cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quadratic Jahn-Teller coupling in octahedral systems

In this paper Jahn-Teller vibronic coupling calculations are presented for the general case [Γ8g × eg ] in Oh * symmetry. The hamiltonian employed is complete up to terms quadratic in vibrational coordinates qθ and qe which span the ν2(eg ) mode of MF6 systems. Calculational details are discussed. It is concluded that, in agreement with previously reported spectroscopic data for ReF6 and IrF6, quadratic terms in the vibronic interaction are essential (both qualitatively and quantitatively) to the complete understanding of intra-state vibronic coupling in transition metal hexafluorides.
The Glimm-Jaffe-Spencer expansion for the classical boundary conditions and coexistence of phases in the λφ24 Euclidean (quantum) field theory☆

Abstract The λφ24 Euclidean (quantum) field theory is studied in the multiphase region, and the following results are proven: (1) The “low temperature” expansion converges for Dirichlet (D), free (F), Neumann (N), and periodic (P), boundary conditions, and the even-point Schwinger functions for these boundary conditions have a mass gap; (2) 〈 o 〉 b = 1 2 〈o〉 + + 1 2 〈o〉 − , where b = D, F, N, P, and 〈o〉± are the pure states of Glimm, Jaffe, and Spencer; (3) 〈o〉±ξ = 〈o〉± for all ξ > 0, where ξ is the buondary field; (4) alternative characterizations of the pure states 〈·〉± are given.
A Teaching Strategy for a Christian Virtual Environment.

The current landscape in education is changing rapidly as online learning programs are experiencing great growth. As online learning grows, many professors and students are entering into new learning environments for the first time. While online learning has proven to be successful in many cases, it is not a journey upon which Christian professors or students should begin without some preparation. This article articulates a basic Christian teaching strategy by providing recommendations for those who are entering the online environment for the first time or desire to improve their online teaching effectiveness. These principles and recommendations are presented so that Christian professors can create Christian virtual environments in which they can have a significant impact on their students’ spiritual development in an online environment. It is critical that professors design their courses with the needs of online students in mind, ensuring that students of all learning styles are able to excel. Furthermo...
Stereopsis without binocular correlation

Abstract In a simple stimulus environment, a diplopic stereoscopic pair gives the same apparent depth whether the pair consists of similar or dissimilar images. This apparent depth may arise in part from a direct comparison of the two eyes images, but it may also be based in part on a process that assigns depth to monocular stimulation on the basis of retinal location: briefly presented monocular stimuli within the nasal retina (temporal field) appear to be more distant than stimuli presented within the temporal retina (nasal field). A model is presented which shows that such a monocular depth response could result from the inadequate stimulation of disparity detectors. However, this response could assist in judging the distance of naturally occurring monocular stimulation.
Limitations for brine acidification due to SO2 co-injection in geologic carbon sequestration

Abstract Co-injection of sulfur dioxide during geologic carbon sequestration can cause enhanced brine acidification. The magnitude and timescale of this acidification will depend, in part, on the reactions that control acid production and on the extent and rate of SO2 dissolution from the injected CO2 phase. Here, brine pH changes were predicted for three possible SO2 reactions: hydrolysis, oxidation, or disproportionation. Also, three different model scenarios were considered, including models that account for diffusion-limited release of SO2 from the CO2 phase. In order to predict the most extreme acidification potential, mineral buffering reactions were not modeled. Predictions were compared to the case of CO2 alone which would cause a brine pH of 4.6 under typical pressure, temperature, and alkalinity conditions in an injection formation. In the unrealistic model scenario of SO2 phase equilibrium between the CO2 and brine phases, co-injection of 1% SO2 is predicted to lead to a pH close to 1 with SO2 oxidation or disproportionation, and close to 2 with SO2 hydrolysis. For a scenario in which SO2 dissolution is diffusion-limited and SO2 is uniformly distributed in a slowly advecting brine phase, SO2 oxidation would lead to pH values near 2.5 but not until almost 400 years after injection. In this scenario, SO2 hydrolysis would lead to pH values only slightly less than those due to CO2 alone. When SO2 transport is limited by diffusion in both phases, enhanced brine acidification occurs in a zone extending only 5 m proximal to the CO2 plume, and the effect is even less if the only possible reaction is SO2 hydrolysis. In conclusion, the extent to which co-injected SO2 can impact brine acidity is limited by diffusion-limited dissolution from the CO2 phase, and may also be limited by the availability of oxidants to produce sulfuric acid.
Autonomous perception and decision-making in cyber-physical systems

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) belong to a relatively new interdisciplinary technology area in the science of autonomy, which includes the general class of embedded and hybrid systems. In CPS, the physical space is the source of information and the cyber space makes use of the generated information to identify pertinent events and to make decisions that, in turn, affect the physical space. The underlying computational and physical processes need to be integrated at appropriate temporal and spatial scales, which may require modeling and analysis of a variety of physical quantities for information generation and decision & control. To this end, the paper proposes an architecture for autonomous perception-based decision & control of complex cyber-physical systems.
Congenital pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum clinicopathologic correlation of two anatomic types

Abstract A clinical and pathologic study was made in 20 cases of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum proved at necropsy. The hearts usually could be divided readily into two groups, namely, those with a small or tiny right ventricle (Type 1) and those with a right ventricle of normal size or larger (Type 2); 13 hearts were of Type 1, and 7 were of Type 2. In cases of Type 2 the tricuspid valve presented gross anatomic malformations, namely, nonspecific shortening and thickening of the chordae tendineae and leaflets in 3 instances, and malinsertion of the leaflets in 3 others—a defect similar to that encountered in Ebstein's disease. In cases of Type 1 the tricuspid valve was small but well formed; 9 of these hearts had anomalous coronary vessels which connected the right ventricular myocardial sinusoids with the coronary arterial system. When the patients were more than 1 week of age, these two types usually could be differentiated on the basis of radiologic and electrocardiographic findings. This is of considerable importance because of the possibility of direct surgical treatment when the right ventricle is of normal size or larger.
Photophysical properties of nitrogen substituted fullerenes

Abstract By arc vaporization of graphite in the presence of pyrrole vapor, products are formed containing nitrogen atoms substituted in the C 60 and C 70 cage accompanied by other carbonaceous clusters. Fractions which are rich in nitrogen were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography using a gel permeation column and characterized by optical absorption, fluorescence, transient absorption, and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Fluorescence spectra are attributed to intrinsic excitation in the nitrogen doped species as well as to separated charges in the fragmented fullerenes. Transient absorption spectra at time delays of 20 ns following excitation of the ground state molecules are attributed to delayed fluorescence. The average fluorescence lifetime of these molecules were determined to be 4 ns. These data, together with earlier studies from this laboratory of the mass spectra, absorption and fluorescence of fractions isolated by column chromatography, add further credence to the existence of stable nitrogen doped fullerenes.
Nineteenth century investigations of periodicities in the jovian atmosphere

During the 19 th Century, Jupiter, visibly the most dynamic of planetary disks, came under close scrutiny by earthbound telescopic observers. In an attempt to understand the complexity of the morphology seen there, evidence of repetitions in the appearance of the jovian atmosphere was sought. Yet the mechanism for seasonal effects on the Earth, the angle between the planet's planes of rotation and revolution -the so-called "obliquity of the ecliptic" -(with a value of approx. 23th*), had already been dismissed as ineffectual in the case of Jupiter (for which the equivalent angle has a value of 3*). What other means for regular change was there?
A user perspective on computer-assisted translation for Minority languages

Janet Barnes is a researcher with the Summer Institute of Linguistics. 1. Background Can you explain the grace of God in everyday terms? How about the glory of God? Where would you begin to look for terms to translate the concepts of emperor, king, and governor into the language of a group of jungle Indians when the only political leader in their traditional culture is the local headman. Or how would you find terms for Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, the Sanhedrin, priest, scribe, and elders where there is no indigenous religious hierarchy? These translation problems are not without satisfactory solutions. In fact, they have been solved many times already, as the New Testament has been translated into scores of indigenous languages in the Amazon basin and elsewhere. In recent years members of the Summer Institute of Linguistics have been drawing more and more on the work of their colleagues for solutions to problems in translating the New Testament into previously unwritten languages. In Colombia the Desano New Testament was based on the Guanano New Testament. The initial draft of the Desano translation was done by a young man who grew up hearing both languages at home: his father is Desano and his mother Guanano. My earliest efforts at translation were done from the neighboring Tucano language into Tuyuca, with results that looked reasonable to me at that stage. Early on I did some translation on my own as well, using English and Spanish translations plus a Greek lexicon. I was still learning Tuyuca, so the results were mediocre and one straightforward Indian told me that my translation needed a lot of work! Even so, I compared it with the same passages that had been translated into Tucano, and was struck more by the similarity of the two translations that had been done independently than by their differences. (You must understand that Greek has notoriously long sentences, and that Tuyuca abounds in very short sentences. The average Tuyuca sentence is only 4 or 5 words long. Thus a good Tuyuca translation - and Tucano translation as well - requires massive restructuring of the information contained in clause after clause in Greek. That much, at least, the Tuyuca and Tucano translations had in common.) After some more time spent studying the grammar of Tuyuca, I decided to experiment again with a word-for-word translation from the closely related Tucano language. One of my language helpers translated the Epistle to the Colossians from Tucano to Tuyuca with no embellishments. When he finished, I checked his work for accuracy with another language helper. Then I asked my most exacting language helper to listen critically while I read the translation to him. When I finished reading, he said, 'That is really good Tuyuca.' Two women had come in as I began to read, and they agreed that the word-for-word translation from Tucano was real Tuyuca. That was encouragement enough for me, and I decided to work from Tucano from then on.
Dynamic programming in a heuristically confined state space: a stochastic resource-constrained project scheduling application

Abstract The resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) is a significant challenge in highly regulated industries, such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, where a large number of candidate new products must undergo a set of tests for certification. We propose a novel way of addressing the uncertainties in the RCPSP including the uncertainties in task durations and costs, as well as uncertainties in the results of tasks (success or failure) by using a discrete time Markov chain, which enables us to model probabilistic correlation of the uncertain parameters. The resulting stochastic optimization problem can be solved by using dynamic programming, but the computational load renders this impractical. Instead, we develop a new way to combine heuristic solutions through dynamic programming in the state space that the heuristics generate. The proposed approach is tested on a simplified version of RCPSP that has a fairly complicated stochastic nature, with 1,214,693,756 possible parameter realizations (scenarios), and involves five projects and 17 tasks. As a result, an on-line policy is obtained, which can use the information states in on-line decision making and improve the heuristics rather than a fixed solution obtained by the previous mathematical programming (MILP) problem formulations.
Fluid flow and metasomatism in a subduction zone hydrothermal system: Catalina Schist terrane, California

On Santa Catalina Island, southern California, bluechist to amphibolite facies metasedimentary, metamafic, and meta-ultramafic rocks show veining and alteration that reflect fluid flow and mass transfer at 25-45 km depths in an Early Cretaceous subduction zone. Synkinematic and postkinematic veins record fluid transport and metasomatism during prograde metamorphism and uplift. Vein and host-rock mineralogy and whole-rock compositions demonstrate large-scale chemical redistribution, especially of Si and alkali elements. Veins and host rocks trend toward isotopic equilibration with aqueous fluids with {delta}{sup 18}O{sub SMOW}=+13{per thousand} {plus minus} 1{per thousand}. The likely source for these fluids is in lower temperature, sediment-rich parts of the subduction zone. Carbon isotope systematics support this conclusion and indicate the influence of an organic C source. Quartz solubility relations indicate the importance of fluid-flow paths in chemical redistribution during subduction. These results document large-scale fluid flow and the complexity of possible metasomatic and mechanical mixing processes at intermediate levels of subduction zones. The record of subduction-zone mass transfer in the Catalina Schist is compatible with the record inferred for greater depths from geochemical and petrologic studies of arc magmatism.
Methodology and Models of Learning Systems

As technological advances in electro-mechanical devices result in more sophisticated learning delivery systems, emphasis should not be diverted from the legitimacy of the “software” or “message” to be transmitted.Evaluation procedures must be provided for at the earliest phases of program development with emphasis on measurable benefits to the learner.Cost effectiveness measures and a review of promises of new delivery systems are discussed.
Temperature Measurements in Central Collisions

At incident energies in excess of about E/A=50 MeV, a rapid collective expansion of the combined system may occur during the later stages of a central collision between heavy nuclei. The emission of the observed particle species occurs after initial overlap and before the density of the system passes below about 0.1Po, corresponding to an expansion rate dependent on the total emission time which is less than 100 fm/c. The short emission times motivate the description of such collisions via dynamical models or via statistical models which assume equilibrium at a single breakup density and temperature. This latter class of models includes bulk multifragmentation models such as the Statistical Multifragmentation Model (SMM) which displays a phase transition in sub-saturation density [1]. Calculations predict enhanced heat capacities for finite nuclear systems at temperatures of the order of 4-6 MeV due to the transformation from the Fermi liquid which can be found in the interior of large nuclei in their ground and low excited states to a gas phase consisting of free nucleons and light clusters.
Computer modeling of surface interactions and contaminant transport in microstructures during the rinsing of patterned semiconductor wafers

Abstract Rinsing microstructures on a patterned semiconductor wafer is modeled. The simulation results are presented for two cases when the surfaces of a trench as the microstructure are made of a single material, or two different materials. The dynamics of contaminant removal from the microstructure surfaces and its dependence on the geometrical structure, physical characteristics of the surfaces, and contaminant diffusivity are presented. The results show that in the case of a trench with two different materials, the cleaning dynamics of the trench bed strongly depends on the stacking order of the materials. When the upper material has a smaller desorption rate coefficient, the dynamics of contaminant transport develops a smaller rate at some point in time that depends on the thickness of the layers.
Functional stability of sagittal split ramus osteotomies: Effects of positional screw size and placement configuration

Abstract Purpose: This study examined the effects of positional screw size and placement configuration on osteotomy site stability in a sagittal split ramal osteotomy model. Materials and Methods: A reproducible analog of a sagittal split ramus osteotomy was developed to facilitate equitable comparisons of fixation stability. The distal segment of each analog was advanced by 7 mm and fixed bilaterally with 2.0-mm or 2.4-mm cortical screws applied in either a linear or a triangular configuration. Reduced analogs were placed in a straining frame, and simulated masticatory loads were applied alternatively to the mandibular first molars. Ensuing osteotomy site displacements were acquired and registered by displacement transducers attached to a computer-based data acquisition program. A coordinate transformation procedure was used to convert the component displacements captured by the individual transducers into a common “instability factor” to reflect fixation stability for each construct and loading condition. Results: Between configurations, the magnitude of interfragmentary displacement was less when the screws were applied in a triangular than in a linear configuration ( P ≤ .0001). Within configurations, 2.4-mm cortical screws provided greater stability than 2.0-mm screws. The stability profiles of the 2.0mm screws, applied in a linear configuration at the superior border, were very similar regardless of whether two or three screws were used. The loads at which the linear systems became unstable were significantly higher ( P ≤ .0001) than for the triangular systems. Despite the twofold or higher difference in the mean instability factor of the individual test constructs, the SDs for each construct were only one tenth to one fifth of the corresponding means. Conclusions: None of the internal screw systems were grossly unstable when used to stabilize ramal osteotomies. Other conditions, including quality and strength of investing bone, being equal, cortical screws placed in a triangular configuration provide greater stability than screws placed in a linear configuration. Osteotomy sites stabilized by 2.4-mm screws are more stable than those stabilized by 2.0-mm screws. It does not matter whether two or three screws are applied at the superior border in a linear configuration, provided that the outer screws are an inch apart. The model system has a very good measurement precision and has important implications in optimizing fixation device design and placement configuration.
Further observations on creep enhanced by a liquid phase in porous potassium chloride

Abstract The enhancement of creep by the introduction of aqueous solutions into the porosity of nonfully dense, cold compacted potassium chloride powder has been characterized in room temperature experiments. This phenomenon was first investigated by Pharr and Ashby, who concluded that the mechanism of creep is diffusionally controlled, with the liquid acting as a rapid diffusion path. Current results show that at high stresses, a second mechanism becomes important. This conclusion is based on differences in the stress exponent for creep, the strain at the onset of tertiary creep, and the volumetric strain behavior at low and high stresses. The mechanism is shown to involve grain boundary sliding accommodated by the opening of intergranular cracks and voids.
The use of the exchange rate for stabilization: a real interest arbitrage model applied to Argentina

Abstract We model interest rate and portfolio determination under the risk of real currency devaluation taking into account risk aversion on the part of investors. A simple extension of the Friedman-Savage analysis of consumer behavior under uncertainty to a two period, two country setting allows us to explicitly solve for the interest rate premium paid in the risky asset. The model is applied to the 1979–1980 Argentinean experiment with the pre-announced exchange rate. Empirical results suggest that a safety factor, central bank reserves as a fraction of M2, is closely related to the net ex ante and ex post arbitrage differentials in favor of Argentina relative to the United States. (JEL D8).
Does Weight Gain during Pregnancy Influence Postpartum Depression

The goal of this study was to determine if weight gain during pregnancy has an effect on postpartum depression (PPD). Data were collected in a web survey from 238 women who had recently given birth. The data were analyzed for the total sample and also by body weight category before pregnancy. Findings revealed that weight gain was inversely associated with PPD for the obese women in our sample. For these women, the less weight they gained, the more likely they were to experience PPD. History of depression, partner support, and age were also predictors of PPD.
Evaluating multiple alternative hypotheses for the origin of Bilateria: an analysis of 18S rRNA molecular evidence.

Six alternative hypotheses for the phylogenetic origin of Bilateria are evaluated by using complete 18S rRNA gene sequences for 52 taxa. These data suggest that there is little support for three of these hypotheses. Bilateria is not likely to be the sister group of Radiata or Ctenophora, nor is it likely that Bilateria gave rise to Cnidaria or Ctenophora. Instead, these data reveal a close relationship between bilaterians, placozoans, and cnidarians. From this, several inferences can be drawn. Morphological features that previously have been identified as synapomorphies of Bilateria and Ctenophora, e.g., mesoderm, more likely evolved independently in each clade. The endomesodermal muscles of bilaterians may be homologous to the endodermal muscles of cnidarians, implying that the original bilaterian mesodermal muscles were myoepithelial. Placozoans should have a gastrulation stage during development. Of the three hypotheses that cannot be falsified with the 18S rRNA data, one is most strongly supported. This hypothesis states that Bilateria and Placozoa share a more recent common ancestor than either does to Cnidaria. If true, the simplicity of placozoan body architecture is secondarily derived from a more complex ancestor. This simplification may have occurred in association with a planula-type larva becoming reproductive before metamorphosis. If this simplification took place during the common history that placozoans share with bilaterians, then placozoan genes that contain a homeobox, such as Trox2, should be explored, for they may include the gene or genes most closely related to Hox genes of bilaterians.
Evaluation of lenticonus in Alport's syndrome: quantitative Scheimpflug analysis.

Anterior lenticonus is an ocular abnormality that can occur in Alport's syndrome. In this study, Scheimpflug slit imaging analyses were employed for quantitative and objective evaluation of lens changes associated with Alport's syndrome. It was determined that while the apices of the lenticular protrusions are central in the vertical plane, they are nasally displaced in the horizontal meridian. The eccentricity and dimensions of the diameters and thicknesses of the conical aberration are highly correlated in both eyes. Lens thickness and anterior chamber depth do not differ between eyes. Densitometrically similar differences are apparent in the cortex and nuclear regions although evidence of overt opacification may or may not be present. The data strongly suggest that the physical parameters of the lenticonus are consistent with the constraints imposed by the pupil. Changes observed in the cornea and the vitreous may be associated with the syndrome.
Baculovirus as versatile vectors for protein expression in insect and mammalian cells

Today, many thousands of recombinant proteins, ranging from cytosolic enzymes to membrane-bound proteins, have been successfully produced in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Yet, in addition to its value in producing recombinant proteins in insect cells and larvae, this viral vector system continues to evolve in new and unexpected ways. This is exemplified by the development of engineered insect cell lines to mimic mammalian cell glycosylation of expressed proteins, baculovirus display strategies and the application of the virus as a mammalian-cell gene delivery vector. Novel vector design and cell engineering approaches will serve to further enhance the value of baculovirus technology.
Modeling human fertility in the presence of measurement error.

The probability of conception in a given menstrual cycle is closely related to the timing of intercourse relative to ovulation. Although commonly used markers of time of ovulation are known to be error prone, most fertility models assume the day of ovulation is measured without error. We develop a mixture model that allows the day to be misspecified. We assume that the measurement errors are i.i.d. across menstrual cycles. Heterogeneity among couples in the per cycle likelihood of conception is accounted for using a beta mixture model. Bayesian estimation is straightforward using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. The methods are applied to a prospective study of couples at risk of pregnancy. In the absence of validation data or multiple independent markers of ovulation, the identifiability of the measurement error distribution depends on the assumed model. Thus, the results of studies relating the timing of intercourse to the probability of conception should be interpreted cautiously.
A phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate analogue with low serum protein-binding affinity.

Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) plays an important role in the regulation of diverse physiological functions. Recent evidence indicates that PIP3 is cell permeant, and can be added exogenously to modulate cellular responses. However, like many other phospholipids, PIP3 binds serum proteins with high affinity, resulting in rapid deactivation of this lipid second messenger. Our study indicates that bovine serum albumin (BSA) at concentrations as low as 10 μg/mL abrogated the biological activity of dipalmitoyl-PIP3. This nonspecific interaction with serum proteins hampers the use of PIP3 in biological studies where serum is needed. We report here an ether-linked PIP3 analogue, 1-O-(1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoryl)-myo-inositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (C16Me-PIP3), which displays low serum protein-binding affinity while retaining the biological function of PIP3. The affinity of C16Me-PIP3 with BSA was two orders of magnitude lower than that of its dipalmitoyl-counterpart. Biochemical data indicate that C16Me-PIP3 was able to stimulate Ca2+ influx in T cells in the presence of moderate levels (up to 1 mg/mL) of BSA. Thus, C16Me-PIP3 may provide a useful tool to study the physiological function of phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase in vivo.
Noninvasive Measurement of Local Thermal Diffusivity Using Backscattered Ultrasound and Focused Ultrasound Heating

Previously, noninvasive methods of estimating local tissue thermal and acoustic properties using backscattered ultrasound have been proposed in the literature. In this article, a noninvasive method of estimating local thermal diffusivity in situ during focused ultrasound heating using beamformed acoustic backscatter data and applying novel signal processing techniques is developed. A high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer operating at subablative intensities is employed to create a brief local temperature rise of no more than 10 degrees C. Beamformed radio-frequency (RF) data are collected during heating and cooling using a clinical ultrasound scanner. Measurements of the time-varying "acoustic strain", that is, spatiotemporal variations in the RF echo shifts induced by the temperature related sound speed changes, are related to a solution of the heat transfer equation to estimate the thermal diffusivity in the heated zone. Numerical simulations and experiments performed in vitro in tissue mimicking phantoms and excised turkey breast muscle tissue demonstrate agreement between the ultrasound derived thermal diffusivity estimates and independent estimates made by a traditional hot-wire technique. The new noninvasive ultrasonic method has potential applications in thermal therapy planning and monitoring, physiological monitoring and as a means of noninvasive tissue characterization.
Identical parallel machine scheduling to minimise makespan and total weighted completion time: A column generation approach

AbstractIn this paper, we consider an identical parallel machine scheduling problem with the objective to minimise the sum of weighted completion time and makespan, which is denoted as . We formulate the problem as a mixed integer programming (MIP) problem based on the properties of an optimal schedule. Leveraging the Dantzig–Wolfe decomposition method, the problem is solved in a Column Generation (CG) framework with a master problem and an NP-hard pricing problem. With derived lower bounds, we are able to solve the problems to near optimality in a short time. The CG procedure is also used in the special conditions when becomes or . Comparison experiments between the CG procedure and CPLEX are carried out for a set of synthetically generated scenarios. Computational experiments demonstrate that our CG procedure provides near-optimal solutions in a short time.
Structure‐property relationships in rubber‐toughened epoxies

Epoxies toughened with two reactive liquid rubbers, an epoxy-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubber (ETBN) and an amino-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubber (ATBN), were prepared and studied in terms of their structure property relationships. A two-phase structure was formed, consisting of spherical rubber particles dispersed in an epoxy matrix. A broad distribution of rubber particles was observed in all the materials with most of the particles ranging in size from 1 to 4 μm, but some particles exceeding 20 μm were also found. Impact strength, plane strain fracture toughness (KIC), and fracture energy (GIC) were increased, while Young's modulus and yield strength decreased slightly with increasing rubber content and volume fraction of the dispersed phase. Both GIC and KIC were found to increase with increasing apparent molecular weight between crosslinks and decreasing yield strength. The increased size of the plastic zone at the crack tip associated with decreasing yield strength could be the cause of the increased toughness. An ATBN-toughened system containing the greatest amount of epoxy sub-inclusion in the rubbery phase demonstrated the best fracture toughness in this series. In the present systems, rubber-enhanced shear deformation of the matrix is considered to be the major toughening mechanism. Curing conditions and the miscibility between the liquid rubber and the epoxy resin determine the phase morphology of the resulting two-phase systems. Kerner's equation successfully describes the modulus dependence on volume fraction for the two-phase epoxy materials.
Bayesian Detection of Targets of Unknown Location

In this paper the array detection problem for certain deterministic signals in spatially uncorrelated Gaussian noise is formulated in Bayesian terms and the required likelihood ratios and resulting performance characteristics are obtained. Primary emphasis is on detection of targets of unknown spatial location using a likelihood ratio approach, with the target location treated as a random parameter, rather than an estimator-correlator approach. The tradeoff among array parameters and signal parameters is demonstrated. It is shown that the dominant uncertainty affecting detection performance seems to be that of location when compared with uncertainty on energy and/or phase.
Spatial mapping of membrane phases in confluent endothelial cells

Endothelial cells (ECs) form the inner lining, of the blood vasculature and are therefore exposed to blood borne molecules and hemodynamic forces which exact potent changes in EC biology. The EC plasma membrane transduces molecular and mechanical signals through membrane proteins which are sensitive to the lipid phase state surrounding them. We describe a method for high spatial resolution mapping of membrane phase states using molecular spectroscopic measurements of fluorescence lifetimes and polarizations of phase-specific lipoid dyes. The role of membrane phases in signal transduction is discussed.
Fast switching of threads between cores

We address the software costs of switching threads between cores in a multicore processor. Fast core switching enables a variety of potential improvements, such as thread migration for thermal management, fine-grained load balancing, and exploiting asymmetric multicores, where performance asymmetry creates opportunities for more efficient resource utilization. Successful exploitation of these opportunities demands low core-switching costs. We describe our implementation of core switching in the Linux kernel, as well as software changes that can decrease switching costs. We use detailed simulations to evaluate several alternative implementations. We also explore how some simple architectural variations can reduce switching costs. We evaluate system efficiency using both real (but symmetric) hardware, and simulated asymmetric hardware, using both microbenchmarks and realistic applications.
Multistage Fractionation of Petroleum Pitches with Supercritical Solvents

Abstract Two multistage separation techniques have been used to fractionate isotropic petroleum pitches: (1) a stagewise fractionation technique employing sequential, single-stage extractions with supercritical toluene, and (2) dense-gas fractionation with a packed column and reflux, with either supercritical pentane or toluene being used as the extractive solvent. With the stagewise technique, each stage was operated in a region of liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) at a temperature of 614 K and a solvent-to-pitch ratio of 2.0, and the pressure was sequentially reduced so as to precipitate out ˜5 wt.% of the feed pitch in each stage. Five single-stage flashes could be carried out in the LLE region at pressures ranging from 138 to 52 bar, and five pitch fractions comprising the heaviest third of the pitch were obtained. In contrast, with dense-gas fractionation multiple fractions of the lightest third of the feed pitch were obtained. In this case, the column was operated in the vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE)...
Local averaging optimization for chaotic time series prediction

Abstract Local models have emerged as one of the most accurate methods of time series prediction, but their performance is sensitive to the choice of user-specified parameters such as the size of the neighborhood, the embedding dimension, and the distance metric. This paper describes a new method of optimizing these parameters to minimize the multi-step cross-validation error. Empirical results indicate that multi-step optimization is susceptible to shallow local minima unless the optimization is limited to 10 or fewer steps ahead. The models optimized using the new method consistently performed better than those optimized with adaptive analog forecasts.
Reexamining Issues of Conceptualization and Willing Consent The Hidden Role of Coercion in Experiences of Sexual Acquiescence

This study problematizes the literature’s conceptualization of sexual compliance, predominantly defined as willing participation in, and consent to, unwanted sexual activity in the absence of immediate partner pressure. Using a feminist theoretical framework, we argue that covert forms of social coercion, including normalized expectations for heterosexual women to participate in sexual activity and maintain relationship satisfaction, ultimately pressure women into participating in unwanted sexual activity. In other words, immediate partner pressure is not necessary for a sexually coercive experience to occur. Results of the current study indicate that relationship control and media influence significantly predict sexual acquiescence, and women acquiesce to unwanted sexual activity in an effort to maintain relationships and partner satisfaction as well as to avoid negative outcomes. Women cite various forms of social coercion, such as fulfilling sexual scripts and relationship obligations, as primary reaso...
A Teacher's Teacher

On the day of my graduation in May 1989, Professors Harold G. Maier and Donald J. Hall, my two favorite professors, congratulated me jointly and paid me the ultimate compliment. They expressed to me their impression that I would make a good teacher and strongly suggested that I contemplate a career in legal academia. For me, this was akin to Richard Pryor telling an aspiring comedian that he or she was funny. I considered, and still consider, Professors Maier and Hall to epitomize everything that a great teacher, as well as a great person, should be. Their brief words of encouragement on the final day of my law school career set me on a path that would eventually lead to my return to the classroom, but this time as the nervous teacher up front, rather than the nervous student in the back. Two of the principal courses that I teach are Civil Procedure and Conflict of Laws (Conflicts). I took Conflicts in the spring of my third year from Professor Maier, and it was, without question, the most amazing class that I have ever taken. I found the subject matter to be interesting, primarily because it helped me to understand better some of the fundamental concepts of Civil Procedure, such as personal jurisdiction. That alone, however, would not have been sufficient incentive to get me out of bed at what I recall to have been a cruelly early hour. Professor Maier was the real motivation. He possessed the unique ability to make very difficult material accessible, without merely spoon-feeding students. He recognized that true knowledge and understanding cannot be bestowed; they must be acquired. His approach, therefore, was to guide, rather than to tell, and he did so by masterfully weaving cases together in a storylike fashion that created an almost insatiable desire to figure out what would come next. That may sound profoundly overstated, not to mention hopelessly geekish, but it really is the truth. For me, attending one of Professor Maier’s classes was like reading a great book, and that truly made me look forward to each and every session. In the classroom, he demonstrated astounding intellect, unbridled enthusiasm, good humor, sage wisdom, and perhaps most importantly, deep compassion and respect for others. The fact that all of these remarkable qualities were packaged beneath a somewhat quirky, quintessentially professorial exterior made Professor Maier all the more dear to me and my fellow classmates. I am definitely not
High-frequency electronic package and interconnection effects

With data rates of future devices going beyond 10 gigabit/sec (Gb/s), it is essential that electrical parasitic effects must be taken into account early on in the design stage. This paper addresses the electrical issues of package design including propagation and parasitic effects of package structures. Using the finite-difference time-domain method as a high-frequency, full wave analysis mechanism various package types and parasitic effects of package structures are analyzed. These include package structures such as microstrip, conductor and non-conductor backed coplanar waveguides and vias. Benefits of flip-chip mounting, and packaging effects such as bond wires (single and multiple bond wires in parallel) and coupling between lines are examined using the developed FDTD code. Equivalent RLC circuit models for some of the analyzed structures are also presented.
Integrating model-based fault detection and fault-tolerant control of distributed processes

This paper presents a fault-tolerant control (FTC) architecture for spatially distributed processes described by quasi-linear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with control constraints and control actuator faults. The architecture integrates model-based fault detection, spatially distributed feedback and supervisory control to orchestrate switching between different actuator configurations in the event of faults. The various components are designed on the basis of appropriate reduced-order models that capture the dominant dynamics of the distributed process. The fault detection filter replicates the dynamics of the fault-free, reduced-order model; and uses the discrepancy from the behavior of the actual system as a residual for fault detection. Owing to the inherent approximation errors in the reduced-order model, appropriate fault detection and control reconfiguration criteria are derived for the implementation of the FTC architecture on the distributed system to prevent false alarms. The criteria is expressed in terms of residual thresholds that capture the closeness of solutions between the fault-free, reduced and full-order models. A singular perturbation formulation is used to link these thresholds with the separation between the slow and fast eigenvalues of the spatial differential operator necessary for closed-loop stability.
Modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the spinal substantia gelatinosa of mice deficient in the kainate receptor GluR5 and/or GluR6 subunit

Functional kainate (KA) receptors (KARs) are expressed in the spinal cord substantia gelatinosa (SG) region, and their activation has a capacity to modulate excitatory synaptic transmission at primary afferent synapses with SG neurones. In the present study, we have used gene-targeted mice lacking KAR GluR5 and/or GluR6 subunits to determine the identity of the receptor subunits involved in the KA-induced modulation of excitatory transmission. Our findings reveal that KARs comprising GluR5 or GluR6 subunits can either suppress or facilitate glutamatergic excitatory transmission in the SG of acutely prepared adult mouse spinal cord slices. In the absence of synaptic inhibition mediated by GABAA and glycine receptors, a biphasic effect of kainate is characteristic with facilitation apparent at a low concentration (30 nm) and depression at a higher concentration (3 μm). In addition, GluR6-KARs, localizing pre- and postsynaptically, are critically involved in inhibiting transmission at both Aδ and C fibre monosynaptic pathways, whereas presynaptic GluR5-KARs play a limited role in inhibiting the C fibre-activated pathway. The results obtained support the hypothesis that KARs are involved in bi-directional regulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the spinal cord SG region, and that these actions may be of critical importance for nociception and the clinical treatment of pain.
Decentralized Language Learning through Acting

This paper presents an algorithm for learning the meaning of messages communicated between agents that interact while acting optimally towards a cooperative goal. Our reinforcement-learning method is based on Bayesian filtering and has been adapted for a decentralized control process. Empirical results shed light on the complexity of the learning problem, and on factors affecting the speed of convergence. Designing intelligent agents able to adapt their mutual interpretation of messages exchanged, in order to improve overall task-oriented performance, introduces an essential cognitive capability that can upgrade the current state of the art in multi-agent and human-machine systems to the next level. Learning to communicate while acting will add to the robustness and flexibility of these systems and hence to a more efficient and productive performance.
Current Therapeutic Profile of Lithium

WITH The advent of new pharmacotherapies for bipolar disorder, it may be an opportune time to look at the course of events that initiated the possibility of specific pharmacotherapy for this disorder. It is now 48 years since Cade's original report about the effects of lithium carbonate treatment in cases of mania was published. 1 The time course of lithium therapy introduction in 1949, and its subsequent development, is concomitant with the span of the professional career of one of us (S.G.). The article by Schou 2 in this issue of theARCHIVESraises several key points that we would like to address. MAGNITUDE OF LITHIUM EFFECTIVENESS IN MANIA The early studies of lithium in the treatment of acute mania reported high effectiveness. In Cade's initial open study, 1 all 10 patients with mania clearly responded to lithium administration. In subsequent, controlled studies, high (~70%-80%), effectiveness of lithium therapy
A renumbering method to decrease matrix banding in equations describing branched neuron-like structures.

Abstract The solution to matrix equations which describe branched neuron-like structures can be made more efficient by minimizing matrix banding. This can be accomplished through the reordering of the compartmental numbering system. The renumbering method presented here extends upon the numbering method of Hines ((1984) Int. J. Biomed. Comput., 15: 69–76). A demonstration of efficient numbering will be presented for several general cases of branching structures. Theoretical computational savings can be estimated for the above structures. An algorithm to renumber a matrix already in Hines form will be described. Branched nerve equations, electrical networks and chemical reaction models are examples of systems which can benefit from this application.