cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implications of Plate Tectonics for the Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of Western North America

Magnetic anomaly patterns in the northeast Pacific Ocean combined with plate theory indicate that a trench existed offshore from western North America during mid-Tertiary time and that the present episode of strike-slip motion in the San Andreas fault system originated after the cessation of subduction, not earlier than 30 m.y. ago. At present, the American and Pacific plates appear to be moving past one another parallel to the San Andreas fault at a rate of 6 cm/yr. Data concerning the late Cenozoic history of motions between these plates is inconclusive, and so 2 probable models are examined. One assumes a constant motion of 6 cm/yr throughout the late Cenozoic, whereas the other assumes that the 2 plates were fixed with respect to one another until 5 m.y. ago, at which time they broke along the San Andreas fault system and began moving at 6 cm/yr. The second model implies that the San Andreas fault took up all the motion at the boundary between the North American and Pacific plates, while the first model suggests the broader view that much of the late Cenozoic tectonic activity of western North America is related to this boundary deformation. The models make testable predictions for the distribution of igneous rocks and for the total amount and timing of deformation expected. Extrapolation of the model of constant motions to the early Cenozoic suggests an era of slightly compressional strike-slip at the edge of North America. A major change in plate motions in late Mesozoic time is suggested.
An Epigenetic Trap Involved in Olfactory Receptor Gene Choice

Reporting recently in Cell, Lyons et al. (2013) reveal key roles for transient LSD1 histone demethylase activity in activation of a single olfactory receptor allele and suppression of the rest of the olfactory receptor gene family, thereby locking in the expression of a single olfactory receptor per sensory neuron.
Environmental challenges in nanoelectronics manufacturing

Manufacturing in nanoscale is not a simple extrapolation of the current and conventional manufacturing practices. The shift to nanoscale creates both major issues as well as significant opportunities in performance, cost, and environmental impact for the electronics industry. This article focuses on both the positive and the negative environmental impacts of this inevitable paradigm change. The inter-relationship between the three sustainability factors (performance, cost, and environmental impact) for future electronics manufacturing will be analyzed. In particular, the challenges related to resource requirements and utilization (water, energy, and chemicals) are discussed. Examples of unique opportunities for environmental gain that nanoscale manufacturing can provide are presented.
Effector and target cells in the assessment of natural cytotoxic activity of rhesus monkeys

In humans, decreased natural killer cell (NK) activity has been associated with stressful life events, whereas acute arousal and disturbance frequently has been reported to result in increased NK activity. This bidirectional immune modulation prompted us to investigate the effects of a social stressor on the lymphocyte cytolytic activity of 31 infant rhesus monkeys. The first of three studies evaluated the effects of an 8 hr maternal separation on the infants' cytolytic response against the K562 target-cell line. A finding of increased lytic activity indicated a need for a longer evaluation-after a 24 hr separation-and an additional assessment of two other target-cell lines, Raji and Daudi. The observation of decreased lytic responses to Raji and Daudi, in association with increased lysis of K562, warranted a third study to delineate which rhesus effector cells were responsible for lysis of the K562 and Raji target cells. By isolating cell subsets, it was possible to observe that the majority of unprimed cytotoxic activity resided in the CD3- population of cells, but that the CD3 + CD8 + population also mediated a significant amount of cytotoxicity against both targets. In conclusion, these findings support earlier studies indicating that maternal separation results in significant immune alterations in infant monkeys. However, the complex nature of changes in cytotoxic responses during prolonged stress revealed that different lymphocyte populations engage in parallel and compensatory alterations. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of graft-versus-host disease: diagnosis and management.

The number of bone marrow transplantations performed to treat diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia has been increasing during the past 2 decades. Improvements in histocompatibility testing, transfusion support,conditioning regimens, land antibiotics have dramatically improved sur
Detection of protein S-nitrosylation with the biotin-switch technique

Protein S-nitrosylation, the posttranslational modification of cysteine thiols to form S-nitrosothiols, is a principle mechanism of nitric oxide-based signaling. Studies have demonstrated myriad roles for S-nitrosylation in organisms from bacteria to humans, and recent efforts have greatly advanced our scientific understanding of how this redox-based modification is dynamically regulated during physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The focus of this review is the biotin-switch technique (BST), which has become a mainstay assay for detecting S-nitrosylated proteins in complex biological systems. Potential pitfalls and modern adaptations of the BST are discussed, as are future directions for this assay in the burgeoning field of protein S-nitrosylation.
In vitro analysis of platelet function during storage of platelets from plasmapheresed donors.

Several in vitro platelet function assays were examined. Two units of platelets from each of ten volunteer donors were obtained by plasmapheresis, stored three days, and examined by various functional parameters. The second unit of platelets from an individual had generally lower functional parameters than the first, suggesting a subtle physiological change in the donors' circulation between the time of drawing the first and second units. For in vitro comparisons, this difference was overcome by a pooling procedure. Platelet storage was examined at room temperature and at 4 C.
Comparison of stroke volume estimation for non-steady-state and steady-state graded exercise testing

The stroke volume (SV) during exercise is an important index of the heart's functional capacity. A new method has been developed for the non-invasive estimation of exercise SV (SVex). It requires the determination of the slope for the oxygen uptake versus heart rate relationship in the steady state of graded exercise testing (GXT). The product of the slope and a constant (reciprocal of an assumed value of the arterial oxygen content) equals an estimated value for SVex. It was validated in a previous study using invasive measurements while subjects were performing steady-state GXT. However, currently the most commonly used GXT protocols are non-steady state, e.g. protocols with 1-min increment durations. We tested the hypothesis that SVex is the same for steady-state and non-steady-state GXT. A total of 30 subjects (15 males and 15 females) served as subjects for the study. Each subject performed two GXTs on different days with different increment durations - 1 and 4 min. Ventilation and gas exchange were measured with the Vacumed metabolic cart. For the male subjects, the mean (SD) SVex values for the 1- and 4-min GXTs were 155.4 (39.5) and 134.6 (27.5) ml, respectively. The corresponding values for the female subjects were 151.6 (37.6) and 134.3 (36.4) ml. Paired t-test analysis demonstrated that for both genders the mean SVex for the 1-min GXT was significantly larger than the 4-min GXT mean value (P<0.05). Hence, the commonly used 1-min GXT does not yield the same values for SVex as the steady-state GXT.
Regulation of galactogen synthesis in the slug Ariolimax columbianus

Abstract 1. 1. Galactogen content of the albumin gland of the slug Ariolimax columbianus shows seasonal variation. It is highest during the breeding season and lowest during the period following egg-laying. 2. 2. Removal of optic tentacles is followed within 3 weeks by an increase in the weight of the albumin gland. 3. 3. This is accompanied by an increase in galactogen concentration of the albumin gland. Both effects are reversed by injection of an extract of optic tentacles. 4. 4. Glucose 14C injected into slugs is incorporated into galactogen. The incorporation is greater following removal of optic tentacles than in normal animals. This effect is also reversed in the experimental animals by the injection of optic tentacle extract. 5. 5. In vitro experiments on galactogen synthesis do not show any significant influence of the optic tentacle extract on galactogen synthesis. 6. 6. The present evidence suggests that growth of the albumin gland is under endocrine control from a center in the optic tentacle, and that endocrine effects on synthesis of galactogen are a consequence of the effect on growth.
Unoccupied and Occupied Estrogen Receptors in Myometrial Cytosol and Nuclei from Nonpregnant and Pregnant Women

Exchange assays have been developed and used to measure the total concentration of estrogen receptor sites (unoccupied and occupied with endogenous hormone) in the cytosol and nuclei of human myometrium during the menstrual cycle and in pregnancy at term, before and during labor. A major fraction of the nuclear receptors appear to be unoccupied (not complexed with estrogen). These sites were detected in both crude and highly purified myometrial nuclei, indicating that they are located in the nucleus and do not represent a cytoplasmic or other cellular contaminant. The distribution of estrogen receptors between the cytosol and the nucleus varied in pregnant and nonpregnant patients. In pregnant patients, the receptor was detected only in the nucleus, while in nonpregnant patients most of the receptor was found in the cytosol. The levels of total receptor were considerably lower (5 times) in pregnancy at term than during the menstrual cycle. No significant differences in cytosol receptor levels or in unoccupied nuclear receptor levels were observed between the proliferative and secretory phases of the cycle. However, the levels of occupied nuclear receptors were significantly higher in the proliferative than in the secretory phase. The levels of total and occupied nuclear receptors in pregnancy at term were similar to those found during the proliferative phase and appeared to decrease somewhat during labor, although the differences were not statistically significant.
Identification of prearrest clinical factors associated with outpatient fatal pulmonary embolism.

Massive pulmonary embolism (MPE) is an important cause of outpatient sudden death, and description of these patients is critical for identification and treatment. Objective: To test whether MPE patients can be distinguished from patients suffering sudden death from other causes based on clinical, demographic, and historical data. The hypothesis was that MPE cases would be more likely to manifest components of a clinical triad of 1) overt dyspnea, 2) alteration of mental status or syncope, and 3) shock index (pulse divided by systolic blood pressure) >0.8. Methods: Retrospective case—control study of medical examiner data from 1992 to 1999 including all patients with nontraumatic death, aged 18-65 years, transported to an emergency department, with autopsy-determined cause of death. Analysis was done by 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for difference in proportions and multivariate logistic regression for odds ratios. Results: The MPE patients (n = 37) were younger than the control subjects (n = 347) (40.2 vs 46.5 years, unpaired t-test p 0.8 (23.6), immobilization or fracture (14.6), seen by a physician within two weeks (5.1), and African American female status (6.4). Conclusions: Patients in this community with fatal MPE were young with risk factors for pulmonary embolism, and commonly manifested components of a triad including: dyspnea, alteration of mental status/syncope, and shock prior to death.
Differential suppression of lymphocyte cholesterol synthesis by low density lipoprotein and erythrocyte insulin receptors in normolipidemic subjects

The rates of cholesterol synthesis from acetate were studied in freshly isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes in 41 age- and sex-matched subjects with essentially normal serum lipid profiles. Insulin binding to erythrocytes obtained from the same blood samples was also studied simultaneously. From the data on lymphocyte cholesterol synthesis in the absence or presence of low density lipoprotein in the medium, an index, LDL50, was calculated for each subject. This is the concentration of LDL cholesterol (nmol/ml) in the medium necessary to reduce cholesterol synthesis to 50% of that in the absence of LDL. On the basis of LDL50, the subjects could be segregated into three distinct groups, I, II, and III, with LDL50 of 6.5, 23.3, and 77.0 nmol/ml, respectively. This grouping was independent of the serum lipid profiles, age or sex. Insulin binding studies showed that the amount of insulin specifically bound and the number of insulin receptors per cell were inversely correlated with LDL50. LDL50 was also determined for 4 subjects with clinically manifested consequences of familial hypercholesterolemia. The LDL50 values for these individuals corresponded to values obtained for subjects in group III. The number of insulin receptors and the amount of insulin bound in these patients were correspondingly low. These results suggest that LDL50 may be useful in discerning abnormal cellular cholesterol metabolism in subjects with or without accompanying hyperlipidemias.
Open-loop and closed-loop equilibria in dynamic games with many players

Abstract If players are small, one might expect that optimal reactions to one-player deviations are negligible, so that the open- and closed-loop equilibria are approximately the same. We investigate the circumstances in which this is true.
Differential Modulation of Energy Balance by Leptin, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor, and Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Gene Delivery: Microarray Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Chip Analysis of Gene Expression

Most obese animal models, whether associated with genetic, diet-induced, or age-related obesity, display pronounced leptin resistance, rendering leptin supplement therapy ineffective in treating obesity. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been recently used to invoke leptin-like signaling pathways, thereby circumventing leptin resistance. In the current study, we characterize immediate and long-term molecular events in the hypothalamus of rats exposed to the sustained ectopic expression of leptin, CNTF, or leukemia inhibitory factor, another neurocytokine of IL-6 family, all delivered centrally via a viral vector. The respective transgene-encoded ligands induced similar but not identical metabolic responses as assessed by the reduction in body weight gain and changes in food intake. To define molecular mechanisms of weight-reducing and anorexigenic action of cytokines, we have analyzed the gene expression profiles of 1300 brain-specific genes in the hypothalami of normal rats subjected to the prolonged cytokine action for 10 wk. We present evidence that constitutive expression of cytokines in the brain induces changes in gene expression characteristic of chronic inflammation leading to either temporal weight reduction (CNTF) or severe cachexia (leukemia inhibitory factor). Our results convey a cautionary note regarding potential use of the tested cytokines in therapeutic applications.
Pore size distributions in low-k dielectric thin films from X-ray porosimetry

X-ray reflectivity has been used to determine the mass uptake of probe molecules in porous thin films supported on thick silicon wafers. The adsorption occurs by capillary condensation when the films are exposed to probe vapor at controlled partial vapor pressures. The probe solvent partial pressure was varied by mixing saturated air and dry air at constant temperature or by changing sample temperature at a constant vapor concentration. Pore size distribution in the films can be calculated from the probe uptake with typical porosimetric approaches such as the application of the Kelvin equation to convert partial pressure into pore size. For illustration, the pore size distribution of three different nanoporous thin films, the primary candidate of ultra-low-k interlevel dielectrics in the next generation of integrated circuit chips, was determined with this technique. These samples represent different generations of low-k dielectrics developed by industry. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2170–2177, 2002
RATE OF LIPASE‐CATALYZED HYDROLYSIS OF OLIVE OIL IN VITRO AS INFLUENCED BY REACTANT CONCENTRATIONS AND OTHER CONDITIONS1

An in vitro assay previously developed (Emenhiser et al. 1994) for measuring the rate of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of olive oil was used to determine the dependency of reaction rate on the concentration and ratios of various constituents. Calcium and bile salts, at various concentrations encountered in the human duodenum, had a significant effect on rate; rate changes being smaller with the former than the latter. Rates of lipolysis proceeded independent of colipase-to-lipase ratios > 0.45:1. MES (2-[N-morpholino] ethanesulfonic acid) buffer was studied at molar concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.3, and rate changes were experimentally unimportant over this range. Alteration of pH from 6.0 to 7.0 had only a moderate effect on rate of lipolysis, and minor pH changes (± 0.1 units) from the standard pH of 6.5 had a negligible effect on rate. The effect of various dietary fibers on pH was small (± 0.04 units). Attempts to achieve conditions yielding zero-order reaction kinetics with respect to olive oil were not successful.
Performance analysis of dynamic load balancing algorithms with variable number of processors

In modern parallel adaptive mesh computations the problem size varies during simulation. In this study we investigate the comparative behavior of four load balancing algorithms when the number of processors is dynamically changed during the lifetime of a multistage parallel computation. The focus is on communication and data movement overheads, total parallel runtime and total resource consumption. We demonstrate the main ideas for the case of six adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) applications with different kinds of growth patterns. The results presented are for a 32 processor Intel cluster connected by Ethernet.
A new perspective of urban-rural differences: The impact of soil water advection

Abstract Urban-rural contrast is central to many urban environmental problems, a prominent example being the urban heat island effect. To ameliorate urban thermal stress, extensive research work has been focused on the mitigation of critical environmental temperatures, while the timing of excessive heating was largely overlooked. Advection of soil water flux plays a critical role in determining the soil thermal field, which in turn modulates surface energy fluxes and land–atmosphere interactions. In this paper, we formulate the wave phase differences between soil temperatures and soil heat fluxes due to soil water advection based on harmonic function method. It has been found that phase lags, viz. hysteresis effects, exist among all land surface energy budgets and the land surface temperature. More generally, the difference of phase and time evolution of the land surface temperature and the ground heat flux is also manifested in annual cycles. In the context of urban–rural differences, the temporal difference in peak surface temperatures and peak turbulent fluxes has profound implication to human thermal comfort and building energy efficiency.
Warped passages: The universe's extra dimensions

We investigate the possibility that there can be more dimensions of space and my work investigating what their effect might be on the observable universe. I will explain how this proposal will be tested at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and speak more broadly about the questions the LHC will address.
Decentralized task allocation for heterogeneous teams with cooperation constraints

This paper presents decentralized methods for allocating heterogeneous tasks to a network of agents with different capabilities, when the rules of engagement dictate various cooperation constraints. The new methods are built upon the consensus-based bundle algorithm (CBBA), and the key extensions to the baseline CBBA are: (a) task decomposition and associated scoring modification to allow for soft-constrained cooperation preference, and (b) a decentralized task elimination protocol to ensure satisfaction of the hard-constrained cooperation requirements. The new extensions are shown to preserve the robust convergence property of the baseline CBBA, and numerical examples on a cooperative track & strike mission verify the performance improvement by these extended capabilities.
Continuous reaction time in brain damage.

Summary Brain-damaged patients have significantly slower visual RTs than control patients under simple and choice RT conditions on a continuous experimenter paced task with constant intervals between stimuli. The brain-damaged are more variable than control Ss, but this variability is not due to a skewing of slow responses; rather the whole distribution appears to be shifted in the slower direction. No performance decline is present in the Ss despite about 40 minutes of continual RT performance and they do not get more variable over trials. Both controls and braindamaged have significantly longer RTs under the choice conditions, but the added increment in RT is of similar magnitude in both groups. Thus the simple RT is as discriminating between groups as the choice RT task. Under these experimental conditions brain-damaged Ss manifest a deficit in RT performance which cannot be explained by lapses in attention or greater fatigue or “slowed”mental operations of a perceptual matching nature.
Point, shoot, and paste: Direct photo pasting from a digital still camera

We propose a novel interaction method “point-shoot-and-paste” for transferring a photo into the specified position of a PC document directly and intuitively from a DSC; a user aims a DSC at the pasting position in the screen of the PC, presses the shutter button, and then the photo is transferred and pasted in the position. This method is advantageous because it is intuitive and doesn't need any special sensors to specify the location of pasting. Our middleware will also enable generic applications to utilize “point-shoot-and-paste”.
A mean field t-J model for high Tc superconductivity containing two kinds of point defects

We describe studies of the effects of point defects on a t-J model of high Tc superconductors. One kind of point defect is associated with an enhanced value of J at certain randomly selected sites. The other kind of defect is associated with random values of the on site energy in the one-electron part of the model, as in the Anderson model of localization. We present a qualitative argument to the effect that such a model might account for the anomalous sensitivity of high Tc superconductors to nonmagnetic impurities in the copper oxide planes. We present numerical mean field calculations on the model in which disorder due to point defects is treated explicitly. A strong dependence of Tc on the Anderson parameter W is observed.
A CIS study of the solvent effects on the electronic absorption spectra of push-pull ethylenes

Abstract The lowest energy electronic transitions of two push-pull compounds, 1,1-bisdimethylamino-2-cyano-2-para-fluorophenylethene (PP-F) and 1,1-bisdimethylamino-2-cyano-2-para-nitrophenylethene (PP-NO 2 ) were investigated as a function of solvent polarity using experimental and quantum mechanical techniques. Ab initio calculations at the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) level were employed for structure optimization with the solvent effects simulated via a self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) using the Onsager model. The configuration interaction singles (CIS) method was used to calculate the transition energies using various solute-solvent interaction models. Experimentally, while the principal absorption for both compounds exhibited a red shift with increasing solvent polarity, PP-NO 2 demonstrated a more pronounced shift. The predicted shifts from the CIS calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data. The different behavior for the two systems with solvent was attributed to qualitative differences in the nature of their electronic transitions. While the transition of PP-F was attributed to a π (CC) to π ∗ (CC) transition, that of PP-NO 2 was identified as an intramolecular charge transfer transition from π(CC) to π ∗ (-para-Ph-NO 2 ).
Spacers and processing of large ribosomal RNAs in Escherichia coli and mouse cells

The formation of mature large rRNAs from larger primary transcripts is very different in bacterial and mammalian cells. In both, cotranscription can help to assure the coordinated production of various rRNA species. However, in bacteria, processing is ordered, initiated by cleavages at double-stranded stems which enclose the mature sequences; several cleavages are required to produce each mature terminus; and the final steps occur in polysomes, apparently linked to continued protein synthesis. In mouse cells, in contrast, cleavages generate nearly all mature termini stochastically and directly, with no evidence for double-stranded stems as cleavage signals; and processing occurs in the nucleolus, long before any new rRNA chains arrive in polysomes. Spacer sequences also serve different potnetial functions at the evolutionary extremes. In bacteria, transcribed spacer sequences are associated with different secondary structures in the pre-rRNA compared to the mature rRNA, and these may promote ribosome formation. In mammalian cells, analyses are too premature to assign any comparable function to transcribed spacer sequences, but the non-transcribed spacers are probably critical in the organization and replication of nucleoli, functions that are absent from bacteria.
Differentially altered mGluR1 and mGluR5 mRNA expression in rat caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens in the development and expression of behavioral sensitization to repeated amphetamine administration.

Altered glutamatergic transmission in the striatum may be implicated in behavioral sensitization to repeated amphetamine (AMPH) administration. Quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry was performed to define the effects of acute and chronic AMPH exposures on mRNA expression of Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the striatum. Behavioral ratings indicated that the motor activity of rats was significantly higher after the final of five daily AMPH injections (4 mg/kg, i.p.) than that after the first of five daily AMPH, indicative of the development of behavioral sensitization. Moreover, the motor activity of rats treated with five daily AMPH was significantly greater than that of rats treated with five daily saline in response to a 2 mg/kg challenge dose of AMPH 7, 14, 28, and 60 days after the discontinuation of drug treatments, indicative of the persistent expression of behavioral sensitization. Three hours after acute administration of AMPH to naive rats, mGluR1 and mGluR5 mRNA expression in the dorsal (caudatoputamen) and ventral (nucleus accumbens) striatum showed no change as compared to acute saline injection. In rats that developed behavioral sensitization to repeated AMPH, mGluR1 levels in the dorsal and ventral striatum were increased by 53% and 43%, respectively, 3 h after the final AMPH treatment. However, this change did not persist during withdrawal since it was not observed 7, 14, and 28 days after the discontinuation of AMPH treatment. Conversely, mGluR5 levels were markedly reduced 3 h after the final of five daily AMPH treatments in the entire striatum of sensitized rats (34% and 77% of controls in the dorsal and ventral striatum, respectively). The reduction persisted at 7, 14, and 28 days of withdrawal. These results reveal a close linkage between striatal Group I mGluR gene expression and behavioral sensitization to AMPH. This may indicate functional implications of the two subtypes of Group I mGluRs in the regulation of behavioral sensitization to the dopamine stimulant.
Using a Short Screening Scale for Small-Area Estimation of Mental Illness Prevalence for Schools

We use data collected in the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent (NCS-A) to develop a methodology to estimate the small-area prevalence of serious emotional distress (SED) in schools in the United States, exploiting the clustering of the main NCS-A sample by school. The NCS-A instrument includes both a short screening scale, the K6, and extensive diagnostic assessments of the individual disorders and associated impairment that determine the diagnosis of SED. We fitted a Bayesian bivariate multilevel regression model with correlated effects for the probability of SED and a modified K6 score at the individual and school levels. Our results provide evidence for the existence of variation in the prevalence of SED across schools and geographical regions. Although the concordance between the modified K6 scale and SED is only modest for individuals, the school-level random effects for the two measures are strongly correlated. Under this model we obtain a prediction equation for the rate of SED based on the me...
The mechanism underlying lexical selection: Evidence from the picture–picture interference paradigm

In two experiments using the picture–picture and picture–word interference paradigms, we compared predictions from the swinging lexical network and the response exclusion hypothesis to determine whether the process of word selection is competitive. Further, we suggest that previous categorical effects in the picture–picture interference paradigm were due to stimuli confounds, thus readdressing the debate concerning categorical effects in the paradigm. Consistent with both hypotheses, in Experiment 1 we found faster picture naming times when distractor pictures were associatively related than when they were unrelated, explained as a result of a spread of activation at the conceptual level with little (swinging lexical network) or no (response exclusion hypothesis) contribution from lexical competition. In Experiment 2, we found a significant categorical interference effect in the picture–word interference paradigm, and this effect significantly decreased but was not facilitatory when distractors were pictu...
A Learning Algorithm for Optimal Internal Combustion Engine Calibration in Real Time

Advanced internal combustion engine technologies have increased the number of accessible variables of an engine and our ability to control them. The optimal values of these variables are designated during engine calibration by means of a static correlation between the controllable variables and the corresponding steady-state engine operating points. While the engine is running, these correlations are being interpolated to provide values of the controllable variables for each operating point. These values are controlled by the electronic control unit to achieve desirable engine performance, for example in fuel economy, pollutant emissions, and engine acceleration. The state-of-the-art engine calibration cannot guarantee continuously optimal engine operation for the entire operating domain, especially in transient cases encountered in driving styles of different drivers. This paper presents the theoretical basis and algorithmic implementation for allowing the engine to learn the optimal set values of accessible variables in real time while running a vehicle. Through this new approach, the engine progressively perceives the driver’s driving style and eventually learns to operate in a manner that optimizes specified performance indices. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated through simulation of a spark ignition engine, which learns to optimize fuel economy with respect to spark ignition timing, while it is running a vehicle.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Nonneutral short-run effects of derivatives on gold prices

About 90% of the decline in gold prices over the decade of the 1990s – from $393 (per ounce) in the beginning of 1990 to $286 in early 2000 – occurred after early 1995. While gold prices were falling, the use of derivative instruments (forwards, options, futures and the like) by the gold mining industry increased rapidly. Traditionally, such activity would not be expected to affect gold prices. In this article we investigate the possible impact of derivatives on the gold market. The research findings suggest that the use of derivatives by gold producers, whether it was to hedge against the risk of declining gold prices, or for other purposes, probably pushed gold prices below what they would have been based upon historical relationships. Conversely, when gold producers reduced their net derivative positions over the April 1999:IV to January 2006:I period, this de-hedging appears to have helped boost gold prices back toward levels consistent with longer run fundamentals.
Compatible algorithms for coupled flow and transport

The issue of mass conservation in numerical methods for flow coupled to transport has been debated in the literature for the past several years. In this paper, we address the loss of accuracy and/or loss of global conservation which can occur when flow and transport schemes are not compatible. We give a definition of compatible flow and transport schemes, with emphasis on two popular types of transport algorithms, the streamline diffusion method and discontinuous Galerkin methods. We then discuss several different approaches for flow which are compatible with these transport algorithms. Finally, we give some numerical examples which demonstrate the possible effects of incompatibility between schemes.
Sampling Theory Applied to Meteoritic Populations

Meteoriticists have long believed in the existence of areal anomalies in the horizontal distribution of meteorites. On the one hand, the significantly different proportions in which iron and stone meteorites are found in samples of the total meteoritic populations of the eastern and western hemispheres have repeatedly called forth the statement that such an anomaly, having an origin somehow connected with geographical location, exists between the hemispheres. On the other hand, Hogbom has conjectured that a similar areal anomaly, having its origin not in geographical location, but rather in the local selective depletion of native-iron meteorite-populations by the agency of man is found on comparing the meteoritic populations of the Old (or long-inhabited) World and the New. This second partition of the globe into subregions is distinct from the separation into eastern and western hemispheres. The present paper critically subjects the evidence for these suggested anomalies to analysis, by use of the sampling theory developed in the study of discrete, 2-fold populations. Such an approach is possible only because of the recent publication by Frederick C. Leonard and Boris Slanin17 of invaluable compilations relating to the areal distribution of all recovered meteorites. On the basis of the exhaustive sampling data thus supplied, the following conclusions have been reached: Denote by W a meteoritic population derived from witnessed falls and by U such a population derived from unwitnessed falls; then no significant difference as regards the incidence of stony character exists between (1) the W's of the eastern and western hemispheres; (2) the U's of these hemispheres; (3) the W's of the Old and New Worlds; and (4) the U's of the same subregions. The analysis carried out makes clear also that current belief in areal anomalies stems from the logically indefensible practice of lumping together the U and W populations of each of the distinct geographical areas compared.
Moderate and steep Faraday waves: instabilities, modulation and temporal asymmetries

Mild to steep standing waves of the fundamental mode are generated in a narrow rectangular cylinder undergoing vertical oscillation with forcing frequencies of 3.15 Hz to 3.34 Hz. A precise, non-intrusive optical wave profile measurement system is used along with a wave probe to accurately quantify the spatial and temporal surface elevations. These standing waves are also simulated by a two-dimensional spectral Cauchy integral code. Experiments show that contact-line effects increase the viscous natural frequency and alter the neutral stability curves. Hence, as expected, the addition of the wetting agent Photo Flo significantly changes the stability curve and the hysteresis in the response diagram. Experimentally, we find strong modulations in the wave amplitude for some forcing frequencies higher than 3.30 Hz. Reducing contact-line effects by Photo-Flo addition suppresses these modulations. Perturbation analysis predicts that some of this modulation is caused by noise in the forcing signal through ‘sideband resonance’, i.e. the introduction of small sideband forcing can generate large modulations of the Faraday waves. The analysis is verified by our numerical simulations and physical experiments. Finally, we observe experimentally a new form of steep standing wave with a large symmetric double-peaked crest, while simulation of the same forcing condition results in a sharper crest than seen previously. Both standing wave forms appear at a finite wave steepness far smaller than the maximum steepness for the classical standing wave and a surface tension far smaller than that for a Wilton ripple. In both physical and numerical experiments, a stronger second harmonic (in time) and temporal asymmetry in the wave forms suggest a 1:2 resonance due to a non-conventional quartet interaction. Increasing wave steepness leads to a new form of breaking standing waves in physical experiments.
Conventional NK Cells Can Produce IL-22 and Promote Host Defense in Klebsiella pneumoniae Pneumonia

It was reported that host defense against pulmonary Klebsiella pneumoniae infection requires IL-22, which was proposed to be of T cell origin. Supporting a role for IL-22, we found that Il22(-/-) mice had decreased survival compared with wild-type mice after intratracheal infection with K. pneumoniae. Surprisingly, however, Rag2(-/-) mice did not differ from wild-type mice in survival or levels of IL-22 in the lungs postinfection with K. pneumoniae. In contrast, K. pneumoniae-infected Rag2(-/-)Il2rg(-/-) mice failed to produce IL-22. These data suggested a possible role for NK cells or other innate lymphoid cells in host defense and production of IL-22. Unlike NK cell-like innate lymphoid cells that produce IL-22 and display a surface phenotype of NK1.1(-)NKp46(+)CCR6(+), lung NK cells showed the conventional phenotype, NK1.1(+)NKp46(+)CCR6(-). Mice depleted of NK cells using anti-asialo GM1 showed decreased survival and higher lung bacterial counts, as well as increased dissemination of K. pneumoniae to blood and liver, compared with control-treated mice. NK cell depletion also led to decreased production of IL-22 in the lung. Within 1 d postinfection, although there was no increase in the number of lung NK cells, a subset of lung NK cells became competent to produce IL-22, and such cells were found in both wild-type and Rag2(-/-) mice. Our data suggest that, during pulmonary infection of mice with K. pneumoniae, conventional NK cells are required for optimal host defense, which includes the production of IL-22.
Acquisition of chick cytosol thymidine kinase activity by thymidine kinase-deficient mouse fibroblast cells after fusion with chick erythrocytes.

Chick-mouse heterokaryons were obtained by UV-Sendai virus-induced fusion of chick erythrocytes with thymidine (dT) kinase-deficient mouse fibroblast [LM(TK-)] cells. Autoradiographic studies demonstrated that 1 day after fusion, [3H]dT was incorporated into both red blood cell and LM(TK-) nuclei of 23% of the heterokaryons. Self-fused LM(TK-) cells failed to incorporate [3H]dT into nuclear DNA. 15 clonal lines of chick-mouse somatic cell hybrids [LM(TK-)/CRB] were isolated from the heterokaryons by cultivating them in selective hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine-glycine medium. LM(TK-) and chick erythrocytes exhibited little, if any, cytosol dT kinase activity. In contrast, all 15 LM(TK-)/CRB lines contained levels of cytosol dT kinase activity comparable to that found in chick embryo cells. Disk polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing analyses demonstrated that the LM(TK-)/CRB cells contained chick cytosol, but not mouse cytosol dT kinase. The LM(TK-)/CRB cells also contained mouse mitochondrial, but not chick mitochondrial dT kinase. Hence, the clonal lines were somatic cell hybrids and not LM(TK-) cell revertants. The experiments demonstrate that chick erythrocyte cytosol dT kinase can be activated in heterokaryons and in hybrid cells, most likely as a result of functions supplied by mouse fibroblast cells.
Predicted structure and phyletic distribution of the RNA‐binding protein Hfq

Hfq, a bacterial RNA-binding protein, was recently shown to contain the Sm1 motif, a characteristic of Sm and LSm proteins that function in RNA processing events in archaea and eukaryotes. In this report, comparative structural modeling was used to predict a three-dimensional structure of the Hfq core sequence. The predicted structure aligns with most major features of the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum LSm protein structure. Conserved residues in Hfq are positioned at the same structural locations responsible for subunit assembly and RNA interaction in Sm proteins. A highly conserved portion of Hfq assumes a structural fold similar to the Sm2 motif of Sm proteins. The evolution of the Hfq protein was explored by conducting a BLAST search of microbial genomes followed by phylogenetic analysis. Approximately half of the 140 complete or nearly complete genomes examined contain at least one gene coding for Hfq. The presence or absence of Hfq closely followed major bacterial clades. It is absent from high-level clades and present in the ancient Thermotogales-Aquificales clade and all proteobacteria except for those that have undergone major reduction in genome size. Residues at three positions in Hfq form signatures for the beta/gamma proteobacteria, alpha proteobacteria and low GC Gram-positive bacteria groups.
INTERLEUKIN-6, HISTAMINE, AND METHYLHISTAMINE AS DIAGNOSTIC MARKERS FOR INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

Abstract Objectives To examine the specificity and sensitivity of the inflammatory markers histamine, methylhistamine, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the urine of patients with interstitial cystitis compared with that in healthy controls. Methods A total of 40 women with interstitial cystitis and 29 healthy controls collected 24-hour urine samples. During the 24 hours before urine collection, all participants refrained from consuming foods and medications that could contain bioactive amines. Methylhistamine and histamine were measured using radioimmunoassay kits and were normalized to urinary creatinine levels; IL-6 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data were analyzed by t tests, logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristics. Results IL-6 and histamine were significantly greater in the patients with interstitial cystitis than in the controls ( P = 0.0003 and P = 0.038, respectively). The methylhistamine levels were also greater in the patients with interstitial cystitis than in the controls, but the results did not reach significance ( P = 0.063). Using a combination of IL-6 and methylhistamine/creatinine, cutoff points were established. Using these cutoff points, the sensitivity was 70.0%, specificity 72.4%, positive predictive value 77.8%, and negative predictive value 63.6%. Conclusions All three markers—histamine, methylhistamine, and IL-6—were greater in the patients with interstitial cystitis than in the controls. A combination of methylhistamine and IL-6 could be used as a sensitive and specific marker for interstitial cystitis.
New objective functions for waveform inversion

Inversion is an organized search for parameter values that maximize or minimize an objective function, referred to here as a processor. This note derives three new seismic processors that require neither prior deconvolution nor knowledge of the source‐receiver wavelet. The most powerful of these is the fourwise processor, as it is applicable to data sets from multiple shots and receivers even when each shot has a different unknown signature and each receiver has a different unknown impulse response. Somewhat less powerful than the fourwise processor is the pairwise processor, which is applicable to a data set consisting of two or more traces with the same unknown wavelet but possibly different gains. When only one seismogram exists the partition processor can be used. The partition processor is also applicable when there is only one shot (receiver) and each receiver (shot) has a different signature. In fourwise and pairwise inversions the unknown wavelets may be arbitrarily long in time and need not be mi...
Ground‐Truth Locations for the Mangyshlak Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Sequence, Western Kazakhstan

Abstract The Mangyshlak peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE) sequence consisted of three detonations in western Kazakhstan in 1969 and 1970. Although ground‐truth (GT) locations for PNEs conducted in the former Soviet Union are generally thought to be well known, they can be erroneous by up to tens of kilometers, and the Mangyshlak sequence is no exception. We identified collapse craters for the first two events using Google Earth satellite imagery. A candidate location for the third event was determined using a cluster analysis location routine for the relative location with respect to the known collapse craters. All three locations were confirmed as GT‐0 locations by site visits. Relative to previously published and accepted coordinates for the three Mangyshlak PNEs, our locations differ by 2.3, 6.7, and 15.7 km, respectively.
Moving from agenda to action: evaluating local climate change action plans

Climate change is conventionally recognized as a large-scale issue resolved through regional or national policy initiatives. However, little research has been done to directly evaluate local climate change action plans. This study examines 40 recently adopted local climate change action plans in the US and analyzes how well they recognize the concepts of climate change and prepare for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The results indicate that local climate change action plans have a high level of “awareness”, moderate “analysis capabilities” for climate change, and relatively limited “action approaches” for climate change mitigation. The study also identifies specific factors influencing the quality of these local ju risdictional plans. Finally, it provides policy recommendations to improve planning for climate change at the local level.