cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian Framework for Modeling Accents in Handwriting

Accent in speech is defined as a distinctive mode of pronunciation that is unique to a geographical region. In a similar way, we define accent in handwriting as distinctive writing characteristics that are unique to a group of people sharing a common native script. In other words, we postulate that a group of people with a common native script will share certain traits in their handwriting that can be ascertained when they write in a different script. In this paper, we establish the existence of accents in handwriting using a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We then demonstrate that the unique trait in handwriting that arises out of the writer's native script is indigenous to that script, which is perceivable when writing in a different script. As a consequence, the ability to identify a person's native script based on the person's handwriting style in another script is introduced. We validated the approach by performing experiments on the UNIPEN dataset, and the experiments lend credibility to our model.
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office

It Takes a Candidate serves as the first systematic, nationwide empirical account of the manner in which gender affects political ambition. Based on data from the Citizen Political Ambition Study, a national survey conducted on almost 3,800 'potential candidates', we find that women, even in the highest tiers of professional accomplishment, are substantially less likely than men to demonstrate ambition to seek elected office. Women are less likely than men to be recruited to run for office. They are less likely than men to think they are 'qualified' to run for office. And they are less likely than men to express a willingness to run for office in the future. This gender gap in political ambition persists across generations. Despite cultural evolution and society's changing attitudes toward women in politics, running for public office remains a much less attractive and feasible endeavor for women than men.
Characterization of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and regulation of IGFBP3 in human mesangial cells

IGF-I regulates renal growth and development. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are synthesized by the kidney and may modulate the local autocrine and/or paracrine actions of IGF-I. We have previously demonstrated that mesangial cells (MC) release IGF-I and IGF-binding activity; however, the specific IGFBPs produced by these cells and the factors involved in their regulation are unknown. We examined MC for expression of IGFBP-1 to -6 mRNAs and proteins. RNase protection assays using total RNA demonstrated that MC express all of the IGFBPs. [125I]IGF-I Western ligand blot of conditioned medium demonstrated that MC release IGFBPs of 24, 29, 32 kDa, and a doublet at 46 kDa, consistent with IGFBP-4, -5, -2 and -3, respectively. IGFBP species of 28 and 34 kDa were also detected. Since IGF-I and TGF-beta are implicated in glomerular hypertrophy and matrix expansion, we tested their effect on IGFBPs released by MC. IGF-I (100 ng/ml), TGF-beta (2 ng/ml) and forskolin (10(-5) M) differentially regulated the abundance of IGFBPs released in the conditioned medium in a time-dependent manner. IGF-I and TGF-beta were potent inducers of the release of IGFBP3 protein; however, TGF-beta, but not IGF-I, increased IGFBP3 mRNA levels. Recombinant IGFBP3 was tested for its effect on IGF-I-induced mitogenesis. IGFBP3 inhibited IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner with a peak effect observed at 50 nM IGFBP3. Although TGF-beta is a potent inhibitor of IGF-I-stimulated DNA synthesis, this effect is not mediated via IGFBPs. Expression of IGFBP-1 to -6 by MC suggests that these proteins may modulate IGF-I bioavailability in the glomerulus. IGF-I itself, TGF-beta and cAMP agonists may indirectly modulate the effects of IGF-I via the release of IGFBPs by MC.
Remembering why: Can people consistently recall reasons for their behaviour?

Summary: We explored how consistent individuals are over time in their recall of the reasons why they engaged in a past behaviour. The study was inspired by a research survey submitted in a copyright infringement case. Study participants listed the reasons why they acquired a particular CD, and repeated the survey several months later. We assessed the consistency of responses across time overall and at the individual level. Results indicate that both forgetting and memory distortion were common. Different types of inconsistencies were identified, and these responses were predicted by characteristics of the original memory and of individuals’ preferences towards the CD. Implications for the legal field are discussed. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Human memory can play a number of roles in the legal system. For example, witnesses recall information about crimes or other legal matters that is used during investigations, and may also be asked to testify at trials about their memories for events. Witnesses and defendants may be interviewed several times over the course of an investigation and trial, and the legal process may span months or even years. Thus, the issue of memory consistency becomes important for determining the quality of this memory evidence (Brewer, Potter, Fisher, Bond, & Luszcz, 1999; Peterson, Moores, & White, 2001). Additional memory evidence may also be presented to the court in the form of original research (e.g. survey data) conducted on an issue central to the case at hand. The first example concerns the consistency of a specific individual’s memories over time, while the second relates to general trends in memory performance.
Spatial distribution of the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein of the nuclear receptor coactivator, amplified in breast cancer-3, in mice

Transcriptional activities of nuclear receptors are modulated by coactivators and corepressors. The amplified in breast cancer-3 protein (AIB3, also known as ASC-2, RAP250, PRIP, TRBP, and NCR) is a newly identified nuclear receptor coactivator that is amplified and overexpressed in breast cancers. This study aims to investigate the spatial expression of AIB3 mRNA and protein in various murine tissues. Quantitative measurements revealed that the concentrations of AIB3 mRNA differ substantially in different tissues in a descending order from the following: testis, brain, thymus, white fat, pituitary, ovary, adrenal gland, lung, uterus, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle, liver, and virgin mammary gland. The AIB3 mRNA level in the testis is 165-fold higher than that in the virgin mammary gland. Specific antiserum was generated and used to map the distribution of AIB3 protein by immunohistochemistry. Although AIB3 protein was detected in many tissues, the AIB3 immunoreactivities varied significantly from cell type to cell type. High levels of AIB3 immunoreactivity were observed in hormone target cells including the testicular Sertoli cells, follicular granulosa cells, and epithelial cells of the prostate, uterus, mammary gland, and kidney tubules. Medium and low levels of AIB3 immunoreactivities were also detected in a variety of other cell types. These results demonstrate that AIB3 mRNA and protein are preferentially expressed in specific cell types, suggesting that AIB3 may support the function of nuclear receptors in a cell type-specific manner.
Vector Map Data Compression with Wavelets

Abstract : Wavelets and wavelet transforms can be used for vector-map data compression. The choice of wavelet, the level of decomposition, the method of thresholding, the height of the threshold, relative CPU times and file sizes, and reconstructed map appearance were investigated using the Wavelet Toolbox of MATLAB. Quantitative error measures were obtained. For two test vector-map data sets consisting of longitude and latitude points, compressions of 35 to 50 percent (1.5:1 to 2:1) were obtained with root-mean-square errors less than 0-003 to 0-01 deg longitude/latitude for wavelet packet decompositions using selected wavelets.
Small-signal analysis of fully-differential closed-loop op-amp circuits with arbitrary external impedance elements

An analytical modelling approach for fully differential amplifiers is presented and validated through examples. Separation of the analysis into two steps coupled with linear superposition techniques leads to concise mathematical expressions. An added benefit of the two-step approach is that the usual symmetry assumptions are not needed. As a consequence, the results hold for arbitrary element values. The mathematical results are validated by comparison to SPICE simulations and experimental data.
Sleep patterns of asthmatic children: All-night electroencephalographic studies

Abstract Ten asthmatic children were studied for 25 nights with electroencephalogram, electromyogram, and eye movements continuously recorded. Twenty asthmatio episodes were recorded. No incidents were observed in the first third of the night when Stages 3 and 4 sleep (deep sleep) predominated. Ten incidents were noted in each of the second and last thirds of the night. There were no clear-cut relationships between asthmatic attacks and occurrence of REM sleep. Of the 20 asthmatic episodes, 5 occurred from REM sleep; this was proportionate to the percentage time the children spent in this sleep stage. In comparison to normal children of the same ages, the asthmatic children had a significant reduction in Stage 4 sleep and, as expected, frequent awakenings and a significant decrease in the time spent asleep. The decrease in incidents in Stage 4 sleep may be due to a lessening in respiratory difficulty during this sleep stage. Another possibility is that respiratory difficulty exists in the same degree throughout the night, but, because of the depth of sleep during this sleep phase, the child does not respond to the disturbing stimulus.
Fluorescent tissue transglutaminase substrates for tumor boundary imaging

A novel strategy is developed to image tumor boundaries optically by crosslinking fluorescent tissue transglutaminase substrates with tumor tissues.
Restricted maximum likelihood estimation of a common mean and the Mandel–Paule algorithm

Abstract The estimation of a common normal mean on the basis of interlaboratory evaluations is studied when there is an interlaboratory effect. An estimation equation approach due to Mandel and Paule is examined and its theoretical properties are studied. In particular, we show that the Mandel–Paule solution can be interpreted as a simplified version of the restricted maximum likelihood method. It is also demonstrated that the Mandel–Paule algorithm is a generalized Bayes procedure. The results of numerical comparison of these estimators for a special distribution of within-laboratory variances are also reported.
Preparation of nanofiltration membranes from polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration membranes

Abstract Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes display some unusual features for ultrafiltration (UF). The meso-macropores of PAN UF membranes can be easily reduced into the range of micro-mesopores by taking advantage of surface tension forces within the capillary pores during heat treatment in the presence of ZnCl2. Asymmetric PAN nanofiltration (NF) membranes with controlled highly dense pore surface functional groups were prepared by hydrolysis of the nitrile groups with NaOH. The combined effects of heat treatment and the presence of ZnCl2 on the formation of nanofiltration membranes were investigated. In addition, membrane post-treatment with NaOH was studied. The effect of counterion species on the membrane performance was also investigated. A simple new method, which utilized univalent alkaline ions as probes, was developed to derive the average pore size of cationic nanofiltration PAN membranes from pure water permeability coefficients.
Rotational relaxation in S1 glyoxal: Cross sections and a search for propensity rules

Abstract Details of rotational energy transfer from a few selected K′J′ levels in the zero point vibrational level of 1Au(S1) glyoxal vapor have been studied. The cross section for destruction of an initial K′J′ level by rotational relaxation in collision with ground electronic state glyoxal is about 240 A2 or 4.5 times gas kinetic. Much of the rotational transfer within the S1 state occurs with large ΔK′ and ΔJ′. No strong propensities for △K′ = 0, ± 1, ± 2, or ± 3 with small ΔJ′ changes occur in collisions with ground electronic state glyoxal. The study was made by examination of the rotational structure in the 510 emission band at various pressures after excitation in the 0,0 band of the S1—S0 system with the 454.5 nm argon ion line.
A prospective trial comparing pain and quality of life measures after anatomic lung resection using thoracoscopy or thoracotomy.

Background Minimally invasive lung lobectomy and segmentectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) are assumed to result in better quality of life and less postoperative pain compared with standard open approaches. To date, few prospective studies have compared the two approaches. We performed a prospective cohort study to compare quality of life and pain scores during the first 12 months after VATS or open anatomic resection. Methods Patients were prospectively enrolled from May 2009 to April 2012. Patients with clinical stage I lung cancer who were scheduled to undergo anatomic lung resection were eligible. The Brief Pain Index and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey were conducted perioperatively and at four assessments during the first 12 months after the operation. Intent-to-treat analyses using mixed-effects models were used to longitudinally assess the effect of treatment on quality of life components (physical component summary and mental component summary) and pain. Results In total, 74 patients underwent thoracotomy, and 132 underwent VATS (including 19 patients who were converted to thoracotomy); 40 and 80 patients, respectively, completed the 12-month surveys. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Physical component summary and Brief Pain Index scores were similar between the two groups throughout the 12 months of follow-up. The mental component summary score, however, was consistently worse in the VATS group. Conclusions Patient-reported physical component summary and pain scores after VATS and thoracotomy were similar during the first 12 months after surgical resection.
Incompressible Navier-Stokes computations of rotating flows

Flow through pump components, such as an inducer and an impeller, is efficiently simulated by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The solution method is based on the pseudocompressibility approach and uses an implicit-upwind differencing scheme together with the Gauss-Seidel line relaxation method. Current computations use one-equation Baldwin-Barth turbulence model which is derived from a simplified form of the standard k-epsilon model equations. The resulting computer code is applied to the flow analysis inside a generic rocket engine pump inducer, a fuel pump impeller, and SSME high-pressure fuel turbopump impeller. Numerical results of inducer flow are compared with experimental measurements. Flow analyses at 80-, 100-, and 120-percent of design conditions are presented.
Developmental heterophylly in the genus Heteranthera (Pontederiaceae)

Abstract Plants of 8 species were grown from seed in 2 water depths to investigate heterophylly within the genus Heteranthera . All species developed submersed sessile leaves. Subsequent development varied among species in: (1) the number of sessile leaves; (2) petiole length, blade length, blade width and length to width ratio of petiolate leaves; (3) stem elongation. The data produced reveal a diversity of adaptive strategies for growth in a shallow-water environment.
Security Auditing: The Need for Policies and Practices

AbstractSecurity is a growing concern in organizations, especially as more organizations embrace the arena of E-Commerce. This research surveys the literature in security policy, presents established models in this area, and provides limitations to those models and directions for further research in this area.
Deuteron disintegration in condensed media

We discuss the Oppenheimer-Phillips process as a possible phenomenon leading to deuteron disintegration due to polarization in the Coulomb field of a target nucleus. This reaction may be possible in the context of electrochemically compressed deuterons in a palladium cathode. The process is exothermic and may lead to neutron capture from the deuterons into the palladium isotopes, as well as between the deuterons themselves. In the last case, the equivalent of the proton branch of the D-D fusion reaction occurs in preference to the neutron branch. Such a process could provide a model for the processes involved in the observed energy release and tritium production in conjunction with neutron suppression in recent experiments. Possible interactions with Be and fertile isotopes are discussed in the context of breeding fissile isotopes in subcritical configurations.
Turbidity Assay for Rapid and Efficient Identification of High Protein Digestibility Sorghum Lines

ABSTRACT Recently, our laboratory reported a protein digestibility assay based on SDS-PAGE that distinguishes mutant high protein digestibility from wild-type sorghum lines. Using that assay, high protein digestibility sorghum lines were identified both qualitatively (visual observation) and quantitatively by measuring the SDS-PAGE band intensity of the undigested α-kafirin protein. Here, we report on a new turbidity assay that can be used for an even quicker quantitation of the undigested proteins with much higher throughput for screening purposes. Proteins remaining after 1 hr of pepsin digestion were extracted with a buffer of SDS, 2-mercaptoethanol, and borate and an aliquot of the extract was precipitated using 72% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Absorbance of the resulting turbid solution was then read at 562 nm. Lower readings corresponded to more digestible lines. The turbidity of the suspensions developed quickly and reached a plateau at ≈5 min for high protein digestibility lines and 10 min for wild...
The Morality of Play: Video Game Coverage in The New York Times From 1980 to 2010

Over the last several decades, video games have become one of America’s most popular pastimes. Sadly, little academic work has studied media coverage of video games during this transformation. Williams’ analysis of news magazines’ coverage from 1970 to 2000 offers the only research into this topic. However, the video game industry has significantly changed since 2000. To remedy this gap, I examine video game coverage in The New York Times over the last three decades. During this period, evaluative articles primarily treat video games as a major threat. However, a small subset of articles rejects this portrayal. During the 1980s and 1990s, this alternative account identifies video games’ functional benefits. This narrative changes in the 2000s to celebrating video games’ artistic merits. My work contributes to the social construction of technology literature in general by documenting how civil society’s cultural understanding of children and entertainment influence the specific narratives The New York Time...
Thermodynamic data for hydrogen bonding of thiols with Lewis bases in carbon tetrachloride. Weak association by the PMR method

Data for 30 hydrogen bonding pairs taken from the alkanethiols, i-C3H7SH, nC3H9SH and t-C4H9SH, and 16 bases have been obtained by a PMR method. Representative data for i-C3H7SH at 304 ± 2°K are (base, 102K in M−1, –ΔH° in kcal/mole): (CH2)4S, 3·1, 0·8; (CH3)2S, 3·0, 0·9; (CH3)2S2, 3·7, 0·5; (CH3)2CO, 4·7, 0·9; CH3COOC2H5, 5·7, 1·1; (CH2)4O, 6·1, 1·0; HCON(CH3)2, 12, 0·9; (CH3 O)2 SO, 12, 0·9; (C2 H5O)3PO, 6·5, 1·0; CH3 (CH3 O)2PO, 18, 1·0; ((CH3)2N)2 CO, 5·9, 1·1; CH3 CN, 13, 0·6. In essence, the problems and errors involved in obtaining equilibrium data for weak complexes stem from the limited concentration rangethat is accessible. This leads to large uncertainties in the quantities K, ΔH° and ΔS°. Structural effects on hydrogen bonding at the sulfur site, both as Lewis acid or base, are discussed. Two erroneous PMR methods in the literature used for assessing the strength of hydrogen bonds are pointed out.
Next generation of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

Introduction: Because of the central role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in the control and distribution of signals essential for mRNA translation of mitogenic genes and generation of oncogenic proteins, effective targeting of mTOR remains a major goal in medical oncology. Areas covered: This article summarizes preclinical and clinical studies relating to the next generation of mTOR inhibitors. While rapalogs have shown activity in the treatment of breast, renal and neuroendocrine tumors, these agents do not block mTORC2, one of the two major protein complexes in which mTOR participates. In addition, there is emerging evidence that these agents only partially block mTORC1, underscoring the need for more effective mTOR inhibitors. In recent years, catalytic mTOR inhibitors have been developed, which block both mTORC1 and mTORC2. Such inhibitors show generally better activity in preclinical models than rapalogs and some of them have been or are in clinical trials in humans. Expert opini...
Gating and control of primary visual cortex by pulvinar

The primary visual cortex (V1) receives its driving input from the eyes via the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus. The lateral pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus also projects to V1, but this input is not well understood. We manipulated lateral pulvinar neural activity in prosimian primates and assessed the effect on supra-granular layers of V1 that project to higher visual cortex. Reversibly inactivating lateral pulvinar prevented supra-granular V1 neurons from responding to visual stimulation. Reversible, focal excitation of lateral pulvinar receptive fields increased the visual responses in coincident V1 receptive fields fourfold and shifted partially overlapping V1 receptive fields toward the center of excitation. V1 responses to regions surrounding the excited lateral pulvinar receptive fields were suppressed. LGN responses were unaffected by these lateral pulvinar manipulations. Excitation of lateral pulvinar after LGN lesion activated supra-granular layer V1 neurons. Thus, lateral pulvinar is able to powerfully control and gate information outflow from V1.
Feeding disorders in food allergic children.

Feeding disorders are increasingly being recognized in children with food allergy. For some children, symptoms of feeding dysfunction may persist after allergens are removed from the diet secondary to learned associations with food and discomfort and reinforcement of maladaptive feeding behaviors. Many food allergic children require care from a multidisciplinary team of specialists, which includes allergists, gastroenterologists, mental health professionals, and feeding specialists. Early referral for feeding assessment by a pediatric feeding specialist can be a critical component of the food allergic child’s care. This article reviews and discusses the recent literature regarding feeding disorders in food allergic children. A literature review was conducted using the PubMed database for English language articles published between January 1980 and February 2010. Additional information was obtained via review of recent textbooks and review of the general information web page of several established pediatric feeding programs.
Endoscopic mucosal resection using a cap-fitted endoscope improves tissue resection and pathology interpretation: an animal study.

Background Endoscopic mucosal resection using a cap-fitted endoscope (EMRC) has been proposed to be significantly better and safer for tissue resection compared with standard snare EMR. However, there are no valid animal or clinical data to support this. We aimed to compare EMRC with standard snare EMR in a porcine model with respect to tissue resected, ease of procedure, and degree of diathermic injury to the resected specimen.
Calcineurin Finds a New Partner in the L-Type Ca2+ Channel

See related articles, pages 51–60 Calcineurin is a Ca2+/calmodulin-sensitive phosphatase that sits near the top of signaling pathways leading to pathological cardiac hypertrophy.1 Pathological stressors activate calcineurin, for which nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) is a principal substrate. Dephosphorylation unmasks a nuclear localization signal on NFAT, which then translocates to the nucleus and, there, serves as part of a transcription factor complex able to initiate gene expression cascades that induce cardiac hypertrophy and subsequent heart failure. Determining how calcineurin is specifically activated in response to hypertrophic stressors by the same Ca2+ signal used for excitation–contraction coupling has been a major challenge. Triggered by Ca2+ influx through CaV1.2 voltage-gated Ca2+ channels at the sarcolemmal membrane, intracellular calcium briefly increases 10-fold with each heart beat to generate myocyte contraction. Almost as quickly, intracellular calcium falls to its baseline level, allowing myocyte relaxation and preparation for the next beat. There are 2 leading proposals for how Ca2+ could activate the calcineurin/NFAT pathway or function as a versatile regulator of multiple other signaling cascades in the face of the large Ca2+ oscillations driving each cycle of contraction and relaxation. One is that modulation of the amplitude and/or frequency of …
Neuroleptics and the Natural Course of Schizophrenia

To determine if neuroleptic treatment changes the natural course of schizophrenia, 22 studies were reviewed in which relatively similar patients were or were not given neuroleptics at specific times during the course of their illness. Nineteen of the studies were from first- or predominantly first-break populations. While there was little consensus among the authors of the studies reviewed, a reanalysis of the data indicates that early intervention with neuroleptics in first-break schizophrenic patients increases the likelihood of an improved long-term course. This finding is similar to that of earlier investigators who indicated there was a decrease in patients with the more severe forms of the illness following the introduction of convulsive therapies. Furthermore, there is evidence that stable schizophrenic patients whose neuroleptics are discontinued and have relapses may have a difficult time returning to their previous level of function. The findings describe in this paper have implications for both the treatment of schizophrenia and for understanding the pathophysiological processes that determine the course of the disorder.
Revision and Checklist of the Species (Other Than Lecudina) of the Aseptate Gregarine Family Lecudinidae

A checklist is given of the 89 named species of the gregarine family Lecudininae, exclusive of the 42 named species of the genus Lecudina (phylum Apicomplexa, class Sporozoea, subclass Gregarinia, order Eugregarinida, suborder Aseptatina). The list includes also the synonyms, host names, locations in hosts, known geographic distributions of the species, as well as key references. Another list is given of synonyms, lapsi calami, nomina nuda, etc., associated with the genera. A new genus, Paraophioidina g.n., with type species, Paraophioidina haeckeli (Mingazzini, 1891) and a new species, Lankesteria ormieresi sp. n., are described. There are also new combinations in the genera Bhatiella, Ancora, Monocystella, Ascocystis, and Paraophioidina.
A Comparison of Surface Passivation Techniques for Measurement of Minority Carrier Lifetime in Thin Si Wafers: Toward a Stable and Uniform Passivation

We describe appropriate wafer cleaning procedure and surface passivation characteristics of various passivants used for making measurement of minority carrier lifetime (τB ) of very high quality Si wafers. These passivants include: iodine ethanol (I-E), quinhydrone methanol (QH-M), SiO2, and Al2O3. The issues related to the passivation stability and the spatial uniformity for mapping τB are also discussed.
Bat rabies, Texas, 1996-2000.

Bats submitted to the Texas Department of Health (1996–2000) were speciated and tested for rabies virus antigen by direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Antigenic analysis of rabies virus–positive specimens was performed with monoclonal antibodies against the nucleoprotein of the virus; atypical or unexpected results were confirmed by genetic analysis of nucleoprotein sequence.
Spectral Analysis of Fokker--Planck and Related Operators Arising From Linear Stochastic Differential Equations

We study spectral properties of certain families of linear second-order differential operators arising from linear stochastic differential equations. We construct a basis in the Hilbert space of square-integrable functions using modified Hermite polynomials, and obtain a representation for these operators from which their eigenvalues and eigenfunctions can be computed. In particular, we completely describe the spectrum of the Fokker--Planck operator on an appropriate invariant subspace of rapidly decaying functions. The eigenvalues of the Fokker--Planck operator provide information about the speed of convergence of the corresponding probability distribution to steady state, which is important for stochastic estimation and control applications. We show that the operator families under consideration can be realized as solutions of differential equations in the double bracket form on an operator Lie algebra, which leads to a simple expression for the flow of their eigenfunctions.
Aeroacoustic features of coupled twin jets with spanwise oblique shock-cells

Abstract This paper experimentally investigates the aeroacoustics of coupled twin jets of complex geometry. The study was motivated by the fact that twin jet configurations that are commonly used in aircraft propulsion systems can undergo unpredictable resonant coupling resulting in structural damage. Further, nozzles with spanwise oblique exits are increasingly being considered for their aerodynamic and acoustic advantages, as well as stealth benefits. Although several studies have examined aspects of twin jet coupling, very little data is available on the coupling of jets from nozzles of complex geometry. Our study focuses on twin convergent nozzles with an aspect ratio of 7 with spanwise oblique exits operated over the fully expanded Mach number range from 1.3 to 1.6. The inter-nozzle spacing ( s / h ) was varied from 7.4 to 13.5. However, the focus remained on the lower spacing that is more representative of aircraft applications. Several interesting results have emerged from this study: (1) Coupling of twin nozzles with a beveled exit was observed only when the beveled edges faced each other and the nozzles formed a ‘V’ shape in the inter-nozzle region. Specifically, if the two beveled edges were oriented away from each other to form an arrowhead (‘A’) shape no coupling was observed. (2) Despite the presence of spanwise antisymmetric, spanwise symmetric and spanwise oblique modes for the single nozzles, only the first two modes were evident in the coupling. (3) The symmetric coupling produced unsteady pressures in the inter-nozzle region that were up to 7.5 dB higher than the antisymmetrically coupled case. (4) Dynamic tests conducted by moving the nozzles apart while they were operating or by continuously changing the stagnation pressure at fixed inter-nozzle spacing revealed that coupling modes could co-exist at non-harmonically related frequencies. These dynamic tests reproduced the static test data. (5) The frequency of both coupling modes agrees with the higher order waveguide modes based on Tam's theory. (6) Differences in broadband shock noise between the ‘V’ and ‘A’ configurations were also documented. Our results provide an understanding of complex twin jet coupling and will serve as benchmark data for validating computational models.
Variations in Ownership Behavior and Propensity to Diversify: A Study of the Indian Corporate Context

The relationship between ownership and diversification has been the focus of renewed debate between financial economists and strategic management scholars. While financial economists hold that manager-controlled firms tend to reflect higher levels of diversification, strategy researchers argue that ownership and diversification are not systematically related. In throwing light on this debate, this study uses a fine-grained definition of ownership groups to explore how the different objectives and monitoring predispositions of distinct ownership groups might influence diversification strategy. The empirical examination is set in India to offer a striking contrast from the predominantly U.S.-based studies that have shaped the ongoing debate. Findings show that diverse ownership groups adopt different postures in monitoring and/or influencing organizational diversification. While some ownership groups are closely associated with focused strategies, and some encourage diversification, others are quite indifferent. These results suggest that the context-specific variation among ownership groups is germane to our understanding of diversification strategy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Absolute Traffic: Infrastructural Aptitude in Urban Indonesia.

This article draws attention to the emergent modes of urban sociality and circumscribed mobility that define the lives of traffic-stricken residents in the megacity of Jakarta, Indonesia. I argue that Jakarta traffic has exceeded the scale and discourse of a technopolitical problem of failed infrastructure; rather, the systemic and rhizomic nature of traffic provides the temporal infrastructure that governs the flow of living and leisure, and the patterning of individual desires and struggles in urban Indonesia. I use the term 'absolute traffic' to convey the limit horizon of gridlock as a set of exhausting physical and psychic states that urban residents survive daily. Despite such overwhelming challenges to mobility, particularly for the city's underprivileged populations, I argue for an agentive perspective of absolute traffic in which forms of play, negotiation and disruption form important moments for the public display of infrastructural aptitude. Strategies for surviving and engaging with absolute traffic emerge in ephemeral sites of finely attuned traffic subjectivity --in the sociality of strangers, the political demonstrations of activists, the growing citizen journalism for traffic reports on radio shows and social media sites, and finally, in the artistic sensibility of artists captivated by the vernacular forms of urban chaos.
Efficient implementation of sorting on multi-core SIMD CPU architecture

Sorting a list of input numbers is one of the most fundamental problems in the field of computer science in general and high-throughput database applications in particular. Although literature abounds with various flavors of sorting algorithms, different architectures call for customized implementations to achieve faster sorting times.This paper presents an efficient implementation and detailed analysis of MergeSort on current CPU architectures. Our SIMD implementation with 128-bit SSE is 3.3X faster than the scalar version. In addition, our algorithm performs an efficient multiway merge, and is not constrained by the memory bandwidth. Our multi-threaded, SIMD implementation sorts 64 million floating point numbers in less than0.5 seconds on a commodity 4-core Intel processor. This measured performance compares favorably with all previously published results.Additionally, the paper demonstrates performance scalability of the proposed sorting algorithm with respect to certain salient architectural features of modern chip multiprocessor (CMP) architectures, including SIMD width and core-count. Based on our analytical models of various architectural configurations, we see excellent scalability of our implementation with SIMD width scaling up to 16X wider than current SSE width of 128-bits, and CMP core-count scaling well beyond 32 cores. Cycle-accurate simulation of Intel's upcoming x86 many-core Larrabee architecture confirms scalability of our proposed algorithm.
In vitro wear and fracture toughness of an experimental light-cured glass-ionomer cement.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro wear and fracture toughness (FT) of an experimental resin-modified glass–ionomer cement (RMGIC) formulated with the newly synthesized 6-arm star-shape poly(acrylic acid) and Fuji II LC glass fillers and investigate the effects of several important formulation parameters on wear-resistance and FT of the cement. Materials and Methods The in vitro abrasive and attritional wear as well as FT of the newly developed RMGIC were evaluated. The resin composite P-60 and RMGIC Fuji II LC were used as controls. The effects of glycidyl methacrylate (GM)-grafting ratio, powder/liquid ( P / L ) ratio, polymer/water ( P / W ) ratio and aging in water were investigated. All the specimens were conditioned in distilled water at 37 °C for 1 day prior to testing, unless specified. Results The optimized experimental cement exhibited almost the same high initial wear-resistance to abrasion as P-60 and much higher than Fuji II LC. The experimental cement showed 1.4 times higher in resistance to attritional wear than Fuji II LC but 6 times lower than P-60. After 1-month aging, the cement can compete with P-60 in resistance to attritional wear by showing only 1.3 times more in wear depth. The experimental cement also showed a significantly higher FT value than Fuji II LC but a similar value to P-60. Conclusions It appears that this novel experimental cement may be potentially used for high wear and high stress-bearing site restorations such as Class I and II.
Dynamically-Adaptive Winner-Take-All Networks

Winner-Take-All (WTA) networks, in which inhibitory interconnections are used to determine the most highly-activated of a pool of units, are an important part of many neural network models. Unfortunately, convergence of normal WTA networks is extremely sensitive to the magnitudes of their weights, which must be hand-tuned and which generally only provide the right amount of inhibition across a relatively small range of initial conditions. This paper presents Dynamically Adaptive Winner-Teke-All (DAWTA) networks, which use a regulatory unit to provide the competitive inhibition to the units in the network. The DAWTA regulatory unit dynamically adjusts its level of activation during competition to provide the right amount of inhibition to differentiate between competitors and drive a single winner. This dynamic adaptation allows DAWTA networks to perform the winner-take-all function for nearly any network size or initial condition. using O(N) connections. In addition, the DAWTA regulatory unit can be biased to find the level of inhibition necessary to settle upon the K most highly-activated units, and therefore serve as a K-Winners-Take-All network.
Structured data and web documents: better together?

Keyword search over structured databases is silo-ed from web search in that their results are independent of those from web search. We claim that keyword search can benefit significantly from the knowledge of web documents and results of web search. Conversely, traditional web search only returns documents. We discuss how the search results can be enhanced by additional structured information. Thus, query over structured data and web search can leverage each other.
Fishnet metastructure for IR band trapping for enhancement of photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid systems

We propose embedment of a fishnet metastructure for a photovoltaic-thermoelectric (PV-TE) hybrid system to produce more electrical power of a thermoelectric generator by absorbing more solar thermal energy. The hybrid system consists of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film solar cell as a top cell and a thermoelectric generator as a bottom cell. A planar fishnet structure is embedded in a back passivation layer of the solar cell to enhance solar thermal absorption near the infrared band of the solar spectrum. The absorbed thermal energy by the fishnet embedded solar cell is transferred to the TE generator, which increases temperature difference between hot and cold sides of the TE generator that enables to produce more electric power. The fishnet structure is optimized through the parametric simulation in terms of pitch, width and thickness. To calculate the total solar thermal energy of the hybrid system, the solar power spectrum is modeled by using the power spectral density of blackbody radiation. The total absorbed solar energy over infrared band is calculated by windowing absorption of the hybrid system to the modeled power spectral intensity. The hybrid system with the optimized fishnet structure absorbs more solar thermal energy than the system without fishnet by around 12 folds. This study would provide some enlightenment for the high performance of PV-TE hybrid systems. Display Omitted Embedding a fishnet metastructure in a photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid system is proposed.The geometry and material properties of the fishnet metastructure are the most critical parameters.Pitch, width and thickness of the fishnet metastructure should be optimized.Solar thermal absorption in the near infrared spectrum is increased.The electromagnetic response of the system is simulated with one unit cell by assuming infinite periodic extensions.
Ultrasound-Guided Out-of-Plane vs. In-Plane Interscalene Catheters: A Randomized, Prospective Study

Background Continuous interscalene blocks provide excellent analgesia after shoulder surgery. Although the safety of the ultrasound-guided in-plane approach has been touted, technical and patient factors can limit this approach. We developed a caudad-to-cephalad out-of-plane approach and hypothesized that it would decrease pain ratings due to better catheter alignment with the brachial plexus compared to the in-plane technique in a randomized, controlled study. Objectives To compare an out-of-plane interscalene catheter technique to the in-plane technique in a randomized clinical trial. Patients and methods Eighty-four patients undergoing open shoulder surgery were randomized to either the in-plane or out-of-plane ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene technique. The primary outcome was VAS pain rating at 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included pain ratings in the recovery room and at 48 hours, morphine consumption, the incidence of catheter dislodgments, procedure time, and block difficulty. Procedural data and all pain ratings were collected by blinded observers. Results There were no differences in the primary outcome of median VAS pain rating at 24 hours between the out-of-plane and in-plane groups (1.50; IQR, [0 - 4.38] vs. 1.25; IQR, [0 - 3.75]; P = 0.57). There were also no differences, respectively, between out-of-plane and in-plane median PACU pain ratings (1.0; IQR, [0 - 3.5] vs. 0.25; IQR, [0 - 2.5]; P = 0.08) and median 48-hour pain ratings (1.25; IQR, [1.25 - 2.63] vs. 0.50; IQR, [0 - 1.88]; P = 0.30). There were no differences in any other secondary endpoint. Conclusions Our out-of-plane technique did not provide superior analgesia to the in-plane technique. It did not increase the number of complications. Our technique is an acceptable alternative in situations where the in-plane technique is difficult to perform.
Bromination and Dehydrobromination Studies on Some CIS-4a-Methyl-Decaline-2,7-Diones

Results of the bromination and dehydrobromination of several angular methylated decalindiones are described. The key reaction, base-induced cyclization of the monobromo keto ester (3), and the dibromo ketone (4), leads to the formation of tricyclic systems (6) and (9) respectively.
Sensitivity analysis for active control of the Helmholtz equation

Abstract In previous works we considered the Helmholtz equation with fixed frequency k outside a discrete set of resonant frequencies, where it is implied that, given a source region D a ⊂ R d ( d = 2 , 3 ‾ ) and u 0 , a solution of the homogeneous scalar Helmholtz equation in a set containing the control region D c ⊂ R d , there exists an infinite class of boundary data on ∂ D a so that the radiating solution to the corresponding exterior scalar Helmholtz problem in R d ∖ D a will closely approximate u 0 in D c . Moreover, it will have vanishingly small values beyond a certain large enough “far-field” radius R. In this paper we study the minimal energy solution of the above problem (e.g. the solution obtained by using Tikhonov regularization with the Morozov discrepancy principle) and perform a detailed sensitivity analysis. In this regard we discuss the stability of the minimal energy solution with respect to measurement errors as well as the feasibility of the active scheme (power budget and accuracy) depending on: the mutual distances between the antenna, control region and far field radius R; value of the regularization parameter; frequency; location of the source.
Harmonization and Stasis in Trade Usages for International Sales

The traditional story of custom in commercial law suggests that repeated practices within a trade or industry can become an efficient source of majoritarian default rules and therefore augment positive law. Perhaps for this reason, custom has become integrated into both domestic and international law concerning the sale of goods. The underlying assumption is that custom will evolve in a manner that reflects optimal trade practices. The integration of custom into legal principles, however, has been critiqued from two sources. The first suggests that judicial construction will necessarily misconstrue the content of custom, rendering it less helpful, especially in international sales contracts where cultural differences frustrate judicial attempts to discern the content of a trade usage. The second critique arises from recent literature that suggests how standards analogous to custom suffer from lock-in effects that impede efficient evolution. In this article, I suggest that the threat of judicial misconstruction, while real, is overstated. I then suggest that stasis, or lock-in, may be a more serious problem, especially if one views custom as a convention to which actors have significant incentives to adhere. Nevertheless, as in the case of judicial misconstruction, I suggest that the case for stasis may be overstated, as many customs arise through mechanisms that include devices to avoid lock-in. For instance, many customs in international sales law are maintained through organizations that can internalize the benefits of transition in customs. Indeed, they may enjoy incentives to promote change. I conclude, however, that the situations in which transition can occur do not necessarily entail desirable or efficient transitions. Thus, whether a particular custom reflects efficient trade practices requires a more nuanced response than much of the literature has recognized.
Assessing effective provenance methods for fluvial sediment in the South China Sea

Sediment is delivered by the rivers of SE Asia to the South China Sea where it provides an archive of continental environmental conditions since the Eocene. Interpreting this archive is complicated because sediment may be derived from a number of unique sources and the rivers themselves have experienced headwater capture that also affects their composition. A number of methods exist to constrain provenance, but not all work well in this area. Anthropogenic impacts, most notably agriculture, mean that the modern rivers contain more weathered materials than they did up until about 3000 years ago. The rivers have also changed their bulk chemistry and clay mineralogy in response to climate change, so that these proxies, as well as Sr isotopes, are generally unreliable provenance indicators. Nd isotopes resolve influx from Luzon, but many other sources in SE Asia have similar values and clear resolution of end members can be difficult. Instead, thermochronology methods are best suited, especially apatite fission track, which shows more diversity in the sources than either U-Pb zircon or Ar/Ar muscovite dating. Nonetheless, even fission track is best used as part of a multiproxy approach if a robust quantitative budget is desired.