cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Preemptive Multiprocessor Job Scheduling

The preemptive scheduling of a partially ordered set of tasks is studied. A class of scheduling heuristics is introduced, and the performance of schedules in this class is analyzed with respect to the least finishing time optimality criterion. If there are m processors, then the finishing time of any schedule in the class is at most $\sqrt{m} + 1/2$ times worse than optimal, independent of the speeds of the processors. Examples are given which indicate that there are schedules which may be as bad as $\sqrt{m-1}$ times worse than optimal even for machines with one fast processor.
Between a Rock & a Hard Place: Second-Order Minorities in the Aceh Conflict

Secessionist movements are often motivated by a sense of exclusion, abuse, and assimilation at the hands of host states. But in waging armed struggles and constructing ethnic nationalisms, they may replicate such grievances against their own minorities. This paper seeks to provide a deeper understanding of how ‘second-order minorities’ — the local ethnic minorities of communities which are sub-national majorities — respond to secessionism. Based on ethnographic research, it looks at four ethnic minority communities in Aceh, Indonesia. While over 80% of the provincial population is Acehnese, Aceh is also home to Javanese, Malay, Alas, and Gayo communities. In the secessionist conflict, these groups largely resisted Acehnese secessionism and sided with Indonesian forces. I suggest that the same ethno-nationalist project which united many Acehnese in the secessionist struggle served to push away non-Acehnese communities, leading to ethno-nationalist revivals among Aceh’s minorities and continued tensions in the post-conflict era.
Feather Phaeomelanin Intensity in Buff Orpington, New Hampshire and Rhode Island Red Breeds of Fowl: 3. Relative Quantities of Fractionated Phaeomelanin Pigments,

Abstract IN THE first two reports of this series, studies were conducted to determine the effects of such factors as age, sex and feather growth rate on feather phaeomelanin density (Somes and Smyth, 1965a) and the inheritance of quantitative differences in phaeomelanin pigment from whole feather extracts in three breeds of gold columbian fowl (Somes and Smyth, 1965b). However, studies utilizing whole feather extracts represent a mixture of different phaeomelanin fractions (Nickerson, 1946; Smyth et al., 1951) and provide no information on the relative contributions of each in either pure stocks or cross progeny. Smyth et al. (1951) separated whole feather extracts of both red and buff colored feathers into four different fractions. Two of these, brown I and brown II, appear to be typical melanins, while the other two, called dark purple and red purple by Smyth et al. (1951), are similar to each other and have chemical properties which…
Hybrid modulation properties of the Epson LCTV

Liquid crystal televisions have received extensive attention in literature for use as input and Fourier plane devices in joint transform correlators, and for use in other optical processing architectures requiring television rate inputs. The device has also been used in incoherent optical neural network systems at Penn State University. Recent research investigated the hybrid phase and amplitude modulating properties of the LCTV in a joint transform correlator. A new LCTV made by Epson is the focus of this paper. The hybrid modulation properties of this television will be evaluated and the results presented. Results from applications using the new LCTVs will also be presented.
Mechanistically distinct mouse models for CRX-associated retinopathy.

Cone-rod homeobox (CRX) protein is a “paired-like” homeodomain transcription factor that is essential for regulating rod and cone photoreceptor transcription. Mutations in human CRX are associated with the dominant retinopathies Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), Cone-Rod Dystrophy (CoRD) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), with variable severity. Heterozygous Crx Knock-Out (KO) mice (“+/−”) have normal vision as adults and fail to model the dominant human disease. To investigate how different mutant CRX proteins produce distinct disease pathologies, we generated two Crx Knock-IN (K-IN) mouse models: CrxE168d2 (“E168d2”) and CrxR90W (“R90W”). E168d2 mice carry a frameshift mutation in the CRX activation domain, Glu168del2, which is associated with severe dominant CoRD or LCA in humans. R90W mice carry a substitution mutation in the CRX homeodomain, Arg90Trp, which is associated with dominant mild late-onset CoRD and recessive LCA. As seen in human patients, heterozygous E168d2 (“E168d2/+”) but not R90W (“R90W/+”) mice show severely impaired retinal function, while mice homozygous for either mutation are blind and undergo rapid photoreceptor degeneration. E168d2/+ mice also display abnormal rod/cone morphology, greater impairment of CRX target gene expression than R90W/+ or +/− mice, and undergo progressive photoreceptor degeneration. Surprisingly, E168d2/+ mice express more mutant CRX protein than wild-type CRX. E168d2neo/+, a subline of E168d2 with reduced mutant allele expression, displays a much milder retinal phenotype, demonstrating the impact of Crx expression level on disease severity. Both CRX[E168d2] and CRX[R90W] proteins fail to activate transcription in vitro, but CRX[E168d2] interferes more strongly with the function of wild type (WT) CRX, supporting an antimorphic mechanism. E168d2 and R90W are mechanistically distinct mouse models for CRX-associated disease that will allow the elucidation of molecular mechanisms and testing of novel therapeutic approaches for different forms of CRX-associated disease.
Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness floor and corresponding functional loss in glaucoma.

Aim To estimate the floor of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness measurements and the corresponding retinal sensitivity loss in glaucoma. Methods Visual field (VF), Spectralis RNFL (83 patients and 37 healthy subjects) and RTVue RNFL data obtained separately (56 patients and 36 healthy subjects) were reviewed. Global and quadrant residual layer thicknesses and corresponding VF losses were estimated using two Bayesian change point models. Results The respective residual thicknesses from change point model 1 (CPM1) on Spectralis and RTVue (respectively) were 49.9 and 70.6 µm globally, 57.1 and 83.7 µm superiorly, 55.2 and 79.0 µm inferiorly, 43.1 and 60.5 µm nasally, and 40.1 and 59.5 µm temporally. Corresponding VF losses ranged between −25.1 and −21.7 dB (Spectralis) and between −21.8 and −3.4 dB (RTVue). From CPM2, RNFL thinning reached horizontal asymptotes at VF losses between −18.0 and −10.7 dB (Spectralis) and between −12.1 and −2.5 dB (RTVue). There were no significant differences between postchange point residual layer thicknesses from CPM1 and CPM2 on Spectralis (37.0–50.8 µm vs 38.3–56.0 µm) and RTVue (60.6–80.5 µm vs 58.4–88.8 µm). Conclusions Global RNFL thinning reaches the floor at a smaller VF loss level with Spectralis than with RTVue. The nasal and temporal quadrants retain thinner residual layers than superior and inferior quadrant RNFL. Measuring RNFL below their minimums will not yield useful clinical information.
Memristors in plants

We investigated electrical circuitry of the Venus flytrap, Mimosa pudica and Aloe vera. The goal was to discover if these plants might have a new electrical component—a resistor with memory. This element has attracted great interest recently and the researchers were looking for its presence in different systems. The analysis was based on cyclic current-voltage characteristic where the resistor with memory should manifest itself. We found that the electrostimulation of plants by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the Venus flytrap, Mimosa pudica and Aloe vera with fingerprints of memristors. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K+ channels, transforms a memristor to a resistor in plant tissue. Our results demonstrate that a voltage gated K+ channel in the excitable tissue of plants has properties of a memristor. This study can be a starting point for understanding mechanisms of memory, learning, circadian rhythms, and biological clocks.
Some Effects of Zinc on Several Species of Gossypium L

The determination of the factors which are operative among the plants of a genus in the establishment of specific differences constitutes one of the interesting problems of biology. There are numerous approaches to this problem, but one approach which seemed particularly germane to the writers concerned the effect of zinc upon the general growth and metabolism of plants. Although zinc has been established for many years as an essential element in plant nutrition, it has only been fairly recently that sufficient evidence has been accumulated through the work of SKOOG (2), TsuI (5), and others to establish an hypothesis concerning its mode of action. In general the evidence seems to indicate that, in some manner, there is a relation between zinc and auxin production and/or destruction within the plant. Regardless of its precise method of action, there seems little question that in the absence of zinc the level of auxin is depressed. Not only has this fact been confirmed quantitatively through the work of SKOOG (2) and of TsUI (5), but the symptoms of zinc deficiency reported by many workers are all congruent with the concept of a low level of the growth hormone. Data have been obtained (6) which clearly indicate rather important inheritable physiological differences among at least four species with respect to effect of temperature on growth. It has also been reported by STEPHENS (3) that reciprocal grafts between various cotton species produced differential effects. It is considered that some of these effects might be associated with various levels of auxin production or sensitivity between the various species. This hypothesis might be tested by controlling the level of zinc, hence of auxin, in the plant and observing the general growth responses for differential effects. An experiment establishing the need for zinc by Gossypium hirsutum indicates the probable requirement of all species for this nutrient element (7). The species of cotton selected for this experiment were two American tetraploid (n = 26) species, Gossypium barbadense L. (Sea Island-Ex. Jenkins), and Gossypiurm hirsutum L. (Coker 100-W); and one Asiatic diploid (n = 13) species, Gossypium arboreutin L. (race-sinense). Observations were made on plants growing in an unshaded greenhouse. Plants were grown in two-liter Pyrex beakers which had previously been painted on the
Inhibition of protein synthesis: A basis for tunicamycin-induced decrease in rat liver cytochrome P-450

Tunicamycin caused a dose and time dependent decrease in cytochrome P-450 in rat liver. A dose of 50 micrograms/kg caused a decrease of about 50% in 72 hours. A similar decrease in the activities of rat liver microsomal aniline hydroxylase, aminopyrine N-demethylase and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase were also seen after the tunicamycin treatment. Tunicamycin also suppressed food and water intake but the decrease in cytochrome P-450 was not related to these effects. NADPH cytochrome c reductase was not markedly decreased by tunicamycin. A decrease in cytochrome P-450 was also observed in cultured rat hepatocytes treated with tunicamycin. It decreased incorporation of [35S]-methionine into total proteins as well as into various cytochrome P-450 isozymes of rat hepatocytes. This indicates that a decrease in protein synthesis may be responsible for the tunicamycin-induced decrease in cytochrome P-450 and drug metabolism.
Do children learn from pretense

Pretend play presents an interesting puzzle. Children generally must keep pretense separate from reality or else pretend would confuse their real-world representations. Children spend a great deal of time pretending, and so failing to take any information from pretend scenarios would present a lost opportunity; however, little research has investigated whether it is possible or efficient for children to learn new information they encounter during pretend play. In two tightly controlled studies using blind testers, we taught children information of two types (labels and object functions) in a pretend or real context. Children learned the novel functions in the pretend condition, and they inferred that the novel object would be similar in appearance to the substitute used to represent it during pretense. These findings coincide with other recent work suggesting that children can learn new information in pretense contexts that they can then apply to the real world, although this learning may differ in important ways from learning in real contexts.
Trials that matter: should we routinely measure homocysteine levels and "treat" mild hyperhomocysteinemia?

Several large trials have examined the reduction of total homocysteine levels as secondary stroke prevention in patients with vascular disease. In the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VI...
Expression of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)/luteinizing hormone receptors and regulation of the cyclooxygenase-1 gene by exogenous hCG in human fetal membranes

The present study characterized hCG/LH receptors from messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) to protein and whether exogenous hCG can bind and regulate the expression of the cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) gene in human fetal membranes from term pregnancy. Northern blotting showed that fetal membranes contain 6.0, 4.4, 2.4, and 1.4 kilobases of hCG/LH receptor mRNA transcripts. In situ hybridization revealed that amnion, chorion, and decidua contain receptor transcripts. Western immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry showed that amnion, chorion, and decidua also contain an 80-kDa receptor protein. Ligand blotting demonstrated that the 80-kDa receptor protein in fetal membranes can bind [125I]hCG, and this binding was inhibited by excess unlabeled hCG. Treatment of fetal membranes with highly purified hCG resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in immunoreactive COX-1 protein. The response of hCG was seen in all layers of fetal membranes. The treatment with hCG also resulted in an increase in steady state COX-1 mRNA levels. The action of hCG was prevented by cotreatment with H-89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, but not by calphostin or lavendustin, which inhibit protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase, respectively. In summary, human fetal membranes contain hCG receptor transcripts and receptor protein that can bind hCG and up-regulate the expression of COX-1 gene.
Simultaneous Robust Design and Tolerancing of Compressor Blades

The manufacturing processes used to create compressor blades inevitably introduce geometric variability to the blade surface. In addition to increasing the performance variability, it has been observed that introducing geometric variability tends to reduce the mean performance of compressor blades. For example, the mean adiabatic efficiency observed in compressor blades with geometric variability is typically lower than the efficiency in the absence of variability. This “mean-shift” in performance leads to increased operating costs over the life of the compressor blade. These detrimental effects can be reduced by using robust optimization techniques to optimize the blade geometry. The impact of geometric variability can also be reduced by imposing stricter tolerances, thereby directly reducing the allowable level of variability. However, imposing stricter manufacturing tolerances increases the cost of manufacturing. Thus, the blade design and tolerances must be chosen with both performance and manufacturing cost in mind.This paper presents a computational framework for performing simultaneous robust design and tolerancing of compressor blades subject to manufacturing variability. The manufacturing variability is modelled as a Gaussian random field with non-stationary variance to simulate the effects of spatially varying manufacturing tolerances. The statistical performance of the compressor blade system is evaluated using the Monte Carlo method. A gradient based optimization scheme is used to determine the optimal blade geometry and distribution of manufacturing tolerances.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Social Sharing of Emotion in Words and Otherwise

The review by Rime challenges the current individualist view of emotional regulation, and argues that emotional experiences lead to the need and action of emotional social sharing which in turn plays a role in emotion regulation. Yet, the focus of the review itself is still hinged upon another aspect of individualistic assumption, namely the importance of language as a tool to carry out the social sharing of emotion. In so doing, the review highlights only the explicit, deliberate and agentic aspects of emotion sharing that are particularly common in Western individualistic culture. The review directly and indirectly demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive reconsideration of the role of sociality in emotion.
Relationship between Level of Aspiration and Selected Physical Factors of Boys Aged Nine Years

Abstract Utilizing a grip-strength test, 98 nine-year-old boys were asked to predict future performance on the basis of knowledge of past results on each of two succeeding endeavors with a hand dynamometer. Two aspiration discrepancy scores were computed and the subjects divided into three distinct groups: those with the highest positive scores, those with “zero” discrepancies, and those with the greatest negative scores. The differences between the means of these groups for various physical factors were tested for significance. Results indicated that boys who expressed higher levels of aspiration were physically superior in size and strength to those who expressed neither an increase nor a decrease in their assessments.
Summary of measurements of employee exposure to airborne dust and fiber in sixteen facilities producing man-made mineral fibers.

The results of an industry-wide study to determine the exposure of workers to man-made mineral fibers are summarized. The purpose of the study was to determine current employee exposures to airborne fibers and to utilize results to estimate past exposures. Measured exposures of workers to airborne total particulate matter and fibers are presented; samples were evaluated by phase contrast and electron microscopy. Results of the three year study, which encompassed 16 facilities and over 1500 eight hour samples, show that although there is a wide variation in concentrations of airborne fibers and particulate matter between and within the facilities surveyed, the concentrations of airborne particulate matter and fibers are generally less than 2.5 mg/m3 and 0.5 fibers/cm3, respectively. The nominal fiber size of the fibers manufactured and average airborne fiber concentration were highly correlated.
Availability of a 2-Component Dependent System

This paper investigates the effect of s-dependence among components on the availability of a 2-component repairable system with bivariate exponential failure time and repair time. Expressions are derived for state occupancy probabilities as well as system availability.
Employers and the Welfare State The Political Economic Organization of Firms and Social Policy in Contemporary Capitalist Democracies

The authors argue that the organization of employers shapes social policy support among firms and, in turn, affects social policy outcomes. Specifically, the authors argue that the centralization and cohesion of employer groups and economic cooperation across enterprises positively affects social welfare provision. Empirically, the authors assess the impacts of business organization on social welfare effort in 15 developed democracies between the 1970s and 1990s; the authors also provide analysis of the impact of employer organization on active labor market policy. The authors find that the organization of employers is one of the most important determinants of overall social welfare effort. The authors also find that employer organization affects the development of active labor market policies, and it influences the degree to which social democratic parties pursue active labor market programs. The authors conclude with a discussion of the findings' implications for theories of social corporatism and the w...
Mobility, Poverty, and Gender: Travel Choices of Slum Residents in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract A survey of 4375 slum residents in Nairobi, Kenya, reveals that the majority cannot afford any of the motorized transport options in the city. They cope by limiting their travel outside their settlement and, if they do travel, by often ‘choosing’ to walk. As compared to the non‐poor, poor households are systematically worse off. But the burden of reduced mobility is borne disproportionately by women and children. Using joint‐choice modelling to empirically explore the travel ‘choices’ of Nairobi’s slum residents, we show that women, men, and children in this population face distinct barriers to access. We conclude that policy aiming to improve mobility and transport access for the poor needs to grapple not only with the crucial issue of affordability but also with specific constraints faced by women and children.
Scale Effects in Generalized Newtonian Elastohydrodynamic Films

The prediction of elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) film thickness requires knowledge of the lubricant properties. Today, in many instances, the properties have been obtained from a measurement of the central film thickness in an optical EHL point contact simulator and the assumption of a classical Newtonian film thickness formula. This technique has the practical advantage of using an effective pressure-viscosity coefficient which compensates for shear-thinning. We have shown by a perturbation analysis and by a full EHL numerical solution that the practice of extrapolating from a laboratory scale measurement of film thickness to the film thickness of an operating contact within a real machine may substantially overestimate the film thickness in the real machine if the machine scale is smaller and the lubricant is shear-thinning in the inlet zone.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Economic Impact Of Community Colleges On Local Economies.

Abstract This report applies the American Council on Education model in determining the institutional spending impact on local economies. Specifically, the economic impact of Cypress Community College on surrounding local economies was ascertained. Economically affected by college operations were business sales volume, property values, commercial bank credit, employment, personal income, and local government expenditures and revenues. Evaluation of this economic impact suggests that community colleges may significantly affect local economies in a positive direction. This model may be applied in similar community college districts to determine economic impacts, and may serve as an initial step in evaluating benefits derived from tax payments to support community college districts.
The effects of benefit design and managed care on health care costs

Recently, the Department of Defense replaced its traditional fee-for-service insurance plan for military health care beneficiaries with an HMO/PPO hybrid. Using survey and claims data, we compare changes in costs over two years at sites that implemented this initiative (CRI) with changes at matched control sites. The results indicate that CRI substantially raised per beneficiary government costs for providing benefits (as compared to predicted costs in the absence of CRI). We attribute this difference to the higher overhead of managed care and the increased expenditures by HMO participants.
The CCR1 (SNF1) and SCH9 protein kinases act independently of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the transcriptional activator ADR1 in controlling yeast ADH2 expression.

cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK) is implicated in the inactivation of the yeast transcriptional activator ADR1, which regulates glucose-repressible ADH2 gene expression. The interdependence of cAPK, SCH9 (a protein kinase that when overexpressed can functionally substitute for cAPK), and the CCR1 (SNF1) protein kinase that is required for ADII2 expression was studied. SCH9 was found to be required for ADH2 expression in contrast to the inhibitory role played by cAPK. CCR1 and SCH9 were observed to affect ADH2 expression independently of both ADR1 and cAPK. In contrast, cAPK was shown to exert its effects on ADH2 solely through ADR1. These results indicate that the SCH9 and CCR1 protein kinases are components of regulatory pathways separate from that utilized by cAPK to control ADR1 activity and ADH2 expression.
Productivity of Parallel-Serial Manufacturing Lines With and Without Crossover

The productivity of a manufacturing system is greatly influenced by the configuration of the manufacturing system. However, the number of system configurations possible for a set of manufacturing operations can be very large, causing difficulty in the efficiency of general methods to calculate the productivity. Therefore the focus of this paper will be limited to configurations that are characteristic of automotive machining transfer lines. The traditional automotive line is serial and parallel operations are generally not used except where a balanced line cannot be achieved. Yet productivity gains can be made from parallel lines. Traditional lines also use buffers between operations to isolate the impact of a machine failure on the productivity of the system. However, a buffer does not isolate the failure to complete a product from failure in the last operation. When production machinery is of high reliability, and reduced work-in-process inventory costs are important, the examination of machining lines that do not rely on buffers becomes important. This paper examines the productivity improvements that can be obtained by bufferless parallel-serial lines, i.e. multiple machining lines in parallel, both with and without crossover between the operations. It will be shown that significant improvements to productivity can be obtained by placing operations in parallel, and that there is a synergistic improvement to productivity from having crossover between the operations.© 2002 ASME
Weber-Christian Disease Associated with the Tip Variant of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis: A Case Report

Weber-Christian disease (W-CD) is associated with relapsing nodular panniculitis and a variety of systemic findings. Renal parenchymal involvement has been rarely reported. The authors describe a case of nephrotic syndrome in an African-American man with a W-CD flare. The patient had chills and low-grade fever with painful lower extremity skin lesions. A renal biopsy demonstrated the tip variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The kidney biopsy also suggested parenchymal involvement by W-CD disease, with supportive ultrastructural findings. The synchronous W-CD flare and biopsy-proven FSGS and the rapid and sustained response of both to limited treatment suggest a causative association.
JOSS: 20,000 hours at a console: a statistical summary

JOSS is a special-purpose computing system designed to provide users with a substantial and highly interactive computational capability. The first JOSS system, developed for the JOHNNIAC computer machine by J. C. Shaw was operational in early 1963. Work on an expanded system utilizing a modern PDP-6 computer began in 1964, and the system became operational in February 1966. Although there are many systems today that provide time-shared access to a computer, little is known of precisely how such machines are used. This was especially apparent at the beginning of JOSS development. Substantial effort was therefore made to provide a measuring or instrumenting capability within the system not only to record use of the system as a whole but also to record characteristics of use for individual users of the system. This paper presents the first results of these metering efforts.
Testing Tools and Techniques: A Mini-Tutorial on Evaluation Methods for ASE

Ever wonder how your tool would fare in the ?real world?? Think your tool excels where others have failed? Is your tool better than a software developer? How can your tool help a software developer? Have you asked these kinds of questions before? If so, then this mini-tutorial is focused on your needs. In the minitutorial, I will go over the basics of tool evaluation from the beginning to end, from ethics to theory to analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches will be covered.
Algorithmic Cartography: Placing Points of Interest and Ads on Maps

We study the problem of selecting a set of points of interest (POIs) to show on a map. We begin with a formal model of the setting, noting that the utility of a POI may be discounted by (i) the presence of competing businesses nearby as well as (ii) its position in the set of establishments ordered by distance from the user. We present simple, approximately optimal selection algorithms, coupled with incentive compatible pricing schemes in case of advertiser supplied points of interest. Finally, we evaluate our algorithms on real data sets and show that they outperform simple baselines.
Direct Observation of Host−Guest Hydrogen Bonding in the Zeolite NaY/Chloroform System by Neutron Scattering

The differential H pair distribution function obtained from neutron scattering contrast measurements on hydrogenous and deuterated chloroform adsorbed into zeolite NaY (two molecules per supercage) reveals direct evidence for hydrogen bonding between hydrogen atoms on the sorbate molecule and oxygen atoms of the zeolite framework. A vector between the hydrogen and framework Si/Al atoms is also observed. The results confirm the conclusions drawn from previous vibrational spectroscopy and computer modeling studies.
Clinical presentation and management of geriatric rhinitis

The population of Americans over 65 years of age is growing at an unprecedented rate. Rhinitis is a common and burdensome complaint in this group, and physicians should be aware of the diagnosis and management of the disease. Geriatric rhinitis is a nasal disorder of older persons that presents with a constellation of nasal symptoms. The etiologies of this condition include both inflammatory diseases and the effects of aging on physiology of the upper airway. Possible causes include allergic rhinitis, nonallergic rhinitis (vasomotor rhinitis and gustatory rhinitis), adverse effects of medications, hormonal changes, postnasal drip syndrome, chronic rhinosinusitis and atrophic rhinitis. Nasal symptoms in the older patient present a clinical challenge because of the physiologic effects of the aging nose, the unusual clinical presentation, the presence of multiple comorbidities and the problem of polypharmacy. A number of therapeutic options exist for this disorder, although definitive studies of effective re...
Buckling loads of fully embedded vertical piles

Abstract Determination of critical buckling loads of columns in a medium which offers resistance to lateral deflections depend on: (a) Length of the pile, L. (b) Flexural stiffness of the pile, EI. (c) Stiffness of the soil, K, and (d) Boundary conditions of the pile, both at the top and the tip. In this paper, solutions for buckling loads have been obtained in closed form by energy methods for fully embedded vertical piles for boundary conditions, pinned top-pinned tip, fixed top-fixed tip, and a linear variation of soil stiffness. The effects of pile length, soil stiffness, and boundary conditions on buckling loads and mode of buckling have been studied for pile lengths up to 24 m with EI of 477 tm2, K0 [A] from 0 to 2000 t/m2 and Nh [B] from 0 to 2000 t/m3.
Fermi surfaces changes in La 1-x Sm x B 6 and Ce 1-x Ca x B 6 studied using the de Haas-van Alphen effect and magnetic susceptibility

We have made measurements of the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect and the magnetic susceptibility of La1-x Smx B6 for x=0, 0.05, and 0.10 and Ce1-x Cax B6 for x=0 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 in order to see changes in the Fermi surface (FS) volume with doping using lower valence substitutions for La and Ce. The FS volume decrease in La1-x Smx B6 is found to be directly proportional to the decrease in the number of electrons contributing to the boron-based conduction band by the decrease in valence of the divalent element. Two overlapping pieces of FS in the same portion of the Brillouin zone are seen to decrease in volume to the extent that they no longer overlap. In the case of Ce1-x Cax B6 the combination of increased disorder decreasing the mean-free path due to doping and heavy effective masses results in the damping of the dHvA oscillations and no signals are observed above x=0.05. Due to the mixed valence of the Ce atoms the volume decrease is not proportional to the percent valence change. Additional magnetic-susceptibility and magnetization measurements show the changing magnetic phase diagram in Ce1-x Cax B6. In the antiferroquadrapolar state of all of the Ce1-x Cax B6 samples the near-zero applied field magnetization is seen to increase with decreasing temperature terminating in a transition to the antiferromagnetic state. © 2009 The American Physical Society.
Analytical procedure to determine both δ18O and δ17O of H2O2 in natural water and first measurements

Abstract An experimental technique has been developed to determine both δ 18 O and δ 17 O of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in natural water. The goal of this measurement is to develop a better understanding of peroxide chemical transformations in the atmosphere. Of particular relevance is the need for these measurements to interpret mass-independent isotopic anomalies observed in atmospheric aerosol sulfate. Combined peroxide and sulfate isotopic measurements may provide a new means to resolve atmospheric oxidative pathways. The technique utilizes the well-known reaction of H2O2 with KMnO4 in sulfuric acid solution, which oxidizes H2O2 to O2. Four liters of water sample (∼4 l) are degassed by a combination of helium sparging, ultrasonic agitation and pumping to quantitatively remove air dissolved in water. KMnO4 is then added to the solution and O2 produced during the oxidation reaction is recovered. Molecular oxygen is trapped and cryogenically purified in a series of molecular sieves for isotopic measurement. Industrially manufactured H2O2, sulfite oxidation by H2O2, auto-decomposition and partial oxidation of H2O2 show that all these samples are mass dependent, and obey the relationship δ 17 O =0.511δ 18 O . Rainwater samples collected at La Jolla, CA were analyzed using this method. The H2O2 is mass-independently fractionated and δ 18 O range from 21.9 to 52.5‰. We suggest that this range is due to the oxidation of sulfite in rain droplet and the mass-independent fractionation a result of gas-phase formation of H2O2. This is the first observation of a mass-independent isotopic composition in hydrogen peroxide.
RIPARIAN FORESTS OF THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA1

M ODERN observers of the Sacramento Valley are struck, even dismayed, by the paucity of trees. Typically, trees are few in the open country, and appear even then only in orchards, eucalyptus plantings, occasional shelter-belts or field-side rows, around house sites, and in meager discontinuous strips along some of the watercourses. This dearth, particularly of large trees, imparts a distinctive character to the landscape and has varied consequences, not all of which are aesthetic. Unpleasant, desiccating north winds sweep virtually unobstructed over the monotonous, treeless valley floor. Livestock and humans lack shade from the powerful summer sun, and local sources of wood are scarce. But partly offsetting these and other disadvantages are, of course, some items on the credit side of the ledger, now mainly of historic importance. Pioneer settlers, for example, did not have to labor unproductively to clear wooded land for agricultural and other uses, and travel was relatively easy during much of the year. Even so, pioneers found the region much more wooded than it is today.2 The pristine3 vegetation of the valley floor consisted of three major plant associations. Most extensive was the prairie, a grassland community interspersed in places with scattered valley oaks (Quercus lobata). The lower portions of the flood plain supported a marshgrass community, and bordering the larger streams, mainly on natural levees, were strips of woodland, sometimes sev-
Thiol regulation in the lens.

ABSTRACT The high content of glutathione (GSH) in the lens is believed to protect the thiols in structural proteins and enzymes for proper biological functions. The lens has both biosynthetic and r...
Sonoendoscopic Evaluation of Extraesophageal and Extragastric Abnormalities: A Review

A conventional fiberoptic gastroscope was modified to incorporate a 9-MHz transducer 7 cm from the tip. Conventional fiberoptic gastroscopy could be performed simultaneously with sonoendoscopic evaluation of the esophagus and gastric, extraesophageal, and extragastric areas. The instrument was utilized to evaluate intra-and extra-luminal abnormalities of the mediastinum and upper abdomen. This paper presents our data on extraluminal disease. Small hepatic and pancreatic tumors were identified, occasionally with more accuracy than conventional imaging studies. Additionally, mediastinal tumors, gastrointestinal tumors, and cardiac abnormalities were also clearly demonstrated.
Analyses of phosphorylated tryptic peptide of spectrin from human erythrocyte membrane

Abstract Labelling of the membrane protein spectrin with 32 P in intact human erythrocytes involves a limited and specific reaction. digest of [ 32 P]spectrin reveals the presence of a single labelled peptide. Principal phosphate modification takes place at a serine residue (90%) but a small amount of phosphothreonine (10%) is also present.
Inhibition of Modori (Gel Weakening) in Surimi by Plasma Hydrolysate and Egg White

The effects of beef plasma hydrolysate and egg white solids were evaluated in surimi gels using measurements of torsional shear stress and strain, bound water, cook loss and SDS-PAGE. Treatments included level of protein addition, surimi type (by species and grade) and cooking schedule. Addition of proteins, regardless of type or level of addition, significantly increased torsional shear stress and strain for all gels precooked at 60°C (90°C final cook). For gels made from low quality surimi, all levels of treatment proteins improved stress and strain for all cooking schedules and improved water holding for gels precooked at 60°C. Electrophoretic results showed a decrease in the density of the myosin heavy chain only in those gels without added proteins precooked at 60°C.
Improved MAC protocols for DCF and PCF modes over fading channels in wireless LANs

Wireless LAN has become increasingly popular as a medium to connect portable devices to the network. Most of the existing wireless LAN protocols based on IEEE standard 802.11 assume that the wireless channel is time invariant and thus assign radio resources accordingly. In this paper, we devise a modified MAC level channel allocation method by carefully scheduling radio resource according to temporal channel characteristics, assuming the influence of channel fading. Based on this method we propose new protocols for the distributed coordination function (DCF) and the point coordination function (PCF), the two modes of communication defined in the IEEE standard for WLAN. The proposed protocols introduce minimum computational overhead. Our simulations show that the proposed PCF protocol improves the channel capacity up to 14% and the DCF protocol improves the channel capacity up to 90%, depending on the loss rate and temporal characteristics of the wireless channel. We also show that the proposed DCF protocol can lower SNR requirements thus potentially extending the battery life of portable devices that use WLAN.
Precis of Semantic Cognition: A Parallel Distributed Processing Approach

In this precis of our recent book, Semantic Cognition: A Parallel Distributed Processing Approach (Rogers & McClelland 2004), we present a parallel distributed processing theory of the acquisition, representation, and use of human semantic knowledge. The theory proposes that semantic abilities arise from the flow of activation among simple, neuron-like processing units, as governed by the strengths of interconnecting weights; and that acquisition of new semantic information involves the gradual adjustment of weights in the system in response to experience. These simple ideas explain a wide range of empirical phenomena from studies of categorization, lexical acquisition, and disordered semantic cognition. In this precis we focus on phenomena central to the reaction against similarity-based theories that arose in the 1980s and that subsequently motivated the "theory-theory" approach to semantic knowledge. Specifically, we consider (1) how concepts differentiate in early development, (2) why some groupings of items seem to form "good" or coherent categories while others do not, (3) why different properties seem central or important to different concepts, (4) why children and adults sometimes attest to beliefs that seem to contradict their direct experience, (5) how concepts reorganize between the ages of 4 and 10, and (6) the relationship between causal knowledge and semantic knowledge. The explanations our theory offers for these phenomena are illustrated with reference to a simple feed- forward connectionist model. The relationships between this simple model, the broader theory, and more general issues in cognitive science are discussed.
Dynamic oceanography of the Gulf of Maine

Within the last few years the mathematical applications of Bjerknes' hydrodynamic theory to ocean-currents have been so simplified by his followers, especially by Ekman, Helland-Hansen, Sandstrom, Hesselberg and Sverdrup, and by Smith, that no oceanographer need longer fear to give dynamic consideration to the seas with which he is concerned. Unfortunately, however, dynamic calculation of circulation in the sea depends on a double assumption, which is seldom—perhaps never—capable of mathematical proof in any individual case; first that somewhere in the picture there is motionless water that can be used as the basis from which to proceed (for currents deducible from the dynamic gradients are relative, not absolute); and secondly, that our choice of a base as the most nearly stationary has been correct. Every opportunity to compare the gradient currents (by whatever method of dynamic expression deduced) with the actual drift observable by direct evidence, as of the current-meter, of the drifts of floating objects, or of the distribution of temperature and salinity, is therefore most welcome. Such a test is now being carried out on the Ice Patrol, by Lieutenant-Commander Smith, in the form of a continuous comparison of dynamic gradients with the drifts of icebergs. And the Gulf of Maine has offered opportunity for attacking the problem along rather a different line, by correlating the dominant circulation with the prevailing dynamic state. This procedure, you will note, is the reverse of that which has been followed in several recent studies, proceeding backwards (if you will) from effect to cause.
Effect of Curd Healing Time on Stirred Curd Cheese Yield

Abstract Cheese was manufactured with variable heal times to determine the effect of curd healing time on stirred curd cheese yield. A randomized complete block design with three treatments (vat healing times from cut to cook) was replicated six and four times in studies 1 and 2, respectively, for a total of 30 vats of stirred curd cheese. In study 1, heal times of 15, 22, and 29 min were used in manufacturing cheese. Curd was not healed or healed 15 or 30 min in study 2. Cooking curd immediately after cutting resulted in significantly lower moisture content in cheese, lower raw cheese yields, and higher fat loss into whey. Healing cheese curd 15 min or longer decreased syneresis, resulting in higher moisture cheese and increased raw cheese yield. Heal time extended to 30 min resulted in a significantly smaller loss of fat into whey. Healing time had a significant effect on moisture retention, fat loss, and raw cheese yield.
Acetylation of Estrogen Receptor α by p300 at Lysines 266 and 268 Enhances the Deoxyribonucleic Acid Binding and Transactivation Activities of the Receptor

Using a variety of biochemical and cell-based approaches, we show that estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) is acetylated by the p300 acetylase in a ligand- and steroid receptor coactivator-dependent manner. Using mutagenesis and mass spectrometry, we identified two conserved lysine residues in ERalpha (Lys266 and Lys268) that are the primary targets of p300-mediated acetylation. These residues are acetylated in cells, as determined by immunoprecipitation-Western blotting experiments using an antibody that specifically recognizes ERalpha acetylated at Lys266 and Lys268. The acetylation of ERalpha by p300 is reversed by native cellular deacetylases, including trichostatin A-sensitive enzymes (i.e. class I and II deacetylases) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent/nicotinamide-sensitive enzymes (i.e. class III deacetylases, such as sirtuin 1). Acetylation at Lys266 and Lys268, or substitution of the same residues with glutamine (i.e. K266/268Q), a residue that mimics acetylated lysine, enhances the DNA binding activity of ERalpha in EMSAs. Likewise, substitution of Lys266 and Lys268 with glutamine enhances the ligand-dependent activity of ERalpha in a cell-based reporter gene assay. Collectively, our results implicate acetylation as a modulator of the ligand-dependent gene regulatory activity of ERalpha. Such regulation is likely to play a role in estrogen-dependent signaling outcomes in a variety of estrogen target tissues in both normal and pathological states.
Novel algorithms for open-loop and closed-loop scheduling of real-time tasks in multiprocessor systems based on execution time estimation

Most dynamic real-time scheduling algorithms are open-loop in nature meaning that they do not dynamically adjust their behavior using the performance at run-time. When accurate workload models are not available, such a scheduling can result in a highly underutilized system based on an extremely pessimistic estimation of workload. In recent years, "closed-loop" scheduling is gaining importance due to its applicability to many real-world problems wherein the feedback information can be exploited efficiently to adjust system parameters, thereby improving the performance. In this paper, we first propose an open-loop dynamic scheduling algorithm that employs overlap in order to provide flexibility in task execution times. Secondly, we propose a novel closed-loop approach for dynamically estimating the execution time of tasks based on both deadline miss ratio and task rejection ratio. This approach is highly preferable for firm real-time systems since it provides a firm performance guarantee. We evaluate the performance of the open-loop and the closed-loop approaches by simulation and modeling. Our studies show that the closed-loop scheduling offers a significantly better performance (20% gain) over the open-loop scheduling under all the relevant conditions we simulated.