cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Signal detection theory, lateral-line excitation patterns and prey capture behaviour of mottled sculpin.

Abstract The frequency with which blinded mottled sculpin, Cottus bairdi , oriented towards a dipole current source (50-Hz vibrating sphere) was measured as a function of source distance (2–18 cm) and azimuth (either 0° in front or 90° to the side of the fish). The orienting frequency declined from over 70% to under 50% as source distance increased from 4 to 12 cm for both frontal and lateral sources. When response biases (frequency of responding in the absence of the signal) were taken into account with the performance metric d ′, threshold distances (distances at which d ′ fell to 1) for frontal (12.5 cm) and lateral (11.6 cm) sources were 1.35–1.45 times the mean standard length of fish used in this study. At distances less than 8 cm, d ′ values were considerably higher (i.e. performance was better) for the lateral source, despite the fact that peak stimulus levels at the fish were twice as high for frontal as for lateral sources at any given distance. Performance differences may be related to differences in spatial excitation patterns, in particular the distribution of opposing pressure gradient directions along the lateral-line system, present for lateral sources, but absent for frontal sources.
Exact analytical partition function and spin gap for a 2×3 quantum spin ladder

Abstract The energy levels E(k 1 , k 2 ) , spin gap, and partition function of a 3×2 quantum spin ladder are derived analytically by using an exact diagonalization method from our earlier work. The behavior of the ladder is strongly dependent on the value of the interchain coupling J2. For positive intrachain coupling J1 along the chains, the spin gap is non-zero, zero, and nearly zero for J2 larger than, equal to, and less than zero, correspondingly. For positive J2, the ground state consists of the same eigenstate, irrespectively of the value of J1. This state is spatially symmetric along the chains and antisymmetric along the rungs, corresponding to the spin wave numbers k1=0 and k2=π.
Bio-inspired structural color waveplates and polarizers and their applications

By studying the polarization property of jeweled beetles, we develop novel optical coatings that can be patterned at high spatial resolution and have precise optical retardance and polarization dependent absorption.
Order-Constrained Solutions in K-Means Clustering: Even Better Than Being Globally Optimal

This paper proposes an order-constrained K-means cluster analysis strategy, and implements that strategy through an auxiliary quadratic assignment optimization heuristic that identifies an initial object order. A subsequent dynamic programming recursion is applied to optimally subdivide the object set subject to the order constraint. We show that although the usual K-means sum-of-squared-error criterion is not guaranteed to be minimal, a true underlying cluster structure may be more accurately recovered. Also, substantive interpretability seems generally improved when constrained solutions are considered. We illustrate the procedure with several data sets from the literature.
Interdiffusion in Ni-Rich, Ni-Cr-Al alloys at 1100 and 1200 °C: Part I. Diffusion paths and microstructures

Interdiffusion in Ni-rich, Ni-Cr-Al diffusion couples was studied after annealing at 1100 and 1200 °C. Recession of γ′ (Ni3Al structure), β (NiAl structure), or α (bcc) phases was also measured. Aluminum and chromium concentration profiles were measured in the γ (fcc) phase for most of the diffusion couples. The amount and location of Kirkendall porosity suggests that Al diffuses more rapidly than Cr which diffuses more rapidly than Ni in the γ phase of Ni-Cr-Al alloys. The location of maxima and minima in the concentration profiles of several of the diffusion couples indicates that both cross-term diffusion coefficients for Cr and Al are positive and that DCrAl has a greater effect on the diffusion of Cr than does DA1Cr on the diffusion of Al. The γ/γ + β phase boundary has also been determined for 1200 °C through the use of numerous γ/γ+ β diffusion couples.
Time in Motion: The Molecular Clock Meets the Microbiome

Thaiss et al. report that the intestinal microbiota undergoes diurnal oscillation, which is controlled by host feeding time. Disruption of the host circadian clock induces dysbiosis, which is associated with host metabolic disorders.
Ageism through Omission: The Obsolescence of Black Women's Sexuality

This article, utilizing an exploratory methodological approach, examines to what extent historical materialist theory can explain the omission of Black senior women from discourse on sexuality in the United States. Employing a historical materialist methodological framework, this study analyzes the relationship between the obsolescence of Black senior women's sexuality and the historical superexploitation of Black women’s sexuality in the United States. This research examines: (1) The ways in which the analysis of Black senior sexuality differs from that of the current hegemonic discourse on White sexuality. (2) The ways in which the use of negative propaganda have affected the image of Black female sexuality, and in turn Black senior women’s sexuality. (3) The ways in which Black senior women’s sexuality is affected by the unique relationship Black women have historically maintained with the state, as both producers in the wage-labor force and reproducers of the wage-labor pool. (4) The current state of Black senior women’s sexuality, including: practices; taboos; health; freedom of sexual expression; and the sex ratio imbalance. This exploratory analysis reveals that, as scholars often analyze a generic sexuality in the United States without regard for the unique social, political, and economic contexts of Black American life or the senior experience, little attention has been paid to Black senior sexuality. This leaves an astounding gap in the literature. Adequate analysis of the state of and oppression of Black senior sexuality must take into consideration the larger structural and institutional framework, notably, the economic, political, and social framework, i.e., historical materialist theory. Such a perspective would help reveal the structural factors associated with Black sexuality, Black senior sexuality, and more specifically Black senior women's sexuality.
Alfred E. Kahn, 1917–2010

Our introduction to this compendium reviews Alfred Kahn’s academic and policy interests, his activities as a regulator and advisor to governments and companies, and the interactions between these aspects of his life as an economist. Although best known for his research on the economics of regulation and his application of microeconomic principles in his role as a regulator and advisor, Kahn’s academic research portfolio was much more diverse. He wrote about patent policy, economic development, antitrust policy, and other topics, in addition to his work on regulation and deregulation. Even before becoming a regulator he was actively involved in applying economic principles to regulatory problems as an advisor and consultant. In all of his work Kahn recognized that markets were imperfect, but that policies aimed at improving market performance often made things worse. His experience as a regulator and consultant strengthened his recognition that the costs of imperfect regulation had to be carefully balanced against the costs of imperfect markets. One had to search for the best that could be done in an imperfect world. Kahn was particularly fascinated by the challenges of designing and implementing policies to govern the transition from regulated monopoly or oligopoly to an industry that would ultimately rely primarily on competitive markets to govern firm behavior and performance. Fred Kahn was an extraordinary man who is missed greatly by his many friends and colleagues representing a wide range of political orientations and approaches to economic and public policy analysis.
Loss of DNA mismatch repair function and cancer predisposition in the mouse: Animal models for human hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer

Germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes underlie one of the most common hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes known in humans, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Defects of the DNA mismatch repair system are also prevalent in sporadic colorectal cancers. The generation of mice with targeted inactivating mutations in the mismatch repair genes has facilitated the in vivo study of how these genes function and how their individual loss contributes to tumorigenesis. Although there are notable limitations when using murine models to study the molecular basis of human cancer, there is remarkable similarity between the two species with respect to the contribution of individual members of the mismatch repair system to cancer susceptibility, and mouse mutants have greatly enhanced our understanding of the normal role of these genes in mutation avoidance and suppression of tumorigenesis.
The Dirac Equation in Geometric Quantization

The coadjoint orbit of the restricted Poincare group corresponding to a mass m and spin 1/2 is described. The orbit is quantized using the geometric quantization. To include the discrete symmetries, one has to induce the irreducible representation of the restricted Poincare group obtained by the quantization procedure to the full Poincare group. The new representation is reducible and the reduction to an irreducible representation corresponds to the Dirac equation.
Myelin basic protein-specific T lymphocytes induce chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in lymphocyte-deficient (SCID) mice

Myelin basic protein (BP)-specific T lymphocyte cell lines were selected from the lymph nodes (LN) of BP-immunized, H-2d, CXJ-1 mice prior to the onset of clinical disease. These CD4+ T cells induced severe acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in MHC-compatible (H-2d), lymphocyte-deficient (SCID) mice (C.B-17scid/scid). The incidence of disease was much higher in immunodeficient SCID mice (71%) than in syngeneic immunocompetent CXJ-1 mice (5%). SCID mice with EAE had an acute progressive paralytic disease with inflammation and myelin loss detected in the spinal cord. Eighty-six percent (12/14) of mice followed for more than 2 weeks had 1 or more relapses of EAE. These results demonstrate that clinical remission and relapse of EAE can be induced by the single adoptive transfer of a LN-derived BP-specific T cell line in the absence of host-derived effector and regulatory lymphocytes. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that the pathogenic potential of BP-specific T cells is greater in lymphocyte-deficient SCID mice compared with immunocompetent mice, suggesting that autoreactive T cells are controlled by potent inhibitory mechanisms associated with regulatory lymphocytes. These results are relevant to mechanisms of disease remission and relapse mediated by lymphocytes involved in paralytic inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
Use of turbulent model to calculate the vibration and radiation responses of a panel, with practical suggestions for reducing sound level

Abstract The problem of acoustic radiation of panels excited by random pressure fluctuation of the turbulent boundary layer has been further investigated. In the past, experimental investigators have concentrated only on certain phases of the general problem; for example, the statistical behavior of the pressure field (Willmarth and Wooldridge, [1]) or the motion of the panel (el Baroudi, [15]). Recently the author presented a comprehensive set of experimental results [4, 5] that includes the most pertinent statistical information concerning the forcing function (pressure fluctuation) and the response functions of the panel motion, as well as the radiation field. An even more recent consideration has been of a model that contained fluctuation on the convection velocity itself. The main purpose of this paper is to show, by a relatively simple function representation of the space-time correlation of the wall pressure fluctuation incorporated in the Lyons-Dyer method [22], that the motion and radiation intensity of a simply supported panel agree reasonably well with the experiment when edge restraints and damping are taken into account. The most striking feature of the excitation mechanism is the so-called coincidence, which has profound effects on the response of the structure and power radiations. If, under certain conditions, a mismatch occurs between wave speeds on the panel and the pressure field, panel displacement and acoustic radiation are reduced. Such a mismatch is caused by a turbulence pressure eddy that normally decays faster than the mode's wavelength on the structure. Remarkable changes in power level have been obtained by varying the edge conditions of the panel boundaries. Practical ways of minimizing the acoustic power radiation are demonstrated.
Iodine induced transfer of dialkylvinylboranes produced by the hydridation of dialkylhaloboranes in the presence of 1-alkynes. Generalization of the zweifel cis- alkene synthesis

Dialkylvinylboranes, prepared conveniently via the hydridation of dialkylhaloboranes in the presence of terminal alkynes, react with iodine in the presence of a base at reduced temperatures to form the correspondingcis-disubstituted alkenes. This development greatly increases the generality of the elegant weifelcis-olefin synthesis.
Transcatheter Endovascular Techniques for Management of Obstetrical and Gynecologic Emergencies

Since the initial description of selective uterine artery embolization for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage in 1979, transcatheter embolization and other endovascular techniques have become the second-line therapeutic option for the management of intractable obstetrical and gynecologic bleeding. Advances in catheter-based techniques, as well as recognition of the effectiveness of minimally invasive treatment options, have expanded the role of interventional radiology in the management of hemorrhage for a variety of indications, such as postpartum hemorrhage, menorrhagia, and postmenopausal bleeding. Transcatheter interventions include the following: (1) prophylactic selective catheterization of the internal iliac arteries, with either temporary balloon occlusion or embolotherapy; (2) selective embolization of collateral pelvic vessels in the setting of surgical ligation of the internal iliac arteries and/or delivery-related injuries to the genital tract; (3) transarterial embolization for the management of abnormal placentation; and (4) massive bleeding secondary to uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) and/or arteriovenous malformations. Transcatheter embolization is a fast, safe, and effective minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy, when medical treatment fails to control uterine bleeding. Moreover, it preserves the uterus with little or no significant impact on future pregnancies and fertility. This article reviews the transcatheter endovascular techniques that are used in a variety of clinical scenarios for the management of obstetrical and gynecologic emergencies.
Effects of Depression Diagnosis and Antidepressant Treatment on Mortality in Medicare Beneficiaries with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objectives: To estimate the effects of depression diagnosis and antidepressant treatment on 2-year all-cause mortality in Medicare beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and determine whether Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) eligibility modifies these relationships. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: A 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older in stand-alone Part D plans in 2006 to 2008. Participants: Beneficiaries diagnosed with COPD and continuously enrolled in Medicare Parts A, B, and D (N = 75,699). Measurements: Depression diagnosis was assessed at baseline (2006). Evidence of antidepressant treatment was measured across time. Covariates included baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and disease severity. Survival analyses using Cox proportional hazards models estimated 2-year mortality associated with depression diagnosis or antidepressant treatment (in beneficiaries with depression). Interaction terms of SSDI eligibility with baseline depression and time-dependent antidepressant treatment were tested. Results: More than one-fifth (21.6%) of beneficiaries with COPD had a depression diagnosis at baseline, and 82.1% of those received antidepressants. Nearly one-sixth (16.3%) of the sample were SSDI eligible. Baseline depression heightened risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence interval = 1.09�1.18) in beneficiaries who were not eligible for SSDI. In beneficiaries with depression, the association between antidepressant treatment and lower mortality was different according to SSDI eligibility status. Conclusion: Social Security Disability Insurance eligibility modifies the effects of depression and antidepressant treatment on mortality in Medicare beneficiaries with COPD. These data suggest that clinicians should identify and treat depression in individuals with COPD, but further studies are needed to determine the effect of these interventions.
The Metabolism of Maltose After Intravenous Injection in Normal and Diabetic Subjects

ABSTRACT The metabolism of intravenously administered maltose was compared with glucose in 5 fasting, adult, noninsulin-dependent, mildly diabetic subjects and contrasted with normal controls. After an iv injection of 25 g maltose containing 5 μCi maltose-U-14C or 25 g glucose containing either 5 μCi glucose-1-14C or glucose-U-14C, expired breath and urine were collected over a 6-hr period. Blood samples obtained at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min were assayed for insulin, total reducing substances and glucose. Equal amounts of maltose and glucose were oxidized to 14CO2. The rate of oxidation for maltose was much slower with a peak 14CO2 excretion 100 min later than for glucose. Diabetic subjects showed a delayed peak 14CO2 excretion after both sugars compared with normal subjects.Serum glucose concentration after maltose infusion remained less than 95 mg/10 ml over the entire 2-hr period, in contrast to the elevation of serum glucose following glucose administration. The increase in total serum reducing s...
Economic change after the American Revolution: Pre- and post-war comparisons of maritime shipping and trade

In 1775, restrictions implemented by both the British and the American governments eliminated all direct and legal trade between the revolting 13 colonies and Great Britain and her loyal possessions. One cost of the American Revolution from the viewpoint of historians was the lapse in quantitative information on commodity trade and shipping. Not until August, 1789 did the American government take up where British officials had left off in the collection of data on shipping and trade at North American ports. Customs data for South Carolina and Pennsylvania for several years in the 1780’s provide some clues to changes in the external economic relations of these states before the adoption of the Constitution, but for the most part there is a lack of sufficient statistical evidence with which to obtain a reasonably sound overall view of overseas trade and shipping for the period from 1775 to 1790. The lack of quantitative information for these years is most unfortunate, for few periods are more deserving of scholarly interest. Of course, the levels of wartime commerce moved with the changing fortunes of war. By mid-1775 acute shortages were already felt, not only for war-related goods such as powder, flints, muskets, and knives, but also for other items like salt, shoes, woolens, and linens. To procure arms and ammunition, Congress authorized limited trade late in 1775 with the foreign West Indies, and unrestricted trade to any foreign area was allowed the following spring. Consequently, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and their American possessions became important trading partners of the revolting
A Two‐Year Randomized Weight Loss Trial Comparing a Vegan Diet to a More Moderate Low‐Fat Diet

Objective: The objective was to assess the effect of a low-fat, vegan diet compared with the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) diet on weight loss maintenance at 1 and 2 years. Research Methods and Procedures: Sixty-four overweight, postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to a vegan or NCEP diet for 14 weeks, and 62 women began the study. The study was done in two replications. Participants in the first replication (N = 28) received no follow-up support after the 14 weeks, and those in the second replication (N = 34) were offered group support meetings for 1 year. Weight and diet adherence were measured at 1 and 2 years for all participants. Weight loss is reported as median (interquartile range) and is the difference from baseline weight at years 1 and 2. Results: Individuals in the vegan group lost more weight than those in the NCEP group at 1 year [−4.9 (−0.5, −8.0) kg vs. −1.8 (0.8, −4.3); p < 0.05] and at 2 years [−3.1 (0.0, −6.0) kg vs. −0.8 (3.1, −4.2) kg; p < 0.05]. Those participants offered group support lost more weight at 1 year (p < 0.01) and 2 years (p < 0.05) than those without support. Attendance at meetings was associated with improved weight loss at 1 year (p < 0.001) and 2 years (p < 0.01). Discussion: A vegan diet was associated with significantly greater weight loss than the NCEP diet at 1 and 2 years. Both group support and meeting attendance were associated with significant weight loss at follow-up.
Nonlinear L2-by-3 transform for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), the multicarrier modulation technique with high bandwidth efficiency and robustness against multipath fading, is used in several high-speed broadband communication systems including digital video broadcasting (DVB), digital audio broadcasting (DAB), asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), wireless local area network (WLAN IEEE 802.11a,g), high performance radio local area network (HIPERLAN 2), and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX IEEE 802.16). However, the transmit signal in OFDM system has a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), one of the major drawbacks of multicarrier transmission, and therefore high dynamic range is required in both the digital to analog converter (DAC) and the power amplifier (PA) for proper operation. Otherwise, the nonlinearities of PA cause out-of-band distortion and increase in bit error rate (BER). Therefore, the reduction in PAPR in OFDM system is desirable in order to obtain power efficiency and increase BER performance. In this paper, a new parametric PAPR reduction technique, L"2-by-3 transform from sliding norm transform (SNT) family is proposed. Based on its parameter, a significant PAPR reduction is obtained. This paper presents the analysis of power saving and computational complexity of the proposed method L"2-by-3 and comparison to two other methods; selected mapping and partial transmit sequence.
The effect of frontal EMG biofeedback training on the behavior of children with activity-level problems

N=1 withdrawal designs were employed with three children evidencing activity-level problems. Tutoring sessions occurred daily over a 2 1/2-month period. Each child was reinforced for decreasing frontalis muscle tension during auditory feedback while working arithmetic problems. Feedback was faded while tension reduction reinforcement was maintained. These procedures were repeated with reinforcement for increasing, rather than decreasing, muscle tension. Frontal EMG level, percent time on task, and motoric activity rate were obtained during sessions. Parent ratings of problem behavior in the home were recorded daily. Biofeedback with reinforcement was effective in both raising and lowering muscle tension. Effects were maintained by reinforcement. Results suggest a direct relationship between tension and activity levels. Academic performance and problem behavior improved significantly with reductions in EMG activity, although individual exceptions to these findings were present. Results lend support to the efficacy of frontal EMG biofeedback training in reducing activity, increasing attention to an academic task, and reducing problem behaviors.
Imaging scattered x-ray radiation for measurement of local electron density in high-energy-density experiments

Abstract Imaging high-energy-density systems with scattered x-ray photons has several unique characteristics that differentiate it from the transmission radiography methods that have traditionally been used to diagnose these experiments. Because x-ray photons scatter primarily from the plasma electrons, the degree of scattering from any point in a target is roughly proportional to the electron density at that point. By constraining the directions of incident and scattered photons, the scattering event can be localized, resulting in a point-wise, internal map of the target electron density. Additionally, a scattering experiment is not restricted to the collinear source-target-detector geometry of transmission radiography. This flexibility allows for multiple detectors to image light from a single source, though potentially at different scattering angles or energy bands. Presented in this paper is the theoretical underpinning for scattered x-ray imaging, as well as a description of an upcoming proof-of-principle experiment to be conducted at the OMEGA Laser Facility.
Open-knee Magnuson debridement as conservative treatment for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee

Abstract The medical records of 11 patients (average age, 37 years) who underwent 12 open-knee Magnuson debridements for degenerative arthritis at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation between July 1982 and December 1991 were reviewed. The postoperative results were evaluated subjectively, using a modification of the National Survey of Total Knee Replacement questionnaire. These patients were followed with clinical and radiologic examinations for a mean of 73 months (range, 17–130 months). The major indications for surgery were pain (91%) and inability to participate in recreational activities (55%). Although many of the changes were not statistically significant, the patients as a group experienced clinically important reductions in pain and improvements in function. More importantly, all patients were able to participate in recreational activities after surgery. None of the 11 patients have subsequently required a total knee arthroplasty. The Magnuson open-knee debridement, in limited situations, should be considered as a temporary alternative to knee arthroplasty in the young or middle-aged, active individual who is not ready to accept the limitations of a total knee arthroplasty.
The Enemy Within: Fears of Corruption in the Civil War North

The Enemy Within: Fears of Corruption in the Civil War North MICHAEL THOMAS SMITH Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011 Pp. 229, $35.00 (hbk), ISBN 978 0 8139 3127 2 Michael Thomas Sm...
Observations of the Biology of Camptocerus Dejean (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Peru

ABSTRACT The ambrosia beetle genus Camptocerus Dejean is native to the Neotropics and ranges from northern Argentina to Veracruz, Mexico. Species are rarely collected and there is a corresponding paucity of biological information. We report observations of Camptocerus attracted to felled Protium Burm. f. in southeastern Peru. Host colonization, aggregation, leaf feeding, courtship, mating, and predation are reported for four species. These species aggregated to leaves surrounding potential hosts, bored into leaves, and fed, all of which is unusual behavior for scolytines. Males competed for mates with physical contact. Ant predation killed ∼50% of colonizing individuals for one species.
Block-Processing Method for Post-Detection Correction of Anisoplanatic Adaptive Optics Images

AO systems are effective for narrow field of view. We propose a post-processing method to reduce the effects of anisoplanatism in wide FOV AO images. The off-axis point-spread function is predicted by use of simulations.
Physical loss and chemical reactions of SO2 in strawberry jam production

Summary Strawberries for jam production frequently undergo extended storage in sulphite liquor before conversion into jam. Using 35S-labelled sulphite an extensive equilibration of 35S-labelled species between the fruit and the liquor has been demonstrated. Most of the loss of measurable SO2 was accounted for in terms of (i) the chemical reactions during storage and (ii) the physical losses during jam production. In this work approximately 78% of the liquor sulphite was taken up by the fruit; 98.5% of this either reacted chemically or was boiled off, viz. 38% was converted to non-volatile compounds during storage, a further 11% reacted during jam making, 50% was boiled off and 1.5% remained measurable in the jam.
Interaction of O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate and O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate, the impurities of malathion with supercoiled PM2 DNA.

Abstract The interaction of O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate and O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate, the impurities found in malathion, with DNA at pH 8.0, was investigated. Supercoiled PM2 DNA was incubated with these compounds at pH 8.0 at 37°C and then the superhelicity of the modified DNA was determined by gel electrophoresis. Both compounds caused unwinding of supercoiled DNA in dose- and incubation time-dependent manner. O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate was a more potent agent than O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate. At 37°C following 2.0 hours incubation, 100 mM O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate produced fully unwound DNA, whereas at 200 mM O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate produced 80% unwound DNA following 12 hours' incubation. At the same condition, 5 mM methyl methanesulfonate, a potent alkylating mutagen, produced fully unwound DNA following 1 hour incubation at 5 mM. These results indicated that there were chemical interactions between these agents and DNA. The possibility of the interaction of OOS-TMP being as a covalent intercalation as well as strand nicking was discussed.
Exact analysis of round-robin schedulng of services

A multi-queue, cyclic-service model with a single-message buffer is considered. Each message consists of a number of characters, and one character is served at the server's each visit. Exact and explicit expressions are derived for performance measures, such as mean cycle time, mean message response time, and mean response time conditioned on the message length. The same model was previously solved by approximation by Wu and Chen [IBM J. Res. Develop. 19, No. 5, 486-493 (September 1975)].
Laser beat-wave accelerator and plasma noise

Plasma noise effects on the beat-wave resonance condition and the subsequent reduction of the accelerating electric field for the laser beat-wave accelerator are investigated. Plasma noise or turbulence causes the accelerating electric field to saturate at a reduced level \ensuremath{\epsilon}=${L}_{\mathrm{eff}/\mathrm{L}}$ of the ideal coherent accelerating field, where ${L}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is the effective growth length for the plasma wave and L is the ideal growth length. When the noise parameter \ensuremath{\sigma}=〈(\ensuremath{\delta}n${)}^{2}$〉/${n}^{2}$ is above a threshold value, we find ${L}_{\mathrm{eff}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\simeq}}2\mathrm{c}/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}^{2}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{c}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{c}$ is the correlation time of the noise spectrum along \ensuremath{\omega}=${\mathrm{kv}}_{p}$. Slower noise is less effective in limiting the plasma wave growth. For strong noise ${L}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ becomes shortened to the correlation length in the noise ${L}_{c}$=${v}_{p}$${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{c}$. In the case of slowly increasing mismatch in the beat-wave resonance condition, the effective growth length ${L}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ becomes the geometric mean of the density gradient scale length ${L}_{n}$ and the collisionless skin depth (${L}_{n}$c/${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}$${)}^{1/2}$. .AE
Prenatal Stress Effects Are Partially Ameliorated by Prenatal Administration of the Neurosteroid Allopregnanolone

This study examined the effects of exposure to prenatal stress on young and adult rats, and whether the concomitant administration of an anxiolytic neurosteroid, allopregnanolone (3-alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one), could ameliorate some of the behavioral dysfunctions associated with prenatal stress. Pregnant dams were assigned to one of five treatment groups on gestational day 14. These groups were exposed to either 1) restraint for 45 min three times daily; 2) a vehicle injection twice daily; 3) 5 mg/kg allopregnanolone twice daily; 4) restraint with allopregnanolone injections; or 5) nonhandled controls. Assays for plasma allopregnanolone concentrations indicated that exogenous allopregnanolone injections significantly raised circulating levels to a comparable degree in gestational day 20 dams and their fetuses. At 7 days of age, however, subjects prenatally exposed to allopregnanolone either alone or with restraint now had lower circulating levels compared to the other groups, suggesting some negative compensatory change. Behavioral results suggested that the effects of prenatal stress on affective behaviors (ultrasonic vocalizations emitted after a brief maternal separation at 7 days of age, and plus-maze behavior at 70 days of age) could be reversed by coadministration of allopregnanolone. When locomotor activity was assessed at 16 and 60 days of age, no comparable reversal effect was observed. In fact, the allopregnanolone groups had results similar to those of the restraint alone group. Thus, for some neuronal systems, allopregnanolone may exert either a direct teratogenic effect or an indirect effect due to neurosteroid-induced behavioral changes in the pregnant dam.
Near-ultraviolet absorption-annealing effects in HfO 2 thin films subjected to continuous-wave laser irradiation at 355 nm

Hafnium oxide is the most frequently used high-index material in multilayer thin-film coatings for high-power laser applications ranging from near-infrared to near-ultraviolet. Absorption in this high-index material is also known to be responsible for nanosecond-pulse laser-damage initiation in multilayers. In this work, modification of the near-ultraviolet absorption of HfO 2 monolayer films subjected to irradiation by continuous-wave (cw) 355-nm or 351-nm laser light focused to produce power densities of the order of ~100 kW/cm 2 is studied. Up to a 70% reduction in absorption is found in the areas subjected to irradiation. Temporal behavior of absorption is characterized by a rapid initial drop on the few-tens-of-seconds time scale, followed by a longer-term decline to a steady-state level. Absorption maps generated by photothermal heterodyne imaging confirm the permanent character of the observed effect. Nanosecond-pulse, 351-nm and 600-fs, 1053-nm laser-damage tests performed on these cw laser-irradiated areas confirm reduction of absorption by measuring up to 25% higher damage thresholds. We discuss possible mechanisms responsible for near-ultraviolet absorption annealing and damage-threshold improvement resulting from irradiation by near-ultraviolet cw laser light.
The 155-day solar period in the sixteenth century and later

Recent interest in short solar periods has been stimulated by the discovery of a peak period of about 150-160 days in very energetic solar flares and hard X-ray flares. Auroral data are used here as a proxy for solar activity to show the presence of the peak in data from 1570 to 1573 and in some other time periods. The data are also used to show the absence or lack of prominence of this peak at other times in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Efficient Diffuse Basis Sets for Density Functional Theory

Eliminating all but the s and p diffuse functions on the non-hydrogenic atoms and all diffuse functions on the hydrogen atoms from the aug-cc-pV(x+d)Z basis sets of Dunning and co-workers, where x = D, T, Q, ..., yields the previously proposed "minimally augmented" basis sets, called maug-cc-pV(x+d)Z. Here, we present extensive and systematic tests of these basis sets for density functional calculations of chemical reaction barrier heights, hydrogen bond energies, electron affinities, ionization potentials, and atomization energies. The tests show that the maug-cc-pV(x+d)Z basis sets are as accurate as the aug-cc-pV(x+d)Z ones for density functional calculations, but the computational cost savings are a factor of about two to seven.
Rings whose modules are direct sums of extending modules

We prove that for a ring R, the following are equivalent: (i) Every right R-module is a direct sum of extending modules, and (ii) R has finite type and right colocal type (i.e., every indecomposable right R-module has simple socle). Thus, in this case, R is two-sided Artinian and right serial, and every right R-module is a direct sum of finitely generated uniform modules. This property of a ring is not left-right symmetric. A consequence is the following: R is Artinian serial if and only if every R-module is a direct sum of extending modules if and only if R is left serial with every right R-module a direct sum of extending modules.
Parallel processing of direction and extent in reaching movements

Summary form only given. Reaching movements, in which the hand is moved to a target location, require a sensorimotor transformation; the intended path, initially specified in extrinsic coordinates, must be transformed into a set of intrinsic coordinates that specify a pattern of muscle activation that will bring the hand to the target. A common framework for studying how the nervous system achieves this transformation is derived from robotics; it assumes a series of intermediate stages, including inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics computations. Experiments to characterize the coordinate systems in which reaching movements are planned and to determine whether serial computational strategies are used for planning hand trajectories are described. >
“Stealth” Adenoviruses Blunt Cell-Mediated and Humoral Immune Responses against the Virus and Allow for Significant Gene Expression upon Readministration in the Lung

Most of the early gene therapy trials for cystic fibrosis have been with adenovirus vectors. First-generation viruses with E1a and E1b deleted are limited by transient expression of the transgene and substantial inflammatory responses. Gene transfer is also significantly curtailed following a second dose of virus. In an effort to reduce adenovirus-associated inflammation, capsids of first-generation vectors were modified with various activated monomethoxypolyethylene glycols. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte production was significantly reduced in C57BL/6 mice after a single intratracheal administration of modified vectors, and length of gene expression was extended from 4 to 42 days. T-cell subsets from mice exposed to the conjugated vectors demonstrated a marked decrease in Th1 responses and slight enhancement of Th2 responses compared to animals dosed with native virus. Neutralizing antibodies (NAB) against adenovirus capsid proteins were reduced in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of animals after a single dose of modified virus, allowing significant levels of gene expression upon rechallenge with native adenovirus. Modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) also allowed substantial gene expression from the new vectors in animals previously immunized with unmodified virus. However, gene expression was significantly reduced after two doses of the same PEG-conjugated vector. Alternating the activation group of PEG between doses did produce significant gene expression upon readministration. This technology in combination with second-generation or helper-dependent adenovirus could produce dosing strategies which promote successful readministration of vector in clinical trials and marked expression in patients with significant anti-adenovirus NAB levels and reduce the possibility of immune reactions against viral vectors for gene therapy.
A case for MapReduce over the internet

In recent years, MapReduce programming model and specifically its open source implementation Hadoop has been widely used by organizations to perform large-scale data processing tasks such as web-indexing, data mining as well as scientific simulations. The key benefits of this programming model include its simple programming interface and ability to process massive datasets in a scalable fashion without requiring high-end computing infrastructure. We observe that the current design of Hadoop framework assumes a centralized execution environment involving a single datacenter. This assumption leads to simplified design decisions in the Hadoop architecture regarding efficient network usage, specifically in the replica-selection policy in Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) and in the reduce phase scheduling algorithm. In this paper, we investigate real-world scenarios in which MapReduce programming model and specifically Hadoop framework could be used for processing large-scale, geographically scattered datasets. We show that using the Hadoop framework with default policies can cause severe performance degradation in such geographically distributed environment. We propose and evaluate extensions to Hadoop MapReduce framework to improve its performance in such environments. The evaluation demonstrates that the proposed extensions substantially outperform default policies in the Hadoop framework.
Expected Service Quality as Perceived by Potential Customers of an Educational Institution.

ABSTRACT Researchers studying the ‘service quality’ construct have typically measured it by comparing the expectations of consumers with their perceived experience with that service. The subjects of all studies in the past have been consumers who had consumed that service. However, till date, there has been no research measuring the ‘service quality’ as perceived by potential consumers before they make their purchase/consumption decision. An organization should try to find out not only how its present customers perceive the quality of its services, but also how potential customers perceive the quality of its offerings. These potential customers may have never consumed the services of the organization, but may have formed their opinion about the quality of service offered by the organization. This opinion could be based on what they may have heard, read or seen about the organization's service in the mass media or it could be based on word-of-mouth. Whatever the case may be, new customers are crucial to an...
Computer-generated diagnosis and image analysis. An overview.

Image analysis provides quantitative data on morphology, cytochemical and histochemical reactions, the location of specific events or reaction sites, and statistical descriptions of the spatial distribution of such events relative to histologic structure. Image analytic methodology in correlation with histopathologic knowledge bases is an essential component in the development of an objective basis for histopathologic diagnostic decision making
CONTROLLING ITEM EXPOSURE RATES IN A REALISTIC ADAPTIVE TESTING PARADIGM

In the context of paper and pencil testing, the frequency of the exposure of items is usually controlled through policies that regulate both the reuse of test forms and the frequency with which a candidate may retake the test. In the context of computerized adaptive testing, where items pools are large and expensive to produce and testing can be on a continual basis, new strategies are required. This paper discusses the popular randomization strategy for controlling item security and a less well known probabilistic approach due to Sympson and Hetter. Extensions are developed to the Sympson and Hetter approach to make it more relevant for modern adaptive testing. Examples are given of the application of the randomization approach and the extended Sympson and Hetter approach.
Field Application of Activated Carbon Amendment for In-Situ Stabilization of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Marine Sediment

We report results on the first field-scale application of activated carbon (AC) amendment to contaminated sediment for in-situ stabilization of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The test was performed on a tidal mud flat at South Basin, adjacent to the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco Bay, CA. The major goals of the field study were to (1) assess scale up of the AC mixing technology using two available, large-scale devices, (2) validate the effectiveness of the AC amendment at the field scale, and (3) identify possible adverse effects of the remediation technology. Also, the test allowed comparison among monitoring tools, evaluation of longer-term effectiveness of AC amendment, and identification of field-related factors that confound the performance of in-situ biological assessments. Following background pretreatment measurements, we successfully incorporated AC into sediment to a nominal 30 cm depth during a single mixing event, as confirmed by total organic carbon and black carbon contents in the designated test plots. The measured AC dose averaged 2.0-3.2 wt% and varied depending on sampling locations and mixing equipment. AC amendment did not impact sediment resuspension or PCB release into the water column over the treatment plots, nor adversely impactthe existing macro benthic community composition, richness, or diversity. The PCB bioaccumulation in marine clams was reduced when exposed to sediment treated with 2% AC in comparison to the control plot Field-deployed semi permeable membrane devices and polyethylene devices showed about 50% reduction in PCB uptake in AC-treated sediment and similar reduction in estimated pore-water PCB concentration. This reduction was evident even after 13-month post-treatment with then 7 months of continuous exposure, indicating AC treatment efficacy was retained for an extended period. Aqueous equilibrium PCB concentrations and PCB desorption showed an AC-dose response. Field-exposed AC after 18 months retained a strong stabilization capability to reduce aqueous equilibrium PCB concentrations by about 90%, which also supports the long-term effectiveness of AC in the field. Additional mixing during or after AC deployment, increasing AC dose, reducing AC-particle size, and sequential deployment of AC dose will likely improve AC-sediment contact and overall effectiveness. The reductions in PCB availability observed with slow mass transfer under field conditions calls for predictive models to assess the long-term trends in pore-water PCB concentrations and the benefits of alternative in-situ AC application and mixing strategies.