cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A rule-based machine vision system for fire detection in aircraft dry bays and engine compartments

In this paper, a rule-based machine vision approach is applied to detect and categorize hydrocarbon fires in aircraft dry bays and engine compartments. Images for computer analysis are provided by charge-coupled device imaging sensors placed inside dry bays and engine compartments. Using a set of heuristics based on statistical measures derived from the histogram and image subtraction analyses of successive image frames, we showed that it is possible to detect and categorize life-threatening fires from non-fire/non-lethal events accurately in sub-millisecond response time. Specifically, the median, standard deviation, and first-order moment statistical measures of the histogram data of each image frame are used to confirm the presence or absence of fire. Concurrently, another set of mean, median, and standard deviation statistical measures from the image subtraction of two successive frames are used to determine the growth and subsequently reaffirm the existence of a fire. This approach is also tested for false alarms such as those due to flashlights and high-power halogen lights.
Developmental Needs of Community College Adjunct Faculty

Abstract This survey was a result of the efforts of the New Jersey Consortium on the Community College to identify and articulate the faculty/staff development needs of the 17 community colleges of New Jersey. In depth interviews were conducted with administrators, faculty and students at all the colleges. Follow up questionnaires were completed at each community college. A two day workshop was then conducted to identify and assign priorities to specific needs. The needs were ordered in one of three categories: Fulfilling the Goals of the Community College, Teaching/Learning Needs, and Managerial Needs. The workshop that dealt with “Ways of Meeting Part-Time Faculty Needs” identified eight essential goal related needs while stressing the need for adjunct faculty to understand the philosophy and function of the community college. Within the teaching/learning category the workshop group amplified the need for adjunct faculty to understand how learning occurs. The primary managerial need identified was for e...
Involvement, Ability, Performance, and Satisfaction as Predictors of College Attrition

Measures of academic job involvement, verbal ability, academic performance, and satisfaction with courses and with college in general, obtained for 155 students during the freshman year, were correlated with attrition on a two-year follow-up. The two significant predictors of attrition, grade point average during the fresh-man year and satisfaction with college in general, combined to yield a multiple correlation of .42 (P < .01).
Maximal vertex-connectivity of

The class of star graphs is a popular topology for interconnection networks. However, it has certain deficiencies. A class of generalization of star graphs called (n, k)-star graphs was introduced by Chiang and Chen to address these issues. In this article we will consider the vertex-connectivity of the directed (n, k)-star graph, , given by Cheng and Lipman, 8, and show that it is maximally connected. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 46(3), 154–162 2005
An Optimal Basis Identification Technique for Interior-Point Linear Programming Algorithms

Abstract This work concerns a method for identifying an optimal basis for linear programming problems in the setting of interior-point methods. To each iterate xk generated by a primal interior-point algorithm, say, we associate an indicator vector qk with the property that if xk converges to a nondegenerate vertex x∗, then qk converges to the 0–1 vector sign(x∗). More interestingly, we show that the convergence of qk is quadratically faster than that of xk in the sense that ||q k −q 7ast; ||=O(||x k −x ∗ || 2 ) . This clear-cut separation and rapid convergence allow one to infer at an intermediate stage of the iterative process which variables will be zero at optimality and which will not. We also show that under suitable assumptions this method is applicable to dual as well as primal-dual algorithms and can be extended to handle certain types of degeneracy. Numerical examples are included to corroborate the convergence properties of the indicators. The practical limitations of the indicator technique are also discussed.
Marshal Ogarkov and the new revolution in Soviet military affairs

Abstract : When the Soviets accepted Mutual Assured Destruction as a reality in present-day conditions, the Soviet debate on the viability of nuclear war as an instrument of policy was resolved by a consensus: nuclear war is so unpromising and dangerous that it remains an instrument of politics only in theory, an instrument of politics that cannot be used. A growing body of evidence thus indicates that in 1977, coincidentally with Marshal N.V. Ogarkov's elevation to Chief of the General Staff, the Soviets adopted an independent conventional war option as a long-term military development goal. Ogarkov and others now speak of a new revolution in Soviet military affairs that involves changes in Soviet doctrine generated by the so called emerging technologies and the trend toward new, conventional means. The most prominent Soviet military figures now equate the new conventional means with nuclear weapons in terms of tasks, ranges, and target sets. A review of Soviet military writings in the 1980s further indicates that the new conventional means will be used in a war that involves neither the territories nor the nuclear forces of the superpowers.
Comment on: “Evolution of the slab bending radius and bending dissipation in three-dimensional subduction models with variable slab to upper mantle viscosity ratio” by W.P. Schellart, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 288 (2009) 309-319

Abstract A recent paper (Schellart, 2009) presents a suite of laboratory experiments on subduction to explore the role of slab bending and the associated dissipation. This work builds on previous experiments and provides a welcome complement to current computational efforts. Much of the recent progress is reviewed by Schellart (2009). However, the description of previous studies by Buffett (2006) and Buffett and Rowley (2006) contains a number of inaccuracies. The goal of this comment is to clarify several points and to suggest ways that recent theoretical results might be used to interpret the experiments.
Framework for security and privacy in automotive telematics

Automotive telematics may be defined as the information-intensive applications that are being enabled for vehicles by a combination of telecommunications and computing technology. Telematics by its nature requires the capture of sensor data, storage and exchange of data to obtain remote services. In order for automotive telematics to grow to its full potential, telematics data must be protected. Data protection must include privacy and security for end-users, service providers and application providers. In this paper, we propose a new framework for data protection that is built on the foundation of privacy and security technologies. The privacy technology enables users and service providers to define flexible data model and policy models. The security technology provides traditional capabilities such as encryption, authentication, non-repudiation. In addition, it provides secure environments for protected execution, which is essential to limiting data access to specific purposes.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension in high-risk congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients: Incidence and vasodilator therapy

Abstract Survival of congenital diaphragmatic hernia patients depends on the gravity of pulmonary hypoplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Many vasoactive drugs have been used in the treatment of PPH, but often they also lower peripheral resistance, leading to a significant drop in arterial blood pressure. The incidence of PPH in 52 high-risk diaphragmatic hernia patients and the results of treatment with tolazoline and prostacyclin were evaluated in a study lasting 52 months and involving 52 patients. High-risk patients require ventilatory support within 6 hours after birth. Study parameters were alveolar-arterial oxygenation difference (AaDO 2 ), oxygenation index (OI), and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), measured at set times before and after administration of tolazoline or prostacyclin. Twenty-one patients had documented episodes of PPH (46%), and 18 of them died. Tolazoline did not lower AaDO 2 and OI values, but MABP dropped significantly. Prostacyclin caused a significant decrease of AaDO 2 and OI values without an effect on MABP. We concluded: (1) PPH presented in 46% of our patients, associated with a high mortality rate; (2) tolazoline is not an effective dilator of the pulmonary vascular bed and lowers MABP; and (3) prostacyclin is an effective pulmonary vasodilator as reflected by ventilation parameters without systemic side effects; it does not affect overall outcome but can used as a "bridge" to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
In silico model-based inference: A contemporary approach for hypothesis testing in network biology

Inductive inference plays a central role in the study of biological systems where one aims to increase their understanding of the system by reasoning backwards from uncertain observations to identify causal relationships among components of the system. These causal relationships are postulated from prior knowledge as a hypothesis or simply a model. Experiments are designed to test the model. Inferential statistics are used to establish a level of confidence in how well our postulated model explains the acquired data. This iterative process, commonly referred to as the scientific method, either improves our confidence in a model or suggests that we revisit our prior knowledge to develop a new model. Advances in technology impact how we use prior knowledge and data to formulate models of biological networks and how we observe cellular behavior. However, the approach for model-based inference has remained largely unchanged since Fisher, Neyman and Pearson developed the ideas in the early 1900s that gave rise to what is now known as classical statistical hypothesis (model) testing. Here, I will summarize conventional methods for model-based inference and suggest a contemporary approach to aid in our quest to discover how cells dynamically interpret and transmit information for therapeutic aims that integrates ideas drawn from high performance computing, Bayesian statistics, and chemical kinetics.
Notes on the Diederich-Sukhov-Tumanov normalization for almost complex structures

In this paper, written for non specialists, we discuss several points in the elementary theory of almost complex manifolds, with a focus on the question of choice of special coordinates and on the obstruction given by the Nijenhuis tensor.
ON THE MECHANISM OF THE SERUM SENSITIZATION OF ACID-FAST BACTERIA.

Serum sensitization of the acid-fast bacteria causes two definite and directly observable changes in the bacterial surface: 1. A change from a surface readily wet by oil to a surface more readily wet by aqueous salt solution than by oil. This change is observed by microscopic examination of the bacteria in a saline-oil interface; thus detected, the surface alteration is said to constitute a "positive interface reaction." 2. An increased cohesiveness of the sensitized bacteria. This may be detected either by centrifuging the bacteria and then shaking up the sediment (resuspension reaction), or by observation of the clumps in the saline-oil interface. The interface reaction is serologically specific and confirms the existence of qualitative differences among acid-fast bacteria. The interface reaction parallels the binding of agglutinins as detected by the resuspension reaction, but not agglutination as ordinarily tested for. The interface reaction is less sensitive,-i.e., gives lower titers-than the resuspension reaction in about the average ratio of 1:3. The interface reaction in most instances runs approximately parallel to the complement fixation reaction; under at least one set of conditions, however, the interface reaction is correlated with the binding of agglutinin but not with the complement fixation reaction. How much of the bacterial surface must be covered with agglutinin in order to produce agglutination varies greatly with the bacterial strain used. The bacterial surfaces are modified by treatment with fresh normal sera in a manner quantitatively less but qualitatively not observably different from the effects of immune sera. Heating normal human, sheep, goat, or rabbit sera for 30 minutes at 56 degrees C. has usually diminished but not abolished their effect on the bacterial surface. Similar inactivation of guinea pig sera left them without detectable effect on the bacterial surface. The agglutination prezone is shown to be due to interference by excess colloidal material with the collisions of the bacteria prerequisite to clumping. The prezone maybe abolished by centrifugation and resuspension of the sediment. Antibodies may be partially dissociated from the sensitized bacteria by alkali, with return of the bacterial surface toward its normal, unsensitized condition. A carbohydrate yielding on hydrolysis a positive pentose test has been detected in the specific alcohol extracts of acid-fast bacteria studied by Furth and Aronson.(27) The tentative suggestion is made that the alcohol-soluble antigens of acid-fast microorganisms may be conjugated lipins owing their specificity to carbohydrate haptenes. Protective antipneumococcus globulins after heat denaturation have shown behavior in the saline-tricaprylin interface indistinguishable from that of maximally sensitized acid-fast bacteria. This strengthens the evidence suggesting that sensitized bacteria are coated with denatured globulin.
Left-derivation bounded languages

Left-derivation bounded languages are defined as those languages defined from context-free grammars by placing a bound on the number of nonterminals appearing in left-derivations. These languages are generated by left-derivation bounded grammars and form a full AFL not closed under reversal. The left-derivation bounded languages properly contain the nonterminal bounded languages and are properly contained in the derivation bounded languages.
Survival following mechanical ventilation for pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a different perspective

Purpose Pulmonary infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is the predominant infection in these patients. In those patients who experience progression to respiratory failure from PCP, the reported mortality rate has been between 87% to 100%. This, in addition to the ultimately fatal outcome of patients with AIDS, has led many physicians to question the advisability of instituting mechanical support for respiratory failure in the setting of PCP. It had been our impression that the outcome of patients on our service was not as poor as was generally reported. We therefore undertook a retrospective analysis of our clinical experience. Patients and methods We reviewed the clinical course of patients admitted to our service between December 1984 and June 1988 who required intubation and mechanical ventilation for PCP or presumed PCP. Results Thirty-three cases were identified with 18 survivors (54.5%) and 15 non-survivors (45.5%). Twenty-five of the 33 patients were intubated for their first episode of PCP, with 16 survivors (64% ), whereas the remaining eight patients were intu- bated for their second episode of PCP, with two survivors (25%). We were not able to identify any parameters that predicted survival, although the serum lactate dehydrogenase level was useful in following the response to treatment. Conclusion It is our belief that there is a reasonable chance of survival for patients requiring mechanical ventilation for PCP. We question the wisdom of avoiding intubation and mechanical ventilation altogether in patients with PCP due to the presumption of fatality in this clinical situation.
Limit on νe mass from free molecular tritium beta decay

Abstract The beta spectrum of free molecular tritium has been measured in order to search for a finite electron antineutrino mass. The final-state effects in molecular tritium are accurately known and the data thus yield an essentially model-independent upper limit of 27 eV on the ν e mass at the 95% confidence level. This limit is dominated by the statistics obtained in the data sets. Optimization of the experimental apparatus is underway and an ultimate sensitivity of 10 eV is expected.
Stress physiology of migrant birds during stopover in natural and anthropogenic woodland habitats of the Northern Prairie region

Anthropogenic alterations of woodland habitat may influence stopover biology, which in turn could alter the stress physiology of migratory landbirds. Woodland stopover habitats are scarce in the Northern Prairie region of North America and consist of native riparian corridor woodlands (corridors) and smaller, more isolated woodlots of anthropogenic origin around farmsteads (woodlots). Corridor habitats have been greatly reduced since the time of European settlement, but woodlot habitats have appeared over this same time period. In this study, we compared stopover biology and stress physiology of migratory landbirds using natural and anthropogenic woodland habitats. We first tested for differences between birds in the two habitats for baseline corticosterone (CORTB) and the magnitude of the stress response for individual species, taxonomic families and foraging guilds. Plasma corticosterone increased significantly for all bird groups in both habitats following 30 min of restraint stress (CORT30), and neither CORTB nor the magnitude of the stress response (CORT30 - CORTB) differed significantly between birds in the two habitats. Secondly, because CORTB levels are often elevated and CORT secretion following a stressor is often suppressed for birds in poor body condition, we hypothesized that woodland migrants with higher fattening rates would show reduced CORTB and a robust stress response. We tested this hypothesis by assessing the relationships between plasma corticosterone and plasma metabolites associated with refuelling. We found that CORTB was negatively associated and the magnitude of the stress response positively associated with plasma triglycerides (an indicator of fat deposition), with opposite patterns for corticosterone and plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (an indicator of fat catabolism). These data suggest that both corridor and woodlot habitats serve as effective stopover habitat and that the reduction of corridor habitat and increased reliance on anthropogenic woodlots is not detrimental to the stress physiology of migrants in a region with limited woodland habitats.
Influence of microstructure on the chemical inhomogeneities in nanostructured longitudinal magnetic recording media

Abstract Energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy and spectrum imaging at nanometer spatial resolution were used to correlate microstructure, specifically crystallographic texture and grain-boundary character, with the chemical inhomogeneities in sputtered CoCrPtB thin-film media. These data show that the average Cr grain boundary segregation is reduced in the sputtered CoCrPtB material with a strong (1 1 0)Co texture compared to a microstructure with a weak (1 0 0)Co texture.
Pituitary response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in patients with amenorrhea of different etiologies

The insulin-induced hypoglycemia test was used to study the hypothalamic-pituitary function of nine normal control subjects and 49 patients with amenorrhea. There were 10 patients with secondary amenorrhea due to hypothalamic dysfunction, eight with hypothalamic failure, eight with primary amenorrhea due to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 19 with a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma, and four with Sheehan's syndrome. After the administration of insulin (0.15 unit/kg), a significant increase in plasma levels of prolactin, growth hormone, and cortisol occurred in all normal subjects. Of the 10 patients with hypothalamic dysfunction, two had a blunted prolactin response, six had an abnormal growth hormone response, and all had a normal cortisol response. Of those with hypothalamic failure, abnormal responses for prolactin were seen in two patients, for growth hormone in four patients, and all had a normal increase in cortisol. Five of the eight patients with primary amenorrhea had a blunted response for prolactin, six for growth hormone, and there were no abnormalities for plasma cortisol. All 19 patients with pituitary adenomas had a blunted increase in prolactin, 16 had an abnormal growth hormone response, and two had an abnormal cortisol response. Prolactin, growth hormone, and cortisol responses were blunted in all patients with Sheehan's syndrome. These results demonstrate that the release of growth hormone subsequent to insulin-induced hypoglycemia is the most common abnormality seen in women with amenorrhea. The high frequency of abnormal release of prolactin indicates that serum prolactin should be measured when this test is performed. In addition, patients with prolactin-secreting adenomas and those with Sheehan's syndrome should be given an insulin tolerance test before treatment is instituted, so that patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency can be identified.
Job and organizational attitudes in relation to employee behavioral intentions

A theoretical model was developed and evaluated which describes the differential relationship that organizational attitudes (organizational commitment and satisfaction job attitudes (job involvement and satisfaction) have with several behavioral intentions (turnover, absenteeism, and performance). One hundred and fifty-seven male and 409 female participants filled out a survey. Results generally supported the proposed model.
An appreciative view of human performance technology

Human performance technology has been successful in resolving organizational issues and prompting a variety of business improvements. Yet there are times when the problem- centered approach is not sufficient. Instead, attention to organizational strengths and a focus on creating and building a positive vision for the future represent a better strategy. This article looks at a new variation on the consulting model––HPT: Appreciative Approach.
Theory of hypochromism

The explanation of hypochromism recently proposed by Bolton and Weiss is examined critically, and a more detailed theory is derived from the semi-classical radiation formalism. The theory is applied to compute the relative hypochromism for several positions of two ethylene molecules, and results are compared with a previous derivation from the static exciton theory. The present results are approximately three orders of magnitude larger, and are comparable to the large hypochromism observed in polynucleotides for similar intermolecular distances. The formula used by Bolton and Weiss is found to be erroneous, in that a resonance line width is misinterpreted to be equivalent to a molecular band width parameter, but the correct formula changes the results of Bolton and Weiss only by a factor π/2. The present theory is shown to be equivalent to classical dispersion theory, but it does not require the usual dipole approximations. There is a clear conflict with static exciton theory, which also is derived from s...
Mother and Soldier: Raising a Child with a Disability in a Low-Income Military Family

This article presents the results of a study of six low-income women, each of whom is raising a child with a suspected or diagnosed disability while also serving as an active member of the armed forces. Their experiences as they attempt to strike a balance between the highly demanding work role of the military and their role as a mother of a child with disabilities are examined. This article also discusses the personal strengths these women display, the barriers they confront, the strategies they use to negotiate competing demands, and the impact of this effort on their personal and professional lives. Practice and policy implications are drawn for early intervention and family support programs.
Easily Constructed, Inexpensive Cage for Aquatic Animals

Abstract An easily constructed and inexpensive cage for aquatic animals is described. The circular cage is constructed with polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings and is covered with extruded plastic mesh. It is suitable for use in saltwater ponds.
Recovery of memory and learning functions following traumatic brain injury

Twenty-four traumatically brain-injured males, of whom eight had sustained right-sided, eight left-sided, and eight bilateral or diffuse closed head injuries, took a battery of neuropsychological tests within the first six months, the second six months, the second year and the third year post injury. Performances on WAIS Digits Forward and Backward and Rey's Auditory-Verbal Learning Test were classified as within or below normal range. Comparisons were made (1) between time periods and tests and (2) between subgroups formed by severity, site of lesion, and age. The findings give an overall picture of wide performance variability with consistent improvement in immediate memory span and learning. Recovery varied with the specific nature of the tested function, task complexity, and severity of injury. Neither age, site of injury, not recency were associated with improvement.
Rules for the perception of connectivity in random dot patterns

Abstract Results of discrimination tests for a group of stochastically generated random dot patterns are reported. The patterns are defined in terms of their connectivity in the directions: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. A computer program to do non-metric, multi-dimensional scaling, KYST, is used to generate structures representing the discriminability of patterns within the group. The three-dimensional configurations obtained from KYST and rotated to principal components are presented for three subjects. Comparison of the structures shows the subjects in general discriminate the textures according to quite similar rules. A formulation of those rules in terms of the granularity and directionality properties of the textures is discussed.
Synthesis of a slider-crank mechanism with consideration of dynamic effects

Abstract A method of dynamic synthesis of a slider-crank mechanism to meet specified velocity conditions at three design points including the inertia effects of the masses of the main links is presented. Velocity specifications are developed assuming a constant velocity of the input crank. The dynamic velocity error due to inertial effects is calculated by numerical solution of the differential equations of motion including the torque-speed relation for a typical three-phase electrical motor drive. An iterative dynamic-kinematic redesign of the mechanism is used to minimize the velocity error at three design points.
COSA-1 Reveals Robust Homeostasis and Separable Licensing and Reinforcement Steps Governing Meiotic Crossovers

Crossovers (COs) between homologous chromosomes ensure their faithful segregation during meiosis. We identify C. elegans COSA-1, a cyclin-related protein conserved in metazoa, as a key component required to convert meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) into COs. During late meiotic prophase, COSA-1 localizes to foci that correspond to the single CO site on each homolog pair and indicate sites of eventual concentration of other conserved CO proteins. Chromosomes gain and lose competence to load CO proteins during meiotic progression, with competence to load COSA-1 requiring prior licensing. Our data further suggest a self-reinforcing mechanism maintaining CO designation. Modeling of a nonlinear dose-response relationship between IR-induced DSBs and COSA-1 foci reveals efficient conversion of DSBs into COs when DSBs are limiting and a robust capacity to limit cytologically differentiated CO sites when DSBs are in excess. COSA-1 foci serve as a unique live cell readout for investigating CO formation and CO interference.
A convex optimization framework for leakage aware thermal provisioning in 3D multicore architectures

Three dimensional integrated circuits present an intriguing challenge for both circuit and system engineers due to their diverse cooling efficiency among the stacked dies. Several recent proposals advocate multiple techniques for thermal management of 3D ICs at different levels of the design, while operating within the confines of thermal heterogeneity. In this paper, we analyze for the first time, the role of thermal heterogeneity on the energy efficiency of the system by incorporating temperature dependent leakage power.We develop a novel convex optimization framework to optimize the energy efficiency in 3D ICs incorporating: (a) leakage aware thermal provisioning using temperature dependent full-chip leakage model, (b) heat flow in vertically stacked systems using a grid based compact thermal model, and (c) a concrete application for workload provisioning in 3D multicore systems. Detailed simulation based experiments with our proposed optimization framework shows 3–15% improvement in the energy efficiency of a typical multicore system organized as 3D stacked dies.
Frequency of severe (70% or more) narrowing of the right, left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary arteries in right dominant circulations with coronary artery disease.

Abstract Several studies suggest that atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs relatively infrequently in the left circumflex coronary artery. Of 313 patients with angina pectoris whose coronary cineangiograms were reviewed by Diethrich et al, 1 58 had at least 75% luminal diameter narrowing of only 1 coronary artery: 31 (53%) involved the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), 23 (40%) the right coronary artery and only 4 (7%) the left circumflex coronary artery (LC). A similar frequency of coronary artery involvement was reported in a series of postmortem studies by Roberts, Jones and Virmani 2–5 : among 30 patients with narrowing of 1 coronary artery, in 18 (60%) the LAD was involved, in 11 (37%) the right coronary artery was involved and in only 1 patient (3%) was the LC involved. Feit et al 6 reviewed the coronary cineangiograms of 54 patients with 1-vessel CAD, only 7 (13%) of whom had LC involvement. No previously published study has confirmed the infrequency of LC involvement in a large number of patients with 1-vessel CAD, nor have the relative frequencies of vessel involvement in patients with 2-vessel CAD been examined to ascertain if the relatively infrequent LC involvement occurs in these patients.
Growth and comparative physiology of Klebsiella oxytoca attached to granular activated carbon particles and in liquid media.

Experiments were performed to evaluate the comparative growth and physiology ofKlebsiella oxytoca grown attached to granular activated carbon particles (GAC) and in liquid medium. Laboratory studies showed that when this organism attached to GAC, the growth rate was enhanced more than 10 times in the presence of glutamate, a substrate that adsorbed to the surface. No differences were observed if the substrate was glucose, which did not adsorb to GAC. Cellular [3H]thymidine uptake was used to estimate DNA biosynthesis. Attached bacteria grown in a minimal nutrient medium containing 20.0 mg/liter glutamate took up 5 times more [3H]thymidine than cells grown in suspension. [3H]uridine was used as a measure of RNA turnover. Attached cells were shown to assimilate 11 times more [3H]uridine than cells in liquid media. Cell size measurements were performed by differential filtration. Cells grown in a minimal medium with 20.0 mg/liter glutamate decreased in size over time, with 62% of the total number passing through a 1.0μm filter after 9 days incubation. In the same period, 39% of a cell population that was grown on GAC passed through a 1.0μm filter. These studies indicate that GAC provides an interfacial environment for the enhanced growth ofK. oxytoca when glutamate is the substrate.
Fraction Solid Measurements on A319 Aluminum Alloy

A new indirect method to measure fraction solid on molten metals is presented. The method is based on the phenomena that when a metal sample (solid or liquid) rotates in a magnetic field (or the magnetic field rotates around a stationary sample), circulating eddy currents are induced in the sample, which generate an opposing torque proportional to amount of solid phase that precipitates in a solidifying melt between the liquidus and solidus temperatures. A new technique is applied for measuring fraction solid on commercial A319 aluminum alloy. The solidification curves obtained by the proposed method at different cooling rates are in a good agreement with the predictions made by the Scheil model.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
A shape metric for design-for-assembly

The authors introduce a quantitative shape metric for planar parts, called feedability, based on a stochastic parts feeding algorithm reported by K. Goldberg et al., (1990,1991). Although feedability is only one possible metric for design-for-assembly (DFA), it relates one aspect of assembly cost directly to part geometry. Therefore, based on feedability, a set of geometric redesign strategies can be produced. The application of feedability to DFA is illustrated and compared with other DFA methods. >
The development of Ferrography as a laboratory wear measurement method for the study of engine operating conditions on diesel engine wear

Abstract Ferrographic oil analysis techniques were used in a laboratory study of diesel engine wear. Data were developed supporting the concept of using the Severity Index I s to rank the effect of engine operating conditions on wear. Results analyzing the Severity Index as a function of time and as a function of engine operating variables are presented. The Severity Index is also linearly correlated to spectrometric data (iron and lead concentrations in the used oil samples). Engine wear tends to increase with increase of either oil or coolant temperature. However, brake specific fuel consumption tends to decrease as oil and coolant temperatures increase, indicating a need for accurate temperature control for both mediums to minimize fuel consumption and wear. The heated Ferrogram analysis (HFA) technique was used to determine changes in the wear rates of specific engine parts with variation of the oil and coolant temperatures.
Trionic optical potential for electrons in semiconductors

The energy potentials created by laser light can trap atoms. An analogous effect that traps electrons in solid-state systems is now proposed. The electron traps are created in quantum wells and wires in the presence of quasiparticles composed of two electrons and a hole. The idea could lead to advances in ultrafast optical and new optoelectronic devices.
A Fatty Acid Messenger Is Responsible for Inducing Dispersion in Microbial Biofilms

It is well established that in nature, bacteria are found primarily as residents of surface-associated communities called biofilms. These structures form in a sequential process initiated by attachment of cells to a surface, followed by the formation of matrix-enmeshed microcolonies, and culminating in dispersion of the bacteria from the mature biofilm. In the present study, we have demonstrated that, during growth, Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces an organic compound we have identified as cis-2-decenoic acid, which is capable of inducing the dispersion of established biofilms and of inhibiting biofilm development. When added exogenously to P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms at a native concentration of 2.5 nM, cis-2-decenoic acid was shown to induce the dispersion of biofilm microcolonies. This molecule was also shown to induce dispersion of biofilms, formed by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and the yeast Candida albicans. Active at nanomolar concentrations, cis-2-decenoic acid appears to be functionally and structurally related to the class of short-chain fatty acid signaling molecules such as diffusible signal factor, which act as cell-to-cell communication molecules in bacteria and fungi.
Why Take Risks? Four Good Reasons According to Emerging Adult College Students:

College-attending emerging adults (ages 18-26, n = 233) were asked to describe their personal philosophy on taking risks. “Taking risks” was undefined, in order to allow for individual interpretation. Thematic coding was used to assess the degree of endorsement, reasons to take risks, and reasons to avoid risks cited in responses. Whereas 7.3% of students focused solely on risk avoidance, 55.4% stressed the importance of weighing pros and cons, and 37.3% fully endorsed risk taking. Among reasons cited for taking risks, the most common motivation was personal growth, followed by achievement, to avoid missing out, and enjoyment/satisfaction. Results are discussed with regard to theory of emerging adulthood, and a conceptual distinction is made between hedonic versus eudaimonic risk motivations.
Phototherapy utilization for psoriasis is declining in the United States.

Abstract Phototherapy is an established treatment modality for psoriasis. The use of phototherapy for psoriasis appears to be in decline in nonfederal and non-university-based settings. We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to estimate the number of visits for phototherapy and psoralen ultraviolet A-range (PUVA) light therapy from 1993 to 1998. There were 873,000 visits for UV light therapy in 1993-1994, 189,000 in 1995-1996, and 53,000 in 1997-1998 ( P P = .0053). Similar decreases in phototherapy visits occurred in our university-based practice. The decline in phototherapy represents decreased utilization of a safe and effective treatment for psoriasis. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:557-9.)
The Measurement of Feeding Activity in Chickens to 8 Weeks of Age

Abstract RHYTHMS of activity in the feeding area have been demonstrated by Siegel and Guhl (1956) and Wood-Gush (1959). In the former study photoelectric systems were used to measure the activity of White Leghorn cockerels during the entire 6 week period from 9 to 15 weeks of age, while in the latter investigation time-lapse photography was utilized to study two small flocks of adult birds for 2 and 4 days duration. Direct observation of the flock as a method of measuring diurnal rhythms is difficult, not only because it is time consuming, but also because of the problems involved in recording the observations. Information concerning the use of automatic equipment for the measurement of activity in younger chickens and the relationship of activity in the feeding area with feed consumption are lacking. Also, unavailable are comparisons of the feeding habits of different stocks of chickens. The purpose of this experiment was …
Nickel Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Electrode for Hydrogen Generation

The electrochemical decomposition of water is an attractive method, however, the performance of the electrodes and efficiencies are of great concern in its large scale production. In this context, we wish to report here the superior performance of Ni-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite as cathode in the decomposition of water. The current voltage curves recorded with this electrode in different media showed a significant electrocatalysis in the reduction of hydrogen ion; the background electrolysis is shifted in the anodic direction. The nanocomposite composition has been found to be crucial in the efficient production of hydrogen. A coulombic efficiency of about 68% has been obtained at this electrode with a hydrogen production rate of 130L/m2 d. This electrode is more efficient than the 316L stainless steel (composition in percentage: C 0.019, Cr 17.3, Mo 2.04, Ni 11.3, Mn 1.04, N 0.041, Fe bulk) cathode that produces 10 ml/h at an area of 20 cm2 (5L/m2.h) (2). The results obtained with different electrolytes, performance variation with electrode composition, and current densities will be presented. The trials carried out using solar panel instead of DC power source showed similar hydrogen production rates and efficiencies.
Listeria monocytogenes exopolysaccharide: origin, structure, biosynthetic machinery and c-di-GMP-dependent regulation.

Summary Elevated levels of the second messenger c-di-GMP activate biosynthesis of an unknown exopolysaccharide (EPS) in the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. This EPS strongly protects cells against disinfectants and desiccation, indicating its potential significance for listerial persistence in the environment and for food safety. We analyzed the potential phylogenetic origin of this EPS, determined its complete structure, characterized genes involved in its biosynthesis and hydrolysis and identified diguanylate cyclases activating its synthesis. Phylogenetic analysis of EPS biosynthesis proteins suggests that they have evolved within monoderms. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that L. monocytogenes EPS is cell surface-bound. Secreted carbohydrates represent exclusively cell-wall debris. Based on carbohydrate composition, linkage and NMR analysis, the structure of the purified EPS is identified as a β-1,4-linked N-acetylmannosamine chain decorated with terminal α-1,6-linked galactose. All genes of the pssA-E operon are required for EPS production and so is a separately located pssZ gene. We show that PssZ has an EPS-specific glycosylhydrolase activity. Exogenously added PssZ prevents EPS-mediated cell aggregation and disperses preformed aggregates, whereas an E72Q mutant in the presumed catalytic residue is much less active. The diguanylate cyclases DgcA and DgcB, whose genes are located next to pssZ, are primarily responsible for c-di-GMP-dependent EPS production.
Evidence for a common evolutionary origin of coronavirus spike protein receptor-binding subunits

Among different coronavirus genera, the receptor-binding S1 subunits of their spike proteins differ in primary, secondary, and tertiary structures. This study identified shared structural topologies (connectivity of secondary structural elements) in S1 domains of different coronavirus genera. The results suggest that coronavirus S1 subunits share a common evolutionary origin but have attained diverse sequences and structures following extensive divergent evolution. The results also increase understanding of the structures and functions of coronavirus S1 domains whose tertiary structures are currently unknown.
Of Cultural Diplomacy, Culture Games, and Curation of Non-Western Art

This essay is a review of the Iran Modern Exhibition, which took place at the Asia Society in New York from September 6, 2013, to January 5, 2014. The show was the first major international retrospective of Iranian art of the 1960s and 1970s. While shedding light on the featured art from a period that is lesser known outside of Iran, this essay mainly elaborates on the curatorial strategies at work in the exhibit.
THE CUTANEOUS TRICHOPHYTIN REACTION.

There exists a far-reaching analogy between the cutaneous trichophytin reaction and the cutaneous tuberculin reaction. Both indicate that the organism is the seat of a definite infection or that it has passed through such an infection. Both may persist for a long time after the active disease has come to rest, indicating that the infection has left the organism in a state of altered reactivity—allergy. Under certain conditions both may be of diagnostic value, but since the reaction persists for a long time after the infection has passed, the negative reaction may be of greater value, excluding the existence of a specific infection. The analogy of the trichophytin reaction with the tuberculin reaction is not only limited to the obvious clinical manifestations, but, as in the tuberculin reaction, it can be shown that with uniform concentration of antibody, the intensity of the reaction is dependent on the concentration of the trichophytin. A tentative explanation of the halo formation is offered, based on a rapidly renewed formation of antibody stimulated probably by the entrance of a small amount of allergen into the general circulation.
The First Years of the Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopy Century

Aberration correction, after a 50 year incubation period of developing ideas and techniques while awaiting enabling technology, has transformed electron microscopy during the first dozen years of the 21st century. Some of the conditions that accompanied this transformation, the required complexity and its effect on the way microscopy is pursued, recent results that promise to change the field, and directions for the future are briefly described.
The Ethics of Survival: Responsibility and Sacrifice in Environmental Ethics

The primary concern of environmental ethics pushed to the limit is the question of survival. An ethic of survival would concern the possibility of morality in an environmental crisis that promises humanity immeasurable damage, suffering, and even the possibility of species extinction. A phenomenological analysis of the question of moral response to such future catastrophe reveals—in Heideggerian fashion contra-Heidegger—that the very question positions us in a relation of responsibility towards a world and a humanity that lies beyond one’s reach and extends into the future. Responsibility, then, arises as a constituting element that defines humanity and therefore cannot be bracketed away or suspended in a time of crisis. Through a reading of Hans Jonas’ notion of responsibility and a critique of some major notions of Environmental Ethics, this article argues that an ethic of survival is conditioned by the survival of humanity as a moral, responsible species. The main challenge of this responsibility is further suggested to be the clash between the autonomy and dignity of the individual and the vital needs of the larger community in the struggle for survival.
The cell biology of peritrichous flagella in Bacillus subtilis

Bacterial flagella are highly conserved molecular machines that have been extensively studied for assembly, function and gene regulation. Less studied is how and why bacteria differ based on the number and arrangement of the flagella they synthesize. Here we explore the cell biology of peritrichous flagella in the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis by fluorescently labelling flagellar basal bodies, hooks and filaments. We find that the average B. subtilis cell assembles approximately 26 flagellar basal bodies and we show that basal body number is controlled by SwrA. Basal bodies are assembled rapidly ( 40 min). We find that basal bodies are not positioned randomly on the cell surface. Rather, basal bodies occupy a grid-like pattern organized symmetrically around the midcell and that flagella are discouraged at the poles. Basal body position is genetically determined by FlhF and FlhG homologues to control spatial patterning differently from what is seen in bacteria with polar flagella. Finally, spatial control of flagella in B. subtilis seems more relevant to the inheritance of flagella and motility of individual cells than the motile behaviour of populations.