cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Divalent Metals on the Neuronal Proteasomal System, Prion Protein Ubiquitination and Aggregation

The role of normal cellular prion protein (PrP) remains to be fully elucidated; however, the protein is crucial for the infection and progression of prion diseases. Recent evidence indicates that PrP is a metalloprotein since the octapeptide repeat sequences in the protein have high affinity for various divalent cations and the binding sites appear to play a role in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. In our present study, we tested several divalent metals including manganese and cadmium and determined their effects on protein degradation and protein aggregation in mouse neuronal cells expressing PrP. Cadmium was more neurotoxic than manganese following 24h exposure. Manganese did not show any significant effect on the inhibition of proteasomal activity or formation of high molecular weight ubiquitinated PrPs. Interestingly, treatment with cadmium profoundly inhibited proteasomal activity, which resulted in greatly increased formation of high molecular weight ubiquitinated PrPs. Immunohistochemical analysis also revealed a dramatic increase in formation of oligomers after cadmium treatment. Cadmium also increased the formation of ubiquitinated PrP, but it did not lead to the formation of proteinase-K resistant PrP. Collectively, our results show that a divalent metal, cadmium affects proteasomal function and PrP aggregation, which promote neurotoxicity.
The requirements for specific sRNA binding by ribosomes.

It is possible to prepare ribosomes from Escherichia coli which are virtually free from contamination by GTP, supernatant proteins, and active sRNA. Such preparations have been employed to determine the minimum requirements for the binding of a specific sRNA by the ribosomes. These are an appropriate mRNA to specify which sRNA shall be bound and ionic conditions that will permit the formation of a stable complex. There is no requirement for supernatant factors or GTP. The sRNA can be bound equally well in the amino-acylated form or in the deacylated form. It is concluded that the structural properties of the sRNA, mRNA and the ribosomes are sufficient per se to determine the specificity of their interaction.
Analytical Aspects Of The Y-Y Diagram

An analytical description of the y-S7 diagram is given in terms of plane vectors representing the points and lines in the diagram. This allows for a very powerful and elegant tool for deriving and using the design and synthesis properties of the y-37 diagram. Exact analytical expressions are given to derive the first-order properties of an optical system from its representation in the diagram. The Seidel (third order) aberation coefficients are expressed in terms of variables better suited to the y-Yr diagram, and the description of a computer program that implements these ideas, is included. At the request of a number of participants in the Seminar, a complete bibliography on the y-y diagram is included as an Appendix.
Three-pulse photon echo in a dense potassium vapor

Time-integrated three-pulse photon echo (3PE) and time-resolved 3PE measurements in a dense potassium vapor reveal clear signatures of non-Markovian dynamics. We pursue a molecular dynamics simulation to study the resonance effects contributing to the response.
Porohyperelastic-Transport Finite Element Models of the Eye Using ABAQUS

Glaucoma is related to damage to nerve ganglion cells in the optic nerve head (ONH) including the lamina cribrosa, (LC). This disease is associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and possibly reduced trabecular meshwork (TM) outflow. The ABAQUS program was used to develop axisymmetric porohyperelastic (PHE) pore fluid finite element models (FEMs) to determine deformations, stresses, tissue fluid pressures (pf ), and mobile fluid flux in the eye. These FEMs simulated aqueous pressure-fluid flow fields in the anterior chamber via the TM and posterior pressure-flow fields in the vitreous body (VIT) and ONH. Constant inlet flow at the ciliary processes (CP) was applied. The anterior chamber was modeled as a highly porous material containing large amounts of fluid whereas the VIT was modeled as a gel with mobile fluid. All ocular soft tissues were considered to be linear, isotropic PHE materials. Posterior transport was regulated by varying the permeability of the LC, retina, choroid, and sclera material layers. Two FEMs, i.e. IOP=15 mm Hg (normal) and IOP=44 mm Hg (glaucoma) were developed by varying the permeability of the TM. Deformations and tissue fluid pressures, fluid flux (relative fluid velocities), and stresses were determined and agree well with experimental data and other numerical model results. The displacement of the LC was 21–62 μm; the LC pressure gradient was 25–73 mm Hg/mm; and the posterior outflow ranged from 5%–15% of the inflow at the CP. The PHE material law can be extended to include nonlinear permeability effects and mobile species transport using a porohyperelastic-transport-swelling (PHETS) theory in future FEMs.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Relative Value of Xanthophyll from Corn Gluten Meal, Alfalfa, Coastal Bermudagrass and Pearl Millet for Broiler Pigmentation

Abstract DEHYDRATED grasses such as Coastal bermudagrass and Pearl millet represent potential xanthophyll sources for commercial poultry feeds. Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is a hybrid characterized by upright growth, high leaf to stem ratio, rapid growth, fast regrowth after clipping, extremely good drouth resistance and good response to fertilization. It is a perennial grass established by sprigging and currently grown on about 6 million acres in southern and southeastern United States. Pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) is the highest yielding summer annual forage species adaptable to the same general area as Coastal bermudagrass. It is established by seeding and characterized by extremely fast growth, fast regrowth after clipping, good drouth resistance and high yields. The Gahi I hybrid used in this work was released in 1958 and is superior to older varieties in yield and response to fertilization. There is a paucity of published data on the pigmenting potency of degydrated Coastal . . .
Feasibility of a Cold Seawater Facility

The students who participated in the Fall 2000 “design class” offered by the Department of Ocean and Resource Engineering at the University of Hawaii performed a preliminary design of a cold seawater facility at Kekaha, Hawaii. The course imparted a great deal of design experience, but more importantly it introduced the classmates to cold seawater as a developing resource with high potential. As the two students who participated in the design class, we were particularly impressed with this resource and convinced that cold seawater can feasibly be developed as a valuable resource for island communities. We collaborated to combine, condense and generalize the reports in an effort to familiarize other ocean engineers and island planners to this technology and its potential. This paper discusses several uses for cold seawater in tropical island settings and the site characteristics required to feasibly develop a land-based cold seawater facility. The preliminary design of a cold seawater facility at Kekaha is presented along with an economic analysis of its capital and operating costs.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
A 3-D fast integral equation method for simulation of induction logging response in formations with large conductivity contrasts

A three-dimensional (3-D) fast integral equation method is presented for the simulation of induction logging problems in formations with large conductivity contrasts, where most existing numerical techniques fail to obtain accurate results. The volume integral equation (VIE) is used to formulate the problem and the precorrected FFT accelerated method of moments (pFFT-MoM) is used to solve the integral equation. To overcome the difficulty of high singularity and slow convergence due to large conductivity contrasts, the incomplete LU (ILU) pre-conditioner is used to significantly speed up the convergence of the matrix equation. The resultant method is efficient and flexible for 3-D simulation of induction logging, especially for problems with large conductivity contrasts.
Disruption of Myosin II Increases Axonal Elongation in Drosophila by Accelerating Bulk Advance of the Growth Cone

A pivotal question in cell biology is whether axons elongate by the assembly of new material or bulk advance of the growth cone. While classic studies suggest the former, recent work suggests forces drive translocation of the growth cone. Here we ask three questions: Is the mechanism of growth cone advance conserved between vertebrate and invertebrate neurons? How do growth cones advance in vivo? And, what is the role of myosin II force generation ¬in growth cone motility? To address conservation, we analyzed the movement of organelles and microtubules in neurons cultured from Drosophila embryos. We found these moved in bulk as observed in chick sensory and Xenopus spinal cord neurons. To assess transport in vivo, we co-expressed myr-td-tomato and mito-GFP in stage 16 Drosophila embryos using the pan neuronal driver elav. using time-lapse confocal microscopy to track the elongation of the aCC pioneer motor axon in intact embryos, we also found bulk advance of docked mitochondria. To better understand the role of myosin II in axonal elongation, we cultured Drosophila neurons that were null for myosin II (Zipper) and monitored bulk transport and growth cone motility. We found both rates were significantly higher. using force calibrated towing needles, we found disruption of myosin II significantly decreased neuronal tension. Together, this suggests axonal myosin II acts antagonistically against forces generated in the growth cone to modulate translocation of the growth cone. This work has important implications for the development of treatments for stroke, peripheral nerve damage, and spinal cord injury.
A penalty function approach for simulation optimization with stochastic constraints

This paper is concerned with continuous simulation optimization problems with stochastic constraints. Thus both the objective function and constraints need to be estimated via simulation. We propose an Adaptive Search with Discarding and Penalization (ASDP) method for solving this problem. ASDP utilizes the penalty function approach from deterministic optimization to convert the original problem into a series of simulation optimization problems without stochastic constraints. We present conditions under which the ASDP algorithm converges almost surely, and conduct numerical studies aimed at assessing its efficiency.
Maximum likelihood noise cancellation using the EM algorithm

An approach to the two-microphone speech enhancement problem is discussed. Specifically, a maximum-likelihood (ML) problem is formulated for estimating the parameters needed for canceling the noise, and solved by the iterative EM (estimate-maximize) technique. The EM algorithm has been implemented for both a simplified and a more general scenario. The results improve upon those obtained with the classical least-squares approach. >
PLATO: Predictive Latency-Aware Total Ordering

PLATO is a predictive total ordering protocol designed for low-latency multicast in datacenters. It predicts out-of-order arrival of multicast packets by observing their inter-arrival times, and delays packets before passing them up to the application only if it believes the packets to have arrived in the wrong order. We show through experimentation on real datacenter-style networks that the inter-arrival time of consecutive packet pairs is an excellent predictor of out-of-order delivery. We evaluate an implementation of PLATO on the Emulab testbed, and show that it drives down delivery latencies by more than a factor of 2 compared to the fixed-sequencer protocol
Magnetic Ceramics: VII, Effect of Iron Oxide Particle Size on Nickel Ferrite Formation

Five iron oxides of increasing particle-size distribution, mixed with nickel oxide of a constant-size range, were heated at various temperatures and time intervals. The extent of nickel ferrite formation, as influenced by particle-size distribution of the iron oxide constituent, was measured with a compensating-coil magnetometer. Using the Jander relation for this type of reaction, activation energies ranging from 54 to 70 kcal. were computed for increasing particle size. These results are examined and compared with current procedures for the production of ferrite powders.
When individual behaviour matters: homogeneous and network models in epidemiology

Heterogeneity in host contact patterns profoundly shapes population-level disease dynamics. Many epidemiological models make simplifying assumptions about the patterns of disease-causing interactions among hosts. In particular, homogeneous-mixing models assume that all hosts have identical rates of disease-causing contacts. In recent years, several network-based approaches have been developed to explicitly model heterogeneity in host contact patterns. Here, we use a network perspective to quantify the extent to which real populations depart from the homogeneous-mixing assumption, in terms of both the underlying network structure and the resulting epidemiological dynamics. We find that human contact patterns are indeed more heterogeneous than assumed by homogeneous-mixing models, but are not as variable as some have speculated. We then evaluate a variety of methodologies for incorporating contact heterogeneity, including network-based models and several modifications to the simple SIR compartmental model. We conclude that the homogeneous-mixing compartmental model is appropriate when host populations are nearly homogeneous, and can be modified effectively for a few classes of non-homogeneous networks. In general, however, network models are more intuitive and accurate for predicting disease spread through heterogeneous host populations.
Stability of nitroglycerin in human and rat plasma

Abstract The effects of concentration, temperature and silver nitrate addition on nitroglycerin stability in human plasma were examined. Degradation of nitroglycerin in rat plasma was also studied as functions of temperature and red blood cell hemolysis. Depending upon the temperature, nitroglycerin is 10–50 times more stable in human plasma than in rat plasma. Significant drug degradation, i.e. 10% loss in 40 days, still occurs when human plasma samples containing nitroglycerin are stored at −20°C. Nitroglycerin degradation in plasma apparently follows first-order kinetics and the Arrhenius relationship, and is independent of concentration up to about 150 ng/ml. Addition of silver nitrate to human plasma produced a significant increase in nitroglycerin stability. Hemolysis in rat plasma did not drastically increase nitroglycerin degradation.
Scattering matrix analysis of a triangular ring laser

A method of analysis for ring waveguide lasers is presented. This method is based on the use of the scattering matrix formulation to represent the waveguide junctions. An extension of previous work is made so that any number of junctions may be serially connected. The method is then applied to a three-junction triangular ring laser and various operating characteristics are calculated, in particular the longitudinal mode spacing and the power ratio of the counterpropagating waves of the laser. It is found that this ratio is much more sensitive to a difference in forward coupling than to backward coupling, but that a difference in either will enhance unidirectional operation of the device. Comparison to experimental data is made where possible. >
Degeneration of Capsaicin-Sensitive Sensory Nerves Leads to Increased Salt Sensitivity Through Enhancement of Sympathoexcitatory Response

We have previously shown that neonatal degeneration of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves renders a rat responsive to a salt load with an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in natriuretic response. To test the hypothesis that the enhanced sympathoexcitatory response to a high salt intake contributes to the development of hypertension in this model, newborn Wistar rats were given 50 mg/kg capsaicin and/or 80 mg/kg guanethidine subcutaneously. Control rats were treated with vehicle. After the weaning period, male rats were grouped as the following and given a high sodium diet (4%) for 2 weeks: capsaicin and guanethidine coadministration (CAP-GUA), capsaicin only (CAP), guanethidine only (GUA), and vehicle control (CON). Norepinephrine concentrations in the atrium were significantly lower in CAP-GUA and GUA than in CON rats ( P <0.05). Twenty-four–hour urine and sodium excretions were significantly lower in CAP than in CAP-GUA, GUA, and CON rats ( P <0.05). Mean arterial pressure (mm Hg) was significantly higher in CAP (180±10) than in CAP-GUA (106±1), GUA (133±5), and CON (122±3) rats ( P <0.05). Thus, sympathectomy restores the natriuretic response to a high salt intake and prevents the development of salt-sensitive hypertension induced by sensory denervation. These data indicate that sensory nerves counterbalance the prohypertensive effect of the sympathetic nerves to maintain blood pressure within normal range during salt loading.
Comparison of Tetracycline and Minocycline Transport in Escherichia Coli

Differences between minocycline and tetracycline transport were demonstrated in an Escherichia coli strain with and without an R factor (R46) which confers moderate Tc resistance. Minocycline uptake was similar in R(+) and R(-) organisms, whereas tetracycline uptake was decreased in the R(+) as compared to the R(-) organism. Sodium azide had little effect on tetracycline uptake by either strain but minocycline uptake was completely inhibited by azide. p-Chloromercuribenzoate greatly decreased tetracycline uptake in both strains while minocycline uptake was markedly augmented. Both minocycline and tetracycline were effective inducers of decreased tetracycline transport, but only tetracycline had an effect on minocycline uptake. Mutual inhibition of uptake of one antibiotic by the other could not be demonstrated. These studies indicate different mechanisms of transport of minocycline and tetracycline in E. coli.
Strain-based Design—Advances in Prediction Methods of Tensile Strain Capacity

In recent years, ExxonMobil has undertaken a comprehensive experimental and numerical program to characterize tensile strain capacity of welded pipelines under different operational, geometric and material property conditions. Key parameters affecting tensile strain capacity have been identified through sensitivity studies and used in a large-scale FEAbased parametric study to develop closed-form tensile strain capacity equations for different limit states. A key parameter affecting tensile strain capacity of welded pipelines is the tearing resistance (CTOD R-curve). Small-scale testing techniques have been developed to characterize the tearing resistance (R-curve) of full-scale pipelines using single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens. Experimental and numerical results have shown that the SENT R-curves closely match the full-scale test R-curves. The generalized tensile strain capacity equations have been validated against 20 full-scale tests for pipe grades X65 to X80 grades. The equations correctly predict the observed failure mode in the full-scale tests as well as the tensile strain capacity. Simplified, conservative tensile strain capacity equations with fewer parameters have been developed by making reasonable assumptions for several key parameters. The generalized and simplified tensile strain capacity equations can form the basis of a multi-tier engineering critical assessment (ECA) procedure for strain-based design of welded pipelines.
Electric field mapping system using an optical-fiber-based electrooptic probe

A microwave electric-field mapping system based on electrooptic sampling has been developed using micromachined GaAs crystals mounted on gradient index lenses and single-mode optical fibers. The probes are able to detect three orthogonal polarizations of electric fields and, due to the flexibility and size of the optical fiber, can be positioned not only from the extreme near-field to the far-field regions of microwave and millimeter-wave structures, but also inside of enclosures such as waveguides and packages.
Analyzing low-frequency electromagnetic scattering from a composite object

In this paper, we present a method for solving electromagnetic scattering from a composite object at low frequencies using the method of moments (MoM) and loop-tree basis. Many applications involve composite objects which consist of several homogeneous regions. The loop-tree basis used for analyzing scattering from a homogeneous body at low frequencies could not be directly applied to analyze the low-frequency scattering from a composite object. In general, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find a set of loop-tree basis functions that is valid for the structures on both sides of the interfaces. In this paper, we treat a composite object as a limiting case of multibody problem so that we could setup the MoM equation using the loop-tree basis found on each single body. A process is then developed to eliminate the redundant unknowns. The proposed method makes it possible to analyze low-frequency scattering from an arbitrary composite object. The validity and applications are illustrated with representative numerical examples.
Revisiting Mary and Martha: Passing the Torch from One Generation to the Next:

The re-vision of accepted images of women, in this case the biblical figures Martha and Mary, forms the basis of this article on poems by Maria Victoria Atencia, Margarita Merino, and Maite Perez Larumbe. Because each of these women belongs to a different generation, she approaches the biblical sisters from a different angle. These poems reveal profound changes in attitude that have occurred in Spanish culture and society after the death of Franco.
Lyman break galaxies at z>6

Extending the study of star-forming galaxies to z >6 is extremely difficult due to the faintness of the sources and the challenging nature of deep near-infrared observations. Nevertheless, current observations are now just good enough that we can begin drawing some conclusions about the nature of galaxies at z ≳7. At present, deep near-infrared observations with NICMOS (reaching ≳27 AB mag at 5σ) cover more than 20arcmin 2 of area with deep optical coverage and allow us to identify four strong z ≃7–8 candidates. Comparing this sample with dropout samples at later times ( z ≃4–6), we are able to study evolution in the rest-frame UV LF over the range z ≃8 to z ≃4. We find strong evidence for significant evolution in the characteristic luminosity with time (brightening by ∼2 mag, from z ≃8 to z ≃4). The observed evolution appears to be the direct result of hierarchical growth in the galaxy population.
Novel Electret Microphone

This paper introduces a new type of electret microphone with an excellent dynamic range (0-120 dB SPL) and excellent frequency response characteristics over the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The fundamental concept behind the new microphone is the placement of a thin PTFE (Teflon) electret membrane inside the core of a toroidal coil. As the membrane vibrates in response to the sound, a very small magnetic field is created, is picked up by the coil, and is amplified by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) or by a conventional FET amplifier. Analysis and experimental results show that this new transduction mechanism results in a microphone that, while physically larger than other microphones, has substantially better performance in high-bandwidth applications.
The Overlapping Problem and Performance Degradation of Mobile Digital Communication Systems

The expansion in the use of land mobile communications have led to a state of congestion in that portion of the radio spectrum allocated to the land mobile service. Digital communication is one of the methods that can be applied to improve spectrum utilization. In a typical digital communication system, messages are not queued and all overlapped messages have to be retransmitted. That overlapping phenomenon has a negative impact on the performance of the system. The behavior of various determinants of system performance (like probability distribution of waiting time and the load that saturates the channel capacity) are studied in detail. A simulation model was developed to simulate four basic design approaches. It was found that a combination of randomizer (for automatic retransmission) and an inhibit signal has no significant payoff and that each one of these features is superior to a commonly used method of automatic retransmission with constant delay. The relative merits of each design is studied as a function of the load on the channel.
Probabilistic Reconstruction of Ancestral Protein Sequences

Using a maximum-likelihood formalism, we have developed a method with which to reconstruct the sequences of ancestral proteins. Our approach allows the calculation of not only the most probable ancestral sequence but also of the probability of any amino acid at any given node in the evolutionary tree. Because we consider evolution on the amino acid level, we are better able to include effects of evolutionary pressure and take advantage of structural information about the protein through the use of mutation matrices that depend on secondary structure and surface accessibility. The computational complexity of this method scales linearly with the number of homologous proteins used to reconstruct the ancestral sequence.
Effect of Endotoxin on Induced Liver Enzymes

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was purified from murine liver and used as an antigen in rabbits for stimulation of antibody to enzymes. Experiments with the antibody showed that endotoxin inhibits the synthesis of PEPCK rather than inactivating the enzyme present in liver. Two techniques were used. Increasing amounts of immune globulin added to the high-speed supernatant of liver homogenates reduced PEPCK activity, so that the slope of the resulting graph was the same for normal and poisoned livers. Radial-immunodiffusion assays for the amount of enzyme in a liver homogenate revealed that closely similar results followed with time after an injection of the LD50 of either endotoxin or actinomycin D. Both poisons, regardless of mode of action, prevented the induction of PEPCK due to fasting.
Serotonin transporter genotype modulates amygdala activity during mood regulation

Recent studies have implicated the short allele of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in depression vulnerability, particularly in the context of stress. Several neuroimaging studies have shown that 5-HTTLPR genotype predicts amygdala reactivity to negatively valenced stimuli, suggesting a mechanism whereby the short allele confers depression risk. The current study investigated whether 5-HTTLPR genotype similarly affects neural activity during an induced sad mood and during recovery from sad mood. Participants were 15 homozygous short (S) and 15 homozygous long (L) individuals. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with perfusion functional magnetic resonance imaging during four scanning blocks: baseline, sad mood, mood recovery and following return to baseline. Comparing mood recovery to baseline, both whole brain analyses and template-based region-of-interest analyses revealed greater amygdala activity for the S vs the L-group. There were no significant amygdala differences found during the induced sad mood. These results demonstrate the effect of the S allele on amygdala activity during intentional mood regulation and suggest that amygdala hyperactivity during recovery from a sad mood may be one mechanism by which the S allele confers depression risk.
Calculated Distortions of Duplex DNA by a Cis, Syn Cyclobutane Thymine Dimer Are Unaffected by a 3′ TpA Step

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the duplex DNA dodecamers d(CGCGAA TT CGCG): d(CGCGAATTCGCG) and d(GCACGAA TT AAG): d(CTTAATTCGTGC), where TT denotes a cis, syn cyclobutane thymine dimer. The constant temperature and pressure algorithm of the AMBER 4.1 molecular-modeling package was used with explicit water and counterions, periodic boundary conditions and electrostatic interactions evaluated by the particle-mesh Ewald method. Results were analyzed by the CURVES algorithm and its implementation in DIALS and WINDOWS. Calculated distortions of DNA structure by the thymine dimer were qualitatively and quantitatively similar for the two sequences. Despite the enhanced flexibility of the native TpA dinucleotide step, major deviations from the B-DNA values of helicoidal parameters were found only at the Ap and p dinucleotide steps in both sequences. Only the AT base pairs of the two sequences that contain the 5' thymine of the dimers exhibited weakened Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds and anomalous stretching. Hence, we conclude that the pattern of structural perturbations responsible for recognition of cis, syn thymine dimers by repair enzymes is not sensitive to their sequence context.
Development of Modified MOD-TFA Approach for YBCO Film Growth

Low-cost coated-conductor fabrication methods are essential for various electric-power applications. Metal-organic-deposition (MOD) approach to grow both YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) and buffer layers on textured metal substrates is very promising towards fabrication of lower-cost second generation wires. YBCO coated conductors (CC) are being developed with high critical currents that should be sufficient for their extensive use in power applications. However, the present CC has high energy losses in ac magnetic field that are unacceptable. We have developed a modified MOD precursor route to deposit ~ 0.8 mum thick YBCO films in a single coat that requires less than one-fifth of the pyrolysis time compared to the traditional MOD approach. We have also developed a filamentization technique of CC using ink-jet printing to reduce ac losses due to applied ac fields. The preliminary results of YBCO films deposited on standard RABiTS template yielded an of 140 A/cm at 77 K and self- field. A modest reduction of ac loss was observed for the solution ink-jet printed filamentary conductor.
Module frequency estimation and noise budget limitations/trade-offs in multichip modules as a function of CMOS chips integration

A detailed investigation of the estimation of module clock frequency and of the limitations due to system noise containment as a function of CMOS chip integration level of multichip assemblies is performed. The objective is to analyze the overall noise limitations, and to predict the system performance as a function of integration level. Results demonstrate that unwanted coupled noise and simultaneous switching noise are a major degradation/limitation factor with high levels of integration in multichip modules (MCMs). This effect is especially a major limiting factor with scaled and reduced-supply-voltage CMOS chips. Closed-form equations for estimating the module frequency and the overall noise budget for MCMs are given. Design curves are shown for CMOS MCM system frequency, and noise budget limitations are discussed for various levels of chip integration. Results from case studies on performance and noise limits of future workstation MCMs are explained. >
Using Bayesian inference for sensor management of air traffic control systems

Sensor management deals with the efficient resource allocation to meet mission objectives of the application, in the case air traffic control. A sensor schedule is constructed by integrating a Bayesian network with a particle swarm optimizer, which simultaneously meets the measurement accuracy and update rate, while minimizing the transmissions from the sensor. Bayesian networks automatically determine the management requirements for individual aircraft by monitoring the dynamically changing situations. BN is used to maintain the best overall performance possible from the entire sensor network system. In this paper, system performance with Bayesian networks is improved as much as 74.30% for highest priority of the 3 level priority system.
Iterative and Feedback Control for Hysteresis Compensation in SMA

This paper investigates the design of an iteration-based controller combined with feedback control to address the positioning error caused by hysteresis in a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. Without compensation, the positioning error due to hysteresis can be excessively large (greater than 20%), therefore limiting the performance of SMAs in positioning applications. An iterative controller based on the Preisach hysteresis model is used to compensate for the hysteresis. However, one of the major challenges with SMA at or near the phase-transition zones, from martensite to austenite and vice versa, is the output response is shown to be sensitive to small changes in the input. In practice, an iterative controller provides limited performance due to lack of robustness. It is demonstrated that combining a simple feedback controller with an iterative controller provides the needed robustness to enable high-precision tracking. Experimental results are presented that show maximum tracking error of 0.15% of the total displacement range-this value is approximately the noise level of the sensor measurement.
Behavior Settings as a Basis for Social System Accounts

Economic science advanced rapidly from economic indicators and index numbers in the 1920s to national income accounts and econometric models in the 1930s. These developments were facilitated by economic theory, but they were propelled by public concern about economic instability and unemployment; hence, public funds were made available for a major expansion in economic data systems for the objective measurement of these phenomena and, hopefully, for their explanation, prediction, and control. Without these data systems, the great advances of recent decades in empirical economic research would have been impossible.
Linear Waves in Bubbly Liquids

A summary of the current status of the modeling of the propagation of pressure waves in bubbly liquid is presented. An apparent failure of the theory near and above the resonance frequency of the bubbles is found by comparison with experimental data. In the second part of the paper applications to oceanic noise, laboratory bubble clouds, and resonance-parametric generation of low frequency underwater sound are described.
The Second World Cholera Pandemic (1826–1849) in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies with Special Reference to the Towns of San Prisco and Forio d’Ischia

The second world cholera pandemic in Europe (1829-1849) was significant because of its geographic extent and the enormous numbers of people who fell ill or died. It was also singularly important because it demonstrated the profound levels of ignorance in both Europe and North America concerning the cause, modes of transmission, and treatment of cholera. This paper discusses the pandemic in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in great detail. Even though medical and public health authorities in this kingdom had several years to prepare for cholera's eventual arrival in 1836-1837, their elaborate preventive and therapeutic measures proved no more successful than elsewhere. Despite their efforts, it was estimated that there were 32,145 cases of cholera in the city of Naples by July 1837. Some 19,470 people were estimated to have died among the city's then 357,283 population. This amounted to a cholera-specific mortality rate of 54.5/1000 population. Sicily was also severely affected by the epidemic. It was estimated that 69,000 people died of cholera in Sicily, 24,000 of them in the city of Palermo. Two rural towns in the kingdom, San Prisco and Forio d'Ischia, were selected for in-depth epidemiologic study. The former had a population of 3700 in 1836-1837, while the latter had a population of 5500. The economic basis of both towns was agriculture. However, because Forio is located on an island, fishing and sea transport were then also important industries. Cholera appeared in San Prisco in July 1837 and quickly swept through the population. By August, the epidemic was essentially over. It is estimated that some 109 people died from cholera in San Prisco for a disease-specific mortality rate of 29.5/1000 population. The age range of those who died from cholera was 1 to 90 years. The majority of deaths (60.6 %) were among women. The first cases of cholera appeared in Forio d'Ischia in June 1837. The epidemic then peaked in July. It is estimated that approximately 316 people died from cholera in Forio out of a population of 5500. This resulted in a cholera-specific mortality rate of 57.5/1000 population. Among the first 42 fatal cases in whom the disease was documented on their death certificates, ages ranged from 15 to 88 years. The mean age was 52.4 years. The majority of deaths (57.1 %) were among women. We reached beyond the statistics of this epidemic by presenting an in-depth study of the first person to die from cholera in Forio d'Ischia, Nicola Antonio Insante. By focusing on him, we were able to develop a broad account of the social and economic consequences of his death on his family. At the same time, our research demonstrated the resiliency of his immediate and distant descendants. Similarly, we discuss the D'Ambra and Scola families of Forio d'Ischia, and the Caruso and Valenziano families of San Prisco, among whom a number died from cholera in 1837.
The Relationship between Income and Health Insurance: Rethinking the Use of Family Income in the Current Population Survey

The Census Bureau finds that individuals with family income of $50,000 or more account for 11 million individuals (or 25 percent) of the uninsured and are the fastest-growing segment of the uninsured. This paper examines why this apparently high-income population does not have health insurance coverage. One section examines the relationship between family status and family income and discusses the implications for counting the number of high-income uninsured. Other sections examine the demographics and job characteristics of the uninsured, by family income, family status, and personal earnings. The conclusion includes a recommendation for future research. The PDF for the above title, published in the February 2005 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the full text of another February 2005 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "Retirement Annuity and Employment-Based Pension Income."
SIMS for analysis of nanostructures

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has joined the ranks of commonplace analytical tools for nanostructures in ways that would have been difficult to foresee even a decade ago. In particular, improvements in numerical data processing have permitted the use of SIMS in one dimension with uneven surfaces and in reconstructing compositional profiles in two and even three dimensions. These developments offer perhaps the brightest prospects for making SIMS a leading member within the select family of first-line characterization tools for nanoelectronics, nanoparticles, and polycrystalline and composite materials — as well as expanding the science base for tailoring such structures.
Modeling Resources Allocation in Attacker‐Defender Games with “Warm Up” CSF

Like many other engineering investments, the attacker's and defender's investments may have limited impact without initial capital to "warm up" the systems. This article studies such "warm up" effects on both the attack and defense equilibrium strategies in a sequential-move game model by developing a class of novel and more realistic contest success functions. We first solve a single-target attacker-defender game analytically and provide numerical solutions to a multiple-target case. We compare the results of the models with and without consideration of the investment "warm up" effects, and find that the defender would suffer higher expected damage, and either underestimate the attacker effort or waste defense investment if the defender falsely believes that no investment "warm up" effects exist. We illustrate the model results with real data, and compare the results of the models with and without consideration of the correlation between the "warm up" threshold and the investment effectiveness. Interestingly, we find that the defender is suggested to give up defending all the targets when the attack or the defense "warm up" thresholds are sufficiently high. This article provides new insights and suggestions on policy implications for homeland security resource allocation.
Incorporating tangible computing devices into CS1

Evidence shows that introductory computer science instruction can be enhanced with the inclusion of tangible computing devices. This paper demonstrates the integration of three major types of tangibles into the classroom: Arduino microcontrollers, Android phones and Sifteo Cubes. Laboratory assignments and lessons learned for each device are described, followed by an evaluation of their effectiveness in motivating and teaching introductory computing concepts.
Predictors of Response to Therapy for Infections Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Data from 410 courses of cefsulodin therapy for infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to determine the factors that correlated with three outcomes: bacteriologic cure, clinical response, and the occurrence of adverse effects. The factors that were evaluated were site of infection, number of infected sites, prior antibiotic therapy, concurrent antibiotic therapy, maximum daily dose of cefsulodin, pretreatment status (blood pressure, white blood cell count, hemoglobin and creatinine levels, liver function tests), age, sex, and assignment to cefsulodin via randomization. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors that contributed independently to the outcome. Regression analysis indicated that three factors were significantly associated with bacteriologic cure: age, site of infection, and pretreatment hemoglobin values. Regression analysis indicated that the following four variables were significant correlates of satisfactory clinical response: site of infection, the presence of more than one infected site, diastolic blood pressure before therapy, and prior antibiotic therapy. Regression analysis also indicated that two factors, maximum daily dose of cefsulodin and duration of therapy, were the only significant predictors of the occurrence of adverse effects.
The convergence model of philosophical method in the early Han

In this paper I explain the convergence model as a distinct form of syncretism in the Han, distinguishing it from both what I call exclusivism, which is challenged by Zhuangzi, and other syncretistic conceptions of method. I offer a rough outline of the structure of the convergence model as it emerges in key texts of the late Warring States and early Han periods. I first lay out the conceptual distinctions to understand the convergence model within a structure of different kinds of syncretism and pluralism. I then argue that the focus on school affiliation that many scholars of Han thought are concerned with has obscured important features of method and in particular the convergence model in Han thought. In the following sections, I turn to the Shizi, Lushi Chunqiu, and Huainanzi to illustrate a number of key features of the convergence model and texts endorsing it: explanation of the problems with exclusivism, the understanding of unity of seemingly disparate perspectives, how this unity is achieved, and by whom. The intention here is to offer a broad outline of the convergence model, which can then be built upon in future work.
Liver Insulinase Activity in Insulin Deficient Rats

SummaryRat liver insulinase activity is greatly reduced in fasted and alloxan treated animals. This reduced insulinase activity is associable with low levels of plasma insulin.
RELIABILISM: HOLISTIC OR SIMPLE?

Simple versions of Reliabilism about justification say that S's believing that p is justified if and only if the belief was produced by a belief-forming process that is reliable above some high threshold. Alvin Goldman, in Epistemology and Cognition, argues for a more complex version of the view according to which it is total epistemic systems that are assessed for reliability, rather than individual processes. Why prefer this more complex version of Reliabilism? Two reasons suggest themselves. First, it seems that the interaction of various processes of belief formation is often important. The more complex version appears to account for the interaction of processes. Second, one might doubt whether individual processes will have determinate truth-ratios. If not, the simple version of Reliabilism is a nonstarter. In this paper I argue that, despite these two apparent advantages, the complex version of Reliabilism is untenable. I conclude by arguing that the simple version is actually fine as it is.
Relation of Brand Choice to Purchase Frequency

Several estimation procedures are outlined for testing the common assumption that the distributions of purchase probabilities for a brand are independent of product class purchase frequency. Empiri...
Effect of disulfiram on adrenergic function

Disulfiram inhibits dopamine β-hydroxylase activity, and in animals dopamine (3-hydroxylase activity becomes rate-limiting in norepinephrine synthesis. It has been suggested that altered synthesis disturbs adrenergic function and plays a role in the hypotensive aspect of the ethanol-disulfiram reaction in man. We evaluated adrenergic function in 7 normal subjects before and during disulfiram administration, 500 mg/day orally, for 2 wk. Urinary excretion of vanilmandelic acid (VMA) (5.8 ± 0.45 to 2.8 ± 0.31 mgl24 hr, p < 0.01) and norepinephrine (37.8 ± 6.5 to 16.3 ± 2.9 µg/24 hr, p < 0.02) decreased, whereas homovanillic acid (HVA) (4.0 ± 0.4 to 13.9 ± 3.2 mg/24 hr, p < 0.05) increased during disulfiram. During disulfiram use, blood pressure rose in the supine position (from 125/71 to 136/83 mm Hg, p < 0.01) and after 2 min of standing (from 120/87 to 138/97, p < 0.01) in all subjects. In response to nitroglycerin and upright posture, systolic hypotension was greater during disulfiram use (19.1 ± 2.2 vs 29.3 ± 1.8 mm Hg, p < 0.01); hypotension-associated heart rate responses (change in heart rate/change in systolic blood pressure) were diminished (from 2.8 ± 0.5 to 1.9 ± 0.2 beats/min/mm Hg, p < 0.02). Disulfiram had no effect on pressor responses to tryamine and norepinephrine. Urinary excretion data were consistent with reduced norepinephrine synthesis during disulfiram administration. The cardiovascular responses to usual activities were unchanged by disulfiram, although with extreme hypotensive stress there was evidence of impaired response.
The Caribbean Basin

In contrast with the navies of South America with their long history, those of the Caribbean basin are mostly of recent origin (see Figure 8.1). The increase in the total number of Latin American navies during the last two decades has been concentrated in and around the Caribbean basin and this development has left its mark on the naval hierarchy of the region. On the one hand, we find a sizable group of token navies (rank 1) maintained by states in and around the Caribbean basin. These states have often recently gained independence or are generally weak and their navies reflect these conditions. On the other hand, there are the upper-rank Latin American navies with some inshore/offshore defence capabilities which are all located in the South American continent with three exceptions: Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Colombia and Venezuela (rank 4) together with Guyana and Suriname (rank 1), are regarded both as South American and as Caribbean basin states and are therefore included in the naval hierarchies of each subregion (columns 2 and 3 of Table 2.5).