cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bovine viral diarrhea virus is a suitable viral vector for stable expression of heterologous gene when inserted in between Npro and C genes

Abstract Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a group of small enveloped viruses with a single-stranded, positive-oriented RNA genome of ∼12.3 kb. BVDV genome directs the production of a viral polyprotein that is subsequently cleaved to release the mature viral proteins. To explore the potential of using BVDV as viral vector for stable expression of heterologous genes, eGFP2A was inserted in between N pro and C genes of a noncytopathic type-I BVDV strain SD1. eGFP2A was designed with eGFP protein in frame fused to the N terminus of the foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A protease. This strategy promised not only the correct processing of both viral N pro and C protein but also releasing of the chimeric protein from the nascent viral polyprotein. The recombinant reporter virus was successfully rescued in MDBK cells. In vitro study showed that eGFP2A protein, as expected, was expressed and processed properly from the nascent viral polyprotein. The reporter virus was similar to wt SD1 in viral RNA replication and protein expression and comparable to wt SD1 in growth kinetics except that this virus had a peak virus titer approximately 0.5 log 10 lower and a maximum yield about 4 h later than wt SD1. In summary, these results indicated that BVDV is a suitable viral vector for stable expression of heterologous genes when inserted in between N pro and C genes.
Risk Factors and Outcomes in Transfusion-associated Circulatory Overload

Abstract Background Transfusion-associated circulatory overload is characterized by new respiratory distress and hydrostatic pulmonary edema within 6 hours after blood transfusion, but its risk factors and outcomes are poorly characterized. Methods Using a case control design, we enrolled 83 patients with severe transfusion-associated circulatory overload identified by active surveillance for hypoxemia and 163 transfused controls at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn) hospitals. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression, and survival and length of stay were analyzed using proportional hazard models. Results Transfusion-associated circulatory overload was associated with chronic renal failure (OR 27.0; 95% CI, 5.2-143), a past history of heart failure (OR 6.6; 95% CI, 2.1-21), hemorrhagic shock (OR 113; 95% CI, 14.1-903), number of blood products transfused (OR 1.11 per unit; 95% CI, 1.01-1.22), and fluid balance per hour (OR 9.4 per liter; 95% CI, 3.1-28). Patients with transfusion-associated circulatory overload had significantly increased in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio 3.20; 95% CI, 1.23-8.10) after controlling for Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II) score, and longer hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay. Conclusions The risk of transfusion-associated circulatory overload increases with the number of blood products administered and a positive fluid balance, and in patients with pre-existing heart failure and chronic renal failure. These data, if replicated, could be used to construct predictive algorithms for transfusion-associated circulatory overload, and subsequent modifications of transfusion practice might prevent morbidity and mortality associated with this complication.
Moonlighting and overtime: A cross-country analysis

I investigate how contractual hours and overtime premiums affect the decision either to moonlight or to work overtime. By reducing the standard workweek, the government or labor unions can affect the likelihood that a worker faces an hour constraint. An underemployed worker can secure additional earnings by working either on a second job or overtime. I model this decision as a bivariate probit. To create variation in the overtime rates, data for nine OECD countries are pooled. I find that decreasing the standard hours of work increases the probability of moonlighting. The overtime premium has an ambiguous effect on the probability of moonlighting, but it has a negative effect on the probability of working overtime.
Solvent properties of hydrazine in the preparation of metal chalcogenide bulk materials and films

A combination of unique solvent properties of hydrazine enables the direct dissolution of a range of metal chalcogenides at ambient temperature, rendering this an extraordinarily simple and soft synthetic approach to prepare new metal chalcogenide-based materials. The extended metal chalcogenide parent framework is broken up during this process, and the resulting metal chalcogenide building units are re-organized into network structures (from 0D to 3D) based upon their interactions with the hydrazine/hydrazinium moieties. This Perspective will review recent crystal and materials chemistry developments within this family of compounds and will briefly discuss the utility of this approach in metal chalcogenide thin-film deposition.
Multiresolution target discrimination during image formation

This paper presents a novel scheme to detect and discriminate landmines from other clutter objects during the image formation process for ultra-wideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. By identifying likely regions containing the targets of interest, i.e., landmines, it is possible to speed up the overall formation time by pruning the processing to resolve regions that do not contain targets. The image formation algorithm is a multiscale approximation to standard backprojection known as the quadtree that uses a 'divide-and- conquer' strategy. The intermediate quadtree data admits multiresolution representations of the scene, and we develop a contrast statistic to discriminate structured/diffuse regions and an aperture diversity statistic to discriminate between regions containing mines and desert scrub. The potential advantages of this technique are illustrated using data collected at Yuma, AZ by the ARL BoomSAR system.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evaluation of Systematic Breeding Programs for Lactating Dairy Cows: A Review

Observing cows in estrus and inseminating them at the optimum time are necessary steps for effective reproductive management of a dairy herd. However, larger herd sizes can lead to reproductive inefficiency and decreased profits on dairy farms. Synchronization of estrus behavior through pharmacological control has been used to improve reproductive efficiency. Methods of synchronizing estrus were originally devised to decrease the time spent detecting estrus; however, systematic breeding programs are now being used for convenience and efficiency in reproductive management. Systematic breeding programs provide an organized approach for administering artificial insemination (AI) at first service. Moreover, reproductive management is based on a methodical approach for the entire herd rather than for the individual cow. Targeted Breeding (Pharmacia-Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI) consists of a series of three PGF2 alpha injections at 14-d intervals. For convenience, injections are usually given one day a week to all cows that surpass the specified target date. The PGF2 alpha injections may be continued until detection of estrus and AI or fixed-time AI. Ovsynch consists of a GnRH injection at a random stage of the estrous cycle, followed by PGF2 alpha 7 d later, a second GnRH injection 36 to 48 h after PGF2 alpha, and timed AI. Research has shown that both Ovsynch and Targeted Breeding can improve reproductive performance over that of traditional programs.
Probabilistic Theories of Relations.

Poincare repeatedly emphasized that only in the mathematical continuum the equalities A = B and B = C imply the equality A = C. In the observable physical continuum, “equal” means “indistinguishable,” and A = B and B = C by no means imply A = C. “The raw result of experience may be expressed by the relation \(A = B, B = C, A < C\) which may be regarded as the formula for the physical continuum.” According to Poincare, physical equality is a non-transitive relation.
A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Predictors of Achievement.

Abstract The importance of psychosocial factors in understanding the processes and developmental trajectories affecting academic achievement from school entry to 16 years of age was investigated in a high-risk sample. Based on an organizational-developmental perspective, school achievement was conceptualized as a salient developmental issue. As part of a 17-year prospective longitudinal study, data from early infant experience to assessments on high school achievement were used in this study. Psychosocial and contextual predictor variables included: early psychosocial-developmental history from 12 months to 3 years of age, quality of the home environment upon school entry, cumulative maternal life stress, and cumulative school socioemotional adjustment. Results indicated that psychosocial variables obtained in the first three years of life predicted achievement in elementary school. These variables and later psychosocial variables were also shown to be significant even after controlling for the effects of IQ or prior achievement. The results are discussed with regards to future research.
The photoreduction of C-550 in chloroplasts and its inhibition by lipase

Photochemical reactions mediated by Photosystem II at liquid-nitrogen temperature, i.e. the photoreduction of C-550 and the photooxidation of cytochrome b559, are eliminated if spinach chloroplasts are digested with pancreatic lipase. The digestion destroys C-550 so the absorption band of this component can be observed in the difference spectrum of untreated-minus-lipase-treated chloroplasts. Comparison of such difference spectra and after irradiation at −196° show that the photochemical electron transfer results in a shift of the absorption band of C-550 from 546 to 544 nm.
Performance of a gas chromatograph-atomic emission detector system in a mobile analytical laboratory

The effect of ambient environmental conditions on a gas chromatography-atomic emission detection (GC-AED) system was characterized. The environmental stimuli was shock and vibration due to operating the hardware in a mobile analytical laboratory. The effect of large temperature change was also examined. System performance using a reference sample and operational recommendations are given.
Aqueous Humor Dynamics in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Purpose We measured aqueous dynamic variables in subjects with diabetes mellitus and correlated them with severity of retinopathy and metabolic control to determine whether diabetes affects the anterior circulation of the eye as it affects the posterior (retinal) circulation. Methods Sixty-one subjects with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 60 subjects with diabetes mellitus type 2 were recruited from the active practice of the Mayo Clinic. Thirty-two normal subjects, divided by age into two overlapping groups of 20 each, served as contemporaneous control subjects. The diabetic subjects were stratified into four groups according to severity of retinopathy. Aqueous humor flow was measured by clearance of topically applied fluorescein with a spectrofluorophotometer; outflow facility was measured by tonography; and intraocular pressure was measured by applanation tonometry. Results In type 1 diabetics, the mean intraocular pressure was slightly greater (14 ± 3 mm Hg), compared with control subjects (12 ± 2 mm Hg [P = .002]), while aqueous humor flow was slightly less (2.5 ± 0.6 μl/min), compared with control subjects (2.9 ± 0.5 μl/min [P = .023]). In type 2 diabetics, the intraocular pressure was 14 ± 3 mm Hg, which did not differ from that of control subjects (14 ± 3 mm Hg [P = .258]). Aqueous humor flow in type 2 diabetics (2.5 ± 0.7 μl/min) did not differ significantly from that of the control group (2.5 ± 0.7 μl/min [P = .961]). Tonographic facility of outflow was not significantly different in type 1 and type 2 diabetics and the control subjects. There was no significant correlation in aqueous humor flow, intraocular pressure, or tonographic facility of outflow to severity of retinopathy or hemoglobin A 1c in either type 1 or type 2 diabetics. Conclusion The dynamics of aqueous humor are not affected to any clinically significant extent in the early or middle stages of diabetic retinopathy. However, there is a tendency toward less aqueous humor flow in the advanced stages of retinopathy.
What Do Women Want? A New View of Women’s Sexual Problems

Recent attempts to medicalize women’s sexual “dysfunction” are critiqued and a “New View” of women’s sexual problems is introduced. The author argues for a female-centered perspective on women’s sexual desires and problems, based on a review of the literature on women’s sexuality and her observations of young women’s sexual experiences from 25 years of teaching Human Sexuality to undergraduate women. The review suggests that a pill or a patch cannot adequately address the sexual problems commonly experienced by US women.
Field-independent architecture students.

From current knowledge of what an architect “is” and the concepts of “psychological differentiation” several predictions were made about field independency of architecture students compared with other university students. The Rod-and-frame Test used to test field dependency-independency was given to a group of 20 university students and to three groups of 20 each of architectural students. As hypothesized, the latter were more field-independent and varied less than college Ss. Contrary to prediction field-independency does not decrease over the years in architecture. Some theoretical and experimental limitations of the RFT and knowledge about architects are pointed out.
Robust training attenuates TBI-induced deficits in reference and working memory on the radial 8-arm maze

Globally, it is estimated that nearly 10 million people sustain severe brain injuries leading to hospitalization and/or death every year. Amongst survivors, traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in a wide variety of physical, emotional and cognitive deficits. The most common cognitive deficit associated with TBI is memory loss, involving impairments in spatial reference and working memory. However, the majority of research thus far has characterized the deficits associated with TBI on either reference or working memory systems separately, without investigating how they interact within a single task. Thus, we examined the effects of TBI on short-term working and long-term reference memory using the radial 8-arm maze (RAM) with a sequence of four baited and four unbaited arms. Subjects were given 10 daily trials for 6 days followed by a memory retrieval test 2 weeks after training. Multiple training trials not only provide robust training, but also test the subjects' ability to frequently update short-term memory while learning the reference rules of the task. Our results show that TBI significantly impaired short-term working memory function on previously acquired spatial information but has little effect on long-term reference memory. Additionally, TBI significantly increased working memory errors during acquisition and reference memory errors during retention testing 2 weeks later. With a longer recovery period after TBI, the robust RAM training mitigated the reference memory deficit in retention but not the short-term working memory deficit during acquisition. These results identify the resiliency and vulnerabilities of short-term working and long-term reference memory to TBI in the context of robust training. The data highlight the role of cognitive training and other behavioral remediation strategies implicated in attenuating deficits associated with TBI.
WEAK ADDITIVITY OF METRIC PYTHAGOREAN ORTHOGONALITY

It is well known that the property of additivity of pythagorean orthogonality characterizes real inner product spaces among normed linear spaces. In the present paper, a natural concept of additivity is introduced in metric spaces, and it is shown that a weakened version of this additivity of metric pythagorean orthogonality characterizes real inner product spaces among complete, convex, externally convex metric spaces, providing a generalization of the earlier characterization.
Review of Recent FASTBUS Developments

The status of the FASTBUS Specification for modular data acquisition and control systems is reviewed. Recent developments at research laboratories and available support from commercial manufacturers are highlighted. Covered are hardware developments and system implementations in the U.S.A., Canada and Japan. FASTBUS in Europe and software efforts are described in separate papers at this Conference.
Reconsidering a Traditional Instruction Technique: Reassessing the Print Workbook.

The authors used pre- and post-testing to determine if print workbooks helped to improve information literacy skills in 175 college freshmen. The results of the study demonstrate that workbooks remain a useful tool for academic libraries lacking resources or expertise to develop and maintain online tutorials.
Glass-Forming Ability and Crystallization Behavior in High-Density Bulk Metallic Glasses

Alloys of composition (Hfx,Zr1-x)57Ti5Cu20Ni8Al10 and (Hfx,Zr1-x)52.5Ti5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10, where x = 0, 0.2, 0.4. 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0, were evaluated for glass-forming ability, and the devitrification behavior on heating of the (Hfx,Zr1-x)52.5Ti5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10 glasses was examined. Glass-forming ability was determined by suction casting 3-mm-diameter rods, followed by neutron diffraction examination. Results show that substitution of Hf for Zr in these alloys degrades glass-forming ability, and that this effect is more pronounced in compositions of the (Hfx,Zr1-x)57Ti5Cu20Ni8Al10 type. To examine devitrification behavior, thermal analysis was used to identify temperatures at which exothermic events occurred on heating in the (Hfx,Zr1-x)52.5Ti5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10 series. The amorphous alloys were then subjected to annealing treatments corresponding to the exothermic events. Crystal structures formed during annealing were probedby neutron diffraction, and the size scale of features developed examined by small-angle neutron scattering. Results show that the initial decomposition produces a structure witha characteristic length scale, but it is not yet possible to comment on the mechanism.
Introduction to dynamic models for robot force control

Endpoint compliance strategies for precise robot control utilize feedback from a force sensor located near the tool/ workpiece interface. The closed-loop performance of such endpoint force control systems has been observed in the laboratory to be limited and unsatisfactory for industrial applications. This article discusses the particular dynamic properties of robot systems that can lead to instability and limit performance. A series of lumped-parameter models is developed in an effort to predict the closed-loop dynamics of a force-controlled single-axis arm. The models include some effects of robot structural dynamics, sensor compliance, and workpiece dynamics. The qualitative analysis shows that the robot dynamics contribute to force-controlled instability. Recommendations are made for models to be used in control system design.
Polymeric Micelles: Nanocarriers for Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery

Polymeric micelles represent an effective delivery system for poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs. With small size (10–100 nm) and hydrophilic shell of PEG, polymeric micelles exhibit prolonged circulation time in the blood and enhanced tumor accumulation. In this review, the importance of rational design was highlighted by summarizing the recent progress on the development of micellar formulations. Emphasis is placed on the new strategies to enhance the drug/carrier interaction for improved drug-loading capacity. In addition, the micelle-forming drug-polymer conjugates are also discussed which have both drug-loading function and antitumor activity.
Management style and nature‐of‐problems as predictors of information source importance

(1975). Management style and nature‐of‐problems as predictors of information source importance. Journal of Applied Communication Research: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 85-97.
Foliar leptine production in segregating F 1 , Inter-F 1 , and backcross families of Solanum chacoense bitter

Levels of foliar leptine glycoalkaloids were measured in segregating F1, inter-F1, and backcross families derived fromS. chacoense (PI 320287) sibs 55-1 and 55-3, which axe (respectively) high and nil leptine producers, and from crosses of these two genotypes with 8380-1, which produces high levels of leptine, to study the inheritance of leptine biosynthesis inS. chacoense. A total of five F1 families was produced from reciprocal crosses between 55-3 and 55-1 and between 8380-1 and 55-3, and from the cross 8380-1 x 55-1. The F1 crosses produced two leptine classes, high (≥62% of total glycoalkaloids; TGA) and low (≤17% of TGA). Twenty-three families were derived from F1 intercrosses and backcrosses of high x high, low x low, high x low, and low x high F1 individnals. These families produced all high, all low, or both high and low leptine classes, depending upon type of cross. Three of the reciprocal (high x low) F1 families segregated 1:1 for high:low leptine, and progeny from the (high x high) 8380-1 x 55-1 cross were all high, consistent with control by a single recessive gene in this population. One of the reciprocal families (9501) differed slightly but significantly (p=0.05) from 1:1. All of the low x high and high x high inter-F1 and backcross families segregated as expected based on a single recessive gene model; however, five of eight high x low and four of six low x low families differed significantly from expectation, suggesting the presence of additional factors affecting the inheritance and expression of leptine glycoalkaloids in this population orS. chacoense.
Cross-sectional Bone Distribution in the Mandibles of Gouging and Non-gouging Platyrrhini

Recent morphometric analyses have led to dissimilar conclusions about whether the jaws of tree-gouging primates are designed to resist the purportedly large forces generated during this biting behavior. We further address this question by comparing the cross-sectional geometry of the mandibular corpus and symphysis in tree-gouging common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to nongouging saddleback tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). As might be expected, based on size, squirrel monkeys tend to have absolutely larger cross-sectional areas at each tooth location sampled, while saddleback tamarins are intermediate, followed by the smaller common marmosets. Similarly, the amount and distribution of cortical bone in squirrel monkey jaws provides them with increased ability to resist sagittal bending (I xx ) and torsion (K) in the corpus as well as coronal bending (I xx ) and shearing in the symphysis. However, when the biomechanical parameters are scaled to respective load arm estimates, there are few significant differences in relative resistance abilities among the 3 species. A power analysis indicates that we cannot statistically rule out subtle changes in marmoset jaw form linked to resisting loads during gouging. Nevertheless, our results correspond to studies in vivo of jaw loading, field data, and other comparative analyses suggesting that common marmosets do not generate relatively large bite forces during tree gouging. The 3 species are like most other anthropoids in having thinner bone on the lingual than on the buccal side of the mandibular corpus at M1. The similarity in corporal shape across anthropoids supports a hypothesized stereotypical pattern of jaw loading during chewing and may indicate a conserved pattern of mandibular growth for the suborder. Despite the overall similarity, platyrrhines may differ slightly from catarrhines in the details of their cortical bone distribution.
Performance of Cage-Raised, Overwintered Hybrid Striped Bass Fed Fish Meal- or Soybean-Based Diets

AbstractWe conducted a 26-week study to evaluate the performance of cage-raised hybrid Striped Bass (female White Bass Morone chrysops × male Striped Bass M. saxatilis) fed fish meal (FM) and soybean (SOY; soybean meal + soy protein concentrate) based diets. A FM reference diet was formulated to contain crude protein (CP) at 450 g/kg, lipid at 120 g/kg, and an estimated digestible energy level of 13 MJ/kg. Two test diets (SOY and SOY+GBA) were formulated to replace 70% of the CP in the reference diet with SBM in the absence or presence of GroBiotic-A (GBA), a yeast-based prebiotic, at 20 g/kg. The other 12% of dietary FM in the reference diet was replaced with SPC in the test diets, further reducing FM inclusion to 70 g/kg. Each diet was fed to quadruplicate groups of 40 advanced juvenile hybrid Striped Bass (initial weight ∼ 54 g/fish) stocked into each of twelve 1-m3 floating cages, which were equally divided into four 0.05-ha, rubber-lined ponds according to a randomized complete block design. Caged fi...
Genetic, cytogenetic, and carcinogenic effects of radon: A review

Radon exposure has been linked to lung carcinogenesis in both human and animal studies. Studies of smoking and nonsmoking uranium miners indicate that radon alone is a risk factor for lung cancer at the levels encountered by these miners, although the possibility exists that other substances in the mine environment affect the radon-induced response. The relevance of data from mines to the lower-exposure home environment is often questioned; still, a recent study of miners exposed to relatively low radon concentrations demonstrated a statistically significant increase for lung and laryngeal cancer deaths. In two major series of experiments with rats, the primary carcinogenic effect found was respiratory tract tumors, and evidence for an inverse exposure-rate effect was also noted. Although this inverse dose-rate effect also has been described in underground miner studies, it may not similarly apply to radon in the home environment. This observation is due to the fact that, below a certain exposure, cells are hit once or not at all, and one would not expect any dose-rate effect, either normal or inverse. Because some chromosome aberrations persist in cycling cells as stable events, cytogenetic studies with radon are being performed to help complete the understanding of the events leading to radon-induced neoplasia. Radon has been found to induce 13 times as much cytogenetic damage (as measured by the occurrence of micronuclei) than a similar dose of 60Co. A wide variety of mutation systems have demonstrated alpha-particle mutagenesis; recent investigations have focused on the molecular basis of alpha-induced mutagenesis. Gene mutations are induced by radon in a linear and dose-dependent fashion, and with a high biological effect relative to low-LET irradiation. Studies of the hprt locus show that approximately half of the alpha-induced mutations arise by complete deletion of the gene; the remaining mutations are split between partial deletions, rearrangements, and events not detectable by Southern blot or PCR exon analysis. Although other mutation systems do not show the same spectra as observed in the hprt gene (suggesting that the gene environment affects response), DNA deletions or multilocus lesions of various size appear to be predominant after radon exposure. As data emerge regarding radon-induced changes at the chromosomal and molecular level, the mechanisms involved in radon carcinogenesis are being clarified. This information should increase the understanding of risk at the low exposure levels typically found in the home.
The problem of adequate sample size in pattern recognition studies: The multivariate normal case

Because many pattern, recognition techniques are predicated on the assumption of mutivariate normal data, Monte Carlo simulations studies were performed to determine the number of samples that are necessary to describe a multivariate normal population adequately. From these studies we have learned that hundreds of samples are required. These results suggest that parametric procedures should only be used to analyze very large data sets
Osmotic properties of mitochondria isolated from Acanthamoeba sp.

Abstract Osmotic properties of mitochondria isolated from Acanthamoeba sp. were studied. Included were volumes of amoeba mitochondria in a wide variety of suspending media, a comparison of actual mitochondrial volumes determined by centrifugal packing with volumes determined by the optical density method, and mitochondrial metabolism at different volumes. Amoeba mitochondria were found to have many properties similar to those from mammalian tissues. Particle volume changes were likened to biocolloid effects rather than to osmotic phenomena. The unreliability of the optical density method in determining mitochondrial volumes was demonstrated. The role of intracellular tonicity and the site of citrate and succinate oxidation were discussed.
Alternating Magnetic Field-Induced Hyperthermia Increases Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Cell Association/Uptake and Flux in Blood–Brain Barrier Models

Purpose Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are being investigated for brain cancer therapy because alternating magnetic field (AMF) activates them to produce hyperthermia. For central nervous system applications, brain entry of diagnostic and therapeutic agents is usually essential. We hypothesized that AMF-induced hyperthermia significantly increases IONP blood–brain barrier (BBB) association/uptake and flux.
Fast handoff for seamless wireless mesh networks

This paper presents the architecture and protocols of SMesh, a completely transparent wireless mesh system that offers seamless, fast handoff, supporting VoIP and other real-time application traffic for any unmodified 802.11 device. In SMesh, the entire mesh network is seen by the mobile clients as a single, omnipresent access point.Fast handoff is achieved by ensuring that each client is served by at least one access point at any time. Mobile clients are handled by a single access point during stable connectivity times. During handoff transitions, SMesh uses more than one access point to handle the moving client. Access points continuously monitor the connectivity quality of any client in their range and efficiently share this information with other access points in the vicinity of that client to coordinate which of them should serve the client.Experimental results on a fully deployed mesh network consisting of 14 access points demonstrate the effectiveness of the SMesh architecture and its handoff protocol.
A simple adaptive Smith-predictor for controlling time-delay systems: A tutorial

This heuristic paper presents several simple techniques for analyzing the stability of time-delay systems. It explains the Smith predictor control scheme for time-delay systems and shows how errors in modeling the plant parameters can cause instability. Then an adaptive controller is added to the Smith predictor system; this pedagogical example offers a complete derivation of a simple adaptive control system. Finally, a new control scheme is discussed that allows zero-latency tracking of predictable targets by a time-delay system.
Stacked proximal aortic cuffs: an "off-the-shelf" solution for treating focal thoracic aortic pathology.

Purpose To report our early experience with the endovascular placement of stacked Zenith main body extensions (cuffs) in the treatment of focal thoracic aortic pathology in high-risk patients. Methods Between January 2003 and May 2004, 6 patients (3 men; mean age 59 years, range 37-82) with focal aortic pathology underwent endovascular repair using stacked 30 and 32-mm-diameter Zenith main body extensions. The setting was a university tertiary referral center for vascular disease. Indication for treatment included 2 descending thoracic aneurysms and individual cases of traumatic thoracic tear, diverticulum of Kommerell, thoracic pseudoaneurysm, and aortoesophageal fistula. Results All procedures were performed successfully, with a mean of 3 cuffs used. The patient with an aortoesophageal fistula expired after successful cuff placement due to sequela of massive pretreatment hemorrhage; fistula coverage was confirmed at autopsy. There were no type I endoleaks. Morbidity included an occluded right subclavian artery from traumatic passage of the device through the artery. No left subclavian arteries were covered. No neurological deficits or paraplegia was observed. The cuffs were patent in all surviving patients at an average follow-up of 7 months (range 3-12). Computed tomography in all survivors confirmed adequate cuff placement, absence of endoleak, and lack of cuff migration. Based on this experience, the following technical recommendations are offered: (1) right subclavian cutdown when needed to reach a lesion beyond the range of the sheath, (2) Dacron chimney placement, (3) stiff guidewire usage, (4) wire placement from the right subclavian artery through the common femoral artery if necessary to ease a sharp bend in the arch, and (5) cuff overlap of 25% to 50%. Conclusions In high-risk patients, focal aortic pathology can be successfully treated with off-the-shelf commercially available cuffs using a stacking technique with acceptable mortality, morbidity, and short-term durability.
PF19 encodes the p60 catalytic subunit of katanin and is required for assembly of the flagellar central apparatus in Chlamydomonas

For all eukaryotic cilia the basal bodies provide a template for the assembly of the doublet microtubules, and intraflagellar transport provides a mechanism for transport of axonemal components into the growing cilium. What is not known is how the central pair of microtubules is nucleated or how their associated polypeptides are assembled. Here we report that the Chlamydomonas pf19 mutation results in a single amino acid change within the p60 catalytic subunit of katanin, and that this mutation prevents microtubule severing activity. The pf19 mutant has paralyzed flagella that lack the central apparatus. Using a combination of mutant analysis, RNAi-mediated reduction of protein expression and in vitro assays, we demonstrate that the p60 catalytic subunit of the microtubule severing protein katanin is required for central apparatus assembly in Chlamydomonas. In addition, we show that in Chlamydomonas the microtubule severing activity of p60 katanin is not required for stress-induced deflagellation or cell cycle progression as has been previously reported.
Ownership types for safe region-based memory management in real-time Java

The Real Time Specification for Java (RTSJ) allows a program to create real-time threads with hard real-time constraints. Real-time threads use region-based memory management to avoid unbounded pauses caused by interference from the garbage collector. The RTSJ uses runtime checks to ensure that deleting a region does not create dangling references and that real-time threads do not access references to objects allocated in the garbage-collected heap. This paper presents a static type system that guarantees that these runtime checks will never fail for well-typed programs. Our type system therefore 1) provides an important safety guarantee for real-time programs and 2) makes it possible to eliminate the runtime checks and their associated overhead.Our system also makes several contributions over previous work on region types. For object-oriented programs, it combines the benefits of region types and ownership types in a unified type system framework. For multithreaded programs, it allows long-lived threads to share objects without using the heap and without memory leaks. For real-time programs, it ensures that real-time threads do not interfere with the garbage collector. Our experience indicates that our type system is sufficiently expressive and requires little programming overhead, and that eliminating the RTSJ runtime checks using a static type system can significantly decrease the execution time of real-time programs.
The Export of Slaves from Africa, 1821–1843

This article presents annual slave export figures for western Guinea, Bight of Benin, Bight of Biafra, Congo North, Angola, and southeast Africa. The sum of exports from these regions yields exports from Africa as a whole. The series are derived from imports into the Americas and thus include estimates of the African origin of slave imports into Cuba, Brazil, and the French Caribbean, estimates of slave mortality on the transatlantic crossing, and slaves captured by the British navy. Exports from some individual African points of embarkation are also included.
Study of digital TV signal reception in domestic indoor environment

In this paper, indoor DTV signal reception has been investigated under four different circumstances. Simulation results show that both window location and the presence of conductor-backed insulation in a house could cause a more than 35 dB fluctuation in the signal-to-noise ratio presented to the DTV receiver. Although the effects from window location could be mitigated in the real world environment (because of multipath propagation), the presence of conductor-backed insulation could significantly degrade the signal reception inside the house. A more detailed investigation of indoor DTV signal reception, such as the incorporation of metallic water pipes and actual DTV antennas in the simulation, and field measurements is currently in progress.
The changing face of young-onset diabetes: type 1 optimism mellowed by type 2 concerns.

Until recently the outlook for a youth or young adult diagnosed with diabetes, which was almost universally type 1, was bleak. Indeed, using data from the National Health Interview Survey as recent as from 1984 to 2000, it was estimated that U.S. children diagnosed with diabetes at 10 years of age had a life expectancy approximately 19 years less than seen in the general population (1). However, more recent data from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study suggest those diagnosed with childhood-onset diabetes between 1965 and 1980 have a life expectancy of almost 69 years, which is less than 4 years lower than the comparable U.S. population (2). This good news has been accompanied by the observation from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) study that virtually all of the excess mortality seen in type 1 diabetes is related to the development of micro- or macroalbuminuria (3). This seminal observation has been confirmed and extended for up to a 20-year period in the EDC population (4). The improved prognosis, in terms of mortality, has been accompanied by a dramatic reduction (5) or delay (6) in the incidence of end-stage renal disease. Interestingly, the decline in cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of overall mortality in diabetes, is less marked (5). One cautionary note, however, has to be made concerning the improvement in mortality of patients with type 1 diabetes. In a recent analysis of over 17,000 individuals in Finland, diagnosed between 1970 and 1999, Harjutsalo et al. (7) compared the time trends of mortality for those diagnosed at an age less than 15 years to those diagnosed at an age of 15 through 29 years. Although a very significant fall was seen in mortality over time for the young-onset group, consistent with the Pittsburgh EDC population (who were …
d-form sequences: families of sequences with low correlation values and large linear spans

Large families of binary sequences with low correlation values and large linear span are critical for spread-spectrum communication systems. The author describes a method for constructing such families from families of homogeneous functions over finite fields, satisfying certain properties. He then uses this general method to construct specific families of sequences with optimal correlations and exponentially better linear span than No sequences (No. 1988). >
Geotechnical Engineering Education in the IT Era

Technology enhanced educational tools have revolutionized the way that teachers transfer information to students. Power Points and overheads are nowadays as common as the chalk and board in old days. Since the practice of Geotechnical Engineering is both an art and science and requires both creativity and experience, the development of these skills to think and absorb experience should be an important part of Geotechnical Engineering Education. Accordingly, the relevance of the technology enhanced tools have been examined. Though these tools can lend clarity, speed and accessibility to much larger amounts of information in a short time, they need to be integrated with an interactive and case history approaches for optimum benefits and to avoid the development of passive attitude and the loss of creativity and imagination in students. An interactive and case studies approaches coupled with technology tools are recommended for Geotechnical Engineering Education.
The Unobserved Returns from Entrepreneurship

This paper is an empirical study of the risk-return trade-off faced by entrepreneurs. It calls into question a longstanding empirical puzzle: that most entrepreneurs preserve despite persistently low earnings and earnings growth. I find that entrepreneurial earnings are severely mismeasured and opt instead to use household expenditure and wealth as income proxies. Using 38 years of longitudinal data, I find that while individuals (mis)report earning on average 26.2% less in self-employment, their household expenditures are in fact 4.5% higher. This expenditure premium accrues over time with longer experience in self-employment, and is not offset by lower savings or higher uncertainty.
Investigation of metrics for object-oriented design logical stability

As changes are made to an object-oriented design, its structure and/or behavior may be affected. Modifications made to one class can have ripple effects on other classes in the design. The stability of an object-oriented design indicates its resistance to interclass propagation of changes that the design would have when it is modified There are two aspects of design stability: logical stability and performance stability. Logical stability is concerned with design structure, whereas performance stability is concerned with design behavior. In this study, the object-oriented design metrics proposed by Chidamber and Kemerer (1994) were adopted as candidate indicators of the logical stability of object-oriented designs. The objective was to investigate whether or not there are correlations between these metrics and the logical stability of classes. The experimental results indicated that WMC, DIT CBO, RFC, and LCOM metrics are negatively correlated with the logical stability of classes. However, no correlation was found between NOC metric and the logical stability of classes.
An Extension of the Internal Rate of Return to Stochastic Cash Flows

The internal rate of return (IRR) is a venerable technique for evaluating deterministic cash flow streams. Part of the difficulty in extending this measure to stochastic cash flows is the lack of coherent methods for accounting for multiple or nonexistent internal rates of return in deterministic streams. Recently such a coherent theory has been developed, and we examine its implications for stochastic cash flows. We devise an extension of the deterministic IRR, which we call the stochastic rate of return on mean investment. It has significant computational and conceptual advantages over the stochastic internal rate. For instance, in the deterministic case, the standard result is that under proper conditions a cash flow stream is acceptable (in the sense of positive present value) if its internal rate exceeds the interest rate. We show that a stochastic cash flow stream is acceptable (in the sense of positive certainty equivalent expected value) if the rate of return on mean investment has a suitably defined certainty equivalent exceeding the risk-free interest rate.
Using reciprocating duty cycles to create reduced EMI clock signals

A signaling technique to modify the frequency domain distribution of clock signal energy. It is assumed that the clock is differential and must be DC balanced. This technique moves the frequency content of the clock signal by lengthening the fundamental period of the clock signal while maintaining a fixed time relationship between the rising (or falling) clock edges. I. CONCEPT Synchronous digital systems use clocks to maintain timing between subsystems. The clocks typically are square waves with a 50% duty cycle, and if they are a high-speed clock they are usually differential. Clocks are often the worst offenders for EMI emissions. High-speed clocks tend to have higher emissions because shielding effectiveness decreases with an increase in frequency. Differential signaling helps reduce the emissions, but does not eliminate them. The fundamental requirement for a digital clock is to provide a consistent time reference for the synchronous system. The period of the clock can be referenced between consecutive rising edges or falling edges. We will not concern ourselves with double-rate clocks that use both rising and falling edges. If the clock is differential another fundamental requirement is DC balance to prevent common mode voltage generation.
Interacting in the Workplace with Individuals Who Have an Intersex Condition

This chapter explores societal assumptions about sex and gender. It begins with an introduction to intersexuality and compares intersexuality to transgenderism and sexual orientation. It then discusses the most pressing issues facing the intersex community and compares them to the concerns of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It next examines how the law affects people in the intersex community. Finally, it concludes with advice for employment lawyers and human resource managers about how to address issues that may arise in the workplace involving people with an intersex condition.
White Noise Testing and Model Diagnostic Checking for Functional Time Series

Abstract This paper is concerned with white noise testing and model diagnostic checking for stationary functional time series. To test for the functional white noise null hypothesis, we propose a Cramer–von Mises type test based on the functional periodogram introduced by Panaretos and Tavakoli (2013a). Using the Hilbert space approach, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic under suitable assumptions. A new block bootstrap procedure is introduced to obtain the critical values from the non-pivotal limiting distribution. Compared to existing methods, our approach is robust to the dependence within white noise and it does not involve the choices of functional principal components and lag truncation number. We employ the proposed method to check the adequacy of functional linear models and functional autoregressive models of order one by testing the uncorrelatedness of the residuals. Monte Carlo simulations are provided to demonstrate the empirical advantages of the proposed method over existing alternatives. Our method is illustrated via an application to cumulative intradaily returns.
THE SECOND ORDER REDUCED DENSITY MATRIX AND THE CHEMICAL BOND

The Fermi hole is described as a function of one electron which is parametrically dependent on the position of a ‘probe electron.’ The sensitivity of the Fermi hole to the position of the probe electron is described by the Fermi hole mobility function. Localized molecular orbitals analogous to Wannier functions may be determined from the Fermi hole of a self-consistent field (SCF) electronic wavefunction. Comparison of the Fermi hole mobility function for an SCF wavefunction to that of a free-electron gas may be used to partition a molecule into electronic domains. The Fermi hole and Coulomb hole of a correlated wavefunction may be specified by natural representations which depend on the position of the probe electron.