cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel dual heuristic programming based optimal control of a series compensator in the electric power transmission system

In this paper, the dual heuristic programming (DHP) optimization algorithm is used for the design of a nonlinear optimal neurocontroller that replaces the proportional-integral (PI) based conventional linear controller (CONVC) in the internal control of a power electronic converter based series compensator in the electric power transmission system. The performance of the proposed DHP based neurocontroller is compared with that of the CONVC with respect to damping low frequency oscillations. Simulation results using the PSCAD/EMTDC software package are presented.
Prediction of delamination in composite laminates subjected to low velocity impact

A method for predicting impact-induced delamination in composite lami nates was proposed. This method is suitable for low velocity impact with heavy impactors. Static delamination fracture toughness was used to predict delamination crack growth under impact conditions. Curing stresses were also considered and found to play a signifi cant role in evaluating the fracture toughness of some laminates such as [905/05/90 5]. Ex periments were performed to obtain the impact force history from which the peak force was used to determine the extent of delamination crack length. The prediction of delami nation size using static fracture toughness was found to agree very well with the experi mental result.
Media center buddies: instant messaging around a media center

In this paper we present a prototype instant messaging system that allows multiple simultaneous users to access their instant messaging whilst watching TV together in the same room.
An exact phase shift model for image states on metal surfaces with alkali metal overlayers

Abstract Within the framework of multiple reflection theory, an exact solution is developed for image and surface states on a nearly-free-electron metal with a flat adlayer potential. Wave function matching conditions are used to determine the round-trip phase shift at a given energy, and a Bohr-like quantization condition is applied to determine bound state energies. Also, a model is developed for determining the effective mass of image state electrons in the presence of an adlayer. Binding energies obtained from two-photon photoemission experiments on Na/Cu(111) are in excellent agreement with the computed results.
LKB1 represses focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling via a FAK-LKB1 complex to regulate FAK site maturation and directional persistence.

Liver kinase β1 (LKB1, also known as STK11) is a serine/threonine kinase that has multiple cellular functions including the regulation of cell polarity and motility. Murine proteomic studies show that LKB1 loss causes aberrant adhesion signaling; however, the mechanistic underpinnings of this relationship are unknown. We show that cells stably depleted of LKB1 or its co-activator STRADα have increased phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) at Tyr397/Tyr861 and enhanced adhesion to fibronectin. LKB1 associates in a complex with FAK and LKB1 accumulation at the cellular leading edge is mutually excluded from regions of activated Tyr397-FAK. LKB1-compromised cells lack directional persistence compared with wild-type cells, but this is restored through subsequent pharmacological FAK inhibition or depletion, showing that cell directionality is mediated through LKB1-FAK signaling. Live cell confocal imaging reveals that LKB1-compromised cells lack normal FAK site maturation and turnover, suggesting that defects in adhesion and directional persistence are caused by aberrant adhesion dynamics. Furthermore, re-expression of full-length wild-type or the LKB1 N-terminal domain repressed FAK activity, whereas the kinase domain or C-terminal domain alone did not, indicating that FAK suppression is potentially regulated through the LKB1 N-terminal domain. Based upon these results, we conclude that LKB1 serves as a FAK repressor to stabilize focal adhesion sites, and when LKB1 function is compromised, aberrant FAK signaling ensues, resulting in rapid FAK site maturation and poor directional persistence. Background: LKB1 is a serine/threonine kinase important for cell polarity and motility. Results: LKB1 loss causes focal adhesion kinase hyperactivation and aberrant cell motility. Conclusion: LKB1 represses focal adhesion kinase to regulate its turnover. Significance: This provides information on how LKB1 regulates the cell adhesion pathway during cell motility.
Effects of Aspirin and Acetaminophen on Fetal and Placental Growth in Rats

Aqueous suspensions of aspirin or acetaminophen (125 and 250 mg/kg/day) were administered orally to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats on Days 8-19 of gestation Day 20, each rat was sacrificed and the uterus was examined in situ. Each fetal-placental unit was resected and examined. Fetuses from rats given 125 or 250 mg/kg/day of aspirin were shorter and weighed less than those obtained from control rats. In animals receiving the higher dose of aspirin, the placentas were smaller and the number of fetal resorptions was increased. Acetaminophen (250 mg/kg/day) did not affect fetal length or weight or the incidence of resorption. Acetaminophen interfered less with the normal growth of the rat fetus and placenta than did aspirin.
Residency Training: The role of neurocritical care in resident education

Neurology is traditionally recognized as primarily an outpatient or consultative specialty, usually attracting candidates whose main focus may not necessarily be the management of complex critically ill patients or the performance of invasive procedures. However, the advent of modern mechanical ventilation and, more recently, effective therapies for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and other neurologic catastrophes is bringing about a paradigm shift, with neurologists increasingly assuming a more aggressive attitude and rapid response to frequently disabling and often fatal pathologies.
Solvent-derived protons in catalysis by brewers' yeast pyruvate decarboxylase.

Catalysis of proton transfer to thiamin diphosphate (TDP) and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)thiamin diphosphate (HETDP) by pyruvate decarboxylase isozymes (PDC; EC 4.1.1.1) from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis was investigated by determining the solvent discrimination tritium isotope effect, (kH/kT)disc, on the reaction of pyruvate to form acetaldehyde in the presence of the nonsubstrate allosteric effector pyruvamide. The fractionation factors for TDP C(2)-L (phi C(2) = 0.98 +/- 0.06) and HETDP C(alpha)-L (phi C(alpha) = 1.01 +/- 0.07) (L = H or D) do not contribute significantly to observed enzymic isotopic discrimination. The value of (kH/kT)disc = 1.0 for reprotonation of TDP C(2)-L under single-turnover conditions ([E] > [S]) is consistent with C(2)-hydron transfer via a catalytic group (phi = 1) equilibrated with solvent. [1-L]Acetaldehyde formation under transient steady-state ([E] or = 1.2) provides significant intramolecular catalysis in the enzyme-bound coenzyme.
The antiobesity drug Orlistat induces cytotoxic effects, suppresses Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene overexpression, and synergistically interacts with trastuzumab (Herceptin) in chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells.

. Menendez JA, Vellon L, Lupu R. The antiobesity drug Orlistat induces cytotoxic effects, suppresses Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene overexpression, and synergistically interacts with trastuzumab (Herceptin™) in chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2006;16:219–221.
Continuous Trajectory Estimation for 3D SLAM from Actuated Lidar

We extend the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm to obtain a method for continuous-time trajectory estimation (CICP) suitable for SLAM from actuated lidar. Traditional solutions to SLAM from actuated lidar rely heavily on the accuracy of an auxiliary pose sensor to form rigid frames. These frames are then used with ICP to obtain accurate pose estimates. However, since lidar records a single range sample at time, any error in inter-sample sensor motion must be accounted for. This is not possible if the frame is treated as a rigid point cloud. In this work, instead of ICP we estimate a continuous-time trajectory that takes into account intersample pose errors. The trajectory is represented as a linear combination of basis functions and formulated as a solution to a (sparse) linear system without restrictive assumptions on sensor motion. We evaluate the algorithm on synthetic and real data and show improved accuracy in open-loop SLAM in comparison to state-of-the-art rigid registration methods.
Neutrophil microtubules suppress polarity and enhance directional migration

How do microtubules, which maintain and direct polarity of many eukaryotic cells, regulate polarity of blood neutrophils? In sharp contrast to most cells, disrupting a neutrophil's microtubule network with nocodazole causes it to polarize and migrate [Niggli, V. (2003) J. Cell Sci. 116, 813-822]. Nocodazole induces the same responses in differentiated HL-60 cells, a model neutrophil cell line, and reduces their chemotactic prowess by causing them to pursue abnormally circuitous paths in migrating toward a stationary point source of an attractant, f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). The chemotactic defect stems from dramatic nocodazole-induced imbalance between the divergent, opposed fMLP-induced "backness" and "frontness" signals responsible for neutrophil polarity. Nocodazole (i) stimulates backness by increasing Rho- and actomyosin-dependent contractility, as reported by Niggli, and also (ii) impairs fMLP-dependent frontness: pseudopods are flatter, contain less F-actin, and show decreased membrane translocation of PH-Akt-GFP, a fluorescent marker for 3'-phosphoinositide lipids. Inhibiting backness with a pharmacologic inhibitor of a Rho-dependent kinase substantially reverses nocodazole's effects on chemotaxis, straightness of migration paths, morphology, and PH-Akt-GFP translocation. Thus, microtubules normally balance backness vs. frontness signals, preventing backness from reducing the strength of pseudopods and from impairing directional migration.
Germ Cell Sex Determination: A Collaboration between Soma and Germline

Sex determination is regulated very differently in the soma vs. the germline, yet both processes are critical for the creation of the male and female gametes. In general, the soma plays an essential role in regulating sexual identity of the germline. However, in some species, such as Drosophila and mouse, the sex chromosome constitution of the germ cells makes an autonomous contribution to germline sexual development. Here we review how the soma and germline cooperate to determine germline sexual identity for some important model systems, the fly, the worm and the mouse, and discuss some of the implications of 'dual control' (soma plus germline) as compared to species where germline sex is dictated only by the surrounding soma.
LIMITING EXCESS PARTIAL MOLAR ENTHALPIES OF HEXAN‐1‐OL, 2‐METHYLPENTAN‐1‐OL, AND 2‐ETHYLBUTAN‐1‐OL IN N‐HEXANE AT 298.15 K

Abstract Excess molar enthalpies of { x CH 3 (CH 2 ) 5 OH+(1− x )C 6 H 14 }, { x CH 3 (CH 2 ) 2 CH(CH 3 )CH 2 OH + (1− x )C 6 H 14 }, { x (C 2 H 5 ) 2 CHCH 2 OH + (1− x )C 6 H 14 }, and { x C 6 H 12 + (1− x )C 6 H 6 } have been measured for values of x less than about 0.055 by dilution from x ≈ 0.1. Limiting excess partial molar enthalpies H A E, ∞ of the alcohols have been derived.
Techniques in matroid reconstruction

Brylawski first raised the questions of whether a matroid can be reconstructed from its multisets of hyperplanes, single-element deletions, or minors. This paper explores the relationships between these questions, and resolves them for certain classes of matroids. In particular, finite Dowling lattices are shown to be reconstructible both by deletions and by contractions.
Clinical Characteristics of Chronic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Chronic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, presenting in later life, may be difficult to distinguish from other dementing illnesses. Patients with this disease may lack the characteristic myoclonus and electroencephalographic complexes. We report four patients with a slowly progressive dementia who were misdiagnosed during life and had a spongiform encephalopathy at autopsy. All four patients had early extrapyramidal rigidity, primitive reflexes, and other neurologic signs. The presence of these neurologic findings early in the course of a dementia suggests that clinicians should consider chronic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, evaluate the patient with electroencephalographic studies, and emphasize universal tissue precautions.
Identification of adjacent genes encoding the major catalase and a bacterioferritin from the plant-beneficial bacterium Pseudomonas putida

Abstract The catA gene, encoding the major CatA from a root-colonizing isolate Pseudomonas putida (Pp) , was cloned by complementation into a catalase (Cat)-deficient Escherichia coli ( Ec ) strain UM2. The ORF for catA consisted of 479 aa with a higher degree of identity with typical Cat from eukaryotes than prokaryotes. Chromosomal homologous exchange with a mutant gene bearing an insertion of a luxAB-npt cassette into the Sfi I site of catA generated a CatA-deficient Pp isolate. This mutant and another mutant, J1M, derived by EMS mutagenesis, were highly sensitive to hydrogen peroxide. CatA activity and resistance to hydrogen peroxide were restored in both mutants by catA . Adjacent to the 3′ end of catA was a potential ORF of 462 nt that had high identitity with other bfr genes that encode iron-storage proteins. Northern analysis of the bfr gene from Pp revealed a transcript of approximately 500 nt. CatA and bfr probes hybridized to the same size restriction fragments in genomic DNAs from other root-colonizing and plant pathogenic pseudomonads. Thus, the genes for an iron-storage protein and the heme-containing Cat appear to be conserved in adjacent loci in certain pseudomonads.
Resection of the flexor digitorum superficialis reduces gliding resistance after zone II flexor digitorum profundus repair in vitro

The effect of complete or partial resection of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon on the gliding resistance of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon after FDP tendon repair was investigated. Twenty-four human FDP tendons were cut to 80% of their transverse section and repaired with a modified Kessler or a Massachusetts General Hospital augmented Becker suture technique. Gliding resistance was measured with the following constructs: intact state, sutured FDP tendon with FDS tendon intact, sutured tendon without FDS tendon, and sutured tendon with one slip of FDS tendon excised. After FDP repair the gliding resistance after modified Kessler repair increased 247% with FDS intact, 132% with one slip of FDS present, and 103% with FDS entirely removed. With a Becker repair, resistance increased 671% compared with normal with the FDS intact, 379% with one slip of the FDS, and 348% without the FDS tendon. Preserving the whole FDS resulted in a significantly larger increase in gliding resistance after FDP repair than did full or partial FDS removal, which were not significantly different from each other. These results suggest that the FDS tendon affects the gliding resistance under the pulley after FDP repair and that partial FDS excision may facilitate gliding of a bulky FDP repair.
Binding of a soluble p70 killer cell inhibitory receptor to HLA-B*5101: Requirement for all three p70 immunoglobulin domains

Lysis of target cells by natural killer (NK) cells can be prevented by killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIR) specific for major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. Functional studies have identified two distinct p58 KIR, each reactive with a different group of HLA-C allotypes, and distinct p70 KIR specific for some HLA-B or HLA-A allotypes. The NK specificities for each group of HLA-C allotypes have been reproduced by direct binding of recombinant soluble p58 molecules. Here, we show that a soluble p70 KIR binds to HLA-B*5101, but not to HLA-A or HLA-C molecules. Truncated soluble forms of the HLA-B*5101-specific p70 KIR, including one with two immunoglobulin (Ig) domains reactive with a monoclonal antibody that blocks p70 KIR function, did not bind to HLA-B*5101, indicating that all three Ig domains are required for binding.
On the synthesis of the N2F+5 cation. A critical comment on the paper by Toy and Stringham.

Abstract Toy and Stringham recently reported [1] the synthesis of N 2 F + 5 (CF 3 ) 3 CO - , a salt containing the novel pentafluorohydrazinium cation. This cation would be of significant academic and practical interest [2] since it would constitute the first known example of a substituted NF + 4 cation, i.e. an NF + 4 cation in which a fluorine ligand is replaced by an NF 2 group. According to the authors of [1], N 2 F + 5 (CF 3 ) 3 CO - was formed in a very unusual reaction involving the transfer of a fluorine cation from (CF 3 ) 3 COF to N 2 F 4 according to:
Cardiovascular Reactivity to Psychological Stress in Healthy Children

Cardiovascular reactivity to stress has been implicated as a marker and/or mechanism in the development of cardiovascular disease. No normative data exist to classify children's reactivity to psychological stress. This investigation presents normative percentile data on the hemodynamic responses (heart rate and blood pressure) of 310 healthy, black or white, children between the ages of 6 and 18 years to the stress of a television video game. A series of three video games, played under three increasing levels of stress, elicited progressively higher values of blood pressure and heart rate. Both the child's race and gender, as well as the experimenter's race, significantly affected reactivity. Children demonstrated a wide range of interchild reactivity, thus allowing separation of individuals into high and low risk percentile groups.
IHHN disease of Penaeus stylirostris: effects of shrimp size on disease expression

. Populations of Penaeus stylirostris, free of infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), were divided into five size groups (PL2 [2-day-oldpostlarvae, approximately 5.0 mg], 3.7 g, 14.5 g, 21.3 g and 36.9 gaverage initial weight), and experimentally exposed to IHHNV per or. Statistical comparisons (histologically-derived) of infection severity ratings from six weekly sample periods indicated the relative abundance of pathognomonic Cowdry type A intranuclear inclusion bodies (and, hence, the severity of the disease) differed between sizes. The results of comparisons showed a tendency for larger animals to have a significantly lower prevalence of inclusion bodies and associated histopathology than smaller animals. The results also indicated that the smaller (average weight) the group was, the shorter was the period of time from initial exposure to the first histological detection of the disease. Thus, the larger (in average weight) a population of P. stylirostris is upon initial exposure to IHHNV, the less acute will be disease manifestation within a given time and the longer will be the period before the disease is first histologically detectable. A predictive equation that defines the epizootiological relationship of IHHN disease within an intensively cultured population of P. stylirostris is also presented.
Latex agglutination assays for detection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145.

Latex agglutination assays utilizing polyclonal antibodies were developed for the top six non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups. Rabbit antisera were affinity purified through protein A/G columns, and the isolated immunoglobulins (IgGs) were covalently immobilized onto polystyrene latex particles. The resulting latex-IgG complex had a protein (IgG) load of 0.20 to 0.28 mg/ml in a 1% latex suspension. Optimum conditions for the agglutination assay consisted of utilizing 20 μl of latex-IgG reagent containing 2.0 to 2.8 μg IgG in a 0.5% latex suspension. Agglutination or flocculation was observed almost instantly after mixing the colonies with the latex-IgG, indicating STEC strains. More than 100 target and nontarget strains were tested in more than 3,000 test replicates. All target organisms produced positive results, but three antisera (anti-O26, anti-O103, and anti-O145) cross-reacted with some other STECs. The anti-O103 and anti-O145 latex reagents cross-reacted with O26 strai...
Factors Influencing Membership of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey Biologists in the American Fisheries Society

Abstract Membership in scientific societies is an avenue biologists may use to enhance their professional capabilities. We studied factors influencing federal biologists' membership in scientific societies, including the American Fisheries Society. We conducted an Internet survey of 3,755 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 932 U.S. Geological Survey professionals. A greater proportion of U.S. Geological Survey biologists (90.2%) than U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists (51.8%) were members of scientific societies. The factors most consistently correlated with membership in the American Fisheries Society included minimal external constraints, supervisor support, and membership of friends, peers, and supervisors in scientific societies. These results suggest that membership in scientific societies is influenced by the organizational culture of agencies. Agencies seeking to increase their employees' membership in scientific societies will be most successful if they create a culture in which involvement...
Cystic Disease of Liver and Kidney with Portal Hypertension A Cause of Sudden Unexpected Hematemesis

Cystic disease of the liver and kidney has a genetic basis, and is more frequent in females. When portal hypertension accom panies this malformation the patient often presents with sudden, unexpected hemateme sis.Severe or unusual infections, difficult to treat, represent other problems for the clini cian. One of the two patients here described was found at autopsy to have superimposed signs of cytomegalic inclusion disease in lungs and liver.
Quality comparison of rice bran oil extracted with d-limonene and hexane

ABSTRACT d-Limonene, a safe agricultural by-product, was used to extract rice bran oil and compared against hexane, a petroleum product widely used as a solvent for extracting edible oil. The yield of crude rice bran oils extracted with both solvents in percentage by weight was obtained. The quality of crude rice bran oil was analyzed. The yield and quality of crude rice bran oil from the limonene-based solvent extraction were almost equivalent to those from the hexane-based operation. The optimum solvent-to-rice bran ratio and extraction time required for d-limonene extraction of oil, based primarily on crude rice bran oil yield, have been determined to be 5:1 and 0.5 hr, respectively. Despite the absence of antioxidants during the limonene recovery step with vacuum evaporation, the quantity of the oxidation products in the recovered limonene was <1% (wt) of the original limonene solvent. The application of d-limonene solvent as an alternative to hexane in edible oil extraction could potentially eliminat...
High-resolution observations of solar radio bursts at 2, 6, and 20 cm wavelength

The Very Large Array and the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope have been used to observe eight solar bursts at 2, 6, or 20 cm wavelength with second-of-arc angular resolution. The regions of burst energy were all resolved with angular sizes between 5″ and 30″, brightness temperatures between 2 × 107 K and 2 x 108 K, and degrees of circular polarization between 10 and 90%. A series of 10 s snapshot maps are presented for the more intense bursts, and superimposed on photospheric magnetograms or Hα photographs. The impulsive phase of the radio bursts is located near the magnetic neutral line of the active regions, and between the flaring Hα kernels which mark the footpoints of magnetic loops. The impulsive phase of one 6 cm burst was smaller and spatially separated from both the preburst radio emission and the gradual decay phase of the burst. Another 6 cm burst exhibited preburst heating of the coronal loop in which the burst occurred. The plasma was probably heated at a lower level in the loop, while the burst energy was released several minutes later at a higher level. A multiple-spike 20 cm burst exhibited polarity inversions with degrees of circular polarization of 90%. The rapid changes in circular polarization are attributed to either a magnetically complex region or the emersion of new magnetic flux at coronal heights where magnetic field strengths H ≈ 300 to 400 G.
High-amplitude dynamic-stability characteristics of blunt 10-degree cones

Wind tunnel test of dynamic stability characteristics of spherically blunted 10 degree cones
A heavy ion identification scheme based on semiempirical range-energy calculations

Abstract Particle identification schemes for heavy ions have been tested using the semiempirical range-energy calculations of Northcliffe and Schilling as primary data. A new scheme is suggested in which the particle identifying output (PIO) may be calculated from the relationship PIO = mET + b, where ET is the total energy of the particle and m and b are functions of ΔE/ET, the ratio of the energy loss in the front detector of a detector telescope to the total energy of the particle. Functions for determining m and b are generated using the range-energy tables. The scheme has been compared with other techniques and found to be useful for ions Z≥4.
Conjugated polymers and blends for controlled emission, reflection, and absorption in the visible and near infrared

The synthesis, properties and applications of a number of conjugated polymers and multi-component materials which provide a range of optical states that can be accessed for electrochromic and electroluminescent devices will be addressed. Results will be presented examining absorption and emission characteristics in the visible and near - infrared regions of the spectrum. Variable gap conjugated electrochromic polymers show high oxidative switching stabilities ( related to high HOMO levels for facile oxidation to the doped state) and narrow gap polymers exhibit three distinct colors as they can be both p-and n-type doped. The complementary nature of the electrochromic behavior of these polymers is demonstrated using reflection and transmission devices constructed using sandwich and lateral geometries ,along with new methods of patterning electrodes. Mutli-component polymer and organic LEDs that exploit energy transfer among emitting chromophores distributed within the active matrix allow precise control of emission. We will discuss near-IR photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) from blends of polymers and non-conjugated thermoplastics with a variety of lanthanide complexes.
Auditors gone wild: The “other” problem in public accounting

Abstract Following the scandals involving Enron, WorldCom, and Qwest Communications, the accounting profession has spent the past several years trying to get back on track. While Sarbanes-Oxley may improve the decision-making of audit professionals, and help prevent future large-scale catastrophes that hurt stockholders and bring down firms, there is another problem in public accounting that few consider and nobody has proposed to solve: deviant workplace behavior. Previous research describes deviant workplace behavior as the voluntary behavior of organizational members that violates significant organizational norms and, in so doing, threatens the well being of the organization and/or its members. Building from recent work in various business literatures, this is the first research since the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley to examine workplace deviance at Big 4 accounting firms. Taking a cross-disciplinary, collaborative approach, the authors endeavor to explain why workplace deviance has infiltrated accounting firms and how it is undermining their effectiveness and derailing their long-term prospects for success. After describing its genesis and effects, the authors prescribe several managerial strategies for preventing deviance and minimizing its effects on a firm.
Self-Organizing Map (SOM) in wind speed forecasting: a new approach in computational intelligence (CI) forecasting methods

While wind energy has been reported as the fastest growing among different sources of renewable energy, two critical issues are how to make wind energy cost effective and how to integrate it into electricity grids properly. The ability to predict power generated by wind not only allows the most effective integration of wind power into electricity grid but also makes it possible to have an optimal maintenance scheduling that can reduce cost significantly. This research investigates the practical use of Self Organizing Map (SOM) as a special type of neural network based forecasting method. In this paper, forecasting the average, maximum and minimum of one-day-ahead wind speed based on the past wind speed states of the previous 24 hours is the objective.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Low Power Ambient Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage Circuits

If energy requirements of electronic components decline reasonably, then ambient energy scavenging and conversion could become a viable source of power for many applications. Ambient energy sources can be then considered and used to replace batteries in some electronic applications, to minimize product maintenance and operating cost. Power scavenging may enable electronic devices to be completely self-sustaining so that battery maintenance can eventually be eliminated. This research studied forms of ambient energy sources such as waste mechanical (rotational) energy from hydraulic door closers, fitness exercise bicycles, and its conversion and storage into usable electrical energy. Based on ambient energy sources, electrical energy harvesting, conversion and storage circuits were designed, built and tested for low powerelectronic applications.
Design Considerations of a Liquid Krypton Detector of Gamma Rays Below 12 MeV

Liquid krypton has been used widely for electromagnetic calorimeters for charged particle and gamma ray detection above 100 MeV. Despite the significant price advantage of krypton over xenon, little work has been done with liquid krypton detectors for energies in the range 200 keV-12 MeV that is useful for applications involving neutron-induced gamma ray spectral analysis for isotope identification in elemental analysis. The presence of β decays arising from 85Kr (10.76-year half-life) combined with the 80 ns decay time of the dominant component of krypton scintillation light generates pile-up and reduces the photopeak efficiency of liquid Kr detectors. We discuss detector performance expected after careful optimization of the detector dimensions and doping the Kr with Xe to improve its scintillation light decay time characteristics.
ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF DECAYING LITTER OF DOMINANT TREES AND THEIR ASSOCIATED SOIL IN A LOWLAND FOREST COMMUNITY

Phytotoxins released by the dominant species in a lowland forest showed highest accumulations in their respective stands. The accumulation of such phytotoxins corresponded with the amount of litter produced and its decaying rate. The release of phytotoxins and their activity depended on whether they were free or bound, and on their solubility. Therefore, the phytotoxins in soils were highly variable in amounts from one species stand to another species stand, during the same and different times of the year. The persistent accumulation of phytotoxins from all dominant tree species continues to influence the soil properties around the trees. Fourteen phytotoxins were isolated from the leaf litter and the soil. Seven persistent toxins were quantified in soils under different tree stands at various times of the year. The cycle of release of bound and free phenolics is discussed.
Intramolecularly folded G-quadruplex and i-motif structures in the proximal promoter of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene

A polyguanine/polycytosine (polyG/polyC) tract in the proximal promoter of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene is essential for transcriptional activation. The guanine-rich (G-rich) and cytosine-rich (C-rich) strands on this tract are shown to form specific secondary structures, characterized as G-quadruplexes and i-motifs, respectively. Mutational analysis of the G-rich strand combined with dimethyl sulfate (DMS) footprinting, a polymerase stop assay, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy revealed that the G-quadruplex containing a 1:4:1 double-chain reversal loop is the most thermodynamically stable conformation that this strand readily adopts. These studies provide strong evidence that the size of loop regions plays a critical role in determining the most favored folding pattern of a G-quadruplex. The secondary structure formed on the complementary C-rich strand was also determined by mutational analysis combined with Br2 footprinting and CD spectroscopy. Our results reveal that at a pH of 5.9 this strand is able to form an intramolecular i-motif structure that involves six C–C+ base pairs and a 2:3:2 loop configuration. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the G-quadruplex and i-motif structures are able to form on the G- and C-rich strands, respectively, of the polyG/polyC tract in the VEGF proximal promoter under conditions that favor the transition from B-DNA to non-B-DNA conformations.
Finite element analysis on the V-die coining bend process of steel metal

An elasto-plastic incremental finite element computer code based on an updated Lagrangian formulation was developed to simulate the V-die coining bend process of sheet metal under the plane-strain condition. A modified Coulomb’s friction law was introduced to treat the alternation of the sliding–sticking state of friction at the contact interface. The r-minimum method was used to treat the elastic–plastic stress state and to solve contact problems at the tool–metal interface. V-bends of sheet metals are classified according to the number of contact points of the sheet with the bending die, and include air bends, bottoming bends, and coining bends. The former has three contact points with the bending die at the punch top and die shoulders, and there have been many experimental and analytical research works reported on it. The latter two are in contact at a greater number of points. To clarify the bending characteristics, it is necessary to fully understand the process and stress state in the bent part. The experiment was performed to validate the theoretical formulation and to support the development of the computer code. Simulation was performed on the punch load of the coining bend and the bend angle of the bent part after unloading. Calculated sheet geometries and the forming force agree well with the experimental data. The simulation clearly demonstrates the efficiency of the code to simulate V-die coining bend processes that proceed under contact history.
Characterization of spirometric function in residents of three comparison communities and of three communities located near waste incinerators in North Carolina.

Waste incinerators are an increasingly common means of solid waste disposal. However, little is documented about the physical health of community members who live close to incinerators. During a 3-yr epidemiological study, spirometric lung function was tested once annually among residents from 3 communities surrounding a hazardous waste, biomedical, or municipal incinerator and among residents in 3 comparison communities. A total of 1,016 nonsmoking individuals, aged 8-80 yr, participated during at least 1 of the 3 yr of the study; 358 individuals participated all 3 yr. Daily air-quality sampling was done for 1 mo/yr in all 6 communities. The average monthly concentrations of particulate matter with diameters of 2.5 microns and less (PM2.5 [range = 14.6-31.5 micrograms/m3]) in all communities were similar during the 3 yr of study. The mean daily PM2.5 concentrations were significantly less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's allowable 24-hr standard of 65 micrograms/m3. Individual incinerators contributed less than 2.5% of the areas' total PM2.5 levels. There was no difference in percent predicted forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec, or forced expiratory flow rate over the middle 50% of the forced vital capacity among members of the incinerator communities, compared with nonincinerator communities, and there were no significant differences in lung function within the 3 sets of communities. There was no evidence from this study that an association existed between residence in these 3 waste incinerator areas, which met state and federal emissions regulations, and average spirometric pulmonary function of nonsmoking community members.
Kupffer cell suppression of CD8+ T cells in human hepatocellular carcinoma is mediated by B7-H1/programmed death-1 interactions

B7-H1 is a recently identified B7 family member that, along with one of its receptors, programmed death-1 (PD-1), has been involved in multiple immunopathologic scenarios. However, the nature of B7-H1 and PD-1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poorly defined. We investigated the expression and functional relevance of this pathway in patients with HCC. We showed that B7-H1 expression on Kupffer cells (KC) was increased in tumor tissues compared with surrounding nontumor liver tissues in patients with HCC and this correlated with poorer survival. Coculture of HCC cells with monocytes showed that tumor-associated interleukin-10 contributed to the induction of B7-H1 in the HCC environment. We further observed that the levels of PD-1(+)CD8(+) T cells were higher in tumor tissues than in nontumor tissues. B7-H1(+) KCs and PD-1(+) T cells were colocalized in the HCC stroma. PD-1(+)CD8(+) T cells had decreased proliferative ability and effector function as shown by reduced granule and cytokine expression compared with PD-1(-) T cells. Importantly, blocking KC B7-H1 interaction with PD-1(+)CD8(+) cells using neutralizing antibodies recovered effector T-cell function. Our data indicate that the B7-H1/PD-1 axis contributes to immune suppression in human HCC, with blockade of this pathway carrying important therapeutic implications.
Empathy in Translation: Movement and Image in the Psychological Laboratory

The new English term “empathy” was translated from the German Einfuhlung in the first decade of the twentieth century by the psychologists James Ward at the University of Cambridge and Edward B. Titchener at Cornell. At Titchener's American laboratory, “empathy” was not a matter of understanding other minds, but rather a projection of imagined bodily movements and accompanying feelings into an object, a meaning that drew from its rich nineteenth-century aesthetic heritage. This rendering of “empathy” borrowed kinaesthetic meanings from German sources, but extended beyond a contemplation of the beautiful to include a variety of experimental stimuli and everyday objects in the laboratory. According to Titchener's structural psychology, all higher thought could be reduced to more elemental aspects of mind, and experimental introspection showed empathy to be constituted of kinaesthetic images. The existence of kinaesthetic images, Titchener argued, formed an incisive critique of the view that thought could take place without images, held by one of Titchener's major psychological rivals, the school of thought-psychologists in Wurzburg, Germany. The new term “empathy” in early American academic psychology therefore delineated a kinaesthetic imaginative projection that took place on the basis of ontological difference between minds and things.
Efficient backward selection of k -space samples in MRI on a hexagonal grid

Certain types of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) such as magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and three-dimensional (3D) MRI require a great deal of time to acquire the image data. The acquisition time can be reduced if the image has a limited region of support, such as when imaging the brain or a cross section of the chest. Hexagonal sampling of the spatial frequency-domain (k-space) yields a 13.4% sampling density reduction compared to rectangular sampling of thek-space for images with a circular region of support (ROS) without incurring spatial aliasing in the reconstructed image. However, certain nonuniform sampling patterns are more efficient than hexagonal sampling for the same ROS. Sequential backward selection (SBS) has been used in previous work to optimize a nonuniform set ofk-space samples selected from a rectangular grid. To reduce the selection time, we present SBS of samples from a hexagonal grid. A Smith normal decomposition is used to transform the nonrectangular 2D discrete Fourier transform to a standard rectangular 2D fast Fourier transform so that the spatial-domain samples are represented directly on a rectangular grid without interpolation. The hexagonal grid allows the SBS algorithm to begin with a smaller set of candidate samples so that fewer samples have to be eliminated. Simulation results show that a significantly reduced selection time can be achieved with the proposed method in comparison with SBS on a rectangular grid.
A stochastic model for strongly damped collisions with liquid drop driving forces

Abstract The wide variety of experimental data for the reaction 136Xe+209Bi at 1130 MeV, particularly the correlation between energy loss and charge drift, charge dispersion and angular distributions is well explained assuming nucleon transfer as a stochastic (a Markov chain) process. In this model driving forces are calculated from a liquid drop potential, and deformation in the exit channel is included phenomenologically.
Geomorphology: A Canadian Perspective

Geomorphology is a hot discipline. Recent interest in river restoration, climate change, geomorphic hazards such as landslides and tsunamis, controlled floods, and other issues has increased the visibility of geomorphology as a profession. New methods involving the Global Positioning System, remote sensing, numerical simulation, laboratory experimentation, and novel dating techniques have created new research opportunities. The number of jobs in academia, industry, and the public sector is rising. What is the best way to convey this excitement to students, while at the same time properly training them? The traditional approach is an introductory course at the undergraduate level, built around a general textbook. When I teach geomorphology, I do not use a textbook but rather rely on original readings and field-based exercises to introduce students to geomorphic concepts and methods.
Illustrating the importance of Austrian business cycle theory: A reply to Murphy, Barnett, and Block; A call for quantitative study

Murphy et al. (2009) criticize Young’s (2005) test of Austrian business cycle theory (ABCT) using US industry-level quarterly job reallocation data and the federal funds rate as a monetary policy indicator. I argue that not only are Murphy et al.’s specific criticisms misguided; more importantly, they all but completely rule out the type of empirical study that Young (2005) advocates: specifically, one that (1) is quantitative and distinguishes between statistical and economic significance and (2) attempts to exploit a hypothesis that is both a prediction of ABCT and not a prediction of competing monetary theories of the cycle. I argue that empirical studies embodying (1) and (2) are critical to ABCT as a research program. Furthermore, I review the existing econometric studies of ABCT from the last 10 years and conclude that there is much room for improvement along these lines.
The allocation of property rights in Russia: The first round

Abstract The first Russian privatization program represented the largest and fastest property reform ever undertaken in the modern world. This article, however, is not concerned with the quantity and speed of Russia's privatization program, but rather with the kind of privatization that occurred in the first round. Drawing on theories of path dependency, this article argues that the institutional legacy regarding property rights in the Soviet era influenced the course of privatization in post-Soviet Russia. Using a principal—agent model to illuminate the distribution of property rights in the Soviet era, this article first delineates the bundle of property rights that enterprise directors assumed during the Soviet period. The article then traces how these directors sought to protect their property rights during the Russian government's privatization program. To test this explanation, the article then analyses some empirical data from the first round of privatization, first in a discussion of the quantitative results of Russia's first privatization program, and second in a qualitative comparison of four case studies of privatization.
Research Note: Tourism and Economic Growth in Latin American Countries – Further Empirical Evidence:

Using panel data that span from 1990 to 2005, the authors investigate the impact of tourism on the economic growth of 18 heterogeneous Latin American countries within the framework of the conventional neoclassical growth model. Results from the empirical models show that revenues from the tourism industry contribute positively to both the current level and the growth rate of the per capita GDP of the countries in the region, as do investments in physical and human capital. The findings imply that Latin American economies may enhance their economic growth in the short run by strengthening their tourism industries strategically, while not neglecting the traditional sources of economic growth.
Why Theists Cannot Accept Skeptical Theism

In recent years skeptical theism has gained currency amongst theists as a way to escape the problem of evil by invoking putatively reasonable skepticism concerning our ability to know that instances of apparently gratuitous evil are unredeemed by morally sufficient reasons known to God alone. After explicating skeptical theism through the work of Stephen Wykstra and William Alston, I present a cumulative-case argument designed to show that skeptical theism cannot be accepted by theists insofar as it crucially undermines epistemic license to the very theism it is invoked to defend. I also argue that attempts to defend a theism-friendly moderate version of skeptical theism either fail to halt the spread of damaging skepticism, or lack philosophical validity.
Dielectric shielded nanoscale patch laser resonators

Dielectric shielded nanoscale patch laser resonators are introduced. Low-index dielectric shield layers surrounding a high-index core are shown to significantly reduce both metal and radiation losses. Structures suitable for both optical and electrical pumping and smaller than the vacuum wavelength in all three dimensions are shown to have a low enough threshold gain to lase at room temperature. Shifting the gain medium core provides control over the radiation pattern of the resonator and enables coupling of the laser light into a waveguide, opening opportunities for chipscale integration.
Suppressor cells and T cell synergy in the primary MLR: interleukin-2 is required for the maintenance of rat CD8+ suppressor cells.

The requirements for maintenance of allospecific CD8+ Ts cells generated in the rat primary MLR were investigated. Allospecific CD8+ Ts cells rapidly lose their activity over 72 hr in secondary culture with media alone, whereas low concentrations of rIL2 (<1 U/ml) are able to maintain potent CD8+ Ts cell activity. This Ts cell activity is maintained at rIL-2 concentrations which do not result in significant cell proliferation. Therefore, cell proliferation per se is not a requirement to maintain Ts cell activity, although the CD8+ Ts cells can proliferate to rIL2 in a concentration-dependent manner. An anti-IL-2 receptor monoclonal antibody significantly inhibited the maintenance of Ts cell activity. Two-color flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that Ts cells cultured in rIL-2 maintain upregulation of their high-affinity IL-2 receptor. Although allospecific Ts cells maintained in secondary culture with rIL-2 for 48 hr maintained antigen specificity, there is also the induction of an antigen-nonspecific population. After 168 hr in secondary culture the Ts cells have lost allospecificity, although Ts activity can be maintained with rIL2 in continuous culture for up to 4 weeks.