cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical control of the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope

The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) is an off-axis Gregorian astronomical telescope design. The ATST is expected to be subject to thermal and gravitational effects that result in misalignments of its mirrors and warping of its primary mirror. These effects require active, closed-loop correction to maintain its as-designed diffraction-limited optical performance. The simulation and modeling of the ATST with a closed-loop correction strategy are presented. The correction strategy is derived from the linear mathematical properties of two Jacobian, or influence, matrices that map the ATST rigid-body (RB) misalignments and primary mirror figure errors to wavefront sensor (WFS) measurements. The two Jacobian matrices also quantify the sensitivities of the ATST to RB and primary mirror figure perturbations. The modeled active correction strategy results in a decrease of the rms wavefront error averaged over the field of view (FOV) from 500 to 19 nm, subject to 10 nm rms WFS noise. This result is obtained utilizing nine WFSs distributed in the FOV with a 300 nm rms astigmatism figure error on the primary mirror. Correction of the ATST RB perturbations is demonstrated for an optimum subset of three WFSs with corrections improving the ATST rms wavefront error from 340 to 17.8 nm. In addition to the active correction of the ATST, an analytically robust sensitivity analysis that can be generally extended to a wider class of optical systems is presented.
Antennal sensilla of the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn) (Coleoptera:Curculionidae)

Abstract Scanning electron microscopy revealed 2 types of sensilla trichodea, 4 types of sensilla basiconica, and one type of sensilla styloconica on the antennal club of the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae. All receptor types are found on both male and female weevils and their distribution is similar. The total number of sensilla on the antennal club of the male is estimated to be 1467 and on the female 1491. Significant differences in numbers of basiconica type I exist for dorsal and ventral surfaces on the male but not on the female. A significant difference in number exists between the sexes for trichodea type I and for dorsal/ventral surfaces on the female. Significant differences exist in length between the sexes for trichodea type I on segments 2 and 3 and trichodea type II on all 3 segments. The porous surface present on basiconica type I sensilla indicates a possible olfactory function.
FROC curves using a model of visual search

The purpose of this paper is to describe FROC (free-response receiver operating characteristic) curves predicted by a recent model of visual search. The model is characterized by three parameters (μ, λ and ν) which quantify perceived lesion signal-to-noise ratio, the average number of non-lesion locations per image considered for marking by the observer, and the probability that a lesion is considered for marking, respectively. An important characteristic of a search-model predicted FROC curve is that it is contained within the rectangle with corners at (0, 0) and (λ, ν). It is shown that λ and ν determine the x and y end-point coordinates of the FROC curve, respectively, and mu determines the sharpness of the transition from vertical slope at the origin to zero slope at (λ, ν). Two figures of merit (FOM) quantifying free-response performance are described. A FOM commonly used by CAD developers is the ordinate of the FROC curve at a specified abscissa. Another FOM, recently introduced by us, measures the ability of the observer to discriminate between normal and abnormal images. The latter is analogous to the Az measure widely used in ROC methodology. The search-model is related to the initial detection and candidate analysis (IDCA) method of fitting FROC curves but a key assumption, the shapes of the fitted curves and the estimation methods are different. The search-model yielded excellent fits to a designer level and to a simulated clinical level CAD data set. Available software implementing these ideas is expected to aid in the optimization of CAD algorithms.
Network capacity control using self-adjusting bid-prices

The computation of bid-prices for resources is the most popular instrument for capacity control in network revenue management. The basic task of this control includes supporting accept/reject decisions on dynamically arriving requests for products that differ in their revenues and resource demands, respectively. Within actual control, bid-prices can be used to approximate the opportunity cost of reserving resources to satisfy a request. Using this valuation, the request is accepted if the associated revenue equals or exceeds the opportunity cost. Most commonly, bid prices are computed by linear programming based on the forecasted demand with a few updates during the booking period. Due to accepted requests and variations between forecasted and real demand, the approximation of the opportunity cost becomes less accurate with time passing by, leading to inferior accept/reject decisions. Therefore, we propose the concept of self-adjusting bid-prices. The basic idea includes defining bid-prices as functions of the amount of capacity already used and of the expected demand-to-come. Coefficients for calibrating the bid-price functions are obtained by a simulation-based optimization using the metaheuristic scatter search.
Biometrical relationships, energy content and biochemical composition of Neomysis mercedis from Lake Washington

Morphometric relationships, caloric content and biochemical composition of Neomysis mercedis were determined for freshly caught mysids. Strong positive correlations between telson length, carapace length, dry weight, energy content and total length are described by the equations: Ln (Dry weight) = −5.02 + 2.57* Ln (Total Length), Telson Length = 0.13* Total Length, and Energy (Calories) = −37.13 + 4.85* Mean Total Length. Energy (4.92 cal mg−1 AFDFW), ash (8.61% dry weight) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (10.6% dry weight) content are comparable to values reported for other species. A comparison of the length-weight relationship for N. mercedis with similar equations published previously for other mysid species indicated that the predicted mean dry weight at any particular length varied among species.
Development of a probabilistic timing model for the ingestion of tap water.

A contamination event in a water distribution system can result in adverse health impacts to individuals consuming contaminated water from the system. Assessing impacts to such consumers requires accounting for the timing of exposures of individuals to tap-water contaminants that have time-varying concentrations. Here we present a probabilistic model for the timing of ingestion of tap water that we developed for use in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Threat Ensemble Vulnerability Assessment and Sensor Placement Tool, which is designed to perform consequence assessments for contamination events in water distribution systems. We also present a statistical analysis of the timing of ingestion activity using data collected by the American Time Use Survey. The results of the analysis provide the basis for our model, which accounts for individual variability in ingestion timing and provides a series of potential ingestion times for tap water. It can be combined with a model for ingestion volume to per...
The rhetoric of citation systems—Part I: The development of annotation structures from the renaissance to 1900*

(1998). The rhetoric of citation systems—Part I: The development of annotation structures from the renaissance to 1900. Rhetoric Review: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 6-48.
A Note on the Approximation of Functions of Several Variables by Sums of Functions of One Variable.

Abstract For a class of functions of several variables, which includes the continuous functions, we show that there exists a sum of functions of one variable that minimizes the distance from the given function to the space of such sums. For functions of two variables we show that such a minimizing sum may be constructed by an iterative scheme.
Surflex-Dock: Docking benchmarks and real-world application

Benchmarks for molecular docking have historically focused on re-docking the cognate ligand of a well-determined protein-ligand complex to measure geometric pose prediction accuracy, and measurement of virtual screening performance has been focused on increasingly large and diverse sets of target protein structures, cognate ligands, and various types of decoy sets. Here, pose prediction is reported on the Astex Diverse set of 85 protein ligand complexes, and virtual screening performance is reported on the DUD set of 40 protein targets. In both cases, prepared structures of targets and ligands were provided by symposium organizers. The re-prepared data sets yielded results not significantly different than previous reports of Surflex-Dock on the two benchmarks. Minor changes to protein coordinates resulting from complex pre-optimization had large effects on observed performance, highlighting the limitations of cognate ligand re-docking for pose prediction assessment. Docking protocols developed for cross-docking, which address protein flexibility and produce discrete families of predicted poses, produced substantially better performance for pose prediction. Performance on virtual screening performance was shown to benefit by employing and combining multiple screening methods: docking, 2D molecular similarity, and 3D molecular similarity. In addition, use of multiple protein conformations significantly improved screening enrichment.
Relevance of network theory to models of distributed/parallel processing☆

Abstract This paper is concerned with the applicability of network theory to those aspects of distributed/parallel processing that can be modeled by marked graphs. First, several examples are given to illustrate that a wide variety of computation schemes can be modeled by marked graphs. Subsequently, the following topics are discussed: application of KVL to fault detection and isolation, KCL and Tellegen's Theorem applied to marked graphs, and the relationship between the maximum (minimum) storage requirement and the minimum (maximum) power.
Overcoming Bias in the Deliberations of Distributed Teams

Human decision making is subject to a variety of cognitive and affective processes that can significantly impact the nature and quality of the resulting decisions. While commonly referred to as dec...
X-Ray Powder Diffraction Analysis of a Photoconductor Material p-Diethylaminobenzaldehyde Diphenylamine Hydrazone

A commercially available photoconductor material, p-diethylaminobenzaldehyde diphenylamine hydrazone, C 23 H 25 N 3 , has been purified and recrystallized from an absolute alcohol solution. The triclinic compound has been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. Experimental 2 θ values corrected for systematic errors, relative peak intensities, values of d, and the Miller indices of 74 observed reflections with 2 θ up to 30.5° are reported. The powder diffraction data have been evaluated, and figures of merit are reported. Unit-cell parameters least-squares refined from the 74 observed reflections of the triclinic compound are in good agreement with those obtained from the single-crystal structure analysis.
K+N scattering data and exotic Z+ resonances

Abstract Given the growing evidence for an exotic S = + 1 resonance, seen in kaon, photon and neutrino induced reactions, we reexamine the existing K+p and K+d database in order to understand how such a state could have been missed in previous studies. The lack of structure in this database implies a width of an MeV or less, assuming a state exists near 1540 MeV.
Novel equilibrium headspace gas chromatographic technique for the measurement of noncovalent association and partition of n-alkylbenzenes in water/n-dodecane and water/1-octanol systems at low phase ratio without phase separation

Abstract A novel equilibrium headspace gas chromatographic (eHSGC) method was developed to study the basis of liquid–liquid partitioning (LLP) as set of two reactions and the solute mass balance. The equations describe the system completely with minimum assumptions. The theory was tested for n -dodecane/water and 1-octanol/water systems with n -alkylbenzenes (benzene, B, toluene, T, ethtylbenzene, EB, n -propylbenzene, PB, and n -butylbenzene, BB) as solutes at infinite dilution (ca. 10 −7 mf), without solute concentration, without calibration, and most importantly, without phase separation at low phase ratio (0.001). The only requirements are the accurate measurement of relative peak areas and the phase ratio. Three fundamental parameters- the critical phase ratio (cpr), monomer solute-organic solvent association constant ( K SB ), and monomer solute-organic pseudo-phase association constant ( K S p B ) were obtained experimentally. Other parameters such as the molar and mole fraction partition coefficients ( K SW , K x ), and the intra-organic phase infinite dilution activity coefficients ( γ ∞ s ) of solutes were also calculated to characterize the LLP process. The noncovalent association constants, K SW and K S p B are reported here for the first time. The results show that the cpr is indicative of the solubility of lipophilic 1-octanol while significantly different for completely nonpolar n -dodecane due to strong solute-organic solvent (SB) association i.e., larger K SB . The partition coefficients ( K SW and K x ) are shown to be a specific case of K S p B equilibrium. These values are in fair agreement with literature values. The existence of a water rich pseudo-phase in a water continuous mixed immiscible solvent is reflected in the relative values of ΔG ° CH 2 = −(674 to 988) J/mol CH 2 compared to the literature ΔG ° CH 2 = −(1674 to 3349) J/mol CH 2 for LLP into neat phases. The mutual influence of phases is clearly demonstrated by similarity of γ ∞ s (B-BB = 0.25–8.38) for 1-octanol and γ ∞ s (B-BB = 0.55–12) for n -dodecane.
The Nagata—Higman Theorem

The Nagata-Higman theorem for the nilpotency of nil algebras of bounded index was proved in 1953 by Nagata [Nal] over a field of characteristic 0 and then in 1956 by Higman [Hg] in the general setup. Much later it was discovered that this theorem was first established in 1943 by Dubnov and Ivanov [DI] but their paper was overlooked by the mathematical community. The theorem has many applications to the theory of PI-algebras as well as to invariant theory and structure theory of rings. Since we consider nil and nilpotent algebras which are nonunitary, in this chapter we shall work with the free nonunitary algebra K +(X).
Race, class and support for police use of force

Analysis of attitudes toward the use of force by police finds that in 1991 70% of white and 43% of black respondents “approve of a policeman striking an adult male citizen” under some circumstances. A pattern is found of groups with greater power, status and advantages (whites, males, the more educated and the more wealthy) being more likely to favor police use of force than are less privileged groups. Other factors found to have significant net relationships with support for police violence include, beliefs about personality characteristics of minorities and poor people, religious conservatism, having been the victim of violence, gun ownership, views on appropriate child rearing goals or values, and feelings about courts treatment and sentencing of criminals.
Security-constrained expansion planning of fast-response units for wind integration ☆

Abstract This paper proposes a stochastic expansion planning of fast-response thermal units for the large-scale integration of wind generation (WG). The paper assumes that the WG integration level is given and considers the short-term thermal constraints and the volatility of wind units in the planning of fast-response thermal units. The new fast-response units are proposed by market participants. The security-constrained expansion planning approach will be used by an ISO or a regulatory body to secure the optimal planning of the participants’ proposed fast-response units with the WG integration. Random outages of generating units and transmission lines as well as hourly load and wind speed forecast errors are modeled in Monte Carlo scenarios. The Monte Carlo simplification methods are introduced to handle large-scale stochastic expansion planning as a tradeoff between the solution accuracy and the calculation time. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through numerical simulations.
Analysis and Cost-Recovery Optimization Methodology for a Fixed-Class Truck Tolling Structure

The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology for examining existing class-based toll structures for “fairness” between different commercial truck classes and for optimizing toll rates within each class to fully recover the total cost of pavement consumed by trucks. A theoretical methodology for setting toll rates to optimize cost recovery within a given class and achieve fairness between classes is defined. Methods for analyzing existing toll rate structures using weigh-in-motion (WIM) data in the absence of full vehicle identification information are also described. A case study of Texas State Highway 130 demonstrates the usefulness of WIM data for analysis of a toll classification system based on number of axles.
A Genome-Wide Screen Identifies Genes Required for Centromeric Cohesion

During meiosis, two chromosome segregation phases follow a single round of DNA replication. We identified factors required to establish this specialized cell cycle by examining meiotic chromosome segregation in a collection of yeast strains lacking all nonessential genes. This analysis revealed Sgo1, Chl4, and Iml3 to be important for retaining centromeric cohesin until the onset of anaphase II. Consistent with this role, Sgo1 localizes to centromeric regions but dissociates at the onset of anaphase II. The screen described here provides a comprehensive analysis of the genes required for the meiotic cell cycle and identifies three factors important for the stepwise loss of sister chromatid cohesion.
Brief report: Pregnant by age 15 years and substance use initiation among US adolescent girls

We examined substance use onset and associations with pregnancy by age 15 years. Participants were girls ages 15 years or younger (weighted n = 8319) from the 1999–2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS). Multivariable logistic regression examined pregnancy as a function of substance use onset (i.e., age 10 years or younger, 11–12, 13–14, and age 15 years) for alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, controlling for race/ethnicity and metropolitan location. Of girls pregnant by age 15 years (3% of the sample, weighted n = 243), 16% had smoked marijuana by age 10 years and over 20% had smoked cigarettes and initiated alcohol use by age 10 years. In the multivariable analysis, marijuana use by age 14 years and/or cigarette smoking by age 12 years clearly distinguished girls who became pregnant by age 15 years and is perhaps due to a common underlying risk factor.
A new porous three-dimensional lanthanide coordination polymer.

The open-framework coordination polymer [Er(C9H9O6)(H2O)2]·2.5H2O (C9H9O6 = cis,cis-1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylate) has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Each Er ion is coordinated to nine oxygen atoms belonging to two water molecules and five carboxylate ligands. Its 3-D polymeric structure possesses channels containing the guest water molecules that can be removed to afford a porous material [Er(C9H9O6)(H2O)2]. The metal−organic framework in [Er(C9H9O6)(H2O)2] can withstand the removal of 1 equiv of coordinated water.
Mechanism for Coloration of Alkali Halides at Low Temperatures

A mechanism for low-temperature coloration of alkali halides is proposed in which double ionization of a halide ion or single ionization of two adjacent halide ions leads to the formation of an uncharged halogen molecule which occupies two adjacent halide ion sites. If the molecule is localized at one of these sites by the jump of a nearby halide ion into the other site, a vacancy and interstitial are formed. Capture of an electron by each of these imperfections leads to the production of the $F$ center and $H$ center.
Non-additive gene effects in populations under different methods of selection.

The genetic parameters of two quantitative traits, 13-day larval weight and pupal weight, in Tribolium populations developed by reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) and by within-line purebred selection (WLS) were compared each with the other and also with the parameters of the unselected base populations using the genetic model of Carbonell, Nyquist and Bell. The variability for two and three-way crosses of inbred lines derived from “companion” populations (two strains, breeds, or varieties used for a terminal cross or hybrid) was analyzed into genetic effects: autosomal additivity (* g), autosomal heterosis (* s), sex-linked additivity (L), sex-linked heterosis (LL), general maternal (m), specific maternal or reciprocal (r), additive by additive epistasis (aa), and deviations from the model due, among other causes, to higher order epistasis (dev). One series of crosses involved companion populations with diverse origins. For contrast, a second series of crosses involved companion populations originating from a common heterogenous base population. For the heterotic trait larval weight, * g and * s effects were equally important and accounted for over 50% of the total variation. The aa epistasis contributed another 20% and was followed in importance by higher order epistasis and general maternal effects. For the more highly heritable trait, pupal weight, * g effects were most important with * s, aa, and m effects having smaller but significant influences. Sex-linked and reciprocal effects were statistically significant for many crosses, but they were relatively unimportant overall. In general, the unselected base populations showed higher * g variation than either RRS or WLS populations with the reverse true for * s effects. In agreement with theoretical expectations, RRS was more effective than WLS in exploiting * s effects. The aa epistatic effects for larval weight were of major importance in the unselected populations, but RRS and WLS did not differ significantly for exploiting superior aa gene combinations. Companion populations with diverse origins revealed significantly larger variation due to * g and * s effects in crosses than did populations initiated from a common heterogeneous base.
Varicella-zoster virus infection of human brain cells and ganglion cells in tissue culture

The growth of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in cultures of human brain (HB) and human ganglion (HG) cells was compared to VZV growth in human fibroblasts. Infected cultures were monitored by histologic, electron microscopic (EM), and virologic techniques. Two to three days after VZV infection of all cell cultures at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1, a multifocal cytopathic effect (CPE) developed. CPE was characterized by multinucleated cells and virus-specific intranuclear inclusions as determined by immunofluorescence and EM. In VZV-infected HB and HG cells only, large vacuoles were also seen in the cytoplasm of dying cells. Some vacuoles were almost devoid of structures. Within and at the limiting membranes of other vacuoles, aggregates of VZV particles (measuring 210–230 nm) were seen enveloped in osmiophilic material. VZV infection of HB and HG cultures was strongly cell-associated. Clarified tissue culture medium removed at maximum CPE failed to infect homologous HB or HG cells. When an inoculum of VZV-infected HB or HG cells was transferred to homologous uninfected cultures for 10–15 passages, the incubation period for CPE remained constant, and the titer of VZV in cells sampled randomly corresponded to the amount of virus that was used for original infection.
Simplifying protein expression with ligation-free, traceless and tag-switching plasmids.

Abstract Synthetic biology and genome-scale protein work both require rapid and efficient cloning, expression and purification. Tools for co-expression of multiple proteins and production of fusion proteins with purification and solubility tags are often desirable. Here we present a survey of plasmid vectors that provide for some of these features with a focus on tools for rapid cloning and traceless tagging – a setup that facilitates removal of fusion tags post-purification leaving behind no ‘scar’ on the final construct. Key features are reviewed, including plasmid replication origins and resistance markers, transcriptional promoters, cloning methods, and fusion tags and their removal by proteolysis. We describe a vector system called pHLIC, which assembles features for simple cloning, overexpression, facile purification, and traceless cleavage, as well as flexibility in modifying the vector to exchange fusion tags.
Genetic evidence that zinc is an essential co-factor in the DNA binding domain of GAL4 protein

The 'cysteine-zinc DNA binding finger' is a recently identified sequence motif that is present in a wide variety of transcriptional regulatory proteins and is thought to be directly involved in DNA binding1. It has been proposed that an essential component of this structure is a zinc ion bound between two pairs of cysteine residues. The GAL4-encoded protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which binds to DNA and activates the transcription of several genes, contains this sequence motif. Here I describe a gal4 mutant with an alteration in the cysteine-zinc DNA binding finger whose defect is corrected in vivo by high concentrations of ZnCl2. The DNA binding activity of the altered protein from this mutant is restored by ZnCl2 in vitro. This is evidence that the GAL4 protein indeed contains zinc ions essential for its DNA binding activity.
Correlates of Sleep and Waking in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila exhibits a circadian rest-activity cycle, but it is not known whether fly rest constitutes sleep or is mere inactivity. It is shown here that, like mammalian sleep, rest in Drosophila is characterized by an increased arousal threshold and is homeostatically regulated independently of the circadian clock. As in mammals, rest is abundant in young flies, is reduced in older flies, and is modulated by stimulants and hypnotics. Several molecular markers modulated by sleep and waking in mammals are modulated by rest and activity in Drosophila, including cytochrome oxidase C, the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein BiP, and enzymes implicated in the catabolism of monoamines. Flies lacking one such enzyme, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, show increased rest after rest deprivation. These results implicate the catabolism of monoamines in the regulation of sleep and waking in the fly and suggest that Drosophila may serve as a model system for the genetic dissection of sleep.
Temperature-dependent DIET of alkalis from SiO2 films: Comparison with a lunar sample

Abstract We present recent results in an investigation of source mechanisms for the origin of alkali atoms (Na, K) in tenuous planetary atmospheres. A reversible temperature dependence has recently been observed in the electron and photon stimulated desorption (ESD and PSD) of Na from a lunar basalt sample. The observations were attributed to a temperature-related variations in binding sites with different desorption rates. We have now measured the reversible temperature-dependence of the ESD yields for neutral Na and K, and ionic Na+ and K+ from an SiO2 surface. The neutral desorption yields demonstrate opposite behavior from the lunar sample, which is presumably associated with different desorption mechanisms. The sticking probability S for atomic K is nearly constant over the substrate temperature range 100–500 K, whereas S for Na decreases with increasing T in this range. To clarify the charge-transfer desorption mechanism, we compare the DIET of monovalent atoms (Na, K) and divalent atoms (Ba). The threshold for ESD of Ba is ∼25 eV, much higher than that for Na, K (3 and 4 eV).
Accumulation of K-Ras codon 12 mutations in the F344 rat distal colon following azoxymethane exposure.

Azoxymethane (AOM) administration to F344 male rats is a widely used model of human colon carcinogenesis. The current study investigates quantitatively the accumulation of K-Ras codon 12 mutations following AOM exposure. Male, 6-week-old F344 rats were treated subcutaneously with 30 mg/kg body weight of AOM, and colon tissue was collected at 1, 8, 24, and 32 weeks after treatment. The K-Ras codon 12 GGT to GAT and GGT to GTT mutant fractions (MFs) were measured using allele-specific competitive blocker polymerase chain reaction (ACB-PCR). Between 1 and 32 weeks after AOM treatment, the K-Ras codon 12 GGT to GAT geometric mean MF in the rat colon increased significantly from 12.9 × 10−5 to 145 × 10−5, and the GGT to GTT geometric mean MF increased significantly from 5.26 × 10−5 to 180 × 10−5. K-Ras codon 12 GGT to GAT MF also increased significantly in AOM-treated rat colon tissue at 1 week compared to controls (4.44 × 10−5). The accumulation of the GGT to GAT MF long after the DNA adduct repair phase suggests that a portion of cells containing this mutation have a proliferative advantage, allowing them to accumulate as nascent tumors progress. Also, the GGT to GAT background MF increased in untreated rats, indicating that there is accumulation with age. The ACB–PCR assay generates quantitative data of cancer-related mutations and thus provides insight into pathological processes following carcinogen exposure. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2011. © Published 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Regulation of the cAMP cascade, gene expression and immune function by cannabinoid receptors

Abstract The objective of this article is to discuss the putative role of cannabinoid receptors in immune modulation by cannabinoid compounds. The primary focus is on the signal transduction events that are initiated following ligand binding to cannabinoid receptors and how these events lead to detrimental effects on the normal responsiveness of immunocompetent cells. Toward this end, signalling events are traced from the cannabinoid receptor to the transcription factors which are adversely regulated in the presence of cannabinoid compounds during leukocyte activation. Moreover, this aberrant regulation of transcription factors is discussed in the context of altered gene expression and the impact this has on leukocyte function. Lastly, an important goal of this article is to dispel a long standing myth that the cyclic adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate (cAMP) cascade is a negative regulatory pathway for immunocompetent cells. This chapter examines two major immunologic cell-types which are well established as exhibiting altered function following cannabinoid treatment, helper T-cells and the macrophage. Not discussed are the effects of cannabinoids on B-cell function. This is primarily due to the rather refractory nature of B-cells to inhibition by cannabinoids in spite of the fact that this cell-type expresses functional cannabinoid receptors [Schatz, A.R., Koh, W.S., Kaminski, N.E., 1993. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol selectively inhibits T-cell dependent humoral immune responses through direct inhibition of accessory T-cell function. Immunopharmacol., 26, pp. 129–137.]. One cautionary note, although the focus of this article is on cannabinoid receptor mediated signalling events, immune modulation by cannabinoid compounds is likely multi-factorial presumably involving receptor as well as receptor-nonrelated events. Effects on leukocytes by cannabinoids which are believed to be mediated by receptor-nonrelated events are outside the scope of this paper and will not be discussed. One last introductory point is that even though their is presumably little overlap in the genes which are regulated by cannabinoids in leukocytes as compared to other cell-types (e.g., neural cells), the major signalling pathways involved in cellular regulation are ubiquitous. With that in mind, it is likely that their is a considerable amount of similarity in the signalling pathways regulated by cannabinoids in cell-types of different lineage, given that they express cannabinoid receptors. In this context, signalling events observed in leukocytes can provide important insight into which genes may be modulated by cannabinoid in other cell types.
Sketch understanding systems

I will be discussing the problem of sketch understanding which, as we shall see shortly, involves much more than just recognizing sketched symbols. Most of the work that I will present has been done by myself and the other members of my former research group back at MIT, lead by Professor Randy Davis. In addition, I would like to acknowledge my current team of undergraduate researchers who are helping me explore these problems further.
The innervation of the umbilical vein in human embryos and fetuses

In human embryos and fetuses, a small bundle of nerve fibers from the anterior and posterior vagal trunks descends between the layers of the hepatogastric ligament. These fibers pass to the region of the junction of the umbilical vein with the ductus venosus. At this junction, there is a slight thickening of the muscular wall. Nerve fibers pass to this junction and the proximal portion of the umbilical vein. Fibers from the posterior vagal trunk follow the left gastric artery to the celiac plexus. Fibers from this plexus follow the hepatic artery into the lesser omentum and along the portal vein to the liver. Continuing along the left branch of the portal vein, fibers reach the proximal portion of the umbilical vein and its junction with the ductus venosus. Ganglion cells were observed along the course of vagus nerve fibers to the umbilical vein. In embryos these cells were observed on the lower end of the anterior vagal trunk near the attachment of the upper end of the lesser omentum to the lower end of the esophagus. In older fetuses they were found in a small ganglion in the connective tissue surrouding the distal end of the ductus venosus.
Statistical Light on Profits, as Analyzed in Recent Literature

General character of the two studies, 320.—Crum's analysis of earning power: the "profit ratio," 322; the "earnings ratio," 326.—The return Upon capital invested, 330.—The proportion of profitable operations, 333.—Sloan's analysis of earnings, 334.—Frequency distribution of earnings in 1927 and 1917, 336.—The range of earnings, 339.—Relation between earnings and "especialty products," 340.—More light needed, 342.
The Parable of Google Flu: Traps in Big Data Analysis

In February 2013, Google Flu Trends (GFT) made headlines but not for a reason that Google executives or the creators of the flu tracking system would have hoped. Nature reported that GFT was predicting more than double the proportion of doctor visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which bases its estimates on surveillance reports from laboratories across the United States ( 1 , 2 ). This happened despite the fact that GFT was built to predict CDC reports. Given that GFT is often held up as an exemplary use of big data ( 3 , 4 ), what lessons can we draw from this error?
Adhesion of evaporated metal films

Abstract An abrasion-resistivity test was developed to study the adhesion of vacuum-deposited aluminum films on glass surfaces. The test consists of measuring the electrical resistance of the metal film during abrasion by a stream of fine silicon carbide particles. An analysis is given of the anticipated test results on homogeneous and nonhomogeneous metal films and on effects near the interface. Differences in the plating and annealing conditions of evaporated aluminum films were detected by the abrasion-resistivity test. Poorest adhesion was found on platings made on unclean surfaces and platings made at a slow rate of evaporation of the metal. The optimum substrate temperature for good adhesion was determined to be 175°C. Annealing of the aluminum film resulted in formation of a surface oxide layer and development of an interlayer compound at the interface.
Techniques for continuous power delivery to a group of 15-watt +3.3 to ± 150 VDC miniature wireless instrumented and fast stepping robots through several thousand intermittent contacts between the robot's legs and the walking surface

It is well known that one of the major limitations in achieving small form factors in wireless electronic systems is the power source. This particularly holds true for a new class of miniature wireless robots such as the NanoWalker where complex and power-demanding electronics and computation must be embedded to support complex tasks at the molecular and atomic scales while providing very high throughputs in a fully autonomous manner. It is estimated that in a worst case, up to 15 Watts of continuous power may be required per robot. This power consumption comes mainly from the embedded 48 MIPS digital signal processing (DPS) and memory system, the drive and control electronics for the piezo- ceramic legs, the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) based control and instrumentation sub-system capable of 200,000 high-resolution readings/s, and the 4 Mb/s infrared (IR) communication interface. With these specifications coupled with the requirement to control the motion of the robot in the nanometer and micrometer ranges with several thousand steps/s, migrating some of the control functions to an external computer and exchanging data through the wireless communication channel is not an option because of additional latencies well beyond the short and highly predictable response periods required by the robots. To complicate the problem, the power delivery system must accommodate a large range of voltages between the electronics and the power amplifiers driving the piezo-ceramic legs. A solution based on continuous power delivery through a special walking surface with intermittent contacts with the robots during motion is described.
SES and CHAOS as environmental mediators of cognitive ability: A longitudinal genetic analysis

This study examined shared environmental influences on the longitudinal stability of general cognitive ability, as mediated by socioeconomic status and chaos in the home, using 287 pairs of elementary school-age twins drawn from the Western Reserve Reading Project (WRRP). General cognitive ability was evaluated at two annual assessments using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. SES was examined using the highest level of education achieved by the mother of the twins, and chaos by a 6-item parent-report questionnaire. Results suggest that SES and CHAOS not only account for independent sources of shared environmental influences related to general cognitive ability at a given measurement occasion, but these effects also account for a portion of the longitudinal stability of general cognitive ability in early childhood.
Comments on "A concept for the intrinsic dielectric strength of dielectric insulation materials" by E.F. Cuddihy

In the above-titled paper, E.F. Cuddihy (ibid., vol.EI-22, p.573-89, Oct. 1987) used a binomial function as an approximate representation of the ratio of average to maximum field strength for point-plane electrode systems. The commenter shows that (1) the binomial expression given is not the correct approximation; (2) in application to experimental results the binomial function is used for situations in which it is no longer a good approximation; and (3) the two models proposed, namely tip-ground and tip-tip, are identical in all circumstance and do not have different binomial approximation as stated. >
Modulation of natural killer-mediated lysis by red blood cells

Natural killer (NK)-mediated cytotoxicity is significantly enhanced in the presence of red blood cells (RBC). The enhancement is dose dependent on the number of RBC present and can be induced by autochthonous, allogeneic, or xenogeneic RBC. The enhancement was demonstrated in cytotoxicity against two different NK-sensitive tumor target cell lines, K562 and U937, and by three different assay systems, chromium release, lactate dehydrogenase release, and inhibition of thymidine incorporation. RBC directly enhance the cytotoxic activity of NKH-1/Leu19+ large granular lymphocyte NK cells. Intact RBC have to be present during the cytotoxicity assay to induce the enhancement, which probably occurs at a postbinding, preprogramming phase. The anti-CD2 antibody Leu5 cannot block the enhancement at a concentration inhibitory to lymphocyte rosetting with sheep RBC, suggesting that the enhancement is not induced by interaction through the CD2 antigen. These results indicate that RBC are a potent modulator of NK cytotoxicity and suggest that in vitro NK studies using purified lymphocytes may not always truly reflect NK activity in the blood stream.
The Uncertainty of Drivers’ Gap Selection and its Impact on the Fundamental Diagram

Time gap, defined as the time difference between the departure of the leading vehicle and the arrival of the following at the designated test point, is of great importance for both microscopic and macroscopic traffic modeling. In this paper, the authors report their recent investigation on a large amount of time gap data. By categorizing time gaps according to traffic conditions (indicated by travel speeds) and driving conditions (including no-speed-change, acceleration, and deceleration), the authors first studied the uncertainty in drivers’ gap selection, which is determined by drivers’ perception of selecting a comfortable and safe distance to the front vehicle. As they found out, under congested conditions, the average time gaps selected by drivers display little variation when drivers do not accelerate or decelerate; but when drivers are accelerating or decelerating, on average, they choose different time gaps with different speeds. The authors further studied the impact of the uncertainty of drivers’ gap selection on the macroscopic traffic variables by considering the road traffic as a stochastic process. The authors derived a shifted Gamma traffic count distribution to describe the randomness of traffic flow caused by the uncertainty of drivers’ gap selection, and then derived the fundamental diagram (FD) based on the count distribution. They found out that the uncertainty of drivers’ gap selection partially contributes to the scatter in the FD; and the shape of the FD changes with driving conditions: the right-hand-side of the FD most likely is a linear line for no-speed-change condition; but it becomes a convex curve when vehicles are accelerating and a concave curve when decelerating. The different capacity values shown in the FD offer a possible explanation for the “capacity drop”.
Prolamin size diversity in the Poaceae

Abstract The size and size heterogeneity of prolamins, a class of seed storage proteins specific to grasses, is investigated to assess their potential as macromolecular characters in grass systematics. Prolamins were extracted from grain meals of 33 species belonging to the subfamilies Pooideae, Chloridoideae, Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Oryzoideae and Bambusoideae. The proteins were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Major prolamins varied from ca 65 to 15 kDalton in size. The six subfamilies segregated into three major groups according to prolamin size: (1) Pooideae, (2) Chloridoideae-Panicoideae-Arundinoideae, and (3) Oryzoideae-Bambusoideae. Pooideae was most variable in terms of prolamin molecular masses and subunit heterogeneity. Prolamins of the oryzoid, bambusoid and stipoid species were most homogeneous, each containing a single polypeptide size class. The findings were interpreted in light of the present knowledge of grass systematics. The results underscore the potential of this approach in providing valuable insight into the systematics and evolution of the Poaceae.
One-step robust parametric estimation with application to random censoring model

Abstract For robust parametric estimation Beran (1982) derived local minimum distance functionals and constructed one-step estimators for them that are asymptotically minimax robust. For some distances the efficiency of Beran's estimators may not be very high. There are also some difficulties in directly imitating Beran's argument for the random censoring model. In this paper we represent Beran's functionals as the one-step M-estimation functional of Hampel (1968) and Huber (1981) for a proper score function. This suggests that one can directly work with the score function, which can be chosen to have any prescribed level of efficiency at the model. Also, the representation suggests a proper form of the local functionals in the random censoring model. Asymptotically minimax robust estimators of these functionals are constructed using the one-step method. The proofs rely on Beran (1982).
Organizing home ventilation

Abstract The number of children and young people receiving long term ventilation continues to rise, with increasing survival from intensive care, improvements in equipment and changing attitudes towards providing respiratory support. These children are also now largely at home rather than in hospital. However for those who have complex problems and are most dependent on ventilation, discharge can be a slow, difficult and costly process. There are a number of barriers to discharge for this group of children, including professional attitudes, problems with commissioning and funding, and establishment of care packages, in addition to complex social issues and difficulties with housing. Good discharge planning starts at the outset of establishing a child on long term ventilation, and aims to overcome these barriers, facilitating discharge in a safe and timely manner. A full assessment of a child and family’s needs, having a discharge coordinator and working in partnership with the family and the agencies involved, are all key to the success of this process. Ongoing care after discharge must also allow for changes in a child’s needs and support for the family, including transition to adult services and end of life care planning where appropriate.
Puberty, obesity and ethnicity

Lay and medical sources state that children enter puberty earlier now than in past decades. Although it is clear that puberty and menarche currently begin at younger ages than they did in past centuries, a comparison of the onset of puberty during the few past decades is more difficult to interpret. African-American girls do start puberty earlier and menarche is earlier than in White girls, and the gap between the two has widened during the past 20 years. This change between ethnic groups might be due to an increasing difference in body mass index (BMI) values. Greater BMI values are associated with pubertal onset or menarche; thus, if BMI continues to increase in childhood, earlier puberty might well be found in the general population in the future. In the absence of accurate data from the past or definitive studies at present, however, it cannot be stated with assurance that puberty today starts significantly earlier than it did in the past 4-5 decades across the whole population.
THE OPTIMAL MARKET AREA FOR A SINGLE STORE REGION: NEW WINE IN AN OLD BOTTLE

In this paper we present a new solution to the old problem of determining the optimal market size for a single store selling a single good, We maximize average welfare by minimizing the costs of retailing a good to the average customer who pays both to transport and to store the good at home. We show that average welfare is maximized by a two-part tariff in which the good is priced at marginal cost and there is a lee that covers fized costs. We demonstrate that regional distribution cost per family is a well-behaved, u-shaped cost function of the size of the region in every case where a store is feasible The radius at which this quantity is a minimum defines the optimal range of the good if it is less than or equal to the outer range.