cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed minimum energy point tracking for systems-on-chip

We propose a new design approach for systems-on-chip. The goal of the proposed design approach is to minimize the overall energy consumption dynamically, during runtime. The proposed approach builds on the well known globally asynchronous locally synchronous design style. To minimize power noise and losses, we propose to use a single highvoltage global power delivery network. Locally integrated DC-DC regulators generate a discrete range of supply voltage levels. These regulators are dynamically controlled by novel minimum energy point tracking (MEPT) controllers. The goal of the MEPT controllers is to seek in a decentralized fashion the minimum energy consumption point of each voltage frequency island via dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, thereby driving the entire SoC toward minimum energy consumption. Since the proposed MEPT controller relies on the extremum-seeking control theory, its stability is theoretically guaranteed. While the scope of this project is to address all design aspects of the proposed design style, in this paper, our contribution is to introduce and discuss the MEPT controller. Simulation results demonstrate its operation.
Optical scattering at lateral waveguide boundaries in (stripe geometry) injection lasers

Complex multilobe far-field emission patterns observed for buried heterostructure (BH) and deep Zn-diffused double heterostructure (DH) lasers are analyzed according to a slab waveguide model with sinusoidal boundary perturbations. This model is applicable because a Fourier analysis of any irregularity in the laser stripe boundary shows spectral components only at integer fractions of the finite laser length. From the angular position of the narrow far-field emission sublobes, sign and magnitude of the effective refractive index step under the stripe can be inferred. From the intensity of the sublobes, the deviation of the stripe boundary from ideal straightness is estimated.
Monomer Reactivities and Kinetics in Radical Copolymerization of Hydroxystyrene Derivatives and tert-Butyl (Meth)acrylate

Monomer reactivity ratios in radical copolymerization of 4-hydroxystyrene derivatives with tert-butyl acrylate and methacrylate have been determined by nonlinear regression as well as by the Kelen−Tudos graphic method. The hydroxystyrene derivatives employed in the study included 4- and 3-hydroxystyrenes, 4- and 3-acetoxystyrenes, and 4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxystyrene. The electron-rich 4-hydroxystyrene is unique as its copolymerization with the electron-deficient acrylate monomers is more alternating. The simulation of the copolymerization on the basis of the reactivity ratios has been shown to fully describe the copolymerization behavior and copolymer structures. The kinetics of radical copolymerization of 4-acetoxystyrene with tert-butyl (meth)acrylate has been studied in detail using a gas chromatographic procedure and also by in situ 1H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetics behavior has shown an excellent agreement with the computer simulation of the copolymerization using the reactivity ratio values determin...
Developmental Regulation of a Pregnancy-specific Oligosaccharide Structure, NeuAcα2,6GalNAcβ1,4GlcNAc, on Select Members of the Rat Placental Prolactin Family

Abstract Successful pregnancy is dependent upon an array of signaling proteins secreted by the trophoblast cells of the placenta. Among these is a group of proteins related to pituitary prolactin, known as the prolactin/growth hormone family. These proteins are expressed at specific times during gestation and synthesized in distinct trophoblast cell types in the rat placenta. We report here that select members of this family, prolactin-like protein (PLP-A), PLP-B, PLP-C, decidual/trophoblast PRP, and placental lactogen I variant, only which are expressed in the spongiotrophoblast, late in rat placental development bear Asn-linked oligosaccharides terminating with NeuAcα2,6GalNAcβ1,4GlcNAcβ-R. This reflects the concurrent expression of these prolactin/growth hormone family members with the peptide-specific β1,4GalNAc-transferase and an α2,6-sialyltransferase, which can add sialic acid to terminal β1,4-linked GalNAc. We have determined that at least one of the prolactin-like proteins, PLP-A, is recognized by the protein-specific GalNAc-transferase. The presence of NeuAcα2,6GalNAcβ1,4GlcNAcβ-R on only a limited number of glycoproteins synthesized by the spongiotrophoblasts between mid gestation and birth reflects the need for both the GalNAc-transferase and the peptide recognition determinant for efficient addition of GalNAc. Thus, expression of the GalNAc-transferase and specific members of the prolactin/growth hormone family is developmentally regulated in the rat placenta, suggesting a physiological role for the terminal NeuAcα2,6GalNAcβ1,4GlcNAcβ-R sequence on Asn-linked oligosaccharides of these proteins.
Warming trends: Adapting to nonlinear change

As atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise, some regions are expected to warm more than others. Now research suggests that whether warming will intensify or slow down over time also depends on location.
HACCP and risk analysis in global

Recent public concern regarding food safety, and the implementation of Global regulations and agreements on trade, have given rise to questions regarding the veterinarian’s role and expertise in formally assessing and mitigating these risk. The objective of this work is to demonstrate latest knowledge on Risk Analysis as a process, to review HACCP with regard to food safety and defense against introduction of infectious agents.
Intervention and sleeper effects: A reply to Clarke and Clarke.

Abstract The evolution of the concept of “sleeper effects” is traced from the work of C. I. Hovland, A. A. Lumsdaine, and F. D. Sheffield, Experiments on Mass Communication . Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Press, 1949 , to the present time. The concept originally referred to the delayed emergence of attitude change in persuasibility research. It has also been used in developmental investigations, with attendant theoretical problems that have not been fully addressed. These problems are examined, with the recommendation that the social psychologist's sleeper effect should be modified to meet developmental needs and renamed “delayed treatment effects”. Such effects are highly relevant to recent findings from studies of early childhood intervention programs.
Mechanistic studies on the flavin-dependent N6-lysine monooxygenase MbsG reveal an unusual control for catalysis

The mechanism of Mycobacterium smegmatis G (MbsG), a flavin-dependent l-lysine monooxygenase, was investigated under steady-state and rapid reaction conditions using primary and solvent kinetic isotope effects, substrate analogs, pH and solvent viscosity effects as mechanistic probes. The results suggest that l-lysine binds before NAD(P)H, which leads to a decrease in the rate constant for flavin reduction. l-lysine binding has no effect on the rate of flavin oxidation, which occurs in a one-step process without the observation of a C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate. Similar effects were determined with several substrate analogs. Flavin oxidation is pH independent while the kcat/Km and kred/KD pH profiles for NAD(P)H exhibit single pKa values of ∼6.0, with increasing activity as the pH decreases. At lower pH, the enzyme becomes more uncoupled, producing more hydrogen peroxide and superoxide. Hydride transfer is partially rate-limiting at neutral pH and becomes more rate-limiting at low pH. An inverse solvent viscosity effect on kcat/Km for NAD(P)H was observed at neutral pH whereas a normal solvent viscosity effect was observed at lower pH. Together, the results indicate a unique mechanism where a rate-limiting and pH-sensitive conformational change occurs in the reductive half-reaction, which affects the efficiency of lysine hydroxylation.
Feminist Transformation in Higher Education: Discipline, Structure, and Institution

Using a feminist poststructuralist perspective, this study investigates academic feminism as a case of transformation in higher education. Narrative analysis was used to examine the transformative role of feminist scholarship in the contexts of disciplines, departments, and the university, illustrated by the life histories of nine diverse feminists and their perceptions of transformation in sociohistoric, generational, and multiple structural contexts. Assessments of progress must consider the relative nature of a values shift in institutional transformation.
The influence of electron-withdrawing substituents on the geometries and barriers to inversion of vinyl anions

Abstract Whereas ab initio calculations predict that the vinyl anion is bent and has a high barrier to inversion, substitution of cyano, methoxycarbonyl, and formyl substituents at C-1 lower this barrier. Nevertheless, the first two substituents produce significantly bent anions, while the bent and linear 1-formylvinyl anions are essentially isoenergetic.
The modification of actomyosin by α-actin: II. The effect of α-actinin upon contractility

Abstract In certain media, actomyosin requires α-actinin to show a turbidity increase with ATP. It has been investigated whether this indicates a dependence of contractility upon the additional protein, as follows: 1. 1. Another measure of contractility, i.e. gel syneresis, shows no requirement for α-actinin. 2. 2. The turbidimetric test shows no requirement for α-actinin when executed with the exclusion of forward scattered light. It is concluded that α-actinin bears no relation to contractility.
Fabrication of wind-react and react-wind high-temperature superconducting Bi-2223/Ag coils and magnets

Abstract High-temperature superconducting (HTS) (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10/Ag coils and magnets have been successfully fabricated using both the wind-react (W-R) and react-wind (R-W) approach. Critical current obtained for a 139 turn, made from a 14 m tape solenoidal coil with a ceramic former fabricated using the W-R procedure was 7 A, which generated a self-field of ∼19 mT at 77 K. A test magnet system of overall Ic of 6.2 A (and corresponding field at 77 K of ∼30 mT) has been constructed from double-pancake coils, also fabricated by the W-R procedure. Superconducting `straps' were used to connect the double-pancakes. Based on its strength and thermal properties, alumina-based slurry has been found to be the best among those materials tested and has been used as an insulator for W-R HTS coils and magnets.
Dolomite of the Skursk deposits

Analyses were carried out of samples of dolomite from the Skursk deposits in the form of white, pale-gray, and gray rock of fine-grained, medium-grained, and consertal structures.
Structure and energetics of water adsorbed on the Zn O ( 10 1 ¯ 0 ) surface

We present first-principles total-energy calculations of water adsorption on the $\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}(10\overline{1}0)$ surface. We find that on ideal $\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}(10\overline{1}0)$ surfaces, the fully molecular chemisorption is most energetically favorable at coverage $\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ML}$, whereas at 1 ML, the mixed adsorption with a $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$ superstructure is most energetically favorable. However, the mixed adsorption with a $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$ superstructure is only 0.07 eV higher per ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ molecule than the mixed adsorption with a $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$ superstructure. Therefore, we expect that domains with mixed $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)$ and $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$ structures may also exist at elevated temperatures. Moreover, we find that oxygen vacancies in the surface significantly affect the adsorption behavior. For an oxygen vacancy density $\ensuremath{\leqslant}25%$, the dissociative adsorption is energetically preferred at water coverage $\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.25\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ML}$ and the mixed adsorption is energetically favorable at water coverage $\ensuremath{\geqslant}0.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ML}$. The further increase of oxygen vacancy density promotes the dissociative adsorption.
Question Formation in the Language of Deaf Students

Four hundred and twenty-two deaf students (age 10 to 19 years) and 60 hearing children (age eight to 10 years) responded to and judged the grammaticality of yes/no questions, wh-questions, and tag ...
Controlled p-doping of zinc phthalocyanine by coevaporation with tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane: A direct and inverse photoemission study

P-doping of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) with tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) is investigated with ultraviolet and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, inverse photoemission spectroscopy, and in situ current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The electron affinity of F4-TCNQ (5.24 eV) is found to be equal, within experimental error, to the ionization energy of ZnPc (5.28 eV), consistent with efficient host-to-dopant electron transfer. As a result, the Fermi level in doped ZnPc drops from near midgap to 0.18 eV above the leading edge of the highest occupied molecular orbital and a narrow space-charge layer (<32 A) is formed at the interface with the Au substrate. In situ I–V measurements show a seven orders of magnitude doping-induced increase in hole current.
War stories: Discursive strategies in framing military sexual trauma

As part of preproduction research for a documentary film on mental health practices in the United States military, this field note takes up findings related to discursive strategies deployed by the US Department of Defense and Veterans Administration programs in preventing and treating military sexual trauma. In the analysis of dozens of training manuals and interviews with therapists working in Sexual Assault Prevention teams through the Army National Guard and the VA, the analogy of military sexual assault and incest emerged as a recurring motif. The authors pursue the question of whether the analogy is progressive or regressive from the perspective of women service members. The authors situate their arguments in a line of analysis pursued in the earlier work of Haaken that explains how real accounts of abuse acquire social symbolic loadings over time in ways that are open to both conservative and progressive interpretations.
Diffusion and Adhesion of Cu/Parylene

The combination of Cu and parylene (poly-xylylene) for metallization and insulator in integrated circuit or packaging multilayer interconnection systems gives one of the lowest resistance and capacitance values per unit length. In this paper we present a detailed study of the diffusion characteristics of Cu in parylene-n (PA-n) substrates. PA-n was vapor-deposited and Cu metallization performed at room temperature using the Partially Ionized Beam (PIB) technique. Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) technique has been used to study the diffusion of Cu in PA-n substrate after annealing the samples to elevated temperatures in vacuum. We found no sign of Cu diffusion after the Cu/PA-n sample was annealed at 300°C for 6 hours. Diffusion occurs at 350°C. However, preannealed PA-n substrate prior to Cu deposition can prevent the diffusion even at a temperatures above 350°C. Also we found that amorphous carbon and chromium are good diffusion barriers of Cu on PA-n. The dry adhesion between PA-n deposited on Al, Cu and Ag was found to be good. The adhesion of these PIB deposited metals on PA-n in high vacuum was also very good.
The developer-documenter relationship in Java software development

This paper describes the developer-documenter relationship in Java™ API software development. The lack of trust between developer and documenter is highlighted in the issue of updating doc comments in Java source code, and two potential solutions are presented. The first, long-term solution is to work to increase the levels of trust between developers and documenters. The second, short-term solution is to use a documentation tool that creates, modifies, or removes doc comments in a source file without changing the source code.
Intramolecular asymmetric tandem additions to chiral naphthyl oxazolines

Abstract The addition of 1-lithio-4-chlorobutane to 1-naphthyl oxazoline leads to good yields of the annulated tricyclic systems 9 and 14 in greater than 96% ee.
Further structure-activity studies on the lowering of brain 5-hydroxyindoles by 4-chloroamphetamine

Abstract A single injection of 4-chloroamphetamine lowered brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in rats, with the maximum effect at 16 hr. Multiple injections were no more effective than a single injection, and 20–40% of the 5-HT in brain persisted. No other 4-substituted amphetamines studied lowered 5-HT as much as did 4-chloroamphetamine, though 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were decreased as much by 4-trifluoromethylamphetamine. The addition of a β-hydroxyl to 4-chloroamphetamine diminished the lowering of 5-HT despite the presence of the β-hydroxyl compound in brain at levels comparable to those of 4-chloroamphetamine. When metabolic inactivation by para-hydroxylation was not a factor (as in guinea pigs or in desmethylimipramine-treated rats), 3-chloro but not 2-chloroamphetamine lowered brain 5-HT as 4-chloroamphetamine did. 2-Chloroamphetamine in desmethylimipramine-treated rats was present in brain at levels comparable to those of 4-chloroamphetamine, but the 2-chloro compound raised instead of lowered 5-HT levels. Addition of a 2-chloro substituent to 4-chloroamphetamine reduced the effect on 5-HT, whereas the decrease in 5-HIAA was at least as great with 2,4-dichloroamphetamine as with 4-chloroamphetamine. The dichloro compound was present in brain at slightly lower levels than 4-chloroamphetamine and caused slightly less CNS stimulation and hyperthermia; both compounds were found primarily in the paniculate fraction after high speed centrifugation of brain homogenates. The ability of some 4-chloroamphetamine derivatives to lower 5-HIAA more than 5-HT suggests that inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylation cannot completely account for their effects on brain 5-hydroxyindole levels.
Muscle disorders in the horse: a retrospective study

Case records of horses with muscle disorders presenting to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California, Davis, over a nine year period were evaluated. The objectives of the review were to identify the common myogenic muscle problems and their clinical features. Muscle disease of idiopathic aetiology following exercise was by far the most common condition noted. Other causes of myogenic muscle disorders included congenital, infectious, immune-mediated and nutritional factors.
THE STREET OF THE DEAD … IT REALLY WAS

The name “Street of the Dead” used to designate Teotihuacan's main avenue originates from a Nahuatl notation on a sixteenth-century map. Though this “story” is often deemed apocryphal, I argue in this paper that oral tradition preserved conceptual information that may not be archaeologically recoverable. Support for this position comes from comparative cultural analysis of Mesoamerican mortuary bundles as they are expressed in ritual and iconography. Crucial to this argument are the well-known stone masks of Teotihuacan. A case is made that the masks originally served as the faces of oracular mortuary bundles. The likely existence of mortuary bundles at Teotihuacan generates organizational models for the city in which lineage emerges as a fundamental element and suggests new insight into status differentiation and the iconography of power at Teotihuacan.
Pseudospinodals, spinodals, and nucleation

We develop a field-theoretic description of nucleation for systems with long-range interactions undergoing deep quenches. We find that the critical droplet can be related to a percolation cluster and has a fractal dimension less than the spatial dimension $d$. For $dg6$ "spinodals" are found for any potential range $R$; in contrast, for $dl6$ spinodals are found only for $R\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. We also compare our results to those of mean-field theory.
Visualization of a Functional Gαq-Green Fluorescent Protein Fusion in Living Cells ASSOCIATION WITH THE PLASMA MEMBRANE IS DISRUPTED BY MUTATIONAL ACTIVATION AND BY ELIMINATION OF PALMITOYLATION SITES, BUT NOT BY ACTIVATION MEDIATED BY RECEPTORS OR AlF4 −

To investigate how G protein α subunit localization is regulated under basal and activated conditions, we inserted green fluorescent protein (GFP) into an internal loop of Gαq. αq-GFP stimulates phospholipase C in response to activated receptors and inhibits βγ-dependent activation of basal G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ currents as effectively as αq does. Association of αq-GFP with the plasma membrane is reduced by mutational activation and eliminated by mutation of the αq palmitoylation sites, suggesting that αq must be in the inactive, palmitoylated state to be targeted to this location. We tested the effects of activation by receptors and by AlF4− on the localization of αq-GFP in cells expressing both αq-GFP and a protein kinase Cγ-red fluorescent protein fusion that translocates to the plasma membrane in response to activation of Gq. In cells that clearly exhibit protein kinase Cγ-red fluorescent protein translocation responses, relocalization of αq-GFP is not observed. Thus, under conditions associated with palmitate turnover and βγ dissociation, αq-GFP remains associated with the plasma membrane. These results suggest that upon reaching the plasma membrane αq receives an anchoring signal in addition to palmitoylation and association with βγ, or that during activation, one or both of these factors continues to retain αq in this location.
Accelerated rejection of murine cardiac allografts by murine cytomegalovirus-infected recipients. Lack of haplotype specificity.

Abstract Clinical studies have revealed a correlation between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and acute allograft rejection. Likewise, for a murine model we observed that C3H (H-2k) recipients infected with murine CMV (MCMV) rejected BALB/c (H-2d) cardiac allografts earlier than uninfected recipients (6.9 +/- 0.1 d compared with 8.1 +/- 0.6 d; P < 0.001). It has been hypothesized that MCMV epitopes crossreact with alloantigens and in this manner induce rejection. However, we also demonstrated that MCMV caused accelerated rejection in the reverse combination (C3H heart engrafted to BALB/c recipient; 7.2 +/- 0.3 and 9.4 +/- 0.4 d for infected and control animals, respectively; P < 0.001) and accelerated rejection of grafts of a third, unrelated haplotype (C57Bl/6; H-2b; 8.0 +/- 0.7 d compared with 10.1 +/- 0.6 for infected and control C3H recipients, respectively; P < 0.03). Ultraviolet (UV) inactivation of MCMV before administration to the graft recipient abrogated the ability to induce rapid rejection. Activated T lymphocytes were present in grafts from infected recipients 2 d before control recipients (P < 0.02) and, at the time of graft rejection, were almost exclusively CD8+ for both infected and control recipients. Thus, MCMV accelerated rejection appears not to result from crossreaction between MCMV epitopes and MHC products. The failure of UV-inactivated virus to accelerate rejection and the high proportion of CD8+ T cells recovered from all rejected grafts suggest that the class I pathway of antigen presentation may be important in the induction of early rejection.
A Note on the Factorization of a Matrix Inverse

The decomposition of a matrix as a product of a lower triangular with ones on the diagonal and an upper triangular matrix is useful for solving systems of linear equations. For a given non singular matrix, this type of decomposition is unique and algorithms exist to obtain the two factors. However, in certain problems the factorization of the inverse matrix may be of interest. This note presents an algorithm for factoring the inverse matrix using simple operations of elements from the original matrix. As examples, we give factorizations for several well-known and widely used correlation matrices. The usefulness and practicality of these factorizations are provided in an application of statistical modeling using unbiased estimating equations.
Transient, Localized Accumulation of α-Spectrin during Sea Urchin Morphogenesis

Abstract The mRNA and protein of α-spectrin in the sea urchin embryo is shown here to be transiently overexpressed in cells initiating certain morphogenetic changes. This expression was detected by use of a 4.5-kb cDNA clone that encodes α-spectrin isolated from a Lytechinus variegatus cDNA library. DNA sequence analysis demonstrated 80% similarity of this cDNA to human nonerythroid α-spectrin. Sea urchin α-spectrin RNA accumulated to a uniform basal level in all cells of the embryo with a marked, transient increased accumulation in the primary mesenchyme cells of the vegetal plate just prior to gastrulation. Cells of the endoderm also express increased levels of spectrin during gastrulation and these levels remained high in the myoepithelial cells of the sphincter constrictions that separates the gut into foregut, midgut, and hindgut domains. Antibodies made to recombinant sea urchin spectrin synthesized in Escherichia coli were used to localize the protein in situ . These experiments showed that all cells of the embryo accumulated α-spectrin protein confined to the cortical regions of cell-cell contact. In epithelial cells, this localization showed a distinct honeycomb pattern. Primary mesenchyme cells and the myoepithelial cells of the gut sphincters showed significantly enhanced spectrin signal corresponding to the pronounced RNA localization pattern seen by in situ RNA hybridization. These data demonstrated that α-spectrin from the sea urchin is a highly conserved member of the spectrin superfamily of proteins and that its elevated expression in specific cell types anticipates overt morphogenesis.
The relationship of ovarian steroids, headache activity and menstrual distress: a pilot study with female migraineurs.

SYNOPSIS Fourteen female volunteers who met diagnostic criteria for migraine headache monitored their headache activity and menstrual distress symptoms for one menstrual cycle. Serum estradiol and progesterone levels, and menstrual distress measures were collected at four points of the menstrual cycle: menstrual, ovulatory, luteal and premenstrual. Results indicated that one patient (7.1%) had menstrual migraine, 10 patients (71.4%) had menstrually-related headache and 3 (21.4%) had migraine headache unrelated to their menstrual cycle: subsequent analyses were conducted with the first two groups. Headache activity for the sample was highest during the premenstrual phase. Headache activity during the luteal and premenstrual phases was related to luteal phase progesterone levels. Menstrual distress was highest during the menstrual and premenstrual phases of the cycle, and these symptoms were related to higher estradiol levels, higher estradiol/progesterone ratios, and increased headache activity. These results indicated that for women with menstrual migraine or menstrually-related migraine, luteal progesterone levels may be significantly associated with headache activity, and estradiol and the estradiol/progesterone ratio may be significantly related to menstrual distress during the pre-menstrual phase of the cycle. The estradiol/progesterone ratio was not more related to headache or menstrual distress than either of these ovarian hormones alone. Suggestions for future research in this area are offered.
Controller Design Considerations for ACM APFC Systems

This paper is concerned with performance of the current shaping network in Average Current Mode (ACM) Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) systems. Theoretical expressions for the ripple components are derived. Then, ripple interaction and impact on the current loop reference signal are investigated. A modification of the controller network is suggested that results in an improved Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Design guidelines are suggested. The theoretical predictions were validated by simulation.
Selective Laser Sintering of Alumina Using Aluminum Binder

Abstract Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process has been used to make shapes from Al203 using Al as binder. SLS is a rapid manufacturing process that uses data from Solid Modeling systems to guide a laser beam and rapidly form 3-D shapes from powder without any part specific tooling. The aluminum melts under the laser and bonds the alumina particles. Some of the aluminum reacts with the ambient (air) to form alumina. The residual aluminum is oxidized in a subsequent he at-treatment step. The effect of parameters in the SLS step and heat-treating step on the mechanical properties and density of the part is examined. Linear expansion of the parts with oxidation heat-treatment is also examined.
Meconium microbiome analysis identifies bacteria correlated with premature birth.

Background Preterm birth is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of five years worldwide, but the etiology of many cases remains enigmatic. The dogma that the fetus resides in a sterile environment is being challenged by recent findings and the question has arisen whether microbes that colonize the fetus may be related to preterm birth. It has been posited that meconium reflects the in-utero microbial environment. In this study, correlations between fetal intestinal bacteria from meconium and gestational age were examined in order to suggest underlying mechanisms that may contribute to preterm birth. Methods Meconium from 52 infants ranging in gestational age from 23 to 41 weeks was collected, the DNA extracted, and 16S rRNA analysis performed. Resulting taxa of microbes were correlated to clinical variables and also compared to previous studies of amniotic fluid and other human microbiome niches. Findings Increased detection of bacterial 16S rRNA in meconium of infants of <33 weeks gestational age was observed. Approximately 61·1% of reads sequenced were classified to genera that have been reported in amniotic fluid. Gestational age had the largest influence on microbial community structure (R = 0·161; p = 0·029), while mode of delivery (C-section versus vaginal delivery) had an effect as well (R = 0·100; p = 0·044). Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Photorhabdus, and Tannerella, were negatively correlated with gestational age and have been reported to incite inflammatory responses, suggesting a causative role in premature birth. Interpretation This provides the first evidence to support the hypothesis that the fetal intestinal microbiome derived from swallowed amniotic fluid may be involved in the inflammatory response that leads to premature birth.
Solution structure and backbone dynamics of Calsensin, an invertebrate neuronal calcium‐binding protein

Calsensin is an EF-hand calcium-binding protein expressed by a subset of peripheral sensory neurons that fasciculate into a single tract in the leech central nervous system. Calsensin is a 9-kD protein with two EF-hand calcium-binding motifs. Using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy we have determined the solution structure and backbone dynamics of calcium-bound Calsensin. Calsensin consists of four helices forming a unicornate-type four-helix bundle. The residues in the third helix undergo slow conformational exchange indicating that the motion of this helix is associated with calciumbinding. The backbone dynamics of the protein as measured by 15N relaxation rates and heteronuclear NOEs correlate well with the three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, comparison of the structure of Calsensin with other members of the EF-hand calcium-binding protein family provides insight into plausible mechanisms of calcium and target protein binding.
Genetic and environmental influences on a measure of infant attachment security.

A twin study of infant attachment security at age 24 months was conducted on archival data for a sample of 99 MZ pairs and 108 DZ pairs from the Louisville Twin Study. MZ concordance for attachment was 62.6%, which was significantly greater than the DZ concordance of 44.4%. Concordances were transformed into polychoric correlations, and LISREL was used to conduct a quantitative genetic analysis of the data. Results indicated that 25% of the variability in attachment was attributable to genetic factors, and the remaining 75% was attributable to non-shared environmental effects. No evidence was found for a contribution from shared environmental influences to attachment security. Possible concerns about the validity of twin methodology are addressed and various interpretations of the results are presented. Twin Research (2000) 3, 242–250.
Impact of multipath clustering on the performance of MIMO systems

Fading correlation has a profound impact on the MlMO system performance. Salz-Winters model is a popular tool to study this effect. However, it is limited to one cluster only. Measurements indicate that multipath often arrives in several clusters. We extend the Salz-Winters model to the case of multi-cluster channels and study it in detail. Closed-form expression for correlations are derived and applied to MIMO capacity/diversity gain analysis. The maximum gain/capacity are achieved provided that a minimum element spacing (derived in the paper) is respected. It is shown that the correlation has an oscillatory behavior as antenna spacing increases; the envelope of correlation is determined by a single cluster angular spread while the oscillations within the envelope are determined by the inter-cluster angular spread. It is demonstrated that the correlation depends significantly on the power distribution among the clusters. In the case of 2 widely-separated clusters, it is possible to orient the antenna array in such a way that the correlation is minimized and, hence, the capacity/gain are maximized. We study this optimization problem and derive the optimum array orientation. Overall, the paper presents a new insight on correlation properties of multipath clustered channels, and on the MIMO system performance over such channels.
Imaging and characterizing cells using tomography

We can learn much about cell function by imaging and quantifying sub-cellular structures, especially if this is done non-destructively without altering said structures. Soft X-ray tomography (SXT) is a high-resolution imaging technique for visualizing cells and their interior structure in 3D. A tomogram of the cell, reconstructed from a series of 2D projection images, can be easily segmented and analyzed. SXT has a very high specimen throughput compared to other high-resolution structure imaging modalities; for example, tomographic data for reconstructing an entire eukaryotic cell is acquired in a matter of minutes. SXT visualizes cells without the need for chemical fixation, dehydration, or staining of the specimen. As a result, the SXT reconstructions are close representations of cells in their native state. SXT is applicable to most cell types. The deep penetration of soft X-rays allows cells, even mammalian cells, to be imaged without being sectioned. Image contrast in SXT is generated by the differential attenuation soft X-ray illumination as it passes through the specimen. Accordingly, each voxel in the tomographic reconstruction has a measured linear absorption coefficient (LAC) value. LAC values are quantitative and give rise to each sub-cellular component having a characteristic LAC profile, allowing organelles to be identified and segmented from the milieu of other cell contents. In this chapter, we describe the fundamentals of SXT imaging and how this technique can answer real world questions in the study of the nucleus. We also describe the development of correlative methods for the localization of specific molecules in a SXT reconstruction. The combination of fluorescence and SXT data acquired from the same specimen produces composite 3D images, rich with detailed information on the inner workings of cells.
Poverty and Spiritual Life: Impact on Health and Nursing Care in Uganda:

Competency in cultural sensitivity is an essential skill for health care practitioners. One strategy for improving cultural sensitivity is through a cultural immersion experience. This article reflects the experience of two university faculty members on completion of a cultural immersion experience. The article describes the experience and the cultural practices identified that influence health and nursing care in two hospitals in Uganda. The cultural practices appear to be influenced by the severe poverty that plagues the nation as well as the vibrant spiritual life of the nation. The observations are generalizations about caregiver role nurse-patient relationship meaning of illness and gender role in the culture as they relate to nursing care. The intent is to depict the wide gap between norms for nursing practice that were observed in Uganda in contrast with nursing practice in the United States. This content would serve as a primer for any provider preparing for a cross-cultural health care experience in Uganda. (authors)
Modeling acoustically induced oscillations of droplets

The nonlinear response of a liquid droplet to an imposed acoustic perturbation has been simulated using a model based on Boundary Element Methods. The model was used to study the influence of the acoustic frequency, Weber number, and gas/liquid density ratio upon the droplet behavior. Heightened droplet responses were observed for frequencies near the harmonics of the second and fourth mode frequencies. Several types of droplet atomization are observed as Weber number is increased. Increasing gas density (at fixed Weber number) also heightens droplet response. (Author)
The universal field oriented controller

This paper synthesizes and develops a universal field oriented (UFO) controller for induction machines. The UFO controller decouples flux and torque in an arbitrary flux reference frame. Due to its high degree of generality the UFO controller lends itself to be fully compatible with all existing field oriented controllers, indirect as well as direct field orientation. As a consequence, the digital implementation of the UFO scheme is identical for all induction motor drives enabling the usage of identical hardware and software. Examples of UFO control block diagrams for different field oriented controllers are presented. The execution time of the UFO algorithm is compared with the classical rotor flux field orientation method when using a high speed digital signal processor. Further, this paper indicates that the flexibility of changing the flux reference frame can extend the stability region of the drive especially at high speed during flux weakening. Detuning problems in field orientation are handled in an optimal manner for each field oriented controller by proper selection of the model of the induction machine and its reference frame. >
Invited Commentary: Prevailing Over Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Depressive Symptoms

The causal and noncausal associations that account for linkages between depressive symptoms and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome are complex and not completely understood. Depression is a common mental health condition that affects approximately 20%–30% of persons receiving HIV medical care. Those suffering from depressive symptoms may be more apt to abuse alcohol or other substances and to have difficulties with adherence to treatment regimens over long periods of time. Persons living with HIV who are effectively treated for their depression are more likely to adhere to antiretroviral therapy over time and to enjoy better health and improved quality of life. The article by Wada et al. in this issue of the Journal (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(2):116–125) provides an important look at the long-term survival experiences of men and women who participated in 2 major epidemiologic studies of HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Long-term follow-up studies such as that by Wada et al. highlight not only the mortality experience of vulnerable groups of people but also their profound resiliency and ability to prevail over personal challenges, such as poverty and unemployment, and health conditions, such as HIV and depression. acquired immunodeficiency; comorbidity; depression; poverty; substance abuse; survival; women
Tight control of transgene expression by lentivirus vectors containing second-generation tetracycline-responsive promoters.

Background The goal of this study was to design improved regulatable lentivirus vector systems. The aim was to design tetracycline (tet)-regulatable lentivirus vectors based on the Tet-on system displaying low background expression in the absence of the doxycycline (DOX) inducer and high transgene expression levels in the presence of DOX. Methods We constructed a binary lentivirus vector system that is composed of a self-inactivating (SIN) lentivirus vector bearing inducible first- or second-generation tet-responsive promoter elements (TREs) driving expression of a transgene and a second lentivirus vector encoding a reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator (rtTA) that activates transgene expression from the TRE in the presence of DOX. Results We evaluated a number of different rtTAs and found rtTA2S-M2 to induce the highest levels of transgene expression. Regulated transgene expression was stable in human breast carcinoma cells implanted into nude mice for up to 11 weeks. In an attempt to minimize background expression levels, the chicken β-globin cHS4 insulator element was cloned into the 3′ long terminal repeat (LTR) of the transgene transfer vector. The cHS4 insulator element reduced background expression but expression levels following DOX addition were lower than those observed with vectors lacking an insulator sequence. In a second strategy, vectors bearing second-generation TREs harboring repositioned tetracycline operator elements were used. Such vectors displayed greatly reduced leakiness in the absence of DOX and induced transgene expression levels were up to 522-fold above those seen in the absence of DOX. Conclusions Inducible lentivirus vectors bearing insulators or second-generation TREs will likely prove useful for applications demanding the lowest levels of background expression. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Medical Management of Marfan Syndrome

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant, multisystem disease characterized by long bone overgrowth and other skeletal abnormalities, dislocation of the ocular lens, pneumothorax, decreased skeletal muscle mass, mitral valve prolapse, and dilatation of the aortic root. Antoine BernardJean Marfan first described the syndrome in 1896 in a young patient with peculiarly long and thin digits (subsequently termed arachnodactyly), elongated limbs (which he termed dolichostenomelia), and congenital contractures of multiple joints. Because of the latter feature, this patient may really have had congenital contractural arachnodactyly, a connective tissue disorder not described until 1968. For the half century subsequent to Marfan’s report, features in other systems were described in patients with thin, elongated limbs: mitral valve disease in 1912; dislocation of the ocular lens in 1914; ruptured aortic aneurysm in 1918; aortic root dilatation and dissection in 1943; and autosomal dominant inheritance in 1949. Manifestations occur in many other tissues and organs and are increasingly being recognized as patients survive to older ages. 1 An accurate incidence has been impossible to define because of the age dependency of many of the features, the common occurrence of some features in the general population (such as scoliosis; lean, tall habitus; mitral valve prolapse; myopia), and shifting diagnostic criteria. Several conditions that were once classified as Marfan (eg, homocystinuria, Loeys-Dietz syndrome) are recognized now as clearly distinct. However, Marfan syndrome is clearly one of the more common, potentially lethal Mendelian conditions with an estimated prevalence of 1 case per 3000 to 5000 individuals. This figure does not appear to vary with ethnicity or geography.2 Mutations in the gene (FBN1) that encodes the extracellular matrix protein, fibrillin-1, cause classic Marfan syndrome. 3 Up to one third of cases have neither parent affected and represent de novo mutations in either the gamete from their mother or father. Heterozygosity for a mutation in FBN1 can also produce a variety of overlapping phenotypes with Marfan syndrome. No robust genotype-phenotype correlations have emerged, despite 1000 mutations being analyzed. 4 Mutations in the middle region of the gene, exons 24 to 32, tend to predict more severe cardiovascular problems at all ages. Other families or sporadic patients in which some of the features of Marfan syndrome occur, but typically without ectopia lentis, have mutations in 1 of 2 genes (TGFBR1 and TGFBR2) that encode receptors for the cytokine transforming growth factor- (TGF-). 5–7
Aligning the CEO’s Incentive Plan With Criteria That Drive Organizational Performance

The top human resources executives at 213 credit unions described their CEO compensation practices. The credit unions with CEO incentive plans enjoyed better financial health than did those without CEO incentive plans. The longer the CEO incentive plans had been in place, the better the credit unions’ financial health. The best credit unions were those that incorporated people metrics into their CEO incentive plans, but these made up a small minority. Suggestions are made for improving CEO incentive plans.
Optimizing Supply Chain Distribution using Cloud based Autonomous Information

The volume of the data and information traffic generated in warehouse management operations is extremely high. They are driven by such frequent events as attempts to locate inventory status files, associated inventory location and integration of specific customer order status tables (such as order payment, and order fulfillment status). The information technology infrastructure required to handle large data volume is expensive with additional cost for complex operations, limiting the operations of small businesses. In addition, any compromise with the infrastructure design may have further implications on the data storage and retrieval affecting productivity. In this research, we seek to investigate the feasibility of a Cloud-based warehouse management system (WMS) that continuously and autonomously captures “RFID” tagged inventory and distributes data handling processes. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate a RFID based WMS (R-WMS) application for mobile devices, including smart phones (such as iPhone, Android, Microsoft Mobile Phone, HTC smart phone, Blackberry, etc) and other handhold smart devices (such as iPad and some light/portable TabletPC) exchanging real-time information through the cloud which is being used to make near optimal decisions and send information back in an acceptable time period. In order to research these possibilities, there is a need to investigate the capacity and dynamic adjustment of workloads for reducing costs and saving energy. Further development of a mobile application of such data intensive operations necessitates exclusive multiple regression data manipulating techniques to provide the most critical information for decision makers. The broader impact of this research paper is the enhancement of mobile user capabilities driving improved productivity. This research will also add to the development of novel warehouse management techniques impacting world-wide business operations helping to realize the world is flatter than anticipated. Further, this multi-disciplinary research will enhance the Computer Science, Industrial and Systems Engineering curriculums by providing greater exposure to emerging areas in supply chain management, mobile computing, operations research, and cloud architecture and computing. The intellectual merit from this research will include ramifications on cloud-based mobile computing, which is the future of modern business operations. This research will train undergraduate and graduate students from both computer science and industrial engineering in the field of supply chain, logistics, mobile computing, and cloud computing. Keywords— RFID WMS, Mobile applications; Cloud Computing;