cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An odds–ratio–based meta–analysis of research on the door–in–the–face influence strategy

Previous meta‐analytic reviews of research concerning the door‐in‐the‐face (DITF) influence strategy have used the correlation coefficient as the index of effect size, an arguably incorrect choice; the odds ratio provides a much more appropriate effect‐size index for the kinds of outcomes studied. Correlations and odds ratios can yield quite different descriptions of experimental results, which makes for uncertainty about previously‐reported meta‐analytic results. This paper reports a meta‐analysis of the DITF research literature using the odds ratio as the effect‐size index. The results largely confirm those of the most recent DITF meta‐analysis.
Direct Measurement of Protein Translocation across Droplet Interface Bilayers

We introduce a new method for monitoring and quantitating the transport of materials across a model cell membrane. As a proof of concept, we investigate how a small cell-penetrating peptide called Pep-1 is able to carry a large object, such as a protein, across a lipid bilayer. To create a membrane, two sub-microliter, lipid-encased aqueous droplets are contacted - termed a droplet interface bilayer (DIB). The peptides adsorb to the protein cargo non-covalently and somehow “carry” the protein from one droplet to the other through the membrane. We then assay the translocated cargo through a fluorogenic assay. The DIB method recapitulates the findings of earlier studies involving Pep-1, including the dependence of protein transport on voltage and membrane charge, while also contributing new insights. Specifically, we found that the symmetry of the bilayer membrane may play a role in Pep-1-mediated protein translocation. In addition, we used a newly developed peptide transduction domain mimic (PTDM) as a protein carrier, which exhibited distinct differences compared to Pep-1's mechanism. We've also used the DIB system to monitor the translocation of proteins through pores, such as the anthrax toxin. We anticipate that the DIB method may be useful for a variety of transport-based studies; in particular those which must make use of tiny quantities of purified species.
Quick and dirty sequencing for mixed-model multi-level JIT systems

Abstract We extend an intuitive level part usage measure to the multi-level case and provide a practical yet powerful algorithm. The measure assigns an ideal due-date to each unit of each part type of each level and sums the squared deviation between these ideal due-dates and the actual completion times. The algorithm schedules the final products in earliest ideal due-date order. This algorithm entirely ignores the lower levels and is consequently extremely fast. Surprisingly, in addition to being many times faster than other algorithms, this quick and dirty algorithm performs very well with respect to both the new ideal due-date measure and the multi-level goal-chasing measure.
RNA recognition by arginine-rich peptide motifs.

A ubiquitious class of RNA-binding proteins is distinguished by an arginine-rich motif. Such proteins function in transcription, translation, RNA trafficking, and packaging. Peptide models are derived from viral regulatory proteins, including the virulence factors Tat and Rev of mammalian immunodeficiency viruses. Structures of model peptide–RNA complexes exhibit diverse strategies of recognition based in each case on structural transitions. Induced RNA structures contain noncanonical elements such as purine–purine mismatches, base triples, and flipped bases. Such elements enlarge and extend the RNA major groove to create specific peptide-binding pockets and surfaces. The repertoire of bound peptide structures—β-hairpin, α-helix, and helix–bend–helix—reflects the diversity of induced RNA architectures. This repertoire, reminiscent of primordial exon-encoded peptides, may recapitulate early events in the transition between RNA and protein worlds. Peptide-directed changes in modern RNA structures can provide a mechanism of signaling in higher-order RNA–protein assemblies. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 48: 167–180, 1998
Pure Nuclear Electric Quadrupole Resonance in Impure Copper

The quadrupole interaction of copper nuclei which are near neighbors of Ag and Zn impurities in metallic copper has been measured by means of pure quadrupole resonance, using the field cycling method of Ramsey and Pound in which resonance is detected by subsequence remagnetization and Zeeman resonance of spins far from the impurities. Coupling between spin systems is enhanced by applying two frequencies simultaneously separated by 20 kc/sec; this is a variant of the phase-reversal method of Hartmann and Hahn. For Ag solute, resonances are observed (due to ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{63}$) at 620, 475, 200, and 75 kc/sec, due to first, second, third, and fourth or fifth neighbors, respectively. For Zn a search up to 5 Mc/sec shows resolved resonances only at 1980 and 100 kc/sec which are tentatively ascribed to second and third neighbors; this assignment is based in part on Rowland's earlier data. The anomalously large interaction of near neighbors of Zn is ascribed to virtual excitation of $d$ electrons to above the Fermi level by the impurity perturbation.
Coulomb scattering of hot electrons with electron-hole plasmas in GaAs: quantitative effects of dynamic screening (Invited Paper)

The average energy loss rate (AELR, in an ensemble sense) of hot electrons via interactions with quasi-equilibrium electron-only and electron-hole plasmas in bulk GaAs is calculated exactly, within the random phase approximation (RPA). Results are presented for plasma densities ranging from 4 X 1015 cm-3 to 1 X 1019 cm-3, and for temperatures ranging from 100 K to 300 K. Comparisons are made with simpler, static screening and plasmon pole approximations. Using the full RPA result, a critical plasma density is obtained beyond which the AELR decreases. A quantitative analysis of this behavior shows that it is due to both the Pauli exclusion principle, and to a blocking mechanism that occurs when plasmon emission processes become kinematically forbidden.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sarin trasport across excised human skin III. The effect on solvant pretreatment on adsorption and desorption by keratin

Abstract Keratin powder was pretreated with either methyl o -formate, p -dioxane, or dimethyl sulfoxide in order to determine the effect on the adsorption and desorption of sarin. Heats of adsorption and heats of activation for adsorption and desorption were determined. A rank order correlation was observed between the heat of activation for desorption and previously reported activation energies for transport through callous membranes.
Effects of oxygen concentration on radiative loss from normal-gravity and microgravity methane diffusion flames

Laminar diffusion flames of methane, burning in quiescent oxidizing environments at atmospheric pressure, have been studied under both normal-gravity and microgravity conditions. Radiation from these flames is measured using a wide-view-angle, thermopile detector radiometer. The oxidizer was 18, 21, and 30 percent oxygen in nitrogen.
Interaction between the Btk PH domain and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate directly regulates Btk.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) binds to phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns-3,4,5-P3) through the Btk pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, an interaction thought to be required for Btk membrane translocation during B cell receptor signaling. Here, we report that interaction of PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 with the PH domain of Btk directly induces Btk enzymatic activation in an in vitrokinase assay. A point mutation that reduces interaction of PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 with the Btk PH domain blocks in vitro PtdIns-3,4,5-P3-dependent Btk activation, whereas the PH domain deletion enhances Btk basal activity but eliminates the PtdIns-3,4,5-P3-dependent stimulation. Btk kinase activity and the Btk activation loop phosphorylation site are both required for the PtdIns-3,4,5-P3-mediated stimulation of Btk kinase activity. Together, these results suggest that the Btk PH domain is positioned such that it normally suppresses both Btk kinase activity and access to substrates; when interacting with PtdIns-3,4,5-P3, this suppression is relieved, producing apparent Btk activation. In addition, using Src family kinase inhibitors and Btk catalytically inactive mutants, we demonstrate thatin vivo, the activation of Btk is due to both Lyn phosphorylation and PtdIns-3,4,5-P3-mediated direct activation. Thus, the Btk-PtdIns-3,4,5-P3 interaction serves to translocate Btk to the membrane and directly regulate its signaling function.
Determinants of Metastatic Rate and Survival in Patients With Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome: A Prospective Long-term Study

Abstract Background/Aims: It is unclear whether tumor location, size, or the presence of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) alters metastatic rate and survival in patients with pancreatic endocrine tumors. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic factors of survival and metastatic rate in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). Methods: Data were analyzed from 185 consecutive patients with ZES who were followed up prospectively. Results: Liver metastases were present in 24% of patients and correlated with the size of the primary tumor. Duodenal tumors were smaller than pancreatic tumors. Liver metastases occurred more often (P
Incorporation of Sulfate-S35 and Glucosamine-1-C14 into Heparin During Perfusion of Isolated Rat Liver

Sulfate-S 35 and glucosamine-1-C 14 are incorporated into heparin which has been added to the blood perfusing an isolated, surviving rat liver. Although both labels are firmly bound to heparin, such uptake does not necessarily indicate synthesis of the polymer. Despite the fact that the perfused heparin has undergone some moderate depolymerization, its biological activity remains unchanged. The presence in the bile of material containing hexuronic acid and hexosamine but deprived of anticoagulant activity suggests that products derived from heparin breakdown may be eliminated in the bile.
Neurotrophic factors and structural plasticity in addiction.

Abstract Drugs of abuse produce widespread effects on the structure and function of neurons throughout the brain's reward circuitry, and these changes are believed to underlie the long-lasting behavioral phenotypes that characterize addiction. Although the intracellular mechanisms regulating the structural plasticity of neurons are not fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests an essential role for neurotrophic factor signaling in the neuronal remodeling which occurs after chronic drug administration. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor enriched in brain and highly regulated by several drugs of abuse, regulates the phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase (PI3K), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathways, which influence a range of cellular functions including neuronal survival, growth, differentiation, and structure. This review discusses recent advances in our understanding of how BDNF and its signaling pathways regulate structural and behavioral plasticity in the context of drug addiction.
Lattice constants of Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3 solid solution alloys

Abstract The Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3 quasi-binary system is rhombohedral for all compositions. Lattice constants a0 and c0 (based on a hexagonal lattice) for the entire range were determined using powder pattern film techniques. The constant a0 follows Vegard's Rule over the entire range of compositions, while the constant c0 exhibits a positive deviation over the range from 40 mol% Bi2Se3 to Bi2Se3. Bi2Te3 has a layered structure with planes of atoms of a single type parallel to the basal plane. The lattice constant data can be explained in terms of Se-atom substitution in preferred planes for the range Bi2Te3-Bi2Te2Se. Interlayer spacings for Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te2S are given and discussed.
Dexterity measures for the design and control of kinematically redundant manipulators

In this paper, we have proposed a number of measures for the quantification of dexterity of manipulators. The use of such measures is especially important for kinematically redundant manipulators since they can satisfy secondary cri teria in addition to satisfying a specification of end-effector motion. We will compare several measures for the problems offinding an optimal configuration for a given end-effector position, finding an optimal workpoint, and designing the op timal link lengths of an arm.
Toxicity and cellular responses of intestinal cells exposed to titanium dioxide

The increasing use of nanomaterials in healthcare and industrial products heightens the possibility of their ingestion by humans, other mammals, and fish. While toxicity of many nanomaterials has recently been studied, reports of non-lethal effects of nanomaterials remain ill-defined. This study investigates possible pathways by which nanoparticles, titanium dioxide (TiO(2)), could cross the epithelium layer by employing both toxicity and mechanistic studies. This study provides evidence that at 10 microg/mL and above, TiO(2) nanoparticles cross the epithelial lining of the intestinal model by transcytosis, albeit at low levels. TiO(2) was able to penetrate into and through the cells without disrupting junctional complexes, as measured by gamma-catenin. To monitor the epithelial integrity, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was employed and determined low concentrations (10 or 100 microg/mL) of TiO(2) do not disrupt epithelial integrity. Live/dead analysis results did not show cell death after exposure to TiO(2). In addition, at 10 microg/mL (and above) TiO(2) nanoparticles begin alteration of both microvillar organization on the apical surface of the epithelium as well as induce a rise in intracellular-free calcium. The latter is a mechanism cells use to respond to extracellular stimuli and may be linked to the alteration of the apical microvilli. Although TiO(2) does not show cell death, the implication of other, non-lethal, effects could lead to undesired outcomes (i.e., disease, malnutrition, shortened life span, etc.).
Influence of Dissolved Atmospheric Gas on Swimming Performance of Juvenile Chinook Salmon

Abstract Juvenile chinook salmon, Oncorhynchas tshawytscha, were exposed to selected levels of dissolved atmospheric gas ranging from 100 (control) to 120% of saturation, and surviving fish were then tested for maximal swimming performance. Decreased swimming capability resulted from exposure to concentrations ranging from 106 to 120% of saturation if the fish were tested immediately; other tests indicated that recovery of swimming capabilities occurred within 2 hr if the fish were returned to equilibrated water (100% of atmospheric saturation) before testing.
Anomalous clastic wedge development during the Sevier-Laramide transition, North American Cordilleran foreland basin, USA

New, high-resolution, regional correlation and isopach maps provide evidence that (1) Laramide-style deformation began as early as ca. 77 Ma in central Utah, and (2) rapid (208 km m.y. –1 ) and extensive (400 km) progradation of a clastic wedge was facilitated by reduced subsidence during the transition from Sevier- to Laramide-style deformation. This study defi nes three Campanian, alluvialto-marine clastic wedges that traversed 200– 400 km eastward across the Utah-Colorado segment of the Cordilleran foreland basin. Wedges A and C are thicker successions with rising-trajectory shoreline stacking patterns (Blackhawk Formation and Lower Castlegate Sandstone, Bluecastle Tongue and Rollins Sandstone) that refl ect relatively slow overall progradation (50–81 km m.y. –1 ) of narrow (10–20 km wide), wave-dominated shorelines. In contrast, wedge B consists of lower-volume successions with a fl at to falling shoreline stacking pattern (Middle Castlegate Sandstone, Sego Sandstone, Neslen Formation, Corcoran and Cozzette Members of the Iles Formation) that suggests rapid progradation (~208 km m.y. –1 ) of embayed (60–80 km wide), mixed-energy (wave- and tide-infl uenced ) shore lines. Wedges A and C prograded 200–250 km in more than ~3 m.y., whereas wedge B prograded 340–400 km in ~2 m.y. (~170 km m.y. –1 ). The anomalously extensive wedge B is unique in the Utah-Colorado segment because of its long extent, rapid progradation rate, dominance of tidally infl uenced facies, long-transit transgressions/regressions, and low-accommodation, nested sequence architecture. Stratigraphic relationships indicate development of wedge B coeval with both Sevier- and Laramide-style deformation in Utah. Assuming a constant sediment supply, the extensive (>300–400 km) “sheet-like” amalgamated wedge (wedge B) may have been caused by (1) reduced subsidence driven by a fl exural interference pattern, whereby two short-wavelength (±200 km) fl exural profi les are superimposed during the uplift of both basement-cored and thin-skinned thrust belt, (2) an increase in, or eastward migration of, dynamic subsidence during tectonic transitions associated with slab fl attening or rollback (i.e., long-wavelength fl exure), or (3) reduced subsidence due to short-wavelength fl exural interference augmented by the reduction, or migration, of long-wavelength fl
091 Expression of Human β‐Defensin‐2 in the Skin Appendages of Burn Wounds

Major burn wounds are often complicated by sepsis which currently accounts for over 54% of deaths in these patients. Defensins, a family of cationic naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides are considered important components of the innate immune system as they play a major role in body’s defence by inhibiting several bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. They also chemoattract immature dendritic cells and T and B-lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages and act as an adjuvant and enhance adaptive immunity. Our prior studies using RT-PCR suggest decreased expression of human β defensin-2 (HBD-2) in burn wounds. Furthermore we demonstrated remnants of HBD-2 in the dermis. Our current study, using fluorescence deconvolution microscopy, has clarified that HBD-2 is present in the surviving hair follicles. The peptide was also located in the eccrine and apocrine sweat gland acini but absent in the sweat ducts, in representative skin samples of deep partial and full thickness burns. HBD-2 was also notably absent from the vascular endothelium and fat cells. The result of these studies will contribute to an understanding of the role of antimicrobial peptides in the pathophysiology of burn injury, associated immunosuppression and sepsis.
Multimodality Imaging of Pericardial Diseases

Pericardial disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. Inflammatory diseases of the pericardium constitute a spectrum ranging from acute pericarditis to chronic constrictive pericarditis. Other important entities that involve the pericardium include benign and malignant pericardial masses, pericardial cysts, and diverticula, as well as congenital absence of the pericardium. Recent advances in multimodality noninvasive cardiac imaging have solidified its role in the management of patients with suspected pericardial disease. The physiologic and structural information obtained from transthoracic echocardiography and the anatomic detail provided by cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance have led to growing interest in the complementary use of these techniques. Optimal management of the patient with suspected pericardial disease requires familiarity with the key imaging modalities and the ability to choose the appropriate imaging tests for each patient. This report reviews the imaging modalities most useful in the assessment of patients with pericardial disease, with an emphasis on the complementary value of multimodality cardiac imaging.
Analysis of clinical bioethics teaching in pediatric surgery residency

Abstract Background/Purpose: Although clinical bioethics teaching (CBT) is not a required component of the essential curriculum for pediatric surgery residency, ethical considerations often accompany surgical decision making for infants and children. This study was designed to quantitate CBT during pediatric surgery residency (PSR) and to determine preferences about formal bioethics instruction. Methods: An 80-item questionnaire was mailed to 140 graduates of accredited PSR in the United States and Canada. Questions included demographic data, experience in CBT during and after PSR, preferred topics and teaching methods, and self-assessed and objective competency in bioethics. Results: The response rate was 78% (n = 109); 72% completed PSR between 1990 and 1995 (mean, 1991). Formal CBT within the curriculum of PSR was reported by 9% of respondents; lecture and consultation with an ethicist were the most frequent teaching methods. Informal CBT was noted by 88% of pediatric surgeons; observation of patient cases with ethical dilemmas was the primary mode of instruction. Quality of life, withholding/withdrawal of care, informed consent, child abuse, and economics ranked highest for most important CBT topics, while euthanasia, clinical research trials, and cultural diversity were given low priority. The preferred teaching methods were case-based discussions and consultation with an ethicist. Although 97% favored additional CBT in all postgraduate training, respondents who completed advanced study in medical ethics ( P P P Conclusions: Formal instruction in clinical bioethics is not included in the curriculum of most residencies in pediatric surgery. Recent graduates of PSR favor case-based and practice-oriented teaching in clinical bioethics.
On Woodrow Wilson: Van Riper Replies

The historical setting of Wilson `s essay is described as the first step in response to Kirwan's critique of Van Riper. The response then traces subsequent developments in public administration lit...
Analytical evaluation of an ESM/radar track association algorithm

A number of applications exist for which association of target tracks obtained from different types of sensors is required, and an algorithm to aid the user in performing the association is desired. Depending on the application, the association algorithm must satisfy a set of system requirements, e.g., minimum acceptable probability of correct association, maximum elapsed time for association after target detection or automatic track initiation, maximum acceptable probability of false track-to-track association, etc. Evaluation of such algorithms are usually conducted using time consuming Monte Carlo simulations and are sensitive to the scenarios chosen for this purpose. This paper describes an ESM/radar track association algorithm and an analytical technique to evaluate this algorithm which avoids Monte Carlo simulation. Closed form mathematical expressions for the probabilities of correct association and false correlation are derived. In addition, trade-off studies involving several system parameters are also presented.
VISUAL ACUITY DEVELOPMENT DURING THE FIRST POST-NATAL YEAR IN HIGH RISK INFANTS. † 82

PURPOSE: To determine the development of visual acuity in premature infants who required neonatal intensive care.
Statistical prediction of satellite magnetic anomalies

Computationally rapid statistical procedures are presented for satellite altitude normalizations and the gridding of magnetic anomaly data, as an alternative to the more commonly used but computationally expensive equivalent-source inversion procedures. The statistical predictions of Magsat observations over South America have demonstrated the great computational advantages of collocation over equivalent source inversion in gridding magnetic anomally data; in general, three-dimensional collocation is an efficient and cost-effective approach for obtaining altitude-normalized anomally grids from orbital or arbitrarily distributed data.
Phenylalanine-dependent de novo synthesis of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis.

Abstract A synthetic medium was developed in which the presence of phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) in the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis was dependent on the addition of l -phenylalanine. The appearance of PAL activity occurred during mid- to late log phase regardless of the time of l -phenylalanine introduction into the medium. Maximum levels of PAL activity were followed by a rapid decline in both total and specific activity. These changes were accompanied by comparable fluctuations in PAL antigen levels as measured by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Proteins of yeast grown in the presences of l -phenylalanine were radiolabeled in vivo with l -[ 3 H]leucine. The labeled protein was immunoprecipitated with anti-PAL serum and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A labeled protein comigrated with subunits of authentic PAL. These data support the hypothesis that de novo synthesis of PAL in R. glutinis is l -phenylalanine dependent.
APL for statistical research of atmospheric flows during the dust storm

The existence of the Aral Sea depends almost completely on the waters of the Amudarya and Syrdarya rivers, so that a considerable decrease in the flow in the drainage-basin of these rivers results in a lower sea level. As a result huge areas of sea bottom are now revealed, mainly on the eastern sea coast. A significant part of this area is comprised of deposits of a loose mechanical composition, mainly from dust, which is exposed to intensive weathering.Although dust storms in the Aral Sea zone occurred before, the appearance of a new powerful source for salt and dust transport evokes well founded anxiety. This source appeared in a satellite photo in 1975, and the decoded data showed the transportation of salt-dust masses reaching the south and west sea coast. Later investigations show that this source area has a tendency to increase with the formation of a huge zone of moving dust. There is also the problem of the desertification of the Aral east coast.In the world the study of dust aerosol qualities has received great attention, because the deserts which occupy more than 30% of the land area are the main source of dust aerosol. Special attention is given to experimental and theoretical investigations of desert aerosol transport problems for the quantitative description of the wind driven transfer of dust from source to precipitation area.
Response of three obligate parasites to ozone

Ozone (O3), at concentrations often found in the ambient air of certain areas, inhibited various phases of the asexual cycle of two rust fungi, Puccinia coronata var. avenae and Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, and of a powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei. With the rust fungi, O3 inhibited sporulation but did not affect germination and infection by exposed spores. With the mildew fungus, O3 did not affect sporulation or germination but did inhibit infection by exposed spores.
Prolonged KREEP magmatism on the Moon indicated by the youngest dated lunar igneous rock

Primordial solidification of the Moon (or its uppermost layer) resulted in the formation of a variety of rock types that subsequently melted and mixed to produce the compositional diversity observed in the lunar sample suite. The initial rocks to crystallize from this Moon-wide molten layer (the magma ocean) contained olivine and pyroxene and were compositionally less evolved than the plagioclase-rich rocks that followed. The last stage of crystallization, representing the last few per cent of the magma ocean, produced materials that are strongly enriched in incompatible elements including potassium (K), the rare earth elements (REE) and phosphorus (P)--termed KREEP. The decay of radioactive elements in KREEP, such as uranium and thorium, is generally thought to provide the thermal energy necessary for more recent lunar magmatism. The ages of KREEP-rich samples are, however, confined to the earliest periods of lunar magmatism between 3.8 and 4.6 billion years (Gyr) ago, providing no physical evidence that KREEP is directly involved in more recent lunar magmatism. But here we present evidence that KREEP magmatism extended for an additional 1 Gyr, based on analyses of the youngest dated lunar sample.
Segmentation of Colour Images by Modified Mountain Clustering

Segmentation of colour images is an important issue in various machine vision and image processing applications. Though clustering techniques have been in vogue for many years, these have not been very effective because of problems like selection of the number of clusters. This problem has been tackled by having a validity measure coupled with the new clustering technique. This method treats each point in the dataset, which is the map of all possible colour combinations in the given image, as a potential cluster centre and estimates its potential wrt other data elements. First, the point with the maximum value of potential is considered to be a cluster centre and then its effect is removed from other points of the dataset. This procedure is repeated to determine different cluster centres. At the same time, the compactness and the minimum separation is computed amongst all the cluster centres, and also the validity function as the ratio of these quantities. The validity function can be used to choose the number of clusters. This technique has been compared to the fuzzy C-means technique and the results have been shown for a sample colour image.
The transcendence of eternity

Members of Masonic lodges are taught to ‘contemplate the intellectual faculty and to trace it from its development, through the paths of heavenly science, even to the Throne of God Himself’. This paper presents a personal and eclectic account of such contemplation by one who, with all due reverence and humility, has sought to plumb the depths of the hidden mysteries of nature and science and also to understand, as far as it is possible for anyone in this sublunary abode to understand, the Divine purpose behind life, the universe and everything. Drawing inspiration from the Masonic system, which has been a major influence in his life and work, and parallels in the teachings of the mystics, the author asserts his firm conviction that we are indeed ‘rooted in eternity’ and shows how modern cosmology has profoundly enhanced this conviction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the existence and uniqueness of solutions generated by equivalent linearization

Abstract The existence and uniqueness of approximate solutions generated by the generalized method of equivalent linearization is considered. For the stationary analysis of systems with harmonic or Gaussian random excitation, it is shown that even though the equivalent linear system may not be unique, a simple element-by-element substitute system exists. Furthermore, this system is at least as good as any other similarly defined substitute system.
Atopic Dermatitis and Keratoconjunctivitis

Atopic dermatitis, a chronic disease seen by allergist-immunologists, has both dermatologic and ocular manifestations. The ocular component is often disproportionately higher than the dermatologic disease. Even if skin abnormalities seem well controlled, these patients require ophthalmic evaluation. Atopic keratoconjunctivitis in atopic dermatitis patients is characterized by acute exacerbations and requires maintenance therapy for long-term control. Future studies will continue to emphasize the use of steroid-sparing, immunomodulating agents that have the potential to provide long-lasting anti-inflammatory control with a more favorable side-effect profile.
Detection of the reversibility of an excited-state reaction by phase-modulation fluorometry☆

Abstract We used phase and modulation fluorometry to investigate the excited-state proton transfer from 2-naphthol. Phase-sensitive detection of fluorescence allows determination of the phase angles of the two-excited species, naphthol and naphtholate. If the steady-state spectra of the individual species are known and are not identical, then this general procedure yields the phase angles irrespective of the extent of the spectral overlap. The phase difference (Δφ) between the naphthol and naphtholate emission is given by tan Δφ = ω/(Γ R + k 2 where ω is the circular modulation frequency, Γ R the decay rate of naphtholate fluorescence and k 2 the rate of the reverse reaction. Hence, Δφ reflects both the decay rate of the reaction product and the rate of the reverse action. This back reaction was also detected by comparison of phase shift (φ) and demodulation ( m ) values for the initially excited state. Specifically, the reverse reaction results in a double exponential decay of naphthol fluorescence, which is revealed by m /cosφ
Impact of traveler advisory systems on driving speed: some new evidence

Abstract This paper explores the effects of driving behavior using in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle traffic advisory information relating to adverse weather and incident conditions. A full-size, fixed-based driving simulator is used to collect data on drivers’ speed behavior under four different advisory-information conditions: in-vehicle messages, out-of-vehicle messages, both types of messages, and no messages. The findings of this study suggest an interesting phenomenon in that, while messages are significant in reducing speeds in the area of adverse conditions, drivers tend to compensate for this speed reduction by increasing speeds downstream when such adverse conditions do not exist. As a result, the net safety effects of such message systems are ambiguous.
Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to stykene over carbon-based catalysts

Abstract Catalysts based on pyrolyzed polymeric systems and high surface area carbons have been investigated for their activity in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. A relationship between surface area and activity is established, with high surface area materials displaying greater activity. One material in particular, ultrahigh surface area carbon molecular sieves, exhibits extraordinary reactivity—80% conversion with over 90% selectivity to styrene in a single pass at 350 °C. This is more active than recently reported inorganic oxide-based catalysts at a significantly lower temperature. The results are consistent with the proposal that the carbonaceous overlayer observed in many inorganic oxide systems is the true catalyst, and that the surface structure of this carbon is the key to the catalytic activity.
Strategic Misspecification in Regression Models

Common regression models are often structurally inconsistent with strategic interaction. We demonstrate that this “strategic misspecification” is really an issue of structural (or functional form) misspecification. The misspecification can be equivalently written as a form of omitted variable bias, where the omitted variables are nonlinear terms arising from the players' expected utility calculations and often from data aggregation. We characterize the extent of the specification error in terms of model parameters and the data and show that typical regressions models can at times give exactly the opposite inferences versus the true strategic data-generating process. Researchers are recommended to pay closer attention to their theoretical models, the implications of those models concerning their statistical models, and vice versa.
“I'm forgetting both”: L1 maintenance and codeswitching in Finnish-English language contact

This article is a case study investigating the maintenance of Finnish in the language of two young Finnish-American bilinguals. The main source of data is a 90mins audio-taped conversation between the research participants, which was recorded in Finland after they had lived eight years in the United States and become fully fluent in English. Three main questions are addressed: (1) Are there signs of first language attrition or change from Finland-Finnish patterns in the area of morphosyntax? (2) Are there signs of imperfect acquisition of Finnish lexicon? (3) Can the research participants' codeswithing patterns be seen as indications of attrition in Finnish morphosyntax and/or imperfect acquisition of Finnish?
Use of family planning at first sexual intercourse among young adults in Ecuador

The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with the use of family planning at first sexual intercourse among young adults aged 15 to 24 in urban Ecuador. The study population consisted of 1443 young adults (494 females and 949 males) in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, interviewed by the 1988 Ecuador Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey, who reported having experienced consensual sexual intercourse. Approximately 11% of females and 15% of males reported using contraception at first intercourse. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess jointly the effect of multiple factors on contraceptive use at first intercourse. The regression model was first run on the entire study population and then separately for males and females. In the overall population, the following variables were significantly related to using family planning at first sex: being male; being from Guayaquil; older age; father's completion of secondary school. Having lost one's virginity to a prostitute was significantly associated with non-use of family planning. Males were 3.6 times more likely than females to use family planning during their first sexual intercourse. For each year older a young adult was at first sex, his or her odds of using family planning was multiplied by a factor of 1.3. Twenty-eight per cent of males in this study experienced their first sexual intercourse with a prostitute, and these young men were highly unlikely to use family planning. A male who experienced first intercourse with his girlfriend was more than five times as likely to use contraception than a male who lost his virginity to a prostitute.
Optimum Conditions for Quantitative Measurements with the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer

The application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to quantitative analysis is a relatively new and unexplored area, as evidenced by few reports in the literature on the subject. Jung-nickel and Forbes reported a study of the optimum operating conditions for measuring the integral signals representing the different protons of each of 26 compounds. These substances were studied as 30% solutions in carbon tetrachloride. Paulsen and Cooke made an extensive study of the theoretical considerations of measuring integral signals and the practical applications of these considerations. Methods have been published in which quantitative results are obtained through a comparison of peak heights or the use of an external standard. The study reported in this paper was designed to delineate the optimum-operating instrumental parameters and the limits of precision and accuracy that can be expected when integrating spectra with our present equipment. This equipment includes a Varian A-60 analytical NMR spectrometer and a Hewlett-Packard Model 405-BR digital voltmeter (which monitors the output of the dc amplifier of the integrator). The use of a digital voltmeter to measure integral signals has been described by Johnson and Schoolery and is given in the A-60 instruction manual.
Blast simulation of explosives buried in saturated sand

Shallow buried explosives pose a significant threat to lightweight vehicles and their onboard personnel. To date, designers of lightweight vehicles are limited in their knowledge of what occurs during the blast. The high intensity, short term loading imparted by the explosion is enormously complex and can be significantly affected by a number of parameters including the size, shape, type, detonation point and depth of burial (DOB) of the explosive and the type, density and water content of the soil. Recent advancements in numerical simulations have enabled the complex blast event to be accurately modelled by coupling Eulerian and Lagrangian analyses: the former is well suited to modelling the blast and while the latter, the structural response. Further validation of the modelling technique is considered in the current paper, which details simulations performed utilising the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis to study the blast output of explosives buried in saturated sand. These experiments varied explo...
Information-theoretic optimization of chemical sensors

Abstract A gas-sensor optimization scheme for odor discrimination is introduced in this paper. We formulate the odor class separability in terms of a fundamental tool in information theory, namely the Kullback–Leibler distance (KL-distance), which gives a quantitative measure of the mutual difference between two probability distributions. We argue that maximizing this measure over a controllable operating parameter of a sensing element promotes robust odor discrimination. We demonstrate on a sample dataset that tuning the operating temperature of a metal oxide sensor based on the suggested criterion not only yields a substantial improvement in classification performance but also informs about those operating temperatures that cause a total confusion in the odor discrimination.
A survey of techniques for approximating reachable and controllable sets

Two approaches to estimating reachable and controllable sets, the first based on optimal control theory techniques and the second on theorems related to Lyapunov stability criteria, have been widely discussed in the literature. The author reviews the algorithms associated with each approach for time-invariant systems governed by ordinary differential equations, difference equations, and retarded functional differential equations. Emphasis is placed on linear systems with constrained control. >
Simulation of cell to cell interaction during reentrant activation

The cardiac electrophysiological phenomena of reentrant excitation has been postulated as a possible mechanism for ventricular arrhythmias. Reentrant activation has been shown with the surviving epicardial layer as the electrophysiological substrate in a four-day canine post left anterior descending artery occlusion model. The thin surviving epicardial layer was simulated by a two-dimensional finite cable model with the active membrane properties modeled by modified Beeler-Reuter kinetics. The model surface consists of the periphery-reflecting normal membrane properties with progressively depressed membrane properties and decreased cellular coupling at the center of the surface. The functional significance of the simulation study of cell-cell electrical interaction during reentrant excitation is to provide a basis for understanding the spatial gradations of conduction velocity observed as regions of slow conduction leading to functional conduction block in the reentrant circuit. >
Lipid Ozonation Products Activate Phospholipases A2, C, and D

Ozone exposure, in vitro, has been shown to activate phospholipases A2 (PLA2), C (PLC), and D (PLD) in airway epithelial cells. However, because of its high reactivity, ozone cannot penetrate far into the air/lung tissue interface. It has been proposed that ozone reacts with unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and cell membranes to generate a cascade of lipid ozonation products (LOP) that mediate ozone-induced toxicity. To test this hypothesis, we exposed cultured human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to LOP (1-100 microM) produced from the ozonation of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and measured the activity of PLA2, PLC, and PLD. The PLA2 isoform responsible for arachidonic acid release (AA) in stimulated cultures was also characterized. Activation of PLA2, PLC, and PLD by three oxidants, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) and 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride (AAPH) also was measured and compared to that of LOP. The derivatives of ozonized POPC at the sn-2 residue, 9-oxononanoyl (PC-ALD), 9-hydroxy-9-hydroperoxynonanoyl (PC-HHP), and 8-(-5-octyl-1,2,4-trioxolan-3-yl-) octanoyl (POPC-OZ) selectively activated PLA2 in a dose-dependent fashion. Cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) measured in the cytosolic fraction of stimulated cell lysates was found to be the predominant isoform responsible for AA release. PLC activation was exclusively induced by the hydroxyhydroperoxide derivatives. PC-HHP and the 9-carbon hydroxyhydroperoxide (HHP-C9) increased PLC activity. PLD activity also was induced by LOP generated from POPC. Incubation of cultures with H2O2 alone did not stimulate PLC; however, in the presence of the aldehyde, nonanal, a 62 +/- 2% increase in PLC activity was found, suggesting that the increase in activity was due to the formation of the intermediate HHP-C9. t-BOOH, and AAPH also failed to induce PLA2 activation, but did activate PLC, under conditions of exposure identical to that of LOP. Only t-BOOH activated PLD. These results suggest that biologically relevant concentrations of LOP activate PLA2, PLC, and PLD in the airway epithelial cell, a primary target to ozone exposure. The activation of these phospholipases may play a role in the development of lung inflammation during ozone exposure.
Pyramid implementation of optimal-step conjugate-search algorithms for some low-level vision problems

The authors present a parallel pyramid implementation of the line search conjugate gradient algorithm for minimizing the cost function in low-level vision problems. By viewing the global cost function as a Gibbs energy function, it is possible to compute the gradients, inner products, and optimal-step size efficiently using the pyramid. Implementation of this algorithm for shape-from-shading results in a multiresolution conjugate gradient algorithm. The robustness and efficiency of the algorithm are demonstrated for edge detection using the graduated nonconvexity (GNC) algorithm. This formulation is also applied to image estimation based on Markov models. A compound model for the original image is defined that consists of a 2D noncausal Gauss-Markov random field to represent the homogeneous regions and a line process to represent the discontinuities. A deterministic algorithm based on the GNC formulation is derived to obtain a near-optimal maximum a posteriori probability estimate of images corrupted by additive Gaussian noise. >
Turbulence Modeling for the Stable Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Implications for Wind Energy

The near-surface structure of atmospheric turbulence affects the design and operation of wind turbines and is especially difficult to predict under stably-stratified conditions. This study uses large-eddy simulation (LES) to explore properties of the stable boundary layer (SBL) using an explicit filtering and reconstruction turbulence modeling approach. Simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer over flat terrain, under both moderately and strongly stable conditions are performed. Results from high-resolution simulations are used to investigate SBL flow structures including mean profiles and turbulence statistics, which are relevant to wind energy applications. The applicability of power-law relations and empirical similarity formulations for predicting wind speed depend on the strength of stratification and are shown to be inadequate. Low-level jets form in the simulations. Under strong stability, vertical wind shear below the jet triggers intermittent turbulence. The associated sporadic “bursting” events are extremely energetic and last longer than the time scale of the largest eddies. Such phenomena can have adverse effects on turbine lifetime and performance.