cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear transport and heat dissipation in metallic carbon nanotubes

We show that the local temperature dependence of thermalized electron and phonon populations along metallic carbon nanotubes is the main reason behind the nonlinear transport characteristics in the high bias regime. Our model is based on the solution of the Boltzmann transport equation considering both optical and zone boundary phonon emission as well as absorption by charge carriers. It also assumes a local temperature along the nanotube, determined self-consistently with the heat transport equation. By using realistic transport parameters, our results not only reproduce experimental data for electronic transport but also provide a coherent interpretation of thermal breakdown under electric stress. In particular, electron and phonon thermalization prohibits ballistic transport in short nanotubes.
Network Characterization and Perceptual Evaluation of Skype Mobile Videos

We characterize the performance of both video and network layer properties of Skype, the most popular video telephony application. The performance in both mobile and stationary scenarios is investigated; considering network characteristics such as packet loss, propagation delay, available bandwidth and their effects on the perceptual video quality, measured using spatial and temporal no-reference video metrics. Based on 200+ live traces, we study the performance of this mobile video telephony application. We model video quality as a function of input network parameters and derive a feed-forward Artificial-Neural-Network that accurately predicts video quality given network conditions (0.0206 ≤ MSE ≤ 0.570). The accuracy of this model improves significantly by incorporating end-user mobility as an input to the model.
Birkhoff periodic orbits for small perturbations of completely integrable Hamiltonian systems with convex Hamiltonians

Pour des systemes a n degres de liberte, on montre l'existence d'au moins n orbites periodiques distinctes avec un vecteur frequence rationnel admissible proche du tore correspondant du systeme non perturbe sous l'hypothese que le hamiltonien du systeme non perturbe a des surfaces d'energie convexes pour les variables action-angle
Two-Dimensional Superresolving Image And Spectral Restoration Using Linear Programming

The finite aperture of any physical imaging system eliminates the high spatial-frequency components of the object from appearing in the image. The lack of high frequency detail results in a loss of resolution in the observed image. It has been shown that, for an object of finite extent, an exact restoration of the object from a DL image is possible. However, numerical implementation of the DL image restoration process is highly unstable in the presence of measurement noise. In the dual of the image restoration problem, the extrapolation of a finite segment of the DL (i.e. spatially limited) image data in the presence of measurement noise is performed. It has been found that the imposition of a priori constraints, such as a non-negativity of the estimate, will stabilize the restoration process. In this paper, we employ optimal data fitting techniques that uses linear programming (LP) for optimization. Results of numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the efficacy of this approach.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Changes in Enantiomeric Fractions during Microbial Reductive Dechlorination of PCB132, PCB149, and Aroclor 1254 in Lake Hartwell Sediment Microcosms

The enantioselectivity of microbial reductive dechlorination of chiral PCBs in sediments from Lake Hartwell, SC, was determined by microcosm studies and enantiomer-specific GC analysis. Sediments from two locations in the vicinity of the highest levels of PCB contamination were used as inocula. Dechlorination activity was monitored by concentration decreases in the spiked chiral PCBs and formation of dechlorination products using both achiral and chiral chromatography. Live microcosms spiked with PCB132 (234-236) exhibited dechlorination of PCB132 to PCB91 (236-24) and PCB51 (24-26). Meta dechlorination was the dominant mechanism. Microcosms spiked with PCB149 (245-236) exhibited preferential para dechlorination of PCB149 to PCB95 (236-25), followed by meta dechlorination to PCB53 (25-26) and subsequently PCB19 (26-2). Dechlorination of chiral PCB132 and PCB149 was not enantioselective. In Aroclor 1254-spiked microcosms, reductive dechlorination of PCB149 also was nonenantioselective. These results suggest that dechlorinating enzymes responsible for the dehalogenation of the chiral PCB132 and PCB149 congeners bind the two enantiomers equally. Reductive dechlorination of PCB91 and PCB95, however, occurred in an enantioselective manner, indicating that the dechlorinating enzymes for these PCBs are enantiomer-specific. The chlorine substitution pattern on the biphenyl ring appears to influence whether reductive dechlorination of chiral PCB congeners is enantioselective. Enantioselective PCB dechlorination by the microbial population of Lake Hartwell sediments occurs for select chiral PCBs; thus, certain chiral PCBs might be useful as markers for in situ reductive dechlorination.
Increases in nuclear p65 activation in dystrophic skeletal muscle are secondary to increases in the cellular expression of p65 and are not solely produced by increases in IκB-α kinase activity

Dystrophin-deficient muscle exhibits substantial increases in nuclear NF-kappaB activation. To examine potential mechanisms for this enhanced activation, the present study employs conventional Western blot techniques to provide the first determination of the relative expression of NF-kappaB signaling molecules in adult nondystrophic and dystrophic (mdx) skeletal muscle. The results indicate that dystrophic muscle is characterized by increases in the whole cell expression of IkappaB-alpha, p65, p50, RelB, p100, p52, IKK, and TRAF-3. The proportion of phosphorylated IkappaB-alpha, p65, NIK, and IKKbeta, and the level of cytosolic IkappaB-alpha, were also increased in the mdx diaphragm. Proteasomal inhibition using MG-132 increased the proportion of phosphorylated IkappaB-alpha in nondystrophic diaphragm, but did not significantly increase this proportion in the mdx diaphragm. This result suggests that phosphorylated IkappaB-alpha accumulates in dystrophic cytosol because the rate of IkappaB-alpha degradation is lower than the effective rate of IkappaB-alpha synthesis and phosphorylation. Dystrophic increases in SUMO-1 (small ubiquitin modifier-1) protein and in Akt activation were also observed. The results indicate that increases in nuclear p65 activation in dystrophic muscle are not produced solely by increases in the activity of IkappaB-alpha kinase (IKK), but are due primarily to increases in the expression of p65 and other NF-kappaB signaling components.
Can schizophrenia-like disorders beginning in late life tell us anything about early life onset schizophrenia?

Arguments about the exact definition of the schizophrenic syndrome have persisted for over a century. These may not be resolved until biological markers are discovered. This article argues that the heterogeneity of the schizophrenic syndrome contributes to these disagreements and that one fruitful research strategy is to use this heterogeneity to our advantage. That is, we should be looking for similarities and differences among cases, identifying biological and social markers for both the similarities and differences, and using these to develop testable models of brain structure and function. Late-onset cases of schizophrenia disorder share enough similarities with early-life onset cases that they should not be overlooked as research subjects.
An Unusual Sex Steroid-Binding Protein in Mature Male Rat Liver Cytosol*

Mature male rat liver cytosol contains a moderate affinity and capacity estrogen-binding protein in at least a 200-fold higher level than mature female or immature male rat liver cytosol. Binding of estradiol to this protein is very rapid, is stabilized by EDTA, and is inhibited by divalent cations. This is the major binding protein for [3H]estradiol ([3H]E2) in mature male rat liver cytosol, and it has properties clearly distinguishing it from putative liver or uterine estrogen receptors. In addition to binding [3H]E2, this protein seems to rapidly bind a [3H]5alpha-dihydrotestosterone ([3H]DHT) metabolite at the same binding site. The binding of this androgen metabolite is stabilized by EDTA and is inhibited by divalent cations. The binding properties of the [3H]DHT metabolite suggest that these binding sites are not classical androgen receptors. Cytosol binding levels of both the [3H]E2 and the [3H]DHT metabolites change in a similar direction in resonse to endocrine manipulation. The putative liver estrogen receptor level, determined after partial purification (in a redissolved 30% ammonium sulfate-precipitated fraction), seems to change in an opposite direction in response to these same endocrine manipulations.
Aortoesophageal fistula after repair of descending aortic dissection

The development of aortoesophageal fistula after aortic repair is rare. We describe a patient who presented with hematemesis 4 months after emergent repair of a descending thoracic aortic dissection using a prosthetic graft. Diagnosis was supported by computed tomographic, angiographic, and endoscopic findings. Resection of the involved graft was performed through a left thoracotomy after placement of an ascending aorta-to-abdominal aorta conduit through an anterior approach. The patient died of uncontrollable bleeding a few hours after the procedure. Surgical intervention offers the potential for cure in this otherwise uniformly fatal condition. But like medical therapy, operative management has thus far been associated with 100% mortality.
Blockade of pilocarpine-induced cerebellar phosphoinositide hydrolysis with metabotropic glutamate antagonists: evidence for an indirect control of granule cell glutamate release by muscarinic agonists.

Abstract The ability in vivo of the muscarinic agonist, pilocarpine, to increase phosphoinositol (PI) hydrolysis in lithium pretreated rats was investigated by measuring the accumulation of [ 3 H]inositol phosphates (IP). As expected, 20 mg/kg s.c. pilocarpine, a muscarinic agonist, increased PI hydrolysis in the striatum, frontal cortex and hippocampus. Somewhat surprisingly, an increase in IP was also found in the cerebellar homogenates. In all four tissues the pilocarpine-induced effect could be completely inhibited by pretreatment with the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine (1.2 mg/kg i.p.). It was also found that the cerebellar but not the hippocampal pilocarpine-induced rise in PI hydrolysis could be blocked by the metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor antagonist, LY341495 (100 nmol, i.c.v.). The same dose of LY341495 was found to also block both the cerebellar and hippocampal increase in IP formed by stimulation with the group I mGlu receptor agonist 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (1 μmol, i.c.v.). Given this data and the current information on the distribution of muscarinic and mGlu receptors in the cerebellum, it is suggested that these results may be a reflection of pilocarpine acting at M 2 receptors to indirectly increase glutamate release from parallel fibers by inhibition of γ-aminobutyric acid-releasing Golgi cells.
The Victor Field, Blocks 49/17, 49/22, UK North Sea

Abstract The Victor gas field lies in the Southern North Sea Gas Province on the eastern flank of the Sole Pit Basin. The field straddles Blocks 49/17 and 49/22, and is situated approximately 140 km off the Lincolnshire coast. Victor was discovered in April 1972 and is operated by Conoco (UK) Ltd on behalf of BP, Mobil and Statoil. The structure is an elongated tilted fault block, trending NW-SE. The reservoir sands are contained in the Leman Sandstone Formation (Rotliegendes Group) of Early Permian age, and consist mainly of stacked aeolian and fluvial sands with a gross thickness of 400-450 ft across the field. Porosities vary from 16-20%, with permeabilities ranging from 10 md to 1000 md in the producing zones. Initial gas in place is estimated at about 1.1 TCF with recoverable reserves of the order of 900 BCF. The field was brought on-stream in October 1984, and the five producing wells deliver, on average, 200 MMSCFD through the Viking Field 9B Complex9 to the Conoco/BP terminal at Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire
Sequential interaction of glia maturation factor with insulin

Astroblasts in culture proliferated when exposed to glia maturation factor for at least 2 hours and then to insulin, but not when exposed in the reverse order. The sequential relation suggests that glia maturation factor is a competence factor.
The Role of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase in Skin Cancer

Recent studies have shown that antioxidant enzyme expression and activity are drastically reduced in most human skin diseases, leading to propagation of oxidative stress and continuous disease progression. However, antioxidants, an endogenous defense system against reactive oxygen species (ROS), can be induced by exogenous sources, resulting in protective effects against associated oxidative injury. Many studies have shown that the induction of antioxidants is an effective strategy to combat various disease states. In one approach, a SOD mimetic was applied topically to mouse skin in the two-stage skin carcinogenesis model. This method effectively reduced oxidative injury and proliferation without interfering with apoptosis. In another approach, Protandim, a combination of 5 well-studied medicinal plants, was given via dietary administration and significantly decreased tumor incidence and multiplicity by 33% and 57%, respectively. These studies suggest that alterations in antioxidant response may be a novel approach to chemoprevention. This paper focuses on how regulation of antioxidant expression and activity can be modulated in skin disease and the potential clinical implications of antioxidant-based therapies.
Aging and variety seeking

The authors examined the influence of age on variety seeking in 3 experiments. When given choices among jellybeans or music, age differences in variety seeking emerged. Younger adults selected similar levels of variety when choosing what to consume immediately and what to consume later. In contrast, older adults consistently chose less variety when making choices to be consumed at a later time than when making choices to be consumed immediately. This pattern may be related to an increased focus on regulating future emotional experience that is associated with age.
Rotational features of carbon-nitrogen bonds in N-aryl maleimides. Atroposelective reactions of o-tert-butylphenylmaleimides

Atroposelective addition and cycloaddition reactions of N-2-(tert-butylphenyl)- and N-2,5-(di-tert-butylphenyl)maleimide and a substituted derivative have been studied. Good to excellent stereoselectivities are generally observed, and high rotation barriers (about 29 kcal/mol) prevent the products from interconverting. Crystal structures of the precursors and products support a straightforward model where reactants attack trans to the o-tert-butyl group.
Molecular genetics of the peptidyl transferase center and the unusual Var1 protein in yeast mitochondrial ribosomes

Mitochondria posses their own ribosomes responsible for the synthesis of a small number of proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome. In yeast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the two ribosomal RNAs and a single ribosomal protein, Varl, are products of mitochondrial genes, and the remaining approximately 80 ribosomal proteins are encoded in the nucleus. The mitochondrial translation system is dispensable in yeast, providing an excellent experimental model for the molecular genetic analysis of the fundamental properties of ribosomes in general as well as adaptations required for the specialized role of ribosomes in mitochondria. Recent studies of the peptidyl transferase center, one of the most highly conserved functional centers of the ribosome, and the Varl protein, an unusual yet essential protein in the small ribosomal subunit, have provided new insight into conserved and divergent features of the mitochondrial ribosome.
Optimal coordination of mobile sensor networks using Gaussian processes

In this paper, we introduce a family of spatio-temporal Gaussian processes specified by a class of covariance functions. Nonparametric prediction based on truncated observations is proposed for mobile sensor networks with limited memory and computational power. We show that there is a trade-off between precision and efficiency when prediction based on truncated observations is used. Next, we propose both centralized and distributed navigation strategies for mobile sensor networks to move in order to reduce prediction error variances at positions of interest. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Effects of Thyroid Status on the Structure of the Very Low Density Lipoprotein Secreted by the Perfused Liver

To determine whether hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism affected the structure of the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) secreted by the perfused rat liver, rats were pretreated with 0.9% NaCl, T3, or propylthiouracil. The livers were perfused with 0–332 μmol bovine serum albumin-oleate/h for 4 h. The structure of the secreted VLDL was determined by compositional analysis and the use of the fluorescence probe molecules diphenylhexatriene, trans-parinaric acid, and cis-parinaric acid. Compositional analysis indicated that the VLDL secreted by livers from rats pretreated with T3 had lower unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratios than did controls, regardless of the amount of oleate infused. Fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene indicated that the interior core lipids of VLDL secreted by livers from T3-treated rats were more rigid than those secreted by livers of euthyroid animals. Arrhenius plots of polarization and corrected fluorescence of diphenylhexatriene and trans-parinaric acid, but not c...
The role of sputtering and displacement damage in the electron SCRIBE process

Abstract A calculation of the surface erosion and vacancy injection that is produced in thin-foil specimens under high-energy electron irradiation is described. Two distinct types of damage behaviour can be predicted which depend upon the relative magnitudes of the sputtering and vacancy-enhanced displacement cross-sections. When sputtering dominates, uniform thinning from the electron exit side of the foil is predicted, but when vacancy-enhanced displacement dominates, vacancy injection is predicted.
Foliosate, a bis-diterpene and 9-epi-ent-7,15-isopimaradiene· derivatives from Calceolaria foliosa

Abstract In addition to four new 9- epi -pimarane diterpenes, the aerial part of Calceolaria foliosa yielded a new bis-diterpene, foliosate, derived from the esterification of malonic acid by two 17-hydroxy-9- ent -7,15-isopimaradiene units. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical transformations.
Optimal impulse control problems for degenerate diffusions with jumps

Optimal stopping and impulse control problems for degenerate diffusion with jumps are studied in this paper. Lipschitzian coefficients for the diffusion process, data with polynomial growth, and evolution in the whole space are the main assumptions on the models. Several characterizations of the optimal cost functions are given. Existence of optimal policies is obtained.
Using data mining to find bent-double radio galaxies in the FIRST survey

In this paper, the authors describe the use of data mining techniques to search for radio-emitting galaxies with a bent-double morphology. In the past, astronomers from the FIRST (Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-cm) survey identified these galaxies through visual inspection. This was not only subjective but also tedious as the on-going survey now covers 8000 square degrees, with each square degree containing about 90 galaxies. In this paper, they describe how data mining can be used to automate the identification of these galaxies. They discuss the challenges faced in defining meaningful features that represent the shape of a galaxy and their experiences with ensembles of decision trees for the classification of bent-double galaxies.
World-wide weathering of poly(vinyl chloride)

In order to determine the effect of outdoor aging in various areas of the world, poly(vinyl chloride), PVC, compositions were exposed at test sites in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, South Africa, and in Piscataway, New Jersey. These results are related to the climatological data from the different test sites. The data obtained show the effects of a three-year period of exposure on clear and filled, flexible and rigid PVC compositions. The merits of various types of additives are shown in respect to the outdoor aging properties of PVC compounds. It was observed that the exposure conditions vary from severe for Australia and South Africa to mild for England. However, the general results obtained throughout the world correlate well with those from the exposure site in New Jersey.
Latent structure of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition personality disorder criteria

Abstract Aims This study investigated the internal construct validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ( DSM-IV ) personality disorders and explored alternative models to characterize the personality disorder traits. The relationship between the obtained personality disorder dimensions and measures of functioning and disability was examined. Methods The subjects in the study were 742 community-residing individuals who participated in the Hopkins Epidemiology of Personality Disorders Study. The presence of DSM-IV personality disorder traits was assessed by psychologists using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on all the IPDE criteria for each of the 10 personality disorders using the Mplus program. Exploratory factor analysis of all personality disorder traits was completed using the same program. Factor scores were correlated with subjects' GAF ratings and number of missed days from work for physical and psychological reasons. Results A single underlying factor was found for the IPDE item criteria of avoidant and dependent personality disorder, with less evidence for the other 8 personality disorders. Five factors were retained as the dimensional accounting for the personality disorder criteria. These factors were named compulsive , neurotic avoidant , aloof , impulsive callous , and egocentric . Of the five factors, 4 were associated with evidence of diminished functioning. Conclusions The IPDE pathological personality traits did not empirically cluster according to the current DSM-IV axis II diagnostic system but instead defined 5 relatively independent PD symptom dimensions that were related to functional impairments.
The generalization hypothesis: final consonant deletion.

The purpose of this study was to examine the organization inherent in children's misarticulations of final consonant sounds. Four children with consistent omission of final consonants were taught t...
Self-field effects in two-dimensional Nb Josephson-junction arrays

We have measured two-dimensional niobium Josephson junction arrays in which self induced fields are important. We find an increase of the depinning current when /spl lambda//sub /spl perp//, the penetration depth in the array, is of the order of one. There is evidence for a destruction of commensurate vortex states in the arrays as the depinning current becomes almost independent of the applied magnetic field. Our data also show that self-field effects change the array flux-flow dynamics and decrease the effective array viscosity. >
Simulation of impulse effects from explosive charges containing metal particles

The propagation of an explosive blast wave containing inert metal particles is investigated numerically using a robust two-phase methodology with appropriate models to account for real gas behavior, inter-phase interactions, and inter-particle collisions to study the problem of interest. A new two-phase Eulerian–Lagrangian formulation is proposed that can handle the dense nature of the flow-field. The velocity and momentum profiles of the gas and particle phases are analyzed and used to elucidate the inter-phase momentum transfer, and its effect on the impulsive aspects of heterogeneous explosive charges. The particles are found to pick up significant amounts of momentum and kinetic energy from the gas, and by virtue of their inertia, are observed to sustain it for a longer time. The impulse characteristics of heterogeneous explosives are compared with a homogeneous explosive containing the same amount of high explosive, and it is observed that the addition of solid particles augments the impulsive loading significantly in the near-field, and to a smaller extent in the far-field. The total impulsive loading is found to be insensitive to the particle size added to the explosive charge above a certain cut-off radius, but the individual impulse components are found to be sensitive, and particles smaller than this cut-off size deliver about 8% higher total impulse than the larger ones. Overall, this study provides crucial insights to understand the impulsive loading characteristics of heterogeneous explosives.
Adrenocortical Effects of Human Encounters on Free-Ranging Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

The increased encroachment of humans into natural areas is typically viewed as stressful for many wildlife species. A common stress response of many animals, including snakes, is the elevated release of the adrenal hormone, corticosterone. To test whether human encounters elicited a stress response in snakes, we monitored the levels of circulating corticosterone in free-ranging Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) during staged interactions. When exposed to a high-level disturbance (i.e., capture and confinement in a bag) for 30 min, Cottonmouths exhibited a significant corticosterone stress response as predicted. This response was four times that of the control treatment (i.e., immediately bled snakes) and shows that Cottonmouths exhibit strong corticosterone responses to confinement. Conversely, blood corticosterone values for low-level disturbance (i.e., nearby human presence for 30 min) did not differ significantly from the control treatment. The lack of a strong stress response to low-level disturbance indicates that Cottonmouths possess a seemingly adaptive mechanism of not being overly alarmed by the mere presence of a potential predator. This suggests that the occasional foot-path encounters humans commonly have with snakes may not be stressful for some snake species.
Application of a Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes Approach to Supersonic Retropropulsion Flowfields

Systems analysis efforts have identified supersonic retropropulsion as a candidate decelerator technology for human exploration at Mars. These efforts are presently challenged by a lack of available models, including computational fluid dynamics analyses for databases representing the aerodynamic–propulsive interactions inherent to supersonic retropropulsion. This work presents an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach to predict the flowfield structure, surface pressure distributions, and integrated aerodynamic force coefficients for four configurations recently tested in the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. These configurations have zero, one, three, and four nozzles on the forebody. Comparisons were made with experimental data for pressure distributions on the forebody and aftbody, and computational schlieren images illustrating the resulting flowfields were also generated. The results of this work illustrate the applicability of the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equa...
Experimental study of the tubular multiphase catalyst

A new type of multiphase catalyst is developed for transport-controlled, volatile-reactant-limited reactions: the tubular-supported ceramic membrane. A microporous, catalytically-impregnated γ-Al2O3 film (permeable membrane) coats the inside wall of a hollow, macroporous α-Al2O3 tube. The gas containing the volatile reactant flows through the tube core, and the liquid containing the nonvolatile and dissolved volatile reactants flows on the shell side. Reaction occurs in the film. Results using the hydrogenation of α-methylstyrene to cumene on Pd/Al2O3 reveal that the tubular catalyst compares favorably to conventional catalyst designs. The results demonstrate that the main benefit is the more efficient supply of the volatile reactant. Apparent activation energy analyses reveal that for catalyst temperatures below 40° C, the rate is kinetically-controlled and catalyst utilization nearly complete. A reduction in the activation energy above 45°C indicates the onset of transport limitations or heat effects. A comparison between the tubular catalyst and a fully-wetted pellet reveals rate increases by up to a factor of 20.
Coupling time decoding and trajectory decoding using a target-included model in the motor cortex

Significant progress has been made within the last decade in motor cortical decoding that predicts movement behaviors from population neuronal activity in the motor cortex. A majority of these decoding methods have focused on estimating a subject's hand trajectory in a continuous movement. We recently proposed a time identification decoding approach and showed that if a stereotyped movement is well represented by a sequence of targets (or landmarks), then the main structure of the movement can be reconstructed by detecting the reaching times at those targets. Both trajectory decoding and landmark-time decoding have their particular advantages, whereas a coupling of these two different strategies has not been examined. In this article we propose a synergy that comes from combining these two approaches for a stereotyped movement under a linear state-space framework. We develop a new decoding procedure based on a forward-backward propagation where the target is used in the initial stage in the backward step. Experimental results show that the new method significantly improves decoding accuracy over the non-target-included models. Furthermore, the coupling based on the new target-included method effectively combines the time decoding and trajectory decoding and further improves the decoding accuracy.
Compatibility and Stability of Paclitaxel Combined with Doxorubicin Hydrochloride in Infusion Solutions

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the physical compatibility and chemical stability of paclitaxel at concentrations of 300 and 1200 μg/mL with doxorubicin hydrochloride 200 μg/mL in NaCl 0.9% injection and dextrose 5% injection over 7 days at 4, 23, and 32 °C.DESIGN:The test samples were prepared in polyolefin bags of the infusion solutions at the required drug concentrations. Evaluations were performed initially and after 4 hours, and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of storage at 4, 23, and 32 °C for physical and chemical stability. Physical stability was assessed by using visual observation in normal fluorescent light and a high-intensity monodirectional light beam. In addition, turbidity and particle content were measured electronically. Chemical stability of the two drugs was evaluated by using two stability-indicating HPLC analytic techniques.RESULTS:All samples were physically stable through 1 day. However, microcrystalline precipitation of paclitaxel occurred within 3 days in some samples and within 5 days in all samples....
Comment on “Greenhouse cooling of the upper atmosphere”

The vertical distribution of temperature affects most of the atmosphere's wave-like phenomena and in particular, tides. In “Greenhouse Cooling of the Upper Atmosphere,” which appeared in the February 23, 1993, Eos, R. G. Roble's Figure 1 shows the present profile of temperature versus height and one predicted for the end of the next century from accumulation of greenhouse gases. The predicted profile shows about 10°C warming of the troposphere and cooling of the stratosphere and mesosphere, with maximum cooling, about −20°C, at the stratopause. The implications of this prediction for semidiurnal gravitational tides at the Earth's surface can be assessed qualitatively from dependence of tidal pressure on the two principal vertical modes of response to tidal excitation, namely the Lamb and Pekeris modes.
A novel low-trigger and high-holding voltage SCR without externally- assisted circuitry for area-efficient on-chip ESD protection

A novel SCR device, called uSCR, has been presented for low-voltage IC's ESD protection applications. This is the first time an SCR can possess a trigger voltage as low as 7 V without using any external triggering circuitry and a holding voltage as high as 6 V without sacrificing the ESD robustness, while at the same time consuming an area of only 2400 mum2 Experimental results of HBM and CDM testing have verified the on-chip protection capability of the uSCR device.
Influence of unsaturated groups on crosslinking and inhibition of crystallization in the gamma ray irradiation of linear polyethylenes

On irradiation of polyethylene at 142° with Co60 γ-rays the ability of the linear chains to crystallize from the melt is significantly reduced. This effect is about two and one half times as pronounced in a linear polyethylene with terminal (vinyl) unsaturation as it is in a linear polyethylene with internal (vinylene) unsaturation. The decay, during the irradiation, of initially present vinylene groups apparently leads to endlink rather than to crosslink formation. This fact suggests the conclusion that the vinylene groups initially present in the linear polyethylene must be located near the ends of the polymeric chains. The greater effect of vinyl unsaturation in causing inhibition of crystallization compared with that of vinylene unsaturation is due to the greater decay constant of the vinyl group—about threefold that of the vinylene group.
Dynamic projection environments for immersive visualization

We present a system for dynamic projection on large, human-scale, moving projection screens and demonstrate this system for immersive visualization applications in several fields. We have designed and implemented efficient, low-cost methods for robust tracking of projection surfaces, and a method to provide high frame rate output for computationally-intensive, low frame rate applications. We present a distributed rendering environment which allows many projectors to work together to illuminate the projection surfaces. This physically immersive visualization environment promotes innovation and creativity in design and analysis applications and facilitates exploration of alternative visualization styles and modes. The system provides for multiple participants to interact in a shared environment in a natural manner. Our new human-scale user interface is intuitive and novice users require essentially no instruction to operate the visualization.
An open standard for Web-based condition-based maintenance systems

An effort is underway to develop an open system architecture for condition-based maintenance (CBM). The architecture development has focused on the definition of a distributed software architecture. The general requirements for a CBM software architecture are defined and an outline of the developing architecture is given. This paper will discuss in detail a web-based architecture which uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) to define the syntax of messages between software components. The core of the architecture is a CBM domain data model which is defined using Unified Modeling Language (UML). A procedure for mapping from the UML data model to a general XML schema, as well as to a schema for system messages, is described.
Reply to Meszaros: S-Nitrosylation of the RyR in Health and Disease

To the Editor: Protein S -nitrosylation has been implicated in most major functions of nitric oxide (NO) in the cardiovascular system, and accumulating evidence indicates potentially causal roles for aberrant S -nitrosylation in disease.1,2 In our recent review,2 we attempted to summarize current understanding of the roles of protein S -nitrosylation in multiple aspects of vascular and cardiac function, including the role of S -nitrosylation in regulating the function of the cardiac form of the Ca2+-release channel known as the ryanodine receptor (RyR2). In his letter commenting on our review,3 Meszaros points out that we omitted reference to early work from his laboratory4,5 that described an inhibitory effect of exogenous or endogenously …
Epidural Steroid Injection Compared with Discectomy for the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

To The Editor: I would like to compliment Dr. Buttermann on his well-conceived and executed study entitled “Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation: Epidural Steroid Injection Compared with Discectomy” (2004;86:670-9). This study supports the commonly held notion that discectomy provides rapid pain relief and accelerates recovery but does not promise a quantifiably better result in the long run. However, the open crossover design muddies the results a bit. Would a design that prevented crossover, at least for a defined period of many months to a year (a common clinical scenario in managed-care and Workers' Compensation systems), have provided the same results? It is unclear from my reading whether the timetable for the crossover group was in step with that for the steroid group or the surgical group. If the values recorded for monthly intervals were measured from the time of the epidural steroid injection, then these patients are included in some but not all of the datapoints in Figures 1, 2-A, and 2-B. These patients had at least some improvement when they opted to cross over, although the degree of that improvement is unknown. The “n” value for the “Epidural” group would have also changed during the early follow-up period. On the other hand, if the timetable for the crossover group was reset to the time of …
The Significance of Comforting Touch to Children with Autism: Sensory Processing Implications for Occupational Therapy

Background: Children with autism have unusual sensory processing issues. The aim of this study was to examine how mothers comforted their children. Clinical observation has shown that mothers of children with autism often have difficulty calming their children. This study describes the differences in the response to comforting touch among children diagnosed with autism and normally developing children. Method: The study was a self-report survey using a questionnaire to compare the responses of mothers of children with autism (N = 25) to mothers of typically developing children (N = 26). Results: The results showed that the methods used to comfort children with autism and normally developing children was different. Conclusion: Mothers of typically developing children reported more success by using comforting touch, whereas mothers of children with autism reported more success by comforting their children with visual and auditory stimuli.
Biphasic effects of nicotine upon ECS-induced retrograde amnesia in mice.

The effects of nicotine in (a) attenuating the amnesic effect of a post-conditioning electroconvulsive shock (ECS; G), (b) facilitating avoidance-response acquisition by isolation-housed mice (5), and (c) antagonizing the effects of stress effects upon memory (3) have suggested several biochemical substrates for those systems to which these actions relate. One hypothesis that has emerged from these studies is that the increased content of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), decrease in its turnover rate, and increase in its turnover time -as result from ECS (1, 2) can be maximally blocked by nicotine (6) given 45 min. before ECS and augmented when nicotine is administered I5 min. prior to ECS (2). O n the basis of previous behavioral findings I[ was further hypothesized that ECS-induced retrograde amnesia (which has been suggcstcd as being 5-HT-dependent) can be antagonized or potentiated depending upon [he time between nicotine treatment and a postconditioning ECS. Four groups of 30 CF-Is strain mice were given nicotine sulfate (1.0 mg.kg. i.p.) or 0.9% saline in an equivalent volume at either 15 or 45 min. prior to a single passive avoidance conditioning trial (4) followed within 10 sec. by a single transcorneal ECS (20 mA, 400 V, 200 msec.). Previous scudies (1, 2) have established that mice given no training reinforcement did not show acquisition or retention of the avoidance response and that in the absence of post-training ECS there was a high (-90%) incidence of response retention. All mice were tested for retention of the passive avoidance response 24 hr. after the training-ECS sequence. Saline-treated mice did not differ in the incidence of retrograde amnesia as a function of pre-ECS treatment time (x' = 0.11, p > 50); however, 80% of those mice treated with nicotine 45 min. before the training-ECS sequence showed criterion retention of the passive avoidance response, as compared with only 209% of the controls (x2 = 19.28, p < ,001). For the mice given nicotine 15 min. prior to [he training-ECS sequence, the incidence of conditioned response retention (10%) was less than that observed for controls (25%). Thus, the time between the administration of nicotine and ECS treatment after single-trial avoidance conditioning in mice is critical for determining whether the same dose of this drug antagonizes or potentiates the amnesic properties of such treatment. These findings are consistent with previous findings which indicate that the occurrence of rerrograde amnesia by post-training ECS depends upon alterations in cerebral 5-HT content and metabolism (2). The time course of the cerebral aminergic effens of nicotine (3) is consistent with the biphilsic requirements for temporally dependent interanion with the amnesic effect of ECS. REFERENCES 1. ESSMAN, W. B. Electroshock-induced retrograde amnesia and brain serotonin effects of several antidepressant compounds. Psychopharmacologia (Bedin), 1968, 13, 258-266.
Research of Data Mining Method Based on Fuzzy Clustering

System clustering has methods of least distance, largest distance, barycenter distance, class average distance, and so on. These methods are clustered by distance between class and class, but its result is not unique under some cases. This paper has used fuzzy matrix and presented a kind of fuzzy clustering method. These technologies are applied into data mining of electronic commerce and the feasibility of data mining has been tested by experiments successfully. It has set a good example for applications of electronic commerce fields generally.
Central venous catheterization in the critically ill patient

Central venous catheter placement for access and monitoring purposes is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the intensive care unit. This article details the indications, techniques, and advantages and disadvantages associated with various approaches to central line insertion; complications associated with central venous line insertion are also reviewed briefly.
NG2 cells in the brain: a novel glial cell population.

Abstract There exists a significantly large population of glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) that can be identified by the expression of the NG2 proteoglycan. Cells that express NG2 (NG2 cells) are found in the developing and mature CNS and are distinct from neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and mature oligodendrocytes. They are often referred to as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells because of their ability to differentiate into oligodendrocytes in culture. However, the observation that a large number of NG2 cells persist uniformly and ubiquitously in the adult CNS and display a differentiated morphology is not entirely consistent with the notion that NG2 cells are all oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. The role of NG2 cells in oligodendrocyte regeneration and their non-progenitor role in the mature CNS are discussed in this review.
Evolutionary Structured Planning

Complex design decisions require not only the use of information from the artifactual world (objective, quantitative data), but also from the world of culture (subjective, qualitative data). This paper describes Evolutionary Structured Planning, a computer-supported extension to a method that supports synthesis of objective and subjective information in the design planning process. With origins in Morphological Analysis and Structured Planning, the method introduces Genetic Algorithms as means for dealing with compound solution concepts in large combinatorial solution spaces. The method is extremely flexible and capable of being applied to virtually any design problem at the conceptual level.
To Swear like a Sailor: Maritime Culture in America, 1750-1850

Anyone could swear like a sailor! Within the larger culture, sailors had pride of place in swearing. But how they swore and the reasons for their bad language were not strictly wedded to maritime things. Instead, sailor swearing, indeed all swearing in this period, was connected to larger developments. This book traces the interaction between the maritime and mainstream world in the United States while examining cursing, language, logbooks, storytelling, sailor songs, reading, images, and material goods. To Swear Like a Sailor offers insight into the character of Jack Tar - the common seaman - and into the early republic. It illuminates the cultural connections between Great Britain and the United States and the appearance of a distinct American national identity. The book explores the emergence of sentimental notions about the common man - through the guise of the sailor - appearing on stage, in song, in literature, and in images.
Some reflections onThe Progressive Case:publishandperish?

(1980). Some reflections on The Progressive Case: publish and perish? Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 20-24.
Quantifying structural uncertainty on fault networks using a marked point process within a Bayesian framework

Abstract Faults are one of the building-blocks for subsurface modeling studies. Incomplete observations of subsurface fault networks lead to uncertainty pertaining to location, geometry and existence of faults. In practice, gaps in incomplete fault network observations are filled based on tectonic knowledge and interpreter's intuition pertaining to fault relationships. Modeling fault network uncertainty with realistic models that represent tectonic knowledge is still a challenge. Although methods that address specific sources of fault network uncertainty and complexities of fault modeling exists, a unifying framework is still lacking. In this paper, we propose a rigorous approach to quantify fault network uncertainty. Fault pattern and intensity information are expressed by means of a marked point process, marked Strauss point process. Fault network information is constrained to fault surface observations (complete or partial) within a Bayesian framework. A structural prior model is defined to quantitatively express fault patterns, geometries and relationships within the Bayesian framework. Structural relationships between faults, in particular fault abutting relations, are represented with a level-set based approach. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler is used to sample posterior fault network realizations that reflect tectonic knowledge and honor fault observations. We apply the methodology to a field study from Nankai Trough & Kumano Basin. The target for uncertainty quantification is a deep site with attenuated seismic data with only partially visible faults and many faults missing from the survey or interpretation. A structural prior model is built from shallow analog sites that are believed to have undergone similar tectonics compared to the site of study. Fault network uncertainty for the field is quantified with fault network realizations that are conditioned to structural rules, tectonic information and partially observed fault surfaces. We show the proposed methodology generates realistic fault network models conditioned to data and a conceptual model of the underlying tectonics.