cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observations of B stars and Comet Austin from 900–1180 Å

Abstract In this paper we present preliminary results from two sounding rocket flights in April, 1990. Both flights employed the same far ultraviolet spectrometer which operates from 900–1180 A. On the first flight, three B stars of identical spectral type, but varied reddening, were observed so that the extinction curve in that direction could be extended down to the Lyman limit. On the second flight, we observed Comet Austin. This was the first time that any comet has been observed in this spectral region.
The role of parkin in the differential susceptibility of tuberoinfundibular and nigrostriatal dopamine neurons to acute toxicant exposure

Parkinson Disease causes degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons, while tuberoinfundibular DA neurons remain unaffected. A similar pattern is observed following exposure to 1-methy-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyradine (MPTP). The mechanism of tuberoinfundibular neuronal recovery from MPTP is associated with up-regulation of parkin protein. Here we tested if parkin mediates tuberoinfundibular neuronal recovery from MPTP by knocking-down parkin in tuberoinfundibular neurons using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), expressing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) directed toward parkin. Following knockdown, axon terminal DA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) concentrations were analyzed 24 hours post-MPTP administration. rAAV-shRNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous parkin rendered tuberoinfundibular neurons susceptible to MPTP induced terminal DA loss, but not TH loss, within 24 hours post-MPTP. To determine if the neuroprotective benefits of parkin up-regulation could be translated to nigrostriatal neurons, rAAV expressing human parkin was injected into the substantia nigra of mice and axon terminal DA and TH concentrations were analyzed 24 hours post-MPTP. Nigral parkin over-expression prevented loss of TH in the axon terminals and soma of nigrostriatal neurons, but had no effect on terminal DA loss within 24h post-MPTP. These data show that parkin is necessary for the recovery of terminal DA concentrations within tuberoinfundibular neurons following acute MPTP administration, and parkin can rescue MPTP-induced decreases in TH within nigrostriatal neurons.
Application characterization using Oxbow toolkit and PADS infrastructure

Characterizing the behavior of a scientific application and its associated proxy application is essential for determining whether the proxy application actually does mimic the full application. To support our ongoing characterization activities, we have developed the Oxbow toolkit and an associated data store infrastructure for collecting, storing, and querying this characterization information. This paper presents recent updates to the Oxbow toolkit and introduces the Oxbow project's Performance Analytics Data Store (PADS). To demonstrate the possible insights when using the toolkit and data store, we compare the characterizations of several full and proxy applications, along with the High Performance Linpack (HPL) and High Performance Conjugate Gradient (HPCG) benchmarks. Using techniques such as cluster visualizations of PADS data across many experiments, we found that the results show unexpected similarities and differences between proxy applications, and a greater similarity of proxy applications to HPCG than to HPL along many dimensions.
Forensic science education programs: A new paradigm

Forensic science programs in higher education in the United States, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels have traditionally been located in departments and colleges of universities offering degrees in the natural and physical sciences, although some programs can be found in social science departments such as criminal justice. Many of these programs are isolated within a specific academic department and this isolation can limit the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills obtained by students. Forensic science is truly an interdisciplinary field of study including specialities in pathology, engineering, odontology, toxicology, entomology, anthropology, psychiatry, psychology, biology, chemistry, computer science, and criminal justice. Isolating forensic science programs within one academic department can limit the options available to students seeking careers in forensic science and weakens the diversity of the pool of job candidates for forensic laboratories. This paper describes a new interdisciplinary approach at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Forensic Science Institute (FSI) to educate future forensic science professionals. The FSI maintains that the new UCO Forensic Science academic program, in particular with its interdisciplinary dimension, is unmatched in excellence, design, or vision by any forensic science academic program in the United States. After approximately 30 years, UCO has ceased to offer a stand-alone Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in forensic science. The forensic science baccalaureate academic program, formerly housed in the Department of Chemistry, now resides in the Forensic Science Institute, and hasmorphed into a new and unique, to the authors' knowledge, configuration in which forensic science can only be taken as the companion in a dualmajor or dual degree program. Expected couplings with forensic science are chemistry, biology, anthropology, engineering, physics, psychology, computer science, criminal justice, accounting, and art, although others can be envisioned. The forensic science Master of Science (MS) degree program has similarly transitioned to the FSI and is now a research-and-thesis-oriented degree. The MS program will similarly take advantage of the broad array of academic as well as applieddisciplines atUCO tobecome the first truly interdisciplinary Master's Degree program at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Taylor-Widder representation formulae and Ostrowski, Grüss, integral means and Csiszar type inequalities

Based on the very general Taylor-Widder formula, several representation formulae are developed. By applying these are developed very general inequalities of types: Ostrowski, Gruss, comparison of means, Csiszar f-divergence. The estimates involve L"p norms, any 1@?p@?~.
Observation of Large Long-Lived Electron-Hole Drops in Germanium

Alfv\'en-wave resonances are used to measure time decay of the electron-hole drop radius in stressed Ge, and striking new properties of the condensate are observed. Compared to standard results, the drop volume is larger by more than 1000, and the drop lifetime is increased from 40 \ensuremath{\mu}sec to over 400 \ensuremath{\mu}sec. We believe the long-lived condensate corresponds to low-density Ge $〈111〉$ or Ge $〈110〉$ phases with one or two electron ellipsoids occupied.
EUS features of annular pancreas (with video).

Background An annular pancreas is a rare congenital anomaly that results in a band of pancreatic tissue, either partially or completely encircling the duodenum. Objectives In patients referred for an upper-GI (UGI) EUS (1) to determine the prevalence of an annular pancreas identified by EUS versus CT and (2) to describe the EUS features of an annular pancreas. Design After review of UGI EUS procedures from January 1, 2000, through June 1, 2006, we conducted a retrospective review of EUS annular pancreas images to identify characteristic EUS features. Patients This is the largest report describing the EUS findings in 5 patients. Results Of 9776 patients undergoing UGI EUS, 5 patients (0.05%) (2 men; median age, 64 years; range, 44-69 years) were found to have an annular pancreas. EUS detected a band of pancreatic tissue that encircled the duodenum by 360° (n = 3), 270° (n = 1), or 180° (n = 1). Within this band of tissue, the pancreatic duct was identified in 4 of 5 patients. The ductal and parenchymal features within the annular band were identical to those within the remaining pancreas in all patients. None of the patients had hypoechoic ventral anlage. Limitations Whereas, firm EUS criteria of an annular pancreas cannot be established based on 5 patients, certain features may prove useful for diagnosis. Conclusions Although a diagnosis of an annular pancreas is rare, it should be considered in situations when a patient with possible associated symptoms has a normal CT.
Evaluation of the specificity of Salmonella PCR primers using various intestinal bacterial species

Aims: Nine sets of PCR primers targeting Salmonella were evaluated for their specificity with pure cultures of intestinal-associated bacteria prior to their application to Salmonella detection in faecal samples. Methods and Results: Gene targets of PCR primers included: 16S rDNA, a Salmonella pathogenicity island I virulence gene, Salmonella enterotoxin gene (stn), invA gene, Fur-regulated gene, histidine transport operon, junction between SipB and SipC virulence genes, Salmonella-specific repetitive DNA fragment, and multiplex targeting invA gene and spvC gene of the virulence plasmid. Fifty-two Salmonella strains were used to determine sensitivity; five strains from related genera and 45 intestinal bacteria were used to evaluate specificity. All primers amplified DNA from Salmonella strains, although two primer sets failed to amplify Salmonella DNA from either Salmonella bongori (hilA) or subgroups VI or VII (16S rDNA). There was no detected amplification of DNA from related bacterial genera with any of nine PCR assays. Six of the PCR assays amplified DNA for some intestinal bacteria. Conclusions: Only three primer pairs were determined to be suitable for application of PCR amplification of Salmonella in faecal samples – 16S rDNA, stn and histidine transport operon. We are currently evaluating their sensitivity of detection of Salmonella in faecal samples. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study demonstrated the importance of internal lab validation of PCR primers prior to application to the type of samples of interest. Information from this evaluation can be applied in other labs to facilitate choosing Salmonella PCR primers.
Pseudo-chaos for direct-sequence spread-spectrum communication

In this paper, we first demonstrate that the dynamics of the archetypal chaotic system based on the sawtooth map have a natural interpretation as noncausally filtered Bernoulli noise. This result is then extended to introduce an entire family of anticausal filters which can produce chaotic (deterministic) behavior. Finally, replacing the Bernoulli noise source with a feedback shift register and truncating the impulse response of the filters results in pseudo-chaos: colored pseudo-noise. By relying on feedback shift registers, pseudo-chaotic implementations avoid the drawbacks of conventional synthetic chaotic behavior. In fact, pseudo-chaos can produce behavior indistinguishable from true chaos under any finite level of scrutiny. However, as potential spreading codes in direct-sequence spread-spectrum applications, we argue that pseudo-chaotic sequences have few, if any, advantages over other forms of transformed pseudo-noise.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mosquito and biting fly surveillance on Camp Zama Army Base, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Camp Zama, Japan, and the associated military housing and depot storage areas have been occupied by the US military for over 50 years. The military base has experienced less urbanization and development during those 50 years when compared to the surrounding cities of Zama and Sagamihara. We present an annotated comparative checklist of historical records of biting flies (mosquitoes, black flies, biting midges, stable flies, and horse flies) with recent collections. Overall 24 species of biting flies have been reported from Camp Zama, with 17 of these species collected during the last 5 years. Vectors of human and veterinary pathogens were collected including Anopheles sinensis, Aedes albopictus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Simulium bidentatum.
Dietary Considerations for Obese Diabetic Subjects

Individuals with an upper-body form of obesity show greater associations with higher glucose excursions, exacerbated insulin resistance, increased abnormality of lipoprotein profile, and higher cardiovascular risk. Individuals with obesity and diabetes are at great risk for cardiovascular disease. Weight reduction and improvement in blood glucose control through dietary interventions for the obese person with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) hold the greatest potential for reducing morbidity and mortality. The relative merits of different weightreduction programs are unclear, but regimens should be nutritionally complete, easy to follow, and include a program for maintaining the reduced weight level. Improvement in insulin action and the possibility of slowing development of clinical nephropathy or endstage renal disease in NIDDM through weight loss have been found. Very low calorie diets, when used with medical supervision, may lead to significant weight loss, improved metabolic status, and even reduction or elimination of the need for oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin; however, further studies are needed to examine possible negative outcomes in people with NIDDM before very low calorie diets can be recommended. The causes of obesity and its connection with diabetes are unclear, but even modest calorie restriction may be beneficial to obese diabetic patients because of the positive effects on blood glucose levels and requirements for insulin and oral antidiabetic agents.
On the sum of two primitive elements of maximal subfields of a finite field

Let F"r denote a finite field with r elements. Let q be a power of a prime, and p"1,p"2, p"3 be distinct primes. Puty"1=p"1p"2,y"2=p"1p"3,y"3=p"2p"3,y=p"1p"2p"3,A={(t"1,t"2)@?F"q"^"y"^"""^"1xF"q"^"y"^"""^"2|F"q(t"1)=F"q"^"y"^"""^"1,F"q(t"2)=F"q"^"y"^"""^"2,F"q(t"1+t"2) F"q"^"y}.We express the number of elements in A in terms of q, p"1, p"2, p"3 and give several applications to counting points in algebraic sets.
Calcium-Dependent Conformation of Desmoglein 1 Is Required for its Cleavage by Exfoliative Toxin

In bullous impetigo, Staphylococcus aureus spreads under the stratum corneum of skin by elaboration of exfoliative toxin, which hydrolyzes only one peptide bond in a highly structured calcium-binding domain of desmoglein 1, resulting in loss of its function. We investigated the basis of this exquisite specificity. Exfoliative toxin cannot cleave desmoglein 1 pretreated at 56°C or higher or at low or high pH, suggesting that the proper conformation of desmoglein 1 is critical for its cleavage. Because cleavage occurs in an area of desmoglein 1 stabilized by calcium, we determined if the conformation necessary for cleavage is calcium-dependent. Depletion of calcium from desmoglein 1 completely inhibited its cleavage by exfoliative toxin, even after calcium was added back. A change in conformation of desmoglein 1 by calcium depletion was shown, with immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunoassay, by loss of binding of PF sera, which recognize conformational epitopes. This change in conformation was confirmed by tryptophan fluorometry and circular dichroism, and was irreversible with repletion of calcium. These data suggest that the specificity of exfoliative toxin cleavage of desmoglein 1 resides not only in simple amino acid sequences but also in its calcium-dependent conformation.
On the electronic structures of cyclobutadiene and trimethylenemethane

Abstract The photoelectron spectra of eight 4 π-electron hydrocarbons and their tricarbonyl complexes have been measured. From these spectra the perturbation energies of the π orbitals introduced by the tricarbonyliron moiety have been determined. These perturbation energies are 0.89 ± 0.07 and 0.22 ± 0.06 eV for the first and second π orbitals, respectively. Given these perturbation energies and the photoelectron spectra of the tricarbonyliron complexes of cyclobutadiene and trimethylenemethane, π-ionization energies for the two transients, cyclobutadiene (8.29 and 11.95 eV) and trimethylenemethane (8.36 and 11.79 eV), have been predicted.
Measuring Form and Radius of Spheres with Interferometry

Abstract The geometry of a nearly spherical surface, for example that of a precision optic, is completely determined by the radius-of-curvature at one point and the deviation from the perfect spherical form at all other points of the sphere. Measurements of radius and form error can now be made with interferometers to remarkable accuracy. We describe measurements of radius and form error of a precision silicon sphere, having a nominal radius of 46.8 mm, with the “extremely accurate CALIBration InterferometeR” (XCALIBIR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For these measurements XCALIBIR is configured as a spherical Fizeau interferometer providing a field of view of 44°. To measure the radius, a variant of the well known interferometric radius bench method is used. Careful alignment of phase measuring and displacement measuring interferometers enables us to achieve a standard measurement uncertainty for the sphere radius of about 5 parts in 107. The measurement of the form error is complicated because the entire sphere surface cannot be imaged in one measurement. Instead, 138 overlapping areas of the sphere surface are measured. A “stitching” algorithm is then employed to assemble these measurements into a form error map for the entire surface. We show that form errors can lead to considerable uncertainty in the radius of a sphere obtained through a radius-of-curvature measurement with the radius bench method.
Minimization of dead-periods in MRI pulse sequences for imaging oblique planes

With the advent of breath-hold MR cardiac imaging techniques, the minimization of TR and TE for oblique planes has become a critical issue. The slew rates and maximum currents of gradient amplifiers limit the minimum possible TR and TE by adding dead-periods to the pulse sequences. We propose a method of designing gradient waveforms that will be applied to the amplifiers instead of the slice, readout, and phase encoding waveforms. Because this method ensures that the gradient amplifiers will always switch at their maximum slew rate, it results in the minimum possible dead-period for given imaging parameters and scan plane position. A GRASS pulse sequence has been designed and ultra-short TR and TE values have been obtained with standard gradient amplifiers and coils. For some oblique slices, we have achieved shorter TR and TE values than those for nonoblique slices.
Dichloroacetic acid pretreatment of male and female rats increases chloroform metabolism in vitro

The role of metabolism in dichloroacetic acid (DCA) potentiation of CHCl3 hepatotoxicity was investigated. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were given three doses (09:00, 16:00 and 09:00 the next morning) of DCA (each 2.45 mmol/kg) by gavage. The rats were euthanized 3 h after the last dose, hepatic microsomes were prepared and 14CHCl3 metabolism was measured in vitro. The binding of 14CHCl3-derivatives to microsomal proteins and lipids was increased 65 and 100%, respectively, in DCA-treated rats compared to their respective NaCl-treated controls. The formation of CO2 (nmol 14CO2/incubation) was significantly elevated in DCA-treated rats compared to controls (10.4 vs 6.3 in males; 10.8 vs 6.1 in females). DCA treatment decreased the apparent Michaelis constant (Km app) for conversion of 14CHCl3 to 14CO2 in rats (0.665 vs 0.415 mM in males, P < 0.05; 0.161 vs 0.081 in females). 14CO2 production and 14C binding were observed under N2 atmosphere, indicating that reactive metabolites of 14CHCl3 were formed by oxidation as well as reduction. Male and female rats metabolized CHCl3 differently. The Km app for CO2 production was up to 5-fold higher in the males than in the females, regardless of DCA treatment. Inhibition by SKF 525-A and piperonyl butoxide was gender dependent in both control and DCA-treated groups. The results showed, that increased bioactivation of CHCl3 by DCA treatment is one element in the DCA-CHCl3 interaction.
Robust covariance estimates based on resampling

Copyright (c) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Many asymptotic covariance estimates are generated using uncontaminated model distributions and thus are often based in part on the information matrix. Such covariance estimators have a low breakdown point (Donoho and Huber, 1983; Huber, 1981; Hampel et al., 1986, p.98; Lopuhaa and Rousseeuw, 1991r, even if the estimate itself has a high breakdown point. These covariance estimates will not be reliable when there are outliers present. As alternative estimates of variability for robust estimators, we consider using the bootstrapped or jackknifed sample covariance matrix. As will be shown in this paper, the bootstrapped sample covariance matrix can have a breakdown point of 1/n regardless of the breakdown point of the estimator; thus both bootstrapped and asymptotic covariance estimates may be heavily influenced by outliers even if the original estimate is not. This is not the case for the jackknifed sample covariance matrix. If an estimate is not heavily influenced by outliers, its jackknifed sample covariance estimate is not likely to be heavily influenced by outliers. On the other hand, the jackknife, but not the bootstrap, may have a low breakdown point because the covariance estimate can often be shifted to zero by shifting a few points.
Changes in upper stratospheric CH4 and NO2 as measured by HALOE and implications for changes in transport

Measurements from HALOE indicate that there has been a significant decrease in CH4 in the middle to upper stratosphere from 1991–1997. Two dimensional model calculations suggest that a decrease in the tropical upwelling is the most plausible explanation for the CH4 decrease. The changes in CH4 resulting from solar cycle variations or changes in tropospheric CH4 and CFC emission rates are shown to be much smaller than the measured variations from ∼35–65 km. The HALOE measurements of NO2 in the lower stratosphere near the equator also show an increase which is consistent with a reduction in the upward transport rate. Above ∼40 km the NO2 measurements appear to be consistent with the net effect of opposing solar and dynamical trends.
Efficiency of uptake of hexachlorobenzene from water by the tellinid clam, Macoma nasuta

Abstract A study was undertaken to determine the efficiency with which a marine deposit-feeding clam ( Macoma nasuta ) extracted hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from water (EPW). An exposure chamber (clambox) was designed that separated the inhalant and exhalant siphons, allowing the collection of ventilated water. Seawater dosed with 14 C-labeled HCB was pumped into the inhalant chamber of the clambox. Clams were exposed to three temperatures (12, 17, 22°C) to vary weight-specific ventilation volume ( Vg ). Loss of HCB from the exhalant chamber precluded determination of EPW from the difference in HCB concentrations between the inhalant and exhalant chambers. Instead, gross EPW was calculated by dividing the HCB tissue residues by the amount of HCB to which the clam was exposed (water ventilated × the HCB concentration). Gross EPW averaged 82%. Correcting for non-gill uptake (surface sorption of HCB), gill EPW averaged 64–66%, and did not decrease with increasing Vg . In M. nasuta, Vg varied less than two-fold, which may explain the lack of a ventilation effect on EPW. HCB tissue residues were linearly related ( R 2 = 0.93) to gill exposure. The linear relationship between tissue residues and exposure supports a bioenergetics-based bioaccumulation model and indicates that factors that increase Vg , such as low oxygen concentrations, would result in more rapid uptake and a greater body burden.
NORADRENERGIC MECHANISMS AND THE CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIONS OF NITROGLYCERIN

Abstract In this article we review noradrenergic activities of nitroglycerin in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Nitroglycerin may cause paradoxical bradycardia and occasional life threatening hypotension in patients. Intracisternal injections and microinjections of nitroglycerin into nucleus tractus solitarii produce hypotension and bradycardia, effects which mimic the baroreflex and may involve central noradrenergic mechanisms. The drug also triggers an α 2 -adrenoceptor-mediated sympatho-inhibition reflex through vagal afferents. Nitroglycerin mimics biological responses associated with sympathetic neuronal activity, e.g., increase in outflow of norepinephrine and its metabolites from perfused guinea pig atria, medulla-pons tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. The sympathomimetic effects of nitroglycerin are antagonized by pre-treatment with yohimbine or rauwolscine. Clinical studies and animal experiments show that hemodynamics of nitroglycerin and sodium nitroprusside are different. Nitroglycerin is lipophilic and the compounds readily enters cells to form nitric oxide, but sodium nitroprusside is very hydrophilic and the compound has difficulty crossing membranes. Thus, intravenous nitroglycerin-induced increases in central noradrenergic activation and inhibitory reflexes may account for at least some of the therapeutic actions and side effects of the drug. In contrast, minimal central responses are produced by intravenous administration of sodium nitroprusside.
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF FLIGHTLESSNESS IN BIRDS

I examine the hypothesis that energy conservation contributes to the evolution of a flightless condition in birds by comparing the factors that correlate with basal rate of metabolism in kiwis and flighted and flightless rails and ducks. Flightless rails have low basal rates, the level of which decreases with pectoral muscle mass. Kiwis also have low basal rates and small pectoral masses. The small pectoral masses found in flightless grebes, the flightless cormorant, and the flightless parrot suggest that these species have low basal rates. Penguins and flightless ducks, in contrast, have neither low basal rates nor small pectoral masses because these birds use their wings for locomotion. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that energy conservation contributes to the evolution of flightlessness in species in which pectoral muscle mass is reduced. On oceanic islands, rails have evolved a flightless condition repeatedly, usually in association with a small body size. Both adjustments reduce energy...
Frequency and significance of antimitochondrial antibodies in severe chronic active hepatitis.

Of 187 patients with severe chronic active hepatitis, 37 (20%) had antimitochondrial antibodies, usually of low titer (≤1∶40). To assess the significance of this finding and to identify differentiating features from primary biliary cirrhosis, 24 of these patients were compared to two groups of matched counterparts of which one lacked antimitochondrial antibodies and one had the antibodies together with typical primary biliary cirrhosis. Higher serum levels of alkaline phosphatase and an increased frequency of stainable hepatic copper were the only features that distinguished these patients from those without antimitochondrial antibodies. The response to corticosteroids was not influenced by antibody status. Histologic interpretation differentiated primary biliary cirrhosis from antibody-positive chronic active hepatitis in 91% of instances. High antibody levels (≥1∶160), immunoglobulin M concentrations (≥6.0 mg/ml), alkaline phosphatase activity (≥fourfold normal), and cholesterol elevations (≥300 mg/dl) separated the syndromes in 82% of instances. Patients with laboratory features of primary biliary cirrhosis but histologic findings of chronic active hepatitis responded to corticosteroids. We conclude that low titers of antimitochondrial antibodies are common in chronic active hepatitis, and the presence of these antibodies does not preclude a satisfactory response to corticosteroids. Histologic features are more reliable than biochemical findings in differentiating the syndromes and should be the basis for diagnosis and treatment.
Rapid thermal annealing of high-melting-point films on low-melting-point substrates

Rapid thermal annealing which involves fast heating and cooling rates, is used to activate dopants in thin-film structures yet minimize the dopant diffusion that occurs with excessive thermal exposure. Although the proper resulting electrical properties are the main concern, the structural behavior must also be considered. At the elevated annealing temperature, the heterostructure may be susceptible to both relaxation and yielding. However, the relative effect of these deformations is a function of the material properties, ramp-rate, annealing conditions, and wafer geometry, In particular, for a high-melting-point film on a lower-melting-point substrate, the substrate will experience the inelastic effects prior to the film. More specifically, because germanium has a significantly lower melting point than silicon, previously developed processing technology for silicon cannot be applied directly to germanium processing. A numerical model has been developed to account for the thermo-mechanical effects associated with rapid thermal annealing of relaxing materials. Numerical parametric studies have been conducted for rapid thermal annealing of a thin polysilicon film on a (111) germanium substrate in order to determine the optimum processing window. Results reveal that lower annealing temperatures that still fall within the RTA regime will minimize or even eliminate the plastic damage that could occur during thermal processing.
Green Roots: Photosynthesis and Photoautotrophy in an Underground Plant Organ.

The potential for photosynthetic and photoautotrophic growth was studied in hairy root cultures of Asteraceae and Solanaceae species. Upon transfer to light, initially heterotrophic root cultures of Acmella oppositifolia and Datura innoxia greened rapidly, differentiated chloroplasts, and developed light-dependent CO2 fixation in the cortical cells. Photosynthetic potential was expressed in root cultures of all the Asteraceae genera examined (Acmella, Artemisia, Rudbeckia, Stevia, and Tagetes). Hairy roots of A. oppositifolia and D. innoxia were further adapted to photoautotrophy by growing in the presence of light and added CO2 (1–)5%) and by direct or sequential transfers into media containing progressively lower sugar concentrations. The transition to photoautotrophy was accompanied by an increase in CO2 fixation and in the specific activity of 1,5-ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/ oxygenase (Rubisco). During the adaptation of A. oppositifolia roots to photoautotrophy, the ratio of Rubisco to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase increased significantly, approaching that found in the leaves. The levels and patterns of alkaloids and polyacetylenes produced by Solanaceae and Asteraceae hairy roots, respectively, were dramatically altered in photomixotrophic and photoautotrophic cultures. Photoautotrophic roots of A. oppositifolia have been mainitained in vitro for over 2 years.
Snowline depression in the tropics during the Last Glaciation

Five primary methods have been used to reconstruct Pleistocene snowlines or equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) in the tropics (23.53N}23.53S) during the last glaciation, but each has inherent errors that limit the accuracy of the results. Additional potential errorsin determiningELA depression involveestimates of modernsnowline altitude, datingresolution, topographicreconstructionof former glaciers, orographic e!ects, the presence of rockfall debris on glaciers, and calculation of regional ELA gradients. Eustatic sea-level lowering during the last glaciation is an additional factor in#uencing estimates of ELA depression (! ELA). In cases where modern snowline lies above a mountain summit, only a minimum value for ! ELA can be obtained. At 12 tropical sites in Africa, the Americas (to 103S latitude), and Paci"c islands, estimates of average ! ELA range from 440 to 1400m, but most fall in the range of 800}1000m (mean $1" "900$135m). In a regional study of ELA depression in the southern tropical Andes (8}223S), an average ! ELA of ca. 920$250m has been reported. Based on the assumption that glacier mass balance was controlled solely by ablation-season temperature, and assuming a full-glacial temperature lapse rate of !63C/km, depression of mean annual temperature in glaciated alpine areas was ca. 5.4$0.83C. If adjusted for a sea-level fall of !120m at the glacial maximum, this value is reduced to 4.7$0.83C. The "gure is based on the (unlikely) assumption that accumulation on alpine glaciers has been invariant; nevertheless,it is similar to values of temperaturedepresson (5}6.43C)for the last glaciationobtainedfrom variousterrestrial sites, but contrasts with tropical sea-surface temperature estimates that are only 1}33C cooler than present. ! 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
REM: relational entropy-based measure of saliency

Human eye fixation points occurring during the early stages of visual processing often correspond to the loci of salient image regions. These salient regions provide us with assistance in determining the interesting parts of an image and they also lend support to our ability to discriminate between different objects in a scene. They attract our immediate attention without requiring an exhaustive scan of a scene and they possess some quality that enables them to stand out in relation to their neighbors. In this paper, we present a bottom-up measure of saliency based on the relationships exhibited among image features. We adopt the standpoint whereby the relationships among features determines more of the perceived structure in an image rather than the individual feature attributes and we seek those structures which 'pop-out.' We capture the organization within an image by employing relational distributions derived from distance and gradient direction relationships exhibited between image pixels. We demonstrate how our results coincide with human fixations. We also evaluate the performance of our measure in relation to a dominant saliency model and obtain comparable results. In an effort to derive meaningful information from an image, we investigate the significance of scale relative to our saliency measure.
Life-cycle cost economic optimization of insulation, infiltration, and solar aperture in energy-efficient houses

A total life-cycle cost economic optimization technique has been applied to the design of energy efficient residential structures in Madison, WI, and Albuquerque, NM, and building designs having a least life-cycle cost to build and heat have been determined. Economically optimum combinations of insulation values and south-facing glass areas were found for several design options at each location: high and low air infiltration rates, windows with and without night insulation, and single-day and three-day average insolation values. Above-grade wall and ceiling insulation values were found to be RSI-6.2 (R-35) and 10.6 (60) and RSI-3.5 (R-20) and 6.2 (35) for Madison and Albuquerque, respectively. Below-grade insulation values were RSI-3.5 (R-20) and RSI-1.4 (R-8) for the walls and floor of a full basement in Madison, and RSI-2.1 (R-12) for a slab on grade in Albuquerque. For nonsouth windows triple glazing was optimum for Madison and double glazing was optimum for Albuquerque. These insulation and glazing values were found to be nearly constant for those options of practical interest. For both locations, the optimum south glazing areas were found to be approximately 12% and 18% of the floor area for the low and high infiltration cases, respectively. Relationships used for the economic optimizationmore » of above and below grade insulation values are presented. A useful simplification resulting from the introduction of a weather-exposure factor for each optimally insulated surface is that the annual thermal load for all surfaces above or below grade may be calculated using the same average annual air temperature.« less
Evaluating of Dawson’s Integral by solving its differential equation using orthogonal rational Chebyshev functions

Abstract Dawson’s Integral is u ( y ) ≡ exp ( - y 2 ) ∫ 0 y exp ( z 2 ) d z . We show that by solving the differential equation d u / d y + 2 yu = 1 using the orthogonal rational Chebyshev functions of the second kind, SB 2 n ( y ; L ) , which generates a pentadiagonal Petrov–Galerkin matrix, one can obtain an accuracy of roughly ( 3 / 8 ) N digits where N is the number of terms in the spectral series. The SB series is not as efficient as previously known approximations for low to moderate accuracy. However, because the N -term approximation can be found in only O ( N ) operations, the new algorithm is the best arbitrary-precision strategy for computing Dawson’s Integral.
Describing Data: Statistical and Graphical Methods

An important step in any analysis is to describe the data by using descriptive and graphic methods. The author provides an approach to the most commonly used numeric and graphic methods for describing data. Methods are presented for summarizing data numerically, including presentation of data in tables and calculation of statistics for central tendency, variability, and distribution. Methods are also presented for displaying data graphically, including line graphs, bar graphs, histograms, and frequency polygons. The description and graphing of study data result in better analysis and presentation of data.
Miscellanea. On the optimal amount of smoothing in penalised spline regression

SUMMARY The optimal amount of smoothing in penalised spline regression is investigated. In particular, a simple closed form approximation to the optimal smoothing parameter is derived. Comparisons with its exact counterpart show it to be a useful starting point for measuring the optimal amount of smoothing in penalised spline regression. It also lends itself to the development of quick and simple rules for automatic smoothing parameter selection.
Personal Responsibility for Health? A Review of the Arguments and the Evidence at Century’s End

This article examines the continuing controversies regarding personal versus social responsibility for health as they are being played out at the turn of the century. Following a brief examination of the contested meaning of "personal responsibility for health" in recent historical context, attention is focused on the arguments for and against holding the individual to be primarily accountable for his or her health behavior. The paper then makes the case for more balanced, ecological approaches that stress individual responsibility for health within the context of broader social responsibility. The article concludes by briefly summarizing the Canadian approach to health promotion as a useful example of what such a balanced, ecological approach might look like.
Abscisic Acid synthesis and response.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the “classical” plant hormones, i.e. discovered at least 50 years ago, that regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. This chapter reviews our current understanding of ABA synthesis, metabolism, transport, and signal transduction, emphasizing knowledge gained from studies of Arabidopsis. A combination of genetic, molecular and biochemical studies has identified nearly all of the enzymes involved in ABA metabolism, almost 200 loci regulating ABA response, and thousands of genes regulated by ABA in various contexts. Some of these regulators are implicated in cross-talk with other developmental, environmental or hormonal signals. Specific details of the ABA signaling mechanisms vary among tissues or developmental stages; these are discussed in the context of ABA effects on seed maturation, germination, seedling growth, vegetative stress responses, stomatal regulation, pathogen response, flowering, and senescence.
Feature subset selection can improve software cost estimation accuracy

Cost estimation is important in software development for controlling and planning software risks and schedule. Good estimation models, such as COCOMO, can avoid insufficient resources being allocated to a project. In this study, we find that COCOMO's estimates can be improved via WRAPPER- a feature subset selection method developed by the data mining community. Using data sets from the PROMISE repository, we show WRAPPER significantly and dramatically improves COCOMO's predictive power.
G-networks and minimum cost functions

Since Hopfield's seminal work on energy functions for neural networks and their consequence for the approximate solution of optimization problems, much attention has been devoted to neural heuristics for combinatorial optimization. These heuristics are often very time consuming, because of the need for randomization or Monte Carlo simulation during the search for solutions. The class of G-networks have the nice property of being analytically solvable, product form queueing networks. Yet they have nonlinear properties (similar to those of Hopfield and other neural networks) which allow them to address similar issues such as learning and optimization. In this paper we first recall the basic queueing network model with positive and negative customers (G-network) and show that-in steady state-it minimizes a cost function which can be used for optimization problems. We illustrate this by the search for heuristic solutions to the minimum node covering problem (MCP) for graphs, which we then proceed to solve approximately using the G-network. >
A Closed-Form Planet Load Sharing Formulation for Planetary Gear Sets Using a Translational Analogy

A simplified discrete model to predict load sharing among the planets of a planetary gear set having carrier planet position errors is presented in this study. The model proposes a translational representation of the torsional system and includes any number of planets positioned at any spacing configuration. The discrete model predictions are validated by comparing them to (i) the predictions of a deformable-body planetary gear set model and (ii) planet load sharing measurements from planetary gear sets having three to six planets. A set of closed-form planet load sharing formulas are derived from the discrete model for gear sets having equally-spaced planets for conditions when all of the planets are loaded. These formulas allow, in an accurate and direct way, calculation of planet loads as a function of position errors associated with each planet.
Quality versus quantity: e-mail-centric task management and its relation with overload

It is widely acknowledged that many professionals suffer from "e-mail overload." This article presents findings from in-depth fieldwork that examined this phenomenon, uncovering six key challenges of taskmanagement in e-mail. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data suggests that it is not simply the quantity but also the collaborative quality of e-mail task and project management that causes this overload. We describe how e-mail becomes especially overwhelming when people use it for tasks that involve participation of others; tasks cannot be completed until a response is obtained and so they are interleaved. Interleaving means that the email user must somehow simultaneously keep track of multiple incomplete tasks, often with the only reminder for each one being an e-mail message somewhere in the inbox or a folder. This and other insights from our fieldwork led us to a new design philosophy for e-mail in which resources for task and project management are embedded directly within an e-mail client as opposed to being added on as separate components of the application. A client, TaskMaster, embodying these ideas, was developed and tested by users in managing their real e-mail over an extended period. The design of the client and results of its evaluation are also reported.
Evaluation of Hydrolyzed Feather Meal and Zinc Bacitracin Supplements of Various Purities in Diets of Young Turkeys

Abstract Diets varying in content of hydrolyzed feather meal and zinc bacitracin supplements of various purities were fed to 1728 turkeys from one day to seven or eight weeks of age. Hydrolyzed feather meal added at 5.0% with 3.77% ground yellow corn in the place of 8.77% soybean meal did not affect body weights but decreased feed consumption by 2.3% and increased feed efficiency by 1.9%, reflecting the corresponding increase in energy content of the diets. The observed increase in feed efficiency of 1.9 ± .6% was not significantly different from .8% expected based on a reported 2227 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram for hydrolyzed feather meal. Bacitracin increased body weights 5.8 and 5.1% when added to diets at 11.0 and 27.6 ppm in the first two experiments, and 1.4, 3.7, and 7.6% when added at 5.5, 11.0, and 27.6 ppm, respectively, in the last two experiments. Pure zinc bacitracin increased body weight as much as equivalent amounts from a crude feed grade source, indicating that zinc bacitracin is the active component and that the carrier is the crude source is apparently inactive material.
Assessing the impact of broadleaf tree structure on airborne full-waveform small-footprint LiDAR signals through simulation

Full-waveform small-footprint Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is still in the early stages of development for forest structure assessment, in part due to the complex interaction between a laser pulse and the forest structure, which is not yet fully understood. In recent years, simulation studies (which claim absolute ground truth) have sought to tackle this problem. The challenge remains to determine the limit of structural fidelity, in terms of tree structural components, that is required for waveform-based simulation studies. Understanding of such interactions could lead to improved biophysical modeling from LiDAR waveform signals. We present a simulation study that evaluates the impact of tree structural components on received waveform signals across different outgoing pulse widths and scanning angles. The simulation was performed on a small red maple (Acer rubrum) and red oak (Quercus rubra) stand. It was concluded the back-scattered waveform is dominated by the leaves, while the trunks, twigs, an...
HierVLS hierarchical docking protocol for virtual ligand screening of large-molecule databases.

To provide practical means for rapidly scanning the extensive experimental combinatorial chemistry libraries now available for high-throughput screening (HTS), it is essential to establish computational virtual ligand screening (VLS) techniques to rapidly identify out of a large library all active compounds against a particular protein target. Toward this goal we developed HierVLS, a fast hierarchical docking approach that starts with a coarse grain conformational search over a large number of configurations filtered with a fast but crude energy function, followed by a succession of finer grain levels, using successively more accurate but more expensive descriptions of the ligand−protein−solvent interactions to filter successively fewer cases. The final step of this procedure optimizes one configuration of the ligand in the protein site using our most accurate energy expression and description of the solvent, which would be impractical for all conformations and sites sampled in the coarse level. HierVLS i...
Time-varying versus time-invariant compensation for rejection of persistent bounded disturbances and robust stabilization

It is shown that time-varying compensation does not improve the optimal rejection of persistent bounded disturbances. This result is obtained by exploiting a key observation that any time-varying compensator which yields a given degree of disturbance rejection must do so uniformly over time, thereby removing any advantage of time-variation. This key observation is exploited to show that time-varying compensation does not improve the optimal rejection of disturbances, regardless of the norm used to measure the disturbances. Thus, absolutely summable, finite-energy, or persistent bounded disturbances may be treated in the same manner. It is shown that time-varying compensation does not help in the bounded-input bounded-output robust stabilization of time-invariant plants with unstructured uncertainty. In doing so, it is also shown that the small-gain theorem is both necessary and sufficient for the bounded-input bounded-output stability of certain linear time-varying plants subject to unstructured linear time-varying perturbations. >