cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DishPat and FeedPat: Test beds for students to investigate design alternatives for dish antennas

Two programs are introduced to provide flexible and portable C-language programs for investigating design and analysis alternatives for prime-focus paraboloidal reflectors. FeedPat enables the study of the aperture illumination provided by a particular feed. DishPat computes the resulting radiation pattern and provides graphical output. Using simple piecewise-constant numerical integration, DishPat employs square subareas which are easy to manage and may be readily extended to handle a variety of reflector outlines as well as feed offsets. Equivalent magnetic surface currents limit the validity of the radiation to the forward half-space, but the loss in coverage is offset by the simplicity of the code. Not only useful for learning, the programs may be readily modified into practical design tools.
When Is a Difference Really Different? Learners' Discrimination of Linguistic Contrasts in American Sign Language.

Learners’abilitytorecognizelinguisticcontrastsinAmericanSignLanguage(ASL)was investigated using a paired-comparison discrimination task. Minimal pairs containing contrasts in five linguistic categories (i.e., the formational parameters of movement, handshape, orientation, and location in ASL phonology, and a category comprised of contrasts in complex morphology) were presented in sentence contexts to a sample of 127 hearing learners at beginning and intermediate levels of proficiency and 10 Deaf native signers. Participants’ responses were analyzed to determine the relative difficulty of the linguistic categories and the effect of proficiency level on performance. The results indicated that movement contrasts were the most difficult and location contrasts the easiest, with the other categories of stimuli of intermediate difficulty. These findings have implications for language learning in situations in which the first language is a spoken language and the second language (L2) is a signed language. In such situations, the construct of language transfer does not apply to the acquisition of L2 phonology because of fundamental differences between the phonological systems of signed and spoken languages, which are associated with differences between the modalities of speech and sign.
Perturbation Analysis of Stochastic Hybrid Systems and Applications to Some Non-Cooperative Games

Abstract We establish some conditions under which Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis (IPA) for general Stochastic Hybrid Systems (SHS) becomes particularly simple and efficient. We then apply IPA to a class of stochastic non-cooperative games termed “resource contention games” modeled through Stochastic Flow Models (SFMs), where two or more players (users) compete for the use of a sharable resource. Simulation examples are provided for a simple version of such games to illustrate and contrast system-centric and user-centric optimization.
Singular Gierer–Meinhardt systems of elliptic boundary value problems

Abstract We establish existence results for singular Gierer–Meinhardt elliptic systems with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions. Gierer–Meinhardt systems are model problems for pattern formations of spatial tissue structures of morphogenesis. The mathematical difficulties are that the system becomes singular near the boundary and it is non-quasimonotone. We show the existence of positive solutions for the activator–inhibitor model with common sources.
Effects of moisture and UV exposure on liquid molded carbon fabric reinforced nylon 6 composite laminates

Abstract Liquid molding of thermoplastics has been limited by high resin viscosity, high temperature processing requirements, and a short processing window [Sibal PW, Camargo RE, Macosko CW. Designing nylon 6 polymerization for RIM. In: Proceedings of the second international conference on reactive processing of polymers, Pittsburgh, PA; 1982, p. 97–125.]. The processing parameters for vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) developed by the authors and previously reported [Pillay S, Vaidya UK, Janowski GM. Liquid molding of carbon fabric-reinforced nylon matrix composite laminates. J Thermoplast Compos Mater 2005;18:509–27] have been adapted to process carbon/nylon 6 composite panels. The present work addresses the effects of moisture and ultraviolet (UV) exposure on the static and dynamic mechanical properties of carbon fabric reinforced, thermoplastic polyamide 6 matrix panels processed using VARTM. The Bao and Yee dual diffusivity model [Bao LR, Yee AF. Moisture diffusion and hygrothermal aging in bismaleimide matrix carbon fiber composites: Part II – Woven and hybrid composites. Compos Sci Technol 2002;62:2111–9] was applied to evaluate the moisture uptake for the C/PA6, fully immersed in distilled water at 100 °C. SEM results show that moisture exposure result in surface micro-cracks compromise of the fiber–matrix interface. The flexural strength is lowered by 45%, after exposure to moisture at 100 °C. UV exposure up to 600 h causes yellowing of the samples and an increase in crystallinity from 40% to 44%.
CIP2A expression and localization in oral carcinoma and dysplasia.

Aims: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignancy of the oral cavity resulting in severe morbidity and mortality. To date only few proteins have been suggested as potential biomarkers or targets for this type of cancer. Cancerous inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) is a protein expressed in epithelial tissues that stabilizes the oncogene c-Myc and causes cell transformation. This study was designed to investigate the expression of CIP2A in OSCC cell lines and tissues representing human normal, dysplasia and OSCC. Methods: Using quantitative real time PCR, mRNA quantification for CIP2A was performed in a primary gingival cell line and OSCCs CAL 27 and SCC-25. Paraffin embedded human specimen classified as normal, dysplastic or OSCC were immunohistochemically stained for CIP2A expression. EGFR and CIP2A were also stained by immunofluorescence for co-localization. Samples of human normal oral tissue and OSCC were studied by PCR for mRNA expression of CIP2A. Results: CIP2A was significantly inc...
A polynomial algorithm for integer programming covering problems satisfying the integer round-up property

LetA be a non-negative matrix with integer entries and no zero column. The integer round-up property holds forA if for every integral vectorw the optimum objective value of the generalized covering problem min{1y: yA ź w, y ź 0 integer} is obtained by rounding up to the nearest integer the optimum objective value of the corresponding linear program. A polynomial time algorithm is presented that does the following: given any generalized covering problem with constraint matrixA and right hand side vectorw, the algorithm either finds an optimum solution vector for the covering problem or else it reveals that matrixA does not have the integer round-up property.
A computer-compatible digital encoding-decoding system

A system for using a home stereo tape recorder to encode up to 30 separate events is described. The basic features of the technique are discussed together with an evaluation of alternative schemes. Schematics for construction are supplied, and the flow chart for computer decoding of the taped record via this system is provided.
Product price and performance level in one market or two separated markets under various cost structures and functions

Abstract Market characteristics, including intrinsic demand and customer sensitivity on price and product performance level, are distinct at different markets. Comparisons of various product development strategies in one market or two geographically separated markets are conducted for three classes of products: development intensive products (DIPs) with constant unit cost, marginal cost-intensive products (MIPs) with constant fixed cost, and marginal and development intensive products (MDIPs) with non-constant unit cost and fixed cost. Results show that larger demand size, less customer sensitivity on price and/or more sensitivity on performance level lead to more profit, a higher sale price and a not-lower product performance. The customer reservation or the saturation performance level should be generally adopted though the optimal performance level does exist occasionally. Unit cost and/or fixed cost must increase in performance at an increasing rate for the existence of one optimal performance level. Due to the impact of demand size, one high-end (low-end) MDIP or DIP could be introduced into one low-end (high-end) market at a different price if the demand size is significantly large in the low-end market. For DIPs, offering one niche high-end product is not worse than offering the low-end product into two markets. For MIPs with negligible fixed cost, the product line strategy is not worse than the standard product development strategy. Additionally, the product cost reduction approach adopted in one product line has significant effects on the best product development strategy and sequence.
jContractor: Introducing Design-by-Contract to Java Using Reflective Bytecode Instrumentation

Design by Contract is a software engineering practice that allows semantic information to be added to a class or interface to precisely specify the conditions that are required for its correct operation. The basic constructs of Design by Contract are method preconditions and postconditions, and class invariants. This paper presents a detailed design and implementation overview of jContractor, a freely available tool that allows programmers to write "contracts'' as standard Java methods following an intuitive naming convention. Preconditions, postconditions, and invariants can be associated with, or inherited by, any class or interface. jContractor performs on-the-fly bytecode instrumentation to detect violation of the contract specification during a program's execution. jContractor's bytecode engineering technique allows it to specify and check contracts even when source code is not available. jContractor is a pure Java library providing a rich set of syntactic constructs for expressing contracts without extending the Java language or runtime environment. These constructs include support for predicate logic expressions, and referencing entry values of attributes and return values of methods. Fine grain control over the level of monitoring is possible at runtime. Since contract methods are allowed to use unconstrained Java expressions, in addition to runtime verification they can perform additional runtime monitoring, logging, and analysis.
Plant-wide control system design: Primary controlled variable selection

Abstract This work is focused on the development of a rigorous, model-based approach for the selection of primary controlled variables as part of a plant-wide control system design methodology. Controlled variables should be selected for their self-optimizing control performance and controllability while ensuring satisfactory performance in terms of dead-time and closed loop interactions. This work has considered both self-optimizing and control performance as well as has addressed issues related to loop-interactions and superstructure constraints. The new three-stage approach developed in this work results in a large-scale, constrained, mixed-integer multi-objective optimization problem. For solving this problem, a parallelized, bi-directional branch and bound algorithm with dynamic search strategies has been developed to solve the problem on large computer clusters. The proposed approach is then applied to an acid gas removal unit as part of an integrated gasification combined cycle power plant with CO 2 capture.
Olmec Pottery Production and Export in Ancient Mexico Determined Through Elemental Analysis

The first Mesoamerican civilization, the Gulf Coast Olmec, is associated with hierarchical society, monumental art, and an internally consistent ideology, expressed in a distinct style and salient iconography. Whether the Olmec style arose in just one area or emerged from interactions among scattered contemporaneous societies remains controversial. Using elemental analysis, we determined the regional clay sources of 725 archaeological ceramic samples from across Mesoamerica. Exported Olmec-style ceramics originated from the San Lorenzo region of the Gulf Coast, supporting Olmec priority in the creation and spread of the first unified style and iconographic system in Mesoamerica.
Thermometer design at the nanoscale

Accurate temperature measurement with high spatial resolution is a challenging research topic. Advances in nano- and biotechnology demand precise thermometry down to the nanoscale regime, where conventional methods are not able to make measurements. The development of a nanoscale thermometer is not only a matter of size, but also requires materials with novel physical properties, because all physicochemical and thermodynamic properties are drastically altered at this tiny scale. We review current technical developments toward nanoscale thermometries and describe their advantages and applications. In particular, progress on thermal sensors using molecular and biological moieties, as well as nanoscale superstructures, is stressed as a novel approach to thermometry.
Buckle formation in vacuum-deposited thin films

Abstract A theoretical interpretation of the deformation pattern that develops in vacuum-deposited thin films after being exposed to atmospheric conditions is presented. A ratio between the characteristic dimensions of a unit cross-section of the debonded, buckled film is obtained by minimizing the strain energy of the displacement surface which is approximated by the product of two sinusoidal curves. The calculated ratio for the unit cross-section is in good agreement with experimental measurements. Energetic arguments are then invoked to explain the development of the observed film deformation patterns.
Spatial and temporal averages in chaotic patterns.

We show that spatiotemporally complex patterns in the presence of a symmetry imposed by the container geometry can have ordered spatial and temporal averages. The system studied was the K\"uppers-Lortz unstable state in rotating thermal convection. As the control parameter \ensuremath{\Delta}T was increased above onset, fluctuations about the ordered averaged state increased and the correlation of individual patterns with the averaged state decreased. The pattern fluctuations about the averaged state were highly correlated with the instantaneous heat transport fluctuations.
A HTTP cookie covert channel

This paper presents a new covert channel based on Google Analytic web cookies in HTTP protocol. The new covert channel is difficult to disrupt and is capable of reasonably high bandwidths. The Google Analytic framework is used by over half of the most popular web sites currently on the Internet; its ubiquitousness across the web implies a great impact of this covert.
Transfer RNA methyltransferase and glycine N-methyltransferase activity during Rana pipiens development.

Abstract Changes in the activity of the tRNA methyltransferases have been found in all differentiating systems studied. Activity was examined in extracts of Rana pipiens embryos and in larval and adult liver by in vitro assay using S-adenosyl- l -[methyl-14C]methionine as the methyl donor. Specific activities of tRNA methyltransferases decreased, beginning with the time of feeding, when using high concentrations of the crude liver enzyme. A new methyltransferase activity, glycine N-methyltransferase, appeared at the time of feeding. Apparently, the glycine methyltransferase is active before the onset of any of the characteristic metamorphic changes of other liver enzymes. Using partially purified enzyme from adult liver, the Km of glycine methyltransferase for S-adenosylmethionine is 0.3 mM and the Ki for S-adenosylhomocysteine, a competitive inhibitor, is 0.08 mM.
The Importance of Cash‐Flow News for Financially Distressed Firms

Previous studies have shown that stock prices are moved primarily by news about discount rates (expected returns). I argue that when a Þ rm experiences Þ nancial distress, news about cash s ows becomes more dominant in driving its stock returns. Applying Campbell’s (1991) variance decomposition framework to Þ nancially distressed Þ rms supports this argument. Furthermore, I Þ nd that more bankruptcies occur after negative shocks to expected cash s ows than after positive shocks to discount rates; and that stock prices of distressed Þ rms are less sensitive than those of sound Þ rms to changes in equity risk. Unexpected stock returns can be expressed as a function of changes in rational expectations of future dividend growth (i.e., cash- s ow news) and future discount rates (i.e., expected-return news). Following the log-linear dividend-ratio model of Campbell and Shiller (1988), and using a vector autoregressive (VAR) approach, Campbell (1991) decomposes the variance of the market monthly returns into the variance and covariance terms of these two components, and Þ nds that stock prices move primarily by expected-return news. Campbell and Ammer (1993) document similar results when adding bond market data to the VAR system. Other authors have since explored the characteristics of the cash- s ow and expected-return news components. 1 In this study I predict and Þ nd that cash- s ow news becomes more important for Þ rms in Þ nancial distress. The conventional valuation model used in Campbell’s (1991) framework suggests that stock prices re s ect an in Þ nite series of discounted expected cash s ows. Hence, unexpected stock returns of a typical Þ rm are driven by changes in expectations of cash s ows and discount rates for all future periods. When a Þ rm faces severe Þ nancial distress, however, the value of its stock is strongly driven by the likelihood that the Þ rm will go bankrupt. Since this likelihood is directly affected by the ability of the Þ rm to generate cash in the near future, any news about the Þ rm’s cash s ows should have a strong impact on its current stock price. Put differently, it is more likely that a Þ rm will go bankrupt due to a decrease in its expected cash s ows, rather than an increase in its discount rate. This argument can be strengthened by taking into account the time series properties of cash- s ow and expected-return news. As Campbell (1991) notes, expected-return news is dominant since changes in expected returns are more persistent than changes in expected cash s ows. Hence, for
Characterization of soluble guanylyl cyclase in transformed human non-pigmented epithelial cells

Abstract Topical application of nitro vasodilators, such as sodium nitroprusside, reduces intraocular pressure. In brain and blood vessels, nitro vasodilators activate soluble guanylyl cyclases, producing cGMP. The location and molecular identity of ocular guanylyl cyclases are unknown. We studied transformed human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells, whose parental cells are responsible for the production of aqueous humor. Sodium nitroprusside increased cGMP 40 to 60 fold in a time and concentration dependent manner (EC50 40 to 100 μM). Methylene blue inhibited this effect (IC50 0.6 μM in the presence of 100 μM sodium nitroprusside). We also detected mRNA for the α1 and β1, but not the β2, subunit isoforms of soluble guanylyl cyclase in these cells by Northern blotting. We conclude that transformed non-pigmented epithelial cells contain an active heterodimeric soluble guanylyl cyclase composed of at least α1 and β1 subunits.
NETMATE: A network management environment

A description is given of the Network Management Analysis and Testing Environment (NETMATE) project, the prime goal of which is to develop a unified and comprehensive software environment for network management to oversee and orchestrate the operations of diverse devices and protocols in large, heterogeneous computer networks. The overall NETMATE architecture is discussed, and the network management functions performed by each component are described. The problem of network modeling and the NETMATE approach to it are presented. The current implementation status of NETMATE is given, and some conclusions are offered. >
Applying the Retailing Approach in the Marketing of Colleges and Universities

(1981). Applying the Retailing Approach in the Marketing of Colleges and Universities. The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 56, No. 5, pp. 191-194.
Nutritional Consequences of Experimentally Introduced Tourism in Brown Bears

Although numerous studies have documented behavioral effects of nature-based tourism on wildlife populations, few studies have determined whether behavioral changes translate to effects on individual condition and population health. This issue is currently a concern for wildlife managers in Alaska, USA, and Canada where bear viewing is a rapidly growing industry expanding into previously undisturbed bear habitats. Rather than record observations at long established tourism sites, we experimentally introduced bear viewing into 2 relatively undisturbed brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in south-central Alaska. We examined the nutritional consequences of behavioral changes induced by the presence and activity of bear viewers for bears feeding on early summer vegetation and late-summer salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch and O. nerka). We used Global Positioning System collars, monitored food resource availability, and quantified individual resource use and condition for a year prior to and during the introduction of bear viewing. Though bear viewing altered spatiotemporal resource use in all treatments, total resource use declined only when we exposed bears to 24-hour daily human activity. Energy expenditure, indexed as daily travel distances, was significantly higher when bears responded by altering spatial rather than temporal resource use. However, body weight and composition were unaffected by all treatments as bears shifted their foraging to other locations or times. Managers can minimize nutritional impacts of bear-viewing programs by avoiding spatial displacement and providing predictable time periods when bears can access food resources free of human activity. Bears in this study exhibited a high degree of behavioral plasticity, which may be an important factor in identifying flagship species for sustainable ecotourism programs.
The echoes of victory: liturgical and para-liturgical commemorations of the capture of Jerusalem in the West

The capture of Jerusalem by the Franks on 15 July 1099 was commemorated liturgically in several monastic and secular communities in France. Inscribing the events of 1099 into the liturgy was a principal mechanism of making memory. Commemoration occurred in a number of different ways, from simple notation in liturgical calendars, to para-liturgical compositions that celebrated crusader victories, to formal liturgical commemoration included in the Sanctorale. The methods and texts of liturgical commemoration celebrated the victory in a variety of ideological registers. As a group, the commemorations placed the event within providential history, inherently sacralising and legitimising the capture of Jerusalem and thus the whole of the First Crusade.
Comparison study between MCMC-based and weight-based Bayesian methods for identification of joint distribution

The Bayesian method is widely used to identify a joint distribution, which is modeled by marginal distributions and a copula. The joint distribution can be identified by one-step procedure, which directly tests all candidate joint distributions, or by two-step procedure, which first identifies marginal distributions and then copula. The weight-based Bayesian method using two-step procedure and the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)-based Bayesian method using one-step and two-step procedures were recently developed. In this paper, the one-step weight-based Bayesian method and two-step MCMC-based Bayesian method using the parametric marginal distributions are proposed. Comparison studies among the Bayesian methods have not been thoroughly carried out. In this paper, the weight-based and MCMC-based Bayesian methods using one-step and two-step procedures are compared to see which Bayesian method accurately and efficiently identifies a correct joint distribution through simulation studies. It is validated that the two-step weight-based Bayesian method has the best performance.
The use of procaine amide (pronestyl) to accelerate blood transfusions in the anesthetized patient: its generalized sympatholytic effect without hypotension.

Abstract The use of Pronestyl in blood to accelerate the rate of blood flow is described. The absence of hypotensive side effect with this method of administration is presented. The sympatholytic effect without hypotension is discussed. The use of Pronestyl by intravenous drip is recommended for control and safety.
Monochorionic monoamniotic twins: neonatal outcome

Monochorionic monoamniotic twins (MoMo) occur in one of 10 000 pregnancies. Cord entanglement, malformations, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTS) and prematurity are responsible for their high perinatal morbidity and mortality. To report our experience with 36 sets of MoMo twins (1990 to 2005) and to provide updated information for counseling. Chorionicity was determined by placental examination, gestational age and TTS clinically and by sonography. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was diagnosed with a twin-specific nomogram. Cord entanglement was observed in 15 pregnancies, but only one twin with entanglement and a true knot, experienced related morbidity. Four of 71 live births were IUGR. Malformations were diagnosed prenatally (one hypoplastic left heart and one body stalk) and postnatally (one vertebral anomalies-anal atresia-tracheoesophageal fistula-renal defect (VATER) and two lung hypoplasias). Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome affected three sets of twins. Five twin sets delivered before 31, 19 sets at 31 to 32 and 12 sets at 33 to 34 weeks. Six of 71 (8%) twins died (four malformations, one TTS and one 26 weeks premature). Head ultrasounds in 59 of 65 survivors showed two (3%) periventricular leukomalacia, five (9%) Grade I–II intraventricular hemorrhage and 52 (88%) normal. Monochorionic monoamniotic twins remain a group at risk for cord entanglement, congenital malformations, TTS and prematurity. Although their neonatal mortality and morbidity is high, outcomes for survival are better than anticipated.
Estimation of multiplicative measurement-error models and some simulation results

Abstract Hwang's (1986) multiplicative errors-in-variables model is extended to include both scrambled dependent and independent variables. Simulation results show that the derived estimator yields estimates closely approximating the true parameters. OLS's estimates are seriously biased.
Treatment of simple goiter with thyroid.

MEDICATION with thyroid was first used in the treatment of simple nontoxic goiter at a time when little was known of the physiology of the thyroid gland. Though the results were most gratifying, this form of treatment was largely abandoned almost fifty years ago. An investigation into this curious state of affairs disclosed a sequence of events which is interesting but not unique, since it has occurred in the case of other effective therapeutic agents. The present report comprises a summary of the medical literature dealing with this subject and an account of results personally obtained over a five-year period. Prior to the introduction of thyroid as a therapy for simple goiter, iodine in one form or another was used for many years. Even before the element had been discovered, preparations now known to contain iodine were in use. Local applications of burnt sponge were employed in Europe before the twelfth century (41), and the use of various substances of marine origin was known to early nineteenth centu...
An Integrated Approach for Joint Process Planning and Machine Tool Dynamic Behavioral Assessment

The current work introduces a novel approach for enhanced process planning where the machine tool kinematic and dynamic behavior is introduced and modeled. The proposed approach is structured in three main steps starting from the workpiece analysis, the dynamic cutting simulation till the fixturing system selection and the setup planning. The methodology introduced in the paper has been validated with reference to an industrial case study and results have been described.
The chemosensory responses of young cichlid fish to parents and predators

Abstract The chemosensory responses of the fry of the Midas cichlid, Cichlasoma citrinellum (Pisces: Cichlidae), were tested in a Y-maze during their first 11 days of free-swimming. Fry preferred all conspecific females to blank water but did not distinguish between their own mother, another mother or a non-parental, adult female. Fry preferred females to males. Similar results were obtained for males. Fry preferred their siblings and (unrelated) juveniles to blank water. However, while they failed to show a preference between siblings and their mother, they preferred their mother to juveniles. Fry were able to any of three heterospecifics ( C. managuense, C. nigrofasciatum and the allopatric Sarotherodon mossambicus ). The chemosensory responses demonstrated in the Y-maze are hypothesized to aid the fry in staying near the centre of the guarded territory and away from predators, particularly under murky or nocturnal conditions.
Resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy of jet-cooled OsSi

The optical spectrum of diatomic OsSi has been investigated for the first time, with transitions observed in the range from 15 212 to 18 634 cm(-1) (657-536 nm). Two electronic band systems have been identified along with a number of unclassified bands. Nine bands have been investigated at rotational resolution, allowing the ground state to be identified as X(3)Σ0(+) (-), arising from the 1σ(2)1π(4)2σ(2)3σ(2)1δ(2) configuration. The ground X(3)Σ0(+) (-) state is characterized by re = 2.1207(27) A and ΔG1/2″ = 516.315(4) cm(-1) for the most abundant isotopologue, (192)Os(28)Si (38.63%). The A1 excited electronic state, which is thought to be primarily (3)Π1 in character, is characterized by T0 = 15 727.7(7) cm(-1), ωe = 397.0(7) cm(-1), and re = 2.236(16) A for (192)Os(28)Si. The B1 excited electronic state is characterized by T0 = 18 468.71 cm(-1), ΔG1/2 = 324.1 cm(-1), and re = 2.1987(20) A for (192)Os(28)Si and is thought to be primarily (1)Π1 in character. These results are placed in context through a comparison to other transition metal carbides and silicides.
A modern oceanic hardground on the Carnegie Ridge in the eastern Equatorial Pacific

Fossil surfaces of erosion and non-deposition are common in limestone sequences from the Mesozoic in western Europe and in the Tethys and have been described under the name ‘hardgrounds’. They are of shallow water as well as of oceanic origin. A modern example in the Pacific is described in this paper. The Carnegie Ridge, an east-west trending shallow ridge between South America and the Galapagos Islands, has a central, deeper saddle where erosion has removed most of the sediment cover down to a hard chalk and chert bed (acoustic basement), and has cut intricate channel patterns on the south flank and two deep canyons on the north. The erosion has produced a karst-like relief of steep-walled channels, cliffs, and corroded chalk remnants. The floors of the channels are covered with ferromanganese oxide crusts or crust fragments over which loose sediment is being transported. In the two canyons on the north flank, this sediment consists of foraminiferal sand travelling downslope in the form of barchan dunes. All sediment down to acoustic basement has been stripped from the Carnegie Ridge crest except where it is protected behind basement ridges and pinnacles. Surface features of the eroded chalk are strongly reminiscent of features observed in Mesozoic hardgrounds. Current measurements over several days indicate a net northward movement, slow but possibly adequate to keep the sea floor free of fresh deposits. The rates, however, seem inadequate to explain the formation of the deep channels, and there is no evidence for the southward flow which is implied by the southern channel system. A process of combined carbonate dissolution and removal by the current of fresh sediment and dissolution residues can account for the required erosion in about two million years. Regional unconformities identifiable in seismic reflection profiles and dated in cores are of middle to late Pliocene age, suggesting that the formation of the erosion surface began 2-3 million years ago. Buried Miocene unconformities of local extent show that the present erosion period had minor precursors possibly related to short-lived increases in current action and carbonate dissolution.
Performance and emotionality in the development of behavioral contrast

Three rats were trained to barpress for food on a multiple schedule. One component of the multiple schedule was a FI 2-min schedule. The other component of the multiple schedule was a concurrent FI 2-min FRX schedule. X was constant for each rat, but different between rats. Free shocks were dispensed on a VT 30-sec schedule during the concurrent component. The shocks were “felt” by the rats, but had no effect on behavioral contrast. The data favor emotionality theories over preference theories of behavioral contrast.
Predation on an Upper Trophic Marine Predator, the Steller Sea Lion: Evaluating High Juvenile Mortality in a Density Dependent Conceptual Framework

The endangered western stock of the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) – the largest of the eared seals – has declined by 80% from population levels encountered four decades ago. Current overall trends from the Gulf of Alaska to the Aleutian Islands appear neutral with strong regional heterogeneities. A published inferential model has been used to hypothesize a continuous decline in natality and depressed juvenile survival during the height of the decline in the mid-late 1980's, followed by the recent recovery of juvenile survival to pre-decline rates. However, these hypotheses have not been tested by direct means, and causes underlying past and present population trajectories remain unresolved and controversial. We determined post-weaning juvenile survival and causes of mortality using data received post-mortem via satellite from telemetry transmitters implanted into 36 juvenile Steller sea lions from 2005 through 2011. Data show high post-weaning mortality by predation in the eastern Gulf of Alaska region. To evaluate the impact of such high levels of predation, we developed a conceptual framework to integrate density dependent with density independent effects on vital rates and population trajectories. Our data and model do not support the hypothesized recent recovery of juvenile survival rates and reduced natality. Instead, our data demonstrate continued low juvenile survival in the Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords region of the Gulf of Alaska. Our results on contemporary predation rates combined with the density dependent conceptual framework suggest predation on juvenile sea lions as the largest impediment to recovery of the species in the eastern Gulf of Alaska region. The framework also highlights the necessity for demographic models based on age-structured census data to incorporate the differential impact of predation on multiple vital rates.
D3-brane shells to black branes on the Coulomb branch

We use the AdS-CFT duality to study the special point on the Coulomb branch of N=4 SU(N) gauge theory which corresponds to a spherically symmetric shell of D3-branes. This point is of interest both because the spacetime region inside the shell is flat, and because this configuration gives a very simple example of the transition between D-branes in the perturbative string regime and the nonperturbative regime of black holes. We discuss how this geometry is described in the dual gauge theory, through its effect on the two-point functions and Wilson loops. In the calculation of the two-point function, we stress the importance of absorption by the branes. (c) 1999 The American Physical Society.
Diagnostics for Nonparametric Regression Models with Additive Terms

Abstract Recent developments of multivariate smoothing methods provide a rich collection of feasible models for nonparametric multivariate data analysis. Among the most interpretable are models with additive terms. Construction of various models and algorithms for computing the models have been the main concern of the existing literature in this area. Few results are available on the validation of computed fits, and many applications of nonparametric methods unfortunately end up interpreting the noise. This article proposes and illustrates some simple retrospective diagnostics to help data analysts in detecting possible aliasing effects in computed nonparametric fits and in building parsimonious models in an interactive fashion. It also discusses the concepts and rationale behind the proposal, including concurvity, diagnostics versus tests, and so forth. For their ready availability, interaction splines are used in the illustrations.
Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary 2-Butoxyethanol + Propanol + Butanol Solvent Mixtures

Article on the solubility of anthracene in ternary 2-butoxyethanol + propanol + butanol solvent mixtures.
Hydrodynamics, size, and shape of bacteriophage T4D tails and baseplates

We have used translational diffusion coefficient measurements and subunit hydrodynamic theory to determine the dimensions and shape of bacterioophage T4D baseplates and tails. The diffusion coefficient of the baseplate, measured by quasielastic laser light scattering (QLS), was determined previously by Wagenknecht and Bloomfield to be D = 8.56 × 10−8 cm2/s. For the tail, we found D = 5.88 × 10−8 cm2/s by QLS, and D = 6.02 × 10−8 cm2/s by combining sedimentation coefficient and molecular weight in the Svedberg equation. These values, which have an uncertainty of ±2.7%, when combined with subunit hydrodynamic theory, enabled us to refine estimates of dimensions obtained by electron microscopy. For the hexagonal baseplate, the vertex-to-vertex distance is about 480 A, the thickness is 160 A, and there are six extended short fibers 320-A long and 40 A in diameter. When a baseplate of these dimensions is attached to a tail tube-sheath-connector complex 1050-A long and 240 A in diameter, the calculated D is 5.93 × 10−8 cm2/s, within 1% of experiment. This combined use of electron microscopy and hydrodynamics, using the former to ascertain shape, and the latter to obtain solution dimensions, is a powerful approach to the structure of biomolecular complexes.
Enzymatic and nonenzymatic production of free radicals from the carcinogens 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide and 4-hydroxylaminoquinoline N-oxide.

The anion radicals of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4-NQO) and 4-nitrosoquinoline N-oxide (4-NOQO) carcinogens were detected and characterized by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The structures of the radical intermediates were examined by density functional theory (DFT) at the level of hybrid unrestricted uBecke3LYP. The formation of superoxide anion radical catalyzed by flavin-containing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 reductase or xanthine oxidase in the presence of 4-NQO or 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide was studied by spin-trapping experiments. In this case, the ESR signal of the 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO)−superoxide radical adduct was observed, and its formation was inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD). No ESR signal was detected when the two-electron-transferring flavoenzyme DT-diaphorase (NADPH-quinone oxidoreductase) was used. The above is consistent with a one-electron reduction in the metabolism of these nitro compounds to anion free radicals by various flavoenzyme reductases.
Glucose-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress is independent of oxidative stress: A mechanistic explanation for the failure of antioxidant therapy in diabetes

Oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. However, a large number of interventional studies have failed to show any health benefits of antioxidants. The overwhelming failure of antioxidant therapy to prevent disease can be explained by inadequacy of the doses of antioxidants used, short duration of therapy, or poor timing of initiation of the supplementation. A more likely reason for failure of antioxidants to reduce diabetes-related complications is the multiplicity of mechanisms of glucotoxicity that are independent of oxidative stress. Recently, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has emerged as an important contributor to diabetes-related complications. Multiple lines of experimental evidence indicate that ER stress in endothelial cells can be uncoupled from oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia, and antioxidants can ameliorate the latter without altering the ER stress. These observations provide a novel mechanistic explanation for the failure of antioxidant therapy in interventional clinical trials.
Polarization dynamics and formation of polar nanoregions in relaxor ferroelectrics

Polarization dynamics and formation of polar nanoregions (PNR) in relaxor ferroelectrics is considered within a model of interacting short range polar clusters formed by off-center ions in highly polarizable materials. The model is applicable on the mesoscopic level and takes explicitly into account the distribution of cluster relaxation times and the existence of quenched random fields which control the size of PNR. Using self-consistent random field theory and continuous time random walk approximation, a relationship is established between the average polarization dynamics contributing to the low frequency dielectric response, and the local polarization dynamics determining NMR spin lattice relaxation time [Blinc et al., Phys. Rev. B 63, 024104 (2001); Cordero et al., ibid. 71, 094112 (2005)]. The lengthscale of PNR estimated from the obtained universal relationship between the parameters of the soft mode dispersion curve and the static dielectric permittivity is in agreement with the experiment [Vakhrushev et al., Physica B 156-157, 90 (1989)]. The predicted proportionality, between the intensity of diffuse neutron scattering from dynamic PNR and square of PNR correlation length, which has been recently a subject of controversy, is also in agreement with experiment by Vakhrushev et al. Therefore, we conclude that the model captures essential features of the static and dynamic behavior of relaxor ferroelectrics, and could be used for the characterization of new relaxor materials.
Kids Rule!: Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship by Sarah Banet‐Weiser

Kids Rule!: Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship Sarah Banet-Weiser. Durham: Duke University Press, 2007. Geraldine Laybourne, former president of kids' cable channel Nickelodeon and oft-quoted personage in the pages of Sarah Banet-Weiser's new book, said of the early days of the network, "Nickelodeon decided to do what nobody else was doing-raise a banner for kids and give them a place on television that they could call their own ... In January 1985, we relaunched as a network dedicated to empowering kids, a place where kids could take a break and get a break" (qtd. in Banet-Weiser 82). Kids Rule!: Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship attempts to tell the story of the channel from the moment of its relaunch in 1985 to its place as a global media power and seminal cultural brand in the early years of the twentyfirst century. In so doing, Banet-Weiser considers the impact consumer citizenship has had on the way we as a society conceptualize rights, power, civic duty and engagement-and, most specifically, childhood and the position of children as citizens and consumers. Banet-Weiser's argument is that Nickelodeon, through a carefully constructed brand and deliberately honed marketing strategy, transformed itself from a "green vegetable" network offering pedagogy-based programming to young children, into a space, a "nation," devoted to the empowerment of kids. Through this process, the network claimed a mantle for itself as the purveyor of agency for the traditionally disenfranchised youth population, while also building a global media empire. By buying into the Nick brand, kids claim participatory citizenship in a public sphere defined by consumer culture, rather than liberal civic-mindedness and action. Nickelodeon is thus post-Habermasian, in addition to being postfeminist, postrace, postmodern; the civic self is determined by the marketplace, and cultural and national identity is about purchasing power. In such a realm, kids have just as much power, if not more, than anyone. Nickelodeon, therefore, serves as a case through which to examine the ways consumer citizenship offers a new model for agency and empowerment, particularly for children, who are often excluded from civic life. In building this case, Banet-Weiser conducted interviews with industry insiders, including former employees of Nickelodeon; additionally, she interviewed fifty children, ages eight to thirteen, all of varying ethnic backgrounds, all of the middle class. …
Role of performance evaluation in automated image algorithm generation

When considering ways to automate the generation of image processing algoritms for object recognition tasks, one critical element is the availability of measures to assess the potential and actual ability of individual operations for making necessary discriminations. This paper discusses performance evaluation of image processing operators or algorithms from the perspective of trying to search automatically through a large space of them for one which satisfactorily performs a given recognition task. Performance is expressed in terms of accuracy, consistency, and cost, over a set of training images. The major issues of evaluating and choosing between operators in this context are discussed and examples are given of measures which can be used to evaluate classes of operators for applicability, as well as individual operators or parameter settings for actual performance. Examples are drawn primarily from binary morphology, with detailed extensions described for grey level morphological and linear operations.
Similarities and differences between mental health and health care evaluation studies assessing consumer satisfaction

This paper compares the literatures assessing consumer satisfaction with health care and mental health treatment. Similarities and differences in the quantity, origins, quality, methodology, results, and utilization of findings are examined. The similarities identified far outweigh the differences. The trend toward carefully constructed high quality studies in the health care field is seen as suggesting a promising direction for future research.
Left ventricular motion reconstruction from planar tagged MR images: a comparison

Through recent development of MR techniques, it is now possible to assess regional myocardial wall function in a non-invasive way. Using MR tagging, space is marked with planes which deform with the tissue, providing markers for tracking the local motion of the myocardium. Numerous methods to reconstruct the three-dimensional displacement field have been developed. The aim of this article is to provide a framework to quantitatively compare the performance of four methods the authors have developed. Five sets of experiments are described, and their results are reported. Instructions are also provided to perform similar tests on any method using the same data. The experiments show that some characteristic properties of the methods, such as sensitivity to noise or spatial resolution, can be quantitatively classified. Cross-comparison of performances show what range values for these properties can be considered acceptable.