cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycosylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: cloning and characterization of an α-1,2-mannosyltransferase structural gene

A gene encoding an alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned and sequenced. The alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase which utilizes alpha-methylmannoside as acceptor of mannose from GDP-mannose was purified. The enzyme activity was shown to correspond to a 41 kDa protein band on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein band was digested in situ with trypsin and amino acid sequence information was obtained from four peptides. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers corresponding to the amino acid sequences were designed and used for polymerase chain reactions on yeast genomic DNA. A specific reaction product was used to screen a genomic library of S.cerevisiae. A fragment of approximately 5.7 kb was isolated, of which a 2.9 kb fragment was sequenced. It contained a 1329 base pair open reading frame encoding the peptide sequences of the purified alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase. The gene, designated MNT1, is located on the right arm of chromosome 4. It encodes a 442 amino acid polypeptide with a calculated mol. wt of 51.4 kDa. The corresponding mRNA has a length of approximately 1.6 kb. Overexpression of the MNT1 gene increased this alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase activity approximately 2.5-fold. The protein was shown to be modified with N-linked carbohydrate chains and its sequence contains one N-glycosylation site. The enzyme contains a putative membrane-spanning domain near its N-terminus and its topology is thus similar to that of mammalian Golgi glycosyltransferases. This is the first report of the cloning and sequencing of a yeast Golgi mannosyltransferase.
Aladdin mission concept

Abstract Aladdin, one of five Concept Study winners for NASA's Discovery AO98-OSS-04, was a mission to obtain samples from the two Martian moons using several unique mission design and sample collection techniques. The mission design enabled sample return from two bodies at the relatively low cost of a Discovery-class mission. It featured a phasing orbit, multiple flybys of the Martian moons, and a short overall mission duration. The phasing orbit greatly reduced the post-launch Δv requirement, thus permitting the use of a Delta II launch vehicle. Multiple moon flybys provided ample opportunities for sample collection and science observations. The short overall mission duration reduced program costs. Aladdin's sample collection, unlike traditional sample collection methods, used a “launch-and-catch” technique to obtain samples. Projectiles would be launched to the moon's surface during a close flyby and the ejected particles gathered for Earth return and analysis. This innovative technique, the Aladdin mission, and the possible extension of the technique to other bodies are described.
Proposal for a basic law of neural communication: response = a(stimulus)0.5 + b

Abstract A basic law of neural communication is proposed to be: response = a (stimulus) 0.5 + b , whether referring to operation of a particular nervous system as a whole or to portions thereof, from receptors to effectors. This differs from previous formulations in that the exponent is set at a constant value of 0.5 rather than being considered to vary from one instance to another. Supporting data is presented.
Robotic nanomanipulation with a scanning probe microscope in a networked computing environment

This article describes the initial phase of the development of a high-level programming system for robotic manipulation with a scanning probe microscope (SPM). A SPM server has been developed, which runs in the WINDOWS environment of the PC that controls the microscope. Client programs running on Unix work stations or other computers connected to the Internet can send remote commands to the SPM through the server. The clients can be sophisticated artificial intelligence programs that reason about robotic tasks and sensory data acquired by the SPM. A first set of intermediate-level commands has also been developed for sensing and manipulation. The system is being tested by pushing colloidal gold nanoparticles with dimensions in the order of 15–30 nm on a mica substrate in noncontact atomic force microscope mode. The test programs image the sample, search for nanoparticles in the presence of thermal drift, turn feedback on and off for pushing, and so on. The particles are being moved reliably.
Noise-Shaped Residue-Discharging Delta-Sigma ADCs With Time-Modulated Pulse Feedback

This paper describes a delta-sigma modulator with a new feedback topology in combination with the recently proposed two-step residue-discharging quantizer. Instead of using a single digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with a large number of levels, a mixed-mode DAC is presented which takes advantage of the two-step nature of the quantizer. Hence, only one feedback DAC, which is associated with the coarse bits (MSBs), is required for the modulator and LSBs are fed back as a time-modulated pulse (TMP). Therefore, high quantization resolution is achieved without increasing the front-end DAC complexity. Additionally, a new data weighted averaging (DWA) technique is proposed which not only suppresses the mismatch between the unit elements of the MSB DAC, but also aims to average out the gain error between the MSB and LSB DACs. Therefore, the possible quantization noise leakage is drastically reduced. Detailed mathematical models as well as comprehensive simulation results are provided to prove the efficiency of the proposed structure.
A dosimetric comparative study: Volumetric modulated arc therapy vs intensity-modulated radiation therapy in the treatment of nasal cavity carcinomas

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences between volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the treatment of nasal cavity carcinomas. The treatment of 10 patients, who had completed IMRT treatment for resected tumors of the nasal cavity, was replanned with the Philips Pinnacle 3 Version 9 treatment-planning system. The IMRT plans used a 9-beam technique whereas the VMAT (known as SmartArc) plans used a 3-arc technique. Both types of plans were optimized using Philips Pinnacle 3 Direct Machine Parameter Optimization algorithm. IMRT and VMAT plans' quality was compared by evaluating the maximum, minimum, and mean doses to the target volumes and organs at risk, monitor units (MUs), and the treatment delivery time. Our results indicate that VMAT is capable of greatly reducing treatment delivery time and MUs compared with IMRT. The reduction of treatment delivery time and MUs can decrease the effects of intrafractional uncertainties that can occur because of patient movement during treatment delivery. VMAT's plans further reduce doses to critical structures that are in close proximity to the target volume.
Segmentation And Global Parameter Estimation Of Textured Images Modelled By Markov Random Fields

This paper is concerned with identifying and estimating the parameters of the different texture regions that comprise a textured image. A textured region here is modelled by a Markov Random Field (MRF). The MRF is parametrized by a parameter vector α , ana has a noncausal structure. We assume no a prior knowledge about the different texture regions, their associated texture parameters, or the available number of textured regions. The image is partitioned into disjoint square windows and a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) (or a sufficient statistis) α* for α (for a fixed order model) is obtained in each window. The components of α* are viewed as features, and a as a feature vector. The windows are grouped in different texture regions based on feature selection and clustering analysis of the α* vectors in the different windows. To simplify the clustering process, the dimensionality of the feature vector is reduced via a Karhunen-Loeve decomposition of the between-to-within scatter matrix of the α* vectors. Each α* is projected onto the dominant mode (eigenvector) of the scatter matrix. The projected data is used in the clustering process. The clustering is achieved by minimizing a within group variance criterion which has been weighted by a factor that explicitly depends on the number of groups. To reduce the computational cost associated with this method, it is accompanied by a "valley method". Finally, by exploiting the asymptotic normality of the MLE, we compute the tglobal MLE α* for each textured region by properly combining the locally estimated MLE α* in the various windows that comprise the region. The global MLE α* for a region is notning but an appropriately weighted linear combination of the local MLE set { α k * }.
Model assessment plots for multilevel logistic regression

Abstract This paper extends the Bayes marginal model plot (BMMP) model assessment technique from a traditional logistic regression setting to a multilevel application in the area of criminal justice. Convicted felons in the United States receive either a prison sentence or a less severe jail or non-custodial sentence. Researchers have identified many determinants of sentencing variation across the country, some individual such as type of crime and race, and some based on geographical units such as county crime rate. Multilevel rather than conventional regression should be used to quantify any interplay between such individual- and county-level effects since the covariates have a hierarchical structure. Questions arise, however, as to whether a multilevel model provides an adequate fit to the data, and whether the computational burden of a multilevel model over a conventional model is justified. Residual plots, traditionally used to assess regression models, are difficult to interpret with a binary response variable and multilevel covariates, as in this case. BMMPs, an alternative graphical technique, can be used to visualize goodness of fit in such settings. The plots clearly demonstrate the need to use multilevel modeling when analyzing data such as these.
Preposition-Stranding and Passive*

Various linguists working within the theory of Government and Binding (e.g. Hornstein & Weinberg (1981), Kayne (1981)) have attempted to provide a unified account of preposition-stranding. This article uses evidence from Icelandic to show that preposition-stranding is not a unified phenomenon. Although Icelandic freely allows preposition-stranding in wh-movement constructions, it lacks prepositional passives in which the prepositional object of an active verb corresponds to the grammatical subject of a passive verb. Various syntactic tests which distinguish between grammatical subjects and topicalized NPs are used to demonstrate this. Our conclusion is that while lexical reanalysis is needed to account for prepositional passives, no such reanalysis is warranted for preposition-stranding due to wh-movement; hence, an adequate theory of preposition-stranding must allow for two separate parameters.
Those Voices in your Head: Activation of Auditory Images During Reading

Auditory imagery experiences (AIEs) occur when readers simulate character voices while reading. This project assessed how familiarity with voice and narrative contexts influences activation of AIEs. Participants listened to dialogs between two characters. Participants then read scripts with the characters, half that had been previously listened to and half that were new. During reading, participants were interrupted with an auditory recognition task, with probes presented in voices that either matched or mismatched the character associated with the current line of dialog. Faster responses to matching than mismatching voices were consistently obtained for familiar scripts, providing evidence for AIEs. Transfer to unfamiliar scripts only occurred after extended experience with character voices. These findings define factors that influence activation of speaker voice during reading, with implications for understanding the nature of linguistic representations across presentation modalities.
An adaptive incremental approach to constructing ensemble classifiers: application in an information-theoretic computer-aided decision system for detection of masses in mammograms.

Ensemble classifiers have been shown efficient in multiple applications. In this article, the authors explore the effectiveness of ensemble classifiers in a case-based computer-aided diagnosis system for detection of masses in mammograms. They evaluate two general ways of constructing subclassifiers by resampling of the available development dataset: Random division and random selection. Furthermore, they discuss the problem of selecting the ensemble size and propose two adaptive incremental techniques that automatically select the size for the problem at hand. All the techniques are evaluated with respect to a previously proposed information-theoretic CAD system (IT-CAD). The experimental results show that the examined ensemble techniques provide a statistically significant improvement ( AUC = 0.905 ± 0.024 ) in performance as compared to the original IT-CAD system ( AUC = 0.865 ± 0.029 ) . Some of the techniques allow for a notable reduction in the total number of examples stored in the case base (to 1.3% of the original size), which, in turn, results in lower storage requirements and a shorter response time of the system. Among the methods examined in this article, the two proposed adaptive techniques are by far the most effective for this purpose. Furthermore, the authors provide some discussion and guidance for choosing the ensemble parameters.
Remembrances of Times East Absolute Spatial Representations of Time in an Australian Aboriginal Community

How do people think about time? Here we describe representations of time in Pormpuraaw, a remote Australian Aboriginal community. Pormpuraawans' representations of time differ strikingly from all others documented to date. Previously, people have been shown to represent time spatially from left to right or right to left, or from front to back or back to front. All of these representations are with respect to the body. Pormpuraawans instead arrange time according to cardinal directions: east to west. That is, time flows from left to right when one is facing south, from right to left when one is facing north, toward the body when one is facing east, and away from the body when one is facing west. These findings reveal a qualitatively different set of representations of time, with time organized in a coordinate frame that is independent from others reported previously. The results demonstrate that conceptions of even such fundamental domains as time can differ dramatically across cultures.
Gradient-index profile control from mixed molten salt baths

The composition of the molten salt bath was shown to exert a strong influence on the gradient-index profile that resulted from the ion exchange of silver for sodium. Two types of additives were used to enhance the ion exchange from a base AgCl melt. Both techniques reduced the profile degradation that normally occurred with long diffusion times, while one technique also increased the refractive index change at 0.6328 microm in a regular fashion from 0.06 to 0.15.
Formin isoforms are differentially expressed in the mouse embryo and are required for normal expression of fgf-4 and shh in the limb bud

Mice homozygous for the recessive limb deformity (ld) mutation display both limb and renal defects. The limb defects, oligodactyly and syndactyly, have been traced to improper differentiation of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) and shortening of the anteroposterior limb axis. The renal defects, usually aplasia, are thought to result from failure of ureteric bud outgrowth. Since the ld locus gives rise to multiple RNA isoforms encoding several different proteins (termed formins), we wished to understand their role in the formation of these organs. Therefore, we first examined the embryonic expression patterns of the four major ld mRNA isoforms. Isoforms I, II and III (all containing a basic amino terminus) are expressed in dorsal root ganglia, cranial ganglia and the developing kidney including the ureteric bud. Isoform IV (containing an acidic amino terminus) is expressed in the notochord, the somites, the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) of the limb bud and the developing kidney including the ureteric bud. Using a lacZ reporter assay in transgenic mice, we show that this differential expression of isoform IV results from distinct regulatory sequences upstream of its first exon. These expression patterns suggest that all four isoforms may be involved in ureteric bud outgrowth, while isoform IV may be involved in AER differentiation. To define further the developmental consequences of the ld limb defect, we analyzed the expression of a number of genes thought to play a role in limb development. Most significantly, we find that although the AERs of ld limb buds express several AER markers, they do not express detectable levels of fibroblast growth factor 4 (fgf-4), which has been proposed to be the AER signal to the mesoderm. Thus we conclude that one or more formins are necessary to initiate and/or maintain fgf-4 production in the distal limb. Since ld limbs form distal structures such as digits, we further conclude that while fgf-4 is capable of supporting distal limb outgrowth in manipulated limbs, it is not essential for distal outgrowth in normal limb development. In addition, ld limbs show a severe decrease in the expression of several mesodermal markers, including sonic hedgehog (shh), a marker for the polarizing region and Hoxd-12, a marker for posterior mesoderm. We propose that incomplete differentiation of the AER in ld limb buds leads to reduction of polarizing activity and defects along the anteroposterior axis.
Patterns of forest regrowth following clearcutting in western Oregon as determined from a Landsat time-series

Abstract The rate at which forest vegetation re-establishes dominance after clearcut harvesting can impact many ecological processes, such as erosion/sedimentation, nutrient and water cycling, carbon storage potential, wildlife habitat, and trophic interactions. Although knowing a forest stand's current state of succession is useful, a clearer understanding of the impact forest harvesting has on the aforementioned ecological processes can be achieved with a more dynamic characterization of the successional process. To more fully model the continuous nature of forest regrowth following clearcut harvesting we extrapolated percent tree cover data collected by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Forest Inventory and Analysis program to a cross-normalized Landsat time-series using a date-invariant regression modeling approach. Using three periods of mapped clearcuts we extracted and classified the extrapolated percent tree cover data into four regrowth classes (little to no, slow, moderate and fast). These forest regrowth classes were used to develop frequency distributions describing the landscape patterns of postharvest forest recovery for two ecological provinces in western Oregon. The patterns of forest regrowth observed over the three clearcut periods indicated a much higher percentage of fast regrowth in the Coastal Range Province and a much higher percentage of little to no regrowth in the Western Cascade Province. For both ecological provinces we observed the propensity for faster regrowth on north facing aspects, shallow slopes and at low elevations. The forest regrowth classes and the frequency distributions indicated that a wide range of successional stages could be found in both ecological provinces 18 years after clearcutting. The extension of forest regrowth trajectories to the spectral space of Landsat provided an opportunity to use CART statistical analysis to more fully investigate the climatic and topographic drivers influencing the rate of postharvest forest regrowth. Based on the Kappa statistic, predictions from both CART models were in “fair” to “moderate” agreement with the test samples. Both classification trees yielded ecologically interpretable insights into the environmental attributes influencing forest regrowth rates after clearcutting. In both ecological provinces, elevation followed by potential relative radiation (PRR) explained the largest amount of variation in forest regrowth rates. To gauge the effectiveness of predicting more generalized postharvest forest regrowth rates we combined the four forest regrowth classes into two general “fast” and “slow” categories. Based on the Tau statistic, the CART models correctly classified 12% (CRP) and 26% (WCP) more combined test samples than classification of the four regrowth classes.
Bilayered vascular graft derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells with biomimetic structure and function.

Background: We developed an aligned bi-layered vascular graft derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that recapitulates the cellular composition, orientation, and anti-inflammatory function of blood vessels. Materials & methods: The luminal layer consisted of longitudinal-aligned nanofibrillar collagen containing primary endothelial cells (ECs) or iPSC-derived ECs (iPSC-ECs). The outer layer contained circumferentially oriented nanofibrillar collagen with primary smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or iPSC-derived SMCs(iPSC-SMCs). Results: On the aligned scaffolds, cells organized F-actin assembly within 8o from the direction of nanofibrils. When compared to randomly-oriented scaffolds, EC-seeded aligned scaffolds had significant reduced inflammatory response, based on adhesivity to monocytes. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of anisotropic scaffolds in directing cell form and function, and has therapeutic significance as physiologically relevant blood vessels.
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in an optical trap

We have combined optical trapping and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to determine the trapping energy and concentration of nanoparticles in suspension by analyzing the elongated dwell time and enhanced concentration in the optical trap.
In-migration to remote rural regions: The relative impacts of natural amenities and land developability

Abstract Remote rural regions rich in natural amenities exist within distinctive developmental contexts and confront significant constraints to land availability for development in addition to economic growth and sociodemographic change. In this study, we compare the associations of natural amenities and land developability with in-migration in the counterurbanization process. Empirically, we focus on a remote rural subregion of the U.S. Lake States at the minor civil division level. Results suggest that public lands and lands available and suitable for development are strongly associated with in-migration to remote rural areas; their associations are stronger in remote rural areas than in other areas. Forests and wetlands are not appreciably associated with in-migration within this remote rural region. Forests and wetlands seem to become attractive to migrants only when they can be accessed through managed recreational areas. Policy implications of this study focus on the reconceptualization of the roles played by natural amenities and land developability in recent transformations taking place within remote amenity-rich rural regions.
Evaluating existing audio CAPTCHAs and an interface optimized for non-visual use

Audio CAPTCHAs were introduced as an accessible alternative for those unable to use the more common visual CAPTCHAs, but anecdotal accounts have suggested that they may be more difficult to solve. This paper demonstrates in a large study of more than 150 participants that existing audio CAPTCHAs are clearly more difficult and time-consuming to complete as compared to visual CAPTCHAs for both blind and sighted users. In order to address this concern, we developed and evaluated a new interface for solving CAPTCHAs optimized for non-visual use that can be added in-place to existing audio CAPTCHAs. In a subsequent study, the optimized interface increased the success rate of blind participants by 59% on audio CAPTCHAs, illustrating a broadly applicable principle of accessible design: the most usable audio interfaces are often not direct translations of existing visual interfaces.
Ecological and Evolutionary Misadventures of Spartina

Spartina species of the mid-low intertidal areas are powerful ecological engineers that are highly valued where they are native. Elsewhere, they overgrow native salt marsh and open intertidal mudflats, diminish biota, increase costs of managing wildlife, and interfere with human uses of estuaries. Huge efforts have been mounted to kill some populations of invading Spartina. All large Spartina invasions are by S. densiflora (2n = 7x = 70) or S. alterniflora (2n = 6x = 62) or hybrids between the hexaploid species (2n = 6x). Hybridization is a recurrent theme in Spartina; the allododecaploid S. anglica (2n = 12x = 120) and the hybrid swarm in San Francisco Bay arose through the introductions of S. alterniflora into the range of native Spartina species. The ancient hybrid S. densiflora also hybridized with native Spartina species. Hybridization promotes the evolution of highly invasive populations and hampers control efforts. Whether Spartina, native and not, would protect the shore as sea levels rise depends...
Entropy methods in hydrodynamic scaling

We shall describe these methods by examining very closely an explicit model. Consider N lattice sites arranged periodically in one dimension with a lattice spacing of 1/N. We have spin variables x j attached to each site j/N, the sites being viewed as equally spaced points on the circle of unit circumference. The spins x j vary in time in such a manner that they undergo a diffusion on IR N denoted by {x 1(t),..., x N (t)}. The diffusion process is described by $$d{x_{i}}(t) = s{z_{{i - 1,i}}}(t) - d{z_{{i,i + 1}}}(t),\,d{z_{{i,i + 1}}}(t) = \frac{{{N^{2}}}}{2}\left[ {\phi '({x_{i}}(t)) - \phi '({x_{{i + 1}}}(t))} \right]dt + Nd{\beta _{{i,i + 1}}}(t)$$ .
On Stateless Multicounter Machines

We investigate the computing power of stateless multi-counter machines with reversal-bounded counters. Such a machine has m -counters and it operates on a one-way input delimited by left and right end markers. The move of the machine depends only on the symbol under the input head and the signs of the counters (zero or positive). At each step, every counter can be incremented by 1, decremented by 1 (if it is positive), or left unchanged. An input string is accepted if, when the input head is started on the left end marker with all counters zero, the machine eventually reaches the configuration where the input head is on the right end marker with all the counters again zero. Moreover, for a specified k , no counter makes more than k -reversals (i.e., alternations between increasing mode and decreasing mode) on any computation, accepting or not. We mainly focus our attention on deterministic realtime (the input head moves right at every step) machines. We show hierarchies of computing power with respect to the number of counters and reversals. It turns out that the analysis of these machines gives rise to rather interesting combinatorial questions.
Mandatory Pro Bono for New York Bar Applicants: Why Not?

The legal profession faces unprecedented challenges including an awful employment market and students graduating with huge debt loads. These are real problems that deserve our energy and attention. New York's new rule requiring applicants to perform fifty hours of pro bono service in order to gain admission to the bar does not. But ever since Chief Judge Lippman announced the plan earlier this year, it has become a lightning rod. Critics have descibed the plan as "indentured servitude" and its architect as "clueless." I argue that the plan is flawed but nevertheless worth supporting because it imposes minimal burdens on the relevant actors while providing three principal benefits. First, it is an effort to address, at least in a small way, our country’s appalling access-to-justice crisis. Second, the new requirement fosters practical training of law students. Third, if lawyers do pro bono work in law school, they may be more likely to do pro bono work as lawyers. Finally, Chief Judge Lippman should be praised for recognizing the new New York rule as a step that the Court of Appeals could take on its own to address the access-to-justice crisis when legislators and the organized bar are done nothing, or worse, thwarting efforts to address the problem.
Stretchable, High‐k Dielectric Elastomers through Liquid‐Metal Inclusions

An all-soft-matter composite with exceptional electro-elasto properties is demonstrated by embedding liquid-metal inclusions in an elastomer matrix. This material exhibits a unique combination of high dielectric constant, low stiffness, and large strain limit (ca. 600% strain). The elasticity, electrostatics, and electromechanical coupling of the composite are investigated, and strong agreement with predictions from effective medium theory is found.
Symphyla from North America.

For the past few years I have collected specimens of this group where it was possible. To the northward I have searched in Canada and into Alaska and as yet not a single specimen from the more northern regions has come to me. Also in the northwestern United States I have as yet very few. Some specimens were collected in the eastern states, in California, in Lower California, in and near Mexico City and in Cuba. Many other places were searched without specimens. I have looked for them in many western National parks without success. This does not mean that they do not occur in these places, it merely means in some cases at least that the most favorable conditions of moisture and vegetation were not encountered in many of the places where a careful search was made.
Nitrogen incorporation and composition facilitated tailoring of the optical constants and dispersion energy parameters of tungsten oxynitride films

Abstract Optical properties, including the index of refraction, extinction coefficient and band gap of 100 nm thick tungsten oxynitride (W-O-N) films are reported. In addition, the Wemple and DiDomenico (WDD) model was used to calculate the dispersion energies and oscillator energies of the films, establishing a correlation among the films’ optical, chemical, and physical properties, as a function of nitrogen content. Nitrogen concentration in the W-O-N films was varied by adjusting the nitrogen gas flow rate from 0 to 20 sccm while keeping total gas flow (nitrogen + oxygen + argon) constant at 40 sccm. Both the index of refraction (n) and extinction coefficient (k) of W-O-N films demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity to the nitrogen content during deposition. The optical constants of films fabricated without any nitrogen correspond to transparent W-oxide (WO3) where n550 = 2.1 and k550 = 0.0. The magnitude of the spectral response for both n and k tends to increase with increasing nitrogen content. Systematic increases of the films’ nitrogen content lead to the formation of W-oxide (Eg ≈ 3 eV) → W-O-N oxynitride semiconductor (Eg ≈ 2 eV) → N-rich W-O-N semi-metal (Eg
Synchronous generator parameter identification by load rejection method with time-domain simulation

Generator parameters are the important basis for the power system simulation.Accurate generator parameters should be obtained to improve the grid operation safety and stability.The principle of load rejection method was introduced.The generator transient process under load rejection condition was theoretically analyzed.Based on time-domain simulation technology and load rejection method,a novel method to identify synchronous generator parameters was proposed.Field tests were conducted by using the proposed load rejection method;and the experimental results were analyzed.The time-domain generator simulating models were established according to the field experimental conditions.By comparing the results of simulations and experiments,generator parameters can be identified.The comparison results also show that the identified parameters are more accurate,which validates the effectiveness of proposed method.
Surveillance on vectors in Fangshan district of Beijing after the“7.21” flood

Objective To estimate the impact of the"7. 21"flood in Fangshan District of Beijing on vectors densities,and to provide the evidence for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases. Methods CO2 Mosquito trapping lamp method,visual observation and rat clamp method were used to monitor the density of adult mosquitoes,flies and rats respectively. Results The densities of mosquitoes,flies and rats reached 2. 05 pieces per lamp-hour,3. 48 per square meter and 0. 42 percent respectively. Although mosquito density was lower than annual average level,there was no significant difference between them( t =- 1. 501,P = 0. 194). Rat density was also lower than average level and the difference was significant( t =- 3. 035,P =0. 029). Conclusion The overall densities of mosquitoes, flies and rats were generally low. Scientific and systematic surveillance of vectors played a guiding role in the control and prevention of vector-borne diseases,and also reduced related diseases outbreak.
Radar detection of high-energy cosmic rays in non-Gaussian background using a time-frequency technique

Cosmic rays are the highest-energy observable particles in the universe. Their study opens a new frontier for scientists to better understand the nature of the universe. This paper reports our study of a bistatic radar approach that is being developed for remote sensing of cosmic-ray induced air showers. In this context, we propose a robust detection technique based on time-frequency domain for the received radar echoes. These echoes are modeled as linear-downward chirp signals, characterized by very short sweep periods, low energies, and corrupted by non-stationary and non-Gaussian background noise. In addition, the related parameters of the received echoes are variable within some expected ranges, determined by the physical parameters of the air showers. In this paper, we explore the performance of the proposed detection method through an extensive theoretical analysis. We derive formulae for probability of the correct detection, as well as false-alarm rate. Numerical simulations and experimental results that corroborate our analysis are also presented.
What Makes Biology Unique?: Maturation of Darwinism

E ven though darwin had presented in 1859 the basic principles of Darwinism in great detail in Origin of Species , it took another eighty years for biologists to fully accept Darwinism. There were many reasons why there was so much disharmony in evolutionary biology during this long period. Perhaps the main reason was that the very concept of Darwinism continued to change over time. And different Darwinians endorsed different combinations of Darwin's five theories (see chapter 6). In my One Long Argument (1991), I describe nine different usages of the term Darwinism, more or less popular at different periods. Only a chronological treatment can do justice to the history of the concept of Darwinism. Stages in the maturation of Darwinism It is now obvious why there was such disharmony in evolutionary biology for the first eighty years. At the beginning, Darwinism simply meant anticreationism. An evolutionist was labeled a Darwinian as long as he adopted at least the theory that evolutionary change was due to natural causes and not to divine action (Mayr 1991, 1997). You were a Darwinian if you considered science a secular endeavor. Accordingly, opponents of natural selection such as T. H. Huxley and Charles Lyell were called Darwinians. No wonder the term Darwinism had so many meanings in the nineteenth century. 1859–1882 The first years after 1859 were a period of considerable confusion in evolutionary biology. To be sure, two of Darwin's five theories, an evolving world and common descent, were at once almost universally accepted.
Antimicrobial Agent Dosing in Infants

Abstract Purpose The goal of this article was to review infant physiology and its effects on the pharmacokinetic properties of antimicrobial agents. Methods A review of the drug development process was performed. A literature search was conducted on the pharmacokinetics of various antimicrobial agents in infants. Findings The pharmacokinetic properties of antimicrobial agents in infants are most often affected by the renal maturation of premature infants. Hepatic metabolism and volume of distribution play a common role as well. Implications The dosing and dosing intervals of various medications were reviewed and compared with details of adult dosing. It is vital to continue to gather pharmacokinetic data in infants to ensure adequate safety and dosing of medications.
Earth Materials: Minerals and rocks observed under the polarizing optical microscope

Light and the polarizing microscope In Chapter 3, we saw that the human eye is sensitive to that part of the electromagnetic spectrum known as the visible range. We also saw that the energy transmitted by electromagnetic radiation can be related to its wavelength through a simple equation (Eq. 3.1) involving the Planck constant and the speed of light. The speed of light – 186000 miles per second – is perhaps one of the most familiar physical constants. This is actually the velocity of any electromagnetic radiation in a complete vacuum, and its precise value, in SI units, is 2.9979 × 10 8 m/s, or ~300000 km/s. When light travels through material, it is slowed down, which results in the path of the light bending or refracting. This has two very important consequences: It allows us to construct lenses that can be used to make optical instruments such as telescopes, microscopes, or common reading glasses. When light passes through a mineral, the amount the light is slowed varies from one substance to another. This retardation provides a useful property known as the refractive index, which helps us distinguish and identify minerals.
The Connecticut Mental Health Center: Celebrating 50 Years of a Successful Partnership Between the State and Yale University

September 28, 2016, marked the 50th anniversary of the Connecticut Mental Health Center, a state-owned and state-operated joint venture between the state and Yale University built and sustained with federal, state, and university funds. Collaboration across these entities has produced a wide array of clinical, educational, and research initiatives, a few of which are described in this column. The missions of clinical care, research, and education remain the foundation for an organization that serves 5,000 individuals each year who are poor and who experience serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
On the regioselectivity and diastereoselectivity of ACC hydrazone alkylation

Abstract The asymmetric α-allylation of 3-pentanone using several different N-amino cyclic carbamate (ACC) auxiliaries is described. The level of asymmetric induction was found to range from er = 93:7 to er = 99:1. The factors that lead to compromised selectivity for the various auxiliaries have been determined. Significantly, we have established that using the easily accessible and inexpensive valine-derived ACC auxiliary, it is possible to obtain synthetically useful levels of asymmetric induction (er = 96:4).
A stable partitioned FSI algorithm for rigid bodies and incompressible flow. Part I: Model problem analysis

A stable partitioned algorithm is developed for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems involving viscous incompressible flow and rigid bodies. This added-mass partitioned (AMP) algorithm remains stable, without sub-iterations, for light and even zero mass rigid bodies when added-mass and viscous added-damping effects are large. The scheme is based on a generalized Robin interface condition for the fluid pressure that includes terms involving the linear acceleration and angular acceleration of the rigid body. Added-mass effects are handled in the Robin condition by inclusion of a boundary integral term that depends on the pressure. Added-damping effects due to the viscous shear forces on the body are treated by inclusion of added-damping tensors that are derived through a linearization of the integrals defining the force and torque. Added-damping effects may be important at low Reynolds number, or, for example, in the case of a rotating cylinder or rotating sphere when the rotational moments of inertia are small. In this first part of a two-part series, the properties of the AMP scheme are motivated and evaluated through the development and analysis of some model problems. The analysis shows when and why the traditional partitioned scheme becomes unstable due to either added-mass or added-damping effects. The analysis also identifies the proper form of the added-damping which depends on the discrete time-step and the grid-spacing normal to the rigid body. The results of the analysis are confirmed with numerical simulations that also demonstrate a second-order accurate implementation of the AMP scheme.
Enhancing mobile sensor selection in large participatory sensing systems

The large number of sensor-rich mobile devices that are commonly available in urban environments bring new venues for the study of the environment and human interactions. Better approaches for the exploitation of the spatial-temporal properties of mobile communities in self-selected social-sensing networks are still needed, in particular, for very large participatory sensing systems where incentives and rewards create a cost for the system. We introduce an entropy-based criterion to evaluate the measurement diversity that can be achieved by a mobile group of sensors and propose a parallel randomised search algorithm to find the best group composition. The problem is non-trivial as the aggregated group entropy does not equal the sum of individual contributions. We discuss applications of the approach to achieve area coverage and anomaly tracking and show that the size of mobile sensor groups can be reduced to minimise costs without compromising the quality of the sensing objective.
Comparing the Frequencies of Contraindicated Drug-Drug Interactions Between Differing Antiretroviral Regimens in HIV-Infected Patients

Background: HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) are at risk for contraindicated drug-drug interactions (XDDIs). Objective: This study compared the frequency of XDDIs betwee...
Every Move You Make: Tracking Smartphone Users through Motion Sensors

Online users are increasingly being subjected to privacy-invasive tracking across the web for advertisement and surveillance purposes, using IP addresses, cookies, and browser fingerprinting. As web browsing activity shifts to mobile platforms such as smartphones, traditional browser fingerprinting techniques become less effective due to ephemeral IP addresses and uniform software-base. However, device fingerprinting using built-in sensors offers a new avenue for attack. In this talk, I will describe how motion sensors such as accelerometer and gyroscope, embedded in smartphones, can be exploited to track users online. Next, I will discuss the practical aspects of this attack and how it can be used to track users across different sessions under natural web browsing settings. Finally, I will talk about usable countermeasures that we have developed to protect users against such fingerprinting techniques.
Wholehearted and Halfhearted Care: National Policies vs. Individual Choice

This whole symposium, as its title indicates, is taking place at a time in which our societal sense of what is appropriate medical care is being challenged by our economic concerns about how much health care our society can afford. For America, this is a new experience, one which makes all of us very uncomfortable. I hope in this paper to first raise the level of discomfort, and then to make certain suggestions that are the beginning of an attempt to try to lower that level.
Nonsurgical Management of Persistent and Hemodynamically Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus among Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nonsurgical approach (with the incorporation of late postnatal hydrocortisone treatment to facilitate extubation) in comparison to the surgical approach for the management of persistent hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) among chronically ventilator-dependent extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Methods In this retrospective study, ELBW infants with a diagnosis of hsPDA (diagnosed based on the echocardiographic criteria and chronic ventilator dependence) that were persistent beyond 14 days of postnatal age despite adequate medical treatment were included. Results Out of 127 infants (surgical approach group, n = 67 and nonsurgical approach group, n = 60), 72 infants were matched based on the propensity scores. In the matched cohort, in comparison to infants managed with the surgical approach (control group, n = 36), infants in the nonsurgical approach group (treatment group, n = 36) had a lower rate of surgical ligation (14 vs. 100%, p = Conclusion For chronically ventilator-dependent ELBW infants with persistent hsPDA, a nonsurgical management approach is associated with a reduced rate of surgical ligation of PDA, but not associated with increased risk of adverse major short-term neonatal outcomes.
Diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance with a spiral trajectory: An in vivo comparison of echo planar and spiral stimulated echo sequences.

PURPOSE Diffusion tensor cardiovascular MR (DT-CMR) using stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) with echo-planar-imaging (EPI) readouts is a low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) technique and therefore typically has a low spatial resolution. Spiral trajectories are more efficient than EPI, and could increase the SNR. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of a novel STEAM spiral DT-CMR sequence with an equivalent established EPI technique. METHODS A STEAM DT-CMR sequence was implemented with a spiral readout and a reduced field of view. An in vivo comparison of DT-CMR parameters and data quality between EPI and spiral was performed in 11 healthy volunteers imaged in peak systole and diastasis at 3 T. The SNR was compared in a phantom and in vivo. RESULTS There was a greater than 49% increase in the SNR in vivo and in the phantom measurements (in vivo septum, systole: SNREPI = 8.0 ± 2.2, SNRspiral = 12.0 ± 2.7; diastasis: SNREPI = 8.1 ± 1.6, SNRspiral = 12.0 ± 3.7). There were no significant differences in helix angle gradient (HAG) (systole: HAGEPI = -0.79 ± 0.07 °/%; HAGspiral = -0.74 ± 0.16 °/%; P = 0.11; diastasis: HAGEPI = -0.63 ± 0.05 °/%; HAGspiral = -0.56 ± 0.14 °/%; P = 0.20), mean diffusivity (MD) in systole (MDEPI = 0.99 ± 0.06 × 10-3 mm2 /s, MDspiral = 1.00 ± 0.09 × 10-3 mm2 /s, P = 0.23) and secondary eigenvector angulation (E2A) (systole: E2AEPI = 61 ± 10 °; E2Aspiral = 63 ± 10 °; P = 0.77; diastasis: E2AEPI = 18 ± 11 °; E2Aspiral = 15 ± 8 °; P = 0.20) between the sequences. There was a small difference (≈ 20%) in fractional anisotropy (FA) (systole: FAEPI = 0.49 ± 0.03, FAspiral = 0.41 ± 0.04; P < 0.01; diastasis: FAEPI = 0.66 ± 0.05, FAspiral = 0.55 ± 0.03; P < 0.01) and mean diffusivity in diastasis (10%; MDEPI = 1.00 ± 0.12 × 10-3 mm2 /s, MDspiral = 1.10 ± 0.09 × 10-3 mm2 /s, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION This is the first study to demonstrate DT-CMR STEAM using a spiral trajectory. The SNR was increased by using a spiral rather than the more established EPI readout, and the DT-CMR parameters were largely similar between the two sequences. Magn Reson Med 80:648-654, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.