cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precision Stabilization Requirements for Long-Range Acquisition Systems

Presently Army systems are under development to perform long-range engagement of tank type targets with Antitank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from heliborne platforms. This gives rise to the requirement for systems to perform long-range target acquisition. In order to recognize a tank target from low altitudes (nap-of-the-earth), at long standoff ranges, and under realistic battlefield conditions, a number of complex system design problems must be solved. High acuity electro-optical sensors which are needed to achieve recognition criteria require precision inertial stabilization of the line-of-sight (LOS). This problem is particularly difficult when the mission is performed under the dynamic environment of an attack helicopter. Various LOS stabilization concepts have been investigated to determine their relative merits with respect to meeting the precision stabilization performance requirement.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dynamic loading and altered contractility modulate nuclear deformation and nesprin expression

Nesprins 1 and 2 are important nucleo-cystokeletal protens responsible for strain transfer to the nucleus. Here, we show that contractility is necessary for this strain transfer to occur, and that TGF-β3 induced differentiation and dynamic loading of mesenchymal stem cells result in alterations in nesprin expression that could potentially impact mechanotrasduction in these cells.
A method to enhance the magnitude of tactile hypersensitivity following spinal nerve ligation in rats.

Abstract Background The rat L5/L6 spinal nerve ligation model (SNL) has been widely used to investigate putative analgesics. Pursuit of novel therapies in preclinical settings requires models with consistent and reproducible phenotypes. New method We assessed the effects of repetitive stimulation of the hindpaws of SNL and Sham surgery rats during the 2 weeks immediately after surgery on the overall rate of achieving tactile hypersensitivity, as well as the magnitude of the hypersensitivity compared to unprimed rats. Beginning on day 2 post-surgery, and continuing on alternate days for a total of seven sessions, animals underwent light brushing/tapping (termed priming) of the hindpaws ipsilateral and contralateral to surgery. Results Priming the ipsilateral hindpaw enhanced the magnitude of tactile hypersensitivity such that the baseline withdrawal threshold (BWT) for primed SNL animals was significantly lower than unprimed SNL animals over post-surgical days 15–29. BWT was not different between primed and unprimed Sham rats. The percentage of SNL primed animals meeting the a priori criterion for tactile hypersensitivity of paw withdrawal threshold less than 2.0 grams was 98.9% ± 1.1%. Comparison with existing method SNL rats that did not receive stimulation (unprimed) showed significantly higher baseline hypersensitivity when evaluated on days 15–29, exemplified by only 34.5% ± 7.2% meeting the established Conclusion Our data indicate that tactile priming during the 2 weeks immediately after SNL surgery enhances the magnitude of tactile hypersensitivity in the SNL model, and provide an optimized assay for evaluating putative analgesics.
Robots on the Web

Today, the Internet has become a resource where human users expect to find answers. If Web information and services are so useful for human users, then why not share these resources with autonomous software and robotic systems? A significant barrier to realizing this goal is the mismatch in the design and operation of robotic systems when compared to Web-oriented paradigms such as service-oriented computing. In this article, we introduce both developmental and operational paradigms, whereas robots can be outfitted with Web-oriented software interfaces that give them access to universally standard Web resources.
Asynchronous interactions on shared data

In order to write algorithms which interact successfully on shared data, it is necessary to understand the assumptions which are made about each operation and to know whether or not the assumptions are met by the underlying hardware. There are several basic types of operations on shared data; from the number of these operations a measure of the degree of interaction between algorithms can be obtained. This measure can then be used to ensure that all instances of interaction are tested.
Metabolism of Cr(VI) by ascorbate but not glutathione is a low oxidant-generating process.

Genotoxic activity of hexavalent chromium (chromate) results from its reductive activation inside the cell. Cr(VI) metabolism in vivo is primarily driven by ascorbate (Asc) but in cultured cells by glutathione (GSH). Given the common use of cultured cells for mechanistic studies, it is important to establish whether Cr(VI) activated by Asc and GSH displays the same genotoxic properties. Using 2’,7’ dichlorofluoroscin (DCFH) as a redox sensitive probe, we found that Asc-dependent reduction of Cr(VI) in vitro under physiological conditions generated 25–80 times lower yields of oxidants compared to GSH. When both reducers were present, Asc dominated Cr(VI) metabolism and inhibited DCFH oxidation. Consistent with the findings in defined chemical reactions, restoration of physiological levels of Asc in human lung H460 cells led to the loss of their hypersensitivity to clonogenic killing by Cr(VI) in the presence of methoxyamine, which inhibits base excision repair of oxidative DNA damage. Despite suppressed oxidative damage, Asc-containing cells formed a large number of DNA double-strand breaks after exposure to a dose of Cr(VI) corresponding to the drinking water standard of 100 ppb. Our results indicate that Asc-driven metabolism of Cr(VI) shifts its genotoxicity toward nonoxidative mechanisms.
Understanding Women With Dual Diagnoses

The most common types of psychiatric diagnoses linked with substance abuse or dependence in women are defined and discussed. A framework is described to facilitate the nurse provider's understanding of the various relationships psychiatric symptoms can have to substance-using patterns. Guidelines are provided to assist the nurse in identifying problems of dual diagnoses and providing care to women with dual diagnoses in general care settings.
AUDITORY EXPERIENCE AND SONG DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHAFFINCH FRINGILLA COELEBS

Summary The present paper describes the results of experiments designed to evaluate the importance of auditory-motor experience in the development of song in the Chaffinch. For this purpose a number of Chaffinches collected as nestlings or adults were deafened by extirpating the cochlea at different ages. Recordings of their song made subsequently provide the material on which the paper is based. Since the results of the experiments can only be interpreted in the light of knowledge of normal song development, the latter is described from the observation of previous workers and from some new material. Of the 20 males deafened, only three came into full song of their own accord; song was induced in the rest by the administration of testosterone phenylacetate or testosterone propionate. Songs of abnormal length were common among first-year males though males deafened when two or more years old produced song of the normal length. The song of male Chaffinches deafened as adults, that is after they had produced full song for one or more breeding seasons, was infistinguishable from that produced by intact adult males. They even went through a “plastic” song stage in which some “intermediate” themes occurred. A first-year male deafened when it had almost stabilized its song produced song that gradually deviated more and more from normal song. This indicates that the bird had not yet laid down a long-term memory of its song independent of auditory feedback. First-year male Chaffinches deafened during early spring, mid-winter and late sumer, respectively, show that the more they were deprived of the normal period of auditory-motor experience, the simpler was the song they produced in their first spring. Thus, at the time of deafening they had acquired a particular auditory-motor experience, and it is the type of element established up to that time that is incorporated into full song. Male chaffinches brought into the laboratory as nestlings and deafened when three months old produced a virtually sfyctureless song, in which the only recognizable element was a sound reminiscent of the juvenile “chirrup”. The subsong and other calls of these birds were also highly abnormal. Song development in the Chaffinch clearly starts before song as such has made its appearance. The available evidence suggests that the kind of song a male Chaffinch produces depends directly on its auditory-motor experience before deafening. There is no indication that deafening achieves its effects on the resultant song by interfering with the hormonal substrate. Relatively stable song end patterns develop in the absence of auditory feedback, so their occurrence does not necessitate the postulation of templates or preconceived patterns. Song development differs markedly from species to species.
The role of affective and motivational factors in designing personalized learning environments

In this paper, guidelines for designing virtual change agents (VCAs) are proposed to support students’ affective and motivational needs in order to promote personalized learning in online remedial mathematics courses. Automated, dynamic, and personalized support is emphasized in the guidelines through maximizing interactions between VCAs and individual students. The strategies that VCAs convey throughout the interactions are constructed to support emotion regulation and motivation based on theories and prior research on emotions and motivation. The availability and customizability of VCAs enable the strategies to be implemented in real-time and customized for individual students. Implications of the design guidelines for personalized, online learning contexts are discussed and future research directions are recommended as well.
Convex compactness property in certain spaces of measures

In this paper, X will always denote a completely regular Hausdorff space, K the field of real or complex numbers (we will call them scalars), E a normed space, and Cb(X,E) (resp. Cb(X)) the space of all E-valued (resp. K-valued) bounded continuous functions on X. Also for any topological space Y, C(Y) will denote all K-valued continuous functions on Y. )~ will denote the Stone-Cech compactification. For a continuous: f : X--, Y, Y a topological space, f : 3~ ~ Y will denote its unique continuous extension if possible. For a linear continuous mapping ~:(Cb(X), I1" II)--'K (here I1" It is sup norm), ~ will denote the regular Borel measure on _~ defined by/] : C(X) ~K,/](g) = I~(g/X), for every g ~ cO~). As in [6]/~ can also be considered as a regular finitely additive measure on the algebra generated by zero-sets. Notations of [3] will be used. Ba(X) = Ba, Bo(X) = Bo will respectively denote the a-algebra generated by zero-sets and closed sets in X. For a compact Q c X\X , CQ(X) = { f e Cb(X), ~ = 0 on Q}. The locally convex topology, on Cb(X,E),flQ is generated by semi-norms. II'llh, heCQ(X), Ilfllh --sup IIh(x)f(x)ll. It is the finest locally convex topology agreeing with the x e X topology of uniform convergence on compact subsets of )~\Q, on norm bounded subsets of Cb(X, E) (note for a compact C C X\Q, and f ~ Cb(X, E), s u p f over C is in the sense sup IIf II ~(C)). The topology fl is defined to be
Comparison of selectivities for PCBs in gas chromatography for a series of cyanobiphenyl stationary phases

Selectivity for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners was examined for a series of cyanobiphenyl stationary phases, and the results were compared to a nonpolar 5% phenyl methylpolysiloxane phase and a shape-selective smectic liquid crystalline phase. For all of the columns studied, the degree of ortho substitution of the congener was found to be a significant factor controlling chromatographic retention of PCBs. The retention pattern on six different cyanobiphenyl phases followed the same general pattern as on the liquid crystalline column, though the trends were more exaggerated on the liquid crystalline phase. While the general retention pattern was similar for all of the cyanobiphenyl phases studied, subtle differences were observed, resulting in significant selectivity differences. For isomeric planar PCB congeners, elution order could be correlated to length-to-breadth ratios. Among the cyanobiphenyl phases, the p,p- and the o,p,p-cyanobiphenyl phases had the greatest enhancement of retention for planar congeners. A shapeselective test mixture reflected the similarity of retention on the cyanobiphenyl phases to both the 5% phenyl methylpolysiloxane phase and the smectic liquid crystalline phase. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Total and static pressure measurements of the male lower urinary tract

Simultaneous total and static urethral pressure measurements were attempted in 22 male subjects who could void around a 10-French bilumen urethral catheter. The catheter had an end-hole at its tip and a side-hole approximately 1 cm away from the end hole (short catheter-tip segment). Thus, during a single voiding attempt, simultaneous total and static urethral pressures at two different urethral sites (1 cm distance) could be recorded. In addition, suprapubic vesical pressure monitoring was done in all these subjects. The studies also included a comparison of these recordings with those obtained with a 10-French catheter that had its side-hole placed 10 cm away from the tip (long catheter-tip segment). The studies indicated that (1) the total pressure at a particular region of the urethra was usually higher than its static pressure; (2) the pressure sensing catheters produced “plugging effect” of the narrow segments of the outlet; and (3) the static pressure configurations that were obtained with a catheter having a long catheter-tip segment were markedly different from those obtained through a catheter that had a short catheter-tip segment. This presentation also includes observations on static pressure measurements obtained from a crude mechanical model that simulated the geometry of the urinary bladder and its outlet. True lateral pressures of the flowing fluid were obtained via cannulae inserted perpendicularly into the stream, through the wall of the outlet (extraluminal route). A comparison was attempted between the static pressure measurements obtained through the extraluminal route with those obtained through the catheters (10–14 French) that were directly inserted into the lumen of the outlet along its axis (intraluminal route). The studies indicated identical static pressures at the narrowest site (16–18 French) of the outlet recorded through both routes.
Signal-to-interference calculations for corner-excited cellular communications systems

Signal-to-inference ratio calculations for corner-excited cellular communications systems are presented. Specifically, the ratio of median signal power to the sum of median interference powers is considered. The interference model includes cochannel interference, and immediately adjacent as well as nonimmediately adjacent channel interference. Related system parameters are cluster size, receiver, and transmitter filter characteristics, propagation exponent, tier coverage, and directional antenna front-to-back ratio. Both mobile-to-baseand base-to-mobile communications are considered. The method and model used for calculation are more complete than any previously reported in the technical literature. The calculated results show that the effect of adjacent channel interference compared to cochannel interference cannot be ignored in general. In mobile-to-base communications, the effect of immediately adjacent channel interference introduced by an interfering mobile which is very close to the receiving base antenna is serious. >
Effect of nutrition on the production of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in mice.

The susceptibility of homozygous BSVS mice to acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADE) has been found to be nutritionally dependent. On a laboratory stock regimen of commercial fox chow pellets, whole wheat bread, and milk this genotype is 100 per cent susceptible to the disease. On a "synthetic" diet, containing a minimal list of vitamins adequate for growth and maintenance, susceptibility was found to be reduced to 15 per cent. Supplementation of the "synthetic" diet with biotin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 restored susceptibility to a frequency of 70 per cent. Increasing the supplements tenfold had no further effect in restoring susceptibility frequencies to the 100 per cent level. In the restoration of susceptibility, folic acid and vitamin B12 were equally effective as single supplements and equivalent to the triple vitamin supplement. The effect of single biotin supplementation was less. An outbreak of fatal pasteurellosis among BSVS mice latently infected with Pasteurella and used in an ADE susceptibility test has been described. The fatal pasteurellosis has been ascribed to a constellation of determinants including (a) diet, (b) sex, (c) inoculation events, and (d) latent infection with Pasteurella. With males the susceptible sex it was possible to avert the fatal pasteurellosis and continue the nutritional experiments by using females exclusively.
Mitochondrial complex I modulation targets metabolic plasticity in breast cancer cells

Background Cancer cell transformation entails significant alterations in intracellular metabolic pathways one of which is the aerobic glycolysis phenotype [1]. The original formalism of this phenotype was hypothesized by Otto Warburg in 1950s and main tenet of his hypothesis was that mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells leads to aerobic glycolysis phenotype [2]. It is not clear in the field if mitochondrial dysfunction is a necessary condition for observing the aerobic glycolysis phenotype and further it is also not known if this “metabolic switch” phenotype is reversible. We recently showed that mitochondrial dysfunction (generated by gene silencing of catalytic subunit of mitochondrial complex I in transformed cells indeed can induce metabolic switch phenotype [3]. We further demonstrated that this can be reversed for moderate mitochondrial dysfunction models. In the present study, we ask if we can achieve tumor control in preclinical animal models by systematic modulation of mitochondrial complex I function via metabolic adaption to clinically relevant pharmacological modulators of mitochondria in breast cancer cells.
Use of Antihypertensive and Antithrombotic Medications after Stroke in Community-Based Care

BACKGROUND:Secondary stroke prevention strategies include pharmacologic approaches to control hypertension and reduce thromboembolic risk.OBJECTIVE:To describe antithrombotic and antihypertensive medication use, and rates of blood pressure control in the Kansas City Stroke Study, a prospective stroke cohort receiving community-based care after primarily mild and moderate stroke.METHODS:Participants from 12 area hospitals provided information about medication use prior to stroke. Study personnel measured blood pressures at enrollment and at one, three, and six months, and collected medication data at six months during in-home assessment.RESULTS:Complete data at six months were available for 355 subjects with ischemic stroke, among whom 13% had atrial fibrillation and 67% had prior hypertension. Prior to stroke, only 45% of the patients were receiving any antithrombotic (anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet) therapy; this figure rose to 77% at six months. Antithrombotic treatment rates among those with atrial ...
SREBP-Dependent Triazole Susceptibility in Aspergillus fumigatus Is Mediated through Direct Transcriptional Regulation of erg11A (cyp51A)

As triazole antifungal drug resistance during invasive Aspergillus fumigatus infection has become more prevalent, the need to understand mechanisms of resistance in A. fumigatus has increased. The presence of two erg11 (cyp51) genes in Aspergillus spp. is hypothesized to account for the inherent resistance of this mold to the triazole fluconazole (FLC). Recently, an A. fumigatus null mutant of a transcriptional regulator in the sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) family, the ΔsrbA strain, was found to have increased susceptibility to FLC and voriconazole (VCZ). In this study, we examined the mechanism engendering the observed increase in A. fumigatus triazole susceptibility in the absence of SrbA. We observed a significant reduction in the erg11A transcript in the ΔsrbA strain in response to FLC and VCZ. Transcript levels of erg11B were also reduced but not to the extent of erg11A. Interestingly, erg11A transcript levels increased upon extended VCZ, but not FLC, exposure. Construction of an erg11A conditional expression strain in the ΔsrbA strain was able to restore erg11A transcript levels and, consequently, wild-type MICs to the triazole FLC. The VCZ MIC was also partially restored upon increased erg11A transcript levels; however, total ergosterol levels remained significantly reduced compared to those of the wild type. Induction of the erg11A conditional strain did not restore the hypoxia growth defect of the ΔsrbA strain. Taken together, our results demonstrate a critical role for SrbA-mediated regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis and triazole drug interactions in A. fumigatus that may have clinical importance.
A Study of Rock-Solution Interaction and Its Effect on Archie's Law

The electrical conductivity (?) of cylindrical cores of 25.4-mm diameter and length Pictured Cliffs sandstone (permeability range, 7 × 10-4 × 10-1 millidarcy (md); porosity range, 3.8-4.9 percent) was measured at a frequency of 1 kHz under ambient conditions after saturation in tap water. Kinetics of rock-water interaction and the effect of Soxhlet extraction on the ? of the rock were also investigated. Formation factors (F) and the ? display time-dependent behavior up to 4500 h. Smooth asymmetrical conductivity maxima occur for all samples at times which increase with increasing porosity. The observed timedependence of F in Archie's Law (F = ?-1, ? = porosity, n = a parameter) is influenced by the kinetics of ion transport between the Pictured Cliffs sandstone and the aqueous pore fluid. Soxhlet extraction lowers F, but does not significantly change its time dependence.
Depth-first vs. best-first search: new results

Best-first search (BFS) expands the fewest nodes among all admissible algorithms using the same cost function, but typically requires exponential space. Depth-first search needs space only linear in the maximum search depth, but expands more nodes than BFS. Using a random tree, we analytically show that the expected number of nodes expanded by depth-first branch-and-bound (DFBnB) is no more than O(d ċ N), where d is the goal depth and N is the expected number of nodes expanded by BFS. We also show that DFBnB is asymptotically optimal when BFS runs in exponential time. We then consider how to select a linear-space search algorithm, from among DFBnB, iterative-deepening (ID) and recursive best first search (RBFS). Our experimental results indicate that DFBnB is preferable on problems that can be represented by bounded-depth trees and require exponential computation; and RBFS should be applied to problems that cannot be represented by bounded-depth trees, or problems that can be solved in polynomial time.
Evaluation of aerosol properties over ocean from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during ACE-Asia

The Aerosol Characterization Experiment-Asia (ACE-Asia) was conducted in March-May 2001 in the western North Pacific in order to characterize the complex mix of dust, smoke, urban/industrial pollution, and background marine aerosol that is observed in that region in springtime. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides a large-scale regional view of the aerosol during the ACE-Asia time period. Focusing only on aerosol retrievals over ocean, MODIS data show latitudinal and longitudinal variation in the aerosol characteristics. Typically, aerosol optical depth (tau(sub a)) values at 0.55 micrometers are highest in the 30 deg. - 50 deg. latitude band associated with dust outbreaks. Monthly mean tau(sub a) in this band ranges approx. 0.40-70, although large differences between monthly mean and median values indicate the periodic nature of these dust outbreaks. The size parameters, fine mode fraction (eta), and effective radius (r(sub eff)) vary between monthly mean values of eta = 0.47 and r(sub eff)= 0.75 micrometers in the cleanest regions far offshore to approximately eta = 0.85 and r(sub eff) =.30 micrometers in near-shore regions dominated by biomass burning smoke. The collocated MODIS retrievals with airborne, ship-based, and ground-based radiometers measurements suggest that MODIS retrievals of spectral optical depth fall well within expected error (DELTA tau(sub a) = plus or minus 0.03 plus or minus 0.05 tau(sub a)) except in situations dominated by dust, in which cases MODIS overestimate both the aerosol loading and the aerosol spectral dependence. Such behavior is consistent with issues related to particle nonsphericity. Comparisons of MODIS-derived r(sub eff) with AERONET retrievals at the few occurrences of collocations show MODIS systematically underestimates particle size by 0.2 micrometers. Multiple-year analysis of MODIS aerosol size parameters suggests systematic differences between the year 2001 and the years 2000 and 2002, which are traced to instrumental electronic cross talk. Sensitivity studies show that such calibration errors are negligible in tau(sub a) retrievals but are more pronounced in size parameter retrievals, especially for dust and sea salt.
Identification and characterization of Pseudomonas membrane transporters necessary for utilization of the siderophore pyridine-2,6-bis(thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC).

The compound pyridine-2,6-bis(thiocarboxylic acid) (PDTC) is known to be produced and excreted by three strains of Pseudomonas. Its reactivity includes the complete dechlorination of the environmental contaminant carbon tetrachloride. PDTC functions as a siderophore; however, roles as a ferric reductant and antimicrobial agent have also been proposed. PDTC function and regulation were further explored by characterizing the phenotypes of mutants in predicted membrane transporter genes. The functions of a predicted outer-membrane transporter (PdtK) and a predicted inner-membrane permease (PdtE) were examined in Pseudomonas putida DSM 3601. Uptake of iron from 55Fe(III):PDTC, and bioutilization of PDTC in a chelated medium, were dependent upon PdtK and PdtE. Another strain of P. putida (KT2440), which lacks pdt orthologues, showed growth inhibition by PDTC that could be relieved by introducing a plasmid containing pdtKCPE. Transcriptional activation in response to exogenously added PDTC (25 μM) was unaltered by the pdtK or pdtE mutations; each mutant showed activation of a pdt transcriptional reporter, indistinguishable from an isogenic PDTC utilization-proficient strain. The data demonstrate that PdtK and PdtE constitute a bipartite outer-membrane/inner-membrane transport system for iron acquisition from Fe(III):PDTC. Disruptions in this portion of the P. putida DSM 3601 pdt gene cluster do not abolish PDTC-dependent transcriptional signalling.
Another step towards the acceptance of chest compression only CPR for primary cardiac arrest

Commentary on Iwami T, Kitamura T, Kawamura T, et al. Japanese Circulation Society Resuscitation Science Study (JCS-ReSS) Group. Chest compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with public-access defibrillation: a nationwide cohort study. Circulation 2012;126:2844–51.[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Bystander-initiated MTM ventilation alternating with chest compressions was … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DCirculation%26rft.stitle%253DCirculation%26rft.aulast%253DIwami%26rft.auinit1%253DT.%26rft.volume%253D126%26rft.issue%253D24%26rft.spage%253D2844%26rft.epage%253D2851%26rft.atitle%253DChest%2BCompression-Only%2BCardiopulmonary%2BResuscitation%2Bfor%2BOut-of-Hospital%2BCardiac%2BArrest%2BWith%2BPublic-Access%2BDefibrillation%253A%2BA%2BNationwide%2BCohort%2BStudy%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1161%252FCIRCULATIONAHA.112.109504%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23230315%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=circulationaha&resid=126/24/2844&atom=%2Febnurs%2F17%2F1%2F21.atom
Token-ordered LRU: an effective page replacement policy and its implementation in Linux systems

Most computer systems use a global page replacement policy based on the LRU principle to approximately select a Least Recently Used page for a replacement in the entire user memory space. During execution interactions, a memory page can be marked as LRU even when its program is conducting page faults. We define the LRU pages under such a condition as false LRU pages because these LRU pages are not produced by program memory reference delays, which is inconsistent with the LRU principle. False LRU pages can significantly increase page faults, even cause system thrashing. This poses a more serious risk in a large parallel systems with distributed memories because of the existence of coordination among processes running on individual node. In the case, the process thrashing in a single node or a small number of nodes could severely affect other nodes running coordinating processes, even crash the whole system. In this paper, we focus on how to improve the page replacement algorithm running on one node. After a careful study on characterizing the memory usage and the thrashing behaviors in the multi-programming system using LRU replacement. we propose an LRU replacement alternative, called token-ordered LRU, to eliminate or reduce the unnecessary page faults by effectively ordering and scheduling memory space allocations. Compared with traditional thrashing protection mechanisms such as load control, our policy allows more processes to keep running to support synchronous distributed process computing. We have implemented the token-ordered LRU algorithm in a Linux kernel to show its effectiveness.
Detection of rice sheath blight for in-season disease management using multispectral remote sensing

Timely diagnosis of crop diseases in fields is critical for precision on-farm disease management. Remote sensing technology can be used as an effective and inexpensive method to identify diseased plants in a field scale. However, due to the diversity of crops and their associated diseases, application of the technology to agriculture is still in research stage, which needs to be elaborately investigated for algorithm development and standard image processing procedures. In this paper, we examined the applicability of broadband high spatial-resolution ADAR (Airborne Data Acquisition and Registration) remote sensing data to detect rice sheath blight and developed an approach to further explore the applicability. Based on the field symptom measurements, a comprehensive field disease index (DI) was constructed to measure infection severity of the disease and to relate to image sampled infections. In addition to direct band digital number (DN) values, band ratio indices and standard difference indices were used to examine possible correlations between field and image data. The results indicated that the broadband remote sensing imagery has the capability to detect the disease. Some image indices such as RI14, SDI14 and SDI24 worked better than others. A correlation coefficient above 0.62 indicated that these indices would be valuable to use for identification of the rice disease. In the validation analysis, we obtained a small root mean square error (RMS = 9.1), confirming the applicability of the developed method. Although the results were encouraging, it was difficult to discriminate healthy plants from light infection ones when DI 35). This phenomenon illustrated that remote sensing images with higher spectral resolution (more bands and narrower bandwidth) were required in order to further examine the capability of separating the light diseased plants from healthy plants. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Lymphoid and extralymphoid CD4 T cells that orchestrate the antiviral immune response.

This review summarizes the present understanding of the biology of CD4 T cells during both the acute and memory phases of the response to nonpersisting viral infection. Elucidating the precise role of CD4 T cells in viral infections has been a challenge due to characteristics intrinsic to the CD4 response and the slow development of tools that allow accurate identification of the virus-specific cells in vitro and in vivo. This is especially apparent in comparison with antiviral CD8 T cells, for which immunologists possess many tools for tracking the cells throughout a response. However, recent developments in technology to follow antigen-specific CD4 T cells in virus infections have improved our understanding greatly. Ex vivo technologies such as the enzyme-linked spot forming assays and more recently the FluoroSPOT assays, cytokine capture and the advent of class II major histocompatibility complex multimers have improved our ability to accurately enumerate the virus-specific CD4 T-cell response. The dev...
The oxidation of L-arabinose by Pseudomonas saccharophila.

The importance of the pentoses in the physiology of plants and animals has been known since ribose and deoxyribose were identified as constituents of nucleic acids. Interest in pentose metabolism has been stimulated in the past few years by the discovery that ribose-5-phosphate and ribulosed-phosphate were integrant parts of the oxidative breakdown of glucose (1). The subject of pentose and pentose phosphate metabolism has been reviewed by Lampen (2) and Horecker (3). It has recently been found that the pentose, ribulose-1 ,Bdiphosphate, may play a fundamental role in the process of photosynthesis (4). A study of pentose metabolism in Pseudomonas saccharophila was undertaken as a result of the discovery that glucose is metabolized in this organism by a mechanism involving neither the Emden-Meyerhof scheme nor the pentose phosphates (5). Preliminary studies revealed that the oxidation of n-arabinose by this organism is strikingly different from that of glucose. In the experiments to be reported, it has been shown that this pentose can be converted to a-ketoglutarate by a series of reactions which appear to involve neither phosphorylated intermediates nor the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Methods1 Cells of P. saccharophila were grown on a liquid mineral medium described previously (6) with n-arabinose as the sole carbon source. Resting cell suspensions were prepared by centrifuging liquid cultures inoculated 18 to 24 hours previously, washing the cells twice, and resuspending them in 0.033
Current status of carcinoembryonic antigen assay

The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein that can be measured by radioimmunoassay and other immunologic techniques. The CEA reagent is currently commercially available in kit form and has been found to be satisfactory for laboratory use. The highest percentage of elevated plasma CEA and the highest CEA titer have been found in patients with entodermally derived tumors. CEA has also been detected in patients with other tumors and in patients with nonneoplastic disease, as well as in heavy cigarette smokers. The present CEA assay cannot be used to screen for cancer in the general population. The greatest clinical usefulness of current CEA assay is in assessing prognosis, in the detection of residual tumors and recurrent disease, and in monitoring chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The use of anti-CEA antiserum as a tumor-localizing agent may be of potential value in the future.
Reliability improvement of BART vehicle train control

We report here the two-year effort of a task group to improve the reliability of the Bay Area Rapid Transit district's vehicle-borne Automatic Train Control equipment. This effort included modifications to the train control equipment designed both by the manufacturer and by the task group. It also included the development and implementation of improved maintenance test procedures and equipment. A significant constraint on this effort was the need to maintain, and where necessary, improve the fail-safe nature of the train control system. Particular attention was paid to reducing the fraction of maintenance diagnoses which resulted in a No Trouble Found report; at the Start of the task-team effort, these represented half of the revenue service failures of this system. A substantial improvement in the maintenance capability and decrease in service failures has resulted from this effort.
An Assessment of the Impact of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act on the Investigation Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, a plethora of corporate scandals occurred. Due to these corporate debacles, corporate executives have been placed under fire. In response to such unethical conduct with regard to internal practices and financial reporting, legislation has been passed in order to ensure that corporations conduct their business in an ethical manner. The purpose of this paper is to assess the connection between the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOx), to determine whether SOx has influenced the FCPA’s investigative violation activities by examining the number of such investigations since the passage SOx. This paper also addresses specific cases of violations of anti-corruption laws and compares SOx and the FCPA on violation penalties.
Edge-geometry SNS DC SQUIDs using Ag-doped YBa2Cu3O7-x electrodes

Josephson junctions and DC SQUIDs were fabricated in an edge-geometry superconductor/normal-metal/superconductor configuration using Ag-doped YBa2Cu3O7-x electrodes and a PrBa2Cu3O7-x N-layer. A differential voltage modulation of over 150 µV/Φ0 at 75 K was achieved. The flux noise was 30~40 µΦ0Hz-1/2 measured with DC bias at a frequency of 1 Hz.
IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF A TARGET ENGAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION

In the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, we have developed an integrated target tracking and engagement system designed to track an inertial fusion energy target traveling 50-100 m/s in three dimensions and to steer laser driver beams so as to engage it with ± 20 μm accuracy from a standoff distance of ~20 meters. The system consists of separate axial and transverse detection techniques to pre-steer individual beamlet mirrors, and a final fine-correction technique using a short-pulse "glint" laser to interrogate the target's position 1-2 ms before the target reaches chamber center. We are working to demonstrate the viability of this concept by conducting a tabletop engagement demonstration at reduced speeds and distances. Integration of the various components has been completed and hit-on-the-fly experiments are now being conducted. Initial engagement efforts from a simulated driver beam overfilling a falling target yielded a 150-μm standard deviation for targets placed ± 1.5 mm from chamber center. Since then, our efforts have focused on systematically defining and eliminating all sources of error in each component and subsystem. Current engagement accuracy is 42 μm RMS. The engagement effort and the step-wise improvements realized are reported, as well as the path toward our goal.
Functional, cellular, and biochemical adaptations to elastase-induced emphysema in hamster medial scalene

The scalene has been reported to be an accessory inspiratory muscle in the hamster. We hypothesize that with the chronic loads and/or dynamic hyperinflation associated with emphysema (Emp), the sca...
Removal of Trace Pollutants by Adsorption: Density Functional Theory and Monte Carlo Simulation

We report calculations, based on density functional theory and molecular simulations, for a simple model of the selective adsorption in carbon pores for three trace contaminants, modeled as CCl4, CF4 and SO2, from nitrogen streams at 300K. The influence of gas pressure, pore width and concentration is studied. In each case there is an optimal pore width and pressure for which the selectivity is greatly enhanced. The pore size distribution of real sorbents is found to significantly degrade the selectivity. The density functional theory is in very good agreement with the simulation results for these infinitely dilute mixtures.
The Treatment of Memory Deficits in the Aged with Choline Chloride

Various lines of evidence suggest that as the brain ages there is a decrement in central cholinergic activity. An age-related decrease in the activity of brain choline acetyltransferase (CAT) in humans has been reported (McGeer and McGeer, 1976). These results parallel animal findings (Hollander and Barrows, 1968; Vernadakis, 1973; Meek et al., 1977). Since CAT has been taken as a marker of cholinergic neurons, these data indicate a loss of cholinergic neurons with increasing age (Kuhar, 1976). Muscarinic receptor binding has also been reported to diminish with age (White et al., 1977). Thus both pre-synaptic and post-synaptic cholinergic degeneration may occur in the process of normal aging. Preliminary studies of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have also found decreased CAT activity and muscarinic receptor binding (Davies and Maloney, 1976; Perry et al., 1977; White et al., 1977; Yamamura, personal communication). The extent of these changes in central cholinergic neurons is greater in patients with Alzheimer’s disease than normal age matched controls.
Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis

Host-directed therapies are a relatively new and promising approach to treatment of tuberculosis. Modulation of specific host immune pathways, including those that impact inflammation and immunopathology, can limit mycobacterial infection and pathology, both in cell culture and in animal models. This review explores a range of host pathways and drugs, some already approved for clinical use that have the potential to provide new adjunctive therapies for tuberculosis. Drugs targeting host processes may largely avoid the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance, a major public health concern for tuberculosis. However, these drugs may also have generally increased risk for side effects on the host. Understanding the specific mechanisms by which these drugs act and the relationship of these mechanisms to Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis will be critical in selecting appropriate host-directed therapy. Overall, these host-directed compounds provide a novel strategy for antituberculosis therapy.
A Case Study of Extension in Florida

The purpose of this article was to describe the role of Extension in Florida. Because Florida is diverse in geography, population, industry, and income, the challenges include low-wage jobs, income inequality, and food insecurity. Opportunities for Extension in Florida include collaboration with other organizations, the use of volunteers, innovative programming, and diverse opportunities for funding.
View factor modeling of sputter-deposition on micron-scale-architectured surfaces exposed to plasma

The sputter-deposition on surfaces exposed to plasma plays an important role in the erosion behavior and overall performance of a wide range of plasma devices. Plasma models in the low density, low energy plasma regime typically neglect micron-scale surface feature effects on the net sputter yield and erosion rate. The model discussed in this paper captures such surface architecture effects via a computationally efficient view factor model. The model compares well with experimental measurements of argon ion sputter yield from a nickel surface with a triangle wave geometry with peak heights in the hundreds of microns range. Further analysis with the model shows that increasing the surface pitch angle beyond about 45° can lead to significant decreases in the normalized net sputter yield for all simulated ion incident energies (i.e., 75, 100, 200, and 400 eV) for both smooth and roughened surfaces. At higher incident energies, smooth triangular surfaces exhibit a nonmonotonic trend in the normalized net sput...
Playback Technique using a Temporally Sequenced Cognitive Artifact for Knowledge Elicitation

Developing effective computer support for work done in complex socio-technical environments requires understanding the necessary expertise for the work. Preserving and examining cognitive artifacts...
Water economy of nestling Swainson's Hawks

Six major components of the water budget of nestling Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) were quantified to assess the influence of heat stress and dietary composition on water balance. Rates of food consumption, energy utilization, excrement and pellet production, and growth were measured in food trials. Rates of evaporative water loss and CO2 production were measured gravimetrically at 25, 35, 42, and 300C (plus direct sunlight) with an open flow system. The inverse relationship between body fat content (or energy density) and body water content in small mammalian prey has: (1) a dramatic effect on the magnitude of preformed water consumption, (2) a lesser effect on excretory water loss, and (3) a negligible effect on metabolic water production. The consequence of these relationships is that nutrient composition of the prey has a significant influence on the status of nestling water balance. Low fat diets should supply nestlings with a surplus of water, whereas high fat diets would not provide enough water to meet the minimum water needs of the rapidly growing nestlings. Water incorporated into new body tissue and water loss in excrement and pellets increased to a peak when nestlings were about 3 weeks old, an age when their rates of growth and food consumption were near maximal levels. Rates of preformed water consumption also reached peak levels during this period of maximal food consumption. Metabolic water was 10-19% of the total water input and was generated by nestling metabolic rates considerably higher than predicted by allometry for adult falconiform birds. Basal rates of evaporative water loss of 700-g nestlings at 250C were 75% higher than rates predicted by allometry for equally large adult birds. The largest nestlings (782-935 g) had evaporation rates at 25"C nearly three times the rates predicted by allometry.
The detection of total HCG by E-CLIA and CG-ICA

Objective To compare the sensitivity, specificity and correlation of E-CLIA (enhanced chemiluminnescence enzyme immunoassay) with CG-ICA (colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay)and evaluate the clinical application of these two methods in determination of total HCG.Methods The detection of serum level of total HCG by E-CLIA and CG-ICA was carried out in 187 serum samples. Data were collected and handled with McNemar's test for correlated proportions.Results The results of detection in 187 samples with CG-ICA indicated that 64 samples were negative (include 10 false-negative samples), 24 samples with weak positive, 37 with moderate positive and 62 with strong positive. We could obtain quantitative results with E-CLIA. Among these 187 samples, total HCG level below 5 IU/L (reference value) was obtained in 54 of them. The levels above 5 IU/L with a range of 5 IU/L to 1 830 271 IU/L were obtained in rest of them. The difference in data was handled with McNemar's test, and the result was significant(χ2=8.1,P0.005).The statistical analysis showed that these two methods had significant difference.Conclusion ①CG-ICA has advantages of simplicity, convenience and quickness, but it has lower sensitivity. Moreover, it has false negative reaction which would lead to missed or misdiagnosis of patients. Whereas, E-CLIA has high sensitivity, YuanDe adopts two-step method for detection of total HCG that may avoid Hook Effect in immunoassay. ②In the linear range of CG-ICA, a good correlation is showed between results of CG-ICA and E-CLIA. So, before we do the E-CLIA test, we can do CG-ICA test first. According to the result of CG-ICA test, we can evaluate the proper dilution of serum for E-CLIA test in order to avoid repeated dilution.