cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Partial Sufficiency: A Review*

The notion of a sufficient statistic—a statistic that summarizes in itself all the relevant information. in the sample x about the universal parameter ω—is acclaimed as one of the most significant discoveries of Sir Ronald A. Fisher. It is however not well-recognized that the related notion of a partially sufficient statistic—a statistic that isolates and exhausts all the relevant and usable information in the sample about a sub-parameter θ = θ(ω)—can be very elusive if the question is posed in sample space terms. In this review article, the author tries to unravel the mystery that surrounds the notion of partial sufficiency. For mathematical details on some of the issues raised here one may refer to Basu ;1977).
Designing surfaces in 3-D

An experimental system for computer-aided design of free-form surfaces in three dimensions is described. The surfaces are represented in the system as parametric basis splines. The principal features of the system are: (1) the surfaces are rendered as isoparametric line drawings on a head-mounted display, and they are designed with the aid of a three-dimensional “wand,” which allows 3-D movements of the points controlling the shapes of the surfaces, (2) all of the interactions with the surfaces are in real-time, and (3) the mathematical formulations used assume no knowledge of them by the user of the system. Also examined are some of the features that should be part of a practical 3-D system for designing space-forms.
From the Editorial Team of Literacy Research and Instruction

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to explore the validity of a novel computer-analytic developmental scale, the Writing Ability Developmental Scale. On the whole, collective results supported the validity of the scale. It was sensitive to writing ability differences across grades and sensitive to within-grade variability as compared to human-rated sensitivity. It predicted scores on the human-rated continuous scale very well. As compared to the human-rated continuous scale, it demonstrated similarly constant mean differences across ethnicity and socioeconomic status—although not for all rising grade differences or for gender. There was no genre differential across the two scales, and measurement precision was highly similar for the two scales.
Exceptional LINE Density at V1R Loci: The Lyon Repeat Hypothesis Revisited on Autosomes

The mammalian olfactory system utilizes three large receptor families: the olfactory receptors (ORs) of the main nose and the vomeronasal type-1 and type-2 receptor genes (V1Rs and V2Rs) of the vomeronasal organ. We find that these loci are among the most long interspersed nuclear element (LINE)-dense regions of mammalian genomes. We investigate two evolutionary models to account for this cohabitation. First, we investigate an adaptive selection model, in which LINEs have contributed to expansions of mouse V1R repertoires. We find that even evolutionarily stable V1R loci are exceptionally LINE-rich compared to other genome loci, including loci containing other large gene clusters. Also, a more detailed analysis of specific V1R duplications does not reveal LINE patterns predicted by common LINE-mediated duplication mechanisms. Next, we investigate neutral models, in which LINEs were tolerated by, but not advantageous for, surrounding V1R genes. We find that V1R loci are exceptionally LINE-rich compared to other regions of similar AT base composition, and that duplicated V1R gene blocks are generally depleted of LINE elements, suggesting that these loci did not become densely populated with LINEs simply as a consequence of targeted integration or passive multiplication along with the genes. Finally, we show that individual LINE repeats of a given age at V1R, V2R, and OR loci exhibit a significantly longer average length than at other autosomal loci, suggesting a reduced tendency for these LINEs to be disrupted. We speculate that LINEs at V1R, V2R, and OR loci might be selectively retained because they contribute to allelic regulation of these three gene families.
A classical representation for a mass based chemical potential

Abstract The objective of this work was to obain an explicit functional representation for the chemical potential of ideal and mildly non-ideal constituents of a mixture when mass fraction concentrations are used as the composition variables. A mass based chemical potential is needed in the application of certain continuum mixture theories to the modeling of mixtures that are strongly coupled in the mechanical and chemical field variables. The objective has been achieved by converting the classical logarithmic chemical potential for molar compositions into an equivalent mass based relationship. A polynomial expansion in mass fraction concentrations is written for the activity coefficient of mildly non-ideal constituents, and the coefficients of the polynomial are simplified by requiring the new potential to satisfy an appropriate set of Maxwell reciprocity and Gibbs-Duhem relationships. Some approximations for the mass based potential and its spatial gradient are also obtained for varying degrees of diluteness.
Conversion of grassland to coniferous woodland has limited effects on soil nitrogen cycle processes

Abstract In the last century, conversion of native North American grasslands to Juniperus virginiana forests or woodlands has dramatically altered ecosystem structure and significantly increased ecosystem carbon (C) stocks. We compared soils under recently established J. virginiana forests and adjacent native C4-dominated grassland to assess changes in potential soil nitrogen (N) transformations and plant available N. Over a 2-year period, concentrations of extractable inorganic N were measured in soils from forest and grassland sites. Potential gross N ammonification, nitrification, and consumption rates were determined using 15N isotope-dilution under laboratory conditions, controlling for soil temperature and moisture content. Potential nitrification rates (Vmax) and microbial biomass, as well as soil physical and chemical properties were also assessed. Extractable NH4+ concentrations were significantly greater in grassland soils across the study period (P ≤ 0.01), but analysis by date indicated that differences in extractable inorganic N occurred more frequently in fall and winter, when grasses were senescent but J. virginiana was still active. Laboratory-based rates of gross N mineralization (ammonification) and nitrification were greater in grassland soils (P ≤ 0.05), but only on one of four dates. Potential nitrification rates (Vmax) were an order of magnitude greater than gross nitrification rates in both ecosystems, suggesting that nitrification is highly constrained by NH4+ availability. Differences in plant uptake of N, C inputs, and soil microclimate as forests replace grasslands may influence plant available N in the field, as evidenced by seasonal differences in soil extractable NH4+, and total soil C and N accumulation. However, we found few differences in potential soil N transformations under laboratory conditions, suggesting that this grassland-to-forest conversion caused little change in mineralizable organic N pools or potential microbial activity.
A Demonstration of Behavioral Support for Young Children with Autism

Young children with autism sometimes display severe behavior problems that can cause great disruptions in family life and interfere with attempts to provide needed services. Strategies are needed t...
A diversified set of testicular cell proteins specified by genes within the mouse t complex

We have conducted a comparative high-resolution, two-dimensional gel analysis of testicular cell proteins synthesized by inbred mice congenic for a series of t haplotypes on the 129/SvJ background. At least nine t haplotype-specific proteins can be identified within the 1000 most prominent proteins observed. Apparent allelic wild-type forms of six of these t complex proteins (TCPs) have also been identified, and evidence from cell-free translation experiments indicates that all of these are coded for directly by genes within the t complex. Eight of the mutant t-haplotype-specific proteins are expressed in an identical form by testicular cells carrying any one of the complete t haplotypes analyzed. The ninth protein is polymorphic among different t haplotypes, as well as among different inbred strains of mice. Partial t haplotypes were used to map the genes specifying the expression of each TCP protein to a subregion of the t complex. The accumulated data suggest a subset of TCP proteins that are most likely to be involved in t haplotype effects on germ cell differentiation and fertility.
Predicting plant uptake of organic chemicals from soil or air using octanol/water and octanol/air partition ratios and a molecular connectivity index

A bioconcentration ratio (BCR) represents the ratio of the concentration of a chemical found in an exposed biological system, such as a plant or fish, to the concentration in the exposure medium (water, soil, or air). A comparison is made of the precision and accuracy of the molecular connectivity index (MCI) and the octanol/water partition coefficient (K{sub ow}) as predictors of BCRs from the soil matrix into above- or below-ground vegetation tissues. Calculated octanol/air partition coefficient (K{sub oa}) values are compared with calculated K{sub ow} and MCI values as predictors of measured air-to-plant BCRs. Based on a statistical evaluation of explained variance, residual error, and cross-validation, this evaluation reveals that the MCI provides higher precision, greater ease of use, and a more cost-effective method for predicting the potential bioconcentration of a chemical from soil into above-ground vegetation. Statistical analyses of the various methods reveal that both the K{sub ow} and MCI approaches have a similar level of precision for predicting BCRs from soil solution into roots and, among MCI, K{sub oa} and K{sub ow}; K{sub oa} is somewhat more precise and valid than MCI and K{sub ow} for estimating uptake, but all have limited accuracy as bioconcentration predictors. These lattermore » results are derived mainly from the paucity of both reliable K{sub oa} values and measured air-to-plant BCRs and indicate a need for more experimental measurements from which more accurate models may be developed.« less
Statistical geoinformatics for human environment interface, by Wayne L. Myers and Ganapati P. Patil, Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 2013, $79.95, 223 pp., ISBN 978-1-4200-8287-6

This book is not about human–environment interactions. Additionally, the book does not explore spatial relationships or the many ways in which human and natural systems interact. Instead, Myers and...
Temporally Symmetric Causal Relations in Minkowski Space-Time

This paper is a contribution to the causal theory of special-relativistic (Minkowski) space-time.1 My aim is to give an axiomatic characterization of temporally symmetric causal relations in Minkowski space-time, to show precisely the relation of causal to metrical structure, and to explicate the thesis that space-time ‘has’ a causal and topological structure which ‘underlies’ its metrical structure.2 The paper is largely mathematical in content, but many comments concerning the system appear as notes. Acquaintance with basic topological notions and with the Minkowski formalism of special relativity is presupposed.3 I shall first state the main result to be established and will then provide the philosophical motivation for the construction.
Correlations between dynamic mechanical properties and nodular morphology of cured epoxy resins

Abstract Various epoxy resin formulations, based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and cured with diethylene triamine (DETA) were studied. Dynamic mechanical measurements were used to characterize changes in mechanical properties as a function of temperature. The morphology of the cured resins was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Correlations between dynamic mechanical properties and morphology were described and discussed by applying the concept of inhomogeneous (nodular) thermoset morphology. The elastic storage modulus in the glassy state was determined primarily by the internodular matrix, whereas the glass transition of cured resins depended upon the intranodular crosslink density.
Protein Malnutrition Exacerbates Suppression of Lymphoproliferation by Guinea Pig Alveolar Macrophages

Abstract The interaction between alveolar macrophages and lymphocytes may alter the establishment of pulmonary infection with Myco-bacterium tuberculosis. Studies with a guinea pig model of pulmonary tuberculosis have demonstrated that chronic, moderate protein deficiency has a detrimental impact on disease resistance and cell-mediated immune responses, including mitogen and antigen-induced lympho-proliferation. Resident alveolar macrophages (AM) in humans and rodents suppress lymphoproliferation by producing inhibitors which include nitric oxide (NO). The effect of dietary protein deficiency on the interaction between guinea pig AM and concanavalin-A (ConA)-induced autologous splenocytes was quantified in co-culture. The AM of normally-nourished, high protein (HP) guinea pigs inhibited the ConA-in-duced proliferation of splenocytes at AM: splenocyte ratios of 1:4 or higher. However, the AM of malnourished, low protein (LP) guinea pigs inhibited the proliferation of splenocytes at AM: splenocyte ratios of...
Inflammation and early-life abuse in women.

Background Abuse in childhood and adolescence may affect risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. Although mechanisms underlying these relationships are unclear, chronic stress may lead to dysregulation of immune function and chronic inflammation. Purpose To evaluate associations between early-life physical and sexual abuse and blood levels of inflammatory markers in adulthood among 702 members of the Nurses' Health Study II. Methods Abuse in childhood (before age 11 years) and adolescence (ages 11–17 years) was self-reported in 2001. Plasma samples collected in 1996–1999 were assayed for C-reactive protein (CRP); interleukin (IL)-6; and the soluble fraction of tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 2 in 2001, 2009, and 2010. Results Mean age at blood collection was 43.9 years. Moderate or severe physical abuse was reported by 35.3% of participants; 22.7% reported unwanted sexual touching and 9.8% reported forced sex. Plasma levels of CRP and IL-6 were higher in women reporting sexual abuse in adolescence compared to those reporting no abuse ( p =0.04 and 0.03, respectively) in analyses adjusted for confounders including age and childhood adiposity. Inflammatory marker levels similarly were elevated in women reporting sexual abuse during childhood, but results were not significant. Relationships largely persisted after further adjustment for potential mediators such as adult BMI and smoking. Physical abuse during childhood and/or adolescence was not consistently associated with inflammatory marker levels. Conclusions Chronic inflammation may be one mechanism through which sexual abuse may affect future risk of physical and psychological disorders.
Synthesis of concurrent systems with many similar sequential processes (extended abstract)

Methods for synthesizing concurrent programs from Temporal Logic specifications based on the use of a decision procedure for testing temporal satisfiability have been proposed by Emerson & Clarke [EC82] and Manna & Wolper [MW84]. An important advantage of these synthesis methods is that they obviate the need to manually compose a program and manually construct a proof of its correctness. One only has to formulate a precise problem specification; the synthesis method then mechanically constructs a correct solution. A serious drawback of these methods in practice, however, is that they suffer from the state explosion problem. To synthesize a concurrent system consisting of K sequential processes, each having N states in its local transition diagram, requires construction of the global product-machine having at least NK global states in general. This exponential growth in K makes it infeasible to synthesize systems composed of more than 2 or 3 processes. In this paper, we show how to synthesize concurrent systems consisting of many (i.e., a finite but arbitrarily large number K of) similar sequential processes. Our approach avoids construction of the global product-machine for K processes; instead, it constructs a two process product-machine for a single pair of generic sequential processes. The method is uniform in K, providing a simple template that can be instantiated for each process to yield a solution for any fixed K. The method is also illustrated on synchronization problems from the literature.
Genetic modulation of soluble Aβ rescues cognitive and synaptic impairment in a mouse model of AD

Background There has been a longstanding debate on whether amyloid plaques are pathogenic by causing physical damage to surrounding tissue or protective by sequestering more toxic soluble forms of amyloid b (Ab) peptide. Numerous studies in mouse models have documented a complex relationship between soluble Ab, deposited aggregates, and cognitive decline, but few experimental systems have been capable of dissecting how each form of the peptide contributes to the progressive memory deficits of Alzheimer’s disease. Here we use a controllable transgenic model expressing a mutant form of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to distinguish the impact of APP and soluble Ab from that of deposited amyloid on cognitive function and synaptic structure.
Molecular dynamics simulations of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene with small guest molecules

Classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to study p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene inclusion compounds with xenon, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, and sulfur dioxide guest molecules. The calixarene units were taken to be rigid and the intermolecular molecular interactions were modeled as a sum of the van der Waals interactions with parameters from the AMBER force field and electrostatic interactions. Simulations of the high-density alpha phase and low-density beta0 phase of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene were used to test the force field. The predicted densities of the two phases were found to agree with experimental measurements at 173 K to within 5 %. Simulations were performed with guests placed inside the calixarene cages of the beta0 phase. Guest-host ratios of 1:1 to 1:4 were considered. Changes in the unit-cell volume and density of the phases with the addition of guest molecules and the inclusion energies for the guests were determined. Finally, the dynamics of the guest motion inside the cages were characterized by determining the root-mean-square displacements and velocity autocorrelation functions of the xenon and nitrogen guests.
Fiber/Matrix Interfacial Bond Ultimate and Fatigue Strength Characterization in a 37°C Dry Environment

The ultimate and fatigue strengths of the fiber/matrix interfacial bond of four fiber/matrix combinations (fiber: carbon, polyaramid; matrix: polysulfone, polycar bonate) have been quantitatively investigated in a dry 37°C environment using the TRI microbond single fiber pull-out test method. Fatigue testing was conducted at 1 Hz using a sinusoidally varying applied load. Each sample type exhibited a linear relationship be tween peak applied interfacial shear stress and the logarithm of fatigue life. Interfacial bond fatigue behavior is apparently significantly influenced by both matrix viscoelastic be havior and fiber/matrix interfacial bond ultimate strength.
Developments in the Dairy Industries of Mexico, Central America, Argentina, and Brazil -- Implications for the U.S. Dairy Sector

The purpose of this Discussion Paper is to evaluate how economic problems and developments in the dairy industries of Mexico, Central America, Argentina, and Brazil will affect the U.S. dairy sector. Mexico, a signatory to the North American Free Trade Agreement, now applies zero tariffs to imports of most U.S. dairy products. Nonfat dry milk (NFDM) is a notable exception; Mexican tariffs on U.S. exports of NFDM will not go to zero until 2008. However, Mexico’s dairy market no longer represents "low hanging fruit" for U.S. dairy exporters. Margins on exports of bulk dairy products to Mexico are razor thin. Nicaragua and other Central American countries are seeking to expand export sales of dry, hard, salty (morolique) cheese to the U.S. Argentina’s economic recession has hampered that country’s ability to be the dairy supplier of South America. Brazil’s dairy industry has weathered the economic recession with limited damage. Brazil appears poised to be a strong competitor in international dairy markets.
Polarisation of nickel and aluminium in neutral solutions

The cathodic polarisation of nickel, aluminium, nickel-aluminium alloy (2% nickel) and aluminium nickel-plated with AI/Ni–1:1 and 10:1 under conditions of hydrogen evolution was studied at various temperatures in 3.17% IiCl solution. The results indicate a decrease in polarisation on alloying or plating with nickel, a decrease in polarisation with increasing temperature for nickel and an increase for aluminium under the same conditions. The results are discussed in terms of their effects on the corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys in water at elevated temperatures.
The effect of sodium selenite on chondrocytes in monolayer culture

The effect of sodium selenite on DNA and sulfated proteoglycan synthesis by cultured rabbit articular and growth plate chondrocytes was studied as an in vitro model for Kashin-Beck disease. The selenium content of a defined medium (DMEM, fibroblast growth factor, insulin, and dexamethasone) was below the limit of detection by isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The chondrocytes were viable in the Se-free basal medium. Selenite over a range of 5 X 10(-9) M to 5 X 10(-7) M had no stimulatory effect on DNA or sulfated proteoglycan synthesis by either type of chondrocyte or skin fibroblasts. Proliferation of bovine endothelial cells was enhanced by 5 X 10(-7) M Se. At Se concentrations of greater than or equal to 10(-6) M, there was progressive inhibition of cell growth and radiosulfate incorporation of the connective tissue cells; bovine endothelial cells were more resistant. Twice equimolar concentrations of vitamins C and E exerted no protective effect against the cytotoxicity of higher concentrations of Se. Se supplementation also failed to stimulate growth of human infant chondrocytes. The model enabled simulation of conditions of hyposelenosis below those encountered in nature. The data provide no evidence that chondrocytes have idiosyncratic requirements for Se, and do not support the hypothesis that Se deficiency is a major etiologic factor in Kashin-Beck disease.
The year in thoracic surgery: highlights from 2013.

Over the course of 2013, many important studies have been published affecting the care of thoracic surgery patients. Novel chemotherapeutics are being developed to target specific tumor mutations. The utilization of robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand within this exciting field as well. Improved data on endobronchial ultrasound staging and sublobar resections for non–small cell lung cancer as well as postoperative surveillance after esophagectomy have also been reported. This review summarizes important publications of the past year influencing the practice of thoracic surgery today.
Presence and Stability of Patulin in Pasteurized Apple Cider

Pasteurized apple cider produced in Georgia was surveyed for patulin. Levels from 244-3993 μg patulin/L cider were found. Eight high temperature-short time (HTST) treatments (60°, 70°. 80°, and 90°C for 10 set; 90°C for 20, 40, 80, and 160 set) and one batch treatment (90°C for 10 min) were used to determine the stability of patulin in pasteurized cider. The 60°, 80°, and 90°C HTST treatments and the batch pasteurization significantly reduced the patulin level, but did not completely destroy the toxin. Storage of the cider had no effect on the patulin level.
Parenting and Beyond: Common Neurocircuits Underlying Parental and Altruistic Caregiving.

SYNOPSIS Interpersonal relationships constitute the foundation on which human society is based. The infant–caregiver bond is the earliest and most influential of these relationships. Driven by evolutionary pressure for survival, parents feel compelled to provide care to their biological offspring. However, compassion for non-kin is also ubiquitous in human societies, motivating individuals to suppress their own self-interests to promote the well-being of non-kin members of the society. We argue that the process of early kinship-selective parental care provides the foundation for non-exclusive altruism via the activation of a general Caregiving System that regulates compassion in any of its forms. We propose a tripartite structure of this system that includes (1) the perception of need in another, (2) a caring motivational or feeling state, and (3) the delivery of a helping response to the individual in need. Findings from human and animal research point to specific neurobiological mechanisms including act...
Analysis of IS1236-Mediated Gene Amplification Events in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1

Recombination between insertion sequence copies can cause genetic deletion, inversion, or duplication. However, it is difficult to assess the fraction of all genomic rearrangements that involve insertion sequences. In previous gene duplication and amplification studies of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, an insertion sequence was evident in approximately 2% of the characterized duplication sites. Gene amplification occurs frequently in all organisms and has a significant impact on evolution, adaptation, drug resistance, cancer, and various disorders. To understand the molecular details of this important process, a previously developed system was used to analyze gene amplification in selected mutants. The current study focused on amplification events in two chromosomal regions that are near one of six copies of the only transposable element in ADP1, IS1236 (an IS3 family member). Twenty-one independent mutants were analyzed, and in contrast to previous studies of a different chromosomal region, IS1236 was involved in 86% of these events. IS1236-mediated amplification could occur through homologous recombination between insertion sequences on both sides of a duplicated region. However, this mechanism presupposes that transposition generates an appropriately positioned additional copy of IS1236. To evaluate this possibility, PCR and Southern hybridization were used to determine the chromosomal configurations of amplification mutants involving IS1236. Surprisingly, the genomic patterns were inconsistent with the hypothesis that intramolecular homologous recombination occurred between insertion sequences following an initial transposition event. These results raise a novel possibility that the gene amplification events near the IS1236 elements arise from illegitimate recombination involving transposase-mediated DNA cleavage.
Random Models and Analyses for Chemical Graphs

This paper describes a random model for chemical graphs that captures the notion of valence along with algorithms to generate chemical graphs using this model. An approach for computing the probability that a particular chemical graph is generated under this model is provided. The model is also used to provide theoretical bounds on the accuracy of a class of canonical labeling algorithms for a class of hydrocarbons.
Whip PIFA Combination for Handset Application: A Hybrid Circuit Model and Full-Wave Analysis

In this paper, a circuit model is developed in RF ADS in order to simulate the coupling effect of a retracted whip on a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) for wireless-handset application. The PIFA is designed as the main antenna of the handset to cover the 800-MHz (824–894 MHz) and 1900-MHz (1850–1990 MHz) bands. A parasitic whip antenna is used to improve the performance of the PIFA, especially when the handset is used against the human head. In such a whip–PIFA combination environment, the retracted whip will degrade the PIFA performance if it is not designed carefully. The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient method to optimize the PIFA performance when the whip antenna is in the retracted position. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 210–215, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20590
Superheavy pyrite (δ34Spyr > δ34SCAS) in the terminal Proterozoic Nama Group, southern Namibia: A consequence of low seawater sulfate at the dawn of animal life

Sulfur isotope analysis (δ^(34)S) of well-preserved carbonates spanning an ~10 Ma interval of the terminal Proterozoic Nama Group reveals that disseminated pyrite is consistently enriched in ^(34)S relative to coeval seawater sulfate as preserved in carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS). This observation is not consistent with the current paradigm for interpreting the geologic record of sulfur isotopes, which assumes that pyrite δ^(34)S (δ^(34)S_(pyr)) will be equal to or less than co-occurring CAS δ^(34)S (δ^(34)S_(CAS)) due to the kinetic isotope effect of bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) that favors the lighter isotope of sulfur (^(32)S) during sulfur-oxygen bond breakage. Although the precise mechanism of pyrite sulfur isotope enrichment is debatable, our combined observations of extremely ^(34)S-enriched pyrite, low bulk-rock concentrations of sulfur from CAS and pyrite, and high-frequency fluctuations in δ^(34)S_(CAS) and δ^(34)S_(pyr) throughout the Nama Group carbonates point to very low concentrations of sulfate in portions of the terminal Proterozoic ocean. The additional occurrence of ^(34)S-enriched pyrite in contemporaneous terminal Proterozoic sections from Poland and Canada reveal that low seawater sulfate may have been widespread in the oceans at this time. However, the absence of such extremely 34S-enriched pyrite from well-preserved, coeval carbonate sections in Oman suggests that such conditions were not globally uniform. Low, geographically varied concentrations of marine sulfate in terminal Proterozoic time are consistent with elevated, geographically varied concentrations of reactive, nonpyritized iron in marine shales recently reported for this interval, suggesting that high dissolved Fe(II) and low O_2 persisted in a range of marine facies as late as 543 Ma -— tens of millions of years after the origin of animals, yet prior to their major diversification in Early Cambrian time.
The Meridian UAV Flight Performance Analysis Using Analytical and Experimental Data

The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) is a Science and Technology Center established by the National Science Foundati on (NSF) in 2005, with the mission of developing new technologies and computer models to measure and predict the response of sea level change to the mass balance of ice sheets in G reenland and Antarctica. The CReSIS is developing sophisticated sensors and long-duration inhabitant aerial vehicle (UAV) which is called the Meridian. This paper presents the Meridi an flight performance analysis. A simulation model of the Meridian was developed using Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA) software. Using the AAA model stability derivatives and performance analysis were also. To validate the AAA results a parallel performance analysis was conduct ed using analytical methods and experimental data. Two different analytical methods were used f or the performance analysis; this helped to check the validity of the AAA results.
Mechanical Testing of Bonded Silicon on Insulator Wafers.

A series of mechanical tests have been conducted on bonded silicon to silicon (native oxide present only) and oxide to oxide wafers at several times and temperatures. Tensile tests have been designed to evaluate the strength of the bond. Tensile tests have been conducted over the full range of bond strengths ranging from the weak van der Waals forces to the full silicon bonds.
Tune system applications at the APS

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) storage ring is a third-generation X-ray synchrotron radiation user facility. The storage ring tune measurement system consists of signal pickup and beam excitation drive striplines, a network analyzer, and a vector spectrum analyzer. The system has been used for daily tune tracking, beta-function measurement, chromaticity measurement, lattice correction, magnet power supply stability analysis, machine coupling impedance, and observation of beam instabilities. Several software applications were developed to automate the instrument control and data collection processes. We present the current configuration of the tune measurement system, the software tools, and their application at the APS.
On quantitative characterization of microstructures and effective properties

Proper quantitative characterization of microstructures, for the purpose of modeling the effective properties, is discussed. This is a broad subject that covers different physical properties (elastic, conductive, transport, etc.), as well as various types of microstructures. The present work focuses on microstructures that can be characterized as continuous matrices containing isolated inhomogeneities of diverse shapes, properties and orientations. We address their proper quantitative characterization in the context of elastic and conductive properties (transport and fracture-related properties are also briefly discussed). Proper microstructural parameters must correctly represent the individual inhomogeneity contributions to the considered property. They may differ for different physical properties. The key problem is to identify the mentioned individual contributions. For the elastic properties, we demonstrate, on a number of microstructures, how the proper parameters are implied by the elastic potential. Relative importance of various “irregularity factors” (shape irregularities, orientation scatter) is analyzed. We discuss similarities and differences between microstructural parameters intended for different physical properties. The possibility of explicit cross-property connections between two physical properties depends on whether the proper microstructural parameters for these two properties are sufficiently similar. We outline such explicit connections between the elastic and the conductive properties. The micromechanical approach is compared with the one based on an a priori introduced “fabric” tensors and general tensor representations that contain a number of uncertain factors. Various problems arising in this context are discussed.
Why IJV over WOS? Home country effect on the US and Japanese MNEs

Purpose – This study aims to explore how sub‐dimensions of home country influence multinational enterprise (MNE) ownership strategy in international subsidiaries.Design/methodology/approach – Following a grounded theory approach, the authors interviewed 36 managers of US and Japanese MNEs. Among 36 managers, 21 worked for Japanese firms, 12 for US firms, and three for the US‐Japanese IJVs.Findings – This study proposes a list of cultural and resource‐based explanations for MNEs' divergent ownership patterns by nationality.Research limitations/implications – This research focused on two home countries, Japan and the USA. Future studies are required to extend and validate the findings in this study.Practical implications – By considering sub‐dimensions of home country effect, managers can make a more accurate prediction of the potential partner's willingness to form an IJV.Social implications – This study suggests that host countries' ownership restriction can make divergent effects on foreign investors by ...
Simultaneous Transmission and Reception for Improved Wireless Network Performance

One of the limiting factors in ad hoc wireless mesh networks using traditional physical layer techniques is the inability to transmit and receive at the same frequency simultaneously. As a consequence, careful time-slot or frequency-reuse planning is required. This has adverse network data-rate and latency implications. The focus of this paper is a demonstration of signal processing techniques that enable simultaneous transmission and reception. These techniques employ informed-transmittermultiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) links. A combination of adaptive transmit and receive antenna array approaches is exploited. A number of important types of networking limitations can be resolved given simultaneous transmit and receive technology. The first example is the simultaneous link problem. By employing transmit and receive spatial adaptivity, two links can operate in close proximity using the same frequency at the same time. Another example is the full duplex relay node. Using the same frequency for both links, a given node can simultaneously receive packets from one node while forwarding them to another. For practical systems, two issues dominate performance: channel estimation error, often caused by stale estimates of the channel at the transmitter, and dynamic range limitations of the transmitter and receiver. These issues are investigated. Theoretical, simulated, and experimental results are presented.
Do Social Connections Create Trust? An Examination Using New Longitudinal Data

The origins of generalized trust remain unclear despite its importance to social, political, and economic functioning. Social capital theory and previous cross-sectional research suggest that informal social ties may be a source of trust. Using the 2006–2008 General Social Survey panel, we assess the relationship between changes in informal social ties and changes in trust. As the first US longitudinal analysis to address this question, our fixed-effects analysis is not biased by time-invariant factors, such as personality, or other sources of unobserved heterogeneity. We further control for changes in religious attendance, television viewing, family structure, health status, and educational attainment. Our fixed-effects results, as well as results from an auxiliary cross-lagged analysis, yield support for the proposition that informal social ties enhance trust.
DIHYDROXYLATION AND DECHLORINATION OF CHLORINATED BIPHENYLS BY PURIFIED BIPHENYL 2,3-DIOXYGENASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS SP. STRAIN LB400

Oxidation of biphenyl and nine chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) by the biphenyl 2,3-dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400 was examined. The purified terminal oxygenase required the addition of partially purified electron transport components, NAD(P)H, and ferrous iron to oxidize biphenyl and CBs. cis-Biphenyl 2,3-dihydrodiol was produced with biphenyl as the substrate. Dihydrodiols were produced from all CBs, and more than one compound was produced with most substrates. Catechols were produced when the dioxygenase-catalyzed reaction occurred at the 2,3 position of a 2-chlorophenyl ring, resulting in dechlorination of the substrate. Oxidation at the 3,4 position of a 2,5-dichlorophenyl ring produced a 3,4-dihydrodiol. Compounds resulting from both types of reaction were produced during oxidation of 2,5,2'-trichlorobiphenyl. The broad substrate specificity and the ability to oxidize at different ring positions suggest that the biphenyl 2,3-dioxygenase is responsible for the wide range of CBs oxidized by Pseudomonas sp. strain LB400.
Reconnaissance techniques for determining soil-gas radon concentrations: an example from Prince Georges County, Maryland

Preliminary field measurements of soil-gas radon (Rn) concentrations can provide an initial assessment of the Rn potential in any location and aid in designing a larger or more detailed sampling program. Radon reconnaissance requires some special considerations because a large area must be covered in a short period of time and analyses must be made soon after collection because of Rn decay. A simple approach to collection and field analysis consists of a small-diameter probe pounded into the ground to a depth of at least 0.75 m. Analysis is by an alpha-scintillometer. Soil-gas samples collected along a traverse in Prince Georges County, Maryland, demonstrate the utility of the technique. Although this region in the Coastal Plain province might be considered to possess the type of geologic setting that would not contribute to significant Rn potential, the reconnaissance sampling revealed Rn soil-gas concentrations of up to 2,500 pCi/l (picocuries per liter) indicating that the potential exists for indoor accumulations in excess of 4 pCi/l.
The Biostatistical Theory Versus the Harmful Dysfunction Analysis, Part 1: Is Part-Dysfunction a Sufficient Condition for Medical Disorder?

Christopher Boorse's biostatistical theory of medical disorder claims that biological part-dysfunction (i.e., failure of an internal mechanism to perform its biological function), a factual criterion, is both necessary and sufficient for disorder. Jerome Wakefield's harmful dysfunction analysis of medical disorder agrees that part-dysfunction is necessary but rejects the sufficiency claim, maintaining that disorder also requires that the part-dysfunction causes harm to the individual, a value criterion. In this paper, I present two considerations against the sufficiency claim. First, I analyze Boorse's central argument for the sufficiency claim, the "pathologist argument," which takes pathologists' intuitions about pathology as determinative of medical disorder and conclude that it begs the question and fails to support the sufficiency claim. Second, I present four counterexamples from the medical literature in which salient part-dysfunctions are considered nondisorders, including healthy disease carriers, HIV-positive status, benign mutations, and situs inversus totalis, thus falsifying the sufficiency claim and supporting the harm criterion.
Simple Coupled Midlatitude Climate Models

A set of simple analytical models is presented and evaluated for interannual to decadal coupled ocean‐ atmosphere modes at midlatitudes. The atmosphere and ocean are each in Sverdrup balance at these long timescales. The atmosphere’s temperature response to heating determines the spatial phase relation between SST and sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies. Vertical advection balancing heating produces high (low) SLP lying east of warm (cold) SST anomalies, as observed in the Antarctic circumpolar wave (ACW), the decadal North Pacific mode, and the interannual North Atlantic mode. Zonal advection in an atmosphere with a rigid lid produces low SLP east of warm SST. However, if an ad hoc equivalent barotropic atmospheric response is assumed, high SLP lies east of warm SST. Relaxation to heating produces behavior like the observed North Atlantic decadal pattern, with low SLP over warm SST. Meridional advection in the atmosphere cannot produce the observed SST/SLP patterns. The dominant balance in the ocean’s temperature equation determines the phase speed of the modes. The coupled mode is nondispersive in all models examined here, indicating the need for additional processes. For modes with an SST‐SLP offset as observed in the ACW and North Pacific, Ekman convergence acting as a heat source causes eastward propagation relative to the mean ocean flow. Sverdrup response to Ekman convergence, acting on the mean meridional temperature gradient, causes westward propagation relative to the mean ocean flow. When the ocean temperature adjusts through surface heat flux alone, the mode is advected by the mean ocean flow and is damped. Relaxation to heating in the atmosphere, when operating with Sverdrup response in the ocean, produces the only complete solution presented here that exhibits growth, with an e-folding timescale of order (100 days). This solution appears appropriate for the North Atlantic decadal mode. In Northern Hemisphere basins, with meridional boundaries, the same sets of dynamics create the observed SST‐SLP phase relation. An additional factor is the creation of SST anomalies through variations in the western boundary current strengths, which are related to the zonally integrated wind stress curl over the whole basin. If barotropic and hence fast adjustment is assumed, the resulting positive feedback can maintain or strengthen the coupled anomalies in the North Pacific and interannual North Atlantic modes.
Endogenous Factors Associated With Mood

Moods commonly arise as the result of perceiving, recalling, or imagining hedonically-toned environmental events, but also may appear without any obvious precipitating occurrence. Although one might argue that these latter instances simply reflect a failure to identify the mood-inducing event, it is possible that, at least in some cases, the mood is attributable to circumstances that are substantially endogenous and nonpsychological in nature. Consider the case of 48-hour cycles in bipolar disorder, a rare form in which episodes of mania and depression occur on alternate days (Wehr, Goodwin, Wirz-Justice, Craig, & Breitmeier, 1982). It is hard to imagine how environmental events could be responsible for eliciting profound states of mania and depression in such a regular pattern. Moreover, from a purely reductionistic point of view, moods cannot arise from anything other than an endogenous source given the unarguable fact that affective experiences, like all others, must emerge from the biological substrate. Because this is so, it follows that direct (i.e., not psychologically mediated) perturbations of the substrate can mimic effects normally instigated by hedonically relevant environmental events. From a less reductionistic perspective, however, it is legitimate to question whether endogenous factors function autonomously to induce mood.1
Analysis of multiscale texture segmentation using wavelet-domain hidden Markov models

Wavelet-domain hidden Markov tree (HMT) models are powerful tools for modeling the statistical properties of wavelet transforms. By characterizing the joint statistics of the wavelet coefficients, HMTs efficiently capture the characteristics of a large class of real-world signals and images. In this paper, we apply this multiscale statistical description to the texture segmentation problem. We also show how the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance between texture models can provide a simple performance indicator.
Enhancing the productivity and multifunctionality of traditional farming in Latin America

SUMMARY An assessment is made of various grassroots development initiatives in Latin America which show that agroecological technologies can bring significant environmental and economic benefits to small farmers and rural communities in the region. Examined initiatives offer new ways of enhancing the multifunctional attributes of traditional agriculture through greater per unit area productivity and environmental services obtained in complex, integrated agroecological systems that feature many crop varieties, together with animals and trees. If such experiences were to be scaled up, multiplied, extrapolated, and supported in alternative policy scenarios, the gains in food security and environmental conservation would be substantial. The challenge now is to mobilize science, institutions and the right policies to increase the productivity of smallholder farming systems, while preserving the resource base and at the same time empowering local communities.
Evidence for radiative damping in surface-plasmon-mediated light transmission through perforated conducting films

Surface plasmon polaritons are believed to be responsible for higher-than-expected light transmission through metallic films with subwavelength aperture arrays. Here we report the effect of aperture size increase on far-infrared transmission characteristics of such perforated films. The observed increase in the transmission efficiency and the redshift of the resonance frequency are consistent with a published theoretical model, which identifies radiation damping of surface plasmon polaritons as the driving mechanism behind these spectral changes. Optical properties of films with different lattice and aperture configurations, however, are found to respond distinctly to aperture enlargement and indicate the critical role of these parameters on the scattering of surface plasmon polaritons into electromagnetic radiation. The effects of radiation damping are also recognized in the angular dependence of the transmission spectra.