cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin-Film Waveguide Bolometers for Multimode Power Measurement

Thin-film bolometers have been developed for measuring the total (unwanted) power that could be transmitted in any or all possible modes and at many frequencies above the normal operating band. The bolometer is a thin metal film which is placed so that it intercepts all the power flowing down the waveguide. When the power in the fundamental frequency is filtered out and only power at higher frequencies remains in the waveguide containing the bolometer, then it can be used to measure the total spurious power emitted by a high-power transmitter above its fundamental frequency band. Measurements have been made up to 15 Gc in S-band waveguide. A variety of materials and shapes were tested and the bolometers were shown to be capable of measuring equally well several different modes and frequencies separately and in combination.
Assessing the impact of transgenic plant products on soil organisms

Little is known about the impact of transgenic plant products on soil organisms. However, previous research with synthetic organics, allelochemicals, and extracellular enzymes can be used to guide future research in this area. Projects designed to quantify the impact of transgenic plants on soil organisms must clearly establish that the gene products are responsible for any observed changes. This can only be achieved by determining the fate of transgenic plant gene products during the period of the soil bioassay. The overall impact of transgenic plants will be dictated by not only the primary gene product, but secondary products resulting from abiotic and biotic soil reactions. Primary and secondary products may exhibit both acute and chronic impacts. Such impacts are best quantified using a soil microcosm in which fungal populations and micro- and mesofauna are monitored.
Interactions on Orbifolds

Abstract We consider interactions of strings compactified on orbifolds. Multi-valued string variables are handled by formulating the amplitudes on (covering) spaces where they become single-valued. In the computation of the amplitudes, stretched string intermediate states give rise to expressions that are non-perturbative from the non-linear sigma model point of view. Also discussed, in the context of the Z arbifold, is the “blowing up” of the fixed points of an arbifold, to give rise to a Calabi-Yau manifold. The resulting Calabi-Yau manifold is shown to be non-perturbatively stable.
MEMS spatial light modulators with integrated electronics

The design, fabrication, and preliminary test results of a microelectromechanical, micromachined spatial light modulator (μSLM) with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics, for control of optical phase is presented in this paper. An array of 32×32 piston-motion MEMS mirror segments make up the μSLM. Each mirror segment will be capable of altering the phase of reflected light by up to one wavelength for infrared illumination (? = 1.5 μm). The mirror segments are fabricated from metal in a low temperature process allowing for vertical integration of the μSLM with CMOS based, multi-bit, control electronics. The surface of the CMOS is planarized to facilitate μSLM-CMOS integration. The fabrication process and process development results, test results, including frequency response and electromechanical characterization of the (μSLM) actuators, will be presented.
Value-maximizing deadline scheduling and its application to animation rendering

We describe a new class of utility-maximization scheduling problem with precedence constraints, the disconnected staged scheduling problem (DSSP). DSSP is a nonpreemptive multiprocessor deadline scheduling problem that arises in several commercially-important applications, including animation rendering, protein analysis, and seismic signal processing. DSSP differs from most previously-studied deadline scheduling problems because the graph of precedence constraints among tasks within jobs is disconnected, with one component per job. Another difference is that in practice we often lack accurate estimates of task execution times, and so purely offline solutions are not possible. However we do know the set of jobs and their precedence constraints up front and therefore some offline planning is possible.Our solution decomposes DSSP into an offline job selection phase followed by an online task dispatching phase. We model the former as a knapsack problem and explore several solutions to it, describe a new dispatching algorithm for the latter, and compare both with existing methods. Our theoretical results show that while DSSP is NP-hard and inapproximable in general, our two-phase scheduling method guarantees a good performance bound for many special cases. Our empirical results include an evaluation of scheduling algorithms on a real animation-rendering workload; we present a characterization of this workload in a companion paper. The workload records eight weeks of activity on a 1,000-CPU cluster used to render portions of the full-length animated feature film Shrek 2 in 2004. We show that our improved scheduling algorithms can substantially increase the aggregate value of completed jobs compared to existing practices. Our new task dispatching algorithm LCPF performs well by several metrics, including job completion times as well as the aggregate value of completed jobs.
Converged values of second-order core-polarization diagrams with orthogonalized-plane-wave intermediate states

We carry out an extended study of the Vary-Sauer-Wong effect on the second-order core-polarization diagrams ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}$ and ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}^{T}$ in the effective interaction between two valence nucleons. As in Vary-Sauer-Wong, we first calculate ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}$ using a harmonic oscillator propagator for the intermediate particle states $p$, including particle-hole excitations with energies up to $22\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$. Results are in close agreement with those of Vary-Sauer-Wong. We then calculate ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}^{T}$ where a free particle propagator for $p$ is used. This is obtained by including the $\ensuremath{-}U$, the oscillator one-body potential, insertions of all orders to $p$ of ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}$. Although the resulting matrix elements are generally smaller in magnitude than those of Vary-Sauer-Wong, the qualitative feature of the Vary-Sauer-Wong effect is clearly maintained. Namely there are strong cancellations between the contributions from the low and high energy $p$ states. This makes the net effect from the core polarization diagrams significantly weaker than from ${G}_{3\mathrm{p}1\mathrm{h}}$ calculated with $2\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ excitations alone. We also study some intermediate choices for the propagator of $p$, where the free particle propagator is used only for high energy valence states. The Brueckner reaction matrix elements in a mixed representation where one particle is in a harmonic oscillator state and the other in a plane wave state are needed in our calculations. By using the vector transformation brackets of Wong and Clement and of Balian and Brezin and the Tsai-Kuo treatment of the Pauli exclusion operator, we have developed a technique for accurately calculating these matrix elements.
Rapid growth of a deep-sea wood-boring bivalve

Abstract The growth of Xylophaga atlantica Richards, a deep-sea wood-boring bivalve, was studied by recovering a 1-year time series of oak and pine panels deployed at depths of 100 and 200 m at the edge of the continental shelf, south of Cape Cod. Change in shell height between samples was used to assess growth rate. At the 100 m site, the first individuals to settle grew much faster, on average, than those that settled later in the year on the same panels (0.085 mm day −1 vs 0.031 mm day −1 , respectively). The growth rate of the maximum sized individuals was 0.027 mm day −1 whereas the modal growth rate was half that at 0.015 mm day −1 . The modal growth rate of those recovered from 200 m was much greater at 0.246 mm day −1 and is thought to be due to the warmer average temperatures there. Differences in growth rate due to season, substrate and previous density were also apparent.
Cytomegalovirus-Induced Gingival Hyperplasia

We report a rare presentation of gingival hyperplasia associated with cytomegalovirus infection in a 33-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-infected man.
Selection of bandwidth type and adjustment side in kernel density estimation over inhomogeneous backgrounds

This article identifies and compares four different methods for dealing with inhomogeneous backgrounds in kernel density estimation. The four methods result from combinations of two bandwidth types (fixed vs. adaptive) and two adjustment sides (site side vs. case side). The fixed and adaptive bandwidths employ different uniform bases in density calculation (spatial extent vs. population support). The adaptive bandwidth's strength lies in identifying spatial extents of density variation. It also produces values that are more comparable between locations and more stable statistically. When making adjustments to address the background, the site-side method makes the adjustment at each site for which the density value is to be estimated, and the case-side method makes the adjustment at each case location. Within a disease-mapping context, the former measures population at risk around each site and the latter measures around each disease case. The case-side adjustment is more justifiable in an application like disease mapping. It is also less sensitive to spatial details of the background (a favorable feature) and considerably more computationally efficient. Lung cancer data from Merrimack County, New Hampshire, USA, are used to demonstrate and compare the results from the four methods, leading to the conclusion that the case-side-adaptive-bandwidth method is most advantageous.
Regulation of eicosanoid biosynthesis in endothelial cells: critical role of de novo synthesis of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase.

Prostaglandins are important autacoids participating in a myriad of physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. Biosynthesis of prostaglandins and eicosanoids is regulated at several enzymatic steps (1). As shown in Fig. 1, liberation of arachidonic acid from membrane phispholipids upon cell activation is catalyzed by phospholipases. This is a rate limiting step. Once arachidonic acid is liberated, it is metabolized via the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways. The enzyme that is responsible for catalysis of arachidonic acid into endoperoxides is prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (prostaglandin G/H synthase, prostaglandin H synthase or cyclooxygenase). This molecule possesses two enzymic activities: cyclooxygenase which catalyzes the oxygenation of arachidonic acid into prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) and peroxidase converting PGG2 into PGH2 (2). Prostaglandin H synthase is upregulated by peroxides including PGG2 but once PGG2 is converted to PGH2, oxygen radicals that are generated appear to cause irreversible inactivation of the cyclooxygenase activity (3-5). This leads to limited synthesis of PGH2. PGH2 is the common precursor for prostacyclin (PGI2), PGE2, PGF2α, PGD2 and thromboxane A2 (TXA2). With compromised PGH2 synthesis, production of these biologically active metabolites is consequently self-limited. This enzymatic step, hence, plays a central role in controlling eicosanoid biosynthesis.
Pinocytosis in fibroblasts: Quantitative studies in vitro

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used as a marker to determine the rate of ongoing pinocytosis in several fibroblast cell lines. The enzyme was interiorized in the fluid phase without evidence of adsorption to the cell surface. Cytochemical reaction product was not found on the cell surface and was visualized only within intracellular vesicles and granules. Uptake was directly proportional to the administered concentration of HRP and to the duration of exposure. The rate of HRP uptake was 0.0032–0.0035% of the administered load per 106 cells per hour for all cells studied with one exception: L cells, after reaching confluence, progressively increased their pinocytic activity two- to fourfold. After uptake of HRP, L cells inactivated HRP with a half-life of 6–8 h. Certain metabolic requirements of pinocytosis were then studied in detail in L cells. Raising the environmental temperature increased pinocytosis over a range of 2–38°C. The Q10 was 2.7 and the activation energy, 17.6 kcal/mol. Studies on the levels of cellular ATP in the presence of various metabolic inhibitors (fluoride, 2-desoxyglycose, azide, and cyanide) showed that L cells synthesized ATP by both glycolytic and respiratory pathways. A combination of a glycolytic and a respiratory inhibitor was needed to depress cellular ATP levels as well as pinocytic activity to 10–20% of control values, whereas drugs administered individually had only partial effects. In spite of the availability of an accurate quantitative assay for fluid and solute uptake, the function of pinocytosis in tissue culture cells remains unknown.
Umbilical Vein White Blood Cell Count as a Marker of Acidemia in Term Neonates

Objective: White blood cells are mobilized under both hypoxic and infectious conditions. Intrauterine hypoxia is linked to increased risk of cerebral palsy and is potentiated by the presence of infection. We hypothesized that umbilical vein white blood cell elevation in term neonates is associated with intrauterine acidemia.Methods: We prospectively evaluated all liveborn neonates delivered at our institution for a 6-month period. Umbilical arterial blood was analyzed for pH and blood gas and venous blood for hematologic indices. Medical records of cases greater than or equal to 37 weeks' gestation were reviewed for correlative data. Student's t-test was used to determine difference of means and Chi-square test for goodness of fit. Pearson coefficients of correlation were applied where appropriate.Results: A total of 1,948 liveborn, term neonates were delivered during the study period; 1,561 cases had white blood cell analysis and arterial blood gas data available. Acidemic cases had higher white blood ce...
The spliceosome: a flexible, reversible macromolecular machine

With more than a hundred individual RNA and protein parts and a highly dynamic assembly and disassembly pathway, the spliceosome is arguably the most complicated macromolecular machine in the eukaryotic cell. This complexity has made kinetic and mechanistic analysis of splicing incredibly challenging. Yet, recent technological advances are now providing tools for understanding this process in much greater detail. Ranging from genome-wide analyses of splicing and creation of an orthogonal spliceosome in vivo, to purification of active spliceosomes and observation of single molecules in vitro, such new experimental approaches are yielding significant insight into the inner workings of this remarkable machine. These experiments are rewriting the textbooks, with a new picture emerging of a dynamic, malleable machine heavily influenced by the identity of its pre-mRNA substrate.
Regulation of spindle pole function by an intermediary metabolite.

Spore formation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends on a modification of spindle pole bodies (SPBs) at the onset of meiosis II that allows them to promote de novo membrane formation. Depletion of the environmental carbon source during sporulation results in modification of only one SPB from each meiosis II spindle and formation of a two-spored ascus, called a nonsister dyad (NSD). We have found that mutants impaired in the glyoxylate pathway, which is required for the conversion of acetate to glucose, make NSDs when acetate is the primary carbon source. Wild-type cells make NSDs when the carbon source is glycerol, which is converted to glucose independently of the glyoxylate pathway. During NSD formation in glycerol, only the two SPBs created at the meiosis I/II transition (“daughters”) are modified. In these conditions, the SPB components Mpc70p and Spo74p are not recruited to mother SPBs. Moreover, cooverexpression of Mpc70p and Spo74p suppresses NSD formation in glycerol. Our findings indicate that flux through the glyoxylate pathway during sporulation regulates modification of mother SPBs via recruitment of Mpc70p and Spo74p. These results define a cellular response in which the accumulation of an intermediary metabolite serves as a measure of biosynthetic capacity to regulate the number of daughter cells formed.
Stochastic variability of effective properties via the generalized variability response function

Homogenization of randomly heterogeneous material properties into effective properties is an essential procedure in facilitating the analysis of a wide range of mechanics problems. Although formulas exist to calculate deterministic effective properties for structures larger than the representative volume element (RVE), no general method other than Monte Carlo simulation exists to evaluate the variability of these effective properties for structures smaller than the RVE. In a recent paper [1], a method was proposed for evaluating the stochastic variability of effective properties by incorporating the variability response function (VRF) concept. Subsequently, the existence of the VRF for effective properties for linear, statically determinate structures was formally proven. The concept of the VRF has been proposed as a means to systematically capture the effect of the spectral characteristics of uncertain system parameters modeled by homogeneous stochastic fields on the uncertain structural response. Although the existence of VRFs can be formally proven only for statically determinate structures, a Monte Carlo-based methodology has been proposed recently as a generalization of the VRF concept [19]. In this paper, this methodology is extended to establish estimates of the VRF for effective properties of statically indeterminate beams.
An Overview of Hybrid Soft Computing Techniques for Classifier Design and Feature Selection

Rapid developments in computing-related technologies have enabled the collection of large amounts of data at unprecedented rates from diverse systems, both natural and engineered. The availability of such data has motivated the development of intelligent systems to gain new insights into how these systems work, leading thereby to superior decision making. In this paper we present recent advances in using hybrid soft computing techniques to achieve two of the core functionalities needed to build such intelligent systems, namely: feature selection and classifier design. We posit that these two functionalities are coupled and must be solved simultaneously. We give an overview of soft computing techniques, of classification and classifier design, of the concept of feature extraction and feature selection, of hybrid soft computing techniques, and we present approaches for simultaneous feature selection and classifier design using hybrid soft computing techniques. The paper concludes with insights and directions for future work.
Title: Test of an experimental SATCOM network in EHF band

In 2008, the French MoD has started an experimental SATCOM network which aims at using EHF resources (44/21 GHz) in an efficient manner. It will lead to an operational use of this frequency band in order to cope with the lack of SHF frequency resources. Contrary to the SHF concept of use where links are planned with constant data rates and static margins, the EHF band requires the use of fading mitigation Techniques to adapt to transmission conditions. The EHF experiment consists of two networks: - the first one is based on DVB-S2/DVB-RCS (digital video broadcasting satellite 2)/(digital video broadcasting-return channel satellite) standards, the second one uses a frequency hopping electronic protected modem (EPM). The aim of the experiment is to: assess solutions based on COTS (components on the shelf (DVB-S2/DVB-RCS) and EPM test and define EHF terminals, define and to test services offer in EHF.
The motion of binary tropical cyclones

When two tropical cyclones are present simultaneously in the same region they show as a rule a counterclockwise rotation around each other. A theoretical explanation of this motion is given. The theory permits the computation of the rate of rotation. A discussion of nine examples with sufficiently reliable and complete observational data gives a satisfactory agreement between theoretical and observed rates of rotation.
Emission of volatile chemicals from flowering dogwood (cornus Florida L.) flowers.

Reproduction of flowering dogwood trees occurs via obligate out-crossing, and U.S. native bees have been suggested to be primary pollinators of this ecologically and economically important deciduous tree. Whether floral volatiles play a role in reproduction of the dogwood remains unclear. Objectives of this study were to identify principal volatile chemicals emitted from dogwood flowers and to assess a temporal volatile emission profile and volatile consistency across four cultivars. Inflorescences with intact bracts and 5 cm flower pedicel were removed from dogwood trees and subjected to headspace volatile collection. Six principal volatile compounds were detected from the flowers of the cultivar ‘World’s Fair’ with 3-formylpyridine as the most abundant constituent. Subsequent headspace analyses performed using inflorescences without bracts or floral pedicels alone indicated that 3-formylpyridine, E-� -ocimene, S-linalool, and ketoisophorone were mainly emitted from inflorescences. Experiments were also conducted to determine whether volatile emissions differed across time and between different cultivars of flowering dogwood. When volatile emission was analyzed for 48 h using 12 h light/dark cycles, the emission of several volatile compounds displayed diurnal patterns. Finally, whereas florets in inflorescences of four different dogwood cultivars emitted similar levels of the six principal floral volatile chemicals, ‘Cherokee Brave’ flowers alone yielded 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and germacrene-D. The implications of the findings of this study to dogwood breeding programs are discussed.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages as the Primary Source of Lysozyme in the Urine of Mice Bearing GPC-11, a Transplantable Reticulum Cell Sarcoma

Large amounts of lysozyme accumulated in the serum and urine of (NZB X BALB/c)F1 mice with GPC-11, a transplantable reticulum cell sarcoma, type A. We separated GPC-11 cell suspensions on 20% Ludox HS gradients. (HS is one of the nine general grades of Ludox offered by du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del.) We did morphologic, functional, and biochemical experiments to detect oncogenic and enzymatic activity in each fraction. Oncogenic cells did not produce lysozyme. In contrast, macrophages associated with the solid tumor did produce lysozyme. The lysozyme purified from the GPC-11-associated macrophages resembled in size, electrophoretic mobility, and antigenicity the lysozyme purified from the urine of mice with the GPC-11 tumor.
Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Gay Neighborhood Residence

Using a sample of 482 ethnically diverse current substance using men who have sex with men who reported recent unprotected anal intercourse, this study compared health risk behaviors—substance use and sexual HIV risk—and one health protective factor—prosocial activities—between men who live in a gay neighborhood and those who do not. Data are drawn from comprehensive health and social risk assessments administered in South Florida. In a multivariate logistic regression model, methamphetamine use, high rates of receptive unprotected anal intercourse, and lower levels of prosocial engagement were found to be risk factors associated with gay neighborhood residence. Compared with living elsewhere, gay neighborhood residence appeared to be protective against cocaine use and substance dependence. Implications of the findings for prevention interventions are discussed, as is the need for further research regarding decisions about neighborhood residence and how neighborhood risk and protective factors emerge and ...
SELECTIVE RE-MESHING: A NEW APPROACH TO INCLUDE MODE STIRRING EFFECTS IN THE STEADY STATE FDTD SIMULATION OF MICROWAVE HEATING CAVITIES

5. CONCLUSION A hyperbolic frequency-modulated waveform is Doppler-invariant if the relative velocity between the radar and the target is constant. Numerical examples indicate that a linear frequency-modulated pulse has large degradation in performance when the Doppler effect is large. The pulse width is enlarged and the peak value is reduced significantly. While the result of the hyperbolic frequencymodulated pulse is still a desired narrow pulse, which is very similar to the result without the Doppler effect. Using hyperbolic frequency-modulated waveform and a matched filter a large compression ratio can be achieved, compared to another Dopplerinvariant pulse compressor based on the bipolar waveform and the multiple integrator. The better performance of the hyperbolic frequency modulation under Doppler distortion makes it very useful in detecting fast-moving objects.
Docentes globales: un modelo conceptual para el desarrollo de la competencia intercultural on-line

La competencia en lenguas extranjeras, la conciencia global y la comunicacion intercultural estan cada vez mas reconocidas como aspectos esenciales de la participacion productiva en el ambito economico, civico, politico y social del siglo XXI. Como consecuencia, la promocion internacional de estas competencias adquiere una importancia unica en el espectro de la educacion infantil, basica y secundaria en Estados Unidos. El conjunto de nuevos objetivos para estudiantes de hoy implica el desarrollo de nuevas competencias entre docentes que no han sido contempladas hasta ahora en las iniciativas de desarrollo profesional llevadas a cabo en Estados Unidos, y poco se sabe sobre la adquisicion de estas competencias entre educadores. Estas competencias pueden entenderse segun el modelo de competencia comunicativa intercultural de Byram (1997), cuyos principios de desarrollo se basan en senalar el aprendizaje on-line como una herramienta eficaz para la adquisicion de competencias entre docentes. En este articulo se presenta el analisis de varios estudios sobre el aprendizaje intercultural; aprendizaje intercultural y tecnologia; y el desarrollo profesional on-line de profesores, con el fin de plantear la posibilidad de las tres dimensiones. En suma, se nos ofrece una serie de principios sobre el diseno educativo que promueven la construccion de estas competencias interculturales en los profesores, entre los que destaca la evidencia de que las tecnologias en red aplicadas al aprendizaje on-line poseen aspectos unicos para desarrollar las competencias interculturales en todas las areas.
Finding Comfort in End-of-Life Care

It is a reality of the discipline of respiratory therapy that most practitioners will be directly involved in the removal of ventilatory support as part of end-of-life care in the intensive care unit. In light of the frequency of this event, the sensitive nature of the process, and the potential for moral distress in caregivers involved in withdrawal of life support, it is appropriate that increasing attention has been paid to the important role of the respiratory therapist (RT) in end-of-life care. 1-4 Furthermore, it is apparent that a need exists for education in end-of-life care for RTs, both in the training curriculum and in continuing education. 2,3 I would add that there is also a need for education of the critical care physician, nurse, and other services in the intensive care unit as to the valuable role of RTs in this final phase of a patient’s critical care.
Comparison of algorithms for estimating ultrasound attenuation when predicting cervical remodeling in a rat model

The future of biomedical imaging involves obtaining quantitative diagnostic information about tissue structure and function rather than just relying on qualitative structural assessments. Ultrasound attenuation or loss of signal within tissue can be used to quantify micro-structural changes in the tissue consistent with cervical remodeling. In order to obtain the best estimates, the algorithms used to estimate ultrasound attenuation (spectral log difference method, spectral difference method, and hybrid method) need to be optimized and compared. In this study, the effects of the inhomogeneities within the ROI on the accuracy of the 3 algorithms were studied, and the optimal ROI size (number of independent echoes laterally and number of pulse lengths axially) was quantified for each method. The conclusions were then validated by analyzing an ultrasound image of a pregnant rat cervix from a custom-made high-frequency ultrasound imaging system.
Developmental Education’s Impact on Students’ Academic Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy:

Students who are enrolled in developmental courses often persist at lower rates than students who enter college prepared for college-level work. This phenomenon has been attributed to numerous potential factors, including the psychological impact of assignment to developmental courses. This study examines the impact of enrollment in multiple developmental courses on students’ academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy using the difference in differences method of analysis. Students at a small, regional college in the southeast were surveyed at the beginning and end of their first semester of enrollment. Researchers found no negative impact on students’ academic self-concept or self-efficacy as a result of enrollment in multiple developmental courses in the first semester, but students enrolled in multiple developmental courses had lower academic self-concept than peers. There was no difference between the groups for academic self-efficacy.
Time Dependent (Creep) Deformation of Thin Elastomers at Cold Temperature and Effective Strain Analysis of Their Laminates

Rolling resistance from tires accounts for 20% of the fuel used in the average car. In applications like automobile tires, heterogeneous “inner liners” are being used as barriers to retain air and to reduce rolling resistance. However, there is great uncertainty in estimating the life of those components under extreme, synergistic environments (e.g., rate and time dependent, cyclic, thermal, and mechanical loading). In the present work, the behavior of such thin films under extreme cold temperature (-40C) has been investigated experimentally. The expected life was estimated both experimentally and by using a parametric creep model. Failure mechanisms were studied extensively and interesting phenomena (such as time-delayed longitudinal fracture) are documented. In order to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms driving crack formation in field tested tires of inner liners, actual tire specimens were also tested. An experimental Arcan fixture was used in conjunction with digital image correlation (DIC) to determine the full-field strain state of the inner liner material under simulated loading conditions. The normalized component sums of the effective strains were computed, and it was found that these strain resultant vectors correspond to directions of observed cracks in field testing.
Developmental Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Ovary and on Female Fertility

Environmental conditions during critical developmental periods have a long-lasting influence over the physiology and behavior of an individual. Also known as the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, this concept applies to the effects of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the female reproductive system. In this chapter, we review the roles of EDCs (phthalates, organochlorine pesticides, dioxins, and diethylstilbestrol) on the emergence of female reproductive system pathologies with a focus on the ovary. Ovarian development and folliculogenesis, highlighting processes susceptible to the actions of EDCs, including epigenetic processes, are also reviewed. Animal studies using environmentally relevant doses support the hypothesis that EDCs can have long-lasting effects in the ovary, leading to female reproductive pathologies. From a basic research perspective, using advanced techniques for comprehensive genome-wide expression and epigenetic analyses, coupled with animal studies will help us to better understand the effects of EDCs in the ovary.
Review of Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties

This is a review of a collection of essays edited by Thomas G. Kirsch and Bertram Turner entitled, "Permutations of Order: Religion and Law as Contested Sovereignties."
Running AMOOC

The idea of massive online open courses (MOOCs) have become a new touchstone in educational evolution. Many institutions are forming around this idea, and others are likely to follow. The concept raises many questions as regards economics, the effects on continuing education, testing, changes to teaching methods, and student performance.This article attempts to address some of those questions.
Evaluation of gemtuzumab ozogamycin associated sinusoidal obstructive syndrome: Findings from an academic pharmacovigilance program review and a pharmaceutical sponsored registry.

Background In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved gemtuzumab ozogamycin for monotherapy for older patients with relapsed AML. A 0.9% rate of hepatic sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS) was noted in licensing trials. In 2001, FDA received reports of 14 GO-associated SOS cases from MD Anderson Cancer Center. A State of South Carolina/National Cancer Institute funded pharmacovigilance program and a manufacturer sponsored registry independently evaluated this concern.
Flow Patterns in Elastomers and Their Carbon Black Compounds during Extrusion through Dies

Abstract A basic study of flow patterns in elastomers in the entrance region of a die has been carried out for various gum elastomers including emulsion and solution butadiene—styrene copolymers, polybutadiene, and natural rubber. All exhibit streamline flow into the entrance with the exception of a cold mastication degraded natural rubber which gave evidence of vortices in corners. A study of a die with a sharp diverging region showed dead spaces for all the elastomers. Carbon black compounds all exhibited converging streamline flow in a 180° entrance angle die and stagnant regions in the sharply diverging die. Evidence based on marker motions has been presented for slip in elastomer compounds in the entrance region.
Making Nanophotonics Devices a Reality: Nanofabrication of Advanced Nanophotonic Structures

To exploit the potentialities of Nanophotonics, it is important to control the properties of the material at the nanometer scale, obtaining a good agreement between the experiments and the theory. Nanofabrication can open the way for new concept of devices. Article not available.
An Empirical Typology of Mature Industrial-Product Environments

This paper pursues the goal of parsimony by presenting a typology of mature industrial-product environments, derived from the PIMS data base. Cluster analysis yields eight environmental types that are discussed and tested for reliability in a holdout sample. The ultimate goal is to develop a contingency approach to business-level strategy.
Abstract 1341: Identification of significant linkage evidence for lethal prostate cancer on chromosome arm 11p15.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC We performed genome wide linkage analysis in a set of high-risk prostate cancer pedigrees, each with 3 or more sampled cases whose death certificate indicated a contribution of prostate cancer to death (lethal prostate cancer). All prostate cancer cases were present in the Utah SEER Cancer Registry (pathology confirmed); all “lethal” prostate cancer cases were also required to have a Utah death certificate indicating prostate cancer as a contributing cause of death. A set of markers with no linkage disequilibrium was selected for linkage analysis. We took the intersection of SNP markers from five Illumina genotyping platforms used (550K, 610K, 1M,Omni\_express (720k), and Omni\_1M), resulting in selection of 301,646 markers. We began with the first marker on each chromosome and then skipped markers until one satisfied all criteria (min 0.1 cM distance, heterozygosity 0.35, R-squared < 0.16 -using HapMap's LD files based on CEPH). This resulted in selection of a set of 25,436 SNP LD-free genome wide markers for linkage. We have performed genome-wide linkage analysis for 21 of the genotyped high-risk lethal prostate cancer pedigrees with the 25,436 selected SNP markers. Genome wide hetLODs showed one significant linkage peak for the recessive model on chromosome 14 (LOD = 4.20). The pedigree with the highest LOD in this region has a +2.69; we are attempting to expand sampling for other pedigrees with linkage evidence in this region. A single pedigree with 16 prostate cancer cases, at least 4 of whom have already died from prostate cancer and were sampled, provided a LOD score = +3.56 on chromosome arm 11p15. An 11p15 haplotype inherited in common from the founder to 6 generations of descendants is shared in at least 9 of the prostate cancer cases, 3 of whom died from prostate cancer. The 1-LOD drop defined support interval for the pedigree linked to chromosome 11 occurs at approximately 34-46 cM and contains 13 currently documented genomic features, several of which may be reasonable candidates for lethal prostate cancer including the gene PRMT3 (arginine methyltransferase 3), DAL-1, NELL1, FANCF (Fanconi anemia, complementation group F), and GAS2 (growth arrest-specific 2). Sequencing of multiple haplotype sharing cases in the pedigree is underway. Citation Format: Lisa A. Cannon-Albright, Craig C. Teerlink, Neeraj Agarwal. Identification of significant linkage evidence for lethal prostate cancer on chromosome arm 11p15. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1341. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1341
Atomically-Resolved Surface Photovoltage Probed by Optically-Excited Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy combined with optical excitation techniques is used to study non-equilibrium electronic properties of clean silicon surfaces with high spatial resolution. Tunneling potentiometry is performed to measure the excess carrier distributions via the surface photovoltage effect. Well-ordered regions of Si(111)-(7×7) show a uniform surface photovoltage effect, while strong decreases are observed near defects. The decreases in the photovoltage are attributed to an increase in the rate of recombination of electron-hole pairs in the vicinity of the defects.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in Cu(NO3)2 · 2.5H2O

The low-field susceptibility,1 specific heat,2 proton resonance,3 and magnetization isotherms4 of Cu(NO3)2 · 2.5H2O at low temperatures can be described approximately by a model in which the cupric ions are antiferromagnetically coupled in pairs. The members of a pair (S1 = S2 = \(\frac{1}{2}\)) are assumed to interact via isotropic exchange J1S1·S2 with J1/k = 5.2°K. Quantitative discrepancies between this simple model and the data were removed initially by including a weaker antiferromagnetic interpair coupling in a molecular-field approximation.4
Discussions on Impacts of Wind Power Construction in Gansu on Power Grid Operation

As the 5 160 MW generation capacity of the Gansu Jiuquan wind farm will soon be completed and put into operation,the wind power transmission and the demand for peaking capacity will have significant impacts on the power grid.The first phase 750 kV outgoing project for wind power has already led to a substantial increase of investment in the power grid,and also given rise to problems such as increases in power purchase cost,operation and maintenance cost,economic compensation for peaking power plants and inter-provincial electricity trade,as well as other management issues.To solve these problems,this research conducts an analysis on the impact of the wind power construction of Gansu on the power grid investment as well as on operation and management.And advice is proposed on rational management of power transmission enterprises in the context of the large scale wind power construction.
A formal analysis of required cooperation in multi-agent planning

It is well understood that, through cooperation, multiple agents can achieve tasks that are unachievable by a single agent. However, there are no formal characterizations of situations where cooperation is required to achieve a goal, thus warranting the application of multiple agents. In this paper, we provide such a formal characterization for multi-agent planning problems with sequential action execution. We first show that determining whether there is required cooperation (RC) is in general intractable even in this limited setting. As a result, we start our analysis with a subset of more restrictive problems where agents are homogeneous. For such problems, we identify two conditions that can cause RC. We establish that when none of these conditions hold, the problem is single-agent solvable; otherwise, we provide upper bounds on the minimum number of agents required. For the remaining problems with heterogeneous agents, we further divide them into two subsets. For one of the subsets, we propose the concept of transformer agent to reduce the number of agents to be considered which is used to improve planning performance. We implemented a planner using our theoretical results and compared it with one of the best IPC CoDMAP planners in the centralized track. Results show that our planner provides significantly improved performance on IPC CoDMAP domains.
Is Bigger Better? A Re-Examination of the Scale Economies of REITs

Executive Summary. This study re-examines economies of scale for the equity real estate investment trust (REIT) industry, particularly the use of the translog model in empirical tests. Three cost functional forms are tested using data from 120 equity REITs in 1997: translog, simple quadratic and quadratic semi-log. The commonly utilized translog model is found to have little significance in explaining the scale effect, which suggests that the economy-of-scale parameter results derived from a translog model are irrelevant. However, the simple quadratic and quadratic semi-log functions are found to be significantly concave, supporting the existence of economies of scale in equity REITs.
Ockham’s weak externalism

ABSTRACTThere is debate over whether the content of an intuitive cognition is determined externally or internally in Ockham’s theory. According to the most common view, which I call the Strong Externalist Interpretation (SE), intuitive content is wholly determined externally. Opposed to SE is the Strong Internalist Interpretation (SI), according to which the content of an intuition is wholly determined by internal features of a cognizer. The aim of this paper is to argue against those interpretations, and to argue for a third kind of interpretation which preserves interpretative advantages of SE and SI without falling into the difficulties that each faces. On this view, intuitive content is complex, and its complexity is analyzed into a mix of internalist and externalist elements.
A Finite Element Model for the Lateral Strength of Railroad Track Structures

A superelement for the nonlinear lateral deformation of railroad track structures under arbitrary thermal and/or mechanical loads has been developed. The finite element program is capable of accepting any linear or nonlinear lateral and longitudinal ballast resistance properties and any fastener torsional resistance properties. Pre- and post-buckled track deformations can be calculated for arbitrary initial imperfections. Results agree well with published experimental results.
Longer Antennae for Romeo: Assessing Effect of Antennae Length on Courtship and Mating Success in Male Crickets, Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera, Gryllidae)

Animals use a variety of chemosensory functions to coordinate behavioral actions, such as sexual recognition and courtship. In particular, many insects use antennae as a vital chemosensory organ to transmit and receive sexual signals that are believed to be crucial in mate recognition and mating in various species of insects. Crickets provide a usable model to test the significance of antennae in insects. The general importance of antennae in male crickets to initiate courtship, ensure copulation, and post-copulatory mate guarding has been documented in studies that performed full antennectomy. Our study is the first to perform partial antennectomy to test the hypothesis that even partial loss due to injury has negative effects on sexual behaviors. We found that partially antennectomized males are not slower than control males in mate recognition and courtship initiation. However, we found that partially antennectomized males take longer to achieve copulation than control males with normal uncut antennae. Our results suggest that male crickets require long, undamaged antennae to efficiently engage in mating behavior and may already incur fitness costs when they lose half of their antennae.
Parent and caregiver perspectives on home-based newborn care in low-income settings: protocol for a systematic review of qualitative studies

Introduction Newborn health and survival are closely linked to essential newborn care provided within the first days and weeks of an infant9s life by parents and caregivers at home and within the community. Newborn care practices are often socially and culturally determined and have been explored in qualitative and formative research related to improving neonatal survival. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of qualitative studies on parent and caregiver experiences of newborn care practices with a view to identifying barriers and facilitators that may impact on newborn health. The rationale is that providing this information will be useful for intervention design and programme scale up for newborn survival. Methods and analysis We will systematically review qualitative studies reporting on newborn care practices. The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement will be used for reporting the stages of the review and dissemination. The search period will include all studies published from 2006 to 2016. Study selection will incorporate the ENTREQ and Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and quality assessment will be completed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) guidelines. Pending the identification of sufficient data of good quality, we will conduct a full synthesis of the studies identified by the review. Ethics and dissemination The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentation and directly to organisations involved in newborn health. Formal ethical approval from the author9s institution is not required, as no primary data or identifying data will be collected. Trial registration number CRD42016035674.