cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical changes and carbon isotope variations in a cross-section of a large Miocene gymnospermous log

The cross-sectional radius of a 3-m (diam.) brown coal gymnospermous log of Miocene age, previously analyzed for carbohydrate and lignin methoxyl content by solid-state13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was examined using stable carbon isotopic ratios in order to determine if the isotopic composition could be related to chemical changes or to radial position. This study found a possible relationship between δ13C-values and radial position; however, these changes cannot be linked to carbohydrate content and are probably attributable to changing growth conditions during the lifetime of the tree. An apparent linear relationship between the changes in carbohydrate content after sodium para-periodate treatment and corresponding changes in the δ13C-values indicates constant isotopic fractionation between lignin and carbohydrates along the cross-sectional radius. This result indicates that diagenesis has not produced any significant change in the lignin-carbohydrate carbon isotopic fractionation or, alternatively, that diagenesis has erased any fractionation pattern that once existed. A sample of fresh wood from another gymnospermous species was analyzed by the same methods and found to have lignin-carbohydrate carbon isotopic fractionation significantly different from that of the Miocene log section samples, suggesting that differences may be species-related or that the complex mixture of carbohydrates in the fresh wood was isotopically different from that of the degraded wood, and the whole Miocene log was uniformly altered.
Starch Gel Electrophoresis: An Effective Method for Separation of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Naegleria Strains*

Isoenzyme electrophoresis of 7 different enzyme systems was used to compare 24 strains of Naegleria fowleri and 6 strains of N. gruberi. The 30 strains could be grouped into 4 distinct categories based upon zymogram patterns. No interstrain band variation in all enzyme systems was demonstrated in pathogenic strains of N. fowleri. Three nonpathogenic high temperature-tolerant strains of Naegleria had similar zymograms. Four of the 5 remaining nonpathogenic Naegleria strains had no interstrain band variation. Based upon zymograms, the 22 pathogenic strains constitute a homogenous species. Similarly the high temperature-tolerant nonpathogenic strains formed a cohesive group. The remaining nonpathogenic strains could be separated into 2 groups.
A review of the current geographic distribution of and debate surrounding electronic cigarette clean air regulations in the United States.

In this article, we present the results of a systematic review of state, county, and municipal restrictions on the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in public spaces within the United States, alongside an overview of the current legal landscape. The lack of federal guidance leaves lower-level jurisdictions to debate the merits of restrictions on use in public spaces without sufficient scientific research. As we show through a geographic assessment of restrictions, this has resulted in an inconsistent patchwork of e-cigarette use bans across the United States of varying degrees of coverage. Bans have emerged over time in a manner that suggests a “bottom up” diffusion of e-cigarette clean air policies. Ultimately, the lack of clinical and scientific knowledge on the risks and potential harm reduction benefits has led to precautionary policymaking, which often lacks grounding in empirical evidence and results in spatially uneven diffusion of policy.
Risk based staged evacuation planning

Determination of an optimal departure schedule is the key issue for a successful staged emergency evacuation for reducing unnecessary network congestion and decreasing the evacuation clearance time. However, flow-related stochastic events, such accidents and short-term traffic breakdowns, bring numerous challenges for developing a reliable evacuation plan with an optimal departure schedule. In order to assist the decision makers for evaluating potential planning risks, this study proposes a modeling framework and a corresponding solution approach that incorporates flow-related accidents and breakdowns into a staged emergency evacuation model. A bi-level stochastic programming problem is formulated. In the upper level, we introduce planning risk by using Mean-Mean Absolute Deviation (Mean-MAD), which is a common measure employed for risk-averse planning. In the lower level, System Optimum Dynamic Traffic Assignment (SO-DTA) formulation, proposed in [16], is modified as a tool for quantifying the performance of the proposed multistage stochastic traffic assignment approach. The applicability of the proposed framework and solution approach is illustrated by a numerical example designed to depict salient features of the proposed risk-based planning methodology.
Development of CdZnTe radiation detectors

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) is a very attractive material for room-temperature semiconductor detectors because of its wide band-gap and high atomic number. Despite these advantages, CZT still presents some material limitations and poor hole mobility. In the past decade most of the efforts developing CZT detectors focused on designing different electrode configurations, mainly to minimize the deleterious effect due to the poor hole mobility. A few different electrode geometries were designed and fabricated, such as pixelated anodes and Frisch-grid detectors developed at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). However, crystal defects in CZT materials still limit the yield of detector-grade crystals, and, in general, dominate the detector's performance. In the past few years, our group's research extended to characterizing the CZT materials at the micro-scale, and to correlating crystal defects with the detector's performance. We built a set of unique tools for this purpose, including infrared (IR) transmission microscopy, X-ray micro-scale mapping using synchrotron light source, X-ray transmission- and reflection- topography, current deep level transient spectroscopy (I-DLTS), and photoluminescence measurements. Our most recent work on CZT detectors was directed towards detailing various crystal defects, studying the internal electrical field, and delineating the effects of thermal annealing on improving the material properties. In this paper, we report our most recent results.
Isoforms of p38MAPK gamma and delta contribute to differentiation of human AML cells induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

Abstract Inhibition of p38MAPK alpha/beta is known to enhance 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin (1,25D)-induced monocytic differentiation, but the detailed mechanism of this effect was not clear. We now show that the enhancement of differentiation becomes apparent with slow kinetics (12–24 h). Interestingly, the inhibition of p38MAPK alpha/beta by their selective inhibitor SB202190 (SB) leads to an upregulated expression of p38MAPK isoforms gamma and delta in 1,25D-treated AML cells, in cell lines and in primary culture. Although the expression and activating phosphorylations of p38MAPK alpha are also increased by an exposure of the cells to SB, its kinase activity is blocked by SB, as shown by reduced levels of phosphorylated Hsp27, a downstream target of p38MAPK alpha. A positive role of p38MAPKs in 1,25D-induced differentiation is shown by the inhibition of differentiation by antisense oligonucleotides to all p38MAPK isoforms. Other principal branches of MAPK pathways showed early (6 h) activation of MEK/ERK by SB, followed by activation of JNK1/2 pathway and enhanced expression and/or activation of PU.1, ATF-2 differentiation-related transcription factors. Taken together with previous reports, the results indicate that 1,25D-induced differentiation is enhanced by the activation of at least three branches of MAPK pathways (ERK1/2; p38MAPK gamma/delta; JNK1/2). This activation may result from the removal of feedback inhibition of an upstream regulator of those pathways, when p38MAPK alpha and beta are inhibited by SB.
Advanced basis construction in linear programming

This paper considers basis construction in a linear program when the number of activities with basic status is not equal to the number of rows in the particular scenario. This arises when starting with an ‘advanced basis’, obtained from a solution to another scenario. The goal here is to provide a triangular-seeking algorithm that takes advantage of structural properties during the construction of a basis agenda. For completeness, some facts, which are known but have not been published, are given about choosing an advanced basis and about spikes.
Muscle mechanical work and elastic energy utilization during walking and running near the preferred gait transition speed

Mechanical and metabolic energy conservation is considered to be a defining characteristic in many common motor tasks. During human gait, the storage and return of elastic energy in compliant structures is an important energy saving mechanism that may reduce the necessary muscle fiber work and be an important determinant of the preferred gait mode (i.e., walk or run) at a given speed. In the present study, the mechanical work done by individual muscle fibers and series-elastic elements (SEE) was quantified using a musculoskeletal model and forward dynamical simulations that emulated a group of young healthy adults walking and running above and below the preferred walk-run transition speed (PTS), and potential advantages associated with the muscle fiber-SEE interactions during these gait modes at each speed were assessed. The simulations revealed that: (1) running below the PTS required more muscle fiber work than walking, and inversely, walking above the PTS required more muscle fiber work than running, and (2) SEE utilization in running was greater above than below the PTS. These results support previous suggestions that muscle mechanical energy expenditure is an important determinant for the preferred gait mode at a given speed.
Feasibility and optimization of preventive maintenance in exponential machines and serial lines

This article is devoted to a theoretical study of exponential machines with maintenance–reliability coupling, according to which the machine breakdown rate is inversely proportional to the rate of Preventive Maintenance (PM). For such a machine, a feasibility condition, under which PM leads to machine efficiency improvement, is derived. Under this condition, the optimal rate of PM is calculated, and it is shown that the efficiency of the machine with exponential and deterministic PM remains practically the same. In addition, a method for production rate evaluation in serial lines with PM-optimized machines is developed, and it is illustrated that the improvement due to PM may be as high as 40%. Finally, the robustness of the obtained results with respect to the nature of PM–reliability coupling is investigated.
Pathologic Survey of 300 Extirpated Canine Mastocytomas

ummary Three hundred surgical pathology specimens of canine mastocytomas were examined. The mean age of the group was high (8.2 years) and the Boxer breed was over-represented but no sex or site preference was obvious. A wide range of vascular lesions was observed, dominated by an eosinophilic vasculitis and degeneration of the medial coat of arteries. The significance of the presence of eosinophils and possible causes of the mastocytoma are discussed. Zusammenfassung Untersuchungen von 300 Mastozytom-Fallen bei Hunden Es wurden 300 Mastozytom-Exstirpationsproben von Hunden untersucht. Das Durchschnittsalter der Patienten betrug 8,2 Jahre. 45,6% der Falle betrafen Boxer. Eine Pradilektion hinsichtlich Geschlecht oder Lokalisation der Blastome konnte nicht festgestellt werden. Gefasschadigungen verschiedenster Art wurden gefunden, insbesondere in Form einer eosinophilen Vasculitis und Mediadegenerationen von Arterien. Die Bedeutung der Infiltration der Mastozytome mit eosinophilen Granulozyten und die moglichen Ursachen der Entstehung von Mastozytomen werden besprochen. Resume Etude anatomo-pathologique de 300 mastocytomes chez le Chien On examina trois cent specimens de mastocytomes canins. L'âge moyen des animaux atteints etait eleve (8,2 ans) et les boxers dominaient nettement (45,6%). On ne decela par contre aucune predilection concernant le sexe ou la localisation. On trouva une grande variete de lesions vasculaires, en particulier une vasculite eosinophile et une degenerescence de la tunique moyenne des arteres. La signification de la presence des eosinophiles et les causes possibles du mastocytome sont l'objet d'une discussion. Resumen Estudios patologicos acerca de 300 mastocitomas caninos extirpados Se examinaron 300 muestras de mastocitomas extirpados quirurgicamente en perras. La edad media de los pacientes era considerable (8,2 anos). El 45,6% de los casos correspondia a boxers. No se pudo establecer predileccion respecto a sexo o localizacion de los blastomas. Comprobaronse lesiones vasculares del tipo mas diverso, dominando la forma de una vasculitis eosinofila y las degeneraciones de la capa media de las arterias. Se discute la importancia y etiologia de la infiltracion de los mastocitomas con granulocitos eosinofilos.
Simulated vessel approaches elicit differential responses from manatees

One of the most pressing concerns associated with conservation of the endangered Florida manatee is mortality and serious injury due to collisions with watercraft. Watercraft collisions are the leading identified cause of manatee mortality, averaging 25% and reaching 31% of deaths each year. The successful establishment and management of protected areas depend upon the acquisition of data assessing how manatees use different habitats, and identification of environmental characteristics influencing manatee behavior and habitat selection. Acoustic playback experiments were conducted to assess the behavioral responses of manatees to watercraft approaches. Playback stimuli made from prerecorded watercraft approaches were constructed to simulate a vessel approach to approximately 10 m in sea grass habitats. Stimulus categories were (1) silent control, (2) approach with outboard at idle speed, (3) vessel approach at planning speed, and (4) fast personal watercraft approach. Analyses of swim speed, changes in behavioral state, and respiration rate indicate that the animals responded differentially to the playback categories. The most pronounced responses, relative to the controls, were elicited by personal watercraft. Quantitative documentation of response during playbacks provides data that may be used as the basis for future models to predict the impact of specific human activities on manatees and other marine mammal populations.
Human activity recognition using multidimensional indexing

In this paper, we develop a novel method for view-based recognition of human action/activity from videos. By observing just a few frames, we can identify the activity that takes place in a video sequence. The basic idea of our method is that activities can be positively identified from a sparsely sampled sequence of a few body poses acquired from videos. In our approach, an activity is represented by a set of pose and velocity vectors for the major body parts (hands, legs, and torso) and stored in a set of multidimensional hash tables. We develop a theoretical foundation that shows that robust recognition of a sequence of body pose vectors can be achieved by a method of indexing and sequencing and it requires only a few pose vectors (i.e., sampled body poses in video frames). We find that the probability of false alarm drops exponentially with the increased number of sampled body poses. So, matching only a few body poses guarantees high probability for correct recognition. Our approach is parallel, i.e., all possible model activities are examined at one indexing operation. In addition, our method is robust to partial occlusion since each body part is indexed separately. We use a sequence-based voting approach to recognize the activity invariant to the activity speed.
PREA: personalized recommendation algorithms toolkit

Recommendation systems are important business applications with significant economic impact. In recent years, a large number of algorithms have been proposed for recommendation systems. In this paper, we describe an open-source toolkit implementing many recommendation algorithms as well as popular evaluation metrics. In contrast to other packages, our toolkit implements recent state-of-the-art algorithms as well as most classic algorithms.
Vaginal cleansing before cesarean delivery to reduce postoperative infectious morbidity: a randomized, controlled trial

Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether vaginal preparation with povidone iodine before cesarean delivery decreased the risk of postoperative maternal morbidities. Study Design The design of the study was a randomized, controlled trial in women undergoing cesarean delivery with subjects assigned to have a preoperative vaginal cleansing with povidone iodine or to a standard care group (no vaginal wash). The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative fever, endometritis, sepsis, readmission, wound infection, or complication. Results There were 155 vaginal cleansing subjects and 145 control subjects. Overall, 9.0% developed the composite outcome, with fewer women in the cleansing group (6.5%) compared with the control group (11.7%), although the difference was not statistically significant (relative risk, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.26–1.11; P = .11). Length of surgery, being in labor, and having a dilated cervix were all associated with the composite morbidity outcome. Conclusion Vaginal cleansing with povidone iodine before cesarean delivery may decrease postoperative morbidities, although the reduction is not statistically significant.
Legible Cities: Focus-Dependent Multi-Resolution Visualization of Urban Relationships

Numerous systems have been developed to display large collections of data for urban contexts; however, most have focused on layering of single dimensions of data and manual calculations to understand relationships within the urban environment. Furthermore, these systems often limit the user's perspectives on the data, thereby diminishing the user's spatial understanding of the viewing region. In this paper, we introduce a highly interactive urban visualization tool that provides intuitive understanding of the urban data. Our system utilizes an aggregation method that combines buildings and city blocks into legible clusters, thus providing continuous levels of abstraction while preserving the user's mental model of the city. In conjunction with a 3D view of the urban model, a separate but integrated information visualization view displays multiple disparate dimensions of the urban data, allowing the user to understand the urban environment both spatially and cognitively in one glance. For our evaluation, expert users from various backgrounds viewed a real city model with census data and confirmed that our system allowed them to gain more intuitive and deeper understanding of the urban model from different perspectives and levels of abstraction than existing commercial urban visualization systems.
Continuous Phase Modulation for Multi-Level Spreading Codes in CDMA Communications

Continuous phase modulation has been favorably considered for use in DS-CDMA communications due to its constant envelope and spectral efficiency over other competing signaling techniques. On the other hand, more recently proposed multi-level orthogonal spreading code families offer better inter- and intra-code correlation properties than the conventional binary code families like Gold and Walsh. This paper evaluates BER performance of a system employing CPM technique for signaling and multi-level orthogonal spreading codes for DS-CDMA communications. It is shown that CPM-DS-CDMA system employing multi-level spreading codes significantly outperform binary spreading codes under the same test conditions.
Fundamental properties of the manifold of singular and regular linear systems

Abstract We construct a real analytic manifold L of systems of the form E x = Ax + Bu, y = Cx and show that L is the “completion,” with respect to solutions, of the set of regular (state-space) systems, i.e., those systems with nonsingular E . Other geometric and analytic properties of L are established, including genericity of the regular Systems.
Improving Network Services Configuration Management

This paper proposes a configuration management framework to improve the configuration of network services. Configuring a network service is difficult and error-prone especially when dealing with hundreds or thousands of various networking devices. Misconfiguration is common and leads to dramatic impacts on network stability. The existing configuration frameworks such as NETwork CONFiguration (NETCONF) protocol focuses on the interaction patterns between managers and agents with limited support for high-level functionalities. This makes hard for network developers to build effective management systems. Our proposed framework complements NETCONF framework by introducing a middle-level abstraction called Configuration Semantic Model (CSM) that provides a global view of service configuration process and coordinates the configuration of inter-dependent network devices. In this paper, we provide an overview of our configuration semantic modeling and then describe two case studies to evaluate the proposed framework.
Characterization and analysis of OFET devices based on TCAD simulations

Omega-field-effect transistor (OFET) devices, which feature an undoped cylindrical channel uniformly surrounded by a gate electrode, are investigated in this paper. The study is based on TCAD device simulations of OFETs with gate lengths ranging between 10 and 130 nm and radii ranging between 1 and 65 nm. Device characteristics such as the threshold voltage, the subthreshold swing, the drain saturation, and leakage current as well as drain-induced barrier lowering are discussed as functions of radii and gate lengths. Further, the influence of transversal and longitudinal size quantization effects in OFETs are investigated.
Detection and Isolation of Novel Rhizopine-Catabolizing Bacteria from the Environment

Microbial rhizopine-catabolizing (Moc) activity was detected in serial dilutions of soil and rhizosphere washes. The activity observed generally ranged between 10 6 and 10 7 catabolic units per g, and the numbers of nonspecific culture-forming units were found to be approximately 10 times higher. A diverse set of 37 isolates was obtained by enrichment on scyllo-inosamine-containing media. However, none of the bacteria that were isolated were found to contain DNA sequences homologous to the known mocA, mocB, and mocC genes of Sinorhizobium meliloti L5-30. Twenty-one of the isolates could utilize an SI preparation as the sole carbon and nitrogen source for growth. Partial sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNAs (rDNAs) amplified from these strains indicated that five distinct bacterial genera (Arthrobacter, Sinorhizobium, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Alcaligenes) were represented in this set. Only 6 of these 21 isolates could catabolize 3-O-methyl-scyllo-inosamine under standard assay conditions. Two of these, strains D1 and R3, were found to have 16S rDNA sequences very similar to those of Sinorhizobium meliloti. However, these strains are not symbiotically effective on Medicago sativa, and DNA sequences homologous to the nodB and nodC genes were not detected in strains D1 and R3 by Southern hybridization analysis. Rhizopines are inositol derivatives synthesized in legume nodules induced by specific members of the Rhizobiaceae (14, 31). The first rhizopine was isolated from alfalfa nodules infected with Sinorhizobium meliloti L5-30 (28). The structure of this compound was determined to be 3-O-methyl-scyllo-inosamine (MSI) (13). Genes on the large symbiotic plasmid of strain L5-30 were determined to be involved in the synthesis and catabolism of this compound (12). Transposon mutagenesis and subsequent DNA sequence analysis of the rhizopine catabolism (moc) locus from this strain revealed the presence of four open reading frames (ORFs) involved in the catabolism of MSI (24). Three of these ORFs, mocA, mocB, and mocC, have been found to be sufficient to confer microbial rhizopinecatabolizing (Moc) activity onto otherwise Moc 2 strains of S. meliloti (25). DNA sequences homologous to these moc genes were not observed in a broad screen of known soil and rhizosphere bacteria (24), and only members of the Rhizobiaceae have been reported to be Moc 1 (14).
Ionic Range of ThO2 ‐ 15 w / o Y 2 O 3 at High Oxygen Activities

The ionic transference numbers was determined at oxygen activities corresponding to approximately 1 atm by (a) emf measurements utilizing and cells and (b) four‐point resistance measurements, both as a function of temperature. The expression was deduced from the emf measurements. The resistance data are in good agreement with these results, but the latter technique is not sensitive enough to discriminate easily between cases where and where ionic and electronic contributions to the resistance are of comparable magnitude.
Do pathogens reduce genetic diversity of their hosts? Variable effects of sylvatic plague in black‐tailed prairie dogs

Introduced diseases can cause dramatic declines in—and even the loss of—natural populations. Extirpations may be followed by low recolonization rates, leading to inbreeding and a loss of genetic variation, with consequences on population viability. Conversely, extirpations may create vacant habitat patches that individuals from multiple source populations can colonize, potentially leading to an influx of variation. We tested these alternative hypotheses by sampling 15 colonies in a prairie dog metapopulation during 7 years that encompassed an outbreak of sylvatic plague, providing the opportunity to monitor genetic diversity before, during and after the outbreak. Analysis of nine microsatellite loci revealed that within the metapopulation, there was no change in diversity. However, within extirpated colonies, patterns varied: In half of the colonies, allelic richness after recovery was less than the preplague conditions, and in the other half, richness was greater than the preplague conditions. Finally, analysis of variation within individuals revealed that prairie dogs present in recolonized colonies had higher heterozygosity than those present before plague. We confirmed plague survivorship in six founders; these individuals had significantly higher heterozygosity than expected by chance. Collectively, our results suggest that high immigration rates can maintain genetic variation at a regional scale despite simultaneous extirpations in spatially proximate populations. Thus, virulent diseases may increase genetic diversity of host populations by creating vacant habitats that allow an influx of genetic diversity. Furthermore, even highly virulent diseases may not eliminate individuals randomly; rather, they may selectively remove the most inbred individuals.
A structural theory of moral development

(1977). A structural theory of moral development. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 16, Moral Development, pp. 60-66.
Toward Sensitive Graphene Nanoribbon–Nanopore Devices by Preventing Electron Beam-Induced Damage

Graphene-based nanopore devices are promising candidates for next-generation DNA sequencing. Here we fabricated graphene nanoribbon–nanopore (GNR-NP) sensors for DNA detection. Nanopores with diameters in the range 2–10 nm were formed at the edge or in the center of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), with widths between 20 and 250 nm and lengths of 600 nm, on 40 nm thick silicon nitride (SiNx) membranes. GNR conductance was monitored in situ during electron irradiation-induced nanopore formation inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM) operating at 200 kV. We show that GNR resistance increases linearly with electron dose and that GNR conductance and mobility decrease by a factor of 10 or more when GNRs are imaged at relatively high magnification with a broad beam prior to making a nanopore. By operating the TEM in scanning TEM (STEM) mode, in which the position of the converged electron beam can be controlled with high spatial precision via automated feedback, we were able to prevent electron beam-induce...
Host-size-dependent sex ratio theory and improving mass-reared parasitoid sex ratios

Although an effective parasitoid of agromyzid leafminers, Diglyphus isaea (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an expensive biological control agent in terms of production costs. In part, these costs arise from the production of male-biased offspring sex ratios. Here, we present a mass-rearing technique that will increase the proportion of females produced and reduce the need for frequent releases in biocontrol programs. By presenting female D. isaea groups of sequentially larger leafminer hosts to attack, we are able to generate progressively more female-biased sex ratios. After three days of providing increasingly larger hosts, we were able to reduce the sex ratios produced by individual females from 57% male to 36% male; sex ratios produced by groups of females dropped from 64% male to 45% male. Several attributes of D. isaea sex allocation allow us to manipulate sex allocation behavior. First, D. isaea is a solitary idiobiont; resources available to each offspring are present at the time of attack allowing the ovipositing female to accurately assess host quality. Host size positively affects both male and female wasps. Females laid more daughters in larger hosts and more sons in smaller hosts. We show that the observed relationship between host size and offspring sex ratio is due to maternal sex allocation decisions rather than differential mortality. Furthermore, assessment of the size threshold was relative to prior host encounters rather than an absolute assessment. Our simple memory model suggests that while females are influenced most strongly by recent encounters, females also base their assessment of the host-size threshold on prior host encounters. 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
A High-Power $Ka$ -Band (31–36 GHz) Solid-State Amplifier Based on Low-Loss Corporate Waveguide Combining

A method of using low-loss waveguide septum combiners is developed into a high-power -band (31-36 GHz) amplifier producing 50 W at 33 GHz (Ka-band) using 32 low-power (>2 W) solid-state amplifier modules. By using low-loss waveguide combining and a packaged monolithic microwave integrated circuit with a low-loss microstrip-to-waveguide launcher, the output loss is minimized, allowing for the overall power-combining efficiency to remain high, 80% (average insertion loss of combiner < 0.7 dB and average insertion loss of launcher <0.3 dB) over 31-36 GHz. In the past, lower power-combining efficiencies have limited the number of modules that can be combined at -band, and hence, have limited the power output. The approach demonstrated in this paper, with high power-combining efficiency, allows a very large number (32) of solid-state amplifier modules to be combined to produce high powers. Greater than 50 W was demonstrated with low power modules, but even higher powers 120 W are possible. The current approach is based on corporate combining, using low-loss waveguide septum combiners that provide isolation, maintaining the true graceful degradation of a modular solid-state amplifier system.
Modeling competitive substitution in a polyelectrolyte complex

We have simulated the invasion of a polyelectrolyte complex made of a polycation chain and a polyanion chain, by another longer polyanion chain, using the coarse-grained united atom model for the chains and the Langevin dynamics methodology. Our simulations reveal many intricate details of the substitution reaction in terms of conformational changes of the chains and competition between the invading chain and the chain being displaced for the common complementary chain. We show that the invading chain is required to be sufficiently longer than the chain being displaced for effecting the substitution. Yet, having the invading chain to be longer than a certain threshold value does not reduce the substitution time much further. While most of the simulations were carried out in salt-free conditions, we show that presence of salt facilitates the substitution reaction and reduces the substitution time. Analysis of our data shows that the dominant driving force for the substitution process involving polyelectrolytes lies in the release of counterions during the substitution.
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in isolated villous and crypt cells of the rat ileum

The localization of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, E.C. 1.1.1.34) in the villous and crypt cells of the small intestine was accomplished after separating these cells from the mucosal layer by sequential dissociation in a "dual-buffer" system. Consistent separation was demonstrated by using the marker enzymes alkaline phosphatase, specific to the villous cell, and thymidine kinase, specific to the crypt cell. Cells obtained were 95-100% viable, and no relative differ- ence in lability was observed, as evidenced by the equal distribution of acid phosphatase. This method of cell separation was an improvement over the "scraping" tech- nique which damaged cells severely and produced villous preparations that contained little or no reductase activity. The HMG-CoA reductase specific activity in whole cell homogenates of the ileal villi was 0.47 and of the crypts was 0.27 nmol/min per mg of protein, considerably higher values than have been reported earlier. Also in comparison to the crypts, the villi incorporated 1.5-fold more ("C)- acetate into sterols, a ratio similar to that describing the distribution of HMG-CoA reductase in the two cell popula- tions. These results unequivocally establish that the villi have higher HMG-CoA reductase activity than the crypts and confirm an earlier report from this laboratory that the villi are a major site of sterol synthesis. The sterol bio- synthetic capacity of the small intestine was highest in the ileum and decreased towards the jejunum. The HMG-CoA reductase specific activity of the ileum averaged 0.30 and that of the jejunum 0.10 nmol/min per mg of protein; however, the cholesterol content of the ileum was slightly lower than the jejunum. These results are discussed to suggest the possibility that the sterol content of the ileum may largely be due to in situ synthesis.
Prognosis of Sintering of System W-Ni in the Presence of Liquid Phase

The great number of experimental results obtained from sintering studies of W-Ni alloys certainly provides rich material to study the kinetics of this process. From such information, one can presume that a solutionreprecipitation process takes place in a liquid-solid system, manifesting itself by dissolution of the material in the liquid phase, its transport through a thin layer of liquid and its reprecipitation at an other location.
Downregulation of nitric oxide synthase in chronic renal insufficiency: role of excess PTH

The available data on the effect of chronic renal failure (CRF) on nitric oxide (NO) metabolism are limited and contradictory. We studied rats with CRF 6 wk after a five-sixths nephrectomy and comp...
Deformation of a Thermocapillary Driven Liquid Bridge

Predicting the free-surface shape of a liquid bridge has been the focus of several recent models of containerless semiconductor crystal-growth methods, such as float-zone processing. We wish to sort out the discrepancies in the predictions of the numerical models by investigating the physics of a simplified system, the half-zone in microgravity. In the absence of gravity, the deformation of the free surface is small. Therefore, we first calculate the flow for a cylindrical melt region, corresponding to a large reference surface tension. This problem is well benchmarked, and the results are in nearly universal agreement. We then investigate a small perturbation of the free-surface shape using the flow calculated for the undeformed liquid bridge. Applying asymptotic expansions, we can predict the leading order of the free-surface velocities and deformation. In this formulation, it is easy to understand the relevance of each term, including the dynamic pressure variation. This solution is also more efficient than the numerical schemes that iterate between the shape of the free surface and the associated flow field. Furthermore, it provides physical insight that is difficult to extract from a purely numerical solution. Conversely, it is an approximation and therefore neglects terms of importance to a highly deformed free surface. Where possible, we will compare the leading-order free-surface shape to that predicted by numerical models, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Oxygen Gas Sensing by Luminescence Quenching in Crystals of Cu(xantphos)(phen)+ Complexes

We have shown that crystals of the highly emissive copper(I) compounds [Cu(POP)(dmp)]tfpb, [Cu(xantphos)(dmp)]tfpb, [Cu(xantphos)(dipp)]tfpb, and [Cu(xantphos)(dipp)]pftpb, (where POP = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether; xantphos = 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene; dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline; dipp = 2,9-diisopropyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dipp); tfpb− = tetrakis(bis-3,5-trifluoromethylphenylborate); and pftpb = tetrakis(pentfluorophenyl)borate) are oxygen gas sensors. The sensing ability correlates with the amount of void space calculated from the crystal structures. The compounds exhibit linear Stern−Volmer plots with reproducible KSV constants from sample to sample; these results reinforce the observations that the sensing materials are crystalline and the sensing sites are homogeneous within the crystals. The long lifetime (∼30 μs), high emission quantum yield (ϕ = 0.66), appreciable KSV value (5.65), and very rapid response time (51 ms for the 95% return constant) for [Cu(x...
Constitutional Law in 1945-46: The Constitutional Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States in the October Term, 1945

Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone died on April 22. He was appointed Associate Justice by President Coolidge in 1925, and was elevated to the Chief Justiceship by President Roosevelt upon the retirement of Chief Justice Hughes in 1941. On June 7, President Truman nominated Fred M. Vinson, then Secretary of the Treasury, to be Chief Justice of the United States, and the Senate confirmed the nomination on June 20. Mr. Justice James C. McReynolds, who retired from the Court in 1941, died on August 24, 1945. Mr. Justice Jackson, who in May, 1945, had been appointed chief American prosecutor at the trial of Axis war criminals at Nuremberg, did not return to the Court during the 1945 term. On June 10, Mr. Justice Jackson, in Nuremberg, released to the press a statement sharply criticizing Mr. Justice Black for his failure to disqualify himself in Jewell Ridge Coal Corp. v. Local No. 6167, U.M.W. This case, which awarded coal miners “portal-to-portal” pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act, was decided by a five-to-four vote, and Mr. Justice Black's former law partner was attorney for the union. The statement, unprecedented in judicial history, made public record of a personal antagonism between the two justices, and elicited nation-wide press comment. Mr. Justice Black made no reply, and there have been no later repercussions of the incident. A court of eight justices decided twenty-three cases in which three justices dissented, and twenty-one cases in which two dissented. The Court overruled one earlier decision. This brings the list of overruled cases since 1937 to twenty-seven.
Passage Meditation: A Learning Resource for Integrating Spiritual Insight With Management Studies

During the past year the author has been one of two consultants meeting bi-monthly with a senior executive team from one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems concerned with deepening both lea...
A Sign in the Dark: Moses’s Cushite Wife and Boundary Setting in the Book of Numbers

Sitting at a primary intersection of gender and ethnicity in the book of Numbers is the figure of the Cushite woman in Numbers 12. Who is this Cushite, and why does she materialize seemingly out of nowhere, only to disappear as fast as she appeared? In order to explore ways that gender and ethnicity were used to define boundaries and construct identity in post-exilic Judah, this paper investigates the role that this Cushite plays in the narrative of Numbers and the ideology behind her enigmatic portrayal. Employing Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection as the primary framework, I propose that a recasting of the character of Zipporah as the Cushite woman is the pivot point that the post-exilic, priestly authors of Numbers utilize to accomplish three of their primary goals in rewriting Exodus: alienate the Midianites, constrain women, and appropriate the role of Moses. Who better to accomplish these goals than the Midianite wife of Moses? Drawing upon the work of Claudia Camp, this paper argues that all foreign women in Numbers are not created equally. Just as Camp finds circles drawn increasingly tighter around those authorized to be priests, I explore ways that Numbers constructs degrees of difference for foreign women. Foreigners are welcome but are not to come too close. Just how close is too close, and who is excluded at what times and why? The Cushite woman holds a key to unlocking this mystery in Numbers. She is a sign in the dark.
Archaeological Testing at 41BP679, Bastrop County, Texas

During the spring of 2006 (May 11 through May 18, 2006), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted testing at 41BP679, a site formally listed as a State Archaeological Landmark. Site 41BP679 is located in Bastrop County at the confluence of the Colorado River and Spring Branch Creek, one of its tributaries. The site is on land that is the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation of outflow pipes will impact the northern portion of 41BP679. The testing was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4117, with Kristi Ulrich serving as Principal Investigator and Cynthia Moore Munoz serving as the Project Archaeologist. The testing involved mechanical auger borings, backhoe trenching and the hand-excavation of a limited number of test units. Testing confirmed that 41BP679 is likely to be a single component site (30-70 cm below surface) dating from the Paleoindian to Archaic period. One temporally diagnostic artifact, a Clear Fork tool, was recovered. Testing efforts failed to encounter features, and the low density cultural materials consist primarily of lithic debitage, burned rock and a handful of lithic tools. A detailed debitage analysis of the samples from the site suggests that the debitage collection represents a focus on tool production. The low density cultural remains have been impacted by bioturbation and vegetation clearing or plowing and their research potential is limited. The portion of the site tested during the investigations reported herein, along with the materials recovered, do not contribute to the State Archeological Landmark eligibility of 41BP679. We therefore recommend that the planned construction be allowed to proceed. We also recommend that the portion of the site located to the south of the area tested by CAR remain protected. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) concurred with the conclusions and recommendations reached by the CAR. In addition, the THC requested that the portion of 41BP679 not assessed by CAR be protected from potential construction-related impacts by a fence. The desired location of the fence would be furnished by CAR to insure that intact portions of the site are not adversely affected by the fence’s construction. Furthermore, if significant archaeological deposits are uncovered during plant construction, the THC requested that all work should stop in those immediate areas and the City of Bastrop should immediately contact the THC. CAR staff informed the City of the THC request. City representatives have indicated to CAR that fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the construction area both to keep people out of the construction area and keep construction impacts limited to the designated area. The fence will be a five-strand barbwire fence. All artifacts collected during this project are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines.
Clinical analysis of children with Incomplete kawasaki disease

Objective:To explore the early diagnosis and clinica l features of incomp leteKawasak idisease(IKD) in children,in order to prom ote early diagnosis,reduce or avoid coronary artery lesions(CAL) caused by de layed diagnosis of Kawasaki disease(KD).Methods:The clinical features of 41 children with IKD and 175 children whis KD collected from Jan.2010 to Jan.2010 were retrospectively ana lyzed.The data between 2 groups in age,gender,clinic features laboratory exam inations,heart color Doppler examine and elect ro cardiogram were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software.Results:The incidence of symptoms of clinical diagnostic criteria was lower in incom plete KD than that in typical KD.No statistical differences of leukocytes,C-reactive protein,platelet and erythrocy tesedim entation rate were found in the incomp lete KD and typica lKD.There was sign ificant difference in the incidence of coronary artery lesions between incomplete lKD(35.8%)and typica KD(23.2%).Conclusion: The rate of coronary artery lesions was higher in incomplet e KD,and it should be paid more att ent ion to earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment.
Research on Rapid Software Development Framework Based on MDA

This paper proposes a software development framework based on the concept of MDA to resolve the problems of current software development process such as software development efficiency,system migration,interoperability,and software maintenance,etc.PIM(platform-independent model) first established by the XML in this framework.The HTML pages were produced after the establishment of the PIM model analysis and implementation by MDR(model-driven runtime environment).This software development framework greatly improves the software development in efficiency,expansion and maintenance of Web system.And it is also more conductive to Web developers to the secondary development of Web applications.
A Teaching Evaluation Model Based on Regular Student Evaluation

A teaching evaluation model based on the regular evaluation and an iterative revision algorithm for this model are presentedThe algorithm can give the comparable results of objective evaluation of each evaluated object by use of incomplete evaluation informationThe problems of troubling college teaching evaluation for years would be solvedThis model and its algorithm can be used in a wide field