s by heating up to 180–200°C. The carbonyl stretching peaks of the imide ring appear at 1808 (sym) cm−1 and 1756 (antisym) cm−1. The effects of monomer structure on reactivity and the degree of imidization were investigated by comparing the viscosity of the resultant polymers and intensity of carbonyl peak at 1808 cm−1. The difference in the hydrolysis rate between polyimides having short or long aliphatic pendant groups at the 1-position was observed using FT-IR. The inherent viscosity of the N-hexyl polyimide was 1.26 dL/g in N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP) and 0.22 dL/g in the case of N-2,4-dinitrophenyl poly(amic acid) in methanesulfonic acid at 30°C. The structural, physical, and material properties of the polyimides were characterized by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, luminescence, viscosimetric methods, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, optical microscopy, and wide angle x-ray scattering. Solution properties were also investigated by monitoring the viscosity as a function of time at 30°C. Luminescence spectroscopy of the poly(1-methyl imidazole imide) and poly(1-methyl imidazoleamic acid) films shows an emission band centered at 535 and 505 nm, respectively. Thermal properties are described comparing the weight loss and decomposition temperature as a function of the polymer structure and the degree of imidization. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Offenders and the Need for Early Intervention

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be, for some people, a pathway to prison. Intervening at an early age may prevent delinquency. Generally, these interventions consist of a combination of medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, family intervention, and educational support. Despite these interventions, some people with ADHD still develop antisocial and criminal behavior. This article examines the link between ADHD and delinquency, and reviews relevant treatments.
Can similar scenes help surface layout estimation

We describe a preliminary investigation of utilising large amounts of unlabelled image data to help in the estimation of rough scene layout. We take the single-view geometry estimation system of Hoiem et al (2207) as the baseline and see if it is possible to improve its performance by considering a set of similar scenes gathered from the Web. The two complimentary approaches being considered are 1) improving surface classification by using average geometry estimated from the matches, and 2) improving surface segmentation by injecting segments generated from the average of the matched images. The system is evaluated using the labelled 300-image dataset of Hoiem et al. and shows promising results.
Investment Planning for Electric Power Systems Under Terrorist Threat

Access to electric power is critical to societal welfare. In this paper, we analyze the interaction between a defender and a terrorist who threatens the operation of an electric power system. The defender wants to find a strategic defense to minimize the consequences of an attack. Both parties have limited budgets and behave in their own self-interest. The problem is formulated as a multi-level mixed-integer programming problem. A Tabu Search with an embedded greedy algorithm for the attack problem is implemented to find the optimum defense strategy. We apply the algorithm to a 24-bus network for a combination of four different defense budgets, three attack budgets, and three assumptions as to how the terrorists craft their attacks.
Effective nutrition labeling of restaurant menu and pricing of healthy menu

Providing nutritional information on restaurant menus may help customers make healthier eating choices. This paper presents the results of a two-phase study designed to identify (i) the most preferred amount of nutritional infor- mation for a menu, (ii) whether presentation of nutritional information influenced healthier choices, and (iii) whether people are willing to pay more for food choices they perceive to be healthier. We found that participants' attitudes toward the amount of nutritional information and toward the credibility of its source correlated directly to the amount of nutritional information presented; the more nutritional information presented, the more helpful the information and the more credible the source. Additionally, the participants' nutrition-related and overall attitudes toward a menu item were influenced by the provision of nutritional information. The participants showed the most positive attitudes toward a low-fat item and were willing to pay more for that item when nutrition information was provided.
On Semi-Supervised Learning of Gaussian Mixture Models for Phonetic Classification

This paper investigates semi-supervised learning of Gaussian mixture models using an unified objective function taking both labeled and unlabeled data into account. Two methods are compared in this work - the hybrid discriminative/generative method and the purely generative method. They differ in the criterion type on labeled data; the hybrid method uses the class posterior probabilities and the purely generative method uses the data likelihood. We conducted experiments on the TIMIT database and a standard synthetic data set from UCI Machine Learning repository. The results show that the two methods behave similarly in various conditions. For both methods, unlabeled data improve training on models of higher complexity in which the supervised method performs poorly. In addition, there is a trend that more unlabeled data results in more improvement in classification accuracy over the supervised model. We also provided experimental observations on the relative weights of labeled and unlabeled parts of the training objective and suggested a critical value which could be useful for selecting a good weighing factor.
Rapid estimation for parameterized components in high-level synthesis

An important benefit of high-level synthesis is rapid design space exploration through examination of different design alternatives. However, such design space exploration is not feasible without fast and accurate area and delay estimates of the synthesized designs. These estimates must factor in physical design effects and technology-specific information in order to achieve accuracy. High-level synthesis tools often use abstract, parameterized component generators for describing the synthesized RT design, and thus need to be supported by fast and accurate estimators for these parameterized RT-components. Ideally, one would like to obtain the actual area and delay attributes of each component by constructing (or generating) the designs. However, such constructive methods require excessive run times, prohibiting on-line integration with the tasks of scheduling and allocation. This paper describes a fast (constant-time) method for estimating the area and delay of regular-structured generic RT components that are tuned to a particular technology library. The estimation models are generated using a least-square approximation on a set of sample data points from selected component implementations. The authors performed an extensive set of experiments to validate the estimation technique on combinational as well as sequential RT component generators. The results show a prediction of the area and delay to within 10% of the actual values. These models have also been integrated with a high-level synthesis system to permit on-line estimation of a component's area and delay. >
Is the Wasatch fault footwall (Utah, United States) segmented over million-year time scales?

The Wasatch fault zone, Utah, is a 370-km-long segmented normal-fault system with topographic salients, depths of footwall exposure, geomorphic properties, and geophysical anomalies that suggest differential long-term footwall uplift and exhumation on segments that are partitioned by long-lived structural segment boundaries. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages from footwall samples along the range front from the five central footwall segments av- erage 5.3 6 1.0 Ma. Coupled two-dimensional thermokinematic and helium-diffusion mod- els suggest average long-term (;5 m.y.) exhumation rates of 0.2-0.4 mm/yr for most of the Wasatch front. The exception is the southern end of the Salt Lake City segment, where exhumation rates are two times as great as elsewhere along the Wasatch front. The rel- atively invariant He ages and exhumation rates imply that most of the Wasatch did not behave kinematically as independent footwall-segment blocks with differential exhumation amounts over the past 5 m.y. The structural boundaries, such as salients and intrabasin highs that partially delineate segments, may have persisted since the Pliocene and con- trolled the locations of the surface-rupture segments.
Applications of a poset representation to edge connectivity and graph rigidity

A poset representation for a family of sets defined by a labeling algorithm is investigated. Poset representations are given for the family of minimum cuts of a graph, and it is shown how to compute them quickly. The representations are the starting point for algorithms that increase the edge connectivity of a graph, from lambda to a given target tau = lambda + delta , adding the fewest edges possible. For undirected graphs the time bound is essentially the best-known bound to test tau -edge connectivity; for directed graphs the time bound is roughly a factor delta more. Also constructed are poset representations for the family of rigid subgraphs of a graph, when graphs model structures constructed from rigid bars. The link between these problems is that they all deal with graphic matroids. >
18F-FDG PET/CT Metabolic Tumor Volume and Total Lesion Glycolysis Predict Outcome in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma with chemoradiotherapy can now accomplish excellent locoregional disease control, but patient overall survival (OS) remains limited by development of distant metastases (DM). We investigated the prognostic value of staging 18F-FDG PET/CT, beyond clinical risk factors, for predicting DM and OS in 176 patients after definitive chemoradiotherapy. Methods: The PET parameters maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were recorded. Univariate Cox regression was used to examine the prognostic value of these variables and clinical prognosticators for local treatment failure (LTF), OS, and DM. Multivariate analysis examined the effect of SUVmax, TLG, and MTV in the presence of other covariates. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to evaluate prognostic values of PET/CT parameters. Results: Primary tumors were distributed across all stages. Most patients underwent chemoradiotherapy only, and 11 also underwent tonsillectomy. On univariate analysis, primary tumor MTV was predictive of LTF (P = 0.005, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.4 for a doubling of MTV), DM and OS (P
Temperature control of the inertial-grade floated rate-integrating gyroscope

The performance of the inertial-grade floated rate-integrating gyroscope is critically dependent on the instrument surface temperature distribution. During operation, the instrument is degraded by distributed surface heat-flux disturbances, and it is desired to control the surface temperature distribution in a closed-loop feedback configuration such that the instrument degradation is minimized. This is achieved via optimal control theory, where a distributed feedback controller is determined such that the square of thermally induced drift rate is minimized. The structure of the resulting controller is examined, and various configurations for implementation are suggested.
Phosphorylation of eIF2α Is Involved in the Signaling of Indispensable Amino Acid Deficiency in the Anterior Piriform Cortex of the Brain in Rats

Sensing of indispensable amino acid (IAA) deficiency, an acute challenge to protein homeostasis, is demonstrated by rats as rejection of IAA-deficient diets within 20 min. The anterior piriform cortex (APC) of the brain in rats and birds is essential for this nutrient sensing, and is activated by IAA deficiency. Yet the mechanisms that sense and transduce IAA reduction to signaling in the APC, or indeed in any animal cells, are unknown. Because rejection of a deficient diet within 20 min is too rapid to be explained by transcription-derived signals, brain tissue was taken from rats after 20 min access to either a threonine-basal, -devoid, or -corrected diet and examined for proteins associated with early signaling of IAA deficiency in the yeast model. Western blots and immunohistochemistry showed that the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha (p-eIF2alpha[Ser51]) and translation of its downstream product, c-Jun, were increased (47%, P < 0.005, and 55%, P < 0.025, respectively) in APC from rats offered devoid, but not corrected diets, compared with those offered basal diets. This was not seen in other brain areas. In cells intensely labeled for cytoplasmic p-eIF2alpha, there was intense fluorescence for c-Jun in the nucleus. Thus, p-eIF2alpha, which is pivotal in the initiation of global protein translation, and its downstream product, the leucine zipper protein, c-Jun, are increased in the mammalian APC within the time frame necessary for the behavioral response. We suggest that p-eIF2alpha and c-Jun participate in signaling nutrient deficiency in the IAA-sensitive neurons of the APC.
Limit cycle analysis for control systems of high order

A generalized method for the limit cycle analysis of a class of nth-order systems is proposed. The method utilizes describing function technique and is applicable to dynamical systems with both memoryless and with memory non-linearities. The critical gain for self-sustained oscillations is found without explicitly solving the system characteristic equation. Relatively simple expressions are derived for the evaluation of limit cycle frequency. The results reduce to the conventional Routh equation for memoryless non-linearities. Application of the proposed method is demonstrated by several examples.
Chicana College Aspirations and the Role of Parents: Developing Educational Resiliency:

Using a theory of resiliency, this study provides a Chicana student’s perspective of the role of parents in the development of college aspirations. Qualitative interviews with Chicana high school seniors shed light on the different ways these students perceive and come to understand the manner by which their parents influence and shape their educational goals and aspirations. The findings of this study point to the pertinent role of parents in the development of educational aspirations.
Status of the TCAS Program

An airborne collision avoidance system, using the existing transponder equipment of the Secondary Surveillance Radar system as its basic cooperative element, has been under development since the mid 1970's. In June 1981, the FAA Administrator announced the FAA's commitment to implementing the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TACS), with a low cost system for general aviation and a more sophisticated system for air carriers. This paper summarizes the status of the FAA's TCAS program.
New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Stroke Registry II. Vascular Lesions

Among 407 New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry (NEMC-PCR) patients, the extracranial (ECVA) and intracranial vertebral arteries (ICVA) were the commonest sites of severe occlusive disease followed by the basilar artery (BA). Severe occlusive lesions were found in >1 large artery in 148 patients; 134 had unilateral or bilateral severe disease at one arterial location. Single arterial site occlusive disease occurred most often in the ECVA (52 patients, 15 bilateral) followed by the ICVA (40 patients, 12 bilateral) and the BA (46 patients). Involvement of the ICVAs and the BA was very common and some patients also had ECVA lesions. Hypertension, smoking, and coronary and peripheral vascular disease were most prevalent in patients with extracranial disease while diabetes and hyperlipidemia were more common when occlusive lesions were only intracranial. Intra-arterial embolism was the most common mechanism of brain infarction in patients with ECVA and ICVA occlusive disease. ICVA occlusive lesions infrequently caused infarction limited to the proximal territory (medulla and posterior inferior cerebellum). BA lesions most often caused infarcts limited to the middle posterior circulation territory (pons and anterior inferior cerebellum). Posterior cerebral artery occlusive lesions were predominantly embolic. Penetrating artery disease caused mostly pontine and thalamic infarcts. Prognosis was poorest in patients with BA disease. The best prognosis surprisingly was in patients who had multiple arterial occlusive lesions; they often had position-sensitive transient ischemic attacks during months or years.
Finger reach envelope using the marching cubes method

Reach envelope is commonly used not only to evaluate hand function but also to assess joysticks, tools for ergonomic design. A digital human simulation suite has been developed recently which includes customised hand model, kinematics, grasping, discomfort assessment, finger posture prediction, biomechanics, etc. The reach envelope is one of the hand capabilities in this hand simulation suite. This paper mainly focuses on the digital hand model and the procedure for implementing the marching cube method for generating finger and hand reach envelopes. The digital hand model has 25 degrees of freedom (DOF) and can realistically simulate all possible movements of each finger in three-dimensional space. The method involves the following steps: 1) select an end-effector (point of interest); 2) select DOFs to freeze; 3) choose scalar field resolution; 4) generate point cloud; 5) generate 3D scalar field; 6) generate mesh. The marching cubes method for reach envelope is much faster than other methods presented in the literature. The developed package can be used to generate the reach envelope for any point on any finger.
Measuring mobility and the performance of global search algorithms

The global search properties of heuristic search algorithms are not well understood. In this paper, we introduce a new metric, mobility, that quantifies the dispersion of local optima visited during a search. This allows us to explore two questions: How disperse are the local optima visited during a search? How does mobility relate to algorithm performance? We compare local search with two evolutionary algorithms, CHC and CMA-ES, on a set of non-separable, non-symmetric, multi-modal test functions. Given our mobility metric, we show that algorithms visiting more disperse local optima tend to be better optimizers.
Quantum efficiency of the 2537 A. Photolysis of a mixed phenyl–methyl polysiloxane

The ultraviolet (λ = 2537 A.) photolysis of a degassed mixed phenyl and methyl polysiloxane liquid is examined in terms of gas and crosslinking yields. Results are compared to the published values obtained by ionizing irradiation of this type of molecule. It is shown that ultraviolet radiation is less efficient by two orders of magnitude in producing decomposition (i.e., gaseous products) than is ionizing radiation. The comparisons for crosslinking efficiencies are less certain, but the yields seem to have much more similar values in this case based on a spectroscopic estimation of crosslinking (i.e., analysis for substituted phenylcyclohexadiene formation). The gas quantum yields were ϕH2 = 2.6 × 10−5, ϕCH4 = 0.63 × 10−5, ϕC2H6 ≈ 0.12 × 10−5, and ϕC2H2 ≈ 0.06 × 10−5.
Issues in land use planning for synthetic fuels from coal and biomass resources in the Midwestern U.S.A.

Abstract Proposed production of synthetic fuels from coal and biomass resources in the Midwestern U.S.A. raises important land use policy issues. These include agricultural lands protection; types of biomass development; equity for local communities; and government's role in land use and energy policy. Institutions that can address the central issues are lacking, and methods of planning for the land use impacts of energy development need to be improved.
Optimization of PET instrumentation for brain activation studies

By performing cerebral blood flow studies with positron emission tomography (PET) and comparing blood flow images of different states of activation, functional mapping of the brain is possible. The ability of current commercial instruments to perform such studies is investigated in the present work, based on a comparison of noise equivalent control (NEC) rates. Differences in the NEC performance of the different scanners in conjunction with scanner design parameters provide insights into the importance of block design, (size, dead time and crystal thickness) and overall scanner design (sensitivity and scatter fraction) for optimizing data from activation studies. The newer scanners with removable septa, operating with 3-D acquisition, have much higher sensitivity but require new methodology for optimized operation. Only by administering multiple low doses (fractionation) of the flow tracer can the high sensitivity be utilized. >
Sales Strategy in Transshipment Networks

This paper discusses the decision to transship inventory in terms of salesman ability or experience. To the best of the authors knowledge, it is the first to characterize trade between retailers at this level of microeconomic detail. The primary transshipment market of interest is the automobile dealer trade network. This paper considers a simplified version of the model in Pairolero (2016). The two retailer version of this model removes the need to consider dense networks, and this paper provides a simpler yet sharper characterization of price relationships between trade and autarky. The primary result is that inexperienced salesmen should never offer the trade because of inability to extract enough buyer value. As the salesman gains experience through selling the models in stock, negotiating ability is likely to increase and thus the ability to extract buyer value in trade increases. Since higher negotiating ability in trade increases trade profitability, trade is more likely to be optimal for experienced salesmen. The results of this paper could be used to advise sale managers on the training of new salesmen.
Children, the media, and the epistemic imperative of embodied vulnerability

AbstractThe world over, very young children are navigating the hazards of war, criminal activity, terrorism, torture, natural disasters, disease, hunger, and poverty. In media studies, the trends of the past decade or so have focused on children’s agency and empowerment—but many scholars of children tend to elide embodiment in their epistemological approaches. I argue in this essay that children inhabit what Ulrich Beck termed a “risk society”, and that they experience societal risks as embodied beings. Foregrounding children’s embodiment reorients us to the realities of the connections between the vulnerability of human embodiment and the precarious nature of social institutions. Using Beck’s theory of risk as a starting point, I offer a reparative reading of vulnerability as guiding us toward an activist program of research on corporeality and embodiment that needs to be taken up by children’s media scholars.
Tasks with cost growing over time and agent reallocation delays

To efficiently complete tasks whose completion costs change predictably over time requires agents that can take into account these changes. When there are more agents than tasks the problem is how to coordinate the allocation of agents to prevent tasks from growing so much that they become unsolvable. This work focuses on a subset of cost functions for modeling tasks whose cost grows over time and provides an optimal solution when agents can be allocated to tasks instantly. We present both the Latest Finishing First (LFF) algorithm, which is suitable when the cost of reallocating agents is high, and the Real-Time Latest Finishing First (RT-LFF) algorithm, which adapts to agent reallocation delays and new tasks appearing. These algorithms are compared against the optimal zero travel time solution with varying delays in reallocation in a simple environment. We then show how to apply this model to the complex problem of allocating agents to extinguish fires in the RoboCup Rescue simulator and show how RT-LFF solves the problem efficiently.
ChE Junior Laboratory and the New Kinetics Experiment At The University Of Delaware

149 A comprehensive laboratory course is an important component for adequately preparing engineering students for future careers in industry.[1] The University of Delaware (UD) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) has recognized the importance of such a course and has committed significant resources and effort towards continuous improvement. Chemical Engineering Laboratory I, more commonly known as Junior lab or J-lab, is offered to students in the Spring semester of their junior year, and seeks to reinforce ChE fundamentals, technical writing, oral presentation, teamwork, leadership skills, and safety practices. Five experiments focused on chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and engineering instrumentation provide the connection with the theory taught in the core ChE courses. This article provides an overview of the Junior lab taught at UD and a detailed analysis of the recently introduced chemical kinetics experiment.
Experimental Games and Bargaining Theory

Games have been used in the study of international politics; if they were not so demanding of time and energy, they would probably be used more. A Berlin crisis, or a busy day in the life of the United Nations, lends itself to this procedure. Participants usually represent “countries” and they may be encouraged to play the “role” of the country, acting as they believe the country would act, or they may be encouraged to behave in the game as they believe the country ought to behave in its own interest. The game may be organized for research, the participants being scholars and policy analysts; or it may be organized as training, to give students vicarious experience in the complexities of international politics.
Available and new permanent magnet materials

Five major classes of permanent magnet materials are available for engineered devices. The magnetic and other physical properties of appropriate subgrades are listed for applications. Hard ferrite and samarium-cobalt magnets are compared to the newest and, in some ways, the best material in production today—the neodymium/iron/boron. The magnetic and physical properties, availability and relative costs of appropriate subgrades are presented. High coercivity SM 2 TM 17 performs better at elevated temperature than SmCo 5 or Nd-Fe-B—performance is generally improved by designing with higher operating slope in the magnet application.
RESEARCH ON ANISOTROPIC DAMAGE AND PERMEABILITY EVOLUTIONARY LAW FOR BRITTLE ROCKS

Permeability in brittle rocks under compressive stress changes with crack growth.A method to calculate permeability evolution is presented,in which both experimental phenomenon and inherent mechanism of permeability evolution are taken into account.The mechanical model is based on the research of ZHU Qizhi et al,two modifications are applied to frictional criterion and potential function;and the modified anisotropic damage model is used to simulate triaxial compression test of Lac du Bonnet granite.According to damage variable and crack normal and tangential deformation obtained in mechanical model,a function of connectivity coefficient is used to describe the ratio of the crack involved in hydraulic flow to total number of crack,more and more cracks are involved in hydraulic flow when microcracks grow;the cubic law is used for seepage flow in a single crack,crack radius and equivalent aperture are defined by micromechanical result;a method is proposed to analyze permeability evolution in brittle rocks under deviatoric stress.The proposed method is employed to simulate in-situ permeability test of Lac du Bonnet granite.Comparison between axial and lateral permeability evolutions under increasing deviatoric stress is carried out;axial permeability evolution under different confining stresses is also predicted.It is shown that the numerical simulation results and experimental data are in good agreement.
Irritability of resistant houseflies strains to insecticides

Objective To study the irritability of four insecticides in three types to two insecticides resistant housefly strains and one susceptible housefly strains. Methods The irritability of insecticide to houseflies were carried out by insecticide irritability test.Results The Lab strain houseflies contacted some concentration of deltamethrin,the average stay time was prolonged and some concentration was shortened.The Del-R strain houseflies contacted all concentration of deltamethrin,the average stay time were prolonged.Both Lab and Cyh-R strain housefly contacted all concentration of cyhalothrin,the average stay time were prolonged.The higher the concentration used,the shorter time would be.The Lab strain houseflies contacted some concentration of fipronil,the average stay time was shortened,and showed the trend that the average stay time became shorter with the concentration increasing.The Lab strain houseflies contacted some concentration of pirimiphos-methyl,the average stay time was prolonged in low concentration and shortened in high concentration.Conclusion The houseflies of Del-R strain showed the change of behavior,and was capable of existing behavior resisitance.The dosage of cyhalothrin had to be lower than 62.5 mg ai/m2 when applied in residual spray.The fipronil and pirimiphos-methyl could cause irritability to Lab strain,the dosage of pirimiphos-methyl under 12.5 mg ai/m2 had no irritability to houseflies.
Can only one person be right? The development of objectivism and social preferences regarding widely shared and controversial moral beliefs.

Abstract Prior work has established that children and adults distinguish moral norms (e.g., hitting is wrong) from conventional norms (e.g., wearing pajamas to school is wrong). Specifically, moral norms are generally perceived as universal across time and space, similar to objective facts. We examined preschoolers’ and adults’ perceptions of moral beliefs alongside facts and opinions by asking whether only one person could be right in the case of disagreements. We also compared perceptions of widely shared moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is better to pull someone’s hair or share with someone) and controversial moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is better to help someone with a project or make cookies for someone). In Studies 1 and 2, preschoolers and adults were more likely to judge that only one person could be right in the case of widely shared versus controversial moral beliefs, treating the former as more objective or fact-like. Children were also more likely than adults to say that only one person could be right in a moral disagreement. Study 2 additionally revealed that adults were more likely than children to report preferring individuals who shared their controversial moral beliefs. Study 3 replicated these patterns using a different sample of widely shared beliefs (e.g., whether it is okay to mock a poor classmate) and controversial moral beliefs (e.g., whether it is okay to tell small, prosocial lies). While some aspects of moral cognition may depend on abundant social learning and cognitive development, the perception that disagreements about widely shared moral beliefs have only one right answer while disagreements about controversial moral beliefs do not emerges relatively early. We discuss implications for moral learning and social preferences.
What You Mark is What Apps See

Users are increasingly vulnerable to inadvertently leaking sensitive information through cameras. In this paper, we investigate an approach to mitigating the risk of such inadvertent leaks called privacy markers. Privacy markers give users fine-grained control of what visual information an app can access through a device's camera. We present two examples of this approach: PrivateEye, which allows a user to mark regions of a two-dimensional surface as safe to release to an app, and WaveOff, which does the same for three-dimensional objects. We have integrated both systems with Android's camera subsystem. Experiments with our prototype show that a Nexus 5 smartphone can deliver near realtime frame rates while protecting secret information, and a 26-person user study elicited positive feedback on our prototype's speed and ease-of-use.
Josephson Arbitrary Waveform Synthesizer With Two Layers of Wilkinson Dividers and an FIR Filter

The output voltage of Josephson arbitrary waveform synthesizers (JAWS) is limited by the number of Josephson junctions (JJs) that can be driven by a single pulse-generator channel. Here, we double the number of JJs driven by one generator channel to 51 200 JJs by distributing the pulse bias between four JJ arrays by use of two layers of Wilkinson dividers. We use this single bias to generate a voltage at 1 kHz with an rms magnitude of 1 V. This voltage is quantum-accurate over an operating current range of 1.4 mA. For comparison, the operating current range of a recent design that uses a single layer of Wilkinson dividers is twice as large, but requires two pulse-bias channels to generate 1 V. We also show that we can recover this performance by incorporating in the pulse generator a finite-impulse response (FIR) filter that acts as an equalizer. The FIR filter creates a custom transfer function that compensates for the bandwidth-limited transfer function of the Wilkinson dividers. Optimizing the FIR filter parameters increases the operating current range from 1.4 to 2.7 mA. This ability to drive additional JJ arrays with a single pulse-generator channel will enable future JAWS chips and systems to achieve significantly larger output voltages. This will increase the voltage range for JAWS calibrations of ac thermal converters and improve precision voltage measurements that require quantum-accurate, stable, and distortion-free waveforms with a large signal-to-noise ratio.