cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular conformation of bilirubin from semiempirical molecular orbital calculations

Semiempirical methods were utilized in the computation of a fully optimized structure of bilirubin. Bond lengths and bond angles obtained using either AM1 or PM3 calculations showed excellent agreement with those obtained by X-ray diffraction. This indicated that molecular orbital methods satisfactory reproduced the complex conjugation found in bilirubin. Dihedral angles of the crucial «hinge» and the dihedral angles of the propionic acid side chains agreed well with those found by X-ray diffraction
Fatigue crack nucleation assisted by thermal activation

Abstract Experimental evidence is presented that very early in the fatigue lifetime of Sn–Pb eutectic solder the fatigue damage is governed by microcrack nucleation. A model for thermally assisted fatigue crack initiation is presented using standard equations for nucleation in phase transformations. Predictions of the model are in good agreement with nucleation data for this solder.
Housing Depreciation and Aging Bias in the Consumer Price Index

I use hedonic regression methods to estimate average rental housing physical depreciation for areas of the United States. I estimate downward quality bias of the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) caused by rental-housing physical depreciation, and I develop methods to correct the CPI for such aging bias. My physical depreciation estimates imply that recent percentage changes in the U.S. CPI shelter-cost indexes are downward biased by .3 to .4 annually. Such bias is nonnegligible because recent annual changes in the CPI shelter-cost indexes have ranged between 3.5% and 6.8% for various regions. My results also imply that rent-controlled housing has depreciated faster than other rental housing.
The angiographic features of bicuspid and unicommissural aortic stenosis.

Abstract Stenosis of a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve results in a characteristic angiographic appearance: In systole the valve leaflets are domed, and there is a central jet that corresponds to the orifice of the stenotic valve. In diastole the sinuses of Valsalva reflect the morphologic features of the 2 aortic cusps. In contrast, the anatomic derangement of unicommissural aortic stenosis is reflected in an angiogram which can be differentiated from that of bicuspid aortic stenosis. In this case, the stenotic orifice visualized by the jet in systole can be seen in contact with the posterior wall of the aorta; leaflet tissue and valve motion are seen only anteriorly. The diastolic appearance differs from that of the bicuspid valve by the presence of a deep sinus of Valsalva anteriorly and a very shallow posterior sinus, also resulting from the lack of leaflet tissue posteriorly. This differentiation is important since extensive valvulotomy on the unicommissural valve will result in significant aortic regurgitation postoperatively.
Density Functional Theory Study of Redox Pairs. 1. Dinuclear Iron Complexes That Undergo Multielectron Redox Reactions Accompanied by a Reversible Structural Change

The single two-electron reduction for the Fe−Fe bonded dinuclear complexes Fe2(CO)6(μ2-PR2)2 (R = CH3, 1-CH3; R = CF3, 1-CF3) is studied by electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) methods. Several theoretical models are evaluated, including gas-phase models and models that include solvation (COSMO model) and/or countercations. The experimentally observed cleavage of the Fe−Fe bond upon addition of electrons is reproduced in all calculations. The different theoretical models are evaluated by calculating the energy of the disproportionation reaction 2A- → A + A2- using the energies of the complexes [1-R]0, [1-R]-, and [1-R]2-. As expected, gas-phase calculations poorly model the experimental redox behavior, and the inclusion of solvation or countercations is necessary to correctly predict that the disproportionation reaction is energetically downhill. The distribution of the added electrons over the molecules and the charge distribution as a function of alkali metal counte...
A high Schottky barrier between Ni and S-passivated n-type Si(1 0 0) surface

Abstract By minimizing surface states with sulfur passivation, a record-high Schottky barrier is achieved with nickel on n-type Si(1 0 0) surface. Capacitance–voltage measurements yield a flat-band barrier height of 0.97 eV. Activation-energy and current–voltage measurements indicate ∼0.2-eV lower barriers for the Ni/Si(1 0 0) junction. These results accompany a previously-reported record-high Schottky barrier of 1.1 eV between aluminum and S-passivated p-type Si(1 0 0) surface. The operation of these metal/Si(1 0 0) junctions changes from majority-carrier conduction, i.e., a Schottky junction, to minority-carrier conduction, i.e., a p–n junction, with the increase in barrier height from 0.97 eV to 1.1 eV. Temperature-dependent current–voltage measurements reveal that the Ni/S-passivated n-type Si(1 0 0) junction is stable up to 110 °C.
Molecular cloning and characterization of Ac-TMP-2, a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase secreted by adult Ancylostoma caninum.

Abstract Ac -TMP-2, an immunodominant hookworm antigen encoding a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) was cloned by immunoscreening an Ancylostoma caninum larval cDNA library with sera pooled from dogs immunized with irradiated A. caninum third stage larvae (ir-L3). The open reading frame of Ac-tmp-2 cDNA encoded a 244 amino acids (predicted molecular weight of 27.7 kDa), which shared a common N-terminus with other vertebrate and invertebrate TIMPs, including Ac -TMP-1, the most abundant adult hookworm secreted protein. However Ac -TMP-2 also contains an unusual multicopy (ten) repeat of the amino acid sequence, KTVEENDE. By immunoblotting, Ac -TMP-2 was detected only in adult hookworms and their excretory secretory products although the corresponding mRNA was also detected in L3. Immunolocalization with specific antiserum showed that native Ac -TMP-2 was located in adult worm’s esophagus and cephalic glands. Recombinant Ac -TMP-2 expressed in bacteria was highly immunogenic and recognized by ir-L3 immunized dog immune sera. The recombinant Ac -TMP-2 protein inhibited the human matrix metalloproteinases, MMP-2, MMP-7 and MMP-13. As an immunodominant protein having a possible role in the parasite–host relationship of canine hookworm infection, recombinant Ac -TMP-2 represents a plausible target for vaccine development.
Grain boundary diffusion of oxygen, potassium and calcium in natural and hot-pressed feldspar aggregates

Grain boundary diffusion rates of oxygen, potassium and calcium in fine-grained feldspar aggregates were determined experimentally. The starting materials were a natural albite rock from the Tanco pegmatite and aggregates hot-pressed from fragments of Amelia albite or Ab, Or and An composition glasses. The technique employed isotopic tracers (18O, 41K, 42Ca) either evaporated onto the surface or in an aqueous solution surrounding the sample, and depth profiling using an ion microprobe (SIMS). From the depth profiles, the product of the grain boundary diffusion coefficient (D') and effective boundary width (δ) was calculated using numerical solutions to the appropriate diffusion equation. The experimental reproducibility of D'δ is a factor of 3. A separate determination of D' independent of δ yields an effective grain boundary width of ∼3 nm, consistent with high resolution TEM observations of a physical grain boundary width <5 nm. Oxygen (as molecular water) grain boundary diffusion rates were determined in the Ab and Or aggregates at 450°–800°C and 100 MPa (hydrothermal), potassium rates in Or aggregates at 450°–700°C both at 0.1 MPa (in air) and at 100 MPa (hydrothermal), and calcium rates in An aggregates at 700°–1100°C and 0.1 MPa (in air). Oxygen grain boundary diffusion rates are similar in all three of the Ab aggregates and in the Or aggregate. Potassium and oxygen depth profiles measured in the same samples yield different D'δ values, confirming a diffusional transport mechanism. Potassium diffusion in the Or aggregate has a greater activation energy (216 vs 78 kJ/mol) than oxygen, and the Arrhenius relations cross at ∼625°C. Potassium D'δ values in Or aggregates are about a factor of five greater in hydrothermal experiments at 100 MPa than in experiments at 0.1 MPa in air. Calcium grain boundary diffusion rates in An aggregates are 4 to 5 orders of magnitude slower than potassium in Or and have a greater (291 kJ/mol) activation energy. This suggests that differences in formal charge and/or size of diffusing species may play an important role in their relative grain boundary diffusion rates.
Chemistry and mineralogy of Precambrian paleosols at Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada

Abstract Two profiles from the paleosol underlying the Huronian Supergroup at Elliot Lake, Ontario were studied to determine conditions present at the time of their formation. (1) One paleosol profile (> 10.5 m thick), developed on greenstone, is exposed within the Denison Mine. It is tentatively classified as an intrazonal gley soil formed in an area of poor drainage and reducing groundwater conditions. It is characterized by extensive loss of Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Mo, as well as Na, Ca, and Mg. An increase in K is attributed to diagenetic K metasomatism. Paleosol structures indicate clay translocation forming an illuvial Bg horizon and suggests a fluctuating water table to depths of 6m. (2) The second paleosol profile (> 5.5 m thick), developed on granite, is exposed near the Pronto Mine. This profile exhibits iron oxidation and enrichment. This indicates that free oxygen was present in the mid-Precambrian atmosphere, although a precise determination of pO2 is not possible from evidence from the paleosols. This paleosol exhibits many characteristics of modern spodosols. The soils probably formed in a temperate humid climate during tectonically stable conditions. The difference in oxidation and behavior of iron in these soils is inferred to result from differences in paleotopography and drainage. The preponderance of gley paleosols found underlying the Huronian Supergroup might result either from lower mid-Precambrian pO2 or from preferential preservation. Evidence suggests that by 2.3 Ga/ago, soil forming processes were capable of producing soils similar to Recent types.
A Report to An Academy

Honored Members of the Academy! You have done me the honor of inviting me to give an account of the current state of Kafka studies. I will begin by saying that if the number of manuscript submissions that the German Quarterly receives every year on some aspect of Kafka is at least one valid measure of the continuing interest in this author; whose own works amount to a mere nano-fraction of what has been written about him, then the state of Kafka Studies, as we begin the second decade of the twenty-first century is indeed healthy Mentioning the open-endedness and lack of interpretive closure of the Kafkan text that spawns this interest has become something of a platitude, but precisely these characteristics form the grounds for the world of Kafka studies and explain, at least in part, the steady stream of inquiry regarding his life and writings. As a faculty member of a large, land-grant university, I have many colleagues in the sciences and engineering who define successful research in their fields as always raising more questions. Nothing is ever absolute or definitive. As one of them remarked, "When you answer one question, you open ten more." I would argue that this is the precise definition of Kafka scholarship, as well.
Hereditary laws and nonlinear integral equations on the line

Abstract This investigation is devoted to a study of the equation x(t) + ∫ −∞ t a(t − τ)g(τ, x(τ)) dτ = f(t), t ϵ R. Here the forcing terms f are restricted only by the requirement that each of the functions f t , t ∈ R , defined on R + by f t (s) = f(t − s), s ϵ R + , belongs to a prescribed function space F . Such equations constitute special, albeit rather important, examples of hereditary laws. Equations having the form (E) also occur in a fundamental way in the study of nonlinear Volterra equations on R + : y(t) + ∫ 0 t a(t − τ)h(τ, y(τ)) dτ = k(t), t ϵ R. where the forcing functions k are restricted only by the requirement that k belong to a prescribed function space K on R + . In fact, it can be shown that whenever the “positive limit set” for a solution of (V) exists, it consists of solutions to an equation of type (E) in which g and f are limits, respectively, of translates of h and of k . On the other hand, the forcing terms f obtained as limits of translates in this way form a much more specialized class of functions than those employed in the analysis of (E) provided here; hence, results concerning solutions of (V) cannot include the present type of existence theory. The results obtained depend on techniques due to Levin together with a body of functional analytic results for hereditary laws which is developed in the final section of the present paper. Although Levin's techniques are restricted to the case of real-valued functions, these functional analytic techniques appear to be sufficiently broad to be applicable in other (i.e., vector-valued) circumstances.
An Unusual Case of Shunting Across the Atrial Septum After Mitral Valve Repair

We report a case of an iatrogenic defect in the interatrial septum as a result of mitral valve repair using the transeptal approach.
Non-structural carbohydrate accumulation and use in an understorey rain-forest shrub and relevance for the impact of leaf herbivory

1.Piper arieianum, an evergreen, understorey shrub of lowland moist forests of Central and South America, exhibits marked seasonal variation in reproductive activity even though climatic variation is low at the study site. Despite a lack of climatic seasonality, previous experimental leaf removal suggested that carbohydrate accumulation is seasonal, occurring prior to flowering. 2. We first tested the hypothesis that carbohydrates necessary for reproduction are accumulated prior to flowering, rather than during or after. By measuring non-structural carbohydrate production in the form of glucose and starch we found that the concentration of these reserves is greatest 1–3months before flowering, decreasing by 50% during peak fruit maturation. 3. The hypothesis that reproduction was the cause of this decrease in carbohydrate reserves was then tested by comparing reserves in plants that were prevented from flowering with those that flowered and produced fruit naturally. As predicted, reserves declined more in flowering than in non-flowering plants. A smaller decline in reserves of non-flowering plants was accompanied by greater stem and leaf production, suggesting that stored carbohydrates are also required for growth. 4. Because concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates were similar in roots, stems and leaves, and because the greatest amount of plant biomass is in stems for plants of a range of sizes, stems appear to be the main storage site of carbohydrate reserves in this plant species. 5. These results, together with previous studies, demonstrate that the impact of leaf herbivory on seed production in P. arieianum depends on the timing of that herbivory relative to the accumulation and use of non-structural carbohydrates.
Hybrid reflecting objectives for functional multiphoton microscopy in turbid media

Most multiphoton imaging of biological specimens is performed using microscope objectives optimized for high image quality under wide-field illumination. We present a class of objectives designed de novo without regard for these traditional constraints, driven exclusively by the needs of fast multiphoton imaging in turbid media: the delivery of femtosecond pulses without dispersion and the efficient collection of fluorescence. We model the performance of one such design optimized for a typical brain-imaging setup and show that it can greatly outperform objectives commonly used for this task.
Candida albicans Infection of Sternum and Costal Cartilages: Combined Operative Treatment and Drug Therapy with 5-Fluorocytosine

Two patients with candidal sternal osteomyelitis have been successfully treated by operative debridement and adjuvant drug therapy with 5-fluorocytosine. One patient had developed postoperative candidal wound infection after sternotomy, and the other acquired candidal sternal osteomyelitis following Candida fungemia. The diagnosis, suggested by culture, was confirmed by identification of Candida pseudohyphae in debrided tissue. Histological confirmation of candidal sternal osteomyelitis indicates the need for operative debridement and specific systemic antifungal therapy. The drug 5-fluorocytosine appears to provide effective oral therapy in this situation.
The Potential Contribution of Cardiac Replacement to the Control of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Population-Based Estimate

The potential number of individuals who might benefit from a cardiac replacement procedure (either cardiac transplantation or insertion of a total artificial heart) was retrospectively estimated from medical records for residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who had died during a 5-year period. Residents were divided into two age groups: those younger than 15 years (pediatric) and those 15 to 69 years (adult). During the 5-year period of observation, cardiac disease led to death in 17 of the 8342 live births in Olmsted County. Cardiac disease also caused the deaths of 248 adults meeting the age criteria. Five children and 35 adults met all criteria for cardiac replacement. Extrapolation to the total population of the United States suggests that 2167 children (a 95% confidence interval of 361 to 3972) and 16,500 adults (a 95% confidence interval of 11,456 to 22,959) per year could potentially benefit from cardiac replacement.
Differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes using PCA-based functional imaging features

In the current paper, we describe methodologies for single subject differential diagnosis of degenerative brain disorders using multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) of functional imaging scans. An automated routine utilizing these methods is applied to positron emission tomography (PET) brain data to distinguish several discrete parkinsonian movement disorders with similar clinical manifestations. Disease specific expressions of voxel-based spatial covariance patterns are predetermined using the Scaled Subprofile Model (SSM/PCA) and a scalar measure of the manifestation of each pattern in prospective subject images is subsequently derived. Scores are automatically compared to reference values generated for each pathological condition in a corresponding set of patient and control scans. Diagnostic outcome is optimized using strategies such as the derivation of patterns in a voxel subspace that reflects contrasting image characteristics between conditions, or by using an independent patient population as controls. The prediction models for two, three and four way classification problems using direct scalar comparison as well as classical discriminant analysis are assessed in a composite training population comprised of three different patient classes and normal controls, and validated in a similar independent test population. Results illustrate that highly accurate diagnosis can often be achieved by simple comparison of scores utilizing optimized patterns.
Single bilayer liposomes prepared without sonication.

Abstract Single bilayer liposomes, indistinguishable from those obtained by sonication, can be prepared by injecting an thanolic solution of phospholipid into water. The dilute suspension is easily concentrated by ultrafiltration and the mild conditions allow neither degradation nor oxidation of the phospholipid.
Strong optical magnetism and Fano resonances in asymmetric plasmonic metamolecules

We theoretically and experimentally show that a subwavelength plasmonic ring consisting of four gold nanoparticles can support strong artificial magnetism and magnetic-based Fano resonances at optical frequencies. This is achieved through controlled symmetry breaking of the nanoring geometry, which induces tailored interference between electric and magnetic plasmon modes supported by the nanocluster, leading to enhanced optical magnetism and a distinctively sharp Fano response in the scattering spectrum. These results pave the way to building blocks for negative-index metamaterials and novel single-molecule, magnetic-based biosensors.
Hormone conjugated with antibody to CD3 mediates cytotoxic T cell lysis of human melanoma cells

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes can be activated by antibodies to their antigen-specific receptor complex (TCR-CD3) to destroy target cells, regardless of the specificity of the cytotoxic T cells. A novel hormone-antibody conjugate, consisting of an analog of melanocyte-stimulating hormone chemically coupled to a monoclonal antibody to CD3, the invariant component of the T cell receptor complex, was used to target human melanoma cells for destruction by human cytotoxic T lymphocytes that bear no specificity for the tumor cells. As targeting components of such anti-CD3 conjugates, hormones or growth factors are expected to prove more effective than antibodies to tumor-associated antigens in focusing the destructive activity of cytotoxic T cells on tumor target cells.
Kant's Theory of Judgment, and Judgments of Taste: On Henry Allison's Kant's Theory of Taste

Kant's use of the leading thread of his table of logical forms of judgment to analyze judgments of taste yields more results than Allison's account allows. It reveals in judgments of taste the combination of two judgments: a descriptive judgment about the object, and a normative judgment about the judging subjects. Core arguments of Kant's critique of taste receive new light from this analysis.
Plasma glucose values in normal neonates: a new look.

Current standards for glucose concentration in neonates have been determined in whole blood and translated into plasma values on the basis that plasma glucose values are 12% to 15% higher than those in whole blood. 1 In addition, the standards 2 are based on birth weight because the concept of gestational age was not fully appreciated until the mid-1960s. Moreover, changes in maternal and fetal monitoring techniques, administration of glucose-containing solutions during labor and delivery, and early feeding of neonates may significantly alter blood glucose concentrations during the first week of postnatal life. This study was undertaken with the hypotheses that glucose values in normal neonates may be different from those previously defined and that neonatal hypoglycemia may need to be redefined. METHODS
Pedogenesis of a chronosequence in the Sacramento Valley, California, U.S.A., I. Application of a soil development index

Abstract A quantitative soil development index based on field morphologic data has been applied to a chronosequence of six soils at Honcut Creek in central California. The soils range from 600 yr to 1.6 m.y. in age and exist in a xeric-thermic soil climatic regime. Plots of the development of individual properties versus the log of soil age are generally linear. Of the eight soil properties used in the index, clay films, texture plus wet consistence, structure, and rubification (color hue and chroma), are most highly correlated with soil age (correlation coefficients for linenar regression of 0.96−0.87). Dry consistence, moist consistence, melanization (color value), and pH lowering are not as highly correlated with soil age (correlation coefficients of 0.68−0.55), although correlation coefficients for all eight soil properties are significant at α = 0.01 or 0.05 level. Depth functions of a horizon index that incorporates all eight soil properties chart the development of the A-horizons in Holocene soils and the development of the cambic and then argillic horizons in older soils. Total depth of soil development increases from about 60 cm in Holocene soils to more than 5 m in the oldest soils. Lithologic discontinuities and stratification are brought out in the horizon index because of their effects on soil development. Soils on the alluvial terraces of Honcut Creek have developed systematically over the 1.6 m.y. age span of the chronosequence: correlation coefficients for regressions of the profile index versus the log of soil age are ⩾0.97 (significant at α = 0.01 level). The coefficient of variation of replicate profiles decreases with increasing soil age. The soil development index substantiates the geologic and pedologic correlations made during geologic mapping and soil survey of the area, although differences among soils in parent material and topographic factors complicate the age trends.
Viral persistence: mechanisms and consequences.

Abstract Recent research has brought additional information on how virus products interfere with host cell antigen processing in vitro, new information on the interaction of virus with dendritic cells as a mechanism for alteration of immune responses — especially immunosuppression, and a preliminary proposal that nonretroviral RNA viruses might persist by utilizing host—cell reverse transcriptase to enter a DNA phase of replication.
Acoustic diversity in Lake Malawi’s rock-dwelling cichlids

The cichlids of Lake Malawi are one of the world’s most species rich and phenotypically diverse groups of extant vertebrates. The extraordinary variability of this group’s color patterns, reproductive behaviors, and trophic morphologies are well documented. More recently, an additional axis of phenotypic diversity has been identified. Lake Malawi cichlids have been shown to use species-specific acoustic communication in both aggressive and reproductive encounters. However, documentation of acoustic signals used by this group is limited to a small number of taxa observed within the confines of the laboratory. This study examines the acoustic signals produced by six species spanning four genera of rock-dwelling cichlids recorded in their natural habitat, the shallow waters surrounding Thumbi West Island, Lake Malawi. Four acoustic parameters were quantified and compared between species: trill duration, number of pulses per trill, pulse duration, and pulse period. Using these characteristics, sympatric species within the genus Maylandia were easily distinguished. Furthermore, a comparison of this data to previously published acoustic data reveals possible geographic dialects within species.
Use of Porous Tantalum Cones in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

Porous tantalum cones show promise as a tool to allow for reconstruction of large tibial and femoral bone defects during revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). They function as a metallic substitute for structural bone graft during revision surgery. They are designed for ingrowth into the metaphyseal or metadiaphyseal regions of host bone, and serve as a platform for the tibial or femoral prosthetic components that are united to the inner surface of the cones using bone cement. Porous tantalum cones come in various sizes and shapes and can be used with various knee revision arthroplasty systems, providing the surgeon with flexibility in reconstructive options. Small series with short-term follow-up have reported encouraging results using porous tantalum cones during revision TKA, which are summarized in this manuscript. In addition, we provide a comprehensive description for the technique of using various types of cones to address large tibial and femoral bone defects during revision TKA.
Imagining Portland's Urban Growth Boundary: Planning Regulation as Cultural Icon

Problem: In the 30 years since its creation, has Portland, Oregon's, urban growth boundary (UGB) become something more than a regulation? Spirited debate about its impacts on land uses and values has inspired vivid descriptions by both supporters and critics and spurred the imagination of artists and creative writers. Purpose: The UGB has become a symbol, metaphor, and touchstone, as people read complex meanings into it that go beyond its simple legal function. This article looks at the UGB as a cultural icon. It explores the increasingly complex ways in which people have tried to describe, understand, and interpret the UGB as part of the regional landscape as well as the regulatory system. It examines metaphorical descriptions of the UGB as well as the growing body of depictions in nature writing, poetry, novels, photography, performance art, songs, and other exercises of the artistic imagination. Methods: We review how supporters and critics of the UGB have described it and how artists have depicted it ...
Comparison of Leaf Litter Decomposition Rates in Restored and Mature Riparian Forests on the Sacramento River, California

One of the largest riparian restoration projects in the United States is currently taking place in California on the Sacramento River. Nearly 2,000 ha of land adjacent to the river channel have been revegetated with native riparian species in an effort to reestablish riparian forests. The objective of this study was to compare leaf litter decomposition rates in restored riparian forests to those in mature, naturally established riparian forests, in order to monitor the development of this ecosystem function in restored forests. Leaf litter decomposition rates were measured over 1 year in six restored riparian forests (4, 7, and 9 years old) and two mature remnant riparian forests (>50 years old), in order to test two hypotheses: (1) decomposition rates of restored and mature forests are significantly different and (2) decomposition rates in the chronosequence of restored forests are moving along a trajectory, approaching the decomposition rates characteristic of mature forests as they age. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in annual decay rates among the four different forest ages and no trajectory among leaf litter decomposition rates in restored forests. These results suggest that a functionally equivalent process of leaf litter decomposition occurs in both restored and naturally established forests and show promise for the efficiency of nutrient cycling processes in these restored forests.
Estimation Theoretic Measure of Resolution for Stochastic Localization Microscopy

One approach to super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, termed stochastic localization microscopy, relies on the nanometer scale spatial localization of individual fluorescent emitters that stochastically label specific features of the specimen. The precision of emitter localization is an important determinant of the resulting image resolution but is insufficient to specify how well the derived images capture the structure of the specimen. We address this deficiency by considering the inference of specimen structure based on the estimated emitter locations. By using estimation theory, we develop a measure of spatial resolution that jointly depends on the density of the emitter labels, the precision of emitter localization, and prior information regarding the spatial frequency content of the labeled object. The Nyquist criterion does not set the scaling of this measure with emitter number. Given prior information and a fixed emitter labeling density, our resolution measure asymptotes to a finite value as the precision of emitter localization improves. By considering the present experimental capabilities, this asymptotic behavior implies that further resolution improvements require increases in labeling density above typical current values. Our treatment also yields algorithms to enhance reliable image features. Overall, our formalism facilitates the rigorous statistical interpretation of the data produced by stochastic localization imaging techniques.
Hydro Generation Scheduling Using Refined Genetic Algorithm

This paper presents a novel solution algorithm based on a refined genetic algorithm for solving the hydro generation scheduling problem. In this work, complete solution algorithms and encoding/decoding techniques are proposed for solving different types of hydro plants involving hydraulically independent plants, hydraulically coupled plants, and pump-storage plants. In the proposed approach, the hydraulically coupled plants which are located on the same river are solved concurrently as a multi-plant scheduling problem rather than as several single-plant scheduling problems in sequence. The difficult water balance constraints caused by hydraulic coupling are embedded and satisfied throughout the proposed encoding and decoding algorithm. The proposed approach is applied with great success to the actual Taipower system, which consists of two hydraulically independent plants, three hydraulically coupled plants, four pump-storage plants, and 34 thermal units.
Product cycle theory and telecommunications industry—foreign direct investment, government policy, and indigenous manufacturing in China

Abstract Focusing on China's telecommunications manufacturing sector, this paper first reviews the major theoretical positions regarding the impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the relevance of product cycle theory. The paper then discusses how the Chinese government formulates its policy and regulations regarding FDI, and how it integrates its FDI policy with its industrial policy in the telecommunications manufacturing sector. Taking the manufacturing of central office switches as a special case and the telecommunications manufacturing sector as a broad case, the paper examines the interaction among government policy, FDI, and the indigenous manufacturing industry in the past 20 years. Based on the findings, this paper proposes a dynamic adding-and-downgrading model that explores the interaction between FDI investors and host developing nations and enriches the current product cycle theory.
Dimer asymmetry defines α-catenin interactions

The F-actin-binding cytoskeletal protein α-catenin interacts with β-catenin-cadherin complexes and stabilizes cell-cell junctions. The β-catenin-α-catenin complex cannot bind F-actin, whereas interactions of α-catenin with the cytoskeletal protein vinculin appear to be necessary to stabilize adherens junctions. Here we report the crystal structure of nearly full-length human α-catenin at 3.7-A resolution. α-catenin forms an asymmetric dimer where the four-helix bundle domains of each subunit engage in distinct intermolecular interactions. This results in a left handshake-like dimer, wherein the two subunits have remarkably different conformations. The crystal structure explains why dimeric α-catenin has a higher affinity for F-actin than does monomeric α-catenin, why the β-catenin-α-catenin complex does not bind F-actin, how activated vinculin links the cadherin-catenin complex to the cytoskeleton and why α-catenin but not inactive vinculin can bind F-actin.
The climate-related diachronous disappearance of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata in late quaternary sediments of the Atlantic and Caribbean

The planktonic foraminifera Pulleniatina obliquiloculata (Parker and Jones) undergoes several climatically controlled disappearances and reappearances in the equatorial Atlantic and Caribbean sediments during Late Quaternary time. One such disappearance occurs near the middle of the last glacial (Middle Wisconsin, middle Y zone, O16 stage 3). The age of this disappearances is time transgressive from approximately 60, 000 yr in the Gulf of Mexico, to 50, 000 yr in the western Caribbean, to 35, 000 yr in the equatorial Atlantic. The time-transgressive transgressive nature of P. obliquiloculata's disappearance from the Atlantic is thought to represent the decreasing “width” of P. obliquiloculata's adaptive zone as surface water salinities progressively increased during the glacial intervals due to expanding continental glaciers. A simple ecologic model predicts that P. obliquiloculata should disappear first from areas of high salinity and is consistent with observations that both modern sea-surface salinity and the age of the P. obliquiloculata biohorizon increase from the equatorial Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. The biohorizon, YP. obliq, is a subdivision of Ericson's Y zone and occurs throughout the western equatorial Atlantic as well as throughout most of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Here, the horizon is useful for correlating and determining accumulation rates in continental margin sediments where rapid deposition often prevents piston cores from penetrating through the last glacial interval. Along the coast of Africa, in areas of coastal upwelling and the equatorward transport of cold water, the biohorizon does not occur.
Producing biodiesel from high free fatty acids waste cooking oil assisted by radio frequency heating

Abstract Efficient biodiesel conversion from waste cooking oil with high free fatty acids (FFAs) was achieved via a two-stage procedure (an acid-catalyzed esterification followed by an alkali-catalyzed transesterification) assisted by radio frequency (RF) heating. In the first stage, with only 8-min RF heating the acid number of the waste cooking oil was reduced from 68.2 to 1.64 mg KOH/g by reacting with 3.0% H 2 SO 4 (w/w, based on oil) and 0.8:1 methanol (weight ratio to waste oil). Then, in the second stage, the esterification product (primarily consisting of triglycerides and fatty acid methyl esters) reacted with 0.91% NaOH (w/w, based on triglycerides) and 14.2:1 methanol (molar ratio to triglycerides) under RF heating for 5 min, and an overall conversion rate of 98.8 ± 0.1% was achieved. Response surface methodology was employed to evaluate the effects of RF heating time, H 2 SO 4 dose and methanol/oil weight ratio on the acid-catalyzed esterification. A significant positive interaction between RF heating time and H 2 SO 4 concentration on the esterification was observed.
Concurrent nucleation, formation and growth of two intermetallic compounds (Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn) during the early stages of lead-free soldering

Abstract This study investigates the concurrent nucleation, formation and growth of two intermetallic compounds (IMCs), Cu 6 Sn 5 ( η ) and Cu 3 Sn ( e ), during the early stages of soldering in the Cu–Sn system. The nucleation, formation and growth of the IMC layers is simulated through a multiphase-field model [1,2] in which the concurrent nucleation of both IMC phases is considered to be a stochastic Poisson process with nucleation rates calculated from classical nucleation theory [3] . CALPHAD thermodynamic models are used to calculate the local contributions to the free energy of the system and the driving forces for precipitation of the IMC phases. The nucleation parameters of the η phase are estimated from experimental results [4] and those of the e phase are assumed to be similar. A parametric investigation of the effects of model parameters (e.g. grain boundary (GB) diffusion rates, interfacial and GB energies) on morphological evolution and IMC layer growth rate is presented and compared with previous works in which nucleation was ignored [5] . In addition, the resulting growth rates are compared with the available literature and it is found that, for a certain range in the model parameters, the agreement is quite satisfactory. This work provides valuable insight into the dominant mechanisms for mass transport as well as morphological evolution and growth of IMC layers during early stages of Pb-free soldering.
Property norms for typical and atypical items from 17 categories: A description and discussion

A description is presented of normative data for property responses to 121 words—17 category labels, three typical and three atypical members of each category, and the words “plant” and “animal.” The production frequency of properties is considered a measure of property dominance or semantic relatedness, and has been validated for the present data as a significant predictor of reaction time to property statements. Additional data include measures that support definitions of typicality in terms of property overlap between member and category, criteriality or dominance of the superordinate term, and the average number of properties generated to the category member. In reverse order, these three variables provide the best prediction of rated typicality. Average number of properties and superordinate dominance were the more important variables in this prediction, were virtually independent statistically, and were approximately equal in their contribution. Implications for semantic memory models are discussed.
Ignition delay times of conventional and alternative fuels behind reflected shock waves

Abstract The auto-ignition characteristics of two distillate jet fuels and fifteen alternative fuels (including fuel blends) were investigated using shock-tube/laser-absorption methods. Ignition delay times were measured behind reflected shock waves over a range of temperatures, 1047–1520 K, and equivalence ratios, 0.25–2.2, in two pressure and mixture regimes: for fuel/air mixtures at 2.07–8.27 atm, and for fuel/4%oxygen(O 2 )/argon(Ar) mixtures at 15.9–44.0 atm. In both pressure ranges, the ignition delay times of the alternative fuels and the blends with conventional fuels were found to be similar to those of conventional fuels but with some small systematic differences manifesting the different fuel types. In particular, for alternative aviation fuels, alcohol-to-jet fuels were found to be generally less reactive than Fischer–Tropsch paraffinic kerosenes or hydro-processed renewable jet fuels. Comparisons were also made of the ignition delay time data with detailed kinetic modeling for selected fuels. These comparisons show that existing multi-component surrogate/mechanism combinations can successfully predict the behavior of these fuels over the conditions studied. For those fuels lacking kinetic models, the current ignition delay time measurements provide useful target data for development and validation of relevant surrogate mixtures and reaction mechanisms.
Field Quantization and Radiative Processes in Dispersive Dielectric Media

The electromagnetic field in a dispersive dielectric medium is quantized in a straightforward manner based on the classical expression for the field energy away from absorption resonances. Results for spontaneous and stimulated radiative rates, and absorption and gain coefficients, are obtained and compared with other expressions in the literature. Local field corrections, when they exist, are included. A level shift for an atom in a host dielectric medium is obtained and interpreted as the van der Waals interaction between that atom and its neighbours in the host medium.
Studying interdomain routing over long timescales

The dynamics of interdomain routing have traditionally been studied through the analysis of BGP update traffic. However, such studies tend to focus on the volume of BGP updates rather than their effects, and tend to be local rather than global in scope. Studying the global state of the Internet routing system over time requires the development of new methods, which we do in this paper. We define a new metric, MRSD, that allows us to measure the similarity between two prefixes with respect to the state of the global routing system. Applying this metric over time yields a measure of how the set of total paths to each prefix varies at a given timescale. We implement this analysis method in a MapReduce framework and apply it to a dataset of more than 1TB, collected daily over 3 distinct years and monthly over 8 years. We show that this analysis method can uncover interesting aspects of how Internet routing has changed over time. We show that on any given day, approximately 1% of the next-hop decisions made in the Internet change, and this property has been remarkably constant over time; the corresponding amount of change in one month is 10% and in two years is 50%. Digging deeper, we can decompose next-hop decision changes into two classes: churn, and structural (persistent) change. We show that structural change shows a strong 7-day periodicity and that it represents approximately 2/3 of the total amount of changes.
A comparison of spin relaxation and local motion between symmetrically and asymmetrically ring-substituted bisphenol units in dissolved polycarbonates

Carbon-13 and proton spin-lattice relaxation times were measured at two field strengths on solutions 10% by weight of two polycarbonates in C2D2Cl4 from −20 to +120°C. The first polycarbonate is an asymmetrically substituted form with one chlorine on one of the two phenylene aromatic rings of the bisphenol unit, whereas the second polycarbonate is symmetrically substituted with two chlorines on each of the two rings. The nuclear spin relaxation data are interpreted in terms of several local motions likely in these polymers. Segmental motion was described by the Hall–Helfand correlation function. Segmental motion in the monosubstituted polycarbonate is somewhat slower than in unsubstituted polycarbonate, whereas segmental motion in the tetrasubstituted polycarbonate is considerably slower. Phenylene ring rotation is observed in unsubstituted polycarbonate and in the monosubstituted polycarbonate above 40°C. Below 40°C in the monosubstituted species, and at all temperatures in the tetrasubstituted species, ring rotation is replaced by ring libration as the predominant motion contributing to spin lattice relaxation. In addition, the rotational motion of the two types of rings in the asymmetric monosubstituted form are very similar although not identical. The substituted ring is slightly less mobile than the rings of unsubstituted polycarbonate. This indicates a strong coupling of ring motion, although the coupling leads to less than synchronous motion. Methyl group rotation is present in both polymers and is little affected by the various structural modifications.
Shock compression of preheated molybdenum to 300 GPa

Shock compression experiments on samples at elevated initial temperature provide a test of the Mie-Gruneisen method of predicting off-principal Hugoniot states. Pure molybdenum, preheated to 1673 K, was shocked to peak pressures up to 300 GPa, double the compression range previously studied for this material at elevated temperature. The data lie strictly below the cold Hugoniot of Mo in shock velocity vs. particle velocity space, with some downward curvature. Previous approximations and extrapolations from lower-compression data fail to match these results, but the data are well fit by a Mie-Gruneisen correction to the cold Hugoniot. However, the data are insufficiently precise and the phases obtained in the shock experiments too uncertain to discriminate among different functional forms of the density dependence of the Gruneisen parameter.
A precision injector for the tandem-booster system at Seattle

Abstract A 300 kV injector platform has been constructed for the Seattle superconducting linac booster. Two ion sources, a direct extraction source and a sputter source, are permanently installed on a ±45°, 0° switch magnet, with space for a third. Mass analysis with resolution m Δm well above 100 is achieved with a ϱ = 0.8 m 90° magnet. Bunch widths at the linac entrance achieved with a 50 MHz, 3-harmonic low energy buncher are represented by 280 ps for 150 keV H− and 800 ps for 230 keV63 Cu−. This paper describes special features of the grounding system and selection of power supplies required to achieve a 10–15 eV rms beam energy homogeneity at 300 keV. It also describes details of the ion transport system which provide mass resolution above 100 for high transmission (≥70%) or a high resolution diagnostic mode in which energy spectra of ion source outputs can be determined with a resolution of about 10 eV out of 50 keV.
Failure to detect circulating immune complexes in allergic patients on injection therapy

Summary Injection therapy for allergic diseases may create an environment conducive to circulating immune complex formation. Therefore, we examined the sera of eleven patients receiving injection therapy for the presence of circulating immune complexes. A sensitive Raji cell radioimmune assay was used to examine the sera prior to and 4, 8 and 24 hours after allergenic injection. Levels measured in these sera were compared to values obtained from forty-two healthy controls. Ten of eleven allergic patients receiving injection therapy had values within the normal range prior to maintenance injection. These ten patients also had normal values for circulating immune complexes at each interval after maintenance injection. The data suggest that circulating immune complexes are not a routine consequence of injection therapy for allergic disease.