cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Residential Investment and Interest Rates: An Empirical Test of Land Development as a Real Option

In real options models, investment can increase under some conditions when interest rates rise. This research tests for these positive interest rate responses in the context of the Capozza–Li model of land development. In the model variable capital intensity is a sufficient condition for positive responses to interest rates that can occur when growth rates are high or uncertainty is high. The empirical analysis uses a panel data set on residential investment in the 1980s and finds that 25–50% of the sample lies in the positive response region.
Phospholipids of Bacteria with Extensive Intracytoplasmic Membranes

Examination of the lipids of three species of nonphotosynthetic bacteria with extensive internal membranes revealed phosphatidyl choline (lecithin) in two species. In one of these there was an unusual accumulation of phosphatidyl N-dimethylethanolamine. (The relation between lecithin and membrane elaboration in microorganisms is discussed.)
Comprehensive geriatric assessment: toward understanding its efficacy.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) offers health care professionals a technique for multidimensional diagnosis of frail elderly people to plan medical, psychosocial, and rehabilitative care. In the present paper, we provide a brief history of geriatric assessment, a description of the varied organization of geriatric assessment programs (GAPs), and a review of published effectiveness studies of programs worldwide performing comprehensive geriatric assessment. Program diversity has complicated drawing conclusions about the efficacy of CGA from a literature reporting generally positive, but not uniformly significant, results. We suggest that sample size limitations explain much of the variability in findings. Using the techniques of meta-analysis, we evaluate the effect of GAPs on mortality when all controlled trials are considered cumulatively. Meta-analysis of six-month mortality demonstrates a statistically significant 36% reduction of mortality for inpatient CGA programs (odds ratio = 0.64; 95% confidence interval = 0.50 to 0.83), and a 32% mortality reduction for all CGA programs (odds ratio = 0.68; 95% confidence interval = 0.57 to 0.80). Further use of meta-analytic techniques can be employed to clarify the effect of GAPs on other important outcomes (e.g., reduced hospital and nursing home use, improved functional status), and to identify program characteristics best promoting these benefits.
Chladni Plates at High Frequencies

IN order to make a high-frequency oscillator for brass plates, I wound a suitable inductance around a nickel rod twelve inches long and one eighth of an inch in diameter. The inductance was excited at 15,000 vibrations per second from an audio vacuum tube circuit connected through a power amplifier. The nickel rod was in a vertical position and the square Chladni plates were balanced upon it. The figures shown in the photographic reproductions (Fig. 1) were formed in this way.
On the critique by Colin Anderson of 'A reply to Dembic: on an end to the beginning of mis-understanding the immune response'.

In order to organize this discussion, I presented a set of postulates that describe immune responsiveness [1]. Dembic argued that the role of regulatory T-cells, life long tolerance later in life, and effector cell-type switching, were unexplained [2]. I answered this critique [3], which drew a commentary by Colin Anderson [4] that I will address here. The thoughtful and probing criticism of my essay [1] by Colin Anderson [4] must be read before considering my reply here.
Serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors: New hope for the treatment of chronic pain.

Depression and painful symptoms occur frequently together. Over 75% of depressed patients report painful symptoms such as headache, stomach pain, neck and back pain as well as non-specific generalized pain. In addition, World Health Organization data have shown that primary care patients with chronic pain have a four fold greater risk of becoming depressed than pain-free patients. Increasingly, pain is considered as an integral symptom of depression and there evidence to suggest that pain and depression may arise from a common neurobiological dysfunction. Serotonergic cell bodies, in the raphe nucleus, and noradrenergic cell bodies in the locus coeruleus send projections to various parts of the brain, where they are involved in the control of mood, movement, cognitive functioning and emotions. In addition both serotonergic and noradrenergic neurons project to the spinal cord. These descending pathways serve to inhibit input from the intestines, skeletal muscles and other sensory inputs. Usually, these inh...
Signal propagation in dipole coupled nanomagnets for logic applications

As conventional Silicon-based transistors reach their scaling limits, novel devices for performing computations have emerged as alternatives to continue the improvements in information technology that have benefited society over the past 40 years. One candidate that has shown great promise recently is a device that performs logical computations using dipole coupled nanomagnets. In this paper, we discuss recent advances that have led to a greater understanding of signal propagation in nanomagnet arrays. In particular, we highlight recent experimental work towards the imaging of a propagating magnetic cascade.
Heat Transfer Study on A Bioaerosol Sampling Cyclone

AbstractComputational fluid dynamics, supplemented by theoretical analyses, is used to study turbulent heat transfer in a wetted wall bioaerosol sampling cyclone. The cyclone is designed to operate at temperatures as low as -20oC so heat must be applied to prevent the liquid (water) from freezing. For the particular application of interest, which is a cyclone with a flow rate of 1250 L/min, the electrical power for heating is limited to 350 W and the local temperature of the heated wall must be properly controlled. The inner wall of the cyclone has a liquid film, which is formed from impact of droplets that are created from atomization of the liquid upstream of the cyclone body. Calculations showed that the mean diameter of the droplets was about 42 μm and they would not freeze in air at temperatures as low as -40oC. A commercially available CFD package, Fluent, was used in the numerical simulations to predict the turbulent heat transfer coefficients at the cyclone surface, to design heaters, and to study...
Recoupment of government R&D expenditures: issues and practices in the USA

Abstract Recently there have been discussions in the US concerning the implementation of a recoupment policy for government expenditures on R & D. The basic questions in developing recoupment policies can be stated as: (1)“it appropriate to seek recoupment of government-supported R & D when such R & D subsequently is utilized to generate private profits? (2) If so, what options exist?” In addressing the first question, the authors develop some pro and con arguments with respect to recoupment. The authors conclude that there are no easy criteria for judging whether and when recoupment of government expenditures on R & D is appropriate. There is currently inadequate information about, and analyses of, the benefits and costs of a recoupment policy upon which to base a policy design. Reasonable people may disagree both on general criteria and on specific cases. In addressing the second question, a review of foreign programs that incorporate recoupment provisions was made to see what lessons they might provide for the US. Programs with recoupment provisions do not represent a major part of total government expenditures on R & D, although in some countries and time periods they have been a significant part of government expenditures on civilian, industry-related R & D, especially in selected industries. When employed, recoupment policies do not seem on average to have been particularly successful.
TE01 mode propagation at λ=394μm in smooth and corrugated circular metallic waveguides

Abstract The attenuation of the TE 01 mode in straight circular metallic waveguides has been measured at λ = 394 μm. The radiation was produced by an optically-pumped HCOOH waveguide laser, with i.d. as small as 4 mm. The losses were measured in smooth waveguides as well as in guides with a fine helical corrugation on the inner wall, designed to reduce the detrimental TE 01 ↔ TM 11 coupling. The losses in both types of guides were substantial, being, respectively, of the order of 30 and 60% per meter, for 4.8 mm i.d. tubes; this is more than an order of magnitude larger than the theoretically expected values.
Colour doppler ultrasonography provides real-time microwave field visualisation in an ex vivo porcine model

Introduction Microwave ablation (MWA) uses non-ionising thermal energy to cause cell death by coagulative necrosis. Colour Doppler ultrasound (US) produces a spherical image during tissue ablation that appears to approximate the microwave near field (MNF) in shape and size. The aim of the present study was to determine whether colour Doppler US images observed during microwave ablation correlate with the actual thermocoagulation zone (TCZ) observed in liver tissue.
Magnetically Arrested Disks and the Origin of Poynting Jets: A Numerical Study

The dynamics and structure of accretion disks, which accumulate a vertical magnetic field in their centers, are investigated using two- and three-dimensional MHD simulations. The central field can be built up to the equipartition level, where it disrupts a nearly axisymmetric outer accretion disk inside a magnetospheric radius, forming a magnetically arrested disk (MAD). In the MAD, the mass accretes in the form of irregular dense spiral streams, and the vertical field, split into separate bundles, penetrates through the disk plane in low-density magnetic islands. The accreting mass, when spiraling inward, drags the field and twists it around the axis of rotation, resulting in collimated Poynting jets in the polar directions. These jets are powered by the accretion flow with an efficiency of up to ~1.5% (in units of inc2). The spiral flow pattern in the MAD is dominated by modes with low azimuthal wavenumbers m ~ 1–5 and can be a source of quasi-periodic oscillations in the outgoing radiation. The formation of the MAD and the Poynting jets can naturally explain the observed changes of spectral states in galactic black hole binaries. Our study is focused on black hole accretion flows; however, the results can also be applied to accretion disks around nonrelativistic objects, such as young stellar objects and stars in binary systems.
Template-directed oligomerization of 5′-deoxy-5′-nucleosideacetic acid derivatives

5′-Deoxy-5′-nucleosideacetic acids II–V are isostructural analogues of nucleotides with a carboxylate group in the place of the 5′-phosphate group. We have studied their oligomerization in aqueous solution using a water-soluble carbodiimide as the condensing agent in the presence or absence of an appropriate polynucleotide template. Condensation of adenylic acid analogues IIa, IIIa, and Va in the presence of polyuridylic acid were found to be the most efficient reactions. Cyclization of the activated monomers to lactones and the insolubility of the oligomers in aqueous solution were found to be obstacles to the efficient formation of long oligomers.
Testable lightweight telescopes for space

The next generation of larger space optics will need lightweight and deployed mirror systems in order to control costs and fit within current and planned launch vehicle fairings. These will require active control based on wavefront sensing to establish and maintain their optical quality. Such control has been the enabling factor for the current generation of 8 m class ground-based telescopes, whose mirrors are either single monoliths with detailed shape control or have multiple rigid segments with control of relative position. They use actuator densities of typically a few per square meter. For active space systems it will be highly desirable to test the full deployed spacecraft in a vacuum test with a scene simulator, to validate before launch the optical performance of the complete system with its closed loop control systems. To enable such testing, the space mirror system must be designed from the start to work in a 1g as well as zero g environment. The orientation we envisage has the spacecraft system pointed at the zenith, illuminated by a downward beam collimated with reference to a full aperture liquid flat. We consider here two space mirror systems. The first has rigid segments supported by position actuators to control only rigid body motions. Since the segments under test must hold their shape with an axial 1g load and no passive flotation supports, they must be smaller than for ground systems. If made of lightweighted silicon carbide or beryllium for diffraction limited imaging in the optical, they would have to be ~ 30 cm in diameter. A mirror systems made from such segments will require about 40 actuators and wavefront sensor sub-apertures per square meter. The second system is a lightweight 3.5x8 m monolith for very high contrast imaging, as is envisaged for NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder. High accuracy control of Fourier components down to ~ 0.2 m period is required, requiring a deformable mirror with about 4000 actuators. If the primary itself is the deformable element, and has a 1 cm thick glass meniscus facesheet weighing 600 kg, the gravity-induced quilting during testing would be about 1 nm rms, low enough for ground testing of the complete system at the desired 10-10 contrast level.
Antibiotic Transport via Runoff and Soil Loss

Research has verified the occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in manure, agricultural fields, and surface water bodies, yet little research has evaluated antibiotic runoff from agricultural fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for agricultural runoff to contribute antibiotics to surface water bodies in a worst-case scenario. Our hypothesis was that there would be significant differences in antibiotic concentrations, partitioning of losses between runoff and sediment, and pseudo-partitioning coefficients (ratio of sediment concentration to runoff concentration) among antibiotics. An antibiotic solution including tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamethazine (SMZ), erythromycin (ERY), tylosin (TYL), and monensin (MNS) was sprayed on the soil surface 1 h before rainfall simulation (average intensity = 60 mm h(-1) for 1 h). Runoff samples were collected continuously and analyzed for aqueous and sediment antibiotic concentrations. MNS had the highest concentration in runoff, resulting in the highest absolute loss, although the amount of loss associated with sediment transport was 50%. TYL also had >50% relative loss associated with sediment, and its pseudo-partitioning coefficient (P-PC) was very high. The tetracyclines (TC and CTC) had very low aqueous concentrations and had the lowest absolute losses. If agricultural runoff is proven to result in development of resistance genes or toxicity to aquatic organisms, then erosion control practices could be used to reduce TC, ERY, and TYL losses leaving agricultural fields. Other methods will be needed to reduce transport of other antibiotics.
Environmental Embrittlement in FeAl Aluminides

In this paper we review experimental and theoretical findings related to the recently discovered mechanism of moisture-induced environmental embrittlement in FeAl-based alloys. We show that when low aluminum content FeAl alloys (35 and 36.5% Al) are tested in air, the aluminum in the alloys reacts with moisture in the air, producing atomic hydrogen. This atomic hydrogen enters the metal in the vicinity of the crack tips and embrittles the FeAl aluminides. As a result, when the alloys are tensile tested in air, it is commonly found that they fracture with limited ductility by transgranular cleavage. When this embrittlement mechanism is suppressed (e.g., by testing in dry oxygen), ductility is found to increase dramatically (to as much as 17-18%), and the fracture mode changes to intergranular. The intrinsic resistance to fracture is therefore quite high in these alloys. First-principles calculations confirm that the intrinsic cleavage strength and energy of FeAl are indeed quite high (comparable to or slightly higher than that of a ductile alloy like Ni3Al). The calculations also show that absorbed hydrogen can significantly reduce the cleavage strength and energy of FeAl (by as much as 20-70%, depending on the hydrogen concentration), consistent with the proposed embrittlement mechanism. In higher Al content FeAl alloys (40 and 43% Al), there is an additional cause of brittle fracture, namely intrinsically weak grain boundaries. In these alloys, the grain boundaries have to be first strengthened (by the addition of boron) before the moisture-induced environmental embrittlement mechanism becomes evident. Thus, the ductility of Fe-40Al alloys is approximately the same in air and dry oxygen, whereas the ductility of B-doped Fe-40Al alloys is significantly improved when tested in dry oxygen instead of air (from 4.3 to 16.8%). With increasing Al concentration, the grain boundaries in FeAl become increasingly more brittle and, in Fe-50Al, boron is unable to suppress intergranular fracture.
Modification of Encapsulation Pressure of Reverse Micelles in Liquid Ethane

Encapsulation within reverse micelles dissolved in low viscosity fluids offers a potential solution to the slow tumbling problem presented by large soluble macromolecules to solution NMR spectroscopy. The reduction in effective macromolecular tumbling is directly dependent upon the viscosity of the solvent. Liquid ethane is of sufficiently low viscosity at pressures below 5000 psi to offer a significant advantage. Unfortunately, the viscosity of liquid ethane shows appreciable pressure dependence. Reverse micelle encapsulation in liquid ethane often requires significantly higher pressures, which obviates the potential advantages offered by liquid ethane over liquid propane. Addition of co-surfactants or co-solvents can be used to manipulate the minimum pressure required to obtain stable, well-behaved solutions of reverse micelles prepared in liquid ethane. A library of potential additives is examined and several candidates suitable for use with encapsulated proteins are described.
Replacement of the Ascending Aorta and Aortic Valve with a Composite Graft in Patients with Nondisplaced Coronary Ostia

Composite graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve is indicated for a variety of conditions affecting the aortic root. In most cases, cephalad displacement of the coronary ostia permits direct reimplantation of the ostia into the composite graft. Occasionally, anatomical factors exist that preclude the safe advancement of the ostia to the graft for direct anastomosis. A method for dealing with this problem utilizing a short interposed polytetrafluoroethylene graft between coronary ostia and composite graft is presented.
Use of behavioral contingencies to promote prevention of recurrent pressure ulcers.

Abstract Jones ML, Mathewson CS, Adkins VK, Ayllon T. Use of behavioral contingencies to promote prevention of recurrent pressure ulcers. Objective: To determine effectiveness of an intervention using monetary rewards as a consequence for preventing or reducing severity of pressure ulcers in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with a history of chronic, recurrent ulcers. Design: Multiple baseline analysis across subjects (time-lagged control), comparing severity of pressure ulcers and treatment costs during baseline and intervention. Setting: Outpatient wound-care clinic of private, nonprofit specialty hospital. Participants: Nine adults (all with paraplegia) with a history of hospitalizations for treatment of pressure ulcers. Interventions: In study 1, participants (n=6) undertook (1) a comprehensive self-care plan, (2) had a graduated schedule of visits with an advanced practice nurse, and (3) received monetary rewards for successfully preventing serious ulcers. In study 2, participants (n=3) undertook interventions 1 and 2, but monetary rewards were in staged phases so a component analysis could compare the effectiveness of visits alone to visits plus monetary rewards. Main Outcome Measures: Severity of pressure ulcers measured with the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH Tool 3.0); and direct costs of treatment and preventive care for pressure ulcers. Results: In study 1, severity of pressure ulcers—and their related treatment costs—decreased for the 6 participants. Maintenance of effects postintervention was highly variable, with only 3 participants showing long-term improvements. In study 2, for 2 participants, visits alone did not reduce pressure ulcer severity, but visits plus payments did effectively reduce ulcer severity, indicating improved prevention behaviors. Conclusions: Findings support the assumption that pressure ulcers may recur among some individuals because there are insufficient positive consequences for effective prevention.
Classroom Walls that Talk: Using Online Course Activity Data of Successful Students to Raise Self-Awareness of Underperforming Peers

Abstract Similar to other institutions, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has determined that a relationship may exist between student performance as defined by grades, and activity in the campus' online course management system (CMS). Specifically, since Fall 2007, UMBC's “Most Active Blackboard Courses” reports show students earning a D or F in a sample of 131 courses used the CMS 39% less than students earning a grade of C or higher. While the sample needs to be expanded and the demographic backgrounds of students need to be studied further, what if this usage pattern holds true throughout the semester? And how might students' awareness, motivation and performance change if they could know this information sooner? This article presents a new tool that UMBC students can (and do) use to check their activity and grades against an anonymous summary of their peers, which might make them more inclined to seek or accept academic support.
Searching for Evil

Forensic Psychiatry: Influences of Evil. Tom Mason (Ed.). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2006, 387 pages, $99.50 (hardcover), ISBN 1588294498. Despite its title, Forensic Psychiatry: Influences of Evil ...
Simulating effects based operations

Effects based operations (EBO) are proving to be a vital part of current concepts of operations in military missions and consequently need to be an integral part of current generation wargames. EBO is an approach to planning, executing and assessing military operations that focuses on obtaining a desired strategic outcome or "effect" on the adversary instead of merely attacking targets or simply dealing with objectives. Alternatively, the emphasis of conventional wargames is focused on attrition based modeling and is incapable of assessing effects and their contribution to the overall mission objectives. The focus of this paper is the integration of an EBO modeling scheme [1] within a force-on-force simulator. In this paper, the authors review the EBO modeling capability and describe its" integration within the wargame; including the integration of center of gravity (COG) models, the realization of indirect and cascading effects, the impact of the COG models on simulation control files, and the use of COG models to link the simulation commander with assets. A simple scenario demonstrating indirect and cascading effects is described and the results are presented.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Quasi-Optics of Near-MM and Sub-MM Waves in IRE-Kharkov, Ukraine in the 1960-70's

The paper presents a retrospective review of the development of short millimeter (mm) and sub-mm wavelength quasi-optical technology based on the hollow dielectric beamguide as a transmission line. This development started in 1964 and was widely used in the nuclear fusion research in USSR. Later on the same principles were applied in the development of battlefield radars and microcompact RCS measurement ranges.
Kim Against Dualism

This paper presents and evaluates Jaegwon Kim’s recent argument against substance dualism. The argument runs as follows. Causal interaction between two entities requires pairing relations. Pairing relations are spatial relations, such as distance and orientation. Souls are supposedly nonspatial, immaterial substances. So it is hard to see how souls could enter into paired causal relations with material substances. I show that Kim’s argument against dualism fails. I conclude by sketching a way the substance dualist could meet Kim’s central challenge of explaining how souls and bodies are uniquely paired, allowing for them to enter into specific causal relationships, forming a singular soul–body unit.
Matrix modifiers in graphite furnace atomic absorption analysis of trace lithium in biological fluids

The use of KH2PO4/NH4NO3 as matrix modifier eliminates severe interference effects on the atomic absorption analysis of lithium in biological fluids. This enables determination of trace lithium in microliter size samples with absolute sensitivity (0.0044 absorbance) of 2 pg. There is no requirement for standard additions experiments to correct for interferences in specific matrices such as serum and saliva. The biological half-life of trace lithium was 16.9 +/- 2.8 h. Saliva lithium is a good estimate of serum level; the two are highly correlated (r = 0.97) and saliva level is about three times serum.
Zcchc11 uridylates mature miRNAs to enhance neonatal IGF-1 expression, growth, and survival.

The Zcchc11 enzyme is implicated in microRNA (miRNA) regulation. It can uridylate let-7 precursors to decrease quantities of the mature miRNA in embryonic stem cell lines, suggested to mediate stem cell maintenance. It can uridylate mature miR-26 to relieve silencing activity without impacting miRNA content in cancer cell lines, suggested to mediate cytokine and growth factor expression. Broader roles of Zcchc11 in shaping or remodeling the miRNome or in directing biological or physiological processes remain entirely speculative. We generated Zcchc11-deficient mice to address these knowledge gaps. Zcchc11 deficiency had no impact on embryogenesis or fetal development, but it significantly decreased survival and growth immediately following birth, indicating a role for this enzyme in early postnatal fitness. Deep sequencing of small RNAs from neonatal livers revealed roles of this enzyme in miRNA sequence diversity. Zcchc11 deficiency diminished the lengths and terminal uridine frequencies for diverse mature miRNAs, but it had no influence on the quantities of any miRNAs. The expression of IGF-1, a liver-derived protein essential to early growth and survival, was enhanced by Zcchc11 expression in vitro, and miRNA silencing of IGF-1 was alleviated by uridylation events observed to be Zcchc11-dependent in the neonatal liver. In neonatal mice, Zcchc11 deficiency significantly decreased IGF-1 mRNA in the liver and IGF-1 protein in the blood. We conclude that the Zcchc11-mediated terminal uridylation of mature miRNAs is pervasive and physiologically significant, especially important in the neonatal period for fostering IGF-1 expression and enhancing postnatal growth and survival. We propose that the miRNA 3′ terminus is a regulatory node upon which multiple enzymes converge to direct silencing activity and tune gene expression.
A longitudinal assessment of the links between physical activity and self-esteem in early adolescent non-Hispanic females.

Abstract Purpose For decades, researchers have proclaimed the positive psychosocial benefits of participation in physical activity. However, recent meta-analyses of the literature have found infrequent and inconclusive empirical support for the link between physical activity and psychosocial well-being. In this study, we use data from a longitudinal study to explore the links between participation in physical activity and global self-esteem among girls from childhood into early adolescence and the direction of this relationship. Methods Participants included 197 non-Hispanic white girls. Girls’ participation in physical activity and their global self-esteem were assessed when they were 9, 11, and 13 years old. Panel regression was used to assess the lagged effect of physical activity on self-esteem and the lagged effect of self-esteem on physical activity, controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES) and girls’ body mass index (BMI). Results A significant lagged effect of physical activity on self-esteem was identified. Specifically, higher physical activity at ages 9 and 11 years predicted higher self-esteem at ages 11 and 13 years respectively, controlling for covariates. Positive effects of physical activity on self-esteem were most apparent at age 11 and for girls with higher BMI. No support was gained for the lagged effect of self-esteem on physical activity. Conclusions Results suggest that participating in physical activity can lead to positive self-esteem among adolescent girls, particularly for younger girls and those at greatest risk of overweight. These findings highlight the necessity of promoting physical activity among adolescent girls as a method of fostering positive self-worth.
The OpenDOOR project: a Digital Object Observatory and Repository on the World Wide Web

The University of Pittsburgh-NASA Educator Resource Center collaboration for imaging and visualization has developed a website from general guidelines suggested in visualization of space data. It is an Internet website supporting an open Digital Object Observatory and Repository, (OpenDOOR) (www.pitt.edu//spl sim/nasa/opendoor/openDOOR.html). The author describes a website displaying images, providing lessons, abstracts of technical reports, and concept papers, and eventually involving sharing of data in real time, control of instruments, and tools allowing students to work together over a wide area network.
Plasma-filled rod-pinch diode experiment on Gamble II

Summary form only given, as follows. A plasma-filled rod-pinch diode fielded on Gamble II may represent a breakthrough in electron-beam energy concentration. The injected plasma forms an initial short circuit between the disk cathode and the 0.5-1 mm diameter rod anode. After a short circuit phase of 10-30 ns, the impedance increases and a large fraction of the energy is deposited on the tip of the rod, producing an intense X-ray pulse and a small spot size. The current and voltage (at maximum radiation) vary between 260-770 kA and 1.8-0.45 MV, as the initial plasma density increases. These parameters imply effective gaps between the plasma and rod anode of 10-170 microns, far smaller than can be achieved with metal electrodes without premature shorting. The low impedance (7-0.6 Ohms) allows efficient coupling to the 2-Ohm generator resulting in order-of-magnitude greater dose than obtained using higher-impedance (20-60 Ohm) rod-pinch diodes without plasma fill. We speculate that current is convected to the rod tip by plasma translation instead of e-beam propagation. A gap forms by erosion when plasma is pushed beyond the tip of the rod. These processes are being studied with fluid and particle codes. The plasma-filled rod-pinch may produce record e-beam energy densities and interesting plasma conditions at the tip of the rod. Example parameters include: magnetic field near the rod surface 1-6 MG; electron current density at the rod tip = 50 MA/cm/sup 2/; electron power density incident on the tip = 100 TW/cm/sup 2/; and solid-density tungsten plasma temperature /spl sim/ 100 eV (assuming the electron energy is absorbed in a 0.5 mm diameter sphere). Potential applications for this technique include improved radiography sources, x-ray-matter interaction studies, and high-energy-density plasma generation.
Optimization of Trailing Edge Ejection Mixing Losses: A Theoretical and Experimental Study

The aerodynamic effects of trailing edge ejection on mixing losses downstream of cooled gas turbine blades were experimentally investigated and compared with an already existing one-dimensional theory by Schobeiri (1989). The significant parameters determining the mixing losses and therefore the efficiency of cooled blades are the ejection velocity ratio, the cooling mass flow ratio, the temperature ratio, the slot thickness ratio and the ejection flow angle. To cover a broad range of representative turbine blade geometry and flow deflections, a General Electric power generation gas turbine blade with high flow deflection and a NASA-turbine blade with intermediate flow deflection and different thickness distributions were experimentally investigated and compared with the existing theory. Comprehensive experimental investigations show that for the ejection velocity ratio p = I, the trailing edge ejection reduces the mixing losses downstream of the cooled gas turbine blade to a minimum which is in agreement with the theory. For the given cooling mass flow ratios that are dictated by the heat transfer requirements, optimum slot thickness to trailing edge thickness ratios are found, which correspond to the minimum mixing loss coefficients. The results allow the turbine aerodynamicist to minimize the mixing losses and to increase the efficiency of cooled gas turbine blades.
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins as Regulators of Iron Metabolism

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily of signaling molecules. In addition to protean roles in embryonic development, germ-line specification, and cellular differentiation, a central role in iron homeostasis has recently been demonstrated for certain BMPs. Specifically, BMP6 serves to relate hepatic iron stores to the hepatocellular expression of the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin. This regulation occurs via cellular SMAD-signaling molecules and is strongly modulated by the BMP coreceptor hemojuvelin (HJV). Mutations in certain genes influencing signaling to hepcidin via the BMP/SMAD pathway are associated with human disorders of iron metabolism, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and iron-refractory iron-deficiency anemia. Evidence suggests that signals in addition to iron stores influence hepcidin expression via the BMP/SMAD pathway. This review summarizes the details of BMP/SMAD signaling, with a particular focus on its role in iron homeostasis and iron-related diseases.
Intraindividual Differences in Motivation and Cognition in Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

The present study examines several cognitive and motivational variables that distinguish children with learning disabilities (n = 19) from children without learning disabilities (n = 20). The total sample included 30 males and 9 females and was composed of white, fifth-grade students from a middle-class community in the Midwest. Results showed that although the students with learning disabilities displayed lower levels of metacognitive knowledge and reading comprehension, they did not differ from the students without learning disabilities on self-efficacy, intrinsic orientation, or anxiety. In addition, they did not show any signs of learned helplessness, although they did tend to attribute success and failure to external causes more often than the students without learning disabilities. Using a cluster analysis that grouped individuals, we found that differences in the motivational and cognitive variables cut across a priori categories of children with and without learning disabilities. Three clusters we...
Application of the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association AD criteria to ADNI

Objective: We describe the operationalization of the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) workgroup diagnostic guidelines pertaining to Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia in a large multicenter group of subjects with AD dementia. Methods: Subjects with AD dementia from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) with at least 1 amyloid biomarker (n = 211) were included in this report. Biomarker data from CSF Aβ42, amyloid PET, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, and MRI were examined. The biomarker results were assessed on a per-patient basis and the subject categorization as defined in the NIA-AA workgroup guidelines was determined. Results: When using a requirement that subjects have a positive amyloid biomarker and single neuronal injury marker having an AD pattern, 87% (48% for both neuronal injury biomarkers) of the subjects could be categorized as “high probability” for AD. Amyloid status of the combined Pittsburgh compound B–PET and CSF results showed an amyloid-negative rate of 10% in the AD group. In the ADNI AD group, 5 of 92 subjects fit the category “dementia unlikely due to AD” when at least one neuronal injury marker was negative. Conclusions: A large proportion of subjects with AD dementia in ADNI may be categorized more definitively as high-probability AD using the proposed biomarker scheme in the NIA-AA criteria. A minority of subjects may be excluded from the diagnosis of AD by using biomarkers in clinically categorized AD subjects. In a well-defined AD dementia population, significant biomarker inconsistency can be seen on a per-patient basis.
Solving constraints on the invisible bits of the intermediate result for floating-point verification

Test generation for datapath floating-point verification involves targeting intricate corner cases, which can often be solved only through complex constraint solving. In the process of calculating the result, we use an intermediate result whose significand comprises a finite number of bits and a sticky bit that is 0 if and only if the intermediate result is exact. We refer to all the bits beyond those represented in the final result as the invisible bits. We deal with corner cases that can only be defined via constraints on the intermediate result. Our work investigates the following problem: given a floating-point operation, and constraints on the invisible bits and the sticky bit, find two inputs for the operation that yield an intermediate result compatible with the constraints. The paper supplies a deterministic solution for addition and subtraction, and probabilistic solutions for multiplication and division. It also discusses the application of these algorithms to the verification of floating-point implementations.
Analysis of staged liquid surfactant membrane operations

Graphical and numerical procedures are presented for the design and analysis of cocurrent and countercurrent multistaged mixer-settler units for liquid membrane extraction operations—these are based on the recently developed Advancing Front Model of Ho et al. (1982) and Hatton et al. (1983). The numerical results indicate that the extraction efficiency in a countercurrent cascade is only slightly improved over that for cocurrent operation. However, for any given stage, marked improvements in extraction efficiency are indicated if an external emulsion recycle over the mixer settler unit is used to ensure adequate holdup ratios in the mixer. Premixing of the emulsion feed and recycle streams will impair the extraction performance, however,
State and parameter estimation in stochastic dynamical models

Abstract This paper derives generalized maximum likelihood estimates of state and model parameters of a stochastic dynamical model. In contrast to previous studies, the change in background distribution due to changes in model parameters is taken into account. An ensemble approach to solving the maximum likelihood estimates is proposed. An exact solution for the ensemble update based on a square root Kalman Filter is derived. This solution involves a two step procedure in which an ensemble is first produced by a standard ensemble Kalman Filter, and then “corrected” to account for parameter estimation, thereby allowing a user to take advantage of an existing ensemble filter. The solution is illustrated with simple, low-dimensional stochastic dynamical models and shown to work well and outperform augmentation methods for estimating stochastic parameters.
ArA: Adaptive resource allocation for cloud computing environments under bursty workloads

Cloud computing nowadays becomes quite popular among a community of cloud users by offering a variety of resources. However, burstiness in user demands often dramatically degrades the application performance. In order to satisfy peak user demands and meet Service Level Agreement (SLA), efficient resource allocation schemes are highly demanded in the cloud. However, we find that conventional load balancers unfortunately neglect cases of bursty arrivals and thus experience significant performance degradation. Motivated by this problem, we propose new burstiness-aware algorithms to balance bursty workloads across all computing sites, and thus to improve overall system performance. We present a smart load balancer, which leverages the knowledge of burstiness to predict the changes in user demands and on-the-fly shifts between the schemes that are “greedy” (i.e., always select the best site) and “random” (i.e., randomly select one) based on the predicted information. Both simulation and real experimental results show that this new load balancer can adapt quickly to the changes in user demands and thus improve performance by making a smart site selection for cloud users under both bursty and non-bursty workloads.
Opuntia fragilis: Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology

Abstract Opuntia fragilis is the smallest and most cold-hardy species of North American prickly pear, with an unusual distribution. This document is a review of its taxonomy, distribution, and ecology.
Influence of Formulation and Processing on Absorption and Metabolism of Flavan-3-Ols from Tea and Cocoa

Flavan-3-ols are a major subclass of the class of plant phytochemicals known as flavonoids. Flavan-3-ols are commonly found in fruit, vegetable, and botanical products, including tea, cocoa, grapes, and apples. Both monomeric catechins and polymeric procyanidins are common in the diet, along with several derivatives produced by degradation of these species during processing. Both epidemiological and biological evidence suggests a health-protective role for dietary flavan-3-ols, leading to increased interest in the bioavailability of these compounds from foods. Flavan-3-ol bioavailability depends on numerous factors, including digestive release, absorption, metabolism, and elimination. In addition to these in vivo factors, the complexity of whole-food systems (physical form, flavan-3-ol form and dose, macronutrient and micronutrient profile, processing, etc.) influences the absorption efficiency and circulating profile of flavan-3-ols. An understanding of how food matrices may influence flavan-3-ol absorption will provide a framework to design and develop functional products that positively affect flavan-3-ol absorption and, by extension, potential bioactivity.
Fine Structure and Zeeman Perturbations in Alkali Atoms

We shall now look in detail at the fine structure (magnetic spin orbit + Thomas) and Zeeman perturbation terms; i.e., we shall diagonalize the first-order Hamiltonian,
p-Type ZnO Thin Films Formed by CVD Reaction of Diethylzinc and NO Gas

We discuss the use of nitric oxide (NO) gas to dope ZnO p-type films, fabricated using metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction of a Zn metallorganic precursor and NO gas. In this reaction, NO gas is used tosupply both O and N to form a N-doped ZnO (ZnO:N) film. Auger electron spectroscopy analysis indicated that, under Zn-rich condition, the N concentration in the film is readily detectable, with the highest concentration being ∼3 atom %. For concentrations greater than 2 atom %, the films are p-type. The carrier concentration varies from 1.0 × 10 1 5 to 1.0 × 10 1 8 cm - 3 and the mobility is approximately 10 - 1 cm 2 V - 1 s - 1 . The minimum film resistivity achieved is ∼20 Ω cm.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Determination of Glucose, Lactate, and Ammonia in Cell Culture Media

The potential for noninvasive determinations of glucose, lactate, and ammonia in cell culture media was investigated through near-infrared spectroscopy of the 2.0-2.5 mu m combination region. Samples taken from a three-day fibroblast culture were analyzed with standard clinical chemistry techniques and with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The data were analyzed in three phases in an attempt to solve problems of correlation in the data. First, partial least-squares regression was used to build a multivariate calibration model based on the near-infrared spectra of the cell culture media and measured reference values. Second, an independent calibration was performed with aqueous mixtures of glucose, lactate, ammonia, glutamate, and glutamine. Finally, a calibration using a combination of spectra from cell culture media samples and aqueous mixtures was performed. In each case, the spectral loadings obtained from the calibration were inspected to determine the extent of weighting given to different spectral regions. The results indicate that a selective calibration model can be produced by combining data from samples of different type. Prediction errors of 2, 8, and 15% were obtained for glucose, lactate, and ammonia, respectively.
Performance analysis of the OPTIMUL multiprocessor interconnect

A description is given of a interconnect called OPTIMUL. The central feature is an optical processor-memory channel, which allows simultaneous access of a memory chip, both with respect to all bits in the chip, and, in tightly coupled systems, with respect to all processors. The authors present a simulation analysis of the performance of a specific multiprocessor based on this technology. >
Comparative political economy when anarchism is on the table

Scott’s (2009) research on stateless Southeast Asia describes behavioral patterns amidst indigenous peoples that parallel certain contemporary social phenomena, especially, prohibition and military occupation. Unintended consequences caused by government are continuously interpreted to reaffirm the rationale for interventionism. Governments’ role in social processes involving violence is presumed necessary and sufficient. As a result of conceptual biases, non-governmental processes such as markets and civil society are ignored as sources for potential solutions to complex social problems. Comparative political economy should take more seriously models developed by the tradition of constitutional political economy and classical liberalism wherein the state is recognized as a significant threat to social order.
Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor-Mediated Augmentation of Urinary Excretion of Endogenous Angiotensin II in Val5-Angiotensin II-Infused Rats

Rats infused chronically with Val(5)-Angiotensin (Ang) II exhibit increased urinary excretion of endogenous Ile(5)-Ang II by the 12th day of infusion, suggesting the stimulation of endogenous Ang II formation by Val(5)-Ang II infusion. The present study determined the time course of increased urinary Ang II excretion and the effects of Ang II type 1 receptor blockade (candesartan, 2 mg/kg per day) on the urinary excretion rates of Ile(5)-Ang II in Val(5)-Ang II-infused (80 ng/min) rats. Ile(5)-Ang II was separated from Val(5)-Ang II by high-performance liquid chromatography and measured by radioimmunoassay. Systolic blood pressure increased progressively (215+/-2 mm Hg) in Val(5)-Ang II-infused rats (n=5), whereas the candesartan-treated group (n=6) remained normotensive (124+/-3 mm Hg). Candesartan treatment significantly increased the level of plasma Ile(5)-Ang II (24.0+/-7.6 versus 156.9+/-24.6 fmol/mL; P<0.01); in contrast, there was a markedly lower intrarenal Ile(5)-Ang II content (357.9+/-76.6 versus 21.1+/-2.8 fmol/g; P<0.01). Urinary Ile(5)-Ang II excretion rates were elevated by day 9 (2185.7+/-283.2 fmol/24 hours) in Val(5)-Ang II-infused rats but not in candesartan-treated rats (740.6+/-110.3 fmol/24 hours). Thus, Ang II type 1 receptor blockade prevents the increase in urinary excretion of endogenous Ang II in rats subjected to chronic Ang II infusion. These data indicate that the increased urinary excretion of endogenous Ang II in Val(5)-Ang II-infused rats is primarily attributed to Ang II type 1 receptor-dependent secretion into and/or de novo formation of Ang II within the tubular lumen.