cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Description of a large kindred with autosomal dominant inheritance of branchial arch anomalies, hearing loss, and ear pits, and exclusion of the branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome gene locus (chromosome 8q13.3)

It has been suggested that branchio-oculo-facial (BOF) syndrome, deafness with ear pits, and associated conditions [MIM nos. 125100, 120502], and branchio-oto-renal (BOR) [MIM no. 113650] or Melnick-Fraser syndrome represent phenotypic variants of the BOR syndrome, which is inherited in an autosomal dominant (AD) manner and has variable clinical expression. Recently, the BOR gene was mapped to chromosome region 8q13.3 and its sequence was identified as the human homolog of the Drosophila eyes absent (EYA1) gene. We studied an extended family with AD inheritance of branchial arch anomalies (BAA), hearing loss, and ear pits, whose phenotype differed from that of patients with BOR in that none of the affected members had renal abnormalities or lacrimal duct stenosis. Fifteen affected members were studied; ear pits were present in all of them, whereas hearing loss and other BAA were present in 40 and 20%, respectively. Blood was collected from 31 patients; DNA was extracted by standard methods and amplified using primers from microsatellite sequences flanking the BOR locus on chromosome 8q13.3 (D8S1807, D8S530, and D8S543). Linkage analysis was performed under two models of AD inheritance with different penetrance: 100% and 80%. In both cases, the logarithm of odds (LOD) scores produced were significantly less than -2; exclusion of the 8q13.3 locus was also confirmed by multipoint LOD score analysis. We conclude that, in one large family with AD inheritance of BAA, hearing loss and ear pits, the BOR locus was excluded. This represents the first documentation of heterogeneity in branchio-oto anomalies, syndromes with phenotypes similar to BOR syndrome.
Dynamics and neural network computation

Computation is carried out by the motion of the state of a dynamical system. This description unites digital and “neural network” computation. The use of an energy function to understand and to program batch mode computation on feedback networks is reviewed. Recognizing words in continuous speech illustrates the use of a compound network to solve a real-world problem where data arrive continuously over time. A new tool, a Lagrangian formulation, is introduced for studying networks which oscillate, and as a means for formulating problems which need to optimize functional integrals.
Cloning and properties of a rice gene encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) genomic sequences were isolated from a rice (Oryza sativa L.) genomic library using a PCR-amplified rice PAL DNA fragment as a probe. There is a small family of PAL genes in the rice genome. The nucleotide sequence of one PAL gene, ZB8, was determined. The ZB8 gene is 4660 bp in length and consists of two exons and one intron. It encodes a polypeptide of 710 amino acids. The transcription start site was 137 bp upstream from the translation initiation site. Rice PAL transcripts accumulated to a high level in stems, with lower levels in roots and leaves. Wounding of leaf tissues induced ZB8 PAL transcripts to a high level. In rice suspension-cultured cells treated with fungal cell wall elicitors, the ZB8 PAL transcript increased within 30 min and reached maximum levels in 1-2 h. The transcription of the ZB8 gene was investigated by fusing its promoter to the reporter gene beta-glucuronidase (GUS) and transforming the construct into rice and tobacco plants, as well as rice suspension-cultured cells. High levels of GUS activity were observed in stems, moderate levels in roots and low levels in leaves of transgenic rice and tobacco plants. Histochemical analysis indicated that in transgenic rice the promoter was active in root apical tips, lateral root initiation sites, and vascular and epidermal tissues of stems and roots. In rice flowers, high GUS activity was observed in floral shoots, receptacles, anthers and filaments, occasionally GUS activity was also detected in lemma and awn tissues. In tobacco flowers, high GUS activity was detected in the pink part of petals. Consistent with the activity of endogenous PAL transcripts, wounding of rice and tobacco leaf tissues induced GUS activity from low basal levels. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection of tobacco leaves induced GUS activity to a high level. Fungal cell wall elicitors strongly induced GUS activity and GUS transcripts to high levels in transgenic rice suspension-cultured cells. We demonstrated that the promoter of ZB8 gene is both developmentally regulated and stress-inducible.
An Evolutions Equation as the WKB Correction in Long-Time Asymptotics of Schrödinger Dynamics

We consider the 3-dimensional Schrodinger operator with slowly decaying potential whose radial derivatives are short-range. The long-time asymptotics for solution of the corresponding non-stationary equation is established. In this case, the standard WKB-correction should be replaced by the solution of certain evolution equation.
COHERENT STATES IN A RYDBERG ATOM: CLASSICAL MECHANICS

The interaction of a hydrogen or Rydberg atom with a circularly polarized microwave field leads to the creation of global equilibrium points that may be stable or unstable depending on the particulars of the applied field. The additional application of a magnetic field, perpendicular to the plane of polarization, can be used to manipulate both the nature and the stability of these points. We show that stable three-dimensional motion can be maintained that is localized at either a maximum or a minimum in the corresponding surface of zero velocity. At these equilibria, the zero-velocity surface may be locally quadratic in coordinates and stable harmonic-oscillator-like, nondispersive, coherent states can be supported. As the fields are varied, repeated order-chaos transitions may be observed, including various passages through rigorously integrable limits. Classical simulations are presented for a range of field strengths, and the effects of deviations of the microwave field from exactly circular polarization (i.e., elliptical polarization) are examined using a pulsating zero-velocity surface.
Label-Free Quantitative Detection of Protein Using Macroporous Silicon Photonic Bandgap Biosensors

A label-free biosensor was demonstrated using macroporous silicon (pore size >100 nm) one-dimensional photonic band gap structures that are very sensitive to refractive index changes. In this study, we employed Tir−IBD (translocated Intimin receptor−Intimin binding domain) and Intimin−ECD (extracellular domain of Intimin) as the probe and target, respectively. These two recombinant proteins comprise the extracellular domains of two key proteins responsible for the pathogenicity of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). The optical response of the sensor was characterized so that the capture of Intimin−ECD could be quantitatively determined. Our result shows that the concentration sensitivity limit of the sensor is currently 4 μM of Intimin−ECD. This corresponds to a detection limit of approximately 130 fmol of Intimin−ECD. We have also investigated the dependence of the sensor performance on the Tir−IBD probe molecule concentration and the effect of immobilization on the Tir−IBD/Intimin−ECD equilibrium...
Hemophilus influenzae cellulitis of the hand.

Hemophilus inftuenzae type b cellulitis of the hand is a rare infection presenting mainly in the 2-month to 3-year age group. Three proven cases and one clinical case are reported, and the bacteriology and management are discussed. Most of these infections respond to ampicillin and/or chloramphenicol. One must include H. inftuenzae type b in the differential diagnosis of cellulitis of the hand in this age group and specify this possibility on all cultures so that appropriate identification of the organism can be made.
Sport and the Artistic

Recently David Best has advanced the claim that sport is not an art form, and that although sport may be aesthetic, it is not artistic. Such a claim is false and runs counter to ordinary usage and sport practice. On behalf of sport practice, let me cite as an example the world-class Canadian skater, Toller Cranston, who thinks there are such things as ‘artistic sports, those being gymnastics, diving, figure skating’. (I might add trampolining and power- or weight-lifting to this category.) Best claims that athletes like Cranston are conceptually confused and that they endow sport with greater respectability than should be allowed. Ascribing the predicate ‘artistic’ to sport performances reflects ‘barbarous usage’. Why does Best exclude the artistic from the realm of sport? Upon examination of his argument, one finds that this exclusion derives mainly from his concepts of art and sport. He thinks that art has a subject-matter, a content, and that sport does not. Sport is contentless, so ‘sport’ and ‘art’ are two logically distinct regions. But is this so? Are we to accept Best's argument or are we to listen to accomplished, reflective athletes in the area of artistic sports? It seems the most reasonable analytic procedure would be to listen to Cranston's case and decide whether such a piece of intentionalist criticism5 should override Best's premises.
Centralized Traffic Control for Railroads

Railroads have installed many thousands of miles of a control system that retains all the time-tested safety features of railway signaling and centralizes the control of traffic on long sections of railroad. Special code type communication circuits and equipment have been perfected to furnish the remote control demanded by this system. The new communication facilities can be combined with other services on the same line wires and the range of control can be extended by the use of carrier current equipment. This centralized form of control has proved to be a dependable source of additionlal traffic capacity and increased earning ability.
Effect of massive training artificial neural networks for rib suppression on reduction of false positives in computerized detection of nodules on chest radiographs

A major challenge in computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) schemes for nodule detection on chest radiographs is the detection of nodules that overlap with ribs. Our purpose was to develop a technique for false-positive reduction in a CAD scheme using a rib-suppression technique based on massive training artificial neural networks (MTANNs). We developed a multiple MTANN (multi-MTANN) consisting of eight MTANNs for removing eight types of false positives. For further removal of false positives caused by ribs, we developed a rib-suppression technique using a multi-resolution MTANN consisting of three different resolution MTANNs. To suppress the contrast of ribs, the multi-resolution MTANN was trained with input chest radiographs and the teaching soft-tissue images obtained by using a dual-energy subtraction technique. Our database consisted of 91 nodules in 91 chest radiographs. With our original CAD scheme based on a difference image technique with linear discriminant analysis, a sensitivity of 82.4% (75/91 nodules) with 4.5 (410/91) false positives per image was achieved. The trained multi-MTANN was able to remove 62.7% (257/410) of false positives with a loss of one true positive. With the rib-suppression technique, the contrast of ribs in chest radiographs was suppressed substantially. Due to the effect of rib-suppression, 41.2% (63/153) of the remaining false positives were removed without a loss of any true positives. Thus, the false-positive rate of our CAD scheme was improved substantially, while a high sensitivity was maintained.
Role of Helicobacter pylori CagL in modulating gastrin expression

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that is highly adapted for persistent colonisation of the human stomach. Although most H pylori -infected people remain asymptomatic, the presence of this organism is a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma, peptic ulcer disease and gastric lymphoma. There is a high level of genetic heterogeneity among H pylori strains and the risk of gastric disease is determined, in part, by characteristics of the H pylori strain(s) with which a person is infected.1 One of the most extensively studied genetic features of disease-associated H pylori strains is the cag pathogenicity island (PAI). This 40 kb region of chromosomal DNA, comprising about 27 genes, may be present, incomplete or absent in H pylori strains. CagA, the first cag PAI-encoded protein to be studied in detail, is a highly antigenic protein that is translocated into gastric epithelial cells. Within gastric epithelial cells, CagA undergoes phosphorylation by host cell tyrosine kinases and interacts with multiple host proteins, leading to cytoskeletal rearrangements, disruption of cellular junctions, altered cellular adhesion and polarity and increased cell proliferation. Experiments in animal models indicate that CagA has an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and therefore, CagA has been termed a bacterial oncoprotein.2 CagA is translocated into host cells by a process that requires about 17 genes within the cag PAI, several of which are homologous to genes encoding components of type IV secretion systems (T4SS) in other Gram-negative bacterial species. …
Hypoxia in cartilage: HIF-1α is essential for chondrocyte growth arrest and survival

Breakdown or absence of vascular oxygen delivery is a hallmark of many common human diseases, including cancer, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The chief mediator of hypoxic response in mammalian tissues is the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), and its oxygen-sensitive component HIF-1alpha. A key question surrounding HIF-1alpha and the hypoxic response is the role of this transcription factor in cells removed from a functional vascular bed; in this regard there is evidence indicating that it can act as either a survival factor or induce growth arrest and apoptosis. To study more closely how HIF-1alpha functions in hypoxia in vivo, we used tissue-specific targeting to delete HIF-1alpha in an avascular tissue: the cartilaginous growth plate of developing bone. We show here the first evidence that the developmental growth plate in mammals is hypoxic, and that this hypoxia occurs in its interior rather than at its periphery. As a result of this developmental hypoxia, cells that lack HIF-1alpha in the interior of the growth plate die. This is coupled to decreased expression of the CDK inhibitor p57, and increased levels of BrdU incorporation in HIF-1alpha null growth plates, indicating defects in HIF-1alpha-regulated growth arrest occurs in these animals. Furthermore, we find that VEGF expression in the growth plate is regulated through both HIF-1alpha-dependent and -independent mechanisms. In particular, we provide evidence that VEGF expression is up-regulated in a HIF-1alpha-independent manner in chondrocytes surrounding areas of cell death, and this in turn induces ectopic angiogenesis. Altogether, our findings have important implications for the role of hypoxic response and HIF-1alpha in development, and in cell survival in tissues challenged by interruption of vascular flow; they also illustrate the complexities of HIF-1alpha response in vivo, and they provide new insights into mechanisms of growth plate development.
The relationship between the magnetosphere and magnetospheric/auroral substorms

Abstract. On the basis of auroral and polar magnetic substorm studies, the relationship between the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo (the DD dynamo) current and the substorm dynamo (the UL dynamo) current is studied. The characteristics of both the DD and UL currents reveal why auroral substorms consist of the three distinct phases after the input power e is increased above 1018 erg s−1. (a) The growth phase; the magnetosphere can accumulate magnetic energy for auroral substorms, when the ionosphere cannot dissipate the power before the expansion phase. (b) The expansion phase; the magnetosphere releases the accumulated magnetic energy during the growth phase in a pulse-like manner in a few hours, because it tries to stabilize itself when the accumulated energy reaches to about 1023 erg s−1. (c) The recovery phase; the magnetosphere becomes an ordinary dissipative system after the expansion phase, because the ionosphere becomes capable of dissipating the power with the rate of 1018 ~ 1019 erg s−1. On the basis of the above conclusion, it is suggested that the magnetosphere accomplishes the pulse-like release process (resulting in spectacular auroral activities) by producing plasma instabilities in the current sheet, thus reducing the current. The resulting contraction of the magnetic field lines (expending the accumulated magnetic energy), together with break down of the "frozen-in" field condition at distances of less than 10 RE, establishes the substorm dynamo that generates an earthward electric field (Lui and Kamide, 2003; Akasofu, 2011). It is this electric field which manifests as the expansion phase. A recent satellite observation at a distance of as close as 8.1 RE by Lui (2011) seems to support strongly the occurrence of the chain of processes suggested in the above. It is hoped that although the concept presented here is very crude, it will serve in providing one way of studying the three phases of auroral substorms. In turn, a better understanding of auroral substorms will also be useful in studying the magnetosphere, because various auroral activities can be the visible guide for this endeavor.
Effect of chronic glucocorticoid therapy and the gender difference on bone mineral density in liver transplant patients

Background Chronic glucocorticoid therapy (CGT) has been shown to result in bone density loss causing osteoporosis. Patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) are on CGT and are at increased risk for bone disease. To further study the relationship between CGT and bone loss, we analyzed the bone mineral density (BMD) in relation to the cumulative dose of CGT in patients who had undergone LT. Materials and methods We retrospectively collected information on 57 patients who underwent LT more than 1 year ago, which included demographics, cumulative CGT dose, BMD and t-scores of the femur/lumbar vertebra as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for 1 and 2 years post-transplant. Patients receiving CGT >3500 mg/1st year were compared with CGT Results Data showed that all patients on CGT had a moderately increased risk of fracture one year post-transplant. In the high dose group, females had significantly worse femur BMD and t-scores that persisted through the second year. This difference was not seen in the low dose group. Conclusion We found that all liver transplant patients on CGT have an increased risk of bone disease and that female patients receiving CGT >3500 mg the first year have a much higher risk of bone disease than males and that this risk persists during the second year. Because most of the steroids are given during the 1st month post-transplant, the amount of steroids given in this time period dictates the patients’ risk for the subsequent 2 years.
Locally Decodable Codes and Private Information Retrieval Schemes

Locally decodable codes (LDCs) are codes that simultaneously provide efficient random access retrieval and high noise resilience by allowing reliable reconstruction of an arbitrary bit of a message by looking at only a small number of randomly chosen codeword bits. Local decodability comes with a certain loss in terms of efficiency specifically, locally decodable codes require longer codeword lengths than their classical counterparts. Private information retrieval (PIR) schemes are cryptographic protocols designed to safeguard the privacy of database users. They allow clients to retrieve records from public databases while completely hiding the identity of the retrieved records from database owners. In this book the author provides a fresh algebraic look at the theory of locally decodable codes and private information retrieval schemes, obtaining new families of each which have much better parameters than those of previously known constructions, and he also proves limitations of two server PIRs in a restricted setting that covers all currently known schemes. The author's related thesis won the ACM Dissertation Award in 2007, and this book includes some expanded sections and proofs, and notes on recent developments.
Fatty Acid Transduction of Nitric Oxide Signaling MULTIPLE NITRATED UNSATURATED FATTY ACID DERIVATIVES EXIST IN HUMAN BLOOD AND URINE AND SERVE AS ENDOGENOUS PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR LIGANDS

Mass spectrometric analysis of human plasma and urine revealed abundant nitrated derivatives of all principal unsaturated fatty acids. Nitrated palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids were detected in concert with their nitrohydroxy derivatives. Two nitroalkene derivatives of the most prevalent fatty acid, oleic acid, were synthesized (9- and 10-nitro-9-cis-octadecenoic acid; OA-NO2), structurally characterized and determined to be identical to OA-NO2 found in plasma, red cells, and urine of healthy humans. These regioisomers of OA-NO2 were quantified in clinical samples using 13C isotope dilution. Plasma free and esterified OA-NO2 concentrations were 619 +/- 52 and 302 +/- 369 nm, respectively, and packed red blood cell free and esterified OA-NO2 was 59 +/- 11 and 155 +/- 65 nm. The OA-NO2 concentration of blood is approximately 50% greater than that of nitrated linoleic acid, with the combined free and esterified blood levels of these two fatty acid derivatives exceeding 1 microm. OA-NO2 is a potent ligand for peroxisome proliferator activated receptors at physiological concentrations. CV-1 cells co-transfected with the luciferase gene under peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) response element regulation, in concert with PPARgamma, PPARalpha, or PPARdelta expression plasmids, showed dose-dependent activation of all PPARs by OA-NO2. PPARgamma showed the greatest response, with significant activation at 100 nm, while PPARalpha and PPARdelta were activated at approximately 300 nm OA-NO2. OA-NO2 also induced PPAR gamma-dependent adipogenesis and deoxyglucose uptake in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes at a potency exceeding nitrolinoleic acid and rivaling synthetic thiazo-lidinediones. These data reveal that nitrated fatty acids comprise a class of nitric oxide-derived, receptor-dependent, cell signaling mediators that act within physiological concentration ranges.
p19Arf Represses Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor β by Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Mechanisms

In addition to cancer surveillance, p19(Arf) plays an essential role in blocking signals stemming from platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (Pdgfrβ) during eye development, but the underlying mechanisms have not been clear. We now show that without Arf, pericyte hyperplasia in the eye results from enhanced Pdgfrβ-dependent proliferation from embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) of mouse development. Loss of Arf in the eye increases Pdgfrβ expression. In cultured fibroblasts and pericyte-like cells, ectopic p19(Arf) represses and Arf knockdown enhances the expression of Pdgfrβ mRNA and protein. Ectopic Arf also represses primary Pdgfrβ transcripts and a plasmid driven by a minimal promoter, including one missing the CCAAT element required for high-level expression. p19(Arf) uses both p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms to control Pdgfrβ. In vivo, without p53, Pdgfrβ mRNA is elevated and eye development abnormalities resemble the Arf (-/-) phenotype. However, effects of p53 on Pdgfrβ mRNA do not appear to be due to direct p53 or RNA polymerase II recruitment to the promoter. Although p19(Arf) controls Pdgfrβ mRNA in a p53-dependent manner, it also blunts Pdgfrβ protein expression by blocking new protein synthesis in the absence of p53. Thus, our findings demonstrate a novel capacity for p19(Arf) to control Pdgfrβ expression by p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms involving RNA transcription and protein synthesis, respectively, to promote the vascular remodeling needed for normal vision.
Cyclic oxonium ylides: building blocks for iterative synthesis of polycyclic ethers

Abstract A series of diazoketones bearing remote benzyl or allyl ethers was subjected to a variety of conditions for catalytic diazodecomposition and cyclic oxonium ylide formation as a possible method for polycyclic ether synthesis. Allyl ethers 19 , 25 and 29 underwent efficient conversion to the corresponding bis(pyran) and tris(pyran) products in the presence of Cu(tfacac) 2 , while benzyl ether 15 was converted to bicyclic products 16 and 34 with Rh 2 (tpa) 4 . Treatment of homologous substrate 32 with Rh 2 (tpa) 4 provided novel medium-ring cyclopropanation products 35 in good yield.
Task Type and Group Motivation: Implications for a Behavioral Approach to Leadership in Small Groups.

A theory of leadership effectiveness in small discussion/decision-making groups is developed to facilitate discussion and goal efficacy. Based upon two task dimensions specified by Shaw (1973), a f...
INVESTIGATION OF SEVERAL TERAHERTZ ELECTROMAGNETIC BAND GAP STRUCTURES

Several THz electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures are investigated and demonstrated. Various design, fabrication, and characterization methods and techniques are utilized and compared. These THz EBG structures may enable future high performance EBG based THz components. V C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 678-686, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24986
Bridging areas of injury in the spinal cord.

There is a devastating loss of function when substantial numbers of axons are interrupted by injury to the spinal cord. This loss may be eventually reversed by providing bridging prostheses that will enable axons to regrow across the injury site and enter the spinal cord beyond. This review addresses the bridging strategies that are being developed in a number of spinal cord lesion models: complete and partial transection and cavities arising from contusion. Bridges containing peripheral nerve, Schwann cells, olfactory ensheathing glia, fetal tissue, stem cells/neuronal precursor cells, and macrophages are being evaluated as is the administration of neurotrophic factors, administered by infusion or secreted by genetically engineered cells. Biomaterials may be an important factor in developing successful strategies. Due to the complexity of the sequelae following spinal cord injury, no one strategy will be effective. The compelling question today is: What combinations of the strategies discussed, or new on...
Spatially Adaptive Hyperspectral Unmixing

Spectral unmixing is a common task in hyperspectral data analysis. In order to sufficiently spectrally unmix the data, three key steps must be accomplished: Estimate the number of endmembers (EMs), identify the EMs, and then unmix the data. Several different statistical and geometrical approaches have been developed for all steps of the unmixing process. However, many of these methods rely on using the full image to estimate the number and extract the EMs from the background data. In this paper, spectral unmixing is accomplished using a spatially adaptive approach. Linear unmixing is performed per pixel with EMs identified at the local level, but global abundance maps are created by clustering the locally determined EMs into common groups. Results show that the unmixing residual error of each pixel's spectrum from real data, estimated from the spatially adaptive methodology, is reduced when compared to a global scale EM estimation and linear unmixing methodology. The component algorithms of the new spatially adaptive approach, which complete the three key unmixing steps, can be interchanged while maintaining spatial information, making this new methodology modular. A final advantage of the spatially adaptive spectral unmixing methodology is the user-defined spatial scale size.
A graph based model for survivability applications

Many problems found in standard security and survivability applications can be transformed into graph and scheduling problems, thereby opening up the problems to a wealth of potential solutions or knowledge of limitations, infeasibility, scalability or intractability. This paper introduces a model to aid in the design, analysis, or operations of applications with security and survivability concerns. Specifically, a five step model is presented that transforms such applications into a parameterized graph model that, together with model abstraction and representations, can be the basis for solutions derived from graph and scheduling algorithms. A reverse transformation translates the solutions back to the application domain. The model is demonstrated using migratory agent security and fault-tolerant agreement and their transformation into chain constrained and group scheduling problems, respectively.
The role of Cl− in a Li+‐ZnO‐Cl− catalyst on the oxidative coupling of methane and the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

The effect of Cl − ion addition to a Li + -ZnO catalyst has been studied with respect to the oxidative coupling of CH 4 and the oxidative dehydrogenation (OXD) of C 2 H 6 . Increasing the Cl/Li ratio from 0.65 to 0.90 had relatively little effect on the CH 4 conversion, whereas the C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 ratio was enhanced significantly as a result of an increase in the OXD reaction rate. Conversely, loss of Cl − from the catalyst during the reaction had a much more deleterious effect on ethane OXD activity than on methane coupling activity. Addition of Cl − ions at a Cl/Li ratio of 0.9 caused a decrease both in the number of basic sites and in the basic strength of these sites, as determined by temperature-programmed desorption of CO 2 . The similarities between the results obtained over Li + -ZnO-Cl − catalysts and those previously reported for Li + -MgO-Cl − catalysts confirm that basicity of the host oxide plays only a minor role in determining the properties of these chlorided catalysts
Technology infusion challenges from a decision support perspective

In a restricted science budget environment and increasingly numerous required technology developments, the technology investment decisions within NASA are objectively more and more difficult to make such that the end results are satisfying the technical objectives and all the organizational constraints. Under these conditions it is rationally desirable to build an investment portfolio, which has the highest possible technology infusion rate into flight missions. Arguably the path to infusion is subject to many influencing factors, but here only the challenges associated with the very initial stages are addressed: defining the needs and the subsequent investment decision-support process. It is conceivable that decision consistency and possibly its quality suffer when the decision-making process has limited or no traceability. This paper presents a structured decision-support framework aiming to provide traceable, auditable, infusion-driven recommendations towards a selection process in which these recommendations are used as reference points in further discussions among stakeholders. In this framework addressing well-defined requirements, different measures of success can be defined based on traceability to specific selection criteria. As a direct result, even by using simplified decision models the likelihood of infusion can be probed and consequently improved.
A crosstalk minimization technique for sublithographic programmable logic arrays

The emergence of alternative technologies due to continued technology migration into the nanometer regime has led to the design of several novel logic and memory architectures. These architectures, in particular array based architectures built from crossbar structures, aim to achieve higher logic/memory densities with lower power consumption and acceptable delays as compared to present day CMOS technology. However crosstalk induced in these nanoscale arrays limits the minimum wire spacing realizable and thereby the logic density that can be achieved. In this work we analyze the crosstalk produced in sublithographic programmable logic array (PLA) architectures and propose an alternative layout scheme that reduces the effects of crosstalk in adjacent wires. The proposed methodology has an interleaved layout scheme with two non-overlapping out-of-phase clocks that prevent neighboring wires from transitioning simultaneously. Results presented in this paper indicate that this scheme provides for better tolerance against crosstalk than other structures proposed for sublithographic PLAs. The effects of different parasitics (i.e. coupling and decoupling capacitances from different parts of the crossbar segment) on the crosstalk induced are also analyzed.
Policy-directed data movement in grids

One of the guiding principles of the grid is local (site) autonomy. Resource owners maintain control over their resources even when those resources are part of a larger grid. In other words, resource sharing in grids must be subject to the policies of the (local) resource owners. To date, not enough attention has been paid to describing, manipulating or enforcing explicit resource usage policies. Most existing grid systems have either implicit resource usage policies (with ad-hoc enforcement mechanisms) or support only limited types of policies (e.g., security policies). Systems that do provide some support for resource usage policies typically consider only CPU resources, leaving the provisioning of other resources on the grid unconstrained. This paper focuses on policies for grid storage resources. We have identified classes of policies for grid storage resource providers and have implemented an explicit policy-based architecture to manage and enforce them. This architecture consists of two components, MyPolMan, a service to express and manage policies, and .NET GridFTP, an enforcement mechanism for policy-based grid data movement. We show how this system allows grid users to access storage resources through a familiar API while allowing local system administrators to control resource utilization.
Wavelength-modulation-spectroscopy for real-time, in situ NO detection in combustion gases with a 5.2 μm quantum-cascade laser

A mid-infrared absorption strategy with calibration-free wavelength-modulation-spectroscopy (WMS) has been developed and demonstrated for real-time, in situ detection of nitric oxide in particulate-laden combustion-exhaust gases up to temperatures of 700 K. An external-cavity quantum-cascade laser (ECQCL) near 5.2 μm accessed the fundamental absorption band of NO, and a wavelength-scanned, 1f-normalized WMS with second-harmonic detection (WMS-2f/1f) strategy was developed. Due to the external-cavity laser architecture, large nonlinear intensity modulation (IM) was observed when the wavelength was modulated by injection-current modulation, and the IM indices were also found to be strongly wavelength-dependent as the center wavelength was scanned with piezoelectric tuning of the cavity. A quantitative model of the 1f-normalized WMS-2f signal was developed and validated under laboratory conditions. A sensor was subsequently designed, built and demonstrated for real-time, in situ measurements of NO across a 3 m path in the particulate-laden exhaust of a pulverized-coal-fired power plant boiler. The 1f-normalized WMS-2f method proved to have better noise immunity for non-absorption transmission, than wavelength-scanned direct absorption. A 0.3 ppm-m detection limit was estimated using the R15.5 transition near 1927 cm−1 with 1 s averaging. Mid-infrared QCL-based NO absorption with 1f-normalized WMS-2f detection shows excellent promise for practical sensing in the combustion exhaust.
Defending reasonability The centrality of reasonability in the later Rawls

Against arguments that suggest that Rawls’s notion of reasonability is ‘obscure’ and ‘unclear’ I argue in this essay that the idea of reasonability in the later Rawls can be defended in three ways....
HELLP Syndrome: A Severe Consequence of Pregnancy‐Induced Hypertension

A severe consequence of pregnancy-induced hypertension can be the development of HELLP syndrome (H = hemolysis; EL = elevated liver enzymes; LP = low platelets). The etiology and clinical manifestations of HELLP syndrome are discussed through a review of research findings and a case study. Nursing interventions to facilitate recognition and management of pregnant women with this life-threatening condition are presented.
Experimental optimization of pivot point height for swing-arm type rear suspensions in off-road bicycles.

Towards the ultimate goal of designing dual suspension off-road bicycles which decouple the suspension motion from the pedaling action, this study focused on determining experimentally the optimum pivot point height for a swing-arm type rear suspension such that the suspension motion was minimized. Specific objectives were (1) to determine the effect of interaction between the front and rear suspensions on the optimal pivot point height, (2) to investigate the sensitivity of the optimal height to the pedaling mechanics of the rider in both the seated and standing postures, (3) to determine the dependence of the optimal height on the rider posture. Eleven experienced subjects rode a custom-built adjustable dual suspension off-road bicycle, [Needle, S., and Hull, M. L., 1997, "An Off-Road Bicycle With Adjustable Suspension Kinematics," Journal of Mechanical Design 119, pp. 370-375], on an inclined treadmill. The treadmill was set to a constant 6 percent grade at a constant velocity of 24.8 km/hr. With the bicycle in a fixed gear combination of 38 x 14, the corresponding cadence was 84 rpm. For each subject, the pivot point height was varied randomly while the motions across both the front and rear suspension elements were measured. Subjects rode in both the seated and standing postures and with the front suspension active and inactive. It was found that the power loss from the rear suspension at the optimal pivot point height was not significantly dependent on the interaction between the front and rear suspensions. In the seated posture, the optimal pivot point height was 9.8 cm on average and had a range of 8.0-12.3 cm. The average optimal pivot point height for the seated posture corresponded to an average power loss for the rear suspension that was within 10 percent of the minimum power loss for each subject for 8 of the 11 subjects. In the standing posture, the average height was 5.9 cm and ranged from 5.1-7.2 cm. The average heightfor the standing posture was within 10 percent of the minimum power loss for each subject for 9 of the 11 subjects. While the optimum height was relatively insensitive to pedaling mechanics in both the seated and standing postures, the choice of the optimal pivot point height in production bicycles necessitates some compromise in performance given the disparity in the averages between the seated and standing postures. Language: en
Epidemiology of Exercise- and Sports-Related Injuries in a Population of Young, Physically Active Adults A Survey of Military Servicemembers

Background:Numerous studies document the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle, but relatively few document the hazards of physical activity. Because of the requirement for physical fitness to complete their mission, the United States military services have a vested interest in understanding the benefits and risks of physical activity including exercise and sports. One of these risks is injury. Rates and proportion of injuries caused by exercise- and sports-related (ESR) activities have not been reported previously across the services.Purpose:The purposes of this population survey were to (1) document the rates and proportion of all injuries caused by ESR activities among military personnel, (2) compare rates across the military services, and (3) describe the causes and types of ESR injuries as well as associated days of limited activity.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:The Defense Manpower Data Center administered the web-based 2008 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Ser...
Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport Through Tidal Marsh Canopies

ABSTRACT Flow dynamics on the vegetated surfaces of coastal wetlands may impact a wide range of processes including geochemical exchanges at the sediment water interface, larval recruitment and dispersion, and sediment deposition and retention. Nevertheless, little field data exist which describe flow behavior through emergent vegetated wetlands and its control over sediment transport and deposition. The goal of this paper is to describe canopy flow dynamics and suspended particulate transport for a variety of marshes that differ with respect to vegetation type and tidal regime. In situ measurements of tidal currents were collected in micro-, meso-, and macrotidal marshes of the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the US and in a UK marsh on the North Sea. Mean flow speeds, vertical velocity profiles, and turbulence intensities were evaluated as were canopy characteristics and total suspended solid (TSS) levels. Broad scale flow characteristics exhibited little variation among sites. Mean flow ...
Family Planning Programs: Development and Outcomes

The world has been, and will continue to be, shaped by demographic changes. All over the world people want fewer children, but in order to fully limit fertility it is essential to have access to family planning. Where realistic services, including several methods of contraception and safe abortion, have been made available then fertility always falls. However, many people are too poor to afford the full cost of modern methods and currently the demand for family planning is outstripping services. Countries that do not achieve replacement level fertility by about 2010 will experience a great deal of population momentum in the twenty-second century.
Neutron-fragment and Neutron-neutron Correlations in Low-energy Fission

Abstract A computational method has been developed to simulate neutron emission from thermal-neutron induced fission of 235 U and from spontaneous fission of 252 Cf. Measured pre-emission mass-yield curves, average total kinetic energies and their variances, both as functions of mass split, are used to obtain a representation of the distribution of fragment velocities. Measured average neutron multiplicities as a function of mass split and their dependence on total kinetic energy are used. Simulations can be made to reproduce measured factorial moments of neutron-multiplicity distributions with only minor empirical adjustments to some experimental inputs. The neutron-emission spectra in the rest-frame of the fragments are highly constrained by ENDF/B-VII.1 prompt-fission neutron-spectra evaluations. The n-f correlation measurements of Vorobyev et al. (2010) are consistent with predictions where all neutrons are assumed to be evaporated isotropically from the rest frame of fully accelerated fragments. Measured n-f and n-n correlations of others are a little weaker than the predictions presented here. These weaker correlations could be used to infer a weak scission-neutron source. However, the effect of neutron scattering on the experimental results must be studied in detail before moving away from a null hypothesis that all neutrons are evaporated from the fragments.
Lean Methodology: Selecting and Executing a Personal 5s Application Project

This technical note requires students to define and describe a practical application deploying the 5S process steps of Lean Thinking methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardization, and Sustain. The purpose of these process steps is to help future business managers organize, create new habits, and visually control a personal area or workplace setting in order to eliminate waste in the activities undertaken by one or more individuals. The note provides guidance for students to document their 5S journey, reflect and learn, and then summarize the experience.
Effects of Shocks and Errors in Estimation: An Empirical Comparison

N ORDER for limited information single equation (L.I.S.E.) estimates to be maximum likelihood estimates, certain conditions must be met. These conditions are listed in various places and will not be studied here.l The one condition pertinent to this paper is that errors of observation be negligible. This study uses experimental methods to obtain distributions of L.I.S.E. estimates when this assumption is violated but all others are met; it also compares these with distributions of the least squares (L.S.) coefficients. I. Model and Data
The Effect Of Pore Structure And Cracking On The Permeability Of Concrete

Permeability measurements have been conducted for mortars, concrete and hydrated cement pastes. The permeability with water as the penetrating medium has been measured in a low pressure range (˜ 0.5 psi) and at higher pressures up to 400 psi. Samples never exposed to drying and oven dried samples (105 °C) have been investigated. Pore structure of the investigated samples has been characterized using mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results are discussed with regard to changes in structure during the experiment due to progressing hydration and healing of cracks.
Growth, Grazing, and Starvation Survival in Three Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Species

To assess the effects of fluctuating prey availability on predator population dynamics and grazing impact on phytoplankton, we measured growth and grazing rates of three heterotrophic dinoflagellate species-Oxyrrhis marina, Gyrodinium dominans and Gyrodinium spirale-before and after depriving them of phytoplankton prey. All three dinoflagellate species survived long periods (> 10 d) without algal prey, coincident with decreases in predator abundance and cell size. After 1-3 wks, starvation led to a 17-57% decrease in predator cell volume and some cells became deformed and transparent. When re-exposed to phytoplankton prey, heterotrophs ingested prey within minutes and increased cell volumes by 4-17%. At an equivalent prey concentration, continuously fed predators had ~2-fold higher specific growth rates (0.18 to 0.55 d-1 ) than after starvation (-0.16 to 0.25 d-1 ). Maximum specific predator growth rates would be achievable only after a time lag of at least 3 d. A delay in predator growth poststarvation delays predator-induced phytoplankton mortality when prey re-emerges at the onset of a bloom event or in patchy prey distributions. These altered predator-prey population dynamics have implications for the formation of phytoplankton blooms, trophic transfer rates, and potential export of carbon.
Performance of semantic differential method with an anchor stimulus in subjective sound quality evaluation

Semantic differential (SD) method is a most commonly used method in subjective sound quality and sound perception assessment. For some sound quality indicators, the normal SD method is not easy for jurors to reach at an accurate and reliable judgment, especially for indicators newly developed or the indicator assessed is not unanimously clear and understood for jurors. By introducing an anchor stimulus in SD, a new procedure called anchored semantic differential (ASD) is adopted. Principle of the procedure and its performance is studied. The two procedures are compared at individual′s repetitivity, juror′s consistency, and correlation to results acquired by pair comparison method and by calculation with mathematical model. Research result shows, for all the compared items, the ASD procedure has advantage for indicators which normal SD method is hard to obtain accurate results, while in good agreement with SD for those indicators that by applying the conventional SD can also reach at accurate results. Research proved ASD is a preferable procedure in subjective sound quality evaluation test.