cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Puller for cotton plant stubble

Abstract Cotton plant residues have shown promise as a biomass material for thermal energy. Therefore, equipment must be available to efficiently harvest the plants. A counterrotating-wheel plant puller was evaluated as a method to harvest cotton stubble from the soil. Power required to rotate the pulling wheels in the laboratory increased with a decrease in tire pressure and an increase in force between the wheels. Static pull forces on steel rods and a wood dowel held between the pulling wheels could be increased by changing tire pressure and force between the pulling wheels. Static pull forces determined in the laboratory were useful in evaluating the unit's ability to pull cotton stubble in the field. The pulling wheels were effective in pulling 97% of the cotton stubble. They operated efficiently at tire pressures between 69 and 124 kPa with 2.7–3.6 kN of force between the pulling wheels while traveling at velocities up to 8 km/h.
Resonance effects on total internal reflection and lateral (Goos-Hänchen) beam displacement at the interface between nonlocal and local dielectric

The lateral (Goos-H\"anchen) displacement of a Gaussian laser beam propagating from a denser spatially dispersive medium to a rarer, frequency-dispersive medium is studied using the angular spectrum representation of the fields. Analytical expressions are obtained for the Goos-H\"anchen shift for upper and lower polariton (UP and LP) branches using an incident-beam plane polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence. Various limiting cases corresponding to $|{k}_{0}{W}_{r}\ensuremath{\delta}|\ensuremath{\gg}1$ and $|{k}_{0}{W}_{r}\ensuremath{\delta}|\ensuremath{\ll}1$ are examined. Here ${k}_{0}=\frac{\ensuremath{\omega}}{c}$, ${W}_{r}$ is the width of the beam, and $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is proportional to the difference between the angle of incidence $\ensuremath{\theta}$ and the critical angle ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{c}$. Numerical results are obtained for the lateral shifts, ${\overline{D}}_{11}(\ensuremath{\theta},\ensuremath{\omega})$ and ${\overline{D}}_{22}(\ensuremath{\theta},\ensuremath{\omega})$ corresponding to UP and LP, respectively, using material parameters of CdS and GaAs. Frequency ranges close to the $A$-exciton resonance, and in the pseudogap region ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}l\ensuremath{\omega}l{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{l}$, are studied and strongly dispersive shifts are predicted in the resonance region. The magnitude of the shift can be increased by nearly ${10}^{2}$ compared with usual nonresonance case. Large negative Goos-H\"anchen shifts are predicted in the resonance region. Resonance-enhanced Goos-H\"anchen shifts can be used to determine the additional boundary conditions. Surface roughness will cause measurable deviations from our predicted results and can be detected via the changed shifts. Transverse shifts are also expected to be resonance enhanced and much more easily measurable.
The Relation between Baroclinic Adjustment and Turbulent Diffusion in the Two-Layer Model

Abstract Baroclinic adjustment and turbulent diffusion are two popular paradigms used to describe the eddy–mean flow closure in the two-layer model, with very different implications for the criticality of the system. Baroclinic adjustment postulates the existence of preferred equilibrium states, while the turbulent diffusion framework predicts smooth variations of the mean state with the forcing. This study investigates the relevance of each paradigm over a wide range of the parameter space, including very strong changes in the diabatic forcing. The results confirm the weak sensitivity of the criticality against changes in the forcing noted by baroclinic adjustment studies but do not support the existence of preferred equilibrium states. The weak sensitivity of the mean state when the forcing is varied is consistent with the steepness of the diffusive closure predicted by homogeneous turbulence theories. These turbulent predictions have been tested locally against observed empirical diffusivities, extendi...
Nonlinear dynamic effects in the slewing of flexible space booms during deployment

A fundamental investigation is carried out on the nonlinear dynamic effects involved in the slewing of flexible booms. The planar unfolding of boomtype appendages during deployment was chosen to illustrate these effects. Nonlinear effects arise from kinematics and large structural deformation. The governing equations are developed and nondimensional parameters are identified. It is shown that, in general, the solution depends only on mass ratios and a nondimensional stiffness parameter. A threshold value of the nondimensional stiffness parameter is identified beyond which boom deflections become large. Above the threshold, nonlinear terms in the governing equations due to kinematics and large structural deformation are required to predict accurate boom deflections. However, it is demonstrated, that even below the threshold, retention of an inconsistent set of nonlinear terms leads to erroneous behavior. In particular, retaining nonlinear kinematic terms while neglecting nonlinear structural terms can produce diverging response predictions. Unfortunately, in many analyses which employ a superposition of linear modes to represent the structure this inconsistency exists. Retention of a consistent set of nonlinear terms produces results in good agreement with converged results from a nonlinear finite element code.
Transition moment variation in the A2Σ+ → X2Πi transition of HCl+, DCl+ and HBr+

Abstract Relative emission intensities of sixteen bands of HCl + ( A 2 Σ + - X 2 Π i ), four bands of DCl + ( A 2 Σ + - X 2 Π i ), and 5 bands of HBr + ( A 2 Σ - X 2 Π i ) have been made using both ion-beam excitation and microwave discharge sources. Intensities were determined by comparison with computer-generated spectra. Treatment of the data within the r -centroid approximation shows that in HCl + the electronic transition moment decreases strongly at large r v′v″ [ Re α exp (−3.6 r v′v″ ) for 1.44 A v′v″ A ] but levels off at shorter r v′v″ . DCl + data agree quantitatively with HCl + . The variation in the HBr + moment is similar, with R e α exp [−4.5 r v′v″ ] for 1.58 A r v′v″ A .
Accumulation and persistence of tri-n-butyltin in pink and chum salmon fry cultured in marine net-pens

Abstract Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum salmon (O. keta) fry cultured in tri-n-butyltin (TBT) treated marine net-pens for 20–68 days were tested just prior to release into the ocean to determine whether TBT contamination had occurred and, if so, to what extent. Exposed fry contained 0.2–7.3 μg TBT/g fish at the time of release; TBT concentrations varied substantially among the netpen populations. Unusually high mortalities or poor growth rates were not observed. TBT was not detected in the returning adults.
Schwinger model on a finite-element lattice.

The mass gap in the Schwinger model is calculated directly using a method which involves expansion in the lattice spacing. On the lattice the mass in the model is given by ..mu../sup 2/ = e/sup 2//M sin(..pi../M), where M is the number of spatial lattice sites. Current correlation functions and matrix elements are also examined.
Use of zirconia collar to prevent interproximal porcelain fracture: A clinical report

Ensuring the longevity of crown restorations is an important objective for the clinician. Veneering porcelain fracture needs to be addressed when considering restoration longevity. This clinical report presents the use of a CAD/CAM-aided design to produce a zirconia substructure with a collar that will acheive the same supportive results as a substructure fabricated by full contour waxing and cut back.
Hetero-oligomerization between GABAA and GABAB receptors regulates GABAB receptor trafficking.

The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) mediates inhibitory signaling in the brain via stimulation of both GABAA receptors (GABAAR), which are chloride-permeant ion channels, and GABAB receptors (GABABR), which signal through coupling to G proteins. Here we report physical interactions between these two different classes of GABA receptor. Association of the GABAB receptor 1 (GABABR1) with the GABAA receptor γ2S subunit robustly promotes cell surface expression of GABABR1 in the absence of GABABR2, a closely related GABAB receptor that is usually required for efficient trafficking of GABABR1 to the cell surface. The GABABR1/γ2S complex is not detectably functional when expressed alone, as assessed in both ERK activation assays and physiological analyses in oocytes. However, the γ2S subunit associates not only with GABABR1 alone but also with the functional GABABR1/GABABR2 heterodimer to markedly enhance GABAB receptor internalization in response to agonist stimulation. These findings reveal that the GABABR1/γ2S interaction results in the regulation of multiple aspects of GABAB receptor trafficking, allowing for cross-talk between these two distinct classes of GABA receptor.
Economic Burden Associated With Hospital Postadmission Dehydration

Background: Development of dehydration after hospital admission can be a measure of quality care, but evidence describing the incidence, economic burden, and outcomes of dehydration in hospitalized patients is lacking. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare costs and resource utilization of U.S. patients experiencing postadmission dehydration (PAD) with those who do not in a hospital setting. Methods: All adult inpatient discharges, excluding those with suspected dehydration present on admission (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] codes for dehydration: 276.0, 276.1, 276.5), were identified from the Premier database using ICD-9-CM codes. PAD and no-PAD (NPAD) groups were matched on propensity score adjusting for demographics (age, sex, race, medical, elective patients), patient severity (All Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups severity scores), and hospital characteristics (geographic location, bed size, teaching and urban hospita...
Reducing NPR 7120.5D to practice: Transitioning from design reviews to the SIR hardware review

The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission was the first Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) project initiated under NASA's revised rules for space flight project management, NPR 7120.5D, “NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements.”1 2
Should instructional designers design expert systems

of their rapid spread throughout business and industry abound. It is no surprise, therefore, that recommendations are being made that instructional developers use expert systems as intelligent job aids to replace or augment instruction. It is proposed that knowledge should be made available to performers on the job through computer-based advisors instead of off the job through training. Nevertheless, it is easy to sense that the excitement about expert systems comes more from expectations about what they can do than from what they have already done. The technology is still new and changing rapidly. Except for a few large systems, the real "bottom-line" benefit of the technology, especially on microcomputers, has yet to be widely proven. Evidence even exists that many systems may not realize their full potential until additional advances in hardware
China: still the enigmatic giant

Abstract In this introduction the guest editor of this special issue of Telecommunications Policy outlines the paradoxes that characterize China's place in the contemporary world and are shaping its telecommunications development. He also introduces the articles collected in this issue.
Myocardial performance and perfusion during exercise in patients with coronary artery disease caused by Kawasaki disease

For a study of the natural history of coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease and their effect on myocardial blood flow reserve with exercise, five such patients underwent exercise testing on a bicycle. Oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, minute ventilation, and electrocardiograms were monitored continuously. Thallium-201 scintigraphy was performed for all patients. One patient stopped exercise before exhaustion of cardiovascular reserve but had no evidence of myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Four patients terminated exercise because of exhaustion of cardiovascular reserve; one had normal cardiovascular reserve and thallium scintiscans, but the remaining patients had diminished cardiovascular reserve. Thallium scintigrams showed myocardial ischemia in two and infarction in one. No patient had exercise-induced electrocardiographic changes. These results indicate that patients with residual coronary artery lesions after Kawasaki disease frequently have reduced cardiovascular reserve during exercise. The addition of thallium scintigraphy and metabolic measurements to exercise testing improved the detection of exercise-induced abnormalities of myocardial perfusion.
Photoluminescence in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon with Sulfur

Photoluminescence (PL) has been measured at 80 K in a series of samples of sulfur doped a-Si:H using above- and below-bandgap excitation energies (2.4 and 1.38 eV). In addition, the absorption coefficients at room temperature have been obtained using photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). At light sulfur doping levels (S/Si 10−2 the peak of the PL spectrum shifts to below 0.8 eV using below-gap excitation at 1.38 eV, and the defect PL band dominates. Comparing the PL spectra of sulfur- and phosphorus-doped samples, the PL spectra change for sulfur doping above 10−2 and for phosphorus doping above 1 ppm. This trend is consistent with inefficient sulfur doping.
Structure and Properties of Cubic Silicon Carbide (100) Surfaces: A Review

The many uses for SiC in electronics have been well documented [1 to 3]. Many of these applications, as well as the growth of the material itself, are critically dependent on the structural and electronic properties of surfaces and interfaces. From a basic perspective, SiC is unique in that it is a IV–IV compound semiconductor. As such it forms a “bridge” between the elemental column-IV materials Si and Ge and the III–V's GaN, GaAs, etc. These considerations have led to many experimental and theoretical studies of SiC surfaces, a significant fraction of which have appeared in the past few years. This paper reviews recent experimental results for clean, ordered and well-characterized (100) surfaces. Cubic (111) surfaces are excluded since they are more properly discussed [4] together with those of hexagonal SiC(0001) and (0001-), to which they are essentially identical. There have, to date, been no experimental data reported for SiC(110) surfaces. Work up to about mid-1993 has already been briefly reviewed [5]. A discussion of metal/SiC interfaces was also given [5], but more recent work will be omitted. Mention is also made here of theoretical results, which are discussed extensively elsewhere [6].
Interactions of benzyl viologen with surface-bound single- and double-stranded DNA.

The interactions of benzyl viologen (BV) with single- and double-stranded calf-thymus DNA immobilized onto gold electrodes have been studied by electrochemical methods. Benzyl viologen interacts electrostatically with both double-stranded (ds) and single-stranded (ss) DNA, and the strength of the interactions is dependent on ionic strength (μ). The dicationic form (BV2+) binds to dsDNA 9 times more strongly than the singly reduced form, BV•+, in a pH 7.4 Tris-HCl buffer solution at μ = 8.4 mM. BV2+ binds to ssDNA 5 times more strongly than the BV•+ form. From measurements at μ = 8.4 mM, a binding constant (K2+) of 2.0 (±0.2) × 104 M-1 and a binding site size (s) of 1 base pair were obtained, respectively, for dsDNA. For ssDNA, at the same ionic strength, the values obtained for K and s were 3.6 (±0.4) × 104 M-1 and 2 nucleotides, respectively. The amount of BV bound, whether to dsDNA or ssDNA, decreased with increasing ionic strength. Whereas the binding rate of BV to both dsDNA and ssDNA immobilized onto...
Dimerization of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Chains Using Radical Trap-Assisted Atom Transfer Radical Coupling

End-brominated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMABr) was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and employed in a series of atom transfer radical coupling (ATRC) and radical trap-assisted ATRC (RTA–ATRC) reactions. When coupling reactions were performed in the absence of a nitroso radical trap—traditional ATRC condition—very little coupling of the PMMA chains was observed, consistent with disproportionation as the major termination pathway for two PMMA chain-end radicals in our reactions. When 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP) was used as the radical trap, coupling of the PMMA chains in this attempted RTA–ATRC reaction was again unsuccessful, owing to capping of the PMMA chains with a bulky nitroxide and preventing further coupling. Analogous reactions performed using nitrosobenzene (NBz) as the radical trap showed significant dimerization, as observed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) by a shift in the apparent molecular weight compared to the PMMABr precursors. The extent of coupling wa...
Amorphous iron (II) carbonate: Crystallization energetics and comparison to other carbonate minerals related to CO2 sequestration

The synthesis, characterization and crystallization energetics of amorphous iron (II) carbonate (AFC) are reported. AFC may form as a precursor for siderite (FeCO3). The enthalpy of crystallization (ΔHcrys) of AFC is similar to that of amorphous magnesium carbonate (AMC) and more exothermic than that of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). This suggests that enthalpy of crystallization in carbonate systems is ionic-size controlled, which may have significant implications in a wide variety of conditions, including geological sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide.
A FIELD‐BASED METHOD FOR ESTIMATING AGE IN FREE‐RANGING STELLER SEA LIONS (EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS) LESS THAN TWENTY‐FOUR MONTHS OF AGE

Studies of health, survival, and development of juvenile Alaskan Steller sea lions (Eametopias jubatus, SSL) require accurate estimates of age for wild-captured animals. However, the value and accuracy of several potential predictors of age have not been assessed with data from known-age free-ranging animals. During 2001-2005, forty-six individual SSL originally branded or tagged at ≤6 mo of age were recaptured by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG followed by DSL, DIAS, and WHIS (r 2 = 0.70, 0.56, and 0.45, respectively). The inclusion of a single sample from a 44-mo-old sea lion suggested quadratic relationships between age and all predictors for older animals. Only models including CTL predicted age to within 6 mo of known age. The equation Age = (-3.0112 + [0.6726 * CTL] + [0.4965 * DIAS]) allows for accurate age estimates of SSL ≤23 mo for both sexes.
Histone markers identify the mode of action for compounds positive in the TK6 micronucleus assay.

Abstract The in vitro micronucleus assay with TK6 cells is frequently used as part of the genotoxicity testing battery for pharmaceuticals. Consequently, follow-up testing strategies are needed for positive compounds to determine their mode of action, which would then allow for deployment of appropriate in vivo follow-up strategies. We have chosen 3 micronucleus positive compounds, the clastogen etoposide, the aneugen noscapine and the cytotoxicant tunicamycin to evaluate different approaches to determine their aneugenic or clastogenic properties. Each of the three compounds were evaluated following 4 and 24 h of continuous treatment by flow cytometry for micronucleus induction, the aneugenicity markers phosphorylated-histone 3 (p-H3) and polyploidy, the clastogenicity marker γH2AX and the apoptosis marker cleaved caspase 3. They were further evaluated by Western blot for mono-ubiquitinated and γH2AX. Results show that the clastogen etoposide produced a dose related increase in γH2AX and mono-ubiquitinated H2AX and a dose related decrease in p-H3 positive mitotic cells. Conversely, the aneugen produced increases in p-H3 and polyploidy with no significant increases seen in mono-ubiquitinated H2AX or γH2AX. Lastly, the cytotoxicant tunicamycin induced neither an increase in p-H3 nor γH2AX. All three compounds produced dose-related increases in cleaved caspase 3. The results from this study provide evidence that adding clastogenicity and aneugenicity markers to the in vitro micronucleus assay in TK6 cells could help to identify the mode of action of positive compounds. The combination of endpoints suggested here needs to be further evaluated by a broader set of test compounds.
Protecting browsers from cross-origin CSS attacks

Cross-origin CSS attacks use style sheet import to steal confidential information from a victim website, hijacking a user's existing authenticated session; existing XSS defenses are ineffective. We show how to conduct these attacks with any browser, even if JavaScript is disabled, and propose a client-side defense with little or no impact on the vast majority of web sites. We have implemented and deployed defenses in Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. Our defense proposal has also been adopted by Opera.
Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies: the challenges and the rewards

Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies is challenging because of 1) the myriad of potential feedstock types and their management 2) the need to account for the spatial variation of both the supplies and their environmental and economic consequences, and 3) the inherent challenges of optimizing across economic and environmental considerations. Over the last two decades U.S. biomass forecasts have become increasingly complex and sensitive to environmental and economic considerations. More model development and research is needed however, to capture the landscape and regional tradeoffs of differing biofeedstock supplies especially with regards water quality concerns and wildlife/biodiversity. Forecasts need to be done in the context of the direction of change and what the probable land use and attendant environmental and economic outcomes would be if biofeedstocks were not being produced. To evaluate sustainability, process-oriented models need to be coupled or used to inform sector models and more work needs to be done on developing environmental metrics that are useful for evaluating economic and environmental tradeoffs. These challenges are exciting and worthwhile as they will enable the bioenergy industry to capture environmental and social benefits of biofeedstock production and reduce risks.
ZooMICSS: a zoomable map image collection sensemaking system (the Katrina Rita context)

Access to devices that integrate Global Positioning data with image and sound acquisition becomes more common, enabling people to build large collections of locative multimedia. As the size and number of these locative media collections grow, so too does the importance of systems that support collection sensemaking. Media semantics, which include automatically acquired location data, as well as user-supplied annotations, play a key role in these user-centered processes of collection utilization. This demo presents a Zoomable Map Image Collection Sensemaking System that enables the collection, organization, browsing, and annotation of locative images. The Zoomable Map Perspective is supplemented by event-based clustering. Dynamic views are generated automatically from captured media. The system is currently being used to document the location and condition of homes and neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The effects of different numerical techniques on the phenetic classification of bees of the Hoplitis complex (Megachilidae)

SUMMARY The characters of the data matrix of the Hoplitis complex of bees were standardized and similarities computed as distance and correlation coefficients. These similarity matrices were clustered by a variety of techniques. Standardization of character states reduces the isolation of unusual OTU's. The classification based on standardized characters agreed well with one prepared by classical taxonomic methods. Classifications resulting from distance coefficients vary more with the clustering procedure than do classifications based on correlation coefficients. Differences in clustering procedures affect the resulting classification. Differential weighting of stems during clustering caused distinct effects, especially with matrices of distance coefficients and to a lesser extent when Spearman's sums of variables method was used. Only minor differences exist between results of pair-group and variable-group clustering methods. The implications of these findings for numerical taxonomy are discussed.
Interfaces with vapor-evaporated polyaniline thin films

Interfaces with vapor-deposited polyaniline thin films are investigated using angle-resolved X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. We demonstrate that a diffuse interface is formed with sodium deposited on top of polyaniline, and the distribution of sodium atoms, in the near surface region of the polyaniline thin film, is quite uniform. In comparison, the interface between polyaniline and another polymer, PVDF-TrFE, is rather abrupt and a flat-band model can be applied to the interface band structure.
Plant Rac Proteins Induce Superoxide Production in Mammalian Cells

The small GTP-binding protein family including Rac proteins represents a paradigm for signaling molecules shared by animal and plants. In mammalian cells, Rac induces the activation of NADPH oxidase leading to superoxide production. In plants, evidence suggests that resistance to pathogens depends on superoxide that is generated via NADPH oxidase-like enzymes. We have identified four closely related Rho/Rac genes from Zea mays that exhibit a high degree of homology to the human Rac. We hypothesized that these plant Rac proteins could function as their mammalian counterpart and activate an enzymatic complex that leads to superoxide production. Here, we show that like human Rac1, activated Zea mays Rac genes can induce superoxide production, when expressed in a mammalian system: NIH 3T3 cells. Our results suggest that in plants, Rac proteins can function as activators of oxidative burst and indicate the remarkable functional and structural conservation of Rho/Rac proteins between plant and animal kingdoms during evolution.
Trade and the environment: identifying "hot spot" sectors

A prioritization methodology was developed to identify key "hot spot" sectors that are vulnerable to adverse environmental impacts from trade liberalization. The methodology relies on internationally approved analytical techniques and indicators relevant to the trade and environment issue. Key outputs of this research include the identification of appropriate economic and environmental indicators, an information compilation strategy, and a step-wise procedure to perform the prioritization process. The methodology presented may reduce time and expenses previously incurred in identifying environmental hot spots. It also may assist in prioritizing actions to mitigate negative consequences of trade liberalization in specific sectors.
SU-E-T-438: Dosimetric Effect of Patient Arm Position in Spinal CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery

Purpose: For treatment of spine lesions with robotic CyberKnife (Accuray, Sunnvale, CA) radiosurgery, patients are simulated in the supine position with arms along the torso. Treatments often include lateral beams passing through the arms. Variation in arm position between simulation and delivery could affect delivered doses. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential dosimetric effect of patient extremity motion on spinal CyberKnife treatments. Methods: Thirteen patients were selected with spinal lesions between T10 and L4. Prescription doses ranged between 1800 and 4000 cGy, delivered in 1 to 5 fractions. In addition to the treatment plan used as reference standard, a comparison plan was created with the arms contoured and contour density set to zero for each patient. This represented the extreme scenario of the patient moving their arm completely out of the field. Results: Results: The mean difference for the minimum dose to the PTV, the maximum dose to the spinal cord, and dose to 250 cc of spinal cord are 2.4%, 4.8% and 4.5%. PTV coverage in compared plans was changed by 1.4% on average, with the coverage improved, due to less attenuation from the patient arms. As the mean arm dose relative to the prescription dose increased, the impact of removing the arms also increased. Conclusion: The most extreme scenario of extremity motion in CyberKnife spinal radisurgery was investigated. It was found that the dosimetric impact of the arms is small. The difference in PTV coverage was 1.4%, with a difference % in minimum dose to the PTV was 2.4%. Dose differences to critical organs were within 5%. Therefore, any reasonable motion due to set‐up variations and deviation from patient simulation position will be negligible.
Dynamic fracturing of strengthened glass under biaxial tensile loading

Abstract A high speed camera imaging technique is used to capture the dynamic fracturing process of thin strengthened glass under biaxial tensile loading with modified ring-on-ring configurations. Crack fronts emit radially from the fracture origin. The crack front velocity depends on the load-bearing capacity of the specimen and can be as high as 0.76cR, where cR is the Rayleigh wave speed. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to analyze the stress distribution associated with large deflections accounting for the specific loading fixture geometry.
Near-miss asphyxiation from a toy ball: a small parts failure.

The case report of a near-fatal asphyxiation of an 11-month-old child by a 26 mm (diameter) toy ball is presented. The lack of compliance with existing Consumer Product Safety Commission standards for small parts is discussed, and a recommendation is made regarding the coloring of ingestible objects. Language: en
Nanogold plasmon resonance-based glucose sensing. 2. Wavelength-ratiometric resonance light scattering.

Gold colloids are well known to display strong plasmon absorption bands due to electron oscillations induced by the incident light. When the colloids are in proximity, the plasmon absorption bands are often perturbed. This has enabled us recently to successfully develop a glucose sensing platform based on the disassociation of dextran-coated gold colloids, cross-linked with Con A, by glucose. However, a much more useful and simpler property of gold colloids, which has been ill explored with regard to sensing, is their ability to efficiently scatter excitation light. We have found that our nanogold sensing aggregates are indeed efficient light scatters around the nanogold plasmon absorption band. By measuring the ratio of scattered light intensities at two different arbitrary wavelengths, 560 and 680 nm, glucose concentrations can be readily determined from a few millimolar up to ∼60 mM, using a simple white light LED and detection system. Further, by measuring the ratio of the scattered intensities, this ...
Information accessible by measurement in mirror-symmetric ensembles of qubit states

We formulate an expression for the accessible information in mirror-symmetric ensembles of real qubit states. This expression is used to make a detailed study of optimum quantum measurements for extracting the accessible information in three-state, mirror-symmetric ensembles. Distinct measurement regimes are identified for these ensembles with optimal measurement strategies involving different numbers of measurement operators, similar to results found for minimum error discrimination. Our results generalize known results for the accessible information in two pure states and in the trine ensemble.
Surface-guided self-assembly of silver nanoparticles on edges of heterogeneous surfaces.

A general method for the generation of two-dimensional (2D) ordered silver nanoparticles (av 45 nm) ring array has been demonstrated via controllable self-assembly. The selective self-assembly is conducted on the edges of a gold coated polyelectrolyte film. This film is fabricated using the monolayer polystyrene (PS) spheres (av 600 nm) on a substrate as template, followed by depositing a positively charged polyelectrolyte and gold colloids (av 17 nm) via the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique, and finally by eliminating the PS monolayer. This gold coated polyelectrolyte film has a regular pattern of sharp edges, and those edges are composed of abundant polyelectrolyte. This heterogeneous surface is easily prepared and universal for site-selective absorption of nanoparticles (silver nanoparticles in this paper, av 45 nm). This surface-guided self-assembly is powerful for fabricating micro/nanostructures on the edges of prepatterns. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (...
How the choice of experimental organism matters: Biological practices and discipline boundaries

I was not lucky enough to have been a student of Marjorie Grene's, nor have I properly studied the full corpus of her writings. Still, I have profited greatly from her work in the philosophy of biology and from working in close proximity with her off and on for over a decade, ever since I audited a course given by her at Temple University in 1979. Our interactions have largely concerned the history and philosophy of biology. It is a testimony to Marjorie's energy and ability that these form only a part of her interests and that she has done so much important work on so many other fronts, while playing a major role in philosophy of biology. Her work, I know, has reshaped my thinking and my career, as it has done for many others. It is thus not easy to express the gratitude that I feel; the best I can do is to try to manifest the things she has taught me by her example and by her hard-nosed arguments care for others, the practices of friendship, and scrupulous concern for good philosophy. The small piece that I offer her here as a token of affection and gratitude does not go very far toward repaying what I owe her.
Auto-vectorization of interleaved data for SIMD

Most implementations of the Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) model available today require that data elements be packed in vector registers. Operations on disjoint vector elements are not supported directly and require explicit data reorganization manipulations. Computations on non-contiguous and especially interleaved data appear in important applications, which can greatly benefit from SIMD instructions once the data is reorganized properly. Vectorizing such computations efficiently is therefore an ambitious challenge for both programmers and vectorizing compilers. We demonstrate an automatic compilation scheme that supports effective vectorization in the presence of interleaved data with constant strides that are powers of 2, facilitating data reorganization. We demonstrate how our vectorization scheme applies to dominant SIMD architectures, and present experimental results on a wide range of key kernels, showing speedups in execution time up to 3.7 for interleaving levels (stride) as high as 8.
TDRS-A - The pioneering payload

The first launch of a Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-A) on board the Shuttle Orbiter 'Challenger' of the Space Transportation System (STS) provided many pioneering events as a payload/user. The TDRS-A was launched as a payload of the STS as well as a payload of the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) on April 4, 1983. This paper traces the payload processing flow of the TDRS-A from its arrival at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), through its launch on Challenger and its trans-orbit flight on the IUS to geosynchronous orbit. The TDRS-A, as a customer/user of these launch systems, is examined and reviewed and lessons learned are noted.
Assessing archaeological evidence for seismic catastrophies

Archaeologists frequently ascribe “destruction” layers uncovered during excavation to the effects of earthquake-induced phenomena. Undoubtedly, ancient societies that lived in active seismic zones were as plagued by seismic destruction as we are today. However, other geological phenomena can account for many observed features. This paper reviews the geologic and archaeological background for assessing the evidence for prehistoric earthquake destruction.
A cone programming approach to the bilinear matrix inequality problem and its geometry

We discuss an approach for solving the Bilinear Matrix Inequality (BMI) based on its connections with certain problems defined over matrix cones. These problems are, among others, the cone generalization of the linear programming (LP) and the linear complementarity problem (LCP) (referred to as the Cone-LP and the Cone-LCP, respectively). Specifically, we show that solving a given BMI is equivalent to examining the solution set of a suitably constructed Cone-LP or Cone-LCP. This approach facilitates our understanding of the geometry of the BMI and opens up new avenues for the development of the computational procedures for its solution.
Comparison of size-dependent carbon, nitrate, and silicic acid uptake rates in high- and low-iron waters

We compare the relative contribution of large phytoplankton (.5 and .10 mm) to uptake rates of carbon (C), nitrate (NO ), and dissolved silicon (Si) and uptake ratios of Si : NO and Si : C in Monterey Bay, California (a 2 2 3 3 high-iron region) with three low-iron regions in the eastern tropical Pacific: the Costa Rica upwelling dome, Humboldt current, and Peru upwelling. We also demonstrate the effect of iron enrichment on the above parameters in the latter three regions. In Monterey Bay waters, the .5-mm size fraction accounted on average for the majority of particulate organic C and was responsible for 92% of total C uptake, 81% of total NO uptake, and 98% of total 2 3 Si uptake. In contrast, in low-iron eastern tropical Pacific waters, the .5-mm size fraction accounted for less than half of the particulate organic C and was responsible for a substantially smaller proportion of total C and NO 2 3 uptake: 27‐43% for C and 34‐59% for NO . Iron enrichment experiments in the eastern tropical Pacific resulted 2 3 in much higher NO , C, and Si uptake rates, although increases were restricted to cells in the .5-mm size fraction. 2 3 Si : NO and Si : C uptake ratios decreased after iron addition at most locations, and decreases were a direct result 2 3 of lower Si : NO and Si : C uptake ratios in the .5-mm size fraction. Our results suggest that iron availability is a 2 3 major factor regulating primary production, new production, Si uptake, and Si : NO and Si : C uptake ratios in the 2 3 larger phytoplankton size classes in high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions in the eastern tropical Pacific.
Consistent and Asymptotically Unbiased MinP Tests of Multiple Inequality Moment Restrictions

This paper considers the general problem of testing multiple inequality moment restrictions against an unrestricted alternative. We flrst introduce a test based on a maximum statistic and show how, via a partially recentered bootstrap scheme, we may obtain a testing procedure that delivers, at least asymptotically, an exact fi-level test for any conflguration of the parameters on the boundary of the null hypothesis. We prove that this bootstrap test is asymptotically unbiased and that it weakly dominates analogous testing procedures based on the canonical (fully centered) bootstrap. Building on these results we introduce a computationally inexpensive minimum p-value test. The minimum p-value test enjoys the asymptotic unbiasedness property of the underlying partially recentered bootstrap test. Additionally, the minimum p-value test delivers balance of power among the individual moment inequalities under test without studentization, and also allows users to gauge the strength of the evidence against the individual moment inequalities. To illustrate the use of our proposed testing procedure we examine the distributional efiects of Vietnam veteran status on earnings. In particular, the results from our procedure when applied to testing for stochastic dominance and normalized stochastic dominance demonstrate that there is unambiguously greater poverty and greater relative inequality in earnings for veterans.
Substance Use: A Comparison of Adolescent and Young Adult Suicide and Accidental Death

In 1995, in the United States, 72% of all deaths between school-age youth and young adults resulted from four causes: motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicides, and suicides. This study examined the adolescent and young adult suicide and accidental death rates for a 5-year period, 1990–1995, in two counties in Florida in relation to substance use/abuse prior to the death. Gender differences, methods of suicide and/or accident, pertinent risk factors, and toxicology results were reviewed. The results of this study validate the growing body of literature reporting an alarming increase in the role of substance use/abuse in adolescent and young adult accidental and suicidal deaths.In the United States in 1995, 72% of all deaths between school-age youth and young adults resulted from four causes: motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide (Kann et al., 1996). The increase in the suicide rate among adolescents and young adults over the past three decades is w...
Economic Arguments in U.S. Antitrust and EU Competition Policy: Two Roads Diverged

In this paper, I compare economic arguments in U.S. Supreme Court antitrust and EU Court of Justice competition policy decisions on four topics: refusal to deal, predation, vertical contracts, and horizontal inter…rm relations.
Metabolic rates in an anadromous clupeid, the American shad (Alosa sapidissima)

To assess the energetics of migration in an anadromous fish, adult American shad (Alosa sapidissima) were swum in a large respirometer at a range of speeds (1.0–2.3 body lengths (BL) s−1, 13–24 °C). Metabolic rate (MO2) was logarithmically related to swimming speed (Bl s−1; r 2 = 0.41, slope = 0.23 ± 0.037) and tailbeat frequency (beats × min−1; r 2 = 0.52, slope = 0.003 ± 0.0003). Temperature had a significant effect on metabolic rate (r 2 = 0.41) with a Q10 of 2.2. Standard metabolic rate (SMR), determined directly after immobilization with the neuroblocker gallamine triethiodide, ranged from 2.2–6.2 mmolO2 kg−1 h−1 and scaled with mass (W) such that SMR = 4.0 (±0.03)W0.695(±0.15). Comparison of directly determined and extrapolated SMR suggests that swimming respirometry provides a good estimate of SMR in this species, given the differences in basal activity monitored by the two methods. Overall, American shad metabolic rates (MO2 and SMR) were intermediate between salmonids and fast-swimming perciforms, including tunas, and may be a result of evolutionary adaptation to their active pelagic, schooling life history. This study demonstrates variability in metabolic strategy among anadromous fishes that may be important to understanding the relative success of different migratory species under varying environmental conditions.
Feedforward trajectory design for output transitions in discrete-time systems: disk-drive example

The article proposes a direct approach to solve the optimal (minimal input energy) output-transition problem for linear discrete-time systems. The goal is to transfer and maintain the output from an initial value (y(k) = y_ for all k /spl les/ k/sub i/) to a final value (y(k) = y~ for all k /spl ges/ k/sup f/) within a prescribed number of time steps (k/sub f/-k/sub i/). Previous methods solve this output-transition problem by transforming it into a state-transition problem, i.e., the initial and final states(/spl kappa/(k/sub i/) and /spl kappa/(k/sub f/), respectively) are chosen and a minimum-energy state-to-state transition problem is solved. However, the choice of the initial and final states can be ad hoc and the resulting output-transition cost (input energy) may not be minimal. In contrast, the contribution of this article is the solution of the optimal output-transition problem for linear discrete-time systems. Example discrete-time model of a disk-drive servo system is studied to illustrate the proposed method. Simulation results show substantial reduction of transition costs with the use of the proposed method when compared to the use of approaches that are based on minimum-energy state transitions.
Emergency evacuation orders: Considerations and lessons from Hurricane Sandy

This article analyzes the problems surrounding the execution of emergency evacuation orders by evaluating Hurricane Sandy and the emergency actions taken by the State of New Jersey and the City of Atlantic City New Jersey. The analysis provides an overview of the legal authority granting emergency powers to governors and mayors to issue evacuation proclamations in addition to an evaluation of the New Jersey's emergency evacuation mandate and subsequent compliance. The article concludes with provision of planning and preparedness recommendations for public managers facing similar hazards, including a recommendation for provision of emergency shelter contingencies within the threat zone in anticipation of citizen noncompliance evacuation orders.
Cortical Tremor (CT) with coincident orthostatic movements

Cortical tremor (CT) is a form of cortical reflex myoclonus that can mimic essential tremor (ET). Clinical features that are helpful in distinguishing CT from ET are the irregular and jerky appearance of the movements. We report two patients with CT with coexisting orthostatic movements, either orthostatic tremor (OT) or myoclonus, who experienced functional improvement in both cortical myoclonus and orthostatic movements when treated with levetiracetam.
AUTHORITY, POLITY, AND TENUOUS ELITES IN IRON AGE EDOM (JORDAN)

The strategies political elites implement to garner political authority and legitimacy in emergent polities are scrutinized in a case study from Iron Age Edom, located in modern southern Jordan and the south-east corner of the State of Israel. Edom provides a productive context in which to conduct this investigation as local elites managed a fractious polity consisting of unstable segmentary identities, while at the same time, remaining loyal to the successive Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires that dominated them. This tenuous position required elites to maintain a ﬂexible elite identity while promoting broader metaphors of attachment (e.g. Edomite) among their disparate constituents. This case study ultimately moves toward an understanding of political polities, not as disembodied entities (e.g. States), but as embedded phenomena within the societies they comprise.
Asymptotics applied to a neural network.

A mathematical model of neural processing is proposed which incorporates a theory for the storage of information. The model consists of a network of neurons that linearly processes incoming neural activity. The network stores the input by modifying the synaptic properties of all of its neurons. The model lends support to a distributive theory of memory using synaptic modification. The dynamics of the processing and storage are represented by a discrete system. Asymptotic analysis is applied to the system to show the learning capabilities of the network under constant input. Results are also given to predict the network's ability to learn periodic input, and input subjected to small random fluctuations.