cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building risk management for marine mammals into offshore development and exploration

Marine mammals are used increasingly as a vehicle through which environmental compliance is measured. The special status of marine mammals within both statute and public opinion are built upon a foundation of knowledge about the utility of marine mammals as indicators of marine environmental state. Quantifying the risk to marine mammals is therefore an important part of the environment assessments to accompany offshore development and exploration. Poor or sparse data add to the uncertainty surrounding risk assessments but fundamental gaps in basic knowledge of how these animals will respond leads to the need to adopt an adaptive approach to offshore developments in a manner that will allow rapid changes in design or implementation to safeguard these sensitive species.
High sensitivity of p-modes near the acoustic cutoff frequency to solar model parameters

The p-mode frequencies of low l have been calculated for solar models with initial helium mass fraction varying from Y = 0.2753-0.2875. The differences in frequency of the p-modes in the frequency range, 2500-4500 microHz, do not exceed 1-5 microHz among the models. But in the vicinity of the acoustic cutoff frequency, near 5000 microHz the p-mode frequency differences are enhanced by a factor of 4. The enhanced sensitivity of p-modes near the acoustic cutoff frequency was further tested by calculating and comparing p-mode frequencies of low l for two solar models one incorporating the Eddington T-tau relation and the other the Krishna Swamy T-tau relation. Again, it is found that p-modes with frequencies near the acoustic cutoff frequency show a significant increase in sensitivity to the different T-tau relations, compared to lower frequency p-modes. It is noted that frequencies above the acoustic cutoff frequency are complex, hence, cannot be modeled by the adiabatic pulsation code (assumes real eigenfrequencies) used in these calculations.
An Analysis of the Environment of Medical Schools.

An analysis of medical schools was conducted by means of a factor analysis of multiple demographic measures. Three factors emerged which described the principal dimensions that characterize four-year medical school environments. Upon comparing these factors with a previous study, it was apparent that the environmental characterization for medical schools have remained generally constant over the last several years. An additional factor, Graduate Emphasis, was, however, identified. A visual representation is presented to demonstrate the similarity of the medical schools on these three factors.
Prostate-specific antigen density: A new prognostic indicator for prostate cancer

Abstract Purpose: Prostate specific antigen density, previously described as a ratio of serum prostate specific antigen to the volume of the prostate, has been shown to be an important factor in the discrimination of patients with occult metastatic disease and patients with benign versus malignant prostatic disease. We undertook a retrospective study to determine if prostate specific antigen density was a predictor of outcome following definitive conformal radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Between January 1989 and August 1991, 86 patients with localized prostate cancer (confined to the prostate, periprostatic tissue, or seminal vesicles) were treated in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center with definitive radiation therapy using computed tomography-guided conformal technique. Thirteen patients were excluded on the basis of prior prostatectomy, hormonal therapy, or no pretreatment prostate specific antigen measurement. Seventy-three patients were evaluable: 19% (1473) American. Prostate specific antigen density was defined as the ratio of the pretreatment serum prostate specific antigen to the prostate volume as determined from computed tomography treatment planning scans. Pretreatment prostate specific antigen density was calculated for each patient and ranged from 0.04-3.85 with a mean and median value of 0.66 and 0.33, respectively. Prostate specific antigen failure was defined as a rise above normal level or, for patients whose nadir was above 4 ng/ml, an increase of greater than 10% above nadir. Mean prostate specific antigen follow-up was 13 months (range 2.3–2.31 months) by which time 66% of patients had normal prostate specific antigen (≤ 4 ng/ml) levels. Results: Nine patients experienced prostate specific antigen failure. The mean prostate specific antigen density of patients with disease-free survival versus failures was 0.53 and 1.6, respectively ( p 0.3 (n = 43, p 0.6 (n = 21) had an 88% and 57% actuarial disease-free survival at > 24 months ( p Conclusion: Prostate specific antigen density was an excellent predictor of disease-free survival ( p p > 0.05), Gleason's score ( p > 0.05), and pretreatment prostate specific antigen ( p
Fermi Energy of Metallic Lithium

A boundary condition method is developed for deriving the coefficient ${E}_{2n}$ in the power series expansion of the energy of an electron of wave number $k$ moving in the lattice of an alkali metal. (The entire calculation proceeds within the framework of the Wigner-Seitz atomic sphere approximation.) If the electron wave function is expanded as ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{k}(\mathbf{r})={e}^{{i}^{\mathbf{k}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{r}}}({u}_{0}+{u}_{1}k+{u}_{2}{k}^{2}+\ensuremath{\cdots})$ it is shown that the boundary condition $[(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}}{\ensuremath{\partial}r})(s \mathrm{part}\mathrm{of} {u}_{2n})]r={r}_{s}=0$ leads naturally to an evaluation of ${E}_{2n}$ in terms of values at ${r}_{s}$ of homogeneous solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation and their derivatives with respect to energy and radius. In this way, a simple expression for ${E}_{4}$ is obtained analogous to that derived by Bardeen for ${E}_{2}$. For the case of metallic lithium, this expression leads to the value ${E}_{4}=\ensuremath{-}0.031$, which agrees with that obtained by the more tedious method of evaluating the expectation value of the Hamiltonian using a wave function correct to the second order in $k$.
On-Demand Information Portals for Disaster Situations

This paper describes our work on developing technology for rapidly assembling information portals that provide integrated access to and analysis of information from multiple sources in the case of any disaster. Many recent disasters (the S.E. Asian Tsunamis, the London subway bombings, the Katrina hurricane, to name a few) have demonstrated that a lot of valuable information becomes available in the hours and days immediately following the disaster, and such information is indeed valuable to disaster managers or even citizens in their response. In this paper we describe our work on developing information portals for disasters in general; we describe many key information processing capabilities and challenges that we consider important in such portals and also describe our approach to developing such capabilities.
Botulinum toxin type A improves benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms in patients with small prostates

Abstract Objectives To expand the clinical use of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in treating patients with small prostates and symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BTX-A injection into the prostate in patients with voiding dysfunction and large prostates has been reported. Methods Sixteen men with symptomatic BPH, a prostate volume less than 30 cm 3 , peak flow rate less than 12 mL/s, and with refractory disease after at least 1 month of alpha-blocker treatment received BTX-A 100 U injection into the prostate transperineally under transrectal ultrasound guidance. The clinical effects were evaluated at baseline and after treatment. Results No significant local or systemic side effects were observed in any of the patients. All patients reported subjective improvement starting at approximately 1 week and achieved a maximal effect after 1 month that was maintained at 3 and 6 months. At 6 to 12 months (mean 10) of follow-up, no patient had symptom recurrence. The mean prostate volume, symptom score, and quality-of-life index were significantly reduced by 13.3% (from 19.6 ± 1.2 to 17.0 ± 1.1 cm 3 ), 52.6% (from 18.8 ± 1.6 to 8.9 ± 1.9), and 44.7% (from 3.8 ± 0.3 to 2.1 ± 0.3), respectively. The maximal flow rate increased significantly by 39.8% (from 7.3 ± 0.7 to 11.8 ± 0.8 mL/s). In 2 patients who underwent biopsy 1 month after BTX-A injection, terminal deoxynucleotidyl-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling staining demonstrated an increase in apoptotic activity, not only in the glandular component, but also in the stromal component of the prostatic tissue. Conclusions BTX-A injected into the prostate is a promising treatment for patients with small prostates and symptomatic BPH.
Pulmonary function after one-lung ventilation in newborns: the basis for neonatal thoracoscopy

Abstract Background . To maintain good exposure during major video-assisted thoracic surgery it is necessary to deflate completely the ipsilateral lung. However, little is known about the effects of one-lung ventilation (OLV) on pulmonary function in newborn patients. Methods . Ten neonatal domestic pigs with a mean age of 6 ± 0.6 days were intubated and ventilated in pressure-controlled mode (inspired oxygen fraction=1.0). One-lung ventilation was maintained for 120 minutes. Serial measurements of hemodynamics and gas exchange were done before, during, and until 90 minutes after OLV. Pulmonary function testing was performed before and after OLV for each lung separately. Results . With the inspired oxygen fraction set at 1.0, arterial oxygen saturation remained stable at 100% during OLV. Venous admixture and alveolar–arterial oxygen tension gradient increased slightly from the baseline value of 2.6% ± 0.3% to 3.8% ± 0.3% during OLV (mean ± standard error of the mean; p = 0.02), and from 358 ± 28 to 407 ± 18 mm Hg (not significant), respectively. Both values returned to baseline during the subsequent ventilation of both lungs. Static compliance and resistance of the ventilated lung did not change. Compliance of the collapsed lung decreased after reexpansion from 0.42 ± 0.07 to 0.29 ± 0.06 mL · cm H 2 O −1 · kg −1 , p = 0.008). Resistance remained unchanged (0.22 ± 0.02 versus 0.25 ± 0.05 cm H 2 O · L −1 · s −1 ; not significant). Conclusions . There were only minor effects on pulmonary function during and after OLV in the neonatal piglet. Alterations in gas exchange during OLV were minimal. Prolonged collapse of the lung with subsequent reexpansion was associated with a slight decrease in compliance, indicating some mild lung injury.
New Sources of Radiation

Man, in all cultures, has worshipped radiation. The most stirring words ever written are the words used in Genesis to describe the Creator focusing His Will that there be light, Now, approximately twenty billion years later, that initial flash of light has cooled to approximately 4°K, but still retains all of its mystery.
Hemodynamic Investigation of Flow in the Normal Portal Vein

Cirrhosis is the twelfth leading cause of death in the United States (1). Previous studies have compared portal vein blood flow and velocity in normal subjects and patients with varying results (2–5). In comparing grades of cirrhosis, based on the “Child-Pugh” score, portal flow was significantly affected as the degree of cirrhosis increased (2–4). These previous studies have used a variety of imaging methods; the most common being Doppler Ultrasound (2–5). The use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and phase contrast (PC) – MRI has not been used extensively to study liver hemodynamics. When compared to ultrasound, MRI is often superior in providing anatomical and hemodynamic information. There has also been no in depth study of normal portal vein hemodynamics, an important step for understanding changes due to cirrhosis. This study seeks to preliminarily characterize normal portal venous hemodynamics in a small number of subjects utilizing both MRI and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The long term clinical objective is to develop non-invasive diagnostic methods to evaluate and monitor the progression of cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Inter-Bank Perceptions: A Marketing Application of Discriminant Analysis

This paper indicates how discriminant analysis may be used by a company to differentiate its services from that of the competition.
Characterization of a muscle-associated antigen from Wuchereria bancrofti.

Abstract A recombinant clone, WbN1, isolated from a genomic expression library of Wuchereria bancrofti and showing restricted specificity at the DNA level (Southern and PCR analyses) for Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi has been previously described. Sequence analysis of WbN1 indicated that it had notable similarity to myosin. Further characterization using in situ hybridization has localized the mRNA in the muscle of the adult parasite and in the microfilariae. Rabbit polyclonal antiserum, raised against the recombinant WbN1 fused to the maltosebinding protein, recognized a 200-kDa polypeptide in immunoblots containing B. malayi antigen extracts. The same antibody also recognized myosin extracted from Brugia pahangi, Onchocerca volvulus , and Caenorhabditis elegans . Localization using the rabbit antiserum revealed the presence of the antigen in the adult muscle tissue and in the microfilariae; the same antibody inhibited the binding of a monoclonal antibody 28.2 (directed toward MHC B of C. elegans myosin) to the recombinant WbN1 antigen and also to purified C. elegans myosin. Based on homology data, structural location, competitive ELISA, and immunoblot we conclude that WbN1 is related to myosin or a similar myofibrillar protein.
Atomic Layer Deposition of a High-k Dielectric on MoS2 Using Trimethylaluminum and Ozone

We present an Al2O3 dielectric layer on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with ozone/trimethylaluminum (TMA) and water/TMA as precursors. The results of atomic force microscopy and low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy show that using TMA and ozone as precursors leads to the formation of uniform Al2O3 layers, in contrast to the incomplete coverage we observe when using TMA/H2O as precursors. Our Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate minimal variations in the MoS2 structure after ozone treatment at 200 °C, suggesting its excellent chemical resistance to ozone.
Increasing Returns and Intensification: A Reprise on Ester Boserup's Model of Agricultural Growth

ABSTRACT The dynamics of Ester Boserup’s model of intensiﬁcation of ‘‘primitive’’ (non-chemical, non-mechanized) agriculture have been worked out in three papers by Darity, Pryor and Maurer, andSalehi-Isfahani under conditions where techniques generating higher levels of food productionrequire longer hours of work. But Boserup’s theory suggests that continued intensiﬁcation canlead to productivity increases in food production. Here the long run implications for agriculturalproductivity are explored when increasing returns evolve from Boserup’s intensiﬁcation process.Variations in the dynamics of a Boserupian economy are considered under different patterns ofresponse to falling incomes and changing work requirements. INTRODUCTION Most economic models of agricultural production have two persistentfeatures. The ﬁrst is the role of competition and/or marginal optimization.The application of human capital theory to the problems of development isa good example. In this case agents optimize their time paths of humancapital acquisition and consumption for maximum utility [see Lucas(1988)]. If competition or optimization is not speciﬁcally in a model ofagricultural production then a dual sector often exists that does exhibit thisfeature. In a related vein, the second persistent feature is the lack of anindependent dynamic in the modeling of agriculture. In these dual modelsthe modern/urban/competitive sector—typically an industrial sector—supplies the dynamism.A recent example of this sort of analysis is Murphy, Shleifer andVishny (1989). In their model the agricultural sector provides a market
Potential influence of sugarcane cultivation on estuarine water quality of Louisiana's gulf coast.

Sugarcane is cultivated on some 170000 ha of land in south central and southwestern Louisiana. This acreage drains into bayous and rivers that empty into Louisiana's coastal bays and estuaries. For a number of years the state's Department of Agriculture and Forestry and Department of Environmental Quality have collected water quality data from this sugarcane area. Study of these data shows that approximately one in five detections of atrazine is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. Currently there is no U.S. atrazine standard for protection of aquatic life. February and October detections of this herbicide are probably due to sugarcane cultivation. Nitrate levels have remained below the MCL for drinking water, but nitrate and phosphorus concentrations may pose a potential for eutrophication problems. The contribution of sugarcane production to the nutrient status of Louisiana's coastal water bodies is difficult to assess because there are other sources of nutrients in the area and native soil phosphorus levels are high. Cultural practices such as subsurface drains, open drainage ditches, and postharvest residue management have potential through enhancement of soil infiltration for decreasing sugarcane's contribution to water quality problems in southern and coastal Louisiana. A new field project is being installed at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Experiment Station's Sugarcane Research Station at St. Gabriel to assess the water quality benefits of these practices with respect to sugarcane cultivation.
Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells and Serum Response Factor Cooperatively Regulate the Activity of an α-Actin Intronic Enhancer

Expression of alpha-actin in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is regulated, in part, by an intronic serum response factor (SRF)-binding CArG element. We have identified a conserved nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) binding site that overlaps this CArG box and tested the hypothesis that this site plays a previously unrecognized role in regulating alpha-actin expression. A reporter construct prepared using a 56-bp region of the mouse alpha-actin first intron containing SRF, NFAT, and AP-1 sites (SNAP) acted as an enhancer element in the context of a minimal thymidine kinase promoter. Basal reporter activity following expression in SMCs was robust and sensitive to the calcineurin-NFAT pathway inhibitors cyclosporin A and FK506. Mutating either the NFAT or SRF binding site essentially abolished reporter activity, suggesting that both NFAT and SRF binding are required. Basal activity in non-smooth muscle HEK293 cells was SRF-dependent but NFAT-independent and approximately 8-fold lower than that in SMCs. Activation of NFAT in HEK293 cells induced an approximately 4-fold increase in activity that was dependent on the integrity of both NFAT and SRF binding sites. NFATc3.SRF complex formation, demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation, was facilitated by the presence of SNAP oligonucleotide. Inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway decreased alpha-actin expression in cultured SMCs, suggesting that the molecular interaction of NFAT and SRF at SNAP may be physiologically relevant. These data provide the first evidence that NFAT and SRF may interact to cooperatively regulate SMC-specific gene expression and support a role for NFAT in the phenotypic maintenance of smooth muscle.
Pubertal Changes of Insulin Sensitivity, Acute Insulin Response and β-Cell function in Overweight Latino Youth

Objective To examine changes in insulin sensitivity (SI), compensatory acute insulin response (AIR), and β-cell function/disposition index (DI) across puberty in overweight Latino boys and girls. Study design Latino children (n = 253) were followed annually for up to 5 years. Longitudinal modeling was used to examine changes in SI, AIR, DI, and fasting and 2-hour glucose and insulin across Tanner stage. Results In boys, SI decreased in early puberty with a recovery by late puberty. The compensatory increase in AIR was appropriate in early maturation, but after Tanner stage 3, AIR declined by more than that predicted from the recovery in SI. For girls, SI decreased in early puberty and across all stages of maturation. In early maturation, there was an appropriate compensatory increase in AIR, but after Tanner stage 3, AIR decreased. Thus, DI deteriorated across puberty in boys and girls. Conclusions In overweight Hispanic youth, compensatory changes in insulin secretion fails after Tanner stage 3 in both sexes, indicating β-cell deterioration during this critical period of development, thus increasing risk for type 2 diabetes.
Physiological and Genetic Analyses Leading to Identification of a Biochemical Role for the moeA (Molybdate Metabolism) Gene Product in Escherichia coli

A unique class of chlorate-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli which produced formate hydrogenlyase and nitrate reductase activities only when grown in medium with limiting amounts of sulfur compounds was isolated. These mutants failed to produce the two molybdoenzyme activities when cultured in rich medium or glucose-minimal medium. The mutations in these mutants were localized in the moeA gene. Mutant strains with polar mutations in moeA which are also moeB did not produce active molybdoenzymes in any of the media tested. moeA mutants with a second mutation in either cysDNCJI or cysH gene lost the ability to produce active molybdoenzyme even when grown in medium limiting in sulfur compounds. The CysDNCJIH proteins along with CysG catalyze the conversion of sulfate to sulfide. Addition of sulfide to the growth medium of moeA cys double mutants suppressed the MoeA− phenotype. These results suggest that in the absence of MoeA protein, the sulfide produced by the sulfate activation/reduction pathway combines with molybdate in the production of activated molybdenum. Since hydrogen sulfide is known to interact with molybdate in the production of thiomolybdate, it is possible that the MoeA-catalyzed activated molybdenum is a form of thiomolybdenum species which is used in the synthesis of molybdenum cofactor from Mo-free molybdopterin.
Cold Hardiness of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Pupae

An insect's cold hardiness affects its potential to overwinter and outbreak in different geographic regions. In this study, we characterized the response of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) pupae to low temperatures by using controlled laboratory measurements of supercooling point (SCP), lower lethal temperature (LT50), and lower lethal time (LLTime). The impact of diapause, acclimation, and sex on the cold hardiness of the pupae also were evaluated. Sex did not significantly affect the SCP, LT50, or LLTime. However, the mean SCP of diapausing pupae (-19.3°C) was significantly lower than nondiapausing pupae (-16.4°C). Acclimation of nondiapausing pupae to constant temperatures from 10 to 20°C before supercooling also produced a significantly lower SCP than nondiapausing pupae held at 25°C. The LT50s of nondiapausing and diapausing were not significantly different, but confirmed that H. zea pupae are chill-intolerant because these lethal temperatures are warmer than the corresponding mean SCPs. Diapausing pupae survived longer than nondiapausing pupae at the same, constant, cold temperatures, a finding consistent with the SCP results. Both of these results suggest enhanced cold hardiness in diapausing pupae. When laboratory results were compared with field temperatures and observed distributions of H. zea in the contiguous United States, the laboratory results corroborated what is currently perceived to be the northern overwintering limit of H. zea; approximately the 40th parallel. Moreover, our research showed that areas north of this limit are lethal to overwintering pupae not because of low temperature extremes, but rather the length of time spent at near-zero temperatures.
“AWFUL UNKNOWN QUANTITIES”: ADDRESSING THE READERS IN HARD TIMES

Charles Dickens was lionized in the early 1850s for his political powers as a novelist, journalist, and reformer. A December 1850 review of David Copperfield in Fraser's Magazine affirmed that the so-called “Boz” has done more, we verily believe, for the promotion of peace and goodwill between man and man, class and class, nation and nation, than all the congresses under the sun . . . . Boz, and men like Boz, are the true humanizers, and therefore the true pacificators, of the world. They sweep away the prejusdices of class and caste, and disclose the common ground of humanity which lies beneath factitious social and national systems. Such tributes to his political powers must have been gratifying to a writer who had begun his career as a parliamentary reporter. They proclaimed the power of the writer in an age of print, bearing out Thomas Carlyle's sense that “Printing . . . is equivalent to Democracy . . . . Whoever can speak, speaking now to the whole nation, becomes a power, a branch of government, with inalienable weight in law-making.” Fraser's elaborated on this idea by linking Dickens's uncanny ability to “introduce” characters to one another to his ability to “introduce” such characters to readers of different ranks. “Men like Boz,” the reviewer explained, “introduce the peasantry to the peerage” and “the grinder at the mill to the millionaire who owns the grist” (700).
Prostate specific antigen as a predictor of an abnormal digital rectal examination

Objective To assess the ability of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) to predict and differentiate patients with normal and abnormal digital rectal findings. Subjects and methods A prospective analysis of 1374 participants in a prostate cancer screening programme was performed. After completion of a questionnaire including age and voiding symptoms as well as phlebotomy for PSA analysis, digital rectal examination was performed and the findings were categorized with respect to size, consistency, symmetry and nodularity. Results In men less than 50 years of age the mean serum PSA level failed to discriminate any of the digital rectal examination categories. In men over 50 there was a statistically significant difference in mean PSA levels between symmetrical, normal sized prostates and symmetrically enlarged glands as well as between symmetrical, normal sized and abnormal prostates (P 18.4 ng/ml (corresponding to monoclonal levels of > 10 ng/ml) had a 67% probability of an abnormal digital rectal examination. However, moderate elevations in PSA could not be used to predict digital examination abnormalities due to the high incidence of moderate PSA elevations associated with symmetrical enlargement of the prostate. Conclusions Serial annual PSA measurements may provide an alternative means of screening men over 50 years of age. Contamination of results with PSA elevation due to benign prostatic hyperplasia remains, however, a problem.
Privacy-Preserving Backpropagation Neural Network Learning

With the development of distributed computing environment , many learning problems now have to deal with distributed input data. To enhance cooperations in learning, it is important to address the privacy concern of each data holder by extending the privacy preservation notion to original learning algorithms. In this paper, we focus on preserving the privacy in an important learning model, multilayer neural networks. We present a privacy-preserving two-party distributed algorithm of backpropagation which allows a neural network to be trained without requiring either party to reveal her data to the other. We provide complete correctness and security analysis of our algorithms. The effectiveness of our algorithms is verified by experiments on various real world data sets.
MECHANISM OF THE LYSIS OF PNEUMOCOCCI BY FREEZING AND THAWING, BILE, AND OTHER AGENTS

Pneumococci, living or dead, are soluble in bile when: (a) the autolytic enzymes are still present in a potentially active form; (b) conditions are favorable for enzymatic action. Bile solubility of pneumococci involves as a necessary step one, or a few, of the many stages of the autolytic complex. These observations hold true for the disruption of pneumococci by freezing and thawing, by previous desiccation with cold acetone, and by dilute solutions of antiseptics. A possible mechanism is discussed to account for these forms of lysis.
Ultrastructural considerations concerning cardiac muscle.

Abstract Geometry defines the vectors of electrical activity. For this reason, ultrastructural studies can make considerable contributions to an understanding of heart function. Overall, the various structural components of cardiac muscle are quite similar to those found in skeletal muscle. The main differences are in the surface geometry of the cells, the structure of some subcomponents of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, in the way the individual cells are apposed to form bundles, and in the presence of specializations of the surface membrane, such as the nexuses in cardiac and the motor endplates in skeletal muscle. One of the striking differences between skeletal and cardiac muscle is the fact that in cardiac muscle, especially in bird cardiac muscle, there are specializations of the sarcoplasmic reticulum that have all the morphological features of junctional SR (terminal cisternae in skeletal muscle), but which do not have contact with the plasma membrane; thus raising questions regarding the pathways for the translation of the action potential into calcium release for contraction in striated muscle in general. Serial sections through bundles of cardiac muscle show that, at least in conduction fibre bundles, there are multiple intercellular connections between cells forming very small bundles, and that these small bundles form relatively few connections between each other. This may be of considerable importance for the current distribution throughout the heart muscle.
The Lawrence–Krammer–Bigelow representations of the braid groups via Uq(sl2)

Abstract We construct representations of the braid groups B n on n strands on free Z [ q ± 1 , s ± 1 ] -modules W n , l using generic Verma modules for an integral version of U q ( sl 2 ) . We prove that the W n , 2 are isomorphic to the faithful Lawrence–Krammer–Bigelow representations of B n after appropriate identification of parameters of Laurent polynomial rings by constructing explicit integral bases and isomorphism. We also prove that the B n -representations W n , l are irreducible over the fractional field Q ( q , s ) .
Stomata from growth‐chamber‐grown Vicia faba have an enhanced sensitivity to CO2*

Abaxial stomata from Vicia faba leaves grown in a growth chamber under constant light, temperature and humidity showed an elaborate pattern of aperture changes over the course of a light cycle. These aperture changes were tightly correlated with changes in chamber CO 2 concentration (r 2 =0.83). Changes in chamber [CO 2 ] resulted, in turn, from substantial daily fluctuations in ambient [CO 2 ], typical of the Los Angeles environment, with a constant offset caused by photosynthesis and respiration of the plants within the chamber. The dominant role of the stomatal response to CO 2 in the control of aperture was confirmed by manipulation of chamber [CO 2 ]. Fast (15 min) increases and decreases in [CO 2 ] caused rapid decreases and increases in aperture, while constant [CO 2 ] resulted in constant aperture. In contrast, aperture changes in comparable plants grown under greenhouse conditions were tightly correlated with changes in incident solar radiation (r 2 =0.80), and poorly correlated with changes in [CO 2 ] (r 2 =0.09). Greenhouse-grown plants transferred to growth chamber conditions showed no apparent response to CO 2 . These data indicate that growth-chamber-grown V. faba leaves provide an experimental system optimally suited for the study of the stomatal response to CO 2 , and suggest that acclimation to environmental conditions alters the sensitivity of stomata to CO 2 .
From Divorce to Friendship: A Study of Dialectic Relationship Development:

This paper illustrates a dialectic perspective of relationship development, using a case study of a divorced couple who have become friends. This perspective suggests that relationships oscillate between opposites (stability/changes, intimacy/detachment), and exhibit unity of opposites (including both stability/change, intimacy/detachment). This contrasts with homeostatically based views which suggest that relationships either move towards and maintain stable levels of intimacy or terminate. Episode analysis of three recounted `scenes' from the couple's relationship traces their development from an intolerable marriage to a compatible post-divorce friendship. Theoretical implications for the study of evolving relationships are discussed.
A high spatial resolution retrieval of NO 2 column densities from OMI: method and evaluation

Abstract. We present a new retrieval of tropospheric NO 2 vertical column density from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) based on high spatial and temporal resolution terrain and profile inputs. We compare our NO 2 product, the Berkeley High-Resolution (BEHR) product, with operational retrievals and find that the operational retrievals are biased high (30 %) over remote areas and biased low (8 %) over urban regions. Additionally, we find non-negligible impacts on the retrieved NO 2 column for terrain pressure (±20 %), albedo (±40 %), and NO 2 vertical profile (−75 %–+10 %). We validate the operational and BEHR products using boundary layer aircraft observations from the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS-CA) field campaign which occurred in June 2008 in California. Results indicate that columns derived using our boundary layer extrapolation method show good agreement with satellite observations ( R 2 = 0.65–0.83; N = 68) and provide a more robust validation of satellite-observed NO 2 column than those determined using full vertical spirals ( R 2 = 0.26; N = 5) as in previous work. Agreement between aircraft observations and the BEHR product ( R 2 = 0.83) is better than agreement with the operational products ( R 2 = 0.65–0.72). We also show that agreement between satellite and aircraft observations can be further improved (e.g. BEHR: R 2 = 0.91) using cloud information from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument instead of the OMI cloud product. These results indicate that much of the variance in the operational products can be attributed to coarse resolution terrain pressure, albedo, and profile parameters implemented in the retrievals.
Mesophase-Enhanced Polymerization and Chemo-Rheology of Poly(p-Phenylenebenzobisthiazole)

The phenomenon of mesophase-enhanced polymerization of the rodlike polymer poly(pphenylenebenzobisthiazole) in polyphosphoric acid was investigated. When the polymer concentration was greater than 5 wt%, the reacting mixture became anisotropic at an early stage of the polymerization. The reaction rate increased significantly at the isotropic-nematic phase transition as the rods were aligned in positions more favorable for the condensation reaction to occur. At 4.5 wt% of polymer, the reacting mixture remained isotropic for up to 1500 min of reaction time. The chemo-rheological properties of the 15 wt% reaction mixture indicate the occurrence of the phase change in either the shear viscosity or the first normal stress difference measurements.
Mechanosensory S-neurons rather than AH-neurons appear to generate a rhythmic motor pattern in guinea-pig distal colon

Simultaneous intracellular recordings were made from myenteric neurons and circular muscle (CM) cells in isolated, stretched segments of guinea-pig distal colon. We have shown previously that maintained stretch generates a repetitive and coordinated discharge of ascending excitatory and descending inhibitory neuronal reflex pathways in the distal colon. In the presence of nifedipine (1–2 μm) to paralyse the muscle, simultaneous recordings were made from 25 pairs of AH (after-hyperpolarization)-neurons and CM cells separated by 100–500 μm. In all 25 AH-neurons, proximal process potentials (PPPs) were never recorded, even though at the same time, all recordings from neighbouring CM cells showed an ongoing discharge of inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) anally, or excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) orally. In fact, 24 of 25 AH-neurons were totally silent, while in one AH-cell, some spontaneous fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (FEPSPs) were recorded. All 10 electrically silent AH-cells that were injected with neurobiotin were found to be multipolar Dogiel type II neurons. In contrast, when recordings were made from myenteric S-neurons, two distinct electrical patterns of electrical activity were recorded. Recordings from 25 of 48 S-neurons showed spontaneous FEPSPs, the majority of which (22 of 25) showed periods when discrete clusters of FEPSPs (mean duration 88 ms) could be temporally correlated with the onset of EJPs or anal IJPs in the CM. Nine S-neurons were electrically quiescent. The second distinct electrical pattern in 14 S-neurons consisted of bursts, or prolonged trains of action potentials, which could be reduced to proximal process potentials (PPPs) in six of these 14 neurons during membrane hyperpolarization. Unlike FEPSPs, PPPs were resistant to a low Ca2+–high Mg2+ solution and did not change in amplitude during hyperpolarizing pulses. Mechanosensory S-neurons were found to be uniaxonal or pseudounipolar filamentous neurons, with morphologies consistent with interneurons. No slow EPSPs were ever recorded from AH- or S-type neurons when IJPs or EJPs occurred in the CM. In summary, we have identified a population of mechanosensory S-neurons in the myenteric plexus of the distal colon which appear to be largely stretch sensitive, rather than muscle-tension sensitive, since they generate ongoing trains of action potentials in the presence of nifedipine. No evidence was found to suggest that in paralysed preparations, the repetitive firing in ascending excitatory or descending inhibitory nerve pathways was initiated by myenteric AH-neurons, or slow synaptic transmission.
PoP Technology for the Automotive Industry

Package-on-Package (PoP) technology has been in production for commercial and portable electronic applications for many years. The key challenge for PoP in automotive applications is meeting the aggressive defect level requirements. The need for PoP has historically been driven by mobile and tablet applications and an increased demand for more processor and memory performance within smaller spaces. With the maturity and excellent historical performance of PoP technology used with TI OMAPTM processor products, PoP can now be introduced as a reliable packaging technology in the automotive industry. This paper will describe the work involved in the enablement of commercial PoP technology into the automotive industry. The challenges and requirements regarding package design, warpage performance, surface mount (SMT) characterization, and board-level reliability (BLR) performance will all be explained.
Effects of chronic lard feeding on sympathetic nervous system activity in the rat.

The level of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in obesity is controversial, with reports claiming either increased or decreased SNS activity. The following studies examined SNS activity in ...
Choices, Choices: Determining Significant Predictors of Choosing a School and Choosing Charters in Denver's Universal School Enrollment Program

Through charter school laws, more than 40 states now enable parents to send their child to a school other than their neighborhood school. Given the option, what kinds of schools do parents prefer -- charter or traditional public schools? Are there differences in preferences based on family and student performance characteristics? To answer these questions, a body of literature has examined enrollment patterns, but for various reasons of policy and practice, enrollment patterns are not necessarily accurate representations of parental preferences. This study takes advantage of a rare centralized enrollment system in Denver, Colorado, that enabled the authors to track the actual stated choices/preferences of parents. Results indicate the most consistent predictor of affirmatively choosing a school and choosing a charter school is race/ethnicity. In particular, black families are almost always more likely than White families to choose and to choose charters. The same is also usually true for Hispanic families. Beyond race/ethnicity, few other variables demonstrate consistent patterns of relationships or significance across dependent measures or grades. ELL students, those with IEPs, and students who quality for free or reduced lunch sometimes choose or choose charters at significantly greater or lesser rates, but not consistently so. Finally, actual prior academic performance and prior enrollment in a charter school appear to play only a trivial role in predicting whether parents choose or choose charters.
Intelligent Interface for Organizing Online Social Opinions on Reddit

Lots of posts containing social opinions are published on Reddit in a messy and staggered format with sub-Reddit labels summarizing their contents only. It's hard for users to have a global insight across different positions and opinions for a specific topic in a short time, especially for a controversial topic. We propose an intelligent mechanism which combines social opinion clustering and information visualization together. First, we cluster the Reddit posts into different categories based on crowd position and opinions, and generate informative clustering labels using the human computation technique. Second, we create an intelligent user interface with Reddit posts category visualization. This would expose categorized posts of different positions and opinions to users, and motivate users to hunt for posts supported by unlike-minded people.
Sahwave Batholith, NW Nevada: Cretaceous arc flare-up in a basinal terrane

Detailed mapping and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb geochronology centered around the Nightingale and Sahwave Ranges, ∼100 km northeast of Reno, Nevada, reveal that most of the Mesozoic basement in this area is composed of predominantly granodiorite-composition plutonic rocks intruded ca. 110–88.5 Ma. These rocks are similar in age, petrology, and composition to the mid-Cretaceous eastern part of the Sierra Nevada Batholith, and are likely related. The youngest plutonic rocks, ca. 93–88.5 Ma, form a large, compositionally zoned intrusive suite, referred to as the Sahwave intrusive suite. This suite is composed of a set of nested, inward-younging intrusions, varying between mafic, equigranular granodiorite around the periphery to more felsic, K-feldspar–megacrystic granodiorite in the center. The Sahwave intrusive suite is coeval with the Cathedral Range intrusive event along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, including the Tuolumne intrusive suite. The geochemistry and petrology of this intrusion also support similar magma genesis and emplacement. Intrusions of the Cathedral Range intrusive event in the Sierra Nevada were emplaced along the margin of North American continental crust, whereas the Sahwave intrusive suite was intruded into a thick package of basinal metasedimentary rocks that were likely underlain by transitional crust. More primitive initial 87Sr/86Sr and eNd values (ca. 0.7047 and –0.2, respectively) reflect this difference. In light of this likely fundamental difference in lower-crustal character, other factors, possibly related to subducted, water-rich material, must be responsible for creating similar melting conditions among the series of large intrusions that represent the last magmatic flare-up of the Cretaceous arc.
Repeat radiosurgery for intracranial arteriovenous malformations.

Background Despite a high success rate in the stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) that cannot be safely resected with microsurgery, some patients must be managed after treatment failure. Objective To provide an update on the use of repeat linear accelerator radiosurgery as a treatment for failed AVM radiosurgery at the University of Florida. Methods We reviewed 103 patients who underwent repeat radiosurgical treatment for residual AVM at the University of Florida between December 1991 and December 2007. Each of these patients had at least 2 radiosurgical treatments for the same AVM. Patient information, including AVM nidus volume, prescription dose, age, and sex, was collected at the time of initial treatment and again at the time of retreatment. Patients were followed up after treatment with magnetic resonance, computed tomography, and angiographic imaging at standard intervals to determine the status of their AVM. The median follow-up after retreatment was 31 months. Results Between the first and second treatments, the median AVM nidus volume was decreased by 69% (from a median volume of 12.7 to 4.0 cm), allowing the median prescribed dose to be increased from 1500 cGy on initial treatment to 1750 cGy on retreatment. The final obliteration rate on retreatment was 65.3%. After salvage retreatment, 5 patients (4.9%) experienced radiation-induced complications, and 6 patients (5.8%) experienced posttreatment hemorrhage. Conclusion Repeat radiosurgery is a safe and effective salvage treatment for AVMs.
Phosphorus-doped silicon nanocrystals exhibiting mid-infrared localized surface plasmon resonance.

Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) enable tailoring of the optical response of nanomaterials through their free carrier concentration, morphology, and dielectric environment. Recent efforts to expand the spectral range of usable LSPR frequencies into the infrared successfully demonstrated LSPRs in doped semiconductor nanocrystals. Despite silicon’s importance for electronic and photonic applications, no LSPRs have been reported for doped silicon nanocrystals. Here we demonstrate doped silicon nanocrystals synthesized via a nonthermal plasma technique that exhibits tunable LSPRs in the energy range of 0.07–0.3 eV or mid-infrared wavenumbers of 600–2500 cm–1.
A High Performance Aircraft Wind Tunnel Test using Response Surface Methodologies

A Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach to wind tunnel testing of high performance aircraft is being investigated at the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel (LFST). In an effort to better characterize an aircraft's aerodynamic behavior as a function of attitude and control inputs, and also decrease testing time required, an exploratory study was completed using RSM on a 19 percent scale modified X-31 model. The X-31 model was chosen based on its non-linear aerodynamic behavior at high angle of attack that is representative of modern fighter design and a substantial pre-esisting data base. A five-level nested fractional factorial design, augmented with center points and axial points, produced regression models including pure cubic terms for the characteristic aerodynamic forces and moments over a cuboidal design space as a function of model attitude and control surface inputs. Model adequacy and uncertainty levels were described using robust statistical methods inherent to RSM practice. Comparisons to baseline data and sample lateral-directional and longitudinal aerodynamic characteristic are given.
Gaining Faculty Buy-in

Academic librarians strive to work closely with faculty to develop library instruction sessions; however, for a variety of reasons this is not always the case. Understanding the needs of an instruction session through the eyes of faculty remains a vital aspect of planning these sessions. In developing these partnerships, librarians must understand how faculty views the skills of librarians and how they can support teaching, learning, and research. Collaborating with faculty in one-shot sessions can also lead to greater opportunities for library instruction on a wide scale. Academic librarians should continue to employ a variety of strategies to gain faculty buy-in, which can lead to more effective partnerships with faculty.