cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Miniaturized 3D printed balun using high-k composites

This paper presents a method to miniaturize a balanced-to-unbalanced (balun) transition using 3D printing while utilizing high permittivity polymer composites. The balun is a rat-race hybrid coupler utilizing three ports designed with a stack of ABS, high-k composite material, and LCP with permittivity of 2.6, 8.45, and 3.14 respectively. The balun is approximately 1.2 cm wide with a 3 dB power split and a 180 degree phase difference.
A hybrid global-local optimization approach to phase-only array-pattern synthesis

Phased array magnitude/power-pattern synthesis is in general a nonconvex optimization problem which can exhibit a large number of local minima. This is often exacerbated by the addition of (nonconvex) magnitude constraints on the array weights. Practical large-scale design of such patterns requires both efficient local optimization to quickly identify candidate minima, and nonlocal (“global”) optimization to provide new starting points and evaluate the resulting minima to find a suitable, if not global, solution. Here we combine a very efficient constrained local formulation based on a weighted pattern-error metric with a parameterized heuristic method for generating initial array weights and a global method for searching over the parameter space. We additionally show that passband point-nulls, a common local-minima artifact, can be reliably detected early in the local optimization allowing for quick termination.
The search for what is fundamental in the development of working memory.

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the development of working memory between the age of 7 years and adulthood. The information in working memory can come from the outside world but it can also include information from long-term memory that becomes activated as a result of the task context and the individual’'s attempt to carry out the task. Part of the difficulty in defining working memory is that it is not confined to a specific set of tasks; almost any cognitive task can involve the temporary activation of information that is needed for the response. The question then becomes how the basic mechanisms that are used to activate information can be logically identified and characterized, and holds it temporarily, across such a wide range of cognitive situations. That question is compounded by the difficulty of understanding the development of working memory, given the need to compare basic mechanisms fairly across children of different ages, who are at different performance levels.
Cerebral Organic Acid Disorders and Other Disorders of Lysine Catabolism

Ten inborn errors of metabolism are described in this chapter.Four of them, hyperlysinaemia/saccharopinuria, hydroxylysinuria, 2-amino-/2-oxoadipic aciduria, and glutaric aciduria type III, may be devoid of clinical significance, but some patients are retarded and show variable neurological abnormalities.
Library digitization projects, issues and guidelines: A survey of the literature

Purpose – To provide a selective bibliography of literature which explores issues and provides guidelines on library digitization projects.Design/methodology/approach – Literature published from 2000‐2005 on library digitization projects was examined. Issues involving digitization projects are presented, as well as case studies and resources for digitization projects. The paper has the following sections: project management, funding digital projects, selection of materials, legal issues, metadata creation, interoperability, and preservation issues.Findings – Libraries are undertaking digitization projects to provide wider access to and to preserve materials. The literature survey presents an overview of digitization activities and discussions of issues concerning library digital projects. The authors of the case studies detail how libraries dealt with various components of the projects, such as planning, cataloging, and handling copyright issues. Many aspects of digitization projects will be changing over...
Analysis of gradient projection anti-windup scheme

The gradient projection anti-windup (GPAW) scheme was recently proposed as an anti-windup method for nonlinear multi-input-multi-output systems/controllers, the solution of which was recognized as a largely open problem in a recent survey paper. This paper analyzes the properties of the GPAW scheme applied to an input constrained first order linear time invariant (LTI) system driven by a first order LTI controller, where the objective is to regulate the system state about the origin. We show that the GPAW compensated system is in fact a projected dynamical system (PDS), and use results in the PDS literature to assert existence and uniqueness of its solutions. The main result is that the GPAW scheme can only maintain/enlarge the exact region of attraction of the uncompensated system.
Local interactions predict large-scale pattern in empirically derived cellular automata

An important unanswered question in ecology is whether processes such as species interactions that occur at a local scale can generate large-scale patterns seen in nature. Because of the complexity of natural ecosystems, developing an adequate theoretical framework to scale up local processes has been challenging. Models of complex systems can produce a wide array of outcomes; therefore, model parameter values must be constrained by empirical information to usefully narrow the range of predicted behaviour. Under some conditions, spatially explicit models of locally interacting objects (for example, cells, sand grains, car drivers, or organisms), variously termed cellular automata or interacting particle models, can self-organize to develop complex spatial and temporal patterning at larger scales in the absence of any externally imposed pattern. When these models are based on transition probabilities of moving between ecological states at a local level, relatively complex versions of these models can be linked readily to empirical information on ecosystem dynamics. Here, I show that an empirically derived cellular automaton model of a rocky intertidal mussel bed based on local interactions correctly predicts large-scale spatial patterns observed in nature.
Drug intervention trials in dyslipidemia: the past and the future.

Available data on results of lipid-acting drug trials investigating the prevention or treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease have conclusively shown that: (a) The beneficial results may not be specific for a given pharmacological group of drugs (i.e., niacin, resins, fibrates, reductase inhibitors). (b) For lipid-acting drugs, the extent of cardiovascular benefit may be related to the extent of the effect on blood lipids. (c) Some drugs may be acting by affecting factors not necessarily related to blood lipid levels (i.e., calcium channel blockers and antioxidants of low-density lipoproteins. (d) The differences in endpoints begin to appear after the second year of intervention. (e) The effects on atherosclerosis can be measured objectively by modern angiographic techniques. (f) Patient's signs and symptoms of disease can be beneficially modified. (g) The long-term safety record of the tested drugs seems adequate. (h) The risk-benefit ratio justifies long-term drug treatment of dyslipidemias in patients not responding to life-style intervention.
Light Intensity from Detonating PETN Pressings filled with Butane

SEVERAL years ago it was shown1 that the luminosity from a shocked bed of granular sodium chloride depends only very slightly on the nature of the interstitial gas, even though it is clear2,3 that the temperature of two gases with very different properties, shocked to the same pressure, will differ by several thousand degrees centigrade over a wide range of shock strengths. This independence of the luminosity in a shocked pressing of an inert substance was presumed to apply also to detonation waves in pressings of granular explosives, an extrapolation which can be inferred from evidence presented by Paterson4. On the other hand, in Plate X of Taylor's book on condensed explosives5 a non-time-resolved slit picture is reproduced which shows very different luminosities from three different sections of a PETN charge filled individually with butane, air, or argon. That experiment, performed by I. G. Cumming, leads to the conclusion6 that the luminosity in question results from shock compression of the interstitial gas. The apparent contradiction between the two experiments should be resolved, since the dependence or independence of the luminosity on the interstitial gas may have an important bearing on the mechanism of the primary stage in shock initiation of granular explosive charges.
Complexes obtained by electrophilic attack on a dinitrogen-derived terminal molybdenum nitride: electronic structure analysis by solid state CP/MAS 15N NMR in combination with DFT calculations

N Solid state CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy has been used to study a dinitrogen-derived terminal nitride of molybdenum, 15 NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3 (Ar = 3,5-(CH3)2C6H3). A number of Lewis acid adducts, including X3E-NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3 (X =F , E =B ; X = Cl, E = B, Al, Ga, In; X = Br, E = Al; X = I, E = Al) and Cl2E-NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3 (E = Ge, Sn), were prepared by the combi- nation of 15 NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3 with 1 equiv. of Lewis acid. A series of cationic imido complexes, (RNMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3)X was prepared by the reaction of electrophiles, RX (R = CH3, X = I; R = PhC(O) or Me3Si, X = OTf (OTf = SO3CF3)), with NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3. Deprotonation of (CH3NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3)I by LiN(SiMe3)2 afforded the ketimide complex H2CNMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3, which has been shown to undergo a reaction with neat CH3I to form (CH3CH2NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3)I. 15 N solid state CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy was employed in the characterization of each complex. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) studies of 15 NMo(N( t- Bu)Ar)3 and derivatives enabled a detailed examination of the experimental solid state NMR parameters in terms of electronic struc- ture at the labeled N-atom. Computational analysis demonstrated that significant paramagnetic contributions to the perpendicular components of the chemical shielding tensor (d11 and d22) were responsible for the huge span of the tensor measured for 15 NMo(N( t- Bu)Ar)3 (X = 1187 ppm). Perturbation of the electronic structure in 15 NMo(N( t Bu)Ar)3 upon coordination of a Lewis acid or for- mation of a cationic imido complex was attributed to stabilization of a r-symmetric orbital. An upfield shift in the perpendicular components of the chemical shift tensor results from the reduced paramagnetic contribution to these tensor components upon increasing the energy gap between the magnetically coupled occupied and virtual orbitals (eoccevir). � 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Routine problem solving with the SIMS chemical microscope

Abstract An analysis of surface chemistry is increasingly being used to help solve problems related to adhesion and adhesives. Physical tests have been routinely employed for many years, but the high costs of surface analysis techniques have meant that the complementary chemical information has only been obtained for a much reduced subset of samples. The chemical microscope is a benchtop imaging SIMS instrument that has been specifically designed to overcome this cost barrier. By a combination of low capital cost, automated operation, high reliability, rapid sample throughput and assisted data interpretation, the cost of a routine SIMS analysis has been reduced to approximately 10% of its historical value. Two case studies are presented, the first relating to the exact identification of siloxane contaminants, the second concerned with monitoring the effect of a silane pre-treatment of the surface. The results demonstrate the importance of a routine analysis methodology giving structural information from organic species with a high degree of surface specificity.
Studies of perennial ragweed immunotherapy

Abstract Perennial ragweed immunotherapy was studied in 24 patients with ragweed pollenosis. Cellular responsiveness was determined by measuring the cellular reactivity and sensitivity to ragweed antigen E (RW-AgE) by RW-AgE-induced leukocyte histamine release. Serum blocking antibody content was determined by measuring the serum RW-AgE binding capacity by ammonium sulfate coprecipitation of bound RW-AgE. Specific IgE (anti-RW-AgE) concentration was determined by polystyrene tube radioimmunoassay. Cellular responsiveness decreased with continuing immunotherapy, as did the specific IgE concentrations. The serum RW-AgE binding capacity, in contrast, increased as treatment continued. The absence of demonstrable correlations between RW-AgE binding capacity and cellular reactivity, cellular sensitivity, and specific IgE concentrations contrasted impressively with the demonstration of multiple significant correlations between the change in the RW-AgE binding capacity and the other parameters studied. The degree of increase in RW-AgE binding capacity correlated significantly with the degree of decrease in both the specific IgE concentration (p
Factors affecting renal allograft function in long-term recipients.

Abstract The natural history of renal allograft function in long-term recipients is not known. To characterize renal allograft function and the factors that affect it, we reviewed the records of all patients who received a renal allograft at the University of Wisconsin between 1965 and 1981 and selected those who had annual data on renal function for at least 10 years. We identified 155 patients—78 with living-related donors and 77 with cadaveric donors. All patients were adults receiving azathioprine and prednisone. Renal function was estimated by calculated creatinine clearances (Ccr), which correlated well with measured 24-hour creatinine clearances. The creatinine clearance data for each patient were plotted versus time. In 73% of patients, the creatinine clearance increased for several years before reaching a peak value. After the peak, the creatinine clearance declined in a linear manner. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that allografts from cadaveric donors had a greater increase in creatinine clearance from the value at year 1 to the peak than allografts from living-related donors (0.35 ± 0.25 v 0.21 ± 0.23 mL/s [21.4 ± 15.0 v 12.7 ± 13.8 mL/min); P 89 mm Hg) was associated with a more rapid rate of decline in creatinine clearance. The presence of diabetes mellitus or hypercholesterolemia was not associated with a more rapid decline in renal function. These data indicate that the natural history of renal allograft function in longterm recipients was to increase for several years and then to decline linearly. Allografts from cadaveric donors showed the most functional hypertrophy and had faster rates of decline. From these data, the average estimated life span of a successful renal allograft was 30 years for a cadaveric donor and 40 years for a living-related donor.
Abstract 4900: Functional and mechanism analysis of LGR4 in human lung cancer cells.

LGR4 (leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 4) and its two closely related homologues LGR5 and LGR6 (LGR4-6) are members of the seven transmembrane domain (7TM) receptors with critical functions in embryonic development and adult stem cells. Recently, we and others discovered that LGR4-6 function as receptors of R-spondins (RSPO) to potentiate Wnt signaling. RSPOs are a group of four secreted proteins (RSPO1-4) with essential roles in organ development, sex determination, carcinogenesis, etc. Particularly, RSPO2 is required for normal lung development through enhancement of Wnt signaling and LGR6 is expressed in adult lung stem cells in the mouse. Among the 900 or so 7TM receptors, LGR4 was found to be one of the few that were highly upregulated in both squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) of the lung. Alterations in the Wnt signaling pathways were found in a small percentage of lung cancer. Concurrent activation of β-catenin signaling enhances tumor growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells with KRAS mutation. Furthermore, RSPO3 and LGR4 are co-expressed at high levels in ∼20% of lung cancer cell lines. However, potential roles of RSPO3-LGR4 in lung carcinogenesis have not been investigated. We developed and validated a panel of LGR4 antibodies that can detect either native or denatured LGR4 with high specificity and sensitivity. Immunohistochemistry analyses confirmed that LGR4 was highly expressed in the majority of SqCC and AC of the lung. Knockdown of LGR4 in a lung cancer cell line with high levels of and LGR4 and RSPO3 leads to dramatic decrease in endogenous Wnt signaling and significant reduction in cell growth, migration, and colony formation in vitro. The effect of knockdown on tumor growth in vivo is being tested. Data from these expression and functional analyses of LGR4 in human lung cancer will be presented and discussed. Citation Format: Xing Gong, Wei Xiong, Jing Yi, Kendra S. Carmon, Qingyun Liu. Functional and mechanism analysis of LGR4 in human lung cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4900. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4900
A New Species of Amorbia from the Mountains of Northwestern Mexico (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract. Amorbia erinae, new species, is described and illustrated from the states of Durango and Chihuahua, Mexico. Superficially, the new species is highly divergent from its congeners, with a forewing pattern that features longitudinal bands of pale orange and cream, typical of tortricids that either feed on pine or occur in pine-dominated montane habitats, e.g., Eupinivora ponderosae Brown (Euliini: Cochylina), Argyrotaenia coconinana Brown & Cramer (Archipini), and Sparganothis bistriata Kearfott (Sparganothini). However, the absence of ocelli and features of the male and female genitalia convincingly place the new species in Amorbia.
Synthese von 3‐O‐Äthyl‐ und 3‐O‐[α‐Carboxy‐äthyl]‐D‐glucosaminen

Krist. β-Athyl-sowie α-Methyl-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminid (I) wurden in ihre krist. 4.6-Benzylidenderivate verwandelt (II) und mittels α-Brom-propionsaure-athylesters in die diastereoisomere Mischung der Athylester der 3-O-[α-DL-Carboxyathyl]-4.6-benzyliden-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminide ubergefuhrt (III + IV). Nach Verseifen des Esters und Entfernung der Benzylidengruppe lassen sich dieselben mit Hilfe von Ionenaustauschern leicht in ihre Diastereoisomeren auftrennen (V + VI). Aus der D-Reihe erhielten wir β-Athyl-3-O-[α-D-carboxy-athyl]-4.6-benzyliden-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminid (VIIa) und daraus nach saurer Hydrolyse das 3-O-[α-D-Carboxy-athyl]-D-glucosamin (VIII)– die Muraminsaure – in krist. Form. Aus der unbestandigeren L-Serie fasten wir α-Methyl-3-O-[α-L-carboxy-athyl]-N-acety-D-glucosaminid (VIb) sowie das krist. Lacton dieser Saure (XII). Ebenfalls beschreiben wir einige neue krist. Derivate des 3-O-Athyl-D-glucosamins (IX–XI).
The Use of Archival Materials in the Analysis and Interpretation of Field Data: A Case Study in the Institutionalization of the Myth of Leprosy as “Leper”1

Among anthropologists, archival materials are considered ancillary to the analysis and interpretation of field data. This paper reports on the importance of the use of such materials in the elucidation of analytical problems that may arise during the course of fieldwork. We present a schematization of a conceptual approach to historical processes that permits inquiry into the persistence of patterns over time. Together, then, field and historical data may be combined analytically, and thus constitute a means of identifying feedback processes and mechanisms that interrelate present views and structures of a phenomenon with those past views, events, forces, and structures which have influenced present views.
Identification of Changing Lower Limb Neuromuscular Activation in Parkinson’s Disease during Treadmill Gait with and without Levodopa Using a Nonlinear Analysis Index

Analysis of electromyographic (EMG) data is a cornerstone of research related to motor control in Parkinson's disease. Nonlinear EMG analysis tools have shown to be valuable, but analysis is often complex and interpretation of the data may be difficult. A previously introduced algorithm (SYNERGOS) that provides a single index value based on simultaneous multiple muscle activations (MMA) has been shown to be effective in detecting changes in EMG activation due to modifications of walking speeds in healthy adults. In this study, we investigated if SYNERGOS detects MMA changes associated with both different walking speeds and levodopa intake. Nine male Parkinsonian patients walked on a treadmill with increasing speed while on or off medication. We collected EMG data and computed SYNERGOS indices and employed a restricted maximum likelihood linear mixed model to the values. SYNERGOS was sensitive to neuromuscular modifications due to both alterations of gait speed and intake of levodopa. We believe that the current experiment provides evidence for the potential value of SYNERGOS as a nonlinear tool in clinical settings, by providing a single value index of MMA. This could help clinicians to evaluate the efficacy of interventions and treatments in Parkinson's disease in a simple manner.
Trigenic neural crest-restricted Smad7 over-expression results in congenital craniofacial and cardiovascular defects

Smad7 is a negative regulator of TGFβ superfamily signaling. Using a three-component triple transgenic system, expression of the inhibitory Smad7 was induced via doxycycline within the NCC lineages at pre- and post-migratory stages. Consistent with its role in negatively regulating both TGFβ and BMP signaling in vitro, induction of Smad7 within the NCC significantly suppressed phosphorylation levels of both Smad1/5/8 and Smad2/3 in vivo, resulting in subsequent loss of NCC-derived craniofacial, pharyngeal and cardiac OFT cushion cells. At the cellular level, increased cell death was observed in pharyngeal arches. However, cell proliferation and NCC-derived smooth muscle differentiation were unaltered. NCC lineage mapping demonstrated that cardiac NCC emigration and initial migration were not affected, but subsequent colonization of the OFT was significantly reduced. Induction of Smad7 in post-migratory NCC resulted in interventricular septal chamber septation defects, suggesting that TGFβ superfamily signaling is also essential for cardiac NCC at post-migratory stages to govern normal cardiac development. Taken together, the data illustrate that tightly regulated TGFβ superfamily signaling plays an essential role during craniofacial and cardiac NCC colonization and cell survival in vivo.
Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon-Nitrogen, a-Si,N:H ALLOYS: An Alternative to A-SI,C:H for the Wide Band Gap Photo-Active Material in Tandem PV Cells

We have investigated a-Si,N:H alloys as an alternative wide band-gap, photo-active material. The entire alloy range between a-Si:H and a-Si 3 N 4 :H can be formed by a remote plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Other studies have demonstrated that a-Si,N:H alloys could be doped to form window materials for p-i-n devices. This paper focuses on alloy materials with E 04 bandgaps to about 2.2 eV. We have prepared these a-Si,N:H alloys, characterized their microstructure, and studied their photoconductivity, sensitivity to light-soaking and transport properties. For example, with increased alloying we show that i) the white-light photoconductivity and ii) the kinetics and magnitude of the decay of photoconducitivity under intense illumination (the Staebler-Wronski effect), are about the same as for PV-grade a-Si:H.
Age-Related Changes in Hamster Circadian Period, Entrainment, and Rhythm Splitting:

Age has not been sufficiently explored as a variable that can influence circadian periodicity. The present experiments (1) re-evaluated changes in hamster circadian period with age while controlling for access to wheels; (2) studied whether the limits of entrainment differ between young and old animals; and (3) examined whether age influences the probability of rhythm splitting under prolonged constant light conditions. The circadian wheel-running period shortened with age, generally regardless of prior wheel access. Access to wheels was associated with increased weight gain, and animals with prolonged access to wheels died younger than animals without wheel access. These two measures may have been related to the housing conditions associated with wheel access. Although equal proportions of young and old hamsters entrained equally to all T-cycles used, loss of entrainment to long T-cycles was more rapid for old than for young animals. About 60% of young animals showed rhythm splitting, compared to 7% of o...
A decomposition theorem for ℘∗-semisimple rings

A module M is said to satisfy the condition (℘∗) if M is a direct sum of a projective module and a quasi-continuous module. By Huynh and Rizvi (J. Algebra 223 (2000) 133; Characterizing rings by a direct decomposition property of their modules, preprint 2002) rings over which every countably generated right module satisfies (℘∗) are exactly those rings over which every right module is a direct sum of a projective module and a quasi-injective module. These rings are called right ℘∗-semisimple rings. Right ℘∗-semisimple rings are right artinian. However, in general, a right ℘∗-semisimple rings need not be left ℘∗-semisimple. In this note, we will prove a ring-direct decomposition theorem for right and left ℘∗-semisimple rings. Moreover, we will describe the structure of each direct summand in the obtained decomposition of these rings.
The pathogenesis of syringomyelia associated with lesions at the foramen magnum: a critical review of existing theories and proposal of a new hypothesis

Syringomyelia is frequently accompanied by an extramedullary lesion at the foramen magnum, particularly a Chiari I malformation. Although syringomyelia associated with foramen magnum obstruction has characteristic clinical, radiological, and neuropathological features, its pathogenesis remains unclear. Currently prevalent hydrodynamical theories assert that obstruction of the subarachnoid space at the foramen magnum interferes with flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between the spinal and the intracranial subarachnoid compartments. As a result, spinal CSF is driven into the spinal cord through the perivascular spaces to form a syrinx. These theories are implausible biophysically because none postulates a pump adequate to drive fluid through these spaces. None of the theories can explain why syrinx pressure is higher than CSF pressure; why extensive gliosis, edema, and vascular wall thickening regularly occur; and why the composition of syrinx fluid is not identical with that of CSF. A new theory of pathogenesis is proposed to address these difficulties. In the presence of subarachnoid obstruction at the foramen magnum, a variety of activities, such as assuming the erect posture, coughing or straining, and pulsatile fluctuations of CSF pressure during the cardiac cycle, produce transiently higher CSF pressure above the block than below it. There are corresponding changes in transmural venous and capillary pressure favoring dilation of vessels below the block and collapse of vessels above the block. The spatially uneven change of vessel caliber produces mechanical stress on the spinal cord, particularly caudal to the block. The mechanical stress, coupled with venous and capillary dilation, partially disrupt the blood-spinal cord barrier, allowing ultrafiltration of crystalloids and accumulation of a protein-poor fluid. The proposed theory is consistent with the neuropathological findings in syringomyelia and with the pressure and composition of syrinx fluid. It also accounts for the prolonged course of syringomyelia and its aggravation by cough, strain, and assumption of an erect posture. It contributes to understanding the low incidence and the morphology of syringobulbia. It explains the poorly understood presentation of foramen magnum meningiomas with symptoms of a mid- to low-cervical myelopathy. The theory also affords an understanding of the late recurrence of symptoms in children with hydromyelia who are treated with a ventricular shunt.
Changing roles: Evaluator and teacher collaborating in school change

Abstract Teachers are ground-level implementors of school change. An evaluation of their efforts in experimenting with new classroom practices must empower and not inhibit them from facilitating change. The evaluation of the HERALD project had teacher empowerment as its concern and three movements (utilization focused evaluation, teacher research, and authentic assessment) inform its design. As teachers experimented with new practices in their classrooms, external evaluators held a mirror to these practices and coordinated teams of teachers, who served as internal evaluators, to document project effects on student outcomes in systematic yet authentic ways. Evaluator-teacher collaboration made evaluation more reflective of classroom realities and more useful than threatening to these implementors of change.
The floating body and the hyperplane conjecture

We study the relationship between a convex body \({K\subset \mathbb{R}^{n}}\) and the convex floating body Kδ inside K. Our results complement recent work of Grigoris Paouris and Elisabeth Werner.
Formation of silicon carbide and nitride by ECR microwave plasma immersion ion implantation

Abstract Silicon was pulse biased to −45 kV in a methane or nitrogen plasma, generated by electron cyclotron resonance microwave excitation. Hydrocarbon or nitrogen ions were accelerated in the electrical field and implanted into the silicon. The depth distribution of the implanted ions was measured by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) before and after annealing. For the case of nitrogen implantation, one observes a saturation concentration of incorporated nitrogen, which is below the value of stoichiometric Si3N4. In contrast to that, carbon implantation can result in far overstoichiometric C:Si ratios and therefore in the formation of an amorphous carbon rich (95 at.%) phase. Annealing of the wafers results in partial oxidation of the surface layers and in the formation of crystalline phases. The structure of the implanted silicon wafers has been determined by cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) for the as implanted and annealed samples. For both implanted ion species, carbon and nitrogen, the implantation resulted in an amorphization of the wafer surface. No crystalline phases except silicon could be detected by electron diffraction. Annealing of the carbon implanted silicon results in the formation of a continuous, 50 nm thick polycrystalline β-SiC layer. For the case of nitrogen implantation, the formation of a 25 nm thick, continuous α-Si3N4 film below a 50 nm thick amorphous surface zone has been observed.
Crack closure-based analysis of fatigue tests with mean stresses

The recently developed crack-closure based fatigue method seems to hold great promise for analyzing a wide range of fatigue problems, particularly those involving large mean stress and/or occasional overloads. The method, however, requires the determination of material constants which characterize the influence of loading history on the closure mechanism. Such material fatigue properties generally take a great deal of experimental effort involving fatigue crack measurements and hence are not widely available yet. In this paper it is found that by using the closure-based method to analyze fatigue tests with mean stress, constant maximum stress tests and constant minimum stress tests not only help record mean stress effects on fatigue, they also help derive the material constants that are required for applying the closure-based fatigue method.
Response of secondary systems in structures subjected to transient excitation

An analytical method, based on matrix perturbation theory, is developed whereby a simple estimate can be obtained of the maximum dynamic response of lightly damped, light equipment (modelled as a n(2)-degree-of-freedom system) attached to a structure (modelled as a n(1)-degree-of-freedom system) subjected to ground motion or impact. A natural frequency of the equipment is considered close or equal to a natural frequency of the structure. It is assumed that the information available to the designer is a time history of the ground motion or impact, or an associated design spectrum; the fixed base modal properties of the structure; and the fixed base modal properties of the equipment. The method employed avoids the direct conventional analysis of a n(2) + n(1)-degree-of-freedom system either by modal or by matrix time-marching methods; as well as errors in estimates of peak response due to the possible unreliability of numerical schemes because of the lightness of the equipment, or due to uncertainty as to the appropriate procedure for summing the contributions of the two closely spaced modes which occur in the system. The proposed procedure is demonstrated for an example equipment-structure system. Computed results based on the method are in close agreement with results obtained through a Newmark time-integration scheme.
A novel grid-connected multi-input boost converter for HEVs: Design and implementation

In plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, multi-input boost converters became widely used to enhance the stability and reliability. However, conventional boost converters have difficulty of low efficiency and the implementation size problem as well as the cost. To improve these drawbacks, this paper proposes a novel modularized multi-input bridgeless boost converter that interfaces the hybrid AC/DC power sources to the vehicle power train. In this study, the multi-input structure with bridgeless high frequency boost converter is proposed in order to reduce the size of the passive components with high efficiency compared to other topologies. The proposed topology is compared with bridge boost converter and Bridgeless power factor correction converter topologies in order to examine its performances. The converter topologies and their controller are designed and investigated. Furthermore, the proposed topology is experimentally validated with results obtained from 60-kW prototype that has been built and tested in our laboratory based on TMS320F28335 DSP. The results have demonstrated that the proposed topology is more efficient than other converter topologies to achieve great size reduction with high performance.
Water uptake in green roof microcosms: Effects of plant species and water availability

Abstract Green roofs are engineered ecosystems that rely on vegetation to provide services such as reduction of roof temperatures. Drought resistance is critical for plant survival on shallow-substrate green roofs, but potential trade-offs exist between water-use efficiency and ecosystem functions like transpirative cooling. Water loss from simulated green roof systems (microcosms) each containing 1 of 14 plant species belonging to 4 growth forms (succulents, herbaceous dicots, grasses and woody creeping shrubs) was quantified for 3 watering treatments (watering to field capacity every 4, 11 and 24 days). After 2 months only succulents survived the dry treatment. The dry treatment was the only treatment in which planted microcosms showed consistently greater water loss (∼30% greater) than the controls (soil-only microcosms). Microcosms planted with Poa compressa lost the most water in all moisture treatments but in the wet and intermediate treatments, respectively, native species Rhodiola rosea and Campanula rotundifolia had equivalent performance to P. compressa . The mat-forming Sedum acre retained more water than controls and other species in the wet and intermediate treatments suggesting that its growth form impeded evaporation from the soil surface. Performance differences among growth forms and species across soil moisture gradients suggest that optimal water loss and roof surface cooling could be enhanced by planting multiple species.
Improving financial data quality using ontologies

The performance of financial decision-making directly concerns both businesses and individuals. Data quality is a key factor for decision performance. As the availability of online financial data increases, it also heightens the problem of data quality. In this paper, a taxonomy is created for data quality problems. More importantly, an ontology-based framework is proposed to improve the quality of online financial data. An empirical evaluation of the framework with the financial data of real-world firms provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the framework. The framework is expected to support decision-making in finance and in other domains where data is spread across multiple sources with overlap but complementary in content.
Ion-exchange chromatography of saccharides: an improved system utilizing boric acid/2,3-butanediol buffers.

An improved ion-exchange column chromatographic system for the separation and quantitation of neutral mono-, di-, and trisaccharides is described. A two-buffer, stepwise elution system, utilizing a 0.6 × 85 cm column of Dowex 1-X4, eluted with boric acid/2,3-butanediol buffers at a flow rate of 70 ml/cm2/hr and operated at elevated temperatures has been developed for the resolution of complex mixtures of saccharides. Analysis of the column effluents with the aniline/acetic acid/orthophosphoric acid reagent permits quantitation of the saccharides with a precision of approximately ± 5%.
Parallel and distributed systems: simulation analysis of RLC timers in UMTS systems

Radio Link Control (RLC) is the layer two protocol used in 3G UMTS cellular systems for flow control and error recovery. Due to the complexity of the protocol and the multitude of parameter configurations available, it is extremely difficult to model RLC analytically. Therefore we present a simulation model to study RLC performance in UMTS systems. We focus on the impacts of the poll prohibit timer and the poll timer on RLC throughput, goodput and delay. Our simulation results provide some insight into the optimization of these two timer values.
Organizing and "The Social Psychology of Organizing.".

As a kind of “retrospective sense‐making,” this essay describes how organizational communication scholars and others have made use of and been influenced by the work of Karl Weick. With that as context, several key concepts are isolated and discussed as they have been utilized and adapted by others. The essay concludes by noting how these developments have resulted in enhanced understanding of organizing as communicating, organizing as sense‐making, and organizational culture.
Multilevel marketing networks in less-developed countries

A mathematical dynamic economic model of a hierarchal periodic marketing system is constructed. Goods move from producers through many traders and many markets, first being bulked as they ascend through the several levels of the market hierarchy and then being distributed as they descend the hierarchy in another region. Such a complex system is typical for many Third World countries where a commodity is produced in one region and distributed to consumers in another. Unlike most models of marketing, transportation, and storage systems, our model is founded upon the individual transportation and storage behaviors of the traders, who, we assume, have nonlinear marginal operating costs and are provided with possibly incomplete and tardy market news. The traders' individual behaviors are then aggregated and combined with the supply schedules in the initial producers' markets and with the demand schedules in the final consumers' markets to obtain the overall model. It is a truly dynamic one and provides through recursive analyses time series in all prices and quantity flows. In general, the overall system remains in dynamic disequilibrium even though its individual markets keep clearing under perfect competition on every market day. This is a realistic result. It is also shown that the system has a unique equilibrium state, which may however never be attained. The paper concludes with some computer-simulation studies, which indicate the effects of varying the systems parameters.
Effects of Electroporation on Transmembrane Potential Induced by Defibrillation Shocks

KRASSOWSKA, W.: Effects of Electroporation on Transmembrane Potential Induced by Defibrillation Shocks. This study uses a one-dimensional model of cardiac strand to investigate the effects of electroporation on transmembrane potential (Vm) induced by defibrillation shocks. The strand is stimulated at the ends by extracellular electrodes. Its membrane, when exposed to large Vm, increases its conductance in a manner consistent with reversible electrical breakdown. Numerical simulations indicate that Vm increases proportionally to the shock strength only until the ends of the strand electroporate. Beyond this point, further increases in shock strength result in only a minor change in Vm. This arrest in the growth of Vm is caused by pores that develop in the cells immediately adjacent to the electrodes and that shunt part of the stimulating current directly into intracellular space. Consequently, only a fraction of the delivered current, Icr gives rise to Vm; the current in excess of Icr. divides itself proportionally between intra- and extracellular space and does not contribute to macroscopic Vm. Thus, electroporation has a beneficial effect: the formation of pores prevents the development of an excessively high Vm and limits the damage to the tissue. In contrast, electroporation does not affect the “sawtooth” component of Vm that reflects polarization of individual cells by electric field. These results indicate that electroporation does not impair the ability of the shock to reach the distant myocardium and may actually aid defibrillation by reducing nonuniformity of electrical conditions between regions close to the electrodes and in the bulk of tissue.
Chronology of Erectile Function in Patients with Early Functional Erections Following Radical Prostatectomy

ABSTRACT Introduction The association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and radical prostatectomy (RP) is well established. It is our clinical experience that some men who have functional erections in the days to weeks after RP go on to lose erectile function (EF) after the first 3 months postsurgery. Aim To assess EF over a 12-month period in patients with functional erections at 3 months following RP. Methods As part of a large prospective quality-of-life (QOL) study of men undergoing RP at our institution, EF is measured postoperatively at regular time intervals using serial administration of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. For study inclusion, patients had to have functional erections (a score 4 or 5 on IIEF question 3) at the third postoperative month, and have at least 12 months of follow-up. Main Outcome Measures Assessment of EF and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) use at 3, 6, and 12 months after RP. Results At 3 months, 76 of 482 patients (16%) had functional erections. Between 3 to 6 months postoperatively, 20% of men deteriorated in their functional status. Of these men, 91% had functional erections at 1 year. Comparing patients who did not require PDE5i to obtain a functional erection at 3 months with those who did, the EF outcomes were superior at 6 months (80% vs. 72%, P = 0.74) and 12 months (100% vs. 88%, P = 0.33). Conclusion The recovery of functional erections in the early postoperative phase, especially without the need for PDE5i, is a good prognostic indicator for EF at 12 months. However, a distinct cohort of men lose functional erections within 6 months after surgery. It is important to inform patients of this possibility, as it has an impact on their QOL and, potentially, on their compliance with post-RP therapy for ED. Katz D, Bennett NE, Stasi J, Eastham JA, Guillonneau BD, Scardino PT, and Mulhall JP. Chronology of erectile function in patients with early functional erections following radical prostatectomy.
Rotary antenna for cancellation-free telestimulation

Abstract Materials and methods are described for constructing an inexpensive, rotating antenna for use in a constant current telestimulation system. The chief advantage of a constantly moving antenna is the attenuation of null zones inherent in shielded rooms created by reflected standing waves. Evidence for the functional elimination of null zones through continual distortion of the RF field is presented.
Functional Interaction of Transmembrane Helices 3 and 6 in Rhodopsin REPLACEMENT OF PHENYLALANINE 261 BY ALANINE CAUSES REVERSION OF PHENOTYPE OF A GLYCINE 121 REPLACEMENT MUTANT

Replacement of a highly conserved glycine residue on transmembrane (TM) helix 3 of bovine rhodopsin (Gly121) by amino acid residues with larger side chains causes a progressive blue-shift in the lambdamax value of the pigment, a decrease in thermal stability, and an increase in reactivity with hydroxylamine. In addition, mutation of Gly121 causes a relative reversal in the selectivity of opsin for 11-cis-retinal over all-trans-retinal. It was suggested that Gly121 plays an important role in defining the 11-cis-retinal binding pocket of rhodopsin (Han, M., Lin, S. W., Smith, S. O., and Sakmar, T. P. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 32330-32336). Here, we combined the mutant opsin G121L with second site replacements of four different amino acid residues on TM helix 6: Met257, Val258, Phe261, or Trp265. We show that the loss of function phenotypes of the G121L mutant described above can be partially reverted specifically by the mutation of Phe261, a residue highly conserved in all G protein-coupled receptors. For example, the double-replacement mutant G121L/F261A has spectral, chromophore-binding, and transducin-activating properties intermediate between those of G121L and rhodopsin. This rescue of the G121L defects did not occur with the other second site mutations tested. We conclude that specific portions of TM helices 3 and 6, which include Gly121 and Phe261, respectively, define the chromophore-binding pocket in rhodopsin. Finally, the results are placed in the context of a molecular graphics model of the TM domain of rhodopsin, which includes the retinal-binding pocket.
Integrating acceptance and mindfulness into existing cognitive-behavioral treatment for GAD: A case study

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic, pervasive disorder associated with significant impairment in functioning. While cognitive-behavioral interventions appear to be relatively efficacious in reducing GAD symptoms, the proportion of treated individuals who reach desired levels of end-state functioning is less than ideal. A number of recent theoretical and empirical advances in the field have led to the development of novel, experimental treatments for GAD. The current paper describes the integration of acceptance and mindfulness techniques into an existing cognitive-behavioral group treatment for GAD. Data from 4 clients suggest that further refinement of acceptance and mindfulness methods may facilitate improvement in the quality of life and psychosocial functioning of individuals diagnosed with GAD.
Monoterpene aldehydes and isophorone-related compounds of saffron

Abstract The volatile constituents of saffron were extracted with diethyl ether, and the individual fractions were separated by gas chromatography. IR, UV and NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were used to identify these previously unreported compounds in saffron : 2,6,6-trimethyl-4-hydroxy-1-cyclohexen-1-carboxaldehyde, 2,4,4-trimethyl-3-formyl-6-hydroxy-2,5-cylohexadien-1-one, isophorone, 3,5,5-trimethyl-4-hydroxy-1-cyclohexanon-2-ene, 3,5,5-trimethyl-1,4-cyclohexadione, 3,5,5-trimethyl-1,4-cyclohexadion-2-ene, and 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-hydroxy-1,4-cyclohexadion-2-ene. The last four of these compounds were synthesized from isophorone.
Affective computing: challenges

A number of researchers around the world have built machines that recognize, express, model, communicate, and respond to emotional information, instances of "affective computing." This article raises and responds to several criticisms of affective computing, articulating state-of-the art research challenges, especially with respect to affect in human-computer interaction.