cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sedimentation in Nha Trang Bay, South Vietnam: ABSTRACT

Nha Trang Bay is an embayment at the mouth of the Cai River on the central coast of South Vietnam. The river is the principal source of sediment to the coastline, but intertidal reefs provide minor amounts of calcareous sand, and the continental shelf supplies some coarse quartz sand. The sediment supply to the coast and its distribution in Nha Trang Bay are closely related to the monsoon climate of the region. Northeast monsoons cause intense rainfall and runoff, combined with a unidirectional wind field causing strong southerly coastal currents. Most of the river sediment enters Nha Trang Bay during monsoons, and the sediment distribution reflects the monsoonal wave and current regime. Approximately one-fourth of the river-supplied sand enters the Nha Trang beach littor l cell, where it is transported south along the coast. Thus, the present configuration and orientation of Nha Trang beach are related also to monsoonal wave conditions. This pattern of sediment dispersion appears to have persisted during the Holocene still-stand of sea level, causing the accretion of an extensive beach-ridge coastal plain south of the river mouth. Similar orientation of the ancient beach ridges suggests that monsoonal waves have been the predominant factor in the development of the coastal plain. End_of_Article - Last_Page 786------------
Efficient apertureless scanning probes using patterned plasmonic surfaces

We present a novel concept to design apertureless plasmonic probes for near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with enhanced optical power throughput and near-field enhancement. Specifically, we combine unidirectional surface plasmon polariton (SPP) generation along the tip lateral walls with nanofocusing of SPPs through adiabatic propagation towards an apertureless tip. Three key design parameters are considered: the nanoslit width, the pitch period of nanogrooves for unidirectional plasmonic excitation and the pyramidal geometry of the NSOM probe for SPP focusing. Optimal design parameters are obtained with 2D analysis and two realistic probe geometries with patterned plasmonic surfaces are proposed using the optimized designs. The electromagnetic properties of the designed probes are characterized in the near-field and compared to those of a conventional single-aperture probe with same pyramidal shape. The optimized probes feature FWHM around 150nm, comparable with conventional NSOM designs, but over 3 orders of magnitude larger field enhancement, without degrading its spatial resolution. Our ideas effectively combine the resolution of apertureless probes with throughput levels much larger than those available even in aperture-based devices.
Inconsistent dielectric behaviour of proposed hamiltonian models for ionic solutions

Analytical results are shown to imply that proposed interaction site hamiltonian models for ionic solutions lead to inconsistent values for the dielectric constant of the pure solvent compared to that implied by the asymptotic behaviour of ion-ion correlation functions in that solvent. The result follows from the flexibility permitted in choosing coulombic parameters, and it is shown that important qualitative errors can result if such models are used directly in an accurate theory.
Integrated battery fuel gauge and optimal charger

Contemporary Battery Management Systems (BMS) form an essential part of a wide range of devices, such as portable electronics, mobiles, personal digital assistants (PDAs), hybrid and electric vehicles, and aerospace equipment. In this paper, we propose a novel closed-loop integrated BMS consisting of a battery fuel gauge (BFG) and optimal charging algorithms (OCAs). The integrated system not only performs accurate estimation of the state of the batteries, such as the state of charge (SOC), the slate of health (SOH) and the remaining useful lire (RliL), but also computes the optimal charging current based on trade-offs between cycle lire, lime-to-charge (TTC), energy losses (EL), and a temperature rise index (TRI). The stale estimates from the battery fuel gauge are used in the optimal charging problem, and the charging constitutes one of the discrete stales (e.g., charge, discharge, rest) of a BMS. The system has been tested ou a number of commercially available batteries.
Peers and Spheres of Influence: Situating Rob Kling

In this article we employ a number of bibliometric techniques to capture Rob Kling's intellectual impact and influences over the course of his varied career. We analyze his many publications in terms of type, topic, impact, and rate of co-authorship. We provide a detailed deconstruction of his citation identity (all those scholars whom he cited) and also his citation image makers (all those scholars who cited his work). In addition, we analyze acknowledgment data to gain deeper insights into the sociocognitive networks that sustained, and were sustained by Kling throughout his career.
Residents' perception of the impact of the Bell Commission in oral surgery training: an initial study.

Purpose In 1989, the New York State Legislature enacted New York State Code 405 (Bell Commission) in response to the death of Libby Zion at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center (Bronx, NY). The resultant limitations imposed on resident work hours have been the focus of much debate in medical literature, but their impact on the training of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residents has remained relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the opinion of OMFS residents toward the benefits of work hour restrictions. We asked residents how work hour restrictions affected their ability to provide care safely and efficiently and the quality of their surgical training. We also aimed to estimate the amount of their scheduled off-time that residents used for sleep. Materials and Methods A 12-item questionnaire was forwarded to all available residents and interns in the 17 OMFS training programs in New York State. A total of 36 surveys were returned. Results The majority of respondents felt that their program adhered fairly well to the guidelines of the Bell Commission and that it had a positive effect on the quality and efficiency in which they provided patient care. Most also felt that the Bell Commission guidelines had a positive effect on the quality of their residency. However, senior residents felt that the Bell Commission did not have as positive of an impact on their ability to provide care safely or efficiently as junior residents. Similarly, senior residents felt that the quality of their residency had not been as greatly improved by the Bell Commission as did junior residents, and used a lower percentage of their time off duty on actual sleep. Conclusion This preliminary study indicates that most OMFS residents perceive that the Bell Commission guidelines have a positive impact on their residency training and on patient care. We recommend further studies to evaluate the effects of the Bell Commission on OMFS training. Additionally, the perception of OMFS faculty can be appraised in future studies. However, the limitations of this study include recall bias of the surveyed residents and responder bias (including fear of reprisal in reporting details that might otherwise be considered by training programs to be confidential).
Measuring the Dark Matter Scale of Local Group Dwarf Spheroidals

We reanalyze published Draco and Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal (dSph) stellar velocity data. Previous studies of dSph stellar distributions have concentrated principally on the spatial distribution of stars or on computation of a global velocity dispersion. A detailed understanding of the spatial behavior of the velocity distribution, however, is necessary to distinguish among competing theories of dSph dynamics. Here we apply a maximum-likelihood technique to fit the set of individual velocity measurements to a global distribution. Rather than calculating mean local velocity dispersions in regions where the data are sparse, this technique has the advantage of using the velocity measurements individually. We confirm earlier findings of a radial falloff in the velocity distribution of UMi, which is consistent with a mass-follows-light (MFL) King model. We also confirm an apparent radial rise in the velocity dispersion of Draco. However, these data do not suffice to distinguish among extended halo and MFL models. Finally, we perform simulations to determine the number of additional observations required to clearly differentiate between different dynamical models. Only ~10–20 additional observations at 0.75 times the tidal radius would be required to distinguish clearly between an MFL distribution and an extended halo or disrupted remnant model with a flat or radially rising velocity dispersion. We describe a method for treating the effect of binary stars, which may be a source of contamination.
Studies of number-concentration fluctuations in the dense random packed (DRP) model

Abstract Number-concentration fluctuations have been investigated for a binary system by using the Dense Random Packed (DRP) model. Here we examine the effects on G CC (r), which characterize the chemical short range order (CSRO), for two sets of binary systems: (1) systems with a constant composition (A 0.5 B 0.5 ) and a varying size ratio γ ( γ = R B /R A and (2) systems with constant (but unequal) radii for the two atoms and a varying composition. This aspect of the DRP model has not been previously investigated. Relaxation was performed with the modified Keating pairwise energy expression, which does not explicitly take into account the CSRO interactions. Significant structures were observed in G CC (r) for r values less than one sphere diameter, and were largest for the lowest γ. Structures in G CC (r) were also observed as a function of composition, and were largest for x = 0.5. The Warren CSRO parameter α w , which quantifies the CSRO interaction, remains zero for all cases. The packing algorithm and/or the energy expression will have to be modified further to obtain G CC (r) and α w values that are consistent with experimental results.
Investigating the retention and time course of phonotactic constraint learning from production experience.

Every language has underlying constraints, known as phonotactics, specifying where phonemes can be placed in syllables and whether particular combinations of phonemes are permitted or not. For example, in English, /ŋ/ only occurs at the end of a syllable in the coda position (e.g., sing) but never at the beginning of a syllable in the onset position (e.g., ngis). Evidence suggests phonotactics are learned early in life as infants track distributional information about phonemes from language input using an implicit statistical learning mechanism (Aslin, Saffran, & Newport, 1998; Maye, Werker, & Gerken, 2002; Saffran, Newport & Aslin, 1996). Moreover, the ability to learn phonotactic constraints continues into adulthood. Both infants and adults can learn artificial constraints, such as /s/ only appearing as a syllable onset, after hearing syllables exhibiting that constraint, and they can generalize those newly learned constraints to novel items (Chambers, Onishi, & Fisher, 2003; Onishi, Chambers, & Fisher, 2002). Adults can also learn similar artificial constraints by producing syllables containing those constraints (e.g., Dell, Reed, Adams, & Meyer, 2000; Goldrick, 2004; Taylor & Houghton, 2005; but see Finn & Hudson Kam, 2008, for evidence that first language phonotactics can interfere with the learning of new phonotactic patterns). Although it is clear that learning occurs in these artificial constraint studies, several questions remain about the nature of the learning. The experiments presented here focus on two main questions: The first is whether the phonotactic learning that results from recent production experience is transient, that is, whether it, like natural-language phonotactics, lasts much longer than the experimental sessions that demonstrate it. The second is whether consolidation, which has been shown to play a role in forming associative relationships, also plays a role in forming the associations necessary to learn more complex phonotactic constraints.
Coarse-grained, foldable, physical model of the polypeptide chain.

Although nonflexible, scaled molecular models like Pauling–Corey’s and its descendants have made significant contributions in structural biology research and pedagogy, recent technical advances in 3D printing and electronics make it possible to go one step further in designing physical models of biomacromolecules: to make them conformationally dynamic. We report here the design, construction, and validation of a flexible, scaled, physical model of the polypeptide chain, which accurately reproduces the bond rotational degrees of freedom in the peptide backbone. The coarse-grained backbone model consists of repeating amide and α-carbon units, connected by mechanical bonds (corresponding to φ and ψ) that include realistic barriers to rotation that closely approximate those found at the molecular scale. Longer-range hydrogen-bonding interactions are also incorporated, allowing the chain to readily fold into stable secondary structures. The model is easily constructed with readily obtainable parts and promises to be a tremendous educational aid to the intuitive understanding of chain folding as the basis for macromolecular structure. Furthermore, this physical model can serve as the basis for linking tangible biomacromolecular models directly to the vast array of existing computational tools to provide an enhanced and interactive human–computer interface.
Centrosome positioning in vertebrate development

The centrosome, a major organizer of microtubules, has important functions in regulating cell shape, polarity, cilia formation and intracellular transport as well as the position of cellular structures, including the mitotic spindle. By means of these activities, centrosomes have important roles during animal development by regulating polarized cell behaviors, such as cell migration or neurite outgrowth, as well as mitotic spindle orientation. In recent years, the pace of discovery regarding the structure and composition of centrosomes has continuously accelerated. At the same time, functional studies have revealed the importance of centrosomes in controlling both morphogenesis and cell fate decision during tissue and organ development. Here, we review examples of centrosome and centriole positioning with a particular emphasis on vertebrate developmental systems, and discuss the roles of centrosome positioning, the cues that determine positioning and the mechanisms by which centrosomes respond to these cues. The studies reviewed here suggest that centrosome functions extend to the development of tissues and organs in vertebrates.
Approximate one-sided tolerance limits in random effects model and in some mixed models and comparisons

An approximate closed-form one-sided tolerance limit (TL) in a general mixed model is proposed. One-sided TLs for the distribution of observable random variable and for the distribution of unobservable random variable in one-way random model are obtained as special cases from the one for the general mixed model. Applications to a two-way nested random model are also given. The merits of the TLs are evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation and compared with the existing ones. Our comparison studies indicate that the approximate TLs are quite satisfactory for all parameter and sample size configurations, and better than the existing ones in some cases. Approximate confidence intervals for exceedance probabilities in one-way random effects model are also proposed. The procedures are illustrated using three examples.
Equatorward shift of the cusp during magnetospheric substorms

The equatorward shift of the midday part of the auroral oval (the cusp region) during the expansion phase of magnetospheric substorms is reexamined. A magnetospheric model developed by Akasofu and Corrick (1980) is used, which is constructed by using the earth's dipole field, an image dipole field of the earth and 40 bisected circular loops. A new dayside current system represented by six current loops separated by 15 deg in longitude, each carrying 100 KA, is added to this model. For a total current of .6 MA, the latitude of the cusp shifts equatorward by 1.8 deg; for a current of 1.8 MA, the cusp location shifts by more than 5 deg. Thus, the magnetic field of an enhanced dynamo current is the dayside boundary layer and of the connected circuit can account for the observed equatorward shift of the cusp region.
Nuclear Arms in Asia: Theory and Policy Issues

Neither a balance of power model nor a balance of terror model can predict with assurance whether nuclear Asia will be stable or unstable. Even if fewer than eight states in Asia become nuclear weapons states, the problems of crisis management and escalation control, growing out of clashes between conventional armed forces, becomes harder to manage. As well, nuclear weapons have psychological effects on their owners, and not always predictable ones. Classic balance of power theory, written prior to the nuclear age, anticipated the use of small wars for intrasystemic adjustments without the elimination of major actors. Balance of terror theory regards small nuclear wars as possible escalators into larger ones. Europe's nuclear experience may be a misleading guide for twenty-first century Asia—with regard to the effects of both power and terror relationships.
Free Rotation of a Circular Ring with an Unbalanced Mass

Large space structures are much more flexible than their terrestrial counterparts. Rotation of large space structures may be desirable for stability, thermal or artificial gravity reasons. Previous literature includes the large deformations due to the free rotation of a slender rod and a ring about a diameter. An important model of a space station is a ring rotating about its axis of symmetry. If the ring is balanced it will be stable and remain circular. The present note considers the case when the ring is unbalanced by a mass attached to a point on the ring.
Symposium on Economists as Policy Advocates

These comments by people who use economics but are not "doing economics" originated in a conversation between me and my colleague, Cliff Winston. We were commenting on the blissful unawareness among leading academic economists of a particular piece of rather bad economics that was threatening to result in extremely costly, welfare-reducing legislation. While economists were busily engaged in important intellectual work of academic interest, men and women of affairs were going about their business, dealing with matters on which economists could constructively comment, often without the contribution of economists. What could economists do differently, Winston and I wondered, that might increase the usefulness of their activities to people who either were not trained in economics or did not have the time to keep up with journals and working papers or to attend conferences? The most useful approach, we both agreed, was not to elicit more economist-bashing screeds from people who had one brand or another of axe to grind. Better to invite people who knew economists, worked with them, and generally liked them to tell us what we might do differently to increase our effectiveness. This brief symposium, with contributions from a legislator, a former presidential adviser, and a journalist, is the result. Some of the advice from these three knowledgeable users of what professional economists do is hortatory; some is cautionary; and not all of it seems entirely consistent. Congressman Lee Hamilton reminds economists that sophisticated jargon and convoluted technical shorthand learned in graduate school must be set aside if one wants to communicate with politicians (and most others, he might
Multi-mass modification of a gas analyzer for gas kinetic studies☆

Abstract A microcomputer system is described which allows a single gas analyzer to record simultaneously the concentrations of several reactants and products in gas kinetic studies of catalysis.
The Impact of Coastal Boundaries and Small Hills on the Precipitation Distribution across Southern Connecticut and Long Island, New York

Abstract The modification of precipitation by the coastal land areas of Long Island (LI), New York, and southern Connecticut (CT) is examined for an extratropical cyclone over the northeast United States on 1 December 2004, which produced strong southerly flow (15–30 m s−1) below 900 mb and heavy precipitation over LI. The differential surface roughness at the coast and the hills of LI (30–80 m) and southern CT (100–250 m) enhanced the surface precipitation by 30%–50% over these regions compared with the nearby water region of LI Sound. The three-dimensional precipitation structures are shown using composite Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler radar data interpolated to a Cartesian grid, which is compared with a 4-km simulation using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). As the low-level stratification and flow increased at low levels, the MM5 produced a terrain-forced gravity wave over LI and CT upward through 6 km MSL. Prec...
Developmental changes in pituitary–gonadal function in free-ranging lions (Panthera leo leo) of the Serengeti Plains and Ngorongoro Crater

activity. In contrast, there were no age-related differences in ejaculate characteristics of Ngorongoro Crater lions. Seminal quality in the Crater population was poor in adult and young adult animals and was unrelated to alterations in pituitary or testicular function. In summary, only seminal quality in adult male lions was affected by location, whereas age significantly affected both basal and GnRH-stimulated testosterone secretion and seminal quality (Serengeti Plains only) in sexually mature males. The striking seminal/ endocrine differences among pride (breeding) males of different ages raises questions about the impact of age on individual reproductive performance in this species.
Fatigue of clamped connections with application to a stem‐handlebar assembly for off‐road bicycles

The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the stresses as a result of assembly and the stress concentration of a clamped connection, (ii) to demonstrate the importance of the effects of assembly in fatigue life predictions and (iii) to verify the accuracy of fatigue life predictions by measuring fatigue life experimentally. A stem-handlebar assembly used in off-road bicycles was chosen for the study because it is a critical assembly for which structural reliability must be insured to prevent serious injury. Assembly stresses in the handlebar exceeded 200 MPa and stress concentration because of the attached stem increased the applied stress by 40%. A stress-life prediction indicated that assembly effects would reduce predicted fatigue life of the handlebar by a factor of approximately 20. The measured fatigue lifetime of the handlebar was longer than that predicted by using the stress-life approach, but was much shorter than that predicted when assembly effects were ignored. Therefore, assembly effects have a significant effect on fatigue life predictions and should be included in lifetime assessments for clamped mechanical assemblies.
Curcumin inhibits connective tissue growth factor gene expression in activated hepatic stellate cells in vitro by blocking NF-κB and ERK signalling

Background and purpose: Gene expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is induced in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the major effectors in hepatic fibrosis, and production of extracellular matrix (ECM) is consequently increased. We previously reported that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry, suppressed ctgf expression, leading to decreased production of ECM by HSC. The purpose of this study is to evaluate signal transduction pathways involved in the curcumin suppression of ctgf expression in HSC. Experimental approaches: Transient transfection assays were performed to evaluate effects of activation of signalling pathways on the ctgf promoter activity. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses were conducted to determine expression of genes. Results: Suppression of ctgf expression by curcumin was dose-dependently reversed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an NF-κB activator. LPS increased the abundance of CTGF and type I collagen in HSC in vitro. Activation of NF-κB by dominant active IκB kinase (IKK), or inhibition of NF-κB by dominant negative IκBα, caused the stimulation, or suppression of the ctgf promoter activity, respectively. Curcumin suppressed gene expression of Toll-like receptor-4, leading to the inhibition of NF-κB. On the other hand, interruption of ERK signalling by inhibitors or dominant negative ERK, like curcumin, reduced NF-κB activity and in ctgf expression. In contrast, the stimulation of ERK signalling by constitutively active ERK prevented the inhibitory effects of curcumin. Conclusions and implications: These results demonstrate that the interruption of NF-κB and ERK signalling by curcumin results in the suppression of ctgf expression in activated HSC in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 557–567; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707542; published online 29 October 2007
Bone or Cartilage Invasion by Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Intra-arterial Supradose Cisplatin Chemotherapy and Concomitant Radiotherapy for Organ Preservation

Background Invasion of bony or cartilaginous structures by advanced upper aerodigestive tract cancer has been considered an indication for surgery on the basis of historic experience of poor responsiveness to radiation therapy. At University of Tennessee–Memphis, patients with advanced head and neck cancer have been treated on a protocol of concomitant intra-arterial (targeted) cisplatin and conventional radiation therapy. Objective To compare the efficacy, in terms of disease control and survival, of this protocol in patients with T4 squamous cell cancers and invasion of bony or cartilaginous structures (group 1; n = 45) vs those with T4 disease but no bone or cartilage involvement (group 2; n = 90). Design Subset analysis of protocol database and retrospective chart review. Methods Treatment consisted of 4 weekly intra-arterial infusions of cisplatin (150 mg/m 2 per week), with simultaneous systemic neutralization by intravenous sodium thiosulfate (9 mg/m 2 ), and concurrent radiation therapy at 180 rad (1.8 Gy) or 200 rad (2 Gy) per fraction to a planned total of 6600 to 7400 rad (66-74 Gy) to the primary site or overt nodal disease. Presence of bone or cartilage invasion was established by review of tumor diagrams of clinical findings and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging reports. Results Of 135 patients who had T4 disease and a minimum follow-up of 9 months (median, 40 months), 45 had clinical or radiologic evidence of bone (n = 29: mandible, 12; maxilla, 9; sphenoid, 3; hyoid, 6) and/or cartilage (n = 18: thyroid, 16; cricoid, 4) invasion (some patients had involvement of more than 1 site). The rate of complete response in group 1 (66.7%) was not significantly different from that in group 2 (71.1%) (χ 2 test, P = .79). The 2-year overall actuarial survival for group 1 (46.3%; 95% confidence interval, 30.3%-62.3%) was not significantly different (generalized Wilcoxon test, P = .36) from that of group 2 (36.9%; 95% confidence interval, 25.5%-48.4%). A marked trend was noted for higher response rates in cases of cartilage invasion (81.2%) than in those with bone invasion (58.6%) ( P = .15). Conclusion Equivalent efficacy of treatment in the 2 groups suggests that targeted chemoradiation can be a definitive therapeutic option in patients with advanced head and neck cancer invading bony or cartilaginous structures.
A stochastic computer model for simulating population growth

A model is described for investigating the interactions of age-specific birth and death rates, age distribution and density-governing factors determining the growth form of single-species populations. It employs Monte Carlo techniques to simulate the births and deaths of individuals while density-governing factors are represented by simple algebraic equations relating survival and fecundity to population density. In all respects the model’s behavior agrees with the results of more conventional mathematical approaches, including the logistic model andLotka’s Law, which predicts a relationship betwen age-specific rates, rate of increase and age distribution. Situations involving exponential growth, three different age-independent density functions affecting survival, three affecting fecundity and their nine combinations were tested. The one function meeting the assumptions of the logistic model produced a logistic growth curve embodying the correct values orr m andK. The others generated sigmoid curves to which arbitrary logistic curves could be fitted with varying success. Because of populational time lags, two of the functions affecting fecundity produced overshoots and damped oscillations during the initial approach to the steady state. The general behavior of age-dependent density functions is briefly explored and a complex example is described that produces population fluctuations by an egg cannibalism mechanism similar to that found in the flour beetleTribolium. The model is free of inherent time lags found in other discrete time models yet these may be easily introduced. Because it manipulates separate individuals, the model may be combined readily with the Monte Carlo simulation models of population genetics to study eco-genetic phenomena.
Market selection when markets are incomplete

Abstract Consider a two period exchange economy with dividend uncertainty. Agents have different beliefs, endowments and utility functions. This results in different motives for trading, such as risk-sharing and speculation. In the first period agents trade Arrow securities in zero supply. The set of available Arrow securities is of a specific form, but it can be complete or incomplete. In the second period one out of many possible states of nature is realized. I show that agents with more accurate beliefs (in the sense of higher market entropy) will accumulate more wealth and therefore dominate the economy. This holds regardless of agents’ preferences over risk and in both complete and incomplete market economies. These results indicate that belief accuracy rather than preferences over risk is the critical factor determining survival. However, the exact sense in which agents with more accurate beliefs become wealthier is stronger in complete market economies than in incomplete market economies.
Transverse fracture in multilayers from tension and line-wedge indentation

Crack propagation across laminated brittle solids from uniaxial tension or line-wedge loading is studied in real time using a model glass/epoxy architecture. The fracture progresses from one layer to the next via reinitiation from pre-existing flaws on the glass surfaces ahead of the primary crack in a process accompanied by some penetration through the interlayer but generally little or no delamination or deflection along the glass/epoxy interface. Depending on the system parameters, the material behind the crack front may be fully or intermittently severed. A 2D brittle fracture analysis is developed with the aid of the FEM technique taking into consideration stress gradients over flaws and flexure from contact loading. The analysis identified the flaw size and misfit in modulus, toughness and thickness between the layer and interlayer as the prime system variables. The results generally collaborate well with the experiments. Thick and compliant interlayers are generally advantageous except for contact loading, where they may promote crack reinitiation from the back surface of a layer. The explicit relations for crack penetration and reinitiation presented in this work facilitate convenient means for optimal design.
Limits on a lepton-number violating process from e+e− collisions

Abstract If a new hypothetical particle induces a lepton-number violating process, it could also affect the reactions e + e − →μ + μ − and e + e − →τ + τ − through the t -channel exchange of the particle. A fit of the cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries measured by experiments at PEP and PETRA yields the 90% confidence level limits on the coupling of the partile: G eμ G F and G eτ G F , where G F is the Fermi coupling constant. These limits exclude certain regions of couplings allowed by other lepton-number violating searches.
Foxp3 programs the development and function of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells are essential for the active suppression of autoimmunity. Here we report that the forkhead transcription factor Foxp3 is specifically expressed in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and is required for their development. The lethal autoimmune syndrome observed in Foxp3-mutant scurfy mice and Foxp3-null mice results from a CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell deficiency and not from a cell-intrinsic defect of CD4+CD25- T cells. CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells rescue disease development and preferentially expand when transferred into neonatal Foxp3-deficient mice. Furthermore, ectopic expression of Foxp3 confers suppressor function on peripheral CD4+CD25- T cells. Thus, Foxp3 is a critical regulator of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell development and function.
Lunar Effects on Mental Behavior: A Defense of the Empirical Research

This article refutes the claim that positive empirical findings for the "Transylvania Hypothesis" are examples of Type I errors. The author shows such a claim as unproven, unlikely, and implausible...
Deep-Level Team Composition and Innovation: The Mediating Roles of Psychological Safety and Cooperative Learning

This study proposes and tests a process model linking deep-level team composition and innovation. Two cognitive styles, sequential thinking and connective thinking, are the deep-level team attribut...
Integrated optical SPR sensor based on mode conversion efficiency

A novel type of integrated optical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed, for which the operational principle is based on the launching efficiency of eigenmodes in the sensor head. The sensor comprises an inverted-rib-type dielectric waveguide, a portion of which is covered with a thin gold layer. Eigenmodes in the sensor head are coupled modes of a surface plasmon polariton and a dielectric guided wave. The excitation efficiency of the coupled modes varies significantly depending on the refractive index of the analyte medium on the sensor head. Following this principle, the transmission coefficient of light through the sensor head can be used as a sensitive measure of the variation in the refractive index of the analyte medium.
What Is This "Chinese" in Overseas Chinese? Sojourn Work and the Place of China's Minority Nationalities in Extraterritorial Chinese-ness

This essay argues that to adequately answer the question its title poses, anthropological approaches to national and transnational China(s) must be grounded in the history of Qing imperial expansion. To this end, it compares and explores the connections between three examples of the “sojourn work” that has gone into making mobile, multiethnic populations abroad into Overseas Chinese. The first example deals with recent official attempts to project the People's Republic of China's multiethnic vision of Chinese-ness beyond its national borders. The second highlights the importance of the early Chinese nation-state in the making of Overseas Chinese community in Southeast Asia in the first decades of the twentieth century. The final case foregrounds the late imperial routes of nascent Chinese nationalism to argue that, in contrast to much of the current rhetoric on the Chinese “diaspora,” national and transnational modes of Chinese community emerged together from the ruins of the Qing empire. Together the three examples point to the need to question the usual ways scholars have conceptualized (Overseas) Chinese-ness.
Green's function for a two–dimensional exponentially graded elastic medium

The freespace Green function for a twodimensional exponentially graded elastic medium is derived. The shear modulus is assumed to be an exponential function of the Cartesian coordinates (x,y), i.e....
Patterns of Speciation in the Yucca Moths: Parallel Species Radiations within the Tegeticula yuccasella Species Complex

The interaction between yuccas and yucca moths has been central to understanding the origin and loss of obligate mutualism and mutualism reversal. Previous systematic research using mtDNA sequence data and characters associated with genitalic morphology revealed that a widespread pollinator species in the genus Tegeticula was in fact a complex of pollinator species that differed in host use and the placement of eggs into yucca flowers. Within this mutualistic clade two nonpollinating "cheater" species evolved. Cheaters feed on yucca seeds but lack the tentacular mouthparts necessary for yucca pollination. Previous work suggested that the species complex formed via a rapid radiation within the last several million years. In this study, we use an expanded mtDNA sequence data set and AFLP markers to examine the phylogenetic relationships among this rapidly diverging clade of moths and compare these relationships to patterns in genitalic morphology. Topologies obtained from analyses of the mtDNA and AFLP data differed significantly. Both data sets, however, corroborated the hypothesis of a rapid species radiation and suggested that there were likely two independent species radiations. Morphological analyses based on oviposition habit produced species groupings more similar to the AFLP topology than the mtDNA topology and suggested the two radiations coincided with differences in oviposition habit. The evolution of cheating was reaffirmed to have evolved twice and the closest pollinating relative for one cheater species was identified by both mtDNA and AFLP markers. For the other cheater species, however, the closest pollinating relative remains ambiguous, and mtDNA, AFLP, and morphological data suggest this cheater species may be diverged based on host use. Much of the divergence in the species complex can be explained by geographic isolation associated with the evolution of two oviposition habits.
Robustness properties of Cuscore statistics for monitoring a nonstationary system

We investigate the performance of cumulative score (Cuscore) charts in monitoring a nonstationary process subject to minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) feedback control. Specifically, we have previously designed Cuscore statistics to discover spike or step signals hidden in a nonstationary noise disturbance for feedback-controlled processes. Here, we study the properties of the proposed policies in terms of their robustness to process model misspecification, to deviations from assumed values for their parameters, to model misspecification for the disturbance as well as to model misspecification for the signal. We found that, in general, the Cuscore charts are fairly robust to process and signal model misspecification. However, they are less robust to departures from its true parameter values. We present a numerical example to demonstrate the importance of understanding the Cuscore's robustness as well as its construction and application. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
APACHE III Score on ICU Admission Predicts Hospital Mortality After Open Thoracoabdominal and Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Background No prior studies, to our knowledge, have examined the performance of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score in predicting mortality of patients undergoing open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) or open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. We sought to evaluate APACHE III scores in the prediction of postoperative mortality in elective TAAA and AAA repairs. Methods Over a 9-year period (July 1998 through June 2007), prospective data (demographics, admitting diagnosis, APACHE III score, intensive care unit [ICU] and hospital length of stay, ICU and hospital mortality) were collected by a dedicated APACHE III coordinator for all patients admitted to a tertiary academic surgical ICU (20 beds). Observational and comparative analyses were performed. Emergent repairs for ruptured aneurysms were excluded from the study. Results Forty-one patients underwent open elective repair of TAAA and 404 underwent open elective repair of AAA. Mean age of the TAAA group was 63.4 ± 9.8 years and the AAA group was 70.3 ± 8.3 years. Mean APACHE III score was 54 (range: 10-103) for the TAAA group and 45 (range: 11-103) for the AAA group. The in-hospital mortality rate for TAAA patients was 4.9% (n = 2) and for AAA patients was 2.0% (n = 8). Mean APACHE III scores on ICU admission were significantly greater in nonsurvivors versus survivors (79 vs. 45, p < 0.0001). For the entire patient cohort, the APACHE III score on ICU admission was an excellent discriminator of hospital mortality (receiver operating characteristic and area under the curve 0.92 [standard error of 0.05, 95% CI: 0.83-1.0]). Conclusions APACHE III is an accurate predictor of survival to hospital discharge in both open elective TAAA and AAA repairs.
Deriving phylogenetic trees from the similarity analysis of metabolic pathways

Motivation: Comparative analysis of metabolic pathways in different genomes can give insights into the understanding of evolutionary and organizational relationships among species. This type of analysis allows one to measure the evolution of complete processes (with different functional roles) rather than the individual elements of a conventional analysis. We present a new technique for the phylogenetic analysis of metabolic pathways based on the topology of the underlying graphs. A distance measure between graphs is defined using the similarity between nodes of the graphs and the structural relationship between them. This distance measure is applied to the enzyme-enzyme relational graphs derived from metabolic pathways. Using this approach, pathways and group of pathways of different organisms are compared to each other and the resulting distance matrix is used to obtain a phylogenetic tree. Results: We apply the method to the Citric Acid Cycle and the Glycolysis pathways of different groups of organisms, as well as to the Carbohydrate metabolic networks. Phylogenetic trees obtained from the experiments were close to existing phylogenies and revealed interesting relationships among organisms. Availability: Software available upon request from the authors.
Visualizing flow over curvilinear grid surfaces using line integral convolution

Line Integral Convolution (LIC), introduced by Cabral and Leedom in Siggraph '93, is a powerful technique for imaging and animating vector fields. We extend the LIC paradigm in three ways:1. The existing technique is limited to vector fields over a regular Cartesian grid. We extend it to vector fields over parametric surfaces, specifically those found in curvilinear grids, used in computational fluid dynamics simulations.2. Periodic motion filters can be used to animate the flow visualization. When the flow lies on a parametric surface, however, the motion appears misleading. We explain why this problem arises and show how to adjust the LIC algorithm to handle it.3. We introduce a technique to visualize vector magnitude as well as vector direction. Cabral and Leedom have suggested a method for variable-speed animation, which is based on varying the frequency of the filter function. We develop a different technique based on kernel phase shifts which we have found to show substantially better results.Our implementation of these algorithms utilizes texture-mapping hardware to run in real time, which allows them to be included in interactive applications.
The surgical treatment of advanced postmastectomy lymphoedema of the upper limb. With the late results of treatment by the buried dermis flap operation.

Since 1961, twenty-three women with major arm swelling following treatment of cancer of the breast by radical mastectomy, radiotherapy, or a combination of both, have been treated by the buried dermis flap operation.Reasons for regarding the arm swelling as due to lymphatic rather than venous obstruction are discussed.Operations used in the past in the surgical treatment of the post-mastectomy swollen arm are enumerated and discussed.The buried dermis flap operation when used in the treatment of the post-mastectomy swollen arm, can be expected to provide 60% of Good results, and Satisfactory improvement in 35%. Recurrent attacks of cellulities in the limb are abolished in 80% of cases, and greatly improved in the remainder.
When Ending the Relationship Does Not End the Violence Women's Experiences of Violence by Former Partners

Much of the existing research on intimate male violence against women has focused on the prevalence of and response to abuse that occurs within an ongoing intimate relationship. Little attention has been paid to the abuse that occurs after women have ended abusive relationships. In the current study, women leaving a shelter for women with abusive partners were interviewed across 2 years. More than one third of the women were assaulted by a former partner during the time of the study. Several factors under the control of the batterer were found to be related to ex-partner assaults, including his prior violence, threats, and sexual suspicion. Several factors under partial control of the survivor were also explored and were found to be less strongly related to violence by an ex-partner. Implications for improving the community response to women with abusive partners and ex-partners are discussed.
Effects of in vitro oocyte maturation and embryo culture on the expression of glucose transporters, glucose metabolism and insulin signaling genes in rhesus monkey oocytes and preimplantation embryos

Glucose plays a fundamental role during oogenesis and embryogenesis, satisfying the metabolic demands of oocytes and embryos, providing for stored energy reserves in the form of glycogen and supporting nucleotide biosynthesis via the pentose phosphate pathway. Glucose also contributes to the production of amino acids, glycosylated proteins and extracellular components. A detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms that mediate and regulate glucose uptake and metabolism at different stages of oogenesis and preimplantation embryogenesis could greatly benefit the development of improved methods for in vitro oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production. Although these processes have been examined in a variety of rodent and agricultural species, detailed information has not yet been described for non-human primates. In this study, we examined the expression of the genes encoding glucose transporters, glucose metabolism enzymes and potential regulators of glucose metabolism in rhesus monkey oocytes and embryos. The data reveal stage-specific regulation of expression of specific types of glucose transporters, stage-specific changes in expression of genes related to different pathways of glucose metabolism and temporal changes in the expression of mRNAs related to insulin signaling. Additionally, the data reveal significant differences in expression of some of these genes in cultured embryos as compared with flushed embryos and between oocytes and embryos obtained following different hormonal stimulation and oocyte maturation protocols.