cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the geometry of spiral aftereffect

This study reports a series of experiments comparing three hypotheses about the relationship between eliciting stimulus motion and the magnitude of spiral aftereffect. Initial rate of spiral aftereffect was measured by the method of constant stimuli and by a velocity estimation procedure. Amount of spiral aftereffect (area under the time decay of aftereffect rate function) was computed using empirical curve fitting methods. The results from five of six Ss tested support the hypothesis that spiral aftereffect rate, measured with respect to a single component, is proportional to the analagous component of the eliciting motion. The results of one S suggest that amount of aftereffect may be a function of the total normal eliciting motion independent of its components. The hypothesis that motion in the visual field at points other than the tested points influences the magnitude of the aftereffect failed to receive support from the results of this study.
Impurity Diffusion During RTA

Enhanced dopant diffusion during RTA depends upon whether the following physical phenomena occur individually or in combination: (1) amorphization of the Si, (2) damage-induced dislocation formation, (3) damage annealing, (4) self-interstitial trapping, (5) solubility enhancement. RTA of B in crystalline or preamorphized Si presents significantly different environments for enhanced diffusion. In preamorphized Si, enhanced B diffusion is modeled as increased B solubility following SPE. In addition, a different intrinsic diffusivity is observed which corresponds to B diffusion in preamorphized Si. Anomalous diffusion of B and As from high dose implants can be modeled with the same mechanism — self-interstitial trapping following SPE.
In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis of the Role of PrrA in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 hemA Gene Expression

The hemA gene codes for one of two synthases in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 which catalyze the formation of 5-aminolevulinic acid. We have examined the role of PrrA, a DNA binding protein that is associated with the metabolic switch between aerobic growth and anoxygenic photosynthetic growth, in hemA expression and found that hemA transcription is directly activated by PrrA. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I protection assays, we have mapped two binding sites for PrrA within the hemA upstream sequences, each of which contains an identical 9-bp motif. Using lacZ transcription reporter plasmids in wild-type strain 2.4.1 and PrrA− mutant strain PRRA2, we showed that PrrA was required for maximal expression. We also found that the relative impacts of altering DNA sequences within the two binding sites are different depending on whether cells are growing aerobically or anaerobically. This reveals a greater level of complexity associated with PrrA-mediated regulation of transcription than has been heretofore described. Our findings are of particular importance with respect to those genes regulated by PrrA having more than one upstream binding site. In the case of the hemA gene, we discuss possibilities as to how these new insights can be accommodated within the context of what has already been established for hemA transcription regulation in R. sphaeroides.
A Practical Model of Diabetes Management and Education

This article discusses an evolving conceptual model of diabetes self-management and patient education. The model contains three primary levels or stages: 1) social environment and contextual factors, which have received little research attention; 2) patient-health care provider interactions, self-management behaviors, and short-term physiological outcomes, which constitute an ongoing cycle of care feedback system; and 3) longer term health and quality-of-life outcomes, which include the major societal costs of treating diabetes complications. The assessment and intervention implications of factors within each of these levels are discussed, with emphasis on both low-cost system-wide activities appropriate for all patients and higher cost activities and resources (e.g., intensive management a la the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) for appropriately targeted or higher risk patients. I hope that such a systems approach to diabetes management can help reduce victim blaming (whether the victim is the noncompliant patient or the insensitive provider). Such conceptual models, if practically oriented, may help accelerate the development, evaluation, and dissemination of programs that facilitate both patient and health care team adherence to recommended guidelines for diabetes care.
Stimulus characteristics and object naming in aphasic patients

Abstract The influence of two stimulus characteristics (three-dimensional versus two-dimensional representations and large versus small two-dimensional representations) on visual object naming in aphasic patients was assessed. The patients produced a significantly higher number of correct naming responses to the three-dimensional than to the two-dimensional representations. The size of the two-dimensional representations did not influence naming performances significantly. The correlations between performance levels on the three forms of stimulus presentations were extremely high. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are considered.
Protecting patients from harm: Design and implementation of an institutional bloodborne pathogen protocol

Background Patients are sometimes exposed to the blood of health care workers (HCWs) while receiving medical care. No national guidelines exist that authoritatively articulate the responsibility of HCWs infected with a potentially transmissible bloodborne pathogen (BBP). Geisinger Health System crafted and implemented a policy delineating the responsibilities of an HCW in the event of accidental blood exposure of a patient, specifically addressing HCWs known to be infected with a BBP. Methods In 2008, a multidisciplinary group convened to review available published resources from the American Medical Association, specialty society positions, state and national guidelines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology, as well as selected commentaries. Results A policy was crafted and enacted within a large integrated heath care system that provided clear guidelines and responsibilities for HCWs who are either infected with a BBP or expose patients to blood in the course of providing medical care. This policy balances the rights of both patients and providers. Conclusions The resources to devise policies regarding BBP exposure to patients are available but require distillation of complex scientific data and social and/or legal opinion or precedent. We offer Geisinger Health System’s policy as a workable and readily accessible model that defines the obligations of providers to protect patients in the event of a BBP exposure.
Regulation of Rhizobium nitrogen fixation by the unadenylylated glutamine synthetase I system.

Abstract Rhizobium sp. 32H1 glutamine auxotrophs have a complex phenotype: a highly adenylylated glutamine synthetase [GS; L-glutamate:ammonia ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.3.1.2] I and an undetectable GS II (GS II-). They are defective in the adenylylation cascade system for GS I. Prototrophic revertants are of two classes: those (3204 type) which retain the adenylylated GS I phenotype but become GS II+, and those (3205 type) which acquire a constitutive unadenylylated GS I but remain GS II-. Like the parent auxotroph, 3204 remains incapable of nitrogen fixation both in culture and in root nodules of Macroptileum atropurpureum. In contrast, 3205 is nitrogenase constitutive. This implies that GS I or associated adenylylation proteins are involved in the control of Rhizobium 32H1 nif gene expression and that GS II is not so involved. Normally, rhizobia fix atmospheric N2 only during symbiosis and, in so doing, only transiently synthesize nitrogenase. Moreover, whereas wild-type strains export ammonium, constitutive strains can assimilate ammonium produced by nitrogenase. This phenotype allows direct selection of nitrogen fixation-defective mutants in Rhizobium.
Social Marketing Strategies for Reaching Older People With Disabilities: Findings From a Survey of Centers for Independent Living Participants

Centers for independent living (CILs) provide critical supports, services, and advocacy for assisting people with disabilities in living independently. As there is a rapidly increasing population of older people with disabilities, many CILs are now considering how to actively engage older adults in their organizations. This study utilized a survey of older people with disabilities to help identify social marketing techniques that community organizations like CILs can use to effectively reach older people with disabilities. Utilizing the components of the social marketing mix in designing outreach efforts, including a critical examination of product, place, price, participants, and partnering, CILs and other community agencies can better reach older adults with disabilities.
The Rhetorical Singularity

Democracy is often described in terms of the aesthetics of multiplicity in uniformity, which celebrates the feeling of community of individuals coming together in difference. However, a more reliable mark of a healthy democratic society is the periodic presence of rhetorical singularities that challenge shared conventions and risk rhetorical failure for the sake of inspiring excellence in character. Like the prose of Emerson and Nietzsche, rhetorical singularities employ tragic ideals to expose the comic limitations of culture in order to transvaluate values and dare creative individuals to strive past limits and so advance society beyond the bounds of convention.
Comment on “Temperature divergence of the dynamics of a poly(vinyl acetate) glass: Dielectric vs. mechanical behaviors” [J. Chem. Phys. 136, 154901 (2012)]

The temperature dependence of polymer dynamics below the standard glass transition is of considerable interest. Glassy relaxation dictates the process of physical aging, and understanding these slow dynamics helps in assessing a possible divergence at a finite temperature. In a recent paper, Zhao and McKenna have measured the equilibrium dynamics of poly(vinyl acetate) in the range from Tg − 15 K to Tg + 30 K using Struiks protocol [J. Zhao and G. B. McKenna, J. Chem. Phys. 136, 154901 (2012)]. In a figure that is meant to compare their results with dielectric relaxation data from Wagner and Richert [Polymer 38, 255 (1997)], dielectric retardation data from that work is shown instead. The corrected figure shows a considerable difference in the two measurements below Tg − 10 K, Arrhenius versus Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann behavior, and a possible source of the difference is discussed.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Prostaglandin (PG) Transporter in Ovine Endometrium: Role for Multiple Cell Signaling Pathways in Transport of PGF2α

In ruminants, endometrial prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is the luteolytic hormone. Cellular transport of PGF2α in the uterine endometrium is critical for regulation of the estrous cycle. Molecular mechanisms responsible for control of PGF2α transport in endometrium during luteolysis are largely unknown. In the present study, we characterized the prostaglandin transporter (PGT) in ovine endometrium. Ovine PGT cDNA consists of 1935 nucleotides that encode 644 amino acids. In ovine endometria, PGT is highly expressed during the period of luteolysis, between d 14 and 16 of the estrous cycle, in luminal and glandular epithelia. Pharmacological and genomic inhibition of PGT indicates that it is responsible for influx and efflux of PGF2α in ovine endometrial epithelial cells. Inhibition of PGT during the period of luteolysis prevents the release of oxytocin-induced PGF2α pulses, and maintains functional corpus luteum and its secretion of progesterone. In ovine endometrial epithelial cells, protein kinase A and prote...
Second order variational equations and the strong maximum principle

Abstract In the study of optimal chemical processes it is necessary to take proper account of the discrete nature and complex structural topology of many elements of the plant. The solution of nonlinear variational equations may be used to prove the strong maximum principle of P ontryagin for continuous systems with recycle and to demonstrate the reasons for the general failure of the analogous strong principle for staged systems in all but the simplest cases.
Properties of microfilled and visible light-cured composite resins

Four commercial microfilled composite resins, a visible light-cured composite resin, and a conventional composite resin were evaluated for physical and mechanical properties. Depth of indentation, thermal expansion, water sorption, modulus of elasticity, and filler content were evaluated in four commercial microfilled composite resins, a visible light-cured composite resin, and a conventional composite resin.
"Green Rust" in the Lab and in the Soil

In their report “Abiotic selenium redox transformations in the presence of Fe(II,III) oxides,” S. C. B. Myneni et al . state ([1][1], p. 1109) that the reduction of selenium (Se)(VI) by iron (Fe)(II,III) oxides (“green rust”) in an artificially constituted system “provides direct evidence
Synthesis of skipped (1,4) diynes via coupling of (propargyl acetate) dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes with alkynyl alanes

Abstract A general, highly selective route to skipped (1,4) diynes, including the hitherto unknown 3-substituted derivatives, is provided by the reactions of (propargyl acetate)(Co 2 (CO) 6 complexes with trialkynyl alanes and subsequent demetallation.
Studies on preparation of bacterial cell walls and criteria of homogeneity

Abstract Group A streptococci can be disrupted in a sonic vibrator in the presence of glass beads to yield large cell wall fragments. A technique is described, involving sucrose zone centrifugation, for collecting cell walls with a high degree of purity, and in good yield, suitable for studies on biological properties. It is concluded that cell walls prepared by the technique of sucrose zone centrifugation display a relatively high degree of homogeneity as indicated by electron microscopy and moving boundary electrophoresis. Immunological studies show the cell wall preparations to be antigenically complex although not necessarily contaminated with non-cell wall antigens.
Isotropic Constitutive Model for Sintering Particle Packings

This paper presents an isotropic model for the effective viscosities of sintering particle packings. The relationship between the macroscopic stress and deformation rate is based on the behavior of individual interparticle contacts, represented by contact viscosities, and the statistics of the packing. The contact viscosities depend on the contact area, which is the primary variable used to describe the state of the packing. A direct consequence of this choice of state variable is that the effective viscosities are identically zero for an undeformed and unsintered packing. Specific results are presented for the case of Newtonian viscous materials. The model is compared with existing models for porous Newtonian viscous materials. Experiments conducted with spherical glass powder packings show good agreement with the model. Finite-element simulations using the model have been used to study forging of a pellet.
Photorefractive polymer device operating at practical voltages

The effective high-voltage bias required for efficient operation of a photorefractive polymer has been reduced to 1kV. The device can hold erasable, Bragg holograms with 70% efficiency in addition to its video-rate response time.
The helium-jet coupled mass separator-advances and directions

Abstract Results from the RAMA-88 system at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are being used to design a new helium-jet and ion source system for the UNISOR project. This system should complement the existing integrated target-ion source to extend UNISOR's capabilities to include a majority of the chemical elements. This fast transport helium-jet system should permit studies of nuclides with half-lives down to 50 ms.
Assembling the stratigraphic record: depositional patterns and time‐scales in an experimental alluvial basin

ABSTRACT Our understanding of sedimentation in alluvial basins is best for very short and very long time‐scales (those of bedforms to bars and basinwide deposition, respectively). Between these end members, the intermediate time‐scales of stratigraphic assembly are especially hard to constrain with field data. We address these ‘mesoscale’ fluvial dynamics with data from an experimental alluvial system in a basin with a subsiding floor. Observations of experimental deposition over a range of time‐scales illustrate two important properties of alluvial systems. First, ephemeral flows are disproportionately important in basin filling. Lack of correlation between flow occupation and sedimentation indicates that channelized flows serve mainly as conduits for sediment, while most deposition occurs via short‐lived unchannelized flow events. Second, there is a characteristic time required for individual depositional events to average to basin‐scale stratal patterns. This time can be scaled in terms of the time required for a single channel‐depth of aggradation, and in this form is constant through a four‐fold variation of experimental subsidence rate.
Surrogate-based optimization of hydraulic fracturing in pre-existing fracture networks

Hydraulic fracturing has been used widely to stimulate production of oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy in formations with low natural permeability. Numerical optimization of fracture stimulation often requires a large number of evaluations of objective functions and constraints from forward hydraulic fracturing models, which are computationally expensive and even prohibitive in some situations. Moreover, there are a variety of uncertainties associated with the pre-existing fracture distributions and rock mechanical properties, which affect the optimized decisions for hydraulic fracturing. In this study, a surrogate-based approach is developed for efficient optimization of hydraulic fracturing well design in the presence of natural-system uncertainties. The fractal dimension is derived from the simulated fracturing network as the objective for maximizing energy recovery sweep efficiency. The surrogate model, which is constructed using training data from high-fidelity fracturing models for mapping the relationship between uncertain input parameters and the fractal dimension, provides fast approximation of the objective functions and constraints. A suite of surrogate models constructed using different fitting methods is evaluated and validated for fast predictions. Global sensitivity analysis is conducted to gain insights into the impact of the input variables on the output of interest, and further used for parameter screening. The high efficiency of the surrogate-based approach is demonstrated for three optimization scenarios with different and uncertain ambient conditions. Our results suggest the critical importance of considering uncertain pre-existing fracture networks in optimization studies of hydraulic fracturing.
The absence of ribonucleic acid in bacteriophage T2r

Abstract The ribonucleic acid (RNA) content of T2r+ bacteriophage was deter mined by ion exchange chromatography of mononucleotides released after alkaline hydrolysis of a mixture containing P 32 -labeled phage nucleic acids and excess carrier RNA. An upper limit of 0.025% of the phage phosphorus was recovered with the RNA mononucleotides, but since the elution of radioactivity was not consistent with the elution of the carrier mononucleotides, it is concluded that RNA is totally absent in T2r+ bacteriophage.
Correlation of Spectral Acceleration Values from NGA Ground Motion Models

Ground motion models (or “attenuation relationships”) describe the probability distribution of spectral acceleration at an individual period, given a set of predictor variables such as magnitude and distance, but they do not address the correlations between spectral acceleration values at multiple periods or orientations. Those correlations are needed for several calculations related to seismic hazard analysis and ground motion selection. Four NGA models and the NGA ground motion database are used here to measure these correlations, and predictive equations are fit to the results. The equations are valid for periods from 0.01 seconds to 10 seconds, versus similar previous equations that were valid only between 0.05 and 5 seconds and produced unreasonable results if extrapolated. Use of the new NGA ground motion database also facilitates a first study of correlations from intra- and inter-event residuals. Observed correlations are not sensitive to the choice of accompanying ground motion model, and intra-event, inter-event, and total residuals all exhibit similar correlation structure. A single equation is thus applicable for a variety of correlation predictions. A simple example illustrates the use of the proposed equations for one hazard analysis application. DOI: 10.1193/1.2857544
Statistical considerations in determining the health significance of constituents of airborne particulate matter.

ABSTRACT Because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new ambient air quality standard for fine particles, the need is likely to continue for more detailed scientific investigation of various types of particles and their effects on human health. Epidemiology studies have become the method of choice for investigating health responses to such particles and to other air pollutants in community settings. Health effects have been associated with virtually all of the gaseous criteria pollutants and with the major constituents of airborne particulate matter (PM), including all size fractions less than about 20 gm, inorganic ions, carbonaceous particles, metals, crustal material, and biological aerosols. In many of the more recent studies, multiple pollutants or agents (including weather variables) have been significantly associated with health responses, and various methods have been used to suggest which ones might be the most important. In an ideal situation, classical least-squares regression m...
On the Pressure Dependence of Shear Strengths in Sliding, Boundary-Layer Friction

Density functional theory, as implemented in a full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method, flair, is used to calculated the pressure-dependent shear strength S of KCl on a Fe(100) substrate and the results are compared to the experimental dependence given by $$ S = S_{0} + \alpha P $$ , where P is the contact pressure and S 0 = 65 ± 5 MPa and α = 0.14 ± 0.02. Calculations were performed for a KCl bilayer enclosed between two Fe(100) slabs, where the energy was found to vary harmonically as a function of the separation between the outermost layers. Thus, a simple analytical model was developed for the pressure-dependent shear strength of the film, which includes both linear and quadratic pressure dependence. However, the coefficient of the quadratic term was found to be much smaller than the linear term, leading to the linear shear-strength pressure dependence found experimentally. The calculated values of S 0 〈10〉 = 64 ± 9 and S 0 〈11〉 = 69 ± 8 MPa are in excellent agreement with experiment, while α 〈10〉 and α 〈11〉 equal 0.05 ± 0.01, somewhat lower than, but within the same range as the experimental values.
Spectroscopic remote sensing for material identification, vegetation characterization, and mapping

Identifying materials by measuring and analyzing their reflectance spectra has been an important procedure in analytical chemistry for decades. Airborne and space-based imaging spectrometers allow materials to be mapped across the landscape. With many existing airborne sensors and new satellite-borne sensors planned for the future, robust methods are needed to fully exploit the information content of hyperspectral remote sensing data. A method of identifying and mapping materials using spectral feature analyses of reflectance data in an expert-system framework called MICA (Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm) is described. MICA is a module of the PRISM (Processing Routines in IDL for Spectroscopic Measurements) software, available to the public from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1155/. The core concepts of MICA include continuum removal and linear regression to compare key diagnostic absorption features in reference laboratory/field spectra and the spectra being analyzed. The reference spectra, diagnostic features, and threshold constraints are defined within a user-developed MICA command file (MCF). Building on several decades of experience in mineral mapping, a broadly-applicable MCF was developed to detect a set of minerals frequently occurring on the Earth's surface and applied to map minerals in the country-wide coverage of the 2007 Afghanistan HyMap data set. MICA has also been applied to detect sub-pixel oil contamination in marshes impacted by the Deepwater Horizon incident by discriminating the C-H absorption features in oil residues from background vegetation. These two recent examples demonstrate the utility of a spectroscopic approach to remote sensing for identifying and mapping the distributions of materials in imaging spectrometer data.
Paraphysectomy-induced stimulation of parathyroid glands in mature frogs (Rana catesbeiana): Evidence for telencephalic regulation of parathyroid gland function

The relationship of the paraphyseal-choroid plexus complex to parathyroid gland function was investigated in adult frogs. Light microscopy and morphometric analysis indicated that total parathyroid gland volume, cell volume and vascular volume doubled by 7-28 days after surgical removal of the paraphyseal-choroid plexus complex (paraphysectomy). This increase correlated with the appearance of large Golgi-associated vesicles, an increase in the apparent number of cytoplasmic dense-core granules, and PTH within the parenchymal cells as monitored by immunofluorescence. Twelve months after paraphysectomy, parathyroid glands became cystic with a central fluid-filled cavity surrounded by a stratified cuboidal cell layer. The parenchymal cells of cystic glands contained numerous cytoplasmic dense-core granules and were also positive for PTH. Radioimmunoassay of cystic parathyroid fluid indicated a PTH concentration of 2 micrograms/microliter; however, analysis by SDS-PAGE indicated a wide range of proteins in cystic fluid. The results of this study indicate that paraphysectomy induces stimulation of the parathyroid glands and suggest a role for the paraphyseal-choroid plexus complex in the regulation of amphibian parathyroid gland function.
Formation of hyphae and chlamydospores by Cryptococcus laurentii.

Mixtures of strains of Cryptococcus laurentii isolated from wheat and corn formed conjugation tubes after 7–10 days at 15 C on malt extract agar. Conjugated cells gave rise to hyphae that produced ...
The Limits of Detection for the Monitoring of Semiconductor Manufacturing Gas and Vapor Emissions by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy

To determine whether or not the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer is appropriate for industrial hygiene monitoring of the gases and vapors used in the semiconductor industry, the limits of detection (LOD) of these compounds were determined. The LODs were calculated using several widely used definitions to test whether the values obtained by the different methods would vary significantly. The experimental LOD values for the study compounds all were below their respective threshold limit values (TLVs®), and a significant difference between the LOD values calculated using the different definitions was noted. The FTIR spectrometer equipped with an indium antinomide/mercury cadmium telluride (InSb/MCT) sandwich detector, 20-m path length gas cell, and least squares fit (LSF) software is appropriate for monitoring semiconductor processing gases and vapors in the workplace.
Response of ‘Erntedank’ and ‘Koralle’ Lingonberry to Preplant Soil Organic Matter Incorporation

ABSTRACT Preplant incorporation of peat or sawdust into the soil increased plant growth, spread and vigor during two seasons after the year of establishment. Cultivar responses to treatments differed but both ‘Erntedank’ and ‘Koralle’ responded with improved development, regardless of the type of organic matter used. The lowest amount of organic matter, 3000 kg/ha (2676 lb/acre) stimulated growth but no additional incremental growth was observed with greater amounts of organic matter.
A Buddhist–Lacanian Perspective on Lack

The historical and contemporary dialogue between psychoanalysis and Buddhism is examined to advance theories of self-representation. This theoretical foundation provides for a reinterpretation of Lacanian psychoanalytic theory as it applies to the unconscious lack that haunts human subjectivity. The inevitable failure to construct an enduring and permanent sense of self is linked to a chronic feeling of lack and cultural malaise. Drawing upon the work of Buddhist philosopher David Loy, the article proposes that this feeling of lack is symptomatic of a more fundamental and primary repression: a fear of no-self, or egolessness. Both the Buddhist tradition and Lacanian methods rely on unconventional and indirect methods for circumventing the will of the ego. Such unconventional methods are employed to decenter our familiar and common modes of representational discourse in order to deconstruct the ego.
Censored Median Regression Using Weighted Empirical Survival and Hazard Functions

Abstract For median regression models that regress the median of the survival time or a transform thereof on the covariates, some semi-parametric estimators that include the intercept component are introduced when the survival time may be censored. These new median regression estimators do not require estimating the censoring distributions. They can be viewed as an extension of the sample median to the censored regression model. These estimators are based on some weighted empirical survival and hazard functions and are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. They performed very well in various numerical studies. The proposed procedures are illustrated in some real data examples.
The Combinatorial Index

Abstract by Barry A. Bunin, Academic Press, 1998. $79.95 (xvi +322 pages, hardback) ISBN 0-12-141340-3
Robust Resource Allocation in Heterogeneous Parallel and Distributed Computing Systems

Resource allocation in heterogeneous parallel and distributed computing is the process of assigning tasks to computers for execution such that some performance objective is optimized. In this article, the robustness of resource allocations in both static and dynamic environments is evaluated. Keywords: FePIA procedure; robustness metric derivation; static robustness; dynamic robustness; stochastic robustness
Dart‐poison Frogs and the Control of Sexual Selection

In some species of dart-poison frogs (genus Dendrobates), males perform parental care. Some researchers have suggested that high relative parental investment by males in these species causes sex-role reversal. I argue here that, in general, three factors cause sexual selection: inequality of relative parental investment, variance in mate quality, and variability of parental investment. I review evidence from my previous research that contradicts the hypothesis that unequal relative parental investment can explain female mating strategies in two species of dart-poison frogs with male parental care. I then discuss the hypothesis that variability of male parental investment has an important effect on female mating strategies in these species.
Chemical-thermal quantitative methodology for carbon speciation in damage layers on building surfaces.

The issue of environment protection, including the conservation of the monumental heritage worldwide, is related to atmospheric pollution, and its future therefore depends on air pollutant reduction. Carbonaceous particles emitted by combustion processes are the main factors responsible for the blackening of buildings. The identification and evaluation of the carbon species constituting the noncarbonate fraction of total carbon in damage layers, particularly in urban areas, are required in order to investigate atmospheric deposition on building surfaces. Since noncarbonate carbon contains organic and elemental carbon originating from various human activities, its measurement and speciation are crucial to the protection and conservation of monuments and ancient masonry, playing an important role both in the proposal of mitigation strategies and in the definition of conservation treatments. The availability of a correct, accurate, and reproducible analytical method for a complete carbon balance is essential in studying the effects of atmospheric pollutants on the environment, including those affecting cultural heritage. A chemical-thermal methodology was set up, and its sensitivity, accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility were tested on appropriate standard samples of composition similar to the black crusts on stones and mortars. The results indicate that the technique satisfactorily distinguishes among carbon species, particularly those of anthropogenic origin, allowing a reliable evaluation of their quantities in damage layers. In view of the difficulties encountered in applying the thermo-optical methods adopted for the measurement of carbon filters, the proposed methodology contributes to filling the current gap in suitable and reliable analytical procedures in the field of cultural heritage protection.
Highly efficient preparation of tumor antigen-containing glycopeptide building blocks from novel pentenyl glycosides

Abstract O-Glycosylated amino acids containing the tumor-associated T(T f )-antigen (β- d -Gal-(1→3)-α- d -GalNAc) disaccharide unit were conveniently synthesized in seven steps starting from d -galactose via an n -pentenyl glycoside (NPG) building block. Azidonitration of 3,4,6-tri- O -acetyl- d -galactal, followed by nitrate displacement with simultaneous acetate hydrolysis with sodium 4-penten-1-oxide, afforded n -pentenyl 2-deoxy-2-azidogalactoside ( 3 ) in near quantitative yield. Subsequent high-yielding transformations resulted in the synthesis of the key glycosyl donor n -pentenyl β-disaccharide 5 that was employed for the stereospecific preparation of glycosyl amino acids via NIS-promoted glycosylations with serine or threonine acceptors. The surprising utility of the reaction of sodium 4-penten-1-oxide with anomeric nitrates encouraged the detailed exploration of the action of a variety of nucleophiles on anomeric nitrates for the synthesis of useful 2-azido glycosyl donors directly from the ‘classic’ Lemieux azidonitration product of protected galactals. This expedient synthesis (28% overall yield from 1 to 7a ) that makes use of heretofore rarely exploited pentenyl 2′-azidoglycosides, should be a valuable entry in the armamentarium of routes to biologically relevant glycopeptides in both mono- and multivalent forms.
Vapor Pressure of Palladium from 1473 K to 1973 K

The vapor pressure of palladium was studied using a Knudsen effusion cell and a commercial thermogravimetric balance. Vapor pressures were measured using four Knudsen cells of different effusion areas with consistent results. Most of the available vapor pressure data for palladium has been taken below the fusion temperature, and only a few experimental studies exist on the vapor pressure of liquid palladium. In this current study, vapor pressures were measured from 1473 K to 1973 K (from well above and well below the melting point). In addition, the range in temperature covered in the current study represents one of the largest continuous investigations of palladium vapor pressure to date. The standard enthalpy of sublimation calculated via a third-law analysis of the vapor pressure data is (377.7 ± 0.2) kJ·mol-1, in excellent agreement with the recommended value of (377 ± 5) kJ·mol-1 from the most recent review of available palladium vapor pressure data.
Particle-solidification front dynamics using a fully coupled approach, part II: comparison of drag expressions

The interaction of a solidification front with an embedded particle is studied using numerical simulations to couple phase change with particle motion. The particle moves under the influence of forces that act across the gap between it and the advancing solidification front. Among these forces is a drag force that pushes the particle towards the front. Different drag expressions have been used in the past for a spherical particle interacting with an advancing solidification front. The coupled front-particle interactions using two drag expressions are compared. It is shown that the predictions of the critical velocity are influenced by the drag law used. It is also shown that the treatment of the front-particle interaction calculations as fully coupled or otherwise impacts on the predictions of the critical velocity for engulfment. Results from the present fully coupled numerical model are compared with a semi-analytical approach to demonstrate the differences in the predicted critical velocity.
Surface magnetism of Fe(001)

Results of all-electron self-consistent semirelativistic full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave local-density and local-spin-density studies are reported for a seven-layer Fe(001) thin film. The calculated work function for the ferromagnetic state is found to be in excellent agreement with experiment, whereas that calculated for the paramagnetic state is significantly worse (namely, 0.5 eV too large), indicating the importance of spin polarization on this electrostatic property. For both states, partial densities of states (projected by layer and by orbital angular momentum), surface states, and charge (and spin) densities are presented and their differences employed to discuss the origin of surface magnetism. No Friedel oscillation is found in the layer-by-layer charge density. The surface-layer magnetic moment is found to have been increased by 0.73${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$ from the center layer to 2.98${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$/atom; a very small Friedel oscillation is obtained for the spin density, which indicates possible size effects in this seven-layer film. Layer-by-layer Fermi contact hyperfine fields are presented: While the core-polarization contributions are proportional to the magnetic moment, the conduction-electron contribution shows a pronounced Friedel oscillation in the central layer and, significantly, a change of sign and increase in the magnitude for the surface-layer contribution. The hyperfine field at the nucleus of the center-layer atoms is found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. The net result for the surface-layer atoms is a predicted decrease in magnitude of the total Fermi contact hyperfine field despite the large increase of their magnetic moments. The relevance of this prediction to experiment is discussed.
Primary structure of the B subunit of cholera enterotoxin.

Cholera enterotoxin, a protein secreted by the bacterium V&?o cholerae, activates adenylate cyclase in a wide variety of vertebrate cell types [l] . The toxin consists of two different types of subunit, known as the A (‘active’) and B (‘binding’) subunits, associated in non-covalent fashion [ 21. Each toxin molecule probably contains one A and five B subunits [3]. Under suitable conditions the A subunit is sufficient to activate adenylate cyclase in plasma membrane fragments [4,5]. The B subunit has a strong affinity for G,, ganglioside in plasma membranes, and this interaction seems to be necessary for the function of the toxin in intact cells [6]. Nearly all the antigenicity of the intact toxin resides in the B subunit [2]. We have determined the primary structure of the B subunit as a step toward understanding structure-function relationships in cholera enterotoxin.
Anti-phase mode isolation in tuning-fork MEMS using a lever coupling design

A new coupling design is proposed and demonstrated for MEMS tuning-fork structures, which successfully isolates the anti-phase vibratory mode in both frequency and Q-factor. G-sensitivity is reduced by design through 1) creation of a high frequency separation between anti-phase and in-phase vibratory modes, 2) maximization of the in-phase resonance frequency, and 3) minimization of in-phase Q-factors. The proposed design accomplishes these goals by using a levering mechanism for coupling the proof masses, in contrast to a conventional approach via flexural spring. This structural design allows for large frequency separations between the anti-phase and in-phase vibratory modes, experimentally demonstrated up to 119% using a previously established quadruple mass gyroscope (QMG) [1]. Furthermore, due to the additional stress present within the lever coupling, in-phase Q-factors are reduced through tailored thermoelastic damping. The result is an anti-phase resonance separated in Q-factor and fQ product by over two orders of magnitude, compared to the in-phase mode. This is shown in comparison to an identical device with a spring coupling, demonstrated with a 25% frequency separation and one order of magnitude separation in both Q-factor and fQ product.
Globally effective questioning in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract A drawback in the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is the effort required to complete all pairwise comparisons in large hierarchies. The Incomplete Pairwise Comparison (IPC) technique developed by Harker [1,2] aims at reducing this effort by ordering the questions in decreasing informational value and by stopping the process when added value of questions decreases below a certain level. This paper proposes further opportunities for effort reduction through globally effective elicitation process. A simple example demonstrates impressive savings in the number of comparisons a decision maker is required to make when using the AHP for complex problems.
A computer interface for radioisotope data processing

An interface for use with radioisotope disintegration counting has increased the efficiency and expanded the uses of radioisotopes in the study of dynamic phenomena. Counting periods as short as 0.1 sec can be used for several channels simultaneously providing rapid data acquisition and permitting storage on digital magnetic tape and/or real-time data analysis with a general purpose digital computer. Disintegration rates from several radioisotopes can be sampled simultaneously enabling corrections for count spill-over and background in real time. In the system described there are 6 channels (for up to 6 radioisotopes) but 12 may easily be incorporated.
Diagnostic and operative arthroscopy of the coxofemoral joint in horses

Arthroscopic examination of the hip joint was performed in mature and juvenile horses, using a lateral approach and standard or long instruments depending on body weight. Nine hip joints were examined in three cadavers and four anesthetized horses. The lateral, cranial, and caudal regions of the femoral head and acetabulum were accessible, and, after distraction of the limb, the ligament of the head of the femur and the acetabular notch were also visible. In small horses, the medial regions of the hip joint were visible but were inaccessible in larger horses. Iatrogenic injury to the sciatic nerve or periarticular vasculature was not evident at necropsy examination. Six horses with lameness localized to the hip joint were examined arthroscopically. At surgery, two horses had tearing of the ligament of the head of the femur, two horses had osteochondrosis of the femoral head or acetabulum, and two horses had degenerative joint disease, one associated with a rim fracture of the caudal aspect of the acetabulum and the other of indeterminant origin. Improvement after debridement occurred in one of the horses with partial disruption of the ligament of the head of the femur and in both horses with osteochondrosis. Diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy of the hip can be accomplished in foals and weanlings using standard equipment, but, in adults weighing more than 300 kg, longer instruments are required and the ease of access and the visible extent of the hip joint is considerably reduced.
Curvature theory for a two-degree-of-freedom planar linkage

This paper shows that the method of kinematic coefficients can be applied in a straightforward manner to the kinematic analysis of mechanisms with more than one input. For illustrative purposes, the paper presents an example of a two-input linkage or two-degree-of-freedom linkage; namely, the well-known planar five-bar linkage. The two inputs are the side links of the five-bar linkage which are assumed to be cranks. Since the linkage is operated by two driving cranks independently then the linkage can produce a wide variety of motions for the two coupler links. The kinematic coefficients are partial derivatives of the two coupler links with respect to the two input crank angles and separate the geometric effects of the mechanism from the operating speeds. As such they provide geometric insight into the kinematic analysis of a mechanism. A practical application of the five-bar linkage is to position the end-effector of an industrial robotic manipulator, for example, the General Electric model P50 robotic manipulator. The paper then presents closed-form expressions for the radius of curvature and the center of curvature of an arbitrary coupler curve during the complete operating cycle of the linkage. The analytical equations that are developed in the paper can be incorporated, in a straightforward manner, into a spreadsheet that is oriented towards the path curvature of a multi-degree-of-freedom linkage. The author hopes that, based on the results presented here, a variety of useful tools for the kinematic design of planar multi-degree-of-freedom mechanisms will be developed for planar curve generation.
Particle-field decomposition and domain decomposition in parallel particle-in-cell beam dynamics simulation

Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation is widely used in many branches of physics and engineering. In this paper, we give an analysis of the particle-field decomposition method and the domain decomposition method in parallel particle-in-cell beam dynamics simulation. The parallel performance of the two decomposition methods was studied on the Cray XT4 and the IBM Blue Gene/P Computers. The domain decomposition method shows better scalability but is slower than the particle-field decomposition in most cases (up to a few thousand processors) for macroparticle dominant applications. The particle-field decomposition method also shows less memory usage than the domain decomposition method due to its use of perfect static load balance. For applications with a smaller ratio of macroparticles to grid points, the domain decomposition method exhibits better scalability and faster speed. Application of the particle-field decomposition scheme to high-resolution macroparticle-dominant parallel beam dynamics simulation for a future light source linear accelerator is presented as an example.
Semi-supervised Clustering by Input Pattern Assisted Pairwise Similarity Matrix Completion

Many semi-supervised clustering algorithms have been proposed to improve the clustering accuracy by effectively exploring the available side information that is usually in the form of pairwise constraints. However, there are two main shortcomings of the existing semi-supervised clustering algorithms. First, they have to deal with non-convex optimization problems, leading to clustering results that are sensitive to the initialization. Second, none of these algorithms is equipped with theoretical guarantee regarding the clustering performance. We address these limitations by developing a framework for semisupervised clustering based on input pattern assisted matrix completion. The key idea is to cast clustering into a matrix completion problem, and solve it efficiently by exploiting the correlation between input patterns and cluster assignments. Our analysis shows that under appropriate conditions, only O(log n) pairwise constraints are needed to accurately recover the true cluster partition. We verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by comparing it to the state-of-the-art semisupervised clustering algorithms on several benchmark datasets.