cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory and Measurements of a Compact High Dielectric Microstrip Rotman Lens

A compact microstrip lens operating at frequencies between 1.33 and 4 GHz was designed and tested. The measurements included the complete scattering matrix as well as the multibeam radiation patterns. In addition, a contour integral equation formulation was developed to predict the S-matrix associated with the lens. The model incorporates higher order propagation modes as well as the tapered transitions that transform the 50 ? transmission lines to the larger lens apertures. This paper discusses problems associated with the lens design and manufacture of the tapered transitions, describes the lens model, compares measured S-parameters with theoretical predictions, and presents the resultant radiation patterns with the lens connected to an array of wideband, notched, stripline antenna elements.
Umbrella Pine, Sciadopitys verticillata: Past and Present Distribution in Japan

The umbrella pine, Sciadopitys verticillata S. and Z., a native Japanese conifer species and the only present member of the genus Sciadopitys, has become rapidly restricted in its geographic distribution since the beginning of intensified human activities. In Japan the genus was more widely distributed throughout the Pliocene and in the postglacial hypsithermal and slightly later times (R IIIa). In other parts of the world the genus has not appeared in the fossil record since the early Pleistocene. Conservation of this species is needed.
Cysteine-augmented inhibition of Avena invertase by mercuric ion

Abstract One of the invertases (β- d - fructofuranoside fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.26)isolated from Avena seedlings was very sensitive to mercuric ion, with 60% inhibition by 0.4μM HgCl 2 , but concentrations of HgCl 2 as high as 2mM did not increase the inhibition. The enzyme and mercuric ion formed a complex that was stable to dialysis and gel filtration and to the addition of cyanide and EDTA. Cysteine had no effect on the activity of the invertase, but when added to the mercuric ion-invertase, it increased the inhibition to 93 %. Other thiols and cysteine derivatives exerted effects ranging from augmentation to reversal of the inhibition. Of all the reagents tested, cysteine and N -acetyl cysteine were the most effective in increasing the inhibition. However, the effectiveness of cysteine was destroyed by removal of either the amino group or the carboxyl group and by increasing the carbon chain by one unit (homocysteine).
Infection control in correctional facilities: A new challenge

The potential for communicable disease transmission in a prison setting is high. Infection control programs in correctional facilities must be designed (1) to develop effective systems for identification, prevention, and control of communicable diseases, (2) to collect data in a systematized way, and (3) to ensure follow-up and coordination of health care after release. The role and activities in which the infection control practitioner must engage include surveillance and reporting, administration, education, and consultation with correction personnel, local health agencies, and health care workers. Specific tasks within each of these areas require modification to meet the unique needs of correctional facilities.
Molecular modeling of Al3+ and benzene interactions with Suwannee fulvic acid

Abstract The effects that Al3+ and benzene interactions exhibit on a model fulvic acid were investigated. Energy minimizations of the structures mimicking the interactions of Al3+–Suwannee fulvic acid (SFA), benzene–SFA and Al3+–benzene–SFA were run with a solvation sphere of 60 H2O molecules with the semi-empirical methods PM3 and PM5. The semi-empirical method PM3 was run with Gaussian 98 and CAChe Workstation Pro 6.1.1 to compare the results of the energy minimization algorithms in the two programs. PM5 calculations were run with CAChe Workstation Pro 6.1.1. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were run in Cerius2 (Accelrys Inc., San Diego, CA) using the Universal Force Field (UFF) 1.02 [Rappe A. K., Casewit C., Colwell K., Goddard W., and Skiff W. (1992) UFF, a full periodic-table force-field for molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 114(25), 10024–10035] and COMPASS force field [Sun H. (1998) COMPASS: an ab initio force-field optimized for condensed-phase applications—overview with details on alkane and benzene compounds. J. Phys. Chem. B 102, 7338–7364]. Single point calculations were run on the minimized structures at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level to obtain more accurate estimates of the energy on the minimized structures derived from the PM3, PM5, and UFF methods and to normalize energies to the same reference state. This methodology was used as the standard of comparison for all the models to assess whether or not a given configuration was reasonably stable. The PM3/G03 energy minimizations predicted the lowest B3LYP/6-31G(d) potential energies of the methodologies examined in this study. Thus, this method is considered the most reliable of those tested. The PM3/G03 method predicted that there would be aromatic–aromatic interactions between benzene and SFA. The presence of Al3+ was predicted not to interfere with aromatic–aromatic interactions between benzene and SFA, but benzene may influence the location of metal complexation to SFA.
Geochemistry of low-molecular weight hydrocarbons in hydrothermal fluids from Middle Valley, northern Juan de Fuca Ridge

Abstract Hydrothermal vent fluids from Middle Valley, a sediment-covered vent field located on the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge, were sampled in July, 2000. Eight different vents with exit temperatures of 186–281 °C were sampled from two areas of venting: the Dead Dog and ODP Mound fields. Fluids from the Dead Dog field are characterized by higher concentrations of ΣNH3 and organic compounds (C1–C4 alkanes, ethene, propene, benzene and toluene) compared with fluids from the ODP Mound field. The ODP Mound fluids, however, are characterized by higher C1/(C2 + C3) and benzene:toluene ratios than those from the Dead Dog field. The aqueous organic compounds in these fluids have been derived from both bacterial processes (methanogenesis in low temperature regions during recharge) as well as from thermogenic processes in higher temperature portions of the subsurface reaction zone. As the sediments undergo hydrothermal alteration, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons are released to solution as organic matter degrades via a stepwise oxidation process. Compositional and isotopic differences in the aqueous hydrocarbons indicate that maximum subsurface temperatures at the ODP Mound are greater than those at the Dead Dog field. Maximum subsurface temperatures were calculated assuming that thermodynamic equilibrium is attained between alkenes and alkanes, benzene and toluene, and carbon dioxide and methane. The calculated temperatures for alkene–alkane equilibrium are consistent with differences in the dissolved Cl concentrations in fluids from the two fields, and confirm that subsurface temperatures at the ODP Mound are hotter than those at the Dead Dog field. Temperatures calculated assuming benzene–toluene equilibrium and carbon dioxide–methane equilibrium are similar to observed exit temperatures, and do not record the hottest subsurface conditions. The difference in subsurface temperatures estimated using organic geochemical thermometers reflects subsurface cooling processes via mixing of a hot, low salinity vapor with a cooler, seawater salinity fluid. Because of the disparate temperature dependence of alkene–alkane and benzene–toluene equilibria, the mixed fluid records both the high and low temperature equilibrium conditions. These calculations indicate that vapor-rich fluids are presently being formed in the crust beneath the ODP Mound, yet do not reach the surface due to mixing with the lower temperature fluids.
Children, Costume, and Identity in the Chester Midsummer Show

This essay focuses on the performances of children in late medieval and early modern Chester, using questions about gender identity and fashion to unpack the intricate social meanings of their representations in the Chester Midsummer Show. Roles for children in the Show changed drastically in the decades before and after 1600, when depictions of boys in performance shifted from representing them as uncivilized and outside the social order to imagining them as a symbolic merchant ‘nobility’. Earlier roles, such as the ‘naked boys’ who attacked a dragon, slowly gave way to luxuriously dressed ‘lords’ who rode for each guild. Unlike the naked boys, who were chosen on the basis of talent and/or specific skills, evidence reveals that the lords were played by the sons of prominent local officials. Given the context of historical unrest in Chester, these familial connections suggest that the desire for imagery of the ‘insider’ came to surpass that for the ‘outsider’. By the seventeenth century, the body of the child no longer represented a sexual and societal blank slate, but instead recreated the social order of the civic elites through aristocratic clothing that drew on sumptuary law to safely express social distinction, social aspiration, and legitimized local authority.
Low-energy effective Lagrangian of heterotic string theory.

By studying the four-point tree amplitudes in heterotic string theory, we explicitly show that the action involves only curvatures of a generalized connection, which differs from the connection found at the three-point level. It is also shown that the curvature tensor and the Yang-Mills gauge field appear as the perfect square (${R}^{2}$-${F}^{2}$${)}^{2}$ which holds even for this generalized connection. Some considerations of higher-derivative interactions and their implications for the N=2 \ensuremath{\sigma} model are made.
Maximum Similarity Index (MSI)

Serious games need appropriate metrics to measure performance of players.Comparing novice performance against multiple expert-solutions is difficult.We created Maximum Similarity Index to compare novices against multiple experts.Findings show Maximum Similarity Index to be more robust than nine game metrics. In learning environments, appropriate objectives are needed to create the conditions for learning and consequently the performance to occur. It follows that appropriate metrics would also be necessary to properly measure what actually constitute performance in situ (within that environment), and to measure if learning has indeed occurred. Serious games environments can be problematic for performance measurement because publishers often posit the game would automatically facilitate learning by their design. Stakeholders, on the other hand, require empirical proofs to quantify performance improvement and calculate Returns of Investment.Serious games environment (an open-ended scenario) with 'more-than-one correct solutions' can be difficult for data analysis. In a previous study, we demonstrated the possible use of String Similarity Index to differentiate novices from experts based on how (dis-)similar their performances are within a 'single-solution' serious game environment. This study extends the previous study by differentiating a group of novices from the experts based on how (dis)similar their performances are within a 'multiple-solution' serious game environment. To facilitate the calculation of performance, we create a new metric for this purpose called, Maximum Similarity Index, to take into consideration the existence of multiple expert solutions. Our findings indicated that Maximum Similarity Index can be a useful metric for serious games analytics when such scenarios present themselves, both for the differentiation of novices from experts, and for the ranking of the player cohort. In a secondary analysis, we compared Maximum Similarity Index to other commonly available game metrics (such as time of completion) and found it to be more appropriate than other game metrics for the measurement of performance in serious games.
Q-switched laser treatment of tattoos

In the last decade, Q-switched lasers have expanded the clinician’s ability to treat decorative, cosmetic and traumatic tattoos without scarring. Previous methods of gross tissue removal with resultant scarring have been replaced by the highly selective removal of tattoo pigment with minimal changes in skin texture or pigmentation. This article reviews use of the Q-switched ruby, Q-switched neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet and Q-switched alexandrite lasers in the clinical management of patients with tattoos.
Capillary electrophoresis with NDA derivatization and electrochemical detection for the analysis of cellular amino acids

A method is described for the direct identification of amino acids and amine-containing compounds from a fully developed neuron in Planorbis corneus as well as cultured pheochromocytoma cells by capillary electrophoresis with napthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA) derivatization and electrochemical detection. Several compounds have been identified from the Planorbis neuron, including dopamine, glycine, dopa, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. Quantitation was accomplished through the use of calibration curves. Cellular levels of the compounds ranged from 0.386 to 26.5 fmol. Voltammetry of the NDA products was also examined by scanning electrochemical detection in order to determine whether the technique could be used for peak identification. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 10: 185–192, 1998
Sizing and mapping of early adenovirus mRNAs by gel electrophoresis of S1 endonuclease-digested hybrids

Abstract We have developed a simple and sensitive method for detecting, sizing and mapping RNA transcripts from viral or cloned DNAs. This technique has been used to examine the cytoplasmic transcripts produced during the early phase of adenovirus 2 (Ad2) infection of HeLa cells. Unlabeled total cytoplasmic or oligo (dT)-selected cytoplasmic RNA is hybridized to restriction fragments of 32 P-labeled viral DNA in 80% formamide under conditions above the Tm of the DNA duplex, but below the Tm of the RNA-DNA hybrid duplex (Casey and Davidson, 1977). DNA complements precisely the length of the hybridized RNA are generated by treating with single-strand-specific S1 endonuclease under conditions which do not introduce strand breaks into hybrid duplex. The sizes of the S1-resistant single-stranded DNAs are then determined by alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis (McDonnell, Simon and Studier, 1977). A restriction fragment which terminates within a region coding for an mRNA yields a band equal in size to the portion of the mRNA transcribed from that restriction fragment. This allows unique mapping of coding regions relative to restriction endonuclease cleavage sites. All early Ad2 transcripts are clustered in four regions of the viral DNA. At least five early stable cytoplasmic colinear transcripts are transcribed to the right from the left end of the viral genome, the region of the genome coding functions necessary for transformation of mammalian cells. Transcripts of 650, 350 and 1750 nucleotides map from 1.7 ± 0.5 to 3.6 ± 0.5, 3.6 ± 0.2 to 4.6 ± 0.4, and 4.7 ± 0.3 to 9.5 ± 0.5 units, respectively, and there are two 450 nucleotide transcripts tentatively mapped in the region of 3.0 and 11.0 units. Two overlapping transcripts of 1600 and 1700 nucleotides having the same 3′ terminus and 5′ termini displaced by 100 nucleotides are transcribed to the left from 66.2 ± 0.3 to 61.6 ± 0.2 and 66.5 ± 0.3 to 61.6 ± 0.2 units, respectively. Seven other distinct early stable cytoplasmic transcripts have also been positioned on the genome.
Identifying medication order discrepancies during medication reconciliation: perceptions of nursing home leaders and staff

Aim The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore nursing home leader and staff nurse perceptions about the process of medication reconciliation, with a specific focus on identifying medication order discrepancies. Background Medication order discrepancies and harmful discrepancy-related adverse drug events can occur when residents make the transition to nursing homes, yet little is known about how discrepancies are identified in this setting. Method Interviews of 18 leaders and focus groups of 13 registered nurses and 28 licensed practical nurses from eight mid-western United States nursing homes were conducted. Result Three themes emerged from the data: (1) nurses believe nursing home physicians rely on them to know, (2) active vs. passive information-seeking, and (3) nurses making sense of medication orders to identify discrepancies. Conclusion This study provides evidence about the role of nursing home nurses in medication reconciliation and how nurses engage in cognitive processes, such as ‘sensemaking’, when identifying discrepancies. Implications for nursing management Nursing leaders and managers must acknowledge that medication reconciliation is a complex cognitive process that requires the right nurse be assigned to the role, taking into account education and experience. Additionally, systems to support collaboration between physicians, nurses and pharmacists should be in place to ensure that potentially harmful discrepancies are identified and resolved.
Political Participation and Metropolitan Institutional Contexts

Research concerning the impact of metropolitan political structures on political participation has generated a wide range of conflicting findings. This failure to solve this puzzle results from a failure to fully characterize the many dimensions of metropolitan institutional context that bear on citizens’ political behaviors. The authors provide such a characterization and test its implications with data on turnout in local legislative elections in 336 municipalities in 12 metropolitan areas. They examine the complex debate over the role of metropolitan political contexts in fostering political participation and identify four dimensions of contextual influence on turnout. They find that these contextual influences interact in significant ways that generate surprising results. Overall, however, the results lend far greater support to those favoring the consolidation of urban political institutions than those supporting further fragmentation of local government.
Severe Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in Male Homosexuals: Diminished Capacity to Make Interferon-a in Vitro Associated with Severe Opportunistic Infections

Natural killer cell function, directed against either K562 tumor targets or herpes simplex virus type 1-infected fibroblasts, was often low in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) but failed to distinguish these patients from either male homosexual controls or patients with lymphadenopathy. Mononuclear cells from patients with AIDS and opportunistic infections generated diminished levels of interferon-a in response to herpes simplex virus type 1-infected fibroblasts. This deficiency discriminated patients with severe opportunistic infections from most individuals with either generalized lymphadenopathy or Kaposi's sarcoma only and from male homosexual control subjects. The deficiency in interferon-a generation may be the consequence of the opportunistic infections that these individuals have contracted or may be a direct manifestation of AIDS itself. Our studies of five homosexual men with ulcera
The flagellar apparatus of the golden alga Synura uvella: four absolute orientations

Flagellated vegetative cells of the colonial golden algaSynura uvella Ehr, were examined using serial sections. The two flagella are nearly parallel as they emerge from a flagellar pit near the apex of the cell. The photoreceptor is restricted to swellings on the flagella in the region where they pass through the apical pore in the scale case and the swellings are not associated with the cell membrane or an eyespot. A unique ring-like structure surrounds the axonemes of both flagella at a level just above the transitional helix. The basal bodies are interconnected by three striated, fibrous bands. Four short (<100 nm) microtubules lie between the basal bodies at their proximal ends. Two rhizoplasts extend down from the basal bodies and separate into numerous fine striated bands which lie over the nucleus. Three- and four-membered microtubular roots arise from the rhizoplasts and extend apically together. As the roots reach the cell anterior, the three-membered root bends and curves clockwise to form a large loop around the flagella; the four-membered root bends anticlockwise and terminates under the distal end of the three-membered root as it completes the loop. There are four absolute orientations, termed Types 1–4, in which the flagellar apparatus can occur. With each orientation type the positions of the Golgi body, nucleus, rhizoplasts, chloroplasts and microtubular roots change with respect to the flagella, basal bodies and photoreceptor. Two new basal bodies appear in pre-division cells, and three short microtubules appear in a dense substance adjacent to each new basal body. Based upon the positions of new pre-division basal bodies, a hypothesis is proposed to explain why there are four orientations and how they are maintained through successive cell divisions.
Analysis of activin A gene expression in human bone marrow stromal cells

Activin A, a member of the TGF-beta superfamily, plays roles in differentiation and development, including hematopoiesis. Our previous studies indicated that the expression of activin A by human bone marrow cells and monocytes is highly regulated by inflammatory cytokines and glucocorticoids. The present study was undertaken to investigate the regulation of activin A gene expression in the human bone marrow stromal cell lines L87/4 and HS-5, as well as in primary stromal cells. Northern blots demonstrated that, like primary stromal cells, the cell lines expressed four activin A RNA transcripts (6.4, 4.0, 2.8, and 1.6 kb), although distribution of the RNA among the four sizes varied. The locations of the 5' ends of the RNAs were investigated by Northern blots and RNase protection assays. The results identified a transcription start site at 212 nucleotides upstream of the translation start codon. In addition, luciferase expression assays of a series of deletion constructs were used to identify regulatory sequences upstream of the activin A gene. A 58 bp upstream sequence exhibits promoter activity. However, severalfold higher expression requires a positive element consisting of an additional 71 bp of the upstream region. Promoter activity was also identified between 2.5 and 3.6 kb upstream of the start codon. These findings suggest that expression of activin A at the transcriptional level follows complex patterns of regulation.
Nonfunctional, nonchromaffin paragangliomas of the retroperitoneum

Two nonfunctional, nonchromaffin paragangliomas of the retroperitoneum are reported, one of which was histologically malignant and metastasized to lungs, liver, and bones. A compilation of the clinical findings for all reported nonfunctional, nonchromaffin paragangliomas in the retroperitoneum shows that 14 of 21 patients presented with abdominal or back pain and/or a palpable abdominal mass. The tumors were tan-grey or red, solid, circumscribed or partially encapsulated, and closely related to the aorta. They bled profusely on biopsy or handling. Twelve of 21 patients either had neoplasms that metastasized or had multiple primary neoplasms; only 9 patients had single retroperitoneal tumor masses. Retroperitoneal paragangliomas are more likely to be histologically malignant, to infiltrate and metastasize, and to occur in younger patients than are similar neoplasms in other locations.
Risk of ectopic pregnancy associated with assisted reproductive technology in the United States, 2001-2011.

OBJECTIVE:To assess national trends in ectopic pregnancy incidence among assisted reproductive technology users and identify risk factors associated with ectopic pregnancy.METHODS:We identified 553,577 pregnancies reported to the National ART Surveillance System between 2001 and 2011. Of those, 9,48
Compatibility of high temperature materials with Be12Nb

The very low density and good elevated temperature properties of the refractory metal beryllides, of the class Be[sub 12]M and Be[sub 17]M[sub 2], demonstrate their potential use in high temperature, structural applications. Due to the inherent brittleness of the compounds at lower temperatures, the beryllides would most likely be incorporated into a composite for eventual structural use. The extent of chemical interaction between the beryllides and other materials in the composite will be critical in determining the ultimate feasibility of such a material. Some studies have shown significant interaction of beryllides with pure metallic elements and intermetallic compounds. In the limited study reported in this paper, the interaction of Be[sub 12]Nb with high-temperature refractor metals and ceramics has been investigated.
Critical calcium concentrations in radish grown under various regimes of nitrogen nutrition

Abstract Ammonium nutrition of radish plants (Raphanus sativus L.) suppresses their accumulation of Ca. The objective of this study was to determine the critical Ca concentration of radish in order to assess if NH4 + nutrition induces Ca deficiency in this crop. Cultivar Cherry Belle was grown in sand culture in a greenhouse. Nitrogen was provided as nitrate or ammonium salts, and Ca was varied from 1 to 200 mg/liter in solution. With N03’ nutrition, plant growth increased curvilinearly with increased Ca in solution. Calcium accumulation in shoots was a good index of relative root (edible radish) growth. The critical Ca concentration in shoots for optimum root growth was 2% of the dry matter. With NH4+ nutrition, plant growth declined linearly with increased Ca in solution and with Ca accumulation in the shoots. A critical Ca concentration could not be determined for plants grown with NH4 + nutrition. The antagonism between Ca and NH4 + nutrition could not be explained by deficiencies or toxicities of oth...
Effects of Cocaine on Adrenal Sympathetic Nerve Discharge in Anesthetized Rats

Cocaine increases the circulating levels of plasma catecholamines, presumably via the activation of the sympathoadrenal axis. However, a number of reports have shown that the predominant response to cocaine is a generalized decrease in sympathetic nerve activity. One possible explanation for the increase in plasma catecholamines may be that the adrenal sympathetic nerve is less sensitive to the sympathoinhibitory actions of cocaine than are other nerves. This study compared the effects of cocaine on adrenal and renal sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) recorded simultaneously in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Cocaine produced dose-related decreases in both renal and adrenal SND; however, the decreases in adrenal SND were significantly smaller than in renal SND. Cocaine also elicited pressor responses in these rats. The decreases in adrenal SND were similar in baroreceptor intact and sinoaortically denervated rats, indicating that pressor-mediated baroreceptor reflex activation was not responsible for the decrease in adrenal SND. In a separate group of rats, i.v. administration of desipramine decreased both adrenal and renal SND. As with cocaine, the decreases in adrenal SND after desipramine were smaller, suggesting that the differences in the neural responses did not reflect a differential local anesthetic effect of cocaine on the two nerves. In conclusion, these studies showed that cocaine decreases adrenal SND in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. However, the adrenal sympathetic nerve is less sensitive than the renal nerve to the sympathoinhibitory actions of cocaine. Whether the adrenal SND remaining after cocaine contributes to the increase in plasma catecholamines produced by this drug remains to be determined.
A Model Of Low‐Temperature Water Transport For Hepatocyte Spheroidsa

Spheroids are multicellular aggregates that exhibit a more tissue-like morphology and function when compared to monolayer cultures of the same cells. Hepatocyte spheroids are presently under investigation for use of an artificial liver. The ability to cryopreserve hepatocyte spheroids is essential for their clinical and commercial application. A multicompartment model was formulated to predict water content as a function of temperature during freezing. The theoretical predictions of water transport indicate that there will be spatial differences in water content of the spheroid during freezing and that due to the rapid decrease in water transport with decreasing temperature, the undercooling of the intracellular solution during freezing will increase steadily. These results indicate that conventional freezing of hepatocyte spheroids will be difficult to accomplish due to transport limitations in the spheroids.
Effect of B-field dependent particle drifts on ELM behavior in the DIII-D boundary plasma

Abstract Edge localized mode (ELM) effects in the DIII-D pedestal and boundary plasmas were measured with multiple fast diagnostics in matched, lower single-null, ELMing H-mode discharges with the ion B × ∇B drift either toward or away from the divertor. Data show a strong dependence of the delay in inner vs. outer divertor ELM Dα on drift direction, and a weaker drift dependence of the inner vs. outer delay of Prad, in addition to the strong density dependence seen in previous work. Time dependent boundary plasma modeling during an ELM was done with the UEDGE code including a six-species fluid carbon model and the effect of B-field induced particle drifts. The ELM was modeled as an instantaneous, outer midplane peaked, increase of diffusion coefficients from the top of the pedestal to the SOL. The simulations show delays in the inner vs. outer divertor ELM transients that are similar to the measured delays at moderate density.
Complete basis set ab initio computational study of rearrangement and fragmentation processes in methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide radical cations decomposition

Abstract High level complete basis set ab initio computational studies of methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide radical cations were performed with the object to select the lowest possible reaction pathway in their decomposition. It was demonstrated that both of these groups of compounds have very similar decomposition paths that involve rearrangement and fragmentation of initial radical cations. The computational results of these as well as several parallel reaction pathways were discussed
A new three-phase hybrid five-level inverter with reduced number of high-frequency switching devices

Multilevel converters find themselves more and more in low voltage and renewable energy applications due to their better harmonic spectra and less filtering requirements, in addition to conventional medium voltage industry drives and high voltage utility transmissions. This paper presents a new three-phase hybrid five-level inverter topology and the corresponding pulse-width modulation principle and switching pulse generation mechanism. The proposed five-level inverter has a modular structure, built by a regular flying-capacitor three-level inverter operated by PWM and a regular two-level inverter, which is switched only at line frequency. Compared to well-known multilevel topologies, the number of high frequency switching devices is reduced by one-third. Therefore, the proposed approach is able to reduce overall cost and switching loss while still producing an optimum output voltage spectrum and maintaining flying capacitor voltage balancing. Computer simulation results have verified the operation and feasibility of the proposed hybrid five-level inverter.
Super compact RFIC inductors in 0.18/spl mu/m CMOS with copper interconnects

Design of super compact on-chip inductors with deep-shrunk dimension of 22/spl mu/m/spl times/23/spl mu/m, as opposed to several hundreds /spl mu/m by several hundreds /spl mu/m, is reported. Implemented in a 6-metal all-copper 0.18/spl mu/m CMOS process, a flat inductor value of 10nH up to 4GHz, satisfactory to many typical RFIC applications, is achieved. The aggressive shrinkage reduces parasitic capacitance substantially and makes it realistic and cost-effective to realize single-chip RFICs in very deep sub-micron technologies. A new inductor model is proposed for accuracy. A 2.4GHz LNA circuit with on-chip matching using the compact inductor is demonstrated.
An Evaluation of a Juvenile Education Program in a State Penitentiary

A controlled study of the impact of a juvenile education program on the recidivism rates of juveniles was performed. The program involved introducing the juveniles to the realities of prison life. No significant differences between experimental and control groups in the mean number of self-reported status or criminal offenses committed during the premeasure or follow-up period was found. A finding that youths categorized as more delinquent were affected differently by program attendance compared to youths categorized as less delinquent is offered as a tentative explanation of the conflicting results of prior studies of this type of intervention.
Toward a Rigorous Theory of the Screened Electron-Electron Interactions in Metals

A microscopic formula for the effective two-body interaction between electrons or holes in an ideal metal is derived within the linear response theory. Both the zero-range Hubbard interaction U0 and the long-range Coulomb interaction, denoted by ΔV(q), are included. The effective interaction, which is necessarily spin-dependent, is expressed in terms of the exact charge and spin density-density correlation functions and of their higher order mixtures. These correlation functions are analyzed diagrammatically. Attention is paid to clarifying the different roles played by U0 and ΔV(q). We also display the corresponding new formula for the free energy. Comparison is made with previous theories.
Resource-aware quasi-decentralized control of nonlinear plants over communication networks

This paper presents a quasi-decentralized nonlinear control methodology for multi-unit nonlinear plants whose constituent subsystems communicate over a shared, resource-constrained communication network. The objective is to stabilize the plant while keeping the communication requirements to a minimum in order to reduce the unnecessary utilization of network resources. To this end, an uncertain nonlinear model of the plant is initially used to design, for each unit, a stabilizing nonlinear feedback controller that requires state measurements from the neighboring units for implementation. To reduce the frequency at which the measurements are transmitted over the shared network, a copy of the stable compensated plant model is embedded in each unit to provide estimates of the states of the neighboring units when measurements are not available through the network. The state of the model is then updated at discrete time instances when communication is re-established. By analyzing the behavior of the model estimation error between updates, and exploiting the stability properties of the compensated model, a sufficient condition for practical stability of the networked closed-loop plant is obtained in terms of the update period, the plant-model mismatch and the controller design parameters. The stability condition can be used to obtain estimates of the maximum allowable update period and the size of the achievable residual set. Finally, the implementation of the networked control structure is demonstrated through an application to a chemical plant example.
Shapes and sizes of voids in the Lambda cold dark matter universe: excursion set approach

We study the global distribution and morphology of dark matter voids in a Lambda cold dark matter (� CDM) universe using density fields generated by N-body simulations. Voids are defined as isolated regions of the low-density excursion set specified via density thresholds, the density thresholds being quantified by the corresponding filling factors, i.e. the fraction of the total volume in the excursion set. Our work encompasses a systematic investigation of the void volume function, the volume fraction in voids and the fitting of voids to corresponding ellipsoids and spheres. We emphasize the relevance of the percolation threshold to the void volume statistics of the density field in the high redshift, Gaussian random field regime as well as in the present epoch. By using measures such as the Inverse Porosity, we characterize the quality of ellipsoidal fits to voids, finding that such fits are a poor representation of the larger voids that dominate the volume of the void excursion set.
Measuring the effectiveness of infrastructure-level detection of large-scale botnets

Botnets are one of the most serious security threats to the Internet and its end users. In recent years, utilizing P2P as a Command and Control (C&C) protocol has become popular due to its decentralized nature that can help hide the botmaster's identity. Most bot detection approaches targeting P2P botnets either rely on behavior monitoring or traffic flow and packet analysis, requiring fine-grained information collected locally. This requirement limits the scale of detection. In this paper, we consider detection of P2P botnets at a high-level — the infrastructure level — by exploiting their structural properties from a graph analysis perspective. Using three different P2P overlay structures, we measure the effectiveness of detecting each structure at various locations (the Autonomous System (AS), the Point of Presence (PoP), and the router rendezvous) in the Internet infrastructure.
Murine Model of Neointimal Formation and Stenosis in Vein Grafts

Objective— Previous studies have suggested that neointimal formation, a central cause of vein graft stenosis, has several potential cell sources. It was hypothesized that neointimal cells arise primarily from the cells of the vein graft. Methods and Results— This study investigated vein graft neointimal cell origins using a model of vein-to-artery cross-transplantation between transgenic Rosa26 mice (constitutive expression of bacterial β-galactosidase marker gene) and wild-type mice. Vein-originating cells survived and make a major contribution to neointimal formation within the vein graft, mostly adjacent to the lumen/endothelium, suggesting an intimate association with endothelial cells. Cross-transplantation of veins from thrombomodulin promoter-driven β-galactosidase reporter transgenic mice to wild-type arteries demonstrated survival of vein graft endothelial cells. Neointimal thickening was greater at the proximal and, to a lesser extent, distal ends, in comparison to the middle of the graft. By contrast, arterial grafts had almost no neointimal formation throughout the graft. The relative neointimal wall thickness is much greater in this model compared with other murine and larger-species vein graft models, even showing near-occlusive stenosis of the perianastomotic region. Conclusions— Vein graft neointimal cells arise predominantly from vein-derived cells, suggesting clinical relevance of stenosis-inhibiting therapies directed at the vein graft.
Iterative Method for Kinetic Parameter Estimation from Dynamic Thermal Treatments

The purpose of this work was to utilize the Equivalent Point Method (EPM) for kinetic parameter estimation from dynamic thermal treatments. An assumption which was fundamental to the EPM, however, when found invalid led to the development of an alternative approach, the method of Paired Equivalent Isothermal Exposures (PEIE). The method provided conceptual simplicity and case-of-use as well as improved accuracy and reproducibility. The fundamental assumption of the EPM was tested on a mathematical basis, and demonstrated with example calculations. Development of the PEIE method was explained and described with procedural steps. Sample calculations described implementation details of PEIE. The method successfully estimated Arrhenius kinetic parameters from realistic, arbitrary, dynamic thermal treatments.
Resuscitating the Extinct: The Backbreeding of Historic Animals at U.S. Living History Museums

The shift to "living interpretation" in the second half of the 20th century redirected the trajectory of museum work. Living bodies were said to give a more real experience of the past than could historic objects. But what about those pigs, cows, chickens, and sheep found at every major living history museum? Nowadays museums seek rare breeds or they breed contemporary animals to bring them closer to descriptions found in historic documents. What are the ethical and political implications of "backbreeding"? Will museums determine that some backbreeding is legitimate, while others are the stuff of mad-scientist films?
High-volume fraction simulations of two-dimensional vesicle suspensions

We consider numerical algorithms for the simulation of the rheology of two-dimensional vesicles suspended in a viscous Stokesian fluid. The vesicle evolution dynamics is governed by hydrodynamic and elastic forces. The elastic forces are due to local inextensibility of the vesicle membrane and resistance to bending. Numerically resolving vesicle flows poses several challenges. For example, we need to resolve moving interfaces, address stiffness due to bending, enforce the inextensibility constraint, and efficiently compute the (non-negligible) long-range hydrodynamic interactions. Our method is based on the work of Rahimian et al. (2010) [33]. It is a boundary integral formulation of the Stokes equations coupled to the interface mass continuity and force balance. We extend the algorithms presented in that paper to increase the robustness of the method and enable simulations with concentrated suspensions. In particular, we propose a scheme in which both intra-vesicle and inter-vesicle interactions are treated semi-implicitly. In addition we use special integration for near-singular integrals and we introduce a spectrally accurate collision detection scheme. We test the proposed methodologies on both unconfined and confined flows for vesicles whose internal fluid may have a viscosity contrast with the bulk medium. Our experiments demonstrate the importance of treating both intra-vesicle and inter-vesicle interactions accurately.
Metabolic effects of medium chain triglyceride-enriched total parenteral nutrition in rats bearing Yoshida sarcoma.

Abstract The ability of medium chain triglyceride-enriched total parenteral nutrition to support host tissue in a model of cancer cachexia was assessed by measuring tumor growth, body weight, nitrogen balance, energy expenditure, leucine kinetics, fractional protein synthetic rate of tumor, liver, and abdominis rectus muscle, and plasma levels of glucose and albumin. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (85–90 gm) received 10 7 cells of viable Yoshida sarcoma subcutaneously on day 0. Control rats received injections of sterile saline. On day 10 rats underwent central venous cannulation and were randomized to one of three isocaloric diets. One group received amino acids and dextrose, while the other two groups were infused with amino acids, dextrose, and fat as either long chain triglyceride or a physical mixture of medium chain triglyceride: long chain triglyceride (3:1). On day 14 L-1- 14 C-leucine was added to the diet to study protein kinetics, and energy metabolism was measured by indirect calorimetry. Both tumor-bearing and nontumor-bearing rats demonstrated improved nitrogen balance when given medium chain triglyceride-enriched total parenteral nutrition. Tumor-bearing rats had reduced resting energy expenditure vs. nontumor-bearing, while rats receiving total parenteral nutrition without fat had significantly greater respiratory quotients. Tumor-bearing rats had lower total body weight vs. nontumor-bearing on day 10, but body weight of tumor-bearing and nontumor-bearing did not differ on day 14. Whole body protein breakdown decreased and leucine balance increased in tumor-bearing rats as compared to nontumor-bearing. Total liver mass was greater in tumor-bearing rats, but liver protein fractional protein synthetic rate decreased in tumor-bearing rats vs. nontumor-bearing. Tumor growth rate and fractional protein synthetic rate were not altered by the parenteral diet. The data confirm an altered metabolism in the tumor-bearing host, and suggest that medium chain triglyceride can better support host tissue.
Modeling the Impact of the U.S. Tobacco Quota Buyout

In this paper we estimate the impact of the 2004 U.S. tobacco quota buyout in both the U.S. and foreign tobacco markets. It is important to understand the impact of the buyout given the trend of decreasing demand for U.S. tobacco in domestic and international markets. While some empirical research has estimated the impact of the tobacco buyout, none has estimated the impact on both flue-cured and burley tobacco separately, and accounted for the response of imports. Using a multi-market partial equilibrium model with elasticity estimates from the tobacco literature and tobacco production cost data, we simulate the impact of the quota buyout on prices and shipments for U.S. and foreign suppliers in U.S. and foreign markets. We find that shipments of both U.S.-produced burley and flue-cured tobacco increase to both markets, while shipments of foreign produced tobacco falls to both markets. Also, assuming that supply is highly elastic from all sources, market prices for U.S.-produced tobacco are estimated to fall by about 20 to 23 percent, while market prices for foreign-produced tobacco are estimated to fall by less than one percent.
Erythropoietin life span in rats with hypoplastic and hyperplastic bone marrows.

The metabolic fate of erythropoietin (EPO) remains unknown. Urinary excretion does not appear to play a major role and liver catabolism has been shown to occur only after terminal sugars on the hormone have been removed. However, it has been proposed that EPO is eliminated by consumption in the bone marrow. In order to examine the extent of such consumption we measured the half-life of radioidinated recombinant EPO injected intravenously (IV) to rats with bone marrows suppressed by cyclophosphamide or hypertransfusion and marrows stimulated by phenylhydrazine or bleeding. The mean half-life or erythropoietin in normal rats was 179 ± 16 min, with similar half-lives found in the other rats regardless of decreased or increased bone marrow activity. The results indicate that it is unlikely that erythroid activity determines EPO life span and catabolism.
Sensory Properties and Cooking Losses of Beef/Pork Hamburger Patties

Seventeen beef and pork blends were evaluated for palatability characteristics, color, appearance acceptability and cooking losses. Cooking losses were not significantly different among blends. Both raw patty color and appearance acceptability were significantly affected by fat and lean source. Increasing pork content changed raw patty color from dark red to pale grayish-pink and decreased appearance acceptability. Patties having high pork content appeared fatter although fat content of blends was not different. Increasing pork fat content improved patty tenderness. Juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability were no significantly affected by lean or fat source. Results indicate beef/pork blends with 50% or more beef equal all-beef patties in palatability traits and cooking losses.