cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of Carbonyl Sulfide Hydrolysis. 2. Effect of n-Alkanes in Mixtures of Water + Hydrocarbon

Carbonyl sulfide (COS), which occurs as an impurity in commercial sources of propane, can hydrolyze in the presence of water to form hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Whereas COS is not itself corrosive, the hydrolysis product H2S is corrosive, especially in the presence of water. This hydrolysis is thought to be a major problem in the liquefied petroleum gas industry. In this paper, we summarize the results from studies that address the issue of COS hydrolysis in the presence of various n-alkanes. A series of kinetics measurements were made of COS in aqueous systems containing methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, or n-hexane at 85 °C. Reaction rates were determined from chromatographic monitoring of the decrease in COS and the appearance of H2S in the vapor phase as a function of time. The hydrolysis rates varied for each of the hydrocarbon systems, and all rates were several orders of magnitude lower than those previously reported for pure water. Furthermore, we found the rate of COS hydro...
Anterior nucleus of the thalamus: Functional organization and clinical implications

The anterior nucleus of thalamus (ANT) is a key component of the hippocampal system for episodic memory. The ANT consist of 3 subnuclei with distinct connectivity with the subicular cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and mammillary bodies. Via its connections with the anterior cingulate and orbitomedial prefrontal cortex, the ANT may also contribute to reciprocal hippocampal-prefrontal interactions involved in emotional and executive functions. As in other thalamic nuclei, neurons of the ANT have 2 different state-dependent patterns of discharge, tonic and burst-firing; some ANT neurons also contribute to propagation of the theta rhythm, which is important for mechanisms of synaptic plasticity of the hippocampal circuit. Clinical and experimental evidence indicate that damage of the ANT or its inputs from the mammillary bodies are primarily responsible for the episodic memory deficit observed in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and thalamic stroke. Experimental models also indicate that the ANT may have a role in the propagation of seizure activity both in absence and in focal seizures. Because of its central connectivity and possible role in propagation of seizure activity, the ANT has become an attractive target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment of medically refractory epilepsy. The ANT is one of the nuclei preferentially affected in prion disorders, such as fatal familial insomnia, but the relationship between ANT involvement and the clinical manifestations of these disorders remains unclear. The connectivity patterns and electrophysiology of the ANT have been the subject of several reviews.(1-4.)
Sublingual hematoma formation during immediate placement of mandibular endosseous implants.

ABSTRACT Background Sublingual hematoma during placement of mandibular endosseous dental implants is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, complication. The development of a sublingual hematoma during a dental procedure may result in the need for acute airway management, including intubation or even emergent tracheostomy. Dental implants are becoming a well-accepted treatment, and thousands of implants are placed every year by general practitioners and specialists, with few adverse sequelae. Clinicians rarely discuss this complication with patients before surgery, and no reports of death secondary to sublingual hematoma formation have been published. The incidence of this event is difficult to ascertain, and only a few cases have been reported. Case Description A 56-year-old man with severe caries underwent multiple mandibular tooth extractions and alveoloplasty and received endosseous implants. During the surgical procedure, the patient developed a large sublingual hematoma that required hospitalization. Clinical Implications Practitioners who perform implant surgery in the anterior mandible should notify patients of the potential risk of sublingual hematoma formation, and be able to manage acute airway issues that may result from this complication.
Bivariate Equilibrium Distribution and Association Measure

In this paper, we study the joint distribution of the backward and forward recurrence times in a renewal process, from the reliability point of view. The survival function, the failure rate, and the mean residual life function, are derived, and their monotonicity is discussed for the marginals, as well as the conditional models. We derive a time dependent association measure in terms of the hazard gradient, and its value, in the case of the model under consideration, is obtained. A real-life application is included to illustrate the importance of the model.
Recent results in checkpointing and failure recovery in distributed systems and wireless networks

Distributed systems today are ubiquitous and enable many applications, including client-server systems, transaction processing, World Wide Web, and scientific computing, among many others. Distributed systems are not fault-tolerant and the vast computing potential of these systems is often hampered by their susceptibility to failures. Many techniques, like transactions, group communication, and rollback recovery, have been developed to add reliability and high availability to distributed systems. This talk deals with rollback recovery protocols which restore the system back to a consistent state after a failure. Fault tolerance is achieved by periodically saving the state of a process during the failure-free execution, and restarting from a saved state upon a failure to reduce the amount of lost work. The speaker will present his recent results in checkpointing and failure recovery in distributed systems and wireless networks. Specifically, he will present results in a classification of checkpointing algorithms, present a communication-induced checkpointing algorithm that prevents useless checkpoints by tracking and preventing potential Z-cycles, and present the concept of mutable checkpoints for efficient checkpointing in wireless networks. He will conclude the talk with some open problems.
Recursion formulas for the coefficients of the f and g series.

Recursion formulas for coefficients of expressions for ratios of geodetic triangles when developed as power series in time intervals
Computing selected solutions of polynomial equations

We present efficient and accurate algorithms to compute solutions of zero-dimensional multivariate polynomial equations in a given domain. Earlier methods for solving polynomial equations are based on iterative methods, homotopy methods or symbolic elimination. The total number of solutions correspond to the Bezout bound for dense polynomial systems or the BKK bound for sparse systems. In most applications the actual number of solutions in the domain of interest is much lower than the Bezout or BKK bound. Our approach is based on global formulation of the problem using resultants and matrix computations and localizing it to find selected solutions only. The problem of finding roots is reduced to computing eigenvalues of a generalized companion matrix and we use the structure of the matrix to compute the solutions in the domain of interest only. The resulting algorithm is iterative in nature and we discuss its performance on a number of applications.
Geometric alignment and calibration of a photogrammetric image scanner

Abstract A description is given of the architecture of a high resolution, photogrammetric image scanner. A sequence of steps is given to mutually align a linear sensor, an objective lens, and a two-axis stage. The recommended alignment sequence is supported by derivations from geometric optics. The overall system geometry is then verified by scanning and analyzing a grid plate yielding RMS errors of 5 μm in X and Y.
Aminostratigraphy and faunal correlations of late Quaternary marine terraces, Pacific Coast, USA

Recent studies using the extent of racemization of amino acids to date fossil mollusc shells in the Arctic1, the British Isles2 and on the Atlantic3,4 and Pacific5–13 coasts of North America have relied mainly on theoretical kinetic models of racemization. Ages generated in this fashion are highly model dependent and require estimates of integrated long-term diagenetic temperatures. We present here an alternative, empirical approach to aminostratigraphy in which we plot amino acid enantiomeric ratios versus latitude (for localities along the Pacific coast of the United States), and generate isochronal correlations by connecting data points of geographically proximal localities that have similar D:L ratios and zoogeographic aspect. Isochrons are calibrated at a few localities by independent radiometric dates. The diagenetic temperature effect on racemization is reflected in the slope of the isochrons, but the need to quantify temperature is eliminated.
Temperature seasonality and violent conflict: The inconsistencies of a warming planet

Current climate change research suggests that certain seasonal weather patterns will be extended and others attenuated as global temperature increases. This is important because seasonal temperature change affects both the scarcity of resources during certain times of the year and the overall mobility of people living in countries that have seasonality. Consequently, these seasonal changes have implications for the onset of violent conflict, particularly as it relates to distinguishing when, where, and how it is most likely to occur. This article evaluates the relationship between monthly temperature changes, civil war onset, and various, less-organized conflict events, offering theoretical expectations for how seasonal changes and climate aberrations are related to an increased risk of violence. The results show that prolonged periods of stable, warm weather are consistently associated with an increased risk of civil war onset and non-state conflict. These findings are best explained through the strategi...
A High-Resolution Magnetic Tweezer for the Single-Molecule Study of DNA-Protein Interactions

The magnetic tweezer is a powerful, simple tool to stretch single DNA molecules that tether a magnetic bead to a glass surface. The response of a tethered DNA molecule to interactions with proteins is measured by optical tracking of the bead. Traditionally, bead position is measured by analyzing the bead's diffraction pattern when viewed in a transmitted-light geometry. This approach is straightforward to use, and gives an intrinsic resolution (i.e. ignoring the bead's thermal fluctuations) in measured DNA length of ∼ 2nm at 60Hz 1. This resolution is acceptable when the bead's thermal fluctuations are large, but it disallows measurement of sub-nanometer DNA length changes in the high-force regime, where the fluctuations are reduced below the intrinsic resolution. To obtain sub-nanometer resolution in a magnetic tweezer, we have adapted Reflection Interference Contrast Microscopy (RICM), in which objective-side illumination creates an interference pattern between rays reflecting from the glass and bead surfaces: the interference fringes from RICM vary with bead height nearly twenty-fold faster than diffraction fringes. We have improved the intensity and contrast of the RICM interferogram by fabricating thin films on the bead and glass that optimize the optical properties of those surfaces. We have also removed effects of thermal drift from the system by implementing feedback control of the focal position through piezo-driven motion of the objective 2. Using the RICM-based method, the intrinsic resolution is improved to 0.12nm at 60Hz, and is stable over one hour. We demonstrate the correct calibration of this method using the force-induced unfolding of DNA hairpins, and we present preliminary data on RICM-measured DNA-protein interactions.1. N. Ribeck & O.A. Saleh, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79, 094301 (2008).2. K. Kim & O.A. Saleh, Appl. Opt. 47, 2070 (2008).
Phytochrome A Mediates Blue Light and UV-A-Dependent Chloroplast Gene Transcription in Green Leaves

We characterized the photobiology of light-activated chloroplast transcription and transcript abundance in mature primary leaves by using the following two systems: transplastomic promoter-reporter gene fusions in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ), and phytochrome ( phyA, phyB, and hy2 ) and cryptochrome ( cry1 ) mutants of Arabidopsis. In both dicots, blue light and UV-A radiation were the major signals that activated total chloroplast and psbA, rbcL , and 16S rrn transcription. In contrast, transcription activities in plants exposed to red and far-red light were 30% to 85% less than in blue light/UV-A, depending on the gene and plant species. Total chloroplast, psbA , and 16S rrn transcription were 60% to 80% less in the Arabidopsis phyA mutant exposed to blue light/UV-A relative to wild type, thus definitively linking phyA signaling to these photoresponses. To our knowledge, the major role of phyA in mediating the blue light/UV-A photoresponses is a new function for phyA in chloroplast biogenesis at this stage of leaf development. Although rbcL expression in plants exposed to UV-A was 50% less in the phyA mutant relative to wild type, blue light-induced rbcL expression was not significantly affected in the phyA , phyB , and cry1 mutants. However, rbcL expression in blue light was 60% less in the phytochrome chromophore mutant, hy2, relative to wild type, indicating that another phytochrome species (phyC, D, or E) was involved in blue light-induced rbcL transcription. Therefore, at least two different phytochromes, as well as phytochrome-independent photosensory pathways, mediated blue light/UV-A-induced transcription of chloroplast genes in mature leaves.
Analysis of multinomial models under inequality constraints: Applications to measurement theory

Abstract Multinomial random variables are used across many disciplines to model categorical outcomes. Under this framework, investigators often use a likelihood ratio test to determine goodness-of-fit. If the permissible parameter space of such models is defined by inequality constraints, then the maximum likelihood estimator may lie on the boundary of the parameter space. Under this condition, the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio test is no longer a simple χ 2 distribution. This article summarizes recent developments in the constrained inference literature as they pertain to the testing of multinomial random variables, and extends existing results by considering the case of jointly independent mutinomial random variables of varying categorical size. This article provides an application of this methodology to axiomatic measurement theory as a means of evaluating properly operationalized measurement axioms. This article generalizes Iverson and Falmagne’s [Iverson, G. J. & Falmagne, J. C. (1985). Statistical issues in measurement. Mathematical Social Sciences, 10, 131–153] seminal work on the empirical evaluation of measurement axioms and provides a classical counterpart to Myung, Karabatsos, and Iverson’s [Myung, J. I., Karabatsos, G. & Iverson, G. J. (2005). A Bayesian approach to testing decision making axioms. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 49, 205–225] Bayesian methodology on the same topic.
Forecasting ocean wave energy: Tests of time-series models

Abstract This paper evaluates the ability of time-series models to predict the energy from ocean waves. Data sets from four Pacific Ocean sites are analyzed. The energy flux is found to exhibit nonlinear variability. The probability distribution has heavy tails, while the fractal dimension is non-integer. This argues for using nonlinear models. The primary technique used here is a time-varying parameter regression in logs. The time-varying regression is estimated using both a Kalman filter and a sliding window, with various window widths. The sliding window method is found to be preferable. A second approach is to combine neural networks with time-varying regressions, in a hybrid model. Both of these methods are tested on the flux itself. Time-varying regressions are also used to forecast the wave height and wave period separately, and combine the forecasts to predict the flux. Forecasting experiments are run at an hourly frequency over horizons of 1–4 h, and at a daily frequency over 1–3 days. All the models are found to improve relative to a random walk. In the hourly data sets, forecasting the components separately achieves the best results in three out of four cases. In daily data sets, the hybrid and regression models yield similar outcomes. Because of the intrinsic variability of the data, the forecast error is fairly high, comparable to the errors found in other forms of alternative energy, such as wind and solar.
Long-range structural and dynamical changes induced by cofactor binding in DNA methyltransferase M.HhaI.

The bacterial DNA cytosine methyltransferase M.HhaI sequence-specifically modifies DNA in an S-adenosylmethionine dependent reaction. The enzyme stabilizes the target cytosine (GCGC) into an extrahelical position, with a concomitant large movement of an active site loop involving residues 80−99. We used multidimensional, transverse relaxation-optimized NMR experiments to assign nearly 80% of all residues in the cofactor-bound enzyme form, providing a basis for detailed structural and dynamical characterization. We examined details of the previously unknown effects of the cofactor binding with M.HhaI in solution. Addition of the cofactor results in numerous structural changes throughout the protein, including those decorating the cofactor binding site, and distal residues more than 30 A away. The active site loop is involved in motions both on a picosecond to nanosecond time scale and on a microsecond to millisecond time scale and is not significantly affected by cofactor binding except for a few N-termina...
Cyclodimerization of butadienes catalyzed by phosphine-free palladium complexes

Les especes Pd(0) sans phosphine produites par decomposition a basse temperature de complexes bis-allyl Pd(II) sont de bons catalyseurs pour la cyclodimerisation des dienes
Bilateral internal carotid artery occlusions resulting in near total acute brain infraction

Acute bilateral acute carotid arteries occlusion is a very rare condition. We describe a patient with initial right middle cerebral artery syndrome who developed coma and quadriplegia 1 h after thrombolysis with intravenous tPA and was found to have bilateral cervical internal carotid artery occlusion.
Race, Gender, and Spatial Segmentation in the Twin Cities∗

This study analyzes commuting trends in a relatively vibrant setting during the 1980s to determine (a) how labor market segmentation correlates with differences in the spatial dimensions of local labor markets, and (b) whether this link represents a direct spatial effect, independent of earnings, travel mode, and part-time work. I use 1980 and 1990 PUMS data to analyze changes in racial and gender divisions in the workforce, and I develop an estimate of work trip distance to adjust for different travel modes. For all groups except white men, employment in a job “typical” of one's gender and racial group is associated with more localized commutes, but this effect is strongly mediated by variations in earnings and part-time work. Using a covariance structure model to control for these effects, I find no independent link between segmentation and longer commutes among African Americans. Earnings and commute distances remained unchanged over the decade for African Americans, providing no evidence of a purely s...
Theory of Defects, Doping, Surfaces and Interfaces in Wide Gap Nitrides

The results of extensive theoretical studies of group IV impurities and surface and interface properties of nitrides are presented and compared with available experimental data. Among the impurities, we have considered substitutional C, Si, and Ge. C N is a very shallow acceptor, and thus a promising p-type dopant. Both Si and Ge are excellent donors in GaN. However, in AlGaN alloys the DX configurations are stable for a sufficiently high Al content, which quenches the doping efficiency. At high concentrations, it is energetically favorable for group IV impurities to form nearest-neighbor X cation -X N pairs. Turning to surfaces, AIN is known to exhibit NEA. We find that the NEA property depends sensitively on surface reconstruction and termination. At interfaces, the strain effects on the band offsets range from 20% to 40%, depending on the substrate. The AIN/GaN/InN interfaces are all of type I, while the A1 0.5 Ga 0.5 N/A1N zinc-blende (001) interface may be of type II. Further, the calculated bulk polarizations in wurtzite AIN and GaN are -1.2 and -0.45 μC/cm 2 , respectively, and the interface contribution to the polarization in the GaN/AlN wurtzite multi-quantum-well is small.
The effect of arterial wall thickness and conductivity on electromagnetic flowmeter readings.

The performance of electromagnetic flowmeters is reviewed in the light of data concerning the tensor conductivity of arterial walls. The muscular structures and its effect on external contact flowmeters is discussed. The situations where the wall effects must be considered are outlined and experimentally demonstrated. Maxwell's equations for the external contact electromagnetic flowmeter are solved considering the difference in conductivity of the wall radially and angularly. The importance of the blood conductivity to the wall conductivity ratio is also demonstrated. It is shown that for situations where the ratio of inside diameter to outside diameter of an artery changes during a flowmeter test, the sensitivity of the flowmeter changes. This is shown to be an important consideration in research studies where vasodilation and vaso-constructors are used.
Protein absorption and transport by the guinea pig visceral yolk sac placenta.

The cytological basis for protein transport across the guinea pig visceral yolk sac at 36–44 days of gestation was studied by means of electron microscopy following injection of horseradish peroxidase and ferritin. These results were compared with those obtained after administration of colloidal thorium dioxide. Distribution of the tracer molecules was studied at 2, 10, 20, 40, and 160 minutes after injection into the uterine lumen. All three tracer molecules were rapidly absorbed by endoderm cells. Although most of the protein appeared to be retained in droplets in endoderm cells, some protein was transmitted. Peroxidase was found to be rapidly transmitted across the yolk sac, ferritin somewhat more slowly, and colloidal thorium was not transmitted at all. Protein which had exited from the endoderm cells followed any of three pathways: (1) it crossed the visceral basement membrane and entered the vitelline capillaries; (2) it crossed the mesodermal compartment, crossed the mesothelial cells and entered the exocoelomic cavity; or (3) some of the protein was sequestered by macrophages in the splanchnic mesoderm. The pathways observed are consistent with those suggested by previous authors for the passage of maternal antibodies and serum proteins to the guinea pig fetus.
Attitude similarity and inferred attraction

Previous research has shown a strong relationship between attitude similarity and interpersonal attraction. Two interpretations of this relationship have been suggested: (1) Similar attitudes are directly rewarding, and we like those who reward us; and (2) attraction for self is inferred on the basis of attitude similarity, and we like those who like us. The present experiment demonstrated that Ss do assume they are liked more by similar others than by dissimilar others, thus supporting the second interpretation above. Since it is not clear, however, whether S’s inference of liking for himself by the similar other preceded his liking for the other, the results do not eliminate the first interpretation of the similarity-attraction relationship. It is possible that attitude similarity leads S to simultaneous liking for the other and inference of liking for self.
Active Vibration Control of Resonant Systems via Multivariable Modified Positive Position Feedback

One of the predominant difficulties in the theory of distributed structure control systems comes from the fact that these resonant structures have a large number of active modes in the working band-width. Among the different methods for vibration control, Positive Position Feedback (PPF) is of interest, which uses piezoelectric actuation to overcome the vibration as a collocated controller. Modified Positive Position Feedback (MPPF) is later presented by adding a first-order damping compensator to the conventional second-order compensator, to have a better performance for steady-state and transient disturbances. In this paper, Multivariable Modified Positive Position Feedback (MMPPF) is presented to suppress the unwanted resonant vibrations in the structure. This approach benefits the advantages of MPPF, while it controls larger number vibration modes. An optimization method is introduced, consisting of a cost function that is minimized in the area of the stability of the system. LQR problem is also used to optimize the controller performance by optimized gain selection. It is shown that the LQR-optimized MMPPF controller provides vibration suppression in more efficiently manner.© 2013 ASME
Strategies for design automation of high speed digital filters

Optimization techniques for DSP circuits are described based on the design experience with a number of high-speed digital filter chips. These designs show that efficient high speed digital filter designs can be achieved using several optimizations at the architecture, circuit, and layout level. The problems of automating these optimizations in a general DSP synthesis environment are discussed, and possible CAD solutions are proposed.
Modeling And Graphic Display System For Cardiolvascular Research Using Random 3-D Data

A generalized interactive modeling and graphical display system is being developed to treat 3-D random data. The modeling system generates an estimated surface using either a weighted average of a family of nearest neighbors or a bicubic surface patching technique. From such a model geometric properties can be calculated. Preliminary tests of the method using canine left venticles suggest that volume and surface area can be estimated within 10% of the true values. The modeled surface can be displayed as a wire-frame or shaded solid. The system can interactively display the model frame by frame with or without the original data points. A display mode is being implemented that allows displaying the model using animation techniques to simulate a beating heart.
Real-time visualization of MMP-13 promoter activity in transgenic mice.

Abstract Cutaneous wound repair involves extracellular matrix degradation, cell migration, matrix resynthesis and tissue remodeling. In the rodent, transcriptional regulation of collagenase-3 (MMP-13) most likely plays a role in these processes. Therefore, we isolated and characterized a 1.76-kb 5′-flanking region of the mouse MMP-13 gene. Assay of promoter activity by transient transfection of HT1080 cells and primary mouse skin fibroblasts allowed identification of several functional regions of the 5′-flanking DNA. Expression of luciferase reporter constructs in these cells was induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), but not by transforming growth factor-β 2 (TGF-β 2 ). To study the regulation of MMP-13 in cutaneous wound healing, we generated transgenic mouse lines harboring the firefly luciferase reporter gene under control of a 660-bp mouse MMP-13 promoter which showed maximal response. MMP-13 mRNA levels in transgenic lung fibroblasts increased 1.5–2.6-fold after PMA challenge. MMP-13 promoter activity in wounds was visualized and quantified in vivo as luciferase bioluminescence. MMP-13 expression was present at day 1 and maximal at day 18 post-wounding. Luciferase activity progressed from the wound margin towards the center of the wound. In situ hybridization showed the same spatial and temporal patterns for the luciferase and endogenous MMP-13 mRNA. Both signals localized predominantly to dermal fibroblasts at the wound periphery but not to granulation tissue or to keratinocytes. These results suggested that MMP-13 participated in the wound healing of acute wounds, and it was a significant factor in long-term remodeling of wound connective tissue in rodent skin.
Deglacial ocean warming and marine margin retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet in the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract A new, high-resolution planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca-based ocean temperature record has been generated for deep sea core MD02-2496, sited offshore of Vancouver Island, Western Canada during the last deglaciation (21–12 ka). The relationship between Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) retreat and changing regional ocean temperatures has been reconstructed through glaciomarine sediments in MD02-2496 that capture tidewater glacier response to surface ocean thermal forcing. At CIS maximum extent, the marine margin of the ice sheet advanced onto the continental shelf. During this interval, ocean temperatures recorded by surface dwelling Globigerina bulloides remained a relatively constant ∼7.5 °C while subsurface dwelling Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (s.) recorded temperatures of ∼5 °C. These ocean temperatures were sufficiently warm to induce significant melt along the tidewater ice terminus similar to modern Alaskan tidewater glacial systems. During the deglacial retreat of the CIS, the N. pachyderma temperature record shows two distinct warming steps of ∼ 2 and 2.5 ° C between 17.2–16 and 15.5–14 ka respectively, coincident with ice rafting events from the CIS, while G. bulloides records an ∼ 3 ° C warming from 15 to 14 ka. We hypothesize that submarine melting resulting from relatively warm ocean temperatures was an important process driving ice removal from CIS tidewater glaciers during the initial stages of deglaciation.
Atomization of viscous and non-newtonian liquids by a coaxial, high-speed gas jet. Experiments and droplet size modeling

This paper describes a collaborative theoretical and experimental research effort to investigate both the atomization dynamics of non-Newtonian liquids as well as the performance of coaxial atomizers utilized in pharmaceutical tablet coating. In pharmaceutically relevant applications, the coating solutions being atomized are typically complex, non-Newtonian fluids which may contain polymers, surfactants and large concentrations of insoluble solids in suspension. The goal of this investigation was to improve the understanding of the physical mechanism that leads to atomization of viscous and non-Newtonian fluids and to produce a validated theoretical model capable of making quantitative predictions of atomizer performance in pharmaceutical tablet coaters. The Rayleigh–Taylor model developed by Varga et al. has been extended to viscous and non-Newtonian fluids starting with the general dispersion relation obtained by Joseph et al. The theoretical model is validated using droplet diameter data collected with a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer for six fluids of increasing rheological complexity. The primary output from the model is the Sauter Mean Diameter of the atomized droplet distribution, which is shown to compare favorably with experimental data. Critical model parameters and plans for additional research are also identified.
Hillslope variability in corn response to nitrogen linked to in-season soil moisture redistribution

Spatial variability of corn (Zea mays L.) yield within a field is often identified as the primary criterion to justify site-specific nitrogen (N) management; yet, observed yield variability may be unrelated to N supply. The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial variability in economic optimum N rate (EONR) for corn. Ten plot locations were selected in 2005 along a 300-m toposequence of a field in central Pennsylvania. At each location, two replications of six N treatments (0, 56,112, 168, 224, and 280 kg N ha -1 ) were broadcast applied at planting as NH 4 NO 3 . Soil water content (0- to 90-cm depth) was recorded approximately weekly at each location between 5 June and 2 September. The quadratic-plateau response was selected as the most appropriate grain yield response function for 9 of 10 locations and for the field-mean response. The EONR ranged from 47 to 188 kg N ha -1 among the nine locations, whereas EONR for the mean response was 137 kg N ha -1 . At four of nine locations, observed EONR deviated from field-mean EONR by 40 to 50 kg N ha -1 . The relationship between EONR and the change in soil profile water content (0-90 cm) between 30 June and 25 July (representing the driest and wettest soil conditions early in the growing season) was the defining relationship in this study (r 2 = 0.92; P >F < 0.0001). Successful site-specific N management depends on an evaluation of the spatial variability in EONR and the corresponding causal factors.
Housing Prices in Master- Planned Communities: Are There Premiums? The Evidence for Collin Country, Texas, 1980-1991.

Hedonic housing price analysis reveals that significant premiums are paid for homes in master-planned communities during business cycle upswings, but that these premiums are eroded close to the level of the cost of providing planned amenity packages during the cycle downswing. Lessons are drawn for urban theory, including the necessity of modeling endogenous cyclicality and the need for effective combination of imperfectly competitive behavior alongside the received focus on competitive markets.
Using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography to assess tumor volume during radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer and its potential impact on adaptive dose escalation and normal tissue sparing.

Purpose To quantify changes in fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid tumor volume on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) during the course of radiation therapy and examine its potential use in adaptive radiotherapy for tumor dose escalation or normal tissue sparing in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials As part of a pilot study, patients with Stage I–III NSCLC underwent FDG-PET/CT before radiotherapy (RT) and in mid-RT (after 40–50 Gy). Gross tumor volumes were contoured on CT and PET scans obtained before and during RT. Three-dimensional conformal RT plans were generated for each patient, first using only pretreatment CT scans. Mid-RT PET volumes were then used to design boost fields. Results Fourteen patients with FDG-avid tumors were assessed. Two patients had a complete metabolic response, and 2 patients had slightly increased FDG uptake in the adjacent lung tissue. Mid-RT PET scans were useful in the 10 remaining patients. Mean decreases in CT and PET tumor volumes were 26% (range, +15% to −75%) and 44% (range, +10% to −100%), respectively. Designing boosts based on mid-RT PET allowed for a meaningful dose escalation of 30–102 Gy (mean, 58 Gy) or a reduction in normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) of 0.4–3% (mean, 2%) in 5 of 6 patients with smaller yet residual tumor volumes. Conclusions Tumor metabolic activity and volume can change significantly after 40–50 Gy of RT. Using mid-RT PET volumes, tumor dose can be significantly escalated or NTCP reduced. Clinical studies evaluating patient outcome after PET-based adaptive RT are ongoing.
Two-body decay of thermalized excitons in Cu 2 O

We have examined the decay of thermalized excitons in cuprous oxide $({\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}\mathrm{O})$ and determined their lifetime against two-body decay (i.e., Auger recombination). The experiments are conducted at $T=70 \mathrm{K}$ with near-resonant picosecond excitation to ensure a thermal equilibrium between orthoexcitons, paraexcitons, and the crystal lattice. Time-resolved spectroscopy reveals the gas reaching equilibrium with the lattice temperature in 0.5 ns. The wavelength of the excitation photons and the spatial distribution of the laser beam are selected to produce a well defined spatial distribution of excitons. Time-resolved photoluminescence imaging measures the diffusion of excitons. From absolute measurements of the gas volume and the luminescence intensity, we determine the instantaneous gas density. At high excitation levels, a rapid nonexponential decay of the excitonic gas is observed. The decay curve is well explained by assuming that the local exciton density is governed by the rate equation $dn/dt=\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{An}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}n/\ensuremath{\tau},$ with an Auger constant $A=0.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16} {\mathrm{cm}}^{3}/\mathrm{n}\mathrm{s}$ and a residual decay time $\ensuremath{\tau}=300 \mathrm{ns}.$ This value of the Auger constant is comparable to that estimated previously for a nonthermalized exciton gas at a lattice temperature of 2 K, indicating that the Auger lifetime of an exciton is only weakly dependent on its kinetic energy. The Auger process characterized here defines the practical limits for exciton densities in cuprous oxide.
Rat posterior parietal cortex: topography of corticocortical and thalamic connections.

Anatomical and functional findings support the contention that there is a distinct posterior parietal cortical area (PPC) in the rat, situated between the rostrally adjacent hindlimb sensorimotor area and the caudally adjacent secondary visual areas. The PPC is distinguished from these areas by receiving thalamic afferents from the lateral dorsal (LD), lateral posterior (LP), and posterior (Po) nuclei, in the absence of input from the ventrobasal complex (VB) or dorsal lateral geniculate (DLG) nuclei. Behavioral studies have demonstrated that PPC is involved in spatial orientation and directed attention. In the present study we used fluorescent retrograde axonal tracers primarily to investigate the cortical connections of PPC, in order to determine the organization of the circuitry by which PPC is likely to participate in these functions, and also to determine how the topography of its thalamic connections differs from that of neighboring cortical areas. The cortical connections of PPC involve the ventrolateral (VLO) and medial (MO) orbital areas, medial agranular cortex (area Fr2), portions of somatic sensory areas Par1 and Par2, secondary visual areas Oc2M and Oc2L, auditory area Tel, and retrosplenial cortex. The secondary visual areas Oc2L and Oc2M have cortical connections which are similar to those of PPC, but are restricted within orbital cortex to area VLO, and within area Fr2 to its caudal portion, and do not involve auditory area Te1. The cortical connections of hindlimb cortex are largely restricted to somatic sensory and motor areas. Retrosplenial cortex, which is medially adjacent to PPC, has cortical connections that are prominent with visual cortex, do not involve somatic sensory or auditory cortex, and include the presubiculum. We conclude that PPC is distinguished by its pattern of cortical connections with the somatic sensory, auditory and visual areas, and with areas Fr2, and VLO/MO, in addition to its exclusive thalamic connectivity with LD, LP and Po. Because recent behavioral studies indicate that PPC, Fr2 and VLO are involved in directed attention and spatial learning, we suggest that the interconnections among these three cortical areas represent a major component of the circuitry for these functions in rats.
Relationships among Multiple Suicide Ideation Risk Factors in College Students

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between suicide ideation and each of the following variables in a population of college students: depression, loneliness, stress, and hopelessness, as well as the relationships among each of the variables. The strongest associations were between suicide ideation and depression, followed by suicide ideation and hopelessness, and suicide ideation and loneliness. A strong association was found between depression and hopelessness, while moderate associations were found between depression and loneliness, and loneliness and hopelessness. Clinical implications relative to college students are discussed.
Autonomic cardiac control. I. Estimation and validation from pharmacological blockades

Pharmacological blockades have been used to estimate the relative contributions of the autonomic branches to cardiac chronotropic control. Systematic biases in these estimates, however, can arise from both methodological and physiological factors. Selective blockades can be interpreted by two inferential models, and a single blockade condition can yield estimates of autonomic control for both autonomic branches. The residual autonomic control of the heart after blockade of a single division provides an index of the functional contribution of the unblocked branch. In contrast, the change in chronotropic state of the heart after blockade of the same division reflects the subtractive loss of that branch and thus provides an index of the normal contribution of the blocked branch. We demonstrate that the systematic biases that can arise in blockade studies introduce distortions of the subtractive and residual estimates that are of equal magnitude but opposite sign. Consequently, the discrepancy between the subtractive- and residual-model estimates provides a measure of bias in blockade studies and permits the derivation of validity indices that can facilitate interpretations of blockade data.
Analysis of wavefront propagation using the Talbot effect

Talbot imaging is a well-known effect that causes sinusoidal patterns to be reimaged by diffraction with characteristic period that varies inversely with both wavelength and the square of the spatial frequency. This effect is treated using the Fresnel diffraction integral for fields with sinusoidal ripples in amplitude or phase. The periodic nature is demonstrated and explained, and a sinusoidal approximation is made for the case where the phase or amplitude ripples are small, which allows direct determination of the field for arbitrary propagation distance. Coupled with a straightforward method for calculating the effect in a diverging or converging beam, the Talbot method provides a useful approximation for a class of diffraction problems.
Dynamic programming for optimal control of setup scheduling with neural network modifications

Demonstrated is an optimal control solution to change of machine setup scheduling based on dynamic programming average cost per stage value iteration as set forth by M. Caramanis et al. (1991) for the 2-D case. The difficulty with the optimal approach lies in the explosive computational growth of the resulting solution. A method of reducing the computational complexity is developed using ideas from biology and neural networks. A real-time controller is described that uses a linear-log representation of state space with neural networks employed to fit cost surfaces. >
Factors Influencing Survival of Native and Translocated Mountain Quail in Idaho and Washington

ABSTRACT Understanding survival and cause-specific mortality of native and translocated animals can help biologists design more effective recovery programs. We estimated survival rates for 181 native mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus) in west-central Idaho from 1992 to 1996 and for 199 translocated mountain quail in western Idaho and eastern Washington in 2005 and 2006. Spring—summer survival of native birds over 4 yr ranged from 0.210 (SE = 0.116) to 0.799 (SE = 0.103) and fall-winter survival in 2 yr was 0.523 (SE = 0.089) and 0.244 (SE = 0.084). Annual survival rates were 0.418 (SE = 0.088) and 0.174 (SE = 0.065). Springsummer survival rate of translocated birds was 0.215 (SE = 0.044) in 2005 and 0.059 (SE = 0.021) in 2006. We modeled biweekly survival as a function of sex, age, movement rate, native versus translocated status, and linear time trend, and then we added year and 3 weather covariates (mean biweekly precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures). Year and climate variables improved the ...
FAMILIAL RISK ANALYSIS OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AND PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER IN FEMALE ADOLESCENTS: A CONTROLLED STUDY

Background: A robust and bi-directional comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and psychoactive substance use disorder (PSUD, alcohol or drug abuse, or dependence) has been consistently reported in the literature. However, this literature has been based almost exclusively on male only samples and, therefore, the findings may not generalize to females. Methods: First-degree relatives from a large sample of pediatrically and psychiatrically referred girls with (123 probands, 403 relatives) and without ADHD (112 probands, 359 relatives) were comprehensively assessed by blind raters with structured diagnostic interviews. Familial risk analysis examined the risks in first-degree relatives for ADHD and PSUD (alcohol or drug abuse or dependence) after stratifying probands by the presence and absence of these disorders. Results: ADHD in the proband significantly increased the risk for ADHD in relatives independently of the comorbidity with PSUD. PSUD in the proband was associated with a significantly increased risk for PSUD in relatives regardless of ADHD status. There was no evidence of co-segregation or non-random mating in the families of probands with ADHD and PSUD. Conclusions: Patterns of familial risk analysis suggest that the association between ADHD and PSUD in adolescent females is most consistent with the hypothesis that these disorders are independently transmitted, although the hypothesis of variable expressivity could not be ruled out. These findings are consistent with previously reported patterns of familial associations between ADHD and PSUD found in adolescent males. Longer follow-up periods are needed to more fully clarify the relationship between ADHD and PSUD, as well as provide adequate power for separate analyses of alcohol and drug use.
Detection of Bacterial DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction Products by Matrix‐assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Accurate monitoring and identification of Legionella species, the causative agents of Legionnaires' and other diseases, in environmental water sources is an important public health issue. Traditional culture methods often lack the sensitivity and specificity that can be attained using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify targeted regions of the bacterial genome. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization combined with time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is shown to be useful for detection of 108- and 168-base PCR products specific to Legionella. A rapid purification aimed at removal of salts and unreacted primers is demonstrated. The addition of a synthetic DNA 20-mer to the MALDI sample facilitates aiming the laser at a favorable spot on the sample probe from which the PCR products can be detected.
Catalytic Decomposition of Organophosphorus Compounds

Organophosphorus compounds have several applications (agricultural, industrial, and military). Nevertheless, assessments of the hazards from these applications quite often do not take into account chemical processes during their interactions with environment. The management of contaminants requires considerable knowledge and understanding of contaminant behavior. Unique properties of clay minerals and metal oxides, such as high adsorption and catalytic ability, have resulted in their applications as natural adsorbents and catalysts in the development of cleanup technologies. Knowledge of molecular structure, transformation mechanisms, and the spectrum of potential intermediates/products of the contaminant decomposition is helpful for developing remediation processes. An understanding of the physical characteristics of the adsorption sites of selected soil ingredients, the physical and chemical characteristics of the contaminant, details of sorption of contaminants on soil and in water solution, and also their distribution within the environment is of particular interest. Application of computational chemistry (CC) can provide deeper insight into the aforementioned characteristics of organophosphorus compounds.