cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of developing multimorbidity across all ages in an historical cohort study: differences by sex and ethnicity.

Objective To study the incidence of de novo multimorbidity across all ages in a geographically defined population with an emphasis on sex and ethnic differences. Design Historical cohort study. Setting All persons residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA on 1 January 2000 who had granted permission for their records to be used for research (n=123 716). Participants We used the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system to identify all of the county residents. We identified and removed from the cohort all persons who had developed multimorbidity before 1 January 2000 (baseline date), and we followed the cohort over 14 years (1 January 2000 through 31 December 2013). Main outcome measures Incident multimorbidity was defined as the development of the second of 2 conditions (dyads) from among the 20 chronic conditions selected by the US Department of Health and Human Services. We also studied the incidence of the third of 3 conditions (triads) from among the 20 chronic conditions. Results The incidence of multimorbidity increased steeply with older age; however, the number of people with incident multimorbidity was substantially greater in people younger than 65 years compared to people age 65 years or older (28 378 vs 6214). The overall risk was similar in men and women; however, the combinations of conditions (dyads and triads) differed extensively by age and by sex. Compared to Whites, the incidence of multimorbidity was higher in Blacks and lower in Asians. Conclusions The risk of developing de novo multimorbidity increases steeply with older age, varies by ethnicity and is similar in men and women overall. However, as expected, the combinations of conditions vary extensively by age and sex. These data represent an important first step toward identifying the causes and the consequences of multimorbidity.
Computing accreditation: a new criteria structure and new flexibility

The Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET has proposed changes in the structure of the criteria used to accredit computer science and information systems programs. The new structure combines, into so-called "general criteria," components of criteria that apply to any computing program accredited by CAC. Individual program areas will supply criteria that only apply to that specific program area, to supplement the general criteria. The new criteria format allows CAC to accredit additional program areas, such as information technology. In fact, program criteria for information technology also have been proposed. This session will discuss the new criteria structure, including the proposed general and program criteria, changes to existing criteria, and the timetable for implementation of the new structure.
Multidimensional stochastic approximation: Adaptive algorithms and applications

We consider prototypical sequential stochastic optimization methods of Robbins-Monro (RM), Kiefer-Wolfowitz (KW), and Simultaneous Perturbations Stochastic Approximation (SPSA) varieties and propose adaptive modifications for multidimensional applications. These adaptive versions dynamically scale and shift the tuning sequences to better match the characteristics of the unknown underlying function, as well as the noise level. We test our algorithms on a variety of representative applications in inventory management, health care, revenue management, supply chain management, financial engineering, and queueing theory.
Gender and leadership in work groups: Six alternative models

Abstract Interest in understanding the dynamics of gender and leadership has blossomed in recent years as occupations and organizations have become less sex-segregated. Much of the work in this area has failed to draw on the wealth of theoretical work that addresses the dynamics of gender in social interaction. The aim of this article is to review several theoretical traditions within the gender literature that have social psychological implications for emergent status structures for groups of varying sex compositions over time. Six models are developed with competing predictions for leadership emergence and status structures, and existing evidence is compared with model predictions. The article concludes by noting that greater understanding can be reached by performing competitive tests of a variety of models, such as the ones presented in this article, and doing so by studying groups over time.
Hyperspectral image unmixing via quadratic programming

Estimating abundance fraction of materials in hyperspectral images is an important area of study in the field of remote sensing. The need for fraction estimation in remotely sensed images arises from the fact that the sampling distance is generally larger than the size of the targets of interest. The abundance sum-to-one constraint and the abundance nonnegativity constraint are the two physcial constraints often considered when developing estimation methods. In this paper, we relax the abundance sum-to-one constraint as this condition is rarely satisfied in reality and use the relaxed sum-to-one constraint instead to develop a constrained method. Experimental results demonstrate that this method provides more precise estimation of the fractions when the sum-to-one constraint is violated, while producing similar results to other existing methods when the constraint holds.
Design and methods for a double blind, randomized study of tolrestat for the prevention of nephropathy in normotensive patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuria

Abstract This article describes the design and methods for a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial being conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of an aldose reductase inhibitor, tolrestat, for the prevention of nephropathy in normotensive patients with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus. Patients with type I diabetes mellitus of greater than 5 years' duration were enrolled if they had a baseline urinar albumin excretion rate (UAER) within 10 to 150 μg/min; a mean supine diastolic blood pressure 2 . Patients were randomly assigned to one of three parallel treatment groups: placebo twice daily, tolrestat 200 mg once daily and placebo once daily, or tolrestat 200 mg twice daily. The minimum treatment period is 48 months. The primary efficac end point will be the change in UAER over time; a secondary end point will be the change in diastolic blood pressure over time. This study represents the first large-scale, long-term controlled trial undertaken to assess the efficacy of an aldose reductase inhibitor for prevention of progression of microalbuminuria in diabetic patients. When completed, this study should provide valuable information about the the efficacy of an aldose reductase inhibitor, tolrestat, for the prevention of diabetic nephropathy.
Small tidal channels improve foraging opportunities for Calidris shorebirds

ABSTRACT Estuarine intertidal habitats are heterogeneous, therefore migratory shorebirds are expected to forage in microhabitats where they can maximize their energy intake. Identifying proximate factors that migratory shorebirds use to accept or reject a particular habitat patch will help land managers make conservation and restoration decisions that provide the greatest benefits to shorebird populations during migration, a period of intense energy usage. We examined whether small semipermanent tidal channels were preferentially used by foraging Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and Dunlins (C. alpina) during a spring migratory stopover in Bandon Marsh, an Oregon, USA, estuary. Further, we tested alternative hypotheses about how channels might be beneficial to shorebirds by examining infauna abundance, composition, and depth alongside channels compared with that in open mudflats. The densities of Western Sandpipers and Dunlins were at least 4 times higher along channels than in open mudflat habitats. I...
Constructing a practical philosophy of teaching: A study of preservice teachers' professional perspectives

Abstract This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study of preservice teachers' professional perspectives. Using the principles of “ethnographic semantics” to analyze the data, th paper describes the way in which students create a practical philosophy of teaching by integrating two primary perspectives, portrays the “guiding images” that make up these perspectives, and examines the psycho-social dynamics that underlie the development of a given professional perspective. Finally, it discusses the implications of the study's findings for research on teacher socialization and for teacher education.
Cloning and characterization of the gene, speC, for pyrogenic exotoxin type C from Streptococcus pyogenes

The structural gene of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C (SPE C) was cloned from the chromosome of Streptococcus pyogenes strain T18P into Escherichia coli using pBR328 as the vector plasmid. Subcloning enabled the localization of the gene (speC) to a 1.7 kb fragment. Partially purified E. coli-derived SPE C and purified streptococcal-derived SPE C, were shown to have the same molecular weight (23,800) and biological activities. A DNA probe, prepared from cloned speC, cross-hybridized with the structural genes of SPE A and SPE B indicating relatedness at the nucleotide level. The speC-derived probe also hybridized to a fragment of CS112 bacteriophage DNA containing the phage attachment site.
Fault-Tolerant Computers Using ``Dotted Logic'' Redundancy Techniques

A new redundancy technique termed dotted logic is presented. Critical input errors are eliminated by joining together the output of NAND gates and NOR gates. The remaining subcritical errors are corrected by introducing redundant inputs to each logic element. Two different schemes, dotted alternating and dotted identical, are described and compared with existing error-correcting techniques. It is shown that these new methods have several advantages over quadded or triple modular redundancy (TMR) networks. In addition to correcting single faults, dotted schemes are easily extended to cover multiple faults. Methods for initial failure determinations for dotted schemes are proposed. Finally, it is shown that a network consisting of complex function elements can be made more reliable by dotting.
Development of a Multi-Function Sensors

Sensors are increasingly used to determine the operational and environmental state of aerospace structures while in service. Typically, each sensor is tasked with a single function. The measurement of multiple physical quantities is usually associated with multiple sensors. The number of sensors on a structure may become prohibitive due to cost, weight or power constraints. This paper investigates the development and application of a multi-functional sensor where a single sensor performs multiple functions. A flexible MFC based piezoelectric sensor is embedded in a corrugated composite plate to determine the state of stress, temperature and vibration, all from the same device. Development of the sensor and preliminary test results are discussed in detail.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Health care in the borderland.

For over 30 years, Hidalgo County, a geographically isolated and financially stressed community in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, has struggled to develop a stable primary health care service.The retirement of the county's general practitioner in the 1970s was followed by several decades of misses, near-misses, and out-and-out failures, when the community found it difficult to attract and impossible to keep a physician. In order to organize and fund a stable medical clinic, the community had to adapt to the realities of a new era in medicine. Primary care physicians in rural communities need access to medical information and to specialists, help in coping with the economic pressures of medical care, and support that will enable them to develop a sustainable lifestyle. Hidalgo County now has a modern health care delivery system. The experiences that led to the creation of the present clinic provide insight into the problems for the delivery of primary health care in remote areas and suggest solutions that may be relevant to other communities across rural America.
A THEOREM OF THE ALTERNATIVE FOR MULTIHOMOGENEOUS FUNCTIONS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO DIAGONAL SCALING OF MATRICES

Abstract We prove that, given a multihomogeneous function satisfying some initial conditions, either it has a certain nonnegative zero over a given subspace, or an associated logarithmic barrier function has a constrained stationary point. Under convexity precisely one of these conditions is satisfied. The main ingredients of the proof are the derivation of significant properties of the constrained stationary points of the logarithmic barrier function, and their relationship to corresponding points of an associated Karmarkar potential function. Corollaries of the theorem include a duality for Karmarkar's canonical linear program, which happens to be a stronger version of Gordan's theorem; a more general duality than an existing one concerning the diagonal scaling of symmetric matrices, also shown to be a stronger version of Gordan's theorem; and a diagonal scalability result for a class of multihomogeneous polynomials which is more general than a previously known result on the scalability of positive multidimensional matrices. We also give an algorithmic proof of the theorem of the alternative through a projective algorithm which is a generalization of a modified Karmarkar linear programming algorithm, and in the context of nonnegative matrix scaling becomes a variant of the well-known RAS algorithm.
Why do users continue using social networking sites? An exploratory study of members in the United States and Taiwan

In this paper, we draw on an extended Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to explore factors that affect members' continued use intention toward Social Networking Sites (SNSs). We also theorize about the intricate relationships among a variety of UGT constructs. Further, we conduct this research in a global context by comparing SNS use in the United States and Taiwan. Empirical survey data are collected to validate the research model, and several intriguing findings are observed. Our research results indicate that four determinants, i.e., gratifications, perceived critical mass, subjective norms, and privacy concerns, influence SNS users' continuance intention and that regional differences moderate the effects of both gratifications and privacy concerns on continuance intention. Our study makes noticeable contributions to the literature on UGT and SNSs. The findings reported also inform service providers in developing better strategies for member retention.
Microangiopathy, the vascular basement membrane and Alzheimer's disease: a review

The present review focuses on the vascular basement membrane (VBM) and its relationship to the lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Examination of the fine structure of the microvasculature reveals AD-associated VBM alterations, which include both thickening and vacuolization. Immunocytochemistry confirms that all three intrinsic VBM components [collagen type IV, laminin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)] outline the capillary bed, which is pathologically altered in AD patients (microangiopathy). Ultrastructural analyses of AD tissue samples demonstrate that HSPG's normal staining pattern is disrupted on the endothelial surface of the VBM in brain regions affected by Alzheimer lesions. Similarly altered VBM is reported to occur in the kidney of patients with diabetes mellitus, where it is associated with a leakage of protein. All three VBM components immunolabel capillaries, amyloid and plaque-associated glial processes, suggesting a link between microangiopathy and senile plaque formation. In addition, the consistent colocalization of HSPG with several forms of amyloid implies an involvement in amyloidogenesis. Finally, the neurotrophic effects of beta-amyloid, combined with neurite-promoting effects of laminin and HSPG, could create a strong focus for an aberrant sprouting response. Such a response is postulated to result in plaque-associated degenerating neurites. Thus, VBM components could serve as a nidus for plaque formation, playing a role in the development of neuritic as well as amyloidotic elements.
A database system for abstract selection for a major anesthesia society meeting.

Until the present time, record keeping for abstract selection for major anesthesia meetings has been performed by manual methods—paper, pen, and typewriter. We describe the construction and implementation of a microcomputer based system to facilitate data recording, form-letter generation, and program construction. Based on MicroPro’s WordStar, InfoStar, MailMerge series, the database has reduced the total effort required to construct the final program from 1.5 hours per abstract submitted for the 1984 meeting to 0.7 hours for the 1986 meeting. Problems encountered were mastery of the system by operating personnel, floppy disk overflow, and data loss of unknown etiology. The significant time savings attest to the value of the system.
Compressive strain measurement using RFID patch antenna sensors

In this research, two radiofrequency identification (RFID) antenna sensor designs are tested for compressive strain measurement. The first design is a passive (battery-free) folded patch antenna sensor with a planar dimension of 61mm × 69mm. The second design is a slotted patch antenna sensor, whose dimension is reduced to 48mm × 44mm by introducing slots on antenna conducting layer to detour surface current path. A three-point bending setup is fabricated to apply compression on a tapered aluminum specimen mounted with an antenna sensor. Mechanics-electromagnetics coupled simulation shows that the antenna resonance frequency shifts when each antenna sensor is under compressive strain. Extensive compression tests are conducted to verify the strain sensing performance of the two sensors. Experimental results confirm that the resonance frequency of each antenna sensor increases in an approximately linear relationship with respect to compressive strain. The compressive strain sensing performance of the two RFID antenna sensors, including strain sensitivity and determination coefficient, is evaluated based on the experimental data.
Can infants attribute to an agent a disposition to perform a particular action

The present research investigated whether 13.5-month-old infants would attribute to an actor a disposition to perform a recurring action, and would then use this information to predict which of two new objects-one that could be used to perform the action and one that could not-the actor would grasp next. During familiarization, the infants watched an actor slide various objects forward and backward on an apparatus floor. During test, the infants saw two new identical objects placed side by side: one stood inside a short frame that left little room for sliding; the other stood inside a longer frame that left ample room for sliding. The infants who saw the actor grasp the object inside the short frame looked reliably longer than those who saw the actor grasp the object inside the long frame. This and control results from a lifting condition provide evidence that by 13.5 months, infants can attribute to an actor a disposition to perform a particular action.
Geographic and energy-aware routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Energy efficiency is crucial for large scale sensor networks due to the intrinsic resource constraints of the wireless sensors and the infeasibility to change depleted batteries that may reside in hostile environments. This paper proposes an energy efficient routing algorithm based on a two-layer Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) architecture to maximise the lifetime. The proposed scheme takes advantage of the geographic deployment knowledge to build routing protocols. Linear Programming (LP) formulations are developed to maximise the lifetime of WSNs. A Hybrid Energy-efficient Routing Scheme (HERS) is proposed to incorporate both max-min residual energy and min-max communication energy consumption information. Simulation results show that the proposed routing algorithms can prolong the lifetime of a WSN compared to the existing algorithms.
PRESS: PRedictive Elastic ReSource Scaling for cloud systems

Cloud systems require elastic resource allocation to minimize resource provisioning costs while meeting service level objectives (SLOs). In this paper, we present a novel PRedictive Elastic reSource Scaling (PRESS) scheme for cloud systems. PRESS unobtrusively extracts fine-grained dynamic patterns in application resource demands and adjust their resource allocations automatically. Our approach leverages light-weight signal processing and statistical learning algorithms to achieve online predictions of dynamic application resource requirements. We have implemented the PRESS system on Xen and tested it using RUBiS and an application load trace from Google. Our experiments show that we can achieve good resource prediction accuracy with less than 5% over-estimation error and near zero under-estimation error, and elastic resource scaling can both significantly reduce resource waste and SLO violations.
Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p70S6 kinase blocks osteogenic protein-1 induction of alkaline phosphatase activity in fetal rat calvaria cells.

Published studies reveal that Osteogenic Protein-1 (OP-1) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) synergistically stimulate alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and bone nodule formation in fetal rat calvaria (FRC) cells. In the present study, we examined whether there are interactions between the signal transduction pathways activated by these two growth factors. OP-1 did not significantly affect the levels of IRS-1, IRS-2, the p85α subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) or the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-2, but stimulated ERK-1 protein by twofold. OP-1 also induced phosphorylation of ERK-1 and -2, but not of Akt/protein kinase B (PKB), a protein kinase that is downstream of PI 3-kinase. By comparison, IGF-I increased the levels of the phosphorylated forms of ERK-1 and -2, and Akt/PKB. Inhibition of ERK activation by PD98059 did not significantly alter the stimulation of AP activity by OP-1 or OP-1 in combination with IGF-I. In contrast, inhibition of PI 3-kinase activity by LY294002 blocked the induction of AP activity by OP-1 and OP-1 plus IGF-I. Treatment of cells with rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of mTOR, resulted in a 47% and a 53% decrease in the AP activity induced by OP-1 alone and by OP-1 plus IGF-I, respectively. These studies suggest that PI 3-kinase and mTOR contribute to the induction of AP activity by OP-1 and the synergistic effect of OP-1 and IGF-I on AP activity in FRC cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 88: 1247–1255, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Invited Commentary: Maternal Stress and Stillbirth—Another Piece of the Puzzle

Although numerous causes and risk factors for stillbirth have been described, there are many cases that remain unexplained. In addition, the relationship between various risk factors and potential etiologies remains uncertain. This has contributed to a plateau in stillbirth rates in developed countries. In this issue of the Journal, Laszlo et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(3):219-227) present some of the first data clearly linking maternal stress and stillbirth. This is biologically plausible, since many of the bioactive mediators of stress contribute to the pathophysiology of stillbirth. Stress is an attractive potential risk factor for stillbirth, since in some cases it may be modified. However, it is important to be careful when counseling families about the relationship between stress and stillbirth so that they do not blame themselves for the event. These data should spur additional investigation into the link between stress and stillbirth, hopefully leading to fewer fetal deaths.
Distributed algorithms for reaching consensus on general functions

This paper presents analysis and design results for distributed consensus algorithms in multi-agent networks. We consider continuous consensus functions of the initial state of the network agents. Under mild smoothness assumptions, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions characterizing any algorithm that asymptotically achieves consensus. This characterization is the building block to obtain various design results for networks with weighted, directed interconnection topologies. We first identify a class of smooth functions for which one can synthesize in a systematic way distributed algorithms that achieve consensus. We apply this result to the family of weighted power mean functions, and characterize the exponential convergence properties of the resulting algorithms. We establish the validity of these results for scenarios with switching interconnection topologies. Finally, we conclude with two discontinuous distributed algorithms that achieve, respectively, max and min consensus in finite time.
Output-input stability and minimum-phase nonlinear systems

This paper introduces and studies the notion of output-input stability, which represents a variant of the minimum-phase property for general smooth nonlinear control systems. The definition of output-input stability does not rely on a particular choice of coordinates in which the system takes a normal form or on the computation of zero dynamics. In the spirit of the "input-to-state stability" philosophy, it requires the state and input of the system to be bounded by a suitable function of the output and derivatives of the output, modulo a decaying term depending on initial conditions. The class of output-input stable systems thus defined includes all affine systems in global normal form whose internal dynamics are input-to-state stable and also all left-invertible linear systems whose transmission zeros have negative real parts. As an application, we explain how the new concept enables one to develop a natural extension to nonlinear systems of a basic result from linear adaptive control.
Enhanced Allergic Responses to House Dust Mite by Oral Exposure to Carbaryl in Rats

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between use of carbamate insecticides, including carbaryl, and increased incidence of allergic asthma in farmers. In this study the effect of oral carbaryl exposure on the development of allergic responses to house dust mite (HDM) was examined in female Brown Norway rats. Rats were gavaged for 2 weeks with 0, 2, 10, or 50 mg/kg/day of carbaryl. They were sensitized with a subcutaneous injection of HDM in aluminum hydroxide adjuvant 3 days after the beginning of carbaryl exposure and challenged with antigen via the trachea 1 day after the final carbaryl ingestion. Two days after challenge, antigen-specific cell proliferation in pulmonary lymph nodes was significantly higher in the 50 mg/kg group than in controls, while antigen-specific splenocyte proliferation was decreased in groups dosed with 2, 10, and 50 mg/kg carbaryl. Total protein and lymphocyte number in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were also increased in the 50 mg/kg group. By 7 days after challenge, immune-mediated pulmonary inflammation (eosinophils), antigen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E level in serum, and antigen-specific IgE and IgA levels in BAL fluid were significantly elevated in the 50 mg/kg group. No apparent change was observed for lactate dehydrogenase and eosinophil peroxidase in BAL fluid, while the number of BAL macrophages were decreased in groups dosed with 10 and 50 mg/kg carbaryl. The results suggest that carbaryl may cause systemic immune suppression, while enhancing pulmonary allergic responses to house dust mite antigen.
Effects of breed of sire on carcass composition and sensory traits of lamb

This experiment was conducted to compare meat quality and carcass composition of a diverse sampling of sheep breeds. Finnsheep, Romanov, Dorper, White Dorper, Katahdin, Rambouillet, Suffolk, Texel, Dorset, and Composite (½ Columbia rams to ¼ Hampshire × ¼ Suffolk) rams were mated to mature Composite ewes. Lambs (n = 804) were reared intensively, grain fi nished, and serially harvested over a 63-d period. Average harvest age was 216 d and average HCW was 30.7 kg. At a common harvest age, progeny of Suffolk sires were heavier than progeny of all other breeds (P < 0.05) and their carcasses were heavier (P < 0.05) than progeny of all other breeds, except White Dorper and Dorper. Progeny of Finnsheep and Romanov sires had lighter (P < 0.05) carcasses than progeny of all other breeds. Progeny of Texel, Suffolk, White Dorper, and Dorper sires had larger (P < 0.05) LM area than all other breeds. Progeny of Finnsheep and Romanov sires had smaller (P < 0.05) LM area than all other breeds. Fat thickness at the 12th rib was greater (P < 0.05) for progeny of Dorper sires than those of all other breeds, except White Dorper and Katahdin. Fat thickness at the 4th sacral vertebrae was greater (P < 0.05) for progeny of White Dorper and Dorper sires than those of all other breeds. On a carcass weight-constant basis, progeny of Suffolk sires had a lesser (P < 0.05) percentage of ether-extractable carcass fat than progeny of all other breeds, except Texel. Regardless of harvest endpoint (age-constant or HCW-constant), LM of progeny of Finnsheep and Romanov sires contained a greater (P < 0.05) percentage of intramuscular fat and received greater (P < 0.05) marbling scores than Rambouillet, Suffolk, Texel, Dorset, or Composite. Regardless of harvest endpoint, progeny of Finnsheep, Romanov, and Katahdin sires had smaller LM slice shear force values and greater trained sensory panel tenderness ratings at 7 d postmortem than did progeny of Composite, Suffolk, and Dorset sires (P < 0.05). At an age-constant basis, small differences (P < 0.05) were observed among breeds for lamb fl avor intensity scores; however, when means were adjusted to a carcass weight-constant basis, breed of sire did not affect fl avor intensity or off-fl avor scores. These results document that each breed has relative strengths and weaknesses across traits, and that no single breed excels for all growth, carcass, and sensory traits.
Marketing Singapore as an international destination

Singapore has emerged in the 1980s as a major tourist destination in Asia due to a combination of favourable economic conditions and well-orchestrated marketing programmes. After experiencing a rapid growth of tourism, the country is now facing new challenges and opportunities in further positioning itself as a major 'gateway to the East'. This paper provides an in-depth look at the problems, current trends and issues in the country's tourism industry.
Out of Florida: mtDNA reveals patterns of migration and Pleistocene range expansion of the Green Anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Anolis carolinensis is an emerging model species and the sole member of its genus native to the United States. Considerable morphological and physiological variation has been described in the species, and the recent sequencing of its genome makes it an attractive system for studies of genome variation. To inform future studies of molecular and phenotypic variation within A. carolinensis, a rigorous account of intraspecific population structure and relatedness is needed. Here, we present the most extensive phylogeographic study of this species to date. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data support the previous hypothesis of a western Cuban origin of the species. We found five well-supported, geographically distinct mitochondrial haplotype clades throughout the southeastern United States. Most Florida populations fall into one of three divergent clades, whereas the vast majority of populations outside Florida belong to a single, shallowly diverged clade. Genetic boundaries do not correspond to major rivers, but may reflect effects of Pleistocene glaciation events and the Appalachian Mountains on migration and expansion of the species. Phylogeographic signal should be examined using nuclear loci to complement these findings.
Monitoring, Intracranial Pressure

The craniospinal axis consists of all neural tissue and contiguous fluid-filled spaces within the cranium and spinal sac. Intracranial pressure (ICP) is a nonuniform pressure recorded within the craniospinal axis. Although the subject of intracranial pressure dates back to over 200 ago, both the invasive monitoring procedure required to measure ICP with its accompanying risk of infection and the nonunique nature of the extravascular pressure measurement have retarded the development of knowledge in this area. As a result, the intent of this article is to provide the reader with a broad perspective ICP monitoring by providing background material on (1) the physiological and anatomical characteristics of the craniospinal, (2) a history of instrumentation techniques including the most recent advances, (3) a brief review of significant clinical ICP monitoring studies with an emphasis on severe head injury, (4) a review of analysis methods, and (5) models of ICP dynamics related to analysis. Keywords: intracranial pressure; ICP; craniospinal axis; parenchyma; meninges
Backward-Compatible Dynamic Spectrum Leasing for 802.11-Based Wireless Networks

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) is proposed to deal with the growing shortage of available leased spectrum for wireless communication. We investigate a subset of DSA referred to as Dynamic Spectrum Leasing (DSL). At its core, DSL allows spectrum lease holders and cognitive radios to cooperate in an effort to leverage spatial diversity to improve channel utilization for both parties. In this research, cognitive radios offer their services as an intermediate relay node in an effort to improve throughput of primary users utilizing a 802.11-based channel access mechanism. In return, the cognitive radio 'piggy-backs' some of its own data while acting as a relay. In this paper, a simple coordination scheme is introduced that allows a network of Secondary Users to coordinate with a Primary User network's access point. This scheme does not require any modification to the primary users' 802.11-based protocol stack as our protocol is implemented only at the access point and the secondary users. Analytical insights into the overhead required for this coordination and the optimization of the overhead are presented. It is shown that, given sufficient relay channel conditions, forwarding packets through a secondary relay channel can be beneficial to both parties in terms of saturation throughput.
Upper bounds and approximate solutions for multidisk problems

Approximate solutions of multiobjective H/sup infinity /-optimization problems, also referred to as multidisk problems, are considered. The main result is an algorithm that makes it possible to compute an upper bound for linear two-disk problems and also a (suboptimal) controller that achieves this bound. The algorithm involves some graphical techniques which can also be used to demonstrate explicitly the design tradeoffs inherent in problems involving competing objectives. The results can be generalized to multidisk problems. >
Application of Data Mining Technology Based on Neural Network in the Engineering

Data mining is the important approach to realize knowledge discovery. It is the process of extracting patterns or predicting previously unknown and useful trends from large quantities of data by using the knowledge of multidisciplinary fields such as statistics, mode identify, artificial intelligence, machine learning, database, management information system and so on. The artificial neural network (ANN) is one of the techniques of data mining. It is the nonlinear auto-fit dynamic system made of many cells with simulating the construction of biology neural systems. ANN has the ability to mapping high nonlinear system, associable memory and abstractly generalization. It can make model from analyzing the mode in the data and discover the unknown knowledge. The present paper gives an engineering application of data mining based on neural networks. The back propagation (BP) neural network is used as the algorithm of data mining. Then the effects of structural technologic parameters on stress in the weld region of the shield engine rotor in a submarine are analyzed. The mined data come from the numerical simulations of the finite element method. The effects of different parameters on the stress in the weld region are achieved from the results of the data mining. The discovered knowledge is beneficial to the security improvement of structural strength design for the engine rotor.
An approach to distributed component-based real-time application software development

Component-based software development would allow application software to be largely constructed rather than programmed. This approach would dramatically improve the productivity of software development. Although there are many reusable software packages available, the integration of the chosen parts remains a very difficult problem because there are many barriers of integration, including programming languages, operating systems, communication mechanism, interface, etc. In this paper, an approach to developing real-time application software based on a distributed component architecture and cross-platform and cross-language integration of these software components is presented. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is used in the implementation. The distributed components will satisfy easy retrieval and integration over a heterogeneous distributed system environment. A component replication mechanism is used for providing fault-tolerance. Using object adapters with a real-time request monitor and scheduler that are transparently generated by a distributed component integration tool, real-time and fault-tolerance features can be easily incorporated in the application software.
Effect of cooking on fatty acid composition of beef lipids

Summary Paired chuck, rib, round and flank cuts were taken from carcasses of 12 Angus steers (454 kg live weight). Fatty acid composition of subcutaneous, seam (intermuscular), total intramuscular, intramuscular phospholipid and intramuscular neutral lipid fractions was determined on the raw and cooked (70°C) meat. On the basis of the fatty acids analysed (C14, C14:,1. C15, C16, C16:1, C17, C18, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C20:4) no significant differences were found between the lipids of the raw and cooked meat. In addition, the drip resulting from the cooked meat was not significantly different in its fatty acid composition from the seam, total intramuscular, or intramuscular neutral fractions.
Computationally feasible approaches to automated mechanism design

In many multiagent settings, a decision must be made based on the preferences of multiple agents, and agents may lie about their preferences if this is to their benefit. In mechanism design, the goal is to design procedures (mechanisms) for making the decision that work in spite of such strategic behavior, usually by making untruthful behavior suboptimal. In automated mechanism design, the idea is to computationally search through the space of feasible mechanisms, rather than to design them analytically by hand. Unfortunately, the most straightforward approach to automated mechanism design does not scale to large instances, because it requires searching over a very large space of possible functions. In this dissertation, we adopt an approach to automated mechanism design that is computationally feasible. Instead of optimizing over all feasible mechanisms, we carefully choose a parameterized subfamily of mechanisms. Then we optimize over mechanisms within this family. Finally, we analyze whether and to what extent the resulting mechanism is suboptimal outside the subfamily. We apply (computationally feasible) automated mechanism design to three resource allocation mechanism design problems: mechanisms that redistribute revenue, mechanisms that involve no payments at all, and mechanisms that guard against false-name manipulation.
Geometrical Theory of Diffraction

The geometrical theory of diffraction is an extension of geometrical optics which accounts for diffraction. It introduces diffracted rays in addition to the usual rays of geometrical optics. These rays are produced by incident rays which hit edges, corners, or vertices of boundary surfaces, or which graze such surfaces. Various laws of diffraction, analogous to the laws of reflection and refraction, are employed to characterize the diffracted rays. A modified form of Fermat’s principle, equivalent to these laws, can also be used. Diffracted wave fronts are defined, which can be found by a Huygens wavelet construction. There is an associated phase or eikonal function which satisfies the eikonal equation. In addition complex or imaginary rays are introduced. A field is associated with each ray and the total field at a point is the sum of the fields on all rays through the point. The phase of the field on a ray is proportional to the optical length of the ray from some reference point. The amplitude varies in accordance with the principle of conservation of energy in a narrow tube of rays. The initial value of the field on a diffracted ray is determined from the incident field with the aid of an appropriate diffraction coefficient. These diffraction coefficients are determined from certain canonical problems. They all vanish as the wavelength tends to zero. The theory is applied to diffraction by an aperture in a thin screen diffraction by a disk, etc., to illustrate it. Agreement is shown between the predictions of the theory and various other theoretical analyses of some of these problems. Experimental confirmation of the theory is also presented. The mathematical justification of the theory on the basis of electromagnetic theory is described. Finally, the applicability of this theory, or a modification of it, to other branches of physics is explained.
Surface Instabilities in Compressed or Bent Rubber Blocks

Abstract Biot carried out theoretical analyses of the critical strains at which surface instabilities would be encountered in large blocks of a neo-Hookean material subjected to different degrees of compression in two directions. Three special cases are reviewed here: simple compression in one direction, compression in one direction with the perpendicular direction constrained (pure shear), and equibiaxial compression. In all cases a surface instability is predicted to occur at a moderate compressive strain, ranging from about 33% to about 55%. Because unidirectional compression occurs on the inner surface of a rubber block subjected to simple bending, a similar surface instability would be expected at a critical degree of bending, when the surface compression is about 46%. Observations on bent rubber blocks are compared with this theoretical prediction. Sharp creases occurred on the inner surface at a critical degree of bending but the critical compressive strain there was only about 35% and the bending ...
Some characterizations of Arcsine distribution

Some distributional properties of the symmetric arcsine distribution on (−1, 1) is presented. Based on the distributional properties, several characterizations of the arcsine distri- bution are given. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 62G30, 62H05.
Using technology in engineering education

With the exponential rate of development in technology for delivering education, we now stand at the gateway of seeing sweeping changes in how the engineering students are educated in the 21st century. These techniques will need to be tailored to satisfy the needs of the generation of students who are now in college—better known as the millennial students. These students have some unique characteristics which make it difficult for them to derive maximum benefits from the traditional teaching methods with hour-long classroom lectures. They have developed short attention spans and so, when they are not interested in something, their attention quickly shifts somewhere else. As a result, their ideal learning environment has changed to shorter lectures, use of a variety of multimedia, and collaborating with their peers for maximum effectiveness. With the help of technology, it has been found that techniques such as the flipped classroom and on-line and hybrid offering of the class are helping today's students ...
How willing are landowners to supply land for bioenergy crops in the Northern Great Lakes Region

Land to produce biomass is essential if the United States is to expand bioenergy supply. Use of agriculturally marginal land avoids the food vs. fuel problems of food price rises and carbon debt that are associated with crop and forestland. Recent remote sensing studies have identified large areas of US marginal land deemed suitable for bioenergy crops. Yet the sustainability benefits of growing bioenergy crops on marginal land only pertain if land is economically available. Scant attention has been paid to the willingness of landowners to supply land for bioenergy crops. Focusing on the northern tier of the Great Lakes, where grassland transitions to forest and land prices are low, this contingent valuation study reports on the willingness of a representative sample of 1124 private, noncorporate landowners to rent land for three bioenergy crops: corn, switchgrass, and poplar. Of the 11% of land that was agriculturally marginal, they were willing to make available no more than 21% for any bioenergy crop (switchgrass preferred on marginal land) at double the prevailing land rental rate in the region. At the same generous rental rate, of the 28% that is cropland, they would rent up to 23% for bioenergy crops (corn preferred), while of the 55% that is forestland, they would rent up to 15% for bioenergy crops (poplar preferred). Regression results identified deterrents to land rental for bioenergy purposes included appreciation of environmental amenities and concern about rental disamenities. In sum, like landowners in the southern Great Lakes region, landowners in the Northern Tier are reluctant to supply marginal land for bioenergy crops. If rental markets existed, they would rent more crop and forestland for bioenergy crops than they would marginal land, which would generate carbon debt and opportunity costs in wood product and food markets.
Multiple Harmonic Conversion of CO2 Laser Radiation in Thallium Arsenic Selenide (TAS)

The infrared remains a relatively sparse region of strong coherent radiation sources. A convenient and powerful source of mid-infrared radiation is the CO2 laser and as a result much effort has gone into frequency conversion of CO2 lasers by nonlinear materials. The ternary chalcogenide salt Thallium Arsenic Selenide (TAS) has many properties that are useful for CO2 harmonic generation. It is a member of the space group R3m, possesses a large nonlinear coefficient (deff = 40×l0−12 m/V), has a fairly high damage threshold (1.7 J/cm2) and is transparent over a wide wavelength range (1.3–1.7 µm).
Initial mapping of Mercury's crustal magnetic field: Relationship to the Caloris impact basin

Seventy-eight low-altitude passes of MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging magnetometer data from August to September of 2014 have been applied to produce an approximate map of the crustal magnetic field at a constant altitude of 80 km covering latitudes of 50°–80°N and longitudes of 160°–330°E. The strongest anomalies are located in the westernmost part of the mapped region just north and northeast of the Caloris impact basin. The strongest single anomaly group lies over a smooth plains unit that extends northward from Caloris. A second anomaly lies on the Odin Formation, interpreted as primary Caloris ejecta. A third broad anomaly also lies over a smooth plains unit, Suisei Planitia. Although many smooth plains on Mercury may have a volcanic origin, a subset of these plains is concentrated around Caloris and could have a dominantly impact origin. It is therefore proposed that many of the Mercurian anomaly sources consist of impact basin ejecta materials.