cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gabor wavelet image analysis for soil texture classification

Soil texture is an important physical property of soil that affects many agricultural activities. It describes soil composition in terms of the relative proportion of three typical sized particles, i.e., clay, silt and sand. Traditional soil texture analysis methods involve inefficient physical and chemical processing procedures. To improve the efficiency for the analysis, previously we proposed a wavelet frame based image analysis system that related textural patterns observed at soil surface to the particle compositions. The system was capable of differentiating between 33 soil samples in terms of three categories with a 91% success rate. However, it required image acquisition under two camera settings. In this paper, we further our investigation with an improved image analysis approach, in which Gabor wavelets are utilized to generate textural features. Experiments showed that a combination of analysis results from two groups of Gabor wavelets yielded a 91% classification accuracy. Although the accuracy remained unchanged, the Gabor wavelet based system provided improved efficiency and flexibility over the previous system in that it needs only one set of images acquired under a fixed camera setting. Moreover, an improved consistency between individual classification votes was observed with the new system, indicating a greater potential for a finer categorization of soil textures.
Functional Connectivity Delineates Distinct Roles of the Inferior Frontal Cortex and Presupplementary Motor Area in Stop Signal Inhibition

The neural basis of motor response inhibition has drawn considerable attention in recent imaging literature. Many studies have used the go/no-go or stop signal task to examine the neural processes underlying motor response inhibition. In particular, showing greater activity during no-go (stop) compared with go trials and during stop success compared with stop error trials, the right inferior prefrontal cortex (IFC) has been suggested by numerous studies as the cortical area mediating response inhibition. Many of these same studies as well as others have also implicated the presupplementary motor area (preSMA) in this process, in accord with a function of the medial prefrontal cortex in goal-directed action. Here we used connectivity analyses to delineate the roles of IFC and preSMA during stop signal inhibition. Specifically, we hypothesized that, as an integral part of the ventral attention system, the IFC responds to a stop signal and expedites the stop process in the preSMA, the primary site of motor response inhibition. This hypothesis predicted that preSMA and primary motor cortex would show functional interconnectivity via the basal ganglia circuitry to mediate response execution or inhibition, whereas the IFC would influence the basal ganglia circuitry via connectivity with preSMA. The results of Granger causality analyses in 57 participants confirmed this hypothesis. Furthermore, psychophysiological interaction showed that, compared with stop errors, stop successes evoked greater effective connectivity between the IFC and preSMA, providing additional support for this hypothesis. These new findings provided evidence critically differentiating the roles of IFC and preSMA during stop signal inhibition and have important implications for our understanding of the component processes of inhibitory control.
The February revolution in the Russian army

(1970). The February revolution in the Russian army. Soviet Studies: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 3-23.
GM-CSF potentiated peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection with or without bone marrow as hematologic support of high-dose chemotherapy: two protocols.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow support (ABMS) achieves prolonged relapse-free survival in relapsed lymphomas and leukemias and has provided durable complete responses in certain solid tumors. The principal morbidity and mortality result from the infectious and bleeding complications during the 3–4 week aplasia until the bone marrow autograft can recover. Hematopoietic growth factors, alone or used after chemotherapy, increase the number of circulating progenitor cells in the peripheral blood compartment. In one trial, 12 patients with solid tumors were treated with high-dose chemotherapy and supported with both bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) collected after GM-CSF administration. Reconstitution of bone marrow function occurred quickly (ANC >500/µl by day 17; platelet-transfusion independence by day 16), resulting in short hospital stays (median, 28 days). In a second study, 12 patients with metastatic breast cancer responding to induction chemotherapy (doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and methotrexate) were given GM-CSF during induction to collect PBPCs during leukocyte recovery. These PBPCs were used as the sole hematopoietic support during high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin. Granulocyte and platelet reconstitution were extremely rapid (median, 14 and 12 days, respectively). When compared with 29 patients undergoing the same intensification therapy using ABMT as sole support, time to hematopoietic recovery, transfusion requirements, and duration of hospital stay were all significantly improved for the patients receiving PBPC. PBPC with or without marrow may enhance the safety, tolerance, and cost of high-dose therapy. Moreover, PBPC may render multiple course combination, high-dose therapy feasible.
Pixel-matched phase-conjugate readout for holographic data storage

We demonstrate one-to-one pixel-matching of phase-conjugate digital volume holographic data storage, with data pages as large as a megapel (1024 X 1024 pixels). A self-pumped phase-conjugate mirror in BaTiO3 is used to provide a phase-conjugate reference beam, which reconstructs the data- bearing object beam from a LiNbO3:Fe crystal using the 90 degree geometry. The systems tradeoffs of phase-conjugate readout are described, and two methods of generating phase- conjugate reference beams are described and compared.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rates of lifetime suicide attempt and rates of lifetime major depression in different ethnic groups in the United States.

Objective: Rates of major depression and suicide vary across ethnic groups within the US. This also may be true of suicide attempts. Method: Data on lifetime suicidal behavior and major depression among Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican adults who participated in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Epidemiologic Survey were pooled with Epidemiological Catchment Area Study data for Blacks, Whites and Hispanics. Results: Rates of major depression ranged from 9.3 (Puerto Ricans) to 3.24% (Cuban Americans). Puerto Ricans and whites had the highest rates of depression. Similarly, suicide attempt rates ranged from 9.1% for Puerto Ricans to 1.9% for Cuban Americans. Puerto Ricans had higher suicide attempt rates compared with other groups. Conclusion: This study underscores that there are differences between Hispanic ethnic groups. The impact of the migration process, socioeconomic status, and acculturation may underlie differences in major depression and suicide attempt rates across ethnic groups.
Nanoscale Supramolecular Structures in the Gels of Poly(Diallyldimethylammonium Chloride) Interacting with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

A highly ordered supramolecular structure is formed in the polyelectrolyte−surfactant complex between the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the cationic network of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMACl). From small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the complexes between PDADMACl and SDS were shown to exhibit a hexagonal type of microstructure which is different from that of pure SDS. A d spacing of 3.7 nm corresponding to the interdistance between SDS aggregates in the gel network was obtained. The intensity of the diffraction peaks and the degree of order increased with increasing initial SDS concentration and charge content of the PDADMACl gels. The diffraction peaks were broadened when the concentration of SDS in the external solution phase was higher than its critical micelle concentration (cmc). The SAXS profiles were unexpectedly independent of the degree of cross-linking of the PDADMACl gels in the range of 0.5−2%.
Stereocontrol in DL-Leucine N-Carboxyanhydride Polymerizations

Abstract L-Leucine and DL-leucine N-carboxyanhydride were polymerized in 1,4-dioxane at 25°C with either benzylamine or L-a-methylbenzylamine as initiator, using a constant volume reactor for rate studies. A rapid initiation period was followed by two pseudo-first-order propagation periods for the racemic (DL) monomer and by three pseudo-first-order propagation periods for the L-monomer. The ratio of rate constants of the L- to the DL-polymerization is about 2 for any given polymerization period, independent of initiator type. Such a behavior is expected for stereoselective propagations without crossover, leading to blends of isotactic polymers.
Observations on the phosphonoformic acid inhibition of RNA dependent DNA polymerases.

Abstract A critical analysis of phosphonoformic acid inhibition of enzymatic DNA synthesis revealed it to be both enzyme and template specific but that retroviral DNA polymerases were not selectively inhibited. AMV reverse transcriptase and cellular DNA polymerase α showed identical sensitivity while RLV reverse transcriptase, DNA polymerase β, E. coli DNA polymerase I and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase exhibited significant resistance. The sensitivity of individual enzyme activities was strongly dependent upon the type of template primer used to measure the synthesis. The inhibitory effect of phosphonoformic acid was reversible and was characterized to be noncompetitive with substrate triphosphate although increasing concentrations of substrate triphosphates protected against phosphonoformic acid inhibition. The target of phosphonoformicacid action appears to be at the substrate level and probably at the PPi binding site which results in interference with substrate binding and/or phosphodrester bond formation.
A subjective Bayesian approach to the theory of queues I—Modeling

This is the first of an expository two-part paper which outlines a point of view different from that currently used in queueing theory. In both parts, the focus is on concepts. Here we adopt a personal probability point of view to all sources of uncertainty in the theory of queues and explore the consequences of our approach by comparing our results to those that are currently available. For ease of exposition, we confine attention to the M/M/1/∞ and the M/M/1/K queues. In Part I we outline the general strategy and focus on model development. In Part II we address the problem of inference in queues within the subjective Bayesian paradigm and introduce a use of Shannon's measure of information for assessing the amount of information conveyed by the various types of data from queues.
Major Impacts and Challenges facing Kentucky's Streams and Wetlands: A Summary of Agency, Other Expert, and Stakeholder Views

Abstract To protect our nation's water resources, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have declared a goal of “no net loss” of our nation's water and wetland resources to be a national priority for the past 20 years. To meet this objective, the EPA has encouraged states to develop state wetland conservation plans and incorporate stakeholders into the development of those plans. Recently, the Kentucky Division of Water initiated a streams and wetlands conservation planning process. As part of the process, we conducted surveys and interviews of Kentucky stakeholders in stream and wetlands issues. Results of the surveys emphasized three impacts of concern: sewer overflows and straight pipes, coal and energy development, and residential growth. Stakeholders had wide areas of agreement, although their perspectives were not entirely uniform. Perception of the relative importance of some types of impacts was dependent on job position, level of awar...
Millimeter- and submillimeter-wave characterization of various fabrics

Transmission measurements of 14 fabrics are presented in the millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave electromagnetic regions from 130 GHz to 1.2 THz. Three independent sources and experimental setups were used to obtain accurate results over a wide spectral range. Reflectivity, a useful parameter for imaging applications, was also measured for a subset of samples in the submillimeter-wave regime along with polarization sensitivity of the transmitted beam and transmission through doubled layers. All of the measurements were performed in free space. Details of these experimental setups along with their respective challenges are presented.
Patient choice and fetal therapy.

I n June 1988, 8 months after the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Ethics issued its statement on fetal-maternal conflict, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Bioethics published a statement on fetal therapy. 1 The issuance of formal statements by two national organizations representing physicians who care for women and children reflects the interests and perceived importance of evolving trends in perinatal medicine. Whereas clinical cases of forced maternal treatment or restraint are rare at this time, the fundamental ethical and legal questions surrounding the limits of autonomy, beneficence, and justice are far-reaching. The ACOG and AAP ethics committees had unsuccessfully attempted to write a joint statement. This commentary will compare and contrast the two separate statements and will demonstrate that, despite the greater potential impact of a joint opinion, the two individual statements show some significant differences. Two questions will help form this analysis: 1) In what sense do the two individual opinions differ in substance or in style? and 2) Do the two statements represent common ground, subtle variations of perspective, or a disparity in worldview? Perhaps the most revealing difference between the two statements is captured in the titles. Both statements are concerned with the relative burdens and benefits of various treatment options for both fetus and mother. The title of the ACOG opinion is "Patient Choices: Maternal-Fetal Conflict." This title suggests a focus on the pregnant woman and on autonomy as the proper standard of decisional authority. The use of the term "conflict" suggests that maternal and fetal interests may vary and that the relationship may at times be adversarial. In fact, the conflict may more appropriately be seen as between the physician and the pregnant woman. In contrast, the title of the AAP statement is "Fetal Therapy: Ethical Considerations." This title suggests a focus on the fetus as the patient and on beneficence as the standard for treatment. The domain of discourse is found in ethical considerations, and the framework suggests analysis rather than conflict. The dimensions of disparity reflected in the ACOG and AAP titles is paralleled in the different substantive and procedural approaches to patient care found in the two specialties. Pediatrics focuses on beneficence and the proper limits of paternalism in caring for children. The standard for health care decision making is the best interests of the child. Decisional authority is © 1990 by The Jacobs Institute of Women's Health 1049-3867/90/$3.50
Military Disengagement from Politics: Paradigms, Processes, or Random Events:

Although no paradigm for the study of military disengagement from politics and subsequent liberalization and democratization has emerged and been widely embraced by scholars, patterns have been discerned in regionally based analyses. The article examines common themes (abrupt versus phased withdrawal, impact of professionalism, attitudes of senior officers, levels of national unity, and the effect of rapid delegitimation on military governments), areas of disagreement (military training and mission, economic factors, internal disorder, and gradual versus revolutionary change), and areas for further research (intra-military attitudes, political culture, and hypothesis-testing case studies).
Thyroid disease awareness is associated with high rates of identifying subjects with previously undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction

Conventional screening for hypothyroidism is controversial. Although hypothyroidism is underdiagnosed, many organizations do not recommend screening, citing low disease prevalence in unselected populations. We studied attendees at a thyroid health fair, hypothesizing that certain patient characteristics would enhance the yield of testing. We carried out an observational study of participants at a Michigan health fair that focused on thyroid disease. We collected patient-reported symptoms and demographics by questionnaire, and correlated these with the TSH values obtained through the health fair. 794 of 858 health fair attendees participated. Most were women, and over 40% reported a family history of thyroid disease. We identified 97 (12.2%) participants with previously unknown thyroid dysfunction. No symptom or combination of symptoms discriminated between hypothyroid and euthyroid individuals. Hypothyroid and euthyroid participants in the health fair reported each symptom with a similar prevalence (p > 0.01), a prevalence which was very high. In fact, when compared with a previously published case-control study that reported symptoms, the euthyroid health fair participants reported a higher symptom prevalence (range 3.9% to 66.3%, mean 31.5%), than the euthyroid individuals from the case-control study (range 2% to 54%, mean 17.4%). A high proportion of previously undiagnosed thyroid disease was identified at this health fair. We initially hypothesized symptoms would distinguish between thyroid function states. However, this was not the case in this health fair screening population. The prevalence of reported symptoms was similar and high in both euthyroid and hypothyroid participants. Because attendees were self-selected, it is possible that this health fair that focused on thyroid disease attracted participants specifically concerned about thyroid health. Despite the lack of symptom discrimination, the much higher prevalence of hypothyroidism in this study (12%) compared with the general population (<2%) suggests that screening may be appropriate and effective in certain circumstances such as thyroid health fairs.
Serotype Emergence and Genotype Distribution among Macrolide-Resistant Invasive Streptococcus Pneumoniae Isolates in the Postconjugate Vaccine (PCV-7) Era

We conducted population-based surveillance for pneumococcal bacteremia within a 5-county region surrounding Philadelphia from October 2001 through September 2008, the period following introduction of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Erythromycin resistance increased from 14.7% in 2001-2002 to 20.3% in 2007-2008, while the resistance rate to penicillin (MIC, ≥2 μg/ml) decreased from 7.2% to 4.2% during the same period. The most predominant serotypes associated with erythromycin resistance in 2007-2008 included 19A (29.7%), 15A (29.2%), 6C (10.1%), 3 (5.6%), and 6A (4.5%). The molecular mechanisms for the increasing erythromycin resistance were mainly due to the growing presence of mef(A) negative erm(B)(+) and mef(A)(+) erm(B)(+) genotypes, which increased from 20.0% to 46.1% and from 1.8% to 19.1%, respectively, from 2001-2002 to 2007-2008. However, mef(A)-mediated erythromycin resistance decreased from 72.7% in 2001-2002 to 34.8% in 2007-2008. Serotypes related to the erm(B) gene were 15A (45.6%), 19A (20.9%), 3 (10.1%), and 6B (6.3%); serotypes related to the mef(A) gene were 6A (18.6%), 19A (15.0%), 6C (9.3%), and 14(8.4%); serotypes associated with the presence of both erm(B) and mef(A) were 19A (81.5%), 15A (7.7%), and 19F (6.2%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that erythromycin-resistant isolates within the 19A serotype were genetically diverse and related to several circulating international clones. In contrast, erythromycin-resistant isolates within the 15A serotype consisted of clonally identical or closely related isolates.
Protein synthesizing systems from spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus.

A system of polyphenylalanine synthesis was optimized for a comparison of the polymerizing activities of ribosomes from spores and vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus T. Ribosomes of both types react similarly, showing a magnesium optimum of about 6 mM and spermidine optima of about 5 mM and 4 mM for vegetative and spore ribosomes, respectively. These lead to optimum mono- to multivalent cation rations of 9 and 10 respectively at 100 mM ammonium ion. A comparison of the response of these ribosomes to suboptimal concentrations of magnesium and spermidine show that they differ qualitatively from each other, suggesting that they possess different structure, macromolecular or ionic components.
Toward an understanding of the relationship between the identifier and comment lexicons

Source code retrieval techniques show efficacy in the automation of software understanding activities, but the literature provides no guidance regarding the impact of comments on the performance of these techniques. In this paper we present an initial investigation of the effects of using comments in the source code retrieval process. We address our research question using a case study of six open source Java projects. The results indicate that the inclusion of comments significantly affects the average keyword density for a project. Future work includes analyzing the extent to which comments affect the average keyword density of domain terms and non-domain terms.
Distortion of fast-neutron dose distribution by bone

The influence of bone on dose distributions due to fast neutrons generated at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Cyclotron was investigated. A paired dosimeter consisting of a parallel‐plate, tissue‐equivalent ionization chamber and thermoluminsecent material was used to partition the absorbed dose into neutron and γ‐ray components. Several thicknesses of bone were simulated using bone‐equivalent liquid and plastic. Based on these measurements, the authors conclude that, as a result of the increased absorption of neutrons by bone, lower dose levels are found behind bone that would be predicted from dose distributions in muscle‐equivalent liquid.
Infections in leukemic children: a prospective analysis.

A 28-month prospective study of 54 leukemic children was carried out to determine the incidence and type of infection associated with febrile episodes. Fever was caused by infections in 84 of 119 episodes (71%). Two-thirds of the febrile episodes and 57% of the documented infections occurred when leukemic activity was demonstrable. However, only nine of 29 febrile episodes which occurred at the time of initial diagnosis of acute leukemia were due to infection. All serious bacterial infections occurred in children with absolute granulocyte counts less than 500/mm 3 . Septicemia was responsible for seven of the 17 deaths which occurred during the period of observation. The five children with Pseudomonas infections were colonized 10 to 30 days before they developed their infection. The majority of viral infections occurred in patients in remission, and were principally caused by cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, or Epstein-Barr virus. With the exception of one patient who died with a complex infection (CMV and Pneumocystis carinii ), the children in this study responded well to viral infections.
Earwitness memory: distortions for voice pitch and speaking rate

In two experiments, memory distortions for voice pitch and speaking rate were examined. In both experiments, a significant distortion effect for voice pitch was observed, with listeners biased towards selecting voices lower in pitch than low-pitch targets and selecting voices higher in pitch than high-pitch targets. In contrast, for speaking rate there was little evidence for the production of memory distortions. The results are discussed in terms of transient surface properties of speech and how transience may be a factor in producing distortions. The results have implications for how errors arise during earwitness testimony for a suspect's voice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristic study of vector-controlled direct driven permanent magnet synchronous generator in wind power generation

With the advance of power electronic technology, direct driven permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSG) have drawn more and more interests to wind turbine manufactures due to the advantages in PMSG wind turbine integration with the electric grid. This paper focuses on the analysis of PMSG characteristics through computer simulation. Compared to other analytical approaches, the specific features of the paper are 1) a PMSG steady-state model in d-q reference frame, 2) simulation-based study that reflects general PMSG d-q control strategies, and 3) characteristic study in both fixed and variable speed point of view. Extensive simulation analysis is performed to inspect how PMSG characteristics are affected by different d-q control conditions, such as torque, and real and reactive-power versus speed characteristics.
Neutralizing monoclonal antibody epitopes of the Entamoeba histolytica galactose adhesin map to the cysteine-rich extracellular domain of the 170-kilodalton subunit.

Entamoeba histolytica adheres to human colonic mucins and colonic epithelial cells via a galactose-binding adhesin. The adhesin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein composed of 170- and 35-kDa subunits. Fragments of the hgl1 gene encoding the 170-kDa subunit were expressed as recombinant fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and reacted with anti-adhesin monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) or pooled human immune sera. The MAbs tested recognize seven distinct epitopes on the 170-kDa subunit and have distinct effects on the adherence and complement-inhibitory activities of the adhesin. All seven MAbs reacted with a fusion protein containing the cysteine-rich domain of the protein. Pooled human immune sera reacted with the same cysteine-rich domain as the MAbs and also with a construct containing the first 596 amino acids. Reactivity of three MAbs with the surface of intact trophozoites confirmed that the cysteine-rich domain was located extracellularly. The location of individual epitopes was fine mapped by constructing carboxy-terminal deletions in the cysteine-rich region of the fusion protein. The locations of adherence-enhancing and -inhibiting epitopes were partially distinguished, and the epitopes where complement-inhibitory MAbs bound were demonstrated to be near the adhesin9s area of sequence identity with the human complement inhibitor CD59.
High performance annotation-aware JVM for Java cards

Early applications of smart cards have focused in the area of personal security. Recently, there has been an increasing demand for networked, multi-application cards. In this new scenario, enhanced application-specific on-card Java applets and complex cryptographic services are executed through the smart card Java Virtual Machine (JVM). In order to support such computation-intensive applications, contemporary smart cards are designed with built-in microprocessors and memory. As smart cards are highly area-constrained environments with memory, CPU and peripherals competing for a very small die space, the VM execution engine of choice is often a small, slow interpreter. In addition, support for multiple applications and cryptographic services demands high performance VM execution engine. The above necessitates the optimization of the JVM for Java Cards.In this paper we present the concept of an annotation-aware interpreter that optimizes the interpreted execution of Java code using Java bytecode SuperOperators (SOs). SOs are groups of bytecode operations that are executed as a specialized VM instruction. Simultaneous translation of all the bytecode operations in an SO reduces the bytecode dispatch cost and the number of stack accesses (data transfer to/from the Java operand stack) and stack pointer updates. Furthermore, SOs help improve native code quality without hindering class file portability. Annotation attributes in the class files mark the occurrences of valuable SOs, thereby dispensing the expensive task of searching and selecting SOs at runtime. Besides, our annotation-based approach incurs minimal memory overhead as opposed to just-in-time (JIT) compilers.We obtain an average speedup of 18% using an interpreter customized with the top SOs formed from operation folding patterns. Further, we show that greater speedups could be achieved by statically adding to the interpreter application-specific SOs formed by top basic blocks. The effectiveness of our approach is evidenced by performance improvements of (upto) 131% obtained using SOs formed from optimized basic blocks.
On hard decision upper bounds for coded M-ary hierarchical modulation

Hierarchical modulation is used in conjunction with error correction coding in many multimedia communication systems to provide unequal protection. We show that hard decision upper bounds given for binary symmetric channels can be used to find upper bounds for the bit error rate of different bit classes of a coded M-ary hierarchical modulation.
Tungsten Carbide–Nitride on Graphene Nanoplatelets as a Durable Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst

Alternatives to platinum-based catalysts are required to sustainably produce hydrogen from water at low overpotentials. Progress has been made in utilizing tungsten carbide-based catalysts, however, their performance is currently limited by the density and reactivity of active sites, and insufficient stability in acidic electrolytes. We report highly active graphene nanoplatelet-supported tungsten carbide-nitride nanocomposites prepared via an in situ solid-state approach. This nanocomposite catalyzes the hydrogen evolution reaction with very low overpotential and is stable operating for at least 300 h in harsh acidic conditions. The synthetic approach offers a great advantage in terms of structural control and kinetics improvement.
Pressure Dependent Lineshift Measurements on OCS

!A computer-controlled, frequency offset-locked spectrometer using a tunable diode laser is described and new measurements on carbonyl sulfide (OCS) are given to illustrate its use. Two OCS absorption lines, R( 3) and P( 30), have been measured for the 02°0-0000 vibrational transition near IO pm. An average pressure-induced shift coefficient of -0.37 * 0.04 kHz/Pa (-49 ? 5 kHz/Torr) was observed for the two lines. The self-broadening coefficient for each line has also been measured. 0 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
A Quantum Mechanical Investigation of Possible Mechanisms for the Nucleotidyl Transfer Reaction Catalyzed by DNA Polymerase β

Several quantum mechanical (QM) and hybrid quantum/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) studies have been employed recently to analyze the nucleotidyl transfer reaction in DNA polymerase β (pol β). Our examination reveals strong dependence of the reported mechanism on the initial molecular model. Thus, we explore here several model systems by QM methods to investigate pol β's possible pathway variations. Although our most favorable pathway involves a direct proton transfer from O3‘(primer) to O2α(Pα), we also discuss other initial proton-transfer stepsto an adjacent water, to triphosphate, or to aspartic unitsand the stabilizing effect of crystallographic water molecules in the active site. Our favored reaction route has an energetically undemanding initial step of less than 1.0 kcal/mol (at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level), and involves a slight rearrangement in the geometry of the active site. This is followed by two major steps: (1) direct proton transfer from O3‘(primer) to O2α(Pα) leading to the formation of a p...
Analysis of fission gas release-to-birth ratio data from the AGR irradiations

Abstract A series of advanced gas reactor (AGR) irradiation tests is being conducted in the advanced test reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in support of development and qualification of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel used in the High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). Each AGR test consists of multiple independent capsules containing fuel compacts placed in a graphite cylinder shrouded by a steel shell. These capsules are instrumented with thermocouples (TC) embedded in the graphite enabling temperature control. For AGR-1, the first US irradiation of modern TRISO fuel completed in 2009, there were no particle failures detected. For AGR-2, a few exposed kernels existed in the fuel compacts based upon quality control data. For the AGR-3/4 experiment, particle failures in all capsules were expected because of the use of designed-to-fail (DTF) fuel particles whose kernels are identical to the driver fuel kernels and whose coatings are designed to fail under irradiation. The release-rate-to-birth-rate ratio (R/B) for each of krypton and xenon isotopes is calculated from release rates measured by the germanium detectors used in the AGR fission product monitoring (FPM) system installed downstream from each irradiated capsule. Birth rates are calculated based on the fission power in the experiment and fission product generation models. Thus, this R/B is a measure of the ability of fuel particle coating layers and compact matrix to retain fission gas atoms preventing their release into the sweep gas flow. The major factors that govern gaseous diffusion and release processes are found to be fuel material diffusion coefficient, temperature, and isotopic decay constant. To compare the release behavior among the AGR capsules and historic experiments, the R/B per failed particle is used. HTGR designers use this parameter in their fission product behavior models. For the U.S. TRISO fuel, a regression analysis is performed to establish functional relationships between R/B per failed particle of selected noble gas isotopes and temperature. The effect of isotopic half-life is also obtained from the data. To reduce measurement uncertainty of the release rate, the krypton and xenon isotopes selected for regression analysis have a short enough half-life to achieve equilibrium in the capsule, but are also long enough to provide a measurable signal in the FPM detector. The impact of uncertainty of the estimated number of failed particles in each capsule is also examined. This study found that R/B values for AGR test fuel are comparable to R/B obtained in historic tests. The correlation with isotopic half-life is very stable with time indicating no strong influence of burnup on release. The correlation can be used by reactor designers to estimate fission gas release from postulated failed fuel in HTGR cores.
Relationship Between Exercise and Cognitive Processing Studied by MRI in Elderly People

This chapter provides an overview of the research on the effects of exercise, physical activity, and fitness on brain function in aged adults. The studies described in this chapter use functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques along with cognitively challenging tasks to investigate how the functioning of brain circuits changes with age and how they are moderated by exercise. The research described in this chapter suggests that age-related changes in brain function remain tractable and that exercise has the capacity to alter brain networks and improve function, even in aged adults. The results from these studies suggest that physical activity and exercise are effective methods for enhancing brain function in late adulthood and that exercise is a promising method for preventing and even treating cognitive impairment in late life.
Circuit Models for Ferroelectrics—Part II: Analysis of FE-Nonvolatile Latches

We present a detailed analysis of hybrid ferroelectric (FE)-CMOS nonvolatile latches, based on simulations with the unified physical circuit model from Part-I and experimental verification with circuit measurements. Hybrid FE-CMOS latches are categorized into three classes by the circuit topology of the readout operation. The effect of the physical model parameters is studied in all regions of operation by a variational analysis. Design intuition for the signal timing and sensing margin is provided and the strategies for the design optimization are discussed. Signal degradation due to imprint and fatigue in each latch topology is also compared.
The US Financial Crisis and Corporate Dividend Reactions: For Better or for Worse?

We examine how changes in dividend policy in 2008 as the financial crisis was unfolding influenced firm risk-adjusted returns in the following years. Our sample consists of NYSE- and NASDAQ-traded firms that paid dividends in 2007. We divide these firms into four groups based on their dividend policy in 2008. We find that firms that decreased or eliminated dividends in 2008 had higher risk-adjusted returns in following years. This finding suggests that the firms that quickly reacted to the deteriorating economic conditions by cutting dividends and preserving cash were able to better weather the incoming financial crises.
Reliability of cervical findings and endocervical polymorphonuclear cells in detecting chlamydial and gonococcal cervicitis in young women receiving contraceptive services

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the sensitivity (SN) specificity (SP), and positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) of cervical findings including mucopurulent discharge, cervical ectopy, friability, and endocervical polymorphonuclear cells per field (PMN) on Gram's stain in detecting chlamydial and gonococcal cervicitis in 134 young women (mean age 17.6 ± 1.46 years) receiving contraceptive services. Presence of all three cervical findings was a very good diagnostic indicator of chlamydial cervicitis (SP 99%, PPV 75%). On Gram's stain, >5 PMNs per field was a moderately good screening test for gonococcal (SN 75%, NPV 96%) and chlamydial cervicitis (SN 79%, NPV 95%). Greater than 20 PMNs per field was the best cutoff point to diagnose chlamydial infection (SP 97%, PPV 57%). Thus, cervical findings and endocervical polymorphonuclear cells are helpful screening and diagnostic indicators of chlamydial and gonococcal cervicitis in young women receiving contraceptive services at an urban clinic.
Tuberculosis as an Opportunistic Disease in Persons Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Tuberculosis, a bacterial disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, is becoming an increasingly common opportunistic disease in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). M. tuberculosis is transmitted from person-to-person by airborne droplet nuclei. Persons who are exposed to these droplet nuclei in poorly ventilated environments are at risk of becoming infected with M. tuberculosis. HIV infection is probably the most significant risk factor associated with progression from latent M. tuberculosis infection to active disease. Thus, HIV-infected persons should avoid exposure to M. tuberculosis, they should be screened for evidence of latent infection with the tuberculin skin test, and they should be offered preventive therapy. Because many severely immunosuppressed anergic HIV-infected persons have been found to have an increased risk of developing active tuberculosis, decisions to use preventive therapy should be individualized on the basis of the local prevalence of tuberculosis and drug-resistance patterns. Persons with active tuberculosis should receive at least 6 months of treatment with recommended regimens, preferably with directly observed therapy, to ensure adequate bacteriologic response, completion of therapy, and cure. Chronic suppressive therapy after completion of therapy is currently not recommended.
The impact of dexamethasone and prednisone on sleep in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Purpose Corticosteroids can affect sleep patterns, mood, and behavior. Two of the most commonly prescribed corticosteroids in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), dexamethasone and prednisone, may impact sleep differently, but no research has compared these medications in children. The current study tested the hypothesis that dexamethasone and prednisone differentially affect sleep in children with ALL to understand how these medications contribute to health-related quality of life (HRQL).
Chemical pollution status of part of risk foods in Jilin province 2010

Objective To explore chemical pollution situation of foods collected from Jilin province.Methods Six representative regions were regarded as monitoring sites,choosing 63 types of foods in 12 classes,total of 2 239 samples.According to relative national standards,67 detection items were carried out including metal element,pesticides residual,food additive,illicit add substance and harmful substance in food production process.Results The main problems were as follow: Firstly,value of aluminum element exceeded the national standards in grain and its product(steamed bun,fried bread sticks and fried dough twist),exceeding standards rate was 44.74%.Secondly,food additive sulfur dioxide in golden mushrooms exceeded the criteria seriously.Thirdly,illicit add substance potassium bromate was detected in the baked foods and snacks,detection rate was 6.67%.Fourthly,the detection rate of illicit substance formaldehyde in vegetables,meat and other food and its products was 61.90%.Finally,food additive saccharine sodium in soft drink and liquor was used excessively,and the detection rate reached up to 13.33%.Conclusion Food safety is related to the people's health,high risk food found in the examination should be supervised and detected strictly.
Disinfection Monitoring in Medical Institutions of Foshan City during 2006—2008

[Objective]To understand the quality of disinfection in medical institutions in Foshan City,and provide scientific evidence for improving quality of disinfection.[Methods]According to "Hygienic standard for disposable sanitary products"(GB 15979-2002),the monitoring results of disinfection in all forms of medical institutions at all levels during 2006 — 2008 were analyzed and evaluated.[Results]A total of 16212 samples were monitored in this period,and the qualified rate was 92.56%.The qualified rates in 2006,2007,2008 were 92.88%,93.23% and 91.28% respectively,the differences were significant between years(χ2=16.40,P0.01).The qualified rates of sterilized samples derived from city,district and township levels were 96.74%,93.40% and 93.45% respectively,the difference was significant(χ2=15.20,P0.01).[Conclusion]The qualified rate of monitoring results of disinfection in medical institutions is high in Foshan.But some monitoring items are lower in qualified rates,supervision and management should be strengthened to specific situation
Fresh frozen plasma reduces edema in skeletal muscle following combined limb ischemia-reperfusion injury and hemorrhagic shock in rats.

Background Exsanguination from extremity vascular injuries is the most common potentially survivable injury on the battlefield. Advances in treatment have dramatically improved survival, increasing the need to address associated morbidities including ischemia-reperfusion injury and extremity compartment syndrome. Despite advances, hemorrhagic shock (HS) requiring fluid resuscitation is common. Plasma-based resuscitation for the treatment of HS has been shown to reduce edema and injury in tissues other than muscle. The objective of this study was to determine if fresh frozen plasma (FFP) resuscitation offered protection in a rat model of combined HS and skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 37.5% arterial hemorrhage, producing HS, followed by 3 hours of tourniquet application. Animals were not resuscitated or resuscitated with either FFP (equal to the shed blood volume) or lactated Ringer's solution (three times shed volume) after 30 minutes of ischemia. They were euthanized 24 hours later, and their muscles were analyzed for edema (wet weight-dry weight). Routine histology was performed on muscle cross-sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and graded using a semiquantitative grading system. Results All animals developed HS; the mortality rate was 50% in no resuscitation rats. FFP reduced edema by 13% (p = 0.02) compared with lactated Ringer's solution. Pathology scores were not different between treatment groups. Conclusion FFP resuscitation reduces edema following muscle injury, decreasing the risk of developing extremity compartment syndrome.
Chapter 16 – Psychophysiological Approaches to Personality

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the psychophysiological basis of personality. The study of the psychophysiological basis of personality took a major step forward in 1967 with the publication of Eysenck's “The Biological Basis of Personality.” The study of personality and psychophysiology must be based on rigorous theories of behavior. Both the personality and the physiological variables must be grounded in well-defined theoretical constructs connected to each other by an explicit syntax. Psychophysiological assessment must be thorough enough to allow adequate tests of hypotheses. This requires measurement of several body systems as well as measurement of several aspects of one system. Some aspects of a given system may correlate with personality measures more highly than others. The study of personality and psychophysiology has shown a relatively low level of replication of findings. This has been due in large part to the lack of comparability of methods used in various programs. The study of personality through its connections with physiological processes rests on a solid basis of previous research and theory, and it still presents a unique challenge for those who wish to conduct careful theory-driven research on complex processes.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Performance Measurement

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are measures of how patients feel or what they are able to do in the context of their health status; PROs are reports, usually on questionnaires, about a patient's health conditions, health behaviors, or experiences with health care that individuals report directly, without modification of responses by clinicians or others; thus, they directly reflect the voice of the patient. PROs cover domains such as physical health, mental and emotional health, functioning, symptoms and symptom burden, and health behaviors. They are relevant for many activities: helping patients and their clinicians make informed decisions about health care, monitoring the progress of care, setting policies for coverage and reimbursement of health services, improving the quality of health care services, and tracking or reporting on the performance of health care delivery organizations. We address the major methodological issues related to choosing, administering, and using PROs for these purposes, particularly in clinical practice settings. We include a framework for best practices in selecting PROs, focusing on choosing appropriate methods and modes for administering PRO measures to accommodate patients with diverse linguistic, cultural, educational, and functional skills, understanding measures developed through both classic and modern test theory, and addressing complex issues relating to scoring and analyzing PRO data.