cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-linear saturation of the trapped-ion mode by mode coupling in two dimensions

A study of the nonlinear saturation by mode coupling of the dissipative trapped-ion mode is presented in which both radial and poloidal variations are considered. The saturation mechanism consists of the nonlinear coupling via E x B convection of energy from linearly unstable modes to stable modes. Stabilization is provided at short poloidal wavelengths by Landau damping from trapped and circulating ions, at short radial wavelengths by effects associated with the finite ion banana excursions and at long wavelengths by ion collisions. A one-dimensional, nonlinear partial differential equation for the electrostatic potential derived in earlier work is extended to two dimensions and to third order in amplitude. Included systematically are kinetic effects, e.g., Landau damping and its spatial dependence due to magnetic shear. The stability and accessibility of equilibria are considered in detail for cases far from as well as close to marginal stability. In the first case three-wave interactions are found to be important when the spectrum of unstable modes is sufficiently narrow. In the latter case, it is found that for a single unstable mode, a four-wave interaction can provide the dominant saturation mechanism. Cross-field transport is calculated, and the scaling of results is considered for tokamak parameters.
The Impact of Chronic Illness on the Health and Well-Being of Family Members

Examined is the impact of dementia on the physical and mental health of all family members caring for an ill parent/spouse. The sample included 97 spouses of patients diagnosed with either Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia, 186 offspring, and 97 offspring spouses or "in-laws." Multiple regression tested the association between severity of the illness and family member health and well-being. Severity was significantly associated with health and well-being for spouses, offspring, and in-laws, regardless of the amount of caregiving, demonstrating the potential cascading effect of the illness through the family. Use of services displayed no direct association with spouse health and well-being, but service utilization interacted with illness severity. The relationship between severity of illness and spouse health was lower under conditions of high service utilization than under conditions of low service utilization.
Modeling Woven Fabric Tensile Strength Using Statistical Bundle Theory

Previous statistical models, developed to predict the strength of loose fiber bundles and composite materials, have been applied to the problem of predicting the tensile strength of woven fabrics when the underlying strength distributions of the warp and weft threads are known. The woven fabric was first assumed to act as a single loose bundle of threads with no thread interactions (equal load sharing), and Daniels' model was applied. In the second stage, a more complex chain-of-bundles model, which provides a method to take interactions into account, was then used. With this model, the effect of interactions due to interyarn friction and thread crimp can be seen in the number of sub-bundles forming the chain. The length of each of these sub-bundles, called the "overload length," is a measure of the influence of the crossing threads. Finally, a third refinement that accounts for interactions through localized, non-equal load sharing among yams was used.Experiments were performed using four different fabri...
Metal-Organic Complexes formed during the Treatment of Wood with Metal Salts

A RECENT communication by Belford, Cook and Nevard1 dealt with the subject of metal-cellulose complexes formed during the treatment of Douglas fir wood with various preservative processes comprising solutions of inorganic salts or mixtures of these. The authors claim that these are formed at room temperatures, and that, in the case of the copper complex, the process by which it is formed diners from the one described by Abrams and Bottoms2, who have also claimed the formation of a copper-cellulose complex when cellulose-containing materials, such as cotton, are treated with a solution of copper formate followed by heating.
Active noise control with linear control source and sensor arrays for a noise barrier

Abstract A study is conducted on minimizing the sum of the squared acoustic pressures with a linear array of control sources and a perpendicular linear array of error sensors, placed above the top of a noise barrier. Particular angular orientations, with respect to the center of the barrier top, and spacings of the linear arrays of control sources and error sensors result in moderate to significant additional reduction of the acoustic pressure in the shadow zone. Visual inspection of the sound pressure field, with and without active noise control, found that uniform and significant additional insertion loss can be generated near the barrier. Numerical simulations were conducted to test the proposed method. For separations between control sources and error sensors much less than a quarter wavelength of the primary noise disturbance, results show that the angular orientation, of the combined linear control source and sensor arrays, is a weak factor for acoustic pressure reduction in the shadow zone. Weak angle dependence serves as an advantage to the proposed method, which yields uniform performance for any angular orientation. An angular orientation involving the alignment of the furthest error sensor with the first diffracting edge of the barrier and the primary source was observed to perform well for a variety of frequencies, since the spacing between error sensors and between control sources is of the order of a quarter-wavelength. Improved noise control in the shadow zone of a barrier is achieved by the use of two control sources and angular orientation as mentioned above. Further spatial extension of the area of reduced acoustic pressure is possible by utilizing an increased number of control sources.
Respective clustering of unfavorable and favorable cytogenetic clones in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia with homozygosity for JAK2V617F and response to erythropoietin therapy

BACKGROUND Patients who have myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) display recurrent, albeit nonspecific cytogenetic abnormalities that are diverse prognostically. For the current study, the authors explored the relation between specific cytogenetic clones and JAK2V617F mutational status in patients with MMM and the effects on treatment response to erythropoietin (Epo). METHODS Concomitantly collected blood granulocytes and bone marrow were processed for JAK2V617F mutation analysis and cytogenetic studies, respectively. Genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescent dye chemistry sequencing was performed by using the same primers that were used for amplification. RESULTS Among 105 study patients, cytogenetic abnormalities were detected in 47 patients (45%), and the JAK2V617F mutation was detected in 52 patients (50%). Comparison of mutational frequencies between favorable (normal, sole 13q−, or 20q− clones; n = 70 patients) and unfavorable (all other abnormalities; n = 35 patients) cytogenetic categories revealed a significantly different incidence of homozygous JAK2V617F between them (9% vs. 23%, respectively; P = .04). Furthermore, the mutant allele coexisted with several recurrent cytogenetic lesions. Among 25 patients who received Epo either alone (n = 17 patients) or in combination with hydroxyurea (n = 8 patients), 4 patients (16%) achieved a response, and none of them were homozygous for JAK2V617F. Conversely, a response was more likely (P = .0001) in the presence of favorable cytogenetic abnormalities (i.e., 3 of 4 responders carried sole 13q− or 20q− clones). CONCLUSIONS Unfavorable and favorable cytogenetic clones in MMM clustered with homozygosity for JAK2V617F and treatment response to Epo-based therapy, respectively. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Cholecystokinin as a stimulus in drug discrimination learning.

Animals were trained to discriminate a relatively low dose of the octapeptide cholecystokinin (CCK) from distilled water within the conditioned taste aversion baseline of drug discrimination learning. Specifically, rats were injected with CCK (5.6 micrograms/kg) prior to the presentation of saccharin-LiCl pairings and with the CCK vehicle prior to the presentation of saccharin alone. After 10 conditioning trials (40 days), subjects acquired the discrimination, avoiding saccharin consumption following administration of CCK and consuming the same saccharin solution following the drug vehicle. Once the discrimination was acquired, a generalization function was determined for doses above and below that of the training stimulus. At doses below the training dose of CCK (i.e., 0, 3.2, and 4.2 micrograms/kg), subjects drank at control levels, whereas at the training dose and above (10 micrograms/kg) subjects significantly reduced consumption. That a relatively low dose of CCK can be used as a discriminative stimulus within a drug discrimination design may be important in that the procedure can now be used in the assessment of the pharmacological characteristics of CCK at a dose similar to that used in other behavioral assessments of the compound.
Relationship of ascorbic acid to secretion of adrenocortical hormones in guinea pigs.

Summary and Conclusions(1) The weight of the adrenal glands of guinea pigs on graded levels of intake of ascorbic acid varied inversely with daily intake of this vitamin. (2) A progressive decrease...
Detection of Gaussian signals in Poisson-modulated interference

Passive broadband detection of target signals by an array of hydrophones in the presence of multiple discrete interferers is analyzed under Gaussian statistics and low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. A nonhomogeneous Poisson-modulated interference process is used to model the ensemble of possible arrival directions of the discrete interferers. Closed-form expressions are derived for the recognition differential of the passive-sonar equation in the presence of Poisson-modulated interference. The interference-compensated recognition differential differs from the classical recognition differential by an additive positive term that depend on the interference-to-noise ratio, the directionality of the Poisson-modulated interference, and the array beam pattern.
Development and maintenance of B and T lymphocytes requires antiapoptotic MCL-1

Regulated apoptosis is essential for both the development and the subsequent maintenance of the immune system. Interleukins, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-7 and IL-15, heavily influence lymphocyte survival during the vulnerable stages of VDJ rearrangement and later in ensuring cellular homeostasis, but the genes specifically responsible for the development and maintenance of lymphocytes have not been identified. The antiapoptotic protein MCL-1 is an attractive candidate, as it is highly regulated, appears to enhance short-term survival and functions at an apical step in genotoxic deaths. However, Mcl-1 deficiency results in peri-implantation lethality. Here we show that mice conditional for Mcl-1 display a profound reduction in B and T lymphocytes when MCL-1 is removed. Deletion of Mcl-1 during early lymphocyte differentiation increased apoptosis and arrested the development at pro-B-cell and double-negative T-cell stages. Induced deletion of Mcl-1 in peripheral B- and T-cell populations resulted in their rapid loss. Moreover, IL-7 both induced and required MCL-1 to mediate lymphocyte survival. Thus, MCL-1, which selectively inhibits the proapoptotic protein BIM, is essential both early in lymphoid development and later on in the maintenance of mature lymphocytes.
Interrogation of Global Active Site Occupancy of a Fungal Iterative Polyketide Synthase Reveals Strategies for Maintaining Biosynthetic Fidelity

Nonreducing iterative polyketide synthases (NR-PKSs) are responsible for assembling the core of fungal aromatic natural products with diverse biological properties. Despite recent advances in the field, many mechanistic details of polyketide assembly by these megasynthases remain unknown. To expand our understanding of substrate loading, polyketide elongation, cyclization, and product release, active site occupancy and product output were explored by Fourier transform mass spectrometry using the norsolorinic acid anthrone-producing polyketide synthase, PksA, from the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway in Aspergillus parasiticus. Here we report the simultaneous observation of covalent intermediates from all catalytic domains of PksA from in vitro reconstitution reactions. The data provide snapshots of iterative catalysis and reveal an underappreciated editing function for the C-terminal thioesterase domain beyond its recently established synthetic role in Claisen/Dieckmann cyclization and product release. The specificity of thioesterase catalyzed hydrolysis was explored using biosynthetically relevant protein-bound and small molecule acyl substrates and demonstrated activity against hexanoyl and acetyl, but not malonyl. Processivity of polyketide extension was supported by the inability of a nonhydrolyzable malonyl analog to trap products of intermediate chain lengths and by the detection of only fully extended species observed covalently bound to, and as the predominant products released by, PksA. High occupancy of the malonyl transacylase domain and fast relative rate of malonyl transfer compared to starter unit transfer indicate that rapid loading of extension units onto the carrier domain facilitates efficient chain extension in a manner kinetically favorable to ultimate product formation.
A construction of Krein spaces of analytic functions

Abstract A Krein space generalization is obtained of certain Hilbert spaces of analytic functions which were introduced in 1966 by James Rovnyak and the author. Of particular interest is a uniqueness theorem for spaces having desired properties.
Presidential Influence in the Senate: Presidential Prestige as a Source of Presidential Power

There are many suggested sources of presidential influence in Congress. Among these are the President's party leadership, messages to Congress, personal persuasion, status as Chief of State, "professional reputation," and prestige. This study deals with presidential prestige (or popularity, the terms will be used interchangeably) as a source of presidential influence in the House. The concern here is not with how a president becomes popular' but with the more important question of whether it makes any difference if the President is popular or unpopular. It must be understood that when presidential prestige is discussed here, the reference is to general approval of the President and not to support for a specific policy. In other words, this study is concerned with the strategic and not the tactical level of presidential power.2 It examines one possible factor (presidential prestige) which increases a president's chances of success in influencing congressmen in any instance and not in just one particular circumstance.
Increased cerebrospinal fluid quinolinic acid, kynurenic acid, and L-kynurenine in acute septicemia.

: Increases in brain quinolinic acid have been implicated in neurodegeneration and convulsions that may accompany infectious diseases. In three rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with septicemia, both CSF and serum quinolinic acid concentrations were markedly elevated and were accompanied by increases in CSF kynurenic acid levels that were of a smaller magnitude. Elevated serum and CSF L-kynurenine concentrations also occurred and are consistent with activation of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase and increased substrate flux through the kynurenine pathway. Although it is probable that the marked increases in CSF quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid concentrations are reflected in the extracellular fluid space of brain, it remains to be determined whether the magnitude of such increases influences the activity of excitatory amino acid receptors in brain to produce excitotoxic pathology or noncytolytic disruption of functions mediated by excitatory amino acid receptors.
Accreting white dwarf models for type I supernovae. I. Presupernova evolution and triggering mechanisms

As a plausible explosion model for a Type I supernova, the evolution of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs accreting helium in binary systems was investigated from the onset of accretion up to the point at which a thermonuclear explosion occurs. The relationship between the conditions in the binary system and the triggering mechanism for the supernova explosion is discussed, especially for the cases with relatively slow accretion rate. It is found that the growth of a helium zone on the carbon-oxygen core leads to a supernova explosion which is triggered either by the off-center helium detonation for slow and intermediate accretion rates or by the carbon deflagration for slow and rapid accretion rates. Both helium detonation and carbon deflagration are possible for the case of slow accretion, since in this case the initial mass of the white dwarf is an important parameter for determining the mode of ignition. Finally, various modes of building up the helium zone on the white dwarf, namely, direct transfer of helium from the companion star and the various types and strength of the hydrogen shell flashes are discussed in some detail.
Dioryctria albovittella (Hulst) (Lep., Pyralidae) in shoots and cones of pinyon (Pinus edulis Engelm.) in Colorado

Larvae of Dioryctria albovittella (Hulst) feed in shoots and cones of Pinus edulis Engelmann and P. monophylla Torrey and Fremont in Colorado and elsewhere in the southwestern United States. There is a single annual generation; first instars overwinter in hibernacula. Larval feeding can cause loss of cones; damage to buds and shoots can alter the typical conical form of the hosts. Collection records indicate the specimens referred to as D. albovktella are associated with a broad range of conifers and over an area from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia west to British Columbia and California. It is possible that what has been called D. albovktella actually includes a complex of species. Zusammenfassung Dioryctria albovktella (Hulst), (Lep., Pyralidae), ein Trieb- und Zapfenschadling an Pinus edulis Engelmann in Colorado In Colorado und anderen Gebieten des Sudwestens der Vereinigten Staaten tritt Dioryctria albovktella an Pinus edulis und P. monophylla auf. Die Larven beschadigen die Kieferntriebe und -zapfen. D. albovktella hat eine einjahrige Generation und uberwintert als L1 in Knospen. Der Larvenfras kann den Verlust der Zapfen bewirken und durch die Beschadigung der Knospen und Triebe die typische konische Kronenform des Wirtsbaums verandern. D. albovktella ist mit einem weiten Artenspektrum von Koniferen vergesellschaftet. Das Verbreitungsgebiet erstreckt sich von Neufundland und Nova Scotia im Westen bis nach Britisch Kolumbien und Kalifornien. Es ist jedoch moglich, das Tiere, die als D. albovktella angesprochen wurden, in Wirklichkeit nicht alle dieser Art angehoren, sondern einen Artenkomplex darstellen.
Accelerated crack growth rate at low Delta K in a single crystal superalloy

The low Delta K crack growth behavior of a single crystal of the PWA 1480 nickel-based superalloy was investigated. The crystal was tested in the near (100) orientation with the side faces being in the near (001) orientation. Although in the higher Delta K region the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior is rather normal, at Delta K of about 8 MPa sq rt m, a transition occurs where the FCG rate appears to be independent of Delta K. This region is found to continue until Delta K of about 2.5 MPa sq rt m, where the FCG rate again decreases with decreasing Delta K.
Determination Of Rigid Body Characteristics From Time Domain Modal Test Data

Abstract A new method is presented to identify the characteristics of a rigid body and its supports, such as the center of gravity, the moment of inertia, and the stiffness and damping matrices, based on the measured time domain vibration data. Transformation matrices are formed using only the geometric co-ordinates relative to an arbitrarily selected origin to relate the pure translational measurement to both translation and rotation of the rigid body system, The rigid body modes and mode shapes, carefully selected from the accurately determined modes and mode shapes (rigid body and structural), are used, together with the special matrix structure, such as symmetry. The test result shows that the center of gravity and the moment of inertia are determined with good accuracy. The simple test procedure makes it an easily implementable method in practice.
Indecent influence: The positive effects of obscenity on persuasion

This experiment examined the effects of judicious swearing on persuasion in a pro‐attitudinal speech. Participants listened to one of three versions of a speech about lowering tuition that manipulated where the word “damn” appeared (beginning, end, or nowhere). The results showed that obscenity at the beginning or end of the speech significantly increased the persuasiveness of the speech and the perceived intensity of the speaker. Obscenity had no effect on speaker credibility.
BIOLOGICAL PLAUSIBILITY FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AS A COPOLLUTANT IN PM EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES

Several recent epidemiologic studies investigating the short-term effects of particulate matter (PM) concentrations have shown carbon monoxide (CO) to have the strongest and most consistent statistical relationship with hospital admissions for cardiac diseases. This article suggests a potential hypothesis for these epidemiologic observations. Oxygen (O2) is transported, in reversible combination with hemoglobin, from the lungs to the tissues, where it diffuses into cardiac myocytes. Within the myocyte a portion of the O2 diffuses directly to the mitochondria, while the remaining O2 is transported by facilitated diffusion bound to myoglobin, a heme protein found in muscle. Within the mitochondria, O2 reacts to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a high-energy phosphate compound that provides energy for all cell functions. Accordingly, the sustained production of ATP depends on the continuous delivery of O2 to the mitochondria, and failure at any point in the O2 transport system will compromise ATP production and myocardial function. Myoglobin, a fundamental constituent of cardiac muscle is essential for delivering O2 to the mitochondria. Myoglobin concentrations in cardiac tissue were 50% lower in patients with heart failure than in patients dying from noncardiac causes. Myoglobin concentrations are also severely depressed in animal models of congestive heart failure. Consequently, the role of myoglobin as a cellular transporter of O2 is seriously impaired by heart disease. Carbon monoxide reduces O2 transport to the tissues and, within the tissues, binds with myoglobin to form carboxymyoglobin (COMb). Thus, in cardiac patients CO further exacerbates the disease-related loss of myoglobin function. This further disrupts O2 transport and promotes adverse consequences for the compromised heart. Moreover, during hypoxia CO has the propensity of leaving the blood and binding with myoglobin in the intracellular compartment. Elderly persons with preexisting cardiopulmonary disorders appear to be at maximum risk of harmful health effects due to ambient air pollution exposure. Many of these disorders result in generalized or regional hypoxia. It is reasonable to hypothesize that CO also moves out of the blood of these patients and into the heart tissue whenever they are under hypoxic stress, such as exercise. Accordingly, CO binds with the marginal myoglobin concentrations present in the hearts of cardiac patients and further compromises cardiac function, resulting in poor tolerance of activity. Therefore, reduced cardiac myoglobin in people with heart disease, further exacerbated by CO moving into the cardiac tissue during episodes of hypoxia, may account for the positive association between ambient CO concentrations and hospitalization for heart disease.
Influence of Summer Temperature on Sex Ratios in Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis)

Abstract Using museum records, we examined sex ratios for 32 collections of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) in the eastern United States. Results from logistic regression analyses indicate that female-dominated sex ratios are associated with warmer, mean high temperatures in June. Male-dominated collections, and those with approximately even sex ratios, occurred disproportionately in the Appalachian Highlands where monthly mean high temperatures were lower than in either the Central Lowlands-Interior Low Plateaus or Coastal Plain-Piedmont regions. Efforts to maximize conservation of summer roosting and foraging habitat that favors the female population segment of eastern red bats should be directed at areas where June mean high temperatures exceed 28.5 C.
Reliability of systems with Markov transfer of control, II

Software/hardware systems are considered which can be decomposed into a finite number of modules. It is assumed that control of the system is transferred among the modules according to a Markov process. Each module has an associated reliability which gives the probability that the module will operate correctly when called and will transfer control successfully when finished. The system will eventually either fail or complete its task successfully and enter a terminal state. The reliability of the system is studied in terms of the module reliabilities and the transition probabilities. Improved methods of predicting system reliability, allocating module reliability, and determining module sensitivity are developed. Special branching and sequential systems are studied in detail. >
Formal specification of bounded buffer using stream functions

Formal specifications of software components are critical to software development. Several types of formal or semi-formal methods are commonly used for software specification, such as specification languages, graphic diagrams, algebraic descriptions, and stream functions. Each of these methods addresses the specification problem from a different view point and has its own strengthens and weaknesses. In this paper, we use the stream function approach to formally specify a particular software component, bounded buffer. Based on the specification, a state transition machine is built as an implementation of the bounded queue.
Development and Implementation of Novel UHF Paper-Based RFID Designs for Anti-counterfeiting and Security Applications

In this paper, we proposed the development and implementation of novel paper-based UHF RFID designs for anti-counterfeiting and security. Miniaturization and global-band antenna configurations and utilization of inkjet printing techniques in/on organic substrates, such as paper, that will enable the low cost and large-scale implementation of RFID-enabled semi-autonomous sensors for "cognitive-intelligence" applications, are also discussed for a variety of security-related areas, featuring a great potential for low-cost large-scale solutions.
Altered Taste Perception and Nutritional Status Among Hemodialysis Patients

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the association between altered taste perception and nutritional status among hemodialysis patients. Design We performed a post hoc analysis of data from the Hemodialysis study (n = 1,745). Taste perception was assessed at baseline and then updated annually using an item from a quality of life survey that asked "During the past 4 weeks, to what extent were you bothered by loss of taste?" Responses were categorized as normal taste perception if subjects answered "not at all" or altered taste perception if they reported any degree of bother. Time-updated logistic regression models were used to evaluate predictors of altered taste perception. Time-updated linear regression models were used to examine the association between altered taste perception and indices of nutritional status. Multivariable proportional hazards and Poisson models were used to assess association between altered taste perception and mortality and hospitalization, respectively. Results At baseline, 34.6% reported altered taste perception, which was associated with poorer baseline nutritional status. On time-updated analysis, altered taste perception was associated with a persistently higher proportion of subjects requiring enteral nutritional supplements and lower serum albumin, serum creatinine, normalized protein catabolic rate, protein intake, sodium intake, and mid-arm muscle circumference. Altered taste perception at baseline was independently associated with increased all-cause mortality: adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.17 (1.01-1.37), although not with increased rate of hospitalization. Conclusion Altered taste perception was common among prevalent hemodialysis patients and was independently associated with poorer indices of nutritional status and increased all-cause mortality.
Alternate Routing in Tandem Traffic-Groomed Optical Networks

Recent advances in telecommunication networks have allowed WDM to emerge as a viable solution to the ever-increasing demands of the Internet. Because these networks carry large amounts of traffic, alternate routing methods are designed in order to allow traffic to be properly re-routed from source to destination in the event of certain events, such as link blocking or failure. In this paper, we consider a tandem traffic-groomed optical network, modeled as a multi-level overflow system, where each level represents a wavelength between adjacent nodes. The queueing network is analyzed using a combination of methods. As will be shown, the decomposition method provides a good approximate analysis of large overflow systems supporting traffic from multiple sources.
Alternative designs for a genetic switch: analysis of switching times using the piecewise power-law representation.

Some genes are thought to be switched discontinuously ON or OFF in response to environmental or developmental stimuli, whereas other genes are thought to be switched in a continuously variable fashion. We have previously identified criteria that distinguish between discontinuous and continuous genetic switches for an inducible catabolic pathway. These two types of switches exhibit several additional characteristics, beyond their qualitatively distinct behaviors, that influence their natural selection. These characteristics include threshold value, magnitude of the input signal required for switching (‘switching effort’), magnitude of the corresponding output signal, duty cycle, switching time, and robustness. In order to characterize the biological design principles governing such switches, we have developed mathematical models of generic gene circuits and analyzed their behavior. Here we report the results of a comparative study designed to identify essential differences in switching time. This study has been greatly facilitated by use of the piecewise power-law representation, which was first developed by systems engineers in the 1940s and adapted for biochemical systems in the early 1970s. With this approach, we have been able to derive analytical expressions for switching time. When the alternative designs are made as nearly equivalent as possible, by the method of mathematically controlled comparison, we find that the switching times for the continuous case are less than that for the corresponding discontinuous case.We also find that ON times are faster than OFF times in all cases. These results are discussed in the specific context of the inducible lactose operon of Escherichia coli.
Mechanical response functions of finite-temperature Bose-Einstein condensates

Using the Liouville space framework developed in nonlinear optics, we calculate the linear response functions and susceptibilities of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) subject to an arbitrary mechanical force. Distinct signatures of the dynamics of finite-temperature BEC are obtained by solving the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. Numerical simulations of the position-dependent linear response functions of one-dimensional trapped BEC in the time and the frequency domains are presented.
Optical fiber probe monitor for neonatal bilirubinemia

Computer simulations of light propagation in a multilayered skin model (Monte Carlo) and experimental measurements with scaled phantom models of layered skin are reported. The goal is an algorithm for reliable quantification bilirubin despite variations in skin optics, using spectra from an optical fiber probe taped onto the skin. In the model the level of pigmentation in each of the four principle layers of the skin, the pigmented epidermis, the superficial papillary dermis, the venous plexus, and the reticular dermis, is varied by varying absorption coefficient. The Monte Carlo simulation gives the reflectance value for the skin and a map of the light distribution within the skin. >
Design optimization of multilayer nonlinear antiresonant waveguides for blue - green surface normal second-harmonic generation.

We present a self-consistent design optimization for nonlinear antiresonant optical waveguides with quasi-phase-matched AlxGa1−xAs multilayer cores. Design parameters for efficient surface normal second-harmonic generation at green and blue wavelengths are obtained.
An adaptive distributed system-level diagnosis algorithm and its implementation

An adaptive distributed system-level diagnosis algorithm, called Adaptive DSD, suitable for local area networks, is presented. Adaptive DSD assumes a distributed network in which nodes perform tests of other nodes and determine them to be faulty or fault-free. Test results conform to the PMC model of system-level diagnosis. Tests are issued from each node adaptively and depend on the fault situation of the network. Adaptive DSD is proved correct in that each fault-free node reaches an accurate independent diagnosis of the fault conditions of the remaining nodes. Furthermore, no restriction is placed on the number of faulty nodes. The algorithm can diagnose any fault situation with any number of faulty nodes. Adaptive DSD is shown to be a considerable improvement over previous efforts including being optimal in terms of the total number of tests and messages required. The use of the algorithm in an actual distributed network environment and the experimentation within that environment are described. >
Novel fluorescent oxygen indicator for intracellular oxygen measurements

Intracellular oxygen concentration is of primary importance in determining numerous physiological and pathological processes in biological systems. In this paper, we describe the application of the oxygen sensing indicator, ruthenium dibipyridine 4-(1"-pyrenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine chloride [Ru(bpy-pyr)(bpy)(2)], for molecular oxygen measurement in J774 murine macrophages. Ru(bpy-pyr)(bpy)(2) exhibits strong visible absorption, efficient fluorescence, long excited state lifetime, large Stokes shift, and high photo- and chemical stability. The fluorescence of Ru(bpy-pyr)(bpy)2 is efficiently quenched by molecular oxygen. It is 13 fold higher in a nitrogenated solution than in an oxygenated one. The dye passively permeates into cells and maintains its oxygen sensitivity for at least 5 h when the cells are stored in a phosphate buffered saline solution at pH 7.4. The oxygen sensitivity, photostability, and chemical stability of the indicator and the effect of hypoxia and hyperoxia on the intracellular oxygen level in single macrophages are discussed.
Competitive Hebbian learning

Summary form only given. Competitive Hebbian learning, a modified Hebbian-learning rule, is introduced. In competitive Hebbian learning the change in each connection weight is made proportional to the product of node and input activities multiplied by a factor which decreases with increasing activity on the other nodes. The individual nodes learn to respond to different components of the input activity while collectively developing maximal response. Several applications of competitive Hebbian learning were presented to show examples of the power and versatility of this learning algorithm. >
The Impact of Bandwidth on the Performance of DSSS Signals in Indoor Office Environments

This letter presents an empirical analysis of the impact of spreading bandwidth on fading performance of direct-sequence spread spectrum signals. Over 20000 measurements were recorded in an indoor office environment at chip rates of 25 MHz, 100 MHz, 225 MHz, 400 MHz, and 500 MHz. A continuous wave signal was also used to characterize the fading of narrowband signals. Three particular effects are examined as chip rate (i.e., bandwidth) increases: energy splintering due to temporal dispersion, reduction in the fading of the total received energy due to reduced multipath interaction and the fading reduction per resolvable component. The effects are characterized for line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight environments and are used to determine the BER performance of a BPSK system when operating in the presence of all three effects. The results are also compared with the theoretical relationship between signal energy variation and chip rate. The analysis demonstrates that the use of a chip rate greater than 225 MHz (or bandwidth greater than approximately 200 MHz) provides only minor improvements in fading performance in these environments.
Lemkin's Forewarning: The Perverse Consequences of Expanding the Use of Force

Despite the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, which established a legal obligation for the world “to prevent and to punish” genocide, the international community has repeatedly failed to intervene to prevent this crime. In 2005, the United Nations addressed this failure by endorsing the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a norm that expands the number of human rights abuses justifying intervention beyond genocide. R2P appears as if it could only have a positive effect, but drawing on original documents contained in the United Nations archives in Geneva, current debates in criminal law, and evidence from recent cases of mass atrocity, this paper argues that broad normative frameworks expanding intervention to protect human rights beyond the right to life may result in perverse consequences that are detrimental to genocide prevention. The broader implication of this finding is that while the international community should attempt to protect all human rights through peaceful means, military intervention should be reserved for the most egregious human rights abuse, for the crime of crimes, for genocide alone.
Executive Functioning Deficits Increase Kindergarten Children's Risk for Reading and Mathematics Difficulties in First Grade.

Abstract Whether executive functioning deficits result in children experiencing learning difficulties is presently unclear. Yet evidence for these hypothesized causal relations has many implications for early intervention design and delivery. We used a multi-year panel design, multiple criterion and predictor variable measures, extensive statistical control for potential confounds including autoregressive prior histories of both reading and mathematics difficulties, and additional epidemiological methods to preliminarily examine these hypothesized relations. Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses of a nationally representative and longitudinal sample of 18,080 children (i.e., the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Cohort of 2011, or ECLS-K: 2011) indicated that working memory and, separately, cognitive flexibility deficits uniquely increased kindergarten children's risk of experiencing reading as well as mathematics difficulties in first grade. The risks associated with working memory deficits were particularly strong. Experimentally-evaluated, multi-component interventions designed to help young children with reading or mathematics difficulties may also need to remediate early deficits in executive function, particularly in working memory.
Software Effort Estimation Using a Neural Network Ensemble

Accurate software effort estimation is crucial for software consulting organizations to stay competitive in their software development costs and retain customers. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is an effective tool to obtain accurate effort estimates. In this paper, software effort estimation models using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) ensembles and regression analysis are developed based on data collected from 163 software development projects. The main emphasis of the paper is in developing an effective experimental design to achieve superior effort estimation results. In addition, we compare the software effort estimation of ANNs and multiple regression analysis. We found two interesting results. First, variables other than size (function points) are not especially helpful in predicting software development effort. Second, a properly designed ANN ensemble significantly outperforms estimation using regression analysis and can achieve better effort estimate predictions.
Label-Free Protease Sensors Based on Optical Microsphere Resonators

Simple and effective sensors for proteolytic activity are of interest to clinical diagnosis, homeland security, and nanofabrication. We demonstrate a novel label-free sensor for proteolytic activity utilizing an optical microsphere resonator that relies on circulation of the light to enhance the interaction with analytes. As a model, we employ the protease trypsin and a monolayer of BSA as a substrate on the sphere surface. We show a trypsin detection limit of approximately 10−4 Units/ml, corresponding to removal of 0.6% of each BSA molecule on the sphere surface. The detection limit obtained in this work indicates that a microsphere sensor with specificity for a protease of interest can be designed using synthesized peptides and a functionalized microsphere.
Maternal residential proximity to major roadways, birth weight, and placental DNA methylation.

Abstract Background Exposure to traffic pollution during fetal development has been associated with reduced fetal growth, and there is evidence to suggest that epigenetic mechanisms in the placenta in the form of variant DNA methylation may be a potential mechanism underlying this effect. Objectives To examine the association between residential proximity to nearest major roadway, as a marker of traffic-related pollution, fetal growth and placental DNA methylation. Methods We obtained residential addresses, placenta samples, and demographic data from 471 women following delivery of term infants. Using generalized linear models we evaluated the association between living close to a major roadway (defined as living ≤ 150 m from a primary highway or primary road or ≤ 50 m from a secondary road) and fetal growth and DNA methylation of repetitive elements (LINE-1 and AluYb8). We evaluated epigenome-wide methylation in a subset of 215 women to further investigate specific variation in DNA methylation associated with proximity to major roadways. Results Living close to a major roadway was associated with a 175.9 g (95% CI: − 319.4, − 32.5; p = 0.016) lower birth weight, 1.8 (95% CI: 0.9, 3.8; p = 0.09) times the odds of being small for gestational age, and 0.82 percentage points (95% CI: − 1.57, − 0.07; p = 0.03) lower mean placental LINE-1 methylation levels in fully adjusted models. In epigenome-wide analyses, 7 CpG sites were significantly associated with residential proximity to major roadways. Additional adjustment for placental methylation did not attenuate the association between roadway proximity and birth weight. Conclusions Living close to major roadways was associated with both lower fetal growth and significant placental epigenetic changes. However, the observed epigenetic changes appear insufficient to explain the observed association between roadway proximity and fetal growth.
Wettability of Copper Coated Graphite and Molten Aluminum

The complete dense copper cladding is formed on the surface of graphite particles by electroless copper plating to develop the wettability between graphite and aluminum.Then 8%mass copper coated graphite powders are put into the aluminum alloy matrix to fabricate the metal matrix composites by melt stirring.The sessile drop technique is used to measure the contact angle between molten aluminum and graphite or copper coated graphite.Meanwhile,SEM is adopted to detect the micro-morphology of Al(Grp) matrix composites.The results show that the contact angle between molten aluminum and copper coated graphite is 27°,and the wettability is very good on the interface.The copper coated graphite powders are well distributed in the aluminum alloy matrix.
Rules in Writing an English Business Letter

This article analyses and summarizes from the angles of vocabulary and discourse the rules in writing an English business letter. It states in detail that so as to realize its communicating function, a good English business letter should be concise in vocabulary, courtesy and tactful in manner, fixed in format and coherent in discourse.
Integration of Quantitative Positron Emission Tomography Absolute Myocardial Blood Flow Measurements in the Clinical Management of Coronary Artery Disease

In the >40 years since planar myocardial imaging with(43)K-potassium was introduced into clinical research and management of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), diagnosis and treatment have undergone profound scientific and technological changes. One such innovation is the current state-of-the-art hardware and software for positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging, which has advanced it from a strictly research-oriented modality to a clinically valuable tool. This review traces the evolving role of quantitative positron emission tomography measurements of myocardial blood flow in the evaluation and management of patients with CAD. It presents methodology, currently or soon to be available, that offers a paradigm shift in CAD management. Heretofore, radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging has been primarily qualitative or at best semiquantitative in nature, assessing regional perfusion in relative terms. Thus, unlike so many facets of modern cardiovascular practice and CAD management, which depend, for example, on absolute values of key parameters such as arterial and left ventricular pressures, serum lipoprotein, and other biomarker levels, the absolute levels of rest and maximal myocardial blood flow have yet to be incorporated into routine clinical practice even in most positron emission tomography centers where the potential to do so exists. Accordingly, this review focuses on potential value added for improving clinical CAD practice by measuring the absolute level of rest and maximal myocardial blood flow. Physiological principles and imaging fundamentals necessary to understand how positron emission tomography makes robust, quantitative measurements of myocardial blood flow possible are highlighted.