cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bridge to Temporality

The basis of St. Augustine’s examination of temporality was a certain matter of fact, namely, his perception and measurement of time.1 A question nonetheless immediately suggests itself, for one may wonder about the nature of the setting in which such events do come to pass. I would say that, for Augustine, perceiving and measuring are not processes that, ultimately speaking, take place in the world but in the soul or mind, for, however they happen to originate in relation to worldly affairs, they are primarily forms of awareness. Yet they are not occurrences that just transpire in the soul or mind; rather, they essentially are of it, or belong to it.2
Access To Hearing Care Services Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries Using Hearing Aids

The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 will soon allow people to purchase hearing aids without an audiologist or hearing aid dispenser acting as a go-between. Under this new arrangement there...
Emissive microdisplays for helmet mounted display applications

Modern off-the-visor Helmet Mounted Display Systems (HMDS) present today’s pilots with unprecedented and intuitive access to flight, tactical, and sensor information for advanced situational awareness, precision accuracy, and pilot safety in all lighting conditions, day and night. In particular, integrated night vision sensors provide pilots with enhanced situational awareness under Very Low Light Level (VLLL) conditions. This in turn increases safety and recovery rate during carrier flight operations, especially under the Very Low Light Level conditions encountered on a moonless, overcast night. A recent GAO report identified a technical risk specific to Helmet Mounted Displays when operating under these conditions: light from the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) backlight escapes through gaps between the pixels, creating a “green glow” on the screen, and limiting the pilot’s night adapted vision. This is problematic in particular for night carrier landings under Very Low Light Level background luminance conditions. This presentation will discuss the benefits and challenges associated with emissive microdisplay technologies for Helmet Mounted Display applications, and Organic LED (OLED) microdisplays in particular. Among the primary benefits of emissive display technologies is the potential to resolve the deficiency colloquially known as “green glow.” We discuss the challenges encountered during the development and integration of OLED microdisplays into an off-the-visor Helmet Mounted Display System.
Abscisic acid as a gateway for the crops of tomorrow

Abstract Plant cultivation and improvement has enabled large scale high-productivity agriculture that supports increasing populations, however, climate change will likely affect its long-term productivity. To safeguard against this and to provide solutions to the yield losses caused by abiotic stress, many efforts are under way to enhance crop yield and resilience. One facet of these efforts focuses on the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which controls a variety of plant developmental processes, abiotic, and biotic stress responses. ABA's role in stomatal conductance, and thus plant water use, makes the ABA signaling pathway an attractive target for both genetic and chemical manipulation of crop water use and stress tolerance. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of ABA mediated responses and adaptation to abiotic stress, with a focus on agriculture and recent successful examples of harnessing it to develop crops with improved yield and enhanced stress tolerance. In particular, we highlight the development of transgenic wheat with improved water productivity achieved by ABA receptor overexpression, engineered ABA receptors for orthogonal activation of signaling, new ABA receptor agonists for tuning water use dynamically, and the use of ABA itself to increase yield during modest water stress in field conditions.
The Confluence of Theory and Techniques in the Microwave Field [From the Guest Editor's Desk]

The articles in this special section were presented at the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) International Microwave Symposium (IMS)that took place in June 2020 in Los Angeles, CA.
Upper Septal Fascicular Ventricular Tachycardia

18 year old college student presented with incessant narrow complex tachycardia masquerading as AVNRT (short VA interval).The tachycardia did not respond to ablation of the AV node slow pathway and there was evidence of intermittent AV dissociation. EP study showed features consistent with an upper septal fascicular VT. Successful ablation was achieved in a corresponding anatomic site over the basal septum below the aortic valve where a Purkinje like potential was recorded.
Evaluation of VIIRS Neural Network Cloud Detection againstCurrent Operational Cloud Masks

Abstract. Cloud properties are critical to our understanding of weather and climate variability, but their estimation from satellite imagers is a nontrivial task. In this work, we aim to improve cloud detection which is the most fundamental cloud property. We use a neural network applied to Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) measurements to determine whether an imager pixel is cloudy or cloud-free. The neural network is trained and evaluated using four years (2016–2019) of coincident measurements between VIIRS and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). We successfully address the lack of sun glint in the collocation dataset with a simple semi-supervised learning approach. The results of the neural network are then compared with two operational cloud masks: the MODIS-VIIRS Continuity Cloud Mask (MVCM) and the NOAA Enterprise Cloud Mask (ECM). We find that the neural network outperforms both operational cloud masks in most conditions examined with a few exceptions. The largest improvements we observe occur during the night over snow or ice covered surfaces in the high latitudes. In our analysis, we show that this improvement is not solely due to differences in optical depth-based definitions of a cloud between each mask. We also analyze the differences in true positive rate between day/night and land/water scenes as a function of optical depth. Such differences are a contributor to spatial artifacts in cloud masking and we find that the neural network is the most consistent in cloud detection with respect to optical depth across these conditions. A regional analysis over Greenland illustrates the impact of such differences and shows that they can result in mean cloud fractions with very different spatial and temporal characteristics.
Seismic imaging of a near-vertical vein using controlled-source seismic interferometry

Abstract New methodologies for narrow-vein mining are making thin, steeply dipping mineralized veins economically viable mining targets. Drilling is the normal method for delineation and resource e...
Synesthetic gestures: making the imaginary perceptible

Among the repertoires of vernacular expression available for storytelling are gestural icons, called iconics, and gestural metaphors, called metaphorics in the terminology of David McNeill. Gesture...
The effects of chondroitin sulfate on virulence of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus

Rationale: The glycocalyx is an extracellular matrix comprised of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, including heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), implicated in endothelial and epithelial inflammatory response. Acute lung injury alters glycocalyx integrity and increased HS and CS concentrations are measured in mice following inoculation with influenza virus. Staphylococcus aureus is Gram-positive bacterium implicated in postviral bacterial infections. Virulence factors including leukotoxins α hemolysin, Hla, and LukAB are critical for S. aureus immune evasion. Regulation of leukotoxin expression is not entirely understood. Evidence exists that HS can modulate the expression, implying glycosaminoglycans signal an opportunistic milieu for S. aureus to grow. In this experiment, we attempt to determine whether CS can exhibit similar leukotoxin modulation. Methods: In our first experiment, rat endothelial cell lines were cultured, plated into microplate with a fluorescent cell lysis indicator, and treated with varying concentrations of α-hemolysin or saline control. These preparations were treated with varying concentrations of CS or a media control. Fluorescence was measured hourly for 12 hours. In our second experiment, serial dilutions of CS were prepared with cultures of Methicillin resistant S. aureus. In two separate preparations, Hla or LukAB fluorescent indicator was added. Similarly, fluorescence was measured hourly for 12 hours. Results: In our first experiment, no definitive enhancement in cell lysis was observed across all concentrations of CS, regardless of the concentration of α hemolysin however there were data at 50 μg/mL which suggested increased cytotoxicity. In the second experiment, there was increase in expression of LukAB at intermediate concentrations of 12.5 and 18.75 μg/mL of CS as compared to control, observed first at approximately hour 8 and sustained throughout the experiment. The expression of Hla remained unchanged across all concentrations of CS. Similarly, bacterial growth measured in both preparations was unchanged across all concentrations of CS. Conclusions: We demonstrate that CS appears to increase the expression of LukAB at concentrations that are close to those measured in vivo with post-viral lavage. Our lab has demonstrated similar findings with HS. There was some suggestion that intermediate concentrations CS may increase cytotoxicity of α hemolysin however further investigation was delayed due to COVID-19. CS does not appear to have a direct effect on cell growth or the expression of Hla. Subsequent experiments from our lab seem to suggest that HS and CS do not directly induce S. aureus expression, but CS may be a part of more complex signaling pathway.
Abstract LB259: Circulating immune cells of patients with cervical dysplasia and cancer do not show elevated baseline expression of COX2

Background and objective: COX2, an enzyme that metabolizes arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), contributes to the development of cervical dysplasia and cancer by inhibiting the immune response in the tumor micro-environment, as well as promoting cell proliferation, angiogenesis and invasiveness. Little is known about the changes induced by the tumor and its micro-environment on circulating immune cells. We evaluated the relative baseline expression of COX2 by circulating immune cell types and whether it is different in patients with cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer compared to normal controls. Methods: Forty three patients were included: controls (n = 9), low grade dysplasia (CIN I, n = 13), high grade dysplasia (CIN II-III, n = 14), and invasive cervical cancer (n = 7) based on histopathology. Granulocytes, monocytes, and B and T lymphocytes were isolated by Ficoll-Paque density centrifugation (GE Healthcare, (Uppsala, Sweden)) followed by negative selection with MACS Miltenyi Biotec (Auburn, CA) anti-biotinylated microbeads, total RNA isolated (QIAGEN RNeasy (Germantown, MD)) and COX2 mRNA expression evaluated with reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) normalized to GAPDH levels. Serum and plasma PGE2 levels were quantified by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) (RD 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr LB259.
Predicting Life Expectancy to Target Cancer Screening Using Electronic Health Record Clinical Data

Guidelines recommend breast and colorectal cancer screening for older adults with a life expectancy >10 years. Most mortality indexes require clinician data entry, presenting a barrier for routine use in care. Electronic health records (EHR) are a rich clinical data source that could be used to create individualized life expectancy predictions to identify patients for cancer screening without data entry. To develop and internally validate a life expectancy calculator from structured EHR data. Retrospective cohort study using national Veteran’s Affairs (VA) EHR databases. Veterans aged 50+ with a primary care visit during 2005. We assessed demographics, diseases, medications, laboratory results, healthcare utilization, and vital signs 1 year prior to the index visit. Mortality follow-up was complete through 2017. Using the development cohort (80% sample), we used LASSO Cox regression to select ~100 predictors from 913 EHR data elements. In the validation cohort (remaining 20% sample), we calculated the integrated area under the curve (iAUC) and evaluated calibration. In 3,705,122 patients, the mean age was 68 years and the majority were male (97%) and white (85%); nearly half (49%) died. The life expectancy calculator included 93 predictors; age and gender most strongly contributed to discrimination; diseases also contributed significantly while vital signs were negligible. The iAUC was 0.816 (95% confidence interval, 0.815, 0.817) with good calibration. We developed a life expectancy calculator using VA EHR data with excellent discrimination and calibration. Automated life expectancy prediction using EHR data may improve guideline-concordant breast and colorectal cancer screening by identifying patients with a life expectancy >10 years.
Lifetime and Breakdown Mechanisms in Double-Gated Si FEAs

We demonstrate the lifetime and breakdown mechanisms in dense (1012 m−2) self-aligned double-gated Si field emitter arrays. We perform measurements at relatively low currents of 10 nA for over 300 hrs but found that increasing the current to 50 nA causes catastrophic breakdown in less than 100 hrs. Over the lifetime measurements, we observe charge accumulation that could be between the two gates, causing noisy current-voltage characteristics. In addition we assess additional mechanisms that could lead to early breakdown in such devices.
Effect of Training with Motion Pictures versus Flash Cards upon Football Play Recognition

Abstract High school males (N = 28) were divided into two groups, equated on intelligence, and then trained for play recognition from the defensive end position in football. Motion pictures were used with one group and flash cards were used with the second group. Then they were tested for play recognition times in a live situation. The group trained with motion pictures had significantly shorter response times. Differences in intelligence, over the limited range used in this study, did not result in differences in response times.
Regulation of Global and Specific mRNA Translation by Amino Acids

A continuous supply of a complete complement of essential amino acids is a prerequisite for maintenance of optimal rates of protein synthesis in both liver and skeletal muscle. Deprivation of even a single essential amino acid causes a decrease in the synthesis of essentially all cellular proteins through an inhibition of the initiation phase of mRNA translation. However, the synthesis of all proteins is not repressed equally. Specific subsets of proteins, in particular those encoded by mRNAs containing a 5'-terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) motif, are affected to a much greater extent than most proteins. The specific decrease in TOP mRNA translation is a result of an inhibition of the ribosomal protein S6 kinase, S6K1, and a concomitant decline in S6 phosphorylation. Interestingly, many TOP mRNAs encode proteins involved in mRNA translation, such as elongation factors eEF1A and eEF2, as well as the ribosomal proteins. Thus, deprivation of essential amino acids not only directly and rapidly represses global mRNA translation, but also potentially results in a reduction in the capacity to synthesize protein.
Etch Rate of Silicon and Silicon Dioxide in Ammonia‐Peroxide Solutions Measured by Quartz Xrystal Microbalance Technique

The etch rate off sputter coated silicon and thermally grown silica in ammoni‐peroxide and ammonia solutions has been ivestigated using a quarts crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. The results obtained have been compared with literature results using more convetional techniques to show that a QCM is a valuable in situ measurement technique to follow very small etch rates. ©1999 The Electrochemical Society
Minimum Weight Sandwich Beam Design

thin compared with the core, i.e., f/c<^ 1. The faces resist the longitudinal loads and the core resists the transverse load. It is assumed that the shear stress in the core is constant across its depth. The governing equations for sandwich beams can be written in terms of partial deflections wb and ws. wb is the deflection of the sandwich beam due to bending only, it occurs if Gc, the shear modulus of the core, is infinite. ws is the deflection of the sandwich beam due to shear deformation of its core, it occurs if £/, the Young's modulus of the face, is infinite. Huang2 presents a detailed development of partial deflections. The total deflection w is the sum of partial deflections wb and ws.
Regulation of Müller glial dependent neuronal regeneration in the damaged adult zebrafish retina.

This article examines our current knowledge underlying the mechanisms involved in neuronal regeneration in the adult zebrafish retina. Zebrafish, which has the capacity to regenerate a wide variety of tissues and organs (including the fins, kidney, heart, brain, and spinal cord), has become the premier model system to study retinal regeneration due to the robustness and speed of the response and the variety of genetic tools that can be applied to study this question. It is now well documented that retinal damage induces the resident Muller glia to dedifferentiate and reenter the cell cycle to produce neuronal progenitor cells that continue to proliferate, migrate to the damaged retinal layer and differentiate into the missing neuronal cell types. Increasing our understanding of how these cellular events are regulated and occur in response to neuronal damage may provide critical information that can be applied to stimulating a regeneration response in the mammalian retina. In this review, we will focus on the genes/proteins that regulate zebrafish retinal regeneration and will attempt to critically evaluate how these factors may interact to correctly orchestrate the definitive cellular events that occur during regeneration.
Arrest of segregation leads to accumulation of highly intertwined catenated dimers: Dissection of the final stages of SV40 DNA replication

Abstract When SV40-infected cells are placed into hypertonic medium, newly synthesized DNA accumulates as form C catenated dimers. These molecules consist of two supercoiled monomer circles of SV40 DNA interlocked by one or more topological intertwinings and are seen as transiently labeled intermediates during normal replication. Form C catenated dimers represent pure segregation intermediates, replicative DNA structures in which DNA synthesis is complete but which still require topological separation of the two daughter circles. Hypertonic shock seems to block selectively a type II topoisomerase activity involved in disentangling the two circles. This is reflected in the fact that form C catenated dimers that accumulate during the block are highly intertwined with catenation linkage numbers up to C L = 20. While initiation of replication is also inhibited by hypertonic treatment, ongoing SV40 DNA synthesis is not affected, and replication is free to proceed from the earliest cairns structure through to form C catenated dimers. The block to segregation is rapidly and completely released by shifting the cells back to normal medium. A much slower recovery of DNA segregation takes place on prolonged incubation in hypertonic medium, perhaps because of some cellular homeostatic mechanism. The results of this work lead to a detailed view of the final stages of SV40 DNA replication.
Self-consistent calculation of localized DNA vibrational properties at a double-helix-single-strand junction with anharmonic potential.

We study the dynamics of H-bond motion for a model of a replicating DNA fork. The model contains effects both from the creation of the fork and from self-consistent changes in the H bonds due to the creation of the fork. We use a Morse potential to describe the H-bond interactions. The anharmonic behavior does alter the final H-bond dynamics. The anharmonic aspect increases the H-bond fluctuations by more than a factor of 2 over the harmonic fork results in some frequency regions. We also display the frequency dependence of the H-bond motion and suggest spectral features that can be a signature for the existence of forks in DNA samples.
Is it a game? Evidence for social influence in the virtual world

Online virtual worlds promise an escape from mundane everyday environments and exempt users from the normal laws of time, space, and gravity. However, the laws of social influence may not be as easily dodged. In the virtual world of There.com we tested two robust real‐world compliance tactics (foot‐in‐the‐door, door‐in‐the‐face) with avatar “race” as a moderator. Results revealed success for both techniques, suggesting that avatars are sensitive to influence tactics targeting both self‐perception and reciprocity norms. Additionally, the race of the avatar requesting help impacted the success of the door‐in‐the‐face compliance technique, raising the specter that real‐world racial biases may also emerge in virtual environments. We wish to thank There.com for graciously allowing us to perform these experiments. This research was facilitated in part by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awarded to Paul Eastwick. We gratefully acknowledge Eli Finkel, Vincent Kudirka, members of the Nort...
Pedigree analysis and exclusion of alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (TTPA) as a candidate gene for neuroaxonal dystrophy in the American Quarter Horse.

Background Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting young horses of various breeds that resembles ataxia with vitamin E deficiency in humans, an inherited disorder caused by mutations in the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene (TTPA). To evaluate variants found upon sequencing TTPA in the horse, the mode of inheritance for NAD/EDM had to be established. Hypothesis NAD/EDM in the American Quarter Horse (QH) is caused by a mutation in TTPA. Animals 88 clinically phenotyped (35 affected [ataxia score ≥2], 53 unaffected) QHs with a diagnosis of NAD/EDM with 6 affected and 4 unaffected cases confirmed at postmortem examination. Procedures Pedigrees and genotypes across 54,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were assessed to determine heritability and mode of inheritance of NAD/EDM. TTPA sequence of exon/intron boundaries was evaluated in 2 affected and 2 control horses. An association analysis was performed by 71 SNPs surrounding TTPA and 8 SNPs within TTPA that were discovered by sequencing. RT-PCR for TTPA was performed on mRNA from the liver of 4 affected and 4 control horses. Results Equine NAD/EDM appears to be inherited as a polygenic trait and, within this family of QHs, demonstrates high heritability. Sequencing of TTPA identified 12 variants. No significant association was found using the 79 available variants in and surrounding TTPA. RT-PCR yielded PCR products of equivalent sizes between affected cases and controls. Conclusions and Clinical Importance NAD/EDM demonstrates heritability in this family of QHs. Variants in TTPA are not responsible for NAD/EDM in this study population.
Excitation-Energy Dependence of Ultrafast Electron Injection from a Model Carotenoid

Energy-dependent excitation to the second excited state of β-apo-8’-carotenoic acid bound to an electron-accepting nanoparticle reveals a second decay pathway allowing electron injection into basic nanoparticles from a lower-energy state available only under high-energy excitation.
Enabling secure distribution of digital media to SD-cards

As the marketplace for digital media increases we witness the rise of new media distribution models where timely delivery, convenience, privacy and personalization are essential features of competitive offerings. Consumers are looking for innovative ways to access content in a service-oriented manner that suits their mobile life style. This paper describes a prototype standard-based system that allows the secure and fast download of content to SD-Card-enabled consumer devices. Content is protected by Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) technology; specifically we use CPRM SD-Video. Our prototype shows Digital Media Terminals (DMT, also denoted kiosks) that enable innovative rental and purchase models. Our solution combines IBM's plug-in web services, Panasonic's leading-edge devices and Porto Media's high-speed data transfer to Secure Digital Memory Flash Cards (SD-Cards).
Modeling pathological speech perception from data with similarity labels

The current state of the art in judging pathological speech intelligibility is subjective assessment performed by trained speech pathologists (SLP). These tests, however, are inconsistent, costly and, oftentimes suffer from poor intra- and inter-judge reliability. As such, consistent, reliable, and perceptually-relevant objective evaluations of pathological speech are critical. Here, we propose a data-driven approach to this problem. We propose new cost functions for examining data from a series of experiments, whereby we ask certified SLPs to rate pathological speech along the perceptual dimensions that contribute to decreased intelligibility. We consider qualitative feedback from SLPs in the form of comparisons similar to statements “Is Speaker A's rhythm more similar to Speaker B or Speaker C?” Data of this form is common in behavioral research, but is different from the traditional data structures expected in supervised (data matrix + class labels) or unsupervised (data matrix) machine learning. The proposed method identifies relevant acoustic features that correlate with the ordinal data collected during the experiment. Using these features, we show that we are able to develop objective measures of the speech signal degradation that correlate well with SLP responses.
Citizen Judgments Of Appropriate Punishment: An Exploratory Inquiry:

The justice model suggests that punishment ought to be administered in accord with the seriousness of the offense, and that citizen judgments might be used in operationalizing the model (von Hirsch...
POLYNEURITIS IN FOWLS: ITS PERIPHERAL NERVOUS LESIONS AS COMPARED WITH WALLERIAN DEGENERATION

1. The degeneration of peripheral nerve fibres in polyneuritis is not identical with Wallerian degeneration. 2. Symptoms of polyneuritis gallinarum were observed to correspond in time and rate of onset with changes in the neuraxon, being independent of the condition of the myelin sheath. To the memory of Dr Sutherland Simpson is due a word of appreciation. Not only did he suggest the present investigation, but through instruction in his “clinics of physiology,” as we may term them—his never boresome lectures—it has been the privilege of the writer, along with many others, to be inspired to the desire to help chart the hitherto unknown regions of life.
Rapidly reversible alterations of pulmonary epithelial permeability induced by smoking

A radioaerosol procedure using 99m Tc-DTPA (diethylene triamine penta acetate) was used to evaluate the permeability of the pulmonary epithelium in smokers and nonsmokers. The average clearance of this indicator from the lungs of smokers without significant airway obstruction exceeded that found in normal subjects by an average factor of more than five. This abnormality was observed throughout all lung regions. 99m Tc-DTPA clearance decreased rapidly during the week after smoking was discontinued. It is concluded that smoking results in a rapidly reversible increase in pulmonary epithelial permeability.
Modeling Random Short Nanofiber- and Microfiber-Reinforced Composites Using the Extended Finite-Element Method

AbstractThis manuscript presents the formulation and implementation of an extended finite-element method (XFEM) for random short fiber-reinforced composite materials. A new enrichment function is proposed to incorporate the effect of random fiber inclusions within the XFEM framework to eliminate the need of using finite-element meshes compliant with fiber inclusions. The motion of the fiber inclusions are modeled by constraining the deformation field along the domain of the fiber inclusions. Coupling the XFEM along with the new enrichment function and constraint equations formulate the elastic response of short fiber-reinforced composites. Numerical integration procedures are provided for accurate evaluation of the system response for fiber tips that lie on arbitrary positions within the problem domain. The performance of the proposed model is verified against the direct finite-element method.
SEMANTIC SATIATION AS A PERCEPTUAL PHENOMENON

Prolonged visual fixation of words was hypothesized to affect subjects' (60 women and 20 men) perception of the words rather than directly affecting the meaningfulness of the words. A tachistoscopic search was used. The accuracy of the word search varied as much with the perceptual characteristics of the target words as with their semantic characteristics. The hypothesis was partially confirmed.
Study of laser-material interactions using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract Laser sampling represents a versatile technique for solid sample introduction into an analytical excitation source. However, fundamental study of the laser-material interaction is necessary for optimal performance of this technique, especially for the analysis of samples with a complex matrix. In this paper, some phenomena of the laser-material interaction for samples of simple matrix were described and interpreted using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The TCP operating parameters are held constant and the effect of laser operating parameters on the laser-material interaction is monitored by observing the ICP emission signal temporally and spatially. The effect of sample transport characteristics, laser power density, condition of sample surface and the pressure pulse generated by the expansion of laser plasma will be described. A photodiode array spectrometer was used to monitor several wavelengths simultaneously and to monitor the vertical profile of the ICP discharge for an emission line. A photomultiplier-based monochromator was used to observe events, taking advantage of the fast response time of the photomultiplier detector. ICP-AES has proved to be a powerful tool for studying the laser-material interaction.
Synthesis and studies of poly(3,9-carbazolyl), a new conductive polymer displaying high optical transmittance in the visible

Abstract A polycarbazole consisting mostly of 3,9 linkages has been synthesized in a DMF solution by coupling 3,6-diiodocarbazole with an activated copper catalyst. Although this polymer cannot be oxidized by I2, other acceptors such as iodine monochloride or NO+ will convert it to a p-type semiconductor with a conductivity as high as 1 ohm−1 cm−1. A unique property of the oxidized polymer complex is that it displays a maximum transmittance in the visible at 600 nm and a broad near-i.r. band at 2300 nm. In a rigorously oxygen- and water-free environment, coupling between radical cations on adjacent chains produced by NO+ oxidation takes place at the remaining iodine-substituted 6,6′ positions. The 2300 nm band disappears in favor of a band at 900 nm in the crosslinked material. The decomposition pathway for bromine or ICl-oxidized material, however, involves halogenation of the ring. The large shift of the long-wavelength absorbance of the radical cation on the 3,9-linked polymer versus that found on the carbazole monomer suggests that a significant number of adjacent carbazole units are close to planarity. This must provide a significant pathway for electronic transport.
Electric-field dependent conduction mechanisms in crystalline chromia

We investigate mechanisms of electric-field-induced conduction in high-quality chromia crystals. A crossover is observed between space-charge limited conduction and the Frenkel-Poole mechanism with increasing temperature, with the crossover occurring in the vicinity of the Neel temperature of this material. From an analysis of the Frenkel-Poole conduction, we infer the presence of charge traps that lie approximately 0.5 eV below the conduction-band edge. Our experiments confirm the excellent dielectric properties of chromia, a result that is important for attempts to utilize this material as a “gate” dielectric in future spintronic devices.
Role of Magnesium in the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Lipopolysaccharides of Rough Escherichia coli Strain J5 and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of a rough strain of Escherichia coli (J5) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was developed. When standard methods of this assay were applied to these LPSs, no antibody was measured. By radiolabeling smooth and rough endotoxins with 51Cr, it was discovered that the rough LPS was not adhering to the polystyrene tubes. When Mg++ was added, however, all endotoxins absorbed to the solid phase. With this assay antiserum to core glycolipid had higher titers against its smooth parent strain than did homologous glycolipid had higher titers against its smooth parent strain that did homologous antiserum, and antisera to gonococci had high homologous but low heterologous titers. Thus, these data demonstrate that bulky O side chains do not hinder the penetration of antibody to core glycolipid and that LPSs from gonococci are heterogeneous but do cross-react.
Tyrosine hydroxylase expression in hypothalamic cells: analysis of the roles of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate- and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in the action of pituitary cytotropic factor.

We investigated the involvement of second messenger systems in the control by pituitary cytotropic factor (CTF) of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in primary cultures of hypothalamic cells. Forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, as well as Sp-cAMP[S] [(Sp)-cyclic adenosine 3′,5′- monophosphothioate], a cAMP agonist, and theophylline, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase activity, stimulate the secretion of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and dopamine (DA), suggesting a role for cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the secretion of catecholamines by hypothalamic dopaminergic cells. When cells were cultured with either CTF or forskolin for 14 days, a progressive increase in the secretion of DOPA and DA was observed throughout the period of incubation. At the end of the 2-week culture period, the amount of TH in the cells, determined by immunoblot analysis, was appreciably increased compared to controls. When the cells were analyzed immunocytochemically for TH, the TH-positive cells that had been incubated...
Family and Job Influences on Role Satisfaction of Employed Rural Mothers.

One hundred fifty rural employed mothers were surveyed to determine family and job predictors of satisfaction with the dual-work role. Findings indicated the saliency of job satisfaction variables in determining role satisfaction among this group of women as opposed to hypothesized reference group support variables and nontraditional value orientation variables. Discussion centered on the importance of employment outside the home to life satisfaction, particularly for mothers of older children.
EMC and functional safety requirements for integrated electronics systems

The characterization of integrated electronics system performance to electromagnetic disturbance is receiving increasing focus particularly systems performing safety related functions. The increased focus is driving the need for standardized EMC performance requirements in terms of test limits for associated electromagnetic disturbances. This paper reviews the philosophy underpinning EMC standards at component level (ICs) and those at system level; it describes the challenges facing the development of standards for EMC and Functional Safety. It also describes the work of IEC SC65A WG4 in developing EMC and Functional Safety standards for safety related systems.
Computed tomography-guided preoperative localization of abdominal wall endometrioma

A multiparous obese patient with prior abdominal surgeries complained of cyclic abdominal pain located near the surgical scar. A 1 cm lesion was identified on imaging. Computed tomography–guided needle localization was performed immediately before surgery. This allowed for complete excision of the abdominal wall endometrioma and resolution of the cyclic, focal abdominal pain.
Overexpression of Thrombospondin-1 Decreases Angiogenesis and Inhibits the Growth of Human Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas

The function of the endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in epithelial tumor development has remained controversial. We studied the in vitro growth characteristics and the in vivo tumor xenograft growth of the human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines A431 and SCC-13, stably transfected to overexpress human TSP-1. Overexpression of TSP-1 inhibited tumor growth of A431 xenotransplants, and completely abolished tumor formation by SCC-13 cells. TSP-1 overexpressing A431 tumors were characterized by extensive areas of necrosis and by decreased tumor vessel number and size. The effects of TSP-1 on tumor cell growth were indirect since tumor cell proliferation rates in vivo and in vitro, anchorage-dependent and -independent growth in vitro, and susceptibility to induction of apoptosis by serum withdrawal were unchanged in TSP-1 overexpressing tumor cells. However, TSP-1 overexpression up-regulated the TSP-1 receptor CD36, leading to enhanced adhesion of A431 cells to TSP-1. These findings establish TSP-1 as a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth in carcinomas of the skin.
The Limits of Electoral Reform

Shaun Bowler and Todd Donovan examine common features of electoral reform and look at why reform consistently falls short of the promised changes. They seek not only to understand elite self-intere...
A feasibility study of data assimilation in numerical simulations of earthquake fault systems

Abstract Topologically realistic simulations of earthquake faults systems have been constructed to understand the physics of interacting earthquake fault systems. We focus on one of these models, a simulation called Virtual California , that represents a model for the strike-slip fault system in California. In weather forecasting, current and past observations are routinely extrapolated forward to forecast future weather. The question addressed in this paper is whether a similar application of numerical simulations can be used in earthquake forecasting. Present simulation models are discussed and their ability to successfully generate earthquake recurrence statistics is demonstrated. An important question relates to how paleoseismic data can be used to constrain simulations, and whether these constrained simulations provide improved forecasts of future earthquakes. Here, we show first results from a consideration of these issues using a method of “datascoring”. The data are divided into “training intervals” and “testing intervals”. In the training intervals, the time history of paleoseismic data are used to evaluate space–time windows of simulations. Earthquakes following high-scoring space–time windows in the simulations are then used as a basis for developing waiting time statistics and used to forecast data in the testing intervals. In our present method, we focus on the problem of determining the timing of future earthquakes having magnitude m > 7. Our preliminary conclusion is that the amount of paleoseismic data currently available does not as yet improve the waiting time statistics to a level significantly beyond a random (temporal) predictor. However, this conclusion is based on a set of studies that are not extensive, so further investigations may well reveal important new avenues. In particular, it may be that the true value of this approach lies in defining the probable spatial locations of future earthquakes, rather than their timing.
State policy and rural resource allocation in China as seen through a Hebei province township, 1970–1985

Abstract This paper presents analysis of panel data from a rural Chinese township before and after reform. The analysis suggests that during the 1970s the implicit tax burdenimposed by state prices and quotas became increasingly difficult for the agricultural sector to bear as additional labor was absorbed on fixed land and dependence on manufactured inputs mounted. Reforms of the early 1980s gave agriculture a much needed productivity boost. The expected transfer of labor from farming to rural industry did not, however, follow at a pace consistent with an assumption of competitive markets and the observed rate of capital formation.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices in Alabama: A Survey of Primary Care Physicians

In order to inform efforts to increase screening rates for colorectal cancer (CRC), we conducted a survey of Alabama primary care physicians regarding CRC screening practices, educational preferences, and perceptions of obstacles to screening. A mail survey of 2,378 Alabama physicians in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Obstetrics & Gynecology was conducted. Many physicians are not fully up-to-date with current CRC screening practices that could improve patient compliance with screening guidelines. One example is the potential use of high-sensitivity stool tests, such as the fecal immunochemical test, instead of the no longer recommended low-sensitivity guaiac fecal occult blood tests. In addition, enhanced multimedia and web-based approaches to educating physicians and patients could be more fully utilized. Further, greater use of health information technologies could increase screening rates. Enhancing primary care physicians' knowledge of screening modalities and increasing their use of electronic technology could significantly improve colorectal cancer screening outcomes.
Near-automatic quantification of breast tissue glandularity via digitized mammograms

Studies reported in the literature indicate that breast cancer risk is associated with mammographic densities. Although, an objective, repeatable quantitative measure of risk derived from mammographic densities will be of great use in recommending alternative screening paradigms and/or preventive measures, image processing efforts toward this goal seem to very sparse in the literature, and automatic and efficient methods do not seem to exist. In this paper, we describe and validate an automatic and reproducible method to segment glandular tissue regions from fat within breasts from digitized mammograms using scale-based fuzzy connectivity methods. Different measures for characterizing density are computed from the segmented regions and their accuracies in terms of their linear correlation across two different projections (CC and MLO) are studied. It is shown that quantization of glandularity taking into account the original intensities is more accurate than just considering the segmented areas. This makes the quantification less dependent on the shape of the glandular regions and the angle of projection. A simple phantom experiment is done that supports this observation.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cultures of Play during Middle Childhood: Interpretive Perspectives from Two Distinct Marginalized Communities.

This article offers interpretive perspectives on play as a cultural activity during middle childhood by contrasting two communities targeted for aid by external sport and play programs: a Chicago public housing community and a community of Angolan refugee camps. Ethnographic anecdotes, along with some survey results, demonstrate that aside from any organized programs, informal sport and play activities in each community were popular and culturally adaptive. In the Chicago community, where childhood was conceptualized as part of linear development toward adulthood, play was characterized by seriousness, competitiveness and individualism. In the Angolan community, where childhood was conceptualized as a discrete segment of the life course, play was characterized by an emphasis on inclusion and social roles. Contrasting observations from these two contexts serve to illustrate how sport and play can be a culturally valued part of childhood in distinctly local ways.
Applications of High Power Electronic Switches in the Electric Power Utility Industry and the Needs for High Power Switching Devices

This paper is a review of the main issues relating to power electronic devices as used (or proposed) for the electric power engineering area. Several applications are described. Costs of the devices are discussed. The future of the area is conjectured in terms of the needed breakthroughs in power electronic devices.
The crystal and molecular structures of [Co(NH3)6][CuCl5] as determined from single crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction data

Abstract The crystal structure of the title compound was determined at room temperature (ca. 21°C) using single crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction data. The substance crystallizes in the cubic space group Oh8-Fd3c in a unit cell whose edge is a = 21.992(3)A. The X-ray data were refined to R(F0) = 0.026 and Rw(F0) = 0.027, while the neutron data refined to R(F0) = 0.055. The two sets of coordinates obtained agree remarkably well even for the hydrogen atoms but, since the neutron results are more reliable for the hydrogen atom positions, our discussion is based on these. The Co-N and distances are, respectively, 1.968(2)A and 0.953(5)A. The most important result, namely the Cu-Cl(axial)Cu-Cl(equat.) ratio, is 0.955; the individual values of these quantities being Cu-Cl(ax) = 2.301 and Cu-Cl(equat.) = 2.409. Thus, the CuCl53− anion is axially compressed by a substantial amount and, in this respect, resembles its octahedral CuF64− relative.
Modeling of the Concurrent Gas-Liquid Trickling Flow Through a Packed-Bed Reactor to Predict Interfacial Area

A wavy annular flow model in a packed-bed is developed by introducing the shape of waves in a thin liquid film to predict the local interfacial area. The trickling flow regime in a packed-bed is often approximated by an annular flow through a narrow circular channel in which the continuous gas and liquid are completely separated by a smooth and stable interface. Most of the existing models for the trickling flow utilize balance equations for each phase to predict hydrodynamics parameters: liquid hold-up, interstitial velocities, pressure drop, or void fraction. However, the smooth and stable annular flow may not result in an accurate prediction of the interfacial area between gas-liquid phases in a packed-bed. Therefore, a wavy annular flow model is introduced to predict the more accurate interfacial area. This is important because the transport of mass, momentum, and energy is proportional to the interfacial area between gas and liquid phase. Because of the annular flow model, the ratio of film thickness to the equivalent channel diameter can be expressed as a function of only void fraction. The two-parallel wire probe allowed to measure the local film thickness has been used to obtain the shape of the interface. By integrating the local interfacial areas over a certain time period, the local interfacial area is evaluated. The interfacial areas predicted by the presented model are comparable with the empirical correlations developed in the past decades.Copyright © 2006 by ASME