cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of computational methods for hydrodynamic performance prediction of oscillating marine propulsors

Abstract The biomimicry of fish fins has been suggested as an efficient and low-noise approach to propulsion for remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles. Propulsion of this type is achieved through the use of fin-like propulsors that undergo oscillatory motions. Two computational approaches of differing fidelity and computational space/time requirements have been used to calculate thrust and efficiency of oscillating marine propulsors in order to determine the region where each method is most appropriate for design applications. The higher fidelity and computational cost method is an unsteady Navier–Stokes approach. The lower fidelity and computational cost method is a lifting-surface potential flow method supplemented with strip theory to account for viscous effects. In comparison with two-dimensional experimental results, both methods were able to accurately capture magnitudes and trends in light to moderate thrust conditions ( C T 0 . 7 ) assuming no dynamic stall occurs. Under these operating conditions, computational savings for three-dimensional analysis on the order of 5,000 processor-hours are achieved by using the lower fidelity method, making it the more appropriate choice for design applications. At high thrust conditions ( C T > 0 . 7 ) and in conditions where dynamic stall effects are prevalent ( α m a x > 2 0 ∘ , low Strouhal numbers), the higher fidelity method is required to achieve sufficient predictive accuracy.
Flicker-free Animation Using Java

Currently the most popular use of Java seems to be in building applets. This article shows you not only how to make an applet, but how to make it look good.
Adapting Open Information Extraction to Domain-Specific Relations

Information extraction (IE) can identify a set of relations from free text to support question answering (QA). Until recently, IE systems were domain-specific and needed a combination of manual engineering and supervised learning to adapt to each target domain. A new paradigm, Open IE operates on large text corpora without any manual tagging of relations, and indeed without any pre-specified relations. Due to its open-domain and open-relation nature, Open IE is purely textual and is unable to relate the surface forms to an ontology, if known in advance. We explore the steps needed to adapt Open IE to a domain-specific ontology and demonstrate our approach of mapping domain-independent tuples to an ontology using domains from DARPA’s Machine Reading Project. Our system achieves precision over 0.90 from as few as 8 training examples for an NFL-scoring domain.
Turbulence Effects on Early Flame Kernel Growth

The effect of turbulence on flame kernel growth in lean propane-air mixtures has been studied in a flow reactor at atmospheric pressure and 300 K using laser ignition. The flame kernel growth rate was measured using laser shadowgraphy. Measurements were made under two different turbulent flow conditions, with two different ignition energies and over a range of fuel to air ratios. The effects of these parameters on flame kernel growth through changes in the mass burning rate and the expansion velocity are discussed. A comparison of the effect of turbulence on ignition probability and flame kernel growth rate variation is also presented.
Automatic Indexing of Journal Abstracts with Latent Semantic Analysis

The BioASQ "Task on Large-Scale Online Biomedical Semantic Indexing" charges participants with assigning semantic tags to biomedical journal abstracts. We present a system that takes as input a biomedical abstract and uses latent semantic analysis to identify similar documents in the MEDLINE database. The system then uses a novel ranking scheme to select a list of MeSH tags from candidates drawn from the most similar documents. Our approach achieved better than baseline performance in both precision and recall. We suggest several possible strategies to improve the system's performance.
A Study of Premixed, Shock-Induced Combustion With Application to Hypervelocity Flight

One of the current goals of research in hypersonic, airbreathing propulsion is access to higher Mach numbers. A strong driver of this goal is the desire to integrate a scramjet engine into a transatmospheric vehicle airframe in order to improve performance to low Earth orbit (LEO) or the performance of a semiglobal transport. An engine concept designed to access hypervelocity speeds in excess of Mach 10 is the shock-induced combustion ramjet (i.e. shcramjet). This dissertation presents numerical studies simulating the physics of a shcramjet vehicle traveling at hypervelocity speeds with the goal of understanding the physics of fuel injection, wall autoignition mitigation, and combustion instability in this flow regime.
Retention characteristics of different reproduction cues in motor short-term memory.

Compared the retention characteristics of 2 types of kinesthetic information by controlling the use of the reproduction cues of distance and location in the recall of a blind lever-positioning movement. The variability about the mean algebraic error (VE) was used to evaluate decay and interference e
Effects of propofol on intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in human astrocytoma cells

The effects of propofol, a short-acting general anesthetic, upon cell growth and Ca(2+) signaling in a human astrocytic cell line were examined. Exposure of cells to graded concentrations of propofol resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell number with an inhibitory concentration of cell viability (IC50) of 31.7+/-1.2 microM. To evaluate the changes in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis induced by propofol, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) were measured by fluorescence imaging. Mitochondrial Ca(2+) increased while cytoplasmic Ca(2+) decreased significantly at a propofol concentration lower than the IC50 (10 microM for 24 h, 1 microM for 72 h). In addition, propofol diminished the Ca(2+) response induced by fetal bovine serum (FBS). To determine the source of Ca(2+) alterations induced by propofol, pharmacologic agents targeting intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis mechanisms were used. Nifedipine, an L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, decreased FBS-induced Ca(2+) response of control cells to a level similar to propofol treated cells. However, diazoxide (a K(+)-ATP channel opener) administered 1 h before FBS addition restored the FBS response in propofol treated cells to a level similar to control. In addition, diazoxide increased mitochondrial Ca(2+) in control cells to a level comparable to propofol treated cells suggesting activation of these channels by propofol treatment. Addition of 1 muM RU-360 (a selective blocker of the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter) for 30 min prior to propofol treatment restored mitochondrial and cytoplasmic Ca(2+) to control levels. These data suggest that voltage operated Ca(2+) channels, mitochondrial Ca(2+) and K(+)-ATP channels may be targets of propofol action in astrocytes.
The Physiologic Effects of a Conducted Electrical Weapon in Swine

Study objective By using an animal model, we determine whether repeated exposures to a conducted electrical weapon could have physiologic consequences. Methods Exposures to the Stinger S-400 conducted electrical weapon were applied to 10 healthy, anesthetized, Yorkshire-cross, male swine by attaching probes from the cartridge to the sternal notch and anterolateral thorax at a distance of 21.5 cm. The standard pulse generated by the Stinger S-400 during the normal application was applied 20 times during 31 minutes. To evaluate the health effects of the exposures, key physiologic characteristics were evaluated, including arterial pH, PCO 2 , PO 2 , blood lactate, cardiac output, ECG, pulse rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure and airway pressure, and the cardiac marker troponin I. Results There were notable changes in pH, PCO 2 , blood lactate, cardiac output, and mean arterial pressure after 1 or more sets of exposures, all of which normalized during the next few hours. Troponin I, PO 2 , pulse rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, and airway pressure did not change markedly during or after the shocks. Three premature ventricular contractions occurred in one animal; all other ECG results were normal. Conclusion Repeated exposures to a conducted electrical weapon result in respiratory acidosis, metabolic vasodilation, and an increase in blood lactate level. These effects were transient in this study, with full recovery by 4 hours postexposure. The Stinger S-400 appears to have no serious adverse physiologic effects on healthy, anesthetized swine.
Room-temperature phosphorescence of anthracene on a pretreated solid substrate

Abstract Room-temperature phosphorescence of anthracene on a previously treated solid substrate was studied. Whatman No. 1 filter-paper was spotted with thallium nitrate and thallium lauryl sulfate. The phosphorescence signal of anthracene in the presence of thallium lauryl sulfate was approximately double that obrtained on thallium nitrate. The linear dynamic range for both systems was determined to be 3–75 ng with limits of detection of approximately 3 ng. The best precision and linearity for the method were produced by the thallium lauryl sulfate system.
The Gender Difference: Validity of Standardized Admission Tests in Predicting MBA Performance.

Abstract A difference in educational attainment has long been held as a major factor in the imbalance among men and women in upper business management. Women are far less likely to achieve graduate business degrees, and conventional blame usually includes a gender bias in MBA admissions criteria. This study reviews the issues and changing trends in this area, focusing on 269 recent MBA students (120 female, 149 male), finding that though the women performed significantly lower on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test), there was no discernible difference in overall MBA performance (graduate GPA).
Toughening of poly(butylene terephthalate) with core-shell impact modifiers dispersed with the aid of polycarbonate

Abstract Commercial emulsion-made impact modifiers with a shell of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chains grafted onto a rubber core, either acrylate or butadiene based, cannot be adequately dispersed in a matrix of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) to achieve useful toughening. However, it is known that tough materials can be achieved when these blends also contain polycarbonate (PC). It is demonstrated here that 10 wt% or less of PC greatly facilitates the dispersal of such core-shell impact modifiers in a PBT matrix and leads to tough blends even at low temperatures. It is known that PC wets PBT and PMMA better than PBT and PMMA wet each other, which allows the PC to act as a dispersing agent for these impact modifier particles in the PBT matrix. The morphology and mechanical properties of ternary blends where PC is a major matrix component rather than simply a dispersing agent are also examined.
The Voices of Mexican Women Left Behind: Responses to their Challenges

This article presents findings from a 2006–2008 transnational qualitative research study on the impact that undocumented immigration to the United States has on women left behind in Mexico. Three of the findings presented here are: (a) the identification of problems due to emigration as institutional, (b) the special vulnerability of adolescents and young adults in rural Mexico to the pressures to emigrate, and (c) the role changes for women inherent in their reported and observed responses to this crisis. While the youth of Central Mexico are particularly vulnerable to the economic forces of globalization, the women of their communities, their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, despite what seems to be an overwhelming system of interconnected institutional barriers, are responding to increasing transnational migration of family and youth with initiatives of collective strength. These findings, along with their implications for work with formerly disempowered populations, are presented.
Numerical investigation of the stabilization of the no-motion state of a fluid layer heated from below and cooled from above

The feasibility of controlling flow patterns of Rayleigh–Benard convection in a fluid layer confined in a circular cylinder heated from below and cooled from above (the Rayleigh–Benard problem) is investigated numerically. It is demonstrated that, through the use of feedback control, it is possible to stabilize the no-motion (conductive) state, thereby postponing the transition from a no-motion state to cellular convection. The control system utilizes multiple sensors and actuators. The actuators consist of individually controlled heaters positioned on the bottom surface of the cylinder. The sensors are installed at the fluid’s midheight. The sensors monitor the deviation of the fluid’s temperatures from preset desired values and direct the actuators to act in such a way so as to eliminate these deviations. The numerical predictions are critically compared with experimental observations.
The computation of spectral density functions for singular Sturm-Liouville problems involving simple continuous spectra

The software package SLEDGE has as one of its options the estimation of spectral density functions p(t) for a wide class of singular Strurm-Liouville problems. In this article the underlaying theory and implementation issues are discussed. Several examples exhibiting quite varied asymptotic behavior in p are presented.
Factors influencing producers' perceptions about the importance of government support programmes in agriculture: application of a semi-parametric ordered response model

This article examines factors affecting producers’ perceptions towards the relative importance of government support programmes in agriculture. Specific attention is placed on determining the effect of crop insurance usage on farmers’ views about the importance of government programme payments. Results from a semi-parametric ordered response model shows that producers who use yield- or revenue-based crop insurance products also tend to view government programmes with higher importance, suggesting that crop insurance and direct government support programmes tend to be complements rather than substitutes.
A new form of the hypersingular boundary integral equation for 3-D acoustics and its implementation with C0 boundary elements

Abstract An improved weakly-singular form of the hypersingular boundary integral equation (HBIE) for 3-D acoustic wave problems is presented in this paper. Compared with the weakly-singular form of the HBIE published earlier [Y.J. Liu and F.J. Rizzo, A weakly-singular form of the hypersingular boundary integral equation applied to 3-D acoustic wave problems, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 96 (1992) 271–287], this new form involves only tangential derivatives of the density function and thus its discretization using the boundary element method (BEM) is easier to perform. Instead of using nonconforming and C1 continuous boundary elements advocated earlier, C0 continuous (conforming quadratic) elements are employed in the discretization of this weakly-singular form of the HBIE. Some justifications on using C0 elements for HBIEs are provided to reflect the current views on this crucial issue for HBIEs. It is postulated that the original C1,α continuity requirement for the density function in the analytical HBIE formulation can be relaxed to piecewise C1,α continuity in the numerical implementation of the weakly-singular forms of the HBIE. Numerical examples of both scattering and radiation problems clearly demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of the new weakly-singular form of the HBIE for 3-D acoustics.
Stress triggered rise in plasma aldosterone is lessened by chronic nicotine infusion.

Abstract The ability of nicotine infusion to modulate plasma aldosterone levels in response to different stressors was investigated. Sprague–Dawley rats given nicotine (5 mg/kg/day) or saline for 14 days were subjected to stress. Baseline plasma aldosterone (86±17 pmol/l) was unaffected by nicotine. Aldosterone was significantly elevated by restraint (450±72 pmol/l) and especially with cold (1249±172 pmol/l) or immobilization (1779±247 pmol/l) stress. Nicotine infusion attenuated the rise in aldosterone with restraint and cold stress, but not immobilization. These results reveal that nicotine infusion can attenuate the aldosterone response, depending on the type of stress.
The stroke trials directory: An online registry of clinical trials in cerebrovascular disease

Abstract The Stroke Trials Directory is a freely accessible Web-based database of ongoing and completed stroke clinical trials, provided as a service of the Internet Stroke Center at Washington University //www.strokecenter.org . The Web site presently includes some 505 trials testing over 200 therapeutic interventions for cerebrovascular disease prevention, treatment, or recovery. Trial information is extensively cross-linked with other online resources, including the National Library of Medicine's PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov sites, the Cochrane Collaboration, conference abstracts, and individual trial Web sites. We describe goals and design of the Stroke Trials Directory, and outline selected listings for current trials of antithrombotic agents in stroke prevention.
Flow sorting of the mouse Cattanach X chromosome, T (X; 7) 1 Ct, in an active or inactive state.

Cells containing the mouse T(X;7)1Ct translocation were used to separate active and inactive X chromosomes. Cytophotometric data showed that the X(7) chromosome was at le
Phase lags and pulsation modes of classical Cepheids.

The first-order phase lag between light and velocity is calculated from Fourier decompositions of the variations of 12 classical Cepheids. The phase lags have a narrow range, with maximum expansion velocity always retarded with respect to maximum light. The average value of the first-order phase lag is found to be approximately -0.3, close to the theoretical value obtained from the models of Simon and Davis. When the phase lag is plotted against period, two of the stars stand out. These stars are SU Cas and AZ Cen, both suspected overtone pulsators. We further investigate AZ Cen by combining the light curves of three observers and plotting the star on the cP21-period diagram of Simon and Lee. The tentative result is seen to strengthen both the identification of AZ Cen as an overtone pulsator and the possible role of the first-order phase lag as a discriminator of mode. We close with a discussion of our results and of the uncertainties which remain. Subject headings: stars: Cepheids stars: pulsation
Peroxidases from the extreme dwarf tomato plant. Identification, isolation, and partial purification

Utilizing starch-gel electrophoresis, 12 discrete peroxidases were identified in purified extracts of the dwarf tomato shoot (Lycopersicon esculentum). Nine of the peroxidases moved toward the anode while 3 moved toward the cathode. In addition, a continuous peroxidase smear was separated from the above 12 peroxidases. This smear moved toward the anode and accounted for 50% of the total peroxidase activity in the crude extract.Four of the major peroxidases were isolated and partially purified, using acetone and ammonium sulfate precipitations, preparative starch-gel electrophoresis and chromatography on DEAE and CM-cellulose.
Osteoporosis is Underdiagnosed in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Large-Scale Heel BMD Screening Study

Objective To investigate the common assertion that osteoporosis is underdiagnosed in the skilled nursing facility setting. Methods Skilled nursing facilities participated in a nationwide heel-screening study conducted by their local consultant pharmacists. The nursing facility residents were categorized into 4 age groups: 59 years and younger; 60 to 69 years; 70 to 79 years; and 80 years and older. Residents were screened on a voluntary basis. Heel scanning was performed using a peripheral dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (pDXA) machine, and the data were collected by an independent contractor (On-Site Wellness). Residents were grouped by low, moderate, or high risk for osteoporosis based on their bone mineral density (BMD) T-scores. Bedridden patients, patients with a short life expectancy, and those currently receiving osteoporosis therapy were excluded from the study. Results A total of 34,486 residents of skilled nursing facilities in 26 states were screened, 7728 (22.4%) of whom were grouped as low risk, 12,095 (35.1%) as moderate risk, and 14,663 (42.5%) as high risk for osteoporosis and related fracture. Findings by state were comparable to those for the total study population. Conclusion This large-scale heel-screening study suggests a considerable prevalence of undiagnosed osteoporosis (as measured by peripheral DXA scans) in skilled nursing facilities, underscoring the need for more vigilant awareness of fracture risk in these patients.
Progelatinase A mRNA Expression in cell lines derived from tumors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma correlates inversely with survival

Abstract Objectives Tumors are thought to metastasize by a process involving tumor cell attachment to extracellular matrix, degradation of matrix components by tumor-associated proteases, and cellular movement into the area modified by protease activity. Type IV collagen comprises the major element tumor cells must degrade to gain access to the rest of the body. Renal cancer cell line progelatinase A (E.C. 3.4.24.24; 72-kDa type IV collagenase; MMP-2) mRNA expression was correlated with patient survival. Methods Total cellular mRNA was extracted from tumor cell lines derived from patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The results of the densitometric analysis of Northern blots were correlated with patient survival. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of primary renal cancers were examined for immunohistochemical expression of MMP-2. Results Cell lines established from 23 primary renal tumors and six metastatic sites in 26 patients with metastatic renal carcinoma were studied. Variable expression of progelatinase A, relative to A2058 melanoma cells (mean ± SEM, 0.60 ± 0.21 ; median, 0.082; range, 0 to 4.78), was found. There was a significant inverse association between patient survival and the log of the MMP-2 expression (P = 0.045 by the Cox proportional-hazards model). Using a cutoff value of 0.10, the closest round number to the median expression of MMP-2, a significant difference between survival of patients with lower and higher MMP-2 expression in their primary renal cell line was found (P = 0.0054). Cell lines with low, intermediate, and high expression of MMP-2 mRNA all had primary tumors with high tissue immunohistochemical expression of MMP-2. Conclusions These studies demonstrate an inverse relationship between renal cancer cell line MMP-2 mRNA expression and patient survival. Immunohistochemical studies of the primary tumors from which the cell lines were derived uniformly showed high MMP-2 expression. Previous work suggests local renal factors upregulate cellular expression of MMP-2 in the primary tumor, and are not active at extrarenal sites.
Fractional Split-Distribution Model for Statewide Commodity-Flow Analysis

A relatively simple, but comprehensive, approach to modeling interregional commodity-flow volumes is proposed and applied. The approach estimates the fraction of commodity consumed at each destination zone that originates from alternate production zones. The resulting fractional split model for commodity-flow distribution is more general in structure than the typical gravity model used today for statewide freight planning. The empirical analysis applies the fractional split model to analyze interregional commodity flows in Texas.
Neurobehavioral actions of cannabichromene and interactions with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol

1. Neither cannabichromene (CBC) nor delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) protected mice from electroshock-induced seizures, although THC inhibited postictal mortality. Minor effects were produced on seizure latency and duration. 2. CBC had a weak analgetic action in mice; THC had a moderate and lengthy effect, which was potentiated at 2 hr by concurrent CBC. 3. Both CBC (10-75 mg/kg, i.p.) and THC (20 mg/kg) reduced motility of mice, the THC equalling the highest dose of CBC. 4. Performance of a conditioned avoidance response was strongly impaired by THC, but not by CBC, nor did CBC combined with THC have influence on the effects of THC.
Cytokine and hormone profiles in mice subjected to handling combined with rectal temperature measurement stress and handling only stress.

Abstract Stress is known to either up or down regulate immunity. In this study, mice were subjected to handling combined with rectal temperature measurement (RTM) stress or handling only stress. We investigated whether there were any significant differences in the effect of handling combined with RTM and handling only on NK cell activity, serum cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and ACTH and β-endorphin levels, and splenic cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-α, and IFN-β) levels. Circulating cytokines and hormones and splenic cytokine mRNA levels were measured in individual mice. NK cell activity was significantly increased in both stress groups when compared to the control group. Handling combined with RTM produced significantly increased serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and β-endorphin. Serum IL-1β, ACTH, and β-endorphin were elevated significantly in the handling only group. Splenic TNFα mRNA in both of the stress groups and IL-6 mRNA in handling only group decreased significantly. Our observations are supported by existing literature demonstrating that various stressors have differential effects on immune functions and the neuroendocrine hormones and cytokines, which regulate them.
Responses of sympathetic postganglionic neurons to peripheral nerve stimulation in the pigeon (Columba livia)

Abstract Reflex changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure can be elicited in pigeons with high cervical transection by stimulation of brachial or lumbosacral peripheral and spinal nerves. This extends the phenomenon of spinally mediated, somatosympathetic reflexes to another vertebrate class. In a preliminary attempt to explore the spinal circuitry mediating these reflexes, the responses of single sympathetic postganglionic neurons were studied during spinal and peripheral nerve stimulation. With stimulation and recording at the same spinal segment, calculation of the central delay suggests the segmental reflex circuitry may be relatively simple, possibly trisynaptic. As the distance between stimulating and recording sites increases, postganglionic neuronal responsiveness decreases and becomes more variable. However, there is clear evidence that lumbosacral afferents can activate postganglionic neurons at brachial levels, indicating an effective propriospinal circuitry for somatosympathetic reflexes. Experiments on birds with intact spinal cords demonstrate that these spino-spinal pathways are also functional in the intact animal. While the segmental reflex is not different in the intact bird, the propriospinal pathways do behave somewhat differently, possible suggesting tonic central control.
Design and fabrication of transparent silicon solar cells for high efficiency

Transparent silicon solar cells can lead to increased energy conversion efficiency by enabling the collection and conversion of photons near and below the silicon band gap. This can be accomplished through the use of a low band gap solar cell in multiple junction systems. This analysis shows that the potential energy conversion efficiency gain for a one sun system is 7%. The design and fabrication of a silicon cell transparent to low energy, infrared (IR), light is presented.
Agricultural typology concept and method

Abstract After reviewing briefly the regional and systematic syntheses in agricultural geography published to date, the author characterises the activity and contribution to this problem of the Commission on Agricultural Typology of the International Geographical Union. First the general concept of agricultural typology is presented and discussed, then the criteria, methods and techniques accepted to identify types of agriculture are explained, and finally the practical application of agricultural typology in modelling the spatial organisation of agriculture and in planning agricultural development is discussed, based on a few examples.
Do aging displays impact observer performance and visual search efficiency

LCDs age, and as they do so the whitepoint shifts to a yellow hue. This changes the appearance of the displayed images. We examined whether this shift impacts observer performance and visual search efficiency of radiologists interpreting images. Six radiologists viewed 50 DR chest images on three LCDs that had their whitepoint adjusted to simulate monitor age (new, 1-year old, 2.5 years old). They reported the presence or absence of nodules along with their confidence. Visual search was measured on a subset of 15 images using eye position recording techniques. The results indicate that there was no statistically significant difference in ROC performance due to monitor age (F = 0.4901, p = 0.6187). There were not statistically significant differences between the three monitors in terms of total viewing time (F = 0.056, p = 0.9452). Dwell times for each decision type did not differ significantly as a function of monitor age. The shift in whitepoint towards the yellow range (at least up to 2.5 years of age ) does not impact diagnostic accuracy or visual search efficiency of radiologists.
Least Squares Fitting of Circles

Fitting standard shapes or curves to incomplete data (which represent only a small part of the curve) is a notoriously difficult problem. Even if the curve is quite simple, such as an ellipse or a circle, it is hard to reconstruct it from noisy data sampled along a short arc. Here we study the least squares fit (LSF) of circular arcs to incomplete scattered data. We analyze theoretical aspects of the problem and reveal the cause of unstable behavior of conventional algorithms. We also find a remedy that allows us to build another algorithm that accurately fits circles to data sampled along arbitrarily short arcs.
Study of structure in the 28Si(p, n)28P and 28Si(p, α)25Al excitation functions

Abstract The 28 Si(p, n) 28 P and 28 Si(p, α) 25 Al reactions have been studied over the energy range of 16.0 to 18.2 MeV incident proton energy. Fluctuations appear in the excitation functions over the entire range with widths of 100 keV and 48 keV for the neutron and alpha channels, respectively. The energy averaged 28 Si(p, α) 25 Al angular distributions are not reproduced by Hauser-Feshbach compound nucleus calculations but do resemble DWBA calculations. Because of the complex nature of the reaction mechanism in this energy range, it could not be concluded whether the structure in the excitation functions is due to doorway states or Ericson fluctuations.
Mathematical analysis of a shuttle system based on two interdependent queues

Abstract This is an analysis of a multishuttle system, using a car ferry as the example, to develop mathematical models of shuttle systems. Poisson-exponential mathematical models for the single- and two-shuttle systems are formulated as interdependent queueing systems. The vector (X A , X B ) representing the number of cars waiting at shore A and shore B respectively, at the end of an unloading at one of the shores is shown to form a bivariate Markov chain; thus the long run probability distributions of (X A , X B ) can be evaluated using classical Markov chain theory.
A modified Girard derivatizing reagent for universal profiling and trace analysis of aldehydes and ketones by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

4-Hydrazino-N,N,N-trimethyl-4-oxobutanaminium iodide (HTMOB) is a modified Girard derivatizing reagent synthesized to improve the sensitivity of analysis of aldehydes and ketones with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with Girard T reagent the measured signal intensity increase is between 3.3 times (succinylacetone) and 7.0 times (17-hydroxyprogesterone). HTMOB is a universal profiling reagent for aldehydes and ketones. A neutral loss of 59 Da scan detects all aldehydes and ketones from acetone to corticosteroids. Applications described include the profiling of ketones, ketoacids and ketodiacids in the urine of children with ketosis and the profiling of long-chain aldehydes incorporated in plasma plasmalogens.
Global optimality of extremals - An example

The question of the existence and the location of Darboux points (beyond which global optimality is lost) is crucial for minimal sufficient conditions for global optimality and for computation of optimal trajectories. Here, we investigate numerically the Darboux points and their relationship with conjugate points for a problem of minimum fuel, constant velocity, horizontal aircraft turns to capture a line. This simple second-order optimal control problem shows that ignoring the possible existence of Darboux points may play havoc with the computation of optimal trajectories.
Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonia Associated with Granulomatous Lymphadenopathy

A unique association between desquamative interstitial pneumonia and granulomatous lymphadenopathy in a six-year-old black girl is presented. Although clinical and laboratory improvement followed corticosteroid therapy, fairly severe restrictive pulmonary disease persisted.
Structural Equation Modeling in Pediatric Psychology: Overview and Review of Applications

Objective To describe the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (JPP) and to discuss the usefulness of SEM applications in pediatric psychology research. Method The use of SEM in JPP between 1997 and 2006 was examined and compared to leading journals in clinical psychology, clinical child psychology, and child development. Results SEM techniques were used in <4% of the empirical articles appearing in JPP between 1997 and 2006. SEM was used less frequently in JPP than in other clinically relevant journals over the past 10 years. However, results indicated a recent increase in JPP studies employing SEM techniques. Conclusions SEM is an under-utilized class of techniques within pediatric psychology research, although investigations employing these methods are becoming more prevalent. Despite its infrequent use to date, SEM is a potentially useful tool for advancing pediatric psychology research with a number of advantages over traditional statistical methods.
Seymour Martin Lipset: The Social Uses of Anomaly

Let me preface my remarks by saying that we are here to honor a living, breathing colleague. My great concern, and in this I am sure that I speak for my colleagues as well, is that any imputation of a postmortem be avoided. Indeed, I would like to believe that Marty will review these various contributions and make his own assessments-critical or approvingly. The fact that he is not present in this conference hall should not deter us from speaking frankly and forthrightly. Marty merits nothing less. What binds us all is the sure knowledge that the work of Lipset speaks to us in personal as well as professional ways. That he has touched so many of us in both the private and public realms is itself a testimonial of the magnitude of his contribution to the field of political sociology. So it is in that spirit of a collegial dialogue that I offer these remarks. Let us hope that a year from now a session of one person can be held, at which S. M. Lipset will provide rebuttals and responses to those of us herein gathered.
Adaptation of human left ventricular volumes to the onset of supine exercise.

The purpose of this study was to measure the changes and rates of adaptation of left ventricular volumes at the onset of exercise. Eight asymptomatic subjects, in whom intramyocardial markers had been implanted 3–6 years previously during aortocoronary bypass surgery, exercised in the supine position at a constant workload of 73.6 W for 5 min. Six also exercised first at 16.4 W, and then against a workload which progressively increased by 8.2 W every 15s. Cardiac volumes were measured by computer assisted analysis of the motion of the implanted markers. In the constant workload test, cardiac output increased rapidly from 5.7±1 min−1 to 10.3±1.9 1 min−1 by 2 min and then increased more slowly to 10.8±2.0 1 min−1 by 5 min. The cardiac output increase was mainly due to an increase in heart rate from 68±12 beats min−1 to 120±16 beats min−1 with minimal changes in stroke volume. The time constant for the early increase in cardiac output was 45 s and for heart rate, 35 s. With progressively increasing workloads, there was an almost linear increase of heart rate and cardiac output, but these increased at a slower rate than during the early phase of the constant load exercise test. In conclusion: (i) rapid changes in cardiac output during supine exercise were produced by changes in heart rate; (ii) changes in stroke volume provided minor adjustments to cardiac output; (iii) the end-diastolic volume was almost constant.
Closing wedge osteotomy of the tibia and the femur in the treatment of gonarthrosis

New developments in osteotomy techniques and methods of fixation have caused a renewed interest in closing wedge osteotomies of the tibia and femur in the treatment of gonarthrosis. The rationale, definition and techniques of closing wedge tibial and femoral osteotomies in the treatment of gonarthrosis are discussed. The principal indications include unicompartmental medial and much less so, varus knee gonarthrosis and unicompartmental lateral or valgus knee gonarthrosis with a well-maintained range of motion in patients who are physiologically young. Newer techniques have provided more rigid fixation and improved accuracy of correction.
Cochlear microphonics and otoacoustic emissions in chronically de-efferented chinchilla

Abstract The effects of eliminating the olivocochlear bundle (OCB) on cochlear electromechanical properties were examined by measuring cochlear microphonics (CM) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in chronically de-efferented chinchillas. The OCB fibers to the right ears were successfully sectioned in six out of 15 adult chinchillas via a posterior paraflocular fossa approach. At the end of the experiment, these ears were histologically verified as being deprived of both lateral and medial OCB fibers. The opposite (left) ears from the animals served as controls. Following de-efferentation, changes of the inter-modulation distortion components (2f1−f2, f2−f1, 3f1−2f2, 3f2−2f1) varied, depending on the frequencies and levels of the stimuli. DPOAE amplitudes to low-level stimuli were within the 95% confidence intervals around mean DPOAE amplitudes of the control ears at all the frequencies (1–8 kHz). At high stimulus levels, DPOAE amplitudes increased by 5–20 dB at 1 and 2 kHz while remaining in the normal range at 4 and 8 kHz. In contrast, the CM input/output functions to stimuli from 1 to 8 kHz were significantly reduced by approximately 40–50% at all input levels. The results suggest that the OCB may play a role in modulating electrical properties of the outer hair cells and in reducing the magnitude of cochlear distortion to high-level stimuli.
Preferential Modification of Nuclear Proteins by a Novel Ubiquitin-like Molecule *

Sentrin is a novel ubiquitin-like protein that protects cells against both anti-Fas and tumor necrosis factor-induced cell death. Antiserum recognizing the N terminus of sentrin revealed the presence of a 18-kDa sentrin monomer, a 90-kDa band (p90), and multiple high molecular mass bands. Because sentrin possesses the conserved Gly-Gly residues near the C terminus, it is likely that these additional bands represent conjugation of sentrin to other proteins in a manner that is similar to the ubiquitination pathway. Transient expression of hemagglutinin epitope-tagged sentrin mutants in COS cells demonstrated that the sentrin C terminus is cleaved, which allows it to be conjugated to other proteins via the conserved C-terminal Gly residue. Immunocytochemical staining and cell fractionation analysis demonstrated that sentrin monomer is localized predominantly to the cytosol. However, p90 and the majority of sentrinized proteins appeared to be localized to the nucleus. When the conserved Gly-Gly residues of sentrin were changed to Gly-Ala, only sentrin monomer and p90 but not the high molecular mass bands were observed. Thus, p90 generation appears to be required for the formation of high molecular mass bands in the nucleus. Taken together, sentrinization represents a novel pathway for nuclear protein modification, which is distinct from ubiquitination.
Comparison of the Phosphorus Sorption Characteristics of a Conservation Reserve Buffer and an Adjacent Crop Field

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was established by the Food Security Act of 1985. Since its inception, thousands of acres of cropland in stream riparian zones have been converted to conservation buffers through the planting of trees and native grasses. The objectives of this study were to determine the phosphorus (P)–sorption characteristics of the surface soil in a 13‐year‐old CRP buffer and an adjacent continuously cropped production area from which the buffer was created and to assess differences in P‐sorption maxima and P‐buffering capacity between the sites. Phosphorus sorption was modeled with both the simple Langmuir and the two‐surface Langmuir equations. There were significant differences in all P‐sorption parameters between the cropped area and the buffer over most of the depth increments studied. The cropped area soil had higher sorption max (Smax), binding energy (k), and P equilibrium buffering capacity (PEBC) than the buffer soil. However, the buffer h...
Novel electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract Methanol-tolerant catalysts were successfully prepared by heat treatment (HT) of a series of single transition metalloporphyrins (V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) and combination of two transition metalloporphyrins (V/Fe, Co/Fe, Ni/Fe and Cu/Fe). Performance of oxygen reduction in heat-treated metalloporphyrins was evaluated by means of a rotating disk electrode in acid electrolyte with and without methanol. HT-FeTPP/CoTPP is the best catalyst for oxygen reduction. An oxygen reduction mechanism for the heat-treated binary metalloporphyrins is also proposed. The Pt–Ru alloy with an atomic ratio of 50:50 gives the best performance at higher over-potential and high current regions while an atomic ratio of 65:35 shows the best performance at the low over-potential and low current regions. A high surface area of Pt–Ru–Os anode catalyst is synthesized. A single MEA (membrane electrode assembly) methanol fuel cell performance for ARL's Pt–Ru–Os anode shows a very superior performance when compared to a commercial Pt–Ru anode.
Collaborative adhocracies and mix-and-match technologies in emergency management

Using the emergent interoperability approach to address unanticipated contingencies during emergency response.
Galois number fields with small root discriminant

Abstract We pose the problem of identifying the set K ( G , Ω ) of Galois number fields with given Galois group G and root discriminant less than the Serre constant Ω ≈ 44.7632 . We definitively treat the cases G = A 4 , A 5 , A 6 and S 4 , S 5 , S 6 , finding exactly 59, 78, 5 and 527, 192, 13 fields, respectively. We present other fields with Galois group SL 3 ( 2 ) , A 7 , S 7 , PGL 2 ( 7 ) , SL 2 ( 8 ) , Σ L 2 ( 8 ) , PGL 2 ( 9 ) , P Γ L 2 ( 9 ) , PSL 2 ( 11 ) , and A 5 2 . 2 , and root discriminant less than Ω. We conjecture that for all but finitely many groups G, the set K ( G , Ω ) is empty.
Assessment of fine motor skill in musicians and nonmusicians: Differences in timing versus sequence accuracy in a bimanual fingering task

While professional musicians are generally considered to possess better control of finger movements than nonmusicians, relatively few reports have experimentally addressed the nature of this discrepancy in fine motor skills. For example, it is unknown whether musicians perform with greater skill than control subjects in all aspects of different types of fine motor activities. More specifically, it is not known whether musicians perform better than control subjects on a fine motor task that is similar, but not identical, to the playing of their primary instrument. The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of finger placement and accuracy of timing in professional musicians and nonmusicians using a simple, rhythmical, bilateral fingering pattern and the technology that allowed separate assessment of these two parameters. Professional musicians (other than pianists) and nonmusicians were given identical, detailed and explicit instructions but not allowed physically to practice the finger pattern. After verbally repeating the correct pattern for the investigator, subjects performed the task on an electric keyboard with both hands simultaneously. Each subject's performance was then converted to a numerical score. While musicians clearly demonstrated better accuracy in timing, no significant difference was found between the groups in their finger placement scores. These findings were not correlated with subjects' age, sex, limb dominance, or primary instrument (for the professional musicians). This study indicates that professional musicians perform better in timing accuracy but not spatial accuracy while executing a simple, novel, bimanual motor sequence.
Successful intelligence as a basis for entrepreneurship

Abstract Successful entrepreneurship requires a blend of analytical, creative, and practical aspects of intelligence, which, in combination, constitute successful intelligence. This article opens with a description of the need to recognize that intelligence is not a single entity. The article continues with descriptions of practical and creative intelligence and then describes how all three merge in successful intelligence. The article considers how successful intelligence can produce different kinds of new contributions. The article concludes that successful intelligence, not just a subset of its components (analytical, creative, and practical abilities), is needed for entrepreneurial success.
Do Not Underestimate Science

In the Letter “The hard problem” (24 April, p. 463), E. J. Neafsey comments on a previous Letter by M. J. Farah and N. Murphy (“Neuroscience and the soul,” 27 February, p. 1168), which claimed that neuroscience may eventually be able to explain all aspects of being human. Neafsey asserts that Farah and Murphy's Letter demonstrates “a somewhat naive and simple faith in scientific progress.” He then refers approvingly to the philosopher David Chalmers's characterization of consciousness as the “hard problem” that will forever defy a reductionist, scientific explanation.
Decay of correlations in surface models

A convergent low-temperature expansion for a variety of models of twodimensional surfaces is presented. It yields existence of the thermodynamic limit for the pressure and correlation functions as well as analyticity inz =e −β In addition, the estimates give exponential decay of truncated correlations, which proves the existence of a gap in the spectrum of the transfer matrix below the ground state eigenvalue. Two particular examples included in the general framework are the solid-on-solid and discrete Gaussian models.