cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust Stabilization of Linear Systems in the Presence of Unbounded Uncertain Parameters with Applications to Yaw Stabilization of a Satellite

We consider the problem of stabilization of linear systems in the presence of uncertain parameters which are described by Gaussian white noise processes. We present a methodology for finding a state feedback controller that make the closed loop system exponentially stable in the mean square sense as well as almost sure sense. This leads to a direct method of synthesizing feedback controllers for stabilizing the system at a prespecified rate. This result is analogous to the well-known pole placement result of linear deterministic systems. A consequence of this result is a controller-failure-proof system which will not be destabilized in the events of controller failure. The results are applied to the yaw stabilization of a satellite by geomagnetic fields.
Status of metal contamination in surface waters of the coastal ocean off Los Angeles, California since the implementation of the Clean Water Act.

In order to establish the status of metal contamination in surface waters in the coastal ocean off Los Angeles, California, we determined their dissolved and particulate pools and compared them with levels reported in the 1970s prior the implementation of the Clean Water Act. These measurements revealed a significant reduction in particulate toxic metal concentrations in the last 33 years with decreases of ∼100-fold for Pb and ∼400-fold for Cu and Cd. Despite these reductions, the source of particulate metals appears to be primarily anthropogenic as enrichment factors were orders of magnitude above what is considered background crustal levels. Overall, dissolved trace metal concentrations in the Los Angeles coastal waters were remarkably low with values in the same range as those measured in a pristine coastal environment off Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. In order to estimate the impact of metal contamination on regional phytoplankton, the internalization rate of trace metals in a locally isolated p...
Behavior genetics studies of infant temperament: Findings vary across parent-report instruments

In a detailed review of issues in the assessment of children’s temperament, Rothbart and Bates (1998) concluded that “temperament measures remain both under construction and under attack—and those who enter this construction zone must wear conceptual hard hats” (p. 127). Donning these hats and hoping they do not provide us with too much protection, we comment on Saudino’s (2003) response to our commentary on Vaughn, Taraldson, Crichton, and Egeland (1981). Although we agree that results indicating “too low” DZ twin correlations in a number of studies raise questions about the possibility of contrast effects in parent judgments, we: (a) provide evidence that these “too low” correlations are found for some instruments but not for others, and (b) suggest that the nature of the judgments required in different parent-report instruments may make them more or less subject to contrast effects. Saudino’s (2003) discussion paper cites results of “too low” DZ correlations as evidence of parental biases in ratings of infant and child temperament. Data from twin studies have often yielded very low or negative DZ correlations, less than half of MZ twin correlations, and this has been interpreted as suggesting contrast effects (e.g., Neal & Stevenson, 1989). DZ twins share on average 50% of additive genetic variance, and the anomalous pattern of correlations in parent ratings of co-twins has led some to suggest that this is due to parents exaggerating the differences between DZ relative to MZ twin pairs. It is important to note, however, that the most widely used temperament measures in behavior genetics studies have been the EASI (Emotionality, Activity, Sociability, Impulsivity; Buss and Plomin, 1975) Temperament Survey, the EAS, and the Colorado Childhood Temperament Inventory (CCTI). The EASI and EAS were developed by Buss, Plomin, Rowe, and colleagues, and the CCTI added items from the NYLS approach (Thomas & Chess, 1977).
Different subsets of axonal guidance cues are essential for sensory neurite outgrowth to cutaneous and muscle targets in the dorsal ramus of the embryonic chick.

Etude des trajets des nerfs apres une deletion unilaterale du tube nerveux ventral, chez l'embryon de poulet. Analyse du role des excroissances des neurones moteurs
Arene Coordination in Bis(imino)pyridine Iron Complexes: Identification of Catalyst Deactivation Pathways in Iron-Catalyzed Hydrogenation and Hydrosilation

The phenyl-substituted bis(imino)pyridine iron bis(dinitrogen) complex (iPrPhPDI)Fe(N2)2 (iPrPhPDI = 2,6-(2,6-iPr2-C6H3NCPh)2C5H3N) was prepared by sodium amalgam reduction of the corresponding ferrous dichloride precursor under 4 atm of dinitrogen. Comparison of the infrared stretching frequencies of the bis(dinitrogen), mono(dinitrogen), and related dicarbonyl derivatives to those of the corresponding bis(imino)pyridine iron compounds bearing the methyl-substituted ligand, (iPrPDI)Fe(L)n (iPrPDI = 2,6-(2,6-iPr2-C6H3NCMe)2C5H3N; L = CO, n = 2; L = N2, n = 1, 2), established a more electrophilic iron center for the phenyl-substituted cases. Comparing the productivity of (iPrPhPDI)Fe(N2)2 to (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2 in the catalytic hydrogenation and hydrosilation of 1-hexene demonstrated higher turnover frequencies for (iPrPhPDI)Fe(N2)2. For more hindered substrates such as cyclohexene and (+)-(R)-limonene, the opposite trend was observed, where the methyl-substituted precursor, (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2, produced more rapi...
The relationship between outdoor activity and health in older adults using GPS

Physical activity (PA) provides health benefits in older adults. Research suggests that exposure to nature and time spent outdoors may also have effects on health. Older adults are the least active segment of our population, and are likely to spend less time outdoors than other age groups. The relationship between time spent in PA, outdoor time, and various health outcomes was assessed for 117 older adults living in retirement communities. Participants wore an accelerometer and GPS device for 7 days. They also completed assessments of physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Analyses of variance were employed with a main and interaction effect tested for ±30 min PA and outdoor time. Significant differences were found for those who spent >30 min in PA or outdoors for depressive symptoms, fear of falling, and self-reported functioning. Time to complete a 400 m walk was significantly different by PA time only. QoL and cognitive functioning scores were not significantly different. The interactions were also not significant. This study is one of the first to demonstrate the feasibility of using accelerometer and GPS data concurrently to assess PA location in older adults. Future analyses will shed light on potential causal relationships and could inform guidelines for outdoor activity.
Synthesis, self-assembly and adsorption of PEO-PLA block copolymers onto colloidal polystyrene

A series of amphiphilic block copolymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(lactide) were synthesized and their solution properties studied using static and dynamic light scattering. These materials self-assemble in aqueous media with the hydrodynamic radius increasing with increasing hydrophobic fraction in the copolymer. To ascertain the potential for use of these materials as degradable coatings in delivery applications, block copolymers of varying compositions were adsorbed onto a series of colloidal polystyrene particles with varying radii, and the thickness of the adsorbed layer was determined from changes in the hydrodynamic size. The adlayer thicknesses ranged from 3 to 14 nm with varying block copolymer compositions, and colloid radii. The trends fit well with theoretical models for adlayer thickness, with the exception of the smallest colloids. In these systems, we propose that the colloids may become encapsulated into the block copolymer assembly. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 244–252, 2008
Sociological ambivalence: The case of East European peasant-immigrant workers in America, 1880s–1930s

The paper develops an understanding of the tensions experienced by East European immigrants by drawing on the concept of “sociological ambivalence”: being pulled in cognitively and emotionally opposed directions generated by the social situations in which the actors are located. Using a variety of sources created by East European peasant-immigrants themselves—letters, diaries, poems, prayers, newspaper articles, and oral history collections—the paper discusses four kinds of sociological ambivalence experienced by the immigrants: (1) resulting from the multiplicity of “interests” incorporated in different social positions occupied by the same person; (2) induced by the opportunity structure characterized by the disjunction between culturally prescribed aspirations and socially structured avenues for realizing these goals; (3) generated by conflicting values and goals contained in a group's cultural system and in normative role expectations prescribed for its members; and (4) resulting from individuals' simultaneous orientation to several different sets of cultural values and reference groups.
The effect of surface metal oxides on activated carbon adsorption of phenolics

The adsorptive capacity of granular activated carbon (GAC) for many phenolic compounds has been found to increase in the presence of molecular oxygen (oxic condition). This enhanced adsorption is due to oxidative coupling of the adsorbed molecules and is accompanied by significant oxygen consumption and decreased adsorbate recovery by solvent extraction. The present study investigated the possible catalytic effect of metals and metal oxides on activated carbon surface for this reaction. The ash and metal content of seven GACs were compared to the enhanced adsorption found under the oxic conditions, oxygen consumption during adsorption and adsorbate recovery. No correlation between ash or metal content and these parameters was found. Reduction of metal content by acid washing did not impact the adsorptive properties of the carbon. In addition, a carbonaceous resin impregnated with metal oxides of copper, iron and manganese showed no ability to promote oxidative coupling of phenolics. The results of this study suggest that acid-washable metals and metal oxides that are present on the surface of activated carbon are not a key factor in promoting oligomerization of adsorbates in the presence of oxygen.
Quantitative correlations between the performance of polysilicon emitter transistors and the evolution of polysilicon/silicon interfacial oxides upon annealing

Correlations between oxide breakup and polysilicon-emitter bipolar characteristics are quantitatively established by introducing kinetic terms for oxide breakup in the bipolar transport equations. It is verified that emitter resistance largely depends on the continuity of the interfacial oxide. Similarly, oxide breakup is seen to directly result in an increase in base current up to temperatures of approximately 950 degrees C (for 30-min anneals), above which the changing structure of the polysilicon is found to play the dominant role in the rise of base current. These observations establish that both the interfacial oxide and the polysilicon layer are responsible for the enhanced gain seen in polysilicon emitter transistors. With the contributions of the oxide and the polysilicon quantitatively understood, it becomes possible to simulate polysilicon emitter device characteristics as a function of process conditions. >
Who profits from trading around earnings announcements? Evidence from TORQ data

Using the TORQ database, we investigate whether equity trading by individuals and institutions around earnings announcements generates any profit for those trader groups. We define profit as the excess return over a passive portfolio return. Our results indicate that institutional investors do not earn excess returns from trading either before or after announcements. Individuals earn weakly significant positive excess returns from their trading during the half hour before announcements, but they also suffer a significantly negative excess return from trades on the day after announcement. Institutions suffer trading loss one hour after announcements and on the day before and one day after announcements. We interpret these losses as due to the adverse price effect of trade size.
Confusion Secondary to Herpes Simplex Infection

A 57-year-old woman presented with a rapid onset of headache, vomiting, and confusion. She had a temperature of 103° Fahrenheit and was delirious. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high signal intensity in the right temporal, bilateral orbito-frontal lobes, and left temporal pole on T2-weighted imaging (Figs. 1 and ​and2).2). Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) demonstrated lymphocytic pleocytosis with a red blood cell count of 45 cells/mm3. Intravenous acyclovir was started, and CSF polymerase chain reaction (PCR) subsequently returned positive for herpes simplex virus (HSV). Figure 1. MRI (T2-weighted image) demonstrating involvement of the medial temporal lobes, bilateral orbito-frontal lobes, cingulate gyrus, and insular cortex, as well as gyral edema. Figure 2. MRI (T2-weighted image) demonstrating involvement of the medial temporal lobes, bilateral orbito-frontal lobes, cingulate gyrus, and insular cortex, as well as gyral edema. Brain MRI is the diagnostic test of choice in herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) especially in the early course of the disease, with a sensitivity of > 90 %, 1–3 compared to a sensitivity of 50 % with computed tomography.4 HSV PCR of the CSF is often negative in the initial 72 hours of illness.5 Characteristic MRI findings involve the medial temporal lobes, cingulate gyrus, and insular cortex, with gyral edema.6 The International Herpes Management Forum recommends that all patients with HSE receive intravenous acyclovir 10 mg/kg every 8 hours for 14–21 days. Due to the high morbidity and mortality of untreated HSE, acyclovir should not be withheld if diagnostic test results are delayed.7,8
Nitrogen adsorption isotherms for zeolite and activated carbon

Abstract Detailed desorption isotherm data of nitrogen in Molecular Sieves Type 13X and GI grade activated carbon are presented. The temperature ranged from 78.92 to 372.04 K and the pressure ranged from 0 to 20 × 105 N m−2. Universal correlation features for data in the temperature range 148.7 K
Teaching the introductory communication theory course to undergraduates

This essay explores the introduction to communication theory course for undergraduates. The authors discuss several key notions for making the course valuable to the undergraduate: the attitude of the instructor, the attitude of the students, course requirements, and evaluation techniques.
Hemispheric specialisation, spatial activity experience, and sex differences on tests of mental rotation ability

A sex difference in mental rotation ability is well established. Among the explanations offered for this difference are that males are more frequently right hemisphere specialised for spatial processing and that they receive more spatial processing experience because of the sex stereotyping of activities involving spatial ability that exists in Western societies. Several studies have shown that males do report more spatial activity experiences on the Spatial Activity Questionnaire of Newcombe, Bandura, and Taylor (1983) and that such experience does correlate with performances on tests of mental rotation. However, two prior lateralised tachistoscopic studies failed to show right hemisphere superiority for spatial task performance or that it was positively associated with better performances on the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test. The tachistoscopic tasks used in these studies can be criticised on methodological grounds. The present study employed a new tachistoscopic task that showed that males were signi...
A subpicosecond dye laser directly pumped by a mode‐locked argon laser

We report on a mode‐locked cw dye laser which reliably produces light pulses as short as 850 fsec. Short‐pulse operation depends critically on the stability and spectral purity of a frequency synthesizer which generates the radio‐frequency signal for the acousto‐optic mode locker of the argon pump laser. The regular axial mode spectrum of the dye laser extends over 500 GHz and can provide an accurate calibration scale for the spectroscopic measurement of large frequency intervals. The high stability of the locked modes has been demonstrated by observing Doppler‐free multiple‐pulse two‐photon spectra of the sodium 3S‐5S transition linewidths as narrow as 4MHz.
Stability of characterizations of normal distributions based on the conditional expected values of the sample skewness and the sample kurtosis

Characterizations of normal distributions given by Nguyen and Dinh (1998) based on conditional expected values of the sample skewness and the sample kurtosis, given the sample mean and the sample variance, are shown to be stable.
Coordination of Short-Term Operation Constraints in Multi-Area Expansion Planning

This paper presents a comprehensive expansion planning algorithm of generation and transmission components in multi-area power systems. The objective is to minimize the total system cost in the planning horizon, comprising investment and operation costs and salvage values subject to long-term system reliability and short-term operation constraints. The multi-area expansion planning problem is decomposed into a planning problem and annual reliability subproblems. The planning decisions calculated in the planning problem would also satisfy the short-term operation constraints. A detailed model of thermal and hydro units is considered using the mixed-integer programming (MIP) formulation. In addition, a multi-state representation for the expansion planning of renewable energy units is explored. The proposed approach considers customers' demand response as an option for reducing the short-term operation costs. The planning problem solution is applied to the annual reliability subproblems which examine system reliability indices as a post-processor. If the reliability limit is not satisfied, additional reliability constraints will be introduced which are based on the sensitivity of system reliability index to investment decisions. The new reliability constraints are added to the next iterations of the planning problem to govern the revised plan for the optimal expansion. Numerical simulations indicate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for solving the operation-constrained multi-area expansion planning problem of practical power systems.
Artificial nature: fluid space

How does artificial-life art adapt to its environment? What is the significance of a computational ecosystem proposed as contemporary art? These are some of the ideas examined in this bio-inspired immersive art installation.
Deformation and Fracture of L12 Trialuminides

We review here recent experimental and theoretical work aimed at characterizing and understanding the deformation and fracture behavior of L12 trialuminides, with emphasis mainly on Al3Ti-base alloys. We also review recent work on the binary compound Al3Sc, which is a model L12 trialuminide that is being studied for comparison with first-principles quantum mechanical calculations. The topics covered in this review include: alloy-element effects and phase stability; dislocation structures; mechanical properties; cleavage fracture behavior; and first-principles calculations of elastic constants, fault energies, and ideal cleavage strengths. We discuss various possible reasons for the brittleness of these alloys, and summarize our current understanding of the rather unusual phenomenon of brittle cleavage in relatively soft materials having the high-symmetry L12 structure.
Microscopic turbulence in water

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate, by means of supercomputer simulations, that in the absence of random perturbations from the initial equilibrium positions one can observe a transition to turbulence by increasing the kinetic energy of the molecules.
Can local linear stochastic theory explain sea surface temperature and salinity variability

Sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) time series from four ocean weather stations and data from an integration of the GFDL coupled ocean-atmosphere model are analyzed to test the applicability of local linear stochastic theory to the mixed-layer ocean. According to this theory, mixed-layer variability away from coasts and fronts can be explained as a ‘red noise’ response to the ‘white noise’ forcing by atmospheric disturbances. At one weather station, Papa (northeast Pacific), this stochastic theory can be applied to both salinity and temperature, explaining the relative redness of the SSS spectrum. Similar results hold for a model grid point adjacent to Papa, where the relationships between atmospheric energy and water fluxes and actual changes in SST and SSS are what is expected from local linear stochastic theory. At the other weather stations, this theory cannot adequately explain mixed-layer variability. Two oceanic processes must be taken into account: at Panulirus (near Bermuda), mososcale eddies enhance the observed variability at high frequencies. At Mike and India (North Atlantic), variations in SST and SSS advection, indicated by the coherence and equal persistence of SST and SSS anomalies, contribute to much of the low frequency variability in the model and observations. To achieve a global perspective, TOPEX altimeter data and model results are used to identify regions of the ocean where these mechanisms of variability are important. Where mesoscale eddies are as energetic as at Panulirus, indicated by the TOPEX global distribution of sea level variability, one would expect enhanced variability on short time scales. In regions exhibiting signatures of variability similar to Mike and India, variations in SST and SSS advection should dominate at low frequencies. According to the model, this mode of variability is found in the circumpolar ocean and the northern North Atlantic, where it is associated with the irregular oscillations of the model’s thermohaline circulation.
A simplified method for mixing dental stone.

I n this age of computers and space exploration, most procedures tend to become more sophisticated, and the equipment and materials are more complex and expensive. Therefore, it is refreshing to discover an effective procedure that requires no complicated equipment. Such a technique was demonstrated to the authors in 1971 by Mr. Carl Schwartz.*** This simplified method of mixing dental stone produces a superior mix, although it requires neither a plaster bowl nor a spatula. The mixing and pouring can be accomplished without making a mess, and only inexpensive, readily obtainable materials are used (Fig. 1) . They consist of a plastic bag? (Fig. 2)) a 16 ounce ointment jar, scissors, artificial dental stone, distilled water, and a graduate for measuring the water.
Effect of insulin on the incorporation of citrate and calcium into the bones of alloxan-diabetic rats

Diabetes results in osteoporosis, which is characterized by a loss of bone calcium, and thinness of bone shaft. Bone is a major reservoir of calcium and citrate in the body. In this report the effect of diabetes on the deposition of calcium and citrate into rat bones is studied. When [1-5-14C]citrate (50µCi/kg body wt.) was injected intravenously, the bones of untreated alloxan-diabetic rats incorporated less labeled citrate than those of insulin-treated diabetic or control animals. Likewise, when [1-14C]acetate was injected (50µCi/kg body wt.), the labeled citrate synthesized in vivo was incorporated into untreated diabetic rat bones to a significantly lesser extent than in those of insulin-treated diabetic or control rats. In these in vivo studies citrate oxidation was minimized by administration of either an i.v. injection of monofluoroacetic acid (10 mg/kg body wt.) or an i.p. dose of trans-aconitate (2 g/kg body wt.) prior to the administration of labeled acetate or citrate. When45Ca (100µCi/kg body wt.) was injected subcutaneously for 2 consecutive days, the bones of diabetic rats deposited markedly less of the isotope than those of insulin-treated diabetic or control animals. It is concluded that decreased bone mass in diabetes may be a consequence of decreased calcium deposition in the bone.
Political Differences and Perceptions of Silencing in University Classrooms

This study investigates perceptions of silencing behaviors, political party affiliations, and political differences. Survey data of undergraduates enrolled in communication courses (N = 377) was used to assess whether differences between instructors and students in party and ideological affiliation influenced retrospective assessments of instructor political tolerance and opportunities for open discourse in the classroom. Results confirmed that perceptions of political difference significantly predict perceptions of the instructor behavior of silencing.
Postnatal development of the cerebellar cortex in the rat. I. The external germinal layer and the transitional molecular layer.

The multiplication of cells in the proliferative zone of the external germinal layer and the early steps in the differentiation of basket, stellate and granule cells were studied in the cerebellar cortex of rats aged 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 21 and 30 days with histological, histochemical, autoradiographic and electron microscopic techniques. Between 0–9 days the proliferative zone has a constant depth of four to five cells; the bipolar cells in the underlying premigratory zone increase in depth during this period from 0–6 cells. Thereafter, there is a decline in the cell depth of both zones. In the premigratory zone there is a gradient in the length of the extruded processes of the bipolar cells (concentration of such profiles), the future parallel fibers. Presumably when the latter reach their final length, the cell body migrates downward and the parallel fiber becomes part of the upper zone of the molecular layer. Thus, parallel fibers are progessively formed on the surface of others from the bottom upward by a stacking process and the external germinal layer, as a consequence, is continually pushed upward. This design makes possible the assembly of a matrix of very long, thin and straight beams of horizontally oriented parallel fibers which pile up vertically according to their age. When synaptogenesis starts during the second week in the molecular layer the enlarging junctional processes produce a spurt in the growth of this layer. Basket cells which are formed in the pyramis on days 6–7 are arrested in the formative molecular layer because their processes are oriented at a right angle to the underlying bed of parallel fibers. Therefore, there is also a stacking of the cells of the molecular layer from the bottom upward as a function of time of onset of their differentiation. Parallel fiber synapses may be seen on differentiating basket cells as early as the seventh day, forming connections with these inhibitory interneurons before they synapse with spines of Purkinje cells.
A MODEL FOR THE ION-PAIRS OF TRIS(TRIMETHYLENEDIAMINE)COBALT(III) WITH POLYOXYANIONS. THE ORIGINS OF THE CIRCULAR DICHROISM CHANGES

Abstract Through structural and circular dichroism spectral comparison, 1,1,1-tris(3′-aminopropylaminomethyl)-ethanecobalt(III), Co(spn)3+, has been determined to be a model for the oxyanion ion-pairs of Co(tn)3 3+. The CD spectral changes of δ-Co(spn)3+ in the presence of oxyanions in conjunction with previous investigations suggest that conformational changes of the six-membered rings cause the intensities of the Ea and A2 components of the octahedral T1 g band to change in a direction opposite to that observed when only asymmetric nitrogens are generated, either by oxyanion hydrogen bonding or by means of an alkyl cap. It appears that when both effects occur together it is the conformational change that dominates the CD spectral changes. In the absence of conformational change the asymmetric nitrogens cause the Ea component to decrease while the A2 component increases, as was found in previous studies. The nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of spn are reported also.
Peripheral blood markers of inflammation predict mortality and functional decline in high-functioning community-dwelling older persons.

OBJECTIVES: Several peripheral blood markers of inflammation have demonstrated prognostic ability, but the value of combining multiple markers as a measure of inflammatory burden remains unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic value of combining four peripheral blood measures of inflammation in healthy older persons. DESIGN: Inception cohort study with 7 years of follow-up. SETTING: Three communities. PARTICIPANTS: Eight hundred seventy high-functioning subjects aged 70 to 79 who had serum albumin, cholesterol, interleukin (IL)-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels measured at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: Three- and 7-year mortality and Rosow- Breslau functional decline. RESULTS: A summary score was created that assigned one point each for the following blood levels: albumin 3.8 pg/mL (top tertile), and CRP>2.65 mg/L (top tertile). By 3 years, 6% of subjects had died, and, by 7 years, 23% had died. In subjects with three or four markers of inflammation, the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for 3- and 7-year mortality were 6.6 and 3.2, respectively, compared with those who had no abnormal markers. Subjects with one or two markers were at more moderate and statistically insignificant increased risk of 3- and 7-year mortality with AORs of 1.5 and 1.3, respectively. The risks for functional decline at 3- and 7-years were generally small (AOR = 1.1–1.9) and not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In high-functioning older persons, a measure of inflammation can identify those at a much higher risk of mortality and a possibly higher risk of functional decline. Whether therapies directed at reducing inflammation can attenuate such risk remains to be determined.
Triplet pregnancy in a 51-year-old woman after oocyte donation

Abstract A triplet pregnancy occurred in a 51-year-old menopausal woman after oocyte donation. Three of the four transferred embryos implanted, and the patient elected to carry the pregnancy. She delivered three viable infants wighing between 1500 and 2100 gm at 33 weeks' gestation by cesarean section.
HILTI: an Abstract Execution Environment for Deep, Stateful Network Traffic Analysis

When developing networking systems such as firewalls, routers, and intrusion detection systems, one faces a striking gap between the ease with which one can often describe a desired analysis in high-level terms, and the tremendous amount of low-level implementation details that one must still grapple with to come to a robust solution. We present HILTI, a platform that bridges this divide by providing to application developers much of the low-level functionality, without tying it to a specific analysis structure. HILTI consists of two parts: (1) an abstract machine model that we tailor specifically to the networking domain, directly supporting the field's common abstractions and idioms in its instruction set; and (2) a compilation strategy for turning programs written for the abstract machine into optimized, natively executable code. We have developed a prototype of the HILTI compiler toolchain that fully implements the design's functionality, and ported exemplars of networking applications to the HILTI model to demonstrate the aptness of its abstractions. Our evaluation of HILTI's functionality and performance confirms its potential to become a powerful platform for future application development.
Evidence for Sensory-Selective Set in Young Infants

The existence of low-level filtering of sensory input is a point of debate among cognitive theorists. This present study suggests that filtering by modality exists at levels low enough to modulate the brainstem blink reflex and that it is evident as early as the 16th week of life. During foreground listening or looking conditions, blinks elicited by acoustic or visual probes were larger when probe and foreground modality matched than when they mismatched. "Interesting" foregrounds, by comparison with "dull" ones, intensified the modality-selective effect.
Source theory analysis of electron-positron annihilation experiments

The phenomenological viewpoint already applied to deep inelastic scattering is extended to the discussion of electron-positron annihilation experiments. Some heuristic arguments lead to simple forms for the pion differential cross section that are in reasonable accord with the published experimental data in the energy interval 3-4.8 Gev.
The effects of serpin gene mutations on the distinctive pathobiology of cowpox and rabbitpox virus following intranasal inoculation of Balb/c mice.

Abstract Intranasal infection of Balb/c mice with 10 6 plaque forming units (PFU) of wild-type cowpox virus (CPV) and rabbitpox virus (RPV) induced strikingly different pulmonary pathology despite nearly identical clinical signs of illness and LD 50 . Intranasal infection with CPV induced severe peribronchial, peribronchiolar, and perivascular hemorrhage with a mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate, bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cell hyperplasia with intracytoplasmic acidophilic inclusion bodies, and alveolar hemorrhage and edema. In contrast, infection with RPV induced a mixed peribronchial and peribronchiolar inflammatory cell infiltrate, multifocal areas of bronchiolar epithelial cell coagulation necrosis, alveolar edema, and a conspicuous absence of pulmonary hemorrhage. Viremia was not detected following CPV infection and only 1 of 11 mice had brain-associated virus at death. Mice infected with RPV exhibited a viremia 2-3 days after infection and all mice bed virus associated with the brain at death. Mice infected with viruses containing certain serine protease inhibitor (SPI) gene mutations (CPV ΔSPI-1, CPV ΔSPI-3, and RPV SPI-1 - ) exhibited no difference in clinical disease manifestation when compared with those infected with wild-type viruses. However, inactivation of the SPI-2 gene in either CPV or RPV resulted in disease attenuation and alteration of pulmonary pathology. Mice infected with the CPV ΔSPI-2 mutant showed decreased pulmonary hemorrhage, reduced inflammation, and an absence of alveolar edema, while mice infected with the RPV ΔSPI-2 mutant had a marked increase in intrapulmonary inflammatory cells and only a transient viremia.
Thinking About Human Factors Testing and Evaluation (HFTE): Perspectives from a Piano Bench

Human Factors Testing and Evaluation (HFTE) is constantly changing as product and system design/development processes evolve, and as acquisition procedures are defined and re-defined. Traditional d...
A passive micromachined device for alignment of arrays of single-mode fibers for hermetic photonic packaging-the CLASP concept

A micro-machined fiber alignment device, called the capture and locking alignment spring positioner (CLASP) has been fabricated. It uses a nickel leaf spring to passively capture vertical arrays of single-mode fibers with /spl sim/2 /spl mu/m accuracy.
A Course in Convexity

Convex sets at large Faces and extreme points Convex sets in topological vector spaces Polarity, duality and linear programming Convex bodies and ellipsoids Faces of polytopes Lattices and convex bodies Lattice points and polyhedra Bibliography Index.
TH‐C‐VaIA‐03: Accurate Dosimetry in Narrow Stereotactic Photon Fields

Dosimetric measurements for stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy fields typically include determination of relative output factors, tissue maximum ratios and off‐axis beam profiles. Accurate measurements of each of these quantities are made more difficult when the measured field sizes are either comparable to the detector size, or less than the distance required for lateral electronic equilibrium. These difficulties are present when measuring either single, static‐field cone or micro‐MLC linac‐based delivery systems, or simultaneous multiple‐field Gamma Knife delivery systems. Several detector characteristics should be considered when choosing a measurement system. The detector size in the radial direction will determine the extent of the beam profile integrated in the reading. Typically solid‐state detectors or film (radiographic or radiochromic) have been used to reduce this volume‐averaging effect. Several other detection systems have also been used, including pin‐point ionization chambers,thermoluminescencedosimetry, and diamond and scintillation detectors. Techniques exist to correct for finite detector volume, including the extrapolation of measured results to zero‐volume, and deconvolution of measured data with the detector response function. The detector energy response also should be considered due to the variation in the number of low energy scattered photons with field size and depth. Additionally, for field sizes below lateral electronic equilibrium, variations in the stopping power ratios affect the conversion of ionization to dose, particularly for higher‐energy measurements. Both of these effects increase with beam energy and depth. This lecture will provide an overview of the measurement techniques used to determine dosimetric quantities for stereotactic fields. Recommendations for measurement systems will be made, and limitations to each system will be discussed. Estimations of error will be provided, both for individual measurements and in the overall planned dose. When available, comparisons will be made with results predicted by theoretical Monte Carlo calculations. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the basic principles and practical aspects of clinical dosimetry for stereotactic radiosurgery. 2. Understand the limitations and applicability of various detector types and sizes for small field measurements. 3. Understand current techniques available to correct data measurements in small fields.
Reduction of ammonium nitrate with titanium(III) chloride in acid media

Abstract Investigation of acid ammonium nitrate solutions in the presence of titanous chloride has led to a new mechanism of nitrate reduction. It is proposed that the reduction proceeds through two electron changes and terminates as nitrous oxide in solutions whose acid content is greater than 0.1 N. The stronger reducing power of the titanous buffer method previously reported arising from a direct pH affect on the titanous -titanyl couple has been discerned rather as an effect arising from different reduction products in that media. The affects of prolonged reaction at 100° and use of osmium tetroxide catalyst were examined. A pH of 4.5 and 100% excess of titanous was insufficient to reduce nitrate to ammonia quantitatively.
Monoclonal Antibodies Specific to Thermostable Proteins in Animal Blood

Bovine plasma proteins are used as high-quality protein supplements in animal feed and as binders or colorants in food for human consumption. Religious observance, as well as recent fears of epidem...
How Good Are Humans at Solving CAPTCHAs? A Large Scale Evaluation

Captchas are designed to be easy for humans but hard for machines. However, most recent research has focused only on making them hard for machines. In this paper, we present what is to the best of our knowledge the first large scale evaluation of captchas from the human perspective, with the goal of assessing how much friction captchas present to the average user. For the purpose of this study we have asked workers from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and an underground captchabreaking service to solve more than 318 000 captchas issued from the 21 most popular captcha schemes (13 images schemes and 8 audio scheme). Analysis of the resulting data reveals that captchas are often difficult for humans, with audio captchas being particularly problematic. We also find some demographic trends indicating, for example, that non-native speakers of English are slower in general and less accurate on English-centric captcha schemes. Evidence from a week’s worth of eBay captchas (14,000,000 samples) suggests that the solving accuracies found in our study are close to real-world values, and that improving audio captchas should become a priority, as nearly 1% of all captchas are delivered as audio rather than images. Finally our study also reveals that it is more effective for an attacker to use Mechanical Turk to solve captchas than an underground service.
NGF Is an Essential Survival Factor for Bronchial Epithelial Cells during Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Background Overall expression of neurotrophins in the respiratory tract is upregulated in infants infected by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), but it is unclear where (structural vs. inflammatory cells, upper vs. lower airways) and why, these changes occur. We analyzed systematically the expression of neurotrophic factors and receptors following RSV infection of human nasal, tracheal, and bronchial epithelial cells, and tested the hypothesis that neurotrophins work as innate survival factors for infected respiratory epithelia. Methodology Expression of neurotrophic factors (nerve growth factor, NGF; brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF) and receptors (trkA, trkB, p75) was analyzed at the protein level by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry and at the mRNA level by real-time PCR. Targeted siRNA was utilized to blunt NGF expression, and its effect on virus-induced apoptosis/necrosis was evaluated by flow cytometry following annexin V/7-AAD staining. Principal Findings RSV infection was more efficient in cells from more distal (bronchial) vs. more proximal origin. In bronchial cells, RSV infection induced transcript and protein overexpression of NGF and its high-affinity receptor trkA, with concomitant downregulation of the low-affinity p75NTR. In contrast, tracheal cells exhibited an increase in BDNF, trkA and trkB, and nasal cells increased only trkA. RSV-infected bronchial cells transfected with NGF-specific siRNA exhibited decreased trkA and increased p75NTR expression. Furthermore, the survival of bronchial epithelial cells was dramatically decreased when their endogenous NGF supply was depleted prior to RSV infection. Conclusions/Significance RSV infection of the distal airway epithelium, but not of the more proximal sections, results in overexpression of NGF and its trkA receptor, while the other p75NTR receptor is markedly downregulated. This pattern of neurotrophin expression confers protection against virus-induced apoptosis, and its inhibition amplifies programmed cell death in the infected bronchial epithelium. Thus, pharmacologic modulation of NGF expression may offer a promising new approach for management of common respiratory infections.
Investigation of the structure and stability of the Pt/SiC(001) interface

Auger electron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction have been applied to the study of the structure and thermal stability of the Pt/β–SiC(001) interface. The morphology of the interface appears to be governed by the competition among surface diffusion, intermixing, and chemical reaction. An ultrathin Pt layer (≤8 A thick) deposited on a substrate at low temperature is laterally uniform with some degree of intermixing across the interface. Brief anneals at ≤1000 °C result in aggregation of the Pt into islands interspersed with essentially bare SiC. Higher temperatures lead to reaction of the aggregated Pt to form Pt silicide and release free C. The reaction is signaled by characteristic changes in the Si LVV and C KLL Auger line shapes and by the appearance in LEED of a (2 × 2) pattern (believed to arise from ordered PtSi) and of diffraction rings from oriented polycrystalline graphite. Subsequent deposition of Si and annealing leads to regeneration of SiC by reaction with the free C. These results contrast with those for ultrathin Pt on Si(001) and on α-SiC(0001) which are dominated by the rapid indiffusion of Pt during annealing. A detailed model is presented for the growth and annealing dependence of the Pt/β–SiC(001) interface.
Some geometrical considerations on membrane insertion by exocytosis.

Abstract A two-dimensional random walk model is used to describe constitutive exocytic transport. Specifically, the possibility of attaining selective vesicle insertion by purely geometrical effects is studied. The distribution of vesicle insertion on the membrane and the average time of translocation are determined as a function of Golgi apparatus size and position, cell morphology and size, walk bias due to cytoplasmic streaming or differential movement of microtubules, and steric effects caused by other organelles. The simulations suggest that significant selectivity in targeting can result from adequate Golgi positioning, in accordance with the hypothesis of Golgi reorientation by the microtubular network (Singer and Kupfer, 1986, Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 2, 337–365). The selectivity in targeting also depends on the cellular morphology. Segregation of vesicle insertion can be obtained in the transport to the cellular front end and lateral membrane surfaces of a quadrilateral cell, thus suggesting a geometrical component in the exocytic transport in polarized cells.
Formate assay in body fluids: application in methanol poisoning.

Abstract A sensitive and specific assay for formic acid in body fluids has been developed. The assay is based on the reaction of formate with bacterial formate dehydrogenase coupled to a diaphorase-catalyzed reduction of the nonfluorescent dye resazurin to the fluorescent substance resorufin. Formate concentrations of 0.5 μg/ml of reaction mixture can be accurately measured. Small volumes of body fluids can be used for the analysis of both methanol and formate. The procedure described is simple and allows for the economical and rapid determination of formate. It can be used in studies concerned with the disposition of formate, as it relates to methanol metabolism. Also, it may be useful in studies where formate might exist as a metabolic intermediate of certain drugs or chemicals.
Development and evaluation of Formula Editor (a tool-based approach to enhance reusability in software product line model checking) on SAFER case study

Although model checking is extensively used for verification of single software systems, currently there is insufficient support for model checking in product lines. The presence of commonalities within the different products in the product line requires that the properties and the corresponding specifications for these properties be verified for every product in the product line. Specification and management of properties for every product in a product line can incur high overhead and make the task of model checking very difficult. It is hence essential to exploit the presence of commonalities to our advantage by providing reusability in model checking of product lines. Since different products in the product line need to be checked for same or similar properties, reuse of properties specified for one product for other products within a product line will significantly reduce the overall property specification and verification time. FormulaEditor is a property specification and management tool for enhancing the reusability of model checking of software product lines. The core of the technique is a product line-oriented user interface to guide users in generating, selecting, managing, and reusing useful product line properties, and patterns of properties for model checking. The previous version of the FormulaEditor tool supports Cadence SMV models, but not the typical CMU-SMV models. This work extends the FormulaEditor tool to allow verification of models written in CMU-SMV. The advantage of providing support to another model checker is twofold: first, it enhances the tool’s capability to check design specifications written in different models; and second, it allows users to specify the same design in different modeling languages to detect problems.