cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Highly enantioselective copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to cyclic enones with spirocyclic phosphoramidite ligands

Abstract A series of spirocyclic phosphoramidite ligands 6 – 9 with different substituents on the amine moiety were synthesized from the chiral spirocyclic diol ( R )- 5 . These monodentate ligands have been applied in copper-catalyzed conjugate addition of diethylzinc to cyclic enones. Excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) can be achieved by the use of ligand ( R , S , S )- 9 bearing stereochemically matched structure derived from the C 2 -symmetric ( S , S )-bis(α-methylbenzyl)amine.
Lung phosphatidylcholine synthesis and cholinephosphotransferase activity in anencephalic rat fetuses with corticosteroid deficiency.

Summary: Adrenocortical insufficiency was produced in rat fetuses by surgical decapitation. These animals show low plasma corticosterone levels compared to littermate controls. Lung slices from anencephalic fetuses were found to have reduced incorporation of [14C]choline into phosphatidylcholine, hence diminished choline pathway activity; this abnormality was present at 21 days of gestation but not at term. Cholinephosphotransferase (CPT), the terminal catalyst of the choline pathway, also showed diminished activity in lungs of anencephalic fetuses, with a mean of 120 pmol/min/mg protein compared to a control value of 190. Dexamethasone treatment of these animals for 6–12 hr led to enhanced choline incorporation rates. Corticosteroid administration also restored CPT activity and even elevated the enzyme to a mean level (340 pmol/min/mg protein) greater than that found in normal fetuses at 21–22 days of gestation. The early pulmonary biochemical effects of dexamethasone in this model were not accompanied by recognizable ultrastructural changes. Speculation: It is proposed that glucocorticoids act to influence the timing of lung biochemical development relative to phosphatidylcholine synthesis. Increased amounts of the hormone appear to be sufficient but not necessary for this effect since augmented choline pathway rates eventually occur in the absence of the corticosteroid stimulus.
Automatic reconstruction of buildings from aerial imagery

This paper describes an algorithm which automatically creates an accurate and realistic reconstruction of buildings from high resolution, large-format digitized aerial stereo photographs. The system makes use of both reflectance and disparity data. Given a stereo pair of reflectance images of a scene containing buildings, the program automatically builds up a wireframe description of buildings and outputs a modified elevation map for the scene in which building edges are reconstructed accurately. A wide spectrum of computer vision techniques have been employed in this system- a fast stereo correlation technique; a robust, discontinuity preserving surface approximation algorithm to patch in uncorrelated areas; and knowledge based vision techniques to segment buildings from background and then reconstruct the building. A geometric model, in the form of a wing-edged data structure, is used to keep the wireframe while building up the structure. We also employ texture mapping to overlay the reflectance image back on the elevation data in order to provide a realistic display.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Consumer Perceptions of Family Resource Center Service Delivery Strategies

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) should be accessible to neighborhood residents and involve them in program design and implementation. However, few studies show whether service delivery methods affect the ability of FRCs to achieve their goals. This study explored 488 consumers' perceptions of the importance of service delivery factors. Study participants answered questions about how the staff treated them, whether they had any language difficulties, and whether they liked the facility. Overall, FRC consumers were satisfied with service delivery factors, valuing “interpersonal ambience” over “tangible supports.” Results of the study suggest that service delivery plays an important role in FRC utilization. An FRC should involve residents in planning and providing activities to make the facility an important part of the community.
Modeling of 3-D non-gray gases radiation by coupling the finite volume method with weighted sum of gray gases model

Abstract A new model and code for radiative heat transfer based on the numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation by finite volume method in 3-D Cartesian coordinates coupled with weighted sum of gray gases model (WSGGM) is developed. The Smith’s WSGG model with 4 and 5 gray gases is used, but any other gas radiative properties model can be incorporated. The physical and mathematical concepts of the model are presented in details. The series of calculations for real gases as water vapor and a mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor and nitrogen for uniform and non-uniform temperature fields are carried out. The predictions are compared against the rare results found in literature. The results calculated by ray tracing method with statistical narrow band model, recently published, were taken as the benchmark. The agreements with them are very good. The effects of spatial rectangular grids, of angular discretization in polar and azimuthal directions and of number of gray gases on the accuracy were analyzed. Also a new series of predictions for the mixture of 0.1 of carbon dioxide, 0.1 of water vapor and 0.8 of nitrogen on mole base is performed. It is believed that the mathematical model developed, avoiding the drawbacks of spectral lines and bands models, is sufficiently accurate and convenient for engineering calculations as well as for incorporation in computational fluid dynamics codes.
Optimal synthesis for finite-time consensus under fixed graphs

Synthesis of optimal controllers achieving finite-time consensus for a network of multiple agents described by a fixed connectivity graph is considered. The solution procedure involves posing a partially nested decentralized control problem and converting it to a constrained convex optimization problem invoking quadratic invariance. The dynamic feedback controller thus synthesized optimizes a transient performance measure and guarantees consensus within a minimal number of steps.
A Method for Propeller Blade Optimization and Cavitation Inception Mitigation

Propeller blade design for fast ships is often driven by cavitation constraints. A tradeoff exists, in which larger chord lengths and section thicknesses typically improve cavitation performance but result in lower efficiency. Typically, chord lengths are optimized for the design condition (ship endurance speed) with some specified margin to prevent cavitation off-design (at maximum ship speed). Cavitation performance at the maximum speed is considered postfacto, and blade shape often needs to be modified for cavitation considerations in high-speed operation. This article presents an improved method for blade shape optimization. The present method simultaneously considers the cavitation performance at the endurance speed design point and a maximum speed off-design point, and blade chord lengths and thicknesses are set to prevent cavitation at both operational conditions. During the present design optimization routine, the on-design load distribution is optimized, and the off-design performance is determined such that the chord lengths can be set to a minimum that still prevents cavitation at both the on- and off-design conditions. A case study is presented, considering the notional design of a propeller for the U.S. Navy DDG51 destroyer-class ship. Propellers designed using standard chord/thickness optimization procedures are compared with those designed using the present procedures. Cavitation performance is compared for the two design methods.
Abstract 570: The integrated stress response kinase GCN2 regulates cell survival through p21/WAF1/CIP1 in response to nutrient deprivation.

The tumor microenvironment is often characterized by deficiencies in nutrients, such as oxygen, glucose, and amino acids. Activation of the nutrient-sensing kinase GCN2, which constitutes one arm of the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), is one mechanism by which tumor cells cope with and adapt to nutrient stress. GCN2 phosphorylates the alpha subunit of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2, leading to global downregulation of translation to conserve amino acids and initiation of a transcriptional program through ATF4 to promote recovery from nutrient deprivation. Loss of GCN2 results in decreased tumor cell survival in vitro under conditions of amino acid deprivation and attenuated tumor growth in vivo in a variety of implanted animal tumor models. Our recent studies have shown that amino acid deprivation induces the cell cycle inhibitor p21 in a GCN2 dependent manner. GCN2 regulates p21 at the transcriptional and translational level. Induction of p21 mRNA occurs in both eIF2α S51A and p53 -/- cells, indicating that phosphorylation of eIF2α and expression of p53 are not required for GCN2 dependent transcriptional regulation. At the translational level, GCN2 phosphorylates eIF2α to prevent translational suppression of p21 transcript variants containing a 5’ uORF overlapping the true translation start site. Expression of p21 promotes cell survival during amino acid deprivation, suggesting a mechanism by which GCN2 regulates p21 in order to coordinate cell division with nutrient availability. In agreement with a pro-survival role, we observe p21 upregulation concomitant with ISR activation in a genetically engineered mouse of soft tissue sarcoma. These findings point to a novel mode of regulation of p21/WAF1/CIP1 by nutrient stress in the tumor microenvironment that contributes to tumor progression. Citation Format: Stacey L. Lehman, Jiangbin Ye, Constantinos Koumenis. The integrated stress response kinase GCN2 regulates cell survival through p21/WAF1/CIP1 in response to nutrient deprivation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 570. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-570
Soviet cybernetics and computer sciences, 1960

This article records observations on Soviet research and technology in cybernetics and computer science, made by the author during a visit to the Soviet Union as a delegate to the IFAC Congress on Automatic Control held in Moscow in the summer of 1960.
The microstructural evolution of Al12Mg17 alloy during the quenching processes

Abstract The processes of rapid solidification for three cooling rates of Al 12 Mg 17 alloy from liquid to solid are simulated using molecular dynamics based on embedded-atom method potentials derived by the force-matching approach. The liquid structures are calculated and the structural factors are in good agreement with experimental data. During each rapid quenching, an amorphous state is obtained, and the microstructures of the liquid, supercooled liquid, and the amorphous states of Al 12 Mg 17 alloy are analyzed using the pair analysis technique.
Charged vs. neutral nucleobase loss from multiply charged oligonucleotide anions

Tandem mass spectra of a variety of adenine-containing deoxynucleic acid anions obtained using collisional activation in a quadrupole ion trap are described. Data are reported for singly charged mono-, di- and trinucleotide species, and also for multiply charged anions derived from tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexanucleotides. Attention is focused on the first step in the unimolecular decomposition of these species, namely the loss of the nucleobase. Specifically, the competition between the loss of the nucleobase as a neutral versus its loss as an anion is addressed within the context of a proposed proton-bound intermediate consisting of the nucleobase and a phosphodiester linkage. The data are interpreted on the basis of the energy surface involved in the break-up of the proton-bound intermediate, which can explain why the competition between loss of a neutral versus charged base is strongly dependent upon the charge of the parent ion.
Electrical responses to two clicks: A simple statistical interpretation

A probability model for the amplitude of the first neural component,N 1, of the click response has been developed on the assumption thatN 1 is the summated effect of practically simultaneous firing from large numbers of independent neural units. Equations derived from the model predict the course of recovery for the response to the second of two clicks. A mathematical relation is shown between the two-click situation and the intensity growth curve for the first neural component of the response to a single click. This permits indirect reconstruction of the function relating amplitude ofN 1 to stimulus intensity. Experiments with pairs of clicks indicate that a normal probability integral provides a satisfactory fit. Thus the entire intensity function ofN 1 is capable of specification in terms of two statistical parameters, the mean and the standard deviation of the normal integral. Factors that affect the click response are presumed to act upon these parameters.
Pollution source analyses using 1-dimensional time series

Lake Holiday, a human-made recreational lake in northern Illinois, was threatened with closure due to high bacterial levels. A factorially designed experiment with multivatiate responses was developed to study and identify the main sources of pollution. Data on total coliform, fecal coliform, fecal streptococci, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia-N, total phosphorus, nitrate/nitrite-N were analyzed using regression models describing dam spillway loads as a function of source loads and time. The results suggest that the relationships among source, time, and load are complex, even though only two sources account for most of the lake's loading Stevens Brook, which receives the discharge from the Somonauk Sewage Treatment Plant, and Somonauk Creek, which is the major drainage, contribute high loads of bacteria and nutrients to the lake. The influent loads contributed to the lake are discharged at the dam over about 4 weeks
Heat shock protein 2 promoter drives cre expression in spermatocytes of transgenic mice

We generated transgenic mouse line C57BL/6-Tg(Hspa2-cre)1Eddy/J (Hspa2-cre), which expresses cre-recombinase under the control of a 907-bp fragment of the heat shock protein 2 (Hspa2) gene promoter. Transgene expression was determined using Gt(ROSA)26Sor(tm1Sor)/J (ROSA26) and Tg(CAG-Bgeo/GFP)21Lbe/J (Z/EG) reporter strains and RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assays. Hspa2-cre expression mimicked the spermatogenic cell-specific expression of endogenous HSPA2 within the testis, being first observed in leptotene/zygotene spermatocytes. Expression of the transgene also was detected at restricted sites in the brain, as occurs for endogenous HSPA2. Although the results of mating the Hspa2-cre mice to mice with a floxed Cdc2a allele indicated that some expression of the transgene occurs during embryogenesis, the Hspa2-cre mice provide a valuable new tool for assessing the roles of genes during and after meiotic prophase in pachytene spermatocytes.
Reexamination of magnetic effects in the Bose gas

The breakdown of the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect in the three-dimensional Bose gas as the applied field passes through its critical value is an entropy-driven weakly first-order transition, rather than the second-order transition usually ascribed to the system. The transition is second order at the usual Bose condensation temperature T/sub c/ as well as at T = 0, with a line of first-order transitions connecting these critical points. The first-order transitions make the Bose gas resemble familiar superconductors, and a Landau-Ginzburg analysis indicates that the Bose gas is always a type-I superconductor.
Electrical measurements on cuticles excised from adult male periplaneta americana (L.)

Abstract 1. 1. Electrical potential differences were recorded as a function of time and electric current across pronotum cuticles excised from adult male Periplaneta americana 2. 2. These measurements were interpreted in terms of ion mobility ratios, d.c. resistance and capacitance for the cuticles. 3. 3. Changes in electrical properties were noted both as a function of time after excision and time after molt. 4. 4. No evidence was found for a natural electric polarization in the cuticle. 5. 5. Ducts of the dermal glands were believed to provide the major pathway for ions moving across the cuticle, and cuticular grease was assumed to constitute the major dielectric barrier.
Thermal Processing of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Tissue engineering requires complex three-dimensional scaffolds that mimic natural extracellular matrix function. A wide variety of techniques have been developed to create both fibrous and porous scaffolds out of polymers, ceramics, metals, and composite materials. Existing techniques include fiber bonding, electrospinning, emulsion freeze drying, solvent casting/particulate leaching, gas foaming/particulate leaching, high pressure processing, and thermally induced phase separation. Critical scaffold properties, including pore size, porosity, pore interconnectivity, and mechanical integrity, are determined by thermal processing parameters in many of these techniques. In this review, each tissue engineering scaffold preparation method is discussed, including recent advancements as well as advantages and disadvantages of the technique, with a particular emphasis placed on thermal parameters. Improvements on these existing techniques, as well as new thermal processing methods for tissue engineering scaffolds, will be needed to provide tissue engineers with finer control over tissue and organ development.
An emergency department scribe system

Prompted by the need to provide efficient care to large numbers of patients while maintaining complete and legally secure records, a "scribe system" was developed in the Emergency Department of the Decatur Memorial Hospital. By use of a multicopy form divided into space for patient identification information, history, physical, progress notes and diagnoses, plus status-flow sheet for serious ill or injured, a practical nurse, acting as "scribe," makes notes as physicians obtain history and examine patients. Details of the operation of the system are discussed. In Decatur Memorial, the "scribe system" has improved and expedited patient care, eased the work load, improved record keeping and raised the level of performance of personnel.
Dynamic Modeling and Updating of a Stacked Plate Dynamic System

The dynamic control of stacked-plate mechanical systems such as circuit board assemblies is a common technical problem that often requires a complete description of the open loop system dynamics prior to controller development. Often, a preliminary finite element model (FEM) of the test article is developed to understand the dynamics of the system to perform a modal test. The results of this modal test must then be used to update the stiffness, mass and damping matrices to yield correct FEM frequencies mode shapes and damping. This work describes the mathematical development of a finite element model of a multi-plate test article and proceeds with a model update using differentiated velocity data collected at discrete points on the structure with a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) and drive point measurements collected at the excitation location with an impedance head. Using these data, accelerance FRFs were computed and the first three flexible mode shapes were estimated and these shapes were compared to the corresponding FEM shapes using both percent frequency difference and modal assurance criterion (MAC). Several parameters of the system model were modified yielding improved correlation with the experimental results.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Characterization and preliminary mapping of cauliflower mosaic virus transcripts.

Abstract Using Northern blot analysis we have studied the transcription of the CM4-184 Ga. strain of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) DNA. This analysis reveals that this CaMV strain, like the Cabb-BS and the Cabb B-JI strains, produces both a genomic length transcript and a 1900-nucleotide (nt) transcript during infection. In addition, we detect an 1800-nt PA+ transcript mapping primarily to the EcoRI-c region of the virus, and three apparent minor viral-specific PA+ RNAs of 4900, 4500, and 4300 nt. We also report the presence of two small viral single-stranded DNAs produced during infection, and show that both DNAs are derived from the EcoRI-b region of the virus.
A boundary layer framework considering material gradation effects

Abstract This paper describes the development and application of a novel modified boundary layer (MBL) model for graded nonhomogeneous materials, e.g. functionally graded materials (FGMs). The proposed model is based on a middle-crack tension, M(T), specimen with traction boundary conditions applied to the top and lateral edges of the model. Finite element analyses are performed using WARP3D, a fracture mechanics research finite element code, which incorporates elements with graded elastic and plastic properties. Elastic crack-tip fields obtained from the proposed MBL model show excellent agreement with those obtained from full models of the cracked component for homogeneous and graded nonhomogeneous materials. The K–T dominance of FGMs is investigated by comparing the actual stress fields with the asymptotic stress fields (the Williams’ solution). The examples investigated in the present study consider a crack parallel to the material gradient. Results of the present study provide insight into the K–T dominance of FGMs and also show the range of applicability of the proposed MBL model. The MBL model is applied to analyze the elastic–plastic crack-tip response of a Ti/TiB FGM SE(T) specimen. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed MBL model captures the effect of T-stress on plastic zone size and shape, constraint effects, etc. for such configurations.
Learning custom color transformations with adaptive neighborhoods

Custom color transformations for images or video can be learned from a small set of sample color pairs by estimating a look-up table (LUT) to describe the enhancement and storing the LUT in an International Color Consortium profile, which is a standard tool for color management. Estimating an accurate LUT from a small set of sample color pairs is challenging. Local linear and ridge re- gression are tested on six definitions of neighborhoods for twenty color enhancements and twenty-five color images. Excellent results were obtained with local ridge regression over proposed enclosing neighborhoods, including a variant of Sibson's natural neighbors. The evaluation of the different estimation methods for this task com- pared the fidelity of the learned color enhancement to the original sample color pairs and the presence of objectionable artifacts in enhanced images. These metrics show that enclosing neighbor- hoods are promising adaptive neighborhood definitions for local classification and regression. © 2008 SPIE and IS&T.
Measures of paraspinal muscle performance do not predict initial trunk kinematics after tripping

The ability to limit the trunk flexion associated with an anteriorly directed trip is a determinant of successful recovery of recovering postural stability and is subservient to rapidly detecting and correcting the imposed trunk flexion in the available time. This experiment tested the hypothesis that subjects demonstrating greater eccentric trunk/hip extension strength, faster voluntary reaction times, shorter automatic response latencies, and larger automatic activation amplitudes of the paraspinal muscles, would demonstrate less trunk flexion following a trip. An isokinetic protocol was used to obtain measures of trunk extension strength, response latencies, and activation amplitudes. Motion analysis methods were used to quantify trunk kinematics during the positioning phase of recovery following an induced trip. Statistically significant and functionally meaningful relationships between eccentric strength of the trunk/hip extensors, voluntary-reaction time, automatic reaction time, activation amplitudes and trunk kinematics failed to emerge. Thus, although automatic and voluntary paraspinal muscle responses have the potential to limit trunk flexion during the positioning phase of recovery, the task may be achieved through intersegmental factors or other muscular sources such as the gluteus maximus and hamstrings.
A generalized simulation description language

Our group supports two emission tomography simulation packages: SimSET, which is in the public domain, and ASIM, which we are planning to re-engineer and release as open- source software. Currently the inputs and outputs for the two programs, though conceptually similar, have very different formats. We are creating a common input meta-language for SimSET and ASIM. We plan to make this language general enough that it will be suitable for other emission tomography simulation packages. This language will make it easier for users to use multiple simulation packages and will facilitate definition of similar simulations for various packages.
Multislice simulation of transmission electron microscopy imaging of helium bubbles in Fe

Formation of nanoscale helium (He) bubbles in reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels may lead to degradation of mechanical properties of materials. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has commonly been used to image the Fresnel contrast of He bubbles, using an underfocus of 0.5-1 µm. This paper presents our study of multislice simulation of the size correlation between imaged Fresnel rings and the actual He bubbles. It was found that for bubbles equal to or >3 nm in diameter, the imaged bubble size, represented by its inner diameter of the first dark Fresnel ring (D(in)) in underfocused imaging conditions, increases with increasing electron-beam incoherency, but decreases with increasing underfocus. The electron-beam accelerating voltage, bubble size, bubble position and TEM sample thickness were found to have no significant influence on the deviation of D(in) from the actual bubble size (D(0)). However, for bubbles equal to or <2 nm, D(in)/D(0) increases dramatically with increasing underfocus when it is above a threshold limit (e.g. Δf = -1 µm for a 2-nm bubble). The results of this study also suggested that He bubbles can be differentiated from argon (Ar) bubbles by contrast differences.
Regulation Games Between Government and Competing Companies: Oil Spills and Other Disasters

Oil spills are a characteristic risk of oil drilling and production. There are safety regulations set to reduce the risk of technological failures and human error. It is the oil company's decision to follow such laws and the government's decision to enforce them. Companies are balancing between safety efforts and production competition with other companies. To our knowledge, no previous research has considered the impact of competition in a government--company regulatory game. This paper fills the gap by modeling and comparing two games: a one-company game without competition and a two-company game with competition, both with the government as a regulator. The objectives of all players are to maximize their expected revenue and minimize their losses. Our results indicate that competition increases a company's threshold for risk and therefore requires stricter government regulation. These results could be generalized and applied to other industries including airline, nuclear power, and coal mining.
What Is Obvious? Federal Courts’ Interpretation of the Knowledge Requirement in Post–Farmer v. Brennan Custodial Suicide Cases

The Supreme Court ruling on Farmer v. Brennan established the federal court standard for determining when corrections staff members should be held legally responsible for inmates’ injuries resultin...
Mechanism of transdermal transport of 5-fluorouracil by terpenes: carvone, 1,8-cineole and thymol

Abstract The effect of terpenes as penetration enhancers (e.g. carvone, 1,8-cineole and thymol) was studied on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of the model hydrophilic compound 5-fluorouracil through porcine epidermis. The above terpenes (5% w/v) significantly (P
Semiclassical influence functionals for quantum systems in anharmonic environments

Abstract A rigorous semiclassical methodology for calculating influence functionals arising from polyatomic anharmonic environments is presented. Integration of each trajectory forward and backward in time reduces the severity of the oscillations in the semiclassical propagator, namely those originating from the dynamics of the isolated environment, and leads to a convenient coherent state initial value representation which is amenable to Monte Carlo sampling. The advantages of this formulation are illustrated through an example employing a harmonic oscillator bath.
Measuring the Impact of Cataract Surgery on Generic and Vision-Specific Quality of Life

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide and cause visual impairment for millions of adults in the United States. We compared the sensitivity of a vision-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measure to that of multiple generic measures of HRQOL before and at 2 time points after cataract surgery. Participants completed 1 vision-specific and 5 generic quality of life measures before cataract surgery, and again 1 and 6 months after surgery. Random effects modeling was used to measure changes over the three assessment points. The NEI-VFQ25 total score and all 11 subscales showed significant improvements during the first interval (baseline and 1 month). During the second interval (1–6 months post-surgery), significant improvements were observed on the total score and 5 of 11 NEI-VFQ25 subscales. There were significant increases in HRQOL during the first interval on some preference-based generic HRQOL measures, though changes during the second interval were mostly non-significant. None of the SF-36v2™ or SF6D scales changed significantly between any of the assessment periods. The NEI-VFQ25 was sensitive to changes in vision-specific domains of QOL. Some preference-based generic HRQOL measures were also sensitive to change and showed convergence with the NEI-VFQ25, but the effects were small. The SF-36v2™ and SF-6D did not change in a similar manner, possibly reflecting a lack of vision-related content. Studies seeking to document both the vision-specific and generic HRQOL improvements of cataract surgery should consider these results when selecting measures.
Nanoscale structure measurements for polymer-fullerene photovoltaics

This review covers methods to measure key aspects of nanoscale structure in organic photovoltaic devices based on polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunctions. The importance of nanoscale structure to the power conversion efficiency and stability of these devices has been recognized, but robust correlations have yet to emerge despite a significant community-wide research investment. Our perspective is that more uniform selection, execution, and interpretation of nanoscale structure measurements will accelerate this endeavor. We will discuss organic bulk heterojunction structural measurements of contemporary interest and importance including vertical stratification, molecular orientation and order, and nanoscale morphology. Specific recommendations are made regarding the technical implementation of some popular techniques, with an eye toward the elimination of artifacts, ambiguous data, and misinterpretation. When possible, topics are highlighted where there is a community consensus on the results of nanoscale structure measurements and how they may relate to organic photovoltaic device performance.
Synthetic Optimization Problem Generation: Show Us the Correlations!

In many computational experiments, correlation is induced between certain types of coefficients in synthetic (or simulated) instances of classical optimization problems. Typically, the correlations that are induced are only qualified---that is, described by their presumed intensity. We quantify the population correlations induced under several strategies for simulating 0--1 knapsack problem instances and also for correlation-induction approaches used to simulate instances of the generalized assignment, capital budgeting (or multidimensional knapsack), and set-covering problems. We discuss implications of these correlation-induction methods for previous and future computational experiments on simulated optimization problems.
Why Do People Move Their Eyes When They Think

The saccadic eye movements that people make when thinking have been largely ignored in the eye-movement literature. Nevertheless, there is evidence that such eye movements are systematically related to internal thought processes. On average, people move their eyes about twice as often when searching through long-term memory as they do when engaged in tasks that do not require such search. This pattern occurs when people are in face-to-face situations, when they are in the dark, and when they have their eyes closed. Because these eye movements do not appear to serve visual processing, we refer to them as “nonvisual” eye movements and discuss why the eyes move during thinking that does not involve vision.
Robust speaker identification using a CASA front-end

Speaker recognition remains a challenging task under noisy conditions. Inspired by auditory perception, computational auditory scene analysis (CASA) typically segregates speech by producing a binary time-frequency mask. We first show that a recently introduced speaker feature, Gammatone Frequency Cepstral Coefficient, performs substantially better than conventional speaker features under noisy conditions. To deal with noisy speech, we apply CASA separation and then either reconstruct or marginalize corrupted components indicated by the CASA mask. Both methods are effective. We further combine them into a single system depending on the detected signal to noise ratio (SNR). This system achieves significant performance improvements over related systems under a wide range of SNR conditions.
Nutrient recycling by two phosphorus-rich grazing catfish : the potential for phosphorus-limitation of fish growth

In ecosystems where excretion by fish is a major flux of nutrients, the nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratio released by fish can be important in shaping patterns of algal biomass, community composition, primary production, and nutrient limitation. Demand for N and P as well as energy influences N/P excretion ratios and has broad implications in ecosystems where nutrient recycling by fishes is substantial. Bioenergetics and stoichiometric models predict that natural fish populations are generally energy-limited and therefore N/P recycling by fishes is relatively invariant. Yet, the potential for P limitation of growth has not been examined in herbivorous fishes, which are common in many aquatic habitats. We examined N/P excretion ratios and P demand in two P-rich herbivorous catfishes of the family Loricariidae, Ancistrus triradiatus (hereafter Ancistrus) and Chaetostoma milesi (hereafter Chaetostoma). Both fishes are common grazers in the Andean piedmont region of Venezuela where we conducted this study. Mass balance (MB) models indicate that these fishes have a high P demand. In fact, our Ancistrus’ P MB model predicted negative P excretion rates, indicating that Ancistrus did not consume enough P to meet its P demand for growth. Direct measurement of excretion rates showed positive, but very low P excretion rates and high N/P excretion ratios for both taxa. To obtain measured P excretion rates of Ancistrus from the MB model, gross growth efficiency must be reduced by 90%. Our results suggest that growth rates of both of these herbivorous and P-rich fish are likely P-limited. If P limitation of growth is common among herbivorous fish populations, herbivorous fishes recycle likely at high N/P ratios and act to diminish the quality of their food.
Simulation-specific characteristics and software reuse

We argue that simulations possess interesting characteristics that facilitate adaptation. Simplifying assumptions, stochastic sampling, and event generation are common features which lend themselves to adaptation for reuse. In this paper, we explore simulation-specific characteristics amenable to adaptation and the ways they can be exploited in support of reuse. Our work is of particular relevance to research in component based simulations and dynamic data driven application systems, where adaptability and reuse are essential.
Expression of growth differentiation factor 15 is not elevated in individuals with iron deficiency secondary to volunteer blood donation

Iron deficiency (ID) affects billions of persons worldwide, and anemia develops when iron stores become insufficient to maintain normal erythropoiesis. Iron homeostasis in mammals is largely maintained by expression of a small hepatic protein named hepcidin.1 Hepcidin itself is regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels by multiple extracellular signals related to the iron supply and the erythropoietic demands of the host, as well as by inflammatory states. ID results in a significant reduction in serum hepcidin as measured by mass spectroscopy2 and more recently by hepcidin immunoassay.3 Even in the absence of ID, anemia-related hypoxia4 and erythropoietin production inhibit hepcidin expression.5 In addition, in anemic states characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, such as thalassemia and congenital dyserythropoiesis,6 inappropriate hepcidin down regulation results in severe iron overload. It was recently demonstrated that human erythroblasts secrete a cytokine named growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) that contributes to the inhibition of hepcidin in pathologic conditions.7 As a p53 target gene,8 it was proposed that GDF15 is secreted from apoptotic erythroblasts in clinical settings of ineffective erythropoiesis. However, GDF15 involvement in iron regulation in other clinical settings is largely unknown.
Rarefaction does not eliminate the species richness‐biomass relationship in calcareous blackland prairies

. Relationships between species richness and biomass are common, but the causes remain controversial. It has been suggested that a hump-shaped relationship may be an artifact of few individuals in both low and high biomass samples. We used rarefaction to standardize species richness to a constant number of individuals in 99 quadrat samples from relict calcareous prairies. Animal ecologists have long used rarefaction to standardize species richness to a constant number of individuals. The expected species richness of each quadrat was determined for 10, 25, 50, 100 and 150 individual plant ramets using the EcoSim program which resampled the data in each quadrat 1000 times. Because we had few samples with biomass over 300 g/m2, our data showed a positive relationship between species richness and biomass. The relationship was largely unaffected by rarefaction. Even at the most extreme case of rarefying to 10 individual ramets, the relationship was clear. Monte Carlo covariance tests did not change the shape of the richness-biomass relationship and significant correlations between observed species richness and rarified species richness suggest that the number of individuals had negligible effects on richness patterns. Because the data had no strong declining phase, these results may not apply to the declining phase of a humped relationship. The results are discussed with reference to other methods of standardizing species richness. Most importantly, we suggest that expressing species richness per number of individuals is inappropriate and may lead to incorrect conclusions.
Distributed Resource Participation in Local Balancing Energy Markets

In response to the new and potentially conflicting economic and technical demands of independent, distributed resources, the power system requires a new means for coordinating system and market operations. Price signals are one mechanism available to coordinate the operation of a power system in the emerging competitive markets. This paper discusses the integration of distributed resources into the operations of the power system by means of organizing the resources into microgrids and allowing them to participate in local electricity markets through responding to price signals. The simulations of price signals proposed in this paper successively expand upon the current open loop market framework. For distributed resources to participate in energy markets and provide energy balancing two new price mechanisms are introduced and analyzed. First, an open loop strategy is introduced, based upon the concept of a proposed price-droop. Second, a closed loop strategy using a hypothesized dynamic cost equation is introduced. The behavior of distributed resources responding to these two proposed mechanisms is compared to their behavior in a strictly competitive environment.
Resonant Guided Wave Networks

A resonant guided wave network is an optical materials design consisting of power-splitting elements arranged at the nodes of a waveguide network. The resulting wave dispersion depends on the network layout due to localized resonances at several length scales in the network. These structures exhibit both localized resonances with a Q ~ 80 at 1550 nm wavelength as well as photonic bands and band gaps in large periodic networks at infrared wavelengths.
Hagiography and History in the Icelandic Saga of Edward the Confessor

This article investigates the historical context of Jatvarðar saga, the Icelandic saga of the English saint, King Edward the Confessor (d. 1066). Compiled from a variety of Norse and Latin sources, the saga survives in four medieval manuscripts and demonstrates a persistent interest in Edward’s life and legacy. Yet although the saga has often been categorized as a saint’s life, there is no evidence that Edward was the subject of an Icelandic cult; moreover, the text focuses extensively on political history and lacks the hallmarks of Old Norse hagiographical writing. Accordingly, I propose that Jatvarðar saga was not composed as a devotional text. Instead, I argue that Edward was portrayed as a model of lay piety who supported the Church and clergy - a valuable exemplar for Icelandic magnates at a time of ecclesiastical reform.
Estimated annual cost of all terrain vehicle-related deaths in West Virginia: 1990-1999.

In response to a request from West Virginia lawmakers preparing to introduce legislation related to the safe operation of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), estimates were calculated for the economic cost of fatal injuries associated with ATV use. Using the reported number of deaths from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration model for fatal motor vehicle crashes, a range of cost estimates were calculated for fatal ATV-related injuries. The average annual comprehensive economic loss resulting from these deaths in West Virginia from 1990 through 1999 was estimated to be between $10 million and $34.2 million. Persons killed in ATV crashes in the 1990s lost, on average, 43 years of productive life. Due to the fact that non-fatal injury data is not collected consistently throughout West Virginia, cost estimates for these injuries were not calculated.
Acoustic analysis of the rhotic contrast in chicagoland Spanish an intergenerational study

This paper reports on an acoustic analysis of the phonemic tap-trill contrast (/ɾ/-/r/) for first and second generation speakers of Mexican Spanish who live in the Chicagoland area. First, it is shown that speakers most commonly produce phonemic trills with a single apical occlusion, although there is much individual variation. Second, nearly all speakers realize the tap-trill contrast by means of segmental duration, and this is especially true for speakers who favor zero or one closures in the phonemic trill. These data suggest that heritage speakers make use of the limits of phonetic variation to the extent that phonological contrasts are intact in their grammar. The findings have implications for disentangling the sources of individual variation in heritage pronunciation. Specifically, we propose that between-speaker instabilities in rhotic production result more directly from an inherently variable speech signal than from the language contact situation.
RF propagation through vegetation with time-varying moisture

Six broadband measurements were made of the transmission at 3–4 GHz between two horn antennas 30 cm above the ground through 80 cm tall grass. Water was sprayed over the tall grass, and the variation in transmission was captured as the water evaporated. The results show an increase in transmission through the wet grass of 6.5 dB at an 8 m distance. This partially supports our hypothesis that moistened grass may act as a dielectric waveguide for ground-based wireless devices and sensors. The results not only provide a working model for predicting path loss for ground-based radio sensors, but suggest a potential method for wireless sensing of bulk moisture content in vegetation.
The effect of ractopamine hydrochloride on the carcass cutting yields of finishing swine.

This study was designed to evaluate growth performance, carcass cutting yield, and processing characteristics of boneless hams and bellies from finishing pigs fed diets containing 0, 5, 10, or 20 ppm of the phenethanolamine ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC). Sixty pigs were blocked by starting weight and randomly assigned to pens (four pigs/pen) within each of three blocks. Treatments were then randomly assigned to the pens to total six pens of the 0-ppm level and three pens each at the 5-, 10-, and 20-ppm RAC levels. Weight gain and feed consumption were monitored and animals were slaughtered by weight block after approximately 48 d on trial. Slaughter weight, ADG, and feed/gain were improved (P less than .05) for RAC treatments. Dressing percentage was higher and increased linearly (P less than .05) for RAC treatments. Carcass weight, length, leaf fat weight, backfat thickness, loin eye area, and color, marbling, and firmness of the longissimus were evaluated. The RAC-treated carcasses were heavier (P less than .05) and loin eye area increased linearly (P less than .05). One side of each carcass was fabricated using National Association of Meat Purveyors specifications. Trimmed hams and loins from the RAC treatments were heavier (P less than .05) than those from control animals. No differences (P greater than .05) in carcass cutting yield (percentage of trimmed primal cuts) were observed between treatments. However, trimmed hams and loins from the 20-ppm RAC treatment represented a greater (P less than .05) percentage of carcass weight than did those from control animals. Ractopamine did not affect raw belly or bacon characteristics (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chapter 3 Transdifferentiation of Skeletal Muscle into Cartilage: Transformation or Differentiation?

Publisher Summary The great variety of experimental systems in which differentiated cells modulate their phenotype, patterns of biosyntheses, or both suggests that “stability” may not characterize the process called “differentiation.” Rather, the “acquisition of stability” appears to be a more accurate definition of this process. A given cell in a defined microenvironment can be envisioned exhibiting a major biosynthetic pattern, with alternative syntheses held in abeyance for the lack of an appropriate stimulus (i.e., a permissive microenvironment). The work discussed in this chapter utilizes the well-characterized bone-inductive system to study the mechanism whereby skeletal muscle apparently transforms into cartilage. The chapter also provides a brief review of the state of differentiation of the source skeletal muscle. Whether or not embryonic limb mesenchymal cells are predetermined remains a viable question in developmental biology because Investigators have yet to agree on an adequate definition of differentiation. The results of investigations in separate laboratories may vary depending upon the conditions under which the experiment is conducted.