cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fulvic Acid Oxidation State Detection Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Humic substances are a heterogeneous class of moderate molecular weight, yellow-colored biomolecules present in all soils, sediments, and natural waters. Although humic substances are generally resistant to microbial degradation under anaerobic conditions, some microorganisms in soils and sediments can use quinone moieties in humic substances as electron acceptors. Laboratory experiments have shown that humic substances can act as electron shuttles in the microbial reduction of ferric iron. Field studies of electron shuttling processes have been constrained by the lack of methods to characterize the oxidation state of quinone moieties in humic substances at natural concentrations. All humic substances have fluorescent properties, and fluorescence spectroscopy can indicate differences in precursor organic source of humic substances. Here we show that the quinone moieties responsible for electron transfer reactions contribute significantly to the fluorescence of humic substances. Further we use fluorescence...
An evolution to crossbar switches with virtual output queuing and buffered cross points

Input queued (IQ) switch architectures with virtual output queues (VOQ) scale up to very high speeds and have been a subject of intense research in the past decade. VOQ IQ switches require switch matrix scheduling algorithms to match input ports to out ports. In this tutorial article, we present an overview of switch matrix scheduling for VOQ IQ switches with crossbar switch fabrics. We then describe what we believe will be the next generation of high-speed crossbar switches: the evolution of IQ switches to combined input and crossbar queued (CICQ) switches. With the continued increase in density of VLSI, sufficient buffering at crossbar cross points for one cell or packet has become feasible to implement. We show how CICQ switches have simple schedulers and result in lower delay than IQ switches. Both IQ and CICQ switches have unstable regions. We show how a threshold and bursting technique can feasibly achieve stability. We also show how CICQ switches are better suited (than IQ switches) for switching of variable-length packets such as IP packets. Many challenges remain in IQ and CICQ switches. In particular, the inclusion of QoS scheduling methods that are currently only suitable for output queued switches is a major open problem.
THEORY AND METHOD OF LEXICOGRAPHY: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RESOURCES

Lexicography Today: an Annotated Bibliography of the Theory of Lexicography. By Ladislav Zgusta, with the assistance of Donna M. T. Cr. Farina.
The incidence, diagnosis, and management of pulmonary vein stenosis as a complication of atrial fibrillation ablation

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) during ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS). Although the reported incidence of PVS has fallen in recent years, the precise rate of PVS is unknown. Coherent guidelines for screening and treatment of PVS are not established. We reviewed literature to investigate the incidence, diagnosis, and management of PVS as a complication of PVI. We reviewed 41 manuscripts that described a total of 4,615 subjects (median, 84 subjects/study). The incidence of PVS after PVI reported in literature from 1999 to 2004 ranges from 0 to 44 % (mean, 6.3 %; median, 5.4 %), whereas studies after 2004 report an incidence of 0–19 % (mean, 2 %; median, 3.1 %; p < 0.001). PVS symptoms typically occur with reduction of lung perfusion by 20–25 %. Variable criteria exist for diagnosis of PVS by magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and perfusion imaging. The restenosis rate for treatment with balloon angioplasty ranges from 30 to 87 % (mean, 60 %; median, 47 %), compared with immediate stenting that ranges from 14 to 57 % (mean, 34 %; median, 33 %). Recent peer-reviewed articles suggest that PVI carries a 3–8 % risk of developing PVS, but they likely underestimate the incidence of PVS, as specific screening and diagnostic guidelines are not established. Imaging modalities should be used to screen patients after ablation of AF since early recognition of PVS improves treatment outcomes. Treatment with angioplasty and stent placement can improve symptoms and lung perfusion but the benefit of treatment with immediate stent placement remains controversial. It is critical to maintain a high clinical index of suspicion for PVS in at-risk individuals to ensure timely detection and treatment.
The 2012 AANS Presidential Address

The theme of the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the title of this presidential address, “We are neurosurgery,” is a simple 3-word affirmation of who neurosurgeons are, what they have achieved, and how much there is yet to accomplish. Recent advances in neurobiology and the clinical neurosciences have brought an unprecedented understanding of the human nervous system in both health and disease. As a specialty, neurosurgery has translated knowledge, expanded techniques, and incorporated technology to exponentially expand the science and scope of neurosurgical practice. However, the rapidly advancing, divergently evolving growth of neurosurgery has had profound effects on all aspects of neurosurgery. In this address, the author examines the contemporary meaning of the annual meeting's theme as it relates to the science, practice, specialty, and profession of neurosurgery, as well as the neurosurgeon. In doing so, the author reveals his interpretation of “We are n...
GAS-PHASE HOLDUP IN A SLURRY-BUBBLE COLUMN

Abstract Total and sectional gas-phase holdups are measured in a wide (0.305 m internal diameter) and long (3.7 m) glass bubble column al ambient conditions as a function of superficial gas velocity. Sectional gas holdup values vary along the length of the column and decrease as the height above the gas distributor plate increases in the transitional and turbulent flow regimes. In the discrete bubbling regime, the values are fairly constant in most of the column length except for a small lower portion where the values are significantly smaller than in the rest of the column. This is due to the formation of gas jets at the orifices of the distributor plate. The holdup values are dependent only on the mangitude of gas velocity and do not depend upon how it is approached, i.e., by increasing or decreasing the flow, in the turbulent-flow regime. This is not the case in the discrete and transitional gas-flow regimes. These characteristic variations in gas holdup are explained on the basis of the formation of b...
Embedding 2-groups in groups generated by involutions

This paper addresses a group theory problem that arises from number theory. Namely, given a quadratic field K and an unramified extension L/K which is Galois over Q, does the structure of Gal(L/K) determine that of Gal(L/Q)? Since Q has no nontrivial unramified extensions, Gal(L/Q) is generated by its inertia subgroups. Since L/K is unramified, these inertia subgroups have order 1 or 2. In group-theoretical terms, given a finite or profinite groupH, we want to classify those groups G that contain H as a subgroup of index 2 and that are generated by the involutions in G outside H. My paper with Leedham-Green [3] showed that, contrary to a conjecture of Lemmermeyer, there exist infinite families of finite 2groups H for which no such G exists. Here we extend this result to show that for 2-generated H, if such a G exists, then it is unique.
In vitro effect of gossypol acetate on yellow perch (Perca flavescens) spermatozoa

Gossypol, a known antispermatogenic agent from the cotton plant genus Gossypium, was found to inhibit yellow perch sperm motility in vitro and lactate dehydrogenase activity in spermatozoa when used in a dose-dependent manner. This toxin also significantly decreased sperm fertilizing ability. Exposure of sperm suspension to a 200-μM concentration of gossypol caused sperm immobilization and a consequent lack of fertilization. Effects of gossypol on sperm motility and fertilizing ability were partially reversible when sperm suspensions were transferred to solutions without gossypol. This reversibility was proportional to the gossypol concentration. We observed a significant increase of abnormal embryos produced by the fertilization of spermatozoa pretreated with gossypol. This implies that gossypol could affect the sperm genome. The results indicate a usefulness for yellow perch sperm in studies of gossypol action mechanisms. Results of in vitro experiments suggest a potential for reproductive impairment in fish when using cottonseed-containing diets or organic fertilizers in yellow perch aquaculture. However, these observations should be confirmed in in vivo experiments with yellow perch and other species.
Adductor spasmodic dysphonia and muscular tension dysphonia: acoustic analysis of sustained phonation and reading.

Summary Acoustic phonatory events were identified in 10 women diagnosed with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) and compared to 5 women and 5 men diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD). The three acoustic parameters examined during sustained vowel production and reading included phonatory breaks, aperiodicity, and frequency shifts. Intra- and intermeasurer correlations showed high reliability for the measures. Findings indicated that those with ADSD produced a greater number of aberrant acoustic events than those with MTD. The results suggested that: (1) only those with ADSD show evidence of phonatory breaks during vocalization, albeit a sustained vowel or voicing during reading; (2) those with ADSD demonstrate greater variation in the type of aberrant acoustic events produced as a function of speech task. The latter point suggests that control of the larynx varies as a function of task demand, a finding not evident in the functionally based disorder of MTD. MTD is a disorder that often presents itself in a similar clinical manner to ADSD because of its perceptual commonalties and resembling laryngoscopic characteristics. The acoustic analysis presented in this study could be used as a method to assist in distinguishing between the two disorder types.
Conceptual design for a mercury relativity satellite

It was shown earlier that 1 x 10 to the -14th Doppler data and 3 cm accuracy range measurements to a small Mercury Relativity Satellite in a polar orbit with four-hour period can give high-accuracy tests of gravitational theory. A particular conceptual design has been developed for such a satellite, which would take less than 10 percent of the approach mass for a possible future Mercury Orbiter Mission. The spacecraft is similar to the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, but scaled down by about a factor four in linear dimensions. A despun antenna 30 cm in diameter is used for tracking. The transmitted power is roughly 0.2 watts at K-band and 0.5 watts at X-band. The orbit parameters for individual eight-hour arcs and the gravity field of Mercury through degree and order 10 are determined mainly from the Doppler data. A 50 MHz K-band sidetone system provides the basic ranging accuracy. The spacecraft mass is 50 kg or less.
Why Process Matters for Causal Inference

Our goal in this paper is to provide a formal explanation for how within-unit causal process information (i.e., data on posttreatment variables and partial information on posttreatment counterfactuals) can help to inform causal inferences relating to total effects—the overall effect of an explanatory variable on an outcome variable. The basic idea is that, in many applications, researchers may be able to make more plausible causal assumptions conditional on the value of a posttreatment variable than they would be able to do unconditionally. As data become available on a posttreatment variable, these conditional causal assumptions become active and information about the effect of interest is gained. This approach is most beneficial in situations where it is implausible to assume that treatment assignment is conditionally ignorable. We illustrate the approach with an example of estimating the effect of election day registration on turnout.
Rule Chaining In MARVEL: Dynamic Binding Of Parameters

MARVEL is a rule-based development environment (RBDE) that assists in the process of developing software projects. MARVEL encapsulates each software development activity in a rule that specifies the condition for invoking the activity and effects on the components of the project under development. These components are abstracted as objects and stored in a persistent objectbase. Each rule applies to a specific class of objects, specified as the rule's parameter. Firing a rule entails binding its formal parameter to a specific object. If the rule changes the object in such a way that the conditions of other rules become satisfied, these rules are automatically fired. A problem, arises when the classes of the objects manipulated by the rules are different, because MARVEL has to determine which object to bind to the parameter of each rule in the chain, based on the object manipulated by the original rule that initiated the chain. We describe both heuristic and algorithmic approaches for solving this problem.
Laterals and trills

The IPA does not have agreed symbols for some laterals. This is hardly surprising considering the relative infrequency of the contrasts involved. The majority of languages either have no contrasts involving laterals, or have at the most one lateral. A few languages, however, have two, three, or even four lateral approximants that contrast simply in place of articulation. Contrasts among trills are even more uncommon than among laterals. Most languages do not trill any articulator. Only a handful of languages have contrasts between trills made at different places. This note will present data on some unusual contrasts involving laterals and trills.
Assessment of the effect of pavement macrotexture on interstate crashes

AbstractAn assessment and comparison of the effect of pavement macrotexture on crashes along Interstate corridors with tinned concrete and asphalt pavement is presented in this manuscript. Data obtained for I-40 in Durham County, North Carolina, with tinned concrete pavement, and I-40 in Pender County, North Carolina, with asphalt pavement were used for evaluation. Laser profilometer data obtained from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) were processed to calculate pavement macrotexture at 100-m (∼330 ft) sections according to the ASTM standards. Crash data for each section was integrated with the calculated pavement macrotexture. Generalized linear models (GLM) were developed by considering predictor variables such as million vehicle miles of travel, the number of interchanges, the number of bridges, the number of culverts, and the number of grade-separated interchanges along with pavement macrotexture. The negative coefficient obtained for pavement macrotexture indicates that the nu...
An analysis of student performance benchmarks in dental hygiene via distance education.

Purpose: Three graduate programs, 35 undergraduate programs and 12 dental hygiene degree completion programs in the United States use varying forms of Distance Learning (DL). Relying heavily on DL leaves an unanswered question: Is learner performance on standard benchmark assessments impacted when using technology as a delivery system? A 10 year, longitudinal examination looked for student performance differences in a Distance Education (DE) dental hygiene program. The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a difference in performance between learners taught in a traditional classroom as compared to their counterparts taking classes through an alternative delivery system. Methods: A longitudinal, ex post facto design was used. Two hundred and sixty–six subject records were examined. Seventy–seven individuals (29%) were lost through attrition over 10 years. One hundred and eighty–nine records were used as the study sample, 117 individuals were located face–to–face and 72 were at a distance. Independent variables included time and location, while the dependent variables included course grades, grade point average (GPA) and the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). Three research questions were asked: Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)? Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance when considering GPAs? Did statistically significant differences in performance exist relating to individual course grades? T–tests were used for data analysis in answering the research questions. Results: From a cumulative perspective, no statistically significant differences were apparent for the NBDHE and GPAs or for individual courses. Conclusions: Interactive Television (ITV), the synchronous DL system examined, was considered effective for delivering education to learners if similar performance outcomes were the evaluation criteria.
Incremental circuit simulation using waveform relaxation

Two algorithms were developed using waveform relaxation for the rapid re-simulation of circuits that have been modified slightly compared to a previous simulation run. Both local and global changes can be handled so long as the changes are relatively small. In this approach, the window sizes, step sizes, and final waveforms from a previous simulation were used to drive the incremental simulation. In addition, a selective storage scheme was used to reduce the overhead associated with saving the waveforms from a previous run. Experimental results indicated that the run-time using the incremental approach can be reduced by an order of magnitude compared to a complete re-simulation. >
On the redundancy of HMM patterns

In this paper the pattern redundancy of strings generated by hidden Markov models is bounded over unknown, possibly infinite alphabets, showing in particular that it diminishes to zero when the number of states is sufficiently small.
High-resolution analysis of T-cell receptor β-chain repertoires using DNA heteroduplex tracking: generally stable, clonal CD8+ expansions in all healthy young adults

The accurate measurement of T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire changes requires the analysis of a representative sampling of complex T-cell populations. The number and frequency of clonally expanded TCR beta-chain transcripts bearing distinct CDR3 sequences were accurately determined using a simple DNA heteroduplex tracking assay. This method allowed major and minor clonal expansions (> or = 1% of a Vbeta subfamily's transcripts) to be rapidly and reproducibly quantified. Oligoclonal CD8 + cell expansions were detected in all young adults tested, while CD4 + cells generally expressed more polyclonal beta-chain repertoires. The same pattern of CD8 + cells oligoclonality and CD4 + cells polyclonality was observed in asymptomatic HIV-1 infected individuals with high CD4 + cell counts. CD8 + CD45RA + and CD8 + CD45RO + cell fractions both displayed oligoclonal, although distinct, TCR beta chain repertoires while CD8 + cells from umbilical cord blood were generally polyclonal. Oligoclonal CD8 + cell repertoires from young adults were generally stable over a period of weeks, although minor, transient, clonal expansions could also be detected in the absence of symptomatic infections. DNA heteroduplex tracking analysis provided a higher level of sensitivity for the detection of TCR beta chain transcript expansions than CDR3 length (spectrotyping/immunoscope) analysis. DNA heteroduplex tracking of TCR beta-chain transcripts is therefore a simple and sensitive method for assessing the level of clonality and for measuring changes in the TCR beta chain repertoire of different T-cell populations.
The Challenge of Characterizing Operations in the Mechanisms Underlying Behavior

Neuroscience and cognitive science seek to explain behavioral regularities in terms of underlying mechanisms. An important element of a mechanistic explanation is a characterization of the operations of the parts of the mechanism. The challenge in characterizing such operations is illustrated by an example from the history of physiological chemistry in which some investigators tried to characterize the internal operations in the same terms as the overall physiological system while others appealed to elemental chemistry. In order for biochemistry to become successful, researchers had to identify a new level of operations involving operations over molecular groups. Existing attempts at mechanistic explanation of behavior are in a situation comparable to earlier approaches to physiological chemistry, drawing their inspiration either from overall psychology activities or from low-level neural processes. Successful mechanistic explanations of behavior require the discovery of the appropriate component operations. Such discovery is a daunting challenge but one on which success will be beneficial to both behavioral scientists and cognitive and neuroscientists.
Gleanings From The Whirl

“Gleanings from the Whirl” provides current information on all aspects of international serials and electronic resource management, including networks and consortia, library schools and continuing ...
Planetary science: the history of air.

Giant impacts on Earth destroyed the envelope of gases surrounding the fledgling planet — so how has the modern-day planet regained its atmosphere? The answer, it seems, is that all was not lost.
Initial impressions in the retail environment: A comparison of black and white perceptions

Initial impressions were found to form along well-differentiated lines, namely race and/or sex, in a study involving 450 shoppers at several regional shopping malls. The role of initial impressions in cognitive formation towards retail salespeople was found to be significant. Significant differences were found to exist between members of differing races. A potential implication of the results of this study is a broadened view and heightened awareness of the role initial impressions play in the buyer-seller dyad.
Rate-distortion optimized network coding for cooperative video stream repair in wireless peer-to-peer networks

By providing coding ability at intermediate nodes, network coding has been shown to improve network throughput in broadcast/multicast wireless networks. In this paper, we show that by imposing coding structure, network coding can be further optimized specifically for video streaming in a rate-distortion manner, in a scenario where wireless adhoc peers cooperatively relay packets to each other to repair packet losses during MBMS broadcast. Experimental results show that our proposed scheme can improve video quality noticeably, by up to 19.71 dB over un-repaired video stream and by up to 7.90 dB over video stream using traditional unstructured network coding.
Invasion vs occupation A hierarchy-of-influences analysis of how embeds assess influences and performance in covering the Iraq War

This study aimed to determine how well embedded reporters perceived they covered the Iraq War and whether those attitudes have changed over time. While findings suggested embeds continue to judge t...
Exotic cheatgrass and loss of soil biota decrease the performance of a native grass

Soil disturbances can alter microbial communities including arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which may in turn, affect plant community structure and the abundance of exotic species. We hypothesized that altered soil microbial populations owing to disturbance would contribute to invasion by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an exotic annual grass, at the expense of the native perennial grass, squirreltail (Elymus elymoides). Using a greenhouse experiment, we compared the responses of conspecific and heterospecific pairs of cheatgrass and squirreltail inoculated with soil (including live AM spores and other organisms) collected from fuel treatments with high, intermediate and no disturbance (pile burns, mastication, and intact woodlands) and a sterile control. Cheatgrass growth was unaffected by type of soil inoculum, whereas squirreltail growth, reproduction and nutrient uptake were higher in plants inoculated with soil from mastication and undisturbed treatments compared to pile burns and sterile controls. Squirreltail shoot biomass was positively correlated with AM colonization when inoculated with mastication and undisturbed soils, but not when inoculated with pile burn soils. In contrast, cheatgrass shoot biomass was negatively correlated with AM colonization, but this effect was less pronounced with pile burn inoculum. Cheatgrass had higher foliar N and P when grown with squirreltail compared to a conspecific, while squirreltail had lower foliar P, AM colonization and flower production when grown with cheatgrass. These results indicate that changes in AM communities resulting from high disturbance may favor exotic plant species that do not depend on mycorrhizal fungi, over native species that depend on particular taxa of AM fungi for growth and reproduction.
Injury initiates unfavourable weight gain and obesity markers in youth

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the association of knee injuries with subsequent changes in body mass index and body composition during maturation in young females. Methods A prospective longitudinal study design was employed to evaluate young females active in soccer or basketball (N=862). Participants who completed at least 1-year follow-up to provide consecutive annual measures of BMIZ and %fat were included in the study analysis to determine the effect of knee injuries on the trajectory of these obesity markers in youth. Results Of the 71 reported knee injuries, 12 (17%) occurred in athletes at the prepubertal stage, 24 (34%) in athletes at the pubertal stage, and 35 (49%) in postpubertal athletes. Controlling for the effects of maturation, female athletes who reported knee injury demonstrated a greater yearly increase in BMIZ (LS means and 95% CI for the injured group=0.039 (−0.012 to 0.089), for the non-injured group=−0.019 (−0.066 to 0.029), and group difference=0.057 (0.005 to 0.11), p=0.03) and in %body fat (LS means and 95% CI for the injured group=1.05 (0.45 to 1.65), for the non-injured group=0.22 (−0.21 to 0.064), and group difference=0.83 (0.21 to 1.45), p=0.009), compared to those without knee injuries. This indicates that the athletes with knee injuries will increase their body mass index percentile by up to 5 units more than someone of the same age without an injury, and in body fat by up to 1.5%, compared to their non-injured peers. Conclusions The present findings indicate that knee injury during the growing years may be associated with unfavourable changes in body composition.
Blockade of Receptors for Growth Factors: An Anticancer Therapy — The Fourth Annual Joseph H. Burchenal American Association for Cancer Research Clinical Research Award Lecture

Dr. Daniel von Hoff, thank you for that marvelous introduction. In the first row at this American Association for Cancer Research meeting today are Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Burchenal. It is a special privilege for me to be honored with this award named after him because he started the medical oncology
On lumped-reduced reaction model for combustion of liquid fuels

Abstract A systematic approach to developing compact reduced reaction models is proposed for liquid hydrocarbon fuels using n-dodecane and n-butane as the model fuels. The approach has three elements. Fast fuel cracking reactions are treated by the quasi-steady state approximation (QSSA) and lumped into semi-global reactions to yield key cracking products that are C1–C4 in size. Directed relation graph (DRG) and sensitivity analysis reduce the foundational fuel chemistry model to a skeletal model describing the oxidation of the C1–C4 compounds. Timescale-based reduction using, e.g., QSSA, is then employed to produce the final reduced model. For n-dodecane, a 24-species reduced model is derived from JetSurF and tested against the detailed model for auto-ignition, perfectly stirred reactors (PSR), premixed flame propagation, and extinction of premixed and non-premixed counterflow flames. It is shown that the QSSA of fuel cracking reactions is valid and robust under high-temperature conditions from laminar flames, where mixing is controlled by molecular diffusion, to perfectly stirred reactors, which correspond to the limit of fast turbulent mixing. Bifurcation analysis identifies the controlling processes of ignition and extinction and shows that these phenomena are insensitive to the details of fuel cracking. To verify the applicability of the above finding to turbulent flames, 2-D direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a lean turbulent premixed flame of n-butane/air with Karlovitz number of 250 was carried out using a reduced model developed from USC-Mech II. The results show that QSSA for fuel cracking remains valid even under intense turbulence conditions. Statistical analysis of the DNS data shows that fuel cracking is complete before the flame zone, and for the conditions tested, turbulent transport does not bring any significant fuel molecules into the flame zones, thus further substantiating the validity of the approach proposed.
Paragenesis and thermobarometry of Ca-amphiboles in the Barcroft granodioritic pluton, central White Mountains, eastern California

Mid-Mesozoic to Tertiary igneous activity reflects arc evolution along the Sierra + White-Inyo sector of the continental margin. The Ca-amphibole + biotite ± augite-bearing Middle Jurassic Barcroft pluton consists of intergradational, quartzose gabbro-diorite, metadiorite, voluminous mafic-to-felsic granodiorite, and rare alaskite-aplite. It was emplaced along the Barcroft structural break—a major ENE-striking suture juxtaposing mid-Mesozoic bimodal metavolcanics on the north against metamorphosed Lower Cambrian platform strata on the south. The Cretaceous, two-mica McAfee Creek Granite intruded both wall rocks and the Barcroft granodioritic pluton on the east. Geologic mapping and petrochemical studies have documented the structure and metaluminous geochemistry of the Barcroft body. Analyses of Ca-clinoamphiboles from 16 Barcroft rocks allow the assignment of P-T conditions of crystallization/recrystallization based on experimentally determined and calculated clinoamphibole thermobarometers. Combined with earlier studies of country-rock metamorphism, and oxygen isotopic investigations of mineral assemblages in both plutons and wall rocks, four stages in the P-T evolution of the Barcroft pluton have been identified: Stage 1, partial melting of a mafic protolith at ~25 km or greater depth, then onset of crystallization of refractory hornblende and other ferromagnesian phases at ~915 ± 25 °C attending magma ascent. Stages 2 → 3, crystallization of progressively more actinolitic hornblende during decompression cooling and stalling of the pluton at a depth of 10–12 km, as temperature declined over the interval ~760–650 °C. Stage 4, subsolidus recrystallization/exsolution of nearly stoichiometric actinolite ± grunerite attending deuteric alteration over the range ~395–545 °C at a depth of 4–5 km. Mineral assemblages of stages 1 → 4 are disposed progressively inward, indicating that the Barcroft pluton lost heat along intrusive contacts with the wall rocks, cooling, annealing, and re-equilibrating in the process. The Cretaceous McAfee Creek Granite transected this ENE-trending thermal zonation, but exerted little effect on Ti + Al contents (and δ18O values) of Barcroft amphiboles.
Prognostic Factors for Refractory Status Epilepticus

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN studied the outcome and identified prognostic factors for refractory status epilepticus (RSE) in 54 adult patients, median age 52 years [range 18-93].
A novel comparative pattern analysis approach identifies chronic alcohol mediated dysregulation of transcriptomic dynamics during liver regeneration

Liver regeneration is inhibited by chronic ethanol consumption and this impaired repair response may contribute to the risk for alcoholic liver disease. We developed and applied a novel data analysis approach to assess the effect of chronic ethanol intake in the mechanisms responsible for liver regeneration. We performed a time series transcriptomic profiling study of the regeneration response after 2/3rd partial hepatectomy (PHx) in ethanol-fed and isocaloric control rats. We developed a novel data analysis approach focusing on comparative pattern counts (COMPACT) to exhaustively identify the dominant and subtle differential expression patterns. Approximately 6500 genes were differentially regulated in Ethanol or Control groups within 24 h after PHx. Adaptation to chronic ethanol intake significantly altered the immediate early gene expression patterns and nearly completely abrogated the cell cycle induction in hepatocytes post PHx. The patterns highlighted by COMPACT analysis contained several non-parenchymal cell specific markers indicating their aberrant transcriptional response as a novel mechanism through which chronic ethanol intake deregulates the integrated liver tissue response. Our novel comparative pattern analysis revealed new insights into ethanol-mediated molecular changes in non-parenchymal liver cells as a possible contribution to the defective liver regeneration phenotype. The results revealed for the first time an ethanol-induced shift of hepatic stellate cells from a pro-regenerative phenotype to that of an anti-regenerative state after PHx. Our results can form the basis for novel interventions targeting the non-parenchymal cells in normalizing the dysfunctional repair response process in alcoholic liver disease. Our approach is illustrated online at http://compact.jefferson.edu .
Lipid-regulating and antiatherosclerotic therapy: current options and future approaches

Increased understanding of the mechanisms of cholesterol-lowering therapy and other lipid risk factors has suggested new potential strategies for preventing and treating coronary heart disease (CHD). Although these new strategies hold promise, our first, best strategy for reducing the toll of CHD is to use current guidelines for treating dyslipidemia and other risk factors.
Experimental Basis for the Chemotherapy of Trichomonas vaginalis Infestations. I.

Summary1. A standardized test procedure employing a highly favorable culture medium has been employed to test the tricho-monacidal action of a number of recommended and suggested drugs. 2. Inspection of the data in Tables I and II suggests an approach which may lead to a more satisfactory therapeutic agent than is now available for the treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis vaginitis. 3. The following compounds in dilutions of 1:1000 or more killed trichomonads in vitro in less than 10 minutes: arsphenamine, clymocol, dihexylin, mercuric oxycyanide, neoarsphenamine, phemerol, phenylmercuric acetate, phenylmercuric benzoate, phenylmercuric chloride, phenylmercuric nitrate, silver picrate, sulfadiazine, sulfarsphenamine, tartar emetic, vuzin dihydrochloride.
Nitrogen form and ratio impact Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla) shoot tissue carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations

Abstract Swiss chard ( Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla) shoots contain high amounts of carotenoid and chlorophyll pigments and can be enhanced through varying cultural management practices, such as temperature, light, and mineral nutrient levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) form and ratio on the carotenoid and chlorophylls concentrations in Swiss chard leaf tissue. Seeds of ‘Rhubarb Chard’ and ‘Oriole Orange’ Swiss chard were germinated under greenhouse conditions at the University of Tennessee (UT) and Mississippi State University (MSU). Plants were grown at 25/20 °C (day/night) and grown hydroponically in different N forms and ratios given as ammonium and nitrate N. Plants were analyzed for biomass production, carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations, and xanthophyll pigment ratios in the shoot tissue. Swiss chard biomass accumulation responded significantly to N form ( P ≤ 0.001), and the interaction of N form and location ( P ≤ 0.01). Carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations were also significantly affected by N form ( P ≤ 0.001), and the interaction of N form and location ( P ≤ 0.01). Specifically, concentrations of lutein (LUT), β-carotene (BC), neoxanthin (NEO), violaxanthin (VIO), and antheraxanthin (ANTH) increased by 42.0%, 45.1%, 49.0%, 59.3%, and 36.0%, respectively, when decreasing the treatment ratio of NH 4 -N:NO 3 -N from 100:0 to 25:75. Similarly, chlorophyll a (Chl a ) and chlorophyll b (Chl b ) increased 44.9% and 40.9%, respectively. There were significant differences in xanthophyll cycle pigments between the two locations. Higher light intensities at the MSU location may have contributed to lower pigment concentrations in the shoot tissues of Swiss chard. Since N fertility is important to overall health of the plant, it is crucial to understand the influence of managing it in a production system aimed to increase yields and nutritionally important pigmentation in Swiss chard. Thus, the recommendation for increase biomass accumulation and health promoting carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations in the leaf tissue should consider decreasing NH 4 -NO 3 ratios in a fertility program to 25% NH 4 -N:75% NO 3 -N.
Estimators for overdetermined linear Stokes parameters

The mathematics of estimating overdetermined polarization parameters is worked out within the context of the inverse modeling of linearly polarized light, and as the primary new result the general solution is presented for estimators of the linear Stokes parameters from any number of measurements. The utility of the general solution is explored in several illustrative examples including the canonical case of two orthogonal pairs. In addition to the actual utility of these estimators in Stokes analysis, the pedagogical discussion illustrates many of the considerations involved in solving the ill-posed problem of overdetermined parameter estimation. Finally, suggestions are made for using a rapidly rotating polarizer for continuously updating polarization estimates.
Heredity of Rice Plant Height of RA73 with sd-r Gene and Four Restore Lines with sd-1 Gene

The plant height of P, F_ 1 and F_ 2 of four crosses made from rice RA73 with the sd-r semi-dwarf gene ×four rice restorer lines with sd-1 semi-dwarf gene (Minghei 63, Minghei 86, Shuhui 527 and Chenghui 047) were genetically analyzed. The plant height of P and F_ 1 are 82.4~94.5 cm and 126.6~133.1 cm and the segregation ratio of F_ 2 plant height (high height plant with 101~140 cm, semi-dwarf plant with 71~100 cm and dwarf plant with 45~70 cm) accords with the proportion of 9∶6∶1 by the chi-square method, which expresses that sd-r and sd-1 genes are two pairs of non-allelic independent semi-dwarf genes. The paper discusses the application and way of RA73 with the sd-r semi-dwarf gene in breeding of hybrid rice at the same time.
The locale promoting current test method of current transformer in the 800 kV tank breaker

Combining with the locale situation,sums up the locale promoting current test method of large current transformer through the test of many times,solves the difficult technological problems of the locale promoting current for the large current transformer in the 800 kV tank breaker,guarantees the safe,economic and steady operation of 750 kV EHV power grid.
Electricity Market Simulation Test under Different Supply and Demand Levels

With electricity market simulation system as basic technology platform,the electricity market simulation research has been conducted under different supply and demand levels.The tests were performed considering the test objective,subjects,environment,scheme configuration,execution and result analysis,providing the practical basis for electricity market simulation research.According to the test result analysis,the unilateral market is unsteady and risky in the case of the strained supply-demand balance.
Participation of 5-HT3, 5-HT4, and nicotinic receptors in the peristaltic reflex of guinea pig distal colon

The roles of 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3), 5-HT4, and nicotinic receptors in the peristaltic reflex were investigated in isolated segments of guinea pig distal colon. The reflex assessed by measuri...
Branched Chain Amino Acids in Heart Failure

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids for protein synthesis and also serve as critical signaling molecules for cellular growth and metabolic regulations. The homeostasis of BCAA is regulated by food uptake and intrinsic catabolic activities. Genetic defects in BCAA catabolic pathways can cause cardiomyopathies and suppressed BCAA catabolic activities are observed in common forms of human heart diseases. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of BCAA function and its misregulation under pathological stress in heart diseases remain to be explored. Nevertheless, BCAA catabolic regulation is potential diagnosis and therapeutic target for heart failure.
Elucidating the Common Generalist Predators of Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in an Organic Apple Orchard Using Molecular Gut-Content Analysis

Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), plum curculio, is a serious direct pest of North American tree fruit including, apples, cherries, peaches and plums. Historically, organophosphate insecticides were used for control, but this tool is no longer registered for use in tree fruit. In addition, few organically approved insecticides are available for organic pest control and none have proven efficacy as this time. Therefore, promoting biological control in these systems is the next step, however, little is known about the biological control pathways in this system and how these are influenced by current mechanical and cultural practices required in organic systems. We used molecular gut-content analysis for testing field caught predators for feeding on plum curculio. During the study we monitored populations of plum curculio and the predator community in a production organic apple orchard. Predator populations varied over the season and contained a diverse assemblage of spiders and beetles. A total of 8% of all predators (eight Araneae, two Hemiptera, and six Coleoptera species) assayed for plum curculio predation were observed positive for the presence of plum curculio DNA in their guts, indicating that these species fed on plum curculio prior to collection Results indicate a number of biological control agents exist for this pest and this requires further study in relation to cultural practices.
Climatological analyses of LMA data with an open-source lightning flash-clustering algorithm

Approximately 63 million lightning flashes have been identified and analyzed from multiple years of Washington, D. C., northern Alabama, and northeast Colorado lightning mapping array (LMA) data using an open-source flash-clustering algorithm. LMA networks detect radiation produced by lightning breakdown processes, allowing for high-resolution mapping of lightning flashes. Similar to other existing clustering algorithms, the algorithm described herein groups lightning-produced radiation sources by space and time to estimate total flash counts and information about each detected flash. Various flash characteristics and their sensitivity to detection efficiency are investigated to elucidate biases in the algorithm, detail detection efficiencies of various LMAs, and guide future improvements. Furthermore, flash density values in each region are compared to corresponding satellite estimates. While total flash density values produced by the algorithm in Washington, D. C. (~20 flashes km−2 yr−1), and Alabama (~35 flashes km−2 yr−1) are within 50% of satellite estimates, LMA-based estimates are approximately a factor of 3 larger (50 flashes km−2 yr−1) than satellite estimates in northeast Colorado. Accordingly, estimates of the ratio of in-cloud to cloud-to-ground flashes near the LMA network (~20) are approximately a factor of 3 larger than satellite estimates in Colorado. These large differences between estimates may be related to the distinct environment conducive to intense convection, low-altitude flashes, and unique charge structures in northeast Colorado.
A course module on mobile programming

The smartphone, tablet and other mobile devices have emerged over the past few years as one of the most popular computing/informational platforms. To meet the growing need for skilled developers who can code applications for these devices, universities must expand current curricula with relevant mobile computing topics. This paper presents the experience of integrating an introductory mobile programming module into an existing CS1 course taught in Java. The module was one of three course modules on mobile programming that are in the process of being infused into the CS curriculum at North Carolina A&T State University. The content of the course module, and the teaching experiences are described in this paper. This course module can be adopted by other educators who are interested in introducing mobile programming to their existing CS1 courses.
Spatial enhancement of event-related potentials using multiresolution analysis

Multiresolution analysis is a potentially useful tool to enhance the brain's electrical fields (spatial distributions of event-related potentials (ERP)), and to bring out spatial features which may not be seen in the fields before enhancement. For comparing different images (slices from ERP of different subjects or from the same subject but evoked by different stimuli), we define a measure (surface energy) at each decomposition scale and for different wavelets. The best wavelet and the best level for comparing the given images can be chosen based on this measure. Our experiments show that for very similar images, their difference can be brought out at some scale level. Three preprocessing steps are needed in order to carry out this wavelet analysis. First, a wavelet denoising step is needed to remove noise from the raw ERP. Secondly, a one-to-one mapping is needed to map scalp surface into a square, because the current wavelet analysis theory and algorithm are constructed on regular domains. Finally, a fitting or interpolation step is needed to construct an image on a regular grid in order to apply the fast wavelet transform algorithms.
Modernizing Water Quality Criteria in the United States: A Need to Expand the Definition of Acceptable Data

The development of water quality criteria (WQC) for the protection of aquatic life is a fundamental component of the Clean Water Act-the primary US legislation responsible for protecting aquatic ecosystems from pollution. Water quality criteria define acceptable levels of contamination in the environment and thus play an important role in society. Rules for how science is used to develop WQC were created in 1985. Most rely on only data and knowledge obtained through a single methodology, the single-species laboratory toxicity test. Since 1985, understanding of the fate and effects of environmental contaminants has advanced markedly from multiple perspectives and disciplines. However, many of these advances are routinely discarded in WQC development because they do not adhere to data limits imposed by the 1985 guidelines. The present Focus article outlines how multiple lines of inquiry have played important roles in improving understanding of the ecological implications of environmental contaminants. The authors focus on gains in understanding that would not have been possible through traditional toxicity bioassays alone and argue that more robust scientific understanding can be used to modernize WQC development. In particular, the present article highlights ways to increase the relevance of toxicity testing (at different spatiotemporal scales) and incorporate all relevant lines of evidence into WQC modernization. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:285-291. © 2017 SETAC.