cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of environment and strain rate on the room temperature tensile properties of FeAl single crystals

Abstract Specimens from three FeAl single crystals, with compositions of Fe–40Al, Fe–40Al–1Y and Fe–43Al, were strained at room temperature at strain rates from 1×10 −6 to 1 s −1 in air and vacuum. In air, both the elongation to fracture and fracture strength increased rapidly with increasing strain rate up to 1 s −1 , whereas strain rate had no effect upon tests performed in vacuum. The yield strength increased with increasing strain rate up to 1×10 −2 s −1 in air, but was strain-rate independent in vacuum. Prestraining by 5% under compression, either reduced or had no effect on the subsequent tensile ductility. Transgranular cleavage fracture occurred in all specimens.
Chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis: a phenotype for pharmacogenomics studies.

Aim To determine whether cellular apoptosis is a suitable phenotypic trait for pharmacogenomics studies by evaluating caspase 3/7-mediated activity in lymphoblastoid cell lines after treatment with six chemotherapeutic agents: 5′-deoxyfluorouridine, pemetrexed, cytarabine, paclitaxel, carboplatin, and cisplatin. Materials and methods Using monozygotic twin pair and sibling pair lymphoblastoid cell lines, we identified conditions for measurement of caspase 3/7 activity in lymphoblastoid cell lines. Genome-wide association studies were performed with over 2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HapMap CEU cell lines (n=77). Results Although treatment with 5′-deoxyfluorouridine and pemetrexed for up to 24 h resulted in low levels of apoptosis or interindividual variation in caspase-dependent cell death; paclitaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin, and cytarabine treatment for 24 h resulted in 9.4-fold, 9.1-fold, 7.0-fold, and 6.0-fold increases in apoptosis relative to control, respectively. There was a weak correlation between caspase activity and cytotoxicity (r2=0.03–0.29) demonstrating that cytotoxicity and apoptosis are two distinct phenotypes that may produce independent genetic associations. Estimated heritability (h2) for apoptosis was 0.57 and 0.29 for cytarabine (5 and 40 μmol/l, respectively), 0.22 for paclitaxel (12.5 nmol/l), and 0.34 for cisplatin (5 μmol/l). In the genome-wide association study using the HapMap CEU panel, we identified a significant enrichment of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity SNPs within the significant cisplatin-induced apoptosis SNPs and an enrichment of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). Among these eQTLs, we identified several eQTLs with known function related to apoptosis and/or cytotoxicity. Conclusion Our study identifies apoptosis as a phenotype for pharmacogenomic studies in lymphoblastoid cell lines after treatment with paclitaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin, and cytarabine that may have utility for discovering biomarkers to predict response to certain chemotherapeutics.
The effect of phototherapy on neutrophils

Abstract Background The role of phototherapy on neutrophils has not been reviewed previously. This novel and non-invasive therapeutic approach is of particular interest for potential use in the treatment of pathologic processes in dermatology and infectious diseases in which neutrophils are the primary culprit. Objectives The primary aim of this study was to systematically review the role of phototherapy on neutrophils. Method Original publications were identified through searches in PubMed, Medline, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library. Search terms used included “phototherapy and neutrophils,” “light therapy and neutrophils,” and “laser and neutrophils.” Studies were selected based on the level of evidence-based research. Results The literature search revealed a total of 22 controlled laboratory studies that evaluated the role of phototherapy on neutrophils. Among the effects of phototherapy noted were increases in: the respiratory burst of neutrophils, apoptosis of polymorphonuclear cells, and plasma NO and iNOS mRNA. Other notable findings include decreased: number of neutrophils in areas of inflammation, ROS production, neutrophil anti-apoptotic factors, and IL-1β concentration. Studies on PDT demonstrated neutrophilia and resultant decreased tumor growth. Conclusion Evidence indicates that phototherapy has a significant impact on neutrophils, the effect of which varies according to the specific type of phototherapy. These findings have a variety of potential clinical applications including the treatment of various autoimmune conditions, inflammatory diseases, and cancers.
A case of extended spectrum GEFS

Summary: A 10-year-old boy developed febrile convulsions at age 2 years, and multiple types of nonfebrile generalized seizures over the ensuing months and years. Gestation, birth, and early development were normal, as were initial EEG and brain imaging studies. By age 5 years, he had developed behavioral difficulties, and the EEG demonstrated both interictal and ictal generalized epileptiform patterns, as well as mild background slowing. Seizures were poorly controlled with multiple medication trials. There was a strong family history of clinically benign febrile seizures in the maternal lineage. Genetic analysis revealed a novel mutation in the voltage-gated neuronal sodium channel SCN1A. This patient's relatively malignant clinical course is consistent with “extended spectrum” generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+), and along with the family history illustrates the phenotypic variability of this disease.
The marginal regions of thylakoid membranes: A partial characterization by polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) solubilization of spinach thylakoids

The detergent Tween-20 solubilized preferentially portions of the marginal regions of Spinacea oleracea L. thylakoid membranes and, thus, opened the inside of the grana to the external media. Differential centrifugation. following Tween-20 solubilization. enabled separate fractions of grana and stromal-exposed membranes to be isolated. Analysis of Tween-20 solubilized material, after pelleting all membrane material by centrifugation at 100 000 g, revealed polypeptides associated with the coupling factor (CF1) particles, cytochrome b6/f and photosystem II complexes, suggesting that the marginal membranes contain these proteins. Concomitantly, the 100 000 g pellet was depleted in cytochrome b6/f and P700, determined spectroscopically, Thus. our results reveal the margin to be a distinct membrane region, which does not contain the light-harvesting centers of photosystem II (LHC II). The implication of these results, in terms of the energetic interaction of components of granal and stromalexposed membrane regions, is discussed.
Prenatal alcohol exposure, blood alcohol concentrations and alcohol elimination rates for the mother, fetus and newborn.

Prenatal alcohol exposure, blood alcohol concentrations and alcohol elimination rates for the mother, fetus and newborn
β-Adrenergic Antagonist Inhibition of Hepatic 3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine Production*

β-Adrenergic antagonists provide moderate symptomatic relief for most hyperthyroid patients, although these agents have no direct antithyroid effects. Propranolol administration results in modest declines in serum T3 concentrations in both hyperthyroid and normal subjects and also inhibits T4 to T3 conversion in various tissue preparations in vitro. Other β-adrenergic antagonists have not been shown to consistently alter serum T3 concentrations in vivo or T3 production in vitro. To evaluate the ability of β-adrenergic antagonists to inhibit T4-5′-deiodination, we measured T3 production from T4 in rat liver homogenates (10,000 × g supernatant) using 1 pM T4 in the presence of varying concentrations of the β-adrenergic antagonists available in the United States. Each drug inhibited T3 production, and the dose-dependent responses were linear and parallel when plotted as percent inhibition vs. log dose concentration. The calculated drug concentrations required to produce 50% inhibition were: propranolol, 1.7 ...
Open Immigration Policies and Liberal Discomfort

Consequentialist cosmopolitanism, Peter Higgins argues, enables closed border liberals to evade charges of moral hypocrisy despite their commitment to moral equality of individuals, once we recognize that open border arguments rely on cosmopolitanism’s individualism requirement, which ignores social realities relevant to a realistic assessment of the social consequences of an open immigration policy. Higgins is mistaken, however, in contending that cosmopolitan individualism entails attention to people only in their capacity as the abstract atomic individuals populating Charles Mills’ idealized social ontologies. Conversely, if cosmopolitan individualism does compel us to think of people as abstract atomic individuals, we are not obliged to think of them as relatively privileged. Under liberal cosmopolitanism, however, which prohibits state discrimination between citizens and non-citizens, open border policies are subject to no such consequentialist objections.
Intuitive coding: Vision and delusion

We review the hypothesis that the brain uses a generative model to explain the causes of sensory inputs, using prediction schemes that operate based upon assimilation of time-series sensory data. We put this hypothesis in the context of psychopathology, in particular, schizophrenia's positive symptoms. Building upon work of Helmholtz and upon theories in computational cognitive processing, we hypothesize that delusions in schizophrenia can be explained in terms of false inference. An impairment in inferring appropriate information from the sensory input reflects upon the ability to assess the environment and predict outcomes. Although the inference mechanism likely involves both conscious and unconscious processes, we hypothesize that the trigger of delusions may lie within the unconscious neural pathways. A collection of computational predictive codes have been proposed for modeling perception. We discuss two examples, which may be eligible as substrates for intuitive coding. We argue that failure of the...
Algorithms for classic dual trigonometric equations

Abstract The singular integral solutions to certain classic dual trigonometric equations provided by the formulas of Tranter and Bablojan are reduced to algorithms. A preliminary Fourier analysis is made of the data, and computational rules are derived by the systematic reduction of the singular integrals for each ordinary Fourier component of the data. Extensive numerical testing provides evidence for the correctness of both the original solutions and the resulting algorithms. The listing of programs in ANSI FORTRAN to implement the algorithms is appended.
Estimated financial savings associated with health information exchange and ambulatory care referral

Data and financial models based on an operational health information exchange suggest that health care delivery costs can be reduced by making clinical data available at the time of care in urban emergency departments. Reductions are the result of decreases in laboratory and radiographic tests, fewer admissions for observation, and lower overall emergency department costs. The likelihood of reducing these costs depends on the extent to which clinicians alter their workflow and take into account information available through the exchange from other institutions prior to initiating a treatment plan. Far greater savings can be realized in theory by identifying individuals presenting to emergency departments whose acute and long-term care needs are more suitably addressed at lower costs in ambulatory settings or medical homes. These alternative ambulatory settings can more effectively address the chronic care needs of those who receive most of their care in emergency departments. To support a shift from emergency room care to clinic care, health care information available through the health information exchange must be made available in both emergency department and ambulatory care settings. If practice workflow and patient behavior can be changed, a more effective and efficient care delivery system will be made possible through the secure exchange of clinical information across regional settings. These projections support the case for the financial viability of regional health information exchanges and motivate participation of hospitals and ambulatory care organizations-particularly in urban settings.
Revisiting Determinants of Convention Participation Decision Making

ABSTRACT In the midst of the unprecedented economic downturn, attracting a large number of attendees at annual conventions is more challenging than ever for associations and meeting planners. In order to boost attendance, an organization must understand what would be the factors affecting convention participation decision of potential delegates, and what would be the reasons to put a particular convention on the top of their must-attend list. This article empirically validated the key determinants of convention participation decision making that had arisen from previous studies, and further examined the relative influence of each factor on the convention participation intention. Four determinants were identified (networking, destination, travelability, education), and they are largely in line with the major factors that had been suggested in the extant literature. The findings of the study showed that “networking” and “travelability” factors significantly influenced the convention participation intention ...
Soil—Plant—Atmosphere Relations

We are concerned with radiation and the microclimate above the soil because they have such large influences on: 1) Evaporation of water from soil. 2) Transpiration of water from plants. 3) Soil and air temperature. 4) Plant growth (plant growth is closely related to transpiration and to soil and air temperatures).
Birkeland Currents, Recent Contributions from Satellite Magnetic Field Measurements

The important role that field-aligned Birkeland currents play in solar terrestrial coupling processes has been known from satellite observations for twenty years. Many satellite have been launched since the last Solar-Terrestrial Symposium with instruments capable of investigating the characteristics of Birkeland currents and their relationship to visible and UV auroral forms, particle precipitation, and convection flow patterns. An important result that has emerged is the close relationship between large-scale Birkeland currents and the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field. These observations emphasize the fact that Birkeland currents are involved in a wide range of space plasma processes which range from small-scale ionospheric instabilities and irregularities to global scale energy coupling processes between the magnetosphere and solar wind.
NORM thresholding method in wavelet regression

In this paper we present a new method called the NORM method for finding threshold values in wavelet regression. We use WaveThresh (G. Nason) software in S-Plus to implement this method, and compare it with existing methods, such as Donoho and Johnstone's SureShrink, AdaptShrink and Nason's cross-validation, and with optimal thresholding. The goal is to minimize the average mean-squared error. We use 3 different kinds of noise: iid normal, iid t variable, and correlated noise, on 8 different test applications. For iid normal noise, any method could be the best. The cross-validation method works best for independent long-tailed t noise. In the case of correlated noise, the NORM method behaves best when there is a large, positive lag one correlation. The SureShrink or AdaptShrink methods behave best when there is a large, negative lag one correlation. We give heuristic explanations of these behaviors. We also evaluate the accuracy of our method for estimation of noise level  .
Do faculty recognize the difference between computer science and information technology?: a survey of liberal arts faculty (abstract only)

We asked all of the liberal arts faculty who advise undergraduates on course selection at the 14 colleges in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest a series of questions regarding their perceptions of the personality traits of Computer Science (CS) students, topics they think are covered in CS classes, and their overall impressions of CS. Our goal was to test empirically the hypothesis that many non-CS faculty are unaware of the differences between CS and Information Technology (IT). We received over 200 survey responses, which revealed that, among non-CS faculty, 10% disagree or are neutral that CS should even be part of a liberal arts curriculum, 9% think that CS students are taught to fix printers and other peripherals, and 35% believe that CS students are taught to use Microsoft Word and Excel in their courses. Our results also revealed that 60% of CS faculty believe that men are more interested in CS than are women (although we did not ask why they believe this to be the case). Overall, while we found statistically significant differences between the answers given by CS and non-CS faculty, the overall evidence suggests that the majority of non-CS faculty in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest have a good understanding of CS.
The effect of gamma radiation on the stability of miniature reference electrodes

Abstract The design and fabrication of four types of miniature reference electrodes and their long term stability in a radiation field are described. Miniature versions of a saturated calomel electrode (MSCE), a silver/silver chloride electrode (MAG), a tungsten/tungsten oxide (MWO) and a copper/copper ion (MCU) electrode were tested in a 10 kGy/h (1 Mrad/h) radiation field for up to 30 days total at 25 and 40 °C. The latter two (MWO and MCU) varied appreciably over time periods of several hours whereas the former two (MSCE and MAG) varied less than 1 mV over periods of 6–8 h and are deemed suitable as reference electrodes for corrosion studies of systems immersed in a radiation field at elevated temperature.
Performance and process in collective and individual memory: The role of social decision schemes and memory bias in collective memory

To assess performance and processes in collective and individual memory, participants watched two job candidates on video. Beforehand, half the participants were told they would be tested on their memory of the interviews, and the other half were asked to make a decision to hire one of the candidates. Afterwards, participants completed a recognition memory task in either a group or individual condition. Groups had better recognition memory than individuals. Individuals made more false positives than false negatives and groups exaggerated this. Post-hoc analysis found that groups only exaggerated the tendency towards false positives on items that reflected negatively on the job candidate. There was no significant difference between instruction conditions. When reaching consensus on the recognition task, groups tended to choose the correct answer if at least two members had the correct answer. This method of consensus is discussed as a factor in groups' superior memory performance.
Fibrous root growth and water use of sugar beet

Development of the fibrous root system of sugar beet was studied by washing soil samples taken from field experiments through the growing season. At the beginning of June the root system was still poorly developed but during June there was rapid proliferation. In the top 70 cm there was only little further increase in root density after the end of June. Below 70 cm root density increased up to the end of August. Throughout the season fibrous root density decreased with depth. Despite the origin of the lateral roots from two grooves on the storage root, fibrous root distributions at each depth around individual plants were essentially uniform from mid-June onwards. In the absence of nitrogen fertilizer, fibrous root development exceeded that of a crop given fertilizer, particularly at depths greater than 50 cm early in the season. The maximum value of root density was 2·8 cm/cm3 soil recorded in the top 10 cm in mid-September. Compared with published data for other crops, the sugar-beet root system was sparser than that of winter wheat or maize but denser than that of a soya bean or cassava.Soil water content was measured with a neutron probe. Inflows to roots were calculated from soil water content changes in different soil layers. In the top 30 cm, inflows ranged up to 10·8 μl water/cm root.day and were up to five times higher than published inflows for winter wheat. At 30–100 cm sugar beet and winter wheat inflows were generally similar. The 0–30 and 30–120 cm layers contributed about 80 and 20% respectively of the total water use by sugar beet while no uptake was recorded below 110 cm. Previous studies have shown that sugar beet often takes up water from soil deeper than 110 cm, although it is not unknown for the depth of water removal to be restricted.
Constructing a 4D murine cardiac micro-CT atlas for automated segmentation and phenotyping applications

A number of investigators have demonstrated the potential of preclinical micro-CT in characterizing cardiovascular disease in mouse models. One major hurdle to advancing this approach is the extensive user interaction required to derive quantitative metrics from these 4D image arrays (space + time). In this work, we present: (1) a method for constructing an average anatomic cardiac atlas of the mouse based on 4D micro-CT images, (2) a fully automated approach for segmenting newly acquired cardiac data sets using the atlas, and (3) a quantitative characterization of atlas-based segmentation accuracy and consistency. Employing the deformable registration toolkit, ANTs, the construction of minimal deformation fields, and a novel adaptation of joint bilateral filtration, our atlas construction scheme was used to integrate 6, C57BL/6 cardiac micro-CT data sets, reducing the noise standard deviation from ~70 HU in the individual data sets to ~21 HU in the atlas data set. Using the segmentation tools in Atropos and our atlas-based segmentation, we were able to propagate manual labels to 5, C57BL/6 data sets not used in atlas construction. Average Dice coefficients and volume accuracies (respectively) over phases 1 (ventricular diastole), 3, and 5 (ventricular systole) of these 5 data sets were as follows: left ventricle, 0.96, 0.96; right ventricle, 0.89, 0.92; left atrium, 0.88, 0.89; right atrium, 0.86, 0.92; myocardium, 0.90, 0.94. Once the atlas was constructed and segmented, execution of the proposed automated segmentation scheme took ~6.5 hours per data set, versus more than 50 hours required for a manual segmentation.
Identification of molecular markers associated with resistance to squash silverleaf disorder in summer squash (Cucurbita pepo)

Squash silverleaf (SSL), caused by the silverleaf whitefly [Bemisia argentifolii (formerly known as Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, B strain)], is an important physiological disorder that affects squash (Cucurbita spp.) by reducing yield potential. Breeding squash with resistance to SSL disorder can be facilitated by using marker-assisted selection (MAS). Resistance to SSL disorder, in Cucurbita pepo, is conferred by a single recessive gene (sl). The objective of this study was to identify molecular markers associated with resistance. A zucchini squash, SSL disorder resistant breeding line, ‘Zuc76’ (sl/sl) and a SSL disorder susceptible zucchini cultivar ‘Black Beauty’ (Sl/Sl) were screened with 1,152 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and 432 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to identify polymorphisms. Using F2 and BC1 progeny segregating for SSL disorder resistance, three RAPD (OPC07, OPL07 and OPBC16) primers and one SSR (M121) marker were found associated with sl. Fragments amplified by RAPD primer OPC07 was linked in coupling phase to sl, whereas RAPD primer OPL07 was linked in repulsion phase. RAPD primer OPBC16 and SSR marker M121 were co-dominant. The allelic order of these loci was found to be M121–sl–OPC07–OPL07–OPBC16. The closest marker to sl is M121 with an estimated genetic distance of 3.3 cM. The markers identified in this study will be useful for breeding summer squash (C. pepo) for SSL disorder resistance derived from zucchini squash breeding line ‘Zuc76’.
Comparison of induction patterns of rat hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases by pesticides and related chemicals

Abstract Attempts were made to recognize different patterns of induction by pesticidal chemicals in the liver microsomes of rats. After treatment for 7 days with various chemicals, the animals were sacrificed and the pattern of induction in the liver was studied. By adopting a criterion for changes in cytochrome P -450 these pesticides were grouped into two groups, the chemicals which induce an increase in cytochrome P -450 and those which do not. Among the former compounds, tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl were found to induce different types of cytochrome from the rest as judged by the drastic change in the 455:430-nm ratio, i.e., the pattern similar to that induced by 3-methylcholanthrene. In addition, six different drugs were used as substrates to recognize the differences among induction patterns of mixed-function oxidase activities. As a result, four basic groups of inducers were recognized. Phenobarbital-, DDT-, chlordane-, mirex- and kepone-induced liver microsomes were similar in their drug metabolizing activity. Dieldrin did not induce the metabolism of aminopyrine unlike all other inducers. N -Demethylase activities were not stimulated by either 3-methylcholanthrene or TCDD when ethylmorphine and benzphetamine were the substrates. Lindane and sesamex did not increase the level of cytochrome P -450, but stimulated the N -demethylation of benzphetamine and ethylmorphine. Even among the noninducers of cytochrome P -450, further quantitative and qualitative differences in NADPH 2 -cytochrome c reductase and mixed-function oxidase activities were evident which were useful parameters in distinguishing induction types. The above observations show that the qualitative changes in the drug metabolizing enzyme activities after treatment with pesticides appear to be group specific.
An analysis approach optimizing theory and observation

Most scientific and engineering research is conducted following the principles of the Scientific Method implemented in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Two distinct phases of this analysis can be delineated. The first phase, which could be termed the theoretical phase, involves using basic principles of science to mathematically describe the process being studied. Differential equations with appropriate initial and/or boundary conditions are written, and these equations are solved, perhaps with the aid of numerical techniques, to yield a theoretical description iof the process. The second phase, which could be termed the observational phase, relies upon gathering experimental data either in the laboratory or in the field. This data is then assembled, perhaps with the aid of statistical methods, to provide an observational description of the process. The researcher then compares the results of the theoretical and experimental phases to assess the degree of agreement. In all likelihood, discrepancies will be found. Two courses are then open to the researcher: (1) based on the observations, the theoretical model can be refined; and (2) based on theoretical predictions, more appropriate experiments can be performed and/or more relevant data can be taken. These courses of action are not necessarily alternatives to each other. Rather, successful researchers refine both their theories and their experiments to obtain a compatible description of the process being studied. While this approach has clearly lead to great advances in science and engineering, it may not represent the most effective technique for arriving at timely solutions to pressing problems. The purpose of this paper is to describe an analysis approach that is compatible with the basic precepts of the Scientific Method, but that departs from the conventional implementation described in Fig. 1. It should prove particularly useful in situations where theory is only partially developed and where a significant data base of observations exists. The approach to be proposed has the advantage that it allows the researcher to effectively merge the theoretical and the observational phases so that the most reliable attributes of each are simultaneously applied to the examination of the process being studied.
The influence of dietary pyridoxine on mortality rate of the magnesium deficient rat.

The magnesium deficiency syndrome in white rats can be aggravated by the addition of high levels of pyridoxine hydrochloride to the diet. In these studies, the mortality rate of magnesium deficient rats varied in direct proportion to the dietary concentration of pyridoxine hydrochloride. This effect was not produced by increasing the thiamine hydrochloride content of the diet. The present studies did not demonstrate a consistent difference in serum magnesium concentration between the magnesium deficient rats receiving a normal pyridoxine supplement and those receiving a high pyridoxine supplement.
Performance Optimization of a Maneuvering Re-Entry Vehicle Using a Legendre Pseudospectral Method

The problem of performance optimization of a maneuvering re-entry vehicle is studied. The objective is to determine an optimal steering law for a high lift-to-drag ratio vehicle. An optimization criteria is derived that attempts to maximize the control margin of the vehicle in order to account for unmodeled perturbations during actual flight. The optimization problem is formulated as an optimal control problem. The optimal control problem is transcribed to a nonlinear programming via a Legendre pseudospectral method and is solved using a sparse nonlinear optimization algorithm. The key features of the optimal trajectory are described and the quality of the trajectory obtained from the Legendre pseudospectral method is discussed. Finally, a motivation is given for using the pseudospectral method as a guidance law.
A Harmonically Superior Switching Modulator with Wide Baseband and Real-Time Tunability

The paper proposes a class of switching modulators with reduced harmonics to allow a wide base band. In an ordinary switching modulator, the harmonics are rich and the operating bandwidth is rather limited. Here we are advancing a harmonic elimination technique to place the unwanted harmonics at a frequency farther away from the fundamental. It is a novel PWM method where a reference sinusoid with the desired modulating frequency is compared against a complex periodic signal with the same time period as the reference. The modulator can be designed to function as a single frequency converter if the comparing waveform has frequency contents much higher than the reference. Simulation and experimental studies verify the proposed approach.
The Impact of Attending a School with High-Achieving Peers: Evidence from the New York City Exam Schools

Abstract This paper uses data from three prominent exam high schools in New York City to estimate the impact of attending a school with high-achieving peers on college enrollment and graduation. Ou...
D-C charged magnetic pulse modulator

An a-c charged magnetic pulse modulator consisting of a resonant charging stage and several successive pulse-modulating stages is the subject of a paper by W. S. Melville.1 These pulse-modulating stages employ saturable reactors used as switching elements, and a series of capacitors. This modulator, if designed for a high-pulse repetition frequency, requires a separate frequency converting device whose output frequency must be equal to the desired pulse repetition frequency. Either an alternator or a magnetic frequency multiplier can be employed for this purpose. However, the magnetic frequency multiplier has considerable weight and volume, as well as a low power factor for high ratios of frequency conversion. An alternator, if built for a low speed, will also have a large weight. If designed for high speed, it has a limited life resulting from problems with bearings. To have a jitter-free-operation of the radar system, the voltage and frequency of the supplying power source must be regulated to close tolerances.
Expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (CD143) identifies and regulates primitive hemangioblasts derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

We report that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a critical physiologic regulator of blood pressure, angiogenesis, and inflammation, is a novel marker for identifying hemangioblasts differentiating from human embryonic stem cells (hESC). We demonstrate that ACE+CD45−CD34+/− hemangioblasts are common yolk sac (YS)–like progenitors for not only endothelium but also both primitive and definitive human lymphohematopoietic cells. Thrombopoietin and basic fibroblast growth factor are identified as critical factors for the proliferation of human hemangioblasts. The developmental sequence of human embryoid body hematopoiesis is remarkably congruent to the timeline of normal human YS development, which occurs during weeks 2 to 6 of human gestation. Furthermore, ACE and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) directly regulate hemangioblast expansion and differentiation via signaling through the angiotensin II receptors AGTR1 and AGTR2. ACE enzymatic activity is required for hemangioblast expansion, and differentiation toward either endothelium or multipotent hematopoietic progenitors is dramatically augmented after manipulation of angiotensin II signaling with either AGTR1- or AGTR2-specific inhibitors. The RAS can therefore be exploited to direct the hematopoietic or endothelial fate of hESC-derived hemangioblasts, thus providing novel opportunities for human tissue engineering. Moreover, the initial events of human hematoendotheliogenesis can be delineated in a manner previously impossible because of inaccessibility to early human embryonic tissues.
Phase field modeling of defects and deformation

New perspectives on the phase field approach in modeling deformation and fracture at the fundamental defect level are reviewed. When applied at sub-angstrom length scales the phase field crystal (PFC) model is able to describe thermally averaged atomic configurations of defects and defect processes on diffusional timescales. When applied at individual defect levels the microscopic phase field (MPF) model is a superset of the Cahn–Hilliard description of chemical inhomogeneities and the Peierls (cohesive zone) description of displacive inhomogeneities. A unique feature associated with the MPF model is its ability to predict fundamental properties of individual defects such as size, formation energy, saddle point configuration and activation energy of defect nuclei, and the micromechanisms of their mutual interactions, directly using ab initio calculations as model inputs. When applied at the mesoscopic level the coarse grained phase field (CGPF) models have the ability to predict the evolution of microstructures consisting of a large assembly of both chemically and mechanically interacting defects through coupled displacive and diffusional mechanisms. It is noted that the purpose of the MPF model is fundamentally different from that of the CGPF models. The latter have been used primarily to study microstructural evolution with user-supplied linear response rate laws, defect energies and mobilities. Combined phase field simulations hold great promise in modeling deformation and fracture with complex microstructural and chemical interactions.
A Scalable Memory-Efficient Architecture for Parallel Shared Memory Switches

Parallel shared memory (PSM) switch architectures were initially introduced as means of resolving the high memory bandwidth requirements imposed by output-queued switches. At the core of the PSM architecture is a memory management algorithm that determines, for each arriving packet, the memory unit in which it will be placed. Recent work has indicated that in order to achieve high throughput, the number of parallel memories needed is O (N1.5), thereby significantly limiting scalability. This paper introduces a novel pipelined memory management algorithm which maintains a computational complexity of O(1) while reducing the number of required parallel memories to O (N). Our goal is to extend existing shared-memory architecture results in the context of fabric on a chip (FoC) - a paradigm that advocates the consolidation of core packet switching functions on a single chip. A detailed discussion is provided pertaining to the fundamental properties of the proposed scheme, along with hardware implementation considerations that illustrate its scalability and performance attributes.
A Fully Passive Wireless Backscattering Neurorecording Microsystem Embedded in Dispersive Human-Head Phantom Medium

This letter reports a microfabricated fully passive circuit for extracting and transmitting targeted neuropotentials wirelessly via the backscattering effect without any internal power source or harvester. Radiating electromagnetic waves experience attenuation, phase and wavelength alteration, and random scattering effects when propagating through dispersive biological media (i.e., human head), and these effects are augmented at microwave frequencies required for practical miniaturization of the integrated microsystem antenna. The authors examine the fully passive microsystem for wireless recording of emulated neuropotentials as implanted in a phantom mimicking the human head. The wireless measurements of emulated neuropotentials acquired by the microsystem demonstrate its promising capabilities for neurological applications.
Stress Evaluation of a Short, Medium and Long Stem Proximal Fill Femoral Implants

The femoral stem of a traditional total hip arthroplasty is believed to be essential for fixation and stability. Stems achieve early stability in a non-physiological fashion by a combination of friction and circumferential displacement of bone, similar to that of a nail being impacted into a piece of wood. In contrast, the “Revelation” femoral prosthesis, produced by DJO Surgical Corporation, relies upon a proximal lateral expansion (“Lateral Flare” design concept) to achieve stability.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The Romance of Real Life: Charles Brockden Brown and the Origins of American Culture

Among the leading writers of the early republic, Charles Brockden Brown often appears as a romantic prototype - the brilliant, alienated author rejected by a utilitarian, materialistic American society. In "The Romance of Real Life", Steven Watts reinterprets Brown's life and work as a case study in the emerging culture of capitalism at the dawn of the 19th century. Offering a revisionist view of Brown himself, Watts examines the major novels of the 1790s, as well as previously neglected sources - from early essays and private letters to later career forays into journalism, political pamphleteering, serial fiction and cultural criticism. The result is a picture of Brown as a man of letters in post-Revolutionary America, a man who analyzed the public and private vagaries of individual agency. His notoriously volatile private life, it is suggested, in many ways flowed from a critique of market society and its impulses. Watts also aims to show how Brown's experience was central to broader developments: the rise of the novel in America, the development of gender and family formulations, the clash between republican "virtue" and liberal "self-interest," and the origins of a bourgeois creed of self-control. Perhaps most importantly, he explains how Brown helped articulate a notion of "culture" itself as a civilizing force to restrain restless liberal individualism.
Characterizing the Performance Effect of Trials and Rotations in Applications that use Quantum Phase Estimation

Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE) is one of the key techniques used in quantum computation to design quantum algorithms which can be exponentially faster than classical algorithms. Intuitively, QPE allows quantum algorithms to find the hidden structure in certain kinds of problems. In particular, Shor's well-known algorithm for factoring the product of two primes uses QPE. Simulation algorithms, such as Ground State Estimation (GSE) for quantum chemistry, also use QPE. Unfortunately, QPE can be computationally expensive, either requiring many trials of the computation (repetitions) or many small rotation operations on quantum bits. Selecting an efficient QPE approach requires detailed characterizations of the trade- offs and overheads of these options. In this paper, we explore three different algorithms that trade off trials versus rotations. We perform a detailed characterization of their behavior on two important quantum algorithms (Shor's and GSE). We also develop an analytical model that characterizes the behavior of a range of algorithms in this tradeoff space. TABLE I: Comparison of three QPE Methods, with the ide- alized assumption of perfect rotation precision. (With more realistic imperfect rotation precisions, AQFT will have a non- zero number of trials since it uses repeated trials to regain precision.) ACPA is a middle ground between KHT and AQFT in terms of the number of rotations and trials involved.
Development of an integrated process skill test: TIPS II

The purpose of this project was to develop a valid and reliable science process skill test for middle and high school students. Multiple-choice items were generated for each of five objectives. Following pilot testing and revision, the test was administered to middle and high school students in the northeastern United States. The 36-item test can be completed in a normal class period. Results yielded a mean score of 19.14 and a total test reliability of 0.86. Mean difficulty and discrimination indices were 0.53 and 0.35, respectively. Split-test correlations coefficients between TIPS II and the original TIPS items were 0.86 and 0.90. TIPS II provides another reliable instrument for measuring process skill achievement. Additionally, it increases the available item pool for measuring these skills.
KATP channels “vingt ans après”: ATG to PDB to Mechanism

A multidisciplinary effort over twenty years has provided deep insight into the nature of K(ATP) channels. First discovered in cardiomyocytes and pancreatic beta-cells, as ubiquitous sensors of the ADP/ATP ratio they are implicated in multiple disorders characterized by the uncoupling of excitation from metabolism. Composed of two disparate subunits these large octameric channels present a formidable challenge to scientists interested in understanding mechanism in physical, chemical, and structural terms. Post-cloning studies have defined the domains and interactions, within and between the nucleotide-inhibited K(IR) pore and nucleotide-stimulated, drug-binding core of the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) regulatory subunits, that control channel assembly and gating. Determination of the three-dimensional structures of the bacterial prototypes of the channel subunits allowed homology modeling and has provided increasingly detailed mechanistic understanding. Here I review the early electrophysiology and molecular biology of K(ATP) channels, cover biophysical principles governing their single channel kinetics, integrate this with current efforts to understand ligand-recognition and gating within the pore and SUR core, and propose a mechanism of coupling based on recent identification of a SUR gatekeeper module and first composite models of (SUR/K(IR) 6.0)(4) complexes. This mechanism, based on interactions between inter-K(IR) subunit ATP-binding pockets and a unique bi-directional regulatory apparatus comprised of elements from the gatekeeper and K(IR) amino terminus, provides a molecular perspective for understanding the biophysical basis underlying the polar effects of pathogenic mutations in K(ATP) channel subunits.
Complex-valued independent vector analysis: Application to multivariate Gaussian model

We consider the problem of joint blind source separation of multiple datasets and introduce a solution to the problem for complex-valued sources. We pose the problem in an independent vector analysis (IVA) framework and provide a new general IVA implementation using Wirtinger calculus and a decoupled nonunitary optimization algorithm to facilitate Newton-based optimization. Utilizing the noncircular multivariate Gaussian distribution as a source prior enables the full utilization of the complete second-order statistics available in the covariance and pseudo-covariance matrices. The algorithm provides a principled approach for achieving multiset canonical correlation analysis.
Impact of Cultivation and Subsequent Burial on Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

We assessed the efficacy of cultivation as a potential management strategy for codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in apple orchards. Cocooned codling moth pupae and thinning apples infested with plum curculio larvae were cultivated over in the field. Emergence, percent burial, damage to buried fruit, and depth of burial was recorded. In the laboratory, both insects were buried at variable depths in sand and potting soil and emergence was measured. A greater proportion of plum curculio larvae buried in infested fruit under laboratory conditions survived to adulthood compared with unburied infested fruit, down to 15 cm. No codling moth adults emerged from under 1 cm or more of sand. Buried codling moth larvae experienced drastically reduced survival to adulthood compared with unburied larvae. These results indicate that strip cultivation may negatively impact codling moth diapausing larvae and pupae on the ground, but not likely to negatively impact plum curculio in infested dropped apples.
Living-unrelated renal transplantation: results in 40 patients.

Kidney transplantation for the treatment of end-stage renal disease has been limited by an inadequate number of donor organs. Because of the enormous impact kidney transplantation can have for patients, the authors have performed 40 living-unrelated donor renal transplantations using a donor-specific transfusion protocol since 1981. Ten additional patients were entered but became sensitized. Donors included 23 wives, seven husbands, six friends, and four individuals related by marriage. Type I diabetes was the most common indication for transplantation (45%). Despite 36 rejections in 24 patients (27 of 36 [75%] in the early postoperative period), only two grafts failed because of rejection. Twenty-one of these rejections responded to high-dose prednisone alone; the remainder required antilymphocyte globulin therapy or plasmapheresis. Sixteen patients had no acute rejections. Three other grafts were lost, including two deaths: one myocardial infarction (with a functioning graft), and one death secondary to a postoperative cecal perforation. One graft was lost from infarction after percutaneous nephrostomy placement. Of 40 grafts, 34 were functioning with a mean serum creatinine of 1.7 mgldL (at a mean follow-up time of 27 months). Actuarial patient and graft survival were 94% and 89%, respectively, at 3 years. Living-unrelated renal transplants are an acceptable alternative to cadaver transplants, with excellent graft and patient survival.
Difficult and urgent open problems in document image analysis for libraries

Open problems in document image analysis research and development relevant to digital libraries (DLs) are briefly described and their difficulty and urgency estimated. They are grouped according to the stage of processing, in the construction of DLs, where they first apply: image capture, early processing, content extraction and recognition, structure analysis, retrieval, & presentation; and in personal and interactive DLs.
Silent illumination: a study on Chan (Zen) meditation, anxiety, and musical performance quality:

This study investigated the effects of Chan (Zen) meditation on musical performance anxiety and musical performance quality. Nineteen participants were recruited from music conservatories and rando...