cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Caribbean Free Trade Association

The Agreement establishing the Caribbean Free Trade Association CARIFTA was signed by Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados and Antigua on May 1, 1968. Certain members from the Windward and Leeward Islands followed several weeks later, and Jamaica adhered to the treaty on August 1, 1968. Thus, CARIFTA now includes all the original Commonwealth Caribbean territories except the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and British Honduras. The present membership includes:
Isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from Food and Water: Official and Experimental Protocols.

Listeria monocytogenes is frequently encountered in foods but often at low concentrations and typically in the presence of other microbiota, including nonpathogenic Listeria spp. The potential of L. monocytogenes to cause severe human disease mandates sensitive, accurate, and rapid detection in foods. Isolation of L. monocytogenes from foods is critical, not only for routine surveillance, but also for epidemiologic investigations. Isolation of the pathogen from water (especially surface water used for irrigation) is similarly important, as produce has been implicated in listeriosis outbreaks and contaminated water can be involved in contamination of produce. This unit provides basic protocols for the isolation of L. monocytogenes from foods and water. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 33:9B.5.1-9B.5.19. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: Listeria; Listeria monocytogenes; food; water; selective enrichment; differential selective medium
The Role of Succinate in the Regulation of Fatty Acid Synthesis by Heart Mitochondria

Abstract Rabbit heart mitochondria have a very active fatty acid-synthetic system. The system has a much greater capacity than similarly isolated mitochondria from liver or kidney, and is presumed to have special functional significance for heart. The system yields a mixture of products: shorter (12 to 16 carbon atoms) chain fatty acids are synthesized de novo from acetate, and longer chain fatty acids result from the elongation of preformed acyl units. Evidence is presented that the rate of synthesis is controlled by the NADH:NAD+ ratio and that stimulation of synthesis by Krebs cycle acids only occurs when there is a marked increase in the ratio. Succinate has an extraordinary capacity to stimulate the system, and the mechanism by which this is accomplished is via reversed electron flow. This, therefore, is an important physiological role of reversed electron flow from succinate. When the NADH:NAD+ ratio decreases rapidly, such as in State 3, fatty acid oxidation commences, including oxidation of the recently synthesized fatty acids. It is postulated that the synthetic system is the reversal of the oxidation process and that there is present, therefore, a fatty acid oxidation-synthesis "cycle." The rate of activity of this cycle in either direction is controlled by the NADH:NAD+ ratio. On the basis of the present experiments, the concept has been developed that the mitochondrial fatty acid-synthetic pathway represents a storage form of acetyl units during the development of "oxygen debt." When oxygen is again readily available, these acetyl units are oxidized to yield energy.
Herbert A. Simon

In the early years of operations research (OR), the line between OR and mathematical economics was often blurred. Important and influential contributions to OR were being made by mathematical economists from the University of Chicago’s Cowles Commission for Research in Economics and the RAND Corporation. Herbert A. Simon, a social scientist whose research spanned social and economic systems, was first exposed to OR through the work of the Cowles Commission and RAND, as well as by his research projects at Carnegie Mellon University. Even as he advocated alternative approaches, he considered OR as a normative science of decision making. He received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1978 for his pioneering research into the decision-making process within economic organizations. He was awarded the John von Neumann Theory Prize from the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS) for the renaissance-like character of his research program, and for specific research contributions in bounded rationality, production planning, artificial intelligence, and cognitive psychology. He authored and co-authored 27 books and close to 1,000 publications. Beyond his specific technical contributions, his influence on OR persists due to his lifelong interest in investigating decision making in administrative, social, biological, and computer-based systems.
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates in sucrose-utilizing recombinant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella strains

The cloned poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis pathway from Alcaligenes eutrophus has been introduced into sucrose-utilizing strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, and Klebsiella oxytoca. The plasmid-borne genes were well expressed in these environments and were able to mediate the production of significant amounts of PHB when the bacteria were grown with sucrose as the sole carbon source. The molecular weight of the PHB polymer made in K. aerogenes and E. coli was approximately 1 x 10(6) to 2 x 10(6). Sucrose uptake in K. aerogenes was measured and found to be similar to that found for other Klebsiella strains, but sucrose uptake in the E. coli strain was not detectable. K. aerogenes is able to utilize sugarcane molasses as the sole carbon source to accumulate PHB at the rate of approximately 1 g of PHB per liter of culture fluid per h. A K. oxytoca fadR strain was able to incorporate 3-hydroxyvalerate into a poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-V) polymer to levels as high as 56 mol% when grown in a medium containing propionate. Total PHB-co-V levels could be enhanced by adding propionate at the beginning of stationary phase rather than at the time of inoculation.
The Kohonen net for speaker dependent isolated word recognition

Summary form only given, as follows. The authors evaluate the effectiveness of a neural-network model for use in a speech-recognition system. Performance of the model depends on many factors, including dimensionality of the network, number of neural units, type of neural units, and lateral feedback. They explore the effect of these parameters, as well as suitability and robustness of such a network for the task of speaker-dependent isolated-word discrimination. The model is tested using the Texas Instruments speech database. >
Mutations in the membrane-spanning domain of the human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein that affect fusion activity.

Abstract A chimeric protein consisting of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope protein (Env) ectodomain joined to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic-tail domains of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein lost the ability to fuse CD4+ HeLa cells yet was transported to the cell surface and cleaved normally. These results suggested some critical role of the HIV gp41 transmembrane or cytoplasmic domain in fusion. Subsequent mutagenic analysis of the HIV-1 Env transmembrane domain revealed that the sequence of amino acid residues from positions 696 to 707 of the transmembrane domain was important for fusion function but was not required for anchoring of the Env protein in the lipid bilayer or for transport to the cell surface. Further analysis indicated that the basic residues at positions 696 and 707 were critical for membrane fusion activity, as was the spacing between these residues. These results demonstrate that in addition to providing an anchoring function, the specific amino acid sequence in the transmembrane domain plays a crucial role in the membrane fusion process.
Colostomy Closure on a Gynecologic Oncology Service

From 7/1/85 to 6/31/92 25 colostomy closures were performed. Twenty-one of the colostomies were performed in relation to gynecologic cancer and the remaining 4 were performed for benign pelvic disease. Nineteen patients underwent simple closure of a transverse loop colostomy. The other 6 patients had their colostomy closed in association with a laparotomy. There were no intraoperative complications related to the colostomy closure. There was 1 postoperative mortality secondary to adult respiratory distress syndrome following reoperation for stricture in the early postoperative period. Three other patients also experienced significant postoperative complications for an overall complication rate of 16%. These included one subcutaneous wound dehiscence, one subcutaneous wound infection, and one anastomotic stricture. One patient required a second colostomy due to recurrence of an obstruction by ovarian cancer in the rectosigmoid area. From the results of this small study, it would appear that colostomy closure is a reasonable endeavor in a selected group of gynecologic cancer patients.
Current status of a portable LISP compiler

This report describes the current status of a Portable LISP Compiler used with great success to compile Standard LISP on a variety of machines. It has also been used to provide a portable implementation base for a new LISP (PSL) on the DECSystem 20 and VAX.
Controlling the group II composition in CdZnTe alloys grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy: a kinetic model

The organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) of CdTe and ZnTe has been examined in a hot-wall, laminar-flow reactor. It was found that cadmium and zinc are produced in excess on the film surface during OMVPE. The excess group II elements sublime off the surface and are deposited downstream on the cold reactor walls. Based on these and other results, a kinetic model has been derived for CdZnTe OMVPE. The elementary reactions included in this model are the adsorption of the organometallic precursors, the desorption of the alkyl ligands, film growth, and the desorption of Zn and Cd metal. The predictions of the model have been compared to the Zn segregation data reported in the literature. This analysis reveals that the distribution of the group II elements between phases is relatively insensitive to the process conditions, i.e. temperature and VIII ratio. However, it is strongly influenced by the intrinsic kinetic parameters, i.e. the difference in the Zn and Cd sublimation energies and the relative sticking probabilities of the organometallic precursors.
An opsin-based photopigment mediates phase shifts of the Bulla circadian pacemaker.

1. The spectral response of the circadian pacemaker of the eye of the mollusk Bulla gouldiana was examined in two ways: by using the latency of the first light-evoked compound action potential (CAP) as an acute photoresponse of the putative pacemaker cells of the eye, the basal retinal neurons (BRNs), and by measuring the effectiveness of monochromatic light pulses at resetting the pacemaker. 2. Through measurements of the spectral sensitivity of the acute response of the BRNs, a photopigment absorbing maximally near 490 nm (λmax) was described. Action spectra of the acute response following isolation of the BRNs, by surgical removal of the distal photoreceptor layer or the use of low Ca2+ media to block chemical synapses on the BRNs, further suggested that a 490 nm λmax photopigment is used in generating the acute light response. The spectral sensitivity of eyes adapted to a dim background illumination also agreed with the expected absorption of a 490 λmax rhodopsin. 3. The effectiveness of monochromatic light pulses at shifting the phase of the circadian rhythm in CAP frequency suggested that the photopigment used in the entrainment of the pacemaker is the opsin based molecule identified through acute response measurements.
A Hydrogen-Bond Stabilized Copper Complex: Cu−Ethylenediamine

Copper−ethylenediamine (Cu−en) is produced by the reaction of laser-vaporized Cu atoms with en vapor and studied by pulsed-field ionization zero-electron kinetic energy (PFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Four possible isomers are predicted for the complex, and a monodentate structure with an internal hydrogen bond is identified. For this hydrogen-bonded structure, the adiabatic ionization potential and frequencies of the Cu−en stretch, Cu−en bend, and hydrogen-bond stretch are measured from the PFI-ZEKE spectrum, and Cu−en dissociation energies are obtained from second-order Moller−Plesset (MP2) calculations.
Computational Thinking, Inferential Thinking and "Big Data"

The phenomenon of "Big Data" is creating a need for research perspectives that blend computational thinking (with its focus on, e.g., abstractions, algorithms and scalability) with inferential thinking (with its focus on, e.g., underlying populations, sampling patterns, error bars and predictions). Database researchers and statistical machine learning researchers are centrally involved in the creation of this blend, and research that incorporates perspectives from both databases and machine learning will be of particular value in the bigger picture. This is true both for methodology and for theory. I present highlights of several research initiatives that draw jointly on database and statistical foundations, including work on concurrency control and distributed inference, subsampling, time/data tradeoffs and inference/privacy tradeoffs.
Clavicle length, throwing performance and the reconstruction of the Homo erectus shoulder.

Powerful, accurate throwing may have been an important mode of early hunting and defense. Previous work has shown that throwing performance is functionally linked to several anatomical shifts in the upper body that occurred during human evolution. The final shift to occur is the inferior reorientation of the shoulder. Fossil scapulae show the earliest evidence of a more inferior glenoid in Homo erectus. However, where the scapula rests on the thorax is uncertain. The relative length of the clavicle, the only skeletal attachment of the scapula to the torso, is quite variable. Depending on which fossils or skeletal measures are used to reconstruct the H. erectus shoulder, either a novel, anteriorly facing shoulder configuration or a modern human-like lateral orientation is possible. These competing hypotheses have led to very different conclusions regarding the throwing ability and hunting behavior of early Homo. Here, we evaluate competing models of H. erectus shoulder morphology and examine how these models relate to throwing performance. To address these questions, we collected skeletal measures from fossil and extant taxa, as well as anthropometric (N = 36) and kinematic (N = 27) data from Daasanach throwers from northwestern Kenya. Our data show that all H. erectus fossil clavicles fall within the normal range of modern human variation. We find that a commonly used metric for normalizing clavicle length, the claviculohumeral ratio, poorly predicts shoulder position on the torso. Furthermore, no significant relationship between clavicle length and any measure of throwing performance was found. These data support reconstructing the H. erectus shoulder as modern human-like, with a laterally facing glenoid, and suggest that the capacity for high speed throwing dates back nearly two million years.
A Comparison of Predictions From Probabilistic Crack Growth Models Inferred From Virkler's Data

The significant variability observed in fatigue crack growth experiments requires application of probabilistic modeling techniques to fatigue analyses. In this work, philosophical and practical concerns for probabilistic modeling are discussed. Several probabilistic fatigue models are derived from the Virkler data and then used to make predictions under a different loading condition. This comparison of predictions demonstrates their sensitivity to the choice of model. In this effort a method for inference of random process parameters and corresponding confidence limits from highly statistically dependent observations is developed.
Charvet and the First Psychopharmacological Studies on Opium: A Historical Note and Translation

(1983). Charvet and the First Psychopharmacological Studies on Opium: A Historical Note and Translation. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 323-329.
Asymmetric off-fault damage generated by bilateral ruptures along a bimaterial interface

[1] We perform numerical simulations of spontaneous dynamic rupture governed by a slip-weakening law along a bimaterial interface (fault) with off-fault damage in the form of Coulomb plastic yielding. Off-fault plastic yielding stabilizes the wrinkle-like slip pulse in terms of a decreasing rate of slip velocity growth. With a variety of model parameters, ruptures on the fault are bilateral, while off-fault plastic strain distribution between the two rupture directions is highly asymmetric.
Intersecting-shear mechanisms for the formation of secondary ϵ martensite variants

Abstract Based on recent experimental observations of secondary ϵ martenite variants in the Fe-based shape memory alloys [Yang and Wayman, Metall. Trans. , in press; Acta metall. mater. 40 , 2011 (1992)], hard-sphere models are used to better visualize the evolution of stacking sequences and orientations during intersecting shear processes in connection with the passage of Shockley partial dislocations. The reorientation features of various secondary ϵ martenite variants and intervariant relationships predicted by these models are in exact agreement with observations by electron microscopy and diffraction as well as crystallographic analysis using stereographic projections [Yang and Wayman, Metall. Trans. in press; Acta metall. mater. 40 , 2011 (1992)].
Light scattering on turbulence and on particulates

We have investigated numerically and experimentally the scattering of a light beam by turbulence. We compare the effects of scattering by typical coastal and oceanic particulate distributions with those of turbulence-induced scattering. We find that turbulence can dominate scattering up to 5-10 degrees for the costal region and for the upper layer of the open ocean. Our preliminary experiment confirms predictions that the frequently observed in situ high values of the volume scattering function at small angles are related to scattering on turbulent inhomogeneities in seawater. The ability of turbulent flow to scaler light more than particulates at small angles affects underwater visibility. Current models of underwater visibility account only for the effects of particulates and totally ignore the effects of turbulence. Here we show, with the support of the older experimental data, that turbulence can limit the resolution to an object of size 1 m over a viewing distance of 10m for strong coastal turbulent regimes.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Building your own software developing environment

The full power of process programming can only be achieved by a system in which we can dynamically design and execute the software process model, as well as the environment which executes the software process model. We are developing a new process modelling strategy (meta-model) called the object process model and an object process modelling environment (meta-environment) OPM, which allows us to design and build both software process models and software development environments that execute the software process models. In the object process model, software process models are not static entities executed by the environment. An executing software process provides a working environment in which software designers can work in order to accomplish a wide variety of software development tasks. In OPM, software process models are described in an object-oriented process programming language called Galois and are executed by the Galois runtime system. OPM itself is written in Galois, and therefore it is considered as a software process running on top of the Galois runtime system. Galois is syntactically a superset of C++ but has four major innovations beyond conventional programming languages: meta-classes, derivation, typed functions and rule-based features. This paper presents the object process model and shows how software process models and software development environments can be designed in the process programming language Galois.
From course assessment to redesign: a hybrid-vehicle course as a case illustration

Assessment has become a central aspect of engineering education for evaluating student learning, attaining accreditation, and ensuring accountability. However, the final step of the assessment process, which requires assessment results be used to redesign courses and programmes, is appreciably underdeveloped in the literature. As such, this work suggests a process, based on the engineering problem-solving method, to analyse and act on problems and successes identified in the assessment results. The process is illustrated through an application to Colorado State University's new programme for Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Engineering, for which the redesign process was originally created. Readers will benefit by simplifying and systematising the essential aspect of the assessment process – application to course redesign – for use in both research and practice applications.
Periods of generic torsors of groups of multiplicative type

In this paper we establish different ways to compute the period of a generic torsor of a group of multiplicative type. We also study the relationships among the periods of generic torsors of Q, T and W, where Q is a group of multiplicative type, T is the maximal subtorus of Q and W is the maximal finite quotient group of Q.
A role for gene therapy in mental retardation

It is likely that gene therapy will be of most benefit in the single gene disorders that cause severe mental retardation. Reviews published in this issue focus on a number of these disorders in which vector development and preclinical trials or in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy are already in progress for urea cycle disorders, Lesch-Nyhan disease, Gaucher disease, and phenylketonuria. On the other hand it is unlikely that gene therapy will hold much promise for the treatment of mild mental retardation which accounts for more than 80% of all cases of mental retardation. Here there is a strong environmental influence and early intervention and educational programs carry significant benefit. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Heat-loss response to a thermal challenge in seasonal affective disorder

This study extends earlier findings of poorly facilitated postexercise heat loss during the winter in seasonal affective disorder (SAD). While depressed in the winter, 19 SAD subjects exhibited a significantly impaired postexercise heat loss relative to 10 control subjects. During the summer while euthymic, SAD subjects did not significantly differ from control subjects in postexercise heat loss. Since thermoregulatory heat loss is a highly dopamine-dependent process, these results support earlier findings of poorly facilitated dopamine availability in SAD during the winter and suggest a centrally mediated effect of light in SAD.
2-D transient interior flux by time-domain boundary-element method

In this paper, interior flux calculations for two-dimensional transient scalar wave propagation are developed and presented for the first time in the BEM literature. There are some severe analytical difficulties in the derivation of these kernels which have been circumvented through physical interpretation. Moreover, an apparent singularity at the wave-front of these kernels has been reduced to an integrable one through some convenient condensation. These kernels have been implemented in the time-domain BEM algorithm with linear temporal variation and quadratic spatial variation for the field variables. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the implementation.
Precise calculations of atomic electron binding energies in fermium

The comparison between the experimental binding energies for the $K$, $L$, and $M$ electrons for fermium and the results of our Dirac-Fock calculation, taking into account all tractable corrections, leads to agreement within about 20 eV. This shows that the present method of calculation is an adequate description of this problem and that nonlinear electrodynamical effects will not be present in nature or will be smaller than 1% compared to the values recently proposed. It is found that the energies of electronic transitions can now be used to estimate the nuclear radius.
The structure of gliovirin, a new antibiotic from Gliocladium virens.

Gliovirin, a new antibiotic active against Pythium ultimum, has been isolated from Gliocladium virens. The structure of gliovirin was determined by NMR, mass spectral, and X-ray crystallographic analyses. Gliovirin may be derived from L, L-phenylalanine anhydride, which was also isolated from G. virens.
Atomistic simulation of grain boundary sliding in pure and magnesium doped aluminum bicrystals

Abstract Molecular dynamics and statics simulations are used to study grain boundary sliding and energy in bicrystals with symmetric tilt grain boundaries of Al and Mg doped Al. There is an increase in grain boundary energy in Al bicrystals with the presence of Mg depending on the position of Mg atom. Simulations of sliding show a clear dependence of magnitude of sliding on grain boundary energy.
An anticarbohydrate monoclonal antibody inhibits cell-cell adhesion in many species of Dictyostelium but not of Polysphondylium

The anticarbohydrate monoclonal antibody d-41 inhibits the adhesion of aggregating cells, as measured by an in vitro assay, in every species of Dictyostelium tested but in none of the species from the genus Polysphondylium. Although d-41 binds significantly to the surface of cells from both genera, the ability to inhibit adhesion correlates with the binding of the antibody to a few, mostly developmentally regulated, membrane-associated proteins in each of the species affected. Previous work in D. discoideum and D. purpureum have shown that the major d-41-b binding proteins from these species at this time in development are directly involved in the adhesion process. Therefore, the presence of the epitope on these proteins in the other species of Dictyostelium implicates them in the adhesion mechanism. The function of the carbohydrates containing the epitope is yet to be determined.
Non−High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: Distribution and Prevalence of High Serum Levels in Children and Adolescents: United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2005-2010

Objectives To estimate age-related changes for serum concentration of non−high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), describe non-HDL-C distribution, and examine the prevalence of high non-HDL-C levels in children and adolescents by demographic characteristics and weight status. Study design Data from 7058 participants ages 6-19 years in the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed. A high level of non-HDL-C was defined as a non-HDL-C value ≥145mg/dL. Results Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing−smoothed curves showed that non-HDL-C levels increased from 101 mg/dL at age 6 to 111 mg/dL at age 10, decreased to 101 mg/dL at age 14, and then increased to 122 mg/dL at age 19 in non-Hispanic white males. Non-HDL-C levels generally were greater in female than male subjects, lower in non-Hispanic black subjects, and similar in male and slightly lower in female Mexican American subjects, compared with non-Hispanic white subjects. The overall mean was 108 (SE 0.5), and the percentiles were 67 (5th), 74 (10th), 87 (25th), 104 (50th), 123 (75th), 145 (90th), and 158 (95th) mg/dL. Mean and percentiles were greater among age groups 9-11 and 17-19 years than others and greater among non-Hispanic white than non-Hispanic black subjects. The prevalence of high non-HDL-C was 11.8% (95% CI 9.9%-14.0%) and 15.0% (95% CI 12.9%-17.3%) for the age groups 9-11 and 17-19, respectively. It varied significantly by race/ethnicity and overweight/obesity status. Conclusion Non-HDL-C levels vary by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and weight classification status. Evaluation of non-HDL-C in youth should account for its normal physiologic patterns and variations in demographic characteristics and weight classification.
Estimation and Confidence Intervals for Clock Offset in Networks with Bivariate Exponential Delays

There is a large and increasing literature on statistical modeling-based estimation of the offset between two clocks. Recent work has focused on the construction of confidence intervals for offset. However, in most of this work it has been assumed that the network delays that occur during the synchronization process are independent. The network delays are often modeled as independent exponential random variables. Thus, we introduce the use of a bivariate exponential distribution to capture the anticipated correlation between the network delays and derive a maximum likelihood estimator and a confidence interval procedure for the offset parameter. We then illustrate how use of the independent model for network delays can lead to improper inference about the offset parameter.
Understanding synthetic experience must begin with the analysis of ordinary perceptual experience

The emergence of teleoperation and virtual environment has greatly increased interest in synthetic experience, a mode of experience made possible by both these newer technologies and earlier ones, such as telecommunication and sensory prosthetics. The authors maintain that understanding synthetic experience must begin with the recognition that the phenomenology of synthetic experience is continuous with that of ordinary experience. They demonstrate the continuity of synthetic experience and normal perceptual experience with respect to two issues: the determination of a person's phenomenal location in space and the experience of being in touch with near and remote objects. >
Anti-social Actions of Committed Organizational Participants: An Existential Psychoanalytic Perspective

Anti-social actions of organizationally committed individuals are explained on the basis of the 'ontological function' of organizations. This is the function of providing a sense of identity, or Being, to participants whose identity is in question. The identity that thus develops is threatened by perceived threats to the organization, and anti-social action can result. It is shown how the development of the potentiality for such anti-social action is built into the process of socialization for organizational commitment.
CHARACTERIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF A HIGH-SPEED ADC FOR THE SMA DIGITAL BACKEND

We report on tests of a 5 Gs/s analog-to-digital converter (ADC) used in the new Submillimeter Array (SMA) Digital Backend (DBE). The ADC is e2v EV8AQ160, with 8-bit resolution and 4 interleaved cores, operated in single-channel mode. We measured the frequency response, Signal to Noise and Distortion (SINAD), Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), Noise Power Ratio and intermodulation distortion over the bandwidth of 2.25 GHz. The performance of this ADC is found to be adequate for our application in the SMA DBE. We describe the procedure of aligning the four cores for adjustments of offset, gain and phase parameters which improve the performance of the ADC, particularly in SINAD and SFDR.
Concept of Diagenesis in Argillaceous Sediments

The thesis is presented that some of the clay minerals are more "at home" in certain environments than in other environments. Also, structural considerations indicate that possibilities of the transformations of the clay minerals and the ease with which they may take place are not the same for all varieties of them. The transformations during diagenesis, therefore, vary with the nature of the environment and the material brought to the environment--they may be substantial or almost non-existent. It seems generally true that there may be a considerable change immediately when a sediment enters a new environment with different characteristics followed by a further very slow gradual change. Evidence favoring this concept is presented.
Quality of life in medication-resistant epilepsy: the effects of patient's age, age at seizure onset, and disease duration.

Abstract Objective The goal of this study was to examine the effects of age, age at seizure onset, and duration of epilepsy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with medication-resistant epilepsy. Methods We analyzed data for a sample of 99 patients with medication-resistant epilepsy drawn from admissions to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. Patients had completed the Quality of Life in Epilepsy—89 (QOLIE-89), Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Adverse Events Profile. Number of comorbidities and number of antiepileptic drugs were abstracted from the chart. The dependent variable was QOLIE-89 overall score. The data were analyzed using ordinary least-squares regression. Results The simple regression results showed no significant effect of patient’s age on QOLIE-89 ( P = 0.354), whereas age at onset and duration had significant effects ( P = 0.004 and P = 0.012, respectively); the higher the age at onset and the shorter the disease duration, the lower the HRQOL. After adding POMS Depression/Dejection, Adverse Events Profile, comorbidities, and antiepileptic drugs, the effects of age at onset and duration were no longer significant ( P = 0.084 and P = 0.207). Conclusions Adult-onset epilepsy can disrupt one’s established social, economic, and psychological life, while better coping mechanisms and social support may improve HRQOL as the duration of epilepsy increases. The modest association of age at onset and disease duration with HRQOL is explained away by mood states and adverse events, which are much stronger predictors of HRQOL. Interventions to improve HRQOL in patients with medication-resistant epilepsy should, therefore, focus on treating mood disturbances and minimizing medication side effects.
Psychotherapeutic Techniques as Conditioned Reinforcers in a Structured Interview

The study attempted to investigate experimentally the effects of psychotherapy techniques such as interpretation, minimal social reinforcement, hostile statements, and reflections in a structured i...
The Sea Urchin Blastula: Extent of Cellular Determination

The extent of cellular determination at the blastula stage of sea urchins has been investigated by using as parameters the morphological differentiation and cellular interactions of dissociated blastula cells under conditions that either promote or discourage their reaggregation and reconstitution into embryos. The dissociated blastula cells have the capacity to differentiate into at least three different specific cell types that occur in the normally developing sea urchin embryo. Of these, ciliated epithelium is known to originate in the animal half, and spindle-shaped cells and polyfilamentous cells are of mesenchymal origin and are derived from the vegetal half. The formation of ciliated epithelium and blastulation requires calcium and hyalin; the cellular differentiation and interactions of the mesenchymal cells do not. This basic difference in calcium requirement is explored in terms of differential hyalin synthesis or secretion by the cells at either equatorial half of the embryo. The animalizing effect of zinc and the vegetalizing effect of lithium can be explained in part by their enhancement and reduction, respectively, of hyalin gelation by calcium. Literature relating to other basic differences along the animal-vegetal axis of the embryo is appraised. These differences include the use and the assembly of microtubule protein and quantitative RNA synthesis during both the cleavage and blastula stages.
An Improved Live Trap for Small Mammals

A number of live traps have been described in recent literature for the capture of small mammals. These may conveniently be classified as single and multiple-capture traps. In the single-capture traps the door is usually open in the set trap, and it is closed and locked automatically by the entering animal. This is normally accomplished by means of a treadle, false floor, or bait-tripping lever, and the door may be operated either by a spring or by gravitational force. While single-capture traps are generally effective in retaining the entering animals, they are prone to mechanical failure, and the complexity of the trapping mechanism may lead to the death of the captive animal (see Burt, 1940). This type of trap is also expensive and delicate of construction. In addition, the single-capture trap is subject to theoretical objections in population studies where the possibility of multiple captures is an important consideration, e.g., home range studies. Multiple-capture traps are so constructed that the door does not lock after the first animal enters, and hence more than one animal may theoretically be obtained at a single setting. This type of trap, while of simple construction, also has certain disadvantages. Animals frequently are able to escape, and the presence of one animal in the trap may encourage or discourage the entrance of other individuals. The trap described in the present paper is designed to eliminate certain objectionable features of the above types of traps. Essentially, the new trap is a modification of the standard wooden multiple-capture trap used by Gunderson (1950), embodying the following features. (1) The new trap is longer than usual …
Modeling the Effect of Land Use on Person Miles Traveled by Using Geographically Weighted Regression

This study contributes to the literature by developing a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model for capturing the effect of land use on person miles traveled (PMT) and demonstrating its benefits over simpler methods. Travel survey and land use data from southeast Florida were used in this analysis. The empirical results reconfirm the strong effects of regional accessibility, land use mixing, and connectivity on PMT. These land use effects were estimated to be significant after controlling for socioeconomic variables. Further, the GWR model demonstrated that the marginal sensitivities of PMT to various land use attributes vary over space. This spatial variation was particularly strong in the case of the effect of regional accessibility. Empirical results show that allowing for flexible trends in the parameter effects improves the models and explains a greater proportion of the variance in PMT across the region. The study also highlights the statistical superiority of the GWR model over the global r...
Detection of CO in a reducing, hydrous environment using CuBr as electrolyte

The resistance changes of CuBr upon exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) are explored as the sensing principle in this study. X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis were used to characterize the CuBr. Thick-films of CuBr deposited on an alumina substrate with gold interdigitated electrodes were used as the sensing element. Interaction with CO led to decrease in electrical resistance of the films. The presence of H2 in the background gas did not influence the resistance. Humidity, on the other hand did change the background resistance, but at constant humidity, the sensor exhibited resistance changes with CO. This sensor could be useful for CO detection in the hydrated environment of polymeric-based fuel cell systems that use hydrocarbons. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An experimental investigation of delamination buckling and postbuckling of composite laminates

The mechanics and mechanisms of delamination buckling and postbuckling of composites have been studied. Compression tests were carried out on HYE-3574 OH graphite/epoxy composites with built-in delaminations in order to evaluate the critical load and the actual postbuckling load-carrying capacity. The variation in structural configurations, such as ply stacking sequence and the location and the length of the delamination, were considered. It is observed that, in general, composite laminates can retain their load-bearing capacity by carrying higher loads after buckling. For particular cases, the ultimate load is found to be as high as three times the critical load. The delamination buckling mode is found to be closely related to the location and the length of the delamination. Excellent agreement is observed between the experimental values of critical load and those predicted by the previously developed new higher-order theory. Good comparisons are also presented for the initial postbuckling behavior.
Location of satellite DNAs in the chromosomes of the kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii)

The location of satellite DNA sequences in metaphase chromosomes has been studied in the kangaroo rat by the in situ hybridization technique, staining techniques and phase contrast microscopy. The HS-β satellite DNA is located at the kinetochores of all but three chromosome pairs. The HD satellite is located predominantly in the short arms of the chromosomes containing HS-β and in the kinetochores of chromosome pairs that lack HS-β. The regions that contain the satellite DNA sequences can also be identified by the Giemsa staining technique, and can be visualized with phase contrast microscopy or following Feulgen staining of fixed chromosome preparations.
Moral Deskilling and Upskilling in a New Machine Age: Reflections on the Ambiguous Future of Character

This paper explores the ambiguous impact of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) on the cultivation of moral skills in human beings. Just as twentieth century advances in machine automation resulted in the economic devaluation of practical knowledge and skillsets historically cultivated by machinists, artisans, and other highly trained workers (Braverman 1974), while also driving the cultivation of new skills in a variety of engineering and white collar occupations, ICTs are also recognized as potential causes of a complex pattern of economic deskilling, reskilling, and upskilling. In this paper, I adapt the conceptual apparatus of sociological debates over economic deskilling to illuminate a different potential for technological deskilling/upskilling, namely the ability of ICTs to contribute to the moral deskilling of human users, a potential that exists alongside rich but currently underrealized possibilities for moral reskilling and/or upskilling. I flesh out this general hypothesis by means of examples involving automated weapons technology, new media practices, and social robotics. I conclude that since moral skills are essential prerequisites for the effective development of practical wisdom and virtuous character, and since market and cultural forces are not presently aligned to bring about the more salutary of the ambiguous potentials presented here, the future shape of these developments warrants our close attention—and perhaps active intervention.
Allergic contact dermatitis from a novel diamino intermediate, 5‐[(2‐aminoethyl)thiomethyl]‐N,N‐dimethyl‐2‐furanmethanamine, in laboratory synthesis

Allergic contact sensitivity to 5-[(2-aminoethyl)thiomethyl]-N, N-dimethyl-2-furanmethanamine, a diamino intermediate in the synthesis of a novel H2 antagonist, Ranitidine is reported in an industrial chemist with hand dermatitis, who had been working for a prolonged period on the conversion of this intermediate to its fumarate salt.
FLATTENING OF HORIZONTAL CURVES ON RURAL TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS

Current practices in resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation of highways generally emphasize lane- and shoulder-width improvements. These practices neglect the possibility that flattening curves by reducing curvature may achieve more cost-effective designs. At the present time, guidelines for considering curve flattening on rural two-lane highways are not well established. Because accident characteristics on such highways can vary substantially from one state to another, it is desirable for each state to develop its own guidelines. As a preliminary effort, this study examines the conditions under which curve flattening on rural two-lane highways in the State of New York may become cost-effective. The study is based primarily on data reported for 155 horizontal curves in the State of New York. These curves have gentle grades and uniform geometric design. Their accident rates are governed primarily by the curvatures of the curves, and to a lesser extent by the traffic exposures. Raising the superelevation rates of these curves is unlikely to bring about a significant reduction in accidents. Flattening curves with curvatures less than 11° to achieve cost-effective improvements is difficult.
Role of a SpoVA protein in dipicolinic acid uptake into developing spores of Bacillus subtilis

The proteins encoded by the spoVA operon, including SpoVAD, are essential for the uptake of the 1:1 chelate of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (DPA(2,6)) and Ca(2+) into developing spores of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The crystal structure of B. subtilis SpoVAD has been determined recently, and a structural homology search revealed that SpoVAD shares significant structural similarity but not sequence homology to a group of enzymes that bind to and/or act on small aromatic molecules. We find that molecular docking placed DPA(2,6) exclusively in a highly conserved potential substrate-binding pocket in SpoVAD that is similar to that in the structurally homologous enzymes. We further demonstrate that SpoVAD binds both DPA(2,6) and Ca(2+)-DPA(2,6) with a similar affinity, while exhibiting markedly weaker binding to other DPA isomers. Importantly, mutations of conserved amino acid residues in the putative DPA(2,6)-binding pocket in SpoVAD essentially abolish its DPA(2,6)-binding capacity. Moreover, replacement of the wild-type spoVAD gene in B. subtilis with any of these spoVAD gene variants effectively eliminated DPA(2,6) uptake into developing spores in sporulation, although the variant proteins were still located in the spore inner membrane. Our results provide direct evidence that SpoVA proteins, in particular SpoVAD, are directly involved in DPA(2,6) movement into developing B. subtilis spores.
Incipient Separation of a Supersonic, Turbulent Boundary Layer, Including Effects of Heat Transfer

An experimental study of the interaction of a turbulent boundary layer with a compression corner has been conducted at a Mach number of 2.9, Reynolds number based upon boundary-layer thickness of 2.2 to 5.9 x 104, and ratio of wall-temperat ure-to-recovery-temperature of 1.05 to 0.47. Adiabatic wall data showed an incipient separation angle of 6.5°, as determined by the liquid line method. The static pressure distribution was found to be insensitive to the presence of small regions of separated flow. The present results, combined with other data, shown an increasing trend of incipient separation angle with Reynolds number. The effect of wall cooling was to increase the incipient separation angle and reduce the separation distance.
Development of an open source network management & monitoring platform for wireless broadband service provider in rural areas

People in rural areas are less likely to obtain broadband Internet access due to a combination of economic disadvantage, technical difficulties, and lack of service providers. There is a great need to develop robust, low-cost and easy-to-maintain network management platform for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) in rural areas. The goal of this project is to partner with a small local start-up WISP and relieves some serious management & security problems the company encountered by the provision of an open source network management & monitoring system as well as a robust core router. To achieve the goal, an internal test bed consisting of a Wireless Router Application Platform (WRAP) was setup in a lab environment. Various open-source network applications such as Nagios, Snort, MRTG and Open VPN were customized and integrated. Several business management applications were also developed, including Request Tracker System, MySQL-based customer database, and database-driven web application for management interface. All these systems integrated together will allow a network management team to diagnose and solve network connectivity and security issues accurately and promptly. The survey shows that the proposed solution significantly reduce the company's operation cost and improve the customers' satisfaction.