cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anisotropic compositional expansion in elastoplastic materials and corresponding chemical potential: Large-strain formulation and application to amorphous lithiated silicon

A general large-strain thermodynamic approach with anisotropic (tensorial) compositional expansion/contraction in elastoplastic material under stress tensor is developed. The dissipation rate due to compositional expansion/contraction is introduced. Adapting and utilizing a previously formulated postulate of realizability, we derived a simple equation for the deviatoric part of the compositional deformation rate. This leads to a nontrivial generalization of the concept and expression for the chemical potential. It receives a contribution from deviatoric stresses, which leads to an increase in the driving force for both the compositional expansion and contraction and to some new phenomena. Our model provides a remarkable description of the known experimental and atomistic simulation data on the biaxial stress evolution during lithiation–delithiation of LixSi on a rigid substrate with just one constant kinetic coefficient. In contrast to known approaches, it does not involve plasticity, because the yield strength is higher than the stresses generated during lithiation–delithiation. This allowed us to suggest a method for reduction in internal stresses by cyclic change in Li concentration with a small amplitude, and our simulations were in qualitative agreement with known experiments. The coupled diffusion and mechanical model was applied to lithiation and delithiation of thin-film, solid, and hollow spherical nanoparticles. The importance of the contribution of the deviatoric stress on the diffusion is demonstrated.
The tunnel of acetyl-coenzyme A synthase/carbon monoxide dehydrogenase regulates delivery of CO to the active site

The effect of [CO] on acetyl-CoA synthesis activity of the isolated α subunit of acetyl-coenzyme A synthase/carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Moorella thermoacetica was determined. In contrast to the complete α2β2 enzyme where multiple CO molecules exhibit strong cooperative inhibition, α was weakly inhibited, apparently by a single CO with KI = 1.5 ± 0.5 mM; other parameters include kcat = 11 ± 1 min-1 and KM = 30 ± 10 μM. The α subunit lacked the previously described “majority” activity of the complete enzyme but possessed its “residual” activity. The site affording cooperative inhibition may be absent or inoperative in isolated α subunits. Ni-activated α rapidly and reversibly accepted a methyl group from CH3−Co3+FeSP affording the equilibrium constant KMT = 10 ± 4, demonstrating the superior nucleophilicity of αred relative to Co1+FeSP. CO inhibited this reaction weakly (KI = 540 ± 190 μM). NiFeC EPR intensity of α developed in accordance with an apparent Kd = 30 μM, suggesting that the state exhibit...
A numerical study of radiofrequency deposition in a spherical phantom using surface coils

The electromagnetic fields induced by a surface coil in a spherical phantom, having a wide range of electrical properties, is studied using numerical methods of calculation. The specific absorption rate (SAR), radiofrequency magnetic field (B1), magnetic field energy within the phantom (EB), and the volume-averaged SAR ( ) are calculated at 10, 63, and 200 MHz. They are analyzed with respect to dielectric constant, wavelength, and skin depth effects, which become increasingly important in high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) where safety and field homogeneity issues need further study. Particular attention is given to solutions representing neural tissue at each frequency. In general, the data at high field strengths have local maxima, with a quasi-harmonic behavior, when the following two resonant conditions are satisfied: 1) skin depth becomes comparable to, or larger than, the sample diameter Ds; and 2) Ds is near an integral multiple of the wavelength. These are also the solutions with maximum EB values and the least homogeneous B1. Samples undergoing resonance at 200 MHz are shown to have important off-axis B1 maxima (affecting field homogeneity) and large values. Some non-resonating 200-MHz phantoms, including simulations consistent with neural tissue, contain larger SAR maxima than the resonating samples, posing safety concerns in high field imaging of biologic tissue.
Clinical implications of the effects of lexical aspect and phonology on children's production of the regular past tense:

This study examined the effect of lexical aspect and phonology on regular past-tense production. Data are presented from a group of 31 children, mean age 33 months, with typical language development. A case study of a 50-month-old child with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is also presented. Children imitated sentence pairs that included an endpoint (accomplishments, e.g. she crawled into a box) or did not (activity, e.g. she crawled around in circles). Verbs ended in obstruents (e.g. walk) or nonobstruents (e.g. roll). The regular past tense was produced with the lowest accuracy in activities ending in obstruents (e.g., she walked in circles). Assessment and treatment suggestions for children with SLI are provided.
Detection of polyphenoloxidase isoenzymes by electroblotting and photography

Abstract Crude extracts ofpolyphenoloxidase from plant, fruit and fungal sources were subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing and partially denaturing conditions. Enzymes present in the gels were transferred electrophoretically (electroblotting) to nitrocellulose membranes and air dried. The nitrocellulose membranes were stained for polyphenoloxidase activity using catechol and dopa as substrates. These enzyme-stained membranes were dried and photographed, either directly or using a backlighting technique. Electroblotting coupled with photography results in a reliable method for detection, identification, and recording ofpolyphenoloxidase isoenzyme forms found in a variety of sources.
Correlation of the Rockland ash bed, a 400,000-year-old stratigraphic marker in northern California and western Nevada, and implications for middle Pleistocene paleogeography of central California

Outcrops of an ash bed at several localities in northern California and western Nevada belong to a single air-fall ash layer, the informally named Rockland ash bed, dated at about 400,000 yr B.P. The informal Rockland pumice tuff breccia, a thick, coarse, compound tephra deposit southwest of Lassen Peak in northeastern California, is the near-source equivalent of the Rockland ash bed. Relations between initial thickness of the Rockland ash bed and distances to eruptive source suggest that the eruption was at least as great as that of the Mazama ash from Crater Lake, Oregon. Identification of the Rockland tephra allows temporal correlation of associated middle Pleistocene strata of diverse facies in separate depositional basins. Specifically, marine, littoral, estuarine, and fluvial strata of the Hookton and type Merced formations correlate with fluvial strata of the Santa Clara Formation and unnamed alluvium of Willits Valley and the Hollister area, in northwestern and west-central California, and with lacustrine beds of Mohawk Valley, fluvial deposits of the Red Bluff Formation of the eastern Sacramento Valley, and fluvial and glaciofluvial deposits of Fales Hot Spring, Carson City, and Washoe Valley areas in northeastern California and western Nevada. Stratigraphic relations of the Rockland ash bed and older tephra layers in the Great Valley and near San Francisco suggest that the southern Great Valley emerged above sea level about 2 my ago, that its southerly outlet to the ocean was closed sometime after about 2 my ago, and that drainage from the Great Valley to the ocean was established near the present, northerly outlet in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay about 0.6 my ago.
The “creative years” and the research environment

The individual's age in relation to scientific achievement was examined with scientists and engineers in eleven university, industrial, and government research laboratories. A series of bimodal curves appeared, peaking sooner in research-oriented than development-oriented labs. The data suggest that the effects of age may be modified by both external and internal “research climates.”
The effect of neutron and He-irradiation on the crack modes of type 316 stainless steel

Abstract The objective of this investigation is to determine the crack opening mode (Mode I and Mode II) during in situ HVEM tensile testing and how it is influenced by neutron and helium irradiation, and test temperature. Mode II crack opening was observed as grain boundary sliding initiated by a predominantly Mode I crack steeply intersecting the grain boundary. Mode II crack opening was absent in neutron- or helium-irradiated specimens tested between 400°C and room temperature, but could be restored by a post-irradiation anneal.
The impedance of eddy current probes above layered metals whose conductivity and permeability vary continuously

A numerical method for calculating the impedance of a cylindrical air-core probe over a layered metallic half-space is presented. The method permits the conductivity and permeability to vary as arbitrary functions of the depth into the material. The utility and accuracy of the method are illustrated by comparison to the available experimental data, and to the exact results for a conductivity profile that varies as a hyperbolic tangent. The shape of the conductivity profile has an effect on the impedance response; the steeper the profile, the larger the impedance. Preliminary experimental studies show some agreement with theory. >
SAPA-2 Is the Fan

The algorithm SAPA-2, presented recently as a method for representing electrocardiographic wavefonns as a series of straight-line segments, appears to be equivalent to an older algorithm, the Fan.
Experimental investigations into the nature of airflows near Bluff bodies with aspiration, with implications to aerosol sampling

The research described in this paper was stimulated by the need to understand better the nature of air flow around aerosol samplers of the type widely used in environmental and industrial hygiene. It deals with the application of visualisation techniques to determine the location of stagnation points for air flow about simple two- and three-dimensional bluff bodies (cylinder and sphere, respectively) for the case where there is aspiration of air (i.e. suction) from a point on the body surface. The effect of orientation of the sampling orifice (or sink) with respect to the free stream on the location of stagnation points was compared with theoretical predictions using potential flow models. Good agreement was obtained, even for large angles with respect to the wind. For the two-dimensional cylindrical body, we also experimentally investigated the frequency of the vortex shedding in its near wake and how that is influenced by the aspiration. As represented by the dimensionless Strouhal number, this was found to be strongly dependent on the aspiration flow rate and the slot orientation. The results may be explained qualitatively in terms of the effect of aspiration on the development of the boundary layer over the cylinder surface.
Association of Elevations of Specific T Cell and Monocyte Subpopulations in Rheumatoid Arthritis With Subclinical Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Objective Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of excess deaths in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, identification of features denoting patients with a risk of developing CAD is lacking. The composition of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subsets in RA patients differs markedly from that in healthy controls with regard to the extent of T cell activation, with clonal expansion and differentiation to effector memory status, and presence of inflammatory monocytes. In this study, we sought to evaluate whether elevations in these PBMC subpopulations in RA patients could denote those with an increased risk of subclinical CAD, as determined by the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Methods The study cohort comprised 72 patients with RA who underwent cardiac computed tomography to assess CAC. PBMC subsets were determined by multiparameter flow cytometry. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the associations between PBMC subpopulations and the presence of CAC. Results Among the 72 patients with RA, 33% had CAC and exhibited significant increases in the levels of circulating CD4 T cell subsets denoting activation and differentiation to the effector memory phenotypes. Analogous increases in the levels of CD8 T cell subsets, as well as in the CD14highCD16+ intermediate monocyte subset, were also present in these patients, as compared to those without CAC. The increases in the CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets were highly intercorrelated, whereas the increases in CD14highCD16+ monocytes were independent of elevations in the CD4 T cell subsets. After adjustments for relevant confounders, the levels of CD4+CD56+CD57+ T cells and CD14highCD16+ monocytes remained associated with the presence of CAC. Conclusion These findings indicate that PBMC subsets are markers for the presence of CAC and suggest that mechanisms of atherogenesis in RA may operate in part through the elevations in these subsets, raising further questions about the mechanisms underlying the presence of such alterations in cell composition in patients with RA and the potential for shared etiologic pathways between RA and cardiovascular disease.
Field Collection and Genetic Classification of Tick-borne Rickettsiae and Rickettsiae-like Pathogens from South Texas : Coxiella burnetii Isolated from Field-collected Amblyomma cajennense

We are reporting the first known isolation of the Q-fever agent Coxiella burnetii from field-collected cayenne ticks Amblyomma cajennense in North America. Q-fever affects a number of domestic ungulates where it can lead to abortion in sheep and goats. There is far less known about the disease's effects on wild species, primarily because of the tendency of the disease to self resolve and to provide long-term immunity to subsequent infections. The first recovery of C. burnetii in North America was from the tick species Dermacentor andersoni. Since the original isolation C. burnetii has been recovered from five other North American tick species. The currently accepted mode for the majority of human infections is inhalation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch asserts the Q-fever agent as requiring as few as one organism to cause disease via inhalation in susceptible humans. However, with more and more isolations from ticks, evidence linking C. burnetii and ticks is mounting. The true role of tick species as competent vectors is still unconfirmed. Preemptive field collections of possible vector arthropods, hosts, and reservoirs can provide invaluable baseline environmental data that will prove supportive in follow-up studies and abatement efforts.
An unsteady turbulent boundary layer

A low speed parallel flow, whose velocity fluctuates sinusoidally in magnitude about a constant mean, has been produced in a boundary layer wind tunnel. Hot-wire measuring techniques have been developed to permit an investigation of the turbulent boundary layer developing on a flat plate with this free stream condition. The response of the layer at a Reynolds number $R_{\delta *} = (\overline {U}_\infty \delta^*)|v = 3\cdot 6 \times 10^3$ was measured for free stream fluctuation amplitudes up to 34% of the mean velocity and frequencies ranging from 0 to 48 cycles/sec. Here $\delta^* = \int ^\infty _0 \left(1 - \frac {\overline{U}} {\overline{U}_\infty} \right)dy$ is the boundary displacement thickness, $\overline {U}(x, y)$ ( x , y ) the mean velocity in the boundary layer, $\overline {U}_\infty$ the mean velocity in the free stream, and v the kinematic viscosity. Measurements were made of the mean velocity, the amplitudes of in- and out-of-phase components of the first harmonic of the periodic fluctuations, and the intensity of higher harmonics and turbulence. It was found that non-linear effects, even at the largest fluctuation amplitudes, were so small that they were obscured by experimental errors.
Forest owner incentives to protect riparian habitat

Private landowners increasingly are asked to cooperate with landscape-level management to protect or enhance ecological resources. We examine the willingness of nonindustrial private forest owners in the Pacific Northwest (USA) to forego harvesting within riparian areas to improve riparian habitat. An empirical model is developed describing owners’ willingness to accept an economic incentive to adopt a 200-foot harvest buffer along streams as a function of their forest ownership objectives and socioeconomic characteristics. Results suggest that owners’ willingness to forego harvest varies by their forest ownership objectives. Mean incentive payments necessary to induce owners to forego harvest in riparian areas are higher for owners possessing primarily timber objectives ($128‐137: acre:year) than for owners possessing both timber and nontimber objectives ($54‐69:acre:year) or primarily recreation objectives ($38‐57:acre:year). © 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Peer-to-peer and learning objects: the new potential for collaborative constructivist learning online

Despite the fact that collaboration is as well studied as any instructional strategy, online collaborative learning efforts have been slow to succeed. Client-server computing models are currently giving way to newer peer-to-peer models. At the same time, traditional conceptions of online learning in terms of electronic page turning are falling to the learning object model. The new paradigm of peer-to-peer learning object-based systems provides an opportunity for online collaborative learning to be appropriately architected, and therefore successful. Specifically, learning object systems force their designers to consider the important role of context mediation in learning, and to design accordingly. Peer-to-peer systems make real-time collaboration, which is a critical component for successful collaborative learning, possible.
Sensitivity analysis of one-dimensional mixed initial boundary value problems: application to freely propagating premixed laminar flames

A procedure for calculating sensitivity coefficients of one-dimensional parabolic mixed initial-boundary value problems is developed. The method is based upon the use of implicit time integration and Newton's method in solving the governing equations. The link between the sensitivity coefficients and the solution method is studied with particular emphasis on the use of adaptive gridding and variable time stepping. The method is employed in the analysis of two model freely propagating premixed laminar flames. The numerical accuracy of the sensitivities is verified and their values are utilized for interpretation of the model results.
Success of Short-Course Parenteral AntibioticTherapy for Acute Osteomyelitis of Childhood

The outcome of acute osteomyelitis treated with sequential therapy consisting of a short course of parenteral antibiotics, followed by oral antibiotics, was studied. To be considered acute osteomyelitis, related symptoms must have been present for less than 2 weeks before diagnosis. Short-course parenteral antibiotics (therapy for 7 days or less) and then oral antibiotics were used to treat 29 patients (median age, 6.3 years). Pathogens were identified from blood cultures and bone aspirates. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 59%. Median duration of parenteral antibiotics and oral antibiotics was 4 days (range, 0-7 days) and 28 days (range, 14-42 days), respectively. Median duration of combined (parenteral and oral) therapy was 32 days (range, 20-49 days). No failures or complications were noted at the 6-month follow-up, which was available for 27 patients. Short-course parenteral antibiotic therapy followed by oral therapy appears to be effective for treatment of acute, uncomplicated osteomyelitis.
Vibration exposure of individuals using wheelchairs over sidewalk surfaces

According to the International Standards Organization 2631-1 standard on human vibration, individuals in a seated position are at risk of injury due to whole-body vibrations when exposed for long periods of time. Wheelchair users fit this description perfectly; however, little research has been conducted to evaluate the amount of vibration transmitted to a wheelchair user. The vibration exposure produced by traversing nine surfaces was evaluated by having 10 individuals without disabilities propel over them in both a manual wheelchair at 1 m/s and a powered wheelchair at 1 and 2 m/s. Root-mean squared (RMS) vertical vibration was examined to determine if differences existed between surfaces. At 1 m/s for both the manual and the powered wheelchair the 8-mm bevel interlocking concrete surface produced significantly higher RMS vertical vibration than the other surfaces. At 2 m/s in the powered wheelchair, the poured concrete surface (control) produced the significantly highest RMS vertical vibration. Based on the manual and power wheelchair results of this study, use of selected ICPI pavers would be acceptable for any route traveled by individuals using wheelchair. Furthermore, a 90 degrees herringbone pattern is preferred over the 45 degrees pattern, and it is recommended that for safety reasons regarding vibration exposure a bevel of less than 6 mm should be used.
The Tropical Subseasonal Variability Simulated in the NASA GISS General Circulation Model

The tropical subseasonal variability simulated by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model, Model E2, is examined. Several versions of Model E2 were developed with changes to the convective parameterization in order to improve the simulation of the Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO). When the convective scheme is modified to have a greater fractional entrainment rate, Model E2 is able to simulate MJO-like disturbances with proper spatial and temporal scales. Increasing the rate of rain reevaporation has additionalpositive impacts on the simulated MJO. The improvement in MJO simulation comes at the cost of increased biases in the mean state, consistent in structure and amplitude with those found in other GCMs when tuned to have a stronger MJO. By reinitializing a relatively poor-MJO version with restart files from a relatively better-MJO version, a series of 30-day integrations is constructed to examine the impacts of the parameterization changes on the organization of tropical convection. The poor-MJO version with smaller entrainment rate has a tendency to allow convection to be activated over a broader area and to reduce the contrast between dry and wet regimes so that tropical convection becomes less organized. Besides the MJO, the number of tropical-cyclone-like vortices simulated by the model is also affected by changes in the convectionscheme.Themodelsimulatesasmallernumberof suchstormsgloballywithalargerentrainmentrate, while the number increases significantly with a greater rain reevaporation rate.
Coordinate-free calibration of an acoustically driven camera pointing system

We present a camera pointing system controlled by real-time calculations of sound source locations from a microphone array. Traditional audio localization techniques require explicit estimates of the spatial coordinates for each microphone in the array. In addition, positional information for the camera is needed to use such techniques to drive a camera pointing system. Sometimes this positioning can be done by hand, but for large aperture microphone arrays with many elements this is impractical. We show that in this setting, where elements are placed in an ad-hoc manner, explicitly learning the microphone positions is an unnecessary step. We give a calibration method whose focus is learning the mapping from time delays between pairs of microphones to the associated pan and tilt a PTZ-camera should be given to point at. This curtails the need to explicitly learn the microphone and camera positions. We use this method to calibrate a real-time camera pointing system used by the UCSD interactive display.
Familial deficiency of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors

Combined deficiency of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors II, VII, IX and X (and proteins C, S, and Z) is usually an acquired clinical problem, often resulting from liver disease, malabsorption, or warfarin overdose. A rare inherited form of defective gamma-carboxylation resulting in early onset of bleeding was first described by McMillan and Roberts in 1966 and subsequently has been termed 'vitamin K-dependent clotting factor deficiency' (VKCFD). Biochemical and molecular studies identify two variants of this autosomal recessive disorder: VKCFD1, which is associated with point mutations in the gamma-glutamylcarboxylase gene (GGCX), and VKCFD2, which results from point mutations in the vitamin K epoxide reductase gene (VKOR). Bleeding ranges in severity from mild to severe. Therapy includes high oral doses of vitamin K for prophylaxis, usually resulting in partial correction of factor deficiency, and episodic use of plasma infusions or prothrombin complex concentrate. Recent molecular studies have the potential to further our understanding of vitamin K metabolism, gamma-carboxylation, and the functional role this post-translational modification has for other proteins. The results may also provide potential targets for molecular therapeutics and pharmacogenetics.
Fully integrated switchable filter banks

Fully integrated switchable filter have been successfully demonstrated using a ra CMOS SOI process in conjunction with an a (AlN) microresonator process. Single pole-mul were developed in the CMOS SOI process th multi-project wafer runs while the filters were aluminum nitride based microresonators. Each concurrent design cycles and was demonstrated to integration. After design improvements to bo full monolithic integration was implem microresonator filters with the CMOS switc compatibility of the two technologies. A four ch switchable bank of ∼7MHz bandwidth filters demonstrated exhibiting approximately 8 dB of 60dB of stop band rejection.
Population differentiation decreases with depth in deep-sea bivalves.

The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth. Recent exploration has revealed that it supports a highly diverse and endemic benthic invertebrate fauna, yet the evolutionary processes that generate this remarkable species richness are virtually unknown. Environmental heterogeneity, topographic complexity, and morphological divergence all tend to decrease with depth, suggesting that the potential for population differentiation may decrease with depth. To test this hypothesis, we use mitochondrial DNA (16S rRNA gene) to examine patterns of population differentiation in four species of protobranch bivalves (Nuculoma similis, Deminucula atacellana, Malletia abyssorum, and Ledella ultima) distributed along a depth gradient in the western North Atlantic. We sequenced 268 individuals from formalin- fixed samples and found 45 haplotypes. The level of sequence divergence among haplotypes within species was similar, but shifted from between populations at bathyal depths to within populations at abyssal depths. Levels of population structure as measured by FST were considerably greater in the upper bathyal species (N. similis 5 0.755 and D. atacellana 5 0.931; 530-3834 m) than in the lower bathyal/abyssal species (M. abyssorum 5 0.071 and L. ultima 5 0.045; 2864-4970 m). Pairwise genetic distances among the samples within each species also decreased with depth. Population trees (UPGMA) based on modified coancestry coefficients and nested clade analysis both indicated strong population-level divergence in the two upper bathyal species but little for the deeper species. The population genetic structure in these protobranch bivalves parallels depth-related morphological divergence observed in deep-sea gas- tropods. The higher level of genetic and morphological divergence, coupled with the strong biotic and abiotic het- erogeneity at bathyal depths, suggests this region may be an active area of species formation. We suggest that the steep, topographically complex, and dynamic bathyal zone, which stretches as a narrow band along continental margins, plays a more important role in the evolutionary radiation of the deep-sea fauna than the much more extensive abyss.
The Influence of Background Knowledge on Memory for Reading Passages by Native and Nonnative Readers

M Schema theory research has provided evidence of the importance of background knowledge in reading comprehension. Specifically, content schemata are previously established patterns of background knowledge existing in the mind of a reader and are used to create meaning from text. During the reading process, selected "new" information from the text is related to "old" information acquired from the reader's previous world knowledge (Kintsch & van Dijk, 1978). "Through membership in a culture, an individual has privileged information which is represented in a rich system of schemata" (Steffensen & Colker, 1982, p. 2). However, when the cultural backgrounds of the author and reader of a text differ, the reader may inappropriately instantiate schemata (Adams & Bruce, 1982). The schemata needed for reading comprehension in a second language (L2) are often nonexistent or contain information inaccurate for the L2 setting. That is, there is a mismatch between the background knowledge presupposed by the text and the background knowledge possessed by the reader (Carrell & Eisterhold, 1983). Since the mid-1970s, a number of empirical studies on cross-cultural comprehension have been based on schema theory (e.g., Connor, 1984; Johnson, 1982; Lipson, 1983; Steffensen & Colker, 1982; Steffensen, JoagDev, & Anderson, 1979). In general, these studies have found that subjects read passages with native themes more rapidly than passages with nonnative themes. Subjects recall a greater amount of information from native reading and listening passages, produce more culturally appropriate elaborations of the native passages, and generate more culturally biased distortions of the foreign passages. When portions of a foreign passage are familiar, there is significantly greater recall of the familiar portions than of the unfamiliar parts. The study reported here was designed to investigate whether the potential mismatch in background knowledge between text and reader might affect the placement of ESL students into remedial reading classes.
Capacity Optimization of MIMO Links with Interference

The capacity optimization problem of MIMO links with interference has attracted an increasing interest. Due to the nonconvexity of the capacity problem, only suboptimal solutions can be found. In the previous works, a Gradient Projection (GP) algorithm [1] and a Quasi-Newton (QN) method [2] were proposed to provide suboptimal solutions subject to the constant power constraint. In this paper, we derive the capacity for MIMO links decomposed via SVD and interfered from other links. Then, each eigenchannel of MIMO link is represented by a set of logical links with a set of discrete data rates and discrete powers. An Integer Programming based algorithm (named as IP) is presented to solve the capacity optimization problem. The solution specifies the set of logical links that can transmit simultaneously. Numerical results show that GP and QN methods achieve better performance than IP method for the case of weak interference because of the convexity of the optimization problem when INR is sufficiently small. In the case of strong interference, IP method achieves better performance than GP and QN methods, which means that transmitting one link at a time is better than transmitting all links simultaneously with full power. In other words, scheduling links to transmit is more important for the case of strong interference.
Non-negative matrix completion for bandwidth extension: A convex optimization approach

Bandwidth extension is the problem of recovering missing bandwidth in audio signals that have been band-passed, typically for compression purposes. One approach that has been shown to be successful for bandwidth extension is non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). The disadvantage of NMF is that it is non-convex and intractable to solve in general. However, in bandwidth extension, only the reconstruction is needed and not the explicit factors. We formulate bandwidth extension as a convex optimization problem, propose a simple algorithm, and demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach on practical examples.
Acute Hyperglycemia Is Associated with Immediate Brain Swelling and Hemorrhagic Transformation After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats

Hemorrhagic transformation occurs in as many as 48 % of stroke patients and is a major contributor to post-insult morbidity and mortality. Experimental models of hemorrhagic transformation are utilized for understanding the mechanisms behind its development, as well as for investigating potential therapeutics for prevention and reduction of bleeding. Thoroughly studying animal models of hemorrhagic transformation is critically important for testing novel treatments. Thus far, no study has examined the progression of brain swelling and hemorrhagic transformation after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Herein, we investigate the development of infarction, brain swelling, and hemorrhagic transformation following MCAO in hyperglycemic rats. Twenty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either 1.5 h of MCAO or sham surgery 15 min after induction of hyperglycemia. Animals were sacrificed at 0.25, 1, 3, or 24 h after reperfusion for measurement of infarct volume, brain swelling, and hemoglobin volume. Within 15 min of reperfusion, the infarct volume was significantly larger than in sham animals and did not increase in size over the 24 h. However, both brain swelling and hemorrhagic transformation, which began immediately after reperfusion, increase over 24 h after reperfusion.
Development of ab initio techniques critical for future science-based explosives R&D

Density Functional Theory (DFT) has emerged as an indispensable tool in materials research, since it can accurately predict properties of a wide variety of materials at both equilibrium and extreme conditions. However, for organic molecular crystal explosives, successful application of DFT has largely failed due to the inability of current exchange-correlation functionals to correctly describe intermolecular van der Waals' (vdWs) forces. Despite this, we have discovered that even with no treatment of vdWs bonding, the AM05 functional and DFT based molecular dynamics (MD) could be used to study the properties of molecular crystals under compression. We have used DFT-MD to predict the unreacted Hugoniots for PETN and HNS and validated the results by comparison with crystalline and porous experimental data. Since we are also interested in applying DFT methods to study the equilibrium volume properties of explosives, we studied the nature of the vdWs bonding in pursuit of creating a new DFT functional capable of accurately describing equilibrium bonding of molecular crystals. In this report we discuss our results for computing shock Hugoniots of molecular crystals and also what was learned about the nature of bonding in these materials.
ε -near-zero enhanced light transmission through a subwavelength slit

We present a comprehensive analysis of the role of $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$-near-zero (ENZ) materials with realistic losses in enhanced light transmission through subwavelength channels. In this work, we utilize a bulk ENZ material consisting of heavily doped semiconductor, operating at the semiconductor's plasma frequency (in mid-infrared regime). Resonant transmission peaks for transverse magnetic polarized light have been experimentally observed when such material is used as a coupling layer and/or inside the subwavelength slit. In the process, we developed a generalized mode-matching-based approach to calculate and analyze light propagation through slits and waveguides embedded inside planar layer stacks and applied this approach to the particular case of ENZ-filled subwavelength slit. The developed formalism inherently provides the individual amplitudes of the guided modes inside the slit and their coupling efficiencies to the surrounding media. Using the calculated coupling efficiencies, we were successful in explaining the resonant transmission behavior of these structures and also were able to track the origin of enhancements. Our analysis demonstrates that in the presence of losses, the transmission efficiency is dominated by the bulk plasma resonances of the ENZ coupling layer and minimal advantage is gained by filling the slit with ENZ material. The enhancements were also observed to be dependent on the thickness of the substrate layer. Further analysis of the calculated amplitudes using the numerical algorithm developed an approximate analytical model for systems with deep subwavelength slits.
More than Meets the Eye: Gesture Changes Thought, even without Visual Feedback.

When speakers gesture, their gestures shape their thoughts, but how this happens remains unclear. What kinds of feedback from gesture—visual, proprioceptive, or both— drive these cognitive effects? Here we address this question using a test bed previously employed to explore gesture’s cognitive effects (Beilock & Goldin-Meadow, 2010). Participants solved the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, explained their solutions in speech and gesture, and solved the puzzle a second time. Previous studies using this paradigm have demonstrated that the gestures participants produce during the explanation phase affect their ability to solve the problem the second time. Unlike these prior studies, however, participants in the present study were blocked from seeing their hands while they gestured. Despite this absence of visual feedback, our results replicate previous studies in which visual feedback was available. These findings suggest that gesture may shape thought through proprioceptive feedback alone.
Latent Class Analysis for Highway Design and Construction Project Categorization

Abstract Current classifications of highway design and construction projects are policy specific, ad hoc or based upon engineering judgement. This research defines an empirically-based highway project classification system through latent class analysis. Data from 291 projects completed between 2004 and 2015 by agencies across the United States serve as the basis for this analysis. The analysis explores project characteristic variables that include facility type, project type, highway type, project size in terms of cost and, project complexity. Latent class analysis provides an accurate and defensible project classification. This consistent classification of projects can aid researchers and practitioners in many applications such as enhancing the understanding of how agency decisions, like selection of a project delivery method, impact project performance.
Factors involved in the transmission of Pasteurella tularensis from inoculated animals to healthy cage mates.

1. Francis, E. and Lake, G. C. 1922, Tularemia Francis 1921. .A new disease of man. V. Transmission of tularemia by the mouse louse, Polyplax serratus (Burro.). Hygenic Lab. Bull. no. 130, U. S. Pub. Health Service, Treas. Dept. pp. 38-44. 2. Bell, J. F., Owen, C. R. and Larson, C. L. 1955, The virulence of Bacterium tularense. I. A study of the virulence of Bacterium tularense in mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits. J. Infect. Dis. 97: 162-166. 3. Bell, J. F., Larson, C. L., Wicht, W. C. and Ritter, S. S. 1952, Studies on the immunization of white mice against infections with Bacterium tularense. J. Immunol. 69: 515-524. points of titrations are based and since results obtained with mice serve as the aseline for titrations in other animals in determinations of virulence,2 contagion-infection of originally uninfected animals would raise the titers of the
Greater bioavailability of digoxin solution in capsules; Studies in the postprandial state

A liquid concentrate of digoxin administered as a capsule has recently been found to be better absorbed by normal subjects in the fasting state than a standard tablet or even a solution as such. It was not known whether the enchanced bioavailability of the encapsulated digoxin solution could also be demonstrated when given postprandially. In a crossover study single 0.4 mg doses of digoxin solution in a capsule, a solution in 10% ethanol as such, and a standard tablet were given to 12 normal volunteers immediately following a high-fat breakfast. The mean area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) and 6-day cumulative urinary glycoside excretion (CUE) were greater after the capsule than that of either the solution or the tablet. The latter two preparations appeared to be bioequivalent. Intersubject variability in the CUE was less than with the AUC, but did not differ when the three drug formulations were compared. The bioavailability of an encapsulated liquid digoxin concentrate was thus also found to be enhanced when administered postprandially.
Computer Simulation of Furbearer Population Dynamics

FURPOP is a computer simulation model that was developed to simulate the dynamics of raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations in Kentucky. It can be adapted for use with any similar species and location by changing appropriate input data. The program simulates annual population density, age structure, birth rate, and mortality rate based on assumptions concerning the density dependence of factors affecting population change for habitat of specified quality, and based on relationships between harvest pressure and fur market dynamics. Model validity can be tested by using data from a prior year as input, and comparing data from subsequent years with model output. Simulations validly predicted the age structures of raccoon populations in Kentucky (P > 0.05). Management alternatives were explored by comparing output from stochastic runs of the model under “control” conditions with output from simulations in which selected input values had been changed. In experiments with the Kentucky raccoon data set, for example, the long term mean simulated population level was not greatly affected by elimination of hunting and trapping, or the elimination of illegal harvest mortality, but population fluctuations were greater from year to year under these conditions. Reduction in harvest mortality allowed simulated populations to increase more rapidly, and natural mortality subsequently reduced these dense populations to levels below those observed in control simulations. An increase in pelt price stabilized annual fluctuations in population levels observed in control simulations without decreasing the long-term mean density by preventing the population from rapidly growing beyond the capacity of the habitat to support it. When habitat quality inputs were set to extremely high levels, populations increased, but the effects of diseases (i.e., distemper and rabies) prevented populations from approaching the abnormally high carrying capacity. FURPOP was shown to be a valuable tool in assessing the impact of various management strategies on furbearer population dynamics. With further empirical data, the model also can be used to explore assumptions about density-dependent mortality factors, and the impact of habitat quality on population density.
Chemical ionization of clusters formed from sulfuric acid and dimethylamine or diamines

Abstract. Chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometers are used to study atmospheric nucleation by detecting clusters produced by reactions of sulfuric acid and various basic gases. These instruments typically use nitrate to deprotonate and thus chemically ionize the clusters. In this study, we compare cluster concentrations measured using either nitrate or acetate. Clusters were formed in a flow reactor from vapors of sulfuric acid and dimethylamine, ethylene diamine, tetramethylethylene diamine, or butanediamine (also known as putrescine). These comparisons show that nitrate is unable to chemically ionize clusters with high base content. In addition, we vary the ion–molecule reaction time to probe ion processes which include proton-transfer, ion–molecule clustering, and decomposition of ions. Ion decomposition upon deprotonation by acetate/nitrate was observed. More studies are needed to quantify to what extent ion decomposition affects observed cluster content and concentrations, especially those chemically ionized with acetate since it deprotonates more types of clusters than nitrate. Model calculations of the neutral and ion cluster formation pathways are also presented to better identify the cluster types that are not efficiently deprotonated by nitrate. Comparison of model and measured clusters indicate that sulfuric acid dimers with two diamines and sulfuric acid trimers with two or more base molecules are not efficiently chemical ionized by nitrate. We conclude that acetate CI provides better information on cluster abundancies and their base content than nitrate CI.
A Determination of the Radio-Luminosity Function and Relative Number of Globular Cluster Pulsars

The currently known sample of radio pulsars discovered in twelve globular clusters allows a determination of the globular cluster pulsar radio-luminosity function and a comparison of different pulsar formation models. Even though these results are necessarily preliminary due to observational and statistical uncertainties, it is significant that the inferred slope of the radio-luminosity function of cluster pulsars is consistent with the slope determined for the field population. We consider four cluster pulsar formation models including two versions of the tidal capture model and two models independent of cluster core star densities. We find that the tidal capture model does not appear more favored than models that are independent of cluster star densities. For at least four globular clusters (M 28, M 53, Ter 5, and NGC 6440), the tidal capture model does not fully account for the number of detected pulsars in these clusters.
Social-Distance based anycast routing in Delay Tolerant Networks

Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) are sparse mobile ad-hoc networks in which there is typically no complete path between the source and destination. Anycast is an important group communication paradigm for numerous DTN applications such as resource discovery and information exchange in emergency or crisis situations. While anycasting has been studied extensively in the context of the Internet and Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs), efficient anycasting in DTNs is a significantly different and challenging problem due to frequent partitions and intermittent connectivity among nodes. In this paper, we propose a single-copy anycast routing strategy in which the current carrier forwards the message to an encounter node with a higher Anycast Social Distance Metric (ASDM). We formulate ASDM based on the multi-hop social distances to anycast group members. ASDM balances the trade-off between a short path to the closest, single group member and a longer path to the area where many other group members reside. That is, it optimizes both the efficiency and robustness of message delivery. We derive the social distances from the multi-hop delivery probabilities over the most probable path in the social contact graph. Through extensive simulation studies using a real-world mobility trace, we show that our scheme achieves a high delivery ratio, low delay, and low transmission cost compared to other anycast strategies.
Leisure and positive psychology: linking activities with positiveness

Leisure and Positive Psychology: Linking Activities with Positiveness is a thought-provoking book. The author seeks to link the thinking behind positive psychology to the theories and research that...