cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Onset of Ferromagnetism in Low-Doped Ga1-xMnxAs.

We develop a quantitatively predictive theory for impurity-band ferromagnetism in the low-doping regime of Ga1� xMnxAs. We compare it with measurements of a series of samples whose compositions span the transition from paramagnetic insulating to ferromagnetic conducting behavior. The theoretical Curie temperatures depend sensitively on the local fluctuations in the Mn-hole binding energy, which originate from Mn disorder and As antisite defects. The experimentally determined hopping energy is an excellent predictor of the Curie temperature, in agreement with the theory. The III–V ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga1� xMnxAs has been the focus of intense interest due to its potential incorporation in proof-of-concept spintronic devices [1– 4]. Most studies have focused on relatively high Mn concentrations (x � 0:03–0:08 )[ 5–8] for which the Curie temperature (Tc) can reach values of well over 100 K. Theoretical treatments of Tc in the low-doping regime [9–12] have focused on the Mn dopants in the sample, including their concentration, distribution, and compensation, as well as whether they are substitutional or interstitial. Those that treated variable-range hopping (VRH) [11] considered the Efros-Shklovskii regime [13], where the hopping energy arises from the Coulomb interaction, and found an even stronger dependence of the Curie temperature on hole doping than in the higher-doped regime. Recent experimental measurements on low-doped Ga1� xMnxAs ,h owever, show the dependence of Tc on hole doping to be negligible, or even nonexistent [14], such that samples with the same measured hole density and Mn density may differ in Tc by a factor of 2. This suggests the proper VRH regime is Mott VRH [15–17], in which hopping energies are independent of the hole density. Here we present a quantitative theory of the Curie temperature of Ga1� xMnxAs in the Mott VRH regime, which is built on a microscopic model for the effect of disorder on spin-spin interactions. We also present measurements of the Mn concentration, hole concentration, conductivity, hopping energy, and Curie temperatures in a series of samples prepared via a combinatorial approach that exploits a spatial gradient in the Ga:As flux ratio on nonrotated substrates during molecular beam epitaxy growth. We use our theory to estimate the hopping energy from the density of substitutional Mn (ionized or neutral), and find that it is comparable to the ferromagnetic interaction energy between two spins. We also present self-consistent calculations of the T c in the Mott VRH regime, and we find the Tc to be controlled primarily by the hopping energy, in agreement with the experimental findings.
Non-interactive zero-knowledge with preprocessing

Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Proof Systems have been proven to exist under a specific complexity assumption; namely, under the Quadratic Residuosity Assumption which gives rise to a specific secure probabilistic encryption scheme.In this paper we prove that the existence of any secure probabilistic encryption scheme, actually any one-way encryption scheme, is enough for Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge in a modified model. That is, we show that the ability to prove a randomly chosen theorem allows to subsequently prove noninteractively and in Zero-Knowledge any smaller size theorem whose proof is discovered.
Supplier selection behavior under uncertainty: : contextual and cognitive effects on risk perception and choice

Buyers often make supplier selection decisions under conditions of uncertainty. Although the analytical aspects of supplier selection are well developed, the psychological aspects are less so. This article uses supply chain management and behavioral decision theories to propose that attributes of the purchasing situation (category difficulty, category importance, and contingent pay) affect cognition that, in turn, affects a supply manager's choice. We conducted a supplier selection behavioral experiment with practicing managers to test the model's hypotheses. When the context involves an important or difficult sourcing category, higher risk perceptions exist that increase preference for a supplier with more certain outcomes, even when that choice has a lower expected payoff. However, the presence of contingent pay decreases risk perceptions through higher perceived supplier control. We also find that a manager's risk propensity increases preferences for a supplier with less certain outcomes regardless of perceived risk. Our model and results provide a theoretical framework for further study into the cognitive aspects of supplier selection behavior and provide insight into biases that influence practicing supply chain managers.
Short-wavelength visible light emitters based on group-III nitrides and their potential for space applications

AlGaN/InGaN/GaN material system is very attractive for a large number of optoelectronic and electronic applications. In this paper, we focus on space applications and examine the material and device properties relevant to these applications. The review indicates that group-III nitrides are very attractive for fabrication of short-wavelength visible light emitters for harsh environment applications.
A Gold-Silicon Surface-Barrier Proton Range Telescope

Of interest in cosmic-ray studies is the proton energy spectrum. The recent development of the Au-Si semiconductor particle detector affords a convenient means for studying the proton spectrum for low energies. The small size, stability, energy resolution, and relative insensitivity to s- and ?-radiation of these diodes suggest their usefulness as proton detectors on space vehicles. Gold-silicon detectors are presently being made at the Laboratories for Applied Sciences of The University of Chicago using the fabrication technique developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An apparatus is described which employs two detectors forming a proton range telescope. This has been made possible by fabricating silicon wafers as thin as 0.004 inch. This apparatus provides information concerning the proton flux lying in the energy intervals from ? 0.5 to 5 mev and 5 to 10 mev, without the use of pulse-height analysis. This principle can be extended to additional energy intervals.
On the Receipt of the Ronald H. Coase Medal: Uncertainty, the Economic Crisis, and the Future of Law and Economics

This paper discusses problems in economic analysis of law arising from the increased specialization of academic practitioners of this subfield of economics, which takes as its subject a uniquely fluid, contestable, and inveterately normative subject—namely, the law. As a result of the limited acquaintance of most economic analysts of law with macroeconomic theory (owing to their specialization in relevant fields of microeconomics), they have (with important exceptions, however) had trouble contributing to the understanding of the recent financial crisis. The crisis underscores the importance, across a range of issues including financial and antitrust law, of the economics of uncertainty (in the Knight-Keynes sense) and organization economics.
Heterogeneity studies on several proteins by means of zone electrophoresis on starch.

Abstract The technique of zone electrophoresis on starch was applied to the study of the electrophoretic homogeneity of several proteins. A special point was made of examining some of the classical proteins that had been shown by other authors to possess a low heterogeneity constant in free electrophoresis, namely, crystalline ribonuclease, lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, chymotrypsinogen, and chymotrypsin. Several different preparations of ribonuclease were examined, and all of them showed the presence of two major components as well as at least four minor ones. All the components were active, though their relative proportions varied from preparation to preparation, and they could be correlated with the various components obtained chromatographically by other workers. Chymotrypsin and chymotrypsinogen behaved as homogeneous proteins at acid pH's, but they could be separated into two distinct biologically active components, A and B, by prolonged electrophoresis in a cacodylic buffer at pH 6.6. Electrophoretically homogeneous chymotrypsinogen A was prepared by rerunning the original peak. Lysozyme yielded a single peak at most pH's, but in acetate buffer there appeared two shoulders, indicating the presence of two minor components. In the case of bovine serum albumin, a single symmetrical peak appeared in acid and alkaline buffers, but incipient separation into two peaks was obtained in phosphate and cacodylic buffers between pH 6.6 and 7.0.
Interpretation of indirect tension test based on viscoelasticity

The diametral indirect tension test is a convenient configuration for determining the modulus of asphalt concrete samples. The resilient modulus test has been a traditional approach to characterizing the stiffness of asphalt concrete, but it leaves much to be desired when considering the viscous behavior this material exhibits, even at low temperatures. A method for determining the complex compliance, complex modulus, and phase angle of asphalt mixtures using the indirect tensile test and a haversine load history is presented here. This test may be performed over a range of frequencies and temperatures as demonstrated on materials used in the Minnesota Road Research Project. The use of the haversine loading simplifies the test when compared with the pulse loading and rest time used in the resilient modulus test, and it allows for the characterization of the elastic and viscous components of the material's overall behavior, which is very difficult, at best, with the current test methods.
Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of the palate--a case report

A case of squamous cell carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in a palate is presented and comments on diagnostic criterias are described. The patient was 36-year-old male presenting with an ovoid elevated palate mass for 6 months. The tumor located in the junctional area of soft and hard palate. The mucosa was diffusely ulcerated and the mass focally tightly adherent to adjacent tissue. The initial cytologic and pathological diagnosis by fine needle aspiration biopsy and open biopsy was benign pleomorphic adenoma. After total removal, histologic examination revealed that tumor was composed partly of benign pleomorphic adenoma and partly of an squamous cell carcinoma component with areas of necrosis and capsular invasion. Immunohistochemical staining in the carcinoma area revealed positive reaction for low and high molecular weight cytokeratin, and epithelial membrane antigen, but negative for desmin, actin, GFAP and S-100 protein. In situ hybridization using biotinylated Epstein-Barr virus probe was done and the neoplastic cells were negative. Our case in an unusual partially encapsulated carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in the palate and is not related in EBV infection.
Vestibular influences on the sympathetic nervous system

Studies using both electrical and natural stimulation have established that the vestibular system has prominent effects on sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. Preliminary evidence suggests that receptors in both otolith organs and semicircular canals are involved in producing these effects. Furthermore, vestibulosympathetic reflexes appear to be mediated by the medial vestibular nucleus and slowly conducting projections from the rostral ventrolateral medulla and caudal medullary raphe nuclei to preganglionic neurons in the thoracic spinal cord. However, many details are missing from our knowledge and understanding of the functional significance and neural substrate of vestibular influences on the sympathetic nervous system.
Targeting and Beyond: New Roles for Old Signal Sequences

Signal sequences, once considered degenerate hydrophobic elements whose sole task is to target proteins to the secretory pathway, are increasingly being recognized as playing roles beyond targeting. Recent work is beginning to shed light on some of the ways the cell decodes and exploits additional functions encoded within signal sequences.
FIT: Don't leave home without it.

America, even in these times of recession, remains a nation on the move. Families continue to relocate in amazing numbers each year to new parts of the country. Accompanying a move are a number of life changes that many social scientists believe can cause significant distress in families if not handled properly. Two social scientists in particular, Thomas Gullotta and Kevin Donohue, have studied the effects of relocation on families employed by corporations for several years. From their work they have designed a comprehensive prevention program to assist newcomers in adjusting to new living situations. Their work with corporate families suggests that changes involving schools, neighbors, job responsibilities, and the loss of old friends, familiar surroundings and the like can and often do throw families off balance. These problems are exacerbated for corporate families where the head of the household is frequently absent from home because of work responsibilities. The program that Gullotta and Donohue have developed involves "bonding" the new family as quickly as possible to its new community. The elements of a FIT program involve each of the four tools of prevention. In the community the authors, working with local parent-teacher organizations, have instituted "host welcoming programs." The hosts offer not only their friendship, but two community-produced booklets entitled A Taste of the Apple and Pick Your Own Strawberries. In the first booklet, the schoolchild finds not only a greeting from their school principal but the names of fellow classmates, information about the school, and drawings by other children. For the family, Pick Your Own Strawberries provides a wealth of information on local resources. Within the corporation the authors have developed a series of programs to speed what they term the "community bonding process." These programs range from a review of existing company policies on how families are treated
Control of quantum phenomena through evolutionary engineering: let the system do the thinking

We discuss a successful application of evolutionary algorithms and femtosecond pulse-shaping technology to the coherent control of quantum phenomena. After a brief review of the field of quantum control, we show how evolutionary algorithms provide an effective and, so far, the only general solution to the problem of managing the complex interplay of interference effects which characterize quantum phenomena. A representative list of experimental results is presented, and some directions for future developments are discussed. The success of evolutionary algorithms in quantum control is seen as a significant step in the evolution of computational intelligence, from evolutionary algorithms, to evolutionary programming, to evolutionary engineering, whereby a hardware system organizes itself and evolves on line to achieve a desired result.
Gynecologic effects of tamoxifen and the association with endometrial carcinoma.

Abstract Tamoxifen has been used as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer for nearly two decades. The benefits of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy in prolonging disease-free and overall survival have been shown in randomized clinical trials. Despite this, some developing evidence suggests that tamoxifen causes a 2- to 3-fold increase in endometrial cancer. This paper reviews the reports of endometrial carcinoma in tamoxifen-treated patients. Two hundred fifty cases of endometrial carcinoma are reported, but only one case is identified in a premenopausal woman. When documented, 77% (n = 127) of the cases are good-grade (grade 1 or 2) and 80% (n = 125) are stage-I disease. Since the distribution of good grade (79%) and stage I (74%) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data are comparable, concerns about more aggressive or late-stage disease appear to be unwarranted. The modest increase in the incidence of early-stage, good-grade endometrial carcinoma described during tamoxifen therapy suggests that it would be unreasonable to institute an aggressive detection strategy of endometrial biopsies. This approach would only lead to further detection bias and would not be cost-effective. Physicians should ensure that patients do not have pre-existing endometrial cancer prior to adjuvant tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer and, furthermore, they should educate patients about signs and symptoms of early endometrial carcinoma and when reported these should be followed up with a gynecologic examination.
A collaborative management as a service framework for managing Internetware systems

The openness, heterogeneity, dynamism and autonomy characteristics of Internetware bring challenges to the management. In this paper, we introduce a web-delivered management service framework to manage Internetware systems. Through this framework, the Internetware systems can be managed centrally, and management functions can be easily added and applied by publishing and subscribing management services. The key innovations of this framework are: using an abstract managed object model to describe the units to be managed and their relationships, and every management function is manipulated as a service which can be further composed into processes. The benefits are management services and processes can be published and subscribed by administrators and domain experts, and the services can be delivered remotely. Both the management service and the process can be reused thus the total management cost can be reduced.
Role of microRNA-21 and programmed cell death 4 in the pathogenesis of human uterine leiomyomas

Objective To determine whether programmed cell death 4 (PDCD-4) is altered in autologous leiomyoma and myometrial tissues and what microRNA-21's (miR-21) role is in PDCD-4 expression, apoptosis, and translation. Design Laboratory research. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Myometrial and leiomyoma tissues from patients with symptomatic leiomyomata. Intervention(s) Tissue analysis and miR-21 knockdown in cultured immortalized myometrial (UtM) and leiomyoma (UtLM) cells. Main Outcome Measure(s) MiR-21 and PDCD-4 mRNA and protein expression. Result(s) Leiomyoma tissues robustly expressed the full-length 51 kd isoform of PDCD-4, but normal myometrial tissue had negligible expression. Consistent with autologous tissues, UtLM cells expressed elevated miR-21 and a similar pattern of PDCD-4 compared with UtM cells. Knockdown of miR-21 increased PDCD-4 levels in UtM cells and UtLM cells, indicating that it can regulate PDCD-4 expression. Loss of miR-21 also increased cleavage of caspase-3 (apoptosis marker) and increased phosphorylation of elongation factor-2 (marker of reduced translation) in both cell lines. Conclusion(s) Elevated leiomyoma miR-21 levels are predicted to decrease PDCD-4 levels, thus leiomyomas differ from other tumors where loss of PDCD-4 is associated with tumor progression. Our studies indicate regulation of PDCD-4 expression is not a primary miR-21 function in leiomyomas, but instead miR-21 is able to impact cellular apoptosis and translation, through unknown targets, in a manner consistent with its involvement in the pathophysiology of uterine fibroids.
10. Bedeutung szintigraphischer Untersuchungen für die Beurteilung von Folgezuständen nach Frakturen und Knochenoperationen

Frakturen und Knochenoperationen fuhren auf Szintigrammen, angefertigt nach Radiostrontiumapplikationen zu einer umschriebenen Erhohung der Radioaktivitatsablagerung, deren Intensitat mit zunehmender Verheilung der Lasion sukzessive abklingt. Eine abnorm hohe, anhaltende Radiostrontiumalblagerung deutet auf das Auftreten einer Komplikation im Verheilungsverlauf, bedingt durch eine ungunstige Fragmentstellung, unstabile Fixation, Pseudarthrosenbildung oder Infektion. Auch bei einer Inaktivitatsatrophie oder Sudeckschen Dystrophie laslt sich szintigraphisch eine diffuse Vermehrung der Radioaktivitatsablagerung in den befallenen Knochenpartien feststellen. Knochennekrosen imponieren bei entsprechender Grosenausdehnung als Radioaktivitatsaussparungen, in deren Umgebung der Knochenumbau und damit die Radiostrontiumablagerung erhoht ist. In der Unfallchirurgie konnen szintigraphische Untersuchungen vor allem bei Vorliegen unklarer Situationen wertvolle Informationen liefern.
A remark on almost sure convergence of weighted sums

As a generalization of a theorem of Chow [1] it is shown by an elementary method that for i.i.d. r.v.'s X 1,...,X n, with expectation zero and finite p-th absolute moment (p≧2) the weighted sums $$\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_{n,i} X_i /n^{1/p} (\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_{n,i}^2 } } )^{1/2} $$ converge to zero a.s.
Effects of copper deficiency on the cardiovascular system of the rat

Weanling male rats were fed a copper-deficient diet devoid of cholesterol. The effects of varying the source of carbohydrate and supplements of copper and zinc on cardiovascular pathology and some biochemical and physiological parameters were investigated. It was found that cardiomyopathy developed in copper-deficient groups. Sucrose, in contrast to starch or starch:lactose (1:1), caused significant exacerbation of this situation. Increasing dietary Cu to 8 ppm prevented or minimized the development of cardiomyopathy. Angiopathy occurred only when dietary zinc was at the lower level (20 ppm). Dietary copper supplements to 8.0 ppm did not alter this situation, but 120 ppm Zn in the drinking water did reduce the angiopathy almost to the control level, except in the groups in which sucrose was fed. Serum cholesterol was only elevated significantly over the control value when dietary copper was deficient and sucrose was the carbohydrate source. The data point to independent action of dietary copper or zinc on the myocardium or vessels, respectively, with sucrose interacting to make copper and zinc supplements less active than when starch or starch/lactose was fed.
Bivariate random change point models for longitudinal outcomes

Epidemiologic and clinical studies routinely collect longitudinal measures of multiple outcomes, including biomarker measures, cognitive functions, and clinical symptoms. These longitudinal outcomes can be used to establish the temporal order of relevant biological processes and their association with the onset of clinical symptoms. Univariate change point models have been used to model various clinical endpoints, such as CD4 count in studying the progression of HIV infection and cognitive function in the elderly. We propose to use bivariate change point models for two longitudinal outcomes with a focus on the correlation between the two change points. We consider three types of change point models in the bivariate model setting: the broken-stick model, the Bacon–Watts model, and the smooth polynomial model. We adopt a Bayesian approach using a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling method for parameter estimation and inference. We assess the proposed methods in simulation studies and demonstrate the methodology using data from a longitudinal study of dementia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ineffectiveness of molybdenum, osmium and cobalt in dietary necrotic liver degeneration.

IN our past, comprehensive experience in the fractionation and purification of Factor 3 from various source materials, using the prophylactic rat test against dietary liver necrosis as an assay, it has been obvious that the Factor 3 effect was caused by a highly specific, potent, protective ingredient. The latter was recognized to be an organic selenium compound1; this, in turn, led to the realization that selenium is an essential micronutrient. Selenite-selenium was found to prevent necrotic liver degeneration, with a 50 per cent effective dose-level of 2.2 µgm. per cent and full protection at levels of approximately 5 μgm. per cent selenium in the diet. Factor 3-selenium is 3–5 times as potent2.
Helium atoms in zeolite cages: Novel Mott-Hubbard and Bose-Hubbard systems.

Low-lying excitations of ${}^{4}$He and ${}^{3}$He atoms confined inside zeolite cages have been modeled by Bose-Hubbard and Mott-Hubbard rings with strong intrasite repulsion and finite intersite attraction. Differences between ${}^{4}$He and ${}^{3}$He arise due to mass and the statistics. Calculated temperature and concentration dependences of the heat capacity agree qualitatively with the experiment, but a quantitative comparison suggests that disorder may dominate at very low $T$.
Evolution Strategies for Exploring Protein Energy Landscapes

The focus on important diseases of our time has prompted many experimental labs to resolve and deposit functional structures of disease-causing or disease-participating proteins. At this point, many functional structures of wildtype and disease-involved variants of a protein exist in structural databases. The objective for computational approaches is to employ such information to discover features of the underlying energy landscape on which functional structures reside. Important questions about which subset of structures are most thermodynamically-stable remain unanswered. The challenge is how to transform an essentially discrete problem into one where continuous optimization is suitable and effective. In this paper, we present such a transformation, which allows adapting and applying evolution strategies to explore an underlying continuous variable space and locate the global optimum of a multimodal fitness landscape. The paper presents results on wildtype and mutant sequences of proteins implicated in human disorders, such as cancer and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. More generally, the paper offers a methodology for transforming a discrete problem into a continuous optimization one as a way to possibly address outstanding discrete problems in the evolutionary computation community.
Parental stress in paediatric day-case surgery.

Day-case surgery involves a considerable amount of stress not only for the children who undergo surgery but also for their parents. In a prospective survey analysis performed in 1995/1996, we identified the following main factors influencing the amount of stress experienced by parents: feelings of insufficient preparation and problems with postoperative pain at home. As a consequence, measures were taken regarding information and pain management, including the creation of an interactive CD-ROM. We then analysed the consequences of our interventions regarding parental stress. In this study we collected the data of all patients who underwent day-case surgery during two additional 13-month periods in 1997/1998 and 1999/2000. The methods of data collection remained unchanged for all three periods and included a questionnaire for the parents. In total, 1,490 questionnaires were analysed. Comparing the three time periods, parents’ feelings of being well-informed improved significantly (91% vs. 98% vs. 97%, P<0.0001). However, the percentage of those experiencing moderate to severe stress did not change substantially (16% vs. 9% vs. 19%, not significant). Analgaesics were given more frequently over the years in a general as well as a prophylactic manner (20% vs. 35% vs. 43%, P<0.0001). Nevertheless, problems with pain control at home remained unchanged (33% vs. 23% vs. 29%, not significant). Despite considerable efforts to improve information, parental stress did not significantly decrease. It cannot be assessed yet whether wrong information was given or whether a certain degree of stress cannot be prevented. There is some evidence that improvements in coping with pain-related problems might be a promising next step.
Effects of mood induction on eating behavior and cigarette craving in dietary restrainers

Abstract Women high in dietary restraint (“restrainers”) increase food intake more than nonrestrainers following emotional arousal. When restrained smokers are deprived of cigarettes during elevated mood states, nicotine craving should increase with food craving. The present study investigated the interaction of smoking and affect on food intake in 60 women, 18–25 years old, who were identified as restrainers. The study consisted of smokers and nonsmokers who viewed a domestic violence or comedy film segment, followed by exposure to snacks. Emotional arousal, regardless of valence, did not result in a difference in food consumption between smokers and nonsmokers. Furthermore, smokers showed similar levels of nicotine craving after both films. Self-report of mood changed only in the domestic violence condition, indicating the difficulty of positive mood induction. Limitations to the study and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Innervation of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints: a microanatomic and histologic study of the nerve endings.

Six pairs of fresh human cadaver hands were dissected under the surgical microscope at x28 to x32 and selectively silver stained. In addition, 18 proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of fresh cadaver hands were processed with protein gene product 9.5 for measurement and analysis of nerve endings in those joints. The results demonstrated that the proximal interphalangeal joints are innervated by 2 palmar articular nerves (mean diameter, 0.21-0.53 mm). Each metacarpophalangeal joint of the second through fifth fingers is predominantly supplied by 1 palmar articular nerve (mean diameter, 0.41-0.59 mm), which comes from the deep branches of the ulnar nerve, as well as by 2 dorsal articular nerves (mean diameter, 0.11-0.24 mm). The metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb also had 2 dorsal articular nerves (mean diameter, 0.18-0.24 mm) and 2 palmar joint nerves (mean diameter, 0.29-0.31 mm). The mean densities of the type IV free nerve endings and the mean numbers of the encapsulated endings in the palmar capsules were consistently much greater than in the dorsal or lateral capsules. The majority of encapsulated endings were pacinian corpuscles. The anatomic and histologic information may help the surgeon avoid damaging these small joint nerves during operative procedures and to reconstruct or de-innervate them if necessary. (J Hand Surg 2000; 25A:128-133.
Local spectral anisotropy is a valid cue for figure-ground organization in natural scenes.

Abstract An important step in the process of understanding visual scenes is its organization in different perceptual objects which requires figure–ground segregation. The determination of which side of an occlusion boundary is figure (closer to the observer) and which is ground (further away from the observer) is made through a combination of global cues, like convexity, and local cues, like T-junctions. We here focus on a novel set of local cues in the intensity patterns along occlusion boundaries which we show to differ between figure and ground. Image patches are extracted from natural scenes from two standard image sets along the boundaries of objects and spectral analysis is performed separately on figure and ground. On the figure side, oriented spectral power orthogonal to the occlusion boundary significantly exceeds that parallel to the boundary. This “spectral anisotropy” is present only for higher spatial frequencies, and absent on the ground side. The difference in spectral anisotropy between the two sides of an occlusion border predicts which is the figure and which the background with an accuracy exceeding 60% per patch. Spectral anisotropy of close-by locations along the boundary co-varies but is largely independent over larger distances which allows to combine results from different image regions. Given the low cost of this strictly local computation, we propose that spectral anisotropy along occlusion boundaries is a valuable cue for figure–ground segregation. A data base of images and extracted patches labeled for figure and ground is made freely available.
Pupation-temperature range in 12Drosophila species from different ecological backgrounds

A comparison of pupation-temperature range was made in the laboratory on a temperature gradient (3–38°C) using 12 species ofDrosophila representing four species groups and four different ecological backgrounds (temperate-montane forest:virilis group; desert;repleta group; cosmopolitan:melanogaster group; tropical forest:willistoni group). Within groups, differences are found which usually reflect species' distributions. Comparisons of species' mating-, oviposition- and pupation-temperature ranges reveal that pupation most-often occurs at temperatures beyond those for mating and oviposition. Each species reflects a different combination of temperature effects. Individual species have different temperature-limits for mating, oviposition and pupation. Temperatures permissive for one response are not predictive of limits on other responses. Among species, temperature can affect a particular response differently. Within groups, species differences can be at high and/or low temperatures for any response, and temperature effects among closely related species can manifest themselves in one, or any combination of responses. One cannot predict which responses will be most and least limited, or at which end of the temperature scale a response will be most limited. Among groups,common, but notabsolute temperature ranges generally correspond to the geographic distributions and ecological backgrounds of the species triads. The evaluation of temperature effects on species, based on a single activity, may not be adequate for predicting adaptive strategies.
Effect of operating parameters on specific production rate of a cloned-gene product and performance of recombinant fermentation process.

A two-stage continuous system in combination with a temperature-sensitive expression system were used as model systems to maximize the productivity of a cloned gene and minimize the problem associated with the plasmid instability for a high-expression recombinant. In order to optimize the two-stage fermentation process, the effects of such operational variables as temperature and dilution rate on productivity of cloned gene were studied using the model systems and a recombinant, Escherichia coli K12 ΔH1 Δtrp/pPLc23trp A1. When the expression of cloned gene is induced by raising the operating temperature above 38°C, a significant decrease in the colony-forming-units (CFU) of the plasmid-harboring cell was observed, and the decrease was related to the product concentration. In order to describe this phenomenon, a new kinetic parameter related to the metabolic stress (metabolic stress factor) was introduced. It is defined as the ratio of the rate of change of pheno-type from colony-forming to non-colony-forming cells to the product accumulation per unit cell mass. At a fixed temperature of 40°C, the varying dilution rate D in the range of 0.35-0.90 h−1 did not affect the metabolic stress factor significantly. At a fixed dilution rate of D = 0.35 h−1, this factor remained practically constant up to 41°C but increased rapidly beyond 41°C. The effects of temperature and dilution rate in the second stage on the specific production rate were also studied while maintaining the apparent specific growth rate (μ) of the second stage constant at or near μ = 0.26 h−1. Under a constant dilution rate, D2 = 0.35 h−1, the maximum specific production rate obtained was about qp, max = 38 units TrpA/mg cell/h at 41°C. At a constant temperature, T2 = 40°C, specific production rate increased with decreasing dilution rate with in the dilution rate range of D2 = 0.35-0.90 h−1. Based on the results of our study, the optimal operating conditions found were dilution rate D2 = 0.35 h−1 and operating temperature T2 = 41°C at the apparent specific growth rate of 0.26 h−1. Under the optimal operating conditions, about threefold increase in productivity was achieved compared to the best batch culture result. In addition, the fermentation period could be extended for more than 100 h.
Living systems theory: A solution to the problem of closure in information systems

Churchman reminds us that information systems tend to be constrained by ‘the inability of the system and its users to have proper sensing devices with respect to the outside world’. The solution to this problem of ‘closure’ is of concern in the design of information systems. This paper explores the use of Living Systems Theory as a conceptual framework for information systems design. A formal characterization of the information processing subsystems of Living Systems Theory is presented. Miller's taxonomy of information coding mechanisms is extended to account for temporal, self-referential, and environmental information. The extended formulation of Miller's theory is proposed as a theoretical framework for information systems design.
NMDA Receptor Contributions to Visual Contrast Coding

In the retina, it is not well understood how visual processing depends on AMPA- and NMDA-type glutamate receptors. Here we investigated how these receptors contribute to contrast coding in identified guinea pig ganglion cell types in vitro. NMDA-mediated responses were negligible in ON alpha cells but substantial in OFF alpha and delta cells. OFF delta cell NMDA receptors were composed of GluN2B subunits. Using a novel deconvolution method, we determined the individual contributions of AMPA, NMDA, and inhibitory currents to light responses of each cell type. OFF alpha and delta cells used NMDA receptors for encoding either the full contrast range (alpha), including near-threshold responses, or only a high range (delta). However, contrast sensitivity depended substantially on NMDA receptors only in OFF alpha cells. NMDA receptors contribute to visual contrast coding in a cell-type-specific manner. Certain cell types generate excitatory responses using primarily AMPA receptors or disinhibition.
Contrast-enhanced near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging for subsurface cancer detection

Synergistic efforts in the developments of molecular specific imaging probes and advancements of optical imaging technologies (including the novel instrumentation and imaging algorithms) that lead to a new tool for early disease diagnosis and drug discovery are described.
Indirect complexometric titration of sodium and potassium with EDTA

Sodium is precipitated as sodium zinc uranyl acetate, filtered and dissolved in water, and zinc is titrated with EDTA using eriochrome black T as indicator. Potassium is precipitated as potassium sodium cobaltinitrite and dissolved in hot water containing little hydrochloric acid. The blue colored solution produced by cobalt in solution, with ammonium thiocyanate and acetone was titrated with EDTA until colorless. The results are good.
System-level clock jitter modeling for DDR systems

As DDR speed continues to increase, uncorrelated timing jitter becomes a significant portion of channel timing budget. The dominant component of uncorrelated timing jitter comes from power supply noise induced jitter (PSIJ). DDR systems rely on tracking of this jitter between data and strobe signals. Due to inherent 90 degree offset between data and strobe signals, a significant amount of high-frequency jitter is not tracked and depending on the frequency content. In this paper, we analyze the impact of PSIJ for DDR4 systems running at 3.2Gb/s. We first present the jitter modeling methodology of PSIJ including jitter tracking mechanism. Then, we demonstrate the proposed modeling approach by applying to the design of the key DDR timing circuit blocks.
Tissue distribution of trace elements and DDE in brown pelicans

Trace elements and organochlorine pollutants commonly occur in avian tissues. However, concentrations vary among species in the same geographic area, and some compounds can be distributed differently in body tissues among different species. In addition, some heavy metal concentrations vary with the bird's age. The purpose of this paper was to obtain a sample of brown pelicans from these populations to determine which brown pelican tissues contain the highest concentrations of organochlorine pollutants and several trace elements, how much variation might exist in a general sample, and what interrelationships might exist among the tissues and compounds studied.
Arachidonic acid and diacylglycerol act synergistically to activate protein kinase C in vitro and in vivo.

Summary Using a well-defined model membrane bilayer system, incorporation of both lipid second messengers,1,2-diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid, at submaximal activating concentrations, resulted in a synergistic activation of protein kinase C in a Ca2+/phosphatidylserine-dependent manner as measured by monitoring phosphorylation of phosphoprotein substrates. The arachidonic acid appears to modulate membrane properties both at the hydrocarbon core and the membrane surface increasing the availability of the diacylglycerol which can bind to and subsequently activate the enzyme. Co-application of these two lipid activators to the Hermissenda photoreceptor reduced K+ channel conductance in a synergistic manner via a PKC-dependent pathway. Thus, these in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the membrane bilayer properties of these PKC lipid activators interact to specifically regulate the cellular lipid microenvironment resulting in PKC activation.
Use of Fish for the Olfactory Assay of Pollutants (Phenols) in Water

Abstract Phenol, a common pollutant in municipal water supplies, cannot be readily detected in low concentrations until it has reacted with chlorine forming odorous chlorophenols. A method is here presented whereby bluntnose minnows (Hyborhynchus notatus) are used to detect the presence of phenols below the threshold for man (0.01 p.p.m.). Fishes of two aquaria were trained to associate the odor of phenol with food; the odor of a p-chlorophenol with punishment. The minnows of two other aquaria were trained to the same two odors, but with reverse meanings. Upon completion of the training period, the minnows were discriminating successfully between these two substances at concentrations of at most 0.0005 p.p.m. A generalization test, using p-chlorophenol as the third odor, indicated that the fishes were able to distinguish it from the two training odors. The biological assay of phenolic compounds by this method is primarily one of detection and not of quantitative analysis.
The Customer Service Management Process

Customer service management is the supply chain management process that represents the firm's face to the customer. The process is the key point of contact for administering product and service agreements (PSAs) developed by customer teams as part of the customer relationship management process. The goal is to provide a single source of customer information, such as product availability, shipping dates and order status. Customer service management requires a real‐time system to respond to customer inquiries and facilitate order placement. In this paper, we describe the customer service management process in detail to demonstrate how it can be implemented and managed. To do this, we detail the activities of each strategic and operational sub‐process; evaluate the interfaces with the business functions, the other seven supply chain management processes; and describe examples of successful implementation.
Disability management in industry: A multidisciplinary model for the accomodation of workers with disabilities

Abstract This article represents the authors' views on industrial rehabilitation and disability management issues and trends. The emergence of proactive multidisciplinary services is examined, in light of the need to control industry's injury and disability costs. Opportunities for providing collaborative worker rehabilitation services at the work site are reviewed. Services provided among rehabilitation service providers, allied healthprofessionals, and ergonomists are discussed, particulary with respect to on-site industrial rehabilitation programs. An overview of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is presented. Implications for persons with disabilities, employers, and rehabilitation service providers are outlined.
Jerónimo de Arbolanche's Las Abidas (1566) and the Mythical Origins of Spain

Jeronimo de Arbolanche's epic poem Las Abidas (1566) is set in the ancient Iberian kingdom of Tartessos during the mythical reign of the king Gargoris and his son Abido. The choice of the prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula as a literary topic has puzzled critics, who most often have interpreted it as a purely fantastic mixture of historiography with chivalric and pastoral romances purely for the sake of showing off the author's erudition. By contextualizing it within the practice of early modern historiography, this article proposes that Arbolanche deliberately uses the myth of Tartessos to elaborate a political and personal fantasy of the originary civilization of Spain figured as a pastoral space and centered in the Pyrenees and Navarre. On the one hand, his image of an idealized and essentialized Spain, unified from times immemorial, crafts a political fantasy of imperial Spain that also grants a place of privilege to Navarre. On the other hand, it serves as a document of self-promotion in which to em...
Fixing America's Crumbling Infrastructure: A Call to Action for All

The infrastructure in the United States is rapidly aging and is in need of more attention that it currently receives from the public and the government. This commentary highlights what needs to be done to focus attention on this problem. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has assigned 15 critical infrastructure categories an overall grade of D on its most recent "report card" assessing the condition of the nation's infrastructure. ASCE has also created an action plan to help repair the infrastructure. This plan outlines specific measures that Congress should implement. Lawmakers should remember that investment in infrastructure creates more jobs and can stimulate the economy. It is also important for both the government and the public to realize that infrastructure needs regular, preventive maintenance to prevent catastrophes later. This maintenance and repair costs money, and the government and the public need be willing to pay the necessary costs. In turn, the civil engineering industry needs to be more innovative and creative in creating longer-lasting structures and learning from other countries on how to preserve resources.
Extended Annular Capillary Surfaces

The height of the surface of a fluid in an annular tube is explored using a shooting method to solve a boundary value problem where the radii and the contact angles are given. The contact angles on the inner and outer tube surface need not be the same. These surfaces are then extended so that they are no longer graphs. The extended surfaces are shown to solve a boundary value problem over an annular base domain where given inclination angles are achieved at given radii.
Lipidomics reveals control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence lipids via metabolic coupling

Mycobacterium tuberculosis synthesizes specific polyketide lipids that interact with the host and are required for virulence. Using a mass spectrometric approach to simultaneously monitor hundreds of lipids, we discovered that the size and abundance of two lipid virulence factors, phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM) and sulfolipid-1 (SL-1), are controlled by the availability of a common precursor, methyl malonyl CoA (MMCoA). Consistent with this view, increased levels of MMCoA led to increased abundance and mass of both PDIM and SL-1. Furthermore, perturbation of MMCoA metabolism attenuated pathogen replication in mice. Importantly, we detected increased PDIM synthesis in bacteria growing within host tissues and in bacteria grown in culture on odd-chain fatty acids. Because M. tuberculosis catabolizes host lipids to grow during infection, we propose that growth of M. tuberculosis on fatty acids in vivo leads to increased flux of MMCoA through lipid biosynthetic pathways, resulting in increased virulence lipid synthesis. Our results suggest that the shift to host lipid catabolism during infection allows for increased virulence lipid anabolism by the bacterium.