cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transportation Sector and Supply Chain Performance and Sustainability

Indicators of sustainability and environmental performance can be useful for comparing modes, discerning trends, and formulating appropriate policies. This paper considers the performance of U.S. transportation service sectors through use of 1992 and 1997 benchmark input-output models. Use of these models permits assessment of not only the direct performance of the sectors but also the supply chain impacts required for operation of the transportation sectors. Consideration of indirect impacts is critical for assessment of the overall costs and impacts of particular products or services. Six transportation service sectors (air, rail, water, truck, transit, and pipeline) are examined. Economic impact, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and toxic emissions are examined. The transportation sectors use large amounts of energy, both in total and per dollar of output and on a per service basis. Pipeline and water transportation have particularly large energy requirements per dollar of output, likely reflecting hi...
Pressure-induced low-temperature transitions in TMMC☆

Abstract Measurements of the pressure dependence of the low-frequency dielectric constant ϵ and high pressure, low temperature X-ray diffraction photographs on (CH3)4 (TMMC) have shown that the low temperature P2 1 aa phase of TMMC transforms to the low temperature P2 1 m -like phase of (CH3)4 NCdCl3 (TMCC) at high pressure. The pressure-temperature phase diagram has been deliniated from the triple point at 2.0 kbar and 137° K to lower temperatures, and, from changes in the dielectric constant anomaly, it appears that another triple point may occur at ∼ 1.0 kbar and 95° K. The pressure and temperature dependences of ϵ together with the observed doubling of the unit cell suggest that the P2 1 a low temperature phase of TMMC may be antiferroelectric.
Derivative expansion and gauge independence of the false vacuum decay rate in various gauges

In theories with radiative symmetry breaking, the calculation of the false vacuum decay rate requires the inclusion of higher-order terms in the derivative expansion of the effective action. I show here that, in the case of covariant gauges, the presence of infrared singularities forbids the consistent calculation by keeping the lowest-order terms. The situation is remedied, however, in the case of ${R}_{\ensuremath{\xi}}$ gauges. Using the Nielsen identities I show that the final result is gauge independent for generic values of the gauge parameter $v$ that are not anomalously small.
Learning internal representations of pattern sequences in a neural network with adaptive time-delays

The Tempo-Network is an artificial neural network with both adaptive weights and adaptive time delays. U Bodenhausen (see ibid., vol.1, p.597-600, 1990) showed that the network is able to work as a autoassociator for sequences of patterns which are fed into the network one after the other. The patterns of the sequence are stepped through in time. The learning rules and the internal representations in the hidden layer are discussed. Simulations with the Tempo-Network are discussed. Neural networks with adaptive time delays seem to be interesting for tasks where the sequence contains nonadjacent events
The Loss of Religious Allegiance among the Youth of the Oneida Community

(2001). The Loss of Religious Allegiance among the Youth of the Oneida Community. The Historian: Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 787-806.
Potential improvement of computerized classification for malignant versus benign mammographic microcalcification clusters with the use of special views

We are investigating the use of special mammographic views, i.e. magnification and spot compression views, into computerized classification schemes for malignant versus benign microcalcification clusters. Radiologists often recall patients with suspicious lesions for additional views. We expect that the fusion, or combination, of information extracted from special views and conventional mammograms will improve the performances of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) schemes for classification of malignant versus benign microcalcification clusters. It has been shown that reading with CAD improves radiologists' performances. The CAD scheme is applied separately to conventional mammograms and special views. The scheme consists of segmentation of manually-identified microcalcifications, followed by extraction of microcalcification-based geometrical and textural features in addition to cluster-based features. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is then applied to each image to classify a cluster as malignant or benign. The leave-one-out technique is used for training and testing the classifier. The resulting likelihoods of malignancy output from the LDA applied separately to the conventional mammograms and special views are combined using the maximum classifier output. We applied the proposed technique to a database of 75 biopsy-proven patients (31 malignant and 44 benign). The case-based performances for classification of malignant versus benign microcalcification clusters resulted in an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Az, of: 0.771 on conventional mammograms, 0.845 on special views, and 0.908 when merging likelihoods of malignancy from conventional mammograms and special views. These preliminary results indicate that the proposed technique of combining information from special views with that from conventional mammograms can improve computerized classification of microcalcification clusters.
Dynamic mechanical consequences of deep inflation in mice depend on type and degree of lung injury.

In a previous study (Allen G, Lundblad LK, Parsons P, and Bates JH. J Appl Physiol 93: 1709-1715, 2002), our laboratory used deep inflations (DI) in mice to show that recruitment of closed lung uni...
The influence of aging on intestinal absorption of vitamin B12 and niacin in rats.

Abstract The intestinal absorption of doses of vitamin B 12 and of niacin was examined in 6, 12, and 24 months old female Wistar rats. Rats were dosed via stomach tube with radioactive forms of the vitamins and were killed 16 hours later. Percent of the dose remaining in the stomach and gastro intestinal tract andthe collected feces was determined. Absorption of the two vitamins was not influenced by the age of the animals.
The generation of culture activated killer cells (AK) is interleukin-2-dependent and requires self-Ia recognition.

Cytotoxic cells which lack major histocompatibility restriction for lysis are generated when murine spleen cells are cultured in the presence of FCS1 with or without allogeneic stimulation. The studies reported show that, following 3 days of culture with FCS, murine spleen cell cultures contain at least two cytotoxic populations. The first (AK-YAC), expresses an NK cell phenotype and target specificity while the second (AK-WEHI) shares the characteristics of the NC cell. Generation of the AK-YAC effector cell requires the presence of a pre-AK cytotoxic cell (Qa-5, LYT-2-plus;) and is dependent on the generation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) during the culture period, while the AK-WEHI effector is independent of IL-2 production. IL-2 production in the cultures is shown to require syngeneic la recognition by an Lyt-1+, L3T4+ T cell. These findings suggest a role for IL-2 in the in vivo regulation of NCMC and describe a mechanism for its production in the absence of antigenic stimulation.
Parametric study for increasing on-station duration via unconventional aircraft launch approach

The need for better atmospheric predictions is causing the atmospheric science community to look for new ways to obtain longer, higher-resolution measurements over several diurnal cycles. The high resolution, in-situ measurements required to study many atmospheric phenomena can be achieved by an Autonomous Aerial Observation System (AAOS); however, meeting the long on-station time requirements with an aerial platform poses many challenges. Inspired by the half-scale drop test of the deployable Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey (ARES) Mars airplane, a study was conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center to examine the possibility of increasing on-station time by launching an airplane directly at the desired altitude. The ARES Mars airplane concept was used as a baseline for Earth atmospheric flight, and parametric analyses of fundamental configuration elements were performed to study their impact on achieving desired on-station time with this class of airplane. The concept involved lifting the aircraft from the ground to the target altitude by means of an air balloon, thereby unburdening the airplane of ascent requirements. The parameters varied in the study were aircraft wingspan, payload, fuel quantity, and propulsion system. The results show promising trends for further research into aircraft-payload design using this unconventional balloon-based launch approach.
MDEC: MeTiS-based Domain Decomposition for Parallel 2D Mesh Generation

Abstract Domain decomposition methods are commonly employed within the context of parallel numerical algorithms. Most often, the domain decomposition is performed before the main computation begins. Within the context of mesh generation, parallel mesh generation is desired when the goal is to mesh a very large geometric domain or if very high accuracy is required. In this paper, we propose a novel technique, which we call the MeTiS-based Domain Decomposition (MDEC) technique, for the decomposition of geometric domains into subdomains for use in parallel 2D mesh generation. Our technique is based upon discrete domain decomposition [1]. The algorithm proceeds by first constructing a background mesh which satisfies a minimum angle constraint of 30 degrees and second partitioning this initial coarse mesh or background mesh into subdomains. Finally, adjustments are applied to the triangles with small boundary angles so that all subdomains in the final decomposition contain boundary angles no smaller than 60 degrees which is a guaranteed property of the domain decomposition algorithm. We prove this guarantee for the boundary angles of the MDEC domain decomposition. Our results show that, in comparison to the medial axis domain decomposition (MADD) algorithm [2], our method provides a better balance of subdomain areas, better boundary angles, and a faster decomposition time. In addition, when the MDEC and MADD subdomains are used in conjunction with a parallel constained Delaunay mesh generation technique (PCDM) [3], the meshes are generated in approximately the same time and have very similar element quality.
Application of Magnetic Stir Welding to Dissimilar Metal Structural Weld Overlay

Alloy 600 and associated welds, Alloy 82/182 of the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plants have been known as being susceptible to the Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC). Dissimilar metal (DM) piping butt welds were welded with Alloy 82/182. As one of the mitigation techniques of the PWSCC, Structural Weld Overlay (SWOL) has been applied to the DM welds, but it has tendency to occur weld cracks on the first layer. One of the reasons of the weld cracks is the sulfur which is highly contained in stainless steel base metals, because old stainless steels would contain higher sulfur (e.g. 0.02%) than later ones. In response to this situation, Magnetic Stir Welding (MSW) was proposed to apply for the first layer of SWOL, and tested to evaluate its weldabilities. MSW has been developed for several years, and it is generally known that MSW has characteristics to improve a heat transfer in the molten pool, so that it could reduce a dilution. The purpose of this study is to evaluate weldabilities of MSW for welding Alloy 52 and/or Alloy 52M as filler metal on high sulfur contained stainless steel pipe. Single bead tests and all position welding tests were conducted. As a result of this study, MSW can prevent from occurring weld cracks and lack of fusion due to stirring effects of the molten pool. Therefore, SWOL can be welded without weld cracks on the first layer by applying MSW, even though the stainless steel base metal contains relatively high sulfur. In addition, MSW can weld at high wire supply rate because of prevention of lack of fusion. So it could improve weld efficiency.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Coelomomyces Sp. (Phycomycetes: Blastocladiales) from the Mosquito Wyeomyia Vanduzeei (Diptera: Culicidae)

A Coelomomyces sp. is reported from the mosquito Wyeomyia vanduzeei . Sporangia of this species measure 19.9 ± 1.6 × 33.4 ± 2.8 μm and are characterized by the presence of numerous bumps and pits on their surfaces. This Coelomomyces sp. is the first recorded from a member of the mosquito tribe Sabethini.
Reverse micelle synthesis of silver nanoparticles in gas expanded liquids

Abstract The tunable solvent properties of gas expanded liquids (GXLs) have been previously used for the fractionation and separation of polydispersed ligand-stabilized metal nanoparticles into distinct monodispersed fractions. This work employs CO 2 expanded hexane for silver nanoparticle synthesis within an AOT reverse micelle system where the tunable GXL solvent properties are used to control the nanoparticle size and polydispersity. The objective of this project is to answer two questions: (1) can nanoparticles with narrow and well-defined size distributions be synthesized in GXLs? and (2) how do the solvent properties impact the resulting nanoparticle size? In the reverse micelle synthesis, the AOT surfactant provides a nano-scale aqueous micelle core for nanoparticle nucleation, as well as, acts as a nanoparticle stabilizing ligand. Increasing the CO 2 partial pressure in a GXL impacts the surfactant–solvent interaction and results in the synthesis of different sized nanoparticles. At ambient pressures, the mean particle diameter synthesized was 6.1 ± 2.1 nm with W = 40 and 5.4 ± 2.0 nm with W = 20, where W is the molar ratio of water to AOT. At CO 2 partial pressures of 6.9 and 13.8 bar, there was no significant change in particle size, but decreases in the size distributions were observed. At CO 2 partial pressures ranging from 20.7 to 41.4 bar, steady decreases in the mean particle diameter and size distribution were observed with values of 4.0 ± 0.8 for W = 40 and 4.1 ± 1.0 for W = 20 at 41.4 bar. This demonstrates some degree of nanoparticle size tunability within the GXL solvent, where smaller particle diameters and size distributions are achieved at higher CO 2 compositions.
Effects of human choriogonadotropin on mitochondrial and microsomal cytochrome P-450 levels in mouse testes

Abstract The mitochondrial and microsomal cytochrome P-450 contents of C57B1 6 mouse testis have been measured using difference spectroscopy on stable enzyme preparations containing the ferrous-carbon monoxide complex. Results were obtained on control animals (52 ± 3 days of age) and on animals injected subcutaneously with human choriogonadotropin (0.017 μg/g body weight 24 h prior to sacrifice). The high ratio of testicular mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase to P-450, which has previously precluded measurements of basal P-450 levels, was overcome by using N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine to bypass site II, in combination with antimycin A to prevent reverse electron flow. The basal levels of mitochondrial and microsomal P-450 in mouse testis were 37.9 ± 3.5 and 28.9 ± 1.6 pmol/mg protein, respectively. Following administration of a desensitizing dose of gonadotropin, the respective values were lowered to 19.9 ± 1.4 and 19.6 ± 2.1 pmol/mg protein in 24 h. This is the first report of a gonadotropin-mediated decrease in mitochondrial P-450 and thus demonstrates that desensitization leads to alterations in both microsomal and mitochondrial P-450 in mouse testis.
A Compact Guidance, Navigation, and Control System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The Flight Control System 20 (FCS20) is a compact, self-contained Guidance, Navigation, and Control system that has recently been developed to enable advanced autonomous behavior in a wide range of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The FCS20 uses a floating point Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for high level serial processing, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for low level parallel processing, and GPS and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors. In addition to guidance, navigation, and control functions, the FCS20 is capable of supporting advanced algorithms such as automated reasoning, artificial vision, and multi-vehicle interaction. The unique contribution of this paper is that it gives a complete overview of the FCS20 GN&C system, including computing, communications, and information aspects. Computing aspects of the FCS20 include details about the design process, hardware components, and board configurations, and specifications. Communications aspects of the FCS20 include descriptions of internal and external dataflow.The information section describes the FCS20 Operating System (OS), the Support Vehicle Interface Library (SVIL) software, the navigation Extended Kalman Filter, and the neural network based adaptive controller. Finally, simulation-based results as well as actual flight test results that demonstrate the operation of the guidance, navigation, and control algorithms on a real Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) are presented.
Non-invasive monitoring of tissue scaffold degradation using ultrasound elasticity imaging

Abstract Non-invasively monitoring the extent of cell growth, scaffold degradation and tissue development will greatly help tissue engineers to monitor in vivo regenerate tissue function and scaffold degradation. Currently available methods for tissue and scaffold degradation analysis, such as histology and direct mechanical measurements, are not suitable for continuous monitoring of the same sample in vivo as they destroy cells, tissue matrix and scaffolds. In addition, different samples are prepared and measured at varying times, but high tissue growth deviation between specimens and the need for monitoring tissue growth and scaffold degradation at different times requires large sample numbers for statistical analysis. Ultrasound elasticity imaging (UEI) based on phase-sensitive speckle tracking can characterize the internal structural, compositional and functional change of biomaterial scaffolds and engineered tissues at high resolution. In this study, UEI resolution was 250 μm (axial) by 500 μm (lateral) using a commercial ultrasound transducer centered at 5 MHz. This method allows characterization of both globally and locally altered scaffold and engineered tissue elastic properties. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo results with poly(1,8-octanediol-co-citrate) scaffolds support the feasibility of UEI as a non-invasive quantitative monitoring tool for scaffold degradation and engineered tissue formation. This novel non-invasive monitoring tool will provide direct, time-dependent feedback on scaffold degradation and tissue ingrowth for tissue engineers to improve the design process.
Evaluation of contrast injection site effectiveness: thoracic CT angiography in children with hand injection of IV contrast material

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various contrast injection sites when performing thoracic CT angiography (CTA) using hand injection of IV contrast material in infants and young children with a small IV catheter. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We used our hospital information system to retrospectively identify consecutive pediatric patients who underwent thoracic CTA with hand injection of contrast material from August 2012 to July 2013. The study indication for thoracic CTA was to evaluate the thoracic systemic arterial vasculature and pulmonary venous vasculature. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of thoracic CTA image quality was performed by two reviewers independently. Qualitative evaluation of thoracic CTA image quality was performed by visual assessment of the degree of contrast enhancement in the ROI on a 4-point scale. Quantitative evaluation was performed by measuring attenuation obtained with the ROI placed within the aorta at two locations (the level of the aortic arch and at the level of the carina) to evaluate the thoracic systemic arterial vasculature. For evaluation of the pulmonary venous system, attenuation measurements were obtained at the center of the left atrium. Six individual injection sites were identified: head, jugular vein, arm vein, hand vein, leg vein, and foot vein. Injection sites were categorized into three regional groups: head-neck region (head vein and jugular veins), upper extremity region (arm and hand veins), and lower extremity region (leg and foot veins). Comparisons of attenuation values between individual and regionally grouped contrast injection sites were determined using the F-test in ANOVA. RESULTS. The study cohort included 50 pediatric patients (29 boys and 21 girls; mean age, 8 months ± 1 year; range, 1 week to 5 years) who underwent a total of 50 thoracic CTA studies for evaluating the thoracic systemic arterial vasculature (n = 38; 76%) or pulmonary venous vasculature (n = 12; 34%). All 50 thoracic CTA studies were of diagnostic quality on the basis of qualitative evaluation (all ≥ 3). For quantitative evaluation with the threshold for a diagnostic thoracic CTA study defined as attenuation greater than 150 HU in the ROI, all 50 thoracic CTA studies were technically successful (aortic arch, 380 ± 150 HU; descending thoracic aorta at the level of the carina, 392 ± 155 HU; and left atrium, 352 ± 90 HU). There were no significant differences in mean attenuation between individual injection sites (p > 0.20 for each comparison) or different regional groups (p > 0.50 for each comparison). CONCLUSION. Diagnostic quality thoracic CTA can be achieved with hand injection of IV contrast material in infants and young children with a small IV catheter, independent of the IV access site.
Efficient production of 13 C 2 F 4 in the infrared laser photolysis of CHClF 2

We report the isotopically selective decomposition of chlorodifluoromethane. Chlorodifluoromethane is used industrially in high volume for the production of tetrafluoroethylene and its polymers; thereby it is an attractive working substrate for a medium scale isotope separation process, both in terms of its price and availability. We have studied the infrared multiphoton decomposition of carbon-13 substituted chlorodifluoromethane molecules present at their natural abundance (1.11%). A well defined CO2 laser pulse (80 ns FWHM) was used and both the yield of carbon-13 enriched product and the net absorption of laser radiation were measured. These measurements were made as a function of substrate pressure (10-800 Torr), CO2 laser line (9P 12–9P 32) and fluence (2–8 J cm−2) and were used to determine the energy expenditure per carbon atom produced (e) at specified product carbon-13 content in the range 30%–96%. The results of these parametric studies were interpreted in terms of the kinetics of multiphoton absorption and dissociation, and allowed an initial optimization of the experimental conditions to minimize e. Optimum results were obtained at 1046.9 cm−1, 69 cm−1 to the red of the12CHClF2 v 9 band center. Irradiation of 100 Torr of chlorodifluoromethane at 3.5 J cm−2 gave tetrafluoroethylene containing 50% carbon-13 for an absorption of 140 photons (0.017 keV) per carbon atom produced. This efficiency compares favourably with existing carbon-13 enrichment technologies and would require an absorption pathlength of only 2 m to absorb half the incident photons.
Predictors of an optimal clinical outcome with alcohol septal ablation for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background Alcohol septal ablation has emerged as a therapy for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, there are limited data on the predictors of success with the procedure. Methods We examined patient characteristics and cardiac morphology as well as procedural data on 166 HCM patients (mean age, 63 years; 43% men), who underwent ablation at Mayo Clinic. Patients were contacted to determine vital status and symptoms to assess the primary endpoint of survival free of death and severe symptoms (New York Heart Association, class III or IV dyspnea). Results The strongest patient characteristics that predicted clinical success were older age, less severe left ventricular outflow tract gradient, lesser ventricular septal hypertrophy, and a smaller left anterior descending (LAD) diameter. Mitral valve geometry or ventricular septal morphology did not predict outcome. Patients with ≥3 characteristics (age ≥65 years, gradient 50 patients was an independent predictor of survival free of severe symptoms. The volume of alcohol injected, number of arteries injected, or size of septal perforator artery were not predictive of clinical success. Conclusions Greater case volume and selection for key patient and anatomic characteristics are associated with superior outcomes with alcohol septal ablation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distributions of carbon and nitrogen in the products from hydrothermal liquefaction of low-lipid microalgae

Microalgae are considered to be a promising alternative feedstock for next generation biofuels because of their rapid photosynthetic growth rates and less impact on land-use for food production compared with grain and other lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, a fast-growing, low-lipid, high-protein microalga species, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, was converted via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) into four products: bio-crude oil, aqueous product, gaseous product, and solid residue. The effects of operating conditions (reaction temperature and retention time) on the distributions of carbon and nitrogen in HTL products were quantified. Carbon recovery (CR), nitrogen recovery (NR) and energy recovery in the bio-crude oil fraction generally increased with the increase of reaction temperature as well as the retention time. The highest energy recovery of bio-crude oil was 65.4%, obtained at 280 °C with 120 min retention time. Both carbon and nitrogen tended to preferentially accumulate in the HTL bio-crude oil products as temperature and retention time increased, but the opposite was true for the solid residual product. The NR values of HTL aqueous product also increased with reaction temperature and retention time. 65–70% of nitrogen and 35–40% of carbon in the original material were converted into water soluble compounds when reaction temperature was higher than 220 °C and retention time was longer than 10 min. The CR of gas was less than 10% and is primarily present in the form of carbon dioxide. This study also introduces a novel treatment process (Environment-Enhancing Energy) that integrates algal growth for wastewater treatment with HTL of algal biomass, which provides synergistic recycling of carbon dioxide from the HTL gaseous product and the nutrients from HTL aqueous product to support multiple stages of algae production.
Optimization of Home Energy Usage by Intelligently Charging/Discharging EV/PHEV

In this paper, the problem of energy cost minimization for residential home equipped with electric drive vehicles is considered. In future residential homes, electric drive vehicles, including Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and all-electric vehicles (EVs), are expected to be common due to the growing energy cost and the need for improving efficiency and energy sustainability. In this context, a constrained optimization problem is formulated for home owners to take advantage of controlling when and how the EVs/PHEVs are charged or discharged in order to minimize their energy cost while keeping the vehicle ready for their daily commute. By taking into account the nonlinear characteristics of the battery charging and discharging, and realistic energy pricing from government agencies such as ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), a nonlinear programming solution is derived using the sub-gradient search algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Client-Server Interaction Knowledge Discovery for Operations-Level Construction Simulation Using Process Data

For the past few decades, construction researchers have investigated the potential of simulation modeling in providing decision-makers with insights into different aspects of a project. Simulation can assist in studying the performance of an engineering system during early planning, pre-construction, execution, and maintenance. This is typically done by providing means and methods for preparing work plans, look-ahead schedules, and what-if analysis. However, most existing construction simulation paradigms address long-term planning and scheduling needs. Work is still needed to disseminate the use of simulationbased decision-making in short-term operations-level planning and control during project execution phase. Simulation models, and in particular, discrete event simulation (DES) models are often employed to get insight into the performance of systems that are repetitive yet stochastic in nature. A good example of such systems that can be found in almost all industries is queuing systems. In construction, queues are ubiquitous due to specific project plans, resource allocation patterns, or operational bottlenecks. Certain client-server interaction schemes determine the properties by which a queue is characterized and subsequently modeled in a computer simulation model. This paper presents a methodology that enables data collection, fusion, and mining from construction resources in a queuing system to discover necessary knowledge and generate and update corresponding simulation models.
The challenge of building successful stakeholder organizations: New Zealand's experience in developing a fisheries co-management regime

Abstract This article examines the development of a co-management approach in New Zealand where the government is devolving certain management responsibilities to Commercial Stakeholder Organizations (CSOs). In 1999 and 2001, a mail survey was used to gather data on the characteristics of CSOs, as well as the attitudes, and expectations of CSO leaders. Results are examined using Ostrom's design principles for long-lived institutions. The results suggest that CSOs are experiencing mixed success in developing institutions that will be resilient to long-term challenges. Successes are identified and recommendations for the further development of this management approach are offered.
Plasma tryptophan and tyrosine levels are independent risk factors for delirium in critically ill patients

The pathophysiology of delirium remains elusive though neurotransmitters and their precursor large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) may play a role. This pilot study investigated whether alterations of tryptophan (Trp), phenylalanine (Phe), and tyrosine (Tyr) plasma levels were associated with a higher risk of transitioning to delirium in critically ill patients. Plasma LNAA concentrations were determined on days 1 and 3 in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients from the MENDS randomized controlled trial (dexmedetomidine vs. lorazepam sedation). Three independent variables were calculated by dividing plasma concentrations of Trp, Phe, and Tyr by the sum of all other LNAA concentrations. Delirium was assessed daily using the confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU). Markov regression models were used to analyze independent associations between plasma LNAA ratios and transition to delirium after adjusting for covariates. The 97 patients included in the analysis had a high severity of illness (median APACHE II, 28; IQR, 24–32). After adjusting for confounders, only high or very low tryptophan/LNAA ratios (p = 0.0003), and tyrosine/LNAA ratios (p = 0.02) were associated with increased risk of transitioning to delirium, while phenylalanine levels were not (p = 0.27). Older age, higher APACHE II scores and increasing fentanyl exposure were also associated with higher probabilities of transitioning to delirium. In this pilot study, plasma tryptophan/LNAA and tyrosine/LNAA ratios were associated with transition to delirium in MV patients, suggesting that alterations of amino acids may be important in the pathogenesis of ICU delirium. Future studies evaluating the role of amino acid precursors of neurotransmitters are warranted in critically ill patients.
Comparative analysis of algorithms for identifying amplifications and deletions in array CGH data

Motivation: Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) can reveal chromosomal aberrations in the genomic DNA. These amplifications and deletions at the DNA level are important in the pathogenesis of cancer and other diseases. While a large number of approaches have been proposed for analyzing the large array CGH datasets, the relative merits of these methods in practice are not clear. Results: We compare 11 different algorithms for analyzing array CGH data. These include both segment detection methods and smoothing methods, based on diverse techniques such as mixture models, Hidden Markov Models, maximum likelihood, regression, wavelets and genetic algorithms. We compute the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves using simulated data to quantify sensitivity and specificity for various levels of signal-to-noise ratio and different sizes of abnormalities. We also characterize their performance on chromosomal regions of interest in a real dataset obtained from patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme. While comparisons of this type are difficult due to possibly sub-optimal choice of parameters in the methods, they nevertheless reveal general characteristics that are helpful to the biological investigator. Contact: peter_park@harvard.edu
A Bayesian Multilevel Modeling Approach to Time-Series Cross-Sectional Data

The analysis of time-series cross-sectional (TSCS) data has become increasingly popular in political science. Meanwhile, political scientists are also becoming more interested in the use of multilevel models (MLM). However, little work exists to understand the benefits of multilevel modeling when applied to TSCS data. We employ Monte Carlo simulations to benchmark the performance of a Bayesian multilevel model for TSCS data. We find that the MLM performs as well or better than other common estimators for such data. Most importantly, the MLM is more general and offers researchers additional advantages.
Using virtual addresses as object references

An alternative to surrogates is to use ordinary virtual addresses for inter-object referencing. Usually (but not always) this involves mapping distributed or persistent data into specified parts of the application's address space relying on page faults to trap and resolve references to nonresident data. The choice between these two referencing schemes involves tradeoffs. Virtual addresses promise easier integration with programming languages and faster local pointer dereferences, whereas surrogates can simplify object-based aspects of storage management, such as garbage collection and heap compaction. The key justifications for surrogate pointers are eliminated by 64-bit address spaces and proper operating system virtual memory support. When these facilities are available, the flexibility of surrogate pointers may not be worth their cost. >
Let Many Civil Societies Bloom: The Rise of Consultative Authoritarianism in China

In this article, I analyse civil society development in China using examples from Beijing to demonstrate the causal role of local officials' ideas about these groups during the last 20 years. I argue that the decentralization of public welfare and the linkage of promotion to the delivery of these goods supported the idea of local government–civil society collaboration. This idea was undermined by international examples of civil society opposing authoritarianism and the strength of the state-led development model after the 2008 economic crisis. I find growing convergence on a new model of state–society relationship that I call “consultative authoritarianism,” which encourages the simultaneous expansion of a fairly autonomous civil society and the development of more indirect tools of state control. This model challenges the conventional wisdom that an operationally autonomous civil society cannot exist inside authoritarian regimes and that the presence of civil society is an indicator of democratization.
Transportation infrastructure settlement and heave distress: challenges and solutions

Transportation agencies spend millions of dollars annually to repair civil transportation infrastructure including pavements, earth structures and approach slabs distressed by soft compressible soils and expansive soils. Several research studies performed at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) focused on stabilizing these problematic soils so that they will provide better and more stable support to the transportation infrastructure. This paper focuses on a summary of two major distresses and mechanisms, and remedial measures for addressing these distress problems. A combined lime-cement stabilization method is fully evaluated in providing better support of pavement infrastructure, and these results are described here. Another major transportation infrastructure problem involving bridge approach slabs requires different treatment methods, and these results are briefly described. As a part of the recently completed research study assessments, both shallow and deep soil treatment methods for stabilizing soils are fully evaluated for their effectiveness in arresting the distress posed to the pavements and bridge approach slabs. These results along with a few future research needs are presented in this paper.
LOW ENERGY SPECTRAL INDEX AND Ep EVOLUTION OF QUASI-THERMAL PHOTOSPHERE EMISSION OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Recent observations by the Fermi satellite suggest that a photosphere emission component is contributing to the observed spectrum of many gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). One important question is whether the photosphere component can interpret the typical 'Band' function of GRBs with a typical low energy photon spectral index α ∼ –1. We perform a detailed study of the photosphere emission spectrum by progressively introducing several physical ingredients previously not fully incorporated, including the probability distribution of the location of a dynamically evolving photosphere, superposition of emission from an equal arrival time 'volume' in a continuous wind, the evolution of optical depth of a wind with finite but evolving outer boundary, as well as the effect of different top-hat wind luminosity (L{sub w} ) profiles. By assuming a comoving blackbody spectrum emerging from the photosphere, we find that for an outflow with a constant or increasing L{sub w} , the low-energy spectrum below the peak energy (E{sub p} ), can be modified to F {sub ν} ∼ ν{sup 1.5} (α ∼ +0.5). A softer (–1 < α < +0.5) or flat (α = –1) spectrum can be obtained during the L{sub w} decreasing phase or high-latitude-emission-dominated phase. We also study the evolutionmore » of E{sub p} as a function of wind and photosphere luminosity in this photosphere model. An E{sub p} – L tracking pattern can be reproduced if a certain positive dependence between the dimensionless entropy η and L{sub w} is introduced. However, the hard-to-soft evolution pattern cannot be reproduced unless a contrived condition is invoked. In order to interpret the Band spectrum, a more complicated photosphere model or a different energy dissipation and radiation mechanism is needed.« less
tert‐Leucine tert‐Butyl Ester

(d) [61169-85-5] C10H21NO2 (MW 187.32) InChI = 1S/C10H21NO2/c1-9(2,3)7(11)8(12)13-10(4,5)6/h7H,11H2,1-6H3/t7-/m0/s1 InChIKey = IGZORTGLYQDNMF-ZETCQYMHSA-N (l) [31556-74-8] InChI = 1S/C10H21NO2/c1-9(2,3)7(11)8(12)13-10(4,5)6/h7H,11H2,1-6H3/t7-/m1/s1 InChIKey = IGZORTGLYQDNMF-SSDOTTSWSA-N (dl) [99285-38-8] InChI = 1S/C10H21NO2/c1-9(2,3)7(11)8(12)13-10(4,5)6/h7H,11H2,1-6H3 InChIKey = IGZORTGLYQDNMF-UHFFFAOYSA-N (chiral auxiliary used in asymmetric alkylations,1 1,2-additions,2 and 1,4-additions3 of aldehyde and ketone derived Schiff bases) Physical Data: d,4a [α]20D −56°; bp 90–91 °C/21 mmHg. l,4a [α]20D +51.7° (92.3% ee); bp 87–89 °C/18 mmHg. Solubility: sol hexanes, benzene. Preparative Methods: prepared by esterification of t-leucine with Isobutene and conc Sulfuric Acid (under pressure).4 Typical yields are 62–64% and 12–14% of recovered amino acid. t-Leucine itself is commercially available in racemic and optically pure forms. It can also be prepared by oxidation of pinacolone to trimethylpyruvic acid, followed by oxime formation and zinc reduction. Resolution of the N-formyl derivative of t-leucine has been carried out using brucine.4a Handling, Storage, and Precautions: none.
Induction of Atherosclerosis by Low-Fat, Semisynthetic Diets in LDL Receptor–Deficient C57BL/6J and FVB/NJ Mice: Comparison of Lesions of the Aortic Root, Brachiocephalic Artery, and Whole Aorta (En Face Measurement)

Objective— A semisynthetic diet with varying amounts of cholesterol was used to achieve hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in LDL receptor–deficient (LDLR−/−) mice. Atherosclerotic lesions were measured as cross-sectional area at the aortic root and brachiocephalic artery and by en face analysis of aortic lesion area in 209 male and female animals on the C57BL/6J (B6.LDLR−/−) and FVB/NJ (FVB.LDLR−/−) backgrounds. Methods and Results— The semisynthetic diet containing 4.3% fat and 0.00% or 0.02% cholesterol was sufficient to induce hypercholesterolemia (12.6±2.4 mmol/L) and atherosclerosis in B6.LDLR−/− mice at the aortic root (98 980±37 727 μm2) and brachiocephalic artery (12 039±12 750 μm2) but did not produce significant lesions in the aorta measurable by the en face method. Raising dietary cholesterol to 0.15%, 0.30%, or 0.50% more than doubled plasma cholesterol levels (35.9±8.5 mmol/L) and resulted in significant en face lesions. It also led to a significant increase in atherosclerotic lesion area at the aortic root (547 753±182 151 μm2) and brachiocephalic arteries (125 666±59 339 μm2). Although FVB.LDLR−/− mice developed comparable cholesterol levels, they were relatively atherosclerosis resistant and had many-fold smaller lesions. Conclusions— These results should aid investigations of atherosclerosis in LDLR−/− mice by informing the selection of diet to be used and the location of lesions to be scored.
Can Predictable Patterns in Market Returns be Exploited Using Real Money

Academic studies suggest stock market prices are to a considerable extent predictable. Investors tend to earn higher returns when the market sells at relatively low price-earnings multiples and high dividend yields. Value stocks supposedly outperform growth stocks, and smaller companies produce higher returns than larger firms. Moreover, buying losers over the past several years supposedly trumps a strategy of buying recent winners. In fact, investment strategies undertaken with real money cannot make the excess returns that academic studies suggest. Market-timing strategies based on initial valuation metrics do not outperform a buy-and-hold strategy. Value stock, small-cap, and contrarian managers do not consistently outperform the market. The strongest statistical pattern we find among actual money managers is that returns are enhanced by low expenses and low turnover.
Production of highly charged low-velocity recoil ions by heavy-ion bombardment of rare-gas targets

The author has measured charge-state ($q$) spectra of recoil ions generated in single collisions of 25-45-MeV chlorine ions with targets of helium, neon, and argon. A high-efficiency time-of-flight spectrometer was used to identify the charge-to-mass ratio of the slowly moving recoils. Recoil $q$ up to + 8 (neon) and + 11 (argon) were observed. Cross sections for recoil production were measured as a function of projectile energy and incident charge state. The energy dependence of the cross sections is quite weak, while the recoil-$q$ dependences show clear shell effects in argon. For the lower-$q$ recoils, the cross sections are reasonably well described by the model of Olson, which treats the target electrons as moving independently. For higher $q$, a model based on energy deposition by the projectile with the target electrons, followed by statistically weighted electron emission, gives a better description of the data.
Effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid on biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid from alpha-linolenic acid in young rats

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a crucial nervous system n-3 PUFA, may be obtained in the diet or synthesized in vivo from dietary α-linolenic acid (LNA). We addressed whether DHA synthesis is regulated by the availability of dietary DHA in artificially reared rat pups, during p8 to p28 development. Over 20 days, one group of rat pups was continuously fed deuterium-labeled LNA (d5-LNA) and no other n-3 PUFA (d5-LNA diet), and a second group of rat pups was fed a d5-LNA diet with unlabeled DHA (d5-LNA + DHA diet). The rat pups were then euthanized, and the total amount of deuterium-labeled docosahexaenoic acid (d5-DHA) (synthesized DHA) as well as other n-3 fatty acids present in various body tissues, was quantified. In the d5-LNA + DHA group, the presence of dietary DHA led to a marked decrease (3- to 5-fold) in the total amount of d5-DHA that accumulated in all tissues that we examined, except in adipose. Overall, DHA accretion from d5-DHA was generally diminished by availability of dietary preformed DHA, inasmuch as this was found to be the predominant source of tissue DHA. When preformed DHA was unavailable, d5-DHA and unlabeled DHA were preferentially accreted in some tissues along with a net loss of unlabeled DHA from other organs.
Coronary multidetector computed tomography: a new standard for preoperative risk assessment?

For investigators interested in cardiovascular disease, these are exciting times. It is rare that a new technology with the potential to revolutionize the understanding and management of a major disease process is introduced. For coronary artery disease (CAD), it might be that time, because
The hydrogen-bond network of water supports propagating optical phonon-like modes

The local structure of liquid water as a function of temperature is a source of intense research. This structure is intimately linked to the dynamics of water molecules, which can be measured using Raman and infrared spectroscopies. The assignment of spectral peaks depends on whether they are collective modes or single-molecule motions. Vibrational modes in liquids are usually considered to be associated to the motions of single molecules or small clusters. Using molecular dynamics simulations, here we find dispersive optical phonon-like modes in the librational and OH-stretching bands. We argue that on subpicosecond time scales these modes propagate through water's hydrogen-bond network over distances of up to 2 nm. In the long wavelength limit these optical modes exhibit longitudinal-transverse splitting, indicating the presence of coherent long-range dipole-dipole interactions, as in ice. Our results indicate the dynamics of liquid water have more similarities to ice than previously thought.
Congestion and Road Pricing

Traffic congestion is one of the most stultifying, annoying and petty occurrences known to mankind. Vehicles which are capable of safely covering 150 miles per hour under specialized conditions, and 55 miles per hour under normal conditions, are limited to crawling along, bumper-to-bumper, at perhaps 5 miles per hour.Congestion is a danger to motorists. Apart from the direct psychological buffeting, frayed tempers undoubtedly create traffic accidents. The vehicle, too, deteriorates at a faster rate than otherwise, and overheated engines, cooling systems, interior hoses, etc., are the cause of yet additional highway injury and death.