cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Actuation and Control of a Moveable Geometry System for a Full-Scale, Multi-Stage Centrifugal Compressor Test Vehicle

In recent years, several papers have been written regarding the use of moveable geometry systems to enable the rotation of otherwise stationary vanes used in centrifugal compressor research test vehicles. These systems typically are installed in single stage rigs or are placed at the inlet of the first stage of multi-stage centrifugal compressor test vehicles. This paper describes the capabilities of a state-of-the-art test vehicle that was developed by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) as a result of the OEM’s ongoing Research and Development Program aimed towards the implementation of novel and advanced technologies during the development of high-performance centrifugal compressors. The test vehicle is equipped with a variety of internal instrumentation that allow the collection of detailed aero/thermodynamic inter-stage performance data that is used to evaluate the behavior of the machine. The design of the unit also incorporates moveable vanes at the inlet guides upstream of each impeller, at each diffuser inlet and at the inlet of each return channel. The moveable geometry components allow infinite tuning of these components in a multistage environment, which allows the optimization of the aerodynamic performance of the stages based on design and/or off-design operating requirements of the process. The variable geometry system also allows the vanes to be positioned in such a way as to maximize the operating range of the compressor. The incorporation of adjustable vanes into the test vehicle allowed the OEM to significantly reduce the test cycle time, while maximizing the test data that was obtained from a single build. The positioning of the moveable vanes is controlled by a PC-based system that has been integrated into the OEM’s data acquisition system. This paper presents the work executed during the specification, design and implementation of the moveable geometry control system that was developed for the test vehicle. It covers topics such as the selection of the actuators and control hardware, as well as the integration of the actuators with the moveable vanes and other test unit components. Also discussed are the specification and development of the control software and the techniques, hardware and procedures used for the calibration of the moveable geometry system. The calibration was required to accurately determine the transfer function between the actuator movement and the actual rotation of the vanes. The paper also discusses the use of 5-hole pressure probes during the actual test to measure the flow direction upstream of the moveable vanes and how this information was used to achieve the test objectives. Finally, sample test data is presented to illustrate the impact that the moveable geometry system had over the performance of the compressor stages.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Genetics and the variability of treatment response in asthma.

Pharmacogenetics is the study of how genetic differences influence the variability in patients' responses to therapy. Using specific examples in asthma, I will define the concepts of variability in response to therapy in asthma. I will then use the relationship between specific genetic polymorphisms and the response to β-adrenergic agonists and leukotriene modifiers to illustrate pharmacogenetic interactions and to acquaint the reader with the applicability of these findings to clinical practice.
Buckling of Shallow Spherical Caps and Truncated Hemispheres

B of shallow spherical shells and truncated hemispheres subjected to nearly axisymmetric loads is studied using a digital computer program for the geometrically nonlinear analysis of arbitrarily loaded shells. Small asymmetric perturbations in the load are used to disclose the minimum bifurcation buckling loads and to illuminate the imperfection-sensitivity of the shells. The pressure-loaded spherical cap was selected because previous results had indicated that it exhibits all of the traits desired: its axisymmetric behavior is snap-buckling, bifurcation loads exist below the axisymmetric snap-buckling loads, and it is sensitive to imperfections. The truncated hemisphere under axial tension was selected because the experimental buckling loads are approximately one-half of the theoretical bifurcation loads. Imperfection-sensitivity was suspected to cause the discrepancy.
Linking RNA Polymerase Backtracking to Genome Instability in E. coli

SUMMARY Frequent codirectional collisions between the replisome and RNA polymerase (RNAP) are inevitable because the rate of replication is much faster than that of transcription. Here we show that, in E. coli, the outcome of such collisions depends on the productive state of transcription elongation complexes (ECs). Codirectional collisions with backtracked (arrested) ECs lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), whereas head-oncollisions do not. A mechanistic model is proposed to explain backtrackingmediated DSBs. We further show that bacteria employ various strategies to avoid replisome collisions with backtracked RNAP, the most general of which is translation that prevents RNAP backtracking. If translation is abrogated, DSBs are suppressed by elongation factors that either prevent backtracking or reactivate backtracked ECs. Finally, termination factors also contribute to genomic stability by removing arrested ECs. Our results establish RNAP backtracking as the intrinsic hazard to chromosomal integrity and implicate active ribosomes and other anti-backtracking mechanisms in genome maintenance.
Lessons from the MOSI project

Abstract Some lessons are derived from experience in the development of a software interface standard, IEEE Trial Use Std-855 for Microprocessor Operating System Interfaces (MOSI). This experience has led to the formulation of some useful guidelines which were not necessarily evident from the start. The major observation concerns the importance of careful consideration of the objectives, proper scope, existing models, and expected usage, of the planned standard. This process helps in making the right decisions on what should be standardized. A number of specific guidelines based on these principles are discussed.
Absence of leading divergences in two-loop quantum gravity

We prove that the S-matrix of pure quantum gravity (i.e. no matter) at two-loops has no leading (double-pole) ultraviolet divergences in dimensional regularization.
Surface-spike growth on NiBr2 crystals; A VLS mode of crystal growth☆

Droplets associated with surface spike growth of nickel bromide crystals by sublimation analyzed, finding Cu, Co, Mn and Fe
Diverticular disease: paradigm shifts in pathogenesis and treatment

Colonic diverticulosis is one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions affecting the Western world and is recognized as an increasingly common condition since its first description in the 1800s. Despite its widespread prevalence, its exact pathogenesis remains unknown. Additionally, its wide spectrum of clinical manifestations has led to multiple approaches in the management of this disease. Our understanding of the condition has continued to evolve. Newer studies have challenged some long-held beliefs regarding diverticular disease (DD) and put forward some new theories. This has laid the groundwork for further research to be done in this area to improve our understanding of DD. In any individual case, diet therapy, rifaximin, mesalamine, antibiotics, or surgery may be useful depending on the clinical status.
Variation in the Vulnerability of Prey to Different Predators: Community-Level Consequences

Midge larvae (Diptera, Chironomidae) that weave filamentous algae into retreats of tufts, are dominant primary consumers in a river food web. In a previous study, densities of tuft—weaving midges increased in the presence of large fish. In the absence of large fish, midges decreased as densities of predatory invertebrates built up, and higher standing crops of algae were maintained. To examine the mechanisms underlying these dynamics, we compared the vulnerability of tuft—weaving midges (naked or in algal tufts) to fish and predatory invertebrates, in field and laboratory experiments. When midges were exposed for 1 h in the river to fish, 15 out of 15 midges in tufts survived, while 15 of 15 naked midges were consumed. Tufts afforded only partial protection to midges exposed to invertebrate predators, however. After 1 h, enhancement of survivorship by tufts was moderately significant for midges exposed to aeshnids, and insignificant for midges exposed to lestids and naucorids. We suggest that the vulnerab...
Exploring the time course of semantic interference and associative priming in the picture-word interference task.

The picture–word interference (PWI) task is a widely used technique for exploring effects of semantic context on lexical access. In this task, printed words are superimposed over pictures to be named, with the timing of the interfering word relative to the picture systematically manipulated. Two experiments (N = 24 adults in each) explored the time course of effects of associates (e.g., CARROT superimposed on a picture of a rabbit) versus coordinates (e.g., CHIPMUNK superimposed on a picture of a rabbit) on naming latencies. Associates led to faster picture naming than did unrelated words, with facilitative effects occurring at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs, in ms) ranging from –450 to 0. Coordinates led to slower naming latencies, with the interference effect restricted to SOAs of –150 and 0. The overlapping time course of associative priming and coordinate interference provides important constraints on models of lexical access in speech production.
Chloroplasts in tissues of some herbaceous stems

Serial sections of mature stems of ten species of herbaceous dicotyledonous plants were examined by light microscopy and the number of chloroplasts per cell was estimated in epidermis, collenchyma and cortex. Chloroplast identification was made by both light and transmission electron microscopy. Chloroplasts were present in epidermis, collenchyma and cortex tissues of all stems examined. The smallest number of chloroplasts was observed in the epidermis. Collenchyma cells had the largest number of plastids in four of the genera and cortex cells had the largest number in the remaining six genera. The stem epidermis of all genera contained stomates as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and aceto-orcein stained epidermal peels.
Panic disorder with familial bipolar disorder

If bipolar disorder is genetically heterogeneous, it may be possible to discern clinically heterogeneous familial subtypes based on differential risk for psychiatric comorbidity, for example panic disorder. We evaluated 528 members of 57 families ascertained for a genetic linkage study of bipolar disorder. Families were assorted according to the panic disorder diagnosis of the bipolar proband; the rates of panic and other disorders in relatives were compared. Eighty-eight percent of the 41 subjects with panic disorder had bipolar disorder. Panic disorder was diagnosed in 18% of family members with bipolar disorder. Ten of 57 bipolar probands had panic disorder. Their bipolar first-degree relatives had a significantly higher prevalence of panic disorder, bipolar II, cyclothymia, and dysthymia, but had lower prevalence of substance abuse than the relatives of the bipolar probands without panic disorder. These findings suggest the testable hypothesis that comorbid panic disorder is a marker of genetic heterogeneity in bipolar disorder.
Uniqueness implies existence of solutions for nonlinear focal-like boundary value problems

Abstract Given an appropriate growth condition for f and a uniqueness assumption on y ( n ) = 0 with respect to certain focal boundary value problems, it is shown that uniqueness of solutions to the nonlinear differential equation y ( n ) = f ( t , y , y ′ , … , y ( n − 1 ) ) , subject to boundary conditions of the form g i j ( y ( t j ) , … , y ( n − 1 ) ( t j ) ) = y i j implies existence of solutions.
The Recognition Potential and Reversed Letters

The effect of letter reversal on the detection of Gestalt patterns was investigated by recording a short latency brain wave response known as the recognition potential (RP). The native language of 12 subjects was English. It was Chinese for 12 others. Three hypotheses were tested. (1) Strings of identical characters displayed on a background of dissimilar characters will evoke the RP. (2) RP latency will be less for normal letter targets than for reversed letter targets. (3) The letter reversal effect will be greater for subjects having longer experience with alphabetical characters. The hypotheses were confirmed. Similar effects of letter reversal were also found for longer latency electrophysiological responses and for behavioral reaction time (RT). The RP latency difference equaled the RT difference. This suggested that letter specific processes operated rapidly, not later, than the latency of the RP, and any subsequent processing had no differential effect on RT.
Voltammetric determination of iodide and bromide at the rotating pyrolytic graphite electrode

Abstract A voltammetric procedure has been developed for the determination of iodide and bromide by oxidation at the rotating pyrolytic graphite electrode (R.P.G. electrode) in sulfate background. The method can be extended to cover the determination of as low an iodide concentration as 0.01 m M in the presence of large excesses of bromide and chloride, and the determination of bromide in concentrations as low as 0.1 m M in the presence of large excesses of chloride.
Effects of Sex of Aggressor, Sex of Target, and Relationship on Evaluations of Physical Aggression

Although most research suggests that males are more aggressive than females, studies of married and dating couples often find that females report exhibiting more violence. To disentangle the effects of sex of aggressor, sex of victim, and aggressor/victim relationship, subjects read two scenarios in which these factors were varied. Evaluations of the aggressor's behavior and of the justifiability of retaliation by the victim revealed that aggression from males and aggression toward females was viewed most negatively. Males considered aggression towards a sibling to be least acceptable, whereas females rated it as more acceptable than violence directed to friend, stranger, or spouse. These results suggest that evaluations of aggression depend not only on the aggressive act but also on social norms about who may aggress against whom.
Regulation of gene expression by actinomycin D and other compounds which change the conformation of DNA.

Abstract Pisatin induction in pods of Pisum sativum L. is dependent on newly synthesized protein and RNA. Cycloheximide (300 μg/ml) and actinomycin D (450 μg/ml) completely inhibit the synthesis of pisatin if added with the inducer. Compounds [actinomycin D, chromomycin A3, mitomycin C, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (nitrosoguanidine), di-(2-chloroethyl) methylamine-HCl (nitrogen mustard), and 8-azaguanine] known to react with, change or substitute for the guanine moiety of double stranded DNA are at certain concentrations potent inducers of pisatin production. Acridine orange and ethidium bromide which can intercalate into double-stranded DNA also induce pisatin production. In addition to the stimulation of pisatin production, actinomycin D (10 μg/ml) also stimulates the rate of total protein and RNA synthesis. A mechanism for gene activation based on changes in the conformation of regulatory sites on double-stranded DNA is proposed.
Shear stress induces endothelial differentiation from mouse embryo mesenchymal progenitor cells

Abstract Introduction. Hemodynamic factors play crucial roles in vascular development, remodeling, healing, and lesion formation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that shear stress could affect endothelial cell differentiation. Methods. A mouse emoryo mesenchymal progenitor cell line (C3H/10T1/2) was cultured under shear stress (15 dyn/cm2) for 0, 6, and 12 h. Expression of specific endothelial cell markers as well as a monocyte marker CD14 was determined by real-time PCR, flow cytometry, and fluorescence immunostaining. In addition, the change of cell morphology and the ability of acetylated LDL uptake were also investigated. Results. Under shear stress, CH3/10T1/2 cells showed a morphology change of lining up with the direction of flow. The mRNR levels of CD31, vWF, and VE-cadherin were increased by 757-, 108-, and 23-fold, respectively, in shear stress group as compared to static control group (P
Genetic effects of strong magnetic fields in drosophila melanogaster: II. Lack of interaction between homogeneous fields and fission neutron-plus-gamma radiation

Anticipated use of extremely large magnets in future, controlled thermonuclear reactors and occasional exposures in various occupational and research environments both require that biological effects of these fields be investigated. The genetic effects of high magnetic field intensities ranging from 13,000 to 37,000 G, using Drosophila melanogaster have been investigated. Results from these experiments provided no evidence of a statistically significant increase in the frequency of sex-linked, recessive, lethals in adult Drosophila males. However, since ionizing radiation - both gamma and neutron - also may be present in the vicinity of controlled thermonuclear reactors and high-energy accelerators, it is important to test for possible interaction (synergistic or antagonistic) between radiation and magnetic field effects. Such interaction was studied by Close and Beischer for mean life span and by Mittler for sex-linked recessive lethals, using low magnetic field intensities and short exposure periods in these experiments, much longer exposures, stronger fields, and a combination neutron and gamma radiation exposure are employed.
Synthetic Drilling Muds: Environmental Gain Deserves Regulatory Confirmation

Efficient drilling technology is essential to meet the needs of the oil industry. Both the challenges of new oil provinces, especially in offshore waters, and the demands for efficient environmental protection have driven the development of new technology. Drilling mud is a key factor influencing drilling technology use in modern drilling operations. New oil industry developments involve directional and horizontal drilling as well as drilling in frontier areas at greater and greater depths. Such capabilities and conditions demand careful attention to the selection and engineering of efficient mud systems.
Synthesis of (Hydrazonido)aluminum Complexes

Complexes [XAl{CH2CR=NNMe2}2] {X = Cl and R = Me or iPr, X = Me and R = Me, and X = N(NMe2)[CR=CH2] and R = Me or iPr} were synthesized by salt metathesis reactions involving lithium salts of hydrazones, Li[CH2CR=NNMe2]. X-ray crystallographic studies showed that all the complexes contain two chelating hydrazonido ligands bonding to aluminum through the methylene carbon and amine nitrogen(–NMe2). For the complexes in which X = N(NMe2)[CR=CH2] (R = Me or iPr), the N(NMe2)[CR=CH2] ligand represents a linkage isomer in which the hydrazonido ligand bonds through nitrogen rather than through carbon, thereby becoming a hydrazido ligand. In the single crystal containing [Al{CH2CiPr=NNMe2}2{N(NMe2)(CiPr=CH2)}], its isomer [Al{CH2CiPr=NNMe2}3], having two chelating hydrazonido and one monodentate hydrazonido ligands, is present 45 % of the time. In solution, the [Al{CH2CR=NNMe2}2{N(NMe2)(CR=CH2)}] (R = Me or iPr) complexes are in equilibrium with [Al{CH2CR=NNMe2}3]. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
An investigation of the isotropy of epoxy polymers

Measurements of the engineering constants E, G, and nu are routinely made for polymeric materials. If these materials are isotropic, these measurements should satisfy the relationship G = E/2(1 nu). However, many past measurements have indicated that this relationship is not satisfied. This raises questions about the assumptions of material isotropy and the applicability of Hooke's law. The methods used to measure these engineering constants for a number of different polymers are first described. Then, new results obtained in the current investigation are presented, indicating that the elastic constants do in fact satisfy the isotropic relationship for strains up to 0.5 percent. However, it is shown that at strain levels above this level, the relationship between stress and strain is nonlinear.
Activin a stimulates meiotic maturation of human oocytes and modulates granulosa cell steroidogenesis in vitro

Abstract Objective: To test the hypothesis that activin A promotes in vitro human oocyte meiotic maturation while inhibiting steroid secretion by nonluteinized antral granulosa cells. Design: Prospective randomized controlled study. Setting: A university medical center. Patient(s): Nine women ranging in age from 31–44 years who were undergoing oophorectomy for nonovarian pathology. Intervention(s): Analysis of meiotic maturation of oocytes and steroid secretion by granulosa cells cultured in the presence or absence of activin A. Main Outcome Measure(s): Germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and attainment of metaphase II (MII) in oocytes, and progesterone and E 2 secretion by granulosa cells. Result(s): Activin A significantly enhanced GVBD (91% vs. 65%) for control and maturation to MII (56% vs. 35% for control) of immature oocytes. Activin A significantly suppressed basal, and inhibin A–and FSH-stimulated progesterone and E 2 secretion by nonluteinized granulosa cells. Conclusion(s): Activin A is a promoter of oocyte maturation in vitro and a modulator of granulosa cell steroidogenesis in culture.
Electron Emission from Mesonic Atoms

The yield and energy distribution of electrons emitted from absorptions of stopping ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ mesons in nuclear emulsions have been measured. In the electron energy range from 20-70 keV, the yield in the heavy elements Ag and Br has been analyzed to consist of 14% background electrons contributed by radioactivity, and 24% contributed by the radiationless Auger process in the $K$-mesonic atom. This Auger yield is considerably less than would be expected theoretically from existing conventional analyses of the ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-mesonic atom cascade in Ag and Br. A possible explanation of the discrepancy is given in terms of a description involving Stark mixing in highly excited mesonic states. This gives rise to nuclear capture from the $f$ and $d$ angular momentum substates of highly excited levels. The probable effect of such a capture mechanism on the rate of multinucleon captures in nuclei is briefly discussed. Further experimental results are given on electron emission from $\ensuremath{\pi}$-mesonic atoms, and other data on $\ensuremath{\mu}$-mesonic and $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$-hyperonic atoms are also reviewed.
Comparative studies of high-latitude and equatorial ionospheric scintillation characteristics of GPS signals

The ionospheric scintillation phenomenon that affect the accuracy and integrity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is mostly observed in high-latitude and equatorial regions. Scintillation events in these two regions, however, are usually influenced by different factors and thus have different characteristics. This paper makes use of real scintillation data collected at Gakona, Alaska, and Jicamarca, Peru during the current solar maximum to investigate and compare scintillation features observed at the two locations. Based on scintillation events extracted from the raw data, several statistical distributions have been established to characterize the intensity, duration and occurrence frequency of amplitude and phase scintillation. Results confirm that scintillation at low latitudes is generally more intense and longer lasting, while high-latitude scintillation is usually dominated by phase fluctuations and shorter events. The occurrence frequency of scintillation, on the other hand, are influenced by a variety of factors.
Bundling and interdigitation of adsorbed thiolate groups in self-assembled nanocrystal superlattices

Self-assembling of nanocrystals involves organization of nanocrystals encapsulated by protective compact organic molecules into a crystalline material. The adsorbed molecules not only serve as the protection layer for the nanocrystals but also provide the dominant cohesive interactions (or “bonding”) sustaining the nanocrystal superlattices. The length of the adsorbed molecules is a controllable parameter, making the ratio of particle size to interparticle distance an adjustable parameter that sensitively tunes the interparticle interaction/coupling and resulting collective properties. In this paper, bundling and interdigitation of thiolate molecules adsorbed on Ag nanocrystals are observed using the chemical imaging technique in energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EF-TEM) at a resolution of ∼2 nm. In these orientationally ordered, self-assembled Ag−nanocrystal superlattices, the bundling of the adsorbed molecules on the nanocrystal surfaces is the fundamental structural principle. A model c...
Theory of Thermoelectric Power in Semiconductors with Applications to Germanium

The thermoelectric power $Q$ of a semiconductor is found by calculating the Thomson coefficient ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{T}$ from electrical and thermal current density expressions and then integrating the relation ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{T}=\frac{T\mathrm{dQ}}{\mathrm{dT}}$. This procedure yields a general expression for $Q$ in terms of the Fermi level, forbidden band width, temperature, ratio of electron to hole mobility, and effective electron and hole masses. In the impurity range the general formula for $Q$ reduces to a simple dependence on the Hall coefficient and temperature if carrier scattering is largely due to the lattice of the semiconductor; the same expression may be used with the addition of a correction term when carrier scattering by impurity ions becomes important at the lower temperatures. When both holes and electrons must be considered as carriers, $Q$ can be evaluated at any temperature from the resistivity and Hall coefficient at that temperature. An expression is also obtained for the thermoelectric power of an intrinsic semiconductor in a form depending on the mobility ratio, forbidden band width at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and the temperature rate of change of this band width. Hall and resistivity data measured for six polycrystalline germanium samples and two silicon samples have been inserted into the theoretical expressions derived in this paper. The thermoelectric power curves so calculated are found to give generally good agreement with the measured curves.
How long is too long: is a prolonged second stage of labor associated with worse maternal and neonatal outcomes?

LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE MATERNAL AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES? YVONNE CHENG, LINDA M. HOPKINS, AARON B. CAUGHEY, University of California, San Francisco, Obstetrics & Gynecology, San Francisco, CA OBJECTIVE: To examine maternal and neonatal outcomes in relation to the duration of the second stage of labor. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of 34,497 term, cephalic, singleton births delivered at an academicmedical center from 1976 to 2001. The second stage of labor was divided into 1-hour intervals. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared using the chi-square test. Possible confounding variables including maternal age, weight, parity, ethnicity, fetal position, birthweight, and use of episiotomy were controlled for using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Increasing rates of operative deliveries and perineal trauma were associated with lengthening second stage of labor beyond the first hour (see Table). While there were small changes in the rates of 5-minute Apgar 4 hour interval had higher rates of operative deliveries and perineal trauma when controlling for confounders; there were no differences in neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: Although the length of second stage of labor is not associated with worse neonatal outcomes, a prolonged second stage is associated with increased maternal morbidity.
A convenient basis for a graded ring

Abstract The graded ring Z[e, t1, t2, t3, …]/(etn = ∑i + j = n + 1 titj for n ≥ 1) is considered, where e has degree 2, tn has degree 2n, and 0 ≤ i, j ≤ n + 1 with t0 = 1. This ring is encountered in calculating the E2-term of an Adams-Novikov spectral sequence converging to the homotopy ring of a spectrum related to MU. New ring generators ann ≥ 1 are defined which possess simple computational properties and an additive basis is presented in each degree.
High performance software coherence for current and future architectures

Shared memory provides an attractive and intuitive programming model for large-scale parallel computing, but requires a coherence mechanism to allow caching for performance while ensuring that processors do not use stale data in their computation. Implementation options range from distributed shared memory emulations on networks of workstations to tightly coupled fully cache-coherent distributed shared memory multiprocessors. Previous work indicates that performance varies dramatically from one end of this spectrum to the other. Hardware cache coherence is fast, but also costly and time-consuming to design and implement, while DSM systems provide acceptable performance on only a limit class of applications. We claim that an intermediate hardware option-memory-mapped network interfaces that support a global physical address space, without cache coherence-can provide most of the performance benefits of fully cache-coherent hardware, at a fraction of the cost. To support this claim we present a software coherence protocol that runs on this class of machines, and use simulation to conduct a performance study. We look at both programming and architectural issues in the context of software and hardware coherence protocols. Our results suggest that software coherence on NCC-NUMA machines in a more cost-effective approach to large-scale shared-memory multiprocessing than either pure distributed shared memory or hardware cache coherence.
Don Luigi Sturzo—Christian Democrat.

The future government of Italy portends a challenge of enormous magnitude for the Catholic Church. Subject as it has been to periodic attacks for reactionism, the Church has been hard pressed to throw off the stigma of its association with Franco in Spain and its willingness to deal with Mussolini's Fascist regime. In the light of these accusations, coupled with rather widespread doubt whether church orthodoxy is compatible with political democracy, it seems altogether appropriate to examine the political theories of one of the leading exponents of liberal Catholicism—Don Luigi Sturzo. A little over twenty years ago, foreign correspondents, eagerly seeking a label for the “mystery man of Italian politics,” referred to him as a clerical socialist. If the term “clerical socialism” is synonymous with Christian socialism, such a characterization might be a proper one for this Sicilian priest. Certainly Sturzo was a champion of the Christian socialist movement which urged the correction of economic injustices but decried the materialism of the Marxists. He approved of the Guild of St. Mathew's sympathy for the unionism and socialism of the nineties and the Roman Catholic Social Guild. The latter found its incentive in the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum and the “scholastic traditions in restraint of usury and economic injustice.” Both of these organizations were associated with Christian socialism. But, although Christian socialism and clerical socialism have occasionally been placed in the same category, the latter is too ambiguous a term to permit a precise classification.
Atrial Arrhythmias with Low Amplitude P Waves

'From the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiolo , Denver General Hospital and the University of ~o lorayo School of Medicine, Denver. Reprint requests: Dr. Oliva, Denver General Hospital, Denver 80204 vomiting and visual complaints. He was taking 0.25 mg digoxin daily. The ECC was interpreted as atrial fibrillation with A-V dissociation and a junctional rhythm (Fig 1). At other times the regular ventricular rate was interrupted by pauses which were thought to be due to subjunctional exit block.3 A digoxin level was 6.6 ng/ml. Because of symptoms referable to the slow ventricular rate and a poor response to atropine and isoproterenol ( Isuprel ) therapy, a temporary transvenous pacemaker was inserted. During this procedure a His bundle recording was obtained. The initial recording appeared to confirm the impression of atrial fibrillation with A-V dissociation and a junctional rhythm ( Fig 2) . However, a bipolar right atrial eledrogram revealed the true arrhythmia to be paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT) with 2: 1 block. The bipolar catheter electrodes were then repositioned near the His bundle and a recording was obtained showing atrial, His bundle, and ventricular depolarizations, with a Wenckebach phenomenon in the A-V node ( Fig 3). The patient was discharged without digitalis therapy, but
The World's Favorite Beverage–Coffee–and Health

ABSTRACT Coffee, with its aromatic appeal and distinctive flavor, is the world's favorite beverage. Throughout history, coffee has been known to delight and stimulate the senses, comfort the spirit, and encourage conversation and camaraderie. This review explores the legend, history, economics, and health of this drink from its origin in Ethiopia to its worldwide consumption today and summarizes current knowledge on its beneficial effects and possible risks. Caffeine, the major constituent of coffee, is also found in other popular beverages (cola-containing soft drinks, tea) and nonprescription pharmaceutical preparations; Innumerable studies have been conducted on the major ingredient of coffee-caffeine-and much experimental, clinical, and epidemiological data has been accumulated. This chapter summarizes current knowledge on the health effects of coffee/caffeine on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems and the effect of caffeine on reproduction, bone loss-and cellular division.
Free amino acids in Aurelia aurita scyphistomae from corpus christi, texas

Abstract 1. 1. The occurrence of β-alanine in the free amino acid pools of Aurelia aurita scyphistomae from Corpus Christi, Texas, supports previous evidence that this population is related to that of the York River, Virginia, and that both are divergent from the Woods Hole, Massachusetts, population of the species.
Antibodies to human heat-shock protein 60 are associated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease: evidence for an autoimmune component of atherogenesis.

Background—Antibodies to mycobacterial heat-shock protein (HSP) 65 have been reported to be associated with carotid artery thickening. We examined whether antibodies to human HSP60 are associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results—Blood samples from 391 patients (62% men, mean age 57 years) being evaluated for CAD by coronary angiography were tested for IgG antibodies to human HSP60 by ELISA. We found that 75% of the study subjects had anti-HSP60 antibodies. The prevalence of CAD was increased in seropositive compared with seronegative patients (68% versus 49%, P=0.0009). Mean titers of HSP60 antibodies were higher in CAD patients than in non-CAD patients (P=0.008). No association between HSP60 antibodies and infection or inflammation was found. Importantly, HSP60 antibodies were related to disease severity. The prevalence of HSP60 antibodies was 76%, 80%, and 85% in patients with 1-, 2-, and 3-vessel disease, compared with 64% in patients without CAD (P for trend=0.003). ...
Neural networks in robotics: A survey

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the research being done in neural network approaches to robotics, outline the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches, and predict future trends in this area.
45. Gender differences in aging effect on the 5-HTlA receptor with [11C-carbonyl]way100635 PET ☆

difference in volume of the total intracranial contents. The SPD subjects showed a 21% reduction in left Heschl’s gyrus volume, but no difference in right Heschl or planum temporale volume or Heschl or planum asymmetry. These findings suggest that the reduced left STG finding may be, in part, due to the volume reduction of Heschl’s gyrus. This is intriguing as Heschl’s gyrus participates in early processing of auditory stimuli (tones) and is consistent with the finding of abnormal P300 amplitude in a similar group of SPD subjects.
Implicit acquisition and manifestation of classically conditioned attitudes.

Abstract Evidence for the implicit formation of attitudes via classical conditioning was sought using a recently developed conditioning procedure (Olson & Fazio, 2001) and a subliminal priming technique as the dependent measure. Under the guise of an experiment purportedly about attention and vigilance for target events, participants viewed a series of random images and words interspersed with pairings of novel objects (CSs) and valenced words or images (USs). They were then submitted to an evaluative priming procedure in which the CSs were presented as primes for sub-threshold durations. Conditioning was evident in that participants responded more quickly to target words whose valence matched that of the USs that had been earlier paired with the now subliminally-primed CS.
A method for correctly setting the rf flip angle.

Currently the accepted method for setting the correct rf power levels to achieve 90° and 180° rf pulses for MR imaging is to peak the echo amplitude of a rf spin-echo sequence. The echo amplitude of this α-2α pulse sequence is proportional to sin3(α) and has a relatively broad maximum. Recently another method for setting the rf flip angle by maximizing the ratio of the stimulated echo to the primary echo amplitudes (in a 3α sequence) demonstrated accuracy similar to that of the spin-echo method using a shorter repetition time. We present a new, more sensitive, and more accurate method for setting the correct rf power levels for 90° and 180° rf pulses. In this method, based upon the stimulated echo pulse sequence, we are able to accurately set the rf power to within ±0.1 dB by minimizing the signal amplitude of the third spin echo. This null method works for both selective and nonselective rf pulses of flip angle 90° or 180°, allowing the user to accurately adjust the relative amplitudes of the four rf pulse types within a single pulse sequence. © 1989 Academic Press, Inc.
An increase in the myocardial PCr/ATP ratio in GLUT4 null mice

ATP and creatine phosphate (PCr) are prime myocardial high-energy phosphates. Their relative concentrations are conserved among mammalian species and across a range of physiologic cardiac workloads. The cardiac PCr/ATP ratio is decreased with several pathologic conditions, such as ischemia and heart failure, but there are no reports of an increase in the cardiac PCr/ATP ratio in any species or with interventions. We studied the in vivo energetics in transgenic mice lacking expression of the glucose transport protein GLUT4 (G4N) and observed a significant 60% increase in the myocardial PCr/ATP ratio in G4N that was confirmed in three different experimental settings including intact animals. The higher PCr/ATP in G4N is cardiac-specific and is due to higher total cardiac creatine (CR) concentrations in G4N than in wild-type (WT). However, [ATP], [ADP], and -DG(-ATP) did not differ between the strains. Expression of the creatine transport protein (CreaT) that is responsible for creatine uptake in myocytes was preserved in G4N cardiac tissue. These observations demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, that G4N manifest a unique increase in the cardiac PCr/ATP ratio, which suggests a novel genetic strategy for increasing myocardial creatine levels.
The Synthesis and Characterization of Ru2(DMBA-X)4Cl2 with X as Br and I

New N,N′-dimethylbenzamidine ligands bearing para-Br (HDMBA-Br) and para-I (HDMBA-I) substituents were prepared and crystallographically characterized. The ligand exchange reaction between Ru2(OAc)4Cl and HDMBA-X (X = Br and I) afforded the new Ru2(III) compounds, namely Ru2(DMBA-X)4Cl2, in excellent yields. These new compounds were also characterized with cyclic voltammetric and single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques.
Surface Plasmons of Metal Nanostructure Arrays: From Nanoengineering to Active Plasmonics:

We developed cost-effective and high-throughput techniques to fabricate metal nanostructure arrays of various geometries on solid substrates. Surface plasmons of these nanostructure arrays were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. We systematically studied the effects of different parameters on the localized surface plasmon resonance of the nanostructure arrays. We further developed a few approaches to tailor surface plasmons for different applications. As an example of the applications of these nanostructure arrays, we demonstrated all-optical plasmonic switches/modulators based on long-range ordered Au nanodisk arrays and photoresponsive liquid crystals. The advantages of such arrays include low-cost, high-throughput, and tailorable plasmonic properties. These arrays can serve as a platform that will stimulate further progress in both fundamental research and engineering applications of plasmonics. ( JALA 2008;13:215–26)
Detecting Space-Time Alternating Biological Signals Close to the Bifurcation Point

Time-alternating biological signals, i.e., alternans, arise in variety of physiological states marked by dynamic instabilities, e.g., period doubling. Normally, a sequence of large-small-large transients, they can exhibit variable patterns over time and space, including spatial discordance. Capture of the early formation of such alternating regions is challenging because of the spatiotemporal similarities between noise and the small-amplitude alternating signals close to the bifurcation point. We present a new approach for automatic detection of alternating signals in large noisy spatiotemporal datasets by exploiting quantitative measures of alternans evolution, e.g., temporal persistence, and by preserving phase information. The technique specifically targets low amplitude, relatively short alternating sequences and is validated by combinatorics-derived probabilities and empirical datasets with white noise. Using high-resolution optical mapping in live cardiomyocyte networks, exhibiting calcium alternans, we reveal for the first time early fine-scale alternans, close to the noise level, which are linked to the later formation of larger regions and evolution of spatially discordant alternans. This robust method aims at quantification and better understanding of the onset of cardiac arrhythmias and can be applied to general analysis of space-time alternating signals, including the vicinity of the bifurcation point.
Innovation and change in organizational relationships: interdisciplinary contexts

From July 13–15 of 1988 individuals from nine countries gathered at the Manchester Business School for the fifth international conference of INTERSTUDY (the International Association for the Study of Interdisciplinary Research). Entitled Interdisciplinary Research and the World Marketplace, the conference was co-sponsored by the Manchester Business School and the journal R&D MANAGEMENT. Founded in 1980, Inter-study has endeavoured to advance the art and science of IDR (interdisciplinary problem-focussed research) by organizing international meetings for representatives of the academy, industry, and government. Its major accomplishment has been publication of the results of those meetings in four books. These books, along with other publications in the growing field of IDR, provide a valuable collection of resources for scholars, managers, researchers, and practitioners.
A cross-layer design for scalable mobile video

Today's mobile video suffers from two limitations: 1) it cannot reduce bandwidth consumption by leveraging wireless broadcast to multicast popular content to interested receivers, and 2) it lacks robustness to wireless interference and errors. This paper presents SoftCast, a cross-layer design for mobile video that addresses both limitations. To do so, SoftCast changes the network stack to act like a linear transform. As a result, the transmitted video signal becomes linearly related to the pixels' luminance. Thus, when noise perturbs the transmitted signal samples, the perturbation naturally translates into approximation in the original video pixels. This enables a video source to multicast a single stream that each receiver decodes to a video quality commensurate with its channel quality. It also increases robustness to interference and errors which now reduce the sharpness of the received pixels but do not cause the video to glitch or stall. We have implemented SoftCast and evaluated it in a testbed of software radios. Our results show that it improves the average video quality for multicast users by 5.5dB, eliminates video glitches caused by mobility, and increases robustness to packet loss by an order of magnitude.
Some algorithms for transmission line parameter estimation

Transmission line parameters are inputs to various power system analysis algorithms and precision of these parameters are thus important in ensuring the analysis accuracy. This paper proposes methods for estimating positive-sequence line parameters of series compensated lines. Voltages and currents from two ends of the line are utilized. In addition, algorithms for estimating parameters of non-compensated parallel lines utilizing one end data for special scenarios are presented.
Business Environment, Innovation Culture, and Technology Clusters in Developing Countries

Private market entry has several requirements such as easy access to financial capital, access to social networks, and low level of bureaucracy. One additional factor which is often overlooked is access to knowledge capital as to whether this is in the form of intangible human capital, ideas, or written information. The type of a high-tech industry such as the nanotechnology industry requires knowledge to be transferred mainly from universities to the private sector. This could of course be done via the help of incubation or technology transfer centers which both work closely with the universities. However, as we will explain in detail below, industry clusters provide a complete circuit of knowledge transfer among companies and from universities to companies in a continuous and a more sustainable manner. There might be, however, variety of challenges to support such mechanism in developing countries. We will give the Turkish example as it describes those challenges in an eye-opening way. Below we list those challenges and try offering solutions to them.