cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antiplane shear deformations of an anisotropic elliptical inhomogeneity with imperfect or viscous interface

Based on the Lekhnitskii-Eshelby approach of two-dimensional anisotropic elasticity, a semi-analytical solution is derived for the problem associated with an anisotropic elliptical inhomogeneity embedded in an infinite anisotropic matrix subjected to remote uniform antiplane shear stresses. In this research, the linear spring type imperfect bonding conditions are imposed on the inhomogeneity-matrix interface. We use a different approach than that developed by Shen et al. (2000) to expand the function encountered during the analysis for an imperfectly bonded interface. Our expansion method is in principle based on Isaac Newton's generalized binomial theorem. The solution is verified, both theoretically and numerically, by comparison with existing solution for a perfect interface. It is observed that the stress field inside an anisotropic elliptical inhomogeneity with a homogeneously imperfect interface is intrinsically nonuniform. The explicit expression of the nonuniform stress field within the inhomogeneity is presented. The nonuniform stress field inside the inhomogeneity is also graphically illustrated. A difference in internal stress distribution between a composite composed of anisotropic constituents and a composite composed of isotropic constituents is also observed. We finally extend the solution derived for a linear spring type imperfect interface to address an elliptical inhomogeneity with a viscous interface described by the linear law of rheology. It is observed that the stress field inside an elliptical inhomogeneity with a viscous interface is nonuniform and time-dependent.
Mild hypothermia attenuates cytochrome c release but does not alter Bcl-2 expression or caspase activation after experimental stroke

Mild hypothermia protects the brain from ischemia, but the underlying mechanisms of this effect are not well known. The authors previously found that hypothermia reduces the density of apoptotic cells, but it is not certain whether temperature alters associated biochemical events. Mitochondrial release of cytochrome c has recently been shown to be a key trigger in caspase activation and apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway. Using a model of transient focal cerebral ischemia, the authors determined whether mild hypothermia altered expression of Bcl-2 family proteins, mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, and caspase activation. Mild hypothermia significantly decreased the amount of cytochrome c release 5 hours after the onset of ischemia, but mitochondrial translocation of Bax was not observed until 24 hours. Mild hypothermia did not alter Bcl-2 and Bax expression, and caspase activation was not observed. The present study provides the first evidence that intraischemic mild hypothermia attenuates the release of cytochrome c in the brain, but does not appear to affect other biochemical aspects of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. They conclude that necrotic processes may have been interrupted to prevent cytochrome c release, and that the ameliorative effect of mild hypothermia may be a result of maintaining mitochondrial integrity. Furthermore, the authors show it is unlikely that mild hypothermia alters the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.
Maxwellization of electrons in a low-voltage, atmospheric pressure gas discharge.

Electric conductivity in low voltage atmospheric pressure gas discharge, noting Maxwellian electron density distribution
Accuracy and validity of observational estimates of wrist and forearm posture

Numerous observational methods for analysis of working posture of the wrist/forearm have been reported in the literature yet few of these methods have been validated for the accuracy of their posture classification. The present study evaluated the accuracy of estimates of working posture made by 28 experienced ergonomists using methods of scaling upper limb posture typical of those reported in the literature. Observational estimates of wrist/forearm posture of four jobs presented on video-recording were compared with posture levels measured directly with an electrogoniometer system. Ergonomists using a visual analogue scale tended to underestimate peak and average wrist extension with mean errors of -29.4% and -10.5% of the joint ROM, respectively (p<0.05). While estimates of wrist flexion, pronation and supination resulted in less bias, variability in observer error was large for all wrist postures. The probability of an analyst misclassifying the most frequently occurring posture using a three- and a six-category scale was 54 and 70%, respectively. The probability of misclassifying peak posture was 22 and 61% using a three- and a six-category scale respectively. This suggests a trade-off between the degree of precision afforded by the categorical scale and the likelihood of posture misclassification. Estimates of the temporal distribution of posture among the categories appeared to be biased towards more neutral postures than were measured for the jobs. This indicated the possibility of a trend towards underestimation of posture duration severity by the ergonomists.
Exploiting Operand Availability for Efficient Simultaneous Multithreading

We propose several schemes to improve the scalability, reduce the complexity and delays, and increase the throughput of dynamic scheduling in SMT processors. Our first design is an adaptation of the proposed instruction packing to SMT. Instruction packing opportunistically packs two instructions (possibly from different threads), each with at most one nonready source operand at the time of dispatch, into the same issue queue entry. Our second design, termed 2OP_BLOCK, takes these ideas one step further and completely avoids the dispatching of the instructions with two nonready source operands. This technique has several advantages. First, it reduces the scheduling complexity (and the associated delays) as the logic needed to support the instructions with two nonready source operands is eliminated. More surprisingly, 2OP_BLOCK simultaneously improves the performance as the same issue queue entry may be reallocated multiple times to the instructions with at most one nonready source (which usually spends fewer cycles in the queue) as opposed to hogging the entry with an instruction which enters the queue with two nonready sources. For, schedulers with the capacity to hold 64 instructions on a 4-way SMT, the 2OP_BLOCK design outperforms the traditional queue by 14 percent, on average, and at the same time results in a 10 percent reduction in the overall scheduling delay. We also present mechanisms to support speculative scheduling with 2OP_BLOCK and introduce the hybrid scheme that dynamically switches between 2OP_BLOCK and instruction packing modes depending on the workload characteristics, to achieve further performance gains
Three-nucleon system at next-to-next-to-leading order

We calculate higher order corrections for the three-nucleon system up to next-to-next-to-leading within an effective field theory with contact interactions alone. We employ a subtraction formalism previously developed and for which it has been shown that no new three-body force counterterm is needed for complete renormalization up to this order. We give results for the neutron-deuteron phaseshifts and the triton binding energy. Our results are in very good agreement with experimental results and calculations using realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials.
Antibiotic susceptibilities and drug resistance in Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis

Abstract purpose: To summarize current knowledge of drug susceptibility and mechanisms of drug resistance in Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis . materials and methods: The current medical literature was reviewed, with careful attention to recent studies of the BRO beta-lactamases. results: Although intrinsically resistant to a small group of drugs that included vancomycin and trimethoprim, acquired drug resistance in Branhamella catarrhalis was unknown in the early years of antimicrobial therapy. During 1976 to 1977, however, two previously unrecognized beta-lactamases appeared in this species almost simultaneously around the world. At the same time these enzymes, now known as BRO-1 and BRO-2, also appeared in two closely related commensal species of Moraxella . Within four years the BRO enzymes were found in up to 75 percent of B. catarrhalis in the United States where they provide low-level resistance to penicillin and ampicillin but not to most cephalosporins. The BRO genes appear to be chromosomal but are readily transferred by conjugation within the Moraxella genus. Resistance to aminoglycosides and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole has been reported from Spain, and resistance to both erythromycin and tetracycline has recently been described among United States isolates of B. catarrhalis . conclusion: Despite this drug resistance, numerous oral and parenteral agents are available and appear useful for treatment of clinical disease, including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, erythromycin, the tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Recent changes in drug resistance in this species suggest that continued monitoring of drug resistance in B. catarrhalis is needed.
Starchitecture: Scenes, actors and spectacles in contemporary cities

Davide Ponzini and Michele Nastasi, Turin, Umberto Allemandi, 2011, 144 pp., US$181, (paperback), ISBN 9788842219897 In this handsome book, Davide Ponzini, who wrote the text, and Michele Nastasi, ...
Lack of catalytic activity of a murine mRNA cytoplasmic serine hydroxymethyltransferase splice variant: evidence against alternative splicing as a regulatory mechanism.

Mammalian serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is a tetrameric, pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the reversible interconversion of serine and tetrahydrofolate to glycine and methylenetetrahydrofolate. This reaction generates single-carbon units for purine, thymidine, and methionine biosynthesis. Cytoplasmic SHMT (cSHMT) has been postulated to channel one-carbon substituted folates to various folate-dependent enzymes, and alternative splicing of the cSHMT transcript may be a mechanism that enables specific protein−protein interactions. The cytoplasmic isozyme is expressed from species-specific and tissue-specific alternatively spliced transcripts that encode proteins with modified carboxy-terminal domains, while the mitochondrial isozyme is expressed from a single transcript. While the full-length mouse and human cSHMT proteins are 91% identical, their alternatively spliced transcripts differ. The murine cSHMT gene is expressed as two transcripts. One transcript encodes a full-length 5...
Thin-layer chromatographic separation of dicrotophos, ethion (or phorate), fensulfothion, oxydemeton-methyl, phosmet, phospholan, and trichlorfon from each other

Abstract A thin-layer chromatography method is reported for the separation of dicrotophos, ethion (or phorate), fensulfothion, oxydemeton-methyl, phosmet, phospholan, and trichlorfon. The procedure involves the use of commercially prepared silica gel 1B Baker-flex plates and developing with 2,2,4-trimethylpentane:methyl cyclohexane: n -hexyl alcohol:acetone (18:9:9:9). The pesticides are located by spraying with ammoniacal silver nitrate solution in acetone follwed by exposure to longwave UV light. The method does not separate ethion and phorate from each other. A method is also reported for the thin-layer chromatographic separation of ethion from phorate in the presence of the other six pesticides using solvent system 2,2,4-trimethylpentane: n -hexane:chloroform (18:18:12) on silica gel 1B Baker-flex plates.
Ethno‐cultural considerations in negotiation: pretense, deception and lies in the Greek workplace

A retrospect into ethos, this study examines the impact of individualism, collectivism, ethical idealism and interpersonal trust on negotiators' attitudes toward questionable negotiation tactics in Greece. A thousand survey questionnaires were administered to Greek employees, of which 327 usable responses were collected. Our findings empirically corroborated a classification of three groups of negotiation tactics, namely, pretense, deception and lies. Individualism–collectivism and ethical idealism were found to be related, and interpersonal trust was found to be unrelated, to attitudes toward questionable negotiation tactics. Emphasizing the non-US and non-Western European nature of the empirical data collected, the originality of this research further stems from the development of a comprehensive research framework about questionable negotiation tactics in Greece.
The Women in Liu Kezhuang's Family:

As any reader will remember well, the Jia family in the Dream of Red Mansions (Honglou meng) was centered around the elderly grandmother. To the youthful Baoyu the family's key members, other than his father, were all females; they included his grandmother, his elder cousin's wife, his elder brother's widow, and his own sisters and cousins-not to mention the senior maids and concubines. The novel informs us of the life histories of most of these women, and provides enough information on their background, experiences, and opportunities for us to find their varied fates plausible. Despite the prominence of these women and girls in the novel, no one could assert that this family was a matrilineal or matriarchal one; the family was orthodox in almost all the formal aspects of family institutions. Descent was patrilineal, marriage was patrilocal, authority and property were vested in the senior men, and it was these men who dealt with the outer world. The women themselves did not reject the male-centered family structure in order to create an alternative world of their own. The grandmother may have felt strong affection for her brother's or daughter's children, but she never questioned that her sons' sons and their sons came first. Nevertheless, the novel shows that the constraints on women and girls created by the structure of the family did not render them unimportant in the lives of the men and boys with whom they lived. The more senior of these women
Struggling with Lack: A Lacanian Perspective on Organizational Identity

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to research on organizational identity by developing a psychoanalytic perspective. In particular, the author draws on Lacanian theorizing to explore how organizational identity discourse is informed by imaginary constructions of subjectivity. It is proposed that the collective construction of coherent, unitary, and definably organizational identity discourse is validated by and validates conscious but illusory constructions of the self. The resulting discourse is inevitably disrupted by unconscious subjectivity and invariably fails. Therefore, the collective construction of fragmented, dynamic, and emergent organizational identity discourse is equally inevitable. While such discourse can be illusory, it also contains the opportunity for engaging in liberating struggles with identity as lack. The implications of this perspective for the theory and practice of organizational identity are discussed.
Thermodynamic density of states of two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field

The thermodynamic density of states is calculated taking into account both linear and non-linear electron screening. In the linear screening regime the density of states is negative, and it is determined by electron-electron interaction. The linear screening fails when the filling factor is close to an integer. In the non-linear screening regime the density of states is positive. The crossover between these regimes is shown to be very sharp. The quantitative results are obtained by computer modeling. They are in a good agreement with the recent magnetocapacitance measurements.
No reduction in cerebral metabolism as a result of early moderate hyperventilation following severe traumatic brain injury.

Object. Hyperventilation has been used for many years in the management of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concern has been raised that hyperventilation could lead to cerebral ischemia; these concerns have been magnified by reports of reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) early after severe TBI. The authors tested the hypothesis that moderate hyperventilation induced early after TBI would not produce a reduction in CBF severe enough to cause cerebral energy failure (CBF that is insufficient to meet metabolic needs). Methods. Nine patients were studied a mean of 11.2 ± 1.6 hours (range 8–14 hours) after TBI occurred. The patients' mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 5.6 ± 1.8 and their mean age 27 ± 9 years; eight of the patients were male. Intracranial pressure (ICP), mean arterial blood pressure, and jugular venous oxygen content were monitored and cerebral perfusion pressure was maintained at a level higher than 70 mm Hg by using vasopressors when needed. Measurements of CBF, cerebral blood volume...
A model of consumption-dependent temptation

The paper characterizes axiomatically a class of temptation-driven preferences. The key (but not the only) novelty of the paper is the idea that the alternative which tempts when an item x is consumed may not be the same as the alternative which tempts when another item y is consumed. For any single item to be ultimately consumed, the other items can be ranked by how much they tempt. An individual contemplates, as an alternative consumption, only the item that tempts most. The utility of a menu is then equal to the utility of the item that is consumed less a (psychological) cost of resisting temptation; this cost depends on both: the item to be consumed and the item that tempts. Unlike most of the existing literature, the axioms are imposed on deterministic menus, not on menus of lotteries.
Portal vein occlusion in the rat: A new technique

Abstract A simple and uniformly reliable technique for the production of total portal vein occlusion is described. A one-stage operative procedure in which an Ameroid constrictor is placed around the portal vein is utilized and permits 100% survival of the animals.
Lithographic image simulations

Abstract Lithographic aerial images have been studied by digital image simulation. The aspects considered include the variation of numerical aperture, defocus, aberrations, source size, source shape, and source centration.
Performance analysis in AF/DF relay networks with strong-path beamforming

A scheme, which beamforms from the source to the stronger of direct and relay links, is analyzed in amplify/decode and forward (AF/DF) fixed relay networks. Novel upper-bounds and selection relaying for strong-path beamforming (BF) are presented for AF/DF relaying with known and unknown channel information of the relay link at the source and destination. Performance comparisons are shown among strong-path BF and optimized BF with a corresponding lower-bound.
The Banality of "Ethnic War"

In this article I assess the violence that took place in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda in the 1990s and argue that the whole concept of “ethnic warfare” may be severely misguided. Speciacally, insofar as it is taken to imply a war of all against all and neighbor against neighbor—a condition in which pretty much everyone in one ethnic group becomes the ardent, dedicated, and murderous enemy of everyone in another group—ethnic war essentially does not exist. I argue instead that ethnic warfare more closely resembles nonethnic warfare, because it is waged by small groups of combatants, groups that purport to aght and kill in the name of some larger entity. Often, in fact, “ethnic war” is substantially a condition in which a mass of essentially mild, ordinary people can unwillingly and in considerable bewilderment come under the vicious and arbitrary control of small groups of armed thugs. I consider arst the violent conoicts in Croatia and Bosnia. These were spawned not so much by the convulsive surging of ancient hatreds or by frenzies whipped up by demagogic politicians and the media as by the ministrations of small—sometimes very small—bands of opportunistic marauders recruited by political leaders and operating under their general guidance. Many of these participants were drawn from street gangs or from bands of soccer hooligans. Others were criminals speciacally released from prison for the purpose. Their participation was required because the Yugoslav army, despite years of supposedly inouential nationalist propaganda and centuries
Studies on the physiological variation between tropical and temperature zone fiddler crabs of the genus Uca—VII. Metabolic-temperature acclimation responses in southern hemisphere crabs

Abstract 1. 1. Latitudinally separated populations of fiddler crabs (genus Uca) in Brazil, of the same and closely related species, have distinctive metabolic-temperature acclimation and Q10 patterns at both the whole animal and tissue level. 2. 2. When the data from this study are compared with comparable data on northern hemisphere fiddler crabs of the same or closely related species, it becomes obvious that it is impossible to correlate the results solely on the basis of adaptation to habitat temperature. 3. 3. Many of the responses of the southern hemisphere crabs to temperature are nearly “mirror image” responses of those of the northern hemisphere crabs. This is particularly striking when the data for populations of tropical zone U. rapax on either side of the equator are compared, since both populations occupy similar habitats and are subject to a constant thermal environment. In addition, the metabolic acclimation and Q10 patterns of the crabs distributed from North Carolina to Brazil tend to show orderly progressions of change which occur with changes in latitude. 4. 4. It is suggested that geophysical forces, perhaps geomagnetism, influence the response of animals to temperature.
Plasmin-Mediated Activation of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Is Independent of the Viral Neuraminidase

Influenza virus is well recognized to modulate host tropism and pathogenesis based on mutations in the proteolytic cleavage site of the viral hemagglutinin (HA), which activates HA and exposes the fusion peptide for membrane fusion. Instead of the conventional trypsin-mediated cleavage event, modification of the cleavage site allows extended use of host cell proteases and enhanced spread in vivo. For H1N1 influenza viruses, the mouse-adapted A/WSN/33 strain is known to replicate in the brain based on recruitment of plasminogen by the viral neuraminidase (NA), as well as a Ser-Tyr substitution at the P2 position of the HA cleavage site. Here, we show that an equivalent Ser-Tyr substitution has occurred in the HA of naturally occurring human H1N1 influenza viruses. We characterize one of these viruses (A/Beijing/718/2009), as well as the prototype A/California/04/2009 with a Ser-Tyr substitution in the cleavage site, and show that these HAs are preferentially cleaved by plasmin. Importantly, cleavage activation by plasmin/plasminogen was independent of the viral NA, suggesting a novel mechanism for HA cleavage activation. We show that the viral HA itself can recruit plasminogen for HA cleavage. We further show that cellular factors, as well as streptokinase from bacteria commonly coinfecting the respiratory tract of influenza patients, can be a source of activated plasminogen for plasmin-mediated cleavage of influenza virus HAs that contain a Ser-Tyr substitution in the cleavage site.
A UWB Radio Network Using Multiple Delay Capture Enabled by Time Reversal

An uplink multiple-access method for a centralized ultra-wideband (UWB) radio network is studied. The multiple-access method is based on a phenomenon of multiple delay capture and is enabled by time reversal technique. Multiple delay capture is a random multiple-access method that can be viewed as a time-of-arrival (TOA) division multiple-access. When received signals are of low duty cycle, the chance of collision is low, and the base station is able to communicate with different users simultaneously. At much higher data rate compared to the narrow band scenarios, the delay spread of a UWB channel is relatively large, and the multipath-distorted signal may not be of low duty cycle. To improve the multiple-access efficiency, time reversal in conjunction with transmitter-side antenna array is considered to shorten the UWB channel impulse response (CIR). Time reversal takes advantage of rich scattering environments to achieve signal focusing, while the antenna array further enhances signal focusing. Our focus in this paper will be on evaluating the collision-free probabilities using both analysis and simulation. A lower bound is derived and it is actually a good estimate of the probability that all received signals are collision-free. Finally, quantitative results are provided, showing that the normalized system throughput increases fast as the number of users increases.
Steady state kinetics of soluble and membrane-bound mitochondrial ATPase

Abstract Steady state kinetic measurements of the rate of hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate by beef heart mitochondrial ATPase have been performed with both the solubilized enzyme and with the enzyme attached to a mitochondrial membrane fraction at 25° in 0.1 M NaCl with Mg2+ as the metal ion activator. These studies indicate the ATP Michaelis constants are somewhat larger for the soluble enzyme and the turnover numbers are considerably larger. In addition, the steady state parameters are essentially independent of pH over the range 7–9 for the membrane-bound enzyme, while the turnover number for the soluble enzyme varies considerably with pH. The product, ADP, is a competitive inhibitor of ATP and inhibits the soluble enzyme much more strongly than the membrane-bound enzyme. Oligomycin inhibits the membrane-bound enzyme very strongly, but has no effect on the activity of the soluble enzyme. The oligomycin inhibition is noncompetitive in nature.
Characterization of scatter radiation in cone beam CT mammography

Cone beam CT mammography (CBCTM) is an emerging breast imaging technology and is currently under intensive investigation [1-3]. One of the major challenges in CBCTM is to understand the characteristics of scatter radiation and to find ways to reduce or correct its degrading effects. Since the breast shape, geometry and image formation process are significantly different from conventional mammography, all system components and parameters such as target/filter combination, kVp range, source to image distance, detector design etc. should be examined and optimized. In optimizing CBCTM systems, it is important to have knowledge of how different imaging parameters affect the recorded scatter within the image. In this study, a GEANT4 based Monte Carlo simulation package (GATE) was used to investigate the scatter magnitude and its’ distribution in CBCTM. The influences of different air gaps, kVp settings, breast sizes and breast composition on the scatter primary ratio (SPR) and scatter profiles were examined. In general, the scatter to primary ratio (SPR) is strongly dependent on the breast size and air gap, and is only moderately dependent on the kVp setting and breast composition. These results may be used for optimization of CBCTM systems, as well as for developing scatter correction methods.
A Note On "Irreversibility and Generalized Noise"

The response of a dissipative system to a generalized driving force is calculated and an expression for the admittance is obtained. The expression for the conductance is in agreement with the expression obtained by Callen and Welton and a new expression for the out-of-phase component of the admittance is obtained.
Sense in order: Channel selection for sensing in cognitive radio networks

This paper considers a pre-phase of spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks (CRNs), which is about how to choose a channel for spectrum sensing. We take the time dimension, spectrum dimension, and spacial dimension into account and propose a sense-in-order model. In this model, each node maintains four states regarding each channel, based on the neighbors' shared information. We construct a state transition diagram for the four states and design an algorithm for every node to calculate the probability of choosing each channel. Moreover, we extend our model by introducing the angle dimension into the sense-in-order (SIO) model. In the extended model, each node is equipped with a four-directional antenna, which creates more channel opportunities. We describe the problem that is brought about by directional antennas, and propose a weight-based solution for each node to determine the channel state in each direction. Extensive simulation results testify for the performance of our model.
Task-Relevant Private Speech as a Function of Age and Sociability.

The intent of the study was to investigate the effects of age and sociability on school children's private speech during independent school assignments. Subjects included 113 public school children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Twenty self-talk utterances were collected from each subject using an experience sampling method (Hormuth, 1986). The utterances were coded as either task relevant or task irrelevant. Data were analyzed using a two-way (Grade Sociability) ANOVA with self-talk utterances as the dependent measure. Results revealed a main effect for the grade level variable, F(4, 98) = 12.08; p <.0001. A linear trend, F(4, 108) = 61.50; p <.0001, was revealed, indicating that as children progressed from kindergarten to fourth grade their task-relevant private speech decreased correspondingly for each grade level.
Spacecraft Charge Protection of Large Three-Axis-Stabilized Communications Satellites - INTELSAT V Design

This paper summarizes the analysis of charging and discharging effects anticipated in the geosynchronous satellite INTELSAT V and subsequent body-stabilized designs based on INTELSAT V technology; additionally the paper describes protective measures implemented in the designs. The first two launches were December 1980 and May 1981. The absence of any anomalies which could be attributed to electromagnetic interference during this period of major solar flares has given confidence that the protective measures were adequate. This paper is based in part upon work performed under the sponsorship of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization. Any views expressed herein are not necessarily those of INTELSAT.
Depletion Layers and Domain Walls in Semiconducting Ferroelectric Thin Films

Commonly used ferroelectric perovskites are also wide-band-gap semiconductors. In such materials, the polarization and the space-charge distribution are intimately coupled, and this Letter studies them simultaneously with no a priori ansatz on either. In particular, we study the structure of domain walls and the depletion layers that form at the metal-ferroelectric interfaces. We find the coupling between polarization and space charges leads to the formation of charge double layers at the 90° domain walls, which, like the depletion layers, are also decorated by defects like oxygen vacancies. In contrast, the 180° domain walls do not interact with the defects or space charges. Implications of these results to domain switching and fatigue in ferroelectric devices are discussed.
COMPARTMENTATION OF NICOTINAMIDE DINUCLEOTIDE DEHYDROGENASES AND TRANSHYDROGENASES IN NONPHOTOSYNTHETIC PLANT TISSUES.

Abstract The intracellular distributions of a number of NAD+-specific and NADP+-specific dehydrogenases in the stems of etiolated pea seedlings and in other nonphotosynthetic plant tissues have been determined. The NADP+-specific enzymes were found to be located almost exclusively in the soluble fraction, whereas the NAD+-specific enzymes were predominantly mitochondrial. There was no appreciable NADPH → NAD+ transhydrogenase activity in any of the isolated fractions. On the other hand, active homotranshydrogenases of the type NADH → NAD+ and NADPH → NADP+ were detected; the former is predominantly mitochondrial, while the latter is found in both the microsomal and soluble fractions. The possibility that these transhydrogenase activities are due to enzymes which normally catalyze other reactions is considered. The results support the view that in plant tissues, as in animals, there is a “division of labor” between NAD and NADP.
Reflection coefficients at collagen interfaces in soft tissues.

Abstract For the purpose of ultrasonic imaging, soft tissue has been modeled as a viscoelastic (Voigt) composite material consisting of collagen fibers (as the inhomogeneity) embedded in a continuum tissue (as the matrix).It is known that infarction enhances the collagen content in myocardial tissues. The published in vitro attenuation data in normal and infarcted myocardial tissues have been correlated with the Voigt body model. From the correlation parameters and mixture laws for the elastic moduli of tissue components, the bulk modulus of collagen has been estimated to be about 50–55% higher than that of the normal tissue. From a knowledge of the bulk moduli and mass densities of collagen and tissue matrix, amplitude reflection coefficients at collagen interfaces have been computed. The amplitude reflection coefficient at the saline-collagen or at the collagen-myocardium interface is about 6 times that at the saline-myocardium interface.
Development of a large word-width high-speed asynchronous multiply and accumulate unit

This paper details the design of the fastest known asynchronous Multiply and Accumulate unit (MAC) architecture published to date. The MAC architecture herein is based on the MAC developed in Smith et al. (J. Syst. Archit. 47/12 (2002) 977-998). However, the MAC developed in Smith et al. (2002) contains conditional rounding, scaling, and saturation (CRSS) logic, not present in other comparable MACs (Twenty-Sixth Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, vol. 1, 1993, pp. 379-388; Asian South-Pacific Design Automation Conference, 2000, pp. 15-16; Sixth IEEE International Conference on Proceedings of ICECS, vol. 2, 1999, pp. 629-633); thus making the comparison between the MAC developed in Smith et al. (2002) and other delay-insensitive/self-timed MACs in the literature not completely fair, in favor of the other MACs. This paper first details the removal of the CRSS logic from the MAC developed in Smith et al. (2002), and describes its subsequent optimal re-pipelining, in order to provide a more fair comparison. This yields a speedup of 1.12. Secondly, this paper details the application of the NULL Cycle Reduction technique (The 10th International Workshop on Logic and Synthesis, 2001, pp. 185-189; Gate and throughput optimizations for NULL convention self-timed digital circuits, Ph.D. Dissertation, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Central Florida, 2001) to the MAC's feedback loop, and subsequent re-pipelining of the feed-forward partial product generation and summation circuitry to further increase throughput, resulting in an additional speedup of 1.31 (a speedup of 1.46 over the MAC from Smith et al. (2002). Lastly, the bit-wise completion strategy is utilized in lieu of full-word completion to decrease the area required by 6% and also increase the MAC's throughput an additional 1%.
ESTIMATION OF FLUID FORCES IN AN AGITATED VESSEL

Abstract A cross beam laser correlation technique was used to measure velocities of large neutrally buoyant tracer particles in the flow field of an agitated vessel. Estimations for the accelerations of particles were then obtained from the measured velocities. Using these, fluid forces acting on the particles were found to be on the order of 2 to 5 dynes in the region studied.
On root loci in several variables: Continuity in the high gain limit*

In this paper we discuss the continuity of the closed-loop poles of a linear multivariable system with respect to a multidimensional polynomial family of direct output gains K(λ1,…,λr). This is based on, and contains an exposition of, the geometric formulation for including infinite gains which was developed in the lectures [2] and extended and applied in [1] to the study of output feedback systems. This has been a basic tool in recent work on the classical problem of poleplacement by output feedback and in [1] the lack of continuity of the root-loci, in certain situations, was discussed with special emphasis on the complex case. Here, after presenting two somewhat surprising counterexamples to this continuity, we give in Theorem 1 and the ensuing discussion necessary and sufficient conditions for continuity of the root-loci at a real infinite gain. This should have significant impact on the problem of constructing graphical tests for the stability of systems subject to 2-dimensional variations in the gain parameter.
Standard subcutaneous dosing of unfractionated heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in surgical ICU patients leads to subtherapeutic factor Xa inhibition

To assess coagulation status and factor Xa inhibition in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients administered prophylactic unfractionated heparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. We conducted a randomized, single-blind study at a tertiary academic medical center. Included were patients 18 years and older admitted to the surgical ICU directly after major abdominal surgery. Exclusion criteria included significant bleeding risk, preoperative anticoagulation, or history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Patients were randomized to two regimens for VTE prophylaxis: standard of care unfractionated heparin, 5,000 units subcutaneously three times daily (SQH) versus unfractionated heparin via intravenous infusion, titrated to an activated partial thromboplastin time of 40–45 s (IVH). Blood samples were taken prior to surgical incision on day 0 and daily for 5 days after surgery. Samples were analyzed for factor Xa inhibition and viscoelastic whole blood clotting parameters (Sonoclot analyzer). A total of 50 patients were randomized to either SQH or IVH. The majority of patients had cancer. Patients in the SQH group had no detectable peak anti-factor Xa (aFXa) activity for 5 days after surgery, while patients in the IVH group had statistically elevated levels compared to the SQH group on days 3–5. SQH patients demonstrated a hypercoagulable profile on Sonoclot, while IVH patients displayed a normal profile. Standard of care subcutaneous dosing of unfractionated heparin for VTE prophylaxis in surgical ICU patients leads to subtherapeutic levels of factor Xa inhibition.
Measurement of trabecular bone thickness in the limited resolution regime of in vivo MRI by fuzzy distance transform

Trabecular or cancellous bone, the type of bone found in the vertebrae and near the joints of long bones, consists of a network of plates and struts. Accurate measurement of trabecular thickness is of significant interest, for example, to assess the effectiveness of anabolic (bone forming) agents of patients with osteoporosis. Here, we introduce a new fuzzy distance transform (FDT)-based thickness computation method that obviates binary segmentation and that can effectively deal with images acquired at a voxel size comparable to the typical trabecular bone thickness. The method's robustness is shown on the basis of /spl mu/-CT images of human trabecular bone, resampled at progressively coarser resolution and after application of rotation and addition of noise as a means to simulate the in vivo situation. Reproducibility of the method is demonstrated with /spl mu/-CT images by comparing histograms of thickness within and between data sets and with /spl mu/-MRI volume data sets of human volunteers imaged repeatedly. Finally, with in vivo /spl mu/-MR images from a prior study in rabbits subjected to corticosteroid exposure, it is demonstrated that short-term treatment resulting in trabecular thinning can be quantified with the new method.
Design of a 30 kV power supply for rapid capacitor charging

This paper describes a power supply for charging a 6.66 /spl mu/F capacitor rated at 30 kV (3 kJ) in 40 ms. The primary supply is a DC source with approximately 650 V. The power supply uses an H-bridge rated at 1200 V and 2400 A, operating at 10 kHz. A custom build step-up transformer and a rectifier bank are connected on the output of the H-bridge. A Motorola HC-12 micro-controller generates the gate drive signals for the IGBTs.
An Evaluation of l-Ephedrine Neurotoxicity with Respect to Hyperthermia and Caudate/Putamen Microdialysate Levels of Ephedrine, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Glutamate

l-Ephedrine is an active ingredient in several herbal formulations with a mechanism of action similar to amphetamine and methamphetamine. However, its potential to damage dopaminergic terminals in the caudate/putamen (CPu) has yet to be fully evaluated. The studies here used in vivo brain microdialysis experiments to determine the systemic doses and extracellular brain levels of l-ephedrine necessary to produce similar increases in CPu extracellular dopamine and marked hyperthermia that were previously shown necessary for amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats. At an environmental temperature of 23 degrees C, a single 40 mg/kg intraperitoneal (ip) dose of l-ephedrine produced marked hyperthermia (>/= 40 degrees C), peak microdialysate ephedrine levels of 7.3 +/- 1.2 microM, and a 20-fold increase in microdialysate dopamine levels. Twenty-five mg/kg produced a lesser degree of hyperthermia, peak microdialysate ephedrine levels of 2.6 +/- 0.4 microM, and a 10-fold increase in dopamine levels. Three doses of 40 mg/kg given at 3-h intervals or 4 doses of 25 mg/kg l-ephedrine given at 2-h intervals were compared with 4 doses of 5 mg/kg d-amphetamine given at 2-h intervals. Multiple doses of either ephedrine or amphetamine caused severe hyperthermia (>/= 41.3 degrees C) but striatal tissue levels of dopamine 7 days after dosing were reduced only 25% or less by ephedrine compared to the 75% reductions produced by amphetamine. The increases in CPu microdialysate levels of serotonin produced by either 4 x 25 mg/kg l-ephedrine or 4 x 5 mg/kg d-amphetamine did not significantly differ, but elevation of dopamine levels by d-amphetamine were over 2-fold times the level caused by l-ephedrine. Microdialysate glutamate levels were elevated to the same extent by either 25 mg/kg l-ephedrine or 4 x 5 mg/kg d-amphetamine. l-Ephedrine may not be as neurotoxic to dopaminergic terminals as d-amphetamine, because non-lethal doses of l-ephedrine do not sufficiently increase the CPu dopamine levels within nerve terminals or the extracellular space to those necessary for a more pronounced long-term dopamine depletion.
Sources of Spontaneous Adverse Drug Reaction Reports Received by Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

During the first quarter of 1986, 20 pharmaceutical manufacturers identified the original source for 5,744 domestic spontaneous postmarketing ADR reports. Overall, 27% of these reports originated with the field staff employed by the manufacturers and 34% originated with telephone calls made by health-care providers. The remaining 39% was derived from written provider reports, consumer reports, or the literature. Considerable variation in these percentages was found among manufacturers. Although some correlation was found between the number of field staff visits and the number of reports originating from field staff for some manufacturers, the frequency of field staff visits was not predictive of the number of reports obtained by most manufacturers.
The ‘World of the Text’ and Political Thought in Bengali Maṅgal-kāvya, c. 1500–1750:

Maṅgal-kāvya are long, didactic and literary narrative poems that teach benefits of worshipping particular deities. They were composed in Bengal during rapid expansion on two agrarian frontiers, and in the context of apical rule by Muslims. Maṅgal-kāvya developed innovative political thought through the invention of problematic scenes, ameliorative purposes and agencies ‘from below’. Using literal and symbolic contrasts between forests and settled and ruled domains, they portrayed imperfectly governed scenes of desire and anxiety. Ameliorative purposes of the deities to be worshipped were related to imperfectly governed scenes. Ameliorative purposes included counteracting literal and figurative ‘poisons’, resolving conflict cause by literal and figurative ‘hunting’, and inculcating a nor-mative warrior culture for men and women on the agrarian frontier. Per-haps partly in response to Muslim rule, Maṅgal-kāvya developed innovative political thought through the invention of agencies ‘from below’ which relie...
The Darwin software-evolution environment

The main goal of the Darwin software development environment is to establish a rigorous authorization-based discipline which can be used to impose constraints on the structure and operations of software systems as well as on their process of development Such constraints might be desirable to serve the following needs:• The need to provide support and enforcement for such software engineering techniques as informationhiding, data abstraction and modularization, even when these techniques are not offered by the programming language itself.•The need to support rules which govern the real enterprise being served by the system, and which must be invariant of the evolutionary behaviou of the system.• The need to enforce managerial policies concerning the process of system development itself.
A note on group invariant continua

Let ( X, T, π ) be a topological transformation group, where X is a Hausedorff continuum. We will say that X is irreducibly T-invariant if no proper subcontinuum of X is T -invariant. Wallace, [6], has shown that if T is abelian and X is irreducibly T -invariant, then X has no cut point; he then asked if this statement remains true if “abelian” is replaced by “compact”. In this paper we answer this question in the affirmative, and prove a related result when T satisfies a recursive property.
Overview of the PBX-M plasma control system upgrade

The PBX-M group is developing a control system to integrate multiple independently-operating and mutually-interacting systems used for plasma control. Central to this effort has been the procurement of a SKYbolt 1 Shamrock AP computing platform as the Central Control Unit (CCU). The engineering and experimental effort for this program will occur in two phases. In Phase I of the program a minimum hardware configuration will be used to duplicate the functionality of the existing PBX-M plasma shape, current, and radial and vertical position control systems on the CCU. Phase II will expand the hardware configuration increasing the number of slow (10 kHz) A/D data acquisition channels and adding 32 fast (250 kHz) A/D channels. The expandable hardware system will facilitate integration of and improvements to the individual Phase I control systems and allow us to pursue topics in advanced discharge control (e.g., MHD control, disruption avoidance, and profile control and modification). In this paper we present an overview of the PBX-M plasma control system program. We discuss the properties of the Phase I and II processes and how they influenced our choices for the system's hardware and impact the software design. Also important are the increased general computing capabilities afforded by our choice of hardware and the impact it have on our between shot analysis capabilities. We also describe the Phase I control processes and present some details of their implementation.