cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing for optimal energy absorption, III: numerical minimization of the spectral abscissa

We address the optimal design problem associated with introducing passive damping devices into a structure in such a way thatall vibration frequencies are moved as far as possible into the left halfplane. As this natural objective function lacks a bounded derivative we are forced to adopt a derivative-free direct search method. We report on our application of parallel direct search to the optimal design of both shear buildings and strings.
An indentation method for measuring residual stresses in fiber-reinforced ceramics

Abstract Fiber sliding in the presence of residual stresses in ceramic composites is analyzed. The results indicate that measurements of the force-displacement relation for an indenter loaded onto the end of a fiber can be used to calculate the magnitude of the residual axial stress in the fiber. The technique is applied to measure residual stresses generated by thermal cycling of an SiC-glass ceramic composite.
Gene expression profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lupus patients with active and inactive disease.

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by periods of flare and remission. The search for parameters associated with disease activity has been an area of intense investigation. To identify genes that best differentiate patients with active from those with inactive disease, the expression pattern of 375 genes was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 12 patients with active and 14 patients with inactive disease. Using the “nearest shrunken centroids” method, 29 genes were found to best discriminate the two groups. Among these genes, 14 were upregulated and 15 were downregulated in patients with active compared to those with inactive disease. Fourteen of these genes also correlated with SELENA-SLEDAI with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.4 to 0.7. Most of these genes have not been previously associated with disease activity and belong to a variety of families such as adhesion molecules, proteases, TNF superfamily, and neurotrophic factors. Using a cross-validation method, the error rate for classifying samples in the two groups was 30%. These results highlight the potential use of microarray data in identifying genes associated with disease activity in SLE, which could become potential biomarkers or future therapeutic targets.
Photoregulation of a phytochrome gene promoter from oat transferred into rice by particle bombardment.

Abstract The regulatory photoreceptor phytochrome controls the transcription of its own phy genes in a negative feedback fashion. We have exploited microprojectile-mediated gene transfer to develop a rapid transient expression assay system for the study of DNA sequences involved in the phytochrome-regulated expression of these genes. The 5'-flanking sequence and part of the structural region of an oat phy gene have been fused to a reporter coding sequence (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, CAT) and introduced into intact darkgrown seedlings by using high-velocity microprojectiles. Expression is assayable in less than 24 hr from bombardment. The introduced oat phy-CAT fusion gene is expressed and down-regulated by white light in barley, rice, and oat, whereas no expression is detected in three dicots tested, tobacco, cucumber, and Arabidopsis thaliana. In bombarded rice shoots, red/far-red light-reversible repression of expression of the heterologous oat phy-CAT gene shows that it is regulated by phytochrome in a manner parallel to that of the endogenous rice phy genes. These data indicate that the transduction pathway components and promoter sequences involved in autoregulation of phy expression have been evolutionarily conserved between oat and rice. The experiments show the feasibility of using high-velocity microprojectile-mediated gene transfer for the rapid analysis of light-controlled monocot gene promoters in monocot tissues that until now have been recalcitrant to such studies.
Effects of a premenstrual syndrome education program on premenstrual symptomatology.

This exploratory study was conducted to determine the effects of an educational program on the number and severity of premenstrual symptoms as well as the number of premenstrual days with symptoms. Participants were a convenience sample of 47 employed women, whose scores on Abraham's Menstrual Symptomatology Questionnaire were in the moderate to severe range. Women were randomly divided into control and experimental groups, and those in the experimental groups participated in an education program. Both groups recorded daily on Abraham's Menstrual Symptom Diary for 19 anxiety, appetite, edema, and depression symptoms. Participants in the education program had fewer occurrences of anxiety and appetite symptoms and fewer severe edema and depression symptoms, as well as fewer days with symptoms, than women who did not participate in the educational program. The findings support the idea that client education can promote self‐care and improve health status.
Vertebrate photoreceptor cell development and disease

Photoreceptors provide an excellent model for studies of vertebrate neuronal differentiation, and many human diseases resulting in blindness primarily affect photoreceptors. There is therefore great interest in studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of photoreceptor development. This article discusses our current understanding of this process, including the recent discovery of the homeodomain transcription factor Crx and its potential role in diseases affecting human vision.
Entorhinal cortical defects in Tg2576 mice are present as early as 2–4 months of age

The entorhinal cortex (EC) is one of the first brain areas to display neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease. A mouse model which simulates amyloid-β (Aβ) neuropathology, the Tg2576 mouse, was used to address these early changes. Here, we show EC abnormalities occur in 2- to 4-month-old Tg2576 mice, an age before Aβ deposition and where previous studies suggest that there are few behavioral impairments. First we show, using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, that soluble human Aβ40 and Aβ42 are detectable in the EC of 2-month-old Tg2576 mice before Aβ deposition. We then demonstrate that 2- to 4-month-old Tg2576 mice are impaired at object placement, an EC-dependent cognitive task. Next, we show that defects in neuronal nuclear antigen expression and myelin uptake occur in the superficial layers of the EC in 2- to 4-month-old Tg2576 mice. In slices from Tg2576 mice that contained the EC, there were repetitive field potentials evoked by a single stimulus to the underlying white matter, and a greater response to reduced extracellular magnesium ([Mg(2+)]o), suggesting increased excitability. However, deep layer neurons in Tg2576 mice had longer latencies to antidromic activation than wild type mice. The results show changes in the EC at early ages and suggest that altered excitability occurs before extensive plaque pathology.
Condition P for Singular Real Analytic Differential Forms in the Plane

The focus of this work is the solvability of a class of first order partial differential equations with singularity at the origin. The method of blowing-up is used to determine a necessary and sufficient condition for solvability.
Current Controversies in Gastrointestinal Decontamination

Most poisonings reported to American poison control centers occur in the home. The most common route of exposure is ingestion, which is responsible for most fatalities. The goal of gastrointestinal decontamination is to prevent absorption of the toxin. Trends in treating poisoned patients have changed over the past few decades in light of a move toward practicing evidence-based medicine. Efficacy and clinical outcome have come into question and have led to position papers published recently regarding syrup of ipecac, gastric lavage, activated charcoal, and whole-bowel irrigation. These different methods of decontamination and the scientific data supporting each one will be reviewed, and the current controversies surrounding each will be discussed.
Singularly Perturbed Differential/Algebraic Equations. I: Asymptotic Expansion of Outer Solutions☆

Abstract Singularly perturbed nonlinear differential/algebraic equations (DAE's) are considered, which are decomposed into two auxiliary problems, called the outer and inner problems, respectively. The structure of solutions of the singularly perturbed DAE's is determined by the outer and inner solutions, both of which are proved to exist. Asymptotic expansions for outer and inner solutions are obtained and proved to be uniformly convergent. This generalizes known results about asymptotic expansions of singularly perturbed ordinary differential equations. The presentation of this work is separated into two parts because of the limitation of space. The first part concerns the derivation of outer and inner problem, and the existence and asymptotic expansion of outer solutions, while the second part mainly focuses on the inner problem.
Scheduling model and heuristic algorithm for roller annealing

The scheduling problem of the annealing operation of roller in an annealing shop of a roller corporation is studied. The annealing operation of roller (AOR) is a process in which the cast rough roller is processed by high-temperature furnace, low-temperature furnace and pit working procedures, and finally is formed to the roller. There are different kinds of machines in each working procedure of the annealing process and the job waiting is not allowed between any two working procedures. This problem is formulated as a no-wait hybrid flow shop (NWHFS) scheduling model, and a mathematical model to minimize the makespan is constructed and the no-wait policy is directly in the objective function. In this way, the constraints of the model are simplified and the difficulty for solving the model is reduced. A priority processing heuristic algorithm based on the processing time is proposed to solve the model. An experiment based on a set of data taken from the practical industry production demonstrates the practicality of the model and the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Application Performance on the Tri-Lab Linux Capacity Cluster-TLCC

In a recent acquisition by DOE/NNSA several large capacity computing clusters called TLCC have been installed at the DOE labs: SNL, LANL and LLNL. TLCC architecture with ccNUMA, multi-socket, multi-core nodes, and InfiniBand interconnect, is representative of the trend in HPC architectures. This paper examines application performance on TLCC contrasting them with Red Storm/Cray XT4. TLCC and Red Storm share similar AMD processors and memory DIMMs. Red Storm however has single socket nodes and custom interconnect. Micro-benchmarks and performance analysis tools help understand the causes for the observed performance differences. Control of processor and memory affinity on TLCC with the numactl utility is shown to result in significant performance gains and is essential to attenuate the detrimental impact of OS interference and cache-coherency overhead. While previous studies have investigated impact of affinity control mostly in the context of small SMP systems, the focus of this paper is on highly parallel MPI applications.
Alpha-adrenergic blockers: Mechanism of action, blood pressure control, and effects on lipoprotein metabolism

The sympathetic nervous system plays a major role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and is mediated by the alpha and beta receptors. The alpha receptor is divided into two types, alpha 1 and alpha 2, based on response to epinephrine and norepinephrine. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptors have a high affinity for drugs such as prazosin, doxazosin, and terazosin, which act to reduce blood pressure by selective blockade of the receptor. These agents provide a rational approach to the treatment of hypertension by correcting elevated total peripheral resistance, the fundamental hemodynamic abnormality in essential hypertension. In contrast, early alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers nonselectively blocked both alpha 1 and alpha 2 receptors and were unsuitable as antihypertensive agents because they induced tachycardia and patients developed a tolerance to them rapidly. alpha 1-Adrenergic blockers also have beneficial effects on plasma lipoproteins, tending to decrease levels of triglycerides and cholesterol and increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio. beta-Adrenergic blockers, such as propranolol and atenolol, have been shown to have an adverse effect on the lipid profile by tending to increase levels of triglycerides and decrease HDL cholesterol. A number of mechanisms contribute to these effects, in particular, adrenergic modulation of lipoprotein lipase and the triglyceride secretion rate. Doxazosin has been shown to increase the activity of LDL receptors, which may be partly responsible for its beneficial effect on plasma lipids and lipoproteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Protection against SR 4233 (tirapazamine) aerobic cytotoxicity by the metal chelators desferrioxamine and tiron

Abstract Purpose: Metal chelating agents and antioxidants were evaluated as potential protectors against aerobic SR 4233 cytotoxicity in Chinese hamster V79 cells. The differential protection of aerobic and hypoxic cells by two metal chelators, desferrrioxamine and Tiron, is discussed in the context of their potential use in the on-going clinical trials with SR 4233. Methods and Materials: Cytotoxicity was evaluated using clonogenic assay. SR 4233 exposure was done in glass flasks as a function of time either alone or in the presence of the following agents: superoxide dismutase, catalase, 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrioline, Trolox, ICRF-187, desferrioxamine, Tiron (1,2-dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonate), and ascorbic acid. Experiments done under hypoxic conditions were carried out in specially designed glass flasks that were gassed with humidified nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture and with a side-arm reservoir from which SR 4233 was added to cell media after hypoxia was obtained. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies were also performed. Results: Electron paramagnetic resonance and spectrophotometry experiments suggest that under aerobic conditions SR 4233 undergoes futile redox cycling to produce superoxide. Treatment of cells during aerobic exposure to SR 4233 with the enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, the spin trapping agent DMPO, the water-soluble vitamin E analog Trolox, and the metal chelator ICRF-187 provided little or no protection against aerobic SR 4233 cytotoxicity. However, two other metal chelators, desferrioxamine and Tiron, afforded significant protection against aerobic SR 4233 cytotoxicity (protection factors at 50% survival were 3.8 and 3.1, respectively), while exhibiting minimal protection to hypoxic cells treated with SR 4233. Conclusions: One potential mechanism of aerobic cytotoxicity is redox cycling of SR 4233 with molecular oxygen resulting in several. potentially toxic oxidative species that overburden the intrinsic intracellular detoxification systems such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. This study identifies two metal chelating agents, desferrioxarnine and Tiron, that were able to protect against aerobic but not hypoxic SR 4233 cytotoxicity.
System modeling of an air-independent solid oxide fuel cell system for unmanned undersea vehicles

To examine the feasibility of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-powered unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV), a system level analysis is presented that projects a possible integration of the SOFC stack, fuel steam reformer, fuel/oxidant storage and balance of plant components into a 21-in. diameter UUV platform. Heavy hydrocarbon fuel (dodecane) and liquid oxygen (LOX) are chosen as the preferred reactants. A maximum efficiency of 45% based on the lower heating value of dodecane was calculated for a system that provides 2.5 kW for 40 h. Heat sources and sinks have been coupled to show viable means of thermal management. The critical design issues involve proper recycling of exhaust steam from the fuel cell back into the reformer and effective use of the SOFC stack radiant heat for steam reformation of the hydrocarbon fuel.
Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell System Development

Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cells (URFC) have recently been developed by several fuel cell manufacturers. These manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on the development of the cell stack technology itself, and have not up to this point devoted much effort to the design and development of the balance of plant. A fuel cell technology program at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) that has as its goal the definition and feasibility testing of the URFC system balance of plant. Besides testing the feasibility, the program also intends to minimize the system weight, volume, and parasitic power as its goal. The design concept currently being developed uses no pumps to circulate coolant or reactants, and minimizes the ancillary components to only the oxygen and hydrogen gas storage tanks, a water storage tank, a loop heat pipe to control the temperature and two pressure control devices to control the cell stack pressures during operation. The information contained in this paper describes the design and operational concepts employed in this concept. The paper also describes the NASA Glenn research program to develop this concept and test its feasibility.
Enhancement of phorbol ester induced cell aggregation after alterations in asparagine-linked oligosaccharides

Summary Human erythroleukemia (K-562) cells grown in the presence of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate formed aggregates of cells not seen in untreated control cultures. Furthermore, the proportion of cells in aggregates and the size of the aggregates both increased dramatically in cultures treated with both phorbol ester and kifunensine, an inhibitor of asparagine-linked oligosaccharide processing. Relative to control cells, phorbol ester treated cells exhibited a greater proportion of N-linked oligosaccharides of the complex-type. Kifunensine prevented this change and caused an accumulation of Man9GlcNAc2. The enhanced aggregation of cells treated with phorbol ester plus kifunensine depended on phorbol ester concentration and was blocked by inhibitors of protein kinase C (H7, sphinganine and sangivamycin). In flow cytometry analysis, phorbol ester treated K-562 cells showed an increase in CD44, a glycoprotein involved in cell adhesion. Moreover, monoclonal antibody to CD44 augmented reaggregation of phorbol ester treated cells. The results implicate phorbol ester induction of CD44 in aggregation of K-562 cells and demonstrate that the presence of high mannose-type asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on cell glycoproteins correlates with increased aggregation of phorbol ester treated cells.
Feeding the Very Low-Birth-Weight Infant

Unfortunately, premature birth occurs commonly in the United States. Improving the survival of very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants depends in large part upon understanding the physiologic capabilities of their immature organ systems and providing appropriate support as they mature. Advances in the nutritional support of these infants have contributed to the better outcomes we have come to expect today, even for the smallest infants. In this review, we will discuss the limitations of gastrointestinal function and the unique nutritional requirements of very low-birth-weight infants and describe the current methods of enteral and parenteral nutrition support used to meet these requirements. Developmental Physiology By 24 to 26 weeks of gestation, the fetal gastrointestinal tract is morphologically similar to that of the full-term infant; however, functional development is far from complete. Maturation of gastrointestinal motility, digestion, and absorption continues through much of the first year of life, even in full-term infants, as a result of an interplay between the preprogrammed "biological clock" and environmental influences. The decision to feed the VLBW infant must take into account the developmental limitations as well as the potential for enhancing intestinal maturation at each stage of development (Table 1). Fetal swallowing is evident at the beginning of the second trimester.
Weak coupling and single-particle structure at high spin in 143 Nd

High-spin states of ${}^{143}\mathrm{Nd}$ have been studied using $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-conversion electron coincidences. The measurement of 16 new transitions and 8 new conversion coefficients allow revision of the high-spin portion of the level scheme and the determination of parities of six levels for the first time. While the yrast states up to $J=43/2$ can be described using the weak coupling of an ${f}_{7/2}$ neutron to the ${}^{142}\mathrm{Nd}$ core nucleus, the new experimental results suggest that weak coupling breaks down above $J=43/2.$ This behavior may signal that the closed $N=82$ neutron shell of ${}^{142}\mathrm{Nd}$ is broken above $J=16.$
A model to predict the planar electrical potential distribution in cross-ply carbon-fiber composites subjected to alternating magnetic fields

Abstract Mechanisms of heat generation and distribution in carbon-fiber-based composites subjected to an alternating magnetic field are considered. A model is developed and verified which predicts the strength and distribution of these mechanisms in the plane of cross-ply laminates. In this analysis, the fibers in a cross-ply laminate are treated as a grid of conductive loops in the plane. Each such conductive loop uses the alternating magnetic field to produce a rotational electromotive force that induces electric fields in the polymeric regions. Induced electromagnetic energy is converted into thermal energy through dielectric losses in polymeric regions between the carbon fibers in the adjacent orthogonal plies that comprise the conductive loops. Each possible conductive loop is accounted for and the resulting superposition of potential differences at the nodes leads to the in-plane profile of the electric field in the polymeric regions. Data from AS4-graphite-reinforced poly(ether ether ketone) laminate surface temperature measurements using liquid crystal sheets are compared qualitatively with the theory.
Efficacy and electrophysiologic effects of encainide for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Abstract To prospectively determine the clinical efficacy and electro-physiologic effects of encainide in atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), 49 patients refractory to 2.7 ± 1.5 previous antiarrhythmic drug trials underwent electrophysiologic study before and 47 did so after administration of oral encainide (75 to 240 mg/day). Encainide prolonged the minimum atrial pacing cycle length maintaining 1:1 atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction from 334 ± 55 to 391 ± 55 ms (p = 0.0001). Encainide induced ventriculoatrial (VA) block in 12 patients (25%) and slowed the minimum ventricular pacing cycle length maintaining 1:1 VA conduction from 315 ± 46 to 485 ± 89 ms (p = 0.0001) in the remaining 35 patients. After encainide, AVNRT was not inducible in 32 of 47 patients (68%) primarily because of the effects on retrograde AV nodal conduction. In the remaining 15 (32%) patients, AVNRT remained inducible; however, the tachycardia cycle length slowed from 397 ± 86 to 492 ± 90 ms (p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the baseline minimum ventricular pacing cycle length maintaining 1:1 VA conduction in patients whose inducible tachycardia was or was not suppressed. Forty-seven patients were treated for 18.9 ± 12.9 months (range 1 to 50) with oral encainide. Encainide was completely effective in eliminating recurrences of supraventricular tachycardia in 26 of 47 patients (55%) and partially effective in an additional 42%. Recurrences of arrhythmia occurred in 15 of 32 patients (47%) whose inducible tachycardia was suppressed by encainide and 7 of 15 patients (47%) whose inducible tachycardia was not suppressed by encainide (p = not significant). It is concluded that encainide is effective in the treatment of patients with AVNRT. Encainide's primary antiarrhythmic effect is depression of conduction in the retrograde limb of the reentrant circuit. Results of serial electrophysiologic testing with encainide in AVNRT are not predictive of long-term clinical response.
Ballistic impact: the status of analytical and numerical modeling

Abstract Simulation of ballistic impact generally falls into one of two categories: analytical models which assume certain dominant physical phenomena and numerical simulations, where the general continuum conservation equations are integrated in time at all points in a spatial mesh to obtain the spatial time history of stresses, strains, velocities, etc., in the projectile and target. Analytical formulations model the mechanical processes over the full field of influence which leads to approximate conservation equations for the entire region in an impact event. These for mulations have met with considerable success so long as the assumptions inherent in the model are applicable. Numerical simulations (hydrocodes) compute the wave (shock) interactions important at early times. Mechanical effects, e.g. plugging, erosion, etc., require realistic constitutive modeling which includes failure criteria and failure propagation. This paper gives a broad overview of both analytical and hydrocode modeling and examines the technical issues, uncertainties and potential diffuculties for advancement in predictive capability.
The tensor equation AX+XA=Φ(A,H) , with applications to kinematics of continua

The (second-order) tensor equation AX+XA=Φ(A,H) is studied for certain isotropic functions Φ(A,H) which are linear in H. Qualitative properties of the solution X and relations between the solutions for various forms of Φ are established for an inner product space of arbitrary dimension. These results, together with Rivlin's identities for tensor polynomials in two variables, are applied in three dimensions to obtain new explicit formulas for X in direct tensor notation as well as new derivations of previously known formulas. Several applications to the kinematics of continua are considered.
The Pharmacological Approach of Behavioral Disturbances in Dementia

Behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are often overlooked due to the main focus of treating or preventing cognitive decline symptoms. Almost two-thirds of patients with dementia will develop some type of noncognitive symptoms that include symptoms such as wandering, agitation, sexually inappropriate behaviors, physical and verbal aggression, uncooperativeness, and “sun-downing.” Psychological symptoms include depression, anxiety, delusions, hallucinations, and suspiciousness/paranoia. Worsening of these symptoms can lead to caregiver burden and is one of the major reasons for patients with dementia to be institutionalized. A major drawback of treating these symptoms pharmacologically is that the response rate is low with the current available therapies such as antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and antidepressants. In addition, all of these therapeutic classes have drawbacks due to side effect profiles. This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for pharmacological appr...
Exploiting nonlinearity in femtosecond fiber amplifiers

The compensation of nonlinear phase shifts by dispersion in femtosecond fiber amplifiers is explained. Contrary to previous understanding, a chirped-pulse fiber amplifier with mismatched stretcher and compressor can out-perform a matched system when the pulse acquires a significant nonlinear phase shift.
Countably valued lattice-ordered groups

A countably valued lattice-ordered group is a lattice-ordered group in which every element has only countably many values. Such lattice-ordered groups are proven to be normal-valued and, though not necessarily special-valued, every element in a countably valuedl-group must have a special value. The class of countably valuedl-groups forms a torsion class, and the torsion radical determined by this class is anl-ideal that is the intersection of all maximal countably valued subgroups.
Water Adsorption in Interfacial Silane Layers by Neutron Reflection: 1. Silane Finish on Silicon Wafers

Abstract The interaction of water with a common commercial glass cloth silane finish is explored by neutron reflection. The silane coating is applied to the oxide surfaces of polished silicon wafers. Detailed profiles of D2O within the ∼80 A silane finish layers are measured after exposure for 48 hours to a saturated D2O atmosphere at either 22°C or 80°C. The nature of the interaction of D2O with the finish layer is probed by exposing the samples to vacuum following adsorption. In both samples, the profile of adsorbed D2O is composed of at least two distinct layers: a thin (< 30 A) D2O -rich layer adjacent to the interface, and the bulk of the film in which only a low level of D2O is present. The amount of adsorbed D2O is greater for the sample conditioned at 80°C than for the sample conditioned at 22°C. In addition, adsorbed D2O within the interfacial layer is removed more slowly during evacuation for the sample conditioned at 80°C than for the sample conditioned at 22°C. These latter two results are int...
Seasonal differences in routine oxygen consumption rates of the bonnethead shark

Routine oxygen consumption rates of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, increased from 141·3±29·7 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 during autumn to 218·6±64·2 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 during spring, and 329·7±38·3 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 during summer. The rate of routine oxygen consumption increased over the entire seasonal temperature range (20–30° C) at a Q10=2·34.
Consensus with Quantized Information Updates

We study the distributed averaging problem on arbitrary connected graphs, with the additional constraint that the value at each node is an integer. This discretized distributed averaging problem models averaging in a network with finite capacity channels (and in this form has applications to the computation of sufficient statistics in various sensing problems) and load balancing in a processor network. We describe simple randomized distributed algorithms which achieve consensus to the extent that the discrete nature of the problem permits. We obtain bounds on the convergence time of these algorithms for fully connected networks and linear networks.
Porphyrins as spectroscopic sensors for conformational studies of DNA

Molecular systems containing two or more interacting porphyrins show remarkable spectroscopic features that allow for a very sensitive detection of conformational changes on the microscale level by different methods, such as fluorescence and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Covalent porphyrin-DNA assemblies can provide a CD profile (exciton couplet) within the porphyrin Soret band region which is very diagnostic for DNA confor- mational changes. Additionally, covalently linked porphyrins have been shown to function as DNA molecular caps and to stabilize the non-self-complementary non-Watson-Crick guanine-adenine DNA sequence via their strong π-π stacking.
Comparing the Robustness of Market-Based Task Assignment to Genetic Algorithm

In previous works we developed a market-based solution to the problem of assigning mobile agents to tasks. We showed that this solution is near-optimal, quick, and can naturally incorporate fuzzy logic to deal with uncertainty in task locations to reduce sensitivity. So far we have only hypothesized that the market-based can naturally handle changes in the scenario and do it more eciently than other near-optimal algorithms. In this work we show that the market-based solution is very robust, and handles changes in the scenario better than a commonly used genetic algorithm. This is true both for cases when the changes occur at relatively low rates and even more so at higher rates. Thus, we show that the market-based solution is a robust task assignment algorithm.
Diapirism on Triton - A record of crustal layering and instability

Cantaloupe terrain on Neptune's large, icy satellite Triton comprises an organized cellular pattern of noncircular dimples that structurally and geologically most closely resemble salt diapirs exposed on Earth. The mean separation of these cells is 47 km. Modeling of the cells as compositionally driven diapirs suggests that cantaloupe terrain forms by gravity-driven overturn within an ice crust about 20 km thick with a maximum viscosity of 10 exp 22 Pa s. These diapirs probably formed as a result of a density inversion in a layered crust composed partly of ice phases other than water ice.
Google Newspaper Search Image Processing and Analysis Pipeline

The Google Newspaper Search program was launched on September 8, 2008. In this paper, we outline the technology pieces underlying this large and complex project. We have created a production pipeline which takes newspaper microfilms as input and emits individual news articles as output. These articles are then indexed and added to the content base, so that they turn up in response to Google searches. Thus, in response to a Google query “Hitler death”, we are able to show newspaper articles from the very day it was reported, authentic and unbiased by passage of time. Non-uniform illumination, presence of significant noise, tears and scratches in the microfilm image, all pose special challenges for this project. The significant variation of layouts across newspapers and time eras, the variations in font sizes occurring in a single page (which confuses the OCR engine) compound the difficulties. The project is still going on after the initial launch was made (with about 15 million news articles).
Benthic auto-mobility in discoid Palaeacis from the Pennsylvanian of the Ardmore Basin, Oklahoma?

The enigmatic tabulate genus Palaeacis is composed primarily of species with wedge-shaped coralla. Palaeacis walcotti Moore and Jeffords, 1945, P. kingi Jeffords, 1955, and P. cf P. walcotti, described from the Morrowan (Pennsylvanian) Golf Course Formation of the Ardmore Basin, south-central Oklahoma, represent a distinctive morphogroup characterized by a discoid corralum. The discoid shape, combined with concentric skeletal accretion, large corallite diameters, complex calice floors, and porous skeleton suggest that these corals were well suited to an auto-mobile (vagile) life strategy, much as are many Recent fungiid corals. Auto-mobility in Palaeacis would represent the first such reported occurrence in the Tabulata, and the first in Paleozoic colonial corals of all types. -from Author
Neutral vowels in sound-symbolic vowel harmony in Korean

The set of neutral vowels in the vowel-harmony pattern found in Modern Korean sound-symbolic words is traditionally considered to consist of two members: [i] and [ɨ]. Some authors have tentatively put forward the hypothesis that [u] and [y] are also neutral. A corpus study on the phonotactics of Korean sound-symbolic vowel harmony provides quantitative support both for the traditional understanding of [i] and [ɨ] as neutral vowels and for the tentative hypothesis that [u] and [y] are also neutral. Additionally, the corpus study reveals that vowels are neutral to different degrees. The vowel [a] is shown to be partially neutral, but unlike the other neutral vowels which are transparent, [a] is partially opaque. The distribution of diphthongs is also studied.
Postnatal modulation of prenatally programmed hypertension by dietary Na and ACE inhibition

Adult hypertension in the rat can be programmed experimentally by changes in intrauterine environment. The offspring typically do not become hypertensive until 6 to 8 wk of age, and recent evidence...
Trajectory inverse kinematics by nonlinear, nongaussian tracking

We study trajectory inverse kinematics: to find a feasible trajectory in angle space that produces a given trajectory in workspace. We explicitly represent the multivalued inverse mapping by the modes of a conditional density of angles given workspace coordinates, estimated by a particle filter. We find all the modes using a mean-shift algorithm and then disambiguate the angle trajectory by minimising over the set of modes a global constraint that penalises discontinuous jumps in angle space or invalid inverses. We demonstrate the method with a PUMA 560 robot arm.
Effect of embryonic axis removal and exogenous calcium on carboxypeptidase I of mung bean seedling cotyledons.

Removal of the embryonic axis prevents the normal decline of carboxypeptidase (Cpase) I in mung bean seedling cotyledons. Cpase I activity and protein, the latter manifested on western blots, almost completely disappear about 24 h before the cotyledon abscises. Of the 3 proteolytic enzyme patterns, only that of Cpase I can be restored by an exogenous supply of 10 mM CaCl 2 in the agar growth medium. The calcium effect is dependent on [CaCl 2 ] and is not manifested in the presence of chelators and calcium channel blockers. For detached cotyledons to show the normal low level of Cpase I by the eighth day of growth, calcium had to be supplied during seed imbibition and throughout the entire time from removal of the axis. The difference between detached cotyledons in the absence and presence of calcium was greatest when the cotyledons were detached 4-6 days after seed imbibition. Loss of Cpase I activity and protein can be demonstrated in vitro, with the maximum level of Cpase I-degrading activity measured 4 days after seed imbibition under the same growth conditions used to study the calcium effect. It is sensitive to pepstatin and has a pH optimum of 3, suggesting that this Cpase I-degrading activity is due to an aspartic protease.
Source Memory for Self and Other in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s Disease

ticipants. The MCI-AD group did not demonstrate the same benefit as controls in correct source memory for self-related items. However, those with MCI-AD were relatively less likely to misattribute new items to the self and more likely to misattribute new items to others when committing errors, compared with controls. Discussion. The enactment effect and self-referencing did not enhance accurate source memory more than other refer encing for patients with MCI-AD. However, people with MCI-AD benefited in item memory and source memory, being less likely to falsely claim new items as their own, indicating some self-reference benefit occurs for people with MCI-AD.
The New Information Technology and the Structure of Planning Practice

This paper reports on the development and implementation of two computer-based planning and information systems in a large land use planning department. Contextual features, including: a legal challenge to prevailing pro-growth politics, related crises in infrastructure finance and departmental productivity and legitimacy, and the historically weak position of the planning agency in relation to its major co- participants in the land development process, are critical for understanding the technical and political aspects of system design and implementation. The analysis focuses on the initial impacts of these information systems on relations between planning agency and service providers, elected officials and land developers; and on management-professional staff relationships within the planning organization. Automated information has enhanced the credibility of the planning department in the eyes of its co- participants, as well as strengthened the capacity of co-participants to do their own planning. Auto...
Using an Interactive Online Tutorial to Expand Library Instruction

This article presents the design and assessment of an online, interactive, information literacy tutorial for first-year composition students at a community college. The objective of the tutorial was to use technology to teach basic research skills effectively, thereby extending the staff-limited reach of in-person information literacy programs. The tutorial used different types of interactivity to promote student learning in an online environment. Interface design and e-learning best practices enhanced the user experience and usability of the tutorial. Through sound pedagogical and design principles, students exhibited learning in all areas.
Timeline of victim disclosures by juvenile sex offenders

This study examined the number of victims disclosed by 12- to 17-year-old male, adjudicated juvenile sex offenders over the course of their mandated sex offender treatment program. Records were reviewed to ascertain the number of unique victims disclosed at each of four time periods: Adjudication, Assessment/Education phase (first day of treatment until polygraph), at the Polygraph Examination, and Continued Treatment (from after the polygraph until discharge). Results indicated a statistically significant increase in victims disclosed over those periods, representing a mean of 2.39 additional victims (SD = 3.50), with the greatest number of additional victims being reported during the Assessment/Education phase (prior to the polygraph). Notably, not all of the juvenile sex offenders reported additional victims; during the period of the highest disclosure (Time 2), 58.11% reported additional victims whereas polygraph examination resulted in disclosure by only one offender. These findings are somewhat diff...
Design of locally connected CMOS neural cells to solve the steady-state heat flow problem

A locally connected CMOS neural network is used to solve the steady-state heat flow problem. The proposed theory is based on the formulation of an energy function where the solution of the problem is obtained at the minimum of the function. An electrical circuit that tends to find the minimum of the energy function is designed. The circuit has a cellular neural structure where each cell is implemented as a neuron. The proposed method is illustrated by an example of heat flow in the plate. The circuit simulation results agree with the numerical results obtained by the software program Matlab. >
Flower Color, Hummingbird Pollination, and Habitat Irradiance in Four Neotropical Forests1

ABSTRACT Pollinator visual systems differ considerably among broad groupings such as bees, bats, and birds, and it has been proposed that factors shaping the diversity of flower color in tropical plants include differences in pollinator perceptual abilities. Within the pollinators of the Neotropics, one major difference between taxa is that hummingbirds perceive color well across a broad range of wavelengths from 300–660 nm whereas most bees perceive color well over a narrower range spanning 300–550 nm. Thus, hummingbirds can see red and other long-wavelength reflection much better than bees. Another factor that could potentially influence flower color in tropical forests is the difference in light availability among habitats such as gaps, canopy, and forest understory. I conducted a survey of floral color in four Neotropical forests using a portable spectroradiometer to provide an unbiased measure of color reflectance. The primary pollinator agents and light habitats of each plant species were classified...
Rate-Limited Electroless Gold Thin Film Growth: A Real-Time Study

Time-resolved, in situ spectroscopy of electroless (EL) gold (Au) films combined with electron microscopy showed that the deposition rate increased up to two-fold on surfaces swept by the bulk flow of adjacent fluid at Reynolds numbers less than 1.0, compared to batch immersion. Deposition rates from 5.0 to 9.0 nm/min and thicknesses of the EL Au film from 20 to 100 nm, respectively, increased predictably with flow rate at conditions when the deposition was limited primarily by Fickian diffusion. Time-frames were identified for metal island nucleation, growth, and subsequent film development during EL Au deposition by real-time UV–visible spectroscopy of photoluminescence (PL) and surface plasmon features of nanoscale metal deposits. Film thicknesses measured by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy paired with real-time optical spectroscopy of kinetic aspects of plasmon and PL optical features indicated that Au film deposition on surfaces swept by a steady flow of adjacent flu...
Joint Imaging With Streamer and OBN Data

Combined ocean bottom nodes and streamer surveys offer the best of both methods: the economy of streamers and the ability of nodes to cover obstructed areas. In the past we shown that up-going and down-going (mirror) imaging can be combined in a joint inversion. We have now extend the method to jointinversion of nodes and streamers data. Compared to conventional post-imaging merging, the joint inversion enhances resolution, suppresses migration artifacts, and more importantly, bring up the relative amplitude of true reflectors in the subfurface. We present a linearized inversion scheme for imaging narrow-azimuth (NAZ) and ocean-bottom data. Linearized inversion can enhance the resolution of the image, suppress migration artifacts, and increase the relative amplitude of true reflectors in the subsurface. We show that joint inversion can coherently combines the information from the two surveys and improve the image substantially. We demonstrate the concept and methodology in 2D with a synthetic Marmousi model.
Mobility as Antiracism Work: The "Hard Driving" of NASCAR's Wendell Scott

This article explores spatial mobility as a form of African American resistance and self-determination. We argue for examining the everyday activism and “countermobility work” of ordinary people of color as they move in ways that subvert, negotiate, and survive white supremacy. These ideas are developed through a historical case study not typically identified with the black civil rights struggle, specifically the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the “hard driving” of Wendell Scott. The first and only African American driver to win at NASCAR's top level, Scott raced throughout the segregated South and faced considerable discrimination in what was otherwise an all-white sport. We offer a critical (re)reading of Scott's racing career as antiracism mobility work and focus on the bodily, social, and technological practices he employed to maintain and even enhance his mobility around tracks and to and from races. Scott did not represent his efforts in terms of civil rights activism, b...
Older homeless women’s identity negotiation: agency, resistance, and the construction of a valued self:

There is a growing awareness that the adult homeless population is ageing, mirroring the general US population trend. Although men still outnumber women among the adult homeless population, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of women, including older women, seeking shelter each night. The concept of ‘home’ is widely associated with women and serves as a source of identity and social order. Thus, homeless older women represent an intersection of stigma. This qualitative study utilized narrative analysis to investigate the intersectionality of gender, age and homelessness among six homeless urban women in their fifties and early sixties. Findings highlight how older homeless women experience stigmatization within the context of multiple marginalized identities. Data illustrate the women’s agency, resistance and resilience as they engage in ‘identity work’ to address the tension between how others view them and how they view themselves, and construct a sense of a valued life and self.
Hyperbranched Polymers -Recent Advance in Synthetic Methods and Application Fields

The synthetic methods and application fields of hyperbranched polymers have developed and received more and more research interest from polymer scientists. The present paper reviews recent progress of hyperbranched polymers in synthetic methods and application fields to make this field to be further understood, and to accelerate it to develop more quickiy.