cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of Artificial Neural Network-Based Tracking Controller for High-Performance Stepper Motor Drives

Two distinct multilayer perception neural networks (NNs) are implemented via laboratory experiment to simultaneously identify and adaptively control the trajectory tracking of a hybrid step motor assumed to operate in a high-performance drives environment. That is, a neural network identifier (NNI) which captures the nonlinear dynamics of the stepper motor drive system (SMDS) over any arbitrary time interval in its range of operation, and a neural network controller (NNC) to provide the necessary control actions as to achieve trajectory tracking of the rotor speed. The exact form of the control law is unknown, and must be estimated by the NNC. Consequently, the NNC is constructed as a nonlinear unknown function depending on the current state of the drive system supplies by the NNI and the reference trajectory we wish the outputs to follow. The two NNs are online trained using dynamic back-propagation algorithm. The composite structure is used as a speed controller for the SMDS. Performance of the composite controller is evaluated through a laboratory experiment. Experimental results show the effectiveness of this approach, and demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed controller in high-performance drives
A Call to Humanize Relationships and Mediate Power Dynamics

As colleges and universities confront challenging times, there is a need ensure that we maintain humane treatment across power dynamics. This article considers some of the important relationship dynamics to which leaders must attend as they navigate the use of power and privilege.
High Resolution Positive Resist Developers: A Technique Or Functional Evaluation And Process Optimization

A simple and reliable technique is used to describe the selectivity for removal of exposed and unexposed resist for various developer systems. The technique requires no special apparatus. All that is necessary is a method of exposing photoresist and measuring resist thickness, although the method is simplified if a step and repeat exposure system is used. Measurements of resist thickness are made after resist development over an incremented span of exposures. The logarithm of exposure vs. retained resist thickness curves give excellent prediction of sidewall profiles. A contrast parameter, Y, can be calculated for a particular process giving a figure of merit to compare processing methods. Information concerning developer activity can be extracted from two exposure thresholds; Ei, the induction to removal, and E0, the complete removal of photoresist. Further, this technique pertains not only to develop processing, but to any part of the photoresist process which has an impact on contrast. This paper reports on the use of the technique to characterize and compare two positive resist developers: One that is formulated for high resolution and high contrast (Shipley Microposit MF-314, CD31) and one that is formulated for high throughput and aggressive process performance (Shipley Microposit MF-312, 3:2 dilution). The developers have been evaluated for the three common modes of resist development (immersion, spray, and puddle) and at differing temperatures, spin speeds, nozzle pressures, and with and without a post exposure bake. It is demonstrated that this technique of evaluation delineates significantly between develop systems as regards contrast, provides a firm basis for process optimization aimed at high resolution, and advances understanding of the dynamics of positive resist development.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Deep-UV conformable-contact photolithography for bubble circuits

The techniques of deep-ultraviolet (UV) conformable-contact photolithography are described and some preliminary work reported on their application to the fabrication of high-density bubble memory circuits by single-level masking. A quantitative analysis of tolerance requirements for linewidth, mask-to-wafer gap, and exposure is made for printing with conventional UV and deep-UV, for feature sizes in the range 2.5 µm to 0.1 µm. A new type of mask-to-wafer holder is described, utilizing a diaphragm to achieve contact. The holder can be used for either a conformable wafer or a conformable mask, or for both conformable wafer and mask, and for the liquid gap technique. Developmental bubble memory circuits on amorphous and garnet materials have been fabricated using deep-UV conformable-contact photolithography, electroplating, liftoff, and ion milling.
MELIOIDOSIS: PATHOGENESIS AND IMMUNITY IN MICE AND HAMSTERS I. STUDIES WITH STRAINS OF MALLEOMYCES PSEUDOMALLEI

The pathogenesis of acute respiratory melioidosis mice and hamsters is described. Inhaled organisms giving rise to lesions seemed to be first engulfed by the mononuclear alveolar phagocytes, but in less than 1 day polymorphonuclear cells made their appearance. In spite of this defense reaction, the bacteria continued to multiply and their products caused focal necrosis. These foci enlarged and gave rise to septicemia, toxemia, and eventually death, which usually occurred in 3 to 10 days depending on the dose. Melioidosis, is, therefore, an acute septicotoxemic disease resembling plague and anthrax in this respect. In hamsters the disease process developed more rapidly than in mice and death occurred sooner. The course of the disease in hamsters was sometimes complicated by intraglomerular deposits resembling "fibrinoid," which were similar to those of the generalized Shwartzman phenomenon. This phenomenon may have been an indirect cause of both the perifocal hemorrhage and the extremely large number of bacteria in some of the hamster lesions. When low infecting doses of organisms were employed, mice, but not hamsters, developed a chronic type of disease, lasting 2 to 8 weeks. This was characterized by large abscesses in the spleen or lung, marked proliferation of mononuclear phagocytes and plasma cells, and increased immunity against reinfection (about 40-fold against respiratory challenge). When mice and hamsters inhaled high infecting doses of organisms, a peracute disease resulted with death in 1 to 3 days. Increased numbers of bacteria were observed in the lesions, and the histological changes in the spleen resembled those following the intravenous injection of Malleomyces pseudomallei toxin or the intramuscular injection of large doses of cortisone. These changes were characterized by a swelling of the phagocytes of the white pulp with nuclear debris. The peracute, the acute, and the chronic forms of melioidosis in mice are similar to analogous clinical forms found in man.
Some relationships between Secchi depth and inherent optical properties of natural waters.

Relationships between the inherent and optical properties of the ocean (Gorden et al., 1975 and Preisendorfer, 1961) are combined with the Duntley-Preisendorfer equation to show the dependence of these properties on the depth at which a Secchi disk disappears from view. An expression relating the Secchi depth to the limiting contrast of the disk is derived in terms of the average beam attenuation coefficient, the average diffuse attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance, the albedo of the disk, and the reflectance functions at the Secchi depth and just below the surface. It is shown that combining Secchi depth observations with other optical properties yields significant information about the constituents of the medium.
Parton Model and Inelastic Processes with Two Photons

It is proposed that highly inelastic hadronic reactions involving two photons (Compton scattering, photoproduction of low-mass $\ensuremath{\mu}$ pairs, hadron-hadron $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-pair production, etc.) be studied to distinguish between two approaches to the parton model: the direct impulse approximation of Bjorken and Paschos, and the field-theoretic method of Drell, Levy, and Yan. Such a distinction may be possible since a field-theoretic justification of the free-parton approximation in such processes cannot be given except in a limited kinematic region.
Development and implementation of a pharmacist-delivered Medicare annual wellness visit at a family practice office

Abstract Objective To describe the development and implementation of a pharmacist-delivered Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (MWV). Setting Physician-owned, private family practice office. Practice innovation Pharmacist-delivered MWV. Main outcome measures Patient visits and practice income. Results Because of time constraints in the practice, physicians, nurse practitioners, and a physician assistant had been unable to offer MWVs, a new service available to Medicare beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act. A pharmacist who was previously providing patient care services 1 day/week at a fixed hourly rate was able to add an additional 1 day/week for provision of MWVs. These visits involve updating medical and medication histories; measuring weight, mass, and blood pressure; assessing cognitive and physical function; and screening the patient and recommending preventive services. From September 2012 to February 2013, 174 patients participated in the pharmacist-delivered MWV. Pharmacist visits were billed using codes G0438 and G0439, and the practice realized a positive net income for the MWVs. Conclusion Pharmacist-delivered MWVs are financially viable and allow for greater pharmacist participation on the primary care team.
Lipopolysaccharide stabilizes the crystal packing of the ABC transporter MsbA

The ABC transporter MsbA is an integral membrane protein involved in the transport of lipid A and lipopolysaccharides to the outer leaflet of the inner membrane in bacteria. Here, the critical role of the natural substrate lipopolysaccharide in the crystallization and diffraction quality of MsbA crystals is reported. Initial crystals grown in complex with ATP–vanadate alone diffracted to ∼9 A. Screening of the natural substrate lipopolysaccharides led to the crystallization of MsbA in complex with ADP–vanadate and Ra lipopolysaccharide. The increased order within the crystal lattice allowed structure determination to 4.2 A.
Spatial anisotropy of polariton amplification in planar semiconductor microcavities induced by polarization anisotropy

Based on a microscopic many-particle theory, we investigate the amplification of polaritons in planar semiconductor microcavities. We study a spatially perfectly isotropic microcavity system and excitation geometry. For this system, our analysis shows that a pump-induced vectorial polarization anisotropy can lead to a spatial anisotropy in the stimulated amplification of polaritons. This effect is brought about by the interplay of the longitudinal-transverse cavity-mode splitting TE-TM splitting and the spin dependence of the polaritonpolariton scattering processes.
Microbial experimental evolution as a novel research approach in the Vibrionaceae and squid-Vibrio symbiosis.

The Vibrionaceae are a genetically and metabolically diverse family living in aquatic habitats with a great propensity toward developing interactions with eukaryotic microbial and multicellular hosts (as either commensals, pathogens, and mutualists). The Vibrionaceae frequently possess a life history cycle where bacteria are attached to a host in one phase and then another where they are free from their host as either part of the bacterioplankton or adhered to a solid substrate such as marine sediment, riverbeds, lakebeds, or floating particulate debris. These two stages in their life history exert quite distinct and separate selection pressures. When bound to solid substrates or to host cells, the Vibrionaceae can also exist as complex biofilms. The association between bioluminescent Vibrio spp. and sepiolid squids (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae) is an experimentally tractable model to study bacteria and animal host interactions, since the symbionts and squid hosts can be maintained in the laboratory independently of one another. The bacteria can be grown in pure culture and the squid hosts raised gnotobiotically with sterile light organs. The partnership between free-living Vibrio symbionts and axenic squid hatchlings emerging from eggs must be renewed every generation of the cephalopod host. Thus, symbiotic bacteria and animal host can each be studied alone and together in union. Despite virtues provided by the Vibrionaceae and sepiolid squid-Vibrio symbiosis, these assets to evolutionary biology have yet to be fully utilized for microbial experimental evolution. Experimental evolution studies already completed are reviewed, along with exploratory topics for future study.
Investigation of groundwater flow in karst areas using component separation of natural potential measurements

The natural (electrical) potential (NP) method – also known as self-potential, spontaneous potential and streaming potential (SP) – has been used to locate areas of groundwater flow in karst terrane. NP is the naturally occurring voltage at the ground surface resulting from ambient electrical currents within the earth. The measurement of NP can be used to characterize groundwater flow in karst terrane because electrical potential gradients are generated by the horizontal flow of water along fractures or conduits and the vertical infiltration of water into fractures or shafts. NP data from a site on the Mitchell Plain of southern Indiana, USA, revealed that NP data can be decomposed into three components: topographic effect, residual NP and noise. At this site, NP was inversely proportional to elevation, but the correlation varied with time. The topographic correction factor varied from –2.5 to –1.2 mV/m (NP change per unit elevation increase), with an average linear correlation coefficient (R) of 0.95. Because the site slopes toward an adjacent creek that is the local groundwater discharge zone, one possible explanation for this effect is a streaming-potential mechanism generated by groundwater movement toward the creek. The residual NP data revealed three negative anomalies at the survey area. Two of them coincide with sinkholes. A part of the third anomaly is coincident with a small valley, and concentrated infiltration does occur at this elevation in other valleys at the site, as evidenced by the existence of sinkholes. However, the dispersed, low-magnitude nature of the third anomaly does not prove the existence of concentrated groundwater recharge activity.
‘I'll Give You Something to Cry About’: The Intraracial Violence of Uplift Feminism in the Carnegie Poor White Study Volume, The Mother and Daughter of the Poor Family

ABSTRACT Feminist literary critics and historians have examined the role of a triad of social locations that are also recognisable as psychological conditions, structures of feeling and motivations for action: guilt, innocence and culpability. Feminist literary critics and historians have examined this triad guilt/innocence/culpability in cultural representations of white femininity in the post-apartheid era, because they are trying to write white women into the history of apartheid not simply as zombified non-actors. The attention to white women as perpetrators of anti-black and other forms of racialised violence has been critical for excavating the many forms of domination that constituted apartheid in the period prior to 1994 and in the political project of re-making a post-apartheid society. Thus, they wish to place white women into the history of apartheid as perpetrators of anti-black violence. I am concerned with this, but also with white women as perpetrators of racialised anti-white violence, bec...
Epigenetics and assisted reproductive technology: a call for investigation.

A surprising set of recent observations suggests a link between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and epigenetic errors—that is, errors involving information other than DNA sequence that is heritable during cell division. An apparent association with ART was found in registries of children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and retinoblastoma. Here, we review the epidemiology and molecular biology behind these studies and those of relevant model systems, and we highlight the need for investigation of two major questions: (1) large-scale case-control studies of ART outcomes, including long-term assessment of the incidence of birth defects and cancer, and (2) investigation of the relationship between epigenetic errors in both offspring and parents, the specific methods of ART used, and the underlying infertility diagnoses. In addition, the components of proprietary commercial media used in ART procedures must be fully and publicly disclosed, so that factors such as methionine content can be assessed, given the relationship in animal studies between methionine exposure and epigenetic changes.
COAL MINERS EXPOSED TO DIESEL EXHAUST EMISSIONS

Abstract The possibility of adverse respiratory health effects amongst coal miners in and at diesel-use mines has been investigated. Coal miners working in and at non-diesel-use mines served as matched controls. Differences in symptom prevalence and pulmonary function performance are documented. Several health indices have been related to a measure of diesel exposure. A preliminary characterization of the underground environment is shown. Underground miners in diesel-use mines reported more symptoms of cough and phlegm and had generally lower pulmonary function performance than matched controls. Similar trends were noted for surface workers at diesel-use mines compared with matched controls. Although a pattern consistent with small airways disease is shown, factors other than diesel exposure may be responsible. Exposure time to diesel emissions for miners in this study is relatively short and measured concentrations are low. Based on present information, sufficient and consistent evidence does not exist allowing for the rejection of hypotheses of health equality between matched groups. A prudent public health stance dictates reservation of judgment pending prospective examinations and detailed environmental surveys.
Probability of induction and stabilization of ventricular fibrillation with epinephrine.

Clinical studies suggest that epinephrine facilitates ventricular fibrillation (VF) although mechanisms remain unclear. We tested the hypothesis that epinephrine increases the probability of inducing VF and stabilizes VF in association with shortening of fibrillation action potential duration. VF was induced in isolated, New Zealand White rabbit hearts (n=16) under control conditions and in the presence of 0.9 micro M/l epinephrine. Monophasic action potentials were recorded during sinus rhythm, pacing, and fibrillation. Epinephrine reduced fibrillation p80 by 80%, from 23+/-4 to 4.6+/-1 V (P<0.05); and reduced fibrillation p90 by 82%, from 29.3+/-5.4 to 5.4+/-1.9 V (P<0.05). Epinephrine also reduced the probability of spontaneous termination of VF during the first 5 s of VF from 29 to 8% (P<0.05). Epinephrine significantly decreased mean fibrillation cycle length from 104.5+/-2 to 75.7+/-2.3 ms (P<0.001). Mean action potential duration (60% repolarization) decreased from 76+/-3 to 40+/-3 ms (P<0.0003). Frequency analysis showed a mean dominant frequency during VF of 10.0+/-0.2 Hz under control conditions and 13. 3+/-0.3 Hz with epinephrine (P<0.0001). These results suggest that epinephrine increases the probability of VF induction and decreases the probability of spontaneous defibrillation. Stabilization of fibrillation is associated with shortening of action potential duration and fibrillation cycle length, which may allow a greater number of fibrillation waves in the ventricle.
Vitamin D and Reduction of Breast Cancer Risk

Vitamin D is important in mammary homeostasis, but the vitamin D signaling pathway is dysregulated in breast cancer epithelial cells. Preclinical and several ecologic and associational studies suggest an inverse relation between vitamin D intake or 25-OH D3 levels and mammary cancer risk, particularly in younger women. However, human correlative and interventional trial results are inconsistent, perhaps due to differences in cohort selection, research methodology, confounding influences, or a small magnitude of effect. Significant risk reduction may require blood 25-OH D3 of >50 ng/mL, a level much higher than that generally observed in Western populations in cohort studies or after low doses of supplements in placebo-controlled intervention trials. Ongoing phase II trials in premenopausal women are designed to achieve levels of 25-OH D3 of ≥50 ng/mL and assess impact on risk biomarkers for breast cancer. These studies will inform design of future cancer incidence trials.
Natural erection induced by prostaglandin‐E1 in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital penile anomalies

Objective To report the use of a natural erection induced by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in the diagnosis and therapy of congenital penile anomalies as an alternative to artificial erection. Patients and methods From February 1991 to December 1995 a natural erection was induced in 672 patients (mean age 5.7 years, range 12 months–47 years) to diagnose and treat congenital anomalies, e.g. simple penile curvature, chordee with and without hypospadias, epispadias, micropenis, cripple penis, etc. The dose injected intracavernosally was dependent on the patient's age, penile size and response, and ranged from 0.5 to 15 μg. Results A natural dilatation of erectile tissue was achieved in all forms of penile anomalies except in seven patients who did not respond. The mean duration of erection was 80 min, but a prolonged erection, for up to 6 h, occurred in two patients. Conclusion The natural erection achieved by injecting PGE1 into the corpora cavernosa is a useful alternative to artificial erection in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital penile anomalies.
Holding Up Through Time: A Review Essay

This review essay by one of the coeditors of the special issue of the Journal of Bisexuality, Looking Both Ways: Bisexuality and the Media (2007) takes a look backwards at the articles and reviews published in that issue. The author revisits those articles and puts them in the larger history of how bisexuality has been constructed in the media and in larger society in the years since the issue was published.
Linking the microstructure, performance and durability of Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia solid oxide fuel cell anodes using three-dimensional focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy imaging

Abstract In this work we demonstrate the utility of three-dimensional focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy nanotomography for understanding composite electrode performance and degradation. Phase connectivity, electrochemically active triple-phase boundary density and phase tortuosity are calculated for a series of anodes with varying Ni-YSZ composition. These structural characteristics, achievable only through three-dimensional interrogation, are shown to play a vital role in determining electrode polarization resistance. Additionally, Ni-YSZ samples are experimentally annealed in hydrogen and reconstructed to quantitatively assess degradation as a function of reduced triple-phase boundary density.
New Q waves after coronary artery bypass surgery for angina pectoris.

Abstract Pre- and postoperative electrocardiograms were evaluated in 44 patients with angina pectoris who underwent single or multiple coronary artery bypass procedures. Two groups were identified: Group A, 37 patients with bypass procedures only, and Group B, 7 patients with bypass procedures and additional surgery (valve replacement in 4 and ventricular resection in 3). Preoperative electrocardiograms showed abnormal Q waves in 14 of 37 patients in Group A and in 3 of 7 patients in Group B. After coronary artery bypass, new Q waves appeared in 11 of 37 patients (30 percent) in Group A, including 1 of 9 (11 percent) with one-vessel disease on preoperative coronary arteriograms, 7 of 20 (35 percent) with, two-vessel disease and 3 of 8 (37.5 percent) with three-vessel disease; new intraventricular conduction abnormalities appeared in 4 of the 37. None of the seven patients in Group B had new Q waves postoperatively, but three had intraventricular conduction abnormalities. There was no correlation between new Q waves and preoperative values for left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. In Group A, new Q waves were demonstrated in 2 of 9 patients (22 percent) with one coronary bypass procedure, 5 of 21 patients (24 percent) with two bypass procedures and 4 of 6 patients (67 percent) with three bypass procedures. The single patient who had four coronary artery bypass procedures had no new Q waves after operation. It is evident that the prevalence of new Q waves was greater in patients who had two- or three-vessel disease by coronary arteriography as well as in those who had three coronary artery bypasses. Postoperative clinical course and mortality were not affected.
PIRAHÃ CULTURE AND GRAMMAR: A RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICISMS

This article responds to criticisms of the proposals of Everett 2005 by Nevins, Pesetsky, and Rodrigues (2009, this issue). It argues that their criticisms are unfounded and that Piraha grammar and culture are accurately described in Everett 2005. The article also offers more detailed argumentation for the hypothesis that culture can exert an architectonic effect on grammar. It concludes that Piraha falsifies the single prediction made by Hauser, Chomsky, and Fitch (2002) that recursion is the essential property of human language.
Connectionist modeling vs. Bayesian procedures for sparse data pharmacokinetic parameter estimation

A connectionist model (adaptive neural network) is developed for estimating the pharmacokinetic properties of a drug from plasma concentrations measured during the course of therapy. The back-propagation algorithm was used to determine the weights in a three-layered network model from simulated sets of kinetic parameters and drug concentrations. The estimation performance of the connectionist model is shown to compare well to that of maximum-likelihood and Bayesian estimators. >
Modeling of the Output and Transfer Characteristics of Graphene Field-Effect Transistors

We obtain the output and transfer characteristics of graphene field-effect transistors by using the charge-control model for the current, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation in the field-dependent relaxation time approximation. Closed expressions for the conductance, transconductance, and saturation voltage are derived. We found good agreement with the experimental data of Meric et al. [Nat. Nanotechnol. vol. 3, p. 684, 2008] without assuming carrier density-dependent velocity saturation.
Improved learning and memory with theta‐burst stimulation of the fornix in rat model of traumatic brain injury

Objective: Learning and memory deficits are a source of considerable morbidity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We investigated the effect of different patterns of hippocampal stimulation via a fornix electrode on cognitively demanding tasks after TBI. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent fluid-percussion injury and were compared with sham-operated rats. Electrodes were implanted into the fornix and hippocampus, and stimulation of the fornix produced robust evoked potentials in the hippocampus. A 60-s delayed non-match-to-sample (DNMS) swim T-maze was serially performed using four stimulation patterns: no stimulation (No Stim), low-frequency stimulation (LFS, 5 Hz), high-frequency stimulation (HFS, 130 Hz), and theta-burst stimulation (TBS, 200 Hz in 50 ms trains, five trains per second; 60 µA biphasic pulses). In a separate cohort of sham and injured animals, Morris water maze (MWM) was performed with or without TBS. Results: In the DNMS swim T-maze, LFS and HFS did not significantly improve performance after TBI. However, there was a significant difference in performance between TBI + No Stim and TBI + TBS groups (P < 0.05) with no significant difference between Sham + No Stim and TBI + TBS. In the MWM, latency in the TBI + TBS group was significantly different from TBI + No Stim starting on day 2 (P < 0.05) and was not different from Sham + No Stim. The TBI + TBS group performed significantly more platform crossings in the probe trial (P < 0.01) and exhibited improved search strategy starting on day 3 (P < 0.05) compared with TBI + No Stim. Conclusions: Deficits in learning and memory after TBI are improved with TBS of the hippocampus. HFS and LFS do not appear to produce as great an effect as TBS. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In vitro selection of RNA sequences capable of mediating the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles

In vitro selection experiments involving RNA, phagemids, or whole cells can yield biomolecules that bind tightly to or mediate the formation of inorganic materials. Herein we show that RNA sequences that mediate the formation of metal oxide nanoparticles can be isolated from iterative cycles of RNA selection and amplification. In contrast to prior work, the in vitro selection described within was based upon a desired materials property. In order to be isolated from a starting random sequence pool, an RNA sequence was required to mediate the assembly of Co and/or Fe into a solid that responded to a magnetic field. Sequences isolated from this selection were able to mediate the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles containing small amounts of Co under atypical synthesis conditions of temperature and pH.
The profits of power: Commerce and realpolitik in Eurasia

ABSTRACT Although the energy trade is the single most important element of nearly all European countries’ relations with Russia, Europe has been divided by both worldview and practice. Why, in the face of the common challenge of dependence on imported Russian gas, have national reactions to such vulnerability varied so dramatically across the continent? And why have a handful of French, German, and Italian corporations somehow taken responsibility for formulating the energy strategy – and thus the Russia policy – for essentially all of Europe? The resolutions of these two puzzles are, I show, interlinked; they also demand theoretical innovation. With several case studies – of Gazprom's decision-making during the 2006 and 2009 gas crises, and of the response of western and central Europe to their gas dependence – I find that: firms are driving these political outcomes; those firms are motivated by profits but employ sociological conventions along their ways; and firms generally seek the necessary inter-fir...
Investigation of the mechanism of pH‐mediated stacking of anions for the analysis of physiological samples by capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis has been widely used for the analysis of physiological samples such as plasma and microdialysate. However, sample destacking can occur during the analysis of these high-ionic strength samples, resulting in poor separation efficiency and reduced sensitivity. A technique termed pH-mediated stacking of anions (base stacking) has previously been developed to analyze microdialysate samples and achieve on-line preconcentration of analytes by following sample injection with an injection of sodium hydroxide. In this work, the mechanism of base stacking was investigated. Peak efficiency was shown to be a function of background electrolyte and sample ionic strength. Analytes representing several classes of compounds with a wide range of mobilities were used to study the effects of multiple parameters on sample stacking. The length of hydroxide injection required for stacking was shown to be dependent on analyte mobility and the type of amine background electrolyte used. Combinations of electrokinetic and hydrodynamic injections of sample and hydroxide were examined and it was concluded that although stacking could be achieved with several injection modes, electrokinetic injection of both sample and hydroxide was most effective for sample stacking. The mechanism of pH-mediated stacking for each of these modes is presented.
Nonhistone Chromosomal Proteins and Gene Regulation

Evidence from several model systems suggests that nonhistone chromosomal proteins may regulate gene expression in eukaryotic cells. The data indicate that the synthesis of new species of nonhistone chromosomal proteins as well as modifications of preexisting nonhistone chromosomal proteins are involved in the control of transcription. However, from the vast number of proteins included in this class, it is apparent that, in addition to regulating the transcription of defined genome loci, the nonhistone chromosomal proteins include enzymes that have a general function, proteins that are involved in determining the structure of chromatin, as well as proteins that serve as recognition sites for binding of regulatory macromolecules. The presence of a nucleoplasmic pool of nonhistone chromosomal proteins which may exchange with the chromatin has also been reported (89). While it is clear that the nonhistone chromosomal proteins play a key role in the regulation of gene expression, the exact manner in which they interact with the genome to initiate, modify, or augment the transcription of specific RNA molecules remains to be resolved.
Höchst-integrierte Rechensysteme für CAE-Arbeitsplätz-Netzwerke

Unter dem Uberbegriff CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) soll im folgenden das weite Feld rechnerunterstutzter, wenigstens teilweise i n — teraktiverTatigkeiten von Ingenieuren und Wissenschaftlern vereint sein.
Development of a model of an X-ray tube transmission source

In support of the development of an x-ray tube based source for transmission measurements of UF 6 gas, we have developed a one-dimensional, spreadsheet-based model of the source. Starting with the spectrum produced by an x-ray tube we apply the linear attenuation coefficients for various notch filters, the aluminum pipe, and UF 6 gas. This model allows calculation of the transmitted spectrum based on the type of filter, the thickness of the filter, the x-ray tube high voltage, the Al pipe thickness, and the UF 6 gas pressure. The sensitivity of the magnitude of the transmission peak produced by the notch filter to any of these variables can be explored quickly and easily to narrow the choices for experimental measurements. To validate the spreadsheet based model, comparisons have been made to various experimental data.
Evolution of Antigen Variation in the Tick-Borne Pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligately intracellular tick-transmitted bacterial pathogen of humans and other animals. During the course of infection, A. phagocytophilum utilizes gene conversion to shuffle ;100 functional pseudogenes into a single expression cassette of the msp2(p44) gene, which codes for the major surface antigen and major surface protein 2 (MSP2). The role and extent of msp2(p44) recombination, particularly in hosts that only experience acute infections, is not clear. In the present study, we explored patterns of recombination and expression of the msp2(p44) gene of A. phagocytophilum in a serially infected mouse model. Even though the bacterium was passed rapidly among mice, minimizing the opportunities for the host to develop adaptive immunity, we detected the emergence of 34 unique msp2(p44) expression cassette variants. The expression of msp2(p44) pseudogenes did not follow a consistent pattern among different groups of mice, although some pseudogenes were expressed more frequently than others. In addition, among 263 expressed pseudogenes, 3 mosaic sequences each consisting of 2 different pseudogenes were identified. Population genetic analysis showed that genetic diversity and subpopulation differentiation tended to increase over time until stationarity was reached but that the variance that was observed in allele (expressed pseudogene) frequency could occur by drift alone only if a high variance in bacterial reproduction could be assumed. These findings suggest that evolutionary forces influencing antigen variation in A. phagocytophilum may comprise random genetic drift as well as some innate but apparently nonpurifying selection prior to the strong frequency-dependent selection that occurs cyclically after hosts develop strong adaptive immunity.
Fault tolerance in collaborative sensor networks for target detection

Collaboration in sensor networks must be fault-tolerant due to the harsh environmental conditions in which such networks can be deployed. We focus on finding algorithms for collaborative target detection that are efficient in terms of communication cost, precision, accuracy, and number of faulty sensors tolerable in the network. Two algorithms, namely, value fusion and decision fusion, are identified first. When comparing their performance and communication overhead, decision fusion is found to become superior to value fusion as the ratio of faulty sensors to fault free sensors increases. As robust data fusion requires agreement among nodes in the network, an analysis of fully distributed and hierarchical agreement is also presented. The impact of hierarchical agreement on communication cost and system failure probability is evaluated and a method for determining the number of tolerable faults is identified.
Effect of competition and adverse culture conditions on aflatoxin production by Aspergillus flavus through successive generations

Strains of Aspergillus flavus often degenerate with serial transfers on culture media, resulting in morphological changes and loss of aflatoxin production. However, degeneration does not readily occur in nature as indicated by the wild-type morphological characters of newly isolated strains and the high percentage of aflatoxigenic A. flavus from soil and crops in some geographic regions. In this study, three aflatoxin-producing strains of A. flavus were serially transferred using conidia for 20 generations (three independent generation lines per strain) on potato dextrose agar at 30 C. The rate of degeneration was compared to that of cultures grown in the presence of competing fungi (A. terreus, Penicillium funiculosum, and the yeast, Pichia guilliermondii) and under adverse conditions of elevated temperature, reduced water activity, low pH, and nutrient deprivation. Formation of morphological variants and the associated loss of aflatoxin production over generations varied considerably according to strain and the generation line within each strain. In the strain most sensitive to degeneration on potato dextrose agar, aflatoxin-producing ability was maintained to varying degrees under adverse culture conditions, but not when A. flavus was competing with other fungi.
Measurement of Certain Metabolic Organic Acids in Forage, Silage, and Ruminal Fluid by Gas-Liquid Chromatography

Abstract Gas-liquid chromatography was found applicable for measuring lactic, oxalic, malonic, fumaric, succinic, malic, alphaketoglutaric, and citric acids in forage, silage, and ruminal fluid. Aqueous extracts of ground and dried forage, extracted at 55C, were lyophilized and the organic acids contained in the residue esterified with methanol and hydrochloric acid. Esters of the acids were then chromatographed. Aqueous extracts of silage and protein-free filtrates of ruminal fluid, prepared by acetone-ethanol precipitation, were analyzed. Recoveries of all acids by adding known amounts of organic acids were near 100%. Two groups of forage samples, containing both freeze- and oven-dried samples, contained similar amounts of organic acids and the differences due to method of drying were analogous for both groups. Lactic acid measured in silage samples was comparable to that measured in the same samples by the FeCl 3 and p -hydroxydiphenyl methods. Interfering peaks were encountered when some ruminal fluid samples were chromatographed. This interference may have been due to incomplete protein precipitation and was greatest with samples from an animal receiving high-grain ration,in contrast to samples from animals receiving a corn silage ration.
DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIAN MARINE FAUNAS RELATIVE TO WATER DEPTH AND DISTANCE FROM SHORE

Variability of marine faunas in Middle Pennsylvanian rocks in central Colorado, as generally of modern marine faunas, increases with increasing depth and distance from shore in shallow water. Less than 3 genera of brachiopods lived nearshore, whereas 10 were present in water computed to have been 22 meters deep, about 5 kilometers offshore. Foraminifers increase from 1 or 2 irregularly formed types nearshore, to 6–8 types in offshore areas, and foraminiferal density increases sharply 3l/2 kilometers offshore at a depth of about 15 meters. Several genera of brachiopods, 3 types of foraminifers, and phylloid algae show a distribution closely related to depth of water and distance from shore. On the basis of significant changes in genera of brachiopods, types of foraminifers, general faunal diversity, and foraminiferal density, three distinct biotopes can be recognized. These biotopes were occupied by the euphemitid, dictyoclostid-Composita, and fusulinid fossil communities.
Extended Visual Fixation and Distractibility in Children from Six to Twenty-Four Months of Age

Distractibility during extended visual fixations in children 6 months to 2 years of age was examined. A children's Sesame Street movie (Follow That Bird) was presented to children (N = 40) for a minimum of 20 min while fixation was videotaped and heart rate was recorded. Distractors (computer-generated patterns or another Sesame Street movie) were presented on an adjacent television screen. Consistent with prior research with older preschool-age children, the latency to turn toward the distractor was a function of the length of the look occurring before distractor onset. For the period immediately before distractor onset, children had a greater sustained lowered heart rate for the trials on which they continued looking at the center television monitor than for the trials on which they looked toward the distractor. This pattern of distractibility suggests attention increases over the course of a look toward the television, and that heart rate changes reflect this increase in attention.
Endoscopic therapy for Kock pouch strictures in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

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Motor Control Across Trophic Strategies: Muscle Activity of Biting and Suction Feeding Fishes

Abstract Many fishes use a powerful bite of the oral jaws to capture or tear their prey. This behavior has received less study from functional morphologists and physiologists than suction feeding, and presents an opportunity to examine motor control of fish feeding across alternative prey-capture strategies. We used electromyography to compare muscle activity patterns of the feeding bite in five teleost fishes representing at least three lineages in which biting has been independently acquired: two parrotfish (Cetoscarus bicolor and Scarus iseri), a wrasse (Cheilinus chlorourus), and two serrasalmines, a pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) and a piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri). Multivariate analysis indicated that muscle activity patterns differed significantly among species, although a four-way ANOVA designed to test for differences within a phylogenetic hierarchy revealed that the biting motor pattern was largely similar for both narrow and broad phylogenetic comparisons. A comparison of the motor patterns of ...
Variability of Surface Pressure, Winds, and Clouds

The variability of sea level pressure and winds is studied using National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis monthly-average data from 1979 to 2008. Results of analyses of monthly distributions of pressures and winds indicate that on average the seasonal patterns are consistent and coherent, but large interannual variabilities in the locations of lows and highs are observed. For a given month the interannual changes in wind circulation patterns can be very large and thereby could affect the spatial distribution of surface temperature and sea ice cover. Cloud frequency distributions as derived from AVHRR data also show large interannual variability and a slight decadal decline in both hemispheres
2,6-Bis(trifluoro­meth­yl)benzoic acid

The title compound, C9H4F6O2, contains two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, one of which exhibits disorder in both of its trifluoro­methyl groups. The dihedral angles between the benzene ring and the carboxyl group are 71.5 (2) and 99.3 (2)° in the two independent mol­ecules. The compound exhibits a catemeric structure resulting from inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding between the carboxyl groups.
Exercise behaviors and barriers to exercise in adult burn survivors: A questionnaire survey.

Exercise is a key component of burn rehabilitation across all phases of care. Supervised outpatient exercise programs have been shown to improve outcomes following burn injury. However, little is known about the exercise behaviors of burn survivors who do not undertake such programs. This study aimed to investigate self-reported exercise behaviors and barriers to exercise in adult burn survivors. A short questionnaire survey was conducted on adult burn survivors attending the ambulatory burns clinic of a tertiary hospital over a 6-week period. The collected data were subjected to paired t-tests and Pearson’s correlation test. A total of 63 adult burn survivors (mean age 36.5 years) completed the questionnaire. Participants reported exercising less frequently and engaged in fewer different types of exercise compared with pre-burn (P < 0.05). Poor physical conditions and low motivation and enthusiasm were the major barriers to exercise. Participation in supervised exercise programs can be limited by a range of factors including the availability of resources and access to facilities. This preliminary study suggests that there is a need to improve compliance with outpatient exercise programs. Burn survivors appear to exercise less frequently after burn injury. Barriers to exercise following burn injury include poor physical condition and reduced motivation. Further investigation into overall physical activity following burn injury and potential physical and psychological limitations is warranted. Burn clinicians should highly encourage injury survivors to participate in supervised exercise programs when available or to do exercises at home to maximize post-burn injury recovery.