cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transition to the Island of Inversion: Study of Excited States in 28-30Ne

An experiment was conducted at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (MSU) to study N~20 Ne and Na nuclei. A 140 MeV/A 48Ca primary beam produced secondary-beam "cocktails" (29Na/30Mg/32Al, 32Mg/33Al/35Si) which underwent secondary reactions to produce Ne and Na; γ-ray decays were detected by the segmented Ge array, SeGA. The data provide information on the transition to the island of inversion and a test of recent shell-model calculations.
Immunolocalization of synexin (annexin VII) in adrenal chromaffin granules and chromaffin cells : evidence for a dynamic role in the secretory process

Synexin (annexin VII) is a Ca2+- and phospholid-binding protein which has been proposed to play a role in Ca2+-dependent membrane fusion processes. Using a monoclonal antibody against synexin, Mab 10E7, and immunogold, we carried out a semiquantitative localization study of synexin in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin granules, and in resting and nicotine-stimulated adrenal chromaffin cells. Isolated chromaffin granules contained very little synexin, whereas chromaffin granules aggregated with synexin (24 μg/mg) and Ca2+ (1 mM) clearly showed synexin-associated immunogold particles in the vicinity of the granule membrane (1.88 gold particles per granule profile). In isolated, cultured adrenal chromaffin cells, synexin was present in the nucleus (5.5 particles/μm2) and in the cytosol (5.3 particles/μm2), but mainly around the granule membrane in the granular cell area (11.7 particles/μm2). During the active phase of cholinergically stimulated catecholamine secretion, the amount of synexin label was reduced by 33% in the nucleus, by 23% in the cytosol, and by 51% in the granule area. The plasma membrane contained a small amount of synexin, which did not significantly change upon stimulation of the cells. We conclude that synexin is involved in the secretory process in chromaffin cells.
Ethanol oxidation and hydrolysis rates in supercritical water

Abstract Oxidation and hydrolysis experiments with ethanol were investigated in supercritical water using a lab-scale, plug-flow reactor system at temperatures from 433 to 494 °C and a fixed pressure of 246 bar. The residence times ranged from 2 to 12 s, and the initial concentration of ethanol was set to 1 mmol l −1 . In the hydrolysis experiments, ethanol did not react to a significant degree relative to the conversions observed in oxidation experiments. The conversion for the hydrolysis experiments was between 1.9 and 7.4%. In the oxidation experiments, the initial oxygen concentration was set to 3 mmol l −1 , according to the stoichiometric ratio for complete mineralization. The major products of the reaction were acetaldehyde and formaldehyde in the liquid phase and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the gas phase. An assumed first-order global rate expression was determined with an activation energy of 163.9±3.3 kJ mol −1 and a pre-exponential factor of 10 11.1±4.5 to a 95% confidence level. An induction time was experimentally observed, ranging from 0.5 to 3.8 s, with longer times corresponding to lower temperatures. A second set of experiments was performed to investigate the dependence of the reaction rate on oxygen concentration. The fuel equivalence ratio was varied from 0.5 to 1.9. Experiments were conducted at residence times of 2.5 and 3.0 s at 470 °C and 246 bar. A global rate expression was regressed for the ethanol reaction rate from the complete set of data. The resulting pre-exponential factor was 10 17.23±1.65 ; the activation energy was 213.9±18.3 kJ mol −1 ; and the reaction orders for ethanol and oxygen were 1.34±0.11 and 0.55±0.19, respectively.
Household Headship and its Changes in the United States, 1940–1960, 1970

Abstract This article examines changes in household headship reported in U.S. census data, 1940–1960, with some 1970 material. Household headship is discussed as a demographic variable which has substantial importance for sociologists and economists. Change occurred both in the likelihood of an adult being a household head and in type of head. Increases came both from favorable shifts in marital status and from rate changes, holding marital status constant. The most striking change is the enormous increase in the proportion of older widowed and divorced women living alone as household heads.
THE STICKING PROPERTIES OF WATER FROST PRODUCED UNDER VARIOUS AMBIENT CONDITIONS

Abstract To form planetary systems, small solid particles which condense out of the cooling gas of the primitive solar nebula must aggregate together to form larger bodies. Centimeter-sized particles can grow out of micrometer-sized grains; planets can form from the coagulation of kilometer-sized planetesimals. The formation of stable, long-lived kilometer-sized objects from centimeter-sized particles is, however, not so straightforward. Some sort of surface sticking force is needed to hold these aggregates together against rotational forces as well as collisions in a turbulent solar nebula. We have performed experiments to determine the surface sticking force of water frosts under a variety of ambient conditions. Our primary results are listed below. 1. The structure of the frost is critical in determining its sticking properties; thin, porous frosts are more likely to adhere than are thick, dense frosts. 2. Sticking forces range up to 250 dyn/mm 2 . 3. Temperature fluctuations can increase the sticking force by significant amounts. 4. The frost bond acts like a spring: it stretches before breaking, with the displacement proportional to the applied force. Measured spring constants for many different water frosts cluster between 10 5 and 10 6 dyn cm −1 (over a total area of 78 mm 2 ). Based on these findings, we suggest that frosts of volatiles such as water could provide the necessary surface sticking mechanism in some low-temperature regions of the solar nebula.
Sequence-Specific, Electronic Detection of Oligonucleotides in Blood, Soil, and Foodstuffs with the Reagentless, Reusable E-DNA Sensor

The ability to detect specific oligonucleotides in complex, contaminant-ridden samples, without the use of exogenous reagents and using a reusable, fully electronic platform could revolutionize the detection of pathogens in the clinic and in the field. Here, we characterize a label-free, electronic sensor, termed E-DNA, for its ability to simultaneously meet these challenging demands. We find that because signal generation is coupled to a hybridization-linked conformational change, rather than to only adsorption to the sensor surface, E-DNA is selective enough to detect oligonucleotides in complex, multicomponent samples, such as blood serum and soil. Moreover, E-DNA signaling is monotonically related to target complementarity, allowing the sensor to discriminate between mismatched targets: we readily detect the complementary 17-base target against a 50 000-fold excess of genomic DNA, can distinguish a three-base mismatch from perfect target directly in blood serum, and under ideal conditions, observe st...
Remedying Third World Soil Erosion Problems

Among the many environmental problems now facing less developed countries (LDCs), soil erosion has the most serious economic consequences. If allowed to continue at current rates, soil loss will reduce many countries' capacity for agricultural production (Wolman). Also, erosion is causing sizable external costs in the third world; soil washed from agricultural and other land is being deposited in reservoirs, irrigation canals, and navigable waterways at high rates. In spite of the potential gains from improved soil resource management, conservation projects have been difficult to implement in much of the third world. Usually, this is because farmers, who are primary agents of environmental change, fail to respond to the incentives for erosion control that are a major feature of those projects. Quite often, incentives programs do not stimulate improved soil resource management because they are designed on the basis of a flawed analysis of LDC farmers' conservation/depletion decisions. This paper contains a discussion of how that analysis can be improved. Background information on the on-site and off-site costs of erosion is presented in section two. In the third section, the institutional factors affecting management of land in third world areas where soil loss is high are analyzed. The fourth section contains a summary of research conducted by the authors in a hydroelectric watershed located in the Dominican Republic. In addition to illustrating how resource management decisions are affected by the institutional environment, the results of that research show that aggregated analysis of a conservation project masks the costs that farmers on highly erosive land would incur by managing soil resources less depletively. Finally, observations made in the third and fourth sections form the basis of section five's discussion of how to design conservation projects that stand a better chance of promoting less depletive management of third world soil resources.
Immunolocalization of Bex protein in the mouse brain and olfactory system

Bex proteins are expressed from a family of "brain expressed X-linked genes" that are closely linked on the X-chromosome. Bex1 and 2 have been characterized as interacting partners of the olfactory marker protein (OMP). Here we report the distribution of Bex1 and Bex2 mRNAs in several brain regions and the development and characterization of an antibody to mouse Bex1 protein that cross-reacts with Bex2 (but not Bex3), and its use to determine the cellular distribution of Bex proteins in the murine brain. The specificity of the antiserum was characterized by immunoprecipitation and Western blots of tissue and transfected cell extracts and by immunocytochemical analyses of cells transfected with either Bex1 or Bex2. Antibodies preabsorbed with Bex2 still recognize Bex1, while blocking with Bex1 eliminates all immunoreactivity to both Bex1 and Bex2. Bex immunoreactivity (ir) was primarily localized to neuronal cells within several regions of the brain, including the olfactory epithelium, bulb, peri/paraventricular nuclei, suprachiasmatic nucleus, arcuate nucleus, median eminence, lateral hypothalamic area, thalamus, hippocampus, and cerebellum. RT-PCR and in situ hybridization demonstrated the presence of Bex mRNA in several of these regions. Double-label immunocytochemistry indicates that Bex-ir is colocalized with OMP in mature olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and in the OMP-positive subpopulation of neurons in hypothalamus. This is the first anatomical mapping of Bex proteins in the mouse brain and their colocalization with OMP in ORNs and hypothalamus.
Endurance of Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Older Adults

This cross-sectional study assessed undergraduate attitudes toward older adults and attitude endurance 3 to 18 months after aging coursework. Survey respondents included 349 students who took an aging elective and 430 comparison students. Aging-elective students indicated more positive attitudes than comparison students. Attitudes did not vary across 3 groups staggered by time elapsed from completing the course until testing (3 to 18 months). 4 variables accounted for the variance in attitudes toward elders at a statistically significant level: majoring in biology, having frequent or occasional contact with unrelated older adults, taking an aging course, and post-course knowledge of aging.
Some new properties of the structured singular value

J.C. Doyle et al. (1982) have shown that a necessary and sufficient condition for robust stability or robust performance in the H/sup infinity /-frame work may be formulated as a bound on the structured singular value ( mu ) of a specific matrix M which includes information on the system model, the controller, the model uncertainty, and the performance specifications. Often it is desirable to express the robust stability and performance conditions as norm bounds on transfer matrices (T) which are of direct interest to the engineer, e.g. sensitivity or complementary sensitivity. The present paper shows how to derive bounds on sigma (T) from bounds on mu (M). >
Preliminaries to a Distinctive Feature Analysis of Handshapes in American Sign Language.

Abstract In this article we propose a set of 11 distinctive features for hand configurations (Dez) in the American Sign Language of the deaf. The model is based on the results of applying clustering and scaling analyses to confusion matrices for Dez identifications in visual noise. These matrices were obtained in much the same way as in Miller and Nicely's classic study of consonant perception in noise. The descriptive adequacy of the model is evaluated in several ways: The level of the node in the distinctive feature tree that dominates each pair of Dez is correlated with the confusion frequency of that pair (r = 0.6); The percentage of correct proximity predictions when the Dez are clustered according to the feature tree (77%) is compared with that obtained with the optimal empirical tree (77%); Shared feature assignments for each Dez pair are weighted according to various strategies, and the 11 features are correlated jointly with the confusion frequencies of the Dez pairs (R = 68). Finally, the predictive validity of the model is examined, bringing to bear data on the rated similarity, recall, and variants of signs, and on “slips of the hand.”
Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated phenols in anaerobic upflow bioreactors

Abstract The reductive dechlorination of chlorinated aromatic compounds was studied in anaerobic upflow bioreactors with chlorinated phenols as the sole carbon and energy source. Dechlorinating activity was maintained in three separate anaerobic bioreactors for 350, 400 and 190 days. Mineralization of approx. 40% of added chlorophenols to CH4 and CO2 was demonstrated. Substrate loading rates of up to 20 mg l−1 day−1 at a hydraulic retention time of 2 or 4 days were achieved at a substrate conversion efficiency of > 90% as determined by measurement of chlorophenol concentration in the effluent. The ability to degrade a mixture of all three monochlorophenols and 3,4,5-trichlorophenol was demonstrated. The majority of the active biomass was located at the bottom of the bioreactor in the form of a sludge blanket. Three microorganisms which dominated the biomass were identified by morphology as a putative anaerobic phenol-oxidizing bacterium, a Methanosarcina sp. and a Methanothrix sp.
Dimensional reduction of supergravity

Abstract Supergravity defined on a manifold of the form M 4 × S R , where S R is a homogeneous space and M4 is ordinary space-time, is dimensionally reduced to M4 by requiring all fields to be invariant under the action of the group S. Examples of the dimensional reduction of 11-dimensional supergravity and of 10-dimensional supergravity coupled to super-Yang-Mills fields are presented.
Fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium: imaging correlation in three new patients.

Objective. Fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium is an extremely rare disorder that can easily be misdiagnosed. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of three confirmed cases of fibrogenesis imperfecta. Design and patients. The patients consisted of two men and one woman, ranging in age from 40 to 53 years. Radiography was performed in all the patients. One patient had a 3-year follow-up of the thoracolumbar spine with conventional radiography and thoracolumbar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Open biopsy was performed in all cases, confirming the diagnosis of fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium. Results. All our cases demonstrated ”fishnet” trabecular pattern by conventional radiographs, and a pelvis radiograph of one patient showed an equivocal sclerosis pattern. Multiple fractures were noted in two patients. A pseudoexostosis was present in the ilium in one patient. Thoracolumbar MR imaging demonstrated diffuse low signal intensity within the medullary space on both T1-weighed and T2-weighted images, except for a region of increased signal intensity in the L1 and L2 vertebral bodies on T2-weighed images due to edema from acute collapse. Conclusions. Although uncommon, fibrogenesis imperfecta ossium should be considered in a previously healthy patient with a combination of progressive bone pain, unexplained fractures, a radiologic pattern of fishnet osteopenia and MR imaging of low signal intensity bone marrow on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images.
The Management of Lid and Conjunctival Malignancies

Abstract Adnexal tumors are relatively rare in a general eye practice, and the most important component in their management is early recognition. The clear differentiation between simulating lesions and lid or conjunctival tumors can be difficult. Any recurrent lid inflammation, chronic lid ulcer, chronic unilateral keratoconjunctivitis, or a suspicious pigmented conjunctival lesion should be biopsied. The choice of treatment in lid and conjunctival tumors is partially dependent on the available surgical expertise. Lid tumors can be treated with either surgery (using frozen section control), radiation, or cryotherapy. Conjunctival tumors should first be biopsied, then treated with surgery or radiation. Exenteration is rarely indicated in the management of conjunctival tumors. A metastatic evaluation should precede possible exenteration, especially if this procedure is planned because of a recurrent or large conjunctival melanoma.
Alarm pheromones in the genus Manica derived from the mandibular gland

Abstract The alarm pheromones present in the mandibular glands of Manica mutica and M. bradleyi are dominated by a novel C 10 ketone, 4,6-dimethyl-4-octene-3-one (manicone). Two other new insect pheromones, 4-methyl-3-hexanone and 3-decanone, are also present. In addition, two characteristic myrmicine alarm pheromones, 3-octanone and 4-methyl-3-heptanone, have been identified as mandibular gland constituents. While manicone functions as a powerful releaser of alarm behaviour for Manica workers a much weaker response was obtained to the other identified 3-alkanones. The significance of the occurrence of 3-ketones in members of the genus Manica and species in other genera of the Myrmicinae is analysed in terms of the accepted phylogeny of this subfamily.
Predicting clinical outcome using brain activation associated with set-shifting and central coherence skills in Anorexia Nervosa.

Abstract Background Patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) have neuropsychological deficits in Set-Shifting (SS) and central coherence (CC) consistent with an inflexible thinking style and overly detailed processing style, respectively. This study investigates brain activation during SS and CC tasks in patients with AN and tests whether this activation is a biomarker that predicts response to treatment. Methods FMRI data were collected from 21 females with AN while performing an SS task (the Wisconsin Card Sort) and a CC task (embedded figures), and used to predict outcome following 16 weeks of treatment (either 16 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy or 8 weeks cognitive remediation therapy followed by 8 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy). Results Significant activation during the SS task included bilateral dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left anterior middle frontal gyrus. Higher scores on the neuropsychological test of SS (measured outside the scanner at baseline) were correlated with greater DLPFC and VLPFC/insula activation. Improvements in SS following treatment were significantly predicted by a combination of low VLPFC/insula and high anterior middle frontal activation (R squared = .68, p = .001). For the CC task, visual and parietal cortical areas were activated, but were not significantly correlated with neuropsychological measures of CC and did not predict outcome. Conclusion Cognitive flexibility requires the support of several prefrontal cortex resources. As previous studies suggest that the VLPFC is important for selecting context-appropriate responses, patients who have difficulties with this skill may benefit the most from cognitive therapy with or without cognitive remediation therapy. The ability to sustain inhibition of an unwanted response, subserved by the anterior middle frontal gyrus, is a cognitive feature that predicts favorable outcome to cognitive treatment. CC deficits may not be an effective predictor of clinical outcome.
Synthesis and Electrochemical and Structural Chemistry of Rhenium in High Oxidation States with Sterically Hindered Polypyridine Ligands

The syntheses and electrochemical properties of several novel rhenium complexes containing the sterically-hindered ligands 6-methylbipyridine, 6-cyanobipyridine, and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthrolin...
RNA synthesis during oogenesis in the echiuroid wormUrechis caupo

This study is designed to examine RNA synthesis during oogenesis in Urechis caupo . The techniques for isolating oocytes free of contaminating cells and fractionating the oocytes according to size and, hence, according to age, are described. Direct measurements of RNA and protein content of oocytes indicate that both RNA and protein accumulate through all stages of oogenesis and that relatively more protein than RNA accumulates as the oocytes mature. The rate of incorporation of uridine- 3 H into RNA per cell is constant during the first two-thirds of oogenesis, but increases 4–5-fold during the final one-third of oogenesis. This increase in incorporation results from an increased rate of RNA synthesis since the specific activity of the precursor pools in all oocytes seems to be approximately equal. The sedimentation pattern of the RNA labeled in vivo for 2 hr with uridine- 3 H is heterogeneous with peaks of labeled RNA in the sedimentation pattern suggesting the presence of ribosomal RNA precursors, ribosomal RNA, and 4 S RNA. The sedimentation pattern of the RNA labeled and accumulated in vivo during a 30-hr labeling period is essentially coincident with the absorbance of the bulk of the RNA present in the oocytes. These results show that ribosomal and 4 S RNA are synthesized through all stages of oogenesis and that the increase in the rate of RNA synthesis in the final one-third of oogenesis is due primarily to an increase in the rate of synthesis of these RNA species.
Ehrhart polynomials and stringy Betti numbers

We study the connection between stringy Betti numbers of Gorenstein toric varieties and the generating functions of the Ehrhart polynomials of certain polyhedral regions. We use this point of view to give counterexamples to Hibi's conjecture on the unimodality of δ-vectors of reflexive polytopes.
Improved Diabetic Control Enhances Erythroid Stem Cell Proliferation in Vitro

Patients with type I diabetes mellitus treated with continuous sc insulin infusion (CSII) have improved glucose homeostasis, metabolic control, and linear growth. To determine the influence of CSII on cellular growth in vitro, we used a clonal stem cell assay for proliferation of erythyroid progenitors, [burstforming units-erythroid (BFU-E)] in peripheral blood. Eight patients were studied before and after 1 week of CSII. Improvement in metabolic control was demonstrated by a decrease in mean 24-h plasma glucose from 232 ± 29 (±SEM) mg/dl before treatment to 112 ± 3 mg/dl after treatment (P = 0.01). Somatomedin-C levels increased from 1.1 ± 0.4 to 1.4 ± 0.4 U/ml (P < 0.001). Numbers of BFU-E-derived colonies were not different from normal during conventional treatment, but increased 300% after 1 week of CSII. Our findings indicate that the acute metabolic and hormonal improvements that accompany short term CSII therapy in vivo are associated with a striking increase in the proliferation of erythroid commi...
Summative Assessment in Medicine: The Promise of Simulation for High‐stakes Evaluation

Throughout their careers, physicians are exposed to a wide array of assessments, including those aimed at evaluating knowledge, clinical skills, and clinical decision-making. While many of these assessments are used as part of formative evaluation activities, others are employed to establish competence and, as a byproduct, to promote patient safety. In the past 10 years, simulations have been successfully incorporated in a number of high-stakes physician certification and licensure exams. In developing these simulation-based assessments, testing organizations were able to promote novel test administration protocols, build enhanced assessment rubrics, advance sophisticated scoring and equating algorithms, and promote innovative standard-setting methods. Moreover, numerous studies have been conducted to identify potential threats to the validity of test score interpretations. As simulation technology expands and new simulators are invented, this groundbreaking work can serve as a basis for organizations to build or expand their summative assessment activities. Although there will continue to be logistical and psychometric problems, many of which will be specialty- or simulator-specific, past experience with performance-based assessments suggests that most challenges can be addressed through focused research. Simulation, whether it involves standardized patients (SPs), computerized case management scenarios, part-task trainers, electromechanical mannequins, or a combination of these methods, holds great promise for high-stakes assessment.
Voltage Impacts of DG on Distribution Grid with Voltage Regulators and SVCs

Interconnection of the Distributed Generation (DG) at higher penetration levels to the distribution grid is causing different problems with voltage profile of a typical distribution feeder. In this paper some of the voltage problems caused by increasing penetration of DG along with the role of the Volt-VAr controlling devices to mitigate these problems are investigated and discussed. A real distribution circuit containing a synchronous generator, a line voltage regulator, and a Static VAr Compensator (SVC) was used for computer modeling. Simulations were conducted considering full load and light load conditions, without, then with DG at various penetration levels. Simulations' results verifying the high voltage conditions and unacceptable voltage flickers due to increased penetration of DG have been presented. It was also concluded that voltage regulator with certain settings and SVC can mitigate some of these problems.
The Brain Opera Technology: New Instruments and Gestural Sensors for Musical Interaction and Performance

This paper describes the array of new musical instruments and interactive installations developed for the Brain Opera, a large, touring multimedia production, where the audience first explores a set of musical modes at a variety of novel, interactive stations before experiencing them in an actual performance. Most of the Brain Opera's installations were intended for the general public, employing different gestural measurements and mappings that allow an untrained audience to intuitively interact with music and graphics at various levels of complexity. Another set of instruments was designed for a trio of trained musicians, who used more deliberate technique to perform the composed music. This paper outlines the hardware and sensor systems behind these devices: the electric field sensors of the Gesture Wall and Sensor Chair, the smart piezoelectric touchpads of the Rhythm Tree, the instrumented springs in Harmonic Driving, the pressure-sensitive touch screens of the Melody Easels, and the multimodal Digital Baton, containing a tactile interface, inertial sensors, and precise optical tracker. Also discussed are a set of controllers developed for the Brain Opera, but not currently touring with the production, including the Magic Carpet (immersive body sensing with a smart floor and Doppler radar) and an 8-channel MIDI-controlled sonar rangefinder.
Development and evaluation of minimal-scan reconstruction algorithms for diffraction tomography

Diffraction tomography (DT) is a tomographic inversion technique that reconstructs the spatially variant refractive index distribution of a scattering object, and it can be viewed as a generalization of conventional X-ray computed tomography (CT) where X-rays have been replaced with a diffracting acoustical or electromagnetic wavefield. It is widely believed that measurements from a full angular range of 2(pi) are generally required to exactly reconstruct a complex-valued refractive index distribution. However, we have recently revealed that one needs measurements only over the angular range zero to 270 degrees to perform an exact reconstruction, and we developed minimal-scan filtered backpropagation (MS-FBPP) algorithms to achieve this. In this work, we review and numerically implement a recently developed family of minimal-scan reconstruction algorithms for DT that effectively operate by transforming the minimal-scan DT reconstruction problem into a conventional full-scan X-ray CT reconstruction problem.
Mapping ideas from cyberspace to realspace: visualizing the spatial context of keywords from web page search results

We introduce a new method for visualizing and analyzing information landscapes of ideas and events posted on public web pages through customized web-search engines and keywords. This research integrates GIScience and web-search engines to track and analyze public web pages and their web contents with associated spatial relationships. Web pages searched by clusters of keywords were mapped with real-world coordinates (by geolocating their Internet Protocol addresses). The resulting maps represent web information landscapes consisting of hundreds of populated web pages searched by selected keywords. By creating a Spatial Web Automatic Reasoning and Mapping System prototype, researchers can visualize the spread of web pages associated with specific keywords, concepts, ideas, or news over time and space. These maps may reveal important spatial relationships and spatial context associated with selected keywords. This approach may provide a new research direction for geographers to study the diffusion of human t...
The least k-th power non-residue

Abstract Let p be a prime number and let k ≥ 2 be a divisor of p − 1 . Norton proved that the least k-th power non-residue mod p is at most 3.9 p 1 / 4 log ⁡ p unless k = 2 and p ≡ 3 ( mod 4 ) , in which case the bound is 4.7 p 1 / 4 log ⁡ p . By improving the upper bound in the Burgess inequality via a combinatorial idea, and by using some computing power, we improve the upper bounds to 0.9 p 1 / 4 log ⁡ p and 1.1 p 1 / 4 log ⁡ p , respectively.
Morphine modulates HIV-1 gp160-induced murine macrophage and human monocyte apoptosis by disparate ways.

We studied the effect of HIV-1 gp160 protein and morphine on murine macrophage and human monocyte apoptosis. gp160 not only promoted murine macrophage apoptosis but also enhanced macrophage iNOS expression/NO generation. gp160 also altered macrophage bax and bcl-2 expression. Morphine enhanced (P<0.001) the effect of gp160 on macrophage apoptosis as well as iNOS expression/NO generation. Nevertheless, both morphine- and gp160-induced murine macrophage apoptosis was attenuated by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors (l-NAME and l-NMMA). On the other hand, free radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and catalase attenuated morphine and gp160-induced human monocyte apoptosis.
Population balance equations’ application in rotating fluidized bed polymerization reactor

Abstract Gas phase olefin polymerizations are now widely achieved in fluidized bed reactors. In fluidized bed poly-olefin reactors, small catalyst particles (20–80 μm) are introduced into the bed, and when exposed to the gas flow (monomer), polymerization occurs. At early stage of polymerization, the catalyst particles fragment into a large number of small particles then the polymer particles grow continuously, reaching a typical size of 1000–3000 μm. A successful analysis of this process not only should account for the kinetics of the polymerization but also should include the particles mixing and particle size distribution in the reactor. Rotating fluidized bed reactors are the promising process to have a better control on the particle size distribution, particle separation and increasing the reactor efficiency. Due to the high rotational acceleration (e.g. 14 “g”) that can be imposed in these kinds of reactors, our preliminary results showed that the amount of throughput, i.e. monomer flow rate, can be increased without worrying of changing the fluidization regime from well mixed condition to slugging, so the production rate and in consequence the polymerization yield will increase. In this study the population balance approach is used to describe the evolution and growth of the particle size in gas–solid rotating fluidized bed olefin polymerization reactors along with CFD using Fluent program. The SMM (standard method of moments) method and QMOM (quadrature method of moments) method are used to solve the population balance equations; these are coupled with the conservation equations of mass and momentum for the gas and solid phases. Simulations have been performed with; a) constant particle growth rate and b) variable particle growth rate that is a function of polymerization reaction rate.
Growth and development of the knapweed root weevil, Cyphocleonus achates, on a meridic larval diet

Abstract Cyphocleonus achates , the knapweed weevil, is an effective biological control agent of the invasive weed, Centaurea maculosa Lam. A meridic diet was developed and tested for the rearing of the larval stage of this insect. Using this diet, C. achates was reared for over three generations, with the adults being offered knapweed plants for feeding and oviposition in greenhouse conditions. Slight or no differences were seen between insects reared on a standard meridic diet formulation and one containing knapweed tissues. The following life history parameters were monitored over the three generations: percent egg hatch (ranging from 42.9 to 59.1%), time to egg hatch (20.0–23.2 days), time to adult emergence (52.0–54.1 days), adult weights 3 days post-eclosion (101.9–117.0 mg), percent adult emergence (48.3–58.6%), and percent mortality/deformity in the different stages (with mortality occurring primarily in the early larval stages). Additionally, a study involving low temperature and short day conditions suggested that C. achates could be maintained for longer periods of time in larval diet cells when placed in growth-retarding conditions, although percent adult emergence was lower. External morphology was also studied in order to distinguish between the sexes to ensure that each adult cage had a similar ratio of females to males. Abdominal features were found to be the most dependable characteristics for use when determining the sex of adult C. achates .
Work hardening and creep of MgO

Abstract The work hardening of 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 MgO single crystals has been investigated between 0.4 and 0.7 TM using strain rates of 10−7 to 10−4s−1 in compression. A steady-state flow stress is developed, at which the work-hardening rate vanishes. The work-hardening rate decreases linearly with stress and can be described by a Voce equation. The data are represented by constitutive equations which were derived to describe the deformation of f.c.c. metals. The results are inconsistent with the Bailey-Orowan approach to simultaneous strain hardening and recovery. The equations are used to predict power-law creep behavior, which correlates very well with results obtained from steady-state tensile creep studies. A temperature-dependent stress exponent is measured. Finally, the activation parameters measured in this study are compared to those determined from creep, and the parameters in the constitutive equations for MgO are compared with those measured in f.c.c. metals.
Theory and experiments of concentration polarization and ion focusing at microchannel and nanochannel interfaces.

In this tutorial review aimed at researchers using nanofluidic devices, we summarize the current state of theoretical and experimental approaches to describing concentration polarization (CP) in hybrid microfluidic–nanofluidic systems. We also analyze experimental results for these systems and place them in the context of recent theoretical developments. We then extend the theory to explain the behavior of both positively and negatively charged, low-concentration, analyte species in systems with CP. We conclude by discussing several applications of CP in microfluidics.
Runtime-driven shared last-level cache management for task-parallel programs

Task-parallel programming models with input annotation-based concurrency extraction at runtime present a promising paradigm for programming multicore processors. Through management of dependencies, task assignments, and orchestration, these models markedly simplify the programming effort for parallelization while exposing higher levels of concurrency. In this paper we show that for multicores with a shared last-level cache (LLC), the concurrency extraction framework can be used to improve the shared LLC performance. Based on the input annotations for future tasks, the runtime instructs the hardware to prioritize data blocks with future reuse while evicting blocks with no future reuse. These instructions allow the hardware to preserve all the blocks for at least some of the future tasks and evict dead blocks. This leads to a considerable improvement in cache efficiency over what is achieved by hardware-only replacement policies, which can replace blocks for all future tasks resulting in poor hit-rates for all future tasks. The proposed hardware-software technique leads to a mean improvement of 18% in application performance and a mean reduction of 26% in misses over a shared LLC managed by the Least Recently Used replacement policy for a set of input-annotated task-parallel programs using the OmpSs programming model implemented on the NANOS++ runtime. In contrast, the state-of-the-art thread-based partitioning scheme suffers an average performance loss of 2% and an average increase of 15% in misses over the baseline.
Systemic hypoperfusion is associated with executive dysfunction in geriatric cardiac patients

The present study examines the relationship between systemic hypoperfusion via cardiac output (CO) and neuropsychological performances emphasizing executive function in an aging cohort. Geriatric outpatients with treated, stable cardiovascular disease (CVD) and no history of neurological illness (n = 72, ages 56–85) were administered cognitive measures with an emphasis on executive functioning. Echocardiogram findings were used to stratify participants into two groups: low CO (<4.0 L/min) and normal CO (≥4.0 L/min). Between-group comparisons were made using ANCOVAs adjusting for systolic blood pressure. The low CO group performed significantly worse than the normal CO group on DKEFS Tower Test and DKEFS Trail Making Test. No significant between-group differences were noted for any of the other cognitive indices. Findings suggest that reduced CO is associated with poorer executive functioning among geriatric outpatients with stable CVD, as the cognitive profile emphasizes a relationship between systemic hypoperfusion and problems with sequencing and planning. The executive dysfunction profile may be secondary to reduced blood flow to vulnerable subcortical structures implicated in frontal–subcortical circuitry.
MR cholangiography in the evaluation of neonatal cholestasis: initial results.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively analyze prospective magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiographic interpretations of findings and compare them with clinical outcome and to determine the accuracy of MR cholangiography in depicting extrahepatic biliary atresia and helping to distinguish it from other causes of neonatal jaundice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six infants (15 male, 11 female; median age, 2 months) underwent MR cholangiography with a 1.5-T MR imaging unit. Original interpretations were compared with clinical outcome. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of MR cholangiography in depicting extrahepatic biliary atresia. Equivocal cases and any cases lost to follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: Findings in six of 26 infants were interpreted as normal, and none of five patients (one lost to follow-up) had biliary atresia or other surgical lesions; two were abnormal but not suggestive of biliary atresia (one false-negative finding); 12 were consistent with biliary atresia (three false-po...
Software-defined joint routing and waveform selection for cognitive Ad Hoc networks

The problem of throughput maximization in a cognitive radio network with decentralized control (i.e., a cognitive radio ad hoc network) is considered in this paper. First, decentralized and localized algorithms for throughput maximization through joint cognitive routing and interference-avoiding waveform selection are proposed, based on a nonlinear optimization framework. The proposed algorithms adapt to time-varying traffic demands, interference profile, and network topology to locally maximize the achievable data rate while avoiding harmful interference to co-located primary or secondary users. Second, a prototype implementation of the proposed decentralized control algorithms is presented. The prototype is based on a software-defined-radio USRP2 platform that distributively senses and adapts its transmission based on results from real-time nonlinear optimization. Experiments on the software-defined-radio platform demonstrate the superior adaptivity of the proposed algorithm with respect to state-of-the-art non-cognitive approaches.
Analyses of TCR clustering at the T cell–antigen-presenting cell interface and its impact on the activation of naive CD4+ T cells

The role of micrometer-scale clustering of TCRs at the T cell–antigen-presenting cell (APC) interface in T cell activation is an area of active investigation. Here we have investigated the impact of variations in the extent of TCR clustering on the activation of naive CD4 1 T cells. These T cells are derived from transgenic (tg) mice expressing TCRs (172.10 and 1934.4) specific for the N-terminal nonapeptide of MBP bound to I-A u , and are associated with murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
A Climatology of the Vertical Structure of Water Vapor Transport to the Sierra Nevada in Cool Season Atmospheric River Precipitation Events

AbstractThis study presents the climatology of the vertical structure of water vapor flux above the Sierra Nevada during significant cool season (November–April) precipitation events. Atmospheric river (AR) and non-AR events are analyzed to better understand the effect of this structure on precipitation patterns. Daily measurements of cool season precipitation at seven weather stations around the Tahoe basin from 1974 to 2012 and NCEP/CPC gridded daily precipitation analysis along the Sierra crest for the period 1948–2012 are examined. NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and soundings from Oakland are used to look at upper atmospheric conditions, including the presence of vapor transport by low- and midlevel jets on storm days as well as upstream static stability in relation to significant precipitation events. Key findings are as follows: 1) ARs play a disproportionately large role in generating Tahoe basin precipitation during the cool season; 2) strong midlevel vapor transport needs to occur in tandem with low-level ...
Making Learning Parallel Processing Interesting

The abundant availability of multi-core computers makes "parallel computers" a common place and teaching Computer Science students to be able to design and develop parallel algorithms an urgent task. Most students recognize the needs of developing skills in parallel programming. However, since their Computer Science related curriculum are mostly taught based on sequential computers, introducing a new way of analysis and solving problems can be difficult. Making students interested in the subject can have a pivotal effect in the learning outcomes. In this short paper, we show several approaches we have been using to excite our students about learning parallel processing at our Concurrent Systems class, where parallel processing and parallel programming are taught. Some approach include showing students algorithms with an appeared impossible high performance, showing them simple steps to achieve 100% CPU utilization on multi-core computers, combining sequential algorithms they learned in the past to create new parallel algorithms, and challenging them with implementing some rather complex parallel algorithms.
A frightening thought: Neuronal activity enhances tumor growth

Stem cells present in the adult brain are regulated by neuronal activity; malignant gliomas, which most likely originate from this population of cells, could also be regulated in this manner. A recent study by Venkatesh et al. published in Cell has identified Neuroligin-3 (NLGN3) as a mitogen promoting high-grade glioma growth.
Multiscale Segmentation of Elevation Images Using a Mixture-of-Experts Framework

Estimating and segmenting topography by fusing data acquired over multiple resolutions has been extensively studied over the years. The standard multiscale Kalman smoother estimator embedded with a single stochastic model parameterized using power-spectral matching methods has been found to give suboptimal performance in estimating nonstationary topographic variations. The modeling is based on the fact that topography and other geophysical phenomena exhibit a 1/f property. Although acceptable for data sets over large areas, this approximation is found to be poor for data sets over small areas. This letter employs multiple models regulated by a mixture-of-experts network to adaptively fuse the estimates. Alternate to power spectral methods, a fractal-based approach is used to segment data and parameterize the multiple models for better performance. Sensitivity and performance analyses are also performed on the parameters of the estimators, and ideal selection criteria are proposed.
The acquisition and performance of text-editing skill: a cognitive complexity analysis

Kieras and Polson (1985) proposed an approach for making quantitative predictions on ease of learning and ease of use of a system, based on a production system version of the goals, operators, methods, and selection rules (GOMS) model of Card, Moran, and Newell (1983). This article describes the principles for constructing such models and obtaining predictions of learning and execution time. A production rule model for a simulated text editor is described in detail and is compared to experimental data on learning and performance. The model accounted well for both learning and execution time and for the details of the increase in speed with practice. The relationship between the performance model and the Keystroke-Level Model of Card et al. (1983) is discussed. The results provide strong support for the original proposal that production rule models can make quantitative predictions for both ease of learning and ease of use.
65Copper Absorption by Women Fed Intrinsically and Extrinsically Labeled Goose Meat, Goose Liver, Peanut Butter and Sunflower Butter

Absorption of stable 65Cu incorporated in trinsically or extrinsically into foods was studied in women fed a diet marginal in Cu content. Isotopie enrichment was 73.1 Â±1.0 atom percent 65Cu in goose breast meat, 74.9 Â±0.5 atom percent in goose liver, and 55-69.5 atom percent in two crops of peanuts. Seven women were fed a basal diet containing 1.25 mg Cu/d. At 4-wk intervals, they were fed test meals over a 3-d period; each set of meals contained one of the labeled test foods in amounts with similar copper content. Absorption of 65Cu from intrinsi cally labeled liver was (mean Â±so) 65 Â±4%; extrinsic liver, 65 Â± 10%; E/I = 1.00 Â±0.16. 65Cu absorption from intrinsically labeled goose breast meat was 54 Â±6%; extrinsic meat, 52 Â± 10%; E/I = 0.97 Â±0.18. 65Cu absorption from intrinsically labeled peanut butter was 58 Â±15%; extrinsic peanut butter, 54 Â±10%; E/I = 0.93 Â±0.11. 65Cu absorption from extrinsically labeled sun flower butter was 50 Â±2%. There were no differences in absorption of intrinsic and extrinsic Cu from these foods. Absorption of Cu was significantly higher from goose liver than from goose meat or sunflower butter (P < 0.05). With a dietary intake of 1.25 Â±0.20 mg Cu/d, Cu balance, exclusive of surface losses, was essentially zero (0.01 Â± 0.13 mg/d) in the seven subjects. J. Nutr. 118: 1522- 1528, 1988.