cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aging rules: what does the past tell about the future in mobile ad-hoc networks?

The study in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) is facing challenges brought by recent discovery of non-exponential behavior of the inter-contact time distribution of mobile nodes. In this paper, we analyze various characteristics of the relative mobility of a random pair of nodes in MANET to show that they produce inter-contact time with different aging properties. First, by fixing one node and resorting to the random walks on directed graphs, we mathematically prove that under four classes of stochastic mobility patterns, the resulting inter-contact times have constant/decreasing/increasing failure rate and new-better-than-used property. Then, we consider the case when both nodes are mobile and use simulation results to uncover the aging property of their inter-contact times under random waypoint models and random walk mobility models. This aging property tells us how to correctly relate the past experience of mobile nodes with their future behavior, thereby allowing tremendous opportunities brought by the memory structure in the non-exponential inter contact time, which would be impossible under the widely assumed exponentially distributed (memoryless) inter-contact time. As an application of our results, we establish for the first time that the approach based on exponential inter-contact time assumption can either under-estimate or over-estimate the actual system performance, under different stochastic mobility patterns indexed by their aging properties. Our results on aging properties also provide theoretic guidelines on how to exploit the memory structure toward better design of protocols under general mobility.
Calculation of the shear modulus of a two-dimensional vortex lattice

We have calculated the temperature-dependent shear modulus [mu]([ital T]) of a vortex lattice in a two-dimensional superconductor. We include fluctuations by expanding the Ginzburg-Landau free-energy functional in states from the lowest Landau level, and evaluate the shear modulus by standard Monte Carlo techniques for rectangular samples containing up to 224 vortices. At the thermodynamic melting transition, which is apparently first order as found by previous workers, the shear modulus falls from a finite value in the solid phase to zero in the liquid. Despite the first-order transition, the magnitude of the drop may be near the universal value envisioned in dislocation-unbinding theories.
Is it Hot in Here or is it Just Me? Information Quality and Investment Timing

Information gathered through market activity has been portrayed alternatively as a source of firm advantages and as the cause of firm disadvantages. Information collected through market activity ma...
Effect of sampling scale on the assessment of epiphytic bacterial populations

Bacterial populations on above-ground plant surfaces were estimated at three different biological scales, including leaflet disks, entire leaflets, and whole plants. The influence of sample scale on the estimation of mean bacterial population size per unit and per gram and on the variability among sampling units was quantified at each scale. Populations were highly variable among sampling units at every scale examined, suggesting that there is no optimal scale at which sample variance is reduced. The distribution of population sizes among sample units was sometimes, but not consistently, described by the lognormal. Regardless of the sampling scale, expression of population sizes on a per gram basis may not reduce variance, because population size was not generally a function of sample unit weight within any single sampling scale. In addition, the data show that scaling populations on a per gram basis does not provide a useful means of comparing population estimates from samples taken at different scales. The implications of these results for designing sampling strategies to address specific issues in microbial ecology are discussed.
Hyperlipidemia as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease

Elevated levels of blood lipids are well-documented risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Current classification schemes and treatment levels for hyperlipidemia are based on the National Cholesterol Education Panel's Adult Treatment Program-3 (ATP-III) guidelines. Extensive research over the past decade has raised the question whether or not ATP-III guidelines are sufficiently aggressive. New guidelines from ATP-IV are expected to be released in the near future, but in the meantime physicians are faced with uncertainty about how low to target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, whether to pharmacologically treat high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and how best to achieve target goals.
Competitive release in microhabitat use among coexisting desert rodents a natural experiment

Competitive release among desert rodents on sand dunes of differing species richness was examined in the Great Basin and Mohave Deserts, USA. Expansions in microhabitat use were exhibited by the kangaroo rats Dipodomys ordii and D. merriami (granivorous heteromyid rodents, weighing 49 and 42 g, respectively) as the number of coexisting heteromyid species decreased geographically. Perognathus longimembris, the only common small heteromyid species (7 g) exhibited no competitive release. This may be due either to the absence of competitive interactions that affect the use of space by P. longimembris or to an unacceptable increase in risk of predation that precludes the use of more open microhabitats even in the absence of kangaroo rats. The breadth of microhabitat use of an omnivorous cricetid, Peromyscus maniculatus, decreased as the density of Perognathus longimembris increased, and increased as the density of conspecifics increased. The evidence for competitive release in Dipodomys and not in Perognathus is consistent with the hypothesis that species in the same guild and of similar size compete more intensely than species of disparate size.
Development of a Novel, Rapid Processing Protocol for Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection of Bacterial Infections in Synovial Fluids

We describe the development of a molecular detection system designed for use with synovial fluid (SF)-based infections. The methodology employs a lysis/extraction procedure that effectively disrupts microorganisms allowing for release of the microbial DNA and its amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We tested the effectiveness of adding a mixed-bed, ion-exchange resin to the extract to remove PCR inhibitory components present in the SF. After centrifugation to separate the resin, DNA contained in the supernatant is subjected to PCR using oligonucleotide primers designed for broad-spectrum microorganism detection. Amplification products are analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and/or DNA hybridization methodology. We report here the detection sensitivity and specificity of the protocol using SF inoculated with Escherichia coli and Staphyloccocus aureus. We have applied this new methodology to clinical SF specimens with results superior to standard laboratory culturing assays.
Feasibility of a Method to Quantify Movement-Induced Conformational Changes in the Superficial Femoral and Popliteal (Femoropopliteal) Arterial Tree Using 3-D Angiography

Endovascular revascularization of the superficial femoral and popliteal (femoropopliteal (FP)) artery is currently plagued by high rates of restenosis and stent fracture. One hypothesis behind these suboptimal clinical results implicates the unique physical forces that are applied to the FP segment during daily leg movement. In an effort to elucidate these forces, we applied angiography-based previously validated three-dimensional (3-D) modeling algorithms to angiograms of a FP artery in a patient with peripheral arterial disease. As the FP is the longest artery in the body, overlapping paired angiographic images of the entire FP artery were required. From these pair of two-dimensional angiographic views, individual 3-D FP segments can be generated. A validated fusion process was then performed in order to join these FP segments to form a complete 3-D FP artery. In order to investigate the effects of motion upon this arterial segment, we performed angiography and subsequent 3-D modeling of the FP artery in both the straight-leg (SL) and crossed-leg (CL) positions. In this paper, the methodology used to generate an in vivo FP artery model from sequentially acquired multiple angiographic images is reviewed. The data set from one patient in the SL and CL positions are used to demonstrate the 3-D modeling and fusion processes followed by the computation of various quantitative estimates in order to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. Inclusive in this technique is an assessment of the twist angle that is induced when the FP artery is moved from the SL to the CL position. The authors also submit the validation results for the method of calculating these twist angles as assessed on a metallic phantom and a computer-simulated arterial tree model.
Cholecystadenoma and the use of cholecystokinin

1. Little, G., Meador, C. K., Cunningham, R., and Pittman, J. A.: Cryptothyroidism: The major cause of sporadic "athyrotic" cretinism, J. Clin. Endocr. 25: 1529, 1965. 2. Buckman, L. T.: Lingual thyroid, Laryngoscope 46: 765, 1936. 3. Dodds, W. J., and Powell, M. R.: Lingual thyroid scanned with technetium 99M pertechnetate, Amer. J. Roentgen. 100: 786, 1967. 4. Hung, W., Randolph, J. G., Sabatini, D., and Winship, T.: Lingual and sublingual thyroid glands in euthyroid children, Pediatrics 38: 647, t966. 5. Andros, G., Harper, P. V, Lathrop, K. A., and McCardle, R. J.: Pertechnetate-99M localization in man with appIications to thyroid scanning and the study of thyroid physiology, J. Clin. Endocr. 25: 1067, 1965.
Boys Will Be Boys--But What Happens to the Girls?.

Summary This paper draws on data from the Bradford After Sixteen survey to look at the destinations of girls after they reach statutory school leaving age. It examines interview data with girls in and out of employment, on YOP schemes, at school and at college. Finally, it looks briefly at the lack of explanatory models to understand the girls’ situation. ∗This paper was prepared for the British Sociological Association Conference on Gender and Society, April 1982.
Lapdogs and Moral Shepherd’s Dogs: Canine and Paid Female Companions in Nineteenth-Century English Literature

These verses by Samuel Jackson Pratt, excerpted from his epitaph to a lapdog in Liberal Opinions, Upon Animals, Man, and Providence (1775), articulate the function and characteristics of the ideal lapdog in the eighteenth century (quoted in Tague, 2008). A “Skill’d” “Friend,” the “faithful” lapdog offers company and amusement to its, specifically “female,” owner. The strength of the attachment is emphasized through the reference to partnership and the suggestion of intimacy implied by the bower; this diction, coupled with the allusion to common marriage vows in the fifth line of this passage, aligns the lapdog–owner relationship with that of husband and wife, a bond culturally understood as among the strongest connection between human beings. Indeed, this touching ode to “woman’s best friend” could just as easily have been written to describe a human. Not only does the poet anthropomorphize his subject, but the characterization of the lapdog is equally applicable to another common companionate figure in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England: the paid female companion. Paid female companions were the hired friends of other women and, like the lapdog, they were expected to provide their mistresses with company and entertainment in addition to serving as a confidant and chaperone.
Computed tomographic demonstrated infarcts after surgical and endovascular treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background. Cerebral infarction is a sequela of vasospasm. Other etiologies for infarction after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), however, have not been well-studied. To determine the incidence and etiologies for infarction after SAH, we reviewed the head CT scans of all SAH patients at our center from 1993–2000.
Topographic organization of cortical and subcortical projections to posterior cingulate cortex in the cat: evidence for somatic, ocular, and complex subregions.

The posterior cingulate area (CGp) of the cat consists of cortex on the exposed cingulate gyrus and in the adjacent ventral bank of the splenial sulcus. We have placed deposits of distinguishable fluorescent tracers at multiple restricted sites in CGp and have analyzed the distribution throughout the forebrain of neurons labeled by retrograde transport. Cortical projections to CGp arise (in approximately descending order of strength) from anterior cingulate cortex; prefrontal cortex and premotor areas including the frontal eye fields; visual areas including especially areas 7 and 20b; parahippocampal areas; insular cortex; somesthetic areas; and auditory areas. Corticocortical pathways are organized topographically with respect to the posterior-anterior axis in CGp. Projections from prefrontal cortex and other areas with complex (as opposed to sensory, motor, or limbic) functions are concentrated posteriorly; projections from visual and oculomotor areas are concentrated at an intermediate level; and projections from areas with somesthetic and somatomotor functions are concentrated anteriorly. Thalamic projections to CGp arise from the anterior nuclei (AD, AV, and AM), from restricted portions of the ventral complex (VAd, VAm, and VMP), from discrete sectors of the lateral complex (LD, LPs, and LPm), from the rostral crescent of intralaminar nuclei (CM, PC, and CL), and from the reuniens nucleus. Projections from AM, VAd, LD, and LPs are spatially ordered in the sense that more ventral thalamic neurons project to more anterior cortical sites. Projections from AV and AD are stronger at more posterior cortical sites but do not show other signs of topographic ordering. Projections from LPm, CM, PC, CL, and RE are diffuse. We conclude (1) that cortical afferents of CGp derive predominantly from neocortical areas including those with well established sensory and motor functions; (2) that limbic projections to CGp originate primarily in structures, including the hippocampus, which are associated with memory, as opposed to structures, including the amygdala, which are associated with emotional and instinctual behavior; and (3) that CGp contains subregions in which complex, ocular, or somatic afferents predominate. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The role of crystallization and phase separation in the formation of physically cross-linked PVA hydrogels

The biocompatibility, processing ease, and mechanical properties of freeze-thawed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogels have encouraged significant research toward developing this material for various biomedical applications. Crystallization that occurs during the freeze-thawing process is cited in the literature as the primary mechanism responsible for the resultant mechanical properties. Further analysis, however, shows the presence of two unique mechanisms that contribute to PVA's mechanical properties. During freeze–thaw cycling water freezes causing phase separation, which facilitates crystallization. The impact of phase separation during freeze–thaw cycling was investigated by comparing freeze-thawed and aged PVA hydrogels. Aged hydrogels were not prepared by freezing and, therefore, did not exhibit significant phase separation. The amount of phase separation was discerned using optical microscopy in the hydrated state. Crystallinity and mechanical properties were also evaluated as a function of the number of cycles (for freeze-thawed gels) and aging time (for aged gels). For freeze-thawed hydrogels, crystallinity deviated significantly from the trend observed in compressive modulus, indicating that crystallinity was not the only factor determining the hydrogel's mechanical properties. Phase separation was found to occur during freeze–thaw cycling independently of crystallization, especially at later freeze–thaw cycles (after the third). The trends observed for both crystallinity and modulus for aged hydrogels, however, were in better agreement with each other. Further evaluation of the mechanical properties of aged and freeze-thawed hydrogels with similar crystallinities indicated that freeze-thawed hydrogels have significantly higher modulus values (p < 0.05). As a result, phase separation, independently of crystallization, was determined to have a significant effect on gelation during freeze–thaw cycling. In particular, PVA-rich regions that are formed during phase separation, without additional cross-linking, are believed to have a significant effect on the resultant mechanical properties.
Knowledge without power: International relations scholars and the US war in Iraq

In this article we present several important first steps toward understanding the role of academics in shaping US foreign policy – identifying their policy views on one of the most salient foreign policy issues of this generation, the US War in Iraq; exploring how those views differ from public opinion more generally; and assessing the extent to which scholarly opinion was reflected in the public debate. To determine how IR scholars’ views on the invasion of Iraq differed from those of the public, we compare the answers of IR scholars at US colleges and universities to those of the US public on similar opinion survey questions. To this end, we analyze data from a unique series of surveys of IR scholars conducted by the Teaching, Research, and International Policy project.
SERIAL MALINGERING ON VERBAL AND NONVERBAL FLUENCY AND MEMORY MEASURES : AN ANALOG INVESTIGATION

Analysis of response consistency on neuropsychological test performance, both within and across testing sessions, can be an important method of detecting malingering. Little systematic research, however, has examined how suspected malingerers perform across repeat evaluations, a common forensic occurrence. To address this issue, we examined performance across a 3-week interval in an analogue malingering design on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), the Rey Complex Figure, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and the Ruff Figural Fluency Test. Malingering simulators (n = 21) performed more poorly on all measures than the controls (n = 21) and demonstrated practice effects on the nonverbal, but not the verbal, tests. Controls demonstrated practice effects on all measures across time. Contrary to hypotheses, malingering simulators demonstrated high and similar levels of between and within time consistency as controls when assessed via a series of correlations. Despite this consistency, when qualitative performance patterns were assessed on the CVLT, simulators were less likely to consistently recall the same word across successive learning trials. The following issues are discussed: (a) the differential pattern of practice effects on verbal and nonverbal tasks, (b) qualitative and quantitative differences in assessment of consistency, and (c) how future research should study consistency/inconsistency.
Conserved intron elements repress splicing of a neuron-specific c-src exon in vitro.

The neuron-specific N1 exon of the mouse c-srctranscript is normally skipped in nonneuronal cells. In this study, we examined the sequence requirements for the exclusion of this exon in nonneuronal HeLa cell nuclear extracts. We found that the repression of the N1 exon is mediated by specific intron sequences thatflank the N1 exon. Mutagenesis experiments identified conserved CUCUCU elements within these intron regions that are required for the repression of N1 splicing. The addition of an RNA competitor containing the upstream regulatory sequence to the HeLa extract induced splicing of the intron downstream of N1, indicating that the competitor sequence binds to splicing repressor proteins. The similarities between this mechanism for src splicing repression and the repression of other regulated exons point to a common role of exon-spanning interactions in splicing repression. Acommonmechanismfortheregulationofgeneexpression entails the use of alternative splice sites to produce multiple protein-coding sequences from the same mRNA precursor (pre-mRNA). The regulation of splice site selection is often specific to tissue type or developmental state, so that an alteration in the splice site choice can produce a functional change in the encoded protein. Although examples of regulated premRNA splicing are common, in most cases the mechanisms that govern splice site choice remain unclear (30). Two of the best-understood systems of alternative splicing are found in theDrosophila melanogastersexual differentiation pathway (27, 33). The female-specific protein Sex-lethal (Sxl) acts as a repressor of the default or male splicing patterns of several transcripts in this genetic pathway. By binding to specific sequence elements in its target transcripts, Sxl blocks the bindingofgeneralsplicingfactorstocertainsplicesites(15,19, 36, 37, 40). In contrast to Sxl, the transformer (tra) and transformer-2 (tra-2) proteins are positive regulators of splicing in the sex determination pathway. These proteins activate the splicing of a female-specific exon in the doublesex (dsx) transcript. dsx exon 4 has a poor splice acceptor site, which contributes to the default pattern of exon 4 skipping in maleflies (7). In females, the tra and tra-2 proteins bind to a specific sequence element indsxexon 4, recruit splicing factors of the SR family, and apparently enhance spliceosome assembly at the splice acceptor site upstream (13, 18, 35, 41, 43, 44, 48). These Drosophila systems thus provide examples of both positive and negative control of splicing and of how general and transcript-specificsplicingfactorsmayinteracttoaffecttheuse of a particular splice site.
Effects of Unsteady Flow Interactions on the Performance of a Highly-Loaded Transonic Compressor Stage

The primary focus of this paper is to investigate the loss sources in an advanced GE transonic compressor design with high reaction and high stage loading. This advanced compressor has been investigated both experimentally and analytically in the past. The measured compressor efficiency is significantly lower than the efficiency calculated with various existing tools based on RANS and URANS. The general understanding is that some important flow physics in this modern compressor design are not represented in the current tools. To pinpoint the source of the efficiency miss, an advanced test with detailed flow traverse was performed for the front one and a half stage at the NASA Glenn Research Center. In the present paper, a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is employed to determine whether a higher-fidelity simulation can pick up any additional flow physics that can explain past efficiency miss with RANS and URANS. The results from the Large Eddy Simulation were compared with the NASA test results and the GE interpretation of the test data. LES calculates lower total pressure and higher total temperature on the pressure side of the stator, resulting in large loss generation on the pressure side of the stator. On the other hand, existing tools based on the RANS and URANS do not calculate this high total temperature and low total pressure on the pressure side of the stator. The calculated loss through the stator from LES seems to match the measured data and the GE data interpretation. Detailed examination of the unsteady flow field from LES indicates that the accumulation of high loss near the pressure side of the stator is due to the interaction of the rotor wake with the stator blade. The strong rotor wake interacts quite differently with the pressure side of the stator than with the suction side of the stator blade. The concave curvature on the pressure side of the stator blade increases the mixing of the rotor wake with the pressure side boundary layer significantly. On the other hand, the convex curvature on the suction side of the stator blade decreases the mixing and the suction side blade boundary layer remains thin. The jet velocity in the rotor wake in the stator frame seems to magnify the curvature effect in addition to inviscid redistribution of wake fluid toward the pressure side of the blade.
Exercitatio Anatomica De Motus Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus Surgical Revolution

William Harvey (1578-1657), renowned British physician, introduced to the world a unique scientific pradigm pertaining to the circulation of the blood. In 1628, his acclaimed work Exercitatio Anatomica De Motus Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus was published in Frankurt, Germany. Because of the discovery of the circulation, the medical world was forever changed afterwards! The incredible implications of Harvey's work on the yet-to-be developed surgical sciences in the centuries ahead make his outstanding contribution shine as a true surgical revolution. Without his knowledge and discovery, the development of surgery, particularly in the cardiac and vascular arena, would likely never have occurred. This work reviews the discovery of circulation within the context of the historical frame of earlier works that allowed the genius of William Harvey to complete his superb contributions to medicine.
Neck muscle afferent projections to the brainstem of the monkey: implications for the neural control of gaze.

Brainstem projections of first-order afferent neurons that innervate the suboccipital muscles of the monkey have been determined by using the technique of transganglionic transport of wheat-germ-agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA/HRP) and HRP. Neck muscle afferents distribute to several distinct regions located within the caudal brainstem and rostral spinal cord. Terminal labeling was heaviest within the ventral portion of the ipsilateral lateral cuneate nucleus. Muscle afferent terminals also distributed to ventrolateral portions of the pars triangularis division of the cuneate nucleus. Projections were consistent with the known somatotopic (i.e., both place and modality) organization of the cuneate nucleus. Moreover, neck muscle projections to the cuneate nucleus were, in part, coincident with those previously demonstrated for the extraocular muscles (Porter: J. Comp. Neurol. 247:133-143, '86). Sparse terminal projections were noted in the central cervical nucleus. In addition, light terminal labeling was present in group x of the vestibular complex and in an ill-defined region along the lateral margin of the brainstem. Present observations, which provide the first complete description of the central distribution of neck muscle afferent neurons in the primate, may contribute to the known substrate for eye/head coordination.
Survey of Borreliae in ticks, canines, and white-tailed deer from Arkansas, U.S.A.

In the Eastern and Upper Midwestern regions of North America, Ixodes scapularis (L.) is the most abundant tick species encountered by humans and the primary vector of B. burgdorferi, whereas in the southeastern region Amblyomma americanum (Say) is the most abundant tick species encountered by humans but cannot transmit B. burgdorferi. Surveys of Borreliae in ticks have been conducted in the southeastern United States and often these surveys identify B. lonestari as the primary Borrelia species, surveys have not included Arkansas ticks, canines, or white-tailed deer and B. lonestari is not considered pathogenic. The objective of this study was to identify Borrelia species within Arkansas by screening ticks (n = 2123), canines (n = 173), and white-tailed deer (n = 228) to determine the identity and locations of Borreliae endemic to Arkansas using PCR amplification of the flagellin (flaB) gene. Field collected ticks from canines and from hunter-killed white-tailed were identified to species and life stage. After which, ticks and their hosts were screened for the presence of Borrelia using PCR to amplify the flaB gene. A subset of the positive samples was confirmed with bidirectional sequencing. In total 53 (21.2%) white-tailed deer, ten (6%) canines, and 583 (27.5%) Ixodid ticks (252 Ixodes scapularis, 161 A. americanum, 88 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 50 Amblyomma maculatum, 19 Dermacentor variabilis, and 13 unidentified Amblyomma species) produced a Borrelia flaB amplicon. Of the positive ticks, 324 (22.7%) were collected from canines (151 A. americanum, 78 R. sanguineus, 43 I. scapularis, 26 A. maculatum, 18 D. variabilis, and 8 Amblyomma species) and 259 (37.2%) were collected from white-tailed deer (209 I. scapularis, 24 A. maculatum, 10 A. americanum, 10 R. sanguineus, 1 D. variabilis, and 5 Amblyomma species). None of the larvae were PCR positive. A majority of the flaB amplicons were homologous with B. lonestari sequences: 281 of the 296 sequenced ticks, 3 canines, and 27 deer. Only 22 deer, 7 canines, and 15 tick flaB amplicons (12 I. scapularis, 2 A. maculatum, and 1 Amblyomma species) were homologous with B. burgdorferi sequences. Data from this study identified multiple Borreliae genotypes in Arkansas ticks, canines and deer including B. burgdorferi and B. lonestari; however, B. lonestari was significantly more prevalent in the tick population than B. burgdorferi. Results from this study suggest that the majority of tick-borne diseases in Arkansas are not B. burgdorferi.
Youth, Linguistic Ecology, and Language Endangerment: A Yup'ik Example.

Using data from a longitudinal study, this article traces how in- and out-of-school processes placed youth at the center of a community language tip into English in Piniq, a Yup'ik village in Alaska. During an early phase of language tip, youth underscored bilingual connections to community and place through storytelling with peers. Yet youth were also experiencing linguistic insecurities and losing forms that marked a linguistic orientation to land. Further, adult responses to youth language changes fed vicious cycles of reduced resources for and increasing doubts about bilingualism. Situating and examining young men's seal-hunting stories, the article highlights how youth in the first group to speak mostly English mediated life contingencies, uneven linguistic resources, and apprenticeship experiences as they learned a knowledge system embedded in the life of their community. Implications for educators in rapidly changing linguistic ecologies are discussed.
Accurate spectral estimation based on measurements with a distorted-timebase digitizer

The timebase distortion present in an equivalent-time sampling oscilloscope introduces errors in the estimation of the values of the spectral components of a microwave signal when a classical discrete Fourier transform is used. A method is developed here to avoid these errors. The method is tested both in practice and with simulations. Two parts can be distinguished. At first, the timebase distortion is measured. This is done by digitizing a sinusoidal signal applied at the oscilloscope's input, and by calculating the phase of the analytical signal of the digitized waveform. Other possible methods to measure the timebase distortion are discussed, and it is shown why the method used is the most appropriate for our specific application. The knowledge of the timebase distortion is then used to build a least squares error estimator for the values of the spectral components of a digitized microwave signal. An experimental verification is done, from which is concluded that the method effectively removes the spectral estimation errors due to a timebase distortion. >
Electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure synthesizer using genetic algorithm for wireless system applications

Electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure synthesizer using genetic algorithm (GA) has been developed. In mixed-signal systems, in spite of the fact that band gap structures have become very important parts for noise suppression, there has been no synthesis method for band gap structure. Hence, designing EBG structures have been computationally expensive. For the first time, EBG synthesizer using GA has been presented. The synthesizer has been verified with simulations and measurements. To have the synthesizer fully automated, GA has been combined with the finite-difference frequency-domain (FDFD) method and dispersion diagram analysis method.
A paleointensity technique for multidomain igneous rocks

[1] We developed a paleointensity technique to account for concave-up Arai diagrams due to multidomain (MD) contributions to determine unbiased paleointensities for 24 trial samples from site GA-X in Pleistocene lavas from Floreana Island, Galapagos Archipelago. The main magnetization carrier is fine-grained low-titanium magnetite of variable grain size. We used a comprehensive back-zero-forth (BZF) heating technique by adding an additional zero-field heating between the Thellier two opposite in-field heating steps in order to estimate paleointensities in various standard protocols and provide internal self-consistency checks. After the first BZF experiment, we gave each sample a total thermal remanent magnetization (tTRM) by cooling from the Curie point in the presence of a low (15 µT) laboratory-applied field. Then we repeated the BZF protocol, with the laboratory-applied tTRM as a synthetic natural remanent magnetization (NRM), using the same laboratory-applied field and temperature steps to obtain the synthetic Arai signatures, which should only represent the domain-state dependent properties of the samples. We corrected the original Arai diagrams from the first BZF experiment by using the Arai signatures from the repeated BZF experiment, which neutralizes the typical MD concave-up effect. Eleven samples meet the Arai diagram post-selection criteria and provide qualified paleointensity estimates with a mean value for site GA-X of 4.23 ± 1.29 µT, consistent with an excursional geomagnetic field direction reported for this site.
Motivational Effects on Test Scores of Elementary Students

Abstract A total of 406 heterogeneously grouped students in Grades 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 in three K through 8 Chicago public schools were assigned randomly to two conditions, ordinary standardized-test instructions (control) and special instructions, to do as well as possible for themselves, their parents, and their teachers (experimental). On average, students given special instructions did significantly better (p < .01) than the control students did on the criterion measure, the mathematics section of the commonly used Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The three schools differed significantly in achievement (p < .05), but girls and boys and grade levels did not differ measurably. The motivational effect was constant across grade levels and boys and girls, but differed significantly (p < .05) across schools. The average effect was moderately large, .303 standard deviations, which implies that the special instructions raise the typical student's scores from the 50th to the 62nd percentile.
Make3D: depth perception from a single still image

Humans have an amazing ability to perceive depth from a single still image; however, it remains a challenging problem for current computer vision systems. In this paper, we will present algorithms for estimating depth from a single still image. There are numerous monocular cues--such as texture variations and gradients, defocus, color/haze, etc.--that can be used for depth perception. Taking a supervised learning approach to this problem, in which we begin by collecting a training set of single images and their corresponding ground-truth depths, we learn the mapping from image features to the depths. We then apply these ideas to create 3-d models that are visually-pleasing as well as quantitatively accurate from individual images. We also discuss applications of our depth perception algorithm in robotic navigation, in improving the performance of stereovision, and in creating large-scale 3-d models given only a small number of images.
Effects of Continuous Feeding of Hygromycin B on Performance, Fertility and Hatchability of a Commercial Laying Stock

Abstract A NUMBER of antibiotics have been tested and reported to bring improvement in growth, egg production and overall performance. Some have likewise been found effective against a wide variety of bacterial and viral-borne agents. The antibiotic, hygromycin B, has been shown to have beneficial effects upon the rate of lay of a commercial egg production stock. It has also been effective in reducing internal parasites of poultry and swine. In a study to evaluate the anthelmintic properties of hygromycin B under practical conditions, Quisenberry et al. (1958) reported that hygromycin B at a level of 12 gms. per 907 kgs. of feed was effective in reducing the parasite load during the earlier part of the growing period of replacement pullets but that a reduction in the parasite count appeared somewhat variable after the birds were mature. Llorico et al. (1962) reported a significant reduction of ascarids and cecal worms in …
Role of Sigma Factors in Controlling Global Gene Expression in Light/Dark Transitions in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803

We report on differential gene expression in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 after light-dark transitions in wild-type, DeltasigB, and DeltasigD strains. We also studied the effect of day length in the presence of glucose on a DeltasigB DeltasigE mutant. Our results indicated that the absence of SigB or SigD predominately altered gene expression in the dark or in the light, respectively. In the light, approximately 350 genes displayed transcript levels in the DeltasigD strain that were different from those of the wild type, with over 200 of these up-regulated in the mutant. In the dark, removal of SigB altered more than 150 genes, and the levels of 136 of these were increased in the mutant compared to those in the wild type. The removal of both SigB and SigE had a major impact on gene expression under mixotrophic growth conditions and resulted in the inability of cells to grow in the presence of glucose with 8-h light and 16-h dark cycles. Our results indicated the importance of group II sigma factors in the global regulation of transcription in this organism and are best explained by using the sigma cycle paradigm with the stochastic release model described previously (R. A. Mooney, S. A. Darst, and R. Landick, Mol. Cell 20:335-345, 2005). We combined our results with the total protein levels of the sigma factors in the light and dark as calculated previously (S. Imamura, S. Yoshihara, S. Nakano, N. Shiozaki, A. Yamada, K. Tanaka, H. Takahashi, M. Asayama, and M. Shirai, J. Mol. Biol. 325:857-872, 2003; S. Imamura, M. Asayama, H. Takahashi, K. Tanaka, H. Takahashi, and M. Shirai, FEBS Lett. 554:357-362, 2003). Thus, we concluded that the control of global transcription is based on the amount of the various sigma factors present and able to bind RNA polymerase.
Trials and Tribulations in the Development of a Simulation-Based Interprofessional Education Activity

It is well documented that interprofessional education (IPE) enables the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for collaboration as well as having a positive impact on patient care. Exploring innovative ways to facilitate interprofessional student learning that will affect patient care is paramount. One of the tenets of effective IPE is that it is most effective when learning methods reflect real-life practice such as that experienced by students in simulations. Thus, simulation as a modality in IPE offers many of the educational benefits desirable in an IPE activity. In this paper we describe the process by which we developed a pilot simulationbased IPE activity involving ten faculty and professional staff members from three universities/colleges, and ten students from four disciplines. We will discuss the development of the program using the IPEC Core Competencies and TeamSTEPPS, implementation, evaluation tools, and challenges of developing this type of experience for a team of interprofessional students. Finally, we provide five take-home points to consider when developing a similar experience.
Ornate Screens

The talk "Ornate Screens" investigates ornamentation of 3-dimensional surfaces using CAAD and CAAM, which allow the re-introduction of variation. Ornament has been abolished by the avant-garde in the first half of the twentieth century and ornamentation has been replaced by material aesthetic. This paper will argue that ornament is not a parergon, an unnecessary accessory, but that the parergon, the ornament, actually becomes the ergon, the main element.
The Structure of the Brazilian Family

and an unexpected pregnancy does not upset the whole system. Both marriage and residence arrangements after marriage are flexible and free adjustments to individual family circumstances. Much more work needs to be done, but it is suggested that the written and legally enforceable equality of siblings principle makes for fewer cultural "ifs," fewer over-rigid interdependences, and allows for flexibility and manipulation within defined reference points to fit individual and family requirements. Within this framework the individual has both a secure and an individual status.
The Transfer of Normal and Irritated Omentums with Subsequent Streptococcus Immunity in Rabbits.

In a recent paper1 it was shown that if areas of granulation tissue are formed in the peritoneums of rabbits, these animals become immune to a subsequent intrapleural infection with a highly virulent hemolytic streptococcus. The intrapleural doses varied from 100 to 250 M.L.D. and successful recovery occurred in 75% of the cases. The protection appeared to be due to the migration of tissue macrophages or clasmatocytes from the peritoneal granulating areas into the pleural cavity and particularly into the subserous tissues of the diaphragmatic and parietal pleura.The present report describes an extension of the transfer technique. A portion of the peritoneal granulating area is removed and inserted in the peritoneum of a normal rabbit. The method is as follows: A peritoneal focus of cells is built up in a rabbit by two or three intraperitoneal injections of an irritating substance, in this case a mixture of aleuronat and starch. Four days after the last injection the animal is sacrificed, and its omentum r...
Laboratory testing of the corrosion of waste glasses in aqueous environments - effects of experimental parameters

Many types of procedures have been developed for testing of the chemical durability of nuclear waste forms. These procedures differ from each other in critical aspects, such as duration, replenishment or non-replenishment of the leachates, and S/V ratio. As a result, different answers to basic questions, such as how waste-form leachability depends on its chemical composition, are obtained when different test methods are used. Furthermore, the possibility that some glasses may exhibit a leach rate excursion within the test period causes the composition dependence to be an even more sensitive function of test duration and of leachant replenishment. These factors also complicate the use of test data for the prediction of long-term waste form behavior.
Communication Bandwidth Prediction of Aggregation of Multi-Services for Smart Power Distribution and Utilization

In allusion to the complexity in the communication bandwidth prediction at service-section caused by the increase of smart distribution and utilization business, a mixed-service queuing theory model based communication bandwidth prediction method for aggregation node at service section is proposed. Firstly, the demand on quality of service(Qo S) of communication of the four kinds of services in smart power distribution and utilization as well as the features of its service aggregation flow are analyzed; secondly, through the parameter mapping of queuing theory based Qo S indices and the calculation of the queuing theory based arrival rate of the four kinds of service aggregation flow, a bandwidth prediction model for queuing theory based mixed-service aggregation flow is constructed; finally, on the basis of the bandwidth prediction model, a prediction and calculation method of queuing theory based bandwidth with optimal transmission efficiency for substation's aggregation node at the service section is put forward. Taking the data of the calculation examples used in the Twelve Five-year Development Program for communication network of Hunan provincial electric power corporation as experimental data, the quantitative relation between the predicted bandwidth and the Qo S indices, namely the time delay and the loss rate, is analyzed, and through the contrastive analysis on the results obtained by elastic coefficient based bandwidth prediction method the effectiveness of the proposed method is validated.
Mechanisms of lung polyamine accumulation in chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Chronic hypoxia causes polyamine-dependent hypertensive pulmonary vascular remodeling (J. E. Atkinson. J. W. Olson, R. J. Altierre, and M. N. Gillespie, J. Appl. Physiol. 62: 1562-1568, 1987), but mechanisms by which lung polyamine contents are elevated have not been established. This study measured polyamine contents, biosynthetic activities, and transport in lungs of rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia (simulated altitude: 4,570 m) for 4-14 days. Hypoxia increased lung contents of spermidine and spermine within 40 h and of putrescine within 4 days. These changes preceded hypoxia-induced increases in pulmonary arterial pressure and development of right ventricular hypertrophy. Additional experiments determined whether increased lung polyamine contents could be ascribed to elevated activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in conversion of ornithine to putrescine. Lung ODC activity did not differ from controls at 40 h posthypoxia and was reduced below control levels from 4-14 days of exposure. Putrescine transport kinetics were assessed in isolated, salt solution-perfused lungs. Apparent Km for putrescine uptake was increased from 10.4 microM in control lungs to 16.9 microM in lungs from rats maintained for 7 days in an hypoxic environment. Maximal velocity (Vmax) of lung putrescine transport was increased from 1.67 nmol.g-1.min-1 in controls to 2.65 in hypoxic lungs. Putrescine efflux also was altered by hypoxic exposure; T1/2 for loss of diamine from a slowly effluxing pool was increased from 60.6 min in controls to 91.5 min in hypoxic lungs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Two-Photon Spectroscopy as a New Sensitive Method for Determining the DNA Binding Mode of Fluorescent Nuclear Dyes.

A new optical strategy to determine the binding modes (intercalation vs groove binding) of small fluorescent organic molecules with calf thymus DNA was developed using two-photon absorption (TPA) spectroscopy. Two-photon excited emission was utilized to investigate a series of fluorescent nuclear dyes. The results show that TPA cross-sections are able to differentiate the fine details between the DNA binding modes. Groove binding molecules exhibit an enhanced TPA cross-section due to the DNA electric field induced enhancement of the transition dipole moment, while intercalative binding molecules exhibit a decrease in the TPA cross-section. Remarkably, the TPA cross-section of 4,6-bis(4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl) pyrimidine is significantly enhanced (13.6-fold) upon binding with DNA. The sensitivity of our TPA methodology is compared to circular dichroism spectroscopy. TPA demonstrates superior sensitivity by more than an order of magnitude at low DNA concentrations. This methodology can be utilized t...