cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MEASURING MASTER PRODUCTION SCHEDULE STABILITY UNDER ROLLING PLANNING HORIZONS

Maintaining a stable master production schedule (MPS) is difficult for many firms, especially when material requirements planning is used to manage production operations. This paper is concerned with the problem of measuring MPS stability, and the impact on stability of three important decision variables in managing the MPS within a rolling-horizon framework in a make-to-stock environment: the method used to freeze the MPS, the proportion of the MPS frozen, and the length of the planning horizon for the MPS. Simulation experiments conducted to determine the impact of these decision variables, as well as other important product demand and cost characteristics, on MPS stability are reported. The results indicate MPS stability can be influenced by managerial action directed toward management of the MPS as well as changes in important product cost and requirements characteristics.
On the commensurator of the Nottingham group

Let p > 5 be a prime number. We prove that the abstract commensurator of the Nottingham group N(F p ) coincides with its automorphism group, which is known to be a finite extension of N(F p ). As a corollary we deduce that the Nottingham group cannot be embedded as an open subgroup of a topologically simple group.
Direct relation of long-term synaptic potentiation to phosphorylation of membrane protein F1, a substrate for membrane protein kinase C.

One hour after long-term potentiation (LTP) in the intact hippocampus, a selective increase in protein F1 in vitro phosphorylation was observed in homogenate prepared from dorsal hippocampus. Protein F1 phosphorylation was directly related to the magnitude and persistence of potentiation. No other phosphoprotein studied exhibited a relationship with synaptic enhancement. Low-frequency, non-potentiating stimulation did not increase protein F1 phosphorylation, and phosphorylation of F1 was not elevated when high-frequency stimulation did not produce potentiation. We also confirmed our earlier demonstration of a similar pattern of results 5 min after LTP. In related work we have previously observed: (1) that protein F1 is a substrate for protein kinase C (PKC); (2) that membrane PKC activity was increased by translocation from the cytosol following LTP; and (3) that membrane PKC activity was directly related to the persistence of enhancement. We therefore predicted in the present study that protein F1 phosphorylation in a dorsal hippocampal membrane fraction would be related to LTP. Hippocampal membrane protein F1 was found to be directly related to both the magnitude and persistence of response enhancement. Thus the molecular events leading to prolonged potentiation may involve increased PKC/protein F1 association. Persistence of potentiation may be related to synaptic growth processes involving the growth-associated function of protein F1.
Magnetoplasma Surface Waves in Metals

The effect of a dc magnetic field of arbitrary magnitude and orienation on surface plasmons in a metal or degenerate semiconductor is studied in the "nonretarded" limit.
On the role of molecular oxygen in lipoxygenase activation: comparison and contrast of epidermal lipoxygenase-3 with soybean lipoxygenase-1.

The oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by lipoxygenases (LOX) is associated with a lag phase during which the resting ferrous enzyme is converted to the active ferric form by reaction with fatty acid hydroperoxide. Epidermal lipoxygenase-3 (eLOX3) is atypical in displaying hydroperoxide isomerase activity with fatty acid hydroperoxides through cycling of the ferrous enzyme. Yet eLOX3 is capable of dioxygenase activity, albeit with a long lag phase and need for high concentrations of hydroperoxide activator. Here, we show that higher O2 concentration shortens the lag phase in eLOX3, although it reduces the rate of hydroperoxide consumption, effects also associated with an A451G mutation known to affect the disposition of molecular oxygen in the LOX active site. These observations are consistent with a role of O2 in interrupting hydroperoxide isomerase cycling. Activation of eLOX3, A451G eLOX3, and soybean LOX-1 with 13-hydroperoxy-linoleic acid forms oxygenated end products, which we identified as 9R- and 9S-hydroperoxy-12S,13S-trans-epoxyoctadec-10E-enoic acids. We deduce that activation partly depends on reaction of O2 with the intermediate of hydroperoxide cleavage, the epoxyallylic radical, giving an epoxyallylic peroxyl radical that does not further react with Fe(III)-OH; instead, it dissociates and leaves the enzyme in the activated free ferric state. eLOX3 differs from soybean LOX-1 in more tightly binding the epoxyallylic radical and having limited access to O2 within the active site, leading to a deficiency in activation and a dominant hydroperoxide isomerase activity.
Thermodynamic study of the palladium-yttrium-hydrogen system

Abstract Equilibrium isobars for the ternary solid solution Pd-Y-H have been measured in the temperature range 625–1250 K and the composition range 0–13 at. % Y. The maximum H content was 1.5 at.%. The isobars were determined at six different pressures ranging from 1.01 × 103 to 1.01 × 105 N m 2 . The resulting partial thermodynamic functions for H atoms in the solid solution are in good accord with the predictions of the cell model for such systems.
Differential effects of insulin and exercise on Rab4 distribution in rat skeletal muscle.

Insulin and exercise cause the translocation of GLUT4 from an intracellular location to the plasma membrane in skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine if Rab4, a small GTP binding protein that has been implicated in the insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 in adipose cells, is involved in the regulation of transporter translocation in skeletal muscle. Male rats were injected with insulin (20 U i.p.) or exercised on a treadmill(1 h, 20 m/min, 10% grade). Rats were killed 30 min after insulin injection or immediately after exercise, and the hind limb muscles dissected. Plasma membrane and intracellular microsomal membrane fractions were prepared, and the distribution of GLUT4 and Rab4 was determined by immunoblotting. Both insulin and exercise caused GLUT4 translocation as demonstrated by a decrease in microsomal membrane GLUT4 and an increase in plasma membrane GLUT4. In contrast, only insulin caused a decrease in Rab4 in the microsomal membrane. Rab4 was associated with GLUT4-containing vesicles isolated by immunoprecipitation. Rab4 was not detected in plasma membrane under any condition. These data demonstrate that insulin modulates the subcellular distribution of both GLUT4 and Rab4 in rats skeletal muscle, suggesting that Rab4 may play a role in the insulin-stimulated movement of GLUT4-containing vesicles. Although both insulin and exercise increase skeletal muscle glucose uptake by the translocation of GLUT4, the regulation of translocation may occur by different mechanisms.
Linear alkane chains in coals

Abstract The products of coals oxidized with 40% aqueous nitric acid at 60 °C include a homologous series of linear aliphatic diacids starting with succinic acid (C 4 ). These diacids are stable under the conditions of oxidation so that their amounts and lengths measure the amounts and lengths of the saturated components of linear aliphatic chains in the coals. In one coal (PSOC-155) they account for 38% of the carbon and members of the series up to C 23 were detected. Evidence is presented indicating that these chains are integral parts of the coal structure and not interspersed contaminants.
Academic Self-Concept of University Students: Implications for Counseling.

This article discusses academic self-concept for university students and its importance in conceptualization of, and program design for, higher education students. This was done by reviewing the relevant literature and examining the academic self-concept of 133 undergraduate students at a public supported land grant university in the West.
Multidisciplinary Environment of Care Rounds: Findings the Infection Control Professional Can Use in Daily Practice

Abstract ISSUE: Professionals responsible for infection control and prevention all know principle goals for infection prevention programs are to protect the patient, healthcare worker, and visitor in the healthcare environment. Environment of Care (EOC) teams have always participated in the above. Typically, a team rounds with or without the department manager and reports the findings to “someone.” The EOC team members at our level-I trauma facility recognized the inefficiencies of EOC rounds, feeling the same issues were identified repeatedly. Team members felt they impacted patient and healthcare worker safety very little. PROJECT: A new model was developed, beginning with a rounding template listing the items assessed during rounds along with the regulatory standard and rationale. This serves as an educational tool for the staff as well. Deficiencies are entered into a database, and a compliance score is calculated. If the department does not meet the established threshold, an action plan must be submitted. An aggregate report is generated, giving a snapshot of the organizational EOC assessment. This data has been useful for the infection control professional performing surveillance. RESULTS: EOC team findings now pass through several administrative committees including the hospital governing board. What has resulted with the new and improved rounds? We now have isolation/personal protective equipment (PPE) stations at every critical care bed, improved linen cart covers, new refrigerator thermometers, and a “who cleans what” plan from environmental services. LESSONS LEARNED: Using consistent methodology and criteria to assess the EOC has enabled the EOC team members to get support and supplies needed to accomplish the above goals.
Estimating Decision-Relevant Comparative Effects Using Instrumental Variables

Instrumental variables methods (IV) are widely used in the health economics literature to adjust for hidden selection biases in observational studies when estimating treatment effects. Less attention has been paid in the applied literature to the proper use of IVs if treatment effects are heterogeneous across subjects. Such a heterogeneity in effects becomes an issue for IV estimators when individuals’ self-selected choices of treatments are correlated with expected idiosyncratic gains or losses from treatments. We present an overview of the challenges that arise with IV estimators in the presence of effect heterogeneity and self-selection and compare conventional IV analysis with alternative approaches that use IVs to directly address these challenges. Using a Medicare sample of clinically localized breast cancer patients, we study the impact of breast-conserving surgery and radiation with mastectomy on 3-year survival rates. Our results reveal the traditional IV results may have masked important heterogeneity in treatment effects. In the context of these results, we discuss the advantages and limitations of conventional and alternative IV methods in estimating mean treatment-effect parameters, the role of heterogeneity in comparative effectiveness research and the implications for diffusion of technology.
Decision model for planning of regional industrial programs

There is a significant worldwide trend for countries to participate in economic integration schemes on a regional basis for the planning of industrial development programs. These regional industrial programs are characterized by plant allocation decisions coupled with cost/benefit distribution decisions. The research work described in this paper addresses these issues by combining the traditional mathematical programming approach for determining plant location, size, timing, with a game theoretic approach for determining a reasonable distribution of costs and benefits among the members of a collectivity. After developing the necessary theoretical framework by introducing and evaluating the properties of certain new concepts such as the Sharing Mechanism and the Durable Bargaining Equilibrium, they are illustrated through a real-life application to the planning of the petrochemical industry in a regional integration scheme. The theoretical results of this research can be applied to a wide range of situations involving multiple parties where the incentive for cooperation is present and yet the elements of self-interest bring in the possibility of conflict.
Paternalism in the marketplace: Should a salesman be his buyer's keeper?

The marketplace has become increasingly sophisticated. Products and services are more complex resulting in greater customer reliance on salespersons for guidance. The salesperson's role presumes superior knowledge with respect to the buyer because he is consulted as an expert on the quality and uses of his product. Thus, it is important that a tacit professional ethic for sales be established to protect customers from possible exploitation. The purpose of this article is to propose a realistic professional ethic for sales — “limited paternalism.” Limited paternalism implies that a salesman should “be his buyer's keeper” in the sense that he should serve the interests of his customers by identifying their needs, while disclosing all relevant information about products or services in order to facilitate mutual exchange to mutual advantage.
Glaze Investigations: II, Effect of Composition Variation in Glazes Containing Diatomaceous Silica

An investigation was made of the effect of variations in RO constituency and in Al2O3 and SiO2 contents of Bristol-type glazes in which diatomaceous earth was the primary source of silica. The effects on appearance and glaze fit were determined, with particular emphasis on the relation between ware strength and glaze stress. It is indicated that there is a limit to the ware strength improvement which may be effected by an increasing degree of glaze compression. It is also significant that the use of diatomaceous silica as a primary glaze constituent affords extreme flexibility in the choice of glaze compositions yielding a satisfactory combination of maturation, appearance, and glaze-fit characteristics.
Sites of Multilingualism: Complementary Schools in Britain Today edited by LYTRA, VALLY, & PETER MARTIN

The article reviews the book "Sites of Multilingualism: Complementary Schools in Britain Today," edited by Vally Lytra and Peter Martin.
A point defect model for fatigue crack initiation in Ni3Al+B single crystals

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy of boron-doped Ni 3 Al single crystals, oriented for single slip and cyclically deformed at room temperature, revealed a high density of dislocation dipoles and point defect clusters. Observations of circular perfect dislocation loops, Frank loops, vacancy tetrahedra and spherical voids provide evidence of vacancy condensation during fatigue cycling at room temperature. It is suggested that lattice misfit develops between persistent slip bands (PSB) and matrix as a result of the generation and coalescence of excess vacancies in PSBs. The misfit strain at PSB/matrix interfaces is considered to increase with increasing cumulative plastic strain. Together with SEM observations of surface topography, it is suggested that fatigue damage in Ni 3 Al single crystals is initiated by the formation of microvoids (microcracks) at PSB/matrix interfaces. The microvoids (microcracks) break down the coherency of the PSB/matrix interfaces and thereby relieve the accumulated misfit strain at the interfaces. A model of fatigue crack initiation based upon a surface energy criterion is proposed.
Synthesis of compositionally unique DNA by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase

Abstract Studies on the composition and characterization of DNA product(s) synthesized by calf thymus terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase were performed using homopolymeric single-stranded, calf thymus double-stranded, and native DNA resident in calf thymus chromatin preparations as priming DNA species. Synthesis was carried out using equimolar concentrations of all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates as substrates and Mg2+ or Mn2+ as an effective divalent cation. Irrespective of the nature of the priming DNA or the divalent cation, the DNA product contained 60–70% dGMP residues, 10–15% each of the two pyrimidine residues, and 5–10% dAMP residues. The product synthesized using chromatin DNA as initiator was predominantly single-stranded and its synthesis was resistant to actinomycin D. The predilection of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transfease to synthesize dGMP-rich products on natural or homopolymeric DNA primers suggests that such products may represent biologically important recognition signal sequences.
Effects of road salts on groundwater and surface water dynamics of sodium and chloride in an urban restored stream

Road salts are a growing environmental concern in urban watersheds. We examined groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) dynamics of Na+ and Cl− in Minebank Run (MBR), an urban stream in Maryland, USA. We observed an increasing salinity trend in this restored stream. Current baseflow salinity does not exceed water quality recommendations, but rapid “first flush” storm flow was approximately one-third that of seawater. Comparisons between the upstream and downstream study reaches suggest that a major interstate highway is the primary road salt source. A heavily used road parallels most of MBR and was an additional source to GW concentrations, especially the downstream right bank. A baseflow synoptic survey identified zones of increased salinity. Downstream piezometer wells exhibited increases in salt concentrations and there was evidence that Na+ is exchanging Ca2+ and Mg2+ on soils. SW salt concentrations were generally elevated above GW concentrations. Salinity levels persisted at MBR throughout the year and were above background levels at Bynum Run, a nearby reference stream not bisected by a major highway, suggesting that GW is a long-term reservoir for accumulating road salts. Chronic salinity levels may be high enough to damage vegetation and salinity peaks could impact other biota. Beneficial uses and green infrastructure investments may be at risk from salinity driven degradation. Therefore, road salt may represent an environmental risk that could affect aquatic biota and limit the effectiveness of costly resource management and restoration efforts.
Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results-based analysis of the impact of preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy on survival outcomes for T3N0 rectal cancer.

Abstract Purpose : Preoperative chemoradiation has been established as standard of care for T3/T4 node-positive rectal cancer. Recent work, however, has called into question the overall benefit of radiation for tumors with lower risk characteristics, particularly T3N0 rectal cancers. We retrospectively analyzed T3N0 rectal cancer patients and examined how outcomes differed according to the sequence of treatment received. Methods : The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to analyze T3N0 rectal cancer cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2008. Treatment consisted of surgery alone (No RT), preoperative radiation followed by surgery (Neo-Adjuvant RT), or surgery followed by postoperative radiation (Adjuvant RT). Demographic and tumor characteristics of the three groups were compared using t -tests for the comparison of means. Survival information from the SEER database was utilized to estimate cause-specific survival (CSS) and to generate Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Multivariate analysis (MVA) of features associated with outcomes was conducted using Cox proportional hazards regression models with Adjuvant RT, Neo-Adjuvant RT, No RT, histological grade, tumor size, year of diagnosis, and demographic characteristics as covariates. Results : 10-Year CSS estimates were 66.1% (95% CI 62.3–69.6%; P =0.02), 73.5% (95% CI 68.9–77.5%; P =0.02), and 76.1% (95% CI 72.4–79.4%; P =0.02), for No RT, Neo-Adjuvant RT, and Adjuvant RT, respectively. On MVA, Adjuvant RT (HR=0.688; 95% CI, 0.578–0.819; P P =0.127). Conclusion : Adjuvant RT was associated with significantly higher CSS when compared with surgery alone, while the benefit of Neo-Adjuvant RT was not significant. This indicates that surgery followed by Adjuvant RT may still be an important treatment plan for T3N0 rectal cancer with potentially significant survival advantages over other treatment sequences.
Home Production, House Values, and the Great Recession

Traditional labor supply models grounded in the trade-off between labor and leisure are incomplete to the extent that they neglect time spent in home production: productive labor that is not exchanged in a market setting. Models that do incorporate home production typically predict a negative relationship with the wage rate, a relationship emphasized by most analyses of time devoted to home production during recessions. However, empirical studies of the behavior of home production over the business cycle find that home production is relatively acyclical. The prominence of the fall in house values during the Great Recession suggests an alternative driver of hours dedicated to home production: non-labor endowments and assets, specifically housing equity. This paper explores the role that changing house values play in determining time dedicated to home production using the American Time Use Survey. It concludes that on the margin, time allocation responds to changes in house values in the anticipated way only under certain conditions. Specifically, when non-owners are excluded from the analysis the anticipated results do not hold. Some suggestions to explain this result are provided, as well as a discussion of future clarifying research.
Comparison of real-time PCR and microscopy to evaluate sclerotial colonisation by a biocontrol fungus

The biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum colonises sclerotia of the plant pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Plating of sclerotia typically has been used to determine the incidence of mycoparasitism, but does not quantify the extent to which individual sclerotia are colonised. We developed a specific PCR primer/probe set for the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transformant T. harzianum ThzID1-M3, which exhibited high precision and reproducibility. Quantitative real-time PCR was evaluated along with epifluorescence microscopy and image analysis to investigate dynamics of colonisation of sclerotia in non-sterile soil. Amounts of ThzID1-M3 DNA and S. sclerotiorum DNA from entire individual sclerotia were quantified using real-time PCR. Epifluorescence micrographs were captured from sclerotial thin-section samples, and GFP fluorescence from these was quantified using computer image analysis in order to estimate colonisation on a per-sclerotium basis. As determined by either method, ThzID1-M3 colonised sclerotia in soil, and both methods quantified colonisation dynamics over time. In a separate experiment, colonisation of sclerotia on agar plates was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy to view the GFP-fluorescing hyphae of ThzID1-M3. This method, while highly labour-intensive, provided high spatial resolution of colonisation dynamics. Thus, each method has advantages: microscopy combined with image analysis can provide useful information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of colonisation, while real-time PCR can provide a more precise assessment of the extent of sclerotial colonisation over time and can more easily be used to sample entire sclerotia.
Total radiative capture rates for three- and four-nucleon pionic atoms.

A corrected closure approximation is used to calculate the reduced rates for radiative capture of negative pions from 1s and 2p orbitals in /sup 3/H, /sup 3/He, and /sup 4/He. For /sup 3/He and /sup 4/He the calculated rates are in good agreement with experimental data. In the case of /sup 3/H, the calculated value for 1s capture is combined with the measured radiative capture branching ratio to obtain a value of GAMMA/sub tot//sup 1//sup s/ = 2.2 +- 0.4 eV for the total width of the 1s level in the /sup 3/H pionic atom. This value when compared to the measured total width of the 1s level in pionic /sup 3/He implies a small but definite contribution of singlet spin nucleon pairs to absorption of s-wave pions.
Optical constants of ZnSiAs2 thin films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Optical measurements were made on ZnSiAs2 films that were grown on sapphire substrates by the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique. The refractive index and absorption coefficient were determined over the wavelength range 600–1000 nm. The optical band gap was determined over the temperature range from -50°C to +50°C and a band gap temperature coefficient of -5.5 × 10-4eVK-1 was obtained.
Clinical applications of the central pedicle technique of breast reduction

The central pedicle technique, first described in 1985 by Hester et al, is presented as a safe, reliable, and flexible method of breast reduction that is applicable to nearly all sizes of breasts. Its greatest strengths are the maximal preservation of neurovascular structures in an open technique and the ability to precisely tailor the skin envelope after glandular reduction has been accomplished. Five years of experience at a teaching facility are presented, as well as long-term follow-up from Hester's experience.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) prevents hypotension after hemorrhagic shock and aortic cross clamping.

ABSTRACT: To determine if superoxide dismutase (SOD) administration attenuates injury caused by supraceliac aortic cross clamping, a randomized controlled study on 12 taconic rats was performed at the university hospital research center at Syracuse, New York. All animals were anesthetized and placed on a ventilator through a tracheotomy. Surgical preparation included catheterization of carotid and femoral arteries, and the jugular vein. A midline laparotomy was performed through which the supraceliac aorta was exposed and isolated. Animals were allowed to stabilize after surgery and baseline measurements [systemic pressure (P sys ), central venous pressure, and blood gases] were recorded. Then, animals were subjected to 60 minutes of hemorrhagic shock (mean P sys = 35 mm Hg), followed by 45 minutes of supraceliac aortic cross clamping. After the release of the aortic cross clamp, shed blood was reinfused. After stabilization, all animals were monitored for 60 minutes. Rats were separated into two groups: the experimental group (n = 6) that received intravenous SOD before and during aortic cross clamping, and the control group (n = 6) that received an equivalent volume of saline at the same time periods. No difference was detected in overall arterial pH, partial arterial carbon dioxide pressure, or base excess at any time period between the groups. A significant increase in P sys was measured in the experimental group compared with the control group from the time of aortic cross-clamp release until the experiment was terminated. One hour after aortic cross-clamp release, the P sys for the experimental group was 69.2 ± 10.6 mm Hg vs. 36.7 ± 3.8 mm Hg for the control group (P sys . This suggests that oxygen-derived free radicals play a role in postaortic cross-clamp hypotension.
Mixed mode fracture of dental interfaces

This paper presents the results of a combined experimental and computational study of mixed mode fracture in glass/cement and zirconia/cement interfaces that are relevant to dental restorations. The interfacial fracture is investigated using Brazil-nut specimens. The kinking in-and-out of the interface that occurs between glass/cement and zirconia/cement interfaces, is also shown to be consistent with predictions from a microstructure-based finite element model. The predictions later verified using focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy images.
Ethanolic carbon-11 chemistry: the introduction of green radiochemistry

The principles of green chemistry have been applied to a radiochemistry setting. Eleven carbon-11 labeled radiopharmaceuticals have been prepared using ethanol as the only organic solvent throughout the entire manufacturing process. The removal of all other organic solvents from the process simplifies production and quality control (QC) testing, moving our PET Center towards the first example of a green radiochemistry laboratory. All radiopharmaceutical doses prepared are suitable for clinical use.
Heteroepitaxial Patterned Growth of Vertically Aligned and Periodically Distributed ZnO Nanowires on GaN Using Laser Interference Ablation

A simple two-step method of fabricating vertically aligned and periodically distributed ZnO nanowires on gallium nitride (GaN) substrates is described. The method combines laser interference ablation (LIA) and low temperature hydrothermal decomposition. The ZnO nanowires grow heteroepitaxially on unablated regions of GaN over areas spanning 1 cm 2 , with a high degree of control over size, orientation, uniformity, and periodicity. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy are utilized to study the structural characteristics of the LIA-patterned GaN substrate in detail. These studies reveal the possible mechanism for the preferential, site-selective growth ofthe ZnO nanowires. The method demonstrates high application potential for wafer-scale integration into sensor arrays, piezoelectric devices, and optoelectronic devices.
The Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of AlLi Alloy 8090

Abstract The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of the AlLi Alloy 8090 was evaluated using the slow strain rate technique. The alloy was exposed to 0.5 M NaCl under potentiostatic conditions....
The Hot Gas Surrounding the Edge-on Galaxy NGC 891

The previous discovery of an X-ray halo around the edge-on galaxy NGC 891 prompted this effort to better understand the structure of the hot halo by deep observations with the X-ray satellite telescopes ROSAT and ASCA. The ROSAT HRI image (FWHM of 5'') reveals four point sources in the disk and one in the halo that was confused with diffuse emission in the previous ROSAT PSPC image. At 5'' angular resolution, the halo emission remains diffuse, rather than becoming an ensemble of filaments and point sources. There is an indication of X-ray absorption in the midplane on the same angular scale as the optical extinction by dust (a width of 10''-20''). The PSPC observations (FWHM of 25''-30'') show that the diffuse emission along the disk closely follows the tracers of star formation, such as CO line and 1.3 mm continuum observations. This would be expected if massive stars led to the production of hot gas, such as through supernovae. The maximum vertical extent of the hot gas, ≈ 2', is similar to that of optical emission line gas, except the X-ray scale height is much larger. The halo gas density can be fit with the functional form where n0 = 0.026 cm-3, the radial length scale h = 85'' (4.1 kpc), and the vertical scale height l = 724 (3.5 kpc). The mean temperature of the gaseous component is 3.5 × 106 K, so for a filling factor of unity, the characteristic pressure is p/k ~ 105 K cm-3, comparable to that of the molecular gas in the disk. The total gas mass is 4.0 × 107 M☉, the bolometric X-ray luminosity is 3.9 × 1039 ergs s-1, and the mass cooling rate is 0.087 M☉ yr-1.
Autism, environmental buffers, and wearable servers

Ubiquitous computing systems often involve infrastructure placed either on the body or in the environment. Many issues help determine equipment's optimal placement. We've developed a combined wearable and environmental infrastructure for CareLog, a prototype system for capturing and annotating the behavior of children with autism (CWA). The infrastructure features a wearable personal server, which stores each child's information, and environmental buffers - in this case Internet-isolated cameras that store audio and video streams for short intervals before removing them. If a caregiver wishes to annotate a behavior, the caregiver downloads images from these cameras to the child's personal server; otherwise, the images are irrevocably erased. CareLog demonstrates an interesting compromise between environmental and wearable infrastructures and takes advantages of some of the best attributes of each.
The Farkas lemma of Shimizu, Aiyoshi and Katayama

Shimizu, Aiyoshi and Katayama have recently given a finite dimensional generalization of the classical Farkas Lemma. In this note we show that a result of Pshenichnyi on convex programming can be used to give a generalization of the result of Shimizu, Aiyoshi and Katayama to infinite dimensional spaces. A generalized Farkas Lemma of Glover is also obtained.
In Defense of Epistemic Circularity

In this paper I defend epistemic circularity by arguing that the “No Self-Support” principle (NSS) is false. This principle, ultimately due to Fumerton (1995), states that one cannot acquire a justified belief in the reliability of a source of belief by trusting that very source. I argue that NSS has the skeptical consequence that the trustworthiness of all of our sources ultimately depends upon the trustworthiness of certain fundamental sources – sources that we cannot justifiably believe to be reliable. This is a problem, I claim, because if the trustworthiness of all of our sources depends upon sources that we should not believe to be reliable, then a reflective individual should not trust any of his sources at all. The hidden cost of rejecting epistemic circularity is thus the unacceptable skeptical thesis that reflective individuals like you and I have no justified beliefs whatsoever.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and redox regulation in cellular signaling

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated during mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as well as in cellular response to xenobiotics, cytokines, and bacterial invasion. Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance due to excess ROS or oxidants over the capability of the cell to mount an effective antioxidant response. Oxidative stress results in macromolecular damage and is implicated in various disease states such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, neurodegeneration, and aging. Paradoxically, accumulating evidence indicates that ROS also serve as critical signaling molecules in cell proliferation and survival. While there is a large body of research demonstrating the general effect of oxidative stress on signaling pathways, less is known about the initial and direct regulation of signaling molecules by ROS, or what we term the “oxidative interface.” Cellular ROS sensing and metabolism are tightly regulated by a variety of proteins involved in the redox (reduction/oxidation) mechanism. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms through which ROS directly interact with critical signaling molecules to initiate signaling in a broad variety of cellular processes, such as proliferation and survival (MAP kinases, PI3 kinase, PTEN, and protein tyrosine phosphatases), ROS homeostasis and antioxidant gene regulation (thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin, Ref-1, and Nrf-2), mitochondrial oxidative stress, apoptosis, and aging (p66Shc), iron homeostasis through iron–sulfur cluster proteins (IRE–IRP), and ATM-regulated DNA damage response.
Faculty Reactions to Teaching Engineering Design to First Year Students

In 1993, as part of a major revision of our first year curriculum, the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia introduced a new course on Engineering Design. In this paper, we will briefly describe this course, its purpose, goals, content, and methods. However, our primary purpose is to describe the reactions to this course among the faculty who have been called upon to teach it. We observed a high turnover rate among the faculty for this course and wanted to determine the reasons for it. A survey was distributed to all current and past instructors. The attitudes and backgrounds of these faculty influence their evaluations of this course and their willingness to teach it again.
An Estimation of the Latent Bilateral Trade between India and Pakistan Using Panel Data Methods

Abstract The aim of this paper is to estimate the potential for trade between India and Pakistan, assuming a normalized neighborly relationship. We used an augmented gravity model with a panel data for 21 years. This paper utilizes the panel fixed effects decomposition and Hausman and Taylor estimation methods to estimate the effect of time-invariant variables on the volume of potential trade. The present volume of trade is dwarfed by our estimates of the potential trade. This seems to ratify the expectation of businesses on both sides. It would appear that the development of a bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, in the context of regionalization, should be motivated by strong economic considerations. It would include sector-driven as well as market-access approaches. While the theoretical background appears subtle, strategic market consequences arise from the dynamics of regional market structure. Assuming a positive relationship between trade and per capita income, here is a peace dividen...
Non‐parametric pharmacokinetic method for assessment of the variance of lifespan distribution of blood cells

Backround The description of lifespan distribution of blood cells (RBC, platelets) is commonly limited to its mean that can be calculated from the initial slope of the survival curve. The standard deviation (SD) can be determined from the area under survival curve. Similar descriptors (slope, area) are used in non-compartmental analysis of pharmacokinetic data. These methods were adopted to assess the SD of lifespan distribution for RBC and platelets. Methods Linear and log-linear methods of interpolation of cell survival data were applied. The initial slope and area under interpolated curves were calculated according to known formulas. The methods were validated on hypothetical data generated by Monte Carlo simulations. The SD of platelet (3 healthy and 4 idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients) and RBC (8 healthy and 4 congenital non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia (NSHA) patients) were determined. All data were obtained from published results. Results Both methods yielded acceptable precision and bias that increased with the level of noise in survival data. The mean (SD) RBC lifespan for normal subjects were 115 (30) days and for NSHA patients 29 (27) days. The mean (SD) platelet lifespan for normal subjects were 7.3 (6.1) days and for ITP patients 1.8 (1.5) days. Conclusions The SD of blood cell lifespan distribution can be adequately determined from survival data using model-independent methods. The blood diseases affect not only the mean but also the SD of blood cell lifespan. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P91–P91; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.241
Finite thermal diffusivity at onset of convection in autocatalytic systems: Continuous fluid density.

The linear stability of exothermic autocatalytic reaction fronts is considered using the viscous thermohydrodynamic equations for a fluid with finite thermal diffusivity. For upward front propagation and a thin front, the vertical thermal gradient near the front is reminiscent of the Rayleigh-B\'enard problem of a fluid layer heated from below. The problem is also similar to flame propagation, except that here the front propagation speed is limited by catalyst diffusion rather than by activation kinetics. For small density changes in a laterally unbounded system, the curvature dependence of the front propagation speed stabilizes perturbations with short wavelengths \ensuremath{\lambda}${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathit{c}}$, whereas long wavelengths are unstable to convection. The critical wavelengths ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathit{c}}$ are calculated and compared with experiments and with theoretical results for a similar problem that is driven by a Rayleigh-Taylor instability arising from a discontinuous density difference at the reaction front.
Clay Distributions, Grain Sizes, Sediment Thicknesses, and Compaction Rates to Interpret Subsidence in Egypt's Northern Nile Delta

ABSTRACT Stanley, J.-D. and Clemente, P.L., 2014. Clay distributions, grain sizes, sediment thicknesses, and compaction rates to interpret subsidence in Egypt's northern Nile Delta. This study focuses on the role of clay on subsidence of Holocene sedimentary sequences in the northern Nile Delta. Proportions of clay in 1262 samples from 87 cores are much higher here than elsewhere in the delta and along the Nile in Egypt. The northern third of the delta lies at a low, near-horizontal elevation (∼1 m above mean sea level), but clay content and total thickness of Holocene deposits in subsurface vary considerably in time and space. Greatest clay content (to >60%) and mud-rich thickness (to 47 m) are concentrated near Manzala lagoon. The volume of Nile water and sediment discharged annually on the delta diminished during the past two millennia as a result of climate change and intensified human activity. During the past two centuries, barrages and dams placed across the Nile and increased water diversion activ...
Designing packet buffers for router linecards

Internet routers and Ethernet switches contain packet buffers to hold packets during times of congestion. Packet buffers are at the heart of every packet switch and router, which have a combined annual market of tens of billions of dollars, and equipment vendors spend hundreds of millions of dollars on memory each year. Designing packet buffers used to be easy: DRAM was cheap, low power and widely used. But something happened at 10 Gb/s when packets started to arrive and depart faster than the access time of a DRAM. Alternative memories were needed, but SRAM is too expensive and power-hungry. A caching solution is appealing, with a hierarchy of SRAM and DRAM, as used by the computer industry. However, in switches and routers it is not acceptable to have a ldquomiss-raterdquo as it reduces throughput and breaks pipelines. In this paper we describe how to build caches with 100% hit-rate under all conditions, by exploiting the fact that switches and routers always store data in FIFO queues. We describe a number of different ways to do it, with and without pipelining, with static or dynamic allocation of memory. In each case, we prove a lower bound on how big the cache needs to be, and propose an algorithm that meets, or comes close, to the lower bound. These techniques are practical and have been implemented in fast silicon; as a result, we expect the techniques to fundamentally change the way switches and routers use external memory.
Sensory transducers of E. coli are encoded by homologous genes

The tsr and tar genes, which are widely separated in the E. coli genome, encode functionally analogous transducer proteins that focus and integrate two distinct classes of chemosensory information. Physical mapping of these genes was achieved by use of transposon Tn5 mutagenesis of cloned DNA fragments. The polar effects of Tn5 insertions in the tar-cheR-cheB-cheY-cheZ region indicated that these genes are cotranscribed from a promoter upstream of tar and revealed the existence of a new gene, tap (taxis-associated protein), lying between tar and cheR. DNA hybridization studies demonstrated that the tsr gene possesses sequence homologies with the tar and tap genes, suggesting that they have all evolved from a common ancestor. The tap gene encoded a polypeptide of apparent molecular weight of 65,000, which may constitute a transducer protein of unknown specificity.
Determinants of local housing growth in a multi-jurisdictional region, along with a test for nonmarket zoning

Abstract In the State of New Jersey, two rural preservation tools are paramount: (1) Zoning that sets a floor on the size of residential lots; and (2) the outright acquisition of open space or its development rights by government and nonprofit entities. The present study explores the effects of these two policies on the number of building permits issued across 83 municipalities in northern New Jersey. The empirical work is based on a widely-used urban development model that uses both monocentric and polycentric factors to allocate growth across a set of suburban communities. The study also develops a growth-based test for binding minimum-lot-size zoning, leveraging the fact that the 83 communities are in a single housing market and must serve the distribution of home and lot-size demand collectively, not individually. The study finds strong evidence of excess large-lot zoning, leading to the suppression of short-term housing growth in communities that specialize in this particular “product.” No firm evidence is found that residential development is attracted to the amenities that flow from either large-lot zoning or open space set asides.
Removal of Antibiotics from Surface and Distilled Water in Conventional Water Treatment Processes

Conventional drinking water treatment processes were evaluated under typical water treatment plant conditions to determine their effectiveness in the removal of seven common antibiotics: carbadox, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamerazine, sul- famethazine, sulfathiazole, and trimethoprim. Experiments were conducted using synthetic solutions prepared by spiking both distilled/ deionized water and Missouri River water with the studied compounds. Sorption on Calgon WPH powdered activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and oxidation with chlorine and ozone under typical plant conditions were all shown to be effective in removing the studied antibiotics. Conversely, coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation with alum and iron salts, excess lime/soda ash softening, ultraviolet irra- diation at disinfection dosages, and ion exchange were all relatively ineffective methods of antibiotic removal. This study shows that the studied antibiotics could be effectively removed using processes already in use in many water treatment plants. Additional work is needed on by-product formation and the removal of other classes of antibiotics.
Deep Sea Diver Speech Distortion-A Chemical-Stress Effect?

Recently linear and nonlinear formant frequency shifting mechanisms have been found to be operating in opposition to each other, on the frequency shift of the formants of a divers speech. These shifts cause speech distortion and are usually solely attributed to the depth of the ocean for a given gas mix. Heliox mix consisting of 79.32% Helium and 20.68% Oxygen was used to record voice of a diver in a hyperbaric chamber during inhalation and exhalation periods. The results were compared with chemical, and physiological stress results to conclude that there may exist physiological stress effects mixed with that of the chemical stress due to the gas mix in addition to the depth and non-air breathing gas. Apparently these have not been separated in the diver speech distortion studies so far, and an attempt is made to correlate these is made in this paper.
An Application of Multivariate Analysis to Complex Sample Survey Data

Abstract This article adapts a standard method of multivariate analysis to a highly complex sampling design utilizing the method of balanced repeated replication for calculating valid and consistent estimates of variance. The example illustrates that by doing univariate tests to compare the mean height (or weight) of six year old white males to the mean height (or weight) of six year old Negro males, no significant differences are found between the two groups. However, the multivariate approach yields a significant result because the directions of the differences between two groups with respect to two positively correlated variables are reversed.