cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AnDarwin: Scalable Detection of Android Application Clones Based on Semantics

Smartphones rely on their vibrant application markets; however, plagiarism threatens the long-term health of these markets. We present a scalable approach to detecting similar Android apps based on their semantic information. We implement our approach in a tool called AnDarwin and evaluate it on 265,359 apps collected from 17 markets including Google Play and numerous third-party markets. In contrast to earlier approaches, AnDarwin has four advantages: it avoids comparing apps pairwise, thus greatly improving its scalability; it analyzes only the app code and does not rely on other information—such as the app’s market, signature, or description—thus greatly increasing its reliability; it can detect both full and partial app similarity; and it can automatically detect library code and remove it from the similarity analysis. We present two use cases for AnDarwin: finding similar apps by different developers (“clones”) and similar apps from the same developer (“rebranded”). In 10 hours, AnDarwin detected at least 4,295 apps that are the victims of cloning and 36,106 rebranded apps. Additionally, AnDarwin detects similar code that is injected into many apps, which may indicate the spread of malware. Our evaluation demonstrates AnDarwin’s ability to accurately detect similar apps on a large scale.
Convergence of a local lattice process

Abstract We analyze a discrete time Markov process on the 0–1 patterns of an infinite lattice, with transitions determined by nearest neighbors; and give a sufficient condition for ergodicity.
THE CORVAIR, THE PINTO AND CORPORATE BEHAVIOR: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGULATORY REFORM

Top corporate management responds to what is socially desirable when the costs and economic benefits provide the incentive to do so. Even when changing directions to match what is thought to be socially desirable would produce long-term profit maximization, some firms may stay with what is socially undesirable for what is perceived as a greater short-term profit maximization. Halpern suggests that such short-term profit decisions made by General Motors with the Corvair, and by Ford with the Pinto, backfired. A key problem is seen as the time lag between corporate misdeeds and the final judgment of courts or the government.
Distributed online topology design for network-level disturbance rejection

In this paper, we examine a networked multi-agent system running the consensus protocol susceptible to misinformation from its environment. The influenced dynamics are modeled with leader-follower dynamics and the impact of the foreign input is measured through the open loop H2 norm of the network dynamics. To dampen the external disturbances a novel decentralized edge reweighting method is proposed. The method is composed of a decentralized conjugate gradient method coupled with a decentralized online optimization algorithm. The uncertainties of the effect of local rewiring and unknown environmental influences are demonstrated to be well-suited to the online regret framework. A simulation of the reweighting method is discussed and shown to have a small regret.
Message passing algorithms: a success looking for theoreticians

Message passing algorithms have emerged as a powerful heuristic for addressing hard problems in a variety of applied fields. Interesting and successful examples can be found in domain as diverse as coding and communications, signal processing, artificial intelligence, game theory, high-dimensional statistics.At least four reasons can be found for this success: 1. They are widely applicable whenever the underlying problem has a 'local' structure with respect to a suitable graph; 2. They are easy to implement and have linear or next-to-linear complexity (within coding they are widely implemented in hardware); 4. They often subsume existing heuristics as special cases; 5. On some random instance distributions which are important in practice, they can be analyzed precisely and tuned to achieve near-optimal performances. Each of these five points can be argued through examples. It would be highly desirable to make sense of them (of any subset of them)in a consistent theory.
Inheritance of Multiple Transgenes in Wheat

For many traits, it is often desirable to transfer multiple genes or to pyramid several novel genes in one line. Understanding and predicting transgene linkage relationships is Transferring multiple genes can be achieved through required to utilize efficiently transformation technologies in breeding programs. This study was conducted to determine the co-transforma- transformation using one gene at a time, but this would tion frequency of three gene sequences by means of a three-plasmid likely prove to be impractical and inefficient (Chen et co-transformation system and to determine the mode of inheritance al., 1998). By means of microprojectile bombardment, for two genes of interest. Twenty-five independently transformed a number of plasmids containing genes of interest and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants were produced by microprojectile a selectable marker can be mixed before bombardment bombardment of 1080 immature embryos with a three-plasmid system. and used for co-transformation (Chen et al., 1998). The Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses of T1 progeny from each co-transformation of multiple transgenes present on of the 25 T0 plants indicated co-transformation of all three plasmids separate plasmids has been employed successfully via at a frequency of 36%. Two of nine transgenic families containing all microprojectile bombardment in a number of plant spethree plasmids were characterized for the segregation of the two genes cies, including common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; of interest in T1 ,T 2, and T2 testcross generations by PCR. These data
Human induced flow field and resultant particle resuspension and transport during gait cycle

Abstract Particle resuspension from flooring is believed to be an important source of particulate matter (PM) in the indoor environment. It is hypothesized that the high speed airflow generated between the flooring and the foot during the gait cycle is the main cause of particle resuspension. The simulation results show that particles are detached from the substrate during the downward motion of the foot. Furthermore, during the upward motion of the foot, additional particles may also be resuspended because of the suction flow generated by lifting the foot. These resuspended particles are then dispersed in the room by the airflow turbulence. In this study a combined experimental and computational studies were performed to shed light on the mechanisms of particle resuspension from flooring during the gait cycle. A mechanical foot experimental setup which mimics the human walking was developed and used to measure the rate of resuspension. In addition, to investigate the airflow field during walking, a three dimensional numerical model of a moving shoe during the gait cycle was generated using the ANSYS-FLUENT™ CFD package. A RANS approach with the RNG k-epsilon turbulence model was used for simulating the unsteady airflow field around and under the shoe. To include the shoe motion in the analysis, a user defined function (UDF) was developed and the dynamic mesh technique was used. A resuspension model was applied for the resuspension of pre-deposited particles from the flooring. The predicted particle resuspension were compared with the corresponding experimental results and good agreement was found.
An Argument for the Application of Copyright Law to Distance Education

Abstract This article presents a legal analysis of the application of copyright law to distance education environments, particularly as it applies to Web‐based instruction and the construction of electronic reserves, or so‐called virtual libraries. The author argues that revision of copyright law to allow for the reproduction, display, and performance of works in these settings is consistent with national policy and existing and developing copyright law. The dangers of moving toward a schema of universal or compulsory licensing of information products and services are also explored. Finally, the author suggests several possible components that new legislation or “fair use” guidelines might include.
Resolvin E1 (RvE1) Attenuates Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation in Diet and Inflammation-Induced Atherogenesis

Objective—Epidemiological and recent clinical studies implicate periodontitis as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Previously, we demonstrated that rabbits with experimental periodontitis and cholesterol diet exhibit more aortic plaque compared with diet alone. We also showed that a proresolution mediator, Resolvin E1 (RvE1), reverses the experimental periodontitis. Here, we determined whether oral/topical application of RvE1 attenuates aortic atherosclerosis induced by both diet and periodontal inflammation. Approach and Results—Thirty-nine rabbits on a 13-week regimen of 0.5% cholesterol diet were included. Periodontitis was induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis in 24 rabbits and 15 rabbits were placed in no-periodontitis groups. Interventions were no-treatment, vehicle, and RvE1 treatment (4 μg/site or 0.4 μg/site) topically applied 3× per week. At 13 weeks, both periodontitis and atherosclerosis were quantified. Atherosclerotic plaques were assessed by Sudan IV staining, histology, ...
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XI — Interrogatories

This column, part 11 in a series on how to draft litigation documents in New York, discusses interrogatories.
Length Scale Analysis of Surface Energy Fluxes Derived from Remote Sensing

Abstract Wavelet multiresolution analysis was used to examine the variation in dominant length scales determined from remotely sensed airborne- and satellite-derived surface energy flux data. The wavelet cospectra are computed between surface radiometric temperature, fractional vegetation, and derived energy fluxes at airborne (12 m) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) (1000 m) resolutions. Length scale analysis of high-resolution data shows that small-scale variability in temperature dominates over other effects. Analysis of coarse-resolution data shows that small-scale variations in vegetation are important, although the large-scale variation in radiometric temperature dominates the derived fluxes. This is determined to be a result of the fact that, at smaller scales, the incoming solar radiation effect is muted by the small-scale variability in vegetation, temperature, and albedo, whereas at coarser scales, the large-scale effect of incoming radiation on temperature dominates over the ...
The Receiving Antenna: A Classroom Presentation

The problem of determining the complex phasor voltage produced at the terminals of a receiving antenna, exposed to a plane wave, is solved using a method suitable for an introductory course in antenna theory. The method relies on the concepts of scalar and vector effective lengths. It is based on the use of the principle of reciprocity, Faraday's Law, and the known electric field of an electrically small loop antenna. The derivation presented here is contrasted with the treatment given in three well-known textbooks.
Effects of gender and menopausal status on the association of apolipoprotein E phenotype with plasma lipoprotein levels. Results from the Framingham Offspring Study.

Apolipoprotein (apo) E phenotype is an important genetic determinant of plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apo B levels. We have determined apo E phenotype by isoelectric focusing and plasma lipid, lipoprotein cholesterol, apo A-I, apo B, and lipoprotein(a) levels, as well as LDL particle size, in 2258 men and women participating in the Framingham Offspring Study. Apo E phenotype (E2/2, E2/4, E3/2, E3/3, E3/4, and E4/4) was not associated with plasma lipoprotein(a) levels but was associated with plasma LDL cholesterol levels, apo B levels, and LDL size in men and with plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apo B levels in women. The average effect of the epsilon 2 allele was to lower plasma LDL cholesterol levels by 9.2 mg/dL in men and by 13.7 mg/dL in women, while the average effect of the epsilon 4 allele was to increase LDL cholesterol levels by 2.6 mg/dL in men and by 5.4 mg/dL in women. When men were divided into two groups according to their age ( or = 50 years old), the average effect of the epsilon 2 allele was to lower plasma levels of LDL cholesterol by 10.2 mg/dL in younger men and by 7.5 mg/dL in older men. In premenopausal women, the average effect of the epsilon 2 allele was to lower LDL cholesterol by 8.2 mg/dL and, in postmenopausal women, by 20.4 mg/dL. An opposite effect of the epsilon 4 allele was observed: the epsilon 4 allele was associated with increases in plasma LDL cholesterol levels of 4.0 mg/dL in younger men and of 1.0 mg/dL in older men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
'Farmer's ear' : sudden sensorineural hearing loss due to Chlamydia psittaci infection

A case of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in association with a Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia is reported. Rapid recovery was seen when the patient was treated with high dose steroids and appropriate antibiotics. This is the first such case report in the literature.
Microsoft's Jim Gray on computing's breakthroughs, lessons, and future

Jim Gray, a senior researcher in Microsoft's Scalable Servers Research Group and manager of the company's Bay Area Research Center,shares his thoughts on the future of computing and emerging trends.
Stability and antimicrobial effectiveness of treprostinil sodium in Sterile Diluent for Flolan

Summary Introduction: Long-term intravenous infusion of epoprostenol and treprostinil for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) via a central venous catheter is associated with the risk of bloodstream infection (BSI). While several potential explanations exist for possible differences in BSI incidence among intravenous prostanoids, one hypothesis suggests that the alkaline pH of epoprostenol in Sterile Diluent for Flolan (SDF) has greater antimicrobial activity compared with the neutral pH of other common diluents such as sterile saline or water, which have been used for treprostinil. Methods: The chemical stability and antimicrobial activity of 4 μg/ml and 130 μg/ml treprostinil in SDF were assessed according to United States and European Pharmacopeia. Results: At both concentrations, treprostinil in SDF remained stable after incubation at 40 °C and ambient relative humidity for up to 52 h. Solution pH also remained stable (range 10.4–10.6), and the solutions were essentially free of particulate at all time points examined. Antimicrobial activity was measured using an antimicrobial effectiveness test after inoculation with five species of bacteria, yeast and mould. The antimicrobial activity of both concentrations of treprostinil met United States Pharmacopeia requirements. Further, the antimicrobial activity of treprostinil in SDF against gram-negative bacteria (> 4 log10 reductions) exceeded that previously described for treprostinil in sterile saline. Conclusion: These results suggest that dilution of treprostinil with the alkaline solution SDF may reduce the risk of infection from inadvertent patient contamination compared with dilution of treprostinil in sterile saline.
An overview of computer packaging architecture and electrical design

A discussion of packaging architecture is presented to understand the requirement on the physical design of the single chip module (SCM), multichip module (MCM), printed circuit board (PCB), connector, and cable. They in turn establish the driving force for their electrical designs. The packaging architecture of midrange, mainframe, and workstation computer systems provides an insight into the requirements of the physical and electrical design of electronic packaging of the future. It is important to ensure the electrical signal fidelity throughout the interconnection to limit the switching noise and signal crosstalk, and to minimize the propagation delay due to packaging. Electrical design with these consideration for chip carrier, printed circuit boards, connector, and cables is described. >
Efficient liver-specific deletion of a floxed human angiotensinogen transgene by adenoviral delivery of Cre recombinase in vivo.

Tissue-specific ablation of gene function is possible in vivo by the Cre-loxP recombinase system. We generated transgenic mice containing a human angiotensinogen gene flanked by loxP sites (hAGTflox). To examine the physiologic consequences of tissue-specific loss of angiotensinogen gene function in vivo, we constructed an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase. Studies were performed in several independent lines of hAGTflox mice before and after intravenous administration of either Adcre or AdβGal as a control. Systemic administration of Adcre caused a significant decrease in circulating human angiotensinogen and markedly blunted the pressor response to administration of purified recombinant human renin. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from various organs revealed that the Cre-mediated deletion was liver-specific. Further analysis revealed the absence of full-length human angiotensinogen mRNA and protein in the liver but not the kidney of Adcre mice, consistent with the liver being the target for adenoviruses administered intravenously. These studies demonstrate that extra-hepatic sources of angiotensinogen do not contribute significantly to the circulating pool of angiotensinogen and provide proof-of-principle that the Cre-loxP system can be used effectively to examine the contribution of the systemic and tissue renin-angiotensin system to normal and pathological regulation of blood pressure.
Familism Values, Perspective Taking, and Prosocial Moral Reasoning: Predicting Prosocial Tendencies Among Mexican American Adolescents

Mexican American youth often engage in relatively high levels of prosocial behaviors. We theorize that this may be due to a cultural value system that encourages familism values, which, in turn, may foster the development of sociocognitive processes that promote prosocial behaviors. Two hundred and five Mexican American early adolescent youth (Mage = 10.9 years, SD = 0.84; 51% girls) reported their familism values, perspective taking, prosocial moral reasoning, and six types of prosocial behaviors. The results indicated that perspective taking partially mediated the relation between familism values and the specific prosocial tendencies theoretically linked to the Mexican American culture. The study demonstrated the utility of integrating cultural and traditional developmental mechanisms in attempting to explain prosocial behaviors.
Standardization of PET Imaging in Clinical Trials

A biomarker is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biologic processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. In vitro biomarkers include histopathologic and serologic correlates and the newer genomic and proteomic assays. In vivo biomarkers include evaluation of disease extent with CT and MR imaging and disease characterization using molecular and functional imaging with single-photon emission CT, PET, and optical agents. This article reviews the various roles a biomarker can play and the path of evaluation and development of these assays. The specifics of development of PET biomarkers and the role that standardization plays are highlighted.
A user modeling system for personalized interaction and tailored retrieval in interactive IR

We present a user modeling system for personalized interaction and tailored retrieval that (1) tracks interactions over time, (2) represents multiple information needs, both short and long term, (3) allows for changes in information needs over time, (4) acquires and updates the user model automatically, without explicit assistance from the user, and (5) accounts for contextual factors such as topic familiarity and endurance of need. The proposed system contains three major classes of models: general behavioral, personal behavioral and topical. The general behavioral model describes how information search and use behavior can be used to identify and track information needs. The personal behavioral model characterizes an individual user’s information search and use behavior with regard to document preference and states of knowledge. Finally, the topical model characterizes the user’s information seeking needs. We describe how such a model can be used to personalize search interactions and tailor system responses to individuals across multiple information seeking sessions.
Dynamics of a network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons induced by depolarization block

The balance of excitation and inhibition is important in regulating the network activity. Under pathological conditions the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory neurons can become unbalanced, leading to seizure-like activity in the network. The interplay between excitatory and inhibitory neurons has been studied in rat hippocampal CA1, where spontaneous seizure-like activity was produced by blocking potassium ion channels and decreasing magnesium [1]. One of the main findings is that the excitatory neurons exhibit runaway excitation as the inhibitory neurons enter long-lasting depolarization block. In this study, we employ a modified Wilson-Cowan (WC) model [2] to examine the dynamics of an EI network under similar pathological conditions. To model depolarization block, we modified the inhibitory population's activation function so that large input silences the population. Phase plane analysis shows that the network can be in as many as three different states, rest state, active state, and seizure state, where the inhibitory population enters depolarization block in the seizure state. If both populations receive a similar amount of external input, the Wilson-Cowan model predicts that the network is bistable. In this case, the network can be in either the rest state or the seizure state, where the transition to the seizure state occurs as the inhibitory population enters depolarization block. Alternatively, if the external input to the inhibitory population is small, the network can become tristable, where all three state coexist for the same parameters. The network now has to pass the intermediate state (i.e. active state) before it enters the seizure state. Such network transitions can be either oscillatory or monotonic. We test the predictions of Wilson-Cowan model with a network of Morris-Lecar (ML) neurons. We find that the bistable state is present in the ML network, where the inhibitory neuron's firing rate peaks just before entering depolarization block (Figure ​(Figure1A).1A). This type of network dynamics has been reported in [1]. Tristability can also be observed in a ML network when the external input to the inhibitory population is reduced. The transition dynamics of the active state can be oscillatory (Figures 1B and 1C) or monotonic (data not shown) depending on the synaptic time constants as predicted by the Wilson-Cowan model. Hysteresis is observed at the transitions between different states (Figures 1A and 1B), providing evidence that the emergence of three states is a network phenomenon. Figure 1 (A,B) Firing rates of excitatory (blue) and inhibitory (red) neurons. Current injection to the excitatory neurons is increased and decreased slowly as shown by the dotted lines. The network is bistable in (A) and tristable in (B). Note that the network ...
Dependence of Multi-Pass Beam Breakup on Accelerator Parameters

A theory has been developed to describe beam breakup in recyclotrons and racetrack microtrons. This theory has been used to calculate ISQL values for numerous model accelerator configurations. The dependence of ISQL on breakup mode frequency, beam transport optics, number of orbits, and accelerating gradient is shown.
A framework for planning motion in environments with moving obstacles

In this paper we present a heuristic approach to planning in an environment with moving obstacles. Our approach assumes that the robot has no knowledge of the future trajectory of the moving objects. Our framework also distinguishes between two types of moving objects in the environment: hard and soft objects. We distinguish between the two types of objects in the environment as varying application domains could allow for some collision between some types of moving objects. For example, a robot planning a path in an environment with people could have the people modeled as circular disks with a safe zone surrounding each person. Although the robot may try to stay out of each safe zone, violating that criteria would not necessarily result in planning failure. We will show the effectiveness of our planner in general dynamic environments with the soft objects having varying behaviors.
Automatic text alignment for speech system evaluation

This paper describes an algorithm which automatically aligns two text strings, maximizing the phoneme-to-phoneme similarities between the strings, The alignment problem is formulated in an unconstrained endpoint dynamic optimization framework, and operates on the phonemic transcriptions of the input text strings. A modification of the standard dynamic programming approach allows insertion and rejection errors in either string to be correctly identified. Benchmark evaluations show the performance of the algorithm approaches "the expert speech scientist." The algorithm is an ideal tool for automated evaluation of experimental data, including data collected from speech intelligibility experiments and speech recognition experiments.
A Comparison of Methods to Analyze Particle Size as Applied to Alfalfa Haylage, Corn Silage, and Concentrate Mix

Nine different methods to analyze the particle size distributions of feeds were compared based on results for duplicate samples of the same alfalfa haylage, corn silage, and concentrate mix containing primarily ground corn and soybean meal. The nine methods have been used by various laboratories. Median particle sizes for each sample were analyzed using a non-parametric (rank transformation) procedure to estimate the effects of method, feed, and the interaction of method and feed. These factors accounted for 20.0, 65.1, and 12.6% of the variation in median particle size, respectively. Within-method variation accounted for only 2.3% of the variation in median particle size. The variation explained by feed was increased to 78.3%, and that explained by method was reduced to 7.2%, by deleting data for three of the studied methods. The effects of method and the interaction of method and feed complicated the comparison of particle size data as analyzed by the various methods. However, employing one of the six remaining methods in future experiments would explain enough of the variation to justify an initial compilation of particle size and associated animal response data for use in diet formulation. Accuracy could be improved by the use of a fixed analytical method in all laboratories. The interaction of method and feed deserves additional research.
Heterogeneous computing: challenges and opportunities

The issues and problems posed by heterogeneous computing are discussed. They include design of algorithms for applications, partitioning and mapping of application tasks, interconnection requirements, and the design of programming environments. The use of heterogeneous computing in image understanding is reviewed. An example vision task is presented, and the different types of parallelism used in the example are identified. >
Controlling gain one photon at a time

Adaptation is a salient property of sensory processing. All adaptational or gain control mechanisms face the challenge of obtaining a reliable estimate of the property of the input to be adapted to and obtaining this estimate sufficiently rapidly to be useful. Here, we explore how the primate retina balances the need to change gain rapidly and reliably when photons arrive rarely at individual rod photoreceptors. We find that the weakest backgrounds that decrease the gain of the retinal output signals are similar to those that increase human behavioral threshold, and identify a novel site of gain control in the retinal circuitry. Thus, surprisingly, the gain of retinal signals begins to decrease essentially as soon as background lights are detectable; under these conditions, gain control does not rely on a highly averaged estimate of the photon count, but instead signals from individual photon absorptions trigger changes in gain. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00467.001
Oligodendroglioma: pathology and molecular biology

Abstract BACKGROUND Recently, important new information has become available concerning the histologic recognition and molecular biology of oligodendrogliomas. This information, in turn, impacts the way neurosurgeons diagnose and treat patients with these tumors. The purpose of this paper is to review the pathology and basic science of oligodendroglioma, highlighting these developments. METHODS Information for this review was obtained by a Medline search using the term "oligodendroglioma," and limiting the results to articles dealing with pathology. Chapters from standard textbooks were also used, and bibliographies were checked for additional key articles contributing to the understanding of the pathobiology of this disease. RESULTS On histologic examination, oligodendrogliomas must be differentiated from tumors including the fibrillary astrocytoma, clear cell ependymoma, central neurocytoma, and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT). There is no specific immunocytochemical marker allowing for the recognition of human oligodendroglial tumor cells. A current simplified grading scheme separates these tumors into low grade (WHO grade II) and anaplastic (WHO grade III) oligodendrogliomas. New molecular and genetic markers may aid in grading oligodendrogliomas and identifying patients with a better prognosis or response to chemotherapy. Markers studied include Ki-67, PCNA, EGFr, VEGF, platelet-derived growth factor, p16, p18, p53, bcl -2, COX-1, and chromosomal deletions. The combination of allelic losses on chromosomes 1p and 19q has been statistically associated with a longer recurrence-free survival after chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS A patient with an oligodendroglioma may at times still present a diagnostic challenge for the neuropathologist. Yet making an accurate diagnosis is essential, since the clinical course and optimal therapeutic approach differs from that of other gliomas. In the near future, molecular characterization of oligodendrogliomas is expected to play an even greater clinical role.
Particle Filtering of the Number of Competing Stations to Support Combined Access Modes in IEEE 802.11 Networks

This paper proposes a new method to estimate the number of competing stations in IEEE 802.11 networks. Due to nonlinear nature of measurement model, a nonlinear filtering algorithm, called the particle filter (PF), has been employed. PF provides better alternative to the conventional extended Kalman filter (EKF) for nonlinear filtering since it avoids errors associated with linearization, has both high accuracy as well as prompt reactivity to changes in the network occupancy status and specifically gives better results in non-saturated conditions. From this method, we propose the combined access mode to maximize the system throughput by switching between basic access and RTS/CTS access mode.
The quest for a general theory of the marketing system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether there is significant agreement on what constitutes the essential elements for building a general theory of the marketing system. Design/methodology/approach – The method is an historical review of the various concepts, elements, sub-theories, axioms, components, explananda and ingredients proposed by marketing scholars over the past half century who contributed to the development of a general theory of the marketing system. Findings – The main finding is that despite the diversity of terms and concepts found in the marketing literature, there is considerable agreement on the essential elements necessary to build a general theory. Originality/value – The value of this work is in assembling and organizing the various concepts, elements, sub-theories, axioms, components, explananda and ingredients of a general theory. Scholars are encouraged to examine the pieces and re-join the quest to construct and empirically test a general theory of the marketin...
CE FEATURE: Perceived Conflict, Sibling Position, Cut-Off, and Multigenerational Transmission in the Family of Origin of Chemically Dependent Persons: An Application of Bowen Family Systems Theory

A sample of 36 chemically dependent men and women in outpatient recovery were interviewed to assess family patterns utilizing Bowen Family Systems Theory as the organizing framework. Significant patterns of conflict, cut-off, and triangulation were found. The majority of chemically dependent persons occupied at-risk sibling positions. Patterns of chemical dependence and substance abuse were identified acros generations of the families.
Total synthesis of macrodiolide ionophores aplasmomycin A and boromycin via double ring contraction

The half structure of the symmetrical macrodiolide aplasmomycin A was synthesized by alkylation of a C3-C10 α-sulfonyl ketone subunit, prepared from (R)-pulegone and protected as a C3 ortholactone with (2R,3R)-butanediol, by a protected 15,16-dihydroxy (12E)-allylic chloride representing C11-C17. The latter was obtained from (2S,3R)-1,2-epoxy-3-butanol and propargyl alcohol. Regio- and stereoselective 5-exo-trig cyclization of the ene diol moiety in this segment, mediated by N-bromosuccinimide, led to the (2R,3S,5R)-tetrahydrofuran substructure of aplasmomycin A. Attachment of an α-acetic ester at the C3 carboxylic acid and esterification of the 3'-hydroxyl group of the tetrahydrofuran as its α-bromoacetate enabled coupling of two aplasmomycin half structures as an α-acyloxy acetate. Mukaiyama macrolactonization of this hydroxy acid afforded a symmetrical 36-membered diolide. Base-mediated double Chan rearrangement of this bis α-acyloxy dilactone caused ring contraction to the 34-membered macrocycle of desboroaplasmomycin A while generating the transannular 2-hydroxy-3-hemiketal motif of the natural product in the correct configuration. Final incorporation of boron into the tetraol core produced aplasmomycin A, isolated as its sodium borate. Extension of this route to the unsymmetrical macrodiolide boromycin was accomplished by modifications that included reversal of C12-C13 olefin geometry to (Z) for the southern half structure along with stereoselective hydride reductions of the C9 ketone that produced (9R) and (9S) alcohols for northern and southern half structures, respectively. Coupling of these half structures was made using an α-acyloxy ester linkage as for aplasmomycin A, but ring closure in this case was orchestrated via a blocked C16 alcohol that left open the C15 hydroxyl group of the southern half for Mukaiyama macrolactonization. A double Chan rearrangement of the resulting 35-membered macrocycle produced the 33-membered diolide of desborodesvalinylboromycin which had been obtained previously by degradation of natural boromycin. Insertion of boron into the tetraol core followed by esterification of the C16 alcohol with a masked d-valine and final deprotection furnished boromycin as its zwitterionic (Boeseken) complex.
Utilization of different fatty acids for hepatic and biliary phosphatidylcholine formation and the effect of changes in phosphatidylcholine molecular species on biliary lipid secretion

Biliary cholesterol secretion is ordinarily tightly coupled to phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion. Bile PCs are distinct in composition and predominantly composed of molecular species with 16:0 in the sn-1 position and 18:2 and 18:1 in the sn-2 position. In an attempt to acutely change the composition of biliary PCs and to assess the effect of a change in PCs on biliary cholesterol secretion, isolated livers were perfused with a variety of single free fatty acids. Rat livers with bile duct cannulas were perfused with a recirculating medium, taurocholate (40 mumol/h), and albumin-bound 16:1, 17:1, 18:1, 20:1, 18:2, 20:4, or 20:5 fatty acids (90 mumol/h) for 2 h. Biliary lipid secretion was measured and bile and liver PC compositions were compared at the start and end of perfusion. Results showed 1) greater utilization of shorter chain than longer chain fatty acids for bile PC formation (16:1 greater than 17:1 greater than 18:2 or 18:1 greater than 20:5, 20:4 or 20:1); 2) no similar pattern of FA utilization for liver PC formation; 3) preferentially greater incorporation of fatty acids into bile PCs compared to liver PCs when perfused fatty acids were used for esterification at both sn-1 and sn-2 positions of PC (to form diunsaturated PCs); and 4) increased biliary secretion of cholesterol relative to PC only when the population of PCs that was newly formed included more hydrophilic molecular species of PC than are present in native bile (that was observed only with perfusion of 16:1). Changes in biliary PC secretion or cholesterol/PC secretion occurred independently of any change in bile salt secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Electronic Structure of d 3 Ions via Two-Photon Spectroscopy

The two-photon spectra of the isoelectronic d3 ions Cr3+ and Mn4+ provide a new understanding of their spectral and photophysical properties not obtainable from the one-photon spectra. Using host crystals having cubic sites for the impurity, Cs2GeF6 for Mn4+; K2LiGaF6 for Cr3+ produces the simplest possible spectra. The local environment of the metal ion is the same in these two crystal structures out to second neighbors. The spectra can be described by adding spinorbit coupling to the Tanabe-Sugano matrices, and by taking account of vibronic coupling, Jahn-Teller effects and lattice coupling. Host crystals having lower symmetry are also useful for adding an additional perturbation.
Investigation of Oxide Bifilms in Investment Cast Superalloy IN100: Part II. Characterization

Oxide bifilms are a proposed casting inclusion reported to have been observed in vacuum investment cast polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys. Ongoing research seeks to determine if current superalloy casting practices can result in the formation of oxide bifilms, and subsequently if it is possible to observe and characterize this phenomenon. The effect of casting atmosphere, turbulence, filtering, hot isostatic pressing, and heat treatment has been investigated to identify the critical parameters that have been reported to result in bifilm formation in Ni-based superalloy IN100. Scanning Auger microscopy (SAM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were utilized to characterize samples from each casting condition. In situ ultrahigh vacuum Auger fractography did not indicate the presence of bifilms on the fracture behavior of IN100 in any processing condition. SAM analysis identified a sulfur-enriched monolayer on the surface of dendritic casting porosity, and identified heterogeneous Ti oxycarbide inclusions in air cast IN100. SEM analysis also indicated the presence of Ti oxycarbide inclusions in air cast IN100, and determined that these inclusion structures consist of fine blocky external M(Ti, Mo)C carbide enveloping an internal core of alumina. HR-TEM analysis indicated that none of the oxycarbide inclusion interfaces exist as discontinuous unbound interfaces, and that the internal alumina core is an ultra-fine polycrystalline structure.
Activities of Some Midgut Acid Hydrolases of the Southern Armyworm, Spodoptera eridania

Acid nitrophenyl phosphatase, several nitrophenyl glycosidases and cathepsin D have been examined in soluble and particulate fractions of southern armyworms midgut during the last larval stadium. The increased activities of phosphatase, N acetylglucosaminidase and cathepsin at the end of the period and their intracellular distribution point to the role of lysosomes at this stage. The temporal changes and subcellular distribution of β glucosidase and β glucuronidase suggest the presence of more than one type of these enzymes.
Development of Susceptibility to Seizures in Young Animals III. Brain Water, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Metabolism.∗:

SummaryIn newborn, 1-month-old and adult rats, susceptibility to maximal electro-shock seizures has been correlated with distribution of water and electrolyte concentrations and total carbon dioxide content of the cerebrum. Seizure susceptibility is greatest at one month of age. It is related inversely to the ratio of extracellular to cellular sodium and directly to the ratio of cellular and extracellular brain water. The relation to distribution of potassium is inconstant. The newborn guinea pig, an animal more mature than the rat at birth, corresponds more closely to the older and adult rat, both with regard to seizure susceptibility and brain water and electrolyte metabolism. Failure to induce convulsions in the newborn rat is associated with a high level of total carbon dioxide in the brain. Development of seizure susceptibility in older rats is related to a rise in brain carbonic anhydrase activity and to a reciprocal fall in total carbon dioxide content of the brain.
Tactile sensor integrated dielectric elastomer actuator for simultaneous actuation and sensing

Dielectric elastomers (DE) are a subgroup of electroactive polymers which may be used as soft transducers. Such soft transducers exhibit high energy density and silent operation, which makes them desirable for life-like robotic systems such as a robotic hand. A robotic hand must be able to sense the object being manipulated, in terms of normal and shear force being applied, and note when contact has been achieved or lost. To this end, a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) with integrated tactile sensing has been developed to provide simultaneous actuation and sensing. The tactile sensing dielectric elastomer actuator consists of a unimorph-type structure, where the active portion is a laminate of alternating DE and electrode material which expands under applied voltage, and the sensing portion is a stiffer sensing dielectric elastomer which has no electrical connection to the active portion. Under applied voltage, the deformation of the active portion expands but is constrained on one side by the sensing portion, resulting in bending actuation. The sensing portion is a DE with electrodes patterned to form 2x2 capacitive sensing arrays. Dome-shaped bumps positioned over the sensing arrays redistribute tactile forces onto the sensor segments, so that measurement of the capacitance change across the array allows for reconstruction of magnitude and direction of the incoming force.
Exemplary high school mathematics teachers’ reflections on teaching: A situated cognition perspective on content knowledge

Abstract This study explored mathematical knowledge needed for teaching by seeking perspectives of exemplary high school mathematics teachers. Participants were 11 teachers in one region of the United States who had been recognized for their excellent teaching through standardized programs. In individual interviews, participants reflected on their teaching with consideration of the mathematical knowledge used. Interview questions about abstract mathematical knowledge were developed from a cognitive perspective, but these did not capture teachers’ understandings. Instead, grounded analysis of teachers’ reflections and a situated cognition perspective illuminated teachers’ rich ways of knowing and using mathematics. This work illustrates how a change in research perspective can give insight into the affordances, rather than deficits, of teachers’ mathematical knowledge.
Changes in metabolism of endocrine system among build labourers in high temperature and high altitude environment

[Objective]To observe the influence of high temperature and high altitude operation on the physiological metabolism of build labourers,improve the labourers' operation capacity in high temperature and high altitude environment,and prevent the accidents. Meanwhile,the serum hormone contents in employees who were exposed to the operating environment of temperature above30 ℃ were detected.[Methods]The control group included 30 civilian employees,while the observation group included 37 employees who worked in high temperature and high altitude environment. The body temperature was determined by the oral thermometer,and the perspiration volume was determined by the weight difference method. The contents of thyroid stimulating hormone( TSH),thyroxine( T4),triiodothyronine( T3),renin( PRA),angiotensin Ⅱ( AT Ⅱ) and aldosterone( ALD) were determined by the radioimmunoassay kit. The statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS 10. 0 software,and the difference between groups was analyzed by t test.[Results]In the environment of temperature between 30 ℃ and 35 ℃,the body temperature of the observation group[( 37. 04 ± 0. 65) ℃]was significantly higher than that of the control group [( 36. 02 ± 0. 21) ℃ ],and the perspiration volume in 4 hours of the observation group [( 389. 80 ± 126. 13) g / h]was significantly higher than that of the control group[( 97. 46 ±43. 02) g/h]. The contents of TSH, T4 and T3 in the observation group [( 4. 91 ± 0. 36) μU/ml,( 89. 60 ±3. 64) ng/ml and( 1. 14 ± 0. 06) ng/ml]were significantly higher than those in the control group[( 2. 90 ± 0. 15)μU/ml,( 6. 71 ±2. 93) ng/ml and( 1. 07 ± 0. 03) ng/ml]. The contents of PRA,ATⅡ and ALD in the observation group[( 12. 38 ±0. 38) ng/ml·h,( 687.00 ±36.37) ng/ml and( 1 615.50 ±50. 70) pg/ml]were significantly higher than those in the control group[( 2. 89 ± 0. 04) ng / ml·h,( 78. 07 ± 5. 92) ng / ml and( 131. 40 ± 13. 00) pg / ml]. All differences were statistically significant( P 0. 001).[Conclusion]The high temperature and high altitude operation may cause a series of stress response changes in the physiological and neuroendocrine function. It is necessary to appropriately adjust the operation time and ensure nutrition supplies,to avoid the work accidents induced by physical discomfort.
Measuring surgical skill and proclivity in ophthalmology residency training program applicants using the American Dental Association Dental Admission (Sample) Test (DAT).

PURPOSE To determine if typical DAT perceptual ability questions which are used to determine potential surgical skills in dental school applicants also do so for surgical ability for eye surgery. METHOD The subjects were all applicants for admission into the Ophthalmology Residency Training Program at the University of Florida. All applicants answered 11 questions from the "Perceptual Ability" section of the DAT. Their answers were neither reviewed nor scored at the time they took the test but were sealed and set aside. After completing the 3 year training program, each of fifteen consecutive trainees was scored by five masked faculty members for their surgical skill. Their tests were unsealed and scored. Data were obtained on 15 applicants. RESULTS There was a [Good] positive correlation between masked faculty surgical skill scores and DAT scores: r= +0.58, p < or -0.02. CONCLUSION DAT perceptual ability questions do indicate candidates with best innate and potential eye surgical skills.