cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling traveler responses to alternative gasoline allocation plans

Abstract This paper describes a modeling technique for estimating responses of urban travelers to gasoline shortages under three different procedures for allocating scarce gasoline supplies. The allocation procedures are: allow the price of gasoline to rise to a market clearing level, allocate gasoline by means of white-market coupons, and allocate gasoline by means of traditional rationing. The modeling technique is based on a system of disaggregate travel demand models and provides for representation of non-price restraints on gasoline consumption (e.g. traditional rationing) and for changes in multi-destination travel, as well as for changes in gasoline prices and in modes, destinations and frequencies of travel. The application of the modeling technique is illustrated by using it to estimate the effects of a gasoline shortage in the Washington, D.C., area. The results of this application indicate that in all allocation procedures tested, reductions in non-work trip frequencies and lengths are the main sources of gasoline savings in the presence of shortages. Transit improvements and carpool incentives moderate but do not prevent the effects of shortages on non-work travel. In price-based allocation methods, including allocation by means of white-market coupons, the reductions in travel that accompany a gasoline shortage are considerably larger among low-income households than they are among high-income ones. This distribution of effects is reversed when non-price-based allocation is used.
On the region of indifference for high pressure transitions in d-camphor (II–III) and phosphorus (I–II)

Abstract An investigation has been made of the effect of pressure on the transformation in d -camphor and phosphorus. The so-called “region of indifference”, reported as approximately 0·6 kilobars (kb) in camphor and approximately 0·38 kb in phosphorus, was found to be less than 0·14 kb and 0·16 kb, respectively. Rates of transformation between phases showed strong dependence on the purity of material, and it is suggested that for sufficiently high purity the region of indifference may become vanishingly small.
A Dual-Catalysis Approach to Enantioselective [2 + 2] Photocycloadditions Using Visible Light

In contrast to the wealth of catalytic systems that are available to control the stereochemistry of thermally promoted cycloadditions, few similarly effective methods exist for the stereocontrol of photochemical cycloadditions. A major unsolved challenge in the design of enantioselective catalytic photocycloaddition reactions has been the difficulty of controlling racemic background reactions that occur by direct photoexcitation of substrates while unbound to catalyst. Here, we describe a strategy for eliminating the racemic background reaction in asymmetric [2 + 2] photocycloadditions of α,β-unsaturated ketones to the corresponding cyclobutanes by using a dual-catalyst system consisting of a visible light-absorbing transition-metal photocatalyst and a stereocontrolling Lewis acid cocatalyst. The independence of these two catalysts enables broader scope, greater stereochemical flexibility, and better efficiency than previously reported methods for enantioselective photochemical cycloadditions.
Characterizing multi-way interference in wireless mesh networks

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have been proposed as a solution for ubiquitous last-mile broadband access. A critical limiting factor for many WMN protocols in realizing their throughput potential is the interference between nodes in the WMN. Understanding and characterizing such interference is important for a variety of purposes such as channel assignment, route selection, and fair scheduling. Instead of using ad hoc heuristics, a recent study proposed characterizing interference in a WMN by measuring two-way interference, i.e., interference between each pair of communicating links.In this paper, we study the extent of multi-way interference, i.e., the interference caused by multiple transmitters to a communicating link. We find through simulations and through measurements of a 32-node wireless testbed that even if these transmitters individually do not interfere significantly with a given communicating link, simultaneous transmissions of them have the potential to significantly affect the throughput of the communicating link. This implies that pairwise interference measurements may be optimistic when used to drive protocols in wireless mesh networks. Encouragingly, we find that this phenomenon, although significant when it occurs, is not widespread. In particular, multi-way interference caused significant additional throughput degradation compared to pairwise interference to a small fraction of the links in the testbed over our measurement period. In addition, we find that there is a strong correlation between the impact of multi-way interference and the quality of the link under consideration. We conclude with recommendations on how protocols should take multi-way interference into account.
In a matter of minutes, the eye can know which way to grow.

Purpose The fitting of chick eyes with positive or negative lenses causes eye growth to decelerate or accelerate, respectively, thereby minimizing the imposed blur. This study was conducted to determine whether the eye can initially assess the correct direction of growth or whether it relies on trial and error, reversing its direction if the magnitude of blur increases. The rapid changes in choroidal thickness in response to brief periods of defocus were measured. Methods After their eyes were measured by ultrasound biometry, chicks wore either a +10-D lens over one eye for 10 minutes while restrained in the center of a 60-cm drum (to ensure myopic blur), or a negative lens (-7 or -8.6 D) over one eye for 10 minutes or 1 hour in a normal cage environment. They were then kept in darkness until they were remeasured 2 hours, 1 day, or 2 days after the first measurement. Other chicks wore +10 or -8.6-D lenses briefly and were measured several times over the next 7 hours in darkness. Results Wearing positive or negative lenses for only 10 minutes produced significantly different effects on choroidal thickness measured 2 hours later. Wearing positive lenses for 10 minutes caused an increase in choroidal thickness (in 28 of 32 eyes) and a concomitant decrease in vitreous chamber depth, relative to the amount of change in the untreated fellow eye over the same period. Wearing negative lenses for 1 hour caused significant changes in the opposite direction. Wearing lenses for 2 hours resulted in choroidal changes that persisted in darkness for up to 6 hours after positive lens wear, but returned to normal after negative lens wear. Finally, 1 hour of positive lens wear caused significant inhibition of ocular elongation over the next 2 days. Conclusions The eyes of chicks require only a brief period of lens wear to initiate compensation in the appropriate direction. Because the refractive status changes little during the period of lens wear, the authors conclude that eyes can rapidly determine the sign of the imposed blur without resorting to a trial-and-error method.
Trends and Variation in Ku-Band Backscatter of Natural Targets on Land Observed in QuikSCAT Data

It has been well known that a few areas on the Earth's surface have a relatively constant backscattering coefficient and can serve as radar calibration targets. Examples include the Amazon rain forest, the Greenland ice sheet, parts of Antarctica, etc. However, there has not been any extensive investigation and quantitative evaluation of these targets in terms of their time variation, isotropy, and spatial variation. Here, we have analyzed a consistent set of Ku-band radar measurements for more than ten years from the QuikSCAT mission. This valuable set of data provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to study the long-term variability of observed backscattering from the Earth's surface at Ku-band. In this paper, we performed a global survey of potential constant land targets and evaluated their variability. Quantitative measurements of temporal and spatial variabilities (homogeneity) and isotropy are used to identify the locations of the best natural calibration targets. We also discuss annual and long-term trends in the data and offer potential explanations for these trends. We examine small regions with the least overall variation. By concentrating on low-variation areas, we can identify useful calibration targets for future radar missions and for intercalibration between existing radars. At the same time, by focusing on regions with little spatial or temporal heterogeneity, we can analyze the temporal variation on diurnal, seasonal, and decadal scales in homogenous natural terrain types including rain forest, dry brushy areas, and ice sheets. We found that rain forest targets in the Amazon and Congo are very stable in time and homogeneous. However, they are subjected to diurnal difference. On the other hand, the Antarctica ice sheet is another good candidate for stable target, but it has seasonal variability. The Greenland ice sheet shows a significant trend in backscatter in recent years, and therefore, may not be a suitable calibration site anymore. Another location for a good stable target is a dry brushy area in the Sahara, which shows comparable stability and isotropy with those of the Amazon, Congo, and Antarctica.
A Model of Salmonella Colitis with Features of Diarrhea in SLC11A1 Wild-Type Mice

BACKGROUND Mice do not get diarrhea when orally infected with S. enterica, but pre-treatment with oral aminoglycosides makes them susceptible to Salmonella colitis. However, genetically susceptible ItyS mice (Nramp1(G169D) allele) die from systemic infection before they develop diarrhea, so a new model is needed to study the pathogenesis of diarrhea. We pretreated ItyR mice (Nramp1(G169)) with oral kanamycin prior to infecting them with virulent S. Typhimurium strain 14028s in order to study Salmonella-induced diarrhea. We used both a visual scoring system and the measurement of fecal water content to measure diarrhea. BALB/c.D2(Nramp1) congenic started losing weight 5 days post-infection and they began to die from colitis 10-14 days after infection. A SPI-1 (invA) mutant caused cecal, but not colonic inflammation and did not cause diarrhea. A phoP- mutant did not cause manifestations of diarrhea in either normal or NADPH-deficient (gp91(phox)) mice. However, strain 14028s caused severe colitis and diarrhea in gp91(phox)-deficient mice on an ItyR background. pmr A and F mutants, which are less virulent in orally infected BALB/c mice, were fully virulent in this model of colitis. CONCLUSIONS S. enterica must be able to invade the colonic epithelium and to persist in the colon in order to cause colitis with manifestations of diarrhea. The NADPH oxidase is not required for diarrhea in Salmonella colitis. Furthermore, a Salmonella phoP mutant can be cleared from the colon by non-oxidative host defenses.
Black hole formation in a box

Evidence is presented for Hawking's viewpoint that in an insulated box in thermal equilibrium, black holes should form and evaporate in a statistically time-symmetric way. In particular, it is shown that if a black hole can evaporate adiabatically, it is much more likely to form adiabatically than by Jeans instability.
Positive staining of tumor-stage Kaposi sarcoma with lymphatic marker D2-40.

Background Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a vascular tumor first described by Moritz Kaposi (Kohn) in 1872 and recently linked to human herpesvirus 8. All forms of KS share the same pathologic features, including atypical spindle cells and slitlike vascular spaces. The exact origin of the neoplastic endothelial cells (vascular vs lymphatic) has recently been debated. Objective We sought to further investigate the origin of neoplastic cells in KS. Methods D2-40, a novel monoclonal antibody to a sialoglycoprotein that reacts with a fixation-resistant epitope in lymphatic endothelium, was used to investigate possible lymphatic origin of neoplastic cells in KS. Results We report 5 cases of tumor-stage KS that showed positive staining with lymphatic marker D2-40. Limitations Small study size is a limitation. Conclusion The origin of neoplastic cells in KS may be lymphatic or mixed lymphatic and vascular. Further studies are needed to elucidate the exact origin of neoplastic cells in KS.
A distributed architecture for collaborative real-time video tracking

Most existing multiple object tracking techniques suffer from the well-known "multi-object occlusion" problem and/or immense computational cost due to the use of high- dimensional joint state representation. In this paper, we present a novel distributed Bayesian framework using multiple collaborative cameras for robust and efficient multiple object tracking with significant and persistent occlusion. When the objects are in close proximity or present multi-object occlusions in a particular camera view, camera collaboration between different views is activated in order to handle the multi-object occlusion problem. Moreover, we propose to model the camera collaboration likelihood density by using epipolar geometry with particle filter implementation. The performance of our approach has been demonstrated on real-world video data.
Detecting Prostatic Adenocarcinoma From Digitized Histology Using a Multi-Scale Hierarchical Classification Approach

In this paper we present a computer-aided diagno- sis (CAD) system to automatically detect prostatic adenocarci- noma from high resolution digital histopathological slides. This is especially desirable considering the large number of tissue slides that are currently analyzed manually - a laborious and time-consuming task. Our methodology is novel in that texture- based classification is performed using a hierarchical classifier within a multi-scale framework. Pyramidal decomposition is used to reduce an image into its constituent scales. The cascaded image analysis across multiple scales is similar to the manner in which pathologists analyze histopathology. Nearly 600 different image texture features at multiple orientations are extracted at every pixel at each image scale. At each image scale the classifier only analyzes those image pixels that have been determined to be tumor at the preceding lower scale. Results of quantitative evaluation on 20 patient studies indicate (1) an overall accuracy of over 90% and (2) an approximate 8-fold savings in terms of computational time. Both the AdaBoost and Decision Tree classifiers were considered and in both cases tumor detection sensitivity was found to be relatively constant across different scales. Detection specificity was however found to increase at higher scales reflecting the availability of additional discrimi- natory information. Index Terms—Hierarchical classifier, decision trees, Ad- aBoost, prostate cancer, digitized histology.
Not Separate, Not Equal: Poverty and Inequality in Post-Apartheid South Africa

As South Africa conducts a review of the first ten years of its new democracy, the question remains as to whether the economic inequalities of the apartheid era are beginning to fade. Using new, comparable consumption aggregates for 1995 and 2000, this paper finds that real per capita household expenditures declined for those at the bottom end of the expenditure distribution during this period of low GDP growth. As a result, poverty, especially extreme poverty, increased. Inequality also increased, mainly due to a jump in inequality among the African population. Even among subgroups of the population that experienced healthy consumption growth, such as the Coloureds, the rate of poverty reduction was low because the distributional shifts were not pro-poor.
An arsenic emitter structure for high-performance silicon transistors

Arsenic-doped emitters have been shown to produceh igh performance in bipolar silicon transistors. In comparison with phosphorus, the emitter dopant commonly used in the industry, the use of arsenic results in a steeper gradient (1024/cm4), less compensation of the base region, no "emitter dip" effect, and a flatter profile with higher sheet conductivity. Since arsenic atoms area better match to Si than are phosphorus atoms and the arsenic process requires lower surface concentration for a particular diffusion depth and sheet conductivity, fewer crystal defects are generated. As a result the arsenic emitter process results in a higher device yield and is much more reproducible, even for shallow diffusion depths. Arsenic-emitter transistors, both with and without gold doping, are found to be superior in performance, with 1.6 to 2 times higher gain bandwidth, fT, and current gain, β, than those with phosphorus emitters with similar geometry. Also the ability of the arsenic emitter to sustain large current densities, exceeding 30,000 A-cm-2, makes it extremely desirable for high density, small geometry, and high-performance silicon devices.
Assessing professionalism in the context of an objective structured clinical examination: an in-depth study of the rating process

INTRODUCTION Professionalism is fundamental to the practice of medicine. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been proposed as appropriate for assessing some aspects of professionalism. This study investigated how raters assign professionalism ratings to medical students' performances in OSCE encounters. METHODS Three standardised patients, 3 doctor preceptors, and 3 lay people viewed and rated 20 videotaped encounters between 3rd-year medical students and standardised patients. Raters recorded their thoughts while rating. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. Comments about observable behaviours were coded, and relative frequencies were computed. Correlations between counts of categorised comments and overall professionalism ratings were also computed. RESULTS Raters varied in which behaviours they attended to, and how behaviours were evaluated. This was true within and between rater type. Raters also differed in the behaviours they consider when providing global evaluations of professionalism. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the complexity of the processes involved in assigning ratings to doctor-patient encounters. Greater emphasis on behavioural definitions of specific behaviours may not be a sufficient solution, as raters appear to vary in both attention to and evaluation of behaviours. Reliance on global ratings is also problematic, especially if relatively few raters are used, for similar reasons. We propose a model highlighting the multiple points where raters viewing the same encounter may diverge, resulting in different ratings of the same performance. Progress in assessment of professionalism will require further dialogue about what constitutes professional behaviour in the medical encounter, with input from multiple constituencies and multiple representatives within each constituency.
On the optimality and pareto efficiency of allocations

A central problem in economics is the characterization of efficient programs of resource allocation by a price system and the use of a price mechanism to attain such an allocation in economics where decision making is decentralized. The purpose of this note is to examine those notions in the context of a double infinity economy (continuum of agents, infinite dimensional commodity space), using techniques of nonsmooth analysis.
Enzyme function less conserved than anticipated.

The level of sequence similarity that implies similarity in protein structure is well established. Recently, many groups proposed thresholds for similarity in sequence implying similarity in enzymatic function. All previous results suggest the strong conservation of enzymatic function above levels of 50% pairwise sequence identity. Here, I argue that all groups substantially overestimated the conservation of enzyme function because their data sets were either too biased, or too small. An unbiased analysis suggested that less than 30% of the pair fragments above 50% sequence identity have entirely identical EC numbers. Another surprising finding was that even BLAST E-values below 10(-50) did not suffice to automatically transfer enzyme function without errors. As expected, most misclassifications originated from similarities in relatively short regions and/or from transferring annotations for different domains. Both problems cannot be corrected easily by adjusting the thresholds for automatic transfer of genome annotations. A score relating sequence identity to alignment length (distance from HSSP-threshold) outperformed statistical BLAST scores for high sequence similarity. In particular, the distance score allowed error-free transfer of enzyme function for the 10% most similar enzyme pairs. The results illustrated how difficult it is to assess the conservation of protein function and to guarantee error-free genome annotations, in general: sets with millions of pair comparisons might not suffice to arrive at statistically significant conclusions. In practice, the revised detailed estimates for the sequence conservation of enzyme function may provide important benchmarks for everyday sequence analysis and for more cautious automatic genome annotations.
Protocol Standardization Reveals MV Correlation to Healthy Donor BMI

Microvesicles (MVs) are cell-derived vesicles which are of interest in a clinical setting, as they may be predictive of early signs of disease and/or of treatment progression. However, there are growing concerns about using conventional flow cytometry (cFMC) for the detection and quantification of microvesicles. These concerns range from error-sources in collection through to the physical limitations of detection. Here we present a standardized method for collection and analysis which shows that the MV numbers detected by cFCM correlate to donor Body Mass Index (BMI). Although unlikely to be comprehensive, we also demonstrate how cFCM is a useful and valid tool in the analysis of MVs.
Nanocomposites for thermoelectrics and thermal engineering

The making of composites has served as a working principle of achieving material properties beyond those of their homogeneous counterparts. The classical effective-medium theory models the constituent phases with local properties drawn from the corresponding bulk values, whose applicability becomes questionable when the characteristic size of individual domains in a composite shrinks to nanometer scale, and the interactions between domains induced by interfacial and size effects become important or even dominant. These unique features of nanocomposites have enabled engineering of extraordinary thermoelectric materials with synergistic effects among their constituents in recent years. For other applications requiring high thermal conductivity, however, interfacial and size effects on thermal transport in nanocomposites are not favorable, although certain practical applications often call for the composite approach. Therefore, understanding nanoscale transport in nanocomposites can help determine appropriate strategies for enhancing the thermal performance for different applications. We review the emerging principles of heat and charge transport in nanocomposites and provide working examples from both thermoelectrics and general thermal engineering.
Genetic isolation by distance and localized fjord population structure in Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus): limited effective dispersal in the northeastern Pacific Ocean

Genetic population structure of Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, was examined across much of its northeastern Pacific range by screening variation at 11 microsatellite DNA loci. Estimates of FST (...
The Evolutionary Origin of Feathers: A Problem Demanding Interdisciplinary Communication1

The last contributed paper in the last session of the Division of Vertebrate Morphology on the last day of the SICB meeting in December 1995 reevaluated the long-standing problem of how feathers move (see Homberger and de Silva, 1995). Dominique Homberger's interpretation of the involvement of the extensive cutaneous and subcutaneous fat as a hydraulic skeleton in this context was most intriguing to Gopi Menon and Paul Maderson. This adipose tissue was one of many puzzling features of sauropsid ( sensu Laurin and Reisz, 1995: 180) skin that had attracted their attention during the writing of a paper on avian cutaneous water loss (see Menon et al., 1996). Two realizations emerged from considering the observations in these papers. First, available data imply that, in many aspects, avian skin resembles that of reptiles more than that of mammals. Second, there are surprising gaps in our knowledge of the structure, function, and physiology of avian skin, and the absence of critical data leaves several fundamental issues unresolved. As the three of us shared our interest in, and passion for, the functional and evolutionary morphology of the sauropsid integument, Dominique Homberger suggested that avian skin would make an ideal focus for a symposium, a theme that had never been entertained before. Over the next 15 months we contacted persons interested in joining us in an interdisciplinary analysis of the sauropsid integument built around the theme of “the evolutionary origin of feathers.” Throughout that same period, there were numerous allusions to feathered dinosaurs in the media ( e.g. , Browne, 1996; Arthur, 1998; Nuttall, 1998). Sinosauropteryx became the avatar of the renaissance of interest in dinosaurs on the dust cover of Currie and Padian's (1997) Encyclopedia, and its integument was the focus of debate in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Unwin, 1998). The concomitant …
Patterning of periodic high-aspect-ratio nanopores in anatase titanium dioxide from titanium fluoride hydrolysis

We report straight pores in titanium dioxide produced by a pattern transfer method with titanium fluoride hydrolysis. The resulting films on fluorine-doped tin oxide had pores with diameters of 30 nm and depths of 500 nm, corresponding to aspect ratios of 1:17.
Complementarity-based dynamic simulation for kinodynamic motion planning

In this paper, we present the use of complementarity-based dynamic simulation algorithms for kinodynamic motion planning. Dynamic simulation algorithms are used as local planning methods in sampling-based motion planning algorithms to find inputs that ensure the resulting trajectory satisfies the dynamics constraints. However, the inputs are not guaranteed to give collision-free path segments. The inputs, chosen either by random sampling or from a discretization of the available inputs, are rejected if the path segment is not collision free. In cluttered environments, finding a feasible input is difficult and sensitive to the duration Δt of application of the input, and to the discretization resolution of the input set. When the collision constraints (or any inequality constraints on the state of the robot) are modeled as a set of complementarity constraints, the dynamic simulation algorithm gives a path segment that touches the obstacles and a set of contact forces whenever the robot makes contact with the obstacles. The sum of the chosen input forces and the contact forces transformed to the input space gives a control input that guarantees a collision-free path segment (provided it is within the actuator bounds). Thus in cluttered environments, using a complementarity-based dynamic simulation algorithm, we can find a feasible input that is relatively insensitive to the choice of Δt and the discretization resolution of the input set. We present simple simulation examples showing the advantages of our algorithm in cluttered environments.
On-chip capacitor measurement for high performance microprocessor

This paper describes a method to measure the dynamically changing on-chip capacitor of a high performance microprocessor while in operation. The capacitor's effectiveness in controlling the core voltage supply is presented.
Inclusion as Social Practice: Views of Children with Autism

This study illuminates the social realities of inclusion of 16 high functioning children with autism (HFA) in public schools in the United States. The study suggests that the practice of inclusion rests primarily on unaffected schoolmates rather than teachers, who typically are occupied monitoring academic progress and disciplinary transgressions across a range of children. Utilizing ethnographic observations and video recordings of quotidian classroom and playground activities, the analysis elucidates how classmates employ a range of positive and negative inclusion practices that either integrate or distance autistic children. Ethnographic observations of the study population indicate that the children whose diagnosis was fully disclosed enjoyed more consistent social support in the classroom and on the school playground. The study further suggests that high functioning children with autism exhibit a range of reactions to negative inclusion practices such as rejection and scorn. Such reactions include oblivion, immediate behavioral response, and emotionally charged accounts of disturbing school incidents shared after-the-fact with family members. Significantly, these observations indicate that HFA children can be cognizant of and distressed by others’ derisive stances and acts, despite symptomatic difficulties in interpreting others’ intentions and feelings.
A general method for conserving quantities related to potential vorticity in numerical models

Nambu proposed a generalization of Hamiltonian dynamics in the form dF/dt = {F, H, Z}, which conserves H and Z because the Nambu bracket {F, H, Z} is completely antisymmetric. The equations of fluid dynamics fit Nambu's form with H the energy and Z a quantity related to potential vorticity. This formulation makes it easy, in principle, to construct numerical fluid-models that conserve analogues of H and Z; one need only discretize the Nambu bracket in such a way that the antisymmetry property is preserved. In practice, the bracket may contain apparent singularities that are cancelled by the functional derivatives of Z. Then the discretization must be carried out in such a way that the cancellation is maintained. Following this strategy, we derive numerical models of the shallow-water equations and the equations for incompressible flow in two and three dimensions. The models conserve the energy and an arbitrary moment of the potential vorticity. The conservation of potential enstrophy—the second moment of potential vorticity—is thought to be especially important because it prevents the spurious cascade of energy into high wavenumbers.
Voltage-dependent conductances of solitary ganglion cells dissociated from the rat retina

1. Ganglion cells were dissociated from the enzyme-treated rat retina, identified with specific fluorescent labels, and maintained in vitro. Electrophysiological properties of solitary retinal ganglion cells were investigated with both conventional intracellular and patch-clamp recordings. Although comparable results were obtained for most measurements some important differences were noted. 2. The input resistance of solitary retinal ganglion cells was considerably higher when measured with 'giga-seal' suction pipettes than with conventional intracellular electrodes. Under current-clamp conditions with both intracellular and patch pipettes, these central mammalian neurones maintained resting potentials of about -60 mV and displayed action potentials followed by an after-hyperpolarization in response to small depolarizations. The membrane currents during this activity, analysed under voltage clamp with patch pipettes, consisted of five components: Na+ current (INa), Ca2+ current (ICa), and currents with properties similar to the delayed outward, the transient (A-type), and the Ca2+-activated K+ currents (IK, IA and IK(Ca), respectively). 3. Ionic substitution, pharmacological agents, and voltage-clamp experiments revealed that the regenerative currents were carried by both Na+ and Ca2+. 100 nM-1 microM-tetradotoxin (TTX) reversibly blocked the fast spikes carried by the presumptive INa, which under voltage-clamp analysis had classical Hodgkin-Huxley-type activation and inactivation. 4. Single-channel recordings of the Na+ current (iNa) permitted comparison of these 'microscopic' events with the 'macroscopic' whole-cell current (INa). The inactivation time constant (tau h) fitted to the averaged single-channel recordings of iNa in outside-out patches was slower than the tau h obtained during whole-cell recordings of INa. 5. In the presence of 1-40 microM-TTX and 20 mM-TEA, slow action potentials appeared in intracellular recordings and were probably mediated by Ca2+. The potentials were abrogated by 3 mM-Co2+ or 200 microM-Cd2+; conversely, increasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration from 2.5 to 10-25 mM or substitution of 1 mM-Ba2+ for 2.5 mM-Ca2+ enhanced their amplitude. ICa was measured directly in whole-cell recordings with patch pipettes after blocking INa with extracellular 1 microM-TTX and K+ currents with intracellular 120-mM Cs+ and 20 mM-TEA. 6. During whole-cell recordings with patch electrodes, extracellular 20 mM-TEA suppressed IK and, to a lesser extent, IA. Extracellular 5 mM-4-AP or a pre-pulse of the membrane potential to -40 mV prior to stronger depolarization completely blocked IA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa

This paper examines sources of agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Growth in the stock of traditional inputs (land, labor, livestock) remains the dominant source of output growth. Growth in modern input use was of secondary importance, but still accounted for a 0.2-0.4% annual growth rate in three of four sub-regions. Econometric results support earlier studies that suggest that land abundance may be a constraint on land productivity growth. Growth in agricultural exports and historic calorie availability had positive impacts on productivity. These latter results suggest that positive feedback effects exist between export performance and food security on one hand and agricultural productivity on the other.
The Kinematic Basis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The goals of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are to restore knee stability and function and to preserve joint health. Static tests for anteroposterior laxity (eg, Lachman test or KT-1000 arthrometer) have typically shown restoration of normal or near-normal laxity with a variety of modern ACL reconstruction techniques. However, ACL reconstruction has failed to prevent the early onset of osteoarthritis, and there is growing evidence that traditional single-bundle ACL reconstruction does not restore normal knee mechanics under functional loading conditions. ACL reconstruction may fail to restore normal rotational stability during the pivot shift. Abnormal internal-external rotation and ab/adduction have been reported after ACL reconstruction during normal daily activities like walking and running. Recently, cadaveric studies have shown the potential superiority of ACL double-bundle (DB) reconstruction for restoring anatomy and mechanical function. However, clinical data demonstrating the clear superiority of DB reconstruction is lacking because of the absence of well-controlled clinical studies. Additionally, dynamic knee function after anatomic DB ACL has yet to be assessed comprehensively.
Fixture Failure Diagnosis for Sheet Metal Assembly with Consideration of Measurement Noise

This paper expands previously developed assembly fixture fault diagnosis methodology (Ceglarek and Shi, 1996) by considering the impact of measurement noise on the diagnostic results. The proposed solution provides a new analytical tool to address the diagnosability issue during the assembly process design stage. An evaluation of fault diagnosis index as a function of noise, fixture geometry, and sensor location is presented. The index is derived from the general class of covariance matrices describing tooling faults. Simulation based on the real fixture is presented to illustrate the proposed method.
Economic Analysis of Renewable Energy Systems

As the price of oil and natural gas continues to increase, reaching levels that threaten our local and national economy, the need to seek alternative sources of energy has become necessary to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and enhance homeland security. The USA has an abundance of renewable energies such as solar, wind, hydro and bio-fuels that need to be explored for generating hydrogen as an energy carrier. Engineering and Technology graduates must be well educated and highly trained with use and applications of the alternative energy systems. Accordingly, students should be instructed on the state of the art technology and modern systems in this area of increasing national interest. Renewable Energy sources will reduce our national dependence on foreign oil and enhance our homeland security because of their environmental and economical merits. This paper introduces engineers, technologists, and students interested in the area of renewable energy systems to the utilization of a modern software product that will enable them to conduct both technical and economical analysis on alternative energy systems. Software products from RETScreen International provide the user with clean energy decision capabilities. It enhances the capacity of planners and decision-makers by presenting them with a tool to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in alternative energy systems such as solar, wind, and hydro.. The software (free download available at www.retscreen.net) enables economic analysis and parametric studies on a variety of renewable energy systems.
A New Approach to Fourier Coefficient Evaluation

A new method for determining the coefficients of the Fourier series is given. This method is developed by considering each sample as a vector. The two coefficients an and bn are obtained simultaneously. Compared with the present techniques, this method is much simpler and more accurate. Illustrative examples are included.
Types of Competition and the Theory of Strategy: Toward an Integrative Framework

Three concepts of competition, each reflecting different research traditions in microeconomics, are discussed: Industrial Organization competition, Chamherlinian competition, andSchumpeterian competition. The implications of each for normative theories of strategy are discussed, and a single framework which describes the types of competitive forces a firm is likely to face over time is suggested.
Corporate Rate Reduction and Fairness to Pass Through Entities

There is considerable support for reducing the corporate tax rate but not for a corresponding reduction in individual rates. Since it seems likely that corporate rate reduction would have to be financed by reduction or even elimination of many tax preferences for business income equitable treatment of pass-throughs is a vexing problem.The article suggests a possible approach to fairness to pass-throughs which follows from recognition of the actual benefit of reducing corporate rates that I described in 2010. I showed that under the assumption that the combined rate of tax on corporate income (the corporate level tax plus the tax on distributions) is equivalent to the individual marginal rate applied to partnership income, the impact of reduced corporate rates was SOLELY to permanently reduce the tax burden on the RETURN ON REINVESTED EARNINGS to the lower corporate rate, whether or not these earnings were distributed. The return on INVESTED CAPITAL would continue to be taxed in full at individual rates even if distribution is deferred. If this is so, we can achieve equivalent treatment of pass-throughs if we can identify earnings from the reinvestment of business profits and, similar to the treatment of capital gain, limit the tax rate on these earnings to no more than the corporate rate.
The Power of Words: Sarpi’s Use of Language in Making History

In the late sixteenth century, when the so-called baroque style spread across Europe, Paolo Sarpi eschewed the contemporary tendency and embraced an innovative narrative using parsimonious prose which, though it appears simple and plain, was a product of a careful selection of words with precise meanings. In my article, I demostrate how Sarpi inaugurated a new way of writing history, avoiding eccentric redundancy and excessive emphasis and originating a style in which thought and form corrisponded completely. My inquiry shows how Sarpi's writing ability became an important weapon in his condamnation of the supremacy of the Church of Rome and how his prose, shorn of adornment, repetition and superficial elements, laid the foundations of modern historiography.
High Temperature Microelectromechanical Systems Using Piezoelectric Aluminum Nitride

We report on the efforts at Sandia National Laboratories to develop high temperature capable microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). MEMS transducers are pervasive in today's culture, with examples found in cell phones, automobiles, gaming consoles, and televisions. There is currently a need for MEMS transducers that can operate in more harsh environments, such as automobile engines, gas turbines, nuclear and coal power plants, and petroleum and geothermal well drilling. Our development focuses on the coupling of silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films on SiC wafers to form a MEMS material set capable of temperatures beyond 1000°C. SiC is recognized as a promising material for high temperature capable MEMS transducers and electronics because it has the highest mechanical strength of semiconductors with the exception of diamond and its upper temperature limit exceeds 2500°C, where it sublimates rather than melts. Most transduction schemes in SiC are focused on measuring changes in capaci...
Control of Archips semiferanus on Quercus, spp. with Two Chemical Insecticides

Trichlorfon (Dylox®, 1.5-oi]) when applied at 1.12 kg AI/ha caused significant reductions in larval populations of an oak leaf roller Archips semiferanus (Walker) on Quercus spp. Results indicate that trichlorfon is as effective in reducing populations as the presently registered material carbaryl (Sevin®, 4.oil), when applied at the same rate. Larval reductions with both chemical treatments were very rapid with greater than 95% of the total knockdown occurring within 4 days of application. Sampling of live larvae indicated similar reductions in populations over this period.
Multi-electron effects in molecules in strong laser fields

We discuss uniquely molecular multi-electron effects in strong laser fields, including non-sequential ionization in circularly polarized light, suppressed double ionization, and excitation from strongly driven charge transfer transitions.
Keynote speakers: Open innovation 2.0 and digital technology; The new paradigm for prosperity and sustainable intelligent living

The discipline of Innovation is constantly evolving and we are now arguably at a strategic inflection point where a new mode of innovation is emerging. This presentation introduces Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) which is a new paradigm based on principles of integrated multidisciplinary collaboration, co-created shared value, cultivated innovation ecosystems, unleashed exponential technologies, and focus on innovation adoption. In parallel a perfect storm of disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Big Data is creating unparalleled opportunities to put high precision, high frequency ‘closed loop’ controls circuits in place for societal systems where previously only ‘open loop’ control was possible. In particular the presentation will focus on how OI2 and these new disruptive technologies are being used in Smart Cities to create new usage models and new solutions that will get us collectively onto a path for sustainable intelligent living.
Locating Urban Transit Transfer Centers: A Service Zoning Based Approach

In response to the need of promoting transport efficiency and service quality for urban transit systems, this paper proposes an optimal location model for urban transit transfer centers by integrating the concepts of"service zoning and route classifying". It explicitly takes into account that the serving capacity of transit transfer centers will be affected by travel demand distribution, land use, and transit network topology. An efficient reformulation was developed to solve the proposed model and yield the global optimal solution for large-scale real-world applications. The model was successfully applied to optimize the transit transfer center locations in Suzhou Industrial Park, China, with the results of significantly improving the system performance and effectively capturing the interaction between travel demand and land use.
Sexual function and hormonal abnormalities in uremic men on chronic dialysis and after renal transplantation.

Twenty-one adult uremic males on chronic hemodialysis were studied to determine the circulating levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and prolactin and their relationship to sexual function. Ten of the twenty-one patients were on exogenous testosterone, and its effects were measured. Twelve adult males with successful renal transplants were likewise examined. Testosterone concentrations were low in dialysis patients not on androgens (429 ng/dl ± 85 SE), but FSH and LH levels were elevated (8.0 mIU/ml ±1.4 SE and 31 mIU/ml ± 5.4 SE, respectively. Testosterone returned to normal after transplantation, but FSH and LH levels remained elevated. Prolactin levels were significantly increased in dialysis patients (25.5 ng/ml ± 5.6 SE) and remained so despite androgen therapy, but returned to normal after transplantation. There was no correlation in any group between laboratory data and potency before androgen therapy. However, excessive testosterone replacement was shown to have an adverse effect on potentia.
Comparison of two systems for quality assurance of prehospital advanced life support services.

Introduction:The need for quality assurance (QA) systems for review of prehospital advanced life support (ALS) care has long been recognized. However, there only have been limited published studies on the operation and cost of QA systems for prehospital care. A number of different systems currently are in use, and the relative effectiveness of different QA systems has not been well determined.Objective:The aim of this study was to compare the personnel work-time and costs of two different systems of QA for prehospital ALS services, and thereby determine which type of system was more cost-effective in the generation of QA reports.Methods:The quality assurance program (System 1) for three independent ALS services in a rural/suburban area and the QA program (System 2) for a nearby urban ALS service were compared. Data recorded included the training level and number of hours per year devoted exclusively to QA activities by different personnel. The annual costs for other aspects of the QA systems and apportioned salary costs for time spent on QA work were recorded.Results:System 1, a computer-based system, utilized 1,116 hours per year of personnel time and required [US]2.15 per run reviewed). System 1 generated 852 reports per year (21 % of runs) about non-compliance with protocols or charting deficiencies. System 2 generated 284 reports per year (7.3% of runs) for similar events.Conclusions:Either a computer-based or “manual” system for QA of prehospital ALS services can be utilized. A computer-based system requires more personnel time and is more expensive, but generates more reports per year than does the manual system. A computer-based system more readily can retrieve run report data for further review.