cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Random vibration of laminated composite plates with material non-linearity

Structural components in space vehicles, aircraft, automobiles, etc., that are made of filamentary composite laminae are usually subjected to stochastic loads. Composite laminae have strongly anisotropic properties and display significantly non-linear behavior when loaded in shear or along directions different from those of the filaments. The method of equivalent linearization is used in conjunction with the finite element method to perform non-linear random vibration analysis of laminated composite plates. An approximate, but sufficiently accurate, series representation of the non-linear shear stress-strain law is used to facilitate the formulation. Kirchhoff plate theory is used and hence transverse shear deformation is neglected. The random vibration analysis was found to be significantly more cost-effective than deterministic simulation.
Pet imaging of dose distribution in proton-beam cancer therapy

Proton therapy is a treatment modality of increasing utility in clinical radiation oncology mostly because its dose distribution conforms more tightly to the target volume than X-ray radiation therapy. One important feature of proton therapy is that it produces a small amount of positron-emitting isotopes along the beam-path through the non-elastic nuclear interaction of protons with target nuclei such as 12C, 14N, and 16O. These radio isotopes, mainly 11C, 13N, and 15O, al low imaging the therapy dose distribution using positron emission tomography. The resulting positron emission tomography images provide a powerful tool for quality assurance of the treatment, especially when treating inhomogeneous organs such as the lungs or the head-and-neck, where the calculation of the dose distribution for treatment planning is more difficult. This pa per uses Monte Carlo simulations to predict the yield of positron emitters produced by a 250 MeV proton beam, and to simulate the productions of the image in a clinical PET scanner.
Using acoustic tagging to determine adult spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) movement patterns in the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve (Florida, United States)

Abstract We used acoustic telemetry to study the movements of spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) during the spring and summer of 2003 and 2004 in Hawk Channel in the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve near Key West, Florida, United States. Overall, lobsters generally showed greatest movement after sunset and before sunrise with relatively less movement between midnight and 0200 h, however, there was great variability in movement patterns between individual lobsters and these variations were related to size or sex. Little or no movement occurred during daytime. Patterns of movement, as revealed by acoustic telemetry revealed that some lobsters repeatedly travelled to the same foraging area at the same time and then returned to the same patch reef (homing ability). Female lobsters that were reproductively active, exhibited movement patterns consistent with reproductive migrations to the forereef. These migrations lasted approximately 1 week and the lobster returned to the same patch reef presumably using the sam...
'Right Action' and the environment: a common environmental catechism, fundamentalism, and political extremism

Examination of the major religions of the world points out to scholars an embedded common call for respect and stewardship of the Earth. It appears that it is only at the fundamentalist fringes of some of these faiths that this call is modified into one of exploitation. Although stewardship of the natural world is not always or even often central in the teachings of modern faiths, it is clearly there. Why then does it seem that even in outwardly religious countries such as the United States these supposedly foundational messages are ignored in light of economic, political and social imperatives? This paper will examine three key questions which may shed some light on these matters. First, what are the major religions of the United States and what are, if any, their identifiable core dogmas with regard to the natural environment? This is not an effort at syncretism, but rather that in the manner of identifying and listing commonly held beliefs amongst related and unrelated religions. Second, identification of outliers in the religious community; i.e., which if any religious sects go against the concepts of environmental stewardship? Third, what is the apparent influence of any of these religious belief systems on the socio–economic and political systems and decisions of the nation–state? Examples from past and present governments in public pronouncements and policies will be examined to see if there are discernible influences from professed beliefs.
Fully dynamic point location in a monotone subdivision

In this paper a dynamic technique for locating a point in a monotone planar subdivision, whose current number of vertices is n, is presented. The (complete set of) update operations are insertion o...
C∗-algebras generated by subnormal operators

Abstract This paper gives necessary and sufficient conditions on a Hilbert space operator A in order that C ∗ (A) , the C ∗ -algebra generated by A , be generated by an irreducible, essentially normal, subnormal operator. Several specialized applications of this result are given and methods of constructing irreducible subnormal operators are developed.
Spectrochemical characterization of L-Histidine in simulated body fluid

L-Histidine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid. In addition it is biologically important in the dismutation of superoxide radical (O 2 -. ) by superoxide dismutase (SOD). In this work, fluorescence and absorptiometric techniques are used to characterize the photo-phenomena of this compound in a simulated body fluid (SBF). In this medium L-histidine fluoresces at 458 nm when excited at 390 nm. Its wavelength of maximum absorbance, λ max , was observed at 272 nm and a molar absorptivity, e, of 1.50 x 10 3 /M-cm. This absorptiometric data suggest that L-histidine undergoes an n→π* electronic transition reaction in an SBF medium. The observed bimolecular quenching rate constant, k q , of 1.68 x 10 8 /M-s, by hydrogen peroxide as quencher, suggests a non-diffusional quenching but rather an activation-controlled mechanism with a rate constant, ka, of 1.68 x 10 8 /M-s and an electron transfer rate constant of 3.65 x 10 8 /s. A quantum yield, Φ f , of 0.09 and a fluorescence lifetime of 12.2 ns, respectively, were determined. The observed radiative and non-radiative rate constants, k r and k nr , of 7.38 x 10 6 /s and 7.46 x 10 7 /s, respectively, suggest that the deactivation of the thermally excited L-histidine is mainly through a non-radiative route rather than by normal fluorescence, which can account for the low quenching constant, KSV, of 2.13/M that was obtained. The solvent reorganization energy, λ s , and the reaction free energy change, ΔG, of 1.48 eV and -2.47 eV, respectively, suggest that the electron transfer reaction in the L-histidine-H 2 O 2 reaction in SBF medium is through a solvent separated mechanism.
Isotopes and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Computer Simulations, Part I: Evaluation of the Simulation Model Using the Flame Atomic Absorption Determination of Lithium Isotope Abundances

An evaluation of a computer model developed to calculate absorbances involving multi-isotopic elements is presented. With the use of the model, an independently performed flame atomic absorption experiment to determine isotope abundances of lithium is simulated. The necessity of having accurate values of the critical model parameters (damping constant, isotope shift, fine structure separation, and collisional shift) is demonstrated. The ability of the model to reveal experimental relationships which would be difficult to observe unless the experiments were performed with extreme care is shown. Further, the potential of the model to simulate isotope effects in AAS and its use as an aid in the evaluation of experimental results are demonstrated.
High Frictional Anisotropy of Periodic and Aperiodic Directions on a Quasicrystal Surface

Strong friction anisotropy is found when the twofold surface of an atomically clean aluminum-nickel-cobalt quasicrystal slides against a thiol-passivated titanium-nitride tip. Friction along the aperiodic direction is one-eighth as much as that along the periodic direction. This anisotropy, which is about three times as large as the highest value observed in anisotropic crystalline surfaces, disappears after the surface is oxidized in air. These results reveal a strong connection between interface atomic structure and the mechanisms by which energy is dissipated, which likely include electronic or phononic contributions, or both.
Effects of sudden mixing in the solar core on solar neutrinos and ice ages.

Some numerical experiments with a solar model have been conducted in connection with the hypothesis regarding the effects of mixing in the solar core. Questions concerning a plausible mechanism by which such a mixing could be produced are explored. The variation of solar luminosity throughout the numerical experiments is shown. In connection with a great change in luminosity after a second mixing, it is suggested that the earth is presently undergoing an ice age.
Use of Wavelets for Mixed-Mode Damage Diagnostics in Warren Truss Structures

The use of the wavelet transform has been gaining widespread acceptance over the last decade as a valuable tool for damage detection. This paper investigates the use of wavelets for detecting mixed-mode, also known as combined mode, cracks in truss structures. The propagation of an open, mixed-mode crack is simulated by using a macroscopic model of damage that is combined with a finite element model of the Warren truss. The natural modes of the truss with varying levels of damage are then used to determine crack location on a specific member of the truss. A damage detection algorithm is developed and the influence of multiple parameters such as truss geometry, crack geometry, number of truss members, etc. is investigated. A direct correlation between damage severity and the magnitude of wavelet coefficients is found for a predefined damage location. It is observed that the proposed damage detection algorithm can be used to successfully detect mixed-mode cracks even in the presence of noise, and even when a relatively coarse sampling of natural modes is used. Multiple simulations are presented and some shortcomings of the proposed algorithm are also discussed in detail.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Brief A new Lyapunov design approach for nonlinear systems based on Zubov's method

The present research work proposes a new nonlinear controller synthesis approach that is based on the methodological principles of Lyapunov design. In particular, it relies on a short-horizon model-based prediction and optimization of the rate of ''energy dissipation'' of the system, as it is realized through the time derivative of an appropriately selected Lyapunov function. The latter is computed by solving Zubov's partial differential equation based on the system's drift vector field. A nonlinear state feedback control law with two adjustable parameters is derived as the solution of an optimization problem that is formulated on the basis of the aforementioned Lyapunov function and closed-loop performance characteristics. A set of system-theoretic properties of the proposed control law are examined as well. Finally, the proposed Lyapunov design method is evaluated in a chemical reactor example which exhibits nonminimum-phase behaviour.
Comparison of sex pheromone composition and pheromone-mediated male behavior of laboratory-reared and wildHeliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Analysis of ovipositor extracts of lab-reared (> 120 generations) and wildHeliothis zea indicated small but significant differences in the percent composition of the four aldehyde components of the sex pheromone. (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol (Z11–16∶OH) was present in both populations and amounted to only 2.8% of the total pheromone. There was no significant difference in four of the six behavioral categories between lab-reared and wild males exposed to the four-component sex pheromone in the flight tunnel. Ninety and 84% males flew to the pheromone source, respectively. However, with the addition ofZ11–16∶OH to the pheromone blend, none of the wild males flew upwind to the stimulus source, whereas 36% of the lab-reared males completed the flight. It is suggested that prolonged inbreeding in closed quarters rendered these males less discriminating to qualitative differences in a pheromone blend.
Adapting Case Tools for More Effective Learning

The primary purpose of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools has been to assist in organizing and expediting the work performed by a systems analyst. Based upon the opinions of some experts in the field, learning should also be emphasized in the construction of CASE tools. Some general criticisms of CASE tools are considered in this article with respect to their educational implications. As a solution to these problems, the author proposes several modifications to the standard CASE software. Some of these changes are to be incorporated into a special educational version of a CASE tool. The modifications are designed to incorporate teacher-student interaction factors.
High performance OpenSHMEM for Xeon Phi clusters: Extensions, runtime designs and application co-design

Intel Many Integrated Core (MIC) architectures are becoming an integral part of modern supercomputer architectures due to their high compute density and performance per watt. Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) programming models, such as OpenSHMEM, provide an attractive approach for developing scientific applications with irregular communication characteristics, by abstracting shared memory address space, along with one-sided communication semantics. However, the current OpenSHMEM standard does not efficiently support heterogeneous memory architectures such as Xeon Phi. Host and Xeon Phi cores have different memory capacities and compute characteristics. But, the global symmetric memory allocation in the current OpenSHMEM standard mandates that same amount of memory be allocated on every process. In this paper, we propose extensions to overcome this restriction and propose high performance runtime-level designs for efficient communication involving Xeon Phi processors. Further, we re-design applications to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed designs and extensions. Experimental evaluations indicate 4X to 7X reduction in OpenSHMEM data movement operation latencies, and 6X to 11X improvement in performance for collective operations. Application evaluations in symmetric mode indicate performance improvements of 28% at 1,024 processes. Further, application redesigns using the proposed extensions provide several magnitudes of performance improvement, as compared to the symmetric mode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research work that proposes high performance runtime designs for OpenSHMEM on Intel Xeon Phi clusters.
The Future of Synchronization on Multicores: The multicore transformation (Ubiquity symposium)

Synchronization bugs such as data races and deadlocks make every programmer cringe traditional locks only provide a partial solution, while high-contention locks can easily degrade performance. Maurice Herlihy proposes replacing locks with transactions. He discusses adapting the well-established concept of data base transactions to multicore systems and shared main memory.
Drinking and drift: An empirical application of soft determinism

ABSTRACT In this paper, we pursue suggestions from previous research and apply the insights of soft determinism to the study of deterrence. We entertain the hypothesis-suggested by soft determinists-that sanctions may deter some individuals but not others. In particular, soft determinists anticipate that sanctions will have little or no deterrent effect on the behavior of individuals who are strongly constrained to either crime or conformity. To the extent that sanctions serve as meaningful deterrents, they should primarily deter individuals who are relatively unconstrained and enjoy more freedom of action and/or choice. In an effort to conduct an initial test of this hypothesis, we analyze data from a national sample of adolescents, and examine the effect of one type of informal sanction-namely, perceived parental disapproval-on the drinking behavior of selected categories of youths. The results of the analyses are generally consistent with the hypothesis, suggesting that future research in this area cou...
Independent effects of low frequency magnitude and phase distortion on the recorded electrocardiogram

Abstract Electrocardiographic signals must go through electronic amplification and filtering to increase amplitude and to diminish noise before they are recorded. However, amplification and filtering may introduce unwanted magnitude and phase distortion in the recorded signal. The relative importance of inadequate magnitude versus inadequate phase responses of electrocardiographic recording systems has been a subject of debate. Although electrocardiographic signal distortion due to inadequate magnitude response has been identified, 1 there is evidence 2,3 that phase distortion has a greater effect on clinical interpretation of the recorded electrocardiogram. This study was designed to quantify the independent effects of low-frequency magnitude and phase distortion on electrocardiographic signals. Electrocardiographic signals from Holter recordings in 10 patients were digitized and processed by magnitude-modifying and phase-modifying filters. The independent effects of magnitude and phase distortion were evaluated by calculating cross-correlation coefficients between filtered and unfiltered waveforms in each patient.
Ab Initio Potential Energy Surface for the H + OCS Reaction

Abstract An ab initio MP4 study has been made of the potential energy surface of the H+OCS reaction. Minima and saddle points leading to formation of OH+CS or SH+CO were found. Stationary points were located using the 6–31G** basis set at the ROHF and UMP2 levels of theory, with energy refinements at the MP4(SDTQ) level. This theoretical study, in conjunction with the recent experimental results of Bohmer, Mikhaylichenko and Wittig, provides a mechanistic overview of the reactions of the H+OCS system. The results substantiate experimental hypotheses of the existence of stable, four-body reaction intermediates, as well as “tight” four-body transition states leading to products. Our calculations provide the first set of structural data that detail the reaction mechanisms for H+OCS going to SH+CO or OH+CS.
Modulation of ethanol reinforcement by conditioned hyperthermia.

The present study was designed to determine whether a signal for availability of self-administered ethanol would acquire the ability to elicit a conditioned thermal response and to alter ethanol self-administration. Non-deprived male albino rats (n=8) were exposed to a differential conditioning procedure in which brief (30-min) periods of access to sweetened ethanol on a fixed-ratio operant schedule were either signalled (CS+ trials) or unsignalled (Blank + trials). A different stimulus signalled trials on which barpressing was not reinforced (CS− trials). Body temperature was recorded continuously from implanted telemetry devices. As in previous studies involving experimenter-administered ethanol injections, the stimulus paired with self-administered ethanol (CS+) acquired the ability to elicit a conditioned increase in body temperature. Moreover, barpressing for ethanol was greater on signalled trials (CS+) than on unsignalled trials (Blank +), indicating that ethanol's reinforcing efficacy was altered by CS+. Ethanol self-administration was significantly correlated with the anticipatory increase in body temperature on CS+ trials (Pearsonr=+0.77). When ethanol was removed, leaving sucrose alone as the reinforcer, the signal's effect on barpressing was eliminated. This finding suggests the signal's effect depended on ethanol's pharmacological properties. In general, these data are consistent with theories that attribute the signal's effect to conditioned changes in motivation to obtain ethanol or to an interaction between the conditioned response and ethanol's unconditioned effects. The specific pattern of results appears to support hypotheses linking ethanol's thermal and motivational effects. According to this view, conditioned hyperthermia produced tolerance to an aversive ethanol effect (hypothermia) that normally contributes to termination of an ethanol drinking bout, thereby allowing a longer period of self-administration on signalled trials.
Spectral Absorption Method for Determining Population “Temperatures” in Hot Gases*†

A spectroscopic method, useful for strongly absorbed lines, has been investigated for measuring temperatures of hot gases. The minimum transmission of discrete spectral lines in gases at equilibrium has a simple dependence upon the absolute temperature and this relation is used to measure temperature from a straight line plot. An experimental study has been made of the absorption due to the rotational lines of OH (2∑←2Π) between 3067 and 3090 A in an oxygen-acetylene flame. It is shown that temperatures measured by this method are less affected than the conventional one by lack of sufficient resolving power, flame thickness, and various light sources (either continuous or line).
ADRENAL-NEUROHYPOPHYSIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DEHYDRATED RAT.

The effect of methylprednisolone and desoxycorticosterone (DOC) on pituitary vasopressin content, plasma osmolality and sodium concentration, and urinary excretion of solute and sodium was determined in dehydrated rats. Methylprednisolone administration during dehydration resulted in less pituitary vasopressin depletion, a decrease in plasma osmolality, an increase in urinary solute and sodium excretion, and had no effect on the reaccumulation rate of pituitary vasopressin. DOC did not alter any of these responses. Both methylprednisolone and DOC prevented the dehydration-induced decrease in plasma volume, body water ratio. The mcst likely mechanism by which methylprednisolone inhibits dehydration-induced vasopressin release is by effecting an increased urinary solute and sodium excretion which lessens the osmotic stimulus in the dehydrated animal. The data provide no evidence that the glucocorticoid has a direct central effect on the inhibition of vasopressin release.
A comparison of the college selection process for international and domestic student-athletes at NCAA Division I universities

Abstract The purpose of this study was to uncover the most important factors in the college selection process for international student-athletes attending NCAA Division I universities in the United States and to compare those factors with ones indicated by domestic student-athletes. A sample of 355 student-athletes, including 192 internationals, from 15 NCAA Division I schools were surveyed using a 39-item questionnaire. Among individual scale items, international student-athletes rated amount of athletic scholarship and personality of the head coach as the two most important items, while domestic student-athletes rated a degree from the school leading to a good job and the overall reputation of the school as the two top items. A factor analysis was utilized to reduce the 39 items to five factors, which explained nearly 50% of the variance in the college selection process. International student-athletes rated school attributes significantly lower than domestic student-athletes. Also, female student-athletes, regardless of residency status, rated academic factors significantly higher than males. Meanwhile, males rated athletics experience factors significantly higher than females.
Healthy eating index and metabolically healthy obesity in U.S. adolescents and adults

Abstract Objective To determine whether dietary quality differs between metabolically-healthy-obese (MHO) and metabolically-abnormal-obesity (MAO) in a nationally representative sample. Methods National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (2007–2008; 2009–2010) were used to identify obese adolescents (≥ 95th body mass index (BMI) %tile) and adults (≥ 30 kg/m2). MHO was defined as Results Compared with MAO, MHO adolescents (n = 133) had higher total HEI-2005 score, higher milk scores, and higher scores from calories from solid fats, alcohol beverages and added sugars. MHO women 19–44 years (n = 240) had higher total HEI-2005, higher whole fruit, higher whole grain and higher meat and bean scores compared with MAO. No significant differences were observed between MHO and MAO for HEI-2005 total scores in men 19–44 years, or adults 45–85 years. Conclusion MHO adolescents and women 19–44 years have better dietary compliance to the U.S. guidelines when compared with MAO, suggesting potential intervention targets to improve cardiometabolic risk within obesity.
Market Strategy Skills: A Learner-Centered Approach

Market strategy skills are essential for engineers. A lesson plan that teaches introductory market strategy skills to engineering students is developed. The lesson plan is designed for junior level undergraduate students to meet some of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) 2005-2006 Criteria 3 (program outcomes and assessment). The challenge is to convey market strategies using a learner-centered approach into an engineering course. The first lesson is to demonstrate the difference between concurrent engineering and “over-the-wall” engineering. After this exercise, a discussion on key terms in product development and marketing is conducted. The key terms that are defined are core competence, continuous innovation, discontinuous innovation, dominant design, acceptability, adaptability, market entry, barriers, first to market, and late to market. Case studies are used to teach students basic marketing terms helping them to understand how to design products to solve for a need within constraints (ABET Criteria 3C), techniques to identify and solve problems (ABET Criteria 3E), and how engineering impacts society (ABET Criteria 3H). The fully developed lesson plans, best practices, and student responses are presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Ganglioside sialidase activity in bovine neuronal perikarya.

Neuronal perikarya were isolated, using bulk preparative procedures, from bovine brains. Synaptosomes, neuronal perikarya, and brain homogenates had similar ganglioside patterns, with the synaptosomes containing at least four times more total ganglioside per mg protein than the neuronal perikarya and twice that of the homogenate. Synaptosomes had 26–33 nmol total sialic acid/mg protein, while the neurons had only 15–17 nmol. Determination of ganglioside sialidase activity showed that neuronal perikarya had very low levels (negligible), in comparison with synaptosomes or whole-brain homogenates. Trypsin treatment during the isolation procedure enhanced sialidase activity two-to threefold in the particulate fraction of the whole-brain homogenate. Determination of the distribution of sialidase activity in the fractions obtained during the isolation of the neuronal perikarya showed that the sialidase activity was associated with the myelin, broken-off dendritic processes, and glial-cell fractions that banded in the less dense sucrose.
Pion-exchange currents in photoproduction of baryon resonances

Abstract The need for pion-exchange currents consistent with quark models which respect chiral symmetry is presented. Applications to photopion production via the Δ(1232) and several N ∗ resonances indicate significant contribution from exchange currents. Possible improvements to the theory are discussed.
Elemental composition of PM2.5 aerosols in Queens, New York: Solubility and temporal trends

Abstract As a part of the PM2.5 Technology Assessment and Characterization Study-New York (PMTACS-NY), concentrations of sulfate and 15 trace elements were determined in daily PM2.5 samples collected from July 2001 to September 2002 at a site in urban Queens, NY. The elements were Mg, Al, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, and Pb. Over the first 12 months these elemental concentrations were measured in both a water extract and in a total acid digestate so that the solubility of the aerosols bearing the above trace elements could be evaluated. This is important as elements with high solubility can be more readily bio-activated in the lungs and thus may be potentially more harmful to humans. An overview of the elemental composition of PM2.5 aerosols at the Queens, NY site over the 15-month period is presented. This includes a comparison of seasonal changes in aerosol composition and solubility at the sites along with an evaluation of the impacts on aerosol composition of the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers in Manhattan on 9/11/2001 and the smoke from Quebec wildfires in early July 2002.
Some techniques for using pseudorandom numbers in computer simulation

An alogorithm is described by which uniform pseudorandom integers may be used to construct binary “numbers” in which the probability that each bit in the word is a 1-bit and can assume any desired parameter value.Techniques for making use of such “numbers” in simulation programming are described.
Critical analysis of clinical factors in estimating severity of aortic valve disease.

Abstract Clinical data were analyzed in a group of 79 patients with aortic stenosis or combined aortic stenosis and insufficiency by the usual methods and by discriminant function analysis. It was possible to predict the level of aortic-left ventricular gradient (above or below 50 mm Hg) from signs and symptoms in approximately 83 percent of patients. The analyses performed yielded insight into the significance of the various commonly presenting symptoms in these lesions. For example, the slope of the carotid upstroke, calcium in the valve, T wave inversion and a large thrusting left ventricular impulse all indicated a high peak gradient, whereas syncope did not contribute to the separation of values. Heart failure made an insignificant contribution to prediction of the level of gradient.
Low-frequency ultrasound contrast enhancement behavior of a new nano-system for dual-mode imaging

In recent years, intensive studies have been conducted on the development of nanosized contrast agents (CAs) for multimodal molecular imaging. In this context, we have demonstrated the possibility of realizing a shell of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) on acoustically-visible silica nanospheres (SiNSs), in order to obtain new dual-mode CAs detectable through both ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the present work we performed the first experimental investigation of the low-frequency acoustical behavior of one of these novel CAs, made of SiNSs of different diameters (range 160–660 nm) coated by FePt-iron oxide NPs. Magnetically-coated SiNSs were insonified with low-frequency US pulses (2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 MHz) and the results were compared with those of pure SiNSs. Magnetic shell addition was shown to produce only slight variations in acoustical response of SiNSs and the detection ability of each considered US frequency was quantified as a function of NP size.
A NEUROBIOPHYSICAL MODEL OF SCHIZOPHRENIAS AND OF THEIR POSSIBLE TREATMENT.

A neurobiophysical model is proposed for the explanation of some characteristics of schizophrenic behavior. The normal reactions to exogenous stimuli are mediated through a set of centers, while some endogenous stimuli result in abnormal reactions removed from reality, such as dreamlike states, paranoias, hallucinations, etc. The two sets of centers are cross-inhibited and the usual equations for such cross-inhibited systems are applied. In normal life exogenous stimuli as a rule result preponderantly in pleasant reactions, and the corresponding pathways are therefore reinforced. This results in an inhibition of the abnormal reactions. If the life history of an individual is such that a sufficiently large number of ordinarily experienced stimuli leads to unpleasant reactions and, therefore, the corresponding pathways are inhibited, the endogenously stimulated centers for abnormal reactions prevail and various schizophrenic symptoms occur. The same result may be achieved with a normal life history but through organic changes in the system, which differentially affect various thresholds and excitation parameters. The model thus leads to the conclusion that what appears now to be a large array of contradictory findings in the “organic” versus the “psychological” controversy is actually not a contradiction, but is a result of the dependence of normal and abnormal behaviors on a large number of neurobiophysical parameters. Some general comparisons between the conclusions drawn from the model and some known facts are made. The model also provides a first step toward a neurobiophysical interpretation of the mechanism of psychotherapy.
Pointed Wings, Low Wingloading and Calm Air Reduce Migratory Flight Costs in Songbirds

Migratory bird, bat and insect species tend to have more pointed wings than non-migrants. Pointed wings and low wingloading, or body mass divided by wing area, are thought to reduce energy consumption during long-distance flight, but these hypotheses have never been directly tested. Furthermore, it is not clear how the atmospheric conditions migrants encounter while aloft affect their energy use; without such information, we cannot accurately predict migratory species' response(s) to climate change. Here, we measured the heart rates of 15 free-flying Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) during migratory flight. Heart rate, and therefore rate of energy expenditure, was positively associated with individual variation in wingtip roundedness and wingloading throughout the flights. During the cruise phase of the flights, heart rate was also positively associated with wind speed but not wind direction, and negatively but not significantly associated with large-scale atmospheric stability. High winds and low atmospheric stability are both indicative of the presence of turbulent eddies, suggesting that birds may be using more energy when atmospheric turbulence is high. We therefore suggest that pointed wingtips, low wingloading and avoidance of high winds and turbulence reduce flight costs for small birds during migration, and that climate change may have the strongest effects on migrants' in-flight energy use if it affects the frequency and/or severity of high winds and atmospheric instability.
Impact of gene patents and licensing practices on access to genetic testing for inherited susceptibility to cancer: Comparing breast and ovarian cancers with colon cancers

Genetic testing for inherited susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer can be compared with similar testing for colorectal cancer as a “natural experiment.” Inherited susceptibility accounts for a similar fraction of both cancers and genetic testing results guide decisions about options for prophylactic surgery in both sets of conditions. One major difference is that in the United States, Myriad Genetics is the sole provider of genetic testing, because it has sole control of relevant patents for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, whereas genetic testing for familial colorectal cancer is available from multiple laboratories. Colorectal cancer-associated genes are also patented, but they have been nonexclusively licensed. Prices for BRCA1 and 2 testing do not reflect an obvious price premium attributable to exclusive patent rights compared with colorectal cancer testing, and indeed, Myriad's per unit costs are somewhat lower for BRCA1/2 testing than testing for colorectal cancer susceptibility. Myriad has not enforced patents against basic research and negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Cancer Institute in 1999 for institutional BRCA testing in clinical research. The main impact of patenting and licensing in BRCA compared with colorectal cancer is the business model of genetic testing, with a sole provider for BRCA and multiple laboratories for colorectal cancer genetic testing. Myriad's sole-provider model has not worked in jurisdictions outside the United States, largely because of differences in breadth of patent protection, responses of government health services, and difficulty in patent enforcement.
Dielectrically isolated lateral emitter switched thyristor

The operation of a 500 V dielectrically isolated lateral emitter switched thyristor (DI-LEST) is described for the first time. Experimental devices exhibit an on-state voltage drop of 2.35 V at a current density of 100 A/cm 2 , and a maximum controllable current density of about 200 A/cm 2 . The on-state voltage drop decreases with increasing drift layer thickness consistent with the uniform lateral current flow observed in two-dimensional numerical simulations
Pyrene fluorescence fine structure as a polarity probe of hydrophobic regions: Behavior in model solvents

Abstract The vibrational fine structure superimposed on pyrene monomer fluorescence is solvent dependent at room temperature. The fine structure pattern of pyrene monomer fluorescence was found to be independent of excitation conditions or collisional quenching, but highly dependent on solvent polarity. Variation in pyrene fluorescence fine structure was investigated in alkane and alkanol solvents and solvent mixtures. Although changes in the fine structure pattern were detected across the monomer fluorescence spectrum, the greatest difference occurred at the 373- and 384-nm peaks. In nonpolar environments, the 384-nm peak dominated the pyrene spectrum, whereas at higher polarity, the 373-nm peak was the most intense. By expressing the relative emission intensities at 373- and 384-nm peaks as a ratio, a sensitive parameter of solvent polarity was obtained. The 373 384 peak ratio results yielded a curvilinear relationship as a function of dielectric constant. This effect can be applied to monitor changes in polarity of pyrene microenvironments in proteins and membranes.
ARID5B and IKZF1 variants, selected demographic factors, and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Abstract Interactions between common germline variants in ARID5B and IKZF1 and other known childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk factors were queried using biospecimens and data from 770 ALL cases and 384 controls. Case–control comparisons revealed dose-dependent associations between ARID5B rs10821936, ARID5B rs10994982, and IKZF1 rs11978267 and childhood ALL overall, and B lineage and B lineage hyperdiploid ALL examined separately (all allelic odds ratios ≥1.33, Ptrend ≤ 0.001). No heterogeneity was observed between ORs for males and females (all Pinteraction ≥ 0.48). Likewise, no significant genotype-birth weight interactions were detected (all Pinteraction ≥ 0.12) among cases. These results indicate similar ALL risk across strata of known risk factors.
Effects of Body Position on Judgment of the Postural Vertical

Each of 60 male Ss made 20 judgments of the postural vertical in the absence of visual cues. 10 Ss were randomly assigned to each of the 6 experimental conditions defined by left or right lateral tilt in a prone, supine, or sitting body position. In all conditions Ss consistently underestimated the postural vertical. Significantly larger errors were made by Ss tilted in the sitting position than by Ss tilted in the prone or supine positions. Performance in the prone and supine positions did not differ. No differences were obtained between tilting in the left and right quadrants for any of the body positions. Practice led to a significant decrease in error under all conditions.
Optical sensing of microsystem motion and performance

Microsystems involve several fabrication technologies, but share the common trait of dimensions and motions measured in microns. Small feature sizes and deflections make the detection of microdevice motion particularly difficult. The rapid operating frequencies of many microactuators compound the detection problem. Effective feedback, control, and performance measurement of microactuators thus become problematic. These measurements are particularly important, however, due to the developmental nature of many microsystem technologies. Wear, lifetime issues, and optimized drive signals, for example, are poorly understood for many actuation devices. As microactuators move out of the development stage and begin to perform work on external assemblies and environments, the various load conditions will also come into account. Since microactuators involve small masses and inertias, effective driving of external loads may require feedback-based control of the microdevice. Optical sensing technologies offer solutions to these problems of sensor motion, microactuator analysis during the development process, and integrated feedback for microactuators driving external loads. Optical methods also end themselves to the effectively 1D nature of many microsystem motions, limiting the required signal analysis to practical levels that support real-time measurement and control. This paper describes several optical techniques for sensing motion, performance, and feedback data, some of which can integrated with the microsystems themselves. For microactuators, experimental results indicate that real-time performance measurements are particularly revealing for understanding device motion and response. For microsensors, experimental result are also presented for interpreting motion using external and integrated optical techniques.
8-OH-DPAT attenuates isoproterenol- but not forskolin-stimulated accumulation of cAMP in mediobasal hypothalamus

Ovariectomized female rats were used to test the possibility that the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), inhibits cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation in the mediobasal hypothalamus. Tissue slices were incubated with forskolin or with the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol, to stimulate accumulation of cAMP. Both compounds increased accumulation of cAMP. The 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT, reduced cAMP accumulation after stimulation by isoproterenol, but not after forskolin stimulation. These findings are discussed in terms of putative differences in the mechanisms whereby 5-HT(1A) receptors are able to inhibit stimulation of adenylate cyclase. The potential significance of these findings to 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated inhibition of female rat lordosis behavior is also discussed.
Conflict and cooperation over water in the Aral Sea basin

Nature does not respect national borders; yet human beings seem incapable of managing their affairs without them. Nature has also not endowed every place on earth or every nation with the same type and amount of resources. Herein lie the roots of interstate conflict and cooperation over essential and scarce natural resources, such as freshwater. In Central Asia both possibilities will continue to exist for a long time.
Preclinical and Clinical Development of a Multi-Envelope, DNA-Virus-Protein (D-V-P) HIV-1 Vaccine

The human immune system has evolved to recognize antigenic diversity, a strength that has been harnessed by vaccine developers to combat numerous pathogens (e.g. pneumococcus, influenza virus, rotavirus). In each case, vaccine cocktails were formulated to include antigenic variants of the target. To combat HIV-1 diversity, we assembled a cocktail vaccine comprising dozens of envelopes, delivered as recombinant DNA, vaccinia virus and protein for testing in a clinical trial. One vaccinee has now completed vaccinations with no serious adverse events. Preliminary analyses demonstrate early proof-of-principle that a multi-envelope vaccine can elicit neutralizing antibody responses toward heterologous HIV-1 in humans.
Response of discharge, TSS, and E. coli to rainfall events in urban, suburban, and rural watersheds

Understanding dominant processes influencing microorganism responses to storm events aids in the development of effective management controls on pathogen contamination in surface water so that they are suitable for water supply, recreation, and aquatic habitat. Despite the urgent needs at present, numerous facets of microbial transport and fate are still poorly understood. Using correlation and multiple regression combined with spatial analyses, this paper evaluates the relationship between antecedent precipitation and discharge, TSS, and E. coli concentrations, and examines correlations between E. coli and TSS, as well as whether and how those relationships change along an urban and rural gradient. The urban watershed exhibited a faster and stronger response of streamflow, TSS, and E. coli to precipitation mainly due to its higher degree of imperviousness. In general, TSS was significantly correlated with E. coli concentrations, which linearly decreased as % developed area increased, with large variation in regions with a high percentage of development, implying the more complex stormwater infrastructure and more variable pollutant sources of E. coli in the urban watershed. Seasonal differences for E. coli were noted. Specifically, summer showed a higher level of E. coli, which might be attributed to the higher temperature since E. coli is more likely to persist and grow in a warmer environment. Further multiple linear regression analyses showed the best E. coli prediction result for the largest, suburban watershed, using antecedent precipitation, TSS, and temperature as independent variables. The models are capable of explaining 60% and 50% of the variability in the E. coli concentration for the dry and wet season, respectively. The study not only provides more detailed and accurate characterization of the storm-period response of E. coli across an urban and rural gradient, but also lays a foundation for predicting the concentration of E. coli in practice, potentially suggesting effective watershed management decisions.
The Impact of Learning Context on Intent to Use Marketing and Sales Technology: A Comparison of Scenario-Based and Task-Based Approaches.

With firms focused on increasing efficiency and effectiveness in today’s marketing and sales environment, it is crucial that salesforce training methods facilitate greater adoption of salesforce au...
The Deceptive Allure of Stage Models of Strategic Processes

This article describes the role of stage models in organizational research. In various sections of the article, we discuss the definition of stage models, different varieties of stage models, the way that stage models will characterize strategic change, and finally, the criteria that authors, reviewers, and readers ought to apply to stage models. On the whole, the authors conclude that stage models represent an alluring yet fragile form of explanation. The authors think that the limitations of stage models usually outweigh their potential benefits in explaining transformational change.
The use of regularity as estimated by approximate entropy to distinguish saltatory growth.

A nonlinear dynamics metric, approximate entropy (ApEn), is investigated as a diagnostic method for distinguishing between mathematical models, and the underlying mechanistic hypotheses that purport to describe the same time series experimental observations. ApEn measures the occurrence of pattern regularity within a time series, and is used here to investigate growth patterns in daily length growth. The notion investigated is that ApEn distributions for competing time series patterns expressed as mathematical formulations can be modelled by Monte Carlo and bootstrap methods and compared to the ApEn values for an original experimental data series. If the ApEn values for the different models do not overlap, then it is expected that ApEn can be utilized to distinguish these models and hypotheses, and to provide statistical assessment for the underlying biological patterns in experimental data. The conclusion is that the ApEn metric is successful as a time series diagnostic tool. It is a model-independent st...