cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying remote sensing technologies to natural disaster risk management: Implications for developmental investments☆

Abstract Remote sensing and geographic information management technologies provide tools by which data can be collected and analyzed to support pre-disaster preparedness programs, in-disaster response and monitoring activities, and post-disaster reconstruction. The paper examines the informational requirements for disaster risk management, assesses developing country capacities for building the necessary informational decision-support systems, and evaluates the role of remote sensing as a source of information. It discusses the relationship between development investments and natural disaster risk management. It describes several examples of initiatives from developing countries which have attempted to build a disaster preparedness and response program using remote sensing data and other geographic information management techniques. It concludes with suggestions and recommendations for strengthening systems for risk management as a part of standard investment procedures.
Information routing in the basal ganglia: highways to abnormal connectivity in autism?: Comment on "Disrupted cortical connectivity theory as an explanatory model for autism spectrum disorders" by Kana et al.

This review by Kana and colleagues proposes a neural mechanism linking the diverse behavioral and cognitive impairments in autism. Specifically, they describe the “Disrupted Cortical Connectivity Theory” of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), proposing that cognitive deficits in ASD can be explained by the combination of underconnectivity between distant brain regions and overconnectivity within local regions. We find this review important, and the theory compelling; however while it is uncontroversial that both structural and functional connectivity are abnormal in ASD, it is unclear whether the two phenomena are related (see [12]). We would like to extend the Disrupted Connectivity Theory by proposing that abnormal functional connectivity in ASD results, in part, from impaired functioning of the basal ganglia (BG). Specifically, we suggest that the BG selectively route information from distributed cortical processing centers to the frontal lobes [6,11], and that this function is impaired in individuals with ASD. Including this neural mechanism for information routing and synchronization improves the current theory by providing a link between atypical motor behaviors and cognitive impairments in ASD, and by identifying the key computations that link impairments in cognitive flexibility, language, selection and inhibition, and set shifting processes. Investigations of BG function in ASD have primarily focused on the overlap between abnormal motor behavior in ASD (e.g., repetitive or ritualistic movements, abnormal gait) and other populations with BG pathologies (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Parkinson’s disease [5]). Recently, research has also shown that the BG are abnormally connected to the frontal cortex in ASD, and that, as predicted by the conditional routing model, this decreased connectivity is associated with impaired cognitive abilities [2].
Short separation regression improves statistical significance and better localizes the hemodynamic response obtained by near-infrared spectroscopy for tasks with differing autonomic responses

Autonomic nervous system response is known to be highly task-dependent. The sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements to superficial layers, particularly to the scalp, makes it highly susceptible to systemic physiological changes. Thus, one critical step in NIRS data processing is to remove the contribution of superficial layers to the NIRS signal and to obtain the actual brain response. This can be achieved using short separation channels that are sensitive only to the hemodynamics in the scalp. We investigated the contribution of hemodynamic fluctuations due to autonomous nervous system activation during various tasks. Our results provide clear demonstrations of the critical role of using short separation channels in NIRS measurements to disentangle differing autonomic responses from the brain activation signal of interest.
Performance of activities of daily living as a predictor of rehospitalization for patients following an exacerbation of COPD

Purpose: To evaluate the rehospitalization rates for patients with COPD using performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) as a metric marker. Method: The Discharge, Assessment, and Summary @ Home (D.A.S.H., Klingensmith HealthCare, Ford City, Pennsylvania) program is a respiratory therapist driven home care based program for patients with COPD who are using supplemental oxygen following discharge from the hospital following a COPD exacerbation. The program includes the performance of four patient selected ADLs (e.g walking the four points of the home, loading the dishwasher) on days #1, #7, and #30 post-hospitalization. Oxygen saturation is maintained above 90% using a SmartDose Oxygen delivery system. Each ADL is measured as either fully completed or not. Results: A total of 229 patients were entered into the study and had four ADLs performed at each of the three visits. 9% (23/229) of the patients were readmitted to the hospital within a 30 day period. Of those, 8 (3.5%) were readmitted with a COPD exacerbation and 15 (6.6%) were readmitted for other reasons. For those patients who performed 1 or less of 4 ADLs (n=42) to completion by day #7 of the program, 8 (19%) were readmitted while for those patients who could perform 2 or more ADLs (n=187) to completion, 15 (8%) readmitted. Conclusions: Those patients with COPD who were oxygen dependent following hospital discharge for an exacerbation of COPD who could perform one or less ADLs to completion by 7 days following discharge have a higher 30 day readmission rate to the hospital than those who could perform 2 or more ADLs to completion.
African Americans in Adult Education: The Harlem Renaissance Revisited

This study examined a 25-year period of African Americans in adult education by accessing the archival holdings of three major data centers: the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Moorland-Spingarn Archives, and the Hollis Burke Frissell Library. The sociopolitical context of the data was analyzed using a Black feminist theoretical framework. Three themes emerged from the data and were seen to be representative of the major issues found in adult education for African Americans: education for assimilation, education for cultural survival, and education for resistance.
Transient Radiation Induced Attenuation And Luminescence In Optical Fibers

This paper addresses two effects of transient irradiation on optical fibers. The recovery of the induced attenuation was measured from 100 ns to 1 ms in several fibers, including two pure silica fibers and three fibers with doped silica cores. Measurements were performed at various optical power levels up to 28 mW at -55 and 23 C to investigate the temperature dependence and possible photobleaching effects at short times. We also report studies of the luminescence induced by the transient irradiation for the same group of fibers.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hyperfine Structures of Some Hg I Lines

Measurements of the hyperfine structures of Hg lines λ5461, λ4358, and λ4047 have been made. These lines were obtained in absorption. Photographs of λ5461 were made with a 10-m double-passed grating spectrograph in the 11th order of 300 line per mm gratings, one 7.25 in. wide, and a second grating of 9.4-in. width. With the wider grating it was possible to resolve the central components of λ5461 and λ4358. Interferometric measurements of the structures of the three lines just mentioned were made using a modified DUDE procedure, particular attention being paid to determine accurately the over-all splittings of the 3S1 state for Hg199 and Hg201. In a similar fashion interferometric measurements of the hyperfine pattern of λ15 295 have been made.For λ5461 the interferometer had a resolving power of 2×106. A resolving power of 5×105 was used for λ15 295. For λ4358 the wider grating alone demonstrated a resolving power in excess of 106.The ratio μ201/μ199 as found from measurement of the over-all splitting of the 3S1 state was 1.1090±0.0007.
Biochemical Pathway of Stress-induced Ethylene.

Ethylene production from beam and tobacco leaves increased rapidly following the application of toxic compounds such as CuSO4, Endothal, and ozone. Treatments which increased ethylene evolution also increased the conversion of U-14C-methionine into ethylene. Cycloheximide inhibited the production of chemical stress-induced ethylene. These results suggest that ethylene is produced by the same biochemical pathway forming basal ethylene, auxin-induced ethylene, or that produced during the ripening of climacteric fruit.
Widely-tunable, multi-wavelength short wave infrared light source based on fiber optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate a fiber-optical-parametric-oscillator-based multi-wavelength pulse source operating at 1.9 μm. Multiple time- and wavelength-distinct pulse seeds were used to cover wavelength range from 1904 to 1924 nm and generate new tones with linewidths below 0.1 nm.
Decoupling Energy Efficiency from Energy Consumption

In the United States, "energy conservation" was the message of choice for the energy policy community mobilized by the 1970s Energy Crisis. Today's energy policy community promotes energy efficiency as the rational strategy for energy savings, deliberately distinguishing efficiency from the perceived failures and negative images of conservation. However, increasing energy efficiency does not necessarily save energy or reduce carbon emissions. In fact, accompanying substantial increases in energy efficiency in the l990s, per capita carbon emissions and energy consumption in the United States have also increased, which itself suggests that efficiency may be an inadequate metric for addressing the environmental mandates that the energy profession now faces. Moreover, efficiency definitions often favour higher consumption, for technical, psychological, and sociological reasons.
Asian aerosols: current and year 2030 distributions and implications to human health and regional climate change.

Aerosol distributions in Asia calculated over a 4-year period and constrained by satellite observations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) are presented. Vast regions in Asia that include >80% of the population have PM2.5 concentrations that exceed on an annual basis the WHO guideline of 10 μg/m3, often by factors of 2 to 4. These high aerosol loadings also have important radiative effects, causing a significant dimming at the surface, and mask ∼45% of the warming by greenhouse gases. Black carbon (BC) concentrations are high throughout Asia, representing 5−10% of the total AOD, and contributing significantly to atmospheric warming (its warming potential is ∼55% of that due to CO2). PM levels and AODs in year 2030, estimated based on simulations that consider future changes in emissions, are used to explore opportunities for win−win strategies built upon addressing air quality and climate change together. It is found that in 2030 the PM2.5 levels in significant parts of Asia will increase and exacerbate healt...
Controlling the contractile strength of engineered cardiac muscle by hierarchal tissue architecture

The heart is a muscular organ with a wrapping, laminar structure embedded with neural and vascular networks, collagen fibrils, fibroblasts, and cardiac myocytes that facilitate contraction. We hypothesized that these non-muscle components may have functional benefit, serving as important structural alignment cues in inter- and intra-cellular organization of cardiac myocytes. Previous studies have demonstrated that alignment of engineered myocardium enhances calcium handling, but how this impacts actual force generation remains unclear. Quantitative assays are needed to determine the effect of alignment on contractile function and muscle physiology. To test this, micropatterned surfaces were used to build 2-dimensional myocardium from neonatal rat ventricular myocytes with distinct architectures: confluent isotropic (serving as the unaligned control), confluent anisotropic, and 20 μm spaced, parallel arrays of multicellular myocardial fibers. We combined image analysis of sarcomere orientation with muscular thin film contractile force assays in order to calculate the peak sarcomere-generated stress as a function of tissue architecture. Here we report that increasing peak systolic stress in engineered cardiac tissues corresponds with increasing sarcomere alignment. This change is larger than would be anticipated from enhanced calcium handling and increased uniaxial alignment alone. These results suggest that boundary conditions (heterogeneities) encoded in the extracellular space can regulate muscle tissue function, and that structural organization and cytoskeletal alignment are critically important for maximizing peak force generation.
Deformation‐induced melting in the margins of the West Antarctic ice streams

Flow of glacial ice in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet localizes in narrow bands of fast-flowing ice streams bordered by ridges of nearly stagnant ice, but our understanding of the physical processes that generate this morphology is incomplete. Here we study the thermal and mechanical properties of ice-stream margins, where flow transitions from rapid to stagnant over a few kilometers. Our goal is to explore under which conditions the intense shear deformation in the margin may lead to deformation-induced melting. We propose a 2-D model that represents a cross section through the ice stream margin perpendicular to the downstream flow direction. We limit temperature to the melting point to estimate melt rates based on latent heat. Using rheology parameters as constrained by laboratory data and observations, we conclude that a zone of temperate ice is likely to form in active shear margins.
Stand-Alone Rolling Circle Amplification Combined with Capillary Electrophoresis for Specific Detection of Small RNA

Noncoding small RNAs play diverse, important biological roles through gene expression regulation. However, their low expression levels make it difficult to identify new small RNA species and study their functions, calling for the development of detection schemes with higher simplicity, sensitivity, and specificity. Herein, we reported a straightforward assay that combined the stand-alone rolling circle amplification (RCA) with capillary electrophoresis (CE) for specific and sensitive detection of small RNAs in biological samples. In order to enhance the overall reaction efficiency and simplify the procedure, RCA was not preceded with ligation, and a preformed circular probe was employed as the template for the target small RNA-primed isothermal amplification. The long RCA product was digested and analyzed by CE. Two DNA polymerases, the Phi29 and Bst, were compared for their detection performance. Bst is superior in the aspects of specificity, procedure simplicity, and reproducibility, while Phi29 leads t...
Studies of prostatic cytosol protein kinases of the aging ACI rat.

Abstract Changes in prostatic cytosolic cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent and -independent protein kinases associated with aging in ACI rats were determined. A decrease in prostatic weight and tissue protein content (but not DNA) with age was noted. The cytosolic cAMP-dependent protein kinase was present predominantly as the type II isozyme. Total content of this enzyme per prostate declined by 37% in 12-month-old rats but remained relatively stable thereafer. However, the activity ratio (+cAMP/−cAMP) increased with aging, indicating an elevation in the amount of the holoenzyme or a decrease in the amount of the free catalytic subunit. Concomitantly the specific activity (activity/unit protein in the cytosol) of this enzyme was found to be increased; this is most likely due to the loss of bulk proteins in the cytosol, and may indicate a slower loss of this enzyme protein in relation to other cytosolic proteins. By comparison, the cAMP-independent protein kinase demonstrated a marked and progressive decline in amount as well as in specific activity with aging, e.g. 80–90% decline at 12 months of age. The above changes in these enzymes did not appear to be due to low circulating androgen in the animals, since they were not reversed on administration of 3.0 mg of testosterone propionate per rat daily for four consecutive days. It is therefore suggested that the above-described changes in prostatic cytosolic protein kinases are primarily associated with cellular senescence in this organ.
Double layer formation

An investigation is conducted of the plasma processes which occur during the formation of a double layer in response to an applied initial electric field, when triggered by a current in the plasma. The important feature of the formation process was the creation of an ion-rich plasma-density cavity. The positive space charge of the cavity was shielded by induction of a negative space charge on the low potential side of the cavity, giving rise to the formation of a fully developed double layer. The shielding was complete only when the electron current from the low potential side exceeded the electron thermal current. It was found that during the formation of double layers counterstreaming electrons are generated. Moreover, transient double layers with reverse polarity also occur during this phase. Thus, the recurring formation of double layers can give rise to flickering double layers.
From Polybius to Dadaab: Traumatic Urbanization in the Anthropocene

Abstract The 2007 Fourth Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that 145 million people will be permanently displaced from their homes in the next 90 years due to man-made climate change. This number is more than three times the number of people displaced today by wars, famine and natural disasters and yet little is being done within the humanitarian aid regime to create strategies for feeding and sheltering this destabilizing human tidal wave. This paper explores some historic context, root causes and potential strategies for a revised approach to traumatic urbanization.
Externally triggered on-demand drug release and deep tumor penetration

Hollow-sphere-shaped nanocapsules containing intentionally inserted magnetic nanoparticles and predefined anticancer drugs provide a powerful magnetic vector under moderate gradient magnetic fields. They enable the nanocapsules to penetrate into the tumors and allow a controlled on-off switchable release of the anticancer drug cargo inside the tunors by remotely applied RF magnetic field. This smart drug delivery system, which can also be made imageable, is compact in geometry because the drug molecules and magnetic nanoparticles can all be self-contained within ∼150 nm capsules. In vitro results indicate that the nanocapsules are effective in reducing tumor cell growth.
Stock returns and volatility in emerging financial markets

Abstract This paper studies the dynamics of expected stock returns and volatility in emerging financial markets. We find clustering, predictability and persistence in conditional volatility, as others have documented for mature markets. However, emerging markets exhibit higher conditional volatility and conditional probability of large price changes than mature markets. Exposure to high country-specific risk does not appear to be rewarded with higher expected returns. We detect a risk-reward relation in Latin America but not in Asia when we assume some level of international integration. We do not find support for the claim that market liberalization increases price volatility.
Molecular-field bremsstrahlung in ethane, ethene and ethyne

Abstract The additivity hypothesis that molecular-field bremsstrahlung spectra can be predicted from the simple addition of atomic-field bremsstrahlung cross sections of the substituent atoms in a given molecule is found to be valid for electron bombarding energies of 5, 10 and 15 keV for the ethane series: ethane, ethene and ethyne. No statistically significant interference effects from the carbon atoms composing the molecules are observed.
Osteoporosis management program decreases incidence of hip fracture in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy.

Objective To evaluate the incidence of hip fracture in men with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Materials and Methods One of the detrimental side effects of ADT for prostate cancer is osteoporosis. Through an osteoporosis prevention program implemented in our healthcare system, the patients at risk undergo dual x-ray absorptiometry scans and receive treatment if the T-score indicates bone loss. We evaluated the incidence of hip fracture in men with prostate cancer who were receiving ADT through a retrospective, cohort study conducted within a managed care organization. The participants were all men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer from January 2003 to December 2007 receiving leuprolide injections. Patients who had had a dual x-ray absorptiometry scan beginning 3 months before the index date through the end of study were included in the intervention group; all others were included in the comparison group. The main outcome of interest was a hip fracture occurring after the index date, excluding cancer pathologic fractures, traumatic fractures, and fractures associated with epilepsy. Results A total of 1071 patients were in the intervention group, and 411 were in the comparison group. In the intervention group, 18 hip fractures occurred compared with 17 in the comparison group. The incidence rate of hip fractures per 1000 person-years was 5.1 (95% confidence interval 3.0-8.0) in the intervention group and 18.1 (95% confidence interval 10.5-29.0) in the comparison group. Conclusion The incidence rate of hip fracture in this population was reduced >70% with enrollment in an osteoporosis management system, avoiding this morbid complication of ADT.
The effects of Tai Ji Quan training on limits of stability in older adults

BACKGROUND: Limits of stability, defined as the ability to maintain the center of gravity within the boundary of the base of support, is critically important for older adults in performing their activities of daily living. However, few exercise programs specifically tailored to enhance limits of stability exist. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether a therapeutically designed intervention, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance (TJQMBB), could improve limits of stability in older adults. A secondary purpose was to examine concomitant change in limits of stability and physical performance as a result of the intervention. METHODS: A single-group design was used in which 145 community-dwelling older adults (average age: 75 years) were enrolled in TJQMBB classes, participating twice weekly for 48 weeks. Primary outcome measures were three indicators of limits of stability (LOS) (endpoint excursion, movement velocity, and directional control), with secondary measures of physical performance being Timed Up and Go and 50-foot speed walk (in seconds), which were assessed at baseline, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks. Changes in the repeated measures of outcome variables were analyzed via latent curve analysis. RESULTS: At 48 weeks, a significant rate of change (improvement) over time was observed in the three limits of stability indicators (endpoint execution: 8.30% LOS, PCONCLUSION: In this single-group study, community-dwelling older adults trained through TJQMBB significantly improved their limits of stability, providing preliminary support for the use of TJQMBB as a therapeutic modality for enhancing functional activities in older adults. Language: en
AMPA Receptor Trafficking at Excitatory Synapses

Excitatory synapses in the CNS release glutamate, which acts primarily on two types of ionotropic receptors: AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors. AMPA receptors mediate the postsynaptic depolarization that initiates neuronal firing, whereas NMDA receptors initiate synaptic plasticity. Recent studies have emphasized that distinct mechanisms control synaptic expression of these two receptor classes. Whereas NMDA receptor proteins are relatively fixed, AMPA receptors cycle synaptic membranes on and off. A large family of interacting proteins regulates AMPA receptor turnover at synapses and thereby influences synaptic strength. Furthermore, neuronal activity controls synaptic AMPA receptor trafficking, and this dynamic process plays a key role in the synaptic plasticity that is thought to underlie aspects of learning and memory.
Redox and double-layer charging of phenothiazine functionalized monolayer-protected clusters.

Monolayer-protected Au clusters (MPCs) have been prepared with mixed monolayers of alkanethiolates and alkanethiolates terminally ω-functionalized with phenothiazine. The mixed monolayer MPCs can contain as many as 10 phenothiazines/MPC; these electron donors are electroactive in rapid, successive one-electron reactions. Surface adsorption of the functionalized MPCs is evident in cyclic voltammetry. Double-potential-step chronocoulometry with incremented potential steps was applied to unfunctionalized hexanethiolate-coated MPCs and to those functionalized with phenothiazine to analyze the coupling between the diffusion-controlled double-layer charging of the MPC cores and the oxidation of the phenothiazine centers. Apparent changes in ordering of the MPC alkanethiolate chains were observed with infrared spectroscopy in solutions of MPCs where alcohol, carboxylic acid, or phenothiazine moieties had been incorporated into the monolayer.
Flexible endoscopic Zenkers diverticulotomy with a novel bipolar forceps: a pilot study and comparison with needleknife dissection.

Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) is the most common diverticulum of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Various flexible endoscopic techniques have been used for division of the septum. However, the learning curve associated with these techniques might be difficult to overcome given the overall rarity of this condition. This can lead either to complications or to potential recurrence of symptoms. The authors hypothesized that a flexible bipolar hemostasis forceps developed for natural orifice translumenal surgery (NOTES) procedures would facilitate precise endoscopic diverticulotomy and simultaneously enable sealing of divided tissue edges. Because the pharyngeal diverticulum (PD) in the pig is comparable with a human ZD, this nonsurvival model was used to perform endoscopic diverticulotomy using two energy technologies. The PD septum was dissected with either a flexible and a rotating bipolar forceps (n = 5) or with standard needleknife cautery (NK; n = 3). The feasibility and safety of the two technologies were compared. In contrast to NK myotomy, the bipolar forceps could easily be readjusted before any tissue dissection in all (5/5) interventions, and energy was applied only on the tissue to be divided. Tissue bonding at the edges of the septum was observed in all cases. The monopolar energy in NK dissection made precise and centered division of the septum difficult to achieve and did not bond the edges of the septum. One perforation occurred with NK (1/3). The flexible bipolar forceps used for Zenker’s diverticulotomy is appealing due to its ease of application and potential to coaptate mucomuscular tissue edges. Although further evaluation with a survival model is necessary, it also seems to be a safer approach than NK. This novel tool could facilitate performance of surgical endoscopists and may make flexible endoscopy the preferred method for Zenker’s ablation.
A Single-Stage Dual-Active-Bridge-Based Soft Switched AC–DC Converter With Open-Loop Power Factor Correction and Other Advanced Features

A dual-active-bridge-based single-stage ac/dc converter may find a wide range of emerging applications such as interfacing plug-in hybrid vehicles with the ac grid, interconnection of dc grid, etc. This type of converter can be used due to unique features such as 1) high-frequency isolation resulting in a) high power density and b) safety and voltage matching; 2) bidirectional power flow; 3) soft switching leading to higher efficiency. In this paper, a modulation strategy has been proposed that results in 1) open-loop power factor correction; 2) zero current switching in the ac-side converter for all load conditions; 3) linear power relationship for easy control implementation; and 4) Zero voltage switching in the load side converter. The converter with the proposed control has been analyzed. Simulation and experimental results on a 1-KW prototype confirm the advantages.
Biometric authentication via oculomotor plant characteristics

A novel biometrics approach that performs authentication via the internal non-visible anatomical structure of an individual human eye is proposed and evaluated. To provide authentication, the proposed method estimates the anatomical characteristics of the oculomotor plant (comprising the eye globe, its muscles and the brain's control signals). The estimation of the oculomotor plant characteristics (OPC) is achieved by analyzing the recorded eye movement trajectories via a 2D linear homeomorphic mathematical representation of the oculomotor plant. The derived OPC allow authentication via various statistical methods and information fusion techniques. The proposed authentication method yielded Half Total Error Rate of 19% for a pool of 59 recorded subjects in the best case. The OPC biometric authentication has high counterfeit resistance potential, because it includes both behavioral and physiological human attributes that are hard to reproduce.
The influence of oxygen concentration on the internal stress and dislocation arrangements in α titanium

The temperature dependence of the long range (internal) and thermally activated components of the flow stress have been measured by a stress relaxation technique over the temperature range 200 to 550 K in α titanium containing five different levels of oxygen. In addition, the dislocation arrangements have been studied using thin foil electron microscopy techniques. In the higher oxygen materials it has been found that a transition from wavy to planar slip occurs towards lower temperatures. The internal stress varies more strongly with temperature than would be predicted by the temperature dependence of the elastic modulus; simultaneously, the thermally activated component of the flow stress (t*) obtained as the difference between the flow and internal stresses, goes through a maximum at the temperature where the internal stress (Tint) becomes strongly temperature dependent. An increase in t* and rise of Tint accompany the onset of planar slip.
Performance of the GLRT for adaptive vector subspace detection

The problem of adaptively detecting a signal confined to a given vector subspace in interference modeled as a zero-mean complex Gaussian N-vector is considered. The correlation properties of interference are not known but are estimated from a given set of secondary (or reference) vectors. The dimension of the known signal subspace is N/sub s/, where 1/spl les/N/sub s//spl les/N. The Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) is cast in a slightly different setting to show that it belongs to a class of invariant tests. The maximal invariants for the class of invariant tests are identified and the joint probability density function of the maximal invariants under both the null hypothesis H/sub 0/ and the alternate hypothesis H/sub 1/ are derived. These expressions are used to show that for 1/spl les/N/sub s/<N, there exists no uniformly most powerful invariant (UMPI) test for the given signal detection problem. Expressions for characterizing the performance of the GLRT are derived and the detection performance of this test when the signal to be detected is a random vector confined to the given vector subspace is evaluated.
Sequence diversity of T cell receptor α chain transcripts from BALB/c thymus

Abstract Most of the diversity in T cell receptor subunits resides in the region that is the equivalent of the CDR3 of immunoglobulins. In order to learn more about the relative contributions of the various mechanisms that generate this diversity we have analyzed the sequences of α chain transcripts from BALB/c thymus. The Jα repertoire of BALB/c mice was examined by comparison of new Jα sequences and previously published sequences. Among the 41 Jα genes examined, most of the diversity is located at the 5' end, consistent with the notion that this region contacts the antigen. VJ junctional diversity was examined by sequencing various Vα Jα combinations derived from different stages of development. Deletion of bases from the ends of V and J genes does not occur with equal frequency. A greater number of bases were deleted on average from the ends of J genes. Bases were added at junctions frequently in isolates from adult animals, consistent with the presence of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. However, there were short stretches of sequences at junctions which were also present at the 5' end of J genes. These findings extend recent observations that α chain genes use multiple mechanisms for generating diversity.
An extensible ball bar for evaluation of robots' positioning performance

This article describes the development of a one-dimensional extensible ball bar designed to measure the positioning accuracy and repeatability of industrial robots. The ball bar has a linear travel of 5 cm (2 in) that is monitored by a built-in electronic transducer having a resolution of 2.5 μm (0.0001 in). At each end of the bar is a precision steel sphere, one of which is attached to an universal joint mounted on a robot's wrist. The other steel ball is magnetically attached to a socket which is firmly located within the work zone of the robot. During the measuring process the robot wrist is programmed to move in an arc whose radius is the nominal length of the bar. The variation of the length of the bar is recorded from the linear transducer and used to obtain a one-dimensional measurement of the positioning poerformance of the robot. Linear displacement and sag tests indicate that the ball bar has an accuracy of 32 μm (0.0013 in) and a repeatability of 20 μm (0.0008 in). Test procedures to evaluate a robot's performance are also presented.
The scanning normal form of linear dynamical systems with variable coefficients

A new asymptotic method for the analysis of a broad class of linear dynamical systems with variable coefficients is presented. This method is oriented to the analysis of linear systems with nonperiodic coefficients and allows one to describe complex bifurcation behavior which in applied fields can usually be interpreted as dynamical loss of stability or phase transition. The recursive asymptotic formula is based on determination of time-dependent change of variables which are local with respect to the time and linear with respect to the phase variables. The asymptotics can be easily computed in any approaches. In the vicinity of an arbitrary point of time axis this change of variables transforms initial equations to the integrable Scanning Normal Form (SNF) which depends on the coordinate of taken point as an additional parameter. The scanning of this parameter results in a shift of SNF along the time axis and is able to produce bifurcations of the SNF matrix eigen-values which under certain restrictions affects a sharp change of the solutions behavior. Behavior of the solutions represents as ordered successions of bifurcation of the SNF matrix eigen-values named as SNF cascade. For the cascade with finite number of elements Lyapunov stability is determined by the last cascade element.
Access LUT without CAM - Improved Pearson hashing for collision reduction

While lookup table (LUT) is widely used in virtually every kind of computing devices, to achieve low access latency with low cost is always challenging. Although Content-Addressable Memory (CAM) can be used to implement LUT, it is not very cost-effective to add such an expensive device dedicated for LUT in most cases. On the other hand, using hash functions to implement LUT, which can achieve O(1) fast lookup in most cases without special hardware, is more preferable. The performance of a hash table based LUT depends on the collision rate. In this paper, we propose a hash function based on Pearson hashing which can effectively reduce the collision rate and thus improve the performance of LUT by adding a dynamically generated permutation table. We demonstrate the LUT performance can be significantly improved from very low additional cost.
Manual adaptive control of a centreless grinding operation

Manual adaptive control (MAC) is a system under development at Carnegie Mellon University in which a programmable calculator is used to adjust a machine tool to operate under optimum conditions (usually minimum cost per part). The machine operator is the sensor and is part of the control loop. This paper illustrates how the system is applied to axial feed centreless grinding operations.
Acute traumatic tear of the base of the brachiocephalic artery after blunt trauma: report of a rare case and review of the literature

This report describes a patient who presented to our institution after a high-speed motor vehicle accident with an abnormal superior mediastinum as shown on supine chest radiograph. Helical computed tomographic aortography and thoracic aortography revealed the patient to have a pseudoaneurysm in a rarely encountered site, in the anterolateral region of the right brachiocephalic artery. The imaging features of this case and the relevant literature are reviewed.
Use of nitisinone in patients with alkaptonuria

Alkaptonuria, a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the HGD gene and deficiency of homogentisate 1,2 dioxygenase, is characterized by ochronosis, arthritis, and daily excretion of gram quantities of homogentisic acid (HGA). Nitisinone, an inhibitor of the enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, can drastically reduce urinary excretion of HGA in individuals with alkaptonuria. We investigated the safety and the HGA-depleting efficacy of nitisinone in an open-label, single-center study of 9 alkaptonuria patients (5 women, 4 men; 35-69 years of age) over the course of 3 to 4 months. Each patient received nitisinone in incremental doses, 0.35 mg bid followed by 1.05 mg bid, and remained on this dosage and a regular diet for 3 months. Nitisinone reduced urinary HGA levels from an average of 4.0 +/- 1.8 (SD) g/day to 0.2 +/- 0.2 g/day ( P < .001). The average plasma tyrosine concentration, initially 68 +/- 18 mmicro mol/L, rose to 760 +/- 181 micro mol/L ( P < .001). During the final week of the study, 5 patients adhered to a protein-restricted diet (40 g/day), and their mean plasma tyrosine level fell from 755 +/- 167 to 603 +/- 114 mu mol/L. Six of the 7 patients who received nitisinone for more than 1 week reported decreased pain in their affected joints. Weekly ophthalmologic examinations showed no signs of corneal toxicity. Adverse events included the passing of kidney stones, the recognition of symptoms related to aortic stenosis, and elevation of liver transaminase levels. We conclude that low-dose nitisinone effectively reduced urinary HGA levels in patients with alkaptonuria. Future long-term clinical trials are planned to determine the benefits of nitisinone in preventing joint deterioration and providing pain relief, and its long-term side effects.
A critical examination of the use of the Freundlich isotherm in characterizing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs)

The Freundlich isotherm (FI) has previously been shown to be useful in modeling the binding properties of non-covalent molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). The advantage of the FI is that it is a heterogeneous binding model that can accommodate and measure the heterogeneity inherent in MIPs. However, it is often difficult to verify whether the FI is an appropriate binding model for a particular MIP because only a narrow portion of the binding isotherm is experimentally measurable. This study takes a critical examination of whether the FI is an appropriate binding model for MIPs and explores its limitations in characterizing a (+)-cinchonine (CN) imprinted polymer and a non-imprinted polymer (NIP). A wider portion of the binding isotherm can be examined by systematically measuring a series of isotherms at different polymer concentrations. This strategy verified that FI can yield an accurate measure of the heterogeneity in the cinchonine MIP and the NIP. However, in cases of extremely high polymer loading, saturation behavior was observed, and the FI yielded inaccurate measures of the binding properties even though the experimental isotherm appears to be well modeled by the FI. Further, these studies indicate that the FI accurately predicts the heterogeneity index for more homogeneous compared to heterogeneous polymers over a wider concentration range but is subject to considerable error as saturation conditions are approached. These studies demonstrate the importance of correctly applying the FI to the lowest concentration portion of the binding isotherm that is experimentally measurable.
Bifid tongue : A rare feature associated with infants of diabetic mother syndrome

Infants born to diabetic mothers (IDM) are well documented to have a higher rate of congenital malformations. Sacral agenesis/hypogenesis and caudal dysgenesis are classically linked to maternal diabetes, but many other types of anomalies are more frequent. In this case report, we describe a male infant born to a diabetic mother who in addition to other typical congenital abnormalities was born with an impressive bifid tongue. Accompanying congenital anomalies include unilateral microphthalmia, bilateral microtia, cleft palate, micropenis with unilateral cryptorchidism, bilateral radial hypoplasia, unilateral pre-axial polydactyly, and mid-line central nervous system defects including arhinencephaly and pituitary hypoplasia. Review of the literature reveals an additional case of an infant with a bifid tongue born to a diabetic mother [Comess et al., 1969]. In conclusion, bifid tongue without oral hamartoma, a rare congenital anomaly, can be an associated finding in IDM.
Implementation and evaluation of channel estimation and phase tracking for vehicular networks

The high mobility of vehicular networks makes channel estimation and phase tracking challenging and an important problem for OFDM receiver design. In IEEE 802.11p vehicular networks, the channel estimation based on a long preamble in the PHY frame performs poorly in fast-fading channels. Moreover, the pilot-based phase tracking usually suffers from large residual phase errors. In this paper, we propose and implement a novel phase tracking algorithm, leveraging the decoded data. We also provide a detailed hardware design for a decoder-based channel estimation algorithm with a pipeline structure on an FPGA-based platform. Through diverse experiments via an advanced channel emulator, our results show that the proposed algorithm could significantly improve the system performance in terms of packet error rate, while adding less than 3% of additional hardware resources. We also jointly evaluate the packet error rate versus the bitwidth of the data in the FPGA, which is important to achieve a good balance between the hardware cost and the system performance.
Cognitive and Affective Factors in Temporal Experience: Judgments of Intrinsically and Extrinsically Motivated Successful and Unsuccessful Performances.

Time judgments were examined using Verbal Estimate and Reproduction measures to determine whether the qualitative nature of an arousal state (success vs failure) or arousal per se (task vs control condition) influence estimates. Motivational orientation in the form of Intrinsic vs Extrinsic task satisfaction was also varied. Only the differences between measures and between task and control Reproductions were significant. Results offered no support for either general or qualitative arousal hypotheses, but attentional or “filled-unfilled interval” hypotheses could account for the findings. A measurement dilemma inherent in present time research methods was discussed.
Gamma Ray Detection with Long NaI(Tl) Scintillator Bars

Extensive position, energy and timing resolution measurements have been made for a l00×5×5 cm3 NaI(Tl) scintillator bar. The arrival times and the pulse heights of signals from two photomultiplier tubes, one at each end of the bar, are used to provide the energy loss, linear position and time-of-flight for gamma ray interactions in the bar over the energy range from 0.5 to 20 MeV. The scintillator bar has an approximately exponential roll-off with a mean attenuation coefficient of 0.015 cm-1. At 0.662 MeV, resolutions (FWHM) of 5 cm, 9.4% and 10 ns were obtained for position, energy and timing, respectively. The timing resolution is 6 ns at 1.25 MeV. At 6.13 MeV, a spatial resolution of 2.2 cm was obtained. This bar is a prototype element of a Compton scatter telescope that uses both plastic and NaI(TI) scintillator bars. The technique is being used for medium energy gamma ray astronomy from a balloon platform. The telescope will have 3.5° (FWHM) angle and 6% energy resolutions at 6 MeV.
A SCRATCHPAD solution to problem #7

The function F(x)= (1/2 - x)(1 - x2)1/2 + x(1 + (1 - (1/2 + x)2)1/2) has a maximum of y=0.674981 at x=0.3437715 (Figure 1). This y value was found [1] to be a root of an irreducible polynomial over the integers of degree 10. The object of problem #7 is to find this polynomial. In addition, we obtain these x and y values to high accuracy and verify that the above y is a global maximum over the domain of interest[2]: 0
An effect on the critical current of a DC SQUID by electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations

Abstract It is shown that if a conducting slab is brought close to a DC SQUID, coupling of electrons with the quantized electromagnetic field increases the critical current of the SQUID. At zero temperature, a perfect conductor produces an increase by a factor exp[αr/4z], where α is the fine structure constant, r is the radius of the SQUID, and z is the distance of the SQUID from the conductor boundary, assumed parallel to the plane of the SQUID.
IMMUNOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN T-LYMPHOID CELL LINE (MOLT) : I. RELEASE OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE FACTORS FROM THE MIXTURE OF MOLT-4 CELLS AND SHEEP RED BLOOD CELLS

A short term incubation of the mixture of established human T-lymphoid cells (MOLT) and sheep red blood cells (SRBC) resulted in the release of factors which nonspecifically suppressed the response of mouse spleen cells against heterologous erythrocytes in vitro. Neither human B-cell line (RPMI 1788), nor the supernate of MOLT cell suspension in the absence of SRBC had such suppressive effects. The supernate of the mixture of MOLT cells with chicken red blood cells (CRBC) did not suppress either anti-CRBC or anti-SRBC responses of mouse spleen cells. Since CRBC did not form rosettes with MOLT cells, it is suspected that the origin of the production of these factors might be MOLT cells forming SRBC rosettes. Some of these factors are dialysable.
Stress and the Behaviour of Domestic Fowl

Fowls have developed behavioural strategies for dealing with stressors that seem to parallel their biochemical and physiological responses during the stages of the General Adaptation syndrome.A bir...
Postmortem Changes in Chilled Round, Bled and Dressed Albacore

Albacore were killed by brain destruction, dressed, bled or left round, chilled in sea water/ice slurry at 1.1°C, and stored in ice. Fish were analyzed for 33 days for aerobic plate count (APC), pH, salt, histamine, trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), and nucleotide content. Dressed albacore cooled faster than round or bled albacore. No significant differences were evident in APC, pH, salt, TMA-N, or nucleotide content of round, bled and dressed albacore. Histamine was detected only at day 33. TMA-N, inosine monophosphate and hypoxanthine content, and nucleotide ratios appeared to be useful indices of storage life.