cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of yield surface of monolithic and composite powders by explicit finite element simulation

In this study, explicit FEM was used to simulate monolithic and composite powders consisting of periodic cells, and the macroscopic yield surfaces of the powder compacts were obtained using the probing technique. It was found that the macroscopic yield surface of monolithic or composite powders depends on not only the relative density of the powder, but also the inter-particle cohesive strength and particle arrangement. Powder compacts with no cohesive strength show nearly zero yield strength without confining pressure. With increasing cohesion, the yield surface expands in the tensile mean stress direction and, at full cohesion, the yield surface is about twice the size of the surface without cohesion. Increasing friction slightly increases the size of yield surface, but the effect is relatively minor. For monolithic hexagonal powders, the yield surface is close to isotropic. A yield function was proposed which accounts for the inter-particle cohesion and gives satisfactory description of the obtained yield surfaces.
Work in progress: An International Engineering: Certificate: Incentivizing engineering students to pursue global experiences

An innovative, easy to implement International Engineering Certificate is introduced in this work-in-progress, innovative practice paper. The certificate enhances a four year engineering or computer science major without delaying the time to graduate. Other benefits include low cost, flexible structure, appeal to diverse audiences and potential for external support opportunities. The certificate is compared to four international opportunities provided by other engineering programs.
DEFECTIVE CYCLIC AMP GENERATION FOLLOWING PITRESSIN HORMONE (ADH) INFUSION IN GIRLS WITH NEPHROGENIC DIABETES INSIPIDUS (NDI)

ADH exerts its effect on urinary volume and concentration via intra-cellular cyclic AMP generation. The integrity of this system can be studied by measuring urinary cAMP excretion following ADH administration. This was carried out by infusing ADH (0.5 to 1.0 mU/min) to 4 NDI girls in a state of water diuresis. These NDI girls presented during a 10 year period to a large children's hospital. For comparison, the same procedure was carried out in 2 normal adults, who showed 100% Increase in UcAMP, and in 3 NDI boys who showed no increase in UcAMP. The absence of any effect of ADH on UcAMP in girls differs from the result obtained in one previous case reported and demonstrates that females with this disorder are also afflicted with a deficient ADH-sensitive adenyl cyclase system.
A comparative study of standards for determinations of trace wear metals in jet engine oils

Abstract The feasibility of using acid-treated metal powder standards for the determination of trace wear metals in spent jet engine oils is evaluated. The addition of 2:3:3 (v/v/v) HF—HCl—HNO3 mixture to used lubricating oils did not cause any statistically reliable differences from results obtained with organometallic standards. Two sets of six correlation samples, one set being acid-treated, were analyzed for Cu, Cr, Mg, Fe, Mo and V by flame atomic absorption and flame atomic fluorescence spectrometry against each set of standards.
The pathogenetic significance of congophilic angiopathy

Congophilic angiopathy has been separated into two forms. A primary vasculopathy is described in which amyloid deposition is the initial morphological brain change and is of pathogenetic importance in the development of dementia or brain hemorrhage. Another form occurs in Alzheimer's disease and is incidental to the brain damage resulting from senile plaques.
Differential effects of two corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists on conditioned defeat in male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine whether corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is involved in mediating the expression of conditioned defeat in male Syrian hamsters. The present study examined the effects of two different competitive CRF receptor antagonists on the expression of conditioned defeat. Specifically, Experiment 1 examined whether peripheral administration of CP-154,526, a specific non-peptide CRF 1 receptor antagonist, would reduce the expression of conditioned defeat. Experiment 2 examined whether d -Phe CRF (12–41) , a nonspecific CRF 1 /CRF 2 receptor antagonist, infused directly into the brain, would reduce the expression of conditioned defeat. The results revealed that i.p. injections of CP-154,526 did not reduce the expression of conditioned defeat, whereas i.c.v. injections of d -Phe CRF (12–41) successfully reduced the expression of conditioned defeat. The duration of submissive/defensive behaviors in hamsters that received the high dose of d -Phe CRF (12–41) was significantly less than that exhibited by animals that received a vehicle control. The present data suggest that central CRF may be involved in mediating the expression of conditioned defeat and other behavioral responses to stressful stimuli.
Innovations in the Pharmacologic Management of Heart Failure

Improved understanding of the pathophysiologic course of heart failure has led to many advances in pharmacologic therapy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors represent the first effort at targeting neurohormonal activation in chronic heart failure. More recently, beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists have been shown effective in blocking chronic sympathetic nervous system activation. The roles of digoxin and the newer, vasoselective calcium channel blockers in heart failure have been better defined. Other agents targeting the neurohormonal system are under investigation. These include angiotensin-receptor antagonists, aldosterone inhibitors, and endothelin antagonists. Experience with phosphodiesterase inhibitors and adrenergic agents has confirmed the importance of neurohormonal activation in progression of heart failure. Despite angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, diuretic, and digoxin therapy, mortality in heart failure remains high. Careful manipulation of the neurohormonal response to heart failure holds promise for altering the course of the disease.
Test-retest reliability of self-reported drug treatment variables.

Abstract We conducted two studies to assess the test–retest reliability of drug treatment questions in the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA) and Risk Behavior Follow-Up Assessment (RBFA). In Study 1, 218 active drug users participated in an RBA 48-hour test–retest reliability assessment; in Study 2, 257 active drug users participated in an RBFA 48-hour test–retest reliability assessment. Results revealed acceptable reliability for the main drug treatment question in both the RBA (.85) and RBFA (.85): “Have you ever in your lifetime been in a drug treatment or detoxification center?” Other more specific drug treatment questions yielded mixed results. Twenty-four of the 35 RBA and RBFA treatment variables (68.6%) that could be calculated displayed acceptable test–retest reliability coefficients. Test–retest reliability coefficients for the RBFA continuous variables could not be calculated owing to a lack of participants in drug treatment during the previous 6 months. Future research establishing greater delineation of this problem may aid in the construction of assessment instruments.
Increasing walking in college students using a pedometer intervention: differences according to body mass index.

Objective: The researchers assessed the effectiveness of a pedometer intervention and differences in walking behaviors according to body mass index (BMI). Participants: Two hundred ninety college students completed the intervention from January to February 2005. Methods: Participants wore pedometers 5 days per week for 12 weeks and completed questionnaires assessing demographic information. The authors calculated daily step averages for weeks 1, 6, and 12. They then classified students as underweight (UW), normal weight (NW), or overweight/obese, by BMI. The authors analyzed data using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: The average number of daily steps increased from week 1 to week 6 (p < .001) and week 12 (p = .002). UW participants reported the fewest steps at each time point, but the difference was significant only when compared with NW participants (p = .03). Conclusions: These results support the effectiveness of a pedometer intervention to increase walking in college students. Health ...
Measuring Offender Progress in Treatment Using the Client Assessment Inventory

The accurate and reliable assessment of client psychological and cognitive change during correctional substance abuse treatment has gained increasing importance during the past decade as criminal justice systems seek to evaluate and understand those treatment elements associated with long-term change. The Client Assessment Inventory (CAI) is a self-report instrument for measuring client change during treatment across 14 cognitive and behavioral domains. The reliability and internal consistency of the CAI, as adapted for use in criminal justice settings, were examined with data gathered from 1,170 offenders. The research addressed the utility of the CAI for different subpopulations of offenders (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender) across a variety of correctional treatment settings. Overall, the data support the use of the CAI as a consistent, reliable, and easily administered instrument for measuring client performance and progress in treatment in both therapeutic community (TC) and non-TC correctional treatmen...
A Discrete Coil Torus with Lower Field Pipple

A new toroidal field coil configuration is desribed which allows one to reduce the volume of a toroidal field coil system or the number of coils constituting such a system without increasing the toroidal field ripple.
Benign familial neonatal convulsions linked to genetic markers on chromosome 20

Recurrent seizures, commonly known as epilepsies, occur in 1.7% of the general population by age 401. The factors that initiate or underlie seizures are not well understood, but trauma, infectious disease and genetics have been implicated. An understanding of the molecular basis of seizures would shed light on the basic mechanisms of neuronal homeostasis and allow new therapeutic strategies to be explored. Here, we report the mapping of an epilepsy gene to a specific chromosomal region, on the basis of cosegregation of two closely-linked DNA markers with a form of epilepsy known as benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC2, £12120 in ref. 3). The linked markers confirm the genetic basis and autosomal dominant inheritance of this trait, and localize the gene causing BFNC in this family to the long arm of chromosome 20. This regional placement is the first step towards the isolation of a gene involved in neuronal activity in the human brain.
Physician experience with an optical image guidance system for sinus surgery.

Objectives/Hypothesis Intraoperative guidance systems have been developed which use infrared tracking technology to assist with anatomical localization during sinus surgery. Although the introduction of this technology is intended to increase the safety and efficacy of sinus surgery, little is known about its actual impact in the clinical setting. The objective of this report was to study the application and utilization of an image guidance system shared by multiple sinus surgeons in a specialty hospital. Study Design Combined prospective case study and retrospective analysis of physician surveys. Methods An optical-based image guidance system (LandmarX, Xomed, Inc., Jacksonville, FL) was used by 34 physicians to perform 754 sinonasal surgeries over a 2.5-year period at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. In 19 cases, system registration was repeated during surgery to measure the effect of fiducial placement on system accuracy. Results The measured accuracy of anatomical localization at the start of surgery (mean value, 1.69 ± 0.38 mm) was comparable to the perceived accuracy of 1 to 3 mm that was reported by 79% of surgeons surveyed. Operating room time (mean period, 130.6 ± 41.1 min) correlated with the surgical procedure performed (P < .05), but not with the disease stage or revision rate. According to a majority of surgeons, use of the image guidance equipment increased operating room time by 15 to 30 minutes during initial cases and by 5 to 15 minutes once experience with the equipment had been acquired. More than 90% of surgeons anticipated their continued use of the image guidance equipment for sinus surgery at a similar or greater level in the future. Conclusion An optical-based image guidance system can be successfully integrated into a multisurgeon operating room environment. Use of the system provides accurate anatomical localization during sinus surgery and results in a relatively high level of physician satisfaction.
The α-Subunit of the Colonic H+,K+-ATPase Assembles with β1-Na+,K+-ATPase in Kidney and Distal Colon

Previous experiments from our laboratory (Codina, J., Kone, B. C., Delmas-Mata, J. T., and DuBose, T. D., Jr. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 29759–29763) demonstrated that the α-subunit of the colonic H+,K+-ATPase (HKα2) requires coexpression with a β-subunit to support H+/K+ transport in a heterologous expression system (Xenopus laevis oocytes). In these studies, HKα2 formed stable and functional α·β complexes when coexpressed with either the rat β1-subunit of the Na+,K+-ATPase or the β-subunit of the gastric H+,K+-ATPase, suggesting that different β-subunits may interact with HKα2. The present studies tested this hypothesis by development and application of a specific antibody against HKα2 peptide. Subsequently, immunoprecipitation experiments were performed to determine if HKα2 co-precipitates with the same β-subunit in organs known to express HKα2 protein. The data demonstrate that HKα2 assembles with β1-Na+,K+-ATPase in the renal medulla and in distal colon.
Antibiosis and antixenosis to Rhopalosiphum padi among triticale accessions

Tests for antibiosis and antixenosis resistance to Rhopalosiphum padi L., the bird cherry-oat aphid, were conducted among four wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and eight triticale (XTriticosecale Wittmack) accessions. Tests for antibiosis included measuring R. padi-population growth over 13 days, number of days to reproduction of individual R. padi, and number of aphid progeny produced in the first 7 days of adulthood. Antixenosis was measured in no-choice nymphiposition tests and in choice tests of host selection by winged R. padi. Three of seven triticale accessions limited R. padi populations relative to control accessions. Lower R. padi-population growth on N1185 and Okto Derzhavina could be explained partially by increased developmental times. Lower R. padi-population growth on triticale accessions N1185, N1186 and Okto Derzhavina could be explained at least partially by fewer aphid progeny on these accessions. Developmental time of R. padi on N1185 and Okto Derzhavina was greater than that on Stniism 3 triticale, identified previously as resistant to R. padi. There were less R. padi progeny on N1185 than on Stniism 3, and comparable numbers of R. padi progeny among N1186, Okto Derzhavina, and Stniism 3. None of the accessions limited nymphiposition by R. padi. Choice tests revealed heterogeneity in host selection by R. padi but an overall trend that triticale accessions Okto Derzhavina, N1185, N1186 and Stniism 3 were less preferred hosts than Arapahoe wheat. Relatively strong resistance in these triticale accessions warrant consideration of their future use in breeding programs for cereal-aphid resistance.
Presence of Phosphate-mediated Cross-linkages in Hard Tissue Collagens

IT has often been suggested that covalent interchain cross-linkages contribute to the stability of collagen fibrils1,2. Gustavson1 speculated that ester bonds exist between free carboxyl groups and the hydroxyl groups of the hydroxy amino-acids. The work of Gallop et al.3 and Hormann et al.4 has substantiated this proposal, implicating carbohydrate or sugar cross-linkage as well. We have found in our work with dentine collagen evidence for still another type of cross-linkage which might apply to the collagens of the calcified tissues, bone and dentine.
Mass, momentum and energy flux in water waves

This paper gives a direct derivation of some results obtained by Longuet-Higgins & Stewart (1960, 1961) on the amplitude variation of waves propagating on a non-uniform stream. The derivation raises a number of subtle points in the use of the equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy. These points are of general interest and are discussed in detail with other applications, since they do not seem to have been pointed out previously.
FUZZY-POLAR CONTROLLER FOR WIND-TURBINE SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR

ABSTRACT This paper presents a wind-turbine blade pitch-angle controller based on fuzzy-polar technique. The fuzzy-polar method represents wind-turbine state in the phase-plane in terms of its rotational speed deviation and acceleration. The state vectors thus derived serve as an indicator of the magnitude of departure from the nominal operating point In order to shift operating state back to the phase plane origin, an acceleration or deceleration control is applied through the pitch-angle adjustment mechanism as defined by the fuzzy-linguistic control law. The performance of the pitch control design method is demonstrated on a simulated wind-turbine-driven synchronous generator.
Non-binding sequential exchange between discounting agents

When exchange is sequential, and no binding agreements can be written, the agent acting first is exposed to the possibility that even if he honors the agreement his trading partner might not. Repeated interaction of this nature is modeled. Exchange will successfully occur when there are ample gains from trade for the second agent, implying that the first agent may be better off with less bargaining power. Thus, the first agent may want to bargain at less than his full ability in order to ensure that an otherwise unsuccessful transaction will successfully occur. Additionally, if the first agent can facilitate exchange by hiring an escrow service, he will do so when his bargaining advantage is sufficiently large.
MALDI-TOF MS for the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: First introduced into clinical microbiology laboratories in Europe, MALDI-TOF MS is being rapidly embraced by laboratories around the globe. Although it has multiple applications, its widespread adoption in clinical microbiology relates to its use as an inexpensive, easy, fast, and accurate method for identification of grown bacteria and fungi based on automated analysis of the mass distribution of bacterial proteins. CONTENT: This review provides a historical perspective on this new technology. Modern applications in the clinical microbiology laboratory are reviewed with a focus on the most recent publications in the field. Identification of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi are discussed, as are applications for testing urine and positive blood culture bottles. The strengths and limitations of MALDI-TOF MS applications in clinical microbiology are also addressed. SUMMARY: MALDI-TOF MS is a tool for rapid, accurate, and cost-effective identification of cultured bacteria and fungi in clinical microbiology. The technology is automated, high throughput, and applicable to a broad range of common as well as esoteric bacteria and fungi. MALDI-TOF MS is an incontrovertibly beneficial technology for the clinical microbiology laboratory.
Zapotec Women: Gender, Class, and Ethnicity in Globalized Oaxaca

In this extensively revised and updated second edition of her classic ethnography, Lynn Stephen explores the intersection of gender, class, and indigenous ethnicity in southern Mexico. She provides a detailed study of how the lives of women weavers and merchants in the Zapotec-speaking town of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, have changed in response to the international demand for Oaxacan textiles. Based on Stephen’s research in Teotitlan during the mid-1980s, in 1990, and between 2001 and 2004, this volume provides a unique view of a Zapotec community balancing a rapidly advancing future in export production with an entrenched past anchored in indigenous culture. Stephen presents new information about the weaving cooperatives women have formed over the last two decades in an attempt to gain political and cultural rights within their community and standing as independent artisans within the global market. She also addresses the place of Zapotec weaving within Mexican folk art and the significance of increased migration out of Teotitlan. The women weavers and merchants collaborated with Stephen on the research for this book, and their perspectives are key to her analysis of how gender relations have changed within rituals, weaving production and marketing, local politics, and family life. Drawing on the experiences of women in Teotitlan, Stephen considers the prospects for the political, economic, and cultural participation of other indigenous women in Mexico under the policies of economic neoliberalism which have prevailed since the 1990s.
On the nature of animal thinking

Recent attempts to teach apes rudimentary grammatical skills have produced negative results. The basic obstacle appears to be at the level of the individual symbol which, for apes, functions only as a demand. Little evidence exists that apes can use symbols as names, that is, as a means of simply transmitting information. Even though non-human animals lack linguistic competence, much evidence has accumulated recently that a variety of animals can form representations of particular features of their environment. What then is the non-verbal nature of animal representations? This question will be discussed with reference to recent investigations of animal memory--in particular, studies concerned with a pigeon's ability to learn "lists" of arbitrary elements. While learning to produce a particular sequence of four elements (colors), pigeons also acquire knowledge about the relation between non-adjacent elements and about the ordinal position of a particular element. Learning to produce a particular sequence also facilitates the discrimination of that sequence from other sequences.
Chronic Renal Transplant Rejection

The most common cause of renal allograft failure, after the first year posttransplant, is chronic rejection (CR). The impact on allograft loss of CR has remained constant despite the improvements in immunosuppression that have occurred. This process is characterized by a gradual decline in graft function over months to years. Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and fibrosis of the large arteries are the main pathologic characteristics of CR. The clinical course varies widely among patients, from stable function for years to graft failure within several months. The precipitating factors of CR may be many and are unknown. Chronic rejection is likely to be, at least in part, immune mediated. A history of acute rejection episodes correlates strongly with the development of CR. No method has been clearly shown to prevent or treat CR.
Response to Baca.

To the Editor:—We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the letter by Baca et al. While our figure did show that the intervention group more often reported that they were “more likely to prescribe opioids” after the training (intervention 30% vs control 10%), this occurred in a minority of both groups, was not a statistically significant difference, and was not the intended purpose of the training. The training was intended to improve the quality of opioid care when deemed clinically appropriate. It did not address the appropriateness of opioid use (other than to discourage it in the presence of substance abuse), because this is a highly controversial area of practice with a rapidly evolving database. Long clinical tradition and a substantial research literature supports our assertion that methadone is “the long-acting opioid least prone to abuse.”1 Increased rates of opioid-related deaths in recent years have been reported in various states, including our own.2 These have occurred as prescription opioid availability has increased. Abuse of opioids has generally increased, but abuse is most prevalent with Oxycontin and hydrocodone, not methadone.3 There may be special problems with methadone safety due to the need for complicated dose conversion from other opioids and due to the fact that patients may not understand that “as needed” dosing is not safe or effective with methadone.4 We agree that the efficacy and safety of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain remains to be demonstrated, especially for the psychiatrically vulnerable patients who are likely to receive long-term opioids in clinical practice. We have recently shown using population-based data that patients with psychiatric disorders are significantly more likely to receive opioids for chronic pain.5 While it is likely not permissible to deny opioid treatment to all patients with chronic nonmalignant pain, more research is clearly necessary to define when and how to use opioids to maximize benefit for patients with this pain.
Mediastinal emphysema and pneumothorax following tracheotomy

Summary 1. Four cases of mediastinal emphysema and/or pneumothorax following tracheotomy are presented. 2. Three of the cases were fatal, and in two of the fatal cases thesecomplications were the immediate cause of death. In the third case they were definitely contributory. 3. Such complications may be sudden and unanticipated and may occurduring tracheotomy or shortly thereafter. Immediate careful examination of the chest, preferably by fluoroscopy, is recommended in all post-tracheotomy cases in infants exhibiting circulatory or respiratory embarrassment. Aspiration of the air should be performed at once. 4. Many instances of post-tracheotomy mediastinal emphysema andprobably some of pneumothorax go unrecognized for lack of striking symptoms.
The concept of model and educational research

Models have played an important role in the development of the physical sciences. Perhaps their role in educational research will be even more important.
The Structure of the Fiduciary Relationship

Fiduciary duties might be said to grow out of a variety of relationships involving one party's exercise of some measure of control. Fiduciary duties therefore are "structural" in the sense that they arise from the structure of the parties' relationship rather than from the parties' individual attributes, such as ignorance and lack of sophistication. This view of fiduciary duties is bound with the contractual nature of fiduciary duties. Moreover, this article shows that there are significant costs in extending fiduciary duties beyond the specific situation in which they are most appropriate - that involving clear separation of management powers and ownership. Extending fiduciary duties beyond this paradigm case increases litigation and contracting costs, decreases the effectiveness of owners' governance rights, and dilutes true fiduciaries' legal and extralegal incentives.
Three-dimensional FDTD model to study the elastic wave interaction with buried land mines

A 3D finite-difference model for elastic waves in the ground has been developed and implemented. The model is used to investigate the interaction of elastic waves with buried land miens. When elastic waves interact with a buried mine, a strong resonance occurs at the mine location. The resonance can be used to enhance the mine's signature and to distinguish the mine from clutter. Results are presented for a single mine buried in the ground and several miens in the presence of clutter. The predictions of the numerical model are in fairly good agreement with experimental results.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism in a cohort of coronary angiography patients

Abstract An association between a polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and myocardial infarction (MI) in men has been previously reported. The present study examines the association between ACE genotype, atherosclerosis, MI, hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors in Caucasian men ( n =576) and women ( n =124) who have undergone coronary angiography. Gene frequencies are also reported for African–American men ( n =56). Genotype determination was based on the presence (allele I) or absence (allele D) of a 287 nucleotide Alu sequence in intron 16 of the ACE gene. Genotype frequencies for DD, ID and II were: 30.9, 47.7, 21.4% for Caucasian men; 28.2, 48.4, 23.4% for Caucasian women; and 30.4, 46.4, 23.2% for African–American men. There were no statistically significant associations between ACE genotype and number of plaques (>10% obstruction), lipid variables, or body mass index (BMI) for Caucasian men. Caucasian women with the DD genotype had on average fewer plaques, but this was accounted for by their younger ages. In Caucasian males, the DD genotype independently contributed to the presence of hypertension (odds ratio=1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.9) after adjusting for age and BMI. In Caucasian males with total cholesterol levels less than 200 mg/dl ( n =237), the DD (odds ratio=2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.4) and ID genotypes (odds ratio=2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.4) were associated with a history of MI.
Polymerization reactions in the presence of a metal salt

A kinetic study of a free radical-initiated polymerization reaction in the presence of a copper salt has been undertaken. The results show that the polymerization of styrene initiated by benzoyl peroxide or α,α,-azobisisobutyronitrile in either dioxane or dimethylformamide is not influenced by the presence of cupric octoate in the solution. The results show also that neither the initiation nor the reaction is affected when the cupric octoate is present. In contrast, the polymerization of styrene initiated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in dioxane is strongly influenced by the presence of cupric octoate in the solution. The results obtained can be partially explained by assuming the formation of a complex between the hydroperoxide and cupric octoate. At low concentration of copper salt and hydroperoxide, the rate of polymerization can be represented by an equation. Moreover, the values of the intrinsic viscosities of the polymers obtained show that the total chain transfer constant is not affected by the ratio tert-butyl hydroperoxide/cupric octoate.
Deposition, Structural Characterization, and Broadband (1KHz-40GHz) Dielectric Behavior of BaxTi2-xOy Thin Films

An ion assisted deposition technique, called Reactive Partially Ionized Beam (RPIB) deposition, was used to prepare amorphous BaxTi2−xOy thin films at a low substrate temperature ( 700°C) with low leakage (<0.1µA/cm2 at 0.5MV/cm) and moderately high dielectric constant (er =15-35). Polycrystalline BaTiO3 deposited at 600°C on a Pt/Ta/SiO2/Si substrate has an er = 400. Capacitor structures with various metallizations were used to evaluate the dielectric properties, such as breakdown strength, leakage, er and tanδ from DC to 600MHz. A generic test vehicle was designed and fabricated to extend the frequency domain characterization of the dielectrics up to 40GHz. No dispersion of er was observed in this frequency range for amorphous BaxTi2−xOy.
Performance of reduced-rank equalization

We evaluate the performance of reduced-rank equalizers for both single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frequency-selective channels. Each equalizer filter is constrained to lie in a Krylov subspace, and can be implemented as a reduced-rank multistage Wiener filter (MSWF). Both reduced-rank linear and decision-feedback equalizers (DFEs) are considered. Our results are asymptotic as the filter length goes to infinity. For SISO channels, the output mean-squared error (MSE) is expressed in terms of the moments of the channel spectrum. For MIMO channels, both successive and parallel interference cancellation are considered. The asymptotic performance in that case requires the computation of moments, which depend on shifted versions of the channel impulse response for different users. Those are also expressed in terms of the MIMO channel frequency response. Numerical results are presented, which show that near full-rank performance can be achieved with relatively low-rank equalizers
Stress and the baby brain.

3 I ncreasingly, we are coming to understand that vulnerability to neuropsychiatric morbidities such as schizophrenia, autism, depression, and anxiety disorders are likely encoded in early vents of brain development. For the last few decades, we have een successful in identifying what some of these brain-based ulnerabilities look like in adults: altered brain morphology, diferences in circuit function and connectivity, and changes in ene expression and function, to name only a few. These insights ave been enormously helpful in our quest to better understand ow brain function can go awry, but relatively less emphasis has een placed on understanding when in the trajectory of brain evelopment these vulnerabilities are laid down. With recent dvances in research, it is becoming clearer that genetic variants nd environmental factors collude to influence how the brain evelops and result in impaired resilience to these neuropsychitric conditions, likely at the earliest stages of brain developent. The elegant study by Benekareddy et al. (1), published in this ssue of Biological Psychiatry illustrates this growing line of inuiry that attempts to define biological mechanisms that may elp shape brain development in ways that increase the vulnerbility to affective and anxiety disorders later in life. Specifically, he authors studied the interplay between early life stress and ow this stress changes the function of serotonin signaling hrough 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2A receptors in the prerontal cortex of rats. Previous work had underscored the critical ole of cortical 5-HT2A receptor signaling in modulating anxietyelated behaviors in adult mice (2) and provided plausible evience that serotonin may play an important role in the topown modulation of anxiety states, a finding emerging from rain imaging studies. However, this work did not consider hether adult cortical 5-HT2A receptor signaling was influenced y early life manipulations. Indeed, a variety of early life manipulations influence the develpmental trajectory of cortical 5-HT2A receptor signaling, from aternal separation stress, maternal viral infection, to early expoure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (3-6). Last year, the uthors reported that maternal separation causes long-term hanges in neural function, which result in an anxiety-like phenoype in adulthood (3). The authors also previously showed that early aternal separation stress results in an altered intrinsic excitability n cortical pyramidal neurons that appears to be an adult persisence of a neonatal pattern of neuronal excitability that normally isappears at the time of weaning.
Models of logical systems

The purpose of this paper is to show that some of the difficulties confronting logicians are caused by too narrow an interpretation of the function of mathematical logic. I hope to show that very fruitful results can be obtained by considering a much wider range of problems than usually found in the literature.I believe that the function of mathematical logic is to study all logical systems. The problems now considered usually concern some particular system or set of systems. Of course we would have to agree first on what a logical system is. I shall suggest a tentative definition. The rest of my paper will proceed on the assumption that we have agreed on this question. However, it is only necessary for this paper that some definition should be accepted, it is not necessary that it should be the one I suasest.
Natural transformation of an engineered Helicobacter pylori strain deficient in type II restriction endonucleases

Restriction-modification (RM) systems are important for bacteria to limit foreign DNA invasion. The naturally competent bacterium Helicobacter pylori has highly diverse strain-specific type II systems. To evaluate the roles of strain-specific restriction in H. pylori natural transformation, a markerless type II restriction endonuclease-deficient (REd) mutant was constructed. We deleted the genes encoding all four active type II restriction endonucleases in H. pylori strain 26695 using sacB-mediated counterselection. Transformation by donor DNA with exogenous cassettes methylated by Escherichia coli was substantially (1.7 and 2.0 log(10) for cat and aphA, respectively) increased in the REd strain. There also was significantly increased transformation of the REd strain by donor DNA from other H. pylori strains, to an extent corresponding to their shared type II R-M system strain specificity with 26695. Comparison of the REd and wild-type strains indicates that restriction did not affect the length of DNA fragment integration during natural transformation. There also were no differentials in cell growth or susceptibility to DNA damage. In total, the data indicate that the type II REd mutant has enhanced competence with no loss of growth or repair facility compared to the wild type, facilitating H. pylori mutant construction and other genetic engineering.
The effect of hydrogen on the formation of carbon nanotubes and fullerenes

A novel method to synthesize “clean” carbon nanotubes with relatively high yield in a hydrogen arc discharge has been developed. The quality and yield of the tubes depend sensitively on the gas pressure in the arc discharge. Sharp, open-ended nanotubes with clear lattice fringes at the edges and empty interiors have been observed. The existence of these frozen-open-ended tubes as part of nanotube-bundles provides evidence for an open-ended growth model for nanotubes. Using time of flight mass spectrometry, it was found that fullerenes, such as C60 and C70, are almost absent from the soot collected in the hydrogen arc discharge. The effect of hydrogen on the formation of fullerenes, both in the laboratory and in space, will be discussed.
Bimodal Behavior in the Zonal Mean Flow of a Baroclinic β-Channel Model

Abstract The dynamical origin of midlatitude zonal-jet variability is examined in a thermally forced, quasigeostrophic, two-layer channel model on a β plane. The model’s behavior is studied as a function of the bottom-friction strength. Two distinct zonal-flow states exist at realistic, low, and intermediate values of the bottom drag; these two states are maintained by the eddies and differ mainly in terms of the meridional position of their climatological jets. The system’s low-frequency evolution is characterized by irregular transitions between the two states. For a given branch of model solutions, the leading stationary and propagating empirical orthogonal functions are related to eigenmodes of the model’s dynamical operator, linearized about the climatological state on this branch. Nonlinear interactions between these modes are instrumental in determining their relative energy level. In particular, the stationary modes’ self-interaction is shown to vanish. Thus, these modes do not exchange energy wit...
Impacts of nutrients and grazing mortality on the abundance of Aureococcus anophagefferens during a New York brown tide bloom

Although nutrients and grazing both contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms, research on these events has rarely considered both factors simultaneously. To ascertain the impact of nutrients and grazing on brown tides of Aureococcus anophagefferens, nutrient bioassays were conducted in parallel with dilution-style microzooplankton grazing experiments during an intense bloom that occurred throughout Great South Bay (GSB), New York, in fall of 1999. During the study, Aureococcus represented between 25 and 85% of phytoplankton biomass and attained peak cell densities > 6 × 105 cells ml−1. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) in GSB were high (mean = 430 µM and 32 µM, respectively) during the bloom, while dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) levels were low (mean = 2.5 µM). Although the experimental additions of nitrogen (nitrate or urea) typically enhanced the growth rates of the non-brown tide phytoplankton community, such additions often had no impact on, or decreased, growth rates of Aureococcus relative to unamended control treatments. These observations suggest that growth of non-brown tide phytoplankton depended on ambient N supply rates, while Aureococcus experienced nutrient replete growth. Dilution experiments indicated that microzooplankton grazing rates on A. anophagefferens were significantly lower than those on other algal populations. This reduced grazing pressure contributed toward higher net growth rates for Aureococcus relative to non-brown tide phytoplankton. In sum, these results demonstrate that both top-down (low grazing mortality rates) and bottom-up (a high DOC/DON, low DIN nutrient regime) factors can contribute to the proliferation of brown tide blooms in New York waters.
Contingency Trajectory Design for a Lunar Orbit Insertion Maneuver Failure by the LADEE Spacecraft

This paper presents results from a contingency trajectory analysis performed for the Lunar Atmosphere & Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission in the event of a missed lunar-orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver by the LADEE spacecraft. The effects of varying solar perturbations in the vicinity of the weak stability boundary (WSB) in the Sun-Earth system on the trajectory design are analyzed and discussed. It is shown that geocentric recovery trajectory options existed for the LADEE spacecraft, depending on the spacecraft's recovery time to perform an Earth escape-prevention maneuver after the hypothetical LOI maneuver failure and subsequent path traveled through the Sun-Earth WSB. If Earth-escape occurred, a heliocentric recovery option existed, but with reduced science capacapability for the spacecraft in an eccentric, not circular near-equatorial retrograde lunar orbit.
Report of Five Children with Hemophilus Influenzae Pneumonia Resistance to Ampicillin Must Always Be Looked For

Five cases of Hemophilus influenzae pneumonia were observed in a 13- month period at Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, Va. More aggressive diagnostic procedures may be required in order to diagnose this disease with greater frequency. This has become especially important in view of the growing recovery of ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae strains.
Enzyme-Based Electrochemical Multiphase Microreactor for Detection of Trace Toxic Vapors

A dual microchannel device with a gas-liquid interface was developed for use as an amperometric biosensor for the detection of organophosphate chemicals based on acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Electric eel acetylcholinesterase was immobilized on the liquid microchannel by creating a cross-linked gel with glutaraldehyde. The system was tested with malathion, an organophosphorus pesticide. The detection limit of the sensor is in the parts-per-trillion range and the detection is rapid, sensitive, and selective to only phosphonates. Incorporation of existing acetylcholinesterase biochemistry into a microscale sensor improves the sensitivity of the device by about an order of magnitude and the reaction speed by two orders of magnitude. Also, a microscale sensor allows the device to be easily portable.
Public policy versus individual rights and responsibility: an economist's perspective.

Interventions to reduce childhood obesity entail ethical considerations. Although a rationale exists for government to intervene in a way that limits individual rights while protecting the public’s health, a clear economic rationale also exists. The markets for goods and services that contribute to obesity are characterized by multiple failures that create an economic rationale for government to intervene (eg, consumers’ lack of accurate information regarding obesogenic foods and beverages). If effective public policies for reducing obesity and its consequences are to be developed and implemented, individual rights and government interests must be balanced.
Generalized Multi-camera Scene Reconstruction Using Graph Cuts

Reconstructing a 3-D scene from more than one camera is a classical problem in computer vision. One of the major sources of difficulty is the fact that not all scene elements are visible from all cameras. In the last few years, two promising approaches have been developed 11,12 that formulate the scene reconstruction problem in terms of energy minimization, and minimize the energy using graph cuts. These energy minimization approaches treat the input images symmetrically, handle visibility constraints correctly, and allow spatial smoothness to be enforced. However, these algorithm propose different problem formulations, and handle a limited class of smoothness terms. One algorithm 11 uses a problem formulation that is restricted to two-camera stereo, and imposes smoothness between a pair of cameras. The other algorithm 12 can handle an arbitrary number of cameras, but imposes smoothness only with respect to a single camera. In this paper we give a more general energy minimization formulation for the problem, which allows a larger class of spatial smoothness constraints. We show that our formulation includes both of the previous approaches as special cases, as well as permitting new energy functions. Experimental results on real data with ground truth are also included.
Controlling Costs and Realistic Budgeting

Costs are always a huge factor when undertaking major application projects. We know from experience that application projects typically are late and over budget. The question is why? The problem often relates to underestimating the complexity of the project and the time it takes to get organizations to properly define what they need. And let’s not forget the role of politics, which inevitably affects the way things get done. It is also very difficult to define what you need and to obtain consensus across departments and organizations. Today, any software application will likely touch multiple parts of the organization and require retrofitting of other “legacy” applications. This section will address ways in which costs can be properly forecasted and how to develop realistic budgets that are attainable during the life of the project. The movement to more dynamic and agile development has posed immense pressure on how to budget and account for the cost/benefit of software application development. Given that product life cycles experience more changes during its life cycle requires more investment on a regular basis. We see that IT budgets continue to grow, especially with the costs to deal with cyber attacks. Indeed, organizations must invest more in protecting their data.
The use of modified and non-natural nucleotides provide unique insights into pro-mutagenic replication catalyzed by polymerase eta

This report evaluates the pro-mutagenic behavior of 8-oxo-guanine (8-oxo-G) by quantifying the ability of high-fidelity and specialized DNA polymerases to incorporate natural and modified nucleotides opposite this lesion. Although high-fidelity DNA polymerases such as pol δ and the bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase replicating 8-oxo-G in an error-prone manner, they display remarkably low efficiencies for TLS compared to normal DNA synthesis. In contrast, pol η shows a combination of high efficiency and low fidelity when replicating 8-oxo-G. These combined properties are consistent with a pro-mutagenic role for pol η when replicating this DNA lesion. Studies using modified nucleotide analogs show that pol η relies heavily on hydrogen-bonding interactions during translesion DNA synthesis. However, nucleobase modifications such as alkylation to the N2 position of guanine significantly increase error-prone synthesis catalyzed by pol η when replicating 8-oxo-G. Molecular modeling studies demonstrate the existence of a hydrophobic pocket in pol η that participates in the increased utilization of certain hydrophobic nucleotides. A model is proposed for enhanced pro-mutagenic replication catalyzed by pol η that couples efficient incorporation of damaged nucleotides opposite oxidized DNA lesions created by reactive oxygen species. The biological implications of this model toward increasing mutagenic events in lung cancer are discussed.