cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The oxidative cyclization of n‐phenyl‐3‐methylthiopropylamines to form N‐phenyl‐s‐methylisothiazolidinium salts

A series of N-phenyl-3-methylthiopropylamine hydrochlorides were prepared by reacting a series of anilines with methional and sodium cyanoborohydride. These were cyclized upon oxidation by N-chloro-succinimide to the corresponding N-phenyl-S-methylisothiazolidinium derivatives which were isolated as the tetraphenylborate salts. Compounds successfully prepared included the m-methyl, p-methyl, m-methoxy, and p-methoxyphenyl derivatives.
Backpacker Motivations: A Travel Career Approach

The main purpose of this study was to conceptualize backpacker motivation within the framework of the travel career pattern (TCP) theory of travel motivation. An online survey was administered to backpackers targeted in backpacker-specific online communities in order to obtain a diverse sample. The relationship between backpackers' previous travel experience and motivations was examined, and six underlying dimensions of motivation were extracted. Four of the motivations, personal/social growth, experiential, budget travel, and independence were found to be fluid in relation to backpackers' travel experience. Notably, two dimensions, cultural knowledge and relaxation, were found to be constant in relation to the backpackers' travel experience, which suggest that the two dimensions constitute the core motivations for backpackers.
The identification of monoclonal class switch variants by sib selection and an ELISA assay.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies can now be generated against a wide variety of antigens. However, a potentially useful monoclonal antibody may be of the wrong class or subclass for a particular task. Antibodies of the desired class can be obtained by identifying rare subclones in which the variable region has been rearranged to a new constant region. We describe here the use of sib selection and an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for isolating such class and subclass switch variants from 2 IgM and 1 IgG 3 producing hybridoma. The relative simplicity of ELISA assays make it feasible to apply this approach to many different hybridomas. Since commercial affinity purified class and subclass specific antibodies are now available, the method can be used by any laboratory. Furthermore, the technique does not require that the switch variants express surface immunoglobulin and enriches for hybridomas secreting higher amounts of antibody.
Mullā Ṣadrā on Theodicy and the Best of All Possible Worlds

The argument that the world that God has created is the best of all possible world-orders (aḥsan al-niẓām) is based on the premise that God always acts optimally. As a response to the problem of evil, the argument seeks to remove any tensions between the imperfection of the world and God's power and goodness. Ṣaḍr al-Dīn al-Shirāzī, known commonly as Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1640), develops a number of arguments to defend the thesis as formulated by al-Ghazālī. While reiterating the previous arguments, Mullā Ṣadrā revises the question of theodicy within the context of his concept of existence and its modalities. Instead of discussing the problem of evil in terms of moral imperfections alone, he defines the world of existence as ‘that which is necessarily less than God’ and thus bound to be imperfect. Furthermore, Mullā Ṣadrā interprets all evil, natural or moral, as serving a higher purpose because the world is structured in a hierarchical way and for everything there is a teleological history. The article looks critically at the eight arguments which Ṣadrā advances to defend his position. At the end of his elaborate discussions, however, Ṣadrā takes refuge in blessed ignorance and faithfully accepts that not all problems of philosophy can be solved decisively.
Cell death of asynaptic neurons in regenerating spinal cord

The weakly electric fish Sternarchus albifrons possesses a unique class of asynaptic neurons, the electromotor neurons, whose axons constitute the electric organ. The cell bodies of origin of the electrocyte axons are located in the spinal cord. Both spinal cord and electromotor neurons ( electrocytes ) regenerate after amputation of the tail. Sternarchus spinal cords which have regenerated for 1 or more years show a progression in number of perikarya of electromotor neurons along the rostro-caudal axis. The most recently regenerated region of the cord is at the caudal end, which consists of a tube of ependyma. Progressing rostrally along regenerated spinal cord from the caudal end, numerous cells are generated and large numbers of electromotor neurons differentiate. The maximum number of electromotor neurons per transverse section of regenerated cord is five times higher than in normal mature cord. Rostral to this, the number of electromotor neurons decreases gradually to the normal number near the transition zone (the border with unregenerated cord). As the more rostral regenerated cord has presumably had a longer period of regeneration, we conclude that excess numbers of electromotor neurons are generated initially, and that subsequently the number of these neurons is decreased by cell death. This conclusion is supported by the fact that younger regenerates (2-4 months) have larger-than-normal numbers of perikarya of electromotor neurons extending up to the transition zone (Anderson and Waxman , 1981). No evidence of migration or depletion of electromotor neurons from unregenerated cord rostral to the amputation has been observed. Since the axons of the electromotor neurons in Sternarchus do not normally form any synapses, this study provides evidence that factors other than synaptic competition must be responsible for determining cell death during regeneration of these spinal neurons.
Beach restoration in the southeastern US: Environmental effects and biological monitoring

Abstract In the coastal region of the southeastern US, beach restoration has become the method of choice for alleviating threats to property arising from erosion. This method remains somewhat controversial, due to both economic and environmental concerns. Many of the existing studies of biological impacts of beach restoration have deficiencies of sampling design that make clear interpretation of results difficult. The goal of this paper is to offer guidelines for sampling and analytical methods that will substantially improve the study of beach restoration impacts. Towards this end, an overview of the biological composition of sandy beaches of the southeastern US, in the context of beach restoration, is provided first. Then, specific recommendations for the design, execution and analysis of beach restoration monitoring programs to receive the maximum return for effort invested are described.
A new approach for assessing college students' improvements in quantitative aptitude

With the ethnic and cultural diversification of college students, quantitative reasoning aptitude remains as one of the fundamental capabilities that the students should acquire. This article presents a new method for assessing the improvement of college students in quantitative aptitude. The assessment test consists of randomly selected SAT questions. The test scores are compared with the SAT scores of participating students for statistically assessing students' progress in quantitative capabilities. The new approach does not require a pre-test. It is flexible, convenient to implement and statistically valid. It can also be used for continuous assessment of a college curriculum if the assessment test is given annually. This article also presents a pilot implementation study. The results show that material advantages may be derived from using this approach in assessing students' improvements in the quantitative aptitude.
Bioaccumulation of metals by Coryneform SL-1

An environmental isolate defined as Coryneform SL-1 has the capacity to remove large quantities of Pb, Ag, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Zn from aqueous solution. The organism effectively removed a mixture of Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Ni from a simulated waste water. In examining the metal resistance of the organism it was found that agar-containing assay systems yield misleadingly high MIC values.
Finding Value Reducts Using Rough Multisets

This paper introduces a new value reduction algorithm for generating rules from consistent and inconsistent examples represented by Multiset Decision Tables (MDT). The algorithm is implemented as stored procedure in MS SQL, hence, it is capable of dealing with very large data sets. The running time of value reduction algorithm is higher than the decision tree program, in general. However, by using a minimum support threshold, the run-time can be improved significantly as indicated in our experiments using the IDS data set of 4 million records.
Stimulation of rat pituitary phospholipid methyltransferase by vasopressin but not oxytocin

Abstract Rat pituitary extracts contain two methyltransferases that catalyze stepwise methylation of phosphatidyl-ethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine using S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. The activities of both of these enzymes were stimulated by 40 μM lysine or arginine vasopresin but not oxytocin, arginine vasotocin and Pro-Leu-Gly NH2. The concentration of lysine-vasopressin required for the half-maximal stimulation of phospholipid methylation was 27 μM. A comparison of the chemical structure of different peptides with their ability to stimulate phospholipid methylation suggests that the stimulatory activity resides in the covalent ring structure (pressinoic acid) of the vasopressin molecule.
Behavioral recovery from acute hypoxia is reliant on leptin.

Abstract Individuals affected by hypoxia experience a variety of immune-associated sickness symptoms including malaise, fatigue, lethargy and loss of interest in the physical and social environment. Recently, we demonstrated that the interleukin (IL)-1β arm of the neuroimmune system was critical to the sickness symptoms caused by hypoxia, and that IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), IL-1β’s endogenous inhibitor, was critical to promoting sickness recovery. Here, we report that leptin is key to recovery from hypoxia because it dramatically augmented IL-1RA production in mice. We found that hypoxia increased leptin in white adipose tissue (WAT) which in turn, caused a marked rise in serum IL-1RA. Interestingly, in-vitro, leptin was a more potent inducer of IL-RA, in macrophages, than hypoxia. In leptin receptor defective (db/db) and leptin deficient (ob/ob) mice, sickness recovery from hypoxia was delayed 3-fold. Importantly, in ob/ob mice, leptin administration completely reversed this delayed recovery and induced a marked increase in serum IL-1RA. Finally, leptin administration to normal mice reduced hypoxia recovery time by 1/3 and dramatically increased WAT and serum IL-1RA. Leptin did not alter recovery from hypoxia in IL-1RA knock out mice. These results show that by enhancing IL-1RA production leptin promoted sickness recovery from hypoxia.
Marketing a U.S. University to International Students: Which Approach Is Best–Standardization, Adaptation, or Contingency? An Investigation of Consumer Needs in Seven Countries

ABSTRACT The paper reports the findings of a study that investigates whether students from different countries have different expectations when seeking a degree from a university in the U.S. The broad hypothesis of this study is that there will be differences in expectations among students from different countries. The managerial implication is that due to these differences, prospective students should be approached differently, especially through different communication messages. To explore the above proposition, this study uses data from prospective students from seven countries: Germany, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Laboratory chemosensitivity testing of human bladder carcinoma

The variable sensitivity of similar tumors to cytotoxic drugs from patient to patient would suggest a potential role for a reliable laboratory method to identify effective as well as ineffective chemotherapeutic agents. While the known moderately responsive nature of bladder carcinoma to available chemotherapeutic regimens would seem to make it an ideal model tumor to apply such laboratory approaches in a clinical setting, further technologic refinements will be necessary if it is to become clinically applicable.
11B-2 Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Cardiac Contractile Dyssynchrony in Mouse Left Ventricle Post Myocardial Infarction Using High Resolution Ultrasound

Left ventricular (LV) contractile dyssynchrony in murine hearts late (>=28 days) after reperfused myocardial infarction (post-MI) was assessed using high frequency 30 MHz B-Mode ultrasound imaging. Nine post-MI C57BL/6 mice were analyzed in both the short- and long-axis views for cardiac dyssynchrony, and six normal mice were examined for controls. Regional time to peak displacement (Tpeak_d) and time to peak strain (Tpeak_s) were calculated in 36 sectors along the myocardial circumference. The standard deviations (SD_Tpeak_d and SD_Tpeak_s) were computed among non-infarcted myocardial regions for each mouse, and were compared between the normal and post-MI mouse groups with student's t test. The comparison revealed that SD_Tpeakd and SD_Tpeaks were significantly larger in the post-MI hearts than in the normal hearts. The displacement uniformity ratio was determined to be 0.97 plusmn 0.01 and 0.85 plusmn 0.07 for radial and circumferential displacements in the normal hearts, respectively, and 0.59 plusmn 0.17 and 0.64 plusmn 0.24 in the post- Mi hearts.
The Impact of Donor-Recipient Sex Matching on Survival After Orthotopic Heart Transplantation Analysis of 18 000 Transplants in the Modern Era

Introduction— Single-institution series have suggested that men receiving orthotopic heart transplantation from female donors have decreased survival. No multi-institutional series has comprehensively addressed the issue of donor and recipient sex matching for both male and female orthotopic heart transplantation recipients. Methods and Results— We used data from the multi-institutional prospectively collected United Network for Organ Sharing open transplantation cohort to review 18 240 adult patients who received orthotopic heart transplantation from 1999 to 2007. Four donor recipient strata were identified (male donor/male recipient, N=10 750; female donor/female recipient, N=2201; male donor/female recipient, N=2121; and female donor/male recipient, N=3168). The primary end point of all cause posttransplant mortality was compared among groups using a Cox proportional hazard regression model with additional propensity adjustment. Female recipients, irrespective of donor sex, had 3.6% lower overall survival at 5 years posttransplant ( P =0.003). Men who received organs from male donors had the highest cumulative survival at 5 years (74.5%). Men receiving female hearts had a 15% increase in the risk of adjusted cumulative mortality (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.30; P =0.02). No significant increase in the relative hazard for death occurred for women receiving opposite sex donor organs (1.24; 0.92 to 1.35; P =0.31). Conclusions— The United Network for Organ Sharing data set has provided a large sample examining donor recipient sex pairing in orthotopic heart transplantation. Men receiving organs for same sex donors have significantly improved short- and long-term survival. No survival advantage was seen for women with same sex donors. Received December 15, 2008; accepted June 19, 2009.
Passive location estimation using TOA measurements

Ultra-wideband (UWB) radios offer highly accurate ranging, i.e., measurement of signal travel time. This is important for positioning (localization), in particular in indoor environments, where GPS is not available. This paper considers UWB-based positioning of passive objects, where one transmitter and multiple, distributed, receivers are employed. We consider the case where the transmitter and receivers can be synchronized, so that time-of-arrival (TOA) instead of time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) information can be utilized. Assuming Gaussian errors for the range estimates, we propose a novel, Two-Step, Expectation Maximization (TSEM) based algorithm for the localization of the passive object. This algorithm achieves the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) of TOA algorithms. Simulation results show that the error variance of TSEM is much lower (often 30 dB) than that of the existing, TDOA-based, algorithms.
Disinfection of circulating water systems by ultraviolet light and halogenation

Continuous ultraviolet light (u.v.) and chemical disinfection of circulating water systems were evaluated Direct comparisons of the biocidal effectiveness of u.v. light vs halogenation were tested with Legionella spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa because of their association with the acquisition of overt clinical disease from water-containing appliances. Findings indicated that six species of Legionella and P. aeruginosa were killed by a moderate level of u.v. radiation. L. pneumophila and other bacteria in a circulating water system were effectively killed by a biocidal u.v. light. However, free chlorine levels needed to kill Legionella, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium within 1 mm were found to be greater than 4 mg ml -1. Data from a long-term field trial with u.v. light treatment of evaporative condenser water showed a significant reduction in numbers of bacteria. Ultraviolet disinfection of hospital hydrotherapy whirlpools confirmed the utility of this mode of disinfection under circumstances where chlorination may not be practical for medical reasons. These findings were confirmed during investigations of halogenated or u.v.-treated public hot tub/whirlpools. The effectiveness of routine chemical disinfection for controlling microbial flora in a cooling tower was also evaluated. The 2 month survey indicated that the numbers of bacteria, including Legionella, were not affected by two biocides that were used. The observations made during this investigation support the conclusion that u.v. light disinfection of water-containing systems may be an appropriate alternative or supplement to chemical biocides. Key words—circulating water, chemical biocides, cooling tower, disinfection, evaporative condenser, Flavobacterium, Legionella, Pseudomonas, ultraviolet light, whirlpool
Selective‐exposure and Lyndon b. Johnson's 1966 “state of the union” address

The principle of “selective‐exposure” can be stated simply: we select that which we like, or, more formally, “people generally tend to expose themselves more readily and more often to messages expressing views compatible with their own attitudes than to messages espousing incompatible views.” The following article investigates the broadcast of the 1966 Presidential “State of the Union” Address in light of this principle. Dr. James C. McCroskey is assistant professor of speech at Michigan State University, and Samuel V. O. Prichard is instructor of speech at Pennsylvania State University.
Bax and Bak do not exhibit functional redundancy in mediating radiation-induced endothelial apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa.

Purpose To address in vivo the issue of whether Bax and Bak are functionally redundant in signaling apoptosis, capable of substituting for each other. Methods and Materials Mice were exposed to whole-body radiation, and endothelial cell apoptosis was quantified using double immunostaining with TUNEL and anti-CD31 antibody. Crypt survival was determined at 3.5 days after whole-body radiation by the microcolony survival assay. Actuarial animal survival was calculated by the product-limit Kaplan-Meier method, and autopsies were performed to establish cause of death. Results Radiation exposure of Bax- and Bak-deficient mice, both expressing a wild-type acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) phenotype, indicated that Bax and Bak are both mandatory, though mutually independent, for the intestinal endothelial apoptotic response. However, neither affected epithelial apoptosis at crypt positions 4–5, indicating specificity toward endothelium. Furthermore, Bax deficiency and Bak deficiency each individually mimicked ASMase deficiency in inhibiting crypt lethality in the microcolony assay and in rescuing mice from the lethal gastrointestinal syndrome. Conclusions The data indicate that Bax and Bak have nonredundant functional roles in the apoptotic response of the irradiated intestinal endothelium. The observation that Bax deficiency and Bak deficiency also protect crypts in the microcolony assay provides strong evidence that the microvascular apoptotic component is germane to the mechanism of radiation-induced damage to mouse intestines, regulating reproductive cell death of crypt stem cell clonogens.
"Jeder Reiche ist ein Judas Ischariot": Heinrich Heine and the Emancipation of the Jews

Heinrich Heine is credited with being the first to apply the word “emancipation” to the cause of freedom and equality for those groups still enslaved by the tyranny of religious and political oppression in the post-revolutionary world of the early 19th century. Though his cosmopolitan thinking embraced the subjugated from Ireland to America, Heine was closest to the fate of his fellow Jews in Europe, and the term emancipation quickly became associated with the political and social movement for Jewish equality. Heine was directly affected by the shifting policies of the Germans states toward legal emancipation of the Jews. In the 1820s he actively participated in the first attempt of Jews to establish a Wissenschaft der Juden. His tortured struggle to reconcile his Jewishness with his calling as a German poet is recorded in writings and letters surrounding his baptism in 1825. Nevertheless, Heine remained aloof from the emancipation movement and was skeptical about the status of Jews in France, who had been emancipated for nearly forty years when Heine arrived in Paris. The roots of Heine’s largely negative judgment lie in his observation that the forces of early capitalism were undermining religious faith and that Jewish assimilation into bourgeois society necessitated the abandonment of those fundamental human values that characterize the essence of Judaism.
Wing-Click Sounds of Heliconius cydno alithea (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) Butterflies

Field-collected Heliconius cydno Doubleday females were observed producing audible wing clicks during encounters between conspecifics in greenhouses in a large insectary during the day and at roosting time. Occasionally, these females also were observed producing sounds in aggressive encounters with females of a close relative, H. erato (L). However, the wing-clicks were not observed subsequently from first-generation adults born in the greenhouses. The sounds were produced in short trains of 3‐10 wing-clicks at the rate of»10 clicks/s. The individual clicks had a mean duration of 1.48 ms and a broad frequency spectrum, with a peak near 1075 Hz. This peak lies near the 1200-Hz frequency of maximal sensitivity measured previously for auditory neurons of H. erato. The production of these previously unreported sounds suggests that wing clicks may play a role in both intra- and interspecific communication among Heliconius species.
LONELY DRINKING FOUNTAINS AND COMFORTING COOLERS: Paradoxes of Water Value and Ironies of Water Use

This article focuses ethnographically on Americans and technologies of drinking water, as tokens of and vehicles for health, agency, and surprising kinds of community. Journalists and water scholars have argued that bottled water is a material concomitant of privatization and alienation in U.S. society. But, engaging Latour, this research shows that water technologies and the groups they assemble, are plural. Attention to everyday entwining of workplace lives with drinking fountains, single-serve bottles, and spring water coolers shows us several different quests, some individualized, some alienated, but some seeking health via public, collective care, acknowledgment of stakeholding, and community organizing. Focused on water practices on a college campus, in the roaring 1990s and increasingly sober 2000s in the context of earlier U.S. water histories of inclusion and exclusion, I draw on ethnographic research from the two years that led up to the recession and the presidential election of 2008. I argue for understanding of water value through attention to water use, focusing both on the social construction of water and the use of water for social construction.
Dynamic risk analysis using alarm databases to improve process safety and product quality: Part II—Bayesian analysis

Part II presents step (iii) of the dynamic risk analysis methodology; that is, a novel Bayesian analysis method that utilizes near-misses from distributed control system (DCS) and emergency shutdown (ESD) system databases—to calculate the failure probabilities of safety, quality, and operability systems (SQOSs) and probabilities of occurrence of incidents. It accounts for the interdependences among the SQOSs using copulas, which occur because of the nonlinear relationships between the variables and behavior-based factors involving human operators. Two types of copula functions, multivariate normal and Cuadras–Auge copula, are used. To perform Bayesian simulation, the random-walk, multiple-block, Metropolis–Hastings algorithm is used. The benefits of copulas in sharing information when data are limited, especially in the cases of rare events such as failures of override controllers, and automatic and manual ESD systems, are presented. In addition, product-quality data complement safety data to enrich near-miss information and to yield more reliable results. Step (iii) is applied to a fluidized-catalytic-cracking unit (FCCU) to show its performance. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Forensic Examination of Toxicological Specimens for Dimethylpolysiloxane (Silicone Oil)

Silicone oils (dimethylpolysiloxanes) may not be as biologically inert as has been generally accepted. When injected intravenously the toxicity is, in part, a function o! viscosity. A case of probable acute toxicity resulting from injection of silicone oil and the analysis of fixed tissues therein are described.
Control-plane protocol interactions in cellular networks

Control-plane protocols are complex in cellular networks. They communicate with one another along three dimensions of cross layers, cross (circuit-switched and packet-switched) domains, and cross (3G and 4G) systems. In this work, we propose signaling diagnosis tools and uncover six instances of problematic interactions. Such control-plane issues span both design defects in the 3GPP standards and operational slips by carriers. They are more damaging than data-plane failures. In the worst-case scenario, users may be out of service in 4G, or get stuck in 3G. We deduce root causes, propose solutions, and summarize learned lessons.
Spectral analysis of heart rate without resampling

Standard methods of estimating the power spectral density (PSD) of irregularly sampled signals such as instantaneous heart rate (HR) require resampling at uniform intervals and replacement of unusable samples. The Lomb periodogram is a means of obtaining PSD estimates directly from irregularly sampled time series, avoiding these requirements. The author compares Fourier, autoregressive, and Lomb PSD estimates from synthetic, real, and noise-corrupted real heart rate time series, and examines systematic differences among these estimates. An algorithm is presented for obtaining a heart rate time series suitable for Lomb PSD estimation from an RR interval time series with included ectopic beats and erroneous measurements. The author concludes with a brief survey of other applications of the technique, such as estimation of respiratory frequency from a time series of beat-by-beat measurements of the mean electrical axis. >
Painful ophthalmoplegia: oculomotor nerve palsy without mydriasis due to compression by aneurysm.

SYNOPSIS A patient with a previously diagnosed left Horner's syndrome suddenly developed severe pain in the left eye and diplopia. Ipsilateral third cranial nerve palsy was present, but the pupil remained small and minimally reactive. A carotid angiogram showed a large aneurysm of the left internal carotid-posterior communicating junction. Pain was only relieved after successful clipping of the aneurysm and liberation of the third nerve. The effects of combined sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation of the pupil and the mechanism of their development in regard to the differential diagnosis of painful ophthalmoplegia are discussed.
Universal computer control systems (UCCS) for space telerobots

A space telerobot system may contain forty or more motors under computer control. A Universal Computer Control System (UCCS) is under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for all motor elements of a space telerobot. The basic hardware architecture and software design of UCCS are described together with the rich motor sensing, control and self-test capabilities of this new all-computerized motor control system. UCCS is integrated into a multibus computer environment with direct interface to higher level control processors, uses PWM power amplifiers, and one unit can control up to sixteen different motors simultaneously at a high I/O rate. UCCS performance capabilities are illustrated by a few data. UCCS is now used with customized software at JPL for telerobot research, development and future demonstrations.
Ultrashort Pulse Propagation in Nonlinear Dispersive Fibers

Ultrashort optical pulses are often propagated through optical waveguides for a variety of applications including telecommunications and supercontinuum generation [1]. Typically the waveguide is in the form of an optical fiber but it can also be a planar waveguide. The material used to make the waveguide is often silica glass, but other materials such as silicon or chalcogenides have also been used in recent years. What is common to all such materials is they exhibit chromatic dispersion as well as the Kerr nonlinearity. The former makes the refractive index frequency dependent, whereas the latter makes it to depend on the intensity of light propagating through the medium [2]. Both of these effects become more important as optical pulses become shorter and more intense. For pulses not too short (pulse widths > 1 ns) and not too intense (peak powers < 10 mW), the waveguide plays a passive role (except for small optical losses) and acts as a transporter of optical pulses from one place to another, without significantly affecting their shape or spectrum. However, as pulses become shorter and more intense, both the dispersion and the Kerr nonlinearity start to affect the shape and spectrum of an optical pulse during its propagation inside the waveguide. This chapter focuses on silica fibers but similar results are expected for other waveguides made of different materials
11 GHz SCM broadband communications using frequency-locked lasers

A FM modulated frequency-locked laser (FLL) pair for optical communication is reported. The subcarrier (locked) frequencies can be easily tuned from 3 to 11 GHz. Utilizing the FLL modulator within its bandwidth limits, any broadband analog signal, such as TV VHF bands (lower and upper band plus FM radio), CATV channels, and even TV UHF band, can be readily FM modulated on to these very-high-frequency microwave subcarriers. A simple FM demodulation can then be used to recover the original signals. This is directly compatible with standard TV or cable-ready receivers. Digital data in Manchester code format can also be transmitted. The operation of the FLL and the transmission and reception of five TV channels (channels 2 to 6 or substituting one with channel 13) on a 11-GHz subcarrier were experimentally demonstrated. The FLL is based on the concept of double beam modulation (DBM), which can be readily utilized for subcarrier modulated (SCM) multichannel broadband communications. >
Incidence of Verticillium and Plant Development in Pepper as Affected by the Bioactivator Harpin

There is a group of compounds containing proteins that activate responses to stress in plants. One of these proteins is harpin, used for an alternative control of insects and fungi, as well as to increase yield and quality for vegetable production. Harpin was applied to foliage to study effects on induced resistance in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), cvs. Demre and Yalova Charleston, inoculated with Verticillium dahliae Kleb., a pathogen of pepper. Plants grown in a greenhouse were treated with three applications of harpin at 50 g/100 L in water. Changes in stem dry weight, root dry weight, leaf water content and leaves/plant, total chlorophyll content in leaves, leaf color, and leaf defoliation were determined. Reduction in total leaf chlorophyll content was caused by V. dahliae. Values of total leaf chlorophyll content (cv. Demre 13.10 mg/100 L, cv. Yalova Charleston 12.96 mg/100 L) in plants subjected to +harpin +V. dahliae were higher than for those treated with −harpin +V. dahliae (cv. Demre, 6.76 mg/10...
Manipulation of Pose Distributions

For assembly tasks parts often have to be oriented before they can be put in an assembly. The results presented in this paper are a com- ponent of the automated design of parts orienting devices. The focus is on orienting parts with minimal sensing and manipulation. We present a new approach to parts orienting through the manipulation of pose distributions. Through dynamic simulation we can determine the pose distribution for an object being dropped from an arbitrary height on an arbitrary surface. By varying the drop height and the shape of the support surface we can find the initial conditions that will result in a pose distribution with minimal entropy. We are trying to uniquely orient a part with high probability just by varying the initial conditions. We will derive a condition on the pose and veloc- ity of a simple planar object in contact with a sloped surface that will allow us to quickly determine the final resting configuration of the object. This condition can then be used to quickly compute the pose distribution. We also present simulation and experimental re- sults that show how dynamic simulation can be used to find optimal shapes and drop heights for a given part. KEY WORDS—parts orienting, feeder design, pose statistics
Description of Internal Deformation and Forces

Since living organs normally go through finite deformation, a bioengineer should know the subject of finite deformation analysis. This subject is not difficult, but it usually lies outside the common engineering curriculum. It is not simple, and considerable patience is needed to master it. In the following, a presentation of its most important aspects is given in easy to understand physical terms. There are many books and papers on this subject (see References). Fung (1965) is believed to be one of the easiest to read.
Human selenite metabolism: a kinetic model

A model is developed to describe the kinetics of sodium selenite metabolism in humans, based on plasma, urine, and fecal samples obtained from six subjects over a 4-wk period after a single oral 200-micrograms dose of the enriched stable isotope tracer 74Se. The model describes absorption, distributed along the gastrointestinal tract, and enterohepatic recirculation. The model includes four kinetically distinct plasma components, a subsystem consisting of the liver and pancreas, and a slowly turning-over tissue pool. For the six subjects, the ranges of mean residence times for the four plasma components are, respectively, 0.2-1.1 h, 3-8 h, 9-42 h, and 200-285 h; for the hepatopancreatic subsystem 4-41 days; and for the tissue pool 115-285 days. Approximately 84% of the administered dose was absorbed, and after 12 days approximately 65% remained in the body. The model predicts that after 90 days approximately 35% of this Se would be retained, primarily in the tissues. Separating Se metabolism into several distinct kinetic components is a first step in identifying the efficacious, nutritious, and toxic forms of the element.
The demographics of claudication and the aging of the American population

Most peripheral artery disease is of ischemic atherosclerotic etiology and manifested as intermittent claudication (IC). Death and disability from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a growing problem because of the rapidly increasing elderly segment of the population. By the year 2015 the elderly will constitute 14.8% of Americans. Of the total 255 million, 13.8 million are over age 75 years and 9 million are women. On reaching age 65 years, the average remaining lifetime is 17.4 years. In the USA this 11% of the population accounts for 29% of the health costs and 70% of all deaths are attributable to cardiovascular disease. About 9.6% of cardiovascular events are due to peripheral artery disease manifested as IC requiring 777,000 office visits and 63,000 hospitalizations. Also, 17,400 deaths each year are attributed directly to this cause. The biennial incidence of IC in the Framingham Study was 7.1 per 1000 for men and 3.6% for women, increasing with age in both sexes up to age 75 years. At all ages there is a distinct male predominance. In the 35-64-year age range IC incidence is virtually identical to that of cardiac failure and stroke, but only one-third of CHD incidence. Beyond age 65 years IC incidence is only half that of other atherosclerotic cardiovascular conditions. The incidence of carotid bruits and non-palpable pedal pulses is virtually identical in the two sexes; only femoral bruits are male predominant. At time of diagnosis of IC one in three already have overt evidence of CHD, stroke or congestive heart failure (CHF). In those free of these at outset CHD and strokes occur at two to three times the general population rate and CHF 3.5-4.5 times the rate of persons without IC. Within 10 years of IC onset 43% develop CHD, 21% strokes and 24% cardiac failure. Carotid and femoral bruits are likewise harbingers of other atherosclerotic CVD. As many as 45% of IC victims lose their symptoms for extended periods. Survival following onset of IC is only two-thirds of that general population; after 10 years 60% died. This high mortality is largely attributable to coexistent cardiovascular impairments. A risk profile comprising the major cardiovascular risk factors predicts occurrence of IC even better than CHD. IC risk increases progressively with burden of the risk factors. With an aging population of increased size peripheral artery disease is a problem of increasing dimensions. Attention to comorbid conditions is essential if survival is to be improved. Because IC shares many of the same risk factors, measures to prevent CHD, CHF and strokes should also reduce IC risk.
A Tale of Two Stoichiometrically Diverse Cocrystals

Liquid-assisted grinding of an equimolar amount of pyrazinamide and p-nitrobenzoic acid yields two stoichiometric cocrystals in a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio, respectively. The 2:1 cocrystal was found to be the thermodynamically stable cocrystal based on solid stoichiometric interconversion, solvent-mediated conversion, and solubility studies.
Local Leaders Say Michigan Road Funding Needs Major Increase, But Lack Consensus on Options that Would Raise the Most Revenue

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders on a range of issues surrounding roads and bridges in their jurisdictions, from their current condition and maintenance to state and local road funding. Findings in the report are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Fall 2014 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
/sup 58/Ni(p,. cap alpha. )/sup 55/Co reaction and levels of /sup 55/Co

The $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}(p, \ensuremath{\alpha})^{55}\mathrm{Co}$ reaction was used to measure both direct and compound cross sections for nuclear levels in $^{55}\mathrm{Co}$. The primary proton hole strengths are in the ground ($1{f}_{\frac{7}{2}}$), 2919-keV ($2{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$), and 3563-keV ($1{d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$) states whose energies agree well with those predicted by systematics. Cross sections for the same hole states were also measured in $^{57,59,61}\mathrm{Co}$. A Hauser-Feshbach calculation indicates significant deviation from the ($2J+1$) rule for compound nuclear states. The largest cross section occurs for $J=\frac{7}{2}$ states. Thus states with larger experimental cross sections can be identified as doublets, e.g., the 2919- and 2974-keV states.
Simulation of Repetitive-Unit Construction

Repetitive-unit construction characteristics require a flexible planning and analysis tool for proper evaluation of alternate resource allocations. Although there are numerous conventionally applied network planning techniques, none adequately model repetitive-unit construction or allow for all the important management decisions to be considered. By providing a robust structure for the problem, process interaction simulation techniques can be used for planning and decision-analysis purposes without undue sacrifice of realism or accuracy. The included multiple-unit housing example shows both the flexibility of the approach and the ability of the manager to gain much more insight into the behavior of a complex system.
Synthesizing contention

Multicore microarchitecture designs have become ubiquitous in today's computing environment enabling multiple processes to execute simultaneously on a single chip. With these new parallel processing capabilities comes a need to better understand how co-running applications impact and interfere with each other. The ability to characterize and better understand cross-core performance interference can prove critical for a number of application domains, such as performance debugging, compiler optimization, and application co-scheduling to name a few. We proposed a novel methodology for the characterization and profiling of cross-core interference on current multicore systems, which we call contention synthesis. Our profiling approach characterizes an applications cross-core interference sensitivity by manufacturing contention with the application and observing the impact of this synthesized contention on the application.Understanding how to synthesize contention on current chip microarchitectures is unclear as there are a number of potentially contentious data access behaviors. This is further complicated by the fact that current chip microprocessors are engineered and tuned to circumvent the contentious nature of certain data access behaviors. In this work we explore and evaluate five designs for a contention synthesis mechanism. We also investigate how these five contention synthesis engines impact the performance of 19 of the SPEC2006 benchmarks on two state of the art chip multiprocessors, namely Intel's Core i7 and AMD's Phenom X4 architectures. Finally we demonstrate how contention synthesis can be used to accurately characterize an application's cross-core interference sensitivity.
Theory of Surface Dimerization-induced Ordering in GaInP Alloys

We identify via thermodynamic energy minimization the role of subsurface strain (caused by surface reconstruction and dimerization) in the ordering of Ga0.51n0.5P alloys. Depending on the growth conditions, the alloy surfaces can have either β2(2×4), c(4×4) or c(8×6) reconstructions, with characteristic 2×1, 1×2 and 2×3 RHEED patterns. We show that (i) the 1×2 reconstruction will lead to a CUPtA surface ordering, (ii) a 2×1 reconstruction will lead to a CuPtB ordering, (iii) a 2×3 reconstruction will lead to a 3-period ordering, and (iv) single (double) bilayer steps are stable at low (high) anion chemical potential. These results are in good agreement with recent experimental observations.
Optimization of the process for phosphorylated chestnut starch

Phosphorylated chestnut starch was produced by the semidry process,which was prepared by using chestnut starch as raw material,the esterifying agent of sodium dihydrogen phosphate and urea.The single factor test and response surface analysis were carried out in this paper.The optimized process of phosphorylated chestnut starch and its microstructure were studied.The results indicated that the optimum preparation conditions were obtained as follows:the concentration of sodium dihydrogen phosphate 7%,temperature 146℃,time 140min and pH6 were optimum technical conditions for synthesis of phosphorylated chestnut starch.In this case,the apparent viscosity reached 33.69Pa·s,increased 208.99% compared with native starch.The IR spectrum analysis showed that the esterification of the hydroxyl group of the starch and sodium dihydrogen phosphate.Observed by SEM,modified the chestnut starch granules appear sag and damaged traces,part of interior of the particles appear to sag even rupture.
Efficacy Studies in Coronary Rehabilitation

Demand for cardiac rehabilitation services is likely to increase as the prevalence of coronary heart disease increases due to aging of the population and as interventions such as thrombolysis, revascularization, and cardiac transplantation allow more patients to participate in structured exercise programs. In this era of cost containment, advocates of the rehabilitation process must demonstrate which rehabilitation services are efficacious. Optimal training intensities and frequencies in different patient groups must be defined, innovative approaches to improve long-term adherence to the prescribed exercise regimen have to be developed, and interactions between exercise training and other interventions such as diet, weight loss, and pharmacologic therapy must be explored in detail to provide the most desirable long-term outcomes.
From Neoclassical Growth Theory to New Classical Macroeconomics

The puzzle I want to discuss — at least it seems to me to be a puzzle, though part of the puzzle is why it does not seem to be a puzzle to many of my younger colleagues — is this. More than forty years ago, I — and many others, especially Trevor Swan and James Tobin — worked out what has since come to be called neoclassical growth theory. It may not be clear exactly what we or I — I had better speak for myself — thought growth theory applied to, what it was trying to describe. We may have to talk more about that later. But it was clear from the very beginning what I thought it did not apply to, namely short-run fluctuations in aggregate output and employment, what used to be called the business cycle and is now often called that again. In those days I thought growth theory was about the supply side of the economy, whereas the business cycle was mostly to be analysed in terms of changes in aggregate demand.
Rehabilitation of Understocked Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Stands - II. Development of Intermediate and Suppressed Trees Following Release in Natural Stands

Development of86 intermediate and suppressed lohlolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees, that had been recent!\. releusedfrorn overtopping pines and hurd~~ood.~, was monitored over a 15 yr period. The trees were growing in nutural stands on good sites (sire index = 9Oft at 50 yr) thut had been recently cud to stocking levels ranging,frorn 10 to 50%. At time of release, the trees averaged 26 yr in age, 4.8 in. in dhh, and 37ft in height. The trees had averaged only 0.5 in. in dhh growth the 5 yr prior to release (0. I in.lyr). After 15yr. rhe 77surviving trees averaged 59ft in height und 12.9 in. in dbh, increasing 21,ft in height and 8. I in. in dbh. During the 15 yrperiod, crown dimensions of rhe trees increased markedly as well. On average, crown lengths increased I I ft (fram 16 to 27,fi); crown widths nearly tripled,from 9 to 2.5,ft; and crown volumes increased I1 foldfrorn 608 to 6,700,p'. The majority qfrhe trees hadgooctforrn and wouldproduce high-quality sawfirnher. Sutisfactov response to release was best predicted by initial dbh and live-crown ratio. Results of the study suggest that trees with at least a 20% live-crown ratio should satisfactorily respond to release even though they had developed in lower crown positions of,fully stocked uneven-aged stands for IO toS0yr. Responding trees rupidlyexpanded theircrownsandaccelerured in heighranddiumetergrowth. South. J. Appl. For. 22(1):41-46.