cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The low dispersion coaxial cavity as an ultra wideband antenna

A coaxial cavity antenna, patent pending, has been developed by Raytheon. It exhibits low dispersion over a wide field-of-view (FOV) and multiple octaves or ultra wideband. This antenna has essentially a flat phase and amplitude response over a /spl plusmn/60 degree FOV. The design is scaleable over multiple frequency ranges and antennas have been built covering frequency ranges from 200 MHz to 44 GHz with bandwidths on the order of four and one-half octaves. The antenna is a four point feed design where the natural base polarizations are dual linear. Both senses of circular polarization can be obtained, and have been demonstrated with the addition of a hybrid. Designs have been built where any linear or circular polarization output can be switched. These antennas have been pulse tested with excellent results when compared to the input pulse for fidelity. Completed frequency measurements verify antenna performance two octaves out of band on the low side and almost one octave on the high side, for a total of four octaves of operation for a single cavity; that presents its application to ultra wideband collection. This antenna is used in interferometers and polarimeters. The flat phase and amplitude responses have proven this antenna to be an excellent choice for polarimetry. These elements are also being implemented in linear interferometers and collection systems. A typical field collection system is discussed as an application.
Identification of a lipid scrambling domain in ANO6/TMEM16F

Cell membranes are made of two layers of molecules called phospholipids. The types of phospholipid molecules in the outer layer are often different from those in the inner layer. This asymmetry is an important feature of most membranes, but cells also have proteins called ‘scramblases’ that can move (or scramble) the phospholipids between the two layers. This scrambling process often marks a cell for destruction but also plays a key role in many activities throughout the body including cell–cell fusion, blood clotting, autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Previous research revealed that a membrane protein called ANO6 is needed for some kinds of phospholipid scrambling. Other proteins that are most closely related to ANO6 are not phospholipid scramblases; instead they are channel proteins that allow ions to pass across cell membranes. ANO6 can also allow ions to flow across membranes, which raised the question: is ANO6 actually a scramblase itself, or does it control other proteins with scramblase activity? Yu, Whitlock et al. addressed this question by engineering human cells grown in the laboratory to produce the ANO6 protein, and found that these cells had high levels of phospholipid scrambling. Next, the scrambling of phospholipids in these cells was measured while the flow of ions through ANO6 was also recorded. These experiments revealed that these two processes happened almost simultaneously. Yu, Whitlock et al. suggest that this could mean that ANO6 allows ions to leak through when it shuttles phospholipids between layers of cell membranes. ANO1 is an ion channel that is related to ANO6 but it does not have scramblase activity. By designing and testing hybrid proteins that combined parts of ANO6 and ANO1, Yu, Whitlock et al. identified the part of ANO6 that is responsible for its scramblase activity. Furthermore, computer models of this ‘scrambling domain’ suggest that it forms an unusual groove that faces into the cell membrane, and that could help phospholipids to shuttle between the inner and outer layers of the membrane. Alternatively, this groove could interact with other proteins to regulate phospholipid scrambling; and if so, further work will be needed to identify these unknown proteins. Finally, swapping a relatively small number of features between ANO6 and ANO1 could confer scrambling activity on ANO1. This suggests that ANO1 may itself have a special relationship to membrane phospholipids. Uncovering the nature of this relationship, if it exists, as well as understanding how ANO6 scrambles phospholipids will challenge structural biologists to generate high-resolution images of these proteins in complex with phospholipids.
The Native Land Husbandry Act of 1951 and the Rural African Middle Class of Southern Rhodesia

African peasant produce dominated the early grain market in Southern Rhodesia. By World War I, state policy, guided by settler farming interests, fostered the development of European commercial farming and induced the reliance of African peasants on labouring for European employers rather than on their own farms. By World War II, African commercial agricultural production had faded into insignificance as a source of income.1 Land shortage eventually became critical; few reserve residents could afford the move into the small Native Purchase Areas where larger plots were available. Although the impoverishment of the reserves continued throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the story of the peasantry in more recent times is not exclusively a tale of further decay. Government policy shifted perceptibly in the 1950s. The major component in this policy shift was the Native Land Husbandry Act of 1951, which introduced individual tenure under government control in the reserves, and in doing so accounted for a sizeable portion of an increased expenditure for African agriculture. The neglect of African agriculture had served the settler economy well: why then this sudden attention? One view of the NLHA is that it was designed to create a loyal urban and rural African middle class, satisfying at the same time the needs of the country's rapid expansion of secondary industry by denying urban workers access to farmland. In the reserves, land redistribution would thus create a stable landowning upper peasantry to complement an elite in the townships, where security of tenure was being offered to industrial workers. On this view, the abandonment of the NLHA soon after 1960 is easily explained: a recession curtailed the demand for wage workers.2 In a Rhodesia where the end of settler rule is now at last foreseeable, this characterization of the NLHA raises the question of decolonization, for the birth of an African rural bourgeoisie evokes the Kenyan experience, in which independence was preceded by the enfranchisement of a rural elite loyal to the
Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Relationships of the Tropical Salamander Genera Oedipina and Nototriton, with Descriptions of a New Genus and Three New Species

Abstract Sequences of two mitochondrial genes (385 base pairs of cytochrome b and approximately 520 base pairs of 16S DNA) were gathered for 26 taxa of the Middle American plethodontid salamander genera Nototriton and Oedipina and from three outgroup members of the tribe Bolitoglossini. Phylogenetic analyses of these data reveal well-supported cladistic structure and demonstrate the paraphyly of the moss salamanders of the genus Nototriton, which includes two well-defined clades. One clade, the sister taxon of Oedipina, corresponding to the Costa Rican and Honduran species of the picadoi, richardi, and barbouri groups, retains the name Nototriton. A new name is required for the second clade, the sister taxon of Oedipina plus Nototriton (sensu stricto). This clade, which we name Cryptotriton, is well supported morphologically and includes the species of the nasalis and adelos groups. A new species of Nototriton from Monteverde, Costa Rica, is described as Nototriton gamezi. Species of Oedipina fall into tw...
Characterization of a Highly Attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Virus Generated from Molecularly Cloned cDNA

Six recombinant Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) isolates were recovered from infectious RNAs transcribed by T7 RNA polymerase from molecularly cloned cDNA templates. Three of the recombinant viruses had characteristics similar to the wild-type parent virus, JaOArS982. The other 3 recombinant viruses exhibited an attenuated phenotype in mice. An avirulent recombinant virus, IC47, was characterized and compared with the wild-type parent virus and a virulent recombinant virus, IC37. IC47 produced smaller plaques than parent or IC37 viruses and exhibited no viremia or neuroinvasion in young adult mice inoculated subcutaneously and no mortality when inoculated intracerebrally. IC47 was also immunogenic and protective in the murine model. The probable basis for attenuation, revealed by nucleotide sequence analysis, was a single amino acid substitution at position 138 (Glu to Lys) in the E protein.
A flow injection flow cytometry system for on‐line monitoring of bioreactors

For direct and on-line study of the physiological states of cell cultures, a robust flow injection system has been designed and interfaced with flow cytometry (FI-FCM). The core of the flow injection system includes a microchamber designed for sample processing. The design of this microchamber allows not only an accurate on-line dilution but also on-line cell fixation, staining, and washing. The flow injection part of the system was tested by monitoring the optical density of a growing E.coli culture on-line using a spectrophotometer. The entire growth curve, from lag phase to stationary phase, was obtained with frequent sampling. The performance of the entire FI-FCM system is demonstrated in three applications. The first is the monitoring of green fluorescent protein fluorophore formation kinetics in E.coli by visualizing the fluorescence evolution after protein synthesis is inhibited. The data revealed a subpopulation of cells that do not become fluorescent. In addition, the data show that single-cell fluorescence is distributed over a wide range and that the fluorescent population contains cells that are capable of reaching significantly higher expression levels than that indicated by the population average. The second application is the detailed flow cytometric evaluation of the batch growth dynamics of E.coli expressing Gfp. The collected single-cell data visualize the batch growth phases and it is shown that a state of balanced growth is never reached by the culture. The third application is the determination of distribution of DNA content of a S. cerevisiae population by automatically staining cells using a DNA-specific stain. Reproducibility of the on-line staining reaction shows that the system is not restricted to measuring the native properties of cells; rather, a wider range of cellular components could be monitored after appropriate sample processing. The system is thus particularly useful because it operates automatically without direct operator supervision for extended time periods.
Semiconductor mode-locked laser intracavity gain dynamics measurements under three wavelength operation

The intracavity gain dynamics of an external cavity semiconductor hybrid mode-locked laser are measured under three wavelength operation. The results show a partial coherence and a temporal skew among pulses corresponding to different wavelength channels. The temporal skew broadens the temporal pulse profile and the partial coherence decreases the temporal beating between wavelength channels. A measurement of the temporal evolution of the gain reveals a slow gain depletion, avoiding nonlinearities, and gain competition between wavelength channels, making multiwavelength operation feasible.
SU-FF-T-283: Benchmarking of An Event-By-Event Monte Carlo Code, NOREC: Generation of Scaled Point Kernels in Water for Mono-Energetic Electrons Between 10 KeV and 1 MeV

Purpose: To compare scaled point kernels (SPK) in water for mono‐energetic electrons generated by an event‐by‐event Monte Carlo code, NOREC, with published kernels based on a condensed history Monte Carlo code. Method and Materials: An event‐by‐event Monte Carlo code called NOREC, which replaces the Oak Ridge electron transport code (OREC), was released in 2003, after a number of modifications to the OREC including the replacement of the original OREC elastic cross sections by a newer data set from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Initial benchmark tests showed that, for a number of dosimetric quantities (e.g., electron depth dose distribution), NOREC was capable of producing better agreement with published results than OREC, which indicates the effectiveness of the modifications introduced to the code. For a more comprehensive benchmarking, NOREC was used in this study to generate scaled point kernels for a number of electron energies between 0.01 and 1.0 MeV. Calculated kernels were compared with published kernels (i.e., the so‐called Berger kernels) based on a condensed history Monte Carlo code, ETRAN. Results: Although qualitatively similar, scaled point kernels generated by NOREC generally showed more energy deposition in the first half of continuous slowing down approximation (CSDA) electron ranges than the Berger kernels. Calculated ranges of electrons were similar between the two kernels. Conclusion: NOREC can produce SPK comparable to those generated by ETRAN. The current results suggest that NOREC can be used for both micro‐ and macro‐dosimetry problems which require more detailed transport of electrons below 1 MeV.
Third sound: Where are the solitons?

With nanometer thicknesses and millimeter wavelengths, third sound is unquestionably in the long-wavelength limit of the classical fluid-dynamic description. The validity of the linearized form, successfully used for decades to predict the third sound speed, depends on the size of the dispersive terms in that description as well as on the amplitude. If the usual capillary dispersion is used, most third sound measurements would be far from linear and should consequently show a dramatically amplitude dependent speed. We report measurements of the frequency of a third sound resonator as a function of amplitude. Although there are uncertainties about the possible role of several dispersions, capillary dispersion appears to be negligibly small. A direct measure of the dispersion from the frequencies of higher resonant modes supports this.
The Mini-Refractionsonde System (MRS) for Meteorological and Refractivity Measurement

The Navy has a requirement to measure the vertical profile of index-of-refraction from sea level to above 20,000 feet. To fill this need, the Mini-Refractionsonde System (MRS) is under development by Honeywell Inc. under contract from Naval Air Development Center and sponsored by Naval Air Systems Command (AIR-370). The Minisonde weighs only 130 grams. It measures temperature with a rod thermistor to \pm 0.5\deg C, humidity with a hygristor to 5% and pressure with a miniature silicon diaphram barometer to 1.5mB. Winds are measured without tracking by using the OMEGA radio navigation system. Electronics time-commutates the sensors every 400 milliseconds. A solid-state transmitter provides an output of 1/2 watt at 404 MHz. Power for the transmitter and minisonde electronics is provided by a lithium battery. A special telemetry receiver has been developed to receive the meteorological signals in the presence of a high EMI radar environment. A microprocessor based ground station provides on-line real-time data reduction and display.
Pyridoxine-dependent seizures: findings from recent studies pose new questions

Pyridoxine-dependent seizures, although a rare clinical entity, have been recognized as an etiology of intractable seizures in neonates and infants for more than 45 years. Recent research has focused on the molecular and neurochemical aspects of this disorder, as well as the optimal treatment of the condition. This review discusses the clinical features and management of patients with pyridoxine-dependent seizures together with a new hypothesis suggesting that an abnormality of pyridoxine transport may underlie the pathophysiology of this autosomal-recessive disorder.
C-Arm imaging for brachytherapy source reconstruction: geometrical accuracy.

We study the accuracy of brachytherapy source reconstruction using C-Arm images. We use a phantom embedded with dummy ribbons in a regular pattern, placed at the rotation center of the C-Arm. With a commercial reconstruction jig, radiographic films are taken without the image intensifier. The average error in reconstructed seed coordinates is 0.1 cm. However, the jig is inconvenient for patient procedures. For C-Arm reconstruction without the jig, the magnifications of the image intensifier along orthogonal directions are different. We “stretch” the image to equalize the magnifications. Afterward, seed reconstruction has an average error of 0.1 cm in all directions.
A Systematic Framework for Solving Geometric Constraints Analytically

A systematic framework is presented for solving algebraic equations arising in geometric constraint solving. The framework has been used successfully to solve a family of spatial geometric constraint problems. The approach combines geometric reasoning, symbolic reduction, and homotopy continuation.
Computer Versus Paper Testing in Precollege Economics

Interest is growing at the precollege level in computer testing (CT) instead of paper-and-pencil testing (PT) for subjects in the school curriculum, including economics. Before economic educators adopt CT, a better understanding of its likely effects on test-taking behavior and performance compared with PT is needed. Using two volunteer student samples of CT and PT test scores collected as part of the field testing and national norming of the Test of Economic Knowledge (Walstad, Rebeck, and Butters 2010), the present authors investigated how CT and PT affect student test responses. The authors found that eighth- and ninth-grade students perform better with CT than PT, that CT has the potential to limit item guessing, and that CT may reduce item bias from the order of item placement on a test.
An Extensible Module Algebra For Maude

Abstract The fact that rewriting logic and Maude are reflective, so that rewriting logic specifications can be manipulated as terms at the metalevel, opens up the possibility of defining an algebra of module composition and transformation operations within the logic. This makes such a module algebra easily modifiable and extensible, enables the implementation of language extensions within Maude, and allows formal reasoning about the module operations themselves. In this paper we discuss in detail the Maude implementation of a specific choice of operations for a module algebra of this type, supporting module operations in the Clear/OBJ tradition as well as the transformation of object-oriented modules into system modules.
No Safe Haven II: The Effects of Violence Exposure on Urban Youth

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the moderating effects of gender, grade level, and ethnicity on the associations between violence exposure and adolescents' internalizing symptoms and externalizing behavior and to explore whether such relationships persist over time. Method A survey of adolescents' exposure to violence, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing behavior was administered to 2 cross-sectional samples of 6th, 8th, and 10th graders ( N = 2,748 in 1994 and 2,600 in 1996) in an urban school system. Approximately 1,100 adolescents participated in both surveys and served as the longitudinal sample. Results Structural equation models indicated that violence exposure was closely associated with both externalizing behavior ( r = 0.74–0.79) and internalizing symptoms ( r = 0.36–0.38). The strength of association was similar across gender and ethnic groups. However, violence exposure was more closely related with internalizing symptoms for younger adolescents than their older counterparts. The longitudinal analysis suggested that exposure to violence reported at time 1 was related to adolescents' internalizing symptoms and externalizing behavior 2 years later. Conclusions These results document high levels of violence exposure for urban youths and indicate links to a range of psychiatric symptoms and indicators of poor adjustment. Such findings carry implications for direct clinical work with young people, as well as for program development and public policy. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1999, 38(4):359–367.
Homologically trivial actions on chain complexes and finiteness properties of infinite groups

Let R be a commutative, Noetherian ring and let Γ be a discrete group. A generalization of Swan's classical technique of grafting chain complexes shows that Γ is of type FP (∞) over R if and only if there is a chain complex C∗ of finitely generated projective RΓ-modules, augmented by R, such that each Hi(C) is finitely generated over R and trivial over Γ.
“Fluffy” Type A Ca-, Al-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite

Inclusions called 'fluffy' Type A's or FTA's in the Allende meteorite are examined as possible candidates for relict vapor-solid condensate grains, remaining from the original solar nebula. Type A inclusions are characterized by abundant melilite and absence of primary anorthite and titaniferous pyroxene. Fluffy Type A's were probably loosely bound clumps of crystals drifting in the solar nebula, analogous to dustballs or snowflakes. Polished thin sections of all samples were studied optically and with a JEOL JSM-35 scanning electron microscope. It is reasonably clear that neither whole FTA's nor constituent nodules of the coarser grained ones were ever molten. Despite solid-state recrystallization which has affected these inclusions to varying degrees, the coarser grained material remaining in many of them is probably a relic of vapor-solid condensation in the solar nebula.
Code growth, explicitly defined introns, and alternative selection schemes

Previous work on introns and code growth in genetic programming is expanded on and tested experimentally. Explicitly defined introns are introduced to tree-based representations as an aid to measuring and evaluating intron behavior. Although it is shown that introns do create code growth, they are not its only cause. Removing introns merely decreases the growth rate; it does not eliminate it. By systematically negating various forms of intron behavior, a deeper understanding of the causes of code growth is obtained, leading to the development of a system that keeps unnecessary bloat to a minimum. Alternative selection schemes and recombination operators are examined and improvements demonstrated over the standard selection methods in terms of both performance and parsimony.
Protected from Torsades de Pointes? What Psychiatrists Need to Know About Pacemakers and Defibrillators

Background Consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists are frequently asked to initiate and manage psychotropic drugs, some of which can delay cardiac repolarization, prolong the QT interval, and increase the risk of torsades de pointes (TdP). This task is complicated by the growing number of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED) [i.e., permanent pacemakers (PPM), implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT)]. The precise protective role of CIEDs in the prevention and treatment of TdP is not well-defined. Methods We review practical tips for assessment of the QT interval in patients with paced rhythms, as well as the basic operative principles of CIEDs. We examine the available clinical evidence for the use of CIEDs in patients at risk for TdP. Results Most CIEDs have a pacing function that, when utilized appropriately, can offer partial protection against TdP by prevention of bradycardia. Defibrillators deliver shocks and are reasonably effective at terminating TdP; however, recurrent shocks are common and are associated with significant physical and psychological morbidity. Conclusions CIEDs are important tools in the management of drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias in spite of significant limitations. The C-L psychiatrist should remain vigilant in recognizing and managing patients at risk for TdP, and refrain from over-reliance on CIEDs regardless of type or settings. Ultimately, the presence of a CIED should serve as a marker of increased risk of TdP.
Procurement-Related Perceptions of Corporate-Based and Foreign-Based Purchasing Managers

This paper reports on the extent to which differential authority, host country risk, host country supplier, and host country product perceptions exist among U.S.-based and foreign-based purchasing managers who belong to the same multinational manufacturing firm. Differential perceptions were found to exist in the authority, supplier, and product areas, but not in the risk area. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
Magnetic fidelity of lunar samples and implications for an ancient core dynamo

Abstract Some lunar rocks have stable magnetizations that provide compelling evidence for an ancient lunar core dynamo. However, a longstanding problem has been interpreting the unstable alternating field (AF) demagnetization behavior observed in the remaining majority of the Apollo lunar sample suite. Similar unstable behavior has also been observed for many meteorites. It is unclear whether the behavior of these samples indicates that they formed in the absence of an ancient magnetizing field or whether they simply have poor magnetic recording properties. It is necessary to distinguish between these two possibilities in order to determine whether paleomagnetic fields were present on a sample's parent body. To address this issue, we analyzed five samples whose rock magnetic properties span the full suite of observed demagnetization behaviors: mare basalts 15556, 15016, 12017, 10020, and troctolite 76535. We demonstrate that the effects of spurious anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) during AF demagnetization, in combination with multidomain magnetic carriers and magnetic remanence anisotropy, are likely responsible for the apparently poor magnetic behavior of many lunar samples. Therefore, the unstable AF demagnetization behavior observed for many lunar samples is not alone sufficient for ruling out the presence of an ancient lunar core dynamo. Nevertheless, spurious ARM may explain the observation of surprisingly high (≥1 μT) Apollo-era paleointensity measurements for samples thought to have formed after the cessation of a lunar core dynamo (
Fixed and mobile field independence: review of studies relevant to Werner's dimension.

Werner's fixity-versus-mobility dimension has been used by Witkin and others to articulate the concept of field independence. Methodological reasons are discussed for the failure of earlier studies to reveal this dimension. The possible use of other perceptual phenomena for its measurement is suggested. Relationships are drawn between the fixity-versus-mobility dimension and other psychological dimensions, with special attention to creativity and normality. Future studies of differential learning ability and of the relation between intelligence and creativity may benefit from the application of Werner's concepts as they have been elaborated by subsequent workers.
Effective fault tolerant control design for nonlinear systems: application to a class of motor control system

An effective fault tolerant control design for nonlinear systems is described. The proposed approach detects the occurrence of a fault in the closed loop system and switches itself between a control strategy designed for nominal operations and a robust control strategy designed for faulty conditions. It achieves a compromise between the need for high performance and robustness by integrating the most advantageous features of each control strategy. The proposed control design is applied to a class of motor control characterised by its highly nonlinear and multivariable dynamic system, induction motor (IM) drives. Simulation experiments in terms of speed and flux responses show the applicability of the proposed approach to IMs subject to faulty conditions caused by a combination of thermal and mechanical stresses for good performance.
An efficient nonlinear solution method for non-equilibrium radiation diffusion

Abstract A new nonlinear solution method is developed and applied to a non-equilibrium radiation diffusion problem. With this new method, Newton-like super-linear convergence is achieved in the nonlinear iteration, without the complexity of forming or inverting the Jacobian from a standard Newton method. The method is a unique combination of an outer Newton-based iteration and and inner conjugate gradient-like (Krylov) iteration. The effects of the Jacobian are probed only through approximate matrix–vector products required in the conjugate gradient-like iteration. The methodology behind the Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov method is given in detail. It is demonstrated that a simple, successive substitution, linearization produces an effective preconditioning matrix for the Krylov method. The efficiencies of different methods are compared and the benefits of converging the nonlinearities within a time step are demonstrated.
Avoidance of lower-lid contraction in surgical approaches to the inferior orbit

A discussion is provided of the history of lower-lid incisions to provide exposure of the orbital floor and inferior orbital rim. The authors justify, by historical citations and their own experience, their preference for a subtarsal lower-lid incision, and point out the problems that can occur with the subciliary incision, which in their opinion is unfortunately still the most commonly used approach.
Prolonged suspended animation in puppies.

Abstract Three groups of a total of 26 puppies were subjected to surface-induced hypothermia with or without limited left-heart bypass to seek recovery after 2.5-hr total circulatory arrest. In spite of various protective measures, surface-induced hypothermia which was carried out until the effective circulation ceased, failed to protect the animal from 2.5-hr circulatory arrest. With a combination of limited leftheart bypass, the central nervous tissue tolerated the procedure better than expected. Metabolic derangements, although severe immediately after the procedure, were reversible. Respiratory distress was a serious problem, which was considerably alleviated in the 3rd group of 10 puppies by perfusion of the lung with a solution approximating the intracellular electrolyte composition. Six puppies of this group survived the procedure, 5 without any persistent disorders. These results indicate the possibility of 2.5-hr hypothermie circulatory arrest.
Differential allele expression of host defense genes, pulmonary surfactant protein-A and Osteopontin, in rat

Differential allele-specific expression has been observed in several genes involved in immunity. SP-A and OPN play a role in innate host defense. To determine whether SP-A and OPN are subject to differential allele-specific regulation, we investigated their gene or allele-specific expression in various tissues. The results showed: (1) Tissue-specific expression with high levels in lung (SP-A) and kidney (OPN). (2) Differences in allele-specific expression among individuals and tissues. SP-A showed an exclusively balanced biallelic expression (BB) in lung, but both BB and imbalanced biallelic (IB) expression in colon. Allele expression of OPN was more heterogeneous, e.g. in colon BB (22%), IB (64%), and monoallelic expression (MO) (14%). (3) Differential allele-specific expression was observed in all tissues studied (OPN) or in all extrapulmonary tissues (SP-A). (4) Family studies indicated that inheritable factor(s) may be involved in the regulation of allele-specific expression. (5) Analysis of co-expression of gene-specific alleles from double heterozygous rats revealed lack of coordinate allele expression among SP-A, SP-D, and OPN. We conclude that allele-specific expression occurs among genes of innate host defense. This may yet provide another level of regulatory complexity for molecules involved in the first line of defense.
Development of an assessment instrument to examine outcomes of entrepreneurship education on engineering students

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive assessment instrument to examine the multiple outcomes of entrepreneurship education for engineering students. It is targeted at senior-level students enrolled in capstone engineering design courses and is part of a larger study intended to clarify the relationship between faculty beliefs and practices, program characteristics, and student outcomes. The assessment draws on survey items used within the investigators' own engineering and entrepreneurship programs as well as others identified in the literature. Items fall into six categories including: 1) attitudes, 2) behaviors, 3) knowledge and skills, 4) self-efficacy, 5) perceptions of programs and faculty, and 6) demographic data. The paper provides an overview of the assessment instruments that were considered by the research team and the methodology used to create the final student survey. It discusses challenges encountered during development and administration including identifying validated assessments in the field, selecting response scales, survey length, and student and faculty participation. Preliminary results from year one of data collection across multiple institutions are discussed.
Expression pattern of T‐type Ca2+ channels in embryonic chick nodose ganglion neurons

In this study we have characterized the functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels in developing chick nodose neurons, a population of placode-derived sensory neurons innervating the heart and various visceral organs. Voltage-gated Ca2+ currents were measured using whole cell patch clamp recordings in neurons acutely isolated between embryonic day (E) 7 and E20, prior to hatching. E7 nodose neurons express relatively large high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ currents. HVA current density progressively increases between E7 and E17. T-type Ca2+ currents were restricted to a few nodose neurons between E7 and E10 but were present in ∼60% of nodose neurons by E17. T-type Ca2+ channels regulate the response of nodose neurons to injection of hyperpolarizing currents, but do not have any effect on the action potential waveform. Nickel ions blocked T-type Ca2+ currents in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 17 μM. The high sensitivity of T-type Ca2+ channels to nickel blockade combined with sequencing of a partial cDNA suggests that T-type Ca2+ currents are generated by α1H subunits in chick nodose neurons. Steady-state activation and inactivation kinetics were similar to those previously reported for other α1H channels in mammalian neurons. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis indicates that α1H mRNA was present in chick nodose neurons by E7, suggesting that the functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels involves a posttranscriptional mechanism. These findings demonstrate a distinct pattern of T-type Ca2+ channel functional expression in placode-derived neurons when compared with CNS neurons. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007
Role of mass spectrometry in the purification of peptides and proteins

Experiments were carried out to evaluate the fractionation of proteins and peptides according to mass. Model mixtures were separated by either reversed-phase or ion-exchange chromatography with mass spectrometry-compatible mobile phase additives. Fraction collection was triggered by the mass/charge ratio of each one of the components of the mixture. Chromatography was additionally monitored with a UV-Vis detector in order to compare the new technique with generally accepted in separations. The results indicated that adequate purification is achieved by this new technique. Fraction collection triggered by changes in the mass/charge ratio reduces sample handling and analysis time. This study demonstrates the utility of mass-directed fractionation of peptides and proteins when mass spectrometry-compatible mobile phase additives are used.
Ordering of C60 on anisotropic surfaces.

Based on our experimental observation of the uniaxial incommensurate ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ superlattices formed on Ge(100) and Si(100) surfaces, we show that the balance between the attractive and repulsive intermolecular forces plays the leading role in the ordering of a van der Waals overlayer on anisotropic substrates. A phenomenological expression for the superlattice parameters is derived and shown to be in good agreement with the experiments.
Antioxidant Properties of Fusarium Head Blight-Resistant and -Susceptible Soft Red Winter Wheat Grains Grown in Virginia

Fusarium head blight (FHB) has emerged as a major threat to wheat crops around the world, and it has been hypothesized that wheat antioxidants may play a role against Fusarium infections. The current study aimed to determine antioxidant properties of FHB-resistant wheat grains as compared to susceptible wheat. The wheat samples were collected from a single growing location (Warsaw, VA) and the same growing season. The results showed that both FHB-resistant and -susceptible wheat grains exerted strong radical scavenging activities against DPPH* radical [0.91-1.53 micromol of Trolox equivalents (TE)/g], peroxyl radical (15.5-24.5 micromol of TE/g), and hydroxyl radical (15.7-35.8 micromol of TE/g). Their total phenolic contents ranged from 888 to 1117 microg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g. Five phenolic acids including ferulic, syringic, vanillic, caffeic, and p-coumaric acids were determined in soluble and insoluble fractions of wheat grains, altogether with a range of 219-389 microg/g. On average, the FHB-resistant wheat group showed significantly higher average values in DPPH* and hydroxyl radicals scavenging activities (30 and 41% higher, respectively) than the FHB-susceptible wheat group.
The Axially Controlled Magnetron A New Type of Magnetron, Controlled by Current Through the Filament

In vacuum tubes with straight filaments of large diameter, it is found that the magnetic field of the heating current exercises a restraining effect on the escape of electrons, equivalent to the action of the grid in the pliotron, or the impressed magnetic field in the magnetron. This new valve principle may be utilized to control the output of the tube for practical purposes, such as changing high-voltage direct current into alternating current; and leads to a very simple and efficient type of tube.
Radon transform, bispectra, and principal component analysis for RTS invariant image retrieval

ABSTRACT An image retrieval method is presented based on shape similarity measure for multimedia and imaging database systems. Inthe proposed algorithm, the spatial and spectral properties of images are combined using the Radon transform, bispectra, andprincipal components analysis. For each model image in the database, the original 2-D image data are reduced to a set of l-Dprojections via the Radon transform, and then a feature vector is calculated from the bispectra of the resultant l-D functions.The principal component analysis is applied to further reduce the dimension of the feature vector so that it can be storedalong with the original image in the database at a small cost of memory. The derived feature vector is considered as the indexor key of the corresponding image, which uniquely identifies the image independent of rotation, translation, and scaling(RTS). For image retrieval, the data feature vector is computed for a query image, and matched against the feature vectors ofall the model images in the database using the Tanimoto similarity measure. The closely matching images are brought out asthe searching results.The proposed technique has been tested on a large image database. The experimental results show that the retrieval accuracyis very high even for query images with low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).Keywords: Radon transform, bispectra, principal component analysis, RTS invariant shape features, image retrieval,Tanimoto similarity measure, retrieval accuracy
All-solid-state photoelectrochromic window with PMMA gel electrolyte

A combination of a ruthenium dye-sensitized TiO2 microporous solar cell, a PMMA gel electrolyte and a WO3 electrochromic film to produce a new all solid-state photoelectrochromic window is demonstrated here. The photoelectrochromic window has been excellent for chromism and memory characteristics. Even in the presence of radiation, the photoelectrochromic window can be bleached by application of an external voltage after the device has been darkened.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On the Ã and B̃ electronic states of NCO and its clusters with nonpolar solvents

The B←X and A←X transitions of the NCO radical and its clusters with nonpolar solvents are studied in a supersonic jet expansion by employing laser-induced fluorescence techniques. Fluorescence excitation (FE) and hole burning spectra are recorded for the NCO radical and compared to previous work. NCO is clustered with Ar, N2, CH4, and CF4 nonpolar molecules to elucidate the effect of solvation on the radical energy levels and dynamics. FE spectra are detected for NCO 1:1 clusters showing blue shifts in their spectra with respect to that of the isolated NCO radical, while their 1:n counterparts show either red or blue shifts. Potential energy surface calculations are performed to evaluate the binding energies and geometries of 1:1 clusters in the X, A, and B electronic states. The relatively long decay lifetime and red shifted fluorescence wavelength range observed for B state clusters suggests that they decay first through internal conversion (IC) to A vibronic levels, and then experience rapid int...
Some Multi-Contract Decision-Theoretic Competitive Bidding Models

This paper reviews the principal public literature concerned with expected-profit decision-theoretic closed-competitive-bidding models. It makes extensions of previous formulations for static multi-contract bidding situations with and without cost dependencies and resource constraints. The same decision model is reformulated to utilize numerical, Lagrange-multiplier, dynamic, and integer linear programming techniques according to the information available to the bidder. A zero-one integer programming formulation is well suited to utilize subjective probabilities of winning estimates. Finally, the paper suggests a format for further development.
Subarachnoid Cyst and Ascent to High Altitude - A Problem?

A 31-year-old man suffered diplopia and ataxia on two occasions when he ascended from sea level to 4000 m. Evaluation revealed a moderate-sized subarachnoid cyst in the left frontal region, which did not communicate with the cerebral ventricles. The cyst might have acted as a space-occupying lesion, and caused symptoms on ascent due to hypoxic brain swelling, brain compression against the cyst, and elevated intracranial pressure. Subarachnoid cysts are common, and they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurological problems at high altitude.
Synthesis of metal hydride from water

Abstract A number of hydrides are considered good candidates for hydrogen storage material for various applications in particular for automobile use. A metal hydride is synthesized through the reaction of a metal with hydrogen which is formed on industrial scale either by the electrolysis of water, by heating coke with steam in the water gas shift reaction or using hydrocarbons with steam. This study demonstrates that under certain conditions, it is possible to synthesize a metal hydride by the reaction of a metal with water or with a hydroxide. Such a synthesis route dispenses with the need for separately forming hydrogen by an expensive process and then to synthesize a hydride by metal–hydrogen reaction. If adopted in many of the hydrogen storage projects which plan to use a hydride for producing hydrogen through a chemical reaction or by a reversible dissociation for automobile use, this method could make a significant difference in making them cost-effective.
Discrete Conics as Distinguished Projective Images of Regular Polygons

In this paper, we introduce discrete conics, polygonal analogs of conics, as distinguished projective images of regular polygons. We show that discrete conics satisfy a number of nice properties. These include optical (billiard) and isogonal properties analogous to those of conics, the property of being Poncelet polygons with the two associated conics sharing a focus, and a nice property similar to Pascal's Hexagrammum Mysticum Theorem. We conclude by showing that discrete conics arise naturally from two constructions: a discrete negative pedal construction and via a group associated to focus-sharing pencils of conics.
Self-organizing map with fuzzy class memberships

Self-organizing maps SOM can be used as clustering algorithm to discover structure and similarity in data and to capture the descriptive aspect by repeated partitioning and evaluating. It has the ability to represent multidimensional data in topological mapping. If a class label is known, self-organizing map can be also used by a classifier. In this case, each neuron is assigned a class label based on the maximum class frequency and classified by a nearest neighbor strategy. The problem when using this strategy is that each pattern is treated by equal importance in counting class frequency regardless of its typicalness. But, with known class label we can take an advantage of this information by applying fuzzy set theory and assigning the fuzzy class membership into each neuron. In fact, the fuzzy- membership-label neuron gives us insight of the degree of class typicalness and distinguishes itself from a class cluster.
Effect of the altitudinal variation of the gravitational acceleration on the thermosphere simulation

[1] For simplicity, a constant gravitational acceleration () is assumed in many general circulation models (GCMs). To estimate the influence of the altitudinal variation of the on the thermosphere simulation, two runs have been made under the solar maximum condition using the non-hydrostatic Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (GITM), including one with a constant (8.7 m/s2) and the other with an altitude-dependent . During geomagnetic quiet time, globe averagely, the constant case overestimates the neutral density by 30% and underestimates the temperature by 10% around 120 km altitude compared with the altitude-dependent gravitation case. A post-processing then has been done to the constant case by shifting the atmosphere vertically according to the altitude-dependent . After this shifting, the global average density difference decreases to 10%, and the temperature difference also changes correspondingly to 2% at 120 km. The specification directly causes the vertical shift of the atmosphere through changing the scale height. Meanwhile, it changes the temperature profile, which feeds back to the altitude profile of the neutral density. In order to separate these two effects, three simple tests with one-dimensional semi-realistic atmosphere have been conducted, and the primary results are that the vertical shifting and the temperature variation caused by the specification contribute 20% and 25% of the density difference, respectively. This study gives a reference to other GCMs about the validity of the constant gravitational acceleration assumption.
Optimization of capacity and kinetics for a novel bio-based arsenic sorbent, TiO2-impregnated chitosan bead

Abstract The optimization of TiO 2 -impregnated chitosan beads (TICB) as an arsenic adsorbent is investigated to maximize the capacity and kinetics of arsenic removal. It has been previously reported that TICB can 1) remove arsenite, 2) remove arsenate, and 3) oxidize arsenite to arsenate in the presence of UV light and oxygen. Herein, it is reported that adsorption capacity for TICB is controlled by solution pH and TiO 2 loading within the bead and enhanced with exposure to UV light. Solution pH is found to be a critical parameter, whereby arsenate is effectively removed below pH 7.25 and arsenite is effectively removed below pH 9.2. A model to predict TICB capacity, based on TiO 2 loading and solution pH, is presented for arsenite, arsenate, and total arsenic in the presence of UV light. The rate of removal is increased with reductions in bead size and with exposure to UV light. Phosphate is found to be a direct competitor with arsenate for adsorption sites on TICB, but other relevant common background groundwater ions do not compete with arsenate for adsorption sites. TICB can be regenerated with weak NaOH and maintain full adsorption capacity for at least three adsorption/desorption cycles.