cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neural network dynamics of cortical inhibition: metacontrast masking

Abstract The dynamic properties of a neural network model of boundary segmentation, called the Boundary Contour System, explains characteristics of metacontrast masking. Computer simulations of the model, with a single set of parameters, demonstrate that it accounts for the key findings of metacontrast masking; strongest masking occurs at positive stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA); masking is weak for negative SOAs; masking effects weaken with spatial separation. The properties of metacontrast masking arise from interactions between positive feedback and lateral inhibition in cortical neural circuits. The model links properties of metacontrast masking with aspects of visual persistence, spatial vision, and cells in visual cortex.
Synchronization patterns in cerebral blood flow and peripheral blood pressure under minor stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The autoregulation of cerebral blood flow that adapts to changes in systemic blood pressure is impaired after stroke. We investigate blood flow velocities (BFV) from right and left middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) simultaneously measured from the finger, in 13 stroke and 11 healthy subjects using the mean value statistics and phase synchronization method. We find an increase in the vascular resistance and a much stronger cross-correlation with a time lag up to 20 seconds with the instantaneous phase increment of the BFV and BP signals for the subjects with stroke compared to healthy subjects.
Using neutron spin echo to probe space and time correlations in thin films

I discuss the possibility of making minor modifications to existing neutron spin echo (NSE) spectrometers to enable the measurement of both the space and time dependence of density fluctuations in thin films mounted on planar substrates. The modifications consist primarily of adding four additional π flippers.
Formation and stability of iron(II) oxidation products under natural concentrations of dissolved silica

Abstract Model solutions were used to evaluate the effect of dissolved silica on the mineralogy and stability of Fe(II) oxidation products. Mineralogy was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. Stability was evaluated by measuring the decrease in turbidity of colloidal suspensions with time. At Si Fe molar ratios of 0.1 or less, oxidation of Fe(II) produced lepidocrocite, a moderately crystalline oxide that settled rapidly out of solution. At Si Fe molar ratios of 0.36 or higher, ferrihydrite formed from the oxidation of Fe(II). The ferrihydrite consisted of 0.1 μm spherical particles that were poorly crystalline and increasingly stable with higher Si Fe molar ratios. The ferrihydrite was similar in structure and composition to Fe oxide colloids isolated from two natural samples: (1) a reduced groundwater sample that was allowed to oxidize in the laboratory and (2) the colloidal particles in the
A One Year Study of the Macular Pigment: The Effect of 140 Days of a Lutein Supplement

A low density of macular pigment may represent a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by permitting greater blue light damage. This study was carried out to determine the effects on macular pigment optical density of dietary supplementation with lutein, one of the pigment constituents. Two subjects consumed lutein esters, equivalent to 30 mg of free lutein per day, for a period of 140 days. Macular pigment optical density was determined by heterochromatic flicker photometry before, during, and after the supplementation period. Serum lutein concentration was also obtained through the analysis of blood samples by high-performance liquid chromatography. Twenty to 40 days after the subjects commenced taking the lutein supplement, their macular pigment optical density began to increase uniformly at an average rate of 1.13+/-0.12 milliabsorbance units/day. During this same period, the serum concentration of lutein increased roughly tenfold, approaching a steady state plateau. The optical density curve eventually levelled off 40 to 50 days after the subjects discontinued the supplement. During the same 40 to 50 days, the serum concentration returned to baseline. Thereafter, little or no decrease in optical density was observed. The mean increases in the macular pigment optical density were 39% and 21% in the eyes of the two subjects respectively. In conclusion, the modest period of supplementation has been estimated to have produced in the subjects a 30 to 40% reduction in blue light reaching the photoreceptors, Bruch's membrane, and the retinal pigment epithelium, the vulnerable tissues affected by AMD.
Measurement Requirements for Climate Monitoring of Upper-Air Temperature Derived from Reanalysis Data

Abstract Using a reanalysis of the climate of the past half century as a model of temperature variations over the next half century, tests of various data collection protocols are made to develop recommendations for observing system requirements for monitoring upper-air temperature. The analysis focuses on accurately estimating monthly climatic data (specifically, monthly average temperature and its standard deviation) and multidecadal trends in monthly temperatures at specified locations, from the surface to 30 hPa. It does not address upper-air network size or station location issues. The effects of reducing the precision of temperature data, incomplete sampling of the diurnal cycle, incomplete sampling of the days of the month, imperfect long-term stability of the observations, and changes in observation schedule are assessed. To ensure accurate monthly climate statistics, observations with at least 0.5-K precision, made at least twice daily, at least once every two or three days are sufficient. Using ...
IMMUNODIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR TRANSPLANT REJECTION

Abstract A simple, rapid, and specific immuno-logical test has detected the onset and progression of the immune responses of patients to their renal allografts. Within 5 hours of their application, immune (but not non-immune) peripheral leucocytes aggregated around donor-type kidney or skin fibroblast cells which had been maintained as monolayers in tissue culture. The pattern of reactivity in twenty-three patients revealed immunological specificity for antigens present in the kidney donor. Leucocyte aggregation in vitro was detected several days before clinical evidence of rejection. After reversal of rejection, host peripheral leucocytes were unresponsive in vitro. On the other hand, if the rejection could not be reversed and the transplanted kidney was removed, the patient's leucocytes displayed specific cellular reactivity for months. These observations suggest that an in-vitro test may be used in the routine evaluation of graft recipients to detect pre-existent sensitisation and to obtain an early diagnosis of renal allograft rejection.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF REACTION WHEEL DISTURBANCE MODELS: EMPIRICAL MODEL

Accurate disturbance models are necessary to predict the effects of vibrations on the performance of precision space-based telescopes, such as the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). There are many possible disturbance sources on such spacecraft, but mechanical jitter from the reaction wheel assembly (RWA) is anticipated to be the largest. A method has been developed and implemented in the form of a MATLAB toolbox to extract parameters for an empirical disturbance model from RWA micro-vibration data. The disturbance model is based on one that was used to predict the vibration behaviour of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) wheels and assumes that RWA disturbances consist of discrete harmonics of the wheel speed with amplitudes proportional to the wheel speed squared. The MATLAB toolbox allows the extension of this empirical disturbance model for application to any reaction wheel given steady state vibration data. The toolbox functions are useful for analyzing RWA vibration data, and the model provides a good estimate of the disturbances over most wheel speeds. However, it is shown that the disturbances are under-predicted by a model of this form over some wheel speed ranges. The poor correlation is due to the fact that the empirical model does not account for disturbance amplifications caused by interactions between the harmonics and the structural modes of the wheel. Experimental data from an ITHACO Space Systems E-type reaction wheel are used to illustrate the model development and validation process.
The Biophysical Dimension of Community Economic Addiction: Examining the Emergence of Biomass Energy in a Northern Forest Community

This article examines economic redevelopment in a small city once dependent on the pulp and paper industry. In the wake of the industry's demise, biomass energy has emerged as the primary new forest-based industry there. I combine Freudenburg's “addictive economies” framework with a focus on place character to explore the relationship between historical patterns of resource control, contemporary forest conditions, and the shape of redevelopment in the study community. I demonstrate the continued applicability of Freudenburg and colleagues’ work on resource-dependent communities for understanding patterns of local change in the early 21st century, and extend his framework to show how addiction can involve not only dependence on a given resource-based industry, but also the changing characteristics of the resource base itself in a historical process of environmental degradation that can leave communities addicted to resources of particular, industrially produced types and conditions.
A Numerical Study of the Influence of Hydrogen Addition on Soot Formation in a Laminar Counterflow Ethylene/Oxygen/Nitrogen Diffusion Flame

The influence of hydrogen addition to the fuel on soot formation in an ethylene/oxygen/nitrogen diffusion flame was numerically studied by simulation of three counterflow laminar diffusion flames at atmosphere pressure. The fuel mixtures for the three flames are pure ethylene, ethylene/hydrogen and ethylene/helium, respectively, while the oxidant is a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. A detailed gas phase reaction mechanism including species up to benzene and complex thermal and transport properties were used. The soot inception and surface growth rates were, respectively, calculated based on benzene and HACA (H-abstraction and C2 H2 -addition) mechanisms. The predicted results for the three flames were compared and analyzed. It is indicated that although the addition of either hydrogen or helium to the fuel can reduce the soot volume fraction, the addition of hydrogen is more efficient. While the addition of helium reduces soot formation only through dilution, the addition of hydrogen suppresses soot formation through both dilution and chemical reaction effects. This conclusion is qualitatively consistent with available experiments. The simulations revel that the chemically inhibiting effect is caused by the decrease of hydrogen atom concentration in soot formation region, due to the displacement of the primary reaction zone, when hydrogen is added to the fuel.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Transferring Manipulative Skills to Robots: Representation and Acquisition of Tool Manipulative Skills Using a Process Dynamics Model

A new method based on task process models for acquiring manipulative skills from human experts is presented. In performing manipulative tasks such as deburring, a human expert moves a tool at an optimal feedrate and cutting force as well as with an appropriate compliance for holding the tool. An experienced worker can select the correct strategy for performing a task and change it dynamically in accordance with the task process state. In this paper, the human expertise for selecting a task strategy that accords with the process characteristics is modeled as an associative mapping, and represented and generated by using a neural network. First, the control strategy for manipulating a tool is described in terms of feedforward inputs and tool holding dynamics. The parameters and variables representing the control strategy are then identified by using teaching data taken from demonstrations by an expert. The task process is also modeled and characterized by a set of parameters, which are identified by using this same teaching data. Combining the two sets of identified parameters, we can derive an associative mapping from the task process characteristics to the task strategy parameters. The consistency of the mapping and the transferability of human skills are analyzed by using Lipschitz’s condition. The method is applied to deburring, and implemented on a direct-drive robot. It is shown that the robot is able to associate a correct control strategy with process characteristics in a manner similar to that of the human expert.
TIMP-1 induces an EMT-like phenotypic conversion in MDCK cells independent of its MMP-inhibitory domain.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors (TIMPs) regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) critical for the development of epithelial organs as well as cancer cell invasion. TIMP-1 is frequently overexpressed in several types of human cancers and serves as a prognostic marker. The present study investigates the roles of TIMP-1 on the EMT process and formation of the lumen-like structure in a 3D Matrigel culture of MDCK cells. We show that TIMP-1 overexpression effectively prevents cell polarization and acinar-like structure formation. TIMP-1 induces expression of the developmental EMT transcription factors such as SLUG, TWIST, ZEB1 and ZEB2, leading to downregulation of epithelial marker and upregulation of mesenchymal markers. Importantly, TIMP-1′s ability to induce the EMT-like process is independent of its MMP-inhibitory domain. To our surprise, TIMP-1 induces migratory and invasive properties in MDCK cells. Here, we present a novel finding that TIMP-1 signaling upregulates MT1-MMP and MMP-2 expression, and potentiates MT1-MMP activation of pro-MMP-2, contributing to tumor cell invasion. In spite of the fact that TIMP-1, as opposed to TIMP-2, does not interact with and inhibit MT1-MMP, TIMP-1 may act as a key regulator of MT1-MMP/MMP-2 axis. Collectively, our findings suggest a model in which TIMP-1 functions as a signaling molecule and also as an endogenous inhibitor of MMPs. This concept represents a paradigm shift in the current view of TIMP-1/MT1-MMP interactions and functions during cancer development/progression.
The stressful (and not so stressful) nature of language brokering: identifying when brokering functions as a cultural stressor for Latino immigrant children in early adolescence.

Language brokering remains prevalent among immigrant families, but it is widely assumed that brokering functions as a cultural stressor, resulting in adverse health outcomes for immigrant youth. Few studies, however, have tested this assumption, particularly while using longitudinal data and capturing multiple dimensions of brokering. Thus, this study examined how depressive symptoms and family-based acculturation stress mediated the relationships between various aspects of brokering (i.e., frequency of brokering, positive and negative feelings about brokering, brokering norms, and brokering efficacy) and alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use and other risky behaviors. Using longitudinal survey data from 234 Latino early adolescents in 6th–8th grades (M age = 12.4 years; Females = 46.2 %), brokering for parents indirectly affected alcohol and marijuana use through family-based acculturation stress; however, these significant indirect effects became non-significant when taking into account negative brokering feelings and brokering as a burden on one’s time. Feeling positively or efficacious about brokering or having pro-brokering norms did not directly predict any adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Moderation analyses, however, revealed that brokering for parents did not seem to function as a stressor when Latino early adolescents were high in brokering efficacy (e.g., feeling confident in one’s ability to broker) or descriptive brokering norms (e.g., perceiving one’s peers as brokering often). By contrast, when Latino early adolescents perceived brokering as a burden, brokering for parents functioned as a stressor, placing Latino early adolescents at risk for family-based acculturation stress, and in turn, alcohol and marijuana use. Such findings point to the complexity of brokering.
An exploratory investigation of quality of life in adult liver transplant recipients.

Quality of life is an important outcome indicator of experiences associated with liver transplantation. Unfortunately, quality of life has been defined in many different ways, causing confusion and misconceptions among practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and patients. This exploratory qualitative study was initiated to gain greater understanding regarding the adult transplant recipients' experiences with liver transplantation in order to direct future studies with this population and to assist in selection of a relevant quality of life survey tool for quantitative investigation. Twelve informants (7 women, 5 men) shared their experiences in face-to-face interviews conducted by the researcher. Analysis of these interviews reveals the importance of physiologic, psychological, social, spiritual, family, and socio-economic aspects of quality of life for liver transplant recipients.
Magnetic properties of Er-Ta granular thin films

Abstract The magnetic and structural properties of granular Er-Ta films have been studied with SQUID magnetometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The films have been fabricated by co-sputtering using DC magnetron sputtering. The particle size of granular films was found to be affected by both the composition and annealing temperature. Electron diffraction patterns showed that the as-sputtered Er-Ta films have an amorphous structure. After annealing at different temperatures, the amorphous phase transforms first into an intermediate fcc structure and finally into an Er hcp phase and Ta phase, in which granular particles are clearly observed by TEM. The intermediate fcc structure shows only one magnetic transition whereas the hcp Er granular solids show a superparamagnetic and a modulated magnetic phase transitions. The modulated phase is not as obvious as in hcp Er films and this may be due to finite size effects.
Use of a discontinuous wing leading-edge modification to enhance spin resistance for general aviation airplanes

Spin resistance of two typical general aviation airplanes has been studied. Improvement in spin resistance due to an outboard wing leading-edge modification was evaluated through wind-tunnel and flight tests. The basic airplanes would readily enter a spin; however, with the wing modification the airplanes were highly spin resistant. Spin resistance has been related to the angle of attack of the outer wing panel and the yaw rate as a step toward development of guidelines for design of more spin resistant airplanes.
Nucleation and motion of an isolated Abrikosov vortex.

A new family of superconductor\char21{}normal-metal\char21{}insulator\char21{}superconductor (S/I/N/S) Josephson junctions have been developed in which a single Abrikosov vortex can be nucleated and systematically moved to selected positions. The location of the vortex within the junction is determined from the shape of the diffraction patterns. Methods have been developed to push the vortex to most any desired location within the junction by applying currents in either or both of the cross-strip legs of the junction. The elementary pinning force for a vortex in a pure Pb film was measured and found to be much smaller than for a Pb-Bi film. In addition, the vortex moves in much smaller steps for the Pb film than was found for the Pb-Bi films. For S/I/N/S junctions, the voltages and currents are in the microvolt and milliamp range; so very conventional detection can be used if a device is to be built based on the motion of a single Abrikosov vortex.
Some characteristics of kidney and liver lipids from the American antelope

The percentages of total lipids, phospholipids, and cholesterol in the kidney and liver of pregnant antelope are reported. The iodine values of the total lipids in these two organs are also listed. By the use of three collections of the antelope made about one month apart during the latter part of the gestation period, it was shown that there were no significant changes in the above lipid values during this period.
Sulfonated polysulfone with 1,3-1H-dibenzimidazole-benzene additive as a membrane for direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract 1,3-1H-Dibenzimidazole-benzene (DBImBenzene) has been synthesized using phosphorus pentoxide-methanesulfonic acid (PPMA) as a solvent and dehydration agent and investigated as an additive (up to 2.0 wt.%) in sulfonated polysulfone (SPSf) membranes to promote proton conduction via acid–base interactions. The SPSf/DBImBenzene blend membranes with various DBImBenzene contents (0–2.0 wt.%) have been prepared and characterized by proton conductivity measurement and electrochemical polarization and methanol crossover measurements in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The blend membranes with DBImBenzene content of 0.5 and 1.0 wt.% show higher proton conductivities (3.4 and 2.9 × 10−4 S/cm, respectively) than plain SPSf (2.4 × 10−4 S/cm) even though the blend membranes have lower ion exchange capacity (0.81 and 0.75 mequiv./g, respectively) than plain SPSf (0.86 mequiv./g). The blend membranes exhibit better electrochemical performance in DMFC than plain SPSf membrane due to an enhancement in proton conductivity through acid–base interactions and lower methanol crossover.
The need to include multipole effects beyond the dipole approximation in the description of photoionization both at nonrelativistic and relativistic energies

Abstract We may ask what information characterizes low energy photoionization and what further information is accessible when photoionization is studied at higher energies, as in the X-ray and γ-ray regimes. For a “complete” experiment it is in fact not generally sufficient, even at low energy, to determine the energy dependence of the usual dipole parameters. Rather, such parameters should be determined for each multipole, or alternatively, the energy and angle dependence of angular distributions and polarization correlations. However it is known that in some circumstances, particularly for total cross sections from s-subshells, relativistic and higher multipole contributions tend to cancel well into the γ-ray regime, leaving a non-relativistic dipole description useful. Conversely, it has been shown that in some circumstances quadrupole effects remain of some importance at low energy in angular distributions, even for light elements and even at threshold. In general, and neglecting small relativistic effects, except for bound state normalization the high energy photoeffect matrix element is given by the matrix element in the nuclear point Coulomb potential. Consequently, at all energies the dependence of the photoionization matrix element on atomic properties is given by dipole and quadrupole terms, plus small octapole contributions, within an accuracy of 1%. This result, demonstrated within independent particle approximation, is expected to remain valid when many-electron correlations are included.
Effects of Antisense Oligonucleotides to the Cardiac Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger on Cultured Cardiac Myocytes

Abstract Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides based on the sequence of the cardiac Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger were used to study the effects of decreasing expression of this protein on Na + -dependent Ca 2+ uptake activity and on the spontaneous beating rate of cultured rat cardiac myocytes. Antisense oligos reduced Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger activity of myocytes approximately 30-40%, compared to sense-treated or untreated controls. Antisense treatment also increased the spontaneous beating rate of myocardial cells from an average rate of 40 beats to 69 beats per minute, compared to sense-treated or untreated controls. These results indicate that reduced expression of the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger significantly alters intracellular Ca 2+ regulation leading to an enhanced spontaneous beating rate and, presumably, a shortened duration of the cardiac cycle in developing myocytes.
Specimen-apparatus interaction during stick-slip in a tri axial compression machine: A decoupled two-degree-of-freedom model

Abstract The stick-slip of frictional sliding depends not only on material properties but also on the elastic and inertial properties of the loading system. To compare data from different testing machines or to apply them to the problem of natural seismogenic faulting, one must account for the differences in stiffness and mass. We develop a simple mechanical model to describe the stick-slip oscillation during frictional sliding in a triaxial-compression machine. The experimental system, the loading frame and rock specimen with precut sliding surface, is divided into two subsystems across this surface. The model is based upon two key assumptions: the kinetic friction is constant regardless of the relative motion of the subsystems, and the elastic restoring force is uniform throughout each subsystem. The first assumption leads to the decoupling of the subsystems, and the behavior of each becomes mathematically analogous to that of a simple spring/mass/slider-block model, owing to the second assumption. The theory agrees well with the experimental data from the dynamic measurements of stick-slip. The displacement-time function is of cosine form, the rise time of stick-slip is constant, and the relation between force drop and average displacement rate is linear. From this model we argue that the differences in the frictional behavior of experimental fault-gouges may indeed be ascribed to differences in the material properties of their specimens because the elastic and inertial properties of a particular testing machine are little influenced by the specimen itself, so long as all specimens are of about the same size. However, interlaboratory correlations may well be invalid unless machine effects are properly accounted for.
Retrograde perfusion of the spinal cord during aortic crossclamping: initial observations in the swine model.

Abstract Background: Retrograde perfusion has emerged as a useful technique for the preservation of the heart and brain when arterial circulation is interrupted. Herein, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that retrograde perfusion of the azygos vein is sufficient to maintain viability of the spinal cord during aortic occlusion in the swine model. Methods: Female swine, 17 to 22 kg, underwent left thoracotomy, creation of a shunt between the aortic arch and the azygos vein, and aortic crossclamping for 60 minutes: the shunt was open in the retrograde perfusion group (n = 5) and closed in the control group (n = 4). The animals were evaluated for neurologic function for 8 days and killed. Spinal cords were processed for histologic examination. Additional animals underwent left thoracotomy and injection of a casting solution in the azygos vein (n = 2), left thoracotomy and angiography of the azygos vein (n = 2), and a compartmentalization procedure to separate the azygos vein from the caval system followed by angiography (n = 2). Results: Differences in the neurologic (2-sample t test, P = .11) and histologic (2-sample t test, P = .65) scores of retrograde perfusion and control groups were likely due to chance. Casting and angiography groups showed extensive collaterals between azygos and caval systems, only partially interrupted by compartmentalization. Conclusions: Retrograde perfusion does not protect the spinal cord from ischemic injury. The collateral network between the azygos and caval systems prevents the oxygenated blood from reaching the cord. Surgical separation between the 2 systems was only partially successful in this study. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;118:597-603)
An optimized framework for seamlessly integrating OGC Web Services to support geospatial sciences

OGC Web Services (OWS) are essential building blocks for the national and global spatial data infrastructure (NSDI and GSDI) and the geospatial cyberinfrastructure (GCI). Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), and Catalogue Service for Web (CSW) have been increasingly adopted to serve scientific data. Interoperable services can facilitate the integration of different scientific applications by searching, finding, and utilizing the large number of scientific data and Web services. However, these services are widely dispersed and hard to be found and utilized with acceptable performance. This is especially true when developing a science application to seamlessly integrate multiple geographically dispersed services. Focusing on the integration of distributed OWS resources, we propose a layer-based service-oriented integration framework and relevant optimization technologies to search and utilize relevant resources. Specifically, (1) an AJAX (Asynchronous JAvaScript and eXtensible Markup Language)-based synchronous multi-catalogue search is proposed and utilized to enhance the multi-catalogue searching performance; (2) a layer-based search engine with spatial, temporal, and performance criteria is proposed and used for identifying better services; (3) a service capabilities clearinghouse (SCCH) is proposed and developed to address the service issues identified by a statistical experiment. A science application of data correlation analysis is used as an example to demonstrate the performance enhancement of the proposed framework.
Three-dimensional director-field predictions of viral DNA packing arrangements

In this work we develop a discrete director-field model for coarse-grained description of packing arrangements of DNA within bacteriophage virus heads. This computational lattice model allows us to explore the complex energy landscape of fully three-dimensional configurations of packaged DNA. By minimizing the system’s free energy by means of the simulated annealing and the conjugate gradient methods, we make predictions about favorable packing conformations. In particular we show that the planar-wrapped inverse spool conformation is stable everywhere inside a virus except in a central core region, where the DNA tends to buckle out of the spooling plane.
Comparison of Spring Measures of Length, Weight, and Condition Factor for Predicting Metamorphosis in Two Populations of Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Larvae

Abstract The ability to predict when sea lampreys ( Petromyzon marinus ) will metamorphose from the larval phase to the parasitic phase is essential to the operation of the sea lamprey control program. During the spring of 1994, two populations of sea lamprey larvae from two rivers were captured, measured, weighed, implanted with coded wire tags, and returned to the same sites in the streams from which they were taken. Sea lampreys were recovered in the fall, after metamorphosis would have occurred, and checked for the presence of a tag. When the spring data were compared to the fall data it was found that the minimum requirements (length ≥ 120 mm, weight ≥ 3 g, and condition factor ≥ 1.50) suggested for metamorphosis did define a pool of larvae capable of metamorphosing. However, logistic regressions that relate the probability of metamorphosis to size are necessary to predict metamorphosis in a population. The data indicated, based on cross-validation, that weight measurements alone predicted metamorphosis with greater precision than length or condition factor in both the Marengo and Amnicon rivers. Based on the Akaike Information Criterion, weight alone was a better predictor in the Amnicon River, but length and condition factor combined predicted metamorphosis better in the Marengo River. There would be no additional cost if weight alone were used instead of length. However, if length and weight were measured the gain in predictive power would not be enough to justify the additional cost.
Effects of Treatment for Isolated Systolic Hypertension on Cognitive Status and Depression in the Elderly

The Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) was designed as a feasibility study and in part dealt with the effects of the treatment of isolated systolic hypertension on cognitive status and depression. Subjects were 60 years of age or older with a systolic blood pressure of 160 mmHg or greater and diastolic of less than 90 mmHg; free of several specified illnesses or chronic conditions. These volunteers were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 443) and placebo (n = 108) groups. The behavioral assessments at baseline and 1 year later were the SHORT-CARE instrument for depression, cognitive impairment, and disability and other tests of cognitive status (Digit Symbol Substitution and the Trail Making tests). Although the treatment regime was highly successful in controlling the hypertension, it did not have a significant impact on changes in cognitive function or level of depression; a behavioral benefit was not evident but the results are consistent with the view that an effective treatment regime for isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly can be behaviorally safe.
Thioamide Pincer Ligands with Charge Versatility

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of three complexes, two palladium and one platinum, with 2,6-bis-thioamido-phenyl and 2,6-bis-thioamido-pyridine ligands. The ligands show internal charge versatility by losing protons from a phenyl CH (I) or from amide NH's (II and III). The complexes were also examined as Heck catalysts, and the palladacycle, I, was found to be more effective compared to the others. The crystal structures of the complexes are also reported.
RESPONSES OF RAT MAXILLARY INCISORS TO LOADS.

The object of this study was to observe what part blood flow played when force on a tooth exceeded capillary blood pressure. The experimental procedure followed was to measure changes in the position of one of the rat maxillary incisors relative to the other during life, immediately after sacrifice and for a short period thereafter. The information obtained was used to examine presently held theories as to the reactive nature of various morphologic components of the periodontium. It has been assumed that the fibers in the periodontal membrane act to suspend the tooth in its socket but also that the emptying of the capillaries during mastication contributes to the dissipation of pressure.' It should follow that the response to momentary loading, such as biting, and to prolonged loading, such as with orthodontic and other dental appliances, should be the same in living animals where capillary pressure is exceeded and in freshly sacrificed animals where fiber function is not yet impaired. Other investigations have been made on the reactions of the periodontium to the loading of teeth.2-' The authors have not found any previous investigation comparing the responses of the periodontium in animals where the cessation of the flow of blood in the periodontal tissues can be related directly to the movement of teeth when forces are exerted on them. The selection of the rat as the experimental animal was based on the availability of detailed information about the flow of blood in the larger vessels and in the capillary system6 as well as about the vascular architecture of the periodontium.71 8 The selection of the central maxillary incisors was on the basis of the shape of the teeth and access to them with our ex-
Survival analysis and risk factors for recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma: does surgical salvage affect outcome?

Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study was to review the outcomes and recurrence rates of subjects with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma treated at a single institution by primary surgical resection, with or without adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy, to identify factors that affect locoregional control and determine whether surgical salvage affects survival. Materials and Methods The records of 157 subjects diagnosed with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma treated at a single institution from 1997 to 2007 were identified. Data on demographics, site, clinical stage, pathologic stage, treatment, recurrence, and survival were collected. Defined outcome measures were overall survival, disease-free survival, and length of survival after recurrence. Analysis of the data was performed by use of the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were created for disease-free survival, as well as survival by histologic grade, nodal status, recurrence, and tumor stage. Results We identified 157 subjects, with 155 meeting the inclusion criteria. The overall 5-year survival rate was 48%, with a disease-free survival rate of 42% (95% confidence interval, 36%-53%). Survival was found to be influenced by stage ( P = .0001), nodal status ( P = .0025), and histologic grade ( P = .04). There were 24 subjects with recurrence (15%). Of these, 11 had local recurrence (46%), 9 had regional recurrence (37%), 2 had distant recurrence (8%), 1 had both local and regional recurrence (4%), and 1 had both local and distant metastasis (4%). Recurrence was not found to be significantly affected by pathologic stage ( P = .71), clinical stage ( P = .6), histologic grade ( P = .178), postoperative radiation therapy ( P = .54), postoperative chemotherapy ( P = .66), N-positive status ( P = .71), or whether the subject underwent a neck dissection ( P = .984). Surgery significantly increased both overall survival time ( P = .009) and survival time after recurrence ( P = .006). Radiation therapy ( P = .4) and chemotherapy ( P = .82) did not have a survival benefit as therapy for recurrence. Conclusions Survival is influenced by stage at presentation, nodal status, and histologic grade. No variables were found to influence recurrence rates. Surgery significantly increased overall survival time, and salvage surgery increased survival after recurrence.
Improved survival of hemorrhagic shock with oxygen and hypothermia in rats.

A previously established model in awake rats of hemorrhagic shock (HS) with 25% spontaneous survival rate (without resuscitation) was used to evaluate the effects of 4 novel life-supporting first aid (LSFA) measures on survival time and rate. After shed blood volume (SBV) of 3.25 ml/100 g, withdrawn over 20 min, hemodynamic and respiratory responses were recorded to 3 h and survival to 24 h. The 5 groups of 20 rats each (total n = 100) were as follows: group I, controls without treatment; II, oxygen 100% inhalation; III, external cooling to rectal temperature 30 degrees C; IV, Ringer's solution 5 ml/100 g rectally; and V, acoustic and surface stimuli for arousal. Survival rates were: control group I, 35% at 3 h and 15% at 24 h; oxygen group II, 75% (P less than 0.05 compared with group I) at 3 h and 60% (P less than 0.05 compared with group I) at 24 h; hypothermia group III, 65% at 3 h and 45% (P less than 0.05 compared with group I) at 24 h; rectal fluid group IV, 50% at 3 h and 40% at 24 h; stimulated group V, 15% at 3 h and 15% at 24 h. Compared with group I, median survival times during HS 0-3 h were longer in groups II and III; and self-resuscitation attempts were longer in groups II, III and IV. We conclude that in untreated severe hemorrhagic shock, chances of survival to delayed arrival of advanced life support with i.v. fluid resuscitation might be increased with O2 inhalation and/or moderate external cooling.
Nitrile complexes of copper (I) perchlorate

Abstract The complexes of CuL 4 ClO 4 (L = acetonitrile, propionitrile, benzonitrile, p -anisonitrile, p -nitrobenzonitrile, 1-naphthonitrile) and Cu(LL) 2 ClO 4 (LL = p -aminobenzonitrile, 1,2-dicyanobenzene, 1,4-dicyanobenzene, acrylonitrile and NC(CH 2 ) χ CN where x = 1−8) have been synthesized from the reactions of nitriles with copper (I) perchlorate in 2-butanol. L.r. absorption due to the CCN skeletal vibrations indicates bonding of copper (I) with the nitrile nitrogen atom. Bonding through the olefinic pi system as well as the nitrogen atom is indicated in bis(acrylonitrile)copper (I) perchlorate.
Intracardiac Echocardiography: Newest Technology

Intracardiac echocardiography, defined as ultra-sonographic navigation and visualization within large blood-filled cavities or vessels of the cardio-vascular system, has recently undergone refinement as a clinical tool through technologic advances in transducer miniaturization. Intra-cardiac ultra-sound catheters image at lower frequencies than current conventional intravascular ultrasound catheters used for intracoronary imaging. The lower imaging frequency enables greater tissue penetration, permitting whole-heart evaluation from a right-sided catheter position. Newer devices are steerable, have variable imaging frequency (5.5 to 10 MHz), and full Doppler capability (pulsed, continuous wave, and tissue Doppler). These advances have made intracardiac high-resolution imaging as well as hemodynamic assessment possible. A historical perspective, current capabilities and limitations, and potential clinical and research applications of this new imaging technique are discussed.
Human capital, migration and rural entrepreneurship in China

Purpose – Many countries have experienced, or are experiencing, urbanization. One such example is China. Even though the large‐scale rural‐urban migration seems chaotic on the surface, there are certain underlying forces driving individual decisions. The purpose of this paper is to provide some understanding of the relationship between human capital, migration, and occupational choices.Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts with an overlapping generations model. Human capital plays various roles across different occupations – it does not affect the income of farmers, it affects income of workers linearly, and it has increasing returns in rural non‐farm business. The paper then derives income profiles for individuals with heterogeneous human capital, and finds the human capital thresholds of occupations. The paper calibrates the model to China, and simulates the model to answer two questions: how does an improving human capital distribution affect rural wages, quantities of migrants and return migr...
Comparison of personality profiles of premenstrual syndrome and chronic pelvic pain patients

Presenting complaints of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and chronic pelvic pain (CPP) are often considered to have a significant psychological component. Women seeking treatment for either are often referred for non-specific psychological treatment as if they constituted a homogeneous group. Since motivation for treatment is usually enhanced by recognition of a connection between problems and treatment interventions, the purpose of this study was to explore whether any unique pyschological patterns are associated with these groups. MMPI personality profiles of 100 PMS and 106 CPP women were compared. PMS and CPP groups were significantly different on Scales L, K, Hs, Mf, Pa, Pt and Si (p <0.01) and on Scale D (p <0.05). Distribution of diagnostic categories based on the Lachar classification system was also significantly different (p <0.05). The results suggest that PMS women may be more receptive to therapeutic approaches focused on the alleviation of negative emotional states, whereas CPP women are likely ...
Power management of online data-intensive services

Much of the success of the Internet services model can be attributed to the popularity of a class of workloads that we call Online Data-Intensive (OLDI) services. These workloads perform significant computing over massive data sets per user request but, unlike their offline counterparts (such as MapReduce computations), they require responsiveness in the sub-second time scale at high request rates. Large search products, online advertising, and machine translation are examples of workloads in this class. Although the load in OLDI services can vary widely during the day, their energy consumption sees little variance due to the lack of energy proportionality of the underlying machinery. The scale and latency sensitivity of OLDI workloads also make them a challenging target for power management techniques. We investigate what, if anything, can be done to make OLDI systems more energy-proportional. Specifically, we evaluate the applicability of active and idle low-power modes to reduce the power consumed by the primary server components (processor, memory, and disk), while maintaining tight response time constraints, particularly on 95th-percentile latency. Using Web search as a representative example of this workload class, we first characterize a production Web search workload at cluster-wide scale. We provide a fine-grain characterization and expose the opportunity for power savings using low-power modes of each primary server component. Second, we develop and validate a performance model to evaluate the impact of processor- and memory-based low-power modes on the search latency distribution and consider the benefit of current and foreseeable low-power modes. Our results highlight the challenges of power management for this class of workloads. In contrast to other server workloads, for which idle low-power modes have shown great promise, for OLDI workloads we find that energy-proportionality with acceptable query latency can only be achieved using coordinated, full-system active low-power modes.
Adaptive energy-aware routing protocols for wireless ad hoc networks

Energy use is a crucial design concern in wireless ad hoc networks. The design objectives of energy-aware routing include selecting energy-efficient paths and minimizing the protocol overhead incurred in acquiring such paths. To achieve these goals altogether, we present the design of two energy-aware on-demand routing protocols for different network environments. The key idea behind our design is to adaptively select the subset of nodes required to involve in a route-searching process to acquire a high residual-energy path or the degree to which nodes are required to participate in the process of searching for a low-power path for networks wherein nodes can adaptively adjust their transmission power: Analytical and simulation results are given to demonstrate the high performance of the designed protocols in energy-efficient utilization and in reducing the protocol overhead incurred in acquiring energy-aware routes.
An ignition criterion for combustible solids integrating surface temperature and heating rate

Summary Surface ignition temperature has been widely used as an ignition criterion for the piloted ignition of common combustible solids. However, experimental observations have shown that the surface temperature of a solid at ignition varies with external heat flux. In addition, if the external heat flux is smaller than the critical heat flux for ignition, the solid will not ignite while the actual surface temperature may be higher than the defined surface ignition temperature. To overcome these limitations and maintain the simplicity of the surface ignition temperature criterion, a new ignition criterion integrating heating rate and surface temperature is proposed, developed, and validated. Predictions based on the new criterion compare well with experimental results on piloted ignition of a thermoplastic material (black PMMA), a thermoset composite material (E-glass fiber reinforced polyester composite) and a cellulosic material (Red Oak) subjected to different heat flux levels. Potential factors affecting the accuracy and predictive capability of the new heating rate-related ignition temperature criterion are discussed. The method and associated procedures to construct the heating rate-related temperature ignition criterion can be used to obtain the same ignition criterion for other combustible solids. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.