cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent progress on multidomain optimization for ultrathin cameras

Conventional imaging systems can suffer from significant aliasing and/or blur distortions when the detector array in the focal plane under-samples the image. We propose to address this problem by engineering the optical PSF of the imaging system followed by electronic post-processing to minimize the overall distortions. The optical PSF of the candidate imaging system is modified by placing a phase-mask in its aperture-stop. We consider a particular parameterization of the phase-mask and optimize its parameters to minimize the distortions. We obtain as much as 30% improvement in the final imaging quality with the optimized optical PSF imager (SPEL) relative to the conventional imager.
Extinguishment of Liquid Heptane and Gaseous Propane Diffusion Flames

This paper presents a comparative study of the extinguishment of liquid heptane and gaseous propane diffusion flames caused by the addition of flame-suppressing agents (N2 and CO2) into a coflowing stream of air. Measurements included mass burning rate, concentrations of suppressants at flame extinction, inflame temperature profiles, and exhaust composition. Adiabatic equilibrium temperatures of the stoichiometric mixtures of the fuels in pure airstream, and in the airstream containing flame suppressants with the concentrations corresponding to flame extinction, were calculated. Although the extinction processes of liquid and gaseous fuel flames are markedly different, even when both are buoyancy dominated, the extinction mechanism of CO2 and N2 in both flames is primarily thermal. The reaction zone temperature in the flame-anchoring region of the heptane flame at extinction agrees well with the adiabatic flame temperature corresponding to the lean flammability limit. In propane flame, where the flame base is lifted off the burner before extinction, the reaction zone temperature at extinction is 100-200 K higher than the adiabatic flame temperature at the lean flammability limit.
Pulmonary disease caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria

The rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) differ from slow-growing mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis by virtue of their more rapid growth in culture media and their in vitro resistance to standard antituberculosis drugs. The RGM can produce numerous infections including chronic lung disease. The most common causes of pulmonary disease are Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium fortuitum. This article reviews the management of patients with lung disease caused by RGM.
Effects of Various Metals on Behavior of Conditioned Goldfish

A conditional avoidance technique was utilized to assess the deleterious effect of four metal ions in the aquatic environment of fish. All test ions, arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium impaired performance at concentrations below the lethal concentration for 1% (LC1). Mercury was the most potent, producing measurable effects at 0.Q03 ppm. Behavioral toxicity techniques are suggested as useful in setting water quality standards.
Organization of the membrane-bound penicillinases of Bacillus licheniformis.

Abstract Previously we have shown that cell-bound penicillinase of Bacillus licheniformis strain 749/C is found in the plasma membrane and in a membranous vesicle fraction, and also that vesicle fraction penicillinase was a precursor of at least a part of the secreted enzyme whereas the plasma-membrane penicillinase was not available for secretion. We have therefore undertaken an investigation of the penicillinase from these two cell fractions and compared them with the exo-form of the enzyme in order to reveal any changes in structure or conformation that may have occurred during secretion. Both forms of penicillinase have been solubilized using sodium deoxycholate (DOC) or sodium taurocholate (STC) in the presence of pyrophosphate at pH 9.0. Pyrophosphate apparently acts as a chelating agent as it can be replaced by other chelating agents, and reassociation with membrane components occurs on addition of magnesium ions to DOC-solubilizates from which DOC has been removed. After solubilization with either DOC or STC, plasma-membrane penicillinase elutes on Biogel A5M in 0.05 m NaCl with an apparent molecular weight of 600,000, but when chromatographed in the presence of DOC, penicillinase is depolymerized reversibly into a 45,000 molecular weight form. STC is unable to depolymerize the molecule. Vesicle fraction penicillinase behaves in a similar manner in the presence of DOC, eluting with a molecular weight of 45,000, but on removal of DOC from this fraction, the penicillinase elutes with a molecular weight of 24,000. However, if STC or DOC-solubilized vesicle fraction is chromatographed on Biogel A5M in 0.05 m NaCl directly, two peaks are obtained at molecular weights of 24,000 and 210,000. We consider the latter to be an artifact resulting from interaction of the 24,000 form with contaminating proteins. The behaviour of these two forms of penicillinase contrasts strongly with that of exopenicillinase which elutes at a molecular weight of 24,000 in the presence and absence of DOC. The gel filtration behaviour of four other proteins is unaffected by the presence or absence of DOC. Our interpretation of these data is that vesicle fraction penicillinase is a conformational variant of the exo-form that has a hydrophobic surface capable of reversibly binding DOC to give a molecule of 45,000 molecular weight. The plasma-membrane penicillinase we regard as an aggregate composed of monomers that are similar to the vesicle fraction penicillinase in that they bind DOC, but with a conformation of greater hydrophobicity so that they polymerize in the absence of DOC. Highly cross-linked, gel-filtration media and sucrose cause aggregation of the vesicle fraction monomer to a form which is excluded by Biogel A5M. It can subsequently be depolymerized by bile salts.
Mechanism of Kinesin-13 Binding to Microtubules as Revealed by Single Molecule Fluorescence Polarization Microscopy

The kinesin superfamily of motor proteins are involved in diverse cellular processes, including intracellular organelle transport, cell division and cytoskeletal dynamics. The widely studied conventional kinesin (or kinesin-1) translocates along the microtubule (MT) by utilizing the energy generated from ATP hydrolysis. In contrast, members of the Kinesin-13 family do not walk along the MT lattice, but use their catalytic core to rapidly target microtubule ends by the process of one-dimensional diffusion (ODD) and promote depolymerization upon reaching there. However, the reason for such a significant difference in the behavior of the structurally conserved motor domain is not clearly understood. In order to reveal the mechanistic details of the kinesin-13 action, fluorescence polarization microscopy (FPM) has been employed to probe the configuration and mobility of BSR-labeled KLP10A (Drosophila m. Kinesin-13) molecules interacting with microtubules in the presence of different nucleotides. Experiments are being performed with KLP10A constructs of variable lengths to identify the potent mediators of diffusive motility. Preliminary results emerging from single-molecule FPM measurements have suggested that the motor core itself can undergo ODD without the assistance from the positively-charged neck domain. In addition, data acquired at both ensemble and single-molecule levels have revealed that the orientation of the KLP10A molecule relative to the MT filament is altered by mutating the crucial residues in the tubulin-binding sites on the motor domain. The structural and functional information extracted from analyses of our experimental findings will be discussed in details.
Characterization of the origins of astrocyte response to injury using the dopaminergic neurotoxicant, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine

We used the dopaminergic neurotoxicant, 1-methyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), as a tool to characterize the origins of astroglial response to injury. Radioimmunoassay of the astrocyte protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), was used to quantify the astrocyte reaction to MPTP. Assays of neuron-localized proteins and of dopamine were used to assess neuronal damage caused by MPTP. A single administration of MPTP (12.5 mg/kg, s.c.) to the C57BL/6J mouse resulted in more than a 3-fold increase in striatal GFAP within 48 h, followed by a decline to baseline at 3 weeks. A decrease in the amount of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker of dopaminergic neurons, preceded the rise in GFAP. The concentration of striatal DARPP-32, a phosphoprotein enriched in neurons receiving dopaminergic input, was not affected by MPTP. Protecting the dopaminergic neurons from the neurotoxic metabolite of MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+), either by blocking its formation or by preventing its uptake into dopaminergic neurons, completely blocked the increase in GFAP. MPTP did not appear to disrupt the blood-brain barrier, therefore, blood-borne elements probably did not mediate the increase in GFAP. In addition, immunoblot data indicated that brain-derived interleukin 1, an astrocyte growth factor, also did not play a role in MPTP-induced gliosis. Together, these findings suggest that diffusible factors derived from damaged dopaminergic neurons initiate the astrocyte response to MPTP and that large increases in GFAP can be induced without the participation of serum-derived growth factors. Because the transient nature of GFAP reaction to MPTP coincides with the rapid elimination of the active toxicant, MPP+, suggests that maintenance of reactive gliosis, in general, may require the continued presence of the damage-inducing insult.
Geology and Rb-Sr Chronology of Middle Precambrian Rocks in Eastern and Central Wisconsin

Rb-Sr geochronologic data have been obtained from a large variety of plutonic, metavolcanic, and metamorphic rocks that crop out throughout eastern and central Wisconsin. Most of the data are consistent with an apparent age of approximately 1,650 m.y., although for some samples the data suggest somewhat older ages. Comparison of the Rb-Sr results with other published geochronologic data and with recently determined U-Pb zircon ages for some of the same rocks indicates that the 1,650-m.y. apparent age obtained by Rb-Sr methods on rocks from this region does not represent their true age of extrusion or intrusion. Instead, U-Pb data for zircons from these rocks indicate that the true ages are in the range 1,800 to 1,900 m.y. Rocks that yield Rb-Sr whole-rock or mineral isochrons having 1,650-m.y. apparent ages are also found throughout the western Great Lakes area (Michigan, Minnesota, and Ontario), indicating that a widespread, low-grade metamorphic event of some kind occurred throughout this region about 1,650 to 1,700 m.y. ago. As yet no major intrusive or extrusive rocks having true ages of 1,650 to 1,700 m.y. have been found in the region, so the exact cause of the alteration of the Rb-Sr geochronologic systems is still unknown. One major result of these studies is the demonstration that most of the older Precambrian rocks in Wisconsin are in the age range of 1,800 to 1,900 m.y. old and represent extensive crustal development along the southern edge of the Superior Province during that time.
A caudal spinal source of cervical and forelimb inhibition during sleep

Abstract This study sought to determine whether caudal spinal neurons with axons ascending the spinal cord contribute to inhibitory phenomena during sleep. Spinal cords were transected at the eighth thoracic segment, usually under Halothane anesthesia, in seven cats with implanted recording electrodes. After transection, release of forelimb extensor tone (Schiff-Sherrington phenomenon) appeared during wakefulness and was evident when killed several weeks later. A mildly opisthotonic posture with increased tone in forelimb extensors was assumed and maintained as the cats passed from drowsiness into synchronized sleep. They never lay in a normal curled-up posture but with arousal could overcome the extensor posture. This effect largely vanished after 48 hr. Thus ascending fibers play a role in inhibiting antigravity tone in synchronized sleep. Release of epaxial and limb extensor motor neurons during paradoxical sleep could be detected for as long as 1 week after transection. Proximal limb and neck movements occurred more frequently than normally, and the head could even be held off the floor. However, collapses of neck and forelimb extensor tone accompanied rapid eye movements. These results suggest that ascending fibers influence tonic inhibitory mechanisms operating on motor neurons during paradoxical sleep, but not the phasic inhibition associated with rapid eye movements.
Revenge Stories of Modern Life

his claim may come back to haunt me, but my sense is that of the limited number of basic plots we find in nineteenthcentury novels, the one that has received the least critical attention is the revenge plot. If I am correct that the role of revenge has gone relatively unremarked, this may be because it seems relatively unremarkable: on the one hand, its mere presence is no surprise, as revenge is one of the oldest topics in Western literature and remains to this day a ubiquitous element in popular culture, while on the other hand revenge admittedly does not play the central role in nineteenth-century fiction that it plays in Greek or Elizabethan tragedy. It is more often subplot than plot, and often comes across as a convenient, conventional source of motivation and narrative energy rather than a primary focus of interest. Besides, as Becky Sharp says, "revenge may be wicked, but it's natural" (Thackeray 15): insofar as it is "natural," we treat its presence as a given, and insofar as it is "wicked," we take it at face value. Unlike such virtues as disinterestedness, altruism, and sympathy, that is, revenge does not seem to stand in need of demystification. Nevertheless, or perhaps therefore, I think that the time has come to look more closely at nineteenth-century revenge, and I will start with its relationship to time--in particular, the role revenge plays in novels concerned with the new, the present, the future-in a word, the modern. Revenge is usually understood as belonging to the past, both structurally and historically: although the seeking of revenge involves planning for the future, this future is conceived of as a direct product of and response to events in the past, while the replacement of revenge by an impersonal system of law-based justice has stood as the foundational gesture of Western civilization since at least the Oresteia. This standard narrative is summarized in an 1880 article in the Pall Mall Gazette
An exact, closed form, solution for the flexural vibration of a thin annular plate having a parabolic thickness variation

Abstract An exact, closed form, solution is obtained for the transverse vibrations, with nodal diameters and circles, of a thin annular plate having a parabolic thickness variation. Representative numerical values for the frequency parameter and typical mode shapes are presented for three different combinations of simple boundary conditions. The corresponding exact solution for an aeolotropic annular plate of the same geometry is also presented. Aside from possible design applications, these exact, closed form, data can be used as test cases for assessing the accuracy of various approximate methods of solution. The analysis involves only the powers of the radius and is simpler than that for the constant thickness solution which involves Bessel functions.
Asthma-like disease and chemokine dysregulation in the lung of T cell-deficient mice

Abstract Rationale To elucidate the mechanism of Th2 cell-independent asthma-like disease, we investigated cytokine expression in the lungs of T cell-deficient adenosine deaminase knockout ( ada −/− ) mice, as well as ada −/− rag1 −/− double knockout mice. Methods RNA and proteins were extracted from the lungs of ada −/− and ada −/− rag1 −/− mice and their control littermates. RNA was analyzed by gene chip assays (Affymetrix), RT-PCR, and real-time PCR. Proteins were analyzed by ELISA and by cytokine array membranes (RayBio). In situ hybridization was performed to localize the cytokine expressing cells. Results Microarray analyses of lung RNA suggested the involvement of certain cytokines and chemokines that have been shown to play a role in allergic asthma. They included TARC, eotaxin, MCP-1, -2, -3, -5, and KC/GRO. These results were validated by RT-PCR and real-time PCR. Cytokine array analyses also showed upregulation of these chemokines in ADA-deficient lungs. In situ hybridization demonstrated that TARC was expressed mainly in bronchial epithelial cells. Conclusions We demonstrate that certain cytokines, important in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, are also upregulated in a Th2 cell-independent asthma model.
Performance evaluation of a permanent magnet brushless DC linear drive for high-speed machining using finite element analysis

Linear motor performance under large cutting forces at varying air-gap sizes and voltages is investigated. Under certain loading conditions, electromagnetic, thermal, and static analysis of the secondary elements is determined using EMRC-NISA software. Electric and magnetic field distribution is also determined for generated force by varying voltages and gap sizes. Due to the presence of conduction currents in electromechanical devices such as permanent magnet brushless DC linear motors (PMBDCLM), power losses in the form of heat dissipation are produced which alters the temperature distribution in the device. Change in temperature effects the generated force, electric and magnetic fields, thus overall performance. In this paper, single-sided linear motor geometry is presented. An overall rating based on performance and cost is determined. Post processing is performed in conjunction with steady current flow analysis, magnetic field analysis, electric field analysis, electromagnetic sub-analysis, and static analysis. A case study and result implications are also discussed.
Geo-localization of street views with aerial image databases

We study the feasibility of solving the challenging problem of geolocalizing ground level images in urban areas with respect to a database of images captured from the air such as satellite and oblique aerial images. We observe that comprehensive aerial image databases are widely available while complete coverage of urban areas from the ground is at best spotty. As a result, localization of ground level imagery with respect to aerial collections is a technically important and practically significant problem. We exploit two key insights: (1) satellite image to oblique aerial image correspondences are used to extract building facades, and (2) building facades are matched between oblique aerial and ground images for geo-localization. Key contributions include: (1) A novel method for extracting building facades using building outlines; (2) Correspondence of building facades between oblique aerial and ground images without direct matching; and (3) Position and orientation estimation of ground images. We show results of ground image localization in a dense urban area.
Phosphomannose isomerase: A versatile selectable marker forArabidopsis thaliana germ-line transformation

A new selection system using mannose has been evaluated for germ-line transformation ofArabidopsis thaliana. Although mannose itself has no adverse effects on plant cells, it leads to an accumulation of mannose-6-phosphate, which depletes intracellular stores of inorganic phosphate. This results in an inhibition of plant cell growth. The selection system uses theEscherichia coli pmi gene that encodes phosphomannose isomerase (PMI). Transgenic plants carrying thepmi gene can detoxify mannose-6-phosphate by conversion to fructose-6-phosphate, an intermediate of glycolysis, via the PMI activity. Germ-line transformation ofA. thaliana followed by sterile selection on 2–5 mM of mannose resulted in the isolation of mannose-6-phosphate-resistant progeny in about 2.5% of the treated seed, consistent with transformation rates using other selection schemes. Integrative transformation was confirmed by Southern hybridization. Analysis of PMI enzyme activity demonstrated a 5-fold range of activity levels, although these differences had little effect on the ability to select transformed plants or on the growth of transformed plants on mannose. Finally, mannose selection using thepmi gene could be accomplished in sterile plates and in soil, making this an extremely versatile tool forA. thaliana transformation.
Seasonal variability and Po River plume influence on biochemical properties along western Adriatic coast

[1] The influence of the Po plume on the northern Adriatic Sea was observed during two seasons in 2003 under distinct physical forcing regimes. During the winter, the plume was cool, low in both salinity and chlorophyll, but with higher chlorophyll concentrations occurring along the plume boundary. The plume mixed deeply in the water column in response to the strong wind forcing. The northern Adriatic and the Po plume cooled significantly during the observational period, and therefore salinity alone was the best discriminator of water mass variability. In contrast to the strong forcing of the winter period, the late spring was characterized by weak wind forcing, and below-average Po River discharge (∼600 m3/s) which was about one third of the typical discharge for this period. As in winter, salinity was again the best discriminator of water mass variability. The Po plume advected southward along the Italian coast and in some locations portions of the coastal plume were transferred offshore in filament-like features. However, theone observed filament was quite low in chlorophyll and was quite thin vertically, extending downward less than 5 m from the surface. The spring observations provide a distinct contrast in the effects of the physical forcings of river flow and wind stress from two different seasons. The strong winter forcing resulted in deep mixing of the plume despite its low salinity and buoyancy, whereas the weak summer flow under weak winds resulted in a very shallow plume (<5 m) that was high in chlorophyll.
Optical processing of composite pattern structured light projection for high-speed depth measurement

Structured light pattern projection is a well known method of accurately extracting 3-Dimensional information of a scene. Traditional multi-frame structured light methods require several different patterns to recover the depth, without ambiguity and albedo sensitivity, and are corrupted by object motion during the projection/capture process. The authors have developed a methodology for combining multiple patterns into a single composite pattern by using spatial modulation techniques. A single composite pattern projection does not require synchronization with the camera so the data acquisition rate is only limited by the video rate and therefore suitable for high-speed depth measurement. However, the composite pattern is restrained by the spatial bandwidth directly related to the number of embedded patterns and the lateral resolution of the camera. Another problem is the processing requires image demodulation which is computational intensive. As part of a NASA Phase I STTR, we address the first limitation by analysis of the source of the error and post-processing the reconstruction data with dynamic programming approach. For the second problem we propose the use of a 4-f optical correlator, not as a correlator, but instead as an optical demodulator. Simulation results show reasonable depth reconstruction using our strategy for composite pattern after the post-processing.
Understanding the Realities of School Life: Recommendations for the Preparation of Physical Education Teachers

While quality physical education teacher education requires recruits to be trained in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teaching, research stemming from socialization theory and role theory indicates that this may not be adequate. Pre-service teachers also need to be made aware of organizational challenges they will face when transitioning into their first teaching position. These challenges stem from the ways in which recruits are socialized into physical education, and are related to the complex, sociopolitical structure of schooling. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the organizational challenges faced by beginning physical education teachers and to present recommendations for how teacher training programs can better prepare pre-service teachers to meet these challenges. The discussion includes both general and specific strategies that can be implemented to provide pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their ability to ...
Race, Sex, and Occupational Segregation in State and Local Governments:

Using EEO-4 data, provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for state and local governments with more than 250 employees, this paper details the extent of sexual and racial segregation of occupations in 1987 and trends since 1981. It tests a model of determination of occupational segregation and explores the effect of levels of and declines in segregation on the pay of women and minorities.
Temporal order: The effect of single versus repeated presentations, practice, and verbal feedback

Whereas Hirsh and Sherrick (1961) found that experienced Os could judge correctly the temporal order of a sound and a light presented repeatedly when the interval separating them was 20 msec, Hirsh and Fraisse (1964) found that naive Os required about 60 msec for the same accuracy of performance with single presentations of the same pair. This experiment examined the effects of single vs repeated presentations, practice, and verbal feedback on performance in the judgment of temporal order. The results indicate that performance under repeated presentation is significantly better than under single presentation, that learning effects are most pronounced during the first 4 of 16 sessions, and that the effects of feedback appear to depend on the precise wording given the S on how he is to perform.
Diversely enumerating system-level architectures

Embedded systems are highly constrained, and modern constraint solvers can be used to synthesize architectures satisfying constraints. However, solvers may enumerate solutions with bias yielding a skewed view of the solution space. In this paper we formalize enumerators, enumeration bias, and build empirically diverse enumerators. An ideal diverse enumerator uniformly draws equivalence classes of solutions. We develop an algorithm, called symmetry-directed randomized partitioning, for constructing empirically diverse enumerators from modern unmodified constraint solvers. We show that our diverse enumerator is significantly closer to the ideal compared to baseline and randomized solvers.
EQUILIBRIA AND REACTION RATES OF PHOSPHORUS SUBSTITUTION REACTIONS IN 2-R-1,3,2-DISUBSTITUTED PHOSPHORINANES

Abstract Equilibrium constants and reaction times were observed for six equilibria involving methanol, ethanol, dimethylamine, diethylamine and pyrrolidine with 2-R-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinanes wherein R = MeO (1), EtO (2), Me2N (3), Et2N (4) and (CH2)4N (5), or 2-R-1,3-dimethyl-1,3,2-diazaphosphorinanes wherein R equalled the same five groups (6–10, respectively). Reaction times of amine substitutions were shorter for diaza compounds and for those reactions which contained pyrrolidine. Equilibrium constants were dependent not only upon the nucleophilicities of the exchanging groups, but also upon the steric interactions of the 2-substituents with the groups in the 1 and 3 positions. Thus, the values of K's for the equilibria 5 + Me2NH → 3 + (CH2)4NH, and 10 + Me2NH → 8 + (CH2)4NH were experimentally identical, whereas K for 9 + Me2NH → 8 + Et2NH was ca. eight times that for 4 + Me2NH → 3 + Et2NH. The reactions were acid catalyzed, and, for amine substitutions with 8–10, exchange could be rapid on the NMR ti...
Viral infections in lung transplant recipients.

Viral infections, including β-herpes viruses and community respiratory viruses, are frequent pathogens in lung transplant recipients. These pathogens have become increasingly recognized as having a significant role in long-term outcomes of lung transplantation, which has been limited by the frequent development of infections, and chronic allograft dysfunction. Community respiratory viruses, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus have been associated with both acute rejection and chronic allograft dysfunction, particularly if early treatment was not administered. β-herpes viruses, particularly cytomegalovirus (CMV), have long been associated with increased mortality in lung transplant recipients, although the advent of effective antiviral strategies has led to improved morbidity and mortality. Because these pathogens have been associated with altered immune responses against the allograft, a better understanding of immunopathogenesis of viral infections may lead to a broader approach to limit the morbidity from these pathogens.
Excitation of gases with positive ions

Abstract The aurora borealis presents problems the solutions to which depend partly on knowing the cross sections for the excitation of states in atmospheric gases by the impact of energetic protons and electrons. We have begun a study of the excitation processes induced in N 2 and O 2 by energetic incident positive ions (H + , H 2 + , H 3 + ). The particles, accelerated with a 2 MV Van de Graa accelerator, enter a differentially pumped gas cell in which the pressure can be varied up to 80 mTorr and held constant to 0.1 mTorr at each setting. Light generated in the cell is observed at 90 ° to the particle beam. The light is reflected by a mirror system so as to enter the input slit of a 1-m, air, Czerny-Turner spectrometer. The 1200 1/mm grating is blazed at 500 nm. A cooled 9659B photomultiplier tube detects the light which appears at the exit slit, and transmits intensity information to a 4000-channel multiscaler. The incident beam is received on an insulated plate, and the collected charge provides a signal which advances both the grating angle and the channel in the multiscaler. Using a line width of 0.03 to 0.1 nm, we have obtained spectra from 360 to 750 nm. Many transitions have been identified, most from N 2 + O 2 − , but some from neutral molecules and monatomic emitters. Data have been taken as a function of pressure and type of incident particle for a particle velocity corresponding to 500 keV protons. There is no discernible difference in relative yield for the different bombarding species. The line intensities all appear to be linear with pressure over the range we used. We will describe our results and discuss our approach to making cross-section measurements. Possible extensions of the experiments into different directions will also be mentioned.
Application of Ring-Closing Metathesis to the Synthesis of Rigidified Amino Acids and Peptides

Ruthenium complexes 1a and 1b have been applied to the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions of a number of dienic substrates. The substrate scope includes rings of 6 to 20 members. In addressing macrocyclic peptides, a class of tetrapeptide disulfides inspired the synthesis of the carbon−carbon bond analogs. Replacement of cysteine residues with allylglycines resulted in the acyclic precursors which were subjected to RCM to afford the corresponding macrocycles. In addition, several macrocycles were prepared which were not based upon disulfide-bridge-containing species found in nature. The method was found to function on dienic peptides which were either dissolved in organic solvents or bound to solid supports.
Studies on the elastase-serum protein interaction. III. The elastase inhibitors of swine serum with emphasis on the elastase-α2-macroglobulin interaction☆

Impregnation of agar gel electrophoretograms of swine serum with elastase (pancreatopeptidase E, EC 3.4.4.7) followed by overlaying with elastin particles in agar revealed that swine serum contains three protein inhibitors of elastase, an α0/ρ1-globulin, and α2-globulin and a β1-globulin. The α0/ρ1- and α2-globulins are analogous to the α1-antitrypsin and α2-macroglobulin of human serum while the β1- globulin, the principal elastase inhibitor of swine serum, has no apparent human serum counter part. The molecular weights and electrophoretic mobilities of the α0/ρ1-globulin, α2-macroglobulin and the β1-globulin were found, respectively, to be: 72 000, −6.1·10−5 cm2·V−1·s−1; 960 000 (ref. 15), −4.1·10−5 cm−5·V−1·s−1; 83 600, −3.2·10−5 cm2·V−1·s−1. 1 ml of swine serum was capable of binding 0.6 mg of swine elastase. Swine α2-macroglobulin was purified from swine whole serum by fractional precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 followed by ultracentrifugation, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. An inhibition curve (elastase activity vs increasing amounts of α2-macroglobulin) revealed that 1.13 mole of α2-macroglobulin (mol. wt 960 000) was capable of binding 1.0 mole of elastase (mol. wt 25 000). The dissociation constant for the α2-macroglobulin elastase complex was 4.5·10−9. pH-stat experiments with α2-macroglobulin-elastase mixtures (molar ratio α2-macroglobulin:elastase > 1.0) revealed an appreciable cleavage of peptide bonds within 16 h. Peptide bond cleavage was also demonstrated by gel filtration of 48-h digests on Sephadex G-50 and G-200 and by peptide mapping.
A Habitat Assessment for Florida Panther Population Expansion into Central Florida

One of the goals of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) recovery plan is to expand panther range north of the Caloosahatchee River in central Florida. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of that region to support panthers. We used a geographic information system and the Mahalanobis distance statistic to develop a habitat model based on landscape characteristics associated with panther home ranges. We used cross-validation and an independent telemetry data set to test the habitat model. We also conducted a least-cost path analysis to identify potential habitat linkages and to provide a relative measure of connectivity among habitat patches. Variables in our model were paved road density, major highways, human population density, percentage of the area permanently or semipermanently flooded, and percentage of the area in natural land cover. Our model clearly identified habitat typical of that found within panther home ranges based on model testing with recent telemetry data. We identified 4 potential translocation sites that may support a total of approximately 36 panthers. Although we identified potential habitat linkages, our least-cost path analyses highlighted the extreme isolation of panther habitat in portions of the study area. Human intervention will likely be required if the goal is to establish female panthers north of the Caloosahatchee in the near term.
Exploration of intergranular exchange in perpendicular recording using a micromagnetic read/write model

Transition jitter, transition parameter, track width, and cross-track correlation length are extracted from the output of a micromagnetic read/write model as intergranular exchange and reader off-track position are varied. Jitter calculated from theory using the microtrack-based transition width at the track center shows good agreement with the jitter extracted from the micromagnetic model output. The transition parameter is found to have a minimum value with respect to exchange, while track width and jitter show no increase up to a scaled exchange of 0.08.
Influence of Source Liking and Personality Traits on Perceptions of Bias and Future News Source Selection

This study examined news selection intentions that followed judgments of story bias and the extent to which those intentions were influenced by source liking. The study also examined the extent to which two personality traits, argumentativeness and need for cognition, affected perceptions of story bias and intent to select an offending source in the future. Participants were more likely to say they would return to the source of a “biased” story if they liked and had selected the source previously than they were if the source was unknown. Individuals high in argumentativeness were less likely than those low in argumentativeness to view a story with negative information about their group as biased. Need for cognition was weakly related to intent to return to an offending source. Implications for consumption of counterattitudinal information and source selection in the current news environment are discussed.
Limitations of liveness in concurrent software systems

A desirable property of software is that from any reachable state any transition of interest will eventually take place. In this paper, software satisfying this property will be said to be responsive. Responsiveness can be studied on untimed DES models of the software. The paper shows that DES liveness is not sufficient to guarantee that the software will be responsive. Two causes of this problem are identified, namely transition determinism and operation timing. Transition determinism refers to the fact that not any DES enabled transition may be fired, but only the specific transition selected by the software. Operation timing refers to the times at which software execution stages take place. Conditions required to fire a transition may become unlikely or impossible due to operation timing. To address these issues, explicit modeling of deterministic choice is proposed and a special DES structure is introduced. Then, a sufficient condition is formulated under which DES liveness implies software responsiveness. This sufficient condition is then applied to the supervisory control problem in order to identify a class of liveness enforcing supervisors that ensure responsiveness. While Petri nets are used here to represent the DES models, the results are also relevant in the automata framework.
Survey of refrigeration and surgical technics used for facial dermabrasion

Concern has recently been expressed regarding the possibility of freeze-associated adverse effects (delayed healing, prolonged erythema, scarring) associated with the use of potent spray refrigerants used for dermabrasion. A survey was undertaken among experienced dermatologic surgeons in an attempt to define variations in technic that might explain the absence of universal difficulties with these products. Distance of spray nozzle to skin, attempted depth of abrasion, and ambient room temperature emerged as possible differences between the complication-free and complication-affected groups. Speculations relating these differences to freeze-associated adverse effects are presented.
The Economics of Drug Dealing

Money from Crime: A Study of the Economics of Drug Dealing in Washington, D.C., by PETER REUTER, ROBERT MacCOUN, and PATRICK MURPHY.
Heat-Flow Refraction across Dissimilar Media

Summary Refraction of heat flow across near surface boundaries between dissimilar media results in local variations in heat flow. The magnitude of the perturbation from the regional value is a function of position, conductivity ratio, and the configuration of media. New analytical solutions are given for a semi-ellipsoid and a pair of parallel semi-cylinders immersed in an otherwise homogeneous semi-infinite medium. An analytical solution is also derived for the case of a buried cylinder. For two-dimensional but arbitrary geometric configurations, a numerical scheme based on the finite element method is formulated to include the effects of conductivity contrast as well as relief, non-uniform surface temperature, and internal heat generation. The applicability of this scheme is demonstrated by comparing the numerical results with analytical solutions and results obtained from a finite difference method.
Novel therapeutic approaches for multiple myeloma.

Summary: Multiple myeloma (MM) affects 15 000 new patients annually in the US, with 50 000 total patients, and remains incurable. Our preliminary in vitro and animal studies suggest a role for MM–host interactions in regulating MM cell growth, drug resistance, and migration in the bone marrow. Importantly, treatment strategies which target mechanisms whereby MM cells grow and survive in the bone marrow, including thalidomide and its potent immunomodulatory derivatives and proteasome inhibitor PS-341, can overcome classical drug resistance in preclinical and early clinical studies.
A comparison study of conventional non-smooth time-invariant and novel smooth time-varying robust compensators

Variable structure based robust compensators are general approaches to deal with uncertain nonlinear dynamic systems. The bang-bang (discontinuous type) compensator and the saturation (continuous type) compensator are two commonly used robust compensators utilizing variable structure techniques. This paper presents the comparison study of these two non-smooth time-invariant robust compensators with a novel smooth time-varying compensator and reveals the superiority of the novel smooth time-varying compensator over the non-smooth robust compensators.
Is Construction Labor Productivity Really Declining

Macroeconomics data suggest that labor productivity declined significantly in the construction industry during the 1979–1998 period. However, microeconomic studies indicate the contrary. This paper critically examines the construction labor productivity macroeconomic data in the United States from 1979 to 1998 to determine their validity and reliability. Data collection, distribution, manipulation, analysis, and interpretation are reviewed and problems are identified. The paper also presents a comparison of construction and manufacturing labor productivity during this period. The main conclusion of the study is that the raw data used to calculate construction productivity values at the macroeconomic level and their further manipulation and interpretation present so many problems that the results should be deemed unreliable. The uncertainty generated in the process of computing these values is such that it cannot be determined if labor productivity has actually increased, decreased, or remained constant in...
Morphological scaling of body form in four shark species differing in ecology and life history

Body form can change across ontogeny, and can influence how animals of different sizes move and feed. Scaling data on live apex predatory sharks are rare and, therefore, we examined patterns of scaling in ontogenetic series of four sympatric shark species exhibiting a range of sizes, ecologies and life histories (tiger, bull, blacktip, and nurse shark). We evaluated 13 linear morphological variables and two areas (caudal and dorsal) that could influence both animal condition and locomotor performance. These measurements included dimensions of the dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins, as well as several dimensions of body circumference, and of the head. For all four species, the body axis (eye-to-eye, lateral span, frontal span, proximal span) scaled close to isometry (expected slope of 1.0). The two largest sharks (tiger and bull sharks) also showed significant negative allometry for elements of the caudal fin. We found significant negative allometry in the lengths of the upper lobe of the caudal fin (caudal fin 1) and the overall height of the caudal fin (caudal fin 2) in tiger and bull sharks, with slopes ranging from about 0.60 to 0.73. Further, tiger sharks showed negative allometry in caudal fin area. These results suggest that in terms of overall body dimensions, small sharks are roughly geometrically similar to large sharks, at least within the species we examined. However, juvenile tiger (and to a lesser extent bull sharks) are notable in having proportionately larger caudal fins compared to adult sharks. As the caudal fin contributes to generating thrust during forward locomotion, this scaling implies differences among adult and juvenile sharks in locomotor ability. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 114, 126–135.
Numerical corrections for Hall effect measurements in silicon containing Gaussian dopant distributions

Abstract Hall effect and conductivity measurements in semiconductor samples containing nonuniform dopant distributions are related to bulk carrier densities and mobilities in a complex manner depending upon the carrier distribution. In this paper numerical factors for Gaussian distributions in silicon are presented to correct measured values of areal carrier density and average mobility to true values. The error in neglecting these corrections is shown to be less than 18 per cent for electrons and 12 per cent for holes. In addition, the error becomes negligible in the limits of very light or very heavy doping.
Estimation of diurnal shortwave dust aerosol radiative forcing during PRIDE

[1] Using measured and derived aerosol properties from the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment (PRIDE), a four-stream broadband radiative transfer model is used to calculate the downward shortwave irradiance (DSWI) at the surface and the shortwave irradiance at the top of atmosphere (TOA). The results of the calculated DSWI are compared against pyranometer measurements from the Surface Measurements For Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SMART) instrument suite at Roosevelt Road (18.20°N, 65.60°W). Using aerosol optical thickness retrievals from half-hourly geostationary satellite data (GOES 8 imager), the diurnal short wave aerosol forcing (SWARF) of dust aerosols both at the surface and TOA are calculated for the entire study area (14°N ∼ 26°N, 61°W ∼ 73°W). For selected days, the Clouds and the Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) TOA shortwave irradiance values from Terra are compared with radiative transfer calculations. Wang et al. [2003] show that the satellite derived aerosol optical thickness is in excellent agreement with Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) values. Results of this study show that the calculated direct, diffuse and total DSWI are in excellent agreement with the corresponding SMART values with biases of 1.8%, −3.3% and 0.5% respectively, indicating that dust aerosols are well characterized in the radiative transfer model. This is well within the measured uncertainties (1.3%) and the model uncertainties (5%). The monthly mean value and standard deviation of aerosol optical thickness at 670 nm (AOT670) during PRIDE are 0.26 ± 0.13, and the corresponding monthly mean daytime SWARF values are −12.34 ± 9.62 W m−2 at TOA and −18.13 ± 15.81 W m−2 at the surface, respectively. Our results also show that if diurnal changes in aerosol optical thickness are not considered, it leads to uncertainties in SWARF of 4 W m−2 at the surface and 2 W m−2 at the TOA. The CERES TOA short wave irradiance underestimates calculated values by about 10 W m−2 mainly due problems in misclassification of aerosols and lack of aerosol angular dependence models (ADMs) in the current CERES algorithms. This study is among the first to demonstrate the potential of the GOES 8 imagers in retrieving aerosol optical thickness and estimating the daytime diurnal SWARF of dust, both at the TOA and surface, in low to moderate dust loading regions over the oceans.
Indoor Power Harvesting Using Photovoltaic Cells for Low-Power Applications

Utilization of low-power indoor devices such as remote sensors, supervisory and alarm systems, distributed controls, and data transfer system is on steady rise. Due to remote and distributed nature of these systems, it is attractive to avoid using electrical wiring to supply power to them. Primary batteries have been used for this application for many years, but they require regular maintenance at usually hard to access places. This paper provides a complete analysis of a photovoltaic (PV) harvesting system for indoor low-power applications. The characteristics of a target load, PV cell, and power conditioning circuit are discussed. Different choices of energy storage are also explained. Implementation and test results of the system are presented, which highlights the practical issues and limitations of the system.