cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed QR Decomposition Framework for Training Support Vector Machines

Support Vector Machines (SVM) belong to a class of supervised machine learning algorithms with applications inclassification and regression analysis. SVM training is modeled as a convex optimization problem that is computationally tedious and has large memory requirements. Specifically, it is a quadratic programming problem which scales rapidly with the training set size rather than the dimensionality of the feature space. In this work, we first present a novel QR decomposition framework (QRSVM) to efficiently model and solve a large scale SVM problem by capitalizing on low-rank representations of the full kernel matrix rather than solving the problem as a sequence of smaller sub-problems. The low-rank structure of the kernel matrix is leveraged to transform the dense matrix into one with a sparse and separable structure. The modified SVM problem requires significantly lesser memory and computation. Our approach scales linearly with the training set size which makes it applicable to large datasets. This motivates towards our another contribution; exploring a distributed QRSVM framework to solve large-scale SVM classification problems in parallel across a cluster of computing nodes. We also derive an optimal step size for fast convergence of the dual ascent method which is used to solve the quadratic programming problem.
S-Nitrosothiols and Nitric Oxide Biology

Abstract Compared to nitric oxide (NO), S-nitrosothiols (RSNO) are distinct effectors of NO-dependent signaling processes and have been studied from biochemical, biological, and therapeutic perspectives. The formal oxidation states of nitrogen in RSNOs differ by one electron compared to that in NO, a biochemical property that provides unique modes for regulating NO signaling, typically via cysteine posttranslational modification. The past decade has seen significant advances in methods to measure RSNOs and mechanisms governing their metabolism (formation and decay). These will be discussed in this chapter together with perspectives on potential for therapeutics that target endogenous RSNOs, or utilize synthetic RSNOs to regulate NO signaling in various disease states.
Using High-Fidelity Physical Simulations of the Environment to Evaluate Risk Factors for Slips and Falls in the Mining Industry

The shoe-floor interface is a key element in preventing slips and falls. The design of footwear and the floor surface should be considered to ensure worker safety. Testing various floor surface materials and boots in a real-world setting would impose unnecessary risk to participants and limit the extent of testing possible. Hence, two examples of high-fidelity physical simulation—an inclined grated metal walkway and a grated metal stairway—were built to evaluate risk factors for slips and falls associated with various walkway materials and boots with metatarsal guards. This paper discusses details and findings of the two studies. Also discussed are the advantages and disadvantages of using physical simulations of the environments, including decreased risk for participants and large space requirements for the experiment. Findings of the research can help select appropriate floor surface materials and boots for the mining industry and inform the use of future high-fidelity physical simulations.
Tumor suppressor genes encoding proteins required for cell interactions and signal transduction in Drosophila.

Tumor suppressor genes, whose products are required for the control of cell proliferation, have been identified by their mutant phenotype of tissue overgrowth. Here we describe recent work on the molecular identification of tumor suppressor genes that function in two different cell types of the Drosophila larva: the blood cells, and the undifferentiated epithelial cells of developing imaginal discs. Mutations in the aberrant immune response8 (air8) gene lead to overproduction and precocious differentiation of blood cells. This gene encodes the Drosophila homolog of human ribosomal protein S6. The mutant phenotype is consistent with a role for S6 in the control of cell proliferation, and is compatible with findings from mammalian cells where alterations in S6 expression and phosphorylation are associated with changes in cell proliferation. Mutations in the discs large (dig) gene cause neoplastic overgrowth of imaginal discs in the larva. The mutant dises show loss of septate junctions and of apical-basal cell polarity, and they also lose the ability to differentiate cuticular structures. The dig protein product (DlgA) is localized at septate junctions between epithelial cells, and cDNA sequencing indicates that the gene product includes a domain with homology to guanylate kinase (GUK). Two mammalian homologs or this gene have been identified, and one of them (PSD-95/SAP90) encodes a component of synaptic densities in the brain; this protein therefore resembles the DlgA protein in being located in a specialized cell junction that functions in information transfer between cells. Mutations in the at gene cause hyperplastic imaginal disc overgrowth, in which the overgrowing disc tissue retains its epithelial structure and its ability to differentiate. Some of the excess disc tissue is shed as vesicles suggesting a loss of cell adhesion. In support of this hypothesis, the predicted gene product shows homology to cadherins in its extra-cellular domain. However, the fat protein is much larger than known cadherins. As in human cancer·, somatic loss of the normal alleles of tumor suppressor genes can lead to tumor formation in Drosophila; an example of this is provided by the warts (wts) locus. The wts gene was identified by the dramatic overgrowth of mitotic recombination clones that are homozygous for a wts deletion. In these clones the cuticle intrudes between epithelial cells, suggesting an alteration in cell adhesion. The study of these and other tumor suppressor genes in Drosophila is providing new evidence supporting the critical role of cell interactions and specialized apical junctions in controlling epithelial cell proliferation.
Comments on “Subsums of the Harmonic Series”

We consider the convergence properties of series that are formed from the harmonic series by removing some of the terms. Our primary focus concerns the removal of those integers that contain a give...
“Lies build trust”: Social capital, masculinity, and community-based resource management in a Mexican fishery

Abstract This paper relates how fishermen in San Evaristo on Mexico’s Baja peninsula employ fabrications to strengthen bonds of trust and navigate the complexities of common pool resource extraction. We argue this trickery complicates notions of social capital in community-based natural resource management, which emphasize communitarianism in the form of trust. Trust, defined as a mutual dependability often rooted in honesty, reliable information, or shared expectations, has long been recognized as essential to common pool resource management. Despite this, research that takes a critical approach to social capital places attention on the activities that foster social networks and their norms by arguing that social capital is a process. A critical approach illuminates San Evaristeno practices of lying and joking across social settings and contextualizes these practices within cultural values of harmony. As San Evaristenos assert somewhat paradoxically, for them “lies build trust.” Importantly, a critical approach to this case study forces consideration of gender, an overlooked topic in social capital research. San Evaristena women are excluded from the verbal jousting through which men maintain ties supporting their primacy in fishery management. Both men’s joke-telling and San Evaristenos’ aversion to conflict have implications for conservation outcomes. As a result, we use these findings to help explain local resistance to outsiders and external management strategies including land trusts, fishing cooperatives, and marine protected areas.
Cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced poly(5-triethoxysilyl-2-norbornene) composites

We demonstrate the reinforcement of a previously inaccessible norbornene-silane with a stiff, bio-based nanofiller. Poly(5-triethoxysilyl-2-norbornene) (PTESN), a glassy and thermally stable polymer, was combined with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and solvent cast from toluene to form reinforced materials. Composite films showed excellent translucency and no visible aggregation, which was supported by scanning electron micrographs that showed no signs of CNC aggregation within the polymer matrix. Reinforcement was evident at the moderate loading of 5 wt% CNC, showing a statistically significant enhancement for Young's modulus and even greater reinforcement for 20 wt% CNC loading for Young's modulus (540 MPa vs. 970 MPa) and storage modulus at 25 °C (400 MPa vs. 1200 MPa). We suspect that there is a strong interaction between the polymer and CNC filler based upon the increase of thermal degradation temperature of the CNCs increasing, for example from 278 °C to 295 °C at 10 wt% CNCs. These interactions were probed via solid-state NMR, which suggests that no covalent bonding occurs between the triethoxylsilyl substituents of the polymer and the CNCs. We therefore hypothesize that hydrogen bonding interactions between PTESN and CNCs are responsible for the increased thermal stability and reinforcement of the polymer material.
The modern plague.

A Peace Corps physician in Africa describes in his latest online journal entry the immense toll that HIV/AIDS is exacting on the people and economy of several African nations. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors in 2-D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Materials

In this paper, the performance of tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) based on 2-D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials is investigated by atomistic quantum transport simulations. One of the major challenges of TFETs is their low ON-currents. 2-D material-based TFETs can have tight gate control and high electric fields at the tunnel junction, and can, in principle, generate high ON-currents along with a subthreshold swing (SS) smaller than 60 mV/decade. Our simulations reveal that high-performance TMD TFETs not only require good gate control, but also rely on the choice of the right channel material with optimum bandgap, effective mass, and source/drain doping level. Unlike previous works, a full-band atomistic tight-binding method is used self-consistently with 3-D Poisson equation to simulate ballistic quantum transport in these devices. The effect of the choice of the TMD material on the performance of the device and its transfer characteristics are discussed. Moreover, the criteria for high ON-currents are explained with a simple analytic model, showing the related fundamental factors. Finally, the SS and energy delay of these TFETs are compared with conventional CMOS devices.
Psychosocial interventions for siblings of children with cancer: A mixed methods systematic review.

Objective This review systematically (1) describes the characteristics of psychosocial interventions for siblings of children with cancer (SCC); (2) assesses the effect of the psychosocial interventions on SCCs' outcomes, and (3) describes SCCs' experiences and perceptions of these interventions. Methods Seven databases were systematically searched for relevant literature. We included both quantitative and qualitative studies of psychological interventions designed to improve the adjustment of SCCs. Results Our database searches yielded 19 publications. We found a range of psychosocial interventions being used among SCCs, with group interventions being the most common. The primary outcomes focused on the SCCs' depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Quantitative studies provided insufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions about the interventions' effects, whereas the qualitative studies indicated that SCCs can derive benefits from these interventions, including an enhanced sense of belonging and bonding, improved family relationships, increased self-awareness and confidence, increased cancer knowledge, and decreased somatic symptoms. Conclusions Although a growing number of psychosocial interventions have been developed to improve the adjustment of SCCs, research evidence of the effects of these interventions on SCCs' adjustment remains limited. Future research needs to rigorously evaluate the effects of these interventions.
Engagement and Teamwork in Chinese as a Foreign Language and Culture Curriculum Development for Teacher Education

This study explores how task engagement principles could be integrated into the design of online foreign language and culture instruction. It employs a design-based research (DBR) approach, which combines research and instructional design during curricular development. With the intent of solving problems of practice in an existing teaching context, a design team worked in this study to refine an online Chinese as a foreign language and culture module. Through the design process, the team explored how task engagement principles could be integrated into seven online language-learning units and how collaboration and interaction among the researchers and designers could support the implementation of the design. This study underscores the importance not only of designing engaging online language tasks but also of working with expert others to accomplish this goal.
Logic and Control

I will give a brief account of how I came to introduce the term Hybrid System and to encourage it as a subject of study. I will also discuss what one should understand to pursue the subject fully, and also discuss the lines of development of my joint research with Wolf Kohn in this area. This is an area at the interface of mathematics, computer science, and control engineering, which has been pursued by many in all three areas since its inception. It can be thought of as the subject which deals with the interaction of discrete and continuous processes. This paper is intended to be legible to those without advanced analysis or differential geometry in their background. We concentrate on control, not on logics of hybrid systems, and aim at an audience unfamiliar with control. I make no apologies for not being technical. This is not a survey of the field. For a year 2000 survey see [1]. A survey made now would be very large.
The Future of the Fourteenth Amendment and International Human Rights Law: The Black Heritage Trail

This paper focuses on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, through which certain guarantees of the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states, and the Equal Protection Clause, through which certain forms of discrimination have been held unconstitutional, from the perspective of the Black Americans who were the Amendment's original intended beneficiaries. My thesis is that while it was a good idea to subject the states to at least some federal standard and to require at least a modicum of formal equality, the history of the Amendment's jurisprudence remains a story of too little, too late. It has never righted the wrongs it promised to address, and it is unlikely, without more, that it will ever do so. Blacks remain economically disadvantaged; the overwhelming majority of Americans live in segregated neighborhoods; and, as Justice Ginsburg noted in her concurring opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger, racial bias remains pervasive. There are nice markers now, but the Black Heritage Trail has not led to equality. Therefore, for the same reason it was a good idea to subject the states to a federal standard, it would be a good idea to subject the United States to an international standard. For the same reason it was a good idea to require a base line of formal equality, it would be a good idea to require courts to apply a contextualized and historicized conception of "equality" in a globalized world. Drawing on international human rights treaties already ratified by the United States, such a conception of equality would recognize racism not only as a factor in colonialism (and neo-colonialism) but also in the ongoing economic subordination of Black Americans.
SU-F-BRA-01: A Procedure for the Fast Semi-Automatic Localization of Catheters Using An Electromagnetic Tracker (EMT) for Image-Guided Brachytherapy

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of brachytherapy catheter localization through use of an EMT and 3D image set. Methods: A 15-catheter phantom mimicking an interstitial implantation was built and CT-scanned. Baseline catheter reconstruction was performed manually. An EMT was used to acquire the catheter coordinates in the EMT frame of reference. N user-identified catheter tips, without catheter number associations, were used to establish registration with the CT frame of reference. Two algorithms were investigated: brute-force registration (BFR), in which all possible permutation of N identified tips with the EMT tips were evaluated; and signature-based registration (SBR), in which a distance matrix was used to generate a list of matching signatures describing possible N-point matches with the registration points. Digitization error (average of the distance between corresponding EMT and baseline dwell positions; average, standard deviation, and worst-case scenario over all possible registration-point selections) and algorithm inefficiency (maximum number of rigid registrations required to find the matching fusion for all possible selections of registration points) were calculated. Results: Digitization errors on average <2 mm were observed for N ≥5, with standard deviation <2 mm for N ≥6, and worst-case scenario error <2 mm for N ≥11. Algorithm inefficiencies were: N = 5, 32,760 (BFR) and 9900 (SBR); N = 6, 360,360 (BFR) and 21,660 (SBR); N = 11, 5.45*1010 (BFR) and 12 (SBR). Conclusion: A procedure was proposed for catheter reconstruction using EMT and only requiring user identification of catheter tips without catheter localization. Digitization errors <2 mm were observed on average with 5 or more registration points, and in any scenario with 11 or more points. Inefficiency for N = 11 was 9 orders of magnitude lower for SBR than for BFR. Funding: Kaye Family Award
A Preliminary Model for Correlation of Plasmon Resonance Spectra with Adherence Properties of Corrosion Inhibitors

Abstract : Recent studies have shown that there is correlation between the effectiveness of additives containing corrosion inhibitors and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra. In principle, SPR spectroscopy is a valuable tool to examine metal-inhibitor association because it is specifically sensitive to interface structure or electrochemical processes at a metal surface due to contact with water or an electrolyte solution. In this paper we present a preliminary design of a fiber-optic sensor system based on the use of SPR spectra to obtain quantitative information concerning metal-solution interface structure and electrochemical influences of the ambient environment.
Effects of genetic divergence in identifying ancestral origin using HAPAA

Human population migration, adaptation, and admixture have a chaotic and mostly undocumented history, but we are at the cusp of an era where we will be able to unlock these records from our genomes. An admixed individual’s genome with ancestors from isolated populations is a mosaic of chromosomal blocks, each following the statistical properties of variation seen in those populations. By analyzing polymorphisms in the admixed individual against those seen in representatives from the populations, we can infer the ancestral source of the individual’s haploblocks. Several methods have emerged recently that use SNPs as a basis for variation to infer the ancestral population composition of admixed individuals.
A conserved polybasic domain mediates plasma membrane targeting of Lgl and its regulation by hypoxia

Lethal giant larvae (Lgl) plays essential and conserved functions in regulating both cell polarity and tumorigenesis in Drosophila melanogaster and vertebrates. It is well recognized that plasma membrane (PM) or cell cortex localization is crucial for Lgl function in vivo, but its membrane-targeting mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we discovered that hypoxia acutely and reversibly inhibits Lgl PM targeting through a posttranslational mechanism that is independent of the well-characterized atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) or Aurora kinase-mediated phosphorylations. Instead, we identified an evolutionarily conserved polybasic (PB) domain that targets Lgl to the PM via electrostatic binding to membrane phosphatidylinositol phosphates. Such PB domain-mediated PM targeting is inhibited by hypoxia, which reduces inositol phospholipid levels on the PM through adenosine triphosphate depletion. Moreover, Lgl PB domain contains all the identified phosphorylation sites of aPKC and Aurora kinases, providing a molecular mechanism by which phosphorylations neutralize the positive charges on the PB domain to inhibit Lgl PM targeting.
Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome: Report of a Case and Review of Current Opinion

The celiac artery compression syndrome (or median arcuate ligament syn drome) is characterized by postprandial abdominal pain, an epigastric bruit, and arteriographic evidence of significant extrinsic compression of the celiac artery. Although the concept of extrinsic compression of vessels is well estab lished in vascular surgery, the existence of the celiac artery compression syn drome has been a matter of controversy. A patient relieved of celiac artery compression and postprandial pain is presented. A review of the controversy and an approach to evaluating patients suspected of having this type of com pression is outlined.
A robotic assistant system for cardiac interventions under MRI guidance

In this paper we present a surgical assistant system for implanting prosthetic aortic valve transapically under MRI guidance, in a beating heart. The system integrates an MR imaging system, a robotic system, as well as user interfaces for a surgeon to plan the procedure and manipulate the robot. A compact robotic delivery module mounted on a robotic arm is used for delivering both balloon-expandable and self-expanding prosthesis. The system provides different user interfaces at different stages of the procedure. A compact fiducial pattern close to the volume of interest is proposed for robot registration. The image processing and the transformation recovery methods using this fiducial in MRI are presented. The registration accuracy obtained by using this compact fiducial is comparable to the larger multi-spherical marker registration method. The registration accuracy using these two methods is less than 0.62±0.50 deg (mean ± std. dev.) and 0.63±0.72 deg (mean ± std. dev.), respectively. We evaluated each of the components and show that they can work together to form a complete system for transapical aortic valve replacement.
Search for NMR line-shape broadening by charge-density waves in potassium.

Measurements of the NMR linewidth of $^{39}\mathrm{K}$ metal from 59 to 420 mK at an applied field of 1.5 T are reported in a search for the broadening by charge-density waves (CDW) proposed by Wang and Overhauser. The measurement sensitivity is such that CDW broadening can be observed (using their model parameters) if the correlation time for phason motion is greater than 8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$ s. A discussion of the methods used to ensure that spurious rf heating was not a significant factor in the experiment is provided. Within the resolution of our experiment, no evidence of line-shape broadening by CDW was observed.
Fabrication of nanofluidic devices and the study of fluid transport through them

The ability to produce nanotubes with diameters ranging from a few to hundreds of nanometers and lengths in the tens of micro meters opens new, exciting opportunities for fundamental research on the behavior of liquids under confined conditions as well as the development of novel devices such as minimally intrusive probes and biosensors. We start by summarizing the available experimental data on the transport characteristics of liquids in micro and nano-size conduits with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Subsequently, we describe the combined use of controlled nanoassembly and photolithographic techniques for the construction of nanotube-based fluidic devices. Finally, we report on a few measurements of liquid transport through carbon nanotubes.
REPLICON NUMBER AND GROWTH RATE IN FATHEAD MINNOW CELLS CULTURED AT 14 AND 34°C

DNA fiber autoradiography was performed on cells of the fathead minnow cultured at 14 and 34 degrees C. Replicon growth rates were found to be about twice as fast at the higher temperature, but there was no appreciable difference in the number of replicons.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide inhibits cutaneous immune function

Epidermal nerves are closely associated with Langerhans cells (LC) and may be able to release factors, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide and epinephrine, that affect LC function. LC and the LC-like cell line XS106 express mRNA for the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) receptors VPAC1 and VPAC2. We examined whether PACAP regulates cutaneous immunity. Intradermal administration of PACAP prior to application of a contact sensitizer at the injected site inhibited the induction of contact hypersensitivity. Pretreatment of murine epidermal cells enriched for LC content (∼12% LC) with PACAP inhibited their ability to elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity in previously immunized mice. In vitro, PACAP suppressed the ability of both murine epidermal cells and highly purified LC (∼95%) to present antigen to a T cell clone and hybridoma. Furthermore, in LC and the XS106 cell line, PACAP inhibited the LPS/GM-CSF-induced stimulation of IL-1β secretion and augmented IL-10 production. PACAP also down-regulated CD86 expression in LPS/GM-CSF-stimulated XS106 cells. The immunosuppressive effects of PACAP may be due to modulation ofcytokine production and CD86 expression.
Minimum principle for a nonequilibrium stochastic system.

Abstract An urn model of a linear stochastic system is investigated. By imposing a boundary condition, the regular addition or removal of balls from certain urns, a steady nonequilibrium distribution can be induced. The quantity which is a minimum when the state of the system is steady is the square of the difference of the contents of two urns, multiplied by the probability of transfer between the urns and summed over all urn pairs. The minimum quantity is approximately equal to the entropy production rate if the departure from equilibrium is small.
Hydration and Proton Conduction in Nafion/Ceramic Nanocomposite Membranes Produced by Solid-State Processing of Powders from Mechanical Attrition

A solid-state method of Nafion/ceramic nanocomposite membrane preparation was used. Nanocomposite powders from Nafion pellets and a zirconium phosphate ceramic were formed by mechanical attrition. The powders were consolidated into membrane form by mechanical pressing. A decrease in the particle size and improved dispersion of the ceramic within the polymer phase were confirmed with scanning electron microscopy. An evaluation of membrane hydration by thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the prepared membranes had increased water uptake in comparison with a commercially available membrane. However, as the distribution of the ceramic was improved, the hydration of the sample was reduced. Low-temperature differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the additional water contributed to an increase in the contents of both freezing and nonfreezing water in the membranes. Proton conductivity testing at various relative humidities and temperatures revealed that the prepared membranes had conductivities comparable to but somewhat lower than those of the commercial membranes. An increase in conductivity was seen with decreased particle size and improved dispersion of the ceramic. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
A temperature dependent transition in the Pribnow box of the trp promoter.

Abstract Proton NMR spectra of the trp operator-promoter (sequence CGTACTAGTT.AACTAGTACG) show selective changes in chemical shift and relaxation rates over the range of temperature 0–45°C for the non-exchangeable protons of A11 and A12 only. These bases are in the centre of the Pribnow box. The changes imply that at least three conformational states become significantly populated in this range of temperature, and probably involve a change in the propellor twists of A11 and A12 for one transition, and changes in the helical twist and local pitch for the other. As (1) mutations in the Pribnow box that destroy the TAA sequence impair promoter activity, and (2) the abortive initiation assay for RNA polymerase shows a transition near 20°C, we propose that the observed conformational transitions in the trp promoter are an essential feature of good promoters.
Laser-pulse photoassociation in a thermal gas of atoms

A nonperturbative treatment is presented for laser-pulse-driven formation of heteronuclear diatomic molecules in a thermal gas of atoms. Based on the assumption of full controllability, the maximum possible photoassociation yield is obtained. A one-dimensional model is used for calculating the photoassociation probability as a function of the laser parameters as well as for different temperatures. The dependence of the photoassociation yield on the laser frequency and amplitude reveals complex patterns of one- and multiphoton transitions. The photoassociation yield induced by subpicosecond pulses of a priori fixed shape is very low compared to the maximum possible yield.
Predicting teen motherhood and teen fatherhood: individual characteristics and peer affiliations.

In a longitudinal investigation of the antecedents and pathways of teen parenthood 475 participants (248 females and 227 males) were followed from Grade 7 through early adulthood. In the first year of the investigation homogeneous subgroups were identified by clustering participants on five characteristics (i.e. aggression popularity academic competence age and socioeconomic status). At the same time peer social networks were identified by the Social Cognitive Map procedure. For each participant the configuration of peer characteristics was also identified. A high correspondence was found between the individual characteristics and the characteristics of closely affiliated peers. Both teen fatherhood and teen motherhood were predicted by individual configurations and peer configurations (e.g. a combination of high aggression low academic competence low popularity and low family SES). Peer characteristics race and family socioeconomic status assumed unique roles in predicting teen motherhood. Growth curve analyses showed that teen-mothers differed from non-mothers in their starting points and developmental trajectories. This study demonstrated that a simultaneous examination of both the individual and his/her peer context yielded important information on teen parenthood. (authors)
HIDDEN VARIABLES AND MAGNETIC RELAXATION.

Nonlinear generalization of Schroedinger equation describing hidden variables effect solved for spin-1/2 magnetic moment relaxing in constant magnetic field
Consumer perceptions of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in financial transactions

This research examines consumer perceptions of choices of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (ADRM) in resolving financial services and product dissatisfaction. The paper begins with a detailed analysis of various dispute resolution mechanisms available to customers and firms in the United States. It then proceeds to highlight the salient features of ADRM. A national random sample of US consumers is used to obtain data on customer perceptions of ADRM and possible choices in using ADRM in conflict resolution. Results indicate that as the cash at risk increases, consumers indicate a preference for litigation over alternative forms of dispute resolution. The findings have strategic implications for strategy formulation in marketing of financial services and product as well as improving customer satisfaction through amicable resolutions of customer complaints.
Pore structure analysis by oxygen adsorption. I. t-curves and methods of analysis

Abstract Two new approaches to pore structure analysis were developed by Brunauer and his coworkers: a method for the analysis of micropores, and a method for the analysis of wider pores in which capillary condensation occurs. The two methods were then applied to the analysis of a variety of porous adsorbents, using nitrogen and water vapor adsorption-desorption isotherms, and the pore structure results were compared. The present work was undertaken primarily to find out whether a given adsorbate at two different temperatures gives the same results for the same adsorbent. Oxygen was selected as the adsorbate partly because two temperatures for the isotherms, 77.3 and 90 K, were conveniently available, partly in order to compare the oxygen results with the nitrogen and water vapor results. The prerequisite for the analysis is to have appropriate t-curves, i.e., curves which give the statistical thickness of the film adsorbed on nonporous adsorbents as a function of the relative pressure. Using four nonporous adsorbents, t-curves were determined for oxygen at 77.3 and 90K. Besides presenting the t-curves, the paper also describes the methods of analysis employed at the two temperatures.
Experimental Evidence of Diffusive Dynamics and ``RANDOM Walking'' in a Simple Deterministic Mechanical System: the Shaken Pendulum

An experimental model of a simple pendulum, harmonically shaken, displays chaotic dynamics. Moreover, in strongly excited chaotic regimes the time series of total angular displacement, which is rarely examined, wanders unboundedly, displaying a power spectrum which falls off as 1/fα over several decades. This behavior corresponds to deterministic diffusion, which has been found in simulations of nonlinear maps with periodic translational symmetry. The displacement time series obtained by sampling the pendulum displacement once per cycle is self-affine and quantitatively similar to Brownian motion.
Labor Organizing Beyond Race and Nation: The Los Angeles Hilton Case

Shows how the US economy has witnessed both a massive influx of immigrant workers and a sharp decline in organized labour. Examines the struggles of Latino workers in Los Angeles, USA and shows just how immigrant workers and labour unions have a complicated relationship there. Explains how the problems were eventually eased.
Inhibition of Bicarbonate Reabsorption in the Rat Proximal Tubule by Activation of Luminal P2Y1 Receptors

The present study used a stationary microperfusion technique to investigate in vivo the effect of P2Y1 receptor activation on bicarbonate reabsorption in the rat proximal tubule. Proximal tubules w...
AN APPROACH TO A UNIFIED MICRO-MACRO ECONOMIC MODEL*

SUMMARY A tentative unified micro-macro model is developed to explain the persistent inflation-unemployment morass by replacing the competitive endogenous money wage theory with the exogenous facts of collective bargaining. Inferentially, a feasible Incomes Policy would alleviate inflation while reserving monetary and fiscal policy to sustain full employment. The aggregative Keynesian macromodel developed builds on Walrasian, Marshallian, and monopoly micro-foundations. Wage-share constancy, which also underlies Cobb-Douglas macromodels, provides a simplifying hypothesis with empirical underpinning for mark-up pricing. ‘Cost-push’ and ‘demand-pull’ as distinctive inflation forces appears generally spurious. Both forces have common roots in excessive money wage increases.
Studies on cross-transmission and pathogenicity of Haemonchus contortus in white-tailed deer, domestic cattle and sheep.

Experiments were conducted to compare the relative pathogenicity and infectivity of deer- and cattle-derived Haemonchus contortus for three hosts, viz., white-tailed deer, cattle and domestic sheep. Parameters evaluated for all animals were: general physical condition, basic hematologic values, fecal egg counts and parasite infectivity rates. Clinical signs attributable to H. contortus infections were not observed in any of the experimental animals. Deer harboring H. contortus burdens > 70 worms/kg body weight had decreased packed cell volume, hemoglobin and total serum protein values. Statistical analyses indicated there was not a significant difference (P>.05) in infectivity of deer-derived H. contortus in these hosts. No significant difference (P>.05) in infectivity for deer was noted between deer-derived H. contortus and cattle-derived H. contortus. Morphometric comparisons of helminths recovered indicated that parasites of deer and cattle origin were both compatible with the description for H. contor...
Water removal from porous media by gas injection : experiments and simulation

The flow of a saturated gas through a porous medium, partially occupied by a liquid phase, causes evaporation due to gas expansion. This process, referred to as flow-through drying, is important in a wide variety of natural and industrial applications, such as natural gas production, convective drying of paper, catalysts, fuel cells and membranes. X-ray imaging experiments were performed to study the flow-through drying of water-saturated porous media during gas injection. The results show that the liquid saturation profile and the rate of drying are dependent on the viscous pressure drop, the state of saturation of the gas and the capillary characteristics of the porous medium. During the injection of a completely saturated gas, drying occurs only due to gas expansion. Capillary-driven flow from regions of high saturation to regions of low saturation lead to more uniform saturation profiles. During the injection of a dry gas, a drying front develops at the inlet and propagates through the porous medium. The experimental results are compared with numerical results from a continuum model. A good agreement is found for the case of sandstone. The comparison is less satisfactory for the experiments with limestone.
Nucleotide sequence of a rabbit IgG heavy chain from the recombinant F-I haplotype

We report the sequence of a cDNA encoding a rabbit immunoglobulin gamma heavy chain of d12 and e14 allotypes with high homology to partial cDNA sequences from rabbits of d11 and e15 allotypes. The encoded rabbit protein shows homologies with human (68-70%) and mouse (60-63%) gamma chains. The nucleotide sequence homologies of the CH domains range from 76-84% with human and 64-76% with mouse sequences. Comparison of the portion of VH encoding amino acid positions 34-112 with a previously determined VH sequence of the same allotype shows high conservation of sequences in the second and third framework segments but more marked differences both in length and encoded amino acids of the second and third complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). We also found a high degree of homology with a human genomic V-region, VH26 (77%) and a remarkable similarity between rabbit and human second CDR sequences and human genomic D minigenes. These results provide additional evidence that D minigene sequences share information with the CDR2 portion of VH regions.
INSPIRED OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS USING A HUMIDIFIER/TRACHEOSTOMY T-PIECE SYSTEM

SUMMARY This study examines the inspired oxygen concentrations achieved using a humidifier driven by oxygen under pressure and a standard T-piece connection fitted to the tracheostomy tube. Since the expiratory ports provided in the T-piece were considered to be a possible source of entrainment from outside this connection, the inspired oxygen concentration was compared to the oxygen concentration delivered from the humidifier. This comparison was used as an indication of dilution. Using controlled patterns of respiration, as measured by a pneumotachograph, in thirty subjects it was found that the humidifierflow was diluted by outside air when the inspiratory flow rate exceeded the humidifier flow. To avoid gross contamination of the pneumotachograph, the delivered gases were not humidified in the experiment. With the system described, lower inspired oxygen levels were found than anticipated and dilution of humidification was also presumed to occur.
Low Molecular-Mass Gelators with Diyne Functional Groups and Their Unpolymerized and Polymerized Gel Assemblies

A series of low molecular-mass organogelators (LMOGs) with conjugated diyne units, R−C⋮CC⋮C−R‘, has been synthesized from 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid. R is a long alkyl chain and R‘ is a short or long alkyl chain containing an amide or ester group. The gelation efficiencies of these LMOGs and the parent acid (as assessed by the variety of liquids gelled, the amount of gelator needed for gelation, and the temporal and thermal stabilities of the gels) differ widely according to the nature of the substituents. An LMOG with an amide substituent is much more efficient than the corresponding molecule with an ester group, and LMOGs with longer R‘ chains are more efficient than those with shorter ones. When irradiated, some gel networks polymerize. In most cases, the polymerized aggregates phase-separate microscopically, but maintain the gel structure macroscopically. These gels are irreversibly photo- and thermo-chromic, and the thermal stabilities of some of the colored polymerized organogel networks are simila...
A multi-aperture imager for a wearable camera

A compact multi-aperture lens system consists of separate units deployed on a bendable substrate. Each unit includes a fast lens and wobbling sensor which allow high resolution image over a limited field of view.
Modeling wear of cast Ti alloys.

The wear behavior of Ti-based alloys was analyzed by considering the elastic–plastic fracture of individual alloys in response to the relevant contact stress field. Using the contact stresses as the process driving force, wear was computed as the wear rate or volume loss as a function of hardness and tensile ductility for Ti-based cast alloys containing an α, α+β or β microstructure with or without the intermetallic precipitates. Model predictions indicated that wear of Ti alloys increases with increasing hardness but with decreasing fracture toughness or tensile ductility. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data to elucidate the roles of microstructure in wear and contrasted against those in grindability.
The evaluation and management of hirsutism.

Abstract Hirsutism is the presence of terminal (coarse) hairs in females in a male-like pattern, affecting between 5% and 15% of women, depending on definition. Hirsutism has a significant negative impact on psychosocial development and is usually a sign of an underlying endocrine abnormality—namely, androgen excess. The most common cause of androgen excess is the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with 21-hydroxylase–deficient nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia, the hyperandrogenic insulin-resistant acanthosis nigricans syndrome, androgen-secreting tumors, and androgenic drug intake occurring less frequently. However, although 70–80% of patients with androgen excess demonstrate hirsutism, this sign may be less prevalent among women of Asian extraction. Conversely, not all hirsute patients have evidence of detectable androgen excess, as 5–15% of these women have “idiopathic hirsutism,” with normal ovulatory function and androgen levels. There is a strong familial predilection for hirsutism, primarily because the underlying endocrine disorders (eg, PCOS) and the factors regulating the development of hair growth (eg, androgen receptor activity, 5α-reductase activity) have a strong genetic component. The diagnostic evaluation of the potentially hirsute patient first involves confirming the presence of hirsutism and then excluding associated or etiological abnormalities and disorders (eg, ovulatory dysfunction, adrenal hyperplasia, diabetes, thyroid hormone abnormalities). Treatment should be undertaken using combination therapy, to possibly include 1) hormonal suppression (oral contraceptives, long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, and insulin sensitizers), 2) peripheral androgen blockade (spironolactone, flutamide, cyproterone acetate, or finasteride), and 3) mechanical/cosmetic amelioration and destruction of the unwanted hairs (electrology and, potentially, laser hair removal). The application of eflornithine hydrochloride 13.9% topical cream may also be useful to ameliorate unwanted facial hair growth. Overall, although hirsutism is a frequent and distressing abnormality often signaling an underlying endocrine disorder, a systematic approach to evaluation will uncover the etiology, and combination therapy will provide satisfactory treatment for most patients.
Enhanced electron transfer dissociation through fixed charge derivatization of cysteines.

Electron transfer dissociation (ETD) has proven to be a promising new ion activation method for proteomics applications due to its ability to generate c- and z-type fragment ions in comparison to the y- and b-type ions produced upon the more conventional collisional activation of peptides. However, low precursor charge states hinder the success of electron-based activation methods due to competition from nondissociative charge reduction and incomplete sequence coverage. In the present report, the reduction and alkylation of disulfide bonds prior to ETD analysis is evaluated by comparison of three derivatization reagents: iodoacetamide (IAM), N,N-dimethyl-2-chloro-ethylamine (DML), and (3-acrylamidopropyl)-trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTA). While both the DML and APTA modifications lead to an increase in the charge states of peptides, the APTA-peptides provided the most significant improvement in percent fragmentation and sequence coverage for all peptides upon ETD, including formation of diagnostic ions ...
Steady state modeling of large diameter crystal growth using baffles

Buoyancy driven flow in the crystal melt is one of the leading causes of segregation. Natural convection arises from the presence of thermal and/or solutal gradients in the melt and it is not possible to completely eliminate the convection even in the low gravity environment of space. This paper reports the results of computational modeling research that is being done in preparation for space-based experiments. The commercial finite element code FIDAP was used to simulate the steady convection of a gallium-doped germanium alloy in a Bridgman-Stockbarger furnace. In particular, the study examines the convection-suppressing benefits of inserting cylindrical baffles in the molten region to act as viscous dampers. These thin baffles are assumed to be inert and noncontaminating. The results from this study show the manner in which the streamlines, velocities, and temperature fields at various gravity levels are affected by the presence of baffles. The effects of changing both the number and position of the baffles are examined and the advantages and disadvantages of using baffles are considered.