cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the mathematical foundations of nondifferentiable optimization in engineering design

It is shown by example that a large class of engineering design problems can be transcribed into the form of a canonical optimization problem with inequality constraints involving mar functions. Such problems are commonly referred to as semi-infinite optimization problems. The bulk of this paper is devoted to the development of a mathematical theory for the construction of first order nondifferentiable optimization algorithms, related to phase I - phase II methods of feasible directions, which solve these semi-infinite optimization problems. The applicability of the theory is illustrated with examples that are relevant to engineering design.
Cholinergic mediation of feminine sexual receptivity: Demonstration of progesterone independence using a progestin receptor antagonist

Feminine sexual receptivity can be elicited by the intracerebral administration of muscarinic cholinergic substances in ovariectomized female rats treated with small amounts of estrogen. These experiments were designed to investigate whether this facilitative cholinergic mechanism is dependent upon progesterone. In the first experiment, estrogen-primed animals were injected with RU 38486, a progestin receptor antagonist, 1 h before progesterone or vehicle injection. Injection of RU and progesterone on Day 1 of testing produced animals which were sexually unreceptive. Furthermore, injection of the antagonist without concomitant progesterone produced animals which were unresponsive to progesterone given 24 h later. Thus, RU 38486 itself may be binding to progestin receptors in critical brain regions, preventing progesterone from binding to these same receptors. In Experiment 2, animals made sexually unreceptive by treatment with RU 38486 subsequently became receptive when injected intracerebrally with oxotremorine, a muscarinic agonist. Therefore, activation of progestin receptors does not appear necessary for the cholinergic mediation of sexual receptivity. As in Experiment 1, animals receiving progesterone on Day 1 showed a diminished response to a second progesterone injection 24 h later; an even greater decrease in this response was observed in animals that also received the antagonist on Day 1.
Synthesis and development of porous chelating polymers for the decontamination of nuclear waste

The alkaline synthesis of porous phenol-formaldehyde polymers containing iminodiacetic acid is described. Porosity is induced by the addition of a finely divided solid material (“template”) that is insoluble under the reaction conditions. This template is removed by dissolution after the polymerization is complete. Silica gel, carbonate salts and various other salts are used as templates. Resins containing different phenols are synthesized and their effectiveness for the removal of radioactive cesium and strontium from alkaline concentrated sodium salt brines is examined. This matrix typifies the composition of soluble defense nuclear waste.
Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 is necessary for the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine in mice

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 is necessary for the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine in mice
Nature-Based Tourism Destinations: A Dyadic Approach

This article takes a dyadic approach to the conceptualization of nature-based tourism (NBT) destinations. Treating the natural area and its gateway city as distinct evaluative objects, we propose that tourists may differentially assess each element of a city–park dyad based on the degree to which the attributes of each are perceived as conducive to the fulfillment of NBT-specific goals. By empirically testing this perspective, this study reveals the unique complexities of NBT. The findings indicate that nature-based tourists have distinct perceptions of natural areas and their gateway cities. The results also reveal that proenvironmental attitudes motivate individuals to engage in NBT and are associated with a positive image of the natural area. However, these proenvironmental attitudes also yield negative attitudes toward the human-made attributes of the gateway city, which result in a negative image of the city itself. The principal implications for future research and application are discussed.
Detection of microwave emission from solid targets ablated with an ultrashort pulsed laser

In addition to visible and near-IR emission, recent investigations have shown that electromagnetic pulses (EMP) in the microwave and RF regions of the spectrum are generated during femtosecond laser-matter interactions if the laser source is sufficiently intense to ablate and ionize an illuminated solid target material. Although the mechanisms for the laserinduced EMP pulse are not fully characterized, it is reported that this phenomenon arises from two mechanisms associated with terawatt to petawatt level laser interactions with matter: (1) ionization via propagation in air, and (2) plasma generation associated with the laser-excited solid material. Over the past year, our group has examined the microwave emission profiles from a variety of femtosecond laser ablated materials, including metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics. We have directed our measurements towards the characterization of microwave emission from ablated surfaces in air using laser peak powers in excess of 10 12 Watts (energy/pulse ~50 mJ, pulse width ~30 fs, laser diameter at target ~200 microns). We have characterized the temporal profile of the microwave emission and determined the emission from all samples is omni-directional. We have also observed a difference in the minimum fluence required to generate emission from conducting and insulating materials although the peak amplitudes from these materials were quite similar at the upper laser energy levels of our system (~50 mJ).
Stereo vision based hybrid manufacturing process for precision metal parts

Abstract This paper presents the research and development of an automatic hybrid manufacturing process which based on stereo vision and laser scanning technology to produce fully dense metal parts with CNC level precision. High performance metals, such as titanium alloys, nickel superalloys, tool steel, stainless steels, etc, can benefit from this process. Coupling the additive and the subtractive processes into a single workstation, the hybrid process, can produce metal parts with accuracy. The surface quality of the final product is similar to the industrial milling capability. It will certainly impact the future rapid manufacturing industry. To achieve such a system, issues, including the modeling of the metal deposition process, the automated path planning and accurate surface scanning of the hybrid manufacturing process, are summarized.
Conserving Pacific Lamprey through Collaborative Efforts

Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) have been an important part of the ecological community and co-evolved with aquatic species of the western rivers of the United States. Scarce information on Pacific Lamprey has hindered conservation and management efforts. To assess and conserve Pacific Lamprey, we developed a conservation initiative composed of three parts: assessment, conservation agreement, and regional implementation plans. We applied a novel ranking system that characterized risk to Pacific Lamprey throughout the U.S. range. We found that the majority of watersheds are at relatively high risk of extirpation, with few secure. The risk assessment results were instrumental in gaining partners’ support for a conservation agreement, with the goal of achieving long-term persistence and supporting traditional tribal cultural use of Pacific Lamprey. This extensive support has led to a collaborative effort in developing implementation plans and delivering numerous conservation actions. This approach ...
Substitution of cardiac troponin C into rabbit muscle does not alter the length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity of tension.

1. The isometric length-tension relationship for cardiac muscle is generally steeper than for skeletal muscle in the physiological range of sarcomere lengths. Recent studies suggest that cardiac troponin C (cTnC) may have intrinsic properties that confer greater length-dependent changes in Ca2+ sensitivity of tension than for skeletal troponin C (sTnC). We tested this hypothesis by characterizing tension-pCa (pCa is -log[Ca2+]) relationships in rabbit skinned psoas muscle fibres at mean sarcomere lengths of 2.32 and 1.87 microns both before and after partial replacement of endogenous sTnC with cTnC. 2. In untreated control fibres, the mid-point (pCa50) of the tension-pCa relationship shifted to lower pCa by 0.15 +/- 0.02 pCa units, i.e. became less sensitive to Ca2+, when sarcomere length was reduced, and the relationship became steeper. 3. Partial extraction of endogenous sTnC and reconstitution with cTnC resulted in no change in the length-dependent shift of pCa50 when reconstitution with cTnC was more than 95% complete; however, when reconstitution was less than 95% complete, there were significant increases in the length-dependent shift in pCa50. 4. An increase in the length-dependent shift of pCa50 was also observed in fibres from which sTnC was partially extracted, but no cTnC was subsequently re-added. 5. We conclude that differences in type of TnC alone are not sufficient to explain differences between skeletal and cardiac muscles in the length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity of tension.
Classification of incomplete feature vectors by radial basis function networks

The paper describes the use of radial basis function neural networks with Gaussian basis functions to classify incomplete feature vectors. The method uses the fact that any marginal distribution of a Gaussian distribution can be determined from the mean vector and covariance matrix of the joint distribution.
Immune Mechanisms in Chlamydial Eye Infection: Cellular Immune Responses In Chronic and Acute Disease

The current studies detail cell-mediated immune responses to Chlamydia trachomatis antigen in both acute and chronically infected monkeys. Peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBMLs) from three groups of animals (immunized before infection, not immunized before infection, and chronically infected) were tested for the capacity to proliferate in response to C. trachomatis antigen in vitro. Only those animals that had been systemically immunized before acute ocular infection responded significantly. Coculturing macrophages from nonresponding animals with T cells from D-histocompatible responding animals showed that the ability to present antigen was unaffected in nonresponding animals. These studies also demonstrated that removal of suppressor T cells from PBMLs before culture resulted in increased proliferation in the chronically infected group and suggested that the nonresponsiveness seen in chronic ocular disease may be mediated by suppressor T cells.
Translocation of σ70 with RNA Polymerase during Transcription: Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Assay for Movement Relative to DNA

Abstract Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we show that, in the majority of transcription complexes, σ 70 is not released from RNA polymerase upon transition from initiation to elongation, but, instead, remains associated with RNA polymerase and translocates with RNA polymerase. The results argue against the presumption that there are necessary subunit-composition differences, and corresponding necessary mechanistic differences, in initiation and elongation. The methods of this report should be generalizable to monitor movement of any molecule relative to any nucleic acid.
Transport properties of methylene chloride in drawn polyethylene as a function of the draw ratio

The sorption and diffusion constants of CH2Cl2 at room temperature in quenched polyethylene film drawn at 60°C to different draw ratios λ between 6 and 25 drop drastically between λ = 8 and λ = 9 and then remain nearly constant, dropping only slightly up to λ = 25. Also, the exponential dependence of diffusion constant on concentration of sorbent increases abruptly in the same draw interval and then remains constant at the higher draw ratios. The data may be explained well by a composite madel: a low-permeability fiber structure embedded in a high-permeability spherulitic matrix. As the draw ratio is increased, the initially spherulitic film is gradually transformed into the fiber structure with the transformation being completed between λ = 8 and λ = 9. During subsequent drawing to λ = 25 the mutual arrangement of microfibrils, the basic elements of the fiber structure, changes by longitudinal sliding. However, their transport properties remain nearly constant. The diffusion constant drops a little as a consequence of the increased fraction of tie molecules which reduces the number of unperturbed sorption sites.
Distribution of cysts and tachyczoites in calves and pregnant cows inoculated with toxoplasma gondii oocysts

Sixteen calves and 6 cows were each inoculated with 100 000 infective oocysts of the GT-1 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. Cattle were necropsied between 3 and 287 days post-inoculation (DPI) and their tissues were inoculated into mice or fed to Toxoplasma-free cats for the detection to Toxoplasma in bovine tissues. Ten to 10 000-fold more T. gondii were recovered from small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes of calves at 3 and 6 DPI than from lungs and liver, and the number of T. gondii in bovine tissues was reduced 1000-fold between 6 and 8 DPI. By using the Pepsin digestion technique, or feeding tissues to Toxoplasmas-free cats, it was demonstrated that T. gondii encysted in bovine tissues as early as 11 DPI and persisted as late as 287 DPI. More Toxoplasma gondii cysts occurred in livers than in many other bovine tissue. Of the 6 cows inoculated at 95--155 days after breeding, 5 delivered normal calves and T. gondii was isolated from only one of these calves. One cow was barren. Toxoplasma gondii was not isolated either by mouse inoculation or by feeding cats tissues from 2 cows killed 132 and 190 DPI. Toxoplasma gondii was not isolated in mice inoculated with tissues of cows killed 98 and 109 DPI, but cats fed on bovine tissues shed T. gondii oocysts. The organism, however, was isolated in mice inoculated with the mesenteric lymph nodes of 1 of the 2 cows killed 162 and 168 DPI, and from the small intestine of the other. Cats fed tissues of these cows later shed T. gondii oocysts.
Algebraic structure of games

Abstract Game theory and algebra become inextricably intertwined once one recognizes that the notion of a permutation of players gives rise to a representation of the symmetric group in the space of automorphisms of the vector space of games. In this paper the authors utilize this observation to attempt to turn the typical approach to game-theoretic problems on its head by analyzing the space of games from an algebraic viewpoint. In this way we find, quite surprisingly, that it is the notion of inessential, or additive, games, previously thought to be of little or no interest, that is of prime significance in describing the structure of the space of games.
Effects of carrier mass differences on the current‐voltage characteristics of resonant tunneling structures

We show that the current‐voltage characteristics of resonant tunneling structures are drastically influenced by the difference of electronic effective masses between the electrodes and the quantum well. In particular, if the mass in the well is larger than that in the emitter, the current peak is shifted to lower voltages, relative to the more conventional case of equal masses. This situation is illustrated experimentally with GaAs/AlAs/GaAs heterostructures, in which Γ electrons emitted from GaAs tunnel resonantly through the AlAs X point, where the mass is considerably heavier.
Some Evidence is False

According to some philosophers who accept a propositional conception of evidence, someone's evidence includes a proposition only if it is true. I argue against this thesis by appealing to the possibility of knowledge from falsehood.
Temperature programmed desorption study of the reaction of C2H4 and CO on Rh supported on α-Al2O3(0001), YSZ(100) and CeO2 thin films

Abstract The reaction of CO and ethylene on oxide-supported Rh particles was studied using temperature programmed desorption. The model systems investigated consisted of Rh particles on the following oxide supports: α-Al2O3(0001), yttria-stabilized zirconia (100) [YSZ(100)], CeO2 thin film on α-Al2O3(0001) and CeO2 thin film on YSZ(100). The results of this study demonstrate that both the ceria and YSZ supports are able to donate oxygen for reaction with carbon species adsorbed on the supported Rh particles. The reducibility of the ceria thin films was found to be influenced by the underlying oxide supports. Ceria films supported on YSZ(100) underwent reduction upon heating to 900 K, while those on α-Al2O3(0001) did not.
Recursive query plans for data integration

Abstract Generating query-answering plans for data integration systems requires to translate a user query, formulated in terms of a mediated schema, to a query that uses relations that are actually stored in data sources. Previous solutions to the translation problem produced sets of conjunctive plans , and were therefore limited in their ability to handle recursive queries and to exploit data sources with binding-pattern limitations and functional dependencies that are known to hold in the mediated schema. As a result, these plans were incomplete w.r.t. sources encountered in practice (i.e., produced only a subset of the possible answers). We describe the novel class of recursive query answering plans, which enables us to settle three open problems. First, we describe an algorithm for finding a query plan that produces the maximal set of answers from the sources for arbitrary recursive queries. Second, we extend this algorithm to use the presence of functional and full dependencies in the mediated schema. Third, we describe an algorithm for finding the maximal query plan in the presence of binding-pattern restrictions in the sources. In all three cases, recursive plans are necessary in order to obtain a maximal query plan.
Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization. An Analytical Technique for Highly Selective Detection of Ultralow Concentrations in the Gas Phase

In this contribution a new analytical technique is presented for the direct mass spectrometric (MS) detection of gas-phase trace species at atmospheric pressure. Employing resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) close to the inlet nozzle orifice, i.e., at high molecule densities, the sensitivity of the instrument has been increased by up to 3 orders of magnitude as compared to conventional REMPI-MS with ionization in a differentially coupled ion source. Furthermore, adiabatic cooling, resonant ionization, and mass-selective detection establish a highly selective analytical technique. Several atmospherically relevant compounds were investigated. The current detection limit for NO is 0.9 pptv, for acetaldehyde 1.7 pptv, for CO 15 pptv, and for 2,5-dichlorotoluene 12 pptv. We discuss APLI with regard to applications in medical and environmental research.
Instructor Perceptions of Web Technology Feature and Instructional Task Fit

In this exploratory study, university faculty instructor perceptions of the extent to which eight unique features of Web technology are useful for various instructional tasks are identified. Task-technology fit propositions are developed and tested using data collected from a survey of instructors in business, pharmacy, and arts/humanities. It is proposed that the Web technology features can be classified into three groups. Ubiquity and universal standards are primary features that are useful for supporting all of the teaching tasks. Richness, interactivity, information density, and personalization are contextual features which are each useful for specific tasks. Global reach is of secondary importance for supporting traditional classroom instructional tasks. Support is found for each proposition except universal standards and social technology is not perceived to be as important as anticipated. Implications and conclusions are discussed for learning management system designers, instructors, and educational technology researchers.
The negativity bias is eliminated in older adults: Age-related reduction in event-related brain potentials associated with evaluative categorization.

Studies of younger adults have found that negative information has a stronger influence than positive information across a wide range of domains. T. A. Ito, J. T. Larsen, N. K. Smith, and J. T. Cacioppo (1998) reported that during evaluative categorization, extreme negative images produced greater brain activity than did equally extreme positive images in younger adults. Older adults have been reported to optimize affect and attend less to negative information. In this article, the negativity bias was examined in 20 older versus 20 younger adults during evaluative categorization, with a focus on brain activity occurring roughly 500 ms after presentation of visual stimuli. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in brain activity to both positive and negative stimuli (p .05) and an elimination of the negativity bias in older adults.
Controls on early post-fire woody plant colonization in riparian areas

Abstract Fire in riparian areas has the potential to influence the functions riparian vegetation provides to streams and aquatic biota. However, there is little information on the effects of fire on riparian areas. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) determine how fire severity interacts with riparian topographic setting, micro-environmental conditions, and pre-fire community composition to control post-fire regeneration; (ii) determine how riparian regeneration patterns and controls change during early succession; and (iii) determine how critical riparian functions are influenced by and recover after fire. Study locations included the Biscuit Fire in southwestern Oregon and the B&B Complex Fire in the Cascade Mountain Range of west-central Oregon, USA. We measured post-fire woody species regeneration, and measured factors such as fire severity, pre-fire species composition, and stream size as potential factors associated with post-fire regeneration patterns. At a relatively coarse spatial scale, patterns in post-fire colonization were influenced by elevation. At finer spatial scales, both conifer- and hardwood-dominated riparian plant communities were self-replacing, suggesting that each community type tends to occur in specific ecological settings. Abundant post-fire regeneration in riparian areas and the self-replacement of hardwood- and conifer-dominated communities indicate high resilience of these disturbance-adapted plant communities.
Evolutionary Constraint and Adaptation in the Metabolic Network of Drosophila

Organisms must carefully control their metabolism in order to survive. On the other hand, enzymes must adapt in response to evolutionary pressures on the pathways in which they are imbedded. Taking advantage of the newly available whole-genome sequences of 12 Drosophila species, we examined how protein function and metabolic network architecture influence rates of enzyme evolution. We found that despite high overall constraint, there were significant differences in rates of amino acid substitution among functional classes of enzymes. This heterogeneity arises because proteins involved in the metabolism of foreign compounds evolve relatively rapidly, whereas enzymes that act in "core" metabolism exhibit much slower rates of amino acid replacement, suggesting strong selective constraint. Network architecture also influences enzymes' rates of amino acid replacement. In particular, enzymes that share metabolites with many other enzymes are relatively constrained, although apparently not because they are more likely to be essential. Our analyses suggest that this pattern is driven by strong constraint of enzymes acting at branch points in metabolic pathways. We conclude that metabolic network architecture and enzyme function separately affect enzyme evolution rates.
Analysis of high dysmorphogenic activity of Ro 13-6307, a tetramethylated tetralin analog of retinoic acid

Certain synthetic retinoids differ widely from retinoic acid (RA) in teratogenic potency, being much more or much less effective than RA. It is assumed that the potency of a retinoid may depend on the nature of its interaction with cellular binding components (nuclear retinoic acid receptors or cytoplasmic binding proteins) and, as in the case of retinoids that are mammalian teratogens, on factors that determine its accessibility to the embryo. To investigate some of the factors that contribute to potency, we used a new synthetic retinoid Ro 13-6307 that differs in structure from RA in having an aromatic ring inserted in its side chain along with gem dimethyl modification of the natural cyclohexenyl ring. Pregnant ICR mice were given a single oral dose (0, 1, or 10 mg/kg) on day 11 of gestation, and the resultant teratogenic outcome was monitored on day 17. Direct effects on cell differentiation were obtained by exposing high density cultures of limb bud mesenchymal cells to a range of concentrations (0.3 ng/ml-3 μg/ml) of Ro 13-6307 and scoring for chondrogenic suppression. Concentrations reaching the embryo after maternal administration of Ro 13-6307 were measured by HPLC to quantify the analog for a period of 4 h after administration of the oral dose. We found that this retinoid was 40-fold as active as RA in both inducing teratogenesis and suppressing chondrogenesis, yet its concentration in the affected embryo was only a fraction of that achieved after an equivalent dose of RA was employed in a similar protocol. Since the morphogenetic activity of Ro 13-6307 is disproportionately in excess of its levels in the mouse embryo, obligatory mediation by the receptors or by other binding proteins, or both, is likely involved. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Eaglebine play of the southwestern East Texas basin: Stratigraphic and depositional framework of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Woodbine and Eagle Ford Groups

The Woodbine and Eagle Ford Groups of the southwestern East Texas basin compose an emerging play, which has generated considerable interest because of its potential for new hydrocarbon production from both sandstone and mudrock reservoirs. However, the play’s stratigraphic and depositional relations are complex and directly relate to the play’s exploration challenges. Productive Woodbine and Eagle Ford (sub-Clarksville) sandstones intertongue with a poorly defined, subregional mudrock-dominated interval that thins southwestward toward the San Marcos arch. We propose dividing this succession into two intervals: (1) the Lower unit, a high-gamma-ray unit at the base of this mudrock succession that is inferred to be equivalent to the Maness Shale of the Washita Group and to part of the lower Eagle Ford Group on the San Marcos arch, and (2) an Upper unit, a basinward-thickening zone of consistently lower gamma-ray-log facies inferred to be equivalent to the Woodbine Group, Pepper Shale, and the Eagle Ford Group of the East Texas basin. Because the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary occurs within the Eagle Ford Group of the East Texas basin and the lower Eagle Ford section of the San Marcos arch, most of the Maness-through-Eagle Ford succession exists as a much-thinned section on the arch. Basinwide integration of the Woodbine sequence-stratigraphic framework shows that the number of fourth-order sequences in the unit decreases westward from 14 in the basin axis to no more than 9 in the most active part of the Eaglebine play because of their systematic depositional pinch out approaching the western basin margin. The Eagle Ford Group consists of three fourth-order sequences capped by the sub-Clarksville sandstones that accumulated after the major late Cenomanian–early Turonian flooding event recorded by a basinwide transgressive systems tract (TST) at the base of the unit. Depositional systems of the Woodbine Group vary within the study area, even between stratigraphically adjacent systems. On-shelf siliciclastic systems include fluvial-dominated-delta; incised-valley-fill fluvial and nearshore-marine; and wave-dominated-delta deposits.
Biosynthesis of the major zona pellucida glycoprotein secreted by oocytes during mammalian oogenesis

An antiserum directed specifically against ZP2, the major glycoprotein of the mouse egg's extracellular coat (zona pellucida), has been used to immunoprecipitate intracellular precursors of ZP2 that were synthesized by growing mouse oocytes cultured in vitro. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the immediate precursor of mature, 120 kilodalton (kd) ZP2 is a 91 kd species that unlike mature ZP2, is sensitive to digestion by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H) and is converted by the endoglycosidase into an 81 kd species. An 81 kd species is only found intracellularly when growing oocytes are cultured in the presence of tunicamycin. These results suggest that ZP2 is synthesized as an 81 kd polypeptide chain that is first "core"-glycosylated at asparagine residues with high-mannose-type oligosaccharides, giving rise to a 91 kd intermediate (Endo-H-sensitive), and then processed to complex-type oligosaccharides prior to secretion as mature, 120 kd ZP2 (Endo H-insensitive). Furthermore, electrophoretic analyses of mature ZP2, ZP2 precursor (91 kd) and Endo H-treated ZP2 precursor (81 kd) suggest that there are six N-linked oligosaccharides per molecule and that the extreme heterogeneity of mature ZP2 is a consequence of the oligosaccharides and not the polypeptide chain itself.
A charge-control SPICE engineering model for the parasitic bipolar transistor action in SOI CMOS single-event upsets

An ion strike on an SOI CMOS transistor produces a charge cloud of electron-hole pairs. The subsequent behavior of the charge cloud as it spreads and impinges on the source and drain junctions is explained by 1-D analytical solutions and by 2-D device simulations. By examining the charge cloud from a "top view" perspective and a "side view" perspective, it is shown that a 2-D "side view" simulation gives about the same electrical behavior as would a 3-D simulation, thereby eliminating the necessity for expensive and time-consuming 3-D simulations. It is further shown that the electrical behavior predicted by 2-D simulations can be captured in a simple bipolar SPICE model, which is necessary for practical SEU analysis of large numbers of logic and memory cell types. The SPICE model is based on fundamental physical parameters, not curve-fitting. The predictions of the SPICE model correlate well with experimental SEU sensitivities of a D-type flip-flop and a six-transistor SRAM cell processed in a 0.35 /spl mu/m SOI technology.
Histograms of oriented optical flow and Binet-Cauchy kernels on nonlinear dynamical systems for the recognition of human actions

System theoretic approaches to action recognition model the dynamics of a scene with linear dynamical systems (LDSs) and perform classification using metrics on the space of LDSs, e.g. Binet-Cauchy kernels. However, such approaches are only applicable to time series data living in a Euclidean space, e.g. joint trajectories extracted from motion capture data or feature point trajectories extracted from video. Much of the success of recent object recognition techniques relies on the use of more complex feature descriptors, such as SIFT descriptors or HOG descriptors, which are essentially histograms. Since histograms live in a non-Euclidean space, we can no longer model their temporal evolution with LDSs, nor can we classify them using a metric for LDSs. In this paper, we propose to represent each frame of a video using a histogram of oriented optical flow (HOOF) and to recognize human actions by classifying HOOF time-series. For this purpose, we propose a generalization of the Binet-Cauchy kernels to nonlinear dynamical systems (NLDS) whose output lives in a non-Euclidean space, e.g. the space of histograms. This can be achieved by using kernels defined on the original non-Euclidean space, leading to a well-defined metric for NLDSs. We use these kernels for the classification of actions in video sequences using (HOOF) as the output of the NLDS. We evaluate our approach to recognition of human actions in several scenarios and achieve encouraging results.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of the Lactating Rat and Nursing Pup: a Multiroute Exposure Model for Trichloroethylene and its Metabolite, Trichloroacetic Acid

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PB-PK) model was developed to describe trichloroethylene (TCE) kinetics in the lactating rat and nursing pup. The lactating dam was exposed to TCE either by inhalation or by ingestion in drinking water. The nursing pup's exposure to TCE was by ingestion of maternal milk containing TCE. The kinetics of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), a metabolite of TCE, were described in the lactating dam and developing pup by a hybrid one-compartment model. The lactating dam's exposure to TCA was from metabolism of TCE to TCA. The pup's exposure to TCA was from metabolism of TCE ingested in suckled milk and from direct ingestion of TCA in maternal milk. For the PB-PK model, partition coefficients (PCs) were determined by vial equilibration, and metabolic constants for TCE oxidation, by gas uptake methods. The blood/air and the fat/blood PCs for the dam were 13.1 and 34.2, and for the pup, 10.6 and 42.3, respectively. The milk/blood PC for the dam was 7.1. In lactating rats and rat pups (19-21 days old) the maximum velocities of oxidative metabolism were 9.26 +/- 0.073 and 12.94 +/- 0.107 mg/kg/hr. The plasma elimination rate constant (K = 0.063 +/- 0.004 hr-1) and apparent volume of distribution (Vd = 0.568 liter/kg) for TCA in the lactating dam were estimated from both intravenous dosing studies and an inhalation study with TCE. For the pup, K (0.014 +/- hr-1) and Vd (0.511 liter/kg) were estimated from a single 4-hr inhalation exposure with TCE. The dose-rate-dependent stoichiometric yield of TCA from oxidative metabolism of TCE in the lactating rat is 0.17 for a low-concentration inhalation exposure (27 ppm TCE) and 0.27 for an exposure above metabolic saturation (about 600 ppm TCE). For the pup, the stoichiometric yield of TCA is 0.12. With changing physiological values during lactation for compartmental volumes, blood flows, and milk yields obtained from the published literature and kinetic parameters and PCs determined by experimentation, a PB-PK model was constructed to predict maternal and pup concentrations of TCE and TCA. To test the fidelity of the PB-PK lactation model, a multiday inhalation exposure study was conducted from Days 3 to 14 of lactation and a drinking water study, from Days 3 to 21 of lactation. The inhalation exposure was 4 hr/day, 5 days/week, at 610 ppm. The TCE concentration in the drinking water was 333 micrograms/ml. Prediction compared favorably with limited data obtained at restricted time points during the period of lactation.
Inhibiting cortisol response accelerates recovery from a photic phase shift.

Jetlag results when a temporary loss of circadian entrainment alters phase relationships among internal rhythms and between an organism and the outside world. After a large shift in the light-dark ...
Outcomes and Resource Utilization in ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States: Evidence for Socioeconomic Disparities

Background Socioeconomic status (SES) as reflected by residential zip code status may detrimentally influence a number of prehospital clinical, access‐related, and transport variables that influence outcome for patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing reperfusion. We sought to analyze the impact of SES on in‐hospital mortality, timely reperfusion, and cost of hospitalization following STEMI. Methods and Results We used the 2003–2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for this analysis. All hospital admissions with a principal diagnosis of STEMI were identified using ICD‐9 codes. SES was assessed using median household income of the residential zip code for each patient. There was a significantly higher mortality among the lowest SES quartile as compared to the highest quartile (OR [95% CI]: 1.11 [1.06 to 1.17]). Similarly, there was a highly significant trend indicating a progressively reduced timely reperfusion among patients from lower quartiles (OR [95% CI]: 0.80 [0.74 to 0.88]). In addition, there was a lower utilization of circulatory support devices among patients from lower as compared to higher zip code quartiles (OR [95% CI]: 0.85 [0.75 to 0.97]). Furthermore, the mean adjusted cost of hospitalization among quartiles 2, 3, and 4, as compared to quartile 1 was significantly higher by $913, $2140, and $4070, respectively. Conclusions Patients residing in zip codes with lower SES had increased in‐hospital mortality and decreased timely reperfusion following STEMI as compared to patients residing in higher SES zip codes. The cost of hospitalization of patients from higher SES quartiles was significantly higher than those from lower quartiles.
An improved high-voltage DC regulator for a radar and communication transmitter

A regulator was designed and tested for the high-voltage power supply for a high-power klystron radar transmitter, with a pulse-width-modulated transistor regulating the generator field. It is a redesign of an existing regulator that did not provide the required control accuracy. The feedback about the plant has been maximized to assure the required 0.01% stability of the output voltage, mainly by increasing the speed of the regulator. This was done without using an expensive bypass tube arrangement. >
A C-Band All Ferrite Integrated Wideband High Power GaAs Avalanche Diode Amplifier

A C-band 4-stage, 20 dB gain, 3-watt 25% bandwidth all ferrite substrate integrated GaAs avalanche diode amplifier is developed. The design procedure, as well as the amplifier performance including amplifier phase characteristics, is described. A power combining circuit which increases the output power capability by a factor of two is included in the output stage.
A framework for system reliability analysis considering both system error tolerance and component test quality

The failure rate, the sources of failures and the test costs for nanometer devices are all increasing. Therefore, to create a reliable system-on-a-chip device requires designers to implement fault tolerance. However, while system-level fault tolerance could significantly relax the quality requirements of the system's building blocks, every fault-tolerant scheme only works under certain failure mechanisms and within a certain range of error probabilities. Also, designing a system with a high failure-rate component could be very expensive because the growth rate of the design complexity and the system overhead for fault tolerance could be significantly greater than the component failure rate. Therefore, it is desirable to understand the trade-offs between component test quality and system fault-tolerant capability for achieving the desired reliability under cost constraints. In this paper, the authors propose an analysis framework for system reliability considering (a) the test quality achieved by manufacturing testing, on-line self-checking, and off-line built-in self-test; (b) the fault-tolerant and spare schemes; and (c) the component defect and error probabilities. The authors demonstrate that, through proper redundancy configurations and low-cost testing to insure a certain degree of component test quality, a low-redundant system might achieve equal or higher reliability than a high-redundant system
Binary, Detour Phase, Microwave Holography

The concept of detour phase has been previously used as a basis for computer-generated holograms. This paper describes the application of detour phase to produce optical holograms from microwave measurements.
Maximum Fruit Growth Potential and Seasonal Patterns of Resource Dynamics During Peach Growth

Abstract Maximum fruit growth potential, the growth attained by fruits when they are grown under optimal environmental conditions in the presence of a non-limiting supply of resources, was estimated for two peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] cultivars that differ in the timing of resource demand for reproductive growth. Maximum potential fruit growth was estimated on trees that were heavily thinned at bloom. On these trees, resource availability exceeded resource demand for fruit growth. For both cultivars, the mean dry weights of fruits grown on unthinned trees were approximately half the mean dry weights of fruits grown on trees that were heavily thinned at bloom, indicating that fruit growth was source-limited on unthinned trees. Comparison of the seasonal patterns of relative growth rate of fruits on unthinned and heavily thinned trees indicated the source-limited fruit growth occurred during distinct periods of the growing season. On the early maturing cultivar, source-limited fruit growth occurred from 300 degree-days after bloom until harvest (4·5-10 weeks after bloom). On the late maturing cultivar, source-limited fruit growth occurred from 200-900 and 1600-1900 degree-days (3·5-12 and 18-20 weeks) after bloom. Although the final dry weight of fruits on the early maturing cultivar was only half that of fruits on the late maturing cultivar, the potential net sink strength of fruits was significantly higher on the early than the late maturing cultivar throughout the entire growth period of the early maturing cultivar. Resource availability for fruit growth was similar on the early and late maturing cultivars, indicating that selection for early maturing fruits has not changed the patterns of resource availability for fruit growth.
Thixotropic twin-dendritic organogelators.

Twin-dendritic organogelators have been prepared through selective functionalization of N- (3-amino-propyl)-1,3-propanediamine (APPDA) with self-assembling dendrons by using 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). Subsequent modification of the APPDA linker provided an additional degree of structural diversity by which to tailor the gelator self-assembly in bulk or in the gel state. These compounds are able to gel cyclohexane, toluene, n-butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and tetrahydrofuran. 3,4-Disubstituted apical branching units provided the most efficient organogelators and show a propensity to form thixotropic gels, wherein the gel recovers its elasticity after being subjected to shear. Structural and retrostructural analysis of the twin-dendritic organogelators reveals the bulk structural characteristics to be indicative of the subsequent gel properties. Diverse self-organized arrays were identified in bulk and all are able to form gels, thus indicating the role of quasiequivalence in mediating self-assembly in the gel state. Furthermore, we have found that porous columnar mesophases provide a strategy by which to prepare thixotropic gels. We demonstrate the importance of weak lateral hydrogen bonding within a column stratum versus hydrogen bonding along the length of the column for forming porous columnar mesophases and, by extension, thixotropic gels.
Microfluidic opportunities in the field of nutrition

Nutrition has always been closely related to human health, which is a constant motivational force driving research in a variety of disciplines. Over the years, the rapidly emerging field of microfluidics has been pushing forward the healthcare industry with the development of microfluidic-based, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices. Though a great deal of work has been done in developing microfluidic platforms for disease diagnoses, potential microfluidic applications in the field of nutrition remain largely unexplored. In this Focus article, we would like to investigate the potential chances for microfluidics in the field of nutrition. We will first highlight some of the recent advances in microfluidic blood analysis systems that have the capacity to detect biomarkers of nutrition. Then we will examine existing examples of microfluidic devices for the detection of specific biomarkers of nutrition or nutrient content in food. Finally, we will discuss the challenges in this field and provide some insight into the future of applied microfluidics in nutrition.
“Successful Aging,” Gerontological Theory and Neoliberalism: A Qualitative Critique

This article is a critique of the successful aging (SA) paradigm as described in the Rowe and Kahn book, Successful Aging (1998). The major point of this article is that two key ideas in the book may be understood as consonant with neoliberalism, a social perspective that came into international prominence at the same time the SA paradigm was initially promoted. These two key ideas are (a) the emphasis on individual social action applied to the nature of the aging experience and (b) the failure to provide a detailed policy agenda for the social and cultural change being promoted and, particularly, for older adults who may be left behind by the approach to change the book suggests. The article provides no evidence for a direct connection between SA and neoliberalism, but rather shows how similarities in their approaches to social change characterize both of them. In sum, the article shows (a) how the implicit social theory developed in the book, in a manner similar to neoliberalism, elevates the individual as the main source of any changes that must accompany the SA paradigm and (b) the focus on SA as individual action does not provide for those older adults who do not or will not age “successfully.” This, we conclude, implicitly sets up a two-class system of older adults, which may not be an optimal means of addressing the needs of all older adults. The article also reviews a number of studies about SA and shows how these, too, may emphasize its similarities to neoliberalism and other issues that the SA paradigm does not adequately address.
Aromatic-Heterocyclic Polymers Research at United States Air Force Wright Laboratory: Recent Developments

Among advanced structural materials, wholly aromatic benzazole rigid-rod polymers (PBX) are a special class of aromatic heterocyclic polymers that have captivated substantial interest in our research program for more than twenty years1. These polymers, which are represented by poly(benzothiazoles) (PBZT’s), poly(benzoxazoles) (PBO’s) and poly(benzimidazoles) (PBI’s), (see figure1) are known for their outstanding tensile and modulus properties as well as ultra-high resistance to extremely high temperature and oxidative environments. In addition, their unique abilities to achieve molecular ordering in relatively dilute solutions, albeit only in strongly acidic solvents such as polyphosphoric acid (PPA) or methanesulfonic acid (MSA) or in nitroalkanes via Lewis-acid mediated complexation2, have provided a mechanism by which these polymers can be processed into fibers and films with superior mechanical properties. Apart from structural applications, these attributes may also prove to be advantageous in other technologically important areas such as nonlinear optics and electronics. Recent efforts have demonstrated that wave-guide-quality films could be obtained from processing PBZT from MSA (extrusion) and Lewis-acid/nitroalkane (spin-coating) solutions3. Accordingly, our Branch has invested considerable amount of efforts in broadening the horizon of our aromatic heterocyclic polymer research through an integrated program in polymer synthesis, processing, characterization and molecular modeling.
Employment and Unemployment in Jordan: The Importance of the Gender System

Abstract Using data from focus group interviews, this study investigates how the gender system influences employment and unemployment patterns in Jordan. Cultural and family-level factors affect not only whether women are in the labor market but also their success in finding a job. Cultural proscriptions on female mobility are a significant constraint in women's job searches. State and employer-level factors are also important in explaining high unemployment rates among women. The shrinking of the public sector disproportionately affects women, the location of jobs matters more for women than for men, and discrimination in the private sector remains.