cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis/design of multistory concrete buildings on microcomputers

Abstract A computer-aided, integrated, interactive system is developed for the analysis and design of high-rise concrete buildings under vertical, wind and earthquake loads on microcomputers. This system fulfills the need for: new approaches for input and output efficiency as they affect design operation, communication between users and hardwares, problem verification when large scale data input is involved. The system presented has several advantages: no restrictions are imposed on the number of buildings to be solved in the same run, it is a “user-friendly” system, it is interactively implemented, it requires no particular type of professional, it runs with any boundary condition, a typical run can be: analysis then design, or analysis only, or design only. Also, the input data can be checked very easily. In this manner, every participant in a project will provide a share towards this integration with no need to repeat work unnecessarily. Two phases are included. In the first one, geometry is computed or revised, eight loading cases in addition to wind and earthquake loads are considered and only analysis is conducted. In the second phase, the design is done with five options for every section. Members under concentric or eccentric loads, flexure, combined shear and torsion, combined shear and diagonal tension are considered. With the present system, two high-rise buildings were analyzed and designed. The first buildings three different shear walls and is subjected to wind loads. The second building is composed of interconnected frames and is under earthquake loads.
Mentors and School-Based Partnership: Ingredients for Professional Growth.

Abstract This study investigated the impact of a school-based teacher education partnership on the professional development of participating mentor teachers. Analysis of an initial survey administered to mentor teachers revealed 11 reoccurring responses which were organized into three broad categories. Teachers reported benefits in the categories of teaching styles, addressing student needs, and program influences. A follow-up survey asked mentors to what degree involvement in the partnership increased the behaviors/attitudes identified in the initial survey. A three-point rating scale enabled mentors to indicate the perceived degree of program impact on these benefits. Mean ratings ranged from 1.8–2.6, suggesting a fairly consistent impact of partnership involvement on mentor teachers. The overall mean rating for benefits was 2.2, indicating that mentor teachers experienced “some increase” (rating of 2) on all identified behaviors/attitudes. A mean rating of 2.6 made increased self reflection the highest...
Identification of an aspartate transfer RNA gene in maize mitochondrial DNA.

A gene for a transfer RNA (tRNA) specific for aspartic acid was identified in maize mitochondrial DNA. The nucleotide sequence and predicted secondary structure of this tRNA more closely resemble eubacterial and chloroplast aspartate tRNA genes than other mitocondrial aspartate tRNA genes. This gene is located on a 3,123 base pair EcoRl DNA fragment that also contains an elongator methionine tRNA gene. These two tRNA genes are separated by 726 nucleotides and are located on opposite strands of DNA.
Estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria are associated with persistent form of atrial fibrillation: Analysis in Japanese patients

Abstract Background Several reports have identified that decline in renal function and presence of proteinuria are closely associated with incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is still unclear whether these kidney-related markers are associated with the progression of AF from paroxysmal to persistent form. Methods and results Among the new patients who visited the Cardiovascular Institute Hospital between 2004 and 2010 (Shinken Database 2004–2010, n = 15,227), both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria were measured in 1074 AF patients (paroxysmal/persistent 579/495, respectively), who were divided into tertiles of eGFR (the borderlines were 60.07 and 73.67 ml [min −1 ] 1.73 [m −2 ], respectively), and then further divided into the two categories with/without proteinuria. The average value of eGFR was lower (63.1 ml [min −1 ] 1.73 [m −2 ] vs. 68.8 ml [min −1 ] 1.73 [m −2 ], p p = 0.006) in patients with persistent AF than in those with paroxysmal AF, respectively. In the multivariate analysis without parameters of echocardiography [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left atrial dimension (LAD)], both eGFR and proteinuria were independently associated with persistent AF, but the association was abolished when the model included LAD and LVEF. Conclusions In the present analysis with cross-sectional design, both eGFR and proteinuria were apparently linked to the persistent form of AF, but their role in the pathogenesis does not seem to exceed the atrial stretch and remodeling, represented by LAD and LVEF.
Vertical Integration in Poultry

(1959). Vertical Integration in Poultry. World's Poultry Science Journal: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 378-380.
Health literacy and decision making styles for complex antithrombotic therapy among older multimorbid adults.

Objectives To evaluate the effect of functional health literacy (FHL) on preferences for decision-making; and among those initially preferring a passive decision-making role, to explore how preferences change if their physician actively encourages their involvement.
Infrared Radiation Properties of Methyl Methacrylate Vapor

Abstract The present work reports measurements of the spectral absorptivities of the eight significant infrared bands for methyl methacrylate vapor. The experimental data were taken at low resolution for temperatures between 400 and 680 K and at a total pressure of 1 atm. Analysis of these data by the statistical narrow-band model yields the spectral-mean parameters for each band, while the wideband parameters have been correlated using both the exponential wide-band model and the Tien-Lowder continuous correlation. These correlated parameters allow convenient determination of the total emissivity, the Planck mean absorption coefficient and super-band parameters.
A circadian rhythm in the effect of thyroxine in the stimulation of metamorphosis in the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis

Abstract To determine if a circadian response to thyroxine (T4) is exhibited by Xenopus laevis tadpoles, an experiment was performed in which groups of tadpoles were maintained in thyroxine‐treated or normal water on a 12‐hr photoperiod with a water temperature of approximately 20° C. All the groups were fed daily at the onset of the photoperiod. The thyroxine‐treated tadpoles were in thyroxine‐treated water either during the light or the dark phase of the photoperiod. These tadpoles were moved into and out of the thyroxine‐treated water every 12 hrs. Similarly, control groups were moved into and out of normal water every 12 hrs. Other control groups were maintained in normal water which was changed every 48 hrs. Using tail reabsorption as an index of metamorphosis, it was found that the mean length of the tadpoles was significantly shorter in tadpoles which were exposed to thyroxine during the light phase. According to the Normal Table of Xenopus laevis (Nieuwkoop and Faber, 1975), the tadpoles exposed t...
Gaming against the greater good

Wikipedia has grown to be one of the most visited Web sites in the world. Despite its influence on popular culture and the way we think about knowledge production and consumption, the conversation about why and how it works - or whether it's credible at all - is ongoing. This paper began as an examination of what the concept of "authority" means in Wikipedia and what role rhetoric might play in manufacturing this authority. Wikipedia's editors have functioned well as a community, having collaboratively developed a comprehensive set of social norms designed to place the project before any individual. Hence ideas like authority and rhetoric have only marginal roles in day-to-day activities. This paper takes an in-depth look at these norms and how they work, paying particular attention to a relatively new guideline that exemplifies the spirit of the Wikipedia community - "Gaming the system."
Combining radial basis function surrogates and dynamic coordinate search in high-dimensional expensive black-box optimization

This article presents the DYCORS (DYnamic COordinate search using Response Surface models) framework for surrogate-based optimization of HEB (High-dimensional, Expensive, and Black-box) functions that incorporates an idea from the DDS (Dynamically Dimensioned Search) algorithm. The iterate is selected from random trial solutions obtained by perturbing only a subset of the coordinates of the current best solution. Moreover, the probability of perturbing a coordinate decreases as the algorithm reaches the computational budget. Two DYCORS algorithms that use RBF (Radial Basis Function) surrogates are developed: DYCORS-LMSRBF is a modification of the LMSRBF algorithm while DYCORS-DDSRBF is an RBF-assisted DDS. Numerical results on a 14-D watershed calibration problem and on eleven 30-D and 200-D test problems show that DYCORS algorithms are generally better than EGO, DDS, LMSRBF, MADS with kriging, SQP, an RBF-assisted evolution strategy, and a genetic algorithm. Hence, DYCORS is a promising approach for wate...
Quick identification of gases for enhancing heat transfer in turbulent pipe flows using standard correlation equations for the convective coefficient and the friction factor

Abstract This paper addresses a simple algebraic procedure for the quick identification of gases (different than air) that are capable of enhancing heat transfer in turbulent pipe flows while causing small-to-moderate accretions in pressure drops. Relying on standard correlation equations for the convective coefficient and the friction factor, the algebraic procedure is centered on the existing competition between the four intervening thermophysical properties: density ρ, viscosity η, specific heat capacity at constant pressure cp and thermal conductivity λ. To judge the ability of a candidate gas, a figure-of-merit articulating the convective coefficient h and the pressure drop Δp is chosen. Fixing the length-to-diameter ratio L/D of the pipe along with the average fluid velocity uave, it turns out that the h Δ p ratio is directly proportional to λ c p and inversely proportional to η approximately. In this way, the units of the h Δ p ratio are closely equivalent to the units of the specific heat capacity cp. A case study involves twenty five gases (pressure of 1 atm and temperature of 300 K) commonly used in turbulent forced convection pipe flows for industrial applications. It is demonstrated that the three better gases are helium, hydrogen and methane. Qualitatively, helium is superior to air by a factor of 5.22, hydrogen is superior to air by a factor of 3.58 and methane is superior by a factor of 2.24.
Phase 1 Study of a Recombinant Mutant Protective Antigen of Bacillus anthracis

A phase 1 study of a recombinant mutant protective antigen (rPA) vaccine was conducted in 186 healthy adults aged 18 to 45 years. Volunteers were randomized to receive one of three formulations of rPA (formalin treated, alum adsorbed, or both), in 10- or 20-μg dosages each, or the licensed vaccine, AVA. Three injections were given at 2-month intervals and a 4th 1 year after the 3rd. Vaccinees were examined at the clinic once following each injection, at 48 to 72 h postinjection. Adverse reactions were recorded in diaries for 7 days. Sera were collected before each injection and 1 week after the 1st, 2 weeks after the 3rd and 4th, and 1 year after the 4th. Serum anti-PA IgG was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and toxin neutralization assay (TNA). All formulations at both dosages were safe and immunogenic, inducing booster responses, with the highest antibody levels following the 4th injection (354 to 732 μg/ml). The lowest levels were induced by the formalin-only-treated rPA; there was no statistical difference between levels induced by alum-adsorbed and formalin-treated/alum-adsorbed rPA or by the two dosages. The antibody levels declined in all groups during the 1-year intervals after the 3rd and 4th injections but less so during the 2nd year, after the 4th injection (fold decreases were 10 to 25 versus 3.4 to 7.0, P < 0.001). There were too few AVA recipients for statistical comparisons, but their antibody levels followed those of rPA. Anti-rPA measured by ELISA correlated with TNA titers (r = 0.97). These data support studying alum-adsorbed rPA in children.
Addressing Disparities through Coalition Building: Alabama REACH 2010 Lessons Learned

Community-based coalitions have become accepted vehicles for addressing complex health problems. Few articles have described the challenges and lessons learned from such a process. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: 1) to describe the processes involved in building and maintaining the REACH 2010 Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Coalition (ABCCCC) and 2) to highlight the lessons learned from this venture. Principles from community-based participatory research were used 1) to establish and maintain the ABCCCC, 2) to build coalition capacity, and 3) to develop breast and cervical cancer interventions. Over 95% of our coalition has been maintained over a 7-year period. The ABCCCC received a total of 17 breast and cervical cancer mini-grants. Adherence to ground rules such as exhibiting respect and trust and practicing open communication helped to solidify our partnership. Lessons learned from the ABCCCC can provide others with an in-depth exploration of the processes involved in coalition formation and maintenance.
Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr and U–Th–Pb systematics of granulite facies rocks from Fyfe Hills, Enderby Land, Antarctica

Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr and U–Th–Pb systematics of granulite facies rocks from Fyfe Hills, Enderby Land, Antarctica
Development of a Master-Slave Robotic System for MRI-Guided Intracardiac Interventions

Restricted space inside the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner bore prevents surgeons to directly interact with the patient during MRI-guided procedures. This motivates the development of a robotic system that can act as an interface during those interventions. In this paper, we present a master-slave robotic system as a solution to the aforedescribed issue. The proposed system consists of a commercial PHANTOM device (product of The Sensable Technologies) as the master robot and an MRI-compatible patient-mounted parallel platform (that we name ROBOCATH) designed to serve as the slave mechanism inside the scanner bore. We present in this paper the design principles for the platform, as well as the PID control design for the system. We use our experimental setup to evaluate the performance of the system by examining the effectiveness of the slave platform in tracking the reference trajectories generated by the master robot.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Resolution of the Klein paradox for spin-1/2 particles

The problem of a relativistic spin-1/2 particle scattering from a step potential is solved within the theoretical framework of relativistic dynamics. This treatment avoids the Klein paradox. An experiment for testing the theory is suggested.
Increment and decrement visual thresholds

Increment and decrement contrast thresholds have been measured for stimuli 15 min to 4.3° diam and repeated durations of 20 to 1000 msec. The fixation point was 7° from the fovea. The increment threshold was consistently greater than decrement threshold.
Ethics and the Science of Animal Minds

Ethicists have commonly appealed to science to bolster their arguments for elevating the moral status of nonhuman animals. I describe a framework within which I take many ethicists to be making such appeals. I focus on an apparent gap in this framework between those properties of animals that are part of the scientific consensus, and those to which ethicists typically appeal in their arguments. I will describe two different ways of diminishing the appearance of the gap, and argue that both of them present challenges to ethicists seeking a firm scientific basis for their claims about the moral status of animals. I argue that more clarity about the role of appeals to science by applied ethicists leads to questions about the effectiveness of such appeals, and that these questions might best be pursued empirically.
Polyethenoid fatty acid metabolism. V. Proöxidant-antioxidant effect.

Abstract 1. 1. Fat-deficient rats have been supplemented with linoleate or linolenate alone, and with these plus tocopherol or benzoyl peroxide in an attempt to learn if “oxidative or reductive status” of the animal has any effect upon the metabolic conversions of linoleate and linolenate to more highly unsaturated acid. 2. 2. The conversions of linoleate to arachidonate, linolenate to arachidonate, and linolenate to hexaenoate are not affected by supplementation with either tocopherol or benzoyl peroxide in the test doses of unsaturated esters. However, the conversion of linoleate to hexaenoate is greatly increased by feeding the prooxidant, benzoyl peroxide, with the test doses of linoleate. 3. 3. Growth response is greatest when benzoyl peroxide is fed with the linoleate, least when benzoyl peroxide is fed alone. Thus the apparent toxic effect of benzoyl peroxide is reversed when fed with unsaturated fat. 4. 4. Total body fatty acids is greatest when benzoyl peroxide is fed with unsaturated ester, least when benzoyl peroxide is fed alone.
Projection based scatter depth functions and associated scatter estimators

In this article, we study a class of projection based scatter depth functions proposed by Zuo [Y. Zuo, Robust location and scatter estimators in multivariate analysis, The Frontiers in Statistics, Imperial College Press, 2005. Invited book chapter to honor Peter Bickel on his 65th Birthday]. In order to use the depth function effectively, some favorable properties are suggested for the common scatter depth functions. We show that the proposed scatter depth totally satisfies these desirable properties and its sample version possess strong and n uniform consistency. Under some regularity conditions, the limiting distribution of the empirical process of the scatter depth function is derived. We also found that the aforementioned depth functions assess the bounded influence functions. A maximum depth based affine equivariant scatter estimator is induced. The limiting distributions as well as the strong and n consistency of the sample scatter estimators are established. The finite sample performance of the related scatter estimator shows that it has a very high breakdown point and good efficiency.
A nonparametric approach to analyzing large human populations.

Abstract There are many statistical techniques that require the assumption that the population being studied is normally distributed—regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time series analysis, and so on. Unfortunately, as the development of survey sampling has long acknowledged, large human populations are usually stratified into several different subpopulations. Since the boundaries between the strata are somewhat blurred, they are not independent, so the overall distribution of the population tends to be multimodal rather than normal. In this paper, a technique is developed to find these multimodal techniques using nonparametric density estimation. Its effectiveness is demonstrated by means of an example.
Rabi oscillations in the scattering-state representation.

This paper presents an analysis of the Rabi oscillations of two-level atoms in the scattering-state representation. A collision complex obtained from a pair of identical two-level atoms is coupled to a field mode and it is found that there can be three distinct Rabi frequencies. These reduce to a single Rabi frequency for a photon distribution that is sharply peaked around an average number n\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}\ensuremath{\gg}1. One then finds that, in addition to the three frequency components in the off-diagonal element of the atomic density matrix, there are two components that are symmetrically displaced around the mode frequency at intervals of twice the Rabi frequency. They represent the collisionally induced cooperative motion of the atoms. When various observable quantities are averaged over the orientation of the complex, one obtains results that apply to many-atom systems in the binary collision approximation. Collisional effects do not enter the above results as lifetimes due to the fact that scattering states have precisely defined energies and correspond to entire particle histories. The collision potential opens up new radiative coupling channels, which collectively represent spectral line broadening. The collision potential and the radiative coupling combine to produce static and quasistatic dipole moments for the complex. At the threshold for atomic population inversion, the density matrix for the complex, as well as for an atom, becomes a constant multiple of the identity matrix, demonstrating that the threshold of stimulated emission is also a critical point for collisional effects, within the approximations of this paper.
Species variation in bladder cell and liver cell activation of acetylaminofluorene

The metabolism and mutagenicity of 2-acetylaminofluorene were measured using freshly prepared intact bladder and liver cells from the cow, dog and rat. High pressure liquid chromatography was used to separate 2-acetylaminofluorene metabolites, andSalmonella typhimurium, strain TA98, was used to detect mutagenic intermediates. Species differences as well as animal-to-animal variation within a species were observed. Mutagenic activity with 2-acetylaminofuorene was greater with cow bladder cells than with dog or rat bladder cells. However, dog bladder cells were most active in metabolizing 2-acetylaminofluorene, and rat bladder cells were least active. Liver cells from all three species metabolized 2-acetylaminofluorene to mutagens forSalmonella, with dog and cow cells being more active than rat liver cells. However, cow liver cells were the most active in metabolizing 2-acetylaminofuorene, followed by rat and dog cells. With all cell types studied, except rat bladder cells, aminofluorene was the major metabolite detected. Carbon and N-hydroxylated products were produced by liver and bladder cells of the three species and glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of the metabolites were detected from both cell types. Correlations between mutagenic activity and the level of metabolism or any individual metabolite were not apparent. The data suggest that the relative contribution of bladder cell metabolism in aromatic amine induced bladder cancer may vary with the species.
A generalization of methods for determining g tensors

Abstract A generalization of the usual methods for obtaining the principal values, and directions of the principal axes, of the g tensor from single-crystal ESR data has been derived. The formalism of this article converts the inherent overspecification of tensor elements into a determination of three rotational misalignments, and so improves the accuracy of the g-tensor parameters. The procedures developed have been applied to the determination of g tensors from rotations about orthogonal axes, monoclinic axes, coplanar axes, or general axes. The coplanar and general cases should prove useful in determining g tensors for needle-shaped crystals and for crystals with inconvenient face development. The equations have been cast in a convenient form for computer programming and a program has been written.
Difficulty demonstrating estradiol-mediated Erk1/2 phosphorylation in MCF-7 cells

While some studies report that estradiol (E2) activates extracellular-signal regulated kinase (Erk1/2) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, others report E2 does not activate this signaling pathway. This study attempted to resolve the conflicting reports by investigating experimental variables that could impact Erk1/2 activation using a high through-put assay that quantitatively assessed Erk1/2 phosphorylation. Variables tested included: cell staging and dosing regimes with and without charcoal-stripped serum, different MCF-7 cell sublines and culture densities and several E2 formulations and solvents. Levels of phosphorylated Erk1/2 were normalized to cellular protein rather than to total Erk1/2 protein because an antibody purported to recognize total Erk1/2 preferentially reacted with non-phosphorylated Erk1/2, potentially exaggerating the apparent level of Erk1/2 activation. Dosing MCF-7 cells with E2 containing small amounts of stripped serum induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation; however, this induction was largely attributed to serum factors. E2 administered in serum-free medium did not significantly alter Erk1/2 phosphorylation under any condition tested; immunocytochemistry corroborated this conclusion. While phosphatase inhibitors generally increased Erk1/2 phosphorylation, they did not impact E2-altered Erk1/2 phosphorylation. It remains important to resolve the basis of conflicting reports regarding E2-induced Erk1/2 activation due to the potential importance of this pathway on breast cancer and other processes.
Performance on a Skilled Task after Physical Work or in a High Altitude Environment

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effects of heavy physical work and of a high terrestrial environment on the complex psychomotor skill of pistol firing. Six Ss walked on a treadmill, using the titration procedure, to four different degrees of fatigue. With instructions for either rapid or accurate firing, S, on a light signal, got off the treadmill and fired six shots. Scores were analyzed in terms of time from the turning on of the light until the pistol was picked up, time to fire the first shot, time to fire the remaining five shots in a series, and the accuracy of all six shots. Time to fire the pistol on the first shot and time to fire the remaining five shots were affected by treatments. The effects on pistol shooting of a high terrestrial environment were studied in eight men taken rapidly from sea level to an altitude of 14,110 ft. The same general procedures were used but no fatigue was induced. High altitude increased speed of firing and decreased accuracy.
Nutrition Knowledge and Confidence Levels of Parents of Children With Cystic Fibrosis

Optimal growth and nutrition status predict better lung function and longevity for children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Daily nutrition therapy for children with CF requires adequate food resources,...
Pigmented villonodular synovitis in a military trainee with ankle pain.

A 19-year-old male presented to a direct access physical therapy clinic with a complaint of left ankle pain after “rolling it” multiple times on uneven terrain. The physical therapist, having imaging privileges, ordered ankle radiographs due to the patient's severe tenderness and difficulty with weight bearing. Except for medial soft tissue swelling, the radiographs were interpreted as normal by the radiologist. The physical therapist, however, observed a radiographic lucency within the talar neck and ordered magnetic resonance imaging to further evaluate the area of concern. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 2.3 x 1.1 x 1.4-cm mass on the anterior aspect of the medial talus, producing a well-defined, 8-mm-diameter erosion into the talar neck. The patient was diagnosed with pigmented villonodular synovitis. The patient was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. Treatment included excision of the mass followed by thorough curettage and treatment of the talar lesion. The patient subsequently returned to fu...
Cytokine production and surface antigen expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in postmenopausal osteoporosis

It was reported earlier that IL-1 production by cultured monocytes and the ratio of helper (CD4) to suppressor (CD8) lymphocytes in peripheral blood are different in osteoporotic compared to nonosteoporotic subjects. We examined these and several other parameters related to the biosynthetic activity and differentiation status of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in untreated osteoporotic postmenopausal women (age 65 +/- 7, n = 46), nonosteoporotic postmenopausal women (age 55 +/- 3, n = 20), and nonosteoporotic premenopausal women (age 37 +/- 7, n = 8), as defined by spine density. We found that unstimulated monocytes from osteoporotics did not produce detectable IL-1 beta as determined by ELISA. In addition, there were no significant differences between osteoporotics and nonosteoporotics in IL-1 beta or IFN-gamma production by PBMC stimulated with OKT3, a monoclonal antibody to the T cell-receptor complex. The proliferative response of lymphocytes to OKT3 was significantly less (p < 0.02) in osteoporotics compared to nonosteoporotic post- and premenopausal women; multiple-regression analysis, however, indicated that this difference was not due to bone density but to age. Flow cytometric analysis of PBMC revealed no difference between osteoporotics and nonosteoporotics in the distribution of 18 phenotypic subsets determined, including CD4- or CD8-positive lymphocytes or the ratio of CD4 to CD8 cells. Further, there was no correlation of the surface markers with bone density, the exceptions being the subsets expressing the CD3/CD56 and CD8/CD56 markers, which were inversely related to spine density in the osteoporotic women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
GENVIS: a sequence visualization technique for genomic DNA

We describe a software platform in which large DNA sequence datasets may be visualized by techniques which readily reveal patterns and insights. Initially we have focused on providing accurate statistical visualizations rather than qualitative presentations. The first application of this platform visualizes properties of DNA sequence strings of any size as a function of string position (for example, in a large chromosome). We provide an example in which we visualize the ratio of found to expected frequency of occurrence for specific sequence strings (AAAA and TTTT) and show these reveal interesting patterns in that DNA string (yeast chromosome III). For flexibility, any new function, calculated from the sequence string, may be added to the software platform.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Determination of canine olfactory thesholds using operant laboratory methods

This paper reports the results of a study using operant conditioning methods under laboratory conditions to determine the absolute threshold of dogs to an explosive compound. Testing was conducted in a behavioral laboratory setting consisting of a fully enclosed experimental chamber in which each dog worked, an olfactometer permitting the presentation of odors in precise concentrations expressed in terms of dilution of saturated vapor, and a computer that controlled all stimuli presented to the dog and recorded data. A series of daily sessions consisting of repeated trials of this procedure were conducted with 10 dogs. Throughout each session, the dilution of a saturated vapor in the air stream was systematically varied among dilutions above and below threshold, randomly alternating with clear air, until a threshold was determined. These procedures permitted the determination of absolute olfactory thresholds for a number of compounds. Data are reported regarding the variability of threshold performance across dogs for a single compound. Possible application of this testing technology to other questions are also discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Thymocyte lineage commitment: is it instructed to stochastic?

Thymocytes co-expressing the CD4 and CD8 co-receptors differentiate into mature T cells that express either CD4 or CD8 and have helper or cytotoxic functions, respectively. Recent studies indicate that commitment to the CD4+ or CD8+ lineages occurs stochastically, but retention of the appropriate co-receptor is required to complete development.
The vibrational overtone spectrum of a thin polymer film

Abstract Using photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS), vibrational overtone spectra have been obtained in organic thin films for the first time. Overtone and combination resonances for several orders above the fundamental are observed. The frequencies, relative intensities, and linewidths can be precisely determined. Assignments to specific CH bond resonances are made using the theory of anharmonic vibrations based on a Morse potential for local modes. Details of the molecular potential can be studied, as can be transition from normal to local made behavior.
Spectral bounds on plasmon resonances for Ag and Au prolate and oblate nanospheroids

Analytical expressions for the plasmon resonance frequencies of prolate and oblate spheroids and their dependence on ellipticity have been derived, and approximate bounds on these frequencies established. These formulas may be useful in tuning the plasmon resonance within certain limits. With increasing aspect ratio, the prolate spheroid resonance is red shifted relative to a sphere with no lower limit under the assumptions of a Drude dispersion model. On the other hand, the oblate resonances are blue shifted as the spheroid becomes increasingly flat, but up to a limit.
Distributed higher-order text mining: theory and practice

This highlight discusses the current and ongoing research into distributed higher-order text mining, as implemented using the DiHO ARM algorithm in the D-HOTM system. The DiHO ARM algorithm performs association rule mining in the absence of full knowledge of a global schema on distributed data that is neither vertically nor horizontally fragmented. The D-HOTM system encapsulates the DiHO (and potentially any other) rule-mining algorithm in a distributed system, designed as an extensible digital toolset for data analysts in law enforcement, counterterrorism, health care and other application domains.
Detection of Putative Loci Affecting Milk, Health, and Conformation Traits in a US Holstein Population Using 105 Microsatellite Markers

Quantitative trait loci affecting milk yield, health, and conformation traits were studied for eight large US Holstein grandsire families by using the granddaughter design. A total of 105 microsatellite markers, located throughout the bovine genome, were selected for the scan. The data analyzed include genotypes for 35 markers in eight families not previously reported and genotypes for 70 markers reported previously in seven of those families. Analyses of markers previously reported were updated. Effects of marker alleles were analyzed for 38 traits, including traits for milk production, somatic cell score, productive life, conformation, calving ease, and 16 canonical traits derived from conformation and production traits. Permutation tests were used to calculate empirical trait-wise error rates. A trait-wise critical value of P = 0.1 was used to determine significance. Eight putative quantitative trait loci associated with 7 of the 35 new markers were identified within specific families. Two of these markers were associated with differences in strength and rump angle on chromosomes 4 and 9, respectively. Different markers were associated with protein percentage, milk yield, and somatic cell score on chromosomes 6, 7, and 10 in different families. Differences in the canonically transformed traits were associated with markers on chromosomes 5, 6, and 9. Additional marker-trait combinations were identified in the across-family tests, including effects on chromosomes 3, 4, and 9 for protein percentage, body depth, and canonical conformation traits, respectively. Additional markers are being added to allow interval analysis for putative quantitative trait loci that have been identified and to increase marker density.
Electrochemical Properties of a Copper Fluorophosphate Electrode Material Fabricated By Mechanochemical Synthesis

Cu 2 PO 4 F is fabricated through a mechanochemical process involving the high-energy milling of CuF 2 and phosphate precursors. For the first time, the electrochemical properties of this phosphate fluoride vs lithium are investigated.
Conductance of Molecular Wires: Influence of Molecule−Electrode Binding

We report on the effect of modifying the molecule−electrode binding interface of an α,α‘-xylyl-dithiol molecular wire. We find that except for the length of the surface bond, the conductance is not affected by variations of the surface geometry. We also compare the conductance of different terminal atom−electrode metal combinations and find that the conductance is substantially larger when the wire is terminated by selenium rather than sulfur or oxygen. We also find that gold makes a better electrode than silver.
Minimum-zone form tolerance evaluation using particle swarm optimisation

Robust and accurate evaluation of form tolerances is of paramount importance in today's world of precision engineering. Present-day Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) and other optical scanning machines operate at high speed and have a high degree of accuracy and repeatability which are capable of meeting the stringent measurement requirements. However, the evaluation algorithms used in conjunction with them are not robust and accurate enough, because of the highly non-linear nature of the minimum-zone form tolerance formulation. Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) have proved effective in solving non-linear optimisation problems. In this paper, Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) is employed to evaluate various minimum-zone form tolerances. An unconstrained formulation of the minimum-zone form tolerance is used for the optimisation. The methodology is validated by testing on several datasets from published literature and yields equal or better results than other existing minimum-zone algorithms. It is also extremely robust and the quality of the results is not affected by the number of points in the dataset.
Long-term follow-up of patients with clubfeet treated with extensive soft-tissue release.

Background: Although long-term follow-up studies have shown favorable results, in terms of foot function, after treatment of idiopathic clubfoot with serial manipulations and casts, we know of no long-term follow-up studies of patients in whom clubfoot was treated with an extensive surgical soft-tissue release. Methods: Forty-five patients (seventy-three feet) in whom idiopathic clubfoot was treated with either a posterior release and plantar fasciotomy (eight patients) or an extensive combined posterior, medial, and lateral release (thirty-seven patients) were followed for a mean of thirty years. Patients were evaluated with detailed examination of the lower extremities, a radiographic evaluation that included grading of osteoarthritis, and three independent quality-of-life questionnaires, including the Short Form-36 Medical Outcomes Study. Results: At the time of follow-up, the majority of patients in both treatment groups had significant limitation of foot function, which was consistent across the three independent quality-of-life questionnaires. No significant difference between groups was noted with regard to the results of the quality-of-life measures, the range of motion of the ankle or the position of the heel, or the radiographic findings. Six patients who had been treated with only one surgical procedure had better ranges of motion of the ankle and subtalar joints (p < 0.004) than those who had had multiple surgical procedures. Conclusions: Many patients with clubfoot treated with an extensive soft-tissue release have poor long-term foot function. We found a correlation between the extent of the soft-tissue release and the degree of functional impairment. Repeated soft-tissue releases can result in a stiff, painful, and arthritic foot and significantly impaired quality of life. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Supporting Vulnerable Preschool Children: Connecting the Dots Before Kindergarten

Forty-one years ago, the infant son of President John F. Kennedy died at Children’s Hospital in Boston after being born 5.5 weeks prematurely and weighing 2.1 kg.1 At that time, there were no regional systems of maternal transport and neonatal care, no National Institute of Child Health and Human Development or program projects supporting research in developmental biology, no screening for genetic disorders that cause mental retardation, no Head Start programs, and no laws ensuring that children with challenges would have the supports required to succeed in school and the community. Three decades later President George H.W. …
Non — Stiffened Steel Webs with Flanges under Patch Loading

The paper presents selected results of experimental research into the behaviour of steel webs subjected to partial edge loadings. The deformations of webs as well as their stress state including plastification are studied. A general method for derivation of empirical forms for predicting the load-carrying capacity is presented.
Studies on the effect of filtering, digitization, and computation algorithm on the ABC-DQ current transformation in PWM inverter drive system

In the automotive industry, PWM inverter controlled drive systems find extensive applications in electric vehicles and other motion control systems. A PWM inverter controlled three-phase brushless synchronous motor drive requires a microprocessor based controller to implement the control algorithms. The practical implementation of the control algorithms sometimes calls for the use of lookup tables involving discretized quantities. All these processes and the devices introduce nonidealities and errors in the drive system. Of particular importance in such a system is the ABC-DQ current transformations when vector control is implemented. In automotive applications, the emphasis is to design and realize accurate motion control systems in the most economic manner possible. Hence the effects of filtering, digitization, quantization, and digital computation algorithms and the accompanying inaccuracies introduced by them during the ABC-DQ current transformation in PWM drive system have to be dealt with in a careful manner for an optimum and economic choice of system design to be possible. Some of these aspects are discussed in this paper. The studies lead to a better understanding of the importance of various parameters of power electronics systems and in turn contribute towards the proper selection of parameters and therefore help the design process. >
The Role of β-Transducin Repeat-Containing Protein (β-TrCP) in the Regulation of NF-κB in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Objective— Degradation of IκB is an essential step in nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. However, the determinants regulating this process have not been defined in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We hypothesized that the E3-ligase, β-transducin repeat-containing protein 1 (β-TrCP1), was a rate-determining mediator that regulates the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of IκBα (in VSMC). Methods and Results— Upregulation of β-TrCP1 accelerated the rate of IκBα degradation, leading to increased NF-κB activity. In contrast, VSMCs harboring a dominant-negative β-TrCP1 transgene lacking the F-box domain exhibited a reduction in serum-stimulated NF-kB activity but no alteration in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These findings suggest that β-TrCP1 increases the rate of NF-κB activation but is not rate-limiting in response to TNF in VSMCs. Endogenous β-TrCP1 expression was regulated through the conserved Wnt cascade. Upregulation of Wnt1 resulted in β-catenin–mediated activation of Tcf-4, leading to increased β-TrCP1 expression and NF-κB activity. Furthermore, VSMCs harboring a Tcf-4 mutant lacking a β-catenin binding domain exhibited a significant reduction in β-TrCP1 expression along with abolishment of NF-κB activity. Conclusions— We provide the first evidence of crosstalk between the Wnt cascade and NF-κB signaling in VSMCs. This crosstalk is mediated through the E3-ligase, β-TrCP1.
Distributed Active Radiator arrays for efficient doubling, filtering, and beam-forming

Distributed Active Radiator (DAR) arrays are demonstrated as novel ways of harmonic generation, radiation, and filtration to generate power at frequencies above the cut-off frequency of a technology. As proofs-of-concept, 2×1 and 2× 2 arrays of DAR with beam-forming are implemented on PCB, which are designed to oscillate at the fundamental frequency of 1.25GHz, while radiating (circularly-polarized) at the doubling frequency of 2.5GHz. The measured EIRP of 2× 1 and 2× 2 arrays are 7.46dBm and 12.96dBm, respectively, at 2.5GHz with a DC-to-radiated 2nd harmonic conversion of 0.8%. Almost 40° of beam-steering at 2.5GHz was measured in 2D space for the 2×2 array and more than 15dB suppression of the first and third harmonic compared to the desired second harmonic was measured in the radiated far-field.
Parameter Estimation of Reliability Model of Hydraulic System for Vibratory Roller Based on Adaptive Linear Neural Network

Aimed at reliability model of hydraulic system of the vibratory roller, combined adaptive linear neural network technique with system reliability engineer theory, a way for parameter estimation of reliability model based on adaptive linear neural network was developed. The model parameters and function of reliability for the first fault time of hydraulic system of the vibratory roller was gained by this means. The parameters estimation of the reliability model could quickly obtained if the life data of the known probability distribution was input to the model of the adaptive linear neural network. Compared with graphic method and analytic method, this method was operated more easily in the engineering.
Controls on the movement and composition of firn air at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide

We sampled interstitial air from the perennial snowpack (firn) at a site near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Di- vide (WAIS-D) and analyzed the air samples for a wide vari- ety of gas species and their isotopes. We find limited convec- tive influence (1.4-5.2 m, depending on detection method) in the shallow firn, gravitational enrichment of heavy species throughout the diffusive column in general agreement with theoretical expectations, a 10 m thick lock-in zone begin- ning at 67 m, and a total firn thickness consistent with pre- dictions of Kaspers et al. (2004). Our modeling work shows that the air has an age spread (spectral width) of 4.8 yr for CO2 at the firn-ice transition. We also find that advection of firn air due to the 22 cm yr 1 ice-equivalent accumula- tion rate has a minor impact on firn air composition, caus- ing changes that are comparable to other modeling uncertain- ties and intrinsic sample variability. Furthermore, estimates of 1age (the gas age/ice age difference) at WAIS-D appear to be largely unaffected by bubble closure above the lock-in zone. Within the lock-in zone, small gas species and their isotopes show evidence of size-dependent fractionation due to permeation through the ice lattice with a size threshold of 0.36 nm, as at other sites. We also see an unequivocal and unprecedented signal of oxygen isotope fractionation within the lock-in zone, which we interpret as the mass-dependent expression of a size-dependent fractionation process.
Branched trajectory optimization by the projected gradient technique

Branched trajectory optimization for split rocket vehicles using projected gradient or steepest descent method
Star operations and primitive polynomials

Let D be an integral domain with quotient field K. We investigate conditions under which certain primitive polynomials are products of principal primes. Let * be a finite character star operation on D[X] (e.g., * = d or t) and let * also denote the star operation induced on D by I * = (I[X])* ∩ K where I denotes a nonzero fractional ideal of D. Then the following conditions are equivalent: (1) D is integrally closed and each *-invertible *-ideal is principal, (2) If P is a prime upper to 0 containing an f ∈ D[X] with , then P is principal, and (3) For f ∈ D[X] with f is a product of principal primes.