cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information-Theoretic Approach to A/D Conversion

We propose a new information theoretic approach to understanding analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion principles. An A/D converter is characterized as a communication system that transmits information from an analog source to the digital domain for processing, storage, transmission, and analysis. Accordingly, an A/D conversion system consists of an analog source of information, a means to sample and encode the analog signal for transmission through the comparator, and a means to decode the digital output from the comparator and provide a digital representation of the analog signal. The comparator acts as a channel since it “injects” uncertainty in the form of quantization noise. We provide an upper bound (conversion capacity) on the amount of information that can be transmitted from the analog to digital domain for a specific A/D converter and we describe a necessary and sufficient condition that, if satisfied, allows an A/D converter to achieve capacity. The conversion capacity defines a fundamental upper limit on the performance of an A/D converter in terms of resolution-bandwidth product for a given technology. It is shown how the conversion capacity may be utilized to yield performance limitations in terms of mean square error and SNR. The capacity is, thus, a useful metric for the comparison of ADC designs and may also provide hints to improving existing and conceiving new A/D conversion methods.
Outcomes in the physiologically most severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) patients: Whom should we treat?

Abstract Purpose Centers that care for newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) may impose selection criteria for offering or limiting aggressive support in those patients most severely affected. The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes in newborns with highly severe CDH uniformly treated for survival. Methods We reviewed 172 consecutive inborn patients without associated lethal anomalies treated at a single institution with a dedicated CDH program. Survival, respiratory outcome, and time to discharge in the most severe 10% (or fewer) of patients based on the physiologic measures of 5-minute Apgar, CDH Study Group (CDHSG) predicted survival, need for ECMO in the first 6 hours, and need for ECMO in the first 3 hours of life were studied. We also identified patients with best PaCO 2 greater than 100 and best pH less than 7.0. A multivariate model (AUC-0.92) predicting mortality was also used to define the most severe 10%. Results Of 172 consecutive inborn patients, 18 had a 5-minute Apgar of 3 or less, and 11 survived (61%), 10 had a 5-minute Apgar of 2 or less, and 6 survived (60%), and 6 had a 5-minute Apgar of 1 or less, and 4 survived (67%). Seventeen had a CDHSG predicted survival less than 25%, and 9 survived (53%). Thirteen of 172 required ECMO for rescue in the first 6 hours of life, and 9 survived (69%), including 7 in the first 3 hours, and 5 survived (71%). Despite focused resuscitation in the delivery room and high levels of ventilatory support, 22 patients had a best PCO 2 greater than 100 and best pH less than 7.0 for 1 hour or longer. Twelve of these 22 survived to discharge (55%). Of 17 defined by multivariate predictive modeling as the most severe, 8 survived (47%) with zero of the 3 ECMO ineligible prematures surviving. Of the 16 (10%) most severe ECMO-eligible patients, 10 of 16 survived (63%). All survivors were discharged home on no ventilatory support greater than nasal cannula oxygen. Conclusion In newborn CDH patients without lethal associated anomalies, accepted measures of physiologic severity failed to predict mortality. Survival met or exceeded 50% even in the most severe 10% as defined by these measures. These data support the practice of treating each patient for survival regardless of the physiologic severity in the first hours of life, and selection criteria for not offering ECMO should be reevaluated where practiced.
Uniform convergence of random Fourier series

The sufficient part of this theorem was obtained by Salem and Zygmund [7] in the case where (b, is a real number and {q.} a Rademacher sequence (a Rademacher sequence is a sequence of independent random variables {e.} where e.-+_ 1 each with probability 1/2) and extended to independent symmetric {q.e i~-} by Kahane [4]. In fact for sufficiency neither the condition a.~ nor l i m i n f . ~ EIr/.l>0 is needed, on the other hand symmetry is not needed for necessity. Theorem 1.1 was obtained for random trigonometric series that are also stationary Gaussian
Arbitrary rectilinear block packing based on sequence pair

Based on the sequence pair structure, this paper proposes a novel method to represent arbitrary shaped rectilinear blocks. The necessary and sufficient conditions are derived such that non-overlapped packing of arbitrary rectilinear blocks can always be guaranteed regardless of the dimensions of the blocks. A stochastic search is applied, three sequence pair operations are defined to search the feasible solution space both continuously and exhaustively. Theoretical results derived in this paper show that an optimal solution can always be reachable through finite steps of the stochastic search. As such, the algorithm becomes a significant breakthrough in the general packing problem both theoretically and practically.
Evaluation and quantitation of intact wax esters of human meibum by gas-liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry.

Purpose. Wax esters (WE) of human meibum are one of the largest group of meibomian lipids. Their complete characterization on the level of individual intact lipid species has not been completed yet. We obtained detailed structural information on previously uncharacterized meibomian WE.
An Application of The NCRP Screening Techniques to Atmospheric Radon Releases From The Former Feed Materials Production Center Near Fernald, Ohio

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements has published a series of screening models for releases of radionuclides to the environment. These models have been used to prioritize radionuclides being considered in environmental dose reconstructions. The NCRP atmospheric models are also accepted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for demonstrating compliance with the constraint on releases of airborne radioactive materials to the environment from licensees other than power reactors. This study tested the NCRP atmospheric techniques by comparing annual average predicted air concentrations of radon with measured radon concentrations at 14 locations 43 m to 598 m downwind of the former U.S. Department of Energy Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC) near Fernald, Ohio, for the period 2 July 1985 to 2 July 1986. Predictions were made using five different sets of meteorological data as input: (1) NCRP default values; (2) composite FMPC site data; (3) data from the Greater Cincinnati Airport; (4) data from the Dayton, Ohio, airport; and (5) data collected at Miami University, located near Oxford, Ohio. Following are the respective medians and ranges of the ratio of the predicted to observed annual radon air concentrations for each of these sources of meteorological data: (1) 5.2, 0.9-54; (2) 1.4, 0.1-8.2; (3) 0.7, 0.1-7.2; (4) 0.7, 0.1-8.4; and (5) 0.6, 0.1-10. The stated goal of the NCRP models is to predict doses that do not underpredict actual doses by greater than a factor of 10. In this comparison, all of the meteorological data produced air concentration predictions that meet this criteria. However, to ensure that final doses meet this criterion, one would need to carefully evaluate all assumptions used to calculate dose from each of these air concentrations.
Structure and photophysics of a Schiff base-bipyridine ligand and its rhenium(I) tricarbonylchloro complex

Abstract A new Schiff base-bipyridine ligand, [4-(4′-methyl)-2,2′-bipyridyl)imine]-2-hydroxybenzene, was prepared, characterized and its X-ray crystal structure obtained. The rhenium(I) tricarbonylchloro complex of this novel derivative of 2,2′-bipyridine was also prepared and characterized. The photophysics of both of these compounds were explored. The absorption spectrum of the Schiff base in acetonitrile possessed bipyridine based π → π ∗ transitions at 246 and 278 nm along with a phenolic charge transfer absorption at 360 nm. Acetonitrile solutions of this compound were found to be luminescent at room temperature with an emission maximum at 435 nm. The rhenium(I) metal complex prepared from the Schiff base exhibited wavelength dependent metal-centered and ligand-centered emission at wavelengths shorter than the analogous rhenium(I) compound prepared from 4′-formyl-4-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine.
From Europe to the United States, Rousseau Takes on the Fall Meeting

Denis-Didier Rousseau smiles shyly when discussing his new role as the chair of AGU's Fall Meeting Program Committee. “I'm not used to giving interviews,” he says. Nonetheless, he becomes very passionate as he begins to talk about his views on transdisciplinary science and its role in AGU meetings, on including more young scientists in planning meetings, and on the importance of virtual meetings. Rousseau, who is currently a visiting professor at Columbia University, sat with Eos to share his excitement about working with AGU.
Developing the stress–strain curve to failure using mesoscale models parameterized from molecular models

Abstract Developing the stress response using the molecular and mesoscale levels is fairly reliable during the initial strain. For instance, modulus is a property that can be established using these techniques and the continuity of scale between the molecular and mesoscale and agreement with experiment suggests that both may be used to establish modulus for parameterizing a macroscale model when measured properties are unavailable. However, the latter part of the stress–strain response that helps to establish ties to crack propagation still needs attention. One problem that was previously found in the mesoscale models was questionable lack of void formation in crosslinked systems due to superficially clean adhesive separation in the simulations. One way to overcome this lack of voiding was to determine how to develop bond breakage criterion that would allow surfaces to develop. This paper discusses development and application of bond breakage on a mesoscale level (which uses a bead-bond breakage criterion so does not explicitly define which bond is broken), and the impact on the simulated stress–strain curves using mesoscale models.
Does poly-N-acetyl glucosamine patch use reduce arteriovenous fistula and graft failure rates in hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease?

Abstract Background Maintenance of functional vascular access is crucial for the delivery of hemodialysis. The SyvekPatch is a topical marine microalgal poly- N -acetyl glucosamine hemostat approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the local management of bleeding wounds, such as vascular site, percutaneous catheters or tubes, and surgical debridement. Methods The Preservation of Vascular Access Study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of patch use in reducing failure rates of arteriovenous fistulas or grafts. Data from medical records of patients who received hemodialysis from January 2001 to December 2005 at local ambulatory outpatient hemodialysis units in Charleston, South Carolina were analyzed. To explore whether greater use of the poly- N -acetyl glucosamine patch resulted in more favorable outcomes, patients were categorized into no patch use (n = 183) or 2 groups involving patch use, Results Three hundred thirty-five patients (54% women) with 178 fistulas (44%) and 227 grafts (56%) were included. The study population was predominantly African American (84%), with a median age of 58 years. The adjusted relative rate of access failure involving patch use in P = 0.045). Conclusions The Preservation of Vascular Access Study results are consistent with improved access survival with frequent patch use. The application of patch in this population is a simple, well-accepted intervention and warrants further investigation.
Separation Incidence of Protaper Rotary Instruments: A Large Cohort Clinical Evaluation

Separation is a potential risk when using any instrument in the root canal system. Presently, there are no large clinical studies investigating the separation incidence of the ProTaper rotary file system or the number of times a ProTaper rotary file can be safely used. The purpose of this study was to determine if the number of uses affects the separation incidence of ProTaper rotary instruments. 4652 consecutively treated root canals were performed in an endodontic group practice over a 17-month period. Both the separation incidence and the number of uses were tracked for each file. The overall rate of instrument fracture in this study was 2.4% with no significant differences over the first four uses. The results of this study indicate that ProTaper rotary files may be safely reused at least four times. The size of the rotary file, among other factors, will determine how many times a particular file should be used.
Subject's satisfaction with a task as a function of E's communication style and S's dependency.

80 Ss who scored as highly dependent or highly independent on the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule were matched with Es whose communications either encouraged or discouraged dependent statement...
An approximate dynamic programming approach for the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands

This paper examines approximate dynamic programming algorithms for the single-vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands from a dynamic or reoptimization perspective. The methods extend the rollout algorithm by implementing different base sequences (i.e. a priori solutions), look-ahead policies, and pruning schemes. The paper also considers computing the cost-to-go with Monte Carlo simulation in addition to direct approaches. The best new method found is a two-step lookahead rollout started with a stochastic base sequence. The routing cost is about 4.8% less than the one-step rollout algorithm started with a deterministic sequence. Results also show that Monte Carlo cost-to-go estimation reduces computation time 65% in large instances with little or no loss in solution quality. Moreover, the paper compares results to the perfect information case from solving exact a posteriori solutions for sampled vehicle routing problems. The confidence interval for the overall mean difference is (3.56%, 4.11%).
Lateral energy band engineering of Al 2 O 3 /III-nitride interfaces

In this work, we have used electrostatic engineering of the ALD dielectric/III-nitride interface to do lateral band engineering in a III-nitride HEMT. Due to challenges related to dopant activation and damage anneal, traditional ion implantation and diffusion techniques for lateral band engineering that are commonly used in other semiconductors, cannot be applied easily in the III-nitride system. We have developed an alternate method that uses surface fixed charges to engineer lateral energy band profiles, and used this to demonstrate an enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMT without any gate recess. Metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MISHEMTs) based on the III-Nitride system can efficiently suppress gate leakage enabling lower gate-channel spacing for high frequency transistors, and low off-state leakage for power switching devices. Conventional normally-off MISHEMTs require precise etching control for recess gate [1] or heavy p+ doping for the junction gate [2]. However, plasma etching may induce variation of electrical characteristics caused by surface damage while p-doping can cause hysteresis. In this work, we show a new technique to achieve normally off AlGaN/GaN transistors. Our method exploits the interface properties of dielectric/III-nitride, where a high density of fixed charges of the order of 1 μC/cm 2 can be formed the interface of atomic layer deposited (ALD) dielectrics on GaN and AlN[3-5]. In this work, we use the combination of oxygen plasma and post metallization anneal (PMA) treatments to engineer the Al 2 O 3 /AlGaN (AlN) interface fixed charges. Based on this technology, lateral energy band engineering by patterning ALD Al 2 O 3 is demonstrated. This technology provides a new approach to recess-free and doping-free normally-off MOSFETs /MISHEMTs.
Age Differences in Landing Phase Ankle Dynamics During a Balance-Restoring Step Response

Falls are a significant health concern among older adults. The rate of falls increases with age [1], and often leads to fall-related injuries such as fractures and head injuries. These lead to loss of independence, morbidity and fear of falling [2]. There are many strategies used to prevent falls, including those used to regain balance following a slip or trip. One such balance recovery maneuver is the step response, which involves respositioning the body’s base of support to recapture its moving center of mass [3]. Age-related performance declines in the step response may contribute to fall risk, especially during the step response landing phase where biomechanical strength requirements are largest [4]. Such age-related declines likely manifest themselves as alterations in lower extremity joint dynamics. While these effects are likely present in all lower extremity joints (hips, knees, and ankles), the purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate age effects in stepping leg ankle dynamics during a balance-restoring step response.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multispectral radiometer and camera for visible and near-IR applications

This paper discusses the design of a multispectral radiometer and camera implemented using a CCD imager, two Silicon photodiode radiometers and a rotating filter wheel equipped with six bandpass filters spaced throughout the visible and near-IR spectrum. One of the radiometers has a field-of-view matched to that of the camera to measure integrated scene radiance, whereas the other radiometer functions as a spot radiometer to measure small surface radiances. The system is synchronized with the 60 Hz camera video and transfers the 16-bit digitized data from the two radiometers once every video field through a parallel interface to a video data encoder. The encoder incorporates the data into the current video field for VCR recording and later playback and analysis. The system is designed for airborne use mounted underneath the wing of an aircraft. Its main purpose is to analyze the spectral radiances of various surfaces involved in high-speed videography experiments. The data obtained with the radiometer will be used to refine specifications for a high-speed, high-resolution solid state imager. However, applications extend to any field where fast, spectral measurements are required. A data set obtained for a sample application is presented to illustrate the performance of the system.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Differences between Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic patients with primary biliary cirrhosis in the United States

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an uncommon chronic cholestatic liver disease that primarily afflicts young and middle-aged Caucasian women; there are limited data on the clinical presentation and disease severity among non-Caucasian patients with this disease. The goal of this study was to examine differences in the severity of liver disease between Caucasian and non-Caucasian patients with PBC screened for enrollment in a large national multicenter clinical trial. Demographic features, symptoms, physical findings, and laboratory tests obtained during screening were examined in 535 patients with PBC with respect to ethnicity, gender, and antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) status; 73 of 535 (13.6%) were non-Caucasian (21 were African American, and 42 were Hispanic). Non-Caucasians were more likely than Caucasians to be ineligible for participation in the clinical trial (46.5% versus 25.1%, P = 0.0001), primarily because of greater disease severity. African Americans and Hispanics were also more likely to have a lower activity level, more severe pruritus, and more advanced disease. However, the mean age, male-to-female ratio, and seroprevalence of AMA positivity were similar between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Liver disease severity at clinical presentation is higher among non-Caucasians than Caucasians with PBC, and this cannot be explained by demographic or serologic features alone. Possible mechanisms underlying this health discrepancy are not clear, but increased awareness of PBC as a cause of chronic cholestatic liver disease is critical in evaluating non-Caucasian patients in the United States. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

PAH is a chronic disease requiring lifelong therapy, regardless of chosen treatment options. Nurses and other providers must allow for open, honest discussion on the risks and benefits of each therapy. Determining the best treatment option for patients requires consideration of the patient's overall function and social support. These patients benefit from comprehensive and collaborative support from facilities or centers trained in the management of the disease.
Quantized intrinsically localized modes of a 3D lattice

Intrinsically Localized Modes are anharmonic oscillations found in one-dimensional systems, and occur relatively infrequently in classical higher dimensional lattices. However, when ILMs appear in simulations of classical lattices, their energies are too high for them to be seen in thermal equilibrium. We investigate quantized ILMs in a three-dimensional lattice using the Ladder Approximation, and find that ILMs occur preferentially for centre of mass momenta at which the van-Hove singularities in the two-phonon density of states coalesce. For interactions larger than a critical value, the ILMs form above the top of the two-phonon continuum, but fall into the continuum as q is shifted away from the optimal value. This indicates that ILM excitations may be more ubiquitous in 3D lattices than previously expected. Furthermore, we find that the ILMs have intrinsic spins of either S = 0 or S = 2 and have internal structures associated with their spatial symmetry.
Who Needs Tablets? We Do

What role do tablets play increasingly in our daily lives? Is it possible that they could revolutionize the future of publishing and education?
Assessment of Subnetwork Detection Methods for Breast Cancer

Subnetwork detection is often used with differential expression analysis to identify modules or pathways associated with a disease or condition. Many computational methods are available for subnetwork analysis. Here, we compare the results of eight methods: simulated annealing–based jActiveModules, greedy search–based jActiveModules, DEGAS, BioNet, NetBox, ClustEx, OptDis, and NetWalker. These methods represent distinctly different computational strategies and are among the most widely used. Each of these methods was used to analyze gene expression data consisting of paired tumor and normal samples from 50 breast cancer patients. While the number of genes/proteins and protein interactions detected by the eight methods vary widely, a core set of 60 genes and 50 interactions was found to be shared by the subnetworks identified by five or more of the methods. Within the core set, 12 genes were found to be known breast cancer genes.
The effect of the U.S. welfare system on marital status.

Abstract An issue of long-standing importance in the U.S. welfare system has been its lack of neutrality with respect to family composition, which generally provides payments only to female-headed families — that is, families with no able-bodied male present. Using data from 1969 to 1985 to examine the issue, this study finds that (1) the simple cross-sectional correlations between marital status and welfare benefits are almost always in the expected direction but are generally weak in significance; (2) that the magnitude and significance of the correlations have nevertheless grown over time; and (3) that the correlations for men are no weaker and usually stronger, especially for blacks, than those for women.
Higher-order effects on Shapiro steps in Josephson junctions

We demonstrate that the well known phase-locking mechanism leading to Shapiro steps in ac-driven Josephson junctions is always accompanied by a higher-order phase-locking mechanism similar to that of the parametrically driven pendulum. This effect, resulting in a $\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic effective potential for the phase, manifests itself clearly in the parameter regions where the usual Shapiro steps are expected to vanish.
Research backs survey results: Achieving rapport is the key to getting mediation parties to reach a settlement

In the conclusion of his two-part article on mediators' view of their own successes, Stephen B. Goldberg, of Chicago, examines academic research that expands upon some of his survey impressions
Drug Prescribing in Hepatobiliary Disease

Liver disease in man is associated with a variety of pathophysiological processes which may influence the disposition of drugs in several ways. Interpretation of the observed pharmacokinetic changes in liver disease requires an understanding of the relationship between systemic drug clearance (Cls), volume of distribution (Vd)and the elimination half-life [t1/2(β)], i.e. t1/2(β) = 0.693· Vd/Cls.Half-life will be a measure of the fluctuation in drug level one may expect with continued administration of a drug while clearance will determine the dose required to achieve a particular steady state level. Liver disease may affect clearance and volume of distribution and so produce changes in half-life; in addition, alterations in plasma binding of drugs may occur and so influence free (unbound) drug levels. It is also possible that the end organ response, particularly in the case of sedative drugs, may be affected by liver disease.
Calibration Point for Liquid Secondary Ion MassSpectrometry Tandem Mass Spectra Measuredwith an EBqQ Hybrid Mass Spectrometer

A protocol for establishing standard instrument conditions for the measurement of product ion tandem mass spectra from parent ions generated by liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) is presented. The ion at m/z 319 (C + ) from 2-butyltriphenylphosphonium bromide is selected as the parent ion and then is subjected to collision-induced dissociation. The relative abundances of product ions at m/z 263 and 183 are monitored as a function of collision energy while keeping the target gas pressure constant. The collision energy at which these two most abundant product ions are equal is defined as the calibration point at that collision gas pressure. LSIMS tandem mass spectra acquired at the calibration point show good reproducibility for several model compounds. Spectra obtained at the calibration point at two different collision gas pressures, representing multiple and single collision conditions, also show a high degree of similarity. Use of this protocol may aid in the establishment of a tandem mass spectral library.
American parents’ willingness to prescribe psychoactive drugs to children: a test of cultural mediators

Purpose In the USA, white children receive psychoactive drugs more often than black or Hispanic children. This study investigates whether cultural attitudes statistically mediate differences between American parents’ self-identified racial–ethnic group membership and their willingness to medicate children for behavioral problems.
The SET-domain protein SUVR5 mediates H3K9me2 deposition and silencing at stimulus response genes in a DNA methylation-independent manner.

In eukaryotic cells, environmental and developmental signals alter chromatin structure and modulate gene expression. Heterochromatin constitutes the transcriptionally inactive state of the genome and in plants and mammals is generally characterized by DNA methylation and histone modifications such as histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, DNA methylation and H3K9 methylation are usually colocated and set up a mutually self-reinforcing and stable state. Here, in contrast, we found that SUVR5, a plant Su(var)3–9 homolog with a SET histone methyltransferase domain, mediates H3K9me2 deposition and regulates gene expression in a DNA methylation–independent manner. SUVR5 binds DNA through its zinc fingers and represses the expression of a subset of stimulus response genes. This represents a novel mechanism for plants to regulate their chromatin and transcriptional state, which may allow for the adaptability and modulation necessary to rapidly respond to extracellular cues.
A systematic study of thermal noise limited stability of rigid Fabry-Perot cavities

We measure the frequency fluctuations induced by thermal noise driven length fluctuations in a variety of rigid Fabry-Perot cavities. The results are in basic agreement with theoretical predictions [1].
Integrated Software Platform for Fleet Data Analysis, Enhanced Diagnostics, and Safe Transition to Prognostics for Helicopter Component CBM

Although typical Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) intend to support a transition from scheduled part replacements to performing maintenance upon evidence of need, they generally exhibit a limited ability to diagnose component faults early and accurately in complex systems such as a helicopter drive train. Consequently, the traditional approach to implementing Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) programs is slow, requires substantial amounts of human supervision (including case-by-case data analysis and results verification), and ultimately shuns prognostic activities. Causes of these limitations, which ultimately lead to an underrepresentation of prognostics in fielded CBM systems, include: (i) the sensitivity of sensors and condition indicators to signal noise and operating modes; (ii) use of empirical condition indicators not fully understood at the fleet-wide level; (iii) uncertainty in damage progression tracking; (iv) the inherent risk of condition prognosis; and (v) the lack diagnostic and prognostic validation with known fault cases. To improve the performance of CBM systems and facilitate transition from scheduled maintenance to reliable implementation of diagnostics and prognostics, a team of developers from Impact Technologies, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology, with support from the U.S. Army have been working over the past 21⁄2 years to develop a methodology that is capable of addressing the challenges listed. This work has been a part of the Air Vehicle Diagnostics and Prognostics Improvement Program (A VDPIP), a collaborative agreement to develop, test and evaluate modular software components that provide enhancements to diagnostic systems already in service, as well as add failure prognosis capabilities for critical Army aircraft components. This paper presents the integrated diagnostic enhancement and prognostic architecture, as well as the software suite developed under the collaborative program, and discusses how a hybrid and systematic approach to sensing, data processing, fault feature extraction, fault diagnosis, and parallel health- based and usage-based failure prognosis can be used to improve the performance of a wide variety of HUMS and CBM activities in support of implementing prognostics. The software architecture contains generic components and algorithms building on model based and data driven methodologies that are applicable to a variety of critical components in complex systems such as those found in a helicopter drive train
Information structure and syntactic structure

This article explores the interface between syntactic structure and information structure – in particular, the broad generalizations that can be made between certain noncanonical word orders and information-structural constraints on their use. Various ways of implementing the distinction between ‘given’ and ‘new’ information are described, and several classes of word orders (such as preposings, postposings, argument reversals, and clefts) are discussed in terms of the information-status constraints to which they are sensitive. It is argued that classes of related word orders share related constraints but that – both cross-linguistically and within a single language – there are also construction-specific constraints on the correlation between word order and information status.
Adsorption study of CO2, CH4, N2, and H2O on an interwoven copper carboxylate metal-organic framework (MOF-14).

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are attractive microporous materials for adsorption separations due to their extraordinary structures and impressive high surface areas. Catenation, or framework interpenetration, can significantly impact the crystal stability and improve the adsorption interactions. This interesting approach was used to obtain {[Cu 3 (BTB) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ]⋅(DMF) 9 (H 2 O) 2 } (MOF-14) as a microporous material with a high surface area and large pore volume, which are desirable parameters for adsorption applications. Here, we report a detailed study of this catenated material with its gas adsorption properties. The potential for adsorption separations is evaluated by measuring pure-component adsorption isotherms for carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen. The Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) was used to evaluate adsorption selectivities of MOF-14 for CO 2 /CH 4 and CO 2 /N 2 equimolar mixtures. In addition, water adsorption and the impact of exposure on structural degradation are reported. Compared to other open-metal site MOFs, MOF-14 adsorbs significantly less water. This interwoven MOF is a promising competitor to other MOF materials in the gas separation field due to low interactions with water and high selectivity for CO 2 over N 2 .
DiSK: A distributed shared disk cache for HPC environments

Data movement within high performance environments can be a large bottleneck to the overall performance of programs. With the addition of continuous storage and usage of older data, the back end storage is becoming a larger problem than the improving network and computational nodes. This has led us to develop a Distributed Shared Disk Cache, DiSK, to reduce the dependence on these back end storage systems. With DiSK requested files will be distributed across nodes in order to reduce the amount of requests directed to the archives. DiSK has two key components. One is a Distributed Metadata Management, DIMM, scheme that allows a centralized manager to access what data is available in the system. This is accomplished through the use of a counter-based bloomfilter with locality checks in order to reduce false positives and false negatives. The second component is a method of replication called Differentiable Replication, DiR. The novelty of DiR is that the requirements of the files and capabilities of underlying nodes are taken into consideration for replication. This allows for a varying degree of replication depending on the file. This customization of DiSK yields better performance than the conventional archive system.
Genetic structure of five susceptibility gene regions for coronary artery disease: disequilibria within and among regions

We analyzed two-locus disequilibria for 16 polymorphic loci of seven susceptibility genes for coro- nary artery disease located in five chromosomal regions distributed across four chromosomes. Included were the genes coding for apolipoprotein B (ApoB, chromosome 2, four marker loci), lipoprotein lipase ( LPL, chromosome 8, three marker loci), apolipoproteins AI, CIII, AIV ( Apo- AI-CIII-AIV, chromosome 11, three marker loci), apolipoprotein E (ApoE, chromosome 19, two marker lo- ci), and the low density lipoprotein receptor ( LDLR, chro- mosome 19, four marker loci). Our sample included 540 unrelated individuals from the Rochester, Minn. popula- tion. There were no statistically significant deviations of single-locus genotypes from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The strongest associations within genes were for compos- ite diallelic disequilibria; 17/19 were significant (13 at Pr <0.001, 1 at Pr <0.01, 3 at Pr <0.05). These observations suggest marker alleles within genes have a shared evolu- tionary history reflected by disequilibria that have not been dissipated by recombination. Disequilibrium was not generally concordant with the physical orderings of mark- ers. Only two significant higher-order disequilibria were observed although 12 triallelic disequilibria were at maxi- mum possible values. We observed 19 statistically signifi- cant disequilibria (Pr <0.05; 4 composite diallelic, 13 tri- allelic, and 2 quadriallelic) between 101 pairs of marker loci, where each locus in a pair was from a different un- linked region. These unexpected results are most likely ex- plained by recent historical factors, including worldwide population expansion and amalgamation with continuous admixture, that influence the genetic structure (organiza- tion of alleles and non-alleles into genotypes) of a popula- tion. We conclude that disequilibria between loci from un- linked regions may be more extensive than is commonly assumed. Our findings also suggest that it is, on average, at least 15 times more likely to not detect significant dise- quilibrium among unlinked loci when it is really present than to make a false positive inference. Disequilibria be- tween functional loci within or between regions will im- pact estimates of genetic variance associated with particu- lar functional mutations within a susceptibility gene region.
An Active Compensator Scheme for Dynamic Voltage Scaling of Voltage Regulators

Dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) technique is a common industry practice in optimizing power consumption of microprocessors by dynamically altering the supply voltage under different operational modes, while maintaining the performance requirements. During DVS operation, it is desirable to position the output voltage to a new level commanded by the microprocessor (CPU) with minimum delay. However, voltage deviation and slow settling time usually exist due to large output capacitance and compensation delay in voltage regulators. Although optimal DVS can be achieved by modifying the output capacitance and compensation, this method is limited by constraints from stringent static and dynamic requirements. In this paper, the effects of output capacitance and compensation network on DVS operation are discussed in detail. An active compensator scheme is then proposed to ensure smooth transition of the output voltage without change of power stage and compensation during DVS. Simulation and experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Voltage gating of ion channels.

Voltage-gated ion channels are membrane proteins that play a central role in the propagation and transduction of cellular signals (Hille, 1992). Calcium ions entering cells through voltage-gated calcium channels serve as the trigger for neurotransmitter release, muscle contraction, and the release of hormones. Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate the nerve action potential and provide for its rapid propagation because the ion fluxes through these channels regeneratively cause more channels to open.
Virtual radar approach to event localization in sensor networks

In this paper, we propose an alternative approach, which enables drastic simplification of sensor node functionality, by moving the complexity to a special collector node. The collector node collects multiple snapshots of the activity in the sensor field, and initiates collection at every snapshot by sending a beacon to the sensor nodes. The collector node uses the received signal over multiple snapshots to obtain an "image" of the activity in the sensor field. Nodes that hear this beacon and have activity to report, respond, timing their response with a "starts transmission sequence" in the beacon, thus creating a radar-like geometry. This virtual radar paradigm, therefore approaches event localization in sensor networks.
Instability in parallel I/O systems

The performance of a shared-disk parallel I/O system with several concurrent processes is studied. It is observed that under some naturally occurring conditions such a system can exhibit instability, with a subset of the processes racing ahead of the others and monopolizing I/O resources. This race can lead to serialization of the processes and poor disk utilization. The study has implications for both data placement in multiple disk systems and task partitioning for parallel processing.
Effect of plantar intrinsic muscle training on medial longitudinal arch morphology and dynamic function

A specific training program emphasizing the neuromuscular recruitment of the plantar intrinsic foot muscles, colloquially referred to as “short foot” exercise (SFE) training, has been suggested as a means to dynamically support the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) during functional tasks. A single-group repeated measures pre- and post-intervention study design was utilized to determine if a 4-week intrinsic foot muscle training program would impact the amount of navicular drop (ND), increase the arch height index (AHI), improve performance during a unilateral functional reaching maneuver, or the qualitative assessment of the ability to hold the arch position in single limb stance position in an asymptomatic cohort. 21 asymptomatic subjects (42 feet) completed the 4-week SFE training program. Subject ND decreased by a mean of 1.8 mm at 4 weeks and 2.2 mm at 8 weeks (p < 0.05). AHI increased from 28 to 29% (p < 0.05). Intrinsic foot muscle performance during a static unilateral balancing activity improved from a grade of fair to good (p < 0.001) and subjects experienced a significant improvement during a functional balance and reach task in all directions with the exception of an anterior reach (p < 0.05). This study offers preliminary evidence to suggest that SFE training may have value in statically and dynamically supporting the MLA. Further research regarding the value of this exercise intervention in foot posture type or pathology specific patient populations is warranted.
Effects of processing parameters on the levitation force of melt-processed YBa2Cu3Ox

Melt processing of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} (Y-123) with a NdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}}-123 single-crystal seed has been used to grow large single-grain Y-123 samples. Processing parameters have been varied to observe the resulting differences in the levitation force of the samples. Increased hold time above the peritectic temperature and increased undercooling temperature have been observed to be beneficial in enhancing the levitation force of the samples. The levitation force measurements have been correlated with magnetization measurements on the crushed domains.
Reproductive biology of the coyote (Canis latrans): integration of mating behavior, reproductive hormones, and vaginal cytology

The reproductive biology of wild Canis species is often described as unique among mammals because an unusual combination of behavioral and physiological characteristics including a seasonally monestrous cycle, copulatory lock or tie, obligatory pseudopregnancy, social monogamy, and biparental care of the young. We investigated social behavior, endocrine profiles, and vaginal cytology of female coyotes (Canis latrans) during 4 breeding seasons, 2000-2003. Blood levels of estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and relaxin were measured, and mating behavior and changes in vaginal epithelium were documented. After aligning the data from each individual to her estimated day of ovulation, we compared pregnant coyotes with nonpregnant females and evaluated temporal relationships among hormone levels, behavior, and vaginal cytology. We found that patterns of proceptive and receptive behaviors correlated with the secretion of steroid hormones, as did vaginal epithelial cytomorphosis. In addition, although progesterone levels of pregnant and pseudopregnant coyotes were indistinguishable, prolactin demonstrated a discernible intergroup difference and relaxin was only detectable in pregnant females. Although this study included characteristics not previously published for this species, it also showed how key aspects of reproduction were correlated temporally, and emphasized the importance of an integrated perspective when addressing the reproductive biology of coyotes, or other wild species of canids.
Depositional remanent magnetization: Toward an improved theoretical and experimental foundation

The first theoretical predictions for the behavior of magnetic particles in water were that sedimentary magnetizations would be fully aligned with the ambient field, yet redeposition experiments showed a strong (and quasi-linear) dependence on the external field. This empirically observed linearity has served as the fundamental assumption of sedimentary paleointensity studies for decades. We present redeposition experiments which suggest instead that the relationship between depositional remanence (DRM) and applied field may frequently be curved for magnetic fields in the range of the Earth's. Numerical simulations using a flocculation model can explain the redeposition data and suggest that DRM will be significantly non-linear when the flocs are small (several microns). There is a strong dependence of floc size on salinity particularly in low salinity environments. Floc size has a profound influence on the efficiency of DRM, hence low salinity environment may give results with poor reproducibility. The size of the floc in which magnetic particles are embedded is not accounted for in current methods of normalization, yet is the most important parameter. On the bright side, however, it now seems possible to quantitatively explain paleointensity in sedimentary systems opening the door to absolute paleointensity estimates from sediments whose key parameters of floc size distribution and settling times can be constrained.
Tensile Creep of Melt-Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composites with Unbalanced Sylramic-iBN Fiber Architectures

The in-plane creep–rupture behavior at 1315°C was measured in air for melt-infiltrated SiC/SiC composite panels reinforced by Sylramic-iBN SiC fibers with unbalanced three dimensional (3D)-woven and 2D-braided fiber architectures that displayed a high stress for the onset of through-thickness matrix cracking at room temperature. It was found that a significant improvement in the creep–rupture behavior at 1315°C was observed, if the primary fiber direction was aligned with the direction of stress. Optical microscopy was used to examine postcreep microstructures in order to determine the extent of matrix cracking, and long-time rupture stress and strain conditions were identified for the different architectures.
Human factors in mission assurance

Space projects rely completely on people for development and implementation - but project-related risk list rarely include human factors as significant sources of risk. The paper notes mitigation techniques for risks associated with the human factors - readers are encouraged to come up with as many mitigation strategies as possible, and share them with each other.