cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Elastodynamics of Embryonic Epidermal Wound Closure

This paper is concerned with the elastodynamics of embryonic epidermal wound closing. Underlying the recovery process for this type of wounds is a mechanism of wound recognition through directed cell-to-cell signaling. The observed actin filament realignment induced by the biological signals leads to a purse-string effect and the resulting (unknown) “active stresses.” The circumferential contraction of the epidermis surrounding the wound is then determined by the laws of mechanics and propagation properties of the relevant cell–cell signaling that decays with distance. With the wound known to retract for a short period immediately after infliction, the quasi-equilibrium configuration reached during this initial phase serves as the initial condition for the dynamic wound closing phase. A small strain variation of the Murray–Sherratt model of the quasi-equilibrium problem will be formulated for speedy computation of this initial state at the inception of the wound closure phase, with the latter problem being the main concern of this paper. Some theoretical developments are found to be instrumental to an efficient algorithm for the otherwise time-consuming task of calculating the effect of the biological signals generated by the presence of a wound. Application of our elastodynamic model to the case of a circular wound suggests that the propagation range of our choice of cell–cell signaling mechanism must be above a certain minimum fraction of the wound radius for wound closure. As expected, stress concentration occurs adjacent to the edge of the remaining small wound near the end of the wound closing process. At that point, the present model is not expected to be adequate and more appropriate expressions of elastic strain and active stress induced by actin filaments may be in order. Other biological processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation may be involved.
Strategy for room temperature spectroscopy of single molecules

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) from single molecules at room temperature displays rich dynamics of reversible and irreversible transitions within the photodestruction lifetime of the molecule. In contrast to ensemble studies, these transitions are directly resolved when the fluorescence signal is monitored in time. We present a strategy and describe the instrumentation needed for spectroscopic studies on a large number of individual molecules. It is based on a computer controlled optical system which automatically and rapidly positions single molecules in the excitation volume of a confocal microscope and subsequently performs spectroscopic measurements. Examples for such spectroscopies are presented.
Neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN): a marker of neuronal maturation in the early human fetal nervous system

Neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) immunocytochemistry was studied in 15 normal human fetal nervous systems of 8-24 weeks gestation and in four term neonates. Material was derived from products of conception or from autopsy. Antigen retrieval was enhanced for immunocytochemistry by microwave heating of formalin-fixed paraffin sections. NeuN appears highly specific as a marker of neuronal nuclei in human fetal brain. Only rare nuclei are recognized in the germinal matrix. Cerebellar external granule cells are more strongly immunoreactive than postmigratory internal granule cells until 24 weeks gestation; by term most internal and only a few external granule cells are recognized by NeuN antibody. In the cerebrum, some reactive nuclei are demonstrated along radial glial fibers, particularly near the cortical plate. Within the cortical plate, only deep neurons (future layers 4-6) are marked at 19-22 weeks, but by 24 weeks most neurons in the cortical plate exhibit immunoreactivity, though at term some in layer 2 are still non-reactive. Some neurons fail to be recognized by NeuN at all ages: Cajal-Retzius cells, Purkinje cells, inferior olivary and dentate nucleus neurons, and sympathetic ganglion cells are examples. Despite their common origin in the cerebellar tubercle, basal pontine neurons are strongly reactive even before midgestation, hence NeuN does not predict embryonic origin. Neurons of dorsal root and cranial nerve ganglia are reactive even at 8 weeks. This study of normal fetal central nervous system provides a basis for neuropathological evaluation and as a prelude to applications in cerebral dysgeneses.
Review and Analysis of Evaluation Measures Used in Nutrition Education Intervention Research

The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the kinds of evaluation measures used in 265 nutrition education intervention studies conducted between 1980 and 1999 and an analysis of psychometric issues arising from such a review. The data are summarized in terms of tables for interventions with each of six key population groups: preschool children, school-aged children, adults, pregnant women and breast-feeding promotion, older adults, and inservice preparation of professionals and paraprofessionals. Measures evaluating knowledge and skills or behavioral capabilities were most widely used in studies with preschool, school-aged, and inservice populations (50%-85%) and less widely used in studies with the other groups, particularly breast-feeding promotion (5%). Measures of potential psychosocial mediators or correlates of behavior such as outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, or behavioral intention were used in 90% of behaviorally focused studies with school-aged children and in about 20% of studies with adults. Dietary intake measures were used in almost all studies, primarily food recalls, records, and quantitative food frequency questionnaires. Short frequency instruments involving only foods targeted in the intervention such as fruits and vegetables are increasingly being used. Measures of specific observable behaviors are also increasingly being used. Physiologic parameters were used in about 33% of behaviorally focused interventions with school-aged children and adults, 20% with older adults, and 65% with pregnant women and/or their infants. Criterion validity of newly developed intake instruments and content validity of instruments measuring mediating variables were reported in the majority (range 50%-90%) of studies. Reliability and stability of measures of mediating variables were reported in 50% to 75% of studies, with reliability coefficients mostly about .6 to .7. Two major conclusions from this review are that evaluation measures should be appropriate to the purpose, duration, and power of the intervention and that measures should have adequate validity and reliability in relation to both the outcomes and characteristics of the target audience. Major implications are that considerable preliminary work needs to be done before any intervention study to develop and test evaluation instruments so that they are appropriate and have adequate psychometric properties, and cognitive testing of published instruments with each new target audience is essential. We will then be better able to make judgments about the effectiveness of nutrition education.
Making the Most of the Affordable Care Act's Contraceptive Coverage Mandate for Privately-Insured Women

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), most women of reproductive age with private health insurance have, or will soon have, first-dollar coverage of contraception and contraceptive counseling. The need for contraceptive coverage is great, because most American families want two children, resulting in the average woman spending three decades of her reproductive life trying to avoid pregnancy (Guttmacher Institute, 2012; Finer & Philbin, 2014). Contraceptive coverage without cost sharing is a sea change in women’s health insurance. This policy change has the potential to dramatically shift contraceptive use patterns, to reduce the U.S. unintended pregnancy ratedwhich stands at approximately half of all pregnancies (Finer & Zolna, 2014)dand to improve the health of women and families. In this commentary, we argue that realizing the potential of this policy change requires more action on the part of public health practitioners, insurers, health care providers, and researchers than is currently evident, andwe offer some suggestions for making the most of first-dollar contraceptive coverage.
Cure monitoring of carbon epoxy composites: an application of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy

A novel method is applied to the monitoring of the degree of cure of a unidirectional panel of AS4/3501-6 carbon epoxy composite during cure. The composite panel to be cured is vacuum bagged on a steel caul plate. The resonance spectrum of the steel caul plate is measured periodically as the temperature is raised to the cure temperature and during the subsequent cure and cool-down periods. Because the curing composite acts to change the boundary conditions, the resonance spectrum changes as the composite cures. The spectrum at each temperature is compared with that obtained from the caul plate alone at the same temperature. Differences in amplitude, frequency and damping are related to the degree of cure of the composite.
Engineering cartilage and bone using human mesenchymal stem cells

Cartilage and bone defects are leading causes of disability. The economic burden of orthopedic repair exceeds 28 billion dollars per year in the United States alone,1 and the situation is similar in many other countries. Although artificial joints or metal inserts are widely utilized and in most cases work well, cell-based therapies based on tissue-engineered cartilage and bone beckon a new frontier for clinical treatment owing to their biocompatibility and long-term prognosis. Functional tissue engineering2 involves an integrated use of three components — cells, scaffold material, and a bioreactor (Fig. ​(Fig.1),1), — in settings that mimic some elements of the in vivo environment. Synergistic interactions of biomimetic cues applied with temporal and spatial regulation influence cell growth and biosynthesis and guide cellular development into functional replacement tissue constructs. This article discusses the design criteria and parameters essential for engineering cartilage and bone grafts as well as the current status and future perspective of the field. Fig. 1 Main components of tissue engineering Tissue engineering Cells Cells are the actual “tissue engineers,” and several considerations guide the choice of cell sources. The cells are ideally immunocompatible, such as autologous chondrocytes for cartilage repair. The use of chondrocytes, however, is limited by their availability and their capacity for expansion in culture, as well as the need for a separate surgery to harvest the cells. The proliferative characteristics of autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the less invasive procedures for their procurement are thus considered important advantages. Although MSCs have better expandability than differentiated cells, extensive expansion is known to decrease their biosynthetic capacity and multipotency.3 Clearly, cells used for tissue engineering need to be biosynthetically active. Mauck and coworkers reported that when bovine chondrocytes and bone-marrow derived MSCs from the same animals were cultured under identical conditions chondrocytes not only created a significantly more functional tissue than MSCs they also maintained the improvement in biosynthetic and mechanical properties after 10 weeks of culture, by which time the MSCs had already reached a plateau.4 Therefore, optimizing the methods for MSC isolation, expansion, and differentiation remain critical for their effective use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Reducing Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: Safety and Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid:

Menorrhagia or Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) remains a public health challenge among women in the reproductive age group. Anti-fibrinolytics such as tranexamic acid and epsilon aminocaproic acid, play an important role in the medical management of HMB, as HMB is associated with an increase in local fibrinolysis. Lysteda is a novel oral formulation of tranexamic acid which has recently been approved by the US FDA for treatment of HMB. Efficacy of tranexamic acid in the general gynecologic population as well as in women with bleeding disorders is discussed in this review. Safety and adverse effect profile is also addressed for both these populations.
The effects of pH and calcium on the diffusion coefficient of humic acid

Abstract Humic acid is a major component of natural organic matter in surface water and can cause serious fouling problems in membrane filtration processes for drinking water treatment. The transport of humic acid to the membrane surface and within membrane pores is related to its diffusivity. Thus, the diffusion coefficient of humic acid is an important mass transport parameter. Clark and Lucas [J. Membr. Sci. 143 (1998) 13–25] studied the diffusion and partitioning of humic acid into a porous ultrafiltration membrane and developed a model to predict how humic acid diffusivity changes under different pH and calcium concentration conditions. In this work, the diffusion coefficient of humic acid was directly measured and compared to the predictions of the Clark and Lucas model. The experiments were conducted in a two-chamber diffusion cell separated by a track-etched membrane. The results show that the diffusivity of humic acid increases with decreasing pH and increasing calcium concentration, which can be explained by the compaction of humic acid molecules at low pH and high ionic strength. The experimental measurements strongly support the predictions of the Clark and Lucas model.
Tumors induced in hamsters by injection of rhesus monkey kidney cell extracts

SummaryInjection of newborn hamsters with extracts of certain lots of rhesus monkey kidney cell cultures has been followed some months later by occurrence of neoplasms at site of injection in 109 of 154 hamsters. Three of the neoplasms were transplanted to other hamsters and the recipient hamsters developed tumors in 13 to 48 days. Transplants from the second tumor were passed from hamster to hamster 5 times and tumors developed in all surviving animals in 6 to 24 days. Tumors could not be induced in newborn hamsters by inoculation of extracts of the hamster tumors. No changes indicative of a virus were observed when extracts of a tumor or a tumor mince were incubated with primary mouse embryo, primary vervet monkey kidney cells, or a continuous line of rhesus monkey kidney cell cultures. The tumors appeared to be somewhat different from those induced by the SE polyoma virus.
The 2012 Feinberg Lecture: treatment swift and treatment sure.

We stand poised on the threshold of a new era in care for acute ischemic stroke, in which treatments will be swift, starting in the first 60 minutes after onset, the “golden hour” when almost the entire threatened brain region is still salvageable, and treatments will be sure, reopening occluded arteries in almost all patients who will benefit from reperfusion. This narrative review surveys translational clinical research in prehospital neuroprotection and highly effective endovascular recanalization therapy that has helped lay the foundation for this imminent transformation.
Wetlands as Metabolic Gates

Abstract The wetlands and littoral flora of lakes and the land-water interface regions of rivers must be viewed as metabolic regulators of nutrient and organic matter loading to recipient waters. The interface communities of emergent and submersed macrophytes function as an integrated ecosystem of high organic productivity that supports intensive metabolism by attached microbial communities. The latter microbiota operate as an integrated community to conserve nutrients by intensive recycling. Nutrients imported via external loading are incorporated to support new microbial and plant growth within spatial and temporal constraints on community development. Nutrient excesses are exported downgradient. Organic matter released from the interface ecosystem is largely recalcitrant dissolved organic matter that is slowly degraded in recipient waters. An important variable of wetlands in the Great Lakes is marked, short-term changes in water level. These hydrodynamic oscillations modify loading rates of nutrients and organic matter from wetlands. Long-term water level changes can alter the extent and development of land-water interface regions. Hydrology of the ecosystem overrides metabolic capacities at high discharge, but often can be effectively managed to maximize system retentive capacities. Wetlands occupy a very small proportion of the drainage basins of the upper Great Lakes with deep, open pelagic waters. The regulatory influences of wetlands to nutrient loading and as a source of DOM increase in the lower Great Lakes but are relatively small in comparison to those of smaller inland waters.
Dynamic response of a Fabry–Perot interferometer

We predict and measure the temporal response of a Fabry–Perot cavity field to changes in cavity length and frequency of the incident laser field. We outline the theoretical differences between changes in the cavity-length and laser-frequency modulation and present a theoretical derivation of the time response of the resulting cavity field and its effect on the reflected field, the transmitted field, and the Pound–Drever–Hall error signal. We show that oscillations in the resulting signals are due to oscillations in the amplitude and the phase of the cavity field itself. Finally, we demonstrate how induced cavity-field oscillations may be used to determine the mirror velocity or the frequency change of the injected laser field.
Contact voltage-induced softening of RF microelectromechanical system gold-on-gold contacts at cryogenic temperatures

A series of experiments were performed in vacuum environments to investigate the impact of rf micromechanical system switch contact voltage versus resistance for gold-on-gold contacts at cryogenic temperatures. The purpose of this work was twofold as follows: (1) to examine whether asperity heating models already validated for high temperature contacts were also applicable at cryogenic temperatures and (2) to explore the implications and validity of prior suggestions that contact temperatures between 338 and 373 K are high enough to dissociate adsorbed film and/or push them aside but low enough to prevent asperities from becoming soft and adherent. Measurements on two distinct switch types, fabricated at independent laboratories, were performed in the temperature range 79–293 K and for contact voltages ranging from 0.01 to 0.13 V. Contact resistance values at all temperatures were observed to be lower for higher contact voltages, consistent with the aforementioned asperity heating models, whereby increase...
Cathodic chronopotentiometry of copper(I) and copper(II) in chloride media

Abstract The cathodic chronopotentiometry of Cu(I) and Cu(II) in 1 F HC1 and 1 F KC1 (pH 2.00) media has been investigated with Au and Pt wire electrodes. The theoretical transition-time equation for the diffusion-controlled two-step reduction or oxidation of a single electro-active substance in chronopotentiometry with cylindrical (wire) electrodes has been verified experimentally with data for the step-wise reduction of Cu(II) in each medium cited. In addition, the diffusion coefficients of Cu(II) and Cu(I) have been evaluated. In 1 F HC1 solution the D -values for Cu(II) and Cu(I) at 25° are 0.75 × 10 −5 and 1.42 × 10 −5 cm 2 /sec, respectively, and in 1 F KCl medium of pH 2.00 the values are 0.78 × 10 −5 and 1.33 × 10 −5 cm 2 /sec.
How many R&D projects to develop?

The eventual success of any early research project is uncertain. It has been generally recognized that commercial and applied research projects need to be screened prior to undertaking extensive development effort. But how many projects should be continued into development? This paper presents a model to determine an average optimal number of research projects to be developed. The research and development is viewed as a two-stage process, where the task of research is to reduce the uncertainty for eventual development. Research projects consist of both technical and business evaluation, including marketing research. The number of research projects undertaken should be a function of the cost effectiveness of the research effort and the ability of the organization to support the development effort. We have created an analytical model of research and development based on the concept that the function of research is to improve the likelihood of development success. Based on this model and within its limitations, we conclude that (1) an optimum fraction of projects that should be developed usually exists and (2) that optimum fraction is critically dependent on the relative average research project cost and effectiveness compared to development.
Field, discipline, and profession: Understanding three major labels of emergency management.

The “field,” “discipline,” and “profession”—three major labels of emergency management—have often been interchanged as if any of these define the others. In this work, the authors examine these major labels to provide meaning, explanation, and application to each one based on the emergency management literature currently available. The authors accomplish this by the following: 1) defining and describing the established field's progression through the years; 2) examining how close we are to a discipline in today's emergency management arena; 3) discussing the advancement to becoming a profession; and 4) providing recommendations for the future. Clarifying these three major labels, the development of the field into a formidable and mature discipline as well as a distinguished and noble profession may be hastened.
PrBa2Cu3Ox Polycrystalline Superconductor Preparation

We prepared many samples of nominal PrBa2Cu3Ox as ceramic, polycrystalline pellets with an enormous variety of preparation conditions and can confirm its superconductivity at Tc = 89 K. We found that the superconductivity is in material with the YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) crystal structure. We observed weak ferromagnetism (canted antiferromagnetism) in samples prepared at high temperatures with a low partial pressure of oxygen; these samples also contained the phase PrBaO3. The electromagnetic properties of the material depend sensitively on preparation conditions, especially the sintering temperature and the oxygen level.
High resolution frequency hopped symmetric DPSK in tone jamming

Symmetric DPSK (SDPSK) is a modified form of DPSK, with data values coded as /spl plusmn/90/spl deg/ phase shifts. This modification reduces spectrum regrowth of filtered signals in nonlinear amplifiers, and sensitivity to intersymbol interference caused by filtering. On an ideal channel, SDPSK performance in optimized partial band noise (PBNJ) jamming is the same as DPSK performance under the same conditions. In traditional frequency hopping (FH) the signal jumps among a set of allowed carrier frequencies separated by the signal bandwidth. To improve resistance to tone jammers, high resolution frequency hopping (HRFH) uses many more allowed frequencies, much closer together. The probability of the signal hitting a tone does not change, but the jammer cannot control tone location relative to the signal. The authors investigate HRFH SDPSK performance in tone jamming. For easy of analysis, the effects of channel filtering and AWGN are ignored. Jamming tones have equal power, and inter-tone spacing is no less than the signal bandwidth. Communication performance is found and the tone jamming strategy optimized for this model. It is shown that multitone jamming requires 0.5 dB less power than PBNJ to effect the same degradation. Given the simplifications used, this difference is not significant. >
The Effect of Long-Term Chronic Marijuana Use on Neuropsychological Functioning

Ten normal subjects who smoked marijuana daily for an average of 5 years and who denied other drug use were examined on a neuropsychological test battery. When compared with normal nonsmoking Ss, minimal differences were observed. It was concluded that long-term cannabis use does not cause a generalized decrement in adaptive abilities which might be related to cerebral impairments.
Familial athyreotic cretinism: report of 3 cases.

THREE types of sporadic cretinism have been described in the literature—non-endemic goitrous, secondary (pituitary), and athyreotic. I. Non-endemic goitrous hypothyroidism. Occasionally enlarged thyroid glands have been noted in cretins living in regions where goiter is not endemic. Hypothyroidism in these patients is due to an inability of the gland to produce thyroid hormone, even though it can accumulate iodine readily as shown by studies with I131 (1–6). The enlargement of the thyroid is presumed to be due to an increased secretion of thyrotropic hormone secondary to deficiency of circulating thyroid hormone. It is relatively common for this form of cretinism to be familial (1, 7). II. Secondary (pituitary) hypothyroidism. Cretinism of the sporadic type also may be secondary to a deficiency of anterior pituitary thyrotropic hormone production. This type is usually, but not necesarily, associated with signs of a generalized pituitary insufficiency. III. Athyreotic cretinism (athyreosis).
Alternative Capture of Noncoding RNAs or Protein-Coding Genes by Herpesviruses to Alter Host T-Cell Function

In marmoset T cells transformed by Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), a viral U-rich noncoding (nc) RNA, HSUR 1, specifically mediates degradation of host microRNA-27 (miR-27). High-throughput sequencing of RNA after crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) identified mRNAs targeted by miR-27 as enriched in the T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway, including GRB2. Accordingly, transfection of miR-27 into human T cells attenuates TCR-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and induction of CD69. MiR-27 also robustly regulates SEMA7A and IFN-γ, key modulators and effectors of T cell function. Knockdown or ectopic expression of HSUR 1 alters levels of these proteins in virally transformed cells. Two other T-lymphotropic γ-herpesviruses, AlHV-1 and OvHV-2, do not produce a noncoding RNA to downregulate miR-27 but instead encode homologs of miR-27 target genes. Thus, oncogenic γ-herpesviruses have evolved diverse strategies to converge on common targets in host T cells.
Message from the DCCS program chair

Let me have the pleasure of welcoming you to an exciting technical program in DSN '11, following in the lines of the long tradition of stellar technical accomplishments that DSN (and previously, its precursor, FTCS) has had in its 41 year old history. This year, we selected 26 papers out of a total of 148 submissions, giving an acceptance rate of 17.6%. One of these papers is a Practical Experience Report and one is a Tool Description/Demo. The accepted papers cover the a wide variety of topics, within the broad ambit of dependability, with the leading topics being security (6; 23%), distributed system or application software fault tolerance (6; 23%), and hardware (5; 19.2%). The accepted papers also show a heartening geographical spread with 16 papers having some US participation, 10 with some European participation, and 5 with some Asian participation; 7 of the accepted papers had some non-academic authors.
Mixed-signal Hardware Description Languages In The Era Of System-on-silicon: Challenges And Opportunities

SPICE-based simulation is recognized as a vital tool in shortening time-to-market, reducing product cost, and improving system reliabi lity. It continues to have a profound impact on today's electronic industry. Behavioral modeling and simulation with Analog and Mixed-Signal Hardware Description Languages (AHDLs) are becoming critical to address the challenge of designing today's increasingly complicated electronic systems. These systems may have millions of transistors, are radically diverse (e.g., micro-electro-me chanical) and governed by tightly coupled physical (e.g. thermal-electron ic and deep-submicron) effects. The trend towards behavioral modeling and simulation has been exemplified by the success of proprietary modeling languages and simulators and by the emergence of several language standards (VHDL-AMS and Verilog-AMS) and their application from full system verification to design reuse, virtual prototyping, testing, and even synthesis. In this tutorial, we will overview some of recent developments in AHDLs and their applications, with particular emphasis on challenges and opportunities.
Circulating tumor cells: approaches to isolation and characterization

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from primary and metastatic cancers are admixed with blood components and are thus rare, making their isolation and characterization a major technological challenge. CTCs hold the key to understanding the biology of metastasis and provide a biomarker to noninvasively measure the evolution of tumor genotypes during treatment and disease progression. Improvements in technologies to yield purer CTC populations amenable to better cellular and molecular characterization will enable a broad range of clinical applications, including early detection of disease and the discovery of biomarkers to predict treatment responses and disease progression.
Different approaches to model error formulation in 4D-Var: a study with high-resolution advection schemes

All numerical models are imperfect. Weak constraint variational data assimilation (VDA), which provides a treatment of the modelling errors, is studied; building on the approach of Vidard et al. (Tellus, 56A, pp. 177–188, 2004). The evolution of model error (ME) is modelled using ordinary differential equations, which involve a scalar parameter. These approaches were tested using different high-resolution advection schemes. The first set of experiments were constructed to see if it is possible to account for (numerical) discretization error within such a framework. In other set of experiments, a systematic source of modelling error was introduced by deliberately specifying an incorrect value for the Coriolis parameter in the model. Results with observational state at half of the model state resolution, are also presented.We also discuss a method of estimating the scalar parameter in the ME through VDA. In all cases, the inclusion of ME provides reduction in forecasting errors. Also, our experiments indicate that different settings of the model (e.g. using different high-resolution advection schemes) would need different ME formulation. Results presented in this paper could be used to formulate sophisticated ME forms to account for systematic errors in higher dimensional models with complex advection schemes.
Robustness test of an incipient fault detector artificial neural network

Addresses the issue of robustness in artificial neural networks subject to small input perturbations. The robustness in artificial neural networks is studied using the concept of input-output sensitivity analysis applied to an incipient fault detector artificial neural network (IFDANN). The IFDANN was designed to detect winding insulation faults and bearing wear in single-phase squirrel-cage induction motors. Modification of the IFDANN, with the intention of increasing its robustness to input noise during real-time applications, is discussed. Analytical and simulation results are presented to show the significant improvement in robustness of the modified IFDANN for operation with noisy measurements. >
A high bandwidth, bypass, transient-mode sigma-delta DC-DC switching boost regulator with wide LC compliance

DC-DC switching regulators are critical building blocks in electronic systems and integrating them on chip affords numerous savings in system size, cost, and design complexity. A key portion of these regulators is the frequency compensation circuit and, because of its dependence to the passive LC filter parameters in the power stage, it resists integration. This hindrance to system-on-chip (SoC) integration can be overcome by adopting a sliding-mode control scheme, which, in implementing a variation of a sigma-delta (/spl Sigma//spl Delta/) converter, gives stable operation for a wide range of LC filter values, without the need for a frequency compensation circuit. However, sliding-mode boost DC-DC converters designed to tolerate wide LC variations exhibit a slow transient response because the bandwidth of the feedback circuit is necessarily low, significantly lower than the main power path's bandwidth, which is a requirement for stability. This paper proposes a switching boost converter with a high bandwidth, bypass, /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ path that yields fast transient response (up to 50 % /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ reduction)-limited only by slew-rate conditions. The proposed converter achieves this fast response without a degradation in LC filter compliance, steady-state voltage ripple (/spl plusmn/ 0.2 %), or efficiency. In effect, the presented strategy decouples the conflicting design requirements of high relative stability and fast transient response without requiring compensation circuits and therefore offering integrated, user-friendly solutions.
Dissolved Oxygen Requirements for Hatching Success of Two Ambystomatid Salamanders in Restored Ephemeral Ponds

To assess feasibility of reintroduction of extirpated spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in restored flatwoods wetlands, hatching rates were monitored using pond enclosures.Ambystoma maculatum hatching success was compared to that of conspecifics in source ponds and to blue-spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) that had persisted in restored ponds despite habitat degradation. Restored ephemeral ponds with hypoxic conditions had consistent hatching failure forA. maculatum. To isolate effects of dissolved oxygen (DO), laboratory gradients were used to identify levels of DO necessary forA. maculatum andA. laterale hatching success. DO treatments included 0, 2.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 mg/l forA. maculatum and 2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 mg/l forA. laterale. Ambystoma laterale hatched across all treatments.Ambystoma maculatum hatching was successful in treatments >4.0 mg/l. Prescribed burns of dried ponds and selective girdling reduced leaf litter and increasedin situ photosynthesis resulting in greater DO.Ambystoma laterale may have persisted in degraded ponds because of differences fromA. maculatum in egg structure, and thus oxygen delivery. Land use changes contributing to hypoxia, including changes in forest composition and fire regime, may help explain the loss ofA. maculatum from regional assemblages.
Achievement of atomic resolution electron microscopy

Atomic-level details are easily resolved in the latest generation of intermediate voltage electron microscopes, but structural information on the same scale can only be extracted under certain specific conditions. Some understanding of imaging theory, as well as an awareness of correct operating conditions, is required for reliable image interpretation. Several representative examples are chosen to illustrate the possibilities for atomic-resolution imaging of materials, and perspectives and outlook for the technique are briefly discussed.
Is the Value Premium a Proxy for Time-Varying Investment Opportunities: Some Time Series Evidence

We uncover a positive stock market risk-return tradeoff after controlling for the covariance of market returns with the value premium. Fama and French (1996) conjecture that the value premium proxies for investment opportunities; therefore, by ignoring it, early specifications suffer from an omitted variable problem that causes a downward bias in the risk-return tradeoff estimation. We also document a positive relation between the value premium and its conditional variance, and the estimated conditional value premium is strongly countercyclical. The latter evidence supports the view that value is riskier than growth in bad times, when the price of risk is high.
Learning to analyze binary computer code

We present a novel application of structured classification: identifying function entry points (FEPs, the starting byte of each function) in program binaries. Such identification is the crucial first step in analyzing many malicious, commercial and legacy software, which lack full symbol information that specifies FEPs. Existing pattern-matching FEP detection techniques are insufficient due to variable instruction sequences introduced by compiler and link-time optimizations. We formulate the FEP identification problem as structured classification using Conditional Random Fields. Our Conditional Random Fields incorporate both idiom features to represent the sequence of instructions surrounding FEPs, and control flow structure features to represent the interaction among FEPs. These features allow us to jointly label all FEPs in the binary. We perform feature selection and present an approximate inference method for massive program binaries. We evaluate our models on a large set of real-world test binaries, showing that our models dramatically outperform two existing, standard disassemblers.
Characterization of gamma interferon-mediated cytotoxicity to chlamydia-infected fibroblasts

Addition of murine recombinant gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) to mouse fibroblast cultures infected with Chlamydia psittaci was found to induce a cytotoxic response that was dependent on the concentration of IFN-gamma added and the multiplicity of infection given. No cytotoxicity was observed for uninfected cells treated with IFN-gamma, nor did infection alone elicit cytotoxicity. Cytotoxicity was detected only if IFN-gamma was present for at least the first 18 h of a 30-h incubation period. Cytotoxic activity was not observed when infected cells were treated with 50 micrograms of chloramphenicol per ml, a drug which inhibits differentiation of infectious elementary bodies to noninfectious reticulate bodies. Cytotoxic activity was restored if addition of chloramphenicol was delayed until 18 h postinfection. Addition of 100 U of penicillin per ml to infected host cells reduced but did not abolish cytotoxic activity. Treatment of host cells with as little as 0.2 microgram of cycloheximide per ml inhibited cytotoxicity without interfering with chlamydial growth. When addition of cycloheximide was delayed until 12 h after infection and IFN-gamma treatment, cytotoxicity was restored. These data indicate that IFN-gamma functions as a cytotoxic cytokine against chlamydia-infected fibroblasts. Cytotoxicity was found to be dependent on chlamydial multiplicity of infection, differentiation of chlamydiae to the metabolically active form, and host cell protein synthesis.
Towards New Approximations for The Exchange-Correlation Functional Using Many-Body Perturbation Theory

An exact expression for the exchange-correlation (xc) energy of density functional theory in terms of the one-particle Green’s function and the xc part of the self-energy is derived. An exact diagrammatic representation of the xc self-energy is given. Employing this representation, an approximate scheme to calculate the xc energy and the xc potential is proposed. This scheme can be viewed as an extension of the exchange-only optimized-effective-potential method to treat correlation in a systentatic manner.
Detecting inbreeding depression is difficult in captive endangered species

During the past two decades, pedigree analysis has documented inbreeding depression in many captive populations. This and subsequent research has led to a recognition that inbreeding depression is a potentially important determinate of small population fitness, in both captivity and the wild. Modern captive-breeding programmes now universally avoid inbreeding. We use simulation to investigate how much traditional pedigree analysis will reveal about the effect of inbreeding in such populations. We find that pedigrees typical of breeding programmes designed to avoid inbreeding have low statistical power to detect inbreeding depression.
Reversal of terminal differentiation and control of DNA replication: Cyclin A and cdk2 specifically localize at subnuclear sites of DNA replication

DNA replication in mammalian cells occurs in discrete nuclear foci. Here we show that terminally differentiated myotubes can be induced to reenter S phase and show the same pattern of replication foci as cycling cells. We used this cellular system to analyze the interaction of cell cycle proteins with these foci in vivo. Cyclin A and cdk2, but not cyclin B1 and cdc2, were specifically localized at nuclear replication foci, just like the replication protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen. A potential target of cyclin A and cdk2 is the 34 kd subunit of replication protein A (RPA34). In contrast with the 70 kd subunit, which localizes to the foci, RPA34 was not detected at these replication sites, which may reflect a transient interaction. The specific localization of cyclin A and cdk2 at nuclear replication foci provides a direct link between cell cycle regulation and DNA replication.
Introduction of Lihua Xiao, Recipient of the Henry Baldwin Ward Medal for 2012

ing) in a humble home in a small, ancient town near the city of Yueyang, China. He was raised with a brother and 2 sisters by parents working in a local factory. During the Cultural Revolution, the entire family suffered as his father endured persistent persecution resulting from accusations of his being a bourgeois rightist. In 1976, when the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution finally ended, Lihua was 14. The education system that had been severely impacted or brought to a virtual halt for 10 yr became revitalized, providing a small gap in time for Lihua to focus on his schooling. He excelled as a student and was able to rise above fierce competition to receive the coveted approval to enter college in the second group of students to do so after the Cultural Revolution. In 1982, at Hunan Agricultural University, he received his degree in veterinary medicine. Lihua had developed an interest in parasitic diseases of livestock and was accepted into a graduate program at the Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin to study gastric nematodiasis of cattle under the direction of Professor Zhou. It was there he met his wife-to-be, Chungfu Yang, also a student of Professor Zhou. In 1985, he received his M.S. degree and became a faculty member in the veterinary school. However, Lihua wanted to further his education, but an opportunity did not exist in China at the time. Lihua was familiar with the publications of Harold Gibbs at the University of Maine. Their interests were similar. So, he wrote to Dr. Gibbs, sending an abstract from his Master's Thesis and a request to study under Gibbs' mentorship. In 1987, he was offered a graduate assistantship, enabling him to come to the United States and begin studies on the pathophysiological effects of Ostertagia, the brown stomach worm, in cattle, which led to his Ph.D. in 1990. Lihua spent the following 2 and a half years as a postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State University with Rupert Herd, where he continued studies on GI nematodes. He also initiated surveys on Cryptosporidium and Giardia in farm animals, 2 parasites that would later become major subjects of interest for him. In 1993, an opportunity arose for him to work in the Division of Parasitic Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control in Chamblee, Georgia. In the laboratory of Altaf Lal, Lihua led studies on the surface proteins, cytoadherence, and antigenicity of
Origin, distribution and age of high-level chert gravels (Plio-Pleistocene) in eastern Kansas

Abstract It is probable that the rounded flint has partly originated from these [Flint] hills. G.C. Broadhead (1880). High-level (upland) chert [flint] gravels occur in almost all of the counties in the Osage Cuesta country of eastern Kansas. The locations of the high-level chert gravel deposits now are well known as a result of recent remapping of the state on a scale of 1:24:000, but the origin and age of the chert gravels remain as debatable today as they were 125 years ago. The gravels are composed of brownish, smooth, angular to subangular chert pebbles and cobbles ranging up to 6 inches (15 cm) in size. The chert clasts have been derived from Lower Permian limestones that contain abundant chert [flint] and crop out in the topographically high Flint Hills in east-central Kansas. The chert weathers from the limestones to create lag gravels, which in turn are reworked and transported eastward and southeastward by streams. In the glaciated region in northeastern Kansas, remnants of high-level chert grav...
Lay piety in Visigothic Iberia: liturgical and paraliturgical forms

While it is appropriate to remember that clerical and monastic elites form part of the whole which practices popular religion, it is clear that their spiritual habits were different from the rest of society. If ordinary Christians’ piety was less intense, less educated, and less documented than that of religious elites, it does not mean we should neglect this aspect of daily life. The leading bishops in post-imperial Iberia exhibited a clear concern to shape the laity's piety not only in terms of orthodoxy but also in vibrancy. Liturgical texts and related writings from the Visigothic and early Mozarabic periods, including hagiographic material, provide a view of religious practices of the masses and ways in which the episcopate endeavored to direct devotion. Taken together the evidence suggests a surprising range and depth of lay religious experience, notwithstanding the errors of common Christians frequently suggested in ecclesiastical texts.
Structural transformations and hardness of electrodeposited Ni–P and Co–P coatings subjected to low-temperature annealing

The structural state and durometric properties of electrodeposited Ni–P and Co–P coatings subjected to low-temperature annealing at 520–540 K have been investigated. It has been shown that the low-temperature annealing of crystalline Ni–P and Co–P coatings is accompanied by a substantial increase in the parameters of crystal lattices of the solid solutions of phosphorus in nickel and cobalt, and also by an increase in the hardness of coatings. The conclusion has been drawn that an increase in the hardness and in the lattice parameters of Ni–P and Co–P solid solutions upon annealing is connected with the passage of phosphorus atoms from the substitutional into interstitial positions by the Frank–Turnbull dissociative mechanism.
Pod Set in Soybean: Investigations with SOYPODP, a Whole Plant Model

The ability of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to adjust its pod load to environmental conditions is an important, but not well understood, part of the yield production process. To better understand this process at the whole plant level, a single-node model (SOYPOD) was extended to predict pod set of whole plants. Pod survival in SOYPODP was determined by comparing assimilate from photosynthesis (calculated from solar radiation) to pod requirements during initial pod growth. Measured profiles of flowers per node and pod and seed growth rates were used as input. Pods that do not receive adequate assimilate for a specified number of consecutive days do not survive. When inter-nodal movement of assimilate was prohibited and the nodal assimilate production profile matched the input flower profile, pod set on the stem matched measured profiles of two field-grown cultivars. In this form, SOYPODP accurately mimicked known responses of pod number to variation in assimilate supply, nodes per plant and individual seed growth rate. Competition for assimilate at a node-controlled pod set, so increasing uniformity of pod development (more flowers or a shorter flowering period) increased pod set. Increasing nodal variation in the beginning of pod development reduced the sensitivity of the plant to short-term fluctuations in assimilate supply. Variation in uniformity of pod development at a node was responsible for increases in pod set with no change in assimilate availability. The value of these increases is not clear, but it seems unlikely that they would affect yield.