cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verifying a temporal disaggregation method for generating daily precipitation of potentially non-stationary climate change for site-specific impact assessment

Empirical statistical downscaling has been widely used to produce finer-resolution climate data. This approach, in general, is derived from an implicit stationarity assumption. This paper aims at proving a statistical method that is fully applicable of generating daily precipitation in non-stationary conditions using historical station data. Daily records at five Oklahoma stations were split into calibration and validation periods. Linear relationships between transition probabilities of wet-following-wet (Pw/w) and wet-following-dry (Pw/d) days and mean monthly precipitation were established by connecting the two endpoints (one for the 30 driest months and another for the 30 wettest months of the calibration period) for each calendar month, and were then used to interpolate Pw/w and Pw/d for the validation period. The mean and standard deviation of daily precipitation were estimated using the mean and standard deviation of monthly precipitation of the validation periods as well as the interpolated Pw/w and Pw/d. The adjusted parameters were used to generate daily series using a weather generator. Statistics of the disaggregated daily precipitation amounts and frequency, as well as dry/wet spell sequence, agreed with those of the observed values of the validation periods reasonably well. The disaggregation method preserved statistics of monthly precipitation amounts extremely well, demonstrating the validity of the method for temporal disaggregation of non-stationary climate. The accuracy of the presented method is within the weather generator's expected performance. Overall, a straight line connecting the two endpoints, implicitly incorporating non-stationarity of climate states, is adequate for interpolating Pw/w and Pw/d to any climatic conditions within the entire range. However, a linear regression including data points in between would generally improve the Pw/w and Pw/d interpolations slightly if long records (e.g. > 60 years) are available for estimating the intermediate points. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Influence of hyperthyroidism and of thyroidectomy on induced mammary cancer.

IT has been found1 that the intragastric administration of optimal quantities of 3-methylcholanthrene induces mammary cancer with great rapidity in females of a susceptible strain of rats under standardized conditions ; all the animals have invariably developed multiple mammary cancers within two months. Sex hormones are of critical significance2 in the induction of mammary cancer by aromatic hydrocarbons. The effects of hyperthyroidism and of thyroidectomy were investigated in the present work.
Treatment of Recurrent Cytomegalovirus Disease in Patients Receiving Solid Organ Transplants

• Tissue-invasive cytomegalovirus (TI-CMV) disease occurs commonly after solid organ transplantation and has been associated with increased allograft loss and patient mortality. Although ganciclovir has been demonstrated to be an effective form of treatment for TI-CMV disease, therapy may be followed by recurrence. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of recurrent TI-CMV disease on patient and allograft survival. We studied 619 patients who underwent solid organ transplantation (535 kidney transplants [253 from living related donors and 282 from cadavers] and 84 combined cadaveric kidney-pancreas transplants) during a 3½-year period. One hundred fourteen patients (18.4%) developed TI-CMV disease and were treated with a standardized regimen of intravenous ganciclovir for 14 to 21 days. Of the 114 patients in whom primary TI-CMV disease developed, 28 (24.6%) developed recurrent TI-CMV disease more than 30 days after the initial episode, and these patients were retreated with ganciclovir. Cure rates at 30 days were 98.9% in patients with primary TI-CMV disease and 100% in patients with recurrent TI-CMV disease. Patients who underwent cadaveric kidney or kidney-pancreas transplantation were more likely to develop recurrent TI-CMV disease than were recipients of kidney transplants from living related donors; antirejection therapy also was associated with a higher incidence of recurrent TI-CMV disease. Patients who developed TI-CMV disease exhibited lower rates of graft and patient survival at 3 years than patients without TI-CMV disease or with solely asymptomatic CMV infection, although recurrent TI-CMV disease did not appear to exacerbate morbidity or mortality. We conclude that recurrent episodes of TI-CMV disease do not appear to further adversely affect patient or graft survival in comparison with primary TI-CMV disease in ganciclovir-treated patients. (Arch Surg. 1993;128:165-170)
Induction of neostriatal neurogenesis slows disease progression in a transgenic murine model of Huntington disease

Ependymal overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) stimulates neuronal addition to the adult striatum, from subependymal progenitor cells. Noggin, by suppressing subependymal gliogenesis and increasing progenitor availability, potentiates this process. We asked whether BDNF/Noggin overexpression might be used to recruit new striatal neurons in R6/2 huntingtin transgenic mice. R6/2 mice injected with adenoviral BDNF and adenoviral Noggin (AdBDNF/AdNoggin) recruited BrdU(+)betaIII-tubulin(+) neurons, which developed as DARPP-32(+) and GABAergic medium spiny neurons that expressed either enkephalin or substance P and extended fibers to the globus pallidus. Only AdBDNF/AdNoggin-treated R6/2 mice harbored migrating doublecortin-defined neuroblasts in their striata, and the new neurons expressed p27 as a marker of mitotic quiescence after parenchymal integration. AdBDNF/AdNoggin-treated R6/2 mice sustained their rotarod performance and open-field activity and survived longer than did AdNull-treated and untreated controls. Neither motor performance nor survival improved in R6/2 mice treated only with AdBDNF, and intraventricular infusion of the mitotic inhibitor Ara-C completely blocked the performance and survival effects of AdBDNF/AdNoggin, suggesting that the benefits of AdBDNF/AdNoggin derived from neuronal addition. Thus, BDNF and Noggin induced striatal neuronal regeneration, delayed motor impairment, and extended survival in R6/2 mice, suggesting a new therapeutic strategy in Huntington disease.
Echolocation sound features processed to provide distance information in the CF/FM bat, Noctilio albiventris: evidence for a gated time window utilizing both CF and FM components

Bats of the speciesNoctilio albiventris, trained to discriminate differences in target distance, emitted pairs of pulses at a rate of 7–10/s, the first a constant frequency (CF) pulse of about 8 ms duration and 75 kHz frequency, followed after about 28 ms by a CF/FM pulse having a 6 ms, 75 kHz CF component that terminates in a 2 ms FM sweep to about 57 kHz.
Aptitude Levels in a Depressed Area

Using a factored aptitude test, the mean performance of approximately 300 young adults in a chronically depressed area was compared to general population norms. Special attention was given to the aptitudes of the emerging labor force in high school. Aptitudes of the average young adult in this area approximated those of the general population. High school student performance in general fell slightly below that of employed adults and above that of the unemployed. High school students appeared to be most deficient in communication skills and to excel in numerical abilities. No significant differences in average aptitude levels were found between male and female respondents.
A single equivalent moving dipole model: an efficient approach for localizing sites of origin of ventricular electrical activation.

We propose a new method for guiding catheter ablation procedures to abolish sites of origin of arrhythmias. This method models both cardiac electrical activity and current pulses delivered from the tip of the ablation catheter with a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD). The SEMD parameters are obtained from analysis of body surface potentials. In this paper we examine the feasibility of this method by evaluating the performance of an inverse algorithm we developed to localize the SEMD from the surface potentials. In computer simulations realistic levels of measurement noise led to uncertainties in SEMD location ∼0.005 cm. Dipole orientation randomization contributed to increased uncertainty (0.04 cm) in SEMD location only when boundary effects were included. In ventricular pacing swine studies, we found that the SEMD model accurately accounted for electrocardiographic wave forms and that measurement noise led to an uncertainty of approximately 0.04 cm in the SEMD at 15 ms after the pacing spike. We have also found that the algorithm we developed to identify the SEMD parameters yielded positions for two spatially separated pacing sites that maintained their direction and were very close to their physical separation. These results suggest that the SEMD method may potentially be used to guide radio-frequency ablation procedures. © 2003 Biomedical Engineering Society.
The experimenter as an independent variable in studies of animal hypnosis in chickens (Gallus gallus)

Abstract Chickens restrained in the presence of an experimenter remained immobile significantly longer than those separated from the experimenter by a plywood barrier. Moreover, experimenter proximity as well as his visual orientation to the chicken were found appreciably to affect the duration of immobility in response to manual restraint. It was concluded that the experimenter's eyes were of primary importance in sustaining the immobility episode, and the results were interpreted in terms of the fear hypothesis of animal hypnosis and predator-prey relationships.
Application of 1-D Convolutional Modeling to Interpretation of Ground Penetrating Radar Profiles-Turbidite Channel Sandstone 1, Lewis Shale, Wyoming

Complex stratigraphic relationships, distinct lithologic facies, and variable bed thickness characterize channel-levee elements of turbidite sections examined in outcrop. The 3-D configuration of these features in the subsurface cannot be determined accurately using only logs in sparsely distributed and unevenly spaced boreholes. The missing interborehole information can be filled in by three-dimensional GPR surveys so long as the geological elements can be recognized in the data. This recognition can be aided by 1-D convolutional waveform modeling, which is able to separate multiples and refracted events from primary reflections, to predict severe amplitude loss due to attenuation in shales, to constrain reflection polarities and traveltimes, and to elucidate the role of interference within thin sandstone beds. Two-dimensional GPR profiles and a 3-D GPR survey image the lowermost and largest of a series of laterally offset, vertically stacked channel sandstones of the Lewis Shale, near Dad, WY. We combin...
Medial Tibiofemoral-Joint Stiffness in Males and Females Across the Lifespan.

Context: Analyzing ligament stiffness between males and females at 3 maturational stages across the lifespan may provide insight into whether changes in ligament behavior with aging may contribute to joint laxity. Objective: To compare the stiffness of the medial structures of the tibiofemoral joint and the medial collateral ligament to determine if there are differences at 3 distinct ages and between the sexes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 108 healthy and physically active volunteers with no previous knee surgery, no acute knee injury, and no use of exogenous hormones in the past 6 months participated. They were divided into 6 groups based on sex and age (8–10, 18–40, 50–75 years). Main Outcome Measure(s): Ligament stiffness of the tibiofemoral joint was measured with an arthrometer in 0° and 20° of tibiofemoral-joint flexion. The slope values of the force-strain line that represents stiffness of the medial tibiofemoral joint at 0° and the...
The risks of epidural and transforaminal steroid injections in the Spine: Commentary and a comprehensive review of the literature

Background: Multiple type of spinal injections, whether epidural/translaminar or transforaminal, facet injections, are offered to patients with/without surgical spinal lesions by pain management specialists (radiologists, physiatrists, and anesthesiologists). Although not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), injections are being performed with an increased frequency (160%), are typically short-acting and ineffective over the longer-term, while exposing patients to major risks/complications. Methods: For many patients with spinal pain alone and no surgical lesions, the success of epidural injections may simply reflect the self-limited course of the disease. Alternatively, although those with surgical pathology may experience transient or no pain relief, undergoing these injections (typically administered in a series of three) unnecessarily exposes them to the inherent risks, while also delaying surgery and potentially exposing them to more severe/permanent neurological deficits. Results: Multiple recent reports cite contaminated epidural steroid injections resulting in meningitis, stroke, paralysis, and death. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) specifically identified 25 deaths (many due to Aspergillosis), 337 patients sickened, and 14,000 exposed to contaminated steroids. Nevertheless, many other patients develop other complications that go unreported/underreported: Other life-threatening infections, spinal fluid leaks (0.4-6%), positional headaches (28%), adhesive arachnoiditis (6-16%), hydrocephalus, air embolism, urinary retention, allergic reactions, intravascular injections (7.9-11.6%), stroke, blindness, neurological deficits/paralysis, hematomas, seizures, and death. Conclusions: Although the benefits for epidural steroid injections may include transient pain relief for those with/without surgical disease, the multitude of risks attributed to these injections outweighs the benefits.
Prey Distribution, Physical Habitat Features, and Guild Traits Interact to Produce Contrasting Shorebird Assemblages among Foraging Patches

Worldwide declines in shorebird populations, driven largely by habitat loss and degradation, motivate environmental managers to preserve and restore the critical coastal habitats on which these birds depend. Effective habitat management requires an understanding of the factors that determine habitat use and value to shorebirds, extending from individuals to the entire community. While investigating the factors that influenced shorebird foraging distributions among neighboring intertidal sand flats, we built upon species-level understandings of individual-based, small-scale foraging decisions to develop more comprehensive guild- and community-level insights. We found that densities and community composition of foraging shorebirds varied substantially among elevations within some tidal flats and among five flats despite their proximity (all located within a 400-m stretch of natural, unmodified inlet shoreline). Non-dimensional multivariate analyses revealed that the changing composition of the shorebird community among flats and tidal elevations correlated significantly (ρ(s) = 0.56) with the spatial structure of the benthic invertebrate prey community. Sediment grain-sizes affected shorebird community spatial patterns indirectly by influencing benthic macroinvertebrate community compositions. Furthermore, combining sediment and macroinvertebrate information produced a 27% increase in correlation (ρ(s) = 0.71) with shorebird assemblage patterns over the correlation of the bird community with the macroinvertebrate community alone. Beyond its indirect effects acting through prey distributions, granulometry of the flats influenced shorebird foraging directly by modifying prey availability. Our study highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity, showing that no single patch type was ideal for the entire shorebird community. Generally, shorebird density and diversity were greatest at lower elevations on flats when they became exposed; these areas are at risk from human intervention by inlet sand mining, construction of groins and jetties that divert sediments from flats, and installation of seawalls on inlet shorelines that induce erosion of flats.
Stepped care and profiled care in the treatment of hypertension: considerations for black Americans.

Abstract The stepped-care approach to the treatment of hypertension has proved to be effective in helping control hypertension and in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension and related cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, modifications to the stepped-care approach can provide more effective care for certain patient subgroups. By applying the best principles of stepped care to a more individualized methodology, a "profiled-care" approach to treating hypertension has been made available. Profiled care may prove particularly valuable in treating hypertensive patients in black urban communities where all forms of hypertension are disproportionally represented because of various physical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors. Along with efforts by the government and private sectors to eliminate barriers to effective hypertension control in poor black communities, profiled care can help achieve control equal to that achieved in more affluent communities.
Evaluating Aerosol Transmission Efficiency in a Sampling System

This work examines the physical factors that contribute to sampling errors in an aerosol sampling system consisting of a sampling probe and a sampling line. Aerosol particles are more massive than gas molecules and therefore tend to deviate from air streamlines in response to sudden directional change, which potentially leads to sampling errors during sample transfer processes. Based on well-established studies involving particle transport and deposition, an analysis was performed to determine the sampling line transmission efficiency for 0.5- and 5-μm particles as these particle sizes are used in defining air cleanliness level in ISO 14644-1[1] and FED-STD-209E.[2]* Our analytical results indicate that significant particle losses for 5-μm particles can occur if bends exist in the sampling lines. In addition, particle losses typically can be reduced by lowering the air velocity in the sampling line, and this can be achieved by using a sampling line with a larger inner diameter (I.D.). The example calculat...
The population biology of infectious diseases (abstract only)

In this poster, we are looking at differential equations that model a population with an infectious disease. Three different types of models are shown. The first model is the most primitive model, which does not effectively show how the population is spread in the population or does not take into account how difficult it would be to measure a viral population. The SIR model splits the population into three distinct categories: susceptible, infected, and removed. The SIRS model is similar except that individuals can return to the susceptible population after recovering from the virus. The SIRS model is further analyzed and a graph of the equilibrium points and nullclines.
The verbal response of groups to the absence or presence of leadership

(1971). The verbal response of groups to the absence or presence of leadership. Speech Monographs: Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 177-181.
Effects of atmosphere on Ba2YCu3Ox during processing

Abstract Phase pure Ba2YCu3Ox was exposed to atmospheres of oxygen, air, nitrogen, carbon-dioxide, carbon monoxide and ammonia. High temperature treatments show that the maximum processing temperature must stay below the incongruent melting peak, which is shown to vary with atmosphere. It is also shown that partial pressure of oxygen affects the crystal structure of the sintered material. Low temperature treatments (555°C) reveal a change of the Ba2YCu3Ox material from a superconductor to a semiconductor, the most intriguing being a material which shows a change in sign of do/dT at 88 K, thus offering interesting applications in electrical circuits.
Transportation Management Associations: Prospects and Problems for Public Administration

Abstract Transportation management districts (TMAs) are nonprofits formed by local business owners to solve transportation problems in their immediate areas. They have grown in numbers since the early ‘80s and have also expanded their influence on transportation policy, especially when affiliated with business improvement districts (BIDs). Both TMAs and BIDs reflect the increasing role of private business organizations in public policy; they are part of the increasing privatization since the early ‘80s, promoted by public choice theorists. Their growth and increasing policy influence requires us to expand our notion of public administration and see these organizations as full-fledged agents in the governance of metropolitan areas.
Low-threshold thin-film III-V lasers bonded to silicon with front and back side defined features

A III-V thin-film single-quantum-well edge-emitting laser is patterned on both sides of the epitaxial layer and bonded to silicon. Injected threshold current densities of 420 A/cm2 for gain-guided lasers with bottom p-stripes and top n-stripes and 244 A/cm2 for index-guided bottom p-ridge and top n-stripe lasers are measured with a lasing wavelength of ~995 nm. These threshold current densities, among the lowest for thin-film edge-emitting lasers on silicon reported to date (to our knowledge), enable the implementation of integrated applications such as power-efficient portable chip-scale photonic sensing systems.
Higgs mechanism for Kalb-Ramond gauge field.

Kalb-Ramond gauge field theory, coupled to manifestly gauge-invariant and reparametrization-invariant second-quantized string fields, is studied. String condensation into the vacuum is shown to develop masses to the Kalb-Ramond gauge field which we call the string Higgs mechanism. In case the Kalb-Ramond field couples to the open strings which have a massless vector field in the spectrum, our field theory also exhibits the well-known Stueckelberg mechanism. To strengthen our conclusion, we construct a lattice version of the above string field theory and demonstrate that the mean-field approximation indicates the existence of the Higgs phase.
Finite temperature dynamics of the spin-half Heisenberg chain

Abstract We study the dynamic susceptibility χ(q, ω) of the S = 1 2 Heisenberg chain. Closed form analytic expression for χ(q, ω) at low T ⪡ J (J is exchange constant) is derived, which contains subleading logarithmic corrections due to umklapp scattering processes between left and right moving excitations. These corrections lead to noticeable deviations from quantum-critical scaling, and can be observed in NMR and neutron scattering experiments. At higher temperatures, we extend the recursion method to finite T using high-temperature expansios, and also carry out quantum Monte-Carlo simulations. We find a gradual transfer of spectral weigth from diffusive (q ∼ 0) modes at high T ⪢ J to propagating antiferromagnetic ( q ∼ £ ) excitations at intermediate T ∼ J.
Development and Maturation of White Lupine Seed

(...) The objectives of this study were to develop a descriptive index of maturation for white lupine pods and seeds, and to relate physiological maturity to the relationship between seed and pod moisture contents. Field data from a series of studies on the effects of planting date and plant density on white lupine growth and yield were used to generate the developmental index (...)
Evidence for tissue degrowth in starved freshwater pulmonate snails (Helisoma trivolvis) from tissue, carbon, and nitrogen analyses

1. 1. Experimental starvation in the fresh water pulmonate Helisoma trivolvis (and in Planorbarius corneus) can result in a 20–50% decrease in dry mass of tissues within shells of unchanged mass. 2. 2. Analyses of total organic carbon and nitrogen reveal that, after 132 days of starvation in Helisoma. C:N ratios are reduced from 5.78:1 to 4.44:1, losses of non-proteinaceous components being proportionately greater than the losses of protein. 3. 3. In a metabolic framework close to that of natural overwintering with a representative cohort of Helisoma, a 50% loss of tissue biomass (involving perhaps 20%, loss of protein) can occur with only 10% mortality over 132 days. 4. 4. Natural capacity for degrowth in snails is seen as contributing to the general plasticity characteristic of molluscan patterns of growth and life-cycles, and possibly as related to the similar capacity in turbellarian flatworms.
Determination of the mode reflection coefficient in air-core photonic bandgap fibers

Using an eigenmode decomposition technique, we numerically determine the backreflection coefficient of the modes of air-core photonic bandgap fibers for flat terminations. This coefficient is found to be very small for the fundamental air-guided mode, of the order of 10-5 to 10-6, in contrast with the surface and bulk modes, which exhibit significantly higher reflections, by about three to four orders of magnitude. For the Crystal Fibre HC-1550-2 fiber, we find a reflection coefficient of 1.9×10-6 for an air termination, and approximately 3.3% for a silica termination. We also find that the Fresnel approximation is ill suited for the determination of the modal reflection coefficient, and instead propose a more accurate new formula based on an averaged modal index.
Impact of pymetrozine on glassy-winged sharpshooter feeding behavior and rate of Xylella fastidiosa transmission

Pymetrozine is a compound that interferes with insect feeding and interrupts transmission of plant pathogens. The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata Say (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), is a vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the foregut-borne, propagative bacterium that causes Pierce's disease of grapevine. In this study, we recorded the behavioral response of H. coagulata to plants treated by soil drench with pymetrozine using time-lapse photography, quantified the reduction in liquid excreta produced by H. coagulata fed on pymetrozine-treated plants, and evaluated pymetrozine effectiveness in reducing transmission rate in grapevines. H. coagulata feeding on plants treated with 0.015 mg of pymetrozine was disrupted by decreasing the number of contacts made with the grapevine by more than 50% and by increasing movements away from the stem by more than 5-fold. Excreta production by H. coagulata was significantly reduced on plants treated with 0.015 or 0.0075 mg of pymetrozine. Contrary to the expected outcome, the mean number of X. fastidiosa-infected plants actually increased in the pymetrozine treatments relative to the controls.
Coherent dynamics and dephasing of one-dimensional magnetoexcitons in GaAs

We study the ultrashort dynamics and the dephasing processes of one-dimensional Lorentzian and Fano magnetoexcitons in GaAs, using temporally and spectrally resolved four-wave mixing. The dephasing of the Lorentzian magnetoexcitons is determined by quasi-particle scattering, dominated by exciton – exciton scattering at low temperatures. In contrast, the dephasing time of the Fano magnetoexcitons is intrinsically limited by the Fano coupling to the continuum. Quantum interference is observed if Fano magnetoexcitons contribute to the four-wave mixing signal. This effect is absent in the case of purely Lorentzian dynamics. We show that Lorentzian and Fano magnetoexciton resonances are coupled by Coulomb correlation and discuss the consequences of this coupling.
Statistics of kinetic pathways on biased rough energy landscapes with applications to protein folding.

Using path integrals, the statistics of kinetic pathways on a biased random energy landscape can be mapped on to the statistical mechanics of the random directed polymer. Using this, we make explicit the role of time scales in defining a protein folding pathway and the connections between thermodynamic glass transitions of the protein and the emergence of discrete kinetic pathways for folding.
Intellectual property law basics for computer science instructors (seminar session)

Increasingly the practice of computing involves legal issues. Patenting algorithms, domain name poaching, and “re-using” HTML and graphics from web sites all raise questions in the domain of intellectual property law (which includes patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and trademarks). In the classroom, computer science educators often confront questions that have legal ramifications.To many computer scientists, the legal system seems arbitrary and impenetrable, just as software development is obscure to many lawyers. But each discipline has its own axioms and goals, its own culture and approach to solving problems. Moreover, each discipline has been largely successful in meeting its goals, despite such problems as frivolous, costly lawsuits on one side and unstable, bloated software on the other.The goal of this seminar is to give computer science faculty a framework for answering students' questions and debunking the most egregious misconceptions about intellectual property issues.
Thermodynamics of Confined Perfluoropolyether Films on Amorphous Carbon Surfaces Determined from the Time-Dependent Evaporation Kinetics

The thermodynamics of ultrathin (≤10 A) perfluoropolyether (PFPE) films in contact with amorphous carbon surfaces (CHx and CNx) are derived from the time-dependent kinetics of film evaporation. Two nonfunctionalized PFPE structures were studied: a polydisperse (Mw/Mn = 1.4) Fomblin Z with an average molecular weight of 4000 g mol-1 and a fractionated (Mw/Mn = 1.05) Demnum sample of average molecular weight 2200 g mol-1. Data is also presented for the evaporation of a fractionated (Mw/Mn = 1.08) sample of the hydroxyl-terminated Fomblin Zdol (Mw = 2100 g mol-1). Evaporation of the nonfunctionalized PFPEs from amorphous carbon follows nonclassical, first-order desorption kinetics having a rate constant that varies inversely with time. Evaporation of the functionalized Fomblin Zdol is also nonclassical; however, the time dependence of the rate constant deviates substantially from that characteristic of the nonfunctionalized PFPEs. These evaporation kinetics result from the increase in the surface free energ...
A Review of “Transgender Voices: Beyond Women and Men”: Girshick, L. B. (2008). Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, $24.95, 213 pp., ISBN 978-1-58465-683-8.

Sociologist Lori Girshick, PhD, began her research, the subject of this book, by posting a call for participation on Web sites that stated: “Are you a gender transgressor?” Her call was answered by...
Heterostructured zero valent iron-montmorillonite nanohybrid and their catalytic efficacy

Nanohybrid catalysts that comprised montmorillonite (Mt) matrix and embedded zero-valent Fe nanoparticle are presented. In this process, clay particles are used as 2-dimensional template that induce the growth of intercalated nanomaterials. Fe polycations are first embedded within the interlayer space and then reduced to Fe nanoparticles through thermal annealing in reducing atmosphere. Structural studies using electron microscopy and high energy X-ray show that the intercalated status of the polycations dictates the crystal structure, shape and size of final Fe compound particles. The magnetic property and caltalytic efficacy of hybrid particles have been verified using magnetometer measurement and Fenton reaction. Hybrized α-Fe nanoparticles show high magnetization inherent to zero valent Fe, and high catalytic efficacy in decomposing Rhodamine B due to their zero valency and large surface areas. This simple synthesis process of stable iron nanoparticle without organic agents will be beneficial for large scale production of highly effective catalysts exploiting controlled phase and shape of embedded nanoparticles.
Power-delay tradeoffs for radix-4 and radix-8 dividers

The use of higher radices in division reduces the n umber of iterations to complete the operation, but increases the complexity of the circuit. In this paper we explore the influence of the radix on the pow er dissipation of a floating-point divider and the pow er-dela y tradeoffs. We compare the performance and the energy consumption per operation for a radix-4 and a radix-8 divider, realized in CMOS technology. A reduction of about 40% in the energy consumption is obtained for both radices (about 70% if low-v oltage gates, for dual v oltage implementation, are a vailable). Also the results sho w that the radix-8 divider is about 20% faster and the energy dissipated to perform a division is about the same, with respect to the radix-4.
Lipofibroma of the median nerve

Tumors arising within the median nerve in the region of the distal forearm, wrist, and palm are rare and their exact pathological nature has not been well clarified. One case is reported in a 47-year-old woman, in whom a mass of 3 years' duration was located in the thenar eminence of the right hand without causing any sensory or motor deficit. The tumor was surgically excised, and the continuity of the nerve branches was preserved. The diagnosis of lipofibroma of the median nerve is recommended for this entity. Other pathological lesions of the median nerve are mentioned.
Cyclosporin and tacrolimus do not potentiate oxidative damage in pulmonary epithelial cells.

Oxidative stress can lead to cellular injury and apoptosis within the pulmonary allograft. We investigated the effects of oxidative damage on the growth and survival of cultured human pulmonary epithelial cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the presence and absence of cyclosporin A (CsA) and tacrolimus. Treatment of A549 cells with 1 mmol/l H2O2 for 48 h led to a 39% decrease in cell growth. Treatment with 500 ng/ml CsA for 48 h reduced cell survival by 68%, and treatment with 30 ng/ml tacrolimus reduced cell survival by 32%. The addition of CsA or tacrolimus to cells grown in H2O2 did not further diminish cell survival. These studies demonstrated that H2O2, CsA, and tacrolimus treatments decrease survival of pulmonary epithelial cells. However, CsA and tacrolimus do not further potentiate H2O2-induced toxicity.
Experimental impact shock chemistry on planetary icy satellites

Abstract We present new experimental results on impact shock chemistry into icy satellites of the outer planets. Icy mixtures of pure water ice with CO 2 , Na 2 CO 3 , CH 3 OH, and CH 3 OH/(NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 at 77 K were ablated with a powerful pulsed laser—a new technique used to simulate shock processes which can occur during impacts. New products were identified by GC-MS and FTIR analyses after laser ablation. Our results show that hydrogen peroxide is formed in irradiated H 2 O/CO 2 ices with a final concentration of 0.23%. CO and CH 3 OH were also detected as main products. The laser ablation of frozen H 2 O/Na 2 CO 3 generates only CO and CO 2 as destruction products from the salt. Pulsed irradiation of water ice containing methanol leads also to the formation of CO and CO 2 , generates methane and more complex molecules containing carbonyl groups like acetaldehyde, acetone, methyl formate, and a diether, dimethyl formal. The last three compounds are also produced when adding ammonium sulfate to H 2 O/CH 3 OH ice, but acetone is more abundant. The formation of two hydrocarbons, CH 4 and C 2 H 6 is observed as well as the production of three nitrogen compounds, nitrous oxide, hydrogen cyanide, and acetonitrile.
N-substituted glycines as replacements for proline in tripeptide aldehyde thrombin inhibitors

Abstract We have prepared a series of tripeptide arginine aldehydes in which the P2 proline has been replaced with a variety of N -substituted glycines. The effects of these modifications on thrombin inhibitory potency and serine protease selectivity were evaluated.
Purification of dinosterol from complex mixtures of sedimentary lipids for hydrogen isotope analysis

Abstract We present two new methods for purifying dinosterol (4α,23,24-trimethyl-5α-cholest-22E-en-3β-ol) from sediments for the purpose of hydrogen isotope analysis via gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC–IRMS). The first method uses reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) to purify dinosterol from structurally similar 4α-methyl sterols that co-elute on GC analysis. Dinosterol purified from sedimentary sterol/alcohol fractions using this RP-HPLC method demonstrated an average yield of 80%. A very large isotope effect was observed during RP-HPLC purification, with a 560‰ range in δD value between the first and last 5% of a cholesterol standard, which is four times that during normal phase-HPLC (NP-HPLC) purification. However, we show that dinosterol recombined from 3–4 min of eluent during RP-HPLC purification yields highly reproducible and unbiased isotope values. Due to a larger isotope effect and lower sterol recovery during RP-HPLC, NP-HPLC purification is recommended for samples that do not contain 4α-methyl sterols that co-elute with dinosterol during GC. However, for samples that contain a variety of 4α-methyl sterols, RP-HPLC is more likely to yield baseline resolution of dinosterol. In the second method presented, RP-HPLC purification is preceded by NP-HPLC purification. Using this two step procedure, baseline resolution between dinosterol and all other compounds present was achieved for all samples with an average yield of 60% and, in many cases, dinosterol was purified from all other sedimentary lipids. For samples that contain a variety of 4α-methyl sterols and sitostanol concentration > 2× that of dinosterol, the two step purification method is recommended, as neither NP-HPLC or RP-HPLC alone is likely to yield baseline resolution of dinosterol.
Projections from dental structures to the brain stem trigeminal complex as shown by transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was implanted in one maxillary canine of cats and the transganglionic transport to the brain stem studied and mapped. HRP-positive fibers and terminal granules are distributed ipsilaterally to each subdivision of the trigeminal complex but are heaviest in the main sensory nucleus, adjacent pars oralis and pars interpolaris near obex with somewhat less in the rest of pars oralis and least in pars caudalis. The distribution indicates a wider central representation than previous anatomical reports and corresponds well with certain physiological studies.
Site of iodination in the rat thyroid gland deduced from electron microscopic autoradiographs.

The site of iodination of protein in the thyroid gland (whether intracellular or intraluminal) was ascertained by autoradiographic studies using iodide-l25I. In tissue fixed within about 40 sec after intravenous injection of radioiodide the silver grains of autoradiographs were concentrated over the follicular lumen generally as a ring of grains close to the apical border of the follicular cells. The zone of grains was sharply limited toward the cells. No concentration of silver grains was detected associated with any intracellular organelle. The autoradiographic ring which had a minimum width of about 2 μm was continuous along the apical plasma membrane of the follicle cells but there was a drastic reduction in grain density along the plasma membrane of the distal portion of pseudopods. Tissue was fixed so soon after radioiodide injection that it appeared likely that a negligible fraction of radioiodoprotein, if formed in the cell, could have been transferred to the lumen. The observations strongly indic...
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF NEUROFUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND THEIR MANIFESTATION IN PRIMARY AND NONPRIMARY LANGUAGE ACQUISITION1

In this paper an attempt is made to characterize and contrast aspects of the functional organization of neuropsychological systems carrying out primary language acquisition and two distinct types of nonprimary language acquisition: secondary language acquisition, and foreign language learning. It is noted that foreign language learning is quite different from primary language acquisition, but that between secondary language acquisition and primary language acquisition there seem to be more similarities than differences. One of the most significant differences is that secondary language acquisition is based on neurofunctional systems that are fully operational for children 6–13, but essentially mature for still older learners. While there is no critical period for secondary language acquisition such as exists for primary language acquisition, there is evidence that younger children are in fact better able to achieve communicative competence in a new language than teens or older adults. Several explanations have been proposed for the existence of what may be called a sensitive period for secondary language acquisition, and it is concluded here that in addition to a combination of personality variables, affective variables, social variables, cognitive style and environmental circumstances, there still remains an intrinsic neurofunctional basis for the greater facility with which young children achieve secondary language competence.
Photoluminescence in wurtzite GaN containing carbon

We studied photoluminescence (PL) from a set of GaN layers grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition with the concentration of carbon varied by the growth conditions. One of the remarkable features in these samples is the extremely low intensity of the shallow donor-acceptor pair band. Analysis of the PL data gives the shallow acceptor concentration of less than 10 14 cm -3 in most of the C-doped GaN layers. This result shows that C does not form a shallow acceptor, C N , in appreciable concentrations in wurtzite GaN. As for the YL band, there is no clear correlation between its intensity and the degree of C-doping. The question of identification of the deep acceptor responsible for the YL band in undoped and C-doped GaN still remains to be solved.
The Lck SH3 Domain Is Required for Activation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway but Not the Initiation of T-cell Antigen Receptor Signaling

Initiation of T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) signaling is dependent upon the activity of protein tyrosine kinases. The Src family kinase Lck is required for the initial events in TCR signaling, such as the phosphorylation of the TCR complex and the activation of ZAP-70, but little is known of its role in downstream signaling. Expression of a mutated form of Lck lacking SH3 domain function (LckW97A) in the Lck-deficient T-cell line JCaM1 revealed a requirement for Lck beyond the initiation of TCR signaling. In cells expressing LckW97A, stimulation of the TCR failed to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, despite normal TCR ζ chain phosphorylation, ZAP-70 recruitment, and ZAP-70 activation. Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and MAPK kinase (MEK), as well as the induction of CD69 expression, was greatly impaired in JCaM1/LckW97A cells. In contrast, the phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1) and corresponding elevations in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) were intact. Thus, cells expressing LckW97A exhibit a selective defect in the activation of the MAPK pathway. These results demonstrate that Lck has a role in the activation of signaling pathways beyond the initiation of TCR signaling and suggest that the MAPK pathway may be selectively controlled by regulating the function of Lck.
F-108 polymer and capillary electrophoresis easily resolves complex environmental DNA mixtures and SNPs.

Ecological studies of microbial communities often use profiling methods but the true community diversity can be underestimated in methods that separate amplicons based on sequence length using performance optimized polymer 4. Taxonomically, unrelated organisms can produce the same length amplicon even though the amplicons have different sequences. F-108 polymer has previously been shown to resolve same length amplicons by sequence polymorphisms. In this study, we showed F-108 polymer, using the ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer and CE, resolved four bacteria that produced the same length amplicon for the 16S rRNA domain V3 but have variable nucleotide content. Second, a microbial mat community profile was resolved and supported by NextGen sequencing where the number of peaks in the F-108 profile was in concordance with the confirmed speciesnumbersinthemat.Third,equineDNAwasanalyzedforSNPs.TheF-108polymer was able to distinguish heterozygous and homozygous individuals for the melanocortin 1 receptor coat color gene. The method proved to be rapid, inexpensive, reproducible, and uses common CE instruments. The potential for F-108 to resolve DNA mixtures or SNPs can be applied to various sample types—from SNPs to forensic mixtures to ecological communities.
SU-GG-T-39: Optimized Planning of a High Dose Rate Prostate Brachytherapy Treatment Using Constrained Nonlinear Programming

Purpose: To describe an efficient prostate HDR optimization strategy using constrained nonlinear programming. Method and Materials: Calculation points, contours and source positions were exported from a clinical prostate HDR implant case to a PC running MatLab. A matrix Dij is computed for the dose rate to each calculation point i from each dwell position j. The dosed = Dij*t for dwell time t was calculated using the TG‐43 formalism. Both the prostate and urethra are planned for a uniform dosed0 with equal weights. The MatLab optimization toolbox is used to compute the minimum of an arbitrary nonlinear cost function ƒ( t ) = Σ abs ( d 0 − d )∧ n subject to linear inequality constraint Dij*t ⩾ d0 with t values between any lower and upper bound. We investigated the effects of performing an unbounded optimization and setting negative dwell times to zero; linear (n=1) versus quadratic (n=2) cost function with positive dwell times; and lowering the upper bound. These methods were compared to manual optimization performed by an expert user. Results: Utilizing a quadratic cost function, nearly perfect target coverage is obtained with acceptable urethral dose when negative dwell times are allowed. Setting negative dwell times to zero seriously compromises dose homogeneity. The effect of applying a linear cost function as well as that of lowering the upper dwell time bound is to significantly increase the hot spots. A quadratic cost function with positive dwell times and upper dwell time limit of nine times the mean provided a clinically optimal treatment plan. Compared to manual plans, optimized plans had superior target coverage, lower inhomogeneity and were calculated in minutes instead of hours. Conclusion: Constrained nonlinear programming is an effective tool to optimize prostate HDR treatment planning. A relatively high upper dwell time limit with a quadratic cost function yielded the best clinical results.
Online oblivious routing

We consider an online version of the oblivious routing problem. Oblivious routing is the problem of picking a routing between each pair of nodes (or a set of flows), without knowledge of the traffic or demand between each pair, with the goal of minimizing the maximum congestion on any edge in the graph. In the online version of the problem, we consider a "repeated game" setting, in which the algorithm is allowed to choose a new routing each night, but is still oblivious to the demands that will occur the next day. The cost of the algorithm at every time step is its competitive ratio, or the ratio of its congestion to the minimum possible congestion for the demands at that time step.We present an algorithm that is (1+e) competitive with respect to the best algorithm that uses a single routing for the entire sequence of days (known as the optimal static routing). Our result is a strengthening of the recent result of Azar et al [4], who gave a polynomial time algorithm to find an oblivious routing with the best possible competitive ratio, in that our algorithm achieves a competitive ratio arbitrarily to close to that of Azar et al [4], while at the same time performing nearly as well as the optimal static routing for the given sequence of demands. Our work was done independently, but subsequent to that of Azar et al [4].