cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of piezoelectric material strain response to electron gun excitation

A plate of PZT5h was prepared with a single electrode on one face connected to a power amplifier. The opposite face was left as bare ceramic material which was then exposed to an electron beam. Sixteen strain gages were attached atop the electrode to measure the strain response and as a function of electrode potential (backpressure voltage). A range of sinusoidal voltage inputs were applied to the electrode and the strain response and current draw through the PZT were recorded. Electrode potentials between -15 and 100 V yield very predictable strain response and extremely small currents (approcimately 10-7 - 10-6 microamperes) which appear to be independent of the electrode potential. Below -15 V the current through the PZT suddenly increases to 10 (mu) a. At -15 volts level the strain response is still predictable but, as the electrode voltage decreases the strain signal begins to display significant drift. The root cause of this phenomenon is examined with the aid of the deBroglie-Einstein postulate and the Schr*dinger wave equation.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Heats of combustion and enthalpies of formation of d-ribose, d-arabinose, and l-ascorbic acid

Abstract The standard enthalpies of formation at 25°C derived from observed heats of combustion are l -ascorbic acid, Δ H f 0 ( c ) = −278.34±0.24 kcal·mole −1 ; d -ribose, Δ H f 0 ( c ) = −251.16±0.17 kcal·mole −1 ; and d -arabinose, Δ H f 0 ( c ) = −252.84±0.39 kcal·mole −1 .
CHANNEL LINK DENSITY AND GROUND SLOPE

ABSTRACT The microscopic exterior link density (⊘ e ) is a dimensionless planimetric variable equal to the length of an exterior channel link squared divided by its drainage area. In landscapes with shallow soils, low infiltration capacities, and thin vegetative covers, Hortonian overland flow occurs over virtually the entire ground surface and controls the positions of the channel heads. Because depth of overland flow is proportional to source-area size (as ) in such landscapes, as is negatively correlated, and hence ⊘ e is positively correlated, with ground slope. In contrast, in landscapes with deep soils, high infiltration capacities, and dense vegetative covers, the locations of channel heads are controlled by a combination of subsurface flow and saturation overland flow, the depth of which bears little relation to as . There is therefore no reason why as should vary inversely with ground slope. This is also true of landscapes where channels are initiated by processes other than running water, such a...
The use of fish movement patterns to monitor zinc in water

Abstract The feasibility of using fish movement patterns measured by light beam interruption as a technique for continuous monitoring of the response of fish to zinc was investigated. The apparatus does not in any way interfere with fish movement within the test chamber and allows for the maintenance of fish for long time periods. Under the conditions described the system detects premortal aberrations in fish movement caused by zinc. The detection of stress occurs in sufficient time to permit survival of the test fish if stress conditions are reversed at the time of detection. The lowest concentration of zinc detected by the system during a 96-h exposure was between 3.64 and 2.94 mg 1 −1 Zn 2+ . The system's range of effective measurement as related to turbidity is discussed. This methodology should detect other toxicity equally well.
An existence theorem for boundary trajectories

Abstract Sufficient conditions are given for the existence of trajectories, generated by a system of two first-order differential equations subject to bounded control, to remain on the boundary of the reachable set from the origin. In particular, it is established that these boundary trajectories exist for a large class of two-dimensional linear control systems subject to bounded scalar control.
Parents' selections of proprietary day care centers for their school-age children: A study of three southeastern University Communities

A sample of 145 parents whose 5- to 12-year-old children attended one of 25 profit-making day care centers located in three southeastern states completed a questionnaire designed to determine how and why they selected day care for their school-age children. Results revealed that the typical parent visited two or three centers, including the one they ultimately selected, before making a choice. Parents' most common first source of information about day care came from friends; very few first obtained information from child development specialists, licensers, or doctors. Across the three communities, the parents' rank-ordered reasons for selecting day care were strikingly similar. Health and safety, caregiver quality, the child's social development, and the child's educational development were the most important considerations; cost was the least important consideration. In contrast to earlier research with a preschool sample, no demographic or day care selection variables were associated reliably with selecting better quality day care by these parents. Follow-up telephone interviews with 28 parents yielded several possible factors that could have operated to minimize the prediction of quality day care in the present study.
New sources for the hot oxygen geocorona

This paper investigates new sources of thermospheric non thermal (hot) oxygen due to exothermic reactions involving numerous minor (ion and neutral) and metastable species. Numerical calculations are performed for low altitude, daytime, winter conditions, with moderately high solar activity and low magnetic activity. Under these conditions we find that the quenching of metastable species are a significant source of hot oxygen, with kinetic energy production rates a factor of ten higher than those due to previously considered O2(+) and NO(+) dissociative recombination reactions. Some of the most significant new sources of hot oxygen are reactions involving quenching of O(+)((sup 2)D), O((sup 1)D), N((sup 2)D), O(+)((sup 2)P) and vibrationally excited N2 by atomic oxygen.
The role of ferrichrome reductase in iron metabolism of Ustilago sphaerogena.

Abstract Ferrichrome, the ferric ionophore for Ustilago sphaerogena, can serve as a source of iron for the enzyme ferrochelatase (protoheme ferrolyase, EC 4.99.1.1) in this organism, but only after enzymatic removal of the iron from its carrier. U. sphaerogena contains a specific ferrichrome reductase (NADH:ferrichrome oxidoreductase) which catalyzes cellular dissociation of the complex by reduction of the metal to the ferrous state. A spectrophotometric assay was developed based on trapping of the ferrous ion produced by ferrozine. There is an apparent inhibition by oxygen which is thought to be due to re-oxidation of the metal under the assay conditions. The close structural analogue, ferrichrome A, is not a substrate, nor is the ester type siderochrome ferric hexahydro -N,N′,N″- triacetylfusarinine C. Aluminum desferriferrichrome is inhibitory. The importance of this enzyme for the metabolism of iron in this organism is discussed.
Continuous ammonium enrichment of a woodland stream: uptake kinetics, leaf decomposition, and nitrification

1 In order to test for nitrogen limitation and examine ammonium uptake by stream sediments, ammonium hydroxide was added continuously at concentrations averaging 100 μg1-1 for 70 days to a second- order reach of Walker Branch, an undisturbed woodland stream in Tennessee. 2 Ammonium uptake during the first 4h of addition corresponded to adsorption kinetics rather than to first-order uptake or to Michaelis- Menten kinetics. However, the calculated adsorption partition coefficient was two to four orders of magnitude greater than values reported for physical adsorption of ammonium, suggesting that the uptake was largely biotic. 3 Mass balance indicated that the uptake of ammonium from the water could be accounted for by increased nitrogen content in benthic organic detritus. Nitrification, inferred from longitudinal gradients in NO3, began soon after enrichment and increased dramatically near the end of the experiment. 4 Both ammonium and nitrate concentrations dropped quickly to near background levels when input ceased, indicating little desorption or nitrification of excess nitrogen stored in the reach. 5 There was no evidence of nitrogen limitation as measured by weight loss, oxygen consumption, phosphorus content, and macroinvertebrate density of red oak leaf packs, or by chlorophyll content and aufwuchs biomass on plexiglass slides. A continuous phosphorus enrichment 1 year earlier had demonstrated phosphorus limitation in Walker Branch.
Cross covariance function estimation by an average response computer.

The relationship between a continuous process such as the EEG of the central nervous system and a point process such as the discharge activity of a single neuron can often be profitably studied by way of the cross covariance function (CCVF). The individual events in the point process can be used to trigger an average response computer so as to obtain the average response of the continuous process to an event in the point process. Under certain circumstances it has been shown that this average response is a useful estimate of the CCVF. Because the technique is simpler to use than conventional methods for estimating the CCVF, it has been suggested that the technique be used for this purpose. However, when the point process is considered in terms of its expectation density, it can be shown that the CCVF estimate obtained by averaging is valid only when the properties of the processes are special enough as not to be encountered in many of the experimental conditions of interest. The derivation indicates explicitly how the differences between the averaging estimator and the true CCVF arise.
The relationship between weight loss and all-cause mortality in older men and women with and without diabetes mellitus: the Rancho Bernardo study

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between measured weight change over an approximate 10-year time period on all-cause mortality over the following 12 years in 1,801 community-dwelling men and women (mean age 71 at the beginning of mortality follow-up) with and without diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: A geographically defined community in southern California. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred one older men and women with and without diabetes mellitus. MEASUREMENTS: Weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose were measured in 1972–74 (Visit 1) when participants were aged 40 to 79 and again in 1984–87 (Visit 2). Lifetime weight history and dieting for weight control were ascertained in 1985 using a mailed questionnaire. Vital status was determined for the next 12 years, from Visit 2 (1984–87) through 1996. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the age- and multiply adjusted effect of weight change on mortality. RESULTS: At Visit 1, diabetic men (n = 140) and women (n = 90) were more overweight than nondiabetic men (n = 633) and women (n = 938). Weight gain between Visits 1 and 2 was not a significant predictor of mortality in this cohort. Men and women losing 10 or more pounds between visits had higher age-adjusted death rates during the following 12 years than those with stable weight or weight gain. Weight loss was associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in nondiabetic men (HR = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06–1.80) and women (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.33–2.34) and diabetic men (HR = 3.66, 95% CI = 2.15–6.24) and women (HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.70–3.87) after adjustment for age, smoking, and sedentary lifestyle. Significant associations persisted in analyses excluding cigarette smokers and those with depressed mood and low baseline BMI. After excluding those who died within 5 years of the weight loss, the increased HR was statistically significant in men and women with and without diabetes mellitus. Stratified analyses comparing those who reported dieting for weight control with those not dieting showed similar trends, with a higher mortality risk for weight loss in those who lost weight without dieting. CONCLUSION: In this population of older individuals, weight loss predicted increased all-cause mortality risk not explained by covariates.
Etiology of polydipsia and polyuria in rats with septal lesions

Abstract The effect of hypertonic saline injection was studied in septal rats in order to determine whether the observed polydipsia is primary to the polyuria and urine hypoosmolality or if water diabetes may be occurring. It was found that both the septal operated and control animals responded similarly to the osmotic stress. Therefore, the possibility of diabetes insipidus was rejected. Septal rats were also found to drink more 3 per cent saline solution ad libitum over a 24 hr period than did controls. The possibility of psychogenic polydipsia in septal rats is discussed. A general discussion of the problems raised by current findings regarding effects of septal lesions on water balance and their bearing on the motivational behavior reported for septal animals is presented.
Piezospectroscopy of the Raman spectrum of α -quartz

The first-order Raman spectrum of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-quartz, consisting of four totally symmetric ${A}_{1}$ lines, four $E$ lines with "unresolved" LO-TO components, and four LO-TO split $E$ doublets, have been investigated under uniaxial stress. A compressive force $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{F}}$ was applied along the trigonal axis $\stackrel{^}{z}$, along the binary axis $\stackrel{^}{x}$, or along ${\stackrel{^}{z}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=(\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\surd}2})(\ensuremath{-}\stackrel{^}{y}+\stackrel{^}{z})$. All splittings and/or shifts were found to be linear in stress and hence describable in terms of a linear-deformation-potential theory. From measurements using these three force directions the two deformation-potential constants characterizing each ${A}_{1}$ and the four constants characterizing each $E$ line have been deduced. The extreme sharpness of the 128-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ $E$ line at liquid-helium temperature allowed a Fabry-Perot interferometer to be used in the study of its behavior. The LO-TO splittings of the $E$ lines at 263, 695, and 1160 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ were measured to be 1.25 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.09, 2.39 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.10, and -3.02 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.45 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively, for the phonon wave vector, $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{q}}$ along $\stackrel{^}{y}$; the LO-TO splittings are comparable to the observed linewidths at liquid-helium temperature and were deduced from the zero-stress intercepts of the least-squares fits characterizing the stress dependence of the components. The LO-TO splittings of the 695- and 1160-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ lines were just resolved at liquid-helium temperature for $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{q}}\ensuremath{\parallel}\stackrel{^}{y}$. The LO-TO splittings calculated from the reststrahlen spectra for all eight $E$ lines are in satisfactory agreement with those measured in the present Raman study, even as to the unusual negative sign for the splitting of the 1160-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ line.
Transfer of Development Rights: An Analysis of a New Land Use Policy Tool: Comment

In a recent article in this Journal, certain questions regarding the use of the transfer of development rights (TDR) mechanism in the vicinity of a specific highway interchange are investigated on an ex post basis (Barrows and Prenguber). The analysis focuses on the question of the characteristics of the development rights (DR) market that would be necessary "if restricted landowners were to be fully compensated" (p. 553). One of the conclusions is that "full compensation would have required widely fluctuating DR prices. Alternatively, stable DR prices would have meant that some owners would receive much more than full compensation and others less" (p. 556). On the surface, this would appear to be a serious flaw in the TDR mechanism. But the conclusion results from an unsatisfactory definition of "full compensation" and from a conceptually inadequate basis for the distribution of development rights. In this note I demonstrate that it is possible to achieve "just compensation," as defined by the courts, with stable DR prices.' Barrows and Prenguber define full compensation as the "actual value when sold for development minus the agricultural value" (p. 554, emphasis added). Given this definition, they are correct in noting that the courts have ruled that full compensation is not required. In eminent domain cases, the courts must deal with the compensation question on an ex ante basis because there is no possible way to know what the actual price when sold for development would have been. Courts have consistently ruled that claims for compensation based on projections of what the land would have been worth for development some years hence can only be speculative in nature and are not compensable under the constitutional requirement of just compensation (Roettger). Lawyers and appraisers have developed a conceptually precise definition of just compensation as the difference between the market value of
NAFTA, TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION AND PRODUCTIVITY IN MEXICO

The literature on regional integration agreements (RIAs) is vast. 1 It deals mostly with static effects, and concludes that these effects are ambiguous in general. This has led a large number of economists to be skeptical about the benefits of RIAs, particularly for South-South ones. Bhagwati and Panagariya (1996), World Bank (2000) and Schiff and Winters (2003) show that, under homogeneous goods, a South-South RIA is likely to lower bloc welfare. The latter two studies also show that the less developed member country is likely to lose relative to the more developed one. In the case of North-South RIAs, the Southern member is likely to lose in the case of homogeneous goods because it typically has higher trade barriers than the Northern member, so that it provides larger transfers to the North than it obtains through its improved access to it.2 For instance, Panagariya (1999) finds that NAFTA resulted in a static loss for Mexico in 1996 of US$ 3.26 billion, or 0.98% of GDP.
Non-Arrhenius Ionic Conductivities in Glasses due to a Distribution of Activation Energies

Previously observed non-Arrhenius behavior in fast ion conducting glasses [J. Kincs and S. W. Martin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 70 (1996)] occurs at temperatures near the glass transition temperature, ${T}_{g}$, and is attributed to changes in the ion mobility due to ion trapping mechanisms that diminish the conductivity and result in a decreasing conductivity with increasing temperature. It is intuitive that disorder in glass will also result in a distribution of the activation energies (DAE) for ion conduction, which should increase the conductivity with increasing temperature, yet this has not been identified in the literature. In this Letter, a series of high precision ionic conductivity measurements are reported for $0.5{\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{S}+0.5[x{\mathrm{GeS}}_{2}+(1\ensuremath{-}x){\mathrm{PS}}_{5/2}]$ glasses with compositions ranging from $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}1$. The impact of the cation site disorder on the activation energy is identified and explained using a DAE model. The absence of the non-Arrhenius behavior in other glasses is explained and it is predicted which glasses are expected to accentuate the DAE effect on the ionic conductivity.
Statistical equilibrium spatial density in planar channeling

Abstract Using the continuum model computations of the spatial particle probability density for planar channeling under statistical equilibrium are presented. The channeled particle trajectory wavelength is obtained as part of the computation. An approximation is found which gives a simple analytic expression for the spatial density and gives reasonable agreement with numerical calculations. For more accurate calculations a normalization procedure has been obtained which allows a set of universal curves to be developed that have only two parameters. Using the curves presented, the statistical equilibrium spatial density or channeled particle wavelength (as a function of amplitude or transverse energy) can be easily obtained for any case for which the continuum model can be applied.
Stimulation and Inhibition of Growth Hormone Secretion by Interleukin-1β; The Involvement of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone

The effects of intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected interleukin-1 β (IL-1β: 1, 2.5, 10, and 25 ng) were studied on plasma growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) concentrations in freely moving
Delayed reactive cries demonstrate emotional and physiological dysregulation in newborns of depressed mothers.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine newborns’ behavioral and physiological reactions to the cry of another infant (labeled a reactive cry). 101 newborns of depressed ( N = 40) and non-depressed ( N = 61) mothers were assessed on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS, Brazelton and Nugent, 1995 ) and 89 of those infants also participated in an auditory task. Cardiovascular activity (heart period, parasympathetic tone, and recovery to basal activity) was obtained from a sub-sample of these infants ( n = 37). Vocal distress and regulatory behaviors were examined when newborns listened to another infant's cry and to a simulated sound (the control condition). ANOVAs indicated that newborns of depressed mothers showed lower basal parasympathetic tone. In addition, newborns of depressed mothers responded with less vocal distress to the cry sounds of another infant, and were delayed in physiological regulation following this sound. These findings suggest that newborns of depressed mothers show altered, possibly dysregulated, behavioral and physiological patterns during socio-emotional situations in comparison to newborns of non-depressed mothers.
Synthesis and Characterization of Europium(III) and Terbium(III) Complexes: An Advanced Undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry Experiment

Undergraduate laboratories rarely involve lanthanide coordination chemistry. This is unfortunate in light of the ease with which many of these complexes are made and the interesting and instructive photophysical properties they entail. The forbidden nature of the 4f transitions associated with the lanthanides is overcome by incorporation of ligands capable of energy transfer. In this experiment, students are exposed to the role of UV−vis and fluorescence spectroscopy in probing the energy levels of the electronic states associated with the ligands and the metals. This experiment works well for students working in teams of two and can be accomplished in two 3-h laboratory periods.
Trio: a system for data, uncertainty, and lineage

In the Trio project at Stanford, we are building a new kind of database management system: one in which data, uncertainty of the data, and data lineage are all first-class citizens. Trio is based on an extended relational model called ULDBs, and it supports a SQL-based query language called TriQL. Trio was motivated by a number of applications including scientific data management, data cleaning and integration, information extraction systems, and others. We have completed an initial working prototype of the Trio system. We will demonstrate our prototype by illustrating through two applications how uncertainty and lineage are represented in ULDBs, how TriQL operates over ULDBs both from the user and the system perspective, and in general how data, uncertainty, and lineage can work together to support interesting new functionality.
Scalar-tensor theories and the principle of equivalence

We investigate the restrictions on scalar-tensor theories of gravitation implied by the assumptions: (i) the field equations are derivable from an action principle, (ii) units of mass length and time are defined by atomic standards, and (iii) the principle of equivalence holds whenever gravitational self-energy can be neglected. We show that in all these theories the presence of gravitational energy in a system leads to violations of the principle of equivalence.
Monitoring Apolipoprotein Binding to Single Lipoproteins

Lipoproteins such as very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are key players for cholesterol transport and fundamental to understanding the mechanisms of heart disease. Apolipoproteins bind to lipoproteins and their quantity and location have been proposed to be more significant indicators of heart disease than levels of good (HDL) or bad (LDL) cholesterol. We are developing a general experimental framework to study the interaction of apolipoproteins with individual lipoproteins in vitro. Specifically, we are studying apolipoprotein C-III (ApoCIII), which inhibits the breakdown of triglyceride-rich VLDL and is correlated with hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis. To measure the quantity of ApoCIII on lipoproteins, we created a two-color system by labeling lipoproteins and ApoCIII with different fluorophores. Colocalization measurements were conducted via wide-field fluorescence microscopy using chambers with thickness of less than 1 µm. Lipoproteins and ApoCIII diffuse freely and are tracked simultaneously, avoiding potential artifacts from the use of surface attachments. ApoCIII binding on individual lipoproteins is quantified and exchange rates between free and bound are characterized. Of particular interest is to capture heterogeneous phenomena that are thought to occur in vivo, such as asymmetric binding distributions, which cannot be easily identified in bulk experiments.
Neuronal leucine-rich repeat 6 (XlNLRR-6) is required for late lens and retina development in Xenopus laevis.

Leucine-rich repeat proteins expressed in the developing vertebrate nervous system comprise a complex, multifamily group, and little is known of their developmental function in vivo. We have identified a novel member of this group in Xenopus laevis, XlNLRR-6, and through sequence and phylogenetic analysis, have placed it within a defined family of vertebrate neuronal leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRR). XlNLRR-6 is expressed in the developing nervous system and tissues of the eye beginning at the neural plate stage, and expression continues throughout embryonic and larval development. Using antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (MO) -mediated knockdown of XlNLRR-6, we demonstrate that this protein is critical for development of the lens, retina, and cornea. Reciprocal transplantation of presumptive lens ectoderm between MO-treated and untreated embryos demonstrate that XlNLRR-6 plays autonomous roles in the development of both the lens and retina. These findings represent the first in vivo functional analysis of an NLRR family protein and establish a role for this protein during late differentiation of tissues in the developing eye. Developmental Dynamics 235:1027–1041, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Insulin secretion in the conscious mouse is biphasic and pulsatile

Islets in most species respond to increased glucose with biphasic insulin secretion, marked by a sharp first-phase peak and a slowly rising second phase. Mouse islets in vitro, however, lack a robu...
Peer Support, Self-efficacy, and Combat-related Trauma Symptoms among Returning OIF/OEF Veterans

The incidence of PTSD and other combat-related trauma symptoms among more than 2 million veterans returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan suggests that many will experience psychological challenges in adjusting to civilian life. However, the literature is sparse about this new group of veterans. This study examined the relationships between peer support, self-efficacy, and PTSD symptoms among 216 OIF/OEF veterans who had attended 1 of 17 Vets4Vets peer support weekend retreats. Vets4Vets is a national grassroots program whose mission is to improve the psychological well-being of returning OIF/OEF veterans. Analysis of posttest changes indicate the generalizability of previous research findings, based on other groups of trauma-affected groups, to OIF/OEF veterans. As predicted, increased perceived peer support and self-efficacy reduced PTSD symptoms. From a theoretical perspective, we found that both models of self-efficacy, situation-specific (Bandura, 1997; Benight & Bandura, 2004) and general self-efficacy (Schwarzer & Fuchs, 1996), mediated or explained the relationship between peer support and PTSD symptoms. Implications for social work are discussed.
A new method for identification and classification of human wrist bones in CT

A system designed for the purpose of segmenting and classifying the bones present in computed tomography (CT) images of the human wrist is described. The classification scheme presented is new in its treatment of the cost penalty associated with an incorrect classification. The analysis of an image is carried out in two stages: the segmentation stage and the classification stage. The segmentation stage uses the fundamental image structures, such as edges, to locate the areas of the image that are to be examined as possible candidates for the bones in the wrist scan. The classification stage considers knowledge of the structures of the human wrist to determine which of the candidates found in the segmentation stage correspond to the actual bones. The desired result is a structural description of the given scene, with the contents located and identified. Preliminary results are judged promising. >
Coordinated resource optimization in behavioral synthesis

Reducing resource usage is one of the most important optimization objectives in behavioral synthesis due to its direct impact on power, performance and cost. The datapath in a typical design is composed of different kinds of components, including functional units, registers and multiplexers. To optimize the overall resource usage, a behavioral synthesis tool should consider all kinds of components at the same time. However, most previous work on behavioral synthesis has the limitations of (i) not being able to consider all kinds of resources globally, and/or (ii) separating the synthesis process into a sequence of optimization steps without a consistent optimization objective. In this paper we present a behavioral synthesis flow in which all types of components in the datapath are modeled and optimized consistently. The key idea is to feed to the scheduler the intentions for sharing functional units and registers in favor of the global optimization goal (such as total area), so that the scheduler could generate a schedule that makes the sharing intentions feasible. Experiments show that compared to the solution of minimizing functional unit requirements in scheduling and using the least number of functional units and registers in binding, our solution achieves a 24% reduction in total area; compared to the online tool provided by c-to-verilog.com, our solution achieves a 30% reduction on average.
Specifying and monitoring guarantees in commercial grids through SLA

Grid computing has relied on "best effort" as the guiding principal of operation. However, commercial grids need to provide much stricter guarantees. These guarantees have to be specified in terms of service level agreements and have to be monitored and assured. We propose an architecture for specifying and monitoring service level agreements to achieve the above. The architecture relies on a network of communicating proxies each maintaining SLAB committed within the administrative domain of the proxy. SLAB are either negotiated between or specified to management proxies, and they are responsible for automated monitoring of data and for triggering evaluations of the registered SLAs. An unambiguous and,flexible language for formalizing SLAB is presented to achieve the above. The management proxy allows reasoning about the overall status of SLAB related to an application context across multiple administrative domains by contacting and querying involved management proxies, obtaining measurement information from multiple proxies, if needed and performing a consolidated SLA evaluation. The process of measurement collection, and SLA evaluation is automated and based on web services technology. The scenario considers HP Utility Data Center as a typical Commercial Grid deployment environment.
Thiocoraline alters neuroendocrine phenotype and activates the Notch pathway in MTC-TT cell line

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Previous research has shown that activation of Notch signaling has a tumor suppressor role in NETs. The potential therapeutic effect of thiocoraline on the activation of the Notch pathway in an MTC cell line (TT) was investigated. Thiocoraline was isolated from a marine bacterium Verrucosispora sp. MTT assay (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to determine the IC50 value and to measure cell proliferation. Western blot revealed the expression of Notch isoforms, NET, and cell cycle markers. Cell cycle progression was validated by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of Notch isoforms and downstream targets were measured using real-time PCR. The IC50 value for thiocoraline treatment in TT cells was determined to be 7.6 nmol/L. Thiocoraline treatment decreased cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The mechanism of growth inhibition was found to be cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. Thiocoraline activated the Notch pathway as demonstrated by the dose-dependent increase in mRNA and protein expression of Notch isoforms. Furthermore, treatment with thiocoraline resulted in changes in the expression of downstream targets of the Notch pathway (HES1, HES2, HES6, HEY1, and HEY2) and reduced expression of NET markers, CgA, and ASCL1. Thiocoraline is a potent Notch pathway activator and an inhibitor of MTC-TT cell proliferation at low nanomolar concentrations. These results provide exciting evidence for the use of thiocoraline as a potential treatment for intractable MTC.
The effect of detomidine and its antagonism with tolazoline on stress-related hormones, metabolites, physiologic responses, and behavior in awake ponies.

Six ponies were used to investigate the effect of tolazoline antagonism of detomidine on physiological responses, behavior, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, glucose, and free fatty acids in awake ponies. Each pony had a catheter inserted into a jugular vein 1 hour before beginning the study. Awake ponies were administered detomidine (0.04 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]) followed 20 minutes later by either tolazoline (4.0 mg/kg i.v.) or saline. Blood samples were drawn from the catheter 5 minutes before detomidine administration (baseline), 5 minutes after detomidine administration, 20 minutes before detomidine administration which was immediately before the administration of tolazoline or saline (time [T] = 0), and at 5, 30, and 60 minutes after injections of tolazoline or saline (T = 5, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively). Compared with heart rate at T = 0, tolazoline antagonism increased heart rate 45% at 5 minutes. There was no difference in heart rate between treatments at 30 minutes. Blood pressure remained stable after tolazoline, while it decreased over time after saline. Compared with concentrations at T = 0, tolazoline antagonism of detomidine in awake ponies resulted in a 55% increase in cortisol at 30 minutes and a 52% increase in glucose at 5 minutes. The change in free fatty acids was different for tolazoline and saline over time. Free fatty acids decreased after detomidine administration. Free fatty acids did not change after saline administration. After tolazoline administration, free fatty acids increased transiently. Tolazoline tended to decrease sedation and analgesia at 15 and 60 minutes postantagonism. Antagonism of detomidine-induced physiological and behavioral effects with tolazoline in awake ponies that were not experiencing pain appears to precipitate a stress response as measured by cortisol, glucose, and free fatty acids. If antagonism of an alpha-agonist is contemplated, the potential effect on hormones and metabolites should be considered.
The student athlete experience

Prior to the 1980s, the literature on the experiences of collegiate studentathletes was rather scarce. Since that time the National Collegiate AthleticAssociation (NCAA) has passed several eligibility rules to address concernsabout the academic performance and the overall experience of student ath-letes on college campuses. As such, the literature related to the impact ofparticipation in college sports on student learning and personal develop-ment over the past two decades has grown substantially. Although there isstill much to learn about the experiences of student athletes in college, weknow much more about factors that bear on student learning and personaldevelopment for this population than we did twenty years ago. Of particu-lar interest today is the extent to which student athletes benefit from theircollege experience in ways similar to their nonathlete peers. As futureresearch is conducted on student athletes’ college experiences, it is impera-tive to understand the data sources available to answer key questions for thepurpose of developing policy and practice.
Repair of radiation induced damage—dependence on oxygen and energy status

Repair of radiation-induced sublethal damage by Chinese hamster V-79 cells is studied under conditions of different pO2 (15 ppm to 21%) and cellular energy status. Cellular ATP content and energy charge are drastically reduced when cells are deprived of both oxygen and nutrient. Both indices are within normal range when cells are provided with nutrients or trace levels of oxygen (300 ppm). When deprived of nutrient, hypoxic (15 ppm O2) cells do not repair SLD, while cells in 300 ppm O2 do. Thus, cellular SLD repair appears to be dependent on cellular energy status which in turn is sensitive to oxygen concentration. Relatedly, nutrient deprived hypoxic cells are sensitized to radiation with storage under 23 degrees C, a phenomenon which may stem from a decrease of endogenous glutathione content.
Transcriptional Control of Stem and Progenitor Potential

Hematopoiesis is characterized by a lifelong balance between hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation into mature blood populations. Proper instruction of cell fate decisions requires tight homeostatic regulation of transcriptional programs through a combination of epigenetic modifications, management of cis-regulatory elements, and transcription factor activity. Recent work has focused on integrating biochemical, genetic, and evolutionary data sets to gain further insight into these regulatory components. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), post-translational modifications of transcription factors, and circadian rhythm add additional layers of complexity. These analyses have provided a wealth of information, much of which has been made available through public databases. Elucidating the regulatory processes that govern hematopoietic transcriptional programs is expected to provide useful insights into hematopoiesis that may be applied broadly across tissue types while enabling the discovery and implementation of therapeutics to treat human disease.
Maternal voice and short‐term outcomes in preterm infants

This study explored effects of exposure to maternal voice on short-term outcomes in very low birth weight preterm infants cared for within an neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) without an ongoing program of developmental care. Using a comparative design, 53 infants born during their 27th to 28th postmenstrual week were sampled by convenience. Experimental groups were exposed to maternal voice during two developmental time periods. Group 1 listened to a recording of their mothers reciting a rhyme from 28 to 34 postmenstrual weeks. Group 2 waited 4 weeks and heard the recording from 32 to 34 weeks. The control group received routine care. The primary analysis of combined experimental groups compared to the control group revealed that the experimental infants experienced significantly fewer episodes of feeding intolerance and achieved full enteral feeds quicker compared to the control group. Further, in an analysis evaluating all three groups separately, it was noted that Group 1 experienced significantly fewer episodes of feeding intolerance compared to the control group. Study findings warrant further investigation of exposure to maternal voice and the developmental timing at which exposure is begun.
By-pass anastomosis of intrahepatic duct to the gallbladder.

Obstructiori of the extrahepatic bile ducts by primary or metastatic carcinoma can sometimes be difficult to relieve. Frequently there is an inadequate length of normal duct proximal to the obstruction to permit an anastomosis. A by-pass anastomosis between a dilated right hepatic biliary radicle and the gallbladder is a simple and satisfactory method of relieving the jaundice. This can be accomplished by using a T-tube as a stent; a vein graft over the T-tube limb in the liver seems to improve the result.
Rotator Cuff Injury in Contact Athletes

The causes and incidence of rotator cuff injuries in patients under the age of 40 has not been clearly established. The present study focuses on a group of 10 male contact athletes with rotator cuff injuries related to trauma sustained during football (ages from 24 to 36 years). Symptoms included pain and dysfunction in all 10 patients and a positive shrug sign in 8 of 10. The diagnoses for these patients were two isolated contusions, five partial-thickness tears, and three full-thickness tears. Surgery was performed on all patients after nonoperative treatment failed. Three partial-thickness tears were arthroscopically debrided. One full-thickness and two partial-thickness tears were repaired using the arthroscopically assisted miniarthrotomy technique. An open repair was performed in two patients. Two isolated rotator cuff contusions were arthroscopically debrided. The average followup was 21 months. Nine of 10 athletes returned to active participation in football, 7 of these at their preinjury levels. The diagnosis of rotator cuff injury should be considered in a contact athlete who has persistent shoulder pain, impingement signs, weakness, and a positive shrug sign. Arthroscopic debridement of the subacromial space followed by debridement or repair of rotator cuff tears, as clinically indicated, resulted in a marked improvement in function and rapid return to sport for these patients.
Quantitative proliferation dynamics and random chromosome segregation of hair follicle stem cells

Regulation of stem cell (SC) proliferation is central to tissue homoeostasis, injury repair, and cancer development. Accumulation of replication errors in SCs is limited by either infrequent division and/or by chromosome sorting to retain preferentially the oldest ‘immortal’ DNA strand. The frequency of SC divisions and the chromosome‐sorting phenomenon are difficult to examine accurately with existing methods. To address this question, we developed a strategy to count divisions of hair follicle (HF) SCs over time, and provide the first quantitative proliferation history of a tissue SC during its normal homoeostasis. We uncovered an unexpectedly high cellular turnover in the SC compartment in one round of activation. Our study provides quantitative data in support of the long‐standing infrequent SC division model, and shows that HF SCs do not retain the older DNA strands or sort their chromosome. This new ability to count divisions in vivo has relevance for obtaining basic knowledge of tissue kinetics.
An efficient parallel algorithm for isosurface visualization from large-scale scientific simulation data

Summary form only given. The tremendous amount of data generated by large-scale, parallel scientific and engineering simulations make the archive and analysis of this data difficult. To address this problem we, in previous work, developed an efficient archival scheme based on the functional representation of simulation data-this approximation scheme can reduce storage requirement significantly. However, common visualization tools such as the marching cubes algorithm for isosurface generation cannot be directly applied in this representation. Thus, we propose a new efficient isosurface visualization approach that takes full advantage of the functional approximation of simulation data. This method is fundamentally different from the marching cubes approach in that the visualization of isosurfaces is achieved through the solution of sets of ordinary differential equations. We present computational results detailing the effectiveness of this new approach for a simulation modeling the fluid dynamics of a turbulent reacting flow. The results demonstrate that the method is efficient in a parallel environment and represents a promising approach for the visualization of isosurfaces in simulation data from large-scale scientific applications.
An evolving problem: methamphetamine production and trafficking in the United States.

Abstract Background : Methamphetamine is a serious illicit drug problem in the United States and globally. For decades, methamphetamine has been supplied to the illicit market through local clandestine manufacturing and trafficking. In the early stages, illicit methamphetamine was produced and trafficked by motorcycle gangs and Mexican criminal groups. Over time, local clandestine manufacturing increasingly contributed to the illicit supply and broader methamphetamine problem. This review examines the evolution of the illicit methamphetamine supply in the U.S. Methods : A review of the literature on methamphetamine production and trafficking was conducted. Information was obtained from numerous sources including governmental reports, books and academic articles. Results : Attempts to control the supply of methamphetamine have only led to short term disruptions in availability. Clandestine manufacturing and trafficking have undergone significant changes over the past several decades. Shifts in local production have regularly been counterbalanced by changes in production and trafficking from criminal organizations in Mexico. Transnational criminal organizations now control much of the methamphetamine supply in the U.S. and methamphetamine remains widely available. Conclusions : The supply of methamphetamine in the United States is dynamic. Producers and traffickers have adapted to control efforts and the problem continues. Control efforts focused on eliminating supply are limited at best.
Relation of Sexual Behaviors, Values, and Conflict to Avowed Happiness and Personal Adjustment:

A questionnaire study of 68 male and 64 female college students inquired about sexual behaviors (a) experienced, (b) deemed acceptable on a date, (c) deemed acceptable if experienced previously by a fiance(e), (d) revealed to peers, and (e) revealed to parents. High scores on these measures were viewed as indicative of liberality and differences among them as indicative of conflict. These measures of sexual liberality and conflict did not correlate with measures of adjustment, avowed happiness, or religiousness. Tables indicate the per cent of Ss endorsing each item under each set. Ss reported far more sexual experiences than they had ever revealed to a peer or a parent.