cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrated System-of-Systems Synthesis

This paper defines a system of systems as an assemblage of components organized in three levels, each level featuring both analysis and optimization. The choice of only three levels is deliberate, based on examination of the nature of a system of systems, a sample of references, and the range of potential applications. The solution methodology introduced in the paper derives as an extension of an existing bilevel integrated system synthesis method for which an application and implementation experience, as well as rigorous proof of correctness, are available. The new method, called trilevel integrated system synthesis, addresses the engineering practice requirements discussed in the paper. It builds on the formal representation of the system-of-systems coupling data known as the data dependency matrix, on the use of surrogate models, and on a recursive similarity of the data coupling among the systems in a system of systems and among the components within the system. The paper defines three variants of trilevel integrated system synthesis and identifies one of the three for implementation by the criteria of computational cost and engineering practicality. The closing discussion points out that because of extraordinary cost development and doubtful utility of simplified test cases, a system-of-systems optimization method ought to be developed in conjunction with a real, full-scale, application.
Enhanced Biggs---Andrews Asymmetric Iterative Blind Deconvolution

The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a framework for estimation of multiple unknown blurs as well as their respective supports. Specifically, the Biggs---Andrews (B---A) multichannel iterative blind deconvolution (IBD) algorithm is modified to include the blur support estimation module and the asymmetry factor for the Richardson---Lucy (R---L) update-based IBD algorithm is calculated. A computational complexity assessment of the implemented modified IBD is made. Simulations conducted on real-world and synthetic images confirm the importance of accurate support estimation in the blind superresolution problem.
Reactions of group VIB compounds

REACTIONS OF GROUP VIB COMPOUNDS H. Gehrke~ Jr. and L. Bowden Department of Chemistry~ South Dakota State University Brookings9 South Dakota 5?OO6 (Received 30ctob~ I~8) While studying the reactions of oxotrichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)molybdenum(V)~ MoOCI 3 ~C6Hs)sP~2 ~ an attempt was made to simplify its synthesis which consisted of three steps involving a sealed tube reaction and a high vacuum system. 1 Since the reaction of Re207 or MIReO~ MI=Na +, or K+~ salts with triphenylphosphine and concentrated hydrochloric acid in ethanol yields [(C6Hs)3P!292 i% seemed reasonable to investigate this reaction using ReOCI 3 MoO 3 or MI2Mo04. In a recent related study~ Majumdar and Bhattacharyya~ 3 reported the synthesis of %riphenylphosphonium and triphenylphosphine oxide complexes o£ several metals by the interaction of the metal oxide and hydrogen chloride in ethanol followed by the addition of the ligand. We wish to report the results of studies on the reactions of several Group VIB compounds using
M-estimator based robust kernels for support vector machines

In this paper, we propose M-estimator based robust kernels for support vector machine. The main motivation for our proposed kernels is that the sum of squared difference in the widely used Gaussian radial basis function kernels is not robust to outlier or noise. In addition, inspired by using a robust loss function in support vector machine regression to control training error and the idea of robust template matching with M-estimator, we apply M-estimator techniques to Gaussian radial basis functions and form a new class of robust kernels for support vector machines. We test our proposed kernels in several classification benchmark datasets and experimental results show that SVM with proposed kernels are better than SVM with Gaussian radial basis function kernels.
Is Soil Temperature Better than Air Temperature for Predicting Winter Wheat Phenology

In predicting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) phenology, logic suggests that basing thermal unit accumulation on near-surface soil temperature should give a better representation of shoot apex thermal unit accumulation than air temperature until internode elongation raises the apex above the soil surface. A study was undertaken to determine if predictions of winter wheat phenology are improved when based on measured near-surface soil temperature rather than air temperature. Air temperature 1.5 m above the soil surface and soil temperature at crown depth (the position of the shoot apex before stem elongation) were collected for 23 site-years across the U.S. Central Great Plains representing a range of cultivars, soils, management practices, and climates. Seven site-years from different sites were randomly selected to calculate the mean thermal units from both seeding and 1 January to specific growth stages based on both air and soil temperature. These means were used to predict occurrence of growth stages for the remaining 16 site-years. In no instance did soil temperature significantly improve prediction of winter wheat phenology. From these results, we conclude that the additional effort and expense of using soil temperature in predicting winter wheat phenology are not justified.
THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE AQUATIC PROTOZOAN COLEPS SPIRALIS

— The vertical distribution of Coleps spiralis in a tertiary lagoon system was observed over a period of 18 months. Water samples were taken from the surface, middle and bottom of the lagoons and examined to determine the number of Coleps present. Various external and internal environmental factors (i.e. light, temperature, wind, etc) were investigated to determine which might be important in influencing the vertical positioning of Coleps in nature. Irradiance factors (both total solar irradiance and the UV-B component (λ= 320–280 nm) of sunlight showed the highest correlation with the location of the animals. When irradiance was high, the animals were usually found near the bottom of the lagoon; when irradiance was low the animals were located more randomly throughout the water column. On the other hand, wind, cloud cover, temperature gradients and bacterial (food) gradients showed low correlation with location of the protozoan in the water.
Avian hepatic esterases, pesticides and diet

Abstract 1. 1. Manometric assays of liver esterase activity in fifty-five species of birds disclosed homogeneous levels in four orders and heterogeneous levels in two, as well as different rates of hydrolysis of different substrates within species. 2. 2. Some correlations were detected between the size or diet of a species and the level of its hepatic esterase activity on phenyl acetate, triacetin and choline esters. 3. 3. Correlations were detected between the diet and the amount of hepatic esterase inhibition on triacetin by parathion, carbaryl and dichlorvos.
Algorithms and examples for chromatic aberration correction and athermalization of complex imaging systems

Ray tracing methods for correcting chromatic aberration of imaging system are described. Monochromatic and chromatic aberration correction is separated into two independent problems. A similar method is applied to athermalize an optical system.
Moral Individualism: Agent-Relativity and Deontic Restraints*

My goal in this essay is to say something helpful about the philosophical foundations of deontic restraints, i.e., moral restraints on actions that are, roughly speaking, grounded in the wrongful character of the actions themselves and not merely in the disvalue of their results. An account of deontic restraints will be formulated and offered against the backdrop of three related, but broader, contrasts or puzzles within moral theory. The plausibility of this account of deontic restraints (and of the conception of moral rights which are correlative to these restraints) rests in part on how well this account resolves the puzzles or illuminates the contrasts which make up this theoretical backdrop.
Video frame interpolation via weighted robust principal component analysis

In this paper, we propose a new video frame interpolation technique by a locally-adaptive robust principal component analysis (RPCA) with weight priors. The proposed algorithm relies on two main steps: 1. the pre-processing step initializes the new frame by a simplified motion-compensated frame interpolation and assigns each pixel a confident weight based on both the difference of motion estimation and local consistency; and 2. the refinement step updates the frame by a proposed weighted robust principal component analysis (WRPCA) algorithm. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms, both in visual quality and PSNR performance.
Current status of ventilation-perfusion imaging.

The major clinical use of ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy is for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Accurate diagnosis of PE is essential since effective treatment is available but involves some risk to the patient. The scintigraphic characteristics of PE are segmental perfusion defects in lung that is normally ventilated and normal on the radiography. The inherent shortcoming of perfusion scintigraphy is its lack of specificity. Combining a ventilation study with perfusion imaging improves the diagnostic specificity of lung scintigraphy. Xenon-133 is currently the most commonly used radionuclide for routine ventilation studies; a long washout technique is more sensitive than single-breath imaging when this radionuclide is used. We obtain preperfusion xenon-133 ventilation studies with a 4-min rebreathing equilibrium phase and a long 5-min washout phase to obtain maximum information. It is imperative that V/Q studies be interpreted with a current high quality chest radiograph. Interpretation of V/Q studies for PE is perhaps best done by assigning a probability diagnosis, since rarely is absolute specificity possible. This article details the criteria we use for these probability determinations.
Making Votes Count: Strategic Coordination in the World's Electoral Systems

List of tables and figures Series editor's preface Preface PART I. INTRODUCTION: 1. Introduction 2. Duverger's propositions PART II. STRATEGIC VOTING: 3. On electoral systems 4. Strategic voting in single-member single-ballot systems 5. Strategic voting in multimember districts 6. Strategic voting in single-member dual-ballot systems 7. Some concluding comments on strategic voting, PART III. STRATEGIC ENTRY: 8. Strategic voting, party labels and entry 9. Rational entry and the conservation of disproportionality: evidence from Japan PART IV. ELECTORAL COORDINATION AT THe SYSTEM LEVEL: 10. Putting the constituencies together 11. Electoral institutions, cleavage structures and the number of parties PART V. COORDINATION FAILURES AND THE DEMOCRATIC PERFORMANCE: 12. Coordination failures and representation 13. Coordination failures and dominant parties 14. Coordination failures and realignments PART VI. CONCLUSION 15. Conclusion Appendices References Subject index Author index.
Modern progressivism: A way forward from the 1993 ASPE conference?

(1994). Modern progressivism: A way forward from the 1993 ASPE conference? Education 3-13: Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 3-7.
Halide and Chalcogenide Clusters of the Early Transition Metals

In the last decade remarkable progress has been made in the cluster chemistry of the early transition elements. Earlier work on the metal halide cluster compounds of Nb, Ta, Mo, W and Re served to establish the promise and potential in this area. Now cluster chemistry has been extended to halides of Sc, Y, the lanthanides, Zr and Hf, as well as to oxides, sulphides and selenides of Nb, Ta, Mo and Re. After a brief survey of significant developments in these areas, attention is focused on results from recent work on Mo and W cluster compounds. The discussion includes syntheses, structures and properties of some novel halide clusters, but major emphasis is devoted to new ternary and quaternary molybdenum oxides prepared at high temperatures. Among these solid-state materials are found discrete cluster arrays (LiZn$\_{2}$Mo$\_{3}$O$\_{8}$, Zn$\_{3}$Mo$\_{3}$O$\_{8}$, and Ba$\_{1.14}$Mo$\_{8}$O$\_{16}$) and structures with extended metal-metal bonding (NaMo$\_{4}$O$\_{6}$, Ba$\_{5}$(Mo$\_{4}$O$\_{6}$)$\_{8}$, Sc$\_{0.75}$Zn$\_{1.25}$Mo$\_{4}$O$\_{7}$ and Ti$\_{0.5}$Zn$\_{1.5}$Mo$\_{4}$O$_{7}$).
Grazing the State and Local Fiscal Commons: Do Different Tax Prices Lead to More or Less Grazing?

The literature on the tragedy of the commons is voluminous, and application to the fiscal commons is well established. In this article, we extend this application by examining the effects of the distribution of state and local governments’ tax liability on budgetary outcomes. Different tax structures yield vastly different contributions from members of the polity, but all members may influence the draw from the fiscal commons through the political process. We find that when the tax burden is heavier for taxpayers at the top of the income distribution and lighter for taxpayers at the bottom of the income distribution, state and local government expenditures grow, and governments spend more on social welfare. However, we do not find a link between the distribution of tax liability and debt.
Evidence of damping and overturning of gravity waves in the Arctic mesosphere: Na lidar and OH temperature observations

Abstract Lidar observations of the mesospheric sodium (Na) layer have been made at Poker Flat Research Range, Chatanika, Alaska (65°N,147°W) over a 4-year period. Long-period oscillations have been observed routinely in the bottomside of the Na layer. Simultaneous hydroxyl airglow temperature measurements have confirmed that these oscillations are associated with upwardly propagating gravity waves. These lidar observations have yielded statistically significant measurements of upwardly propagating gravity waves on 24 occasions. A gravity-wave model with pseudo-steady-state chemistry is used to determine the characteristics of the waves. These 24 waves have an average observed period of 6.9 h , average vertical wavelength of 14.2 km , average temperature amplitude of 8 K , and average horizontal velocity amplitude of 30 m / s . These waves appear to be damped over the altitude of the Na layer with a growth length of 216 km . The waves do not appear to be damped by viscous dissipation or linear instabilities in the waves themselves. However, 20 of the 24 wave events are accompanied by overturning structures in the bottomside of the Na layer. These wave-overturning events have the same characteristics as those observed at Urbana, IL (40°N,88°W), that were interpreted as convective instabilities arising from the superposition of large- and small-scale waves. The current observations suggest that such convective instabilities are a relatively common feature at this high-latitude site and contribute to the damping of large-scale gravity waves.
Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum embedding: Extensions toward the control of compliant running robots

This paper explores systematic control strategies for the stabilization of running on compliant robots with nontrivial torso pitch dynamics. The Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) embedding controller is revisited and its pertinence to more general legged robot models is investigated. It is first deduced that-in the context of an asymmetric hopper— the existence of a SLIP embedding control law requires nominal running motions in which the torso is kept at a constant angle. To remove this overly restrictive condition, a new method is proposed here that retains the advantage of generating control inputs acting in concert with the compliant dynamics of the plant without explicit reliance on the SLIP. To illustrate the enhanced control authority afforded by the proposed method, a minimalist setting is considered, in which a three-degree-of-freedom asymmetric hopper is controlled by a single actuator located at the hip.
Radiative Properties of Interacting Particles

Two statistical models for the radial distribution function are proposed. In terms of these models, analytical expressions for the radiation efficiency factors of random homogeneous systems are derived. The Planck and Rosseland mean absorption coefficients are evaluated and the ratio of dependent over independent mean absorption coefficients is given. The role of the far-field and the near-field effects on radiation is investigated. The near-field effect on the scattered radiation is found to be negligible compared to the far-field effect. The effect of particle interaction is demonstrated by a simple transport problem. 40 refs.
Neuropathy, Retinopathy, and Glucose-Lowering Treatments

This is the seventh of a series of articles based on presentations at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions held 5–9 June 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This installment pertains to neuropathy, retinopathy, and a number of innovative potential glucose-lowering therapies. ### Neuropathy Many studies presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions addressed aspects of neurologic disorders in diabetes. Braza et al. (abstract 569) found that 19% of 76 type 2 diabetic persons receiving metformin for >1 year had vitamin B12 levels <250 ng/ml, and 23% had levels 250–400 ng/ml. (Abstract numbers refer to the Abstracts of the 69th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes , Vol. 58, Supplement 1, 2009.) Peripheral neuropathy was present in 77 and 23% of these groups, respectively, and was found in 7% of those with normal B12 levels. Deficiency correlated neither with duration of metformin use nor with erythrocyte macrocytosis. Abrao et al. (abstract 121) found that diabetic persons with periodontal disease or edentulism were 8.1-fold more likely to have loss of sensation to the Semmes-Weinstein 10-g monofilament. Ismail and Venkatesan (abstract 28-LB) found that diabetic versus nondiabetic persons had 94% versus 18% prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss, with mild-to-moderate hearing loss in 40% of diabetic persons with A1C <7% but in 56% of those with higher A1C levels, although noting that their findings might be explained by age differences. Bainbridge and Cowie (abstract 957) found that, among 472 diabetic participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), hearing impairment occurred 5.6, 5.8, and 2.7 times more often in persons with peripheral neuropathy, with coronary disease, and with A1C ≥7% than in those not having these characteristics. Ryan et al. (abstract 101-LB) reported neuropsychological test results in 393 nondiabetic and 142 diabetic persons from 11 general medical practices, finding …
Adolescent Outcome Measures in the NLSY97 Family Process Data Set: Variation by Race and Socioeconomic Conditions

This study uses nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1997 to analyze adolescent outcome indexes (delinquency, substance use, and emotional and behavior problems) by gender, race, household income, and family structure. Results from analysis of variance show that family structure is correlated with better adolescent outcomes, even after controlling for gender, race, and household income. For example, adolescents from two-parent biological homes consistently reported significantly less delinquency and use of illegal substances such as alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana than adolescents from single-mother or stepfamily households. All adolescents and their parents in two-parent biological families reported significantly lower incidences of behavioral and emotional problems than adolescents and their parents in single-mother or stepfamilies. Other findings with respect to gender, race, and income, as well as some interaction effects, were also indicated by the analysis.
The practice of Dr. Paep: continuity and change in indigenous healing in Northern Thailand.

Abstract Dr. Paep Plienphleng is an indigenous curer in a rural district in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand, where he is numbered among the group of healers known as m mueang (‘Northern doctors’). He specializes in curing saan or ‘tumors’ by combining several techniques: indigenous surgery, herbal curing and supernatural curing. Other aspects of Dr Paep's practice have been due to larger trends in indigenous healing that have affected him and other curers over past decades. This paper describes the practice of Dr Paep and some aspects of his healing, and examines the context of his practice by exploring other categories of indigenous healers found in this area of the North. It is concluded that Northern Thai healing is undergoing a transformation from a stress on general healing to an emphasis on the use of supernatural cures, more specialization among healers and efforts to adapt services to fit the plural system of care found in this rural Northern Thai environment. Thus, we find the skills of indigenous healers and the nature of indigenous Northern Thai medicine allow for creative adaptation to a changing medical environment.
CO2 Restrictions and Cargo Throughput Limitations at California Ports: A Closer Look at AB 32 and Port-to-Port Shipping

Port operations generate economic benefits as well as environmental impacts. As climate change gains greater focus, ports must address emissions reduction challenges without sacrificing productivity. In this article, linear modeling of CO2 emissions from ocean-going vessels is used to see if the California Greenhouse Gas Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32) restricts cargo growth by setting targets for emissions reductions. By relating future emissions to cargo growth, this model predicts future CO2 emissions from ocean-going vessels for a 4.6% annual increase in cargo and a no-growth scenario. Findings show that even with three emissions reduction measures the target of Assembly Bill 32 cannot be reached without diverting cargo, providing evidence of a direct environmental constraint on port expansion. Using the results of this analysis, options to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels with less cargo diversions are discussed, including implementation of new technologies and a cap-and-trade system.
Engineering change for power optimization using global sensitivity and synthesis flexibility

A technology dependent power optimization technique is proposed which formulates the problem of hot spot reduction as a variant of the engineering change (EC) problem. A technique is presented for determining the sensitivity of circuit power dissipation to functional changes considering both local and global effects. This sensitivity is combined with a measure of synthesis flexibility to identify hot regions in the circuit which have a lot of flexibility in making functional changes and for whom a small functional change can greatly affect the overall power dissipation. An incompletely specified target function is constructed for the hot region such that any implementation satisfying it is expected to reduce power. A rewiring algorithm is used to solve the resulting EC problem without affecting circuit area, gate capacitance or delay under the unit delay model. Experimental results on a set of MCNC benchmark circuits show that the proposed approach can give up to 13% reduction in power dissipation with an average reduction of 4%.
Seeing two sides at once: effects of viewpoint and object structure on recognizing three-dimensional objects.

Five experiments demonstrated that adults can identify certain novel views of 3-dimensional model objects on the basis of knowledge of a single perspective. Geometrically irregular contour (wire) and surface (clay) objects and geometrically regular surface (pipe) objects were accurately recognized when rotated 180 degrees about the vertical (y) axis. However, recognition accuracy was poor for all types of objects when rotated around the y-axis by 90 degrees. Likewise, more subtle rotations in depth (i.e., 30 degrees and 60 degrees) induced decreases in recognition of both contour and surface objects. These results suggest that accurate recognition of objects rotated in depth by 180 degrees may be achieved through use of information in objects' 2-dimensional bounding contours, the shapes of which remain invariant over flips in depth. Consistent with this interpretation, a final study showed that even slight rotations away from 180 degrees cause precipitous drops in recognition accuracy.
High-Enthalpy Aerothermodynamics of a Mars Entry Vehicle Part 1: Experimental Results

Aerodynamic heating tests were conducted on a 70-deg sphere ‐cone Mars entry vehicle cone guration in a high-enthalpy impulse facility in both carbon dioxide and air test gases. The purpose of these tests was to obtain heat transfer data for comparison with results of Navier ‐Stokes computations. Surface heat transfer rates were determined for both the forebody and afterbody of the test models and for the stings that supported the models in the facility test section. Little difference was observed between normalized heating distributions for the air and carbon dioxide test conditions. For both cases, peak sting heating was on the order of 4 ‐5% of the forebody stagnation-point heating, and it was concluded that the wake e ow remained laminar. The wake e ow establishment process was quantie ed and was found to require approximately 40 ‐70 e ow path lengths, which corresponded to approximately 75% of the available facility test time. The repeatability of facility test conditions was estimated to vary between § 3% and § 10%. The overall experimental uncertainty of the data was estimated to be § 10‐11% for forebody heating and § 17‐22% for wake heating.
Transgenic mouse model for neurocristopathy: Schwannomas and facial bone tumors

We have characterized a strain of double transgenic mice with simian virus 40 large tumor antigen and prokaryotic lacZ under the control of the myelin basic protein promoter that develops spindle-cell sarcomas and osteogenic sarcomas at 5-7 months of age. Although poorly differentiated, the spindle-cell sarcomas were characterized as malignant Schwannomas based on their neural association, the presence of basal lamina, and expression of Schwann cell-specific genes. The osteogenic sarcomas were often multiple and appeared predominantly in the facial bones, less frequently in the ribs and vertebral column, and only rarely in the appendicular skeleton. Benign osteoblastic lesions were often observed adjacent to these sarcomas. Both the osteoblastic cells in the facial skeleton and Schwann cells are regarded as neural crest derivatives. The biological properties and anatomical location of these tumors suggest that they may share a common origin from the neural crest or its derivatives. R.P. Bolande [Hum. Pathol. (1974) 5, 409-429] introduced the term neurocristopathy as a unifying concept to describe such lesions arising from the neural crest or its derivatives. Cell lines established from both bone and Schwann cell tumors arising in these transgenic mice express simian virus 40 large tumor antigen mRNA as well as functional large tumor antigen. Such cell lines are potentially valuable in the search for markers that identify mammalian neural crest derivatives.
Providing AID to p53 mutagenesis.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which mediates antibody diversification, is now implicated as an inducer of p53 mutagenesis in cancer cells (pages 470–476).
OBSERVATIONS ON THE TAWNY EAGLE IN SOUTHERN ZAMBIA

Osborne, T. O. 1982. Observations on the Tawny Eagle in Zambia. Ostrich 53:107-111. Eleven nesting sites of the Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax were studied between 1973 and 1915 in southern Zambia. Obser...
A note on topological biology

In line with a recent suggestion by the author (Bull. Math. Biophysics,20, 267–73, September, 1958) that not only does the organism as a whole map on the primordial, but that each organ can also be thus mapped, it is shown that the previously introduced abstract spaces, which represent an organism, contain subspaces which map continuously on the space of the primordial. Several theorems about those subspaces are proven.
Visualizing Biological Samples in Liquid Solution by Electron Microscopy

Liquid water is essential to life on earth. The cell, the basic component of all living organisms, functions through the action of proteins in a liquid environment. Consequently, the ability to directly visualize protein structure at nanometer-resolution in a liquid environment would dramatically advance mechanistic understanding of protein function in cellular activity. Current techniques in imaging biological samples in liquid solution are limited by micrometer scale resolution, Fluorescence-labeled, dehydrated, fixed, stained or frozen in ice.Here, we report an electron microscopic approach for imaging label-free, near-native biological samples in liquid environment. By passing electrons through a thin layer of liquid-buffer sealed within a micro-chamber, we directly visualized the structure of proteins, viruses, bacteria and human cells at nanometer resolution, even achieved their 3D structures. For example, the electron tomographic 3D reconstruction (Figure) of a label-free living bacteria, Magnetospirillum magneticum in growth medium showed a smooth outer shell and internal components, such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), chromosomal mass (CR), magnetosomes (MG) and internal septal layer. These results suggest the method offers both a general-purpose and high-throughput tool for imaging the structure of biological samples in near-native physiological liquid conditions.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
The Origin and Development of the Johannine Egō Eimi Sayings in Cognitive-Critical Perspective

Th e long-held critical judgment that the I-am sayings of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel have no connection at all with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth is based primarily on the inference that they are entirely missing from the Synoptics. As a result, John has been expunged from Jesus research, assuming its patent ahistoricity; yet critical analyses have largely overlooked JohannineSynoptic similarities. While the Johannine presentation of Jesus’ I-am sayings is indeed distinctive and highly theological, it cannot be claimed that either the I-am convention of speech or its predicate metaphors and themes are absent from the Synoptics. Indeed, some absolute I-am sayings are present in Mark, and each of the nine terms used with the predicate nominative in John are also present in the Synoptics. Th erefore, it cannot be claimed that such terms, on the basis of the Synoptics alone, were never used by the historical Jesus or present within early traditional material. As a means of discerning a plausible understanding of how the Johannine presentation of the I-am sayings of Jesus may have emerged, cognitive-critical analysis poses a way forward. Within the developing memory of the Johannine tradition, earlier words of Jesus likely became crafted into the evangelist’s apologetic presentation of Jesus’ ministry as a means of convincing later audiences that he was indeed the Messiah/Christ.
Carbon isotopic subsets of soil carbonate—A particle size comparison of limestone and igneous parent materials

Abstract The C isotopic analysis of pedogenic carbonate is an important method for investigating paleoclimatic conditions and carbon sequestration. However, a calcic soil sample may contain multiple types of carbonate, especially in soils formed in limestone parent material. To evaluate isotopic values of the different soil carbonate types, stable C isotopic analysis was applied to an array of particle size classes in bulk soil that was collected from soils formed in limestone parent material and neighboring soils formed in igneous parent material. A pronounced trend of decreasing δ 13 C with progressively decreasing soil particle size was revealed in soils of both parent materials, ranging from about + 2 to − 6‰ for limestone soils and − 1 to − 5‰ for igneous soils. Thin section microscopy and radiocarbon dating also indicated multiple subsets of calcium carbonate types in soils. Thin section analysis disclosed the presence of limestone detritus, calcitans, aggregates of carbonate crystals, and calcified root hairs. Radiocarbon dating revealed different δ 13 C values of carbonate crystals of different ages, ranging from about 2620 to 40,290 years for limestone soils and 1660 to 5830 years for igneous soils. These results indicate (1) limestone particles in soil may contribute to a complex mixture of δ 13 C values that is absent from soils formed in igneous parent material and (2) it is necessary to recognize that isotopic values of bulk soil represent a mixture of different δ 13 C values from different size fractions and ages in both limestone and igneous soils.
Changes in the activation and function of the ankle plantar flexor muscles due to gait retraining in chronic stroke survivors

A common goal of persons post-stroke is to regain community ambulation. The plantar flexor muscles play an important role in propulsion generation and swing initiation as previous musculoskeletal simulations have shown. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that simulation results quantifying changes in plantar flexor activation and function in individuals post-stroke were consistent with (1) the purpose of an intervention designed to enhance plantar flexor function and (2) expected muscle function during gait based on previous literature. Three-dimensional, forward dynamic simulations were created to determine the changes in model activation and function of the paretic ankle plantar flexor muscles for eight patients post-stroke after a 12-weeks FastFES gait retraining program. An median increase of 0.07 (Range [−0.01,0.22]) was seen in simulated activation averaged across all plantar flexors during the double support phase of gait from pre- to post-intervention. A concurrent increase in walking speed and plantar flexor induced forward center of mass acceleration by the plantar flexors was seen post-intervention for seven of the eight subject simulations. Additionally, post-training, the plantar flexors had an simulated increase in contribution to knee flexion acceleration during double support. For the first time, muscle-actuated musculoskeletal models were used to simulate the effect of a gait retraining intervention on post-stroke muscle model predicted activation and function. The simulations showed a new pattern of simulated activation for the plantar flexor muscles after training, suggesting that the subjects activated these muscles with more appropriate timing following the intervention. Functionally, simulations calculated that the plantar flexors provided greater contribution to knee flexion acceleration after training, which is important for increasing swing phase knee flexion and foot clearance.
Preservation of retinoid influx into eye tissues of ABCR-deficient mice.

Using an in vivo radiolabeling technique, we investigated the movement of retinoid into the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the abcr-/- mouse, which lacks the photoreceptor ABCR protein and is a model for Stargardt disease. Eye tissues and serum obtained from dark-adapted, 5- to 8-month-old abcr-/- and control mice following the intraperitoneal injection of all-trans (3H)retinol were analyzed to determine the inferred influx of retinoid from the serum into the RPE. At 4.5 hr post-injection, the inferred all-trans retinol influx in abcr-/- mice, which possess the leucine 450 variant of RPE65 protein, was 0.011 ± 0.004 nmol (n = 3). This value did not differ significantly from that determined in age-matched controls possessing the methionine 450 variant of RPE65 (0.015 ± 0.003 nmol; n = 3) or from 3-month-old wildtype mice that possess the leucine 450 RPE65 variant (0.020 ± 0.007; n = 4). Thus, the absence of ABCR does not significantly compromise the passage of retinoid from the serum into the RPE unde...
Hispanic Student Success: Factors Influencing the Persistence and Transfer Decisions of Latino Community College Students Enrolled in Developmental Education

This study examined the impact of a set of theoretically-derived predictor variables on the persistence and transfer of Hispanic community college students. Early models of student persistence have been validated primarily among 4-year college students. While the constructs have been well-established, the relationships of those relevant factors remain unexamined among community college transfer students, and specifically, among Hispanic students enrolled in developmental coursework and planning to transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized conceptual framework on an existing set of quantitative persistence data drawn from a national sample of Hispanic students.
Differentiating between adductor and abductor spasmodic dysphonia using airflow interruption

Objective To measure the laryngeal resistance (RL), subglottal pressure (Ps), and mean flow rate (MFR) of adductor (ADSD) and abductor (ABSD) spasmodic dysphonia patients using the airflow interrupter.
Stability analysis and tuning strategies for a novel next generation regulatory controller

The popular PID controller, even though versatile, possesses well-known characteristics that limit its achievable performance, and an intrinsic structure that makes it's tuning not as transparent. We recently developed a novel 4-mode control scheme that takes full advantage of the modern electronic hardware components, and whose tuning parameters are related directly to controller performance attributes (robustness, set-point tracking, and disturbance rejection); its achievable performance is better, and it can be designed and implemented much more directly and transparently. We present rigorous robust stability results for the proposed controller for any given plant/model mismatch. These results are then used to generate procedures for selecting values for the controller tuning parameters. The controller design and tuning is illustrated via simulation on a nonlinear polymerization process.
Use of a visual guide to improve the quality of VOR responses evoked by high-velocity rotational stimuli.

High-velocity rotational stimuli have the potential to improve the diagnostic capabilities of clinical rotation testing by revealing nonlinear vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) responses that are indicative of asymmetric vestibular function. However, eye movements evoked by high-velocity rotations often are inconsistent over time and therefore do not yield reliable diagnostic measures. This study investigated whether use of a novel “visual guide” could improve the consistency and quality of VORs obtained during testing with pulse-step-sine (PSS) stimuli providing periodic high-velocity, horizontal-plane rotations with peak velocities up to 290 deg/s. The visual guide (narrow phosphorescent line spanning 180° field of view) was mounted horizontally on the rotation chair at the subject's eye level. Eight healthy human subjects were tested either in complete darkness while performing an alerting task, or while viewing the visual guide in an otherwise dark room. We found that the visual guide improved the quality of VOR responses as shown by an increased proportion of slow-phase velocity data segments retained for analysis, by a decreased variance of the processed eye velocity data, and by a reduction of outlying VOR response measures. We also found that the visual guide did not induce visual suppression because VOR gain measures were not diminished.
On bulk loading TPR-Tree

TPR-tree is a practical index structure for moving object databases. Due to the uniform distribution assumption, TPR-tree's bulk loading algorithm (TPR) is relatively inefficient in dealing with non-uniform datasets. In this paper we present a histogram-based bottom up algorithm (HBU) along with a modified top-down greedy split algorithm (TGS) for TPR-tree. HBU uses histograms to refine tree structures for different distributions. Empirical studies show that HBU outperforms both TPR and TGS for all kinds of non-uniform datasets, is relatively stable over varying degree of skewness and better for large datasets and large query windows.
Binary and phase shifting mask design for optical lithography

The authors propose a number of pre-distorted mask design techniques for binary and phase-shifting masks. Their approach is based on modeling the imaging mechanism of a stepper by the Hopkins equations and taking advantage of the contrast-enhancement characteristics of photoresist. Optimization techniques such as the branch and bound algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm are used to systematically design pre-distorted masks under incoherent and partially coherent illumination. Computer simulations are used to show that the intensity contour shapes and developed resist shapes of their designed mask patterns are sharper than those of conventional masks. The designed phase-shifting masks are shown to result in higher contrast as well as sharper contours than binary masks. An example of phase conflicting masks designed with the algorithm is shown to outperform a simple intuitive design. This example indicates that a fairly general design procedure consisting of alternating phase shifts and their optimized phase-shift masks is a viable candidate for future phase-shifting mask design. >
EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY OF A LAYERED POROUS ANNULUS

The feasibility of using lumped system approach in the heat transfer analysis of a layered porous annulus is numerically investigated in this paper. Numerical calculations have covered a wide range of parameters (i.e., 10 < Ra, < 500, 0.01 < K,/K, < 100, and 5/8 < r/D < 11/8). The results obtained are then presented in term of the effective Rayleigh number which is defined based on the effective permeability. Three averaging techniques (arithmetic, harmonic and volumetric) are used for the evaluation of the effective permeability. The results show that the lumped system approach can provide a reasonably good prediction in heat transfer if an effective permeability is correctly chosen for correlation.
A Comparison of the Quality of Data, Assessed Using Query Rates, From Clinical Trials Conducted Across Developed Versus Emerging Global Regions:

With increasing globalization of clinical trials, there is a growing concern regarding the quality of data generated from clinical studies conducted in some of the emerging regions. This concern has not been comprehensively addressed thus far because there is limited public access to restricted databases. In this study, we utilized data from 26 large phase II/III trials conducted in multiple regions of the globe by members of the Association of Clinical Research Organization and compared query rates, one of the few measurable parameters of quality of clinical trials data, between different global regions. A query is generated when a discrepancy is noted between protocol or source data and the case report forms (CRFs). A resolution of such an inconsistency is necessitated, which may result in a database change. The studies included in our analyses were conducted at 4721 global sites enrolling 63,871 participants. Overall, the data set included 1.39 million queries, 7.5 million CRF pages, and 95 million data parameters. The number of queries for various regions was added for each trial and normalized to the number of CRF pages or to the number of CRF data parameters. The calculated mean query rates and database change rates were compared using parametric and nonparametric statistical approaches. None of these approaches revealed statistically significant differences in the query rates or the rate of database change when each region was compared to North America or Western Europe. Thus, a comparative assessment of query rates suggests that the quality of clinical trials conducted in emerging countries is consistent with those conducted in developed regions. Despite several limitations of our analyses and the multifaceted complexities of global clinical trials, our findings should alleviate some concerns regarding clinical studies conducted in emerging nations.
Temperature-dependent surface topography analysis of Illinois class F fly ash using ESEM and AFM

The evolution of particle surface morphology of Illinois Class F fly ash with calcination temperature was monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Significant new information on particle chemical composition and morphology was obtained using ESEM and AFM. Particularly, AFM provides detailed information on the roughness of the particle, which increased with the calcination temperature. Noticeable changes in fly ash surface morphology as a function of temperature has been noticed using ESEM. Thermal treatment of fly ash particles produces a very rough surface, often resulting from the formation of surface deposits, as well as pitting of the particle surface. Energy depressive X-ray analysis provided detailed information on the chemical nature of fly ash particles. No significant changes in elemental concentration were noticed, although oxygen concentration reduced upon calcination. A correlation of the surface microscopical quantitative information with the elemental analysis is presented, which can be very helpful for engineering applications where fly ash particles are used as metal filler.
Relative motion in the vicinity of a ballistic missile.

Abstract : Approximate power series solutions to the linearized differential equations of motion are obtained in a rotating coordinate system with the origin moving on a ballistic trajectory of arbitrary eccentricity and through a central angle corresponding to the coast phase of a ballistic missile. The position propagation of injection velocity perturbations in the rotating system as determined by the first four terms of the series solutions is found to be sufficiently accurate to be utilized in preliminary design type analyses. (Author)
Alternative end-joining is suppressed by the canonical NHEJ component Xrcc4–ligase IV during chromosomal translocation formation

Chromosomal translocations are known to be formed via non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Now analysis of translocations in mammalian cells lacking XRCC4/DNA ligase IV, a component of the classical NHEJ pathway, indicates that the alternative NHEJ pathway might be responsible for the majority of translocation events. Chromosomal translocations in hematologic and mesenchymal tumors form overwhelmingly by nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ). Canonical NHEJ, essential for the repair of radiation-induced and some programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs), requires the Xrcc4–ligase IV complex. For other DSBs, the requirement for Xrcc4–ligase IV is less stringent, suggesting the existence of alternative end-joining (alt-NHEJ) pathways. To understand the contributions of the canonical NHEJ and alt-NHEJ pathways, we examined translocation formation in cells deficient in Xrcc4–ligase IV. We found that Xrcc4–ligase IV is not required for but rather suppresses translocations. Translocation breakpoint junctions have similar characteristics in wild-type cells and cells deficient in Xrcc4–ligase IV, including an unchanged bias toward microhomology, unlike what is observed for intrachromosomal DSB repair. Complex insertions in some junctions show that joining can be iterative, encompassing successive processing steps before joining. Our results imply that alt-NHEJ is the primary mediator of translocation formation in mammalian cells.