cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using a Virtual Chief to Minimize Delta-v for Satellite Swarm Maintenance in Eccentric Orbits

This work presents an approach to minimize swarm-keeping delta-v costs through the use of a virtual chief spacecraft. Current approaches in minimizing delta-v swarm-keeping costs are either computationally expensive or restricted to certain orbits and swarm geometries. To reduce the delta-v costs, a virtual chief spacecraft is used as the reference that the deputy spacecraft control their orbit with respect to. The relation between the virtual chief spacecraft parameters and swarm-keeping delta-v consumption is constructed by leveraging relative orbital elements (ROE) to form a convex program. Specifically, the choice of the virtual chief spacecraft is formulated as a quadratically constrained, linear program where the independent variables are the virtual chief spacecraft properties. To apply the optimization to the quasi-nonsingular ROE set, a novel delta-v lower-bound that captures the cost of 6 degree-of-freedom reconfigurations in eccentric orbits is required. This new delta-v lower-bound is derived and proven using primer-vector theory. While the quadratically constrained, linear program can be solved using available convex software, the computational effort is reduced by examining the structure of the optimization to find analytical solutions. To that end, the authors explore the optimal virtual chief spacecraft for swarm-keeping in orbits perturbed by $J^{2}$ and solar radiation pressure. Analytical solutions are provided if possible. If not possible, guidance on reducing the computational effort is presented. The analytical solutions are validated using CVX, a convex optimization solver. Furthermore, the solutions are further validated for a realistic swarm geometry in a high-fidelity simulation of a representative mission scenario. The delta-v required by the swarm spacecraft to maintain the desired geometry is compared for both optimal and non-optimal virtual chief spacecraft properties to demonstrate delta-v savings on the order of 15 to 20% across the swarm.
Scaling-up inference in markov logic

Markov logic networks (MLNs) combine the power of first-order logic and probabilistic graphical models and as a result are ideally suited for solving large, complex problems in application domains that have both rich relational structure and large amount of uncertainty. However, inference in these rich, relational representations is quite challenging. The aim of this thesis is to advance the state-of-the-art in MLN inference, enabling it to solve much harder and more complex tasks than is possible today. To this end, I will develop techniques that exploit logical structures and symmetries that are either explicitly or implicitly encoded in the MLN representation and demonstrate their usefulness by using them to solve hard real-world problems in the field of natural language understanding.
Classrooms under the Influence: Adolescents and Alcoholic Parents

(1991). Classrooms under the Influence: Adolescents and Alcoholic Parents. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 275-277.
Beyond Reason and Personal Integrity: Toward a Pedagogy of Coercive Restraint

This article challenges a popular assumption in adult education that all forms of coercion are evil; it begins to articulate a pedagogy of coercive restraint for use when faced with perpetrators of social injustices. The author clarifies the need for such a pedagogy based on critiques of adult education theories and practices. Forms and levels of restraint appropriate to different levels of conflict are described. The pedagogy of coercion is then situated within the broader pedagogy of mobilization, with suggestions for development of the ideas. Resume Cet article remet en question la croyance populaire voulant que toute forme de coercition soit necessairement reprehensible. On y articule une pedagogie de la contrainte physique a utiliser dans les cas d'injustice sociale. En se fondant sur les critiques formulees a l'egard de la theorie et la pratique de l'education des adultes, l'auteur soutient qu'une telle pedagogie repond a un besoin. Il decrit les formes et les degres de contrainte physique qui sont appropries en presence de differents types de conflits. Le texte situe la pedagogie de la coercition dans le contexte elargi de la pedagogie de la mobilisation, et contribue quelques idees pour sa mise en pratique.
Measurement of blood plasma colloid osmotic pressure: I. Technical aspects

Abstract The blood plasma colloid osmotic pressure was measured with a servo nulling instrument that employs cellulose acetate membranes, and two types of membrane-transducer instruments that utilize both cellulose acetate and hydrated polymer membranes. A calibrating standard was used to obtain uniform readings for plasma with the three instruments. Measurements were performed on laboratory animals. A relatively large sample of rabbits showed that the plasma colloid osmotic pressure is related to mean blood pressure, but independent of hematocrit.
Industrial participation in a VLSI course using video audio, and data communication: evaluation and experimental results

The Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering is one of 13 engineering schools participating in an NSF-sponsored project. The authors describe one project that uses innovative instructional methods for bringing industrial practicing engineers into the classroom. These methods range from in-person lectures to live interactive satellite video links. Evaluation of these instructional projects was performed both individually by each investigation team, as well as jointly from common individual evaluation measures. Data from all schools participating in the NSF project were obtained by a series of common questionnaires. The conclusions drawn from these data are discussed. It is felt that the innovative instructional methods used proved effective in improving student learning. >
BEZ235, a selective PI3k/mTOR inhibitor, enhances the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in pancreatic cancer (655.7)

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and has the lowest relative survival rate (~6%) of all major cancers. Current treatment options have had limit...
Effects of theobromine ingestion on plasma fatty acids, glycogen, and exercise endurance in untrained rats

Theobromine ingestion (100 mg/kg body weight) did not affect resting plasma fatty acid concentration in untrained rats, whereas fatty acid concentration was higher (p ≤0.001) following exhaustive treadmill exercise in the theobromine group (0.67 ± 0.08 mM, mean ± SEM) than in the controls (0.31 ± 0.10 mM). Run time to exhaustion was also greater (p ≤0.02) for the theobromine rats (44.0 ± 6.9 min) compared with control animals (27.5 ± 3.5 min). Liver glycogen utilization rate was lower (p ≤0.05) for the theobromine animals than the controls (4.58 ± 0.46 vs. 6.75 ± 0.92 μmol/g/min, respectively), as was soleus muscle glycogen use (p ≤0.03; 0.40 ± 0.04 vs. 0.53 ± 0.04 μmol/g/min, respectively). This suggests that theobromine increases exercise performance by reducing glycogen use and enhancing free fatty acid availability to the working muscle.
Pre-service teachers learning mathematics using calculators: a failure to connect current and future practice

Abstract This study brings to the forefront pre-service teachers’ contrasting views between their own use of calculators and their views of appropriate use of calculators in the elementary school classroom. Using a Heideggerian perspective, this paper describes a course in which pre-service teachers study mathematics in a reform setting but may fail to connect their use of calculators and their views of how their future students could utilize technology in a similar manner. This study also demonstrates that, in contrast to commonly held beliefs about students’ overuse of calculators, most of the pre-service teachers did not rely exclusively on their calculators.
Sustainable yield and conservation goals.

In his Perspective “Overkill and sustainable use” (21 March, p. [1851][1]), Martyn Murray suggests that “[c]onsideration of episodes of overkill and sustainable use in human history may inform the prevailing conservation paradigm” and presents traditional anthropological scenarios of
Coordinated electric vehicle charging solutions using renewable energy sources

Growing concerns about global warming, air pollution, and fossil fuel shortages have prompted the research and development of energy efficient electric vehicles (EVs). The United States government has a goal of putting 1 million EVs on the road by 2015. The anticipated increase in EV usage, along with the use of renewable energy sources for EV charging presents opportunities as well as technical hurdles. In this work, we propose coordinated EV charging strategies for commercial charging stations in parking lots. The focus of the research is on minimizing energy drawn from the grid while utilizing maximum energy from renewable energy resources in order to maximize benefits to parking lot owners. We propose an optimal control theory based strategy for EV charging. Specifically we derive a centralized iterative control approach in which the charging rates of EVs are optimized one at a time. Through analysis and simulations, we demonstrate that optimizing the charging rate of one vehicle at a time and repeating this process for all vehicles iteratively converges to the global optimum.
Clinical Significance of Ventricular Premature Beats in an Outpatient Population

The mortality of all outpatients who had ventricular premature beats (VPB) during a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) taken at the Lahey Clinic in 1967 was compared to that of a carefully selected control group. Those clinical and electrocardiographic factors within the VPB group which might influence mortality were also examined. Follow-up, averaging 3½ years, was achieved in more than 99 percent of patients. Mortality was 17.1 percent in the VPB group and 10.7 percent in the control group (P
Stress rupture and creep behavior of a low pressure plasma-sprayed NiCoCrAlY coating alloy in air and vacuum

The creep behavior of a NiCoCrAlY coating alloy in air and vacuum at 660 and 850 C is studied. The microstructure of the coating alloy is described. Analysis of the creep curves reveal that the secondary creep rates, the transition from secondary to tertiary creep, and the strain-to-failure are affected by the environment, preexposure, stress, and temperature. It is observed that the rupture lives of the NiCoCrAlY alloy at 660 and 850 C are greater in air than in vacuum. Several mechanisms that may explain the lack of crack growth from surface-connected pores during tests in air are proposed.
Examination of mesenchymal stem cell-mediated RNAi transfer to Huntington's disease affected neuronal cells for reduction of huntingtin

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded trinucleotide (CAG) repeat in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene (Htt). This expansion creates a toxic polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein (HTT). Currently, there is no treatment for either the progression or prevention of the disease. RNA interference (RNAi) technology has shown promise in transgenic mouse models of HD by reducing expression of mutant HTT and slowing disease progression. The advancement of RNAi therapies to human clinical trials is hampered by problems delivering RNAi to affected neurons in a robust and sustainable manner. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have demonstrated a strong safety profile in both completed and numerous ongoing clinical trials. MSC exhibit a number of innate therapeutic effects, such as immune system modulation, homing to injury, and cytokine release into damaged microenvironments. The ability of MSC to transfer larger molecules and even organelles suggested their potential usefulness as delivery vehicles for therapeutic RNA inhibition. In a series of model systems we have found evidence that MSC can transfer RNAi targeting both reporter genes and mutant huntingtin in neural cell lines. MSC expressing shRNA antisense to GFP were found to decrease expression of GFP in SH-SY5Y cells after co-culture when assayed by flow cytometry. Additionally MSC expressing shRNA antisense to HTT were able to decrease levels of mutant HTT expressed in both U87 and SH-SY5Y target cells when assayed by Western blot and densitometry. These results are encouraging for expanding the therapeutic abilities of both RNAi and MSC for future treatments of Huntington's disease.
A ruthenium nitrosyl that rapidly delivers NO to proteins in aqueous solution upon short exposure to UV light.

Two Ru(III) complexes, [Ru(PaPy3)(Cl)](BF4) (2) and [Ru(PaPy3)(NO)](BF4)2 (3) (PaPy3H = N,N‘-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-pyridine-2-carboxamide), have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Nitrosyl complex 3 has been prepared by passage of purified NO gas to the hot methanolic solution of the chloro derivative 2. Complex 3 exhibits νΝΟ stretching frequency at 1899 cm-1 indicating a {Ru−NO}6 configuration. Clean 1H NMR spectra of 3 in D2O and CD3CN confirm the S = 0 ground state. When an aqueous solution of [Ru(PaPy3)(NO)](BF4)2 is exposed to low intensity UV light, it rapidly loses NO and forms [Ru(PaPy3)(H2O)]2+. This reaction can be conveniently used to transfer NO to proteins such as myoglobin (Mb) and cytochrome c oxidase. The NO transfer reaction is clean and occurs upon short exposure to light.
BRANCH BANKING RESTRICTIONS, COMPETITION, AND COMMERCIAL BANK PROFITS: A CROSS‐SECTIONAL STUDY

Many states still limit or prohibit commercial bank branching. In addition, the McFadden Act prevents banks from branching across state lines. It has been suggested that anti‐branching laws inhibit competition in the banking industry. This follows from the notion that bank markets are localized, and that anti‐branching laws prevent banks from penetrating local markets adjacent to their main offices. Two interesting hypotheses arise from this conjecture. First, do banks operating in unit‐banking states have a profit advantage over their counterparts in states that allow state‐wide branching? And second, is there any significant difference in profitability between banks in limited‐branching states and banks in state‐branching states? In other words, are there diminishing returns to branching deregulation? Research reported in this paper answers these questions.
MO-D-213CD-04: 4D X-Ray DSA and 4D Fluoroscopy.

During the past decade the use of undersampled acquisition and constrained reconstruction have led to significant increases in data acquisition speed, SNR,spatial resolution and temporal resolution in MR imaging. When a separately acquired constraining image is combined with an angiographic time series the traditional tradeoff between spatial and temporal resolution is greatly reduced. Artifacts and limited resolution that would normally be associated with a rapid highly undersampled temporal image series are mitigated by the constrained reconstruction process which transfers the SNR and spatial resolution of the constraining image to the individual time frames. In rotational C‐Arm DSA a 3D image volume is formed from all the projections acquired during the C‐Arm rotation. Although the individual projections contain temporal information, the reconstructed 3D image has no temporal information and represents a composite of the vascular filling that has occurred during the iodine injection. However, the 3D cone beam CT reconstruction can be used to constrain the reconstruction of one 3D volume for each of the rotational projections. This extends the traditional DSAtime series of 2D images to a series of 3D volumes at rates up to 30 per second. Similar techniques can be used to provide fluoroscopy that can be embedded in the 3D space of the constraining volume and viewed from arbitrary angles without gantry motion. This overcomes the problem of forbidden views and guarantees that an intervention can be done without having to send patients to surgery. Unlike 4D DSA which requires only one source and receptor, 4D Fluoroscopy requires a bi‐plane fluoroscopy system. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the application of under sampling and constrained reconstruction to 4D DSA and Fluoroscopy.
EigenMS: de novo analysis of peptide tandem mass spectra by spectral graph partitioning

We report on a new de novo peptide sequencing algorithm that uses spectral graph partitioning. In this approach, relationships between m/z peaks are represented by attractive and repulsive springs, and the vibrational modes of the spring system are used to infer information about the peaks (such as “likely b-ion” or “likely y-ion”). We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach by comparison with other de novo sequencers on test sets of ion-trap and QTOF spectra, including spectra of mixtures of peptides. On all data sets we outperform the other sequencers. Along with spectral graph theory techniques, EigenMS incorporates another improvement of independent interest: robust statistical methods for recalibration of time-of-flight mass measurements. Robust recalibration greatly outperforms simple least-squares recalibration, achieving about three times the accuracy for one QTOF data set.
Some Tensile Properties of Metal-Metallic Glass Laminates

The tensile properties of brass (Cu-30% Zn)-nickel base metallic glass (MBF-35 Metglas) laminates have been investigated. Laminates were prepared by soldering these constituents together with a Pb−Sn alloy. The metallic glass exhibited an enhanced tensile ductility in the metal matrix environments, and such enhanced ductility depended on the metal matrix strength and elongation. Multiple shear bands have been observed in the metallic glass ribbon with enhanced tensile ductility. The failure modes of the laminates have been analysed based on stress-strain concentration concepts, following failure of the glass. The results were consistent with the experimental observations.
Comparison of several maturity indicators for estimating phytotoxicity in compost-amended soil

Compost can provide a rich organic nutrient source and soil conditioner for agricultural and horticultural applications. Ideal compost amendment rates, however, vary based on starting material and compost maturity or their interaction, and there is little consensus on appropriate methods to gauge maturity. In this study, electrical conductivity, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and carbon mineralization measurements were made on compost-amended soils and compared to phytotoxicity measured as cress (Lepidium sativum) germination. Cress germination in soil and compost mixtures incubated for 8-10 days significantly decreased with increasing electrical conductivity and carbon mineralization rate of the mixture and with carbon mineralization rate and mineralizable carbon associated with the compost. Cress germination was not related to carbon-to-nitrogen ratio or pH of soil and compost mixtures. The electrical conductivity of the soil and compost mixtures significantly decreased with decreasing mineralizable carbon suggesting that compounds contributing to electrical conductivity were present in the compost and decomposed upon soil amendment. The results of this study indicate that measurements of mineralizable carbon and mineralization rate of composts in soil, and electrical conductivity and mineralization rate of soil and compost mixtures, can be used as indicators of compost maturity.
Circle packings and polyhedral surfaces

Given a triangulated surface, a euclidean or hyperbolic polyhedral surface can be constructed by assigning radii to the vertices of the triangulation. We develop necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such a polyhedral surface having specified characteristics.
Ideal vitrification, barrier hopping, and jamming in fluids of modestly anisotropic hard objects

Our recent theory for the glassy dynamics of fluids and suspensions of hard nonspherical objects is applied to several modestly anisotropic shapes. The role of bond length and aspect ratio is studied for diatomics, triatomics, and spherocylinders. As spherical symmetry is broken the ideal kinetic glass transition volume fraction of all objects increases linearly with aspect ratio with the same slope, in surprising agreement with the jamming phase diagram of hard granular ellipsoids. The ideal glass boundary of all shapes is a nonmonotonic function of aspect ratio which is also in qualitative accord with the jamming behavior of spherocylinders and ellipsoids. The maximum glass volume fraction shifts to higher values, and larger aspect ratios, as the object becomes smoother. Suggestions for why the nonequilibrium jamming and kinetic ideal glass formation (dynamical crossover) boundaries are similar are advanced. Beyond the ideal glass volume fraction the nonequilibrium free energy acquires a localization well and entropic barrier. Although its form is highly nonuniversal, if different shapes are compared at constant barrier height then a good collapse is found. Collapse of the volume fraction dependence of the barrier height for different shapes is also predicted for modest shape anisotropy, but increasingly fails as the aspect ratio exceeds 2. For a given volume fraction the mean barrier hopping times are nonmonotonic functions of aspect ratio. The functional form of this dependence, and order of magnitude variation with aspect ratio, is distinct for each object.
Commentary: posthumous harvesting of gametes--a physician's perspective.

Author offers a clinical perspective on problems arising from requests for postmortem sperm and oocyte retrieval.
Sites of gibberellin biosynthesis in pea seedlings.

Potential sites of gibberellin biosynthesis in 10-day-old `Alaska9 pea ( Pisum sativum L.) seedlings were investigated using a cell-free ezyme system capable of incorporating [ 14 C]-mevalonic acid into ent -kaurene. In peas, ent -kaurene is assumed to be a committed intermediate in the gibberellin biosynthetic pathway. Comparative results from enzyme assays using extracts from shoot tips, leaf blades, internodes, and root tips indicate that the highest capacity for ent -kaurene (and presumably gibberellin) synthesis is in those tissues with the greatest potential for growth. The highest rates were obtained with extracts prepared from the fifth (youngest) internode, the fourth (youngest) expanded leaf, and the shoot tip itself. This report represents the first direct evidence that the enzymes responsible for early stages in gibberellin biosynthesis occur in internode tissues with potential for rapid elongation.
Clustering and percolation in assemblies of anisotropic particles: Perturbation theory and Monte Carlo simulation.

We present a theoretical approach for describing clustering and percolation phenomena in an assembly of nonspherical particles. The theory is based upon calculations of an orientation-dependent pair connectedness function. We show how this function may be approximated using a perturbation expansion in which the reference system is an assembly of spherical particles. The reference system is treated via the connectivity Ornstein-Zernike equation in the Percus-Yevick approximation. Although such an approach might appear to be limited to particles of small anisotropy, we find that as the particle anisotropy increases, the regime of interest (i.e., densities below percolation) moves to lower densities where the theory is increasingly accurate. Results are presented for systems of randomly distributed ellipsoids with aspect ratios varying from unity to 5:1 and are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The approach successfully describes the pair connectedness function, mean cluster size, and percolation threshold. In principle, the formalism is capable of describing the connectivity of randomly distributed particle systems over a wide range of particle anisotropy, including the limiting cases of randomly distributed spheres and infinitely extended rods.
Simple Physical Models Connect Theory and Experiment in Protein Folding Kinetics

Abstract Our understanding of the principles underlying the protein-folding problem can be tested by developing and characterizing simple models that make predictions which can be compared to experimental data. Here we extend our earlier model of folding free energy landscapes, in which each residue is considered to be either folded as in the native state or completely disordered, by investigating the role of additional factors representing hydrogen bonding and backbone torsion strain, and by using a hybrid between the master equation approach and the simple transition state theory to evaluate kinetics near the free energy barrier in greater detail. Model calculations of folding φ-values are compared to experimental data for 19 proteins, and for more than half of these, experimental data are reproduced with correlation coefficients between r=0.41 and 0.88; calculations of transition state free energy barriers correlate with rates measured for 37 single domain proteins (r=0.69). The model provides insight into the contribution of alternative-folding pathways, the validity of quasi-equilibrium treatments of the folding landscape, and the magnitude of the Arrhenius prefactor for protein folding. Finally, we discuss the limitations of simple native-state-based models, and as a more general test of such models, provide predictions of folding rates and mechanisms for a comprehensive set of over 400 small protein domains of known structure.
Assessing Reflective Writing on a Pediatric Clerkship by Using a Modified Bloom’s Taxonomy

Objective Reflection enables learners to analyze their experiences and capture the wisdom that lies within. Effective teaching requires reliable methods of assessment. Several methods of assessing reflective writing have been described; however, they often require significant training, and reliability has seldom been assessed. This study was designed to determine the interrater reliability of a method of assessing reflective writing by using a modified Bloom's Taxonomy. Methods Twenty-one third-year medical students maintained reflective journals throughout their pediatric clerkship. A coding schema based on Bloom's Taxonomy was developed to assess the level of cognitive processing evident in the journals. Journals were independently assessed by 3 raters. Percent agreement, kappa statistics, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC [2,1]) were used to assess interrater reliability. Results Three hundred eight entries from 21 journals were assessed. Percent agreement ranged from 78.2% to 100%. Kappa statistic for each level ranged from 0.57 ± 0.04 to 0.73 ± 0.04, and for the highest level of processing evident it ranged from 0.52 ± .04 to 0.58 ± 0.04. ICC (2,1) for each level of cognitive processing ranged from 0.62 (F = 6.20; P = .000) to 1.00, and for the highest level of cognitive processing evident, it was 0.79 (F = 12.42; P = .000). Substantial to almost perfect agreement was attained. Conclusions Reflective journals allow learners to revisit their experiences for critical analysis and deeper learning. This study describes a reliable method, based on Bloom's Taxonomy, of determining whether learners have achieved higher order thinking through reflective journal writing. This method can provide a baseline for facilitating higher order processing, critical thinking, and reflective practice.
Druggability of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor N-Terminal Domains

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission. All distinct classes of iGluRs (AMPA, NMDA, Kainate) harbor a ligand-binding domain (LBD), and an N-terminal domain (NTD) in their extracellular region. Glutamate binding to the LBD activates the ion channel. Allosteric modulation of iGluR activity by NMDAR NTD is well established; a similar function in AMPARs is still a matter of debate. Recently, we have shown that the bilobate architecture of iGluR NTDs favors similar global motions, and facilitates easy reconfiguration between AMPAR and NMDAR dimers [1,2]. This unexpected similarity in the intrinsic dynamics of these two subfamilies hints at the allosteric potential of non-NMDAR iGluRs and has propelled the evaluation of their “druggability”. To achieve realistic detection of ligand-binding sites and their maximal binding affinities, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of iGluR extracellular domains in the presence of drug-like probe molecules and water. First, we benchmarked this method by exploring the well-known ligand-binding landscape of GluA2 LBD. We found that binding of one probe molecule in the endogenous ligand-binding site can drive domain closure necessary for channel activation. Subsequently, we explored the ligand-binding potential of all known iGluR NTDs. Our method captures with reasonable accuracy the known binding sites on NMDAR-GluN2B for modulators like Zn2+ and phenylethanolamine compounds, and furthermore provides insights into the chemical features and compound shape that may bind with better affinity than those known compounds. Another striking result from an extensive analysis of all iGluR NTDs is the accuracy with which the probe-binding hot spots overlap with known dimer interfaces of the monomers. This opens new avenues whereby we can accurately identify/predict druggable protein-protein interfaces.1. Dutta A, et al. (2012). Structure, in press2. Sukumaran, M et al. (2011). EMBO J, 30, 972-82.
Noise abatement in plant monocultures and plant communities

Abstract Three types of vegetation can be discerned with regard to the acoustic climate investigated in 4 different plantations, 2 plant communities, and a grass field. In the first type of vegetation, i.e. beech and ashtree forests, the excess attenuation was at least 10 dB/100 m with the receiver at the same height as the source, 1·2 m, and at least 5 dB/100 m with the receiver at 3·9 m and even more in most 1 3 -octave bands studied. In the second type of vegetation, i.e. the mixed poplar forest and the Stellario carpinetum, a so-called ‘sound window’ could be detected around 2 kHz and the ground effect was more extended towards the high frequency range compared with the first type of vegetation. In the third type of vegetation consisting of evergreen sprucefir, best excess attenuation was found in the closed forest: at least 10 dB/100 m with the receiver at 1·2 m, and 7 dB/100 m with the receiver at 3·9 m; in the belts the excess attenuation was at least 7 dB/100 m and 4 dB/100 m respectively. Best attenuation was, therefore, found in the closed forest, and not in the belts. It was concluded that the sound attenuating capacity of planted vegetations can be used to abate noise pollution in town and landscape planning if the plantations are at least 12 m wide. To obtain the best effect the rows of trees have to be planted perpendicular to the direction of the sound field.
Post-transcriptional regulation of the human reduced folate carrier as a novel adaptive mechanism in response to folate excess or deficiency.

The RFC (reduced folate carrier) is the principal mechanism by which folates and clinically used antifolates are delivered to mammalian cells. hRFC (human RFC) is subject to complex transcriptional controls and exists as homo-oligomer. To explore the post-transcriptional regulation of hRFC by exogenous folates, hRFC-null HeLa cells were stably transfected with hRFC under control of a constitutive promoter. hRFC transcripts and the total membrane protein increased with increasing LCV [(6R,S)5-formyl tetrahydrofolate (leucovorin)] with a maximum at 20 nM LCV, attributable to reduced turnover of hRFC transcripts. hRFC homo-oligomerization was unaffected by increasing LCV. Cell surface hRFC paralleled [3H]methotrexate transport and increased from 0.5 to 2 nM LCV, and then decreased (~2-fold) with increasing LCV up to 20 nM. hRFC was localized to the cell surface at low LCV concentrations (0.5–1.5 nM). However, at higher LCV concentrations, significant intracellular hRFC was localized to the ER (endoplasmic reticulum), such that at 20 nM LCV, intracellular hRFC was predominated. Our results demonstrate a novel post-transcriptional regulation of hRFC involving: (i) increased hRFC transcripts and proteins, accompanying increased extracellular folates, attributable to differences in hRFC transcript stabilities; and (ii) increased retention of hRFC in the ER under conditions of folate excess, because of impaired intracellular trafficking and plasma membrane targeting.
Age Differences in Processing Expository and Narrative Text

A dual-task procedure was used to examine the effects of text genre on prose processing, comprehension, and recall in 20 young (18-33 years) and 20 old (65-80 years) adults. Response latencies on a secondary task provided an index of cognitive capacity used in reading narrative and expository passages. Both groups recalled more of narratives than of expository passages, although old subjects recalled less than young. Also, the narrative protocols of both age groups showed a greater difference for recall of main ideas as compared to details. Age differences in the pattern of text genre effects were found on measures of comprehension, capacity utilization, and processing efficiency. It appears that the narrative genre facilitated most measures of performance and partially compensated for some limitations in the older group.
Probabilistic Potential Path Trees for Visualizing and Analyzing Vehicle Tracking Data

Vehicle tracking data are often used to explore human travel behavior and activity patterns. Time geography is a useful approach for analyzing such datasets, as it provides a means for identifying the set of possible routes and stops for a vehicle between known locations, which is termed a potential path tree. This research extends the utility of the time-geographic approach by developing a method to generate probabilistic potential path trees that represent the space-time potential of a vehicle's movements. First, this research provides the mathematical formulation of the new technique, network-based time-geographic density estimation (TGDE), and demonstrates the computation using a hypothetical tracking dataset and road network. Its formulation operates as a network adaptation of classical TGDE, which has been previously employed to analyze the movements of objects travelling in continuous, Euclidean space. Second, network-based TGDE is applied in the context of analyzing vehicle tracking data collected by GPS and filtered to protect an individual's privacy. The method was used to map and quantify the vehicle's most likely routes, origins, intermediate stops, and final destinations. The results indicate network-based time-geographic density estimation provides a powerful approach for both geovisualizing and analyzing vehicle tracking data.
Monitoring and Debugging the Quality of Results in Approximate Programs

Energy efficiency is a key concern in the design of modern computer systems. One promising approach to energy-efficient computation, approximate computing, trades off output accuracy for significant gains in energy efficiency. However, debugging the actual cause of output quality problems in approximate programs is challenging. This paper presents dynamic techniques to debug and monitor the quality of approximate computations. We propose both offline debugging tools that instrument code to determine the key sources of output degradation and online approaches that monitor the quality of deployed applications. We present two offline debugging techniques and three online monitoring mechanisms. The first offline tool identifies correlations between output quality and the execution of individual approximate operations. The second tracks approximate operations that flow into a particular value. Our online monitoring mechanisms are complementary approaches designed for detecting quality problems in deployed applications, while still maintaining the energy savings from approximation. We present implementations of our techniques and describe their usage with seven applications. Our online monitors control output quality while still maintaining significant energy efficiency gains, and our offline tools provide new insights into the effects of approximation on output quality.
Performance of chloroperoxidase stabilization in mesoporous sol-gel glass using In situ glucose oxidase peroxide generation

A unique mesoporous sol-gel glass possessing a highly ordered porous structure (with three pore sizes of about 50, 150, and 200A diameter) was used as a support material for immobilization of the enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO). CPO was bound onto the glass via a bifunctional ligand, trimethoxysilylpropanal. In situ production of the cosubstrate, H2O2 was achieved using glucose oxidase. Solvent stability in acetonitrile mixtures was enhanced when a pore size larger than the size of CPO was used (i.e., 200A). From these results, it appears that the glass-enzyme complex developed through the present work can be used as high-performance biocatalysts for various chemical-processing applications, particularly in harsh conditions.
Age differences in perceptions of the common cold and other ailments and discomforts.

Surnmry.-Perception of the common cold and other discomforts was studied as a function of age by conducting telephone interviews with a systematic random sample of 430 respondents residing in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Information was obtained on the frequency and duration of colds, the symptoms and treatments of colds, and on the perceived severity of various discomforts. Older individuals had fewer colds than younger individuals and suffered relatively little head congestion, fever, and fatigue. In treating colds, older respondents tended to stay home, whereas younger individuals more often drank fluids and used Contac. As compared with younger respondents, older respondents perceived the two-day intestinal flu and having a wisdom tooth pulled to be relatively less serious, but a sprained ankle as relatively more serious. Implications were noted for the medical practitioner and consumer psychologist. In recent years, an increasing number of investigators have studied body image and health concerns among older segments of the population. Plutchik, Wiener, and Conte (1971), for example, found that younger groups worried more about pains in the chest, whereas older groups were more concerned about stomach upset and constipation. More recently, the same investigators (1973) found no significant relationship between age and the dollar value placed on individual body parts. In a study by Koenig, Goldner, and Lockwood ( 1971 ) , some marked differences were found between elderly black and white hospital patients in reference to their ideas about illness, but no attempt was made to relate such differential perceptions to age. Bengston, Cuellar, and Ragan (1977) reported that middle-aged respondents expressed the greatest fear of death, whereas elderly respondents expressed the least. Finally, in a study by Sands and Parker (1979-1980), elderly adults perceived death-related events as less stressful than did younger adults. The present investigation is the outgrowth of an earlier one by Thumin and Wims (1975) which yielded a number of interesting age differences in attitudes toward the common cold and other ailments and discomforts. In the present follow-up study, several methodological improvements were implemented, and a more rigorous sampling procedure was used.
Frequency and upgrade rates of atypical ductal hyperplasia diagnosed at stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: 9-versus 11-gauge.

OBJECTIVE. Our goals were to determine the frequency and upgrade rate for atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) diagnosed with stereotactic 9-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy and to compare the frequencies and upgrade rates of ADH between 9- and 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively reviewed the pathology results of 991 consecutive 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy procedures from February 2001 through June 2006 and identified lesions diagnosed as ADH. The final diagnosis after surgical excision was determined from medical records. The frequencies and upgrade rates to carcinoma were calculated for all ADH lesions and compared between 9- and 11-gauge procedures. The number of core samples was recorded and compared.RESULTS. One hundred forty-one of 991 (14.2%) lesions yielded a diagnosis of ADH at 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. Upgrade to ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma occurred in 26 of 123 (21.1%) ...
Stress analysis for an elastic half space containing an axially-loaded rigid cylindrical rod

Abstract The axially symmetric elastostatic problem of a half space containing a partially embedded, axially-loaded, rigid cylindrical rod is investigated. The rod is assumed to be in bonded contact with the half space and the half space surface is perpendicular to its axis. The problem is formulated by means of Hankel integral transforms and reduced to systems of coupled singular integral equations, where the unknown quantities are the normal and the shear stresses acting on the entire surface of the rod. Numerical solutions are obtained for several values of the aspect ratio, i.e. of radius to length, and for sufficiently small values of this ratio the results appear to be comparable to those of Muki and Sternberg for an axially-loaded rod. Comparison is also made for the percentage of the vertical resultant load carried by the base of rod with the results obtained by Poulos and Davis for a single axially-loaded incompressible pile.
A comparison of regional atmospheric pollen with pollen collected at and near homes

Abstract Three sampling techniques were used to determine how pollen concentrations obtained from atmospheric sampling devices compare to pollen concentrations in the home environment. Burkard pollen samplers were placed on rooftops at 4 locations in Tucson, Az. (USA) to sample regional atmospheric pollen; nearby, Rotorod® (rotorod) samplers collected atmospheric pollen in the home environment at 55 locations for 3 consecutive days during each season. Pollen concentrations from rotorod and Burkard traps show that pollen is rare inside homes and only occurs when pollen production is high. No differences in pollen concentration were found between rooms of any home, and frontyards generally had higher pollen concentrations than backyards. Pollen concentrations near homes were generally lower than regional pollen concentrations. Correlations were low even though pollen taxa were similar. Floor sweepings from homes contained pollen concentrations as high as 5.5 million pollen grains/g house dust. We conclude t...
Effects of dynamic quantization noise on video quality

Packet transmissions over the Internet incur delay jitter that requires data buffering for resynchronization, which is unfavorable for interactive applications. Last year we reported result of formal subjective quality evaluation experiments on delay cognizant video coding (DCVC), which introduces temporal jitter into the video stream. Measures such as MSE and MPQM indicate the introduction of jitter should degrade video quality. However, most observers actually preferred compressed video sequences with delay to sequences without. One reason for this puzzling observation is that the delay introduced by DCVC suppresses the dynamic noise artifacts introduced by compression, thereby improving quality. This observation demonstrates the possibility of reducing bit rate and improving perceived quality at the same time. We have been characterizing conditions in which dynamic quantization noise suppression might improve video quality. A new battery of video test sequences using simple stimuli were developed to avoid the complexity of natural scenes. These sequences are cases where quantization noise produces bothersome temporal flickering artifacts. We found the significance of artifacts depend strongly on the local image content. Pseudo code is provided for generating these test stimuli in the hope that they lead to the development of future video compression algorithms which take advantage of this technique of improving quality by dampening temporal artifacts.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Lower Triassic large sea-floor carbonate cements: Their origin and a mechanism for the prolonged biotic recovery from the end-Permian mass extinction

Precipitation of inorganic calcium carbonate is a common occurrence in both modern and ancient marine environments. However, synsedimentary growth of large (>5–10 cm) crystalline carbonate cements directly onto the sea floor has been thought to be limited to the Proterozoic, when seawaters were highly oversaturated with calcium carbonate compared to average Phanerozoic values. Outer shelf to slope deposits of the Lower Triassic Union Wash Formation in east-central California, deposited in oxygen-restricted settings, contain crystalline calcium carbonate cements that appear to have grown directly on the sea floor. Paleoenvironmental analyses indicate that these large calcium carbonate cements grew under conditions that were similar to those proposed for the precipitation of inorganic calcite in the Black Sea. Sulfate reduction of organic matter led to an increase in the amount of bicarbonate ion in deep waters and a concomitant increase in ΣCO 2 and alkalinity. Mixing with surface waters led to CO 2 degassing, and precipitation of cements from waters supersaturated with calcium carbonate. The presence of these cements and associated facies thus provides evidence of harsh environmental conditions in the Early Triassic at the regional level, which may have acted in concert with biotic effects of the end-Permian mass extinction, as well as similar deleterious conditions (e.g., shelf anoxia) in other regions, to produce a prolonged as well as temporally and geographically variable biotic recovery from this mass extinction.
Parity-violating deep-inelastic electron-deuteron scattering: Higher twist and parton angular momentum

We study the effect of parton angular momentum on the twist-four correction to the left-right asymmetry in the electron-deuteron parity-violating deep-inelastic scattering (PVDIS). We show that this higher-twist correction is transparent to the dynamics of parton angular momentum needed to account for the Sivers and Boer-Mulders functions and spin-independent parton distribution functions. A sufficiently precise measurement of the PVDIS asymmetry may, thus, provide additional information about the parton dynamics responsible for nucleon spin.
Theoretical and numerical study of a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer

A boundary layer created on an infinite flat plate by a time-dependent freestream velocity vector whose magnitude is independent of time but whose direction changes at a constant angular velocity is theoretically studied using Reynolds-number scaling laws and numerical simulations performed over a range of Reynolds numbers. Results obtained with a higher-order version of existing theories of the Ekman layer are shown to agree well with the numerical results at three Reynolds numbers. The present results can be extrapolated to the case of high Reynolds numbers. The Reynolds-averaged equations reduce to a one-dimensional steady problem, making possible the easy and accurate testing of turbulence models.
Adhesive interactions in the immune system.

The immune system is composed of bone-marrow-derived, nucleated cells, many of which circulate through the mammalian host in search of sites of pathogen invasion and other environmental dangers. The key to successful host defence is the ability of these leukocytes to mobilize rapidly to such sites of perturbation of homeostasis. Regulated adhesive interactions of these cells with the endothelium, extracellular matrix, cells of the solid organs and each other are a central feature of the immune response. This review considers the molecules involved in adhesion by cells of the immune system — with particular emphasis on the aspects of adhesion that are unique to leukocytes, namely transendothelial migration, regulation of adhesiveness, and leukocyte activation.