cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Mitigation of Radiation-Induced Errors and TDDB in Reconfigurable Logic Fabrics

Self-reliance capabilities of mission-critical systems gain importance as technology scaling and logic capacity of SRAM-based reconfigurable devices increase. The Sustainable Modular Adaptive Redundancy Technique (SMART) is evaluated to optimize the reliability, availability, and energy efficiency of reconfigurable logic devices with a given area footprint. A Monte Carlo driven Continuous Markov Time Chain (CMTC) simulation is conducted to assess availability using runtime adaptation with SMART in comparison to conventional design-time static Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) techniques. In harsh environments, adaptive redundancy is shown to improve system availability under lengthy repair times, and to a more significant degree under rapid recovery times. When compared to TMR, adaptive redundancy achieves power savings ranging from 22% to 29%, at a reduced area cost ranging from 17% to 24%, while maintaining comparable levels of availability.
Developing engineering design criteria for mass gravity flows in deep ocean and continental slope environments

A series of developments that led to both new understandings of mass gravity flows in the marine environment and in the techniques to quantitatively analyze them. Methods have been developed that exploit the newly emerging technical capabilities to perform very precise and detailed field investigations in deep continental slope settings that support numerical models which simulate the flows and their deposits. This combination of technologies provides a means to create engineering design criteria for mass gravity flows. In this paper, the methods that have been developed for these analyses are described and illustrated with examples.
Constructing and Modifying Sequence Statistics for relevent Using informR in .

The informR package greatly simplifies the analysis of complex event histories in 𝖱 by providing user friendly tools to build sufficient statistics for the relevent package. Historically, building sufficient statistics to model event sequences (of the form a→b) using the egocentric generalization of Butts' (2008)relational event framework for modeling social action has been cumbersome. The informR package simplifies the construction of the complex list of arrays needed by the rem() model fitting for a variety of cases involving egocentric event data, multiple event types, and/or support constraints. This paper introduces these tools using examples from real data extracted from the American Time Use Survey.
Lepton conservation using isotopic displacement

Isotopic spin and isotopic displacementU/2 are assigned to the leptons on the basis of the formulaq= U/2 + T3 and the assumption that the muon is an isosinglet and that the e-v is an isodoublet. We postulate a scheme that allows interactions involving fermions only if they can form a pair with aU of 0, ±1. Selection rules for weak, strong and electromagnetic interactions are given which are in agreement with known reactions. Reactions not yet investigated are listed which can test some of the proposed rules.
The effect of chromatic surround upon generalization along an angularity dimension in pigeons

Generalization gradients along the angularity dimension were examined following training to a vertical white line. During training and test the surround color remained green or black. Half of the Ss received nondifferential training; half received differential training to presence v s absence of the line. Differential training produced steeper gradients than nondifferential training; surround color and type of training interacted to influence gradient slope.
Hard x-ray multilayers: a study of different material systems

Multilayer structures with depth-graded spacing can show a high reflectivity in a broad energy passband for hard X-rays if the interface roughness/diffuseness is controlled and minimized. We present a study of several multilayer systems deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on silicon wafers and superpolished fused silica substrates. The material combinations discussed are W/Si, WSi2/Si, W/C, Pt/C, Ni/C, Ni/B4C, and Mo/Si. The deposition method used was DC magnetron sputtering at low argon pressures (1.5 to 5 mT). The characterization methods used were: Atomic Force Microscopy in tapping mode, stylus profilometry, Rutherford backscattering, cross sectional TEM, and specular X-ray reflectivity (XRR) scans at 8.05 keV. Different process parameters were varied in order to optimize the interface roughness/diffuseness (sigma) that was measured by XRR scans.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Negative Affect Instability Among Individuals With Comorbid Borderline Personality Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA; Stone & Shiffman, 1994) was utilized to examine affective instability (AI) in the daily lives of outpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD; n=78) with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A psychiatric control group (n=50) composed of outpatients with major depressive disorder/dysthymia (MDD/DYS) was employed to compare across subgroups: BPD-only, BPD+PTSD, MDD/DYS-only, and MDD/DYS+PTSD. Compared to the BPD-only group, the BPD+PTSD group had significantly greater instability of fear and sadness, but did not significantly differ in instability of hostility or aggregate negative affect. This pattern of elevated instability of fear and sadness was not present-and, in fact, was reversed-in the MDD/DYS group. Results emphasize the importance of examining AI within the context of specific comorbidities and affect types. Treatment and research addressing AI in the context of BPD-PTSD comorbidity may benefit from a focus on fear and sadness as separate from hostility or general negative affect.
Remarks on the experiment of winding number dependence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect

Abstract A theoretical basis is provided for the recent experimental demonstration of the winding number dependence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect by Deaver and Donaldson. An N -turn superconducting ring around flux is shown to have quantized flux states with ΔΦ = Φ 0 N = hc (2Ne) .
The Use of Textile Yarns in Separation Processes

A new method has been developed for preparing chromatography columns quickly, uniformly, and with high reproduci bility, using textile yarns as the solid adsorbent. Gas-chromatography experiments using columns packed in this way have revealed that rayon yarns have a high affinity for water vapor but allow other species, even those quite similar to water in size and chemistry, to pass through essentially unretarded. The degree of water retardation by rayon yam- filled columns has been found to depend on a number of controllable factors: charge volume and frequency of injection, column pressure and temperature, and yarn packing density. To demonstrate the usefulness of the rayon-water specificity for removing water from mixtures, two novel devices have been built that are capable of producing dry ethanol from aqueous mixtures on a laboratory scale at modest energy cost. One of these designs, taking advantage of the high tensile strength of yarn, makes use of a moving yarn loop to achieve almost continuous s...
LONG-TERM SURVIVAL AND NEED FOR REOPERATION AFTER SURGICAL REPAIR OF COMPLETE ATRIOVENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT: 40 YEAR FOLLOW-UP AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION

Decreased perioperative mortality over the past several decades, has produced a growing population of adults with repaired complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD). However, early reports suggest a risk for reoperation at short and mid-term follow-up to address left atrioventricular valve (
Feasibility Study for the in Vivo Measurement of Lead in Bone Using L-X-Ray Fluorescence

Lead deposits in bone were detected by x-ray fluorescence using x-rays from either a 125 I or a 109Cd source. Measurements were taken from tibia in intact human legs, post-mortem. On the basis of preliminary measurements, it was concluded that an exposure of one rad is adequate for determination of lead in bone. Both the advantages and the disadvantages of L-x-rays, used in the technique developed for this study, are compared with those of K-x-rays.
Echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging of deglutitive vocal fold closure : Normal and pathologic patterns of displacement

Abnormalities of vocal fold closure during deglutition predispose to aspiration due to impairment of airway protection. Conventional assessment of deglutitive vocal fold motion with laryngoscopy does not permit visualization through a complete adduction-abduction cycle. We determined spatiotemporal patterns of deglutitive vocal fold adduction through echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging in 15 normal volunteers and 6 patients with vocal fold paralysis. In normal volunteers, deglutitive vocal fold adduction was synchronized with laryngeal elevation, with complete vocal fold closure at the apex. Patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis demonstrated reduced elevation and medial movement of the involved vocal fold. At maximal laryngeal elevation the uninvolved vocal fold attained a position superior to the paralyzed fold, resulting in level differences and an interglottic gap. Patients with bilateral vocal fold paralysis demonstrated reduced elevation and medial movement of both vocal folds. These findings indicate that normal and abnormal patterns of vocal fold displacement can be distinguished noninvasively through the use of echo-planar imaging.
The reality of cross-modal Stroop effects.

Cowan and Barron (1987) reported an experiment in which spoken color words interfered with the concurrent naming of visually presented colors. They also pointed out that this effect has important implications for theories of memory and attention. However, Miles, Madden, and Jones (1989) objected to this finding on the basis of several experiments of their own. Cowan (1989) laid these particular objections to rest by describing serious methodological shortcomings in the experiments conducted by Miles et al. Responding to these criticisms, Miles and Jones (1989) briefly described another experiment in which the method supposedly was very similar to that of Cowan and Barron (1987), but in which the cross-modal Stroop effect still was not replicated. It is not clear why the studies have obtained different results. There might have been important differences between the subject samples of the two studies, unintended differences in method, or simply chance differences in examining a small effect. In any case, the present note is meant to reopen the issue by briefly describing another experiment in which cross-modal Stroop effects were examined more extensively and were obtained. The method was somewhat different from that of Cowan and Barron (1987), because the experiment was the first step in an ongoing project (with A. Reeves and S. Jennings) to examine habituation and practice effects within cross-modal Stroop performance. The visual stimuli were index cards, each containing three rows of six colored dots. Each row of six dots included colors, arranged in a random order, that subjects had learned to label lime, beige, crimson, turquoise, lavender, and sepia. Four audiotapes were constructed. One tape contained repetitions of the words beige, turquoise, and lavender, whereas a second tape contained repetitions of the words lime, crimson, and sepia. The other two tapes contained sets of color-neutral adjectives that were selected to match the color words as closely as possible in syllabic structure and word frequency (Carroll, Davies, & Richman, 1971). One such tape contained the words dire, smothered, and changeable, whereas the other tape contained the words strict, lesser, and dastardly. The words for each tape were randomly ordered within blocks of three, digitally recorded at the rate of700 msecper word, and presented at 80 dB(A).
The heterogeneous reaction of particle-phase methyl esters and ozone elucidated by photoelectron resonance capture ionization: Direct products of ozonolysis and secondary reactions leading to the formation of ketones

Abstract Photoelectron resonance capture ionization aerosol mass spectrometry (PERCI-AMS) facilitates the measurement of heterogeneous particle-gas phase reactions of relevance to atmospheric chemistry. This methodology, which has been demonstrated to have analytical merit for single component particles, such as oleic acid, has been extended to heterogeneous reactions of binary and ternary particle systems. Herein is described the direct measurement of unambiguous products formed by the reaction between multicomponent particles composed of fatty acids and corresponding methyl esters and ozone. Reaction products measured include unfragmented acids and aldehydes from ozonolysis, in addition to molecular ions of the substrates. The minimal fragmentation afforded by the low energy and tunable photoelectrons unique to the PERCI methodology allows for the straight-forward analysis presented herein. For example, in a reacted three-component particle consisting of methyl oleate/methyl linolenate/methyl linoleate, 25 of the predicted 36 ozonolysis products are measured directly as their molecular ions. Furthermore, a secondary reaction between in situ-generated Criegee intermediates and unsaturated fatty acids and methyl esters is described leading to the proposed formation of novel ketones. Evidence that this reaction occurs at the carbon–carbon double bond is also presented and a mechanism is proposed. Oxygenation reactions of atmospherically relevant aerosols are of significance in that they may affect particulate properties such as hygroscopicity and ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei.
Normal and Flush Irrigation Effects on Nitrogen Leaching from Simulated Golf Greens in the Greenhouse

Abstract Nitrogen (N) can leach in porous golf greens, especially when they are flushed with high rates of irrigation. Drain water often discharges to the surface, possibly endangering surface waters with eutrophic concentrations of nitrogen. A greenhouse study was initiated to study the effects of fertilizer source and rate and irrigation schemes on leaching of nitrate and ammonium nitrogen. Simulated golf green columns were sodded with bermudagrass. Treatments were 3 fertilizer sources (20‐20‐20, ammonium nitrate, and a sulfur‐coated urea), 3 rates (zero control, 12, and 24 kg ha−1), and 2 irrigation schemes. The first was a daily rate of 0.6 mm (N.I.), and the second was the same daily rate with several flushes of 11.5 cm each (FL). Essentially no nitrogen leached for the N.I. scheme, whereas the FL treatment resulted in significant leaching of nitrate‐N. Ammonium‐N leached to a much less extent than nitrate‐N. The nitrate‐N concentration “break through” occurred earlier, the peaks were higher, and the...
Prematurely Elevating Estradiol in Early Baboon Pregnancy Suppresses Uterine Artery Remodeling and Expression of Extravillous Placental Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and α1β1 and α5β1 Integrins

We previously showed that advancing the increase in estradiol levels from the second to the first third of baboon pregnancy suppressed placental extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion and remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries. Cell culture studies show that vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) plays a central role in regulating EVT migration and remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries by increasing the expression/action of certain integrins that control extracellular matrix remodeling. To test the hypothesis that the estradiol-induced reduction in vessel remodeling in baboons is associated with an alteration in VEGF and integrin expression, extravillous placental VEGF and integrin expression was determined on d 60 of gestation (term is 184 d) in baboons in which uterine artery transformation was suppressed by maternal estradiol administration on d 25-59. EVT uterine spiral artery invasion was 5-fold lower (P < 0.01), and VEGF protein expression, quantified by in situ proximity ligation assay, was 50% lower (P < 0.05) in the placenta anchoring villi of estradiol-treated than in untreated baboons. α1β1 and α5β1 mRNA levels in cells isolated by laser capture microdissection from the anchoring villi and cytotrophoblastic shell of estradiol-treated baboons were over 2-fold (P < 0.01) and 40% (P < 0.05) lower, respectively, than in untreated animals. In contrast, placental extravillous αvβ3 mRNA expression was unaltered by estradiol treatment. In summary, extravillous placental expression of VEGF and α1β1 and α5β1 integrins was decreased in a cell- and integrin-specific manner in baboons in which EVT invasion and remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries were suppressed by prematurely elevating estradiol levels in early pregnancy. We propose that estrogen normally controls the extent to which the uterine arteries are transformed by placental EVT in primate pregnancy by regulating expression of VEGF and particular integrin extracellular remodeling molecules that mediate this process.
Quantitative trait loci associated with lettuce seed germination under different temperature and light environments

Temperature and light are primary environmental cues affecting seed germination. To elucidate the genetic architecture underlying lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seed germination under different enviro...
Effects of Cation Disordering in a Natural MgAl2O4 Spinel Observed by Rectangular Parallelepiped Ultrasonic Resonance and Raman Measurements

At moderate temperatures, the elastic properties of natural MgAl2O4 spinel differ in several significant ways from properties of synthetic spinels. Below 1000 K, the ultrasonic resonant frequencies of an ordered natural spinel change significantly after heat treatment; at higher temperatures, both types of spinels have similar resonant responses. The temperature derivatives of the elastic constants of an ordered spinel also differ from those of disordered spinels at moderate temperatures; again, at higher temperatures, both types of spinels have similar behaviors. The Raman spectra also differ below 1000 K for ordered natural and disordered spinels and are similar at higher temperatures and after cooling to ambient temperature. We associate these changes in ultrasonic resonance and Raman spectra of spinel with cation disordering at high temperature which may be quenched by cooling. We deduce estimates of the inversion parameter from the relative intensities of the two Alg Raman modes in very good agreement with estimates made from other measurements. We find that C 11 and C 12 decrease by 4 and 8%, respectively, with 20% inversion in spinel; C 44 is less sensitive to cation order. These results imply that previous measurements of the adiabatic elastic constants of spinels at ambient conditions have been affected by the state of cation disorder of the specimen.
Rationalizing Culture: IRCAM, Boulez, and the Institutionalization of the Musical Avantgarde

Rationalizing Culture: IRCAM, Boulez, and the Institutionalization of the Musical Avantgarde. Georgina Born. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. xvi. 390 pp., figures, photographs, appendix, glossary, bibliography, notes, Index.
Heat shock induces resistance to Cladosporium cucumerinum and enhances peroxidase activity in cucumbers

Abstract A brief heat shock induced resistance to the scab pathogen, Cladosporium cucumerinum , in cucumber plants normally susceptible to the fungus. Immersion of seedlings in a 50 °C water bath for 40 or 50 sec was found to be the optimal treatment for the induction of resistance. Plants inoculated with C. cucumerinum as soon as 3 h after the heat shock exhibited increased resistance to the fungus; a 12 h interval from heat shock to inoculation allowed for development of maximum resistance. The resistance was still fully effective when plants were inoculated 48 h after heat shock. All scab susceptible cultivars that were tested became more resistant to C. cucumerinum after heat shock. There was a direct correlation between the activity of soluble peroxidase induced by heat shock and the resistance induced by the same treatment. Heat shocked cucumbers had an increase in activity of the same isoperoxidases seen to increase in cucumbers with systemic resistance induced by prior Colletotrichum lagenarium inoculation. The relationship of heat shock induced resistance to other stress responses and the role of peroxidases in induced resistance is discussed.
Integrating Arc Hydro Features with a Schematic Network

A framework for integrating GIS features with processing engines to simulate hydrologic behavior is presented. The framework is designed for compatibility with the ArcGIS ModelBuilder environment, and utilizes the data structure provided by the SchemaLink and SchemaNode feature classes from the ArcGIS Hydro data model. SchemaLink and SchemaNode form the links and nodes, respectively, in a schematic network representing the connectivity between hydrologic features pertinent to the movement of surface water in the landscape. A specific processing engine is associated with a given schematic feature, depending on the type of feature the schematic feature represents. Processing engines allow features to behave as individual hydrologic processors in the landscape. The framework allows two types of processes for each feature, a Receive process and a Pass process. Schematic network features operate with four types of values: received values, incremental values, total values, and passed values. The framework assumes that the schematic network is dendritic, and that no backwater effects occur between schematic features. A case study is presented for simulating bacterial loading in Galveston Bay in Texas from point and nonpoint sources. A second case study is presented for simulating rainfall-runoff response and channel routing for the Llano River in Texas.
Direct Activation of Human Phospholipase C by Its Well Known Inhibitor U73122

Abstract Phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes are an important family of regulatory proteins involved in numerous cellular functions, primarily through hydrolysis of the polar head group from inositol-containing membrane phospholipids. U73122 (1-(6-((17β-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione), one of only a few small molecules reported to inhibit the activity of these enzymes, has been broadly applied as a pharmacological tool to implicate PLCs in diverse experimental phenotypes. The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of molecular interactions between U73122 and PLCs. Hence, the effects of U73122 on human PLCβ3 (hPLCβ3) were evaluated in a cell-free micellar system. Surprisingly, U73122 increased the activity of hPLCβ3 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; up to an 8-fold increase in enzyme activity was observed with an EC50 = 13.6 ± 5 μm. Activation of hPLCβ3 by U73122 required covalent modification of cysteines as evidenced by the observation that enzyme activation was attenuated by thiol-containing nucleophiles, l-cysteine and glutathione. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed covalent reaction with U73122 at eight cysteines, although maximum activation was achieved without complete alkylation; the modified residues were identified by LC/MS/MS peptide sequencing. Interestingly, U73122 (10 μm) also activated hPLCγ1 (>10-fold) and hPLCβ2 (∼2-fold); PLCδ1 was neither activated nor inhibited. Therefore, in contrast to its reported inhibitory potential, U73122 failed to inhibit several purified PLCs. Most of these PLCs were directly activated by U73122, and a simple mechanism for the activation is proposed. These results strongly suggest a need to re-evaluate the use of U73122 as a general inhibitor of PLC isozymes.
TU-E-BRB-02: A Decision Support Tool for SBRT Planning Using a Searchable DVH Database.

Purpose: Develop a decision support tool that aids dosimetrists, physicians, and physicists in assessing and improving plan quality through comparison to plans previously used in similar clinical situations. Methods:Software was developed to capture and store DVHs and other clinically relevant treatment plan characteristics in a database. In addition to the plan DVH, the database contains a total of 24 plan characteristics including fractionation, prescribed dose, treatment volume, prior surgery, tumor position, and smoking history. DVH and other plan data was captured from the treatment planning system via exported dicom RT files. Structures in the plan were automatically matched by name to a list of standard structures using a system of regular expressions. Additional fields were entered manually using a simple java interface. As a support tool, a plan under development can be quickly compared to similar plans in the database based on selected plan characteristics. A plot displaying the current and historical DVHs provides an easy visual comparison. Our interface also provides statistics for comparison for each dose/volume level such as average, minimum, maximum and standard deviation. Results: DVHs from 111 lungSBRT plans treated from 2009–2011 were imported in accordance with an approved IRB protocol. As an example of data comparisons that can be easily performed to guide plan evaluation, we examined plans prescribing 5400cGy in 3 fractions and found that tumors >7.5cc (n=34) had an average PTV coverage of 94.2% (range: 73.5–95.0%), and tumors =7.5cc (n=35) had an average PTV coverage of 94.9% (range: 81.6–99.6%). Conclusion: A searchable DVH database was constructed to provide planners, physicists, and physicians with a straightforward means of comparing plans against historic distributions of DVHs. In the future, outcome data will be included in the database to strengthen its functionality as a decision support and research tool.
Geophysical investigations in deep horizontal holes drilled ahead of tunnelling

Abstract Deep horizontal drill holes have been used since 1967 by the Defense Nuclear Agency as a primary exploration tool for siting nuclear events in tunnels at the Nevada Test Site. The U.S. Geological Survey had developed geophysical logging techniques for obtaining resistivity and velocity in these holes, and to date 33 horizontal drill holes in excess of 300 m in depth have been successfully logged. The deepest hole was drilled to a horizontal depth of 1125 m. The purposes of the logging measurements are to define clay zones, because of the unstable ground conditions such zones can present to tunnelling, and to define zones of partially saturated rock, because of the attenuating effects such zones have on the shock wave generated by the nuclear detonation. Excessive attenuation is undesirable because the shock wave is used as a tunnel closure mechanism to contain debris and other undesirable explosion products. Measurements are made by pumping resistivity, sonic and geophone probes down the drill string and out of the bit into the open hole. Clay zones are defined by the electrical resistivity technique based on empirical data relating the magnitude of the resistivity measurement to qualitative clay content. Rock exhibiting resistivity of less than 20 Ω-m is considered potentially unstable, and resistivities less than 10 Ω-m indicate appreciable amounts of clay are present in the rock. Partially saturated rock zones are defined by the measurement of the rock sound speed. Zones in the rock which exhibit velocities less than 2450 m/sec are considered of potential concern.
Local Sequential Patterns: The Structure of Lynching in the Deep South, 1882–1930

White-on-black violence was a fact of life in the Deep South during the decades straddling the turn of the century. Yet though the lynching of blacks is historically significant, it was, statistically speaking, a relatively rare event. While each lynching is associated with a complex and often gruesome narrative, particularities often overwhelm efforts to reveal anything other than broad structural determinants or proximate causes. Efforts to apply narrative methods have been limited to the analysis of a single lynching incident, and yield more insight into patterns of interaction than into the phenomena of lynching as a whole. This article offers a new analytic description of the temporal structure of local lynching histories in the Deep South between 1882 and 1930. Sequential analysis reveals robust variation in the temporal pattern of local lynching; interpretation of the finite set of patterns of lynching histories focuses on the sequential consequences of various microlevel mechanisms, and demonstrates the advantages of moving beyond the analysis of discrete incidents.
Fast pyrobolometer for magnetic heat transport measurements

A new version of the fast bolometer for the plasma energy transport study in plasma confinement devices is described. The bolometer represents a modification of the pyrobolometer described in Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64, 2761 (1993). The described bolometer uses crystals of LiNbO3 as the sensors. The new design incorporates a small coil for magnetic field measurement and a rigid, electrostatically shielded enclosure for the pyrocrystals, which at the same time does not affect the coil frequency bandwidth. The frequency response of the coil is measured to be in the 150‐kHz range. Details of the design and calibration are presented.
Issues in Cataloging Chinese Electronic Journals

This article examines several crucial issues involved in the cataloging of Chinese remote access electronic serials based on one such cataloging experiment at the University of Pittsburgh Library. ...
Jail reform litigation: The issue of rights and remedies

This paper looks at the vast array of lawsuits filed by jail inmates challenging the conditions of their confinement. While much attention has been focused on prison reform litigation, many of the nation's jails have been subject to civil rights lawsuits, and many are now operating under some form of court order.
Approximating the departure process from aG/G/1 loss system

The departure process from aG/G/1 loss system with generally distributed interarrival time, generally distributed service time, a single server, and no waiting room is approximated in steady state. Furthermore, the tandem behavior of the system is approximated, approximation results are provided, and are compared against those from a simulation study.
Critical magnetic fields and related properties of the ambient pressure organic superconductor β-(BEDT-TTF)2IBr2

Abstract Measurements of the superconducting properties of organic metals of the type (BEDT-TTF)2X (X− is a linear-triatomic anion) apparently give sample- and technique- dependent results which make the parameterization and comparison of properties a difficult matter. This problem is discussed and examined experimentally in measurements of the critical magnetic fields and Tc of an oriented single crystal of β-(BEDT-TTF)2IBr2 (Tc ⋍ 2.3 K at ambient pressure).
Multiple-Microphone Acoustic Echo Cancellation System with the Partial Adaptive Process

Abstract The acoustic echo canceler using an adaptive transversal filter and the least-mean square (LMS) algorithm is the most effective technique to reduce acoustic echoes in a hands-free telephone system. However, the requirement of a very high order filter for each microphone echo path results in difficulties in convergence speed and hardware implementation. In this paper, a partial adaptive process (PAP) which utilizes the exponential decay characteristics of the acoustic echo path impulse response is developed. Simulations are conducted to show that the performance of the PAP method could be acceptable in practical use. A combination FIR and IIR filter structure and a new time-weighted LMS (TW-LMS) algorithm to complement the PAP are also proposed. This new adaptation algorithm and filter structure further improve the performance of the PAP method in terms of echo reduction and computational savings.
Structural evidence for stabilization of inhibitor binding by a protein cavity in the dehaloperoxidase-hemoglobin from Amphitrite ornata.

A functional role for a protein cavity that stabilizes inhibitor binding has been established based on a comparison of Xe-derivatized and inhibitor-bound X-ray crystal structures in dehaloperoxidase-hemoglobin (DHP A) of Amphitrite ornata. The internal binding affinity of four different inhibitors, 4-fluorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, 4-bromophenol, and 4-iodophenol in the distal pocket has been shown previously to increase proportional to the radius of the para-halogen atom. Inhibition of oxidation of the native substrate, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, has been shown to follow the trend in inhibitor binding strength, because of a two-site competitive inhibition mechanism that involves displacement of the substrate by the inhibitor in a gated mechanism involving the distal histidine of DHP A. In this study, it is shown that the origin of the stronger binding by a larger para-halogen substituent coincides structurally with a Xe-binding cavity (Xe1) characterized structurally by X-ray crystallography. The Xe1 site is surrounded by amino acid resides L100, F21, F24, F35, F60, and V59 in the distal pocket, located 4.8 A from the heme iron, in a position that is coincident with the para-bromine atom of the inhibitor 4-bromophenol. 4-bromophenol is prevalent in benthic ecosystems where A. ornata resides. A second, less well-defined, binding site in DHP A, labeled as Xe2, is located near the surface of the protein in the vicinity of amino acid residues L62, R69, D79, T82, and L83, which may be related to substrate docking on the surface of DHP A.
Modified sphygmomanometer versus strain gauge hand-held dynamometer

The purpose of this study was to compare measurements of elbow flexor muscle strength obtained with a modified sphygmomanometer (MS) and a strain gauge hand-held dynamometer (HHD). Thirty-two healthy subjects performed two isometric contractions of about five seconds against each device. Repeated measurements with each device did not differ significantly and were correlated (r greater than .960) and reliable (intraclass correlation coefficients greater than .960). The means of two measurements obtained with each device were related in a curvilinear manner (R = .882), with MS measurements above 210 mmHg rising more slowly than corresponding HHD measurements. Although supporting the reliability of each device, the results suggest that the devices do not provide comparable measurements throughout the range of the MS. The MS may not be the best choice for obtaining accurate strength measurements of stronger individuals.
Simple apparatus for seismic measurements

The failure of the falling columns of Mallet, West, Milne, Omori, and Galitzin to attain to the dignity of precise seismometrical instruments appears to have been due to the fact that the true relation connecting the constants of the columns with the constants of the earth-motion necessary and sufficient for their overthrow was not known to these workers. This ignorance is not surprising since the columns used were subject to resonant disturbance by earth-vibrations of certain frequencies, and hence the mechanical problem involved was very complicated. The present paper describes a type of column, or as we shall say, a bar, which is braced at one side and suitably fitted with a bearing so that it is free to fall in one direction only. This arrangement has been found to eliminate all resonant vibration of the column and greatly to simplify the theoretical statement of the conditions governing its downfall.
Intestinal Parasites of Bowfin, Amia calva L., from the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area, West Virginia, U.S.A

Nineteen bowfin (Amia calva L.) collected from a wetlands area in southwestern West Virginia, U.S.A., were examined for enteric helminth parasites. Only 2 helminth species were found: the tapeworm, Haplobothrium globuliforme Cooper, and the digenetic trematode, Macroderoides typicus (Winfield). Prevalences of infection were 89.5% for the former species and 52.6% for the latter. Infection intensities for both species sometimes exceeded 100 worms per host, making accurate evaluations of mean worm burdens impractical. There was little spatial overlap between the 2 species of helminths, with cestodes aggregated primarily in the anterior region of the small intestine and trematodes in the large intestine and posterior small intestine.
Bone marrow progenitor cells of AKR mice give rise to thymic lymphoma cells.

Abstract Bone marrow cells from one-month-old AKR mice give rise to thymic lymphomas when grafted into (AKR × DBA/2)F 1 , hybrid mice. This finding implicates a bone marrow progenitor as a “target cell” for the age-related development of thymic lymphomas in AKR mice.
A meshless method for conjugate heat transfer problems

Abstract Mesh reduction methods such as boundary element methods, method of fundamental solutions, and spectral methods all lead to fully populated matrices. This poses serious challenges for large-scale three-dimensional problems due to storage requirements and iterative solution of a large set of non-symmetric equations. Researchers have developed several approaches to address this issue including the class of fast-multipole techniques, use of wavelet transforms, and matrix decomposition. In this paper, we develop a domain decomposition, or the artificial sub-sectioning technique, along with a region-by-region iteration algorithm particularly tailored for parallel computation to address the coefficient matrix issue. The meshless method we employ is based on expansions using radial-basis functions (RBFs). An efficient physically based procedure provides an effective initial guess of the temperatures along the sub-domain interfaces. The iteration process converges very efficiently, offers substantial savings in memory, and features superior computational efficiency. The meshless iterative domain decomposition technique is ideally suited for parallel computation. We discuss its implementation under MPI standards on a small Windows XP PC cluster. Numerical results reveal the domain decomposition meshless methods produce accurate temperature predictions while requiring a much-reduced effort in problem preparation in comparison to other traditional numerical methods.
Community-based HIV/AIDS interventions to promote psychosocial well-being among people living with HIV/AIDS: a literature review

Background: This review explores the current community-based psychosocial interventions among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) across the globe. Methods: Evaluation studies were retrieved and reviewed regarding study location, characteristics of participants, study design, intervention strategies, outcome indicators, and intervention findings. Results: The 28 studies spanned a broad range of intervention strategies, including coping skills, treatment and cure, cultural activities, community involvement, knowledge education, voluntary counseling and testing, peer-group support, three-layered service provision, child-directed group intervention, adult mentoring, and support group interventions. Regardless of study designs, all studies reported positive intervention effects, ranging from a reduction in HIV/AIDS stigma, loneliness, marginalization, distress, depression, anger, and anxiety to an increase in self-esteem, self-efficacy, coping skills, and quality of life. Conclusion: Although the existing studies have limitation with regard to program coverage, intensity, scope, and methodological challenges, they underscore the importance of developing community-based interventions to promote psychosocial well-being among PLWHA. Future studies need to employ more rigorous methodology and integrate contextual and institutional factors when implementing effective interventions.
What price career success

The recent financial collapses of high profile US‐based corporations owing to legally‐questionable practices have led management theorists to search for answers as to how and why these ethical lapses were able to occur. This article examines the possibility that a company’s culture and internal control systems can have such a profound influence on middle managers and executives that they are willing to violate ethical and legal standards in the name of career success. This article reviews how career success is presently defined from an individual and an organizational standpoint and how this definition can be at odds with the realities of organizational culture and internal control systems. It also discusses how perspectives on the relationship between employers and employees can affect individual career management practices. Finally, the article presents ways for individuals to view career success and manage their careers to avoid the traps of an influential corporate culture.
Dancers' Body Esteem, Fitness Esteem, and Self-esteem in Three Contexts

Sixty-two college-aged, ballet and modern dancers evaluated their bodies and themselves in different dance and non-dance settings. In a self-report survey design, dancers' body esteem, fitness este...
Is Storage an Adaptation to Spatial Variation in Resource Availability

Abstract: When individuals store resources acquired while moving through a spatially variable habitat, a form of population structure arises. The theoretical consequences of this process for resource competition are studied for phytoplankton species consuming a single nutrient resource, using a Lagrangian modeling approach. Each competitor population is divided into many subpopulations that move through two model habitats with gradients in nutrient availability: an unstirred chemostat and a partially mixed water column. The results provide little indication that resource storage contributes to competitive fitness in the scenarios analyzed. Superior competitors usually reduce the limiting nutrient to low concentrations at steady state or sometimes have high maximal growth rates. Resource storage enhances competitive fitness in temporally variable habitats where encounters with rich nutrient pulses are strongly periodic. However, in purely spatially variable habitats where encounters with rich nutrient patc...
Early Voting and Campaign News Coverage

The proportion of votes cast before election day has risen steadily over the last two decades. Previous research asked how early voting has impacted voter participation. In this article, we ask how early voting has affected the flow of information to voters through the mass media. By increasing the number of days voters are able to vote, are we also increasing the number of days that candidates and campaigns continuously disseminate campaign-related information to the news media? Is news coverage of campaigns quantitatively and qualitatively different when opportunities to vote early are available and utilized? Our expectation is that early voting significantly influences the volume and nature of campaign news coverage. We study the effects of early voting on campaign news coverage of gubernatorial and Senate races in 2006 and 2008. Our findings reveal that the volume and content of campaign news coverage is significantly influenced by early voting. [Supplementary material is available for this article. G...
Aryl hydroxylation: A selective mechanism for the herbicides, diclofop‐methyl and clofop‐isohutyl, in gramineous species

Esters of substituted phenoxy-phenoxy propionic acid constitute a new class of herbicides that are effective against gramineous weed and crop species. Slight changes in chemical structure alter drastically the spectrum of weeds controlled by this class of herbicides. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is resistant to diclofop-methyl (methyl 2-[4-(2′,4′-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy] propanoate) (DM) and clofop-isobutyl (iso-butyl 2-[4-(4′-phenoxy)phenoxy] propanoate) (CI), oat (Avena sativa L.) and wild oat (Avena fatua L.) are susceptible to DM but resistant to CI, and corn (Zea mays L.) is susceptible to both compounds. The antagonism of IAA-induced elongation in the coleoptile straight growth test was determined to measure biological activity of the herbicides. The basis for the differential responses by gramineous species was related to the metabolism and deioxication of the herbicides in coleoptiles. Growth of wheat coleaptiles was relatively unaffected by both compounds, oat coleoptile growth was inhibited by DM but not by CI. but corn coleoptile growth was inhibited equally by both compounds. Coleoptiles and excised shoots of the three species rapidly hydrolyzed both compounds to their respective acids (diclofop, clofop). The acids were conjugated to a water-soluble ester conjugate or they were hydroxylated in the chlorine-substituted phenyl ring and conjugated as a phenolic conjugate. Aryl hydroxylation is a detoxication mechanism in resistant plants. Plants resistant to DM or CI contained low concentrations of the parent ester and the free or bound (ester conjugate) acid and a high concentration of free or bound (phenolic conjugate) aryl hydroxylated acid in coleoptile and shoot tissues, Differential responses by the three gramineous species to DM and CI axe due apparently to differences in their detoxication mechanism. The enzyme for aryl hydroxylation in oat appears to have a higher affinity for the 4-chloro- than for the 2,4-dichloro-substituted moiety. Therefore, oat hydroxylated clofop rapidly and was tolerant to CI but the limited ability of oat to hydroxylate diclofop resulted in oat being extremely susceptible to DM.
Incubation temperature as a modifying factor on survival of Tenebrio molitor reared in selenium-containing media.

Newly emerged Tenebrio molitor were reared at 4, 25, and 37°C in nutrient media supplemented with sodium selenate (0.0125, 0.0200, 0.0500, and 0.1000%). Ten insects comprised each group. Controls were maintained in unsupplemented medium at the same temperatures as the experimental groups. Survival percentages were determined. Survival curves were estimated at given times postincubation. Controls at 4 and 37°C showed an increased lethality compared to those insects at 25°C. Data indicate that 4°C had a protective effect on survival for insects reared in media containing the three highest concentrations of selenium. For insects at 37°C, killing was striking and equivalent for all groups, irrespective of media supplementation.
Photoproduction of Y * Resonances above 1800 MeV

The photoproduction of ${K}^{+}$ mesons and hyperons with strangeness $S=\ensuremath{-}1$, in reactions of the type $\ensuremath{\gamma}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{Y}^{*}+{K}^{+}$, has been studied in the ${Y}^{*}$ mass range 1800-2600 MeV with a missing-mass spectrometer by analyzing the structures in the ${K}^{+}$ yield as a function of the end point bremsstrahlung energy. The ${K}^{+}$ yield was observed at the laboratory angle of ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{K}=10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and at the ${K}^{+}$ momenta of 2.5 and 2.0 BeV/c. A fit to the ${K}^{+}$ yield curve suggests, in addition to a smooth background, resonancelike structure at 1820\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20, 2025\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20, 2250\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20, and 2530\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}25 MeV. Widths and photoproduction cross sections for these states were measured.
Assessment of Drug Abuse Prevention Curricula Developed at the Local Level.

Public schools are a critical site for drug abuse prevention and education. Although in recent years prevention curriculum developers have been able to identify successful strategies, it is not clear how well these findings have been transferred to local schools. This article reports on a study of schools that have developed their own drug abuse prevention curriculum. The process that these schools used is compared to a model of curriculum development. In general, the process that local schools use is characterized by high levels of involvement by a variety of personnel, low levels of training, little use of resources outside the school corporation, poor training of teachers who will be implementing the curriculum, and little evaluation. Availability of external funds for development from federal or state sources were powerful motivators for curriculum development. Recommendations for changes in professional development and curriculum materials availability are made.