cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collision detection for carrier sense multiple access in wireless networks

Due to constraints inherent in RF systems, it is commonly agreed that collision detection is not feasible for CSMA-based wireless networks. However, by applying ideas from the busy-tone solution for hidden terminals and engineering together existing solutions for RF communications, we devise a simple method to reliably detect collisions for the wireless channel. We investigate the throughput gain delivered by CSMA/CD and its cross-layer designed version for multipacket-reception capable physical layers. We show that collision detection can help the system operate closer to its channel capacity. Our novel performance-improving protocols can be applied as beneficial extensions to the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standards
Improving the User Experience of Our Own UX Ideas

Systems thinking is a perspective that focuses on looking at interdependent relationships between entities in an organization, making visible otherwise hard to see leverage points. Evaluation is an inherent part of designly thinking, even though many practicing UX professionals view evaluation as something that follows "design." These two views are discussed related to understanding how to get more traction for our UX ideas in the existing design processes within our organizations.
Developing Risk Metrics to Estimate Risks of Catastrophic Biological and Bioterrorist Events: Applications to the Food Industry

If the food sector is attacked, the likely agents will be chemical, biological or radionuclear (CBRN). This article provides an overview of ongoing research on international terrorist/criminal activity involving such agents. The issue is the ability to calculate the likelihood of rare but catastrophic risks and in this case, the risk of a catastrophic terrorist attack. The analysis is based on using a statistical method known as extreme value statistics to estimate this risk. The article argues that such a method is an appropriate tool for studying high impact, low frequency events. The pronounced nonstationary patterns within the data suggest that the “reoccurrence period” for such attacks is decreasing every year. Similarly disturbing trends are evident in a broader dataset which is nonspecific as to the methods or means of attack. Keywords: extreme value theory; catastrophic risk assessment; biological weapons; chemical weapons; food supply chain; terrorism
Near-Infrared Measurements of Kinematics in Luminous Galaxies

We have examined the starburst galaxies M82 and NGC 6240. Studying the stellar kinematics derived using the 2.3 μm. (2–0)12CO stellar absorption bandhead and the 2.16 μm Brackett γ emission line, we found that the old stellar populations, that predate the starbursts, are significant contributor to the total K luminosity of both sources in both of these systems. We find evidence that as much as 1/4 of the K luminosity of M82 is not related to the starburst. Futher in NGC 6240 we find that the K luminosty is not related to the star formation taking place in its nuclear region. We therefore speculate these old stellar populations can be important contributors to the net luminosities of starbursting galaxies and must be accounted for when modeling these systems.
Higher Education in Virtual Worlds: Teaching and Learning in Second Life Charles Wankel and Jan Kingsley, Eds

Every innovation has its evangelists and its naysayers. The use of Second Life for education has certainly had plenty of both. For educators who believe it to be a revolution in the virtual classro...
Offline Voice Activity Detector using speech supergaussianity

Voice Activity Detectors (VAD) play important role in audio processing algorithms. Most of the algorithms are designed to be causal, i.e. to work in real time using only current and past audio samples. Off-line processing, when we have access to the entire voice utterance, allows using different type of approaches for increased precision. In this paper we propose an algorithm for off-line VAD based on the different probability density functions (PDFs) of the speech and noise. While a Gaussian distribution is a very good model for noise, the speech PDF is peakier. The proposed VAD algorithm works in frequency domain and estimates the speech signal presence probability for each frequency bin in each audio frame, the speech presence probability for each frame and also provides a binary decision per bin and frame. Provides improved precision compared to the streaming real-time VAD algorithms.
Towards an index of opportunity: understanding changes in mental workload during task execution

To contribute to systems that reason about human attention, our work empirically demonstrates how a user's mental workload changes during task execution. We conducted a study where users performed interactive, hierarchical tasks while mental workload was measured through the use of pupil size. Results show that (i) different types of subtasks impose different mental workload, (ii) workload decreases at subtask boundaries, (iii) workload decreases more at boundaries higher in a task model and less at boundaries lower in the model, (iv) workload changes among subtask boundaries within the same level of a task model, and (v) effective understanding of why changes in workload occur requires that the measure be tightly coupled to a validated task model. From the results, we show how to map mental workload onto a computational Index of Opportunity that systems can use to better reason about human attention.
The octahedron in chemistry

An investigation is made of some aspects of the geometry of repeating patterns in which various numbers of octahedra meet at each point, and its relevance to the structures of a number of ions, molecules, and crystals is examined. Structures discussed include the rutile and corundum structures. The relation between charge balance and purely geometrical factors in complex oxides and oxy-salts is briefly discussed.
Advanced thin conformal Al2O3 films for high aspect ratio mercury cadmium telluride sensors

Mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) processing must be per- formed at a low temperature in order to reduce Hg depletion. To meet demand, low-temperature plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) is an emerging deposition technology for highly conformal thin films. We comparatively studied the effectiveness of low-temperature PE-ALD by measuring the ALD film roughness, thickness, and dielectric values. Conformal deposition was investigated through scanning electron microscopy images of the Al2O3 film deposited onto high aspect ratio fea- tures dry-etched into HgCdTe. PE-ALD demonstrated conformal coatings of trenches, pillars and holes in advanced HgCdTe infrared sensor archi- tectures. © 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). (DOI: 10.1117/1 .OE.51.10.104003)
Scattering from a hyperboloidal reflector in a cassegrainian feed system

The scattered field from a hyperboloidal reflector is calculated by integrating the induced current density over the front of the hyperboloid. The resulting integral expressions for the fields possess a stationary term which, when evaluated, yields the geometrical ray-optics approximation to the scattering problem. The complete field, including diffraction effects, may be obtained by numerical evaluation of the integrals. The formulas are applied to a hyperboloid illuminated by an idealized, sharply cut off uniform feed pattern. Characteristic diffraction phenomena are reduced with increasing D/\lambda until the geometrical ray-optics result is obtained in the limit of vanishing wavelength. Theoretical field patterns are also obtained for a horn-fed hyperboloidal subreflector in a Cassegrainian feed system; they indicate that for moderately large hyperboloidal reflectors spillover may be reduced to an acceptable level, but there is a tendency toward increased forward spillover. The results of 9600-Mc model tests compare favorably with the theoretical patterns.
Treatment of uncertainties in the performance assessment of geologic high-level radioactive waste repositories

Federal regulations governing the disposal of high-level radioactive waste in deep, geologic repositories require an assessment of performance over thousands of years. Because of the long regulatory period involved and the complex nature of the events and processes of interest, prediction of the performance of the disposal system will inevitably include uncertainties. These uncertainties come from a variety of sources, and some are quantifiable and others are not. This paper discusses these uncertainties and outlines approaches for their treatment. Recommendations for the potential resolution of current limitations in the treatment of uncertainties in performance assessment are made. Some general issues, as well as a suggested approach for incorporating expert judgment into quantitative performance assessment analysis, are discussed also.
Sub-wavelengh sized optical cavity resonators with fishnet

An optical cavity resonator of deep sub-wavelength size is demonstrated numerically by inserting a single layer of “fishnet” structure of next refractive index into a Fabry-Perot cavity composed of two gold films.
Intra-industry spillovers and innovation: An econometric analysis at the firm level

This paper studies spillover effects of innovation at the firm level and the comparability of generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators with maximum likelihood estimators of the earlier studies. Two sources of spillovers are identified, i.e. intra-industry R&D expenditure and intra-industry innovation output. This paper estimates a negative R&D spillover effect and a positive output spillover effect. Because of the substitution effect of intra-industry R&D spillovers, the elasticity of patent with respect to firm's own R&D expenditure is greater than those estimated in the earlier studies. With GMM, individual effects are incorporated into the models either by developing proxies for them or attempting to eliminate them.
Parabolized Stability Equation Models for Turbulent Jets and Their Radiated Sound

In this paper we present several refinements to a wave-packet model of sound generation from large-scale turbulence. We examine heated and unheated jets at Mach numbers of 0.5 and 0.9. Pressure fluctuations associated with large-scale structures are modeled with the Parabolized Stability Equations (PSE) for linear disturbances to the turbulent mean-flow. We show that PSE provides better agreement with near-field microphone-array data at low frequencies than previous models based on linear stability theory. We examine the extent to which microphone data is contaminated by fluctuations uncorrelated with largescale structures. By filtering out the uncorrelated fluctuations, via the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), better agreement between data and theory is obtained.
Convergence in a distributed nervous system: Parallel processing and self‐organization

The present findings show that the motor system of the carnivorous sea slug Pleurobranchaea californica consists of parallel, distributed, and interconnected neuronal channels by which motor activity may emerge from the dynamics of the system rather than from "switchboard" circuitry. The findings are shown primarily through the properties of the buccal-cerebral neurons (BCNs) that extensively converge and diverge monosynaptically and polysynaptically onto brain motoneurons, providing them with drive and patterned activity. The motoneurons, some of which are electrically coupled, feed back onto the BCNs. The BCNs are functionally heterogeneous both as a group and individually. Many are multifunctional in that they take part in the generation of different behaviors, and some also appear to change their timing with respect to the phase of the pattern generator in the different motor patterns. In the buccal ganglion, the BCNs affect the characteristics of the pattern generator and may be part of the pattern generator itself. By sending axons to buccal roots and to the brain, some BCNs may act as motoneurons and also integrate the activity of brain motoneurons. Because of the effects produced by the extensive interconnections among such functionally heterogeneous and nonlinear elements, and because the "history" of activity in the system can bias subsequent activity, there is ambiguity in assessing the response properties of neurons by examining them individually or in pairs. Such an assessment requires, first, an understanding of the context of activity in which a neuron becomes coactive, and, second, because of inherent variability in the system, it is necessary to consider the temporal, nonlinear computations of the system as a whole. We discuss the findings with regard to the attractor theory that has been used to study complex mammalian systems but that does not rely on modeling of any neuronal activity. The Pleurobranchaea nervous system may provide the means for studying individual neurons within such analyses of global activity.
Comparison of batchstirred and electrospray reactors for biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene in crude oil and hydrocarbon feedstocks

Biological removal of organic sulfur from petroleum feedstocks offers an attractive alternative to conventional thermochemical treatment, because of the mild operating conditions afforded by the biocatalyst. In order for biodesulfurization to realize commercial success, reactors must be designed that allow for sufficient liquid-liquid and gas-liquid mass transfer, while simultaneously reducing operating costs. Electro-spray bioreactors were investigated for use as desulfurization reactors because of their reported operational cost savings relative to mechanically agitated reactors. Unlike batch-stirred reactors, which mix the biocatalystcontaining aqueous phase with the organic feedstock by imparting momentum to the entire bulk solution, electro-spray reactors have the potential for tremendous cost savings, creating an emulsion <5 (μm in diameter, at a cost of only 3 W/L. Power law relationships indicate that mechanically stirred reactors would require 100-1000-fold more energy to create such a fine emulsion, but these relationships generally do not account for the effect of endogenously produced surfactant in the system. Here, the rates dibenzothiophene (DBT) oxidation to 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) in hexadecane, byRhodococcus sp IGTS8 are compared in the two reactor systems. Desulfurization rates ranged from 1.0 to 5.0 mg 2-HBP/(dry g cells · h), independent of the reactor employed. The batch-stirred reactor was capable of forming a very fine emulsion in the presence of the biocatalyst IGTS8, similar to that formed in the emulsion phase contactor (EPTM), presumably because the biocatalyst produces its own surfactant. Although EPC did not prove to be advantageous for the IGTS8 desulfurization system, it may prove advantageous for systems that do not produce surface-active bioagents, in addition to being mass-transport limited.
Causality and atomicity in distributed computations

In a distributed system, high-level actions can be modeled by nonatomic events. This paper proposes causality relations between distributed nonatomic events and provides efficient testing conditions for the relations. The relations provide a fine-grained granularity to specify causality relations between distributed nonatomic events. The set of relations between nonatomic events is complete in first-order predicate logic, using only the causality relation between atomic events. For a pair of distributed nonatomic events X and Y, the evaluation of any of the causality relations requires |N X | × |N Y | integer comparisons, where |N X | and |N Y |, respectively, are the number of nodes on which the two nonatomic events X and Y occur. In this paper, we show that this polynomial complexity of evaluation can by simplified to a linear complexity using properties of partial orders. Specifically, we show that most relations can be evaluated in min(|N X |,|N Y |) integer comparisons, some in |N X | integer comparisons, and the others in |N Y | integer comparisons. During the derivation of the efficient testing conditions, we also define special system execution prefixes associated with distributed nonatomic events and examine their knowledge-theoretic significance.
The glucosinolate content of Brassica vegetables. A chemotaxonomic approach to cultivar identification.

Quantitative differences in the relative glucosinolate content of Brussels sprouts have been used to assist differentiation between cultivars. The glucosinolate pattern of each individual cultivar, determined directly using gas chromatography, has been found to vary only slightly with growing site. Differing patterns of glucosinolates have been noted amongst the corresponding seeds, thus complementing the data obtained from the mature vegetable.
On the Existence of Control Lyapunov Functions and State-Feedback Laws for Hybrid Systems

For a class of hybrid systems given in terms of constrained differential and difference equations/inclusions, we study the existence of control Lyapunov functions when compact sets are asymptotically stable as well as the stabilizability properties guaranteed when control Lyapunov functions exist. An existence result asserting that asymptotic stabilizability of a compact set implies the existence of a smooth control Lyapunov function is established. When control Lyapunov functions are available, conditions guaranteeing the existence of stabilizing continuous state-feedback control laws are provided.
Analysis of repeated virological measurements based on cell dilution assays.

Virological measurement has become increasingly popular as an endpoint in the evaluation of new drugs to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diseases. A commonly used quantity to measure the viral load is the proportion of infected cells in a patient's blood. Although the literature suggests various patient-specific estimation procedures for such proportions based on a series of cell dilutions, the resulting estimates are highly unstable. Moreover, it seems inappropriate to use those estimates as raw data points to make inferences about the group differences in comparative studies. In this article, under a two-arm clinical trial setting, we propose semi-parametric methods to estimate the treatment difference with this particular quantity evaluated repeatedly over time. Our proposals are conceptually simple and implemented easily in practice. We also propose model checking techniques to examine the adequacy of the fitted model. Data from a recent trial conducted by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group to evaluate the relative merit of zidovudine (ZDV) and dideoxyinosine (ddI) illustrate the methods. Our analysis indicates that patients treated with high dose ddI tended to have significantly lower viral load than those treated with a low dose combination of ZDV and ddI. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decreased Epidermal Lipid Synthesis Accounts for Altered Barrier Function in Aged Mice

The epidermis of aged mice displays decreased stratum corneum (SC) lipid content and decreased extracellular bilayers, which result in impaired barrier recovery following the solvent treatment or tape stripping. We assessed the role of altered lipid synthesis as the cause of the abnormal barrier and lipid content in aged epidermis, both under basal conditions and in response to acute barrier perturbations. In aged epidermis ( > or = 18 months), synthesis of one of the three key lipid classes (cholesterol) is decreased under basal conditions, and sterologenesis fails to attain the levels reached in young epidermis following comparable acute perturbations. In contrast, fatty acid and sphingolipid synthesis in aged epidermis increase sufficiently to approach the levels attained in stimulated young epidermis. The abnormalities in sterologenesis in aged epidermis are paralleled by a decrease in activity of its rate-limiting enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, under basal conditions, and enzyme activity also fails to increase as much as in young epidermis after barrier disruption. That defective lipid generation contributes to the barrier defect is shown directly by the ability of either a cholesterol-containing mixture of SC lipids or cholesterol alone to enhance barrier recovery. Finally, lipid-induced acceleration of barrier recovery in aged epidermis correlates with repletion of the extracellular spaces with normal lamellar structures. Thus, a deficiency in lipid synthesis, particularly in cholesterologenesis, accounts for the barrier abnormality in aged epidermis.
Developing documentation systems for pervasive network environments

This paper provides lessons learned from the experience of creating an information system for a large pervasive solution provided by IBM®. Designing an information system for IBM WebSphere® Everyplace® Access presented unique challenges and required creative solutions.
Isolation, Enumeration and Identification of Amebae from a Nebraska Lake*

SYNOPSIS A plaque technic was evaluated and used for the isolation and enumeration of small, free-living amebae in lake-bottom samples which were collected each month for one year from a Nebraska lake. Several culture media were evaluated, and a simple glucose-salts medium was chosen. The most frequent ameba in the lake-bottom samples was Acanthamoeba polyhaga which underwent marked increases and decreases in population densities during the collection period. This pattern was not correlated with water temperature, bacterial counts, and nitrate or phosphate levels. Other species of amebae of the genera Hartmannella, Vahlkampfia, Naegleria, Paratetramitus and Echinamoeba were isolated. Most of these were either found infrequently or remained at relatively low, constant densities throughout the year. In addition, 4 species of Acrasieae of the genera Dictyostelium and Polysphondylium were isolated from the lake-bottom samples.
Asymptomatic HIV-infected women: preliminary study of quantitative EEG activity and performance on a continuous performance test.

Several studies have examined the electrophysiological correlates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in medically asymptomatic men. Although the rates of HIV infection are increasing at a greater rate in women than men, there have been no publications to date of electrophysiological functioning in HIV-infected women. In the present study, quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) activity was measured in 22 women (11 asymptomatic HIV-seropositive and 11 HIV-seronegative) utilizing a procedure comprised of three auditory continuous performance tests and a set of qEEG components derived from principal components analysis. No significant group differences were found in qEEG or in performance on the continuous performance tests; however, task-related differences were detected across groups between simple and complex language tasks in EEG fast beta power, delta power, and a left-hemisphere principal components analysis-derived EEG component. In examining the electrophysiological correlates of HI...
Urbanization and Economic Growth in Indonesia: Good News, Bad News and (Possible) Local Government Mitigation

Lewis B. D. Urbanization and economic growth in Indonesia: good news, bad news and (possible) local government mitigation, Regional Studies. Time-series analysis for Indonesia over the period 1960–2009 suggests that the level of urbanization is positively associated with economic growth but that the rate of change of urbanization is negatively correlated with growth of economic output. A sub-national dynamic panel investigation provides additional evidence of the positive and negative level and rate effects, respectively. The panel analysis also implies that the harmful impact of urban population growth is linked to insufficient local public infrastructure spending. Local governments that invest more heavily in infrastructure are better able to cope with the apparent detrimental effects of rapid urbanization on economic growth.
The Response of Jaundiced and Non-Jaundiced Weanling Rats to Thirsting

Extract: Litter-mate homozygous and heterozygous weanling rats of the Gunn strain were thirsted and fasted for 24 hours. The response of the animals to thirsting was compared by analysis of solute content of serum and composition of fluid in the renal medullae. The results are given in tables I and II. When the mean values for weight loss and serum solute concentrations were compared, it was found that the jaundiced rats were able to conserve body water as well as the non-jaundiced rats and to generate equally high concentrations of total solute in the tissue water of the renal medulla. Only two of the twelve jaundiced animals showed evidence of failure to develop the expected hypertonicity of the medullary tissue water. This failure was qualitatively similar to that found in adult jaundiced rats. Despite the presence of higher concentrations of bilirubin in serum, the medullary bilirubin content of the jaundiced weanling rat was only 5 % of the concentration found in adult animals. The sodium and urea concentrations in the renal medullary fluid were correlated (p < 0.001) in the homozygous jaundiced rats (table IV and fig. 1). A similar correlation was not found in the non-jaundiced heterozygous animals. This finding suggests that the normal rat kidney has at least two mechanisms for renal transport of urea, one of which is sodium dependent and the other sodium independent and that the latter mechanism is inoperative in the jaundiced weanling rat. Speculation: In vitro studies of bilirubin have previously suggested that toxicity is exerted by its surface activity on mitochondrial membranes. The examination of renal function in the intact jaundiced animal has revealed the possibility that tubular transport systems for urea and sodium are impaired in the presence of high concentrations of bilirubin in the renal medulla. These transport systems involve the maintenance of concentration gradients of sodium and urea across tubular epithelium. Bilirubin, through its surface activity, could impair the selective permeability of the membranes involved in urea and sodium transport within the renal medulla.
An Experimental Study of Grease-Lubricated Journal Bearings Undergoing Oscillatory Motion

A distinctive behavior of an oil-lubricated journal bearing undergoing oscillatory motion is the evolution of friction hysteresis as it traverses from boundary, to mixed, and to hydrodynamic regime. In this paper, the results of a series of experiments are reported to examine the effects of load, with or without oil, oil type, oil inlet temperature, and oscillating frequency on the friction hysteresis. Three types of hysteresis loop were found. The inertia of the lubricant flow contributes to the friction hysteresis.
Efficient parallel implementation of Bose Hubbard model: Exact numerical ground states and dynamics of gaseous Bose–Einstein condensates

Abstract We present a parallel implementation of the Bose Hubbard model, using imaginary time propagation to find the lowest quantum eigenstate and real time propagation for simulation of quantum dynamics. Scaling issues, performance of sparse matrix–vector multiplication, and a parallel algorithm for determining nonzero matrix elements are described. Implementation of imaginary time propagation yields an O(N) linear convergence on a single processor and slightly better than ideal performance on up to 160 processors for a particular problem size. The determination of the nonzero matrix elements is intractable using sequential non-optimized techniques for large problem sizes. Thus, we discuss a parallel algorithm that takes advantage of the intrinsic structural characteristics of the Fock-space matrix representation of the Bose Hubbard Hamiltonian and utilizes a parallel implementation of a Fock state look up table to make this task solvable within reasonable timeframes. Our parallel algorithm demonstrates near ideal scaling on thousand of processors. We include results for a matrix 22.6 million square, with 202 million nonzero elements, utilizing 2048 processors.
Classification of Young Children's Sleep Problems: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Objective This study examines videotaped sleep in infancy in an attempt to predict the development of disturbed sleep during toddlerhood. In addition, a tentative classification scheme that quantifies night waking and sleep onset problems in young children is proposed. Method The sleep patterns of 33 children were assessed at two points in time. At 12 months of age (time 1), sleep was videotaped on two consecutive nights. A self-soothing/signaling index for 12-month-olds was constructed. At time 2 (mean age = 39 months), a follow-up telephone interview assessed current sleep patterns and the presence or absence of sleep problems. Results The data suggest that the self-soothing/signaling index obtained at 12 months of age predicts night waking approximately 2 years later. Conclusions The preliminary classification scheme for night waking and sleep onset problems in young children warrants further study. Night waking in toddlers might be predictable from sleep behaviors at 1 year of age.
Hydroelectric development of the Saint Lawrence River

Although that part of the Saint Lawrence River known as the “international rapids section” is potentially a promising source of hydroelectric power, little has been done thus far toward developing the region. However, a contemplated plan evolved jointly by Canada and the United States provides for improvement of the section for purposes of navigation and power.
The influence of radiative heat feedback on burning rate in aluminized propellants

Abstract Metalized solid propellants have higher final flame temperatures and higher flame radiant intensities than nonmetalized propellants. However, the importance of radiative heat feedback in metalized propellant combustion is still unknown. In this study, radiative effects in aluminized propellants were examined by embedding optical fibers and microthermocouples in propellants to measure radiative and conductive feedback. Extinguishment by rapid depressurization was used to determine the condition and location of the thermocouple and optical fiber at the burning surface. Hemispherical reflectivity measurements were also made to determine propellant absorptivity. The reflectivity measurements showed that even a small amount of aluminum powder in a propellant increases the absorptivity significantly through multiple scattering in spite of the intrinsically high-bulk reflectivity of aluminum. The results of this study confirm previous findings that the effect of radiation on burning rate in nonmetalized propellants is negligible because of low incident flux from the flame and low absorptivity of the propellant. On the other hand, in aluminized propellants, radiative heat feedback is a significant fraction of the total feedback and is strongly dependent on pressure and metal loading. At 1 MPa with 20% A1 radiative feedback is 26% of the total heat feedback. It is concluded that while radiative feedback does not dominate the burning rate its effect is not negligible in aluminized propellants, at least in the pressure range 0.5–10 MPa. These results suggest that radiative feeback should also be considered in propellants containing other metals.
Möbius monoids and their connection to inverse monoids

Mobius monoids are Mobius categories in the sense of Leroux having a single object. The paper explores several properties of Mobius monoids and inverse monoids as well as the links between them. The right cancellative, left rigid Mobius monoids have a special place in our study. The paper has two goals: first, an examination of Mobius functions and Mobius inversion under suitable conditions, and second, a development of special inverse monoids and inverse submonoids which arise from Mobius monoids and Mobius categories. The prototype of this development is the polycyclic monoid, more precisely the free monoid as a Mobius monoid. This leads us to the generalization of some significant results on polycyclic monoids as Meakin–Sapir’s result involving self-conjugate inverse submonoids, or as Jones-Lawson’s results involving gauge inverse submonoids of the polycyclic monoids. Regarding Mobius functions we create links between several types of these functions.
Low temperature zinc oxide nanorod synthesis for gas detection applications

The paper presents the creation of well aligned, vertically oriented, single crystal, high aspect ratio zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) for the purpose of gas detection in a chip based sensor. It is hypothesized that the best sensor functionality will be observed when the ZnO NRs are uniform and well controlled in their growth. The resulting process will maximize aspect ratio and attempt to find an optimal NR density for surface gas absorption.
The influence of cultural similarity, type of relationship, and self‐monitoring on uncertainty reduction processes

This study examined the scope of Berger and Calabrese's (1975) uncertainty reduction theory of initial interactions in developed relationships. Multivariate analysis of covariance was employed to examine the influence of cultural similarity (intracultural vs. intercultural relationships), type of relationship (acquaintance vs. friend), and self‐monitoring (covariate) on self‐disclosure, interrogation, deception detection, attraction, attitude similarity, length of relationship, shared communication networks, and attributional confidence. Results indicated that each of the independent variables influenced the set of dependent variables and, as predicted, there was a significant interaction between cultural similarity and type of relationship. The findings suggest that selected aspects of the theory can be extended to culturally similar and dissimilar acquaintances and friendships. The present data identify boundary conditions (i.e., some theorems are limited in scope to the initial interaction context) for...
Lysosomal enzymes in experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy.

The present study examines the role of cardiac lysosomal enzymes in the pathogenesis of the cardiomyopathy that develops in genetically diabetic C57BL/K5J db+/db+ mice. Db+/db+ mice and littermate controls were sacrificed as age-matched pairs between 5–26 weeks of age. C57BL/6J ob/ob mice and littermates served as other controls. The hearts were excised, homogenized, and the following enzymatic activites measured: N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, N-acetyl-βgalactosaminidase, β-glucosaminidase, aryl sulphatase, α-mannosidase, α-glucosidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucosidase, total p-nitrophenyl phosphatase, acid phosphatase and 5′-phosphodiesterase type IV. There is a progressive decrease in cardiac lysosomal enzyme activities of db+/db+ mice for the period 5–21 weeks of age. All enzyme activity is depressed significantly during the 9–21 week interval with β-glucuronidase, aryl sulphatase and β-glucosidase decreased about 40–50%. The decrease in lysosomal enzyme activity can explain the accumulation of large residual bodies and interstitial material in the myocardium of the db+/db+ animals
Large-Eddy Simulation of Turbulence-Radiation Interactions in a Turbulent Planar Channel Flow

Large-eddy simulation (LES) has been performed for planar turbulent channel flow between two infinite, parallel, stationary plates. The capabilities and limitations of the LES code in predicting correct turbulent velocity and passive temperature field statistics have been established through comparison to direct numerical simulation data from the literature for nonreacting cases. Mixing and chemical reaction (infinitely fast) between a fuel stream and an oxidizer stream have been simulated to generate large composition and temperature fluctuations in the flow; here the composition and temperature do not affect the hydrodynamics (one-way coupling). The radiative transfer equation is solved using a spherical harmonics (P1) method, and radiation properties correspond to a fictitious gray gas with a composition- and temperature-dependent Planck-mean absorption coefficient that mimics that of typical hydrocarbon-air combustion products. Simulations have been performed for different optical thicknesses. In the absence of chemical reactions, radiation significantly modifies the mean temperature profiles, but temperature fluctuations and turbulence-radiation interactions (TRI) are small, consistent with earlier findings. Chemical reaction enhances the composition and temperature fluctuations and, hence, the importance of TRI. Contributions to emission and absorption TRI have been isolated and quantified as a function of optical thickness.
WAVE INTERACTION WITH TENSION LEG PLATFORMS

Abstract The design of deep water offshore platforms requires the analysis of wave-structure interaction phenomena which have not been as critical for shallower water platform designs. In the case of tension leg platforms (TLPs) interaction phenomena such as wave run-up on the vertical legs and the amplification of the waves beneath the deck are major design considerations. The research investigation reported here focuses on a series of small scale wave tank tests on four column TLP models examining these phenomena. The role of vertical leg spacing and comparative tests of the TLP models with and without pontoons was investigated. As the vertical legs were moved closer an increase in wave run-up and a shifting of the incident wave period corresponding to the maximum wave upwelling were noted. Comparisons with wave measurements for single cylinders from previous experimental studies and the TLP configurations used in this study are presented. A design formula for estimating wave run-up on TLPs is suggested based upon these experiments. The wave run-up on a leg directly in the wake of another leg is presented. A comparison of the wave upwelling measurements with previously published numerical results are discussed. A wave uplift force model which allows for the inclusion of the experimentally obtained wave upwelling measurements is presented and discussed with regard to the design specification of platform deck elevation.
Peptide Aptamers That Bind to Geminivirus Replication Proteins Confer a Resistance Phenotype to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus and Tomato Mottle Virus Infection in Tomato

Geminiviruses constitute a large family of single-stranded DNA viruses that cause serious losses in important crops worldwide. They often exist in disease complexes and have high recombination and mutation rates, allowing them to adapt rapidly to new hosts and environments. Thus, an effective resistance strategy must be general in character and able to target multiple viruses. The geminivirus replication protein (Rep) is a good target for broad-based disease control because it is highly conserved and required for viral replication. In an earlier study, we identified a set of peptide aptamers that bind to Rep and reduce viral replication in cultured plant cells. In this study, we selected 16 of the peptide aptamers for further analysis in yeast two-hybrid assays. The results of these experiments showed that all 16 peptide aptamers interact with all or most of the Rep proteins from nine viruses representing the three major Geminiviridae genera and identified two peptide aptamers (A22 and A64) that interact strongly with different regions in the Rep N terminus. Transgenic tomato lines expressing A22 or A64 and inoculated with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus or Tomato mottle virus exhibited delayed viral DNA accumulation and often contained lower levels of viral DNA. Strikingly, the effect on symptoms was stronger, with many of the plants showing no symptoms or strongly attenuated symptoms. Together, these results established the efficacy of using Rep-binding peptide aptamers to develop crops that are resistant to diverse geminiviruses.
Transcending common sense in psychological theorizing: A developmental perspective

The necessity for transcendence of any particular system of common sense in psychologists' theorizing is reiterated in the process of analyzing Smedslund's response to the author's previous (Valsiner, 1985) critical analysis of the role of common sense in psychology. It is emphasized that the ways of how personally unique construction of meaning in individuals' ontogenies proceed are directed by social canalization, which guarantees sufficient (but not absolute) similarity in persons' individual thinking and acting. Such similarity forms the basis for intelligibility of interpersonal communication. A developmental perspective can overcome two opposite traditions in non-developmental psychologies which either disregard common sense, or make it the criterion of adequacy of thinking towards which psychological theories should strive. In contrast, it is suggested that common sense be studied in conjunction with research on psychological phenomena for which it serves as their context, and that generalizations about psychological phenomena retain information about the common-sense frames of the phenomena.
Accelerating improvement: implications of the IOM report for nurse executives.

In this department, Dr Newhouse highlights hot topics in nursing outcomes, research, and evidence-based practice relevant to the nurse administrator. The goal is to discuss the practical implications for nurse leaders in diverse healthcare settings. Content includes evidence-based projects and decision making, locating measurement tools for quality improvement and safety projects, using outcome measures to evaluate quality, practice implications of administrative research, and exemplars of projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to organizational problems. This column present simplications for nurse executives, based on interviews with nurse leaders, of the Institute of Medicine report, Performance Measurement: Accelerating Improvement and the National Quality Forum's potential role in implementing the report's recommendations.
Engineered antifouling microtopographies: the role of Reynolds number in a model that predicts attachment of zoospores of Ulva and cells of Cobetia marina

A correlation between the attachment density of cells from two phylogenetic groups (prokaryotic Bacteria and eukaryotic Plantae), with surface roughness is reported for the first time. The results represent a paradigm shift in the understanding of cell attachment, which is a critical step in the biofouling process. The model predicts that the attachment densities of zoospores of the green alga, Ulva, and cells of the marine bacterium, Cobetia marina, scale inversely with surface roughness. The size and motility of the bacterial cells and algal spores were incorporated into the attachment model by multiplying the engineered roughness index (ERIII), which is a representation of surface energy, by the Reynolds number (Re) of the cells. The results showed a negative linear correlation of normalized, transformed attachment density for both organisms with ERIII · Re (R 2 = 0.77). These studies demonstrate for the first time that organisms respond in a uniform manner to a model, which incorporates surface energy...
Water Intake without the Act of Drinking

A method is described that allows a rat to ingest fluid through a chronic gastric tube that bypasses the oropharyngeal cavity. In this situation longterm regulation of water intake occurs in normal rats and in the rat with diabetes insipidus. Under special circumstances, a remarkable degree of excess intake can be produced.
Designing tuned mass dampers via static output feedback: a numerical approach

The paper presents a numerical approach to the problem of determining the design parameters of a vibration absorber to minimize the effect of disturbing forces. The approach is also applicable to multi-input systems such as civil engineering structures. The resulting devices are appealing since they can be implemented passively and are more economic and reliable than active control devices.
Random peritoneal biopsies have limited value in staging of apparent early stage epithelial ovarian cancer after thorough exploration.

Abstract Objective The relative value of abdominal exploration, lymphadenectomy, omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies in the staging of apparent early stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has not been rigorously evaluated. We sought to define the clinical significance of random peritoneal biopsies of otherwise benign appearing tissues in staging of grossly early EOC. Methods All patients with apparent early stage EOC undergoing staging from 1/1994 to 12/2003 were evaluated to identify surgical-pathologic findings responsible for upstaging at time of exploratory surgery. Demographics, surgical findings and operative outcomes were abstracted. Results A total of 211 patients with apparent early EOC were included. Only 9 patients were upstaged based on pathology indicating a high negative predictive value of thorough exploration and lymphadenectomy. One patient (1/118; 0.8%) was upstaged from stage I disease to stage II disease based on random biopsy of pelvic peritoneum: all other stage II patients had visible disease. No patients were upstaged from stage I disease to stage III disease due to random biopsies or microscopic omental disease. Eight patients (3.8%) were upstaged from stage II to stage III disease based on random biopsies of upper abdominal peritoneum or the omentum. Conclusions In our study of apparent early stage EOC, random peritoneal biopsies and omentectomy added little diagnostic value beyond careful inspection of all peritoneal surfaces when EOC is grossly limited to the ovaries. Within our study, less than 4% of patients with pelvic metastasis were upstaged due to these particular staging procedures. No patients in our cohort had a change in treatment recommendations based on these biopsies.
Elevation of plasma glucose levels by mammalian ACTH in the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias).

Abstract The effect of a single intra-aortic administration of mammalian ACTH on plasma glucose levels was studied in the spiny dogfish shark ( Squalus acanthias ). Blood was collected from an indwelling cannula placed in the dorsal aorta via the anterior mesenteric artery and plasma glucose was estimated by the glucose oxidase method. Plasma glucose levels of starved, untreated dogfish were 50.3 ± 4.9 mg % at the completion of the operation and ranged from 15.6 to 105.3 mg %. Plasma glucose levels were 39.7 ± 1.9 mg % on the third postoperative day and remained relatively stable from the third through the fifth day when this aspect of the study was terminated; the range in plasma glucose values between individual dogfish during this period was from 25.0 to 59.9 mg %. Experimental treatment began on postoperative day 3 to 5. The initial plasma glucose level on the morning of treatment was used as time-zero. Control plasma glucose levels declined approximately 7% within 45 min after the infusion of the hormone-free carrier solution. The levels returned to the time-zero levels at the 12- and 24-hour samples and to approximately 6% greater than the time-zero levels at 48 hr after the infusion. Plasma glucose levels showed a similar initial decline in the dogfish that received 40 units ACTH/kg body weight; however, the levels subsequently increased to approximately 19% greater than the time-zero levels at the 3-, 6-, and 12-hr samples. Plasma glucose levels then declined, but remained approximately 12% greater than the time-zero levels 48 hr after the infusion; the increases still evident at 48 hr were not significantly greater than the increases observed for the controls. The infusion of 20 units ACTH/kg body weight resulted in inconsistent and variable increases in plasma glucose levels. The data provide presumptive evidence for pituitary ACTH regulation of corticoid secretion in the dogfish and indicate that the pituitary-adrenocortical axis functions in relatively long-term physiological adjustments in carbohydrate metabolism.