cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comet de Vico (122P) and latitude variations of plasma phenomena

Abstract In situ measurements by the Ulysses spacecraft have unequivocally established differences in solar wind properties at different solar latitudes for 1992 through 1996, and comets are exposed to these different environments depending on latitude. In the polar regions, a less time-varying appearance and a plasma tail orientation corresponding to a higher solar wind speed are expected. In the equatorial regions, a more time-varying appearance is expected as well as a plasma tail orientation corresponding to a slower solar wind speed. Disconnection events (DEs) are produced at crossings of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) as established by the association of the comet Halley DEs in 1985–1986 with the HCS and by magneto-hydrodynamic simulations. Thus, it is expected to see DEs when comets are in equatorial latitudes, but not when they are in polar latitudes. Comet de Vico (122P), with its inclination of 85.3°, good brightness, and plasma activity, was an excellent test comet for latitude variations. Images of de Vico have been collected as part of the Ulysses Comet Watch, and plasma structures are seen from 18 September 1995 to at least 25 October 1995, corresponding to a range of about 90° in ecliptic latitude. The analysis confirms the picture described above with the boundary between the equatorial and polar regions at 20°–25° latitude, in agreement with the in situ measurements by Ulysses. The tail orientation is consistent with the different velocity regimes; DEs are seen only in the equatorial region; the comet in the polar region has a distinctly less disturbed appearance.
Mediastinal extragonadal germ cell tumors.

Abstract Mediastinal germ cell tumors are a rare primary malignancy. An overview of the presenting clinical symptoms, radiographic appearance, patterns of extention and metastasis, and autopsy findings are presented. The difficulty in totally excluding an occult gonadal primary lesion is noted. The theories of the genesis of these tumors are briefly reviewed.
A possible meteor shower on the Moon

Over the 3-day period from 12 to 14 October, 1990, the sodium abundance in the lunar atmosphere at 80° South increased by 60%, while interspersed measurements at the equator showed no substantial change. The source is suggested to be an unknown meteor shower with a radiant near the south ecliptic pole. A low relative velocity of ∼20 km/sec, combined with small particle masses, would keep the shower below the detectability threshold of radar. The stream could evolve from a reasonable asteroidal or cometary orbit with perihelion somewhat greater than 1 astronomical unit (AU) and a major axis of a few AU. The short residence time of lunar sodium makes it much more favorable than the terrestrial sodium layer for detection of such an event.
Characterization of a Nuclear Deformed Epidermal Autoregulatory Factor-1 (DEAF-1)-Related (NUDR) Transcriptional Regulator Protein

A monkey kidney cDNA that encodes a nuclear regulatory factor was identified by expression and affinity binding to a synthetic retinoic acid response element (RARE) and was used to isolate human placental and rat germ cell cDNAs by hybridization. The cDNAs encode a 59-kDa protein [nuclear DEAF-1-related (NUDR)] which shows sequence similarity to the Drosophila Deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF-1), a nonhomeodomain cofactor of embryonic Deformed gene expression. Similarities to other proteins indicate five functional domains in NUDR including an alanine-rich region prevalent in developmental transcription factors, a domain found in the promyelocytic leukemia-associated SP100 proteins, and a zinc finger homology domain associated with the AML1/MTG8 oncoprotein. Although NUDR mRNA displayed a wide tissue distribution in rats, elevated levels of protein were only observed in testicular germ cells, developing fetus, and transformed cell lines. Nuclear localization of NUDR was demonstrated by immunocytochemistry and by a green fluorescent protein-NUDR fusion protein. Site-directed mutagenesis of a nuclear localization signal resulted in cytoplasmic localization of the protein and eliminated NUDR-dependent transcriptional activation. Recombinant NUDR protein showed affinity for the RARE in mobility shifts; however it was efficiently displaced by retinoic acid receptor (RAR)/retinoid X receptor (RXR) complexes. In transient transfections, NUDR produced up to 26-fold inductions of a human proenkephalin promoter-reporter plasmid, with minimal effects on the promoters for prodynorphin or thymidine kinase. Placement of a RARE on the proenkephalin promoter increased NUDR-dependent activation to 41-fold, but this RARE-dependent increase was not transferable to a thymidine kinase promoter. Recombinant NUDR protein showed minimal binding affinity for proenkephalin promoter sequences, but was able to select DNA sequences from a random oligonucleotide library that had similar core-binding motifs (TTCG) as those recognized by DEAF-1. This motif is also present between the half-sites of several endogenous RAREs. The derived consensus- binding motif recognized by NUDR (TTCGGGNNTTTCCGG) was confirmed by mobility shift and deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) protection assays; however, the consensus sequence was also unable to confer NUDR-dependent transcriptional activation to the thymidine kinase promoter. Our data suggests that NUDR may activate transcription independently of promoter binding, perhaps through protein-protein interaction with basal transcription factors, or by activation of secondary factors. The sequence and functional similarities between NUDR and DEAF-1 suggest that NUDR may also act as a cofactor to regulate the transcription of genes during fetal development or differentiation of testicular cells.
Two-phase flow and thermal transients in proton exchange membrane fuel cells – A critical review

Abstract The start-up and varying load conditions encountered during a drive cycle introduce transient behavior in electrochemical performance as well as two phase flow and temperature of PEM fuel cells. The electrochemical transients have been extensively studied in literature, while the effects of two-phase flow transients and temperature transients have not been studied to any great detail. These two transients affect the electrochemical and mass transport performance in an automotive PEM fuel cell. Changes in load result in changes in flow rates and electrochemical reaction rates. These in turn result in changes in temperature field, two-phase flow patterns, area coverage ratio, and pressure drop. Transient operation leads to uneven power generation and loss in reliability. Transient changes in two-phase flow result in increased pressure drop, thereby increasing the auxiliary power consumption and the parasitic power losses. Thermal transients may result in flooding or dry-out of the GDL and membrane and lead to performance deterioration. Understanding transient behavior is thus critical for the reliable and predictable performance from the cell. A detailed review of the existing literature is presented along with the research needs in this area.
Virtual schools: The changing landscape of K-12 education in the U.S.

Virtual schools are a growing phenomenon in k-12 education. School systems in almost every state in the United States offer some version of fully online or blended education. It is no longer far-fetched to conclude that if the current trend continues, virtual school enrollments will eclipse those of traditional brick-and-mortar k-12 institutions within the next 10 years. This paper examines some of the challenges and strengths of virtual schools, it offers questions to consider when deciding whether or not a virtual school option would be ideal, and it draws conclusions, which provide an outlook for the future of virtual schools in k-12 education.
Thermal degradation studies of segmented thermoplastic elastomers

Abstract Pyrolysis-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) has been carried out on several thermoplastic elastomers. The soft blocks are hydroxy terminated polypropylene oxide (PPO, MW = 2000) and the polyacetal from butyraldehyde and diethylene glycol (PA, MW = 1500). The hard blocks were introduced by reacting the soft block polymers with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) chain extended with butanediol, pentanediol and N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)isophthalamide (BI) to form the respective polyurethanes (PU) and with pyromellitic anhydride to give the polyimide. Most of the pyrolysates of the soft segments can be accounted for by the thermolysis of any single backbone bond into various macroradicals and elimination of observed compounds by either intramolecular hydrogen transfer, methyl shift or ring closure. Certain other products were better explained by direct intramolecular rearrangements. These processes are believed to be much more probable, according to energetic considerations, than two bond fragmentation followed by multiple hydrogen abstraction or elimination. Pyrograms do not show any products which may result from coupling or disproportionation of such fragments. The hard segment pyrolysates were probably also formed by intramolecular rearrangements. In the case of PPOPU-BI, pyrolysis at 300°C yielded only products from the hard blocks. Subsequent pyrolysis at 550°C has the same pyrogram as hydroxy terminated PPO. Therefore, these segmented block copolymers decompose in two stages; the hard blocks thermolyze first, followed by thermolysis of the soft blocks in agreement with previous TGA results.
Perturbative corrections to Migdal-Kadanoff recursion relations for Z4 theory

Abstract For the Z 4 lattice gauge theory in four dimensions or the associated spin system in two dimensions we examine the critical structure by making a correction to the bond-shifting operator. This is done for the most general single plaquette or nearest neighbor action. The two-dimensional problem in coupling space becomes a four-dimensional problem when the correction is made to the bond-shifting operators. The four-dimensional problem is decomposed into two two-dimensional problems which allows for the effective application of the Migdal-Kadanoff recursion relations in differential form. The solutions to the two-dimensional problems are then recomposed into the solution of the original two-dimensional problem in coupling space. Of particular interest is the region β 2 β 1 ⩾ 0, where β 1 and β 2 are the coupling constants in the fundamental and adjoint representations respectively. We find a critical structure, including a second crossover, which leads to a splitting of the phase structure in this region which is in agreement with Monte Carlo predictions.
Results from a three-dimensional, nested biological-physical model of the California Current System and comparisons with statistics from satellite imagery

[1] A three-dimensional model of the California Current System (CCS) from 35°N to 48°N extending offshore to 134°W is coupled with a four-component trophic model. The model reproduces many conspicuous characteristics in the CCS, including: complex, filamentary, mesoscale surface features seen in the pigment and temperature from satellite imagery; wind-driven coastal upwelling at appropriate spatial and temporal scales; and the close correlation between prominent features seen in pigment and those in temperature observed by satellites (Abbott and Zion, 1985). Statistical estimates of the characteristic spatial scales of variability, as calculated from the coupled, nested model, agree with those previously estimated from satellite images (for both surface temperature and pigment (Denman and Abbott, 1988, 1994)). Model estimates of the characteristic temporal scales of variability, from decorrelation times, agree with those previously estimated from satellite images. Typical model decorrelation times lie between 2 and 4 days, in agreement with calculations from earlier sequences of (Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR)) satellite images (Denman and Abbott, 1988, 1994).
Immigrant Construction Workers and Health and Safety: The South Florida Experience

Immigrants are a growing percentage of the U.S. construction labor force, so the safety of their working conditions deserves study. This article reports on research surveying 283 immigrant construc...
Economic liberalization and social values: Spain in the decade of the 1980s

Abstract Spain has experienced dramatic political and economic changes in the last several decades. In particular, joining the European Community in 1985 marked a point of economic policy change and acceleration of economic growth for Spain. Based primarily on the results of two national social surveys in 1981 and 1990, this paper examines changes in Spanish social values that corresponded to this period of economic liberalization. While necessarily speculative, the paper concludes that economic reform may have had both integrative and disintegrative influences on social values and that the extent of the country's economic growth in the last half of the decade was probably insufficient to capture additional social benefits of economic advancement.
Passing Sight Distance and Overtaking Dilemma on Two-Lane Roads

The overtaking dilemma involving two small vehicles was discussed by Herman and Lam in 1972. The formulation in a dynamical moving frame of the overtaken vehicle is extended by taking into account the pertinent variables for an overtaking scenario, such as vehicle acceleration and deceleration characteristics, roadway frictional characteristics, drivers' responses, and speeds of the overtaking vehicle and the oncoming vehicle in relation to the overtaken vehicle. A general framework dealing with overtaking is introduced, and analytic expressions for safe passing and aborting sight distances are derived for frictional roadway characteristics from the AASHTO guide. This formulation is further extended to other situations, namely, overtaking that involves a small and a long vehicle and overtaking that involves two long vehicles. Comparisons among our results, the AASHTO guide, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices on design for safe passing sight distances (PSD), and other related works are given for various overtaking situations. The overtaking scenario in which the vehicle overtaken is "fast" is addressed. Finally, the previous literature associated with the development of PSD is discussed.
Effects of a Non-Steroidal Antiandrogen on Sexual Behavior and Pituitary-Gonadal Function in the Male Rat

An investigation was conducted on the effects of the non-steroidal antiandrogen flutamide (F; alpha-alpha-alpha-tri-fluoro-2-methyl-4-nitro-m-propionotoluidide) on two neuroendocrine mechanisms in the male rat, androgen-dependent sexual behavior, and LH regulation. F was administered in the dose of 50 mg/kg/day SC. In intact, sexually experienced adult males, no quantitative or qualitative behavioral effects were noted. In long-term castrates, F completely suppressed the effects of 100 mug testosterone propionate (TP) per day on accessory sexual glands and penes, but only partially inhibited the marked stimulatory effects of this moderate TP dose on mating. Although the incidence of testosterone (T)-activated ejaculatory behavior was markedly diminished, there was no statistically significant effect on occurrence of mount and intromission behavior. The rapid and profound elevations of circulating LH and T in intact males indicate an effective antagonism of the negative feedback effect of endogenous androgen, and suggest the usefulness of F as a provocative test of pituitary-testicular function. Pituitary LH response to exogenous LHRH was markedly enhanced, as previously found in castrated rats. The administration of F did not affect circulating T levels in T-treated or untreated castrates, indicating lack of interference of circulating F in the T assay. It was concluded that, like the steroidal antiandrogen cyproterone, non-steroidal F shows a divergence between its effects on peripheral androgen-dependent and central feedback mechanisms on the one hand, and sexual behavior on the other. It was not determined whether the inhibition of ejaculatory behavior following F treatment is centrally mediated or results from failure of the peripheral, androgen-dependent structural or functional elements.
Approximation of Corrected Slant Range in a Radar Surveillance System

Consideration is given to numerical procedures for evaluating the corrected slant range in a radar surveillance system. Applications include air traffic control operations in which such calculations must be performed repeatedly in real time for a multitude of targets without overtaxing available computational resources.
Estimation of creatine kinase isoenzymes: the effects of caffeine and retinoic acid on CK levels in fetal mouse limbs

Caffeine and retinoic acid were examined for effects upon limb morphogenesis and upon creatine kinase (CK) as a measure of limb myogenesis. Caffeine at 200 mg/kg, i.p., on E11 produced a low level of forelimb (1.2%) and hindlimb (2.0%) defects. Retinoic acid, at 50 mg/kg given orally as an oily suspension, induced a high level of reduction deformities. Hindlimbs (100%) were affected more than forelimbs (88%). Limbs (E16) were examined for CK isoenzymes using DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography. Untreated limbs had 88.04% skeletal muscle (MM), 6.98% hybrid (MB) and 5.08% brain (BB) CK isoenzyme. Caffeine had no effect. However, retinoic acid increased MM-CK to 92.67%, and decreased BB-CK to 2.24%. This is the first evidence that suggests that retinoic acid may modify the phenotypic expression of developing muscle.
Nonlinear parametric models from volterra kernels measurements

Methods for nonlinear system identification are often classified, based on the employed model form, into parametric (nonlinear differential or difference equations) and nonparametric (functional expansions). These methods exhibit distinct sets of advantages and disadvantages that have motivated comparative studies and point to potential benefits from combined use. Fundamental to these studies are the mathematical relations between nonlinear differential (or difference, in discrete time) equations (NDE) and Volterra functional expansions (VFE) of the class of nonlinear systems for which both model forms exist, in continuous or discrete time. Considerable work has been done in obtaining the VFE's of a broad class of NDE's, which can be used to make the transition from nonparametric models (obtained from experimental input-output data) to more compact parametric models. This paper presents a methodology by which this transition can be made in discrete time. Specifically, a method is proposed for obtaining a parametric NARMAX (Nonlinear Auto-Regressive Moving-Average with exogenous input) model from Volterra kernels estimated by use of input-output data.
Alcohol problems and posttraumatic stress disorder in female crime victims

Comorbidity between alcohol use and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been well documented. However, there are few longitudinal studies with acute trauma samples. The present study examined symptoms of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and PTSD longitudinally after assault. Female sexual (n = 69) and physical assault victims (n = 39) were assessed 2 to 4 weeks and 3 months post trauma. Women who had lifetime AUD had higher intrusive and avoidance symptoms than those who did not have AUD. Women who had any alcohol problems had higher PTSD symptoms. Participants who had alcohol problems had the same pattern of symptom recovery as those who did not have alcohol problems but remained more symptomatic over the 3 months. These findings suggest that early intervention strategies for women who have previous histories of alcohol problems and seek medical attention early post trauma may be indicated.
Laws of Cooperation

Teaming up with science writer Highfield to address lay readers, Nowak argues for the fundamental importance of cooperation throughout life's history.
Cell dynamics studies on the pericycle of radish seedling roots

Abstract Pericycle cells of the radish seedling root were found arrested in G2 of the cell cycle, and could be stimulated by auxin into rapid cell cycling, leading to the formation of lateral root primordia.
Electronic properties of Nb 3 Ge and Nb 3 Al from self-consistent pseudopotentials. I. Band structure and density of states

The self-consistent-pseudopotential method is applied to the A-15 compounds Nb/sub 3/Ge and Nb/sub 3/Al. The Fermi energy is found to lie in a region of very flat bands having a bonding character along the Nb chains. Comparison with the band structures of the (nonexistent) A-15 materials Nb/sub 3/Nb and Nb/sub 3//sup asterisk/ (chains only) suggest that the p states on the Ge and Al atoms are instrumental in determining the position of the Fermi level. There is little evidence for rigid-band behavior in the Nb/sub 3/Al/sub x/Ge/sub 1-x/ system. Studies of the effects of chain dimerization in Nb/sub 3/Ge suggest that states at R and M are more likely candidates to participate in structural transitions than states at GAMMA or X.
Toward a Secure Wireless-Based Home Area Network for Metering in Smart Grids

Compared to the conventional grid, the smart grid requires active participation of consumers to improve the quality and reliability of power delivery. The increase in consumer participation is expected from the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), commonly known as the smart meter, which has the capability of supporting various functions beyond that of recording energy usage. One of the primary objectives of the AMI is to allow load and cost management for the utility. This is envisioned partly through a communication system implemented between the smart meter and consumer equipment, currently deployed using wireless networking solutions such as ZigBee. Due to the shared nature of the wireless medium, however, these deployments face security challenges and interference issues, which must be addressed, taking into account the interests of both the utility company and the consumer. This work takes a comprehensive look at wireless security in the smart-meter-based home area network scenario and identifies possible vulnerabilities. Subsequently, some countermeasures are developed that can be used by both the utility company and the customer and are integrated into a common framework called SecureHAN that can be agreed to by both. In addition, the experiences from implementing the SecureHAN framework using commercial off-the-shelf hardware are described, including possible challenges.
Flame-Turbulence Interactions in a Freely-Propagating, Premixed Flame

Abstract Previous experimental investigations of turbulence measurements in conventional laboratory premixed flames are extensively reviewed. Because of numerous disadvantages of these configurations, primarily associated with flame stabilization mechanisms, a freely-propagating flame configuration is proposed for the study of flame-turbulence interactions. The unperturbed, unrestrained flow field in this configuration is ideal for measuring the effect of the flame on turbulence properties. Temporally resolved, ensemble averaged measurements of turbulence intensity, integral length scale, integral time scale, and energy spectrum have been measured both normal and parallel to the mean flame surface with laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) in a propane-air flame at an equivalence ratio of 1.0, in a flow with incident turbulence intensity of 25 cm/s and length scale of 8 mm. The following changes in turbulence parameters were observed across the flame: a factor of five to six increase in the normal turbulence in...
Role of MR and CT in the Paranasal Sinuses

This article discusses the benefits and drawbacks of MR imaging and computed tomography as they relate to sinus disease.
Effect of cyclophosphamide on a local graft-versus-host reaction in the rat: Influence of sex, disease and different dosage regimens

A new pharmacological method for screening potential immunosuppressive drugs, the local graft-versus-host reaction in rats, has been used to evaluate the efficacy of cyclophosphamide applied at varous times in the development of this reaction.
Hybrid method for driver accommodation using optimization-based digital human models

Many applications exist where humans are required to perform a task in a seated position, such as operating a vehicle. Seated posture inside a vehicle influences driver performance and control of the vehicle. For people of extreme stature, tall or short, and for people of extreme width, obese or pregnant populations, it can be difficult to safely operate a vehicle if there is not enough room in the cab or if some controls cannot be reached. This study proposes a hybrid method for predicting the optimum driver seat adjustment range to accommodate diverse drivers in any vehicle based on a direct optimization-based posture prediction method. The proposed hybrid method combines three approaches: a boundary manikin approach, a population sampling approach, and a special population approach. The boundary manikin approach places two boundary manikins (5% female and 95% male) inside a virtual vehicle cab to perform tests. The population sampling approach spans a multitude of test subjects ranging in stature from 158 to 185 cm, determining the range from a plot of predicted hip point distances from the point of contact of the right heel and the floor. The special population approach studies the effect that size and shape changes, such as pregnancy, have on seated posture inside a vehicle. Also given is an indication of discomfort through the output values of the multi-objective function in the optimization formulation. A combination of the three approaches is used to determine an optimal adjustment range for the driver seat, thus allowing most people to safely operate the vehicle. Results of the simulations are validated using experimental determinations of the driver seat adjustment range from the literature. The main benefit of using this method is that the human aspect of design can be included early in the design process, thereby reducing or eliminating prototypes. Another benefit of the simulation is that it can be adapted to other seating tasks such as: occupant seat check inside a vehicle; workstation design; and issues related to other special populations such as obese individuals, dwarfs, and children.
Discovering what the people knew: The 1979 Appalachian Land Ownership Study

The Appalachian Land Ownership Study is recognized as a pioneering effort in the interdisciplinary field of participatory action research. This article analyzes this community-based study of land ownership and taxation in Appalachia to determine what lessons it offers a new generation of action researchers. It demonstrates both the practical difficulties in community-based research as well as the challenges to legitimation that may be launched from policy and social science audiences who embrace positivistic research methodologies and epistemologies. The article concludes with the lessons that the land study offers a new generation of researchers who wish to conduct socially relevant, participatory research. Despite the obstacles and disappointments associated with the Appalachian Land Ownership Study, this article concludes that it had long-lasting political, social, personal and scholarly impacts.
The Impact of Initial Detention Upon Male Delinquents

The intent of this research was to determine whether an initial detention in juvenile hall, which in essence constitutes a boy's entry into the correctional system, tends to assimilate him into society or acts as a process of further alienation. The major finding was that the combination of a custody oriented institution with a high delinquent oriented boy fostered an alienated boy's response. This appears to be a severe indictment of current initiation into correctional systems, since most juvenile halls are custody oriented; and high delinquent oriented youth are most likely to return to them a number of times.
Identification of an inhibitory region of the heat-stable protein inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Abstract The present study was undertaken in order to identify the inhibitory site of the heat-stable inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKI) and to synthesize a peptide that could serve as a useful inhibitor of the enzyme. Digestion of purified PKI by mast cell proteinase II yielded a peptide fragment that retained inhibitory activity. A sequence of 20 amino acids of the peptide, (sequence in text) revealed the presence of a "pseudosubstrate site" (Arg-Arg-Asn-Ala-Ile) for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase in which alanine replaces the seryl or threonyl residue that is normally phosphorylated. Digestion of PKI with various other proteinases implicated the involvement of arginyl and hydrophobic residues as determinants for the inhibitory activity. The assumption that this region is part of the inhibitory site was confirmed by the synthesis of a corresponding duodecapeptide that displayed strong inhibitory activity. Inhibition by the peptide was competitive with a Ki of 0.8 microM as measured against a number of protein substrates. The sequence of this fragment bears a strong resemblance to the autophosphorylation site in the type II regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, a region also postulated to interact with the catalytic subunit, and the analogous region of type I regulatory subunit. Neither intact PKI nor the synthetic peptide inhibit the cGMP-dependent protein kinase, phosphorylase kinase, myosin light-chain kinase, casein kinase II, or protein kinase C.
Simple cellular texturing for medieval castles

Procedurally generated 3d models and textures are becoming ever more important for content-hungry applications such as video games. Previously we reported on procedurally generating medieval castle models from landscape specifications [Colyar and Matthews 2005]. For texturing these castles a Worley cellular texture [Worley 1996] is natural, as each cell in the tesselation can represent a single stone. It has the advantage over 2d textures in that for stones going around complex corners, such as at the crenellations and machicolations surmounting a castle wall, the textures on all sides of the geometry match up [Legakis et al. 2001].
Angular distributions in the decays of the ψ’ charmonium state directly produced in polarized proton-antiproton collisions

In this paper we calculate the combined angular distribution of the two gamma photons and of the electron in the triple cascade process $$\bar pp \to \psi ' \to \chi _J + \gamma _1 \to (\psi \gamma _2 ) + \gamma _1 \to (e^ + e^ - ) + \gamma _1 + \gamma _2 $$ (J = 0, 1, 2), when the protonp and the antiprotonp are both arbitrarily polarized. Our final result is valid in the $$\bar pp$$ c.m. frame and it is expressed in terms of the WignerD J functions whose arguments are the angles representing the various directions involved. The coefficients of the terms involving the WignerD J functions are functions of the angular-momentum helicity amplitudes or equivalently of the multipole amplitudes in the radiative processes. They are also functions of the components of the polarization vectors of the proton and of the antiproton in their respective rest frames. We also derive six different partially integrated angular-distribution functions where the combined angulardistribution function of the three particles is integrated over the directions of one or two particles. Our results show that by measuring the angular distribution of single particles, namely γ1, γ2 ande −, alone at a time, we can obtain the relative magnitudes and the relative phases of all the helicity amplitudes in the individual processes, $$\bar pp \to \psi ', \psi ' \to \chi _J + \gamma _1 $$ and $$\chi _J \to \psi + \gamma _2 $$ for the J=0 and the J=1 cases. For theJ = 2 case, we can get complete information on the helicity amplitudes in the processes $$\bar pp \to \psi '$$ and $$\psi ' \to \chi _2 + \gamma _1 $$ . We can also obtain the relative magnitudes of the helicity amplitudes in the decay process $$\chi _2 \to \psi + \gamma _2 $$ . In order to obtain the relative phases of these amplitudes uniquely, one has to measure the simultaneous angular distribution of the electron and of γ2.
Decentralized energy-based hybrid control for the multi-RTAC system

The concept of decentralized energy-based hybrid control involves hybrid dynamic subcontrollers with discontinuous states that individually control each subsystem of a large interconnected dynamical system. Specifically, each subcontroller accumulates the emulated energy and when the states of the subcontroller coincide with a high emulated energy level, then we can reset these states to remove the emulated energy so that the emulated energy is not returned to the subsystem. The real physical energy of each subsystem in this case is constantly dissipated through the motion of the actuators due to the subcontroller state resettings. In this paper, we specialize the general decentralized energy-based hybrid control framework to interconnected Euler-Lagrange dynamical systems and experimentally verify it on the multi-RTAC (rotational/translational proof-mass actuator) system. In addition, we discuss hardware used and experimental testbed involving three RTAC carts connected by the springs and present experimental results using decentralized energy-based hybrid controllers. This testbed presents a unique experimental platform for studying benchmark problems in decentralized nonlinear control design.
Surface operators in gauge theory

I discuss certain surface operators in gauge theory and their relevance to the ramified case of the geometric Langlands program.
Measuring Estimator's Credibility: Noncredibility Index

Many estimators and filters provide assessments (e.g., MSE matrices) of their own estimation errors. They are, however, obtained based on simplifying assumptions that are not necessarily valid. Then the questions are: Are these self-assessments trustable? How trustable are they? We referred to these problems as the credibility of the estimators/filters. Solid technical answers to the first question are provided in two companion papers for this conference based on statistical hypothesis testing. Complementary to those, we answer the second question in this paper by proposing a family of metrics, called noncredibility indices (NCI) and inclination indicators (I2), that measure how credible various self-assessments are. We show that the NCI and I2 have many desirable properties and are more appropriate than a bunch of possible alternatives and by far superior to a heuristic measure currently in use explicitly or implicitly. We also provide simple numerical examples to illustrate the application of the metrics proposed.
RECOVERY OF ELECTRON-IRRADIATED COPPER. II. INTERSTITIAL MIGRATION

Several experiments are presented dealing with substages ${\mathrm{I}}_{D}$ and ${\mathrm{I}}_{E}$ of Stage I (14\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K-65\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K) recovery in electron-irradiated pure copper. It is concluded that both ${\mathrm{I}}_{D}$ and ${\mathrm{I}}_{E}$ represent the recovery due to the free diffusion of a defect, presumably an interstitial atom, with an activation energy for motion ${E}_{m}=0.12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005$ ev. ${\mathrm{I}}_{D}$ is the result of correlated recovery (the interstitial returns to the vacancy from which it came) while ${\mathrm{I}}_{E}$ is the result of uncorrelated recovery (the interstitial travels to a distant sink). The migrating interstitial is shown to interact with vacancies, traps, and other interstitials leading respectively to annihilation, trapping, and cluster formation. The interaction between two interstitials leading to cluster formation is found to be comparable with the annihilation interaction between an interstitial and a vacancy. Clusters containing more than two interstitials are also formed. Previous work in copper is discussed, and it is concluded that this previous work is consistent with the above description of Stage I recovery. The relationship of the present work to the general problem of assigning defect processes to the higher temperature recovery states in copper is also discussed.
Stability and vibration of a column model with load-dependent support stiffness

This paper considers the effects of supports whose flexural resistances change as they are loaded. A one-degree-of-freedom, rigid-bar model of a column is analysed. At the support, there is a rotational spring whose stiffness depends on the vertical load applied to the bar. The spring may harden, soften, or initially soften and then harden as the load is increased. Bifurcation loads, post-buckling behaviour, and vibration frequencies are determined. Parametric instability under harmonically-varying loads is also investigated. Some unusual behaviour is found, including cases with two or three bifurcation points. Sometimes there are no bifurcation points and the vertical equilibrium configuration of the model is stable under any load. It is seen that changes in the support stiffness due to compression may have a significant effect on the stability and vibration of a structure
Generalization of the kikuchi-hijmans-de boer method for order-disorder problems to complex lattices

The method of Kikuchi, Hijmans, and de Boer for the calculation of order-disorder phenomena on lattices is extended to the case when not all lattice sites are equivalent. The nonequivalence results from there being more than one kind of basic figure. The modifications of the theory caused by this circumstance are worked out for the Hijmans-de Boer formulation.
A blind reanalysis of a random subset of NCl bioassay studies: Agreement between rats and mice: Discussion

There are many problems in the statistical analysis of long-term rodent studies. This paper discusses the alternative approaches to these problems suggested by the previous three papers and compares the results of the different analyses on 25 rat and mouse studies. It is concluded that many problems remain unresolved and that alternative, seemingly reasonable decision rules can give rise to dramatically different results.
An empirical study of testing file-system-dependent software with mock objects

Unit testing is a technique of testing a single unit of a program in isolation. The testability of the unit under test can be reduced when the unit interacts with its environment. The construction of high-covering unit tests and their execution require appropriate interactions with the environment such as a file system or database. To help set up the required environment, developers can use mock objects to simulate the behavior of the environment. In this paper, we present an empirical study to analyze the use of mock objects to test file-system-dependent software. We use a mock object of the FileSystem API provided with the Pex automatic testing tool in our study. We share our insights gained on the benefits of using mock objects in unit testing and discuss the faced challenges.
Impedance study of SrBi2Ta2O9 and SrBi2(Ta0.9V0.1)2O9 ferroelectrics

This paper reports the electrical impedance properties of strontium bismuth tantalates (SBT) and strontium bismuth tantalate vanadate (SBTV) ferroelectric ceramics. AC impedance analysis was used to study the influences of vanadium doping and post sintering annealing on the microstructure and electrical properties. It was found that the vanadium doping resulted in the formation of fine-grained microstructure and an appreciable increase in dielectric constants, and Curie temperature. Post sintering annealing led to an increase in dielectric constants, but a reduction in dc conductivity. Possible mechanisms of the influences of vanadium doping and post sintering annealing on the electrical properties are discussed.
Hydrothermal germination response and the development of probabilistic germination profiles

Millions of acres of rangeland in the western United States are now dominated by introduced annual weeds such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorumL.). The ability to germinate rapidly at low temperatures has been proposed as one of many mechanisms that confer a competitive advantage to this species. Previous studies of this phenomenon, however, have been limited to relatively simple comparisons of total germinability and germination rate under selected constant-temperature treatments. In this study, we germinated seeds of cheatgrass and two native perennial bunchgrass species, bluebunch wheatgrass [Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Love] and big squirreltail [Elymus multisetus(J.G. Smith) M.E. Jones], over the temperature range of 0–36 ◦ C and water potential range of 0 to −2.5 MPa. A hydrothermal germination model was constructed to predict germination rate response for the 10, 25 and 50th percentile seed subpopulations. Germination rate estimates were predicted for each species, seedlot and subpopulation for every hour of a 38-year simulation of seedbed temperature and water potential. The seasonal and annual distributions of potential germination rate were integrated to assess relative seedlot response across a wide-range of microclimatic conditions. The integrated response-potential of cheatgrass was consistent with previous studies but the absolute magnitude of enhanced germination rate was relatively small compared to expected differences in seed numbers between cheatgrass and planted species in the field. Historical patterns of seedbed microclimate and predicted germination response may be useful in assessing and optimizing alternative field planting scenarios. Inclusion of weather forecasting and seedbed modeling may provide real-time management options for improving rangeland seeding success. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Temperature-dependent 23 Na Knight shifts and sharply peaked structure in the electronic densities of states of Na-Si clathrates

We have measured the temperature and frequency dependences of large (1600--2000 ppm) shifts in the ${}^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ NMR frequencies observed for sodium atoms encapsulated in silicon cages of three clathrate compounds: ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{136},$ ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{46},$ and $(\mathrm{N}\mathrm{a},\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}{)}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{46}$ $(7l~xl~9).$ Sample temperature was varied between 77 and 500 K and two values of NMR spectrometer operating frequency were employed, near 79.4 and 23.8 MHz. The shifts in ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{136}$ and ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{46}$ decrease strongly with increasing temperature from 140 to 500 K and show activated temperature dependences in this region. Activation energies range from 37 to 105 meV and values differ for each of the two cage sizes present (large and small) in each compound. Below 140 K the NMR shift for Na in the small cages of ${\mathrm{Na}}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{136}$ changes its temperature behavior, decreasing as $T$ is lowered to 77 K, while the large-cage shift continues its increase. Shifts in this compound are proportional to the NMR frequency, showing that their origin is magnetic. In the mixed $(\mathrm{N}\mathrm{a},\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}{)}_{x}@{\mathrm{Si}}_{46}$ clathrate the position of the ${}^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ line is shifted by 1205 ppm, independent of temperature from 300 to 500 K. We interpret all shifts as Knight shifts arising from delocalized electrons, the novel activated temperature dependences in the pure-Na compounds being due to two sharp peaks in the density of states that lie within $\ensuremath{\sim}{k}_{B}T$ of the Fermi level. Band-structure calculations reveal such peaks and show that the Fermi level varies little with temperature, remaining within the lower-lying peak that is associated with the presence of Na atoms in the clathrate cages. The calculations also yield estimates of average peak separations, which may be compared with the experimental activation energies.
Detect and adjust for population stratification in population-based association study using genomic control markers: an application of Affymetrix Genechip® Human Mapping 10K array

Population-based association design is often compromised by false or nonreplicable findings, partially due to population stratification. Genomic control (GC) approaches were proposed to detect and adjust for this confounder. To date, the performance of this strategy has not been extensively evaluated on real data. More than 10 000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped on subjects from four populations (including an Asian, an African-American and two Caucasian populations) using GeneChip® Mapping 10 K array. On these data, we tested the performance of two GC approaches in different scenarios including various numbers of GC markers and different degrees of population stratification. In the scenario of substantial population stratification, both GC approaches are sensitive using only 20–50 random SNPs, and the mixed subjects can be separated into homogeneous subgroups. In the scenario of moderate stratification, both GC approaches have poor sensitivities. However, the bias in association test can still be corrected even when no statistical significant population stratification is detected. We conducted extensive benchmark analyses on GC approaches using SNPs over the whole human genome. We found GC method can cluster subjects to homogeneous subgroups if there is a substantial difference in genetic background. The inflation factor, estimated by GC markers, can effectively adjust for the confounding effect of population stratification regardless of its extent. We also suggest that as low as 50 random SNPs with heterozygosity >40% should be sufficient as genomic controls.
Utility of screening tools for the prediction of low bone mass in African American men.

Osteoporosis remains under-diagnosed, particularly in African American men, despite the availability of reliable diagnostic tests. In women, several screening tools, including heel ultrasound and clinical assessment tools, reliably predict low bone mass, however the usefulness of these screening tools in African American men is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of screening tools, namely heel ultrasound, the osteoporosis self-assessment tool (OST), weight-based criterion (WBC) and body mass index (BMI), in screening for low bone mass in African American men. African American men 35 years of age and older were invited to participate. The OST risk index is a score based on age and weight [(weight in kilograms – age in years) × 0.2]. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the heel was measured by heel ultrasound, and BMD of both the lumbar spine and hip were determined by dual energy X-ray absorptometry (DXA). One hundred and twenty-eight men fulfilled the inclusion criteria for our study. The population prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis were 39% and 7%, respectively. Using a heel ultrasound T-score cut-off value of −1 or less, we predicted low bone mass (T-score of −2 or less at the hip) with a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 71% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80. Using an OST cut-off value of 4, we predicted low bone mass with a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 57% and an AUC of 0.83. The OST risk index ranged from 18.1 to −6.1, based on which we categorized risk as: low, 5 or greater; moderate, 0–4; high, −1 or less. Of the men with a high-risk OST score, 87% had either osteopenia or osteoporosis based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Using the WBC alone with a cut-off value of 85 kg, we predicted low bone mass with a sensitivity of 74%, a specificity of 50% and an AUC of 0.70. A BMI cut-off value of 30 or greater yielded a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 43% and an AUC of 0.70 for the diagnosis of low bone mass. The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis were unexpectedly high in outpatient African American male veterans, who are considered to be at low risk for low bone mass. Heel ultrasound was able to predict low bone mass with sufficiently high sensitivity and specificity for use as a screening tool. Surprisingly, WBC and BMI proved ineffective in predicting low bone mass with adequate sensitivity and specificity. The OST, a clinical formula based on weight and age, appeared to be an easy and reliable screening tool for identifying men at high risk for low bone mass.