cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional correlates of allelopathic potential in a successional plant community

Allelopathy, plant–plant interactions mediated through chemical production, is an active area of ecological research. Despite this widespread interest, we still lack community scale information on the prevalence of this interaction and the types of species that may be expected to be allelopathic. To address this research need, the allelopathic potential of 65 plant species from all stages of succession in the Piedmont region of New Jersey, USA, was determined with laboratory bioassays. The strength of each species’ allelopathic activity was then related to life form, origin, and fundamental plant traits. The vast majority of species tested exhibited significant allelopathic effects in the bioassays, with many of these having fairly strong effects. Overall, the allelopathic potential of species decreased with life span, roughly following the successional transitions from short-lived to long-lived herbs and to woody species. Herbaceous species on average were more allelopathic than woody species, but there was no difference between native and non-native species once life form was accounted for. In a principal components analysis, allelopathy was associated with other plant traits, but these relationships differed between woody and herbaceous species. Allelopathic potential was positively associated with plant height in herbaceous species, but negatively associated with height, leaf mass, and seed mass in woody species. These results indicate that allelopathy may be a quite common ecological strategy in plants and is equally common in both native and non-native species. The linkage of allelopathy with other plant functional traits suggests that allelopathy can and should be integrated into the broader suite of plant strategies that are studied.
Modulation of human neuroblastoma transplanted into nude mice by endogenous opioid systems

The role of endogenous opioid systems (endogenous opioids and opioid receptors) in human cancer was explored using an opioid antagonist paradigm and neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-MC) transplanted into nude mice. Mice inoculated with 2.5 × 106 neuroblastoma cells received daily injections of either 0.1 or 10 mg/kg naltrexone (=0.1 and 10 NTX groups) which blocked the opioid receptor for 6–8 hr/day or the entire 24 hr/day, respectively, or sterile water. The latency for appearance of a measurable tumor (5 mm diameter) in the 0.1 NTX group was 27% longer than controls (11 days), and the first death in this group occurred 33% later than controls (day 27). Mice inoculated with tumor cells in the 10 NTX group had an acceleration (18%) in the latency of tumor appearance and, 2 weeks after cell inoculation, 70% of the mice in this group had tumors, in contrast to 10% of the controls. At the termination of the experiment (day 45), only 33% of the 10 NTX group were alive, in contrast to 90% of the controls. Receptor binding assays using DAGO, DADLE, or EKC revealed specific saturable binding only for DADLE and EKC. NTX administration resulted in a 148–186% increase in density for both binding sites, but no changes in binding affinity. Measures of opioid levels showed that tumor tissue levels of both β-endorphin and methionine-enkephalin were elevated 2.5 to 6.5 fold from control values in both NTX groups, whereas plasma β-endorphin was subnormal by 4 to 6 fold. These results indicate that endogenous opioid systems regulate human neurooncogenesis, with opioids being active inhibitors of growth. Opioid antagonists up-regulate receptors and increase tissue levels of endogenous opioids and, under conditions in which the opioid antagonist is short-acting (e.g., 0.1 NTX), can have an exaggerated antitumor effect during the interval when the antagonist is no longer present.
Conditional homodyne detection of light with squeezed quadrature fluctuations

We discuss the detection of field quadrature fluctuations in conditional homodyne detection experiments and possible sources of error in such an experiment. We also present modifications to these experiments to help eliminate such errors and extend their range of applicability.
Probability Of Data Error In Holographic Storage In Electro-Optic Crystals

Evaluation of the probability of error in detecting the state of a binary bit in a data page reconstruction is reported. Experiments are described that determine the effect on the probability of error of rotating the reading beam about the Braga angle. This effect is examined for volume Fourier transform holograms in iron-doped lithium niobate. Results are presented for three different diffraction efficiencies, for the incoherent superposition of hologram pairs with three different angular separations and for Fourier transform holograms with three different displacements of the electro-optic crystal from the transform plane.
Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia and Description of New England

(2004). Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia and Description of New England. The Explicator: Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 80-83.
MIMO Systems With Quantized Covariance Feedback

A unified approach is developed for the study of multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) systems under fast fading with quantized covariance feedback. In such systems, the receiver computes, using perfect channel state information (CSI), the covariance matrices to be adopted by the transmitter corresponding to the current channel realization, and feeds back a quantized version of this information to the transmitter using finite, say Nf, bits per channel realization. Our analysis is based on a geometric framework we developed in a companion paper for manifolds of positive semi-definite (covariance) matrices with various trace and rank constraints. That analysis applies to MIMO systems in a unified manner to optimal as well as various suboptimal precoding methods for obtaining input covariances. These include, for example, the capacity achieving spatio-temporal water-filling strategy, the incorporation of just spatial water-filling and reduced-rank beamforming with power allocation in both cases, as well as MIMO systems with antenna selection. For a given system strategy, including the one that achieves capacity, the gap between the communication rates in the perfect and quantized covariance cases is shown to be O(2-Nf/N), where N is the dimension of the particular Pn manifold used for quantization. This dimension depends on the precoding strategy adopted and strongly determines how quickly the communication rate with quantized covariance feedback approaches that with perfect CSI at the transmitter (CSIT). Our results show how the choice of covariance quantization manifold can be tailored to the available feedback rate in MIMO system design.
Antisense RNA Controls LRP1 Sense Transcript Expression through Interaction with a Chromatin-Associated Protein, HMGB2

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including natural antisense transcripts (NATs), are expressed more extensively than previously anticipated and have widespread roles in regulating gene expression. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of action of the majority of NATs remain largely unknown. Here, we identify a NAT of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (Lrp1), referred to as Lrp1-AS, that negatively regulates Lrp1 expression. We show that Lrp1-AS directly binds to high-mobility group box 2 (Hmgb2) and inhibits the activity of Hmgb2 to enhance Srebp1a-dependent transcription of Lrp1. Short oligonucleotides targeting Lrp1-AS inhibit the interaction of antisense transcript and Hmgb2 protein and increase Lrp1 expression by enhancing Hmgb2 activity. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's disease patients and aged-matched controls revealed upregulation of LRP1-AS and downregulation of LRP1. Our data suggest a regulatory mechanism whereby a NAT interacts with a ubiquitous chromatin-associated protein to modulate its activity in a locus-specific fashion.
Kummer′s Criterion over Global Function Fields

Abstract Let k be a global function field over the field F q where q = p m and let ∞ be a fixed prime of k which we assume to have degree 1. We let A be the ring of functions holomorphic outside of ∞ and we let ℘ be a prime of A . Hayes has associated to { A , ℘} a finite abelian extension k (℘) of k which is analogous to the classical cyclotomic extension Q (ζ p ), where ζ p is a primitive p th root of unity. In this paper we define a certain set { B i } of A -fractional ideals of k (i.e., a set of finite divisors), and we establish an analog of Kummer′s Theorem for { k (℘), B i }.
Abnormal grain growth in TD-nickel

Characteristics of the coarse grain transformation occurring in TD-nickel 1 in. bar under certain conditions of deformation and annealing were examined. The transformation exhibits Avrami-type kinetics, with an activation energy of 250 kcal per mole. Characteristics of untransformed regions are like those of the as-received state. The transformed grain size increases with increasing deformation and decreasing annealing temperature. Transformed grains have a {7, 5, 15} 〈•5, •1•4, 7〉 annealing texture. The coarse grain transformation is significantly different from primary recrystallization in pure nickel. Its characteristics cannot be rationalized in terms of primary recrystallization concepts, but may be explained in terms of an abnormal grain growth description. This provides support for the suggestion, deduced from the previous electron microscopy investigation, that the coarse grain transformation in TD-nickel is abnormal grain growth rather than primary recrystallization. The analysis suggests an explanation for the effect of “thermomechanical history” on the deformation and annealing behavior of TD-nickel.
Enhanced detection of atmospheric-turbulence-distorted 1-μm coherent lidar returns using a two-dimensional heterodyne detector array

We have employed a two-dimensional multielement heterodyne detector array and demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, the enhanced detection efficiency of atmospheric-turbulence-distorted 1-μm coherent lidar returns. The heterodyne lidar signal intensity and statistical signal fluctuation were measured for both a 2 × 2 detector array and a single detector as a function of the atmospheric turbulence parameter Cn2. The detector array improved the lidar detection efficiency by a factor of approximately 4, and the statistical signal distribution changed from Rayleigh to Gaussian. This improvement is shown to be consistent with a first-order analysis.
Gating rearrangements in cyclic nucleotide-gated channels revealed by patch-clamp fluorometry.

Abstract Site-specific fluorescence recordings have shown great promise in understanding conformational changes in signaling proteins. The reported applications on ion channels have been limited to extracellular sites in whole oocyte preparations. We are now able to directly monitor gating movements of the intracellular domains of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels using simultaneous site-specific fluorescence recording and patch-clamp current recording from inside-out patches. Fluorescence signals were reliably observed when fluorophore was covalently attached to a site between the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain and the pore. While iodide, an anionic quencher, has a higher quenching efficiency in the channel's closed state, thallium ion, a cationic quencher, has a higher quenching efficiency in the open state. The state and charge dependence of quenching suggests movements of charged or dipolar residues near the fluorophore during CNG channel activation.
On economic dispatch with units being shut down

The conventional economic dispatch (ED) model does not consider the case that some units are allowed to be shut down. To take this case into account, in this paper, a new ED model is proposed. The new model is based on a simple but fundamental theory. Its proof is presented first, followed by the test case of a large-scale system. The new model successfully converges at the solutions in which the shut-down units are identified.
Pet dogs as attachment figures

Four samples of college students (N = 923) were used to address the extent to which pet dogs, relative to humans, exhibited features of an attachment figure and to identify characteristics of persons with strong attachments to their pet dogs. Dogs exhibited the feature of proximity maintenance as well as fathers and siblings did, and secure basis and proximity maintenance were their most salient features. Differences in the closeness of relationships with dogs versus humans were minimal for students with high levels of attachment to their dogs. Attachment was positively linked to involvement in the care for the dog, the extent to which the dog met needs regarding relatedness, owner traits of openness, and dog traits of energy and intelligence.
DNA methylation and differentiation: HOX genes in muscle cells

Background Tight regulation of homeobox genes is essential for vertebrate development. In a study of genome-wide differential methylation, we recently found that homeobox genes, including those in the HOX gene clusters, were highly overrepresented among the genes with hypermethylation in the skeletal muscle lineage. Methylation was analyzed by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) of postnatal myoblasts, myotubes and adult skeletal muscle tissue and 30 types of non-muscle-cell cultures or tissues.
The Puzzle of Imaginative Desire

The puzzle of imaginative desire arises from the difficulty of accounting for the surprising behaviour of desire in imaginative activities such as our engagement with fiction and our games of pretend. Several philosophers have recently attempted to solve this puzzle by introducing a class of novel mental states—what they call desire-like imaginings or i-desires. In this paper, I argue that we should reject the i-desire solution to the puzzle of imaginative desire. The introduction of i-desires is both ontologically profligate and unnecessary, and, most importantly, fails to make sense of what we are doing in the imaginative contexts in question.
Ethnic Self-labeling in Young American Adults from Chinese Backgrounds

Self-reported ethnic labels were examined among 242 young American adults with Chinese ancestry (age range = 18–32 years, M = 23.97; 73% female, 27% male). Ethnic labels fell under broad categories whereby 22% reported heritage national labels (e.g., Chinese), 35% added American to their heritage national label (e.g., Chinese American), and 42% reported panethnic-American labels (e.g., Asian American). Logistic regressions revealed that generation and ethnic exploration significantly predicted the odds of choosing heritage national and heritage national-American labels. Ethnic label choice was not associated with average differences in the ethnic diversity of youths’ community or peer group, or with heritage language proficiency. However, label choice was associated with generation, ethnic identity, and English proficiency. Ethnic labels also were linked to self-esteem and positive relationships with Asian peers, with most optimal outcomes reported by youth who chose heritage national-American labels.
Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa

Abstract A spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter's moon Europa can use ice penetrating radar to probe for a possible liquid water ocean beneath Europa's surface ice and to characterize other important subsurface structure. Consideration of available constraints on the properties of Europa's ice, possible subsurface temperature gradients, and possible impurities in the ice places an upper limit of about 10 km on the depth to which an ocean might be detectable with an orbiting radar.
A salvo model of warships in missile combat used to evaluate their staying power

A methodology is introduced with which to compare the military worth of warship capabilities. It is based on a simple salvo model for exploratory analysis of modern combat characteristics. The “fractional exchange ratio” is suggested as a robust way to compare equal-cost configurations of naval forces, because we cannot know in advance how and where the warships will fight. To aid in exposition, definitions of all terms are included in Appendix A. The methodology is illustrated with important conclusions from parametric analysis, among which are 1 Unstable circumstances arise as the combat power of the forces grows relative to their survivability. (Stable means the persistence of victory by the side with the greater combat potential.) 2 Weak staying power is likely to be the root cause when instability is observed. 3 Staying power is the ship design element least affected by the particulars of a battle, including poor tactics. 4 Numerical superiority is the force attribute that is consistently most advantageous. For example, if A's unit striking power, staying power, and defensive power are all twice that of B, nevertheless B will achieve parity of outcome if it has twice as many units as A. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.1
Properties of atoms in molecules from valence-electron densities augmented with core-electron contributions

Abstract Augmentation of valence-electron densities produced by quantum-chemical calculations involving effective core potentials with transferable, spherically symmetrical core-electron contributions yields accurate approximations to electron densities in molecules. The core-electron contributions, which can be retrieved from Hartree-Fock electronic wavefunctions of isolated atoms, are conveniently represented by sums of s-type Gaussian functions. When used in conjunction with the quantum-mechanical theory of atoms in molecules (AIMs), the augmented valence-electron densities afford atomic charges and multipole moments, together with the valence-electron components of atomic kinetic energies. Test calculations on the TiCl 4 molecule demonstrate the excellent performance of the new method.
Controlled animation of video sprites

We introduce a new optimization algorithm for video sprites to animate realistic-looking characters. Video sprites are animations created by rearranging recorded video frames of a moving object. Our new technique to find good frame arrangements is based on repeated partial replacements of the sequence. It allows the user to specify animations using a flexible cost function. We also show a fast technique to compute video sprite transitions and a simple algorithm to correct for perspective effects of the input footage. We use our techniques to create character animations of animals, which are difficult both to train in the real world and to animate as 3D models.
High-resolution multiphoton ionization and dissociation of H 2 and D 2 molecules in intense laser fields

We report on the multiphoton ionization and dissociation of hydrogen and deuterium molecules in intense (8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{11--}$4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{13}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) laser fields. The investigations were performed with the second harmonics of two different laser systems, a 50-ps neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride and a 10-ns neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Measurements included energy-resolved photoelectron and mass spectroscopy. In addition, we report on a measurement of the dynamics of different above-threshold dissociation branching ratios for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}^{+}$ over a wide range of laser intensities. Our results support the dressed-molecule picture at least qualitatively, but differences do exist with the quantitative predictions.
Internal Derivatization of Oligonucleotides with Selenium for X-ray Crystallography Using MAD

We have developed a route for the synthesis of 2'-selenium uridine analogues and oligonucleotides containing selenium labels, and have demonstrated for the first time a new strategy to covalently derivatize nucleotides with selenium for phase and structure determination in X-ray crystallography.
Cardiac Myocyte Membrane Wounding in the Abruptly Pressure-Overloaded Rat Heart Under High Wall Stress

Abstract The potential role of transient sarcolemmal membrane wounding as a signal transduction event for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was evaluated in rats with short-term pressure overload caused by banding of the proximal aorta. This procedure resulted in significant increases in left ventricular systolic (1.5-fold) and end-diastolic (2.6-fold) pressures and wall stresses that were associated with significant wall thinning and cavitary enlargement. Quantitative image analysis of frozen sections of the stressed ventricles obtained 60 minutes after banding demonstrated a 6- to 10-fold increase in cytosolic staining with a horseradish peroxidase–labeled anti-albumin antibody compared with sham-operated controls, indicating that an increase in transient sarcolemmal membrane permeability (wounding) is an early response to an abrupt increase in hemodynamic load in vivo. We conclude that an intense hemodynamic stress in vivo can result in histologically detectable cardiomyocyte wounding.
Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of Bacillus subtilis xylanase C

The recent biochemical characterization of the xylanases of glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH 5) has identified a distinctive endo mode of action, hydrolyzing the β-1,4 xylan chain at a specific site directed by the position of an α-1,2-linked glucuronate moiety. Xylanase C (XynC), the GH 5 xylanase from Bacillus subtilis 168, has been cloned, overexpressed and crystallized. Initial data collection was performed and a preliminary model has been built into a low-quality 2.7 A resolution density map. The crystals belonged to the primitive monoclinic space group P21. Further screening identified an additive that resulted in large reproducible crystals. This larger more robust crystal form belonged to space group P21212 and a resulting data set has been processed to 1.64 A resolution. This will be the second structure to be solved from this unique xylanase family and the first from a Gram-positive bacterium. This work may help to identify the structural determinants that allow the exceptional specificity of this enzyme and the role it plays in the biological depolymerization and processing of glucuronoxylan.
Fall Days of the SNC Meteorites: Evidence for an SNC Meteoroid Stream, and a Common Site of Origin

Four of the SNC meteorites of putative Martian origin are falls. Two of these fell on October 3: Chassigny in 1815 and Zagami in 1962. The probability of this coincidence arising from random fall days is approximately 1 in 60. If this coincidence is not the result of chance, it suggests that some of the SNC meteorites are derived from a meteoroid stream. In that Chassigny and Zagami span nearly the full range of SNC lithologies and histories, the coincidence of fall days is consistent with suggestions that all of the SNCs came from a single site (impact crater) on their parent planet.
If There Were No Numbers, What Would You Think?

Hartry Field has argued that mathematical realism is epistemologically problematic, because the realist is unable to explain the supposed reliability of our mathematical beliefs. In some of his discussions of this point, Field backs up his argument by saying that our purely mathematical beliefs do not ‘counterfactually depend on the facts’. I argue that counterfactual dependence is irrelevant in this context; it does nothing to bolster Field's argument.
In vivo effect of protease inhibitors in denervation atrophy.

The protease inhibitors leupeptin and pepstatin were used in vivo to examine their effect on denervation-induced atrophy in chicken pectoralis muscle. Comparison of muscle weights, fiber diameters, and light meromyosin paracrystals in treated versus untreated animals indicated that these inhibitors had a significant effect in delaying denervation atrophy. The studies suggest that protease inhibitors may have potential therapeutic capability in a variety of neuromuscular degenerative disorders.
Heat treatment of investment cast PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel: Part II. Isothermal aging kinetics

The hardening response of investment cast PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel has been evaluated by hardness measurements following aging in the temperature range normally specified for this alloy (510 °C to 593 °C). A new relationship between fraction transformed and hardness was developed, and analysis of the data in terms of the kinetics of precipitation, in a manner similar to that frequently applied to other precipitation-hardenable martensitic steels, yielded low time exponents and a low value for the apparent activation energy. The values of the time exponents were 0.49, 0.37, 0.56, and 0.53 at 510 °C, 538 °C, 566 °C, and 593 °C, respectively, and that for the apparent activation energy was 139 kJ/mole. As has been proposed for other maraging type steels, these estimates suggest thatΒ-NiAl precipitates along or near dislocations and that growth of the precipitates is dominated by dislocation pipe diffusion. However, these predictions were neither supported nor refuted by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) because of difficulties in imaging theΒ-NiAl precipitates at the aging times and temperatures used. Further, analysis of the data using the formalism of Wert and Zener for the growth of precipitates with interfering diffusion fields indicated that the estimates of fraction transformed from hardness data are not fully appropriate for maraging type steels. Consideration of the nature of the Avrami analysis and the electron microscopy results suggests that other phenomena, including dislocation recovery and reversion of martensite to austenite, occur at rates sufficient to convolute the Avrami analysis. It is further suggested that these results cast doubt on the fundamental implications of previous analyses of precipitation kinetics in age-hardening martensitic steels. Although the Avrami analysis was found not to provide a tenable description of the precipitation kinetics, it does provide a reasonable methodology for portrayal of the hardening response of PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel.
An Empirical Examination of Social Power in Terms of Decision Theory.

The paper presents an extension of decision theory to the analysis of social power. The power of a person, A, over another person, B, is viewed in terms of the effect A has on B's decision. The analysis is based on the idea that B's decision regarding the performance of alternative behaviors is a function of 1) B's utility for the consequences of the behaviors and 2) B's subjective probabilities that the behaviors will lead to these consequences. In these terms, A's power over B lies in A's ability to mediate various consequences for B, contingent upon B's compliance or noncompliance. Subjects were asked to consider eight situations in which hypothetical individuals had to make a choice between two courses of action. In each situation another person (A) was attempting to induce the hypothetical individual (B) to choose one of the alternatives, while various situational factors were influencing B to choose the other alternative. The subjects were asked to consider B's utilities and subjective probabilities in each situation and to indicate whether or not B should comply with A and to make ratings of A's power. The decision theory analysis did well in predicting whether or not subjects would indicate that B should comply with A. Also, subjects generally were able to correctly specify whether A or the situational factors had more influence over B's decision. Finally, the subjects' ratings of A's power in the eight situations were highly related to the decision theoretic measure of power.
Recurrent systemic pneumococcal disease in children

Background:Recurrent systemic pneumococcal infection usually occurs in immunocompromised patients and patients with underlying conditions.Methods:Between 1993 and 2006, investigators at 8 pediatric hospitals prospectively identified cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and retrospectively do
SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF BROMINATED SECONDARY METABOLITES IN THE RED ALGA LAURENCIA SNYDERAE1

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy of thin sections of Laurencia snyderae Dawson shows bromine is concentrated in a cytoplasmic vesicle, the corps en cerise, a previously described structure characteristic of this genus. The presence of the brominated natural product β-snyderol is shown to be related to the presence of corps en cerise in cortical cells. The presence of halogenated sesquiterpenoids in the corps en cerise of various Laurencia species is inferred from these data.
WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT AND COMMUTING: EXPLAINING THE LINKS

Commuting is integral to labor force participation for most workers, but the connection between commuting and labor force participation is complex. Transportation planners and researchers have long recognized that the nature of the connection is different for women and men. This article reviews recent research on the link between women's commuting and labor force participation and identifies five key themes in the literature. Women's shorter work trips have been explained in terms of women's low wages, the need to coordinate dual roles as mothers and wage earners, and as a reflection of a more even distribution of jobs that traditionally hire women. Short work trips may also reflect spatial entrapment in highly localized labor markets. Finally, shorter work trips may reflect a spatial mismatch between low-income and minority women's residential locations and entry-level jobs. Thus, employment may entail much longer commutes for inner-city residents. The article evaluates research within each theme, identifies future research needs, and explores the implications for current policy debates over welfare reform.
Sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen isotopes used to trace organic matter flow in the salt-marsh estuaries of Sapelo Island, Georgia1

The stable isotopes of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon were used to trace organic matter flow in salt marshes and cstuarinc waters at Sapelo Island, Georgia. Organic matter inputs from terrestrial sources as detrital input either from forests adjacent to the marshes or from rivers were not dctcctable by their isotopic signatures in estuarine consumers. The results suggest that there are two major sources of organic matter for the fauna of the marshes and estuarine waters of Sapelo Island: Spartina and algae. The long-standing debate about the relative importance of Spartina detritus and algae in supporting marsh and estuarine secondary production appears from this analysis to be a draw; both sources are important and their relative importance is determined by feeding mode, size, location, and trophic position of the marsh and estuarine consumers.
A Practical Approach for Maximally Permissive Liveness-Enforcing Supervision of Complex Resource Allocation Systems

Past works towards the effective deployment of the maximally permissive liveness-enforcing supervisor (LES) for sequential resource allocation systems (RAS) have been stalled by: (i) the NP-Hardness of the computation of this policy for the majority of the considered RAS classes and (ii) the inability of the adopted more compact representations of the underlying RAS dynamics to provide an effective representation of the target policy for all RAS instantiations. This paper proposes a novel approach to the aforementioned problem, that can be perceived as a two-stage process: The first stage computes the maximally permissive LES by employing an automaton-based representation of the RAS behavior and techniques borrowed from the Ramadge & Wonham (R&W) Supervisory Control framework. The second stage seeks the development of a more compact representation for the dichotomy into admissible and inadmissible-or “safe” and “unsafe”-subspaces of the RAS state space, that is effected by the LES developed in the first stage. This compact representation is obtained by: (i) taking advantage of certain properties of the underlying subspaces and (ii) the employment of pertinent data structures. The resulting approach is also “complete,” i.e., it will return an effectively implementable LES for any given RAS instantiation. Numerical experimentation demonstrates the efficacy of the approach and establishes its ability to support the deployment of maximally permissive LES for RAS with very large structure and state spaces.
The discrete rotational Fourier transform

We define a discrete version of the angular Fourier transform and present the properties of the transform that show it to be a rotation in time-frequency space, this new transform is a generalization of the DFT. Efficient algorithms for its computation can then be based on the FFT and the eigenstructure of the DFT.
What is “person-centered”? A posthumous conversation with Carl Rogers on the development of the person-centered approach

One night, many years after his death, Carl Rogers appeared to Howard Kirschenbaum – in a dream? There ensued a conversation about the development of the person-centered approach before and after Rogers's death. Has Rogers followed the developments in the approach since 1987? How does he feel about them? What does he think about the variations on the person-centered approach – child-centered play therapy, person-centered expressive therapy, focusing-oriented psychotherapy, process-experiential/emotion-focused therapy, etc.? Are these all “person-centered psychotherapies,” or is the original client-centered approach the only one worthy of that name? How does Rogers define the “person-centered approach”? How does he view the development of person-centered associations, especially the Association for the Development of the Person-Centered Approach? In one possibly last interview, Rogers's biographer irreverently pushes his old friend to define his terms and take a stand on some of the ongoing controversies i...
Watermarking relational databases

We enunciate the need for watermarking database relations to deter their piracy, identify the unique characteristics of relational data which pose new challenges for watermarking, and provide desirable properties of a watermarking system for relational data. A watermark can be applied to any database relation having attributes which are such that changes in a few of their values do not affect the applications. We then present an effective watermarking technique geared for relational data. This technique ensures that some bit positions of some of the attributes of some of the tuples contain specific values. The tuples, attributes within a tuple, bit positions in an attribute, and specific bit values are all algorithmically determined under the control of a private key known only to the owner of the data. This bit pattern constitutes the watermark. Only if one has access to the private key can the watermark be detected with high probability. Detecting the watermark neither requires access to the original data nor the watermark. The watermark can be detected even in a small subset of a watermarked relation as long as the sample contains some of the marks. Our extensive analysis shows that the proposed technique is robust against various forms of malicious attacks and updates to the data. Using an implementation running on DB2, we also show that the performance of the algorithms allows for their use in real world applications.
An Algorithm to Determine the Sequence of Stable Connected Dominating Sets in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

We show that given the complete knowledge of future topology changes, it is possible to determine the sequence of stable connected dominating sets (called the stable mobile connected dominating set) in a network session such that the number of CDS transitions is minimum. The algorithm to determine the mobile connected dominating set and the minimum number of CDS transitions is called OptCDSTrans and is based on a simple greedy approach: whenever a CDS is required, choose the CDS that will exist for the longest time. The above strategy is repeated over the duration of the network session. We prove that OptCDSTrans gives the optimal number of CDS transitions and simultaneously yields the stable mobile connected dominating set. We study the performance of OptCDSTrans in terms of number of CDS transitions and CDS size (the number of nodes constituting the CDS) for different conditions of node mobility and network density.
Fast Thought Speed Induces Risk Taking

In two experiments, we tested for a causal link between thought speed and risk taking. In Experiment 1, we manipulated thought speed by presenting neutral-content text at either a fast or a slow pace and having participants read the text aloud. In Experiment 2, we manipulated thought speed by presenting fast-, medium-, or slow-paced movie clips that contained similar content. Participants who were induced to think more quickly took more risks with actual money in Experiment 1 and reported greater intentions to engage in real-world risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex and illegal drug use, in Experiment 2. These experiments provide evidence that faster thinking induces greater risk taking.
Combined thymoma–thymic seminoma. Report of 2 cases of a heretofore unreported association

Two cases of a primary mediastinal tumor showing both thymoma and seminoma elements are presented. The patients were 2 men, aged 32 and 34 years, respectively. Clinically, both patients presented with symptoms related to their mediastinal masses, namely, chest pain and shortness of breath. Neither patient had any previous history of malignancy elsewhere. Diagnostic imaging revealed the presence of large anterior mediastinal masses. Both patients underwent thoracotomy with complete resection of their tumors. Grossly, the lesions measured 6 and 8 cm in greatest diameter, respectively and were tan and firm without areas of hemorrhage or necrosis. Both tumors appeared to be well circumscribed and grossly not involving any adjacent structures. Histologic sections showed the presence of distinct areas in the same tumor mass corresponding to conventional thymoma, whereas other areas corresponded to seminoma. Both components appeared to be present in almost equal proportions in the tumor. Immunohistochemical studies showed distinct labeling for each component: the thymoma component was positive for CAM5.2, Pax8, and cytokeratin 5/6; the seminoma component was positive for CAM5.2, SALL4, OCT3/4, and placental-like alkaline phosphatase. Both patients are currently alive and well 12 and 18 months after surgery, respectively. The cases herein described highlight the importance of ample sampling in mediastinal tumors and document for the first time the existence of combined thymoma-thymic seminomas.
The Occurrence of Sepiolite and Attapulgite on the Southern High Plains

Sepiolite and attapulgite have been found to be common, sometimes the major, clay minerals in calcareous lacustrine deposits on the southern High Plains in West Texas and eastern New Mexico. Deflation debris derived from the basins and calcareous soils developed in the debris and in the lacustrine deposits also often contain either or both minerals. Dolomite is the carbonate commonly associated with sepiolite and calcite has a similar relationship to attapulgite in the lacus- trine deposits. Pedogenic formation of sepiolite and attapulgite appears unlikely in the area studied since an association with lacustrine materials was made in a very high percentage of the occurrences. Sepiolite was found to be highly concentrated in the < 0.2ft fraction. A similar, but less pro- nounced, distribution was noted for attapulgite. The studies suggest that the minerals have developed authigenically in alkaline lacustrine environments during periods of desiccation. Such an environ- ment, interrupted by more humid periods, would have obtained during dry Pleistocene intervals. Volcanic ash is suggested as the source of the essential silica. The Mg concentration would appear to determine whether sepiolite-dolomite or attapulgite-calcite were formed.
Free standing GaN nano membrane by laser lift-off method

In this work, we present a method able to fabricate thin GaN nanomembranes fit for device applications. Starting from commercial GaN on sapphire substrates, MBE was used to deposit a sacrificial layer, which comprises of a superlattice of InN/InGaN, after which thin a GaN film of hundreds of nanometers thickness was grown on top. Pulsed laser irridiation with photon energy of 2.3eV gives rise to the controlled decomposition of the sacrificial intermediate layer, which can be followed by easy separation of the top GaN membrane from the substrate. This process can be used to manufacture GaN membranes with low defect density and a wider range of thickness. We demonstrated that large area, free-standing GaN membranes, with a thickness from 200nm and up, could be made using this method, and the high crystal quality of the lift-off GaN layers is well preserved in this process.
The civilizing brand: Shifting shame thresholds and the dissemination of consumer lifestyles

This article proposes a theoretical framework bridging Norbert Elias' theory of the civilizing process with historical debates on the growth of consumption in capitalist societies. Elias' theory of the civilizing process, and its extension into an informalizing process, is figured together with historical accounts of the rise of mass-market consumerism and its turn to lifestyle consumerism, particularly as the latter is mediated by lifestyle branding. Attention is paid to the role of the body as an object of shame, and the ways in which shame thresholds are lowered (applied with less tolerance) under the civilizing influences of mass consumerism and raised again (applied with more tolerance) under the informalizing influences of lifestyle brands. Illustrative cases are cited from historical scholarship on the history of consumerism and contemporary advertising.
Fast Dosimeter Film For Evaluation Of X-Ray Lithography Sources

This paper presents data on the soft x-ray behavior of the photochromic dosimeter film UVSC manufactured by Sensor Physics. In particular, the x-ray sensitivity measured with synchrotron storage ring x-ray sources will be presented and compared with a presently used dosimeter film which is many times less sensitive. Relevant properties of the film for x-ray source evaluation also will be presented together with data obtained with other x-ray lithography sources.
A comparison of heuristics for list schedules using the Box-method and P-method for random digraph generation

It is not uncommon to evaluate the effectiveness of competing parallel processing scheduling, mapping, and allocation heuristics by applying a common set of randomly-generated task systems and comparing the performance of the resulting allocations in a statistical manner with one another. Although much research has been performed using this paradigm the authors believe that often the results of such experiments have been extrapolated beyond their range of applicability and provide little insight into determining the best heuristic for a given type of real-world problem. This paper presents evidence to support this assertion by analyzing the results of from the mathematical literature (i.e. the P-method and the Box method) to create a large set of directed graphs which are then used (along with a set of digraphs which were derived from real-world problems) to evaluate four classical list-based scheduling methodologies (the HLFET, HLFNET, SCFET, and SCFNET). The difference of the effective ranking of these methodologies from those presented by other researchers illustrate how the built-in biases associated with random techniques can affect how one views the relative effectiveness of each of these heuristics.
Parallel Logic Simulation of VLSI Systems

Design verification via simulation is an important component in the development of digital systems. However, with continuing increases in the capabilities of VLSI systems, the simulation task has become a significant bottleneck in the design process. As a result, researchers are attempting to exploit parallel processing techniques to improve the performance of VLSI logic simulation. This tutorial describes the current state-of-the-art in parallel logic simulation, including parallel simulation techniques, factors that impact simulation performance, performance results to date, and the directions currently being pursued by the research community.
Association between troponin T and impaired left ventricular relaxation in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with preserved systolic function

Aims To examine relationships between cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and parameters of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients with acute destabilized heart failure (HF) with preserved LV ejection fraction. Methods and results In 44 patients with acute heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, parameters of LV structure and function were assessed via comprehensive two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. There was no correlation between cTnT and LV wall thickness, left atrial volume index, or transmitral E wave velocity or deceleration time. There were associations between cTnT and LV end-diastolic dimension ( r = −0.34, P = 0.02) and LV mass index ( r = 0.32; P = .04). A lower tissue Doppler Ea wave peak velocity was associated with higher cTnT concentrations ( r = −0.90, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, only LV end-diastolic dimension ( t = 2.2; P = 0.04), LV mass index ( t = 2.3; P = .03), and tissue Doppler Ea wave peak velocity ( t = −4.7; P < .001) emerged as significant predictors of cTnT. Conclusion In patients with HF with preserved LV ejection fraction, cTnT is strongly associated with the extent of LV relaxation abnormalities and LV mass.
Development of a wide area network collaborative workspace for medical information

Current methods to move patient information from primary care physicians to specialists at remote locations depend on physically packaging various kinds of patient information and shipping it to distant centers. The author describes a system under development that will facilitate the digitizing, electronic packaging and transmission to specialists of patient record elements, including radiographs, and other data. The information is identified and organized for efficient use, and can be retrieved and used at the recipient's convenience. The paper describes the system's architecture and function, as well as field tests of a prototype version.
Accelerated telomere erosion is associated with a declining immune function of caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients endure chronic stress associated with a decline of immune function. To assess the psychological and immunological changes of caregivers, we compared depressive symptoms, PBMC composition, in vitro activation-induced proliferation and cytokine production, and telomere length and telomerase activity of 82 individuals (41 caregivers and 41 age- and gender-matched controls). We found depressive symptoms were significantly higher in caregivers than in controls (p < 0.001). Correspondingly, caregivers had significantly lower T cell proliferation but higher production of immune-regulatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-10) than controls in response to stimulation in vitro. We examined the impact of these changes on cellular replicative lifespan and found that caregivers had significantly shorter telomere lengths in PBMC than controls (6.2 and 6.4 kb, respectively, p < 0.05) with similar shortening in isolated T cells and monocytes and that this telomere attrition in caregivers was not due to an increase of shorter telomere possessing T cell subsets in PBMC. Finally, we showed that basal telomerase activity in PBMC and T cells was significantly higher in caregivers than in controls (p < 0.0001), pointing to an unsuccessful attempt of cells to compensate the excessive loss of telomeres in caregivers. These findings demonstrate that chronic stress is associated with altered T cell function and accelerated immune cell aging as suggested by excessive telomere loss.