cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustained Groundwater Loss in California's Central Valley Exacerbated by Intense Drought Periods

The accelerated rate of decline in groundwater levels across California's Central Valley results from overdrafting and low rates of natural recharge and is exacerbated by droughts. The lack of observations with an adequate spatiotemporal resolution to constrain the evolution of groundwater resources poses severe challenges to water management efforts. Here we present SAR interferometric measurements of high-resolution vertical land motion across the valley, revealing multiscale patterns of aquifer hydrogeological properties and groundwater storage change. Investigating the depletion and degradation of the aquifer-system during 2007-2010, when the entire valley experienced a severe drought, we find that ~2% of total aquifer-system storage was permanently lost, owing to irreversible compaction of the system. Over this period, the seasonal groundwater storage change amplitude of 10.11 ± 2.5 km3 modulates a long-term groundwater storage decline of 21.32 ± 7.2 km3. Estimates for subbasins show more complex patterns, most likely associated with local hydrogeology, recharge, demand, and underground flow. Presented measurements of aquifer-system compaction provide a more complete understanding of groundwater dynamics and can potentially be used to improve water security.
Extremes in Dependent Random Sequences

This (largely expository) paper concerns the extension of some of the main distributional results of classical extreme value theory to apply to dependent — and in particular stationary — sequences. Central ideas of the classical theory are first discussed along with the broad organization of and motivation for their derivations. It is then shown how weak restrictions on dependence structure allow the theory to be generalized to include stationary (and more general) sequences. Implications for the asymptotic distributions of extreme order statistics and related Poisson convergence theory of high level exceedances are also described.
Towards Social Information Seeking and Interaction on the Web

User generated content is one of the key concepts of the social web (a. k. a “Web 2.0”) and enables users to search and interact with information that has been created (e.g. blogs) or annotated by other users (e.g. in tagging systems). Consequently, information seeking and interaction have been extended by a social dimension. The interaction can be social in so far that user generated content is searched and retrieved or, in a more direct manner that social interactions are carried out before, during or after search by communicating through Web 2.0 features like (micro-)blog posts, comments, and ratings. This paper focuses on social interactions during the search process by combining a model introduced by Shneiderman (2002) which attempts to describe human motivation for collaboratively using computers with an explorative model for social search by Evans and Chi (2008).
Corruption and the Consequences for Public Health

Corruption is a huge challenge to achieving health goals. When public officials do not act in the public interest but instead use their positions to benefit themselves and their families, friends, or associates, we lose not only financial resources but hope and trust as well. It is a social, political, and economic problem that threatens international development, human rights, and peaceful social existence. This article discusses types of corruption and their effects on health systems and outcomes. Prevention strategies are also discussed, giving examples from countries that have begun to tackle this important problem.
A Rigorous Evaluation of State-of-the-Art Scheduling Algorithms for Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has recently been evolved in terms of the dynamic provision of computing resources to the users based on payment for usage on a pay-as-you-go basis. This provides feasibility to gain access to the large-scale and high-speed resources without establishing their own computing infrastructure to execute high-performance computing (HPC) applications. However, for the past several years, the efficient utilization of resources on a compute cloud has become a prime interest of the scientific community. One of the major causes behind inefficient resource utilization is the imbalance distribution of workload in a distributed computing. This paper contemplates the scheduling objectives of contemporary state-of-the-art heuristics to investigate their behavior to map HPC jobs to resources. Furthermore, the status of workload distribution in cloud computing is also critically assessed. A set of nine scheduling heuristics is validated in the CloudSim simulation environment. The potential of all the heuristics in terms of resource utilization is assessed by combining the workload balancing and machine-level load imbalance using different instances of benchmark scientific datasets (i.e., Heterogeneous Computing Scheduling Problems instances and Google Cloud Jobs dataset). The empirical assessment shows that it is not only an optimal solution to schedule the independent jobs on machines solely based on the execution time, throughput, and average resource utilization ratio; instead, the machine-level load balancing must also be considered to effectuate the usage of full capacity of computing power in a cloud system. Among all the heuristics, Resource-aware load balancing algorithm (RALBA) heuristic has outperformed, and it seems an optimal choice in terms of the tradeoff between complexity and the performance in terms of resource utilization and machine-level load balancing.
Thin Metallic Coatings on Carbon Fiber for Enhanced mm-Wave Absorption

This paper describes the effect of metal plating on the reflection, transmission and absorption of resonant fibers in epoxy. We demonstrate that addition of either a nickel or copper coating leads to reduced reflection, reduced transmission and enhanced loss for low concentrations of these carbon fibers. At mm-wave frequencies, we demonstrate that more than lOdB of absorption can be achieved in transmission through a 1.65mm sample of epoxy containing copper/nickel-coated carbon fibers.
Connecting and Contrasting the Bayes Factor and a Modified ROPE Procedure for Testing Interval Null Hypotheses

There has been strong recent interest in testing interval null hypotheses for improved scientific inference. For example, Lakens et al. and Lakens and Harms use this approach to study if there is a...
Transferring Dexterous Surgical Skill Knowledge between Robots for Semi-autonomous Teleoperation

In the future, deployable, teleoperated surgical robots can save the lives of critically injured patients in battlefield environments. These robotic systems will need to have autonomous capabilities to take over during communication delays and unexpected environmental conditions during critical phases of the procedure. Understanding and predicting the next surgical actions (referred as “surgemes”) is essential for autonomous surgery. Most approaches for surgeme recognition cannot cope with the high variability associated with austere environments and thereby cannot “transfer” well to field robotics. We propose a methodology that uses compact image representations with kinematic features for surgeme recognition in the DESK dataset. This dataset offers samples for surgical procedures over different robotic platforms with a high variability in the setup. We performed surgeme classification in two setups: 1) No transfer, 2) Transfer from a simulated scenario to two real deployable robots. Then, the results were compared with recognition accuracies using only kinematic data with the same experimental setup. The results show that our approach improves the recognition performance over kinematic data across different domains. The proposed approach produced a transfer accuracy gain up to 20% between the simulated and the real robot, and up to 31% between the simulated robot and a different robot. A transfer accuracy gain was observed for all cases, even those already above 90%.
13 – Polymer Blending for Packaging Applications

Blending of polymers is becoming increasingly important in packaging applications to enhance properties, improve processing, or lower cost. Achieving a consistent quality blend with the desired properties requires proper attention to both process and product design. Aspects of polymer blending that are important for in-line mixing of resins and other ingredients in a single-screw extruder during film converting are highlighted. Key aspects of thermodynamics and morphology development of polymer blends are examined and the factors leading to elongated blend morphologies in blown film considered. Dispersing inorganic fillers, nanocomposites and rheology of polymer blends are also addressed.
High-Power Amplification Experiments on a Recirculating Planar Crossed-Field Amplifier

The recirculating planar crossed-field amplifier (RPCFA) was designed, constructed, and tested at the University of Michigan. The RPCFA was driven by a number of RF sources ranging in frequency from 2.40 to 3.05 GHz and powers of 1 to 800 kW. Pulsed voltage was delivered to the cathode by the Michigan electron long beam accelerator with ceramic insulator (MELBA-C) which was configured to supply pulses of −300 kV, 1–10 kA, with 0.3–1.0- $\mu \text{s}$ pulse lengths. The RPCFA demonstrated zero-drive stability and a bandwidth of 15%. Amplification of microwave signals, at the design frequency of 3 GHz, below 150 kW, was observed with a mean gain of 7.87 dB and high variability, $\sigma = 2.74$ dB. Filtering this data set to only include shots with identical voltage and current profiles yielded a gain of 6.6 ± 1.6 dB. The mean gain increased to 8.71 dB and the variability decreased to $\sigma =0.63$ dB when the injected microwave power increased beyond 150 kW. Peak output powers of nearly 6 MW were achieved with RF breakdown limiting the maximum output power of the device.
Learning Hawaiian Open Ocean Navigation Methods with Kilo Hōkū VR

Kilo Hōkū VR (t: "to observe and study the stars") is a virtual reality simulation of the Hōkūleʻa, a Polynesian double-hulled sailing canoe, and a simulation of the practice of Modern Hawaiian wayfinding, or non-instrument open ocean navigation. It was developed to assist in the cultural preservation of the celestial navigation portion of Modern Hawaiian wayfinding, and to expand the availability of learning opportunities. We here introduce new features added to the simulation for teacher and student interaction and learning. We performed a user study and observed the potential viability of using Kilo Hōkū VR with students who are currently learning wayfinding in a classroom setting.
Is developmental synchrony enabled by CTCF residence time

Depletion of CTCF in cultured cells has minor effects on transcription whereas its mutation leads to embryonic lethality and developmental defects. In a recent issue of Nature Cell Biology, Soochit et al. (2021) show that the residence time of CTCF on DNA may explain its critical role in cell differentiation.
A Review of Thermal Property Enhancements of Low-Temperature Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials

Phase change materials (PCMs) are of increasing interest due to their ability to absorb and store large amounts of thermal energy, with minimal temperature variations. In the phase-change process, these large amounts of thermal energy can be stored with a minimal change in temperature during both the solid/liquid and liquid/vapor phase transitions. As a result, these PCMs are experiencing increased use in applications such as solar energy heating or storage, building insulation, electronic cooling, food storage, and waste heat recovery. Low temperature, nano-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) are of particular interest, due to the recent increase in applications related to the shipment of cellular based materials and vaccines, both of which require precise temperature control for sustained periods of time. Information such as PCM and nanoparticle type, the effective goals, and manipulation of PCM thermal properties are assembled from the literature, evaluated, and discussed in detail, to provide an overview of NEPCMs and provide guidance for additional study. Current studies of NEPCMs are limited in scope, with the primary focus of a majority of recent investigations directed at increasing the thermal conductivity and reducing the charging and discharging times. Only a limited number of investigations have examined the issues related to increasing the latent heat to improve the thermal capacity or enhancing the stability to prevent sedimentation of the nanoparticles. In addition, this review examines several other important thermophysical parameters, including the thermal conductivity, phase transition temperature, rheological affects, and the chemical stability of NEPCMs. This is accomplished largely through comparing of the thermophysical properties of the base PCMs and their nano-enhanced counter parts and then evaluating the relative effectiveness of the various types of NEPCMs. Although there are exceptions, for a majority of conventional heat transfer fluids the thermal conductivity of the base PCM generally increases, and the latent heat decreases as the mass fraction of the nanoparticles increases, whereas trends in phase change temperature are often dependent upon the properties of the individual components. A number of recommendations for further study are made, including a better understanding of the stability of NEPCMs such that sedimentation is limited and thus capable of withstanding long-term thermal cycles without significant degradation of thermal properties, along with the identification of those factors that have the greatest overall impact and which PCM combinations might result in the most significant increases in latent heat.
Targeted Methods for Biomarker Discovery

The use of biomarkers in disease diagnosis and treatment has grown rapidly in recent years, as microarray and sequencing technologies capable of detecting biological signatures have become more effective research tools. In an attempt to create a level of quality assurance with respect to biological and more specifically biomarker research, the FDA has called for the development of a standard protocol for biomarker qualification (Food and Drug Administration 2006). Such a protocol would define “evidentiary” standards for biomarker usage in areas of drug development and disease treatment and provide a standardized assessment of a biomarker’s significance and biological interpretation. This is especially relevant for RCTs, where the protocol would prohibit the use of unauthenticated biomarkers to determine treatment regime, resulting in safer and more reliable treatment decisions (Food and Drug Administration 2006). Consequentially, identifying accurate and flexible analysis tools to assess biomarker importance is essential. In this chapter, we present a measure of variable importance based on a flexible semiparametric model as a standardized measure for biomarker importance. We estimate this measure with the TMLE.
A Result on the Placement of Infinite Eigenvalues in Descriptor Systems

It is known that under certain circumstances the trajectories of the descriptor system Ex(t) = Ax(t) + Bu(t) will involve the impulse function and its derivatives. Although a feedback can effectively be designed to eliminate this behavior, it may destablize the system or destroy its regularity. In this paper we present a straightforward way to choose the feedback such that these problem do not occur. Since elimination of impulsive behavior is closely related to shifting the eigenvalues at infinity of the system to the finite portion of the complex plane, our result can also be thought of as a pole-placement theorem for the eigenvalues at infinity of a descriptor system.
Maternal age and preterm births in singleton and twin pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilisation in the United States.

Background Among natural conceptions, advanced maternal age (≥35 years) is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. However, few studies have specifically examined this association in births resulting from in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 97 288 singleton and 40 961 twin pregnancies resulting from fresh non-donor IVF cycles using 2006–10 data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Online Reporting System. Results Rates of very early preterm (<28), early preterm (<32), and preterm birth (<37 completed weeks) decreased with increasing maternal age in both singleton and twin births (PTrend <0.01). With women aged 30–34 years as the reference, those aged <30 years were at an increased risk of all types of preterm births. The adjusted odd ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) for very early preterm birth, early preterm birth, and preterm birth in women aged 25–29 years were 1.3 [95% CI 1.1, 1.5], 1.2 [95% CI 1.1, 1.4], and 1.1 [95% CI 1.02, 1.2] in singletons. This increased risk of preterm births among younger women was even more significant in twin births. However, women aged ≥35 years were not at an increased risk of any type of preterm births in both singleton and twin births. Conclusions In contrast to natural conception, advanced maternal age is not associated with an increased risk of preterm births in pregnancies conceived by IVF. Women who seek IVF treatments before 30 years old are at higher risk of all stages of preterm births.
The influence of temporary blockage of semicircular canals on the loss and recovery of vestibuloocular reflexes

The efficacy of the technique of semicircular canal plugging in selectively blocking the function of individual semicircular canals was evaluated in rabbits. The horizontal and vertical vestibuloocular reflexes (HVOR, VVOR) and the horizontal optokinetic reflex (HOKR) were measured before the horizontal or anterior semicircular canals (HSCs, ASCs) were plugged bilaterally with small spindles of silver wire. These reflexes were also measured after the plugs were removed. The gain of the HVOR was reduced to less than 0.05 at all frequencies tested after plugs were inserted into the HSCs. The gain of the HOKR was not influenced by the plugging operation. These data were interpreted to mean that the plugs blocked the normal fluid dynamics of the HSCs, but did not alter the spontaneous activity of HSC afferents. The gain of the VVOR was not reduced by plugs of the HSCs. The gain of the VVOR was reduced by plugs of the ASCs. The residual VVOR was attributed to stimulation of the utricular otoliths at lower frequencies and stimulation of the posterior semicircular canals at higher frequencies. The gain of the HVOR was reduced 10-40% by plugs of the ASCs. These data, in conjunction with the presence of a small residual gain of the HVOR following bilateral plugs of the HSCs, suggest that the ASCs contribute to the HVOR. The gains of the HVOR and VVOR recovered to within 88% of the preplug values once the plugs of the HSCs or ASCs were removed. However, the protracted time course of this recovery, 10-15 d, indicated that the plugging operation, although reversible, does cause some temporary damage to the peripheral labyrinth.
Landlords and Torts

This article reviews conflicting appellate court decisions where landlords were sued in tort under state statutes that all imposed the same general duty to take care of the property but failed to address what happens when personal injuries follow.
Disability Studies and American Literature

Disability Studies is a small but growing field of theorization regarding the role of disability in identity politics. At once local and far-reaching in its scope, it examines not only the ways disabled people are marginalized, stigmatized, and oppressed, but also the ways that all bodies fall short of culturally, politically, and economically-driven bodily ideals. This discipline has been provocatively applied to American literature, with certain very recognizable characters, such as Flannery O'Connor's wooden-legged Hulga Hopewell and Ernest Hemingway's war-wounded Jake Barnes, receiving much attention. Still, the field of Disability Studies is young, and its application to American literature can and undoubtedly will be expanded in provocative ways.
Implicit measures for preschool children confirm self-esteem's role in maintaining a balanced identity

Abstract Self-esteem is one of social psychology's central constructs. Despite the wide endorsement of the importance of self-esteem, there remains substantial variation in theoretical conceptions of how self-esteem functions. To help address this point, 234 5-year-old children were tested in 3 studies that used a new implicit measure, the Preschool Implicit Association Test (PSIAT). The PSIAT assessed associations of (a) me with good (self-esteem), (b) me with boy or girl (gender identity), and (c) boy or girl with good (gender attitude). The results documented self-esteem in 5-year-olds, as well as own-gender identity and gender in-group preferences. Interestingly, children who had high self-esteem and strong own-gender identity displayed strong gender in-group preferences, supporting balanced identity theory's theoretical expectations that implicit self-esteem serves an identity-maintenance function, even for young children. By preschool age, children display fundamental properties of adult implicit social cognition that relate to maintenance and functioning of group identities.
Effects of Enzyme Loading, Densification, and Storage on AFEX-Pretreated Biomass for Ethanol Production

Corn stover, switchgrass, and prairie cordgrass were treated with an ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) process and a novel densification method (ComPAKco). Separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) were used to evaluate impacts of densification. ComPAKco densification is characterized by low-temperature and low-energy requirements, resulting in compacted biomass briquettes (CBB) 1–2 cm square, with a bulk density of 380–460 kg/m3. Feedstocks were evaluated before and following AFEX pretreatment, after densification, and after storage. Two enzyme doses were tested. The low rate used 5 filter paper units (FPU) of Spezyme CP (cellulase) and 21.3 cellobiase units (CBU) of Novozyme 188 (aka NS50010 [β-glucosidase]) per gram of glucan. The high dosage rate was three times higher and resulted in 40–56 % and 33–82 % higher ethanol yields with SHF and SSF, respectively. Trials revealed no adverse effect on ethanol yield following densification or 6-month storage of densified, AFEX-pretreated feedstocks.
Interaction between Subunits of Heterodimeric Splicing Factor U2AF Is Essential In Vivo

The heterodimeric pre-mRNA splicing factor, U2AF (U2 snRNP auxiliary factor), plays a critical role in 3′ splice site selection. Although the U2AF subunits associate in a tight complex, biochemical experiments designed to address the requirement for both subunits in splicing have yielded conflicting results. We have taken a genetic approach to assess the requirement for the Drosophila U2AF heterodimer in vivo. We developed a novel Escherichia coli copurification assay to map the domain on the Drosophila U2AF large subunit (dU2AF50) that interacts with the Drosophila small subunit (dU2AF38). A 28-amino-acid fragment on dU2AF50 that is both necessary and sufficient for interaction with dU2AF38 was identified. Using the copurification assay, we scanned this 28-amino-acid interaction domain for mutations that abrogate heterodimer formation. A collection of these dU2AF50 point mutants was then tested in vivo for genetic complementation of a recessive lethal dU2AF50 allele. A mutation that completely abolished interaction with dU2AF38 was incapable of complementation, whereas dU2AF50 mutations that did not effect heterodimer formation rescued the recessive lethal dU2AF50 allele. Analysis of heterodimer formation in embryo extracts derived from these interaction mutant lines revealed a perfect correlation between the efficiency of subunit association and the ability to complement the dU2AF50 recessive lethal allele. These data indicate that Drosophila U2AF heterodimer formation is essential for viability in vivo, consistent with a requirement for both subunits in splicing in vitro.
Absorption spectroscopy in hollow-glass waveguides using infrared diode lasers

Hollow-glass waveguides may be a viable technology that, in some cases, may supplant heavier multi-pass cells such as White or Herriott cells for performing trace detection using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. We report here a series of experiments for testing the suitability of waveguides for infrared spectroscopy. The loss characteristics of 1 mm bore diameter waveguides have been measured for straight and coiled lengths. The minimum linear loss coefficient is 0.46 (+/- 0.10) dB/m while the bending loss coefficient is 0.42 dB. Using a flow of 1 ppm nitric oxide in nitrogen mixture through a coiled 3 meter length of waveguide (coil diameter 50 cm) we could detect the fundamental R (8.5), Ω = 3/2 transition of NO with a signal-to-noise (RMS) ratio of 44:1 in direct absorption using a single mode, lead-salt diode laser with six minutes of signal averaging. Using direct absorption spectroscopy we have found that the absorption pathlength is approximately equal to the physical length of the waveguide. Broadband FM diode laser spectroscopy produces for the same transition and waveguide sample conditions a comparable signal-to-noise ratio with less than a second of signal averaging. Finally, we have also performed near-infrared spectroscopy of nitrous oxide flowing through a waveguide using a telecommunications diode laser. The RMS baseline noise for these measurements, in absorbance units, was 2 x 10 -5 .
Thymosin beta 4 binds actin in an extended conformation and contacts both the barbed and pointed ends.

The β-thymosins are a family of highly polar peptides which serve in vivo to maintain a reservoir of unpolymerized actin monomers. In vitro, β-thymosins form 1:1 complexes with actin monomers and inhibit both polymerization and exchange of the bound nucleotide. Circular dichroism data indicate that free thymosin β4 is predominantly unstructured, containing at most six residues of α-helix, and that up to six additional residues may adopt an α-helical conformation upon binding actin. NMR data indicate that many parts of thymosin β4 are not in tight contact with actin. Contacts between specific residues in actin and thymosin β4 were identified by zero-length cross-linking followed by isolation and sequencing of cross-linked peptides. After carbodiimide-mediated cross-linking, Lys-3 of thymosin β4 was cross-linked to Glu-167 of actin, and Lys-18 of thymosin β4 was cross-linked to one of the the N-terminal acidic residues of actin (Asp-1− Glu-4); the cross-linked actin residues lie within subdomains 3 and 1, r...
A Nonlinear Feedback Control Scheme for Transient Performance Enhancement in Hard Disk Drives

This paper aims to develop a nonlinear control algorithm to break the limitations of linear PID controls and improve the transient performance during the short-span track seeking / settling in hard disk drives (HDDs). It is designed based on a baseline PID controller which is well-designed to obtain good track following performance. The control algorithm is a combination of a nonlinear PID controller and a nonlinear turbo controller (NTC): when the position error signal (PES) is large, NTC assists the nonlinear PID controller to rapidly reduce the error; when PES is small, NTC is turned off to avoid possible chattering and ensure good steady state performance. As PES becomes even smaller, the nonlinear PID controller is reduced to the baseline PID controller to keep good steady state performance.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
MO‐C‐AUD‐00 — Introduction: Imaging as a Biomarker for Therapy Response: Challenges, Opportunities and Initiatives

Imaging as a biomarker for drug and radiation therapy response is emerging as an important area of research. The NIH has formed a Biomarker Consortium with several agencies of the federal government to leverage NIH and Industry funds to develop standardized methods for biomarkers that includes imaging. (http://www.fnih.org/Biomarkers%20Consortium/Biomarkers_home.shtml). The role of imaging as a biomarker poses unique problems for image data collection and analysis across different imaging platforms, as the latter factors increase the uncertainty of measurement, (NIST workshop agenda and report: http://usms.nist.gov/workshops/bioimaging.htm). The AAPM is well positioned to address standards for quality assurance for all imaging modalities, system performance, and development of clinical decision software tools for measurement of therapy response. For this symposium, speakers will discuss: The role of imaging as a biomarker, • Potential funding sources for this work at NIH, • Leveraging therapy physics experience in the NCI's Radiation Research Program that can be applied to measurement of therapy response, • How imaging societies can become engaged to address this research area and promote more standardized methods for biomedical imaging.
Parallel Exact Inference on Multicore Using MapReduce

Inference is a key problem in exploring probabilistic graphical models for machine learning algorithms. Recently, many parallel techniques have been developed to accelerate inference. However, these techniques are not widely used due to their implementation complexity. MapReduce provides an appealing programming model that has been increasingly used to develop parallel solutions. MapReduce though has been mainly used for data parallel applications. In this paper, we investigate the use of MapReduce for exact inference in Bayesian networks. MapReduce based algorithms are proposed for evidence propagation in junction trees. We evaluate our methods on general-purpose multi-core machines using Phoenix as the underlying MapReduce runtime. The experimental results show that our methods achieve 20x speedup on an Intel West mere-EX based system.
Measurement of sunflower seed respiration rates and quotients by gas-solid chromatography in a closed system

Sunflower seed respiration rates and respiratory quotients (RQ) were measured by gas-solid chromatography coupled to a closed system which contained the seed sample. By using a gas sampling valve fitted with a 0.5 ml sample loop, head-space sampling is eliminated. The system is reliable, reproducible, and the data can be obtained in short time periods, as O2 and CO2 can be measured simultaneously. With this procedure, a 10°C increase in temperature produced about a two-fold increase in respiration rates (μlCO2h−1g−1 DM) in seed samples at the same moisture level (13%); while a three-fold increase in seed moisture (7% vs 20%) produced a 148-fold increase in respiration rates at 42°C. High RQ values indicated that high temperatures and low seed moisture may have limited O2 uptake by sunflower seed. Under other conditions, the seed respired aerobically and used carbohydrates as an energy source (RQ=1). Germination test indicated that exposure of sunflower seed to very low O2 and high CO2 levels for 24 h did not adversely affect seed viability. This procedure was successfully applied to obtaining respiration data for soya beans and fescue grass seed.
A Leisurely Look at the Bootstrap, the Jackknife, and Cross-Validation

Abstract This is an invited expository article for The American Statistician. It reviews the nonparametric estimation of statistical error, mainly the bias and standard error of an estimator, or the error rate of a prediction rule. The presentation is written at a relaxed mathematical level, omitting most proofs, regularity conditions, and technical details.
Mass-Based Optimization of Thermal Management and Power Systems for Space Applications

Integration of new and existing technologies for thermal management will be required to meet the challenges associated with the increased need for an efe cient, lightweight, heat-rejection system. Subsystem design requirements, such as thermal and mass management, must be brought into the design cycle to establish an optimal cone guration. This paper provides a parametric analysis that determines the specie c conditions under which a proposed system becomes advantageous from a weight-management standpoint. The analysis can be applied to essentially any space-operated thermally actuated heat pump providing power and/or refrigeration. By applying the techniques demonstrated in this paper, designers can identify and optimize conceptual cone gurations during the initial prototype development stages to reduce payload weight and increase e nancial savings. Examples of systems to which this analysis can be applied are presented and quantie ed.
Ultrastructural changes in knee ligaments following immobilization.

Summary Anterior cruciate (ACL) and medial collateral (MCL) ligaments from control and immobilized rabbit knee joints were examined using transmission electron microscopy. The fibroblasts of these two tissues were distinct in control ligaments, but these differences in fibroblast morpho- logy were less obvious after immobilization. The most drastic changes took place in the ACL; the ACL fibroblasts from control ligaments were ovoid-shaped, while after immobilization they were spindle-shaped with extensive cytoplasmic extensions. These cellular changes corroborate previously demonstrated changes in the mechanical properties of these ligaments seen following immobilization, and are consistent with biochemical studies.
The role of prostaglandins in human parturition

Cette etude passe en revue tous les roles connus des prostaglandines dans les differents metabolismes se deroulant lors de la grossesse et l'accouchement ainsi que tous les inhibiteurs et stimulateurs de la production de prostaglandines
Nusselt Number and Melt Time Correlations for Melting Inside a Horizontal Cylinder Subjected to an Isothermal Wall Temperature Condition

The design of latent-heat storage devices requires the knowledge of the cycle time, the total melt-down time of the Phase Change Material (PCM), and the variation of the Nusselt number along the wall over time, given the properties of the PCM and the wall temperature. In order to answer these questions, the authors have extended a previous work which studied numerically the process of melting of a PCM within a horizontal tube subjected to a constant wall temperature. This numerical model accounts for the irregular, time-dependent shape of the solid-liquid interface, the downward motion of the solid core due to density differences and the natural convection in the liquid phase. In the present work, they study the effect of a variation in the Rayleigh, Stefan, and Prandtl numbers, and obtain useful correlations for the melt time and the Nusselt number.
Glutamine and cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This overview on glutamine and cancer discusses the importance of glutamine for tumor growth, summarizes the alterations in interorgan glutamine metabolism that develop in the tumor-bearing host, and reviews the potential benefits of glutamine nutrition in the patient with cancer. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and tissues. It is essential for tumor growth and marked changes in organ glutamine metabolism are characteristic of the host with cancer. Because host glutamine depletion has adverse effects, it is important to study the regulation of glutamine metabolism in cancer and to evaluate the impact of glutamine nutrition in the tumor-bearing state. METHODS: Data from a variety of investigations on glutamine metabolism and nutrition related to the host with cancer were compiled and summarized. RESULTS: Numerous studies on glutamine metabolism in cancer indicate that many tumors are avid glutamine consumers in vivo and in vitro. As a consequence of progressive tumor growth, host glutamine depletion develops and becomes a hallmark. This glutamine depletion occurs in part because the tumor behaves as a "glutamine trap" but also because of cytokine-mediated alterations in glutamine metabolism in host tissues. Animal and human studies that have investigated the use of glutamine-supplemented nutrition in the host with cancer suggest that pharmacologic doses of dietary glutamine may be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the control of glutamine metabolism in the tumor-bearing host not only improves the knowledge of metabolic regulation in the patient with cancer but also will lead to improved nutritional support regimens targeted to benefit the host.
Hydroxylation and expoxidation reactions catalyzed by synthetic metalloporphyrinates. Models related to the active oxygen species of cytochrome P-450

Abstract Iodosylbenzene has been found to react with catalytic amounts of synthetic metalloporphyrinates to give epoxides and alcohols from olefins and alkanes. Tetraphenylporphinatoiron(III) chloride (TPPFeCl) catalyzed the epoxidation of cis -stilbene to cis -stilbene oxide whereas the trans isomer was unreactive. Dioctyl protoporphyrin IX reacted with iodosylbenzene to give significant oxidation of the side chain alkyl groups. The distribution of products is interpreted to be the result of an intramolecular oxygen transfer reaction. Treatment of tetra-ortho-tolylporphinatoiron(III) chloride (TTPFeCl) with iodosylbenzene afforded a reactive intermediate which degraded the porphyrin in the absence of a oxidizable substrate. Similar oxidation of tetraphenylporphinatochromium(III) chloride with iodosylbenzene gave a stable intermediate which has been characterized as an oxochromium(V) complex.
The liquid surface/interface spectrometer at ChemMatCARS synchrotron facility at the Advanced Photon Source

We discuss results from the first experiments on a new liquid surface/interface X-ray spectrometer recently commissioned by ChemMatCARS at Sector 15 of the Advanced Photon Source. These experiments include studies of liquid/liquid interfaces, monolayers supported on the water surface, and liquid metal surfaces.
On attempts to avoid fermion doubling by giving up hermiticity

Abstract Alessandrini and Krzywicki's (AK's) approximation to Weingarten and Velikson's (WV's) disordered coupling, non-hermitian fermion model is analysed and found to exhibit doubling. Thus the non-hermitian regular lattice model of Alonso and Cortes must also be discarded. We show that in the general non-hermitian regular lattice case there are extra zero modes and that in two dimensions the net chirality is zero. A better approximation of WV's model allows for the possibility of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking of the doubled fermions in that model as in the random lattice case.
Production of factors required for cell attachment and spreading is a constitutive property in mouse A9 cells.

It is demonstrated here that cells in a suspension culture of an established mammalian cell line release non-dialyzable factors into their growth medium. These factors are capable of promoting the adhesion and spreading of these cells on a generally non-attachable substratum and also promote spreading on an adhering substrate. Evidence in presented which demonstrates that the spreading promotion activity of the conditioned medium is dependent on the cell density of the culture from which it was derived. Dilution of the conditioned medium results in a proportionate dilution of the spreading promotion activity. The results clearly demonstrate that the production of this spreading promotion factor is continued even in the absence of cell to substrate attachment.
Auditory unit responses to single-pulse and twin-pulse microwave stimuli.

Abstract Responses of units in the cat cochlear nucleus to single microwave pulses with different durations and to twin microwave pulses with different interpulse delays are used to study microwave hearing. Inferred threshold specific absorption rate is less than 6 mW/g; inferred threshold specific absorption, less than 0.5 μJ/g. The existence of responses from units with characteristic frequencies (CFs) from 931 Hz to 25.5 kHz is not consistent with a primary role for head resonance in microwave hearing. Patterns of response amplitude have a periodicity of 1/CF and are fully explained by frequency content of the pulse stimulus and signal processing of the auditory system. For pulses shorter than about 0.24/CF, it is shown that response amplitude is predictably proportional to pulse energy.
Phosphorus-based p-tert-butylcalix[5]arene ligands.

New calix[5]arene trivalent phosphorus derivatives have been synthesized which should be excellent ligands with which to study and control the interaction of a ligand atom with a metal. The larger cavity of the calix[5]arene (compared to calix[4]arene) provides a good balance between constraint and flexibility. Treatment of p-tert-butylcalix[5]arene with 2 equiv of either tris(dimethylamino)phosphine or dichlorophenylphosphine inserts two RP moieties into the calix[5]arene framework to give calix[5](PR)2(OH) (1, R = Me2N; 2, R = Ph). Further treatment of 1 with 4 equiv of HCl gives calix[5](PCl)2(OH) (3). Heating a solution of the monophosphorus compound calix[5](PNMe2)(OH)3 (4) releases dimethylamine to yield both monomeric calix[5](P)(OH)2 (6) and dimeric {calix[5](P)(OH)2}2 (7), the latter having a tubelike geometry. X-ray crystallographic studies confirm the structures and show that 1 and 2 have approximate cone conformations while 3 has an approximate 1,2-alternate conformation. The orientations of t...
Stable growth of fracture in brittle aggregate materials

Fracture of concrete is analyzed by combining the resistance curve (R-curve) approach with linearly elastic solutions for the energy release rate resulting from the quasi-static crack model of Wnuk, analogous to the D-BCS model of a stationary crack used in describing quasi-brittle fracture in metals. The R-curve, representing the crack length dependence of the energy consumed per unit fracture extension, is calculated using the concept of the energy separation rate associated with a finite crack growth steps. To simplify calculations, the tensile stress transmitted across the nonlinear zone ahead of the fracture front is assumed to be uniformly distributed over the entire nonlinear zone, even though in reality it must be a gradually declining stress resulting in strain-softening; and an infinite elastic medium loaded at infinity is assumed. These assumptions permit an easy solution with the help of Green's function for an infinite elastic medium. Application to bodies of finite size then requires assuming the nonlinear zone (fracture process zone) to be negligible with regard to specimen dimensions, crack length and ligament length. Even though this assumption is not always realistic, the end results, which are of practical importance, appear reasonable. The analysis leads to a nonlinear first-order ordinary differential equation for the R-curve, which is integrated numerically. The R-curves calculated in this manner can be closely fitted to data from previous fracture tests. Only two parameters, characterizing the initial and the final lengths of the nonlinear zone, need to be adjusted to test data.
Interstitial potential differences, electronegativity differences, and effective ionic charges in zinc-blende-type semiconductors

Simple semi‐empirical self‐consistent pseudopotential calculations of various semiconductors, fitted to the empirical band structures, lead to interstital potential differences that can be described by an ionic model such that the ionic charges are proportional to the differences of the PHillips electronegativities for the participating ion species, e*/e≃0.76DX. The results are applied to dipole corrections in heterojunction lineups.
Plasmonic coupling of SiO 2 -Ag “post-cap” nanostructures and silver film for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We demonstrate a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate consisting of SiO 2 -Ag “post-cap” nanostructures with an underlying silver film. Optimized coupling between freestanding Ag caps and the underlying silver film results in a maximum enhancement factor of 2.38×109.
A visit to the newtonian N-body problem via elementary complex variables

The study of how N celestial bodies move under gravitational forces is an old one. If one is willing to acknowledge the work of the ancient astrologers and shepherds ― two groups that carefully plotted the positions of the stars and planets ― then this subject area traces its origins to the earliest reaches of mankind. Indeed, had the title not been already preempted, one might suggest that the study of the N-body problem is «the world's oldest profession». If it isn't the oldest, then, most surely, it is «the second oldest»
Determining Three-Dimensional Object Shape And Orientation From A Single Perspective View

Three-dimensional object shape and orientation are determined from a single perspective view with very little a priori knowledge. Groups of parallel lines are detected by searching for common vanishing points, and the orientation of a group of parallel lines is determined by the location of its vanishing point. Edge contour traces are made for finding a primary face of the object. A least-slant-angle heuristic is adopted to help find the orientation of the primary face. A model of the 3D object is constructed in steps, beginning with the primary face. The shape and orientation of the faces in the model are adjusted iteratively so as to minimize the discrepancies between the object image and the image generated by the model. Three examples are presented, and the resulting 3D model interpretation of the object is consistent with human perception.
A simple randomized parallel algorithm for list-ranking

Abstract In this paper we give a simple parallel algorithm for the list-ranking problem. The algorithm is a randomized O(log n) time, n/log n processor algorithm for an EREW PRAM. The algorithm is substantially simpler than other optimal algorithms for list-ranking.
A longitudinal study of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy cattle

Feces from each of 30 Holstein cattle on a Maryland dairy farm were examined at weekly, bimonthly, and then monthly intervals from 1 week to 24 months of age for the presence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi. DNA was extracted from spores cleaned of fecal debris, and a two-step nested PCR protocol was used to amplify a fragment of the internal transcriber spacer region of the rRNA gene. All PCR-positive specimens were sequenced to determine the genotype of E. bieneusi. The overall prevalence was 24% (239/990) with a lower prevalence in pre-weaned calves (less than 8 weeks of age; 11.7%) and heifers (13-24 months of age) than post-weaned calves (3-12 months of age; 44.4%). Over the course of 24 months, the cumulative prevalence of E. bieneusi was 100% since all 30 calves shed spores at some time during the study. One or more of three genotypes of E. bieneusi, J, I, and BEB4, were detected in all 30 animals. Genotype I was detected in all 30 cattle between 1 week and 22 months of age with some cattle remaining infected as long as 17 months. At 4 months of age, 28 cattle were infected with genotype I. Genotype BEB4 was detected briefly in seven cattle, most between 15 and 20 months of age. Genotype J was detected in eight cattle, all between 16 and 24 months of age. This longitudinal study strongly supports the findings of point prevalence, multiple farm studies in which genotypes J, I, and BEB 4 were found. These genotypes appear to be cattle specific and have not been found in humans or other animals.