cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local oceanic response to atmospheric forcing in the Gulf Stream region

Abstract The dominance of shifts in the location of the Gulf Stream (GS) in the local heat balance was observed in an hourly 15-month record of unprecedented surface mooring measurements at a site in the western North Atlantic occupied from November 2005 to January 2007. Instrumentation on the buoy provided a high quality record of air-sea exchanges of momentum, heat, and freshwater flux; and oceanographic sensors recorded ocean variability in the upper 640 m. The mooring was at times in the GS and at other times north of the GS. Our intent was to isolate the local oceanic response to the atmosphere from the influence of the GS shifts. A one-dimensional heat budget analysis indicated that the advective contribution from the GS shifts dwarfed the heat contribution by atmospheric forcing and therefore played the dominant role for upper oceanic thermal variability during the whole time record. A GS case study (i.e., when the surface mooring was in the GS), isolated the upper oceanic response to the atmospheric forcing in the GS and supported the critical role of GS shifts in total oceanic heat content. Through both an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and by referencing temperatures to that observed at 200 m, the impact of GS shifts and atmospheric forcing were decomposed, allowing the local oceanic thermal response to be isolated. This local oceanic response was particularly prominent during the period of sustained heating during summer. A case study of summer conditions revealed a near surface flow consistent with Ekman dynamics within a shallow, warm ocean mixed layer.
Upper and lower bounds for the frequencies of rectangular free plates

Eine neuentwickelte Methode fur untere Schranken und das Rayleigh-Ritzverfahren fur obere Schranken werden von den Verfassern dazu angewandt, die Eigenfrequenzen der Schwingungen von dunnen gleichformigen, rechteckigen Platten mit freien Randern abzuschatzen. Die Anwendbarkeit des Verfahrens fur untere Schranken wird hervorgehoben, und es werden Berechnungen fur eine Symmetrieklasse von rechteckigen sowie fur eine Unterklasse von quadratischen Platten angegeben. Die dadurch entstehenden Schranken fuhren zu einer Verbesserung bisher veroffentlichter Resultate und weisen auf die Brauchbarkeit der Methode fur untere Schranken hin.
A thermobalance for high pressure process studies

Abstract A DuPont 950 TG has been modified to permit operation at up to 30 atm, 1100°C, with corrosive atmospheres, and steam partial pressures up to 20 atm. The major areas of instrument development included: weight and temperature measurement at high pressures in a dynamic flow system; modification of a TG to accept corrosive gas atmospheres containing high partial pressures of steam; design of a pressure balanced flow system for safe introduction of corrosive gas atmospheres; design of a working steam generation system for low flows. Process studies illustrating the utility of the high presure thermobalance include the cyclic CO 2 -acceptor reaction for half-calcined dolomite and the cyclic H 2 S absorption and regeneration reaction for half-calcined dolomite
Automatic CAD model topology generation

Computer aided design (CAD) models often need to be processed due to the data translation issues and requirements of the downstream applications like computational field simulation, rapid prototyping, computer graphics, computational manufacturing, and real-time rendering before they can be used. Automatic CAD model processing tools can significantly reduce the amount of time and cost associated with the manual processing. The topology generation algorithm, commonly known as CAD repairing/healing, is presented to detect commonly found geometrical and topological issues like cracks, gaps, overlaps, intersections, T-connections, and no/invalid topology in the model, process them and build correct topological information. The present algorithm is based on the iterative vertex pair contraction and expansion operations called stitching and filling, respectively, to process the model accurately. Moreover, the topology generation algorithm can process manifold as well as non-manifold models, which makes the procedure more general and flexible. In addition, a spatial data structure is used for searching and neighbour finding to process large models efficiently. In this way, the combination of generality, accuracy, and efficiency of this algorithm seems to be a significant improvement over existing techniques. Results are presented showing the effectiveness of the algorithm to process two- and three-dimensional configurations.
Specific features of the Analysis of the Initial Stage of Corrosion-Erosion Destruction of High-Strength Steel

We study the initial stage of corrosion-erosion destruction of thermally treated ShKh15 steel in alkaline environments and establish the character of the surface damage in the course of the tests and the laws of its degradation during the incubation period of cavitation. We also develop an automated method for the numerical analysis of the surface cracks, which enables one to give an objective description the degree of surface damage.
The Role of Educational Institutions in the Development of Critical Literacy and Transformative Action

This article seeks to explore how community-based institutions can serve as contexts for the development of critical literacy frameworks among youth. Using examples from research conducted by the authors in a Puerto Rican community, we elaborate ways that schools can serve as counter-storytelling institutions that encourage students to critically examine society.
History, Myth, and the Politics of Educational Reform

This paper analyzes the politics of education in the United States by considering the ideas and lives of Emma Willard and Catharine Beecher, nineteenth century educational reformers. It argues that understanding these women as American Antigones, as working through the contradictions between their public writing and their private lives, provides a perspective on the history of educational reform that combines myth and history. This perspective refuses idealized accounts of “lost” moments or possibilities in the past, grounding educational reform in the project of reimagining gender relations within families and schools in the present.
Sister-chromatid exchange studies on direct- and indirect-acting clastogens in mouse primary cell cultures

Abstract An in vitro sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) assay using mouse primary bone marrow and spleen cells was conducted with both direct- and indirect-acting genotoxic agents. 2,4,7-Trinitrofluorenone, a direct-acting genotoxic agent, induced a significant dose-related increase in SCEs. In both bone marrow and spleen cells, 2.0 μg/ml caused an approx. 3-fold increase in SCE level over control values. Cyclophosphamide, an indirect-acting genotoxicant which requires metabolic activation for its clastogenicity, induced a significant increase in SCEs in the presence of S9 from liver of rats pretreated with Aroclor-1254. A dose of 2 μg/ml resulted in a 2-fold increase in bone marrow and a greater than 5-fold increase in spleen cells. Benzo[a]pyrene, another indirect-acting genotoxicant, also induced significant dose-related SCE responses in both cell types. It seems that primary bone marrow and spleen cell culture systems can detect both direct- and indirect-acting genotoxicants and may be useful for routine and/or comparative cytogenetic studies.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND INCARCERATION AMONG THE AMERICAN STATES1

Data from the 50 states for 1975 are analyzed to try to separate the presumed reciprocal effects on each other of crime rates and incarceration rates. Two-stage least-squares regression shows no significant effect of crime on incarceration nor of incarceration on crime. Incarceration rates are affected mainly by the percentage of blacks in the state population. Crime rates are significantly influenced by urbanization, region, mean income, and unemployment.
Determination of mercury in ayurvedic dietary supplements that are not rasa shastra using the hydra-C direct mercury analyzer.

Mercury has been determined in Ayurvedic dietary supplements (Trifala, Trifala Guggulu, Turmeric, Mahasudarshan, Yograj, Shatawari, Hingwastika, Shatavari, and Shilajit) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and direct mercury analysis using the Hydra-C direct mercury analyzer (Teledyne Leeman Labs Hudson, NH, USA). Similar results were obtained from the two methods, but the direct mercury analysis method was much faster and safer and required no microwave digestion (unlike ICP-MS). Levels of mercury ranged from 0.002 to 56 μg/g in samples of dietary supplements. Standard reference materials Ephedra 3240 and tomato leaves that were from the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) and dogfish liver (DOLT3) that was from the Canadian Research Council were analyzed using Hydra-C method. Average mercury recoveries were 102% (RSD% 0.0018), 100% (RSD% 0.0009), and 101% (RSD% 0.0729), respectively. Hydra-C method Limit Of Quantitation was 0.5 ng.
The Jewish Roots of Christology: The Discovery of the Hypostatic Voice

The Christian canon contains only two apocalypses: the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse of John. Today no less than 19 apocalypses and closely related documents are gathered together in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 volumes; Garden City, New York, 1983–1985). In light of these apocalypses and apocalyptic writings new possibilities for interpreting the documents in the New Testament can be seen. Only one example can be chosen now; it is a significant one, revealing the indebtedness of the Apocalypse of John to the continuum of Jewish apocalyptic thought and clarifying the roots of Christology in Early Judaism.
An enquiry into the ethical efficacy of the use of radio frequency identification technology

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the privacy rights dilemma surrounding radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. As one example of ubiquitous information system, RFID has multitudinous applications in various industries and businesses across society. The use of this technology will have to lead to a policy setting dilemma in that a balance between individuals' privacy concerns and the benefits that they derive from it must be drawn. After describing the basic RFID technology some of its most prevalent uses, a definition of privacy is derived in the context of information systems. To illustrate current attempts at controlling the undesirable side effects of RFID, Lessig's cyberspace framework is presented. It is found that each of Lessig's components is inadequate at preventing individual privacy violations in RFID. The main focus within this framework is on the norms of society. The social norm mechanism that addresses privacy issues in cyberspace is the Fair Information Practices Principles (FIPP). After an analysis of these principles, it is posited that the FIPP only deal with procedural justice issues related to data collection and omit distributive and interactional justice reasoning related to the actual beneficial and detrimental outcomes to the individuals whose data is being obtained. Thus, RFID is presented in the context of the tension between the many benefits that are provided by the technology in social exchanges, and the risk it carries of the loss of privacy. The new, expanded framework recognizes both sides of the issue with the ultimate goal of providing a greater understanding of how privacy issues can be addressed with RFID technology.
An interview with Michael Keller

This interview was conducted on May 5 and June 19, 2001, in Ithaca and San Francisco, respectively. Keller is currently University Librarian, Director of Academic Information Resources, Publisher of HighWire Press, and Publisher of Stanford University Press. In this interview, he discusses his role as what he refers to as “steward of Stanford’s resources” and shares his views on issues such as Stanford’s reorganization of technical services and emerging models for scholarly communication.
The effect of soot on pyrometric measurements of coal particle temperature

Abstract Multiple wavelength pyrometers have been used by many investigators for the measurement of temperature of solid phase suspensions in flames. It is known that this temperature may differ from that of the surrounding gas by hundreds of degrees due to transient heating and chemical reactions. Recent observations of burning coal particles indicate that during the devolatilization phase, a highly luminous mantle can exist about the particles due to soot which is formed in the boundary layer or wake. This paper analyzes the affect uniform soot clouds about the coal particles have on the temperature inferred from radiant emission measurements of burning coal dust suspensions. The emissive power from the nonisothermal coal/soot system is computed relative to the power emitted by the coal particles alone as a function of the soot properties, the coal particle size, the optical thickness of the suspension, and differences in temperature. The soot greatly increases the effective temperature if it is more than 200K above the coal surface temperature and can, under some circumstances, lead to an inferred temperature greater than either the soot or coal particle temperature. For soot volume fractions below about 10−7 the error created by the soot is usually less than 100K. It is concluded that measurements in the infrared are preferable to the visible when soot is evident if the soot is more than 200K above the coal particle temperature. To improve confidence in the particle temperature indicated, it is recommended that a two-color measurement be made in each of two widely separated spectral regions and that the results be compared.
Ascaris suum: Immunization with soluble antigens in the guinea pig

Abstract The capacity of extracts or excretory-secretory products of adult and larval stages of Ascaris suum to induce protective immunity was evaluated. Extracts of 2nd, 3rd or 4th-stage larvae were unable to induce significant protection while adult worms did so. The excretory-secretory products of the adult or larval stages did not induce protection to a challenge infection. However, larvae cultured from the 3rd to the 4th stage produced a substance which was capable of inducing a significant level of protection. It is postulated that this immunogen is associated with the metabolism of the larvae and is involved with the developmental and moulting processes.
Concurrent autonomous self-test for uncore components in system-on-chips

Concurrent autonomous self-test, or online self-test, allows a system to test itself, concurrently during normal operation, with no system downtime visible to the end-user. Online self-test is important for overcoming major reliability challenges such as early-life failures and circuit aging in future System-on-Chips (SoCs). To ensure required levels of overall reliability of SoCs, it is essential to apply online self-test to uncore components, e.g., cache controllers, DRAM controllers, and I/O controllers, in addition to processor cores. This is because uncore components can account for a significant portion of the overall logic area of a multi-core SoC. In this paper, we present an efficient online self-test technique for uncore components in SoCs. We achieve extremely high test coverage by storing high-quality test patterns in off-chip non-volatile storage. However, a simple technique that stalls the uncore-component-under-test can result in significant system performance degradation or even visible system unresponsiveness. Our new techniques overcome these challenges and enable cost-effective online self-test of uncore components through three special hardware features: 1. resource reallocation and sharing (RRS); 2. no-performance-impact testing; and, 3. smart backups. Implementation of online self-test for uncore components of the open-source OpenSPARC T2 multi-core SoC, using a combination of these three techniques, achieves high test coverage at < 1% area impact, < 1% power impact, and < 3% system-level performance impact. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and practicality of our techniques.
Energy efficient cooperative network localization

Accurate position information enables numerous location-based applications. Wireless network localization is a promising localization technique that permits cooperation among mobile objects to enhance localization services. The allocation of transmitting power for such networks plays a critical role since it determines network lifetime, throughput, as well as the localization accuracy. In this paper, we establish an optimization framework for power allocation in cooperative localization networks. We first show that the optimal solution for the power allocation problem can be obtained by semi-definite programs (SDPs). For implementation in cooperative localization networks, we develop efficient and distributed power allocation strategies via relaxation of the original problem. In particular, we decompose the power allocation problem into infrastructure and cooperation parts. We transform the former into SDPs and derive upper bounds for the localization accuracy of the latter. These bounds enable us to develop efficient distributed strategies. Simulation results show that these strategies can achieve significant performance improvement compared to the unoptimized strategies in terms of localization accuracy.
Student Interest in Technology and Science (SITS) Survey: Development, Validation, and Use of a New Instrument

This study presents the systematic development, validation, and use of a new instrument for measuring student interest in science and technology. The Student Interest in Technology and Science (SITS) survey is composed of 5 sub-sections assessing the following dimensions: interest in learning science, using technology to learn science, science careers, technology careers, and attitudes toward biotechnology. Our development process included review of existing instrumentation, pilot testing, and expert panel review. The resulting instrument was administered before and after implementation of a biotechnology intervention which used a computer-based game to engage learners in the use of biotechnology to address a societal issue. We employed item response theory (IRT) to explore instrument validity and precision. Results of the psychometric analyses suggest that the SITS survey has a well-defined structure and meets IRT assumptions. Difficulty and discrimination parameters as well as reliability analyses indicate that SITS items provide useful measures of student interest. Finally, we use the SITS to explore the extent to which the intervention used in this study supports changes in student interest and association between students’ interest and related content knowledge. Implications for the future use of this instrument are discussed.
Coccidioidomycosis and the Indications for Chemotherapy

Coccidioidomycosis is the disease caused by the dimorphic fungus Coccidioides immitis. The initial case was reported in 1892 by Posada (Posada, 1892). At the beginning of the twentieth century, the aetiological organism was identified as a fungus (Ophuls and Motlitt, 1900). The fungus exists in the soil in the mycelial phase. Soil infection is endemic in parts of the southwestern United States, Central America and South America (Pappagianias, 1980a). The endemic areas coincide generally but not exclusively with the Lower Sonoran Life Zone. In general, the disease is assuming an increased importance because the endemic areas of Latin America include some of the fastest growing population areas in the world (the endemic areas in the USA are the most rapidly growing areas in population in the country), and because of the increase in travel and tourism to the endemic regions.
Elective Stenting of the Extracranial Carotid Arteries

Background Surgical endarterectomy has been shown to be superior to medical management in the management of severe carotid stenosis in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Endarterectomy, although effective, does have limitations, and percutaneous techniques may offer an alternative method of treatment. Methods and Results The feasibility and safety of percutaneous carotid angioplasty and elective (primary) stenting was evaluated prospectively in a consecutive series of 107 patients. One hundred twenty-six carotid arteries with significant stenosis were treated. This series represented a high-risk subset that included patients with previous ipsilateral endarterectomy and severe medical comorbidity. Forty-five percent of the patients were referred by surgeons. Patients had independent neurological examinations before and after the procedure and follow-up cerebral angiography at 6 months. The mean (±SD) stenosis was reduced from 78±14% to 2±5%. There were 7 minor strokes, 2 major strokes, and 1 death...
Central hyperacusis with phonophobia in multiple sclerosis.

Hearing disorders are a well-described symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Unilateral or bilateral hyperacusis or deafness in patients with normal sound audiometry is often attributed to demyelinating lesions in the central auditory pathway. Less known in MS is a central phonophobia, whereby acoustic stimuli provoke unpleasant and painful paresthesia and lead to the corresponding avoidance behaviour. In our comparison collective, patient 1 described acute shooting pain attacks in his right cheek, each time set off by the ringing of the telephone. Patient 2 complained of intensified, unbearable noise sensations when hearing nonlanguage acoustic stimuli. Patient 3 noticed hearing unpleasant echoes and disorders of the directional hearing. All patients had a clinical brainstem syndrome. ENT inspection, sound audiometry and stapedius reflex were normal. All three patients had pathologically changed auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) with indications of a brainstem lesion, and in magnetic resonanc...
Electrical activity of rat brain as a correlate of primary drive.

Abstract The general adequacy of the concept of “arousal” in relation to an internally operating appetitive drive was investigated by inducing an appetitive drive state in rats (thirst) and then by reducing this state through satiation of the appetitive drive (access to water). Brain potentials recorded from implanted electrodes were led through a filter system, a score was determined for each condition based on these frequency write-outs and the scores were compared for change in the state of appetitive drive. Brain placements were paired within each animal giving each animal a cortical and subcortical recording site. Brain wave activity scores were assigned according to three different criteria which considered the peak amplitude of a time sample, the distribution of amplitudes and the units of time within the time sample in which a filtered frequency was active. The results lend support to the proposition that neural activity of the central nervous system is subject to the influence of an internally operating appetitive drive. Significant changes in the filtered write-outs of the brain potentials accompanied a change in drive level from a state of deprivation through satiation and finally to a “need-free” state of rest. The locus of these changes could not be determined from the present experiment but the various changes were as apparent in subcortical structures as they were at the cortex. The direction of change was in general accord with the activation hypothesis. High filtered amplitudes were associated with a “need-free” condition of the animal. Under drive conditions the lowest filtered amplitudes were recorded with satiation producing a reversal to the higher filtered amplitudes again. The results were comparable when thirst was induced artificially by the dehydrating effects of NaCl stomach loads.
Teaming in technical courses

As a result of the University of Alabama participating in the Foundation Coalition, the 1994-1995 academic year saw a completely new curriculum being prototyped for a class of 36 volunteer students within the college. The curriculum in question provides an integrated 13-hour sequence of calculus, physics, chemistry and engineering design for the students. One of the central themes to this sequence is the concept of teams and teaming. Students work in teams of four students throughout this course sequence. These teams operate as a unit for all classes, mathematics recitations, physics and chemistry laboratories, and all engineering design projects. A number of strategies for how to proceed were identified. Concern was placed on ensuring that students gain both the ability to function effectively within a team environment and also demonstrate their own individual ability to perform the task in question. This paper examines the processes by which teaming is performed within the integrated freshman year of the Foundation Coalition. It looks at successes that have been realized and also point out techniques that should not be repeated. The authors summarize their opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of the process, as well as identifying the principal lessons learned for both future semesters of this curriculum and other individuals interested in incorporating teaming into their own courses. In addition, the authors comment on the similarities and differences between freshmen students and upper-level engineering students with respect to teams and teaming.
A Loop Current-Induced Jet Along the Edge of the West Florida Shelf

The pressure imposed upon the West Florida Shelf by the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current is found to give rise to a southward flowing jet along the shelf edge. The pressure-induced jet is simulated by a general circulation model of the Gulf. However, the physics causing forma- tion of the jet are well represented by a simple continental shelf model incorporating an idealized geometry for the West Florida Shelf. The pressure response over the shelf, in an analogy to conductive heat transfer in a rod, is limited by the \insulating" eect of the steep topography of the West Florida Escarpment, which hinders the onshore spreading of the pressure influence. The shelf-edge jet is apparent in the trajectories of satellite-tracked surface drifters deployed from February 1996 through March 1997. Evidence for the requisite pressure distribution over the escarpment is pro- vided by measurements of sea level from the satellite al- timeter aboard the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite.
Generation of broad-band chaos using blocking oscillator

In this paper, we discuss fundamentals for the design of a source of chaotic signals based on a blocking oscillator circuit. We study a modification of a well-known circuit of blocking oscillator which leads to the onset of chaotic oscillations. The output signal of such chaotic oscillator is a series of short term pulses characterized by chaotic fluctuations of time intervals between pulses. Such chaotic pulse signals possess a broad-band continuous power spectrum and short correlation length. We discuss the results of theoretical and experimental studies of nonlinear dynamics of the chaotic blocking oscillator.
Syncope Following Neck Trauma in a Football Player

A college football player sustained a contusion to his anterior neck, over the carotid artery. Less than a minute later he fainted, then experienced episodes of postural dizziness with bradycardia and hypotension. He completely recovered within 3 hours from the time of injury. An unusual but possible cause of this patient's syncopal episode is posttraumatic carotid sinus syncope. This case illustrates the importance of checking vital signs in any athlete who experiences loss of consciousness, and that its occurrence in a collision sport is not always caused by a concussion.
Recycling as appropriate behavior: a review of survey data from selected recycling education programs in Michigan

De Young, R., 1990. Recycling as appropriate behaviour: a review of survey data from selected recycling education programs in Michigan. Resour. Conserv. RecycL, 3: 253-266. Data from surveys conducted by six separate recycling education programs funded under the Clean Michigan Fund are compared. The findings indicate that a strong pro-recycling attitude exists among the populations sampled with a significant percentage of respondents planning to increase their level of recycling in the future. To aid this increase in participation these data suggest that education efforts should focus on helping people become more familiar with the details of how to recycle. And finally, these data support the idea that efforts to promote waste reduction and recycling behavior should focus on non-monetary motives.
Historic range of variability in landscape structure in subalpine forests of the Greater Yellowstone Area, USA

A measure of the historic range of variability (HRV) in landscape structure is essential for evaluating current landscape patterns of Rocky Mountain coniferous forests that have been subjected to intensive timber harvest. We used a geographic information system (GIS) and FRAGSTATS to calculate key landscape metrics on two ∼130,000-ha landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Area, USA: one in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), which has been primarily shaped by natural fires, and a second in the adjacent Targhee National Forest (TNF), which has undergone intensive clearcutting for nearly 30 years. Digital maps of the current and historical landscape in YNP were developed from earlier stand age maps developed by Romme and Despain. Maps of the TNF landscape were adapted from United States Forest Service Resource Information System (RIS) data. Key landscape metrics were calculated at 20-yr intervals for YNP for the period from 1705-1995. These metrics were used to first evaluate the relative effects of small vs. large fire events on landscape structure and were then compared to similar metrics calculated for both pre- and post-harvest landscapes of the TNF. Large fires, such as those that burned in 1988, produced a structurally different landscape than did previous, smaller fires (1705-1985). The total number of patches of all types was higher after 1988 (694 vs. 340-404 before 1988), and mean patch size was reduced by almost half (186 ha vs. 319-379 ha). The amount of unburned forest was less following the 1988 fires (63% vs. 72-90% prior to 1988), yet the number of unburned patches increased by nearly an order of magnitude (230 vs. a maximum of 41 prior to 1988). Total core area and mean core area per patch decreased after 1988 relative to smaller fires (∼73,700 ha vs. 87,000-110,000 ha, and 320 ha vs. 2,123 ha, respectively). Notably, only edge density was similar (17 m ha−1 after 1988) to earlier landscapes (9.8-14.2 m ha−1).Three decades of timber harvesting dramatically altered landscape structure in the TNF. Total number of patches increased threefold (1,481 after harvest vs. 437 before harvest), and mean patch size decreased by ∼70% (91.3 ha vs. 309 ha). None of the post-harvest landscape metrics calculated for the TNF fell within the HRV as defined in YNP, even when the post-1988 landscape was considered. In contrast, pre-harvest TNF landscape metrics were all within, or very nearly within, the HRV for YNP. While reference conditions such as those identified by this study are useful for local and regional landscape evaluation and planning, additional research is necessary to understand the consequences of changes in landscape structure for population, community, ecosystem, and landscape function.
Sensorless temperature estimation and control of shape memory alloy actuators using thermoelectric devices

A method for feedback control of the temperature of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators without using dedicated temperature sensors is presented in this paper. Thermoelectric devices (TEDs) are used to simultaneously sense and control the SMA temperature by alternating between driving the TEDs via the Peltier effect and measuring the local temperature difference across the TEDs via the Seebeck effect. A low-order ARX model that estimates the SMA temperature is derived. This model is used for feedback control of the SMA temperature in lieu of an external temperature sensor. A controller is implemented, which demonstrates the performance of the estimation technique. This method will enable the production of large arrays of TED-driven SMA tendon actuators, particularly for large DOF robotic systems.
Review Of Optical Coherence Effects In Instrument Design Part III

Improved performance in many optical instruments has been achieved by considering coherence effects in the design of the optical instrument. In this paper such improvements are reviewed by heuristically describing the fundamental principles of partial coherence which are required in the design of such instruments. Furthermore, these coherence effects, which arise from both coherent and incoherent sources of radiation, are illustrated by discussing a selected set of instruments in which improved performance has been achieved. These examples include high-resolution recording and analyzing instruments which use incoherent sources, as well as imaging and mensuration instruments which use coherent sources. A set of guidelines for determining when coherence effects influence system performance with respect to linearity, resolution, and noise is also presented.
Robust fault detection and reconfigurable control of distributed energy generation systems

This paper focuses on robust model-based fault detection and fault-tolerant control of distributed energy generation systems subject to time-varying external disturbances and control actuator faults. An observer-based output feedback controller that enforces robust stability with an arbitrary degree of disturbance attenuation in the absence of faults is initially designed for each subsystem. Fault detection is performed locally by comparing the output of the observer with that of the system, and using the discrepancy as a residual. An explicit characterization of the fault-free behavior of the closed-loop system is obtained in terms of a time-varying bound that captures the effects of discrete measurement sampling, plant-model mismatch, and external disturbances. This characterization is used to derive a time-varying alarm threshold on the residual for robust fault detection, and a controller reconfiguration law that determines the feasible fall-back control configurations that preserve robust stability and minimize performance deterioration. Contingency measures in the event that local fault recovery is not possible are discussed. Finally, the design and implementation of the integrated monitoring and fault-tolerant control architecture are demonstrated using a simulated model of a solid oxide fuel cell plant.
Vascular calcification in end‐stage renal disease

Vascular calcification is highly prevalent in end-stage renal disease and independently predictive of future cardiovascular events and mortality. Calcification can occur in both the intimal and medial layers of vasculature, but medial calcification is the major form in end-stage renal disease. Medial calcification increases large elastic artery stiffness and pulse-pressure, promotes left ventricular hypertrophy, reduces perfusion of the coronary arteries, and ultimately promotes increased cardiovascular mortality via increased risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure. It results not from a passive deposition of calcium and phosphate due to increased circulating levels, but rather is an active cell-mediated process involving vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and vesicle release, a shift in the balance of inhibitors and promoters of vascular calcification, and vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation from a contractile to osteochondrogenic phenotype. This phenotypic shift requires phosphate, as well as the uptake of phosphate by the sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter PiT-1, which is upregulated by proinflammatory cytokines and the uremic milieu. Further research is needed to determine if targeting these processes can ultimately reduce vascular calcification in this high cardiovascular risk population.
Neonatal endotracheal tubes: variation in airway resistance with different perfluorochemical liquids.

To evaluate the effect of the physical properties of density and viscosity on airway resistance, three perfluorochemical fluids (PFCs) were used: FC-75, Liquiventtm, and APF-140. Using two different endotracheal tubes (ETT) (3.0mm ID and 4.0mm internal diameter (ID)), the three fluids were studied at steady state flow conditions over a range that approximated peak flow required for liquid ventilation of neonatal lambs (0.005-0.02 1/sec). The slope of airway resistance (Raw)-flow curves and absolute values of Raw for the 3 PFC liquids were higher for the 3.0 ETT compared to the 4.0 ETT. The 3.0 ETT demonstrated resistance changes that were dependent on flow, density and viscosity. The 4.0 ETT showed a resistance-flow relationship that was relatively less dependent on flow, density and viscosity.
Chemically decorated boron-nitride nanoribbons

Motivated by recent studies of graphenen nanoribbons (GNRs), we explored electronic properties of pure and chemically modified boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) using the density functional theory method. Pure BNNRs with both edges fully saturated by hydrogen are semiconducting with wide band gaps. Values of the band gap depend on the width and the type of edge. The chemical decoration of BNNRs’ edges with four different functional groups, including -F, -Cl, -OH, and -NO2, was investigated. The band-gap modulation by chemical decoration may be exploited for nanoelectronic applications.
A neural network model to configure maps for a satellite communication network

A self-configurable satellite communication network that can be dynamically configured to different maps, to best meet the network requirements, by means of a modified Kohonen self-organization procedure is described. The model consists of three stages. The first stage is the pattern recognition task, in which an exemplar map that best meets the current network requirements is selected. The second stage is an analysis of the discrepancy between the chosen exemplar map and the state of the network, and adaptively modifies the chosen exemplar map to conform closely to the network requirement (input data pattern) by Kohonen's self-organization procedure. On the basis of certain performance criteria, it is decided in the third stage whether a new map is generated to replace the original map. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate that the self-organization model can dynamically configure maps for a satellite communication network. >
The Oil Industry in Nazi Germany, 1936–1945

The oil industry in Nazi Germany provides an excellent focus for studying the interplay between economics, politics, and government policy in the Third Reich. In this article, Mr. Stokes brings to this subject a comparative approach, making comparisons both within the oil industry and with the industry's major industrial counterparts. He concludes that a variety of factors—including the degree of shared interest between individual firms and the government, the size and concentration of a firm's production facilities, and the political position of key firm personnel—explain the success as well as the eventual collapse of a given industrial sector.
Statistical phonetic learning in infants: facilitation and feature generalization.

Over the course of the first year of life, infants develop from being generalized listeners, capable of discriminating both native and non-native speech contrasts, into specialized listeners whose discrimination patterns closely reflect the phonetic system of the native language(s). Recent work by Maye, Werker and Gerken (2002) has proposed a statistical account for this phenomenon, showing that infants may lose the ability to discriminate some foreign language contrasts on the basis of their sensitivity to the statistical distribution of sounds in the input language. In this paper we examine the process of enhancement in infant speech perception, whereby initially difficult phonetic contrasts become better discriminated when they define two categories that serve a functional role in the native language. In particular, we demonstrate that exposure to a bimodal statistical distribution in 8-month-old infants’ phonetic input can lead to increased discrimination of difficult contrasts. In addition, this exposure also facilitates discrimination of an unfamiliar contrast sharing the same phonetic feature as the contrast presented during familiarization, suggesting that infants extract acoustic/phonetic information that is invariant across an abstract featural representation.
Positional adaptation of processors: application to energy reduction

Although adaptive processors can exploit application variability to improve performance or save energy, effectively managing their adaptivity is challenging. To address this problem, we introduce a new approach to adaptivity: the Positional approach. In this approach, both the testing of configurations and the application of the chosen configurations are associated with particular code sections. This is in contrast to the currently-used Temporal approach to adaptation, where both the testing and application of configurations are tied to successive intervals in time.We propose to use subroutines as the granularity of code sections in positional adaptation. Moreover, we design three implementations of subroutine-based positional adaptation that target energy reduction in three different workload environments: embedded or specialized server, general purpose, and highly dynamic. All three implementations of positional adaptation are much more effective than temporal schemes. On average, they boost the energy savings of applications by 50% and 84% over temporal schemes in two experiments.
Antimetastatic Action of Pentoxifylline, a Methyl Xanthine Derivative, Through its Effect on PKC Mediated Integrin Transport in B16F10 Melanoma Cells

Background: Integrins are adhesion molecules known to regulate cellular processes like adhesion, migration and proliferation. At the same time role of integrin in progress of cancer metastasis is well established, increased integrin expression is reported to be linked to high metastasis potential of cells. Pentoxifylline a methyl xanthine derivative is a potent antimetastatic agent. Studies on the mechanism of inhibition of lung homing of B16F10 melanoma cells by PTX shows that it can inhibit cell- Extracellular Matrix adhesion, cell surface integrin expression as well as Protein kinase C activity. Previous study from our laboratory have shown PTX treatment can selectively inhibit the cell surface expression of α 5 integrin in B16F10 cells without affecting its total cellular protein levels. Numerous studies have documented that differences in surface expression and distribution of integrins affects metastasis. The purpose of present study is to observe the effect of PTX on cellular distribution/ redistribution of integrins and to study the underlying molecular mechanism of PTX action. Methods: Integrin internalization and transport was observed using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. PKC activity was determined using MBP4-14 as a substrate. Immunoprecipitation and western blotting was used to show association between PKC and α 5 integrin, cell adhesion assay was performed using fibronectin/fibrinogen as substrate. Results: Immunofluorescence studies showed that PTX treatment caused a redistribution of α 5 integrins from the plasma membrane to a perinuclear compartment where it colocalized with Transferrin receptor and Rab-11 GTPase. Rate of integrin internalization and recycling showed that PTX inhibited the recycling of α 5 integrins from perinuclear recycling endosomes. PTX is reported to affect kinases; here we showed that PTX inhibited total PKC activity. Association between α 5 β 1 integrin and PKC is studied using Immunoprecipitation which show that PTX affects α5β1 integrin associated PKC activity without affecting the levels of PKC. Studying the effect of delay in integrin recycling on cell functionality showed that it affects spreading of cells on fibronectin/fibrinogen. Conclusions: Data in the present study shows that PTX interferes with PKC activity bringing about a change in integrin distribution, and there by affecting the functionality of the cell. And this may possibly serve as one of the mechanisms for antimetastatic action of PTX. doi:10.4021/wjon252e
Negative surface ionization electron affinities and activation energies of SFn

RATIONALE Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is the most frequently used standard for anion mass spectrometry because of its large temperature-independent cross-section for electron attachment. However, the kinetic and thermodynamic properties – the products of the reactions, and the number of negative ion states of the SFn – are presently in dispute. METHODS The electron affinities for SFn (n = 1–6) are predicted by assuming dissociation energies and ground-state electron affinities based on literature values. The temperature dependence of the 2012 negative surface ionization mass spectrometer data, and other negative ionization mass spectrometry, electron capture detector, and beam and magnetron data, are analyzed using a kinetic model. RESULTS More precise and accurate activation energies for thermal electron attachment and electron affinities of SF6, SF5 and SF4 are reported. The largest experimental electron affinities of SF, SF2 and SF3 are assigned to the ground states. Ionic Morse potentials for multiple states are calculated. A mechanism for the formation of the ionic products observed in negative surface ionization thermal electron attachment to SF6 is presented. CONCLUSIONS Negative surface ionization on a hot filament with mass spectrometry is a relatively simple and effective method for determining electron affinities similar to the electron capture detector, magnetron, swarm and beam procedures. A new method of predicting the number of negative ion states from dissociation limits establishes targets for the data analysis. Pseudo one-dimensional anionic Morse potentials illustrate the mechanism for the reaction of thermal electrons with SF6 and the consecutive dissociation pathways. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An embedded English synthesis approach based on speech concatenation and smoothing

An embedded English synthesis approach based on speech concatenation and smoothing is described. This approach adopts phonetic sub-words as carriers of variable-length units. We define 5-class units to cover all English phonetic phenomena. The corresponding cost function and search procedure based on dynamic programming are addressed in the unit-selection stage. Vocal tract response, pitch value and phase are interpolated and merged at concatenating points for smoothing speech in the synthesis stage. Preliminary tests show that this approach can reach a good balance of naturalness, intelligibility and data footprint.