cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Down-Hole Water Sink Technology for Controlling Water Inflow at Petroleum Wells

Water inflow to petroleum wells hampers production of oil or gas leading to early shut downs of the wells without sufficient recovery of hydrocarbons in place. Downhole water sink (DWS) is a completion/production technique for producing water-free hydrocarbons with minimum amount of water from reservoirs with bottom water drive and strong tendency to water coning. DWS eliminates water invasion to hydrocarbon production by employing hydrodynamic mechanism of coning control in situ at the oil-water or gas-water contact. The mechanism is based upon a localized water drainage generated by another well completion (downhole water sink) installed in the aquifer beneath the oil/water or gas/ water contact. The paper summarizes the development and state-of-the-art of DWS technology. Presented are results from theoretical studies, physical and numerical experiments, and field projects to date. It is demonstrated that DWS could increase recovery and control water production in vertical and horizontal oil wells-with natural flow, downhole pumps or gas lift, and in the gas wells producing from low-pressure tight gas reservoirs. To date, DWS has been used in reservoirs with bottom water. Moreover, in principle, the technology might also be used in the dipping reservoir structures with encroaching side-water.
Relevance of Rheological Properties of Sodium Alginate in Solution to Calcium Alginate Gel Properties

The purpose of this study is to determine whether sodium alginate solutions’ rheological parameters are meaningful relative to sodium alginate’s use in the formulation of calcium alginate gels. Calcium alginate gels were prepared from six different grades of sodium alginate (FMC Biopolymer), one of which was available in ten batches. Cylindrical gel samples were prepared from each of the gels and subjected to compression to fracture on an Instron Universal Testing Machine, equipped with a 1-kN load cell, at a cross-head speed of 120 mm/min. Among the grades with similar % G, (grades 1, 3, and 4), there is a significant correlation between deformation work (L E) and apparent viscosity (η app). However, the results for the partial correlation analysis for all six grades of sodium alginate show that L E is significantly correlated with % G, but not with the rheological properties of the sodium alginate solutions. Studies of the ten batches of one grade of sodium alginate show that η app of their solutions did not correlate with L E while tan δ was significantly, but minimally, correlated to L E. These results suggest that other factors—polydispersity and the randomness of guluronic acid sequencing—are likely to influence the mechanical properties of the resultant gels. In summary, the rheological properties of solutions for different grades of sodium alginate are not indicative of the resultant gel properties. Inter-batch differences in the rheological behavior for one specific grade of sodium alginate were insufficient to predict the corresponding calcium alginate gel’s mechanical properties.
An Experimental Study on Downward Slug Flow in Inclined Pipes

The downward simultaneous flow of gas and liquid is often encountered in hilly terrain pipelines and injection wells. Most of the methods for predicting pressure drop in gas/liquid, two-phase flow in pipes have been developed for either upward vertical or upward inclined pipes. This study experimentally investigated downward cocurrent slug flow in inclined pipes. A new test facility was designed and built to acquire data for the entire range of pipe inclination angles. A series of slug flow experiments was conducted in a 2-in. diameter, 65-ft long clear PVC pipe installed on an inclinable structure. Liquid holdup and pressure drop measurements were obtained for downward inclination angles from 0{degree} to {minus}30{degree} at different flow conditions. Translational velocity and liquid-slug holdup correlations were investigated based on the acquired data for different inclination angles.
LKB1-AMPK axis revisited

The LKB1 tumor suppressor encodes a serine-threonine kinase whose substrates control cell metabolism, polarity, and motility. LKB1 is a major mediator of the cellular response to energy stress via activation of the master regulator of energy homeostasis, AMPK. While mutational inactivation of LKB1 promotes the development of many types of epithelial cancer, a recent report in Nature by Jeon et al. demonstrates that the LKB1-AMPK pathway can also have an unexpected positive role in tumorigenesis, acting to maintain metabolic homeostasis and attenuate oxidative stress thereby supporting the survival of cancer cells.
Present time-structure properties of storage-ring-based x-ray sources

For storage ring based synchrotron radiation sources which deliver high flux coherent X-ray pulses at a high repetition rate, the figure of merit is the brilliance. Third generation synchrotron radiation sources provide a brilliance in the 1020 range, in the usual units, for 10 keV photon beams. Such a performance approaches the ultimate limit imposed by the diffraction limit of synchrotron radiation emission. A gain of up to 6 orders of magnitude, with respect to the brilliance of second generation sources, was obtained by reducing transverse electron beam emittances and by optimizing undulator radiation. The horizontal emittance was dramatically decreased by reducing the dispersion function in the bending magnets. As a consequence, the dispersion of the electron revolution time around the ring, as a function of energy, was reduced. Under this quasi-isochronous condition, electron bunch lengths were naturally shortened and reached the few tens of ps range. The quasi-isochronous tuning of storage rings was further tested on third generation rings to evaluate the possibilities of reaching the subpicosecond range and improving the present peak brilliance of 1023. Unfortunately, the nature of the electromagnetic environment, with which the electron bunch interacts, makes the bunch lengthen with increasing current. Best predictions of peak brilliance performances achievable on storage rings will leave them far behind linac driven FEL sources if the principle of Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission works as predicted.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Resynthesizing evolutionary and developmental biology.

A new and more robust evolutionary synthesis is emerging that attempts to explain macroevolution as well as microevolutionary events. This new synthesis emphasizes three morphological areas of biology that had been marginalized by the Modern Synthesis of genetics and evolution: embryology, macroevolution, and homology. The foundations for this new synthesis have been provided by new findings from developmental genetics and from the reinterpretation of the fossil record. In this nascent synthesis, macroevolutionary questions are not seen as being soluble by population genetics, and the developmental actions of genes involved with growth and cell specification are seen as being critical for the formation of higher taxa. In addition to discovering the remarkable homologies of homeobox genes and their domains of expression, developmental genetics has recently proposed homologies of process that supplement the older homologies of structure. Homologous developmental pathways, such those involving thewntgenes, are seen in numerous embryonic processes, and they are seen occurring in discrete regions, the morphogenetic fields. These fields (which exemplify the modular nature of developing embryos) are proposed to mediate between genotype and phenotype. Just as the cell (and not its genome) functions as the unit of organic structure and function, so the morphogenetic field (and not the genes or the cells) is seen as a major unit of ontogeny whose changes bring about changes in evolution.
Clinic-based interventions to promote breast and cervical cancer screening.

Abstract Background.Breast and cervical cancer continue to claim the lives of women. Early detection modalities for these cancers are available; however, utilization rates are far from optimal. Studies have documented the motivating effect that physician recommendations have on compliance with preventive health behaviors. The goal of this study was to develop and implement strategies to improve the use of cervical and breast cancer screening among African-American women age 40 and older who resided in low-income housing communities. Methods.Baseline surveys among clinic providers and a random sample of women in the target population indicated areas to be included in intervention material. Community health center-based strategies included educational interventions for providers and patients, follow-up interventions for abnormal screening tests, and the implementation of a computer tracking system. Pap smear and mammogram utilization rates at the health center were tracked throughout the project period to assess the effect of the clinic-based interventions. Results.Both Pap smear and mammography rates increased over time. Fifteen cases of breast cancer and 1 case of invasive cervical cancer have been detected. Compliance rates for follow-up for cervical dysplasia have increased from 50 to 90%. Conclusions.These results suggest that clinic-based interventions can improve the use of breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up among low-income women.
Towards Formal Approaches to System Resilience

Technology scaling and techniques such as dynamic voltage/frequency scaling are predicted to increase the number of transient faults in future processors. Error detectors implemented in hardware are often energy inefficient, as they are "always on." While software-level error detection can augment hardware-level detectors, creating detectors in software that are highly effective remains a challenge. In this paper, we first present anew LLVM-level fault injector called KULFI that helps simulate faults occurring within CPU state elements in a versatile manner. Second, using KULFI, we study the behavior of a family of well-known and simple algorithms under error injection. (We choose a family of sorting algorithms for this study.) We then propose a promising way to interpret our empirical results using a formal model that builds on the idea of predicate state transition diagrams. After introducing the basic abstraction underlying our predicate transition diagrams, we draw connections to the level of resilience empirically observed during fault injection studies. Building on the observed connections, we develop a simple, and yet effective, predicate-abstraction-based fault detector. While in its initial stages, ours is believed to be the first study that offers a formal way to interpret and compare fault injection results obtained from algorithms from within one family. Given the absolutely unpredictable nature of what a fault can do to a computation in general, our approach may help designers choose amongst a class of algorithms one that behaves most resilient of all.
Access to Liver Transplantation in the MELD Era: Role of Ethnicity and Insurance

Factors contributing to inequitable access to liver transplantation include socioeconomic status, geographic location, and delayed referral. The aim of this study is to identify the factors associated with a high MELD at the time of listing. Using the UNOS database, we identified all adults listed from 2002 to 2006. Data collected included demographics, insurance payor (private and government, i.e., Medicaid and non-Medicaid), diagnosis, and MELD score categorized as low ( or=20). The results obtained show that a high MELD was associated with age, ethnicity, and insurance (P < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, insurance (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.13-1.30, P < 0.001) and ethnicity (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.28-1.88, P < 0.001) were independently associated with high MELD. In conclusion, ethnic minorities and liver transplant candidates with Medicaid are more likely to have a high MELD score at initial listing. The above results suggest that the type of insurance and ethnicity are independently associated with a high MELD (i.e., sicker patients).
Bifurcations of tori and phase locking in a dissipative system of differential equations

Abstract In a system of ordinary differential equations, obtained through a seven-mode truncation of the plane incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, a two-dimensional torus undergoes first two period-doubling bifurcations and then a transition to a strange attractor. This strange attractor, of Liapunov dimension larger than three in a wide parameter interval, is characterized by a power spectrum which retains the two fundamental frequencies of the original torus superimposed on a broad, jagged background. As the Liapunov dimension goes down towards two, an interesting phenomenon of phase locking occurs, which gives rise to an alternation of chaotic and periodic behavior.
The Representation of Objects in the Human Occipital and Temporal Cortex

Recently, we identified, using fMRI, three bilateral regions in the ventral temporal cortex that responded preferentially to faces, houses, and chairs [Ishai, A., Ungerleider, L. G., Martin, A., Schouten, J. L., & Haxby, J. V. (1999). Distributed representation of objects in the human ventral visual pathway. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., 96, 9379-9384]. Here, we report differential patterns of activation, similar to those seen in the ventral temporal cortex, in bilateral regions of the ventral occipital cortex. We also found category-related responses in the dorsal occipital cortex and in the superior temporal sulcus. Moreover, rather than activating discrete, segregated areas, each category was associated with its own differential pattern of response across a broad expanse of cortex. The distributed patterns of response were similar across tasks (passive viewing, delayed matching) and presentation formats (photographs, line drawings). We propose that the representation of objects in the ventral visual pathway, including both occipital and temporal regions, is not restricted to small, highly selective patches of cortex but, instead, is a distributed representation of information about object form. Within this distributed system, the representation of faces appears to be less extensive as compared to the representations of nonface objects.
Embryo donation programs and policies in North America: survey results and implications for health and mental health professionals.

Abstract Objective: To use survey results from Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology to describe program policies regarding embryo donation, report protocols used for the disposition of cryopreserved embryos, and discuss clarification of guidelines governing ethical and psychosocially informed embryo donation. Method(s): A 66-item questionnaire was sent to the 312 Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology programs, generating 108 responses. Result(s): Seventy-eight (72%) of 108 programs offer embryo donation. Forty (37%) have actually performed donation, with 246 cycles completed and 53 "take-home babies." Disposition agreements for donors address divorce (92%) and death (90%). Only 28% require that potential donors undergo psychologic evaluation. Ninety-five percent of programs do not compensate donors. Seventy-one percent require a complete medical and psychologic history and 10% require genetic karyotyping. Three percent limit the number of donations. Eligible recipients include married couples (100%), unmarried couples (61%), lesbian couples (55%), and single women (59%). Sixty-four percent of programs require psychologic screening. Storage limits range from 2–10 years. Forty-nine percent of programs have unclaimed embryos in storage. Conclusion(s): Embryo donation is more often contemplated than performed. Variability in program procedures and policies suggests that guidelines need to be clarified. The complexity of the psychosocial and ethical issues underscores the importance of a routine, comprehensive psychologic assessment.
Open- and closed-mindedness and recognition of visual humor.

This study investigated the relationship between Open- and Closed–Mindedness and the recognition of visual humor that is based on the introduction of information which conflicts with existing beliefs. Sixty-four Open–and Closed–Minded Ss viewed a humorous picture and identified the humor as quickly as possible. As hypothesized, Closed–Minded Ss took longer to recognize the picture's humor, particularly among males. In addition, it was found that females rated the picture less socially acceptable than did males, regardless of relative Open– or Closed-Mindedness. No differences were obtained for humor ratings of the picture. Differences in receptivity of belief–discrepant information between individuals possessing open and closed belief systems are discussed.
Oil scarcity, Oil crises, and alternative energies — don't be fooled again

Analyse des perspectives a moyen et a long terme du marche petrolier et etude de la nature des crises petrolieres afin de determiner la viabilite des energies renouvelables.
Gendered Characteristics of Political Engagement in College Students

This study was designed to examine gender differences in the political engagement of college students, in relation to perception of gender inequality, partisanship, issue involvement, and media use during the 2000 presidential and congressional campaign. A survey-based study of political engagement was conducted among 236 undergraduate students at a large northeastern university in Pennsylvania—a swing state—during the campaign. Findings support the theory that women with higher perception of gender inequality tend to be more politically engaged than women with lower perception gender inequality. Foreign policy as an issue of interest is important in this study because it is the only policy issue for which there was both a significant gender difference and a significant association with political engagement.
Interest Rates, Exchange Rates and Present Value Models of the Current Account

This paper develops a testable intertemporal model of the current account that allows for variable interest rates and exchange rates. These additional variables are channels through which external shocks may influence the domestic current account. The restrictions from the theoretical model are subjected to present value tests using quarterly data from three small open economies. The paper finds that including the interest rate and exchange rate improves the fit of the intertemporal model over what was found in previous studies. The model predictions better replicate the volatility of current account data and better explain historical episodes of current account imbalance.
O2-Insensitive Photosynthesis in C3 Plants : Its Occurrence and a Possible Explanation

Leaves of C 3 plants which exhibit a normal O 2 inhibition of CO 2 fixation at less than saturating light intensity were found to exhibit O 2 -insensitive photosynthesis at high light. This behavior was observed in Phaseolus vulgaris L., Xanthium strumarium L., and Scrophularia desertorum (Shaw.) Munz. O 2 -insensitive photosynthesis has been reported in nine other C 3 species and usually occurred when the intercellular CO 2 pressure was about double the normal pressure. A lack of O 2 inhibition of photosynthesis was always accompanied by a failure of increased CO 2 pressure to stimulate photosynthesis to the expected degree. O 2 -insensitive photosynthesis also occurred after plants had been water stressed. Under such conditions, however, photosynthesis became O 2 and CO 2 insensitive at physiological CO 2 pressures. Postillumination CO 2 exchange kinetics showed that O 2 and CO 2 insensitivity was not the result of elimination of photorespiration. It is proposed that O 2 and CO 2 insensitivity occurs when the concentration of phosphate in the chloroplast stroma cannot be both high enough to allow photophosphorylation and low enough to allow starch and sucrose synthesis at the rates required by the rest of the photosynthetic component processes. Under these conditions, the energy diverted to photorespiration does not adversely affect the potential for CO 2 assimilation.
Genetic algorithms for soft-decision decoding of linear block codes

Soft-decision decoding is an NP-hard problem of great interest to developers of communication systems. We show that this problem is equivalent to the problem of optimizing Walsh polynomials. We present genetic algorithms for soft-decision decoding of binary linear block codes and compare the performance with various other decoding algorithms including the currently developed A* algorithm. Simulation results show that our algorithms achieve bit-error-probabilities as low as 0.00183 for a [104,52] code with a low signal-to-noise ratio of 2.5 dB, exploring only 22,400 codewords, whereas the search space contains 4.5 × 10l5 codewords. We define a new crossover operator that exploits domain-specific information and compare it with uniform and two-point crossover.
Reconstruction of Irregularly-Sampled Volumetric Data in Efficient Box Spline Spaces

We present a variational framework for the reconstruction of irregularly-sampled volumetric data in, nontensor-product, spline spaces. Motivated by the sampling-theoretic advantages of body centered cubic (BCC) lattice, this paper examines the BCC lattice and its associated box spline spaces in a variational setting. We introduce a regularization scheme for box splines that allows us to utilize the BCC lattice in a variational reconstruction framework. We demonstrate that by choosing the BCC lattice over the commonly-used Cartesian lattice, as the shift-invariant representation, one can increase the quality of signal reconstruction. Moreover, the computational cost of the reconstruction process is reduced in the BCC framework due to the smaller bandwidth of the system matrix in the box spline space compared to the corresponding tensor-product B-spline space. The improvements in accuracy are quantified numerically and visualized in our experiments with synthetic as well as real biomedical datasets.
Fretting Fatigue Behavior of Shot-Peened Ti-6Al-4V and IN100

Shot-peened titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V and nickel-based super alloy IN100 were subjected to plain and fretting fatigue under cylinder-on-flat contact condition at room temperature. Measurement of compressive residual surface stress from shot-peening before and after fretting showed relaxation, which was significant in IN100 and near the contact surface. The fretting fatigue life of IN100 did not improve significantly due to shot-peening, while there was considerable improvement for Ti-6Al-4V and relatively less relaxation of the residual surface stress. Further, fretting had a relatively more detrimental effect on the fatigue performance of Ti-6Al-4V than in the case of IN100. A critical plane-based fatigue crack initiation model, a modified shear stress range parameter, was computed from finite element analysis for two levels of residual surface stress relaxation: no relaxation and complete relaxation. This analysis suggested that not only crack initiation but also propagation should be considered to characterize fretting fatigue behavior of shot-peened specimens; however, it showed an appropriate trend with the measured fretting fatigue life and agreement with several other experimental observations.
Open Arterial Revascularization Of The Critically Ischemic Foot Using Arterial Homograft

BACKGROUND : Revascularization alternatives for patients with critical limb ischemia and without adequate autogenous vein remain challenging. We reviewed our experience with the use of arterial homograft as a conduit for limb salvage in patients with limb ischemia and active lower extremity infections. METHODS : A retrospective review of patients who underwent open arterial revascularization of the lower extremity with cryopreserved femoral artery homograft for the treatment of symptomatic critical limb ischemia (i.e., foot ulceration, infection, or gangrene) during an 18-month period was performed. Relevant clinical variables and treatment outcomes were analyzed. Clinical success was defined as limb salvage for one year, patency of the reconstruction, and wound healing. RESULTS : Thirteen patients (5 men; average age 71 ± 8.3 years, range 51-87 years) were treated during this study period. Treatment indications included 10 (77%) foot ulcerations, 2 (15%) critically ischemic limbs without ulceration, and 1 (8%) infected polytetrafluoroethylene bypass graft with acute occlusion and limb ischemia. A femoral below-the-knee popliteal bypass was performed in 4 (1%), femoral to anterior tibial artery in 4 (31%), femoral to posterior tibial artery in 3 (23%), and femoral to peroneal artery in 2 (15%). All 13 limbs were preserved. Minor amputations were performed in 6 patients, 2 underwent toe amputations and 4 patients had a trans-metatarsal amputation. The cumulative patency rate at 6, 9, and 18 months was 92.3%, 70.3%, and 58.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION : Open arterial revascularization with arterial femoral homograft is an acceptable treatment method in patients with critical limb ischemia and active infection in whom autogenous vein is not available or the use of a synthetic conduit is not possible.
The effect of morphine, pimozide and naloxone on discrimination by rats in a shock escape test

Abstract The effect of neuroactive drugs on rats performing escape from noxious foot shock was evaluated by signal decision analysis. Morphine increased discrimination at low dose but generally decreased responding and discrimination with by decreasing false alarming. Naloxone had no effect on any parameter studied. The increased discrimination produced by low doses of morphine and pimozide is seen as an index of their calming effects.
An Interactive Approach for Multicriteria Decision Making Using a Tchebycheff Utility Function Approximation: AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH FOR MCDM USING A TCHEBYCHEFF UF APPROXIMATION

Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) can provide an efficient mean for considering various and conflicting objectives to reveal the alternative that maximizes the decision maker's (DM) utility. In this paper, we propose a new interactive MCDM method for implicit alternatives to help a DM obtain a most preferred solution. We employ a Tchebycheff function to generate weights for objectives consistent with the DM's responses to pairwise comparisons between alternatives and present a mixed integer linear programming formulation to generate these weights. Thus, we approximate the DM's utility function by a Tchebycheff function and generate weights consistent with the DM's responses. We test our approach with different true utility functions on various sized multiple criteria linear programming problems. The computational results show that even with non-Tchebycheff true utility functions, our method can generate alternatives very close to the optimal solution with few questions. The comparison of our results with other methods reveals its advantages. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Water vapor and temperature lapse rate feedbacks in the mid‐latitude seasonal cycle

The ongoing scientific debate regarding the role of water vapor feedback in climate change centers on the effects of water vapor vertical distribution and variation with climate change. The temperature lapse rate is another vertically dependent variable; its combination and interaction with water vapor feedback have an even greater potential for influencing the climate. Here we examine the vertical dependence of the feedbacks, as presently observed in the mid-latitude seasonal cycle, by means of a radiative-convective model with climatological lapse rates. It is found that both the water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks are positive, amplifying the seasonal surface temperature cycle by approximately 23% and 15%, respectively, and have considerable thermal coupling. The feedback contributions from the various vertical levels are essentially additive. These vertical contributions are characterized by a bimodal water vapor feedback, with upper and lower troposphere maxima, and by a predominant lapse rate feedback from the lower troposphere. Although a small negative water vapor feedback contribution is found at 150 mb, its significance is overshadowed by the strong positive feedbacks at all other levels, especially in the lower troposphere. The implications for climate change are discussed.
Precombustion Chamber Design and Performance Studies for a Large Bore Natural Gas Engine

Precombustion chamber (PCC) ignition is a common method for extending the lean limit and reducing combustion variability in large bore (36–56 cm) natural gas engines. An important component that commonly fails and requires regular replacement, besides the spark plug, is the checkvalve. The checkvalve meters fuel flow into the PCC. In this program the use of an electronic valve for monitoring fuel to the PCC instead of the checkvalve is investigated. Metering the fuel into the PCC with an electronic valve provides a number of different options for improving performance in addition to the benefit of extended valve life. PCC nozzle design is also evaluated as a means for improving PCC and engine performance. Additionally, emissions formation in the PCC is evaluated through the use of a separate pressure transducer in the PCC and a fast sample valve that extracts gas from the PCC.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Relationship of aluminum grain size to the grain size of polycrystalline silicon produced by the aluminum induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

The aluminum-induced crystallization and layer exchange process shows great promise for converting a-Si into large-grained poly-Si for solar cell applications. To investigate the relationship between the grain size of Al and the final grain size of poly-Si, a series of samples were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering 165 nm of Al onto SiN/SiO 2 coated (100) silicon substrates. The Al grain size was varied by vacuum annealing prior to the deposition of 195 nm of a-Si. Completion of the layer exchange process resulted in poly-Si films which were then characterized with plan view TEM. The average Si grain size was found to increase as a function of increasing Al grain size, consistent with the grain-boundary nucleation model for this process. The largest average Si grain size of 4.9±1.92µm corresponded to the Al sample which was annealed for 24 hours at 550°C. The microstructure of the poly-Si film can therefore be manipulated by altering the properties of the as-deposited Al layer with an isothermal anneal.
Genome of Mycoplasma arthritidis

The genomes of several species of mycoplasma have been sequenced. Most of these species rely on the glycolytic pathway for energy production, with the one exception of Ureaplasma, a species that breaks down urea as its principle source of acquiring energy. Several species, including as Mycoplasma arthritidis, are nonglycolytic and can use arginine as their source of energy. Described here are the genome sequence and a transposon library of M. arthritidis. The genome of 820,453 bp is typical in size for a mycoplasma and contains two large families of genes that are predicted to code for phase-variable proteins. The transposon library was constructed using a minitransposon that inserts stably into the mycoplasma genome. Of the 635 predicted coding regions, 218 were disrupted in a library of 1,100 members. Dispensable genes included the gene coding for the MAM superantigen and genes coding for ribosomal proteins S15, S18, and L15.
MEASUREMENT OF THE ROTATIONAL SPECTRUM OF HF+ BY LASER MAGNETIC RESONANCE

Rotational transitions in the X 2Π state of the HF+ molecular ion were measured by laser magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hyperfine splittings from both nuclei were resolved. An analysis of the J = 3/2 → 5/2 transitions in the Ω = 3/2 spin sublevel is presented.
Experiments on the flow of a thin liquid film over a horizontal stationary and rotating disk surface

Experiments on characterization of thin liquid films flowing over stationary and rotating disk surfaces are described. The thin liquid film was created by introducing deionized water from a flow collar at the center of an aluminum disk with a known initial film thickness and uniform radial velocity. Radial film thickness distribution was measured using a non-intrusive laser light interface reflection technique that enabled the measurement of the instantaneous film thickness over a finite segment of the disk. Experiments were performed for a range of flow rates between 3.0 lpm and 15.0 lpm, corresponding to Reynolds numbers based on the liquid inlet gap height and velocity between 238 and 1,188. The angular speed of the disk was varied from 0 rpm to 300 rpm. When the disk was stationary, a circular hydraulic jump was present in the liquid film. The liquid-film thickness in the subcritical region (downstream of the hydraulic jump) was an order of magnitude greater than that in the supercritical region (upstream of the hydraulic jump) which was of the order of 0.3 mm. As the Reynolds number increased, the hydraulic jump migrated toward the edge of the disk. In the case of rotation, the liquid-film thickness exhibited a maximum on the disk surface. The liquid-film inertia and friction influenced the inner region where the film thickness progressively increased. The outer region where the film thickness decreased was primarily affected by the centrifugal forces. A flow visualization study of the thin film was also performed to determine the characteristics of the waves on the free surface. At high rotational speeds, spiral waves were observed on the liquid film. It was also determined that the angle of the waves which form on the liquid surface was a function of the ratio of local radial to tangential velocity.
EFFECT OF CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL TREATMENTS ON RANCIDITY DEVELOPMENT OF FROZEN MULLET (Mugil cephalus) FILLETS

Approximately 30 million pounds of mullet are harvested annually in Florida. However, mullet has only limited economic value compared to other commercially valuable fish species which in part is due to the poor stability of the flesh during storage. The instability of mullet flesh during storage has been attributed mainly to the development of oxidative rancidity. The purpose of this study was to retard rancidity development in the stored mullet fillets by chemical and physical treatments. The mullet fillets were dipped for 1 min in the following antioxidant solution, mono-tertiarybutylbydroquinone (TBHQ), disodium ethylene-diaminetetraacetate (Na2EDTA) and ascorbic acid, singularly or in various combinations. Each antioxidant and their combinations retarded rancidity development in the stored mullet fillets. The chemcial tests (peroxide value and TBA number) indicated that ascorbic acid alone or in combination with TBHQ or Na2 EDTA was more effective than other antioxidant treatments. Vacuum packaging in combination with anti-oxidants improved rancidity control over antioxidant treatments alone. Based on the chemical measurements rancidity development is retarded best by treatment with the antioxidants ascorbic acid and/or TBHQ in combination with vacuum-packaging.
Slow memory: weakening consistency to enhance concurrency in distributed shared memories

The use of weakly consistent memories in distributed shared memory systems to combat unacceptable network delay and to allow such systems to scale is proposed. Proposed memory correctness conditions are surveyed, and how they are related by a weakness hierarchy is demonstrated. Multiversion and messaging interpretations of memory are introduced as means of systematically exploring the space of possible memories. Slow memory is presented as a memory that allows the effects of writes to propagate slowly through the system, eliminating the need for costly consistency maintenance protocols that limit concurrency. Slow memory processes a valuable locality property and supports a reduction from traditional atomic memory. Thus slow memory is as expressive as atomic memory. This expressiveness is demonstrated by two exclusion algorithms and a solution to M.J. Fischer and A. Michael's (1982) dictionary problem on slow memory. >
Decentralized Inference Over Multiple-Access Channels

The problem of decentralized inference over multiple-access fading channels is considered from a joint source-channel coding perspective. In our setting, spatially distributed wireless sensor nodes collect observation data about a hidden source and communicate relevant statistics to a receiver node that generates the desired inference (estimation or detection) about unknown source parameters. We assume a homogeneous sensor signal field in which information about the source parameters is distributed in space (across sensors) and time in an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) manner. Our study characterizes the asymptotic performance of an identical source-channel mapping for i.i.d. sensor observation data in which the same encoder is used at all the nodes. This scheme generalizes many existing methods including uncoded transmission and type-based multiple access. Sufficient conditions are obtained under which our identical mapping approach achieves the genie-aided scaling law (in the number of nodes) associated with a noiseless channel, even when the nodes transmit with asymptotically vanishing power. Our analysis also elucidates the critical impact of channel state information on the achievable performance. In particular, it identifies scenarios in which identical mapping fails and a simple nonidentical mapping scheme is shown to improve performance. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the theoretical principles derived in the paper.
Surface damage and topography of erbium metal films implanted with helium to high fluences

Abstract Topographical and expansion effects which occur as a result of implanting erbium thin films with helium up to fluences of 1.5 × 1018 He+/cm2 are described. There exists an inverse relationship between critical dose and annealing temperature with respect to the formation of surface bubbles. Post implantation annealing at or below 400°C is found to strongly reduce implantation induced expansion for doses less than 3.5 × 1017 He+/cm2, but is observed to result in increased expansion above this dose. At temperatures above 400°C, expansion is increased for all doses investigated. Details of bubble development in the implanted layer are discussed and the manner in which surface bubbles develop from enlarged subsurface bubbles is illustrated.
Organization and Regulation of Pentachlorophenol-Degrading Genes in Sphingobium chlorophenolicum ATCC 39723

The first three enzymes of the pentachlorophenol (PCP) degradation pathway in Sphingobium chlorophenolicum (formerly Sphingomonas chlorophenolica) ATCC 39723 have been characterized, and the corresponding genes, pcpA, pcpB, and pcpC, have been individually cloned and sequenced. To search for new genes involved in PCP degradation and map the physical locations of the pcp genes, a 24-kb fragment containing pcpA and pcpC was completely sequenced. A putative LysR-type transcriptional regulator gene, pcpM, and a maleylacetate reductase gene, pcpE, were identified upstream of pcpA. pcpE was found to play a role in PCP degradation. pcpB was not found on the 24-kb fragment. The four gene products PcpB, PcpC, PcpA, and PcpE were responsible for the metabolism of PCP to 3-oxoadipate in ATCC 39723, and inactivational mutation of each gene disrupted the degradation pathway. The organization of the pcp genes is unusual because the four PCP-degrading genes, pcpA, pcpB, pcpC, and pcpE, were found to be located at four discrete locations. Two hypothetical LysR-type regulator genes, pcpM and pcpR, have been identified; pcpM was not required, but pcpR was essential for the induction of pcpB, pcpA, and pcpE. The coinducers of PcpR were PCP and other polychlorinated phenols. The expression of pcpC was constitutive. Thus, the organization and regulation of the genes involved in PCP degradation to 3-oxoadipate were documented.
Spatial multipath location aided ad hoc routing

Mobile ad-hoc networks are infrastructure-free networks of mobile nodes that communicate with each other wirelessly. There are several ad hoc routing algorithms at present that utilize position information (usually in two dimensional terms) to make routing decisions at each node. We consider routing algorithms that use 3D positional information, particularly a hybrid extension to LAR that works in 3D. We propose a new hierarchical, zone-based 3D routing algorithm, based on GRID by Liao, Tseng and Sheu (2001). Our new algorithm called "hyper-GRID" is a hybrid algorithm that uses multipath routing (alternate path caching) in 3D. We propose replacing LAR with multipath LAR (MLAR) in GRID. We have implemented MLAR and are validating MLAR through simulation using ns-2 and studying its efficiency, scalability and other properties. We use a random waypoint mobility model and compare our MLAR approach versus LAR, AODV and AOMDV in both 2D and 3D for a range of traffic and mobility scenarios
Diffractive lens fabrication by replica molding

Summary form only given. Diffractive lenses and 2-D gratings were fabricated using electron-beam lithography and replica molding. With electron-beam lithography, feature sizes smaller than 60 nm can be achieved. We demonstrate that we can achieve similar feature sizes with replica molding. High-fidelity replica molding can become an important tool to complement electron-beam lithography in the fabrication of DOEs and other nanostructures.
The mechanism of action of the antidiuretic peptide Tenmo ADFa in Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti.

SUMMARY The mechanism of action of Tenebrio molitor antidiuretic factor `a9 (Tenmo ADFa) was explored in isolated Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti . In the Ramsay assay of fluid secretion, Tenmo ADFa (10 –9 mol l –1 ) significantly inhibited the rate of fluid secretion from 0.94 nl min –1 to 0.44 nl min –1 without significant effects on the concentrations of Na + , K + and Cl – in secreted fluid. In isolated perfused tubules, Tenmo ADFa had no effect on the transepithelial voltage ( V t ) and resistance ( R t ). In principal cells of the tubule, Tenmo ADFa had no effect on the basolateral membrane voltage ( V bl ) and the input resistance of principal cells ( R pc ). Tenmo ADFa significantly increased the intracellular concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) from 2.9 μmol l –1 (control) to 7.4 μmol l –1 . A peritubular [cGMP] of 20 μmol l –1 duplicated the antidiuretic effects of Tenmo ADFa without inducing electrophysiological effects. In contrast, 500 μmol l –1 cGMP significantly depolarized V bl , hyperpolarized V t , and reduced R t and R pc , without increasing antidiuretic potency beyond that of 20 μmol l –1 cGMP. A plot of peritubular cGMP concentration vs V bl revealed a steep dose–response between 300 μmol l –1 and 700 μmol l –1 with an EC 50 of 468 μmol l –1 . These observations suggest a receptor- and cGMP-mediated mechanism of action of Tenmo ADFa. Tenmo ADFa and physiological concentrations of cGMP (<20μ mol l –1 ) reduce the rate of isosmotic fluid secretion by quenching electroneutral transport systems. The inhibition reveals that as much as 50% of the normal secretory solute and water flux can stem from electrically silent mechanisms in this highly electrogenic epithelium.
The Virtual CVD Learning Platform

The Virtual CVD Learning Platform provides a capstone experience in which students synthesize engineering science and statistics principles. They apply Design of Experiments (DOE) in the context similar to that of industry with a wider design space than is typically seen in the undergraduate lab. The Virtual CVD Learning Platform contains a numerical simulation of a chemical-vapor deposition (CVD) reactor and is based on fundamental principles of mass transfer and chemical reaction, obscured by added "noise." The Virtual CVD Learning Platform is available for interested educators; moreover, it is self-contained so that it can be placed with versatility where it fits in a given program's curriculum. While the platform chosen is specific to the microelectronics industry, it is expected the lessons learned may be applied to any process. The software application contains a 3D graphical user interface, the calculation engine, a database, and an instructor interface with integrated assessment tools. A robust assessment plan using a model of cognition based on a modification of Bloom's taxonomy of learning is described. This assessment was implemented in Winter 2006.
CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND THEIR PARENTS: SELF-CARE AND DEPENDENT-CARE PRACTICES

In this qualitative study the self-care practices of children with cancer and the dependent-care practices of their parents were examined. These practices were organized according to self-care requisites presented in Orem's theory of self-care. The intent of this examination was to determine the competency of participants, identify where self-care deficits occurred, and decide what nursing interventions were needed. A purposive sample of 9 children and 18 parents were interviewed to determine their experiences with cancer. Content analysis was conducted using a deductive approach to code and analyze the data according to Orem’s universal, developmental, and health-deviation self-care requisites. NVivo qualitative analysis software was employed for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that participants were competent agents, performing many practices in the areas of universal and developmental self-care requisites. Participants performed far fewer practices regarding health-deviation self-car...
Application of The Silicon Interstitial Based Intrinsic Gettering Process to the Formation of Multilevel Defect Structures

The new intrinsic gettering mechanism based on the interactions of silicon interstitialshas been studied in float zone silicon with virtually zero oxygen content. Silicon wafers were subjected to the high-low-medium temperature annealing cycle, with the high temperature step carried out subsequently in an inert ambient, followed by the dry 0 2 , followed by an inert ambient. The annealing caused formation of a multilevel structure consisting of two defect free regions with a high lifetime value, separated by a layer with high defect density and a low lifetime value. The experimental data corresponds to the theoretical calculations describing silicon interstitial injection during dry 0 2 oxidation and their diffusion during annealing in an inert ambient.