cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalloping Behaviour of Compressed Electron Beams in Varying Magnetic and Electric Fields

ABSTRACT The scalloping behaviour of electron beams in rapidly increasing magnetic fields is studied. It is shown that in order to reduce the scalloping on these compressed beams, it is necessary that the beam see a relatively slow varying magnetic field upon being launched into it. The magnetic field can rise quite fast to almost 80-90% of the final value in the intermediate region followed by another region of smooth variation on to the constant field in the interaction region. The beam scalloping is critically dependent on the magnetic field format and increases rapidly also if the entrance conditions are ‘imperfect’. For compressed Brillouin beams, the beam ripple rises B√f/B√l times faster than for constant-field beams, for given deviation from ideal launching conditions. For backward-wave oscillator applications where it is necessary to vary the beam voltage, it is advantageous to accelerate the beam at the end of magnetic compression. Magnetically compressed Brillouin beams are shown capable of fur...
The association between P300 and age from preadolescence to early adulthood

The present study examined the latency and amplitude of P300 in a large sample of subjects between 11 and 21 years old. The P300 components of the visual event-related potential showed consistent and significant age-related changes. Peak amplitude was found to diminish with increasing age, whereas peak latency decreased. Our data indicate that a linear relationship best explains the association between age and P300 amplitude and latency. The changes in P300 amplitude and latency across the different ages are likely to reflect developmental changes in mental processing that are not due to a decrease in general cortical reactivity with increasing age or the result of subject noncompliance.
Thrombocytopenia and sideroblastic anemia with pyrazinoic acid amide (pyrazinamide) therapy.

A patient is reported who developed thrombocytopenia (55,000/mm3) and severe sideroblastic anemia (hematocrit 10 percent) during the course of therapy with pyrazinoic acid amide (pyrazinamide, PZA), isoniazid (INH), and para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS). Hematologic recovery occurred promptly when PZA was discontinued. Transient thrombocytosis (907,000/mm3) developed in the recovery phase. The findings are compared with those in previously reported patients who developed sideroblastic anemia while on PZA (three patients) or cycloserine (four patients), in combination with long-term INH and PAS therapy. Thrombocytopenia has apparently not been reported previously in this situation.
Drosophila Rrp1 protein: an apurinic endonuclease with homologous recombination activities.

Abstract A protein previously purified from Drosophila embryo extracts by a DNA strand transfer assay, Rrp1 (recombination repair protein 1), has an N-terminal 427-amino acid region unrelated to known proteins, and a 252-amino acid C-terminal region with sequence homology to two DNA repair nucleases, Escherichia coli exonuclease III and Streptococcus pneumoniae exonuclease A, which are known to be active as apurinic endonucleases and as double-stranded DNA 3' exonucleases. We demonstrate here that purified Rrp1 has apurinic endonuclease and double-stranded DNA 3' exonuclease, activities and carries out single-stranded DNA renaturation in a Mg(2+)-dependent manner. Strand transfer, 3' exonuclease, and single-stranded DNA renaturation activities comigrate during column chromatography. The properties of Rrp1 suggest that it could promote homologous recombination at sites of DNA damage.
A real break or reluctant parting? France, the United States and the Spanish Question, 1946

In 1946, the French government imposed sanctions on the authoritarian Franco regime in Spain. France was the only western state to take action on Spain that moved beyond rhetorical condemnation. This action was preceded and followed by intense private and public efforts to convince the United States and Great Britain to impose sanctions too. Why could France not accept the western alliance's commitment to the status quo when it was evident this was the preferred policy of the Foreign Minister Georges Bidault? When it came to the Spanish Question, the significance of Resistance rhetoric and imagery about an idealized new world competed with a realistic assessment of France's new role tied to the United States. The result was an awkwardly constructed French policy which undermined, at least for a moment, France's place in the emerging Cold War alliance.
Consistent price and location conjectures in spatial competition models

Remarkable advances have been made in spatial competition theory during the past three decades. Only in recent years, however, have the implications of firms' conjectural responses become well understood. Here research has largely focused on analyzing markets where prices (short run) or prices and locations (medium and long run) are exogenous. This paper examines the equilibium properties of spatial firms when prices and locations are consistent or endogenous. Price reaction equations are complemented with location reaction equations, consistency conditions are introduced, and numerical solutions are then given. While the simulations are confined to one-dimensional markets, equilibrium solutions unambiguously indicate how prices, locations, and profits are related to the costs of firms, the elasticity of consumer demand, and the presence or absence of market boundaries.
Effective Management of High-Use/High-Demand Space Using Restaurant-Style Pagers

The library landscape is changing at a fast pace, with an increase in the demand for study space including quiet, individualized study space; open group study space; and as enclosed group study space. In large academic libraries, managing limited high-demand resources is crucial and is partially being driven by the greater emphasis on group learning and collaboration seen in the teaching curricula. Through the use of existing technology such as restaurant-style pagers, libraries have the capability of managing space in a fair and controlled manner. In turn, use of pagers in libraries increases customer satisfaction as patrons feel they are being served fairly. This article discusses how the use of pagers helps with space management by explaining some of the different tried models as well as the benefits and challenges of using pagers, and offers recommendations for future development and use of this technology.
Sleep-Dependent Memory Processing and EMDR Action

The unique effi cacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder is thought to result from changes in the brain/mind state induced by bilateral sensory stimulation, but the nature and specifi c consequences of these changes remain unknown. The possibility that bilateral stimulation induces a brain/mind state similar to that of rapid eye movement sleep is supported by studies showing that sleep facilitates forms of memory processing arguably necessary for the resolution of trauma. Such studies, along with direct studies of the impact of bilateral stimulation on memory and emotional processing, and dismantling studies identifying the requisite features of such bilateral stimulation for effective trauma processing, will eventually lead to an understanding of the neurobiological basis of EMDR.
Intrahepatic fat is increased in the neonatal offspring of obese women with gestational diabetes.

Objectives To assess precision magnetic resonance imaging in the neonate and determine whether there is an early maternal influence on the pattern of neonatal fat deposition in the offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and obesity compared with the offspring of normal-weight women. Study design A total of 25 neonates born to normal weight mothers (n = 13) and to obese mothers with GDM (n = 12) underwent magnetic resonance imaging for the measurement of subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat and magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the measurement of intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) fat at 1-3 weeks of age. Results Infants born to obese/GDM mothers had a mean 68% increase in IHCL compared with infants born to normal-weight mothers. For all infants, IHCL correlated with maternal prepregnancy body mass index but not with subcutaneous adiposity. Conclusion Deposition of liver fat in the neonate correlates highly with maternal body mass index. This finding may have implications for understanding the developmental origins of childhood nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
The leadership journey: from belief to reality

Abstract The leadership journey for nursing faculty begins during undergraduate education and extends throughout the career continuum. While leadership opportunities can include formal administrative positions, they also encompass roles such as project director and committee member. Using Barth's (2001) definition of leadership as the basis, this article presents strategies for planning and engaging in a successful leadership journey. The alignment of interests and role expectations for the purpose of balancing work life, and the use of reflection and evaluation to enhance the leadership journey are presented.
The utilization of cnidarian nematocysts by aeolid nudibranchs: nematocyst maintenance and release in Spurilla.

Abstract Some nudibranchs that feed on cnidarians are known to store nematocysts within cnidophage cells and use them for their own defense. Most of the nematocysts are in direct contact with the cytoplasm of the cnidophage. Nematocysts are not subjected to lysosomal enzymes because any phagocytic membrane that surrounded the nematocyst after engulfment does not persist. Cnidophage organelles are restricted to regions surrounding the nematocysts and may aid in the maintenance and development of the nematocysts. The release of cnidophages is initiated by a contraction of a dense muscle complex surrounding the cnidosac. Nematocysts do not discharge if the cnidophage membrane does not rupture upon release. A comparison of nematocyst maintenance in Spurilla neapolitana and nematocyst retention in other organisms is presented.
Distributed resource and power allocation for device-to-device communications underlaying cellular network

This paper proposes a distributed resource allocation and power control scheme based on stackelberg game framework to improve network capacity in Device-to-Device (D2D) communications networks. D2D users are supported in an underlay mode by sharing radio resources with the cellular downlink communications. The system aims to maximize the number of underlay D2D users while guaranteeing Quality of Service (QoS) of the prioritized cellular users. We formulate the problem through joint optimization on the D2D power control and resource allocation. The global optimization problem is a complicated task to tackle mathematically and has a high computational complexity. Instead we formulate the optimization problem with a distributed stackelberg game theoretical model and decompose it into two steps to approach the game equilibrium. The simulation results show that our proposed distributed algorithm converges very fast and the system capacity of the D2D underlay network is significantly improved.
Some mathematical aspects of chemotherapy-I: one-organ models.

A model of the processes occuring in the exchange of a drug between capillary plasma, extracellular space and intracellular space is developed. This leads to an interesting set of differential differences equations, one of which is an integrodifferential equation, another a partial differential equation. Under certain conditions, these may be simplified to a set of ordinary differential equations. The application of Laplace transform techniques to the solution of these equations is discussed.
Genomic Analysis of Mouse Retinal Development

The vertebrate retina is comprised of seven major cell types that are generated in overlapping but well-defined intervals. To identify genes that might regulate retinal development, gene expression in the developing retina was profiled at multiple time points using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). The expression patterns of 1,051 genes that showed developmentally dynamic expression by SAGE were investigated using in situ hybridization. A molecular atlas of gene expression in the developing and mature retina was thereby constructed, along with a taxonomic classification of developmental gene expression patterns. Genes were identified that label both temporal and spatial subsets of mitotic progenitor cells. For each developing and mature major retinal cell type, genes selectively expressed in that cell type were identified. The gene expression profiles of retinal Muller glia and mitotic progenitor cells were found to be highly similar, suggesting that Muller glia might serve to produce multiple retinal cell types under the right conditions. In addition, multiple transcripts that were evolutionarily conserved that did not appear to encode open reading frames of more than 100 amino acids in length (“noncoding RNAs”) were found to be dynamically and specifically expressed in developing and mature retinal cell types. Finally, many photoreceptor-enriched genes that mapped to chromosomal intervals containing retinal disease genes were identified. These data serve as a starting point for functional investigations of the roles of these genes in retinal development and physiology.
What Does "Smart Growth Mean for Community Development?

Sprawling patterns of dispersed residential and commercial development are seen as wasteful of land, expensive to service, automobile-dependent, environmentally harmful, and, ultimately, community-defeating. The state of Maryland has enacted a package of "Smart Growth" programs to promote more compact development by targeting public infrastructure and providing financial incentives in designated growth areas. It is hoped that this strategy will result in less sprawl, higher density development, greater use of mass transit, a pedestrian orientation, more closely-knit communities, and a higher quality of life. But smart growth will succeed only if people in designated growth and redevelopment areas are able to improve the economic, social, and physical aspects of their communities. Smart growth must build the capacity of community residents to undertake land use planning and solve community problems. Otherwise, additional policies will be needed to link smart growth and community development.
Reliability estimation through the linear mixed effects model

The linear model with random intercept and random slope is considered to assess degradation and reliability of a component or a system. For the case of known variance and covariance components of the above model, bias and standard error (SE) of the estimator of the time-to-failure distribution are examined through the Taylor's series expansion, Gaussian quadrature method and the simulation procedure. The simulation procedure is also considered when the variance and covariance components are estimated. Information from practical situations is used to examine the biases and SEs.
First Report of Leaf Blight and Stem Dieback of St. John's-Wort Caused by Diploceras hypericinum in Oregon.

St. John's-wort, Hypericum perforatum L., was formerly considered a noxious weed in the Pacific Northwest and is now grown commercially for its medicinal properties. In May 1999, plants from a 5-ha field in Jefferson County, OR, were observed with yellowing leaves and stem dieback. Lower leaves showed marginal necrosis or circular, expanding, uniformly brown, unremarkable leaf lesions that appeared randomly over the lamina and consumed from a quarter to nearly the entire leaf area. Remaining leaf tissue was chlorotic, and affected leaves eventually abscised. Infection of the stems resulted in girdling lesions 0.5 to 1.0 cm in length that caused chlorosis, wilting, and eventual dieback of tissues distal to the lesion. Diploceras hypericinum (Cesati) Diedicke was sporulating on affected stems and leaves. The fungus was isolated from surface-disinfested tissue onto 1.5% water agar. A single-spore isolate was used to inoculate 10-month-old plants raised from seed in sand. Spores from 6-week-old cultures grown on 50% potato-dextrose agar were harvested, suspended in phosphate buffer with 0.2% gelatin (PBG), and sprayed onto three plants using a DeVilbiss atomizer. Inoculum concentration was 7 × 103 and 3 ml per plant were used (plants were 8 to 10 cm tall). Three control plants were sprayed with sterile PBG. Inoculated and control plants were separately bagged to retain moisture and maintained at 22 to 25°C. Four days later, inoculated plants exhibited leaf spots similar to those originally observed, followed by stem dieback. D. hypericinum was isolated from all inoculated plants but not from control plants. The known distribution of D. hypericinum is France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Greece, and Ontario, Canada (1,2). This is the first report of D. hypericinum causing leaf blight and stem dieback of St. John's-wort in the United States. References: (1) D. F. Farr et al. 1989. Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. (2) T. R. Nag Raj. 1993. Coelomycetous Anamorphs with Appendage-bearing Conidia. Mycologue Publications, Waterloo, Canada.
Rare-earth bismuthides

Abstract The binary systems of the rare-earth elements (except Eu and Lu) with bismuth, have been examined using X-ray and metallographic techniques. The phases identified were RBi2 (LaBi2-type), RBi (NaCl-type), R4Bi3 (antiTh3P4-type), R5Bi3 (Mn5Si3-type), R5+xBi3 (Y5Bi3-type) and R2Bi (La2Sbtype). The LaBi2-type structure is new and single-crystal studies are reported. Refined lattice parameters are given for all the phases. Studies of the system ytterbium-bismuth are incomplete but reveal that it differs markedly from the other binary systems.
Glucose flux and the redox state of pyridine dinucleotides in the rat lens.

The concentration of alpha-glycerophosphate (GP) appeared to increase and readily reached a new steady state in lenses incubated with KCN or under hyperglucosic condition. This increase can be explained by the change in NADH/NAD ratio under each condition. The relative ratio of pyridine dinucleotides (NADH/NAD) was calculated from equilibrium equations of two NAD-linked enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH). The change in NADH/NAD ratio based on biochemical assays correlates well with that estimated from GPDH reaction. This indicates that measurements of pyridine dinucleotides (e.g. in vivo redox fluorometry) can be used to demonstrate lens metabolic status.
The measurement of normal-stress differences using a cone- and-plate total thrust apparatus

The proposal ofJackson andKaye (1966) for evaluating both differences of normal stress in a viscometric flow by using only total thrust measurements in a cone- and-plate viscometer is extended. An analytic relation valid for all values of the separation between cone and plate is obtained, which is shown to include as special cases the well-known cone- and-plate formula, the parallel-plate formula ofKotaka et al. (1959) andJackson andKaye's.
Quantitative Surface Electromyography: Applications in Neuromotor Rehabilitation

Surface electromyography holds great potential in helping patients recover from injuries that result in motor impairments. To be able to assist the patient, the clinician must consider research obtained from the study of implicit/explicit learning, contextual interference, and basic learning theory. Quantitative surface electromyography (QSEMG) is a technique that is constructed around this basic research in order to present the optimal learning environment for the patient.
Signal degradation due to charge buildup in noble liquid ionization calorimeters

Abstract We calculate the degradation in the signal from sampling, noble liquid, ionization calorimeters due to charge build-up from the slowly drifting positive ions. Such effects can be significant in calorimeters planned for operation at high luminosity hadron colliders such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.
Distortion, degeneracy and rezoning in finite elements — A survey

The results obtained from finite element analysis are significantly affected by the quality of elements. In certain applications like shape optimization, crash analysis, metal forming, fluid flow analysis, and large displacement analysis, the finite element mesh is systematically updated in an iterative process. In such situations, in spite of an ideal starting mesh, the quality of elements could deteriorate, causing severly distorted elements. In extreme cases, the elements become degenerate and further progress of analysis is restricted. An understanding of the methods of quantifying element distortion helps in identifying ‘bad’ geometry and in deciding when to remesh. Knowledge about geometric configurations which cause degeneracy assists in controlling degeneracy during the analysis. This paper contains a survey of available distortion measures and degeneracy conditions for various elements in two and three dimensions. It is a review of the literature in this field in the last two decades. A brief review of rezoning is also included, since it is one of the more popularly used methods to correct a distorted mesh.
Monte Carlo determination of emerging energy spectra for diagnostically realistic radiopharmaceutical distributions

Abstract In order to realistically define the internal organs of a representative human, 150 transverse CT scans of an (average) male patient were acquired from head to mid-thigh on the GE 9800 Quick scanner. The reconstructed transverse slices were read into a microVAX 3500 and members of the medical staff outlined 42 separate internal organs contained in the transverse slice. This digitized human phantom serves as an input to a Monte Carlo program which models photoelectric absorption and scatter processes of gamma-rays in matter. The organs can be “filled” with variable amounts of radiopharmaceuticals and the simulation computes the emerging energy spectra for a given source distribution and detector position. The simulation follows gamma-ray histories out to a maximum of 32 scatter events. Scatter spectra are histogrammed into energy distributions of gamma-rays which have undergone a specific number of scatter events before emerging from the phantom. A sum of all these scatter spectra yields the simulated total spectra. Simulated total spectra of diagnostically relevant human distributions are compared to spectra acquired from nuclear medicine clinical patients.
Calcite solubility and speciation in supercritical NaCl-HCl aqueous fluids

The solubility of calcite in NaCl-H2O and in HCl-H2O fluids was measured using an extraction-quench hydrothermal apparatus. Experiments were conducted at 2 kbar, between 400° C and 600° C. Measurements in NaCl-H2O were conducted in two ways: 1) at constant pressure and NaCl concentration, as a function of temperature; and 2) at constant pressure and temperature, as a function of NaCl concentration. In both the NaCl-H2O and the HCl-H2O systems, the solubility of calcite increases with increasing chlorine concentrations. For example, the log calcium molality in equilibrium with calcite increases from −3.75 at 2 kbar and 500° C, in pure H2O to −3.10 at 2 kbar and 500° C at log NaCl molality=−1.67. At fixed pressure and NaCl molality, the solubility of calcite is almost constant from 400° C to 550° C, but increases somewhat at higher temperatures. The results can be used to determine the dominant calcium species in the experimental solutions as a function of NaCl concentration and to obtain values for the second dissociation constant of CaCl2(aq). At 2 kbar, 400° C, 500° C, and 600° C, we calculate values for the log of the dissociation constant of CaCl+ of −2.1, −3.2, and −4.3, respectively. The 400° C and 500° C values are consistent with those obtained by Frantz and Marshall (1982) using electrical conductance techniques. However, our 600° C value is 0.8 log units higher than that reported by Frantz and Marshall. The calcite solubilities in the NaCl-H2O and HCl-H2O systems are inconsistent with the solubilities of calcite in pure H2O reported by Walther and Long (1986). They are, however, consistent with the measurements of calcite solubilities in pure H2O presented in this study. These results allow for the calculation of the solubilities of calcium silicates and carbonates in fluids that contain CO2 and NaCl.
Hybrid Microcircuitry for 300&#176;C Operation

Microelectronic instrumentation for geothermal well logging must operate in ambient temperatures up to 300°C for several hundred hours. This study involved an extensive survey of 25 to 300°C operation of resistors, capacitors, conductors, interconnections, and active devices. Three major selection criteria were: 1) part lifetime of at least 1000 h at 300°C; 2) minimum change in electrical parameters from 25 to 300°C; 3) availability to the common circuit builder (no one of a kind). Certain thick film resistors, capacitors, and conductors were found compatible with such high-temperature operation. In addition, reconstituted mica and aluminum solid electrolytic capacitors were found useful up to 300°C. Simple circuits for a geothermal temperature logging tool have been fabricated using these hybrid materials, components, and Si MOS and JFET devices. Oven tests show satisfactory stability from 25 to 300°C and at least 100-h circuit operation at 300°C.
Comparison of global brain gene expression profiles between inbred long-sleep and inbred short-sleep mice by high-density gene array hybridization.

Background: Inbred long-sleep (ILS) and short-sleep (ISS) mice show significant central nervous system–mediated differences in sleep time for sedative dose of ethanol and are frequently used as a rodent model for ethanol sensitivity. In this study, we have used complementary DNA (cDNA) array hybridization methodology to identify genes that are differentially expressed between the brains of ILS and ISS mice. Methods: To carry out this analysis, we used both the gene discovery array (GDA) and the Mouse GEM 1 Microarray. GDA consists of 18,378 nonredundant mouse cDNA clones on a single nylon filter. Complex probes were prepared from total brain mRNA of ILS or ISS mice by using reverse transcription and 33P labeling. The labeled probes were hybridized in parallel to the gene array filters. Data from GDA experiments were analyzed with SQL-Plus and Oracle 8. The GEM microarray includes 8,730 sequence-verified clones on a glass chip. Two fluorescently labeled probes were used to hybridize a microarray simultaneously. Data from GEM experiments were analyzed by using the GEMTools software package (Incyte). Differentially expressed genes identified from each method were confirmed by relative quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: A total of 41 genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs) display significant expression level differences between brains of ILS and ISS mice after GDA, GEM1 hybridization, and quantitative RT-PCR confirmation. Among them, 18 clones were expressed higher in ILS mice, and 23 clones were expressed higher in ISS mice. The individual gene or EST's function and mapping information have been analyzed. Conclusions: This study identified 41 genes that are differentially expressed between brains of ILS and ISS mice. Some of them may have biological relevance in mediation of phenotypic variation between ILS and ISS mice for ethanol sensitivity. This study also demonstrates that parallel gene expression comparison with high-density cDNA arrays is a rapid and efficient way to discover potential genes and pathways involved in alcoholism and alcohol-related physiologic processes.
A model architecture for Big Data applications using relational databases

Effective Big Data applications dynamically handle the retrieval of decisioned results based on stored large datasets efficiently. One effective method of requesting decisioned results, or querying, large datasets is the use of SQL and database management systems such as MySQL. But a problem with using relational databases to store huge datasets is the decisioned result retrieval time, which is often slow largely due to poorly written queries / decision requests. This work presents a model to re-architect Big Data applications in order to efficiently present decisioned results: lowering the volume of data being handled by the application itself, and significantly decreasing response wait times while allowing the flexibility and permanence of a standard relational SQL database, supplying optimal user satisfaction in today's Data Analytics world. In this paper we review a Big Data case study in the telecommunications field and use it to experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
A Study of Soluble Intracellular Proteins

Soluble liver cell proteins were studied from two approaches: 1) electrophoretic mobility and 2) kinetics of specific radioactivity after injection of tritiated leucine into rats. The electrophoretic fractions were classified according to mobility, magnitude of highest specific radioactivity and how long after injection of the radioisotope the peak specific radioactivity occurred. These measurements were discussed in relation to the degree of heterogeniety of the electrophoretic fractions. Conclusions were that faster migrating fractions are less heterogeneous than those with slower mobilities, and with respect to the faster anodally migrating fractions, that they are probably intracellular proteins with a rapid metabolism or they represent sub-units of proteins.
Variable rates of phosphate uptake by shallow marine carbonate sediments: Mechanisms and ecological significance

We determined phosphate uptake by calcareous sediments at two locations within a shallow lagoon in Bermuda that varied in trophic status, with one site being mesotrophic and the other being more eutrophic. Phosphate adsorption over a six hour period was significantly faster in sediments from the mesotrophic site. Uptake at both sites was significantly less than that reported for a similar experiment on calcareous sediments in an oligotrophic lagoon in the Bahamas. The difference in phosphorus adsorption between our sites did not appear to be related to sediment characteristics often cited as important, such as differences in surface area (as inferred from grain size distributions), total organic matter content, or iron content. However, the sediment total phosphorus contents were inversely related to phosphorus uptake at our sites in Bermuda, and at the previously studied Bahamas site. We hypothesize that phosphate uptake in these calcareous sediments is a multi-step process, as previously described for fluvial sediments or pure calcium carbonate solids, with rapid initial surface chemisorption followed by a slower incorporation into the carbonate solid-phase matrix. Accordingly, sediments already richer in solid phase phosphorus take up additional phosphate more slowly since the slower incorporation of surface-adsorbed phosphate into the carbonate matrix limits the rate of renewal of surface-reactive adsorption sites. Although carbonate sediments are a sink for phosphate, and thereby reduce the availability of phosphorus for benthic macrophytes and phytoplankton in the shallow overlying water, phosphate uptake by these sediments appears to decrease along a gradient from oligotrophic to eutrophic sites. If our result is general, it implies a positive feedback in phosphorus availability, with a proportionately greater percentage of phosphorus loading being biologically available longer as phosphorus loading increases. This pattern is supported by the significantly higher tissue phosphorus content of the seagrass,Thalassia testudinum, collected from the eutrophic inner bay site. Over time, this effect may tend to cause a shift from phosphorus to nitrogen limitation in some calcareous marine environments.
Use of Building Information Modeling in Design to Prevent Construction Worker Falls

AbstractThe construction industry has incurred the most fatalities of any United States industry in the private sector in recent years. Whereas many factors may contribute to this statistic, one likely cause is due to designers who often lack design for construction safety knowledge, which results in many safety hazards being built into project designs. Therefore, there is a compelling need for tools that can put the safety-in-design concept into practice. To improve the current situation, a prevention through design (PTD) tool based on computer software was developed. Construction safety best practices were compiled into computable rules so that the PTD tool can automatically conduct compliance checking. Particular emphasis was placed on fall accidents since falls are the most frequently occurring cause of fatalities on construction sites. This tool efficiently makes PTD suggestions available to designers and constructors. With this PTD tool, it is possible for project participants to work together to op...
Learning and incentives in user-generated content: multi-armed bandits with endogenous arms

Motivated by the problem of learning the qualities of user-generated content on the Web, we study a multi-armed bandit problem where the number and success probabilities of the arms of the bandit are endogenously determined by strategic agents in response to the incentives provided by the learning algorithm. We model the contributors of user-generated content as attention-motivated agents who derive benefit when their contribution is displayed, and have a cost to quality, where a contribution's quality is the probability of its receiving a positive viewer vote. Agents strategically choose whether and what quality contribution to produce in response to the algorithm that decides how to display contributions. The algorithm, which would like to eventually only display the highest quality contributions, can only learn a contribution's quality from the viewer votes the contribution receives when displayed. The problem of inferring the relative qualities of contributions using viewer feedback, to optimize for overall viewer satisfaction over time, can then be modeled as the classic multi-armed bandit problem, except that the arms available to the bandit and therefore the achievable regret are endogenously determined by strategic agents --- a good algorithm for this setting must not only quickly identify the best contributions, but also incentivize high-quality contributions to choose amongst in the first place. We first analyze the well-known UCB algorithm Ma [Auer et al. 2002] as a mechanism in this setting, where the total number of potential contributors or arms, K, can grow with the total number of viewers or available periods, T, and the maximum possible success probability of an arm, γ, may be bounded away from 1 to model malicious or error-prone viewers in the audience. We first show that while Ma can incentivize high-quality arms and achieve strong sublinear equilibrium regret when K(T) does not grow too quickly with T, it incentivizes very low quality contributions when K(T) scales proportionally with T. We then show that modifying the UCB mechanism to explore a randomly chosen restricted subset of √{T} arms provides excellent incentive properties --- this modified mechanism achieves strong sublinear regret, which is the regret measured against the maximum achievable quality γ, in every equilibrium, for all ranges of K(T) ≤ T, for all possible values of the audience parameter $\gamma$.
Immunochemical Heterogeneity of Calcitonin in Plasma

Calcitonin was measured in the plasma of 13 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma and one patient with a calcitonin-producing islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas. The hormone was measured by the simultaneous application of two calcitonin antisera which had differing specificity. Calcitonin measurements were also made of gel filtration (Bio Gel P30) fractions of plasma samples. Although the two antisera were of comparable sensitivity for the measurement of human calcitonin standards, they reacted differently with the calcitonin in the plasma samples. One antiserum (LD-1) gave consistently higher estimations of hormone concentration in the plasma of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma than the other (LD-26). By contrast, the concentration of calcitonin from the islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas was higher in the LD-26 assay. Multiple gel filtration peaks of immunoreactive calcitonin activity were present in both thyroidal and nonthyroidal calcitonin. Furthermore, the two different antisera ide...
Revisiting Ethernet: Plug-and-play made scalable and efficient

Because Ethernet bridging does not scale, most enterprise networks consist of small Ethernet-based subnets interconnected by IP routers. Although Ethernet's flat addressing and transparent bridging allow each subnet to run with minimal configuration, interconnecting subnets at the IP level introduces significant management overhead that increases with the size of the network. As an alternative, we propose a scalable and efficient zero-configuration enterprise (SEIZE) networking architecture. SEIZE provides plug-and-play capability via globally unique flat addressing, while ensuring scalability and efficiency through shortest-path routing and hash-based location resolution. Switches perform location resolution on demand and can cache the results to optimize routing paths and to reduce the number of location-resolution requests. We present a design overview of SEIZE and show that it attains the best of Ethernet and IP.
Stopping-power and mass energy-absorption coefficient ratios for Solid Water

The AAPM Task Group 21 protocol provides tables of ratios of average restricted stopping powers and ratios of mean energy-absorption coefficients for different materials. These values were based on the work of Cunningham and Schulz. We have calculated these quantities for Solid Water (manufactured by RMI), using the same x-ray spectra and method as that used by Cunningham and Schulz. These values should be useful to people who are using Solid Water for high-energy photon calibration.
Cytokine patterns and survival in haemodialysis patients

Background Increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are associated with decreased survival. We performed factor analyses to determine if pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in haemodialysis (HD) patients load onto one or two discrete factors and assessed if patients with a specific pattern of high pro-inflammatory cytokines have decreased survival compared to patients with a high anti-inflammatory cytokine pattern. Methods We evaluated 231 HD patients and analyzed them based on the three most common cytokine distribution patterns seen: a high pro-inflammatory group, a high anti-inflammatory group and all others. Survival and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results Factor analyses of individual cytokines showed that they loaded onto a single factor. Sixty-five patients had a pro-inflammatory pattern of high IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels and low anti-inflammatory parameters, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-12, CH50 and T-cell number. The next most frequent cytokine pattern was found in 20 patients with high levels of anti-inflammatory parameters. The patients with high pro-inflammatory cytokines had decreased survival compared to patients without a characteristic cytokine pattern. Conclusions Further research is needed to better define the underlying causes of increased inflammation among end-stage renal disease patients and to apply anti-inflammatory therapies that may mitigate adverse effects on patient outcomes.
A workflow-centric study of organizational knowledge distribution

Organizations require mechanisms to efficiently distribute knowledge such as news releases, seminar announcements and memos. While the machinery for information storage, manipulation and retrieval exists, research dealing directly with knowledge distribution in an organizational context is scarce. In this paper, we address this need by first examining the pros and cons of the conventional "mailing list" approach and then proposing new workflow mechanisms that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge distribution. The main contributions of this study include: (1) a workflow perspective on organizational knowledge distribution, (2) workflow analysis of two new knowledge distribution methods based on dynamic mailing lists and profile matching, respectively, and (3) a new way of matching knowledge supply and demand that extends existing information filtering algorithms.
Age-related differences in event-related potentials for early visual processing of emotional faces

With advancing age, processing resources are shifted away from negative emotional stimuli and toward positive ones. Here, we explored this 'positivity effect' using event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants identified the presence or absence of a visual probe that appeared over photographs of emotional faces. The ERPs elicited by the onsets of angry, sad, happy and neutral faces were recorded. We examined the frontocentral emotional positivity (FcEP), which is defined as a positive deflection in the waveforms elicited by emotional expressions relative to neutral faces early on in the time course of the ERP. The FcEP is thought to reflect enhanced early processing of emotional expressions. The results show that within the first 130 ms young adults show an FcEP to negative emotional expressions, whereas older adults show an FcEP to positive emotional expressions. These findings provide additional evidence that the age-related positivity effect in emotion processing can be traced to automatic processes that are evident very early in the processing of emotional facial expressions.
Novel PEALD-Ru formation technique using H 2 & H 2 /N 2 plasma as a seed layer for direct CVD-Cu filling

In this paper, novel Ru film formation technique by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is reported to be extremely promising as a seed layer for direct CVD-Cu full filling. PEALD-Ru film property can be controlled by H 2 to N 2 gas flow ratio in plasma step. PEALD-Ru film using H 2 /N 2 mixed gas based plasma can provide low resistivity (20µΩ-cm), sufficient Cu barrier property and 100% step-coverage. PEALD-Ru film using H 2 gas based plasma can provide (002) oriented Ru film, which is confirmed as good nucleation layer for CVD-Cu formation. Stacked film of Ru(H 2 )/ Ru(H 2 /N 2 ) is demonstrated to be attractive as an underneath for direct CVD-Cu full filling without void generation in 50 nm via pattern.
Relationship between post-exercise heart rate variability and skinfold thickness

This investigation aimed to determine if groupings based upon sum of skinfold thickness (SF) would reflect the differences in heart rate variability (HRV) measured for up to 30-minutes following maximal exercise, and to determine the extent in variation in post-exercise HRV that could be accounted for between the following independent variables: SF, body mass index (BMI) and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). SF and BMI measurements were performed on fifty-four men who completed maximal exercise testing to determine VO2max. HRV was evaluated for five-minutes before (Pre), at 0-5 minutes post- (Post1) and 25-30 minutes post-exercise (Post2), and analyzed by frequency domain [high frequency (HF) power, and HF to low frequency power ratio (LF:HF)). Two groups were formed based on being above or below the sample mean value of SF. HF and LF:HF were significantly higher and lower, respectively, at Pre and Post 2 in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p 0.05). In addition, SF was the only variable to significantly relate to the post-exercise HRV parameters (p < 0.05). The findings of this investigation suggest greater SF is related to a delayed return of HRV toward baseline from maximal exercise. The association between SF and HRV is independent of VO2max and BMI.
Coupling loss and contact resistance in cored stabrite cables-influences of compaction and variation of core width

AC loss due to coupling currents in a Rutherford cable can be modified by changing the interstrand contact resistance (ICS) by: adjusting the level of native oxidation of the strand, coating it, or by inserting a ribbon-like core into the cable itself. With regard to cored cables further effective-ICR adjustments can be achieved by changing: (i) the degree of compaction during manufacture; (ii) the thickness of the core at fixed overall thickness; and (iii) the width of the core. The authors report on the results of magnetic and calorimetric AC loss measurements on stainless-steel-cored stabrite cables which had been: (i) externally compacted by rolling to thicknesses of 0, 6, 9, and 11% below the standard thickness; (ii) internally compacted by being furnished with cores of thickness 1 mil (30 /spl mu/m) and 2 mil (50 /spl mu/m); and (iii) furnished with cores whose widths, w/sub core/, were about 20%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the maximum possible width. The measurements were made in applied AC fields that were directed perpendicular (face-on) and parallel (edge-on), respectively to the broad cables faces.
Universality of the Seismic Moment-frequency Relation

—We analyze the seismic moment-frequency relation in various depth ranges and for different seismic regions, using Flinn-Engdahl's regionalization of global seismicity. Three earthquake lists of centroid-moment tensor data have been used the Harvard catalog, the USGS catalog, and the Huang et al. (1997) catalog of deep earthquakes. The results confirm the universality of the β-values and the maximum moment for shallow earthquakes in continental regions, as well as at and near continental boundaries. Moreover, we show that although fluctuations in earthquake size distribution increase with depth, the β-values for earthquakes in the depth range of 0–500 km exhibit no statistically significant regional variations. The regional variations are significant only for deep events near the 660 km boundary. For declustered shallow earthquake catalogs and deeper events, we show that the worldwide β-values have the same value of 0.60 ± 0.02. This finding suggests that the β-value is a universal constant. We investigate the statistical correlations between the numbers of seismic events in different depth ranges and the correlation of the tectonic deformation rate and seismic activity (the number of earthquakes above a certain threshold level per year). The high level of these correlations suggests that seismic activity indicates tectonic deformation rate in subduction zones. Combined with the universality of the β-value, this finding implies little if any variation in maximum earthquake seismic moment among various subduction zones. If we assume that earthquakes of maximum size are similar in different depth ranges and the seismic efficiency coefficient, χ, is close to 100% for shallow seismicity, then we can estimate χ for deeper earthquakes for intermediate earthquakes χ≈ 5%, and χ≈ 1% for deep events. These results may lead to new theoretical understanding of the earthquake process and better estimates of seismic hazard.