cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and antifungal activity of substituted 2,4,6-pyrimidinetrione carbaldehyde hydrazones

Opportunistic fungal infections caused by the Candida spp. are the most common human fungal infections, often resulting in severe systemic infections-a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in at-risk populations. Azole antifungals remain the mainstay of antifungal treatment for candidiasis, however development of clinical resistance to azoles by Candida spp. limits the drugs' efficacy and highlights the need for discovery of novel therapeutics. Recently, it has been reported that simple hydrazone derivatives have the capability to potentiate antifungal activities in vitro. Similarly, pyrimidinetrione analogs have long been explored by medicinal chemists as potential therapeutics, with more recent focus being on the potential for pyrimidinetrione antimicrobial activity. In this work, we present the synthesis of a class of novel hydrazone-pyrimidinetrione analogs using novel synthetic procedures. In addition, structure-activity relationship studies focusing on fungal growth inhibition were also performed against two clinically significant fungal pathogens. A number of derivatives, including phenylhydrazones of 5-acylpyrimidinetrione exhibited potent growth inhibition at or below 10μM with minimal mammalian cell toxicity. In addition, in vitro studies aimed at defining the mechanism of action of the most active analogs provide preliminary evidence that these compound decrease energy production and fungal cell respiration, making this class of analogs promising novel therapies, as they target pathways not targeted by currently available antifungals.
Hypothesis on the Molecular Basis of Nononcogenic Retroviral Diseases

Oncogenic and nononcogenic retroviruses have similar structures and replicate by reverse transcription of their viral RNAs. The nononcogenic retroviruses are distinguished from the oncogenic retroviruses by virtue of the chronic inflammatory or degenerative disease they cause. These diseases include visna-maedi of sheep, caprine arthritis and encephalitis, equine infectious anemia, and chronic spongiform polioencephalomyelopathy of mice. The basis for the particular disease caused by the nononcogenic retroviruses seems to be the selective infection of specific end-stage cells. A common factor in these slowly progressing diseases is lifelong persistence of virus with viral spread either in the face of host immunity-antigenic drift or by modulation of the host immune response. The molecular basis for antigenic drift in visna virus and its biologic significance are discussed.
Isolation technology for scaled MOS VLSI

Local oxidation with self-aligned field threshold implant has become pervasive as the technique for device isolation in n-channel Si-gate technology. As device dimensions approach 1µm, both geometrical and performance limitations demand reconsideration of this choice. In this paper the goals and limitations of device isolation technology (threshold control, step coverage, transition region size, complexity) are first examined, and the various alternatives which have been proposed are critically reviewed. It appears that several evolutionary developments can significantly extend the life of conventional isolation technology.
On the steady state activity levels in a reactor‐regenerator system

A method is proposed for computing the steady state activity levels at various points within a reactor-regenerator system in which the residence time distribution functions in the reactor and regenerator, the permanent deactivation function, and the temporary deactivation and activation functions are arbitrarily specified. A particularly simple solution to these equations is obtained when the temporary activation and deactivation functions are of exponential form. The latter equations are used to calculate values of the mean activity in the reactor for the limiting cases of piston type of flow and complete mixing under a variety of conditions.
Central catecholamine receptor blocking actions of BE-2254 ('heat'): comparison with chlorpromazine and haloperidol.

BE-2254, 2-[beta-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethylaminomethyl]-tetralone, (ED50 = 3.4 mg/kg i.p.) was about equal to chlorpromazine (ED50 = 4.4) as an antagonist of central noradrenergic receptor stimulation produced by clonidine (enhancement of the flexor reflex in spinalized rats). Haloperidol and phentolamine had essentially no effect at 9 mg/kg i.p...
Measurement and Prediction of the Dynamic Temperature Distributions in Soda-Lime Glass Plates

Experimental measurement of the dynamic internal temperature distribution in soda-lime glass plates using thermocouples fused in the glass has been carried out. Experimentally measured temperatures are compared to predictions obtained from the solution of the transient energy equation where the internal radiative transfer has been accounted for using rigorous radiative transfer theory. A discussion of the experimental method, the process used to fuse the thermocouples in the test plates and the rigorous formulation of the energy equation, for semitransparent materials is given. Predicted and measured instantaneous surface temperatures are compared and very good agreement is obtained. It is also concluded that the empriical equation for the phonon conductivity used in the analysis underpredicts the conductivity. A 20% increase in phonon conductivity is shown to significantly improve the agreement between measured and predicted centerline to surface temperature differences.
Skeletal Part Representation in Archaeofaunas: Comments on “Explaining the ‘Klasies Pattern’: Kua Ethnoarchaeology, the Die Kelders Middle Stone Age Archaeofauna, Long Bone Fragmentation and Carnivore Ravaging” by Bartram & Marean

Abstract In many archaeological faunas, relative to smaller ungulates, larger ones are more poorly represented by proximal limb bones (humeri, radioulnae, femora and tibiae) and better represented by bones of the feet and skull. In a recent issue of this journal, Bartram & Marean refer to the contrast as the “Klasies Pattern” for its occurrence at the Klasies River Mouth Middle Stone Age site in South Africa. However, they argue that it exists only because archaeologists often fail to identify small midshaft fragments to skeletal part and taxon. They believe that most archaeological faunas have been heavily ravaged by carnivores that selectively removed proximal limb bone epiphyses and left the associated shaft fragments behind. In support, they cite analyses by Marean and his co-workers in which proximal limb bone numbers increased significantly when shaft fragments were refitted to produce identifiable specimens. The dramatic increase in proximal limb bone numbers at Kobeh Cave, Iran is particularly compelling, but Bartram & Marean must spell out their procedure for identifying and counting shafts to ensure that others can produce comparable results and to exclude the possibility that the results are an artefact of their procedure. The refitting of small shaft fragments is extremely tedious and time-consuming, but may be justified wherever there is independent evidence for substantial carnivore ravaging. There is essentially no evidence for carnivore ravaging at Klasies River Mouth nor is there evidence that it can produce the contrast between smaller and larger ungulates that comprises the “Klasies Pattern”. We conclude that the contrast mainly reflects differences in carcass size as these influence (1) the likelihood that particular skeletal elements will be transported from a carcass to a base camp and (2) the likelihood that parts will survive in identifiable condition.
Laboratory-prepared iron oxide coatings on sands: Submicron-scale small-strain stiffness

Chemical weathering of iron-bearing rock minerals results in the formation of iron oxides, which can chemically adsorb onto soil surfaces, and/or absorb into their molecular structure. The objective of this paper is to use laboratory-prepared, iron oxide-coated sand to study the role of iron oxide coatings on the small-strain stiffness of coarse-grained soil. Ottawa sands were geochemically coated with iron oxides of goethite and hematite via a heterogeneous suspension reaction in the laboratory. Specimen preparation techniques were chosen to ensure that the soils were not cemented during preparation. SEM images, ICP analysis, and geotechnical index tests were used to characterize the submicron-scaled iron oxide coatings, and the bender element method was used to measure the shear wave velocities of uncoated and the two iron oxide coated sands. Contact mechanics and submicron scale mechanistic approaches were explored to interpret the experimental data, and results indicated that small-strain stiffness of iron oxide coated sands was higher than that of uncoated sands. Results also suggested that a small-strain stiffness behavioral hierarchy associated with iron oxide thermodynamic stability may exist. This study demonstrated that iron oxide coatings significantly influence sand grain-to-grain behavior, even in the absence of cementation or augmented contact area effects, due to an increase in the number of particle contacts present in the iron oxide coated sands.
Dynamic sparse coding with smoothing proximal gradient method

In this work we focus on the problem of estimating timevarying sparse signals from a sequence of under-sampled observations. We formulate this problem as estimating hidden states in a dynamic model and exploit the underlying temporal structure to find a more accurate solution, particularly when the information in the observations is at scarce. We propose an optimization procedure based on smoothing proximal gradient method to estimate these hidden states. We show that the proposed model is efficient and more robust to the noise in the system.
Finite element analysis of an elastic-plastic two-layer half-space: sliding contact

Abstract A two-dimensional finite element stress and strain analysis of the sliding contact of a two-layer elastic-plastic half-space for various friction coefficients was conducted. First the contact pressure of the two-layer half-space under normal indentation was determined. Then the normal and tangential loadings were applied proportionally and incrementally on the surface. It was found that surface deformation, location of initial yielding, stresses and strains along the interfaces between layers strongly depend on the friction coefficient. When the friction coefficient is small (less than 0.3), yielding initiates in the subsurface region near the leading edge of the contact, provided that the normal load is large enough. When the friction coefficient is large (greater than 0.3), yielding initiates on the surface at the trailing edge of the contact. The surface strains, especially the shear strains, are large owing to the unconstrained deformation. The magnitudes of shear stresses and strains along both interfaces are significantly large for high friction. On the basis of the analysis, the implications for interface failures are qualitatively addressed.
Ground vehicle modeling and simulation of military vehicles using high performance computing

Abstract In support of the Department of Defense (DOD) mandated acquisition reform initiatives to reduce vehicle-related life cycle costs and time-lines, the Tank-automotive and Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is using simulation-based acquisition strategies to investigate the dynamic performance of wheeled and tracked ground vehicles throughout the vehicle development, testing, and fielding life cycle process. The paper will describe how modeling and simulation (M&S) is applied to answer a wide variety of design and performance evaluation questions and will depict a series of simulation-based engineering projects that build on the Army's simulation investments as a tool to investigate and answer real-world vehicle design, acquisition, and engineering support questions.
New regulations on railroad bridge safety: opportunities and challenges for railroad bridge monitoring

ABSTRACT New federal regulations now mandate North American railroad bridge owners to cl osely assess the structural capacity of their bridges. Consequently, railroad companies are currently looking into developing and exploring monitoring systems for specific bridges, to help them improve and develop bridge sa fety in order to help comply with this new rule. The first part of this paper explains the significance of the new federal law. The new rule comes from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and it falls under the 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 213 and 237 1 . It requires railroad track owners to know the sa fe capacity of their bridges and to additionally conduct special inspections if either weather or other exceptional conditions ma ke them necessary to ensure safe railroad bridge operations. The second part of this paper will cover past and current studies about the viability of bridge health monitoring, and actual structural monitoring experiences for railroad bridges. Finally, lessons learned from these monitoring examples, as well as recommendations for future applications, are suggested, including wireless monitoring strategies for railroad bridges such as: campaign sensing inspections (periodic monitoring); bridge replacement observations (short term monitoring); and permanent bridge instrumentation (long term monitoring). Keywords: railroad bridges, structural health monitoring, maintenance, safety, bridge management, bridge decay, dynamic monitoring, displacement monitoring.
A Coastal Flood Stage to Define Existing and Future Sea-Level Hazards

ABSTRACT Kriebel, D.L. and Geiman, J.D., 2014. A coastal flood stage to define existing and future sea-level hazards. This paper explores the possible definition of a generic coastal flood stage (FS), an elevation at which significant flooding of local infrastructure is initiated, for regional or nationwide use in flood hazard analysis. By using monthly National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tidal gauge data from several coastal locations, a coastal FS based on the statistics of extreme high water events is proposed. This statistical FS is then compared to moderate and major FSs established by the National Weather Service with good agreement. Once adopted, the FS serves as a less ambiguous reference elevation or threshold to which the flooding potential of future storm events and sea-level rise can be compared and allows for consistent comparison between different sites.
Understanding Sarason's Concepts of School Cultures and Change: Joining a Community in School Improvement Efforts

This paper describes an evolving transformative partnership between a large comprehensive university, an urban school system and a predominantly African-American, low-income neighborhood. The partnership’s originating intent was to apply an array of university, civic and local resources to improve the academic performance of a neighborhood’s schools and the health, welfare and economic well-being of its residents. The extent to which that partnership would precipitate transactional (Sameroff and Fiese, Handbook of early childhood intervention, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 119–149 in 1990) synergies among the partners was unanticipated; the long-term implications for each of the partners of such unfamiliar interactional processes remain unclear but are being systematically monitored over time. Evident at this point, however, it that a process has been initiated that has impacted how the university community, the local public school system, city government and the target neighborhood relate to each other, collaborate with each other and are changing each other. The pace of that process has varied over the years and challenged each partners’ expectations and assumptions about the nature and consequences of their involvement. With time and perseverance, however, it appears that all are moving toward a sense of mutual learning and trust and toward extending to each other the benefit of the doubt. This paper discusses the evolution of that process and its implications for university-school-community collaborations.
Analysis of D-penicillamine by gas chromatography utilizing nitrogen—phosphorus detection

Abstract A method is presented for the analysis of the “orphan” drug D -penicillamine (D-Pa), which is used for the treatment of the inherited rare copper metabolism dysfunction known as Wilson's disease, by assaying a derivative of the compound by gas chromatography employing a rubidium sensitized nitrogen—phosphorus detector. Analytical procedures are described for the analyses of residues of D-Pa ṡ HCl salt in animal feed and for the analyses of the salt or free base from aqueous solutions by utilizing a single-step double derivatization with diazomethane—acetone. Stability data for D-Pa ṡ HCl in animal feed and for the free base in water are presented. An ancillary fluorescence derivatization procedure for the analysis of D-Pa in water is also reported.
Small-World Networks: Evidence for a Crossover Picture

Watts and Strogatz [Nature (London) 393, 440 (1998)] have recently introduced a model for disordered networks and reported that, even for very small values of the disorder $p$ in the links, the network behaves as a ``small world.'' Here, we test the hypothesis that the appearance of small-world behavior is not a phase transition but a crossover phenomenon which depends both on the network size $n$ and on the degree of disorder $p$. We propose that the average distance $\ensuremath{\ell}$ between any two vertices of the network is a scaling function of $n/{n}^{*}$. The crossover size ${n}^{*}$ above which the network behaves as a small world is shown to scale as ${n}^{*}(p\ensuremath{\ll}1)\ensuremath{\sim}{p}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\tau}}$ with $\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\approx}2/3$.
A facile preparation of α-hydroxy fatty acids

Abstract A convenient, one-step synthesis of α-hydroxy long chain, very long-chain and branched chain fatty acids from non-oxygenated fatty acids is described. The procedure involves preparation of fatty acid dianion using lithium diisopropylamide and oxygenation of the dianion by molecular oxygen.
Reforestation Strategies Amid Social Instability: Lessons from Afghanistan

Foreign and domestic government agencies and other international organizations pursue reforestation programs in rural upper watershed areas of Afghanistan over the past decade to alleviate poverty, combat the insurgency and rehabilitate a depleted forest resource base. Popular programs incorporate cash-for-work to conduct hillside terracing, check dam construction and tree-planting for nut production, fuel wood, timber, dune stabilization, and erosion abatement. Programmatic approaches have varied as a function of accessibility, security and local objectives. Uncertain land tenure and use rights, weak local environmental management capacity, and a focus on agricultural production to meet immediate needs limit interest, nationally and locally. Unreliable security, a lack of high quality tree planting stock, limited technical knowledge and coordination among government agencies, and poor security hamper program expansion. Reforestation success would be most likely where these issues are least acute. The Afghan government should focus on supporting community based natural resource management, developing and disseminating improved conservation tree nursery strategies, and promoting watershed management schemes that incorporate forestry, range management and agronomic production. Reforestation practitioners could benefit from the human and material resources now present as part of the international war effort. Successes and failures encountered in Afghanistan should be considered in order to address similar problems in insecure regions elsewhere when reforestation may help reverse environmental degradation and contribute to broader social stabilization efforts.
Tensor scale-based fuzzy connectedness image segmentation

Tangible solutions to image segmentation are vital in many medical imaging applications. Toward this goal, a framework based on fuzzy connectedness was developed in our laboratory. A fundamental notion called "affinity" - a local fuzzy hanging togetherness relation on voxels - determines the effectiveness of this segmentation framework in real applications. In this paper, we introduce the notion of "tensor scale" - a recently developed local morphometric parameter - in affinity definition and study its effectiveness. Although, our previous notion of "local scale" using the spherical model successfully incorporated local structure size into affinity and resulted in measureable improvements in segmentation results, a major limitation of the previous approach was that it ignored local structural orientation and anisotropy. The current approach of using tensor scale in affinity computation allows an effective utilization of local size, orientation, and ansiotropy in a unified manner. Tensor scale is used for computing both the homogeneity- and object-feature-based components of affinity. Preliminary results of the proposed method on several medical images and computer generated phantoms of realistic shapes are presented. Further extensions of this work are discussed.
Cerebral inflammation and edema: A model in rats for testing antiinflammatory drugs

Abstract The efficacy of drugs for treating inflammatory disorders in brain cannot be predicted from tests in nonneural tissues. To fill the need for a model of inflammation in the brain, irritant chemicals were implanted into the frontal lobe of rats. This procedure was simple, rapid, economical, reproducible, and versatile. Silver nitrate, trietyltin, and carrageenan implants produced as much, or more, cerebral edema as other edemogenic procedures. Water content reached 82.1% (control 78.3%) on the implanted side, accompanied by increased sodium ion and decreased potassium ion content. Edema was reduced in rats treated with dexamethasone. The model will be used to assay the potency of nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs.
Biomass fueled fluidized bed combustion: Atmospheric emissions, emission control devices and environmental regulations

Abstract Fluidized bed combustors have become the technological choice for power generation from biomass fuels in California. Atmospheric emission data obtained during compliance tests are compared for five operating 18 to 32 MW fluidized bed combustion power plants. The discussion focuses on the impact of fuel properties and boiler design criteria on the emission of pollutants, the efficiency of pollution control devices, and regulations affecting atmospheric emissions. Stack NOx emission factors are shown not to vary substantially among the five plants which burn fuels with nitrogen concentrations between 0.3 and 1.1% dry weight. With reference to previous works, it is suggested that fuel nitrogen to NOx conversion rates gradually level off at fuel nitrogen concentrations above 0.15%. Prompt NOx formation mechanisms are suggested to be important in addition to fuel NOx mechanisms, compensating for reduced formation of thermal NOx in fluidized bed combustors. This may limit the extent to which NOx formation can be controlled in the boiler. All facilities use at least one particular control device, but not all use limestone injection or other control techniques for sulfur and chlorine. The lack of control for chlorine suggests the potential for emission of toxic species due to favorable temperature conditions existing in the particulate control devices, particularly when burning fuels containing high concentrations of chlorine.
The development of functional neuromuscular junctionsin vitro: An ultrastructural and physiological study

Abstract Neuromuscular junctions were formed in vitro between rat spinal cord explants and myotubes. At various intervals after the spinal cord explants were added to the myotube culture (7 hr to 15 days of coculture), the presence of functional neuromuscular junctions was determined by recording miniature endplate potentials (mepps) from the myotubes contacted by a few neurites. Electron microscopical studies were conducted on identified myotubes in which mepps were recorded. Mepps were already found as early as 7 hr after coculture. The fine structure of these newly formed neuromuscular junctions was simple. No synaptic specializations were observed except the presence of a small number of synaptic vesicles in the nerve. The neuromuscular junctions differentiated during the coculture period. Synaptic vesicles formed a cluster at the prejunctional membrane with a localized density in the middle. Basal lamina started to form in 4-day-old cocultures and became continuous in cocultures of 10 days or longer. Clear postjunctional foldings were observed in 15-day-old cocultures. Higher mepp frequencies were correlated with more advanced ultrastructure.
Variational mesh adaptation: isotropy and equidistribution

We present a new approach for developing more robust and error-oriented mesh adaptation methods. Specifically, assuming that a regular (in cell shape) and uniform (in cell size) computational mesh is used (as is commonly done in computation), we develop a criterion for mesh adaptation based on an error function whose definition is motivated by the analysis of function variation and local error behavior for linear interpolation. The criterion is then decomposed into two aspects, the isotropy (or conformity) and uniformity (or equidistribution) requirements, each of which can be easier to deal with. The functionals that satisfy these conditions approximately are constructed using discrete and continuous inequalities. A new functional is finally formulated by combining the functionals corresponding to the isotropy and uniformity requirements. The features of the functional are analyzed and demonstrated by numerical results. In particular, unlike the existing mesh adaptation functionals, the new functional has clear geometric meanings of minimization. A mesh that has the desired properties of isotropy and equidistribution can be obtained by properly choosing the values of two parameters. The analysis presented in this article also provides a better understanding of the increasingly popular method of harmonic mapping in two dimensions.
Generation of 20 GHz, sub-40 fs pulses at 960 nm via repetition-rate multiplication.

Optical filtering of a stabilized 1 GHz optical frequency comb produces a 20 GHz comb with approximately 40 nm bandwidth (FWHM) at 960 nm. Use of a low-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity in a double-pass configuration provides a broad cavity coupling bandwidth (Deltalambda/lambda approximately 10%) and large suppression (50 dB) of unwanted modes. Pulse durations shorter than 40 fs with less than 2% residual amplitude modulation are achieved.
Effects of encainide and amiodarone on the adaptation of ventricular refractoriness to an increase in rate.

Abstract The ventricular effective refractory period (VERP) adapts gradually to an increase in rate, and up to several minutes may be necessary before the maximum shortening of VERP is realized when the rate increases. 1,2 Quinidine and mexiletine have been demonstrated to have no effect on the adaptation of ventricular refractoriness to an increase in rate. 3 However, the effects of class IC and class III antiarrhythmic drugs on the adaptation of refractoriness to an increase in rate are not known. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of encainide and amiodarone on the adaptation of the VERP to an increase in rate.
Relations of Eating Disorder Symptomology with Perceptions of Pressures from Mother, Peers, and Media in Adolescent Girls and Boys

This study examined the relations of adolescents’ perceptions of pressures from the media, their mothers, and their peers with the development of eating disorder symptomology. Participants were 333 male and female adolescents in high school grades 10–12 from a suburban area of the Midwestern US. During the school day, students completed Likert-type scales of perceived pressures and eating disorder symptomology. Canonical correlations showed that students who perceived greater pressures across all three environmental contexts also reported more eating disorder symptomology. However, the patterns of relations between the perceived pressures and specific eating disorder symptoms differed by gender. Implications for future research and prevention programs are discussed.
Simulations of laser locking to a LISA arm

We present detailed numerical simulations of a laser phase stabilization scheme for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), where both lasers emitting along one arm are locked to each other. Including the standard secondary noises and spacecraft motions that approximately mimic LISA's orbit (excluding the rotation of the constellation), we verify that very stable laser phases can be obtained and that time delay interferometry can be used to remove the laser phase noise from measurements of gravitational wave strains. Most importantly, we show that this locking scheme can provide significant simplifications over LISA's baseline design in the implementation of time delay interferometry.
Computer-Assisted Distance Learning, Part II: Examination Performance of Students On and Off Campus

Technical Japanese courses taught to engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were offered to professionals at corporations and government laboratories around the United States over a period of nine semesters via audiographic teleconferencing and interactive satellite broadcasts. Examination scores by students from three groups (campus, audiographics, satellite) were analyzed statistically on a semester-by-semester basis. In only two of the eight semesters in which a course was offered via audio-graphics was there a discernible difference (at the 5% level) between the scores of the audiographics students and the scores of the campus students. In one instance the scores of the students on campus were higher; in the other instance the scores of the students at the remote sites were higher. Over the five semesters in which a course was offered via interactive satellite broadcasts there was no semester in which the difference in scores between the satellite group and the campus group was statistically significant (at the 5% level). The results of this study support the assertion that students at remote sites in a well-planned distance education program can achieve a performance comparable to that of students who receive on-site instruction.
The determining number of a Cartesian product

A set S of vertices is a determining set for a graph G if every automorphism of G is uniquely determined by its action on S. The determining number of G, denoted Det(G), is the size of a smallest determining set. This paper begins by proving that if G=G 1k1 s⋅sG mkm is the prime factor decomposition of a connected graph then Det(G)=maxlDet(G iki )r. It then provides upper and lower bounds for the determining number of a Cartesian power of a prime connected graph. Further, this paper shows that Det(Qn)=⌈log2n⌉+1 which matches the lower bound, and that Det(K 3n )=⌈log3(2n+1)⌉+1 which for all n is within one of the upper bound. The paper concludes by proving that if H is prime and connected, Det(Hn)=Θ(logn). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory
THE EFFECT OF GRAIN SIZE ON THE SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURE OF THE TRANSITION METALS.

Abstract Grain size reduction depresses T c of α-La and enhances T c of bcc Mo. Consistency with phonon-mediated electron pairing requires a grain size dependence of the quantity N (0) 〈 I 2 〉.
Psychometric Properties of the Communication Confidence Rating Scale for Aphasia (CCRSA): Phase 1

Confidence is a construct that has not been explored previously in aphasia research. We developed the Communication Confidence Rating Scale for Aphasia (CCRSA) to assess confidence in communicating in a variety of activities and evaluated its psychometric properties using rating scale (Rasch) analysis. The CCRSA was administered to 21 individuals with aphasia before and after participation in a computer-based language therapy study. Person reliability of the 8-item CCRSA was .77. The 5-category rating scale demonstrated monotonic increases in average measures from low to high ratings. However, one item ("I follow news, sports, stories on TV/movies") misfit the construct defined by the other items (mean square infit = 1.69, item-measure correlation = .41). Deleting this item improved reliability to .79; the 7 remaining items demonstrated excellent fit to the underlying construct, although there was a modest ceiling effect in this sample. Pre- to posttreatment changes on the 7-item CCRSA measure were statistically significant using a paired samples t test. Findings support the reliability and sensitivity of the CCRSA in assessing participants' self-report of communication confidence. Further evaluation of communication confidence is required with larger and more diverse samples.
Observations of Tidal Internal Wave Beams at Kauai Channel, Hawaii

Abstract To observe the across-ridge structure of internal tides, density and velocity were measured using SeaSoar and a Doppler sonar over the upper 400–600 m of the ocean extending 152 km on each side of the Hawaiian Ridge at Kauai Channel. Eighteen sections were completed in about 18 days with sampling intentionally detuned from the lunar semidiurnal (M2) tide so that averaging over all sections was equivalent to phase averaging the M2 tide. Velocity and displacement variance and several covariances involving velocity and displacement showed one M2 internal wave beam on each side of the ridge and reflection of the beams off of the surface. Theoretical ray slopes aligned with the observed beams and originated from the sides of the ridge. Energy flux was in agreement with internal wave generation at the ridge. Inferred turbulent dissipation was elevated relative to open ocean values near tidal beams. Energy flux was larger than total dissipation almost everywhere across the ridge. Internal wave energy fl...
Do Investors Care if Steve Jobs is Healthy

Steve Jobs of Apple, Inc., is one of the best known CEOs in the world, and some stock analysts have termed him “irreplaceable.” Using conventional event study methods, we test the magnitude of these announcements on Apple’s share price and its market capitalization. We focus upon nine “events” between 2004 and 2009 in which new information about Mr. Jobs’ health was flushed into the marketplace, on occasion by Apple itself, but more often by the commentary and speculations of media observers, stock analysts and bloggers. We find that the impact of these announcements upon Apple share prices is mixed, usually modest, and disappears over time. We conclude that Jobs’ health has an impact on Apple’s share price and market capitalization, but that impact is not always negative and not nearly as large as many observers apparently believe.
Discrimination of the sign of frequency differences by Sternopygus, an electric fish without a jamming avoidance response

Several species of weakly electric fish reflexively change their frequency of electric organ discharge (EOD) in response to sensing signals of similar frequency from conspecifics; that is, they exhibit jamming avoidance responses (JAR).Eigenmannia increases its EOD frequency if jammed by a signal of lower frequency and decreases its EOD frequency if jammed by a signal of higher frequency. This discrimination is based on an analysis of the patterns of amplitude modulations and phase differences resulting from signal interference. Fish of the closely related genus,Sternopygus, however, do not exhibit a JAR. Here we show that despite lacking this behavior,Sternopygus shares many sensory processing capacities withEigenmannia: 1. Fish could be conditioned to discriminate the sign of the frequency difference (Df) between an exogenous sinusoidal signal and its own EODs with as few as 300 training trials. 2. Fish can discriminate the sign of Df for jamming signals with an amplitude as low as 2 μV/cm (p-p); which is approximately 40 dB below the amplitude of the fish's EOD, as measured lateral to the operculum. 3. Fish appear to discriminate the sign of Df by evaluating modulations in signal amplitude and differences in the timing of signals received by different areas of the body surface. 4. Sternopygus processes electrosensory information through band-pass modulation filters. Tuning to modulation rates over at least 4–16 Hz exists.
Quorum-Sensing-Regulated Bactobolin Production by Burkholderia thailandensis E264

Bacterial acyl-homoserine lactones upregulated an uncharacterized gene cluster (bta) in Burkholderia thailandensis E264 to produce an uncharacterized polar antibiotic. The antibiotic is identified as a mixture of four bactobolins. Annotation of the bta cluster allows us to propose a biosynthetic scheme for bactobolin and reveals unusual enzymatic reactions for further study.
Paleoseismology and Global Positioning System: Earthquake-cycle effects and geodetic versus geologic fault slip rates in the Eastern California shear zone

Published slip rates for the Owens Valley fault zone in eastern California based on geodetic data and elastic half-space models (5–7 mm/yr) are faster than longer term geologic rates (2–3 mm/yr). We use Global Positioning System data spanning the central Owens Valley, a more realistic rheological model with an elastic upper crust over a viscoelastic lower crust and upper mantle, and paleoseismic data from adjacent faults, to show that this difference could reflect earthquake-cycle effects. We estimate a long-term rate (2.1 ± 0.7 mm/yr) and earthquake recurrence interval (2750 +350/−1000 yr) from the geodetic data, both in agreement with independent geologic estimates.
Conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, vibrational assignment, and ab initio calculations of 2,2-difluorobutane

Abstract The infrared (3500–40 cm −1 ) and Raman spectra (3500–30 cm −1 ) of gaseous and solid 2,2-difluorobutane, CH 3 CF 2 CH 2 CH 3 , have been recorded. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid has been recorded and qualitative depolarization values have been obtained. Both the anti (the two methyl groups are anti ) and gauche conformers have been identified in the fluid phases but only the anti form remains in the solid. Variable temperature (−55 to −100°C) studies of the infrared spectra of the sample dissolved in liquid xenon have been carried out. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 96±10 cm −1 (1.15±0.12 kJ/mol), with the anti conformer being the more stable rotamer. A complete vibrational assignment is proposed for the anti conformer based on infrared band contours, relative intensities, depolarization values and group frequencies. Several of the fundamentals for the gauche conformer have also been identified. The vibrational assignments are supported by normal coordinate calculations utilizing ab initio force constants. Complete equilibrium geometries have been obtained for both rotamers by ab initio calculations employing the 6-31G ∗ and 6-311+G ∗∗ basis sets at the levels of restricted Hartree–Fock (RHF) and/or Moller–Plesset (MP) to second order. The potential energy terms for the conformer interconversion have been obtained from the MP2/6-31G ∗ calculation. The experimental results are compared to the predicted values when appropriate as well as to the corresponding results obtained for some similar molecules.
Communication in disconnected ad hoc networks using message relay

An ad hoc network is formed by a group of mobile hosts upon a wireless network interface. Previous research in communication in ad hoc networks has concentrated on routing algorithms which are designed for fully connected networks. The traditional approach to communication in a disconnected ad hoc network is to let the mobile computer wait for network reconnection passively. This method may lead to unacceptable transmission delays. We propose an approach that guarantees message transmission in minimal time. In this approach, mobile hosts actively modify their trajectories to transmit messages. We develop algorithms that minimize the trajectory modifications under two different assumptions: (a) the movements of all the nodes in the system are known and (b) the movements of the hosts in the system are not known.
Implicit scene learning is viewpoint dependent

When novel scenes are encoded, the representations of scene layout are generally viewpoint specific. Past studies of scene recognition have typically required subjects to explicitly study and encode novel scenes, but in everyday visual experience, it is possible that much scene learning occurs incidentally. Here, we examine whether implicitly encoded scene layouts are also viewpoint dependent. We used the contextual cuing paradigm, in which search for a target is facilitated by implicitly learned associations between target locations and novel spatial contexts (Chun & Jiang, 1998). This task was extended to naturalistic search arrays with apparent depth. To test viewpoint dependence, the viewpoint of the scenes was varied from training to testing. Contextual cuing and, hence, scene context learning decreased as the angular rotation from training viewpoint increased. This finding suggests that implicitly acquired representations of scene layout are viewpoint dependent.
Oral pharmacologic doses of cobalamin may not be as effective as parenteral cobalamin therapy in reversing hyperhomocystinemia and methylmalonic acidemia in apparently normal subjects

A postmenopausal female evaluated for thrombophilia because of bone infarcts had mild hyperhomocysteinemia, which increased when hormone replacement was discontinued. Serum folate, cobalamin and methylmalonic acid were normal. Compound heterozygosity for C677T/A1298C methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms was present but oral folic acid failed to lower homocysteine and actually increased methylmalonic acid. Oral cobalamin therapy increased serum cobalamin and partially decreased methylmalonic acid but had no effect on homocysteine. Homocysteine remained unchanged after 11 months of oral cobalamin, folic acid and pyridoxine therapy. However, intramuscular cobalamin promptly decreased both metabolites to normal. Thus, parenteral cobalamin therapy may have greater metabolic effects than oral vitamin therapy even in apparently normal subjects.
Culture Change in Addictions Treatment: A Targeted Training and Technical Assistance Initiative Affects Tobacco-Related Attitudes and Beliefs in Addiction Treatment Settings

Targeted training and technical assistance can have a major impact on the attitudes and beliefs of addiction service providers with respect to the treatment of tobacco dependency. Major gains have ...
Targeting the airway smooth muscle for asthma treatment

Asthma is a complex respiratory disease whose incidence has increased worldwide in the last decade. Currently there is no cure for asthma. Although bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory medications are effective medicines in some asthmatic patients, it is clear that an unmet therapeutic need persists for a subpopulation of individuals with severe asthma. This chronic lung disease is characterized by airflow limitation, lung inflammation, and remodeling that includes increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass. In addition to its contractile properties, the ASM also contributes to the inflammatory process by producing active mediators, which modify the extracellular matrix composition and interact with inflammatory cells. These undesirable functions make interventions aimed at reducing ASM abundance an attractive strategy for novel asthma therapies. The following three mechanisms could limit the accumulation of smooth muscle: decreased cell proliferation, augmented cell apoptosis, and reduced cell migration into the smooth muscle layer. Inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway or statins hold promise for asthma treatment, because they exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimigratory, and antiproliferative effects in preclinical and clinical studies, and they can target the smooth muscle. This review will discuss current knowledge of ASM biology and identify gaps in the field to stimulate future investigations of the cellular mechanisms that control ASM overabundance in asthma. Targeting ASM has the potential to be an innovative venue of treatment for patients with asthma.
Fuzzy model-based control of complex plants

In the field of fuzzy modeling, the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model has been used to approximate accurately the dynamics of complex plants. The paper addresses two control design problems associated with state-space realizations of such fuzzy models. First, we treat the stability robustness of fuzzy model-based controllers against modeling uncertainty. Second, we develop observer-based control schemes and further investigate the behavior of estimated-state feedback. In both cases, we provide sufficient conditions that guarantee stability of the closed loop. The results are demonstrated on the fuzzy model of a gas furnace process.
Gender differences in attitudes and beliefs associated with bystander behavior and sexual assault

Sexual violence is a significant problem on many college campuses. Bystander education programs have been found to train individuals to act to prevent sexual and partner violence and improve the responses of peers to survivors. Limited evidence suggests that gender differences exist between males and females regarding both attitudes toward, and use of, bystander behavior, with females reporting more supportive attitudes and greater use of bystander behavior. The purpose of this study is to compare male and female college students on attitudes toward date rape, bystander efficacy, intention to act as a bystander, and actual use of bystander behaviors. A secondary aim explored gender differences in theoretically driven bystander behaviors and barriers to acting as a bystander. A convenience sample of 157 full-time undergraduate students aged 18-24 years completed survey measures of attitudes related to sexual and partner violence and willingness to help. Analysis of variance and chi-square were used to compare gender differences in scores. Significant gender differences were found for date rape attitudes, efficacy, and intention to act as a positive bystander. Men reported more rape-supportive attitudes and greater intention to act as a bystander than women, whereas women reported greater levels of bystander efficacy than men. The findings can be used in tailoring gender-specific components of bystander education programs for sexual assault prevention and intervention.
Refining a triangulation of a planar straight-line graph to eliminate large angles

We show that any planar straight line graph (PSLG) with v vertices can be triangulated with no angle larger than 7/spl pi//8 by adding O(v/sup 2/log v) Steiner points in O(v/sup 2/log/sup 2/ v) time. We first triangulate the PSLG with an arbitrary constrained triangulation and then refine that triangulation by adding additional vertices and edges. We follow a lazy strategy of starting from an obtuse angle and exploring the triangulation in search of a sequence of Steiner points that will satisfy a local angle condition. Explorations may either terminate successfully (for example at a triangle vertex), or merge. Some PSLGs require /spl Omega/(v/sup 2/) Steiner points in any triangulation achieving any largest angle bound less than /spl pi/. Hence the number of Steiner points added by our algorithm is within a log v factor of worst case optimal. For most inputs the number of Steiner points and running time would be considerably smaller than in the worst case. >