cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geochemistry: neon illuminates the mantle.

The outer Earth grew largely from material added by impacts from planetesimals, rather than by capture of dust grains from the solar nebula — or at least that's the inference from the latest geochemical analyses. New noble gas data from volcanic gases reveal how volatiles (compounds and elements such as water and nitrogen that are gases at high temperatures at atmospheric pressure) were incorporated into the Earth during its early history. The neon isotope measurements suggest that the primordial volatiles were implanted by solar wind into dust or small planetesimals before they coalesced to form the Earth. Previous models had proposed equilibration between a planetary wide magma ocean and the Earth's early atmosphere as the dominant source. The new data also provide insight into how the Earth's mantle has evolved since accretion.
A GRAPHICAL METHOD FOR PREPARING 1000-MILLIBAR PROGNOSTIC CHARTS

Abstract A method is presented for preparing 1000-millibar (surface) prognostic charts. The method makes use of the graphical technique developed by Fjortoft and is based on a baroclinic model which resembles closely that employed by Estoque in the prediction of cyclone development. Three cases tested to date have yielded correlations of 0.93, 0.89 and 0.88 between predicted and observed 1000-mb height changes.
Gravidity and Serum Lipids among Hispanic Women in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

ABSTRACT Objective: Previous studies regarding the relationship between reproductive history and lipids have consistently shown an association between gravidity or parity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. However, no previous study has had sufficient power to assess the association between reproductive history and lipids among women of high gravidity. The current study evaluates reproductive history and lipids in a representative sample of Hispanic women for whom multigravidity and multiparity are common. Design: National examination survey designed to estimate the health and nutritional status of noninstitutionalized civilians. Participants: 1590 Mexican-American, 411 Cuban-American, and 657 Puerto Rican women ages 20–74. Main Outcome Measures: HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides. Results: Adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, menopausal status, alcohol use, and smoking status, HDL-cholesterol was 3.9 mg/dL lower in M...
High-performance semiactive controller for structural vibration suppression

This article presents an approach to vibration suppression that does not use a viscous damper. The actuator used behaves effectively as a spring with an adjustable unstressed length. By adjusting this unstressed length on-line from feedback, it is possible to obtain fast settling times and superior shock isolation characteristics. At the instants when energy in the actuator is maximized, we discard this energy as heat in the working fluid by opening a low power solenoid valve for a short time interval. This sets the unstressed length of the actuator, or effective spring, to be zero. The total energy in the vibrating structure is therefore decreased at these instants of unstressed length adjustment. Analytical results and simulations are given that demonstrate the performance of our approach.
Family Care or Residential Care? The Moral and Practical Dilemmas Facing the Elderly in Urban China

Abstract Family care-giving has always been the main and until recently the only source of old age support for the Chinese elderly. This family-based support system was grounded by both compelling moral values of filial piety and a family structure that practiced co-residence across generations. However, rapid social changes in demographics, population mobility, and family power relationships have now greatly affected, if not seriously eroded, the role of family in providing care-giving for the aged in contemporary China. There has been growing public concern over whether Chinese families are capable of caring for their old when faced with new social realities and demographic challenges. In Western countries, residential care has long been an important option in providing long-term care for the frail and elderly, but in China, it is a new social phenomenon. But will it become an alternative to family care in China? What are its implications for China's traditional family care system? How do the Chinese ur...
Inference about the ratio of scale parameters in a two-sample setting with current status data

This paper deals with inference about the ratio of scale parameters in a two-sample problem based on current status data. It discusses properties of tests and point estimates derived from a class of U-statistics. In particular, it derives the asymptotic distribution of the underlying test statistic both under the null hypothesis and under local alternatives and obtains asymptotic normality of the point estimate.
Desk Calculation of Probabilities for the Distribution of the Sample Correlation Coefficient

Abstract It is demonstrated that probabilities for the distribution of the sample correlation coefficient, such as those given by David [2] can be quickly and accurately calculated on modern desk calculators.
Dynamic growth rates of microbial populations in activated sludge systems

Results of mathematical modeling and whole cell 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridizations challenge the widely held perception that microbial populations in “steady-state” activated sludge systems share a common net growth rate that is proportional to the inverse of the mean cell residence time. Our results are significant because they encourage bioprocess engineers to appreciate the differences in growth physiology among individual microbial populations in complex mixed microbial communities such as suspended growth activated sludge bioreactor systems.
Tritium accumulation in lettuce fumigated with elemental tritium

Abstract Lettuce plants fumigated with elemental tritium accumulated tritium in the plant water as well as in the organic constituents. The conversion rate of elemental tritium to tritiated water varied from 0.5 nanocuries per min per pot at the start to 0.8 nanocuries per min per pot at the termination of the 24 day exposure to an air concentration of 5 nanocuries per 1. Based on the concentration of tritium in various plant tissues, foliar absorption was postulated as the route of plant contamination. The data indicated that an enzymatically facilitated conversion on the leaf or soil surface was the probable mechanism.
Mechanical properties of fully densified injection-molded carbonyl iron powder

The mechanical properties of carbonyl iron powder shaped by injection molding techniques are affected by the grain size, sintered density, and carbon content. Control of the carbon level depends on several factors, including the binder composition, debinding approach, and sintering conditions (atmosphere, temperature, time, and furnace design). Sintered compacts were densified by containerless hot isostatic pressing, giving smaller grain sizes and superior properties than were possible by pressureless sintering at a high temperature. A quick hot isostatic pressing route (gas forging) with a peak pressure higher than 500 MPa for 1 minute helps retain carbon and results in excellent properties due to a high final density and small grain size. This approach resulted in a final strength of 732 MPa with extensive ductility (23 pct reduction of area) for injection-molded carbonyl iron.
Evaluating instruments for a study on children's responses to a painful procedure when parents are distraction coaches

Existing research identifies numerous variables that may influence children's distress responses during medical procedures. In preparation for a large multisite study to test relationships among these numerous variables and parent distraction coaching, a pilot study of instruments was performed that measured the more complex constructs, namely anxiety, coping, temperament, attention, and parenting style. This article describes the benefits, process, and results of evaluating research instruments before initiating a large study on children's distress during ;medical procedures. A convenience sample of 68 children (4-12 years old) and their parents participated in this study. Children completed state and trait anxiety measures and a coping style scale. Parents completed questionnaires about their child's temperament, attention behavior, anxiety, and coping during a recent medical procedure, and about their own anxiety and parenting style. Coefficients of reliability of the measures were examined and understandability of the instruments was assessed. A forward regression showed that nurturing parenting style, parent's state anxiety, and child's state anxiety accounted for 32% of the variance in child distress during a recent medical procedure.
Consequence-based structural design approach for black swan events

Abstract The metaphor of black swan refers to unpredictable events like 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami, or the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, that cause catastrophic consequences for structural system safety. The likelihood of occurrence for such unforeseen events cannot be estimated from the observed data or prognosticated by experts. The absence of event and likelihood information renders futile the application of usual risk-based methods for design. Therefore, a shift from the probabilistic approach to consequence-based structural design is necessary for coping with the unexpected demands. This is accomplished through the conceptual development of a system capacity oriented design approach, where structural members are designed for variable reliabilities based upon their contribution to causing adverse system consequences. Information about general structural integrity encoded in the stiffness matrix is applied, using member consequence factors ranging from 0 to 1, for determining a member’s contribution towards system response. The structural system is designed using member consequence factors as additional partial factors on the resistance side of the design equations. The consequence-based scheme does not need a triggering hazard event (or its likelihood) and is an apt structural design approach for black swan events.
Improving grain boundary sliding resistance with segregated dopants

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study GB sliding in pure and doped Cu bicrystals using both Lennard-Jones and Embedded-Atom Method potentials. Two tilt [1 0 0] grain boundaries are considered: the coincident site lattice Σ5 (3 1 0) interface and an incoherent high angle interface. Shear stress between 0.69 and 1.61 GPa was applied to the bicrystals at ambient temperature (300 K) and high temperature (800 K). Without dopants, the Σ5 interface slide more than the random interface at 300 K and less at 800 K. We observe that the structural unit of the Σ5 boundary promotes atomic shuffling at low temperatures, in agreement with [F. Sansoz, J.F. Molinari, Acta Mater. 53 (2005) 1931]. For the doped bicrystals, interstitial dopants and oversized substitutional dopants were effective in retarding GB sliding. These simulations will aid further work to determine how segregated dopants can alter, and possibly improve, the tensile properties of nanocrystalline metals.
Comparative Regionalism: A Field Whose Time has Come?

Is comparative regionalism a field whose time has come? While the contemporary interest in comparing regions and regionalisms may be not completely new, it is different from older approaches. Our understanding of what makes regions has changed with social constructivist and critical theoretical approaches that have led to a less behavioural and more nuanced, complex, contested and fluid understanding of regions. Moreover, the globalisation phenomenon has deeply affected all social sciences and radically redefined the relative autonomy of regions. In keeping with the rapid growth and development of regionalism and institutions in the non-Western world, including in regions which were relatively late starters, such as Asia, there have emerged new ways of looking at regional cooperation, including claims about distinctive approaches and even ‘models’ that are not only different from those identified with the EU, but also supposedly more appropriate and thus ‘workable’ for non-Western regions than the EU stra...
A generalized updating rule for modified Hopfield neural network for quadratic optimization

Abstract In this paper, a generalized updating rule (GUR) for the modified Hopfield neural network (MHNN) is presented for solving quadratic optimization problems. It is proved that in any sequence of updating modes, the GUR monotonously converges to a fixed point. The upper bound on the gradient of the energy function at the fixed point is given. All ordinary MHNN algorithms are instances of the GUR. It is shown that the class of wide sense sequential updating modes can guarantee the network to achieve local minimums of the energy function.
A typology of family social environments for institutionalized juvenile delinquents: Implications for research and treatment.

A variety of studies have examined family variables in relation to juvenile delinquency. In order to measure the social environmental characteristics of families of adjudicated delinquents, a sample of 411 adolescent offenders was obtained, consisting of all youths aged 12–16 committed over a 16-month period of time. Information was obtained on the Family Environment Scale (FES), an instrument which measures perceptions of nuclear family environments. Data was also obtained on a variety of measures of personality, social, behavioral, and intellectual skills. Cluster analytic procedures on the FES data were used to develop an empirical typology of family environments. Several types were identified, and analysis of variance was utilized to determine if the other measures could describe the delinquents falling into the various types. Some clear-cut descriptors emerged, with implications for research and treatment.
G protein-mediated inhibition of myosin light-chain phosphatase in vascular smooth muscle.

Abstract The mechanism of G protein-mediated sensitization of the contractile apparatus of smooth muscle to Ca2+ was studied in receptor-coupled alpha-toxin-permeabilized rabbit portal vein smooth muscle. To test the hypothesis that Ca2+ sensitization is due to inhibition of myosin light-chain (MLC) phosphatase activity, we measured the effect of guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate and phenylephrine on the rate of MLC dephosphorylation in muscles preactivated with Ca2+ and incubated in Ca(2+)- and ATP-free solution containing 1-(5-chloronaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1H-hexahydro-1,4-diazepine (ML-9) to block MLC kinase activity. Guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate alone (300 microM) or in combination (3 microM) with phenylephrine decreased the rates of relaxation and dephosphorylation of MLC to about half of control values; this inhibition is sufficient to account for maximal G protein-mediated Ca2+ sensitization of MLC phosphorylation. The rate of thiophosphorylation of MLC with adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]-triphosphate was not affected by guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate. We suggest that inhibition of protein phosphatase(s) by G protein(s) may have important regulatory functions.
Do they practice what they preach? An ecocultural, multidimensional, group-based examination of the relationship between beliefs and behaviours among child care providers

Research examining child-care providers' beliefs and behaviour has produced contradictory evidence perhaps because analyses commonly examine providers as a homogenous group. Among providers in the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we used cluster analysis to identify groups based on profiles of beliefs. We found evidence for five groups: ‘Progressive’ (high progressive, low traditional), ‘Traditional’ (high traditional, low progressive), ‘Eclectic’ (high on both), ‘Alternative’ (low on both), and ‘Moderate’ (high progressive, moderate traditional). Progressives were younger, paid more, and less often non-White as compared with other groups. Progressives were less directive than all other groups, but not different in enriching or responsive interactions. Background, beliefs and behaviours are complex and multidimensional; group-based analyses better represented that complexity and the connections between beliefs and behaviour. Thus, summarising beliefs and behaviours into larger, molar compo...
Ranked queries over sources with Boolean query interfaces without ranking support

Many online or local data sources provide powerful querying mechanisms but limited ranking capabilities. For instance, PubMed allows users to submit highly expressive Boolean keyword queries, but ranks the query results by date only. However, a user would typically prefer a ranking by relevance, measured by an Information Retrieval (IR) ranking function. The naive approach would be to submit a disjunctive query with all query keywords, retrieve the returned documents, and then re-rank them. Unfortunately, such an operation would be very expensive due to the large number of results returned by disjunctive queries. In this paper we present algorithms that return the top results for a query, ranked according to an IR-style ranking function, while operating on top of a source with a Boolean query interface with no ranking capabilities (or a ranking capability of no interest to the end user). The algorithms generate a series of conjunctive queries that return only documents that are candidates for being highly ranked according to a relevance metric. Our approach can also be applied to other settings where the ranking is monotonic on a set of factors (query keywords in IR) and the source query interface is a Boolean expression of these factors. Our comprehensive experimental evaluation on the PubMed database and TREC dataset show that we achieve order of magnitude improvement compared to the current baseline approaches.
In vivo neurogenesis is inhibited by neutralizing antibodies to basic fibroblast growth factor.

While extracellular growth factors govern neuronal precursor mitosis in culture, little is known about their roles in regulating neurogenesis in vivo. Previously, we reported that subcutaneously administered basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promoted neuroblast proliferation in P1 rat brain, in regions in which bFGF and FGF receptors are expressed during development. To define the role of endogenous bFGF in neurogenesis, we employed a neutralizing monoclonal antibody to the factor. In culture, bFGF-induced granule precursor proliferation was progressively inhibited by increasing concentrations of antibody. In contrast, heat-inactivated or nonneutralizing anti-bFGF antibodies were ineffective. The inhibition was specific for bFGF, since EGF-induced [3H]dT incorporation was not altered. To study effects in vivo, neutralizing antibody was administered to newborn rats via the cisterna magnum. Four hours after injection, DNA synthesis in cerebellum and hippocampus was decreased by 53% and 63%, respectively, suggesting that endogenous bFGF was involved in brain development. To define effects on neurogenesis specifically, granule cell precursors were isolated after antibody treatment. [3H]dT incorporation in granule precursors was decreased by 50%, indicating that the neutralizing antibody inhibited neuroblast proliferation in vivo. In contrast, no reduction was observed using nonneutralizing or the heat-inactivated antibodies. The inhibition of precursor proliferation following immunoneutralization of bFGF in vivo suggests that the endogenous factor normally regulates brain neurogenesis. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 33: 289–296, 1997
Tomography and thermal state of the Cocos plate subduction beneath Mexico City

[1] The geometry and thermal state of the subducting Cocos plate beneath Mexico City has been enigmatic because of the absence of a deep Wadati-Benioff zone. We present a tomographic image of the slab based on inversion of 8869 teleseismic P wave travel times measured on a portable broadband seismic network. The images combined with receiver function analysis show that the slab runs flat from the coast to near Mexico City, where it dives into the mantle just before the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt with a dip of ∼75°. It continues down to a depth of ∼500 km at a distance of 400 km from the trench, where the tomography reveals that the dipping portion ends. As well as standard block tomography, we invert the travel time residuals for the parameters of a thermal slab model and find a slab thickness of 40 km that is consistent with the (15 Ma) age of the Cocos plate. The combination of a young hot plate and truncation at depth can explain the lack of deep seismicity due to high temperatures and lower negative buoyancy compared with an older, thicker, nontruncated plate.
Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Affects Cytokine-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Pancreatic Islet β-Cells

Cytokines mediate pancreatic islet beta-cell apoptosis and necrosis, leading to loss of insulin secretory capacity and type 1 diabetes mellitus. The cytokines, IL-1beta and interferon-gamma, induced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining of rat islet cells within 48 h by about 25-30%, indicative of apoptosis and/or necrosis. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) at nanomolar concentrations significantly reduced islet cell cytokine-induced TUNEL staining. Similar effects were observed in INS-1 cells. The dihydro analog of S1P also reduced the percentage of TUNEL stained islet and INS-1 cells, whereas the S1P receptor antagonist BML-241 blocked the protective effects. Pertussis toxin did not affect the S1P protective response. In the presence of a phospholipase C antagonist, U73122, there was significant inhibition of the S1P protective effects against apoptosis/necrosis. S1P stimulated INS-1 cell protein kinase C activity. Carbamylcholine chloride acting through muscarinic receptors also inhibited cytokine-induced TUNEL staining in pancreatic islet cells. S1P and/or dihydro-S1P also antagonized cytokine-induced increases in cytochrome c release from mitochondria and caspase-3 activity in INS-1 cells, which are indicative of cell apoptosis vs. necrosis. S1P failed to affect nitric oxide synthase activity after 48 h. Thus, the evidence suggests that S1P acting on S1P receptors coupled to G(q) mediates protective effects on islet beta-cells against cytokine-induced apoptosis.
Drug effects on REM sleep and on endogenous depression

In earlier work REM sleep deprivation (RSD) by arousals improved endogenous depression. This suggested that drugs producing a similar RSD would have antidepressant activity. The arousal RSD was large, persisted for weeks, and was followed by a REM rebound. We call RSD with these properties arousal-type RSD. The present study reviewed literature from 1962 to 1989 on drug REM sleep effects to examine the hypothesis that drugs producing arousal-type RSD improve endogenous depression. The literature reviewed concerned the REM sleep effects of amine precursors, antidepressants, antihistamines, antipsychotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, other hypnotics, drugs affecting cholinergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, ethanol, lithium and narcotics. Four hundred and sixty-eight relevant papers were read and 215 contributed information that could be used in the review. The findings indicated that all drugs producing arousal-type RSD improved endogenous depression. Four drugs that improved endogenous depression did not produce arousal-type RSD.
Consequences of first pregnancy in rhesus monkeys.

Female primates have been thought to be reproductively dis-advantaged during their early reproductive years. In order to assess the effects of first pregnancy on a female's subsequent reproductive activity, the breeding records of female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) living in provisioned, outdoor-housed, social groups were examined with respect to age of sexual maturity. Of the 78 colony-born females contributing to the analysis, 20.5% had their first parturition at 36 months of age. The majority of females, 73.1%, had first parturition at 48 months; 6.4% did so at 5 years of age. Of the early-maturing females, 75% were from high-ranking matriarchies. But high social rank did not guarantee early first parturition, as 55.6% of the females from high-ranking matriarchies had first birth at 48 months. An examination of outcomes of successive pregnancies revealed that both early- and typical-maturing females experienced a significant decline in live births, owing to a significant increase in sterile years, for the reproductive year following a successful first parturition. This decline was even more pronounced for early-maturing females. The frequency of birth tragedies remained constant throughout the second and succeeding pregnancies. Thus, the capacity to conceive was reduced for some females in the reproductive year following their first pregnancy. Those females that did conceive in the year following a successful first pregnancy had a significantly longer interbirth interval between their first and second parturitions than between subsequent parturitions. Sex of offspring at first parturition did not influence reproductive outcome in the following year. The nutritional costs of lactation associated with a successful first pregnancy may preclude or delay ovulation the following year, and this effect may be greater for young females that are still in a growth phase at first pregnancy. Although these early-maturing females had proportionally fewer live births during their second reproductive year, they were equal to their age-mates when compared on the basis of offspring produced by a female at any given age. In addition, since early-maturing females have offspring entering the breeding pool a full year earlier, they may not necessarily be reproductively disadvantaged.
Nopp140 Functions as a Molecular Link Between the Nucleolus and the Coiled Bodies

Coiled bodies are small nuclear organelles that are highly enriched in small nuclear RNAs, and that have long been thought to be associated with the nucleolus. Here we use mutational analysis, transient transfections, and the yeast two-hybrid system to show that the nucleolar phosphoprotein Nopp140 functions as a molecular link between the two prominent nuclear organelles. Exogenous Nopp140 accumulated in the nucleolus rapidly, but only after a lag phase in coiled bodies, suggesting a pathway between the two organelles. The expression of partial Nopp140 constructs exerted dominant negative effects on the endogenous Nopp140 by chasing it and other antigens that were common to both organelles out of the nucleolus. The alternating positively and negatively charged repeat domain of Nopp140 was required for targeting to both organelles. In addition, partial Nopp140 constructs caused formation of novel structures in the nucleoplasm and, in the case of the conserved carboxy terminus, led to the dispersal of coiled bodies. As a final link, we identified the coiled body–specific protein p80 coilin in a yeast two-hybrid screen with Nopp140. The interaction of the two proteins was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Taken together, Nopp140 appeared to shuttle between the nucleolus and the coiled bodies, and to chaperone the transport of other molecules.
Analysis of a hybrid spectral strain estimation technique in elastography

Conventional spectral elastographic techniques estimate strain using cross-correlation methods. Despite promising results, decorrelation effects compromise the accuracy of these techniques and, subsequently, the tissue strain estimates. Since tissue compression in the time-domain corresponds to upscaling in the frequency-domain, decorrelation effects become more pronounced as tissue strains increase and are a fundamental concern in spectral cross-correlation elastography. In this paper, a two-stage hybrid spectral elastographic technique is introduced. For the first stage, an approximated spectral scaling factor (i.e. initial strain estimate) is employed to compensate for bandwidth broadening (due to tissue compression) between pre- and post-compression power spectra pairs. The second stage then estimates any residual strain information using spectral cross-correlation methods due to improper scaling factor selection in the first stage. This novel hybrid spectral elastographic technique was compared to both conventional spectral and adaptive temporal elastographic methods in simulation and experimentation. In addition to demonstrating enhancement in performance over the conventional spectral elastographic technique, the hybrid spectral-based method introduced in this paper is shown to outperform the adaptive temporal-based elastographic approach.
Intracellular Shuttling and Mitochondrial Function of Thioredoxin-interacting Protein

The thioredoxin-interacting protein TXNIP is a ubiquitously expressed redox protein that promotes apoptosis. Recently, we found that TXNIP deficiency protects against type 1 and 2 diabetes by inhibiting beta cell apoptosis and maintaining pancreatic beta cell mass, indicating that TXNIP plays a key role in beta cell biology. However, very little is known about the intracellular localization and function of TXNIP, and although TXNIP has been thought to be a cytoplasmic protein, our immunohistochemistry studies in beta cells surprisingly revealed a nuclear TXNIP localization, suggesting that TXNIP may shuttle within the cell. Using immunohistochemistry/confocal imaging and cell fractionation/co-immunoprecipitation, we found that, under physiological conditions, TXNIP is localized primarily in the nucleus of pancreatic beta cells, whereas oxidative stress leads to TXNIP shuttling into the mitochondria. In mitochondria, TXNIP binds to and oxidizes Trx2, thereby reducing Trx2 binding to ASK1 and allowing for ASK1 phosphorylation/activation, resulting in induction of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis with cytochrome c release and caspase-3 cleavage. TXNIP overexpression and Trx2 (but not cytosolic Trx1) silencing mimic these effects. Thus, we discovered that TXNIP shuttles between subcellular compartments in response to oxidative stress and identified a novel redox-sensitive mitochondrial TXNIP-Trx2-ASK1 signaling cascade.
Kernel estimation of the density of a statistic

Abstract Let X 1 , …, X n be a stationary sequence of random variables with common density f (·) and let t n : = t n ( X 1 , …, X n ) be a statistic. The problem of estimating f (·) has often been addressed, particularly in the i.i.d. setup. Using the kernel method, we address the problem of estimating the density of the statistic t n , for both i.i.d. data and observations from a stationary time series. We present estimators for both scenarios and prove their consistency (in mean square) under mild assumptions. In the i.i.d. setup, the proposed estimators can be used to smooth replicates obtained from the grouped jackknife or the bootstrap. Also, bandwidth choice is discussed and rates of convergence are given.
Predictive targeted movement in electronic spaces

The lodestones and leylines interaction technique simplifies navigation in electronic spaces by coordinating physical and conceptual movement-gently constraining motion to follow automatically computed paths to predicted destinations. This approach simplifies physical movement, ensures that movement leads to interesting locations and supports navigation to locations not visible from the current location. It is illustrated in a spatial multiscale environment where pilot data show reliable performance improvements.
Carbon-based nanoprobes for cell biology

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes, many researchers have attempted to utilize carbon nanotubes and nanopipes as nanoprobes, in particular for cell probing. These attempts have proved challenging due to the difficulty of interfacing the nanostructures with macroscopic handles. Recently, we developed a new manufacturing technique that allows us to fabricate integrated carbon nanopipettes (CNPs) that consist of a macroscopic glass handle with a carbon nanopipe at its tip. The manufacturing process does not require any assembly. The CNPs can function as multifunctional probes by allowing liquid flow through their hollow lumen and facilitating electrical measurements through their conductive carbon lining. Furthermore, the carbon nanopipe’s surface can be functionalized with proteins and oligonucleotides to facilitate the immobilization of macromolecules. In this review article, we recount the development of nanoprobes, discuss how prior art motivated the development of CNPs, and summarize the utilization of CNPs as cellular probes, in particular for injecting reagents into cells and for monitoring cell membrane potential. We also comment on the characteristics of liquid flow through the carbon pipes that form the CNPs’ tips.
Thioltransferase is Present in the Lens Epithelial Cells as a Highly Oxidative Stress-resistant Enzyme ☆ ☆☆

The redox homeostasis is controlled by several enzyme systems. Sulfhydryl groups in lens proteins are very sensitive to oxidative stress and can easily conjugate with nonprotein thiols (S-thiolation) to form protein-thiol mixed disulfides. We have observed an elevation of protein S-S-glutathione (PSSG) and protein-S-S-cysteine (PSSC) in cataractous lenses from humans and from animal models subjected to oxidative stress. We also observed that these protein-thiol mixed disulfides could be spontaneously dissociated and lowered to basal levels if the lens which was pre-exposed to H2O2 was subsequently cultured in H2O2-free medium. This suggests that the lens has a system to repair oxidative damage through dethiolation thereby restoring its redox homeostasis. In other tissues, an enzyme, thioltransferase (TTase), has been shown to be responsible for thiol/disulfide regulation. We recently demonstrated the presence of this enzyme in the lens and in cultured lens epithelial cells. Here, we investigated the response of TTase to H2O2 stress and its possible repair function in cultured lens epithelial cells. Rabbit lens epithelial cell line N/N 1003A was raised to confluence, trypsinized and plated at 0.8 million cells per 60 mm culture dish. The cells were incubated overnight in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) with 1% rabbit serum and then in serum-free MEM for 30 min before a bolus of 0.5 mm H2O2 was added. At intervals of 5, 15, 30 min and up to 3 hr, the cells were harvested and used for enzyme assays for TTase, glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-3PD). Free GSH, total SH and PSSG and PSSC were also determined. Hydrogen peroxide in the medium was measured at each time point. Cells incubated without H2O2 were used as controls. The results showed that the H2O2 concentration was reduced to 50% within 30 min and was undetectable at 2 hr. Cellular GSH dropped to 40% within 5 min and stayed at this level before it began to increase at 90 min and completely recovered by 2 hr. The total SH groups were similar to free GSH. PSSG and PSSC increased 6.5 and 2 times respectively before 30 min and then decreased when GSH started to recover. G-3PD was most sensitive to H2O2 and lost 95% activity within 5 min. The activity was regained quickly when H2O2 diminished in the medium. A similar but less severe pattern was observed in both GPx (60% loss at 60 min) and GR (30% loss at 90 min). In contrast, TTase activity remained constant during the entire 3 hr. Only when a higher dose of H2O2 (0.8-1.0 mM) was used, did TTase activity show a brief loss (<30% at 60 min) and a swift recovery. Cells exposed to H2O2 exhibited a normal morphology with no evidence of DNA fragmentation. The lens epithelial cells showed a remarkable ability to repair the early damages induced by H2O2. The unusual oxidative stress-resistant property displayed by TTase, coupled with its known function suggest that it plays an important role in the repair of oxidative damage.
Non-migratory feasibility and migratory schedulability analysis of multiprocessor real-time systems

The multiprocessor scheduling of collections of real-time jobs is considered. Sufficient tests are derived for feasibility analysis of a collection of sporadic jobs where job migration between processors is forbidden. The fixed-priority scheduling of real-time jobs with job migration is analyzed, and sufficient tests of schedulability are obtained for the deadline-monotonic (dm) and the earliest-deadline-first (edf) scheduling algorithms. The feasibility and schedulability tests of this paper may be applied even when the collection of jobs is incompletely specified. The applicability of these tests to the scheduling of collections of jobs that are generated by systems of recurrent real-time tasks is discussed. In particular, sufficient conditions for the dm scheduling of sporadic task systems are derived and compared to previously-known tests.
Radar phase-coded waveform design using MOEAs

This study applies the NSGA-II, SPEA2, and MOEA/D Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) to the radar phase coded waveform design problem. The MOEAs are used to generate a series of radar waveform phase codes that have excellent range resolution and Doppler resolution capabilities, while maintaining excellent autocorrelation properties. The study compares the ability of NSGA-II, SPEA2, and MOEA/D to generate a Pareto front of phase code solutions, and then improve upon the quality of the solutions while maintaining a sufficient diversity of available radar phase codes. Results demonstrate that for solving moderate to large instances of the radar phase code problem all three MOEAs generate a diverse set of Pareto optimal radar phase codes. The phase codes generated by NSGA-II have overall better autocorrelation properties than those generated by SPEA2 and MOEA/D, however, all three MOEAs produce useable phase codes.
Inclusion of time constraints and redundant access on spacecraft return probabilities by the concept of Borel set.

Abstract : Because of limitations of weather, sea state, and visibility, planning efforts for the emergency return by abort or escape from orbit to contingency recovery sites must consider factors of local time constraints and redundant access. The first factor provides a means of evaluating the impact of a daylight return requirement; the second permits appraising safer emergency recovery plans when unacceptable weather or sea state conditions exist at the initially selected recovery site. The return probability of spacecraft including these factors involves the determination of coverage belts along the equator that are generated by the loci of ascending nodes of orbits from which the recovery circle can be reached within the local time constraints and with the specified degree of redundancy in access. In general, the coverage belts collectively form a complicated and juxtaposed set. By using the linear Borel set concept, a logic is developed for properly counting and summing these belts to arrive at a general formulation for determining the return probability. Sample results show that the local time constraints have a significant effect upon the return probability. The seasonal variation of available daylight hours can also have pronounced influence on the return probability and the required waiting time for an assured emergency return if the recovery sites are in the same hemisphere. On the other hand, redundant access of the second degree, while having a lower return probability than single access, does not greatly increase the required waiting time for an assured emergency return of a spacecraft. (Author)
Effect of source phase fluctuations on the performance of monomode fiber optic digital communication systems

Abstract Monomode optical fibers transmitting data at high rates and using sources of narrow linewidth are likely to suffer from noise due to source phase fluctuations. This effect is investigated using a simple model for phase statistics.
Vertical price transmission in timber and lumber markets

Abstract Timber and lumber markets are linked and integrated through prices at several stages along timber supply chain. In this study, the degree of vertical integration and the presence of asymmetric price transmission are investigated for sawtimber and lumber products in the southern and western United States. The data utilized are quarterly stumpage price, delivered timber price, and lumber price of softwood between 1977 and 2011. Linear and threshold cointegration models are used for long-term price analyses, and symmetric and asymmetric error correction models are used for short-term price analyses. The integration in the early stage (i.e., stumpage/delivered timber price pair) is found to be stronger than that in the latter stage (i.e., delivered/lumber price pair). The South shows slightly stronger market cointegration than the West. Asymmetric price transmission is found along the timber supply chain. In the long term, prices are more responsive when the price margin is increased than decreased.
New strategies to symmetric and unsymmetric cyclic sulfamide analogs of DMP 323 : a 'sulfur linchpin'/RCM approach

Abstract The synthesis of 7-membered cyclic sulfamides utilizing the RCM reaction is described herein. Two major synthetic strategies that expand the scope and utility of our previously reported sulfamide and sulfamoyl carbamate chemistry are employed. Both Mitsunobu alkylation and simple alkylation of core sulfamides and sulfamoyl carbamates coupled with RCM are used to efficiently install lipophilic groups into the P1/P1′ and P2/P2′ periphery of the cyclic sulfamides. Overall, the routes described are applicable to the synthesis of a variety of cyclic 7-membered sulfamides.
Association between objectively-measured physical activity and sleep, NHANES 2005–2006

Abstract Statement of problem Epidemiological studies examining the association between physical activity and sleep have relied on self-report measures of physical activity and have primarily been conducted in older adults. Therefore, to address these gaps in the literature, the purpose of the present study was to examine the association between objectively-measured physical activity and a variety of self-reported sleeping parameters in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults of all ages. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2006 were used in the analyses. 3081 adults ranging in age between 18 and 85 were included in the analyses. At the mobile examination center, participants were asked to wear an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer on the right hip for 7 days following their examination. Questions on sleep were asked during the household interview. Results After controlling for age, bmi, health status, smoking status, and depression, the relative risk of often feeling overly sleepy during the day compared to never feeling overly sleepy during the day decreased by a factor of 0.65 (95% CI: 0.44–0.97) for participants meeting physical activity guidelines compared to those not meeting guidelines. Similar results were also found for having leg cramps while sleeping and having difficulty concentrating when tired. Conclusions Objectively-measured physical activity was associated with several self-reported sleeping-related parameters. Future experimental studies are required to confirm that increasing physical activity causes improvements in these parameters.
Finite Element Analysis and Design of an Annular Tank

The objective of this paper is to design an annular tank. The annular tank is to store various criticality liquids used in today’s industry. The initial over all dimensions of the annular tank are determined from the capacity of the stored liquids. The design function is performed using the ASME Code Sec VIII Div 1. The annular tank design is broken up into (a) outer cylinder, (b) inner cylinder, (c) top cover, and (d) bottom head. It is supported at the bottom. It is anchored at the top. The deflection of the annular space is a critical requirement. Stresses are usually acceptable because the requirement is on the deflection. For vacuum condition the outer cylinder can be treated for external pressure and the inner cylinder can be treated for internal pressure. For internal pressure condition the design pressure consists of working internal pressure plus static head. For this the outer cylinder can be treated for internal pressure and the inner cylinder can be treated for external pressure. The covers are designed for internal pressure at the bottom where the pressure is the maximum. The designed dimensions are used to recalculate the stresses for the annular tank. The dimensioned annular tank is modeled using STAAD III finite element Software. The stresses from the finite element Software are compared to the stresses obtained from recalculated stresses obtained using ASME Code Sec VIII Div 1. The difference in the stress values is explained. This paper’s main objective is to compare the ASME Code to the finite element analysis. The design is found to be safe for the specific configuration considered. In addition the annular tank is checked for temperature and seismic load conditions, which the code does not address.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Exploring the business benefits of environmental stewardship

Environmental sensitivity has gained much attention in business organizations; however, there is little empirical evidence on the business benefits from environment-oriented measures. Some of the many promised benefits from environmental sensitivity are categorized and rated. The framework proposed by the Management Institute for Environment and Business is used to assess company environmental stewardship. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from 133 business organizations known to have undertaken at least some ‘green business’ activities. The results from Pearson correlation analysis suggest that companies showing higher degrees of environmental stewardship will derive greater business benefits than organizations which aim at minimum compliance with government regulations in this area.
Abstract 1510: Improving replication kinetics by using a single shRNA p21/Waf-1 construct in backbone of prostate specific CRAd

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAds) represent a promising modality for the treatment of neoplastic diseases, including Prostate Cancer. Selectively replicative viruses can be generated by placing a tissue or cancer-specific promoter upstream of one or more of the viral genes required for replication (e.g., E1A, E1B). We have previously reported the attenuated replication of these viruses by multiple cellular mechanisms. In this study we investigated the importance of p21/Waf-1, a cdk inhibitor on viral replication and tumor growth. Using RNA interference against p21/Waf-1 in prostate cancer cells we demonstrated an increase viral replication and viral oncolysis of the prostate cancer cells. Similarly CRAd viruses that carry p21/Waf-1 shRNA (Ad5-RV004.21) were able to prevent tumor outgrowth by inhibiting growth of established tumor xenografts that resulted in a marked increase in the mean survival time of tumor-bearing mice compared to CRAd with out p21/Waf-1shRNA (Ad5-RV004) or mock treated control groups. Furthermore in combinatory studies of Ad5-RV004.21 with Adriamycin a supra-additive effect was observed only in CRAds viruses that harbor shRNA against p21/Waf-1. Taken together these findings of enhance viral replication in prostate cancer cells by using RNA interference against the cdk inhibitor (p21/Waf-1) have significant implications in the development of prostate-specific CRAd therapies. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1510.
PDZ Domains and the Politics of Polarity in Lymphocytes

In this issue of Immunity , Ludford-Menting et al. (2005) show that scaffold proteins previously implicated in the control of epithelial cell polarity also play an important role in determining the macroscopic organization of the engaged T cell.